Volume II: Issue 18
Welcome to Fall
Fall is such a great time of year. It's wonderful to see the campus bustling while the trees are turning and the air is crisp. This is an especially exciting year for us as we focus on reinvestment, renewal, and revitalization at Southern Oregon University.
As part of the New Student Orientation, more than 800 incoming students participated in our third annual Civic Engagement Day. This day of learning gave students the opportunity to choose an interest area ranging from education, children, and social service to animals, social justice, and the environment. More than thirty community agencies hosted the groups.
I spent a little time on that beautiful Saturday pulling ivy with the group led by Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures Marianne Golding. That group was working outdoors and indoors on a number of projects at Peace House. If you go by Peace House, you can see we made significant inroads on the ivy!
I hope you were able to participate in some of the opening fall events. The Salmon Bake and the reception and barbecue for students and families were all highly successful. Orientation activities ended on Sunday night with another barbecue, as well as games, including mechanical bull-riding and a giant boxing ring.
Music Student Wins Awards
Congratulations to Joseph Yungen, SOU music major and Chamber Music Scholar. Joseph won two awards after being selected for the finals at the Seattle International Piano Competition and Festival in Seattle, Washington. He received the Audience Favorite and the Best Performance of a Work by K. Szymanowski. A piano performance major pursuing a career as a concert pianist, Joseph has been studying under internationally renowned pianist and Professor of Music Alexander Tutunov.
Athletic Successes
Four of our 2007–08 student athletic teams—Women's Volleyball, Women's Basketball, and Men's and Women's Track & Field—received NAIA scholar team awards with team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Excellent!
SOU's Volleyball team ended September in first place in the Cascade Conference with a 7-1 mark and a six-match winning streak. Junior Lindsey Stone was named Cascade Conference Setter of the Week three times; senior middle blocker Mia Wortel was named Player of the Week; and sophomore Maggie Rivers earned conference Libero of the Week.
The Women's Soccer team finished September as winners of three of their last four matches. The three-match winning streak was the longest since 2006. One of the highlights of this season has been freshman goalkeeper Jessica Kuehlwien. During the last four matches, Kuehlwien allowed just three goals and turned away thirty-two shots.
Remembering Captain Bruno de Solenni
It is with deep sorrow that I inform you of the death of SOU alumnus and Oregon National Guard member Captain Bruno de Solenni. Capt. Solenni was killed in Afghanistan on September 20, 2008, during his third and final tour of the Middle East. He graduated from SOU with a bachelor’s degree in history. Capt. Solenni was a member of the SOU family who made a difference in his community and his country.
The family is requesting that donations be made to the Bruno de Solenni Memorial Fund for the assistance of other military families. Donations can be sent via PayPal or by mail to Bruno de Solenni Memorial Fund, PO Box 876, Crescent City, CA 95531.
Alum Appointed Director of Oregon Selective Service
Congratulations to alumnus and retired Army Col. Michael F. Valdez, the first Hispanic to serve as director of the Oregon Selective Service System. Col. Valdez graduated from SOU in 1975 and served in the military for nearly thirty-five years. Valdez was sworn into his new position on August 11 by William Chatfield, director of the U.S. Selective Service System in Washington, D.C.
