Mount Hood

Meet the candidates

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

With spring term comes the campus-wide event that decides who will represent the student body in 2018-2019: the ASWOU elections. Voting for the elections will begin on April 23 and will continue for at least a week, or until 10 percent of the student body has voted. To cast your vote, visit ASWOU’s OrgSync and read on to learn more about the candidates.

Name: Evelyn Guzman

Running for: President

“It has been the greatest experience being your student voice for the 2017-2018 year as Vice President … Your student voices matter and I truly believe that it is possible to have more of your voices represented in decision making settings but for that we need more involvement. I have attended Western since my freshman year and have continuously been involved with organizations/clubs and centers on campus, but also with initiatives within our community. I completely believe that (Western) has helped me grow as an individual and I intend on reflecting that back every step of the way. I intend on continuing to engage students into being more involved with (Western).”

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Name: Logan Doerfler

Running for: Judicial Administrator

“You may recognize my name after serving as your 2017-2018 Judicial Administrator.

After being granted the opportunity to serve the Western community I learned just how special ASWOU is, and how fulfilling it is to maintain the integrity of our systems, via Judicial Board hearings and participating in a number of ASWOU sponsored events. Western is a uniquely diverse community devoted to fair treatment and representation of all student demographics. As a student veteran, I represent a small but impactful group of individuals who strive to leave things better than they found it. I did my best to do so within ASWOU this year and will continue this priority next year.”

Photo by: Logan Doerfler

Name: Nathan Soltz

Running for: Senate President

“I have been active in politics since I was 15 and have been working in the Oregon State Senate since I was 18. I hold elected positions in party politics at the county, district and statewide levels. In 2016, I was elected to be a delegate to the national convention, becoming Oregon’s youngest-ever delegate at the age of 19 … I want to make the ASWOU Senate a deliberative, efficient body which truly understands the responsibilities it is sworn to uphold. The Senate represents you, the students of Western Oregon University, and with every action it takes, it needs to keep that in mind. As your ASWOU Senate President, I promise transparency, honesty and responsiveness.”

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Name: Rowan Hammer

Running for: a Senate seat

I am not running for ASWOU Senate with any specific agenda for making changes. Instead, I want to serve as an advocate for students and foster open communication between the student body and the university administration. I want to promote diversity and inclusion by working to ensure that everyone’s opinions and viewpoints can be shared openly, regardless of your personal background or attributes. If there is any one issue that I would want to try to address it would be an ongoing effort to make school more affordable for students, especially by encouraging instructors to adopt low-cost and open-source textbooks.

Photo by: Rowan Hammer

Name: Jamie Norr

Running for: a Senate seat

“This would be my second year on ASWOU Senate. I am extremely committed to improving our school for all students, faculty and staff, and community members. I believe that our student government should be an open space where everyone can voice their opinions and have their ideas heard. I plan to encourage and implement that idea if elected to this position. As a future educator, I love being involved in improving education for all and being a Senator will allow me to work on what our students want and need. I plan to increase opportunities for students to follow their passions in a healthy and positive way. I hope to assist in creating a safe and accepting school by listening to fellow students, advocating for changes, speaking out against discrimination or notions that may harm students, and working towards a better community.”

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Name: Erik Morgan Jr.

Running for: a Justice Board seat

“I want to continue to serve on the ASWOU Judicial Board because I believe in holding organizations accountable for the promises they make to the people they serve. In ASWOU’s mission statement, the organization pledges to ‘advocate for every WOU student’s rights to the WOU administration as well as the state of Oregon and the nation.’ In order to achieve that goal, ASWOU needs to be held responsible in two ways: by the students; and by the Judicial Board … By re-electing me to the ASWOU Judicial Board, students will be ensuring that there is an experienced Justice serving on the board that will act as a stabilizing figure and will allow a measure of consistency in decision making.”

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

How to start a club

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

While Western provides over 60 chartered clubs and organizations for students to get involved in, students have the ability to create a new club at any time during the school year. Whether it’s an academic science club or a recreational video game club, there are only seven simple steps to establishing an official club on campus.

 

Step 1: Get a staff advisor

A staff advisor is someone that advises and oversees the club. They can be directly involved in meetings and club events or they can just be there for guidance. The club advisor must be a Western faculty or staff member.

 

Step 2: Find at least five members

Every new club on campus needs at least five members to begin the registration process. These members must be current, active Western students that are participating in the organization.

 

Step 3: Elect officers

Every club must have a president and a financial officer, such as a treasurer. Other club positions can be discussed within the organization.

 

Step 4: Write a constitution

A constitution is a document that lays out principles that the club abides by. This includes the purpose of the organization, the titles and duties of officers within the club and how students can gain membership in the club. A full list of requirements for the constitution can be found in the Statute for Chartered Organizations on ASWOU’s OrgSync portal.

 

Step 5: Register on OrgSync

Registration, or chartering, on OrgSync begins the process of making a club official. The registration must include:

  • The organization’s full name
  • The purpose or mission statement of the organization
  • The selection process for new members
  • The meeting time, day and location
  • Contact information for at least five officers or general members
  • The name of and contact information for the advisor

 

Step 6: Wait for approval

ASWOU administrators will review the charter and the constitution for any missing components before approval.

 

Step 7: Plan meetings and events

Once approved, the club is considered an officially chartered organization and is able to reserve rooms, hold events, advertise on bulletin boards around campus and recruit new members.

 

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

 

Tuition expected to rise again

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

A proposed 4.03 percent increase in resident undergraduate tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year is up for approval by the Board of Trustees on April 18. This proposal follows last year’s 6.4 percent tuition increase for 2017-2018.

This tuition increase would raise undergraduate tuition from $165 per credit hour to $172 per credit hour. A 4.03 percent increase will also affect the Western Undergraduate Exchange program resulting in a proposed rate of $258 per credit hour. Both resident and non-resident graduate tuition will see a 3 percent increase.

Interim Vice President for Finance Dr. Jay Kenton created the proposal with the help of various committees. The Tuition Advisory Committee, a group of administrators, students and staff, was the key group that gave input on the tuition increase. Kenton also sought feedback from the student Senate, the graduate council, president Fuller and his cabinet and the University Budget Committee. Throughout the process, Kenton stressed the importance of student feedback in the tuition-setting process.

Along with the 4.03 percent increase, $400,000 is recommended to go toward fee remissions for students. Fee remissions are a type of institutional financial aid awarded to students that are low-income, from underrepresented populations or are first generation college students.

Although Western’s tuition is on the low side compared to other institutions, the actual amount that students pay is comparably high. Kenton explained that this is because most Oregon public universities remit close to 15 percent of their tuition, decreasing the actual amount students pay, while Western only provides 11.4 percent in fee remissions. Kenton hopes that these fee remissions help attract a diverse population of students and make obtaining a college degree more affordable and accessible.

“We, as a committee, were adamant about only approving the tuition increases if it meant that fee remissions were increased,” explained Tuition Advisory Committee member and senior Lila Gardner. “I am hopeful that $450,000-$500,000 that will be coming from that increase will help several hundred students be able to make going to college a reality.”

Junior education major Ailyn Angel was another member of  the Tuition Advisory Committee that voiced opinions on the tuition increase.

“As a student, I had a very blurry idea of where my money is going, and why it was so much for each individual,” Angel explained. “Being a part of the committee not only clarified what student money is being used for, but it also gave students an opportunity to have a say which I am extremely thankful for.”

In addition to the tuition increase, another issue going to the Board of Trustees on April 18 is whether or not to keep the Tuition Promise. The Promise ensures that a student’s tuition does not increase with annual tuition fluctuation, but students pay more for tuition in exchange for that stability. Over the past few years, Kenton found that students that chose the Tuition Promise were paying more over four years than students who chose to pay annual tuition increases.

Overall, Kenton expressed a hope that students voice opinions to the administration and the legislature to make real change happen when it comes to tuition.

“People are using their voices, they’re using the political processes that they have at their disposal to put pressure on universities to keep tuition low,” Kenton explained. “The impact that students have on this process can be profound, but you’ve got to participate.”

“I think this experience would benefit and empower all students not only because of impacting tuition rates, but also by showing the power that students hold when they come together,” Angel expressed. “I encourage all students to get involved in this process because we’re in a great university, with great people and we can make change.”

To voice opinions on the tuition proposal or the Tuition Promise, attend the Board of Trustees meeting on April 18 from 1-6 p.m. in the Columbia Room of the Werner University Center.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

New general education will replace LACC

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Most Western students are familiar with the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, or LACC: the set of degree requirements designed to build a solid foundation of knowledge for students as they work toward obtaining their degree. But the LACC course work is facing major changes involving an entire reconstruction of the general education program, effective as soon as fall of 2019.

The LACC guide that outlines categories such as creative arts, literature, social science and laboratory science will be replaced by a framework created by the General Education Task Force. This group, comprised of faculty members from various departments across campus, set out in spring 2017 to reimagine the general education at Western and ensure that students are getting the most out of the classes that they take.

Instead of categorizing each class based on area of study, the new general education framework separates requirements based on the skills obtained from taking the class. For example, students would be required to take a minimum of three credits that satisfies the category of Critical Thinking, three credits in Communication and Language and three credits in Citizenship, Social Responsibility and Global Awareness.

“We took data, we took what WOU is good at, and we tried to make a system that will be a little bit more flexible and a little bit more student-friendly,” explained Dr. Breeann Flesch, co-chair of the General Education Task Force. “We’re also hoping the students have a better understanding of why they’re taking those classes and the general education.”

A new addition to Western’s general education program is the implementation of First Year Seminars, which Flesch explains will help develop skills for traditional first-year students. 72.2 percent of first-year students returned to Western as sophomores in 2017. Flesch also hopes that the class will strengthen connections between students and the university and increase the likelihood that they continue their education at Western.

The general education framework was approved by Faculty Senate on March 13. The next step, Flesch explained, is creating a complete list of classes that satisfy each skill category.

Flesch noted that she hopes this new general education program will increase student success and remove barriers to graduation and retainment, explaining: “We hoped to make it a little more flexible and a little less complicated.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Cycling in style

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Scattered around campus, waiting in front of buildings and seated along sidewalks are bright orange bicycles that popped up around Western early spring term. The recently-launched bike share program allows students to grab a bicycle and, with just the download of an app, start pedaling.

“Students should feel free to hop on this bike and ride it wherever they want,” explained Student Enrichment Program director Marshall Habermann-Guthrie. For only 50 cents for a half hour ride, the Spin bike share company aims to provide accessible and inexpensive transportation options to cities and campuses around the United States.

To get started, download the “Spin – Ride Your Way” app onto a smartphone. Habermann-Guthrie advises students to log in to the app with their .edu email to get the discounted rate of 50 cents per half hour instead of $1 per half hour for non-Western users. Students can input a form of payment such as a debit or credit card and continuously add money to the app, or they can choose a monthly option for $14 per month or annual option for $49 per year. These packages allow users free unlimited rides up to thirty minutes and provide transportation to downtown Monmouth, Independence or for a quick trip across campus.

Finding a bike can be simple by viewing the app’s map that shows every bike’s location in the Monmouth area. Scanning the bike’s QR code with the app triggers the back wheel to unlock, allowing users to hop on and ride to their next destination. Locking the back wheel after riding will notify the app that the ride is over. Because the bikes lock on their own, they can be docked at any location as long as it’s out of the way of cars and pedestrians.

The bike is complete with a front basket, a headlight and taillight, a kickstand and a bell. No special clothing or helmets are required when riding. “You shouldn’t feel like there’s some barrier between you and hopping on a bike,” said Habermann-Guthrie.

Habermann-Guthrie expressed his hope that this program will help all students, especially low-income individuals that may not have another mode of transportation.

“If we can provide an opportunity for students to get to an internship in Independence for $6 a month or 50 cents a ride, that is a huge benefit to our students,” he explained.

Many students, including sophomore Ellen Moore, are already utilizing the campus bikes.

“I personally don’t have my own car, so it’s really great that I can use them whenever, and it’s also better for the environment,” Moore explained. “Plus, bike rides are just a fun way to get exercise with friends, so it’s perfect that they got here in the spring.”

To try out the new bikes, download the app and get your first two rides free. Contact Habermann-Guthrie at guthriem@wou.edu with questions or comments.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

Commemorating 100 years of women’s suffrage

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

On Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified to prohibit the government from denying voting rights based on sex and allowed white women the right to vote. Nearly 100 years later, the Oregon 2020 Kickoff event at the Oregon state capitol began the commemoration of women’s voting rights.

“The vote is an opportunity to become a part of our own destiny,” expressed republican leader of the Oregon state Senate Jackie Winters. Winters was just one of the important public figures in Oregon that discussed the importance of the vote; others include Eliza Canty-Jones of the Oregon Historical Society, former Oregon governor Barbara Roberts, Judy Margles from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and Willamette University Professor Emerita Linda Tamura.

Western history professor Kimberly Jensen explained the historical context behind the ratification. Voting rights for women were placed on the ballot a total of six times in Oregon, more than any other state, and was finally passed in 1912, eight years prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

“It was because of grassroots activism, diverse communities, and the men who voted to share the vote with women in 1912,” Jensen explained. Clubs and organizations helped to educate women on policies and legislation prior to voting. Several women became candidates for office as soon as suffrage was achieved.

Jensen expressed that, “Just as we commemorate the determined work of other Oregon women to achieve and use their voting rights, we acknowledge their part in achieving civic progress as we also understand that we must fight to protect and maintain those civic rights that they worked so hard to gain.”

Roberts, the first female governor of Oregon, reflected back to the time when women in leadership and political positions were few and far between. But now, Roberts explained, Oregon has come a long way. With five women elected to Congress, four female Secretaries of State, three women mayors of Portland and two female governors.

“We weren’t satisfied, though, with being the token woman on the school board or city council or Ways and Means Committee, or the lone woman on a court bench. We’ve worked and we have won majority status on those school boards, those city councils, and those court benches,” Roberts added, “Our votes are a value asset. We should use our votes wisely and be informed voters. And we must always remember that democracy is not a spectator sport.”

In addition to the speakers, the event included fourteen Western students that had the opportunity to capture a piece of history and create a lasting online exhibit centered on women’s voting rights. As part of Jensen’s Nineteenth Amendment Centennial in Historical Context: Oregon and Beyond class at Western, the honors students created research projects that shed light on the women’s suffrage movement and various aspects of the time period.

While the research topics ranged from international suffrage in the Philippines to Oregon legislator Sylvia Thompson, others discussed women’s suffrage closer to home. In her project titled “Normal School Extracurriculars,” sophomore Rachel Bayly explores how being involved in extracurricular activities at Oregon Normal School, now Western Oregon University, provided college women with the skills to be successful teachers and activists after leaving school. This, Bayly explained in her documents project, “gave young women from rural and working-class backgrounds an opportunity to contribute to the positive changes being made in society during the early 1900s.”

When asked what she hopes others take away from this work by students, Jensen replied: “I hope students and community members will gain knowledge about the diverse Oregon women who were part of the struggle to gain the vote, the continuing barriers to voting, and the other activist projects in which Oregonians engaged and continue to work to achieve social justice. Grassroots activism and inclusion have been keys to success in Oregon and the nation.”

For more information, view the class’s online research documents at oregonwomenshistory.org and learn more about the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and women’s suffrage.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: oregonencyclopedia.org, Sam Dunaway

 

Anthropology student sheds light on Islam

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

At Bazaar International Market in Corvallis, a variety of food products from across the Middle East line the shelves, cuts of fresh halal meat are available daily and a collection of teas invite curious customers. This is where anthropology major Elliot Paulson spends a good portion of his time gathering research and information for his senior thesis titled “Mainstreaming Halal: A Growing Niche Market in an Oregon University Town.”

Paulson became fascinated with Islam while taking a Middle Eastern religions class and a Middle Eastern history class at Western. It was while he was enrolled in the Anthropology of Islam class that he was considering a topic centered around Islam for his senior thesis.

“Americans have one view of what a Muslim is,” Paulson explained. He claimed that many individuals think of Islam as solely a Middle Eastern religion and tend to stereotype the individuals that follow the faith. “What Anthropology of Islam taught me is that’s not the case.”

After much consideration, Paulson decided on the topic for his senior thesis: halal food availability in Corvallis. Specifically, Paulson aimed to find out why the halal food market is growing in Corvallis and what demographics are purchasing halal food.

Halal is an Arabic word that refers to anything that is permitted or lawful. It describes food that follows the dietary standards stated in the Qur’an and prepared according to Islamic law. Stated by the Islamic Council of Victoria, Islamic law requires the humane treatment of animals before slaughter, prohibits the consumption of pig products and holds several other high standards for halal food.

Paulson interviewed Muslim community members at the mosque in Corvallis and visited family-owned markets and large stores like Safeway to get an idea as to why halal food has been growing in popularity in Corvallis. Paulson speculates that the ethnic diversity of Corvallis may play a part, as well as many non-Muslim individuals seeking out halal products because of the humane slaughter of the animals.

Paulson hopes that his research can help inform people about the religion.

“There’s an element of fear that surrounds Islam,” said Paulson. “I think that a lot of it comes from just not being familiar. And something like food, especially something like halal, can be normalized.”

He also believes that visiting a mosque or talking to Muslim individuals can benefit many individuals; “I think everyone needs to step out of their comfort zone and just interact with people that you might not normally interact with. You’ll probably meet some fascinating people that way.”

Paulson added that the skills he gained working with diverse individuals at Western helped with his research, explaining that “the more that you can respectfully work with people that are not from your own circle, the better you’re going to do.”

Whether it’s trying halal food, visiting a mosque or taking a class about Islam, Paulson encourages everyone to learn more about the faith and explore Islam.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

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