In This Issue
Funeral for Flaca
Leadership Common Application
National Stalking Awareness Month
2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week
SHCC Services and Winter Health Tips
WOU Men's Rugby
...and much more
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Message from the Vice President for Student Affairs
Happy New Year!
I hope you had a relaxing and restful break with your friends and family and are ready to start the new term! We are excited to have you back!
Like many of you, I have made some New Year resolutions. Did you know New Year resolutions have been made for more than 4,000 years! The ancient Babylonians didn’t seem to be making resolutions to study more, get better grades, lose weight, or exercise more, but still they were making resolutions in order for the Gods to bestow favor upon them.
I think the main thing about resolutions is to set goals. We do this daily in our lives. “I’m going to study for three hours today.” “I’m going to read a chapter in this book.” These are all goals. We may not always achieve these goals, and that’s okay. The important thing is to keep setting new goals and working to achieve them.
This same philosophy holds true for New Year resolutions. You may not always meet every one you set, but the important thing is to not give up, and set new resolutions.
Again, Happy New Year! Make sure to set some resolutions for yourself. For the resolutions you meet, celebrate your accomplishments and make new ones. For the resolutions you don’t meet, determine if they are realistic, and if not, set new ones. The important part of this process is to continue to push yourself and meet new challenges.
Gary L. Dukes (He/Him/His)
Vice President for Student Affairs
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Funeral for Flaca - Essays by Emilly Prado
By Emmanuel Macías, Executive Assistant
Local Portland writer Emilly Prado, a first-generation college graduate and a 2022 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award Shortlist finalist, to visit Western Oregon University on January 26, 2022, 3pm, Columbia Room, WUC. Visit will feature readings from their debut memoir, Funeral for Flaca, as well as a student center writing workshop. This event is opened to all WOU students, staff, and faculty. Attendees must adhere to the WOU face covering policy.
The first 50 attendees get a FREE copy of Funeral for Flaca.
(Staff/Faculty: if your department has available funding, we encourage folks to support local publisher Future Tense Books and purchase a copy of Funeral for Flaca ($14.00) prior to the event.)
Session 1, 3pm-4pm: Presentation, excerpts from Funeral for Flaca, and Q&A.
*Session 2, 4:30pm-5:30pm (student workshop): Student centered writing workshop on the power of personal narrative and immersive scenes.
*Students, please RSVP if you are planning on attending session 2. RSVP link: https://forms.gle/85pkdVpH6Zy2XAZi6
This event is sponsored by Abby's House, Multicultural Student Services & Programs, and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. If you have any questions, contact Emmanuel Macías at maciase@wou.edu.
Bio:
Emilly Giselle Prado is a writer, DJ, and educator living in Portland, Oregon with roots in the San Francisco Bay Area and Michoacán, Mexico. As an award-winning multimedia journalist, Emilly spent half a decade independently reporting on a wide range of topics, most often centered on amplifying the voices and experiences of people from historically marginalized communities. Her writing and photographs have been published widely, appearing in more than 30 publications including NPR, Marie Claire, Bitch Media, Eater, Oxygen, The Oregonian, Remezcla, and Travel Oregon.
Emilly is the author of Funeral for Flaca, a memoir-in-essays shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Book Award and called, “Utterly vulnerable, bold, and unique,” by Ms. Magazine. She is also the author of Examining Assimilation, a youth non-fiction title at the intersections of identity and U.S. history. Emilly is a Tin House and Las Dos Brujas Workshop alumna, Blackburn Fellow and MFA Candidate at Randolph College, and a co-founder of Portland in Color. She moonlights as DJ Mami Miami with Noche Libre, the Latinx DJ collective she co-founded in 2017. Learn more at www.emillyprado.com or social media @emillygprado.
Social Media:
Twitter: @emillygprado
Instagram: @emillygprado
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Leadership Common Application
By Megan Habermann, Director of New Student & Family Programs
Looking to get involved and get PAID? University Housing, New Student & Family Programs, and Admissions are all hiring for their leadership positions for the 2022-2023 school year! You can apply all in one place using the Leadership Common App on Presence! Positions open are:
Click on the position titles for more information about each position! You can also join us for information sessions on Thursday, January 6 from 4:30-5:30pm in the WUC Columbia Room or Wednesday, January 12 from 4:30-5:30pm in the WUC Summit. Professional and student staff will be there to answer any questions you have about the different positions!
If you have any questions and can’t make it to the information sessions, please email us!
Resident Assistant Info- housing@wou.edu
PLUS Team- plusteam@wou.edu or orientation@wou.edu
Destination Western- destinationwestern@wou.edu or orientation@wou.edu
Campus Ambassadors- ambassadorcoor@wou.edu
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National Stalking Awareness Month
By Kristen Perry, Director of Abby's House
January is Stalking Awareness Month. Did you know that 1 in 10 undergraduate women and 1 in 33 undergraduate men are victims of stalking? Stalking isn’t as easy to recognize, but if something makes you uncomfortable, seek support! The most common stalking behaviors reported are:
- Unwanted text messages and calls
- Unwanted emails or contact through social media
- Having the person show up unexpectedly
Abby’s House hopes to bring more awareness to the community and bring an end to stalking on campus. Keep an eye out for events and tabling throughout the month! For more information visit the Stalking, Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC).
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2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week - Jan. 17-20, 2022
This year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration theme is “Injustice Anywhere is A Threat to Justice Everywhere,” which is included in Dr. King’s response to criticism of his work and ideas, in his 1963 essay, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” This year's celebration highlights WOU Black student excellence as well as an exploration of one of Dr. King’s most historic letter from a Birmingham jail. For event details, visit wou.edu/mlk.
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Resources & Support Services
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 By Beth Scroggins, Director of the Student Health & Counseling Center
SHCC Mental Health Services and Winter Health Tips
The counselors at the Student Health & Counseling Center (SHCC) had a busy fall term and are looking forward to continuing their service to students the rest of this academic year. Mental health services that are available to students include: Individual counseling, crisis counseling, after hours crisis counseling, groups (vary by term and demand), couples counseling (and only ONE of the couple has to be an eligible WOU student), consultations, and presentations.
Counseling is available to any WOU student registered for 1+ credits of in-person or hybrid (Monmouth campus) classes and have been assessed the Health Fee. Students taking all online classes may opt-in for the health fee to be assessed to their student account to access services.
All services are confidential and eligible students have access to unlimited appointments. The health fee is $150 per term. Counseling in the community (outside of SHCC) can run from $150-300 per hour! Because our appointments are free, college is a great, affordable time to try counseling!
Students in crisis will be seen the same day they call or come in. They do not require an appointment. If you think you (or a friend) is in crisis, please get to a safe place and call us: (503) 838-8313 or Campus Public Safety (503) 838-9000. All WOU students are able to access crisis services.
As we head into the cold, rainy, and often gloomy season, it will be important to take care of yourself and have a plan to mentally prepare for this time when we typically see an increase in depression and depressive symptoms. See this article for more information.
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By WOU Public Health
COVID-19 Information and Resources
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Onest Robert, Criminal Justice
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By Andy Main, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation
WOU Men's Rugby Places 3rd at the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Championships
The WOU Men’s Rugby team capped an unprecedented season by finishing 3rd at the National Collegiate Rugby Small College Championships in Houston, Texas. The team qualified for the national championships after winning their conference and regional championships this fall. After a loss in the national semi-finals, their victory in the 3rd-place match was especially impressive as the team was down to zero substitutes (due to injuries and some players being unable to make the trip). Despite this, the team used a late comeback to defeat the College of Charleston by a score of 32-24 to capture 3rd place.
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By Beth Scroggins, Director of the Student Health & Counseling Center
SHCC Fall Services Data
- SHCC medical staff tested 126 students for COVID-19 this fall term.
- Medical staff serviced 656 student appointments (over 200 more than this time last year).
- Counseling staff serviced 734 student appointments, which was also an increase over last fall’s numbers.
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