SOAR Week Kicks off Monday

SOAR will be held from May 12-16. (Graphic Credit: Paul Adalian)
SOAR will be held from May 12-16. (Graphic Credit: Paul Adalian)

In a week-long showcase of Southern Oregon University art, research and performance, the Southern Oregon Arts and Research conference will start on Monday, May 12 and continue until Friday, May 16. This annual conference brings together individuals from a wide range of academic areas to display the accomplishments of those in the SOU community.

Paul Adalian, Dean of the Hannon Library, encourages all to come, particularly freshman students. Upperclassmen may already be participating in SOAR, providing freshman the opportunity to see what SOAR is all about and get a taste of what they could be doing in the coming years.

“If they want to go on to be graduate students and build their resume up, SOAR’s a great way to do that,” said Adalian.

SOAR week will kick off with an ice cream social from 4-6 p.m. on May 12 in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union. Other events at SOAR will include live performances, presentations, poster sessions, exhibitions and more. The poster session is typically the largest attended venue at SOAR, and will feature 116 different posters.

Adalian also encourages students to attend the various podium sessions that are comprised of students presenting on topics that they have researched individually. There are also faculty-organized panel events. In total, Adalian said that there are approximately 450 SOAR participants this year.

A complete schedule can be found here, and print schedules will also be available in the Hannon Library and Stevenson Union throughout SOAR week. General SOAR information can be found here.

There is no admission fee to attend SOAR and free parking will be available. Questions can be answered by contacting  soar@sou.edu or (541) 552-6816.