Mount Hood

The last letter

A photo of the Western Howl team for the 2025-26 year. | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio

June 3 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Western: thank you for reading the Western Howl. This year was one of the best and for the books.

Truly, I mean my gratitude from the bottom of my heart. Sometimes, you take a risk joining a team, deciding to do something bold like share your writing with the world, and, in our case, it really paid off. Opportunities came, doors opened and we did things the Western Howl has never done in more than a century.

Some examples: free senior photos, Spanish translators, a marketing manager, a better website and more. However, we’ve been hiding something big, even better than that … we wrote a book. 

“The Western Howl Student Guide for Journalists” comes out this month, a secret we’ve been keeping for the last couple of months.

You might be asking: why? For who?

Well, for you. For aspiring journalists. For us, too. As for why — we had a lot more to share than a weekly newspaper. We’ve taken the time to not only grow our team, but hone our skills and consider the kind of message we want to leave others with and the kind of impact the Western Howl has had, not only in the lives of community members, but also in our lives as well.

If the opportunity ever comes knocking on your door to become part of a team, take it. There are invaluable skills, necessary lessons and a great amount of laughter that come from collaboration, and at the Howl, we have lacked none of this. It has been, honestly, the most special part of my time here at Western. I can give you a thousand reasons why. But the most precious one is this: I got to create in a room full of people who wanted the exact same thing.

Every week, a talented, highly skilled mesh of people were unafraid to not only be themselves, but to share it with hundreds of people. There is no shortage of joy or courage within our newsroom, no hesitation — just a drive to contribute, and a lot of glee in doing so. We have designers, managers, editors, translators, no shortage of faces, and I wish we had more. This group is supportive, kind, encouraging; they are all the kind of people you’d want in your corner when you win an award or have a bad day. All the time, they show up and meet my demands, exceed my expectations and work harder than anyone I know.

The Western Howl is one of those teams that, if you felt what it was like to be a part of it, you’d never want to leave. At one point, I considered just taking more classes for fun so I wouldn’t have to leave it behind me.

But, unfortunately, all good things come to an end. This is our last issue of the 2025-26 school year, my last issue with the Howl, and it’s incredibly bittersweet. A part of me is excited to see what comes next, but I think most of me will miss this wonderful team and the experiences I had writing for a college paper. It was, ultimately, eye-opening and character-defining. I am sure for many of us, it put a lot of the world in perspective as we carried messages and reported on the lives of others, became a sort of amplifier of student voices and advocated for freedom of the press. I have become a lifelong student-press supporter, and hopefully our book adds to that cause, because we truly believe in the power of a campus paper.

There is no Western without student voices, no justice without journalists.

To recite a passage from the book, for those who might not read it: “What appears to be a weekly publication of stories is truly a celebration of young adults collaborating, creating, and challenging expectations. We can only hope that these feelings of pride in our accomplishments and messages are felt by publications all over the world.”

As the 2024-26 editor-in-chief of the Western Howl, it’s my pleasure to thank you for reading our paper for its 103rd year. If you want to be a part of our book journey, consider joining us at the library June 5 at 10 a.m. for a small book launch. More info to come soon on where you can read “The Western Howl Student Guide for Journalists,” but, in the meantime, follow us on Instagram, check out our website and stay wise by reading your local news.

 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Halloween costumes?

2014 | Laura Knudson

The more people ask me what I’m going to be for Halloween this year, the more I cringe.

Although there must be others who, like me, wait until the last minute to make a decision about their costume, I doubt they are losing sleep over it like I am.

After all, why fret when we live in an age where fish nets and a corset, coupled with a pair of ears can transform you into a multitude of things, i.e., mouse, bunny, cat, etc.

In this way, we’ve gotten lazy with our costumes. And it seems intentional. We’ve all heard that Halloween is an excuse for girls to dress like…well I won’t use the S word, but you get the picture. Now in no way am I saying this is the case, but perhaps there is some truth to it.

I mean, call me crazy but I don’t believe merely clipping on a pair of glittery wings to go with your gold spandex and cleavage bearing top constitutes a fairy costume.

And then there’s everyone’s go-to: the superhero costume. Calling all girls with leggings and little-boy whitey tighties with the Superman logo stamped in a place no one needs to be looking at. Throw on a cape and you’re good to go!

Then of course there are those who justify spending $60 on a cheaply-made rendition of a sexy police officer or cute Indian. Forget the fact that every other girl at the party will be wearing the same costume.

Halloween seems to go hand-in-hand with promiscuity when it comes to college females. But, while you may think you look completely adorbs in your tinker-bell get-up, the rest of us don’t want to see you stumbling in heels the whole night or adjusting your bra every five seconds. And no, it’s not the same thing as wearing a bathing suit. It’s just not.

This year we should strive for a little more originality. Some of the best costumes I saw when I first arrived at Western were the homemade kind. For an army man costume one guy duck taped a wheel less skateboard to his feet and a toy gun to his hands, painted himself green and hopped around all night in a G.I. Joe like fashion. It was original. It was awesome. Another year, one girl even bought khaki shorts, a bandana and a green vest from Good Will for a Girl Scout costume. She added a hat and canteen to spruce it up. There was also a group who purchased Hawaiian shirts and straw hats to go as tourists.

The point is, this year I’d like to see more authenticity. Show us something totally spooktacular. Those are the costumes people remember. Those are the costumes people come up and ask you about.

So, ditch the tiresome parodies and do the monster mash in something more comfortable next week.

And while I still don’t know what I am going to be this year, I can assure you it won’t include ears of any kind.

A deeper look at going G-free

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Laura Knudson | Editor-in-Chief

An invasion of labels appearing on grocery stores shelves nationwide bearing the G-word have become a roadmap for those seeking a healthier lifestyle. Deemed the latest food fad, gluten-free diets are the target of mockery.

Dieters are accused of going g-free because someone in their Pilates class told them to. Meanwhile, supporters argue gluten is unhealthy and can have adverse effects on the body. But is the roadmap misleading? Should gluten be avoided or is it all a bunch of hype?

First, let’s establish what gluten is.

A protein composite found mainly in wheat, rye and barley, gluten comes from the Latin word glue; appropriate since it is responsible for the elastic texture in dough that works to bind and maintain shape, holding food together.

Unfortunately, this binding characteristic makes it a staple in processed foods. While some minimally processed foods are healthy like bagged spinach or pre-cut vegetables, boxed or packaged food containing additives and artificial flavors are not.

Think along the lines of frozen pizza, crackers and other ready-to-go foods. Loaded with fat, sodium and a high glycemic index, these processed foods have little nutritional value and one big thing in common: gluten.

And companies are certainly making it easy to avoid. There’s no doubt that every trip to the store yields more g-free products. Entire sections and aisles have sprung up; a good thing for those suffering from celiac disease, allergies and sensitivities.

With one in every 133 Americans suffering from celiac disease according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, celiacs now have a plethora of gluten substitutes at their fingertips.

And for some, the extra cost is worth the wheat-less versions of their favorite snack. It’s literally the best thing since sliced bread.

However, dieters joining in on the fad, void of medical reason, are taking the wrong approach.

Gluten substitutes are not the answer. Consumers are often fooled by products labeled “gluten-free,” “all natural,” and “organic.” These substitutes are not necessarily healthier as they are still processed junk food. Labels expose similar amounts of sugar, fat and sodium.

So let’s be clear: highly processed foods with gluten are bad and highly processed foods without gluten are bad.

As someone with a gluten allergy, I can say from experience that a box of gluten-free cookies won’t make you feel any better than ones made with flour.

So, apart from those with celiac disease, allergies, or sensitivity, gluten in and of itself is not necessarily bad. It is all the stuff gluten is processed with that is bad.

Still, gluten and unhealthiness are synonymous to many.

This false connotation is perhaps why the very mention of the word gluten evokes skepticism from critics.

Nonetheless, these are but faint cries squashed by the steamroller that is the food industry.

Food companies wouldn’t dare curb the ignorance when the industry is worth $4.2 billion, according to Euromonitor, an international marketing research company.

It should also be clear that the gluten-free industry and substitutes are not a bad thing.

In fact, they’re wonderful for celiacs who never knew what a doughnut tasted like before Udi’s put their maple glazed banana ones on the shelf.

Substitutes, though, should not be relied on by any g-free dieters.

Those without medical reason to divest from gluten should not aspire merely to a gluten-free diet, but rather one free of processed food.

On their own, gluten substitutes do not achieve instant health.

After all, cutting an entire food group can be dangerous, according to WebMD.

Dieters may not be getting enough fiber, vitamins and minerals if not incorporating other grains like quinoa into their diet.

Ultimately, even if the g-free diet is a trend, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad one.

If conducted the right way, the diet helps celiacs by providing food options and promote healthier eating for the general public.

So long as the right approach is taken, health devotees should be able to have their gluten-free cake and eat it too.

National Day of Listening: a new name for Black Friday

Nathaniel Dunaway | Entertainment Editor

We here at The Journal are forgoing our new column “Portraits of a University” this week to help bring attention to and raise awareness of the National Day of Listening.

Launched by the non-profit oral history organization StoryCorps (who had a profound influence on the aforementioned column), the National Day of Listening is an unofficial holiday or day of observance that takes place the day after Thanksgiving — commonly known as Black Friday — and encourages everyone and anyone to sit down with loved ones and record their stories.

Founded in 2003 by David Isay, StoryCorps’ mission, according to their website, is to “provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives.”

Formal StoryCorps interviews take place in recording booths located in major cities across America, and these interviews are all cataloged in the Library of Congress, as well as on the StoryCorps website.

The National Day of Listening is a bit more informal, a more do-it-yourself approach. The day of observance was formed as an alternative to the consumer-oriented Black Friday, and its main purpose is to encourage spending time with family and hearing their stories.

StoryCorps is all about preservation of these stories, and suggests recording interviews with your loved ones. Nowadays this can be done with the voice memo function on the iPhone, or with any number of voice-recording apps available for iTunes or Android.

On the StoryCorps website, you can find an extensive list of questions to ask family members to help get started, including “How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?”, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” and “Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?”

The idea behind the National Day of Listening is simple: listening, as StoryCorps’ motto tells us, is an act of love. How many of us have grandparents whose childhoods we know very little about? Aunts and uncles who’ve lived experiences we’ve never known of, simply because we’ve never thought to ask? One day, these people will no longer be present in our lives, and wouldn’t it be a shame for them to have left behind stories untold?

I plan to interview two of my grandparents next Friday, and maybe my parents as well. Eventually, I’d love to hear and record stories from every member of my family because listening is important, and family is important.

The purpose of this piece is not to condemn Black Friday or consumerism or materialism or any of that. The purpose instead is to suggest that many of us — all of us — have stories to tell. All we really need is for someone to ask us to tell them.

For more information, and to hear the stories of over 80,000 Americans, visit the StoryCorps website at storycorps.org.

Campus Blotter: Week 7

The following information is from the public records of Campus Public Safety.

ROOMMATE DISPUTE

At 6:12 p.m. Nov. 4 in Noble Hall, Public Safety was contacted in regards to a mental health/roommate dispute.

ALCOHOL VIOLATION

At 12:05 a.m. Nov. 5 in Spruce Hall, Public Safety responded to an alcohol violation involving a non-student.

At 2:07 a.m. Nov. 9 in Heritage Hall, Public Safety discovered an alcohol violation.

WEAPONS POSSESSION

At 10:39 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Ackerman smoke shed, Public Safety was contacted in reference to a weapons violation involving a stun gun. The weapon was moved off campus.

MARIJUANA VIOLATION

At 12:22 a.m. Nov. 6 in Barnum Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a marijuana violation.

At 9:08 p.m. Nov. 7 in Butler Hall, Public Safety responded to a marijuana violation.

MEDIC ASSIST/MENTAL HEALTH

At 9:25 p.m. Nov. 6 in Heritage Hall, Public Safety responded to a medic assist.

At 5:46 p.m. Nov. 7 in Spruce Hall, Public Safety responded to a medical/mental health issue.

At 3:37 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Health and Wellness Center, Public Safety responded to a medic assist.

At 11:38 p.m. Nov. 9 in Barnum Hall, Public Safety responded to a medical assist.

DOMESTIC HARASSMENT

At 8:40 p.m. Nov. 7 on Stadium Drive, Public Safety responded to a domestic fight near J-Loop and the Sequoia Commons.

“Education Is” A conversation with Kylie Roth

“I do think some form of education, may it be trade school or some form of learning, makes you more open-minded. ” Kylie Roth SENIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR

Transcribed and edited by Nathaniel Dunaway

As part of a new weekly Journal column, Nathaniel Dunaway meets with Western Oregon University students to discuss their lives and their experiences in the world of higher education. In doing so, he hopes to find an answer to the question: what does it mean to be a college student in the 21st century?

I’m from Dallas, so I actually live at home and commute here. I save a lot of money that way. My sister did the same thing, went to WOU, lived at home, and moved out after that. Sometimes my dad will be like, “are we just a hotel?” because honestly I’m not always there. Leave at 7:30 a.m., get home at 8 p.m., that’s a normal day. But I get along with my parents; I’m very lucky to have a loving family.
I’m a senior, and I’ve gone here all four years. I came in not knowing anything of what I wanted to do. I was undecided, didn’t know my major or anything. I think it took me longer to get involved. I was wandering through LACCs, where no one really cares why they’re there; and living at home; I was still connected to my Dallas community. It was difficult to know where to invest my time.
Now I feel really involved. I’ve found where I fit. I work at the Child Development Center as a teacher’s aide, I’m a WOU ambassador, I’m part of an honors society for psychology students and I’m an officer for the National Society of Leadership and Success.

I’m interning in Salem right now so I’m involved there. It’s a practicum, so I get credit for it. It’s at Family Building Blocks, which is an organization whose main goal is to prevent … child abuse through therapeutic class or parenting classes. I spend about 13 hours a week there, mainly in the classrooms. Prevention for abuse really happens between ages zero to three.
I don’t exactly know what I want to do yet, but I want to somehow work with at-risk children or children with disabilities. Working with kids is really fun; you never know what they’re going to say. I asked one little girl, “Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?” and she’s like, “I’m gonna be an entomologist,” and I personally did not know what an entomologist was, and she said, “It’s a person who studies bugs, specifically insects.”

There are those great moments all the time, but it can be challenging at times, too. You have to learn how to talk differently and correctly, to affirm and empower children, but also to let them see consequences. It’s been a great experience.
Dr. Brannan in the Psychology department always says “college isn’t for everyone, but education is,” and I agree with that.

I value higher education very highly. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but I do think some form of education, may it be trade school or some form of learning, makes you more open-minded. And I don’t think open-minded means you have to accept everything, but that you’re able to see everything.

In high school, thinking back, a lot of teachers would say “don’t let money matter when you pick a college,” but that was a big deciding factor. I think it’s worth the cost, but you have to be proactive about it, financially. The way I’ve approached my higher education, debt is not actually a concern for me. I feel very privileged that I’m in that boat.

Education in any form should be for everyone, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be college. I’m planning on taking a year off after I graduate. I’m still not sure about grad school. I don’t know yet. My goal is just to get employed in something that I enjoy, and have it hopefully help guide me from there.

 

If you’re a Western student and would like to be interviewed for the Portraits of a University column, contact Nathaniel Dunaway at journalentertainment@wou.edu

“Down” – Portraits of a University

Adam Pettitt edited by Nathaniel Dunaway

Portraits of a University:

As part of a brand-new weekly Journal column, Nathaniel Dunaway meets with Western Oregon University students to discuss their lives and their experiences in the world of higher education. In doing so, he hopes to find an answer to the question what does it mean to be a college student in the 21st century?

 

This week, Psychology major Adam Pettitt offers his thoughts on the value of the college degree, and the stigma surrounding depression in America.

 

I’m a dual major in biology and psychology. This is my fifth year here. I actually went to University of Idaho for a year, then I took two years off, and I realized after those two years off that I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I knew that I wanted to help people. So because of that, I came here. I applied a week before school started.

There are six grad schools I’m applying to this year. But I honestly don’t expect to get in, just because clinical psychology programs are notoriously hard to get into. They have a one-percent acceptance rate. So they have about three-hundred people apply, and three people get in. I want to go to Yale, Harvard, UNC, University of Texas, UCLA and Duke. But honestly, the number one place I want to go to is Yale, but it’s not because it’s Yale. It’s nice that it’s Yale, but… the way these programs work is that you’re not applying to a program, you’re applying to work with a person, in their lab, doing research. I want to look at the genetics of depression.

My first year here, all of a sudden, I just got slammed with depression out of nowhere. I was twenty-one at the time, and either you’ve been through depression and you understand what it entails, or you haven’t. I think that before, when I thought about it, I thought “oh, somebody’s just sad,” but it’s so much more than that. It’s a way of thinking. It’s a descent into someone you’re not. When I was down there, there was no being happy. It’s something that if you don’t have the right tools -and even if you do have the right tools- it can be so hard to dig yourself out of. It’s incredibly devastating to the people who encounter it.

I made an appointment with a psychiatrist, and he told me everything would be fine. I went through ten different anti-depressants for a year before anything ever worked for me. It was the worst year. Anti-depressants work in the way that you have about a four to eight week window before they can even have an effect. Finally I found one that worked, and it was like magic. I actually had a graph on a big whiteboard, for my own edification, where one was the worst that I’d ever felt and ten was the best and five was completely apathetic and neutral. So every day I’d say, “ok, this is where I’m at,” and slowly the graph would get higher and higher, and all of a sudden, five wasn’t my top anymore, and at the six or eight week mark, I realized “oh, this is how life is supposed to be. This is how I used to be.” It was like waking up from a dream.

The way anti-depressants are prescribed is… basically it’s a flow-chart. Basically, if you’re lethargic and depressed, then you get prescribed this kind of anti-depressant. And what ends up happening is that when one doesn’t work, you switch to another kind, and switch to another kind, until you finally find the one that works. There’s actually a flow-chart in one of my textbooks, literally a flow chart. And I was at the end of the chart, right before MAOI’s, which are the oldest type of anti-depressant, and electroshock therapy. So I’m really glad I stopped there. I thought… it’s 2014. How do we just have a flow-chart for prescribing this? There has to be a better way. So I started looking into the genetics of depression and the genetics of anti-depressant response.

On my mom’s side of the family, my uncle killed himself. A lot of people on that side of the family suffered from depression. There is a genetic basis to it. I started doing research on how certain people with certain genetics will favorably respond to certain anti-depressants. That’s when I realized that this is what I want to do. What I went through, nobody should ever have to go through. I would not wish that on anybody. If I could be the one who helps people, to prevent people from becoming depressed, from getting down there… and also using the genotype of people who do suffer to discover which anti-depressants will work for them and which won’t. I think that it can be done. It’s going to take a lot of collaboration across the disciplines, from psychology to biology to neuroscience, but I think that it can be done, and that it should be done.

There’s a general lack of knowledge about mental health in this country. If there is this genetic basis, if there is –as it’s simplified in the media- this chemical imbalance in people, then it’s not people’s fault that they’re depressed. It breaks my heart that people have to endure depression while there are all these stigmas against it. Things are starting to shift and change, but it’s going to be a battle before depression becomes something that’s acceptable and understandable as an actual health disease rather than a purely mental disease.

We should be able to tailor and individualize treatment for people, so that after one anti-depressant doesn’t work, one treatment doesn’t work, they don’t give up. I didn’t make the choice to stop trying, but there are people out there who do. It’s not going to be one-hundred percent figured out, but it’ll be better than a flow-chart.

 

If you’re a Western student and would like to be interviewed for the Portraits of a University column, contact Nathaniel Dunaway at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Campus Blotter

The following information is from the public records of Campus Public Safety

BIKE THEFT

At 2:07 p.m. Oct. 20 in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted in reference to a bike theft where a bike was taken from the Heritage/Landers bike rack.
At 4:14 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Landers bike rack, Public Safety took a bicycle theft report. The bike was taken from the Heritage/Landers bike rack.
At 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at Hamersly Library, Public Safety took a report of a stolen bicycle. The bike was valued at $200.

DAMAGED PROPERTY

At 2:45 a.m. Oct 22 in Maaske Hall, Public Safety took a report of a broken window. A custodian noticed the broken window that was attributed to high winds earlier that day.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

At 10:02 p.m. Oct. 23 in Ackerman Hall, Public Safety was contacted in reference to a possible sexual harassment.

BREAK-IN

At 12:33 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Natural Science building, Public Safety was contacted in regards to activity in a professor’s office. The professor reported that someone may have gained access to his office, due to an unknown thermos that was left there, and potentially used his computer. However, computing services determined that no one had logged in, and the investigation concluded that there was no damage or security breach.

VEHICLE FIRE

At 4:43 p.m. Oct. 24 on Stadium Drive, Public Safety was contacted in regards to a vehicle that had caught fire. The fire was extinguished, with no harm done to anyone. This vehicle has caught fire before due to a heater malfunction.

MARIJUANA VIOLATION

At 11:17 p.m. Oct. 24 in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted in regards to the odor of marijuana.

Journalism journey

Hannah Field and Sophie Taylor at the Western Howl’s Spanish event, “Mi Voz Importa.” | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio

May 13, 2026 | Sophie Taylor | Western Alum

I started my journalism journey when I was a sophomore in high school back in 2019, after my friends had begged me to register for yearbook the year before, their main selling point being that we got snacks on Wednesdays — very convincing, I know. Going into the class, I realized I had greatly underestimated how much work it was going to be — learning how to properly conduct an interview, trying a new style of writing, figuring out camera settings for pictures and discovering the marvelous monster called Adobe. 

As the school year went on and I kept improving on those skills, I began to realize that while, yes, the content going on the page is probably the most crucial part, it doesn’t matter if the design and visual aspects are not appealing. During deadline nights, I would spend almost all my time rearranging and perfecting my pages, and my Adobe InDesign knowledge started to grow. I first started as a yearbook staff member, but by my senior year, I was an editor with my own group of staff to boss around, and my best friends were my editors-in-chief. The past years had been so rewarding seeing our finished product after nine months of hard work, but this was senior year, and we knew we had to make it perfect.

The very first thing you need for a yearbook: a theme. The EICs, the other editors and I met with our advisor to brainstorm before the school year even started. As we’re sitting in a circle around a campfire at our hotel, the theme still undecided, we’re distracted looking for something someone lost. “Is this it?” The question rang in my head as I overthought about all the major events that I would experience over the next year. I needed to live in the moment before all those responsibilities came crashing down. Interrupting all conversations going on in the circle, “Hear me out guys,” I said. “‘This is it. This is now.’”

My first year at Western, I’ll be honest, I had no idea we had a newspaper. I was oblivious until one day I was chatting with my coworker at the Campus Rec pool about how I miss being a part of something that really made me feel accomplished. I had missed the application deadline to apply for designer, but I took a shot anyway, sending my application directly to the advisor, Linden Loren. My luck continued as I got an interview, and was then offered the job. After over a year, I was able to continue down my designing path once again and — no shade to our writers — only designing. I knew I needed to get back into my Adobe groove, but this time with a completely new set of rules. 

It certainly took some getting used to, but I luckily had the best head designer, Addie Floyd, who gave me nothing but her support, encouragement and especially patience as I uncovered this new world of designing. I experimented with Illustrator for the first time trying to make graphics, something I discovered I was not proficient at — at all. But as the weeks went by, my confidence grew and I finally told Addie some of my ideas for the paper. Of course, she loved them and my nerves were for nothing. Before Addie graduated in March of 2025, she recommended me for head designer to our advisor: “There is no one else I want to take over for me.” Those words stuck with me as we looked for a new designer to take my place, and I knew I needed to be what Addie was for me for our new designer.

Now that I’ve graduated and passed on the head designer torch to the incredible Addison Watts, it’s bittersweet seeing the amazing work being done without me. But, I am as proud of her as Addie was of me, and I know she’ll take that pride to heart, just as I did. 

Income inequality and the American family

By: Brian D. Tesch
Advertising Manager

Lately, income inequality has become a very hot topic. With all the coverage from the presidential campaign, it seems like everyone has an opinion on it. What’s not being discussed, and what is perhaps even more troubling, are the correlations between income inequality and the American family.

The Pew Research Center has placed some rather surprising numbers on the status of American families. Divorce rates by the number of marriages have doubled over the past 50 years. Household sizes have dropped by 25 percent, and the number of births to unmarried women has risen a whopping seven-fold.

Children that grow up in a household where one parent is absent for a period of time, whether divorced or single by birth, are at a great disadvantage to other children when it comes to social mobility. They are actually half as likely to move up, compared to kids raised in a household with two parents. Social mobility is the leading factor to income inequality, and it’s important we understand why this is.

It is actually quite simple; two parents are better than one. Double the experiences, double the knowledge, double the capital, and double the support. For economists like Professor Zenon Zygmont, they prefer to call it “double the human capital.” Zygmont explained that human capital is the most important element to any economy and also to any individual.

“Look at countries like Japan, and Germany between 1940’s and 1960’s.” Said Zygmont. “After the war, most of their physical capital was completely destroyed. But in 20 years they were able to completely rebuild their countries.”

While physical capital seems more tangible and more important to us, the importance of human capital must be emphasized. For the most part, a majority of an individual’s human capital is developed before they turn 18.

Primarily, parents play the biggest role in the development of human capital. In single-parent households, there is less human capital available to children. Maybe that’s why children living in a single-parent household in the United States are twice as likely to drop out of high-school, twice as likely to have a child before the age of twenty, and one in a half times as likely to be “idle” (being out of school and out for work).

“But that’s not the full story,” said Professor Mike Mcglade. 55 percent of births in Sweden are actually from unmarried women.

“Despite this, social mobility remains high, and child poverty rates are next to nonexistent,” said McGlade. It’s no mystery why; it’s all about public policy.

McGlade pointed out that Swedish parents are entitled to up to 480 days of paid maternity leave; while maternity leave in the United States is non-existent.

Maternity leave, and other policies that support single parents, allows single mothers to spend the time with their child. It helps them compensate the lack of human capital a single parent can offer. It is why children that grow up in single-parent households in Sweden are at less of a disadvantage, in terms of lifetime social mobility, as children in the United States who grow up in single-parent households.

Contact the author at btesch14@wou.edu

A year of silence

By: Samantha Lindsey
Guest Contributor

My labels include: 21-year-old, white, woman, pro-cannabis, pro-marriage equality, pro-choice, pro-universal healthcare, pro-LGBTQ rights, pro-border security, registered Independent, who voted for Donald Trump. I urge you to read on.

About two months ago, I was doing my homework in the Academic Learning Center, as I do most mornings. Across the room, however, the cubicles made noise. Employees chattered, sipping their hot, morning beverages. What I heard were the familiar sounds of scoffing and wonder: reminiscing shards of rhetoric regurgitated from the second of three presidential debates. Condescending banter, the kind that had made me silent for more than a year now.

In my time at university, I’d learned to keep my tongue pressed between my top and bottom jaw. These days, at a place that claims to accept all minds and opinions, those against the hive lose civil rights, and human dignity.

University made a promise to me, a promise that when you are in this environment, you will have your views challenged on fair and just grounds. Yet, in the last year, what should have been a healthy political debate, generated a persecution. I was labelled: bigot, sexist, racist, xenophobic, transphobic, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, woman. In the course of a year, I was called all of those names, and more, that can be generally embodied in the label: ignorant. Needless to say, I spent a year living in a country divided, in a community of like-minded peers where outliers were overwhelmingly unwelcome.

It was a year spent where I could not speak on a topic I care so deeply about and followed so closely. I could not speak freely, and when I did, my views on platforms such as the economy were dismissed and I was labelled. A long year was spent watching my white, 17-year-old brother, and my white, 23-year-old boyfriend be stereotyped as rapists and sexists because of their color and gender.

It was a year where professors would subtly mention Hillary Clinton in their lectures, as if everyone shared the same view, as if this election was a no-brainer. It wasn’t. A year where, if you weren’t solidified in your vote by the time the primaries were over, you were ignorant. It was the year I was too afraid to even speak to anyone in my community without being labelled a sexist, racist, xenophobic, transphobic, etc.

I was relieved on Nov. 8, 2016, at 11:43pm. Not because the candidate I voted for won. No, I was elated to finally re-stitch the part of my tongue that had been severed by my community, in order to prevent pronunciation of my political views.

I listened, for a year, and what I got out of it is that this society is much more biased than I knew before: from hot-headed-headlines condemning Mr. Trump, to being called a bigot by my peers, and being silenced. I wanted to be heard, yet nobody would sit down and listen.

When The New York Times admitted the need to embrace the mission of journalism again, it became clear this election was nationally ruthless. We were left in this burning dump-yard of a nation: where we no longer listen to one another’s views peacefully, rather, we persecute and stereotype. All I can hope is that we learn something: because four years from now, we vote again.

Contact the author at slindsey16@mail.wou.edu

Campus Voices

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Question: Do you think celebrity activism is positive or negative for society and why?

Kailee King, sophomore, pre-nursing
“I think it’s a positive thing because they bring the attention they get and use it for good”

Brent Sumner, sophomore, criminal justice
“I think it can take both effects. I’d say probably more positive if it has a positive message, because some people really look up to celebrities, maybe more than they should. They can be a big source of power to talk to more people than a politician might have.”

Joel Haro, sophomore, education
“I think it’s a positive thing because they have such a big influence, especially on young kids. If they’re able to use their platform for something good, I think it’s useful.”

Sergio Lopez, sophomore, criminal justice
“I think it’s positive for society and for everybody just because they’re humans too, not just celebrities. They have their own private lives, so they have the voice and the option to say whatever they want.”

Ashlynn Walker, junior, ASL studies
“I think that is it a positive thing because they do have such a big platform and they are able to influence a lot of people, but I do think that’s the negative part as well because some people aren’t able to think for themselves and create their own ideas from what they know. A lot of people take what celebrities say as fact, and they get paid for that, so for the most part I’d say negative.”

Opinion: Violence is not a one party problem

Placing blame on one movement isn’t going to heal the divide we currently have in our country

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

The Western Howl’s writing season and my time here as the News Editor are coming to an end. Over these last couple weeks, I’ve been reflecting on my first year of journalism ⏤ most notable, but not to disregard any of the other stories I’ve written, are the articles covering various gatherings and events at the Capitol. A joke in the office is that if you can’t find me, check the Capitol building.

I’ve attended rallies, protests and riots just like a lot of other Western students. Regardless of which side of the aisle organized the events, I can say I personally have been maced, mobbed and assaulted by the left and the right side.

As a student journalist, I’ve been asked to leave because “fake news media isn’t welcome,” “liberal fake news media isn’t welcome,” “we don’t want people taking pictures” or because “you’re suspect.” At times I’ve had my own life threatened or the safety buddy I bring with me has been threatened. 

Regardless of these experiences, I’ve been able to talk to people, and I think the most mind boggling thing for me is when I’m asked about the various articles I’ve written tackling these events. The interviewee I speak with is always shocked when they hear I’ve been verbally and physically assaulted by the side they stand with. 

People who identify as standing on the left are often quick to point out the violence of the right, but there are instances where I was in the midst of a group of antifascists who set off a can of bear mace as other members of the movement paintballed a car with stickers corresponding to right wing ideologies. When I’ve gone to rallies designated as right wing events, I’ve been escorted out by people identifying as “Proud Boys.” At these rallies, they spend a lot of time judging and criticizing the left group, associating them with rioters and looters. However, there is no mention of instances where right wing groups have personally assaulted journalists or made threats on people’s lives. 

I think another important point to make is that sweeping generalizations aren’t being made; at these events, there’s never just one or two sides that are present. You have a giant gumbo pot of beliefs that don’t always agree with each other. I’ve seen radical movements violently attack vehicles and people, while other protesters cry and beg for them to stop hurting people and causing damage. Sometimes there were mock “militias” that acted as security and were under orders of one person; if you fall on their radar, they will have that group swarm you and what they choose to do to you depends on who you are. Often, when I’ve had this happen to me I’ve tried to stand up for myself and verbally disarm them. There’s always one that is willing to listen in an unaggressive manner.

Since Jan. 6, the tension in Salem has been particularly palpable. Every weekend, there are different movements staking claims to particular areas of downtown. The police presence is noticeably dismal — until you have a group of people standing outside of the Capitol building. While you have cases of violence within various areas, the police have in some cases permitted  harassment and assault to be the standard at some of these events. I have literally run into an undercover cop posing as a gardener in a construction site, and after telling him that a group identifying as “Proud Boys” swarmed and assaulted me and my friend during a Second Amendment Rally during May Day, he said thank you and walked away. 

The Salem police have made statements saying they don’t want to make the situation worse by adding a visible presence, so they send undercover agents; but, even after I reported what happened to us, we were left to our own devices. I later reported the harassment to police officers that showed up after the event was over and all they said was that they would make a report.

The point is, there are cases of violence all over and we can’t continue to use divisive language to argue which event was better or worse than the other. We can’t continue to have fierce party loyalties, as it’s only generated this atmosphere that creates enemies. Some veteran journalists who have actually gone to war zones have told me that what’s going on in our country is reminiscent of the experiences they’ve had. The most interesting part is that people are taking sides, but their beliefs don’t always align; it’s strictly party loyalty or party resentment.

The gap we have keeps growing wider and wider as time goes on. As blame is placed and fingers are pointed, we seem to choose to tune out each other’s voices. “If you’re not with us you’re against us” seems to be a running theme. But anger and hatred don’t have to be matched. We can lower the temperature and meet as equals, but I think in order to do that we can’t continuously point out others’ faults. 

There has to be self acknowledgement that the political atmosphere has spiralled out of control and trying to throw water on an oil fire isn’t the solution. Explosive discussions are going to be our downfall if our views of the “other side” don’t change. I think we can all agree, where we are right now is not where any of us want to be.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

The Northwest Passage

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

“The Northwest Passage” is Western’s student-run literary and art magazine right on campus, composed of submitted works from students, faculty and alumni of the school. Each magazine showcases various different creations, such as traditional art, digital art, photography, poetry, short stories, lyrics and other art forms.

Founded in 1941, “The Northwest Passage” has been supporting student artists ever since. The first issue of the 2024–25 school year, being the Fall issue, is expected to be released Dec. 4, prior to winter break.

Recently appointed to the position, Editor-in-Chief Anna Gillock has been working diligently to promote and create “The Northwest Passage” for the 2024–2025 school year. “(One of my priorities) not only as the (Editor-in-Chief) but as a student and an artist is to support the creativity of my peers in the most accessible way possible,” said Gillock. “This is all very new to me, but I feel confident in the support I am given by the staff here at (Western) and I hope that I can give myself enough breathing room to really put myself into this publication for the short time I am in charge of it.”

On top of that, Gillock has been prioritizing accessibility and understanding this year with “The Northwest Passage.” “For instance, I have ADHD, and knowing that many of my peers are the same way, I use my knowledge of graphic design to visually emphasize the most important bits of content in a way that I feel is easy to process,” said Gillock. “With so much information being thrown at us as students, I want to try and provide content that is not overwhelming to look at. It’s a specific example, but that is just my personal mission as (Editor-in-Chief).”

Submissions may be emailed to northwestpassage@wou.edu and no more than five pieces per person are published in a singular issue. It is asked that personal names are left off of the submissions so that the editorial board, which votes on which pieces appear in the magazine, remains unbiased. Pieces can be submitted with a title; if a title is not provided, they are regarded as “Untitled.” All written work must be less than 1,500 words and must be submitted either as a PDF or a document. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to alter submissions but will not publish any edited work without the creator’s permission.

Gillock placed a lot of importance in the art specifically as to why she claimed the position at “The Northwest Passage.” “I have been writing and creating art since I was first able to hold a pencil,” explained Gillock. “Even before I was hired on to be the EIC, supporting my fellow artists has always been a passion of mine, and I am really grateful for this opportunity to do so.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

Campus Voices: sharing their feelings on the mask mandate lifting

Western students answer the question: “What is your raw, honest, unfiltered, opinion about the recent lifting of the mask mandate?

Gretchen Sims | Freelancer

Contact the author at gsims20@mail.wou.edu

Name: Ruth Simonsen

Class standing: sophomore

Major: psychology

Pronouns: She/her

“I like seeing people’s faces. I like knowing when I smile at them that they will smile back. I like seeing the faces of people in my clases. Of course there are still fears, but I like being able to put a face to a name and a name to a face. I feel like when you can see people’s faces and can smile at them, it is easier to be friendly. It’s just a better vibe.” 

 

Name: Makaela Calonder

Class standing: first-year

Major: pre-education

Pronouns: She/her

“Personally, I am very excited about not having to wear masks. I work at a pool, so in general — in my daily life ⏤ it is nice because it gets very hot and sweaty in the mask. Here at WOU it is nice not having to worry about not having one on me at all times. Of course I respect everyone who still chooses to wear a mask, but for me it is really nice.”

 

Name: Kamryn Bolan

Class standing: first-year

Major: business

Pronouns: She/her

“So far this year, especially as a freshman, I have felt very distant from the community of students here. Over the past two years, it’s like we have forgotten how to socialize. I think there is so much personality revealed in a person’s face, so when you cover half of it up, you have trouble connecting with the person you just met. Going into spring term with masks off has given me a new sort of motivation for going to class. It’s crazy how much seeing the teacher’s face can amplify your engagement.” 

 

Name: Sienna Painter 

Class standing: junior

Major: American Sign Language studies

Pronouns: She/they

“Throughout the pandemic, I have been very cautious through shutdowns. (I) was not going anywhere other than like the forest during the shutdown. I started wearing a mask in January of 2020 — long before everything. I already had masks because I have been wearing masks since like 2018 whenever I felt sick or whatever, so I was already really comfortable with masks to begin with. For mask mandates being lifted, right now, I am very skeptical–mainly because of Spring Break. We lifted the mask mandate in all of Oregon, California and Washington right before Spring Break — right where all of WOU students would be traveling too. That’s why I am still wearing a mask to all of my classes and will be especially more cautious over the next two weeks. Also, I am like f—–g scared of COVID because of all of the variants and waves and stuff. I have never really minded with masks, but I do think because of our (WOU’s) high vaccination rates, and WOU is a pretty small campus, and people are fairly responsible, I am fairly comfortable with other people not wearing their masks. I also have not felt pressure to take my mask off. I was afraid I would be the only person in my classes not wearing a mask, but people have been pretty chill.”

 

Name: Max Brayton 

Class standing: first-year

Major: psychology

Pronouns: They/Them

“My parents are more conservative and Republican so they have been against the masks since the beginning and it’s nice to not hear s–t from them anymore. But, you know, with them as my parents, I see different perspectives which is interesting. Although I don’t agree with them, it is nice to have that perspective. I am from southern California and even down there, they are not being as safe as we are (in Oregon). I feel more comfortable not having my mask on here because I know, at least at our school, that more than ninety percent of people are vaccinated. Everyone has been really safe and respectful. Like I feel comfortable wearing, or not wearing, my mask here. I feel like this community has been very welcoming and inclusive and I feel like it’s about time (the mask mandate was lifted). I am a little nervous though. I saw a New York Times article this morning that a new COVID wave is hitting, but I feel like as long as everyone is being safe, I like to have my mask off ⏤ you really connect to people more.”

Favorite season for a reason

Western students answer the question: “What is your favorite season and why?”

James Fowlkes | Freelancer

Contact the author at jfowlkes18@wou.edu

 

Name: Will Ollenbrook 

Age: 23 

Class Standing: Junior 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Major: Computer Science 

Favorite Season: Spring 

Reason(s): 

“I think it’s probably due to, just like a lot of personal reasons. I’m Irish so, included in Spring usually comes like Saint Patrick’s Day and things like that. Also, I had my birthday recently. That’s another thing that happens around Spring. It’s relatively chilly but not like super cold weather around Spring. It’s a bit more rainy around here in the Pacific Northwest but I don’t really tend to have an issue with that.” 

Name: Xavier Glenn 

Age: 20 

Class Standing: Sophomore 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Major: Physical Education 

Favorite Season: Winter 

Reason(s): 

“Probably winter just because I like to go out and play in the snow and stuff, and it’s probably the best season for dressing, like layers and things like that. Also, I just like the holidays too, so like Christmas time. I guess Thanksgiving kind of counts in winter too, maybe like fall, but holiday family time as well. I think winter is also good because there’s just a stronger, like, sense of community I think and people are trying to get through the hard winter as a family or things like that.”

 

Name: Cedar Davis-Frankfort 

Age: 21 

Class Standing: Junior 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Major: Elementary Education 

Favorite Season: Summer 

 

Reason(s):

“I just enjoy the warm weather and I’m a distance runner so I like running during the summer ‘cause it’s warm out and I don’t worry much about school so I can just run whenever. I enjoy traveling and there’s more time to travel and explore new places.” 

Name: Brittany Waligroski 

Age: 21 

Class Standing: Junior 

Pronouns: She/her 

Major: ASL Interpreting 

Favorite Season: Fall 

 

Reason(s):

“I really like when the leaves on all the trees change colors. It’s just super pretty and then it also has my favorite kind of days that are (sunny) but cold.” 

 

Name: James Ceciliani 

Age: 22 

Class Standing: Senior 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Major: Criminal Justice 

Favorite Season: Spring

 

Reason(s):

“It’s always good to look forward to summer. Sun starts to come out again and we can start going outside a lot more. It’s not super hot and I’m not a big fan of blistering heat but I usually go out and go on hikes and such. (It’s) just sunny, and the days get longer, that’s a big one. And seasonal depression starts going away. I’m an umpire, so baseball starts up again and it’s just gonna be outside.”

 

Abby’s House discussing plans for future Wolves Against Interpersonal Violence committees

Abby’s House discussing plans for future Wolves Against Interpersonal Violence committees

 

Gretchen Sims | Freelancer

Contact the author at gsims20@mail.wou.edu

Content warning: this article mentions sexual assault. 

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 13% of all college students experience rape or sexual assault by means of physical force, violence or incapacitation — 23% of undergraduate female identifying persons and 6.8% of undergraduate male identifying persons.

These statistics are understandably alarming. Fortunately, Abby’s House is extremely aware of the critical need to push back against interpersonal violence. 

The idea for the Wolves Against Interpersonal Violence committee began as a grant requirement during the 2010 school year. Although funding was renewed several times, it eventually dissolved in 2019. After that brief pause, Western staff expressed interest in continuing  the program, which was previously known as the Campus Against Sexual Assault committee.

Although a finite list of objectives for WAIV has not yet been cultivated, Kristen Perry, Director of Abby’s House, envisions several for WAIV’s future. 

“Personally, I’ve worked (in programs similar to this) at a few different campuses. I’ve seen things that work, and I’ve seen things that don’t work. My dream is to have everyone — across campus — on the same page on what prevention and education we offer, what training we offer, what our victim services are, how we can respond and what the conduct case management process is,” Perry stated. “But I can’t do that alone, I’m glad that the WAIV committee is here to help move along those types of goals — those dreams.” 

Right now, many individuals are working together to make Perry’s visions come true. The WAIV committee currently includes individuals who specialize in conduct and Title IX, individuals from Residential Education, Student Health and Counseling, Public Safety, Abby’s House and select leadership members. 

At current meetings, the committee discusses what is currently being done across campus to prevent interpersonal violence and what could be done to improve the experiences of survivors.        

In the revised and finalized version of WAIV, the experts and committed people that compose WAIV will be split into three subcommittees. 

The first will deal with prevention and education which will focus on consent education that is required for students. This committee will also focus on bystander intervention and other education that is offered across campus.

The second subcommittee will focus on policy. It will revise policies, ensure compliance and also educate the campus on some policies that they need to be aware of — such as Title IX and the Clery Act. 

The final subcommittee will be a response committee — training faculty and staff on what to do if a student discloses to them. This subcommittee will also focus on the confidential advocacy offered in Abby’s House, qualified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exams offered at SHCC and how Title IX investigations are performed. 

Sometime in the near future, Abby’s House will be searching for passionate students to sit on committees and help assist with the response to SA on campus. If interested, keep an eye out for more information or reach out to Kristen Perry or Abby’s House directly.

 

Abby’s House has two confidential advocates who can meet with students who have been affected by interpersonal violence such as sexual assault, dating violence, harassment or stalking. They can offer emotional support, reporting options, medical assistance, financial support, academic assistance, support around building coping skills and referrals to other resources both on and off campus.

The value of esports

Written by: Nicholas Sarysz

As technology continues to advance, so does the world of gaming. Esports, or electronic sports, have taken the world by storm and it has become a billion-dollar industry. The rise of esports has sparked the debate of whether it is actually a sport.

Professional players and teams compete against one another in a variety of video games as part of esports. These contests can be held live or online and they can range in size from small regional competitions to major worldwide events like the League of Legends World Championship. 

Over the past ten years, esports has experienced exponential growth, attracting millions of viewers to watch their favorite teams and players compete.

Esports proponents cite that, like traditional sports, it incorporates competition and calls for skill and strategy as evidence that it qualifies as a sport. Esports athletes need to have exceptional hand-eye coordination and be able to react and adapt quickly under pressure. 

Like conventional sports, esports demands a lot of repetition and training. Professional esports players frequently spend hours each day developing their abilities. 

We are likely going to see gaming evolve even further into the sports world, as it may even become an Olympic sport in the future since the International Olympic Committee has already recognized esports as a legitimate competitive activity.
Frankly, I feel that a “competitive activity” is all it should be labeled as. Just because there are people engaging in competition, does not make something a sport. Furthermore, spending time honing a craft does not make something a sport, as that can be done with any hobby — not to mention that’s also how jobs work.

Esports also lacks any true physical component to be labeled as a true sport. While esports players certainly require mental and physical dexterity, their activities don’t require the same level of physical exertion as traditional sports. 

There is no denying how incredibly powerful the esports industry has become — given it is now over a billion dollar industry — but to say that these competitive gamers are athletes is comical and blatantly disrespectful to the passion and work ethic that traditional athletes have.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Can small schools make as big of an impact?

Written by: Nicholas Sarysz

As someone who is soon to be a college graduate, who has attended four different universities throughout my four years of college, I can confidently say that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the often-asked question of whether small colleges are as good as large colleges. Ultimately, the decision of where to attend college comes down to individual preferences.

On the one hand, small colleges can offer a more personalized education. With smaller class sizes and a more intimate campus environment, students at small colleges have more opportunities to build relationships with their professors and peers, which is something a lot of people look for when choosing a school.

However, small colleges often have limited resources, both in terms of academic programs and extracurricular activities. This can impact students’ opportunities to explore different areas of interest or gain experience in their chosen fields. Additionally, small colleges may have limited name recognition outside of the general area where they are located, which may impact students’ job prospects and graduate school opportunities.

The biggest issue with small colleges is the “big fish in a small pond” conundrum, where a lot of students may gain a false sense of superiority given their lack of socialization with and understanding of the real world. This often creates a less welcoming environment for students who don’t fit into established social circles. Usually, there is far less cultural diversity within a smaller university campus as well.

Larger colleges, on the other hand, offer a much wider range of academic programs, research opportunities and extracurricular activities. There are often more options for clubs and organizations, as well as more diverse perspectives and experiences to learn from and immerse yourself in. Larger colleges also have more name recognition and resources to support students’ career and graduate school aspirations, thus providing more flexibility for those who want to relocate after they graduate.

In my personal experience, I much prefer larger universities. Larger college campuses are like their own town with daily events, multiple restaurants and things to do, making them a lot more fun. On top of this, extra fees such as incidental and meal plan costs tended to be noticeably cheaper at the larger universities I attended. Just know that private colleges are hardly ever worth it — unless one obtains an abnormally large scholarship.

All in all, a degree is just a degree, no matter where you get it from. It is not much other than a symbol of wasted money, a ticket to higher education or a one-way entrance into the bottom of the corporate ladder.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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