A Year In Review

"Willkommen in Oregon!" (09/30/09)

Exchange students at Western have enjoyed a year full of new adventures. "Our first week here, we spent the most amazing 10 days I have ever imagined," said German exchange student Spencer Erma. "We went to the beaches here in Oregon and we got to see the Clear Lake. It was really amazing, really fun. I enjoy this new place very much and it will be very hard to leave in June." Keeping busy also prevented Western's exchange students from becoming too homesick. "You learn that having friends is very important," said Russian exchange student Maks Vitza. "Otherwise, you miss home very much. I like to think about my home and what going back there will feel like, but I'm sad too. I will miss my friends here, and my teachers."

Bliss in Pink (1/20/10)

The Pink House Café is famous for its all over bright color, but lately it is becoming better known for its fabulous dishes. With a large selection of sandwiches, soups and creative house specials, the café has drawn a crowd from almost everywhere. "I'm from Italy," said Señora Adona Melantia. "I came to visit my friends who live in Portland. They recommended I try this place for my taste buds to enjoy. They were right!" The Pink House has welcomed many new guests in the past months, leaving happy new faces after enjoying their chosen meals. Although the traditional café meal is thought of as a sandwich and soup, the Pink House offers a delightful selection of meals, such as their sweet ravioli. "It is delicioso!" said Melantia.

Seeking the Experience (2/3/10)

The development of new clubs on campus is always an adventure; creating one that travels throughout the year is proving even more difficult, however. Jesse Timkowitz, a transfer student to Western, is looking to create a hiking club on campus, which would begin in the fall of next year. "I love to hike and be outdoors," he said. "I think it's really important for your health to get out there and really focus on the things you can do outside of a gym or treadmill machine. I'd like to bring that here, but I'm finding it difficult to come up with the funding." Due to the difficult economy and the lack of student funds to match the necessary expenses for these types of excursions, Timkowitz has been unable to raise enough interest in the club. "If twelve people really want to take a rafting trip, we have to have enough money to fund enough rafts and possibly guides in order to do that," he said. "That means each person has to contribute a fair amount of money, not including lunch or snacks or equipment. That's the trouble I am facing at the moment. I'm not giving up yet, but it's not easy."

What would Mother say? (10/21/09)

A mother's advice is not always solicited when it is needed most; on the same token, not all motherly advice is used when its first given either. "When I was a kid, my parents used to tell me all the time, 'Kara, what matters most is what is inside your heart,'" said junior Kara Montinegro. "I used to think that they were saying I should follow my heart wherever I went. As I look at my life now, I realize what's inside my heart is the effort I make to succeed, the trials I face and how I overcome them. My heart leads me into a certain way of thinking, and that is what I enjoy most about my life here as a college student." Sophomore design student Jason Alexander missed his mother's cooking most of all at the beginning of the school year. "I think I'm getting over it now," he laughed. "I mean I still miss having mom around to help out with the laundry and dinner…and cookies! But I'm having fun here at Western. Learning how to do it yourself is difficult but worth it." "Being away from my parents has showed me what life is really like-there's no feather beds anywhere near you!" said sophomore Amy Karlston. "But that makes me appreciate my family more, and it makes me want to find that balance of life."