By Morgan Willer

Hey everyone and welcome to Week 8. I can’t believe this term has flown by so fast! I’m here to talk to you all about one of my favorite parts of Oregon State, which is all the amazing lectures that are put on by our faculty and by visiting lecturers. To some of you it may seem a little strange to spend your night going to a lecture, mostly because you probably get enough of that in class. But hear me out! These lectures offered by the university are based on current research, are discussed by people who are passionate about their projects (which always makes it more interesting for the listener), and are a great way to keep up to date in your field. All schools within CLA contribute, and of course lectures happen outside of CLA as well. I encourage you to go to one or two that sound interesting (there are usually several a week), and at least give it a try. You will never again after graduation be surrounded by so much knowledge and opportunity so take advantage now! I will invite friends who share the same interests as me and we get coffee together before the event. Sometimes we even find ourselves taking notes. The point is we make it fun and often find ourselves talking about the event days after, because usually they are quite inspirational! For example my friend and I just saw the talk with John Hunter who shared information about his 4^th grade class and a game designed to teach his students about world peace. We left inspired and excited that we had the chance to hear him share his story. Events are always posted on the CLA calendar online but I’ve compiled a list of the latest events here for you! For descriptions of events check the CLA calendar, and remember they are always FREE.

 http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/edge/2014/02/24/cla-week-22414/ 

Events

February 24

Anarchism and the Occupy Movement. 4:00 p.m., MU Journey. Nathan Schneider – author of Thank You, Anarchy: Notes from the Occupy Apocalypse – will discuss the origins and development of Occupy Wall Street, a social movement that remains as significant as it is misunderstood. He will explore the movement’s strategy and spirit, including its little-recognized religious dimensions, both explicit and implicit.

 

Why the World Needs Religious Studies. 7:00 p.m., MU Journey. What can you do with a religion degree, anyway? Nathan Schneider , a former religious studies major who now works as a journalist in New York City, will talk about why the kinds of thinking practiced in religious studies are vitally important outside academia and how religion majors can use their skills to make a living—and change the world for the better.

February 25

Climate Club-Sandwich Lunch: Environmental philosopher Allen Thompson and wildlife biologist and author Cristina Eisenberg will present a “braided lecture” addressing ethics, land-use, and wildlife in the context of a changing climate. The lecture will take place in MU 206 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The lecture series, a collaboration between EAHI and OCCRI, is designed to spur conversations about climate change among people of different academic backgrounds.

 

Please join us for a research presentation by Crystal Boson, a candidate for the position of Assistant Professor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Professor Boson’s lecture, “Magical Black Women and Virtual Possession: Race, Gender, and Religious Performance in Popular Culture,” will be held in MU 213, 12:00 p.m.  Using her theoretical lens of the performative crash site, Crystal Boson examines the violent intersections between images of Hoodoo, Black women’s bodies, and popular culture consumption.

 

Blood Avocados, Drug Cartels, and the Crisis of Democracy in Mexico.  12:00 p.m., Milam Hall 319.  Professor Victor Vargas of the Universidad Latina de America in Michoacan, Mexico will discuss the political violence in Mexico between drug cartels and armed vigilante groups formed by farmers that threatens to destabilize the region.

 

World-renowned philosopher Graham Harman will be giving a free public lecture on the French theorist Bruno Latour at 4:00 p.m. in the Ag Sciences Hall at LaSells. Harman  is Distinguished University Professor at the American University in Cairo. He is the author of many books, most recently Bells and Whistles: More Speculative Realism (2013), Weird Realism: Lovecraft and Philosophy (2012), The Quadruple Object (2011), and Quentin Meillassoux: Philosophy in the Making (2011). He is the editor of the Speculative Realism book series at Edinburgh University Press, and (with Bruno Latour) co-editor of the New Metaphysics book series at Open Humanities Press.

 

A Passage to India. 6:00 p.m., Milam Hall, 301. The Religious Studies Club invites one and all to a screening one of the 5-time Academy Award winning film “A Passage to India” based on the E. M. Forster 1924 novel. Admission and refreshments are free!

February 26

Oregon State Chamber Winds, directed by Dr. Christopher Chapman, will be giving a free, public concert in Albany at 7:30 p.m. in the First Christian Church, 432 SW Ferry Street. Their program includes Frank Ticheli’s “Songs of Love and Life,” featuring OSU music student, Melissa Simpson, soprano; and Malcolm Arnold’s “Water Music.” Chamber Winds will perform in Corvallis on March 4 at 7:30 p.m. with the OSU Wind Symphony and Campus Band, as the LaSells Stewart Center.

 

American Conversations Lecture Series Presents: Prof. Nicole von Germeten, “How to Write on Spanish American Sexuality: Changing the Focus from the Honor Code to Emotional History,” introduced and moderated by Prof. Peter Betchemann, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Memorial Union Asian/Pacific Room (206). Sponsored by the Center for the Humanities, with support from the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, and the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion.

February 27

Green Village Schools and the Future of Afghanistan. 3:00 p.m., MU208 (LaRaza Room). Dr. Mohammad Khan Kharoti is an Afghan American who since 2001 has been living out his dream of providing quality education for children in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan where he grew up. Kharoti will talk about his work and that of Portland-based Green Village Schools, a nonprofit committed to increasing literacy in rural, underserved areas of Afghanistan.

 

John Frohnmayer, former chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, will speak about his life experiences and First Amendment issues at 7:00 p.m in the Agriculture Production Room at the LaSells Stewart Center. The lecture, “Second Thoughts of a First Amendment Radical: Slathering Politics, Religion, Philosophy and Art on Burned American Toast,” is free and open to the public.

February 28

Music à la Carte: Pianist Sunghee Kim will perform in recital at 12:00 p.m. in the Memorial Union Lounge. Admission is free.

 

I Have Had Singing: The 2014 Orange & Black Vocal Scholarship Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 1165 N Monroe St. This annual concert will feature performances by the Bella Voce, Chamber Choir, Glee, and the OSU Meistersingers, with pre-concert entertainment by the a cappella groups Outspoken, Divine, and Powerchord. Professor Emeritus Ron Jeffers will be honored for his contributions to music education in Oregon. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available at www.tickettomato.com/event.php?event_id=2240. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from this concert benefit music scholarships for singers.

Upcoming Events

March 2: Corvallis-OSU Symphony Concert: The 3:00 p.m. program at LaSells Stewart Center includes Strauss’ “Sinfonia Domestica” and Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto, featuring OSU tuba instructor JáTtik Clark. Tickets are $18-$30 in advance, $20-$32 at the door. For ticket locations or to purchase advance tickets online go to: http://www.cosusymphony.org/.

 

March 3: The Oregon State University Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Christopher Chapman, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center. The concert, titled “Frozen Cathedrals,” will feature guest conductor, Frank Tracz, of Kansas State University. Admission is free to OSU staff, faculty, and students with ID. K-12 youth are also admitted for free. General admission tickets are $10 at the door. OSU Bands participates in Corvallis Arts for All, offering up to two, $5 tickets for those in the SNAP program with an Oregon Trail Card.

 

The School of Public Policy brownbag series continues Friday, Mar. 7, when Dr. Rorie Solberg (Political Science) will present “Media Coverage of the Supreme Court.” The brownbag will run from noon-1:00 in Fairbanks 304. The SPP brownbag is open to all members of the OSU community.

News

Oregon State Glee choir director James Davidson presented “Change the World: Sing” at TEDxSalem in November. Davidson’s talk was just recently posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU_AB4uyHxc  In addition to the talk seen in the video, the Glee choir joined Davidson on stage, to perform two pieces, U2′s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” both arranged by Deke Sharon. In addition to conducting the OSU Glee choir, Davidson the choir director at First United Methodist Church in Corvallis and is the student activities chair for the Northwest division of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA.)

 

Ryan Biesack, percussion instructor and director of the OSU Jazz Ensemble, is a member of Douglas Detrick’s AnyWhen Ensemble. The group will be artists-in-residence at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York from March 6 – 8, giving workshops, private lessons and a concert, partly in support of their recently recorded album on Parma records, set for release in March. For more information:

 

http://parmarecordings.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-parma-artist-douglas-detricks.html
http://douglasdetrick.com/anywhen/

http://aupac.adelphi.edu/newsevent/new-music-at-adelphi-ix-anywhen-ensemble/

Awards and Honors

At the 2014 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Ken Albala’s latest book, Grow Food, Cook Food, Share Food: Perspectives on Eating from the Past and a Preliminary Agenda for the Future, recently published by OSU Press, won in the category of Culinary History. The book of course is based on the lectures Ken delivered as the Horning Visiting Scholar in the fall of 2011. See http://oregonstate.edu/cla/shpr/horning-visiting-scholar-program for details of Albala’s lectures @ OSU.

Current Research, Publications and Creative Activity

Jacob Darwin Hamblin will be presenting “A Glaring Defect in the System”: Nuclear Safeguards, the Developing World, and the Invisibility of Technology” on March 2nd at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.   The conference, entitled The Making of a Nuclear Order: Negotiating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty  is sponsored by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, in association with the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP).

 

SPS Faculty member Dr. Frank Bernieri, Presented the following research at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX. Several of his collaborators are undergraduate and graduate psychology students.

• Vicaria, I. M., Bernieri, F. J., & Isaacowitz, D. M. (February, 2014). Perceptions of Rapport across the Life Span: Gaze Patterns and Judgment Accuracy.
• Devens, S. S., SPS Undergraduate * Krieger, K. L., Brown, J. A., & Bernieri, F. J. (February, 2014). Facial Width-to-Height Ratio Predicts Testosterone Related Traits and Behaviors.
• Raymond, A., Bernieri, F. J., & Brown, J. A. (February, 2014). Changes in Emotional Intelligence: A Test-Retest of the MSCEIT. Raymond is a MAIS student majoring in psychology.
• Sim, S. Y., Brown, J. A., & Bernieri, F. J. (February, 2014). Intelligence Judgments are Misleading at First but Improve over Time.
• Krieger, K. L., Brown, J. A., & Bernieri, F. J. (February, 2014). You Can Trust a Pretty Face: Perceived Physical Attractiveness and the Use of Credibility Linguistic Markers.

 

 

By Katy Krieger

Greetings from Austin, Texas!

This past week I spent my time at a Social and Personality Psychology conference in Austin where I presented my research, went to a lot of interesting lectures and most of all made CONNECTIONS!

Conferences are an opportunity for established professors, graduate students and undergraduates to get together and really focus in on the work they’ve been doing over the past year. I myself was able to present my honor’s thesis project at a poster session during the conference and be a co-author on another poster. In this blog I will give you some insider info on how to maximize a conference trip and make attending conferences a staple for any undergraduate’s career.

• The first time you attend a conference see if you can go as more of a spectator than a presenter. This will ease the pressure and help you get into the material being presented and the overall lay of the land when it comes to a conference (believe me the whole experience is an action packed sequence of events so be prepared to move, move, move)
• If you are presenting, prepare your materials ahead of time and practice as much as possible because you are not in the little leagues but instead are speaking to some of the world’s foremost thinkers in the subject area(s)
• Dress professionally and act professionally at all times. This may seem obvious but you never know who is watching at a restaurant or in the elevator and it may just be a future mentor you applied to work for at a graduate program
• Bring business cards and be prepared to give out lots of contact information because one of the biggest benefits to attending a conference is connecting and setting up future collaborations
• Step out of your comfort zone and attend an event or lecture you may not be completely informed about. Most of the time you are just listening in the audience so the stakes are low but you never know where you will get a new idea or inspiration
• Enjoy the conference site! Seriously a lot of effort goes into the conference city selection and getting out to sight-see is another way to run into people from the conference as well as experience some great culture, music, food and historical sites

If you are considering graduate school in the slightest I definitely recommend finding a conference to attend because you will meet so many future connections that really help you get into programs to work toward your bright future! Ask advisors in your major, organize with a group of people in your research lab or club, work with your current mentor or professor to identify conferences that may work for you, and absolutely put in the investment because the return is incredible!

By Julissa Rachor

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Are you feeling cooped up? Stressed from classes? Or need a detox from the troubles of life? Well, what better way to relieve all that than centering all your energy on a physical activity that benefits you!

So as we roll into week 7 of the term (I know, yikes!), just remember to breathe. The term is almost over, but at the same time we have deadlines looming, midterms finishing up, finals in sight and papers galore! However, the best thing to do is DONT SWEAT it, or rather do, but do it in a way where you let off the steam of a bad grade or an overload on studying by engaging in an activity that will calm you or at least make you feel a lot better. Studies have shown that exercising does help to release endorphins which give you a natural high, helping to relieve the stress you’re feeling and allowing your body to relax and break the fight or flight cycle it’s been stuck in, if you’ve had an overly stressful day.

Take for instance, Dixon Recreational Center. You know, that one place across from the IM fields where people go inside to work out and come out feeling like a million bucks?! Well, Dixon is actually loaded with great activities for everyone, below is a small list of the different programs and departments offered at Dixon. The best part to remember is that almost all of these activities are already counted into your student fees, so that means you don’t have to pay for them!

-Body Pump

-Beaver Strides

-DamFit

-Personal Trainers

-Mind Spa

-Massage Therapist

-Fit Classes (Zumba, power lifting, etc)

-Swimming

-Cardio and Indoor track

-Weight room (2)

-Rock Wall climbling

-Adventure Leadership

-Nutritionists

Personally I’ve used pretty much used all of these programs at Dixon, either from attending Zumba with my friends, using the swimming pool, getting my rock climbing certification, to even having my own personal trainer (shout out to Kristen Anderson). Needless to say, I love Dixon.

Now I’m sure there are a few individuals out there however that are probably asking, but Julissa what if I want to take my adventure outside? Well, if you’re a runner (or just like to goof off and have a good time) I would definitely suggest grabbing a group of your closest friends 2,3, 5, or 9 and signing up for a 5k Color Run, Mud Run, Tough Mudder, or my personal favorite, the Rugged Maniac. I did the Rugged Maniac last Spring term with my best friend, needless to say it was a good muddy time, filled with laughs, scratches and awesome candid photos.

Though, for the adventure junkies out there, who need a little more of an adrenaline rush theres the Adventure Leadership Institute offered by Oregon State University. Students are given the chance to learn in the wildest and most remote classrooms in the Pacific Northwest — from the forest, to the high desert, to rugged cascade peaks and glaciers. You can find yourself rock climbing on Smith Rock to whitewater rafting to backpacking. Learning all the necessary ways on how to do it efficiently and effectively.

For my last tid-bit, because it will happen eventually to you, is how to eat a little more healthy when midterms and finals are approaching, or just a busy life in general.

Below is my list of the small things you can bring with you to class, the library or even to Dixon to sate your appetite, the healthy way.

-Carrots and celery paired with hummus

-Greek yogurt with chocolate/caramel rice cakes

-Quest bars or Cliff Bars (can purchase at the library eCafe)

-Light string cheese

-Turkey Jerky (low cal and low-fat)

-Dark Chocolate

So now that I’ve given you a little brief overview on how to relieve the stress that is week 7, I’ll leave you a couple links in the case that anything I’ve said has struck a chord and has caught your interest. Good Luck on midterms and Finals everyone and hopefully I’ll see you around Dixon or one of the many 5k runs!

 

http://www.ruggedmaniac.com/events-details/items/portland-or-2014.html

http://www.colormerad.com/race/eugene

http://oregonstate.edu/recsports/indoor-climbing-center

http://oregonstate.edu/recsports/fitness

http://oregonstate.edu/recsports/adventure-leadership-certificate

 

By Breanna Balleby

After surviving the second snowpocalypse of the academic year, everyone is beginning to get back into the normal groove of life. Although, as many have experienced, it seems our snow-filled four-day weekend shifted many schedules and deadlines. And yet, it’s still already the end of Week 6! I hope to help you be successful with any schedule shifts you may have experienced (such as midterms or project deadlines) as well as recognize what important deadlines have not changed so that you can be as successful as possible this term.

Believe it or not, but as of yesterday (Wednesday, February 12) we are now half-way through the term! This is definitely the time to check up on your grades. Look at any work you’ve received back from your professors and compare it with how much weight that assignment or test or project holds for your class overall on the course syllabus. You can also check Blackboard for any grades your instructors have posted on there. If your professor doesn’t use Blackboard to post grades, I recommend stopping by their office hours to inquire about this. Bottom line: if you don’t already know how you are doing in your courses, be sure to check on that right away!

If you’re doing well but feel like you got off track recently because of the snow storm or other reasons, I suggest you implement some time management and planning methods. Great examples of both of these resources can be found on the Academic Success Center’s website where they have loads of documents, calendars, study tips, and more to help you out! I personally recommend the Term-at-a-Glance worksheet for figuring out where your big tests and projects are. I do one of these every term, but even my Term-at-a-Glance calendar is becoming obsolete after the rearranging needed to accommodate our snow days. If you didn’t already have one of these started but still would like to reorganize your academic life, I suggest filling out just the latter half of the sheet so you still have an idea of what the second half of your term will look like!

On the other hand, if you discover that you’re not doing very well this term there are many ways to make this term the best it can be. I still encourage you to pursue all of the above tips about time management, prioritization, and more. You also should consider some of the other services provided by the Academic Success Center, such as one-on-one Academic Coaching and visiting the Writing Center to get help on any essays or papers you’re working on. You can also utilize the tutors in your residence hall (ask your Resident Assistant for more info and hours!) for that extra help. Most importantly, I would also suggest a trip to see your academic advisor. There, you can discuss your courses and current grades in more detail and determine whether or not switching a particular class to S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory) or W (withdrawing from a course) would be a good choice this term. For more information about what it means to S/U or withdraw from a class, check out this great newsletter. You should make your advising appointment very soon if this is something you are considering, especially because the deadline to S/U or Withdraw is February 21, 2014 (Friday of Week 7)!

I wish you all a happy second half of Winter Term and hope you take advantage of the academic support offered to you as an OSU student!

By Alison Blazer

Looking for a new challenge and a wonderful way to get in shape? I recommend training for a half marathon! It may sound crazy, but I’m here to tell you that even non-runners can overcome this 13.1-mile challenge!

I’ll use my own experience as evidence. In high school I participated in crew (rowing) for four years and found it really difficult to adhere to a workout schedule once I was on my own at OSU. I took a few PAC classes and made the trip to Dixon Recreation only occasionally over my first two years as a Beaver. After returning from studying abroad in Fall 2013, my roommate convinced me to train with her for the Corvallis Half Marathon. To be honest, I’m still perplexed as to how she persuaded me to even begin running, but I am forever grateful for her efforts!

Running is not only one of the best cardiovascular workouts out there, but it can also be a completely freeing experience. Working out in any capacity allows you to clear your mind and re-center your energy—something very useful amongst all of the midterms and the dreary winter days. Another plus is that training for such a long distance competition allows runners to explore their local area! I have discovered parts of Corvallis on my runs that I would never have seen otherwise. One of my favorite routes involves the bike path on Campus Way that goes out to the covered bridge, so check that out if you decide to train!

My roommate and I at the finish line after running the Corvallis Half Marathon in April 2013. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention you get to finish on the 50 yard line of Reser Stadium? How incredible is that?!

There are countless half marathon training schedules you can find just by searching the web, but no matter what the exact format there is a typical set of components that are included:

 

In ONE week you will:

Run 2-3 short runs

Cross train once (swimming, biking etc.)

Strengthen twice (weights or abs)

Run one LONG run (*these typically increase by 1 mile each week)

Rest one day

I personally have used Hal Higdon’s Training Guide—check it out!

I’m not going to say that fitting this amount of running into my already busy schedule as a full-time student with a part-time job has been easy, but I will say that it has been worth it. The amount of time you spend running is time spent caring for both your body and mind. I find that after I run even 2 or 3 miles I return home feeling recharged and ready to tackle whatever lies ahead, including my academics.

I’m currently training for the Corvallis Half for the second time (this year it is on April 13^th!) and couldn’t be enjoying it more! Besides being an incredibly useful stress reliever, having a training program assures me that I am capable of setting goals and achieving them, and guess what? YOU ARE TOO! So grab a couple friends, lace up your running shoes, and hit the ground running!

While you embark on this new and exciting challenge, here are a few more recommendations from a slightly experienced runner.

–          Training involves finding the right running diet for you (i.e. what to eat before and after your workouts). Don’t be afraid to experiment!

–          For quality shoes and a store full of salespeople who will help analyze your running stride, check out Gallagher Fitness in Salem.

–          Listening to books on tape while running is AWESOME (especially once you’re distances surpass the 6 mile mark)

–          Use the Map My Run website and phone app! It’s the simplest way to plan out various routes around town!