Empty Nest Newsletter - Spring 2023

As we move through spring here in Klamath Falls, the Integrated Student Health Center (ISHC) staff wants to encourage you to consider brightening your student’s day. We had quite a hard winter, with more snow than we have seen in many years. The most difficult part, however, was that the wintery cloud-cover stayed for weeks at a time. That was unusual, as we typically have more sunny days than not. Now, we have moved into spring which (unfortunately) tends to be quite rainy. Many people are negatively impacted by continued “gray-ness” outdoors, and if your student is one of them, they might be struggling right about now. Of course, ISHC offers counseling at no charge, which we are always happy to encourage. However, sometimes all our students need is a little something fun, or a reminder from home that they are loved, to brighten their mood. So, please consider sending a little something if you can – it can even just be a card or note, but baked goods are always highly sought after, of course. Other popular pick-me-ups are gift cards to local restaurants, flowers, or even an electronic-card through e-mail. This can be a difficult time of the term, and so we request that you reach out from your end with a little encouragement to help our students make it to summer! Questions? Call 541-885-1800.

Spring 2023 has been full of excitement in Housing and Residence Life, especially for those looking to join the 2023-24 Residence Life student staff team! Early this term we finished the selection process for this team. If your student applied give them kudos and congratulations if they were offered a spot on the team! Housing and Residence Life also has more opportunities to join the 2023-24 team. We’re currently in-progress for various other available Housing positions like our Service Desk-encourage your student to check out Handshake for all current and future student employment opportunities! 

Spring has also played host to various fantastic events for our residents, giving them plenty to do when not studying! We kicked off the term with an Easter Egg Hunt. Student staff hid thousands of eggs around the Residence Hall and Village buildings! Students enjoyed a fun event from their childhood and a chance to spend a little time outside too! This was followed up by events including Hawaiian Poke Bowl Night, Bob Ross painting, tote bag decorating for Earth Day, sugar scrubs, and a Finals Week Breakfast soon! Last but certainly not least, our keynote event for the term happening the whole week of May 15-19, 2023, was our traditional Spring Fling week! This week offered events each day ranging from kite flying, a BBQ, ice cream socials, and a mystery movie night to renting out the bowling alley and roller skating! With this many activities, we hope your student joined us for one event or all events!

As we prepare for the end of Spring Term, residents have been encouraged to plan for their housing needs for the 2023-24 academic year. Housing and meal plan applications that current residents completed in mid-April gave them a chance to participate in the room lottery, and many did just that, securing their home for next year in on-campus housing. The application to join us is still live but we have passed the May 1 deadline for guaranteed housing. We are working on ensuring that all who want to join our on-campus community can do so, as we anticipate some of our current residents will cancel their contracts and free up space for more to join us. The last day to cancel a 2023-24 housing contract and receive the $100 refundable deposit back is August 15, 2023.

Finally, Housing and Residence Life will close for the academic year on June 17, 2023 at 4 pm as Spring Term wraps up. If your student has a summer housing contract, they will be instructed to stay put and not check out, but anyone who is not staying in on-campus housing for Summer Term will need to connect with their RA and check out of their space by this deadline. Much more information will be provided to your student as we get to June, but please take note of the closing date if you or others are coming to Klamath Falls to help your student move out. 

Spring Term has been busy and buzzing in Housing and Residence Life, and it’s been so much fun watching the residential community engage with their learning and  classroom experiences this year. As always, if you have any questions about on-campus Housing, please contact us at 541-885-1094 or housing@oit.edu. All of us in the Housing Office and the entire Housing and Residence Life team are here to support our residents and help you if you have questions. Thanks for all you do to support your students too – it’s amazing to see all the ways they’ve grown! 
 

Spring Term happenings to bring diversity and belonging includes:

• Asian American Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Desi American Month
• Identity-Based Graduation Celebrations
• PRIDE Month

To embrace our relationship with the Klamath Tribes, we dedicated a Temólo Tree to symbolize the continual growth with the Native peoples of the land on which Oregon Tech Klamath Falls campus resides. On this day we also signed a renewal of our Memorandum of Understanding between Oregon Tech and the Klamath Tribes. We were honored to have not only members of the Tribal Council present but the Youth Council as well.

For Asian American Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Desi American Month there have been several fun and educational events from singing your heart out at Karaoke nights to engaging in talks with a Hawai’i State Legislature.

To end the year, we’re celebrating and acknowledging our students from underrepresented backgrounds at our Identity-Based Graduation Celebrations.

On April 21st, Oregon Tech hosted the Inaugural Women in STEM Conference held at the Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville. Coordinated by the Student Involvement and Belonging Team from the Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses, the one-day conference was an opportunity to give upcoming women professionals, resources that will support them in their professional journey. The event championed emerging woman student leaders. They learned how to build their network, master skills that allow them to learn from the experiences of mentors and gain confidence in their abilities to be successful within their STEM fields. The conference was a unique opportunity for students attending over six higher education institutions in the area to learn together and build their network among peers. Session topics were facilitated by industry experts from Intel, DW Fritz, Incomm, and Garmin among others. Workshops included Wage Gap by Gender, Imposter Syndrome, Diversity and Inclusion, a “What I Wished I Would Have Known” panel, and Helping Students Create Power Statements for their resumes and cover letters. Presenters for each session asked attendees to participate in round table discussions with their peers to practice the ideas covered in each workshop. The highlight of the conference was a speed networking event with over 15 female industry mentors moving between multiple students at tables answering questions, providing advice, and offering a professional mentor connection to the student attendees. The Student Involvement and Belonging (SIB) Department looks forward to hosting this annual event during Women’s History Month in March 2024 on the Klamath Falls campus. SIB supports leadership-building opportunities by developing programming that fosters growth and sharpens skills to ensure Oregon Tech students are career ready.

At a recent conference for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), Oregon Tech Diversity and Belonging Assistant Director Shawni Cayetano-Ramos presented at a panel session about Oregon Tech's Leadership and Diversity Scholars Program and the new leadership development curriculum created for Oregon Tech students. The NASPA conference is for student affairs professionals and hosts over 6,000 participants and exhibitors.
 
Cayetano-Ramos said NASPA is the leading association for student affairs professionals' advancement, health, and sustainability.
 
"They serve a full range of professionals who provide programs, experiences, and services that cultivate student learning and success in concert with the mission of our colleges and universities," she said. "During this year's annual conference, I was given the privilege to serve as a panelist/presenter in a session titled 'Engaging College Students in the Leadership Learning Process Through Building Identity, Capacity, and Efficacy.'"
 
During the panel, Cayetano-Ramos outlined the partnership/collaboration between Oregon Tech's Student Involvement and Belonging (SIB) and the Financial Aid Office to oversee the Leadership and Diversity Scholarship and the 60-plus scholars based in Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro, and at sites at Chemeketa Community College and Boeing.
 
"Before 2021, the scholarship required that students do 90 hours of community service and a quick check-in with a SIB staff member," Cayetano-Ramos said. "In 2021, SIB built up the requirements and created an intentional curriculum that would lead to student success, where the scholars can develop their professional and personal skills to succeed. "
 
The panelists introduced the process-based understanding of leadership by providing language and tools for engaging in the leadership process for all involved. The panelists were asked about their experiences and expertise using the "Engaging in the Leadership Process: Identity, Capacity, and Efficacy for College Students" text.
 
"The curriculum of Oregon Tech's Leadership and Diversity Scholars Program is built around the scholars thinking about identity, leadership, different perspectives, and more," Cayetano-Ramos said. "They are now required to attend a meeting with SIB to have intentional conversations about leadership, self-development, and identity. They must also attend three workshops, activities, and events that are around diversity, cultural engagement, and leadership and write a reflection on what was learned while attending these opportunities. Lastly, they are required to attend a reception for all leadership and diversity scholars so they can network and build connections with others."
 
Based on Cayetano-Ramos' experience as a leadership educator, she and the other panelists were able to offer grounding concepts of leadership and examples illustrating the complexity of culturally relevant leadership learning.
 
"I highlighted the successes and pivotal changes Oregon Tech has done to create culturally engaged students as it relates to the leadership roles they bring to our campus community and the successes they will have after their time at Oregon Tech," Cayetano-Ramos said.
 
Audience members at the panel thanked the panelists for highlighting the importance of creating culturally competent students in the STEM field and sharing what Oregon Tech has been doing to push the needle.

Six students from Oregon Tech’s Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) traveled to Long Beach, Calif., in March to attend the AEE West Conference 2023, an energy conference and expo focused on energy efficiency in buildings, technology, and storage.

The AEE at Oregon Tech is open to students from all majors at the Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses. Still, most members are Electrical Engineering or Renewable Energy Engineering students.

Steven Barton is a senior in Renewable Energy Engineering at Klamath Falls and President of the AEE at Oregon Tech. He said the conference impacted his success as a student and soon-to-be professional engineer.

“At the conference, there were a variety of panels that discussed clean energy systems, clean building technologies, and decarbonization, among many other topics,” Barton said. “During the expo, industry professionals, employers, business owners, and entrepreneurs discussed technology and gave insight into the industry. The experience of networking with industry professionals and seeing the excitement they brought to the conversation when they discussed their technology was inspiring.”

Barton said his conference highlights included gaining new ideas on tackling a project, observing new software students can use to collect data, and analyzing lighting technology that can significantly cut costs while consuming less power.

“This conference provided many benefits for the individual members, but I also believe it brought the group closer together,” he said. “It is my hope that Oregon Tech AEE members can continue to attend the conference and create a group of students who are inspired to make positive change in the energy industry.”
Adama Toure, a senior in Renewable Energy Engineering at the Portland-Metro campus, said the conference allowed the students to broaden their perspective and interact with industry leaders, opening new possibilities for them.

“Overall, it was a great bonding experience for all of us and a huge success. We look forward to sharing and applying what we learned,” Toure said.

Student Involvement and Belonging (SIB) Director Thomas Arce said club-related events are part of SIB’s mission toward student leadership development and providing opportunities for all Oregon Tech students. “Student organizations at Oregon Tech have the opportunity to engage in leadership building opportunities, to grow as an individual and sharpen skills to ensure they are career ready,” Arce said.

SIB supports the leadership development of student organization leaders through offering events and activities for leading change.

Spring 2023

Jun 16	Final Payment Plan payment due (or ANY remaining balance)
Jun 16	Last day of Spring Term
Jun 19	Late fees assessed on accounts with past due balances greater than $99*
Jun 19	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month
Jun 19	Final Spring Statements generated (available on Transact Payments June 20)
	*Only one late fee per student per term will be charged.

 

Spring Term 2023

Date	Event
May 15-25	Registration begins Fall Term
May 19	Last day to withdraw from an individual course*
May 29	Memorial Day holiday
Jun 9	Last day to completely withdraw
Jun 12-15	Final Exams week
Jun 16	Spring Term Ends
Jun 17	Klamath Falls Commencement
Jun 18	Portland-Metro Commencement
Jun 20	Seattle Commencement

 

Summer Term 2023

Date	Event
May 1	Registration for Summer Term
Jun 19	Juneteenth Holiday Observed - Campus Closed
Jun 26	Classes begin
Jun 30	Last Day to use Web for Student for all registration changes
Jul 4	Independence Day holiday observance
Jul 6	Last day to drop without a "W" must request by 5pm
Jul 31	Last day to withdraw from an individual course
Aug 11	Last day to completely withdraw from university
Aug 18	Summer Term ends
First 4-week Session
Jun 26	Classes begin
Jun 28	Last day to drop without a "W" must request by 5pm
Jun 30	Last day to use Web for Student for all registration changes
Jul 12	Last day to withdraw from an individual course
Jul 21	First 4-week session ends
Second 4-week Session
July 24	Classes begin
Jun 30	Last day to use Web for Student for all registration changes
Jul 26	Last day to drop without a "W" must request by 5pm
Aug 7	Last day to withdraw from an individual course
Aug 18	Second 4-week session ends

• Klamath Falls Saturday, June 17 at 10am
• Portland Metro, Sunday, June 18 at 11am
• Seattle, Tuesday, June 20 at 5pm

SPIRIT CORDS
Do you have a student graduating from Oregon Tech this June? If so, we hope you’ll encourage them to pay it forward by purchasing a spirit cord to wear at their commencement ceremony. Spirit cords are a wonderful way to show school spirit while also helping an incoming student fulfill their dreams of higher education. The entire $10 fee goes into the Seniors Supporting Freshmen Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit the Tech Nest bookstore in Klamath Falls or contact the Director of Alumni Relations in Wilsonville by emailing rebecca.burkeen@oit.edu.
 

YOU’RE INVITED
Various regional events for alumni take place each month and parents are always invited to attend! This is a great opportunity to meet graduates from Oregon Tech to get to know the people who will soon be in your student’s personal network. 

Upcoming summer events include the annual Golden Owls Reunion in Klamath Falls, a jet boat dinner excursion in Grants Pass, a Seattle Mariners game, and the annual BBQ in Reno, NV. For upcoming event info, visit: alumni.oit.edu.

We are also always in need of event sponsors. If your business is interested in sponsoring an event, please email the Director of Alumni Relations at rebecca.burkeen@oit.edu. 

Join us at an event this summer! Go Owls!

 

We received a total of 51 Student Award Nominations this year.  After long deliberation, the Student Awards Commission members selected the following students for awards:

University Wide Awards

• Graduate Student Achievement – Carter Willson
• Most Dedicated Student – Kolby Mahoney
• Outstanding Non-Traditional Student – Arthur Spears
• Owens Citizenship Award – Monte Schell
• Oregon Tech Pride – Nick McMillen
• Student Achievement – Courtney Isom
• Outstanding Student Veteran – Clinton Lytle
• Outstanding Community Service - L.A.N. Party consisting of Anesti Audeh, Levi Hallock and Noah Azzopardi
• Hiram M. Hunt – Laura Ashley Townsel

Portland-Metro Awards

• Graduate Student Achievement – Abdallah Adwan
• Outstanding Academic Achievement – CJ Hieronimus
• Outstanding Student Involvement – Billy Kimmel
• Outstanding Community Service – Anthony Koch

Outstanding Scholars
Outstanding Scholars are appointed by the department chair or program director who, in the opinion of the faculty, has demonstrated academic excellence in their major.  Only one student may be appointed for a given degree program at each of our campuses.

Klamath Falls Outstanding Scholars

College of Health, Arts, and Sciences

• Annie Taha - Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• Ashley Marie Ripplinger     - Environmental Sciences
• Duane Munjar II - Professional Writing
• Emmalee Stevens - Radiologic Science
• Irene Aguirre - Applied Psychology
• Jenifer Webb - Dental Hygiene
• Lily Lavine - Nuclear Medicine Molecular Imaging
• Michael Gray - Biology-Health Sciences
• Nathan Horton - Vascular Technology
• Sarah Handyside - Communication Studies
• Tuyen Tran - Echocardiography

College of Engineering, Technology, and Management

• Aaron Acord - Geomatics-option in Surveying
• Alex Diaz-Rodriguez - Computer Engineering Technology
• Alicia Marie Volk - Health Care Management, Administration
• Ashley Marie Ripplinger    - Civil Engineering
• Benjamin Adams - Electrical Engineering
• Clairise Tapken - Cybersecurity
• Courtney Isom - Operations Management
• Drew Bryant - Software Engineering Technology
• Ethan Roe – Business with Marketing Option
• Gerardo Nunez Dominguez - Information Technology
• Ian Martin - Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Jesse Crofutt - Geomatics with option in GIS
• Liliana Tapia - Business with Management Option
• Mohsin Al Mufargi - Renewable Energy Engineering
• Nicole Reyes - Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Nicole Reyes - Mechanical Engineering
• Rajvi Patel - Accounting 
• Roberto Iriche Vargas -Technology and Management
• Seth Worthylake - Embedded Systems Engineering Technology

Portland Metro Outstanding Scholars

College of Health, Arts, and Sciences

• Teo Le - Medical Laboratory Science
• Tiana Warner - Applied Psychology

College of Engineering, Technology, and Management

• Cameron Cornelius - Cybersecurity
• James Kobelenz - Electrical Engineering
• Connor Nye - Electronics Engineering Technology
• CJ Hieronimus - Embedded Systems Eng Technology
• Michael Shiiki-Morris - Information Technology
• Charles Matthews - Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Jema Matthews - Mechanical Engineering
• Laird Robertson - Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Douglas Freiley - Operations Management
• Myles McElroy - Renewable Energy Engineering
• Arthur Spears - Software Engineering Technology
• Curtis Keller - Technology and Management

 
President’s Senior Cup
The President’s Senior Cup is awarded to one undergraduate Outstanding Scholar from the College of Engineering, Technology, and Management and one undergraduate Outstanding Scholar from the College of Health, Arts, and Sciences who has demonstrated superior academic excellence as evidenced by very high cumulative grade point averages and other scholarly activities such as impressive senior projects, published work or acceptance into graduate school, and other criteria such as dependability, willingness to help others, involvement in activities and organizations. 

• College of Engineering, Technology, and Management - Rajvi Patel, Accounting 
• College of Health, Arts, and Sciences - Ashley Ripplinger, Environmental Sciences & Civil Engineering
   

Career Services hosted several events during Winter Term including our first Etiquette Dinner for the Portland-Metro campus! We began on February 15, 2023, with the Portland-Metro Etiquette Dinner. This event was held at The Grand Hotel just minutes away from the Portland-Metro campus. 20 students and several faculty, staff, and alumni speakers and hosts attended this free event.  

We then hosted the All-Majors Career Fair on the Portland-Metro campus where 33 employers met with 59 students from various majors. Career Services hosted the Klamath Falls All-Majors Career Fair the following week. This fair was held in the new Center for Excellence in Engineering & Technology building (CEET). We had 49 employers brave the snowy passes to attend this event, and they met with 196 students. Finally, we finished Winter Term with the Klamath Falls Etiquette Dinner on March 1, 2023. 35 students were in attendance with several faculty members, staff, and alumni who served as speakers and table hosts. 

For Spring Term, Career Services hosted a Business Management Student & Employer Mixer on the Klamath Falls campus on April 25th in the CEET building. Students met with employers from various industries interested in Oregon Tech students enrolled in the Business Management, Communication Studies, and Psychology departments. The event began with an Employer Q&A Panel where students had the opportunity to ask employers questions about networking with professionals. Then, at the Networking Mixer students were able to practice what they learned during the panel. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to start building their professional network and make connections with employers that may be able to assist with senior project needs, internships, and of course, job opportunities. Career Services collaborated with the Business Management department on this unique event, and we look forward to adding it to our annual event calendar! 

As we come upon the close of the 2022-23 academic year, Career Services continues to visit many classrooms and attend club meetings to present on various career development topics, such as resume creation, cover letters, elevator pitches, and LinkedIn profiles.  Students graduating this spring are encouraged to contact the Career Services team by making an appointment through Handshake.  Students can also access our online Canvas course called “Internship and Job Search Resources.”  There they will find all our Career Services resources.

As a reminder to parents of our graduating students and returning students, the Career Services team is available throughout the summer. Please use Handshake to make an appointment with a staff member. Virtual and email appointment mediums are available! Summer break is an exciting time to work on creating or updating resumes, building a LinkedIn profile, or searching for upcoming internship opportunities. 

Each month, the alumni newsletter and website feature an Alumni Spotlight story, highlighting alumni who are doing great things in their careers and for their communities. These exemplary models of Oregon Tech graduates bring us so much pride and are inspiring for current and future students. Recently we featured Marty Mickelson ‘02, a computer software engineer who started a business on the side making family card games, and Kendra Santiago ’09 and David Johnson ’05, alumni who recently became the new owners of SmithBates, a branding and printing agency that has been in Klamath Falls for over a century. Read about these and more owl-mazing alumni at: https://alumni.oit.edu/stories (Helpful tip: Click on “Archive Stories” for the full list!)

For all families with returning students, please be advised that there are some FAFSA Changes for the 2024-25 academic year. 

You will not be able to access the FAFSA until December 2023, previously the application opened in October. However, it is a new streamlined version and instead of 108 questions, there will be less than 50 questions. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is now the Student Aid Index (SAI), and it can be negative. This will expand the PELL grant; early simulations show more students PELL eligible. On the negative side, families with multiple children in school won’t get that benefit in the new calculation.

The Oregon Tech Foundation has awarded over $425,000 in scholarships so far for the 2023-24 award year.  The second scholarship application will open in early July.

The Oregon Tech Foundation and Alumni Association are here to show support for your students! Through initiatives that fund priorities such as academics, classroom upgrades, student projects, faculty development, capital projects, athletics, and scholarships, we work to further the goals of the university and enrich the educational experience for all students, supporting the greatest needs of the University. This year we are thrilled to have awarded over $1 Million in scholarships to very deserving students, helping each one get another step closer to achieving their degrees and their dreams.

Our job at the Foundation is to support the mission of Oregon Tech, especially students. One of the ways in which we strive to do so is through our scholarship program. What this means for students is that over 360 young people will have a brighter future, a boost in morale and a vote of confidence.

This milestone is possible through the generosity of individuals, including faculty, staff, alumni, students, industry partners and community members, and foundations, organizations, and businesses who believe in our exceptional students.

The Foundation’s first scholarship award process for the 2023-2024 academic year is complete and students have been notified of their awards for the upcoming year. Many more students will receive renewals of their existing scholarships, increasing their likelihood for retention and success.

Applications for the Oregon Tech Foundation scholarship program will open again for a second process this summer in July, and details will be available through the Financial Aid Office. We hope you will encourage your student to apply! For more information regarding the scholarship program or the Oregon Tech Foundation, please contact Mira Wonderwheel at 541.851.5679 or mira.wonderwheel@oit.edu.
 

The Oregon Tech Foundation surpassed a historic milestone this year, awarding $1,030,000 in scholarships to Oregon Tech students. The new record was celebrated on October 29 as participants gathered at the Klamath Falls campus and live-streamed to a gathering at the Portland-Metro campus for the Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet. This special event honors the achievements of scholarship recipients and recognizes the philanthropic donors who make scholarships possible. Click here to read more. 

Each term the Owls’ Worth program puts on financial literacy sessions covering a variety of topics applicable to the real world. Scholarship drawings and food (when possible) are included in many sessions. Please check our website for more information on upcoming events for Fall Term.

One of the ways we are celebrating Oregon Tech’s 75th anniversary is with an exclusive commemorative wine from Columbia Ridge Winery in Ridgefield, WA. This winery is owned and operated by Tom and Angela Sanchez, both 1992 alumni of Oregon Tech. The wine was named through a contest that was open to faculty, staff and alumni. The winner was Leah Summy, an alumna from 1989 in Office Systems Technology and 1992 in Medical Imaging Technology, who resides in Reno. NV. 
The Noble Owl is a red blend and is being sold exclusively through the winery for $30/bottle with 40% of each sale coming back to the Foundation as a donation. 
To purchase the wine, you may: 

• visit the winery in person in Ridgefield, WA
• call (360) 787-3566 or email hello@columbiaridgewinery.com and have bottles shipped (Oregon or Washington addresses only)
• place your order through the winery and arrange to pick up your order in the Portland Metro area or at the Foundation office in Klamath Falls

For more information, please visit: alumni.oit.edu/noble-owl-wine
 

The Portland-Metro campus hosted our first Family & Alumni Weekend in April 2023 in celebration of Oregon Tech’s 75th anniversary. Over 50 guests were in attendance including members of the Alumni Association Board.

Guests enjoyed a continental breakfast with President Naganathan and were invited to explore the Portland-Metro campus and local manufacturing lab facility at Canyon Creek. The newly launched Robotics Club demonstrated their competition robot and guests were able to try out the controls. An Earth Day Activity was provided nearby at Al's Garden & Home. Participants were able to plant an herb garden and learn how to utilize fresh herbs in home cooking. Lunchtime included a Faculty Speaker Showcase that shared about some of our dynamic academic programs including Medical Laboratory Science, Applied Psychology, and Computer Systems Engineering Technology. Faculty member and Board of Trustee, Phong Nguyen introduced senior CSET student Bruce Wheeler who demonstrated his project, The Swing Assistant. All guests were invited to watch a private screening of the just-released AIR film, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as they tell the story of the partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan. Oregon Tech family and Wilsonville community members joined together in a group fitness class at the Edge Family Fitness for a cardio dance and yoga experience. 

Historically, one of the most popular Oregon Tech events has been the End-of-Year Bowling Event, which is co-sponsored and facilitated by the Integrated Student Health Center and Housing & Residence Life. Due to the pandemic, however, the event has not occurred since Spring 2019 – which means a whole group of students are at Oregon Tech who have never even heard of it before.

 

Recently, we held the event at The Epicenter bowling facility in Klamath Falls, which includes an arcade. Working with the owners, we rented the entire facility between 7pm and 10pm and provided free shoe rental, free pizza and unlimited fountain drinks, as well as pre-loaded cards for the arcade portion. Students were limited to bowling two games on their lane, and then the next group switched in; this rotation happened three times, with close to 300 students enjoying “Cosmic Bowling” – complete with black lighting and music – across the three hour period. Students were able to enter into several drawings for prizes throughout the evening, and earned additional drawing tickets by picking up a split, getting a spare, strike, or turkey (3 strikes in a row), within specific time periods that were announced on the loud-speaker. Admissions donated long-sleeved T-shirts for the event, and Student Involvement & Belonging and ISHC provided Oregon Tech giveaways out as well, so no participant walked away empty-handed. Housing provided a shuttle to and from campus, to encourage students without their own transportation to join in. In the end, the students had a great time at the alcohol-free event, and the Epicenter manager commented on how well-behaved they all were – which came as no surprise to us, being the amazing Oregon Tech students that they are!
 

SOFTBALL – Won the Cascade Conference regular-season and tournament championship and head into the NAIA National Tournament as the No. 1-ranked team (first time Oregon Tech has been ranked No. 1 headed into Nationals in program history)…seven players earned All-CCC honors, including Kacie Schmidt (Pitcher of the Year)…Greg Stewart named CCC Coach of the Year for the ninth time.  The ladies are heading into the NAIA Softball World Series.

 

 

 

 

BASEBALL – Won their first-ever Cascade Conference title (first championship since 1981) and advanced to the championship game of the CCC Tournament…Jacob Garsez named CCC Coach of the Year.

 

GOLF – Women’s Golf placed third at CCC Championships, with Men’s Golf placing sixth

 

TRACK & FIELD – Ten student-athletes have qualified for the NAIA National Championships – including all four women’s javelin throwers…senior Alex Conley became the first-ever women’s javelin athlete in Cascade Conference history to win four CCC titles.

 

The Oregon Tech Athletic Department recently hired three new head coaches – Alexis Garrison (volleyball), Tom Moore (women’s soccer) and Joy Lease (women’s basketball).

Oregon Tech hosted both the CCC Softball and CCC Baseball championships simultaneously…softball tournament went off without a hitch, baseball tournament dealt with field issues due to weather – eventually forcing the tournament semifinals and championship game to be played in Eugene…softball hosted the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on May 15-17.

The Oregon Tech Athletic Department finished the 2022-23 academic year with 113 Academic All-Cascade Conference honors (3.2+ GPA, sophomore standing or older)
 

Women’s athletics were introduced at Oregon Tech in 1975 – with Mary Bradford coaching the volleyball, basketball, and softball programs. 

In the 1980s, the baseball program claimed the final Evergreen Conference title in 1982 – advancing to the NAIA District title game; the men’s basketball team claimed the 1986-87 District title and advanced to the National Tournament; while the 1988 football team won the Mount Hood League title and advanced to the NAIA national semifinals. 

A dark period of athletics occurred in the early 1990s with the passing of Oregon Measure 5, forcing the College to eliminate all athletic teams except the men’s basketball and softball programs – which coincided with the teams joining the Cascade Collegiate Conference. 

Over the ensuring years, fundraising and the need to boost enrollment allowed the department to slowly add sports – bringing track/cross country, golf and soccer for men and women, women’s volleyball and basketball, along with baseball back into the fold. 

 

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