News – Page 8 – The Western Howl

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Stephanie Juanillo’s art display, “Entre Colores: Un Homenaje a la Vida y la Muerte (Between Colors: An Homage to Life and Death),” will be displayed in the Cannon Gallery in Campbell Hall until the end of October.

Featuring various acrylic paintings on canvas as well as an ofrenda — an altar in homage to Juanillo’s abuelito Berna, with candles, marigold flowers and a beautiful painting — the display puts on an equally powerful and beautiful message, honoring family and loved ones who have passed.

According to the Western calendar page, “Stephanie Juanilo’s exhibition … is a personal, bold and colorful exploration of the coexistence of grief and joy and how they both permeate the topics most important to her, such as migration, community, family, loss, distance and intergenerational healing.”

Juanillo, being a first-generation immigrant, utilizes “bold colors, patterns and textures (inspired by) Mexican iconography, Latinx music, past memories, people and nostalgia. The act of creating — whether it be painting, printmaking, collage or installation — serves as a way for Stephanie to stay connected to her Mexican roots.”

Juanillo’s Instagram, @color.obsessed, explores Juanillo’s relationship with art and projects current and past. One post features a painting on display in Cannon Gallery, with Juanillo captioning it: “Flowers have a deep cultural and emotional meaning in the immigrant community, I wanted to honor that as much as possible. This is dedicated to the physical and spiritual connection that many of us experience through nature. What a special way to stay connected to our native homes, family and traditions.”

Another post, featuring a collage piece centering around Juanillo’s abuelito Berna, states, “I wanted to emphasize and capture his joy for life. When I was in Mexico visiting my family, I was always greeted by him with a smile that eventually turned into laughter and then a warm hug. He showed me his plants and took pride in his love. Leaving Michoacán was really hard, but I carry the image of his warm smile and loving spirit in my memory always.”

In the center of the room, facing Berna’s ofrenda and the accompanying installation, a plaque with a typed letter from Stephanie Janillo read:

“When my father left his home country, he kissed the earth and cried. Days turned into months, months into years, our new life in the U.S. began. Any and every object, song, smell, food that reminded my parents of home filled our house. Distance and borders, both physical and metaphorical, were met with an abundance of my mami’s cooking passed on from her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, soothing our neverending nostalgic void. Our garden, so meticulously cared for by my dad, became a refuge, a beautiful love for flowers and plants. I don’t know when the grief stops, the grief of not watching your parents grow old, of missing out on family celebrations and milestones. The grief of a friend or family member you were not able to say goodbye to and hug for the very last time. I don’t think it ever really stops or goes away because it is an extension of the love we still hold for a person, place and moment in time. So as each November approaches and we get closer to (Dia de los Muertos), I take the time to sit with these feelings. Marigolds decorate our altars and homes, a guide to help the spirit of those who have passed find their way back home. The souls of our loved ones return in the form of a monarch butterfly. Photographs and favorite foods of the dead adorn the ofrendas. Stories are shared, (life that was lived and is yet to live is celebrated and cries and laughter synchronize. I’m reminded that) to love and to be loved is a gift and one of the greatest honors we get to experience as humans. I’m reminded of the value, power and resilience of keeping traditions alive.

So I ask you, if you had to leave your home today, if you had to leave your family, friends and everything you’ve ever known and loved, what would help you stay connected? What memories would you preserve? What pictures would you decorate your new home with? How would you (spend your last week with those you love? What would you leave unsaid? What would become a) physical representation of your grief and longing? How would your definition of home change?

May this show be a love letter to my family and all of the immigrants who are forced to leave their homeland. Their story and their sacrifice are always with me and woven into every piece I make. (May this show be an invitation for you to love more intentionally, to celebrate life and sit) with whatever grief you are currently experiencing.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu.

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Hall gov.

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Every residence hall at Western has a student government. Hall governments are a place for students to go if they want to voice any concerns, ideas or opinions about their hall. Not only that, but in past years, members of hall governments have gotten new supplies for kitchens and lounges. Maddy Wilson, assistant resident advisor for Arbor Park and Landers, stated, “Last year they bought new TVs for both Sequoia and the Landers Lower Lounge, so that’s one big thing that they’ve done.”

Beyond that, the hall government teams have also put together various programs for students, such as block parties, that help students build stronger communities and bond.

Leadership and Programs Coordinator Connor King-Goehring, stressed the importance of building a community at a smaller level. “Buildings have their own governments to talk to that are their peers, just because it’s easier to talk to someone that you see every day in your hall,” said King-Goehring. “All students have a voice on campus. … (They) don’t need to be involved to have a voice on campus, but getting involved in hall government will really uplift the students’ voices.” King-Goehring emphasizes that all students should be represented, especially since first-year students are required to live on campus unless waived by Western.

Students participating in hall governments can plan events that they believe will be fun and engaging for their peers, like parades. “Last year was our first annual Pride parade,” said King-Goehring — last June, RAs marched for Pride in Monmouth behind a decorated car-float and handed out LGBTQ+ flags to the crowd. It was planned by the combined efforts of RHA and Monmouth Has Pride committee. By participating in hall governments, people can start events, such as involving themselves in Pride as King-Goehring did, and even shape traditions that potentially make life at Western more enriching.

“I am the coordinator of leadership and programs, and so I work on a professional staff level,” said King-Goehring. “I work here full time as my job. My role in hall government is I oversee the Residence Hall Association that sits above the hall government.”

When King-Goehring was a student at Western, he was involved in hall governments and housing. “I came back professionally advising RHA and Hall gov. because I enjoy housing and advising student leaders.”

King-Goehring placed emphasis on seeing students overcome their fears and gain confidence in their roles — stating that he loves “watching the joy in students and the student leaders’ eyes when they put on these programs and when they’re doing all these amazing things, and being like, ‘That’s because of you. You’re the one who did it.’”

Augusta Edwards, Ackerman’s resident director, understands the importance of having communication between a school’s residents and its staff. “I went to a college that did not have any form of hall government or even a Residence Hall Association, and then I worked at a college where I was working to bring back the Residence Hall Association,” said Edwards. Even though they didn’t have a hall government, they still knew how beneficial it would be to the students. “Hall government’s a great starting point into learning what your voice is and what your voice does.”

This is Edwards’ second year working at Western. As a Resident Director, they help oversee the hall government of Ackerman and watch students gain valuable experience by being in the hall government. For instance, the treasurer will learn budgeting skills and might get to work with vendors for certain programs. “It’s good to be involved. It helps build campus connections and that sense of belonging that WOU has been really working really hard to foster,” said Edwards.

Being a part of a student government does come with some challenges, according to Edwards. “In regards to hall government, we’re bringing all these people in hopefully with these diverse experiences and these new ideas, and how do we get these people to work together? Conflict is inevitable, and so how do we move past conflict and work together as a team?”

Many of Western’s programs, especially hall governments, face the problem of low student involvement. “Getting students involved” is the hardest part about being an ARA, according to Wilson. Each hall has meetings that are open to all residents of that building, regardless of whether or not the student is a member of the government. “Come to at least one meeting and check it out. It’s not as scary as you think. The people who are there want to be involved, and they’re very friendly, and they want to make friends,” said Wilson. “I would say if people are interested in joining Hall gov … then to reach out to their (resident director) and they can get them connected.”

King-Goehring, along with many other people involved in hall governments, are always striving to put students’ wellbeing first. “It’s volunteer work, and it’s seen as volunteer work,” he said. “A motto that university housing follows is: you’re human first, and then a student and then a student leader.” Staff of hall governments prioritize student health and can accommodate for class schedules, mental health and other obstacles that may come up in students’ lives.

Elections for hall governments are already underway. However, it is not too late for students to get involved — they can attend a meeting any time throughout the year and voice their thoughts to their peers, or contact their resident director to make their opinions known. “I love being involved and knowing that I’m making a change,” said Wilson.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Western’s community garden

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Located on campus near Rice Auditorium, behind the in-progress new Student Success Center building, a community garden grows despite being surrounded by construction. Currently, it is being taken care of solely by Western alumnus Rick Tingle. The garden consists of several compost piles, strawberries, potatoes, raspberries, squash and many other fruits and vegetables. It also is home to a satellite dish, which is in the process of being dismantled.

Although the garden is in a fenced-off area, Tingle planted raspberries along the fence specifically for students to graze. “It used to be that people knew the garden was here only by coming down this trail and they would come by and pick the raspberries,” he said. Eventually, he wants the fence to be covered with additional plants, such as blueberries and cherry tomatoes.

“Every one of these plants I started on my balcony… I got to know every one of these plants, and I’ve watered them by hand every morning since late winter and early spring,” Tingle said.

His hard work in the garden was coming to fruition, with cucumbers, tomatoes and Japanese eggplant being harvested.

Tingle graduated in the spring of 2024 from Western with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice: Justice Studies. “Before that, here at (Western), I got my bachelor’s of anthropology and psychology and all of those things just dance. They interact,” he said. Before graduating with his master’s degree, Tingle wrote a research paper about how community gardens could help solve food inequity problems on college campuses — part of the reason why Tingle remains at Western, although no longer a student.

“I don’t mind being one of those invisible people doing the hard work in the garden. I just want the results of the hard work to be visible and effective,” Tingle wrote in a document. He is working toward the goal of “providing healthy foods for hungry people” at Western.

Tingle has been in the community garden every single day for two years. Even when the heat rose to 100 degrees during the summer, he was still planting, watering and keeping up his composting project.

Last autumn, Tingle began working with Western’s food pantry. Every Tuesday, the food pantry has supplied him with food that they would have otherwise had to throw away. Tingle is given a wide variety of expired or rotten food, such as potatoes, rice, bread and even cupcakes, before adding it to the different compost piles within the garden.

“The strawberries weren’t doing anything. Maybe the soil hadn’t been replenished. And then I got maybe 150 pounds of potatoes,” said Tingle — he ended up crushing the potatoes and mixing them in with the soil. In turn, the strawberries started growing with full force, with a sea of red potatoes growing in between the strawberry plants.

On sunny days, Tingle covers the compost piles with cardboard to make sure that the compost-eating creatures stay up top. “I’ve trimmed, I’ve pulled all the weeds and I keep it watered along the fence. I use those weeds with the compost,” Tingle said. He also mixes unexpected things like popcorn kernels into the compost. “This is what’s fun to me. It’s like an experimental compost.” Since he expects there to be much more food thrown out because of the start of the school year, Tingle has considered making another row and starting a new composting project altogether.

Ideally, the garden will become a place where students can work, enjoy their hobbies and make connections with other students. In the community garden, students can learn about gardening and composting and also have a space to feel comfortable and partake in Tingle’s “experimental composting.”

“From my research, one of the key points was that students need to feel comfortable in the garden space and their needs should be considered while planning the layout of the garden,” wrote Tingle. “Students need to interact in an enjoyable, creative atmosphere.”

“I want to let people know that there is a garden here and that it has been in transition, but we could use help right now beautifying it,” Tingle said. Success has been evident in Tingle taking care of the garden by himself, but he needs help making it accessible and appealing to all students. Any student can volunteer, whether it’s picking weeds, planting, general maintenance or painting the planter boxes.

“The last class that I did was a sustainability class because all of my research, all my findings, for my paper… I learned about permaculture. And one thing about permaculture is design. It’s a creative design, there’s an aspect that you have to make. The garden needs to be more than just planting and eating vegetables,” said Tingle.

Volunteers could also help make a website for the community garden. “Together we can begin to network and consider methods of a working garden website where people can communicate where help might be needed. The website may also be developed so that students might be able to check for real-time status updates of their plants in the garden,” he wrote.

If students are interested in helping out in any way or have any questions or suggestions, email Rick Tingle at rtingle18@mail.wou.edu.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Harold Mason: A retrospective

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

“Harold Mason: A Retrospective,” available for viewing at the Hamersly Library, opened June 8, 2024, to honor artist Harold Mason after his passing in August of 2022.

The exhibition showcases some of Harold Mason’s paintings and artworks, but is not able to encapsulate all of Mason’s lifetime spent creating masterpieces. Throughout his life, he mainly pursued watercolor painting, etching, lithographs, collages and pencil drawings. “Harold Mason: A Retrospective” includes a variety of his different mediums, including pencil sketches of instruments, watercolor seascapes and painted traditional Native vases. Both Harold Mason and his wife, Sue Mason, a fellow artist and potter, drew a lot of inspiration from historic pottery and sought them out in their life together.

Sue described her husband as having a “cute sense of humor” and being a lovely man. “Like so many artists, he was very sure of himself and yet completely unsure all at the same time — but he had a good career.”

“One interesting thing is the seascapes,” said Sue Mason. “He never did seascapes because he had a good friend who went out on his own at about the same time Harold did, and he did nothing but seascapes. He lived in Mendocino, California, right on the coast, and we were friends with him and his wife, our kids and their kids grew up together. Well, (one day), Harold decided he wanted to get a hold of John, and he found out that he had passed away, so out of consideration for their friendship, he did a seascape… and he enjoyed it so much that he did a number of them.”

For a decent amount of time, Harold and Sue lived in Carmel, California, which sits right on the coast. Sue described the ocean as very dear to their hearts.

Having married in Switzerland in 1961 due to Harold being drafted into the army and consequently moved to Germany, the two of them spent 61 years living as artists and moving from place to place. They previously lived in California, Maine and New Mexico before settling in Monmouth, Oregon, in a quaint mid-century modern house with a spiral staircase and personal artwork on every wall, almost all handmade by either Harold or Sue.

“And then when we came home (from Germany and Switzerland), we started a family, and when our children, our son was about four and our daughter was about two, we decided it was time for (Harold) to go out on his own and he never looked back,” said Sue regarding his career. “He made his living from his art. We’re not wealthy, but we had a wealthy life. The arts have been our life.”

Harold Mason started exhibiting his art in 1968 and stopped around 2008 from galleries, but did not quit painting or art. “He painted up almost until he died,” said Sue. “That August, the gallery in Independence had asked us to do a show together — I’m a potter — and he was too ill to even hang the show, but they hung it for him. So, really, he exhibited forever.”

In four decades of exhibiting, Harold became a nationally recognized watercolor artist with a talent for landscape and wildlife, and had his art featured in various shows and museums. He held fourteen one-man shows in Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ; San Francisco, Oakland and Carmel, CA; and Seattle, WA. The Carnegie Museum of Art in Chicago continues to keep one of Mason’s watercolors in their permanent collection, with the Albuquerque Museum of Art and the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco having featured his work previously.

This exhibition is expected to be the last of Harold Mason’s work — with half of all sales from the artwork on display going to produce art scholarships for Western students looking to further their craft by entering higher education, which Sue Mason highly encourages.

“I loved my husband’s art just about as much as I loved him,” said Sue Mason, always advertising not only Harold Mason’s work but fellow local artists and their galleries. Sue, still in the art scene and involved with Western, stays on top of who will be exhibiting with the college at Cannon Gallery and with the city of Monmouth.

Western has printed multiple copies of an illustrated poetry book, art done by Harold Mason and poems by a family friend, Grant Hoyt, for Sue Mason, with the goal being to eventually publish “Circus Circus.” The book, in loving memory of Harold Mason, showcases various colored and black and white illustrations of hopping dinosaurs — the final passage being Sue Mason’s favorite and the last lines stating, “Celebrate our circus, share your memories with a friend / May the fantasy and wonder live on and never end.”

It remains to be seen when “Circus Circus” will be available for purchase. Until then, Harold’s artwork may be viewed on the second floor of the Hamersly Library until the end of October.

“Harold — he never had to do anything other than his drawings and paintings, and I think that’s worth celebrating. So I wanted to show students that if their art is their thing, to believe in themselves,” said Sue Mason.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu.

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Vote now

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

The 2024 presidential election is coming up, with Election Day being Nov. 5. In Oregon, ballots must either be in a ballot drop box or postmarked by Election Day. The deadline for voter registration has passed, however, people can check if they’re registered by going to the “My Vote” page on the Oregon secretary of state’s website. “Oregon has the ‘motor voter’ bill, so when you get your license you’re automatically registered to vote,” said Mary Pettenger, a professor in the Politics, Policy and Administration department at Western.

After filling out a ballot, students can drop them off at the ballot drop box located on the second floor of the Werner University Center. The secretary of state’s website has a feature called “Track My Ballot” that allows people to check if their ballots have been received.

Pettenger, along with Dr. Earlene Camarillo, believes in the importance of getting young people to vote. The two professors started the Empowered Communities Project in 2022. “Part of our goal is to get people more involved in their civic world,” said Pettenger. “(Voting is) one of the biggest ways people can really have their voice heard in a democracy.”

The Empowered Communities Project has been a significant part of encouraging students to engage in their local communities. It also helps students learn about civil service, democracy and advocacy. “We’ve been having events, speakers and hosting training for how to be an advocate or a lobbyist,” said Pettenger.

The voting process can be overwhelming for students who are participating for the first time, but Pettenger emphasized that it’s not something to worry about. “It’s not as hard as it sounds … And you don’t have to fill in each name, you can just vote for particular offices, too.”

For first-time voters, it may be difficult to sift through all of the information about the presidential candidates, but that’s where the secretary of state’s website can be useful once again. “(On the) website there’s a link to find the voter’s pamphlet, and then each candidate has a statement and you can see who supports them or not,” said Pettenger.

“We’re really privileged in our society to have a democracy. Being able to vote is part of being part of your community and caring about what happens,” said Pettenger.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Hurricane season

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

The National Ocean Service says that a hurricane is a “rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms.” They form over the tropical warm waters of an ocean. “(Hurricanes) often (begin) as a tropical wave — a low-pressure area that moves through the moisture-rich tropics, possibly enhancing shower and thunderstorm activity.” When hurricanes move inland, they typically lose power due to the lack of warm water that acts as fuel for the storm.

Hurricanes are split into five categories, with Category 1 being the least powerful and Category 5 being the most. “The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes,” said the National Ocean Service.

Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane Sept. 26. It diminished to a tropical storm as it traveled inland through Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia and then Tennessee. Most of those states saw severe flooding, with Florida receiving storm surges of up to 15 feet.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida Oct. 9. Although it decreased from a Category 5 to a Category 3 as it hit land, it was still vastly destructive. It moved from Florida’s west coast across the state and into the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricanes were disastrous by themselves, but they also spawned multiple tornadoes. As of Oct. 16, there were at least 268 casualties from both hurricanes combined, with Helene being much more deadly.

During Hurricane Helene, the city of Asheville, North Carolina — known for its beautiful art and architecture — was decimated. The city is home to two intersecting rivers, which makes it susceptible to major flooding. Roads were buried by mudslides or washed away by the floods, and residents were isolated without power or cell service for at least two weeks.

For both hurricanes, many counties had mandatory evacuation orders. Some people, however, decided to stay and brave the storms. Jane Castor, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, issued a warning to people in mandatory evacuation zones. “I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die,” said Castor. Before Hurricane Helene, Taylor County, Florida, notified residents that if they chose not to evacuate, they needed to write their personal and important information on themselves with a permanent marker so they could be easily identified.

Joseph Malinowski, who is also known as “Lieutenant Dan” on TikTok, hunkered down in Tampa Bay on his boat during Hurricane Milton. “The safest place to be is on a boat in a flood,” Malinowski said in a video posted by the TikTok account “Daily Mail.” Miraculously, he was found alive in his boat after the storm had passed.

One person known on TikTok as Ashly Cox posted a video that quickly became controversial. “When you live in a mandatory evacuation zone but your boyfriend says ‘we’re staying,’” the video said. Many people online warned her about the dangers of Helene, with some people even telling her to not only leave her home in Tampa, but leave her partner as well. Cox then posted a follow-up video clarifying that she is the decision-maker, and if she had wanted to leave they would have left. She gained even more criticism because of that video from viewers who turned their hate away from her boyfriend and onto her. One day after the hurricane hit, she posted another video to let people know that she was safe.

Another TikTok user, “Kricketfelt,” first posted about staying on the Gulf of Mexico in a mandatory evacuation zone during Hurricane Helene. “Because my house is three floors and solid concrete, we are not evacuating,” she said. “Kricketfelt” posted videos during and after Helene, documenting the aftermath of the strong winds and flooding. When Hurricane Milton hit, she and her family decided to ride out the storm once again, despite being given evacuation orders by the police. She posted continuous videos showcasing Milton before it made landfall. Her posting ceased when it made landfall Oct. 9, causing concern amongst her viewers, however reports were made from individuals who drove by her house and found it still standing with the power on.

The American Red Cross has been a significant contributor to the hurricane relief being provided in the areas affected by Helene and Milton. They have sent volunteers to ensure that people are being given food, shelter and medical attention. To donate to The American Red Cross’ hurricane relief fund, go to https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Wolf Ride

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

WOLF Ride is a Safe Ride program that any student can use as a form of transportation anywhere in Monmouth and Independence. It can accommodate up to six passengers in the WOLF Ride van. “The student fees that they pay alongside tuition goes towards WOLF Ride, so they get to utilize WOLF Ride completely free during their operating hours,” said Cameron Mortensen, who oversees the Wolf Ride program. The operating hours for the program are Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. For students who need rides during the day, it is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Having a program like WOLF Ride on campus is integral to helping students feel safe. “Especially now as it starts getting darker earlier if they’re coming back from class, if they live off campus, or if they need to do something off campus and then come back, they have a safe way of doing that,” said Mortensen.

WOLF Ride also helps students who don’t have a vehicle on campus. “It gives students more flexibility. It gives them more autonomy,” said Mortensen. “From an accessibility standpoint, we do have a wheelchair lift in the van, so for students who need to utilize that it could be a more easy and accessible way to get to where they need to go.” WOLF Ride is a reliable resource for students who normally would not have an easy way to get groceries or go to and from Monmouth and Independence.

This is the first year that the program has an app – “WOLF Ride for WOU Students” – for students to request rides. “They just put in where they are, where they want to go and then it can give students real-time updates on how long it will take the driver to get there. They can rate the driver at the very end.”

The app is free to download and is easy for students to navigate.

Mortensen is very open to accepting feedback from students about how to improve WOLF Ride. “Even if you just try it once, just see how it is and let us know.,” Mortensen said.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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The Oregon Student Association closes

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

The Oregon Student Association, known as OSA, announced Oct. 9 that the organization would be formally closing its doors and suspending all action. The organization acted as a student-led nonprofit advocacy group, well-known across the state for its role in making positive changes in colleges across the state of Oregon. OSA’s website described the organization as a place to “bring students together to build collective power, develop their professional political skills and achieve concrete wings for students on the issues they care about. Through legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing, OSA is working towards a future where a quality, equitable, debt-free higher education is affordable and accessible for ALL Oregonians.”

OSA brought student access to incidental fees to fruition when students passed a bill in Oregon to grant students funding and control over their college experiences. In turn, student governments were then able to collaborate directly with their universities and represent student voices.

Student leaders from the University of Oregon joined leaders from Oregon State University and Southern Oregon University to further explore Statewide Student Associations. They then “loaded into a van and hit the road” according to OSA’s historical page, spreading ideas about gathering funding for an organization to be founded, tied in directly with the legislature protecting higher education in the state of Oregon.

In 1975, it was given a name — the Oregon Student Association — and within one year, all public universities joined OSA. A board of governors was established and more members were instated to train students in legislative engagement and advocate on behalf of students.

This last year alone, OSA secured the Semiconductor Talent Fund and TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package and also passed SB 1502: School Board Transparency Bill, SB 1596: Right to Repair, SB 1552: Senate Education Omnibus and other higher education investments. TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package will fund multiple other universities alongside Western to create a higher capacity for licensed behavioral health workers, while the school board transparency bill will require posted live streams for governing body meetings of school districts, education service districts, community college districts and public universities.

In past years, OSA has passed bills protecting and supporting university students who experienced sexual violence, increased statewide access to job training, increased education access for incarcerated students, provided free menstrual products on campuses, allocated $19 million to fund members of Oregon Native tribes in higher education and many more.

The announcement Wednesday, Oct. 9, was posted to OSA’s website as well as social media. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of the Oregon Student Association after almost 50 years of student-led advocacy across the state. Since 1975, OSA has empowered future leaders and unified students across Oregon to build collective power to advocate for policies that create a more equitable and accessible higher education system,” it stated. “OSA has worked tirelessly for decades to ensure that the voices and rights of students were heard and respected at every level of decision-making.”

It followed after years of reports that OSA struggled financially and structurally, with tax documents from 2023 claiming a negative net worth of more than $400,000. Nick Keough, OSA’s legislative director, explained that over time, OSA received less and less per year from universities tied with the organization. Each university and college had previously decided what money to allocate toward OSA annually, but as costs rose in the country, money became essential elsewhere.

“This was an unbelievably difficult decision,” said Keough. “This decision is ultimately about recognizing recent constraints we faced and being realistic about the organization’s sustainability.”

Last summer, central leader and Executive Director Joseph Cruz and staff member José Zapata were unfortunately involved in a dangerous car accident that left Cruz critically injured with a long road to recovery and took the life of Zapata.

“The tragic loss of a staff member and the injury of our executive director have just made it incredibly cumbersome to continue operating,” said Keough.

OSA thanked their staff, coalition partners and student leaders in their announcement, expressing that it had been an honor to serve Oregon’s students. “We leave behind not just a legacy, but a call to action. To every student, organizer and advocate; your voice matters, and your work is needed… The fight for a better future for all students is far from over,” OSA stated on their Instagram.

The majority of the responses were devastated, with many commenters personally tied to OSA and remembering their long history of advocacy.

“It will be a different world without OSA’s presence, but I know the contributions it made have inspired us all,” wrote commenter Finn Jacobson from the University of Oregon. “Thank you all for your service.”

“OSA had such an impact and gave folks a truly amazing opportunity to grow and make change. Best wishes,” said Eliott Coda.

Another commenter, Courtney Veronnaeu, described her time with OSA. “OSA is where I learned the power of and how to organize the community to advance racial, gender and economic justice. So grateful for my time on staff and for the many lasting and meaningful friendships that began there.”

Alexandra Flores-Quilty, from Oregon, said: “Heartbreaking to hear. I appreciate the OSA leaders who have been supporting the (organization) during these last few difficult years.”

Portland-based supporter, Elona Wilson, expressed their admiration. “I am constantly inspired by the work (you all) have done, the people you have scaffolded and your deep commitment to Oregon’s students. 50 years of badass change is something all OSA alumni and current students should be incredibly proud of. You will be missed, but know that your legacy will continue to inspire movements far past this moment. Thank you.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu.

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Declining literacy in America

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

All over the nation, schools have seen a decline in literacy rates among students, but Oregon has seen the steadiest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures and remote learning due to the pandemic made learning to read much more difficult for students, especially among disadvantaged youth.

In a 2023 study done among students in the Beaverton School District, 61% of third graders and 54% of seventh graders were found to be below proficient in reading. Nationwide only 46% of students were found to be proficient in reading.

Neurological research from more than 20 years ago about the proper way to teach children to read has garnered more attention recently, but the study suggests schools’ failure to teach reading using scientifically backed methods is a key factor for low test scores.

This year’s scores on the only achievement test to represent a sample of students from every state also showed dismal results: only one of every three eighth-graders was proficient in reading. However, there have been plenty of issues found within Oregon’s reading curriculum that might be at fault for these low test scores.

“There isn’t a single reason for declining literacy rates but rather many factors contributing to it,” said Western education professor Tiffany K. Smith. “The assessments that are used to determine students’ levels of literacy are simply snapshots. They often do not reflect students’ actual literacy abilities. For example, they are timed (for consistency) and often students need more processing time. Sometimes students blow through the assessment just to get it over with. Sometimes students don’t understand directions or the questions and it can’t be further explained by the test administrator.”

For one, the state’s standards have not been revised since 2019, meaning the standards are based on pre-pandemic learning. Secondly, the Common Core Standards, which were adopted by 41 states and four territories in 2010, focus mostly on what students need to know to be prepared for college.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of October 2023, only 61.4% of recent graduates were enrolled either part-time or full-time at a two-year or four-year university. Yet schools in Oregon continue to push the Common Core Standards in classrooms and schools.

Even worse, Common Core Standards don’t follow the curriculum that teachers are supposed to use in their classrooms, government-appointed education experts do, and in Oregon, every one of the 197 school districts is given the ability to adopt their own core curriculum.

The Oregon Department of Education — ODE — has a list of approved curricula for school districts to adopt for teaching reading and writing. Districts who wish to deviate from this list must ensure that they choose a curriculum that includes the teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness, but face no penalty if they deviate from the ODE list and are not required to tell the state they have done so.

Many parents point the blame at the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB, which placed consequences on schools based on students’ standardized testing scores. A study that followed a 1998-1999 kindergarten class through completion of high school found that the enactment of NCLB and the Every Student Succeeds Act that followed it have had an impact on children’s socioemotional outcomes.

The study, which was finally published in 2017, found that the NCLB had a negative impact on students’ test-taking anxiety, which has only worsened recently.

However, there is both good and bad news for the state of student literacy. In an executive report — The State of the American Student: Fall 2024 — published by Arizona State University’s Teachers College, statistics and a path forward were found, which teachers and school districts could follow to improve student literacy.

The good news is that students and teachers are showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a 30-state survey, students have regained about a third of their pandemic-era learning losses and a quarter of their reading. School districts are pushing for more tutoring, high-quality curricula and extended learning times, in an effort for them to become more permanent in learning.

The bad news is that recovery is slow and uneven among students of different backgrounds and school districts. While there has been an upward trend in the recovery that students have experienced, they are not even halfway to a full academic recovery. For students with little time left in the K-12 system, this slow rate of academic recovery is bad news. But even the so-called “COVID Babies” are entering kindergarten less prepared for grade-level learning than pre-pandemic students.

Additionally, eight out of ten teachers say they find teaching overwhelming and have complained about inadequate support in the classroom. Lack of funding for districts and chronic absenteeism — defined as students missing at least 10% of school days — has also worsened these problems.

One of the most important factors emerging from the pandemic was parents being unprepared to become educators for their children. Parents of students with disabilities found it difficult to provide their children with the proper services, and disadvantaged students often lacked the proper technology to be able to access online learning.

Some states are searching for solutions to combat declining literacy and teacher fatigue. In Salem, Massachusetts, one middle school reduced absenteeism and increased achievement by making school more engaging and fun with more field trips, hands-on learning opportunities and personalized instruction. One student said, “It’s actually making me excited to go to

school. It’s just like a happier version of school.”

The State of the American Student: Fall 2024 recommends prioritizing relationships between teachers and students, having a partnership with parents that is central to the education system and ensuring that the best strategies reach the children who need them. The report also suggests school districts get involved with policymakers and advocates to help hold institutions accountable for meeting their obligations to all students — especially those who are most vulnerable.

“We are still seeing the effects of COVID and long-term stress and trauma on students and their families,” Smith said. “This prolonged stress and trauma has research-based effects on literacy rates.”

The first goal for teachers and school administrators is to reengage students and parents in learning. From there, they will have the ability to gain more post-pandemic academic recovery, especially in the areas of mathematics and literacy.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » News

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Western women’s basketball team had their season cut short amidst allegations of abuse and fraudulent activity from the coaching staff. Head coach Jessica Peatross entered her first season at Western in 2023, after coaching at Division 2 school, Salem University, where she held a 14-17 record. Assistant coach Demetrius Marlow also previously coached at Salem University alongside Peatross.

The team will not be competing in the last six games of the conference season and holds a record of three to ten in the regular season with a .231 winning percentage. In a press release statement from University President and Athletic Director Randi Lydum, it was announced that “The decision to cancel the season aligns with the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our program.” No additional information has been provided from the athletic department about the cancellation of the season, and it is uncertain whether players will retain their year of NCAA eligibility.

A total of six sources have agreed to release statements to “The Western Howl.” All but one have chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

Jessica Peatross was the Associate Head Coach at Delta College, where she eventually became Interim Head Coach before transferring to Salem University. Peatross claimed to have received a scholarship to play golf, basketball and participate in track and field. However, there are some discrepancies in the information provided in press releases concerning Peatross’ experience prior to joining the coaching staff.

An anonymous source stated that “The head coach lied on her resume that she played division one basketball when she didn’t.” Further investigation shows that the introductions for Coach Peatross into both Salem University and Western Oregon University included that “Peatross received a Division-1 scholarship to play golf, basketball and track at Chicago State University” — however, there are no digital records of Peatross ever competing or being on the roster of the Chicago State women’s basketball roster between 2010-2014, when she attended the university; there are records of Peatross competing at Chicago State in track and field and golf.

Jack Watford, communications director for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, released an official statement to the Howl, stating that “The WBCA is aware of the announcement made on Friday by Western regarding its women’s basketball program. Other than confirming that Western Oregon head coach Jessica Peatross is a member of the association, the WBCA has no comment at this time.”

An anonymous source who played on Salem University’s women’s team, under Peatross, stated, “I don’t think she deserves to be coaching at all — especially because she didn’t even play college basketball.”

More allegations against Peatross include, but are not limited to, verbal abuse, threats, yelling and a lack of regard for mental health. One player claimed to have a complex relationship with Peatross, stating, “Honestly, it was very bipolar. I think her bad outweighs the good sometimes. She wasn’t a bad person at all, and we found times where we could laugh and joke around with her. But then again she was rude and I sometimes feared talking to her. I never knew what to say sometimes.”

Another Salem University source alleges that “Coach P told one of our girls she would ruin her life if she did anything.” Another source claims that Peatross and Marlow “Threatened to cancel our season if we kept mentioning the things they were doing to their bosses.” The exact cause of the cancellation of the Western women’s basketball season, and whether or not the cancellation was a team, coach or administrative decision has not been released.

Demetrius Marlow, also known as DJ, was previously an assistant coach with Warner University women’s varsity basketball team as well as the head coach for their junior varsity team. Marlow was also the head coach at the Tenoroc High School varsity women’s basketball team for two years. Marlow began coaching with Peatross during her stint at Salem University, where he was the assistant coach during the 2023 season. Multiple sources from Salem University shared their perspectives on Coach Marlow, particularly concerning his relationship with Peatross.

One of the sources stated, “It was a very different vibe with only Coach Marlow. He is very capable of running a basketball team by himself, very down to earth — he is a different guy around Coach P.”

Sorimar Morales, a Tenoroc High School basketball player who played under Marlow voiced her support, stating that “Coach DJ is someone who’s trustworthy and dependable. He’s also someone who was hard on me and my teammates but for a good cause. He’d always spread positivity, always telling the truth with his speech before and after practice.”

Other sources conversely claim that he was unsupportive and constantly made racial remarks towards the girls within the program. Three sources stated that he regularly referred to them as “black girls” instead of their names, allegedly telling a player that she was “not supposed to be around the black girls — we’re segregating ourselves.” One other source claims that Marlow called her a “…privileged white girl — that I will never know what it’s like to be a black woman or black male, that I have it so easy.” Two of the sources from Salem University claim that Marlow called them a “waste of space,” as well as “a waste of breath” after a game; additionally, one of these sources claimed that Marlow attempted to “force a relationship between us and a boy on the (men’s basketball) team.”

Furthermore, there are numerous allegations of physical abuse that occurred within the Salem University and Western basketball programs under both Peatross and Marlow.

An anonymous source from Western alleges that “(The) coaches have physically and mentally abused (the team) from the start of the season, having practices going over 2.5 hours and over (NCAA) rules -– ” as well as claiming that the “assistant coach even hurt (a player) so badly she had to get surgery before the season started.”

An anonymous source from Salem University recounts their experience of physical abuse last year, alleging that “We actually had one big incident that took place — Coach Marlow was playing with (the players), and actually pushed one of the girls into a door, where she hit her head really hard. He tried to say another girl had pushed her, but he was the only one there.”

Alongside physical abuse, there are also accounts alleging that Peatross and Marlow verbally abused their players — ranging from accusations regarding invasive questions about their sexuality to demeaning language. An anonymous source from Salem University alleges that “Coach Marlow yelled at a girl during a game to the point where she hyperventilated, and after one game, Coach Peatross yelled at a girl and got in her face looking as if she wanted to fight the girl.” Sexually charged comments were allegedly repeatedly made by Peatross, with one source divulging that “Jessica would constantly ask about our sexualities, constantly asking if we liked boys or girls.”

The allegations claim that there was irreversible damage done to the players and their season.

The anonymous source from Western claims that “Not only were we stripped of our season but we all struggled immensely and not a single person in the athletic department helped us (except) for the (athletic) training staff.”

A Salem University source spoke about the damages inflicted on them and disclosed that “They broke down our mental health to the point where we had no repair, no uplift in any situation at all. It was kill or be killed to the point where a lot of the girl’s first years in America were ruined because they didn’t give them the proper treatment or experience. They traumatized us. Broke our bodies. We were disciplined because we were scared of what they may do, not because of how good of coaches they were. No one heard us when we seeked help, it was all turned back on us and it made us even more scared and worried about what they may do to us.”

An official statement from Western President Jesse Peters to the Howl announced that “We remain committed to upholding the highest standards within all of our athletics programs. To that end, we have opened an investigation into these matters, and we remain committed to creating a positive and productive environment for everyone in the WOU community.”

Randi Lydum, Jessica Peatross, and Demetrius Marlow did not answer our request for comment.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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