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The Daily Barometer

The Student News Site of Oregon State University

The Daily Barometer

The Student News Site of Oregon State University

The Daily Barometer

Cara Nixon

Cara Nixon, City Editor

Fourth year

Political Science major, Applied Journalism minor

(she/her)

All content by Cara Nixon
The Corvallis Fall Festival returned this year with COVID-19 protocol in place. The event still featured local food vendors, musical guests and artists displaying and selling their work.

48th annual Corvallis Fall Festival returns, allows artists to ‘reconnect’

Cara Nixon, News Reporter
September 27, 2021

Each year, the Corvallis Fall Festival paints a picturesque image of the local community, bringing together the colors, shapes and lines of artists, food, music and connection. In 2020, the...

Maija Linh Teona Pham, OSU PERIOD club president in front of the Memorial Union.

OSU clubs transition back to in-person activities

Cara Nixon, News Reporter
September 27, 2021

Associated Students of Oregon State University President Dhru Patel said one of the most difficult obstacles the pandemic created was disabling the club’s ability to provide in-person resources. Examples...

A photo illustration representing the COVID-19 vaccine and a representation of the COVID-19 virus’ structure. Unvaccinated staff and faculty now have to get weekly tests in hopes to minimize the spread of the virus. 

Weekly COVID-19 testing to be required for unvaccinated OSU community

Cara Nixon, City Editor
September 1, 2021

Oregon State University announced that beginning Sept. 15 and until further notice, unvaccinated university employees and students will be required to test weekly for COVID-19.OSU’s vaccination requirement,...

Nikia Braxton-Franklin, specialist in Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention at Oregon State University, works to reduce the stigma surrounding drug use and improve cannabis education. The history of the term “marijuana” shows how it has been used to target marginalized communities, and Braxton-Franklin hopes to reduce this damage by educating the Corvallis, Ore. community about cannabis and its history.

OSU alcohol, other drug prevention specialist says ‘We have work to do’ with cannabis education

Cara Nixon, News Reporter
August 30, 2021

As Oregon State University’s alcohol and other drug prevention specialist, Nikia Braxton-Franklin is working to improve the public health of the community through support and education regarding substance...

A display of various alcoholic drinks at the annual Septembeerfest event, shown prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual event, which was planned to be held on Aug. 28 at Avery Park in Corvallis, Ore., has been cancelled by the organizers for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 safety concerns. 

Septembeerfest canceled for second consecutive year due to COVID-19 concerns

Cara Nixon, News Reporter
August 20, 2021

Corvallis’ 13th annual Septembeerfest, an event put on by Heart of the Valley Homebrewers, has been canceled due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. In a statement published to their Facebook page on...

The Corvallis to the Sea Trail features 60 miles of trail that connects the Heart of the Willamette Valley with the Central Oregon Coast. The Corvallis to the Sea Trail’s opening ceremony will take place on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Benton County Fairgrounds.

Opening ceremony to commemorate Corvallis to the Sea Trail debut

Cara Nixon, News Reporter
August 20, 2021

After almost 50 years of effort, the Corvallis to the Sea Trail will be hosting an official opening ceremony at the Benton County Fairgrounds.The event, which will take place on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., is the...

Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Charlene Alexander posing for a portrait. Alexander will be leaving her position on Sept. 17 and returning to Ball State University to fill their chief strategy officer position.

OSU president seeking input from university community to choose interim vice president, chief diversity officer

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 18, 2021

Oregon State University Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Charlene Alexander will be leaving her position on Sept. 17, and Interim OSU President Becky Johnson is enlisting the help of students,...

Kate Rockey is standing in front of the sign at Bexell Hall in July of 2021. She carries a mask wherever she goes out of respect for others and uncertainty on where it is required.

Navigating post-pandemic world may be ‘especially difficult’ for people with anxiety

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 18, 2021

Stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, which have been prevalent over the past 17 months, are likely to still be difficult as the public navigates post-pandemic life. In the 2020 report of the American...

Illustration of a hand picking a lottery ticket from a bowl, for the Benton County lottery winner. All of the tickets are labeled 'Benton County,' and the bowl has a pattern of vaccination syringes around the edge. More monetary incentives have been used across the state this summer to encourage citizens to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Oregon continuing vaccine incentives after Benton County vaccine lottery winner announced

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 16, 2021

As the COVID-19 Delta variant spreads throughout the country, Oregon experts are continuing to turn to monetary incentive programs to boost vaccination rates. County winners for the “Take Your Shot,...

Scott Davis, a local Corvallis community member, browses through Corvallis-Benton County Public Library’s catalog of literature on Wednesday, July 28th. The CBCPL has now reopened to the public, and requires masks inside their buildings, except for patrons 5 and under.  

Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, ‘Heart of the community,’ remains prominent after reopening

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 14, 2021

Molly Larson Cook, a patron of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, said she always tells people she was raised by librarians. Cook’s parents aren’t really librarians, but as someone who moved...

An illustration of hands holding up a sign saying Here To Stay, HSRC and DACA in front of the Memorial Union building at Oregon State University. OSU's Here to Stay and Human Services Resource Center are both organizations that support students with DACA status. 

Texas district court DACA decision ‘alarming’ and ‘devastating’ for OSU DREAMers

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 14, 2021

A Texas federal judge recently declared Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals unlawful—a decision that will negatively affect Oregon State University DREAMers, according to OSU experts. According to...

From left to right, Abrianna Feinauer as Dromio of Ephesus, Hannah Schwartz as Luciana and Samantha Johnson as Adriana during a dress rehearsal for Bard in the Quad. This summer, Bard in the Quad will take place in person with “Comedy of Errors,” on August 5-8 and 12-15 in the Memorial Union Quad at 7:30 p.m. 

OSU Theatre debuts return to in-person performances with Bard in the Quad

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 3, 2021

Imagine you’re sitting in the Memorial Union Quad—surrounded by community, eating delicious snacks from a picnic basket and enjoying the summer breeze, the company of friends and live theatre. That’s...

Oregon State University fourth-year fine arts student Chloe Zinda, left, and Oregon Governor Kate Brown hold an oversize check for $1 million, the grand prize for the "Take Your Shot, Oregon" campaign. Zinda plans to pay off school loans and invest the money into buying a house or art studio of her own. 

OSU student plans to use $1 million COVID-19 vaccine prize to fund future

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 2, 2021

As the winner of Oregon’s $1 million COVID-19 vaccine prize, Oregon State University fourth-year art student Chloe Zinda said the money will help fund her future as an artist. Zinda plans to use her...

Portrait of START Senior Program Leader, Heather Hunt. Hunt and the other START leaders are working to help facilitate the transition for incoming students as part of the START 2021 orientation program.

START leaders aim to help incoming students navigate opportunities

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
August 2, 2021

Tori Kekoa-Albert, a START leader and third-year kinesiology student, experienced the importance of a warm welcome when she went through START her freshman year. Originally from O’ahu, Hawaii, Kekoa-Albert...

A photo of the Valley Library, taken Wednesday. According to the Interim University Librarian Anne-Marie Deitering, this closure will provide a much needed opportunity to prepare for a return to higher-occupancy use.

OSU Valley Library to be closed to public in August, first floor closed for fall term

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
July 31, 2021

The Oregon State University Valley Library will be closed to the public in August, and the first floor will be closed for fall term, due to a needed reset.According to a press release sent out by Interim...

OSU student plans to use $1 million COVID-19 vaccine prize to fund future

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
July 29, 2021

As the winner of Oregon’s $1 million COVID-19 vaccine prize, Oregon State University fourth-year art student Chloe Zinda said the money will help fund her future as an artist. Zinda plans to use her...

Miguel Arrellano Sanchez can be seen illustrated by the Human Services Resource Center. With Bill 2835 passing, there is more availability to aid for students at Oregon State through the efforts of HSRC.

OSU HSRC receives state funding for basic need assistance services

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
July 25, 2021

Oregon State University, which has had a basic needs navigator for three years, has yet to determine how it will use the new funding provided by the passage of House Bill 2835. HB 2835 was passed on June...

Mary (left), Emmett O'Malley, Bridget O'Malley, Nell O'Malley and Mike O'Malley posing for a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France in August 2018. Mike O'Malley was a Senior Instructor in Oregon State University's College of Education Double Degree program for over 20 years, and died on July 1 at 63 years old.

Mike O’Malley: an Oregon State University ‘lifeforce’

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
July 8, 2021

Beginning his time at Oregon State University as a part-time instructor in 1999, Mike O’Malley was not only well-known around campus, but was also considered a must-have teacher according to multiple...

Tim Carroll, the incoming Oregon State University Sara Hart Kimball dean of the College of Business, can be seen in this photo illustration as he prepares for his work leading with OSU. Carroll will begin his position at OSU on July 30.

Tim Carroll is named Sara Hart Kimball Dean of College of Business

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
July 6, 2021

Oregon State University has named Tim Carroll as the Sara Hart Kimball Dean for the College of Business, with the position going into effect July 30.Carroll will be replacing Jim Coakley, who has been...

A group of Oregon State University student-athletes lead a protest for Black Lives Matter on June 7, 2020. Although Juneteenth is now a recognized holiday at OSU and federally in the United States, the institution still has significant work to do for Black liberation, according to Madison Ellsworth, a fourth-year business management student and co-president of DamChange.

Juneteenth ‘is American history,’ and work should ‘not stop at symbolic victories’

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
June 19, 2021

Oregon State University recognized Juneteenth as a university holiday for the first time this year, and though this is a milestone, Black community members highlight that there is much more work to be...

A group of Oregon State University student-athletes lead a protest for Black Lives Matter on June 7, 2020. Although Juneteenth is now a recognized holiday at OSU and federally in the United States, the institution still has significant work to do for Black liberation, according to Madison Ellsworth, a fourth-year business management student and co-president of DamChange.

Juneteenth ‘is American history,’ and work should ‘not stop at symbolic victories’

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
June 19, 2021

Oregon State University recognized Juneteenth as a university holiday for the first time this year, and though this is a milestone, Black community members highlight that there is much more work to be...

Oregon State University students gather for an in-person graduation ceremony and walk together into their next steps. Graduates for both the classes of 2020 and 2021 were invited to walk together through the OSU Corvallis, Ore. campus to Reser Stadium after last year’s Commencement ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OSU hosts in-person processional for 2020 and 2021 graduates

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
June 12, 2021

Oregon State University 2020 and 2021 graduates gathered on the Corvallis, Ore. campus on Friday for an in-person processional to celebrate their accomplishments. Prior to May 24, the university planned...

A photo illustrating one of the processes one must complete when applying to graduate school, writing a statement of purpose. Many applicants over the last year have experienced the changes in the programs due to an increase in applicants, and by proxy, competition.

Graduate school applicants facing increased competition, fewer opportunities

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
June 7, 2021

Oregon State University fourth-year bioengineering student Jacob Buckner had plans to pursue graduate school immediately after completing his bachelor’s degree, but COVID- 19 unexpectedly contributed...

Oregon State University will be recognizing June 19 as a holiday this year. OSU political science Professor Christopher Stout said that the university's decision to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday will encourage community members to learn the history of the day and educate themselves on its significance.

OSU to recognize Juneteenth as holiday for 2021, potentially for years to come

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
May 12, 2021

This year, on June 19, Oregon State University will be recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday as part of its “Moving Forward Together” initiative, diversity strategic plan and Strategic Plan 4.0. Chris...

Oregon State student and local music artist Destiny Franklin, stage name Noughtie Dee, shares how they started making music, and where it has led them. Franklin started writing their own music in the summer of 2019, and their new EP will be releasing May 14 on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and Soundcloud.

Student artist Noughtie Dee seeks to revolutionize rap in male-dominated genre

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
May 10, 2021

“I cannot rap.”That’s what Destiny Franklin told their music literature partner in their junior year of high school at Kenwood Academy in Chicago, Ill. Franklin and their classmate were supposed...

Corvallis, Ore. residents awaiting and receiving COVID-19 vaccinations inside of Reser Stadium on the Oregon State University campus in February. On May 4, OSU leaders announced the university's decision to require students and employees to have a COVID-19 vaccine to participate in on-campus activities and instruction.

OSU planning to require COVID-19 vaccine for fall term

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
May 6, 2021

Oregon State University is planning to implement a COVID-19 vaccination requirement beginning in the fall of 2021 for students and employees who engage onsite at OSU.Previously, on April 23, OSU announced...

Kevin Shimomaeda, the Next Steps Program Coordinator with Jackson Street Youth Services, sits inside the living room of one of the Transitional Living Shelters in Corvallis Oregon. Jackson Street Youth Services provides Oregon State students with a transitional living program which offers older youth long-term apartment-style housing and support services.

As college students continue to face homelessness, resources are available

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
May 3, 2021

Clarification: This story has been edited in order to clarify that at the time of Kayla Rose's experience with houselessness, resources were not available or she didn't meet certain requirements at the...

Cultivating Change is a national organization which seeks to build community among LGBTQ+ agriculturalists. 

OSU leading in Cultivating Change as first chapter on West Coast

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 26, 2021

Oregon State University was once Oregon Agricultural College--so Cultivating Change organizers say it’s fitting it would lead as the first chapter of an agriculture-based LGBTQ+ organization on the West...

Taylor Barron, fourth-year communications major, said she is disappointed by the tuition increase approval. Taylor believes Oregon State University could have found the funding elsewhere.

Tuition increase worries students; university leaders say it’s ‘necessary’

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 26, 2021

Some Oregon State University community members are concerned about how the recently-approved tuition increase will affect economically insecure students, but university leaders say it’s necessary.The...

Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Charlene Alexander is a member of the OSU Board of Trustees and in charge of hiring the next OSU president after the resignation of F. King Alexander. Alexander’s “fingers are crossed” that the hiring process goes smoothly and hopes for more diversity in the next university president.

University admin ‘confident’ in prioritization of diversity in next presidential search

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 21, 2021

Oregon State University community members have expressed concerns regarding the university’s diversity in the upcoming presidential search committee and candidate pool, as well as OSU’s commitment...

Candace Baltz was the former director of Experiential Learning & Engagement.

Update: OSU disputes allegations from BOLI complainant, bureau to move forward with investigation

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 19, 2021

Editor’s Note: The Daily Barometer is within Orange Media Network, and OMN is within Experiential Learning & Activities formerly directed by Candace Baltz. Oregon State University is disputing claims...

Interim president search in early phases

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 12, 2021

Content warning – story contains mention of sexual assault and harassment.Oregon State University’s former President F. King Alexander’s resignation went into effect on April 1—now, the community...

Arely Hanson of Pupuseria Del Valle standing at the intersection of 1st and Monroe where the Corvallis Outdoor Farmer’s Market takes place. The Outdoor Farmer’s Market will be opening back up on April 8th.

Outdoor Corvallis Farmers’ Market returns with minor changes

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 12, 2021

Picture strolling through the sunshine, admiring lined-up booths featuring a variety of local products, the smell of fresh bread, hand-cut flowers and homemade tamales all around you.This is what the return...

Lucianne Ryan, chair member for the upcoming OSU Out of the Darkness Virtual Walk, discusses how mental health has been impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Out of the Darkness Virtual Walk event will be held on April 17th from 12 to 1 pm and will be streamed on Twitch.

Annual Out of the Darkness event aims to bring awareness to mental health

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
April 12, 2021

Content warning – story contains mention of depression and suicide. 1,100 college students die by suicide each year and students have reported declining mental health during the pandemic. An Oregon...

Pandemic has inspired, mobilized local climate change movements

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 24, 2021

COVID-19 has generated countless obstacles to various personal and systemic goals and plans – however, in the fight against climate change, the pandemic has possibly offered inspiration and momentum. According...

Matt Easdale is an OSU fourth-year student double majoring in political science and environmental economics and policy. Though political events have caused Easdale stress and even intensified an ideological divide in his own family, Easdale said he wants to continue pursuing his career in politics.

Nixon: The state of politics has further inspired political science students

Cara Nixon, Columnist
March 22, 2021

Editor’s Note: This column does not represent the opinion of The Daily Barometer. This column reflects the personal opinions of the writer.Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election and...

The Oregon State University president's office is housed in the Kerr Administration building on the Corvallis, Ore. campus.

OSU Board of Trustees to further discuss due diligence of 2019 presidential search

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 19, 2021

Discussions will be continuing concerning the Oregon State University’s Board of Trustees 2019 presidential search and appointment of F. King Alexander after the recent announcement of his probationary...

Keith Raab, Oregon State's director of financial aid, can be seen in front of the Kerr Administration building on March 7, 2021.

$7.8 million in CRRSAA funds available to OSU students

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 7, 2021

The recently passed Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act authorizes funds for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II, giving Oregon State University students financial...

OSU student film featured in DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 7, 2021

Oregon State University student Daisy Truong is being featured in the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon with her film “I Am, But I Am Not” this month. DisOrient is a non-profit independent...

General News Graphic

OSU likely to return to in-person in fall, with changes

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 5, 2021

Oregon State University officials are gaining confidence that the university community can return to in-person learning in the upcoming fall term, though on-site instruction won’t look completely normal. The...

This is a collaboration with the Corvallis Advocate and Linn Benton Community College's The Commuter that highlights the histories of local news outlets. 

The Daily Barometer, serving OSU since 1896

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
March 1, 2021

The College Barometer’s name was chosen as a nod to intense college spirit, the importance of student opinions and pressure of faculty legislation at Oregon Agricultural College in the 19th century.Started...

Lars Romsos, who ran for a Senator position in the ASOSU 2021 Elections, has taken part in the Sunrise Movement since high school. Romsos was driven to join the movement when a peer of his quit his job to become an organizer for the South Tahoe Sunrise Movement.

Sunrise Corvallis inspires students to run for ASOSU

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
February 22, 2021

Those who participate in student government are often inspired by local politics and issues to campaign and make their own changes.This is true for Lars Romsos and Lily Butler, who are running for positions...

AlexanderKerner_President.jpg

2021 ASOSU Election: Get to know the candidates

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
February 19, 2021

President/Vice President Alexander Kerner and Stella HarknessAlexander Kerner is a second-year English and education major on the school administration track and Stella Harkness is a first-year bioengineering...

Second-year kinesiology student Annalee Anglin and her cat Pepper pose for a photo over Zoom.

Nixon: Pandemic pets have positive mental health effects on college students

Cara Nixon, Columnist
January 26, 2021

Editor’s Note: This column does not represent the opinion of The Daily Barometer. This column reflects the personal opinions of the writer.My partner and I call one of our cats a “pandemic kitty,”...

Adams Elementary P.E. teacher Gerhard Behrens monitors class over zoom in the empty gymnasium. Corvallis School District plans to continue to deliver education virtually for the spring term.

Corvallis School District makes preparations for onsite hybrid learning

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
January 26, 2021

The Corvallis School District, like other schools across the state, has been grappling with returning to in-person learning, as a result of Gov. Kate Brown making instructions in early Jan. for doing so...

Colin McNeil, TRACE employee, works at a testing center on the OSU Corvallis campus. OSU’s TRACE Project is located between the Kelley Engineering Center and Student Health Services. 

TRACE program receives $2 million grant

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
January 4, 2021

Oregon State University’s TRACE COVID-19 program will receive a $2 million grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; such funds will allow researchers to expand their efforts nationally during...

Snell Hall houses Counseling and Psychological Services, where students can find mental health support and resources. CAPS provides a variety of services to the OSU community to address the challenges and difficulties students face. 

Statement from OSU president sparks concerns about campus sexual misconduct, resources

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
January 4, 2021

An email sent to Oregon State University students and staff by President F. King Alexander in November has raised questions and concerns from the local community about sexual assault and how it’s being...

Member of College of Republicans Matthew Edwards is pictured outside of the Memorial Union. He can be seen smiling and proud to be American, no matter the stratification of American politics.

Nixon: Students of varying political identities aim to feel welcomed in Corvallis, OSU


Cara Nixon, Columnist
December 16, 2020

Editor’s Note: This column does not represent the opinion of The Daily Barometer. This column reflects the personal opinions of the writer.Corvallis is undeniably blue. Of the 33,492 registered voters...

Josh Brenne, co-president of the Asian Pacific American Student Union, poses outside of the Memorial Union in his APASU hoodie and OSU mask. The APASU organization is a mean for people of similar cultural backgrounds or interests to come together socially and culturally.

OSU clubs affected by COVID-19, ‘feel fatigued by meeting and doing activities online’

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
December 9, 2020

Oregon State University students have felt the effects of courses being taught remotely due to COVID-19, but classes are not the only on-campus activity affected.OSU offers a multitude of clubs and organizations...

Tiffany Garcia, an Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Garcia teaches several courses as well as conducting research that examines the direct and indirect effects of environmental stress on aquatic communities.

Tenure-track process more difficult for caregivers and parents, OSU faculty report

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
December 6, 2020

In the United States, women are less likely than men to achieve tenure.  In 2018, women in the U.S. held 49.7% of all tenure-track positions (assistant professor, associate professor) but only held 39.3%...

Many professors have had to take their lessons online and create virtual curricula, including Spanish instructor Raven Chakerian.

Remote learning impacts teacher-student connections

Cara Nixon, News Contributor
November 17, 2020

When Canvas and Zoom became the new classrooms for Oregon State University students, many aspects of learning and interacting have changed, with teacher-student relationships being impacted considerably.  The...

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