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Western Oregon selects Executive Director of Human Resources Desiree Noah

Brittany Kima Posted on May 16, 2023 118 views

Image of Desiree Noah in a portrait with a greenery background.

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Dr. Jesse Peters, Western Oregon University President, names Desiree Noah as the university’s Executive Director of Human Resources. Please join us in congratulating Desiree Noah, who will begin her role on June 26th. “Desiree Noah is the right leader at the right time for the Human Resources Team at Western Oregon University. [more…]

Campus life & community | Features | Press release | Top News | Uncategorized | We are WOU | WOU in the news

Ricardo Lujan Valerio named Director of Government Relations

Brittany Kima Posted on March 8, 2023 447 views

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University President, Jesse Peters, recently named Ricardo Lujan Valerio as the university’s Director of Government Relations, effective January 16th. “I am pleased to welcome Rico to the leadership team at Western. Not only does he have key experience, he is also a first-generation college graduate of a regional university. He [more…]

Campus & community | Campus life & community | College lifestyle | Features | Press release | Student life | Top News | Uncategorized | We are WOU | WOU in the news

Western Oregon presents Considering Matthew Shepard

Brittany Kima Posted on March 3, 2023 246 views

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University’s Smith Fine Arts Series presents a striking lineup of shows this 2022-2023 season, including Considering Matthew Shepard on March 3rd and 11th, 2023. The March 3rd performance supports the WOU choral program. Considering Matthew Shepard, a Grammy-nominated, three-part fusion oratorio by Craig Hella Johnson, was written as a musical [more…]

Campus & community | Campus life & community | College lifestyle | Features | Press release | Student life | Top News | Uncategorized | We are WOU | WOU in the news

Western once again receives Tree Campus Higher Education recognition

Brittany Kima Posted on March 1, 2023 138 views

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University has met the Tree Campus Higher Education standards for 8 years now. WOU is one of just eight higher education campuses in Oregon that obtained this recognition. Acquiring and maintaining this status has created many opportunities and has helped improve, maintain and celebrate our campus trees. To obtain this [more…]

National Student Exchange student at WOU shares about her experience

Marion Barnes Posted on February 9, 2022 5956 views 1 comment

Woman with brown hair standing at the top of a staircase down to the Oregon beach.

WOU student Nicole “Nickie” Hayes from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., has been featured in her home region’s local newspaper. She talks about why NSE was a great solution for her and why she selected WOU for her exchange site. Check out Nickie’s story!

Academics | Admissions | Uncategorized

Bilingual Teacher Scholars program expands scholarships and eligibility

Marion Barnes Posted on January 11, 2022 2298 views

Female student wearing a red graduation gown and a multicolored scarf that says bilingual teacher.

Oregon has experienced a shortage of bilingual teachers for many years, and Western Oregon University (WOU) has been working to address this gap while trying to help diversify the state’s teacher workforce with our Bilingual Teacher Scholars (BTS) program. BTS provides bilingual and bicultural students (in Spanish and English) with an annual scholarship of $3,000, [more…]

Western Oregon University’s Swindel Hall

Kristine Thomas Posted on July 20, 2020 2953 views

Swindel Hall

As the oldest public university in Oregon, Western Oregon University has 164 years of history. Knowing the university’s past can illuminate where it’s moving toward for its future. Here’s a look at a building that is often asked about – Swindel Hall. Often referred to as the building that looks like a barn near the [more…]

Uncategorized | WOU in the news

Five Benicia High athletes sign letters of intent to play in college, 2 Signing with WOU

Tori Cook Posted on February 21, 2020 3048 views

By THOMAS GASE | tgase@timesheraldonline.com | Vallejo Times Herald PUBLISHED: February 13, 2020 at 5:47 p.m. | UPDATED: February 14, 2020 at 3:19 p.m. Five Benicia High student-athletes recently found their true north and their decisions were celebrated at a Thursday ceremony where they signed their letters of intent for college. While golfer Angel Antonio [more…]

Erik Morgan Jr.: ASWOU President Q & A

Erin Worley Posted on February 11, 2020 310 views

ASWOU President Erik Morgan Jr. poses with his family in front of a blackboard in the WUC. Seven people, including Erik, are smiling in the photograph.

WOU boasts a phenomenal student government, aptly named the Associated Students of Western Oregon University (ASWOU). These leaders are dedicated to ensuring students are well-supported, as well as advocating for student rights. We had the opportunity to speak with ASWOU president Erik Morgan Jr., who offered us some insight into his experience with the organization. [more…]

Same Tradition, New Opportunities

Tori Cook Posted on November 27, 2019 1811 views

Since its founding in 1856, Western Oregon University has equipped the region’s young adults to serve the needs of the growing area. Even before Oregon was a state, students attended what was first known as Monmouth University to train as school teachers, a profession in high demand as people settled the Willamette Valley during the [more…]

30 Days to WOU: Countdown for Incoming Students

Lisa Catto Posted on September 4, 2019 1912 views

Are you about to start your first term at Western Oregon University? We want to help prepare you for move-in day, New Student Week, and the rest of your time at WOU with a 30-day countdown to move-in day. We’re talking all about living on campus, getting involved, places to eat on campus, and much [more…]

Congratulations to the 2019 Peter Sears Poetry Prize Winners

Lisa Catto Posted on April 30, 2019 1952 views

Open book with the word "poetry" written on a page

The English Studies Department announced the winners of the 2019 Peter Sears Poetry Prize. The first prize went to Nicole Caldwell, second prize to Tricia Manzano and third prize to Laura Wildfang. The three winning poems are below. The competition received over 60 poems from students. An English Studies committee selected 10 poems that were [more…]

Top 5 Reasons a Four-Year University is the Ideal Place to Earn a Degree

Lisa Catto Posted on January 27, 2019 3070 views

Students studying in a hallway in Ackerman Hall

Students graduating high school have many choices for seeking a college degree. They can go to a traditional four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree; start at a community college and then transfer to a four-year university; get a two-year associate’s degree; seek vocational training or take courses entirely online. Only students and their families [more…]

Extramural vs. Intramural vs. Club Sports

Rachael Sawyer Posted on May 15, 2018 2369 views

Here at WOU, there are many different options to play sports on campus. – Renting equipment from HWC – Join a Club / Create a Club – Join an Intramural / Create an Intramural There is a difference between Clubs, Intramurals, and Extramurals, and those differences aren’t always clear. Hopefully this post will clear some [more…]

WOU Alum and WOU Senior Show They Have a Way with Words

Lisa Catto Posted on March 22, 2017 1798 views

It is challenging to chart one’s own path in the world of publishing, but a recent Western Oregon University graduate and a current WOU senior have fearlessly entered the fray to share their creative styles. Both women majored in English with a concentration in writing, and they describe their years at the university as transformative [more…]

WOU in the news: Western invites community input

Sarah Ratto Posted on November 22, 2016 1863 views

Cec Koontz, middle, speaks with Marshall Guthrie, left, and Paul Sieber, right, about WOU’s goals. Koontz and Guthrie are both on the Western Oregon University board of trustees, as well as on the strategic planning committee.

MONMOUTH — When Rex Fuller was first hired as Western Oregon University’s president in April 2015, he anticipated having conversations with the campus community and residents of the surrounding area. This year, those conversations took a more formal approach. In April 2016, a committee of 25 people representing a cross-section of campus started working in [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Spring cleaning? You need The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Danielle Gauntz Posted on March 6, 2016 1762 views 1 comment

As spring break approaches, some of you may realize that your room is in desperate need of decluttering and cleaning. Your closet is stuffed, papers swamp your desk space, and you can’t even remember what color your carpet is because of the numerous belongings piled on top of it. What better time than spring break [more…]

Campus life & community | Hailey's posts | Uncategorized

Interested in Communication and Wishing to Get More Involved?

Danielle Gauntz Posted on January 27, 2016 1543 views

Andrew De La Paz jumping in front of some graphiti

Are you a Comm major or minor that is looking to further your involvement in the department? Look no further. The Communication Club is back in action and looking for new members! The club’s goals as of right now are to simply spread the word about the Com Club itself, and from there they aim [more…]

Health & wellness | Uncategorized

Succeeding in College with Aspergers

Hailey Fields Posted on January 20, 2016 1723 views

Today, the Health and Counseling Center held a seminar in the Willamette room about succeeding in college with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). If you or someone you know is affected by this syndrome, you know the struggles that can be faced, and how important it is to know how to deal with those struggles. Jaime Silva [more…]

College lifestyle | Hailey's posts | Uncategorized

Already Feeling that Winter Term Slump?

Danielle Gauntz Posted on January 13, 2016 1578 views

It happens to everyone– Winter term comes around and suddenly you fall into this hole of studying and homework, and for some reason it feels a million times harder to get out of bed in the morning. The weather is bleak, and you can’t seem to find that Fall term version of yourself any longer. [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Your guide to winter driving like a boss

Danielle Gauntz Posted on January 7, 2016 1498 views

It’s that time of year where we experience the beauty of snow, ice, and everything in between. Although it’s nice to view this from indoors, it’s an entirely different experience on the road. Keep yourself safe by following these winter driving tips. Stay alert. Turn down the Death Grips a tad. Put your phone into [more…]

Kyle's posts | Uncategorized

A long time ago…

Danielle Gauntz Posted on December 17, 2015 1757 views

Peter Courtney Health and Wellness Center.

2015 will be a year to remember for people who love movies, or want to remember their childhood. In June, theaters were flooded with people from all generations to witness the reboot more of less of their favorite series about dinosaurs and genetics. Jurassic World made a crater at the Box Office, breaking all previous opening [more…]

Student life | Uncategorized

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Western Acapella

Deborah Rezell Posted on December 15, 2015 1918 views

Western Oregon University’s campus acapella clubs, 15 Miles West & Suspended, have released a music video for the holidays. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is now available for viewing on YouTube. The video was a creative collaboration between the WOU men’s and women’s acapella clubs, led by Grant Harris. “We wanted to get more [more…]

Campus & community | Uncategorized

Hamersly is getting a facelift

Hailey Fields Posted on December 3, 2015 1774 views

Hamersly Library

Our very own Hamersly Library is getting a facelift beginning over Winter Break! The absolute best part about said facelift you ask? THE CAFE. Thats right, guys, there will be a Cafe Allegro satellite cafe in the library next term ( hopefully by February). It will be located in the alcove at the north end [more…]

Kyle's posts | Uncategorized

For the holidays are nigh, and full of lights

Danielle Gauntz Posted on December 2, 2015 1647 views

A nice way to emerge from the darkness of finals is to brighten your day with holiday lighting. If you’re staying in the Willamette Valley for December grab a friend and check these out! Portland Winter Wonderland Since 1993, the lights held at the Portland International Raceway have been an event for the whole family. [more…]

Campus & community | Uncategorized

Tree Campus USA

Hailey Fields Posted on December 1, 2015 1671 views

Dr. Bryan Dutton here at WOU wants to start taking the steps to make our university the next addition to the long list of schools recognized as “Tree Campuses”. The Arbor Day Foundation has a program entitled : Tree Campus USA. To be a part of the Universities involved in Tree Campus USA, your school [more…]

Erin's posts | Hailey's posts | Kyle's posts | Uncategorized

What are you thankful for?

Danielle Gauntz Posted on November 25, 2015 1549 views

What are you thankful for? The WOU Newsflash Team answers below… Erin… I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my parents for being creative and tenacious entrepreneurs. I am thankful for my boyfriend. I am thankful that I get to study music and share it with my friends. I am thankful to [more…]

Campus & community | Uncategorized

2015 Abby’s House Silent Auction

Hailey Fields Posted on November 23, 2015 1743 views

As you all know already, Abby’s House is an amazing resource on campus that is there to help students and community members who are in need. They help women and families who have suffered from abuse or sexual violence along with people who struggle in areas such as depression, homelessness, stress, LGBTQ, and sexual health. They [more…]

Poetry at WOU

Kyle Kern Posted on November 20, 2015 1750 views

On Thursday November 19, Western Oregon University was visited by poet Christopher DeWeese. His words filled a room with students in Hamersly Library waiting to hear his poems and rightfully so. All in attendance got to hear from both of his published works and got to ask questions of what he thinks of when he [more…]

Learn how to protect yourself, ladies!

Danielle Gauntz Posted on November 10, 2015 1565 views

This Wednesday, November 11th from 5-9 p.m., the Campus Recreation Department and Public Safety will be hosting women’s self defense workshops. The event is completely free, and will be taught by on-campus public safety officers. The idea here is that these officers wish the women on campus to have viable techniques to protect themselves in [more…]

College lifestyle | Hailey's posts | Uncategorized

Making this Halloween a Hallo-win

Danielle Gauntz Posted on October 27, 2015 1634 views

Have you gotten into the Halloween spirit yet? Even though Halloween is already this Saturday, there is still time to do all of the fun things you’ve talked about doing but have yet to do, like picking pumpkins with friends, taking a hay ride, or getting up the courage to voluntarily go be terrified at [more…]

Kyle's posts | Uncategorized

Remember, remember the hair of November

Danielle Gauntz Posted on October 27, 2015 1524 views

November is almost upon us and you know what that means, ladies and gentlemen it’s time to put down those razors for a month. I have been participating in this event ever since I could grow facial hair, and believe me, a boy going through puberty with patchy facial hair for a month is a [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Makeup – it doesn’t last forever

Danielle Gauntz Posted on October 26, 2015 1533 views

When was the last time you replaced your mascara? Eyeliner? Lipstick? If you can’t remember, it might be time to dump it. Unlike food products, which are required to show an expiration date, makeup products are not required to list it on the packaging. As we use makeup products, we expose them to brushes, our [more…]

Kyle's posts | Uncategorized

Reinstating history

Danielle Gauntz Posted on October 12, 2015 3282 views

Even though Oregon is not a state to observe Columbus Day it’s a huge step in the right direction that Portland has decided to join the act of abolishing the federal holiday and renaming it Indigenous Peoples Day. It has been a federally observed holiday since 1937, but starting in 1990 when South Dakota decided [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

What I′m looking forward to in the coming year

Danielle Gauntz Posted on September 30, 2015 1468 views

This year has been an eventful one because I have finally completed my bachelor degree, and am now starting my master’s degree. All my hard work in the last four years has paid off, and I am lucky enough to be attending school with a GA position. I am so grateful! There are several things [more…]

Blog is on summer hiatus

Lisa Catto Posted on July 1, 2015 1672 views

Thanks for stopping by! The WOU Newsflash Street Team is on summer break and will be back to share all sorts of neat things in late September. Until then, please poke around and check out the great stories we’ve worked on the past three years.

Western welcomes the year of the snake

Lisa Catto Posted on June 14, 2015 1469 views

Last Saturday, 9 Feb., Western Oregon University celebrated the lunar new year, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, with the annual festival hosted in the Pacific Room in Werner University Center. The festival started at 6:00 pm, opening doors and allowing time for guests to make use of the offered buffet, sponsored by Sing Fays, Yang’s Teriyaki, [more…]

Peter Courtney to WOU graduates: ‘Don’t be afraid’

Nicole Larsen Posted on June 13, 2015 1673 views

Music and the smell of sunscreen filled the air as hundreds of families and friends gathered at McArthur Field in Monmouth for the 2015 Western Oregon University commencement ceremony. Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney was this year’s commencement speaker. He vehemently urged the 941 graduates in attendance not to be afraid. “How do I communicate [more…]

Pristene's posts | Uncategorized

A Memorable Year

Pristene Delegato Posted on June 10, 2015 1519 views

Academically speaking this has been a very memorable year for me. I got to conduct an experiment for a final psychology course and present my findings at the Academic Excellence Showcase. For my study I examined the potential impact that fast thinking has on positive mood, and although I didn’t support my hypothesis, I really [more…]

College lifestyle | Isabel's posts | Uncategorized

DIY #2

Isabel Panichello Posted on June 10, 2015 1464 views

DIY- Lip balm Coconut oil is progressively getting more popular. The recipe for coconut and Tea Tree oil lip balm includes the use of coconut oil. This is an easy fun recipe to make your own natural lip balm. Coconut and Tea Tree Oil Lip Balm: 1 cup shaved beeswax (using either a knife or [more…]

College lifestyle | Isabel's posts | Uncategorized

DIY Lifestyle

Isabel Panichello Posted on June 10, 2015 1452 views

A self sustaining lifestyle can take a little more work than normal but the outcomes can be so helpful and cheap! Some small ideas to achieve a cheaper lifestyle are, making your own lip balm, detergent, growing your own veggies or other food, and much more! Making these items out of your own resources may [more…]

Shaina Rol: Graduating Senior

Pristene Delegato Posted on June 9, 2015 1734 views 1 comment

Driven, empathetic, and passionate are just a few words to describe Shaina Rol, graduating senior at WOU. Rol is a gerontology major, which is the study of older individuals and the aging process. Since she was mostly raised by her loving grandma, Rol couldn’t imagine her life without the influence of the older population. Ultimately, [more…]

College lifestyle | Pristene's posts | Uncategorized

The Zen of Embracing Rejection

Pristene Delegato Posted on May 18, 2015 1537 views

Douglas Kenrick, a professor of social psychology wrote a blog for Psychology Today entitled: Zen and the Art of Embracing Rejection (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sex-murder-and-the-meaning-life/201301/zen-and-the-art-embracing-rejection). This blog post mostly addresses individuals who are planning on attending graduate school and pursuing academic careers, yet the message is important for people of all ages and career paths. Kenrick discusses the [more…]

College lifestyle | Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Simple transitions to healthy eating

Danielle Gauntz Posted on May 11, 2015 1472 views

Have you ever tried dieting? Counting calories with an app? Or measuring your food with cups and tablespoons? And did it work for a week or two, maybe less? Yep, me too. Failing to maintain a diet is common because our bodies can only handle so many changes before resorting back to the norm. The [more…]

Arts | Pristene's posts | Uncategorized

A Unique Production: The Coming Out Monologues

Pristene Delegato Posted on April 22, 2015 1585 views

Next week a unique production will take place that involves Western students, staff members, and alumni sharing their stories about the coming out process. Monologues will also be presented about coming out as a straight ally and from the viewpoint of family members and friends of people in the LGBTQ community. CM Hall came up [more…]

Lita's posts | Uncategorized

Sleep? What’s that!

Leyieta Noland Posted on April 14, 2015 1453 views

Every college student has faced the problem of choosing between sleep and something else they want to do. No matter your major or background almost all college students struggle to find time for sleep. Forty-eight hours is the longest I have ever gone without sleep during finals my junior year and my grades highly suffered [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Less is more: why you should become a minimalist

Danielle Gauntz Posted on April 13, 2015 1774 views 1 comment

What is minimalism? Some people picture a minimalist as someone living in a tiny house with little furniture and blank walls. Having fewer possessions can be a part of minimalism, but the true concept of minimalism is removing unnecessary things from your life so you can make room for the people, passions, and activities that [more…]

Campus life & community | Isabel's posts | Uncategorized

Presidential Candidates for Western Oregon University

Isabel Panichello Posted on April 11, 2015 1598 views

WOU is seeking a new president after Mark Weiss retires on June 30, 2015. Only the best four candidates as finalists were brought to the WOU campus to speak in front of many from the Western Oregon and Monmouth community, including faculty, students and alumni. Finalists spoke in Rice Auditorium and the Warner University Center. [more…]

Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Check Out that Body Image: How to Maintain a Positive Body Image

Danielle Gauntz Posted on December 11, 2014 1799 views 2 comments

What is body image? Your body image is made up of several components: your perceptions of your body and its appearance, how you feel about your body, and lastly, how you feel in your body. Each one of has a body image of ourselves. Some people have a positive body image, in which their perceptions [more…]

Campus & community | Uncategorized

2014 Election Results: A Suburban Battle

Erin Westfall Posted on November 15, 2014 1651 views

On November 12, 2014, guest speaker Dr. Ed Dover presented a lecture, “The 2014 National and State Elections: Results and Meaning,” part of The Social Science Symposium Series. During the lecture, Dover discussed several political themes that are constant in elections on a local and national level. The first of these themes was the division [more…]

Campus life & community | Katrina's posts | Uncategorized

Food Day 2014

Katrina Penaflor Posted on November 3, 2014 1527 views

Curtis Campbell

By Katrina Penaflor On Thursday, October 23rd Western Oregon University celebrated its third annual food day. The event brought everything form free pumpkins, to fresh food, and donations for WOU’s food bank. Starting at 10 am was the pumpkin giveaways in the Plaza of the Werner Center. A small donation of cash or food was [more…]

Campus life & community | Erin's posts | Uncategorized

Preview: WOU Homecoming 2014

Danielle Gauntz Posted on October 21, 2014 1510 views

Homecoming – the time for football games, tiaras, and face painting is about to begin. WOU’s 2014 Homecoming, “Howl with the Pack,” will last from Monday October 20th to Saturday October 25th. Each day will feature several different activities, offering something for everyone to enjoy! The best part? Almost all activities are free to students! [more…]

College lifestyle | Uncategorized

Ending a Journey and Starting a New #WOUGRAD

Lisa Catto Posted on June 9, 2014 1693 views

Rainbow Dance Theatre Program Cover

The blog prompt is to express and share my goals or my bucket list for summer 2014. Oh, where do I start? Considering this is my first summer in seven years I won’t take summer classes. Considering this is my first summer as a student who has successfully accomplished one of the biggest dreams I’ve ever [more…]

What it is like to Blog for a WOU

Lisa Catto Posted on May 23, 2014 1466 views

Barbara Dearing

I have been blogging for Western for two years now and it has definitely been one of the most fun jobs I have ever had. I was a part of the Student Social Media Team when it had its first trial year last year and again for its second run this year. This job is [more…]

Self(ie) Love

Lisa Catto Posted on May 20, 2014 1656 views 1 comment

It’s no question whether the Selfie has become a major part of our generation: there’s even a song about it. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all have an abundance of constantly renewed photos in the #selfie tag. I mean, Snapchat was created solely for the purpose of sending selfies to anyone and everyone you know. Selfies [more…]

Show your WOU pride during Spirit Week 2014!

Lisa Catto Posted on May 17, 2014 1452 views

Get ready to show your WOU pride, Wolves!! This Monday the 19th through Thursday the 22nd will be WOU Spirit Week 2014! Campus will be pumping with exciting activities every day. Here’s the list of the highlights: Monday through Thursday: *True Colors*11am-3pm — front doors of WUCCome take a headshot of yourself which will then [more…]

Couchsurfing! The Art of Free Travel.

Lisa Catto Posted on May 17, 2014 1666 views 2 comments

As many people know I am leaving for the next year and a half to go study abroad in London as well as France. But this summer I am going to be a camp counselor in Florida and there is a few days in between events that I had no place to stay! So I [more…]

Community Health Club

Lisa Catto Posted on May 15, 2014 1461 views

Dr. Strapp with son, Callihan.

There are a few things to say about the community Health Club. They are definitely a newer club on campus and hope to increase students’ awareness on all sorts of Health related topics. The club started out 2 years ago and was led last year by a group of Seniors who graduated, leaving the [more…]

Why Do You Need Feminism?

Lisa Catto Posted on May 13, 2014 1461 views

Tuesday the 13th through Thursday the 15th, SPEAK is putting on a “Who Needs Feminism?” campaign in the Werner University Center. What does that mean? They’ll be asking you to come by and write on a whiteboard why YOU need feminism, and then pose with a photo of your reason. Started at Duke University, this [more…]

Open Mic Night Experience

Lisa Catto Posted on May 11, 2014 1531 views 1 comment

So, there I was, sitting in the audience enjoying the show at Open Mic Night at Western Oregon University on May 6, 2014. I watched as fellow students shared their musical talents and poetry. Then my name was called. I had an eight-part piece that I combined into a story and performed spoken word for [more…]

Tips for transfer students: success at your new school

Lisa Catto Posted on May 10, 2014 1512 views 1 comment

The modern college student has become more and more likely to transfer institutions at least once before earning a degree. For many different reasons, the traditional view of starting and finishing college at the same school isn’t quite so common anymore. After I graduated high school, I spent one year at the University of Hawai’i, [more…]

Graduation Requirements

Lisa Catto Posted on May 10, 2014 1420 views

College students are known for procrastination. Usually, they are seen as procrastinating on an assignment or waiting too long to start studying for a test. What many students don’t realize is that by not paying close attention to their graduation requirements beyond classes, they are procrastinating and prolonging their stay at college. At Western [more…]

Apply to be a part of the 2014-15 Social Media Team

Lisa Catto Posted on May 9, 2014 1376 views

Do you like the posts you’re reading on this blog? Do you have your own ideas and opinions you’d like to share, and want a way to get more involved in WOU? We’re currently accepting applicants for the 2014-15 Social Media Team. If you’re a student and you want to: -write about events, people and [more…]

Public Safety is an Asset!

Lisa Catto Posted on May 9, 2014 1366 views

I have been thinking a lot about this school and everything it has to offer its students. Especially those that live on campus. I’ve noticed that there is one resource that is maybe not being as utilized as it should be. That is Public Safety. Public Safety is most well known for being the sticklers [more…]

The Art of Modern Dating

Lisa Catto Posted on May 8, 2014 1387 views

Modern dating is much like modern art. Confusing? Pointless? Progressive? Abstract? There are many ways to look at it. However, modern dating isn’t really conducive to finding someone who makes you happy. When you ask someone in their first few years of college what they want in a relationship, they may list of dozens of [more…]

Begin Your Summer Job Search

Lisa Catto Posted on May 7, 2014 1640 views

If you haven’t already found a job for the summer, it’s getting past time to do so. Never fear, though, you still have time for a last minute job search. Where to look for a job: – If you’re sticking around the Monmouth area over the summer, be sure to look on WolfLink for job [more…]

Benefit for WOU Food Bank: The Pantry Dropper Dance

Lisa Catto Posted on May 3, 2014 1390 views

At the beginning of the year, Oregon State University’s study conducted at Western Oregon University showed that 59% of students surveyed faced “food insecurity” at some point in 2013. If you haven’t already read the first blog I wrote about it, you can check it out here. Although the gravity of that percentage has us [more…]

Why go to Western?

Lisa Catto Posted on May 3, 2014 1371 views

Well it’s getting to be that time of year where people are seriously considering going to school for the following year. I have had a few of my high school friends come to me and ask me about Western, so I thought I would write a blog about why people should choose Western! I originally [more…]

Diversity Week 2014

Lisa Catto Posted on May 1, 2014 1383 views

Next week, May 5th-9th is Diversity Week here on campus. We’ll kick it off this Friday, May 2nd with International Night in the WUC at 5:30pm: come join in an amazing opportunity to learn about other cultures and traditions. Monday, May 5th 11am-3pm: LGBTQ Resource Fair. Stop by the Willamette Room in the WUC to see [more…]

College Students and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Lisa Catto Posted on April 30, 2014 1426 views

One in four college students will contract an STI during their time at school. Sexually Transmitted Infections are not always noticeable, so what are you doing to protect yourself? In honor of STD (or, more accurate, STI) Awareness Month SPEAK set up an awesome table in the Werner University Center yesterday and today. They were [more…]

How To Achieve a Goal

Lisa Catto Posted on April 30, 2014 1382 views

The first step in achieving a goal is to have one. Many people think they will get equal satisfaction from achieving a goal that is easy for them, something they see as easy to achieve, something that is within reach. Here is the truth though– This is not true. Set your sights on something that [more…]

Behind the Scenes–Cindy Ryan

Lisa Catto Posted on April 28, 2014 1502 views

WOU is a college like all the rest—professors and students paid and paying for the sake of education. What a lot of people don’t realize is the extra behind the scenes work professors do for the school, students, and community. There are some fascinating, shining stars that don’t get the opportunity to be recognized. One [more…]

Holocaust Remembrance Day on Campus

Lisa Catto Posted on April 28, 2014 1383 views

A picture is worth a thousand words, and today the Western Oregon University campus painted a picture of 11 million lost lives. As you walk down Monmouth Avenue, full of flags of different colors and sizes, it is difficult to take in the impact that the Holocaust had on our world. (My one photo didn’t [more…]

Holocaust Remembrance Speaker

Lisa Catto Posted on April 27, 2014 1422 views

World War II was one of the most devastating wars in modern history. To this very day we still have survivors who remember the terrible tragedies that befell them as if it were yesterday. These events had such an intense impact on history and the world that every year Western Oregon University always discoveries a [more…]

The substantial benefits of the Health and Wellness Center

Lisa Catto Posted on April 27, 2014 1472 views

Health and Wellness Center

The Health and Wellness Center is an amazing resource for students at WOU. It is a great place to work out on the machines, take a fitness class, or rent equipment. But there are many aspects of the HWC that some students might not be aware of that deserve to be highlighted. More Instructors [more…]

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society’s motto is to “Let the love of learning rule humanity.”

Lisa Catto Posted on April 26, 2014 1817 views

Philosophìa Krateìto Photôn, “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” The motto for the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society is about putting education at the forefront and to always be willing to learn. New members admitted into the WOU chapter of the Honor Society last Wednesday, April 16th, agree that this willingness to always [more…]

A Guide to Movies by Major

Lisa Catto Posted on April 24, 2014 1377 views

Earlier this year, I made a post called “A Guide to TV Shows by Major”. (Haven’t seen it? Go here.) Recently I have been thinking about making another post: but what to do? I could do books or music or stores or musicals. I figured I would start small, so here is a simple guide [more…]

The road to academic success—April Senner

Lisa Catto Posted on April 23, 2014 1533 views

April Senner is truly a remarkable student. She’s creative, dedicated, and hard working. She has excelled in the fields of Mathematics and Computer Science and earlier this year presented some of her work at the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics. I recently got the opportunity to interview April and discover more about [more…]

Body Image: A struggle towards the unattainable

Lisa Catto Posted on April 23, 2014 1669 views 3 comments

As a young woman growing up in this society, it would be strange if you didn’t have body insecurities. Photos of models who are so photo-shopped that they don’t even resemble their actual form are plastered on billboards, websites, and television ads. Young women today are taught they must attain something that is quite literally [more…]

You Mean I Can Still Get Acne?

Lisa Catto Posted on April 21, 2014 1454 views

Western Oregon University's quarterback Phillip Fenumiai and kickoff runner Torreahno Sweet are both shown running the ball

I would like to discuss something that, frankly, I’m pretty mad about. This perpetuated idea of acne-ridden high schools has been completely misleading to me and many of my peers. I always thought that graduation came with some sort of special package: “Congrats on the clear skin!” But it turns out that all that really [more…]

Night of Noise

Lisa Catto Posted on April 20, 2014 1410 views

Night of Noise is an event that follows the Day of Silence, which is an annual day where students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Gathered in mourning, but also in celebration for how far the world [more…]

Relay For Life 2014

Lisa Catto Posted on April 19, 2014 1373 views

It’s my second year now of doing Relay for Life at Western and I am regretting not doing it sooner. WOU had their annual relay this last weekend and it was a great experience. Almost everyone there was impacted or affected by cancer in some sort of way. A few people even got to share [more…]

The Life of a Candidate

Lisa Catto Posted on April 18, 2014 1424 views

Well as you all have probably figured out it is campaign week for ASWOU and campaigning for the Residence Hall Association Executive Board is also coming up. I personally was a candidate for the Vice President position on the RHA Executive Board. I can tell you first hand how hard it is to run for [more…]

SPEAK: Students Promoting Equity, Activism, and Knowledge

Lisa Catto Posted on April 17, 2014 1520 views 1 comment

A photo of Tim Timmerman

We’ve talked about Abby’s House and the great work they do, creating a resource center that is there to aid you with; – Sexual Violence – Relationship Violence – Sexual Harassment – Stalking – Stress and Anxiety – Depression – Suicide – Women’s Health – Breast Cancer – Contraception – STD Testing – Substance Abuse [more…]

Ash Creek Arts Center (ACAC)

Lisa Catto Posted on April 14, 2014 1639 views

A recent establishment for the local community is located just a few miles from Monmouth, in Independence: Ash Creek Arts Center, named for Ash Creek that runs through both towns. As a non-profit arts center, it has many services offered to the community, some at low but reasonable costs. This addition to the neighborhood is [more…]

Sleep and College

Lisa Catto Posted on April 13, 2014 1400 views

How often do you walk into Allegro, Java Crew, or Dutch Bros to find sleepless college students ordering espresso or chugging Red Bull? I, for one, find this to be a daily occurrence. Whether it’s seven in the morning or two in the afternoon, college students appear to be stuck in an inescapable tiredness. Why [more…]

Is the “information age” helping or hurting? Let me Google it.

Lisa Catto Posted on April 12, 2014 1767 views 1 comment

Our generation is a new breed. Majority of college students today- us 20-somethings- are the first mass of people to have grown up entirely in the “information age”. That is, our parents- heck, anyone over 30- can remember a time in our not so distant past when there was no internet. If you had to [more…]

Bucket List and .. Anti-bucket List???

Lisa Catto Posted on April 12, 2014 1601 views 1 comment

Tyrell Williams

Hello All I was thinking about some things and since I am about to go on an adventure of a life time in this next year by going to Florida, London, and France. I was thinking about making a bucket list and then even better… a “Anti-bucket list” Bucket Lists are pretty self explanatory [more…]

Tightening the Pay Gap: didn’t we already do this?

Lisa Catto Posted on April 8, 2014 1738 views 2 comments

Rick Bartow

Today is Equal Pay Day. President Obama made a speech, and events were held on campus and across the country to bring light to the pay gap between women and men in the United States-and furthermore to the pay gap between white women and women of color. Didn’t we already do this? Days like these, which aim [more…]

Before I Die Project

Lisa Catto Posted on April 7, 2014 1765 views

My “Before I Die” Project is a series of not just photos or scans, but a series of people who want to be a part of something larger. Our vision is to humanize the faces you see around campus, to remind you not to judge a book by it’s cover, and to teach you that [more…]

Day 33 of 100: the real lesson to be learned

Lisa Catto Posted on April 5, 2014 1365 views

33 days ago I decided to start a personal challenge. I blogged about the “100 days of Happy” challenge on day 1 (check it out here if you’d like to see what it’s about) and will continue to give updates along the way. I’m about one-third of the way through and I’ve already learned so much about [more…]

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Lisa Catto Posted on April 4, 2014 1446 views

Have you ever been to a field of pure joy and color? No? Well here in little ole Oregon we offer one of the most spectacular sites in the United States. That is the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival! This is a field of flowers located in Woodburn, OR that will just leave you speechless! [more…]

Life Art

Lisa Catto Posted on March 25, 2014 1403 views

Art is an amazing thing to me. It is all around us and influences almost everything we use everyday. These tables around me, this Starbucks restaurant I’m having my coffee at is all different shades of brown that remind me of a mix of the past and present. When you think about it anything is [more…]

Things To Do In Oregon Over Spring Break

Lisa Catto Posted on March 17, 2014 1450 views

Tribal elder Bob Tom blesses the ground during Western Oregon University’s groundbreaking ceremony on Friday.

Though you may be wishing you were going somewhere tropical this spring break, staying in Oregon doesn’t have to be second best, it can be just as good! We are lucky enough to live a place that covers all the bases, you’ve got a nightlife in the cities, the desert, the breezy coast, and lush [more…]

Spring From Thy Beds!

Lisa Catto Posted on March 16, 2014 1405 views

I have now experienced three seasons since my move from Hawaii. All of them have been very exciting for me, but the last one is the season I am least familiar with. Hawaii was a state of perpetual summer, so there were no real surprises when I moved out here in August. Autumn was new [more…]

Spring Cleaning!

Lisa Catto Posted on March 15, 2014 1623 views 1 comment

Western Oregon University

Spring break is nearly upon us, and we all have some spring cleaning to do. So whip out your metaphorical (and literal) vacuums and garbage bags. Some actual spring cleaning won’t hurt anyone. 2. Trust me, there is some disgusting stuff in your room. Remember that time you were eating popcorn and the bag fell [more…]

Willamette Humane Society, how can you make a difference?

Lisa Catto Posted on March 12, 2014 1425 views

This upcoming spring term I will be volunteering at the Willamette Humane Society in Salem, OR. This is a center for cats and dogs alike to either find homes, get shots, or be rehabilitated after an abusive life style. The Willamette Humane Society is one of the biggest shelters in Oregon. It has been expanded [more…]

How others perceive you, and how you define yourself

Lisa Catto Posted on March 10, 2014 7943 views

There is something I’ve been talking about a lot in and out of class recently: perception and labels. The point I’m going to try to get to here, is that how other people view and label myself or my peers may not be accurate. How I label myself and what I let define me may [more…]

100 Days of Happiness Challenge

Lisa Catto Posted on March 8, 2014 1414 views 1 comment

Cheryl Beaver

Can you be happy for 100 days in a row? If that question really gets you thinking…if you have any hesitance at all to answer…then this is the post for you to read. I first heard about this challenge by seeing the hashtags on social media sites. The #100happydays as a caption under photos of [more…]

Improvasaurs return!

Lisa Catto Posted on March 6, 2014 1322 views

John Goldsmith

Now I know you are all SO EXCITED for the return of the Improvasaurs! This Friday, as in tomorrow, the Improvasaurs will be performing at 6pm in the Willamette room for your comedic enjoyment. If you do not already know the Improvasaurs is a on campus club that does improv comedy, (if you do [more…]

Studying abroad, my personal journey.

Lisa Catto Posted on March 6, 2014 1348 views

This entire year I have been preparing for my academic year abroad! I have finally got everything situated, and have finally chosen the University of Roehampton as the school I will be attending while I am abroad. Before I get to far ahead of myself I would like to go over my experience of what [more…]

Staying Fit In College

Lisa Catto Posted on March 3, 2014 1383 views

We are no strangers to the freshman 15, we are tempted every day with the most readily available food choice being fried, we take great strides to the pizza bar and then back to it for seconds– we are college students. If you feel that your unhealthy habits have check-mated your life, then this is the [more…]

A Personal Look at Depression

Lisa Catto Posted on March 3, 2014 1499 views 2 comments

Many of the things I’m about to divulge to the entire internet are things I haven’t told many of my friends. I have been thinking, for awhile, about making this public because I have a story to tell. Mine isn’t the most heart-wrenching story you’re going to hear about a journey through depression, and it [more…]

Depression

Lisa Catto Posted on March 3, 2014 1354 views 1 comment

Depression is a serious illness that affects approximately 20 million adults in the United States at some time throughout their life. This disorder causes serious symptoms in nearly 25 percent of women and 12 percent of men (Clinical Professors of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI). It was also discovered that as [more…]

Self-defense classes!

Lisa Catto Posted on March 1, 2014 1343 views

Last week I attended a self-defense class put on by Public Safety. The 4 hour class was presented by two of our Public Safety officers: Officer Tennant and Officer Jackson. I entered into the HWC 105 classroom and into the “co-ed” elf-defense class but I was not at all surprised when I saw myself and [more…]

Buried Alive: the truth about student loans

Lisa Catto Posted on March 1, 2014 1337 views

Being a college student is tough. I’d even say that’s a great understatement. And if you’re like most college students these days and paying your way through it yourself, you know exactly what I’m talking about. A typical day of running on 3 cups of coffee, going to class, studying for the exam, finishing the [more…]

The life of Ryan Bondroff

Lisa Catto Posted on March 1, 2014 1549 views

Last week I got to see a presentation at the ASL club by a man named Ryan Bondroff. He is a deaf man who has done a lot in the deaf community. Ryan’s family knew by at least the age of one that he was deaf and by the time he was a teenager he found [more…]

Spring Awakening

Lisa Catto Posted on February 27, 2014 1336 views

Michael Phillips, theatre professor at Western Oregon University, has directed an extremely powerful and sometimes controversial play, which is opening this week. Spring Awakening is a rock musical with lyrics by Steven Satar and music by Duncan Sheik. This is a production about teenagers exploring their sexuality, identity, and individuality in Germany in the late [more…]

Cinderella has some followers!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 26, 2014 1350 views

Now assuming that you all attended the Cinderella Ball, I should not have to tell you how wonderful it was. This year the ball was held in the Green Villa Barn off of the Independence highway and boy was it amazing! The middle of nowhere atmosphere and the hidden wonders that were inside the barn [more…]

The Unicef Tap Project, and WOU’s No Tweet Tuesdays

Lisa Catto Posted on February 24, 2014 1366 views

Walking out of my dorm room one day, I noticed a poster: No tweet Tuesdays! I was already late for class, so I didn’t think much of it. A few days went by when a Facebook friend of mine posted a link to the Unicef Tap Project. I read about this amazing project that Unicef [more…]

Can you exercise and feed the hungry at the same time? YES!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 22, 2014 1361 views

Who doesn’t like situations where everyone wins? No one. So why not attend WOU’s 2nd Annual Fun Run, Walk & Roll?! On February 28th, the Office of Disability Services and the Health and Wellness Center are sponsoring a 5K run/walk in which all proceeds benefit the Governor’s Food Drive, the WOU Food Pantry, and Race [more…]

Cinderella likes to cut loose!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 19, 2014 1386 views

As we have all experienced Western Oregon University is a school that requires all of their first years to live on campus. This mandated living situation can be unwelcome to a fair amount of students but the positives that come out of the experience is well worth it. One of these positives is the annual [more…]

The Vagina Monologues

Lisa Catto Posted on February 18, 2014 1711 views

When people hear the word ‘vagina’ they tend to shy away. It is as if it has become a “bad word” that people are scared to say, but discretely want to lean in and eaves drop when they hear someone else say. People chuckle and blush when they hear it but for many others and [more…]

“That’s so gay”: Why Phrases Like These Are Breaking Our Community

Lisa Catto Posted on February 17, 2014 1874 views

I have come to the very upsetting realization that the phrases “that’s so gay” and “that’s retarded” are, in no way, on their way out. When these sayings started I was in junior high: eighth grade probably. I don’t remember ever saying them, but I’m definitely not going to say that I didn’t. As a [more…]

Rave’s in Portland?! Let’s think smart!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 15, 2014 1347 views

Elani Elkins

Well instead of having a romantic valentines day like a normal person I chose to attend a rave in Portland that evening. It was a very mind opening experience considering I had never been to one before! I learned there is some crazy outfits people are willing to wear like this: [more…]

Tips to help land an internship: Feb 18th Internship & Volunteer Fair

Lisa Catto Posted on February 15, 2014 1350 views

In my opinion, the best thing a college student can do for him/herself while in school is build up a resume. If you graduate college without ever really gaining much experience in the field you’re after, you’re going to find it a lot more difficult to land a career. But fear not! Experience presents itself [more…]

The Mystery behind Black Hair in America Discussion Panel

Lisa Catto Posted on February 14, 2014 1788 views 2 comments

Updated/edit disclaimer: The content of this blog was not edited or changed from its original publication on Feb. 14. This blog was edited only to remove links for the purpose of not having those links attached to the discussion that may pursue. ~ w3sternjo ~ Original content: “What are y’all rockin’?” was the first question [more…]

Chinese New Year Year of The Horse

Lisa Catto Posted on February 11, 2014 1323 views

WOU grad Joleen Braasch

I don’t know much about the Chinese New Year, but what I do know is that it is a centuries long tradition and the new year doesn’t always fall on the same day each year, this Year it was on January 31, It marks the year of the horse (probably not so much if you [more…]

Bridal Show at Gentle House

Lisa Catto Posted on February 10, 2014 1415 views

The Historic Gentle House, is located just off campus near Gentle Avenue (on the right if you’re passing through WOU). Built in 1880, the house still stands to be a gathering place for the community and a beautiful space for events. With Valentines Day quick approaching, love is certainly in the air. February 14th is [more…]

Tips on networking: World After WOU Networking Social Hour

Lisa Catto Posted on February 8, 2014 1389 views 2 comments

Networking is the key to opening up new doors in your future career. Although I’m sure many of us can admit to at least some anxiety when it comes to meeting new people, we all practice networking on a daily basis without even knowing it. On February 10th, WOU’s Service Learning & Career Development center [more…]

Governor’s Canned Food Drive

Lisa Catto Posted on February 6, 2014 1321 views

Tabitha Mortensen

Every year the governor of Oregon holds a competition between all of the state companies and buildings to see who can raise the most food in the community for the Debbie Diem food bank. This competition is counted by pounds of food as well as the amount of money raised, (1 dollar = 6 pounds [more…]

Winter Rush Week 2014

Lisa Catto Posted on February 6, 2014 1457 views

Greek Life is still definitely new here to campus after it was introduced two years ago. The organizations on campus currently include, the Kappa Sigma fraternity Sigma Tau Chapter, The Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Beta Delta Chapter and also the Omega Delta Phi Fraternity Colony. Just like any organization, they all strive to be bigger and [more…]

Out & Proud week

Lisa Catto Posted on February 3, 2014 1366 views

Out and Proud week at Western Oregon University will take place Monday, Feb. 3 through Thursday, Feb. 6 2014. Members of the Multicultural Student Service and Programs (MSSP) are offering events in respect to the LGBTQQIA (Acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Ally) community. The Out and Proud events vary from discussions about [more…]

The Time For Visiting Is Upon Us!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 3, 2014 1311 views

I just made my first visit to a friend’s school, and thankfully we thought ahead about basics she might not have at college (not having extra blankets, for instance) but I’ve seen some people be less than lucky when visiting friends. Here are some things that you will want to be sure to think about [more…]

Survey at WOU shows 59% of students face food insecurity

Lisa Catto Posted on February 1, 2014 1369 views 2 comments

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’d know that I’m a big advocate for healthy eating. Although more than one-third of U.S. adults are considered obese, another startling fact that some of us might not have heard about is the growing percentage of Americans who don’t have enough food. A recent study conducted at our [more…]

Who’s ready for the real world?!?!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 29, 2014 1369 views

When transitioning from High School to College one of the first things I thought was… “High School did not prepare me at ALL for this” So I ran that same thought through my mind right now. I’m a junior here at Western and getting fairly close to entering the real world. So I thought it [more…]

Quizzes and Midterms and Tests (Oh My!)

Lisa Catto Posted on January 27, 2014 1327 views

WOU graduate Stephanie Stuckey

If you’re anything like me you probably think reading the first three sentences of your notes should count as “studying”. My lack of interest in rereading, copying notes, or looking over what I’ve mindlessly highlighted is not a new problem. In high school I had issues getting motivated to sit down for more than five [more…]

A daring odyssey: Why I left Hawaii

Lisa Catto Posted on January 24, 2014 1536 views 2 comments

Oahu Coast Many who have grown up on the mainland are surprised by the fact that I chose to move to Salem, Oregon from Honolulu, Hawaii. Although it may seem like a strange desire for a woman in her mid twenties to move from an island paradise in the middle of the Pacific [more…]

Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes

Lisa Catto Posted on January 23, 2014 1355 views

Student actors

In honor of MLK week I thought it would be a nice opportunity for me to discuss a different minority group that many people give a second thought to. Going to Western we all know we have a high deaf population because of the ASL studies and Interpreting program here at Western but there is [more…]

Sports & recreation | Uncategorized

Rugby opening players’ eyes

Lisa Catto Posted on January 22, 2014 1517 views

Polk County Itemizer-Observer By Lukas Eggen January 22nd, 2014 MONMOUTH — At first glance, Western Oregon University’s women’s rugby team is filled with mismatched parts. Players participated in different sports and grew up in different parts of the world. Each athlete began playing rugby for different reasons: Sophomore Alana Rudolph was looking to try something [more…]

Service Project

Lisa Catto Posted on January 21, 2014 1397 views

Milestones Family Recovery Inc. is a residential alcohol and drug treatment center for women in Corvallis, Oregon. This program serves both women who are and are not parenting and has the option for women to be placed in the program with their young children. The possibility of being able to receive treatment without being separated [more…]

A Guide to TV Shows by Major

Lisa Catto Posted on January 20, 2014 1337 views 1 comment

I spend a lot of time watching TV (a lot) so I figured I would organize some of my favorite shows for you guys! For the Sociology Major…The Walking Dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJRNHAJAcYg What happens when a disease plagues the world, and people are left to fight for their lives on a daily basis? What are people [more…]

5 life lessons I learned between 20 and 25

Lisa Catto Posted on January 17, 2014 7069 views

I’m what they call a “non-traditional” college student. I’m 25 years old and technically in my junior year at Western Oregon University. Although I couldn’t be happier or more sure of myself now, for many years I was very unsure if I even wanted a college degree. Today, there are more and more “non-traditional” students [more…]

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week

Lisa Catto Posted on January 17, 2014 1358 views

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Western Oregon University will take place Monday, Jan 20 through Thursday, Jan 23 2014. Members of the Multicultural Student Service and Programs (MSSP) are offering events in respects to MLK Week. The weeklong events encourage diversity and social justice; it shares the same legendary commitment that MLK [more…]

A Heart For The Untouchables Part 2

Lisa Catto Posted on January 15, 2014 1323 views

After months of anticipation and preparation the day to leave for India was here. Waking up the morning of the trip was like waking up for Christmas. This was the beginning of a two week long trip and I really didn’t know what to expect the whole trip. I did feel lucky to be with [more…]

“Love Is All You Need?” Analyzed and Discussed

Lisa Catto Posted on January 14, 2014 1380 views

The Powwow Woodsmen been on the host drum and sing traditional songs for the dancers

Trigger Warning: Abuse, Self-Harm, Suicide, and Death If you’ve been on the internet much over the last year or so, you may have run across a short film entitled “Love Is All You Need?”* This 20 minute film takes place in a world where being gay is the social norm, and a young straight girl, Ashley, [more…]

Reflection on Service Learning Trip

Lisa Catto Posted on January 13, 2014 1351 views

A service-learning trip is an opportunity to do service work and learn something from said service work. Over winter break 2013, a group of 10 people from Western Oregon University (WOU) traveled to Haiti for a service learning opportunity. As a group, we left December 12 and returned December 23, 2013. Through the WOU Service [more…]

Video produced about early history of WOU and Monmouth

Lisa Catto Posted on January 13, 2014 1442 views

Today, it would take only 31 hours to drive from Monmouth, Ill. to Monmouth, Ore. But in 1853, when the town of Monmouth was founded by pioneers from Illinois, it took the wagon party 10 months to make the journey. This is one of the incredible facts that many do not know about Western Oregon [more…]

Study Abroad Office… Where dreams come true!!!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 13, 2014 1350 views

The study abroad office is located in the APSC building room 501. This office is filled with great resources to get you started on your study abroad adventure! The first thing to get you started with your study abroad experience is the decision as to where you want to go and looking into programs that you [more…]

Magic Moments

Lisa Catto Posted on January 12, 2014 1316 views

All too often we cycle through our lives with a routine. We wake up to an alarm, we eat breakfast by this time an are on our way to class by that time. We rarely give ourselves a chance to stop and think about what makes our lives on earth truly special. Life is full [more…]

You’ll never guess what’s in this delicious recipe! (Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free)

Lisa Catto Posted on January 10, 2014 1418 views

Take a big breath, stretch out your arms, and let out a big sigh of relief that it’s officially 2014. We’ve pushed through another term and another year, friends! Congrats! With all the holidays, final exams, get-togethers, shopping, and celebrating, I know at least I was ready to just get back to a calmer schedule. [more…]

How To Stay Healthy (When Everyone Else Isn’t)

Lisa Catto Posted on January 10, 2014 1318 views

Happy cold/flu season! I woke up today with a fever of nearly 101, so I thought I would take this class-skipping opportunity to tell you all how to avoid the sniffles, flu, and fever this winter. How can I avoid getting sick? First off, follow all those basic rules that we think we’re “too good” [more…]

New Years Resolutions: Waiting For The Perfect Opportunity

Lisa Catto Posted on January 9, 2014 1400 views

With every new year comes swarms of people committing to changing their lives for the better, whether it be to eat right, or to work out more, or to be less jealous, or to excel in your job and skyrocket to that promotion– the one thing all these people have in common is that they [more…]

Adventures in writing: When elementary students go to college

Lisa Catto Posted on December 15, 2013 1486 views

Western Edge By Erin Huggins Winter 2013 One student loves geckos. Another is an expert on fish. This kind of information leaks out when fourth, fifth, and sixth graders put their imaginations into writing—the kind of knowledge overlooked in other learning environments but absolutely treasured by two college professors giving kids professional writing tools. Adventures [more…]

Service learning trip … From Oregon to Haiti

Lisa Catto Posted on December 12, 2013 1349 views

Today, December 12, 2013, I will board a plane in Portland, Oregon, travel to Seattle, Washington and head to Miami, Florida. From there, I will go to Port-au-Prince, Haiti where I will spend nine days. This is the first time I’ve ever traveled out of the U.S., and really, it’s the first time I’ve traveled [more…]

Student Leadership Positions that PAY!

Lisa Catto Posted on December 10, 2013 1333 views

Have you been struggling this year financially? Are you wanting to be more involved at Western Oregon University? Well positions for next year are starting to be available! Two applications that are currently available are the Resident Assistant positions through housing and the National Communications Coordinator In-Training (NCC-IT) position through the Residence Hall Association (RHA) Executive [more…]

A Very Merry Holiday Recipe: Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

Lisa Catto Posted on December 10, 2013 1490 views 2 comments

With the abundance of wintertime activities, December seems like a marathon of events, parties, outings, and festivities, which doesn’t leave much time for enjoying my favorite part of the season– the treats! So in the spirit of making time for all the festivities without excluding all the goodies December has to offer, this recipe is for [more…]

WOU creates a community

Lisa Catto Posted on December 9, 2013 1315 views

I was at Waremart the other day; I was standing in line with a gallon of milk, a package of 12 chicken Top Ramen’, and some toilet paper. There was a couple in front of me with probably 50 or so items, I knew it would be a while so I set my things on [more…]

Updated: Help bring a smile to foster children this holiday

Lisa Catto Posted on December 7, 2013 1310 views

It’s here! It’s here! Snow came early this year in Oregon and the giving spirit of Christmas is also in the air. Western Oregon University has organized a Toy Drive to benefit local foster children this holiday season! It’s a wonderful and charitable event run by students, staff, faculty, and the community. The WOU Toy [more…]

Christmahanakwanza?

Lisa Catto Posted on December 6, 2013 1364 views

December is upon us, and it’s time for the holidays! Nowadays, we often say “happy holidays” instead of the staple “Merry Christmas!” Obviously, this is done out of consideration for every holiday, multiple religions, and all kinds of faith. Grouping everything into one might have good intentions, but it also allows us to skirt through [more…]

Abby’s House: Silent Auction

Lisa Catto Posted on December 2, 2013 1343 views

With few exceptions, every college student is looking for ways to fund their education and then use that education to make a difference. Abby’s House is a place that does both. Abby’s House is committed to providing housing and safety for vulnerable women and children but goes above and beyond in the services it provides. [more…]

Dance party to help raise funds for the Philippines

Lisa Catto Posted on November 30, 2013 1312 views

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Although we’re headed into Dead Week, I couldn’t be more thankful for everything and everyone in my life. There’s a lot of people in the world who don’t even have food to eat, let alone the opportunity to attend college. Right now, there’s a country that really needs [more…]

What’s the weather like around the world?!

Lisa Catto Posted on November 29, 2013 1334 views

Living in Monmouth, OR can be such a blessing sometimes! Our weather is pretty mild through out the entire year because of the cold coastal current that runs down from Alaska and Canada! But I was wondering what this time of year looks like all around the world. So I contacted some close friends to [more…]

A Heart for the Untouchables

Lisa Catto Posted on November 28, 2013 1310 views

On December 7, of this year I will be travelling with 11 other people to go on a service learning trip for two weeks to visit one of the lowest caste systems in India and make an impact on the local people there. Our mission is to help build a community center and garden for [more…]

Dr. Eduardo González Viaña: a farewell to a wonderful professor

Lisa Catto Posted on November 27, 2013 1402 views

In addition to being a critically acclaimed author of more than 40 novels and short stories, Dr. Eduardo González Viaña has been one of the great professors at Western Oregon University for the past 20 years. A few days ago, Dr. González Viaña was honored at his retirement party at the University House near campus. Later, I had [more…]

Safe Zone Ally Training at WOU

Lisa Catto Posted on November 27, 2013 1366 views

This past Sunday, November 24, 2013, I attended the Safe Zone Ally Training 1 and 2. It was an all day event and had a lot of information presented. Overall, it was quite productive. According to the WOU website, Safe Zone’s vision is “to provide continuing education to the community about LGBTQQIAA inclusiveness on and [more…]

Before I Die Project

Lisa Catto Posted on November 24, 2013 1402 views

My “Before I Die” Project is a series of not just photos or scans, but a series of people who want to be a part of something larger. Our vision is to humanize the faces you see around campus, to remind you not to judge a book by it’s cover, and to teach you that [more…]

Dare to think and eat differently

Lisa Catto Posted on November 23, 2013 1339 views

The biggest cooking holiday of the year is just around the corner! My mother will spend all day in the kitchen preparing a decadent feast- usually two large turkeys, three types of mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, ambrosia, dip….oh yea, our house is always the place to be. This being my first time living away [more…]

Trash’n Fashion Runway Show

Lisa Catto Posted on November 19, 2013 1457 views

Commencement 2015

What does sustainability mean to you? This year the Residence Hall Association (RHA) Executive Board is putting on fashion show made out of recycled material! How is that possible you say? Well with the help of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University (ASWOU), and Green Team, they have contacted the hall governments to help [more…]

Bellamy Hall graced with new exterior sculpture

Lisa Catto Posted on November 19, 2013 1757 views

Jesse Small

The aesthetic beauty of campus has been complemented by an outdoor sculpture outside of Bellamy Hall. The artist, Jesse Small, was inspired by the symmetry of nature, which he finds to be filled with perfect imperfections. “Trees rocks rivers and planets all generally symmetrical but looking closer, not exactly. I think this creates an aesthetic [more…]

Get Excited for International Day

Lisa Catto Posted on November 18, 2013 1356 views

Ni hao, Wolves! As some of you may know, each year WOU participates in International Education Week. International Education Week is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education every November. This week is an opportunity to showcase the benefits of international travel, studying abroad, and to attract leaders from abroad to study, [more…]

International Students Travel In US

Lisa Catto Posted on November 17, 2013 1375 views

One of our team member(Cindy,an international student who come from China) loves traveling. She uses her holiday and weekend time to travel around US and has taken a plenty of photos in different places.We created an album to help international students knowing how to travel around US,especially in Oregon.We love to share Cindy’s traveling experience and stories [more…]

The Really Good (and good for you!) Cookie Recipe

Lisa Catto Posted on November 16, 2013 1432 views 1 comment

I have the ultimate sweet tooth. Candy, chocolate, cookies…I love it all! So when I made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle, my sweet tooth ached like never before. This is the point when most people give up and go back to their old unhealthy ways. And I’ve done that. But over the years [more…]

One step backward, two steps forward Counseling professor traces path to partnership with WOU’s Teaching Research Institute

Lisa Catto Posted on November 15, 2013 1491 views

Western Edge By Erin Huggins Winter 2013 The new treatment used the language of energy and focused on the power of human touch. Rosimery Bergeron, adjunct professor of rehabilitation counseling and a licensed professional counselor (LPC), was immediately hooked. “I am a play therapist. I am also a body psychotherapist. In Brazil, I was used [more…]

Calling All Doctor Who Fans!!!

Lisa Catto Posted on November 15, 2013 1289 views

Happy 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who! Wednesday, November 20th and Thursday, November 21st, keep on the lookout for some special events and sales in the WUC Bookstore. If you’ve been around the WOU campus for awhile, you’ve probably noticed the awesome life-size Dalek and TARDIS in the WUC Bookstore! Well, in honor of the 50th Anniversary [more…]

Turkey Trot

Lisa Catto Posted on November 15, 2013 1454 views 1 comment

It’s almost time for Thanksgiving! This means that turkeys everywhere are being bought and stored as the main courses for some marvelous feasts. This is also a great opportunity for people to help fund raise for the Haiti Service Learning trip. The Service Learning Haiti team here at Western will be holding a Turkey Trot [more…]

Jon Apgar Day

Lisa Catto Posted on November 13, 2013 1356 views

The 2013 football season at Western Oregon University ended on a powerful note with a game that will be remembered for both the hard fought victory on the field (32-26 Wolves) and for the heartfelt, collective hopes of the team and crowd for a victory for Jon Apgar off the field. In 2001, Arne Ferguson, [more…]

Whats Going On in the World? (And Why Are College Students Out of the Loop?)

Lisa Catto Posted on November 12, 2013 1312 views

I was walking to and from classes yesterday when I noticed something. I overheard conversations about failing grades, midterms, Thanksgiving plans…I’m pretty sure I heard a break-up happening outside my classroom. The one word I didn’t hear around campus the entire day? Philippines. This week, Typhoons Yolanda and Haiyan have made it across nearly every [more…]

What’s Your Green Dot?

Lisa Catto Posted on November 12, 2013 1344 views

What is Green Dot? Green Dot Definition: A green dot is any behavior, choice, word or attitude that promotes safety for everyone and communicates utter intolerance for sexual violence, partner violence and stalking. Simply: Green Dot is your individual choice at any given moment to make our campus a safer place. This statement is coming [more…]

Overcoming The Odds

Lisa Catto Posted on November 10, 2013 1509 views 1 comment

It can feel like all odds are against you sometimes, like that cold you have is stopping you from writing your paper– like you need to be more attentive to your parents at home, your best friend needs more of your time and you’ve got a boyfriend who you fight with for hours every night. [more…]

Healthy College Cooking (with just a microwave?!)

Lisa Catto Posted on November 9, 2013 1677 views 4 comments

Being a full time college student paying for my own education, I know the only thing harder than affording something decent to eat is finding something that doesn’t pack on those Freshman 15. But don’t give up my fellow college kids! Cheap, delicious, easy, AND healthy does exist! Each week I’ll be posting recipes and [more…]

Miss Representation at Abby’s House!

Lisa Catto Posted on November 8, 2013 1392 views

Abby’s House is an amazing resource center right here on campus that strives to provide the WOU community with education and resources to promote equality and social justice and fight violence. Next Wednesday, they’re doing a showing of “Miss Representation”. This documentary showcases the ways that the media misrepresents women-through sexualization and objectification-and analyzes our [more…]

Coping with Homesickness

Lisa Catto Posted on November 5, 2013 1633 views 2 comments

The Space Needle, Seattle WA. Whether you’re a few minutes away from home, or a few hundred miles (or a few thousand) homesickness is inevitable! College is full of new people, new places, and new experiences-but that isn’t always what you want. It can be hard to create a new “home” especially if you don’t know [more…]

PACURH Leadership Conference!

Lisa Catto Posted on November 5, 2013 1380 views

Give me a BIG P….. P! Give me a little p ….. p! Don’t give me no moose, no moose don’t give me no monkey, no monkey don’t give me no lion, no lion just give me that FROG FROG FROG FROG FROG that PACURH FROG FROG FROG FROG FROG!!! What is PACURH? This stands [more…]

Sweater Weather

Lisa Catto Posted on November 4, 2013 1324 views

It’s the time of year again where the temperature is dropping and the sweaters are coming out of hiding! If you’re an Oregonian you understand that “Sweater Weather” makes up around 7 months of the year– So cheers to our first month! Here you’ll find a guide to staying cozy, healthy, and not-so-vitamin-D-deficient this year. Western’s [more…]

Take Back the Night, Abby’s House

Lisa Catto Posted on November 1, 2013 1410 views

Abby’s House is a resource center here on campus that focuses on helping students, faculty and the community with any sort of mental, social or family related problem. Every year they put on an event that focuses on all the domestic abuse, that goes unnoticed in our country and the night time between 6pm and [more…]

Crossing Borders: A Saudi Arabian couple recounts their experience at WOU

Lisa Catto Posted on October 17, 2013 1601 views

Western Edge By Erin Huggins Winter 2013 At age 19, Fatimah Alamatar put on a flowing white dress, styled her hair, picked up her bouquet of red roses and married Mohammed Alshawi. Two weeks later, the newlyweds moved 7,430 miles from Saudi Arabia’s burnt orange desserts to the Willamette Valley’s damp greenery. She didn’t speak [more…]

From Ghana to Monmouth: a journey of service

Lisa Catto Posted on October 8, 2013 1569 views

Sammy Aggro

Sammy Aggro has come a long way from his home in Ghana to pursue higher education at Western Oregon University. While at WOU, he earned a bachelor’s in American Sign Language studies and is currently entering his last year in the master’s program for rehabilitation counseling. He worked at a high school for Deaf students in Ghana and [more…]

Teaching in paradise: WOU grads gain experience as educators in the Dominican Republic

Lisa Catto Posted on September 26, 2013 1626 views

Western Edge By Erin Huggins Winter 2013 Imagine spending long, lazy afternoons lying on warm, white beaches. The ocean stretches clear and blue in one direction; palm trees dot the shoreline behind. For Hannah Vowell ’11, (master’s in teaching), Amber Geschwend ’11, (bachelor’s in elementary education) and Caelen Bensen ’11, (bachelor’s in early childhood/elementary education/ESOL), [more…]

WOU celebrates President’s Club donors

Lisa Catto Posted on June 28, 2013 1830 views

President's Club Dinner

People who choose to share their generosity with Western Oregon University are critical to helping the campus and its community to thrive. A small token of appreciation for WOU’s President’s Club contributors is the annual President’s Club Dinner. This year’s dinner was held on June 21 at the scenic Zenith Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, with Crush Wine Bar [more…]

Summer is hereeeee!

Lisa Catto Posted on June 24, 2013 1380 views

I cannot believe that the school year is over—Oh my gosh! I still remember how I struggled to get a job during fall term, how anxious I was to begin my graduate program, but overall, how excited I was to see what the school year would bring. Now here I am, writing the last blog [more…]

Delmer Dewey Award: Trevor Roush

Lisa Catto Posted on June 15, 2013 1652 views

Trevor Roush

Trevor Roush, this year’s Delmer Dewey award winner for outstanding senior male, just needed someone to give him an opportunity to succeed. That person was Arne Ferguson, Western Oregon University’s head football coach. Coming to WOU from Kirkland, Wash. to play football was the push he needed to figure out his path in life. And [more…]

Julia McCulloch Smith award: Amanda Litzinger

Lisa Catto Posted on June 14, 2013 1601 views

Amanda Litzinger

Amanda Litzinger, this year’s Julia McCulloch Smith winner for outstanding graduating female, is part of a Western Oregon University legacy. Her mother and grandmother both attended the school. In fact, it’s the only university Litzinger applied to. “I came here when I was little and I was stuck on it from the beginning, even then [more…]

Staff Excellence Award: Jake Whisenhunt

Lisa Catto Posted on June 13, 2013 1536 views

Jake Whisenhunt

As the supervising electrician, Jake Whisenhunt’s face is frequently seen and one many recognize around campus. But his contributions to the function and maintenance of campus are not the only involvement of his. One of this year’s Mario and Alma Pastega Staff Excellence award winners, Jake also devotes his time to working with students through [more…]

Farewell, farewell

Lisa Catto Posted on June 13, 2013 1305 views

This has taken me a while to write. I keep starting, then stopping. Then I start again, and sit with my fingers over the keys wondering where to go next. The year of over. Or at least the important part of the year, at least to someone in college. The year is over, and [more…]

I survived freshman year!

Lisa Catto Posted on June 12, 2013 1500 views 2 comments

Wow! When I think about the place I was at in my life a year ago I’m blown away by how much my life has changed and how much I’ve changed as a person! I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t get just a little bit nostalgic about the past year. To [more…]

Staff Excellence Award: Linda Kunze

Lisa Catto Posted on June 12, 2013 1657 views

Linda Kunze

Psychology students at Western Oregon University have likely interacted with Linda Kunze in one capacity or another. As the administrative support specialist for the Psychology Division, she helps both students and the division’s faculty in an immeasurable number of ways. One of this year’s Mario and Alma Pastega Staff Excellence award winners, Kunze has been [more…]

Excellence in Scholarship & Creativity: Tom Bergeron

Lisa Catto Posted on June 11, 2013 1505 views

Tom Bergeron

People find inspiration in many places. For Dr. Tom Bergeron, professor of music and this year’s Mario and Alma Pastega Excellence in Scholarship and Creativity award winner, he is nourished by the natural world. When he wants to make music and feel inspired, he gets away from the things that humans make. Bergeron is a [more…]

Excellence in Teaching: Julia Smith

Lisa Catto Posted on June 10, 2013 1516 views

Julia Smith

For some students of Western Oregon University, they find the university to be more than the home of their college years – they end up making their career on campus. Dr. Julia Smith, assistant professor of rehabilitation counselor education and this year’s Mario and Alma Pastega Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient, was one such [more…]

Feeling dead during dead week? LET’S FIX IT

Lisa Catto Posted on June 9, 2013 1456 views

Well finals at Western Oregon University can always be a hassle for students. Especially if it’s dead week of spring term and the sun is out! All you want to do is bathe in the sun, go swimming and not have homework! Well one thing that Western loves to do is take care of their [more…]

Taking Advantage of Professor’s Office Hours.

Lisa Catto Posted on June 9, 2013 1310 views

Now I know what some of you may be thinking—why in the world are you writing about this now, when the term is pretty much over? Well, I figured that you could have this information before the new school year begins, or if you are going to be attending summer term, then you will be [more…]

WOU Honors presents its best

Lisa Catto Posted on June 8, 2013 1367 views

The Western Oregon University Honors Program is a long running academic honors program that accepts applicants during their freshman years of college. While the basis fro selection is bewildering, I joined up at the promise of small classes and a fancy trip to Ashalnd, at the end of my first year. Sometimes I look back [more…]

Music is in the air! 15 Miles West and V!BE

Lisa Catto Posted on June 7, 2013 1389 views

15 Miles West and V!BE, Western’s A Capella groups put on a wonderful spring concert to showcase both of their successful years! V!BE, the women’s group, showcased the many talents within the group and their talent as a whole from their first year singing together! Before this year Western only had a men’s a capella but [more…]

Summer swimming holes!

Lisa Catto Posted on June 2, 2013 1313 views

Now that Monmouth is starting to get relatively good heat and clear skies it’s time to bust out the sun tan lotion and the bathing suits! There are few great spots around here to swim of course and I’ll divulge the information as to there locations and how much it might cost! Of course there [more…]

How To Make Friends!

Lisa Catto Posted on June 1, 2013 1427 views 1 comment

Moving to college can be a very stressful experience, especially if you are going to a school where you won’t know anyone! When I found myself in this situation, I forced myself not to worry about being lonely or never finding friends; instead, I focused on the excitement of the potential number of friends I [more…]

Settling in to study

Lisa Catto Posted on June 1, 2013 1463 views

After what seems like, for many, a term straight out of Hades, we’re finally heading out into the final weeks of term. Stressful, lacking sleep, full of many deadlines—oh, the end is nigh. Now, what goes hand-in-hand with finals week? Studying! What goes hand-in-hand with studying? Study breaks! And that answer raises a big [more…]

Profile on student Amanda Summers

Lisa Catto Posted on May 28, 2013 1521 views

Amanda Summers

By David Marcus, WOU student Living in the dorms for the first time is an invigorating experience. The memories you create and the friends you meet will last years after you graduate from college. Amanda Summer, financial director of Hall Government, has lived in the dorms her first two years of her time here at [more…]

The New Faces of America

Lisa Catto Posted on May 27, 2013 1310 views

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013, I had the opportunity to attend “The New Faces of America” event taking place at WUC, in the Pacific Room. According to the WOU website, this event was described as a “one-woman show that showcases the diverse stories of young Americans and the issues that concern them. This is a [more…]

UCarShare! Car rentals for College students

Lisa Catto Posted on May 23, 2013 1817 views 5 comments

Living at Western is a very nice set up. Just about everything you need is with in walking distance and if you need to get to Independence there is always the wolf ride. But sometimes student really need to get out of town and take a break from college or they have some sort of [more…]

Alcohol Safety and Date Rape

Lisa Catto Posted on May 23, 2013 1388 views 1 comment

If you are in college you will more than likely be exposed to some sort of alcohol related situation. You might go out with some friends and somehow end up at a house party where there is alcohol. Whenever alcohol is involved things can get out of control quick and people might have date rape [more…]

Considering a film

Lisa Catto Posted on May 22, 2013 1314 views

This past Monday, May 20th, I attended the second showing in the Behavioral Sciences Film Series, Consider the Conversation, a documentary about end of life plans and care. This film specifically was being offered to the students because of their expressed interest in the Death and Dying classes offered here at Western Oregon University by [more…]

WOU Club Profile: Social Dance Club

Lisa Catto Posted on May 22, 2013 1300 views

Admit it. You’ve always wanted to learn how to dance. REAL dancing, not that wiggly thing they do in the clubs these days! I will have you know that this campus offers a wonderful variety of dance styles to learn. Focusing on social dancing, there is a Social Dance Class offered every term; that’s [more…]

Preview 2022

Lisa Catto Posted on May 19, 2013 1320 views

Every year the RHA Executive Board puts on their traditional program called “Preview.” This program is an all day event which invites the third graders from the nearby Polk county elementary schools to see what life would be like in college for a day. Western students are allowed to participate as either a big buddy [more…]

What’s my favorite place on campus? Let me explain.

Lisa Catto Posted on May 19, 2013 1313 views

I met the challenge of my senior year in high school with a determination that was, quite frankly, short sighted. I had spent the entire summer before school started just lingering about, doing to odd internship or work study that fell into my lap and thinking about nothing further in my future than that PE class I was going to have [more…]

Cinderella Ball: Midnight in Paris

Lisa Catto Posted on May 18, 2013 1324 views

Every year traditional’s are done by each hall government at Western Oregon University. Heritage has always done what is known as the “Cinderella Ball.” This years theme was “Midnight in Paris” which was meant to encompass the feeling of France and more specifically the city of love! This year the location of the dance was of [more…]

WOU Spring Dance Concert 13′.

Lisa Catto Posted on May 17, 2013 1399 views 1 comment

I had never been to one of our Spring Dance Concert’s in the past. And all I can think is that I have missed out on a lot! It turned out to be such an amazing and fun event that I have even told family and friends about it so they can prepare to go [more…]

My Favorite Place To Study

Lisa Catto Posted on May 17, 2013 1324 views

With Shakespeare, Frost, and Austen as my witness, I have done the majority of my homework behind the poetry section of the library. Knowing the way my brain works, I knew I would need somewhere away from all the new friends I could be making, somewhere I can get actual schoolwork done. In my first [more…]

DEAF CITY III

Lisa Catto Posted on May 12, 2013 1372 views

For the third year, Western has hosted Deaf City: an event made to raise awareness of the (D)deaf culture. As part of their class, ASL 435 students are in charge of hosting this event for students of WOU as well as community members from the surrounding area, who are encouraged to participate whether they have [more…]

Equal marriage: thoughts on 8

Lisa Catto Posted on May 10, 2013 1299 views

My post last week got me pumped for Western Oregon University’s production of the play 8, and this week that enthusiasm remained high inspired by a marked presence of advertising the play itself along with campaigning for equal rights from students. I saw students everywhere wearing white shirts, with the characteristic “NO H8” emblazoned somewhere [more…]

Profile: alumna Key Jackson

Lisa Catto Posted on May 9, 2013 1489 views

Key Jackson

By David Marcus, WOU student Key Jackson, one of our amazing Western Oregon Plus team alum, majored in early childhood education. Coming from Neah Bay, Wash., Key’s passion for children and strong desire to educate youth attracted her to Western Oregon University’s wonderful teaching program and campus. “I was actually planning on attending OSU, but [more…]

WOU Blood Drive.

Lisa Catto Posted on May 9, 2013 1345 views

I have only given blood once. Once. And while I’ve tried to donate blood at various times, I never could because my iron was always too low. However, after attending the blood drive for this term, I can say that from simply attending, I became more aware that blood donations are extremely important. Unfortunately, I [more…]

Profile: student Antonia Rojas

Lisa Catto Posted on May 8, 2013 1391 views

By David Marcus, WOU student Western Oregon University Prides itself in bringing culture and diversity to its students. Students demonstrate commitment to cultural diversity with its Clubs and Events, and bring experiences and knowledge to our students. Antonia Rojas is a student here at western that has gained a lot of experience and education from our classes and [more…]

The 7th Annual Hawaii Club Luau

Lisa Catto Posted on May 8, 2013 1386 views

It is Spring time, which means it is Luau time. The Hawaii club works their butts off all year to raise money for their only event, which means that it has to be one heck of an event… which I think it was. Ticket prices were a little pricey at 20 dollars but with the [more…]

International Night!

Lisa Catto Posted on May 6, 2013 1413 views

Last Friday I had the honor of attending The International Club’s annual International Night. It was here on campus in the Pacific Room for only $6 dollars to Western students. International Night focuses on representing all the different countries, cultures and traditions from around the world. 27 countries were said to be represented there that [more…]

8 comes to Western

Lisa Catto Posted on May 5, 2013 1327 views 1 comment

The controversy surround California’s Proposition 8 is about as current as it is possible for a current event can be. Various faculty and students of Western Oregon University is offering it’s own take on the issue this week by performing 8, a play by Dustin Lance Black. The play, based off of real transcripts from [more…]

Gabbi’s Favorite Place on Campus

Lisa Catto Posted on May 3, 2013 1292 views

Don’t ask me why, but this is my favorite place on campus! Ok, I changed my mind, ask me why! “Why is this your favorite place on campus, Gabbi?” Oh, how thoughtful of you to ask! Well, if you must know, the first time I ever visited WOU as a high school senior, my PLUS [more…]

TRADITIONAL’S ARE HERE!

Lisa Catto Posted on May 2, 2013 1307 views

Every year around this time all of the Hall Governments start putting on their traditional events. We have five residence halls and that means that there is five HUGE events coming up very soon. In fact this Saturday May 4th the Barnum, Butler, and Gentle hall government is putting on their huge traditional called [more…]

Cinco de Mayo and other fun, cultural events!

Lisa Catto Posted on May 1, 2013 1362 views

Cinco de Mayo is coming up here pretty soon. And while many of you may have referred to May 5th as Cinco de Drinko, I am here to tell you more about why this date is so important and why it is celebrated. Now for the interesting facts that might make you go “ah”, “oh”, [more…]

Pow Wow

Lisa Catto Posted on April 30, 2013 1397 views

This year marks the 20th annual Pow Wow presented by MSU here on campus. Talking to one of the MSU members, it seems like it is also one of the biggest. The Pow Wow was held in New P.E. and went half the day from 12pm to 12am. One of the most important things about [more…]

Talk Sex at the Get Lei’d Luau

Lisa Catto Posted on April 27, 2013 1360 views

Every year the Peer Mentors on campus do their traditional event called the “Get Lei’d Luau” this is a program about sex education and giving students the information they need to be safe and healthy with their sexual life. This term the RHA Executive Board decided to put on a program called “Talk Sex” which [more…]

The Invisible War.

Lisa Catto Posted on April 26, 2013 1397 views

The invisible war. Our country has a long history of wars; however, most don’t know about the invisible one. At this point, some may be scratching their heads, wondering what I’m talking about. I mean, an invisible war…how is that so? Well, in all branches of the armed forces, there is an invisible war-taking place, [more…]

Western Compass and fair trade in Guatemala

Lisa Catto Posted on April 25, 2013 1374 views

Wednesday, April 24, I had the good fortune to stumble my way into the university center for report-back style presentation about a recent Fair Trade and Immigration Rights Delegation to Guatemala hosted by Western Compass. Katie Moss, Program Director for Western Compass, started the event by giving a presentation based on the photographs she took [more…]

A Day of Silence and A Night of Noise

Lisa Catto Posted on April 24, 2013 1389 views

In case you’ve never heard of Day of Silence: The Day of Silence is a national event, usually held in April, where everyone who participates agrees to not talk for a full day in order to “end the silence of people being bullied because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, [more…]

WOU Baseball

Lisa Catto Posted on April 22, 2013 1403 views

It’s Spring here at Western! Well, that’s still debatable, but the weather is getting a lot nicer outside, so it only makes sense to go out and watch a WOU Baseball/Softball game. I decided that I wanted to see how the Baseball team is doing. I have never been really into baseball but I do [more…]

Spring has finally sprung

Lisa Catto Posted on April 19, 2013 1341 views

After what feels like a ice age of a winter term, we have finally arrived at the end of the academic year, with spring finally firmly in place. Queue rapid weather changes and temperature fluctuation. Beyond that, spring term has always felt a little strange to me. It’s rushed in the classroom, yet the weather invites [more…]

The D.I.Y Bride’s Bridal Show

Lisa Catto Posted on April 17, 2013 1332 views

FACT: Most girls go crazy for all things “wedding”. WARNING: Girls of this nature tend to squeal and/or bounce when they come into contact with things such as dresses, rings, flowers, table settings, caterers or cakes! These girls are highly dangerous to your personal sanity and should probably be avoided for both of your safety. [more…]

WONDERFUL WIZARD OF WOU!!!

Lisa Catto Posted on April 17, 2013 1333 views

Every year the Triangle Alliance club puts on a little show known as the Drag Show. This is the Triangle Alliance traditional that the students of Western look forward to each year. This year’s theme was “The Wonderful Wizard of WOU” which is of course a riff off of the Wizard of Oz. But in [more…]

WOU Track and Field

Lisa Catto Posted on April 14, 2013 1316 views

Track and Field season has been going on for a little over a month now, but this Friday is the first Meet here at WOU. Going to a track meet is free for Western students if you bring your WOU ID. Being on the Track & Field team in High School myself, makes going out and [more…]

Managing School, Work, & Other Activities.

Lisa Catto Posted on April 13, 2013 1313 views

It is quite ironic that I am writing about this topic. And if you are anything like me, I bet you are a student who is trying to or is balancing work, school, and other extracurricular activities. The irony of it all is that although I am going to be giving some tips and tricks [more…]

“Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back” Western’s Relay For Life 2013

Lisa Catto Posted on April 12, 2013 1391 views 1 comment

Last year was the first time I had heard about The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life events. A close family friend is a cancer survivor and makes a Relay For Life team every year, last year was the first year she had invited me to be a part of her team. First hearing about [more…]

Holocaust remembrance day

Lisa Catto Posted on April 11, 2013 1396 views

Each year around this time at Western the leaders on campus strive to bring back to the minds of students the awful and tragic happenings that took place during world war II. Specifically what is done is during a certain Sunday students gather volunteers to help place out flags along the main street of that [more…]

From Monmouth to the Ivy Leagues

Lisa Catto Posted on April 11, 2013 1642 views

Allison Glasscock '10

by Erin Huggins “Difficulty is itself opportunity.” Boethius, Consolations of Philosophy As the autumn leaves change colors this year, WOU alumna Allison Glasscock (Honors Program Graduate, B.A. in Philosophy, 2010) is settling into her new home, New Haven, Conn. Alison Glasscock is embarking on the first year of her Ph.D. in the joint program in [more…]

Building global connections

Lisa Catto Posted on April 9, 2013 1914 views

Chinese international students

Over the past several years, Western Oregon University has strengthened its ties with universities in other parts of the world through the exchange of students and visiting scholars. One of those universities is Xianda International College in Shanghai, China. ZhangKe, who goes by Isabel as her English name, is the first visiting scholar from Xianda [more…]

Sand in their shoes: WOU community tests endurance in Lincoln City Half Marathon

Lisa Catto Posted on March 22, 2013 1426 views

Western EdgeBy Erin Huggins Winter 2013 How far can you run? One mile? Five? Ten? What about 13.1 miles along a country creek, south of Lincoln City? Elka Asleson, physical education professor, has gone that distance many times. This time, though, she wasn’t alone. In March, 83 students and community members represented Western by [more…]

Brown Eyed Blue Eyed: A diversity simulation

Lisa Catto Posted on March 17, 2013 1289 views

Every year Western Oregon university is the lucky host the diversity simulation program called Brown Eyed Blue Eyed. This year the program was again ran by Kyle rush with the support of the Barnum/Butler/Gentle hall government as well as the National Residence Hall Honorary. These two groups supported this program because of the well known [more…]

A Tribute to Count Basie by the Western Hemisphere Orchestra and the Western Hemisphere Voices.

Lisa Catto Posted on March 17, 2013 1371 views 1 comment

The Western Hemisphere Orchestra is one of our many ensembles here on campus, this one specifically focuses on jazz arrangements and composers. Every four years, the Western Hemisphere Orchestra pays tribute to one of the great swing artists of the 50’s swing era. Count Basie won the first Grammy for Best Jazz Performance at the first [more…]

Innocent, Incarcerated, and Years Lost.

Lisa Catto Posted on March 13, 2013 1300 views

Imagine being sentenced and placed in prison for a crime that you did not commit. Doesn’t it give you chills just thinking about it? I know that when I imagine myself in a situation like that, I immediately begin to panic. And know what the saddest part of this is, well, it’s sad that it [more…]

Friends over strangers?

Lisa Catto Posted on March 9, 2013 1313 views

Few stories that people tell about their college days are as terrifying as tales of roommate horrors. Before heading off to my first year away from home, I’d been regaled by many a family friend with story after story of stolen food, vandalized property, and vicious verbal assaults. Needless to say, by the time roommate [more…]

Housing! Where you be livin?

Lisa Catto Posted on March 8, 2013 1293 views

Hey there everyone! It’s that time of year to start thinking about next year! So where are you planning on living, how much will it cost, off campus or on campus, who’s going to live with you?! There are so many questions and so little time! But don’t worry there is enough time to figure [more…]

Dress For Success

Lisa Catto Posted on March 7, 2013 1426 views 1 comment

Whenever you apply for a new job, there will most likely be an interview process. When you go into an interview, you have to make a good impression, this is a fact. Even if you are interviewed not based on looks, the interviewer has some small sort of judgement. So who better to guide you [more…]

From high school to college: an epic journey

Lisa Catto Posted on March 6, 2013 1385 views

Our story begins when a high school senior determines that Western Oregon University is the perfect match for her. A few weeks after sending her letter of intent, she receives a phone call from a professor from her intended department! Our main character was taken aback momentarily because she had not expected this kind of [more…]

St. Baldrick’s

Lisa Catto Posted on March 3, 2013 1375 views

Every year the Residence Hall Association puts on a huge program fundraiser commonly known as St. Baldricks. St. Baldrick’s is an organization that hosts fundraisers for childhood cancer research. Their statement as to why they exist: “The realities of childhood cancer worldwide, 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. And in the U.S., [more…]

Words of wisdom, on computers and printing

Lisa Catto Posted on March 1, 2013 1302 views

Among the whirl of first year experiences—living in a dorm, surviving off of dining hall fare, trying to pull off passing grades in classes that high school did not prepare you for at all—one thing that tripped me up more than a couple times was printing assignments. I had a printer in my dorm—my roomie [more…]

Food & Fun…On A Budget!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 27, 2013 1287 views

Are you looking for fairly inexpensive entertainment and food in the Monmouth area? A place that offers variety? Well, just pay close attention! Many of you may know about this already, but I first wanted to tell everyone about “Midnight movies”. These take place quite often at the Independence Cinema (Prestige Theaters). If you pay [more…]

We’re here to get a job?!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 27, 2013 1357 views

So, someone once told me that we’re supposed to be working toward getting a job while we’re here in college. This is a strange concept…this is also sarcasm that I’m dearly hoping you are understanding! Yes, we all know that a job means that we get money and money means that we get to eat. [more…]

Drag Show!

Lisa Catto Posted on February 24, 2013 1544 views 1 comment

Every year Triangle Alliance puts on the wonderful performance that we all know as the drag show! It is a wonderful story that is told through a series of lip-syncing dance numbers performed by the students of WOU. This years drag show theme is “The Wonderful Wizard of WOU” obviously taking on a wizard of [more…]

The Vagina Monologues

Lisa Catto Posted on February 23, 2013 1449 views

The Vagina Monologues was started in 1996 by a lady named Eve Ensler. It is an episodic play to portray different aspects of feminine experiences and it is meant to empower women and inform all people. Some of the acts performed are funny and crazy while others can be dark and tragic. The Vagina Monologues [more…]

We are family: Family Weekend 2013

Lisa Catto Posted on February 23, 2013 1276 views

After spending the entire month of holiday break at home with family, starting Winter term is a little difficult for a lot of people. By February, many of us are ready to see family again. Well, what do you know that Family Weekend is right in the middle of February! Perfect timing!! The weekend of [more…]

In the spotlight—Omega Delta Phi—“ODPhi”

Lisa Catto Posted on February 22, 2013 1410 views

We’ve all seen the movies that include the stereotypical fraternities and sororities. Right? I mean, it seems like all they do is party, party, and party some more. So when I had the opportunity to interview a member of the first founded fraternities on WOU, I did not hold back from asking the questions that [more…]

A changing campus

Lisa Catto Posted on February 19, 2013 1312 views

This year the Housing and Dining Advisory Committee (HDAC) came to General Assembly, which is a student body made up of the Residence Hall Association Executive Board as well as the Presidents, Vice Presidents and First-Year General Assembly representatives, to seek approval on an alcohol policy that would allow alcohol on campus for those who [more…]

Green for the gold

Lisa Catto Posted on February 18, 2013 1287 views

A few years ago, as we were all in the prime of our high school careers, our world was plunged into a mania that swept all area of life. It was on TV, it was online, it was in the stores, it had even crept into our very classrooms and homes. Society was “going green.” [more…]

The Experience of Being WOU President for A Day.

Lisa Catto Posted on February 15, 2013 1281 views

We can all agree that education is important but it does not always come at the “cheapest” price. This is especially true in regards to higher education. And it is because of the expenses of school that financial aid, through grants and scholarships tend to be important for students. However, this help would not exist [more…]

Western welcomes year of the snake

Lisa Catto Posted on February 12, 2013 1296 views

Last Saturday, 9 Feb., Western Oregon Univeristy celebrated the lunar new year, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, with the annual festival hosted in the Pacific Room in Werner University Center. The festival started at 6:00pm, opening doors and allowing time for guests to make use of the offered buffet, sponsored by Sing Fays, Yang’s [more…]

Playing Nice With Others

Lisa Catto Posted on February 11, 2013 1354 views 1 comment

One of the biggest adjustments to college life is living with someone else! I’m an only child and have always had my own room with plenty of space to spread out my stuff! I am so grateful to have been matched with an amazing roommate, our personalities fit perfectly together and we have never had [more…]

Céilí Dancing–An Irish Dancing Event.

Lisa Catto Posted on February 7, 2013 1381 views 1 comment

This past Tuesday evening, I had the opportunity to attend an Irish Dance event that took place in the Pacific Room of WUC. Before attending the event, I had the notion that I was going to be watching a show that would involve both Irish music and dancing from performers. However, I soon came to [more…]

Black and Red Ball

Lisa Catto Posted on February 7, 2013 1400 views 1 comment

Every year the Triangle Alliance club puts on a dance called the “Black and Red Ball” this is a dance to bring together the LGBQT society as well as invite the rest of campus to come on out for a fun night. This year half the proceeds that were made went to the Cascade Aids [more…]

Green Wolf Sustainability Club

Lisa Catto Posted on February 7, 2013 1389 views 1 comment

If you believe in a more green non-polluting lifestyle, Green Wolf is the club for you. The Green Wolf Sustainability club believes in promoting a more green and a less environmentally harmful lifestyle, mainly here around campus. If you ever seen anything like the bike workshops, The WOU Community Garden, environmental advocate rapper Mosely Wotta [more…]

Out and Proud Week

Lisa Catto Posted on February 4, 2013 1298 views

Maureen Dolan

Out and Proud week is an annual event here at Western to promote awareness and acceptance of queer people of color. Triangle Alliance, Safe Zone, and the Multicultural Student Union worked together to host this amazing week long event that included workshops, activities, and events to educate and advocate! I went to as many activities [more…]

Fight back: anti-harassment resources at WOU

Lisa Catto Posted on February 2, 2013 1362 views

Eli Zachary

While harassment is strictly against the Code of Student Responsibility, on a more de facto level, the students themselves here at Western Oregon Univeristy seem to have taken a rather intolerant approach to it, as well, judging by some of the student organizations and programs run on campus. There is Abby’s House, the anti-domestic violence [more…]

Indoor Soccer/Intramurals.

Lisa Catto Posted on January 31, 2013 1310 views

Peter Courtney

When I was in high school (and many may be surprised when they look at me now) but I used to be a year-round athlete. I played volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and participated in track and field during spring. However, due to money issues, I had to skip out during my [more…]

Governor’s Canned Food Drive

Lisa Catto Posted on January 30, 2013 1319 views

Every year the governor of Oregon holds a competition between all of the state companies and buildings to see who can raise the most food in the community for the Debbie Diem food bank. This competition is counted by pounds of food as well as the amount of money raised, (1 dollar = 6 pounds [more…]

The Civil Rights Movement through film

Lisa Catto Posted on January 29, 2013 1455 views

As you may know, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was earlier this month and Black history month is right around the corner in February. This means that only during Winter term does our local (not so soft spoken) professor Dr. Dean Braa offers a civil rights film course, designed to get so in depth it’ll [more…]

Using WOU’s Health and Wellness Center to fight the “Freshman 15”

Lisa Catto Posted on January 28, 2013 1501 views 2 comments

Everyone talks of the “Freshman 15” like it’s a horror story you’re forced to go through. So what if you’re a stress-eater? You can eat as much as you want, college is a stressful transition and that’s ok because it’ll help you develop as a person. But something that can help you throughout your entire [more…]

Going to the gym and staying fit

Lisa Catto Posted on January 24, 2013 1475 views 1 comment

“You never know what you have until it’s gone” is a quote that can be true for a lot of things…even the Health and Wellness Center (HWC). If you are like me then you know when it is time for a break from school, it means a break from anything that requires you to get [more…]

WOU Food Pantry/Bank!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 23, 2013 1333 views

Hunger is real and although many would not believe it, it takes place within our staff and students here at WOU. It is rather unfortunate that this exists, because no one should have to deal with hunger, however, thanks to staff, and the power of students, there is now a resource to help reduce some [more…]

Votes for women

Lisa Catto Posted on January 22, 2013 1447 views

Tayleranne Gillespie

By Erin Huggins Tayleranne Gillespie, a senior political science major at Western Oregon University, turned in her first presidential ballot during the November 2012 election. In the run-up to the final Electoral College count on Nov. 6, when President Barak Obama was re-elected for a second term, tensions were running high across the nation regarding [more…]

PLUS team! Thoughts for next year?

Lisa Catto Posted on January 21, 2013 1356 views

Even though it’s only winter term, when you’re in college you have to start thinking about your plans for the following year way ahead of time. If you haven’t already applied to be an RA it’s a little late in the process to get on that boat but they are plenty of other options here [more…]

NAQT at WOU

Lisa Catto Posted on January 18, 2013 1485 views 1 comment

This last Saturday, Jan. 12, saw WOU hosting it’s annual NAQT event in the Werner University Center. NAQT, or National Academic Quiz Tournaments, is an event hosted on campus by the WOU Student Activities Board. It is part of a national organization built around academic trivia competitions with branches for middle school, high school, college, [more…]

College Eating 101: MICROWAVE!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 15, 2013 2057 views 5 comments

The microwave. The poor college student’s best friend! Pre-packaged microwave meals are always being sent in care packages from home, but eventually, we get tired of Easy Mac. Here are some recipes I’ve found that can almost be counted as real food! Let’s start with DESSERT first because it’s college and we live on the edge! [more…]

Stress is…. well stressful

Lisa Catto Posted on January 14, 2013 1455 views 1 comment

Being college students I would say that we are the definition of stressful and so sometimes we definitely forget how to manage that stress. I myself am taking 14 credits have 3 different jobs that add up to be more than full time, I work out daily plus I am the VP of the Improvasaurs [more…]

Do something different on your break!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 11, 2013 1404 views

Have you ever wanted to get away from home? Not too far away from home, but just kinda packed some things and wanted to leave for about a week, with a purpose though. That’s kind of what Alternative Break is. Alternative Break is a “hands on community based learning” according to their website. From what [more…]

Winter time…. Let’s be HAPPY!

Lisa Catto Posted on January 6, 2013 1317 views

Oh yes, it is definitely winter time and it is definitely after the holiday’s which means there is less to look forward to at the end of the term! So now with the cold running through your bones and the gifts in your closet it is time to find something within ourselves to be thankful [more…]

WOU Bucket List: Social Life Edition

Lisa Catto Posted on December 17, 2012 1298 views

When being away at college it can sometimes get hard to keep all the balls rolling at once—school work, keeping in contact with family, getting involved in extracurricular things, maintaining a social life. In Monmouth, where things can be, well, boring, trying to get ahead is often much harder to do than you anticipate. Every [more…]

Giving back to your community!

Lisa Catto Posted on December 15, 2012 1414 views 1 comment

Have you ever wanted to make a difference? Not a huge difference, but a small difference, something to feel proud of and have some good times from. There are a couple of ways around campus if you are a student. You could join Circle K International, a community service club on campus. Talking to a member of [more…]

‘Tis the season to sing along!

Lisa Catto Posted on December 14, 2012 1313 views

What’s the best thing about going to a small college in a small town? The cute, community involvement during the holidays! I seriously only thought community sing-alongs were only in movies! I am so glad I was able to go to Independence’s Christmas Carol Community Sing-Along, it was something I’m hoping to go to every [more…]

Holiday Tree lighting Ceremony

Lisa Catto Posted on December 9, 2012 1386 views

Every year at Western Oregon University there is an annual holiday tree lighting ceremony. It is a well known tradition that the communities of Monmouth, Independence and Western Oregon University know very well. Students and families alike gather on the street of Monmouth Ave to watch the annual parade [more…]

Stop! Reflection time

Lisa Catto Posted on December 8, 2012 1339 views

At the end of every new term in college, I’ve always found myself settling into an introspective mindset. I find myself curling up in a quiet room, reflecting on what I’ve learned, and meditating on where I am in life. This term is no different. I feel I’ve learned a lot this term. A good [more…]

First Year Experience

Lisa Catto Posted on December 5, 2012 1318 views

Something I really love about this school is how many programs we have to help freshman transition into college life. One program, which I have discovered most helpful, is the elective course called First Year Experience (FYE). This class is engineered towards college freshman to help them begin their college career successfully. What’s great about [more…]

FINALS Week? Let’s get our study on!

Lisa Catto Posted on December 3, 2012 1284 views

It’s that time of year again, and I am not talking about the holiday’s! It is now time to buckle down and start working on getting all that information you were supposed to learn over the term into your brain for those big tests! Here is some tips I’ve come up with that I know helps me study [more…]

WOU basketball

Lisa Catto Posted on November 30, 2012 1304 views

So it’s Dead week, the second most stressful week behind finals week. You are finishing those papers and stressing over some of the biggest tests of the term. What are you going to do to relieve some of that stress? Go to the gym? Maybe. Watch tv? Sure. Sleep? Nope. Going to a sporting event, [more…]

The Hunger Banquet

Lisa Catto Posted on November 26, 2012 1298 views

Around the Thanksgiving holiday The Student Leadership and Activities Board puts on a program called “The Hunger Banquet.” This program’s intentions were to raise awareness of the growing hunger that effects the world population. At the hunger simulation attendee’s were placed into either low class, middle class or upper class. The lower class participants were given the [more…]

Improvasaurs: a new way of laughter!

Lisa Catto Posted on November 23, 2012 1308 views

You might be thinking “What exactly is the ‘Improvasaurs?” Well I am glad you asked! The Improvasaurs is the on campus Improv comedy troupe. Now what exactly is Improv? Have you ever seen the show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Well it’s almost exactly like that show except it’s more intimate. Improv comedy is [more…]

International Education Week: French appreciation

Lisa Catto Posted on November 22, 2012 1330 views

Last Thursday evening, November the 15th, I attended a film in ITC room 211 (the auditorium) as a part of the events being hosted in honor of International Education Week. The French department here at Western Oregon University hosted a series of film showings during International Education Week, as a sort of French foreign film [more…]

Turkey Baskets: helping families in need for the holiday season

Lisa Catto Posted on November 22, 2012 1310 views

Every year in the United States the great holiday of Thanksgiving occurs. Of course in this hard economic crisis thanksgiving dinners are harder and harder to come by for families in the lower middle class and below that. With that in mind one can see how the Residence Hall Association would be very interested in [more…]

Eating graciously with The Gracious Girl

Lisa Catto Posted on November 20, 2012 1410 views

Mindy Lockard, known as The Gracious Girl, is an instructor in the art of proper etiquette. On November 12, 2012, an Etiquette Dinner was held in the Werner University Center. This RSVP’d event surprised all of us college kids! To begin, almost all of us entered our chair from the wrong direction! Good thing Mindy [more…]

WOU alumna co-founds Cascadia Concert Opera

Lisa Catto Posted on November 15, 2012 1516 views

Tayleranne Gillespie

By Erin Huggins Winter 2012 It’s hard to know when a group project for class will lead to real life collaboration, but for Western Oregon University vocal instructor and alumna Janene Kirkpatrick (2002, B.A. Vocal Performance; 2005, B.A. Business), that’s exactly what happened. As a project for their doctoral studies at the University of Oregon, [more…]

A tale of two libraries

Lisa Catto Posted on November 14, 2012 1328 views

The move to Monmouth can be jarring to some. This is especially true for many people from bigger cities. I’ve commonly heard the compliant around campus that the Monmouth/Independence area is boring. I know that when I went from living in Salem to near-permanently living in Monmouth, I went through quite a bit of culture [more…]