Mount Hood

20 classic games to play with family and friends

Board and card games to revisit this season

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

Between the stress of buying gifts for the holidays and the building excitement of the incoming new year, a classic board game can be all anyone needs to destress. Tabletop games are about coming together with family and friends to have a lively, fun and lightly competitive time together. Some games are straightforward and lighthearted, like Candy Land or Connect Four, while other games seem like they are designed to cause an all-out debate about the rules and technicalities at the table, like with Scrabble or Clue. 

In any case, here’s a list of classic board games that everyone loves to play and hates to lose. Nearly all of these can be purchased online or in stores; thrift stores are also a good place to check for more unique games or neat card decks to try out. These games are ranked from the least to most likely to start a debate about the rules and who won. 

  1. Uno
  2. Marbles
  3. Mancala
  4. Connect Four
  5. Dominoes
  6. Hungry Hungry Hippos 
  7. Candy Land
  8. Chutes and Ladders
  9. Operation
  10. Don’t Break the Ice
  11. Sorry!
  12. Jenga
  13. Battleship
  14. Checkers
  15. Chess
  16. Twister
  17. The Game of Life 
  18. Scrabble 
  19. Clue
  20. Monopoly

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Join the holiday scavenger hunt for hidden gnomes

“Gnome on the Roam,” a free holiday event in Independence

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

In order for the community to celebrate this year’s holiday season, many local events and traditions have to make accommodations. “Gnome on the Roam,” a free family-friendly scavenger hunt, is a holiday event hosted by the Independence Downtown Association. Running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and spanning from Nov. 28 to Jan. 9, there will be plenty of time for members of the community to participate in the scavenger hunt and find the 15 plus gnomes that are painted in the shop windows along Main Street and C Street in downtown Independence. 

These crafty little gnomes will be hiding well, so be on the lookout and pick up a scavenger hunt form ⏤ they will be available in front of Indy Commons and other businesses starting Nov. 28. Once all the mystery items have been found, people can drop off the form in the dropbox at Indy Commons, 154 S Main Street, for a chance to be entered into a weekly drawing. 

The prizes will include $20 gift certificates to any downtown business of your choice. Updates on the “Gnome on the Roam” scavenger hunt and future events can be found on the Independence Downtown Association’s Facebook, and their Instagram page @downtownindependence. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Beat holiday stress with some funky tunes

Enjoy a playlist that travels through the ‘60s and ’90s

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

The holiday season is finally here, and while it’s an exciting time to spread cheer, some days are longer than others. People need ways to unwind and kill time in between the holiday get-togethers. Here are 15 songs to help distract from the stressfulness of the holidays, ranging from the 1960s to 1990s; there’s bound to be quite a few throwbacks and other well-loved tunes. Find a few artists to revisit, and add some of these groovy classics to a playlist. Don’t forget to check out the playlist with all these hits under “Beat the holiday stress with some funky tunes~” on Spotify at TheWesternHowl.

  1. “Just the Two of Us” — Bill Weathers ft. Grover Washington Jr.
  2. “Give Up the Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” — Parliament 
  3. “Juicy” — The Notorious B.I.G.
  4. “What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye
  5. “Love Train” — The O’Jays 
  6. “Blue Bayou” — Roy Orbison 
  7. “Play That Funky Music” — Wild Cherry
  8. “Little Lies” — Fleetwood Mac 
  9. “Boogie Wonderland” — Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions
  10. “Funky Town” — Lipps Inc.
  11. “Get Down on It” — Kool & The Gang
  12. “Love Her Madly” — The Doors
  13.  “I Wish” — Stevie Wonder
  14. “Night Fever” — The Bee Gees 
  15.  “Get Down Tonight” — KC & The Sunshine 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

 

Enjoy fresh movie theater snacks at home from Independence Cinema

Find out what movie theaters are doing to stay afloat

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

Many small businesses have been affected by the pandemic, and local shops in Oregon have especially been impacted by the recent two-week freeze mandated by Governor Kate Brown. However, this hasn’t stopped small-town shops from finding creative ways to stay open while putting safety first — like the Independence Cinema. Although they are not currently offering in-store purchases or movie viewings, people can still enjoy those classic movie theater snacks and other items with their curbside concessions.

During the two-week freeze, their curbside concessions will be open every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., where customers can get some snacks and also purchase gift cards, which are available on their website, battlegroundcinema-com.3dcartstores.com.

Along with providing goodies to all the movie lovers out there, Independence Cinema is also advocating for meaningful relief before 2021 to be provided by legislation. Movie theaters have been some of the hardest businesses hit during the pandemic, and certain measures have to be taken in order for businesses like these to still be a part of our community. Additional information on these legislation efforts, as well as future showtimes, can be found on their website, independencecinema8.com.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Don’t miss out on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Thanksgiving Day debut of balloons, floats and clowns 

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marks the official start of the holiday season for many, and it has become a tradition to get comfy and watch the four-story-high floats and balloons; for a lot of families, this year will be no exception. 

Anyone can tune in to NBC to watch the viewing live from 34th Street, all the way in New York, NY, alongside familiar hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. NBC will be starting the parade bright and early at 6 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. All the performances, gigantic balloons and fantastic floats can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. 

The lineup is pretty impressive this year: 18 different giant balloons with great measurements. For example, their balloon of Boss Baby is 45 feet tall (roughly the size of a four-story building), 28 feet wide (six taxi cabs wide) and approximately 32 feet long (the length of five bicycles). Fans can look forward to some old favorites, like the holiday Pikachu or the 67-foot-tall Ronald McDonald, or new and improved balloons, like Boss Baby. 

If that isn’t enough pizzaz, there will be 17 performances from artists like country music legend herself, Dolly Parton, who will be performing “Home Sweet Home,” on the float for the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. To go with the wide-ranging music selection and balloon parade, there will also be two “balloonicles,” which is Macy’s term for a “balloon-based vehicle.” Instead of the balloons being filled with helium like the giant balloons, they are filled with cold air and are powered by the driver of the car.

Additionally, there will be 19 different groups of clowns running around, all of which have their very own themes. Included clown groups will be the pirate clowns, the nutty-cracker ballet clowns, the city tourists clowns and the classic circus clowns. 

But it doesn’t stop there; nine street performers like “The Big Apple Circus” and NYC’s Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band, “Heritage of Pride,” will be out and about, along with 25 elaborate and fantastical floats — all of which will top off the extravagant event. 

So come Thanksgiving Day, make sure to grab seconds, thirds and extra dessert, and catch up on all the excitement for this year’s coolest holiday event. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

 

Catch the latest episodes of “Big Mouth” online

December starts off with new episodes of “Big Mouth”

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

“Big Mouth,” the raunchy and relatable adult-animated sitcom is returning for a fourth season, which will be available on Netflix on Dec. 4. 

Netflix released an official trailer on Youtube in mid-November, giving fans a sneak peek of Coach Steve supervising the pool, Jessi attending therapy and learning about anxiety and chaos caused by the young tweens’ Hormone Monsters. Guest stars will include Maria Bamford as Tito the “anxiety mosquito,” and Zach Galifianakis as “Gratitode.” 

Along with the latest fourth season, Netflix announced on Twitter last July that “Big Mouth” has also been confirmed for a fifth and sixth season in the near future. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Christmas events to rock your stockings

Celebrate the season in style

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

There’s no shortage of holiday events in Oregon that anyone can go to ⏤ including virtual and drive-thru events as well as in person events with social distancing measures. 

First, is the virtual ScanFair from Nov. 29 through Dec. 6, where shoppers can find handcrafted gifts from online vendors. There will be a great variety of vendors, including Gnome Werks Toys, Swedecraft and Folk Art of Norway. Extra information on this virtual holiday event can be found at nordicnorthwest.org/scanfair. 

The holiday fun doesn’t stop there; families can visit Santa at the Riverfront Carousel in Salem at “Santa’s Carousel Workshop,” where participants can snap a few pictures with ol’ Saint Nick before he returns to the North Pole. Visits are always free, and folks can look into the many photo options they have. There must be no more than six people in one group, but there are also options for virtual visits from Santa. Anyone can schedule Zoom meetings or get a custom video message from Santa, where it would be available to view on Christmas Eve. 

If nothing else, make sure to send a letter to Santa this year, so he can decide if you’ve been naughty or nice. Forms for the letters are on their website or in person next to Santa’s bright red mailbox by the carousel. More information and details on reservations are located at, salemcarousel.wixsite.com/salemcarousel/santa-at-the-carousel. 

Even though the holidays will look a little different this year at the Portland Zoo, that won’t stop this year’s special drive-thru experience and holiday get-together. ZooLights Drive shows off the elaborate display of 1.5 million lights that are strung throughout the zoo. Viewers can take in the eleven brilliant light displays, some of which include: fantasy lane, glowing grove and light tree lane. This event will run from Nov. 23 to Jan. 10, 2021, with the exception of Dec. 25. Tickets range in price and can be purchased up to seven days in advance on their website, shop.oregonzoo.org/#/SpecialEvents. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

WOU logo

Facebook   Instagram   Twitter  YouTube  LinkedIn  wouTV

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Tools

Campus Maps
Canvas
Find People
Portal
Virtual Tour
WOU Email
Technical Support

Resources

A-Z Index
Accessibility
Academic Calendar
Class Schedule
Jobs at WOU
Partnerships
Student Services

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

Accessibility    Public Records    Privacy    Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.