Mount Hood

Spring term is upon us

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Spring term is upon us, and many of us have so many choices for courses offered in the new term. There are a few hidden courses that many don’t know about because they may be unconventional or not talked about. Here are some ideas if one is exploring their options for the Spring Term. 

A 210-Art for Health — This course investigates the known connections between various creative pursuits and their positive effects on health. The curriculum includes journaling and assessment of art-making activities and other habits, goal-setting for art-making as a physical exercise and good mental health habits and stress-reduction strategies through art-making.

BA 310-Consumer Behavior — This course investigates the conduct associated with finding, purchasing and using goods and services. Analysis and discussion are held regarding the behavioral concepts’ significance for both strategic and tactical marketing activities (e.g., personality, motivation, perception, cultural effects, decision-making process, satisfaction, learning, persuasion, etc.).

BI 425-Ornithology — This course examines the biology, ecology, diversity, behavior, anatomy, physiology and conservation of birds. The curriculum focuses on the ecology and avian evolutionary links. The focus of the lab will be on fieldwork techniques and bird research methodologies, as well as observations of both preserved and living species.

COM 410-Communication and Event Planning — Students will create, plan, organize and execute a significant event for the chosen organization in collaboration with a school or non-profit community group liaison. At the end of the term, students will turn in a portfolio showing the assignments they have completed.

CSE 469-“Hey U Up?”: Tech, Culture, and Maybe Love — This course examines dating apps and how they affect our perceptions of relationships, technology and culture. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of how technology affects human connection, behavior and interactions as well as how human behavior. Interactions and ideologies influence the usage, development and production of technology. We will participate in scholarly and popular discussions about dating apps, interview users and examine apps to take into account issues with prejudice, security, and safety. Identity relationships using a rhizomatic approach to research, observation and analysis. The class will attempt to comprehend and make clear the hazards and advantages of dating app use, as well as how they are built and used. 

EXS 426-Sports and Exercise Nutrition — This course studies the relationship between nutrition and the demands of competitive sports and exercise. Particularly focuses on how different demographic groups have different needs and how diet and exercise relate to good health.




Contact the author at: tduff23@mail.wou.edu

Upcoming concerts in Oregon

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Many consider concerts to be a lifestyle. Images  brought to mind consist of Woodstock, Coachella and the Warped Tour — places where people camp out and spend their days. Some follow their favorite artist religiously, while some watch for a ticket price to drop, but no matter what kind of fan one is, concerts are an enjoyable experience. Here are some upcoming concerts set to come to Oregon.

March 3 — Grace Potter, 7:30 p.m., Portland, OR, Roseland Theater

March 7 — Bad Bunny, 7 p.m., Portland, OR, Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

March 16 — Blake Shelton, 7 p.m., Portland OR, Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

May 10 — Pearl Jam, 7:30 p.m., Portland, OR, Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

May 10 — X Ambassadors, 8 p.m., Portland, OR, Hawthorne Theatre

May 13 — Lizzy McAlpine, 8 p.m., Portland, OR, Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

May 26 — Avril Lavigne, 7 p.m., Ridgefield, WA, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

May 28 — Red Hot Chili Peppers, 7 p.m., Ridgefield, WA, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

June 7 — Madison Beer, 7:30 p.m., Portland, OR, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

June 14 — Cavetown and Mother Mother, 6, Troutdale, OR, McMenamins Historic Edgefield Arena

June 26 — Hollow Coves, 8 p.m., Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater

July 1 — Noah Kahan, 8 p.m. Ridgefield, WA, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

July 13 — Blink 182 and Pierce the Veil, 7 p.m., Portland, OR, Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

Aug. 13 — Ethel Cain, 7 p.m., Pioneer Courthouse Square



Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Long-running businesses are going bankrupt

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

This year has been extremely hard on businesses; the large corporate businesses we are used to seeing on every street corner have not been exempt. The pandemic and quarantine inflicted lasting effects on these businesses, and the debt that racked up is too much to handle. High costs and growing debt are not the only setbacks these businesses are facing; competition with online retailers is taking them out completely. Some of these well-known businesses have been in the game for over 50 years, and by the end of 2024, they may be gone completely. 

Rite Aid — After almost 60 years, Rite Aid is losing its battle of fighting a long chain of problems including lawsuits and debt from COVID-19. Similar to other pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, Rite Aid faced several lawsuits of filling unlawful opioid prescriptions for customers — adding to the tremendous debt they were already facing. Competition from other pharmacy chains like Amazon, Costco, Walmart and Target was also another huge setback. From March to May of 2023 alone, the company losses added up to $307 million — creating an ultimate 3.5 billion dollar debt. Rite Aid has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — a form of bankruptcy that allows a company to stay in business in an attempt to restructure obligations — and many of its stores have been shut down. 

Bed Bath & Beyond — Bed Bath & Beyond is known for having designer furniture, home goods and good quality houseware — now they are known for accounting for one of the largest retail bankruptcies in years. The company attempted to avoid bankruptcy by shrinking its businesses and also not giving severance to the laid-off employees of such businesses. To no avail, they were forced to file for bankruptcy and shut down almost 500 stores, including their secondary stores like Buy Buy BABYs. Fortunately for Bed Bath & Beyond, their bankruptcy was bought out by Overstock.com and is now a fully online retail store. 

Party City -– The party is over at Party City as they’ve been forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to eliminate their 1.7 billion dollar debt. Party City has struggled to stay afloat as they are being weighed down by their competitors. Stores like Walmart and Target have all the party supplies people need and more, so there was almost no purpose for Party City. A bankruptcy agreement will have 800 Party City stores closed but a billion dollars will be eliminated from their debt for the purpose of restructuring. There may be hope for Party City. 

SmileDirectClub -– SmileDirectClub was a teledentistry company that offered more affordable and physically appealing alternatives to expensive braces. They sold teeth aligners with the goal, “to continue to provide affordable and accessible oral care to its customers without disruption.” In its short run of less than 10 years, the company racked up an impressive $900 million in debt, along with a bad reputation from other medical groups, the business never financially recovered. After only three months of filing for Chapter 11, SmileDirect went fully bankrupt and shut down for good. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Flashback to the 90s

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Songs that take you back to the time before iPods and Spotify. This is the playlist everyone’s parents listened to in their college dorms, filled to the brim with songs that defined the decade.

“Tubthumping” — Chumbawamba

“Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of…)” — Lou Bega

“Slam” — Onyx

“Break Stuff” — Limp Bizkit

“End of the Road” — Boyz II Men

“Zombie” — The Cranberries

“What’s My Age Again?” — Blink-182

“You Oughta Know” — Alanis Morissette

“Basket Case” — Green Day

“Ironic” — Alanis Morisette

“Semi-Charmed Life” — Third Eye Blind

“My Name Is” — Eminem

“No Diggity” — Blackstreet, Dr. Dre, Queen Pen

“No Scrubs” — TLC

“Genie in a Bottle” — Christina Aguilera

“What a Girl Wants” — Christina Aguilera

“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” — JAY-Z

“(You Drive Me) Crazy” — Britney Spears

“Tonight, Tonight” — The Smashing Pumpkins

“Say It Ain’t So” — Weezer

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Celebrating Black authors for Black History Month

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

As Black History Month comes to an end, here is a list of books written by Black authors to expand one’s reading portfolio. With a mix of thrillers, memoirs and historical fiction, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy. 

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker This Pulitzer prize winning novel depicts the lives of African American women living in twentieth-century rural Georgia. Though separated while they were young, sisters Celie and Nettie stay loyal to each other across time through a series of letters.

“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett From the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, racial identities and communities are explored. One twin sister remains in the southern town she once tried to escape, while the other hides her past from her white husband.

“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé — At Niveus Private Academy, the wealthy students strive for nothing less than perfection. When the anonymous texter, “Aces,” brings two students’ secrets to light, everything turns upside down.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas — Starr Carter exists in two worlds — the poor neighborhood where she lives and the suburban prep school she attends. The shaky balance between her two worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the shooting of her best friend.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama — The first African-American First Lady shares her experiences advocating for young women, creating inclusivity in the White House and changing the ways families pursue the topic of health in her memoir. 

“Right Where I Left You” by Julian Winters — Isaac Martin is ready to start summer, but not ready to start college without his best friend, Diego. Knowing the summer is limited, Isaac enacts a plan to snatch up a pair of badges for a comic convention — until past friends come into the picture and things become complicated.

“The Taking of Jake Livingston” by Ryan Douglass — Jake Livingston is one of the only Black students at St. Clair Prep School, and to make matters worse, he can see dead people. Most ghosts are harmless, but once Jake meets the vengeful spirit, Sawyer, high school becomes a game of survival that Jake isn’t sure he can win.

“Red at the Bone” by Jacqueline Woodson — On the evening of 16 year-old Melody’s coming of age party, she wears a beautiful dress to celebrate with relatives — a dress made for her mother 16 years prior for a ceremony that never happened. Her family history is unfurled as this book moves both forward and backward in time.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Excessive amounts of biopics

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer

In the past year alone, 17 biopics were released in movie theaters and on major streaming services. The most notable of them is, “Oppenheimer,” which is currently nominated for 13 Oscars. Now, in 2024, new biopics are playing in theaters, including: “Bob Marley: One Love,” as well as the trailer for, “Back to Black,” a film about the life of Amy Winehouse. 

Many of the upcoming blockbuster films fall under the category of biographical movies, including a recently announced four-film series about The Beatles. Theaters everywhere are currently being overrun with these biographical retellings. 

Biopics are a genre that attracts a very specific audience. Most films during this day and age attempt to appeal to all viewers, which can cause the movie to fall flat. Biographical films attract an audience that is interested in the people, or person, that the film is about; rather than having to worry about reaching a large audience, the directors only need to worry about making a mediocre film and disappointing the fans. 

By making a film about a subject with adoring and intrigued fans, directors are almost guaranteed a box office hit. They simply have to hire the right actors and writers to depict an accurate story. There is little creativity needed to share the life of another person. 

Biopics are easier to make compared to an original story with an original script and there is less risk. Even if the film doesn’t end up being well-loved, most people will still go to theaters to see their favorite historical figure on the big screen. 

This is the reason for the constant output of biopics. There will always be famous and notable people to make movies about, and there will always be an audience for them. Original scripts and stories don’t have the safety net of a premade story featuring a well-known figure. 

These biographical films will never stop being produced; people will continue to die and movies will continue to be made. While these films hold some substance for sharing the lives of misunderstood individuals who didn’t have a voice like Priscilla Presley in, “Priscilla,” most biopics continue to reshare over-told stories of famous personalities. 

Biopics have their purpose in our society, but after a while, they will soon become old and overused. 

Contact the author at lminato22@mail.wou.edu. 

Beyoncé takes on country

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer

Beyoncé has announced the second part of her “Renaissance” album, which is a three-act installment. However, this album takes a different approach than her previous ones because it classifies as country; it is said to come out on March 29. Fans are referring to the album as “Renaissance Act II” or “Act II,” although the name of the album remains unknown.

The news was dropped during the Super Bowl halftime show and confirmed to be country. Beyoncé also starred in a Super Bowl commercial with Tony Hail by acting as ‘firsts,’ such as the first female president. The commercial ended with a voiceover stating, “ok, they ready, drop the new music.” Later on the same Super Bowl Sunday, the songs “Texas Hold ‘Em’” and “Act II,” both country, were released and posted to her Instagram.  

However, Beyoncé’s new country album did not come without controversy. A country station, KYKC 100.1, refused to play Beyoncé’s new country music on their station, and Roger Harris, the owner of the station, stated they get a high volume of calls to play Beyoncé’s new songs, which on other stations, played up to eight times a week. 

The release of “Texas Hold ‘Em’” and “Act II” has been met with backlash from country listeners who don’t consider her music ‘real country.’ This has led to many stations facing the problem of receiving hundreds of calls or sticking to more traditional country music. 

Bobby Bone, along with many other Beyoncé fanatics, finds it interesting that there has not been much controversy surrounding Post Malone’s upcoming country album despite the two artists delving into the genre for the first time simultaneously. Fans think that an artist can tackle multiple genres of music. Along with creating attention for Beyoncé, the singer-songwriter has also generated attention for country music. Some say that country music is being more widely talked about now that there is this controversy, and that either way, the controversy is good for the genre. 

It is unknown where the new album will be available for streaming, but the two songs that were released became available on Tidal before Spotify or Apple Music

Beyoncé’s new music has country listeners and Beyoncé fans divided. Although there is this divide, attention is being brought both to the genre and the artist herself. 

Contact the author at ethoma23@mail.wou.edu