Mount Hood

Service Learning and Career Development to host Internship and Volunteer Fair on campus

By AMANDA CLARKE
 Staff Writer

The Service Learning and Career Development Center (SLCD) will be holding their second annual Internship and Volunteer Fair Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Pacific Room of Werner University Center.

Last year, approximately 200 students attended the event. The SLCD is hoping to
see more students attend this year.

There will be at least 40 local businesses at the event, ranging from public, private and non-profit. The attending businesses will be looking mostly for interns and volunteers.

There are opportunities such as Marion County Volunteer Services, Springfield Police Department, Peace Corps, the Bureau of Land Management and more.

“Only in college will people come to you. It’s not going to happen once you graduate,” said Adry Clark, director of the SLCD, who organized and founded the event.

Clark got the idea for the fair after she noticed that there was not a general careers fair on campus like other colleges frequently have, but specific career fairs for certain majors. She said she “felt like the career fair was missing.”

“I think it’s important for students to get internship and volunteer opportunities to develop [their] skills,” Clark said. Both internship and volunteer work allow students to have some opportunities while in school.”

All Western students can come into the SLCD between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays
for drop-in resume advice, ranging from helping students to begin a resume, to
giving helpful editing advice. The SLCD is located in room 119 of the WUC.

“Every Western student has the opportunity to have a great resume,” Clark said.
“It’s really helpful to come prepared to the fair. Do your research. Bring your resume.

Think about what you want to tell businesses about you.” Wolf Link also provides
more information regarding the Internship and Volunteer Fair. Students can find
a complete list of businesses scheduled to attend and some additional information on the companies by going online to Wolf Link (https://wou.edu/student/career/wolflink.php).

There is also a list of upcoming SLCD events on the Wolf Link calendar (http://
wou.edu/student/career/calendar.php). By following the link, students can view locations and times of other career fairs, both on Western’s campus and nearby locations, which any Western student can attend.

There are events through the SLCD that students may have to pay to attend but that
information is available on the listing, and in the regular emails sent to all students from SLCD.

Wolf Link also has information about the Western internship program, which will be discussed in length at the upcoming fair. Currently there are 13 paid internships
in varying locations across campus listed on Wolf Link as well.

Annual food drive returns to Western

By CONNER WILLIAMS
 Freelancer

This month marks the arrival of Western’s annual food drive. The Governor’s State Employees Food Drive is dedicated to former Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh who passed away in July 2014.

Atiyeh founded the Oregon Food Bank in 1982 and devoted much of his time to helping provide food to Oregon’s hungry.

The drive will take place Feb. 2 through Feb. 27. During that time, there will be boxes scattered throughout the campus for non-perishable food contributions.

Examples of accepted donations include canned goods, soups, beans, vegetables, and tuna. Boxed foods, such as pasta and rice, are acceptable as well. Personal hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste also are welcome donations.

According to Debbie Diehm, assistant to the vice president of student affairs, Western has donated the most food out of all Oregon public universities in each of the last ten years.

Last year, the Western community raised 104,575.68 pounds of food, which amounts to 153.11 pounds per student. There will be several other ways to donate outside of giving physical food items.

According to the food drive’s website, employees can make monetary donations by cash, check, credit card or payroll deduction. Employees can also meet the Governor’s Challenge by donating at least $144 annually.

Diehm along with Nora Solvedt and Lisa Catto, who are coordinating the food drive effort for Western, estimate that a $1 donation amounts to about four pounds of food.

The two main beneficiaries of the donated food are the WOU Food Pantry, in the Werner University Center, and the Ella Curran Food Bank in Independence.

Diehm holds a particular passion for the food drive. “This event is great at making sure that the food stays here and benefits the Western community,” she said. “We try to take care of each other as best we can, and I hope we can beat our impressive numbers from last year.”

For more information on the different ways to contribute and for other information, visit www.oregon.gov/fooddrive.

Incidental Fee Committee reaches preliminary decision

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

The Incidental Fees Committee (IFC) met on Jan. 29 to compile a preliminary
budget decision for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.

IFC meets every year to decide on a budget for the money received from students as a part of their tuition. This year’s fees amounted to $322 per term for each student.

While most of the clubs operating budgets remained un-cut, athletics experienced a 5 percent reduction in their overall budget. Most clubs were also granted a few items requested from IFC funds (including athletics).

The current proposed budget, if ratified, will result in fees increasing to $334 per term, a 3.7 percent increase.

As a part of the IFC process, an initial decision is made on the budget so students and faculty alike can get a sense of the committee’s intentions before
attending the open meetings to present a case for continued or additional funding.

The next open meeting will take place Monday, Feb. 9 in the Pacific Room in the Werner University Center at 5:30 p.m.

Individuals who wish to present on behalf of an organization are offered three minutes, and groups are offered five.

IFC Debates Budget Allocation and Student Fees for 2015-2016

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee (IFC) is one of the most important student organizations on campus that many probably don’t know much about. Most students who are not heavily involved in extracurricular
activities or athletics don’t have much of a reason to come into contact with the IFC, but the committee’s decisions affect each and every student on campus.

The group meets during the winter quarter of each academic year to decide on a budget for the incidental fees that are a part of tuition for everyone who attends Western.

As IFC Chair Quinn Forner explained, the fees cover “enhancements for student life that are outside of academics.” In other words, these fees fund the parts of student life that aren’t covered under general tuition such as athletics, campus recreation including Health and Wellness, and student services such as Wolf Ride.

This year’s fee of $322 per term was decided upon last year during a series of annual meetings and debates.

The council meetings are observed by a small group of faculty advisers including Dr. Gary Dukes, vice president of student affairs and Darin Silbernagel, director of business services.

While faculty and staff are present on the council, the only members who can cast a vote and make a decision are current Western students.

This means that student leaders such as members of the Associated Students of Western Oregon and the student senate have the final say in what gets funded, and in turn, how much the incidental
fee for the upcoming year will be.

It may seem that a student-run council would have vastly different opinions about the budget, but to ensure that these meetings stay on track, everyone follows the rules of order used in all official
U.S. congressional proceedings.

Among other things, these rules govern who can talk, when they can talk, and provide a clear structure of command for healthy debate.

In addition, the meetings are required to abide by Oregon state law since they are open to the public
and concern state funds that utilize general public tax dollars.

Even during heated debates, the proceedings are easy to follow and understand.

Each meeting follows the same general procedure: the meeting is called to order by the Chair and
general business of the committee is dealt with. This usually encompasses decisions about future meeting times and agendas for the current meeting. Once these items have been discussed, it’s time to
move onto the budget presentations.

During the initial round of meetings each group on campus that is funded by IFC is allowed to give a
short presentation to the committee concerning their budgetary requirements for the upcoming year.

This usually includes the possible consequences of suffering a budget cut, and any additional money
that they are requesting for their organization.

Most groups are represented by their faculty/staff advisers at these meetings, but students who
are a part of the club are also allowed to speak with the committee to make their case.

After each presentation, the floor is opened to questions from the IFC members and others in attendance. They can ask anything they like concerning the budget, the requests, and the possible effect of any cuts. Usually the questions concern the importance of particular items requested
through additional money since not every item can be granted.

The Journal attended the meeting on Jan. 26, 2015, that saw presentations from Athletics, Student
Access and Disability Services, and Student Media (full discloser, student media funds The Journal).

Student Access presented first asking for enough money to hire an extra full time translator for
students with difficulty communicating.

Athletics asked for more financial support from IFC for traveling teams and keeping Western compliant with NCAA regulations.

Student media focused on funding for replacing old technology within KWOU and The Journal. After the speeches and question sessions were completed the meeting was adjourned.

The session of IFC held on Jan. 26 was the last session where clubs were able to make their arguments,
and now the committee looks to preliminary decisions and then the final vote. However, students
can still make an impact on the final call.

After the meeting, Forner encouraged all students with an interest in the budget to attend the
two open committee hearings.

These sessions will be held on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Summit Room, and Monday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Pacific Room, which are located in the WUC.

Both are open to the public, including students and community members, giving both groups a chance to ask questions and show support for their favorite clubs and activities. Individuals who wish to present are offered 3 minutes, and groups are offered 5.

For more information, visit wou.edu/wp/ifc or contact Adela Aguilar, IFC secretary, at guilara@wou.edu or 503-838-8303. Committee hearings are at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Pacific Room.

Thefts Increase Sharply on Western’s Campus

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

 

The campus community at Western has been experiencing a recent rise in reported thefts.

The Public Safety Office issued a campus-wide email earlier in the week detailing some basic measures that students can take to ensure that they are not the victims of theft. Students should always try to keep belongings on their person at all times; items like backpacks, purses, phones, and gym bags are easy targets when left unattended.

Both students and faculty with assigned offices are encouraged to close and lock the door while not in the office; even stepping out for a minute can be enough time for a potential thief to snatch belongings.

Drivers are asked to make sure that car doors are locked when parking for the day, and always leave any valuables in the trunk or out of site so they are not catching the eyes of a passerby.

One of the biggest issues on campus in recent terms has been the increased theft of bicycles. Public Safety recommends that riders should purchase a U-Lock like a Kryptonite if possible, as these types of locks are much more difficult for thieves to remove. Remember to always lock both the front wheel and the frame to the structure to avoid a thief simply removing the front wheel and taking the frame.

If students must leave belongings somewhere, Public Safety suggests looking into renting a locker. There are many buildings across campus that have lockers available for rent to students. The Health and Wellness Center has both term and day use lockers available for gym goers looking to keep their items safe during workouts. Day use lockers in HWC are secured with personal locks supplied by the student.

The most important tool in theft prevention, however, is common sense.

If students must stand up from a table or leave belongings in a class room momentarily, it is suggested that they ask peers to keep watch. When leaving bags and backpacks at the bookstore entrance, keep as much reasonable eye contact with them as possible, and as always, students are asked to report any
suspicious activity to Campus Safety or the Police

Sexual misconduct survey aims to gauge campus social environment

By JACK ARMSTRONG
 News Editor

This coming Monday, Feb. 2, a randomly selected group of Western Oregon’s students will be surveyed via email concerning sexual misconduct on campus.

The survey is being conducted by the student affairs office at Western as a part of a school and nationwide effort to increase overall awareness and reporting of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses.

Student affairs representative Tina Fuchs hopes that the survey will give the university a better picture of the campus climate in regards to sexual safety of students. The information gathered by the survey is also intended to help local law enforcement and campus public safety protect students from being victim of sexual crimes.

According to the student handbook, sexual misconduct is defined as “non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, the attempt to have non-consensual sexual contact or the threat of such contact. Sexual contact shall be considered non-consensual if no clear consent is freely given.”

Western’s campus is experiencing a rise in reports of sexual misconduct, but Fuchs says that much of this escalation is not directly tied to more crimes occurring on campus. Much of the increase is due to the new systems on campus for reporting the crimes.

Anonymous Report Forms provided by programs such as Abby’s House and Green Dot in combination with extended awareness of mental health services available at the Student Health and Counseling Center
have all lead to more incidents being reported.

The survey is limited to a random selection of students, but Fuchs said students are already
inundated with email surveys from other groups on campus.

Students who do not receive the survey but have experienced sexual violence or intimidation of any kind are strongly encouraged to seek university support in reporting the crimes.

Fuchs stressed that Western Oregon is committed to providing a safe learning environment and eradicating sexual misconduct on campus. Every student is a part of the solution.

Pastega Award Nominations Now Open

By STEPHANIE BLAIR
 Staff Writer

Each year, three awards are presented to staff and faculty members of Western Oregon University and this spring will be no different as the 36th year that the Pastega Awards will be presented.

The Pastega Staff Excellence Award is one of the three awards given each year, the other two being the Pastega Award for Excellence in Scholarship and the Pastega Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The entire process is coordinated by Western’s Human Resources Department. Nominations are given by students and community members. Then, the potential recipients are then invited to submit a portfolio exemplifying their work and are considered by a committee who pass three choices on to the university president for final selection. Finally, those who are selected are presented with the award in May. The Staff Excellence Award is given at the commencement breakfast in June.

As stated on Western’s Pastega Award webpage, in 1979 the first Scholarship Award was presented to Dr. J. Morris Johnson, a biology professor who had distinguished himself through his work cloning carrot cells.

Six years later, the awards for Teaching and Staff Excellence were created and presented to Forrest Hiner and Pat Gallagher, respectively. Last year’s recipients were Ms. Sue Thompson (Staff Excellence), Dr. David Doellinger (Scholarship), and Dr. Katherine Schmidt (Teaching).

Additionally, each recipient receives a $1,000 honorarium along with the award. This is made possible each year through the generosity of Mario Pastega and his wife, Alma, who donated $40,000 in 1997, which was then matched by the Oregon State System of Higher Education.

Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s awards. An email was sent to all students on Jan.25 with the nomination forms attached. These forms can be filled out and either delivered by hand to the Academic Affairs Office or emailed to Kathy Hill, executive assistant to the vice president for Academic Affairs, at hillk@wou.edu.

For more information, please visit https://wou.edu/president/facultysenate/pastega/

Clubs come together for social issues

By AMANDA CLARKE
 Staff Writer

The Criminal Justice Club and the Black Student Union will be collaborating to host “Discussing Ferguson: Lessons Learned and Underlying Social Issues” on Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center (WUC).

“It represents all minorities,” said Dolan Kasnick, a member of the Criminal Justice Club who organized the event. “It is an uncomfortable issue; it is ugly, but it is time to have a reasonable conversation about it. But if we ignore this, who knows if we’ll see it again.”

Guest speakers include a representative from the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership, a police officer to talk about current events, a professor who was an officer during the Rodney King riots, and Dr. Dean Braa, from the Sociology department. They will be discussants at a roundtable format.

“I have some background on issues of race and ethnicity, specifically some thoughts and/or theories on racism,” Braa said. “One key issue is the history/evolution of predominantly Black communities as part of metropolitan areas”

The event will talk about historically similar events such as the Rodney King riots, and will speak about what can be learned from the past as well as what steps can be taken now.

It will cover various issues that caused the events that the United States is currently experiencing, such as Ferguson and other riots.

“Lots of questions, but not so many answers,” Braa said. “How is it that Ferguson evolved into a mostly Black suburb? Is residential segregation part of the problem in race relations? Why has the predominant Black population of Ferguson not taken control of city government? Will this happen in the future? How do
we connect issues of race and class in understanding problems in communities like Ferguson?”

The purpose of the event is to hopefully reach a conclusion and learn from the past events in American History.

There will be a table in WUC Thursday and Friday as well as Monday and Tuesday regarding the event.

The event is free and open to all students, faculty and guests.

For more information,
contact Dolan Kasnick at
dkasnick11@wou.edu

Monmouth Momiji open for business

By KATRINA PENAFLOR
 Campus Life Editor

The much anticipated sushi restaurant, Momiji, finally opened its doors last Friday, Jan. 16.

Momiji already holds a popular location in Salem, but the new restaurant, located on the corner of West Main Street and Monmouth Avenue, is the ideal spot for students.

“You don’t have to drive far,” said Shauna Fansler, an education major.

Much of the buzz amongst students can be credited to Momiji’s active presence on Facebook and Instagram.

Jeff Berneski, the manager of Momiji, has been the force behind the strong social media presence. He actively posts photos of sushi dishes and video updates about the restaurant and credits a lot of the anticipation to the timing and content of the posts.

“You have to know when to post,” he said, “[and] what will grab people’s attention.”

And the “people’s attention” has definitely been grabbed, with lines forming out the door. The overall consensus: the food and atmosphere are a hit.

“Best decision Monmouth ever made,” said Jessica Esparza, an English and psychology major.

Students trying Momiji for the first time said the service is fast, friendly, and efficient. And if fortunate enough to be seated at the bar, you can watch the sushi be made right in front of you.

“As a junior, I’ve waited three years for a sushi restaurant to open in Monmouth,” said Janessa Rook, a communication studies major. “I could not be happier.”

The menu suits a large variety of tastes, with options for fresh sushi rolls, tempura dishes, bento boxes, crepes and more.

Students who have never had sushi, or are perhaps hesitant, are encouraged to come in and give it a try. Berneski is confident he can form a roll to suit someone’s individual tastes, and the menu is diverse enough to have something for everyone.

Lunch specials are also available, with combo choices of select rolls, salad and soup for $8.95.

Aside from the regular sit-down dining experience, customers will also be able to call ahead and order meals to go: a convenience that is always helpful for students.

Jeff says the restaurant is excited to show students and the community their great food and service.

“Come in and be ready to have some of the best sushi you have ever tasted,” Berneski said.

For restaurant hours and more information head to over Momiji’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Momijimonmouth, check out their Instagram @momijimonmouth, or call 503- 837-0111.

ASWOU presents “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

By KATRINA PENAFLOR
 Campus Life Editor

The Associated Students of Western Oregon University organized a performance of the cult hit “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6p.m.

The movie adaption centers on the couple Janet Weiss and Brad Major, famously played by actors Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. The two stumble upon the mysterious mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and are immediately thrust into a world of transvestites, human creations, and of course, music.

Fans of the live performance know the production to be a wild and interactive good time. Full of music, dancing, sexual innuendos, and the tradition of throwing things at the stage. Prop bags were available to buy for $2 each. They were filled with cards, glow sticks, and more to throw and wear during the show.

Tony Young, the emcee for the evening and actor of the character Dr. Scott, got the crowd riled up and ready for the show. He welcomed all Rocky Horror “virgins” to come forward and participate in several saucy and hilarious activities. From a duel ended Slim Jim eating contest to “how many sex positions can you reenact in 30 seconds,” the emcee made sure all new-comers were laughing, comfortable, and ready for the show to begin.

Tony even facilitated a faux wedding between audience members Janessa Rook and Felice Lilly.

The performers were a group called The Denton Delinquents from the Kiggins Theatre in Vancouver, Wash. They donned classic Rocky Horror costumes and acted simultaneously with the movie playing in the background.

The audience was included throughout the whole performance. Actors, while singing and dancing along to the movie, would sing and connect with audience members while performing.

“It’s really interactive,” said early education major, Tianna Flannery.

Playing cards and glow sticks were among some of the items thrown and used during the performance, all playing along with the tradition of the show. People also donned newspapers on their heads during the rain scene of the film. The emcee encouraged people to shout “slut” and “asshole” when the characters named

Janet Weiss and Brad Major were mentioned.

During the famous Time Warp song, the crowd all stood up and danced along with the performers.

The show was outrageous and fun. Die hard Rocky Horror fans were impressed and first time viewers enjoyed the lively show. ASL interpreting major, Gabriela Guzman, said the show was, “very enjoyable, unless you are conservative.”

Lilly, a public relations and graphic design major, loved having the opportunity to attend Rocky Horror on campus.

“I think it’s really great to have a student organization who can bring a show like this to the university,” Lilly said.

Facebook-like program brings campus together

By ALLISON OPSON-
CLEMENT
News Editor
Beginning this term, students have access to OrgSync, a system coordinating clubs and organizations on campus, including a comprehensive calendar.

According to Kara Kelsey, ASWOU’s director of clubs and organizations, the goal is to get everything centralized.

“Its value is providing student leaders and student organization members with a new more interactive way to communicate with members and other student leaders through a one-stop platform,” said Ekpeju E-Nunu of Student Leadership and Activities (SLA).

All the information is in one place, including an events calendar. Events can be approved through the system, without the organizers needing to run around to different offices any more.

“We really want people to get into this, but we realize that technology can be confusing,” said Caitlin Bracken, ASWOU’s director of public relations. If students need help, they can ask ASWOU, or the Office of Student Leadership and Activities.

“Any time your implement a new system, there’s going to be growing pains,” said Megan Habermann, assistant director for SLA but added, “Students are already utilizing OrgSync in a lot of ways.”

The more they use it, she said, the more they’ll get used to it, and come to love it.

According to E-Nunu, the system works by letting each student organization create their own individualized portal to communicate with members, talk with smaller committees, set tasks for these groups, and even work on smaller projects. OrgSync also enables students to create a way to publicize their events to a campus wide calendar and also advertise their social media sites.

“It’s like a bigger, better, all-encompassing Facebook, if it was only for Western,” explained Bracken. “We want it to be a one-stop-shop where you can instantly find something.”

Bracken said that OrgSync is the way to make everything really easy and streamlined for students. She considers the program to be pretty user-friendly.

“It’s only going to be great if we can get people to use it,” Bracken said. “Our hope is that, if we put everything on OrgSync, then students will go there.”

There are polls and news feeds, as well as a place to ask questions, and forums for discussion. Plus Team applications are already available on OrgSync.

“It’s good advertising too,” Kelsey said. Students can look at clubs on campus, and request to join them. According to Bracken, because everyone uses posters, students may develop poster blindness.

Bracken said that her ultimate vision is to make OrgSync a place that is everyone’s first thought of where to go to learn more about things on campus. She added that they want feedback, and to hear people’s opinions, because then they can make changes and keep improving the OrgSync system.

According to Habermann, the process of acquiring the program began last year. Together, ASWOU and SLA asked the IFC committee for the total cost, about $26,000, she said, for three years’ use of OrgSync.

That cost will need to be paid again to continue usage, but ASWOU and SLA have started factoring that cost into their budgets, so they won’t be asking for that full amount from IFC every three years.

Habermann stressed that setting up a profile to get started literally takes two minutes, and it’s an easy first step to take to getting more connected to campus. OrgSync can be found in students’ Portals.

“The more people that use OrgSync, the better and better it will get,” said Bracken. “It’s such a good investment for our students.”

‘Perfect storm’ incapacitates campus computer network

By ALLISON OPSON-CLEMENT
News Editor

 

Western’s network was down from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, because of a router overload due to increased traffic, partly because of an external hacking attempt; the campus system was restored by University Computing Services (UCS) workers, and diagnostics are ongoing.

“There’s a whole bunch of ‘don’t know’ right now,” Bill Kernan, director of University Computing Services, said, adding that he and UCS are taking a forensic look into what happened.

The focus was on getting Western’s computers going again. Kernan said his entire team worked continuously, not stopping for lunch at all, and stayed clear until the end: many left only at 9 p.m. that night, after almost twelve hours of non-stop work.

The network interruption was noted at 9:30 a.m., and Kernan and his team were contacted.

They spent the next hour troubleshooting.

“The typical issues weren’t there,” Kernan said.

He started calling in help from off-site backup. By the end, UCS was on the phone with, off and on, up to three engineers simultaneously, all coordinating and working on the problem.

“I got as many resources thrown at it as I could,” Kernan said.

He called what happened a “perfect storm.” Two things happened nearly simultaneously, but either one alone could have been sufficient to bring down the network, because both resulted in traffic flow beyond what the main router on campus has had to deal with before.

He said it was like two fire hoses of information: the streams were too strong, even alone, but together, it was tremendous.

Increased usage overwhelmed the router. In addition to the increase of normal traffic, it also had net flow logs which were running. These help in diagnostics for determining the types and amounts of usage when that can help UCS.

“It’s not like we did something new recently,” he said. “Net flow shouldn’t have done this to us.” The whole network had been stable up until this incident, but in this case, the net flow logs happened to be the tipping point on the scales.

The other thing that happened was that the main host server for the campus system experienced an attack from external sources. The hackers’ IP addresses were traced back to computers in China.

“They used the server as a launching pad for an attack against the network,” Kernan said. The attacks took the router down via the compromised host server. He called this a malicious compromise of the system, a directed denial of service attack.

No data was compromised, Kernan said. Only the one server was affected, and it is currently out commission.

Kernan said they made the choice to get campus back up and running. The system was restored to operation by temporarily taking it out from behind the protective firewall. This was done with fewer than half of the most important of the 22 campus networks, and only between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Without the fire wall, there was less stress on the router, and service resumed. During the time the fire wall was down, UCS decided that it was necessary to temporarily function without the net flow logs, and removed those to keep the system operational.

At 8 p.m. the system was returned behind the firewall. There were no ill effects of operating without the firewall, Kernan said, partly because it was such a short time frame.

UCS also attempted to reintegrate the compromised server, but within the two minutes that it was on, it was the target of 430,000 attacks. It is currently off the system.

Western’s system is up and running. A forensic investigation is taking place, according to Kernan, but this is only secondary to keeping the campus computer network functioning.

“It was a complicated problem,” Kernan said. He will be posting more details on his blog in the next couple of days as they learn more.

For more information as it becomes available, visit wou.edu/wp/underthehood

Western Oregon staff member performs in “Dr. Dolittle”

BY JENNIFER HALLEY
CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

 

For this weekend only, Salem’s community theatre, Pentacle Theatre, is presenting the musical “Dr. Dolittle,” at Central High School in Independence.

Patrick Moser, interim director of Werner University Center, is one of the performers.

The play is designated as a fundraiser for Pentacle, and according to Moser, all proceeds go to the theatre itself and its future productions.

“Dr. Dolittle” is an extra production by Pentacle and is produced with a limited set. It is based off the books by Hugh Lofting, as well as the Fox movies, starring Eddie Murphy.

The production starts Friday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m., with two performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9. A final matinee will be performed at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10.

Students Share Their Talents through Karaoke

BY AMANDA CLARKE
STAFF WRITER

Open-Mic Night was held in the Willamette Room of the Werner University Center by the Student Activities Board on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.

Members of the audience volunteered and sang karaoke songs.

“It gives students a break and a chance to get their talents out,” said Kara Kelsey, a member of the SAB.

There was a wide variety of music, including Spanish songs, songs by the Beach Boys and “Happy Birthday,” which was performed for one of the audience members.

“I really like to get the audience involved,” SAB Small Programs Coordinator Kevin Alejandrez said, who participated in the karaoke and let the audience pick the song he sang.

Members of Kappa Delta Chi also performed.

The next Open Mic Night will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Veteran Success Center supports ex-military students

BY ALLISON OPSON CLEMENT
NEWS EDITOR

The Veteran Success Center helps college students who’ve served in the military connect to each other and find resources they need.

It offers a space for the variety of presentations and meetings it hosts, as well as a hang-out area.

The center opened its own location in the Werner University Center earlier this year, and is growing as a resource to student veterans.

“There does need to be something out there for student veterans,” said Veterans Coordinator Kyle Rodgers. “College is hard for anybody.”

With the added challenges vets face re-entering academia, it’s important that they have somewhere to turn when they need help, he explained.

A 2012 study by the Colorado Workforce Development Council estimates that 3 percent of student veterans graduate from university; 88 percent drop out within their first year.

Rodgers says that those numbers may not an entirely accurate reflection of current trends, at Western in particular, but noted that such reports can highlight a major problem that needs to be addressed.

“Some of the stuff is pretty minor,” Rodgers said of the challenges student veterans have to deal with. “But then, some of the stuff is pretty serious.”

Cody Knight, veteran liaison, said that the age and experience gap between traditional students fresh out of high school and military veterans can create a huge divide.

The Veteran Success Center helps people navigate their GI Bill benefits gaps and caveats, which may have a significant impact on the ability of a veteran to continue their education.

Student veterans are supposed to have a full ride to college, and yet their drop-out rates are consistently above average, in some cases by a wide margin.

By and large, Rodgers said, the GI Bill is still a big advantage, but negotiating through it takes some work.

“All that stuff kind of compounds,” Rodgers said. The center can help bridge the gap to success. There are hundreds of programs to support veterans, and he can tell them where to look.

Drop in support groups and other meetings are held on Tuesday. Along with Rodgers, two work study students are paid by the VA. All three are veterans.

According to Knight, more people are coming in this term, now that news of the Veteran Success Center on campus is spreading.

Rodgers’ role focuses on the recruitment to and retention of veterans at Western. Students who are connected to campus are more successful academically, and are less likely to leave. Rodgers says he tries to put on at least one program every week or every other week.

One presenter helps with resumes; another helps with financial planning.

“Even though you’re 22, 23, and expected to know all this, you don’t,” Rodgers said.

In addition to helping individual veterans, if many people have the same problem or idea, Rodgers can help them get together and make it actionable.

“We can then bring a collective voice to ASWOU or the administration,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said that it is important to get the Veteran Success Center and the people it supports involved in the community.
They helped with the Toys for Tots drive, and Rodgers said that he is trying to raise more awareness this term; for fall, he said, it was a learning curve figuring out what works to get veterans’ attention.

“We bring our collective knowledge here to help each other,” said Dolan Kasnick, the third member of the center’s team. The center is intended to help get ex-military students better connected to campus, and help them succeed in their time here.

Having the center also helps out the rest of campus, said Rodgers, because it frees up the registrar’s office from veterans’ questions, which helps streamline their process more, and they may be able to provide more assistance.

Veterans should come to the center, first, even before approaching the Registrar’s office.

Western’s Veteran Success Center is also home to an affiliated chapter of the national Student Veterans of America (SVA), which is dedicated to providing help to ex-military members, for graduation and beyond.
This allows the center to offer SVA-exclusive scholarships and additional opportunities to Western’s student veterans. Western’s SVA chapter has about 40 members.

“It’s nice to be able to come in here to talk to other guys who know what you’re talking about,” Knight said.

Kasnick said the goal is to collaborate to help today’s veteran students, and also to enrich the life of future returning military service members at Western.

“It’s that whole thing of not having to go it alone,” Rodgers said. “It’s nice to at least know where resources are.”

The Veteran Success Center is located in room 108 of the WUC.

Rep visit begins opening new sorority Alpha Chi Omega chapter on campus

By Allison Opson Clement
News Editor

Representatives of Alpha Chi Omega national sorority visited Western Monday, Dec. 1 in preparation for opening a chapter on campus by next year.

Jen Patterson, director of collegiate growth for Alpha Chi Omega, and Courtney Schmidt, associate director of collegiate growth, toured campus and conducted focus groups to gather a sense of the campus culture and local community.

“When we come to a campus, we want to learn from the beginning,” Patterson said. “We want to build a chapter that’s a solid part of the community.”

The national brand for Alpha Chi Omega is “Real. Strong. Women.” Founded in 1885, it has over 135 chapters nationwide.

“We partner with the university to build a plan that’s right for each campus,” Schmidt said.

Alpha Chi Omega will work on empowerment of women, social issues and increased education. Members take on philanthropic work, including raising awareness of domestic violence and helping local organizations around each chapter.

Sofia LeVernois, treasurer of Kappa Delta Chi, said that what she took away from the focus groups is the type of sorority that Alpha Chi Omega is: one with strong values that they strive to fulfill.

“We want to inspire them to learn how to be the best they can be,” Patterson said.

Patterson said that Alpha Chi Omega has a very strong, well-rounded experience to offer members. Schmidt added that they work to make Alpha Chi Omega membership exemplary, not mediocre, which includes investing in the highest quality advisors and building a very strong community.

“It’s really exciting to come to a new campus,” said Schmidt, adding that she enjoys learning about the specific culture of each. Schmidt said that she wishes she could have been at Western for the tree lighting, since that was one of the things that students seemed to be excited about.

“Western has a campus culture that is friendly and caring but also provides motivation for students to succeed,” said Cody Kollar, treasurer of Kappa Sigma fraternity on campus and participant in one focus group. “That goes along with what Greek life is all about.”

Focus groups helped Patterson and Schmidt get a sense of the current desire and need for another sorority on campus, to give them a better idea of Western’s culture and a sense of the community they are looking to join, and what Alpha Chi Omega could bring to it, as well as what it takes to be Greek on this particular campus.

“We’re familiar with this part of the country and we’re excited to grow that brand and that sisterhood,” said Patterson. Several Oregon universities have their own chapters of Alpha Chi Omega already.

These are very preliminary stages, said Schmidt. The next step is marketing to raise awareness, and eventually formulate chapter life with new members.

Eventually, the first women involved, who are the founding mothers, will create the initial interest group and work towards establishing Alpha Chi Omega on campus.

“It’s your time to figure out who you are,” Megan Habermann, assistant director for student leadership and activities, explained of the interest group, which will become a colony with more pledges.

She added of the founding mothers, “They’re going to have their work cut out for them because they’re going to have to figure out how Alpha Chi Omega will work on campus.”

The colony, after a period of about six months to one year to allow enough time for raising membership, will become the Western Oregon University chapter of Alpha Chi Omega. The fall of 2015, Habermann explained, will be the real beginning of the official chapter.

“Every organization is different,” Habermann said. “It really depends on the women who start the organization.”

According to Habermann, a sorority will maintain certain membership standards, such as in academics and professionalism, but will generally be open to all women within those standards.

Choosing potential pledges will be a matter of making sure the women’s values match those of the organization, so that everyone gets the most possible out of the experience Habermann, said.

“I think that adding Alpha Chi Omega to campus would be a good thing for women who are interested in joining a sorority because it gives different ladies on campus the chance to choose between Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Delta Chi to see which one will best suit them,” LeVernois said.

“I was excited to hear about another chapter coming to WOU,” Kollar said. “There is something out there for everyone and Alpha Chi Omega on campus will help even more students find that experience they are looking for.”

A sorority has national organization dues for its members, in addition to a $15 fee per person per term through Western; these funds go towards paying for building use and other group necessities.

Habermann said that not every organization is interested in expanding, perhaps in part because the Greek system at Western is small and young, which may make some cautious as well. Expansion may be approached carefully.

“Greek life is a great way to get to know people on campus and make future business connections,” LeVernois said. “Members get to meet many people that they possibly would not have met if they had not joined Greek life. From volunteering to just hanging out with your chapter, Greek life is a ton of fun.”

Faculty Senate approves implementation of LEAP framework

Laura Knudson
 Editor-In-Chief

The Faculty Senate approved a proposal Nov. 25 to replace Western’s existing institutional aspirations with undergraduate learning outcomes modeled after the “Liberal Education, America’s Promise” (LEAP) framework.

Started by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, LEAP provides “essential learning outcomes” and “principles of excellence” for liberal education. This creates a format to guide students’ progress through college.

“LEAP is a really clear statement of what Western students can expect to learn by the time they graduate,” said Dr. Sue Monahan, ex officio of the ad-hoc LEAP committee and dean of liberal arts and sciences.

It helps Western “communicate with students about purposes of their education,” she said.

Before LEAP, similar content called “Institutional Aspirations for Learning” was found on page five of the university course catalog and applied to major, minor and general education requirements.

Aspirations included critical thinking skills, development of advanced research abilities, ability to work effectively in teams, etc.

Students might see these learning outcomes displayed in a course syllabus. Often, professors list course objectives on a syllabus that are in line with the institutional aspirations, Monahan said.

In the LEAP proposal submitted to the faculty senate by the ad-hoc LEAP committee, it said while the current institutional aspirations reflect university values and goals, they are “difficult to assess meaningfully.”

New language in the modified LEAP outcomes will make academic aims of the university clearer.

“This just helps us communicate it better,” Monahan said. “Students learn best if they know what it is they’re aiming for.”

Modifications to language in the essential learning outcomes include student use of technology, ‘embodied’ education, inclusion of signing as a form of communication and creativity as an essential outcome.

Under Intellectual and Practical Skills, “using appropriate technology” will be added to the “practiced extensively” statement.

“Healthy course life decisions” will be added to the “anchored through” statement under Personal and Social Responsibility.

The written and oral communication outcome will include signed communication and the word “listeners” will replace “audience” in its definition.

The “critical and creative thinking” outcome will be separated into two outcomes and “and practice” will be added to the new “creative thinking” outcome.

The outcomes may be adapted in the future, Monahan said.

“The LEAP framework provides a clear and concise way to communicate these goals to our students,” university President Mark Weiss said in an all faculty/staff email Dec. 1. “It provides resources so that we can more effectively assess our work and continuously improve our curricular and co-curricular programs.”

Academic assessment, a requirement of all accredited universities, will be made easier with the implementation of LEAP rubrics.

These step-by-step guidelines will aid departments and divisions in assessing student work at the end of the year to determine if institutional goals are being met.

This will also create better understanding of Western’s assessment for outside groups working with the university, Monahan said.

Aside from clarifying learning outcomes and improving assessment, LEAP can also be used by students later in life.

“It’s not just for the sake of academics,” said Paul Disney, ad-hoc LEAP committee member and business and economics professor. “It’s what employers are looking for.”

“Students will have to make a case for themselves,” Monahan said of future postgraduates. They will need to be able to communicate what they have learned, she said.

With the move to independent governance through the board of trustees and the ongoing search for a new university president, the implementation of LEAP is “perfect timing,” Disney said.

“I think it’s really important in a time of change to know where you’re going,” Monahan said.

LEAP is something that has been “adopted and adapted by universities across the country,” she said. “We should not reinvent this; we should use these good resources that are already there.”

“I believe it’s important for our university to remain relevant,” Disney said. “It aligns us with a national standard.”

Monahan’s hope is that LEAP is institutionalized and made part of the university’s practice.

“The committee wants it to be more than just words on a page in a catalog,” she said. “We really want it to be a living thing for students to connect with.”

Though LEAP will be implemented in next year’s catalog, Monahan said they will begin using it for assessment before then.

MORE INFO:
Visit wou.edu/president/facultysenate/committees/leap
Contact Dr. Sue Monahan at 503-838-8226 or smonahan@wou.edu

New course evaluation system opens

What: Online course evaluations
Where: WOU Portal
When: Until 6:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12
By Allison Opson Clement 
News Editor

Western’s new course evaluation system is being used for the first time across campus, returning to students the ability to provide feedback on classes and professors for the first time in a year.

CollegeNet’s What Do You Think? program was chosen last spring, and after testing over the summer, this is the first time it will be used on a university-wide scale.

Dr. Mary Pettenger, chairperson of the Joint Committee on Course Evaluations, said that it is definitely past time to resume regular evaluations.

According to Pettenger, there were several problems with the former system and the university had a hard time keeping the program operational.

“It’s been a long process to try to come up with a new system,” Pettenger said.

The old paper system, prior to Western’s latest online evaluation system, was prohibitively expensive, and difficult to manage, according to Pettenger. Data access is also much easier with the new CollegeNet system.

According to CollegeNet.com, What Do You Think? saved the University of Oregon over $200,000 in paper, printing, scanning and labor in the first year of use.

Dr. Mark Perlman, president of the Western Oregon University Federation of Teachers (WOUFT, Western’s faculty union), said not having course evaluations is not option, because faculty members need to have a tool to judge their work.

“Students should have a voice, and we want to hear what their answers are,” Perlman said. “We’ve gone long enough without having a system; it’s kind of embarrassing.”

First year Westin Kmetz said it is good to have course evaluations, because the teachers gain a better understanding of student opinions and perceptions in their classrooms. Keeping communication open between students and teachers is important, Kmetz added.

“When you don’t get feedback as a teacher, I feel like you keep doing the same things,” Kmetz said. He feels that evaluations are useful to help the teacher understand what they are doing right or wrong.

Dr. Bryan Dutton, chair of WOUFT’s bargaining team, said evaluations are important.

“I really value it because it’s a way to make improvements,” Dutton said. “It’s clear that faculty are pleased that evaluations will be a regular part of our process.”

Yet, the evaluations can’t do anything if they’re not filled out.

“In order to get reliable data, we need to figure out a way to get students to respond,” Pettenger said.

“It also improves response rates when students believe they are being heard,” said Dr. Cat McGrew, former chairperson of the Joint Committee on Course Evaluations and current director of academic affairs. “No one wants to waste their time, so knowing you can make a difference, makes a difference.”

The university administration and the faculty union are in the beginning stages of discussing the impact of potentially using open-ended short-answer questions in course evaluations, according to McGrew.

Perlman said there are people that are skeptical of open-ended questions, and there are some who want open-ended questions.

“I wish I had more freedom in it,” Kmetz said, adding that the multiple choice questions worked for most people. He added that there may be too many meanings behind some answers, which may confuse the teacher over the kinds of responses they are getting.

To clear up communication, said Kmetz, the possibility of adding open-ended responses to the multiple-choice would be the most useful, efficient style. Students wouldn’t have to respond with more if they didn’t have anything else to say, but that would be an option for students who wanted to say more.

“I see it as a positive because it will allow faculty to have a greater understanding of what the numbers mean,” McGrew said of open-ended questions.

McGrew has a file of email print-outs from students who contacted her office, commenting that they wanted a place to explain their responses to multiple-choice questions, or wanted a place to add more about their course or professor. They want to say what they think, McGrew said; they want to be heard.

Perlman said these ten questions do provide enough information for students and professors to start with now. The rest of the discussion, such as the potential for open-ended questions, will take place later.

“We wanted to get the bulk of it rolling,” Perlman said. For now, everyone settled on ten multiple-choice questions, he said.

Faculty objections seem to be not over course evaluations or open-ended questions in general, according to Dutton, but in the implementation. Professors may be concerned about how the questions are asked, shaping the kinds of answers given, as well as what will be done with these responses, Dutton said.

According to Dutton, there is a real science behind the formulation of questions, which is part of why the faculty union has the right to approve the final draft of questions, and open-ended questions will be discussed later.

Perlman explained that there are a variety of factors that impact what kinds of questions are asked, and especially how they are asked.

“We haven’t really explored all the issues with open-ended questions,” said Dutton. He said that conversation will be taking place soon, probably through this academic year, and added that there is no real timeline that can be established until they know all the issues and all the positions that will arise.

Workshop offers understanding of dynamics for deaf & hearing coworkers

What: Deaf-hearing workplace dynamics workshop
Where: Columbia Room, Werner University Center
When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Nov.22
Admission:
For more information, contact: Dr. Cheryl Davis at davisc@wou.edu, or call 503-838-8053

By Katrina Penaflor, Freelancer

Deaf-hearing cross cultural conflicts in the workplace will be addressed with a workshop by Western’s Regional Resource Center on Deafness Nov. 21 and 22.

The hands-on event, presented in American Sign Language, is five hours each day and open to students, faculty, staff and community members. Dr. John Gournaris and Alison Aubrecht will be co-facilitating.

The focus of the workshop is to study and explore the different dynamics between a deaf culture and a hearing culture in a workplace, to discuss how these differences can affect each culture, and how people should learn to respect and embrace the different dynamics instead of devaluing them.

“People who are interested in psychology, social dynamics, cultural diversity, social justice, public policy and politics will all find something of interest in this training,” said Dr. Cheryl Davis, chair of the special education division at Western and director of the Regional Resource Center on Deafness.

Topics will include: why hearing people choose to work with deaf people, how deaf people sometimes approach hearing people and vice versa, and dynamics of cross-cultural conflict. Friday will be a day filled with information, while Saturday will provide more hands-on activities.

If an individual works in a field that requires continuing education units, for example interpreters or counselors, completion of the workshop will result in 1.0 CEU earned.

“I hope that people will be able to take this experience and apply it to their interactions with deaf students, and generalize the concepts to working with others as well,” Davis said.

The workshop runs from 4-8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Columbia Room of the Werner University Center.

If interested in registering for the event, contact the office of disability services or download a registration form at wou.edu/rrcd. Registration will also be taken at the door.

Tips for a safe winter at Western

Residents should prepare for cold weather, including hazardous winter conditions, by keeping up to date with weather patterns and forming plans for how to deal with potentially hazardous situations.

General tips:

An emergency supplies kit should include: a three days’ supply of water and food for each individual, spare batteries, medical supplies and flashlights; it may also contain additional blankets and extra warm clothes. The National Weather Service provides up-to-date information; battery-operated radios are useful for keeping informed about weather conditions and forecasts.

Pedestrians should wear shoes with good traction, and especially be aware while walking, including watching for slippery patches, and avoiding uneven surfaces or unfamiliar areas.

Travelers should check other locations’ weather before departure and arrival, to be mindful of potential trouble spots, as well as packing to fit the situation they will be entering.

Drivers should check the condition of their cars, including tires, and check for maximum visibility before driving. Every vehicle should be stocked with emergency supplies, such as water, food, a first aid kit, a flashlight and a blanket. In addition, a candle may provide a small but crucial source of heat and light.

Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck provides a free service for travelers to keep up-to-date with road conditions and the local weather conditions and forecast.

Campus

Notifications of current campus conditions, such as closures or delays in opening, will be made on the school website, over local radio stations, on television, and through the Campus Inclement Weather Hotline.

During a closure, Hamersly Library, the Werner University Center, Valsetz Dining Hall, the Health and Wellness Center and all University Residences (dorms) will remain open with essential staffing only.

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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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