“Ca$ino” album cover. | photo from @babykeem on instagram
March 4, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
After releasing his sophomore album, “The Melodic Blue,” in 2021 and a subsequent deluxe edition of the album in 2022 following the record-breaking “The Big Steppers Tour,” where he opened for his cousin Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem essentially disappeared from the public eye. While that long of a break might be a commercial death sentence for artists as early in their career as Baby Keem, his output has already cultivated a strong fan base, and his album “Ca$ino,” released on Feb. 20, consistently delivers from front to back and is the strongest he’s ever been lyrically.
The album opens with “No Security,” where Keem gets personal about family struggles and guilt with lines like, “Uncle Andre just passed, I can’t help but bear blame / Wish I got him help when the resources came.” On the title track, “Ca$ino,” the beat sounds like something from a video game, and Keem slides over it flawlessly with a flow that somehow sounds desperate and effortless at the same time. The beat switches halfway through to a slower, but still hard-hitting beat, where Keem maintains an aggressive energy. “Birds & the Bees” has easily one of the catchiest hooks I’ve heard recently, and I’ve had so much fun listening to it since the album came out. After a run that includes the relaxed “Good Flirts (feat. Kendrick Lamar and Momo Boyd)” and the abrasive “House Money,” Keem comes back down to earth with “I am not a Lyricist,” which ironically is one of the best lyrical performances of his career, diving deeper into some of the personal issues he rapped about on the album’s opener. “Highway 95 pt. 2” is an incredible sequel to one of my favorite Keem songs. On this song, he tells the story of his traumatic childhood, growing up around drug abuse and legal troubles. His performance is both powerful and depressing, and it’s difficult to find a single line that truly encapsulates the emotional nature of the song.
“Dramatic Girl (feat. Che Ecru)” is the most different from the rest of the album and contains a more alternative sound, and is easily my favorite of Keem’s attempts at making music in that kind of genre. Even for people who aren’t typically fans of Keem or of hip hop in general, I highly recommend giving this song a listen.
The album concludes with “No Blame,” a song dedicated to his mother, who he’s mentioned struggling with addiction among other things multiple times in his music. Again, every line is heart-wrenching as Keem talks about the problems they went through as a family. I don’t think any words outside of the song fully encapsulate quite how strong the lyrics are. In one line, he says, “I was seven years old, waiting on you in pajamas / You said you would come home, should’ve never made that promise.” Ultimately, he explains that he understands the trauma his mother was dealing with herself and that he doesn’t blame her, ending the album on an extremely emotional note.
This album is, to me, without a doubt, the best Keem has made so far. It has high-quality production, catchy hooks and sharp verses with a combination of both fun and emotional tracks. There are a couple of moments I could do without, but I’ll still listen to them when I go through the album for the millionth time. It’s been a stacked year for music, and while it’s still early, this is the album of the year for me so far, with Brent Faiyaz’s album “Icon” being a close second.
Joe Lorig and his family after the 2024 Fiesta Bowl win against Liberty. | Photo from @jwlorig on Instagram
Feb. 18, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
Oregon Ducks special teams coordinator and Western alum, Joe Lorig, recently completed his fourth season with the team which saw the team go 11-1, picking up a victory in the Orange Bowl and making a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal. While he’s entering just his fifth season with the Ducks, his coaching career experience ranges nearly 30 years.
It started right here in Monmouth in 1997, when Lorig became the Wolves’ safeties coach after a playing career that saw him start at Walla Walla Community College before transferring to Western. When asked about his time at Western and what brought him there, Lorig emphasized the criminal justice program, being close to home and the football program. “I was recruited by a coach that became a mentor of mine, Blaine Bennett, I think he was the offensive coordinator at the time and then Arne Ferguson, who’s currently the head coach was also involved in that.”
On the note of coach Ferguson, who of course coached Lorig and coached with him, Lorig commended Ferguson not only as a coach but as a human being. “He’s very genuine, cares more about people than just the player. He’s important enough to me that he was in my wedding, so he’s a pretty important person in my life and again, really just what separates him is being able to do the football side of things and the business side of what football brings but also the personal side.”
Lorig continues to keep up with Western athletics, saying, “I follow it every week.” Crediting the program for the relationships he was able to build, he continued, “The program is very, very important to me and I’m not talking about wins and losses necessarily. I’m talking about how they influence and mold young people.”
Lorig joining the University of Oregon coaching staff in 2022 signified a return home. Having grown up in Washington, then of course spending time in Monmouth, Lorig’s career took him to the eastern side of the United States with stops at Memphis and Penn State in a time period that spanned from 2016 to 2021. When asked about what it means to return to the Pacific Northwest, Lorig said, “It means everything. That’s why we came back. I would have never left Penn State. I left Penn State because of two things. One, the University of Oregon. Two, Dan Lanning. Those are the two reasons. But I’m no different than anybody else. I’m just a person. So to be here around family, my three kids … Jordan, Tyler and Emma, my wife’s from Klamath Falls, Oregon — a lot of people don’t know that. So this is literally her home and I consider Oregon my home, even though I grew up in Washington. I really formed at Western Oregon, in Oregon.”
Lorig mentioned that his mother is now able to attend every game, whereas when he was at Penn State, she could only attend two games a season. He continued, saying, “When I get up in the morning and I put on the O, it’s different than when I put on Penn State. It just means more to me. And it doesn’t mean that it didn’t mean a lot at Penn State, it did, I worked really hard and I cared a lot, but here, when I put on the O and I walk out, I grew up watching the Civil War, I grew up watching the Apple Cup. I know what those games mean. I cried when Kenny Wheaton returned the pick because I was a Washington fan. I grew up a Washington fan, I literally remember that play and I cried. So it just means more to me which I think is pretty cool.”
The Ducks enter the 2026 season with their eyes on the football program’s first national title. They’ll open the regular season in Eugene Sep. 5 against the Boise State Broncos, but fans can catch an early look at the team April 25 during the annual spring game held in Autzen Stadium.
The coaching staff are determined to take the next step to their ultimate goal — “Coach Lanning works tirelessly, we’re doing everything that we can to make the University of Oregon proud, the state of Oregon, the fans of Oregon proud. Anything that we possibly can, we are doing. We work tirelessly and endlessly. We know the standard that needs to be upheld and we work really, really hard and take a lot of pride, take it very personally, to uphold that standard.”
The Ducks also return a significant number of starters next year. Many, such as quarterback Dante Moore, passed up the 2026 NFL draft despite being projected to be drafted early. Lorig feels that’s a testament to the culture Dan Lanning has set at Oregon, and along with Lanning, takes a lot of pride in the fact they’ve never had a starter leave via transfer portal. “So people talk about the portal and all these things, but the guys that portal out of here are guys that aren’t going to play typically. So the starters stay … Dante Moore coming back is, you know, he’s no more important than anybody else, but it’s just one prime example because he left a lot of money on the table. That tells you what this culture must be like, the belief that he has in this team, the belief that he has in this staff, the belief that he has in this school. I think that’s an obvious testament for sure.”
Coach Lorig reiterated his appreciation for Western and what it means to him, saying, “I think that Western Oregon is a really special place. I think coach Ferguson and his staff do a great job. It’s a place that really forms a lot of people’s lives. Certain people go to certain schools. I tell that to guys a lot in recruiting. A certain type of person goes to Oregon, a certain type of person goes to Washington, not better or worse, they’re both good football programs and they’re both good schools, just different schools attract different people. And I know I haven’t been there in a long time, obviously, as a student, but I know the type of people that Western Oregon attracts are typically the people that are going to really set the foundation of this state. That they’re going to be teachers, they’re going to be police officers, they’re going to be social workers and so just people that are looking at going there or people that are there really embracing that place because it’s a really special place. It’s a great community, the location of it’s awesome. You’re just close enough to Salem and Portland but you’re not so caught up in the hustle bustle. There’s a lot of continuity together there because there’s not a whole bunch of other stuff in the town, so you tend to hang out with each other more. We hung out more at each other’s apartments and houses and stuff because there wasn’t a big, huge city to go other places. So I think that naturally creates a pretty cool environment to make a really unique, fun, close knit, tight knit college experience that again, really forged me and many of my friends’ lives to be where we are today. I’m proud to be a Wolf.”
From left to right: Morgan Pemberton, Emily Phoun, Makayla Wright, Lukas Dyer, Joey Guerra. | Photo from @aswou on Instagram
March 11, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
The Associated Students of Western Oregon University has opened their application forms for the general election, described as “the annual election called to fill all of the positions created by the ASWOU Constitution, as well as three Incidental Fee Committee members, and to vote on various ballot measures,” per the ASWOU governing documents.
Crucial roles are potentially up for grabs as the transition from Spring to Fall terms kicks off.
ASWOU is the official student body government, student-run and student-funded, tasked with important roles such as advocating for the student population, overseeing and governing clubs, as well as collaborating with Western’s administration to facilitate a healthy relationship between students and staff, faculty and admin.
Certain roles, such as director roles and the chief of staff, are selected following interviews held during the summer by the ASWOU president and vice president. However, the president, vice president, senate president, judicial administrator, IFC member and senator roles are open for election applications. Students will be able to vote in these elections during Spring term to determine the next batch of student leaders for the following academic year.
Split into three branches — executive, legislative and judicial — ASWOU maintains specific roles that serve in meaningful, but different, ways.
The head of the executive branch is the president, currently Morgan Pemberton. In that position, the student acts as a bridge between the administration and student body, as well as being the student representative to the administration, as well as state and federal governments. They also attend senate and judicial meetings, contribute to committees, meet with students and, again, faculty and admin, as well as Western President Jesse Peters, plan events and maintain a list of other varied duties, spanning 20 hours of paid work weekly from June to June.
“I feel like the job is very rewarding because you get to do a lot of community organizing,” said Pemberton. “You get to really focus on the projects on campus that you’re passionate about, and get to interact with higher admin and kind of see the behind-the-scenes of a lot of things.”
It would be Pemberton’s replacement’s job to select Executive Cabinet members, including director positions and the chief of staff. Director positions at ASWOU include public relations, business & finance, equity & advocacy, state & federal affairs and student organizations.
Pemberton also spoke directly to the impact of the president’s role. “I know for me, it was super important to focus on internal structure, kind of a rebuilding ASWOU year and connections to the community, more (connections) with admin, that was really important for me.”
Previous ASWOU presidents have focused on other issues, such as safety and sustainability. “It really depends on the administration for what direction you want to go, because you have so many resources and options for what you think is important on campus,” said Pemberton.
The vice president position is also being re-elected, with Emily Phoun graduating in the summer. In her words, the vice president is a support system for the team with the freedom to begin their own initiatives.
“Honestly, I would say it is something that I never have any regrets on. I love every second of it,” said Phoun. “Just getting to be able to not only be a voice and representative for students, but really just getting to be out there and getting to be on different committees, doing different projects. I just honestly love it.”
Phoun is also on the University Budget Advisory Committee, often called UBAC. The group consists of faculty, staff, students and administrators, intended to discuss Western’s budget. They review budget proposals, submit recommendations and consider important factors that influence the cost of tuition, bringing a variety of perspectives from different positions across campus. ASWOU recommends two students as members, opening more opportunities for new workers.
“One of the projects that I actually did was hosting a town hall, which they’ve never had a student-run town hall, before I came along and did that initiative,” said Phoun. “But there was lots of encouragement as well as praise from both the student body and the committee.” Another project that Phoun took on was a collaboration with The Western Howl, created to spread ASWOU news and insight through the student paper.
Phoun recommended that students give it their all: “Advice that I would give is don’t be afraid to take initiative on something, even if it might seem scary.”
The director of state & federal affairs is a relatively new position, but one that ASWOU takes pride in having. “I think that is so important in the kind of political time we’re in. (It’s for) students who are super interested in getting involved in politics, or who are interested in making sure other students know about what’s happening politically, that kind of thing,” Pemberton said.
The role pays close attention to state and federal changes that might impact students or the university so that those changes may be relayed to the student body. They are also part of organizing Lobby Day, an annual event when students travel to the Oregon Capitol to advocate for their beliefs.
Under the judicial branch, the five or fewer student justices attend all judicial meetings, interpret policy and administer the judicial process. With a heavy focus on club activity, the judicial branch meets on a less-regular basis, mainly to discuss clubs in the case of potential violation of ASWOU statutes, since ASWOU has governing documents that all clubs must abide by. Two of the justices are appointed by ASWOU, but the three remaining slots are elected by the student body. One of the five is also appointed as the judicial board vice-chair by the judicial administrator.
The judicial administrator facilitates judicial meetings and makes sure ASWOU adheres to its governing documents and policies for 20 hours paid a week.
The senate serves as the policymaking authority within ASWOU. Likewise to the expectations for justices, elected senators must meet with the senate president multiple times a term, sponsor legislation such as bills and resolutions and partake in IFC meetings, which determine incidental fees and their distribution to student activities and resources. Some examples of IFC-funded organizations are Athletics, Abby’s House and Student Engagement. According to ASWOU governing documents, no more than 15 senators are allowed at a time, with 11 elected positions currently open for applications.
The senate president is required to remain impartial, contribute weekly to the position and must pick a senate president pro tempore during Fall term to serve beside them. Compensated for 20 hours of work a week, the senate president oversees the senate.
Senators and justices, alongside their weekly participation, must meet with their branch presidents, attend at least one training session on parliamentary procedure, expectations and responsibilities and adhere to proper etiquette. The hours are volunteer and vary between 2-5 hours a week.
It is within the legislative body that senate bills can be passed and debated, requiring Western’s president’s signature to pass or be vetoed.
“The senate or legislative branch is focused on changing things. So, if we think that there is something wrong, we can make recommendations and resolutions to those departments,” said Pemberton. “I would say (the executive branch) is for doing and planning, legislative is for making change and judicial is for ensuring fairness and making sure that everyone has the right support.”
All ASWOU members have sworn an oath of office in front of a witness: “I, [student name], do solemnly swear to faithfully execute the duties of the office of [position title] to the best of my abilities and, in the best interest of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University, to uphold the Governing Documents and the Student Code of Conduct.”
Similarly, they must sign a document acknowledging their oath, which is then signed by the witness and designee who swore them in.
The annual general election is run by the Elections Committee, a subcommittee of the Judicial Board, comprised of six members from various positions on campus, such as one appointed by the Residence Hall Association president, another by the judicial administrator and four co-appointed by the ASWOU president, senate president and judicial administrator. Additionally, all three branch heads serve as advisors to the Elections Committee.
Candidates must meet the current GPA standard, be enrolled in at least six credits while in office and meet requirements outlined in the ASWOU bylaws, constitution or other governing documents, as well as have submitted the appropriate application and/or documents. And, more clearly, they must follow Western’s student code of conduct as well as the Elections Code of Conduct.
And, according to governing documents, “The purpose and scope of these election policies is to allow all students an equal opportunity to present their views and qualifications to the ASWOU during an election period … All students of WOU shall have an equal opportunity to vote.”
With applications already open, students can look to join ASWOU for the 2026-27 school year by checking Involve.
“For elections, I think that if you’re not looking to get elected, there are a lot of appointed positions. I would say one of the really impactful ones is the Director of Equity and Advocacy, making sure that we’re being equitable as a campus and that advocacy is happening, especially in a time like this one, that community bringing together communities,” said Pemberton.
As for the head positions — president, vice president, senate president, judicial administrator — “They have a lot of responsibilities … You have to have really strong leadership skills or be really willing to learn along the way, because you’re directing a whole group of other students,” said Pemberton.
Pemberton’s advice for students looking to join ASWOU? “Don’t doubt your abilities. The positions can be hard, but you could really make them your own, and all it really takes is the want to do something different and the want to make campus life better. So if you’re worried you don’t have the skills, you can really develop the skills and it’s a perfect opportunity to do that — so it’s more about your willingness and your go-get-it kind of attitude.”
Phoun added: “It’s a great way to not only build up your resume, but also gain leadership skills and experience. But you also get to interact with the campus community as well as interact with admin.”
The Incidental Fee Committee has three elected roles and six appointed positions to discuss and deliberate over budget distribution and fee costs within student incidental fees. Positions require no experience, as training is provided, and the positions are volunteer, between 5-10 hours a week through both Fall and Winter terms.
For students who are uninterested in working with ASWOU, there are still reasons to pay attention, as important discussions come and go regarding funding, tuition, on-campus events, new resources, club operations and more.
On Jan. 9, 2026, the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, published a memorandum regarding the usage of artificial intelligence by the American government, stating that AI dominance will redefine military affairs over the next decade, and that integration of AI will make America more lethal and efficient. “I direct the Department of War to accelerate America’s Military AI Dominance by becoming an ‘AI-first’ warfighting force across all components, from front to back,” Hegseth said.
The document lays out that AI will ideally play a role in warfighting by incorporating AI-enabled battle management and decision support, “from campaign planning to kill chain execution.”
The Pentagon aimed to contract with Anthropic, an AI research company that oversees the model Claude, considered one of the best available systems. Rivaling ChatGPT, which is owned by OpenAI, Anthropic designates itself as “a public benefit corporation dedicated to securing its benefits and mitigating the risks” as AI rises in popularity. Claude is well known for nearly flawless navigation of coding, UI design and intelligent writing — outdoing ChatGPT — and is considered a safe model, claiming to follow AI responsibility codes of conduct. It is considered the most capable model for sensitive and intelligence work on behalf of government procedures, explaining the strong desire for the Pentagon to utilize it without barriers.
More specifically, the Department of War desired for Anthropic to forgo safety and security guardrails within Claude for the purpose of unrestricted military usage.
As of Feb. 27, however, the current presidential administration decided against integrating with Claude, following Anthropic’s refusal to grant access out of concern for how the AI systems would be used for domestic surveillance and as potential weapons of war.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a statement Feb. 26: “They have threatened to remove us from their systems if we maintain these safeguards; they have also threatened to designate us a ‘supply chain risk’ … and to invoke the Defense Production Act to force the safeguards’ removal … Regardless, these threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.”
Amodei went on to state that it is in Anthropic’s best interest to serve the Department of War and that they are ready to support the United States, just outside of the two narrow exceptions listed.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted to X: “Anthropic delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon. Our position has never wavered and will never waver: the Department of War must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.”
Hegseth went on to direct that Anthropic be designated as a supply-chain risk, thereby condemning business with Anthropic, and stated that the Department of War would be transitioning to a “more patriotic service” within six months.
Donald Trump announced on Truth Social the same day that Anthropic’s “selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.”
Trump also threatened to force Anthropic to comply with criminal consequences.
Anthropic responded, “No amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.”
Historically, Claude was the first frontier AI model to be deployed in U.S. government networks, capable of expanding medical research, foreign intelligence analysis, combating human trafficking and more. Now, however, it is virtually blacklisted, and government-associated companies are unable to work with Anthropic. This tactic has only ever previously been applied to foreign companies such as Huawei, a Chinese technology company banned for national security concerns.
On Feb. 28, OpenAI released a statement titled “Our agreement with the Department of War,” which indicated that OpenAI is also not allowing the Department of War to utilize their AI models for domestic surveillance, autonomous weapons systems or high-stakes automated decisions. They claimed to have a more expansive approach with more safeguards than what Anthropic offered, and that the Department of War was clear that domestic surveillance was not one of their considerations for adopting OpenAI.
Elon Musk’s AI model, Grok, was incorporated into government procedure in January, operating inside the Pentagon network. Around the same time, controversy arose in Grok’s functionality as users found it capable of generating highly sexualized pornographic images without the consent of the people pictured, as well as reiterating antisemitic and racist rhetoric. Grok was created to be the opposite of “woke AI,” Musk’s words that likely target Claude and ChatGPT.
In terms of a timeline, the clash between Anthropic and the Pentagon came to be following the United States’ attack on Venezuela, which captured President Nicolás Maduro. Anthropic reached out to Palantir — a controversial data integration and analytics software company run by Peter Thiel — to inquire about Claude’s role in the attack on Venezuela. Palantir confirmed that Anthropic tech was used alongside Palantir’s Maven Smart System technology, the latter of which is largely utilized by the Department of War as a tool for military logistics planning and targeting.
Beyond their political impact, AI systems are known to be highly intensive on the environment, requiring immense water consumption to stay powered. This kind of automated technology draws heavily from the power grid, relying on fossil fuels to run. Billions of dollars have been spent to construct massive data centers to serve demand, raising fears of higher electricity bills in rural and urban areas near new plants.
The future of AI involvement in war activity is currently unknown, but the Department of War outlined their plans in early 2026 very clearly, and has since emphasized a legal usage of AI systems, despite Anthropic and OpenAI’s concerns.
A photo of the South Falls. | Photo courtesy of John Koloszar
March 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
IP28, also known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, is a proposed ballot initiative in Oregon for the November 2026 general election.
In general, the bill seeks to prohibit animal cruelty in the form of abuse, harm and neglect, and to extend legal protections of multiple groups of animals in Oregon, such as pets, farm animals, research lab animals and animals in the wild. These animals would be protected from slaughter, hunting, fishing and experimentation.
The definition of animal abuse is the intentional, knowing and reckless injury of an animal, and IP28 seeks to expand which animals are protected against this.
In addition to the injury and killing of animals, animal sexual assault would be prohibited. More specifically, this prohibition targets the breeding of animals to impregnate them, including farm and ranch animals as well as dog breeders.
Neglect in the form of withholding care from an animal or the unnecessary tethering of an animal would be made illegal under the bill. Under this, animals in transport trucks would also need to have the required resources to avoid neglect, like adequate food, water and shelter.
Those with a criminal charge of animal cruelty would be prohibited from owning more animals.
There would be certain exceptions to the law, such as required veterinary care and acts of self-defense against animals.
Those against the ballot argue that the killing of animals is necessary for things like food production, population management and research. In response, the IP28 team says, “We believe it is possible to meet all of our needs as human beings while simultaneously meeting the needs of the animals we inhabit this state with. Using the killing of animals as a strategy to meet our needs is a choice, and our campaign wants to propose making a different one. Whether that looks like greater investment in plant agriculture, utilizing non-lethal wildlife management practices, or implementing non-animal methods for research, many alternative strategies already exist to choose from.”
In regard to the concerns brought up of not having enough food in the case of the bill passing, they argue that Oregon is a top producer of many crops, fruits, nuts and vegetables, and that Oregon already produces enough of these crops to feed everyone.
To help those who rely on animals, IP28 also says that they will provide a Humane Transition Fund that would provide grants to assist in providing food, replacing lost income, job retention and conservation and rewilding efforts.
Those who are against the proposal have many concerns, often the biggest one being a forced vegan agenda on Oregonians — they would either have to adapt their lifestyle or import food from another state, raising the cost of food. Small business owners who make a living off of animals would be negatively affected, such as small farms, local Saturday markets and restaurant owners. Oregonians outside of this would also be affected on a day-to-day basis. For example, pest control would be illegal, meaning homeowners couldn’t harm things like mice in their house. Additionally, they argue that scientific research and teaching involving animals is necessary to continue for those who want to go into veterinary careers or study topics like oceanography.
Regardless of the opposing sides, the ballot proposal would need upwards of 115,000 more signatures from Oregon registered voters to get on the November ballot.
A photo of ICE protesters outside of the Portland facility Feb. 1, 2026. | Photo from @theoregonian on Instagram
Feb. 4, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
On Jan. 29, 2026, the city of Monmouth held its quarterly town hall in the evening to discuss “freedoms of speech, assembly, and expression.”
“We really want to talk about Monmouth and issues of the First Amendment, of freedom of speech, of freedom of assembly and how we look at those things when we have concerns,” said the mayor of Monmouth, Cecelia Koontz, during the town hall. “Because we have had concerns. We have had complaints, and we have had incidents.”
Present faces were city attorney Justin Thorp, Chief of Police Isaiah Haines, Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton and Oregon Rep. Paul Evans, who is also a full-time professor of speech communication at Chemeketa Community College.
Such town halls discuss budget issues, city service and various other relevant topics. Thursday’s meeting discussed civic action, but divulged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has kidnapped four people out of Monmouth — two being American citizens.
Evans opened the town hall, saying, “We live in an era where people suggest violence right out of the gate. Violence stops the conversation. It doesn’t enhance it.”
“Oregon is a sanctuary state,” said Isaiah Haines, answering an attendee’s question. “There are prohibitions that local law enforcement have from assisting immigration enforcement … I am forbidden, by law, to assist with immigration enforcement.”
Haines made it clear that if called upon for help, such as in the case of a physical threat, Monmouth police will respond regardless of who needs the assistance.
“If somebody is in trouble — meaning their life is being threatened or there is a reasonable threat to be perceived — there is no prohibition on our police officers responding to support that. The difference is, as in the case that happened not long ago when four people from this community were taken away, two of which were citizens, they are not going to assist in the capture of those individuals or the detainment because that’s a federal responsibility,” said Evans. “ICE has their operations. They do what they do. If they are in danger, if they feel that they are in some form of danger, our folks will respond.”
Information on the four people taken by ICE has not been publicized, nor were Western students made aware of it until mentioned at the town hall.
“If somebody really shouldn’t be here, and there’s a warrant to prove they shouldn’t be here, (police) can help. That’s not what sanctuary status is about,” added Evans.
Additionally, a Western student alleged that on Dec. 3, 2025, when protester and livestreamer Thomas Allen disrupted campus operations with inflammatory political statements, that people were “pushed, that were pushed down the stairs, there were injuries,” and that, to their knowledge, Monmouth police did not respond to calls.
In response, Haines stated that officers were in communication with Western as well as Campus Public Safety and viewing the live stream to determine lawful activity during the interruption. He affirmed that all calls were answered, but no uniformed officers were required to manage the situation.
“The only time I was aware ever of any contact that was made were when sidewalks were blocked, actually by from what I perceived to be students … and that actually was probably, or could be, an illegal activity. Now, we couldn’t see everything just based on the view of the camera, but somebody has the right to pass through a sidewalk area in a public space, even if they’re saying things that are hurtful or hateful to somebody else.”
He added, “To our knowledge, I never heard about actual injuries that happened, that were reported to us, and we didn’t observe anything that we thought was criminal conduct that would warrant our response at the time.”
“Stand up for what you believe, so you can push ideas into concepts, into proposals, into laws, and then into implementation,” Evans said.
Brennen Murphy mid-race on day two of the GNAC Indoor Championships. | Photo from @wou_xctf on Instagram
March 4, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
Four school records were broken at the GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, which took place from Feb. 16-17. Jack Burgett broke his own record in the 60-meter dash at 6.75 seconds, Tate Herber set the record for the 60-meter hurdles at 8.24 seconds and Brennen Murphy broke the 400-meter dash record at 47.13 seconds, as well as his own record in the 200-meter dash at 21.24 seconds. Murphy would go on to win the men’s 200-meter conference championship the next day with a time of 21.3 seconds, but came up just short of the 400-meter title. Regardless, his efforts still led to him being named Male Track Athlete of the Meet.
“It means a lot,” Murphy said about winning the award. “Especially after losing the 400. I’ve won that one the past couple of years. To come back, win the 200, that meant a lot to me.” Murphy’s record clears the next best time in Western history by a full second. When asked about their performances, Burgett and Murphy both discussed the importance of mental preparation and visualization to achieve high-quality performance. “Before my race, almost all my races, I meditate for at least ten minutes,” Murphy said. “Both when I’m back in the hotel and right before the race.”
Burgett, who went into the meet having strained his hamstring just a couple of months prior, discussed the ways his mental preparation helped him overcome the roadblocks that came with the injury. “Running on a strained hammy, you could injure yourself anytime, even if it’s a little tight … but there’s a lot of visualization and just practicing it over and over in your head,” he said.
Both Burgett and Murphy were also dealing with sickness in the lead-up to the meet but were able to use their strong preparation to push past it as well as prepare for worst-case scenarios, such as forgetting a jersey or spikes, being ill or other unforeseen circumstances that could go wrong. “You just visualize that and then how you would get through it. Just kind of preparing for (the) worst case scenario,” Burgett said.
As for initial reactions to setting the new school records, both athletes kept a focus on what was ahead. Murphy explained, “I was pretty excited, the time clocks up on the board, so you know instantly, but I was pretty excited. But yeah, I was focused on the next day.”
A school rarely sees its two best runners in its history for an event competing at the same time, but that’s currently the case here in Monmouth for the 60-meter hurdles. Tate Herber, a sophomore out of Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, surpassed the previous record — one that teammate Jackson McQuain, a junior from Beaverton and transfer from Clark Community College, was a co-owner of — by just a tenth of a second, putting the two right next to each other at the top of school record books.
Aside from the new record holders, other members of the team had successful showings as well. Sophomore Jordan Vega from Independence clocked the sixth fastest time in the 60-meter dash at 6.93 seconds. Jackson McQuain qualified for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles, while senior Landon Theisen got second place in the 800 and scored the eighth-best time in school history at 1:51.41. First-year Maren Anderson scored the third-best time in Western history for the women’s 1500-meter with a time of 4:56.87, the women’s team in the 4×400-meter relay had the eighth-best time in school history with 3:55.53 and Aaliyah Taba, a member of the relay team, became the fourth woman in school history to complete the 60-meter hurdles in under nine seconds.
“People are really popping off,” coach Zach Holloway said. “And once two or three people really start running, well, then it’s just kind of infectious and the whole group is getting better.” Holloway, who took over the interim head coaching role late last July after Octavious Gillespie-Bennett stepped down, has overseen the strong performances not only through the indoor season, but the cross country one as well, with Matthew Resnik, Kyla Potratz and Remedan Seman all having All-Region performances last fall. When asked about how he’s handled the new role with short notice, Holloway said, “It definitely has been more responsibility and more time consuming but I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to be more connected to the rest of the track and field team and have some more control on how we can operate our program and provide an experience and where we’re traveling to and what opportunities that we can give for people and so yeah, it’s been more but honestly, it’s been really enjoyable to have that opportunity to do that with the team. So yeah, that’s something I hope to continue to do long term.”
The Wolves are currently preparing for the outdoor season by working on the small aspects of their fundamentals. Murphy mentioned working on his block starts. “There’s like a whole science to it,” he said. “But just pushing behind you, you gotta really jump out the blocks too.”
The team starts their outdoor season at the Erik Anderson Memorial Ice Breaker in McMinnville, Oregon, at Linfield University, just over 25 miles away from Western’s campus. The Wolves will hold their first and only home meet of the year, April 10-11, which is a great opportunity for fans and students to attend. For those who’ve never been to a track meet at any level before, it’s a unique viewing experience compared to other sporting events, but anyone who might be interested should take advantage while it’s right here on campus. The atmosphere, while hard to describe, is enjoyable, especially on days when the weather is nice, and fans can comfortably witness high-level competition in multiple events, of which new spectators are sure to find one they enjoy. For regular updates on how the track program is doing, fans and students can follow the team on Instagram and X @wou_xctf or @WouXCTF on Facebook.
First responders on scene outside of Ackerman Hall. | Photo courtesy of Jacob Prater
Feb. 18, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Late Saturday night, Feb. 7, at approximately 10:15 p.m., anyone inside Ackerman Hall was evacuated following a call to Campus Public Safety that led to the arrival of multiple firetrucks and police presence. A small fire was confirmed in a bathroom in the Gilmore wing on the fourth floor that caused no damage, but no details have been released. The incident is reportedly under investigation by Monmouth authorities.
“It was a pretty small incident, we followed protocol, and our public safety and campus partners and community partners responded quickly,” said Lindsey Gibson, director of housing for the last four years, whose office also resides within Ackerman Hall.
Campus Public Safety responded to the call quickly, confirmed the fire, triggered the alarm, oversaw evacuation efforts, contacted the fire department and worked to extinguish the fire, which was successful. Custodian assistance was needed to invoke a clean-up of the fire extinguisher.
After smelling strong smoke in certain parts of the building during evacuation, students were made to stay outside in the cold for upward of an hour until reentry to the building was granted. Inside, the fire alarm triggered again but was dismissed as a false alarm, and students were allowed to continue with their night routines. Ackerman Hall has 240 student residents.
“It was really frustrating to get called out and we saw firetrucks pull up, and we didn’t know how serious anything was. Nobody came to talk to us except to tell us to stay away from the building,” said one anonymous resident. “We were out there for an hour and a half, and that was longer than any other fire drill or fire incident since I’ve been here. The lack of communication was irritating at the time and it didn’t get cleared up later either. All I know about what actually happened is hearsay.”
“We got no updates, and fire and rescue didn’t even check in with the students that may have been affected. All we were told to do was wait in the outdoor basketball court,” said another anonymous student. “We didn’t get back in until around 11:30 p.m.”
“I was here that night, I responded to campus,” said Gibson. “I think the hard part is that when something like this happens, for example, the fire department was here, they’re the ones who take the lead on a fire. Rightly so. That’s their job. That’s not our job. And, so, we don’t know how long something’s going to take. We don’t know what their protocol is exactly — and maybe they don’t know how long it’s going to take … We don’t know, because it’s not in our hands. So some of it, I think, is that in the moment, those things can be challenging because there was a lot of people here and a lot of things going on. So I get that frustration. And, also, we didn’t have information to share.”
Additionally, students were unsure of the conditions of the fire and reportedly were met with minimal contact from paramedics and firefighters while waiting. After reentry, information was kept under wraps, and all that remained were rumors regarding the incident’s origin, which were swiftly dismissed and discouraged by Resident Assistants and other Western staff and faculty.
“Most of the time, if we see any kind of fire, most of the time it’s food related,” said Director Mike Hanson from Campus Public Safety, recalling a kitchen incident from the fall. “True fires where we’re deploying extinguishers, that kind of stuff are very far and few between. But we do see, you know, burnt food in our park apartments, that kind of stuff.”
In the 2025 Clery Report — the annual security and fire safety report — only one fire was reported in 2024, occurring in Heritage Hall because of an intentional burning. In 2022, Western residential halls reported three fires due to intentional arson, metal in a microwave and an air fryer cooking fire, with the most damage — an estimated $50,000 to $100,000 worth — done at an Alder View Townhouse following the air fryer fire. In 2021, charcoal debris in a trash can ignited a flame. A small cooking fire happened in 2018, with one electrical fire reported in 2015, resulting in an estimated $500 in property damage.
Western, as well as Campus Public Safety, is unlikely to release any report due to no report of physical damage to property or student health concerns. Students should remain alert, brush up on safety protocol in case of a fire and stay conscious of any potential actions that could spark a flame, including cooking. If a student encounters anything concerning, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Campus Public Safety, or, if more emergent, 911.
Photo of the Dean’s office of the College of Education, located in the RWEC. | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio
Feb. 4, 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
One of the best-known facts about Western is that the university has educated future teachers for generations.
Western was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University, just three years after Monmouth was settled, by members of the Church of Christ, who wished to create a “college under the auspices of the Christian Church.” In 1865, Monmouth University partnered with Bethel College, a private college in the now unincorporated Bethel, Oregon, and became Christian College. During the 17 years under this name, the university focused on training religious leaders in theology and teaching the inner workings of the classroom.
Oregon state legislators approved a bid to become a state-supported teacher training school in 1882, and the school was renamed “Oregon State Normal School.” A ballot initiative was passed in 1910 to establish a normal school in Monmouth, and the name changed for a fourth time to “Oregon Normal School.” 1939 saw another name change, and, when enrollment dropped due to World War II, liberal arts and science programs were added to the university. It wasn’t until 1997 that the school became Western Oregon University, reflecting a broader academic mission.
Today, the College of Education retains the highest enrollment in the university, housing not only the Division of Education and Leadership — with teacher licensure programs, specializations and endorsements available — but also the Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies and the Division of Health and Exercise Science. All three divisions focus on community or school partnerships, as well as providing leadership opportunities to students within the College of Education.
Perhaps the most popular pathway in the Division of Education and Leadership is the Bachelor of Science in education with the option of teacher licensure. Students enter Western as a pre-education major and must eventually apply to enter the licensure program, which is a culmination of their previous three years of work and means the start of student teaching.
During their time in the licensure program, teacher candidates will complete Western’s Teacher Performance Assessment, which tests their knowledge and classroom readiness.
Students applying to the undergraduate licensure program can apply for a fall or winter cohort, depending on how many credits they have completed, as well as the additional requirements of observing two different classroom types and having some experience with the age group they wish to teach. Each cohort then has a faculty member who oversees them through their year-long program journey. This year, the fall cohort is led by Mandy Olsen and Micah Walker, while Rachel Frazier leads the winter cohort.
“We have the best job! We get to spend our days supporting teacher candidates who care about students and families,” Walker said. “Each cohort has its own personality, and it is so fun getting to know them throughout the year. As cohort leaders, we have an open-door policy. Even if it is outside of our office hours, we encourage students to stop by, check-in or just stop for a chat.”
Walker also spoke of the joy that this year’s cohort has brought to the program and how important connection and community is.
“Success looks different for each person and even each cohort. We have had cohorts who have navigated a variety of factors… and those ‘out of school’ factors can really impact the experiences of our students,” she said. “Therefore, being able to individually and as a group define or model success is part of the fun of each new group of students.”
Rylie Cader is an elementary and special education-focused candidate in the fall cohort. Placed in a fourth and fifth-grade blended classroom, Cader spoke of her own experiences and those of her friends in school that drew her into being a teacher in the first place.
“I gravitated towards being a Special Education teacher because I was a Special Education student myself. I had many learning disabilities and received specialized instruction for years,” Cader said. “Because I was so behind when I was younger, and my brain works differently since I am neurodivergent, I often had a negative academic view of myself and thought at times that I wasn’t smart enough. I decided that I wanted to help students never to feel this way, and that was the final nail in wanting to be a Special Education teacher.”
Justin Parnell, a secondary single-subject candidate placed in a middle school English Language Arts class, also said his experiences were what solidified his decision to become a teacher: “I felt like my childhood dream job of being a teacher became more like a reality and the right path for me as I continued to grow and spend time tutoring and coaching. The experiences I’ve gained through my life, coaching, tutoring and now candidate teaching have solidified for me that I am on the right path, and this is what I want to do.”
Both Cader and Parnell have stated that their students’ energy in the classroom surprised them when they first started student teaching, and expressed that they want to change their students’ lives through love, skill-building and providing a safe place.
“I hope to make a difference in my future students’ lives through unconditional love, lifelong skill learning and as much laughing as humanly possible within an English classroom,” Parnell said.
“We never know what a kid is going through in their personal lives,” Cader agreed. “If I can make my students feel seen, safe and there for them, that’s all I care about at the end of the day.”
They both agreed that the program often pulls candidates in many different directions, and that the weekly schedule — between a full class load, student teaching and all the extras that come with both — can be chaotic. Parnell recommends that candidates find a strong support system — be it classmates, family members or even a significant other — to help sustain them throughout the program, or, as he humorously puts it, to help with “carrying my worn-out husk of a body through the program.”
“The program is crazy, the classroom is chaotic and it can be a lot sometimes. But I promise it is all worth it, the kids are worth it. They made me happy to be there every day,” Cader said, sharing the consensus of all candidates in the licensure program.
14 de enero del 2026 | Abbi Duhart | Editora de Noticias
Nuevo en este año académico, Western ha implementado un sistema de recompensas llamado “Paw Points,” mediante el cual los estudiantes pueden asistir a eventos en el campus para ganar puntos canjeables. Los eventos que figuran como participantes otorgarán puntos a los estudiantes que se registren al asistir, los cuales luego pueden intercambiarse por diversos artículos promocionales. En algunas ocasiones, los estudiantes también pueden ganar Paw Points al completar encuestas enviadas a sus correos electrónicos estudiantiles, siempre que se especifique que este incentivo se ofrece al finalizar la encuesta — un ejemplo es el correo reciente del 8 de enero enviado por ASWOU — por lo que los estudiantes que deseen acumular más puntos deben revisar su correo electrónico con regularidad. Para verificar qué próximos eventos ofrecen Paw Points por asistir, los estudiantes pueden iniciar sesión en su Portal de Western, dirigirse al ícono de Involve en la barra superior, hacer clic en eventos y luego ir a etiquetas para filtrar por Paw Points. También pueden filtrar eventos que ofrezcan tres Paw Points, cinco Paw Points o ambos. Después, los estudiantes solo deben asistir al evento indicado, registrarse y recibir sus Paw Points. Algunos de los próximos eventos que ofrecen Paw Points incluyen Law Careers Connect en el Student Success Center el 14 de enero, una búsqueda del tesoro de Phi Alpha Theta en la Biblioteca Hamersly el 15 de enero, clases de yoga en el Health and Wellness Center los días 15 y 20 de enero, el MLK Day of Service en el Monmouth Senior Community Center el 19 de enero, un torneo de ping pong en el HWC el 20 de enero y una proyección de la película “Twilight” por el Mes de Concientización sobre el Acoso en Abby’s House el 27 de enero. Para consultar su saldo actual de Paw Points, los estudiantes pueden ingresar a Involve, ir a la
sección de cuenta, hacer clic en iniciar sesión y luego desplazarse hacia abajo para ver su saldo. Para canjear Paw Points, los estudiantes pueden ir a la página principal de Involve y desplazarse hasta la tienda de Paw Points, donde se muestran imágenes de los artículos de Western disponibles para canje. Debajo de cada imagen aparece la cantidad de Paw Points que cuesta cada opción. Una vez que encuentren un artículo de su interés, los estudiantes pueden enviar un formulario de pedido que un administrador de Involve revisará, verificando que el estudiante tenga la cantidad requerida de Paw Points y que el artículo aún esté disponible. Una vez aprobado el formulario, los estudiantes podrán recoger su artículo en el mostrador de información del Werner University Center. Los artículos disponibles actualmente para canjear por Paw Points incluyen varios pines con huellas, un gafete rojo con huellas y un gafete Pride, gorras en color rojo, gris o negro con el logotipo de Western, un Squishmallow y un peluche de Wolfie, una manta de fleece, un vaso de vidrio con el logotipo de Western y una botella de agua blanca que dice Western Oregon University o una botella gris con diseños florales y el logotipo de Western. Los artículos están limitados a uno por tipo por estudiante. Para más información, los estudiantes pueden comunicarse a involveadmin@wou.edu. Contacta al autor en howlnews@wou.edu
New this academic year, Western has implemented a reward system called “Paw Points,” in which students can go to events around campus to earn spending points. Events that are listed as ones that participate will give out points to students who check in, which can then be traded in for various merchandise. On some occasions, students can earn Paw Points by filling out surveys sent to student emails if they specify that this incentive is provided on completion — one case being the recent email Jan. 8 from ASWOU — so students who are looking for more points should be sure to check their emails consistently.
To check which upcoming events are offering Paw Points for attending, students can log in to their Western Portal, navigate to the Involve icon in the top toolbar, click events and go to tags to filter for Paw Points. Students can also filter for events that offer three Paw Points, five or both. Then, all students have to do is attend the event listed, check in and receive their Paw Points.
Events coming up that offer Paw Points include a Law Careers Connect at the Student Success Center Jan. 14, a Phi Alpha Theta scavenger hunt at Hamersly Library Jan. 15, yoga at the Health and Wellness Center Jan. 15 and 20, MLK Day of Service at the Monmouth Senior Community Center Jan. 19, a ping pong tournament at the HWC Jan. 20 and a “Twilight” movie screening for Stalking Awareness Month at Abby’s House Jan. 27.
To view their current Paw Point balance, students can navigate to Involve, go to account and click login, and then scroll down to see their balance.
To redeem Paw Points, students can go to the Involve homepage and scroll down to the Paw Point store, where photos of Western merchandise that are available to redeem are listed. Below each picture is an amount listed for how many Paw Points each option costs. Once they find an item they’re interested in getting, students can submit an order form that an Involve admin will then verify, checking that the student has the required amount of Paw Points and that the item is still in stock. Once they approve the form, students can pick up their item at the information desk in the Werner University Center.
Items that are available right now to redeem for Paw Points include various pawprint pins, a red lanyard with pawprints as well as a Pride lanyard, hats in red, gray or black with the Western logo, a Wolfie squishmallow and plushie, a fleece blanket, a glass with the Western logo and a white water bottle that says Western Oregon University or a gray bottle with floral prints that has the Western logo. Items are limited to one per type per student.
The countdown for Monmouth’s “Making Spirits Bright” has begun. This is a series of holiday-themed events that take place in Monmouth over the month of December, beginning Dec. 5 with the annual holiday parade.
To kick off the season, the Monmouth Business Association will be hosting several events Dec. 5, including free cocoa and cider, the Merry Market and the holiday parade, with activities in the Werner University Center to follow. The Merry Market will feature local businesses and artisans selling various goods, taking place in the WUC at 4 p.m. Following this, cocoa and cider will be offered next to the giant sequoia tree on campus. Along with refreshments, Western swag will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. This portion of the festivities is sponsored by WOU Alumni Relations and will begin at 5:30 p.m. The main event — the holiday parade — will take place at 6 p.m. for the 58th year in a row. The parade will start at the Monmouth Public Library and travel to campus along Monmouth Avenue. Following the parade, residents will hear welcome speeches from both the Monmouth and Independence mayors as well as Western’s president, Jesse Peters. The elementary school’s annual essay contest winner will also be announced, and the student will read their essay. Finally, a countdown will commence, and the sequoia tree will be lit. Following the parade, more events will take place in the WUC, such as photos with Santa in the Willamette Room and cookie decorating on the first floor.
From 5 to 9 p.m., residents can also visit local businesses downtown that offer specials and discounts during the Tree Lighting. To keep tabs on what businesses are offering, follow the Monmouth Business Association at @mbamonmouth on Instagram.
Residents can also participate in Wolfie on the Shelf all of December. To join in, travel to one of the local businesses participating and grab a passport to fill out during the event. Those who find Wolfie at 10 or more participating businesses can turn in their passport to be entered into a prize drawing. To find out which businesses are participating, visit the Monmouth Business Association website.
To get more into the giving nature of the holidays, residents can support Toys for Tots by donating toys and gifts to children in Monmouth and Independence who otherwise might not get any gifts. Running through Dec. 15, toys or donations can be dropped off at Fee Mail Depot. During the last holiday season, Polk, Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties were able to support 13,873 children.
For more holiday cheer, grab some hot cocoa and visit Main Street Park and downtown Monmouth to view Christmas lights and displays.
A photo of what the new payment system will look like. | Photo courtesy of Ashley Schaumburg
Dec. 3 2025 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
Western’s business office has announced that they will be coming out with a new payment system starting in December. The current payment system was created by Western with help from U.S. Bank so that it would work well with the Portal system already in place. The business office was already working on changes, such as optimizing a one-point payment system — meaning students only need to go to one place to pay rather than the seven different cashier options currently — and adding credit card machines at front windows for payments. Due to the disappearance of Wolf Web though, they have additional upcoming changes to the online payment system itself they’re working on. By the end of December, Wolf Web will be completely integrated into the new Portal applet, Experience. Since Western’s payment system was through Wolf Web, it will also transition.
This process will be split into rollouts, all of which will be completed by May 2026. The first rollout will start in the second week of December to ensure students can make payments once Wolf Web disappears. This rollout introduces Transact, and will include the basics that are needed for students: a place to pay bills and student SS9 pages — student profile pages — where students can see their account balance and receipt numbers after payments, as well as an account summary and tax notifications. Their SS9 account allows them to view all statements and tax forms in one place.
During this first rollout, students can also send invites to parents or guardians. After a student sends an invite, their parental figure can open the invite, where they will see the student’s name and a link that takes them to a page where they can see both the student’s account and their account. Under their account, they can check account balances and make payments on their student’s tuition. They can also see if there is a pending balance, in case the student made a payment earlier.
When a payment is made under Transact, the system will list the remaining balance. Payments can be made with Apple Pay, a credit or debit card or an ACH. Students and parents should keep in mind that card payments will still have a small fee; the system will alert them to check the fee amount before paying.
During the second rollout, the business office will be working to offer payment plans. The type of payment plan that will be offered will be a three-month plan in which students can split their tuition payments into smaller increments once a month for three months. Students can also have the option to set up an auto payment at the beginning, so they don’t have to go back to manually pay during the payment plan.
The business office also hopes to set up 529 plans during the second or third rollout, meaning students can make electronic payments from a college savings account.
During later rollouts, the business office is looking to see if they can create stores through the financial page in Experience. This would mean that if a campus organization were to sell tickets or anything else, students could purchase them straight from their Portal, meaning they have an option to pay other than cash.
There aren’t any clear dates for what’s to come in the second and third rollouts of the new system, but Western’s business office assured that everything they are planning will be in place by May of next year.
3 de diciembre del 2025 | Abbi Duhart | Editora de Noticias
A mediados de noviembre, el estado de Oregón se encontró con un déficit presupuestario de $373 millones de dólares, proyectado para los próximos dos años. Los demócratas estatales están atribuyendo la culpa a la administración Trump debido a los cambios en el código tributario federal derivados de la ley conocida como “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Debido a que el código tributario de Oregón se ajusta automáticamente a los cambios federales, esta ley provocó una reducción de $888 millones de dólares en los ingresos estimados del estado, y ahora Oregón busca recortar el 5% de todos los presupuestos aprobados por la legislatura. Oregón se preparó para esta situación en el 2025 al asignar $472 millones de dólares de fondos de reserva, pero no fue suficiente para cubrir los $888 millones de dólares en ingresos perdidos. La mayoría de los sectores afirma que puede sobrellevar los dos años con los recortes, pero los empleados tendrán que asumir cargas de trabajo adicionales, y los recortes necesarios podrían dejar a algunas personas en dificultades. Los representantes estatales están debatiendo qué recortar, y han reconocido que se encuentran en una posición complicada, ya que necesitan imponer restricciones presupuestarias, pero también desean preservar los servicios estatales de los que dependen los habitantes de Oregón. De cara al futuro, los representantes estatales se están enfocando en proteger los servicios esenciales en Oregón, en la medida de lo posible. Un posible ámbito de reducción presupuestaria es la educación. Esto incluye subvenciones para la educación profesional y técnica, así como financiamiento para programas STEM. Los representantes también están considerando pausar los esfuerzos para mejorar la asistencia, las
becas Oregon Promise para los colegios comunitarios y las subvenciones para el cuidado infantil que ayudan a estudiantes universitarios de bajos ingresos a mantenerse inscritos. Otra área que podría recibir recortes es el Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregón. Esto podría incluir reducciones en las tarifas de proveedores y contratistas, recortes relacionados con cargas de casos y criterios de elegibilidad, reducciones de personal, una posible eliminación del programa de Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas, recortes a los programas de alcance de salud pública y una posible pausa de los servicios financieros y de gestión de casos para adultos mayores de bajos ingresos que se encuentran sin hogar o en riesgo de estarlo. La seguridad pública también enfrenta riesgos de recortes presupuestarios. Se les está solicitando realizar un recorte del 5%, al igual que a la mayoría de los otros sectores, en contra del consejo de los funcionarios de seguridad pública. Estos señalan que, de realizarse los recortes, se forzaría la liberación acelerada de algunos jóvenes infractores, se incrementaría el hacinamiento en las cárceles, se vería afectada la seguridad en los tribunales y se retrasarían audiencias y juicios. Por último, el Departamento de Transporte de Oregón enfrenta posibles recortes presupuestarios que en su mayoría implicarían retrasos en proyectos, como el reemplazo de Boone Ridge en Wilsonville y el proyecto del puente McCord Creek en Cascade Locks. Recientemente, el déficit de $373 millones de dólares se redujo a $63.1 millones de dólares. Los representantes han vinculado esta reducción a “dinero encontrado,” lo que significa que el estado recibió ingresos ajustados del impuesto corporativo de varias grandes empresas de Oregón. Si bien esto mejora considerablemente la situación financiera del estado, los representantes aún buscan implementar recortes que oscilan entre el 2.5% y el 5% en distintos sectores para cubrir el déficit restante.
3 de diciembre del 2025 | Abbi Duhart | Editora de Noticias
La oficina de finanzas de Western ha anunciado que lanzará un nuevo sistema de pagos a partir de diciembre. El sistema de pagos actual fue creado por Western con la ayuda de U.S. Bank para que funcionara bien con el sistema Portal que ya está en uso. La oficina de finanzas ya estaba trabajando en cambios, como optimizar un sistema de pago en un solo punto — lo que significa que los estudiantes solo necesitan ir a un lugar para pagar, en lugar de las siete opciones de caja diferentes que existen actualmente — y añadir terminales para tarjetas de crédito en las ventanillas frontales para realizar pagos. Sin embargo, debido a la desaparición de Wolf Web, también están trabajando en cambios adicionales en el propio sistema de pagos en línea. Para finales de diciembre, Wolf Web estará completamente integrado en el nuevo applet del Portal, Experience. Dado que el sistema de pagos de Western funcionaba a través de Wolf Web, este también hará la transición. Este proceso se dividirá en varias fases de implementación, todas las cuales se completarán para mayo del 2026. La primera fase comenzará en la segunda semana de diciembre para garantizar que los estudiantes puedan realizar pagos una vez que Wolf Web desaparezca. Esta fase introduce Transact, e incluirá las funciones básicas que los estudiantes necesitan: un espacio para pagar facturas y las páginas SS9 del estudiante — páginas de perfil del estudiante — donde podrán ver el saldo de su cuenta y los números de recibo después de realizar pagos, así como un resumen de la cuenta y notificaciones fiscales. La cuenta SS9 permite a los estudiantes ver todos sus estados de cuenta y formularios fiscales en un solo lugar. Durante esta primera fase, los estudiantes también podrán enviar invitaciones a padres o tutores. Después de que un estudiante envíe una invitación, la figura parental podrá abrirla, donde verá el nombre del estudiante y un enlace que los llevará a una página en la que podrá ver tanto la
cuenta del estudiante como la suya propia. En su cuenta, podrán consultar los saldos y realizar pagos de la matrícula del estudiante. También podrán ver si hay un saldo pendiente, en caso de que el estudiante haya realizado un pago previamente. Cuando se realiza un pago a través de Transact, el sistema mostrará el saldo restante. Los pagos podrán realizarse mediante Apple Pay, tarjeta de crédito o débito, o mediante ACH. Los estudiantes y padres deben tener en cuenta que los pagos con tarjeta seguirán teniendo una pequeña tarifa; el sistema les avisará para que revisen el monto de la tarifa antes de pagar. Durante la segunda fase de implementación, la oficina de finanzas trabajará para ofrecer planes de pago. El tipo de plan que se ofrecerá será un plan de tres meses, en el cual los estudiantes podrán dividir el pago de su matrícula en montos más pequeños, una vez al mes durante tres meses. Los estudiantes también tendrán la opción de configurar pagos automáticos desde el inicio, para no tener que regresar a realizar pagos manualmente durante el plan. La oficina de finanzas también espera habilitar 529 planes durante la segunda o tercera fase, lo que permitirá a los estudiantes realizar pagos electrónicos desde una cuenta de ahorros para la universidad. En fases posteriores, la oficina de finanzas está evaluando la posibilidad de crear tiendas a través de la página financiera en Experience. Esto significaría que, si una organización del campus vendiera boletos u otros artículos, los estudiantes podrían comprarlos directamente desde su Portal, ofreciendo así una opción de pago distinta al efectivo. No hay fechas claras para lo que ocurrirá en la segunda y tercera fase del nuevo sistema, pero la oficina de finanzas de Western aseguró que todo lo que están planificando estará en funcionamiento para mayo del próximo año. Contacta al autor en howlnews@mail.wou.edu
3 de diciembre del 2025 | Abbi Duhart | Editora de Noticias
La cuenta regresiva para el evento “Making Spirits Bright” de Monmouth ha comenzado. Se trata de una serie de eventos con temática navideña que tendrán lugar en Monmouth durante el mes de diciembre, comenzando el 5 de diciembre con el desfile navideño anual. Para dar inicio a la temporada, la Asociación de Empresas de Monmouth organizará varios eventos el 5 de diciembre, incluyendo chocolate caliente y sidra gratis, el Mercado Navideño y el desfile navideño, con actividades posteriores en el Centro Universitario Werner. El Mercado Navideño contará con la participación de negocios y artesanos locales que venderán diversos productos, y se llevará a cabo en el Centro Universitario Werner a las 4 p.m. Posteriormente, se ofrecerá chocolate caliente y sidra junto al gran árbol secuoya del campus. Además de las bebidas, se regalarán artículos promocionales de Western por orden de llegada. Esta parte de las festividades está patrocinada por la Oficina de Relaciones con Exalumnos de WOU y comenzará a las 5:30 p.m. El evento principal — el desfile navideño — se llevará a cabo a las 6 p.m. por el año consecutivo número 58. El desfile comenzará en la Biblioteca Pública de Monmouth y recorrerá la Avenida Monmouth hasta llegar al campus. Después del desfile, los asistentes escucharán discursos de bienvenida de los alcaldes de Monmouth e Independence, así como del presidente de Western, Jesse Peters. También se anunciará el ganador del concurso anual de ensayos de la escuela primaria, quien leerá su ensayo. Finalmente, comenzará una cuenta regresiva y se encenderá el árbol de secuoya. Tras el desfile, se realizarán más eventos en el Centro Universitario Werner, como fotos con Santa Claus en la Sala Willamette y decoración de galletas en el primer piso. De 5 a 9 p.m., los residentes también pueden visitar los negocios locales del centro que ofrecen ofertas especiales y descuentos durante el encendido del árbol de Navidad. Para estar al tanto de las ofertas de los negocios, sigan a la Asociación de Comerciantes de Monmouth en @mbamonmouth en Instagram.
Los residentes también pueden participar en la actividad Wolfie on the Shelf durante todo el mes de diciembre. Para participar, visiten uno de los negocios locales participantes y recojan un pasaporte para completar durante el evento. Quienes encuentren a Wolfie en 10 o más negocios participantes podrán entregar su pasaporte para participar en un sorteo de premios. Para saber qué negocios participan, visiten el sitio web de la Asociación de Comerciantes de Monmouth. Para contagiarse del espíritu navideño, los residentes pueden apoyar a Toys for Tots donando juguetes y regalos a niños en Monmouth e Independence que de otra manera no recibirían ningún regalo. Hasta el 15 de diciembre, se pueden entregar juguetes o donaciones en Fee Mail Depot. Durante la temporada navideña pasada, los condados de Polk, Linn, Benton y Lincoln lograron apoyar a 13,873 niños. Para disfrutar aún más del ambiente navideño, tomen un chocolate caliente y visiten Main Street Park y el centro de Monmouth para ver las luces y decoraciones navideñas. Contacta al autor en howlnews@wou.edu
Malcolm Liufau intercepts a pass against UT Permian Basin. | Photo from @wou.fb on Instagram
Nov. 12 2025 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor
Logan South — Kicker from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in California and a transfer from Western New Mexico. This season, he’s made 18 PATs on 20 attempts and is two for three on field goal attempts with a long of 26 yards. Tamirr Bullock — Linebacker from Turlock High School in California and a transfer from Modesto Junior College. Bullock recorded an interception against Western New Mexico earlier this season. Isaiah Rickard — Wide receiver from Franklin High School. Rickard has appeared in 28 games for the Wolves and has recorded eight receptions for 60 yards and three touchdowns. Kainoa Jones — Quarterback from Konawaena High School in Hawaii. In his career, Jones has scored 17 total touchdowns, six from passing and 11 from rushing, along with 1,450 all-purpose yards. His single-game career highs include 224 passing yards, 94 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. Jones is also a captain for the team. Jaylen Fite — Wide receiver from Evergreen High School in Washington. Fite has appeared in 25 games for the Wolves and has 31 catches for 339 yards in addition to six rushing attempts for 17 yards. His career high in receiving yards is 64. Daron Ulrich Jr. — Defensive back and team captain from Union High School in Washington. Ulrich has appeared in 38 games for the Wolves, where he’s got two career interceptions and 149 total tackles. Malcolm Liufau — Linebacker from Punahou High School in Hawaii. Liufau has intercepted two passes this season and has 12 sacks with 30.5 tackles for a loss. Liufau also has 10 career pass breakups, six forced fumbles and one recovery in addition to being a team captain. Liufau won Lone Star Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the 2025 homecoming game against UT Permian Basin where he had an interception, a sack, and a forced fumble that secured a victory for the Wolves. James Duane — Linebacker from South Medford High School and forced a fumble versus Lincoln in 2021. He also has four career sacks along with 41 career tackles. Xavier Owens — Defensive back from Skyview High School in Washington. Xavier has career highs of one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five pass deflections. Tamaaulelei Ma’alona — Defensive back from O’Dea High School in Washington and a transfer from Puget Sound. Here at Western, he’s appeared in eight games, giving out 12 tackles and helping out with a tackle for a loss. Jacob Pollock — Defensive back from Sherwood High School who has played in 20 games and given out 18 total tackles. Armaad Hubbard — Running back from Wichita Heights High School and a transfer from Butler Community College. Hubbard has appeared in 27 games, rushing 49 times, averaging 249 yards and one touchdown. Michael Gibson III — Quarterback from Canby High School, where he won All-League and All-State honors. Gibson was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in Oregon by Prep Redzone and had a 4.0 GPA. He’s appeared in seven total games for the Wolves and recorded a rushing touchdown at Western New Mexico last season. Blake Wolters — Running back from Heppner High School. He has appeared in 18 games. Aden Murphy — Linebacker from Tigard High School and has two career interceptions, along with six pass breakups and one forced fumble. Murphy is a 2025 team captain. Dominic Hankins — Tight end from Mazama High School, where he was First Team All-Offense and won the Rogue Valley Championship for his weight class in wrestling. Hankins has played 17 total games for the team. Emilio Castaneda — Offensive lineman from Hood River Valley High School. Has played in 41 total games for the Wolves and is a 2025 team captain. Travis Fenton — Offensive lineman from Seaside High School in Seaside, Oregon. Keyvaun Eady — Wide receiver from Southridge High School and a transfer from Portland State. For the Wolves, Eady has 85 catches, 1087 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Eady set a single-game career high last season with 100 receiving yards and is a 2025 team captain. Kainoa Doctor — Wide receiver from Kapalama High School in Hawaii. Doctor had his first catch of his collegiate career earlier this season against Sul Ross State for 11 yards. Joseph Northcutt — Defensive lineman and team captain from Henley High School. Northcutt has a total of 16.5 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss over the course of his career at Western. His single-game career high in sacks is 1.5 and in tackles is nine. Jeriah Jackson — Defensive lineman from San Diego High School in California and a transfer from Grossmont College. Since joining the Wolves, he’s played in nine total games, recording one tackle for a loss, half of a sack and one pass breakup. Massen Newton — Defensive lineman from Lakeridge High School. Newton has played ten games with the Wolves, making 23 total tackles, recording 3.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup. Andrew Simpson — Defensive back from Mountainside High School who has played in 22 games and has seven career interceptions, 21 pass deflections, a forced fumble and 72 total tackles. His career high for interceptions in a single game is two. Simpson has also returned 27 punts for a total of 207 yards. Join the Wolves Nov. 15 for senior day festivities against Central Washington University. The Wolves are currently 8-2 and are at second place in the Lone Star Conference, putting them firmly in the mix for a playoff spot as they sit at seventh place in Super Region Four in the most recent NCAA rankings. For those unfamiliar with how the Division II football playoffs work, the entire field is split into four geographic regions with four conferences in each. The champions in each conference will automatically make it to the playoffs while the top four highest ranked non conference champions will always qualify. The winner of each eight team regional bracket will meet in the semifinals and eventually the National Championship for those who win.
26 de noviembre del 2025 | Hannah Field | Jefa de Editacion
Aproximadamente a una hora de Monmouth, Lincoln City se encuentra en la costa y ofrece un juego único de búsqueda para residentes y visitantes: flotadores de vidrio que se distribuyen regularmente a lo largo de las playas públicas de Lincoln City. El programa, Finders Keepers, afirma que 3,000 flotadores cubren siete millas de playa, desde Roads End hasta Siletz Bay, y todos los flotadores son fabricados por artesanos locales del vidrio. Existen algunas reglas básicas: los flotadores se colocan por encima de la línea de la marea alta y debajo del terraplén de la playa, solo durante el día y en momentos y fechas aleatorias. Los flotadores se distribuyen a lo largo del día, independientemente del clima, y no se colocan entre los fragmentos de vidrio de la playa. Solo se permite un flotador por familia al año. Finders Keepers también fomenta el respeto por la costa y la conciencia ambiental durante la búsqueda. La historia de los flotadores de vidrio se remonta a cuando los bañistas encontraban flotadores de pesca japoneses con hermosos colores oceánicos. Los habitantes de Oregón atesoraban y pulían estos hallazgos. Luego, en 1997, al menos dos décadas después de que los flotadores de vidrio fueran reemplazados por los de plástico, un artista local tuvo la idea de distribuir flotadores de vidrio como una actividad divertida para Lincoln City en el nuevo milenio — probablemente sin ser consciente de la inmensa popularidad que alcanzaría el proyecto y el impacto positivo del aumento del turismo en la ciudad. Si la búsqueda resulta exitosa, el flotador se puede registrar a través del número que se encuentra en la parte inferior, en la página web de Finders Keepers o por teléfono al 541-996-1274. Al hacerlo, recibirá un certificado de autenticidad e información sobre el artesano local que elaboró la boya de vidrio. Los visitantes también pueden acudir al
Centro de Información Turística de Lincoln City de lunes a viernes, de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m., para registrarla en persona. Los flotantes temáticos se consideran “boyas especiales.” Del 12 al 14 de diciembre del 2025 se colocarán 50 boyas adicionales. Sin embargo, esta fecha es provisional debido a los posibles peligros de las mareas. El fin de semana de inauguración de 2026, del 9 al 11 de enero, se colocarán 100 flotantes, mientras que en febrero se colocarán 100 flotantes de estilo antiguo japonés y en abril, 50 diseños con temática del Día de la Tierra aparecerán en las playas. Contacta al autor en howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu
26 de noviembre del 2025 | Abbi Duhart | Editora de Noticias
La aurora boreal, también conocida como luces del norte, es un fenómeno natural que crea espectáculos de luz coloridos en el cielo nocturno, apareciendo como manchas, nubes dispersas, corrientes, arcos, cortinas y adoptando muchas otras formas. Muchos conocen los hermosos tonos que emite, siendo el verde pálido y el rosa los más comunes. Estas luces de colores, que aparecen en el cielo nocturno del hemisferio norte, son causadas por los gases presentes en la atmósfera terrestre. Las luces del norte son causadas por una interacción que ocurre comúnmente entre el campo magnético de la Tierra y las partículas cargadas, llamadas erupciones solares, que entran en la atmósfera terrestre desde la atmósfera del Sol. Los destellos de luz de colores aparecen cuando las partículas, generalmente electrones, chocan con la atmósfera superior de la Tierra. Cuando las partículas chocan con el campo magnético, se redirigen hacia los polos terrestres. En este proceso, las partículas regresan a un estado inicial de baja energía, lo que provoca la liberación de partículas de luz llamadas fotones. Los diferentes colores de la aurora boreal que la gente suele ver se crean cuando las partículas chocan a diferentes altitudes. El verde se crea a partir del oxígeno a una altitud de 160-190 millas, el rojo y el rosa provienen del oxígeno a una altitud superior a las 150 millas, y el azul y el violeta provienen del nitrógeno a altitudes más bajas. Las auroras boreales son siempre más visibles cerca del Círculo Polar Ártico porque las partículas se dirigen hacia los polos al colisionar con la atmósfera terrestre. Además, suelen ser más frecuentes durante los equinoccios de primavera y otoño. Aunque las auroras boreales son un fenómeno natural, los científicos cuentan con métodos para predecir cuándo serán más intensas. Suelen utilizar satélites para medir la velocidad y la densidad del viento solar — compuesto por partículas cargadas. La cantidad de energía que emite el sol también fluctúa, lo que permite a los científicos medir el ciclo solar para
predecir en qué años se observarán más auroras boreales. Actualmente, el sol se encuentra en la cúspide de su ciclo de 11 años, lo que significa que está experimentando el máximo solar — momento en el que produce la mayor cantidad de erupciones solares — lo que hace que las auroras sean más visibles en este momento del ciclo. En épocas como la actual, cuando el sol se encuentra en su punto de máxima actividad, es cuando lugares como Estados Unidos pueden observar las auroras boreales. Aunque este es el mejor momento para observar la aurora boreal, las luces pueden ser impredecibles, especialmente en zonas como Estados Unidos, que están más alejadas de los polos. Quienes salgan en su búsqueda quizás tengan que esperar un buen rato para que aparezcan, y también deben estar preparados, ya que pueden aparecer y desaparecer en cuestión de minutos. Se recomienda que quienes deseen ver las auroras se dirijan a un lugar despejado y oscuro, lejos de las luces de la ciudad, después de las 10 de la noche. Los mejores meses para verlas son marzo, octubre y noviembre. Además, aunque las luces no sean visibles a simple vista, las cámaras de los teléfonos móviles a menudo pueden captar la luz que el ojo humano no percibe. Tomar fotografías del cielo despejado durante estos meses puede ser una buena manera de ver las auroras. Si bien puede requerir tiempo y paciencia, la experiencia de ver la aurora boreal sin duda valdrá la pena. Contacta al autor en howlnews@mail.wou.edu
A photo of the Fruit of the Loom logo with and without the Mandela effect. | Photo from @sosupernaturalpod on Instagram
Nov 5 2025 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
Coined by Fiona Broome, the Mandela effect is a phenomenon that many people experience, whether they realize it or not, in which they have faulty memories of a certain person, character, event or anything similar. Each faulty detail is often experienced by a multitude of people, making the effect seem that much more mysterious and odd. Broome created the term “Mandela effect” when she discovered that she, along with many others, believed that Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s when he in fact died in 2013. She was shocked that so many people remembered a key historic event falsely and thus put a name to the phenomenon.
A common occurrence of the Mandela effect that many encounter is centered around Disney’s well-known character Tinker Bell. Many people, including myself, remember in the old Disney movie era how Tinker Bell would come out at the beginning of VCR movies when they show the Disney castle logo and would circle around the castle and tap the top of the “I.” Supposedly, this never actually happened and, instead, there was only a white half circle that went around the castle, with Tinker Bell never actually showing up. However, many Disney fans speculated about this and tried to dig up old Disney VCRs and DVDs, with some allegedly proving that Tinker Bell did, in fact, appear. Whether she actually appeared or not is still up for debate.
Those who are familiar with “Star Wars” often recall what is argued to be the most famous line in the franchise: “Luke, I am your father.” What if I said that this was never actually Darth Vader’s famous line? In “The Empire Strikes Back,” the line that Darth Vader actually says to Luke is “No, I am your father.” Many fans distinctly remember the use of Luke’s name in this line as Vader is talking to Luke, and the line is quoted this way by fans and non-fans alike. In the same vein, many Disney fans remember the famous line from the Evil Queen in “Snow White” being “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The correct line spoken in the original “Snow White” is in fact “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” Many people recall the use of “mirror, mirror” even though the Evil Queen never said this.
Another common Disney Mandela effect happens when recalling the original Mickey Mouse. When thinking about the clothes that he wears, many remember his shorts with buttons having suspenders. If fans go back and look, though, they’ll find that Mickey Mouse does not actually have suspenders, he only wears the shorts with buttons.
Those who read or watched it as a kid may recall the popular children’s show about Mama and Papa Bear as they raise their two bear cubs in Bear Country. But what comes to mind when prompted to spell out the name of this show? The correct spelling is “The Berenstain Bears,” even though many recall it being spelled as “Berenstein.”
Video game fans aren’t immune to the Mandela effect either. Those who spent their childhood playing “Pokémon” games or collecting Pokémon cards commonly argue about the appearance of the famous Pokémon Pikachu. Some fans recall his unique zig-zag tail having a black tip at the top, while some recall the black section of his tail being at the bottom. Fans who recall the black section being at the tip of his tail have fallen victim to the Mandela effect, because Pikachu does not have any black at the end of his tail.
When thinking about the show “Scooby-Doo,” people also often remember the character Shaggy as having a distinct Adam’s apple in his appearance. This characteristic often stands out to fans too because Shaggy is seen eating food a lot, making his Adam’s apple very clear. Shaggy also gulped a lot in the show out of fear, something that is believed to also feature his Adam’s apple. Yet, if we go back to view Scooby Doo, Shaggy doesn’t actually have an Adam’s apple at all. He does have the bulge when he swallows or gulps, so it is theorized that fans are just remembering this.
The Mandela effect is known as a phenomenon for a reason, but there are a few differing theories for why it occurs. One explanation is false memories. When we recall something that happened a while ago — more so the further back we go — our brains can set off neurons that are connected to other memories and details, potentially causing us to remember something incorrectly. Similarly, confabulation may happen, meaning that our brain subconsciously fills in gaps for things we don’t quite remember. Human brains try to make sense of this lapse of knowledge by filling in a reasonable explanation, even if we don’t realize it’s false. Our brains can also subconsciously change a past memory based on what we encounter after it. For example, perhaps the reason many people remember Tinker Bell at the beginning of Disney movies is because something similar occurred at a later date with something that was related. The fact that our brains do this also contributes to the fact that eyewitness testimonies are not always reliable.
A more unusual theory that some have surrounding the Mandela effect is alternate realities. In this theory, the individuals who make up the group believing that each instance of the Mandela effect happened are all from an alternate reality in which that version of the event is actually true. So, in the Tinker Bell Mandela effect, everyone who remembers Tinker Bell in the Disney intro somehow entered a different timeline in which Tinkerbell actually did appear.
No matter if someone has experienced the Mandela effect for themself, it can be interesting to think about why this phenomenon occurs in the first place. It can be easy to write it off as a coincidence if a couple of people experience each event, but large groups of people all report remembering the same false events. As humans, we naturally try to find reasonable explanations, but perhaps some things just can’t be explained.
