Inside-Out featured in Oregon Quarterly

Katie D.

November 26, 2010 - 8:41 PM

The Oregon Quarterly http://www.oregonquarterly.com/ is a fabulous free publication of the University of Oregon, featuring campus news, artwork, and profiles of important people around campus. I've been a reader for the last few years, when I first noticed the free stack available at the entrance of the Duck Store on campus.

So I am incredibly excited to announce that Inside-Out was featured in the Winter 2010 issue of Oregon Quarterly magazine.

The article is under the subheading of "News, Notables, Innovations." It was written by Katherine Gries, who I have worked with before on Clark Honors College communications and outreach activities. You can find it online at [ http://www.oregonquarterly.com/winter2010/winter2010-digital.html ] , or you can get a hard copy and find the article on page 16.

What makes me happiest about this article is that it approaches Inside-Out from the three critical viewpoints--professor, UO student, and incarcerated student--but the heart of the article is the interview with inside student, James. The article is extremely accessible to those who have not heard about Inside-Out before, and explains the class environment and the program philosophy in a way that is incredibly approachable. But it's James's story that's at the heart of the article.

If you read the article, you'll hear about a lot of what I've already reported on this blog. Katherine Gries was an integral part of Turned Inside-Out magazine, and has met with James twice now. I have done several interviews with her for various Honors College projects, so when she quotes me she does so with the full appreciation for my passion for this program. As a journalist, Katherine captured the heart of the story and invites the reader into the micro-level experience of an Inside-Out classroom. But she also speaks from the viewpoint of someone who has witnessed the program personally, and who has taken more than just a passing glance at how UO students have been changed. This makes the article feel real.

Even if it's a little bizarre to see myself quoted in a magazine.

So here's a special thanks to Katherine Gries. Thank you for putting my experience into print, and to getting the word out to all the Oregon Quarterly readers. It means the world to me.