Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor The Western women’s basketball team had their season cut short amidst allegations of abuse and fraudulent activity from the coaching staff. Head coach Jessica Peatross entered her first season at Western in 2023, after coaching at Division 2 school, Salem University, where she held a 14-17 record. Assistant coach Demetrius Marlow also previously coached at Salem University alongside Peatross.  The team will not be competing in the last six games of the conference season and holds a record of three to ten in the regular season with a .231 winning percentage. In a press release statement from University President and Athletic Director Randi Lydum, it was announced that “The decision to cancel the season aligns with the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our program.” No additional information has been provided from the athletic department about the cancellation of the season, and it is uncertain whether players will retain their year of NCAA eligibility.  A total of six sources have agreed to release statements to “The Western Howl.” All but one have chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons. Jessica Peatross was the Associate Head Coach at Delta College, where she eventually became Interim Head Coach before transferring to Salem University. Peatross claimed to have received a scholarship to play golf, basketball and participate in track and field. However, there are some discrepancies in the information provided in press releases concerning Peatross’ experience prior to joining the coaching staff. An anonymous source stated that “The head coach lied on her resume that she played division one basketball when she didn’t.” Further...

Psilocybin facility

Psilocybin facility

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor At one point, licensed facilitator Patrick Winczewski was the only full-time facilitator in the state of Oregon — one of two states able to provide legalized psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom, for clients. Now, Winczewski is no longer the only one. Inner Guidance, located in North Albany, allows for individuals or groups to experience psilocybin, which, according to the pamphlets offered in the lobby, is “A naturally occurring compound found in many species of fungus… and has been used by humans for spiritual and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years.” Psilocybin contains psilocin, which closely resembles serotonin, both as a molecule and the effects it has on the brain. It allows the brain to maintain neuroplasticity — which develops new neural connections, creating new habits for individuals or stimulating mental growth. “If you imagine you’re sledding down a hill, and if you always slide down the same route, that route — that rut — is going to get really deep and it (can be) really hard to get out of it,” said Winczewski. “The metaphor is that (psilocybin) is like a fresh blanket of snow to help you pick new routes, help you get out of the rut you were in and find a different pathway. So if you’re wanting to work on yourself, wanting to process trauma, get over whatever addiction concerns you have — that’s the time to do it.” At the location in North Albany, the mushroom is offered in three variations: capsule, powder and its natural growth. The powder is most popular, since it may be mixed in with...

Laken Riley

Laken Riley

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor Content warning: this article contains mentions of murder and gun violence Laken Hope Riley, a 22 year-old nursing graduate of the University of Georgia, was found dead on Feb. 22 after going for a run on campus. Riley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023 and was continuing her studies at Augusta University, an academic medical center.  After a steady rise of campus violence nationwide, students and their families are concerned for their safety. Many are wondering what they can do to keep themselves safe and more importantly, what their schools can do to protect them as well. On Feb. 16, a student at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs was killed in his dorm by his roommate. Multiple reports of conflict between the roommates were made, but there was no effort by university officials to remove the suspect. More recently, on Feb. 24, a student was found strangled in his dorm room at Campbellsville University in Kentucky.  Additionally, at the University of Georgia on Feb. 16, a student was held at gunpoint in a campus mugging, and the school concluded there was “no ongoing danger” to the campus. Less than a week later, Riley was murdered on the same campus. Laken Riley was a beloved daughter, sister and future nurse. She received her honorary white coat in August, 2023, “…symbolizing humanism, compassion, and the start of her nurse’s journey,” the nursing college of the University of Georgia stated on Facebook. Lauren Phillips, Riley’s sister, stated on Instagram in a memorial post: “The best sister and my built in best friend from...

Funding uncut

Funding uncut

Written by: Hannah Field – News Editor The Incidental Fee Committee held its seventh meeting on Monday, Feb. 12. Otherwise known as the IFC, the group consists of nine members. Three of them were nominated by ASWOU President Hunter Hall, another three were nominated by Western’s President Jesse Peters and the last three were nominated in a general student election. During the meeting on Feb. 12, Hall acted as the chairman, where they discussed different topics relating to funding for the upcoming school year. The first matter of business was the incidental fee charges for students.  The on-campus fee for students was $415 and the fee for off-campus and online students was $210. The committee debated between dropping the fee or keeping it as is but settled on keeping it as it is so funding remained the same for student clubs and other IFC-funded organizations. The summer charge was unchanged as well. The IFC motioned to accept Abby’s House base budget request, including the Food Pantry, with unanimous approval from the committee. The athletics department also received their base request with four positives and one abstain due to a conflict of interest. Campus Recreation, Access or ODS Services, Childcare, Computer Replacement and Creative Arts all were granted what they asked for. Extraordinary Travel received their base request of zero dollars. Student Engagement Operations, Leadership Inclusion and Activities, Student Activities Board, Student Media and Wolfride all received their base requests — meaning all boards received their base request, as granted by the IFC. In regards to budget enhancements, Hall confirmed that all enhancements, so far, have been decided upon by...

At-risk population relocation

At-risk population relocation

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer Due to the struggle with homelessness and mental health, different cities have tried to brainstorm solutions to solve this foreboding problem. One of these solutions consists of sending the homeless and those with severe mental health issues to a different city with a one-way bus ticket –- for free. This is known as greyhound therapy, which is technically forced relocation. Some places even ban these individuals from returning to their place of origin, such as Key West, Florida. Most of these people who were shipped off remained homeless and faced the same problems; it did not solve the underlying problem. States including Oregon contain the highest per capita number of homeless, and Portland, as of 2016, began relocating homeless people to other cities. Relocation occurs all over the United States, and the bus service travels all over the country as well. Ideally, this system is meant to relocate at-risk populations to somewhere they can find a support system. It also appears, though, that cities, such as San Francisco, are partaking in this system to lower their at-risk population percentages. This raises the question — are cities doing this to help these populations, or are they doing it to have better homeless percentages? To answer this question, it is important to address whether or not this system works for underserved populations. According to the Guardian, this system does not attempt to address the root cause of homelessness, therefore not solving the problem. Most homeless and mentally ill stay in the position they left their previous city in.  It is important to address other...

False spring

False spring

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor Most Americans know who Punxsutawney Phil is, and it’s not just for his dashing looks. Every year on Feb. 2, the Pennsylvanian groundhog makes an appearance to predict the weather. However, Phil only has a 39% success rate, but he still has an almost cult-like following. Fox Weather claims Phil drinks a magical elixir — a secret recipe — to help him live forever, so he can predict the weather for eternity. The weather magician lives in a climate-controlled, light-regulated burrow adjacent to the Punxsutawney Memorial Library. The months between February and April are an unpredictable time. Especially throughout the Pacific Northwest, both snow and sun, in addition to the usual rain, can be expected at this time of year. Many lean on Phil in an attempt to forecast the upcoming season. This February, Phil predicted an early spring. After the ice storm that hit Oregon in January, it’s refreshing to see some warmer weather come to town — especially in an area that lacks vitamin D. However, a secret season occurs before real spring — known as false spring. False spring refers to the period before the spring equinox when weather conditions become unusually warm, before returning to a regular bitter winter state. Not only does false spring trick people — and Phil the groundhog — into believing the mild season has begun early, but even vegetation can come out of dormancy. An early spring also means early allergies. Many suffer from grass and pollen allergies as the beautiful flowers of spring begin sprouting. These seasonal plants may be seen as...

Hateful protestors at universities

Hateful protestors at universities

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer On many college campuses, a phenomenon that excludes Western, some preachers hold signs expressing hateful, sexist, racist, homophobic and other problematic words — backing their religious beliefs. These signs can include anything from anti-abortion harassment to informing those who are gay, masturbators, gossips and more that they are sinning and hell awaits them.  Protestors also loudly attest that judgment is coming and to repent. Additionally,  protestors wave signs saying that abortion is murder or a sin. This list goes on and on, commonly revolving around religion in one way or another.  These signs and the people holding them can be extremely hateful and disrespectful, and when confronted, they generally justify their rhetoric by citing that campuses allow freedom of speech. Although campuses do allow freedom of speech, these protests can often lead to people feeling unsafe and unwelcome, and there have been times when the university’s campus public safety has had to intervene to ensure everyone’s safety and push back against violence.  So, there are two arguments universities face: allowing freedom of speech — which means allowing hateful speech or stopping this type of protesting due to it being hurtful and uncomfortable for the students and faculty it targets.  The First Amendment of the Constitution allows freedom of speech no matter how offensive the speech is. However, the Constitution does not permit hate speech, libel or slander, although the parameters of hate speech are not specified. This does not extend to behavior or speech that is threatening, harassing or creates a hostile environment. This translates to universities as well; freedom of speech...

Valentine’s Day origin

Valentine’s Day origin

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor Content warning: this article contains mentions of blood, animal sacrifices and violence Valentine’s Day was originally a pagan holiday celebrating fertility — taking place from Feb. 13–15, going back as far as the sixth century B.C. Since then, Valentine’s Day has taken a turn toward romantic celebrations and acts of kindness, when originally, in Rome, men were stripped, blood was shed and animals were sacrificed, all in hopes of warding off evil curses and keeping the Roman fertility god, Lupercus, happy. Lupercus, as well as the she-wolf Lupa — who, according to legend, protected and raised the eventual founders of Rome — inspired the title Lupercalia: the holiday now known as Valentine’s Day. The day revolved around a feast that involved animal sacrifices and streaking men. Those same men would whip women with strips of the sacrificed goats’ hides which was believed to cause ripe fertility. The Luperci, a group of Roman priests, would perform the goat and dog sacrifices and follow it up with touching a bloody knife on two Luperci’s foreheads, which was then wiped off with wool dipped in milk. Part of the sacrificial rituals involved the Luperci laughing — a requirement to please Lupercus. Saint Valentine holds more mystique around the founding of the holiday. The most common theory is that Saint Valentine was executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II for secretly marrying Christian couples, during the third century A.D., a time when Christians were being persecuted.  Another legend proposes that Valentine was in love with his jailer’s daughter while imprisoned — writing her a love letter and...

Starbucks saving face

Starbucks saving face

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor On Oct. 13, Starbucks sued Workers United — the union that organizes Starbucks employees —  when the union used a logo similar to Starbucks’ to make a pro-Palestine post amidst the Israel-Hamas war. The union counter-sued for the ability to continue operating with the same Starbucks-esque logo, also claiming defamation from Starbucks for implying the union supports terrorism and violence. The original post was uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 9; it was deleted within an hour of posting. About a week later, a new statement was released from the Starbucks Workers United President, Lynne Fox. The letter to Starbucks stated, “Starbucks is seeking to exploit the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East to bolster the company’s anti-union campaign.” Since then, Starbucks has lost more than $12 billion according to the New York Post. The company has made multiple moves to recover not only lost money, but also their reputation. In a public statement, they expressed sympathy for both Gaza and Israel and condemned all acts of hate — yet Starbucks hasn’t expressed support for their union and hasn’t met a labor agreement with any of their unionized stores despite multiple strikes and 38 issued records of unfair labor practices — a stark contrast from the sentiments published by Starbucks’ team. Despite the money losses, Starbucks continued to advertise “Red Cup Day” and joined forces  with Stanley to release a well sought-after limited edition tumbler — which caused a massive frenzy in Targets across the country and roped in millions of dollars. Stanley, the brand behind the ultra-famous cups, reported a...

The male loneliness epidemic

The male loneliness epidemic

Written by: Cami Ansley | Copy Editor Content warning: this article contains mentions of suicide On May 3, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned the public about “our epidemic of loneliness and isolation.” Within the past year, a focus has shifted to the loneliness faced by men, coining the argument that a “male loneliness epidemic” has arisen. Despite what the name may suggest, the “loneliness” attributed to this epidemic is not solely limited to romantic relationships. For one, research conducted in 2021 found that 15% of men claim that they have no close friends, a staggering 12% increase since 1990. A study published by Equimundo in 2023 found that a majority of men, ranging from older Millennials to Generation Z, agree with the statement, “No one really knows me well,” with Generation Z having the highest percentage of agreement among all respondents. In this same publication, a majority of men stated that they only have one or two close friends in their area that they feel they can confide in outside of their family.  In the realm of romantic relationships, men are more likely to be single and have less sex than women. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that six in ten men under the age of 30 are single, nearly double the rate of women at the time. The Equimundo study found that roughly one in five men are either not looking for a relationship or are unable to find sexual partners.  These statistics about loneliness have been connected to poor mental and physical health. Specifically, greater risk of premature death, cardiovascular illness, anxiety,...