Mount Hood

Transitioning to Monmouth from a big city

Suzana Carroll | Freelancer

The move from a big city to Monmouth is definitely a culture shock — there is not a Starbucks on every corner, no mall a short drive away, and there definitely is not as large of a variety of food. So, coming from a big city can be very difficult. I had severe homesickness and craved being home with a lot to do around me, but I had to stick with Monmouth and do my own searching for things that made me feel close to home and kept me occupied. Have no fear; Monmouth has pieces of the big city life in its small city surroundings.

You can score adorable boutique finds at The Find on Main Street, a small business that opened in 2013 and is dedicated to bringing Monmouth cute fashion as well as home decorations, such as hanging signs and candles. When you are shopped out, you can hop over to Java Crew for a good latte, tea, or any way you like caffeine. While Java Crew might not have the big city bustle, it is the perfect place to dive into your new book, or catch up on some old homework you have been procrastinating.

Big cities have a lot of food choices, while Monmouth’s choices are a little limited. However, it is not impossible to find good eats around town. There is a Subway and Papa Murphy’s that taste the same as they do at home, Koyotes, a local, quick, affordable Mexican restaurant, and even a Hawaiian food cart, Lonney’s Lunch Wagon. The different food variation really helps with being able to try different foods like one would in a city setting without having to go far for them.

Night life in a city is one of the perks of being in a big town, but Monmouth has a night life of its own, as well. Of course, there’s the Main Street Pub & Eatery on Thursday nights, and while it is not a big city bar, there are always people you know, a fun time, and a safe environment. For those that are not partiers, but want to enjoy a cocktail, Crush Wine Bar on Main Street is the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a quality cocktail.

With summer coming up, the thought of spending the vacation in a small town can seem underwhelming to big city people, but fortunately we have some events to keep boredom away. Main Street Park and Riverview Park host regular concerts, and Independence also has movie nights in the park during the summer.

While Monmouth is not a big city, and it definitely is hard to adjust from a big city life, there are slivers of a large city within Monmouth’s walls, which does make it a lot easier to adjust.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en scarroll15@wou.edu

Fotografía de Ashlynn Norton

How to make gluten-free vegan protein smoothie popsicles

Morgan Taylor | Freelancer

This simple sweet treat is sure to be the perfect snack for after a workout, or just to cool down. All you need is a blender, some popsicle molds, which can be purchased at your local grocery store or Amazon, and freezer to whip up these delicious popsicles. While they are full of protein, they are also gluten-free and vegan. You can’t go wrong with this refreshing treat.

 

STRAWBERRY PROTEIN PACKED POPSICLES

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Freezer Time: At least 5 hours

Servings: 10 Popsicles

Ingredients:

3 cups of frozen strawberries

1 banana

1 1/2 cups of almond milk

3/4 cup of juice of your choosing (I used strawberry apple)

2 scoops of Vanilla Orgain Protein Powder (or any other vegan/gluten-free brand)

½ pound of fresh strawberries

Instructions:

Add frozen strawberries, banana, and the almond milk to the blender.

Blend until frozen strawberries are chopped up.

Add protein powder and juice.

Blend until smooth.

Slice fresh strawberries and line the inside of the popsicle molds.

Pour in protein smoothie and place in freezer.

Freeze for at least five hours.

Enjoy.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en mrtaylor14@wou.edu

Foto de Rebecca Meyers

The value of clothing, the pros of thrifting

Karlene Curtin | Redactor

Oregon is home to some of the finest thrift stores in the U.S. and has some of the best clothing finds that are far  cheaper than corporate clothing stores. By thrift shopping, one is encouraging recycling thus creating a cleaner environment.

Planet Aid, a website that encourages different ways of recycling says, “Nearly 100% of clothing is recyclable.” The clothing that is thrown away goes into landfills otherwise known as textile waste.

Harmony, a website that gives information about different waste solution says, “The U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space. While the EPA estimates that the textile recycling industry recycles approximately 3.8 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) each year, this only accounts for approximately 15% of all PCTW, leaving 85% in our landfills.”

Also according to Harmony, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing annually and textiles take approximately 25 to 50 years to biodegrade. These numbers add up per person, and landfills are now overflowing with clothing that could have been donated to thrift stores — perhaps, the problem could have been prevented by buying secondhand in the first place. By secondhand shopping, or maybe giving clothing away to family and friends, it encourages recycling and also saves money in the long run. When one donates to thrift stores, they are preventing clothing from going into landfills; by shopping at one, it is also likely to save a consumer at least 50% of what they’d usually spend on clothing.

There are many Thrift Stores in the area, such as  Fashion Sense & Home Store and Robins Roost Resale Store which are both located in Independence. By thrift shopping, I have not only saved money but have found different approaches to my style — I love finding old band t-shirts and other vintage clothing. My style becomes more one of a kind without breaking the bank. It is worth donating and checking out local thrift stores to not only save money but the environmental as well.

Póngase en contacto con el autor en kcurtin14@wou.edu

Fotografía de Ashlynn Norton

Tattoos found on campus

Rebecca Meyers | Editor de estilo de vida

Natalie Dean: I chose this tattoo because my cat, Penny, is nearly 14 years old and I know I won’t have her forever, so having a piece of her means a lot. I got rosemary sprigs for my grandmother, Rosemary, as well as my May birth flowers (Hawthorns). I also got sunflowers because I grow them in the summer — I wanted things that brings me joy.

Foto de Rebecca Meyers

[fruitful_sep]

Lucia Breeden: My sister and I wanted sister tattoos, but we eventually thought it’d be great to involve our mom. So after a long time convincing her that’d it’s be fun, she agreed. Mine says “little sister,” my sister’s is “big sister” and my mom’s is “mama.”

Fotografía de Ashlynn Norton

[fruitful_sep]

Madison Gaylin: For my sunflower, it was inspired by my grandma singing “You are my sunshine” song to me growing up. For other one, I found the quote in my junior year of high school and it’s just stuck with me and made me have a constant reminder – if I’m not trying my hardest how am I going to know what I can handle?

Foto de Rebecca Meyers

Why pets are great companions

Karlene Curtin | Redactor

When I first met Clover, a short hair tabby cat, it was love at first meow. Taking him home for the first time was exciting and also nerve-wracking. Adopting a cat is a lot of work, much more than what people often anticipate. There’s litter box training, grooming, feeding, vet bills and then trying to teach kitty the rules of the home.

After a year with Clover my stress levels have lowered significantly. He has become a major part of my life. He knew when I was having a rough day or if I was not feeling myself and would bring me one of his toys in hopes that it would make me happier. Then, he’d sit next to me and let me pet him.

Bringing Clover home has impacted how I deal with stress significantly. Playing with him, petting him or simply watching his sassy antics brought me joy. Many other college students, like myself, deal with stress and have expressed their furry companion being major stress reliever in their lives.

Jaclyn Spani, an education major and soon to be graduate from Western Oregon, discussed how her cat, Scout, has helped her cope with stress while attending college.

Upon asking why she wanted to get a cat in the first place, her answer was clear.

“I’ve always had a cat in my life,” Spani explained. “I found Scout because one of my dad’s friends was just going to give her up to the Humane Society since he couldn’t take Scout with him. So I took her instead.”

She also added that she wanted to get a cat because, “they’re also just so smart but independent. I knew I wouldn’t have the time that caring for a dog requires, even though they’re great, so a cat was the perfect way to go.” Since having her cat, Spani explained that it has helped her significantly when it comes to coping with stress.

“My cat has been so helpful when dealing with the stress of college. Even just knowing that she’s at home waiting for me can turn days around,” said Spani. “She is so sensitive to what I need and is always around when I’m not feeling well, (or when I’m feeling) stressed or have headaches. She’ll come up and lay on the bed with me and just purr to try and help me feel better. Knowing that there’s something at home waiting for you to play and love is so relaxing.”

Although adopting a pet is a lot of work, it can be worth it when coming home to a perfect companion.

According to the American Institute of Stress, just about any type of pet has been proven to increase their human companion’s health. Caring for an animal can act as a buffer to social isolation and other stressors that negatively impact mental health. Fortunately, this fact allows mental health professionals to certify pets as Emotional Support Animals that can overcome some housing barriers students face. College isn’t easy, but a furry (or scaly, or feathery) friend can make it a little easier.

 

Póngase en contacto con el autor en kcurtin14@wou.edu

Fotografía de Ashlynn Norton

Cocktail Corner with Mikaela: Mango Tango

Mikaela Wong | Redactor

When it comes to alcohol, most everyone wants a drink that “tastes good” — but what exactly does that mean? For many, it means having a drink that doesn’t taste overwhelmingly like alcohol, but still enough to know that there’s some there. Similarly, a lot of people prefer fruity, citrus-based drinks that mask the taste of alcohol, but don’t know many drinks that fit that description.

The Mango Tango is a drink specially created at the Main St. Pub & Eatery and is a crowd-pleaser when it comes to strength and taste combination. It’s a great, refreshing drink that is easy to enjoy and has an easy name to remember. This week on Cocktail Corner, we’ll teach you exactly what goes into, and how to make one on your own. Remember — please drink responsibly and only drink alcohol if you are over 21 years old.

 

MANGO TANGO

Servings: 1 drink

Ingredients:

1 lime wedge, muddled

1 lemon wedge, muddled

1 ounce guava rum

1 ounce mango rum

1 ounce triple sec liqueur

2.5 ounces sweet & sour mix

2.5 ounces cranberry juice

Ice to fill one 16 ounce pint glass

Instructions:

Muddle lime and lemon at bottom of pint glass. Fill glass with ice.

Combine guava rum, mango rum, and triple sec liqueur in glass.

Fill the rest of glass with equal parts sweet & sour and cranberry juice

 

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Foto de Rebecca Meyers

Popular floating spots to cool off this summer

Rebecca Meyers | Editor de estilo de vida

It’s a well-known fact to Oregonians that Pacific Northwest residents often complain about the rainy seasons, but as soon as summer starts to get real we look for ways to cool down. One way to do this is to find a nice spot to swim or float down one of the miscellaneous rivers in our state. Here’s just a few places to find such as spot.

 

The Willamette River in Corvallis

True, the Willamette isn’t known to be the cleanest — particularly near Salem. Fortunately, there are a few places that are upstream of the State Capitol. The distance from Willamette Park to Michael’s Landing in Corvallis is a nice 30-45 minute float, and a short drive from one end to the other to make it easier.

 

The Mary’s River in Corvallis

For a small, out of the way spot that the locals love to swim in, the Mary’s River runs right behind Avery Park. One entry point features a rope swing into one of the deep ends of the river. The rest of the river is fairly shallow and easy for the less-confident swimmers to navigate.

 

The McKenzie River in Eugene

For a longer float, and a bit of a longer drive from Western, Eugene is home to, among other things, the McKenzie River. With a starting point of Island Park in Springfield and an endpoint in Alton Baker Park in Eugene, this float route is a few hours long.

 

The Deschutes River

Perfect for a weekend trip in Central Oregon, the Deschutes River in Sunriver is a popular scenic place to float. Start at Harper’s bridge and get off at Benham Butte for a ride of about three and a half hours, or get off at Sunriver Marina for half the time.

 

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

Foto de Rebecca Meyers

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Monmouth OR 97361

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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.

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