Mount Hood

Guest Opinion: Young voters: make a voting plan and follow through

Governor Brown implores everyone to vote on Nov. 3 2020

Submitted by Governor Kate Brown 

Every day, young people like yourselves take action to better communities all across Oregon. Since becoming your Governor, I’ve worked with students who demand action on climate change by coming to the capitol and testifying in record numbers, making phone calls, and holding walk-outs on their campuses. I’ve held the hands of grieving students and their families in the wake of the Umpqua Community College shooting. I’ve seen college students put their lives on the line to fight wildfires. I’ve been humbled to see recent graduates enter the medical field so they can serve their communities in the midst of this global pandemic. And I’ve seen thousands gather across our state from Portland to Pendleton, Bend to Eugene, in a clarion call for racial justice. 

You all are living, learning, and contributing to this state and this country. You will not just inherit this world – you are already actively building it. 

I have also met countless young people who tell me they feel that this world is damaged beyond repair, and that the world’s problems are too big for any one of us to solve. And with the way 2020 has gone so far…I know the feeling.
I hear you when you say that you don’t feel represented in politics. I hear you when you say you’re afraid of what the future might hold. 

While it’s true that I carry with me every single day the privilege of white skin and cisgender, I know what it’s like to be scared to go to work every day. Years ago, when I was a young lawyer, I was afraid of losing my job if someone discovered that I was in a relationship with a woman.

I know what it feels like to look over at the man in the office next to mine and know that he is treated differently. That he is paid more for the same position. Even though I knew I was doing a better job.

I’ve worked my entire career to make Oregon a more equitable and welcoming state to everyone who calls this place home. Our nation’s problems — racism, homophobia and transphobia, sexism, climate change, health care, immigration — are all addressed in major ways at the ballot box.

They’re addressed in your vote for President, members of Congress, Governor, and state legislators. They are also addressed by your vote for county sheriff, district attorneys, judges, city council, county clerks, bond measures, and local taxes. 

This election will have big impacts on America, but also your local community. I hope a lot of people turn out and vote. We anticipate seeing record-breaking turnout across the country and here in Oregon. 

It’s critical to have your voice heard. Whether your issue is gun reform, climate change, police reform, racial justice, or reproductive justice, your voice makes a difference. 

So it’s time; the deadline to vote is Nov. 3. But, don’t wait — make a plan with your friends on how you’ll vote. It’s critical to get your ballot in early. Will you walk it to a drop box location? Will you mail it in the first week? Have you set a calendar reminder? I plan to vote early, and take advantage of Oregon’s paid postage to get my ballot to the county clerk. 

I can’t say it enough: your vote is your voice. And every voice counts.

Disney’s Affinity War

Discussing the controversy of Disney’s casting 

Sean Martinez | Copy Editor

Now, I’m going to go on record and say that the most complicated relationship in my life is with Disney. As problematic as it can be at times, I still greatly appreciate the things I gain from it — namely Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar — but I also acknowledge that they have an unhealthy obsession with trying to make it to the top of the box office every year. 

Coincidentally, this obsession landed the company in hot water. 

Before Disney released 2020’s “Mulan” exclusively on Disney+ in early September, Disney fans attempted to boycott the film. The problem didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Disney launched a more accurate rendition of the story, or the fact there was an Asian female lead character. Rather, the problem had to do with the actress cast as Mulan, Liu Yifei, and her stance on what’s been happening in Hong Kong.

In June of 2019, residents of Hong Kong protested for pro-democracy when Hong Kong attempted to pass a law that would extradite residents of Hong Kong to China. However, things took a turn when the police retaliated. The situation has gotten so violent that protesters had to use umbrellas to shield themselves from tear gas and other chemical weapons.

In response to the police force’s actions, Liu Yifei shared a controversial post on Sina Weibo, a Chinese blog, that read, “I also support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now.”

Perhaps what’s most upsetting about this situation is that Disney finally cast a Chinese American woman to star in a groundbreaking film, but some believe the actress they chose does not represent Asian people in a positive light. 

Sadly, this is not the only casting problem in 2020; another example is the casting of Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in “The Mandalorian.” 

Again I reiterate: the issue does not concern the fact that Dawson has a mixed diverse ethnic background — it’s about her beliefs. 

In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against the Dawson family when they verbally and physically assaulted a transgender man named Dedrick Finley. Instead of facing consequences for her actions, she’s being rewarded by playing one of the most iconic and strong female characters in Star Wars.

I’m sure there are countless more controversial casting decisions that I’m not yet aware of, but regardless, the message remains the same. Disney needs to prioritize casting accurate portrayals of their characters over the amount of money they wish to make. Casting someone who fits the character’s ethnic background isn’t enough. The problem with Yifei and Dawson is that they have no affinity to their respective characters. Mulan would not condone police brutality in her country, and Ahsoka would not assault someone just because they’re transgender. 

My intention with this piece is not to persuade anyone to not watch these films. Like I said before, I’m a huge Disney fan, and I’m still going to enjoy watching whatever content they produce; it is because I’m passionate about the characters and stories that Disney has created that I want them to strive to do better and succeed, without a cynical penny being spent. 

If Disney can let go of their obsession, and shine a brighter spotlight on characters they’ve misrepresented in the past, they could win back the respect from fans that have left. With a new generation watching these movies, young audiences will have proper role models teaching them valuable life lessons. 

Contact the author at smartinez17@wou.edu

Letter from the Editor

Adapting The Western Howl in the face of uncertainty

Cora McClain | Editor-In-Chief

Hey Western, I’m glad to be writing to you once again. While I am overjoyed to be returning as The Western Howl’s editor-in-chief, I’m also worried beyond belief. I won’t lie to you; it has been a stressful month leading up to the beginning of fall term. I may have a year of experience under my belt, but nothing could have prepared me for the uncertainty of fall 2020. 

Many changes within university funding have put IFC funded areas, like Student Media, in a tough spot. Suffice to say, we had to adapt many moving pieces within The Western Howl. We had to reorganize everything within our organization, and for a while there, it looked like there wasn’t going to be a Student Media for fall term. We got lucky, and get to uphold our promise to report to you, Western.

The story is confusing — everything leading up to this term has been confusing — but I’m here to lay it all out for you.  For clarity’s sake, instead of weaving some thematic elements here and there, I will just be explaining these larger changes, since they are so drastic and different from previous years.

Firstly, like many other IFC funded areas, Student Media was hit with damaging budget cuts, 45% to be exact. This led Student Media to no longer be able to pay for an adviser position, so we lost our adviser once again. 

So, I ask that you bear with us Western, as we will have little support from administration as we transition into an even more difficult time than we did last year. We may make mistakes along the way, and for this, I ask for your understanding.

Along with this, The Western Howl staff, like many other people affected by COVID-19, are receiving a reduced pay, cutting hours of work out of staff paychecks. The ability to pay less hours means we won’t be able to create as much content as in previous years. 

Furthermore, the way we produce the paper changed to reflect these budget cuts. Our weekly issues have been reduced from 12 pages to 8 pages, without a Sports section for the foreseeable future. We will not be distributing printed issues, possibly for the whole 2020 to 2021 academic year if the online trend continues. Though our red newsstands will be empty, The Western Howl will continue to write and report stories for online editions.

Since we are unable to print, we have also decided to only design an issue every other week. These bi-weekly designed issues will be uploaded to The Western Howl website in pdf form and through Issuu. Rest assured, we will still offer weekly stories directly uploaded to our website, with ongoing stories updated as information reveals itself. 

Though these less desirable changes are underway, the Howl has also looked into ways to expand in other areas. Because the website is becoming increasingly more important — and our only point of traffic — a redesign is underway. 

On top of that, our digital media manager is working hard to increase social media and online media content creation. We are hoping to engage more with you, Western, whether you are here, on campus, or remote.

Part of this expansion includes a bi-weekly podcast alternating from serious topics to more fun and entertaining casts. Along with this, the Howl is going to engage in more organizational integration within Student Media by hopping on KWOU to report a news hour every Wednesday, talking about the stories that came out that week.

I understand how jarring these alterations to the Howl may seem, and they are equally as disorienting for the staff. All of our lives are going through transitions we didn’t expect, however with flexibility and perseverance we can all get through these unexpected times. 

Stay strong, Western, you’re not alone.

Contact the author at howleditor@mail.wou.edu