Mount Hood

WOU Cross Country Recap

Written by:Nicholas Sarysz

Western’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams toed the line of their home cross-country course for the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference championship meet on Sept. 5. Despite higher hopes, both of the teams finished in fourth place.

Western Washington University won the men’s meet with a score of  31 points —they have not lost to a conference opponent the entire 2022 season.

Western Washington also won the women’s meet with a score of 64 points, having all of their scoring runners finishing within one minute of each other.

The men’s side was led by Hunter Hutton, who finished the 10-kilometer race in 24 minutes and 23 seconds. The other scorers on the men’s team were Bailey Smith, 22nd, Easton Pomrankey, 25th, Logan Parker, 27th, and Miguel Villar, 31st.

Caitlin Heldt, in just her second race of the season, led the women’s team with her third-place finish. Heldt  ran the 6-kilometer race in 21 minutes and 9 seconds. The rest of the scorers on the women’s side were Luz Garcia, 12th, Riley Smith, 13th, Holly Hutton, 29th, and Lindie Larson, 30th.

This was the first full-length cross-country season for the National Collegiate Athletic Association since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about how that has affected the group, Senior Bailey Smith only had good things to say. 

“From the start of the season, the group of guys has been really focused. This season is two weeks longer than last year’s which requires a lot of focus on taking care of ourselves. Coach Holloway has done a great job of keeping us fresh and feeling like we can get ready for both the 8k and 10k.”

Throughout all of the ups and downs of the season, the comradery of the group has remained strong. A key part of this team’s comradery has been transfer sophomore Kolby Spink, who had a lot to say when asked about his transition into being a Western Oregon University athlete.

“Transitioning from my previous institution to WOU has been really great. When I got to Western the guys’ team was very welcoming and supportive of anything that I needed. If I needed help taking my bags to the dorms, everyone would be there willing to help. If I was ever not feeling too good on a workout my teammates would be there to tell me ‘you got this’ and to keep working towards our goals. Our team is like a family, we’re always there to support one another and be there for each other. The coaches here have been really good at helping me get better as an athlete. When I was at my previous institution I kind of struggled with being able to get to my goals and some of the training got to be too much. Here I’m able to trust the coach with the training and I’m able to achieve the goals that I want while pushing myself and not having that be too much. The races have been a lot of fun so far. Our team is so close to each other each time that our 3-7 runners change almost every race. Our team is looking pretty strong as we head into Regionals in Billings Montana. We are hoping to be able to qualify for Nationals. The team has what it takes and we are looking ready to take on the competition. We took 4th in GNAC a couple of weeks ago but we know as a team we can run better and beat some of these teams,” said Spink.

The Wolves look to bounce back this upcoming Saturday, November 19th, as they travel to Billings, Montana for the NCAA Division II West Regionals meet. There, the Wolves will compete against the other 20 teams in the region. The men were ranked 10th in the preseason polls, but have since fallen out of the rankings, whereas the women have never ranked in any of the top spots.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu



A Review of New Podcast, Circle Time with Kelsey Kreppel

Written by:Mikayla Coleman 

Launched in Aug. 2022, “Circle Time” with Kelsey Kreppel is a laid-back podcast based upon the common child-age classroom experience of sitting in a circle and sharing with peers. 

Known initially for her involvement with her now-fiancé — Youtube personality, Cody Ko — Kreppel has grown a significant audience of her own. 

Kreppel vlogged her day-to-day life on her Youtube channel throughout the initial COVID-19 quarantine, where her audience became aware of her part-time job as a preschool teacher. While Kreppel was unable to meet with her preschool students in person, she was still able to participate in a key part of the preschool classes’ routine of circle time via Zoom. This wholesome and repeated practice was beneficial not only for the students, but also for Kreppel and her audience, as the world navigated a disorienting and fearful time. 

Streaming weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more, the  “Circle Time” podcast has been a hit in recent months. “Circle Time” operates with a consistent and structured routine of Kreppel discussing her day-to-day experiences, topics in pop culture and weekly journal prompts. The included weekly journal prompts offer a uniqueness that is not often present within the typical podcast setting, offering the viewer something to write about post-show. These prompts vary in seriousness, including hard-hitting questions for personal growth, or simply asking the viewer to rank their top ten favorite foods. 

A section that sets “Circle Time” apart is the advice section in which audience members can send in voicemail messages detailing specific problems or experiences directly to Kreppel for a chance to receive advice or support. 

After establishing “Circle Time” on her own throughout the month of August, Kreppel has invited guests such as Alisha Marie, Remi Cruz, Taylor King, and Devon and Sydney Carlson on the podcast. The collaborative episodes tend to be longer than the solo ones — with the average solo podcast being around 45 minutes. The guests that have been invited onto “Circle Time” have an obvious genuine personal connection with Kreppel, resulting in very comfortable and hilarious chemistry in their recorded conversations. 

Overall, I think that “Circle Time” is off to a good start. I feel that there is room for improvement in the topics discussed within the pop culture sections so far, but I acknowledge the fact that this is Kreppel’s first time taking on a big project independently, so there will be a learning curve. I have enjoyed listening and am interested in what the future holds as Kreppel establishes her own groove. 

7.5/10

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu



Western Celebrates Dia de Los Muertos

Written by:Mirella Barrera-Betancour

Dia de los Muertos is a yearly, Mexican cultural celebration commemorating the beloved spirits of the deceased. It is characterized by a combination of well wishes, “ofrendas” — offerings, often meaning food or photographs — with a vibrant display of flowers alongside an altar.

Every year, Dia de los Muertos is observed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. While Oct. 31 is universally known as Halloween, Nov. 1 is referred to as All Saints Day, or the day of the children, in which  the gates of heaven flood open, allowing the deceased to join the physical world to pay a visit to their loved ones.

Although not an official holiday, Nov. 2 is designated as All Souls Day, the day the living get the chance to honor the lives of their departed loved ones. Contrary to misconception, the day of the dead is not a day to grieve, but a day to laugh and have fun.

Last week, students who visited the lobby of the Werner University Center — directly across from Caffe Allegro — saw the altar set up by student workers and volunteers from the Multicultural Student Union. Students who lost a loved one were permitted and encouraged to add an offering to the altar or a heartfelt message on the board. 

The altar and display were left out for student engagement until the end of the week. Likewise, on Wednesday, Nov. 2, MSU hosted an event in the WUC Plaza, with offerings of pan dulce, or “conchas” and hot chocolate. The treats were free to take, as long as the individual provided their name and student email.

That same day, at 6 p.m., MSU hosted their weekly meeting, featuring a celebration of the day of the dead. Attendees got the chance to celebrate Dia de los Muertos with activities such as face painting, sugar skull coloring and a rerun of a classic American movie.

In Mexican culture, activities such as face painting have a special meaning associated with the day of the dead — based upon a mixture of European and Aztec symbolism. Historically, sugar skull face paint is inspired by the work of Mexican lithographic artist, Jose Guadalupe Posada.

Dia de los Muertos is the Multicultural Student Union’s first major cultural celebration on campus of the 2022–23 school year, with many more events planned for the future.​​ The club is always looking for student volunteers to aid in such events. Students can check out their Instagram at @msuwou or join MSU in their club meetings every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m in the Columbia Room of the WUC.



Senior Night Annihilation

Written by:Gretchen Sims

On Saturday, Nov. 5, the Western Wolves crushed the Simon Fraser University Red Leaves 32-7 — a perfect way to say goodbye to this years’ seniors. 

The Wolves came out of the gate strong with No. 23, Omari Dixon-Land, scoring the first touchdown at the 7:43 minute mark in the first quarter. 

During the second quarter,  No. 94, Noa Aluesi, recovered the ball after No. 8, Malcolm Liufau, sacked the Red Leaves’ punter which resulted in a touchdown on the next play — completed by Thomas Wright when the game clock hit 14:00 on the top. 

Running Back Marquis Sampson, No. 5, scored the final touchdown of the first half; bringing the Wolves score up to 26-0. 

During half time Western honored their seniors. The seniors on the Western Oregon Cheerleading Team include Catherine Machorro, Jude Bokovoy and Abbey Busick.

The seniors from the Western Wolves Football Team include No. 4 Andrew Valladares, No. 5 Marquis Sampson, No. 6 Machiah Lee, No. 9 Jaylin Parnell, No. 11 Thomas Wright, No. 16 Joey Sinclair, No. 17 Logan Reese, No. 19 L.J. Lovelace, No. 23 Omari Dixon-Land, No. 24 Ryan Minniti and No. 69 Edward Taufa’asau. 

During the third quarter, Simon Fraser made a comeback and managed to take 7 points back from Western — their first and final points of the game. 

Western then had two unsportsmanlike conducts back to back at the 13:32 minute mark in the 3rd quarter. The first was by No. 5, Marquis Sampson, and the second was by No. 83, Shaw Jerome. The  penalties pushed Western back 30 yards. This led to a forced punt at 4th in 38 — turning over the ball to the Red Leaves. 

After Western put in their second string players, no more points were scored or lost and Western proved themselves to be good sports despite the previous unsportsmanlike conducts. 

However, No. 3, Freshman Quarterback Kainoa Jones, ran the ball 26 yards in the 4th quarter — a promising start for the young star. 

Overall, Western fought hard, but knew when to pull back and show respect to the other team. Tune in to their final game next week as the Wolves take on Texas A&M University at Kingsville, Texas. Go wolves!

Contact the author at howlentertainment.wou.edu



WOU Galleries Crew Designates Art Gallery for Western Community

Written by:Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

On Oct. 26, Western’s Art Galleries team announced their community-wide effort to build and reestablish campus relationships through the collaborative art project, “Let Your Flags Fly.” 

Throughout November  — concluding at the end of the Fall term — students will have the opportunity to participate in the creation of their own pennant flag and have it displayed in the second floor gallery of Hamersly library. No artistic experience is required, simply creativity and the desire to grow closer to the community.

As the project gains traction, students can expect to see the number of flags multiply, and see their own displayed among the rest. According to Paula Booth, director of the Cannon Gallery, the project has been culminated by lack of community certainty and disconnection demonstrated by Western in recent years. 

“… We were originally thinking of a way to create a more welcoming space in the library for students, and to make it a place where students might think to go and spend time,” Booth said. “(We) realized that there were students who had gotten through four years here at (Western) and had never even stepped into the library … It sort of morphed into this community-wide art project and this idea of building community through art, bringing people together and then, you know, putting all of our artworks together in one place.” 

Melody Barrett, student gallery coordinator, added, “I think by having everyone’s art together in one space, I hope to create a more welcoming space. I want people to see themselves in the space and to feel like it’s their space.” 

Since the announcement, the Western art galleries team have held two flag-painting sessions, one on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27. Future painting sessions are yet to be determined, but are expected to be announced soon. According to Barrett, the first two sessions were a success, with a much greater turnout than anticipated. The crew had initially begun with around 100 flags; however, after only three days, it was clear they needed to create more in order to meet the incessant excitement and demand.

“We didn’t necessarily expect such a big response,” said Booth.

While there are no currently scheduled dates for upcoming painting sessions, there are still many ways for students to get involved. 

Those who are interested can visit the unmanned project table located on the second floor of  Hamersly library any time throughout the month of November. Project materials can be found for usage at the project table. Clubs and organizations are also welcome to join through the creation of their own flags. If interested, club leaders can contact Paula Booth and request supplies to be dropped off the group’s meeting location.

“Let Your Flags Fly” will conclude by the end of the fall term with a celebration. Although the celebration date is to be determined, Booth and Barrett expect the celebration to coincide around the time of the Holiday Christmas tree lighting. Students can expect further details in an announcement in coming weeks. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu



Power Red: Red Cross Comes to the WUC

Written by: Dakota Gange 

Thursday, Nov. 3 brought students and faculty together below a glistening disco ball in a room filled with the melodic voices of Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Shakira. Though, between the machines, needles and stretcher-like beds, this was no party-like event. 

The first Red Cross blood drive of the 2022–23 school year was held in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center. Though blood drives on campus are run by the Red Cross and its team of phlebotomists, it is Western’s Student Veterans of America and Pre-Med Club that bring the Red Cross to Western’s campus. 

In addition to regular blood donation, the option to donate “Power Red” was also highlighted. 

Explained by redcrossblood.org, “Power Red is similar to a whole blood donation, except a special machine is used to allow you to safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation while returning your plasma and platelets to you.” It is required that iron levels are higher for one to donate Power Red than is typically required for regular blood donations.

Student Veterans of America’s Communications Officer, Brant Morgan, and Pre-Med Club President, Lorena Soriano, spearheaded the event.

Morgan is currently studying information systems concentrating in cyber systems and wishes to become an ethical hacker, with plans to do an FBI internship during the summer of 2024. 

Inspired by having to re-learn how to walk at the age of 12 after surviving a life-threatening meningitis illness, Soriano, who is studying pre-med, dreams of becoming a pediatrician.

Both could be seen managing the needs of the drive, or handing out snacks, water and t-shirts to those who had donated. 

Previously, the blood drives were solely run by the Veterans Resource Center, which oversees SVA. However, after teaming up with the Pre-Med club, there has been a significant increase in donations this fall term.  

“This is a good partnership. Especially after the hurricane in Florida, that’s made a big impact on why we need more involvement (donors). Since spring term we’ve seen tremendously more involvement with people donating on campus,” said Morgan, who is also a Peer Advisor in Veterans Education team leader. PAVE is a Western-funded program that supports veteran students through advising, outreach and resources. 

SVA and Pre-Med Club plan to continue their partnership in the promotion of the blood drives, hosting one every term. 

For more information or to stay up to date on future blood drives, check out the SVA’s Instagram at @wousva.

Contact the author at howlmanaging@mail.wou.edu



Student Loan Borrowers Cautioned About Scams by FBI

Written by Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

As of Friday, Oct. 28, six major lawsuits have been filed by opponents of the one-time federal student loan forgiveness program across the U.S. 

The legal arguments contain claims of harm to borrowers, the program being unconstitutional,   harm due to the devaluation of Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and harm to states and state agencies. They also claim that the program violates the Administrative Procedure Act — arguing that the program failed to provide notices of produced and final rulemaking, as well as failing to provide opportunities for the public to comment on notices of said proposed rulemaking.

On Oct. 21, a federal circuit court ruled for the issuing of an “administrative stay,” which would immediately halt student loan forgiveness payments indefinitely until the court rules on the motion for an injunction.

This news came after 22 million Americans applied for student loan debt forgiveness, following the first week of the student loan debt forgiveness beta application becoming available.

In an exclusive interview for News Nation on Oct. 27, President Biden acknowledged the court argument for debt relief, predicting that the issues would be quickly resolved and that students could see their refund checks in the mail within the next few weeks.

In other news, the student loan forgiveness plan has provided a hook for scammers, as an increasing wave of borrowers are becoming victims to scammers with fraudulent offers of help. 

One of the more common scams is a company stating that an individual must pay in order to be eligible for student loan debt forgiveness — which is false. Other scammers attempt to persuade borrowers to provide their personal or financial information as a way to steal one’s identity. In a newly-introduced method, scammers are pretending to be an individual’s loan servicer. 

If an individual is unsure about who their loan servicer is, they can visit studentaid.gov and scroll down until they find the section for “My Loan Servicers.” As a reminder, most borrowers receive an official email by their loan servicer upon accepting government loans. The official federal loan servicers include FedLoan Servicers, Granite State, Great Lakes Educational Loans Servicers, HESC/EdFinancial, MOHELA, Navient, Nelnet, and OSLA Servicing.

To avoid being scammed, unsolicited emails and other messages should be ignored and attachments inside of them should never be opened. Such emails could contain malware and viruses.

Individuals who believe they have fallen victim to student loan debt relief scammers should immediately report to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Education or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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