oregon – The Western Howl

Jan. 28, 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

Retail is the type of job that many dread to think about working. A very underappreciated type of work, retail is described by Indeed as a type of job that involves “selling products to customers.”

From a small business to a large corporation, there are many different types of retail jobs. While there are admittedly a lot of negatives to working these types of jobs, I thought it would be interesting to write about the benefits of being a retail worker. As of June 2025, I have been working in a retail job at a popular phone service company. This is the first retail job that I’ve done in my life, and I thought about writing about the benefits that come along with this unique kind of job.

Most retail jobs are at places that involve interacting with the public quite often. Whether it be a large fast food chain or a small coffee shop, retail jobs involve interacting with customers who are interested in food, services or products.

One benefit that retail workers have is being exposed to many different types of people. As someone who works at a phone store where anyone who has enough money can buy a piece of technology that fits in their pocket, many different people come into the store. People of color, people with disabilities, people who are kind, some who are unfortunately not and some who are just looking for some help with an issue.

Aside from the background of customers, many fit into four different types: direct, emotional, expressive and analytical.

Customers who are direct prefer to have all the facts laid out in front of them immediately so that they have a clear image of what is happening. They want to feel like they are in control of the situation and don’t want their time to be wasted.

Then, there are the emotional types of customers who enjoy getting to know the person they are working with. Conversation is valued with these patrons, and they appreciate wanting to be included in whatever transaction they are doing, whether it be speaking about their day when waiting for items to be scanned or wanting to know how the product will help them.

Expressive customers enjoy connecting with people and will often speak about things aside from the items in front of them. It’s important for the worker to acknowledge their desire to connect with them and get to know them.

Lastly, there are analytical customers. Similar to the direct types of consumers, analytical people are less likely to want to engage in small talk and want to get accurate information from the person. They want their concerns or questions to be acknowledged properly and to be taken seriously.

All these types of customers teach the retail associate how to interact with them, what will make them happy and what will potentially upset them. This can be a very eye-opening experience for those who may not have been exposed to different types of people. This allows retail workers to develop customer service skills, confidence, empathy and sales knowledge.

Another strength that comes from retail work is the variety there is in it. Entry-level jobs include cashiers, people who collect payments for the items that customers buy and customer service representatives, who are responsible for speaking with customers about any questions, concerns or complaints they may have about purchases or services. There are also sales associates, which is what I am. A sales associate is a mix of the previous two, where they are responsible for greeting customers, answering questions and using cash registers to process payments. These jobs can be done throughout fast food places, supermarkets, coffee shops, pottery shops and phone retailers.

For those who do not like interacting with the public very much, there are a few retail jobs that can at least limit the number of people that need to be seen by the worker. There are the obvious ones, such as inventory specialists or those who package products for delivery. These types of jobs involve storing and tracking supplies that are needed for the business. They can help people learn organizational, technical and logistical skills. There are also visual merchandisers, who are the ones who create appealing displays to attract customers to their products. They need visual design skills as well as a creative mind to do their job properly.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that there are some negatives that come with this type of job. It’s well known that those who work in retail are incredibly underappreciated. Working in this type of environment that involves working with the public and always maintaining friendly mannerisms can be exhausting. It can also be difficult if someone were to encounter customers who were rude or demanding. However, I will say that it is rare to deal solely with terrible people. There are usually some good customers that will help balance out the day.

Another negative that can come with this type of work is irregular scheduling. A lot of different customer service industries, in particular, can have special hours outside of a regular work week, such as holidays or weekends. There can also be a variety in the hours of a shift that a service worker can be scheduled to do every week. While it could be seen as a flexible work schedule for some, for those who enjoy consistency in their hours, this type of scheduling can be annoying.

Retail work has been underappreciated for way too long now. While there are definitely a lot of complaints I can make about working the job I have currently at the phone service company, I will say it has been the most character-building experience I’ve had in my life. Patience has been tested, coworkers have been bonded with, scheduling has been flexible enough to attend university and I have spoken to many kinds of people in the six months I’ve worked there.

To anyone who works a retail job — I appreciate you.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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Portland Cascade

Jan. 28 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

On Jan. 13, it was announced that Portland will be home to one of the six teams from the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, or AUSL.

Portland is already a prolific city when it comes to women’s professional sports. The Portland Thorns, which play in the National Women’s Soccer League, have been a big name in the state since 2012, with notable players from Team USA rounding out their roster. In September 2025, Portland Thorns owner RAJ Sports, led by the brother-sister duo of Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, also bought the rights to a WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire, which will begin its inaugural season in May this year. Portland even has The Sports Bra, a sports bar dedicated to showcasing women’s collegiate and professional sports. The AUSL Portland Cascade is the newest team to join this lineup.

In 2024, the AUSL began its first season with four teams playing round robin-style games on its touring season. Each team was named for its captain, typically the pitcher or catcher, and was packed with the best names of collegiate softball. During the season, the AUSL picked up traction, and it was soon announced that the league would have its inaugural season in 2025, with the four teams being renamed to the Volts, the Bandits, the Blaze and the Talons. This inaugural season also meant a partnership with the MLB, with the league investing in the AUSL to help establish it as a sustainable organization.

Late 2025 meant that two expansion teams were announced, along with the league moving to become city-based rather than touring-based. The Oklahoma City Spark was the first team to establish its headquarters in the aforementioned city, known as the home of the College Softball World Series. The other five teams had to wait until 2026 to announce their home cities.

The Portland Cascade will play at Hillsboro Ballpark, which is the home of the Minor League Baseball Hillsboro Hops. Hillsboro Ballpark is currently under construction, which came after the MLB changed ballpark standards for minor league teams in 2021, forcing the team to build a new venue altogether. However, the ballpark will be completed in time for the Hops and the Cascade to begin their 2026 seasons in April and June, respectively. The stadium is 229,000 square feet and can hold up to 6,000 fans for games and 7,000 for concerts, costing Hops ownership, the state of Oregon and the city of Hillsboro a combined $150 million.

The Cascade boasts a strong lineup, including standouts Sam Landry, fresh from the University of Oklahoma, and Sis Bates, a former University of Washington player. Both received multiple All-American awards during their collegiate careers, while Landry boasts an NCAA National Championship with Oklahoma, and Bates brings multiple defensive player of the year titles, including the AUSL’s defensive MVP award in her rookie season. Both Landry and Bates played for the Volts in the 2025 season.

The storied Tairia Flowers was announced as the Cascade’s head coach. During her time with Team USA softball, Flowers won gold at the Athens Olympics, silver at the Beijing Olympics and gold in the 2002 and 2006 Softball World Championships. In her coaching career for Team USA, Flowers has played multiple roles, including head coach, assistant coach and selection committee member.

The Cascade will play the season opener in Durham, North Carolina June 9 against the Carolina Blaze, and their home opener June 18 against the Oklahoma City Spark.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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Students protest in Salem

A photo of the Western students that attended the protest in Salem on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. | Photo courtesy of Jacob Prater

Jan. 28 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Monday, Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — saw a turnout of hundreds at the Oregon State Capitol, where a collection of Western students joined protesting efforts.

The rally was held to show solidarity with the immigrant community as well as protest the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration. Calling for immigration reform, protesters also heavily drew from Martin Luther King Jr.’s mission to establish equality and peaceful resistance.

Event participants and organizers discussed the current political state of the US, saying that students and families are experiencing a lot of fear due to immigration crackdown efforts.

Salem police reported around 400 rally attendees. One incident involving the unlawful use of pepper spray had one man arrested, but names and further details have yet to be released.

One of about 20 counterprotesters, Thomas Allen, 36, was present at the rally in a similar fashion to his controversial appearance at Western Dec. 3, 2025, brandishing a microphone, camera and pro-Trump merchandise. At the end of Fall term, Allen appeared on campus while livestreaming on multiple platforms and was recorded using racial slurs and threatening students that they would be deported by ICE.

Western student Jacob Prater said, “I wanted to attend to help show that we have power in numbers and help spark more resistance statewide against ICE in Oregon. We vastly outnumber counterprotesters and are the majority.”

One intention of the rally is to build momentum behind an immigrants’ rights package. Families impacted by immigration enforcement would receive increased protections and financial support.

The rally followed increased ICE presence, as well as increased tension, across the country after the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Locally, Albany mother Maria Trinidad Loya Medina was kidnapped Jan. 10 by ICE in the Big 5 parking lot after heading in to shop, leaving behind her young son in the car. Her GoFundMe stated that federal agents shattered her driver’s side window to “get ahold of her.” She had no criminal record and was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. According to sources closer to the family, she may be released next month.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

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Axial Seamount

Jan. 28 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

In 2025, it was expected that the underwater volcano Axial Seamount would erupt. This did not happen. Now, experts are claiming 2026 is its year.

Located approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast, and a mile deep into the ocean, Axial Seamount is considered the most active submarine volcano in the Northeast Pacific and potentially faces a volcanic eruption this year.

Despite the potential fear that can come with the words “volcanic eruption,” it’s very unlikely that the Axial Seamount volcano will create any impact for Oregonians. Simply put, the volcano is quite far offshore and really deep, despite being incredibly active, with an eruption history of 2011 and 2015 most recently. In fact, if someone were in a boat on the ocean directly over Axial Seamount as it erupts, they would feel none of the effects on the surface. If well underwater, however, it could be heard.

An eruption from Axial Seamount can last days or weeks; in 2015, it spat out 5.5 billion cubic feet of lava into the ocean — creating pillow lava that emerged from being rapidly cooled.

Seismic activity and seafloor inflation from magma is what indicated to scientists that Axial Seamount was nearing eruption, the volcano being one of the most well-studied. It’s said to have one of the most complex geographical builds, being part of a chain of seamounts — underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity — and intersecting the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

The Regional Cabled Array is an ocean observatory that provides data in real time from the seafloor and water column that stretches across the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate to scientists. Through a network of 560 miles (900 kilometers) of electro-optical cables and two-way communication lines to scientific sensors, researchers are able to collect data and monitor activity.

And, while pressure has increased and Axial Seamount is seeing similar levels as prior to its 2015 eruption, it’s holding steady; researchers think mid-to-late 2026 is when the submarine volcano could experience some activity.

In November, Oregon State University announced a new experiment utilizing collected data from the Regional Cabled Array to try and accurately predict an eruption. Underwater or not, volcanic eruptions can be impossible to predict, as no good framework exists, only the option of surveying old activity and comparing it to the present.

Now, Axial Seamount is taller than it was in 2015 when it last erupted. Although nobody will be harmed or even remotely affected by its potential eruption — anticipated eruption, even — scientists are looking forward to absorbing its data and tracking an underwater volcano eruption, which is extremely difficult to do.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

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Living in the shadows

A photo of a child standing alone while a crowd of soldiers stare at them. | Photo from @35awards on Instagram

Jan. 21 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

The topic of mental health has been a controversial topic for some. Despite the progress that has been made with the depiction of it in movies and shows, there are many who have negative thoughts about those who have mental illnesses. There are a lot of negative stereotypes or beliefs about these disorders in the public eye. Whether it be certain cultures’ view on it or the spread of inaccurate information about various mental conditions, our health in the mind has always had a stigma surrounding it.

Stigma is defined by Oxford Languages as “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.” Stigma originates from a lack of understanding or fear of a subject. In the case of mental health, a lot of people do not understand it, leading to many misconceptions being spread about it. According to the American Psychiatric Association, more than half of people with a mental illness are not receiving help for their disorder. People actively avoid seeking treatment for their mental health due to stigma surrounding the subject that could make people around them treat them differently. Stigma, prejudice and discrimination against those with mental health issues could be subtle or obvious. An example would be having a get-together with friends, but excluding one of the friends who has told them that they suffer from a mental illness; another would be using derogatory labels on them, such as “psycho” or saying that they’re “crazy.”

There are three types of stigma that should be understood. First is public stigma — these are the negative attitudes that the public has about mental health, which leads to discriminatory thoughts for individuals who have them. Second, self-stigma is the destructive thoughts that someone who has a mental condition will have. This can lead to shame or suppression of their problems, which is self-destructive in both ways and will not aid the person in their situation. Finally, there is structural stigma, which is a systemic type of bias that involves policies in the government or other organizations that either intentionally or unintentionally place limits on people with mental illness on what they can and cannot do. An example of this would be unequal insurance coverage. Some insurance companies are more likely to cover physical injuries than treatments for mental health, like therapy or prescription medication.

Recently, I was beginning to wonder why mental health is seen so terribly in the first place. I knew why, from a Hispanic background, as in many Latin American cultures, it is viewed as a sign of weakness. Many people who are part of this culture take pride in their ability to manage themselves and work for everything they have. So when someone admits to having an issue, they can be shamed for being unable to take care of themselves. In other cultures, it is viewed similarly.

In Asian societies, mental illness is viewed as a sign of personal weakness or failure of maintaining self control. Saving face is significant in this culture, as honor is an incredibly valuable social aspect to have. Being associated with a mental illness in this culture could be seen as bringing shame to the family name.

In Arab cultures, mental illnesses are viewed as a form of divine punishment. They are attributed to the person who suffers from the condition doing something to displease the higher power, which will not only bring them potential accusations of wrongdoing, but also stigmatization from their community. Those who struggle with this may also seek out religious or spiritual interventions to treat their illnesses. While it could work for some, it will not work for everyone.

In African cultures, they ascribe spiritual or supernatural causes, such as possession by evil spirits, as the cause for mental conditions. There is also a historical context when considering that many African Americans were denied freedom on the basis of false mental illness diagnoses.

According to Mental Health America, a physician named Samuel Cartwright created racist and false mental diagnoses. The purpose of this was to create a reason not to let enslaved people be free, as they were seen as unable to take care of themselves. “Even in the early 1900s, leading psychiatrists thought Black and African American people to be ‘psychologically unfit’ for freedom.” Their trauma from being enslaved was used against them to keep them oppressed.

Poor depictions of those who have mental illnesses have also spread harmful messages that people who suffer from various disorders are likely to have random bursts of violence or to be labeled as crazy. In reality, someone who has a condition is more likely to be victimized instead of being the cause of other people’s suffering. Mental illness has become overgeneralized, with many media portrayals showing the same kinds of things. A lot of the time, it is depicted as being an incurable condition that no one can recover from. Yet, according to the Centennial Mental Health Center, “as many as 80 percent of people suffering from mental illnesses can effectively return to normal, productive lives if they receive proper treatment.”

On a more personal note, my family had never acknowledged mental health. It was never spoken about, never discussed. It was a completely foreign concept in my very old-school, very Hispanic household. So, when I began having issues with my psychological well-being, I was told that it was all in my head and that I needed to stop feeling sad. I wish it were that easy. Naturally, I was starting to act out as a preteen and my mother decided to send me to counseling. She wanted to know why I was such an angry kid. Eventually, I was diagnosed with depression. I then became the topic of my aunt’s gossip.

A lot of the time, the stigma itself is worse than the actual illness. I certainly feel that way. Those who suffer from mental health issues only want to be seen as a person, not a nutcase or a weak individual. Struggling with the condition itself is difficult and the stigma only makes people feel more isolated. So, when meeting or becoming friends with someone who has a condition — don’t be quick to judge.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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A literature nerd’s dream game

An image of the cover art of the game “Tiny Bookshop.” | Photo from @neoludic on Instagram

Jan. 21 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

I love cozy games. Cozy games are known for being the types of games that are designed to be relaxing and non-combative. They are designed to be brightly colored with activities that range from organization to puzzle solving to decoration. Some can have combat, though it is typically simplistic. However, I believe that the main purpose of this genre is falling in love with the game’s world, having the player express themselves in their own unique way with customization and learning about the colorful characters these games have to offer. Games such as “Animal Crossing,” “Stardew Valley,” “Slime Rancher” and “Unpacking” are all very well known for being enjoyable, cozy games.

One game that deserves much more attention is a little game called “Tiny Bookshop.” Released in 2025 and developed by Neoludic Games, “Tiny Bookshop” is a game where the player leaves their old life behind to move to a coastal town known as Bookstonbury to run a traveling second-hand bookshop. After playing the demo and quickly falling in love with the game, I bought the full version and spent most of winter break playing through the game, even completing the main story.

Gameplay — The game consists of the player moving around various locations to sell books. The player will start out with only one shelf that holds a certain number of books, and it is their job to stock the shelves. The books are color-coded, with each color being a different genre. Different locations will prioritize different types of literature, so it’s important to keep that in mind. Once on location, the player opens the shop, and customers will come inside to browse the selection. When recommendation requests pop up, the player gets the opportunity to look at the books stocked on the shelf. Each book will have the title, author and a brief description of the story. The customer will tell the player what kind of book they are looking for, and it’s the player’s job to find the closest book possible to that description. If successful, more customers will come in and buy more of the stock. If the interaction fails, nothing really happens aside from the customer leaving immediately.

Customization — For anyone who really enjoys customization, “Tiny Bookshop” has incredible options for making the bookshop ideal for each player. The shop is able to be painted in various colors from the start, with more available for purchase later on in the game. Some of the decorations that are bought can also be painted in custom colors, such as the bookshelves. There are many different types of furniture available to buy with the in-game currency the player receives from selling books. Certain items can be gained from the characters in the town as they are befriended, with most of the items having boosts for certain genres of books, as well as some types of customers. For example, during the fish market, the player will receive a major boost in sailor customers if their shop is decorated with beach or sea decor. If it isn’t, the customers will avoid the bookshop due to the player’s “lack of taste.” There is also a coffee machine that increases the number of customers on rainy days. It also generates more revenue, so I strongly recommend getting it.

Lovable characters — The first character we meet is Tilde, who is the retired bookshop owner of Bookstonbury. She teaches the player the ropes of running the shop at the beginning of the game and is very well known throughout the town as a gentle woman with a big heart.

Shortly after meeting her, we meet Fern, who is the town journalist. They are a bit shy and awkward around the player, but they quickly warm up and even ask for their help at times.

Walt is next, known as the town’s retired sailor who is generally more reserved but kind. He’s incredibly antagonistic toward the cruise ship that will occasionally visit the town. Once the player’s friendship increases with him, he will be able to invite them to the fishing market that happens on certain days of the month.

Maryam is next and, quite honestly, I didn’t like her as much at first. She’s the owner of a cafe and a very straightforward, no-nonsense character who will voice her opinion in a rather blunt way. However, as the player gets to know her and sees the relationship she has with Tilde, there is a soft spot to her harsh exterior.

Moira is Maryam’s niece. She’s a very nonchalant character who, similar to her aunt, is a bit stubborn. She and her aunt can fight at times, but both of them think very highly of the other. She’s a goth queen who is into the supernatural and enjoys a good horror book. She also has a rock band where she plays guitar.

Harper is a child who comes frequently to the bookshop. She is a very smart kid and incredibly persuasive. This child was capable of convincing other children to construct a massive sand castle on the beach that was multi-leveled and needed a construction crew, while having the player fund it all. Harper has quite the leadership skills.

Klaus is a character who works at the Méga Marché, which is basically this town’s version of a cheap supermarket. He is also part of Moira’s band, playing guitar and being a singer, as well as Harper’s uncle.

Anne is a university student who enjoys plants and will often sell them at the flea market. She is immediately very sweet toward the player and gives them a lot of plants. Anne enjoys romance and fantasy while completely hating nonfiction books, so I like to think she is basically me.

Overall, “Tiny Bookshop” has had me in a chokehold since I bought it. With its engaging gameplay, expansive customization and compelling characters, there was so much that made me want to keep coming back to play it so many times. The artstyle is also very appealing, giving a sort of cartoon comic vibe while the music is relaxing. I strongly recommend this game to anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of cozy games. It’s available on Steam and on the Nintendo Switch.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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The rebirth of bookstores

A photo of the inside of Browsers’ Bookstore. | Photo by Hannah Field

Jan. 21 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Recent bookstore statistics prove that popularity for local businesses in the US is climbing rather than subsiding five years after the coronavirus shutdown, with communities rallying and the landscape of bookstores adapting to meet modern demands.
The American Booksellers Association, or ABA, reported a membership increase of 18% and 323 new brick-and-mortar, pop-up and mobile stores opening across the United States in their 2024 annual report. They noted that 2024 had “the most successful Independent Bookstore Day to date.”
According to Harvard Business School, despite local bookstores struggling to remain afloat during pandemic regulations that limited business operations and corporations like Amazon dominating the industry, localism has become a social movement that has been steering indie bookstores back to the forefront. Communities have emerged to shop small and support local businesses in the wake of recent corporate boycotts against companies like Starbucks, Target and Amazon for their various methodologies, including anti-union sentiments alongside a lack of corporate accountability and diversity inclusion.
Abe Richmond, owner of Browsers’ Bookstore located in Albany, Oregon, said, “I was working here during the pandemic. It was obviously bizarre, and we closed for several months, but the customer base rallied behind us. So we would do sidewalk drop-offs, they would pay for it over PayPal or whatever, Instagram, and then we would package their books and put them on the porch.”
Richmond bought Browsers’ from the previous owner after graduating from Oregon State University, having been an employee of his, and has been at the forefront for more than three years. While Browsers’ Bookstore handled the precarious nature of being a small business during the pandemic, the customer base has also adapted to new ownership — and adapted well, with Richmond being recognized across town as the owner of Browsers’ and building a solid rapport with customers who seek out his services specifically.
When it comes to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, resale bookstores like Browsers’ suffer less than one might think. “I like them because people will spend $40 on a new hardcover in Salem and then read it, and then not know what to do with it, so then they bring it here. And I have a fairly new, good-shaped book.”
Customers who drop off books may receive in-store credit at Browsers’ to spend. Beyond that, Richmond also displays local authors and merchandise drawn by nearby artists. “It’s counterintuitive. Because who is this person, you know? But then, if you point it out, like, ‘Hey, they live in Albany or Corvallis,’ people are like, ‘Oh, I’ll read it almost just for that sake.’ Whereas if it was some other book that you’d never heard of, they’d probably pass over it.”
He also noted the enjoyable community aspect when authors host signing events at Browsers’, bringing a sense of life to local stores. Richmond also instrumented a film drop box through Light Rider Studios, meaning customers can drop off their film to get developed on their behalf and delivered.
Bookstores have been changing since the 1970s, with 43% of local bookstores closing between 1995 and 2000, reminiscent of the decline in physical bookstore sales through the Kindle push in the late 2000s and 2019, when Amazon had sold more than half of all books in the United States. Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, stated, “Amazon isn’t happening to the book business. The future is happening to the book business.”
Amazon was founded in 1994 as an online bookseller by Bezos. Since then, the ABA has labeled it an unchecked monopoly, claiming that it stifles competition and that it has an enormously negative impact on the bookselling market. Amazon was able to expedite growth, printing an effective blueprint to attract customers and obtain and keep wealth by failing to comply with tax regulations and offering duty-free purchases.
Amazon also regularly offers discounted books, undercutting businesses that have to sell at full price in order to stay afloat. Booksellers have been forced to drop employees in order to stay profitable — which could also be a part of why Richmond and Sydney-Anne Graves are the sole paid workers as owners of their respective businesses, Browsers’ Bookstore and Monarch Books.
Regardless, Richmond and Graves have found success. And, according to the Associated Press, others are too; more than 200 local bookstores were predicted to open across the country between 2023 and 2025.
Monarch Books only just started in April of 2024 out of Lebanon, Oregon, owned and founded by Sydney-Anne Graves, who was a senior in high school when she encountered at a coffee shop the landlord of the building in which Monarch Books resides. That conversation alone spurred Graves to tell her mom later that night: “Mom, I’m buying a bookstore.”
After touring the building — reportedly falling in love with it — and dedicating multiple weeks to deep-cleaning, Monarch Books came to life under Graves’ new ownership and keen eyes.
“We opened, and (that) first day, it was really busy,” said Graves. “And I was like, ‘Okay, this might work out.’ It was really busy. And then, ever since, I’ve been slowly getting more inventory in, decorating, getting it to my vibe. I really love a lot of colors and plants, and there’s still a lot of ideas I have for in here, but it’s come so far from where it originally was.”
Richmond expressed appreciation for the anti-corporate push in 2025, leading to more local shoppers steering clear of Amazon and other corporate sellers. In the current political and social state of the US, local businesses may be inclined to further build queer-safe communities and book selections as opposed to corporate booksellers — potentially building a reliable customer base seeking a supportive book hub and shared community.
Browsers’ Bookstore remains open consistently under Richmond’s new ownership and maintains a loyal clientele across nearby cities. A good chunk of customer interaction relies on online postings and website sales through Browsers’ Bookstore’s virtual pages.
“I sell a lot (from what) I post on Instagram, and then people will be like, ‘Hey, I’ll take it.’ And so they come in and pay for it,” said Richmond. “It’s weird, though, because say you wanted a book we don’t have. It shocks me every time how many people are like, ‘Hey, can you order it for me?” Instead of them hopping on Amazon, because we go through a new book distributor. But I think it’s because people want to support. I think people like having bookstores.”
“It’s just so awesome, and it’s really cool to see that so many people still support the book community,” said Graves. “I was really nervous about that. I know I read and I know some of my friends read, but I don’t know how many people actually still buy books or shop downtown — so I think that was the most nerve-wracking part about it. But it’s been really great.”
Another aspect of the resurgence of bookstores is the online platforms Instagram and TikTok, cultivating an online community of book lovers. Dubbed “bookstagram” and “booktok,” readers and writers participate in hashtags, giveaways and online sharing, creating trends and catapulting books onto bestseller lists through sheer word of mouth via the internet.
“I feel like I get new customers every single week,” said Graves. “There are so many people who still love reading and that’s (been) helped a lot with bookstagram and booktok, different things that have really kind of inspired people to get back into it, which is so cool.”
“Taylor Swift — I’m not sure what — did something with Shakespeare,” said Richmond. “I’ve had so many women, and girls, college and under, be like, ‘I need Shakespeare.’ … It’s the same, if a movie comes out of a book, people flood the place, like when ‘Dune’ came out. Yeah, I couldn’t keep ‘Dune’ to save my life.”
“I was like, ‘Why is my Shakespeare selling all of a sudden?’ Nobody cared about this before,” Graves joked.
Taylor Swift’s most recent album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” features imagery, lyrics and photography modeled after Shakespeare’s character Ophelia in “Hamlet,” no doubt causing the wave of Shakespeare-mania that Richmond and Graves both experienced. “Dune” amassed a box office of more than $400 million in 2021 and “Dune: Part Two” grossed $715 million in 2024, with the “Dune” franchise built off of six core books written in the 1960s through the 80s.
However, there is a catch to the media frenzy. Allison K. Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, blames Amazon: “Amazon is now the water we swim in … There are multiple ways that an independent bookstore is forced to not only interact with Amazon, but support them — books made into shows streaming on Prime Video are printed with Amazon stickers on the cover.”
Regardless, books have long since had movie adaptations, and well before Amazon and other corporations took hold. Much like local bookstores, movie theaters are becoming increasingly popular — for the second time. Upcoming releases like “Wuthering Heights,” “Project Hail Mary” and “Sunrise on the Reaping” are all 2026 book-to-movie adaptations spanning classic literature, sci-fi and the famous Hunger Games franchise. Show adaptations are equally successful, with notable pop-culture stars of book-to-show adaptations being “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “Heated Rivalry” — currently thriving on HBO Max — and “Bridgerton.”
With books inspiring much of modern media turnout, it’s unlikely that books and bookstores will succumb to the strains of aging. In a way, books are trendy again, as the statistics prove — Barnes & Noble opened almost 70 new locations in 2025 and has more on the way.
Hill said in a statement in the 2024 annual report, “The numbers only tell part of the story. This momentum occurred despite significant challenges: the usual ones like thin margins, rising costs, and Amazon’s chokehold on our industry, and urgent threats that shook the very foundation of our work as the right to read and access books faced sustained, coordinated attacks.”
The current presidential administration has made a dedicated effort to place bans on books that affect educators and librarians, limiting access to certain content, especially that which discusses gender, race and sexuality. While that’s less likely to impact independent booksellers, the pressure remains to conform as book access limits book readers and their interests. Additionally, independent bookstores can rely on author visits and community involvement; divisive political action can split a customer base or turn away potential author-bookstore collaborations. The ABA, when discussing concerns for people interested in opening a bookstore, cited “free expression challenges.”
Portland’s own Powell’s Books — the largest independent and used bookstore in the world, spanning one city block and containing over a million potential reads — participated in the ABA’s Banned Books Week event in 2024, discussing the right to read, spreading awareness about book bans and hosting panels.
ABA also conducts the yearly Independent Bookstore Day. In 2024, when the ABA reported the highest participation numbers to date for the event, ambassador Amanda Gorman stated, “Independent bookstores are vital hubs of creativity and community. They offer curated selections that foster discovery for readers, while providing vital support and a platform for diverse voices for writers and other creators. They are the true modern-day town square, the beating heart of our communities, and a place for meaningful interaction and human connection.”
The day involved 1,216 stores from across all 50 states.
“Our mission — to help independent bookstores survive and thrive — remained at the core of everything ABA did,” said Hill.
While the 2025 annual report from the ABA won’t arrive until mid-2026, the expectation is that the indie bookselling industry will only continue to grow in spite of the last decade’s challenges, with Graves adding, “I don’t think books will ever go out of style.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

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The great divide

Jan. 14 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

I am not a very tech-savvy person. Granted, I know my way around most types of phones and computers. Yet that is mostly due to growing up with this kind of technology around. However, as someone who also works for a cell phone service provider, I have had to interact with, set up and attempt to fix a lot of issues with various devices. If there is anything that I have learned during this time, it is that there are stark differences between iPhone and Android phones.

Growing up, Android phones were what was given to me by my predominantly Apple device-loving family. So here’s what I noticed.

Strengths — Android phones have a much simpler operating system that is easy to use and convenient. It typically has three buttons on the home screen: one to go to the home screen, another to see all apps that are open and the last to go back to the previous screen. Android smartphones also come in many different versions. Samsung alone has three different series of phones, each very starkly different from each other. One is fast, one is foldable and the last is cost-effective while still being a decent phone. Another popular Android phone is Google Pixel, which is well known for its camera quality and sturdy design. Motorola phones are known for being budget-friendly, but are reliable and simple.

Weaknesses — A lot of people with Android phones come into the store to tell me that their phone is full of pop-ups. The most common cause of those is “bad apps” being downloaded. Essentially, any kind of “phone cleaner” app is not actually cleaning the phone. Instead, it is slowing down its performance, and some can cause ads to pop up at random times. The battery life is also a major issue I’ve seen, with many getting new phones due to faulty batteries. There are also the constant updates that are done to the system that some may find annoying.

I recently became an iPhone user. After having the phone for a while now, here’s what I’ve observed.

Strengths — Apple’s phones are incredibly fast, with their chip processors able to have many apps open at once without slowing down the smartphone. For newer models, the iPhone battery life is often incredibly good, being able to last an entire day. They also switched their charger from the Lightning cable to a USB-C to become more compatible for Android users who want to switch to iPhone. Furthermore, iPhone’s have their own Apple ecosystem of apps that allows for a much stronger privacy shield compared to Android. iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Cash, etc., are all iPhone-exclusive applications for these types of phones. The Apple App Store is also much more strict with what apps are allowed to be downloaded from it, making it much less likely for any bad apps to affect iPhone users.

Weaknesses — I believe that iPhone’s main weakness is the lack of variety in their phones. While over time the screen size has gotten bigger and the camera positioning has changed, there isn’t a difference between the models. Obviously, if someone compares the first iPhone to the newest one, they look very different. However, there isn’t a huge change between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17. Another issue with Apple is that, due to the strictness of the App Store, many apps are not available to download. There isn’t a variety of different types of apps to get, while Android app stores allow for more options. There is also the fact that iPhones are not as customizable as Android phones. While their display options are sleek and clean looking, I’ve seen much more be able to be done with Androids, whether it be their shortcuts or widget flexibility.

In my opinion, the other differences are minuscule. The keyboards between the two phones look and feel different from each other. Android phones still have “buttons” to control the screen, while iPhone users need to swipe up to navigate the phone.

However, these smaller things are like comparing different fonts. If one is a person who likes consistency, I recommend an iPhone. If variety is preferred, there is an array of different Android phones from many companies that may be the better choice.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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Seeking fear-giveness

A photo of an artwork depicting a woman caressing her cheek in the mirror. | Photo from @alev.neto on Instagram

Jan 7. 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

Special thanks to copy editor Kiera Roedel for being the inspiration to write this article.

I have a habit of saying “sorry” a lot. Like, a lot. While apologizing is an important behavior that everyone has hopefully done throughout their lives when needed, I usually do it to the point where it isn’t. It isn’t something that I thought would be such a big problem. After all, I don’t want to be seen as someone who doesn’t take accountability for their actions.

Yet, I can recognize that a lot of the time, I don’t need to say sorry as much as I do. I am an overapologizer. Overapologizing is the act of apologizing so much that it becomes more of a defense mechanism rather than an actual apology. It is not something that a person will wake up with one day and begin doing. It is usually a learned behavior. It is something that has been developed throughout someone’s life without realizing it. Another term for overapologizing is “the anxious sorry.”

Definition — The anxious sorry is a type of safety behavior. A safety behavior, according to Psychology Today, is a type of “short-acting relief technique” that people use to calm their fears or anxiety. They can involve both avoidance and escapism responses, such as procrastination, reassurance-seeking or even stonewalling. Safety behaviors aren’t necessarily a problem for those who do them, but they can become an issue when they have become the only coping mechanism that someone’s used their entire life. Healthy coping mechanisms like learning from mistakes, problem-solving and learning to accept things are all good ways of coping with issues or dramatic changes. Yet, when the automatic response someone has when facing an issue is “sorry,” it can be a clue into a much deeper problem developing in the mind of the apologizer.

What sorry means to an overapologizer — Overapologizers don’t usually say sorry all the time to be polite. It’s often because they fear something. Fear usually ties into all sorts of things, such as being scared of conflict, anxiety, low self-esteem and people-pleasing tendencies. The word “sorry” then becomes a replacement for feelings that a person may not have the capability of confronting or skills to cope with. Constantly apologizing can cause overapologizers a momentary feeling of relief from whatever bad feeling was giving them the need to apologize, whether it be fear of rejection or anxiety. It is that relaxing feeling that can make a person use the word as a strategy in maintaining relationships.

Potential problems — While saying sorry a lot may not seem like such a big deal, it can become harmful. It is incredibly diminishing to the apologizer’s self worth. It reinforces the thought that they’re wrong, that they are “too much” and that the person is responsible for the emotions of others. Apologizing a lot can also be confusing for those who are around you. Saying sorry often can make the word lose its sincerity, and then the person who you are apologizing to doesn’t understand what it is that is actually needed from the apologizer. There is an irrational fear of upsetting others or being uncomfortable when others around them are upset. Despite knowing that the problem didn’t come from them, overapologizers have this compulsive need to try to diffuse the situation before being able to feel comfortable again.

The signs — One overapologetic behavior would be apologizing for things that the person themselves didn’t do. Situations such as schedule conflicts, apologizing for someone else’s behavior, not carrying cash when it’s needed, etc. Oftentimes, it’s things that the person had no control over or prior knowledge of needing to do that they end up taking responsibility for. Another sign would be saying sorry instead of expressing a need. A good example of this that I personally have lived through would be saying sorry to a partner instead of telling them what it is that I want from them. There was a time that my spouse and their family wanted to go eat at a sushi restaurant. I was the only one who didn’t want to go, but I lied and said I wanted to because I didn’t want to be the reason they didn’t get the food they wanted. I tried to prevent a conflict between them and compromised my own wants to do so.

Likely Causes — Some causes for saying sorry frequently could involve the background of the overapologizer. If they were surrounded by people who were caring and understanding one minute and furious the next, they often have to learn early on how to anticipate the needs of others by minor things such as expressions, tone, hand movement and body language. That could explain the need to want to “diffuse the bomb,” despite not being the cause of it. Trauma is another major factor in apologizing often. A lot of people who experience traumatic events will often blame themselves for it in an attempt to feel in control of the situation. Yet, it can often make the trauma worse and make them perform people-pleasing behavior to feel safe. For people who think less of themselves or have low self-image, feelings of self-resentment can cause them to say sorry for things that often don’t need it. Having low self esteem can also make a person much more likely to be in codependent relationships. Being in a codependent relationship means that the person’s value is tied to their ability to keep the other person in the relationship happy. Taking the blame for whatever conflicts may arise between the two can often be a way to keep the peace to satisfy the other.

Like most problems that we as humans face, the first thing overapologizers need to do is be aware of the issue and try to combat it more. It’s important to become self-aware of how often they say sorry and what situations it tends to come up in more. Try to recognize the feelings that are being felt in that moment and replace the word “sorry” with healthier language. Something I did when coming into work late due to a car issue was apologize for not being on time, despite the fact that I provided a warning and had no control of the situation. Something else I could have said was “thank you for waiting.” Small changes like this can make a big impact on breaking the cycle. Therapy can also be a very good way to combat the action and try to work through what it is that the word “sorry” is replacing. It can be difficult to do, even uncomfortable.

However, I want to remind anyone who reads this that it’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to exist and take up space. No one is inconvenient.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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New Payment System

Dec. 3 2025 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

Western’s business office has announced that they will be coming out with a new payment system starting in December. The current payment system was created by Western with help from U.S. Bank so that it would work well with the Portal system already in place. The business office was already working on changes, such as optimizing a one-point payment system — meaning students only need to go to one place to pay rather than the seven different cashier options currently — and adding credit card machines at front windows for payments. Due to the disappearance of Wolf Web though, they have additional upcoming changes to the online payment system itself they’re working on. By the end of December, Wolf Web will be completely integrated into the new Portal applet, Experience. Since Western’s payment system was through Wolf Web, it will also transition.

This process will be split into rollouts, all of which will be completed by May 2026. The first rollout will start in the second week of December to ensure students can make payments once Wolf Web disappears. This rollout introduces Transact, and will include the basics that are needed for students: a place to pay bills and student SS9 pages — student profile pages — where students can see their account balance and receipt numbers after payments, as well as an account summary and tax notifications. Their SS9 account allows them to view all statements and tax forms in one place.

During this first rollout, students can also send invites to parents or guardians. After a student sends an invite, their parental figure can open the invite, where they will see the student’s name and a link that takes them to a page where they can see both the student’s account and their account. Under their account, they can check account balances and make payments on their student’s tuition. They can also see if there is a pending balance, in case the student made a payment earlier.

When a payment is made under Transact, the system will list the remaining balance. Payments can be made with Apple Pay, a credit or debit card or an ACH. Students and parents should keep in mind that card payments will still have a small fee; the system will alert them to check the fee amount before paying.

During the second rollout, the business office will be working to offer payment plans. The type of payment plan that will be offered will be a three-month plan in which students can split their tuition payments into smaller increments once a month for three months. Students can also have the option to set up an auto payment at the beginning, so they don’t have to go back to manually pay during the payment plan.

The business office also hopes to set up 529 plans during the second or third rollout, meaning students can make electronic payments from a college savings account.

During later rollouts, the business office is looking to see if they can create stores through the financial page in Experience. This would mean that if a campus organization were to sell tickets or anything else, students could purchase them straight from their Portal, meaning they have an option to pay other than cash.

There aren’t any clear dates for what’s to come in the second and third rollouts of the new system, but Western’s business office assured that everything they are planning will be in place by May of next year.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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‘Fake news’

A photo of a book wall. | Photo from @northportbooks on Instagram

Nov. 19 2025 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

In February of 1998, a research paper was released linking autism to vaccinations. This paper has long been proven to be false, with multiple factors in the experiment being questionable at best. Unethical decisions and “callous disregard” for the children that participated in the study are just a few reasons why people questioned these findings. Then, 12 years after the paper was released, one of the doctors who worked on this study admitted that several elements of the paper were incorrect. Despite this, there are still a small number of people who wholeheartedly believe these vaccines are harmful.

The definition of a fact, according to Oxford Languages, is “a thing that is known or proved to be true.” Yet, we live in a world where it is getting harder to distinguish what is true and what is partially true. Even with the accessibility of information at our fingertips, there are many who will believe a video they watched on social media to be fact, despite the very real possibility that it may not be true. Or it may have been misconstrued — it may be factually correct, but lacking context. However, after researching this subject, I’ve come to the realization that facts by themselves don’t usually convince people to change the way they think. It’s often tied to emotion and community.

We as humans are a species that needs a semi-accurate understanding of the world in order to live in it comfortably. We are also very social creatures. Since the dawn of the species, humans have traveled in tribes, working together to survive. Accuracy and truth aren’t the only things that are important to the human mind. We also have a desire to belong. Humans have always had the desire to bond and have relationships with others. We want to be people who fit in and have the approval of others. It is difficult to think of a feeling worse than rejection or disapproval by the person you want it from the most.

In a lot of people’s minds, social connection is more helpful to us in our daily lives than it is for us to understand the truth of a certain idea or fact. We sometimes compromise the truth to make ourselves look better to certain people or a certain community. False beliefs might not be useful in a factual sense, but they are in a social one. James Clear, who wrote an article called “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds,” calls this way of thinking “factually false, but socially accurate.” When it comes to choosing being right over friends and family, the latter usually wins. This is why we, as people, tolerate things that might offend us. It is why a person will bite their lip and turn away if a family member says something that offends them.

Another thing to consider is motivated reasoning. This is when people go to great lengths to try and persuade others that the facts are incorrect or that sources are unreliable. Humans are hard-wired to have an emotional response faster than our conscious thought. Information that supports a person’s preexisting view on the world or thoughts on a subject will be accepted a lot faster than something that completely contradicts it. A lot of the time, people do this to make themselves feel better about new information that contradicts their beliefs.

That also ties into the misinterpretation of facts. A lot of facts are taken completely out of context to be used to support an argument that the fact wasn’t intended to be used for. Some usually do this, not necessarily to tell the truth, but to “prove” their point of view or attack another.

So, if facts can’t change a person’s worldview, there has to be another way to do it. After all, we are all constantly evolving and changing our beliefs. The best way to change someone’s mind is by giving them a new view of what a community looks like. If someone were to completely abandon their beliefs, they would lose their family and their ties to the community that embraced them. James Clear put it best: “No one wants their worldview torn apart if loneliness is the outcome.”

However, like the vaccine belief, these ideas can hang around for a while. A reason that they do is because people continue to discuss them. Ideas are remembered when repeated — that’s also the only way they can be believed. A person is more likely to believe a crazy concept if it comes from someone they know. The train of thought is usually something along the lines of “I know this person. I like them, I share some beliefs with them, why should I not consider this one too?”

One way to combat this is to let the ideas rest; let them die out and be forgotten. This isn’t to say not to speak up for people who are attacked. However, maybe we as people need to change our strategy in dealing with these situations. Being ignorant is a lot harder to do when the person has friends who think differently than they do. Befriending them and being kind to them is the best way to give someone the opportunity to change their beliefs. As Selena Gomez said, “kill ‘em with kindness.”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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Grounds for dismissal

A photo of coffee grounds, beans and in liquid form. | Photo from @harshasipani on Instagram

Nov. 19 2025 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

There is a legend involving the discovery of coffee and goats. Yes, there is. According to this legend, Kaldi was once a goat herder who noticed that after his goats ate the cherries of a specific tree in the ancient forests of the Ethiopian plateau, they became so hyper that they couldn’t sleep through the night. When Kaldi told the priest of the local monastery about the behavior, they decided to do a makeshift experiment where they turned the berries into a drink. After a few sips, they were saying the prayers with a boost of energy. The reason those cherries made everyone so jumpy was that they contained a lovely little drug most college students are utterly familiar with — caffeine.

Most adults are no strangers to caffeine. On average, 4 out of 5 adults consume it daily, myself included. This drug can be found in a lot of different things naturally, but the most common way people consume it is through drinks. The most popular caffeinated beverages are coffee, tea and energy drinks. While most people know what it is and what it does, most aren’t aware of what is a normal side effect of caffeine and what isn’t. Most view it as a harmless drug, because, for the most part, it is, as long as it is used responsibly. So, let’s dig into what makes the bitter taste so powerful.

The definition — According to WebMD, “caffeine is a natural chemical with stimulant effects.” It increases the activity of the brain and nervous system. Caffeine is closely associated with coffee, as it was isolated from the coffee bean by Ferdinand Runge in 1819. It is also a long-lasting drug, taking 5 to 30 minutes to kick in and staying in the body for up to 12 hours, depending on the person.

Purpose — The main reason everyone consumes caffeine is to increase alertness, enhance athletic performance and improve focus. Some also use it for other purposes like ADHD, asthma, low blood pressure and depression, though WebMD does state that there isn’t a lot of good scientific evidence to support the latter four uses.

Side effects — The effects of the drug can involve increased breathing, elevated heart rate and increased mental alertness as well as a boost in physical energy. It also has some side effects involving digestion and urination. Sometimes, people say that coffee can give them heartburn. A possible reason for that is that caffeine can increase the amount of acid in a person’s stomach. Some scientists theorize that because of the bitter taste that can come with the drug, it could lead to a buildup of acid-forming in the stomach. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means that the body will want to urinate more when consumed.

Concerning side effects — For the most part, caffeine is safe for the heart for those who don’t have any preexisting heart conditions. It is possible, though, to have had an inordinate amount. Signs that a person has had too much caffeine could be shakiness, agitation, trouble sleeping, a racing heart and dizziness. It’s also possible for headaches, chest pain and severe anxiety to happen. WebMD notes that a 32-ounce energy drink has a much higher ability to give a person abnormally high heart rhythms and blood pressure.

Amount to have — If a person does not have any sort of underlying conditions, the maximum amount of caffeine someone can consume in a day is about 400 milligrams, which is the amount found in four cups of coffee. However, it is notable that energy drinks can contain a lot more caffeine. According to the Food and Drug Administration, energy drinks typically have 41 to 246 milligrams per can. My energy drink of choice is typically Red Bull. Lately, though, I have been drinking Monster since most people I know have them regularly. I haven’t really liked the taste of it, but I noticed that the drink caused me to feel off. My heart rate increased a lot, my hands were twitching and my chest would occasionally hurt. I found out that there is quite a difference between the two. A 16-ounce Red Bull, on average, contains 136 milligrams of caffeine while a 16-ounce Monster Energy drink has 160 milligrams. Granted, the difference is only 24 milligrams, but it was enough to affect me.

Who shouldn’t have it — Anyone who has any preexisting health conditions or is under the age of 18 could suffer serious health conditions or even death from having too much caffeine. Pregnant women are able to drink it as long as they don’t go over 300 milligrams. Caffeine can pass into breast milk, so limitations while breastfeeding are recommended.

Extreme cases — In 2023, Matthew Patrick, known more commonly as MatPat, made a video called “This Lemonade Could Kill You (Panera),” where he discussed a viral TikTok posted by user @sarachebaus. In her video, she discusses being unaware of how much caffeine is in a now-discontinued product served by Panera known as the “charged lemonade.”

The 20-ounce drink had 260 milligrams of caffeine in it, while the large size had 390 milligrams, which is only 10 milligrams away from being the recommended limit of a person’s daily caffeine intake. She also noted that she drank 4 or 5 of them a day, which would have been the equivalent of 11 Red Bulls, according to MatPat. Both he and @sarachebaus criticized Panera for the lack of any disclaimers of how much caffeine these drinks contained. Despite these drinks having way more of this drug than a typical energy drink, they were not labeled as such. They were only called “charged lemonades” and had in tiny lettering underneath the sign the amount of caffeine in a 20-ounce and a 30-ounce. MatPat then spoke about how potentially dangerous these drinks could be to those with preexisting heart conditions. As it turned out, he was right.

In September of 2022, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student named Sarah Katz went into cardiac arrest shortly after having one of these drinks and passed away. According to USA Today, her family had sued Panera, explaining that she had a heart condition and would explicitly avoid any drinks that had caffeine in them. They accused Panera of being misleading in the marketing, as well as failure to provide labeling that better warned that these drinks were dangerous to those who had underlying health conditions. Another person, 46-year-old Dennis Brown, died from cardiac arrest in October of 2023 after drinking three charged lemonades. His family also sued Panera, explaining that he had high blood pressure and never consumed energy drinks.

Caffeine is a drug. Like any drug, people can become dependent on it. Withdrawal symptoms typically include crankiness, headaches, sweating, anxiety, fatigue and in some cases, muscle pain. Withdrawal can begin within 12 to 14 hours from the last sip taken and can last up to a week. It’s possible to break the dependence by steadily reducing the amount of caffeine being consumed. This gives the body time to adjust to being able to function without depending so much on the drug. So, be mindful of how much is consumed.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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Push for in-person

A photo of a student study group in the Hamersly library. Pictured left to right: Kalyn Gambill (junior), Preet Dhaliwal (senior) and Richard Loos (junior). | Photo by Hannah Field

Nov. 19 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Starting Jan. 5, 2026, all staff members will be required to work on campus five days a week due to a request by Western president, Jesse Peters. The request excludes faculty, meaning professors, but includes all other full-time employees at Western, such as janitorial staff, advisers, counselors, administrators and others.

Any part-time staff member may review their hours with their supervisor, who will then, on a case-by-case basis, determine the best course of action for the staff member. No further information was disclosed regarding the new rule and the effects of the changes are yet to be seen until Winter term begins.

According to Western spokesperson Maureen Brakke, faculty are encouraged to be on campus and communicate with the community as much as possible. With that in mind, the university is aware of additional responsibilities connected to teaching, scholarship and service, leading to greater flexibility for faculty hours. Many professors on campus are long-distance, either via commute or purely teaching online. While the potential of that changing seems unlikely, Western in the new year will be pushing toward in-person classes more than ever before.

“This decision comes in light of WOU’s strong tradition of in-person classroom instruction, with many faculty and students expressing a preference for enhanced face-to-face learning experiences,” said Brakke.

With in-person classes as one of the main priorities of Western at this time, President Peters also requested that the Academic Affairs Division assess undergraduate courses and determine which should be offered as hybrid or fully online options. Considering previous statements from Western, it’s likely that fewer online courses will be available.

Those changes, however, have no announced timeline. The faculty will complete an audit of online and hybrid classes by the end of Winter term, which will then offer more information to the school about maintaining or altering those as online options.

With that information being gathered at the end of March, it’s unlikely that any major changes will take place in the Spring term of 2026 following the week-long break.

“Nothing will be changing immediately,” said Brakke.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

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King tides

Nov. 19 2025 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

King tides — formally known as perigean spring tides — made an appearance along the Oregon coast Nov. 4-7. These tides occur when a full or new moon reaches perigee, when the moon is at the closest point in orbit to the Earth, and when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment. The combination of these two things creates a strong gravitational pull on the ocean, which leads to higher-than-normal tides that push waves the furthest upshore. In general, king tides are the highest level of tides that can be predicted.
Scientists have pointed out factors that contribute to these recent king tide occurrences being more drastic and deadly than others. Over the past decade, sea levels have continued to rise drastically from climate change. The continually higher sea levels cause king tides to reach a higher point on the shore. Additionally, the coast has faced turbulent weather, with large wind and rain storms causing harsher conditions in the ocean. The high levels of wind cause water to swell, intensifying the waves and making the king tides stronger. Normally, king tides aren’t as dangerous, but the combination of all these factors made the tides that occurred recently the most dangerous that have happened.
Newport, Oregon was hit the worst, and was reported to have tides that rose higher than 10 feet. Oregon scientists discussed the high possibility of erosion and flooding. Because the tides were predicted to be so harsh, it was likely that the tides coming so far into the shore would create erosion along the sand and rocks. The tides combined with the stormy weather were a big indicator for flooding as well, potentially even up to U.S. Route 101. Scientists are using the king tide occurrences to observe and document the impacts rising sea levels have on erosion and flooding.
The king tides often attract tourists, whether it be for photography or just viewing. While watching them can be an amazing opportunity, residents are advised by Oregon scientists to remember the dangers they create. Those who go are encouraged to watch from a safe distance and area, and remember to never turn their back on the ocean.
Many residents enjoy visiting the beaches after the tides occur as well, because the high tides often bring in copious amounts of sea treasures for collectors. If anyone likes sea combing, they are recommended to visit right after the king tides because they often yield the best finds. For those who missed these occurrences of the king tides and would like the opportunity to go see them, the tides will appear again Dec. 4-6, 2025, and Jan. 1-4, 2026.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

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Maas(bestos)ke Hall

Maaske Hall while under construction for asbestos abatement. | Photo by Hannah Field

Nov. 19 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Maaske Hall is facing renovations through the end of Fall term on the first floor. Construction began Monday, Nov. 17, and is expected to take roughly three weeks.
In an email sent out to campus, the school reported that a contractor would perform asbestos abatement, which is the process of identifying asbestos and removing, repairing or encapsulating it. Asbestos is a cancer-causing substance, affects the lungs through irritation and causes scarring to the lung tissue. Most often found in buildings or cars, asbestos is present in many buildings built before the 1980s, found in various places such as piping, insulation and roofing. It was a common building material before it was found to be harmful, because of its anti-corrosion and heat-resistant properties.
Due to the risks, the first floor was sealed off to the rest of the building as well as the outside. Students, staff and faculty are asked to not attempt entry into the first floor of Maaske Hall. An exterior elevator is present for use on the north side of the building to enter upstairs, with many offices in the building for faculty on the second and third floors.
Further renovations are reportedly coming in the following Winter and Spring terms, including new flooring, lighting and fresh paint, but no further information was released hinting at what kind of changes or upgrades are coming to the building other than the overall goal: to build a Forensic Education Center.
The center will be an interdisciplinary collaboration in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, led by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Department of Chemistry. “The space will provide hands-on learning in the field of forensics and provide opportunities for wider community and regional engagement,” said Rebecca Chiles, assistant vice president, in an informative email sent to campus.
Maaske Hall is tucked between the Werner University Center and the Math and Nursing Building. It harbors no classes, so students often pass right by it, and many were previously unaware of any inside damage or potential harm, up until the asbestos abatement began and a large danger-sealed gray hallway was sealed to the front doors. Ideally, it’ll attract students for more than their professors’ office hours with the planned Forensic Education Center, which is a first for Western and could spark a lot of positive change in the college community.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

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Western’s lawsuit

A black-and-white photo of the 2023-2024 women’s basketball team playing a match at Western, posted Dec. 4, 2023. | Photo from @wou_wolves and @wouwbb on Instagram

Nov. 19 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

In January of 2025, nine former basketball players from the women’s team at Western filed a $28.2 million lawsuit against the college, coaches Jessica Peatross and Demetrius “DJ” Marlow, athletic director Randi Lydum, Dean of Students Malissa Larson and President Jesse Peters, alleging abuse from coaches Peatross and Marlow that, once reported, led to retaliation via rescinded scholarships.

The 2023-24 women’s basketball season was cut short with six games left without detailed explanation from the university following a practice Feb. 12, 2024. Western conducted an internal investigation while Peatross and Marlow were put on paid administrative leave Feb. 19 until being reinstated two months later after no conduct violations were found.

Recent investigations from the Statesman Journal reported the internal investigation, handled by law firm Littler Mendelson P.C., had “misquoted players, misconstrued situations and misstated what happened during a contentious practice on Feb. 12, 2024, and in the days after it.”

The alleged event included one player, Hanne Hopkins, who bumped into Head Coach Peatross during a drill, which turned into Peatross accusing Hopkins of running into her intentionally and telling her to leave practice, and was captured on video saying “I’m your coach. Get out. Get out. Y’all don’t get a choice.”

The day after, Peatross called the Monmouth Police Department and said she was intentionally elbowed in the chest at the practice and she had left practice to go to the hospital, where she experienced pain on a scale of 1-10 at a 10, and that it felt even worse the next day.

The video taken on a team member’s phone shows Peatross “talking calmly” after the alleged incident, said the Statesman Journal.

Two days after that, Peatross filed a report with Campus Public Safety and said she was experiencing chest and head pain, shortness of breath and nausea. The police officer whom Peatross spoke to earlier tried to contact Peatross for a month following the incident, but heard nothing back, and was denied access to the video by the university according to the Statesman Journal. From there, the investigation was requested to be closed due to “lack of cooperation,” per the police officer.

Monmouth police officers were eventually able to review the video and saw no indication of forceful or intentional contact from the player to Peatross. Police also did not see evidence to support Peatross being injured or in pain.

The team soon met in a small conference room where, when asked, 10 players voted to not play the six games remaining in their season. According to the Statesman Journal, some of the players expressed feeling pressured by the coaches to leave the team, with Peatross allegedly giving an ultimatum to player Ana McClave: “You either quit or you come and you kiss my ass.”

Both coaches were placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 19, 2024.

Players also alleged intense physical activity during practices, noting physical illness, dehydration and vomiting. The lawsuit states that if they did not complete the exercises, the punishment was more laps, with McClave stating, “The running we had to do, it wasn’t for speed, quickness or strength, it was for harm and to see how they could break us.”

One player, Kailiana Ramos, reported losing 20 pounds, and McClave was forced to engage in practices without being cleared by a doctor after knee surgery. Player Jodi Noyes said that Peatross and Marlow claimed “nobody’s welcome back” on the team after they learned of private discussions about the coaches.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges NCAA rule violations, such as forcing players to miss their classes, pray before games and sign sheets that indicate they “weren’t practicing too much,” with team bonding events on the calendar actually being excessive physical exercise practices.

Peatross allegedly suggested that Noyes quit taking her antidepressant medication in November of 2023. Noyes obliged, but told university staff, who said it would be reported to athletic director Randi Lydum. No changes followed, and it’s unclear if Lydum did or did not receive the information. Lydum and Dean of Students Malissa Larson met with four players individually and “promised immediate changes that never happened,” wrote the Statesman Journal.

The lawsuit states that Lydum told a player, “These coaches deceived us, and this is not what we wanted for the school.”

The coaches were reinstated in April of 2024. A small group of players met with WOU Board of Trustees Chair Betty Komp to explain the situation, but no action took place. Letters came in April 23 to players still eligible to play that said their scholarships were terminated.

Littler Mendelson, which is based in the U.S. and is the world’s largest firm specializing in labor and employment law, was paid $33,696 to conduct the investigation by Western. The firm claimed that Feb. 12, during the practice where Peatross alleged she was elbowed intentionally, that Hopkins, the player who made contact with Peatross, was warned to not perform the action by McClave. The investigation also claimed that the lawsuit inaccurately reported Hopkins’ response to Peatross following the event, which was captured on camera, despite citing the video filmed by a player. It also allegedly wrongfully stated which players were told to leave and who was allowed to stay at practice, and contained conflicting information regarding who remained.

The investigation implied that the three students — Hopkins, McClave and Ramos — involved in the conflict failed to follow university conduct when they did not immediately oblige Peatross’ demand for them to leave. The report also did not clarify the intention in the contact between Peatross and the student.

In another incident, McClave claimed that Assistant Coach Marlow collided with her Jan. 4, 2024, reinjuring her left knee post-surgery. The Littler Mendelson report “casts doubt if McClave was injured in that collision,” according to the Statesman Journal. However, McClave documented being in pain and sought help from athletic trainer Sara Gordon.

The report itself implicated team members Ana McClave and sister Cali McClave of having a negative influence over the culture of the team and implied criticism of team members for addressing concerns with Lydum over Peatross and Marlow. The players were addressed as “problematic” in the investigation and it also stated that Lydum appeared to understand that.

Western denied the request to share the report with the Statesman Journal. Following an appeal that handed the report to the Statesman Journal, Western filed a lawsuit against journalist Bill Poehler, who was providing coverage on the ongoing lawsuit, requesting a court order to clarify what information the university is required to submit. Ultimately, Western was ordered to provide the documentation by a district attorney.

Western is seeking to dismiss the lawsuit from the nine basketball players. The lawsuit was moved to federal court in February of 2025; the Statesman Journal reported, “The sides are in a lengthy discovery process that has a deadline of June 5, 2026.”

For more information, “The Western Howl” has discussed the allegations in more detail in previous articles titled “From court to court,” “Western women’s basketball update” and, before the lawsuit when the Howl reported on a tip, “Women’s basketball faces turmoil.”

The articles are available on the Howl’s website and by online search.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

The Western Howl

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The strength of diversity

A photo of a vase of stargazer lilies. | Photo from @wildflowersparkland on Instagram

Nov. 12 2025 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

The United States is known for its diverse communities. Despite the problems and deep-rooted racism that encompass the history of this country, the U.S. is full of people from different cultures and backgrounds. According to an article from the National Library of Medicine, over 50% of the population is part of minority ethnic groups. Immigrants move here to provide better lives for their families and bring with them their own cultures. Their values, beliefs and ways of life are all varied. As human beings, we tend to fear what we don’t understand, thus many from versatile styles of living often feel out of place in their new communities. However, fitting in is honestly overrated and I thought it would be interesting to delve deeper into the benefits of diversity.
The environments we come from have a major influence on the way we view the world. Some cultures view loyalty as the most important virtue someone can have. Others think that the truth is the most valuable. Neither way of thinking is wrong — it is merely a difference in a person’s beliefs. However, these differences in a person’s way of life can provide new ideas that others would not have thought of. If everyone had the exact same way of thinking, humanity would not advance.
This is why companies are often on the lookout for people who are not from the average population. People who stand out are those who think differently and experience unique ways of reasoning. Without coming up with new ideas, everything would stay the same. Technology wouldn’t exist, companies wouldn’t succeed and if there is anything that is true about our world, it is that it is constantly evolving. Based on an article published by the Hult International Business School, the uncertainty and constant change in the global business environment make it important to be adaptable. If there is anything true about people who come from different places in the world, chances are that they are willing to withstand how drastic the changes can be.
It is because of the difference in values and beliefs that oftentimes those who come from different backgrounds can find success in using that knowledge to their advantage. For instance, bilingual people often make more money as they are able to reach out to more people who may not speak the same language. Not only does it benefit them, it benefits other people who might not know how to speak English and need assistance for doctor’s appointments, driving tests, important news announcements and much more. This way of thinking does not only apply to translators, though. Different cultures with different priorities will want to create products aimed at distinct people, such as restaurants that offer culture-specific food, whether it be soul food, Mexican food, Chinese food, Filipino food or another cuisine. Some could think of it like having a spy on the inside, someone who understands who the target audience is and can offer advice as to what appeals to them.
Being diverse can also promote personal growth. According to the Steps4Change organization, having new experiences gives us the opportunity to explore outside our comfort zone, which can enhance our learning and develop a sense of personal growth. Everyone has different ideas of what “normal” is. Some can view being different as a weakness, yet in reality, it’s an irreplaceable strength that can provide more empathy with people who think differently than them. Those with more variety in their lives are more likely to be empathetic and resilient in the way they conduct themselves.
According to Sean DallasKidd, a Forbes Councils member, “Research is the gateway to imagination.” It improves the likelihood of more imaginative and impactful storytelling in works, whether it be at work or in school. Being a diverse individual can mean much more than simply coming from a different place or being a different gender.
There’s also something known as cognitive diversity. The definition for this topic involves the way we think. Some approach an assignment with the thought of getting it done immediately after the lecture, as they want the information to be as fresh as possible. Others prefer to do it later, not just because of procrastination reasons, but because they want time to process the information they learned.
It’s why some can have very different interpretations of stories. Some may think that Meredith and Derek, the couple from “Grey’s Anatomy,” are a good representation of true love and can pose a good argument for their reasoning. Others believe that they were terrible for each other and give several examples of their toxicity. Neither interpretation is wrong per se, but each has a strong argument for their way of thinking.
Being a diverse person is an exciting thing. It makes someone much more relatable and more unique. Creativity is higher and diversity is being more sought out in the modern day, as uncertainty in businesses means needing more unique ways to come up with ideas to stay in the market. Some of the biggest problems in the world have been solved by tackling a problem in an unusual way. Vaccines were created by using the sickness that was killing people as a way to immunize themselves from it. The most unbelievable circumstances can end up being the solution to a major problem.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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Football seniors

Malcolm Liufau intercepts a pass against UT Permian Basin. | Photo from @wou.fb on Instagram

Nov. 12 2025 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor

Logan South — Kicker from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in California and a transfer from Western New Mexico. This season, he’s made 18 PATs on 20 attempts and is two for three on field goal attempts with a long of 26 yards.
Tamirr Bullock — Linebacker from Turlock High School in California and a transfer from Modesto Junior College. Bullock recorded an interception against Western New Mexico earlier this season.
Isaiah Rickard — Wide receiver from Franklin High School. Rickard has appeared in 28 games for the Wolves and has recorded eight receptions for 60 yards and three touchdowns.
Kainoa Jones — Quarterback from Konawaena High School in Hawaii. In his career, Jones has scored 17 total touchdowns, six from passing and 11 from rushing, along with 1,450 all-purpose yards. His single-game career highs include 224 passing yards, 94 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. Jones is also a captain for the team.
Jaylen Fite — Wide receiver from Evergreen High School in Washington. Fite has appeared in 25 games for the Wolves and has 31 catches for 339 yards in addition to six rushing attempts for 17 yards. His career high in receiving yards is 64.
Daron Ulrich Jr. — Defensive back and team captain from Union High School in Washington. Ulrich has appeared in 38 games for the Wolves, where he’s got two career interceptions and 149 total tackles.
Malcolm Liufau — Linebacker from Punahou High School in Hawaii. Liufau has intercepted two passes this season and has 12 sacks with 30.5 tackles for a loss. Liufau also has 10 career pass breakups, six forced fumbles and one recovery in addition to being a team captain. Liufau won Lone Star Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the 2025 homecoming game against UT Permian Basin where he had an interception, a sack, and a forced fumble that secured a victory for the Wolves.
James Duane — Linebacker from South Medford High School and forced a fumble versus Lincoln in 2021. He also has four career sacks along with 41 career tackles.
Xavier Owens — Defensive back from Skyview High School in Washington. Xavier has career highs of one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five pass deflections.
Tamaaulelei Ma’alona — Defensive back from O’Dea High School in Washington and a transfer from Puget Sound. Here at Western, he’s appeared in eight games, giving out 12 tackles and helping out with a tackle for a loss.
Jacob Pollock — Defensive back from Sherwood High School who has played in 20 games and given out 18 total tackles.
Armaad Hubbard — Running back from Wichita Heights High School and a transfer from Butler Community College. Hubbard has appeared in 27 games, rushing 49 times, averaging 249 yards and one touchdown.
Michael Gibson III — Quarterback from Canby High School, where he won All-League and All-State honors. Gibson was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in Oregon by Prep Redzone and had a 4.0 GPA. He’s appeared in seven total games for the Wolves and recorded a rushing touchdown at Western New Mexico last season.
Blake Wolters — Running back from Heppner High School. He has appeared in 18 games.
Aden Murphy — Linebacker from Tigard High School and has two career interceptions, along with six pass breakups and one forced fumble. Murphy is a 2025 team captain.
Dominic Hankins — Tight end from Mazama High School, where he was First Team All-Offense and won the Rogue Valley Championship for his weight class in wrestling. Hankins has played 17 total games for the team.
Emilio Castaneda — Offensive lineman from Hood River Valley High School. Has played in 41 total games for the Wolves and is a 2025 team captain.
Travis Fenton — Offensive lineman from Seaside High School in Seaside, Oregon.
Keyvaun Eady — Wide receiver from Southridge High School and a transfer from Portland State. For the Wolves, Eady has 85 catches, 1087 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Eady set a single-game career high last season with 100 receiving yards and is a 2025 team captain.
Kainoa Doctor — Wide receiver from Kapalama High School in Hawaii. Doctor had his first catch of his collegiate career earlier this season against Sul Ross State for 11 yards.
Joseph Northcutt — Defensive lineman and team captain from Henley High School. Northcutt has a total of 16.5 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss over the course of his career at Western. His single-game career high in sacks is 1.5 and in tackles is nine.
Jeriah Jackson — Defensive lineman from San Diego High School in California and a transfer from Grossmont College. Since joining the Wolves, he’s played in nine total games, recording one tackle for a loss, half of a sack and one pass breakup.
Massen Newton — Defensive lineman from Lakeridge High School. Newton has played ten games with the Wolves, making 23 total tackles, recording 3.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Andrew Simpson — Defensive back from Mountainside High School who has played in 22 games and has seven career interceptions, 21 pass deflections, a forced fumble and 72 total tackles. His career high for interceptions in a single game is two. Simpson has also returned 27 punts for a total of 207 yards.
Join the Wolves Nov. 15 for senior day festivities against Central Washington University. The Wolves are currently 8-2 and are at second place in the Lone Star Conference, putting them firmly in the mix for a playoff spot as they sit at seventh place in Super Region Four in the most recent NCAA rankings. For those unfamiliar with how the Division II football playoffs work, the entire field is split into four geographic regions with four conferences in each. The champions in each conference will automatically make it to the playoffs while the top four highest ranked non conference champions will always qualify. The winner of each eight team regional bracket will meet in the semifinals and eventually the National Championship for those who win.

Contact the author at howlsports@mail.wou.edu

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Nintendo’s star princess

A photo of Rosalina’s original design from Super Mario Galaxy. | Photo from @nintenbingo on Instagram

Nov. 12 2025 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers for “Super Mario Galaxy”

“Super Mario Galaxy” was a game that came out in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii. It introduced several new mechanics that were different from previous Mario games, such as the ability to stun enemies with the spin move and the introduction of 3D graphic manipulation as the game is set in various worlds with different physics. However, the biggest addition that this game brought to the forefront was the introduction of a new character, one who comes from the stars.
Introduction — Known as the “mother of the Lumas,” Rosalina debuted as a woman who possesses great cosmic power. She travels throughout space in her observatory, keeping an eye out for any threats. She has been called “an interstellar protector” by Nintendo. She is known as the adoptive mother of the Lumas, star-shaped creatures that are baby stars. They have the capability to transform into stars, comets, planets and even “Power Stars,” which are the main source of power in the world of the Mushroom Kingdom.
The plot — The game opens up with a few pages of a storybook, explaining that once every hundred years a comet passes by the Mushroom Kingdom. On this occasion, the people host an event called the “Star Festival,” meant to celebrate the comet’s return. Then, the game becomes similar to most Mario games where Bowser attacks the Mushroom Kingdom to kidnap Princess Peach. While Mario is attempting to save her, he gets knocked into space.
When he wakes up, it’s in the company of the Lumas. After a brief chase with them, they explain that their “Mama” needs his help. It is then that Rosalina makes her first appearance. She tells Mario that she is the guardian of the cosmos. She then entrusts Mario to take care of a Luma that will give him the power to travel through space to save Peach. This is what gives Mario his shake ability, which allows him to not only stun enemies, but to use “Launch Stars,” which help him travel through the cosmos throughout the game.
Mario is then taken to the Comet Observatory. Rosalina explains that they travel through the area once every hundred years, but were stopped by Bowser this time. He had attacked their home, taking the Power Stars, which give the observatory the power it needs to travel through space. Rosalina asks Mario if he would continue to collect the Power Stars from other galaxies around them. Once enough are collected and power is restored to the ship entirely, Rosalina agrees to help Mario save Princess Peach and defeat Bowser.
The ending —Another reason that Super Mario Galaxy is different from other Mario games is the ending. Most of the games end with Peach being saved, Bowser falling into lava and everyone going back home. However, when Mario manages to defeat Bowser, the universe that he was trying to create collapses on itself and creates a black hole. The Luma that was with Mario the entire game, along with all the others in the Observatory, sacrificed themselves by jumping into the black hole. An animation appears showing what’s implied to be a cyclone mixing up stardust. Mario then appears in some sort of limbo with Rosalina, where she explains how the cycle of life works for stars: “When stars die, they turn to stardust and scatter across the cosmos.” She explains that after a time, the stardust turns into a star and the cycle of life continues. Rosalina does say, though, that the cycle of life is never the same. When Mario awakens, everyone he encountered in the game who lived on different galaxies now share one planet. Rosalina’s voice is heard to say that all life carries the essence of stars, including all of them. Mario welcomes the new galaxy and a new cycle of life begins.
Origins — Rosalina’s backstory is told to the player throughout the game through a storybook. As Mario collects Power Stars, parts of the observatory unlock. One of the areas is a library, and when walking inside, Rosalina is sitting in a chair holding a storybook. She reads to a group of Lumas, and the story told is implied to be her own.
The story is about a young girl who encounters a lost Luma that crashed his spaceship near her home. The Luma says he’s waiting for his mama to come back for him on a comet, so the girl agrees to wait with him. A lot of time passes and they decide to go into space to try to find her. They eventually encounter a comet that they decide to stay on while the girl chooses to adopt the Luma as her child. They construct the Comet Observatory and have a large group of Luma children who live with them. The girl decides to check on her home planet and reminisce about her family. When the thought of her own mother comes to mind, she bursts out in tears as she tells her children that she can’t see her anymore, as she is “sleeping under the tree in the hill,” implying that she has passed away. Luma, the original star child that Rosalina encountered, tries to comfort her and, in the process, turns into a comet. The girl is shocked and the other Lumas explain to her that they all will grow up to become either stars, planets, comets and much more. They all surround the girl, hugging her and asking her not to cry anymore and from that day forward, “star bits no longer fell from the girl’s eyes.”
Utilization — Unfortunately, Rosalina hasn’t had a major role in a Mario game since her debut, with most of her appearances coming from spin-off games like “Super Smash Bros,” “Mario Kart” and “Super Mario 3D World.” However, fans still hold her dear in their hearts for several reasons. Unlike most of the Mario characters, who are tailored in a way that kids will enjoy them, Rosalina has a mature personality that is very much motherlike. Unlike Peach, who depends on Mario a lot in the games, Rosalina is an independent woman who not only takes care of herself, but takes care of all the Lumas under her care. Her backstory is compelling, even tragic, which is unique for a Nintendo character, as we don’t know a whole lot about the backstories of the characters in these games.
While Nintendo hasn’t taken advantage of how much love the fans have for this character in a while, there is good news for those who have been waiting. Not only are “Super Mario Galaxy” and its sequel available for the Nintendo Switch, but Nov. 25, her storybook will be available for physical release. It has also been announced that the next Mario movie will be based on Super Mario Galaxy. Considering how big a role she plays in the games, there is no doubt that Rosalina will make an appearance in this upcoming film. As a huge fan of Rosalina, I am definitely looking forward to seeing her in the next movie.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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Gaming on the mind

A photo of a gaming setup with the game “Stardew Valley” on the screen. | Photo from @mysleepylifestyle on Instagram

Nov 5. 2025 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

Video games have experienced a tremendous amount of growth throughout the years. During the coronavirus pandemic, many used video games as a way to connect with others for relaxation and social interaction. Not only did the games provide temporary escape from world issues at the time, but they also helped connect people to their friends and family in a way that was safe. Now that the world is somewhat back to normal in the sense that we can be around each other more, the gaming industry still continues to grow and develop. In 2021, the World Health Organization initiated discussions on how gaming can affect mental health. For years, most have believed that video games were detrimental to one’s psyche. While they can be like any form of addiction, some studies have found some positives to gaming.
According to an article written in 2014, published by Radboud University, certain cognitive skills can be developed by playing games that involve fast reflexes and aim. They include accurate attention allocation, high spatial resolution, better visual processing and enhanced mental rotation abilities. They also found that gamers have a significant increase in spatial skills in particular, which have been linked to higher achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. It is important to note, however, that most of those developments were seen from first-person shooters, which are one of the most popular types of games in the modern day.
Games can also influence problem-solving skills, which can apply to almost every genre of video games. Most games require the player to get from point A to point B, which is where the gameplay comes from. It could vary from shooting enemies to get the door to unlock, solving a puzzle or even just exploring the area to find out where to trigger a cutscene. An action as simple as that can develop someone’s ability to navigate situations better.
Yet, like all things in life, having too much of something can be bad for one’s health. Because video games can be so engaging and feel as if whatever’s happening on the screen is happening to the person in real life, the issues felt in the game can feel a little too real. This isn’t always a bad thing, especially when the game can make someone feel immense joy. However, when experiencing too much of a life-threatening situation, it can add stress to a person’s mind and change the way they think.
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, excessive gaming has also been linked to health struggles like obesity, insomnia, eye strain, anxiety, depression and difficulties with other commitments like school or work. Hyperarousal can also occur with too much concentration on the screen. Hyperarousal can appear differently in different types of people, but usually involves struggles with the mind’s ability to process information. Paying attention can be difficult, and impulses may be harder to control, following directions is more challenging and some can have decreased interest in other activities.
It is notable, though, that having fun has tremendous effects on the brain. According to the National Institute for Play, playing a game, whether it be on the field or on the screen, can help adults deal with stress and can promote the release of endorphins in the brain, which brings down stress-inducing cortisol levels. It can soothe the mind’s both wonderful and frustrating ability to think too much. With the stress of adult life, including problems like bills, jobs and school, we as young adults need to plan when we are allowed to take a leisurely break from it all, and gaming is a great way to do it.
Some enjoy gaming to have a sense of control over a difficult time in their lives. Many gamers describe an experience that happens when completely immersed in a game, simultaneously providing a high sense of control and a loss of self-consciousness. Anyone who has ever played a game to completion will often have a look of pride on their face. The satisfaction one can get from completing a really hard level or winning a difficult boss fight will always be fulfilling.
The Entertainment Software Association created a survey known as Power of Play, which came out earlier this year. 24,000 people aged 16 or above all answered questions to study the perspective of video games globally, spanning 6 continents. The findings in the survey showed not only that there is a nearly even gender split in the players, 48% women and 51% men, it also reported that 66% of gamers do it for fun, while the rest do it for stress-relieving purposes or to keep their mind sharp and give their brain a workout.
It is important to keep in mind that gaming can become an addiction. The reason why it occurs is similar to other various addictions like alcohol or tobacco. The reward part of the brain releases dopamine in response to an action that triggers it. If a person does the action enough times, whether it be picking up a bottle or a controller, the brain begins to associate the activity with the release of dopamine. Then, the person with the problem gains a strong craving to find that pleasure over and over again.
If there is certainty in anything, it is that the gaming industry is continuing to grow. According to the International Trade Administration, the gaming industry made nearly $66 billion in 2023. Over 190 million Americans play video games, with 78% of households having at least one gaming device. It can be a struggle to find a balance between having a healthy hobby or a potentially damaging problem. Some potential ideas to keep in mind when gaming would be to consider playing the same way that most sports rules operate. Be respectful, be kind, be involved and be reasonable, both with the time spent on the activity and the way someone goes about having fun.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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.

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The great divide

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Western’s lawsuit

The strength of diversity

Football seniors

Nintendo’s star princess

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