Opinion – Page 2 – The Western Howl

Student Government Leaders at Public Universities Across Oregon Call on State to Invest in Financial Aid

N.J. Johnson |‌ ‌ASWOU President

Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Student Body Presidents at University of Oregon, Western Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon State University, and Portland State University released a joint letter today to members of the Oregon State Legislature and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission calling for the state to address rising tuition increases and improve governance and oversight of public universities in Oregon, which were deregulated in 2015.

The Letter Reads:

To: Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the Oregon State Legislature

Fr: Oregon Student Association & Associated University Student Governments

Re: Higher Education Priorities for the Legislative Session

Understanding that the effect of COVID-19 and the financial recession that has followed have had immense impacts on students, we the student body presidents of the public universities across the state of Oregon call upon the state legislature to take meaningful efforts to reevaluate the course of higher education funding.

Upon careful assessments of our campus priorities and the needs of students in the midst of this pandemic, this association has determined that emergency investments into the Oregon Opportunity Grant to be a top priority. Currently, less than 1 in 4 students who qualify for the Oregon Opportunity Grant receive the funding. This stands out as a deeply concerning flaw in state distribution of funding. We believe that financial aid investment is a fundamental part of any strategy for long term economic recovery across the state. Students pursuing higher education make up a large portion of the working class population in the state of Oregon, without further financial assistance we anticipate these students will be forced to choose between their pursuit of higher education opportunities and financial stability.

This pandemic has further revealed the inequities of our many social systems. Specifically, under the analysis of the financial distribution to our public universities, we have seen a recurring trend in funding initiatives and projects across state universities that do not directly contribute to the needs of students. While OSA supports investing in safety updates and retrofitting, as well as building equity centers, multicultural student centers, and dreamers resource centers, student needs are not always taken into account when institutions prioritize new building projects. We are well aware of the potential financial recovery that capital construction initiatives offer during these difficult times, however, we weigh the

financial burdens that students are facing as a higher priority for state funding. As it stands, capital construction funding will not directly support the needs of students, especially when these projects have projected completion dates years in the future. University administrations have argued that investments in capital construction will mitigate the enrollment crisis and make education more affordable. Instead, the data collected over the last decade shows enrollment declines and alarming tuition increases. We are asking that students and the needs of students be a direct priority during this session. We ask that legislators work with students to reevaluate and reimagine the incentives, governance, and priorities of our public universities.

Thus, we the student body presidents of the public university in the state of Oregon call upon the legislature to make meaningful emergency investments into the Oregon Opportunity Grant to aid financially suffering students during the long session. We call upon the legislature to support students calls for increased transparency and accountability on public universities to ensure funds are directly supporting students’ needs. Lastly, we call upon the legislature to oppose the ongoing drift towards privatization of our public universities through planning for meaningful investment and meaningful governance reform.

Signed,

Isaiah Boyd, President Associated Students of University of Oregon

N.J. Johnson, President Associated Students of Western Oregon University

Keegan Sanchez, President Associated Students of Eastern Oregon University

Motutama Sipelii, President Associated Students of Portland State University

Isabel Nuñez Perez, President Associated Students of Oregon State University

In the five years since the Oregon University System was dismantled and institutional boards were put in place, tuition has increased by 18.5%, a faster rate than the five year span directly leading up to the end of the Oregon University System. This leads to massive inequities in higher education access. At the University of Oregon, for instance, there are about as many students whose household income is in the top 1% of income earners as there are students whose household income is in the bottom 20%.

Meanwhile, private fundraising at the universities which students were told would go to help keep tuition down has gone instead to high profile construction projects, often with little formal student input. In the 17-19 biennium, the state of Oregon allocated $330.8 million to capital construction projects at universities. This is more than twice the amount allocated to financial aid that year–the Oregon Opportunity Grant received $146.1 Million. A white paper published by SEIU Local 503 in 2019 demonstrates that from 1999 to 2019, the share of state financial support for universities going to construction debt servicing rose from less than 3% all the way to 16%.

Of the letter, ASUO President Isaiah Boyd said: “In this past year, the Covid-19 epidemic has demonstrated the growing flaws in our systems of higher education. We’ve witnessed the socioeconomic issues faced by students pursuing higher educations become all the more exacerbated. Higher education pursuits across the country are reaching the critical point where students will no longer have the financial stability to go after their dreams.”

NJ Johnson, student body President at Western Oregon University said: “With the unsustainable increases in tuition correlated with statewide enrollment decline, now is the time to invest meaningfully in access and affordability to end this cycle.”

For more information, contact ASWOU President N.J. Johnson by phone at (503) 838-8555 or by emailing aswoupresident@mail.wou.edu; or, contact ASUO President Isaiah Boyd by phone at (541) 346-0624 or by emailing asuopres@uoregon.edu

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Dungeon Delving for Dummies: “Ghosts of Saltmarsh”

“Ghosts of Saltmarsh” is Wizards of the Coast’s most boring adventure guide

Stephanie Moschella |‌ ‌Digital Media Manager

For new dungeon masters, “Ghosts of Saltmarsh” is a suitable adventuring guide that lays out the groundwork ahead of time. However, for anyone that has played Dungeons & Dragons more than a handful of times, it is aimed extremely towards newbies and not seasoned players. There are many interesting moving pieces, including a haunted Shadowfell forest and hidden vampires; but, at the end of the day, it falls flat in comparison to some other campaign guides.

With seven adventures and three new factions, there really isn’t a lot of new content in this guide. It is much too similar to the “Tales from the Yawning Portal,” with an assortment of adventures that can be added to any campaign. There isn’t one Saltmarsh adventure that screams “sea pirate shanty.” If anything, things can be taken out from this book and put anywhere else. This guidebook doesn’t convey these adventures well at all, and there is little to no character or story when it comes to these adventures.

If DMs were planning on only running Saltmarsh ⏤ something that I tried to do ⏤ there will be a lot of times where they have to take full and utter control. With the lack of balance between adventures that are played in the lower levels compared to mid-to upper-levels, DMs have to throw a lot of freebies to their players. It’s hard to really push the boundaries of playstyle when it is almost set up for players to fail.

I don’t get why so many people are saying this is a great adventure sourcebook. I know it’s hard to review campaign guides already, but it’s even harder when the book just kind of sucks. The artwork is amazing, and there are some characters that when heavily expanded on, can be great set pieces in a campaign. But that’s just it, it relies too heavily on the DM making choices to change and improve upon characters, which in the end, only the character name is something Saltmarsh provides.

The location of Saltmarsh is cool I guess — the run down coastline town can be an interesting start to campaigns; but, honestly, within the first couple of sessions, it can become extremely small and claustrophobic fast. I just kept thinking about how glad I was for being born in the suburbs right next to a major city.

Overall Review: If DMs use parts of this adventuring guide in their own campaigns, it can add a fun and interesting twist. However, there isn’t anything new presented in this guidebook hence, it can just be dismissed. 4/10 would recommend to DM’s and players alike.

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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Dungeon Delving for Dummies: “Volo’s Guide to Monsters”

“Volo’s Guide to Monsters” is Wizards of the Coast’s most detailed sourcebook

Stephanie Moschella |‌ ‌Digital Media Manager

Imagine this scenario: a mother has two kids, one’s name is Combat and the other’s name is Roleplay. No matter how hard they try, the mother just can’t help but love Roleplay more. But she can’t just let Combat sit there and die ⏤ they need food, water, shelter and the base level of love so that they don’t simply just perish away. But Combat is ugly, slow, tedious, hard work and overall, a pain in her a-s. The thing is, with the right parenting, Combat can grow up into an exceptional adult. “Volo’s Guide to Monsters” might be the element missing to turn the combat hating players excited to roll initiative.

This sourcebook is jam packed with information and in depth lore surrounding Dungeons & Dragons’ most notable enemies such as beholders, hags, mind flayers and much more. There are plenty of additional resources for dungeon masters including tables, lairs with maps, historical backgrounds and even some creature psychology that can help add an extra layer to games.

Along with this, the book includes tons of extensions for player characters as well ⏤ with 13 new and interesting races in order to keep away from any standard or traditional races. There are tips on how to roleplay certain races, which I will always and forever ignore because they’re really just full of primitive racist stereotypes. Most of the time, these “tips” are problematic amalgamations of real life racism and DM’s should be aware of this in order to avoid any pitfalls.

New races are always a plus, as they can expand worldbuilding and character creation, but it falls flat with the racially steered tips. Avoiding this section is quite easy, as Wizards of the Coast has done some careful, albeit minimal, backtracking in order to avoid this issue present day.

The most important section of the sourcebook is the extensive bestiary that is dedicated to a variety of new creatures ⏤ some that weren’t even included in the Monster Manual. There is an excellent range of monsters with an easy to gauge balance for DM’s to recognize what they should or shouldn’t be using against their 5th level players.

Content wise, any DM will benefit in buying and subsequently using this sourcebook. It is extremely detailed as stated by Volothamp Geddarm himself, “I wonder what a mind flayer’s brain tastes like.”

Overall Review: This book is an absolute must-have for DMs as it is a treasure trove of monster lore. It’s an amazing addition to 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons with charming banter from Volo and Elminster sprinkled throughout. 9/10 would recommend to DM’s and players alike!

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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Dungeon Delving for Dummies: “Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide”

“Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide” is not Wizards of the Coast’s typical sourcebook

Stephanie Moschella |‌ ‌Digital Media Manager

Okay in actuality, “Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide” is technically not even a sourcebook. For dungeon masters ⏤ no matter how experienced ⏤ there will be absolutely nothing for them in this book. If you want a general overview of Faerûn and the Sword Coast area itself, then sure, spend $20 or so for this book. But, for people that have access to the internet, it is way easier to look up the information needed than to go searching through 50 pages.

The Sword Coast honestly is an extremely generic setting for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It’s good for quick one shots with new and boring players or the Adventurer’s League ⏤ settings I don’t really define as actual D&D campaigns.

There is a lot of lore here, and Wizards of the Coast does make it canon instead of flip flopping with conflicting lore like they did for the past 30 plus years. They retconned and reconstructed a lot of material into one convenient source book, but it still can only really be used in an god-awful traditional setting.

However, WOTC will do anything for a cash grab, so they did cram some new content for character development. Besides the lore on the Sword Coast, other surrounding areas in Faerûn and a few deities, this source book puts a spotlight on class archetypes and new backgrounds.

Not all classes get new archetypes and some only get expanded versions ⏤ which hinders a lot of character builds. However, there’s some interesting ones such as the Purple Dragon Knight fighter, the comprehensive Arcana domain for clerics and a storm related archetype for sorcerers. Bards and druids don’t get any new additions, but unless a player is trying to have sexy times with a dragon as an actual a-s dragon, there’s no point in playing these classes anymore anyways.

Overall Review: For players that want an introduction to the Sword Coast region or D&D hoarders that want to collect all the books, go ahead and buy this. But, it’s pretty meaningless and not really worth the investment, so I would suggest just using online resources. 4/10 would recommend to DM’s and players alike.

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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Dungeon Delving for Dummies: “Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes”

“Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes” is Wizards of the Coast most essential source book

Stephanie Moschella |‌ ‌Digital Media Manager

“Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes” stars our friendly level 30 mad mage — he takes readers through the multiverse that includes realms like Greyhawk, Eberron and more. If dungeon masters have players that are looking to be thrown into some good ol’ political intrigue, there is some rich history here that can help with that. With six chapters that contain a plethora of new lore and dozens of options regarding general gameplay, it tops it off with a large bestiary of new foes to use against players.

The first section of the book focuses on The Blood War, which was fought between demons and devils, each attempting to grab for power. They fought a lot in the lower planes, so if DMs were going to use this in a campaign, there shouldn’t be too much concern regarding players venturing there. Unless players have a pretty sadistic DM….

A large extension to the Tiefling race was added — many subraces, additional abilities and more personality traits can be used by players. Along with multiple race variations to elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, there is also an entirely new race addition — the Gith. Players would be able to play a githyanki or a githzerai depending if they wish to hone their strength or intelligence skills.

Although the race additions and bestiary are helpful, a large portion of the sourcebook is optional information to add into campaigns. It would be useful for newer DM’s and those that want a quick fix to creating lore, but for already ongoing campaigns, it can truthfully be disregarded.

For more modern DM’s, I would not suggest using any of the lore in this book. It dives deeper into why certain races are classified as “evil” compared to others, specifically the drow and duergar. This sourcebook provides a pretty lame excuse for being blatantly racist by deeming it as “world expansion.” From Mordenkainen himself, “dwarves are neurotic.”

Overall Review: Between the name calling and race structured personality traits, this sourcebook typically sits on my bookshelf collecting dust. 5/10 would recommend to players and DM’s alike.

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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Opinion: Self-love doesn’t have to be linear

Learn to like yourself first, and the rest will come later

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌

Valentine’s Day used to be simple and relatively stress free. Those were the days, when all we had to do as students was scribble a ‘xoxo’ on some cheap-o cards our parents bought last minute. The biggest stress was making sure everyone’s names were spelled right on the card. As we grow up over the years, we realize that there’s an external pressure to find someone “special” to spend Valentine’s Day with. And if you’re single during the holidays, then the next mission is to take that singleness and to “just love yourself” through it. In a world that puts a lot of pressure on loving yourself fully, right off the bat, what is someone to do if they don’t even like themselves?

Thankfully, you don’t have to love yourself. At least, not right away.

Self-love is important, but it has recently become the suggested quick-fix solution to people’s problems. If loving yourself was that easy, everyone would be doing it — and nobody would be struggling with the parts of themselves that they hide away. But life is not about loving yourself right away, it is about honoring the process of getting to know yourself and taking realistic baby steps. The saying is true after all: no matter where you go, there you are.

It is not a race, and it takes active practice. Even though it can be difficult to put ourselves first, there are many approaches to personal growth. Some ways that may help is by practicing patience with yourself, and to show acceptance and gratitude to the body that has gotten you through a pandemic. If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, hold yourself accountable in the ways you want to change, and work toward those goals.

Instead of being our own worst enemies, what if we tried being as patient with ourselves as we are with others, like we do with our loved ones? If they make a mistake, our first instinct isn’t to tear them down, it is to lovingly encourage them to try again. It is important to recognize when we speak to or treat ourselves poorly, and then try to be more understanding and patient.

This last year has put too many people through the wringer, and it can feel like we’re going through the motions until we fully settle into our new normal. While the dust settles, it is important to know that this type of acceptance and love can’t happen overnight, and it is crucial to ask for support when needed. Love and kindness toward yourself is something that can be worked on anytime — not just because it is a new year, or because it is Valentine’s Day, but because you deserve to feel at ease with yourself all the time.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

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Dungeon Delving for Dummies: “Xanathar’s Guide to Everything”

“Xanathar’s Guide to Everything” is Wizard’s of the Coast’s most helpful sourcebook

Stephanie Moschella |‌ ‌Digital Media Manager

“Xanathar’s Guide to Everything” serves as a compendium of everything extra and more. With beautiful artwork scattered throughout and hilarious riffs from the notorious gang leader Xanathar himself, this is an incredibly useful guide for dungeon masters. This sourcebook is split into three chapters: Character Options, Dungeon Master’s Tools and Spells ⏤ alongside extensions on character names and advice for DM’s. Nevertheless, Xanathar and his pet fish, Sylgar, take readers on a wild ride through all the brand new content to play with.

If DM’s have more role-playing than roll-playing players, the character option guide is a massive win. Combat-focused players might find this section a bit underwhelming, however, nobody cares about what they think. There are many revisited and revised class modifications such as the Samurai fighter and the Swashbuckler rogue, along with a completely new subclass, the Horizon Walker ranger. Another win for the four players out there that still play a ranger.

A compelling addition are the racial feats at the end of chapter one ⏤ which cover races such as tieflings and gnomes. There are various supplemental tables that DM’s could use to expand a nonplayable character’s background with a roll of a die or can act as a helping hand for new players.

This sourcebook covers those complicated questions that come up during games, like the rules around waking someone up, exhaustion, seeing someone cast and identifying the spell and what the hell adamantine weapons are. Knowing those little, but important, rules can make a game run smoother and improves the efficiency of the DM. It’s great to know what to do when a player falls off a cliff.

Half of the spells in the original 5th edition handbook sucked, so I always look forward to any new ones that come out. The major additions to the druid, sorcerer and wizard spell lists give a much wider variety for extensive combat play. From Xanathar himself, “danger is everywhere. Always keep one eye open.”

Overall Review: Although not everything is balanced, many things this sourcebook visited can help build an entire campaign. 8/10 would recommend to players and DM’s alike!

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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Student reactions to Trump’s 2nd impeachment after the Capitol attacks

Western students react to Donald Trump’s 2nd impeachment after the attacks on the Capitol

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

Do you approve of Trump’s 2nd impeachment after the Capitol attacks?

How many students voted: 79

Students who approved of Trump’s 2nd impeachment: 67 (84.81%)

Students who disapproved of Trump’s 2nd impeachment: 12 (15.19%)

Contact the author at howldigitalmediamanager@mail.wou.edu

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Opinion: Schools can do more to protect students from active shooters

Public education needs to improve active shooter safety on campus

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Gun control is an exhausted conversation that ultimately divides people. The arguments lead to more arguments that lead to people being angry and nothing being accomplished. When all is said and done, neither side is able to persuade the other and we are still left with the issue of school shootings. In 1970, the Center for Homeland Security recorded eight students were killed on campus from gun violence ⏤ a 237.5% difference to 2018’s 27 fatalities. My question is, if we aren’t able to come to any kind of agreement on guns, why do we keep on fighting with each other? Let’s talk about the real issue of protecting students and staff from school shooters.

A 2018 USA Today article entitled “How secure are our schools? Since Columbine they are locked tightly, research shows” states that , “The year of the massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., just 19% of schools said they used security cameras to monitor buildings. By the 2013-14 school year, 75% had the devices up and running.”

This statement proves that schools are upgrading security. Additionally, according to GuardianBooth.com, the number of schools implementing school resource officers has grown from 13% in 1994 to 57% in 2018.

In addition to upgraded security, most schools have implemented lock down procedures. While many schools say that their lock down drills prepare students and teachers for if a gunman were to enter the school, many safety officials argue that existing lock down drill policies are not effective.

According to an interview conducted in 2012 by ABC News, former SWAT officer Greg Crane stated, “most schools tell teachers to lock their doors and sit quietly until help arrives. We don’t recommend just locking a door because locked doors have been defeated before.”

When I read this interview, the first thing that came to my mind was the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The gunman, a former student of the school, was familiar with the school’s emergency plans and rendered that preparation useless with a flick of a fire alarm. This is an example of school safety needing to adapt to situations like these.

At Western we don’t even have lockdown drills. We have fire drills and earthquake drills — why not active shooter drills? I understand that universities are larger than high schools, but the university could randomize a few buildings each month that could practice. At least the resident halls should practice a lockdown drill once a term as they do with fire drills.

In the emergency procedures pamphlet for Western, there is a whole section dedicated to active shooters, and it lists a procedure known as ALICE ⏤ alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate. In their procedures, the plans reflect a high school lockdown, but their plans constitute half a pamphlet page. The other half of the page is dedicated to how the news of the shooting will be relayed to media outlets. Why are we using half of a page to talk about how the information is going to be conveyed to the media? Why not use the entire page to include or expand on plans in the event of an emergency? We could even have video orientations made available on our portal.

My point is, we exhaust ourselves by fighting with each other over gun control when neither side is going to be swayed. We have come a long way since Columbine, and after the Parkland shooting, new gun legislation in Florida was passed because of students marching for their lives. However, the buildings in which these tragedies happened still need to be secure. If we invest a little more time and energy in preparing the places where they happen, maybe it would help students feel more secure.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

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Opinion: New Year’s resolutions are meant to fail

Making resolutions is nice, but fixating on our flaws is not

Cora McClain | Editor-in-Chief

Exercise more, eat healthy, keep to a study schedule, read 30 books by the end of the year, etc. — typical resolutions like these permeate throughout little (or long) lists we use for yearly self-improvement. Each year, we look in the mirror and list out all of our flaws and make meaningless lists on how to improve upon those flaws. Jokes have been made time and time again, but New Year’s resolutions usually last about as long as the holiday — one day or less. The way we construct our list of resolutions makes them so breakable.

Our New Year’s resolutions are reflections of our “perfect” selves: the ones who rock climb, the ones who cook, the ones who keep houseplants alive, but they are not ourselves. We create unattainable goals that are pass/fail with no wiggle room. Changing behavior doesn’t happen overnight, and too often we expect to be able to be at the level of our “perfect” selves by Jan. 1. It is simply unattainable, and only adds to a self-deprecating culture in which we don’t hold ourselves accountable.

That being said, I don’t hate goal setting; in fact, I think goal setting is the key to success. I just think that we put way too much pressure on ourselves to force ourselves to change who we are. Good positive change takes time and work, starting small and building towards that big change. Otherwise, forcing a huge change from the get go will only lead to lackluster results. We need to move towards kinder and more attainable goal-setting in order to facilitate change and improvement in our lives.

I have found a lot of clarity in how to create attainable resolutions in Leena Norms’ video on the topic, “Lies you’re told about new years resolutions.” She gives many tips on how to break the New Year’s resolution mold and look at the yearly tradition in a more creative and positive light. While watching her video, I discovered a trend — people aim too high and are far too harsh on themselves by believing New Year’s resolutions have to look a certain way. In reality, you can make anything a resolution, decide anyway to measure it and give yourself as much wiggle room as you need. It doesn’t always have to be “go vegan or go home.”

Contact the author at cmcclain17@mail.wou.edu

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Press Release: Satisfactory Senate Resolution

ASWOU and WOU Faculty Senate approve the Satisfactory/No Credit grading option

Liz Marquez Gutierrez | ASWOU Senate President

WOU students:

On behalf of the ASWOU Senate I am excited to share that the E-Satisfactory/NoCredit* grading option will be offered for Winter and Spring of 2021. The S*/NC grading option was offered last spring term to support students adjust to learning in a remote format due to the COVID-19 crisis, however, it was not a grading option for fall 2020 although ~95% of courses were offered online.

As fall term began, we remained concerned about the mental health and well-being of students, understanding that learning in a remote format during a pandemic continues to be a challenge. In order to address this issue, the ASWOU Senate passed Senate Resolution 6.21 requesting WOU Faculty continue offering students the S*/NC grading option for the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year. Additionally, Elizabeth Braatz who is a phenomenal student advocate, created a survey to collect student support for the S*/NC grading option to demonstrate how this grading option would greatly benefit students this academic year.

Thankfully, the WOU Faculty Senate voted to approve the S*/NC grading policy for the rest of the 2020-2021 academic year. This effort would not be possible without the support of students who filled out and shared the survey with their peers. I would like to thank Elizabeth Braatz for her incredible work in creating a survey to collect student support for this grading option and for presenting the survey results to the WOU Faculty Senate. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the WOU Faculty Senate for listening to students’ concerns and for their support of Senate Resolution 6.21.

On December 29th, 2020, the University Registrar sent an email to students providing more details about the S*/NC grading option. It is highly encouraged that students work with their academic advisor when deciding between S*/NC and A-F grading options for winter term as it may impact financial aid status or admittance to future programs (e.g. nursing school, law school).

We hope this grading option provides students the opportunity to successfully complete their courses as we continue to adjust to a new learning environment.

For more information, contact ASWOU Senate President Liz Marquez Gutierrez at aswousenpres@mail.wou.edu.

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Two days left to enter the #SafeHolidaysOR Student PSA Contest

Governor Brown asks Oregon students to design PSAs on how to safely celebrate the holidays

Cora McClain | Editor-In-Chief

While the weather outside is frightful, the rise in Oregon COVID-19 cases is far less delightful. The easiest way to spread COVID is through large gatherings, even if those gatherings are with friends and family. The fact of the matter is, traditional ways of celebrating the holidays are less safe for everyone involved.

The Oregon Health Authority has said that people in their 20s continue to be the most likely to test positive for COVID. To raise awareness, Governor Kate Brown launched the statewide COIVD-19 #SafeHolidaysOR Public Service Announcement video contest. The contest entails any and all Oregon students to answer the question “How Do You Plan to Celebrate the Holidays Safely?” in a 30 seconds or less.

Whether a student attends a school located in Oregon or lives in Oregon while attending school out of state, any K-12 and college student is eligible to enter. Governor Brown will choose the winners of the contest, share the videos across her social media platforms and invite the winners to a video chat with her.

The deadline for these videos is Dec. 18. There’s only a couple of days left to enter; so, if you are interested, get your video in soon.

A student can enter by submitting a PSA in video format through their form. If there are any issues submitting your video, email your submission directly to Sarah Dean at Sarah.Dean@Oregon.gov along with your name, city, school, and PSA title.

Rules:

PSA Videos must:

Answer the question: “How Do You Plan to Celebrate the Holidays Safely?”
Be 30 seconds or less.
Observe proper physical distancing and other public health recommendations.
Be student created. An adult may assist with the video editing and filming, but the content must be student created.

PSA Videos must NOT:

Use music that is copyrighted. Royalty-free music websites such as freeplaymusic.com offer songs that can be used without violating copyright.
Use images of any kind that are copyrighted. Royalty-free image websites such as pixabay.com provide images that can be used without violating copyright.
Include violations of physical distancing or other COVID safety requirements.
Contain non-factual information, content promoting hate or discrimination, or other offensive content.
Include audio, images, or other footage of other people without their permission, and, if the video includes minors, without their parent/guardian’s permission.

PSAs that do not comply with contest rules will be disqualified.

By submitting, you consent to have your submission featured on Governor Brown’s social media accounts. If your video is selected, you and your parent/guardian, if applicable, may be required to sign permission form.

For more information and ideas to include in your videos, visit the official My Oregon News article on the contest.

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Some examples of the video PSA from The Western Howl staff below!

“My immediate family and I are doing all of our gift shopping online.”
– Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

“I’m going to be celebrating Christmas with my roommates by watching a ton of movies throughout the day.”
Sean Martinez | Copy Editor

“I’m staying safe this holiday season by staying home as much as I can.”
Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

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Press Release: IFC fee autonomy is a win for student voices

President Johnson outlines IFC’s success against obstruction and clears up misinformation about the Incidental Fee

NJ Johnson | ASWOU President

Dear Campus Community,

The ASWOU Incidental Fee Committee will be charging a flat student incidental fee of $150 for winter term to all WOU students and President Fuller has confirmed that this will be collected by the University. This fee funds vital resources and programming such as the food pantry, student government, multicultural groups, and activities-based clubs which, during this pandemic, remain just as essential to the success and well-being of WOU students as ever.

I would like to thank the hundreds of students who took part by giving feedback in this process. While our campus community is a vibrant and diverse group of individuals with different perspectives, the overwhelming sentiment we heard was that students wanted us to protect funding for student jobs, access to the food pantry, multicultural groups and resource centers, student government, and activity-based clubs.

Just as they did earlier this year regarding Fall term’s incidental fee, President Fuller and his office attempted to obstruct this student led, democratic process this term. We filed an appeal with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, and soon after, Administration officially recognized ASWOU’s fee autonomy regarding our right to fund these student led programs and resources. Amidst a host of other attacks on the rights of our faculty, staff, and students coming from President Fuller, this acknowledgement of the student voice is a huge win for this year.

Given some of the false information that President Fuller’s staff has been directed to spread to students, we wanted to provide some factual context regarding the student incidental fee. First, this fee is less than the original fee that the vast majority of students would have paid were it not for social distance learning.

Second, while administration has targeted graduate students with the false assertion that this is a change to the structure of fees that Graduate students pay, the fact is that there is no change to whether graduate students take part in paying the incidental fee and are able to benefit from these paces and services it provides. Graduate students are often exploited by administration both as students and as workers, we acknowledge this unique circumstance and reiterate that we as ASWOU are here to fight for your rights and interests.

Third, this fee is the only amount of money you pay into WOU that students have democratic control over. We share the student body’s concerns regarding the cost of tuition and fees at WOU; a large amount of the work ASWOU does is in advancing legislative initiatives to combat the cost of attendance at WOU. Because of our commitment to fighting to keep the cost of attendance at WOU down, we have directed the Oregon Student Association to introduce legislation which will increase transparency and regulation around all fees that students pay, both the incidental fee and the large host of other fees which students currently have no democratic control over.

We encourage students to get involved in the incidental fee process in the upcoming terms through attending our hearings, filling out the survey forms we send out, and contacting ASWOU officials, whose email addresses can be found here. Information and updates can be found on ASWOU social media and wou.edu/ifc. We also ask students interested in more transparency around the large amount of fees charged to students at WOU to get involved this winter in working to pass state-level legislation which would better regulate student fees at public universities and colleges in Oregon. If you would like to be involved in the statewide student effort to pass legislation which regulates student fees, please contact Oregon Student Association at andrew@orstudents.org for info on how to do so.

Make no mistake that more work lies ahead to protect the legal autonomy students must retain in the process of assessing and distributing incidental fees. The overwhelming majority of students have expressed to us the importance of protecting the areas funded by the incidental fee and the rights students hold over this process. ASWOU will continue to ensure that students are kept updated on these matters and encourage every student to engage in the process for Spring 2021 and the 2021-22 academic year. Remember that when students are heard, students win.

For more information, contact ASWOU President NJ Johnson by emailing at aswoupresident@mail.wou.edu or by phone at (503) 838-8555

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Resources for tough times during the holidays

What to do when the holiday blues strike

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

There’s no amount of eggnog, Hallmark movies or peppermint bark that can fully cure the holiday blues. There are great parts of the holidays, don’t get me wrong. Half the fun is in buying gifts for family and friends, drinking too much hot chocolate and cozying up in bed to sleep the day away.

The overall Christmas cheer and elaborate colorful lights around town do help ease the gloomy, cold days that have set in. There’s no denying that this year has been a whirlwind, and with everything combined, the encroaching Yuletide can sometimes feel like an emotional tsunami. The reality is that sometimes the holidays are just plain difficult, even if it can generally be a positive time. We’re only human, and everyone is just trying their best with what they’ve got. How we deal with trying times is ultimately up to us, but there are resources available to prepare for the upcoming holidays and New Year.

Financial stress and food insecurity can affect many people during their life, and extra help can be the difference between eating some nights versus not. Western has its own Food Pantry, and updates can be found on their Facebook and Instagram page, @WOUFoodPantry.

There’s also a comprehensive list of food pantries and hunger relief organizations in Marion and Polk County that can be found at https://marionpolkfoodshare.org/get-help/. Services like these are available to anyone facing any level of food insecurity. This website lists the name of the organization, as well as their address and phone number, and their hours of operation.

There are many helplines and text services that can potentially help those who need someone to listen, talk to or get additional help. It can be extremely difficult to ask for help when needed the most, and if you or someone you love could benefit from these hotlines, don’t be afraid to just check these out. If they aren’t quite what you’re looking for, that’s okay too.

SAMHSA National Helpline: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can direct people to helpful resources, treatment facilities and support groups in the area at any time. Call 1-800-662-4357.
NEDA Helpline: National Eating Disorders Association offers confidential support for anyone coping with an eating disorder, or for concerns about disordered eating habits and actions. There’s also a chat option on their website, nationaleatingdisorders.org/. Available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (ET) Monday through Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) Friday. For their crisis support, call 1-800-931-2237 or text ‘NEDA’ to 741741.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Confidential assistance with trained professionals for people experiencing domestic violence, or questioning if they’re in an abusive relationship. There’s also an online chat on their website, thehotline.org/. Call 1-800-799-7233 or text ‘LOVEIS’ to 22522 at any time.
Veteran Crisis Line: For veterans and service members in crisis, there are specially-trained VA responders available at any time. Call 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255.
NSPH Hotline: National Suicide Prevention connects people to local crisis centers and offers confidential support from trained staff at any time. Call 1-800-273-8255.

The holidays are stressful in general and there’s a lot going on in the world, and it’s perfectly normal to have days where you’re feeling anxious or down in the dumps. The holiday blues affect more people than we realize, but if you or someone you love is seriously struggling, please reach out to these resources and to those around you. If it is ever a true emergency, call 911. From one human being to another, just get through the day as best as you can. Acknowledge your needs for today, take care of yourself, and reach out to family and friends. Know that the sun will always rise and set, and we can try again tomorrow.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Student reactions to the dorm guest policy petition

Western students react to a petition in favor for changing the dorm guest policy

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

How many students voted: 68

Students in favor for changing the dorm guest policy: 41 (60%)

Students against changing the dorm guest policy: 27 (40%)

Highlighted student responses:

Name: Kendra Acker

Year: First-year

Major: Education

“Or at least guests from other halls, because there’s nowhere to hangout with friends from other halls except outside, especially when it’s raining and gloomy out. Or now with the freeze, we can’t even meet and hang in Valsetz. Idk *woman with black hair shrugging emoji*”

Name: Erich Muehe

Year: Senior

Major: Political Science

“I voted in support of the petition because I know it would be good for other students as they would be struggling in this time. I currently live off campus but I know many people that would benefit from this change.”

Name: Robby Scharf

Year: Sophomore

Major: Education

“Considering the depopulation of the dorms that has already happened, and is going to continue to happen until the end of the term and possibly last in some considerable fashion into winter term, the danger of widespread community transmission of Covid-19 continues to decrease with time. The people living in the dorms currently are the least likely to spend considerable time in other communities and bring Covid-19 to campus, as those who live anywhere near WOU are considerably more likely to just live at home or elsewhere off campus. The ethics of the no-guest policy are becoming more and more ambiguous, in my view, daily.”

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Letter to the Editor

Jennifer King outlines her “Concerns for the President” in light of SCHH staffing cuts

Guest contributor Jennifer King

October 29, 2020

Dear WOU Administration and Campus Community,

It is with utmost concern that I relieve my conscience prior to my departure from this institution regarding the lack of access to adequate medical and mental health care.

I am well aware of what the pandemic has done to funding for this university and decisions that have been made to cut staffing were not easy nor taken lightly. That said, I cannot understand the decision to cancel student health fees for the majority of students (many still residing in rural Monmouth) resulting in elimination of services and provider layoffs leaving the health center able to provide the absolute minimum in care during a global health pandemic of which is wreaking havoc on our country both by the disease itself as well as the decline in overall mental health and well-being.

Other universities, including OSU, have not opted to remove the fee as full services are still offered and utilized via telehealth and in-person visits.

I know that administration is overwhelmed with a budgetary crisis and important decisions concerning the future and even the longevity of WOU, but please consider this information from a medical professional. The ramifications of continuing to remove the nominal student health fee and how that affects access to affordable, local and quality women’s health, mental health, and general health care as well as capability for COVID-19 testing within our community are significant.

We are professionals with expertise in treatment, prevention and planning and were not consulted or asked for input in regards to protecting and providing for the physical and mental health needs of the student population. Rather, decisions were made by administrators with no medical knowledge or expertise in healthcare, and we have been told what we will do and how we will do it.

With the cuts, we will be left with one male practitioner who has specialized in mental health for the past 20 years.

Not to his discredit, but he recognizes his need for frequent consultation from his medical director (me) and former colleague regarding women’s health and acute care in office procedures and diagnoses unrelated to his area of expertise.

He was previously using continuing education to become more current in these areas, but there will be no funding nor time off for this either.

In addition, he is a front-line worker, considered by self-report to be high risk should he contract COVID, leaving him with undue anxiety not only concerning his own health, but leaving the clinic unstaffed should he become ill or simply need a break from the constant burden of working in this field. He has already had to self-isolate for 10 days due to possible COVID symptoms leaving no medical provider in the office.

In addition, leaving one highly specialized provider to perform all health visits is a liability to him and to the institution, and his voiced concerns (emails earlier in the term) of this have seemingly gone unheard by his superiors.

We also see a number of female students requesting a female provider for general sexual health and wellbeing screenings, contraceptive services, personal concerns, post sexual assault as well as cultural considerations that preclude them from seeing a male medical provider.

We are in a limited access rural health community with few options for our students to receive health services without a personal vehicle.

Furthermore, we see a number of uninsured, financially constrained students, DACA included, who repeatedly use and benefit from having access to unlimited, on campus medical and counseling appointments and who otherwise would have no access to any affordable health care.

I understand that perhaps the consideration to withhold health fees was somehow seen as beneficial and benevolent to our students from an overarching mindset that we are saving them money.

That is not the case in most instances as being told they now must pay the fee (most do not even realize they pay this) to access services after financial aid and scholarships have paid their tuition and fees seemingly makes them think and/or feel it is “out of their pocket” now.

Just as President Fuller volunteered to decrease his salary significantly as mentioned in the Town Hall, I would have been willing to discuss my own salary, hours, as well as benefits to continue to offer students the option to have some access to a female medical provider.

If you polled the students, and perhaps you should, ask them about how they have been put at ease and cared for by a diverse group of medical professionals during their most vulnerable times.

Ask them if they mind being automatically assessed the health fee for unlimited access to all medical and mental health services by a cohesive team of professionals of different backgrounds and expertise.

Ask them if they would like easy and timely access to care should they experience a medical or mental health crisis or need something simple like a COVID test or prompt treatment for a sexually transmitted infection, fall from a bicycle, emergency contraception, or other unforeseen traumatic event.

Students have consistently stated in surveys that the SHCC was one of the most valuable services on campus. Someone should have asked their thoughts prior to the decision to dismantle our team of dedicated health care providers, and the fee-paying students should be informed of the now severely limited and inadequate access to care.

This has not been communicated to the student body which is grossly inappropriate.

My concerns are not of my position being terminated, but of the greater good and concern for public health, our student and campus community’s access to comprehensive care, and the absolute need of having a medical voice on this campus during a pandemic.

With Utmost Concern,

Jennifer King, MSN, FNP-BC

Medical Services Director

Western Oregon Student Health and Counseling Center

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Opinion: The gentrification of Independence-Monmouth

With the popular food trucks in Indy-Mo gone, it brings up questions on gentrification

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

Gentrification is defined by Google as “the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new business, typically displaying current inhabitants in the process,” but I’m sure a lot of people didn’t catch the underlying racist speech in the definition of this word itself.

Poor, urban, Black, drugs, Mexican, Hispanic, uneducated, streets, hood, slums, the projects. The ghetto.

The shifting of neighborhoods, the betterment of the community, cleaning up the slums. “We’re doing it for the kids!” “We’re making it more appealing for new tenants!” We’re dusting the streets of the people of color that were once there, and replacing them with a year long process of construction. We’re mixing the color of their skin with the cement being poured to smooth and blend out their edges.

We see this pattern repeatedly against marginalized communities. They’re given unreliable scraps of society only to have the rug pulled under them at any given moment to make room for the wealthy, improved and traditionally acceptable. However, this destruction of culture and revenue to the community is only noticed by those who’ve carved a space for themselves through their sweat and blood.

These renovations deemed for the “betterment” of society only goes to show that the creativity of young, marginalized groups will always be deemed as lesser and disposable. The black square on your Instagram account will never be enough to make you understand, because you will never understand.

Those that live in the Independence-Monmouth area probably know that the food trucks that were in The Annex left. Whether or not they were kicked out with only a 12-hour notice or asked to leave months ago doesn’t matter — this community has been stripped of a beautifully unique aspect, only to be replaced by “clean” commercial spaces and unaffordable apartments.

Gentrification colloquially means the process where a neighborhood garners wealth and where the population becomes more rich, more young and more white. There’s no hiding what Indy-Mo is becoming, forcing its residents further and further out. Sure, it’s just Independence to Monmouth, but this exact thinking is what happens when people get too complacent, and eventually, kicked out.

Contact the author at smoschella20@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Student reactions to the presidential election

Western students speak their mind on the results of the 2020 presidential election

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

“Tbh kind of shocked but I’m not mad”

Name: Kendra Acker

Year: First-year

Major: Education

“I’ve cried, cheered, and created an endless cycle of worry in my head.”

Name: Maddie Endicott

Year: Sophomore

Major: Political Science

“THANKGODTHANKGODTHANKGOD”

Name: Abbie Funk

Year: Junior

Major: Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

“I feel like I can breathe again and I hope for our country. I’m no longer afraid.”

Name: Felicia Martinez

Year: Junior

Major: Communications Studies

“Beyond ecstatic, I didn’t know just how excited I was until I heard the breaking news!”

Name: Chris Smith

Year: Junior

Major: Public Policy and Administration

“Oh thank god”

Name: Steve Richmond

Year: Senior

Major: Communications Studies

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Editorial: Current information keeps our staff and students safe

Increased communication is crucial to the community

The Editorial Board

It has been a little over nine months since students from Western and around the world have adapted to a new, virtual lifestyle. All things considered, Western has done as much as they can to provide us with a safe environment. However, there is a need for more transparency with information regarding positive cases, and further precautions to be taken on campus.

Some of the controversies started when Western took a long time to announce that fall term would be taught virtually, leaving students abroad scrambling to prepare for another stressful term. And then, Western failed to be clear with their community about the number of COVID-19 cases.

Information regarding the number of positive coronavirus cases has been notoriously hard to track down due to privacy concerns. However, the university can disclose these numbers while still respecting the patient’s privacy. Plenty of other universities disclosed their numbers to the community, all while respecting the boundaries of privacy. Oregon State University reported a total of seven confirmed cases as of Nov. 4; and, Southern Oregon University has 19 confirmed cases — they even specified if the individual lived on or off campus. Additional information is posted on both of the university’s websites, under “OSU-Cascades Dashboard” and “SOU COVID-19 Cases.”

Eventually, Western followed suit. Now, as of Nov. 16, there are less than 10 confirmed cases in the community. This information, while originally hard to find, is now updated and available at wou.edu/coronavirus/.

While it is reasonable to respect the privacy of positive patients, Western shouldn’t have left their community in the dark for as long as they did. These numbers inform whether or not safety protocols are working or if they need to change.

With those things out of the way, it’s safe to assume that some students of Western appreciate the improved effort. But now, a new problem has arisen in regards to COVID testing for both staff and students. When further researched, it is inconclusive if free testing is offered for staff.

If you were to look on the COVID-19 webpage — which is ridiculously difficult to navigate by the way — they detail the steps you can take if you are seeking testing. However, the webpage doesn’t help you understand whether or not you should seek a test in the first place. How are students who may be asymptomatic supposed to know what to do? None of this is specified.

The problem is if you check “yes” on the CDC’s survey that you’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive, they will tell you to wait out the 14-day isolation, and if you develop symptoms at the end of that period, you go take the test. While there’s quite a bit of information regarding symptomatic cases, there’s not a lot of specification for asymptomatic cases, which leaves folks uninformed.

Western is a smaller school with already limited funding and budget cuts left and right, so we may be tight on funding, but that doesn’t mean that people deserve to be uninformed. Transparency with Western students and the greater community is what establishes a trusting and close-knit feeling for everyone, especially for a small town like Monmouth.

Students who are looking for information on testing can find it at wou.edu/coronavirus/students. If an appointment needs to be set up, call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 503-838-8313.

The Western Howl

Home » Opinion

Opinion: WOU students are treated like a joke

WOUmemes is more informative than WOUnews

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

It has been said many times before and needs to be said again: WOUnews is just a PR team that endorses the university. They have a couple of grown a-s adults sitting behind their computer and phone screens telling students how to wash their hands, when they should be informing them about what is actually happening on campus.

Rex Fuller leaving in a crisis, confirmed COVID-19 cases on campus, money being used to shut student run organizations up, upwards to a $1,000 added hidden fee, almost getting rid of the food pantry which feeds whole a-s families and WOUnews has said nothing about it. The only thing students do not have to pay for is the anxiety and depression that they will be too poor to get help for once WOU is finished draining students pockets. They siphon young impressionable students and their s—-y income to pay for their Netflix accounts and Amazon Prime.

WOUnews is the official Instagram account for the university, but despite idiotically claiming this handle, they do not seem to post a lot of news. One glance at their mediocre feed displays the sheer lack of decency towards the students of Western, as they have posted nothing in regards to IFC, increased tuition, or the godforsaken online course fee. They do not respond to comments from eloquently spoken students expressing their concern and only reply to ones that blindly praise the school (most of them from parents). WOUnews forcibly bird feeds its students with posts about how campus looks during the fall and to bring “your own frisbee (and) try out the WOU disc golf course” all while ignoring the devastated students weeping in its corridors.

WOUmemes on the other hand, should have love letters pouring into their DMs as this is where students actually gather information about what is happening on campus. News about the COVID cases did not emerge until they openly and gallantly posted about it. They always respond to students who comment on their posts with questions — reaffirming and agreeing with their beliefs as well as consoling them in times of need — all while providing a spark of joy in unprecedented times. This student-run Instagram account, which only started a few months ago, has garnered more attraction and respect amongst students than the university’s legitimate account.

Of course, The Western Howl has its own personal beef with WOUnews, as prior articles by Stephanie Blair stirred up controversy regarding the topic. But I am not talking about previous arguments or petty rivalry the school created to have its way, what I am saying is that this is not the first time this has happened. There has been a first, second and third, yet the school chooses to not do anything about it, to sit complacent and watch the students tick away the days left before they get to leave. A factory of students that is essential to it continuing; yet they act like we are all disposable, expendable, unnecessary.

WOUnews is not providing adequate information to their students. Students desperately need it during these uncertain times because they are already anxious about their livelihood due to COVID. WOUmemes is the one supplying more actual information that students care about whilst maintaining a humorous ease amongst students in comparison to the inadequacy of WOUnews. Right now, anxiety and depression in students are at an all-time high and WOUnews is not fulfilling its purpose at satiating the nerves of young students who have never encountered a worldwide pandemic.

Anyways, go follow @wou_memes on Instagram.

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.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.

Accessibility Public Records Privacy Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.