Mount Hood

Western promotes diversity

By: TK Layman
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

College students are hungrier than you think

By: Sadie Verville
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at sverville15@wou.edu

Take care, become breast cancer aware

By: Jade Rayner
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at jrayner14@wou.edu

Don’t freak out: ShakeOut

 

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Monmouth City Council 2016

By:TK Layman
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

New contract provokes Portland protests

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Contraception and controversy

By: TK Layman
Freelancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

#Vote2016

By: Stephanie Blair
Editor-in-Chief

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

 

Your food may be getting cheaper

By: Brian Tesch
Advertising Manager

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at btesch14@wou.edu

Exploring the final frontier

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu.

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