NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Eastern Oregon welcomes students back to campus
In June, the school
announced that it would
require all students and
employees to be fully vacci-
nated against COVID-19.
Seydel said response to that
mandate was, overall, fairly
positive.
“Everybody was expecting
something like that to come,
especially when we were
seeing requirements other
institutions,” he said. “Ours
was unique in that we were
requiring the vaccination,
or an exemption, contingent
upon FDA full approval of the
vaccine. That kicked in late
last month, and now people
have until Oct. 22 to complete
either getting their vaccina-
tions or having an exemption
on file.”
Seydel said students made
it clear they wanted to get the
on-campus, in-person expe-
rience.
“Everybody wants to get
to that place where we can
have a safe, healthy, active
campus environment,” he
said. “Because really what
we’re here for is the students.”
By ANDREW CUTLER
The Observer
LA GRANDE — After
spending more than a year
dealing with in-person and
hybrid learning schedules,
officials with Eastern Oregon
University are excited at the
prospect of life resuming a
more normal look on campus
in 2021-22.
Classes are set to begin
on campus Monday, Sept. 27.
The school started its 93rd
academic year on Sept. 20
with the annual Convocation,
while students started moving
back into residence halls on
Sept. 22.
“This fall we are planning
to be 100% in-person, in the
classroom,” said Tim Seydel,
Eastern’s vice president for
university advancement.
“Students in the classes, being
taught directly in-person with
faculty? You bet.”
Despite the seemingly
return to normal appearance
of things on campus, it doesn’t
mean Eastern isn’t taking the
continuing pandemic seri-
ously.
“We’re following all the
state and federal guidance.
The big things that people
would notice on campus is that
we are continuing to wear face
masks inside and in classes,”
he said. “Students would be
required to wear a face mask
in class, and then outside
where physical distancing is
not really possible.”
EOU offers a ‘bridge’ for students
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Incoming freshman to Eastern Oregon University, La Grande,
line up for gear during the university’s annual Week of Wel-
come event Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021.
that decision, but we follow
state and federal guidelines,”
Seydel said. “So the exemp-
tions we’re currently allowing
are medical and nonmedical
exemptions, including reli-
gious exemptions. Those have
to meet federal standards.”
Seydel students seek-
ing exemptions go through
Student Affairs and employee
cases are handled by the
school’s Human Resources
department.
“With nonmedical exemp-
tions, there’s an education
module they need to take
part in and gather some more
information from them,” he
said. “And then they either
have an exemption on file or
they’re vaccinated.”
Seydel said there’s plenty
of ongoing conversations on
campus about the potential
impact Gov. Kate Brown’s
vaccination mandate might
have on the university. Brown
announced in August that
Handling exemptions
Seydel said handling
vaccine exemptions is not new
for the university. For years,
schools have been required to
have vaccine exemptions for
students as it relates to other
vaccines. Eastern has been
following that same process
for COVID exemptions.
“The university makes
Forecast for Pendleton Area
| Go to AccuWeather.com
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny
Clouds and sun
Rain and drizzle in
the p.m.
Cooler with clouds
and sun
Sunny to partly
cloudy and cool
86° 55°
80° 52°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
73° 48°
64° 49°
63° 42°
health care workers and
educators, support staff and
volunteers needed to be
fully vaccinated by Oct. 18
or six weeks after full FDA
approval, whichever is later.
“A lot of people assume
that means you must be vacci-
nated,” he said. “And it’s really
you either need to be vacci-
nated or have an exemption on
file. And if you go through the
exemption process and you’re
denied there are some guide-
lines.”
Fall enrollment
Early projections on fall
enrollment have the school
flat or possibly down 1%,
numbers, Seydel said, the
school is pleased with.
“We’re feeling pretty good
about that given all the things
we’re working with and deal-
ing with,” he said.
Seydel said Eastern Oregon
received money from the
state’s Strong Start Program to
help provide support services
for students who experienced
gaps in their education during
2020 and 2021 due to the
pandemic.
“You didn’t have that regu-
lar contact with students at
the high school level (during
distance learning). So those
students struggled,” he said.
“And then of course they
struggled with getting simple
things, like did they have a
LA GRANDE — Eastern
Oregon university is now
offering a new, free class to
incoming freshmen at Eastern
Oregon University as a way
to help students from abroad
get acclimated to university
life.
Summer Bridge, which is
financed by the university,
allows students to earn up to
two credits over the course of
less than two weeks before
classes begin at the univer-
sity. Students get together in
a small group — the cohort in
the inaugural class numbered
just 23 students — and do
team building exercises and
activities. The program was
something that the university
had wanted to get rolling for
the past few years.
“The summer bridge
program was created so that
we could give students a
kind of a kick start into the
year,” said Kathleen Brown,
student success coordinator
at Eastern Oregon University.
“They actually can get two
credits during this week and a
half, and then they can get an
additional credit during the
fall term, and all of that will be
paid for. And also we pay to
house them and feed them.”
The Summer Bridge
program is modelled after
other universities’ simi-
lar programs — a way for
freshmen to test the waters
before they jump into the full
campus experience. It also
comes only a week ahead of
laptop that could actually
work? Did they have decent
internet access where they
could do their classes at home?
What was the environment
like?”
Seydel also said some
students struggled with
parents who lost jobs, forcing
the student to find work or help
the annual Week of Welcome
event at the university.
“We know that it’s benefi-
cial to already have that expe-
rience before day one so that
you can acclimate a little bit
quicker,” Brown said.
Likewise, Brown said
that the program isn’t just
a one-and-done deal; the
university plans on working
closely with the students
throughout their time at the
university, starting with that
first day experience.
“One of the things that
we’re doing is not just having
two weeks of academics,”
Brown said. “We’re going to
actually follow them through-
out the entire year. So me as
the student success coordi-
nator for the school will tag
team with the faculty that are
already developing relation-
ships with them right now,
which we know is so import-
ant.
Part of that acclimation
process is adapting to new
peer groups and finding new
friends — often a challenge
for international students.
“We also have some multi-
cultural students that are
coming in from Palau and
different places like that that
we also need to acclimate
because they’re from their
international reality. And so
this allows us to do that with
them,” Brown said.
— Alex Wittwer, EO Media
Group
care for siblings.
“So they’re going to go
to college, how do we help
them when they get here and
provide support services for
them,” he said. “We’re starting
in on that right now. It’s been
exciting to help keep students
engaged and recreate those
pathways to college.”
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
88° 57°
82° 52°
75° 52°
68° 47°
67° 42°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
68/53
80/54
85/50
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
85/61
Lewiston
80/54
88/59
Astoria
63/52
Pullman
Yakima 83/54
77/48
86/57
Portland
Hermiston
83/55
The Dalles 88/57
Salem
Corvallis
74/48
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
84/47
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
81/50
86/50
86/50
Ontario
85/47
Caldwell
Burns
81°
44°
78°
46°
91° (2011) 26° (2000)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
80/52
0.00"
0.16"
0.25"
2.09"
1.73"
5.56"
WINDS (in mph)
83/47
86/38
0.00"
0.30"
0.42"
4.67"
8.80"
9.07"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 82/47
82/53
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
86/55
88/55
82°
43°
76°
48°
95° (1899) 21° (1926)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
78/50
Aberdeen
79/56
82/59
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
75/54
Today
Medford
90/51
Sun.
SW 6-12
W 6-12
Boardman
Pendleton
WSW 7-14
W 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
84/39
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
6:46 a.m.
6:47 p.m.
9:04 p.m.
11:37 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
Sep 28
Oct 6
Oct 12
Oct 20
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 100° in Ukiah, Calif. Low 22° in Bodie State Park, Calif.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
School board reschedules meeting
when attendee refuses to wear mask
By JEREMY BURNHAM
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
WALLA WALLA —
Police were called to the most
recent Walla Walla School
Board meeting when a man
refused to wear a mask and
disrupted the proceedings.
The Tuesday, Sept. 21,
meeting was eventually halted
and will resume in a virtual
format at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 28.
Before the meeting started,
attendees were reminded that
masks were required. One
man, who was not named,
refused to comply.
According to a statement
from the school district, he
was offered accommoda-
tion via watching the meet-
ing online, but the man still
refused to leave.
Police were called, and the
man left with a Walla Walla
police officer and the meet-
ing began. But he came back,
and district officials decided
to stop the meeting and move
to a virtual continuation later.
According to district staff,
the man claimed an exemption
from the mask requirement.
“With a lack of clarity
regarding the overlapping
Washington state public
health orders and governor’s
proclamations, officials from
WWPS and WWPD agreed
to deescalate the situation by
continuing the meeting virtu-
ally at another time, with
proper public notification,” the
district’s statement said.
Gov. Jay Inslee’s Proclama-
tion 20-25.15 regarding masks
states, “I further prohibit any
MORE
INFORMATION
To read Gov. Jay Inslee’s
most recent proclamation
on masking in public, visit
ubne.ws/inslee20-2515.
governmental, commercial,
or nonprofit entity or private
party from allowing any indi-
vidual to enter or remain in
any indoor space under their
control unless the individual is
in compliance with the Secre-
tary of Health’s face cover-
ing order and any subsequent
amendments.”
This particular proclama-
tion has no medical exemp-
tions for mask wearing in
public meetings.
The district’s statement
said that after consulting with
an attorney, it was determined
district staff are only required
to provide a “reasonable
accommodation,” such as a
virtual option, for those who
state they cannot wear a mask.
Videos posted on Facebook
show many in attendance were
not pleased with the board’s
decision to postpone the meet-
ing.
One video was shot by
Keith Swanson, the presi-
dent of the union representing
Walla Walla teachers.
“I got to the meeting at
5:29 when the meeting was to
start at 5:30,” Swanson said.
“I saw (Superintendent) Wade
(Smith) and (board President)
Derek (Sarley) were in the
hallway, and they were call-
ing the police at that time.”
In Swanson’s video, a
woman can be heard objecting
that the meeting was ending
before she was able to speak.
The public comment period
was up first on the agenda, but
the meeting was halted before
that portion was over. She said
she had four children and had
opinions she wanted to share.
“Thanks a lot,” she is heard
saying while turning toward
the man disrupting the meet-
ing.
Others came to the man’s
defense and said if the woman
is angry she didn’t get to
speak, she should blame the
board.
Sarley told the U-B that
all but two people scheduled
to speak were able to before
the meeting was ended. He
said the other two, including
the woman heard in the video,
will be given the opportunity
during the Sept. 28 virtual
meeting.
Superintendent Smith
provided the U-B with a docu-
ment from the Washington
State School Directors Asso-
ciation that offers guidance on
how to handle such a situation.
The document acknowl-
edges Proclamation 20-25.15
requires masks to be worn
in meetings and lists some
recommended steps to take if
someone refuses.
One such recommendation
is the meeting be adjourned to
another place or time. It also
notes, “Currently, all open
public meetings can be held
in an entirely virtual format.”
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
ice
50s
60s
cold front
E AST O REGONIAN
— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
70s
East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,
by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals
postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to
East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Copyright © 2021, EO Media Group
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
Circulation Dept.
For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops
or delivery concerns call 800-781-3214
CORRECTIONS: The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely
regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
ADVERTISING
Regional Sales Director (Eastside) EO Media Group:
• Karrine Brogoitti
541-963-3161 • kbrogoitti@eomediagroup.com
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211
333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed major holidays
EastOregonian.com
In the App Store:
80s
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Multimedia Consultants:
541-564-4531
Local home
delivery
Savings
(cover price)
$10.75/month
50 percent
541-966-0827 mbarnes@eastoregonina.com
52 weeks
$135
42 percent
• Audra Workman
26 weeks
$71
39 percent
541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com
$37
36 percent
Business Office
EZPay
13 weeks
Single copy price:
$1.50 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
• Melissa Barnes
• Dayle Stinson
541-966-0824 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com
Classified & Legal Advertising
Classified advertising: 541-564-4538
Legal advertising: 541-966-0824
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NEWS
• To submit news tips and press releases:
call 541-966-0818 or email news@eastoregonian.com
• To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News:
email community@eastoregonian.com or call Rachael Plunkett
at 541-966-0818.
• To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries:
email rplunkett@eastoregonian.com or visit eastoregonian.
com/community/announcements
• To submit sports or outdoors information or tips,
email sports@eastoregonian.com.
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Commercial Print Manager: Holly Rouska
541-617-7839 • hrouska@eomediagroup.com