mascot – The Western Howl

A photo of the new wolf statue on campus. | Photo taken by Moth Martinez-Faccio

April 8, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

Over spring break, a new statue of two wolves standing on a plank over two boulders appeared near the Student Success Center, leaving many students confused as to where it came from or why Western bought it in the midst of a budget crisis.

The only notice students received of the new statues was an Instagram post from Western President Jesse Peters. The picture showed Peters posing with the two wolves with the caption reading “What a beautiful day on the most beautiful campus in Oregon!! And I found two new wolf friends too!!”

The statue weighs around 1,100 pounds and was installed with a forklift. Students were left unaware of who created this piece of art, with the only clue being a small signature at the bottom left of the statue reading “Rude 2026.”

After this, students were left wondering what the reasoning was behind getting this new statue, especially with the news coming out around the same time that Destination Western would be cut. Addressing this, Gabriela Eyster, the project manager at Facilities Services, clarified that construction projects funded by the state set aside 1% of their budget for art installations such as the new statue. Through Oregon’s Art Acquisition legislation, pieces of art are selected in a facilitated process for qualifying Oregon state buildings, encouraging creativity, dialogue and value in the community. Western used a portion of this money to fund the statue because they wanted art representation on campus that was “truly iconic to the university,” and pointed out that Western doesn’t currently possess something akin to the wolves statue. Additionally, the statue was placed by the Student Success Center because it is a central location on campus as a new building and would be the most ideal spot to showcase art that represented the university.

The next step in this process was picking an artist; Eyster explained that the main criteria for this piece included art that would work well with the site location, evoke campus community, reflect the concepts of the building such as intentionality and resiliency and focus on accessibility and inclusivity.

The committee in charge of the new statue received detailed proposals from four different artists, and ultimately decided to go with Brad Rude because they “felt that his work matched what our mission was.” Once selected, Rude proposed not only the statue currently on campus, but an additional indoor piece of art that will be installed in May.

In terms of the indoor piece, Rude explained that he plans to create a long storyboard that portrays one continuous storyline showing “the adventures of the wolves.” There will be nature scenes as well as depictions of Wolfie. Additionally, students can come up with a piece of paper, place it against one of the frames and do a rubbing with their hand or a little bit of graphite to get an impression. “It’s kind of like collecting cards, you know, baseball cards or something. Collect all 20 scenes, put them together, mix them.”

The budget for both the current statue and the future indoor piece altogether was $135,000.

Eyster explained that Western has been working with Karl Burkheimer, the Oregon Arts Commission project coordinator, in regards to the statue since 2023, and Rude confirmed that the project has been in the works since October 2024. Burkheimer led this process, including gathering information from the art selection committee, assigning budget planning, writing the statue proposal and searching for artists, ultimately leading to Rude. The art selection committee consists of members who represent the commission agency, community members, art professionals and a project architect. These members are then involved in every step of the process such as choosing the type of art, the location, values and themes for the art, selecting artists and providing feedback.

Rude additionally provided an artist’s statement for his piece currently on campus entitled Arch of Inquiry. He explained that the statue is about individuals approaching each other to meet new people and make new friends, essentially saying “hello.” Each individual is calm and curious, and each comes from a unique place encompassing different backgrounds and cultures, represented by the two large boulders that the wolves are standing on. The plank in the middle connects the two boulders and represents the connection between different individuals despite their different foundations. This plank allows the individuals to come to each other and connect rather than being isolated on their own boulder; the smaller stones on top of the wolves represent their individual hopes and dreams. Each brings different perspectives to the other and allows the other to learn something new.

Rude also explained that he wanted a piece of artwork that the community could interact with, such as being able to sit on the plank. Referencing the two wolves, he said, “Yes, it’s about these two individuals that have somehow come together in kind of an interesting way, but they each have their own direction. It sets up the idea that the human viewer is part of this group as well.”

While this change appeared to students quickly, there are many other art pieces around campus from various artists that seek to do the same thing: convey the community, culture and brightness of Western. Other pieces include works from Hector Hernandez entitled “Dreams Come True,” “Sources of Knowledge” and “Dreams of Education” — all outside the Welcome Center. 3D artwork is also featured in the ITC from Louis Chinn and Huameng Yu.

Encompassing the same idea that many of the art pieces around campus seek to, Rude added, “I wanted these to be iconic and a mascot for the entire student body. The entire community as well.”

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl

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Wolfie changes?

A photo of Wolfie, Western’s infamous mascot. | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio

Disclaimer: all articles featured in this issue are fake in celebration of April Fool’s Day

April 1, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Last fall, Western lost hard in a football match against California Polytechnic State University Sept. 13 — 56 to 7 — that not only devastated the team, but was felt from the stands. Students left the game boiling with frustration over multiple flags and crushed by defeat, but none of it matched what Wolfie was seemingly feeling.

The Western mascot was spotted at the end of the match, hovering off the field, stomping and punching the air. Prior to the loss, the wolf was seated glumly on an empty bench, looking upset. While leaving with a crowd of students, Wolfie snatched the brandished hat of a student from the enemy school and tossed it into a nearby bush. The altercation resulted in a slight scuffle off-field — with Wolfie and the Cal Poly student tousling on the ground for about fifteen seconds before being pulled apart by onlookers.

Since then, Western has reduced Wolfie’s appearances without a public explanation.

“While we can appreciate how much Wolfie cares about Western and Western’s teams’ continued victories, we’re stepping back to evaluate the role of this specific mascot,” stated a Western spokesperson. “We can’t release any more information yet, but the students will definitely know when it’s time for a change.”

Following the event, and student concern over Wolfie’s aggravated behavior, Campus Public Safety said: “Well, what can you expect from a wolf?”

Campus Public Safety also reported that Wolfie was well-maintained and taken on “multiple walks daily,” providing no further explanation.

“Campus Public Safety thinks Wolfie is an actual wolf? Like, the animal?” questioned Western’s spokesperson, seemingly unaware of the ongoing discussion. “Is that what students think, too?”

“I don’t know what I think,” said one student. “I don’t care if it’s a person or not. I just don’t know how I should be referring to it. Is Wolfie a girl? I don’t want to just, you know, assume it’s a man. Are most mascots boys, like how boats are always women? I don’t know.”

Additionally, Wolfie could be facing potential criminal charges, further reason for Western to reconsider Wolfie as their representation. Allegedly, following the team’s loss Sept. 13, a student noticed Wolfie at the wheel of a Rivian in the parking lot, driving recklessly and even backing into a student’s Ford Focus when leaving the parking spot. The student was unable to record the license plate, and after trying to report the crash to Campus Public Safety, it was dismissed because “wolves can’t drive cars.”

Rumors have since soared regarding Wolfie’s potential replacement, with students campaigning for a unique, new mascot, one never before adopted by a university.

“Think about it — we could have a whole new theme. People could come to Western just because our mascot is so cool,” said a student. “It could be a mythical creature. I’m sure there’s some legal claim on, like, Bigfoot, or Mothman, but imagine like, a skunk ape, or like a carnivorous tree. That’d be really awesome, I think.”

“Oh, I’m just a bug fan, so I’d probably say something like a beetle or spider,” another student added. “I’m not picky. Western pine beetles are a thing — we could be one of those — and they attack California trees, kind of like what Wolfie did to the Cal Poly student.”

Western rejected the concept of capitalizing on a cryptid as Western’s new mascot almost immediately after a few students put together a low-scoring petition. More students, however, set up visible “FREE WOLFIE” signs from their dorm windows, advocating for another appearance amidst the controversies. One single sign in retaliation said: “#WOLFIEISOVERPARTY,” with another saying “PUT HIM DOWN.”

One thing is for certain: nothing has been announced yet as of April 1 — today, April Fool’s Day, but more information is sure to come out.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

The Western Howl

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A love letter…

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer

The most underdog a wolf can get, Waldo, a.k.a. “Wolfie” was employed as Western’s mascot for only five years. While he looks like a vintage Build-a-Bear with his black and brown fur, his red eyes emit a feeling of danger.

His tongue falls from his mouth in a dorky fashion and a singular sharp tooth can be seen — Waldo seems to be the mascot equivalent of a chihuahua with no teeth. Waldo is a dog, not a wolf — and he brings a sense of pack comradery that only wolves know best.

Waldo is disliked by many. In Leanne Merrill’s “Math of Voting” class, he is consistently voted last compared to the 1981, 1988 and 2006 mascots. His head is left to gather dust in Western’s buildings, nobody leaves flowers and letters to appreciate him like he deserves.

Yes, some may describe him as “nightmare fuel,” but others consider him to not be threatening enough to defend Western sports teams. Is he too scary, or not enough?

Waldo is the best mascot because of his subjective ambiguity. A rival sports team may laugh at his awkward qualities, but once they go up and look into his eyes, they’re petrified.

Waldo is a guard dog in that way, he brings comfort and safety to his own while defending them against others. His heroic nature is not appreciated enough, because some may find him just a little too dorky to be intimidating.

This retired mascot used to bring joy to Western students, but now his head sits in a glass box, alone and unloved. Students walk past him each day without even glancing his way. We must end Waldo’s suffering by starting to appreciate him more.

We must support and love his lack of typical wolf qualities, as it makes him different and unique. His comically long tongue has value along with adding importance to his personality and character.

While he might not have many teeth, he sure packs a bite to battle off other intruding mascots. His fuzzy body invites comfort for those in need.

There is more to Waldo than what meets the eye. He represents Western to the fullest because of his uniqueness. People may see themselves represented in him, through his lovable and awkward qualities and mannerisms. All one needs to do is open their heart, even if it is to one of the uglier and goofier mascots that Western has to offer.

Contact the author at lminato22@mail.wou.edu

Wolf statue

Wolfie changes?

A love letter…

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