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The Western Howl

ASWOU Senate meets to discuss potential changes

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

The Associated Students of Western Oregon University held a senate meeting on Monday, March 6. The meeting went over various topics including, but not limited to, hiring senate secretary, parking meters and drone usage on-campus.

A proposal to discuss a safe place on campus to fly drones was brought to the ASWOU Senate meeting because, “There is no safe place on campus for students to fly radio-controlled drones … there are at least 20 students and some faculty that would support there being a safe place on campus to fly … there are currently no guidelines for where students can fly their drones,” among other concerns.

A majority of the discussion on drone usage was centered around rules that would need to be put in place for on campus drone flying. One senate member was concerned about drones being used for inappropriate reasons.

“Even the cheapest drones that we sell at Home Depot, they have a mile radius. So it could be very easy for somebody to do something promiscuous or inappropriate with drones, which is why I’m bringing up this conversation; it’s one we need to have,” they went on to say.

Near the end of the senate meeting, a request that the ASWOU Senate President Corbin Garner attend the Monmouth city council meeting on behalf of Western students was placed. Specifically the meeting taking place on Tuesday, April 4, that will be discussing whether or not to declare Monmouth a sanctuary city.

Reasons for this request include “sanctuary cities are currently a pertinent topic … some WOU students may feel unsafe coming into the city of Monmouth for school … WOU is a sanctuary campus that is meant to help people feel safe and included … some WOU students have expressed their support for making Monmouth a sanctuary city” as summarized by the senate.

The request was examined, but not voted on during the senate meeting.

All ASWOU Senate meetings are open to students to bring up any issues, or discuss anything on their mind about Western. The ASWOU Twitter account advertised this opportunity using the hashtag #WOURantAboutIt on March 6. They can also be contacted by email at aswou@wou.edu.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Breaking down gender stereotypes

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

A small, but lively group gathered at the Lord and Schryver Conservancy in Salem on Friday, March 3, to attend one of the final installments of the Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project.

“Mind the Gaps: How Gender Shapes Our Lives” a discussion led by Jade Aguilar, an associate professor of sociology at Willamette University, discussed the ways in which gender affects every aspect of people’s lives from the moment they are born.

The event was centered around participation from those attending: Jade Aguilar kicked off her presentation by telling the room, “it is a conversation, so I’ll do a lot of talking but I really encourage you to jump in at any time … so prepare to speak as well.”

At times the conversation would go beyond questions about gender, and expand to discussing many other factors. In response to this, Aguilar said, “That’s what makes this both so fascinating and so complicated … we map gender on things, but sometimes it’s about size, or institutional level power … or it’s about power within families. It’s hard to unpack it all, because it’s not just one of those, it’s about a lot of things.”

Aguilar pointed out the way in which everyone, even those that regard both women and men as equals, has internalized sexist thoughts. She explained this by using a study done on a baby playing with a jack-in-the-box toy as an example:

“they took a baby, and dressed the baby in yellow … of course it’s a baby so you can’t tell [the gender], and they took a little video of it, and they did the jack-in-the-box. The jack-in-the-box popped up, the baby was startled, it made out a large cry.”

The video was then shown to two different classrooms; one class was told that the baby was a girl, the other a boy; both were asked to describe what the baby was feeling.

Summing up the results of the experiment, Aguilar continued, “The students that thought it was a little girl were more likely to say that they thought she was scared … and the ones that thought that it was a little boy were more likely to think it was angry.”

One participant added that she felt uncomfortable the first time she had a female dentist; Aguilar responded to that explaining, “There’s no way you can’t be sexist. Even if you’re a woman and you know women can do anything. We have stereotypes, we’ve internalized them, we have a conscious bias … so you see your female and you think ‘oh, I hope she knows what she’s doing;’ it’s deep in you.”

This was the last talk in the Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project schedule to take place in Salem. The next free community discussion will be “In Science We Trust?” in Stayton, Oregon on March 22 at the Stayton Public Library. For more information about the project go to oregonhumanities.org.
Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Safe restrooms for all humans

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

At Western, there are multiple all-gender restrooms that can be found across campus. However, finding gender neutral or all-gender restrooms becomes increasingly difficult when wandering beyond campus.

In 2014, REFUGE Restrooms was created “to provide restroom access for transgender, intersex and gender nonconforming individuals,” as stated on www.refugerestrooms.org. The service began as a website originally, but has recently become an application that can be downloaded for free on both Android and Apple devices.

As explained in further detail on their website, the purpose behind creating REFUGE was, “one of the biggest battlefields upon which the fight for transgender rights is taking place daily are restrooms. It seems that every other week a transgender child is made the center of a national news story because they used the restroom assigned to the gender they identify with. Obviously, we believe that every transgender person should have the right to use the restroom they want to. However, we also realize that despite legislative victories in recent years regarding restroom usage, many transgender individuals still face both verbal and physical harassment simply for using the restroom. Nobody should have to face that.”

A similar online resource, Safe2Pee, was created in 2005. When the website stopped working in 2014, REFUGE gathered their first 4,500 resources from the Safe2Pee database and continued the effort to locate safe bathrooms.

REFUGE Restrooms continues to be a growing, collaborative resource between the designers and users of the application; it is encouraged that users pin locations of safe restroom locations, meaning all-gender or unspecified single-stalls when they come across ones that have not already been added to the map.

For more information regarding the application, and for ways to get involved visit www.refugerestrooms.org or download the application for free.

Those who would like a list of all-gender restrooms at Western can find them at https://wou.edu/wp/safezone/on-campus.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Incidental Fee Committee makes preliminary decisions

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee held their preliminary budget decision meetings for the 2017-2018 school year on Friday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 17. As of now, the projected incidental fee cost for the 2017-2018 school year is $345 per term, a 1.17 percent increase from the current school year. As part of that fee, the Health and Wellness Center cost per term will remain unchanged at $67.

Incidental fees are used to pay for on campus organizations including, but not limited to, Abby’s House, Athletics, WOLF Ride and Service Learning and Career Development. A total of $4,376,199 will be made from those fees for the 2016-2017 school year, and it is estimated to raise up to $4,437,195 for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Preliminary decision meetings consist of the IFC setting the tentative budgets for on-campus organizations and events before open hearings begin. Once open hearings begin, individuals can make a case on behalf of their organization for additional or continued funding, if necessary.

In addition to setting the base budgets, enhancements were also discussed. When a club or organization on campus is asking for an enhancement, they are requesting additional funding beyond their budget for a specific event, trip or job that is needed.

The largest projected budget cut for the upcoming academic year is going to ASWOU, with a 10 percent decrease, which is much smaller than a previously proposed 18 percent cut. Part of the reason behind the large budget cut is the confusion about what exactly ASWOU accomplishes for students through their day to day operations. The cut will be reflected by taking their requested budget of $294,821 down to $265,339.

Another organization whose necessity was discussed was the Creative Arts department, specifically the Smith Fine Art Series. IFC members criticized the program because of the imbalance between how much students are paying for the series and the lack of student attendance at the events. The series will be facing an 11 percent cut, which will take the $329,541 budget they asked for and leave them with $322,891.

Organizations that are proposed to receive enhancements are ASWOU, specifically the Student Veterans of America, Campus Recreation and Student Engagement.

Students who would like to make a case to the IFC on behalf of a club or organization may do so at the second open hearing this Friday, Feb. 24 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Werner University Center. The first open hearing took place on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Individuals are allotted three minutes to speak; groups receive five minutes.

More information about the IFC process, including policies and meeting minutes, can be found at wou.edu/ifc.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Monmouth community and Western students join to create a safer city

By:Jade Rayner
News Editor

The movement to declare Monmouth, Oregon a sanctuary city is one that began roughly two months ago by a concerned member of the community and has gained a growing amount of support since then.

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 16: Demonstrators including students from local high schools as well as a college rally in front of Homestead City Hall against President-elect Donald Trump and are asking that the city be used as a sanctuary city and their respective schools be sanctuary campuses on November 16, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Mr. Trump has said he will crack down on so-called Òsanctuary citiesÓ or cities that donÕt help federal authorities seize undocumented immigrants. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

There is no concrete definition for what it means to be as sanctuary city; it varies from place to place. For a city to declare sanctuary status, it’s stating that it will protect its citizens from unlawful prosecution from federal immigration, relating to the Oregon law ORS 181A.820 that states: “No law enforcement agency of the State of Oregon or of any political subdivision of the state shall use agency moneys, equipment or personnel for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.”

According to information provided by Western student Hector Virgen-Marquez, the proposal to make Monmouth a sanctuary city was brought to Monmouth City Council by Patty Dixon, a concerned member of the community that was trying to help other community members. She was met by a motion from city council member Laurel Sharmer, but it was not met with a second. Therefore, the proposal did not pass.

Upon hearing about this, Virgen-Marquez explained that, “Marshall Guthrie the director of the Student Enrichment Program had heard of this, and rallied a few students together to make a second proposal. He contacted students from MEChA de WOU, and UNIDOS and brought six motivated students together to propose, for a second time, that Monmouth declare sanctuary city status.” The students involved were Evelyn Guzman, Sandy Estelle, Juan Navarro, Jaime Hernandez, Aminadab Diaz and Hector Virgen-Marquez.

Additionally, Western student Erika Azua and Dr. Maureen Dolan, Professor of Sociology led an outreach committee to reach out to other members of the community, Western administrators, businesses and clergy leadership.

During the Feb. 7, 2017 Monmouth city council meeting, the six Western students brought up the sanctuary city proposal. Much like the first time with Dixon, the proposal was met by a motion from council member Sharmer, but no second was offered by the remaining city council members. “Needless to say, this was a great defeat, as we had failed to prove to our council members that this is an important topic that deserves discussion in a public setting such as this. But regardless, that only helped fuel energy to push us to try again,” Virgen-Marquez stated.

When asked what it would mean to the Western community for Monmouth to declare itself a sanctuary city, Hector Virgen-Marquez replied, “… it will show the students at Western that the city they live in also cares about them, and for those who are currently under a degree of fear – it shows that they are able to go out to the city without feeling uncomfortable and anxious of federal prosecution.”

These students will be bringing the proposal to the Monmouth City Council again on Feb. 21, 2017.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

“Hard to Believe” documentary aims to raise awareness of organ harvesting

By: Byron Kimball
Freelancer

On Feb. 23, Salem resident Timothy Gebhart held free viewings of the 2015 PBS documentary “Hard to Believe” for local residents. Directed by Ken Stone, the documentary concerns the practice of forced organ harvesting from Chinese prisoners.

Filmed in the style of a police procedural, “Hard to Believe” is one of many documentaries in recent years that aims to raise awareness of the issue.

A CNN report done on June 24, 2016 claimed that China was “… still engaged in the widespread and systematic harvesting of organs from prisoners.”

As the documentary discusses in further detail, the organs, ranging from kidneys to hearts, are often harvested from a person shortly after execution. The organs are then sold to so-called “transplant tourists,” who travel from all over the world to China for life-saving organ transplants.

For Gebhart, the issue is personal. He is a long-time practitioner of the meditation practice Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, which has been outlawed in China since 1999. Many of the victims of forced organ harvesting are fellow Falun Gong practitioners, according to www.stoporganharvesting.org.

When asked to share his thoughts about both organ harvesting and the documentary, Gebhart responded, “Not too many people are aware of organ harvesting in China or of the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. We have found that once people know of this issue, and are familiar with it, it is much easier for change to occur.”

He suggests that viewers emboldened to action after viewing the documentary help raise awareness through social media and by writing to their local legislators.

Viewers who wish to learn more about forced organ harvesting are encouraged to visit both www.hardtobelievemovie.com and www.stoporganharvesting.org to learn about the practice and find out what they can do to help.

Contact the author at bkimball16@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Possibility of life beyond Earth

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

After decades of searching for the possibility of life beyond Earth, scientists have found what they were looking for. On Feb. 22, NASA announced that a new solar system containing seven Earth-size planets was discovered.

TRAPPIST-1 is located in the Aquarius system and is around 40 light-years away from Earth. The exoplanet system was named TRAPPIST-1 after a telescope in Chile. Researchers using the Chilean telescope found the first two planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system in May of 2016. The five remaining planets were discovered using the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope, which enabled them to have a more in-depth examination of the planets.

The research effort to locate and classify the planets was led by the scientific research team at the University of Liege.

“The seven wonders of TRAPPIST-1 are the first Earth-size planets that have been found orbiting this kind of star … It is also the best target yet for studying atmospheres of potentially habitable, Earth-size worlds” said Michael Gillon, leader of the team of astronomers that discovered TRAPPIST- 1, in a press release put out by NASA.

Though the seven planets are a similar size to Earth, they boast different features. All of the planets in the newly discovered system are closer to each other in orbit than the planets in our own solar system. According to the report that NASA put out, “If a person were standing on one of the planet’s surface, they could gaze up and potentially see geological features or clouds of neighboring worlds, which would sometimes appear larger than the moon in Earth’s sky”.

Though scientists are still trying to find information regarding the makeup of the planets, they have found details that indicate whether the newly-discovered planets could be habitable. “While the other planets in the system could only have liquid water over a small part of their surface, these three planets e, f and g could contain oceans similar to those on Earth, ” said Julien de Wit, a post-doctoral student at MIT who is in charge of heading up the atmospheric studies of the planet, in a University of Liege release.

In addition to the difference in planet proximity and makeup, TRAPPIST-1’s star has features that mirror the sun. According to the University of Liege press release, the star of TRAPPIST-1 is classified as an ultra-cold dwarf, which means it’s both smaller and significantly colder than the sun.

Though the discovery of the new planets has jolted the scientific world, there is still a significant amount of research to be done. In 2018, NASA is sending the James Webb Space Telescope into space to look for more information regarding TRAPPIST-1.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Voices raised at Salem rally

By: Stephanie Blair
Editor-in-Chief

Domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors, advocates and loved ones of survivors gathered on the Oregon Capitol building’s steps on Feb. 22 to support the services and protections infor survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Despite the low-number of attendees and the cool, overcast weather, the crowd was lively and garnered a large amount of television coverage.

The rally began with speeches from various survivors and state officials, after which some attendees went into the capitol building to speak with senators and house representatives, as well as to find more information about how to support the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, who partnered to organize the rally.

The mission statement of the OCADVS, a non-profit founded in 1978, as stated on their website is to promote “… equity and social change in order to end violence for all communities.” The coalition aids crisis centers and other resource centers for victims with training, connection to other centers and communities as well as providing other technical support, like posting job opportunities on their website.

The other sponsor of this event, Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, has three main programs: the Prevention Program, the Sexually Assault Training Institute and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program. These three branches each help to provide training and resources for organizations and communities.

According to the OCADVS, one in four women and girls in Oregon will experience domestic violence in their lifetime and one in five are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.

On campus, Abby’s House provides resources for those struggling with or who have been affected by sexual and relationship violence. Trained student advocates are available to aid those in need.

If you would like to volunteer with Abby’s House, contact them by email at abbyshouse@wou.edu or by phone at 503-838-8219. Information is also available at the Abby’s House office, located in room 106 of the Werner University Center.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Campus Blotter

The Western Howl

21 and up

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

My Bloody Valentine? More like my bloody mary. February, the month of love and the color red is the perfect month to enjoy a nice, red bloody mary. Crisp and delicious, this drink will make your morning or evening one for the better. The recipe is as follows:

What you need:
1 1⁄2 ounces vodka
3 ounces tomato juice
The juice of one lemon
1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce
pepper
salt
1⁄4 teaspoon celery salt
1⁄2 tablespoon prepared horseradish (optional)

Directions:
Add ice to glass. Mix Vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, Pepper, celery salt and horseradish and pour in glass. Garnish with lemon or lime wedge, celery stalk, green onion or pickled green bean.
Please drink responsibly and enjoy.
Recipe courtesy of the user riffraff on Food.com

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Protesting in peace

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

On Sunday, Feb. 19, an estimated 1,010 people gathered in front of the Oregon State Capitol building in Salem for the Immigration Rally: part of the Immigrants’ March on all 50 State Capitols protest that took place on President’s Day weekend.

According to the event’s Facebook page, the purpose of the rally was to empower all citizens, foreign or native, and to stand “in unity and solidarity with all immigrants.”

In contrast to the pouring rain and heavy wind that lasted for the duration of the event, both the speakers and attendees alike held their heads and their signs high to spread the message that they, immigrants, weren’t going anywhere.

Western students Gabe Heredia, a senior community health/education major, and Madelyn Hay, an interdisciplinary studies major were two of the many students attending the rally. When asked what brought them to the event, Hay replied that, “One of the biggest reasons we wanted to come is Gabe’s family is actually immigrants … that’s something that kind of struck with us. Like if this had happened 50 years ago, we never would have met … they were given their chance and we think everyone deserves their chance.”

Salem resident Taylor Emery was also among the many who stood in protest.

“I’m here today because this is something that I passionately believe in, and I wasn’t able to go the Women’ March … so I’m here to support the immigrants that supported me at the Women’s March,” Emery explained.

“I want to try and be involved as I can … this is just something that I think shouldn’t even be an issue. Diversity is needed.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Emergency ASWOU election comes to a close

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Last week brought with it the result of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University’s emergency election. Due to the death of Alma Pacheco, president of ASWOU, the role of vice president needed to be filled.

ASWOU is the student government at Western; their role is to advocate for student’s rights on campus, as well as in the state of Oregon.

Samantha Dunaway, a junior majoring in biology with an emphasis in zoology will be taking on the role of vice president; her new responsibilities will include organizing meetings, and completing tasks assigned by the new president of ASWOU, Cynthia Olivares.

Samantha Dunaway is already very familiar with Western’s student government. Before being elected as vice president, she was working as the ASWOU director of student organizations, overseeing all of the student clubs on campus. Her work with the organization has included training student clubs to use OrgSync and financial policies, and giving them the tools to be successful.

When asked what plans she had for improving student life at Western, Dunaway replied that, “My main goal is to support all students on campus. My door is always open for students to voice their concerns about our university, and I will always be open to addressing those concerns. I know how many students struggle with paying for college, pay tuition out of pocket and work multiple jobs to make it through college. I will do everything in my power to support these students and work to decrease tuition rates. My other goals include making Western more environmentally sustainable, increasing involvement in clubs and organizations on campus and helping to create a strong team environment within the ASWOU cabinet so that we can better serve the student body.”

As a final note, ASWOU Vice President Samantha Dunaway added, “I want students to know that my door is always open. I love Western Oregon University, and the best part of this school is the students. I want them to know that I am always available to address questions, concerns, and ideas on how to improve our school. Also, everyone in ASWOU is here to serve the students. Come by our office and say ‘hi!’”

Students with concerns regarding Western can contact the Associated Students of Western Oregon University at aswou.@wou.edu, or they can stop by their office in Werner University Center room 122.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Month One in Trump’s America

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

When President Trump took office on Jan. 20, he immediately began to take action on issues that he spoke about during his campaign. On that day, per United Press International, he expelled an insurance rate cut for new homeowners which was set by the Obama Administration. He also began the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. UPI.com states that, “Trump’s order asked federal agencies to ‘prepare to afford the states more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.’”

Since that first day in office, he has been working left and right on presidential duties. For example, he has taken action against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, abolishing the deal that America made with Asia. According to UPI.com, this was done due to the fear that the TPP had the possibility of killing U.S. jobs. Along with that decision, President Trump made a change toward federal workers, bringing about a temporary hiring freeze; the freeze excluded military and some security positions.

A very well-known order that President Trump has put into action is the prevention of U.S. funds being used toward select health charities that aid with abortion. This order has been on and off in America since the Reagan Administration.

Another important decision that was made was in regards to the Supreme Court. As of recent, Judge Neil McGill Gorsuch has been nominated to be the replacement of Antonin Scalia.

Considering the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has received a lot of attention, an executive order was signed making the completion of the pipeline possible. With that signed, the process of creating the pipeline from Canada will begin again. In a release on Feb. 8, 2016, Energy Transfer Partners stated that, “The Dakota Access pipeline … and the Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline… (together, the “Bakken Pipeline”) are expected to be in service in the second quarter of 2017.”

Within the Trump Administration, there has been a number of executive orders pertaining to immigration. Federal grant money has been stripped away from “sanctuary cities,” which are cities that protect immigrants who are not authorized and giving them access to city services. It is noted on UPI.com that President Trump, “also seeks to hire 10,000 additional immigration officers, build more detention centers and prioritize immigrants for deportation.” Not only that, but many have heard and are aware of the infamous Trump Wall. Building the wall has not begun; however, he has taken action by signing an order to begin the preparation for building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The United States visa vetting process is being reworked as well due to Trump’s presidency. This executive order demands for a thorough security check for people from foreign nations who desire to obtain a U.S. travel visa.

President Trump has initiated an order to strengthen the U.S. military. This legislation wants to rebuild our armed forces in order to increase our national and global security. Along with this, he has restructured the National Security Council, which will aid the President in choosing the best course of action on security issues. Within this new NSC, President Trump added the CIA to be a part of it.

It has been a just over a month of Donald Trump being President.

Throughout the past few weeks, there have been a large number of orders signed. If anything is certain, President Trump has been an active president since being inaugurated last month.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Weekly update: Incidental Fee Committee

By: TK  Layman
Staff Writer

Week two of the Incidental Fee Committee took place on Jan. 27 for on-campus programs to present their proposed budgets for the upcoming school year. The committee heard presentations this week from three organizations: Creative Arts, Student Media and Campus Recreation.

The previous week’s presentations included proposed budgets for accessibility through the Office of Disability Services, Abby’s House, Childcare through the Children’s Development Center, WOLF Ride and Service Learning and Career Development. Of the organizations who have presented, they’ve proposed their internal budget in relation to on and off-campus events to take place, as well as compensation for the workers involved in the departments.

Week three begins on Feb. 3 with the final round of budget presentations for student organizations: Athletics, Student Engagement and ASWOU. Following the final set of presentations, the Incidental Fee Committee will make their preliminary decision of the proposed budgets and the fee for the 2017-18 school year on Feb. 10.

For students looking to keep up with proposed budgets for on campus groups and organizations they are encouraged to go to wou.edu/ifc.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Creating an inclusive community

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Inclement weather and blustering winds showed a small but intimate turn out for speaker Kerani Mitchell’s community discussion “Exploring What Makes Us Oregonian.”

Ten people total showed up to talk about community inclusion and how they can, as a group, share stories of how they have all felt included or excluded from their particular community, and explore options to help those who may not feel welcome to be a part of their surroundings.

Kerani Mitchell, a graduate of Seattle University with a degree in international studies, started the group by leading them through a quick reflection and having them consider what brought them to the discussion. By laying out the guidelines of creating a safe inclusive space and keeping an open mind, Mitchell got the audience thinking.

Introductions led way with participants stating their name and one thing they love about their community in Oregon.

During introductions, one audience member prompted the question, “When can someone call themselves an Oregonian?” As participants pondered on what makes someone an Oregonian, they all came to terms; an Oregonian is one who lives in Oregon.

Mitchell had the audience break up into two groups to discuss times they felt included in their community, and how they can identify ways to help others feel included in their daily lives.

One member, a teacher within the community, spoke about the difference between the “golden rule” and a different concept called the “platinum rule,” giving a description of treating others how they wish to be treated, rather than how one would want.

Mitchell ended the conversation with a recording of Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family.”

By the end the group came back together to discuss ways they can help someone who may feel excluded from their community feel more welcome. Several of the ideas discussed included having themselves step outside their comfort zones and immersing themselves in a new culture, or searching for community involvement opportunities and above all treating everyone with human decency. As the conversation died down, the words of Maya Angelou resonated over the crowd: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Oregon Humanities Conversation Project continues Thursday, Feb. 16 with the next installment, “The Space Between Us, Immigrant Refugees, and Oregon” by speaker Manuel Padilla. Starting at 7 p.m. in the Anderson Room at the Salem Public Library
Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Social media backlash to the new administration

By: Zoë Strickland
Managing Editor

On Jan. 24, the Trump administration ordered the employees of multiple federal agencies, including the EPA, USDA, HHS and DOI, to halt external communication with both the public and the media.

According to the New York Times, the communication halt is in place “… while the Trump administration struggles to put political appointees into position.” The moratorium on communication from those departments came after the administration began re-doing the White House website on Jan. 20, during which they deleted any mention of climate change.

As a result of these combined events, the Twitter account of Badlands National Park began posting scientific facts relating to climate change. The National Park Service then came forward and admitted that the information was being posted by a former employee who had hijacked the account and proceeded to delete what they had tweeted.

Though the National Park Service attempted to correct what had happened on their Twitter, the tweets sparked an onset of unofficial ‘resistance’ government accounts. Among those accounts are @altUSEPA, @RoguePOTUSStaff, @RogueNASA, @altNOAA and @NotAltWorld, which was originally used for the unofficial National Park Service but has since been handed off to non-government workers.

Since all of the Twitter accounts being made are working against the orders of the Trump administration, it’s unclear which accounts are being run by people inside of the the organizations. Some, like @NotAltWorld and @RogueNASA, publicly admit to being run by non-government employees.

The Rogue POTUS Staff twitter claims to be run by people within the government. Their website identifies them as the “Official White House Resistance Operation,” saying that they “are White House staffers, working at various levels, operating in secrecy to reveal hidden truths of the Trump administration to the American people.”

However, since all of the Twitter accounts are openly resisting the new administration, none of the account managers have come forth to identify themselves.

The Twitter accounts join together as part of a larger movement that draws attention to the communication halt as well as the “… recent proposals from the Trump transition team for drastic cuts in environmental science in federal agencies,” as reported by Scientific American.

Most recently, on Feb. 3, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-F.L., introduced a bill into congress that seeks to completely terminate the EPA.

The recent setbacks to the scientific community have helped draw attention to the work that has already been done by each agency. People are drawing attention to old research, such as the database that NASA introduced in August of 2016 where they post the peer-reviewed articles of research that NASA has funded. Articles on the database range from studies about how spaceflight may increase certain clinical symptoms in astronauts to if it’s possible to inhabit Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

The rogue twitter accounts, government employee run or not, are starting a conversation that helps spread awareness for government-funded scientific research.

The science community is planning the Science March on Washington on April 22 for Earth Day. A satellite march is currently set to take place in Portland.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Weekly update: IFC Meeting #3

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Friday, Feb. 3 the IFC meeting took place in modular 101 outside Rice Auditorium. After the committee saw presentations from all other campus organizations, the remaining – Athletics, Student Engagement and ASWOU, presented their budget proposals for the 2017-2018 school year.

Student Engagement included budget proposals for campus structures such as operations and student employment, leadership, inclusion and the Student Activities Board. With their proposed budgets for the year, they look to re-up their contract with OrgSync, the web application hosting all on-campus organizations.

Athletics holds the highest budget on campus and is looking to add safety improvements to the Women’s Softball field, adding an NCAA required safety netting to the dugouts. Their fear is that if the IFC cuts funds, they will have to reallocate funds to make sure equipment is kept up to date in terms of safety standards, as well as reducing the number of athletes who attend road games. Teams attending road games typically fly to their locations. The Athletics department stated if the budget was reduced, they would have to travel by bus, increasing the number of hours traveled and the amount of class missed for student-athletes.

Before ASWOU gave their presentation, they asked to reallocate funds from their non-specified account to cover their trip for Student Lobby Day, a day for student’s to speak with state representatives about their school experience and encumbrance of student loans. ASWOU asked for $500 to cover the travel costs, and it caused some trepidation from the IFC Committee. After discussion, the motion passed to reallocate travel expenses for Student Lobby Day 7-1-0.

The next meeting is Friday, Feb. 10 where the committee will make their preliminary decision on the budget before opening the floor to hearings.

Contact the author at tlayman16@mail.wou.edu

The Western Howl

Helping the environment: don’t just talk about it

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Many people talk about the importance of helping the environment but few know where to start. For those wanting to put their words into action, the Luckiamute Watershed Council is there to help.

“We’re a non-profit and our mission is to engage and assist landowners in restoration of the Luckiamute and Ash Creek Watersheds,” stated Kristen Larson, Council Coordinator of the Luckiamute Watershed Council in our interview at the council’s Burgerville fundraiser on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water; Ash Creek Watershed starts in Dallas, travels through the Polk County communities of Monmouth and Independence and drains into the Willamette River.

When asked what the council does in the area, Larson explained that they, “do things like controlling invasive weeds to allow the native vegetation to thrive; we plant native trees and shrubs along stream banks and the rivers. We do restoration projects to help fish habitats …”

Volunteering for the Luckiamute Watershed Council can include a variety of jobs.

“We participate in the Fourth of July parade, and help clean up the litter after the parade: we always need help for that. In the summer season we have field opportunities to help with our temperature monitoring program, and also weeds, so in our planting areas there’s often times we can use people helping us clip weeds so they don’t drop seeds and spread,” added Larson. “We have space on our committees, and on our board and we’d love to have student engagement and organization itself.”

For those interested in learning more about the Luckiamute Watershed Council, meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.; locations of the meetings vary and can be found on www.LuckiamuteLWC.org. Volunteer interest forms can also be found on their website.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Community gathers to discuss race in Oregon

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

“Racism is an emotion filled topic,” Willamette University sociology professor Emily Drew began her lecture. “If we’re aware, we are feeling something.”

The night began as attendees gathered in the Anderson Room of the Salem Public Library for the first installation of Oregon Humanities’ “Conversation Project:” a series of lectures given by community leaders to engage members in a thoughtful discussion of the world around them.

Drew led the night discussing Oregon’s image on race in her presentation titled “Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon.”

The first discussion began with a quote by W.E.B. Du Bois, “The problem of the 100 years ahead of us,” Drew repeated, “is a problem of ‘the color line.’” With that quote in mind, the groups engaged in thoughtful conversation about perceptions of race during the Civil Rights Era to today.

Throughout the night the audience broke off into small groups to discuss with their peers about several topics including ideas such as the prevalence of “Sun Down Towns” within Oregon. Drew cited a study conducted by James Lowen and a team of graduate students that found a collection of “Sun Down Towns,” or a town within the state where minority groups may feel unsafe or unwelcome. The groups got together and expressed their surprise and concern with the list of Oregon cities seen today as “Sun Down Towns;” Drew led the discussion back toward the community, tied it into Portland’s presence not on the list and their vision of diversification.

A common perception of Portland has sources, such as The New Geographer, believing it has a lack of racial diversification. Drew, unshaken, proved otherwise stating recent studies.

“The Coalition of Communities of Color studying Multnomah county,” Drew said, “1-out-of-3 people living in Multnomah county are people of color.”
Before the final group discussion, a U.S. Census Data report was displayed for the audience to see the diverse makeup of those living in Salem and had audience members engaged thinking critically of the identities of those on the census.

Drew closed out the discussion looking for community thoughts on how to create a more equitable and inclusive community, prompting more group thinking and reflection. Each group shared their insights as they worked together toward a common goal of creating a holistic environment for all.
The Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project continues their series on Feb. 2, with speaker Kerani Mitchell and her presentation titled “Where Are You From?”

For those interested in being a part of the community discussions, the event will be held at the Salem Public Library, Thursday Feb. 2 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

To learn more about Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project, go to www.oregonhumanities.org/programs/conversation-project

The Western Howl

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

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