Mount Hood

Complete cultural immersion: how study abroad can change a student’s perspective

By: TK Layman

Staff Writer

Studying in another country can sound like an exciting yet daunting event that many students dream of doing one day. Western Oregon University offers many study abroad programs, and informational meetings to help students achieve their goals of experiencing another country, culture and possibly language for a full term.

Students have a variety of programs that can fit their individual interests. From a diverse list of countries like Argentina, China, Germany, South Africa and several more, students can immerse themselves in a new country and way of life.

Exchange Student Beatrice Andersson came from her hometown of Karlskoga, Sweden to study at Western Oregon University. When asked why she chose Western Oregon, and her favorite parts of studying here she stated, “It was that the school was more involved with the students. The people here are very friendly and very helpful. The teachers here are really involved with their students and engage them.”

The experiences gained can impact a student for a lifetime. A person who studies abroad will be learning a new way of life in another part of the world, have the possibility of learning a new language and immersing themselves in an unfamiliar environment.

“Just do it … there will be a time where you will feel uncomfortable with the whole experience, and you just want to go home, but those times are nothing compared to the amazing experiences you will get as a whole,” Andersson expressed.

If you are interested in studying abroad there are few ways to learn more. On the WOU Study Abroad page you can search which program they feel will fit you best, followed by a group advising session offered Wednesday’s at noon in Maaske 114. For anyone wanting to learn more you can call 503-838-8905, email studyabroad@wou.edu or stop by Maaske 112 for more information.

WOU Study Abroad home page

https://wou.edu/provost/studyabroad/index.php

WOU Study Abroad location and Information

http://wou-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.MapSearch

The Tuition Choice: Western gives it’s students the power to decide how they pay tuition

tuition-choice-colorwou-edu

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Western Oregon University offers countless opportunities to its students, but one of many that sets Western apart from other universities is the option to choose your own tuition plan upon once being admitted to the university.

The Tuition Choice gives students the power to choose how they want to be billed for tuition in their four years here at Western. The choice outlines two plans: the Tuition Promise, a new plan that offers students a guaranteed fixed-rate tuition for their first four years as an undergrad at Western, and the Traditional Plan which is subject to potential annual tuition increases.

According to the WOU Admissions website, the Tuition Promise is a “save later” plan that is outlined to save students money in the long run. A first time student this year, 2016-2017, on the Tuition Promise would begin with a tuition rate that is about 4.2 percent higher than the 2015-2016 rate, but it will remain unchanged for four years. While the student is estimated to pay more in their first two years at Western, they are set up to potentially save more in their last two years due to annual tuition increases.

On the other hand, the Traditional Plan is a “save now” tuition plan that starts at a lower price, but will shift with annual tuition changes. For a student beginning their undergraduate at Western in the 2016-2017 year, they are estimated by WOU Admissions to save more than $1,000 on tuition and fees in their first year than a student on the Tuition Promise. It is estimated that opposite to the Tuition Promise, the Traditional Plan will save more their first two years, but could end up spending more than the Tuition Promise price their last two years.

When comparing the numbers on the graph provided on the WOU Admissions website, a student could save more altogether on the Traditional Plan, but it isn’t guaranteed since tuition rates are subject to change annually. With the Tuition Promise, a student may end up spending more at first, but there is the potential to save money if tuition rates increase at an unexpected rate.

As a first time student at Western Oregon University you had the chance to choose your own tuition plan. It is important to note that the plan you chose sticks with you for four years, and cannot be changed after your first class here at Western.

How student veterans on campus can get connected

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Student veterans on campus have many resources available to them in order to help them achieve personal success. With events held by the Veterans Success Center, also known as the “Vet Center” around campus, students with prior or current military service are invited to be a part of their group.

The Veterans Success Center hosts a variety of events, along with allowing students to come in and plan their long-term education and career goals. Andrew Holbert is a five-year veteran who served with the Marine veterans-office-2-colorCorps. during his time in the military and works as the veteran services coordinator on campus. His role on campus is to help student veterans find the resources available to them on campus, by assisting with finding scholarships and becoming successful both academically and within their chosen career.

The VSC also puts on several events for students on campus, both with the military and not serving. This week in the Werner University Center they have a table where students can express what Veterans Day means to them. On Thursday, Nov. 10 students have the opportunity to be a part of a student panel where both active and inactive service members share their experiences in the military.

Another resource for students who are considering joining the military is the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corp, or ROTC, which allows students to observe what military life is like before making a commitment to serve. By offering a standardized training program, students sign up to graduate through the ranks.

“If students have no prior service, the first two years gives a sense of military experience,” said Andrew Doborowski, a Cadet with the ROTC, “When you contract as an MS3 in your third year, you are in the military, you receive a stipend, and at the end of your fourth year you are commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the military, and you commit to four years’ service active duty, or six years’ national guard or reserve.”

The ROTC program also has scholarship opportunities for students both looking to enroll after high school, and current college students. High school students must meet academic and physical requirements, along with agreeing to accept commission with the Army, Army Reserve or National Guard. Current college students are able to receive a two, or three-year scholarship: eligibility coming with the same academic and physical standards, but make a shorter commitment to the Army, Reserve or National Guard.

Western offers classes for MS1 and MS2, which are Private to Sergeant ranks respectively. MS3 and above are offered through Oregon State University.

Students looking to join the ROTC program are encouraged to speak to Major Boisvert on campus who can help guide the students in the correct direction to enroll.

The VSC is open to students the same hours the WUC is open. Andrew Holbert is available to assist students Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If students have any other questions they are encouraged to contact the VSC at 503- 838-9246 or email at wouveterans@wou.edu

Supporting those with diabetes this November

By: Sadie Moses, 
Freelancer

29 million people face Diabetes face every day. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and awareness has become more important than ever before.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 1 in 11 people have the disease, while 86 million are at risk to contract it. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. It can lead to diabetes-inforgraph-colordiabetes-orgconditions such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, blindness and eye problems.

The most important part of this month is simply getting informed.

Diabetes is diagnosed as either one of two types. Type one is characterized by the body’s failure to produce insulin. Usually, type one is genetic. Therapy can help people with this type live long, normal lives. While less people are diagnosed with type one, those people are generally youth from childhood to age 20, meaning that many are college students.

Type two, on the other hand, is the most common form of diabetes, characterized by the body failing to use insulin properly and caused by either genetics or lifestyle choices. While those in the early stages of this type may not need glucose supplements, type two is known to get worse over time, and most need medications later on.

People with diabetes can face hypoglycemia, also known as insulin shock. It is a condition where one has abnormally low glucose levels that can result in a wide range of symptoms.

Left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to severe conditions such as seizures or unconsciousness. Treatment involves consuming something with 15-20 grams of simple carbs or glucose.

While diabetes does not increase the chance of catching an illness, becoming ill can cause harmful complications. Because of this, the ADA recommends getting flu shots every year.

For students on Western’s campus, we can be aware of this issue by helping out our friends and community in supporting those with diabetes in their day-to-day lives.

Diabetes can make it hard for students to do schoolwork. “If my blood sugar gets too high or too low, it affects my ability to concentrate and sometimes even stay awake,” said an anonymous student with type two diabetes.

Students living with diabetes have their good days as well as bad, and we can be supportive through all of them. Get informed, and know the truth about the disease.

Election Day 2016: take measures to be informed

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Election Day is coming up fast and many Oregon voters have already been and will continue to receive their ballots in the mail. The key to voting for both first-time and experienced voters is taking time to read the Voter’s Pamphlet and do some additional research in order to make informed decisions on your ballot.

Measure 95 is one of those decisions that could potentially have an impact on students, therefore it would be beneficial to research all sides before voting on it. As stated in the Oregon Voter’s Pamphlet, Measure 95 is a proposed amendment to the Oregon measure-95-colorConstitution that, “allows investments in equities by public universities,” in order to try to reduce financial risk and increase investments to benefit students. The measure would allow all seven of Oregon’s public universities, Western Oregon University included, to invest in stocks which is currently prohibited by the Oregon Constitution. Summarized on oregonvotes.gov, the measure itself would place zero financial requirements on the state or local government; it would be the responsibility of each individual university to invest or not as they see fit.

According to Michael Shill, Edward Ray and Tom Insko, Presidents of University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Eastern Oregon University, the goal of the measure is to, “create more opportunities for middle-class Oregonians to access a college education,” by using investments to minimize tuition increases and reducing the amount of student debt. Currently there are no officially stated oppositions to Measure 95, but there have been reports of concern about risky investing and whether or not tuition costs would actually be lowered.
It is important that you do your research and make your own decision when it comes to voting on any issue. Make sure to find reputable resources and look at all sides before sending out your ballot this week.

ASWOU on Campus

By: TK Layman,
Staff Writer

When you think student engagement on Western Oregon’s campus, The Associated Students of Western Oregon University should be a name that comes to mind. On campus, ASWOU plays a major role in creating new and exciting opportunities for students to not only get involved in campus life, but to also be a part of the school’s decision making process. Multitudes of positions can range from volunteering in committees, interning with the executive cabinet, or becoming an elected official on campus.

Western Oregon’s ASWOU organization is the student government organization on campus that headways changes for students. “ASWOU… its mission is to protect and advance the interest of the students of the university,” Student Body President Alma Pacheco said in an interview. “(To) represent students of WOU in the affirmation and application of institutional policies that are both affecting academic and student affairs.” On campus their main mission is to create awareness of any policy changes that may affect its student body, as well as be a communication tool to raise student awareness. “Not only are we representing them, but we are educating and communicating to them,” Alma said. “We’re supposed to (tell them) what is happening on campus, what policies are going to affect them, and changes that might happen.”

Students play a vital role in creating change around campus by becoming involved with ASWOU and its many committees. Students are able to become a part of a key organization that brings a new perspective for their generation. There are a few ways a student can get involved, and the first step is to elect their student body officials, such as the Student Body President, Vice President, President of the Senate and Judicial Administrator. Students are also able to become a part of ASWOU through internships, committees, and being a part of the executive board. As for applying to these jobs, Alma offered that, “The vice president recently finished an application for students on OrgSync and we’re going to start off by marketing by next week.”

Being involved on campus doesn’t have to be as time consuming as working in the ASWOU offices, as there are many events and activities for students to be engaged and network with their fellow classmates. ASWOU recently finished their “Vote or Vote” drive, a campaign run by students to help register students to vote. The campaign was incredibly successful by surpassing their goal of 300 students registered by over 500; they ended their campaign with a total of 859 total students registered.

Clubs and Organizations are a great way to get involved. “Coming up we are having a club fair next term. And continuing on letting folks know that these organizations are student led and student run are important for them to be involved because college, one, is already hard,” Alma said, “and being involved not only helps individuals grow but helps them have an opportunity to enjoy their student life.”

Upcoming student activities being put forth by ASWOU are events such as World Kindness Day on Nov. 14, Burgerville day running Nov. 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The longest term activity being planned is the Spring Term Cooking Contest, being a cooking competition on campus to get people from around campus to come and compete cutthroat-kitchen style by paying someone in the food pantry to remove cooking supplies from the contestants.

To keep students engaged and involved on campus Alma stated, “This is an institution run and paid for by students, and folks don’t know the importance of being involved. It’s time consuming … but it’s not only an opportunity to enjoy their time but grow as an individual and find out the importance of finding their own voice. I’m bringing this from a perspective of a Latina woman who is also a DACA student and never in my life I thought I would have an opportunity to represent such a huge campus, so if I can do it, and I can be involved, I think this opportunity really helps them grow as an individual.”

To find more information on ASWOU students can check OrgSync through your Portal!

Western promotes diversity

By: TK Layman
Freelancer

Western Oregon University has been making several advances in promoting ethnic, religious and cultural diversity among its students. The university has taken steps to allow students from all backgrounds to feel welcome during their time attending Western.

The 2015 statistics from the Associate Provost of the university, Dave McDonald, show that out of 4,808 undergraduate students within the university, 33.8 percent were non-white students. Relatedly, among returning admissions from 2014 to 2015, the university reported their re-enrollment rates averaging 66.7 percent from non-white students.

Making resources available to the students is a mission that the university takes seriously. They do this by offering several clubs, organizations and services to students of different backgrounds.

The Multicultural Student Union is an organization run by the Multicultural Student Services Program, that offers many different events around campus to promote diversity and the education of our students across campus. Meeting Wednesday nights at 6:00 p.m. in the Werner University Center Columbia Room, students can attend meetings to learn about upcoming events and learn about cultural awareness within our community.

Diversity awareness often times include awareness of different sexual orientations and gender identities. Western offers resources for students within the LGBTQ spectrum in the school’s Stonewall Center. The Stonewall Center coordinates trainings, such as ally and safe space training, for anyone looking to volunteer within the center and learn more about the LGBTQ community. Along with the Stonewall Center is the club, Triangle Alliance, who run many different events on campus and meet with students on Wednesday Nights at 4:00 p.m. in the Health & Wellness Center in room 301 to talk about resources for students and events that may be happening around campus.

Of the resources available to students, many of them have student volunteers and advocates who can also help direct someone to the correct area for which they are following. A large step has been made for student diversity and inclusion, and with the help of online organizations it can make a large difference to everyone attending.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

College students are hungrier than you think

By: Sadie Verville
Freelancer

A recent report put out by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, Student Government Resource Center, Student Public Interest Research Groups, College and University food-pantry-outside-colorFood Bank Alliance and Hunger on Campus, revealed that as many as 48 percent of college students admitted to having food insecurity. At Western, a study done in 2014 showed this number to be as high as 59 percent. In response to this, the Western food pantry has been hard at work to help students with these insecurities. More students than ever have been accessing the pantry.

“We’re grateful that people are coming in and accessing the food here,” said Rebecca Hardgrave, director of the food pantry. “But it also means that there are more people who are food-insecure than we really know.”

Food insecurity is defined by the USDA Economic Research Service as a situation where, “the food intake of household members is reduced and their normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food”. This could be anything from a student wondering if they’ll have enough food for the week to a skipped breakfast or lack of access to nutritious food.

The Western food pantry works hard to maintain consistent hours for students to have access to resources. Right now, they try to keep a weekday eight to five schedule, but they would like to open up their hours during nights and weekends as well. In order to do this, however, they will need more volunteers.

“We always need people who are willing to donate their time,” said Hardgrave. More volunteers would also allow for a Campus Kitchen, a place where food from dining services could be re-served to students in need.

If you’re a student looking for ways to help, direct volunteering and help at fundraisers for the food pantry is one option. But even just small food donations in the drop locations, like the one in front of the food pantry, help.

“If you are looking for ways to give back or to serve your community, keep us in mind. We always need volunteers, and we always appreciate any help we can get,” said Hardgrave.

If you are a student in need, the pantry is located in the Academic Programs and Support Center on the second floor. Don’t feel afraid to visit; you are not alone. Everything is completely confidential. Volunteers can also arrange to deliver food to students who are too busy or too hesitant to go to the pantry. Hardgrave wants you to remember:
“There’s nothing wrong with coming into the food pantry.”

Contact the author at sverville15@wou.edu

Take care, become breast cancer aware

By: Jade Rayner
Freelancer

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, while you may not feel that you are at risk, now is the time to become familiar with the second most common cancer among women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40,000 women and 400 men in the U.S. each year lose their lives

Spike Mendelsohn, chef, takes photos in front of the U.S. Capitol. CARE speakers, staff, board members and attendees of the 2014 CARE National Conference & International Women's Day Celebration take pictures in front of the U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2014.
Spike Mendelsohn, chef, takes photos in front of the U.S. Capitol. CARE speakers, staff, board members and attendees of the 2014 CARE National Conference & International Women’s Day Celebration take pictures in front of the U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2014.

to breast cancer. The numbers seem haunting but don’t let that stop you from taking action. There are many ways that you can make a difference and join the fight against breast cancer.

Be familiar with your own body; knowing the right time to get screened is essential to early detection of cancer. The CDC reports that women 50 to 74 years old should be getting a mammogram every two years. Prior to 50 years old, women may discuss the risks and benefits of getting screened with a doctor. To get screened locally, you can visit Samaritan Corvallis Mammography, Mission Medical Imaging in Dallas, Salem Hospital Women’s Imaging and the Western Student Health and Counseling Center. A complete list, including contact information, can be found on the FDA website.

Donating is another great way to assist in the fight against breast cancer but be wary of donating to organizations without doing your research first. As stated by Consumer Reports, both Give.org and Charity Navigator are reliable online resources that you can use to see the what percentage of donations received goes to people in need, as well as the programs provided and the mission of any charity of your choice.

The Breast Cancer Research foundation has been reported to use 91 percent of donations collected for research into finding a cure and new ways of preventing the cancer. The Rose is a foundation that has been reported to put 85 percent of donations into programs that assist women with minimal or no insurance to get access to cancer screenings and treatment.

Contact the author at jrayner14@wou.edu

Don’t freak out: ShakeOut

 

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

shakeout-colororegon-govOn Thursday, Oct. 20 at 10:20 a.m. Western will be one of the many locations around the world participating in the Great ShakeOut. The Great ShakeOut is an international earthquake preparedness drill. The drill emphasizes the three basic steps in earthquake safety: drop, cover and hold on.

Interested in participating? An email sent out by Campus Public Safety informed students about how they can do their part in the drill, “You will receive a WOUAlert if you are signed up for the service … When you receive the alert, we would like for you to immediately ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ for the next few minutes. Then, we would like you to exit the building a go to a pre-determined meeting place. Building Managers will be able to fill you in on the evacuations plans for a building,” said Rebecca Chiles.

According to the Oregon Department of Geology and and Mineral Industries, earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest can create a significant amount of damage, even without being high-magnitude. With the Cascadia subduction zone 216 years overdue for an earthquake, it’s important to be prepared.

You can find out more about the Great ShakeOut by visiting shakeout.org.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Monmouth City Council 2016

By:TK Layman
Freelancer

Nov. 8, 2016 is election day in the U.S. In the current election cycle within the City of Monmouth, there are four seats for city council opening up, and nine candidates with their name in for thedarin-silbernagel-colorci-monmouth-or-us running. Steve Milligan, a current city councilor, has his name in for sole candidate of Mayor, with incumbent John Oberst not running for reelection.

Monmouth’s city council has six total seats, five are being filled by prior councilmen and one is vacant. Three seats are up for election, along with the one vacant. Incumbents Jesse Shafer and Darin Silbernagel’s terms are set to expire with this election, and Silbernagel is the only councilman running for reelection. Steve Milligan’s seat will become open for election with his candidacy for mayor.

Out of the nine candidates with their name in for election this steve-milligan-colorci-monmouth-or-uscycle, two candidates, Mark Lane and Darin Silbernagel, returned answers regarding local policies along with mayoral candidate Steve Milligan. Thomas Steinke, a city council candidate, did not return for comment.

When asked about creating a connection between the cities of Monmouth and Independence, along with Western to bring community engagement and involvement, all three spoke about the group “Monmouth Engaged,” which was instituted in late 2015.

“Of these, the Monmouth Engaged University/Community Connections Committee, looks at new ways for the communities to work together to create a college town environment,” said Mark Lane, city council candidate, regarding the departments involved in creating connections between the city and university. He also stated that he, “would offer strong support to the committees so improvements are made.”

Student involvement within the city is a particularly important process, being able to get students connected with the correct resources to make their voice heard within the community they are living in. Being able to integrate within the community is necessary to create a balance between the city and university.

“Students help make Monmouth a vibrant community” said Darin Silbernagel. In terms of getting involved within the city he offered, “The Monmouth Engaged committees are a great place to get involved. Students are also involved at the city level both as interns and at the Senior Center as two examples.” A great place to start with building community engagement between the city and university is to start at the source.

“One of the pieces that we implemented not too long ago was the Monmouth Engaged, so we have some committees that are working, that are looking at … they’re looking the city and university connections.” said mayoral candidate Steve Milligan, in a one-on-one interview.

Stressing the importance to vote is not enough and encouragement is sometimes necessary.

When asked if there was anything the candidates could say to encourage voters to get out and cast their vote this election, Mark Lane offered the statistics that, “Fewer than 20 percentage … of students voted in the last general election, and I’m sure a smaller number participated in local elections, where a strong student voice in cities like Monmouth can make all the difference.”

The last day to mail ballots in Oregon is Oct. 25, with election day Nov. 8, 2016.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

New contract provokes Portland protests

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, the Portland City Council announced that they had approved a new contract with the Portland Police Department. The contract was approved in a 3-1 vote. This decision led to a protest breaking out in front of City Hall, which resulted in Police officers pepper-spraying and arresting protesters. Don’t Shoot Portland held another protest on Friday, Oct. 14.

Police body cameras have been increasing in usage due to the growing amounts of police brutality being reported. The recent contract approval is viewed by some as problematic because it, “follows a controversial tentative contract agreement that referenced giving officers the right to review body camera footage before writing incident reports in all cases except fatal shootings … The contract that passed did not include the body camera provisions, which are being separately negotiated with police and would be open to public input next year,” reported an article in the Los Angeles Times.

The protest held outside of City Hall on Oct. 12 resulted in the arrest of 10 protesters and the promise that there would be another protest later in the week. The subsequent demonstration on Oct. 14 was held as a way of protesting the police brutality that occurred at the Oct. 12 protest.

“This could set incredibly dangerous precedent as the Mayor attempts to lock out the community in order to fast track through a corrupt contract. We as a community can not let this continue,” reads the Don’t Shoot Portland Facebook page.

The event involved protesters marching towards Oregon 99E and blocking the road, eventually moving on to protest and camp out in front of Portland Mayor Charlie Hales’s house. Protesters are seeking the resignation of Hale.

“Since he didn’t want us at City Hall, we took it to his house,” said protest organizer Gregory McKelvey in an interview with The Oregonian. “If we can’t be comfortable you can’t be comfortable.”

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Contraception and controversy

By: TK Layman
Freelancer

The Planned Parenthood website states that in 1916 Margaret Sanger defied societal expectations by opening a clinic offering contraceptive services to women. In Brooklyn, New York, before women had voting rights, before the ability open their own bank account, a revolutionary idea was started that would be challenged throughout history. Among the first of women’s rights activists to publicly push for change, Sanger started a clinic offering reproductive health and contraceptive services for women.

100 years later, Planned Parenthood now offers many services for both women and men, ranging from contraceptives and sexual and reproductive health services, to hormone therapy.

Planned Parenthood has been the subject of public outcry since its inception in 1916, as well as being in the news in recent years. Protest groups and religiously affiliated groups have pushed for years against the organizations because of public opinion regarding abortion services, funding, and other accusations.

In August of 2016, Huffington Post also reported that Ohio Gov. John Kasich had signed a bill into law, February of that year, defunding the state’s 28 medical centers. The bill would have removed 1.3 million dollars from the organization. US District Judge, Michael Barrett, stated “irreparable injury” would come to the clinics and the community they serve. Barrett also stated that the law was unconstitutional and the law was eventually overturned in May of 2016.

Funding has been a major issue in the fight for Planned Parenthood. In September 2016, the government passed a short-term spending budget that had originally involved restrictions in funding Planned Parenthood, according to the New York Times.

In the face of public disparaging, they have managed to overcome many accusations. Contrary to popular belief, Planned Parenthood reports on their website that only three percent of their patients receive abortion services. Over 80 percent of services revolve around pregnancy prevention and contraceptive services. Planned Parenthood, on average, assists families in preventing approximately 579,000 unintended pregnancies a year.

Other services offered at the 650 clinics throughout the United States include STD/I testing, men’s and women’s sexual health, OB/GYN services, Pap tests, mammograms and LGBTQ+ services. Oregon has 12 locations, the closest to Western being in Salem and Portland. Both locations offer STD/I testing, HIV screening, pregnancy services, as well as men and women’s sexual health. The northeast Portland location additionally offers hormone services for transgender patients.

Throughout history, Planned Parenthood has been challenged as an organization. By offering many locations throughout the United States, as well as reduced costs for low income clients, Planned Parenthood continues to be a driving force in providing care for all.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

#Vote2016

By: Stephanie Blair
Editor-in-Chief

screen-shot-2016-10-08-at-9-28-34-amAfter the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, the internet has exploded with various voter registration campaigns for National Voter Registration day. A company, called HelloVote, has created a chatbot service that allows people to register to vote through text message.
On YouTube, “Register to Vote in 1:34” videos were created by the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Conan O’Brien so the VoteIRL campaign could show how quick and easy registering is (an average time of one minute and 34 seconds, hence the titles). While on Twitter, hashtags such as #LoseYourVCard and #VoteHoney were smattered across dashboards to promote other campaigns, but all with the same message; 18-34 year-olds are being called to vote.
According to the US Census Bureau, over the last three presidential elections 18-34 year-olds have only made up an average 23.7 percent of the voting population while 45-64 year-olds have consistently been the largest voting demographic with an average of 38.5 percent.
The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 18. To register to vote, visit vote.gov and have your driver’s license or identification card ready.

 

Your food may be getting cheaper

By: Brian Tesch
Advertising Manager

Here’s some good news for consumers, the USDA’s Economic Research Service report marks August as the ninth consecutive month of food deflation. The total 9 month decrease in food prices averaging -6 percent overall. With August being the largest decline, a whopping -1.8 percent, this food deflation anomaly does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. What is causing such an unprecedented event? And why should we care?

Looking into the past, food deflation has been fairly market reliant. More specifically, it’s generally caused by some sort of recession. In 2009, grocery stores ran more sales in the months following, resulting in a form of food deflation. This isn’t a mystery. There were financial hardships and consumers were buying less food. You can probably guess that the biggest food deflation in U.S. history was during the great depression. Again, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

Considering the past, the current deflation should be puzzling. While the answer is probably more complex than we can speculate, current deflation is most likely being caused by low oil prices. With low oil prices, transporting food just got cheaper, therefore stores are able to charge less. This makes this food deflation another benefit for the U.S. economy brought to you by cheap oil.

That’s good news for college students because it’s going to be easier to find good deals at your local supermarket. But be careful, this food deflation is not benefiting everyone…

Food deflation, due to transportation costs, is actually becoming a huge problem for smaller grocery stores and food chains. Stores like Walmart that rely on transportation to move most of their food across their vast and complex distribution networks are now at a huge advantage. With the cost of transportation plummeting, stores like Walmart are able to charge less and less for their food and outsource more strategically across the country. While this is causing the national food deflation, the source of the downward pressure on pricing is not shared equally among grocery stores. This is a big problem because there is a huge difference between lowering your prices because you can, and lowering your prices because you have to.

This market environment is creating huge headaches for local mom and pop stores competing in towns with larger retailers. Even large billion-dollar retail companies such as Kroger, Whole Foods and Sprouts are starting to see their margins decrease and their stock plummet due to this change in market environment. Meanwhile, giant retailers such as Walmart and Aldi are taking over with the help of discount oil. Even Lidl, a German supermarket giant, has started to build three massive distribution plants on the east coast with the plan of opening its first U.S. stores in 2018. Amazon, being Amazon, has started AmazonFresh and is now delivering fresh groceries to your door if you live in a large city; and no, you cannot get your scup and veggies delivered via drone.

What does this mean? The longer food prices continue to decrease, the harder it will be in the future for a large local grocery store to compete with the new corporate market.

Contact the author at btesch14@wou.edu

Exploring the final frontier

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

In 2024, just 55 years after the moon landing, we could be setting foot on Mars. Despite it being a mere eight years into the future, Elon Musk, CEO of aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, is convinced that he will be able to send a rocket full of passengers to Mars.

Traveling to Mars wouldn’t be an easy feat; the process would involve creating a vessel that is reusable, while also developing a way for the vessel to refuel while in orbit.

On Sept. 27, Musk spoke at the 67th International Astronautical Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico about his long-term plans for eventually colonizing the fourth closest planet to the sun.

In a video of his speech released by Bloomberg.com, Musk spoke about the logistics of how often we would be able to send new people to Mars, “The Earth-Mars rendezvous only occurs roughly every 26 months”.

If we can only send rockets to Mars every two years, how long would it take to fully colonize the planet? “If we say the minimum threshold for a self sustaining city on Mars…would be 1,000,000 people… and you can only go every two years. If you have 100 people per ship, that’s 10,000 trips…From the point at which the first ship goes to Mars, it’s probably within 20 to 50 Mars rendezvous. It’s probably somewhere between 40 to 100 years to achieve a fully self-sustaining civilization on Mars”, Musk said in his speech.

The idea of going to Mars could soon be a reality, but achieving self-sustaining life on Mars will still be a long-term work in progress.

Despite how alluring the concept of colonizing a new planet is, SpaceX, as well as other privatized companies that are looking into creating spaceships, is hitting a major roadblock when it comes to making their plans a reality: proper funding. Receiving sufficient funding for space exploration has plagued both public and private space exploration organizations for years. According to Musk, part of curbing the funding issue is to try and find a way to allow for more than 100 people to be sent in a single rocketship. By finding a way to allow more passengers, he hopes to eventually decrease the amount that one has to pay to be sent to Mars from $10 billion, to a mere $200,000.

Though SpaceX’s plans put them at the forefront of innovative space technology, they would not have made such significant strides without the work done by public aeronautical agencies, such as NASA, who have provided contracts and funding to SpaceX.

NASA’s continuous efforts to further space exploration take form in the information gathered by Spirit and Opportunity, the two Mars rovers that were sent to explore the planet. The two rovers have provided information that has been integral in deciding if Mars would be a habitable planet; the Mars rovers have discovered water, as well as gathered information regarding the atmospheric make-up of the planet.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu.

Didn’t Watch the Olympics? No Problem!

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

 

If you didn’t have time to watch the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, we’ve got you covered.

So, just how many medals did team USA win this year? NBC News reported: 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze medals, for a total of 121 medals. American swimmers won a total 33 of those medals, our track and field athletes won 32 and our gymnasts won 12.

The USA won a few medals in every other sport, but the majority of medals were in these events. Team USA has always done well in the Olympics, buscreen-shot-2016-09-28-at-7-11-51-pmt this year we had a few record breaking wins in the mix. The amazing Simone Biles from the women’s gymnastics team, a member of, “The Final Five,” was the first gymnast ever to win four gold medals. She placed first in vault, team all-around, floor exercise and individual all-around. Biles even has a move named after her, aptly named, “The Biles,” because she was the first to successfully execute it in competition. Biles is currently the only gymnast in the world able to do this.

Simone Manuel of the women’s swimming team was the first African-American women to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event. Katie Ledecky (also of the women’s swimming team), beat four world records, two of which were her own from the previous Olympic Games.

Overall, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games was a good year for team USA.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Obama implements new FAFSA changes

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

Last year, President Barack Obama announced that there would be changes made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. According to the FAFSA website, there are two changes that students should be aware of.

Starting this year, the FAFSA will be available to fill out starting Oct. 1. However, the completion deadline of June 30 has remained the same.

In addition to the new opening date, President Obama has announced that students and families will report earlier income information. In the past, students have been required to report their tax information for the current school year as a part of the FAFSA application process. Starting this year, students will report their tax information from the previous year.This means that for the 2017-18 FAFSA application, applicants use their tax information from 2015.

According to the FAFSA website, these changes have been implemented so that “more students and families will be able to complete their FAFSA using income information imported electronically from the IRS […] rather than submitting applications with income estimates that may need correcting, or […] waiting until the previous year’s tax return has been filed.”

Western will be hosting FAFSA completion workshops in room 108 of Hamersly Library from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3-6. If you’re interested in attending one of the workshops, bring your FAFSA username and password, as well as your 2015 tax information.

To begin your FAFSA application independently, visit fafsa.ed.gov.

More information about the changes to the FAFSA can be found at studentaid.ed.gov/sa.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Summertime news (or lack thereof)

We at The Western Journal wanted to let you know that we’re out of the office from now until New Student Week begins on September 18. Thank you for your readership and support throughout the last year. If you think that this year was a big one for you, we cannot wait to show you what’s in store for next year. We can’t divulge anything yet, but we’re excited to share it all with you starting in the fall. Until then, have a great summer.

Love,

The Western Journal Staff

Homeward Bound buses people out of town

By: Alvin Wilson
Staff Writer

A new program that was recently approved by the city of Portland is trying to help solve the city’s homeless crisis.

The program’s name is Homeward Bound, and its mission is to provide free bus tickets to homeless who meet the qualifications.

According to the Oregonian, it was approved by Portland in mid-March, and will receive at least $30,000 from the city. The program began, and the first bus tickets were issued, earlier this month. On its first day of operation, 40 people had signed up.

The city of Portland doesn’t want to simply move its homeless problem to another area. KGW reports that the bus tickets only go to individuals who will have somewhere to stay at their destination, and who are prepared to have follow-up meetings with their caseworkers three months after their placement.

Marc Jolin, the initiative director of A Home For Everyone, another organization trying to address homelessness, told KGW this about the program:

“We had homeless people in the community who had other permanent housing options, but didn’t know to ask for the support. They wound up being stuck here for long periods of time, weeks or months.”

According to the program’s advocates, it will only serve to help people who are stuck in an area with no family or support.

However, Portland’s homeless crisis may have in-part been caused by similar programs across the country.

An investigation by KGW in 2013 found that participants in similar programs claimed to have a place to stay in Portland, but they ended up back in the streets.

With Portland’s Homeward Bound program requiring follow-up meetings with caseworkers, the city hopes it won’t have the same results as other programs. If a participant is found homeless during their three-month check-up, the program will help the participant find similar organizations.

You can learn more about Portland’s Homeward Bound program by dialing 2-1-1.

Contact the author at awilson15@wou.edu or on Twitter @awilsonjournal.

Western Oregon University

Facebook  Instagram  YouTube LinkedIn

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Tools

Bookstore
Campus Maps
Canvas
Find People
Portal
Technical Support
WOU Email
Technical Support

Resources

A-Z Index
Accessibility
Academic Calendar
Class Schedule
Net Price Calculator
Jobs at WOU
News
Explore WOU
Partnerships
Student Services
Freedom of Expression
Immigrant Resources

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.

Accessibility    Public Records    Privacy    Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.