Oct. 8, 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Hey, you — yeah, you. Thanks for making it this far in “The Western Howl.” I know, it’s been a long first two weeks, with new classes and new people. Maybe you’re new here, maybe you’re not. I don’t know what exactly brings you here, to us and to Western, but thanks for being here. “The Western Howl” is one of Western’s longstanding traditions, established in 1923 and seeing many, many different names, writers, designers and Editors-in-Chief.
I have no way of knowing exactly how many Editors-in-Chief there have been, but I’ve had the absolute privilege of filling that role for the last year and continuing it in this one. It has been the most eyeblinding whirlwind — hey, West Albany — schedule, and by far the most demanding work I’ve ever contributed to. Producing this newspaper, running a team and trying to maximize the potential of both have been incredibly taxing and rewarding.
The joy of putting pen to paper — keys to Google Docs? — and watching it print is unmatched. I watch new writers every year grow in their skills, gaining confidence and a paycheck, and sitting in a room with them every Tuesday evening is truly my favorite part. These designers, editors, managers and translators all work incredibly hard to add to “The Western Howl,” and I’m glad they’re here.
Just like I’m glad you’re here, seeing hours of work come to life, and hopefully you’ll see it next week, and the week after that, and the week after that.
“The Western Howl” is a great place to look into your community, your peers and academics. To know what you’re missing on and off campus, written by reputable, unbiased sources you might see on the way to class. If you couldn’t tell by now, our newspaper is written by students, student-led and for students, funded by the Incidental Fee Committee at Western. If you’re not sure where we’re located, that’d be Terry House on the far side of campus next to Campus Public Safety. Student Media includes “The Western Howl,” “The Northwest Passage” and KWOU, Western’s radio station and podcast studio available to students. I love receiving emails and news tips, which we also have a section for on wou.edu/westernhowl/. I ask that you do not hesitate to drop off a story tip, whether it’s something that is affecting students or just your really cool friend and their interesting job.
I also ask that you take a deep look into the importance of media. We attend a relatively small college, and when something happens here — big or small, good or bad — you’re more likely to hear it through whispers in your dorm hall than by checking local news. But I want you to be able to check the campus newspaper. We don’t know what’s happening, however, if nobody tells us. So, please tell us.
And maybe, we’ll have news for you that you haven’t heard. Do you know about Western’s budget deficit? Or last year’s lawsuit? Did you know that Western is the first public university in Oregon to join the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, or that Monmouth is one of the safest cities in the state? Western is the second cheapest public university in Oregon; Western is also the only place on the West Coast where you can receive a bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language. And if you love to climb, Western has a very well-maintained indoor rock wall, the second tallest in Oregon.
If you did know all that, that’s awesome, you’re well-informed about your school. If you didn’t, now you are.
I promise you, I knew nothing before coming here, not about Western nor any university at all. I have never experienced another college. I’ll be honest, I spent my first year here commuting to class four days a week and failing to make a single friendship across all three terms. It wasn’t until I became the news editor at “The Western Howl” that I made my first college connections, suddenly coming to the understanding that university was supposed to be about more than just your degree. It’s about your peers, the time in between classes and, most importantly to me, understanding your individuality: your goals, your plans, what you need, how you thrive.
If you had asked me four years ago if I knew what I’d accomplish at college, I’d have answered, “Probably my degree?” I didn’t anticipate running the newspaper; managing a local business on the side; taking six classes; waking up early, going to bed late, finding my groove in adulthood and growing discipline as a skill; finding pride and confidence in every facet of my life.
I walked into college with no idea who I’d be at the end. And I don’t think that’s just my story. The injustices students suffer, the relationships that end and that are forged, waking up in your childhood room and, years later, falling asleep in a dingy apartment with no air conditioning. I’m probably not the only one who felt out of options when graduating high school, that college was the next step without knowing why. If that’s you right now — here out of obligation, confused, lost, lacking discipline or otherwise trying to find your footing — I was right there, and I can tell you, it changes. Find a job, join a club, keep working. Spend too much money at the grocery store because you don’t know how much food you need for a week. Butcher your recipes because you didn’t learn how to cook when you lived with your parents. In some way, most of us, if not all of us, are baby adults. Even the editor of the newspaper and the president of ASWOU — sorry, Morgan — and your very accomplished, working-multiple-jobs, multi-major peers.
TLDR; “The Western Howl” serves you. We stand for student voices above all else. We support you, encourage you to stand and speak. And if you don’t know yet where you’re going, maybe you’ll be in my chair in three or four years — not sure how you got there, but knowing it was worth it.
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu
