1/31/13 Daily Barometer

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THURSDAY, JANUARY31, 2013 • OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331

Local sports league starts with a dream n

OSU students, local businesses collaborate on sports league for handicapped children By Gabriella Morrongiello The Daily Barometer

On Oct. 1, 2012, a team of innovative students from Oregon State University were awarded first place at the first annual Oregon Social Business challenge for their social business idea, STAR Sports. Now, four months later, these young entrepreneurs have turned that same business model into a reality. The concept of STAR Sports began like any other business venture: with a dream. After developing a close relationship with a friend’s sister, who is affected by down-syndrome, OSU senior Alli Stangel dreamt of creating a sports league for children with physical disabilities. Children with physical disabilities do not have as many opportunities to actively participate in sports leagues as their peers do. Often times, parents of children with disabilities tend to be more hesitant in letting their child participate because of the potential range of obstacles their child is likely to encounter. According to the STAR Sports business proposal, the primary goal of the program is to create a fall, winter and spring sports league in Benton County for children with disabilities and their parents, who often feel isolated and alone. “The league will provide children with disabilities the opportunity See STAR | page 2

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Beavers try to turn season around tonight in Berkeley

VOLUME CXVI, NUMBER 73

Lunar New Year at West n

Marketplace West dining center celebrates the Chinese New Year with a celebrity chef appearance By Megan Campbell The Daily Barometer

Red decorations displayed on the village doors froze the dragon-like creature in fear. Cautiously resuming its hunt for children and livestock, the monster moved closer. Then, by beating drums, lighting firecrackers and burning candles the villagers scared the monster back into the mountains. Fending off the mythical creature, Nian, sparked the traditions of the Chinese New Year. The 15-day event is the longest and most important event in the Chinese calendar. In celebration of this holiday, Ring of Fire, located in Marketplace West, will serve a special menu on Thursday, Feb. 7, prepared by celebrity chef Jet Tila from Los Angeles. Tila has appeared on Iron Chef America and the Food Network. Even with running his own restaurants in California and Nevada, and juggling various appearances on radio and television, Tila will make time to come to Oregon State University. “It’s all because of Jay Perry,” Tila said during a phone interview. Perry is Chef de Cuisine at Marketplace West. He met Tila two years ago at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where Tila was one of the lead chefs in the World Chef Culinary Conference. “[Coming to OSU] is something that’s fun and offbeat,” Tila said. University Housing and Dining Services’ “Lunar New Year: A Journey Through Culture and Cuisine” is part of a series of cultural dinners. Last year, University Housing and Dining Services held three cultural dinners featuring Mediterranean, soul food and indigenous cuisine. This year, however, Perry was looking for something “more eventful.” That’s when he emailed Tila. “That’s why I like OSU,” said Mikalyn Martinez, a student employee at Southside Station in Arnold dining center. “Students have more access to try new things.” Pulling from his traditional Thai and Chinese Courtesy of Jet tila | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO cooking background, Tila will teach and prepare Chef Jet Tila is coming to Oregon State University. Pulling from his experience with traditional Thai lunch and dinner alongside Ring of Fire staff. and Chinese cooking, he will prepare lunch and dinner at Marketplace West’s Ring of Fire on Feb. 7. See LUNAR | page 2

Intense fitness community finds a home at Corvallis Boxing Club n

Corvallis Boxing Club seeks to build community, character inside, outside of the club By Ryan Dawes

The Daily Barometer

At 6:15 p.m. sharp every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, practice flares to life for the Corvallis Boxing Club. A fast two-mile run for a warm-up is followed by an intense workout including sparring, punching bags and plyometric exercises

such as pushups, situps and squats. The Corvallis Boxing Club is a perfect place to build one’s character and a close community with fellow teammates. The Corvallis Boxing Club began last year when a couple ROTC students expressed interest to a former boxing coach. It became active at the start of the school year. “I was looking for an intensive sport outlet,” said OSU ROTC student Caleb Lau, history major and team captain of the Corvallis Boxing

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| THE DAILY BAROMETER

Dan Dunn, Corvallis Boxing Club coach, instructs Caleb Lau, OSU history major and team captain.

Corvallis Boxing Club

Where: 4900 NW HWY 99, Corvallis, Oregon 97330 When: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays at 6:15 Cost: $25-30 suggested donation to join

Club. “One of my instructors, [Major Jessica Dunn], had a husband who was a boxing coach. Her husband Dan and I started meeting and planning out the club.” Dan Dunn, who has been boxing since age 13, and is also certified in Thai Kickboxing and as a seconddegree black belt in Jujitsu, had formerly owned Victor Gym where he worked as a coach. However, after taking a few years off from coaching, he knew he wanted to start up again. “I just loved coaching and couldn’t stop,” Dunn said. “I love the energy of the young adults and youth.” Over the summer, he and a handful of students began planning the club. Dale Butler, the pastor of Life Community Church, where Dunn attends, offered to help support the club and let them use a large garage owned by the church for a practice place. The club then set to remodeling the garage into a perfect boxing gym, including adding a massive 20 by 22-foot boxing ring, punching bags and a patriotic OSU mural on the wall, all financed by Dunn. The club also became approved through USA Boxing to ensure the safety and well-being of members.

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| THE DAILY BAROMETER

Caleb Lau jabs at Dan Dunn’s gloves during a Corvallis Boxing Club session. The club meets three times a week at Life Community Church. From there the club quickly grew. Two of the members, Lau and OSU student Ashley Clarke, took an initiative to recruit members. They would often go to Dixon and tell random people they met about the club. Now more than 50 members of the Corvallis community, 38 of which are OSU students, are members of the Corvallis Boxing Club, and that number is increasing. With four international students actively participating, and a diversity of worldviews present

in the team, the club is an example of a number of different people uniting together as a close-knit family. “What I love about this club is that it’s not just about boxing,” Lau said. “It’s about developing relationships, close friendships, and developing each other in every aspect of life, not just boxing.” Clarke also agrees. “Often as we’re in the hardest parts of the practice, the coach will yell at See BOXING | page 2


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