The VanCougar

04/30/2022

Due to Facebook determining our page as a grey account, our team will no longer have access to it after 04/30/2022, but you’re in luck! We will be transferring all activity to our new profile “The VanCougar Newsmagazine”. Please follow our new account to stay up to date on our upcoming issues, new stories, events and more!

We want to thank all of our followers for continuing to engage with our content and hope that you join us on our new page!

04/28/2022

Censorship among our community’s libraries has grown prevalent as more authors are starting to speak up about topics including sexuality, gender nonconformity and racial injustices. On April 5, WSU Vancouver and Fort Vancouver Regional Library gathered to discuss the challenges of book banning and maintaining intellectual freedom within their institutions. Read more about this issue libraries are facing by clicking the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/book-bans-should-libraries-remain-neutral/

On April 5, WSU Vancouver and Fort Vancouver Regional Library librarians joined to discuss prevalent issues of book banning and maintaining intellectual freedom. The event “We Are Not Neutral: A Co…

04/25/2022

The many sculptures around WSU Vancouver’s campus have much deeper and interesting meanings than we might expect. The public art fixtures are positioned around campus not just for decoration, but to tell a story of the university’s history, creating a more welcoming environment as a commuter school. Read more on the WSU Vancouver’s sculptures and the secrets tied to them, by clicking the link below!

https://thevancougar.com/the-history-behind-wsu-vancouvers-campus-sculptures/

Contributing to the natural beauty of campus lie hidden gems – sculptures and art pieces weaved into the buildings, the environment and the university’s history. Though they often exist only in one…

04/20/2022

Gardening is a great way to celebrate Earth Day and give back to our environment. As the spring season commences and flowers start to bloom, it's important to plant and tend to plants that increase the population of pollinating insects.

Read more on Reporter Bethanie Collette’s gardening suggestions that support pollination by clicking the link below!

https://thevancougar.com/5-pollinating-plants-to-get-this-earth-day/

On Earth Day, many opt for challenges such as avoiding single-use plastics, electing to go vegan for the day or attending Earth Day events around campus. With the spring weather rolling in, one of …

04/19/2022

If you’ve been searching for a quality and tasty donut shop within a close vicinity of campus, look no further! The VanCougar presents three fun and delicious options to satisfy any sweet tooth. Click the link below to view our suggestions!

https://thevancougar.com/cougar-bites-donuts-by-the-dozen/

Through platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, new and trendy desserts are on the rise. While innovative recipes continue to push the boundaries of the culinary world, there is nothing that can ma…

04/15/2022

The VanCougar introduces four beautiful spots to stop and appreciate this spring’s flora around Portland and Vancouver. As finals near and the spring semester comes to a close, taking some much needed time outdoors can be a great way to relax and clear our minds. Click the link below to view Olivia Eldredge’s flower tour locations!

https://thevancougar.com/in-bloom-where-to-see-flowers-this-spring/

Portland and Vancouver are known for their first-class assortment of floral gardens, filled to the brim with lush greenery that have kept plant-lovers touring the city for decades. In the spirit of…

04/13/2022

For WSU’s Three Minute Thesis event, graduate students participated in an annual contest to present their doctoral thesis’s for all of their fellow peers, faculty and staff in three minutes or less. These graduates then had a chance to win travel grants of up to $3000 and to attend their choice of any research conference if they articulate their thesis the best in a short time frame.

Read more on this year’s participants and winners by clicking the link below.
https://thevancougar.com/graduate-students-present-research-in-three-minutes-or-less/

Completing a doctoral thesis takes years of dedicated research, and can result in dissertations containing around 80,000 words. Due to its complexity, how does one convey a thesis’s complex idea to…

04/11/2022

WSU Vancouver students who have family living in Ukraine are now finding ways to provide aid from afar as the war with Russia continues to deplete the country’s resources and endanger their citizens. Students, Ryan Wiswall and Nicholas Mulyar, share their experiences with helping their family back home as the war continues. To read more on this story, click the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/ukrainian-students-face-war-from-a-distance/

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has turned into a major humanitarian crisis as people around the globe organize efforts to support Ukrainian citizens and refugees. Locally, students at WSU …

04/08/2022

Krysten Ralston, a WSU Vancouver alum, just released her new poetry collection, “Ink Blots”, becoming a first-time author. Much of Ralston’s writing depicts themes of burnout, depression, motherhood and healing that she herself has experienced while diving into the insecurities and self-criticism faced during the process of self-publishing.

To read more on Krysten’s writing and her education from WSU Vancouver, click the link below!
https://thevancougar.com/resilience-in-writing-krysten-ralstons-journey-to-self-publication/

WSU Vancouver alum, poet and author, Krysten Ralston will be self-publishing her first collection of poetry this spring. After graduating with a major in English and a minor in creative writing in …

03/31/2022

WSU Vancouver’s deaf and hard of hearing community was dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the switch to virtual learning and change in communication methods. Jas Martin, a junior and elementary education major, shared their experience being a Deaf student during the pandemic and the lack of community represented on campus. To read more on their perspective, click the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/a-deaf-students-perspective-on-lifting-the-mask-mandate/

Regular methods of communication have been put to the test since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As people pivot, finding alternatives to speaking with one another face-to-face, students will e…

03/29/2022

Ramen is a beloved staple food for many college students and there are tons of ways to perfect this simple meal. The VanCougar presents a tasty and easy to make recipe that will satisfy your ramen craving. To read more on this recipe, click the link below!

https://thevancougar.com/cougar-bites-veggie-ready-ramen/

Ramen has become a godsend for broke college students seeking to create experimental meals while staying on a budget. Filled with warm broth, an abundance of vegetables, spices and soft noodles, th…

03/26/2022

The threat of water scarcity is a horrific reality in several countries, one of which was the host for the 2022 Winter Olympics — an event requiring 49 million gallons of water to generate artificial snow. Read more about Reporter Bethanie Collette’s opinion on the lack of sustainability during the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China by clicking the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/opinion-why-fake-snow-puts-the-winter-olympics-on-thin-ice/

The threat of water scarcity is a horrific reality in several countries, one of which was the host for the 2022 Winter Olympics — an event requiring 49 million gallons of water to generate artifici…

03/23/2022

WSU Vancouver’s literary journal, the Salmon Creek Journal, has ceased operation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current students, Cassia Gehl and Hannah Burbach, are working diligently as co-editors-in-chiefs to revitalize and restore the literary arts journal with an end goal of publishing one annual issue, focusing on perseverance as this year’s theme.

Read more on the rebuilding of the Salmon Creek Journal by clicking the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/students-reclaim-wsu-vancouvers-literary-arts-journal/

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, an absence of student involvement has taken a hit on WSU Vancouver’s campus, resulting in student organizations such as the university’s student-ru…

03/22/2022

WSU’s 2022 Visiting Writers Series first launched on Feb. 9 and featured Pulitzer Prize winner, poet Natalie Diaz. Diaz, a member of the Gila River Indian Tribe, shared poems from her collections highlighting the importance of community and identity especially among the Native demographic. To read more on Diaz’s work and future guest speakers for the Visiting Writers Series, click the link below!

https://thevancougar.com/pulitzer-prize-poet-empowers-indigenous-communities/

On Feb. 9, Mojave author, linguist and English professor at Arizona State University, Natalie Diaz, launched spring semester’s Visiting Writers Series with a virtual poetry reading; an event that h…

03/19/2022

WSU Vancouver recently opened a new lactation room for students and staff who need a comfortable space to breastfeed on campus. The VanCougar examines the obstacles and problems facing individuals who breastfeed in public and the importance of providing this valuable area. Read more on the new lactation room in the Clark College Building by clicking the link below.

https://thevancougar.com/the-barriers-to-breastfeeding/

On March 30, 2010, the Affordable Care Act was signed, requiring employers across the country to provide ample accommodations for their breastfeeding employees. However, many lactating people still…

03/17/2022

WSU’s spring Visiting Writers Series has been centered around Native writers, activists and scholars. The most recent guest, Beth Piatote, joined students, staff and faculty on March 3 via Zoom to share her award winning writing about reviving the Nez Perce language. To read more on this story, click the link below!

https://thevancougar.com/native-storytelling-beth-piatote-breathes-life-into-the-nez-perce-language/

65 Native languages have already gone extinct, according to the Administration for Native Americans, a program office within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. As the art of…

03/16/2022

The WSU Department of English Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee issued their stance on the on-campus mask mandate lifting following spring break. Much of their statement highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted marginalized groups in the WSU community and that this change does not align with promises previously made by the university regarding masking through the end of the semester.

To share your perspective on the mask mandate lifting on campus anonymously, click this survey link: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tlZxE0BYpkD0fs

03/12/2022

We want you to join our team! The VanCougar Newsmagazine is officially looking for our next Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Applications are located on Coug Presence and close March 21st. Job descriptions can be found on The VanCougar’s Coug Presence page under documents and the application link is below! Don’t hesitate to DM us with any questions you have!

https://vancouver-wsu.presence.io/form/the-vancougar-2022-2023-eic-me-application