UHDS News

View the video at the source: KVAL TV, Apr. 3, 2013.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Jay Perry knew he wanted to be a chef at a young age.

“When I was 18, I saw the chef at a hotel I was in,” said Perry, chef at Oregon State University Marketplace West Dining Center. “The chef was 34 years old, and back then all chefs wore all white. Just that look that respect when he walked through the kitchen, I said to myself, ‘That’s what I’m going to be.’”

Perry wears the white chef coat at OSU – and earns respect through competition. Chef Jay took home silver from the National Association of College and University Food Services competition in Reno, Nevada.

“It kind of bridges a gap between the university and the housing and dining of just understanding that we’re here representing the school as well when we are doing these competitions,” Perry said. “It’s not always about football and basketball and baseball, but cooking is a part of the university as well.”

For a chef at Oregon State, the competition’s choice of protein – duck – was a feast fit for a Beaver.

Winning awards means a lot, but Perry sees cooking for college students as part of the larger mission of the university.

“Eating is an essential part of their education,” he said. “To eat right is good for the mind, it’s good for the body, it’s good for the spirit, so when we are giving them good food and giving them good options, it keeps them happy, it keeps them focused on what they come here for: to get an education.”

As your Winter Term is winding down, please be aware of the following dates and information:

End of Term and Check-out: All halls and cooperatives, with the exception of Bloss, Finley, Halsell, Buxton, Cauthorn, Hawley, Poling, Sackett, the International Living-Learning Center and West will close at Noon (12pm) on Friday, March 22. Students should plan to vacate their Residence Hall or Cooperative House within 24 hours of their last exam. Students with late Friday final exams or travel circumstances are allowed to extend their stay no later than noon the following day, Saturday, March 23. Students needing to stay over Friday night due to these reasons must make arrangements to stay late, which is done through the “Late Stay” link on their MyUHDS account (https://myuhds.oregonstate.edu/) and contacting their Resident Director or Cooperative Director by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 20. UHDS staff will be doing health and safety checks of every room to ensure rooms are free of safety issues like waste in the trash, windows left open, or appliances plugged in (curling irons, extension cords, etc.). To be most prepared for these checks please see the checklist below. If you want to be present for your room check, contact your Resident Assistant, Cooperative Director or Resident Director to schedule a room check.

Break Housing: Residents assigned to open halls (the ones listed above) may remain in their rooms during the break if they sign up for break housing. The deadline to sign up for Spring Break housing is 5pm on Wednesday, March 20 and can be done through the “Break Housing” link on their MyUHDS account (https://myuhds.oregonstate.edu/). A weekly rate of $126 will be assessed for break housing. If you are an INTO OSU student, this charge is already included in your housing rate.

Returning to Campus: Residence Halls and Cooperative Houses open for Spring Term at 9am on Sunday, March 31.

Questions: Please contact your Resident Assistant, Cooperative Director, Resident Director or Service Center if you have any questions. You can also contact our main office at 541-737-4771 throughout the break. Please have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break!

Leaving for break checklist:

1. Securely close and LOCK all windows.

2. Pull all blinds/drapes into a closed position.

3. Open heater valve. The valve should be turned to the left.

4. Unplug all electrical devices, including computers, hair dryers, curling irons/straighteners, holiday lights.

5. Unplug, defrost and remove all perishable items from your refrigerator.

6. Remove all garbage and recycling and dispose of it in the outside bins. There will be a $45 charge if staff have to remove garbage from your room.

7. Remove any fire hazards.

8. Turn off clock radios and alarms.

9. Take trays, dishes, etc. back to the dining centers.

10. Turn off all lights.

11. Return any “extra” furniture to the place of origin. Failure to do so will result in conduct action being taken and possible fines.

12. Lock your door behind you as you leave.

13. Take your keys and student ID card home with you. Remember to bring them back so you can get into your room.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s Nutrition and Dietetics Club is celebrating National Nutrition Month this March with a two-day event in the Memorial Union Quad.

This year’s theme of “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day” encourages personalized healthy eating styles that include lifestyle and cultural and ethnic traditions when creating balanced meals.

OSU’s Nutrition and Dietetics Club is teaming up with Be Well on March 5-6 for the two-day event, which will feature games, prizes, free food, and tips on how to stay healthy from guests representing Bob’s Red Mill, First Alternative Co-op, Wild Squirrel Nut Butters, and Food@OSU.

“This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about their personal nutrition and reflect on goals related to it while engaging with on-campus nutritional professionals and discovering services to help them achieve their goals,” said Lynn Cordes, a registered dietician with Student Health Services. “The Nutrition and Dietetics Club puts meticulous thought and planning into this event every year and it is reflected in the excitement and fun atmosphere found at National Nutrition Month at OSU.”

Read more.

Dear Campus Colleagues,

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is pleased to announce it is now offering after-hours crisis counseling services. To access a counselor anytime, all students need to do is call our main number, 541-737-2131.

We recognized that students often face urgent concerns that are too overwhelming to wait for a scheduled appointment.  Therefore, we have worked to identify a resource that will serve our students when we are closed — after hours, weekends, holidays, and other times we cannot be open.

When students access our after hours service, they will speak to licensed, mental health counselors who will assess the students’ level of concern, identify appropriate interventions to de-escalate the crisis, plan for safety, and help the students get connected to resources that will help them long-term. In addition, the mental health professionals will be able to work with our campus personnel to assure that students in who are at great risk of harming themselves or others receive immediate assistance.

As always, students can see a CAPS counselor on a same-day basis for a first-time appointment or for urgent care during our regular business hours, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  We begin taking appointments at 8:30 AM, and students can simply call 541-737-2131 to schedule.

We hope that you will assist us in spreading the word about this new service, and will feel free to encourage students you are working with to use it if they are struggling with their mental health.

For more information, check out the CAPS website.

[Daily Barometer -- Feb. 20, 2013] — Most have heard the term “social justice” before but may not realize how important it is for the health and well-being of our diverse campus. Social justice refers to equality and solidarity found in society.
Jesseanne Pope, a junior majoring in student affairs with a focus on social justice, has experience with this topic in her role as community relations facilitator.

As a live-in social justice and diversity educator in the Oregon State University residence halls, she has spent this year interacting with new students, encouraging campus involvement and promoting informative events about social justice, diversity and identity.

Pope’s enthusiastic interest in social justice issues began through the lens of women’s issues, such as reproductive rights, equal pay and sexual violence.

“I value humanity and think that most people nowadays have drifted far from the core meaning of humanity,” Pope said.

Pope recently attended the Social Justice Real Justice Conference from Feb. 14-16 at the University of Oregon.

According to the website, the conference had goals to “promote personal growth, leadership development, cultural pluralism, community education, positive social change and the ending of human oppression by exploring ways to mobilize and organize.”

Students led the conference with a focus on leadership and cultural openness. Additionally, the conference focused on issues related to women, ethnicity and LGBT rights.

Read the full article here.

[Life@OSU, Feb. 20, 2013] — Oregon State University dining centers and shops benefited from a little expertise from Cornell last week when Kathryn Hoy of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs came for a visit. Hoy was invited by the Moore Family Center and the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, as well as the Be Well Healthy Eating committee.

An expert on how layout, design and product placement affect the healthy eating habits of children, Hoy was able to provide input to UHDS, MU and student health services representatives on a number of campus eateries and stores, which they may be able to incorporate into changes that will increase the sales of more nutritious food items.

Hoy works with Brian Wansink at Cornell, who has done landmark work in healthy eating and developing smarter lunchrooms. Normally her area of expertise is grade school children but she was able to adapt much of what she knew to the college setting.

At Pangea, for example, she suggested that the restaurant feature less nutritional information and more photos of healthy meals, and offered ways to make healthy offerings appear to be the economic as well as the smarter choice.

Read the full article here.

View the video at the source: KVAL TV, Feb. 8, 2013.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Lunar New Year, known to many as the Chinese New Year, is fast approaching.

Oregon State University is celebrating with food.  To help make the meal just a little more special they brought in celebrity chef Jet Tila.

Chef Jet Tila has made several appearances on Food Network shows like Chopped, and he’s worked with big names like Anthony Bourdain.  However, all they had to do to get this high caliber chef to Corvallis was ask.

“It’s nice to be the token Chinese Asian guy, and fly around the country and talk about Asian food,” says Chef Tila, “But no, seriously, this is the biggest … I wouldn’t say holiday, but biggest day of remembrance for all Chinese people around the world. The Lunar New Year is a way for me to teach people about Asian Cuisine, and food is the most non political/confrontational way to teach people about culture.”

And for this chef, whether it is Corvallis or anywhere, being able to use his celebrity status to share culture through cuisine is the ultimate.

“It’s amazing that people would want to come out and say hello,” Says Chef Tila. “And if celebrity is helping educate people then that is one of the best things celebrity can do for anyone.”

[Corvallis Gazette-Times, Feb. 11, 2013] – Jet Tila of TV’s Food Network visits OSU and shares some stir-fry tips

The chef transferred the finished product — Chinese fried rice — from the wok to a bowl made from a pineapple shell.

“Does that look sexy?” he asked the audience. “Food must look sexy!”

Chef and Food Network television personality Jet Tila offered tips in Asian cooking and cracked jokes during an interactive demonstration Thursday at Oregon State University’s Marketplace West Dining Center. Tila shared his expertise and recipes with hundreds of people during the lunch and dinner hours as part of OSU’s celebration of the first day of the lunar calendar.

After fried rice, he began preparing spicy maple pork, a Thai dish.

“We’re going from China to Thailand in a snap,” he said.

While cooking in a temporary kitchen on a raised platform, Tila chattered about the proper cooking oil to use, techniques in chopping vegetables and the do’s and don’ts of Asian cooking.

Anyone can make good stir fry, Tila said, but there are certain rules they should follow.

“First rule of stir fry is this … everything in its place,” he said. “All that means in the culinary world is, get everything prepped and ready to go.”

Tila cut up the vegetables, including the ends of the bell pepper.

“I waste nothing because my grandmother would slap me on the hand,” he said.

He said the best investment any chef can make is one multiuse knife.

“I’m not a knife Madonna,” he said. “You just need one darn good chef’s knife.”

High-temperature, low-flavor oils are best for cooking in a wok, he said, and there is one hard and fast rule in Chinese cooking.

Read the full article by GT reporter Canda Fuqua. Photos by Jesse Skoubo.

[Daily Barometer -- Feb. 8, 2013] — Before last night, celebrity chef Jet Tila had only been to Oregon twice.

“All I knew about this area is that you make good Pinot,” Tila said, preparing a demonstration on how to cook stir fry “like an expert.”

In an effort to liven up cultural dinners on campus, Jay Perry, Chef de Cuisine at the Marketplace West dining center, asked Tila to prepare traditional Thai and Chinese food. Tila was happy to come to Corvallis.

“I expected more knit caps and hacky sacks,” Tila said. “It’s all wet and cold. I’ve never been in a land of such green.”

Tila is was born and raised in Los Angeles. Tila grew up in his father’s Thai restaurant and with his grandmother’s traditional Chinese cooking. With these inspirations, he helped cook and serve lunch and dinner to a total of 652 Oregon State students, staff and the Corvallis community.

Working in the concept Ring of Fire, Tila had the opportunity to teach and cook side-by-side with Marketplace West employees.

“Working with [Tila] was fun,” said Majed Abdelras, a sophomore in business management.

“It would have been really stressful,” said Shayna Haack, a sophomore in human development and education. “But he was making jokes the whole time.”

Tila would step back from cooking to interact with the customers in line. He was curious to know who was eating the food and where they were from.

Read the full article on The Daily Barometer’s website.

For emergencies, call 911.
To provide information to law enforcement, call Corvallis Police Department at 541-766-6924, or Oregon State Police/OSU Public Safety at 541-737-3010.
To arrange for a safe ride, call OSU Saferide’s request line at 541-737-5000.
The Sexual Assault Support Services program at OSU is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and can be reached at 541-737-7604;
The Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence, or CARDV, is a Corvallis support facility open 24 hours a day; its phone number is 541-754-0110;
OSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services department offers support and counseling to OSU students in all areas. It can be reached by calling 541-737-2131.