Mount Hood

Western makes major department deductions

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

The Incidental Fee Committee has concluded open hearings and discussions regarding the incidental budget allocations for the 2023-24 academic year. 

On Mar. 10, the IFC released the finalized budgetary allocations for Western’s departments, as well as the student incidental fee application.

For the 2023-24 academic year, students can anticipate a flat fee of $415 per term for on-campus courses, and $210 for courses fully online/off campus — including the Salem campus — on their student bill. Students taking courses in the summer of 2024 will be charged a fee of $150, regardless of course modality. The final incidental fee decision for 2024 reflects an increase of $43 from the previous academic year.

All departments are to face a reduction in funding, with the largest of the budget reductions targeting Athletics and Student Media. 

The final budgetary reductions are: 17% to Abby’s House, 0% to Access, 17% to the Associated Students of Western Oregon University, 19% to Campus Recreation, 21% to Student Activities Board, 26% to Student Media, 18% to Creative Arts, 19% to WOLF Ride, 26% to Athletics, and 23% to Student Engagement: Leadership, Inclusion, Activities. 

The preliminary decisions for the IFC budgetary plans were released in early February, with the incidental fee charge positioned at $390 for on-campus courses, $210 for online courses, and $150 for courses taken in the summer. The majority of departments — such as Student Media, Campus Recreation, Student Engagement — saw a preliminary budget cut of 25%, and many other areas saw an increase by a range of up to 28%.

Budget requests for the fiscal year’s incidental allocations totaled at $4,367,953, while the preliminary decisions estimated a total of $3,229,883. However, available allocations totaled at $3,500,454, which guaranteed lower allocations in the final decisions.

In the finalization meeting on Friday, Mar. 10, the committee discussed student comments collected from the open forum and three open hearings. The committee observed student concern primarily in the Campus Recreation Department.

In their preliminary decision, the committee proposed a major budget cut of 26% to the Campus Recreation Department, a decision which would result in the removal of the swimming pool as an element included in the budgetary cut. However, the student body strongly opposed this preliminary decision. The committee and ASWOU have rejected the proposition.

The funds from IFC provide an avenue of opportunity for student employment. Additional student concerns stemmed regarding the impact of preliminary funding on on-campus organizations and job employment, with a large majority of the open hearings consisting of student athletes and student swimmers. 

Unfortunately, with student enrollment continuously decreasing, Western is expected to continue facing challenges regarding incidental budget cuts. This year, this challenge was illustrated in the decrease in available budget allocations.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Black History Month returns to Western

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

On Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, the Multicultural Student Union hosted a two-day celebration to kick start Black History Month — the annual, honorary observance of African-Americans. 

During the event on Feb. 1, MSU — in partnership with the Black Student Union — held a panel featuring Maya Hopwood, Amari Hendrix, Fowzia Abdi, Justice Presley and Professor Mike Wilson. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., students, staff and faculty engaged in a raw, thought-provoking and educational discussion on the experiences of African-Americans in America.

On the second day, a museum put out by MSU was opened for public viewing in the Columbia Room of the Werner University Center. Individuals had the opportunity to learn about African-American figures in history — such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Kobe Bryant. The “Don’t Touch My Hair” display — which has become a custom tradition at Western to showcase — was also available, as well as a display for “Black Pride” and “Black HerStory” — the latter of which showcasing the various historical Black women who produced a remarkable impact. All students were encouraged to attend, regardless of racial identity. 

This year, Black History Month’s central focus is on the theme of Black Resistance. 

The theme explores and calls for discussions regarding African-American’s consistent efforts towards attaining control over their physical and intellectual autonomy through education, literature, politics, legislature and armed resistance. 

BSU is including this theme as a part of their commemoration and for the remainder of February, students have the opportunity to engage in Black History Month through a range of campus events. 

This year, BSU is introducing a few new activities to spark engagement, such as the Black Resistance Gallery, which will be open for viewing Feb. 15. Additionally, as of Feb. 1, “Beyond Having a Black Friend: How to truly support Black people in your life” — a Google Docs form — is open for student, staff and faculty comments. 

To celebrate Black History Month, Abby’s House has put up window displays of black women who have substantially shaped the world. The posters are available for viewing, located outside Abby’s House.

To view the full schedule of events for Black History Month, visit BSU’s Instagram at @woubsu. 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Lighting Up Campus

Written by: Gretchen Sims

Anyone who has stepped foot on the Western campus after dark can attest to the fact that lighting is a frivolous issue. Individuals can not walk down Monmouth Avenue without noticing the pale yellow light that casts eerie shadows across old brick buildings. 

While, just a year ago, murmurs of bringing this issue to the attention of administrators were just the small talk of concerned students, ASWOU has now taken this issue head-on. In collaboration with Public Safety, RHA National Communications Coordinator and ASWOU Senator, David Rodriguez-Tapia, and ASWOU Vice President, Hunter Hall, have taken the first step by identifying locations across campus that are severely lacking in proper lighting. 

Students and faculty alike are enthusiastic about this new development. It is not uncommon for students to claim they do not feel safe walking around campus at night.

Western cheerleader and Campus Ambassador, Rylie Cader, had this to say regarding their experience, “Walking alone in the dark parts of campus is inevitable. This is especially concerning being a woman who needs to walk home alone in the dark from practice. I also enjoy taking walks alone at night as a part of my mental health. I feel safe on campus, but only in the very lit areas. I get paranoid so bad in the darker places on campus — which I find myself in often — very displeasing.”

Cader is not alone. Many students can pinpoint a time when they were made uncomfortable by the absence of lighting around campus.

When behind every shadow — hidden within every dark corner — there is a perceived danger lurking; bringing more lights to campus is just the beginning of bringing peace to these individuals. 

There is still so much more to be done — Public Safety has made note that the resources required to bring their plan to fruition are ones that will only be brought about with time. 

This is a process, but one the members of the Western community can look forward to as the students of Western strive to make their campus a better, safer place. 

“I am glad and honored to work alongside ASWOU and Campus Public Safety in helping the voices of others to be heard and making them feel like we not only as Student Leaders but people who want to see the WOU become a much safer and inclusive place feel more like home and individuals who they can come to and speak their questions, comments and/or concerns,” said Senator Rodriguez-Tapia. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Oregon Launches Largest Annual Food Drive

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

Oregon’s largest annual food drive, Governor’s State Employees Food Drive, began accepting donations on Feb. 1. The Food Drive runs through the entire month of February.

Throughout the month, state agencies, commissioners, board members and state employees come together to work in partnership with the Regional Food Banks to support the Oregon Food Bank Network. Many state agencies hold fundraising events to enlist the support of community partners.

Due to adaptations resulting from COVID-19, this year’s Food Drive will take place mostly virtually, allowing agencies the option to participate through online payment methods, such as payroll deductions and check and/or credit card payments. 

The payments are made directly to the Regional Food Bank facilities and stay in the local area in which the donation was made, unless the donor specifically declares the desire for otherwise. The main beneficiaries of the Regional Food Bank’s are the Food Pantry on the Western campus — who receive the majority of their donations from Marion Polk Food Share — and the Ella Curran Food Bank.

State employees may also make a donation by participating in the Governor’s Challenge — by pledging to donate a minimum of $144 to the Food Bank of their choice. The options are an annual, one-time monetary donation of $144 or a continuous monthly donation of $12.

This year, Abby’s House will be leading the drive, with Maria Barrera Diaz — the Basic Needs Coordinator for Abby’s House — as the agency coordinator. 

According to Diaz, the month sees Western departments engaging in a friendly competition to see who can raise the most earnings. At the end of the month, each department’s contributions will be surveyed and the winning department receives a prize in the form of lunch — paid for by Western President Jesse Peters. 

As the Food Drive gets underway, students, staff and faculty can make a difference through in-kind donations. As always, Western’s Food Pantry will be accepting canned food, such as soups, canned fruit and vegetables and other nonperishable items. Contributors can also write a check directly to the Food Pantry.

According to the Governor’s Food Drive’s official page, the most sought after food donations are whole grain foods — pasta, rice, cereal — fruits and vegetables, canned meat, peanut butter and beans.

As an incentive to get people involved, Abby’s House will also be holding a tie-dying event, where anyone who donates food or monetary gifts will receive a shirt to tie-dye. Keep an eye out on their social media for official dates.

State employees have been working towards a hunger-free Oregon since the food drive’s establishment by Governor Vic Atiyeh in 1982.

Western has been a decades long-standing contributor to the Governor’s Food Drive. Although, over the years, Western’s significant contributions to the drive have gradually fallen. In earlier years, Western had donated the most to the Food Drive than any other university institution in Oregon. Now, the title of champion has fallen to Oregon State University.

Nonetheless, Western continues to persevere. Last year at Western, a total of $1296 was raised in support of the Governor’s Food Drive. This amounts to 161 pounds of food; a significant quantity.

For more information on the Governor’s State Employees Food Drive, visit www.oregon.gov/fooddrive. For more information on how to support the Food Drive at Western, individuals can contact Abby’s House at abbyshouse@wou.edu or the Food Pantry at foodpantry@wou.edu.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Super Bowl LVII

Written by: Nicholas Sarysz

Super Bowl LVII kicks off this Sunday, Feb. 12, 3:30 pm PST, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

For uniform schemes, the Eagles are considered the “home” team and will be wearing their dark green “home” uniforms, since the National Football Conference (NFC) team is always the designated home team in odd-numbered Super Bowls.

This will be Kansas City’s third championship appearance in the past three years, with their last victory taken in Super Bowl LIV. They are led by longtime head coach Andy Reid and superstar quarterback Partick Mahomes.

The Eagle’s last championship victory occurred just two years earlier in Super Bowl LII. Since then, Philadelphia has acquired a new quarterback, Jalen Hurts, as well as a new head coach, Nick Sirianni, making them a far different team than before.

One of the biggest storylines highlighted in this year’s Super Bowl is the famous Kelce brothers going head-to-head. Travis Kelce is the starting tight end for the Chiefs and is a six-time pro bowler. Jason Kelce is the center for the Eagles and is a two-time pro bowler who is often considered the backbone of the Eagles’ star-studded offensive line. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the brothers played football together at the University of Cincinnati and were drafted into the National Football League just two years apart. Today, the brothers co-host the “New Heights” podcast and are vocal about their sibling relationship.

The festivities for the Super Bowl have already kicked off, with media days having started Monday, Feb. 7. The highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show will feature Rihanna. No matter the outcome, NFL fans are suspected to be in for an electric afternoon of championship football.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Stitch Closet reopens

Western’s Stitch Closet makes a grand re-opening for spring term

Mirella Barrera-Betancourt | Staff Writer

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

The Stitch Closet on campus continues to provide students with the basic human resources needed for graduation since its opening in 2021. Despite the challenges the organization has faced in recent times, they will continue to persevere and thrive. 

In February of winter term, the Stitch Closet found itself having to close temporarily due to the lack of equipment needed to care for and clean their stock. However, with the help of tenacious volunteers and the Western community, the Stitch Closet was able to make a valiant re-opening — and it’s bigger and better than ever.

Contributing by volunteering for the Stitch Closet worked in an orderly, collaborative fashion. Students wishing to help could do so by signing up for a designated appointment slot, where they were able to come in and retrieve bags of clothing to take home to wash in their own space.

“It really took a village,” said Sofie Fashana, second-year student at Western and creator of the Stitch Closet. “At some point we ran out of clothes to distribute and people were still coming in because they signed up to pick up clothes.” 

Fashana also gave thanks to Katherine Schmidt, professor of writing and Writing Center director at Western. Schmidt helped immensely with the process by sending out emails to the Western community and collecting volunteers to not only wash and dry clothes, but also to help fold, sort and organize them so they were ready to be on display.

“We had 48 people sign up within 48 hours,” said Fashana on the number of volunteers to help sort and display clothes. “That is amazing.”

In the end, the community effort that it took to reopen the Stitch Closet turned out to mean much more for students as it also served the purpose of forming bonds.

“There was a lot of friendship that was built among that interaction … We saw something a lot bigger than ourselves,” said Fashana.

The Stitch Closet is co-located with the Food Pantry in the Welcome Center on the Western campus, room 165. Although the Stitch Closet is open, it is not currently accepting donations. Students can visit the Stitch Closet’s instagram at @stitchcloset.wou to remain updated on future operating hours for spring term and on when donations open up to the community, as well as volunteering opportunities.

The tutoring opportunities are endless

Everything students need to know about free tutoring at Western

Mikayla Coleman | News Editor

As students are entering week three of fall term at Western, the time for tutoring is upon us. Western offers a wide variety of student tutoring and support services that many students do not even realize are available to them, completely for free. There is no reason for any student to struggle alone or be afraid to reach out for help in subjects that they need extra support in when there are so many kind faces ready to set them up for academic success. 

Appointment availability decreases as the demand for tutoring and help in courses rises near the end of the term. To ensure students receive all the help they need, it is encouraged to be mindful of when the most support will be needed in specific courses and make appointments in advance accordingly. 

This tutor guide is available outside of the Advising Office.

Writing Center — The Writing Center offers writing help for papers and professional projects. Many English courses at Western either require an appointment with the Writing Center for course credit or offer extra credit for showing proof of a Writing Center appointment when working on a project. They are currently offering appointments online and in person on the first floor of Hamersly Library. The easiest way to make an appointment is to use their specific online scheduler via the Western portal. 

Math Center — The Math Center offers drop-in math tutoring for almost all 100, 200 and 300 level courses, both in person on the second floor of Hammersly Library or online via Zoom. 

Science Center — The Science Center offers drop-in and scheduled appointments in person, in study room 124 in Hamersly Library or online via Zoom. The Science Center seeks to help struggling students master skills that are necessary for success in science courses here at Western. 

Computing Science Tutoring — The Computing Science Center offers tutoring in upper and lower computer science and information system courses. They offer drop-in appointments Monday – Thursday from 12 – 4 p.m. in person in the newly renovated ITC in room 310D, or online via Zoom. To make an appointment, students are encouraged to email a known tutor or reach out to the tutoring director, Tracy Boyson.

SSA Tutoring — Student Success and Advising Tutoring covers the most ground by far, tutoring in over 20 different subjects, many of which fall under general education requirements. Outside of the previously stated academic disciplines — they cover many different nontraditional tutoring subjects such as art, music, sustainability and gerontology. In addition, they offer study skills tutoring where students can learn how to be more effective in their notetaking, test taking and time management skills. 

According to Keegan Gormally, the tutoring coordinator/academic success advisor for SSA, “SSA Tutoring seeks to build content knowledge in courses, study skills and academic habits, peer connections/connections to campus for students, support for students so they are more likely to seek help, and empower students towards their personal and academic goals.”

SSA Tutoring appointments are going to remain strictly via Zoom through fall term. Students can schedule appointments with a plethora of different tutors via the Wolf Connection System on the Western portal. 

Contact the author at newseditor@thewesternhowl.com

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.