Mount Hood

A plan long in the works, development has recently begun on Monmouth’s “S-curves.”

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

As one drives down Main Street towards Independence, there is a large chunk of land currently being developed to the right of the road. Many locals know this area as the “S-curves,” but Monmouth City Council building official, Larry Thornton, says the area will be known as the Ash Creek Station when it is fully developed.  

Salem resident, Jack Fox, purchased the land in 1999, which will be transformed into a small shopping center complete with nine buildings plus a medical facility. Thus far, three businesses have been confirmed as tenants: a larger and improved Roth’s grocery store, a Papa Murphy’s and a Tractor Supply Co. 

“This has been an ongoing process for quite some time,” Thornton stated, “Mr. Fox has been trying to develop the land for a lot of years. There was a Wetlands issue on the property and until those issues were mitigated, everything was basically put on hold.”

Fox originally applied for permits back in 2018, according to Thornton, and since they’ve received approval from the Corps of Army Engineers, they are now in the second stage of building — a technical process of “framing,” a process where concrete blocks are arranged to act as the buildings frame.

“Roth’s is further along. They’ve got all their walls up and they’re putting on the roof system … once the building is watertight, they can start working on a lot of the other issues like putting the concrete floor down and the wiring and plumbing,” said Thornton.

The prospect of a new grocery store is something Thornton thinks the community will be excited about as Monmouth hasn’t had their own grocery store for the past 15 years.

“There’s a need for these kinds of businesses in Monmouth … I think the general public is totally behind it and probably thinking it’s been a long time coming and we’re glad it’s here,” he said.

The project is expected to be finished sometime in April, according to Thornton, who also warns there might be delays due to the winter weather. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Monmouth Community Development Director, Suzanne Dufner

Students and faculty collaborate to create a mural commemorating the anniversary of the 19th amendment to be displayed in Hamersly Library.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

In the foyer of Hamersly Library, students and faculty met on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. To commemorate the occasion, attendees were invited to add a rainbow cutout of their hand to a mural upon which the amendment was printed, symbolizing the diversity of individuals who fought for women’s suffrage and are still supporting women’s rights today. 

Throughout the room, the biographies of a multitude of important activists and allies were displayed, providing various historical perspectives. Among them were Western alumna Teresa Alonso Leon, the first immigrant Latina to represent Woodburn in Congress, and Kathryn Harrison, the first female chair of the Grande Ronde tribal council.

Professor Kimberly Jenson, who teaches a gender issues class at Western, helped organize the event and was one of three speakers including Mayor Cecelia Koontz — the first elected female mayor in Monmouth — and President Rex Fuller. The three of them spoke of Oregon’s historical ties to both current and historical feminist movements. 

Mayor Koontz shared her pride in being an Oregonian, stating that the state motto “she flies with her own wings” has been an inspiration for her. Additionally, she praised Western’s history saying that “it’s fitting to be here … because oral history has it that the pioneer women of the Monmouth migration of the 1850s only agreed to make the dangerous trek West if a school were founded when they got here … a place of learning for both men and women.” 

President Fuller added the historical knowledge that Oregon was among only one of 15 states to grant women the right to vote in 1912 before the ratification of the 19th amendment. 

Jenson continued by reminding everyone that “from the very beginning of our state’s suffragette activism, women of color have been there.” She concluded by stating that “we are strong because we have a state that has this history but it would be a mistake for us to overlook the many struggles that have continued, the very vital work that women leaders and men leaders and people leaders have done.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

Western makes history as the first base for a national ASL assessment service in the West.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Western has become the first establishment to offer a nationwide American Sign Language assessment service in the western United States after the Regional Resource Center on Deafness Director, Chad Ludwig, decided to restore an updated model of an old program. Officially titled the Signed Language Proficiency Interview, it “assesses a person’s skills in using a natural sign language for communication (function) and provides an analysis of a person’s sign language vocabulary, production, fluency, grammar, and comprehension skills (form),” according to the RRCD website.

A national organization in North Carolina that runs a similar assessment has become overwhelmed with the increasing demand for services. 

“That’s where we come into the picture,” said Ludwig. 

Discounted for Western students, the $160 basic assessment is essentially a 20-minute interview formatted as a casual conversation addressing three main topic areas: work or school, family and leisure activities or hobbies.

“It’s how you express yourself in ASL that helps our raters determine the level of fluency … our interviewer’s goal is to illicit the most fluency that they can from you,” stated Ludwig. 

After the interview concludes, the data is sent to two separate evaluators who then score the results before sending it back to the ASL coordinator. If there is a match, then the score becomes official; if not, then the evaluators either deliberate or it goes to a third evaluator. 

The assessment might appeal to a variety of individuals from state employees — who can gain differentials for proven competency in another language — to high school and college students interested in taking the assessment to test into a higher class.

Following the implementation of the program on Jan. 7, there have already been a myriad of questions, inquiries and requests, according to Ludwig, who also encourages students to visit the website or email rsla@wou.edu for more details. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of the Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies at Western

PURE Insights, Western’s academic journal, connects students to faculty for collaborative research and publication opportunities.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Originally founded by Camila Gabladon, the collection development librarian at Western, PURE Insights is an annual publication of student work, both creative and research-based, which has been sponsored by at least one faculty member at Western. Currently on its ninth issue, the journal — which stands for Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences — serves to connect students to mentoring faculty members with the hopes of bolstering the student’s academic record.

“One of the really nice things about attending a small college is that you are in contact with actual professors doing actual research … the PURE organization was born of the idea that we weren’t seeing students take advantage of that,” said Maren Anderson, an adjunct professor at Western and Managing Editor of the publication.

Having a published research paper is an excellent thing to put on resumes and grad school applications because, according to Anderson, it’s proof that students know how to do research and work collaboratively with people. 

“Student-led research is particularly attractive to us,” Anderson stated, but as long as that research or body of work is submitted by the deadline, follows correct formatting and is sponsored by a faculty member, the work is eligible. 

“I really enjoy the cross-pollination of student work on campus,” said Anderson, mentioning The Northwest Passage and the Academic Excellence Showcase as similar outlets who have published work also featured in the PURE Insights journal. 

The current issue included the winners of the Peter Sears poetry contest, as well as a couple of fiction pieces in addition to the traditional research papers, and the cover is always designed by a Western student.

Students interested in submitting can visit the PURE Insights webpage and click on the “submit article” link located on the left hand bar. If they’re not sure where to start, they can peruse the list of mentors and their past research topics in order to find someone who fits their objective. They also have the opportunity to explore the map at the bottom of the page, which shows the downloads of past submitter’s work in real-time. If students are still having trouble navigating the page or want more information, they can email the director at pure@wou.edu or the managing editor at insight@wou.edu

The next issue is set to publish in week 10 of the upcoming fall term and the deadline for submissions is June 22.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Western’s Digital Commons

Grease fire in the Alderview Apartments on campus draws a crowd but is quickly dealt with.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Dean of Students and Director of Housing, Tina Fuchs, sent out an email relaying her gratitude towards our campus community last Thursday, Jan. 7, after a fire occurred in one of Western’s Alderview apartments.

Public Safety Officer Anthony Fitch was just getting back from handling a vehicle accident that had occured in Lot H when he was called to respond to a fire alarm in the Alderview apartments. “We get a lot of fire alarms,” Fitch said, “so my thought was ‘is this a fire or not’?” 

But after being waved down by a neighbor, he realized the situation was more serious. Running through the house to confirm that no one was still inside, he noticed that there was a pot of grease on the stove and that the stove had been charred.

“Before entering, I radioed our dispatcher so that she could call the Polk County Fire Department,” Fitch stated, adding that dispatch was a crucial part in aiding the investigation.

When the fire department came, onlookers began gathering, but as Fitch said, “we didn’t have to scoot anyone back … I think the rain deterred a lot of students from straying outside.”

The fire department turned off the sprinklers which were instrumental in the outcome of the incident. 

“We’re lucky we had the sprinkler system, because if not, there’s not telling how big (the fire) would have gotten and I don’t know how much I would have been able to do with my small fire extinguisher,” admitted Fitch. 

And, although he initially had a difficult time finding out who lived there, a lady and her son later came forward, who “have a place to stay and will be relocated to another unit soon,” said Fuchs in her email.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Kay Bruley

Speaker Kim Potowski came to Western to celebrate bilingualism and educate about ways to increase it

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow  | News Editor

Professor Kim Potowski of the University of Illinois began by stating the facts: that out of roughly 7.7 billion people in the world, an estimated 60% of them are bilingual as opposed to the United States’ 20%. Potowski’s research aims to promote positivity towards bilingualism with the hopes of dispelling language myths and increasing bilingual education. 

“It’s normal to be bilingual,” Potowski asserted during her presentation “No Child Left Monolingual” — also featured as a TedxTalk — given at Western on Jan. 9 in the Werner University Center. 

So why is the U.S. falling behind? 

“Our nation has policies whether implicit or explicit that aim to erase (children’s) Spanish, Chinese, Korean … whatever it is that they speak at home,” Potowski stated. A child who is a heritage speaker enters kindergarten and is typically placed into one of two programs: they are either given ESL support, which removes the child from the rest of the class and, as explained by Potowski, ostracizes and belittles their language, or they are put into a “bilingual program,” which is essentially a transition program designed on having the student speaking solely English by the third grade.

Potowski is in support of a third option — dual-language schools — in which 50-90% of instruction is in a language other than English. Citing various research studies that support the induction of these programs, Potowski noted that the dual-language programs ensure that students who speak a language other than English don’t fall behind their English monolingual peers, that the cognitive benefits of the programs are numerous and that, most importantly, dual-language programs are respectful of language and identity. 

The evidence shows that students enrolled in a dual-language school did better in all content areas — including English — as compared to students enrolled in a normal public school. 

“So what I conclude is that if you don’t want to do this, you’ve got some kind of political agenda going on,” said Potowski. However, she also acknowledged the fears created by linguistic bullying and systematic racism which prevents parents from supporting their children’s bilingualism.

“These parents have suffered for their lack of English, the last thing they want is for their children to suffer for a lack of English,” said Potowski.

However well-intended, Potwoski wants parents to know that their fears, while understandable, are somewhat misplaced. Myths that one language will hinder the development of another or create confusion for the child have since been debunked.

 “Codeswitching,” as the phenomenon is called, “is normal, follows linguistic patterns, indicates strength in both languages, and is a marker of a bilingual identity,” stated Potowski. 

The real issue, then, is the previously mentioned systematic racism and linguistic bullying, which “happens way more often than just the stories that make it to the news … and contributes to this culture of linguistic repression and fear,” Potowski asserted. While the U.S. has no official national language, states have the power to pass English-only laws, and, while Oregon has not, 31 other states have. All of these factors combined “contribute to intergenerational language shifts,” said Potowski. “What you’re getting is parents who can’t talk to their own children … and it doesn’t have to be this way.” 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

The Pacific Island experience

Caitlyn Nakatsukasa | Staff Writer

Western’s Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club’s 12th annual lu’au took place on Saturday, April 12.

The lu’au was hosted by the WOU Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club and Pasefika, a group from Salem, Oregon that introduces the spirit of island dances to others. It was held on campus in the New PE building where both dinner and performances were provided.
The evening began with brief music from singers and traditional Hawaiian food: rice, kalua pig with cabbage, macaroni salad, pineapple and coconut cake.
Dancers then came together and performed the Oli Aloha chant, which welcomed the guests to the lu’au. Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club President and sophomore Hannah Perreira explained that the song is dedicated to the Polynesian people and brings them together as one. The chant was followed by the Hula Kahiko performance, which embodies the true Hawaiian culture using traditional percussion instruments, such as the ipu keke.

Throughout the show, many dances were performed that express and highlight various cultures.

“Not many people in Oregon know much about the Polynesian culture,” said junior Kameron Acebo, hula dancer and Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club member. Acebo is a third-year dancer and performs outside of school. “I think the best way to share (the culture) is to celebrate it and throw this huge lu’au.”
The dances at the lu’au ranged from gentle and flowing hula moves to fast and lively dances.
Perreira explained what each song meant and how it’s relative to the Pacific Islands.
Dancers performed the song Aloha Oe, which was written by Queen Liliuokalani to express her love and farewells to the islands. The song, Perreira described, is related to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1883, and its statehood shortly after.
Pasefika performed the ‘haka’ to the audience, a traditional war cry and dance in the Maori culture that consists of violent chanting and foot stomping. The group also demonstrated the ‘Fa’ataupati,’ a Samoan dance that represented the invasion of mosquitoes in the kingdom. The dance mimics people slapping mosquitoes off of each other’s bodies. Many of these dances represent the storytelling traditions and passion of the islands.

Aside from the performances, there was entertainment involved with the guests and dancers. Hula dancers invited children to the stage and taught them how to dance the ‘ote’a,’ a Tahitian dance with rhythmic hip shaking. The hosts had a ‘chee hoo’ contest, a celebratory exclamation used by many Pacific Islanders. The performers invited volunteers to come up on stage and express their loudest and powerful ‘chee hoo.’

“I enjoyed all of the energy and good vibes at the lu’au,” said junior Kui Silva, hula dancer and Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club member. This is Silva’s second year participating in the lu’au and had fun spreading the Aloha spirit through her performances, explaining, “I enjoyed dancing with all of my friends beside me and for my family who came up to visit me.”

Acebo enjoyed performing with individuals that became close friends.

“This was important to me because the club has introduced me to so many new people over the years and it’s great being able to meet new people every year through this club,” Acebo explained.

The event concluded with the announcement of the next Hawaii Pacific Island Harmony Club’s new officers for 2018-2019 and the Aloha Hawaii song, an anthem for Native Hawaiian people and residents.

“Mahalo nui loa!” the hosts exclaimed. “Thank you for coming out tonight.”

 

Contact the author at cnakatsukasa15@wou.edu

Photos by: Paul F. Davis

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