Mount Hood

CGE strikes at OSU

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

The Coalition of Graduate Employees — CGE — at Oregon State University went on strike Nov. 12, 2024. Their main goal was to negotiate with OSU to receive a 50% minimum salary increase and a change in contract cycles. 

Graduate employees — specifically teaching assistants — conduct the majority of the coursework for the classes they work in. The CGE advocated for the graduate employees’ pay to match their workload.

A Community Letter of Support for CGE was written, urging OSU to come to an agreement with the CGE. 

“We urge the university to ensure that all its employees can afford to live and contribute to the community in which they work,” the letter stated. “For Oregon State University to fulfill its mission to our community and state and to retain — and truly serve — its diverse student body, it must start compensating graduate employees fairly.” 

The letter was signed by nine Oregon state representatives, three Oregon state senators and one Corvallis city counselor. 

During another mediation, the CGE attempted to compromise with the university by advocating for a 30% increase in minimum wage salaries instead of 50%, however, OSU did not agree with their proposal.

“After a year of openly combative negotiations, OSU has made it abundantly clear that their priority is not the pursuit of knowledge, but rather the pursuit of money, even at the expense of their own dedicated, hard-working, and talented graduate employees,” the CGE wrote in a post on their Instagram — @cge6069. 

Throughout the strike, the CGE has organized picket lines. Nov. 21, undergraduate students were invited to join the picket in solidarity with the strike. They dressed up in pink clothes and stood in front of the Kerr Administration building. 

OSU’s football game Nov. 23 against Washington State University was disrupted by graduate employees. As football game-goers left the stadium, they saw a projection on a building that read “$17.9 million raided from the education fund for athletics.” This year, the athletics budget received an increase of $17.9 million, with that money taken from the education and research budget. 

In an Instagram post about the game, the CGE wrote, “Our message is clear: tuition should fund education. OSU needs to reassess its priorities. This is not just about us. We want a better OSU for all.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Women’s March

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Saturday, Nov. 2, over 100 people gathered in Parker Plaza at Oregon State University to rally for women’s rights and voter participation. Before the event began, pieces of cardboard and markers were available for attendees to make their own signs. 

Allison Doss, one of the organizers of the Get Out to Vote Women’s March, stepped in front of the crowd with a megaphone and welcomed everyone. “Look around you. Each face in this crowd represents a shared dream of a world where every person can live without fear, without barriers and without discrimination. Today we march for that world. We march for the voices that have been silenced, for the rights that have been denied and for the future that still needs our courage to make it possible. We march not only for ourselves, but for every woman who’s paved the way before us, and every young girl who will follow,” said Doss. 

Many people in the crowd cheered, and some held up signs that said things such as “Vote,” “My body, my choice” and “Harris/Walz 2024.” 

“This march isn’t just about a single moment, it’s about creating momentum,” said Doss. “It’s about changing systems that keep women marginalized, overlooked and underrepresented. It’s about reminding our leaders and communities that we will not rest until true equality and justice are achieved. To all of you here today, I thank you and let’s march.”

With that, the group of marchers set off to Central Park in Corvallis. A call and response chant started, with one person towards the front of the crowd shouting, “Whose choice?” and every other person shouting back, “My choice.”

“The big election is coming up and I think it’s really important for everyone to be voting right now, making sure other people vote,” said Grace McClaskey, a participant in the rally and a student at OSU. “It’s a scary time right now, for women especially. Getting awareness out there is really important right now.” 

McClaskey hopes that this march will raise awareness and inspire other people. “A big thing has been people not voting because they think there’s no point in it and that things aren’t really going to change. It’s important to continually show that people do care and want the change to happen, and I think it eventually will.”

The march ended at Central Park with the attendees gathered around four guest speakers. Oregon state Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin was the first to deliver a speech.

Gelser Blouin focused on “making sure that we get the right leaders in the right places to amplify your voices and promise a bright, fair and just future to every single person here, including access to economic equity, access to abortion and health care services when you need it, and respect for every single person in this United States.”

Sarah Finger McDonald, a potential state representative, was next to take the megaphone. “The first time I ever spoke to a crowd at this park we were demanding stronger gun legislation. The last time I spoke to a crowd in this park was when we were demanding protection for our rights to legal and safe abortion. I believe those rights and so many more are on the ballot this election,” Finger McDonald said. 

One person who was not part of the event interrupted Finger McDonald’s speech, saying, “You’re just standing around. Do something.” A member of the crowd then shouted back, “We’re going to do something.” The crowd cheered, and Finger McDonald finished her speech. She then introduced Val Hoyle, who is running for Congress.

 “(My mother) fought to make birth control and abortion legal before Roe versus Wade. And she said, ‘I do not want to see my granddaughter or my children have less rights than I fought for,’” said Hoyle. “We can work to bring the protections that we had from Roe versus Wade throughout the country to make sure you all have the same rights that I did when I was growing up.”

The final speaker of the event was Sen. Jeff Merkley. “Thank you for giving me the chance to join you all on this stage with powerful, smart women who are driving change here in Oregon and in America,” said Merkley. 

“There are two words that have never been spoken in the Oval Office, and the way that we organize and work in the next couple of days will determine whether or not we get to say those words. And those words are ‘Madam President.’ 

“How about we fight for lifting people up all across our state and across the country,” said Merkley. “How about affordable, reasonable college loans that don’t put a millstone around the neck of our youth? How about we fight to electrify everything with renewable energy so we stop climate chaos?”

After the speeches had concluded, every attendee was invited to volunteer for a Get Out to Vote canvas, where the volunteers could knock on doors in the area and have conversations with Corvallis residents about the upcoming election. 

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu 

The Oregon Student Association closes

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

The Oregon Student Association, known as OSA, announced Oct. 9 that the organization would be formally closing its doors and suspending all action. The organization acted as a student-led nonprofit advocacy group, well-known across the state for its role in making positive changes in colleges across the state of Oregon. OSA’s website described the organization as a place to “bring students together to build collective power, develop their professional political skills and achieve concrete wings for students on the issues they care about. Through legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing, OSA is working towards a future where a quality, equitable, debt-free higher education is affordable and accessible for ALL Oregonians.”

OSA brought student access to incidental fees to fruition when students passed a bill in Oregon to grant students funding and control over their college experiences. In turn, student governments were then able to collaborate directly with their universities and represent student voices. 

Student leaders from the University of Oregon joined leaders from Oregon State University and Southern Oregon University to further explore Statewide Student Associations. They then “loaded into a van and hit the road” according to OSA’s historical page, spreading ideas about gathering funding for an organization to be founded, tied in directly with the legislature protecting higher education in the state of Oregon.

In 1975, it was given a name — the Oregon Student Association — and within one year, all public universities joined OSA. A board of governors was established and more members were instated to train students in legislative engagement and advocate on behalf of students.

This last year alone, OSA secured the Semiconductor Talent Fund and TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package and also passed SB 1502: School Board Transparency Bill, SB 1596: Right to Repair, SB 1552: Senate Education Omnibus and other higher education investments. TRUs+ Behavioral Health Package will fund multiple other universities alongside Western to create a higher capacity for licensed behavioral health workers, while the school board transparency bill will require posted live streams for governing body meetings of school districts, education service districts, community college districts and public universities.

In past years, OSA has passed bills protecting and supporting university students who experienced sexual violence, increased statewide access to job training, increased education access for incarcerated students, provided free menstrual products on campuses, allocated $19 million to fund members of Oregon Native tribes in higher education and many more.

The announcement Wednesday, Oct. 9, was posted to OSA’s website as well as social media. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of the Oregon Student Association after almost 50 years of student-led advocacy across the state. Since 1975, OSA has empowered future leaders and unified students across Oregon to build collective power to advocate for policies that create a more equitable and accessible higher education system,” it stated. “OSA has worked tirelessly for decades to ensure that the voices and rights of students were heard and respected at every level of decision-making.”

It followed after years of reports that OSA struggled financially and structurally, with tax documents from 2023 claiming a negative net worth of more than $400,000. Nick Keough, OSA’s legislative director, explained that over time, OSA received less and less per year from universities tied with the organization. Each university and college had previously decided what money to allocate toward OSA annually, but as costs rose in the country, money became essential elsewhere.

“This was an unbelievably difficult decision,” said Keough. “This decision is ultimately about recognizing recent constraints we faced and being realistic about the organization’s sustainability.”

Last summer, central leader and Executive Director Joseph Cruz and staff member José Zapata were unfortunately involved in a dangerous car accident that left Cruz critically injured with a long road to recovery and took the life of Zapata.

“The tragic loss of a staff member and the injury of our executive director have just made it incredibly cumbersome to continue operating,” said Keough.

OSA thanked their staff, coalition partners and student leaders in their announcement, expressing that it had been an honor to serve Oregon’s students. “We leave behind not just a legacy, but a call to action. To every student, organizer and advocate; your voice matters, and your work is needed… The fight for a better future for all students is far from over,” OSA stated on their Instagram.

The majority of the responses were devastated, with many commenters personally tied to OSA and remembering their long history of advocacy.

“It will be a different world without OSA’s presence, but I know the contributions it made have inspired us all,” wrote commenter Finn Jacobson from the University of Oregon. “Thank you all for your service.”

“OSA had such an impact and gave folks a truly amazing opportunity to grow and make change. Best wishes,” said Eliott Coda.

Another commenter, Courtney Veronnaeu, described her time with OSA. “OSA is where I learned the power of and how to organize the community to advance racial, gender and economic justice. So grateful for my time on staff and for the many lasting and meaningful friendships that began there.”

Alexandra Flores-Quilty, from Oregon, said: “Heartbreaking to hear. I appreciate the OSA leaders who have been supporting the (organization) during these last few difficult years.”

Portland-based supporter, Elona Wilson, expressed their admiration. “I am constantly inspired by the work (you all) have done, the people you have scaffolded and your deep commitment to Oregon’s students. 50 years of badass change is something all OSA alumni and current students should be incredibly proud of. You will be missed, but know that your legacy will continue to inspire movements far past this moment. Thank you.”

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu.

Division I changes and what’s going to change

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Fans of college athletics are no stranger to the conference realignments announced back in October 2023 — changing the way the Division I matchups would look this coming fall. Western itself is no stranger to conference changes: the 2022 football season was the first year of play in the Lone Star Conference. 

These conference changes come in the wake of the networks and conferences paying their student-athletes for using their names, images and likenesses in various settings, such as advertising. This isn’t saying that student-athletes could be paid for their performance; however, it does mean that student-athletes could now sign partnerships with companies such as Reebok and Vuori, an athletic clothing brand. These two brands have both signed Louisiana State University athletes Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne as ambassadors.

This new ability to be paid for name, image and likeness, rather than performance, allows student-athletes to pursue business interests outside of their university and their respective athletic programs. However, even within this, there are issues.

The NIL — name, image and likeness — deal takes away the amateurism aspect of college athletics, pushing it closer toward the professional side of athletics. In their long-standing history, college athletes had not been able to accept payment surrounding their sport, to remain amateurs in their field — amateurism defined as only playing the sport in which they were recruited and not receiving payment. That being said, a college football player could also play pro baseball and be paid for baseball.

When the new conference changes are discussed, they are usually only looked at in how college football will be affected, meeting mixed reactions. Many fans have stated that the PAC-12 conference, consisting of the majority of West Coast Division I universities, had only been kept relevant due to the football programs at the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. On Jan. 8, X user @tpuffer18 posted to the social media platform: “So the Pac12 never won a national championship?”

This mindset of the conferences being only recognized for their football program is a large issue. Within the last seven years, the PAC-12 has won 38 national championships, in sports varying from indoor track and field, and beach volleyball to soccer. Many PAC-12 athletes also go pro; the most famous of these athletes is Adley Rutchsmann, one of two starting catchers for the Baltimore Orioles. 

The PAC-12 is not the only conference that has member schools leaving; the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas are both joining the SEC, the Southeastern Conference, in lieu of the Big 12 Conference. The SEC boasts member schools such as Auburn University, the University of Georgia and the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss. 

So why is this such a big deal? With these new conference realignments, student-athletes now have further to travel for competitions and new weather environments they would not initially encounter in their home states. An example of this is the PAC-12 schools transferring to the Big 10 conference. Members of the Big 10 often play in heavy rain and snow during the playoff and Bowl season, something PAC-12 athletes are not accustomed to. 

In the College Football National Championship, this was not a problem as it was played in Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium — home of the Houston Texans. During this game, Michigan, a Big 10 school, faced the University of Washington, and won 34-13, falling as number one and two nationally. 

However, these gridiron conferences, while boasting strong football programs and truly proving the saying “any given Sunday,” do not bode well for other sports and programs within these conferences. 

An example of this lives in college softball. For three years in a row, the University of Oklahoma has won the National Championship for Softball, with big competitors coming from Texas, Alabama and Georgia. Originally, Texas and Oklahoma were both parts of the Big 12 Conference, with Alabama and Georgia in the SEC. 

However, these four schools now being in the same conference makes for a less competitive Softball World Series; these programs may end up being knocked out of the bracket in early play, due to each team knowing how they play. This could very much be the reality for many of the sports programs.

There is, however, a perk to these conference realignments. The lesser-known Division I schools, ones that never initially had a dog in the race, now have a higher chance of participating in the National Championships. Fans of college softball can never forget the time James Madison University nearly beat the University of Oklahoma during the 2021 Women’s College World Series.

There are pros and cons to the NIL deal and its change for the college athletics landscape. Athletic programs that were once strong can now meet their downfall in its first season; similar to how Western’s football team has not had a winning season since they joined the Lone Star Conference. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Honoring the experiences of BIPOC students across Oregon universities

This Instagram page holds Oregon universities accountable, one post at a time

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

Though the college experience can be an exciting time for many students, there are inherent stressful experiences that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and People of Color students, and their ability to feel safe on campuses. 

One student at Western Oregon University saw the need for a space where BIPOC students can voice their experiences with racism and harassment, so they created the Instagram account @bipocatoregonuniversities. Students from Western Oregon University, University of Oregon and Oregon State University can submit their stories through Google Forms to be posted anonymously on Instagram. 

The creator of this page first saw a need for a safe space over the summer of 2020. They felt compelled to make the account after being profiled for a second time during winter term of 2021, when trying to buy food at the Valsetz Dining Hall. 

They recounted this experience, “To people it may not be a huge deal, but for me when the simplest task of getting food is met with bias and assumptions based upon how I look, it can be difficult to feel welcome in a place you pay thousands of dollars a term to attend. … The purpose of this page is to make sure that universities do not have any room to think they can silence students of color’s voices by creating policies and forms that statistically deter students rather than helping them get the help and resources they need.”

Since the page started on March 1, students across universities have reached out to safely share their experiences, with the creator of the account saying, “So far this experience has been nothing short of phenomenally amazing. I have received overwhelming support from students around the state, as well as faculty, department heads, staff, and employees. I have encountered a particular post that was extremely ignorant and simply uneducated. I made sure to make an example out of what this page was not created to publicize. This page is for students of color, this is a time for particularly white students, staff and faculty to acknowledge and truly listen to what students on this campus have endured.”

Additionally, “There are always ways for universities to grow and provide support for BIPOC students, such as hiring students of color for student work and leadership positions, a well-funded diversity center and additional supervisors, advisors and counselors of color.

There are many ways white students and staff can uplift BIPOC students, such as by “understand(ing) why our country, and why our world is the way it is. If you see something that is wrong, don’t just stand there and let it happen. Speak up, and just do the right thing. It’s okay to make good trouble.”

Students deserve to feel safe and represented on their campuses, and Instagram pages such as @bipocatoregonuniversities provide a space for students to be heard until the colleges decide to take further measures to address racism at their own schools.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Honoring the experiences of BIPOC students across Oregon universities

This Instagram page holds Oregon universities accountable, one post at a time

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

The college experience can be an exciting time for many students, and it can also be inherently stressful — the days are full of cramming study sessions, keeping up with assignments and too many late nights. Unfortunately, there are larger issues that have been running rampant across many universities in Oregon, ones that heavily impact Black, Indigenous and People of Color students and their ability to feel safe on campuses. 

One student at Western Oregon University saw the need for a space where BIPOC students can voice their experiences with racism and harassment, so they created the Instagram account @bipocatoregonuniversities. They post experiences that are submitted anonymously through Google Forms, it allows for students from Western Oregon University, University of Oregon and Oregon State University to submit their stories anonymously. 

The creator of this page first saw a need for a safe space over the summer of 2020. They felt compelled to make the account after being profiled for a second time during Winter term of 2021, when trying to buy food at the Valsetz Dining Hall. They recounted this experience, “To people it may not be a huge deal, but for me when the simplest task of getting food is met with bias and assumptions based upon how I look, it can be difficult to feel welcome in a place you pay thousands of dollars a term to attend.” 

After experiencing this racial discrimination on Western’s campus, they followed their gut instinct and created the page to share stories from other students of color, and the page has been active since March 1, 2021.

“The purpose of this page is to make sure that universities do not have any room to think they can silence students of color’s voices by creating policies and forms that statistically deter students rather than helping them get the help and resources they need.”

Since the page started, students across universities have reached out to safely share their experiences, with the creator of the account saying, “So far this experience has been nothing short of phenomenally amazing. I have received overwhelming support from students around the state, as well as faculty, department heads, staff, and employees. I have encountered a particular post that was extremely ignorant and simply uneducated. I made sure to make an example out of what this page was not created to publicize. This page is for students of color, this is a time for particularly white students, staff, and faculty to acknowledge and truly listen to what students on this campus have endured.”

Additionally, “There are always ways for universities to grow and provide support for BIPOC students, such as hiring students of color for student work and leadership positions, a well-funded diversity center and additional supervisors, advisors and counselors of color.

There are many ways white students and staff can uplift BIPOC students, by “understand(ing) why our country, and why our world is the way it is. If you see something that is wrong, don’t just stand there and let it happen. Speak up, and just do the right thing. It’s okay to make good trouble.”

Students deserve to feel safe and represented on their campuses, and Instagram pages such as @bipocatoregonuniversities provide a space for students to be heard until the colleges decide to take further measures to address racism at their own schools.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu