Feb 3, 2025 | Community, Curry Campus, News, Student Success
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Friday, March 7, 2025, at 6:00 pm, for a special presentation by Oregon State University’s branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA). This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
In 2012, a group of students had a goal: to introduce aerospace and aviation to a campus with no formal program for such studies. Oregon State University’s (OSU) branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) was created to fill that void. OSU AIAA is a student-led organization. Since their humble beginnings, they have grown to be one of the largest groups on the OSU campus, serving over 200 members in the Beaver Nation. We invite you to explore their vision and the incredible network of students that fuel their success. The presentation will involve a detailed description of all eight teams housed within OSU AIAA. They will have segments explaining who they are, what they do, and many of the benefits students get by being part of this organization.
About the Presenters:
Brayden Haldezos: Brayden is a senior in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Oregon State University. He is the President of OSU’s AIAA student chapter and is passionate about rocketry, human spaceflight, and aviation. He has served as a Command and Data Handling Engineering Mentor for the NASA L’SPACE Program and has interned at NASA Johnson Space Center as a Payload Systems Engineer for human research onboard the International Space Station. He enjoys providing students with resources and opportunities for success, specifically within the aerospace field.
SWOCC SPEAR Alumni, Damian Lilienthal: Damian is a senior at Oregon State University, pursuing a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. He is the lead of the High-Altitude Rocket Team (HART), where he manages a team focused on designing a two-stage rocket with a goal of reaching an altitude of 100,000 feet. Damian also went through NASA’s NCAS (National Community College Aerospace Scholars) program that ultimately cued his interest in the field. Damian has experience in various aerospace projects with his position in HART, including hands-on expertise in rocket propulsion and structural systems. Passionate about advancing the field, he actively engages in both academic and extracurricular projects to promote the program through presentations and career fairs.
Nicholas Alves: Nick is a junior majoring in electrical engineering at Oregon State University. He serves as the Social Media Coordinator for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) club at OSU and as the avionics co-lead for the High-Altitude Rocket Team (HART). His passion lies in aerospace and advancing humanity’s future in space exploration.
Quade Stiansen: Quade is a senior pursuing a dual Bachelor’s degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering at Oregon State University. He is on the executive board for the AIAA club and assists the Student Competition Rocket Payload Team. Quade’s passion began in high school after he was introduced to the FIRST Robotics Competition. He hopes to pursue a career in the aerospace industry, potentially working for companies like SpaceX and NASA.
Lukas Knipple: Lukas is in his second year at OSU pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. As an avid fan of aerospace, he joined AIAA’s Solar Plane Team and HALE Liquid Rocketry Team when he began at Oregon State. In addition to being the Chief Treasurer of AIAA, he works on design, instrumentation, and control of HALE’s flight vehicle and mobile launch pad electrical systems. All things programming and electrical are his interest, and he hopes to take that passion into the aerospace industry after he graduates.
For more information please contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Jan 24, 2025 | Community, News, OCCI News
Coos Bay, OR – This Valentine’s Day, treat your loved ones—or yourself—to something truly special. Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) is offering an array of handcrafted desserts, all prepared with care by talented pastry chefs and students. Proceeds from the sales will directly benefit the culinary competition team, helping these talented students showcase their skills on a national stage.
Order a variety of treats from this year’s menu, including:
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (GF): $5 each or $25 for a box of 6
Chocolate Bon Bon Assortment (GF): $12 for a box of 4 (1 of each flavor) or $36 for a box of 12 (3 of each flavor)
- Yuzu Ganache Strawberry Jam
- Sea Salt Caramel
- Hot Honey Milk Chocolate Ganache
- Hazelnut Baileys and Cream
Mini Frosted Sugar Cookie Hearts: $20 for a bag of 12
French Macaron Assortment (GF): $18 for a box of 6 or $36 for a box of 12
Mini Dessert Assortment (Gluten Free Options Available): $45 for one of each assortment…
- Love Letter – Vanilla Caramel Bourbon Crunch
- Tiramisu – Coffee Mascarpone Chocolate
- Berry Lovely – Strawberry Raspberry Vanilla
- I’m In Deep – Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate
ORDERING DETAILS:
Place your order by Friday, February 7, 2025, to ensure availability! Pick-up orders on Friday, February 14, 2025. Call 541-888-7309 or Email. In-person orders also accepted at the following locations. Pick up your order from the same location you place your order:
- OCCI (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay | 541-888-7309)
- Past to Present Emporium (281 S. Broadway, Coos Bay | 541-808-9553)
Don’t miss out on these handcrafted desserts! Order today and join us in making this Valentine’s Day extra sweet.
For more information about OCCI, visit www.socc.edu/occi.
Jan 23, 2025 | Alumni, Community, Curry Campus, News
Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Hall of Fame Committee to honor former athletes, teams, coaches, and those that have had a large impact on the school and its athletic program. Two teams covering a wide range of Laker history will make up the Southwestern Oregon Community College Hall of Fame’s class of 2025.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in Prosper Hall on the Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay) Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 3:00pm during the annual sports awards.
This year’s inductees are the First Women’s and Men’s Soccer teams (1996-1997) coached by Shaun Kohn and assisted by Uele Hunkin*.
The women’s soccer team consisted of:
- Tara Orme*
- Hollee Scott*
- Heather Olson*
- Nicole Webber*
- Jamie Brock*
- Jamie Churchill*
- Aloha Yoshinaga*
- Robin Hughes*
- Shawn Darnell*
- Janet Johnson*
- Monica Butler*
- Brenda Horlacher*
- Mandy Perkins*
The men’s soccer team consisted of:
- Tuan Tran*
- Josh Beauchamp*
- Paul Sell*
- Larz Richardson*
- Kevin Hunt*
- Brandon Cranford*
- Jay Delateur*
- Jamie Flanagan*
- Tom McCullough*
- Dan Whaley*
- Nick Carapreso*
- Jeremy Smith
- John Hoshall*
The Hall of Fame committee is seeking help in locating team members designated with an asterisk (*). Anyone having information on the inductees can contact the Hall of Fame Committee at hof@socc.edu or call 541-888-7452.
Jan 22, 2025 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Help us celebrate National Whale Day! Southwestern Oregon Community College invites 3rd to 6th grade students to join us for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) FOR KIDS: “Whales Tales!” on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. This science-immersion event will be from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Umpqua Hall, on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Students will engage with professors in hands-on activities in physics and engineering, chemistry, geology, biology, art, and more. This includes working alongside the College’s student research team SPEAR (STEAM Pathways Experimental & Academic Research), who are involved in various exciting STEAM projects.
There will also be an opportunity to experience the film “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants” in our Discovery Dome Planetarium. This digital theater space immerses students in a presentation that takes them on an adventure. “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants” explores the world of the magnificent blue whale, a species rebounding from the brink of extinction. Following two scientific expeditions—one to find a missing population of blues off the exotic Seychelles Islands, the other to chronicle whale families in Mexico’s stunning Gulf of California—the film is an inspirational story that transforms our understanding of the largest animal ever to have lived.
STEAM education projects help students visualize career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and math. The “A” adds in the arts, such as humanities, dance, drama, visual arts, and design. When people learn in all these areas together, they gain soft skills that can help grow ability in out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration.
Cost is $25 per person. Spots are limited. Scholarships are available. For more information on this event, registration, and scholarships contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
Jan 21, 2025 | Community, Curry Campus, News, Student Success
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 6:00 pm, for “The Case for Humans Hunting Ice Age Animals in Eastern Oregon 18,000 Years Ago” with Patrick O’Grady, Ph.D., District Archaeologist for Burns District Bureau of Land Management. This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Lecture:
Rimrock Draw Rockshelter (35HA3855) is a small and shallow rockshelter located in Harney County, Oregon at the north edge of the Great Basin. Situated in wide-open sagebrush steppe country, the location looks much like a thousand other nearby places where one might expect to find stone tools dating from the mid- to late-Holocene. However, the archaeological record at this site ends around 7,000 years ago, shortly after the cataclysmic eruption that formed Crater Lake from Mount Mazama, and human occupation of the site begins much earlier. Dates of 18,000 to 17,000 years before present have been obtained through high precision Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon assays (AMS14C) on Camelops and Bison tooth enamel fragments collected from deeply buried archaeological deposits. The teeth are associated with stone tools and chipping debris indicating human contemporaneity at the site. Other evidence suggests that several genera of Pleistocene herbivores were butchered and consumed there. This presentation will include an overview of fieldwork at the rockshelter to contextualize the provenience of the dated enamel fragments.
About the Presenter:
Patrick O’Grady earned his Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and worked for their Museum of Natural and Cultural History from 2005 until 2023. Before that, he worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation as a highway archaeologist. He is currently the District Archaeologist and Tribal Liaison for the Burns District Bureau of Land Management in southeastern Oregon where he did much of his research. O’Grady’s focus over the years has been on hunter-gatherer adaptations, Paleoamerican archaeology, geophysical field applications, and zooarchaeology, including the development of a substantial comparative osteological collection for the University of Oregon.
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Win McLaughlin, Assistant Professor, Geology at win.mclaughlin@socc.edu or 541-888-7002.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Jan 16, 2025 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, February 13, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 pm for: Greenhouse And Garden.
This is a free program sponsored by the Friends of Curry Campus and will be held in the Community Room on Southwestern’s Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway (off Highway 101), Brookings. Bring a friend and a brown bag lunch.
Are you wondering what you should be doing in the garden this month and next? Do you know about the Greenhouse Project in Curry County? Would you like to know more about what the Curry County Master Gardeners offer the public?
Julia Bott is happy to answer these questions. Julia is an Oregon State University (OSU) Curry County Master Gardener – a volunteer since 2018.As a community volunteer Julia and other Master Gardeners help people with their sustainable gardening activities such as running the plant clinic, educational presentations, and school gardens. Currently she is one of numerous volunteers leading garden classes for 2nd and 4th graders at Kalmiopsis Elementary School in Brookings. Overall, OSU Curry County Master Gardener volunteers provide locally relevant scientific information for gardening in our area. Julia first became interested in gardening in college and had a job working in the organic garden to supply the college dorms. Gardening was new to Julia. She grew up in an area with no greenspace or gardens.
Julia said, “As a teenager I remember asking someone who did have a garden how deep their dirt went because I was only familiar with built environments with concrete and asphalt. Not all learning occurs in the classroom! That part time job in college changed my life. It may be why I’m so into school garden programs.”
There are two things that guide Julia. “First, I always remind myself I am a gardener, not a farmer. It’s all about scale. Secondly, it doesn’t have to look pretty to taste great. I grow and eat a lot of vegetables that can be compared to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.”
Explore, grow, and create with the Friends of Curry Campus on the second Thursday of every month during the school year. Stay tuned for upcoming talks in our speaker series. For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
