English Program's spooky story contest is underway

Thirteen words to haunt and terrify in English Program’s spooky writing contest

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How scary can a sentence be? Participants in this year’s 13-Word Scary Story Contest are trying to find out.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the Ashland community are encouraged to submit up to two entries each in the English Program’s challenge. The rules are simple; the entries must be exactly 13 words, and must also be scary. The deadline for the short stories is Oct. 16 and should be sent to Margaret Perrow via email.

Last year, Peter Doolin was picked in blind judging by English Program faculty as the winner with his entry, “In the mirror, a set of eyes stare back that aren’t my own.” Just like last year, the winner of the 2019 contest will get a $50 gift card, while the runner up will receive a $25 gift card.

The two winning entries and a selection of runners-up will also be published on SOU News. Check out last year’s selected stories here.

While this may only be the second year the English department has asked for spooky short stories, the program is no stranger to contests. Ever since one of its faculty members read an article about public literary displays in 2016, the English Program has been hosting literary contests.

Their first foray into writing challenges was a six-word story contest with an autumn theme. Now their 13-Word Scary Story Contest is turning into a tradition, much like the poetry contest they host each spring. Winners of that contest also receive gift cards, and the writer of the first-place submission is invited to be a featured reader in the English Program’s annual poetry-reading event.

The English Program’s mission – which it promotes through its writing contests – is to encourage a love of words, language and literature (regardless of how many words it takes).

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer

Students working in Digital Cinema degree program

Digital Cinema promo makes it to silver screen

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A video created by SOU students to promote the university’s new Digital Cinema degree program will screen before films at Coming Attractions Theatre locations across Oregon, northern California, Washington and Alaska.

“You’re always excited when your students’ work gets screened,” said Professor Andrew Gay, the program coordinator of Digital Cinema. “Usually that’s in film festivals … this is the widest audience any SOU production has ever had.”

The pre-show promo will be shown at 18 theaters, including the Varsity Theatre in Ashland, between Oct. 11 and Dec. 31. The promotion was an entirely free show of support for the Digital Cinema major from Coming Attractions.

“(The promo) was a lot of really hard work,” said Sophia Miller, an SOU alumnus who directed numerous segments of the promo. “It helped a lot of people bond across departments.”

The video was created by SOU students attending Gay’s class. He wrote the script for the promotion but the rest of the production – camera operation, acting, editing, visual effects, etc. – was handled entirely by SOU students.

“I didn’t know that (the promo would be shown in theaters). That’s really exciting because a lot of people will get to see the work we did, and it’ll bring more students to SOU and to the program,” Miller said.

The Digital Cinema degree was introduced earlier this year, and focuses on pairing traditional film school experiences with education about new forms of video media and the teaching of innovative problem-solving techniques. Learn more about the Digital Cinema degree at www.sou.edu/digital-cinema.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer

Third annual observance of Indigenous Peoples Day at SOU

SOU celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day

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Southern Oregon University’s third annual Indigenous Peoples Day observance will take place between Sunday, Oct. 13 and Monday, Oct. 14.

The events start off with a film festival at South Medford High between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival is free and open to the public, and – like the other events the following day – is designed to celebrate the survival of Native American/Indigenous cultures and to encourage decolonization activism.

The film festival is just the start, however, as Monday is packed with free events, starting with a salmon bake. The salmon bake, situated in the Stevenson Union courtyard between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., will feature food, activities, performances and guest speakers.

The festivities continue with the Intergenerational Activism Panel between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Stevenson Union Rogue River Room. Afterward, a Decolonization Celebration will be held in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Courtyard Stage between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Throughout the day the OSF campus will host a Native plays exhibit in the Black Swan Theatre. This celebration of OSF’s Native American and Indigenous plays will conclude in the Thomas Theatre at 8 p.m. with a showing of “Between Two Knees” by the 1491s. Tickets, which can be purchased online, will have a special price for Native/Indigenous students.

The SOU community overwhelmingly decided to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day in June of 2017, making SOU one of several universities, seven states and over 100 U.S. cities to observe the holiday. It is typically celebrated on the second Monday of October, which the U.S. has observed as the federal Columbus Day holiday since 1937. Oregon and at least 16 other states do not recognize Columbus Day as a holiday.

No classes at SOU are canceled for Indigenous Peoples Day, but the occasion is observed through special programming and events.

SOU’s celebration of Indigenous Peoples doesn’t end on the 14th, as the Schneider Museum of Art will be housing a solo exhibition of Victor Maldonado between Oct. 24 and Dec. 14.

SOU’s Indigenous Peoples Day is sponsored by numerous SOU departments and student organizations as well as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Red Earth Descendants and the city of Ashland.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer

Flu shots are available at Health and Wellness Fair

Health care, raffles, and flu shots at SOU’s annual Health and Wellness Fair

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SOU’s annual Health and Wellness Fair will be in the Stevenson Union Arena on Monday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Human Resources encourages all employees to participate in the once-a-year fair. Along with meeting representatives from health care organizations such as Providence, Willamette Dental and Fidelity, SOU employees will be able to enter a raffle to win items from vendors by participating in the fair’s flu shot clinic.

The flu shot clinic is a partnership between SOU and Rite-Aid, and vaccines will be administered free while supplies last to employees currently covered under an SOU medical insurance plan. Those who submit a Rite-Aid Screening and Consent Form by Friday, Oct. 4 will be prioritized for flu shots.

All who attend the Health and Wellness Fair will have the chance to enter the raffle. 

Changes to 2020 health care plans have been announced ahead of the Health and Wellness Fair, including Willamette Dental’s implant surgery annual maximums and Providence’s coverage of varicose vein surgery. More coverage changes and information on the fair in general can be found at HR’s Open Enrollment page.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer