News

One month after the original surprise surrounding the split-ticket results of elections for ASUPS President and Vice President, Eric Hopfenbeck and Santiago Rodriguez were sworn into their positions on Tuesday, April 16.  Originally campaigning with separate running mates, (Krista Haapanen and Scott Miller, respectively), Hopfenbeck and Rodriguez will serve as ASUPS President and Vice President for the 2013-2014 academic year. In the past month, Hopfenbeck and Rodriguez have been working together to plan for the year ahead.  An immediate hurdle in their duties was merging the ideas of both campaign...

The Bias-Hate Education Response Team (BHERT)—a subcommittee of the Faculty Diversity Committee that was formed to respond to incidents of bias and hate on campus—has received suggestions from multiple students that the committee publish a report of their findings in The Trail. Former ASUPS Senate member Sadie Boyers recently told The Trail that she felt BHERT’s findings should be made more public so that BHERT can truly promote awareness and discussions on bias and hate. Other members of the ASUPS Senate and student leaders in the Division of Student Affairs...

    A Seattle-based research firm has concluded that Pierce County had the highest amount of pollution out of the 12 Washington counties surveyed. This score, on the “Sound Behavior Index” scale, resulted in the country being the lowest in terms of environmental friendliness and highest in impact to the surrounding ecology. It has already been established that the Puget Sound population contributed to severe damage of the ocean and the surrounding area. This study, which pinpoints the impact from region to region, showed San Juan county as having the...

Club Rendezvous in Wheelock Student Center was recently renovated to make the space more usable, multipurpose and inviting. “The project included the demolition of the carpeted and glass walls, patch and repair of damaged walls, new stage carpet, added lighting and painting throughout,” Chris Brookins, the Project Manager of the Rendezvous renovation, said. There have also been more surface-level improvements in Rendezvous, which serve a cosmetic as well as a functional end. Sarah Comstock, the Assistant Director of Student Activities for Wheelock Student Center, stated simply: “We got rid of...

As the University of Puget Sound’s 125th Anniversary festivities kick off, the City of Tacoma has joined in the fun.  At the Tacoma City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 19, Mayor Marilyn Strickland officially proclaimed March 17 “University of Puget Sound Day” in Tacoma, the same day on which the University was founded in 1888, one year before Washington became the 42nd state. “They knew a great city needed a great university.  Railroadmen and timbermen, nurses and pastors and politicians all contributed to that effort … This city over the...

The special elections held across Washington ended Tuesday, Feb. 12. In Pierce County, both Tacoma School District and Puyallup School District put forth propositions for voters. Proposition 1 for the Tacoma School District entailed a $500,000,000 bond measure that would allow the district to replace or renovate many Tacoma schools, as well as upgrade technology and health, safety and security systems.  The latter ranges from improvements to electrical, heating and plumbing systems, as well as  upgrades in earthquake safety and alarm systems. In the Official Local Voters’ Pamphlet, Tacoma Citizens...

    Puget Sound spring break will last from March 18 to March 22. For that time, campus will remain open for residents of the University and food services will be limited to students and faculty. While a number of students choose to remain in the area for that time, several others will be journeying home for the week. Others will be participating in campus-sponsored activities and events. Puget Sound Outdoors will be taking students adventuring through the northwest on their Spring Break Trips 2013 program. Events consist of day...

After a national search for potential candidates, Michael Benitez Jr. will be appointed to serve as the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Puget Sound. This position will provide Benitez with the responsibility of organizing and strategizing Puget Sound’s Plan for Diversity in order to create the most inclusive learning environment possible for the University’s students. “This includes overseeing access and achievement programs, monitoring and evaluating the campus environment, developing new resources, and collaborating with campus leadership, faculty, and students to advance the college’s diversity goals,” the University’s press release...