SOU Expands Annual Showcase of Arts and Research

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Southern Oregon Arts and Research (SOAR) will Feature More Than 100 Academic Presentations, 15 Laboratory and Studio Open Houses, Live Performing Arts and a Student Film Festival
(Ashland, Ore.) Southern Oregon Arts and Research (SOAR), Southern Oregon University’s annual celebration of faculty and student research and artistic achievement, returns May 17-19 with several new features. This year the event will include an afternoon of live music and theatrical “Performances on the Green;” open houses in 15 scientific laboratories, art studios and special exhibits; plus a student film festival.
“I think members of the community will really enjoy touring the labs and studios,” says SOU provost James Klein. “Virtually every academic workshop on campus will be open to view this year.” Visitors who tour six or more of the labs and studios are eligible to enter their name in a drawing to win an iPad.
There will be free parking in the Mountain Avenue lot across from the Music Building. All SOAR presentations are free and open to the public. For a list of all SOAR presentations, visit www.sou.edu/soar.

DAY ONE

SOAR Opening Ceremonies are Tuesday, May 17 at noon in the Stevenson Union courtyard with speakers and music performances. At 1 p.m. a Celebration of Teaching will highlight educational innovations at SOU. That’s followed by laboratory and studio open houses from 3 to 5 p.m., a student film festival from 7 to 9 p.m. and a performance by the SOU Percussion Ensemble at 7:30 p.m.
A highlight of the open houses will be the Anthropology Lab display of recent archaeological excavations in Bandon and on the grounds of the Peter Britt homestead in Jacksonville. Among the items on display will be a print from a nineteenth century glass plate negative uncovered during the Jacksonville excavation. The image is believed to be of one of Peter Britt’s paintings, and is reminiscent of his mountain home of Obstalden, Switzerland.

Lab and Studio Open Houses:

  • Anthropology – Taylor Hall 230
  • Art Studios – Center for the Visual Arts
  • Biotechnology Center – Science 160
  • Chemistry – Science, 2nd floor
  • Computer Science – Data Center, Computing Services West, 116A
  • Costume Shop – Theatre Arts 115
  • Digitizing Lab – Hannon Library 231
  • Digital Media Gallery – Hannon Library 120
  • Distance Learning – Hannon Library 321
  • Geospatial Computer Lab – Taylor 102
  • Jefferson Public Radio – Central Hall 022
  • Nursing Simulation Learning Center – Britt Hall 112
  • Rogue Valley Community Television – 1525 Webster Street
  • Set Design – Theatre Arts
  • Special Library Collections – Hannon Library 209

DAY TWO

University Seminar presentations by freshmen and sophomores are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, May 18 in the Stevenson Union and Meese Room of the Hannon Library. The SOAR music and theatre “Performances on the Green” are 1 to 3 p.m. under a tent on the grass between the Stevenson Union and Britt Hall. Among the performers is vocalist and SOU student Beatriz Abella from Juneau, Alaska, Grand winner of this year’s National Young Musician’s Showcase Competition, who is performing Saturday, April 30 at Carnegie Hall. The University’s yearlong theme “On Being Human” will be showcased from 4 to 6 p.m. with a panel discussion entitled “Human Expression and Creativity.” Panelists include Professor Paul French, Music; Professor Miles Inada, Art; and Associate Professor Kasey Mohammed, Creative Writing.

DAY THREE

Thursday, May 19, highlights more than 100 academic presentations by faculty and students. Among the presentations is “Nineteenth Century Philanthropy: Exploring Personal, Professional and Political Gains,” by SOU student Robin Kigel. Also scheduled is “Benefit-Cost Analysis of Creation of the Siskiyou Crest National Monument” by student Kyle Pate, and “Planning for an Earthquake Along the Cascadia Subduction Zone” by student Jennifer Reeves.
Also scheduled Thursday, May 19, is a demonstration of a replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Cam Hammer,” built by students of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the SOU campus, and funded by the National Science Foundation.
In all, more than 200 students and SOU faculty members are participating in SOAR in 2011.