Mount Hood

Keep standing up

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

Content warning: this article discusses stalking, sexual assault and violence

Anna Nasset, author of her memoir “Now I Speak: From Stalked to Standing Up,” is an activist, advocate and survivor of stalking. After publishing in 2023, she was personally invited by Western for a book club discussion, keynote speech, book signing and a storytelling workshop for survivors. The event was hosted by Abby’s House, Western’s resource for equity and gender justice.

According to SPARC —  the Stalking Prevention, Awareness and Resource Center — one-third of women and one-sixth of men in the US have been impacted by stalking. SPARC is a resource that guarantees advocates, educators, prosecutors and other professionals have what they need to assist victims of stalking. 

SPARC defines stalking as “a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress.”

January has been recognized as National Stalking Awareness Month for the last 21 years. It originated in January of 2003, when Peggy Klinke was murdered by her former partner turned stalker. Klinke’s sister, Debbie Riddle, took action after the tragedy.

“Debbie … decided that with her grief, she was going to do something about it,” Nasset said during her keynote speech. “Never question the power of us when we get p—-d off because Debbie, within a year (of Klinke’s death), was at the US Capitol having National Stalking Awareness Month signed into law.” 

During Nasset’s keynote speech, she delved into her history of being a survivor of sexual and gender-based violence. Then, she told the story that led her to eventually become an advocate for victims of stalking. 

In her late 20s, after going to school for art, Nasset got an opportunity to own an art gallery in Port Townsend, Washington. 

“I hosted galleries the first Saturday of every month along with the rest of the town. I was involved in my community. I was well known as a young female business owner. It was a good point in my life,” said Nasset.

Nasset was unaware at the time, but a man who she did not know had been watching her for quite some time. His stalking and obsessive behaviors only intensified. He was even sent to jail for 364 days for misdemeanor stalking — however, that did not stop him from continuing to stalk Nasset after his release.

After several years, a prosecutor was able to build another case against Nasset’s stalker, except this time it was for aggravated felony stalking.

“He was sentenced to ten years, which at the time was the longest (stalking) sentence in our country’s history,” Nasset said, “and that really, for me, was a huge call to action to say, ‘I don’t want to be the exception… This needs to start to be the standard.’”

In recent years, Nasset has worked with agencies at the state and federal level to help victims of stalking and gender-based violence. She is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, serves on multiple advisory councils, is a board member of End Violence Against Women International and is the Vice President of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce. She also hosts a podcast called “The Mend.” 

“​​(Identifying) stalking is really challenging because so often it’s looking at things that are not criminalized and understanding that it’s a criminal behavior,” Nasset said.

There are many signs a person is being stalked, including hypervigilance, a lack of involvement, depression, skipping events, being distracted easily and being afraid to leave their home. 

“Not everyone who’s experiencing or showing these things is necessarily a victim of stalking or other forms of gender-based violence, but they might be,” Nasset said. According to Nasset, it’s important to reach out to loved ones who are showing these warning signs and, most importantly, believe victims and survivors when they open up about their experience. 

“So often we are told to be silent about these things. And when we are silenced by them, we carry that blame with us,” Nasset said. “Victims and survivors stay silent, because (if we report), we’re going to be put back through that, we’re going to be questioned, we’re going to be disbelieved… And so, so often it feels like, ‘why even stand up and say anything?’”

Nasset knows that even one survivor standing up, sharing their story and trying to get justice can not only help them, but help other victims as well. 

“If we can respond to stalking, we could potentially save a life,” Nasset said after sharing a statistic about the strong correlation between stalking and sexual violence. “And I’ll be honest with you, I’m one that was saved, because I shouldn’t be here. And so that’s why I take this so seriously, is to say, ‘if you pay attention to us, we can save lives.’”

According to SPARC, one out of ten undergraduate women and one out of 33 undergraduate men are stalked on college campuses. Abby’s House is Western’s resource for victims of stalking, providing confidential advocates and assistance finding and navigating other resources. They are located in room 106 of the Werner University Center and can be reached by email at abbyshouse@wou.edu

When signing books after her keynote speech, Nasset wrote the phrase that should be the main takeaway from her work: “Keep standing up.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

History of Monmouth

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Between the years of 1850 and 1853, three wagon trains delivered a cluster of pioneer families to the Willamette Valley from Monmouth, Illinois. The families, notably the Butlers, Davidsons, Whitmans, Murphys and Lucases, desired the same thing: to form a community “where men and women alike may be schooled in the science of learning and the principles of religion” — as described by a history brochure published by the City of Monmouth. From there, Monmouth was born.

Western was founded in 1856 after donations of land and funding from the settlers. More families gathered in the town, with most, if not all, also rooted in Christian faith.

The Kalapuya people are the original owners of the land, the tribe spanning across the Willamette Valley. Monmouth is located within the traditional homeland of the Luckiamute Band of the Kalapuya. In 1855, the Kalapuya people were forcibly relocated to reservations further west. According to the City of Monmouth, some descendants remain in the area; others align with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

No original structures from Monmouth’s founding remain, but the oldest building currently standing is the Craven House, found on east Main Street and dating back to 1869. The Craven House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Campbell Hall is close behind, dating back to 1871 and found on Western’s campus — an example of a Gothic Revival style building.

Other houses in historic Monmouth date from between 1865 and 1975. The architecture, sometimes described as “eclectic,” boasts a variety of styles — some Ranch, Italianate, Craftsman Bungalow, Cottage, Moderne, Colonial … the list goes on.

Large fires in the late 1800s and early 1900s destroyed countless commercial properties of Monmouth origin, but other old establishments remain, such as the Polk County Bank, built in 1889 with a Queen Anne style build.

Railroads were established between 1881 and 1937, connecting Monmouth to the outside world. The railroads were built by Mexican and Chinese migrant workers. In 1924, Highway 99 West was constructed, and was eventually the first paved highway built by the State of Oregon Highway Commission.

Monmouth has a total area of 2.24 square miles, with 9,534 people recorded in the 2010 census. More than 80% of the town’s population was recorded as white. Ten years prior, in the 2000 census, the population was listed at 7,741 people — a jump of nearly 2,000.

Monmouth, until 2002, was  a “dry town” — meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants, bars and markets in the town was illegal. It was the last dry town in Oregon until the popular vote reinstated liquor sales in the aforementioned locations.

Prohibition began in Monmouth in 1859, advocated for especially by one founder, Elijah Davidson, who was a devout Christian and strongly in favor of banning alcohol. Over time, as other towns began to drop their laws of prohibition, Monmouth clung to theirs; many not wanting to let go of the unique, classic trait of the historic town.

Two attempts — in 1954 and 1959 — to repeal the town’s dry status both failed.

Support eventually dwindled and many argued that Monmouth’s dry town status hindered its economic success. Merchants desired to sell, while property values lowered — joining Monmouth with the rest of the West coast towns after 143 years of town-wide sobriety.

Beer and wine were allowed after 2002, with hard liquor not being sold until 2011.

Despite its prior illegality, the Mulkey Building — formerly a grocery store — harbored a pool hall in its upper level and took full advantage of procedural mistakes in 1939, serving alcohol for half the year. Anyone who bought a beer at Mulkey Building could drink it, but only outside the doorway and in the hall.

The City of Monmouth also claims to have “resident peacocks” roaming the area around Gentle Woods Park. 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu

Building healthy food habits

Written by: Isabelle Jones | Lifestyle Editor

Healthy food habits are essential for a student’s success both in and out of the classroom. For many people, college is their first time away from home. Constant new experiences, late-night study sessions and other exciting events can lead to many overlooking the importance of building healthy food habits. With that, we need to nurture a healthy relationship surrounding food as early as possible. No matter what a person’s weekly schedule looks like, they can always make time for food. 

For many students, a busy schedule seems to take over daily life at the start of every term. Whether it’s classes, sports or music practice, extracurricular activities, work, internships or something else, meals often get shifted to fit our busy days, but sometimes when it feels like food can’t be fit in, mealtime tends to be skipped — a dangerous habit to develop. It can be tempting to skip meals, especially when one is running out the door, but it leads to low energy levels throughout the day. It also affects one’s ability to concentrate. This results in overeating later in the day, causing one’s blood sugar to crash afterward. Breakfast is, unfortunately, the most skipped meal of the day. Skipping meals can easily be combated by trying fast, easy and nutritious meals. This could be Greek yogurt and granola, oatmeal with fruit or even a frozen breakfast sandwich popped in the microwave. Breakfast helps with feeling more energized throughout the day and keeps one feeling full.

Since we’re constantly on the go, time restraints can lead people to rely on drinks to keep energy up. Soda, energy drinks and sweetened coffee beverages are loaded with empty calories that cause massive spikes in blood sugar and leave one feeling empty. Any person with a busy schedule understands the reliance on caffeine. Too much caffeine leads to jitteriness, poor sleep and huge energy crashes, which are all detrimental to a progressing student. 

Sugary drinks can contribute to weight gain, poor dental health and feeling sluggish. This doesn’t mean that one cannot ever have a sugary drink, but they should be an occasional treat. 

All should include more water in their diet. It’s crucial for maintaining energy and focus. In general, it’s great for overall well-being. For some — myself included at times — drinking water is boring and seems like a hassle. Try infusing the water with fruits like lemons or even cucumbers for a refreshing twist. 

Stress from exams and the general hustle and bustle of health can build up and become overwhelming. Some can experience emotional eating. This happens when the desire to eat is influenced by our emotions instead of pure hunger. Many seek out comfort foods like ice cream, chips or sweets. In the moment a person can feel good, but feelings of guilt may arise in the aftermath. Emotional eating tends to happen late at night. This can be common during study sessions. Generally, eating before going to bed disrupts sleeping patterns. The best way to fix emotional eating and late-night snacking is through therapy since the root of the stress comes from other areas in one’s life. 

When walking into the campus dining hall, one can see that most gravitate towards pastas, pizzas and fried food, but some forget to include enough vegetables. The salad bar is a customizable way for students to enjoy vegetables in a way that suits their preferences. Each vegetable is full of essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that support digestion and immunity. 

Technology has revolutionized the way food can be ordered. All it takes is a few taps on a phone and food is delivered right to the door. This isn’t the healthiest option to be pursued and isn’t a budget-friendly option for many college students. Many delivery food options are high in sodium, unhealthy fats and empty calories. Relying too heavily on these processed foods can lead to weight gain, poor digestion and energy crashes. Once this has become a regular habit, it can interfere with one’s ability to learn how to cook healthier meals. 

We see new fads and diets that claim to be “new and improved” methods of promoting physical health, but without the proper knowledge of what a person’s body is deficient in, many diets can be extremely harmful. This can be especially true when a person is constantly jumping from one diet to the next when they don’t immediately see results. Diets like keto, juice cleanses, the master cleanse — also called the lemon detox diet — and the “no carb” diet are examples of “fad diets” that often cause more harm than good. While these are just a few, the list goes on. It is essential to focus on a balanced, nutrient-dense diet instead of following fleeting trends. 

As students become more independent, it can be chaotic trying to adjust to a new chapter in life. Eating habits are typically the first to fall through the cracks and tend to go unnoticed until the effects are visible. There are changes that can be made in order to shift a poor or unhealthy relationship with food. 

The first is to prepare. Food prep is an easy way to plan out our meals and snacks. It’s possible to create single portions and teach ourselves how to cook. All it takes is a couple of hours and, in the end, it is one less thing we have to worry about during our busy week. 

The second is to listen to our bodies. Our bodies naturally give cues to signal when we are hungry. When we are eating, we should take the time to savor the flavors and not push ourselves to clear off our plates. 

When it comes to food, moderation is key. Instead of stressing over every meal, we should focus on making general healthy choices that will leave us feeling nourished and energized. 

BUDGET-FRIENDLY HEALTHY MEAL

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cups Rolled oats

1 cup Peanut butter or almond butter

1 Banana

¼ cup Honey or maple syrup (optional)

⅓ cup Milk (or water)

Instructions

Cook the oats according to the package instructions, using either milk or water.

Once the oats are cooked, stir in a spoonful of peanut butter for healthy fats and creaminess.

Slice the banana on top of the oatmeal.

Drizzle with honey or maple syrup for added sweetness (optional).

Recipe from Lee Funke at Fit Foodie Finds

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

This week in entirely made up horoscopes….

The Signs as Crayola Colors:

Aries: Literally all of them

Taurus: Forest green

Gemini: sassy salmon

Cancer: brick red 

Leo: Dandelion yellow

Virgo: useless white

Libra: Purple Mountains’ Majesty

Scorpio: Screamin’ green

Sagittarius: Razzmatazz

Capricorn: Tickle me pink

Aquarius: Wild blue yonder

Pisces: laser lemon

Translated media wave

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

“The amount of time you spent together probably matters, but less time doesn’t mean less love. Whether it’s a day or year, human or cat, and even if we may never see them again, there are those who are irreplaceable in our lives.”

All it took was for me to see one quote from Syou Ishida’s book, “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat,” on Instagram — and I was hooked. 

The novel, translated from Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda, explores the concept of prescribing a cat as medication for those who find the mysterious Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Often puzzled by this strange prescription, patients “take” their cat for the prescribed amount of time and find monumental changes in their lives. 

After falling in love with “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat,” I quickly searched for more translated works by Japanese authors, and found “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” by Satoshi Yagisawa and “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi at The Book Bin in Salem. With similar life-changing premises as “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat,” it made me wonder why these novels were becoming so popular in the US. After all, until recently, I had never seen any books translated into English from another language in stores unless they were manga. 

“In Japanese fiction, readers are finding comforting stories about ordinary lives transformed by small adjustments of attitude, suggesting positive change is something we can all reach if we are open to it,” said Jane Lawson, deputy publisher at Doubleday Publishing, suggesting that readers are finding what may not be in English literature in its Japanese counterpart.

This then led me to Korean Dramas, or K-Dramas, subbed and dubbed anime, movies and shows. Slice-of-life plots and heroes with super abilities were the majority of what I found, but they all had one similar theme: a life-changing experience for the better. 

The popularity of Japanese literature, K-dramas and other media from these regions is part of the “Hallyu,” or Korean Wave, that started in the 1990s and gained momentum in the 2000s. Who could forget Psy’s hit song “Gangnam Style,” which rocked 2012?

As these books continue to hit shelves and gain popularity, I would recommend them wholeheartedly. It wasn’t until I read “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” that I realized how close to home Ishida’s words had hit and how my own cat has helped me immensely in the last few months, even as he bites my hands while I type this. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Fantasy heroine training

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

“Trouble” — Valeroie Broussard

“To Ashes and Blood” — Woodkid

“Le Monde” — Richard Carter

“Little Girl Gone” — CHINCHILLA

“Mermaids” — Florence + the Machine

“LABOUR (the cacophony)” — Paris Paloma

“Me and the Devil” — Soap&Skin

“It Will Come Back” — Hozier

“Power” — Kayne West

“Black Sheep” — Metric feat. Brie Larson

“the fruits” — Paris Paloma

“Venom” — Eminem

“ZITTI E BUONI” — Måneskin

“SHUM” — Go_A

“Supermassive Black Hole” — Muse

“Control” — Halsey

“bury a friend” — Billie Eilish

“Blood // Water” — grandson

“Play with Fire” — Sam Tinnesz feat. Yacht Money

“All for Us” — Labrinth & Zendaya

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Western vs Fraser

Written by: Quincy Bentley | Sports Editor

Western’s men’s basketball team secured their first conference victory Jan. 16, snapping their losing-streak. The Wolves, who faced a challenging start to the season, put up a strong performance in their win against Simon Fraser University. 

California native Jahville Collins, a fifth-year for the “Wolves,” dominated throughout the whole game, scoring a career high of 34 points on an efficient 57% from the field. Even with Collins’ performance, the Red Leafs led by as many as 7 points in the first half. Despite the slight point differential, Simon Fraser wasn’t able to pull away, allowing time for Western to get together and overcome their deficit. The “Wolves” were able to do exactly that, fighting back and narrowing the score, and by halftime, the “Wolves” held a 37-36 lead. Coming into the second half, the Red Leafs went on a tear. Simon Fraser, which is 1-6 in conference play, gave themselves a comfortable 9 point lead with about 10 minutes of play left. The “Wolves” were in need of a leader, but they responded with a 16-2 run. Collins continued to score the basketball, but Simon Fraser refused to give up. Luke Howard, a forward for the Red Leafs, was a force in the paint, scoring an impressive 25 points during the game. Howard was getting to his spots the whole second half, and Western didn’t seem to have an answer for him. Luckily, “Wolves first-year Mario Williams stepped up when his team needed him the most, scoring three after three to keep them in the contest. As both teams continued to battle, it was evident that the game was going to be decided at the last second. With only 5 seconds remaining in the match, the score was 77-76 in Western’s favor. With the game on the line, Fraser was forced to foul Western guard Jason Gallant, who went on to shoot free throws. Gallant, who is Western’s leading scorer and a 78% free throw shooter on the season, sank the first free throw, putting his team up 78-76. As he shot his second free throw, it hit the front iron and missed, giving the Red Leafs possession with 5.8 seconds remaining. Both teams scrambled to get to their spots as the time wound down, as Simon Fraser had no timeouts to call. The Red Leafs rushed towards their basket, but there simply wasn’t enough time to get off a quality shot, forcing them to throw up a halfcourt heave, missing the rim completely, leaving the score 78-76 with 0 seconds on the clock. Western proudly took home this conference win, and they look forward to taking even more as the season progresses.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu