Vol. 18, Issue 8 (Nov. 29, 2017)

page 5

N R E T S E W E TH

L A N R U O R 29, 2017

MBE EDNESDAY, NOVE UNIVERSITY | W ON EG OR 8 RN E WESTE VOLUME 18 ISSU

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SPORTS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

THE WESTERN JOURNAL

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE

Men’s basketball continues hot start to season

Western Oregon wins two games on the road to improve to 6-0

NEWSROOM 503-838-8347

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEPHANIE BLAIR

By Riley Buerk | Freelancer

journaleditor@wou.edu

MANAGING EDITOR ZOË STRICKLAND

journalmanaging@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR SAMANTHA DUNAWAY journalnews@wou.edu

LIFESTYLE EDITOR CAITY HEALY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR TBD journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR SIMSON GARCIA

journalsports@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR PAUL F. DAVIS

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DESIGNERS DARIEN CAMPO ELISSA SORENSON

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COPY EDITOR JADE RAYNER

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ADVERTISING MANAGER ZOË STRICKLAND (INTERIM) journaladvertising@wou.edu

WEB MANAGER LAKE LARSEN

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DISTRIBUTION MANAGER RUBY ESTRADA SANCHEZ

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SUBMISSIONS THE WESTERN JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name. Contact information will not be published unless requested. Unsigned submissions will not be printed and original copies will not be returned.

Letters to the editor may be up to 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 500 words.

THE WESTERN JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns. THE WESTERN JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content.

Please bring submissions to THE WESTERN JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@ wou.edu. Submissions must be received by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print.

All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do necessarily reflect those of THE WESTERN JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.

Senior Tanner Omlid led the Wolves with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and senior Vince Boumann had 12 points. Seven players from Western each scored seven points or more in the victory.

Saturday night showed more positive results for the Wolves offensively, as they torched the Argonauts with 53 percent from the field while holding them to 35 percent. Farouq-Bey put together his best game of the season, and finished with a season high of 19 points on 58 percent shooting from the field.

The Wolves blew out the Argonauts 87-48 to improve to 6-0 on the season.

Contact the author at rbuerk17@ wou.edu

Close until the end, the Wolves finish strong Gritty defense and inside shooting help the Wolves prevail

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER RHYS FINCH

2016 GNAC coach of the year Jim Shaw has the Wolves off and running this season

Western Oregon went 2-0 over the weekend at the Thanksgiving Classic in California. The first game on Friday, Nov. 24, resulted in a 76-65 victory over Holy Names University. The second game on Saturday, Nov. 25, resulted in a 87-48 victory over Notre Dame de Namur.

The Wolves had their worst shooting game of the season so far at 45 percent on Friday, while also having their best defensive effort of the year, holding the Hawks to 38 percent shooting from the field. The Wolves got off to a quick start, leading 17-9 off five points by senior Ali FarouqBey and four points from senior Janvier Alaby. The Wolves would not trail again for the rest of the game.

By Simson Garcia Sports Editor The Nov. 23 home game against Humboldt State showed plenty of change-of-pace action.

With 11 lead changes and six ties, the Wolves managed to get the last basket near the rim, downing the Lumberjacks 6462.

The Wolves came in undefeated, and three games in have averaged 77 points, which is much attested to their balanced offense.

When the ‘Jacks visited, a tightly knit back-and-forth game almost put their undefeated mark in jeopardy.

This was evident in the first quarter when several lead

Junior guard Kaylie Boschma is the team leader in rebounds averaging 8.8 per game

changes ensued. The ‘Jacks looked to swing the momentum in their favor by presenting a three-point threat. The Wolves stood firm with a strong defense, a key factor late, to end the quarter down 13-12.

Defense, along with hustle plays and scrappiness for every rebound, kept the game close.

Then, it was the Wolves turn at the lead going into halftime up one, 25-24.

Guard play from both teams

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was also a highlight, as senior Shelby Snook went head-tohead opposite Humboldt’s Tyla Turner. Snook made 7 out of 11 field goals totaling 15 points, while Turner shot 6 out of 20 totaling 14.

As the teams continued to trade baskets into the fourth, it came down to the final seconds. With the score at 62, senior forward Savannah Heugly scored the goahead off a tightly contested layup attempt, putting the Wolves

in front, 64-62. In waning moments, the Lumberjacks’s game-tying attempt was stuffed

by Wolf senior guard Sydney Azorr’s clutch block that ended the game.

Now at 4-0, the Wolves soon begin conference play where they’ll protect home court once again against Saint Martin’s on Nov. 30. Tip-off begins at 7 p.m.

Contact the author journalsports@wou.edu

at

SPORTS 3 Western Oregon flag football team heads to Nationals The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Photo courtesy of WESTERN INTRAMURAL SPORTS

Club flag football team makes waves to get to national chip

By Simson Garcia | Sports Editor Join the club or jump on the bandwagon. Whichever it is, there’s a club worth joining in celebration.

The Wolves’s flag football club has just won the regional championships, and now look to face the best of the best in the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Championships, held in Pensacola, Florida on Jan. 5 through 7.

It was the regional championships, played from Oct. 27 to 29 at Washington State University, that punched their ticket.

“No one thought of us as having a real team, so we came from nowhere,” said senior business major Matthew Cornish, captain of the club. Being that Western is a division II school for instance, coming from a small town, they were to be pitted in a competitive field that included clubs from a couple of division I schools, meaning schools that are bigger and from larger cities, whereby highly-skilled athletes are more likely, in number, to be accessible to those respective clubs.

For perspective, there were three clubs that were from Washington State and two clubs from Eastern Washington, both DI schools. Also competing were two Central Washington clubs and a

Going in as heavy underdogs, the Wolves went out as top dogs in the regionals

club from Blue Mountain Community College of Oregon.

Cornish, who has been playing flag football his whole life, said, “Me and my roommate right now played all over the west coast. And when we came (to Western intramural tournaments held by campus recreation) we won the fall and spring tournament championships going undefeated. That’s where I got the idea of trying the regionals after putting together a team to see how well we’d do. So I took a few players from there, and then I held tryouts.”

He recruited a new quarterback, gathered a few former Western football players and current rugby players to fill out the roster and created an all-star of a team to face the competition that loomed ahead of them.

Before anyone knew it, they went 3-0 in pool play. Then it was time to seed teams in the tournament via most points scored during pool play. When Cornish and the Wolves saw who was number one he said, “You know what, we should go against them and see how good we are.” That number one seed, a Washington State club, had put up a total score of 130 points against its opponents’s 20. That was, until the Wolves came howling.

In the first round of the tourney, the Wolves put the bark to bite defeating one seed Washington State in double overtime by a score of 46-39.

Then they played a Central Washington club, and beat them 28-6 to advance into the finals. In the title

game, they were matched up against another Washington State team, beating them in overtime 21-20 and declared their regional title.

According to Andy Main, the assistant director of intramural sports at Western who has around 15 years of experience with club and intramural sports, a win of this magnitude from a school like Western is “rare.”

“In the world of Campus Recreation this is a rather significant accomplishment. A school as small as WOU rarely wins these types of tournaments. It’s usually the bigger schools,” said Main.

Cornish is also an intramural supervisor who works for campus recreation and is now investing much of his time and money to get the Wolves to Florida to likely then play even bigger schools, another rare occasion according to Main.

“This was the first time the school has ever put something like this together,” said Cornish. To be able to play in NIRSA, Cornish, while simultaneously getting the team in order, had another list of to-do’s stating, “I had to sign waivers from the school and waivers from NIRSA in order for us to get registered to play.”

“I had to collect insurance information from everybody ... I had to make sure everyone was enrolled with a minimum of six credits in order for them to participate in this tournament.”

Since club teams don’t get the same kind of funding compared to the

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football or basketball teams, a lot of the funding lands on club recreation and the athletes who coordinate teams. In other words, “some money can come from the incidental (fees) committee, where they can offer grants to club athletes like Cornish,” Main explained.

But the other portion falls on the athletes like the Wolves flag football team, who won many battles to get there and are now hopeful it pays off.

“I’m focusing on doing what I can to help this team get to Florida,” Cornish said. “We have to do a bunch of fundraising in order to get to Florida.

Most of the money we’ve got is half our budget used for airfare, which the school was able to provide their portion for, and the other half is for the rest (hotels, food etc.).”

Part of such fundraising is provided through Cornish’s gofundme account online where he and the Wolves are grateful of any donation.

“If you were to donate money towards our cause it would mean a lot because coming from a small school we have a chance to compete with bigger schools and prove we have what it takes to be national champions. I appreciate anything that you can offer towards our trip,” said Cornish.

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

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NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Alumnus advocates for trans rights

Mason Dunn aims to end gender-based discrimination

By Sam Dunaway | News Editor Many Western alumni have moved on to accomplish extraordinary things after graduation. One notable individual is Mason Dunn, whose advocacy and dedication has led to major policy changes for transgender rights and won him the 2017 Leadership Award by the Equality Federation.

Dunn graduated from Western in 2007 with a degree in criminal justice.

During his time here at Western, he was president of Triangle Alliance, served as the executive diversity coordinator for ASWOU and helped found and open the Stonewall Center. Dunn also sat as co-chair for the Oregon Students for Equal Rights Alliance at the statewide level.

After graduating from the University

of New Hampshire School of Law in 2012, Dunn worked as an LGBTQ rights organizer with the New Hampshire ACLU. Soon after that, he was hired as executive director at the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and has held that position since 2013.

As executive director at MTPC, Dunn works as a lobbyist, advocate, administrator, educator and speaker.

He follows the organization’s mission to end gender-based discrimination through political advocacy, education and community empowerment.

“Trans rights are human rights,” Dunn said in an interview with the Journal on Nov. 18. “When the rights of a marginalized group are under attack, it has an impact on us all. As a result, we should all work towards and for equal rights for all people.”

Dunn and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition played a critical role in advocating for trans rights. He advocated for transitionrelated healthcare coverage, simplifying the process for changing names and gender markers on Massachusetts birth certificates and adding legal protections Continued on the back

Western students get out and vote

Study finds more Western students voted in 2016 election than the average university

By Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Contact the author at journalnews@ wou.edu The voting rate among people between 18 and 21 has historically been the lowest of all age groups

Dunn comments that his personal advocacy and leadership at Western prepared him for his career

The 2016 election marked many Western students’s first time voting in a federal election. Western Oregon University, along with hundreds of other campuses across the United States, took part in a study to acquire data on student voting rates and how this compares to previous elections.

This study, conducted by the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE), represented over 10 million students and covered campus-wide student voting rates in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 elections.

Between 2012 and 2016, enrollment at Western decreased by nearly 13 percent, resulting in less eligible voters for the 2016 election. But voter registration persisted and the registration rate increased by 7 percent in 2016, as compared to 2012. The overall voting rate for the 2016 election increased as well, with 59.4 percent of students turning in their ballot, while the 2012 rate sat at 53.2 percent.

Compared to the cumulative data

between all institutions in the study, Western students voted more than the average university’s students by 9 percent.

The increase in voter registration for the 2016 election may be due to the Oregon Student Association and ASWOU’s student outreach that led to 859 new or updated registered voters at Western and an estimated 49,000 statewide.

Spencer Dixon, Partnerships Coordinator of Young Invincibles, works to institutionalize voter registration across college campuses.

The organization aims to breaks barriers that prevent individuals from voting and increase voter registration among college students.

“When campuses lead the way and provide students with resources and encourage them, students are more likely to participate,” Dixon commented. “We are hoping to take this report and make sure everyone’s aware of the numbers and commit to actions campuses can take to increase those rates.”

Find the full results at http://www. wou.edu/board/meeting-materials/ within the Oct. 25 meeting docket.

Photo courtesy of HURLEY EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

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Photo courtesy of ADPAASCU.WORDPRESS.COM

NEWS Western welcomes annual holiday festivities A look into the history of Western’s annual holiday tree lighting

By Zoë Strickland Managing Editor

A follow-up piece from Nov. 23 reported the council’s approval: “What has been billed as ‘The World’s Largest Living Christmas Tree’ will be lighted on the OCE campus on Monday evening. The tree, a 122 foot tall sequoia located in front of Campbell hall on the campus, will be lighted in a 7 p.m. ceremony.”

The sequoia that once stood at 122feet is now estimated to be between 125 and 130-feet tall. “We may have to lengthen the top piece, the satellite, that the lights are attached to, to accommodate the growth of the tree,” said Kevin Hughes, Landscape Maintenance Coordinator.

Though the sequoia is no longer touted as the world’s largest Christmas tree, the tradition has persevered through tumultuous times. The tree was not available to comment on its dethroned title.

Over the years, the responsibility of planning the events has shifted. When originally proposed by a residence hall, students were in charge of coordinating the ceremonies. However, non-student run entities of the institution eventually took the reigns.

In 1992, the school was unsure if they had the funds to continue the tree lighting ceremony. As a result, the community banded together to continue the event.

“In response to Western’s pleas for help, the community will be picking up a lot of the financial burden of this

holiday fixture, but not all of it. The Incidental Fee Committee recently met to discuss the options available to them … this year’s expenses are estimated at $6500 … to lessen the stress of this annual holiday expenditure, the Incidental Fee Committee began fundraising,” reported a 1992 article of the Western Star.

Western’s tree lighting tradition is one that members of the Western community look forward to, “Driving through campus at night when the tree is lit, trying to spot it on highway 99 while coming to work,” Hughes said when asked about his favorite thing about the tradition.

The best thing that students can do to keep this event going is showing their support, “Keep the excitement and process going. Generations are enjoying the celebration. It started out as a community event and it will continue to bring people back to our WOU campus. When we install the

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lights on the tree, I have a sigh of relief and know that in approx. 1 month, the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebrations will begin,” Hughes added.

This year’s events will kick off at 6 p.m. with a holiday parade that will head from Monmouth Library to the main drag of campus. The parade includes floats by different student groups around campus and Monmouth, as well as an appearance by Santa Claus. 7 p.m. is double booked with both a local school choir concert, and a wine and music gathering at Gentle House.

The Werner University Center will be open during the night, and will have indoor programs such as a holiday cookie bake-off, tree decorating contest, live music from KWOU and an area for people to get their photo taken with Santa.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

An all-men choir performing at the 1968 holiday tree lighting

Photo courtesy of HAMERSLY LIBRARY ARCHIVES

On Friday, Dec. 1, the lights on the giant sequoia will be turned on for the 50th consecutive year.

Despite it being the 50th annual tree lighting, the first time the tree was adorned with lights wasn’t 50 years ago. In 1940, lights were put on the tree as a way of celebrating then-faculty member John Scott. However, the next time the Sequoia saw lights was Nov. 27, 1967.

The effort to bring the holiday spirit to Monmouth was student-run. An article from the Nov. 9, 1967 issue of The Monmouth Herald stated that it was the women of Todd Hall, a residence hall at the time, that kickstarted the process of incorporating holiday festivities; “Girls from Todd hall were present to get council approval for a project to light the sequoia tree on the OCE campus as a community Christmas Tree.”

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Date: Nov. 14, 2017 Time: 11:39 a.m.

Incident: Medical assistance was required at Todd Hall in the Child Development Center.

Date: Nov. 9, 2017 Time: 5:05 p.m.

Incident: Campus Public Safety responded to an injury on the Turf Field.

Date: Nov. 10, 2017 Time: 8:05 a.m.

Incident: At the Academic Programs and Support Center, Campus Public Safety took an informational report of a social media concern from a student.

Date: Nov. 14, 2017 Time: 4:41 p.m.

Incident: Campus Public Safety was contacted in reference to a weapons violation in Heritage Hall.

Date: Nov. 16, 2017 Time: 6:25 p.m.

Incident: At Heritage Hall, Campus Public Safety responded to a report of criminal trespassing.

Date: Nov. 13, 2017 Time: 4:35 p.m.

Incident: Campus Public Safety was contacted about missing property in the Health and Wellness Center, prompting camera footage review.

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Cover illustrations by ELISSA SORENSON Cover photo courtesy of HAMERSLY LIBRARY ARCHIVES

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LIFESTYLE

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

campus voices

By Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

How are you spending the holidays?

“This break I’ll just be applying for internships.

And, if the weather permits, I’ll go skiing up in Bend.”

“I usually get a Christmas tree with my girls and decorate it. Then we do whatever the girls wanna do: watch movies, do crafts, anything other than school.”

Danny Hoke, senior information systems major

Celene Garcia, senior criminal justice major

“Me and my parents get together with my dad’s side of the family and we open presents midnight Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas we hangout and watch movies. It’s our tradition.”

“I’m going home this break and I’ll celebrate Hanukkah with my family. We have three or four Hanukkah parties and then I have one with all of my friends.”

Madeline Weinstein, sophomore theatre major

Marisa Escobedo, first-year business major

Photos by CAITY HEALY

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

how to make the most of the holidays

Your to-do list for an unforgettable winter break

By Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

With so much to get done this holiday season, you’ll have to prioritize what you should use your limited time on.

While some traditions are impossible to rid yourself of, that doesn’t mean you can’t add new, fun and memorable experiences to your to-do list. To help you get that list started, I compiled a group of must-do’s to get you started on making the most of this winter.

Play in the snow. If you have the option to play in the fluffy, cold snow, engage in a snowball fight or build the world’s best snowman: take it. Your freezing cold fingers and toes will forgive you later.

Go ice skating. Maybe you aren’t the most coordinated, graceful or athletic person. That’s okay; ice skating provides a fun time for even the biggest klutz — on a personal note, I’m talking about myself.

Make holiday cookies. Who doesn’t enjoy a warm cookie during this time of year?

Plus, getting the chance to make and

ice them with people you love makes for an even more fun — and messy — time.

Watch your favorite holiday movie or special.

The holidays often are associated with that nostalgic feeling you get when thinking of it. The best way to stir up that feeling, in my experience, is to watch old specials that bring you back.

For ideas on what to watch, check out the entertainment section.

Visit those who are important to you.

With emotions heightened, memories being resurfaced and warm and fuzzy feelings all around, this is the best time

of year to remind the people you love why they’re so important to you. Take some time to deliver your undivided attention to them.

Treat yourself. Remember, this is your winter break. You just worked your butt off for the last term, give yourself a second to relax by doing something you love.

Drink way too much eggnog. Admittedly, this is a little biased because there are few things that get me more jazzed than seeing that eggnog is back in stores. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be consuming an entire carton

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this season.

Decorate. For whatever holiday you celebrate, or just for winter, make your living space reflect the aspects that you love most about it. For a better experience, deck the halls while listening to your favorite holiday tunes.

Give back. This holiday season, remember that there are people who aren’t fortunate enough to receive anything at all. Give what you can, even if it’s just your time. The smallest things will go a long way.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou. edu

LIFESTYLE

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

creative ways to

Homemade Decorated Coasters Purchase cheap and plain colored coasters — white works best, but others would work as well. Print out your favorite pictures and cut them into the size of the coaster, or slightly smaller if you have square coasters to give off the polaroid inspired look. Mod Podge it onto the coaster, let dry and repeat three more times.

Inspired by countryliving.com

give

DIY gifts offer cheap alternatives this holiday season

Decorated Mugs

By Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Purchase a plain white or light colored mug. Using oil-based pens (you can use Sharpies, but the cups will have to be carefully washed by hand), decorate the mug how you’d like. You can use tape or stencils to help guide you, or start by designing on it with pencil to make sure you have it how you’d like it.

Inspired by livewellspendingless. com

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent a good amount of money that you had intended to save on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, if you’re anything like me, that means you probably don’t have a ton left to spend on gifts for people for the holidays.

If you’re in this bind, there’s no need to worry; DIY gifts lead to incredible alternatives. Not only are they cheaper, but with the extra effort and time put into it the recipient will be far more impressed and appreciative. So, get ready to get crafty and set aside some time to give these DIY presents your all.

Candle Holder Purchase a small glass vase, or use one you already have. Put a strip of tape around the center to divide it in half, and use tape to create a

Photo by CAITY HEALY

Ways to get the stamina to take on the end of the term

By Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor Nine grueling weeks have gone by, and on the 10th week of the term Western brought to me: 10 hours of studying, nine hours of procrastinating, eight pots of coffee, seven sets of flashcards, six snacks at midnight, five different tests, four trips to the library, three all-nighters, two full breakdowns and my planner telling me it’s “dead week.”

The hardest time of the term has finally arrived, and with everything you have to get done, it can be exhausting both physically and mentally. And while it may seem like the best thing to do is just relax and kickback, sometimes that’s not an option.

Let’s be real, if we were all to stop everything and just forget about the

Continued on the back

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solid design that you will put in the middle of the vase, such as a heart or a star. Paint around the tape using acrylic enamel paint or chalk paint for best results, leaving the top part exposed. Once that dries, take off the tape and put a candle inside your newly designed candle holder.

Inspired by housebeautiful.com Snow Globe Get a mason jar and open it up, with the lid upside down. Cover whatever you’d like, such as holiday or winter-themed knick knacks (mini Santa’s, snowmen, trees, etc.) in Mod Podge to preserve the coloring and glue them onto the lid. Paint small snowflakes in the inside of the jar to give the illusion of falling snow once it’s turned upside down. Fill the jar almost to the top with water, and add glitter. Screw the lid onto the jar tightly. For a finishing touch, tie ribbon around where the jar and the lid meet.

Inspired by julieannart.com Contact the author at chealy16@ wou.edu

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

Taking a short walk every day will not only boost energy, but also improve sleep and relieve stress

Staying lively with energy boosters

approaching finals week, nothing would get done, our grades would drop and we would feel even worse than before. Rather than taking that route, it’s better to just face the fury of all that dead week is. However, because this can be incredibly exhausting, you’ll need energy boosters to keep you going strong.

A natural way to give you more energy is to increase your intake of magnesium. This can be done by eating healthy nuts, such as walnuts or hazelnuts. You can also add more whole grains, green leafy vegetables or legumes to your diet. According to livestrong.com, those who have low levels of magnesium will use up their energy stores quickly, whereas those with high magnesium levels will use their energy stores slowly. So add these things to your diet to keep you going through dead week and finals week.

You can also take a quick walk. I realize that when there’s a lot you need to get done, the last thing you’ll want to do is physical activity, however, according to a study at California State University, a brisk, 10-minute walk will

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

characters and places have been cut to accommodate the limitations of cellular platform — or, more likely, to avoid making the entire game experience free to the public. For those who invested significant amounts of time in collecting artifacts and specimens for Blathers at the museum, there’s nothing in the app.

For those who have been shaking trees and running from bees for over a decade, it simply doesn’t provide the same level of satisfaction.

However, for a college kid with no money for a Nintendo console, it’s a great substitute. And, for those who have never experienced the game, “Pocket Camp” is a great way to test the waters without investing in consoles and games.

Review: “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” Nintendo’s beloved animals cross platforms

By Stephanie Blair | Editor-in-Chief

Contact the author at journaleditor@ wou.edu However, such as it is with many Nintendo games, if those platforms weren’t a part of a player’s childhood then these titles hold no meaning or nostalgia. Now, for the first time, an “Animal Crossing” game is available on a non-Nintendo console: the humble smartphone.

“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” is free on Google Play and the iOS App Store, allowing Android and iPhone owners, alike, to experience a taste of the game loved ‘round the world.

However, veteran Animal Crossers may find themselves wanting more from

the app. The concept of the new game is that the player’s character is taking a vacation to go camping outside of the city. In this wilderness, other animals from the game series are camping, as well, and will exchange money and materials for favors. Similarly, instead of being perpetually indebted to Mr. Nook for home expansions, a trio of brothers keeps the player in debt through camper upgrades.

There isn’t nearly as much customization available as there was in previous games and the world is incredibly limited. Similarly, beloved

‘Tis the season to stay busy

free hot cocoa and candy canes in the process, check out one or three of the many tree lighting events taking place within the first week of December.

Western’s 50th annual tree lighting will take place in front of Campbell Hall at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. For more information, refer to page five.

Can’t make it that night? Keizer will be holding its annual tree lighting in Walery Plaza on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.

For more information on event details and where to park visit http:// keizerchamber.com Independence is lighting up the night with their Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. It’s important to note that the parade route will look different than it has in the past. For a complete map of the route, check out the Independence city website. A holiday party will be held following end of the parade at the Independence Elk’s Lodge on Main Street at 5:30 p.m.

For those looking for a little more excitement and a lot more walking

than a typical tree lighting has to offer, check out the Oregon Zoo’s 30th year of its ZooLights event. ZooLights takes you on a journey through a spectacle of over a million lights, while also offering rides on the train, pictures with Santa and a variety of food carts. The event runs through Jan. 7, but will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 as well as Jan. 1 through 4.

For those who want to save some money this season, plan on attending one of the value nights for a cheaper admission price. To see a calendar of when those are, as well as pricing and event times, go to http://oregonzoo. org/visit/zoolights.

The Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem is offering multiple opportunities to get a nostalgia fix with a variety of holiday movies and performances.

From screenings of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Elf,” to the Eugene Ballet Company’s “The Nutcracker” and “Sing We Now of Christmas” performed by Festival Chorale of

December brings with it an array of festive activities from Monmouth to Portland

By Jade Rayner | Copy Editor The holiday season is about to hit full swing, with December right around the corner. Whether you’ve been blasting holiday tunes since the beginning of November or you’ve been avoiding the holidays at all costs, it’s time to embrace this season to the max. Break out your planners, folks, because there is no shortage of fun to be had, come Dec. 1.

Being a full-fledged Christmas fan or not, there’s no denying the joy that comes from seeing lights adorn trees as far as the eye can see. To catch a tree lighting in action, and snag some

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Oregon, the possibilities are plentiful.

A full list of performances and movie screenings can be found on http:// elsinoretheatre.com.

There are a plethora of activities and events available to attend during the holiday season. As the term winds down, it’s the perfect time to start planning how to achieve a welldeserved break from school and have fun in the process.

Contact the author at journalcopy@ wou.edu

The Oregon Zoo is located at 4001 SW Canyon Road in Portland

Photo courtesy of NATIONALZOO.SI.EDU

I discovered “Animal Crossing” and began my lifelong debt to that nefarious raccoon, Mr. Nook, in 2002, when it first came to America as a game for the GameCube. The game was met by a sea of praise from players and critics alike and was followed by its sequel, “Animal Crossing: Wild World” on the Nintendo DS in 2005. Due to continued critical and cultural acclaim, the game continued to be reincarnated: next as “Animal Crossing: City Folk” in 2008 for the Wii, and finally as “Animal Crossing: New Leaf ” for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.

Photo courtesy of ANIMAL-CROSSING.COM

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

seasonal movie recommendations from

9

the western journal If you’re looking for a comedyfilled classic to watch with your family this holiday season, look no further; “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is a movie that I can’t get enough of this time of year. Watch as Clark Griswold tries to maintain his sanity throughout the Christmas season while various members of his extended family vacation at his home.

From the hilarious struggles of hanging up lights to the Christmas tree going up in flames, it’s fun to experience a family more dysfunctional than your own. So, grab a glass of ‘nog and mele kalikimaka.

I love a good classic movie, and in my opinion, one of the best ones is also a great winter film. “An Affair to Remember” is a 1957 film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Grant’s character meets Kerr’s on a cruise ship and they hit it off. After the cruise, they part ways and inevitably keep seeing each other. Though it isn’t explicitly a holiday film, there’s a scene that takes place on Christmas Eve. This movie is perfect for people who want to sit on the couch while wrapped up in a blanket drinking something warm — it’s cozy, it’s cute and it has Cary Grant.

- Zoë Strickland, Managing Editor

- Sam Dunaway, News Editor Photo courtesy of WARNERBROS.COM

Photo courtesy of FOXMOVIES.COM

Animated or claymation holiday specials are timeless classics. However, of the many produced in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s, the most iconic and memorable is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Providing sing-along tunes, a cute and heartwarming story about the origins of Kris Kringle and characters voiced by Hollywood elite — including Mickey Rooney and Fred Astaire — the movie will leave you feeling nostalgic and full of joy. It’s shown annually during the “25 Days of Christmas” on the FreeForm channel. So, as the song says, “put one foot in front of the other,” and soon you’ll be enjoying a holiday classic, as well.

To learn the true meaning of Christmas, slip on your pink bunny pajamas and grab some Chinese food: it’s time for “A Christmas Story.” The 1980’s classic follows Ralphie Parker through the Christmas season and the winter time shenanigans that he and his family face.

Ralphie gets really down on the holidays, which I can relate to, but he comes around in the end as everything… sort of works out. Overall, it’s funny and doesn’t over-romanticize the holidays, making it perfect for Christmas lovers and haters, alike.

- Stephanie Blair, Editor-in-Chief

- Caity Healy, Lifestyle Editor Photo courtesy of ABC.GO.COM

Photo courtesy of MGM.COM

Not in love with the idea of watching Christmas movies for the duration of December? Neither am I. Instead, try watching a movie that gives you winter vibes rather than holiday spirit, like “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Being both an Edgar Wright-directed film and an adaptation of a series of graphic novels, expect nothing less than a visually beautiful, fast-paced comedy that you’ll want to watch over and over again. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is an action movie mixed with romance: a revenge story mixed with comedy.

There is something for everyone in this film, and the wintery Canadian backdrop will leave you begging for snow.

Photo courtesy of UNIVERSALPICTURES.COM

- Jade Rayner, Copy Editor

Once-great M. Night Shyamalan has earned a pretty bad reputation over his slowly sinking career. This puts me in a weird position, because I’m about to recommend that you watch his foundfootage horror-comedy “The Visit.”

“The Visit” isn’t a good movie per se, but it is one of the most bizarre films I’ve ever seen. It’s stuck somewhere in this weird limbo between the godawful “After Earth” and the surprisingly fun “Split.” What is Shyamalan doing?

Why does a graph of his career make a parabola now? I don’t know, but this unusually entertaining film is well worth an hour and a half of your time.

- Darien Campo, Designer Photo courtesy of UNIVERSALPICTURES.COM

wou.edu/westernjournal

10

HUMOR

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

aries

3/21-4/19

We know you played Christmas music before Thanksgiving, Aries. The stars are out to get you now.

cancer

taurus

4/20-5/20 gemini

Look, the stars know that going ice skating sounds fun, and they love and support you — just get through finals first before letting yourself “enjoy the holidays,” or “have fun” or “spread peace and love.”

6/21-7/22 leo

I see so much suffering — I mean, I see so much happiness in your future.

Happy thoughts, just think happy thoughts.

libra

scorpio

9/23-10/22

Hey Gemini, those ol’ carols get played out. You’ll hear them repeatedly at your local grocery store anyway. So, remix it up and hear Mariah Carey’s “O Holy Night,” or rapper DMX’s rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on YouTube.

7/23-8/22 virgo

I don’t want to spoil Christmas morning for you, Cancer, but let’s just say you better hope Trump doesn’t succeed in reviving the coal industry.

5/21-6/20

8/23-9/22

The stars would like you to know that it’s still perfectly reasonable for you, a grown college student, to stay up until 4 a.m. waiting for Santa.

10/23-11/21 sagittarius 11/22-12/21

This is it, Libra. This is the year that your plan to make a 4-foot-tall PVC pipe Menorah will succeed. The hiccup will come when trying to locate candles.

If you see a mysterious shadow in the Monmouth park gazebo, it’s a sign that we will be getting a full week of snow this year. Tread carefully.

The time has finally arrived, Sagittarius.

Just make sure not to keep your roommates up all night when you’re blaring Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

capricorn

aquarius

pisces

12/22-1/19

Capricorn, do yourself a favor: look up Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey and start supporting him instead of Rudolph. He’s way cooler.

Compiled By The Western Journal Staff

1/20 - 2/18

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy solstice and Happy Hannukah, Aquarius. (Or is it Channukah?

Chanukkah? Hannuka? Hanuka?)

wou.edu/westernjournal

2/19 - 3/20

Winter brings the promise of many new seasonal activities to keep yourself entertained. However, the stars are advising that you ditch that ice fishing idea and opt for ice skating instead.

Heed their warning, Pisces.

EDITORIAL

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

11

THE EFFECTS OF WORD CHOICE THIS SEASON “Happy holidays” offers a courteous, culturally accepting greeting

By Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor Pop quiz, which of the following would be the least offensive for the majority? A, “merry Christmas,” B, “happy Christmas” or C, “happy holidays.” If you answered A or B, you’re likely not thinking of others and what they might celebrate this winter season. If you answered C, then congratulations, you clearly care about others and their cultures.

While it may seem easy to just say “merry Christmas,” as many of you

probably have for years and already have the tendency to do, you need to realize that you’re excluding several different cultures and religions. And while many who experience this may not speak up about it, they may just not feel comfortable enough to say that what you’re doing is wrong or potentially offensive to them.

December is a month of multicultural holiday celebrations. The variety of different holidays celebrated ranges widely between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day, Boxing Day, Yule, Omisoka and the list goes on.

So to simply say “merry Christmas”

means you’re actually leaving out a plethora of different minorities simply because you were unaware, or you’re simply being ignorant.

Doing this is in no way okay. If it’s something you’ve done in the past because you don’t know any better, then now is the time to start changing your speech. Just switch to “happy holidays,” as it includes everyone who celebrates anything, not just the ones who celebrate this one holiday.

However, if you have been saying “merry Christmas” to everyone simply to make a point or to avoid the so-called “war on Christmas,” then you are undoubtedly in the wrong.

Choosing to ignore groups of people and discredit everything they believe in and celebrate is offensive and just plain rude.

How anyone can be so careless and inconsiderate of other cultures honestly blows my mind. When it comes down to it, saying “happy holidays” requires essentially the same amount of effort as saying “merry Christmas” does. And guess what? It still includes Christmas.

It’s a win-win. You aren’t offending anyone, and you still get to include the holiday that you choose to celebrate.

If you still want to continue saying “merry Christmas” in 2017, then you also need to accept the fact that you are someone who chooses to be offensive on purpose. Accept the fact that you are someone who disregards other cultures or looks at them as less-than.

Accept the fact that if someone chooses to say “happy Hanukkah” to you, then you have zero right to be offended. Are you willing to accept all of these things about yourself?

Rather than looking at saying “happy holidays” as an inconvenience, look at it as an opportunity to be appreciative and respectful of all cultures. It’s honestly amazing to look at other cultures and see everything they believe in and stand for — appreciate the differences that make us who we are. December is a month for us to grow culturally and be accepting of others. Choose to be on the right side of this shift; when the opportunity arises, choose “happy holidays.”

Contact the author at chealy16@wou. edu

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

wou.edu/westernjournal

THE WESTERN JOURNAL STAFF

is hiring

We’re currently looking for an

Entertainment Editor, Copy Editor and Advertising Manager.

Apply on OrgSync.

Still want to work for us, but with less time commitment?

We’re always looking for freelance writers and photographers.

Email journalmanaging @wou.edu for more information.

Illustrations by ELISSA SORENSON

12

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 29, 2017

SPORTS

NOTES Wolf athletes showed up and showed out in the fall

By Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

FOOTBALL A win on senior day, Nov. 11, capped the season on a high note. It was the first home win for the Wolves, putting them at a 3-8 overall record and 2-6 conference record. Despite an end to the season, two athletes earned first team all-GNAC honors, while six athletes earned second team honors.

Junior defensive linebacker Bo Highburger got his first team nod for the second straight season, while senior wideout Paul Revis went out with his fourth straight first team honor. Revis broke more than 20 Western NCAA DII-era school records on the season including 32 receiving touchdowns and 6,713 all-purpose yards. Highburger led the GNAC with 102 total tackles.

More records were broken during the season as senior quarterback Nick Duckworth tied a team record with six passing touchdowns versus Simon Fraser on Oct. 7. A total of 82 points in the same game set a Western DII-era school record.

VOLLEYBALL

Western alumnus

Western volleyball had a rough season but, like the football team, won their final game on senior night at home. Their record stood at an overall 7-20 with a 3-17 conference record by the end of the season.

Senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson went on to receive an allGNAC honorable mention. Bettinson broke the school record for kills on Nov. 2 against the Montana State Yellowjackets and went on to surpass the 1,100 mark for kills. She is also the first wolf in the NCAA DII-era to have at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

The only other Wolf senior is Sydney Blankinship, who finished her stellar career at third with an all-time in attack percentage of .280 and in the top 10 for blocks and block assists.

Continued from page 4

CROSS COUNTRY When women’s cross country debuted the season, senior Kennedy Rufener finished atop runners to win the individual championship on Sept.

2 in the Linfield Harrier Classic. In the GNAC championships, Rufener finished 37 seconds ahead of where she was the year prior. The team’s five runners who returned from last year also improved on their GNAC championship individual times in the race. Rufener closed well for the Wolves in the regionals, qualifying as an individual for the Nationals. In the national championships, Rufener finished 97 out of 247 runners.

Men’s cross country was led by senior David Ribich most of the way but the team did enough to finish well in the GNAC championships by placing five finishers in the top 15 en route to a GNAC title. It was also the best finish in 10 years as the team finished as runner-ups in 2007. Ribich finished first again in the regionals and the team qualified to be in the Nationals thereafter. Ribich led most of the way in the national race but finished 30th in the end. The team finished at 21st.

Ribich went on to receive all-American honors for his run.

in public spaces for transgender individuals. All of these issues were won by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and signed into law.

In 2018, statewide non-discrimination laws will be up for a referendum vote and mark the first time that transgender rights will be on a statewide ballot.

Dunn received an award by the Equality Federation, a national organization that supports and collaborates with state-based LGBTQ organizations. He was the recipient of the 2017 Leadership Award in honor of his advocacy for nondiscrimination protections for gender identity and expression.

Dunn has worked as an LGBTQ rights advocate for over a decade, but

TAIL-END he encourages everyone to get involved in some capacity; “Whatever you do, and in whatever capacity, get involved and stay involved. It will take all of us to address inequality in our world.”

“You don’t have to be on the front lines in this work. You may not have the capacity to march, or organize, or speak out,” Dunn said. “But sharing articles on social media, speaking up when friends or family show bias towards marginalized groups, fundraising for a local nonprofit, or even volunteering once a month - all of these are ways to be involved in the work for equality.”

Contact the author at journalnews@ wou.edu

Energy boosters Continued from page 7 give you an energy boost that can last up to two hours. So, taking occasional study breaks to take a walk will do you a lot of good in the long run.

Whatever you do, do not skip a meal.

Skipping meals will lead to fatigue at the end of the day, and you’ll need the fuel to keep you going all week. Not only that, but eating every meal will keep you in a better mood.

Eat a power snack. You’ll want to have a high intake of protein, carbs and fiber. An example would be energy balls. To make these, mix together one cup of oats, a half-cup of peanut butter or almond butter, a half-cup of ground flaxseed, a third of a cup of honey, a half-cup of dark chocolate chips and

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

Icon courtesy of ROYYAN RAZKA

Icon courtesy of MARK ROBERTS

Icon courtesy of GREGOR CRESNAR

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one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix it all together, form into balls and let that chill in the fridge. Eat one or two of these when you need that extra boost of energy.

Don’t let dead week get you down.

With these different ways to boost your energy levels, you’ll be able to show the week who’s boss. So take on the challenge, do so with vigor and study as hard as you can. Good luck with everything you take on, and don’t forget to make your mental health your number one priority.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou. edu