Behind the Scenes: You won’t want to miss Return to Evergreen 6-1-13

Posted on by
Reply

Thomas Herndon ’07 to speak at Return to Evergreen

Economics grad student Thomas Herndon ’07, the Greener who schooled Harvard economists over their faulty math and shook up the global austerity world, will speak on campus June 1 as part of  Return to Evergreen. In an afternoon session, Thomas will talk about the project he initiated at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst that eventually debunked the influential Harvard study asserting economic growth slows precipitously when a country’s debt rises above 90% of GDP. In case you missed it, see Thomas make us all proud on The Colbert Report.

 

Xbox Creator Dan Black ’91

 

 Dan Black ’91 tells great stories. Well, just imagine: father of Xbox, gamer-extraordinaire, this Greener has spent years working with top game developers, engineers, marketing geniuses and all manner of creative geeks. Of course he’s brimming with tales from the inner sanctum of this amazing and booming industry. Dan has worked on  game franchises such as “Assassin’s Creed,” “Grand Theft Auto,” and Tom Clancy’s “Splinter Cell.” This session will appeal to current students, faculty members and alumni from a broad spectrum of fields and interests: education, gaming, investment, computer science, and show business.

Maia Bellon ’91, newly appointed Ecology Director

Maia Bellon ’91 came to Evergreen as a starry-eyed 17 year old straight out of high school.  She loved to dance. At Evergreen, she fell under the spell of neurobiologist Linda Kahan – (in)famous for teaching the the toughest classes at Evergreen. Emerging from that crucible, Maia graduated, went to law school, and, as an Assistant Attorney General, became a tenacious, environmentally focused litigator. Today, Maia is settling into her new Olympia office as Director of Washington State’s Department of Ecology, the first Greener to hold such a position. Talk about Evergreen changing lives!  Talk about serendipity in action!   Well, actually, that is exactly what we’ll be talking about when Maia teams up with faculty members Linda Kahan and Bill Ransom to reflect on life, serendipity and Evergreen.

Join the Evergreen Conversation

    Animator Craig Bartlett ’81 Rocked it in Lecture Hall 3

    Posted on by
    Reply

    Craig Bartlett spoke to students in Astronomy and Cosmologies

    Lecture Hall 3 has seating for 100 people.  Last Friday, it was filled to the top row with students eager to hear from the revered creator of Hey Arnold!. For almost 2 hours, Craig Bartlett ’81 kept us enthralled with stories of his long and winding road: growing up in Western Washington, college at Evergreen, on to Los Angeles and the magic world of television.

    He shared clips from the iconic Arnold series, as well as from the claymation Penny Cartoons (a segment on Pee Wee’s Playhouse). We were delighted to see extended clips of a show that never made it to air, Party Wagon (which can be seen on You Tube.This Bartlett fan says “opportunity missed, TV network people!”).

    We also enjoyed hearing the story of how Bartlett moved to Henson Studios and created the pre-school hit series, Dinosaur Train for PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). Listen closely to that catchy theme song.  That’s Craig himself performing the song he wrote for the show opening.

    Craig is turning his creative energy toward outer space as he develops a new series for PBS called Jet Propulsion.  It is his work on this show that created the link with the Evergreen program Astronomy and Cosmologies.  Don’t see it yet?  Here’s a blurb from the program description:
    How have people across cultures and throughout history understood, modeled, and ordered the universe they perceive? From sacred stories to physics-based astronomy, we will explore a variety of cosmological concepts in science, literature, mythology, philosophy, history and/or archaeoastronomy.

    Sound familiarly interdisciplinary, Greeners?  Ah yes.

    Join the Evergreen Conversation

      Student Showcase – Bonnie McLeod

      Posted on by
      Reply

      Environmental Analysis student Bonnie McLeod studies an interesting pattern of striations in the sand during a class trip to Yellowstone. Although McLeod originally had thoughts of working professionally in a lab, the program and the trip awakened an interest in doing environmental field work in the National Parks system. — Shauna Bittle photo

      I first photographed Bonnie McLeod in a chemistry class last spring. At the beginning of the school year, I got to know her a little bit better when I went along with Environmental Analysis (in which she was a student) on their trip to Yellowstone. Bonnie impressed me with her intelligence and thoughtfulness and, as I got to know her better, I was struck by her bravery in setting out on a new career path after years of working in the banking industry.

      I am a firm believer in the power of images to tell stories; but I know that images on their own tell a fractured story. As I work more and more in video multimedia, I appreciate the power it has to help place images in context, and to tell a more complete narrative. I asked Bonnie to sit down with us and share a little of her story in her own words. In our conversation she talks about changing careers, the relationship between students and faculty and being a recipient of National Science Foundation STEM scholarship.

      Since then, Photoland has entered into a collaboration with the Admissions department to help bring more student stories to the broader community. We are excited to say that these pieces are in progress and should be unveiled soon.

      In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to Bonnie McLeod.

      Originally posted by Inside Evergreen

      Join the Evergreen Conversation

        Pursuing the Dream at Procession

        Posted on by
        Reply

        Students and faculty of the program Awakening the Dreamer, Pursuing the Dream dance through the streets of downtown Olympia during Procession of the Species on Saturday, Apr. 27, 2013. The group dressed as their spirit animals, and represented the element “air”. — Shauna Bittle photo

        Each year, in concert with Earth Day, Olympians take to the streets in a big way for a celebration unlike any other. It’s called the Procession of the Species, and it seems to bring the whole city out for a joyous Saturday downtown.

        Founded by Evergreen alumnus Eli Sterling almost 20 years ago, the Procession is a celebration of nature and the elements; but it’s also an expression of community. The studio space where costumes are built is open to all, and everyone is invited to participate.

        This year, faculty Cynthia Kennedy and Terry Setter brought the students of Awakening the Dreamer, Pursuing the Dream to the studio several weeks in advance of Earth Day. They learned about the history and intent of the Procession from Eli Sterling himself, and then decided as a group to go as physical embodiments of their spirit animals. We documented them as they created their costumes and then, on Procession Day, as they danced through the streets.

        Please enjoy their journey in this short video, our latest One Minute Evergreen:
        Originally posted by Inside Evergreen

        Join the Evergreen Conversation

          Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the first American ascent of Everest

          Posted on by
          Reply

          Willi Unsoeld and photographer Barry Bishop at promontory and future site of Camp 4W on Everest’s West Ridge, with 25,000-foot Nupse in the background.
          Photo: Tom Hornbein & Seattlepi.com

          50 years ago former faculty member, Willi Unsoeld, climbed Mount Everest as one of the first American’s ever to do so. Below is a collection of news articles and media that celebrate this historic anniversary – including a group of climbers who are attempting to retrace the historic climb:

          Seattle PI: Everest: The West Ridge, a climb into the heavens

          Adventure Journal: The List: 50 Things About the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 American Everest Expedition

          The Mountaineers (club): May 22, 2013: a conversation between Tom Hornbein & John Krakauer

          Oregon State University: 50th anniversary of historic Everest climb + video

          Eddie Bauer: two teams return to retrace the historic steps of the first American ascent

          Wlli Unsoeld’s Keynote Address at Keene State: The Spiritual Values of Wilderness
          http://youtu.be/MvowGvmY-KE

          Willi Unsoeld, to the right, at an Evergreen faculty summer retreat.

          Join the Evergreen Conversation

            Evergreen TEDxTalks 2013

            Posted on by
            Reply

            Did you know Evergreen produces TED talks?  Yup.  In 2012, some of our campus leaders in sustainability got together with alumni working in a variety of sustainability fields to produce the first TEDxEvergreen.  It was, of course, successful, so they did it again last February. Tune in to see some of the latest thinking on critical environmental issues from some of Evergreen’s best critical thinkers.

            TEDxTheEvergreenStateCollege (02/25/13)

            Join the Evergreen Conversation

              Paddling History’s Waterways with Harvey Golden ’95

              Posted on by
              Reply

               

              Harvey Golden ’95 had no experience with paddling or woodworking when he built his first kayak in his father’s garage.

              “The first kayak I built was the first one I’d  ever been in,” he says in a video interview.

              In his handmade craft, Harvey explored the Columbia and Willamette Rivers of the Northwest and soon, as he says, “I was hooked.” Passion unleashed, Harvey has gone on to be not only a builder of historically impeccable kayaks, but an historian and a published author.  His first book, “Kayaks of Greenland” will be followed by similar works on the kayaks of Alaska and Canada, focusing on the seagoing vessels used by the Inuit and Aleut peoples of that region.

              Currently, 50 of his magnificent boats are on display at The Lincoln Street Kayak and Canoe Museum, 5340 S.E. Lincoln St., Portland, Oregon. For information, call 503-234-0264.

              Read the full story, enjoy a slide show and video at The Oregonian.

              Join the Evergreen Conversation

                The Evergreen Student Music Project is now online!

                Posted on by
                Reply
                Greetings!
                I’m excited to announce the launch of the new Evergreen Student Music Project website at  http://blogs.evergreen.edu/esmp/.
                To celebrate the collaborative works of this 33 year old tradition, you can now listen, view and download all of the past albums for the first time.
                Since 1980, the Evergreen Student Music Project has been an annual collaboration of student originated work that has been produced in a variety of formats such as vinyl, cassette tape, CD, and thumb drives. Selected Evergreen student musicians are recorded by the advanced multi-tracking class  every year. The annual project has been kept alive for the past 33 years with the support of Peter Randlette, Electronic Media Audio Interns, Terry Setter, Electronic Media staff, Student Activities, and various committed staff and students.
                The site: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/esmp/ is an online archive that provides playback, downloads, and amazing views into the history of the project.
                Please join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenStudentMusicProject.

                Multi-track Class of 1981

                Sincerely,
                Zenaida Vergara
                Audio IT Technician

                 

                Join the Evergreen Conversation

                  Keaton Simons ’00 new album release

                  Posted on by
                  Reply

                  Singer-Songwriter Keaton Simons

                  Keaton Simons fell in love with the guitar at age 12. He came to Evergreen when he was 17.  This spring he released a new album. And stuff happened in between.  Read a fuller biography posted on-line at last.fm.com. Here is an excerpt:

                  As a 17 year old out of high school, Keaton started thinking about college. He decided on The Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, Washington. The area, which has become known as a fertile breeding ground for music and art, proved perfect to set in motion his initiation into the immense world of music. It was there that Keaton started writing songs. He dove in headfirst, taking on courses ranging from 20th century classical composition to Indonesian gamelan music to jazz and quite a lot in between. Keaton’s years at Evergreen not only introduced him to diverse global music but also taught him to incorporate everything into his own sensibilities. Major record labels have accused Keaton of being too diverse to contain.

                  Read the full article, have a listen, and share your own stories of making and learning about music at Evergreen.

                  Join the Evergreen Conversation