Monmouth – Page 2 – The Western Howl

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

When the Alley Activation Project for the alleyway between the updated City Hall and the new Maui Melts location wrapped up, Western student McKenna Brinkman was tasked with painting a mural on the bare wall that hadn’t been touched by the project.

The project, funded by a grant from the AARP, aims to understand how the pedestrian alleyway can best serve the community. In two phases, the project seeks to incorporate peaceful, calming elements, while also providing an inclusive space and is part of the larger 2042 Downtown Improvement Plan. The 2042 Downtown Improvement Plan is what will guide city policy and planning over the next 20 years.

Brinkman, who goes by “Mick,” started the mural in October, after Maui Melts owners Graham and Ruthie had seen her chalk art in The Sippery, where she has worked since the spring of this year.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed about the job is getting to do all the art for the chalkboards,” Brinkman said. “A couple of my regulars (have) been coming in every day since they own and have been working on the new Maui Melts next door. We’ve gotten to know each other through conversations while I make their soy lattes.”

The mural — a painting of an enlarged longhorn beetle, which is native to Oregon — sits on a grey background on the east exterior wall of Maui Melts, facing Monmouth City Hall.

“Graham and Ruthie were extremely encouraging the whole way through the month-long process,” she said. “I think (a) cool experience I had while doing this mural was talking (with) locals who would ask about it.”

Brinkman has always enjoyed art, something she says was natural to her as a child. When she came to Western as a first-year, she started as a biology major, but after taking a drawing class, she switched her major to art and never looked back. “I’ve enjoyed every single art class I have taken in my time here,” she said. “There has yet to be a moment where I have felt burnt out with art.

“I love how this has further bonded me with the Monmouth community. I am happy to leave my mark, literally, on Motown.”

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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Western’s food pantry

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Western’s food pantry is located in room 165 of the Welcome Center. It is open Tuesdays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. for Western students and faculty only. It is open to the public 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wednesdays and 2 – 6 p.m. Thursdays. Abby’s House — Western’s center for equity and gender justice — is the parent organization of the food pantry.

Everyone is welcome to utilize the food pantry on the allotted days, even including non-residents of Monmouth. There is also no maximum or minimum amount of income an individual needs to have to be a customer. Everything in the food pantry is free to all customers.

Also located in room 165 of the Welcome Center is the Stitch Closet. The Stitch Closet provides clothes for individuals, free of charge. It has the same hours as the food pantry for the convenience of users. Like the food pantry, the Stitch Closet is also a part of Abby’s House. The concept for the Stitch Closet was imagined in 2020 and came to fruition fall 2021.

Tarly Sineo, a first-year at Western majoring in psychology, started volunteering at the food pantry and the Stitch Closet as soon as it opened for the 2024-25 school year. “I took multiple steps to ensure that I got to volunteer the first day it was available to me,” said Sineo.

Student volunteers are integral in ensuring the organization runs smoothly. “(I make) sure that the floors are clear, everything’s stocked correctly, clothing racks are clear and we’re using the right hangers. Just general maintenance,” said Sineo.

Sineo is passionate about helping students and members of the community and making sure they have the resources they need. “It means a lot to me. Pretty early (in the term) I figured that I’d probably be bored and have a lot of hours just kind of sitting around my room … So I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone; busy myself, and make the community a bit better for the people around me.”

Food pantries are an important part of many communities, and it is especially beneficial for students. Western’s food pantry is helping to battle food insecurity among students, with college campuses statistically having more people who struggle.

“It’s a really valuable asset,” said Sineo. “Some (meal plans) don’t get to three meals a day on all of the weekdays.” The food pantry also helps anyone who is hosting community events — such as a Thanksgiving gathering or a residence hall event — get the materials and resources they need.

Western’s food pantry put together turkey baskets for community members. The baskets have uncooked turkey or ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce and the ingredients to make green bean casserole.

“It’s a program for people who might not have the money to get a full turkey or the circumstances to be able to get a bunch of different Thanksgiving food for their family,” said Sineo.

Much of the food that Western’s food pantry offers is provided by a Salem food bank — Marion Polk Food Share. The rest of the food supply is a collection of donations from people in the community.

The food pantry follows a client-choice model of shopping. Customers can choose their items instead of receiving a preselected bag of groceries. This ensures that people will use everything they take, instead of wasting the things they either don’t like or can’t eat due to allergies.

There is no limit to the number of times people can shop at the food pantry. They can take as much food as they need as long as they are courteous of other customers who also need to use the food pantry. Once customers have finished shopping, they weigh their food and anonymously fill out a checkout survey. The personal information of shoppers is never collected.

Individuals can support the food pantry and the Stitch Closet by volunteering or giving donations. They accept donations of food, clothes, hygiene products, pet food and school supplies. Donations are collected in a box in front of the food pantry. Individuals can also donate money to the food pantry through Abby’s House.

For food donations, homemade goods and meals from restaurants will not be accepted. Store-bought foods should have a visible expiration date and nutrition label. It should be in the original packaging with any lids and seals still intact.

For clothing donations, the Stitch Closet will not accept anything that shows offensive words or visuals, or clothes that are damaged or dirty.

If donors are unsure if an item will be accepted, they can take it to a student volunteer who will inspect it.

For students who would like to volunteer, there is a volunteer interest form linked in the food pantry’s Instagram — @woufoodpantry.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Meet Trey Vincent

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

If you have seen someone dancing down the streets of Monmouth wearing a pair of iconic sunglasses, it’s most likely been 20-year-old Trey Vincent. He has lived in Monmouth for about 13 years and will find any excuse to show off his moves around town. Even though he is not a student, he may still be found dancing down the sidewalks of Western’s campus. When asked if he was enrolled, he replied, “No, I just like walking around all the time.”

“I absolutely love listening to my music, and I also like dancing,” said Vincent. “There’s a perfectly good road ahead of me. Why not dance and listen to music?”

Specifically, Vincent prefers tunes from anywhere between the 1940’s and 1990’s. Most recently, Vincent had “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin on loop. “(Dean Martin) is called the ‘King of Cool,’” said Vincent. The song was released in July 1960 and was originally written for the film “Ocean’s 11.”

“Also, I’ve been listening to ‘From Russia with Love’ by Matt Monro. It’s one of the James Bond theme songs, and I’ve been watching the Sean Connery Bond films,” said Vincent.

Although his favorite songs are not from this century, he does branch out occasionally.

“My friends have been trying to get me into Sabrina Carpenter and I’m not going to lie, for a modern performer, she does pretty good,” said Vincent. Although it may be a bit controversial, he admitted to not being a fan of Taylor Swift.

Although the weather has been less than ideal recently for those who love the outdoors and the sun, Vincent can still occasionally be spotted frolicking down a sidewalk.

“Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to dance in the rain. But there are some times I have all this pent-up energy and I just gotta head down (a road).”

No matter what — rain or shine — Vincent can always be spotted wearing a pair of sunglasses. It’s the one item he can’t live without, and he owns fourteen pairs.

At heart, Vincent is an extrovert. He loves meeting, starting conversations and sharing his music with new people.

He is currently working at a police academy in Salem, Oregon, as a roleplayer. He acts out scenarios with the cops-in-training, such as pretending to get arrested or being in a high-speed chase. He also occasionally acts out behavioral health scenarios for practice. “Apparently I’m very believable,” said Vincent.

He’s been working as a roleplayer since March 2023. “They post notices every few months. For me, it was in January of last year, and then I got the job in March. They also do another hiring process in October,” he said.

In his spare time, Vincent loves to do karate. He first joined mainly to make new friends, however, he was also influenced by the TV show “Cobra Kai,” a modern continuation of the “Karate Kid” movies.

In school, Vincent’s least favorite subject was math, with his favorite subject being P.E.

“I never got a chance to do acting in high school … so P.E. was my favorite by default.” He does hope to do more acting in the future, inspired by his favorite actor, Robert Downey Jr.

Despite not being fond of math, he loves learning new things. “I would like to build up as many skills as possible and learn as many languages as I can before I turn 25,” said Vincent. “Apparently the more languages you learn before 25, the more languages you can easily comprehend and have at your disposal later in life.” He is already fluent in American Sign Language, knows a small amount of German and is teaching himself Spanish.

“(Learning Spanish is) not that easy, because all I have is a book and no one to practice with,” said Vincent.

Another thing he has learned is how to be patient. “(I’m proud I was) able to build my patience. It isn’t naturally one of my strong suits,” said Vincent.

He has many goals for the future, including his main goal of acting in films. He plans to build as many skills as he can before he turns 25, on top of his language learning goal. He also wants to get his barber’s certification and become a film hairstylist, before he eventually becomes an actor himself — leaving the future bright for Western’s “Dancing Dude.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Letter from the editor

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-chief

Western,

Welcome back, or maybe just welcome. Maybe you’ve been reading “The Western Howl” for years, or maybe this is the first issue you’re glancing at — either way, thank you. I’d like to introduce you to my wonderful team, whose names you’ve hopefully seen by now as you flip through, and the culmination of hours of hard work in this issue — our first of the school year — of “The Western Howl.”

We are a hand-crafted newspaper by students, for students. This year, we have more diverse perspectives than ever before, with sports covered by real student athletes, the news reported by an on-campus editor and the paper built by a team of devoted, passionate editors and designers.

This first issue, titled “Goal Season Incoming,” is, as you’ve likely guessed, representative of the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic school year here at Western. We hoped to encapsulate a winning season, not just for our school’s sports teams, but also for all students and staff who may be starting new things or returning to something familiar. We feel you, completely — we are trying to embrace the new and the old, to make something grand out of a historic school paper.

If you haven’t already noticed, the style of our front page is different. The design team and I scoured through nationally recognized publications as well as previous versions of “The Western Howl” — previously titled “The Lamron,” “The Western Star,” “The Journal” and more ridiculous titles — for inspiration. We wanted to draw attention to the heart of the paper — the writing and the creative mind of a designer at work — and offer a preview of what’s inside. A sneak peek, if you will.

So, expect change. Expect design elements you haven’t seen from us before. Look for new names, new faces, new stories, freelancers, photos and more. Maybe you’ll fall in love with our mock horoscopes, or maybe you’ll rock our new word search puzzles on our physical copies. Maybe you’re just interested to see what the college newspaper talks about — if that’s the case, I welcome you with open arms and invite you to stay tuned.

There’s so much we hope to give you this year.

If that sounds good to you, I’m excited to let you know we’re doing more printed issues than ever. This year, expect three printed issues a term, dispersed at campus and off-campus locations for your viewing pleasure. If you’re still dying for something to read, keep checking your email; you’ll catch our digital issues weekly. We have a website too — wou.edu/westernhowl — where we post individual articles and issues.

As a student-led publication, we want to highlight student engagement and involvement. We could not be here, creating this paper, if it wasn’t for not only Western but the community the school has garnered. We are here because you read. We are here because you want to write. We are here because you care. And we’re here to talk about the things that matter and impact you.

Because of that, we’ve opened a “Submit News Tips” section of our website under “Contact Us.” We are so lucky to represent the student community here at Western, but to do that, we must be honest and true. So, please — if you have even the slightest hint of a story idea — I ask that you consider submitting a tip. We have pledged to uphold your voices, and this is our opportunity to pull stories from our readers. Of course, I cannot guarantee that we’ll cover your suggestion, but still, I implore you to submit it regardless.

This year, I have a few goals for the Howl: that the viewers will feel consistently represented and accounted for, the work will be done well and we will be proud of each and every issue that is released and that, just maybe, we will finally make zero calls to Public Campus Safety while at Terry House. No promises on that last one, though.

Thank you for reading this letter from the editor as well as this issue of “The Western Howl.” And, to Public Campus Safety, thank you for rescuing us from an ice storm, taking care of the dead mouse in the bathroom and letting us borrow your drill.

I’m incredibly thankful to spend another year at Western doing what I love — writing and leading — for an amazing, hardworking team of talented individuals.

Sincerely,

Hannah Field

Contact the author at howleditorinchief @mail.wou.edu

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Upcoming events

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

May 23 —

The S’More You Know

6 p.m. at the firepit outside of the Werner University Center

Join the Office of Student Conduct in roasting marshmallows and making s’mores outside on campus with a chance to walk away with some prizes.

May 24 —

4-Hour Workshop with Jessica Rehfield Community Building: Safety Concerns

12 p.m. in Campbell Hall

Salem artist, Jessica Rehfield, will be returning to offer advice, feedback and reviews on previously submitted artistic proposals. This event will be open to all students and campus organization affiliates.

ASL Club: ASL Club’s 30th Birthday

6 p.m. in RWEC 101

The ASL Club will be celebrating 30 years of registered clubhood on campus. The event will be held in ASL only.

May 28 —

ASL Club: Video Game Night

6 p.m. in RWEC 202

Catch the ASL Club hosting a group game night in ASL only. The calendar posting cheers “Let’s go, gamers!”

May 29 —

Free Meditation Group on Campus

6 p.m. in the Santiam Room of the Werner University Center

“Join us Wednesday night for gentle yoga stretches, guided meditation, Yoga Nidra and kirtan music meditation.”

John Proctor is The Villain: Spring Theatre Department Production

“At a rural high school in Georgia, a group of lively teens are studying ‘The Crucible’ while navigating young love, sex ed, and a few school scandals. Holding a contemporary lens to the American classic, they begin to question who is really the hero and what is the truth, discovering their own power in the process. Alternately touching and bitingly funny, this new comedy captures a generation in mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism, and fury, writing their own coming of age story.”

According to the calendar description, Guest Faculty Director Raissa Fleming will be directing, and the play will run May 29, 30, 31 and June 1 at 2 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. and June 1 at 2 p.m. will be interpreted in ASL. The show will be viewed in Rice Auditorium at 344 Knox St N, Monmouth, OR. Lot B on Knox Street will host free parking.

Students get in free with their student ID. General admission tickets are $14, while student general admission is $8. Tickets for senior citizens and Western faculty and staff are $10.

“Advisory: John Proctor is the Villain contains racist/sexist micro aggressions, depictions of grooming and abusive relationship dynamics, discussion of sexual assault and exploitation.”

May 31 —

Ho’ike 2024

5 p.m. in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center

“In Hawaiian, Ho’ike means ‘to show or exhibit.’ Ho’ike at (Western) is a show that will exhibit our culture through student performances. Similar to a Luau experience, at Ho’ike, you get to enjoy Hula performances, a traditional Hawaiian dinner, a chance to win local/Hawaiian goods and so much more.”

Tickets for Western students cost $12 and public tickets are $15.

June 4 —

ASL Club – Deaf LGBTQ+ Panel

6 p.m. in RWEC 202

In celebration of Pride month, ASL Club will be hosting a panel acknowledging Deaf Queer individuals and groups. The event will be in ASL only.

June 5 —

Groove in the Grove

8 p.m.

“Get groovy” and participate in plenty of activities, games and DJ performances.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Holocaust memorial

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

In commemoration of the lives lost in the Holocaust and violence tied to World War II, Western continued their annual tradition by placing thousands of flags along Monmouth Avenue from May 3 – 7.

Western’s description of the event on the school-wide calendar directly quoted the Holocaust Encyclopedia for a definition: “The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. The Holocaust was an evolving process that took place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945.”

“These flags are meant to be a large, powerful display representing the lives of millions lost,” said Western’s calendar description. “There are different colored flags that represent the lives lost of certain peoples. The yellow flags represent the biggest number of Jewish lives lost.”

Multiple other flag colors lined the streets during the event, such as blue, red, white, green, brown, orange, purple, pink, lime green and light blue. In order, the communities they represent are as follows: Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war, Polish civilians, Serbian civilians, Romani people, people with disabilities, repeat criminal offenders, LGBTQ+ people, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Spanish republicans.

The flags, although disrupted by the construction along Monmouth Avenue, shined bright against the backdrop of Western’s spring campus and were eye-catching to passersby.

“Every year for Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, we place thousands of flags along Monmouth Avenue to commemorate the lives lost,” said Western in an Instagram post. “This display provides an opportunity for reflection as a community… Thank you to the volunteers and (Western Student Engagement), who helped with the flags for this year’s remembrance.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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An interview with Crystal Ross

Written by: Gretchen Sims | Editor-in-Chief

The first face students see when walking into the Student Health and Counseling Center is often Medical Receptionist, Crystal Ross, always donning an earnest, welcoming smile. Her friendly demeanor fits right in with the center — as if she’s always been there — but what many students don’t realize is that it took a lot to get there.

While Ross is best known for her work at the front desk of Western’s Student Health and Counseling Center, she spent many years working in the field before settling down at Western.

“Well, I met my husband in 1997, and we were both working in the same company in Dallas. The economy was a little unstable and the person who owned the company was selling it and so I told my husband, ‘If we’re both here when this place goes down, or goes under, because I’m pretty sure it’s going to, we’re gonna be in trouble,’” Ross said.

Ross then made the ultimate decision to go to school for Medical Billing and Coding. She went to a trade school for a year — working graveyard shifts at the company with her husband and going to school during the day.

After receiving her certification in Medical Billing and Coding, Ross took her internship, or practicum, at West Salem Family Practice. When a receptionist position opened up, she decided to apply.

“It was like a step, a foot in the door, and within three months, they had an opening in their business office so I ended up getting to go into the business office and use that Medical Billing and Coding knowledge that I had. And, so I was there for nine years, and a friend of mine, who was also a coworker, she had come to Western and was working in the Student Health and Counseling Center and she’s like ‘I think you’d really like it here, they have a receptionist position open; you should apply,’” said Ross.

Ross felt that there was nowhere to go in her job at West Salem; she felt like she couldn’t move up and had no room to grow anymore, so she decided to take the opening at Western.

“I guess the rest is history. They told me when I interviewed there would be potential for me to do some Medical Billing — that they were trying to get that started — and I have done some Medical Billing and Coding here. I used to have an office in the back, here, and then when COVID happened, and we lost some of our employees, I went back up front, and I feel like I really just thrive there,” Ross said.

Ross has come to love her home here at Western.

“My favorite part about (Western) is definitely the students… definitely the students. I love working with the students, I love getting to know them. I try really hard to remember things about students and what they tell me.”

Unlike some larger schools, Western has the unique privilege, in part, due to its size, of fostering strong and consistent communication between departments.

“…I also really like that I can reach out to someone in other departments and know that they’re going to do their best to help me. Whether it’s helping me personally, or helping me help a student, I just think that Western being as small as it is, we really do well at helping each other help the students,” said Ross.

Ross loves animals. At home, she has two rabbits, four cats, three dogs, a lizard, a snake, two horses, six ducks and 12 chickens, so, naturally, she feels passionate about the SHCC’s local squirrel.

“Oh my gosh,” said Ross “I love the squirrel. I love all of the squirrels on campus, I just think they’re such a fun, neat animal and so I’ll see this little guy hop around on the sidewalk in front of our building, you know, of course, in and out of the trash can. I call him Benny… I just thought it was a cute name and… I gave him food one day… ooh I know… I gave him a little peanut. I know, I don’t make a habit of that, because I don’t think they really want you feeding them, but… so yeah, Benny hangs out, I see him every day, running around, in front of the Student Health and Counseling Center — he’s our little mascot,” Ross said.

Working with students is a passion of Ross’s: she loves every one of them here at Western, but oftentimes, at the front desk of the SHCC, Ross sees them at their lowest. Ross is widely regarded for her optimism and friendly and welcoming personality, and while it’s not always easy, Ross always manages to keep a beaming smile on her face.

“I had a pretty traumatic childhood myself, and once I got away from the trauma, and I realized the things this person had said about me were not true — it was my ex-stepdad — I just thought, I need to be a cycle breaker, I need to be someone who cares about other people and shows that I care about other people,” Ross said.

Ross attests to the importance of putting her best foot forward when she walks through the doors of the SHCC each morning.

“My goal when someone walks through our doors is for them to have a positive experience because oftentimes they aren’t feeling well. So, if just smiling and being kind can help them feel better, that is my goal. A friendly face can make all the difference,” said Ross.

“I always tell my kids that, even if I’m having the worst day, none of my students are ever going to know — that I’m having a bad day — because I need to be the person that students can come to and know that they’re going to be taken care of, regardless of how my day is going. I want to be that positive light, I want to show people that I care about them, so I just think that I come to work every day knowing that I am impacting so many people’s lives. That just helps me keep that positive attitude, because I know that everybody has things that they’re going through and sometimes, all you need is one person to be kind to you and that can change your whole entire day — it could change your whole entire mood — and so if I can be the person who is the bright light for that person’s day, then that’s what I want to do,” Ross continued.

Besides simply being a bright light to the students here at Western, “I also have the privilege of helping these young adults learn how to navigate the healthcare system, which can be overwhelming for anyone. A lot of students are far from home and need guidance. I feel honored to be part of helping them grow and learn. I am a mom, so I think about how I would want my children to be treated,” said Ross.

Ross has several tattoos ranging from her first, which is of her favorite Disney character, Eeyore, to a Gemini astrological sign as a memorial to her father.

“Then I have one more, it’s on my chest here, so I was a teenager in the 90s, so 90s grunge and alternative music, that is my jam — that’s my favorite thing. My most favorite band in the world is Soundgarden, which was actually my very first concert when I was 18, and Chris Cornell, who is the lead singer of Soundgarden, completed suicide about almost seven years ago. That was really hard for me because my childhood was… traumatic, and music was my outlet. If I was having a bad day, or just needed to be calmed down, music was always my outlet.”

Ross has had the tattoo since Cornell passed away.

“This, here, is Chris Cornell’s autograph, and then this is the lyric from the song ‘Black Hole Sun’ and it says ‘No one sings like you anymore,’ and I thought that was appropriate because no one will sing like him, and that was a song that he wrote,” Ross said.

Ross loves all of her students — “Yes, I refer to all of you as my students,” — and wants them to feel seen, heard and validated. She aims to make the SHCC as welcoming to students as possible.

With all of that love for students, Ross wanted to leave them with a piece of advice.

“Always believe in yourself because even if you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, it will get better. It will get better. There are people out there that care about you and want you to succeed. Sometimes you don’t always know who those people are and they’ll come into your life when it’s the right time,” said Ross.

The SHCC is a fantastic resource for Western students. Whether it is to just stop by for a piece of candy, to get some studying done or to, of course, make a counseling or doctor’s appointment, Ross wants students to feel welcome and encourages them to swing by at any time.

“I know that it’s my job, but it’s also my honor and my privilege to serve the students. I know it’s a job, you get paid for it, but it’s definitely something that I enjoy doing and I love coming to work every day and knowing I am making a difference.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

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Maui Melts student mural

Meet Trey Vincent

Letter from the editor

Upcoming events

Holocaust memorial

An interview with Crystal Ross

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