Mount Hood

PREGUNTAS Y RESPUESTAS: Jonathan Williams, de Lacrosse, nombrado tercer All-American del MCLA

Caity Healy | Redactor Jefe

This year, first-year lacrosse player Jonathan Williams, an exercise science major, was named 3rd Team All American under the MCLA. This is the first time since 2015 that a player has achieved an All-American ranking; a feat that Williams was able to accomplish in just his first year on the team, and first year in college. I was able to sit down with him to discuss what the season looked like for him.

 

When did you start playing lacrosse, and why?

My freshman year of high school. My brother started playing his freshman year, and he’s three years older than me. He started playing because his friend recruited him because we didn’t have that many players on the team. I was still playing baseball at the time, in middle school, but I went to a few games and watched him play, and I was always really interested in it. My freshman year I was like, ‘yeah this is what I want to do,’ instead of baseball.

 

How do you feel that the season has gone for you?

I think it went pretty solid. I think there’s some improvements that need to be made, but I think we’re right on the edge of being an upper-level team. When the season started, we were playing in California against top-ten teams. We played two games over the weekend, and I had five goals … I was thinking, ‘Okay. Two or three goals a game — doesn’t sound that bad first season.’ And then, I got into league play and it was five, six, the occasional seven (goals). So I thought, ‘If this is how the rest of the season goes I’ll be feeling pretty good.’

 

How did you find out you were chosen for the All-American team?

I woke up to a text at like 9 a.m. … from Coach Dan It was actually just a screenshot of my name on the list. I was still just waking up … so I had to go back and look at it a few times to make sure it was real.

 

What was your reaction when you realized that it was real?

I was pretty excited. Not as excited as I was expected to be, I guess. The third team part sound weird to me … but it was still really cool to realize that of everybody in the nation I was in the top percentage of them.

 

What does the future of WOU Lax look like?

We had a really strong freshman class this year … we’re getting I think six or seven more freshman this year … so we have a lot of young guys and really good talent. We just need to get them all together and on the same page and I think we’ll be pretty solid for the next few years.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howleditor@wou.edu

Foto de Caity Healy

"Seguimiento de "The Motown Throwdown

Caity Healy | Redactor Jefe

El 26 de abril de 2017, The Western Journal publicó una historia titulada "The Motown Throwdown", escrita por nuestro entonces editor de deportes, Burke De Boer. La historia profundizaba en la tradición que tenía lugar cada primavera en Western, entonces llamada Oregon College of Education, llamada TKB Smoker. Organizado por el grupo autodenominado Tappa Kegga Beer, el TKB Smoker era un torneo anual de boxeo dirigido por estudiantes que existió durante toda la década de los setenta. Terminó por razones desconocidas. Pero antes de que la tradición pudiera extinguirse, dejó un boxeador famoso por su tenacidad en el ring: Lee Reed.

El 7 de mayo recibí una llamada telefónica de un hombre llamado Dave Clarke. Me dijo que conocía a Lee Reed y que tenía muchas historias que contarme. Así que tuvo la amabilidad de contarme todos los recuerdos que podía recordar de Reed, como luchador y como amigo.

Clarke conoció a Reed a través de su hermano Robert. Robert estudió en el Western Oregon State College en 1979 y, cuando volvió a casa, le contó a Clarke todo sobre el TKB Smoker.

"Me habló de un tipo muy "duro" al que había visto pelear en el fumadero del campus: un tal Lee Reed. Robert me dijo que había visto a Lee noquear a un par de tipos en menos de un minuto", relató Clarke. "Mi hermano también me dijo que Lee daba clases de taekwondo en el campus".

Desde entonces, Clarke quiso convertirse en una sensación de las artes marciales. Llegó a Western en 1981 y se fijó en un folleto pegado cerca del Barnum Hall que anunciaba una clase impartida por Reed. Así que fue a la clase de taekwondo y conoció a Reed de primera mano.

"La clase era muy difícil, y Lee era exigente pero siempre justo e interesado... Yo casi le adoraba en ese momento", dijo Clarke. "No llegué a conocer mejor a Lee hasta que estuve unos meses en clase".

Cuando Clarke empezó a conocer a Lee fuera de sus clases, se dio cuenta de que era un poco fiestero. Lee organizaba reuniones en su apartamento, donde cocinaba para todos. Clarke recuerda una fiesta.

"Un día estaba de pie en la cocina de Lee... me pidió que me quedara quieta un segundo, así que lo hice. Se quitó las chanclas que solía llevar y me dio una patada giratoria perfecta en la cara. Pude sentir la planta de su pie rozando la parte superior de mi nariz. Fue en un espacio que probablemente tenía un metro y medio de ancho, increíble", recuerda Clarke. "Después se volvió a poner las sandalias y me sonrió. Me dijo: 'Sólo quería ver si todavía podía darle una patada en la cara a una persona tan alta como tú'".

Cuando Clarke organizaba fiestas, se sentía afortunado si podía encontrar unos momentos libres con Lee para conocerle mejor. Sería en una de estas fiestas cuando realmente empezó a entender a Lee.

"Me contó que era huérfano en Corea y que tuvo que aprender a luchar para sobrevivir. Dijo que... los otros estudiantes siempre querían pelearse con él por su herencia mestiza".

Sin embargo, cuando Lee llegó al punto en el que se encontraba ahora, Clarke sólo tenía palabras amables para compartir sobre él.

Lee siempre fue muy atento conmigo, nunca me miró por encima del hombro", explica Clarke. "Peleé con Lee varias veces. Una vez, un revés que lancé tocó la mejilla de Lee. Hizo una pausa y dijo: 'Es uno de los mejores golpes de revés que he visto, deberías lanzar más de ésos'".

Por desgracia. Clarke no tenía más información sobre por qué el Fumador TKB llegó a su fin, ni información sobre dónde acabó Lee. Sin embargo, sabe que sus recuerdos de Lee no se desvanecerán.

"Permanece en mi memoria como el individuo con más talento físico que he conocido", concluyó Clarke. "Fue un gran instructor y siempre me alegraré de haberle conocido".

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howleditor@wou.edu

Fotos cortesía de WOU Archives

BillyAnn Stemple: Graduado sobresaliente 2019

Bailey Thompson | Editor de noticias

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in Lincoln City, which is on the coast not too far from here. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a teacher, so Western was an easy choice for me because of the ED program. I am going to be a middle school science teacher … I’m super passionate about teaching our adolescents — I think it’s an awesome age. They’re just goofy, and they need all the love in the world. So, I’m excited to just give that to them. And science is just awesome because of the wonder and the ‘Ah-ha’ moments that it gives those kids.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love visiting my family and my boyfriend … In the summertime and the springtime, I love to barbeque. That’s one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes I watch Netflix.

How do you feel about having been chosen for the Delmer Dewey/Julia McCulloch Smith Award?

Shocked, honored, humbled… I don’t know. I really didn’t expect to win. I knew I was nominated, and I wrote my cover letter and resume just being like ‘What an honor it is to be nominated. I’m so happy for whoever wins.’ But I totally wasn’t thinking it would be me at all. And then, it was. … I feel like I’ve done things that are just enjoyable and fun for me, so it was weird to be recognized for things that just seem like part of my existence and what I would no matter what.

What are some of the ways that you have been involved here at Western?

I started off in hall government as Activities Director … Then I was on the Residence Hall Association for half of my freshman year and all of my sophomore year as a programming coordinator. And then kind of at the same time that I started that position, I got a volunteer position at HART, which stands for Horses Adaptive Riding and Therapy. So, we do work with toddlers all the way through older adults who are experiencing physical or cognitive disabilities, mental health diagnoses, trauma — a variety of reasons why they might come in and ride the horses … And meanwhile, my junior year I got a position in University Housing as the Residential Programming Program Assistant, and that involved planning more social events and fun things for students to do over the weekends. I’ve been an ambassador … I was part of the Faculty Senate Honors Committee… and recently I’ve gotten to be a part of revising the Honors curriculum, which has been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

Can you tell me a bit about what your experience has been like at Western in general?

My experience at Western has been great. I think they do a really good job of pushing you to try new things that are outside of your comfort zone and opening your mind to the world. I grew up in a pretty small town, so I didn’t have a lot of experiences with the things that I think Western is really good at exposing us to, and so my world just grew because of Western.

What is the thing that you are most proud of during your time at Western?

I think I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve made and the people I’ve surrounded myself with. I feel like after I leave here, I’m just going to have a whole slew of people who are supporting me and cheering for me, and that feels really good. I’ve made connections that drive me to be a more positive person — a person who wants to make positive change in the world — and I definitely think I’m influenced by those people every day.

If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?

There’s lots of things … but I guess I might focus a little harder on classes. I’ve done really well academically, and my grades reflect that, but I might just tell myself to find a little more purpose in the things I’m learning and just hold on to it a little bit more. Now that I’m in the ED program, I’m realizing how applicable a lot of the stuff that they teach us is… and I wish I would have just taken some time to appreciate and absorb that information a little bit more.

What advice do you have for underclassmen at Western?

I would say that you should say yes when the opportunities come around — when someone asks you ‘do you want come to this event on campus?’ or ‘do you want to join this intramural team?’ or ‘do you want to go grab pizza at Yeasty’s?’ — just say yes because those opportunities sometimes lead to really great things and really great relationships. And, had I not said yes to a couple of things, I wouldn’t be here … That’s super cliché, but I think it’s what’s gotten me here.

What are you going to miss most about your time here?

I don’t know. Everything. I guess I’m just going to miss being around all the like-minded, positive people who are here, encouraging everyone to just be themselves and try new things. The world isn’t always like that… but that’s the kind of influence I hope to have on my students in the future. But I’ll definitely miss that culture of acceptance here at Western.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I recently accepted a position at Estacada Middle School teaching science — probably 6th and 7th grade. I’m headed to live in Lake Oswego with my boyfriend, and I’ll be commuting to Estacada for work … it’s about 30 minutes east of Lake Oswego.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of BillyAnn Stemple

Borderless Stories highlight inspirational migration accounts

Bailey Thompson | Editor de noticias

Carrying on a new campus tradition, M.E.Ch.A. and Unidos Club came together and hosted the 2nd Annual Borderless Stories event, an evening designed to share the stories of immigration parents in the Western community and to create a sense of unity among those present. This event was organized for May 20 in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center.

To start off, the emcees told guests that they could go and serve themselves a free dinner from catering that they could eat and enjoy as they listened to the stories being told. Then, once everyone had gotten the chance to go through the line once, the stories began.

The three speakers for this event shared stories of hope, challenge and perseverance as they journeyed to the United States from Mexico in their youth. While they each had their own motivation that kept them going and unique trials that they encountered along the way, they have all found success and happiness in the United States.

As each speaker shared their story in Spanish, Monica Cerda Ortiz, a junior Spanish Education major and one of the emcees for the event, interpreted their story into English. The other emcee for the event was Xochitl Denisse Carrasco, a junior political science major.

When the first storyteller took the stage, she shared how she first came to the US in 1990 because her husband was already there. And, while she had support in him, she still struggled with things like finding opportunities in an unfamiliar country and adapting to day-to-day differences like those in transportation.

Although it wasn’t easy, she is proud of all that she and her children have accomplished — with three of them having graduated from college.

The second speaker came to the US in 1998 at 19 years old. When his family had tried to come the first time, they were scammed and left with only $3. Then, when he finally was able to come over, he was brought to work on a farm in Hillsboro. While he adapted to this in time, it was challenging for him to be separate from his wife and son who had to stay in Mexico because she didn’t have the necessary paperwork to come with him.

Then, when his son had kidney complications and needed emergency medical treatment, he also experienced the struggle of trying to pay for his medical bills. Because of this, his encouragement to children of immigrants was to get a degree so that they could more easily help their families when they need it.

The final speaker of the event shared how he travelled with his cousin and uncle up through the desert in order to get to the US — a crowded, exhausting trip which involved them getting stopped by soldiers, running out of water and being separated from loved ones. While it was heartbreaking for him to be separated from the only two people he knew there, he eventually made it to his destination and found a job.

After working for seven years in a field, he procured a job in construction — something he is much happier doing. And, much like the second speaker, he urged young people to work hard and, if possible, to continue their education.

To close the event, the emcees shared a letter that President Fuller had written in November of 2016 about Western being a sanctuary campus for all students:

“Western Oregon University is a sanctuary for all of our students and we will remain a place where every student enjoys the sense of belonging to a committed community of students, faculty and staff,” wrote Fuller. He also affirmed that “Western will remain actively engaged in national conversations, including support of national educational associations, regarding DACA and related programs designed to protect students and their pursuit of educational opportunities.”

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Bailey Thompson

Identity Theft event structures discussion around identities

Bailey Thompson | Editor de noticias

Although it can be difficult to completely understand how another person feels, one valuable first step is to talk with them. This is something that Triangle Alliance — Western’s LGBTQ+ social club — and Heritage Hall Government orchestrated on May 23 in the Richard Woodcock Education Center.

Their event, Identity Theft, sought to open a conversation with the campus community about the ways that both sexual identities and gender identities can influence a person’s life — and, more specifically, the way that myths about these identities can be harmful to perpetuate.

Six panelists, holding a variety of LGBTQ+ identities, dedicated their time to talk with members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as their allies, about the unique perspectives that they have gained because of their identities and their other life experiences.

Throughout the course of the panel, a wide range of topics were addressed — from stereotypes about certain identities, to people who are questioning their identities and more.

All in all, the consensus of the group was that these experiences and the discovery of these identities were things that varied from person to person, even if there were a number of common themes running throughout the group.

For instance, when the panelists were asked about when they knew that they identified as something other than heterosexual or cisgender, some of the individuals stated that it was a long process for them to come to this conclusion, some said that they felt confident in their identities from an early age and still more said that they were not sure that the identities that they currently held were the ones they would always identify as.

Related to this, when the panelists discussed their coming out stories, if they had come out to their families at this point in time, their experiences varied, largely depending on how accepting they anticipated their families would be towards them.

The panelists also spent time discussing stereotypes that have impacted them on a day-to-day basis. Among these, panelists shared that it was difficult for them to not fit into the mold that others expected them to — whether this is bisexuals in hetero-passing relationships who feel invalidated in their bisexuality, transgender people who feel the need to dress a certain way in order for people to respect their pronouns or something else along these lines.

On the flip side of this, however, the panelists also shared that there is nothing wrong with enjoying things that may be stereotypical of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

Nearing the end of the panel, when an audience member asked the panel about ways that she can support her sister as someone who has grown up in a religious household, the panelists were clear in their responses: what LGBTQ+ youth need is love and support. While they may not always get the kind of support that they would hope for, having people affirm that they will always care about them can go a long way.

If students at Western would like to attend Triangle Alliance to learn more about this and meet new people, they can visit Triangle Alliance’s Facebook page to determine when they will be meeting during Fall Term.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howlnews@wou.edu

BonnaWOU takes the Grove

Caity Healy | Redactor Jefe

On May 23, the clouds parted as three bands took the stage in the first-ever BonnaWOU festival hosted by SAB. Each band that was involved was local: Jimmy Wolfson, The Ferenjis and Chromatic Colors. Taking place in the Grove from 5 p.m. until about 8 p.m., students and members of the community brought their blankets and made themselves at home on the grass.

Each band performed their set as the sun was shining brightly above the stage that was set up outside. Every band came with their own style, which made it accessible to everyone — there was music that just about everyone could enjoy. All were welcome; some took it as an opportunity to do homework with a show, some just sat and watched and others got up and danced. People came and went all evening as it was a free event, until the music faded that evening with the sunset as a backdrop to a picture-perfect night.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en howleditor@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

Opinion: The pros of taking a gap year after graduation

Rebecca Meyers | Editor de estilo de vida

Europe has a few things we might consider foreign — driving on the other side of the road, calling chips “crisps,” and having (somewhat) open borders. Another difference between many European countries and the United States is that it’s very common to take a gap year, after graduating either high school or college. Gap years generally serve as a breather period between school and more school, or school and full time work.

Despite what others may think, it doesn’t hinder motivation to return to school or pursue a career according to gooverseas.com, and it’s a way for young people to take full advantage of the transition period in their lives in a positive way.

With all the pros to taking a gap year, I find it unfortunate that they are not more encouraged or considered normal in the States as well. Yet, it’s not hard to figure out why: the United States places such high regard on hard work ⏤ which isn’t necessarily a bad thing ⏤ that taking personal time, let alone a full year or semester, is often viewed as lazy or unambitious. It’s not uncommon to hear college students express guilt over something as simple as getting a full night’s sleep. And then, once they graduate with a mountain of debt, it feels like the most imperative thing is to start working it off as quickly as possible.

It can be really hard to loosen the intensity of this mentality, especially after working hard for four or more years towards specific goals. However, a lot of young adults could likely benefit for taking a gap year rather than jumping straight into a consuming time commitment such as a full time job. It would likely not be beneficial financially, which unfortunately is a significant barrier to some, but could be both physically and mentally restorative. Even those that have part time jobs or internships during a gap year typically have more time than they previously did, and likely will ever again, to recover from a hard few years of living off of caffeine, minimal sleep and monthly test anxiety.

Another reason gap years are an important part of some societies, and should be in the United States as well, is that it may be the only time until a person retires that they have the time and energy to have the experiences they’ve always wanted to, such as devoting time to a hobby or traveling the world. Generally, people expect to have the time to do these things when they retire. To wait that long, however, would mean a person would lose the energy they have now. There’s also the fact that no one is guaranteed retirement ⏤ the fact of life is that, unfortunately, not everyone makes it to old age, meaning some would never have the chance to have these experiences. That’s not even accounting for potential disasters like economic crises or a drastically different planet that would rob people of these opportunities.

Not everyone has the means to take a gap year after graduation. However, other countries have proven that it’s not such a weird societal norm. Of course, other systems can’t be directly transferred; it doesn’t exactly work. However, we can still take note of what has and hasn’t worked and take into consideration what could be beneficial to us as well.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en rmeyers17@wou.edu

Fotos de Ashlynn Norton

WOU logo

Facebook   Instagram   Twitter  YouTube  LinkedIn  wouTV

UNIVERSIDAD DE OREGÓN OCCIDENTAL
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Herramientas

Mapas del campus
Lienzo
Encontrar personas
Portal
Visita virtual
WOU Correo electrónico
Asistencia técnica

Recursos

Índice A-Z
Accesibilidad
Calendario académico
Horario de clases
Empleo en WOU
Asociaciones
Servicios a los estudiantes

Reconocimiento de tierras de la Western Oregon University
La Western Oregon University de Monmouth, Oregón, está situada en el territorio tradicional de la tribu Luckiamute de los Kalapuya. Tras el Tratado del Valle de Willamette de 1855 (Tratado Kalapuya, etc.), los kalapuya fueron trasladados a la fuerza a reservas del oeste de Oregón. En la actualidad, los descendientes vivos de este pueblo forman parte de la Tribus Confederadas de la Comunidad Grand Ronde de Oregón y el Tribus Confederadas de los Indios Siletz.

Accesibilidad    Registros públicos    Privacidad    Información al consumidor

WOU prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color, sexo, origen nacional o étnico, edad, religión, estado civil, discapacidad, condición de veterano, orientación sexual, identidad de género y expresión de género en todos los programas, actividades y prácticas de empleo como lo requiere el Título IX, otras leyes y políticas aplicables. WOU prohíbe las represalias.