UO E-clips, May 23

State aid to immigrants lags, UO study says (The Oregonian): Oregon is trailing other states in helping integrate its growing immigrant population, a new University of Oregon study shows. Between 1990 and 2000, the Latino population doubled in 21 of Oregon's 36 counties. The total foreign-born population now makes up more than 10 percent of the state's population. By 2020, Latinos are expected to compose about 30 percent of the state's student population. Yet, Oregon has not done enough to expand existing social services, promote language programs, improve school curriculums, curb work-site abuse and create local and state task forces, researchers say.

A day in the life of a real archaeologist (KVAL.com): Dangerous, exciting and glamorous. That's how the latest Hollywood blockbuster depicts the life of Indiana Jones and his search for ancient artifacts. High speed chases, gun fights, hostage situations and, of course, ancient treasures. These elements make up the job description for the make-believe archaeologist. But a real archaeologist's job is a little bit different, and a whip isn't one of the tools he uses. "A lot of shoveling involved and screening of dirt," said Dr. Guy Tasa, an archaeologist with the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

UO makes more room for new arrivals (Register-Guard): Incoming University of Oregon freshmen desperate for on-campus housing won’t have to crash in dormitory closets or laundry rooms this fall. But UO officials have been forced to get creative in trying to accommodate a record number of new students in search of suitable living quarters. Part of the university’s plan calls for packing 3,800 students into campus residence halls. That’s about 200 more than lived in the dorms at the start of the 2007-08 school year. Officials will accomplish this feat by putting two people into rooms that were previously singles. Hundreds of additional beds are also needed for other incoming students. But UO housing officials believe they may have solved that problem by taking the unprecedented step of brokering a deal with an Autzen Stadium-area apartment complex to guarantee rooms for incoming students. “We feel that it is our responsibility to help (new students) as much as we can,” said Robin Holmes, university student affairs vice president. “It’s a good problem to have, but it is a challenge,” she said.

UO dance troupe lights up Coos Bay stage (KCBY.com): A traveling dance troupe from the University of Oregon will be performing in North Bend this weekend for the first time on the South Coast. Dancers from the U of O Repertory Dance Company were finalizing their routines Thursday morning at the North Bend High School dance studio. or the past 11 years, the ensemble has been bringing their passion for modern dance to various parts of the state.
Tribes strive to save native tongues (Christian Science Monitor): Grassroots efforts to preserve and teach youngsters native languages are intensifying around the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia as about 40 indigenous tongues are in danger of disappearing within the next decade. … "A language dies when you don't have children picking it up in the home," says Scott DeLancey, a University of Oregon linguist.

UO opera students headed to bright lights of New York (Register-Guard): Catherine Olson is about to get her big break in the Big Apple. The 23-year-old is a music graduate student at the University of Oregon. She is headed for New York City, where, on Memorial Day, she will sing in one opera and direct another at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater on Broadway. She is one of about 18 UO opera students who will be performing and directing over Memorial Day weekend, courtesy of Douglas Webster, who is interim head of the UO Opera Theater.