Education | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Multi-Story Buildings Going Up Using cross-laminated timber

Posted on September 1, 2016 847 views
CLT Promises New Construction Boom in the Future, Pilot Programs Under Development in Oregon Multi-Story Buildings Going Up in Oregon Using cross-laminated timber (CLT). The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in multi-story buildings is no longer just something people are talking about. In Oregon, two new buildings that feature CLT are almost complete, and construction [more…]
Education | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Education Center Ready For Debut

Posted on August 24, 2016 832 views
Photo of Mark Girod in new building
The Richard Woodcock Education Center is bustling with activity, but not from students — not yet. It’s faculty and staff who are moving into the new building for Western Oregon University’s Department of Education. Dean of Education Mark Girod is excited to have a base of operations for the 800 education majors on campus, as [more…]
Campus & community | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: WOU Breaks Ground On Health Center

Posted on July 13, 2016 761 views
Tribal elder Bob Tom blesses the ground during Western Oregon University’s groundbreaking ceremony on Friday.
MONMOUTH — Western Oregon University will soon have a new facility for the Student Health and Counseling Center, scheduled for opening in spring 2017. Campus officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, which included a blessing from tribal elder Bob Tom. The center will be built with increased student tuition fees, but associated student body president [more…]
Sports & recreation | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Globe Trotter

Posted on July 13, 2016 782 views
Published by: Polk County Itemizer-Observer  Written by: Lukas Eggen MONMOUTH — Las Vegas has long been a city where people go to bet big with the hope of hitting the jackpot. It seems fitting that the city would serve as the setting where former Western Oregon men’s basketball player Devon Alexander will go all-in as he [more…]
Class of 2016 | Science & technology

Grad profile: Kaylee Church

Posted on June 10, 2016 910 views
Name:  Kaylee Church Age: 21 Major/Minor: Mathematics/psychology Hometown: Damascus, Ore. Favorite campus event: New Student Week/Wind Down Wednesday Best study spot: Study room in Math building Advice to incoming freshman: “Don’t doubt yourself, go with what you like in your activities and studies.” Affordability is what put WOU on Church’s radar when she began searching for colleges. Out-of-state tuition deterred her from [more…]
Class of 2016 | Student life

Grad profile: Conner Williams

Posted on June 10, 2016 843 views
Name:  Conner Williams Age: 22 Major/minor: Humanities/economics Hometown: Molalla, Ore. Favorite campus event: New Student Week Best study spot: Terry House Advice to incoming freshman: “Get involved a little earlier. As a freshman, you can easily get caught up in the mindset of having a college experience as it’s shown in movies, but there’s much more to your time in college.” For [more…]
Class of 2016 | Student life

Grad profile: Shay Guyton

Posted on June 10, 2016 915 views
Name:  Shay Guyton Age: 21 Major/Minor: Community health education/psychology Hometown: Hillsboro, Ore. Favorite campus event: New Student Week Best study spot: Floor of residence halls, or study rooms in Hamersly Library Advice to incoming freshman: “Keep doing the things you love. Don’t let other people tell you not to do them. I was hesitant to join things as a freshman, but [more…]
Class of 2016 | Student life

Grad profile: Tuyen Bolton

Posted on June 10, 2016 788 views
Name:  Tuyen Bolton Age: 22 Major/Minor:  Interdisciplinary studies with focuses in humanities, social science and health/physical education Hometown: Raised in Eugene / born in Soc Trang, Vietnam Advice to incoming freshman: “Remember that it’s important to maintain a solid GPA throughout college to graduate and get into graduate school and beyond, but they are not [more…]
Class of 2016 | Sports & recreation

Grad profile: Emmi Collier

Posted on June 10, 2016 782 views
Name:  Emmi Collier Age: 22 Major/Minor: Exercise science/focus in physical education Hometown: Warrenton, Ore. Favorite campus event(s): Home Track & Field meets, WOUMania, and New Student Week Best study spot: Third floor of Hamersly Advice to incoming freshman: “Make friends with new people while at Western! You may come here with friends from high school, but make sure you get out [more…]
Class of 2016 | Education

Grad profile: Audrey Loudenback

Posted on June 9, 2016 809 views
Name:  Audrey Ramirez-Loudenback Age: 35 Graduate program: Masters of Arts in Interpreting Studies Hometown: Milwaukie, Ore. Favorite campus event: First Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at WOU Best study spot: First floor study rooms in Hamersly Advice to incoming freshman: “Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the unknown, there’s no way you can predict your path. Go easier on yourself.” Back in 1999, Ramirez-Loudenback [more…]
Class of 2016 | Student life

Grad profile: Madison Malot

Posted on June 9, 2016 827 views
Name:  Madison Malot Age: 21 Major/Minor: English literature/American Sign Language Hometown: Central Point, Ore.  Favorite campus event: Performance by Dip-Hop rapper WAWA, part of Western Accessibility Awareness Month (WAAM) Best study spot: Rick’s Place or the second floor of Hamersly Library Advice to incoming freshman: “Be more confident and don’t freak out if you make changes [more…]
Class of 2016 | Social & behavioral sciences

Grad profile: Emily Peterson

Posted on June 8, 2016 916 views
Emily Peterson
Name:  Emily Peterson Age: 22 Major/Minor: Psychology/American Sign Language studies Hometown: Tualatin, Ore. Favorite campus event: Holiday Tree Lighting Best study spot: Beside the piano in the WUC Advice to incoming freshman: “Have fun while you’re at Western, this is your independence. At the same time, be responsible. This school has a lot to offer so set a time to [more…]
Class of 2016 | Social & behavioral sciences

Grad profile: Kevin Alejandrez

Posted on June 8, 2016 958 views
Kevin Alejandrez
Name:  Kevin Alejandrez Age: 22 Major/Minor:  Sociology/sports leadership Hometown: Independence, Ore. Best study spot: Lounge in the Werner University Center Advice to incoming freshman: “Do your thing! Be honest with what you want from college and go for it.” Growing up in Independence, Alejandrez felt some ambivalence about staying close to home for university and was considering out of state [more…]
WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline’ in 1980s

Posted on May 16, 2016 780 views
Student actors
Story published by Statesman Journal Written by Tom Mayhall Rastrelli Innocence. Sword fights. Cross-dressing girls and boys. Jealousy. Poison. Villains. Western Oregon University’s upcoming production of Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” has them all. Director Ted deChatelet has applied a comedic tone to “Cymbeline,” which historians have ambivalently classified as both comedy and tragedy. Western’s production will be a contemporary retelling [more…]
WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Students Spread Joy To Local Youths

Posted on May 12, 2016 764 views
Students of event planning course
Story published by Polk County Itemizer-Observer Written by Emily Mentzer MONMOUTH — Homelessness is difficult to define or quantify, but in the latest report by the Oregon Department of Education, Marion and Polk counties had 1,449 students in the K-12 system who were considered homeless. Of those, 24 in Polk County were listed as “unsheltered.” [more…]
Campus & community | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Hungry Like The Wolf

Posted on November 18, 2015 765 views
Person making a cardboard box.
Published in: Polk County Itemizer-Observer by: Emily Mentzer MONMOUTH — More than half of the students at Western Oregon University don’t know where their next meal is coming from. One in four classified staff members need help getting food. “We’re not talking about students who are eating ramen,” said Jackson Stalley, chairman of Friends of the [more…]
Arts & culture | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Realism Brings Intimacy

Posted on November 1, 2015 780 views
Published by: Polk County Itemizer-Observer by: Emily Mentzer MONMOUTH — Even small-town America is subject to greed, political and religious corruption. The residents of Dublin, Mo., are finding that out as a suspicious death clashes with a cheese factory and community theater production. Thinking about that circumstance may induce a smile, but director of Western [more…]
Education | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Students empowered at conference

Posted on October 23, 2015 754 views
Published by: Statesman Journal by: Natalie Pate The Contributing Voices conference held at Western Oregon University on Friday had one message for the students in attendance: Your voice counts. More than 600 ninth graders from the Salem-Keizer School District attended the second annual Contributing Voices conference in Monmouth,where they listened to guest speakers, participated in activities and workshops, [more…]
Education | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: WOU wants to grow bilingual teachers

Posted on October 20, 2015 807 views
WOU logo
Published by: My Columba Basin MONMOUTH, Ore. – For a decade, Oregon has suffered a shortage of bilingual teachers according to federal statistics. Western Oregon University has decided it wants to help grow its own next generation of bilingual educators. WOU has joined forces with a few public school districts in the state to initiate [more…]
Alumni | Business & global affairs | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Graduate exposed to Syrian refugee crisis

Posted on October 20, 2015 733 views
Published by: Statesman Journal by: Natalie Pate It was always a dream of Eriqa Hermen’s to backpack across eastern Europe. When her friend wanted to go, too, they planned for the month-long adventure. Hermen was ready and raring to go. But instead of simply crossing an item off her bucket list, the recent college graduate and former Western [more…]
Arts & culture | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Drive By Press Visits WOU

Posted on October 14, 2015 703 views
Published by: Polk County I-O by: Emily Mentzer MONMOUTH — Taylor McClure carefully guides the teal T-shirt and wooden block under the massive roller on a press at Western Oregon University. The roller has to be completely level or the print won’t turn out right. He pauses, picking up a massive wrench fabricated specially for [more…]
Health & wellness | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Forum stimulates dialog on tackling youth suicide

Posted on October 14, 2015 790 views
Published by: Sandy Post  by: Kylie Wray Following a nearly two-hour long discussion about youth suicide prevention, 52 volunteers wearing dark sweatshirts with the hoods up filed down silently to the front of the auditorium. This moment was Clackamas County Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator Galli Murray’s favorite part of the Youth Suicide Prevention Forum held on [more…]
Arts & culture | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Oregon Poets: Henry Hughes packs poems with sound, story

Posted on October 6, 2015 761 views
Published by: Statesman Journal  by: Eleanor Berry, Special to the Statesman Journal   On an August evening this past summer, poet Henry Hughes captivated an audience at the Stayton Public Library as he performed poems with accompanying photographs projected beside him and, in the second half of the program, as he read poems on fishing. Hughes [more…]
Education | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: First class of WOU bilingual teachers start

Posted on September 29, 2015 800 views
Published by: Statesman Journal by: Natalie Pate Nearly four dozen students at Western Oregon University started classes this week with the dream of becoming specialty teachers. Working with Central School District in Independence, Hillsboro School District and Salem-Keizer School District, Western Oregon University has created a program to increase the number of new bilingual teachers in the state. [more…]
WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Report Praises WOU Grad Rate For Low-Income Students

Posted on September 24, 2015 739 views
Published by: Oregon Public Broadcasting by Rob Manning A national nonprofit is highlighting Western Oregon University for its success with students from low-income backgrounds, in a report released Thursday. Western Oregon University has about 6,200 students. The population of Monmouth, OR is about 9,500. Nationally, students who qualify for government Pell Grants are 14 percent less likely [more…]
Uncategorized

Peter Courtney to WOU graduates: ‘Don’t be afraid’

Posted on June 13, 2015 739 views
Music and the smell of sunscreen filled the air as hundreds of families and friends gathered at McArthur Field in Monmouth for the 2015 Western Oregon University commencement ceremony. Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney was this year’s commencement speaker. He vehemently urged the 941 graduates in attendance not to be afraid. “How do I communicate [more…]
Campus & community | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Western Oregon University names rec center after Senate President Peter Courtney

Posted on June 13, 2015 722 views
Western Oregon University announced Saturday that the Health and Wellness Center would be renamed after state Senate President Peter Courtney, who worked at the university for 30 years. The naming ceremony took place just before the university’s commencement ceremony, at which Courtney was the keynote speaker. Other speakers included Gov. Kate Brown, former Gov. Ted Kulongoski, [more…]
Arts & culture | WOU in the news

WOU in the news: Explore The Fantasy

Posted on May 27, 2015 745 views
MONMOUTH — Journey back to a time when the whole world was an oyster — and found deep within a toy box — at Western Oregon University’s spring play, “Frankie’s Flights of Fancy.” “Kids come up with the craziest, fun things,” said Belladina Starr, who plays Frankie in the devised play. “Putting myself in the [more…]
Campus & community | Education

Gentle Endowment Professor To Restart Book Club

Posted on May 6, 2015 716 views
MONMOUTH — Marie LeJeune, associate professor of teacher education, finds it crucial to keep her pulse on what is going on in public K-12 education. “It’s important in my work to continually be connected to what teachers are doing in K-12 schools,” she said. A new endowment for education professors at Western Oregon University, the [more…]
Arts & culture

Spring Dance Concert To Inspire Movement

Posted on May 5, 2015 708 views
MONMOUTH — Jenni Bowker tried to stay true to herself as she choreographed, “Where the Wind Goes,” to be performed at Western Oregon University’s Spring Dance concert. The annual concert opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Saturday at Rice Auditorium. This is Bowker’s second time choreographing a piece for the show — something [more…]
Sports & recreation

Shaw To Lead WOU Men’s Basketball

Posted on April 29, 2015 706 views
MONMOUTH — Western Oregon University Athletic Director Barbara Dearing announced the hiring of WOU alumnus Jim Shaw as the men’s basketball head coach on Monday. “We concluded a nationwide search and had more high quality candidates for the position than any other time anyone can remember in school history,” Dearing said. “As the search committee [more…]
Campus & community

Rex Fuller, next president, knows what matters at WOU

Posted on April 26, 2015 773 views
The scene: Rex Fuller, a finalist for the Western Oregon University presidency, is having lunch on campus. He spots the student server’s name tag, greets her by name and introduces himself, “Hi, my name is Rex.” That simple anecdote illustrates why Dr. Rex Fuller will be a good fit for Western Oregon University as its [more…]
Campus & community | Student life

Culture In Motion

Posted on April 22, 2015 734 views
Werner University Center’s Pacific Room was filled with music, color and dance Saturday. Dancers and musicians from across the country attended the event, hosted by the WOU’s Multicultural Student Union. Polk County Itemizer-Observer by Aaron Yost  
Campus & community

Fuller Named Western’s Next President

Posted on April 16, 2015 690 views
MONMOUTH – Rex Fuller was officially named the next president for Western Oregon University by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education today during a conference call. Fuller, of Eastern Oregon University, will take the reins on July 1, a day after President Mark Weiss retires. Fuller and his wife Susan are eager to make [more…]
Education

Larson Finds Best In High-School Students

Posted on April 15, 2015 719 views
INDEPENDENCE — Teenagers are at that perfect age: nearly adults, but still open-minded to new ideas and fresh perspectives. That’s one thing Roseanna Larson loves about teaching them. “It’s a time of tremendous growth and opportunity to have an impact on kids,” said Larson, 42, language arts teacher at Central High School. Larson was named [more…]
Education

A great play-ce to learn

Posted on April 14, 2015 717 views
Anyone who has seen the wonder-filled expression on the face of a child visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium knows that learning starts long before kids get to elementary school. And, on Saturday, April 25, the aquarium will team up with Western Oregon University to teach parents and educators how play during children’s early years is [more…]
Campus & community

Fuller Tours Western Oregon University

Posted on April 8, 2015 699 views
____________________ An Open Forum with Dr. Rex Fuller. Recorded April 4 by WOU Digital Production Services. http://youtu.be/OnZwh9KVbNk ____________________ MONMOUTH – Higher education is vital to a thriving economy and a citizenry capable of thoughtfully communicating with each other, but it needs to be accessible – and affordable. “As we strive to create a more civil [more…]
Arts & culture

Jose James to perform jazz, hip hop, funk, blues with orchestra

Posted on April 8, 2015 691 views
MONMOUTH — Singer-songwriter Jose James has always been on the quest for new musical horizons, constantly evolving and blurring the lines between genres in the process. James keeps his trademark soulful baritone at the forefront and adeptly weaves elements of indie rock, folk, funk, blues, hip hop and R&B into an experience journeying from desire [more…]
Student life

This Show’s A Drag

Posted on April 8, 2015 743 views
MONMOUTH — The contents of Pandora’s Box have always been trouble. Tell the classic tale in the context of Western Oregon University’s Triangle Alliance’s annual Drag Show, and the chaos released is red hot trouble. Now in its 19th-year, the racy, campy display that is the Drag Show will be producing “Out of Pandora’s Box,” [more…]
Campus & community

Madden Speaks At Western Oregon

Posted on April 6, 2015 702 views
____________________ An Open Forum with Dr. Margaret Madden. Recorded April 6 by WOU Digital Production Services. https://youtu.be/RYhNqgOS3pk ____________________ MONMOUTH – Higher education isn’t just about getting someone a job, said Margaret Madden at an open forum at Western Oregon University on Monday. “I’m not saying getting employment after college is not an important thing,” she noted. [more…]
Campus & community

Ames Tours Western Oregon University

Posted on April 2, 2015 734 views
____________________ An Open Forum with Dr. Christopher Ames. Recorded April 2 by WOU Digital Production Services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyO78gEn-_k ____________________ MONMOUTH – An undergraduate degree is more than just an accumulation of enough credits, it’s a holistic experience of emotional, intellectual and personal growth. That was a recurring theme for Christopher Ames at an open forum Thursday [more…]
Arts & culture

Legendary Jazz Organist To Perform In Monmouth

Posted on April 1, 2015 717 views
MONMOUTH — The master of the Hammond B-3 organ is coming to Monmouth. Dr. Lonnie Smith will let his fingers and feet do the talking when he and the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio perform Friday night at Rice Auditorium as part of the Western Oregon University Smith Fine Arts Series. Smith, 72, is an unparalleled [more…]
Campus & community

Fernando At Western Oregon University

Posted on April 1, 2015 716 views
____________________ An Open Forum with Dr. Fernando P. Delgado. Recorded April 1 by WOU Digital Production Services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rCr1Hm1T_Q ____________________ MONMOUTH – Western Oregon University should not be a hidden gem, but rather a revealed one, said Fernando Delgado during an open forum at Rice Auditorium on Wednesday. Delgado, from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, is [more…]
Campus & community

WOU narrows presidential search to four candidates

Posted on March 27, 2015 711 views
Western Oregon University’s search for a new president has been narrowed to four candidates. According to a press release from WOU and the Oregon University System, the university’s current president, Mark Weiss, will retire from his post June 30. The four finalists are Fernando Delgado, who has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic [more…]
Student life

Operation Help or Hush spends spring break in Ferguson

Posted on March 26, 2015 740 views
It was only the beginning of the third round of Ferguson Alternative Spring Break, and already tears had been shed and beliefs challenged. Alternative spring breaks are far from a new idea. For years, thousands of college students have ventured away from the traditional fun-in-the-sun to dedicate their time to community service. Large non-profit groups [more…]
Campus & community | Science & technology

Kids with autism see big benefits from massage, study says

Posted on March 26, 2015 755 views
A massage treatment developed for children who have autism can lessen its severity by a third in the first five months after diagnosis, making the treatment an effective early intervention, according to a newly published report. The treatment, developed by Dr. Louisa Silva, founder of the Oregon-based Qigong Sensory Training Institute and a visiting professor [more…]
Student life

Local college students pass on beach to volunteer, learn

Posted on March 25, 2015 712 views
Spring break for many college students means heading home to unwind, jetting off on adventures or flocking south in search of warmer beaches. But dozens of students from local colleges are bypassing that traditional experience this week to volunteer during their time off. Alternative spring break programs draw students who want to help make a [more…]
Arts & culture

Love Story Coming To WOU Stage

Posted on February 25, 2015 730 views
MONMOUTH — The road to love can be fast and simple, or it can be long and rocky. For Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley, love clicks in place as easily as puzzle pieces. But for Jane’s sister, Elizabeth, and Mr. Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy, things of the heart are more complicated. Jane, Elizabeth and their [more…]
Campus & community

新年快乐 / 新年快樂 (Happy New Year!)

Posted on February 18, 2015 461 views
MONMOUTH — Make sure the house is cleaned, laundry is caught up and hair has been washed before Thursday, which marks the Chinese New Year. Sweeping, cleaning clothes or washing hair on the first few days of the Chinese New Year may bring you and your family bad luck for 2015, the Year of the [more…]
Campus & community | Student life

‘Family Weekend’ Slated At WOU

Posted on February 17, 2015 700 views
MONMOUTH — Packs of families will converge on Western Oregon University’s campus Friday through Sunday for WOU’s Family Weekend Getaway. The event, which kicks off Friday with registration at 5 p.m. at the Werner University Center, is not just for students, but open to all in the WOU family: current students, former students, those with [more…]
Campus & community

WOU Grad Rates Up To 46 Percent

Posted on February 17, 2015 678 views
MONMOUTH — Western Oregon University’s graduation rates have increased, but remain below a 50 percent completion mark in six years. David McDonald, associate provost, said rates have climbed from 41 percent in 2009-10 to 46 percent in 2013-14. Because of variables each year, McDonald said taking rates five years apart shows a more accurate measurement. [more…]
Campus & community

Willamette Heritage Center hires local as new director

Posted on February 12, 2015 664 views
The Willamette Heritage Center has hired Bob H. Reinhardt as its next executive directer. Reinhardt, who is currently a visiting assistant professor of history at Western Oregon University, will teach through the remainder of school year. He will assume part-time responsibilities at the center on March 31 and begin full-time work in June. Reinhardt is [more…]
Campus & community

Monmouth’s Man Of Many Hats

Posted on February 11, 2015 681 views
MONMOUTH — Marshall Guthrie rides his bike everywhere. He enjoys taking loops around country roads, stopping in at Rogue Hop Farms for a craft beer — at least when he has time in between his work as director of Western Oregon’s Student Enrichment Program and attending seemingly endless meetings as a Monmouth city councilman. Long [more…]
Student life

Gaming At A New Level

Posted on February 4, 2015 694 views
MONMOUTH — Two teams were locked in battle. Shouts of joy, frustration and laughter filled the room. Welcome to “League of Legends.” The Western Oregon eSports club, founded in 2014, is open to any video game, on any gaming console, but the game “League of Legends” has dominated weekly meetings. “It’s the game I’ve played [more…]
Arts & culture

WOU Students Develop Ideas To Market Area

Posted on February 4, 2015 711 views
MONMOUTH — Students at Western Oregon University have designed new logos for the Monmouth-Independence-WOU area, including creating some catchy mottos. “Combined efforts, shared triumphs,” was one student’s idea of what the three communities could use to market themselves as one unit. “Heart of the Willamette Valley,” was another. About 20 different students in Jen Bracy’s [more…]
Campus & community

Portland-Based Showers Pass Sponsors Bike MS to Fight Multiple Sclerosis

Posted on January 27, 2015 758 views
By becoming an annual sponsor of Bike MS, the nation’s premier cycling fundraising series, Showers Pass brings together two of its greatest passions. Showers Pass has announced that it has signed on as an annual sponsor of the nonprofit National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The compelling vision of the National MS Society is easy to get behind: [more…]
Arts & culture

War and activism clash in WOU exhibits

Posted on January 18, 2015 733 views
The diverse nature of conflict and rebellion is on display at two of Western Oregon University’s Hamersly Library art exhibit spaces for several weeks. The Boycott exhibit is housed in the second floor and the Great War display is on the third floor of the building. Jerrie Lee Parpart, the library’s archives and exhibits coordinator, [more…]
Arts & culture

Multimedia-art exhibit at WOU through Feb. 6

Posted on January 15, 2015 674 views
“Work & More Work: Robert² / Fragments & Paper,” showcasing the mixed-media sculptures, drawings and installations of Robert Tomlinson and Robert Schlegel, is on exhibit through Feb. 6 at the Dan and Gail Cannon Gallery of Art at Western Oregon University, 345 N Monmouth Ave., Monmouth. The artists will speak about their work Friday, Jan. [more…]
Arts & culture

Turtle Island Quartet integrates jazz & classical music

Posted on January 11, 2015 700 views
When David Balakrishnan was 13, he saw a picture that changed his life. The photo showed Jerry Goodman of the jazz-rock band The Flock playing violin. Goodman’s hair dangled down his back past his waistline. It was the ’60s. Balakrishnan had been playing classical violin for four years. Goodman was playing music from India on [more…]
Arts & culture

World War I and social activism art exhibits at WOU

Posted on January 5, 2015 706 views
Two art exhibits will open Jan. 5 at Western Oregon University’s Hamersly Library, 345 N. Monmouth Ave., Monmouth. There will be a reception from 4:30-6 p.m. Jan. 14. “Reverberations of the Great War” is a traveling exhibit of posters and poetry presented by SirS, Inc. and the Library of Congress. It will be on exhibit [more…]
Arts & culture

WOU Professor Master Of Fake Fighting

Posted on December 17, 2014 690 views
MONMOUTH — He’s the last guy you’d want on your side in a bar fight, but the first you’d call to make sure no one got hurt on stage. “I can make it look like I’m totally kicking your (butt), but it’ll be completely safe,” said Ted deChatelet, adjunct professor of theater at Western Oregon [more…]
Education

Salem teacher wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Posted on December 12, 2014 714 views
The $25,000 surprise was written all over Julie Wojcicki-Cleave’s face. Sitting in a school assembly on Thursday, the Hallman Elementary School teacher thought state officials had stopped by for a political appearance. Then Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, told a gym packed with hundreds of students that a teacher [more…]
Arts & culture

Music legend returns to WOU

Posted on December 3, 2014 683 views
MONMOUTH — Legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint visits Monmouth Saturday night for a return performance as part of the Western Oregon University Smith Fine Arts Series. Toussaint, who appeared in Monmouth in June 2011 during the SFAS, will be joined onstage this time by the 35-piece Western Hemisphere Orchestra for the 7:30 p.m. concert [more…]
Campus & community

WOU succeeds but faces challenges

Posted on November 29, 2014 668 views
Western Oregon University can make a strong case for being the state’s best-run public university, but its future will hinge on two significant changes. One is the selection of a new president next year to succeed Mark Weiss, who is retiring. The other is the transition next summer to WOU’s having its own governing board, [more…]
Arts & culture

A Shining Star On The Stage

Posted on November 19, 2014 710 views
MONMOUTH — JennyLynn Dutrich moves around the set of “Death by Design” like she owns the stage. One would never guess she is completely blind in her left eye. “I can’t see hardly anything,” she said. “In my right eye, I can see pretty good, but not enough to legally drive, darn it!” Dutrich, 40, [more…]
Campus & community

The world crisis we’d rather ignore

Posted on November 13, 2014 705 views
I well remember my 1971 environmental physics class discussion of the greenhouse effect caused by global CO2 emissions and other gases. The concept is simple: Solar radiation enters the earth’s atmosphere but increasing levels of greenhouse gases hamper adequate cooling of our environment. From the beginning of the Industrial Age, Americans simply neglected to consider [more…]
Arts & culture

Witty Comedy Comes To WOU

Posted on November 12, 2014 699 views
MONMOUTH — What do you get when you mix eccentrics with a conservative politician, a liberal and a sleuthing Irish maid? “Death by Design,” a witty comedy whodunit by Rob Urbinati that takes audience members through two acts of mystery madness — a little heavier on the madness — as an English country house fills [more…]
Arts & culture | Student life

Fight Wolves, Fight!

Posted on October 29, 2014 821 views
MONMOUTH — For the first time in roughly 44 years, Western Oregon University once again has lyrics to its fight song, thanks to the efforts of Ike Nail. The lyrics have been on paper but unapproved for a few years, said Nail, associate professor of music and the band and orchestra director at WOU. The [more…]
Campus & community

Salem Police announce new deputy chief

Posted on October 16, 2014 721 views
The Salem Police Department announced the promotion of a new deputy chief Thursday. Lt. Skip Miller, who has served at the department for 17 years and has been in law enforcement since 1997, will be the department’s new deputy chief. Starting Nov. 3, Miller will lead the investigation division at the department, according to a [more…]
Arts & culture

Oregon poet laureate reading at WOU

Posted on October 9, 2014 673 views
Peter Sears, Oregon’s seventh poet laureate, will read at Western Oregon University at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Hamersly Library 107, Western Oregon University, 345 Monmouth Ave. N, Monmouth. He will be joined by special guest Dawn Diez Willis. One of Oregon’s most active poets, educators and literary advocates, Sears founded the Oregon Literary Coalition, [more…]
Arts & culture

Let Us Entertain You

Posted on October 8, 2014 737 views
MONMOUTH — This year’s Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series promises another season of world-class performances in Monmouth at Western Oregon University. “Judging from the phone calls I have received, folks are very excited about our season,” said Sandy Newland, program manager. “We have patrons coming all the way from Newport, Corvallis, Albany, McMinnville, Portland, [more…]
Education

WOU Program Earns 5-Star Rating

Posted on October 8, 2014 903 views 1 comment
MONMOUTH — Young Clementine Aldrich stops using her paintbrush on the canvas in front of her, choosing instead to paint her hand. Palms covered in purple, she proceeds to rub them all over the canvas, completely changing the feeling of her piece of art. As the canvas looks more and more like a blob of [more…]
Arts & culture

Ancient Art Comes To Area

Posted on October 1, 2014 763 views
INDEPENDENCE — In the Central High School gym, students move together — well, nearly altogether — on command. One, two, three. They are following directions from a sixth-generation Chinese martial arts Shun- style master, Hu Fang. “I was born in a Wushu family,” Fang, 34, said. “I am sixth generation of the family style. Our [more…]
Campus & community | Student life

City Has New Latino Liaison

Posted on September 30, 2014 683 views
INDEPENDENCE — When Kevin Salvador Alejandrez took the reins of Independence’s Latino outreach program on Sept. 2, he wasn’t quite sure where he would take the program. “It’s still kind of iffy I think,” he said. “I think right now what I’m planning on is taking what Elizabeth Calixtro (his predecessor) has left behind and [more…]
Arts & culture

WOU professor’s art on exhibit in Monmouth

Posted on September 5, 2014 696 views
“Fabric(s) of Memory — New Works by Paula Portinga Booth,” sponsored by the Ash Creek Arts Center, is on exhibit through Oct. 4 at the ACAC Gallery at MaMere’s New Orleans Bed and Breakfast, 212 Knox St. N, Monmouth. There will be a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18. Portinga Booth is a [more…]
Arts & culture

All That Jazz

Posted on August 13, 2014 737 views
MONMOUTH — Rifts drift through the halls. Every nook and cranny is filled with musicians, young and old, jamming together, practicing, learning from each other. Campers are sleep deprived, living, breathing music all day, every day during the annual Mel Brown Jazz Camp at Western Oregon University. During vocalist warmups on Thursday morning, teacher Sherry [more…]
Education

Reedsport grad is new schools chief in Salem

Posted on August 13, 2014 727 views
She started her new job as the superintendent of the Salem-Keizer School District on July 1. Before that, she was superintendent of the Dallas, Ore., School District for 10 years. And, back in her past, Christy Perry is a Reedsport graduate. Of course, she was known as Christy Grassl back then. “I graduated in 1984,” [more…]