SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY   2000-2001 Catalog
  SOU Catalog Home >> Student Activities

Student Activities
Activities Programs
Stevenson Union 321
541-552-6461
Mary Bernarde, Associate Director of SU
Carol Gies, Director of Student Activities

Extracurricular activities give students opportunities to develop leadership skills and improve the quality of their college experience. They also provide an avenue for expressing special talents and accelerating personal growth.

Stevenson Union serves as the hub for student activities, services, programs, and other amenities of the campus community.

The professional staff in the Stevenson Union office advise and assist students with planning activities. The staff can also offer suggestions on ways for students to become involved in campus activities.

Art

The Gallery at Stevenson Union

The Gallery coordinates continuous art exhibits featuring local and traveling shows. It also displays professional artists' paintings, sculpture, weaving, photography, ceramics, and graphic design. Students manage and staff the Gallery, and a student committee selects the annual rotation of exhibits. This is a valuable opportunity for those interested in the field of art and art management.

Central Art Gallery

Located in Central Hall and open to the public, the Central Art Gallery features student work and serves as a showcase for bachelor of fine arts (BFA) thesis exhibits.

Theatre Arts Lobby

The lobby of the Dorothy Stolp Theatre offers gallery space exclusively for student work. Exhibits are coordinated with theatre performances and are seen by hundreds of theatre patrons.

OtherArt Gallery

The OtherArt Gallery is located in Siskiyou Commons and features work by advanced students and professional artists.

Cocurricular Programs

Program Board

The Program Board sponsors and presents major events, celebrity concerts, and the One World Performing Arts Series. Recent performers have included Sheryl Crow, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, David Grisman, and the Tibetan Monks. The performances offer a unique educational opportunity for the audiences and the students involved in presenting them.

Student Activities Council

The Student Activities Council (SAC) consists of student representatives of campus groups and student volunteers. SAC presents Comedy Nights, Cheap Movie nights, regular free entertainment in Stevenson Union, and annual events such as Homecoming. Activities may include live music, novelty acts, specialty games, or other interesting and fun activities, as determined by the council.

Special Events

Each year, SOU offers special programs designed to increase student awareness of important contemporary life issues. Examples of such events are International Week, Career Education programs, and the Health Fair. These programs are developed and organized by ad hoc student and faculty committees and may take the form of symposia, workshops, lectures, discussions, or a combination of formats.

Music

The Department of Music fosters a number of performing groups: the Brass Choir, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Concert Choir, the Performing Chamber Ensemble, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Jazz Ensemble. Throughout the year, these groups provide a varied program of concerts and recitals, in addition to recitals by individual music students and faculty.

The Rogue Valley Symphony performs in the University's recital hall. Student tickets to performances are available at minimal cost. Touring groups, singers, and instrumentalists, often with national reputations, are scheduled at various times throughout the year.

InterResidence Council

The InterResidence Council (IRC) is a representative group of students who live in the residence halls. Throughout the year, IRC provides a variety of educational and social programs such as contests, dances, special events, and educational programs.

Theatre Arts Activities

As an outgrowth of its regular academic program, the Department of Theatre Arts produces a variety of dramatic productions. The productions enhance the artistic and cultural climate of the University and southern Oregon communities. Classic and modern plays are offered. Recent productions have included Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches, Born Yesterday, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Medea, Woyzeck, On the Verge, The Scarlet Letter, Candide, Tartuffe, A Bright Room Called Day, Elektra, Alaska Stories, Voice of the Prairie, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. At least one production is offered each season in a popular dinner theatre format.

The productions are well-attended by students, faculty, staff, and the general public. There are also experimental, student-directed showcase and thesis productions throughout the year.

Competitive auditions are open to all students, regardless of major. Students are encouraged to inquire about the possibilities of work in acting, stage scenery, costuming, stage lighting, and theatre business. Academic credit may be offered for work in these areas.

The University, designated by the State Board of Higher Education as a Center of Excellence in the Fine and Performing Arts, makes every effort to elevate the standards of achievement in acting, directing, and design to the level of professional theatre.

The theatre complex is an excellent facility and houses the Dorothy Stolp Stage, a 327-seat open stage theatre; a 127-seat experimental "black box" theatre; and fully equipped scenery and costume shops. This professional complex provides students with an opportunity to gain experience in the areas of lighting, sound, scenery, and costuming.

The Tony Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the most successful regional theatres in the United States, is located in Ashland. A repertory of both classic and modern plays is offered during the festival's nine-month season. Students have an opportunity to buy rush seats at reduced prices when tickets are available.

As part of the theatre arts program, outstanding students are able to work as interns at the festival, where some receive full-time employment upon graduation.

Ecology Center of the Siskiyous

This center works closely with students and the administration to develop programs and environmental policies that benefit and enhance the campus community. The ecology center provides access to internships and job openings in the environmental field, and it presents speakers and special events around environmental issues. The center houses educational resources such as journals, magazines, and videos.

Games Room
Stevenson Union Basement
541-552-6478

The Games Room is staffed entirely by students. It contains table games, pool tables, Ping-Pong, video games, large screen televisions, and a snack shop. Student groups may rent the Games Room for special functions.

Government
Associated Students of Southern Oregon University
Stevenson Union 324
541-552-6653/6655

The Associated Students of Southern Oregon University (ASSOU) represents the interests of students on campus, in the community, and at the state and national levels. The organizational structure consists of a cabinet headed by an elected president and executive vice president, with an elected senate representing academic schools and special student populations.

Student government provides an opportunity for students to voice their opinions and become actively involved in the campus governance process. Other openings exist for participation through numerous student/faculty committees. Interested students are encouraged to drop by the ASSOU office.

Honors and Awards

Honor and Recognition Societies

Southern Oregon University has many national honorary and professional organizations that enhance the educational experience. National affiliations include student chapters in:

Special Honors

Each year, faculty nominate the most outstanding students for membership in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. Students are chosen on the basis of academic excellence, participation in campus activities, and service to the University.

During spring term, two special recognition functions are held to honor outstanding students. The Honors and Awards Banquet recognizes outstanding scholars. An activities dessert provides recognition for students who have excelled in leadership and cocurricular activities.

President's and Dean's Lists

At the close of each term, the provost announces the president's and dean's lists. The dean's list contains the names of all students who have completed at least 12 graded credits with a GPA ranging between 3.5 and 3.99 during the term. The president's list contains the names of all students who have completed 12 graded credits with a GPA of 4.0 during the term.

KSOC

KSOC, Radio Free Ashland, is a student-run radio station that broadcasts approximately thirty-five hours a week over the Rogue Valley Community Television Channel 31. KSOC provides a unique voice for students and offers expression through music and live programming. The station also cosponsors many live performances with other student activities groups.

Organizations
Activities Corner
Stevenson Union 335

Student clubs and organizations reflect the diversity at Southern Oregon University. Through programs, events, and social activities, these groups address various interests, provide professional development opportunities, and add to the University's cocurricular education.

Organizations are perhaps the easiest way for students to meet others with similar interests. Workshops are regularly offered to club members to encourage interaction and help groups meet particular goals.

Special funding is available for various organizational programs through the Inter-Club Council. The following is a representative list of active organizations:

Societal Issues

Religious Organizations

Preprofessional Organizations

Social Clubs

Academic Organizations

Sports Clubs

Outdoor Programs
McNeal Hall
541-552-6470

The Outdoor Program (ODP) has cross-country ski packages, snowshoes, camping gear, and rafting packages available for rent to SOU students, faculty, and staff. A resource library of outdoor books and regional maps is also available. A recent addition to the program has been a climbing wall that is open to all qualified climbers. Students are encouraged to initiate activities that represent their specific interests or to participate in regular ODP-sponsored trips.

Religious Activities

The Newman Center, Campus Christian Ministry, and Latter Day Saints Institute, located adjacent to campus, cooperate in sponsoring programs throughout the year. Social and educational activities are offered on and off campus.

Student Publications

Siskiyou Newspaper
Stevenson Union 103
Editorial: 541-552-6306
Business: 541-552-6307

The Siskiyou newspaper is published weekly and distributed on campus and at selected community locations. Its student staff gains experience in every aspect of journalism and newspaper advertising. Students in management positions receive a monthly stipend. Staff can earn academic credit through the Department of Communication.

West Wind Review
Stevenson Union 116A
541-552-6518

The West Wind Review is an annual literary journal of poetry, short fiction, photography, and art by international, local, and student
writers and artists. The student editor and staff are responsible for editing, producing, and marketing the journal. They also organize poetry readings and various events on campus and in the community. The editor receives a monthly stipend. Students can earn academic credit for practicum experience.

Student Publicity Center
Stevenson Union 116B
541-552-6495

The Student Publicity Center is a graphic design center that serves students and student organizations. The center prepares a variety of camera-ready layouts, including flyers, newsletters, brochures, and résumés, as well as handpainted banners and signs. Students gain practical experience in computer graphics, electronic press, design, typesetting, illustration, paste-up, and sign-painting. Staff members receive an hourly wage and can earn academic credit for practicum experience.

Sports
McNeal Hall 138
541-552-6500
Monty Cartwright, Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports

Southern Oregon University offers intercollegiate, intramural, and club sports activities. Athletic facilities are open to students when school is in session. These facilities include an indoor swimming pool, six racquetball courts, a fitness center, twelve tennis courts, three basketball gymnasiums, a dance studio, a track, and a fully-equipped stadium.

Varsity Program

The Southern Oregon Raiders are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Football competes as an NAIA independent, and wrestling is a member of the Northwest Wrestling Conference. Men's teams comprise football, cross-country, basketball, wrestling, and track and field. Women's teams consist of volleyball, cross-country, basketball, tennis, track and field, soccer, and softball.

Intramural Sports

A majority of the student body participates in intramural activities, making use of all athletic facilities during the school year. Several jobs supervising and officiating intramural sports are available to students. The following sports are offered: Fall — cross-country (women, men); football (women, men); volleyball (men); water basketball (men). Winter — basketball (men); roller hockey; wrestling (men); 3 on 3 basketball (men); volleyball (women). Spring — softball (women, men); tennis (women, men); mountain bike racing (coed). Many other seasonal activities are also offered.

Club Sports

Club sports are school activities that are not funded as varsity team sports. Club sports vary from year to year based on student interest. They currently include climbing, equestrian/rodeo, Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, rugby, skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and water polo.

Women's Resource Center

The Women's Resource Center (WRC) is a feminist organization that offers support services to women and educational programs on women's issues to the campus community. In addition to educational programming, the WRC serves as a liaison to community resources, takes a leadership role in the prevention of sexual assault, and employs students and volunteers who address issues important to students.

This material is from the 2000-2001
Southern Oregon University Catalog.

Page revised August 14, 2000
Copyright 2000, Southern Oregon University.
1250 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, Oregon 97520
541/552-7672