Mount Hood

New writers group on campus

Sean Martinez | Freelancer

Whether you are a writing major or enjoy writing during your free time, the Writer’s Crucible is the ideal group to join. Writer’s Crucible is a new, small on-campus group of writers formed by junior English major Natalie Dean during Winter Term, in the hopes of improving their writing skills together.

According to Dean, Writer’s Crucible focuses on two main aspects: providing feedback and embracing writing. Western’s campus provides many opportunities for students to improve upon their writing through the Writing Center or getting published in the Northwest Passage, the university’s exclusive literary magazine, and the Writer’s Crucible is another opportunity that students can now take advantage of.

Writer’s Crucible dives deep into the writing process. This includes sharing, critiquing and most importantly, offering a safe place to share with similarly-focused minds. It can be intimidating to share intimate and personal ideas, but since the group is fairly new, it means it is not a large group.

“We sit in a circle, everyone has a physical copy of their work, we read it out loud, and then we critique,” Dean explained. The advantage to having a small group means people can be open and honest with each other.

People can bring in works from any genre. The writing does not have to be school-related; writers can bring in anything, no matter what state it is in. The group can help the writer with brainstorming, rough drafts or final drafts. The point of the critique process is not to talk badly about someone’s work — it is about helping the individual become a better writer. And talking about the writing may help the writer realize what direction they want to take it in.

One of the main goals Dean expects from the Writer’s Crucible is to boost writers’ confidence. “I want people to be able to take their own work seriously and learn how to stand behind it and present it for what it is,” Dean said about her hopes for the group.

Writer’s Crucible will meet every Thursday during Spring Term 2019 from 4-5 p.m. in one of the Hamersly Library study rooms, which may change from week to week. It is a great way for students to surround themselves with other passionate writers so they can grow and improve together. Anyone interested in attending this group and would like to know where they are meeting can contact Dean at ndean17@wou.edu.

[fruitful_alert type=”alert-info”]Disclaimer: Natalie Dean is a Student Media Board member[/fruitful_alert]

Contact the author at smartinez17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Monmouth’s housing problems laid out in recent open house

Paul F. Davis | Managing Editor

Housing problems wouldn’t seem to be a thing in small-town Oregon. Monmouth is lacking the current culprit that is causing housing problems in large towns, gentrification, so what problems could there potentially be in Monmouth?

To discuss these issues, Suzanne Dufner, community development director, led an open house on March 20 which delivered an analysis of Monmouth’s housing needs. Approximately 25 people attended the event, located at Volunteer Hall, which was made up of both local citizens and city council members.

A majority of the information given came from Matt Hastie and Brendan Buckley, who work at  Angelo Planning Group and Johnson Economics, respectively. Hastie explained how the buildable land survey, a survey that shows how much land can be used and what it is zoned for,  was completed and commented on how much land is available for future housing.

Afterwards, Buckley provided an overview of housing needs in Monmouth and explained current housing trends and future needs that may arise in the area.

Hastie and Buckley’s analysis showed an overall surplus in the low-density housing, or traditional homes, and medium-density housing, or condo-style houses. However, there is a slight deficit in the high-density housing, or apartments. There is a projected shortage of available residential land within the city limits.

Brian Sparks, a citizen of Monmouth in attendance, asked, “Is a (urban area) expansion an option?” Hastie responded by saying under the state land use requirements require you to demonstrate a need to expand the UGB and currently there is a surplus of useable land. But, due to private owners unwillingness to sell unused land for high density housing, this creates a false surplus.

After Spark’s question, no other citizen’s asked any questions, but Councilor Christopher Lopez asked several clarification questions. When Lopez asked if the buildable land analysis took into account student growth expectations, Buckley replied that the student population was taken into consideration when developing the analysis.

After this question, the Monmouth Housing Needs Open House came to a close. More information on the open house or information from the open house can be found on the city of Monmouth’s website www.ci.monmouth.or.us.

 

Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Campus spotlight: WOU Food Pantry

Natalie Dean | Freelancer

Western Oregon University has many support programs for students, staff and community members. One of these impactful resources is the food pantry, operating since 2012 and serving over 50 households and 120 individuals per month.

The WOU Food Pantry is open to Western students and staff, as well as local community members; data shows that 65 percent of their customers are students and 30 percent are community or staff members.

“(The food pantry) is a resource for individuals facing any level of food insecurity; so whether you need something before school or your meal plan ran out, anyone can come in for any reason and use our services,” said senior Libby Vigil, the outreach coordinator for The WOU Food Pantry. “Our motto is: take what you need, but be mindful of other customers.”

Their hours of operation, which change every term, can be found by checking on the door of the food pantry, their Facebook page “WOU Food Pantry” or by checking their website, wou.edu/foodpantry.

When going to the pantry, people either use reusable bags or the bags provided and then they take needed items from the shelves, two refrigerators and two freezers. After finding the items they’re wanting, everything is weighed on a scale and complete a quick three-minute survey is given on your experience.

“The survey has been very helpful so far. We’re partnered with Marion Polk Food Share, so every month we provide data on the number of customers and volunteers,” said junior Rachel Bayly, the student director for The WOU Food Pantry. “It also allows us to ask more questions, like if we’re helping students primarily on or off-campus. This lets us know what type of items to look for and how to best serve our customers.”  

For people looking to support their efforts, any non-perishables or hygiene product donations can be brought directly to the food pantry, located at the corner of the Oregon Military Academy building; or left in the barrels, which can be found downstairs in the Warner University Center, the Hamersley Library entryway or the second floor of Bellamy Hall.

Food items must be sealed, labeled, non-expired and USDA approved if applicable. Any cash or check donations should be brought to Abby’s House, located in WUC 106.

One way that the Western community has supported The WOU Food Pantry recently is that, during the whole month of February, the WOU Student Veterans of America hosted a food drive competition to benefit the pantry. Nine campus organizations — including WOUSVA, ASWOU and Kappa Sigma, amongst others — faced off to see who could bring in the most donations for the pantry, with colored collection bins housed in the Veterans Resource Center.

For anyone searching for additional information on The WOU Food Pantry’s services, check their Facebook page for regular updates or reach out to one of the community coordinators at foodpantry@wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

How students can get involved in city government

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

For anyone interested in expanding their leadership experience or giving back to their city, one option can be found as near as Main Street. The City of Monmouth has 10 Boards and Commissions, all of which Western students are eligible to serve on.

Phyllis Bolman, Monmouth City Recorder, shared that this opportunity is one that the city would be happy to have students involved with. However, Bolman fears that many college students don’t know that these groups exist, or they don’t know that there aren’t any specific restrictions for applicants based on age or qualification.  

“(Students) have always been able to, but getting the word out is the hard part,” said Bolman.

Amongst the possible Boards and Commissions that students can apply to be a part of, some of the options include the Arts & Culture Commission, the Library Board, Monmouth Engaged Community Gathering Committee, University/Community Connections Committee and the Senior Advisory Board.

One of the benefits about being on any of these boards is that there is a relatively low time commitment involved.

“Most of our boards and commissions meet once a month for an hour … Traffic safety is once a quarter for an hour, so it’s pretty minimal,” said Bolman. “This is just putting your toe in the water a little bit, but it still gives you a feeling for what it’s like.”

While a number of the Boards and Commissions listed say that the positions are two or three-year terms, Bolman stated that this is not something students should worry about if they are wanting to apply.

“They don’t have to be here for the three years, honestly. We do have turn-over because some people move or pass away,” said Bolman.

Reflecting on some of the benefits of students being involved in these various groups, Bolman shared that having younger voices is valuable because it provides a distinct outlook that could be missing.

“It gives the people already on the board a different perspective, bringing in somebody different with a different way of looking at things,” said Bolman.

Scott McClure, Monmouth City Manager, also chimed in that taking advantage of this kind of opportunity can have a number of benefits for students as well.

“I think this is a good leadership opportunity. That’s a huge one,” said McClure. “If you go out and you’re working your way towards applying for scholarships or a job, and you’ve actively participated in a city committee, you’ve set policy, you’ve made decisions and participated; I’d play that up.”

If anyone would like to learn more about any of the Boards or Commissions or apply for one of them, there is both additional information and applications on the City of Monmouth’s website, monmouth.municipalcms.com. They can also contact Bolman at pbolman@ci.monmouth.or.us if they have any questions.

Completed applications can either be emailed to Bolman or turned in physically at Monmouth City Hall.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

RWEC unveils multilingual signage

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

After a great deal of planning and hard work, the Richard Woodcock Education Center unveiled several multilingual signs on Feb. 14. All of the signs for elevators, lactation rooms and restrooms were replaced with new signage, along with the glass windows outside each department office in the building.

The idea for these signs was one that a number of people shared, but it was largely spearheaded by Dr. Rob Troyer, linguistics professor and the director of the Office of International Student Academic Support, and Dr. Mark Girod, Dean of the College of Education.

In talking with Dr. Troyer about how this project came about, he reflected on an honors linguistics class that he taught last year titled “Language in Place”. He explained how he was able to use the class as an opportunity to reach out to people on campus about the idea, and it was also how he learned that Dr. Girod had already been thinking the same thing he was.

“It was really fortuitous that I had this class at the same time,” said Troyer. “I think that us inviting Mark to class and having (a) discussion motivated him to be a little more proactive about getting it done.”

With both parties on the same page, Troyer stated that it wasn’t hard for Dr. Girod to put the plan in action, being the dean of the college.

“That’s one good thing about a small institution is when someone has an idea, and other people think it’s a good idea, it’s pretty easy to make it happen,” said Troyer.

When asked about the value he saw in having multilingual signage around campus, Troyer shared that there are two primary reasons to value these signs.

“One reason is access, and to me that’s the secondary reason. If people are using English as their second language, it may be really helpful for them to have their native language, so they can find their way around and know what things are,” said Troyer.

He also shared what he believes to be the most important reason: “It’s really symbolic … it represents — from the authority’s perspective — the valuing of other languages and an inclusion of multilingualism.”

With the multilingual signs that were put up in RWEC, Troyer shared that, while it was impractical to list every language that is spoken at Western, their goal was to include a number of the most widely spoken languages: Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, and some of the signs have ASL icons as well.

While Spanish has by far the largest group of speakers on campus, Troyer shared that these other languages also have a significant representation in the community.

“Out of 215 international students, currently about 60 percent are from China. And even though there are different languages in China, they use the same written language. So, anybody from China is going to be able to read written Chinese, whether they speak Mandarin or Cantonese or a different Chinese language,” said Troyer. He continued by stating that “about 20 percent of our international students are from Saudi Arabia.”

In reflecting on how he hopes that having more multilingual signage will make a difference at Western, Dr. Troyer had modest expectations.

“I don’t expect it to make a huge impact. It’s a subtle impact, and it’s a subtle reinforcement for the university’s mission for inclusion and multilingualism and globalization,” said Troyer. “It’s a way to make the face of the university match the goals that we have.”

Moving forward, Troyer shared that he has hopes of finding many other ways to incorporate multilingual signage at Western. He also has one other plan actively in the works: to have multilingual signage at the 2019 commencement in June. In addition, he intends to conduct research about the way that this new signage in RWEC is being perceived by different cultural groups around campus.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Caity Healy

WOU Students for Life hosts guest lecturer

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

WOU Students for Life Club welcomed Jim Schultz, a pastor and Ph.D. candidate, to speak on Feb. 22 before a group of community members, opening a scientific and philosophical conversation about abortion on Western’s campus.

Addressing a number of pro-life arguments and offering a time for questions, Schultz shared a presentation titled “Making the Case for Life on Hostile Turf” that was designed to equip individuals to engage in civil discourse at a time when a number of people are quick to dismiss pro-life arguments.

Before beginning any sort of conversation about the legality and morality of abortion, however, Schultz emphasized that it is important that people on either side of the debate have a full understanding of the science of the unborn and the process of having an abortion.

“When the abortion issue gets brought up, pro-choice people don’t usually want to talk about ‘what is the unborn’ and ‘what happens to the unborn during an abortion’ as much as they want to talk about privacy, women’s equality, reproductive rights, reproductive health,” said Schultz. “Those are the euphemistic terms used to take us off the scent of … what happens to the unborn during an abortion. We are saying that that is the primary issue and those other issues, although important in themselves, can’t rise to the level where it makes it okay to kill an innocent person.”

Schultz also emphasized the belief that, ultimately, the majority of arguments that are made in favor of abortion are grounded in the belief that a fetus is not a human person. Using what he referred to as the “trot out the toddler” test, Schultz shared that arguments such as “anti-choicers want to force poor women to bring another child into the world” and “abortion allows women freedom to pursue careers” would not seem logical if it was being offered as justification for killing a two-year-old. As he described it, very few people would morally support the killing of a child just because they are living in poverty or interfering with their mother’s career opportunities.

From this point, Schultz said that it is necessary for a pro-life individual to provide evidence for the personhood of the unborn. To this end, Schultz presented a number of quotes from leading, secular embryology textbooks that affirmed this notion.

“The development of a human begins with fertilization, a process by which the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the female unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote,” wrote T.W. Sadler in “Langman’s Medical Embryology”, one of the works cited by Schultz.

Schultz also offered a number of quotes of those who practice abortion, conceding that abortion intentionally kills living human beings.

“I think we have deluded ourselves into believing that people don’t know that abortion is killing,” stated former Planned Parenthood president Faye Wattleton in a MS Magazine article titled “Speaking Frankly”.

If these things can be established, then Schultz concluded that “there is no essential difference between the embryo you once were and the adult you are today that justifies killing you at that earlier stage of development. Differences of size, level of development, environment and degree of dependency are not good reasons for saying you could be killed then but not now.”

However, Schultz repeatedly emphasized one thing: there is never a good reason not to be loving and gracious to people when you talk with them about abortion. Whether someone has had an abortion or holds a strong contrary opinion, it is better to approach the situation in a way that is loving people, not judging them.

If students would like to learn more about the WOU Students for Life, they can contact the club’s president, Gemma Cowan, at gcowan15@wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Incidental fee proposed for 2019-2020 school year shows widespread cuts

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

When students receive their bills from the university each term, there is a charge entitled “incidental fees” that appears.

According to Western’s webpage, every student who is enrolled at the university for at least 12 credits is required to pay an incidental fee, and this fee is lessened for students who are only enrolled part-time.

While this fee may seem random and frustrating for those who don’t understand its purpose, it is actually something that students can have a say in creating.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the Incidental Fee Committee met on Feb. 15 to determine the preliminary budget for this fee: $375 per term per full-time student, a $12 increase from the 2018-2019 academic year.

Rachel Rhodes, a senior communications major and one of the seven members of the IFC, shared what the purpose of the IFC is at Western.

“We do a review of the budget proposed from all the department heads. And then we decide where the money should go,” said Rhodes.

When looking at the budgets for different organizations by various department heads, Rhodes also shared that there are two different types of budgets that can be proposed.

“There’s their operating budget, and then they can ask for enhancements… outside projects, an extra travel trip, an upgrade to their building, whatever that is for them,” said Rhodes.

With the 2019-2020 IFC budget in particular, Rhodes shared that there was a significant outside voice who helped to determine how much money would be spent: President Rex Fuller.

“We were actually asked by the president not to up the fee more than five percent, and he said that if it was up more than five percent than he wouldn’t approve it. So that was our goal,” said Rhodes.

Having constructed their preliminary budget, Rhodes also noted that people who look over the spending plan may notice significant cuts.

“We cut almost every budget operationally, and that’s because the inflation was so much that, if we fully funded everyone, the fee would have gone up way more,” said Rhodes. “I think becoming the most affordable school in Oregon means you have to make cuts that scare people — like cuts to ASWOU or cuts to athletics — cuts to areas that people might question or that people might not like, but we had to make some hard decisions.”

In addition to the rising costs for both building operations and student workers, due to an increasing minimum wage, Rhodes noted another cause for the fee’s increase.

“It’s a rough subject to talk about right now, but enrollment is down,” said Rhodes. “So, we’re looking at ways to bring in more students, but it’s hard for the same number of students to pay for what more students paid for last year.”

In looking at the new funding sources that they approved for the upcoming year, Rhodes stated that IFC was very selective in their enhancements.

“We wanted to be mindful that we’re cutting operational budgets but we’re giving other organizations money to enhance their programs,” said Rhodes. “So we granted some enhancements to new clubs … because we wanted to help foster those new clubs.”

Having decided the preliminary budget, the next step for the IFC is to host hearings so that members of the community could advocate for programs that are important to them. With this process ahead, Rhodes encouraged all students to make their voices heard so that it will not merely be those directly benefitting from a certain fund who are making their voices heard.

The two open hearings will be held on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center, and Friday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. in RWEC 101. After these hearings, the IFC will present their budget to the ASWOU Senate, the Board of Trustees and President Rex Fuller before it can be finalized.

Students can also voice their opinions through a survey at wou.edu/ifc/news.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Infograph by Brittany Figueroa

RHA hosts first ever Sustainability Month

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

For the entire month of February, Western’s Residence Hall Association has been hosting events as part of their first ever RHA Sustainability Month with the help of both Green Team and National Residence Hall Honorary.

“Eliza (Sleezer, RHA president) was the person who spearheaded this project. What we wanted to do was, as a part of our sustainability theme, we wanted to get a lot of input from Green Team on this,” said Josh Salsbury, sophomore math major and RHA finance director. “It’s really just been a huge collaboration effort.”

As two members of the RHA Executive Board, Salsbury joined with Kaiana Bradley, junior elementary education major and RHA publicist, to talk about all that went into planning this inaugural event.

For the first week’s event, each member of the Executive Board participated in a challenge.

“Last week we had a zero-waste challenge, so everyone on Executive Board carried around a bag for the day and whenever they had to throw something away — whether it was food waste, paper towels from the bathroom, … wrappers and things you would physically put in the trash can — you put in a bag,” said Bradley. “And we all made posts as a social media campaign about how that experience was for us, challenging other people to be conscious of how much waste they produce in a day and how they could change that.”

Salsbury then shared why he actually enjoyed partaking in this challenge.

“When I did mine, I think the biggest thing I noticed was that it was really fun since I had to physically carry around a bag that my friends, when they saw me around campus, could ask what I was doing,” said Salsbury. “And I was able to explain to them about what we’re doing for sustainability month.”

Reaching out more directly to the Western community, a few of the events from the month involved the team providing students with resources that could help them be more sustainable: on Feb. 7, NRHH posted sustainable living tips in the various residential communities; on Feb. 11, RHA gave out five Hydroflasks; and on Feb. 25, RHA will be passing out reusable bags in Valsetz Dining Hall from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Finally, a couple of their more interactive events are their Sustainability Craft night on Feb. 21 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Jefferson Room in Valsetz Dining Hall and a recycling competition between each of the residence halls that is continuing throughout the entire month of February. As of Tuesday, Feb. 19, Landers Hall and Barnum Hall are in the lead for the competition.

Throughout this process, Salsbury and Bradley stated that their hope was to help provide students with tools and to cause them to think about how they can make sustainable choices.

“I’m just hoping that inspires people to maybe make changes to their life and be more conscious, and hopefully with the craft night people can see that you can upcycle and make things for your house — whether it’s decor or storage — out of things that that you already have,” said Bradley.

“It’s really important just to be aware of your impact on the environment. So, anything that we can do to make people just actively think about how they’re affecting the area around them is going to be beneficial,” said Salsbury.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Grand opening of Western’s new Child Development Center location

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Western’s Child Development Center has been open since 1980, but on Jan. 7, it began its relocation to a new home behind the Campus Public Safety Office, where Western’s ROTC program used to be located.

To celebrate the move, the CDC hosted a grand opening event on Feb. 13 with a treasure hunt for students, tours of the new facility, a cake, visits with Wolfie and a speech from President Rex Fuller.

“This whole project came about because of a question I was asked during the State of the University Address a couple of years ago,” said Fuller. “’Hey, what about a better space for the child development center?’ After that, we did some analysis and started the project.”

Currently serving 51 students from the community ranging from ages 18 months to 12 years old, the CDC is open to children of Western students, staff and faculty as well as other member of the community.

When asked about the reasoning behind the move, CDC Director Tammy Gardner shared that Todd Hall was lacking some amenities and safety qualifications that the new site has.

“We were just finding it very cramped over there in Todd Hall. The building is very old, so there were some earthquake safety issues with us there to be able to evacuate a building,” said Gardner.

With their new facility, which has been heavily remodeled, Gardner celebrated a number of new amenities: big bathrooms, a spacious backyard, a lobby and nicer classrooms, amongst other things.

In addition to the facility, Dr. Fuller added that another strength of the CDC is its staff.

“We currently have a director, five teachers, 11 student staff, and six volunteers,” said Fuller. “They really do great work and go above scale in terms of providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for our students. It’s exciting to see that.”

Gardner added how excited she is to have staff members who are able to connect with the diverse group of children that they serve at the CDC.

“We’re very multicultural,” said Gardner. “We’ve got three bilingual staff members that are Spanish-speaking, and we’ve got two bilingual volunteers who speak Mandarin, so that’s really helped with some of our visiting scholars.”

Throughout her remarks, Gardner reaffirmed a number of times how caring and helpful different people and organizations from the university have been towards the CDC, and how grateful she is to be a part of this community.

“We feel very very supported and loved by the WOU community, from facilities to Valsetz and President Fuller. They’re our champions who really got this project going. It’s amazing.”

Gardner also shared that, for anyone who would like to get involved with the CDC, they can email her at gardnert@wou.edu or visit the volunteer link on their webpage.

“We’re open to volunteers, suggestions, or invitations,” said Gardner.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

I <3 Female Orgasm comes to Western

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

After much anticipation and hard work from the numerous campus organizations who sponsored the event, renowned sex educators Lindsay Fram and Marshall Miller brought the program “I <3 Female Orgasm” to Western on Feb. 7. This event packed the Columbia Room in the Werner University Center, with a number of seats being added and still having several people standing in the back of the room.

“Presented over 500 times to over 100,000 people in 44 states, the female orgasm program has become one of the most popular college sex-education programs in the country,” said Abby’s House Peer Advocate and senior community health education major Keith Mathew while introducing the program.

From the get-go, Fram communicated that this event would cover things that were lighthearted, but also serious at times.

“This is a fun topic, but it’s not only a fun topic. There are a lot of really important health reasons that we all need access to good information about our bodies and our sexuality,” said Fram. “There’s this lie all around us that there’s just one way to be sexual. That all of our bodies work the exact same way — that we all want the exact same thing. Or even the lie that says that we’re all interested in being sexual. Because if we can reclaim our pleasure … that’s a huge act of resistance.”

In this way, the talk began by acknowledging the diversity of experience that would likely be in the room — both in terms of sexuality and gender identity.

“One of the questions that some people may have had even before they got here tonight is ‘how are they going to define female?’ And we define it super inclusively,” said Fram. “We’re going to talk about people who were assigned female at birth, people who identify as women — we know sometimes those categories overlap and sometimes they don’t.”

With this established, Fram and Miller set out to explain a variety of things about the female orgasm: the science behind it, the different strategies to achieve it and the myths that surround it.

One thing that the presenters said was valuable for people to note is that there is a physical difference that exists surrounding orgasms for males and females, which some women may not fully realize.

“On average, it takes someone with a vulva and clitoris about 20 minutes of direct stimulation in a way that feels good to them to reach an orgasm,” said Fram. Miller then contrasted this idea by saying that, “it takes a person with a penis two to five minutes.”

Taking this into consideration, Miller and Fram expressed that it is important that partners are willing to take the time to make sure that they are both being fulfilled when they are intimate.

“It’s really important to do the hard work and listen to what your partner is trying to say and to try and see things from their perspective. That can really give a huge boost to your sex life,” said Fram.

However, the pair also emphasized that this kind of experimentation with pleasure is also something that people can pursue on their own.

“If you have never had an orgasm before and you are interested in learning how, a lot of people say that masturbation is the fastest and easiest way to learn,” said Fram. “By the age of 15, only about half of people with vaginas have figured out how to have an orgasm, but a lot of people with penises have figured that out. So, it’s totally normal to be college-aged and still figuring out how to have an orgasm.”

The overarching message of this presentation was that there are many ways to experience pleasure, so people should not get too caught up in the rules and limitations that they have heard from society.

“We really hope that you’ll say goodbye to taboo and hello to more pleasure because, whether it is by yourself or with someone who you respect and respects you back, orgasms are awesome,” said Fram. “They reduce stress, they relieve headaches and menstrual cramps, they burn calories, they relieve junk food cravings and they are a great way to spend a Thursday night.”  

For anyone who is interested in learning more about the “I <3 Female Orgasm” program, they can find additional information at ilovefemaleorgasm.com.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Out and Proud educates students about STDs

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Out and Proud has been an event that has celebrated intersectional LGBTQ+ issues at Western since 2009. Ten years later, the MSU-sponsored event was able to have one of the founders of the original Out and Proud event, Joseluis “Louie” Antonio Arce, come and speak before a new generation of Western students.

“I created Out and Proud 10 years ago in 2009 when I joined MSU. I was a freshman, and I saw a bunch of things on campus — I saw MEChA, I saw MSU, I saw Triangle Alliance — and all of them were me,” said Arce. “These are all a part of who I am as a person, but there was nothing for gay people of color. So, I decided to work with my club … and I created Out and Proud. And I’m so glad that it’s (continued) for 10 years.”

Arce then shared that his journey has been one of a gay, Latino male who became HIV positive nearly 12 years ago and who is driven to use his platform to educate young people about safe sexual practices.

Starting off his story, Arce began by remembering a phone call he received on the day he was diagnosed.

“This day was different because I know it was my doctor’s office, and they had my results,” said Arce. “My honest-to-God first thought was, ‘I have it. I have AIDS, and I’m going to die.’”

After he was given the news, though, Arce shared how his perspective changed.

“All I could do to keep from losing it was laugh,” said Arce. “I felt alive. I had just received the worst news I had ever heard in my life, but for the first time I was living in the moment.”

Beyond that day, Arce shared that he invested time to learn things about HIV that he didn’t know before.

“I was learning so much. I always thought that AIDS was an actual virus, but … HIV is one thing, and AIDS is the status of your virus,” said Arce. With this in mind, he has worked to take care of himself and to keep his CD4 count low.

“I have been fighting to stay positive — both inside and out,” said Arce.

In light of this story, the organizers of Out and Proud also had representatives from Polk and Marion County Health and Human Services to talk with attendees about their sexual health.

“Because of Louie’s story, we just want you guys’s input about what we can do at the health department to promote testing and to make sure that you’re aware of STDs and HIV and what you guys can do for prevention,” said one of the health department representatives.

Overall, both Arce and the representatives wanted to make sure that students knew that there are resources available to them, including the Student Health and Counseling Center, online resources, Planned Parenthood and Marion and Polk County Health and Human Services.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western holds 63rd annual Family Weekend

Ashlynn Norton | Photo Editor

Families from various locations and walks of life came to Western’s campus from Feb. 8-10 to partake in the 63rd Annual Family Weekend put on by Student Engagement.

The weekend’s festivities started off with a dinner Friday night to welcome families. President Rex Fuller began the festivities with a welcome speech and then gave the floor over to the entertainment of the night: a murder mystery improv show. Guests were given name tags displaying the names of celebrities and interacted with the actors while they tried to find out who the murderer was. In the end, when all was said and done, only one table correctly guessed that it was Taylor Swift who was in fact the murderer.

Saturday was a chock-full of events for every age.

For those 21 and up, there was wine tasting out at Eola Hills Wine Cellars. Family Weekend guests were able to travel to the winery and not only taste wine, but also be educated about the different types that were available.

Back on campus, there was rock painting, a photo booth and a caricature artist in the Summit inside the Werner University Center. At the same time, over in the Health and Wellness Center, the 2nd Annual Cornhole Tournament was underway. There were educational seminars sprinkled throughout the day where families could learn about how to better communicate with their first-year student, get a crash course in how money works, or even how to journal.

The night ended with a doubleheader of men’s and women’s basketball games.

The weekend came to a close on Sunday when families gathered once more in the Pacific Room for brunch while winners of various activities were announced.

Trina Lowther from Forest Grove, Oregon, visiting her first-year daughter Abi Lowther, a psychology major, said her favorite thing about Family Weekend was, “that we got to spend so much time together, like as a family.”

Western will also be holding its first ever Siblings Weekend in May for siblings who are in grades 8-12. Registration for this event will open in March.

 

Contact the author at anorton17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Mental health grant brings resources to Western

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Beginning on Nov. 7 and into mid-December, Tim Glascock — the project director for WOU CASA and Suicide Prevention — encouraged Western students to participate in the Healthy Minds Survey. Having received the three-year Garrett Lee Smith Campus Grant in Fall Term of 2017, Western sought to use this evaluation tool to better understand mental health and service utilization on campus.

“This gives our campus a better understanding of the health issues that need to be addressed on campus,” said Glascock. “This initial use of HMS was meant to provide a baseline on these topics.”

In the future, Glascock imagines that the data collected in this survey will be used to better serve the mental health needs of those in the Western community.

According to Glascock, specifically, there are four main areas that are focused on with the grant: “Increase gatekeeping behaviors,” or in other words, encourage bystanders to notice and reach out to someone struggling, “increase educational events that focus on mental health or life skills … increase marketing and campaigns that focus on addressing many of the topics that HMS addresses, and finally updating or proposing new policies or procedures related to suicide and mental health.”

With this grant in place, Glascock expressed that one of the most significant accomplishments that has resulted from it so far is “the implementation of a new website focused on suicide prevention and mental health promotion.” Students can explore the website wou.edu/mental-health and the variety of resources that it has to offer.

Another success that has come from this grant is the creation of a new campus organization.

“A new student club called Wellness Advocacy Group (WAG) formed at the beginning of this year and will focus on mental health promotion efforts,” said Glascock. Amongst these efforts, this group is in the process of organizing an Out of the Darkness walk in May.

An additional outcome of this grant is that 14 staff members on Western’s campus have been trained to conduct trainings on QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer.

“QPR is a bystander intervention training that teaches folks how to recognize someone in distress, how to reach out to them, and how to refer them to services,” said Glascock. “It is just like CPR — the more people who are trained to recognize someone in distress, the higher the chances of folks being recognized and utilizing services.”

Upon reflecting on these changes, Glascock also had a few words of practical advice for any individuals in Western’s community. A couple of the major things that he emphasized are that it is important for people to continue working on their own mental health and to continue talking about these issues so that they are normalized in our society.

“There is a difference between mental health and mental illness,” said Glascock. “Mental health is a generic term just like physical health; it can be good or bad, regardless of whether there is a mental illness present.  It is also worth mentioning that someone with a mental illness can be just as successful as someone who doesn’t.”

Finally, Glascock encouraged any students to seek help if they or someone they love needs it.

“Reach out, both if you suspect that someone is struggling, but also if you are struggling,” said Glascock. “The worst thing that can happen if you reach out to someone is that they may get mad, but at least they know you care about them.  Saving a life is more important than saving a relationship.”

If students are interested in learning more about the mental health resources available on campus, they can go to the new webpage or email Glascock at glascockt@wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

How to protect yourself from measles

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

In the first month of 2019, 79 cases of measles have been confirmed across 10 states in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Amongst these states, both Oregon and Washington have had confirmed cases.

Before attending school at Western, students are required to have two documented doses of the measles vaccine, which must be reported in the health history form that is submitted to the Student Health and Counseling Center. This requirement can be waived if a student has a medical reason, such as pregnancy or breastfeeding, or a religious or personal conviction.

However, Beth Scroggin, the director of the SHCC, sent out an all-student email on Feb. 1 explaining that this waiving of the requirement could impact students if there were to be a local outbreak.

“Please be aware that waived students may be removed from classes if an outbreak of the disease occurs,” stated the email.

If students are unsure of their vaccination status, they can go to the SHCC and check their immunization records. There are also vaccinations there for students who would like to get one.

“(We) encourage you to be vaccinated not only protect yourself but to protect others that are unable to receive the vaccine as well,” said Scroggin.

For any who are unaware, measles generally starts out with a high fever, cough, runny nose and irritated eyes, according to the CDC. Furthermore, within a few days, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth, and later on a rash develops and spreads throughout the body.

“Measles is a serious respiratory disease (in the lungs and breathing tubes) that causes a rash and fever. It is very contagious. In rare cases, it can be deadly,” said Scroggin.

Although measles is most dangerous for younger children, the CDC reports that one in every four people who get measles will be hospitalized, so it is something that ought not to be taken lightly.

If anyone has questions about measles and how it could affect them, visit www.cdc.gov/measles or call the SHCC at (503) 838-8313.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Western hosts annual Chinese New Year celebration

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

The final year in a 12-part cycle, 2019 marks the Year of the Pig in Chinese culture. In order to commemorate this occasion, the WOU Chinese Students and Scholars Association and the Office of International Education and Development hosted Western’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration on Jan. 31 in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center.

Having thoroughly packed the room and fed their guests an authentic Chinese dinner, the organizers of the event started off the night’s performances with a lion dance by visiting performers from White Lotus Crew in Portland. Emerging from the back of the room, the two lions made their way into the room while dancing and interacting with the crowd. They launched oranges and lettuce out at the audience, and their performance concluded with confetti and banners saying, “Happy New Year” and “Best Wishes To All.”

With the audience engaged, the emcees then took the stage and introduced themselves as Jenny Yang, Ankit Shrestha, Jingxiong Soh and Qiong Luo.

While sharing the traditions she remembers of celebrating the new year in China, Luo said that her experience involves eating, spending time with family and one other notable thing.

“The fun part is the younger kids can get a red envelope which is always filled with money from their parents or relatives,” said Luo.

Before the other performances would begin, the emcees introduced President Rex Fuller, who made a few remarks about the significance of this particular year.

“This year, 2019, is especially important that we take a moment and really thank and welcome our visiting students and scholars from China and Nepal and other parts of the world,” said Fuller. “You make our lives brighter, you make our campus better and you portray a global atmosphere for all our students, faculty and staff.”

Dr. Fuller also went on to talk about the personalities of people who were born in pig years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 and 2019.

“What are some of the characteristics of those born in the years of the pig? They may not stand out in the crowd, but they are very realistic,” said Fuller. “Others may be all talk and no action — pigs are the opposite. Though not wasteful spenders, they will enjoy life. They love entertainment and will occasionally treat themselves. They are a bit materialistic, but this motivation for them is to work harder.”

Fuller then concluded his description of those born in pig years by highlighting the harmony that pigs strive for, which is also something he also emphasized that our world needs.

“Pigs are gentle and rarely lose their temper, and when they do, it’s never dramatic. They’ll always try to compromise and settle things quickly because their goal in life is for everyone to live in harmony,” said Fuller. “What a nice thought, everyone living in harmony.”

After this speech, the main entertainment of the night began. Moving through the program, there were fourteen different songs and dances that were performed, ranging from Beijing Opera to a modern hip-hop routine. And, while many of the performers were traditional college-aged students, there were also a couple of routines that featured Chinese women of a variety of ages dancing together.

Another highlight of the performances was a dance called “The Journey of Chasing Dreams,” which was accompanied by an artist creating Chinese calligraphy onstage. As the dancers moved around her, the artist wrote out four Chinese words which she said could be translated to say “better wishes for all in the pig year” in English.

“As you know, the calligraphy is a very big part of Chinese culture,” said the artist. “The words I write today is called official script. This is a very well-known and classic style of words, but in China most people now write with regular script — from left to right — but in ancient times people would write their names in right to left.”

One dance which had a familiar story for many was titled “Butterfly Lovers,” a dance with a story that was similar to one very well-known in America.

“I heard it was like the Chinese version of Shakespeare’s tragic classic Romeo and Juliet,” said Soh.

As a finale to the night, a number of Western’s current Chinese students and scholars came together to sing “Love My China,” donning matching Western t-shirts.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men stand up to toxic behavior

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

In her New York Times article, Maya Salam defines toxic masculinity as “what can come of teaching boys that they can’t express emotion openly; that they have to be ‘tough all the time’; that anything other than that makes them ‘feminine’ or weak.”

Aiming to discuss this concept with the Western community, Abby’s House and Omega Delta Phi joined together on Jan. 24, seeking to start a conversation.

Leading the two-hour discussion, Aislinn Addington, director of Abby’s House, and Tim Glascock, director of the WOU CASA and Campus Suicide Prevention programs, shared the vision they had for the conversation.

“It’s about exploring what it means for all of our campus men to play a positive role in preventing sexual assault, dating violence and stalking,” said Addington. “It’s about what that means for our whole campus community.”

Glascock then communicated that people can start by simply listening to the experiences of those around them.

“We want to recognize that everyone has a story to tell, and we’re here to hear those stories and to connect with one another,” said Glascock.

Individuals then shared stories of how toxic masculinity has impacted their lives. And, while each person had their own unique story, there were some ideas that could be tracked throughout many: toxic masculinity is often used as a defense, intersectionality can contribute to the different masculinities seen in various communities and identifying harmful gender stereotypes is necessary before people are able to combat them.

After the discussion I spoke with Keith Mathew, a senior community health education major and Abby’s House advocate, who shared his perspective that toxic masculinity is not a problem exclusive to heterosexual men.

“It is apparent in all kinds of relationships, and the example I shared about another man who was messaging me for romantic reasons had such a narrow definition of masculinity,” said Mathew. “I think it’s important to show that gay men — we’re not all perfect. We’re not the perfect woke community. We still have our issues that we’re figuring out.”

Additionally, Erik Morgan, senior philosophy major and ASWOU Vice President encouraged men to realize that there are others out there who looking to engage in these conversations.

“Men helping other men overcome toxic masculinity — that’s one of the most important drivers,” said Morgan. “It just can’t be any single person. It has to be an entire movement: not just one, but the many.”

If students would like to learn more about toxic masculinity or contribute to the conversation, they can contact Addington at addingtona@wou.edu or Glascock at glascockt@wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Christopher Coleman speaks on living life to the fullest

 Bailey Thompson | News Editor

A sold-out event: fried chicken dinners, award-winning essays and a keynote speaker. On Jan. 23, the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center was filled to the brim for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner. This event, which was sponsored by the University Diversity Committee, benefited the WOU Food Pantry.

After dinner, the top essayist in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Essay Competition, Natalie Gomez, read her essay “I Don’t Give up on the First Try” before the crowd.

Gomez’s essay challenged those present to be strong and to stand up for the same values that Dr. King sought to protect while he was alive.

“Modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to a scientific and technological abundance; We’ve learned to fly the air like birds, we’ve learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven’t learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters,” said Dr. King in a speech on Feb. 27, 1967.

“Society has come so far in science and technology; however, my mother and I cannot walk down the street without sideways glares or stares for using our Spanish,” read Gomez. “Something was made very clear to me, not for my own doing, that I was brown. Labeled like a crayon. I wasn’t the only one.”

After sharing her story, the final element of the event was the keynote speech by Christopher Coleman — a man with a story of triumphing over life’s circumstances.

Shortly after birth, Coleman was brought back from being declared dead, and his parents were told that he would live in a severely confined manner with what they thought were both physical and mental disabilities. 45 years later, he has become the first person in his large family to graduate from college, and he works as a life coach, keynote speaker and author.

In his speech, Coleman emphasized that, even though there are obstacles that some people have to face, it is vital for them to not let it define who they are.

We cannot conduct ourselves as second-class citizens,” said Coleman. “We cannot let our circumstances dictate our character … to rise above expectations, we must embrace who we are.”

With this mindset, Coleman explained how it can be dangerous to see ourselves as unequal to others because this can lead to either pride or low self-esteem.

“Equality is understanding there is no one in the universe more important than we are and no one in the universe is less important than we are,” said Coleman.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about Coleman’s life story can find additional information at christophercoleman.net.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Western community rallies against hate

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Back in November, an instance of hate speech graffiti was found in the Monmouth community which consisted of swastikas and the words “Proud Boys” and “MAGA.”

The following day, organizations at Western began releasing statements that renounced the behavior and promised action.

“We had two students — Logan Jackson and ZZ Braatz — suggested that we do a march in response to this. So, we started planning late November or early December, and it was a three-step process,” said Kelsey Murray, Ackerman Hall Resident Director and one of the march’s organizers. “The first part was that we put up ‘End Hate’ signs that link to the bias-motivated incident response form, we did tabling for a week where we advertised the campaign as well as the march and then the third part was the march.”

Leading up to the march, a committee was formed, and they tabled to spread awareness in the community for the upcoming event.

On the morning of the march, Jan. 26, members of the Monmouth and Western community came together to listen to speakers as they made signs.

“The graffiti placed here is not only a manifestation of a larger act, but an escalation of hate that must be conquered,” said Monmouth City Councilor Christopher Lopez. “To oppose bad things in this world, we must not only feel the good and embrace it, but act upon it. This togetherness, love, caring, openness, kindness and understanding only has power when it is paired with action.”

Building off of this idea, Linda Williams read sentiments in a letter from Representative Paul Evans about how vital it is for people to combat hate that they see around them.

“Something has happened in our nation, state and community. Somehow, we have drifted into treacherous waters,” wrote Evans. “We have tolerated a downward spiral in our basic civility and…respect. We have allowed the fragile fabric of our union to unravel.”

Moving forward, though, Evans also offered a message of hope.

“Hate has no place in America, in Oregon or in our community…we are one — together against bigotry, intolerance and racism. Together we can defeat hatred through compassion and empathy,” said Evans.

The final speaker before the march was Nathan Soltz, ASWOU Senate President, who shared his perspective on the act of hate.

“I thought it was really difficult to put into words what my visceral reaction was because, as a Jew, when these events happen I feel compelled to remember the hatred that the generations before me faced,” said Soltz. And while…gross ignorance isn’t really as noticeable today, the bigotry persists. And it can be seen really obviously in the graffiti, but it can also be a lot more subtle.”

Soltz then explain how this bigotry can take a number of forms.

“It can take the form of someone crossing the street when they see a person of color walking towards them on the sidewalk,” or “an unqualified man telling a qualified woman how to do her job … someone thinking that someone with a disability is somehow less important … not recognizing that someone’s gender is what they say it is, not what you think it is,” said Soltz.

Rounding out his remarks, Soltz shared how disappointed he was that the Monmouth Police didn’t acknowledge this incident of graffiti to be “threatening.”

“I hate that we have to actually have a march against hate — that we have to stand up and say that being a Nazi is bad, because apparently today that’s no longer a given,” said Soltz.

At this point, the marchers practiced their chants and were ready to head out. The whole group marched through town and all the way to the site of the graffiti near Southgate Park, where city officials had agreed to let participants write countering messages in chalk on the sidewalk.

“I’m sure that the incident of vandalism really made them feel isolated, and I hope that the community feels a little less alone,” said Murray at the end of the march. “And I hope that the people who attended the march feel more empowered to be the active bystander and to stand up to hate that they witness. Especially in our current political climate, I hope that they feel that they can make a difference.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

A blast from the past: 163 years of Western

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

As an institution, Western Oregon University has a rich history that extends back to 1856 — three years before Oregon even became a state. Starting out as Monmouth University, the school as it is known today has experienced a great deal of growth and development since its founding with a total of seven different name changes.

On Jan. 18, Western commemorated its 163rd birthday with free cake and a visit with Wolfie for anyone who was interested in celebrating with their community.

According to Western’s website, the university as it is today has 5,382 students in total enrollment as well as 52 majors and 74 registered student organizations.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

Looking back at the earliest yearbooks in Western’s archives, there are a number of notable ways in which the dynamics and culture of the organization have evolved over time.

“A brief perusal of the roll of graduates published in the annual catalogue will disclose the fact that 780 men and women have completed the course during the past 22 years,” stated The Courier, Western’s oldest yearbook on record that was published in December of 1905. This number, when compared with even just the current enrollment of the school, briefly highlights the extent to which the university has grown over the last century.

However, even though Western has developed a great deal since its founding, it can be observed that there are activities and values that have persevered over time:

“One afternoon in early June the students were all out on the campus, the boys playing lawn tennis and the girls promenading in the shade of the magnificent grove that shadowed the school building, while peals of merry laughter rang out, mingled with the voices of the tennis players,” said the December issue of The Courier from 1906. This description, although worded more formally, does not sound unlike a typical spring afternoon in the Grove today.

So, while students from the early days of Western often participated in literary societies like “The Delphians,” “The Normals” and “The Vespertines,” students today frequently feel connected to the community through a Greek organization, an intramural team, a club or a leadership group.

Fundamentally speaking, the values and goals that the city of Monmouth has held haven’t seemed to have shifted all that much throughout the years.

“Enter heartily into the student affairs,” suggested President E. D. Ressler in 1906. “To be sure these are the incidental of your school life, but they also form the centers around which in after years cluster the fondest memories.”

The university president also went on to describe the integrity that students and faculty alike ought to work towards in the pursuit of higher education.

“Strive to attain the ideals presented both in the class room and on the play ground,” said Ressler. “The good opinion of instructors and fellow students is worthy of all honorable effort and is usually the reward of straight forward conduct and unselfish effort for the good of the school.”

Despite all of the ways that Western has evolved since 1856, there are still a number of ways that the original spirit of the university has been preserved through the people who live, work and attend school here.

If anyone is interested in learning more about Western’s history, there is a wide variety of resources available on Hamersley Library’s website in the digital commons.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of omeka.wou.edu

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