Though time and weather eventually forced the Staircase to be closed for access, dedicated efforts have brought it back, and now, a new generation is ready to make it their own.

A Symbol and Childhood Playground

EOU Trustee Dr. Chuck Hofmann, who attended Ackerman Elementary School in the 1950s and EOU in the 1970s,

Hofman remembers the Staircase as both a playground and a pathway.

“All my buddies lived that direction,” he said. “We played on that Staircase all the time. We never went down 8th Street, we went down the stairs.”

Hofmann recalls the Grand Staircase as more than just a way to get to school. It was part of something bigger. Once held on the Stairs each year during commencement week, the Evensong ceremony drew the entire community to L Avenue along the base of the Stairs to watch performances.

“Everybody turned out for that,” Hofmann said. “It was such a connection to the university. Back then, there were the university people and the mill people, and things like Evensong brought them together.”

Though some of those traditions are no longer part of campus life, the sentiment behind them lives on.

From Closure to Comeback

The Staircase was closed in 2004 due to structural issues, but alumni and advocates never gave up hope. Groups like the Friends of the Grand Staircase and the EOU Foundation helped University leaders campaign for funding for over 20 years to address the stairs. In 2022, their efforts paid off when the Oregon Legislature allocated $4 million for its restoration.

Construction began in the fall of 2023, and engineers and preservation experts carefully deconstructed and rebuilt the Staircase. The new version honors the spirit and design of the 1929 original.

“It’s not the exact same Staircase,” Hofmann acknowledged. “But I love it. The finances just weren’t there, and the craftsmanship of that era doesn’t exist anymore. I thank my lucky stars this is done. It’s the result of hard work by a lot of dedicated people.”

Stepping Into the Future

Today, the Staircase is open again, and students and the public are already finding ways to incorporate it into their lives.

Walking the steps from town to campus echoes a long tradition. With each step, new memories are created to strengthen the connection between EOU and the La Grande community.

Sally Nusser, who attended EOU in 1960-61 and grew up just four blocks from the Staircase, recalled the music department hosting performances on the steps.

“The graduation ceremony was wonderful, and people gathered to watch,” Nusser said.

To continue the tradition of musical performances on the Staircase, the Grande Ronde Community Band performed at the Ribbon Cutting for the new Staircase and Inlow Hall remodel.

Scott McConnell, dean of the College of Business and co-owner of Side A Brewery, understands firsthand the importance of that connection.

“The Grand Staircase is more than a historic structure—it’s a symbol of connection,” McConnell said. “It reminds us that the university and the community don’t just coexist; they thrive together. As a local business owner, I see its restoration as a sign of renewed energy and shared investment in La Grande’s future.”

“The Staircase exists now,” Hofmann said. “The connection is there. It’s up to the students to decide how they’ll use it—how they’ll make it their own.”

Looking for a four-year college close to home, Cassandra Sanchez of Ontario chose to transfer to EOU from . 

Sanchez was attracted to EOU’s financial aid options and its programs specifically for children of migrants. A first-generation Mexican-American, Sanchez said she will be the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

In addition to her molecular biology major and chemistry minor, Sanchez also joined the choir. Her passion for singing became a major outlet, balancing time spent in the lab with her artistic side, something encouraged by one of her biology professors.

“I thought my involvement with choir would end at Treasure Valley, but Dr. John Reinhardt advocates for staying in the arts, so when you are in your profession you will see patterns—just like in music,” Sanchez said. 

She took choir as a class and when she could fit it into her schedule, and continues to pursue singing as an extracurricular activity. She said last year when the university put on its annual spring choir show, it was her first opportunity to be part of a big production. Rehearsing in class alone wasn’t enough and they practiced almost every afternoon. The time commitment was demanding, but Sanchez said she has met her closest friends in choir—helping her get over her nervousness about being away from home.

“I’ve become more independent and I’m learning to work through my problems without leaning on my family,” Sanchez said.

Meanwhile, her biology workload has been intense. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, Sanchez said she’s taking some of her classes online, but much of her time is spent in the lab. During the winter 2021 she had four labs, including organic chemistry. 

When she graduates in 2022 Sanchez has her sights on studying dentistry or attending dental hygiene school at Oregon Health Sciences University. She’s also considered pursuing a teaching degree.

Not only are the biology courses more rigorous at EOU, Sanchez said her grade point average improved since transferring. She credits her success to the relatively small classroom size.

“I thought my GPA would tank with the bigger class sizes and I wouldn’t have as many one-on-one opportunities as I did at Treasure Valley,” Sanchez said. “But even though the class sizes were a little bigger, I was still comfortable enough with the professors and I’ve absorbed tons of great habits from them as well.”

She said the newer habits she’s formed helped her studying overall, like joining study groups, another fertile field for forming friendships.

“Students are hungry to continue learning,” Sanchez said. “We’ve even formed our own study groups.”

EOU has also provided Sanchez exposure to the variety of ethnicities represented through clubs and events highlighting Latino cultures, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans.

“I thought my involvement with choir would end at Treasure Valley, but Dr. John Reinhardt advocates for staying in the arts, so when you are in your profession you will see patterns—just like in music.” – Cassandra Sanchez, ’22 

“The clubs do a really great job spreading awareness and you don’t have to be a part of the ethnicity to join a certain club—you just have to be interested in the culture.”

As her time in La Grande winds down Sanchez shares her enthusiasm for the university’s academics, clubs and arts as an EOU Ambassador leading tours for incoming students and working in the Admissions Office. She’s even appeared in recruiting videos available on YouTube.

In one video Sanchez encourages high school students to consider what an education will do for their future: “What I tell prospective students about attending a community college or university is, ‘Go for it!’”

The Rural Engagement and Vitality (REV) Center, a partnership of EOU and , facilitates connections between the university and communities in Eastern Oregon. This year, two professors and two students began developing one of these connections through the Socioeconomic Community Profiles Project.

The profiles, commissioned jointly by the (BIC), , and Indigenous tribes, reveal potential risk and opportunities in small rural economies. 

This project illuminates potential impacts of new forest plans for the three national forests in eastern Oregon. Data analysis compares the relative impacts and economic resilience across 10 counties in Oregon and four in southeast Washington, informing future forest management in the region. Researchers delved into the relationship between national forest management and job creation in Elgin. 

“There is always an economic analysis done as part of the forest plan, but it’s more generalized and this data will be specific to our region and even provide some detail about the impact that activities on the forest could have on smaller logging-focused communities, which normally don’t show up in high-level economic analyses,” said REV Center Program Manager Julie Keniry. 

Economics professors Peter Maille and Scott McConnell have taken the lead on constructing socioeconomic profiles for each county involved. 

“Communities could focus on information our analysis provides to better understand economic vulnerabilities. Some could use it to argue for forest management policies that mitigate a possible economic harm or enhance a possible benefit,” Maille said. “Our basic hope is that the communities and the Forest Service can make better decisions by having better information.” 

Grant funding allows two EOU student interns to assist Maille and McConnell with the project. 

“What happens in these forests impacts the counties… Changing access or harvest level can change the amount of wood product going through an economy,” Maille said. “We’re trying to model how a given county’s economy will respond to those kinds of changes.” 

The results will also feature in coursework for Maille’s classes as real-world examples. He hopes computing each county’s economic resilience will open the door for valuable long-term monitoring of economic change in the rural West.

REV Center connects university, community

A new hub for connecting local leaders with the university, The Rural Engagement and Vitality (REV) Center was founded in January 2020 by EOU and . 

Businesses seeking interns, agencies in need of data analysis, or city governments in search of expertise and training can partner with EOU faculty, students and services. At the same time, EOU students gain real-world problem-solving experience, hands-on learning, and often a paycheck through internship opportunities.

Executive Director of Wallowa Resources Nils Christofferson sees the REV Center as a realization of the partnership between workforce development and regional universities. 

“The REV is nimble, flexible and responsive with capacity to facilitate new initiatives, build partnerships and identify solutions that improve the vitality of Eastern Oregon and develop our rural workforce and the next generation of leaders,” Christofferson said.

Six programs are already operating through the REV Center.

“The suite of projects, from creative arts to social economic analysis, speaks to the breadth of potential the REV Center offers to really be an important vector in economic development,” Christofferson said. “This is not just about making EOU a bigger, better university, but ensuring that EOU is truly supporting and contributing to revitalization in the region.”Learn more about the REV Center at .

From a few acres of land in rural China, Guojie Wang’s parents grew nearly everything they needed to support their family of four. If they needed oil for cooking, they grew sunflowers. If they wanted to eat tofu, they grew soybeans. Without heavy equipment or high-tech analysis, they provided nutrients for their sons and enough profit to cover Wang’s tuition. 

He left the farm to study ecology and then natural resource management, in hopes of improving the lives of his parents and others like them. 

“I graduated debt-free, but my parents’ life is very hard,” Wang said. “What’s the big deal if I get a degree, but my parents still have to suffer? So I study how to manage those farms with less labor or higher profit.”

Wang is a forage agronomist who teaches Crop and Soil Science at (OSU) in La Grande. EOU houses faculty and courses from OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences on campus at EOU so students from the rural areas of the state have access to experts like Wang. 

His research, conducted at the OSU Experiment Station in Union, explores how to grow forage for livestock with less water than conventional methods. Increasing ecological restrictions on water use from local streams has strained agricultural needs in recent decades, and Wang hopes to provide a sustainable solution. 

The Catherine Creek watershed is home to a variety of fish, Wang explained, and if any threatened or endangered species are listed, based on Endangered Species Act landowners will have very limited access to their water sources. In-stream water flow and temperature in summer have the biggest impact on aquatic life.

“In order to conserve these species, we aim to use less water for agriculture in summer, however, this region would be impossible to farm in summer without irrigation,” Wang said. “So we try to use water more efficiently than before.” 

He hopes to develop viable ways for agricultural producers to use less water to grow more or the same amount, or at least achieve neutrality between agriculture and conservation efforts.

Wang’s research began in 2016, and he plans to complete the first phase of projects this year and move to the second phase next year. Although the eight trials he’s run so far show significant effects, making an impact will take more than raw numbers. 

“Adoption for this system is not just data,” he said. “It’s other social and economic factors, too.”

Before Wang embarked on this work, he interviewed local farmers and ranchers to identify industry needs and priorities. The results reinforced his assertion that growing forage, or feeding material, is the No. 1 cost for livestock producers in this region. 

“A cow eats roughly 30 pounds of hay a day,” Wang said. “We need a lot of forage, but at the same time we do not have a lot of water.”

Wang and fellow researchers host field tours each summer for farmers to visit the Experiment Station to see the plots and demonstrations. Last year’s visitors were most concerned with the costs and effort required to implement Wang’s low-water strategies. 

“You cannot continue to draw water from this watershed, but producers want to keep doing what they’re doing right now,” Wang said. “My dad does the same thing. I hope the producers can be proactive and respect the data, and make some changes. I’m trying to demonstrate this is a true alternative, not a fantasy.”

Wang’s parents have commercialized since he moved to America. The diversity of their farm has dwindled, and they don’t eat hardly any of what they grow. 

“I’m a rural farmer’s kid who is now teaching in America: I am the American Dream,” Wang said. “I went from a small farm in China doing everything by hand, to heavily equipped, big farms in America.”

Wang plans to publish the results of his five-year study in a scholarly journal after analyzing the 2021 growing season data. 

The Ground We Walk On

“We touch soil almost every day,” said Crop and Soil Science Professor Goujie Wang. “Out here, no matter where you work, you will touch the soil for sure.”

And it’s worth doing right every once in a while. 

“The first thing to do is feel it,” Wang said. “Soil is a soft, porous medium.”

He talks about soil like it’s his favorite pet: living and breathing and just asking to be cared for. 

“Soil will present all the things plants need,” he said. “Human beings don’t need to add very much to the soil to support industry. Fifty years ago there were no pesticides or fertilizers, and the world still produced a high quantity and quality of food.” 

He recommends even casual gardeners test their soil regularly. Think of it like a wellness check-up or a blood draw to make sure everything looks good, and proactively respond to potential problems. 

“Soil is a living, soft, fertile resource… show you care by doing an annual check,” Wang said. 

Organic matter is the key to almost everything in soil. Add those leaves and little roots back to it to nurture a rich humus layer. 

“Humus is a glue to keep the soil healthy and functional,” Wang said. “Improve it, and the soil will do it back to you.”

Mostly, though, leave soil alone. It’s more stable and resilient than most people give it credit for. 

“Soil is a reliable natural resource for our foundation as a community and country,” Wang said. “This is the energy for human beings. Of course you can destroy soil by pushing the boundary to where it breaks, but it’s resilient and will come back. After a wildfire, flood or severe drought, the soil always will come back if we don’t break that threshold—just like the community did not break with the pandemic. We will bounce back—we have the capability.”

A life of military service and a legacy of giving began with teammates who stood together in defeat, agreeing to enlist en masse if they lost one more game. 

In the fall of 1948, the entire EOSC football team capped their losing season with a march downtown to join the . Among them was Willard “Bill” Carey, ’49, who would go on to serve as the youngest federally recognized brigadier general in the Army National Guard of the United States. 

Carey earned his associate degree at EOU and transferred to the , where he was student body president and president of Phi Kappa Psi. From there, he earned a law degree from Willamette University. 

In 1959, he married the love of his life, Audrey, and they set up a life and a law practice in La Grande, eventually with three children. Toward the beginning of his law career, Carey started the EOU Foundation and continued to contribute to the university until his passing in May 2001.   

“He wanted young men and women to have the kind of opportunity that he had.” – Audrey Carey

“Coming back to his own community, he recognized the need for a fundraising source for the college, so he formed the Eastern Oregon Advancement Association,” Audrey said. “He’d go out and raise money among the business people in Eastern Oregon to fund this committee, which then became, under his leadership, the [EOU] Foundation.” 

When Carey took an assignment at the in San Francisco, he commuted from his La Grande Law office and was the Deputy Commanding General for Reserve Components, Sixth US Army, which covered the 13 Western States. During this time, Carey was responsible for over 100,000 people, his wife said. 

“It was just the most wonderful experience,” Audrey said. “I got to watch him go from Captain and La Grande Company Commander all the way to Major General.” 

Carey was the first President of the EOU Foundation and served on the board for 24 years. In 1982, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award and was twice recognized with the Jaycees Distinguished Services Award in addition to being named Man of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 1966 and 1986. His wife remembers Carey teaching a business class at the college as well. 

When he retired from the military in 1987, Carey’s troops gifted him with their personal funds to start the “Major General Willard Carey Scholarship” and he continued to put his money into it, too. At the time of his death, Carey’s family directed donations in his honor to expand the scholarship even further.  

“He had a close attachment to Eastern and that’s why the scholarship became [what it did],” Audrey said. “He wanted young men and women to have the kind of opportunity that he had. It was becoming more financially difficult for people to go to college and so it was really important to him that there was this scholarship. He wanted it to go to people who were going to have a military career, as well a college education.” 

The scholarship provides up to $2,500 annually, and has allowed students to access higher education since 1989. To qualify for the annual scholarship, students must be part of the GOLD program, which aims to strengthen the officer candidate program at EOU while providing training exercises and trips to historical military sites across the country. 

Audrey Carey has received many letters of thanks from student recipients over the years, and she treasures their words of gratitude. One excerpt reads: 

“I look forward to the day I am also able to give back to young soldiers like myself and continue the tradition of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage throughout our armed forces community. I promise you, personally, I will continue to work hard and become an exemplary model for others to follow.”

I am thrilled to be on-board as the Executive Director of Philanthropy, and am looking forward to getting involved in La Grande and surrounding communities that EOU serves.

I am originally from Moscow, Idaho but spent many years moving around the Pacific Northwest. I returned to Moscow in 2000 and began my career in higher education. I spent 10 years working in development at the University of Idaho’s Department of Athletics, specializing in annual giving, board development, campaign project management, stewardship and special events. Most recently, I served as a major gift officer in the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences at .

I look forward to working with our constituents and communities to help build on the foundation that already exists through the great efforts of the EOU Foundation Trustees and University Advancement staff. Working together, I believe we can accomplish our fundraising goals and fulfill the mission of the Foundation.

I love spending time with my two teenage kids, attending their sporting events, helping them with homework and seeing them grow as wonderful young adults. I also enjoy being outdoors, hiking, running, biking, kayaking and camping, and I am excited to explore the Grande Ronde Valley. 

‘Engage, Invest, Enhance’ through the EOU Foundation

Visions, missions and strategic plans have a bad habit of accumulating dust, but leaders of the EOU Foundation are determined to keep theirs living and breathing. 

Chair of the Finance Committee Marcy Haines is a fifth-generation East Oregonian, and although she only attended EOU for a year, the university’s critical role in the region inspired her to get involved. 

“I think it’s so important to increase the economic viability of our rural communities, and the college and foundation do that,” Haines said. 

After earning a degree from and starting a financial planning business, her commitment to improving lives through education led Haines to a position as a Foundation Trustee.

“I’m so impressed with the amount of scholarships being awarded, and the generosity of gifts to the foundation,” she said. “We have a broad base of support from different people from a wide range of places.”

The foundation’s renewed focus boils down to “Engage, Invest, Enhance.” Trustees, led by the Board of Directors, hope to expand involvement and increase philanthropic giving in line with EOU’s strategic plan, “The Ascent: 2029.”

“There’s been a focus on engaging and reaching out to more people,” Haines said. “I’m realizing how many people have a love for EOU and want to support it—it had been here all along, but I’ve seen it accelerate.” 

She said more people are investing in Oregon’s Rural University through gifts of cash, stock, estates, payroll deductions, and credit card donations. 

“The vision for the foundation is to grow at a reasonable rate and continue expanding our impact on campus and online,” Haines said. “We’re focused on enriching that experience and allowing students to thrive.” 

A new range of locally based philanthropic committees have emerged in metro centers across the Northwest for EOU stakeholders in Boise, Spokane, Portland and other areas to connect with one another.

“Being able to build a tribe within your community—it’s really about those personal relationships in the long-term,” Haines said. “We really are very global at this point, and expanding EOU’s global-ness means more impact.”
The EOU Foundation can be reached at foundation@eou.edu or 541-962-3740.

The Mountaineer is primarily funded by the EOU Foundation. Visit eou.edu/foundation and make a gift to support the alumni magazine!

returned to the diamond in February 2021, following a hiatus that lasted 14 years, nine months and four days. Off-season recruiting and COVID-19 safety protocols are beginning to pay off as the reinvigorated team competes this spring. Plans are in development for an on-campus baseball field and expanded scholarship offerings to student-athletes. Contact the EOU Foundation for more information and to get involved! 

Alexander Zuluaga

Psychology, ’21

Men’s soccer (Forward)

“I was expecting to see a lot of student-athletes like myself that have the same goals in mind, to find like-minded people, which I have.”

“It’s easy to get distracted in a bigger city, but being here has kept me focused on what I want to achieve in soccer and academically.”

“I’d like to try out for a soccer team. I want to get my bachelor’s degree as a thank you to my parents for everything they did for me. Maybe I’ll go to vocational school to become a vitals monitor in surgical rooms.”

“The university needs to be open to criticism, and willing to hear people out. They need to listen to students’ concerns because there’s a lot of opportunity to progress.”

Noel Orozco

Business Administration, ’21

Wrestling (Heavyweight)

“It’s a very close community, very supportive. Everybody knows each other, and it’s very welcoming.”

“I want to absorb everything from my teachers, become a national champion and just be involved on campus.”

“The university could add a free resource to help students learn and understand what people of color go through. There are a lot of people from small towns in Eastern Oregon where they just haven’t been exposed or they just aren’t really educated on what people of color deal with.”

“Providing counseling for people of color who need it would make a difference.”

Yahaira (Yaya) Chavarria-Mondragon

Exercise science, ’22

Women’s soccer (Defense)

“I was looking for a school with small classes, where professors know you and want to help you. I’ve loved it so far.” 

“La Grande is a small town with a hugely supportive community.”

“I would love to attend grad school and go into occupational therapy.”

“EOU is a very welcoming place. There’s so many opportunities for everyone.”

“Everyone’s allowed to grow and follow their dreams. In order to continue making EOU a place where everyone feels welcomed and supported, the university should reach out to students, professors and staff to continue looking for ways to make EOU a great place to be.”

Marco Retano

Physical education, ’22

Wrestling (Heavyweight)

“I definitely expected to adjust because I grew up in one town my entire life. I had to learn what it’s like to not be known and how to build new relationships.”

“I know people who are my dear friends now who just needed that exposure. It’s about finding a way to create experiences for people coming in from rural areas who just haven’t had that opportunity.”

“99% of it is a great experience … I have white friends who are getting to know me and I’m getting to know them, and we’re learning about each other. When we get our education, it’s not just about the books, it’s about meeting new people and learning about the world.”

As families around the world coped with isolation, illness and financial hardship, EOU faculty members shaped a new concentration and licensure specialization that prepare teachers to respond to their students’ needs. 

The Trauma in Educational Communities concentration and specialization are the only programs of their kind in Oregon. Housed under the fully online degree, both offerings opened for enrollment this fall. 

Even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, Dean of the College of Education Matt Seimears found a significant need for trauma-invested teachers in the region. 

“Superintendents were calling me to ask what we can provide to help with traumatized students,” Seimears said. “We built this because of the demand in our schools.” 

A team of EOU faculty began developing trauma-specific courses in September 2019 and worked collaboratively with K-12 schools to refine them. 

“Faculty are in the schools seeing things first-hand. Most program developers never see that,” Seimears said. “We have the potential to be the leading institution in the state of Oregon with trauma and resilience.”

Associate Professor of Education Amanda Villagómez coordinates the program and led the faculty planning team. 

“School districts offer some training, but they’re often expensive or hard to access. Plus, we wanted to dig deeper than a one-time training,” Villagómez said. “The coursework looks at individual and systemic traumas.”

She said the curriculum development team was intentional about approaching the topic through a culturally responsive and equitable lens. The College of Education prioritizes cultural responsiveness in developing educators: running the , hosting the Center for Culturally Responsive Practices, sending faculty to the , and incorporating English for Speakers of Other Lanugages (ESOL) training into undergraduate degrees. In 2020, that inclusive approach has become even more valuable.

“The COVID pandemic is bringing trauma to the surface,” Villagómez said. “Certain populations are having higher rates of impact, and it’s revealing inequities.”

Looking ahead, the college plans to continue its work toward integrating cultural responsiveness and equitable practices into teacher coursework. 

The Trauma in Educational Communities concentration addresses age groups from preschool through high school. Interactive elements and a flexible start term mean that students can complete all required courses in just three terms. The content is accessible and applicable for administrators, recent undergraduates, substitute teachers, and even those who’ve spent years in the classroom. 

“We always have the lens of how this affects teachers in our area,” Villagómez said. “EOU is all about relationships, and that’s a big part of the coursework. A lot of what EOU stands for aligns well with principles of trauma-invested care.”

More information about the Master of Science in Education program and the Trauma in Educational Communities concentration and specialization is available at . 

EOU established the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion (SDI) in 2018, expanding the role of the MOSAIC Center. Bennie Moses-Mesubed, ’99 and ’13, has built up the department’s educational and support services.

She explained that advocating and providing resources for students who are marginalized because of their gender identity, sexual orientation or ethnicity is only half of her job. The department also organizes events and discussions that equip white students with a more complete understanding of inclusion, equity and diversity. Moses-Mesubed said she hopes all EOU students gain a truly global perspective at EOU, and then apply it in academics and as active community members.

“We are just as accountable for providing education about privilege and white fragility for our white students, as we are for providing validation and support for students of color who experience microaggressions,” she said. 

Moses-Mesubed and her staff talk to white students about race as a construct, but add that white people have been excluded in conversations about racism. 

“Our culture has conditioned them to think that race and racism is not about them,” she said, pointing out how difficult it is for students to name a white person who walked with MLK. “, and others have historically been excluded in white conversations about the racial justice movement. This results in young white people not having role models or seeing how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) impact them.” 

EOU’s student population is 70% white, nearly half of last year’s freshman class came from low-income homes, and about a third were first-generation college students. Part of EOU’s rural mission means walking alongside students who are just beginning to understand concepts like diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Wherever students are in understanding DEI, we want to be there for them as a resource,” she said. “It’s OK to make mistakes, it’s OK to fumble, and we will pick each other up and figure out where to go from there. The key is to not be discouraged.”

The benefits of difference

“Being different is not bad,” EOU business professor Michael Fields said. “When we understand each other better, we work together better, learn together better and create a better society for people to work and succeed in.” 

Fields’ research explores intercultural competence: a set of skills, knowledge and abilities to communicate and interact with people who are different from one another in a positive and productive manner. He found that the value of intercultural competence and its impact aren’t widely known. 

Fields chairs EOU’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He said part of the committee’s work involves compliance with , which requires that all public universities work to improve intercultural competence.

He furthered his research by inviting five international graduate students to attend his undergraduate classes for weekly mentoring sessions. The experience marginally improved students’ competency, and the graduate students showed even more improvement. Fields found that high-contact, positive experiences with people who are different from one another influence intercultural competence. 

As a business faculty member, Fields said intercultural competency is key for future managers, leaders, employees, neighbors and participants in the global economy. 

“One of the aspects of intercultural competence is communication, which is something we do daily as humans, as faculty members, as parents, as community members, as coaches and more,” he said. “We are often speaking to people who have different views than us, and intercultural competence prepares people for that.”

View Fields’ Colloquium talk here: .

In March 2020, EOU transitioned all spring term courses to remote-access in response to the quickly spreading coronavirus pandemic. Students, employees, alumni and stakeholders created new ways of teaching, learning, leading and interacting as the world went into lockdown. 

As people emerged, they did so with a new set of habits. Face coverings, physical distance and take-out became ubiquitous with everyday life. The Mountaineer spirit of resilience and innovation has never shone out so clearly. 

Hear from more members of the EOU community and add your story at eou.edu/coronavirus/eou-story-map.

“Quarantine and the cancellation of in-person classes led to my moving back home to Willowcreek to be with my family. This sudden and unexpected change was tough on me as I was enjoying my independence and freedom in La Grande. However, spending time with my family has been wonderful, as my brother and cousins are all out of school. Being able to work on my family’s farm and ranch every day has been quite relaxing. This pandemic has changed the way EOU, America and the world operates, in this time of uncertainty it is critical to hold onto family, community and friends.”

Emma Kindschy (Student)
Vale, Oregon

“One of my students, Gloria Wagner, completed her degree during winter term.  Gloria is an exceptional student. She finished her degree with a 4.0 EOU GPA and an overall GPA of 3.770. While that in itself is an accomplishment, her most outstanding attribute is that Gloria is 81 years old!”

Kerrie Wylam (Staff)
Roseburg, Oregon

“I attempted to offer the best remote learning for my students, and provide them with support as needed. I am following the guidelines set forth by the government agencies for social distancing. I volunteered with the high school graduation planning and assisted with the construction of infrastructure for the virtual graduation. I have been supporting my family and their needs as well.”

David Ford (Student)
Central Point, Oregon

“I have been volunteering at a local food bank. It has been great to see all of the extra donations during this time!”

Jessica Coughlin (Faculty)
Bend, Oregon

“Now that I have become an RA, COVID-19 has heavily impacted the way that programs and physical interactions take place. For instance, residents will not be able to go inside other halls or into other individuals rooms/suites. A positive take away is being able to be creative. In other words, finding alternatives for programming to make sure we are abiding by mask/social distancing guidelines. Additionally, finding other ways to create that community within your own hall and floor. This experience has and will continue to challenge me throughout the year and I’m excited to have this leadership opportunity during a global pandemic.”

Joseph O’Brien (Student)
Boardman, Oregon

“Dan and I have been taking walks together. I’ve been restoring Orff instruments for teachers as Dan learns Spanish. Each night my friend calls and we pray for first responders, safety, support for all and wisdom for a cure.” 

Dan and Ann Hutchinson (Alumni)
Boise, Idaho

“I had recently accepted a position as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer to serve in Peru another year as an At-Risk Youth Social Reintegration Specialist, but with COVID there was no post to go back to…. I now work as a Mentor in Outdoor Recreation Therapy for a residential young adult transition program! I am planning on staying with this company to grow as an individual in this industry, learn about somatic outdoor therapy and finish school. I plan to focus on mental health, while advocating to increase access to outdoor recreational activities for all.” 

Alondra Esquival (Alumna)

“Ceramic artists have a love-hate relationship with the material because the limitations and the resistance of the material is the thing that actually allows you to do more while pushing against the boundaries. Bouncing off the walls of our limitations sets up the failures that lead to our next big idea. These new boundaries limit us, but how can we use those parameters in a way that’s exciting? This is going to force some really interesting changes society-wide.” 

Nate Prouty (Faculty)
La Grande, Oregon

“I never expected my first year as a nurse to include a pandemic – one where I began to care for only one type of patient that can present, decline, and improve in a multitude of ways,” said Christensen. “I never expected to gain some of the experiences I have so fresh in my career and yet being thrown into the fire has allowed me to learn and be witness to some of the most interesting medical interventions.”

Sierra Christensen (Alumna)
Tri-Cities, Washington

“Virtual Preview Day was the most rewarding admissions event I’ve ever been a part of. It went really well and the student engagement was incredible. Students and families from Saipan, Colombia, New Jersey and Georgia joined us! Most times, families from distant locations can’t attend an on-campus event, but taking it online eliminated the barriers to visiting EOU.”

Genesis Meaderds (Staff)
La Grande, Oregon

The Native American Program at EOU is the reason Katie Harris-Murphy, ’16, stuck around to complete her chemistry degree.

Four years later, she’s the reason Jordan Patt hasn’t given up.

Now the Director of the Native American Program on campus, Murphy said getting involved in clubs like Speel-Ya kept her engaged with her education. Students in the club now look to Murphy for the same kind of mentorship and encouragement.

Patt, who was president of Speel-Ya in 2019-20, said a constant cycle of activities, fundraisers and events keep club members busy year-round. Speel-Ya is the oldest Native American student club in the West, and its legacy is a testament to the longstanding partnership between EOU and nearby tribes.

The club’s largest annual event, the spring Pow Wow and Indian Arts Festival, would have seen its 50th anniversary in May. The event was canceled as part of state and university efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“People come from Montana, Washington and Idaho for the pow wow,” Patt said.

A junior studying business, Patt grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation. In addition to her presidential duties, she also has two on-campus jobs.

Speel-Ya’s presence on campus has grown recently, with Native American Heritage Month programs, exhibitions in the Nightingale Gallery, and partnerships with other student clubs.

“We’re learning how to stand up and push ourselves out so others will see us,” Patt said. “There’s still assumptions that we don’t do a lot, even though the door of our office is covered in posters of our events.”

Posters for fry bread sales, craft nights, art exhibits, film showings, and activism to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) were designed by Joseph O’Brien, who is the student Native American Program Assistant and Indian Arts Coordinator for 2019-20, and a junior on a pre-nursing track.

Patt created an eye-catching poster for MMIW, which became a Facebook post that got 500,000 views and was shared 7,500 times.

“We have an EOU student whose mother went missing in the 1980s,” Murphy said. “Natives know about this issue, but the general public isn’t aware.”

O’Brien is a member of the Pit River Tribe, and is also heavily involved on campus. Murphy said co-curricular activities equip students for success in their lives and careers, while keeping them connected to an on-campus community.

“I always suggest that students get out of their comfort zones,” she said. “My students know how to show up and try new things, they’re not afraid to volunteer, and that’s important when you get a job.”

A member of Nez Perce, Cayuse, Umatilla and Karuk tribes, Murphy has helped students enroll in tribal membership. Her small office is frequented by students seeking an understanding ear.

One of the very first peers Patt shared an EOU classroom with had never met a Native American person before. O’Brien said his identity has been met with skepticism because his appearance is different from stereotyped images of Native Americans.

“I was fighting stereotypes on the daily [as a student], with people thinking my ethnicity didn’t exist,” Murphy said. “The Native American Program helps students find their community and subtly teaches others who we are and that we’re proud.”

Special recognition at the 50th annual Spring Pow Wow was planned to draw attention to the ongoing partnership between EOU and the region’s indigenous people. Murphy said many EOU alumni typically reunite at the event, and online students who study from their homes on nearby reservations often choose the occasion to visit campus. Club members now look toward spring 2021 to celebrate this auspicious anniversary.

“We’ve always been here,” Murphy said. “Pow Wow is a great way to exhibit the diversity on campus and to see something different.”

An abandoned sawmill became a booming center of commerce, culture and city life in Bend after The Old Mill District debuted in 2017.

Transforming former industrial sites into meaningful community spaces has become an industry of its own in rural Oregon. A new EOU degree program equips students to serve as leaders in this emerging field.

Starting in fall 2020, students in the Sustainable Rural Systems program will investigate aspects of rural communities that make Oregon’s cities, farms and forests livable. The on-campus degree is open to transfer students, as well as first-time freshmen.

Courses designed for group-based learning take on real-life challenges alongside community and industry partners. Students builddistinct skill-sets to address environmental remediation or restoration, public policy, economic development, natural resource management and other community-building projects.

“This multi-disciplinary degree prepares students for careers in community building and project leadership,” said Joe Corsini, an EOU biology professor who will teach courses in the Sustainable Rural Systems program starting this fall. “These multi-year projects connect theoretical concepts to the realities of working with agencies, nonprofits and businesses, and teach students to think creatively as they guide rural communities into the future.”

Students select a concentration in either Environmental Resources or Economics of Rural Systems and move through the program with a cohort of peers. As they advance, students take on more responsibitity and become project managers, who model teamwork and mentorship for incoming freshmen.

In an innovative new format, students will work to solve real issues in rural communities. A partnership with Baker Technical Institute provides the program’s first cohort their long-term project: restoring former industrial and commercial sites in Eastern Oregon that have been affected by environmental contamination. With remediation, these brownfields become useful community spaces once again.

Future projects could include refurbishing a historic building, analyzing industry changes after a timber mill closes, or exploring new methods of delivering healthcare in rural areas. Students can explore a wide range of academic fields, but the program’s core includes environmental biology, economics and project leadership courses. By tailoring their curriculum toward specific interests, students can earn a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Sustainable Rural Systems.

“As an employer, we’re looking for graduates who can demonstrate their skills in the field,” said Les Penning, CEO of Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC). “This program is designed to do exactly that by putting students in leadership positions to complete hands-on projects.”

For two years, Cheryl Martin, ’76, got to teach in the same school where her grandmother had first inspired her to become a teacher. She spent another 25 years in North Powder, where her experience ranged from kindergartners up to high school psychology classes.

Her “range” also includes the cattle range. Martin has lived and worked on a ranch in Eastern Oregon throughout her career and now in her retirement.

She has a surprising amount in common with chemist and professor Abel Mendoza, ’72. Both serve on EOU’s Board of Trustees, and both are deeply committed to serving the region’s students.

Including Martin, over a dozen people in her family have attended EOU. Mendoza, meanwhile, was the first in his family to go to college. Since then, he’s gone on to earn a Ph.D., conduct research and teach at EOU’s chemistry department. He even saw his daughter graduate in the blue and gold.

Vice Chair of the Board this year, Mendoza sees his volunteer trusteeship as an act of giving back. He enrolled as an international student from Mexico, and found the surrounding mountains a cozy reminder of home.

“For most people, education is the key to joining the middle class, that’s why I’m committed to being involved in it,” Mendoza said. “For me, it was the door to a better way of life. I met professors from a variety of fields who made me feel welcome.”

Mendoza and Martin both joined the inaugural EOU Board of Trustees in 2015. Martin said the experience has strengthened her relationship with the campus community.

“I love EOU, my heart is there,” she said. “I love the world of education, and it has been rewarding for me to be part of EOU at a different level.”

One of the primary responsibilities of trustees is ensuring the university’s financial stability, a task that has shifted in the five years since the board was chartered.

“It’s no secret that the school has gone through difficult times as you look back at the last 15 years,” Mendoza said. “The most gratifying part of being a trustee is that we have made a huge difference.”

Being Oregon’s Rural University comes with a commitment to affordability. Martin grew up in rural Oregon and said the designation calls attention to the board’s focus on ensuring access to higher education.

“We want so badly to keep that tuition level where students can afford to come to EOU without massive debt,” Martin said. “Students need to have options and availability for their paths, whether that’s a two-year or four-year degree or beyond.”

Mendoza’s initial college experience inspired him to eventually earn a doctorate in chemistry and pursue an extensive career with Dow Chemical, where he obtained 28 U.S. patents and over 100 international patents. His 14 siblings have also benefited, and many of his nieces and nephews have followed his lead and graduated college. After retiring from Dow, Mendoza moved to Haines, Oregon and taught at EOU for a number of years before retiring again.

Martin said rural-ness and affordability go hand-in-hand with EOU’s hands-on learning and meaningful mentoring relationships.

“EOU students get to experience a lifestyle of wide-open spaces, a friendly handshake at a local business, a smile from another as they walk down a sidewalk, a short trek to the mountains for recreation, and a university that puts that all together for a great lifetime experience,” she said. “It means that every student feels the compassion and caring of our faculty, board and administration while getting a second-to-none educational experience.”

During the second week of October 2019, 30 EOU students and three faculty members spent four very long days outside of Prineville, Oregon, excavating a partial mammoth skeleton from a gravel quarry. The site was owned by late EOU alumnus Craig Woodward, ’69, who decided to donate the fossils to his alma mater.

Woodward passed away shortly after construction workers uncovered the fossils, but members of his family carried his enthusiasm forward. They worked with university leaders and faculty to make this final donation official with a memorandum of understanding.

Workers from Knife River Corporation had leased the land to extract sand and gravel, when they uncovered tusks about 30 feet below the surface. EOU students and faculty members from the anthropology and biology departments collaborated with construction crews to carefully remove the bones.

Anthropology professor Rory Becker said students in his introduc-tory classes got a first-hand look at archeology in action.

“I think a lot of the students were surprised at how much work was involved,” he said. “It takes coordination of many, many moving parts — plus, straight digging holes.”

For many of them, Becker said, it was a chance to decide whether fieldwork would be a suitable career path. The team’s 12-hour days from Oct. 9 to 13 often began and ended in the dark.

Becker led the dig with fellow anthropology professor Linda Reed-Jerofke and biology professor Joe Corsini. All three agreed that the experience offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for EOU students.

“The students were working hard, talking about their ideas, leading their peers,” Corsini said. “They were all excited to get out there.”

Students from three anthropology courses helped remove giant arm bones, including the ulna, radius and humerus, as well as tusks, a cranium and several vertebrae. Becker and Corsini said they suspect the mammoth may have been a juvenile because the ends of the long bones don’t appear to be fused to the shaft.

“The type of sediment surrounding it suggests that it may have been in slow-moving water,” Corsini said.

He was surprised that they didn’t encounter an assemblage of other fossils, such as camels, sloths, bison, and rodents, near the larger mammoth bones.

Mammoths and mastodons both roamed North America about 2 million years ago, and the last of these creatures died out on the continent 10,000 years ago. Eons of sediment and pressure had preserved the bones, so exposing them to air made, particularly the tusks, vulnerable to delamination.

To protect them, the team removed the bones packed in sediment, covered them in plaster, and transported them to campus on a flatbed truck. Corsini, an experienced paleontologist, worked quickly with super glue at the site to stabilize the tusks. All of the elements are now securely stored adjacent to biology and anthropology labs on campus.

“It’s a load of work,” he said. “Getting them back [to campus] intact is the biggest challenge and achievement.”

It also means that smaller bones like teeth and fingers might still be enclosed within the larger sections. Teeth could clarify whether the find is actually a mastodon, and reveal details about the animal’s diet.

Becker said the find will provide three to five years of research papers, conference presentations and capstone projects for EOU students.

“We anticipate enduring opportunities for student contact with the bones,” Becker said. “Far beyond the 30 students who helped dig them out.”

Eventually, they hope to display the remains for visitors to see. The partial skeleton means that an exhibit might be set up to recreate the dig scene. Corsini said he looks forward to sharing the find with students and the community.

“It’s always amazing to see something like that — this huge creature that’s no longer on the planet,” he said. “I always feel a little bit of awe.”

Q&A with student participants

Erin Blincoe is a junior from Baker City, Ore., studying anthropology.

My role on the dig: I was in the upper division class, so I helped oversee some of the other students.

What surprised me: I love working with bones. It was a salvation dig, so it wasn’t a typical dig. We had four days to get everything out of the ground, so it was speedy.

What I learned: I never thought of myself as a leader, but I’m very patient and that worked.

Lydia Hurty is a senior from Stanfield, Ore., studying anthropology and sociology.

My role on the dig: I did all the photo documentation, the shots with a clipboard showing where bones were found.

What surprised me: I got to go around to every item that we found. It was surprising to see the size of it!

What I learned: The ins and outs of what you do on a dig, and watching all the processes that go into it was really informative.

Christopher Smith is a sophomore from La Grande studying anthropology and sociology.

My role on the dig: I have kids, so I couldn’t go on the dig, but we’ve been helping remove sediment from the cranium now that it’s back on campus.

What surprised me: The bones are very brittle after they’re exposed to air. They’re about the texture and fragility of balsa wood. I’d never thought of fossils as being that brittle.

What I learned: In the classroom you get an idea of what you’re about to encounter, but it’s really cool to actually dig in the dirt.

Hannah Wilhelm is a junior from La Grande studying anthropology.

My role on the dig: I did a lot of plastering, covering the bones in plastic and wet newspaper after they were pedestalled.

What surprised me: It was really cool to be near this animal that’s been in the ground for 10,000 years. It takes you to a different time.

What I learned: Taking what I learned in the classroom and seeing it actually happening helped me realize that I want to focus on paleoanthropology.

“It is something I had only ever seen in movies,” Brittney Hamilton said. “This activity does not exist where I come from.”

Cheerleading was far from the kind of dancing Hamilton, a junior studying business at EOU, had been doing in Saipan. This year, though, she embraced it and became the first Pacific Islander selected for the Mountaineer Cheer and Dance Team.

Hamilton now expresses herself in two forms of movement — one that honors her native culture and one that developed on the U.S. mainland. She has performed traditional dance and fire poi in the Island Magic Show and the International Dinner and Show.

“Dancing is a way to protect and respect where I come from,” Hamilton said. “It is our responsibility and duty to inform people of our existence, and dance is how we share ourselves with this community.”

The first time she saw cheerleaders, Hamilton said it sparked her curiosity. She was nervous to try out because the style of dance was so different from what she’d experienced in Saipan. Ultimately, the opportunity to dance again drew her in.

“It took a lot of courage for me to put myself out there like that,” she said. “In cheerleading, the dance moves are solid motions and back home dancing has more fluid motions.”

Some members of Hamilton’s hometown questioned her actions since this type of dance was unfamiliar to them.

“My friends were telling me not to do it, but I knew I had to do it for myself,” she said.

Cheerleading keeps Hamilton motivated and occupied, she said. The team practices four days a week for two hours at a time, plus three workouts at the gym each week. In her position as a base, Hamilton focuses on arm and leg exercises to prepare to lift fellow student-athletes in the air. She and her teammates have to maintain stamina and strength.

Out of all of the sports Hamilton has played, she believes cheerleading requires the most trust between team members.

“I don’t think cheerleading is any different than other sports teams in the sense that we all have responsibilities, trust, sportsmanship, honesty, integrity and other values that create a winning, positive team… those are the values we all share,” she said.

Hamilton’s team extends beyond the cheer and dance squad. A network of alumni from the Pacific Islands first connected her with EOU.

“I saw I could get the same degree with the same authenticity here as opposed to
at another university,” Hamilton said. “I also wanted to experience all four seasons. I was
amazed by the snow.”

Winter weather was another phenomenon she’d only seen on-screen before Hamiltonarrived in Eastern Oregon. With plans to offer marketing services or start her own business in the islands, Hamilton has learned to keep one foot dancing in each culture.

Almost 50 years after he set the record for most runs in a season, Steve Carter, ’06, is leading his Mountaineer teammates once again.

Carter established the EOU baseball program’s first endowed scholarship earlier this year. Now, he’s encouraging fellow alumni to step up to the proverbial plate.

After transferring to EOU in 1970 and scoring a record 33 runs, Carter was drafted to fight in Vietnam, where he flew 76 combat missions as a helicopter door gunner. He returned to EOU for the 1972 season, batting .368 over his two years at EOU and earning all-league, all-district, all-regional tournament, and 2nd team All-West Coast awards. Carter started a career in real estate before finishing his degree.

But when they reunited for Homecoming in 2006, a group of his peers escorted Carter to the Registrar’s Office to complete a final writing requirement. The team was being inducted into the EOU Hall of Fame, and he decided it was time to be a graduate, as well as an alumnus.

The only one out of five siblings who attended college, Carter credits his baseball scholarships with his career success.

“If it hadn’t been for baseball, it wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “When I was going there, I was church-mouse poor. You get to a point in your life where you reflect a little bit, and I decided I wanted to give back to get baseball rocking and rolling again.”

The scholarship will support baseball recruits, in hopes that their time at EOU becomes the same launchpad it was for Carter. He challenged his teammates to think of their cherished memories, and do their part to create the same opportunities for future Mountaineers. In addition to scholarships, the revitalized program has already begun fundraising for additional support.

“If everybody who played for Coach Howard Fetz gave to that fund, that’s going to make a dent,” he said. “Even if it’s a few hundred dollars, we have strength in numbers.”

To learn more about scholarships and giving to the baseball program, visit or call 541-962-3740 today!

Meet Head Baseball Coach Mike McInerney

EOU baseball is set to return under , who spent the past eight years as Associate Head Baseball Coach at Western Oregon University in
Monmouth.

At WOU, McInerney enjoyed great success as a pitching coach. In 2019, the team had four draft picks and one professional signing, the most of any school in NCAA Division II.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to be at EOU and to restart a historic baseball program,” McInerney said. “My family and I are enthused to join this great university and community, and I
can’t wait to get started.”

Work began immediately for McInerney, who already started getting his first signings for the program, while adding to his coaching staff as he prepares for the 2021 season.

Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Monica Plut announced the team’s first-ever signing with Sydney Shaughnessy of Meridian High School in February.

“Sydney is a great asset to our school, team and athletic program,” Plut said. “She is always one of the hardest workers in the room, very dedicated, and has such passion for our sport. She is excited about helping to build a legacy at EOU and for our team.”

Shaughnessy became the after an outstanding high school career. At Meridian last year, she posted 49 goals and six assists as a midfielder.

“If I were starting a college program, I would want to have a team of players like Sydney Shaughnessy coming onboard,” said Tom Welsh, Meridian High School head girls’ lacrosse coach.

“She is a great athlete, student and most importantly, a great teammate. I have no doubt that her work ethic, positive attitude and infectious personality will help Coach Plut build a first-class program at EOU.”

Shaughnessy is the first player from Meridian High School lacrosse to sign with a collegiate program. She will also be the first person in her family to attend college when she starts at EOU in the fall.

“Ever since I was a kid, my family has always told me to follow my dreams and that nothing can stop me if I put in the hard work and dedication,” Shaughnessy said. “EOU felt like that second family, guiding me to my dreams that just became reality.”

The signing marks the first steps for the EOU women’s lacrosse program as it continues to build toward the 2021 season.

Meet Head Lacrosse Coach Monica Plut

Monica Plut became EOU’s earlier this year. She led the women’s lacrosse program at Adams State University, a NCAA Division II school in Colorado, most recently.

Plut started her coaching career in 2014 in Chicago, then coached the state runner-up in 2017. The next year, Plut led her team to the league semifinals and earned a No. 1 spot in the East District.

“Between athletics and academics, EOU has so much to offer for student-athletes,” Plut said. “The coaches and sport programs at Eastern have a strong culture and passion for success, both on the field and in the classroom. I’m excited to join that culture and build upon it with a new sport.”

She started playing lacrosse at 11, and has organized clinics, camps and a travel team to grow the sport. Plut has plans to establish middle and high school lacrosse teams in the area that will eventually bring lacrosse players to campus.

Plocher joined the with a cheek swab in 2012 to support a soccer player who helped coordinate the drive on campus. Six years later, he got a phone call that there was a potential match.

The cheek swab collects DNA from donors to assess whether they might be able to provide bone marrow or other needed tissues for patients with blood cancers like leukemia.

“My dad had cancer and was in that situation,” Plocher said. “I would hope that if anybody was in a position to help, that they would follow through.”

And that’s what he did. Additional lab work and blood tests confirmed that the match was viable, then Plocher flew out to Portland, where he received two shots a day for five days to increase the cells in his bone marrow. Extracting the bone marrow took six hours.

“I had a big needle in each arm, and I’m not a big needle person,” he said.

Following the procedure, Plocher experienced bone and back aches, flu symptoms and fatigue.

“It was worth doing and I hope anybody who has the opportunity would do it,” he said. “I got a little bit nervous, but I wasn’t thinking of it as a big deal.”

Giving back is an ingrained part of Plocher’s paradigm for himself and his soccer players.

“Altruism is something we preach within our program,” he said. “We want to help these students become better people to benefit the community here and where they live.”

When he came to the women’s soccer program in 2017, he found plenty of talent but a lack of focus and team unity. In his first season as head coach, he brought the team together to win the regular season, as well as the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament, for the first time in program history.

In 2018, the Mounties did it again and progressed to the second round of the NAIA national tournament to finish at No. 14. is packed with top-25 teams this fall, and Plocher has his sights set even higher.

“There’s been some buzz and momentum after the last couple of years, but every season is completely different,” he said. “I want us to be a cohesive unit and make a run at another conference title.”

New turf in Community Stadium has created an energized playing environment for both men’s and women’s soccer at EOU. High-quality facilities pair with Plocher’s recent success to make EOU a tempting offer for new recruits. A large incoming class of freshmen and transfer student-athletes means competition among teammates will be high, which Plocher sees as positive.

“We should be an even deeper team than we were last two seasons,” he said. “Being right there in the stadium under the lights brings a lot of energy, especially to big time games, and it creates the competitive atmosphere that everyone wants to be a part of.”

Fully recovered from his surreal experience donating bone marrow last spring, Plocher brings common sense altruism to his team.

“It’s just the values that were instilled in my upbringing — I wanted to be able to help someone,” he said. “I don’t know anything about the recipient, and it doesn’t matter if I know them or not. It’s what I hope anybody would do if they were in that situation.”

The first year away from her island home in was full of difficult transitions.

“I had never been away from island life, and the transition to American living was overwhelming,” Camacho said. “I come from a very low-income home — poverty-stricken, really.”

Culture shock soon led to depression, but staff from TRIO Student Support Services, the EOU Counseling Center and the MOSAIC Center reached out and made sure Camacho had the resources she needed to be successful.

Since then, she’s become dedicated to developing public health systems in her own community.

“Mental health isn’t really talked about in the islands,” Camacho said. “I had never had access to counseling before, but then I realized how important all the aspects of health — mental, spiritual and physical all work together.”

In 2018 she received a grant from the ’s (UHF) Asian Pacific Islanders Fund that will help finance the rest of her bachelor’s degree. Scholarship recipients from across the country were invited to attend the annual .

Camacho represented EOU at the three-day conference last spring in Washington, D.C., where she discussed a range of contemporary healthcare issues with undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Scholars met with policymakers and thought leaders, networked with peers and guest speakers, and shared their own ideas and experiences.

“The conference taught me the importance of staying compassionate and humble while keeping your confidence,” Camacho said.

With a minor in psychology, Camacho said she hopes to build a career in public health policy.

“I want to go back to my island and help my people,” she said. “We need to combat obesity, preventable diseases, and addiction, and to provide safe spaces for youth that are encountering mental health issues.”

She’s considering starting a nonprofit that would provide holistic health for indigenous people, such as nutrition education.

“It is hard in the islands,” Camacho said. “People vacation where we live, but they don’t see deeper into the poverty and struggle that are part of the community.”

She served as ASEOU’s Director for Political Affairs in 2018-19, and learned about the policies that shape the region, as well as the university community. This year, she’s the ASEOU Director for Diversity and Equity, representing minority groups on campus.

“I’m narrowing down what I’m passionate about,” Camacho said. “I enjoyed working to find solutions to issues, and encouraging students to engage in politics because it affects us all.”

From her first experience living in a two-story building, to finding mentors on campus, Camacho has built a vision of her future during the last couple of years at EOU. She said staff in TRIO and Student Affairs provided advice and support that kept her committed to her education.

“People from EOU have really helped me grow as an individual and form how I want my life to look five years from now,” she said.

Looking forward, Camacho said she feels prepared for the challenge of bringing healthcare services to some of the most isolated communities in the Northern Mariana Islands.

“Healthcare providers put themselves through so much work and sacrifice to keep giving back and that’s beautiful to me,” she said. “The world is hard enough, we need to come together to make it better for everyone.”

Last year alone, 27 students benefited from EOU Foundation Crisis Awards. The funds support online and on-campus students who find themselves in difficult situations, where medical expenses, car trouble or childcare costs could threaten their progress toward earning a degree. These private funds close the gap to keep students on track, and, alongside other student services, support them on the way to timely graduation.

Higher education was never part of Megan Brown’s plan for her life. Her parents hadn’t gone to college, and she’d followed them into the working world right after high school. But after seven years of working double-shifts as a waitress to support her young son, Brown decided to make a change.

“I got fed up and quit one day,” she said.

Brown did odd jobs and worked harvest for a year, but after being turned down for more professional positions because she didn’t have a degree, she enrolled at ��ݮ��Ƶ.

Now in her senior year, Brown is determined to complete her business degree a year early and graduate in June 2020. She hopes a minor in communication and concentrations in marketing and management will equip her to promote athletics teams or work in a sports information office.

A little over a year ago, Brown’s dream was almost derailed. She was three terms into her education as a first-generation student, working two jobs and attending classes full-time.

“Things got really tight,” she said. “My son has health issues, including asthma and allergies, and I’d been trying to make every penny stretch. I have a lot of pride. I’ve worked since I was 15, I moved out on my own at 17. It’s really hard for me to ask for help.”

Brown talked to Scholarship Coordinator Danny Bailey, who told her about Crisis Awards from the EOU Foundation.

“I wrote my letter, and I didn’t expect anything,” she said, but hardship funds opened her eyes to the generosity of the EOU community. “It showed me that people are out there to help, and they recognize that things happen. It’s really nice to know that there are people who want to help. I would love to thank that donor, to say how much it helped my family.”

At 33, Brown is a non-traditional on-campus student, and she hopes to bridge the gap for single parents and older students who need some inspiration. She’s getting her career jump-started as sports information director’s intern this year at EOU.

“I never saw myself going to college, especially in my 30s,” she said. “Getting the Crisis Award has kept me on track, and I hope that one day I can be in a financial situation where I could help someone like me.”

More than 2,000 miles separated Tanisha Willis from her family in Fort Benning, Georgia when she moved to La Grande in 2017.

She’d spent about two years in Texas, working and taking classes full-time. Eventually the strain of 80-hour weeks became too much and her mental health suffered. After a brief return home, Willis followed her partner to ��ݮ��Ƶ and enrolled as a junior, bringing credits from four prior institutions.

After stints in the medical field and other careers, Willis found inspiration in EOU’s art facilities and embraced her passion for creating.

“I’ve always loved art, but my family didn’t want me to become a ‘starving artist,’” she said. “Art 101 was a turning point for me. It got me thinking about art in a different way and really opened my eyes to contemporary art.”

For a class project, she made a cardboard box with an infinity mirror in it to communicate big ideas about modern issues.

“It was the most ambitious thing I’d attempted and I was really impressed with what I was able to create,” Willis said.

Meanwhile, though, her relationship and mental health were deteriorating. Willis reached out to Mike Williams in the TRIO Student Support Services office, and he connected her with emergency housing in the residence halls, as well as counseling services.

Williams also referred her to Financial Aid staff to learn more about her eligibility for a Crisis Award. When the relationship broke down and Willis lost her housing, she also lost some of her belongings.

“I had one blanket and a pillow when I moved to the residence hall,” she said. “I used the Crisis Award for a comforter, groceries, towels and soap. It made me feel good that there was someone I could go to for help getting those items that make you feel human.”

As president of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and Vice President of Art Club, Willis said she tries to do her part to create inclusive, welcoming communities on campus.

“As a student of color, it’s hard to accept that if you want to affect change you have to be brave enough to participate, to put your foot in and go to those places you feel out of place,” she said. “But nothing would’ve changed if I had just stayed home all the time.”

She’s set her focus on print media and plans to graduate in March 2020. Coming from metropolitan areas in the opposite corner of the country, Willis said she’s become more open to rural communities during her time at EOU.

“The world we live in is a harsh one, I don’t think we should make it worse,” she said. “It’s important to be kind and help one another.”

Learn more about how you can support students at eou.edu/foundation today!

Adjunct vocal instructor Jamie Jacobson walked 500 miles over 40 days this summer, following the ancient through northern Spain. She said the physical, mental and spiritual challenges and triumphs of the camino equipped her to better guide aspiring musicians. Learn more about her experience on Facebook.

5 things I’m bringing with me

1. Fear: of the unknown and unplanned (like not having a bed, unsavory characters, and injury). I don’t want fear to keep me tied up in my life, but I cannot deny its existence. So I will lean in to what’s uncomfortable while relying on my common sense to keep me safe.
2. Gear: limited and cultivated gear that weighs 14 pounds in a bright red pack that feels like it was made for me! I have two sets of clothing, three pairs of socks, foot care, shower products, guidebook, journal, water bottles, hiking poles, sandals, a sleeping bag liner, travel pillow and a stone from home to leave along the path at the .
3. My village: my family and friends who support this endeavor are coming with me both in my heart and as represented by a scallop shell I will carry on my pack. I couldn’t do this without the support of my village, especially my husband Sam and my son Ethan.
4. An open heart: I’m ready for whatever lessons the camino has to offer while I’m on this journey. I am ready to meet new people from all walks and areas of life, endure physical pain and emotional and mental struggles as I push my body and mind to new heights.
5. My trusty adventure hat and tons of sunscreen: it’s the middle of summer in Spain and there’s a heatwave all over Europe. I’ll need my wide brim hat to help keep me cool and protected from the sun. I’m going to use a sunscreen stick to avoid coming home with just one half of my body kissed by the sun from only walking westward.

5 things I’m bringing home

1. Understanding of the importance of human connection, and the knowledge that every interaction is impactful no matter how brief. Sometimes goodbye means see you later and sometimes see you later means goodbye.
2. The idea that we cannot teach or be taught. We can only put ourselves (and our students) in situations to allow for learning. I was taught to count to at least 10 in every language I encountered.
3. An ingrained knowledge of what 31*C and 28k feel like without needing to convert them.
4. Grounded confidence in myself and a new understanding of fear.
5. The ability to wash my clothes, hair and body with only one bar of soap in a cold shower that is just big enough to turn around in.

Photos, stories and videos posted online keep alumni and community members connected to the university, while reaching new and prospective students with an authentic picture of life on campus. Over the last several years EOU has upped its social media efforts on all platforms, and a new internship position boosted its standing even further.

By December 2018, EOU outpaced all other regional and technical universities in Oregon with the fastest growing fanbase on Facebook and Instagram. Engagement with followers also reached a new high last fall, according to site analytics.

A significant part of this growth comes from the work of and student Berenice Chavez, who served as social media intern for admissions throughout 2018-19. Her photos and posts capture campus life from a student perspective and engage alumni, students and stakeholders in university culture.

A first-generation student, Chavez’s focus on photography as an art form dovetails with an interest in documenting civilizations and customs.

“My dream is to be a photojournalist, where I could document people and their stories in photos,” Chavez said. “This internship has given me a whole new way to apply art in modern media.”

Chavez has introduced a series of “People of EOU” posts that feature authentic stories from students. She said she takes the responsibility seriously, and seeks to balance the weightiness of academia with the lighthearted world of emojis and “likes.”

“It’s a lot of pressure to represent an institution and capture that in an image,” she said. “I play a big part because of how many people view my photos, or interact with the polls and questions I post.”

Her inaugural post on quickly became the most-liked photo EOU has ever posted on platform. Since then, she’s combined her creative approach with distinct strategy and goals.

“This is totally setting me up for success,” she said. “Now I can see myself being able to do this for another institution because I could show them the increased engagement and followers we’ve gotten this year.”

Chavez plans to complete her art capstone this spring, and wrap up her anthropology capstone next year. She said her experience as an intern has improved her confidence and enthusiasm to collaborate with a team.

“Whenever you do something new, you’re going to be scared and there are going to be challenges, but you have to just do your best,” Chavez said.

Follow us!

Nancy Knowles, an EOU English professor, has coordinated the event since 2005, and said about 150 students in grades 3 to 12 attend the event with their teachers or parents. Students choose from a range of age-appropriate workshops, then revise and edit their work before sharing at the Open Mic session.

“The goal is to make it fun,” Knowles said. “Writing in school is often more about assessment than the student’s individual voice, but every time we write we’re expressing ourselves.”

She said if students view writing as pleasurable they’re more likely to succeed in exams and required assignments throughout their education. In fact, she’s had multiple alumni of the Student Writers’ Workshop enroll in her EOU classes later in life.

Knowles volunteers her time to write grants and organize the day-long event, but said she hopes the positive experience influences attendees to pursue higher education at EOU.

Groups bus in to campus from places like Monument, Prairie City and Milton-Freewater for half-a-dozen lower level and three upper level workshops led by teachers. EOU student-teachers, those enrolled in the College of Education and in their final stage before graduating to classrooms of their own, often run three or four workshops at the event.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Knowles said. “They get to run the same

Nancy Knowles, EOU English Professor

lesson four times and tweak it, testing it with different kids.”

Knowles recalled a favorite workshop where the teacher used a parachute, industrial fans, and fishbowl on an overhead projector to create an underwater experience for upper-level writers. She said the closing session remains the best part of the day, though.

“The Open Mic is always amazing,” she said. “You see these kids, in the course of a day, go from unsure to ‘I have something to say,’ and they’re standing there on stage in McKenzie with a microphone.”

She said she plans to develop an online anthology chronicling the students’ work, but she’s most passionate about fostering connections among young writers as they find their unique voices.

Get Writing!

Draw a map of a favorite place. Label key features. Choose one of the key features, and write a story about something that happened there or that might happen there.

The iconic Grand Staircase at EOU has touched generations of students and community members as a link between campus and downtown La Grande.

Anne (Hanford) Olson remembers when graduation and Evensong took place on the steps. As the ceremony concluded, graduates carried their lit candles (the light of knowledge) out into the community. Today, the staircase is on the National Register of Historic Places but has fallen into disrepair. The includes funding for its restoration and historic preservation, which is currently before the Legislature for consideration.

Olson and her younger sister Marcia (Hanford) Loney, ’73, grew up at the base of the Grand Staircase, climbing it each day to attend Ackerman Elementary School. Although their interest began on a personal note, Loney said her passion for the project has become a point of regional pride.

“We need to identify it as the architectural treasure that it is,” she said. “When I started writing about the staircase, it was based solely on nostalgia and sentimentality, but with research it became apparent that there weren’t very many staircases like this.”

Loney and her sister got involved with restoration efforts about five years ago and have partnered with , the , the , the EOU Foundation and the to continue building awareness and funds. Private donations to the EOU Foundation’s staircase renovation fund are designated toward restoration efforts, and will assist in returning the Grand Staircase to its original glory.

Support from the university and the EOU Foundation, as well as research by Loney, recently culminated in the installation of interpretive signs at the top and bottom of the staircase. Loney said the illustrated stories create a sense of place, and her sister echoed the feeling.

“The signs are important because they declare that this place is important,” Olson said. “They’re a symbol of the value of this public place, and that it’s worth preserving.”

The cultural and historical significance of restoring the Grand Staircase combines with its very practical uses, she said. It was and could again be a connector — symbolically and logistically — between campus and town.

“Everybody has a story attached to it that’s significant to them,” Loney said. “It holds significance to the community as well as the campus. I’m always surprised at how many people said they’d just go and sit there.”

Generations of La Grande children walked it every morning on their way to school. Olson and Loney were among them, and developed a curiosity about it then.

“I remember looking up the street, seeing the staircase and asking my mother what that was because it was so different from the other things I had seen,” Olson said. “Even as a small child, I knew on an intuitive level how amazing it was.”

Learn more about the Grand Staircase, plans for restoration and its status in the state legislature for funding at savethegrandstaircase.org

Tyana Musrasrik, ’18

New advocate gives sexual assault survivors options

Privilege means more than special treatment for Tyana Musrasrik, ’18. In her new role as Privileged Campus Advocate at EOU, it signifies her ability to provide resources and services while keeping information confidential.

Musrasrik, who earned her degree in social welfare, has an on-campus office, but technically works for , a domestic violence and sexual assault organization in Island City. She was an intern at the nonprofit last spring before applying for the full-time, grant-funded position.

Since starting the job last summer, she has spent most of her time raising awareness among student, faculty and staff.

“I want students, staff and faculty to know about and use these services, especially students because they’re often the most vulnerable population,” she said.

Colleen Dunne-Cascio, Title IX Coordinator at EOU, worked with Shelter from the Storm to secure funding from the Oregon Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division. The grant requires applicant institutions to partner with organizations that have a history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Those who have been impacted by abuse can connect with the PCA and access services without the pressure of mandatory reporting or investigation. The PCA is a resource for students and employees to access without involving the Title IX Coordinator, who is required to report incidents and pursue investigations to their resolution. EOU joins many colleges across Oregon that have already initiated or will be initiating this program to close gaps and remove barriers to services.

“This position closes the gap,” Dunne-Cascio said. “All EOU staff and faculty members are considered ‘Responsible Employees’ and must report to Title IX, but sometimes survivors prefer a different first step.”

Musrasrik said the Title IX process can re-traumatize people and the results are often disappointing, especially when survivors aren’t clear on the extent of investigations required.

“Employees can refer students to me first so they can make an informed decision about when and whether to report through Title IX or access these resources confidentially,” she said.

Students and employees have access to safety planning, emotional support, emergency shelter, information and referrals, assistance with protective orders, escort to court or law enforcement interviews, transportation, gas vouchers, food boxes, clothing, legal representation, art therapy, 24-hour hotline and transitional housing.

Originally from the Micronesian island of , Musrasrik now considers Oregon her home. Starting the program from scratch has meant adapting existing practices to EOU’s rural environment.

“I can go to court or on-campus hearings with them, bring a detective here to my office, transport them to medical appointments, complete restraining orders right here,” she said. “It’s all in one place through one person so they don’t have to re-tell their story to strangers over and over again in places that can be intimidating.”

For more information and resources, contact Shelter from the Storm at 541-963-7226 or their crisis hotline at 541-963-9261.

The Carl and Sandra Ellston Ars Poetica Literary Lecture Series invites professional writers to visit campus in La Grande each term, where they read from published work, answer questions, and collaborate with students.

Mason was a dean and professor of English at EOU, and she and her late husband participated in a range of cultural events.

“One of my major joys was to recognize and celebrate the way in which EOU is the cultural center of the region,” she said. “I thought it would be nice to have our name attached to an experience like that for students and the community.”

Now retired, Mason has published four books since 2011 including the well-received novel “The Lighthouse Ghost of Yaquina Bay,” and she has two more in the works. She has met Toni Morrison, Seamus Heaney, multiple Poet Laureates and other well-known writers who inspired her to keep honing her craft.

“Over my own lifetime, some of the things that made a lasting impression on me were poets and writers reading their own work,” she said.

Her gift to the Foundation established an endowment that provides ongoing funding to keep writers coming to EOU for generations, passing on the experience that meant so much to her.

“How great to bring in working writers to share the details of their craft, as well as the fruits of their labor,” she said.

Mason reflected on her own experience entering the field during great upheaval of traditional literary criticism and the canon itself.

“When I was a student, especially as I became a grad student, the discipline of English was starting to blow apart,” she said. “As we became professors, the curriculum changed to be more inclusive first of women and then people of color. It was a sea-change of the whole degree program.”

Mason stays engaged with literature and writing programs on Oregon’s central coast. She’s been running a writers’ group for about a decade, and served as president of the nonprofit Writers on the Edge. Mason organized and hosted a region-wide conference called The Northwest Poets’ Concord for six years, and she co-founded Turnstone Books of Oregon, which publishes volumes by Oregon writers.

“I endowed the Ars Poetica series to ensure that students could experience writers ‘off the page,’” Mason said.,“…reading their own work and discussing the creative process.”

EOU’s all-time winningest coach and the said she’s driven by a fear of failure more than a love for trophies. That humility grounds Weissenfluh, who said she’s grateful for the many supportive coaches and staff members in the athletics department.

“There are new challenges and rewards every day,” she said. “It’s result-driven, which adds pressure, but you get to see the outcome right away.”

Almost two decades as a coach and five years as Athletic Director haven’t dulled Weissenfluh’s passion for the game or the students she gets to know each season.

At the helm of more than 50 coaches and staff members in the department, Weissenfluh said the group is united by a competitive spirit and a willingness to pitch in.

“It’s not just me running the show, we have a good team,” she said. “Everyone helps, coaches, administrative staff, assistants, everyone steps up and fills the gaps. There’s no way you could balance coaching and being an A.D. otherwise.”

She said the balance is a tricky one, but her win percentage has increased since taking on the leadership role in addition to coaching. Kaki McLean Morehead, EOU’s head volleyball coach since 2007, has worked with Weissenfluh throughout her long tenure and said she appreciates having a leader who is also a teammate.

“She understands the demands of coaching and what it takes to be successful,” McLean Morehead said. “In her time at Eastern, she truly has done a great job of getting the athletic department all on the same page.”

Weissenfluh’s philosophy as a coach all comes back to trusting relationships and high expectations.

“Kids don’t care how much I know about basketball until they know how much I care about them,” Weissenfluh said. “I’m not an easy coach. I push our team and individuals, and I constantly want to get better, but they know where it’s coming from.”

Weissenfluh was a four-year starter for the women’s basketball team, and coached the first Mountaineer softball team for 11 seasons. Her own legacy mingles with the university’s as both grow in national acclaim.

“EOU has always made a strong commitment to athletics,” she said. “I’m grateful the university recognizes the value athletics brings to the community and the vitality it brings to campus.”

Student-athletes are retained at a higher rate than the general student population on campus, and athletics encourage a sense of pride that forms the foundation of school spirit.

Weissenfluh said she’s proud of recent investments in campus facilities. The new stadium turf and competition track promise expanded capacity for athletes and spectators alike.

Weissenfluh said increasing funding for scholarships, programs, staff and facilities are creating more opportunities for students to be part of EOU, and the new indoor fieldhouse widens possibilities even further. The planned structure will house an indoor track, climbing wall, lab and classroom space, as well as training rooms.

The Oregon legislature approved $9 million toward the project. While additional funds are needed, construction is set to begin in 2020. External events like trade shows and concerts could make use of the large gathering space, as well as athletic tournaments and EOU varsity teams.

But Weissenfluh still has a soft spot for the arena she’s spent most of her life in.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be than Quinn Coliseum,” she said. “I’ve been walking into that building for 30 years. It’s been my home.”

And throughout those years, she’s opened her home to colleagues, community members and students. She’s developed an atmosphere that instills what she calls “the intangibles” — the values and principles that athletics impart to every person who comes in contact with the community Weissenfluh has built.

Season to season, her team is a winning one.

WINNING STATISTICS

Win-Loss record: 437-149

Win percentage: .746

15 seasons of 20+ wins

11 appearances in the national tournament

11 CCC regular season titles

6 conference tournament championships

First head coach in program history to earn 100th career victory

Best season in program history with a 33-3 overall record (2012-13), and first team in CCC history to accomplish the feat

First NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships victory

10 NAIA All-Americans

4 CCC Player of the Year honorees

23 All-Conference selections

School record holder for steals (227)