Mount Hood

Academic Excellence Showcase highlights arts and sciences

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

One day a year, Western students and faculty are given the opportunity to showcase the research that they have been doing throughout the year. From dance to biology to computer science and more, students from every program got dressed up and presented in nine different buildings across campus.

To start the morning, before the eight primary sessions of the day began, the Academic Excellence Showcase hosted its third-ever Presidential Plenary, a session that faculty and students from any discipline could participate in. To honor this year’s theme, the presenters all shared their research surrounding a specific topic.

“This year’s theme, Interplay of Arts and Sciences, hopes to encourage the interaction of the arts and sciences via the inspiration of the STEAM program,” read the AES program for the event.

During this featured session, presented discussed conceptions like performance anxiety, multilingualism, optical illusions and more — highlighting the wide range of topics that were possible given the theme.

After this session, an equally wide variety of poster sessions, presentations, performances and award presentations took place between 10:15 a.m. and 8 p.m.

One group of presentations that started off the day was English Studies. First, students presented their project before the crowd, and then they entertained any questions that they had.

Sean Tellvik, a junior English major, shared a bit about his experience presenting on “conlangs,” or constructed languages.

“To be surrounded by peers and faculty from the department encouraged me to push myself to complete my best work and share in the English community’s discourse in a way I never have before,” said Tellvik. “The amazing support of our mentor, Cornelia, and other professors I’ve had classes with left me feeling accomplished and inspired. But the best part about the whole experience by far is getting to see the fascinating scholarship of my peers — people really blew me away with their presentations.”

A different style of presentation that was showcased throughout the day was the poster session, and one that was especially engaging was the environmental awareness session during the afternoon. In this session, students tackled important topics like endangered species, recycling, reusable straws, the impact of plastic, honeybees and more.

Throughout the course of the day, 386 students were scheduled to present at the 2019 Academic Excellence Showcase.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Bailey Thompson

Updates on College Republican Club June 4 event

Update: June 3, 2019

ASWOU’s second statement, released June 3:

Students of WOU,

Since ASWOU’s last letter to you all on May 30, 2019, the situation surrounding Tuesday, June 4th’s controversial event has escalated. Third-party organizations not affiliated with WOU have begun targeting the WOU campus with calls to organize protests to the event. Also, WOU students have been targeted in social media posts from both supporters and protesters of this event.

Because of the aggressive nature of these supporters and protesters, ASWOU has serious concerns for the safety of any and all WOU students who attend either the event or it’s associated protest. As such, it is our recommendation that all WOU students stay away from the Werner University Center on Tuesday, June 4th. We strongly encourage all club meetings. advising meetings, and other events on this day be moved to a different University building, rescheduled, or canceled. While we hope that Tuesday evening’s event maintains an aura of basic civility, we cannot, in good conscience, advocate for any WOU student being in the vicinity of the WUC on Tuesday.

If you feel affected by this event, please utilize the services of the WOU Student Health and Counseling Center at (503) 838-8313. The Polk County Behavioral Health Monmouth office can be contacted at (503) 400-3550.

If at any point during Tuesday night you feel unsafe while traveling on campus, please contact Public Safety at 503-838-8481. If you witness an incident of bias on WOU’s campus please report it using the Bias Incident Report Form (https://wou.edu/student/bias-incident-report-form/). This form is used to report an incident of bias if it is an act of conduct, speech, or expression that targets an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race/color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity/expression, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Please contact the ASWOU President via the email address aswoupresident@wou.edu if you have any other questions.

In solidarity,

2018-2019 ASWOU Administration   

2019-2020 ASWOU Administration

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A link to President Rex Fuller’s official statement can be found here: President Rex Fuller’s official statement

President Rex Fuller’s Statement:

Dear Campus Community,

As you might know, the College Republicans, a registered student organization on campus, has invited Joey Gibson to speak on campus on June 4.

As an institution of higher education, Western Oregon University supports free speech and open inquiry, which are essential to a comprehensive university experience and for students to form their own viewpoints and perspectives. At WOU, all student clubs and organizations follow an approved protocol for bringing speakers to campus and reserving space, which includes a review of the event and a contract with the proposed speaker. As a public entity, WOU may not deny access to meeting space on the basis of viewpoint.

The University’s obligation to the freedom of speech is animated not only by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, but the even-broader Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution. It states:

“No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever; but every person shall be responsible for the abuse of this right.”

This clause has been interpreted many times to require tremendous breadth in ensuring and upholding the freedom of expression in Oregon—a role a public university must embrace to remain relevant in our changing times.

Upholding core freedoms—including the freedom of speech—does not mean, however, the University must turn from its values. WOU’s Strategic Plan outlines eight essential values that guide our practices and decisions. The Plan expressly includes: Diversity and Respect: Equity and inclusion; a fundamental basis in human diversity; appreciation for the complexity of the world; strength drawn from our variety of backgrounds, abilities, cultural experiences, identities, knowledge domains and means of expression.

Our values are who we are—we can be a place of diversity and respect, as well as a fierce defender of the freedom of speech and expression at the same time.

Thank you.

Rex Fuller, President

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A link to ASWOU’s statement can be found here:

Instagram: @aswou

Twitter: @ASWOU

ASWOU’s statement can also be found below:

 

ASWOU’s statement recommends students attend other events happening the evening of June 4. A full listing of events can be found on students’ OrgSync accounts.

Link to College Republican Club’s response to ASWOU statement — statement can be found in comments: @woucr

 

College Republican Club’s response to ASWOU’s statement:

“Our speaker is multiracial and our event is open to all people regardless of their race, gender, religion, or nation of origin. We encourage all students to challenge the information that is being spoken around campus by seeking out their own information. Search Joey Gibson on YouTube and you will find that he has never said a hateful or racist word. In fact, he preaches often about Unity and having Love in your heart for all people, even those you absolutely disagree with.”

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More updates from The Western Howl regarding this event will be coming soon.

Contact the editor at howleditor@wou.edu

Borderless Stories highlight inspirational migration accounts

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Carrying on a new campus tradition, M.E.Ch.A. and Unidos Club came together and hosted the 2nd Annual Borderless Stories event, an evening designed to share the stories of immigration parents in the Western community and to create a sense of unity among those present. This event was organized for May 20 in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center.

To start off, the emcees told guests that they could go and serve themselves a free dinner from catering that they could eat and enjoy as they listened to the stories being told. Then, once everyone had gotten the chance to go through the line once, the stories began.

The three speakers for this event shared stories of hope, challenge and perseverance as they journeyed to the United States from Mexico in their youth. While they each had their own motivation that kept them going and unique trials that they encountered along the way, they have all found success and happiness in the United States.

As each speaker shared their story in Spanish, Monica Cerda Ortiz, a junior Spanish Education major and one of the emcees for the event, interpreted their story into English. The other emcee for the event was Xochitl Denisse Carrasco, a junior political science major.

When the first storyteller took the stage, she shared how she first came to the US in 1990 because her husband was already there. And, while she had support in him, she still struggled with things like finding opportunities in an unfamiliar country and adapting to day-to-day differences like those in transportation.

Although it wasn’t easy, she is proud of all that she and her children have accomplished — with three of them having graduated from college.

The second speaker came to the US in 1998 at 19 years old. When his family had tried to come the first time, they were scammed and left with only $3. Then, when he finally was able to come over, he was brought to work on a farm in Hillsboro. While he adapted to this in time, it was challenging for him to be separate from his wife and son who had to stay in Mexico because she didn’t have the necessary paperwork to come with him.

Then, when his son had kidney complications and needed emergency medical treatment, he also experienced the struggle of trying to pay for his medical bills. Because of this, his encouragement to children of immigrants was to get a degree so that they could more easily help their families when they need it.

The final speaker of the event shared how he travelled with his cousin and uncle up through the desert in order to get to the US — a crowded, exhausting trip which involved them getting stopped by soldiers, running out of water and being separated from loved ones. While it was heartbreaking for him to be separated from the only two people he knew there, he eventually made it to his destination and found a job.

After working for seven years in a field, he procured a job in construction — something he is much happier doing. And, much like the second speaker, he urged young people to work hard and, if possible, to continue their education.

To close the event, the emcees shared a letter that President Fuller had written in November of 2016 about Western being a sanctuary campus for all students:

“Western Oregon University is a sanctuary for all of our students and we will remain a place where every student enjoys the sense of belonging to a committed community of students, faculty and staff,” wrote Fuller. He also affirmed that “Western will remain actively engaged in national conversations, including support of national educational associations, regarding DACA and related programs designed to protect students and their pursuit of educational opportunities.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Bailey Thompson

Identity Theft event structures discussion around identities

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Although it can be difficult to completely understand how another person feels, one valuable first step is to talk with them. This is something that Triangle Alliance — Western’s LGBTQ+ social club — and Heritage Hall Government orchestrated on May 23 in the Richard Woodcock Education Center.

Their event, Identity Theft, sought to open a conversation with the campus community about the ways that both sexual identities and gender identities can influence a person’s life — and, more specifically, the way that myths about these identities can be harmful to perpetuate.

Six panelists, holding a variety of LGBTQ+ identities, dedicated their time to talk with members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as their allies, about the unique perspectives that they have gained because of their identities and their other life experiences.

Throughout the course of the panel, a wide range of topics were addressed — from stereotypes about certain identities, to people who are questioning their identities and more.

All in all, the consensus of the group was that these experiences and the discovery of these identities were things that varied from person to person, even if there were a number of common themes running throughout the group.

For instance, when the panelists were asked about when they knew that they identified as something other than heterosexual or cisgender, some of the individuals stated that it was a long process for them to come to this conclusion, some said that they felt confident in their identities from an early age and still more said that they were not sure that the identities that they currently held were the ones they would always identify as.

Related to this, when the panelists discussed their coming out stories, if they had come out to their families at this point in time, their experiences varied, largely depending on how accepting they anticipated their families would be towards them.

The panelists also spent time discussing stereotypes that have impacted them on a day-to-day basis. Among these, panelists shared that it was difficult for them to not fit into the mold that others expected them to — whether this is bisexuals in hetero-passing relationships who feel invalidated in their bisexuality, transgender people who feel the need to dress a certain way in order for people to respect their pronouns or something else along these lines.

On the flip side of this, however, the panelists also shared that there is nothing wrong with enjoying things that may be stereotypical of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

Nearing the end of the panel, when an audience member asked the panel about ways that she can support her sister as someone who has grown up in a religious household, the panelists were clear in their responses: what LGBTQ+ youth need is love and support. While they may not always get the kind of support that they would hope for, having people affirm that they will always care about them can go a long way.

If students at Western would like to attend Triangle Alliance to learn more about this and meet new people, they can visit Triangle Alliance’s Facebook page to determine when they will be meeting during Fall Term.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

BonnaWOU takes the Grove

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

On May 23, the clouds parted as three bands took the stage in the first-ever BonnaWOU festival hosted by SAB. Each band that was involved was local: Jimmy Wolfson, The Ferenjis and Chromatic Colors. Taking place in the Grove from 5 p.m. until about 8 p.m., students and members of the community brought their blankets and made themselves at home on the grass.

Each band performed their set as the sun was shining brightly above the stage that was set up outside. Every band came with their own style, which made it accessible to everyone — there was music that just about everyone could enjoy. All were welcome; some took it as an opportunity to do homework with a show, some just sat and watched and others got up and danced. People came and went all evening as it was a free event, until the music faded that evening with the sunset as a backdrop to a picture-perfect night.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

Dr. Oberst retires from Western after 32 years

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

After 32 years at Western, Dr. Sharon Oberst is within her final month as a dance professor and the dance chair for the university. Looking back on those years, Dr. Oberst reflected on how much her position — and the dance department as a whole — have changed over that time period.

“I came in in 1986-7 as a substitute for a dance teacher who was in the hospital… but the lovely division chair at the time liked me and what I was doing and what I brought to the program, and so he created a position for me,” said Oberst. “My job has changed a lot because when I came in there was just the two of us.”

To compare, the dance department now consists of six faculty members, each of which specialize in different styles of dance.

In the time since she has been here, Oberst noted that her position has transitioned from teaching almost every class to being largely administrative and teaching a few specific classes like ballet, which is her specialty. And, moving to the future, Oberst shared an exciting update regarding the future of her position.

“Tim Cowart is going to take my position,” said Oberst. “I’m actually very excited about being able to hand things over to Tim because I think he’s going to bring a lot of fresh energy and fresh ideas… it’s going to be a whole new direction and a whole new direction.”

Cowart currently lives in Pennsylvania and works at Desales University, but he has also taught and choreographed at Western on a couple of occasions — even as recently as two years ago — so he will have some experience as he goes into his new position at Western.

When asked about her feelings about retirement, Oberst had a simple answer:

“I am delighted. I have really loved being here. It’s been a great place to work and there are no bad feelings, but I’m tired … I’ve pretty much been teaching since I was 14 years old. So, I’m ready. But I hope that I’m going out still being enthusiastic and involved.”

When Oberst retires, she would like to do some travelling with her husband and work on some research that she is hoping to publish. She will continue living in Monmouth, both because she enjoys it and because her children live in Oregon as well.

Finally, when asked about what she will miss from her current position, Oberst wasted no time with her answer.

“The students. That’s why I went into this in the first place is that I love to teach, and I love to choreograph on the students. That’s the joy,” said Oberst.

Oberst’s contract at Western ends on June 15 after commencement.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Bailey Thompson

Western hosts its first ever Out of the Darkness Walk

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

In spite of the rain that threatened to spoil the event, Western’s first Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention was a shining example of what can happen when a group of people come together to support a cause that they believe in.

While Out of the Darkness Walks are not new events in general, this one was special because it was the first one that had ever been hosted in Monmouth. Organized by the WOU Wellness Advocacy Group, spearheaded largely by Tim Glascock and Shaylie Pickrell, this event was held on May 17 at Main Street Park.

When people arrived, a number of booths from Western and other local organizations greeted them, offering both their support and resources to attendees. Amongst these groups were WOU Food Pantry, University Housing, Abby’s House, Student Health and Counseling Center and Lines for Life, which is a crisis call center based in Portland.

Kicking off the event, 15 Miles West — Western’s acapella group — performed a number of hit songs as people mingled, visited booths, got registered and picked up their ceremonial beads.

Next, Ryan Price, Oregon and Idaho Area Director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, introduced the featured speaker for the event, a Western Oregon University alumnus named Cody Welty who has shared his story even on platforms as big as NBC’s Today Show.

“It’s really good to be back in Oregon and in Monmouth,” said Welty, a current doctoral student at University of Arizona researching strategies to prevent youth deaths by suicide. “Those of you who do know me probably do know me because of my experience at WOU, either as a writing tutor, a psychology student or hopefully just a friendly face of someone you saw on or near campus.”

Welty then expressed his hope in sharing his story at this event.

“It’s a story of sadness, it’s a story of hope and most importantly it’s a story of recovery. And it’s a similar story to what many of us who are here today may have experienced,” said Welty.

Welty then discussed the way that his connection to suicide began: he was a normal, even successful, high school student who spent years masking the depression that he felt inside. Being a 4.0 student and a three-sport athlete with a supportive family and good friends, he felt that the external image he put out into the world did not match the reality of his health.

“I thought, ‘I’m a man. I can’t talk about how I feel or share this with anyone.’ And so, I shoved it away,” said Welty. “I took all those concerns and pressures and pushed them down somewhere where I could never talk about it.”

From this point, Welty remembers being in a health class and realizing how many of the symptoms of depression and anxiety were things that he had experienced — but he continued to push it down. Eventually, though, this came to a head, and Welty attempted suicide.

“At that point I think I hit my lowest. I felt that I was so much of a failure that I couldn’t even kill myself,” said Welty.

After recovering in the hospital, Welty shared with his parents that he had a new goal.

“I remember telling my family that I wanted to do my best to make sure that there were no other kids like me who felt that they were alone and couldn’t talk to anyone,” said Welty. “Depression doesn’t look like it’s a photo in a textbook. It doesn’t look the same for everyone. I knew it was time to put a face to an illness that they knew about.”

At this point, Welty started going to middle and high schools, sharing his story with kids. And the message that he conveyed to them was the same as the one that he shared at the walk.

“We are not hopeless, we are not powerless and we are not weak,” said Welty. He also impressed upon people that “we can all check on a friend or a loved one. We can all ask for help when we need it… And we can all do our best to help end suicide.”

After his speech, the crowd went through the traditional bead ceremony where people shared stories of different people in their lives who have either struggled with suicide or who have been lost to suicide — partners, children, siblings, parents, self, friends or service member/first responder. With each category, participants were asked to different colors of beads to signify the different connections that they had to suicide, aiming to build a community of support in the process.

At the close, attendees all marched from the park, through Western’s campus and back to the park.

“The walk is really a great time to come together, connect and share your story,” said Price.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Bailey Thompson and Ashlynn Norton

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