Mount Hood

A sign of love from the ASL Club

Stop by ASL Club’s Valentine’s Day tabling event

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

The Werner University Center has permitted clubs to hold small tabling events, which the American Sign Language Club is taking advantage of. In honor of Valentine’s Day, the ASL Club is hosting a pre-Valentine’s Day tabling activity on Feb. 10 from 12 to 3 p.m. to inform students about the club and answer any questions people have in regards to the Deaf community.

“We really wanted to try to do something in person,” said junior ASL/English interpreting major and ASL Club treasurer Shayla Barnes. “We just want to provide a little beacon of friendliness and personal connection in a time where Zoom reigns supreme.”

According to Barnes, the purpose of this event is to connect like minded people interested in developing their knowledge of ASL; Barnes explained all experience levels are welcome to join. For people who are new to ASL and are not completely comfortable with their level of signing, the Office of Disability Services was able to provide interpreters to attend the club meetings in addition to the students that are already in the club.

“I would encourage people to look into ASL for numerous reasons,” said Barnes, “first it’s a wonderful language with a wonderful community around it. Secondly, there’s a huge Deaf population.”

Barnes recalled her own experience learning more about the Deaf community, citing how surprised she was at the amount of famous people associated with ASL.

Additionally, students who attend the tabling can expect club members to offer free Western merchandise.

If a student needs an accommodation to participate in the tabling, contact the ODS at least 72 hours in advance at 503-838-8250 or ods@wou.edu.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

IndyMo celebrates a month of buying from local businesses

IndyMo businesses reward locals with utility bill discounts and in-store coupons

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Monmouth and Independence have come together to dedicate the entire month of February to the purchase of products from local businesses, known as the “Love Local” event. In each town, residents are rewarded with different benefits. 

For Monmouth, all patrons who purchase $20 worth of goods from local retail stores, restaurants, fitness facilities or personal service businesses with a physical storefront will be credited with $10 towards their next utility bill. Participants can earn this $10 credit up to three times per account.

Photo courtesy of Love Local Indy 2021

“(We’re) trying to get some recreational things happening out here,” said Dancing Muse Costume Shop owner and Vice President of the Monmouth Business Association James Martin.

“I have to remind people that there’s fun still. Even if you are stuck in the house because of COVID-19, you can still go to a Zoom meeting and hang out in different costumes.”

Martin explained he intends for his patrons to escape the mundane life activities brought on by COVID.

“I enjoy dressing up and having fun and I want to have other people dress up too,” said Martin. “Drinking a mug of ale with a bunch of friends and singing sea shanties while dressed as a pirate, well there’s nothing better, even if it is through Zoom.”

Photo courtesy of City of Monmouth – Love Local Challenege

For businesses in Independence, patrons who make purchases from any of the 14 participating businesses will receive a scratch it ticket worth $1, $5, $10 or $20 that will go towards their next purchase. 

For more information on the event, contact Suzanne Dufner at 503-838-0722.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Western prepares for spring sports season

Western athletics is moving forward with plans to begin a socially distanced season of  games

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Western’s athletics department has announced the return of spring sports pending any changes from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

“Spring sports — baseball, softball and track — are expected to be allowed to have games/meets starting next month,” said Western’s President Rex Fuller in a spring term email update sent out on Jan. 21. “We don’t know to what degree spectators will be allowed, but if they are, we encourage you to come out and support your WOU Wolves!”

Western is currently the projected host for GNAC championship games for softball and track and field this coming May, according to the GNAC website.

“We are so excited to host the championships this year,” said softball coach Lonny Sargent. “Being able to go to tournaments all summer and most of the fall is a normal year for us and this year that wasn’t possible.” 

Currently, Western’s athletics department is reflective of Phase Two of the National Collegiate Athletic Association revised three-phase plan — the Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport. In Phase Two, groups larger than 50 must have measures of physical distancing and sanitization, restricted staffing, workout areas and facilities must be sanitized and nonessential travel is permitted. In preparation for the conference schedule this year, teams will continue with socially distanced practices and personal scrimmage matches. 

“We haven’t been indoors at all this year due to the strict guidelines,” said Sargent. “Since we are an outdoor sport and can stay socially distant from one another, we have been able to have practices.” 

According to Sargent, player safety is a priority.

“Our players wear their masks, all their equipment bags are at least six feet apart from one another and each player is required to do a health check every morning by 10 a.m. on days they will be on campus,” said Sargent.

Traditionally, athletic teams practice as an entire group, but the department has broken the players down into smaller groups. Practices will be held at various times throughout the day to ensure maximum social distancing and limited contact. 

“It’s very exciting,” said sophomore undecided major and Western baseball pitcher Matthew Dunaway. “We’ve been working hard in the fall, and hopefully we play this spring.”

According to Dunaway, the team has been participating in more scrimmages this winter in comparison to fall term. Dunaway explained that players had been assigned to arrive at certain times for small team meetings.

“Our athletic department has put together a great plan and we’ve been able to follow the protocols to ensure safety,” said baseball coach Kellen Walker. “Our players have done a great job of being flexible with changes to practice times and locations. We’ve obviously had to make adjustments to get our work in, we’ve been creative in making sure our guys are staying as healthy as possible while getting back into shape and ready to compete in the upcoming season.”

Going forward into spring term, the GNAC Senior Management Council will be evaluating whether students will be permitted to gather at upcoming functions.

“We hope to have the fans of Monmouth come out and support us this spring,” said Dunaway.

To learn more about the games, visit wouwolves.com/calendar.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

IFC moving towards final fee decision for next term

IFC announces preliminary budgetary plans for spring 2021

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee has announced preliminary decisions for spring 2021.

In an email announcement sent out on Jan. 21 by IFC Chair Makana Waikiki, the committee provided a spreadsheet of budgetary allocations and two variations of the IFC fee for next term.  During the Jan. 15 meeting, the IFC narrowed down the spring term fee to $115 or $125, to be voted on by students in a survey due Feb. 4. The budget sheet shows that the committee has opted to lower the $150 fee students saw on their bill this term due to lower budgetary requests, explained Waikiki in an open hearing on Jan. 27. 

Under the current proposed fee options, the IFC anticipates collecting either $462,500 or $502,750, depending on the fee option that is chosen. During fall term, the operating expenses from the 15 areas funded by the IFC totaled around $580,000 ⏤ about $400,000 less than last term’s operating budget. For the money allocation, the committee supplied two areas with additional funding: Student Media received $2,750; the Creative Arts department, $1,500.

At this time, the IFC is projected to finalize budgetary evaluations for spring term by Feb. 5. 

For students that are interested in the IFC’s process, the committee holds their meetings via Zoom every Friday starting at 9 a.m. All committee meetings are open to the public and the link to the meeting can be found at their website wou.edu/ifc/. For all other inquiries regarding the IFC, students can email the IFC Chair at ifcchair@mail.wou.edu.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

 

Western launches new study group app

Western has expanded its online academic support network through an app called CircleIn

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Western has announced their new partnership with an established educational support app known as CircleIn.

Founded in 2017 by Chief Executive Officer Gerald Meggett Jr., CircleIn was originally created to address the discrepancies in college graduation statistics for African American males and minorities across the country. However, the app is useful to all students pursuing higher education, according to an article written by Meggett.

Last spring, Western surveyed students about the challenges they are facing in online school.  Following up, Western reached out to CircleIn after original contact had been established in 2019.

“CircleIn automatically connects students with their classmates so they can form study groups, share useful materials and ask questions,” said Dean of Library and Academic Innovation Chelle Batchelor.

The app provides students with study tools to manage their workload, prioritize assignments and keep organized. After students log in to the app, they are provided with four color coded rectangles labeled “overdue,” “upcoming,” “in progress” and “done.”

“To help with motivation, CircleIn is gamified,” said Batchelor, “which means that as students complete various tasks and activities in CircleIn, they can earn points for rewards such as gift cards and scholarships.”

In the app, students can select from 26 major brands to earn rewards for, including Target, Spotify, Taco Bell and Starbucks.

“I already made $10,” said junior education major Elijah Thompson.

Prior to CircleIn, Thompson used to write assignments down as a reminder, and now the app CircleIn rewards the behavior.

“My printer just ran out of ink and now I might be able to afford more,” said Thompson.

In addition to a virtual planner, CircleIn automatically syncs to a student’s schedule to form study groups for all who are in the class. Batchelor stated that Western is currently exploring the idea of adding tutors within the group to provide additional support for online learning. 

Students interested in the CircleIn app can download it on their phones or go to the website circleinapp.com and access the services with no paid membership required.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

West Valley Hospital moves second vaccine distribution site to WOU

Western’s Pacific Room is being used to allocate COVD-19 vaccine during Phase 1A 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Last week, West Valley Hospital relocated their second distribution site for the COVID-19 vaccine from the Polk County fairgrounds to Western’s campus.

 “We were able to put up our first week there,” said Pathway Program and Community Outreach Administrator Jenny Von Derahe. “We moved here because it’s a central location and the technology is adequate for our needs.”

According to Von Derahe, the clinic was furnished in a day with the help of hospital facility workers, the environmental services team and kitchen staff.

“It feels safer and more comfortable than the fairgrounds,” said Polk County resident Wendy Brockhouse. “It just seemed weird in the big old barns … this just seems more a part of the community and safer.”

At this time Western is not charging West Valley to rent out the Pacific Room. According to Von Derahe, Western is not funding employment for the workers or volunteers of the clinic, however there are discussions of potentially allowing Western students interested in the medical field to volunteer at the clinic. Additionally, the clinic is not administering vaccines to administrators, faculty, staff or students unless they qualify within Phase 1A.

“One positive that’s come out is the collaborations that have taken place,” said Western Alumnus and District 1 Polk County Fire Chief Ben Stange.

Stange explained that Western has worked extensively with the community to facilitate a functional clinic on its campus.

“The Pacific Room would normally be used for this or that … but we (Western) can’t have events so it’s available. So what can we do to help the larger cause,”said Stange.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, Polk County has partially vaccinated 8.5% of its population and fully vaccinated less than 1% of the population. 

“It’s been such a huge deal to our people,” said Stange. “We were transporting positive patients every couple days, and it’s been difficult to see. The opportunity to actually hands on start to fix a problem that we’ve really felt we’ve had zero control over has been nice.”

Stange explained that, just like other health care professionals, their focus is to take care of people during emergency situations.

“There hasn’t been anything really till this moment that we’ve felt like we can do to make a large impact,” said Stange.

At this time, West Valley is charging a $60 administration fee for the vaccine that will be billed to the patient’s insurance. If uninsured, the hospital waives the fee. Due to the unpredictability of vaccine dose delivery, clinics are not open daily. To learn about hours and vaccination qualifications, visit their website at salemhealth.org.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

United States Capitol hosts the 59th Presidential Inauguration

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are successfully inaugurated into office following the attack on the Capitol

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

On Jan. 20, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made a peaceful transition to office.

Themed “America United,” the ceremony featured creative talents such as Amanda Gorman, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.

“This inauguration marks a new chapter for the American people — one of healing, of unifying, of coming together, of an America united,” said Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Dr. Tony Allen in a Jan. 11 press release. “It is time to turn the page on this era of division. The inaugural activities will reflect our shared values and serve as a reminder that we are stronger together than we are apart, just as our motto ‘e pluribus unum’ reminds us — out of many, one.”

Following tradition, Biden made his presidential vows over a Bible that’s been in the Biden family since 1893. In an interview with Late Show host Stephen Colbert, Biden explained the Bible had all the important dates from being sworn into any government office. Veering from tradition, former President Donald Trump did not make an appearance at the ceremony, and had Vice President Mike Pence stand in his place.

“We have worked hard. We left it all — as the athletes would say — we left it all on the field,” said Trump in his farewell address to Joint Base Andrews. “I wish the new administration great luck and success. I think they’ll have success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular,” said Trump.

The former president concluded the speech, announcing he would return in some capacity, before flying to Florida on Air Force One for the last time.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

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