Seen on the side of the former Heart of the Valley nursing home on Harrison Boulevard. Read more on The Entertainer blog.
Better not enter. (Submitted by GT city editor Theresa Novak, Find this sign at Southwest C Avenue.)
From left to right: Venus the sheep; Jared Nickel, 12 (shepherd); Hope Shaw, 5 (angel); Carlyn Sullivan (shepherdess); Claire Shaw, 10 (angel); Cathy Nickel (Mary); J.T. Nickel, 17 (Joseph); Samson Nickel, 10 (angel), Johnnie Shaw (angel); Colby Shaw, 7 (shepherd); and Scott Shaw (Shepherd) make up the living nativity scene at Suburban Christian Church, 2760 S.W. 53rd St. (at the corner of 53rd Street and Plymouth Drive). The live nativity will run for a final night from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23.
Cute little kids draw attention, don’t they? … But hopefully, we showed that younger kids can make a difference as well.
Seventh-grader Daniel Abbes after she received the Oregon Governor’s Volunteer Award.
The biodiesel pump in south Corvallis, where you can pump your own fuel.
One last shopping run to Richey’s Market.
OSU’s ‘Smurf turf’ is already beginning to fad in the autumn rains. Let’s hope it was worth it as the Beavs take on Boise this Saturday.
Usually I don’t like press releases, but this one from Downtown Dental in Corvallis was pretty great:
Dr. Chris Martel, owner of Downtown Dental in Corvallis celebrated International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Monday, Sept. 20, with a Pirate-themed costume contest.
Winners in each of five categories received $1,000 in dental credit for their pirate smiles, while the best Flying Spaghetti Monster (read up on this Corvallis-based religion for the pirate ship connection) won a $5,000 credit. People who passed by Downtown Dental on Second Street and Madison Avenue were offered free balloons and cupcakes if they promised to floss.
CAPTION: Martel, dressed as the parody deity the Flying Spaghetti Monster, flies around downtown Corvallis distributing free cup cakes to commemorate International Talk Like a Pirate Day. (David Bassett | bassettstudios.com)
Devon Sanders of Philomath, brought her cooperative,three-legged cat to Downtown Dental for the Talk Like A Pirate Day Costume Contest. Sanders’ cat won her a $1,000 Clinic Credit in the “Best Pet Pirate” category.
A very patient cat. (Chris Martel | Contributed photo)
An Oregon State University course is getting a little love from Playboy.
The men’s magazine has named “Far Side Entomology,” an OSU Honors College class that uses cartoons to help students learn about insects, the nation’s best college course for 2010.
Many of the cartoons used in the class are by Gary Larson, creator of the popular “Far Side” comics.
Playboy honored the course for its innovative and effective way of teaching science and communication. It has also received recognition from National Public Radio and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The class has been taught by OSU emeritus professor Michael Burgett since the 1980s. It is usually offered twice a year and has a classroom cap of 20 students.
“It feels great,” Burgett said Tuesday of the latest honor. “I was completely surprised by it.”
Burgett, who has taught at OSU for 36 years, said there are two main reasons he was inspired to use cartoons to teach students about entomology.
“I had several mentors who weren’t afraid to try new things,” Burgett said. “Gary Larson has always been a personal hero of mine. So when I was asked to teach an honors program course, I said why not?”
The class works like this: Burgett divides his students into 10 teams, then gives them random insect-themed cartoons. Each team has about a week to interpret its drawing before giving a 10- to 12-minute presentation on the cartoon.
“There is no right or wrong direction,” Burgett said. “I just want students to see the big picture and make connections. I think this offers them a unique and fun way to look at different themes that relate to entomology.”
Burgett said his course is successful because it’s only offered within the University Honors College.
“These are honors students,” Burgett said. “They will work hard. Most teams spend at least four hours working on one cartoon.”
Burgett said he’s teaching a “Far Side Entomology” course this fall and that the class is already full. The first day of classes at OSU is Sept. 27.
(From the article “Prof appreciates Playboy’s praise of class” in the Sept. 15 GT)
