Marketing and Communications
Press Releases: May 2008
“Simple Gifts: Music of America” (5/29/08)
The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Department of Music Concert and Chamber Choirs will present “Simple Gifts: Music of America” Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m. in the SOU Recital Hall.
The SOU Concert Choir will perform a varied program of music by American composers. Featured works include Samuel Barber’s “The Coolin’” (one of the loveliest works ever for choir), award-winning composer Gweneth Walker’s “New Millennium Suite,” Aaron Copland’s “The promise of Living” from his opera “The Tender Land” (works for men’s and women’s choir), as well as arrangements of traditional American folksongs and spirituals. The Concert Choir is under the direction of Dr. Fredna Grimland.
The SOU Chamber Choir will perform music by contemporary American composers and will feature music by Oregon composers Morten Lauriden (perhaps the leading voice in choral music today), Bryan Johanson (head of the Composition program at Portland State University), Travis Moddison (a graduating senior composition student at SOU), and the world premiere of Jodi French’s “I’ve Known Rivers” for choir and flute. Other featured works include Z. Randall Stroope’s charming setting of Frost’s lyrical poem “The Pasture,” a lively, comical work by award-wining composer Cary John Franklin, as well as settings of traditional spirituals and gospel numbers. The Chamber Choir is accompanied by SOU Staff Accompanist Jodi French and conducted by SOU Director of Choral/Vocal Music Dr. Paul French.
Tickets for this performance are $8 for general admission, $6 for seniors, and free for students. Tickets and season passes can be purchased at the SOU Music Box Office or by calling 541-552-6101. For more information please visit Southern Oregon University's Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
SOU Opens Raider Days with a Longboard Race (5/23/08)
First Annual Raider Days Celebration is May 27 through 31, 2008
As part of its Raider Days celebrations, Southern Oregon University (SOU) will be hosting a series of longboard races on campus. The races begin May 27 at 3:30 p.m. in the Stevenson Union (SU) courtyard, and will be run in six flights (three men’s and three women’s). The Raider Days events continue through May 30.
The longboard races will be organized into three levels of difficulty. The Green Circle course will start from the SOU Hannon Library, the Blue Square course will run from the Susanne Homes building, and the Black Diamond course will run from the Science building. All the courses will end at the SU courtyard. Boarder-oriented prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place in each of the six flights.
Several local skate shops are sponsoring the races. Each shop will be hosting its own booth where you can check out and buy the latest skateboarding gear.
SOU’s Raider Days also feature a variety of other events, including a One Ton Sundae, stage fighting demonstrations, a movie on the Britt lawn, and a Raider Days party on Churchill lawn. These events celebrate SOU’s unique values and culture, highlighting what is special about the student experience at SOU. Come join the fun from Tuesday to Friday!
Agreement Eases Transfer from UCC to SOU (5/22/08)
An agreement to be signed by the presidents of Southern Oregon University and Umpqua Community College on Friday, May 23, will help assure that many credits earned at UCC will transfer to SOU seamlessly.
SOU President Mary Cullinan and UCC President Blaine Nisson will sign the agreement at 11:30 a.m. on May 23, in the boardroom of the administration building on the UCC campus.
The agreement will allow UCC students to “co-enroll” as SOU students, which ensures that when they are ready to become college juniors, all or most of UCC students’ credits will count toward a bachelor’s degree at SOU.
“This is a good deal for our students,” said UCC President Nisson. “It assures their credits will transfer and saves them a lot of time, money, worry and hassles. We don’t want students, who start at UCC, to transfer to a four-year school and find that some courses won’t transfer or apply toward their degree requirements. It’s maddening because they’ve spent a lot of time, money and energy. These agreements smooth out the path toward their educational goals.”
SOU has similar agreements with other community colleges.
“We’re strengthening our ties with our community college partners and allowing students to go back and forth more easily between institutions,” said SOU President Cullinan. “This option provides one possible route toward a bachelor’s degree that will help a significant number of students.”
“Many UCC students seek degrees in criminology, business and early childhood education at SOU,” said UCC Director of Instruction and Curriculum Javier Ayala. “Preparatory programs in these areas will allow UCC students to enroll at SOU as juniors. It means both institutions will be a home for our students and they will be able to transfer to baccalaureate work without it being such a stretch,” he said.
The agreement to be signed between UCC and SOU on Friday will apply to four-year degrees in criminology, business, and early childhood education.
Southern Oregon University is a contemporary public liberal arts and sciences university located in Ashland, Ore. Named a “hidden gem” of higher education by The New York Times, SOU offers a challenging and practical liberal arts education that enriches the students, the campus, and the community. Southern Oregon University has been designated a Center of Excellence in the Fine and Performing Arts by the Oregon University System. With a student body of approximately 5,000 students, the University is a community leader in promoting environmentally sustainable practices, including being the largest green tag purchaser in Ashland. SOU is also the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power.
Southern Oregon University is an inclusive campus community dedicated to student success, intellectual growth, and responsible global citizenship. SOU is committed to
- a challenging and practical liberal arts education centered on student learning, accessibility, and civic engagement;
- academic programs, partnerships, public service, outreach, sustainable practices, and economic development activities that address regional needs such as health and human services, business, and education;
- and outstanding programs that draw on and enrich our unique arts community and bioregion.
Doug Leveton Senior Percussion Recital (5/22/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) senior music-business student Doug Leveton will present his senior percussion recital on Saturday, May 31, at 11 a.m. in the Music Recital Hall at Southern Oregon University.
Leveton will perform the Prelude from the “Cello Suite in G Major” by J.S. Bach on marimba, “Crash” for three sets of cymbals by Terry Longshore, “Clapping Music” by Steve Reich along with Reed Bentley, a traditional North Indian tabla solo along with Terry Longshore, and his own arrangement of “Dueling Banjos” (here for dueling marimbas) along with Chris Matthews.
Leveton will also play drum kit alongside the SOU Jazz Combo, featuring Patrick Norris on trumpet, Isaac Parker on bass, Nick Waroff on saxophone and Reed Bentley on percussion. The combo will embark on a musical journey of improvisational themes and standard jazz tunes then end the show with some down-to-earth funk.
Douglas Allen Leveton was born and raised on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. He has always had an interest in playing music (he played violin and trumpet in grade school) but didn’t find a match until his sophomore year at Woodrow Wilson High when he started playing the drums. Leveton’s teacher at the time, Scott Sergeant, taught him basic grooves and what it means to “feel” music. After arriving at SOU in fall 2004 as a music-business major, under the direction of Terry Longshore Leveton was exposed to the percussion world leaning how to play the marimba, multi-percussion setups, and various hand drums, including Indian tabla. After only four years of college, he has performed in groups such as the SOU Percussion Ensemble, SOU Symphonic Band, SOU Jazz Band and Jazz Combo, the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, the UMass Marimbas and UMass Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Thom Hannum and Eduardo Leandro, and was the drummer/percussionist for the Ashland native band Klob Lobster and the Hob Cobblers. Leveton is currently studying drum kit under Tom Stamper. After graduating, he plans on traveling around the country and establishing himself in the music industry in a location to be determined.
Tickets for this performance are free for general admission and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
Southern Oregon University Extends Support to Veterans (5/20/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) announces new veterans’ support programs.
The Veteran Tuition Remission program offers newly admitted veterans tuition remission for 4 credits if they enroll for 8 credits. By taking advantage of this program, new students will receive 12 credits for the price of 8 credits, which is a savings of $499. Veterans who have served on active duty in the last 12 months or are currently serving in the National Guard qualify. The remission program is only offered for fall term 2008. Unfortunately, currently enrolled or returning SOU veteran students do not qualify for the program. For more information, please contact Diana Watson-Paul at 541-552-6756 or email watsonpd@sou.edu.
SOU also actively sponsors the Welcome Home Project by loaning five notebook computers and two printers, which will be used by veterans to tell their stories. The Welcome Home Project is a community-centered project for veterans of foreign wars and their families. The stories will be presented at a Memorial Day gathering at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Angus Bowmer Theatre on May 26 at 6:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Bill McMillan at 541-482-1072 or visit thewelcomehomeproject.org.
“The Welcome Home Project is a community-based effort to receive veterans back into the community,” said McMillan “SOU’s generous support of veterans and the Welcome Home Project strengthens our work while enhancing the community’s understanding of veterans.”
Southern Oregon University Hosts Faculty Authors Reception (5/20/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) will host its faculty authors reception on Thursday, May 22 as part of the Southern Oregon Arts and Research 2008 (SOAR 2008) closing ceremonies. The reception will be held from 5 to 7 pm in the Stevenson Union Rogue River Room and is open to the community.
Fourteen SOU faculty members have published fifteen major works on a variety of topics during the 2007/2008 academic year. For example, Dr. Alma Rosa Alvarez’s textbook "Liberation Theology in Chichana/o Literature: Manifestation of Feminist and Gay Identities" (Routledge Press, 2007) examines Chicana/o authors who have used liberation theology in overcoming cultural disconnection or marginalization. Also Donna Lane, PhD, authored "Educational Value of E-Textbooks: The Usablitiy of E-Textbooks" (VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K.), which evaluates the educational value and effectiveness of e-textbooks in undergraduate-level business curriculum.
The reception is sponsored by the SOU Bookstore. In celebration, the Bookstore will hold its annual customer appreciation sale on May 22.
“The SOU Bookstore has been a long-time sponsor of the faculty reception because it is so important to us to feature the faculty’s work and give them a forum to discuss their publications with the campus and community,” said Tannia Shewman, SOU Bookstore Director.
SOU Faculty will Present at International Conference (5/20/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Vicki Purslow, EdD, and Assistant Professor of Education Amy Belcastro, MA, will discuss the role of faculty in higher education student recruitment and retention at the upcoming Educational Policy Institute conference “Retention 2008” held May 28–30 in San Diego, Calif.
In the presentation “Faculty Matter: Retention is Everyone’s Business,” Purslow and Belcastro will outline an integrative framework of faculty and their roles and responsibilities related to retention of the new traditional student. The three cornerstones of this framework are relationships, foundational needs and relevancy.
The cornerstones build on each other to enhance the student’s experience in higher education. The retention of students begins with the very first point of contact during the college selection process. Faculty who build strong relationships with students are better able to support the learners from start to finish. The role of faculty in meeting the varying foundational needs of students is critical, yet is often overlooked. Foundational needs do not diminish during a student’s college experience, but the student does negotiate these needs better over time, particularly when the institution is proactive rather than reactive. Relevancy has significant implications for faculty and departments when creating programs and writing curricula. There will be no reason for a student to begin, let alone remain, in a program if it is not relevant to the student’s goals and vision.
“Relationships. Foundational Needs. Relevancy. Based on these three cornerstones, the presentation will encompass a discussion of best practices, specific to the role of faculty, in our institutions of higher education,” said Purslow. “Retention 2008 is so important because the majority of faculty want to help with retention, but often have no idea how they might contribute. This presentation will allow participants to take these ideas back to home campuses and show that, indeed, faculty matter.”
Purslow and Belcastro have been speaking on the topic of student recruitment and retention since 2003. They have presented at national conferences hosted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Association of Continuing Higher Education and the University Continuing Education Association.
Wind Dances (5/19/08)
The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Symphonic Band invites you to an evening of dance music. Works to be performed include David Holsinger’s “Litergical Dances,” Brant Karrick’s “Bayou Breakdown,” Jan van der Roost’s “Balkanya,” Frank Techili’s “Vesuvious” and Robert Russel Bennett's “Schottische.” The concert will also feature graduating senior music major Peter Brown on tuba performing “Tubby the Tuba” with narration by music major Kyle Shepherd.
The SOU Symphonic Band, conducted by Dr. Cynthia Hutton, is comprised of 57 musicians representing both music majors and non-music majors from Southern Oregon University. The Ensemble is the only concert band on the SOU campus. It is dedicated to the performance of both the great masterworks for wind band and the contemporary music written for winds and percussion.
Tickets for this performance are $8 for general admission and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
Repercussions (5/19/08)
The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Terry Longshore, will present “Repercussions” on Monday, June 2, at 8:00 p.m. in the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall.
The concert will open with “IV” by Johanna Magdalena Beyer, one of the earliest pieces written for the Western Concert Percussion Ensemble, composed in 1935. “IV”, for nine percussionists, is unusual for that time period because the performers for the nine parts may choose any percussion instrument. In choosing the instruments, the percussionists are asked to use the instruments to enhance the highly formalistic structure of the piece.
The program will also feature John Cage’s fascinating work “Credo in US” written for instruments including gongs, tin cans, tom-toms, electric buzzer, piano and radio/phonograph. In the latter, Cage suggested discs by Beethoven, Dvorak, Sibelius or Shostakovitch. He noted that if a radio is used (as in this performance), the player should "avoid news programs during national or international emergencies." Written in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, “Credo In US” is rather explicitly a wartime piece, and as author David Revill points out, "the US in 'Credo' concerns not just the first person plural, but also the United States."
In addition, Emmanuel Séjourné’s “Akadinda Trio” for marimba trio modeled after the Akadinda xylophone music of Uganda, features beautiful melodies resulting from complex polyrhythms. Lou Harrison’s classic, “Canticle No. 1” for five percussionists, highlights his characteristic style of layering melodies between families of non-pitched percussion instruments.
The ensemble will also perform Paul Bissell’s arrangement of Beethoven’s “Opus 18, No. 1” for string quartet, here arranged for marimba quartet, as well as James Tenney’s “Three Pieces for Drum Quartet”. Each of the three pieces is dedicated to another composer including Charles Ives, Henry Cowell and Edgard Varèse and utilizes compositional techniques and/or thematic materials by those composers.
The concert will close with Peter Garland’s “Apple Blossom,” a beautiful, minimalistic, textural exhalation of marimba resonance, featuring 12 performers rolling softly on two concert grand marimbas.
Tickets for this performance are $8 for general admission and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
Southern Oregon University Sponsors Mega Mudfest (5/16/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) will facilitate the “Mega Mudfest” on May 27, 2008, at the Twin Creek Transit-Oriented Development in Central Point from 9 a.m. to noon. This will be the largest volunteer wetland planting event in the state.
Approximately 140 fourth- and fifth-grade students from Orchard Hill Elementary and Central Point Elementary, as well as juniors and seniors from South Medford High School will plant trees, bushes and flowers for the Griffin Oaks Wetland, one of the natural water treatment methods for the new housing development.
The wetland will protect the community by treating pollutants in storm water runoff before it flows into streams and creeks. When completed, it will include a wildlife island and a pedestrian bridge with a viewing area.
The event will be run and organized by three SOU geology/environmental students and Adjunct Professor Robert Coffan. Coffan and the university students will also volunteer their time the week before the planting to visit each school and give an interactive wetland presentation to the participating classrooms.
“I love the dynamic aspect of my students learning how to present to elementary schools and the younger kids learning something too,” said Coffan. “And, this is important educational seed planting for the entire community. It’s great to see that SOU is stitched in together with the Rogue Valley.”
Twin Creeks is sponsoring the MegaMudfest. In addition to providing all equipment and supplies, owner Bret Moore will also be making a small donation to each of the participating elementary and high schools.
Community members are encouraged to come and watch the activities, but planting will be left to the students.
For more information, contact Robert Coffan at 541-227-9024 or rcoffan@charter.net.
SOU Hosts Southern Oregon Arts and Research (SOAR) 2008 (5/15/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) will debut its “Southern Oregon Arts and Research” (SOAR) event May 21 and 22, 2008, at various locations on the SOU campus.
The purpose of SOAR is to share new scholarly ideas and concepts; demonstrate the benefits SOU brings to the local region; and highlight faculty and student research, publications and performances.
All community members, students and faculty are encouraged to attend the many sessions and activities taking place.
“SOAR will allow students to practice giving professional presentations in a supportive environment,” said Deborah Hofer, SOU Grants and Institutional Review Board Administrator. “We want to engage the campus community in a manner that encourages dialog and camaraderie with the excitement that learning together creates.”
The two-day event will stretch to various parts of the SOU campus, beginning on May 21 with a hot-air balloon launch at 8 a.m. in the Education/Psychology building parking lot. A continental breakfast and opening ceremonies will follow in the Music Recital Hall at 8:30 a.m.
On May 21, University Seminar students will present their work in various rooms of the Stevenson Union (SU). The Student Film Festival will be held at 3 p.m. in the Diversions Room of the SU basement.
On May 22, students, faculty and staff will present posters from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Rogue River Room of the SU. The poster session will include up to 80 presenters from 12 different academic disciplines. All presenters will be available to discuss their projects during that hour.
Exhibitions, performances and podium talks will run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the SU. From noon to 1:30 p.m., campus and community members are invited to bring a lunch to the Rogue River Room and listen to SOU professors in a discussion titled “Reflections on Academic Life.”
This is the first year SOU has formally celebrated campus-wide faculty and student work.
“It is an opportunity for the SOU community to come together and learn about each other's work and the contributions that are being made,” said Dean of the School of Education Geoff Mills. “We hope that people who attend the two-day event will gain a new appreciation for what SOU has to offer.”
Some examples of the presentations:
- Undergraduate geology student Jara Ann Johnson will present an acid mine drainage poster during the session. The poster will illustrate assessments for remediation efforts of the Blue Ledge Mine.
- Assistant Professor of Communication Dennis Dunleavy will present a poster addressing the importance of digital literacy and learning at SOU.
- Undergraduate psychology student Jasen Hartford will present a poster illustrating the effects of subliminal television advertising. All presenters will be available to discuss their projects during that hour.
- Undergraduate education student Kim Danielson will present a paper titled “More than One Way to Leave a Child Behind.” The paper will address bullying and inclusion—particularly in middle-school settings— and discuss ways teachers can reduce such problems in the classroom.
- Adjunct faculty member Stephen Bacon will exhibit the rare Schuman Collection of musical instruments donated to SOU by Jack Schuman. The exhibition will include a review of the restoration of the Spanish harp and proper conservation techniques of other rare instruments featured in the collection.
The event will end with closing ceremonies on May 22 at 5 p.m. in the Rogue River Room in the Stevenson Union. For more information about SOAR please contact Dr. Mills at mills@sou.edu or 541-552-6920.
Kieval Lecture Series Comes to SOU (5/15/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) will be hosting the Kieval Lecture Series, featuring Jeff Weeks. The four lectures will begin on Thursday, May 22, and run through Friday, May 23.
“Visualizing Four Dimensions” is an introductory lesson on visualizing four-dimensional space, with physical and philosophical applications as time permits. The lecture will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, in Taylor Hall, Room 20.
“The Shape of Space” looks at the possibility that the universe may not be infinite, but may instead have a shape we can perceive and understand. During the first half of the presentation, computer games will introduce the concept of a “multiconnected universe.” Interactive 3D graphics will then take the audience on a tour of several possible shapes for space. Finally, Weeks will present how recent satellite data is providing tantalizing clues to the true shape of our universe. The lecture will be held on Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 118.
“Where do Spherical Spaces Come From?” expands on the satellite data presented in “The Shape of Space” by using interactive 3D graphics to give participants an intuitive understanding of the various possible spherical spaces (“spherical 3-manifolds”). This third lecture will be held on Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m., in Taylor Hall, Room 20.
The “Curved Space Workshop” will give students a chance to construct physical models, introducing the concept of a curved surface. Interactive 3D graphics will then extend the concept to curved three-dimensional space. Students will see how measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation are now placing limits on the curvature of the universe. This final lecture will be held Friday, May 23, at 3 p.m. in the Britt Ballroom. The workshop is intended for science and math students. Prior attendance at the “Shape of Space” lecture is recommended but not required.
Jeff Weeks is a freelance mathematician living in Canton, New York. He holds an AB from Dartmouth College and a PhD from Princeton University, both in mathematics.
A former MacArthur Fellow (1999–2004) and current National Science Foundation award recipient (2005–2008), Weeks splits his time between research and education. His present research centers on a collaboration with cosmologists to test the shape of the universe using satellite data. His educational activities have lead to a multimedia unit for middle schools on geometry and space. The unit uses classroom activities, computer games, and video to let students explore universes that are finite but have no boundaries.
Motivational Speaker Sean Stephenson visits SOU (5/14/08)
Motivational speaker Sean Stephenson will visit Southern Oregon University (SOU) at 9:00 a.m. on March 14, 2008, in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union to present to college students how to live happy and successful lives.
Stephenson was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare bone disorder that causes his bones to brittle, and was expected to die at birth.
“Sean has a very important message to share,” said Haley Lapkin, organizer of the event. “Everyone has a purpose in life and every person has the ability to make his or her dreams realities if they have the will and drive to do so.”
SOU’s Queer Resource Center will sponsor the event. There is no cost, and the event is open to both students and community members. For more information, please call Haley Lapkin at 530-448-9432.
SOU Professor Joins International Economics Roundtable (5/14/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) Economics Professor Ric Holt will join 18 economists and policymakers in international roundtable discussions at James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The roundtable will span three days, May 16 through 18, 2008.
The roundtable will focus on economic complexity and world issues using transdisciplinary perspectives. Discussion topics will include instability in financial and credit markets, the housing market in relation to a slumping economy and the economic impact of energy and environmental issues.
“The purpose of the roundtable is to allow serious discussion of new approaches to important economic issues that we are facing today,” said Holt, who has co-written six books on economics and the discipline’s impact on public-sustainability policies.
SISKIYOU VIEWS: "Liberation Theology: Influences in Chicana/o Culture and Literature" (5/9/08)
Hannon Library welcomes Alma Rosa Alvarez for the next free Siskiyou Views lecture on Thursday, May 29 at 4:00 p.m. in the Meese Meeting Room.
Alma Rosa Alvarez is Associate Professor of English at Southern Oregon University. She teaches a variety of courses in American literature, as well as specialized courses in Multicultural Literature, Racialized Bodies, Chicana/o Subjectivities and Religious Perspectives. She earned her BA in English and Mexican American Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and her MA and PhD in English at U.C., Santa Barbara. She has been teaching at SOU since 1996, and is an active member of the local Catholic Church. Her recent book "Liberation Theology in Chicana/o Literature: Manifestations of Feminist and Gay Identities" was published in 2007 by Routledge. This book looks at the ways in which Chicana/o authors who have experienced cultural disconnection or marginalization because of their gender, gender politics and sexual orientation attempt to forge a connection back to Chicana/o culture through Liberation Theology.
Her lecture at Hannon Library will explore Liberation Theology, a theology that arose out of Latin American experience, and how it continues to have relevance in Latina/o communities in the United States. As a vehicle for expression of the Latina/o experience, Liberation Theology plays an important role in the creation of a sense of identity for these communities. Alvarez will discuss the connection between issues central to Liberation Theology and themes developed in Chicana/o literature.
Siskiyou Views events are free and open to the public, and are held in the Hannon Library Meese Meeting Room on the SOU Ashland campus. For more information, call 541-552-6835.
Women’s Studies Celebrates with Guest Speaker Dr. Renuka Singh (5/8/08)
Southern Oregon University’s (SOU’s) Women’s Studies Program welcomes guest speaker, Dr. Renuka Singh. Dr. Singh will be speaking on Friday, May 30 at 1 p.m. in the Stevenson Union, Room 330 on the SOU campus. Singh will be giving a presentation on “Spirituality and Sexuality in Urban Indian Women.”
Singh holds a doctorate in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where she is currently a professor at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems. She has worked on women's issues for the last three decades and has authored several books including “The Womb of Mind,” “Women Reborn” and “Growing up in Rural India.” Singh has also edited numerous books on Buddhism, including several cooperative works with the Dalai Lama. While visiting Southern Oregon University, she will be working on her new book on cross-cultural marriages.
SOU Alumnus “Teacher of the Year” is Honored Today in Portland (5/8/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) alumnus Michael Geisen, 2008 National Teacher of the Year, was honored by Governor Kulongoski, State Superintendent Castillo and guests at a 2 pm press event today at Portland State University.
Geisen, a science teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Oregon, is a 2001 graduate of SOU’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program.
“We are very proud to have an SOU alumnus named Teacher of the Year, and especially proud that Michael is the first national Teacher of the Year to be named from Oregon,” said Geoff Mills, dean of Southern Oregon University School of Education. “It’s not surprising, though, given SOU’s long tradition of preparing teachers. In addition to our Master of Education (MEd) program, SOU graduates 120 teachers each year with a Master of Arts in Teaching.”
Michael’s professors have described him as a natural teacher with a lot of energy, well connected to his students, creative and enthusiastic. A science professor remarked that Michael already was an excellent teacher when he came to the SOU master’s program, although Michael expressed how much he gained from the program.
When this school year ends, Geisen will travel around the country to talk with teachers and policymakers, serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession.
Press event guests:
- George Pernsteiner, OUS Chancellor
- Morgan Anderson, Intel Corporation (Oregon Teacher of the Year sponsor)
- Gail Rasmussen, OEA (it's also National Teacher Appreciation Week)
- Geoff Mills, Dean of SOU School of Education
Southern Oregon University Hosts Career Fair (5/7/08)
Southern Oregon University (SOU) will host its annual Career Fair on Thursday, May 8, 2008. More than 50 employers will be in SOU Stevenson Union to meet with students and recent alumni from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is open to SOU students and alumni only.
Employers from the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors will be available to discuss job opportunities and answer questions. Registered organizations include Farmers Insurance Group of Oregon, InnSight Hotel Management Group, and Jackson County WIC. The organizations range from local companies, such as Amy’s Kitchen, Harry & David Operations and Fire Mountain Gems and Beads to national employers, including GlaxoSmithKline, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. In many cases, participating employers have job opportunities locally, regionally and nationally.
According to employer feedback from the Career Fair 2007, 73 percent of the employers who interviewed SOU students and alumni made an employment offer.
“Employer participation at the career fair really says a lot about their eagerness to seek out SOU graduates, especially now with our economy slowing down,” said Peter Weston, SOU Career Development Services director.
Participants are encouraged to bring resumés and wear professional attire.
Sigma XI Honor Society Invites the Public to a Lecture on the History of the Great Lakes (5/7/08)
The Sigma Xi honor society of Southern Oregon University (SOU) invites you to attend their annual lecture Thursday, May 15 in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union on the SOU campus, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The speaker is Professor Emeritus Philip A. Meyers. His talk, titled “The Great Lakes of North America and Their Sedimentary Histories of Human Impacts,” will cover the environmental and paleontological history of the great lakes over the past 12,000 years, and the evidence it has left in the sedimentary record of the lakes.
The speech follows a private banquet where 17 students will be formally inducted into Sigma Xi. Mostly studying biology and geology, the students will all take the Sigma Xi pledge, which outlines their responsibilities as part of this prestigious group: "Encourage original investigations in science, to foster companionship and cooperation among scientists, to maintain honor, integrity and honesty in all scientific activities, and to assume the other continuing responsibilities of membership."
Southern Oregon University Hosts 5k Full Belly Run (5/7/08)
Southern Oregon University’s (SOU’s) Civic Engagement Program will host their second annual “5k Full Belly Run” on May 17, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. The race will begin and end at SOU’s Raider Stadium.
The benefit run will help raise funds for ACCESS, Inc., a local nonprofit agency that serves low-income, senior and disabled residents of Jackson County. The funds raised at the event will go directly to ACCESS, Inc., which will then go toward the purchase of food items and other community-based services.
“The run is an important community event that raises money for a good cause,” said SOU Civic Engagement Program Coordinator Cerissa Payment.
Registration is $15. Forms can be picked up and returned to either Rogue Valley Runners at 161 E. Main St. in Ashland or the Involvement Center on the SOU campus in Stevenson Union, Room 312.
A registration booth will also be available the day of the run from 7 to 8 a.m., but pre-registration is encouraged. The first 100 people to turn in their registration forms will receive a free t-shirt.
Community members who do not wish to participate in running or walking are encouraged to drop off food donations at SOU’s Raider Stadium from 8 a.m. to noon the day of the run. For more information, please contact Cerissa Payment at 541-552-6454 or vista@sou.edu.
Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra Soars (5/6/08)
The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Department of Music will launch SOAR 2008–Southern Oregon Arts and Research—with a Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra concert on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at 8 p.m. in the SOU Music Recital Hall. The general admission is $8 and free for SOU students.
The 14-member Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra (SSO), directed by Music professor Rhett Bender, will showcase three original pieces by SOU students: “Doo De Du” by Jenifer Jaseau, “Collisions” by Travis Moddison and “Gimmicky” by Keith Smelcer. The orchestra will also perform arrangements of Bach, Copland and Marcello, arranged by SSO members Vicki Purslow, Rhett Bender and Jenifer Jaseau. Bender will also present a solo performance of “Tag!” by Eric Stokes.
The Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra (SSO) performances highlight the unique tones of the entire saxophone family: bass, baritone, tenor, alto, soprano and sopranino. SSO performances showcase styles from classical music favorites, American big band hits, and world music, as well as original pieces written for the SSO.
For more information, please visit, sou.edu/music/siskiyousaxophone.
SOAR 2008 is a two-day, university-wide exhibit of faculty and student research and artistic activities. SOAR 2008 will close Thursday, May 22 at 5 p.m.
Keyboard Fundraiser with Joseph Yungen, Piano (5/6/08)
Southern Oregon University’s (SOU’s) Music Department presents “Keyboard Fundraiser with Joseph Yungen” on Monday May 12 at 8 pm in the SOU Music Recital Hall. Yungen is an SOU sophomore piano performance major raising money for students’ travel to competitions and to bring a guest performers/clinicians to the Rogue Valley. A Crater High School graduate (2006), Joseph is rapidly becoming a piano sensation in the region. People know him as an accompanist and performer, and he is rapidly becoming known as a rising star and an impressive talent.
This year, he won a competition to solo with the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon (Dr. Hutton, conductor) playing Prokofiev's Fifth Piano Concerto at nearly sold-out venues in Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass. He is a staff accompanist for the Siskiyou Singers and has accompanied more than a hundred performers during his time at SOU. He is an avid supporter of contemporary composers, having performed/premiered numerous works by local composers at many venues around the Rogue Valley.
Joseph will soon be traveling to China to take part in the Chinese American International Piano Institute in Chengdu, Sichuan. He was chosen as one of a dozen young and upcoming American talents to be a part of this prestigious event.
Tickets for this performance are $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
Baroque, Brazilian, and Brandenburg’s: Music for Guitar Solo, Ensemble, and Orchestra (5/5/08)
The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Department of Music Guitar Ensembles, Studio, and Orchestra will present Baroque, Brazilian, and Brandenburg’s: Music for Guitar Solo, Ensemble, and Orchestra on Friday, June 6, at 8 pm in the Music Recital Hall, at Southern Oregon University.
The SOU Music Department guitar area will present a program of classical guitar solos and ensemble music, including music for guitar ensemble stretching from a J.S. Bach Brandenburg concerto, a Tchaikovsky symphony, a Vivaldi concerto, jazz compositions, and a standard classical guitar repertoire by Albeniz, Torroba, and York. SOU music majors will play solos by Leo Brouwer, Jose Luis Merlin, Dusan Bogdanovich, Andrew York, Johannes Pachelbel, and many other well-known classical guitar composers.
The SOU Guitar Quartet will play acoustic jazz-fusion music by junior guitar major David Kelley. The Quartet will also perform Andrew York’s amazing guitar quartet, Quiccan, originally written for the LA Guitar Quartet. Orchestral music by Tchaikovsky and J.S. Bach will also be heard. Closing the concert will be the SOU Guitar Orchestra playing three up-tempo Brazilian pieces by Maxim Diego Pujol. SOU guitar majors and graduates are frequently heard in Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Cabaret Theater productions and in other venues around town.The SOU guitar studio ensembles are directed by David Rogers.
Recently called "a prominent guitarist" by The New York Times, David Rogers maintains an active solo and ensemble performance career as a classical guitarist and performer on early plucked strings. He is guitarist and lutenist with the Terra Nova Consort, ensemble in residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and faculty member at Southern Oregon University. The Washington Post has praised his "astonishingly florid" solo improvisational passage work. He has been called a "modern master of the classical guitar" by 20th Century Guitar, Classics Today.com has praised his "first-rate instrumental artistry," and the Lute Society of America Quarterly has called his technique "formidable." He is an endorsing artist for GHS Strings and his compositions have been featured in major guitar magazines such as Fingerstyle Guitar in the United States and Akustic Gitarre in Germany.
Guitar events are supported by the SOU Music Department and by donations from Humphrey and Pace Benefit Planning, Inc., The Pharmacia Corporation, and a private donor. Tickets for this performance are $8 for general admission, and free for students. Tickets and season passes may be purchased by calling 541-552-6101 or at the Music Box Office prior to the performance. For more information, please visit Southern Oregon University’s Music Department website at www.sou.edu/music.
