Mount Hood

ASWOU’s Lobby Day at the Capitol was spent gaining support for legislation related to food insecurity, credit transferability, and diversity resources.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Members of Western’s student goverment, the Associated Students of Western Oregon University, and additional student volunteers had only 10 to 15 minutes to advocate for issues pertaining to the entire student body during the last Lobby Day on Feb. 6. 

As a part of the Oregon Student Association, Western’s lobbyists met with Senators Betsy Johnson and Denise Boles and Representatives Brad Witt and Paul Evans to push for legislation supporting reductions in food insecurity, ease of credit transferability and the underrepresented student taskforce. These issues, “impact students across all public universities and community colleges in the state of Oregon,” according to N.J. Johnson, ASWOU’s Director of State and Federal Affairs. 

Johnson said that their strategy was to split the team into who would speak on each issue and who would make the final legislative ask, in which the members would learn if the legislators planned on offering their support.  

“The legislators cannot be educated on every bill; our job is to share a brief summary and our insights into how that impacts us as college students … and as we don’t have a lot of time to make things happen, we chose to advocate for bills that already had some momentum going,” said Johnson. 

For food insecurity, Western’s lobbyists focused on endorsing a bill that would force the legislature to compile data on food insecurity across college campuses in Oregon. If the data reveals high instances of food insecurity, legislators would then be expected to create legislation that helps fund food pantries and prevent food insecurity down the road, informed Johnson. 

Another issue that Western’s lobbyists focused on was credit transferability. During Lobby Day, Western student Susana Cerda-Ortiz, shared her experience as a transfer student who was told she would be required to take 18 credits per term her senior year or three to four years of schooling in total to graduate, even after having already received an associate’s degree. The bill that Western’s lobbyists were advocating for in regards to credit transferability is “a portal to creating a portal,” according to Johnson, who added, “it would force the universities and community colleges of Oregon to come together and unify their process so that students can transfer more easily.”

The last legislation that Western’s lobbyists advocated for was creating more representation for students who are underrepresented. Johnson stated that underrepresentation is broadly defined and applies to more than just the following: people who grew up in rural communities, low-income students, students of color and students with disabilities. In this case, the bill they were campaigning for would, “make university and campus spaces more inclusive to those folks,” said Johnson.

Currently, legislation is in the short session, a process which takes 35 days. 

Johnson called lobbying “empowering,” stating that “it’s an incremental process; you don’t always see immediate progress, but it matters.”

He encourages students to join youth lobby groups, and asked those interested in lobbying for Western students to contact him at aswoustate@mail.wou.edu.

“I think so many things happen legally because the stakeholders impacted most aren’t at the negotiation tables or involved in the conversations. Our job as the student government is to allow students who are affected to have their voices be heard,” Johnson concluded.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Emily Wanous, OSA lobbyist

Western implements a new simulation service, Kognito, to help students communicate about sensitive issues.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Western’s Health and Counseling Center has recently implemented an interactive simulation service called Kognito to teach students communication strategies regarding emotional and psychological distress. 

Kognito is an online program co-founded by New York-based clinical psychologist and Baruch College professor, Dr. Glenn Albright, who originally developed the idea for the project when he recognized the need for faculty to have trauma-informed training after observing many students struggling. 

According to Kognito’s website, “his research involves integrating empirically-based findings drawn from neuroscience such as emotional regulation, mentalizing, and empathy, as well as components of social cognitive learning models including motivational interviewing and adult learning theory.” 

Kognito applies this research by employing a communication style known as “motivational interviewing,” which “helps people open up and make changes in their lives,” by reportedly making them feel less judged and more likely to open up, according to Albright.  

The simulations include computerized people programmed with personality and emotions and many are free and accessible to the public, available on one’s personal technological devices. And, since its inception, Kognito’s database has broadened to include simulations for veterans, K-12 students and teachers, members of the LGBTQ+ community, doctors and parental figures, teaching individuals how to approach sensitive topics and how to educate others about important issues, such as correct antibiotic use. 

At Western, the simulations are mostly used for educating students and faculty about how to talk to individuals who are experiencing psychological distress and how to motivate them to seek help from the counseling center.

Albright calls Kognito “a new and innovative simulation technology that can result in changes in people’s physical and emotional health which can be completed in privacy.”

Students can visit the SHCC, call 503-838-8313 or explore Kognito’s website for more details.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Kay Bruley

Philip Harding advocated for the HR763 Bill during his Feb. 18 lecture on sustainability, explaining how it creates jobs and supports innovation.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Philip Harding didn’t come to Western to convince students to believe the research of climate scientists and he certainly didn’t come to blame individuals for the climate crisis: he came to help students realize that individual practices, while helpful, are not enough to spur change, and that, instead, they should consider supporting the HR763 bill.

A chemical engineer currently working as the Director of Technology and Sustainability for the Willamette Falls Paper Company, Harding spends his free time advocating for the bill as a member of the Citizens Climate Lobby both in Washington D.C. and at local universities, like he did at Western on Feb. 18.  

Because he works in manufacturing product development where his team is consistently trying to produce paper created from non-wood and recycled fiber, Harding says he recognizes that money is the central problem preventing change. 

“It’s really slow to get people to embrace (sustainability) … because of money,” Harding said. 

However, he believes that HR763 could provide a solution.

The bill, currently supported by over 80 legislators is “a proposal that would charge a fee for fossil fuel usage based on what we think people would need to gradually and predictably adapt, upon which the fee would be refunded to the people,” said Harding. 

Harding wants students to understand that pricing carbon isn’t negative and that it actually creates jobs by changing companies perceptions and forcing them to invest in clean energy. 

Harding invited students to participate in a role-playing scenario where they were to imagine themselves as investment bankers should HR763 pass. Following student responses, Harding said that he predicts that bankers would invest in renewable energy companies, who would then expand and hire humans who would then be able to afford renewable energy products, creating a cycle that would be mutually beneficial. 

Harding says that changing how we consume energy is a highly complicated issue that involves too many political fights. HR763, on the other hand, is a comprehensible solution.

Harding encouraged students to call their representatives to show support for the bill, stating that “all you have to do is care and believe in doing something positive” to make change. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

The Incidental Fee Committee’s partial preliminary decision shows large overall departmental cuts.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Every year, the Incidental Fee Committee is tasked with determining how they are going to allocate funds permitted by student fees, if any changes to the incidental fees need to be made, and which departments will be granted enhancements or have their budgets cut. 

Over the past month, the student-run IFC has been debating these aspects while facing a $150,000 deficit reportedly caused by low enrollment, culminating in a final 5.5% cut proposal that drastically affects student resources. Their preliminary decision resulted in a $270,941 cut to base budgets, and only one enhancement was granted — $250 towards Campus Recreation.

“Before we started making preliminary cuts, the IFC members agreed to being apprehensive towards cuts that would put student safety at risk, decrease student wages, interfere with the growth rate of incoming students, and decrease the accessibility of childcare,” said Logan Baker, the Chairperson of the IFC. 

However, childcare was one of the top six areas affected by IFC’s preliminary decision — confronted by a 7% in budget cuts — and many other departments are facing cuts which directly correlate to student pay and accessibility to campus resources. 

Another impact of the proposed 5.5% cut would be a reduction in student pay — and study space — through the closing of Werner University Center on Saturdays. 

The alternative to making these cuts is to raise student’s incidental fees. Two plans are presently being considered to determine what students will be charged per campus credit, but a decision has not yet been reached regarding the projected percentage for that increase. President Rex Fuller has allegedly stated that he will veto any plan to raise the fees past 5%, a declaration that is being challenged by some students, department leaders and IFC members. 

Daniel Woolf, an elementary education major and Judicial Administrator of ASWOU stated that President Fuller’s position, “takes power away from the students who should be making that decision” and relayed his observation that “students (at the first preliminary hearing) overwhelmingly stated that they would be willing to pay more for (departmental) services.” 

A 5% increase of the current $375 incidental fee would result in an $18.75 increase per student, or $393.75 total.

If President Fuller vetoes the decision, mediations would then ensue. 

In the meantime, students passionate about how their fees are being allocated still have the opportunity to advocate for themselves during the next open hearing on Thursday, February 27, from 4-6 p.m. in the Pacific Room located in the Werner University Center.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Infographic by Kyle Morden 

A Q & A with former U.S Representatives, Rod Chandler and NIck Lampson, about the shifts in our political climate, and the growing need for civic literacy.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Congress to Campus is a program focused on educating the public about and encouraging the practice of civic literacy and public service. Last Thursday, Feb. 13, former U.S. Representatives, Rod Chandler and Nick Lampson, came to Western as participants in the Congress to Campus program, and were intent to discuss those ideals. I sat down with them to learn more about it:

 

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourselves and your experiences as former representatives?

C: I represented the eighth congressional district in the state of Washington. I grew up in Oregon, attended Eastern Oregon College, and then graduated from Oregon State University. I have a Masters degree from UNLB in education.

L: I’m from Southeast Texas, and I represented the ninth congressional district until the state of Texas had a redistricting effort in 2003 and I lost the opportunity to serve in that district, so I moved to district 22 and ran again, going back to Congress for my fifth term.

 

Q: I understand that Congress to Campus is a program that focuses on civic literacy. Can you tell me a little about what civic literacy means to you and why it’s important?

L: I served in the Congress during a time of even greater transition than what was around while Rod served. He served mostly in the 80s and I served mostly in the 90s. The camaraderie that existed and, in my opinion, had done so much to help us achieve fantastic goals as a nation, began to wane. The ability for people to sit and enjoy conversations with another, work through difficult differences, and find common ground and compromise was going away. We seem to have less respect, less willingness to listen to our counterparts, and therefore less of an ability to achieve the goals of our nation. Our need for civility and a search for common ground is of the utmost importance if we are going to have good legislative action.

C: We want to inspire young people to participate. We aren’t coming in and saying “be a democrat, be a republican,” we’re saying “get involved.” Understand the issues, look at the candidates, and get involved in helping them get elected. Participate in the process of public policy itself; go to Salem, if you’re for something, go lobby for it, if you’re against it, go against it.

 

Q: My generation has been told since we were little that a lot of issues are going to be up to us. What are representatives doing to support young people who are trying to make a difference?

L: We’re going to college campuses. We want that engagement; we want to show why you should have an interest in the things that we have already done. You need to be preparing yourself to step into the shoes that we’ve worn before. It wasn’t too very long ago when we were in exactly that same situation as you, and we were looking up to people doing these things. They had the ability to inspire us to go and work in Congress. If we can leave a little bit of interest on the part of the students we’ve touched, then we will have accomplished our goal. We have to have you step into the positions to carry on what our founding fathers started 250 years ago, or we won’t continue to exist. 

 

Q: Early, you were discussing how some respect for opposing sides has diminished. In your opinion, is that being helped along by the media in any way? Are you seeing media misrepresentation of what Congress does?

C: I think the media looks for the sensational. Those seeking media attention behave sensationally. It is an element, for sure. Go back to, say, the 1960s, where you essentially had three major television networks and newspapers that were extremely thick. All of that has pretty much gone away with the news sources that we have now, and it’s really tragic.

L: I think it was an intentional effort by politicians to run against what we thought to be the mainstream media, a project of anti-journalism that has been successful. And it’s too bad, somehow we have to find a way to replace it with something that is more acceptable. Discussions like we are having now are fairly rare, today. 

C: Divorcing your opinion from what you’re reporting is really hard to do, but at least when you’re attempting that, then you’re more apt to get good information to the citizens. We don’t see that anymore. 

 

Q: Going back a bit, what were the biggest challenges of being a representative when you were in office? What do you want the public to know about your position?

L: I looked at being a representative as having three different jobs: I had my policy job, which meant I had to do a lot of reading, preparing for committee meetings, and deciding which policies we were going to support, constituent services, which meant responding to letters, taking phone calls, responding to requests for help, and campaigning, which in a district that was not competitive, I had to be constantly raising money and preparing for the next campaign. Any one of those would be considered a full-time job, and when you put the three of them together, time was the greatest resource that I could pray for.

 

Q: What are the biggest issues that we are facing currently, which people should be paying attention to?

L: I think that you don’t solve any of the issues that we face until we address the divisiveness of the nation. Our division has prevented us from having a conversation. I believe that there is no issue where we can’t find some common ground. From there, I’ll hand it the question off to Rod, because the issues are going to be the same for both of us.

C: Firstly, the fiscal budget; we are spending your generation into debt that is just immoral, a trillion-dollar deficit in the president’s proposed budget. Next, the environment; we’ve got to deal with global warming, not just as a nation, but globally. We’ve got to partner with the rest of the world.

L: And healthcare, that’s of a critical nature. And because this is the end of the interview, I’d like to make a point, if you don’t mind. Rod and I represented a different era of Congress than what is there now. I believe that if the public would recognize how we were able to work together in the past few days together at Western, and sought to have people of similar minds that we have, we’d solve the problems that face our communities. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Earlene Camarillo

Rallies in response to the cap-and-trade bill draw participants from far and wide.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

The Timber Unity protest against Senate Bill 1530 on Thursday, Feb. 6, reportedly rallied over 2,000 people and brought over 1,000 trucks to the capitol, according to The Statesman Journal. It was countered by Renew Oregon, a coalition of groups in support of the bill on the following Tuesday, Feb. 11, when over 1,000 individuals rallied at the capitol in its defense. 

Senate Bill 1530, or the cap-and-trade bill as it’s often referred to, would target Oregon’s highest polluting companies of carbon emissions and hold them accountable for emissions higher than the proposed cap would allow, causing them to pay to utilize those emissions and eventually resort to more sustainable options. However, there are concerns over its economical feasibility. 

Kathy Hadley, a local farmer and member of Timber Unity, said the bill has extremely negative consequences for rural Oregonians, who believe their costs of living will dramatically increase after the bill causes companies to move out of state and fuel prices to rise.

“We’re concerned about the money it would cost and the way it’s being handled, how they’re trying to pass such sweeping legislation on a partisan line with so significant effort to address the concerns of the minority,” Hadley stated. 

Oregonians supporting the efforts of Renew Oregon say that the bill is in response to what they believe is a current climate emergency and that the government and the fossil fuel industry are lying about the state of the environment. They counter Timber Unity’s argument, saying that the bill will actually work to provide more jobs, while acknowledging that sacrifices need to be made in order to survive.

A speaker at the rally on Feb. 11 and a youth activist, Maya Stout is a fifteen-year-old student at Newport High who became passionate about advocating for the environment after witnessing changes in her community and stated, “we have to define what an impacted community is … climate change destroys not only the environment but the economy sustained by it.”

Eric Richardson, the Eugene-Springfield NAACP president, added that “this is not a political issue, it’s a moral issue,” and reminded the crowd that rural people, marginalized people and people of color are fighting on the frontlines against climate change.

Timber Unity remains unconvinced. 

Hadley expressed doubts over the bill’s ability to help save the environment, stating that Timber Unity had proposed ways to commit to seeing immediate change, and that she would rather people recognize the good that people are trying to do, rather than just taxing the negative.

To read the bill itself, visit https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

Oregon’s largest private university, Concordia University, is closing its doors after this term

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Concordia University, located in Portland, is the largest private university in Oregon, and it’s closing permanently at the end of this semester in April — its 115-year run coming to an end.

This makes Concordia the fourth local private university in Oregon to close since 2018, following Marylhurst University closed, The Art Institute of Portland and Oregon College of Art and Craft. 

A sophomore at Concordia, Bailey Wieland, called the news a “shock,” mentioning that she felt blindsided, because she had just received an email to register for the upcoming term. 

Concordia senior, Christian Thyron, concurred, adding that he had “heard enrollment was the highest it had been in awhile, and that Concordia was expanding and growing.” 

Wieland thinks that Concordia’s closing is due to low-enrollment — a notion that is backed by statements from the administration — although former reports show a growing online enrollment pattern over the last few years and their seven-year self-evaluation report portrays them as one of the highest growing universities ranked by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Regardless, Concordia University has struggled financially in the past few years, following a rollercoaster pattern of increases and decreases. Portland Business Journal published an article on Feb. 10 discussing Concordia’s controversial partnership with HotChalk, a company which creates online degree programs, which resulted in a $1 million settlement that’s cause for speculation. 

Condordia has contributed more than 251,000 service hours benefitting an estimated 10,000 people, including 5,000 youth, according to their seven-year self-evaluation report.

“I feel really bad for the university. It’s been a home to people in the community and for those attending and working there,” Thyron said.

Concordia’s financial deficits have resulted in thousands of students struggling to figure out the next steps in their college careers. As Wieland said, “we are asking ourselves ‘where are we going to go now? Is all of our going to go to the other school when we transfer?’” Wieland plans to further her education through the University of Portland, but her peers still have many decisions to make. 

Western faces similar issues in terms of low-enrollment. Students interested in learning more about how the Incidental Fee Committee has responded to deficits created by low enrollment can find more information in the upcoming issue of The Western Howl, released on Feb. 18.

 

Contact the author howlnews@wou.edu

Courtesy of Concordia student, Bailey Wieland

Spokesperson for Out and Proud, Mick Rose, recalls their journey of reclaiming their cultural and historical queer heritage

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Out and Proud is an event hosted by Western’s Multicultural Student Union, which, “recognizes the challenges that people of color face within the (LGBTQ+) community as well as celebrate their achievements and successes,” according to their executive board. This year, Western invited Mick Rose, an Indigiqueer, non-binary human from the Diné, Omaha, and Pawnee nations to speak about their many intersecting identities.

“Let us never forget our privilege on the land that we occupy and in the institutions in which we study,” Rose began, reminding the audience that the forced relocation of Native people is what allowed Western to grow. 

Initially, Rose stated that they had felt conflicted about speaking because of their complex relationship with their own identity; they hadn’t always identified as a member of the queer community and “at many times felt marginalized by the community.”

For them, their pride was fostered through self-discovery, and reclaiming aspects of their indiginous culture and history that had been severed.

A major turning point in that reclamation came from their grandmother’s affirmations towards their “coming-out,” as it was then that Rose was introduced to their tribe’s five-gender system and realized that they identified as Dilba, a person who identifies with the female spirit, and people their grandmother described as caretakers, peace-makers, counselors and warriors. 

Previously, Rose spent years attending college at BYU, where they assimilated and faked straightness to avoid being kicked out, excommunicated or facing electric-shock therapy. 

“I knew then, it was a dangerous place to be, and I needed to fit in … so I could get out,” Rose said.

During one particular incident, Rose recalled being nearly arrested because they had taken a bite of their pizza as they stood in line to pay for it, and the unjustified consequences that resulted thereafter. 

“This incident left a permanent on my public record. It comes up now when I apply for jobs, it came up when I applied to be a foster parent. Every time I have to justify my conviction … and relive the embarrassment of being a target as a person of color at my university campus,” said Rose.

Rose was inspired to write their senior thesis on Indian Boarding Schools, institutions known for kidnapping native children and forcefully indoctrinating them into Christianity, who operated under the former Bureau of Indian Education whose mantra was “kill the indian, save the man.” Rose’s own family was heavily affected by Indian Boarding Schools.

“This background and my family’s relationship with education is important because there’s layers in that where colonization has severed my ability to connect to my gender and sexuality,” Rose said.

Colonization has removed examples of queer, two-spirit indiginous people from history, and Christianity was responsible for many of their murders and much of their supression. 

Rose acknowledged that the loss of indiginous queer knowledge and heritage is a loss for all queerfolk. 

Now, however, “the consistent work done to discover and of identity in the indiginous community is one that is mirrored by Western society as well. How wonderful that communities and societies are shedding the confines that colonization has held. How beautiful that various tribal nations are able to reclaim and then share our traditional knowledge in these contexts,” Rose said. 

Rose’s embodiment of pride comes at a variety of intersections; it combines the pride of being indiginous, the pride of reclaiming their non-binary, queer identity and the pride of rediscovering the language of identity under the reclamation of their indiginous tradition and culture.

Rose reminded the audience, “you can identify however you feel inside .. and it will change over your lifetime.”

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Contact the author howlnews@wou.edu

SONA is a program utilized by the psychology department as they search for research participants.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

SONA is a program that allows Western’s psychology students and faculty to both post information about studies, and sign up to participate in them. According to Western professor, Jaime Cloud, prior to SONA, the psychology department used pink slips to give students extra credit or track the credits required for specific classes.

“It’s a much more progressive, elegant solution,” said Cloud. 

Unfortunately, because the program is expensive, only psychology students are given SONA accounts.

“Students and faculty would love to recruit participants from outside the psychology department, but logistically it’s just not easy to set that up,” Cloud stated. 

However, that means that the pool for collecting data is significantly reduced; students conducting research become desperate for participants and those who sign up but don’t show up face certain consequences — like being kicked out of the SONA system for the remainder of the term if they exceed three no-shows. 

Cloud stressed the importance of having students support one another on campus, especially regarding research.

“Basically, the scientific method is the engine of research in psychology … and you have to put (an idea) to the empirical test and collect data …  that very essential component cannot happen if we don’t have students volunteer their time to participate in studies,” she said. 

There are dozens of research projects to choose from — some even offering incentives like pizza or candy. 

One such project is Dr. Foster’s current study which is in collaboration with several undergraduate research students and focuses on creativity, specifically “factors that affect creative behavior … and how to elicit creative behavior in a laboratory situation,” according to the SONA site. 

“A lot of the studies on SONA end up being kind of predictable and survey-based, but some of them are really interactive,” said Cloud. 

The information gained from SONA research is shared both within Western’s community and in scientific communities around the world. 

As Cloud stated, “the time and effort that participants spend contributing to the scientific process is contributing to the amount of information that is shared worldwide.”

 

Contact the author howlnews@wou.edu

Courtesy of Dr. Cloud

Coffee Talks connects students to local businesses, helps develop career-readiness skills and opens pathways to success

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor 

Coffee Talks are an ongoing program hosted by the Service Learning and Career Development Center located in the Werner University Center. They are small, comfortable events that connect students with local businesses in the hopes that students will be able to gain more information about a potential career path. Brooke Kline, a Peer Career Advisor under SLCD, said they were created, “with the idea in mind that we wanted students to have a more casual meeting with potential employers,” as opposed to formal recruitment events such as career fairs. 

According to Kline, for students with a genuine interest in the organizations, it’s best to go in with some questions prepared — such as if they are looking to employ people with specific majors — but anyone is welcome and the recruiters are always very passionate talking about what they do.

“We get feedback from quite a few employers saying ‘I’ve met with a lot of great students today who were very interested in our program’ and later on we hear that they actually have a job there,” Kline said of the program’s success rate.

Typically, Coffee Talks occur approximately eight times per term, always falling on Tuesdays between 2-4 p.m. in the WUC near the Wolf Grill and they invite a wide range of organizations to participate. Last Tuesday, Jan. 28, Mustardseed Preschool was invited and the next upcoming organization is the Chintimini Wildlife Center, which will be engaging with students next Tuesday, Feb. 11. If an organization is hiring, their job postings will appear on Handshake, and Coffee Talks sometimes offer resume or application-building workshops as well. Students interested in finding future Coffee Talks can find the full schedule on Handshake, located in the Portal, or refer to Western’s event calendar. 

 

Contact the author howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Kay Bruley

While cases of the Coronavirus dot the map, Oregon is not yet affected and does not anticipate it crossing the borders.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Coronavirus is a multi-strand respiratory illness that, while newer, has been well-documented. A new strand, 2019-nCoV, caused an outbreak in Wuhan, China and has spread across borders, with 11 confirmed cases appearing in the U.S. — the case closest to Western being in Everett, Washington. An article published by The New York Times on Feb. 3 states that the current amount of deaths from the virus within China equate to 361, exceeding that of the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003. 

Jennifer King, the Medical Services Director and a Family Practitioner at Western, shared that the virus is highly contagious and spreads through close contact, but also said “the risk is very low for Oregon. We don’t have any cases or contacts from Wuhan, so it’s a very low risk for the university.”

Coronavirus’ symptoms are identical to the flu when they first begin — high fever, cough, difficulty breathing — which become more severe later on. In that regard, the Student Health and Counseling Center wants students to come in or call their health provider if any flu-like symptoms occur. 

“A lot of it is preventable,” said King, who suggested washing hands, covering coughs, staying hydrated, managing stress and not travelling to China currently as basic prevention techniques. 

At the SHCC, Western’s medical professionals will treat flu-like symptoms as they usually would, with the caveat that if they did suspect someone of having the Coronavirus, they would use standard personal protection equipment before contacting the Polk County Health Department.

“We would take direction from them as far as testing goes because we don’t have the test. We would pretty much hand that over immediately to public health and follow CDC recommendations,” said King.

On Coronavirus, King said, “every single day it’s changing as we learn more about it,” but advises against any fear on campus. King said that such an occurrence is extremely unlikely and reminded everyone that comparative to the Coronavirus, 8,000 deaths occured in the U.S last year from the basic flu alone. 

 

Contact the author howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Kay Bruley

Salem issues a city-wide camping ban resulting in homeless from surrounding areas congregating on the streets of downtown.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

As students drive into Salem as part of their daily route or for a day perusing the shops of downtown, they’re met by sidewalks lined with sleeping bags and valuables belonging to the Salem homeless community. 

The homelessness situation in Salem is a complicated one and the dates for each individual instance that escalated the current issue are difficult to place. In early May of 2019, the homeless community members residing in Wallace Marine Park were given an ultimatum to vacate the premises following dangerous floods that caused rescue efforts to become necessary for several homeless folks. Prior to that decision, the homeless were also told to vacate Salem’s Marion Square Park underneath the bridge that leads into historic downtown Salem where nearby, the city’s new $61.8 million police station — with a $3.3 million boost from the Salem City Council, according to the Statesman Journal — is currently being built.

Recently, Salem issued a complete citywide camping ban, and groups were forced to stop setting up camp outside places like ARCHES, a service provider whose goal is to “promote housing and self-sufficiency by navigating clients from homelessness to stable housing and then to self-sufficiency,” according to their website. 

Homeless folks from those areas had little choice but to congregate inwards towards the city center, first lining the walls of Rite Aid and later expanding into the mall vicinities where, now, every morning, the homeless of downtown Salem are asked to move in order for ServiceMaster Clean crews to purge the streets of human waste. Anthony Stevens, a member of the Salem homeless community, said that they were being treated better on the sidewalks compared to the sweeps through the parks which resulted in volunteers cutting up tents and tossing out people’s keepsakes.

“I’ve had friends lose their mother’s ashes and important documents,” Stevens stated. 

Stevens has a mental disability which prevents him from finding work and he said that he suspects that is the case for many of the other homeless in Salem.

A regular of City Council meetings and a spokesperson for the homeless community, Stevens said that the city is currently considering declaring a state of emergency and bringing in FEMA to address the current situation. Stevens relayed that the homeless community felt torn about this possibility, with some members feeling victimized and others hoping that it would bring them much-needed support. Regardless, Stevens said “if the camping ban lifted, these streets would be empty … normally, we’re out of the public eye,” and concluded by stating, “we’re regular citizens, we just don’t have homes.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu 

Photo by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

Family Weekend invites students’ families to campus for a three-day weekend packed full of memory-making activities.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Becoming an annual tradition, Family Weekend brings relatives and chosen family of Western students to campus for a three-day bonding experience and the chance to learn what Western has to offer. This year’s Family Weekend took place Jan. 24-26 and was packed full of activities and entertainment. 

 

Day 1

Following a warm welcome issued by President Rex Fuller, students and their families headed over to the Werner University Center to engage in some pop-culture trivia spanning generations. Those uninterested in that escapade had the chance to play a giant game of Hide ‘N Seek in the Hamersly Library.

 

Day 2

The WUC had a myriad of activities set up on Jan. 25, including a photo booth, crafting DIY Wolfie ears, the opportunity to get caricatured, bracelet-making and origami. While waiting in line for the caricature artist, the Mahoney family said they had enjoyed going to The Donut Bar near campus and that they were “looking forward to the show tonight,” regarding Western hosting comedian Jonathan Burns. 

Over in the Willamette Room making bracelets, LeAnne, the mother of Western student Hailey Struble, said that she was reassured “seeing the way that (her) daughter is thriving and that she’s made a home.”

The WUC wasn’t the only place holding events on campus; over at the Student Health and Wellness Center, first-year Nate Henninger’s mother, Tracie Henninger, and the rest of their family waited for their turn during the Cornhole Tournament. Tracie said that the transition of Nate going to college wasn’t too hard, as they live only an hour away. 

 

Day 3

Sunday was all sunshine and goodbyes following the Brunch Send-off catered by Valsetz and the conclusion of on-campus activities like the scavenger hunt and the look-alike contest. Even though students prepared for the upcoming school day and parents went back to their jobs, the possibility of future bonding events like Family Weekend was a reassurance as they departed.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

A plan long in the works, development has recently begun on Monmouth’s “S-curves.”

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

As one drives down Main Street towards Independence, there is a large chunk of land currently being developed to the right of the road. Many locals know this area as the “S-curves,” but Monmouth City Council building official, Larry Thornton, says the area will be known as the Ash Creek Station when it is fully developed.  

Salem resident, Jack Fox, purchased the land in 1999, which will be transformed into a small shopping center complete with nine buildings plus a medical facility. Thus far, three businesses have been confirmed as tenants: a larger and improved Roth’s grocery store, a Papa Murphy’s and a Tractor Supply Co. 

“This has been an ongoing process for quite some time,” Thornton stated, “Mr. Fox has been trying to develop the land for a lot of years. There was a Wetlands issue on the property and until those issues were mitigated, everything was basically put on hold.”

Fox originally applied for permits back in 2018, according to Thornton, and since they’ve received approval from the Corps of Army Engineers, they are now in the second stage of building — a technical process of “framing,” a process where concrete blocks are arranged to act as the buildings frame.

“Roth’s is further along. They’ve got all their walls up and they’re putting on the roof system … once the building is watertight, they can start working on a lot of the other issues like putting the concrete floor down and the wiring and plumbing,” said Thornton.

The prospect of a new grocery store is something Thornton thinks the community will be excited about as Monmouth hasn’t had their own grocery store for the past 15 years.

“There’s a need for these kinds of businesses in Monmouth … I think the general public is totally behind it and probably thinking it’s been a long time coming and we’re glad it’s here,” he said.

The project is expected to be finished sometime in April, according to Thornton, who also warns there might be delays due to the winter weather. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Monmouth Community Development Director, Suzanne Dufner

Students and faculty collaborate to create a mural commemorating the anniversary of the 19th amendment to be displayed in Hamersly Library.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

In the foyer of Hamersly Library, students and faculty met on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. To commemorate the occasion, attendees were invited to add a rainbow cutout of their hand to a mural upon which the amendment was printed, symbolizing the diversity of individuals who fought for women’s suffrage and are still supporting women’s rights today. 

Throughout the room, the biographies of a multitude of important activists and allies were displayed, providing various historical perspectives. Among them were Western alumna Teresa Alonso Leon, the first immigrant Latina to represent Woodburn in Congress, and Kathryn Harrison, the first female chair of the Grande Ronde tribal council.

Professor Kimberly Jenson, who teaches a gender issues class at Western, helped organize the event and was one of three speakers including Mayor Cecelia Koontz — the first elected female mayor in Monmouth — and President Rex Fuller. The three of them spoke of Oregon’s historical ties to both current and historical feminist movements. 

Mayor Koontz shared her pride in being an Oregonian, stating that the state motto “she flies with her own wings” has been an inspiration for her. Additionally, she praised Western’s history saying that “it’s fitting to be here … because oral history has it that the pioneer women of the Monmouth migration of the 1850s only agreed to make the dangerous trek West if a school were founded when they got here … a place of learning for both men and women.” 

President Fuller added the historical knowledge that Oregon was among only one of 15 states to grant women the right to vote in 1912 before the ratification of the 19th amendment. 

Jenson continued by reminding everyone that “from the very beginning of our state’s suffragette activism, women of color have been there.” She concluded by stating that “we are strong because we have a state that has this history but it would be a mistake for us to overlook the many struggles that have continued, the very vital work that women leaders and men leaders and people leaders have done.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

Western makes history as the first base for a national ASL assessment service in the West.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Western has become the first establishment to offer a nationwide American Sign Language assessment service in the western United States after the Regional Resource Center on Deafness Director, Chad Ludwig, decided to restore an updated model of an old program. Officially titled the Signed Language Proficiency Interview, it “assesses a person’s skills in using a natural sign language for communication (function) and provides an analysis of a person’s sign language vocabulary, production, fluency, grammar, and comprehension skills (form),” according to the RRCD website.

A national organization in North Carolina that runs a similar assessment has become overwhelmed with the increasing demand for services. 

“That’s where we come into the picture,” said Ludwig. 

Discounted for Western students, the $160 basic assessment is essentially a 20-minute interview formatted as a casual conversation addressing three main topic areas: work or school, family and leisure activities or hobbies.

“It’s how you express yourself in ASL that helps our raters determine the level of fluency … our interviewer’s goal is to illicit the most fluency that they can from you,” stated Ludwig. 

After the interview concludes, the data is sent to two separate evaluators who then score the results before sending it back to the ASL coordinator. If there is a match, then the score becomes official; if not, then the evaluators either deliberate or it goes to a third evaluator. 

The assessment might appeal to a variety of individuals from state employees — who can gain differentials for proven competency in another language — to high school and college students interested in taking the assessment to test into a higher class.

Following the implementation of the program on Jan. 7, there have already been a myriad of questions, inquiries and requests, according to Ludwig, who also encourages students to visit the website or email rsla@wou.edu for more details. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of the Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies at Western

PURE Insights, Western’s academic journal, connects students to faculty for collaborative research and publication opportunities.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Originally founded by Camila Gabladon, the collection development librarian at Western, PURE Insights is an annual publication of student work, both creative and research-based, which has been sponsored by at least one faculty member at Western. Currently on its ninth issue, the journal — which stands for Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences — serves to connect students to mentoring faculty members with the hopes of bolstering the student’s academic record.

“One of the really nice things about attending a small college is that you are in contact with actual professors doing actual research … the PURE organization was born of the idea that we weren’t seeing students take advantage of that,” said Maren Anderson, an adjunct professor at Western and Managing Editor of the publication.

Having a published research paper is an excellent thing to put on resumes and grad school applications because, according to Anderson, it’s proof that students know how to do research and work collaboratively with people. 

“Student-led research is particularly attractive to us,” Anderson stated, but as long as that research or body of work is submitted by the deadline, follows correct formatting and is sponsored by a faculty member, the work is eligible. 

“I really enjoy the cross-pollination of student work on campus,” said Anderson, mentioning The Northwest Passage and the Academic Excellence Showcase as similar outlets who have published work also featured in the PURE Insights journal. 

The current issue included the winners of the Peter Sears poetry contest, as well as a couple of fiction pieces in addition to the traditional research papers, and the cover is always designed by a Western student.

Students interested in submitting can visit the PURE Insights webpage and click on the “submit article” link located on the left hand bar. If they’re not sure where to start, they can peruse the list of mentors and their past research topics in order to find someone who fits their objective. They also have the opportunity to explore the map at the bottom of the page, which shows the downloads of past submitter’s work in real-time. If students are still having trouble navigating the page or want more information, they can email the director at pure@wou.edu or the managing editor at insight@wou.edu

The next issue is set to publish in week 10 of the upcoming fall term and the deadline for submissions is June 22.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Western’s Digital Commons

Grease fire in the Alderview Apartments on campus draws a crowd but is quickly dealt with.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Dean of Students and Director of Housing, Tina Fuchs, sent out an email relaying her gratitude towards our campus community last Thursday, Jan. 7, after a fire occurred in one of Western’s Alderview apartments.

Public Safety Officer Anthony Fitch was just getting back from handling a vehicle accident that had occured in Lot H when he was called to respond to a fire alarm in the Alderview apartments. “We get a lot of fire alarms,” Fitch said, “so my thought was ‘is this a fire or not’?” 

But after being waved down by a neighbor, he realized the situation was more serious. Running through the house to confirm that no one was still inside, he noticed that there was a pot of grease on the stove and that the stove had been charred.

“Before entering, I radioed our dispatcher so that she could call the Polk County Fire Department,” Fitch stated, adding that dispatch was a crucial part in aiding the investigation.

When the fire department came, onlookers began gathering, but as Fitch said, “we didn’t have to scoot anyone back … I think the rain deterred a lot of students from straying outside.”

The fire department turned off the sprinklers which were instrumental in the outcome of the incident. 

“We’re lucky we had the sprinkler system, because if not, there’s not telling how big (the fire) would have gotten and I don’t know how much I would have been able to do with my small fire extinguisher,” admitted Fitch. 

And, although he initially had a difficult time finding out who lived there, a lady and her son later came forward, who “have a place to stay and will be relocated to another unit soon,” said Fuchs in her email.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Kay Bruley

Speaker Kim Potowski came to Western to celebrate bilingualism and educate about ways to increase it

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Professor Kim Potowski of the University of Illinois began by stating the facts: that out of roughly 7.7 billion people in the world, an estimated 60% of them are bilingual as opposed to the United States’ 20%. Potowski’s research aims to promote positivity towards bilingualism with the hopes of dispelling language myths and increasing bilingual education. 

“It’s normal to be bilingual,” Potowski asserted during her presentation “No Child Left Monolingual” — also featured as a TedxTalk — given at Western on Jan. 9 in the Werner University Center. 

So why is the U.S. falling behind? 

“Our nation has policies whether implicit or explicit that aim to erase (children’s) Spanish, Chinese, Korean … whatever it is that they speak at home,” Potowski stated. A child who is a heritage speaker enters kindergarten and is typically placed into one of two programs: they are either given ESL support, which removes the child from the rest of the class and, as explained by Potowski, ostracizes and belittles their language, or they are put into a “bilingual program,” which is essentially a transition program designed on having the student speaking solely English by the third grade.

Potowski is in support of a third option — dual-language schools — in which 50-90% of instruction is in a language other than English. Citing various research studies that support the induction of these programs, Potowski noted that the dual-language programs ensure that students who speak a language other than English don’t fall behind their English monolingual peers, that the cognitive benefits of the programs are numerous and that, most importantly, dual-language programs are respectful of language and identity. 

The evidence shows that students enrolled in a dual-language school did better in all content areas — including English — as compared to students enrolled in a normal public school. 

“So what I conclude is that if you don’t want to do this, you’ve got some kind of political agenda going on,” said Potowski. However, she also acknowledged the fears created by linguistic bullying and systematic racism which prevents parents from supporting their children’s bilingualism.

“These parents have suffered for their lack of English, the last thing they want is for their children to suffer for a lack of English,” said Potowski.

However well-intended, Potwoski wants parents to know that their fears, while understandable, are somewhat misplaced. Myths that one language will hinder the development of another or create confusion for the child have since been debunked.

 “Codeswitching,” as the phenomenon is called, “is normal, follows linguistic patterns, indicates strength in both languages, and is a marker of a bilingual identity,” stated Potowski. 

The real issue, then, is the previously mentioned systematic racism and linguistic bullying, which “happens way more often than just the stories that make it to the news … and contributes to this culture of linguistic repression and fear,” Potowski asserted. While the U.S. has no official national language, states have the power to pass English-only laws, and, while Oregon has not, 31 other states have. All of these factors combined “contribute to intergenerational language shifts,” said Potowski. “What you’re getting is parents who can’t talk to their own children … and it doesn’t have to be this way.” 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

The Pacific Island experience

Caitlyn Nakatsukasa | Staff Writer

Western’s Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club’s 12th annual lu’au took place on Saturday, April 12.

The lu’au was hosted by the WOU Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club and Pasefika, a group from Salem, Oregon that introduces the spirit of island dances to others. It was held on campus in the New PE building where both dinner and performances were provided.
The evening began with brief music from singers and traditional Hawaiian food: rice, kalua pig with cabbage, macaroni salad, pineapple and coconut cake.
Dancers then came together and performed the Oli Aloha chant, which welcomed the guests to the lu’au. Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club President and sophomore Hannah Perreira explained that the song is dedicated to the Polynesian people and brings them together as one. The chant was followed by the Hula Kahiko performance, which embodies the true Hawaiian culture using traditional percussion instruments, such as the ipu keke.

Throughout the show, many dances were performed that express and highlight various cultures.

“Not many people in Oregon know much about the Polynesian culture,” said junior Kameron Acebo, hula dancer and Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club member. Acebo is a third-year dancer and performs outside of school. “I think the best way to share (the culture) is to celebrate it and throw this huge lu’au.”
The dances at the lu’au ranged from gentle and flowing hula moves to fast and lively dances.
Perreira explained what each song meant and how it’s relative to the Pacific Islands.
Dancers performed the song Aloha Oe, which was written by Queen Liliuokalani to express her love and farewells to the islands. The song, Perreira described, is related to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1883, and its statehood shortly after.
Pasefika performed the ‘haka’ to the audience, a traditional war cry and dance in the Maori culture that consists of violent chanting and foot stomping. The group also demonstrated the ‘Fa’ataupati,’ a Samoan dance that represented the invasion of mosquitoes in the kingdom. The dance mimics people slapping mosquitoes off of each other’s bodies. Many of these dances represent the storytelling traditions and passion of the islands.

Aside from the performances, there was entertainment involved with the guests and dancers. Hula dancers invited children to the stage and taught them how to dance the ‘ote’a,’ a Tahitian dance with rhythmic hip shaking. The hosts had a ‘chee hoo’ contest, a celebratory exclamation used by many Pacific Islanders. The performers invited volunteers to come up on stage and express their loudest and powerful ‘chee hoo.’

“I enjoyed all of the energy and good vibes at the lu’au,” said junior Kui Silva, hula dancer and Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club member. This is Silva’s second year participating in the lu’au and had fun spreading the Aloha spirit through her performances, explaining, “I enjoyed dancing with all of my friends beside me and for my family who came up to visit me.”

Acebo enjoyed performing with individuals that became close friends.

“This was important to me because the club has introduced me to so many new people over the years and it’s great being able to meet new people every year through this club,” Acebo explained.

The event concluded with the announcement of the next Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club’s new officers for 2018-2019 and the Aloha Hawaii song, an anthem for Native Hawaiian people and residents.

“Mahalo nui loa!” the hosts exclaimed. “Thank you for coming out tonight.”

 

Contact the author at cnakatsukasa15@wou.edu

Photos by: Paul F. Davis

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