Mount Hood

Aftermath of UCC shooting sheds light on campus security

By: Brianna Bonham 
Freelancer

The total number of individuals harmed during the UCC shooting has officially been listed as 10 dead with seven others injured. The shooting occurred on Oct. 1, 2015 at 10:38 a.m.
The ages of civilians killed ranged from 18 to 67.

The 26 year-old gunman reportedly shot himself after exchanging gunfire with officers, according to Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin.

President Obama will be traveling to Roseburg on Friday, Oct. 9 for closed-door visits with the families of the victims.

In his last Thursday, Oct. 1, Obama took to addressing the fact that there have been 45 school shooting thus far in 2015.

“But as I said just a few months ago, and I said a few months before that, and I said each time we see one of these mass shootings, our thoughts and prayers are not enough,” said President Obama during his post-incident press conference.
“We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months,” the President said.

After a mass shooting, there is a two week period where there is higher risk of another shooting, according to Hanlin.

Schools across the country are on high alert to watch for warning signs, and to be proactive about another violent situation occurring.

Hoping to improve campus safety, WOUAlert programs have undergone additional testing since the UCC incident.

WOUAlert is a program that takes a few short minutes to sign up for, and was been created to help make Western a safer place. Students and staff can sign up through WOUAlert and choose to receive alerts multiple ways, such as emails, calls, or text notifications.
“It’s a great tool, it helps get a message through in a timely manner,” said Mike Hanson, a Public Safety Officer at Western. He believes WOUAlert is an important tool for students to utilize because it alerts the community as to what is happening around campus.

“It will let students know when there is an emergency on campus, so those students who are off campus can remain off campus, and students who are on campus will know where to be to stay safe,” says Hanson.

“This has really opened my eyes as to how important safety can be with students and campus areas,” says Auston Ricks, a freshman criminal justice major. Campus safety is a top priority in student’s minds.

If there is any concern about campus safety, please contact Campus Public Safety at 503-838-8481 or call the local police.

Addressing statewide earthquake safety

By: Jenna Beresheim 
News Editor

On Oct. 15, 2015, Western will be participating in a statewide earthquake emergency preparedness initiative known as The Great Oregon ShakeOut.

The drill will take place at 10:15 a.m. with over 500,000 participants registered in the activity, from schools and universities, to workplaces. Nationwide, over 25.7 million people will be participating.

Western Oregon University participants will receive a WOUAlert at 10:15 a.m. to remind them to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” for a few moments. This is intended to have participants practice proper earthquake responses.

“We’ve been made aware of the danger, and this will be Western’s first year participating in this drill. It’s going to lay the groundwork for safety in the future,” said Nancy Ganson, the Assistant to the Director and Building Manager for Todd Hall. “It’s all about the baby steps.”

Classes that find this too disruptive are encouraged to at least spend that time having a discussion on earthquake preparedness and how to react in the case that one does happen.

Those on campus who are working at the time are also urged to have this conversation with coworkers and staff to ensure everyone is safe.

“Do things like go over and practice a plan with your loved ones,” said Rebecca Chiles, Director of Campus Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Risk Management.

“Put an emergency supply kit together,” said Chiles, “The better prepared people are, the better their ability to respond and recover during an emergency.”

Oregon recently discovered that hundreds of schools are underprepared when it comes to a bad quake. The Oregon legislature recently committed $175 million for schools to use rehabilitating their structures to modern earthquake safety standards.

“There [are] variables that cannot be predicted fully right now, but we can be prepared,” Ganson said.

Knowing what to do in case of an emergency is only half the battle. Preparing kits, planning with family and friends, and educating yourself further are strongly recommended.

“Don’t forget to plan for pets, and don’t forget your medication,” Chiles said, “also, think about taking a CERT class, or CPR/First Aid if you want to be able to help others.”

Chiles referred interested students to Kimber Townsend as a teacher for CERT classes, while CPR/First Aid classes are taught by Campus Public Safety.

“The more aware you are, the better it’s going to be for everyone,” reminded Ganson, who also brought up a question that is often forgotten in emergency preparedness: “What’s in your trunk?”

The idea focuses on emergency kits within your vehicle in the case your house becomes inaccessible, or if you are not near home when an earthquake happens. This way, even an individual who is at work can be prepared for themselves and others around them. Especially for those who may not be able to return home any time soon.

Ganson asked important questions for students and staff to think about: “Are the bridges going to be down? What is your house going to be like? Will we be able to access other towns such as Salem, or will we be settled in Monmouth for a while?”

Basic starter emergency kits include water, food, hand crank radios, flashlights and batteries, first aid supplies, and so forth.

For a complete breakdown of what an emergency kit should look like, please visit www.ready.gov.

Western professor speaks at TEDx Salem

By: Conner Williams
Editor in Chief
Information contributed 
By:Jenna Beresheim News Editor

The third annual TEDx Salem conference took place last Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at the Convention Center in Salem.

The event drew a crowd of approximately 450 people, according to Brian Hart, co-curator of the conference.

TEDx events are different than TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences as the “x” denotes that it is a local an independently sponsored event.

TED is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1984 under the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading.” The organization has hosted some very significant individuals as speakers, including Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Al Gore, J.J. Abrams, and many others.

The famous “TED Talks” cover everything from scientific ideas, to academia, to cultural and social topics.

The theme of the Salem talks was fearlessness; specifically, what it means to be fearless.

But rather than attempt to define the term or represent it in one avenue of thought, Hart emphasized that the objective of the conference was to allow each individual to decide for themselves after hearing all of the speakers’ presentations.

Among the 13 speakers was CM Hall, project coordinator of the Western Region Interpreter Education Center at Western Oregon University, and professor of deafblind interpreting and LGBTQ+ studies.

Hall said that everyone who can hear is an audist – someone that believes or are treated as if they are superior based on their ability to hear – and her presentation was aimed at bringing social justice along with better access and fairness to those of the deafblind community.

Hall was originally invited to speak at the TEDx Salem conference after she launched a petition in July on Change.org to get the American Sign Language (ASL) “I Love You” hand-shape to become an emoji.

Hall hopes that after her talk, people who can hear and see will, “work to engage with deaf people and work to dismantle audists, and see it similar to racism, heterosexism and albeism – as a social justice issue.”

In addition to her service as an advocate for the deafblind community and professor at Western, Hall hinted that she plans to run for office someday.

Hall said that she was not as nervous for her presentation as she was for what comes next, particularly about the “haters” that come to the surface once the talk is edited and posted online.

“I know we are so thick in the middle of a hater/troll Internet culture and I don’t want to be affected by that negativity,” Hall said in an email interview.

“That’s what I think about the most: how the message will resonate, and I just assume there will be hater sentiment as we now assume there is for everything.”

“I may just need to sing a lot of Tay-Tay’s “Shake It Off” cuz the haters gonna hate hate hate. And really, what can I do but shake it off?”

Campus Blotter

The following information is from the public records of Campus Public Safety.

THEFT
At 6:00 p.m. Oct. 2, in Barnum Hall, Public Safety received a report of a theft.

MARIJUANA
At 11:03 p.m. Oct. 2, in Noble Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a marijuana violation. At 11:31 p.m. officers were clear.

At 8:28 p.m. Oct. 3, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted in reference to a possible marijuana violation.

CRIMINAL MISCHEIF
At 12:01 p.m. Oct. 2, in the Werner University Center, Public Safety received a report of criminal mischief.

HARASSMENT
At 11:00 p.m. Oct. 2, in Hamersly Library, Public Safety took a report of harassment.

MEDICAL
At 10:41 p.m. Oct. 2, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a medical assist. At 11:15 p.m. officers were clear.

At 11:58 p.m. Oct. 2, in Ackerman Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a medical assist.

At 5:55 p.m. Oct. 3, in Ackerman Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a medical assist.

INFORMATIONAL
At 12:28 a.m. Oct. 4, in Ackerman Hall, Public Safety received a report of a possible weapons violation.

Student’s need-to-know about marijuana on campus and in Oregon

By: Jenna Beresheim
News Editor

As of Oct. 1, 2015, marijuana became legalized for recreational sale in the state of Oregon.

This legalization still comes with rules and regulations that any user needs to be aware of in order to stay within the law.

Oregon became the third state to legalize recreational pot, with a close vote of 54 to 46. With this legalization, the state altered how the law perceived driving under the influence, employers requesting drug testing, and where marijuana can be consumed.

Currently, the law states that recreational users need to be at least 21 years old to purchase marijuana, and that only 7 grams of the marijuana flower may be sold to each individual.

Recreational marijuana cannot be sold or smoked in public.

Other vehicles for marijuana such as edibles, will become available Jan. 4, 2016, along with taxation of products. Sales at the moment are not taxed, but the tax rate set to take effect on these products has been set at 25 percent.

Under federal law, marijuana is still illegal. This means that in order to retain federal funding, Western Oregon University must still enforce rules against the use of marijuana on campus.

“I’m curious to see how that plays out,” stated Bryan Kelley, a fourth year humanities major, “I have mixed emotions about the legalization of pot.”

Recently, a marijuana dispensary opened in Independence called Blackbird Indica. The owner, Alex Andrade, had originally planned to open in Monmouth.

“I asked around for days, and the overwhelming response was the people of Monmouth did not want a dispensary in their town, and we respected that,” reported Andrade.

Instead, Andrade experienced an overwhelming positive response on Oct. 1.

“We moved the same volume in one day than our best month in medical marijuana sales,” Andrade continued, “we had a full lobby, lines out the door, we even opened early and closed late.”

Some of the patrons, Andrade said, merely wanted to be a part of history. Others had been using marijuana for years but were happy to finally have a legal and safe source.

Andrade even showcases a laminated sheet of every strain of marijuana she sells in her shop, along with its uses and what it is best for.

“We try to break it down and make recommendations based on what you need,” Andrade encouraged, “I want to make sure everyone is safe and responsible with their use.”

Outside of campus, individuals are allowed to grow up to four plants at a time for personal use.

This personal growing does not change regulations regarding selling the product or carrying larger amounts on your person.

Andrade intends to implement a 5 percent discount off of her products for college students.

“It is something people do anyways and should be normalized,” Kelley said in regards to the legalization, “on the other hand, I don’t like how rushed this came about.”

Andrade agreed that the process was rushed, saying “the state is putting the cart before the horse,” even from a distributor’s standpoint. The enormous influx of dispensaries and licensures after the vote passed may be cause for the delayed relay of information from the legal system to dispensaries.

“I don’t know how this will interact with students who live off campus,” Kelley added thoughtfully. As long as the use is within legal bounds and off campus, students who are off campus will have an easier time imbibing than those who reside on campus.

Students caught in possession of marijuana or using marijuana on campus will still face penalty regardless of statewide legalization.

Nearly 300 dispensaries are open within the state, with 255 reported to be available to sell recreationally. Currently Salem has over 15 reported dispensaries, with Independence having two and Corvallis with one.

For more information on marijuana use, regulations, and dispensary locations, please visit marijuana.oregon.gov.

New year brings new smoke free campus

By: Brianna Bonham
Freelancer

Western Oregon University has begun the transition into the new school year with a new campus policy regarding the prohibition of tobacco products for all students and staff.

“The policy is being marketed as an educational approach,” says Craig Wimmer, the Assistant Director of Wellness Education at the Student Health and Counseling Center.

“I helped advise the Student Health Advisory Committee students on their work with developing, presenting, and organizing the policy,” Wimmer said.

As the policy took effect Sept. 1, those found smoking or using any form of tobacco on campus will be documented and potentially fined. To help enforce this new policy, old smoking shacks around campus are being converted into bike racks.

Over the past few years, schools nationwide have begun an initiative to create cleaner, safer campuses for their students. Western students voted, and agreed that in order to create a cleaner campus, eliminating smoking would sustain air quality while improving student health overall.

Western has joined other schools in this movement, such as University of California and New York University. Western was the last public school in Oregon to create such a policy.

“Are there ways for students and staff to get help if they’re trying to quit smoking?” asks Connor Bernett, a first-year student. “We’re working to support transitions into this new policy,” Wimmer responded.

Those who are struggling with the new policy can visit either the Student Health and Counseling Center to talk to a counselor or pick up a “Quit Kit” that contains resources geared to help someone quit smoking.

These resources are available free of charge to students and staff at Western.

If you or someone you know is in need of additional outside resources, please visit Smoke Free Oregon at quitnow.net or call the toll free number 1-800-Quit-Now to speak with a staff member.

Campus Blotter

THEFT
At 4:20 p.m. Sept. 24, in Butler Hall, Public Safety responded to a reported theft of a refrigerator.
At 3:15 p.m. Sept. 25, at the Ackerman bike rack, Public Safety was contacted about a potential bicycle theft. The bicycle was located and returned.
At 4:50 p.m. Sept. 25, from Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted in reference to a theft.

MEDICAL
At 1:24 p.m. Sept . 12, Public Safety responded to assist a patron suffering from heat exhaustion.
At 11:58 p.m. Sept. 23, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety responded to a medical assist.
At 12:09 p.m. Sept. 24, in Ackerman Hall, Public Safety responded to a call for medical attention.
At 7:40 p.m. Sept. 24, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety received a report of an allergic reaction.

CRIMINAL MISCHEIF
At 11:30 a.m. Sept. 19, in Parking Lot K, Public Safety discovered vehicle damage.
At 10:32 a.m. Sept. 25, in Todd Hall, Public Safety responded to a case of criminal mischief.

MARIJUANA VIOLATION
At 10:50 p.m. Sept. 19, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a possible marijuana violation.
At 2:34 a.m. Sept. 25, in Barnum Hall, Public Safety was contacted about a possible marijuana violation.
At 9:50 p.m. Sept. 26, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety contacted two males in reference to a marijuana violation.

ALCOHOL VIOLATION
At 12:12 a.m. Sept. 23, in Heritage Hall, Public Safety was contacted about an intoxicated individual.
At 12:31 a.m. Sept. 27, in Barnum Hall, Public Safety was contacted regarding an alcohol violation. Officers were clear at 1:07 a.m.

Western Oregon University

Facebook   Instagram   Twitter  YouTube

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Tools

Campus Maps
Canvas
Find People
Portal
WOU Email
Technical Support

Resources

A-Z Index
Accessibility
Academic Calendar
Class Schedule
Jobs at WOU
News
Explore WOU
Partnerships
Student Services
Freedom of Expression

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

Accessibility    Public Records    Privacy    Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.