Students Learn Computer Coding with Dance

REDMOND, OR — Crook County Middle School computer science students spent Thursday at COCC-Redmond, learning to make a stick figure dance to the song “Gangnam Style.” They worked with Western Oregon University’s iLumiDance team to code lights on a life-sized stick man, to flash with the beat of the song. The 34 kids were divided into six teams and [more…]

Oregon’s Public Universities Contemplate Tuition Increases

A photo of the Western Oregon University sign on campus.
Oregon’s public universities are looking at one major way to stay solvent next year – tuition increases. Some universities are contemplating double digit increases or waiting until May to make their decisions, hoping they may receive more state support. Portland State University is considering tuition increases of at least 14%. Eastern Oregon University in La Grande is among [more…]

WOU in the News: Oakland’s Dominique Harrison Among Sugar Skulls Newbies Hoping to Make Instant Impact

Roster turnover happens often in any nonmajor professional sport. One week a player could be the best for a franchise and by the following week, they can find a new opportunity in a different league. It’s “the nature of the business” as Sugar Skulls coach Marcus Coleman puts it. When the Sugar Skulls (3-2) host [more…]

WOU in the News: Stephenson Joins Volleyball Staff at WOU

MONMOUTH — Western Oregon head volleyball coach Stacy Metro announced the addition of Traci Stephenson to her staff on Monday. Stephenson will join the Wolves as an assistant coach for the 2019 season, the first under Metro’s leadership. Stephenson joins the Wolves’ staff after eight seasons as the head coach at Chemeketa Community College in [more…]

WOU in the News: Slippery Nature of ‘Sensual Fish’

“It’s kind of a slippery topic,” Henry Hughes told me Tuesday, in a conversation about his upcoming lecture “The Sensual Fish.” At its heart, the April 2 lecture is about fish. It’s part of the Montana State University Library Trout and Salmonid Lecture Series. But it’s also about sex. “The wet, dark, mysterious, fishy and primal [more…]

WOU in the News: Who Will Lead Our Schools?

An opportunity to meet and greet the remaining candidates for Gervais School District superintendent drew dozens to the district’s elementary school Thursday, Feb. 28. Attendees with an appetite enjoyed a modest dinner, and seconds if they liked, prior to being entertained by successive performances from each of a trio of educators vying to lead the [more…]

WOU in the News: Heine Joins PIDB as VP

Hagatna, Guam- Pacific Islands Development Bank (PIDB) is proud to announce and welcome Dwight P. Heine as the Bank’s Vice President.  In that capacity, Mr. Heine will be assisting the President & CEO in leading the overall management and operation of the bank.  Specific duties and responsibilities include strategic planning and budgeting, lending, staff management [more…]

WOU in the News: Oakland Raiders Sign Wide Receiver Tyrell Williams

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have signed unrestricted free agent WR Tyrell Williams, the club announced Wednesday. Originally an undrafted free agent following the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams signed with the San Diego Chargers and spent the first four seasons (2015-18) of his career with the club. Over his four-year career, Williams has appeared [more…]

WOU in the News: New Owner for Iconic Downtown Albany Barbershop

Debbie George remembers riding her bike into downtown Albany and seeing a barber pole spinning outside Parnell Person’s shop like a beacon, visible from blocks away. Person died Dec. 6 at age 85, but his barbershop survives. And George is the new owner and clipping hair at the Personal Barber Shop, 335 Second Ave. SW. [more…]

WOU in the News: Race to Redemption: Taft grad Arce-Torres Puts Future Ahead of Past

Few people understand the importance of getting from here to there the fastest than 2018 Taft High graduate Gabe Arce-Torres. Among the state’s speediest sprinters on last spring’s Tigers track and field team, Arce-Torres was virtually unstoppable in bursting from starting block to finishing tape in Oregon’s small-school ranks. Then, somebody threw a roadblock in [more…]

WOU in the News: Think Too Much: ‘Governing Oregon’ Offers Vital Political Insights

The book "Governing Oregon: Continuity and Change" features 19 insightful essays on the state's politics.
Earlier this year, the Oregon State University Press delivered a gift to every member of the state Legislature: A copy of a just-published book, “Governing Oregon: Continuity and Change,” featuring 19 insightful essays on the state’s politics. For anyone who’s interested in how Oregon got to this precise political point, a fifth of the way [more…]

WOU in the News: To Improve Teacher Diversity, Salem-Keizer Focusing on Training its Own Students, Classroom Aides

Jessica Zamarron helps students with a math assignment in a bilingual Swegle Elementary School classroom.
Jessica Zamarron was inspired by her first-grade teacher at Swegle Elementary. Seeing Karina Rodriguez, another bilingual Latina, in front of the classroom, Zamarron knew her teacher had similar life experiences. If she had a problem at home or needed advice, Rodriguez was the teacher she went to. “I related to her,” Zamarron said. She remembered [more…]

WOU in the News: Kaiser Permanente Names Patient Care Leader

A head shot picture of Tae Abate smiling at the camera.
Tae Abate has been named care experience practice leader of the Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center, overseeing development, planning and oversight of patient care experience. Abate, who has made a career as a program coordinator and consultant for gender equality, violence against women issues and LGBTQ and human rights, is responsible for patient satisfaction. [more…]

WOU in the News: New Venture in Philomath Offers an Opportunity to Unleash Creativity

Chelsea Kirkaldie and Lori Paul are both smiling as they sit on a couch at their new place called MAXtivity.
During their formative years, Lori Paul and Chelsea Kirkaldie each had experiences that led to discovering their artistic selves. Family members and art teachers were among those early influences that instilled a love for creativity that continues to this day. With a nonprofit venture they’ve called MAXtivity now open in Philomath, they hope others will [more…]