Willamette University Extends Campus to Zena Forest

Willamette’s physical footprint has just increased — by 305 acres. The university purchased land at Zena Forest to establish a research station where faculty and students can conduct field experiments and outdoor labs. The forest, located 15 miles west of Salem, is the largest contiguous block of forestland in the Eola Hills and one of the last remnants of undeveloped land in the area.

“Zena Forest provides opportunities to advance Willamette’s core educational purposes by enhancing our teaching, research and practical commitment to sustainability,” said Joe Bowersox, director of the Center for Sustainable Communities.

Willamette University Forest at Zena will feature onsite classes and research that allow students a closer look at astronomy, plant ecology, wildlife, hydrology, ecological restoration, sustainable forestry, sustainable agriculture, climate change, geology and GIS mapping.

The property also provides opportunities for service learning about restoration ecology, and students have begun to invest sweat equity by removing non-native, invasive plants. One student volunteer said, “This place already feels like home.” Seventeen miles of trails are available for Willamette cross-country teams. A 2,000-square-foot building on the property, with an easement allowing the university to increase its size to 5,500 square feet, could eventually be converted to a state-of-the-art conference and retreat center.

The land has been managed for wildlife habitat and conservation values under its former owner, the Trust for Public Lands, and lies adjacent to a 1,156-acre parcel, managed for sustainable forestry and conservation. It features upland prairie and oak savannah, Douglas fir and ponderosa forest, ash groves, wetlands and riparian areas, and several streams. The land will continue to be managed for conservation values and sustainable forestry.

“Zena Forest is an amazing, inspiring place,” said President M. Lee Pelton. “Future generations of Willamette students will probably become artists, foresters, archaeologists and writers because of their experiences at Zena. Local school kids will get to enjoy classes amidst restored prairie and oak savanna. It’s truly an investment in Willamette’s future as well as that of our region.”

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Willamette Football Jumps to #11 in Ranking

Willamette University, 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Northwest Conference, jumped five spots to #11 in this week's D3Football.com Top 25. The Bearcats earned the higher ranking with a 52-28 win at Linfield College on Saturday, Oct. 25. Linfield, ranked #23 last week, fell out of the Top 25.

Willamette is one of 14 undefeated teams in this week's poll, but is the only undefeated team to have played eight games. The Bearcats are averaging 43.2 points, 384.9 total yards and 264.5 rushing yards per game.

Willamette does not play this weekend. The Bearcats will play again Saturday, Nov. 8, when they host the University of Puget Sound at McCulloch Stadium. Game time is set for 1 p.m. (PDT). Willamette will conclude the regular season with another home game Saturday, Nov. 15, against Menlo College. Kickoff against Menlo is slated for 2 p.m. (PST).

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Artist Demonstrations and Films Planned in Conjunction with Regalia Exhibition

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University will present regalia-making demonstrations and a series of films in November and December in conjunction with its current exhibition The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon.

Regalia makers will demonstrate their techniques Nov. 1 and 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the museum. Among the tribes represented will be the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Confederated Tribes of Siletz; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw; Coquille Indian Tribe; and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians. Admission to the demonstrations is free with the price of admission.

A series of films on the tribes of Oregon will be shown Nov. 20 and 22 and Dec. 4 and 6 at 2 p.m. in the Roger Hull Lecture Hall at the museum. The films will introduce the various tribes of Oregon and help contextualize the historical and contemporary regalia in the exhibition. Admission is free.

The Art of Ceremony, a major exhibition of historical and contemporary ceremonial regalia from the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon, is on display through Jan. 18. Organized by Willamette University Professor Rebecca Dobkins in partnership with the tribes, the exhibition is designed to introduce non-tribal audiences to the history, beauty and function of regalia within tribal life and thought.

The Oregon Arts Commission, with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, selected the exhibition as the state’s 2008 American Masterpieces project. Additional support was provided by an endowment gift from The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, and by grants from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Fund, the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds, the Oregon Arts Commission, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and a Millicent McIntosh Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Mondays. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call (503) 370-6855 or visit www.willamette.edu/museum_of_art.

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Jazz Bassist Ben Wolfe to Perform

SALEM, Ore. — Jazz bassist Ben Wolfe will perform Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Cone Chapel in Waller Hall at Willamette University. Joining him will be Steve Christopherson on piano, Alan Jones on drums and Stan Bock on trombone.

Wolfe’s unique blend of hard swing, beautiful ballads and lush string writing has been described as “chamber music within a jazz context.”

Born in Baltimore, Md., and raised in Portland, Ore., Wolfe has gained a large following from his performances with Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall.

Early in Wolfe’s career, he formed a duo with Connick and recorded more than a dozen albums and soundtracks. During his five years with Connick, he performed on numerous world tours as musical director. He then joined the Wynton Marsalis Septet and remained until it disbanded. Wolfe also became an integral part of Diana Krall’s touring band and played on many of her recordings, including the Grammy Award winning CD, “When I Look in Your Eyes.” As a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wolfe has performed with legends of jazz.

In addition to his latest CD, “No Strangers Here,” previous recordings include “13 Sketches” and “Bagdad Theater,” the critically acclaimed “Murray’s Cadillac,” and “My Kinda Beautiful.” Wolfe teaches at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Willamette students are admitted free with ID. Tickets are available at the music department in the Rogers Music Center, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or charge by phone at (503) 370-6255.

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Student and Faculty Initiatives Promote Green Campus

Each year the Sustainability Council awards Sustainability Mini-Grants to fund innovative ideas across campus.

This year the Travel Office will create a fund to offset carbon emissions for university air travel. Professors will incorporate sustainability applications into calculus classes, teach solar energy workshops for middle school girls and document Zena Forest in photographs.

Students will host a "Call to Action" workshop in Portland, start a composting program for facilities in Putnam University Center, design a hot water switch for faucets that will conserve energy, establish additional bike parking at the business and law buildings, create a "Street Fleet" long-term bike rental program, attend a smart-growth conference and share the findings with Willamette and the community, and create more sustainable infrastructure for Wulapalooza.

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Willamette Football Ranks #16 in Nation

The Willamette University football team, currently 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Northwest Conference, moved up three spots in this week's D3Football.com Top 25 to take over the #16 position. Willamette defeated Pacific Lutheran University, 45-18, in Puyallup, Wash., last Saturday.

Willamette is one of 17 undefeated teams in this week's poll. The Bearcats are averaging 42 points per game and allowing just 16 points per contest. WU will take on arch rival Linfield College, 4-1 and ranked #23, on Saturday, Oct. 25 in McMinnville, Ore. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. (PDT).

For more about the football program, visit www.willamette.edu/athletics/teams/football/.

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Theologian to Address Race and Religion in the Election

Professor Dwight Hopkins of the University of Chicago Divinity School, a frequent media commentator on the controversy surrounding Barack Obama’s religious beliefs, visits Willamette University Oct. 23 to discuss “Race and Religion in the Race for the White House.”

He will deliver a free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson Hall. He also will speak at 11:30 a.m. in Cone Chapel for University Convocation. His visit is sponsored by Willamette’s Center for Religion, Law and Democracy.

Hopkins is an American Baptist minister and theologian who studies cultural, political and economic approaches to religious thought. He has written and edited numerous books and magazine articles, including Being Human: Race, Culture, and Religion and Heart and Head: Black Theology — Past, Present, and Future. He is senior editor of the Henry McNeil Turner/Sojourner Truth Series in Black Religion from Orbis Books.

For more information, contact Reyna Meyers with the Center for Religion, Law and Democracy at (503) 370-6046.

NOTE: The location of this event has changed from previous publicity information.

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Celebrate Campus Sustainability Day at Willamette

The Sustainability Council will host Campus Sustainability Day Wednesday, Oct. 22, to celebrate sustainability at Willamette and the university's recognition from the National Wildlife Federation as the U.S. campus most engaged in sustainable activities.

The event will begin at noon in the Alumni Lounge with an address by President M. Lee Pelton and the announcement of this year's sustainability mini-grants. Cake and refreshments will be provided.

A Sustainability Fair in Jackson Plaza from 12 to 2:30 p.m. will feature local organizations and companies, and student groups promoting sustainability activities and projects.

After the fair, the Willamette Bike Shop will coordinate activities on Brown Field from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

"The Future of Food" will be shown that evening at 7 p.m. in Smullin 216. At 9 p.m. the University's coffee shop, the Bistro, will end the day with a sustainability themed open-mic night. Those interested in participating should contact the Bistro at (503) 370-6900.

All events are free and open to the public. For event information visit www.willamette.edu/centers/csc/events/. To learn about sustainability at Willamette University, visit www.willamette.edu/about/sustainability/.

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BetterBricks Honors Two Willamette Administrators for Green Building Efforts

The 2008 BetterBricks Awards, which celebrate champions in the Northwest for green building, honored two Willamette administrators Friday as finalists in the facility manager/building operations category.

Gary Grimm, manager of maintenance and operations, and Jan Gardner, project manager, were recognized for their work reducing Willamette’s energy consumption and reusing materials in renovation and new building projects at Waller Hall, Kaneko Commons, Kresge Theatre, the Carnegie Building and the Ford Hall academic building.

BetterBricks, the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, advocates for changes to energy-related business practices to focus on efficiency, and its awards recognize architects, engineers, developers, building owners and operators, facility managers and other professionals.

“Jan and Gary have been sincere and gifted advocates for high performance buildings on campus,” according to BetterBricks. “Since 2004, they have promoted sustainable design not only for economic and environmental benefits, but as a learning opportunity for Willamette University’s students, particularly in cases when green design considerations may not always lead to quick returns on investment.”

Gardner and Grimm are two of three finalists in the facility manager/building operations category. The award-winners in that category are David Furr and Kathleen Hill with Salem-Keizer Public Schools.

Under Grimm and Gardner’s leadership, Willamette’s average electrical energy consumption for buildings larger than 5,000 square feet is 10.75 kWh per square foot a year, significantly below the national average of 19.6 kWh per square foot a year. This was accomplished through lighting retrofits, installation of variable frequency drives on HVAC systems, electric motor upgrades and increased attention to HVAC and lighting schedules. Grimm used credits and refunds from Energy Trust of Oregon and Business Energy Tax Credits to pay for the high efficiency lighting retrofits, producing additional savings. The two men also helped the university reuse more than 95 percent of materials resulting from demolition of existing buildings and salvage about 75 percent for facilities remodeling projects.

This honor adds to the recent recognition Willamette has received for its sustainability efforts. In the nation’s largest survey of colleges and universities to date, the National Wildlife Federation named Willamette as first in the country for sustainability activities. In September, a 2009 report card from the Sustainable Endowments Institute gave Willamette an “A” and named it a leader for its efforts in green building, food and recycling and investment priorities.

Read more about these awards and the university’s activities at www.willamette.edu/about/sustainability. For more about BetterBricks, visit www.betterbricks.com.

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Art Scholar Discusses Native American Regalia

Willamette University Anthropology Professor Rebecca Dobkins, curator of the exhibition The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon, will discuss the state’s historical and contemporary ceremonial Native American regalia in a free lecture Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Paulus Lecture Hall at Willamette University College of Law.

The lecture, co-sponsored by the Salem Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, is presented in conjunction with The Art of Ceremony, on display through Jan. 18 at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. The exhibition features historical and contemporary ceremonial regalia from all nine of Oregon’s federally recognized tribes, much of which has never been seen by the general public. The exhibition introduces non-tribal audiences to the history, beauty and function of regalia within tribal life and thought.

Dobkins holds a bachelor of arts degree in women’s studies from the University of Massachusetts and a master of arts and PhD in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, where she specialized in Native American art and culture. Dobkins is faculty curator of Native American Art at the museum, and she is the author of numerous articles and books on the topic. Dobkins has curated 13 other Native art exhibitions for the museum, featuring Rick Bartow, Lillian Pitt, James Lavadour and Maori weavings from New Zealand, among others.

The Oregon Arts Commission, with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, selected The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon as the state’s 2008 American Masterpieces project. Additional support has been provided by an endowment gift from The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, and by grants from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Fund, the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds, the Oregon Arts Commission, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and a Millicent McIntosh Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Mondays. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesdays are admission-free. For more information, call (503) 370-6855 or visit www.willamette.edu/museum_of_art.

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Willamette Presents Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"

Willamette University Theatre is proud to announce its first show of the 2008–09 season, William Shakespeare’s comedy, “Twelfth Night,” opening Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m., with a preview performance Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances are scheduled Oct. 18 through Nov. 1, with Thursday through Saturday evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Additionally, there will be a special Saturday matinee Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Performances will be in the Kresge Theatre at Willamette University. Please note that our evening curtain times are now 7:30 pm.

One of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, “Twelfth Night” cunningly entwines bittersweet tales of frustrated love. Shipwrecked in the land of Illyria, her brother lost at sea, Viola finds herself in the middle of a bizarre love triangle. Employed by Duke Orsino and disguised as a boy, she is sent on an embassy of love to Countess Olivia, who finds herself smitten by the intriguing messenger. Love, mistaken identities, disguises, revenge, passion and music make “Twelfth Night” a deliciously disturbing and funny play.

“Twelfth Night” also provides a relevant and thought-provoking experience to a contemporary audience. The ideas of madness and vice will be explored, as well as the theory that, ultimately, what we are looking for as humans is “somebody to love.” Through movement, text and design, the play will offer a visual and intellectual feast for the viewer, and raise questions regarding love, honor and the individual’s place in the world.

The theatre is pleased to welcome Willamette alumni Michael Brusasco as guest director. Brusasco has performed in several professional theatre companies and was a founding member of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minn. Special guest Brent Barnes will join the cast as the cynical, self-proclaimed “puritan” Malvolio. Barnes is an ensemble member of Hypatia Theatre Company in Chicago and appeared off-Broadway and with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in “Grasmere.” Regional Theatre credits include six seasons with the Utah Shakespearean Festival and the U.S. premiere of “The Parfumerie” in Urbana, Ill. Technical elements of the production will by provided by Willamette University Theatre faculty, staff and students. Chris Harris will conceptualize the visual surroundings, drawing on a classic Elizabethan stage set with many surprises. Rachel Kinsman-Steck will light the show, and Bobby Brewer-Wallin will design the costumes.

Again, please note that evening curtain times have changed to 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, call (503) 370-6221 or reserve tickets by email at thtr-tix@willamette.edu. Opening night is $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors. Most other evening performances are $10 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors. Contact the Box Office for specific pricing and details. The Willamette campus is located at 900 State Street in Salem. For more information contact the Theatre Department at (503) 370-6222 or visit www.willamette.edu/cla/theatre.

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Native American Prints Featured at Hallie Ford Museum of Art

An exhibition of contemporary prints, created by Native American artists at the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts on the Umatilla Reservation in northeastern Oregon, is on display Oct. 11 through Dec. 21 in the Study Gallery at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University.

As a special feature, artists George Flett and Jeremy Red Star Wolf, both featured in the exhibition, will discuss their work in a free lecture Nov. 8 from 2–3 p.m. in the Roger Hull Lecture Hall at the museum. A reception will follow in the lobby.

The Second Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts Biennial, organized by faculty curator Rebecca Dobkins and Crow’s Shadow master printer Frank Janzen, features work created in the past few years by a wide variety of artists from throughout the U.S., including Rick Bartow, Phillip John Charette, George Flett, James Lavadour, Larry McNeil and Jeremy Red Star Wolf, among others. A number of printmaking techniques are represented, including lithography, woodcut and monotype.

Founded in 1992 by Native American painter and printmaker James Lavadour, the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts seeks to create educational and professional opportunities for Native American artists to use their art as a vehicle for economic development. Housed in the historic St. Andrew’s Mission schoolhouse, the facility features a state-of-the-art printmaking studio, classroom, computer lab, library and gallery space.

The exhibition is supported by an endowment gift from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, and by the Indian Country Conversations Series at Willamette University. Additional support has been provided by grants from the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds and the Oregon Arts Commission.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday from 1–5 p.m. The galleries are closed on Monday. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call (503) 370-6855 or visit www.willamette.edu/museum_of_art.

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Celebrate Sustainability Day at Willamette University

The Sustainability Council at Willamette University will host Sustainability Day Wednesday, Oct. 22, to celebrate sustainability at Willamette and the university’s recognition from the National Wildlife Federation as the U.S. campus most engaged in sustainable activities.

The event will begin at noon in the Alumni Lounge with an address by President M. Lee Pelton and the announcement of this year’s sustainability mini-grants. Cake and refreshments will be provided.

A Sustainability Fair in Jackson Plaza from 12 to 2:30 p.m. will feature local organizations and companies, and student groups promoting sustainability activities and projects.

After the fair, the Willamette Bike Shop will coordinate activities on Brown Field from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

“The Future of Food” will be shown that evening at 7 p.m. in Smullin 216. At 9 p.m. the University’s coffee shop, the Bistro, will end the day with a sustainability themed open-mic night. Those interested in participating should contact the Bistro at (503) 370-6900.

All events are free and open to the public. For event information visit www.willamette.edu/centers/csc/events/. To learn about sustainability at Willamette University, visit www.willamette.edu/about/sustainability/.

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Willamette Olympian to be Honored at Football Game

Willamette University will honor Olympic 800-meter runner Nick Symmonds '06 during halftime at the Willamette versus Lewis & Clark College football game Saturday, Oct. 11. After being honored, Symmonds will be available to sign autographs.

The Willamette Bearcats and the Lewis & Clark Pioneers will kick off Saturday's game at 1:30 p.m. at McCulloch Stadium. The WU football team, ranked #18 by the American Football Coaches Association and #21 in the D3Football.com Top 25, is 5-0 on the season.

Symmonds, who won a total of seven NCAA Division III national championships in the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run while attending Willamette, reached the semifinal heats of the 800 this past summer at the Beijing Olympics. He won his preliminary heat in a time of 1:46.01. He finished fifth in his semifinal heat in 1:46.96.

His career-best time in the 800 of 1:44.10 was recorded during his exciting win at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., earlier in the summer. Symmonds, running for the Oregon Track Club/Nike, claimed victory by nearly a second and was just .09 seconds off the Hayward Field record.

What fans will remember, however, is his tremendous comeback during the race. Symmonds was in sixth place and appeared to be boxed in with about 100 meters remaining. Even so, he closed with the powerful kick that is his trademark, as he worked his way forward on the outside, then returned to the inside lane.

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Author to Address ‘Deep Structure of the Arts’

Ellen Dissanayake, an independent scholar who explores the idea that the arts are inherent features of human nature, will deliver the Hogue-Sponenburgh Lecture at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 in Cone Chapel at Willamette University. The event is free and open to the public.

Dissanayake, affiliate professor in the School of Music at the University of Washington, will address “The Deep Structure of the Arts.” Linguists and music theorists describe the “deep structure” of language and music, referring to the innate rules followed by speakers of all languages or music’s underlying structure of chords and rhythmic patterns. Dissanayake says a similar idea applies to the arts, where the underlying principles of our nature as humans influence the making of our own arts and our responses to the works of others.

Dissanayake’s original “adaptationist” or Darwinian approach draws upon the years she lived and worked in non-Western countries, including Sri Lanka, Nigeria, India, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea. She has published three books: What is Art For? (1988), Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why (1992) and Art & Intimacy: How the Arts Began (2000). She has addressed audiences nationally and internationally on biomusicology, human ecology and comparative literature, developmental psychology and other topics.

The Hogue-Sponenburgh art lectureship, established and endowed by the late Janeth Hogue-Sponenburgh and Mark Sponenburgh, enables the Willamette University Department of Art and Art History to bring a noted scholar, artist, critic, curator or art leader to campus each year to deliver a lecture and to meet informally with students and faculty. For more information, contact Andries Fourie at (503) 370-6258 or afourie@willamette.edu.

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