Mount Hood

Take Back the Night shows support for student survivors and urges a continued conversation about sexual violence going forward

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Taking place at the tail-end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Take Back the Night was hosted by Abby’s House on Oct. 26. Take Back the Night originated in the ‘70s after a cumulation of incidents, most predominantly, the nighttime murder of Susan Alexander Speeth. Today, Take Back the Night is usually organized as a march against sexual violence and violence against women. 

This year, Abby’s House invited Jackie Sandmeyer to speak at the event. Sandmeyer is the founder of TIX Education Specialists, an organization dedicated to working with universities, law enforcement, prosecutors and community-based service providers to identify and create some of the nation’s leading models in Title Nine and student victims’ services. 

Western’s Take Back the Night began with time to reflect; a chime sounded off every nine seconds, representing the frequency someone is beaten in the United States. Students were encouraged to walk around and reflect on their own experiences, as well as observe comforting messages written on sticky notes throughout the room.

Afterwards, Sandmeyer began by asking students to participate during their presentation.

“I’m going to ask you today, not to sit here quietly … I find it interesting that we broach a topic that we feel uncomfortable talking about and then we hope that the bravest among us who have experienced the worst among us break that silence,” said Sandmeyer.

Throughout the presentation, Sandmeyer urged the audience to question themselves. Too often, Sandmeyer said, does dialogue end after the victim or survivor has told their story. Sandmeyer would rather everyone reflect on their own accountability as perpetrators, survivors, listeners and bystanders. Sandmeyer also acknowledged their own tendency for violence. After having spent much of their adolescence on the streets, they said that everyday they reflect on “if (they are) doing (their) part to, one, acknowledge that (they) are capable of that, and two, make a different choice.” 

When it comes to discussing violence, Sandmeyer admits that their advocacy makes strategic use of more palatable narratives — predominantly the stories of white women — to initiate change and get people to listen. Of course, that leaves many identities out of the conversation.

“If we acknowledge that violence is about power and control, what we know about people who experience violence comes down to we place different values on different people’s bodies,” said Sandmeyer. 

While it is a well-known statistic that one in five women are assaulted, those numbers steadily increase for minority populations, and don’t include the statistics for other genders. However, Sandmeyer believes that relying on these statistics to initiate conversation can be problematic because “we assign really dehumanizing rates to people who experience violence,” rather than focusing on their successes. They said that, “the more (they) tell college students (statistics), the less people get shocked … we’ve normalized this to a certain point.”

Equally normalized are the ‘accepted’’ and misleading narratives surrounding violence — such as the narrative that it is always committed by a stranger. Breaking free from those confining stereotypes requires talking about consent. 

“Are we having conversations with our partners, our friends, our families, our communities about sex, consent, pleasure, autonomy, agency and so on,” challenged Sandmeyer. 

Although much of the discussion was in regards to proactive dialogue, Sandmeyer finished their presentation by urging the audience to “hold space, compassion, and love for people who choose to remain silent … resilience is not linear and it does not always look the same way … not only is there a certain way that we expect victims to look, but there is a certain way that we expect them to heal.”

This was an affirmation before the speak-out portion of the event, in which the audience members were invited to tell their stories. Later, during the candlelit march on campus, students reflected on a question posed by Sandmeyer earlier that night: “we’ve heard their stories, now what will implementing change look like?”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

UHaul partners with Western to provide additional transportation options featuring rental cars available to students

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Western is a fairly isolated little campus. Students without a vehicle may find it hard to get from campus to another desired location. Cherriots — the bus system that runs through campus — has sparse hours of operation and doesn’t run on weekends; Wolfride — Western’s shuttle service — only operates from 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. within appropriate distances. Much of the student population, such as international and commuting students, depend on these sources of transportation for success.

Luckily, Western has implemented a new means of transportation for the busy student — UHaul CarShare. It acts as a less complicated rental service; reservations are made on the website and the cars are parked behind the Werner University Center in Lot H for pickup. Students can reserve either a small sedan or a truck depending on their needs. Currently, the daily rental rates are set at $4.95 per hour with a .49 cent charge per mile. 

Emmanuel Marzias, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, commented that “we continue to have UHaul here because of that accessibility component … we don’t have the most convenient transportation options here … (and) it’s important that we have options for students.” 

Unlike Wolfride, UHaul CarShare is independent and does not depend on Incidental Fee Committee funding. Marzias said that the lack of transportation on campus is caused primarily by a lack of financial means from the IFC.

“Our enrollment is down, which makes it difficult … (because) it determines what types of services we can provide to students based on the financial side of things,” stated Marzias.

Marzias encouraged students to go petition to the IFC about their transportation needs, adding that he’s “thankful that students are prioritizing this.”

In the meantime, students can use the UHaul services or reserve the wolfride van for $40 — a lower rate than is charged by the Oregon State Motor Pool — as long as it doesn’t interfere with regular hours. And here’s the best part: “It’s (all) right here in our backyard,” stated Marzias.

For more information, visit https://wou.edu/student/services/ and uhaulcarshare.com.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

Western is faced with a 4.5 million deficit after a 5% decrease in enrollment was reported for fall term

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

After an unpredicted low enrollment turnout, Western is having to financially restrategize in order to minimize the effect on students. Compared to fall of 2018, enrollment is down by 5%. The effects that has on the university is huge — more than 70% of Western’s revenue is based on student’s tuition and fees, while the state provides only 30%.

Currently, Western is facing a $4.5 million deficit despite their success last year in maintaining their objective to avoid tuition increases. 

According to Western’s Vice President of Finance and Administration, Ana Karaman, low enrollment is a nation-wide issue; fewer people are graduating from high school, but those who do find appeal in community colleges, especially here in Oregon where the Oregon Opportunity Grant benefits community college attendees. Karaman explained that Western is working on a plan with local community colleges which will make transferring credits easier and hopefully increase enrollment. 

Another cause of low enrollment is in regards to the international population which has dropped significantly due to the current political and social climate, regards Karaman.

“We would love to see enrollment grow,” stated Karaman, “but we want to take care of the students that we already have.”

That includes plans to become a Hispanic Serving Institution, to cater to the large population of Hispanic students on campus, as well as first generation, underrepresented and low-income students. The most important thing is “providing these students with opportunities,” Karaman said. 

While enrollment won’t affect tuition, it will have an effect on Western’s respective departments and organizations. The plan is to cut the supplies and services expenses for departments that aren’t directly benefiting students. Furthermore, positions in departments will heretofore remain unfilled in order to generate regular savings, which will then be returned to the university to help counter the deficit. 

However, the university is taking a holistic approach in deciding which programs deserve to be cut. The University Budget Advisory Committee is planning an office meeting with every department to “engage with people in conversations,” according to Karaman. The UBAC will present the board with different scenarios and the board will make a determination based on what will provide students with the greatest opportunities.

 “For students, our objectives remain the same — affordability and student success,” assured Karaman. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

A fusion of art and technology

Sage Kiernan-SherrowNews Editor

On Oct. 18, the Natural Sciences building had its grand reopening, welcoming students and faculty alike to view the new premises after more than two years of remodelling the interior and exterior for student success. The renovations occured as part of Western’s Campus Master Plan and the project had a total budget of $6 million, according to a 2016 team logistics meeting report. The renovations to the 45-year-old building were funded by capital building funds from the state of Oregon. 

Students might have noticed the new pond outside of Western’s Natural Sciences Building, but that’s only the beginning of renovations that have been completed. 

“We’re installing new equipment in the classrooms: new document cameras, new sound systems, we’re installing laser-projectors now, which are fantastic…” said Equipment Systems Specialist, Nathan Sauer, in a WOUTV video titled “Natural Science Remodel.” 

Overall, the newly remodeled building now includes upgraded labs, study spaces, and the renovated greenhouse on the roof. This is just one of many ongoing changes shaping Western’s campus.  

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

A wealth of resources at the Health and Wellness Fair

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Walking into Western’s Health and Wellness center on Oct. 23, students were instantly greeted by a wall of positivity-related sticky notes, and invited to “take one, leave one” to encourage kindness and gratitude. This was the introduction to Western’s Health and Wellness Fair, where the basketball court in Western’s Health and Wellness Center was converted into a fair-esque setting, arranged with tables representing various local businesses and campus organizations dedicated to supporting student health and wellness. 

Students could walk from table to table to gain insight into different resources such as student support groups or local fitness-related programs. They were also able to take home free samples and score big prizes just for participating. Tables were giving out items like wolf-shaped stress balls, chapstick, supplements, coupons or free trials at various businesses and even essential oils.

Businesses like Dallas Health and Vitality Essentials were pioneering new technology, in this case, the BEMER, a chair designed to stimulates blood flow and oxygen supply. 

“We are no longer getting our essential nutrients from the food we eat, we have a severe lack of vital vitamins, and as a result our blood is not circulating like it should,” said owner of the business, Laurie Vail, “(but) everybody’s body is different.” 

Western students Chris Mizer and Daymon Stone were there representing the Monmouth Fitness Club. Both stated that they were “addicted to the gym.” Stone went as far as to say that he dedicates everything to his personal fitness and wants to open a gym in the future. Mizer said that his personal motto is “keep the first things first,” which translates to staying focused and not straying from your main goals.

Focusing more on the mental health aspect of overall wellness, Western’s Wellness Advocacy Group also attended the event, offering information related to their club, which meets Mondays from 4–5 p.m. in Todd Hall. According to Vice President Lea Sheldone and Social Media Coordinator Blanca De La Rosa, WAG orchestrates events like Paws for Positivity and the Out of Darkness walk for suicide prevention and awareness, which gathered over 140 people and raised almost $4,000 last year.  

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Stories from the children

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

 

Editor’s note: Content warning —

 

“The most painful thing you can do to a kid is separate them from the adult who cares for them,” said Willamette University Law Professor Warren Binford regarding the current United States Border crisis. Professor Binford was a member of a team who interviewed over 70 children currently being held at the U.S. border. She is a children’s law expert with a Masters with distinction in Education from Boston University and a Law degree from Harvard, and has been interviewed by various media outlets including CNN and PBS. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, Professor Binford was hosted by Western’s Model United Nations and the Salem United Nations Association to present a talk titled “4 Days in Clint,” which offered insight into the history of border control, included her accounts of the facilities detaining children separated from their loved ones, and proposed actions to increase awareness and support. 

Those in attendance were given postcards with direct quotes from children and mothers of children who are being detained at the border. Binford began by inviting the audience to read those quotes aloud. “We slept on a cement bench,” one quote read, pertaining to the conditions of the facility.

A room full of people sitting on padded seats listened while Binford said, “I wish that the quotes you read today were the exception, but the fact is that all along the southern border there are children who can testify to being treated the way that you just heard.” She then continued by explaining that the government has been involved in various child immigration issues since 1985, when the government would hold children as bait to try to get their parents who had illegally immigrated to reveal themselves by rescuing them. 

That prompted a 12-year fight for the children, which ended in the Flores Settlement Agreement of 1997 which granted children certain rights, primarily that children were to be provided with appropriate care and that they would be released first to their parents, then to another family member, another adult authorized by the family, and finally into foster care when there was no other alternative. 80% of the children in custody belonged to the first three categories at the time of the settlement passing.

However, Binford stated that it was “the Executive branch’s responsibility to implement those rights as regulations, but guess what happened? They never were promulgated, until just last summer.”

Binford also recounted the government’s verifiable entanglement in politics in the Northern Triangle, which represents the countries Honduras, El Salvedor and Guatemala, and how the U.S government’s conflict of interest in capital issues and ulterior motives to inhibit socialism from developing actually caused an influx in immigration. 

“We have been involved in Central American politics actively for 70 years and we know it,” said Binford. Families fleeing the gang violence caused by U.S. interference must travel over 1800 miles from the Northern Triangle to the border. During that journey, over 70% of girls report sexual assault, however this is a risk many are willing to take to escape the horrors of their homeland. Binford asserted, “generally, people don’t leave home unless they really have to.”

The U.S. government saw this influx in immigration and decided to come up with a plan that would deter families from crossing the border, which is why family separation has escalated into a crisis in 2019, Binford explained. However, “Research shows that if you want to deter migration, you don’t come down with strict migration policies, because that can actually increase migration … because people think … ‘this might be our last chance.’”

In 2017, when the government was first piloting family separation, Binford was a part of a team sent to inspect various border control facilities and assess their quality of care, and what she found was appalling. Despite the fact that border control standards maintain that they are only allowed to hold children for up to 72 hours, and the 20 days standard set by the Flores agreement, children were being held for months on end and separated from their families even in cases where the facility had the capacity to keep them together. In order to separate the family, mothers were told that they were “doing this to protect the child from trauma” regarding seeing the mother go through the court process. 

“Another mother talked about the fact that they told her they were taking her child away to give him a shower. I want you to think about that. I want you to think about the history of telling parents that they are giving their children showers, and the fact that U.S. government officials would say that,” said Binford. 

The children are being kept in abandoned military bases, or places like “The Walmart,” a previous Walmart superstore maintained by a non-profit called Southwest Key Programs and operated by a man called “Father Juan.” Father Juan, Binford stated, is an attorney from Harvard who is participating in the active displacement of children’s faith, culture, and language through acts such as separating indigenous children from each other, and having fundamentalist Christians teach the faith to a group of majority Catholic kids. 

Binford said, “we realized there is a type of cultural genocide going on in these facilities.” One wall of “The Walmart” is covered by “Juan-dollar bills,” which act as employee rewards for following “Father Juan’s” orders, and there is a mural dedicated to Donald Trump under which reads “sometimes, you have to lose the battle to win the war.”

Clint, on the other hand, is a tiny facility approved for 100 adults but currently holding 351 kids representing a range of ages. While Binford and her team were not able to inspect the facility itself, they were able to speak to the kids. 

“Many of them were sick, there was a lice outbreak, they were not being fed, they were not being given showers, they didn’t have soap, and most importantly, there was nobody taking care of them,” Binford said. The guards would make the older kids take care of the younger ones, but with no prior experience in doing so, they were disadvantaged. What’s equally as problematic, Binford said, is that this is being paid for by taxpayers dollars. 

“If you don’t want to believe that what we are doing is wrong ethically, then at least acknowledge that it’s a stupid thing to do financially.”

To conclude her presentation, Binford encouraged the public to take action through education, donation, engaging in conversation with legislatures, taking part in short-term fostering situations and most importantly, keeping the focus on telling the kid’s’ stories through art and through sites like amplifythechildren.org. 

“We don’t want them to whitewash the history and the brutality that these kids are experiencing,” Binford urged. 

At the very end of the talk, songwriter Kirsten Granger and guitarist Dan Wenzel of the band “True North” were invited to perform a song written on behalf of the children, in which the final verse conveyed, “abuelos hate to see us suffer, they’re out searching for our mothers, and they’ll bring our mothers soon.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

Made by students and for students, the ASWOU Book Exchange recognizes the perils of textbook costs and decided to do something about it

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

There is a general consensus among college students and that consensus is this: textbooks are extremely expensive. Luckily, Western’s student government, ASWOU, developed the ASWOU book exchange. Operating all year under the ‘My Programs’ tab in the student portal, it exists as a way to buy and sell textbooks for comparatively less than through the bookstore. 

According to an email sent out on Oct. 8, by ASWOU’s director of internal affairs, Danielle Campbell, “Selling a book is easy, fill out the info online and we will hold your book for up to 365 days. After that, you can come pick it up, or leave it to become ASWOU property. Once you choose to purchase or sell a book, you have 24 hours to either drop off your book or pay and pick up at the ASWOU office in WUC 122.” 

In a personal interview, Cambell suggested that searching by ISBN would be the most efficient way to find the right books through the portal.

The cupboards in front of ASWOU are filled with over 500 books. 

“Some are really outdated,” Campbell admitted, “there’s no way of really knowing what’s going to be used this year or next year because professors are always changing their materials, so we don’t want to get rid of any of them.” Campbell also stated, “the system that we have online was created only a few years ago for a senior project for the computer science program and it’s made by students, so it’s a very basic system.” She also hinted at a desire for the system to become more advanced in the next few years.

 Nevertheless, ASWOU book exchange exists as “a way for students to set their own price of what they think is fair,” and a way for “students … (to) help other students,” says Campbell.

For more information, contact ASWOU’s Director of Internal Affairs at aswou@.wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu