Mount Hood

A showcase of grad cap designs

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Graduation and Commencement will be done differently this year due to extenuating circumstances, but that has not stopped many seniors from taking their graduation photos and decorating their caps to celebrate their accomplishments. Here, a few seniors show off their caps and explain what they mean. Congratulations class of 2020.

Ellen Moore, B.S. in Education Studies — I knew I wanted to paint something silly on my cap because I thought that would showcase my personality the best, and since I am constantly quoting Spongebob, it felt very fitting to use a Spongebob reference for my design!

Melissa Chacon-Lopez, B.A. in Psychology — I wanted to show my hard work and dedication through this cap. I put the Mexican flag because that is something that has defined who I am — a strong and independent Latinx woman who is dedicated in accomplishing her goals. The sunflowers define who I am. I’m a bubbly person who is always smiling and standing tall. It is also my favorite flower. The two butterflies represent my parents’ migration from Mexico to the U.S. I also wanted to add a caption that tied the whole cap together as well as closing a chapter to my life. I decided to add a caption from a reggaetón artist (Bad Bunny) who said it best “Gracias a to’ el que creyó en mí, desde el primer día / Gracias a pa y a mami por to’ lo’ regaño’ / Gracias a ustede’ soy el mismo to’ los año’ / Cada cosa que logro a ustedes se la dedico” This translates to “Thank you to everyone who believed in me since day one. Thank you dad and mom for scolding me. Thanks to you I am the same person throughout the years. Everything I accomplish I dedicate to you all.” Those few words he stated in his most recent song helped me sum up my four years of college. Si se puedo mami u papi !

Magen Boegli, B.S. in Psychology and Public Policy & Administration — My cap design is inspired by one of my favorite shows of which has carried me through college called “My Hero Academia.” The anime has a saying to ‘go beyond, plus ultra’ and I thought that sentiment is a good thing to continually aspire to, to do better and transform yourself into the best version you can be.


Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ellen Moore

Photo courtesy of Melissa Chacon-Lopez

Photo courtesy of Magen Boegli

Thanks for the memories: DIY memory book

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

As the school year comes to a close, students may find themselves looking back on the memories they’ve made throughout their time at Western and want to memorialize the experiences they’ve had. A way to do this is to create a memory book filled with significant things and events from a specific time period.

To start, grab something to use as a base — this could be an unused photo album, a notebook, a sketchbook or something similar. Additionally, Amazon has scrapbooks and similar items that can be bought online, if that’s preferred. 

After finding what will be used, plan out how pages will look. Memories and photos can be organized chronologically, by events, milestones or themes, to name a few options. These can be printed at home, a store or even ordered online; to save money or express more creativity, a person can recreate their favorite photos through drawings or paintings.

According to mimeophotos.com, it’s also common for people to include text, illustrations, clippings and various mementos in their memory books. This can add more meaning to the project as a whole if it’s filled with things that have meaning — concert tickets from throughout the year, buttons purchased from attended events, a pressed flower from a gift or postcards from trips. Adding in text and drawing doodles across the section could be an opportunity to play with fonts and themes on each page. 

Finally, while including the positive things that occurred in a time period, it’s also important to incorporate the difficult experiences, if the person is comfortable with doing so; they may have been unpleasant, but they still happened and were overcome, so why not acknowledge the fact that they came and went? This helps to create an accurate representation of a person’s life, and show that both good and bad times will always come around.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

WOU Bites provides recipes for students learning remotely

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Many students, if not all, are currently doing remote learning for their classes due to the closure of campus. As a result, the dining options available on campus — such as Caffe Allegro, The Press and Valsetz Dining Hall — have also had to close their doors to students. However, WOU Bites has begun posting recipes on their various social media platforms for students to try at home.

“Our team has spent the last month planning, cooking and filming recipes that students can replicate right at home,” stated Marketing Program Assistant of Campus Dining Tatianna Brock, going on to say that their goal was to bring comfort to the students.

According to Brock, WOU Bites is creating and posting tutorials on how to make some of the meals that are favored the most by students. Recipes are chosen by the Assistant Director and Assistant Manager for Campus Dining, which are based on what ingredients they currently have available for the more popular dishes.

Currently, the instruction videos for homemade alfredo sauce, teriyaki sauce, chocolate crinkle cookies and guacamole have been posted on social media — @wou.bites on Instagram, ‘WOU University Housing and Campus Dining’ on Facebook and WOU Bites on YouTube. Brock says that more are coming as well, such as a recipe for curry, miscellaneous breakfast foods, more of Pam’s Desserts and “more fun recipes we created.” 

In addition, Brock created a home page for students to look at previously posted tutorials, request recipes and give feedback, which can be found at the link wou.edu/dining/recipes/. The website also has a section titled ‘Cooking Basics,’ which gives students tips on how to cook rice and boil pasta.

The recipes are posted on social media every Wednesday and uploaded onto the homepage for students to access at later dates.

“We thought this would be a fun and creative way to still stay connected with students who are taking classes remotely! Hopefully bring a little bit of WOU to them,” Brock said.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Tatianna Brock

A catalog of activities for graduates to complete

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Graduation and Western’s virtual Commencement ceremony are approaching quickly, with important deadlines coming and going. While the deadlines for Grad Packs and registration for the ceremony have already passed — although the latter statement may have been extended, according to Western’s website — there are still some things seniors should try to complete before the final hurrah. 

Attempting to have professional graduation photos may be a struggle due to the current situation of the world, but that doesn’t mean they have to be skipped. Roommates, friends or family members may be willing to lend a hand to memorialize the coming occasion, or perhaps a timer on a camera or smartphone may be the way to go. Western’s campus is closed for courses, however it’s still a viable option for some last pictures at the university.

Continuing from that point, the deadline for submitting a graduation photo and personal statement for commencement is May 31. While it isn’t the same as an in-person celebration, this can give students a chance to still have a special final moment during the viewing at home.

This last term could have been draining for students; some may find themselves lacking motivation to finish or struggling to balance projects amid trying to ensure all graduation requirements are met. Nevertheless, it’s still important to finish the final term strong. For many, students will have the satisfaction of knowing, despite potential challenges from throughout the term, that they ended their college journey on a good note.

Before leaving Western, it wouldn’t hurt to start networking while on the hunt for jobs post-graduation. Professors in a chosen major field would be a great resource to turn to, or peers and former classmates who have already graduated who already went through the process. It would also be beneficial to obtain letters of recommendation for future job opportunities, which could come from previous professors, advisers and staff members. 

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Need ideas for gifts to give for your loved one’s graduation?

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Graduation is right around the corner, and for many graduates, that means being celebrated for their accomplishments with a graduation party. Traditionally, graduation parties include food, family and maybe some tears shed. They also include gifts, but, like any college student knows, not all gifts are equal. Here are a few of the most desired gifts among college graduates:

Let’s face it — money is always the go-to. Money or gift cards are useful for students who are short on cash and can go towards their savings for the future. Graduates are expected to make big decisions when it comes to where they are going to live and begin life in the workforce; a little extra cash goes a long way in making their dreams a reality.  

Another useful gift idea is household appliances; some graduates are just moving out of the residence halls and might not have the necessary equipment to keep their future dwelling clean or functionable. Consider buying a graduate a vacuum or any of the hundreds of kitchen appliances that make life a little easier. Keurig coffee maker, anyone? 

Subscriptions are another excellent gift idea because they can be personalized to fit the graduate’s hobbies. If a graduate loves to binge-watch Netflix, consider making that payment one less thing to worry about this year. Or maybe the graduate loves to read, and in that case, a subscription to Book of the Month might be ideal. Monthly subscription boxes are also a popular gift idea. For $10 to $50 on average, depending on the box, a graduate could essentially get a care package every month full of goodies like self-care items or new clothing. 

The last gift idea, and arguably one of the most important gift considerations for this day and age, would be upgrading the graduate’s technology. Whether that’s getting them a new sound system for their car, a new laptop or one of hundreds of other add-ons, they are sure to be appreciative. Technology isn’t all expensive either; items like portable bluetooth keyboards and Alexa-enabled car charges average around $50.

Consider sending this list as a little hint to loved ones on what graduates really want for graduation, or use it as inspiration for gift-buying for others.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Duplicate recipes from your favorite places

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Many restaurants have been forced to close temporarily or permanently due to the world’s current state. Because of this, many people may find themselves longing for their favorite foods from these establishments, but unable to obtain any due to the closures and social distancing. Luckily, multiple websites are providing copycat recipes for people to attempt to make their favorites from the comfort of their homes.

One restaurant that is closing for good is Sweet Tomatoes — also referred to as Souplantation in other states. This one hits pretty close to home for me, as this was an eatery my friends and I frequented often before COVID-19, so I was happy to learn that their website, souplantation.com, has recipes for many of their buffet dishes. For instance, a full list of instructions can be found for their popular seasonal Chicken Pot Pie Stew, which is packed with roasted chicken, red potatoes, mushrooms, celery, pearl onions, green peas and carrots in a creamy base. Other soups and stews can be found under their ‘Souplantation Recipes’ in addition to other beloved favorites of the establishment.

For Chick-Fil-A lovers, there are a few recipes that can be found to recreate their sandwiches and various chicken meals. On damndelicious.net, the full recipe for a Chick-Fil-A sandwich for two can be found; to recreate the taste, a person needs to marinate a chicken breast in pickle juice for 30 minutes before coating it in milk, egg, flour and powdered sugar and frying it up. The same website also provides a link to a recipe for Chick-Fil-A nuggets.

In the interest of those craving something sweet while stuck at home, the-girl-who-ate-everything.com posted a recipe for Cinnabon’s famous cinnamon rolls. The copycat recipe recommends making the dough for the rolls the night before and letting them rise on the counter overnight, and to change the amount of cinnamon in the recipe if the 2 ½ tablespoons would be too intense. Moreover, it says to pour the icing over the cinnamon rolls while they’re still hot so the icing seeps into the roll, then to add more once they have cooled down.

Finally, for Disney enthusiasts who are missing the park, a few have taken to recreating the famous Dole Whip sweet treat. On homemadehooplah.com, it states it can be made using coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and, of course, pineapple chunks — preferably Dole brand, but any works. Once it’s all blended together, it can be dished up in a glass and eaten with a spoon or sipped through a straw.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

Cleaning the house made simple

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Since most people are spending quite a bit of time at home, some might find themselves cleaning more than they normally do. While cleaning can be a satisfying task, it can sometimes be a grueling one — a stain that won’t come out, a tub that doesn’t look clean no matter how much it’s scrubbed or multiple surfaces that no longer shine. Here are some tips and tricks to help polish up the house.

For pans that have gotten particularly dirty and involve a lot of scrubbing to clean, try using a dryer sheet instead. Put the dirty pan in the sink with some dish soap, warm water and a dryer sheet, and let it sit for an hour or so. According to bestlifeonline.com, the grime should come off easily, afterwards.

To get stains out of clothes, there are a couple methods to try; the stain can be spot treated with laundry soap beforehand, or a mixture of dish soap and baking soda can be used. Baking soda will help lift the stain, and dish soap just helps with cleansing the spot. This can also be used comparably on carpet stains, but with carpet cleaner rather than dish soap.

Similar to the previous hack, cleaning a bathtub can be done in a few ways. To scrub away grime, try using a grapefruit or lemon with salt — the salt will create an abrasive texture and the citric acid found in the fruits will assist with stain lifting, as stated by bestlifeonline.com. According to nbcnews.com, baking soda and vinegar mixed with hot water is another easy way to make the tub pristine. After letting that mixture sit for about five minutes, fill part of the tub with warm water and sit for an additional five minutes. This method can also be used on the toilet to freshen it up.

Following the trend of baking soda, vinegar and citrus fruits, all of these things can be used to make a sink clean and shiny. Sponge the surface with a baking soda and vinegar concoction, rinse, and then use the peel of a lemon or orange to deodorize. Finally, buff the sink with some sort of rag, sponge or paper towel and olive oil, which will repel water and keep the sink shiny for a while before it needs to be cleaned again.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

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