The Southern Oregon Arts & Research conference invites you to be a part of our 10th anniversary, celebrating our journey through the decade. Visit sou.edu/soar for more information.
SOU Student Life hosts an interactive “Box Walk” with approximately 20 large boxes of various shapes stationed around campus throughout SOAR Week, representing each Student Life Resource Center or department with bold and colorful messaging about what services the Centers offer.
Film trailers by Adam Borrego and Imogen Straub: Carrie Avis is an independent young woman working her way up at a new job in the big city, but when you’ve got an overbearing boss, crazy friends, and a chance at true love—things might just get a little out of hand! See the creators present this film on Wednesday, May 17.
Multimedia project by Andres Rivero. A projection of internet traffic in the local area including a VR experience that, like a viewport into the unreadable data ocean flying by, allows people to visualize all the data logs and information into simple animated images.
Painting by Taylor Blomquist. Acrylic on canvas. The dragon, moon, and ever changing sky represent how the past, present, and future affect our dreams.
This essay and project provides research and arguments about the usage and values of art in our modern society. With there being major cultural shifts over the last decade with all the technological growth, Samuel Schrott talks about the DIY movement seen in the United States over the last decade, and dives into the issues of craft and craftsmanship being forgotten about and taken for granted.
Researchers are beginning to recognize what traditional cultures have long understood—to dance is to learn, but many teachers feel ill-equipped to incorporate movement into their classes. Rural teachers rarely have access to movement curricula, and available online content does not reflect the cultural contexts of rural and Indigenous students. This study describes a teacher in a rural Alaska Native village using Your Classroom Dance Teacher, a movement-based learning tool delivered via video.
International Studies is an interdisciplinary major that prepares students for engagement in the wider world as global citizens beyond national boundaries. This year's presentations: explore the impact of foreign aid in developing countries; provide a critical analysis of international NGOs; describe the relation of music to social change and revolution; and trace the evolution of language diversity.
This presentation explores the relationships between emotional intelligence and intimacy. With emotional intelligence comes the availability to be intimate, but what are the dimensions of intimacy? This exploration will touch on various factors that influence intimacy, emotional intelligence, and the effects on human behavior.
The Raider Alternative Break (RAB) program at SOU offers immersive, direct-service experiences for students in the region, nation, and abroad. At the foundation of alternative breaks is the goal of creating active citizens, who prioritize community in their life values and decisions. Want to learn more, or interested in getting involved? Stop by to hear from past student leaders and participants on what we've been up to in the past year.
A presentation by students in the course Feminist and Queer Theory in Action about The Bodylogues, an activist project that utilized feminist and queer theoretical perspectives to create social change.
Is cryonics a safe and possible means for prolonging human life? If cryonics becomes a fully functional method of life prolongation, people of a future generation who suffer from diseases will be able to stop their aging processes until a cure for their disease is uncovered. The argument is whether this science is even worth studying since it is primarily based on theory and goes against many religions. However, cryonics is worth considering, as it could double the human lifespan.
The purpose of this panel is to discuss the role the media plays in how we make decisions, specifically for millennials. Every day we are exposed to massive amounts of digital information through social media channels. This panel will deal with the various forms of media we are exposed to, and what we can do to use it as a tool to empower a society of peace, rather than be used by it.
Green House 103 students will be presenting current research and literature on a variety of topics including waste-to-energy, recycling, and composting systems.
A SOAN Capstone presentation on art as a tool for youth empowerment at the Kids Unlimited school in Medford. A mural project undertaken during the after-school program focused on social justice and community conversation. How can we integrate art into programs to amplify youth voices and start conversations about critical thinking and community reflection?
SOU Student Life hosts an interactive “Box Walk” with approximately 20 large boxes of various shapes stationed around campus throughout SOAR Week, representing each Student Life Resource Center or department with bold and colorful messaging about what services the Centers offer.
Multimedia project by Andres Rivero. A projection of internet traffic in the local area including a VR experience that, like a viewport into the unreadable data ocean flying by, allows people to visualize all the data logs and information into simple animated images.
Painting by Taylor Blomquist. Acrylic on canvas. The dragon, moon, and ever changing sky represent how the past, present, and future affect our dreams.
The Green Fund, ran by the Environmental Affairs Committee, is a funding source for sustainable projects that will be implemented on the SOU campus. This presentation will highlight and provide information for all of the projects that the Green Fund has approved since the start of the Green Fund. Come learn details about these sustainability projects, as well as details and the successes of each project.
By converting to 100% renewable energy, the U.S. would save money in the long run, create jobs, have a cleaner environment, and stabilize energy prices. This research will use information gathered from peer reviewed sources. Technologically and economically, the U.S. is capable of making and benefiting from the transition, but there are social and political barriers that prevent this from happening.
We invite you to join the SOU Landscape Team on a pollinator and wildlife habitat walk through the campus interior where you can learn about all the ways we are stewards of our environment. On the walk, you will have the opportunity to see firsthand many varieties of pollinators, birds, squirrels, deer, fungi, lykens, plants, trees, and more. We encourage questions and interaction with the outdoor environment. Meets in the small SU courtyard on University Way.
Come join the Black Student Union for pork ribs, chicken legs, potato salad, corn on the cobb, and baked beans. Plates combos range from $5-8. Cash or check only.
This presentation will analyze previous research done on soldiers during WWI (Shell Shock), WWII (Battle Fatigue), and into Vietnam (PTSD) moving forward. This presentation will focus on the effects that these combat disorders had on military training, battles, and operating procedures throughout the 20th century. The 20th century brought, with its technological progress, deadly new tactical and psychological problems into warfare, and it deserves to be analyzed for its historical context.
Is the world ready for AI to make ethical decisions? Self-driving cars will soon have to choose whether to save the lives of pedestrians or the lives of their passengers. Would you trust your car to choose whether you live or die? Preliminary conclusions indicate that the world is not ready for AI to be ethical. Without an ethical framework to guide both researchers and the AI they work on, lives will be lost and it will be difficult to hold anyone accountable.
In fall 2016, 15 faculty members participated in a four-day, three-night writing retreat. This retreat stemmed from a writing group who met weekly, following the book How to Write a Journal Article in 12 Weeks. We will share what we learned, including tools on how to incorporate scholarship/writing in our busy schedules.
Fashion is a communication message! The Comm faculty will show you where communication meets fashion: Fashion as Parenting Philosophy in “Highly Sought After: A Babywearing Documentary” by Andrew Gay; Nude Girl Standing: The Politics of Gender in Richard Avedon's Fashion Photography by Erik Palmer; The Life of a Fashion Magazine Intern: Getting Paid in Parties and Prada by Precious Yamaguchi; On Superfandom, Cosplay, and Drag: The Evolution Jet City Princess by Alena Ruggerio. Emcee Garth Pittman.
Mental health is a topic often not talked about until tragedy strikes, and is indeed a public health concern. In the spirit of prevention, how can we engage children and youth in activities that promote their mental, emotional, and physical well-being? Physical activity interventions for mental health are a promising frontier in modern research.
Do microorganisms affect human behavior in relation to the diet provided? This question is significant because everyone has microorganisms that interact with food in the stomach. Should the research show positive correlation to the topic, it would mean that a healthy diet is important to mental health. Many of the sources in this presentation are peer-reviewed with the topic having no clear counter-argument at this time. The preliminary conclusion reached is that a healthy diet promotes mental health.
While the cities of Europe were dark mazes of narrow and irregular streets in the early 16th century, Tenochtitlan was already a well-structured and organized metropolis. After the Iberians established their empire in the Americas, they wanted the cities of New Spain to be embodiments of Renaissance ideals, which they accomplished in part through the application of the Vitruvian gridiron. This presentation tracks the development of the grid system in Mexico City up until the 18th century.
Two capstone presentations discuss the portrayal of women in Latinx plays and in Mexican film. Presentation and discussion in Spanish: Ni aquí ni allá: el espacio liminal de ser inmigrante latina en tres obras por Dolores Prida by Heather Buchanan; Entre inmovilidad y una situación límite: La condición social de las mujeres a través de su movilidad en el cine mexicano by Kyanna Kuriyama.
This research will describe how the child's neurological development is impacted from multiple kinds of abuse experienced by the child. Furthermore, it explains how various types of maltreatment can lead into adulthood, affecting the individual in many ways.
A lecture on studies regarding the benefits of choral and communal singing. Myers will present findings from his own research of two different singing groups, as well as discuss the psychological and social benefits of group singing. He will touch on his future research, which will be concerned with educational components of learning music in public schools and the impact that musical study has on students, from social behaviors to scholastic aptitude in other subjects.
Come by this open house preview of presentation posters representing a wide variety of disciplines and topics. Please click here to see descriptions of all the poster presentations and the names of all the presenters.
An examination of the costs and benefits of attending college from a labor market perspective. Key findings suggest that given the changes within the labor market, graduate success is largely determined by the socioeconomic features of the student and the college they attend. Kamrar argues that structural changes have created a labor mismatch, resulting in increased inequality between graduates and non-graduates; and colleges should employ practices that promote access to skilled labor.
Part of the “Sense of Place” Symposium, focused on the theme of places, problems, and solutions. Four students will be reading their I Remember poems out loud. I Remember is a style of writing in which each sentence begins with "I remember," followed by a memory.
Using data from a campus needs and readiness assessment, a strong grounding in best practices, and evidence-based programming, this group presents a strategy for the prevention of sexual assault at SOU.
This presentation demonstrates the ways in which the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides protections to colonizer states, and suggests revisions to UNDRIP derived from Tribal Critical Race Theory.
In fall 2016, SOAN 407: Immigration, Race, and Nationality was piloted with a 20-hour practicum component. The faculty member and students will present on this experience and offer suggestions for faculty who wish to incorporate service learning in their own courses.
Presenting The Better Half, a short film taking aim at the tropes and clichés of modern romantic comedies. Written/directed by Straub and produced by Borrego, the goal was to produce a brief but highly-polished piece of satire.
Students participating in the Skeptic House Seminar will present the topic of mass hysteria. They will utilize subject matter from the course that exemplifies this phenomenon, including: The Crucible, Reefer Madness, Safford Unified School District v. Redding (strip searches for ibuprofen), Morse v. Frederick (Bong Hits 4 Jesus banner), Pleasantville, and Satanic Panic Rock. They will analyze these examples in terms of Virtue, Vice, Power-Struggle, and Institutional Punishment.
SOAN 461: "Creating and Negating God" presents a contemplation of quantitative research on the Muslim Community in Southwest Oregon, including interviews and discourse surrounding this subject and population. This snapshot of Islam, as practiced in the Rogue Valley and at SOU, comes forth during a tumultuous time in political policy; our research includes aspects pertaining to Trump's travel ban and the current climate surrounding Islam as a religion in the Rogue Valley and in the U.S.
Annual trivia competition hosted by the Honors College. There will be snacks! Trivia teams of no more than four can compete to win $25 each to the SOU Bookstore!
SOU Student Life hosts an interactive “Box Walk” with approximately 20 large boxes of various shapes stationed around campus throughout SOAR Week, representing each Student Life Resource Center or department with bold and colorful messaging about what services the Centers offer.
Multimedia project by Andres Rivero. A projection of internet traffic in the local area including a VR experience that, like a viewport into the unreadable data ocean flying by, allows people to visualize all the data logs and information into simple animated images.
Painting by Taylor Blomquist. Acrylic on canvas. The dragon, moon, and ever changing sky represent how the past, present, and future affect our dreams.
Have you ever wondered how our brains process pitches and interpret them as music, or how we can tell the sound of a piano apart from a guitar? Mathematics and music theory combined can explain many of these puzzles. This presentation will give an accessible overview of basic topics in acoustics, music theory, and music cognition—including the properties of the overtone series, the development of tuning systems, and the cognition of rhythm and pitch.
The purpose of this anthology is to bring forth Social Justice themes from real life and incorporate them into the genres of poetry and storytelling. We have appropriated well known stories for our storytelling section and highlighted the often dark, but always present, Social Justice themes. In addition, the book includes reflections on our community service projects, meant to move our classroom discussions into action.
A descriptive essay about a place the author considers their home, including a partner piece to the essay that explains the title, Beef, Bean and Cheese. Part of the “Sense of Place” Symposium, focused on the theme of places, problems, and solutions.
Come by this open house preview of presentation posters representing a wide variety of disciplines and topics. Please click here to see descriptions of all the poster presentations and the names of all the presenters.
3 Brain-Healthy foods will be highlighted in a hands-on presentation: The making of seitan (wheat gluten), Greek Yogurt, and Kombucha will be demonstrated. A description of the MIND diet and the research that has shown how certain foods can lower risk of Alzheimer's disease will be highlighted.
This group of University Seminar students will showcase a variety of projects they have been working on over the past two terms. Displays will include posters and art, and performances will include skits, scene performances, poetry, and song.
Part of the “Sense of Place” Symposium, focused on the theme of places, problems, and solutions. For this USem course, students have been working on research papers that focus on a problem in a section of the world that they believe is important. The research also looks into how those problems can be solved. Topics include: Gun Control in the U.S., Drought in Somalia, Violence against Women in India, Overpopulation of Orphans in Vietnam, State Laws Prohibiting Adoption by Same-Sex Parents, The Legacy of the Vietnam War in Vietnam, and the Undervaluing of Craftsmanship in the U.S.
Oral presentations by USem students on several issues in medical ethics: “The Ethics of Using the Gas Chamber for State Executions," "Intersex Newborns and Children: The Ethics of Deciding Gender," "The Ethics of In Vitro Fertilization," “'Designer Babies': The Ethics of Using Gene Editing Technology on Non-Medical Traits in Human Embryos,” and “The Ethics of Terminating Life Support.”
A large canvas will be displayed with free art supplies to create a representation of SOU's definition of solidarity as a whole. Anyone is free to come and illustrate how they define solidarity, and the combinational art piece made by these definitions will be publicly displayed by the Queer Resource Center.
Enjoy grilled burgers, brats, and more (while supplies last) and support the Community of Recovery in Education at SOU. CORE supports and promotes the academic success, recovery, and well-being of SOU students recovering from addiction by providing an authentic student-centered community and robust support services.
SOU students and employees display and discuss projects from a variety of academic disciplines and extracurricular topics. Please click here to see descriptions of all the poster presentations and the names of all the presenters.
In 1933, Einstein objected to quantum mechanics at the Solvay Conference in Belgium, claiming it required "spooky action at a distance." His objection stood unanswered until 1980, when the Bell Inequality was experimentally verified. This talk could be subtitled: How the Hippies Saved Quantum Physics!
Two works that combine electronic sounds and the horn, which was presented at the Northwest Horn Conference, April 2, 2017. This is a combined faculty and student project. Cynthia is the performer on the horn. Mark Jacobs is the composer who speaks about the music. Music major, Darby Spence runs the electronics.
The Office of International Programs (OIP) serves SOU students, staff, faculty and the general public through international student advising, study away opportunities in the U.S. and overseas, passport application assistance, and more. Come learn about our services and the international possibilities awaiting you!
Senior English majors present capstone projects related to teaching and learning in K-12 language arts classrooms. This session also includes a series of short, creative presentations by students in ENG472, "Introductory Methods in Teaching Writing."
Discussing the similarities between the creation of Israel for the Holocaust survivors who were left homeless after WWII, and the homeless today in our country who need to be provided assistance and support so that they can live free and independent lives.
This presentation will be about the dark side of Australia, specifically the issues between the natives of Australia and the foreigners that took Australia by force and brutality.
Should youth contact sports be banned due to the rise of concussions? Around 45 million kids participate in a sport; with a high level of youth athletes comes an equally high chance of injury. In the research, evidence from peer edited journals about concussions and sports related head trauma in youth are used. The preliminary conclusion is that youth contact sports should be banned for children under the age of 12, because of the short term and long term effects on the brain from concussions.
Two monologues and a soliloquy from William Shakespeare's Richard III divided among four actors. Each actor portrays a different aspect of Richard's personality: the Richard who loves himself, the Richard who hates himself, the Richard who fears himself, and the core Richard.
Using Stephen Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, along with multiple contemporary and modern sources from a variety of fields, this presentation will showcase the argument of Meador’s final research paper for winter term's ENG 301 class. The paper is a conversation about the importance of the development and expression of sexual desire as it relates to the formation of individual identity. It presents a feminist discourse regarding Crane's novella that is challenging, engaging, and unique.
Most people have some understanding of their emotions and the emotions of others, but few learn how to adapt effectively to those emotions. This presentation uses Aristotle's idea of balanced virtues and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to provide a framework for becoming a more balanced leader, who is able to adapt and react effectively, regardless of the circumstances.
Presented by the SOU School of Business Certificate in Interactive Marketing and e-Commerce and Interactive Marketing Partners. Panel discussing the latest interactive marketing and e-commerce practices and employment opportunities.
A concert of the music, art, and poetry of American maverick composer Lou Harrison, featuring works for percussion, prepared piano, voice, viola, and gamelan.
Multimedia project by Andres Rivero. A projection of internet traffic in the local area including a VR experience that, like a viewport into the unreadable data ocean flying by, allows people to visualize all the data logs and information into simple animated images.
Painting by Taylor Blomquist. Acrylic on canvas. The dragon, moon, and ever changing sky represent how the past, present, and future affect our dreams.
SOU Student Life hosts an interactive “Box Walk” with approximately 20 large boxes of various shapes stationed around campus throughout SOAR Week, representing each Student Life Resource Center or department with bold and colorful messaging about what services the Centers offer.
The last four Master in Management students present the findings of business research projects to complete their capstone coursework. Four PowerPoint briefings to share the findings of individual research topics, and survey results from Rogue Credit Union members, Women's Conference participants, the Housing Authority of Jackson County, and current and former U.S. Army officers.
What is the lingering damage of sexual secrets? Can shame be inherited? Using Family Systems and Attachment Theories, this presentation will focus on cultural stigma, family shame, and challenges to love. The presenter's new memoir about her father's secret gay life will be used as a heuristic case study. The presentation will appeal to anyone who is keeping a sexual secret or grew up with one. The presenter has written five books on the subject of sexual shame and offers healing strategies.
This symposium with Environmental Science & Policy capstone students presents the findings and accomplishments of environmental research and applied environmental projects.
Describing an undergraduate research experience, including field sampling at Crater Lake National Park along with laboratory work at SOU’s Biotechnology Center and the Microbiology lab.
The Emerging Media Convention (EMCon) is an annual digital media convention driven by the goal of preparing creative art students for life after SOU. Emcon’s annual “Creators Alley” is the highlight of the convention, where students of EMDA, Creative Arts, Business/Marketing, and Film showcase their work. EMCon’s goal is to bring SOU students and alumni, individuals in the digital media industry, and businesses together in one space in order to foster collaboration.
This presentation will be conducted by the Polynesian Education Conference steering committee. It will cover the various perspectives and struggles that come along with the westernization of various Polynesian countries. It also analyzes the effects that westernization continues to have on Polynesian countries, at both the state and territorial levels.
A science-based exploration of the entheogenic experience of ayahuasca, a concoction brewed from two plants native to South America that shamans have used for thousands of years for healing and spiritual insight. Forbidden in the U.S., except when used under religious license, ayahuasca is a psychoactive tea with many biomedical and psychological health benefits.
This talk focuses on the application of GIS and Geospatial Technologies for detecting suitable sites for growing grapes in the Pacific North West region of the United States, especially the State of Oregon. The idea is to provide an overview of the major factors that contribute to the growth and development of grapes. Consequently, various regions of the state will be evaluated based on their vineyard potential.
This presentation takes a look at whether victim-blaming biases play a role in the recollection of words in a fictional story depicting sexual assault. The presentation uses student responses to a word list with victim-blaming trigger words such as "alcohol" or "short skirt" to assess the impact on memory and analyze our societies tendencies to blame victims of sexual assault. The presentation will break down the responses by gender.
Children don't have proper access to comprehensive sex education to navigate in safe and responsible ways. This presentation will assess juveniles’ involvement in sexual offenses, compare the current local sex education programs by evaluating the liberal model of the Ashland School District versus the more traditional and conservative model of the Medford School District, and provide support for the idea that a strong education system can help deter sexual offenses from taking place.
Relaxation time as a measurement tool has not been explored as an indicator of life satisfaction in parents. Camdon Engelbach wrote a multiple regression analysis survey to further explore life satisfaction. It's important for parents to maintain positive life satisfaction, as a large part is transferred to children; children absorb behavior.
Join us! The Farm grows food for the SOU community. Help with seeding in the greenhouse, planting in the fields and other farm projects. Provide great help to the Farm and have some good community time. Come anytime between 1:30 and 4:30.
How are conscious community agreements communicated, enshrined, ritualized, and enacted in intentional communities? Through ongoing exploratory ethnographic fieldwork and analysis, Eddie Lee will present an exposé of what Conscious Community entails, what it means for individuals and society to organize accordingly, as well as provide Lee’s latest findings on ongoing research.
Bakken discusses her art practice and past and current bodies of work. Her work centers around printmaking and concepts of public land use, and the natural landscape influenced by her personal experiences.
Opiates have become the most abused drug in the United States. In 2014, the State of Oregon had a prescription opioid death rate of 4.23 per 100,000. Jackson County, Oregon had a rate of 6.06 prescription opioid deaths in 2014. This group will present a program proposal about the effects of abusing prescription opioids in Jackson County, OR and the need for action!
The Next Best Thing is one of the improv troupes here at SOU, and they will be performing "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" style games. All of their content is completely improvised with the help of some audience suggestions.
Hawkins studied abroad in Ireland last fall, and traveled Northern Europe alone for three weeks prior to meeting the study abroad program. Hawkins is a Creative Writing BFA major and wrote creative pieces to describe these experiences while abroad, and also just small moments of life. This presentation is for those wanting to study abroad, travel, or reflect on moments of being human.
Cap off SOAR Week with some fun and friendly competition, hosted by the Queer Student Union and Raider Recreation. Quidditch is a Harry Potter-themed sport that invites all levels of competition! Muggles welcome!
