Commencement 2010

On June 5th, family, friends, and faculty gathered in the Mountain Arena of SOU Raider Stadium to congratulation the Class of 2010. This year's ceremonies were the 84th for SOU, and celebrated the achievements of approximately 1,120 degree candidates. This year's commencement speaker was Ann Curry, news anchor for NBC's Today Show and Dateline. Curry delivered a graduation address full of inspiration and experience from her extensive worldwide journalism. An Ashland High graduate herself, Ms. Curry also received an honorary doctorate from President Cullinan.

SOU Celebrates Senator Lenn Hannon this Saturday

(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon University will host a Celebration of Life for Senator Lenn Hannon, Saturday, May 8 at 1 p.m. at the Hannon Library at SOU in Ashland.

The ceremony includes a tree planting in front of the library named for Hannon and his wife, Dixie. SOU President Mary Cullinan and Senator Alan Bates will speak, and Former Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada will read a poem he wrote in honor of the former senator. Following the outdoor ceremony, there will be a reception in the Meese Room of the Hannon Library. The public is invited.

Throughout his 30 years in the Oregon State Senate, Hannon was a strong advocate for higher education. He worked to secure state funding for the university’s Computer Science building. Hannon also led the effort to provide state funding for the SOU Center for the Visual Arts remodel and expansion. Senator Hannon helped SOU secure $20 million in state funding for the SOU Library, which was named the Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library.

-SOU-

James Beaver
Director of Interactive Marketing
and Media Relations
Southern Oregon University
541-552-6093
949-878-7752 cell

SOU Student Wins Scholarship to Study Chemistry at U.C. Berkeley

Laura Armstrong, a 22-year-old Chemistry major, has been awarded the $5000 Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship scholarship. Armstrong, home-schooled through high school, plans on attending U.C. Berkeley. Her future plans include achieving her Ph.D. "Thank you! I want to do the research they do at U.C. Berkeley", she explains, specifically in the area of theoretical chemistry.

The prestigious scholarship is one of just 57 awarded in the nation, and the first of its kind at Southern Oregon University.

SOU Recognized for "Green Power"

Southern Oregon University announced today that it was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the 2009-2010 Individual Conference Champion for using more green power than any other school in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

Since April 2006, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation. The Individual Conference Champion Award recognizes the school that has made the largest individual purchase of green power within a qualifying conference.

Southern Oregon University beat its conference rivals by purchasing more than 33 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, representing 287 percent of the school’s annual electricity usage. Southern Oregon University purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which helps to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the campus’s electricity use.

EPA estimates that Southern Oregon University’s purchase of more than 33 million kilowatt-hours of green power is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions from the electricity use of nearly 3,000 average American homes each year or has the equivalent impact of reducing the CO₂ emissions of nearly 5,000 passenger cars annually. The Cascade Collegiate Conference’s collective green power purchase of nearly 50 million kWh of green power is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions from the electricity use of more than 4,000 average American homes or the annual CO₂ emissions of nearly 7,000 cars.

"This is a college playoff where everyone wins," said Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. "Renewable energy is a slam dunk not just for Southern Oregon University but for clean air, our health, and our climate."

Twenty-six collegiate conferences and 54 schools competed in the 2009-2010 challenge, collectively purchasing nearly 1.2 billion kWh of green power. EPA will extend the College & University Green Power Challenge for a fifth year, to conclude in spring of 2011. EPA’s Green Power Challenge is open to all U.S. colleges, universities, and conferences. In order to qualify, a collegiate athletic conference must include at least one school that qualifies as a Green Power Partner, and the conference must collectively meet EPA’s minimum conference purchase requirement. For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power is considered cleaner than conventional sources of electricity and has lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. Purchases of green power help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.

-Southern Oregon University Press Release

Contact Jim Beaver at 541.552.6093 for more information

In Step with Students: Test Dig

Five SOU students were able to help with a recent archaeological test dig recently in the city of Bandon, Oregon. The test dig was set up in order to preserve the integrity of archaeological sites during construction. The students helped city crews dig small holes to view what may be underneath the site. Though their caution was thought to slow the initial construction, staff archaeologists have concluded that it will prevent accidental disruption later on. The city of Bandon hired SOU’s laboratory of anthropology to handle the advance testing, and the five SOU students accompanied the staff to the site. The work was expected to take approximately one week.

In Step with Student Life: How to Go Green!

Imagine this: your best friend approaches you over lunch, and proudly announces, “I’m going green!”. You smile and nod as if you truly know what this means, and visions of your friend living in a grass hut flash through your head. Then she turns to you and asks, “What are you doing to go green?”. You freeze. What do you say? What do you do? Here’s some easy ideas to help you understand the ways you, too, can “go green” and be truly eco-friendly and socially responsible (no grass hut needed!).

-Install a low-flow showerhead. These handy devices are more energy efficient and increase the flow of oxygen through your shower stream. They are relatively inexpensive and can quickly lower your water bill, making them a wise investment.

-Recycle your batteries. In some states, tossing those little double-A’s is actually illegal! You can visit www.call2recycle.org to learn more about properly disposing of all the batteries from your cell phone, flash lights, and video cameras.

-Take along a grocery tote. While running errands, tuck a folded tote into your purse. It can hold things like clothes, library books, or food, and you won’t be using plastic bags. You can find some classy looking ones at www.recycledbags.com, where the bags come in pretty prints and sturdy solids.

-Plug in at work. Find all the plugs in your office and plug them into a power strip (available at most electronic stores), so that you don’t forget to unplug large items like printers or modems. You can turn them all off and on at once.

-Clean green. Save money and keep harmful chemicals out of your home or dorm room by making your own cleaning supplies. With just a few ingredients, you can make your own. www.planetgreen.discovery.com has this recipe for window cleaner:

Window Cleaner

1/4-1/2 tsp liquid detergent


3 tbs vinegar


2 cups water


Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

-Ditch the plastic. Invest in a good reusable water bottle, and tote it to the gym, the store, and on vacation. www.kleankanteen.com has functional and stylish water bottles, even eco-friendly sippy cups for little ones!

-Pump up your tires. Cars with properly inflated tires will get better gas mileage! This will save money and be better for your car. (Though if you want to truly go green, carpooling, biking, and walking will prevent any emissions into the environment!)

-Start early! Visit www.treesandtots.com for beautiful, all natural toys and natural skin care products for babies and their parents. The site also has non-toxic glass baby bottles and plastic-free silicone bottle nipples and pacifiers.

-Give green. Even when purchasing wedding, baby, and birthday presents, you can choose all-natural and organic gifts that anyone would appreciate. www.greengiftguide.com is a terrific resource, full of approved “green” retailers. www.alchemygoods.com offers recycled products that are both modern and environmentally friendly.

In Step with Campus: Snow Fiesta 2010

Truckloads of snow arrived on campus yesterday, for the start of Snow Fiesta 2010. The Rail Jam, an exhibition of skiers and snowboarders, took place yesterday on the Britt Lawn, atop piles of snow brought in just for the occasion. The festivities continue throughout the week, with attractions that include:

-Tuesday 2/16 at 6pm: A Winter Fashion Show: featuring cold-weather fashions from Aedion Aesthetics

-Wednesday 2/17 at 12-4:30 pm: Movie in the Elmo's Diner and a bonfire in the SU courtyard

-Thursday 2/18 at 1-5pm: Carnival in the SU basement

-Friday 2/19 at 5:30-7: Ice skating at Lithia Park

For more information, contact Ryan Green at 541.552.6428

In Step with Campus: State of the University 2010

Yesterday, President Cullinan addressed the campus with her annual “State of the University” speech. She addressed the issues that are currently affecting faculty and students, including financial stability, enrollment, and goals. She narrated significant progress in the areas of Sustainability and the Climate Action Plan, with the recent addition of the Ashland Resiliency Project, about which she says, “The project is a fire hazard reduction plan for the watershed. Environmental Studies capstone students are proposing ways that SOU students and faculty can participate in baseline monitoring and tracking the project’s effectiveness.” Enrollment also saw results of the hard work of faculty and staff, with the largest number of new transfer students since 2001. The president was thrilled to announce that the overall headcount for Winter 2010 is the largest for any winter term on record for the university. While the good news was cause for celebration, the President also acknowledged the hardships that SOU has endured in the last few years, soberly noting that, “These last years have been a struggle. We’ve had to cut deeply; we’ve lost wonderful people”. Still, hopefulness rang throughout the address, with far more good news than bad, as she continued, “We’ve also worked hard to position ourselves so we can flourish and thrive even through difficult times. We’re making great progress.” Progress, indeed, as the president emphasized the unique stories that make SOU the school that it is. She noted faculty who have done extraordinary things, like Dr. John Roden, who was approved for a NSF grant for $490,000.00 in his studies in isotopes. She shared the story of Laura Armstrong, a SOU chemistry major who was just accepted to Berkeley and Stanford’s doctoral programs with full ride scholarships. The president concluded with, “We need to remember the tremendous work we do, the tremendous benefit our work brings to the region and the state- and our transformational successes with students, who currently number 5,624. Thank you for all you do.”

In Step with Student Life: How to Save $300 a Month!

I commented the other day about how I was destined to "be poor until I graduate", because I was in college. Little did I realize how much of my money was going to unnecessary purchases. By scaling back, I realized I could save up to$350.00 a month.

That comes out to over 4000.00 a year! Want to know how I did it?

First, I looked at my debit and credit card statements for three months. As painful as this process is, it will show you where you are spending your hard-earned money. Most banks now offer online banking, where you can see electronically stored statements for up to about a year.

Second, I identified areas where I was over-spending. Here's what I found:

-Coffee (Starbucks)

-Groceries

-Movies

-Eating Out

-Clothes

Here's how I cut back, and ways you can cut back too!

1) Say No to Starbucks! Sure, that tall latte looks good, and it might help you get more study time, but its eating away at your wallet. Did you know that if you drink coffee just 20 days out of a month (approximately $3.40 a cup), you are spending $68.00 a month? I limited myself to two coffees a week, on bargain days (double punch days at Dutch Brothers) and tea or brewed coffee from home the other days. I found I saved $40.00 a month.

2) Eating Out is Eating Your Budget! I found that eating out, just lunch, every day, was costing me about $30.00 a week. I now pack a lunch every day and eat out just once a week, with a maximum of $10.00 per meal. I stopped ordering sodas/tea with my meals and found that can cut about $3.00 off every meal. My TOTAL food bill for this month (I share meals with my roomates) was $46.00! That's a savings of $74.00.

3) Your Gas Pedal is Costing You! I was spending about $240.00 a month in gasoline, commuting from Medford to Ashland. Since I moved closer to campus, and now I am paying about $80.00 a month in gas costs! Limit your trips to surrounding areas, or carpool with roomates. It reduces your carbon footprint and the crunch on your wallet.

4) Those Little Shopping Trips... My roomates and I will often "run to Albertson's" to pick up little items like ice cream, magazines, and soda. We realized it was costing us about $30.00 a month to pick up overpriced snack foods because we didn't buy in bulk. Cutting these small trips and making just two giant Costco or WinCo runs saves us large amounts of money. Pre-packaging your own snacks (buy in bulk and tuck snacks into Ziploc bags) takes time, but saves you too. I didn't realize I had spent $25.00 a month in snacks and sodas at school.

5) Invest in Nicer Electronics...and take care of them! In three months, I found I had purchased three car kits, three chargers, and five pairs of headphones for my iPhone! I had bought them all on discount (about $6.99 each), but they all broke fast. I now purchased one brand-name one and take better care of it. So far it's lasted three months.

7) Clip Coupons! Yes, it sounds nerdy, but I clip coupons for things like makeup, groceries, and photo developing and it saves me over $20.00 a month. You can even find things like poster board or index cards in advertisements and save on those too. Using search engines like www.swagbucks.com also gives you points for searching (like Google), and lets you use them for online merchants.

8) Clean Your Closet for Cash: I cleaned my closet and brought clothes to Avant Garb, Deja Vu, and other consignment stores in Ashland. They take name brand, good condition clothing and give you cash or credit at their store. They carry designer jeans and designer clothes, and it's a budget friendly way to overhaul your closet. Make sure your clothes are clean, pressed, and without tears or stains.

Start saving today...and pocket the results.

Grace S. Cartwright (Nursing, Class of 2011) is an OHSU/SOU student at the Ashland campus, and blogger for Southern Oregon University. She is a professional freelance writer and music publicist.

In Step with Campus: First Amendment Forum

Southern Oregon University hosted more than 100 students and community members in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union on Monday to listen to a panel discussion on shield laws and first amendment rights of journalists at the annual Thomas W. Pyle First Amendment Forum.

Lucy Dalglish, executive director, from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was the event’s keynote speaker. Dalglish discussed the history of shield laws in the U.S. and briefly spoke about upcoming legislation to create a federal shield law.

The RCFP defends reporters facing subpoenas to disclose the identity of confidential sources. The group is also involved in other First Amendment related issues. Dalglish discussed these issues in the context of the services journalists provide to society.

“Journalists in this country have a long tradition of revealing important information in times of national crisis,” she said while discussing the importance of shield laws

Joining Dalglish on the panel were Celina Montoya and Kim Wetzel of the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University, a project dedicated to giving journalism students experience investigating wrongful convictions.

State shield laws were created in 36 states as well as the District of Columbia following a landmark Supreme Court case in 1972, Branzburg v. Hayes, when the Court ruled that the First Amendment could not be used to protect journalists summoned before a grand jury. Groups like the RCFP continue to advocate for better federal protection for journalists, but the debate is not easy.

“It’s the most frustrating, ridiculous system in the world,” Dalglish said.

-Guest blogger Philip Shilts

In Step with Alumni: Cast of Modern Family Scores Golden Globe Nomination

Ty Burrell, center, as Phil Dunphy with his TV "family".

Modern Family, ABC's new "mockumentary" situational comedy, features one of SOU's own alumni. Ty Burrell, who stars as bumbling father Phil Dunphy, graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts. Burrell hails from Ashland, and worked at the Shakespeare Festival during his time at college. Modern Family debuted in September 2009, to critical acclaim. The comedy series draws comparisons to The Office, known for it's sarcastic humor and situational character development. The series was well received by audiences, and now is nominated for a Golden Globe, a People's Choice Award, and a Screen Actor's Guild Award.

You can learn more about the show at the website:

http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family

You can view Burrell's extensive film and television resume here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123092/

In Step with Students: Daniella Dieterich

Daniella Dieterich, 20, says she chose SOU for it's outstanding nursing school, as well as the "pretty campus!". Dieterich will graduate in 2011 from OHSU's prestigious School of Nursing which campus-shares with SOU. Students who are in the school of nursing are dual enrolled and can take SOU classes to fulfill electives and credits. Hailing from Portland, Dieterich says that she loves that "everyone knows each other here! I also liked the fact that I could get such a good education with quality, nationally recognized faculty, and still pay in-state tuition". When she's not in school, she says she enjoys the outdoor activities available right around campus, like hiking, boating, and skiing.