Features

By Angela Cookston Professor Dexter Gordon, who started at the University of Puget Sound in 2002, has had a profound impact on the on and off-campus communities alike. From changing the on-campus conversation about race to teaching freshman seminars, he is a trailblazer for the African American Studies and Communication departments. Gordon is currently the director of the African American Studies program, and is also a professor of Communication. As a professor, Gordon faces many challenges. “I often teach … these issues that students have very little experience in a...

By Christina Pelletier Loyal patrons of Diversions Cafe might notice purple ribbons on their to-go cups this month, stuck on in honor of Domestic Violence Action Month (DVAM). DVAM started with the purpose of connecting women and children who were victims of abuse. In 1981, it began with just the “Day of Unity.” It expanded to a week of remembrance and advocacy until 1987, when the first Domestic Violence Action Month, as it is called today, was observed. The University of Washington’s Sexual Assault Resources defines domestic violence as “physical...

By Haley Suzuki A chalkboard mural recently popped up on the wall of the information desk outside of Diversions Cafe. It reads, “What would YOU like to accomplish while you’re here?” and asks the campus community to respond using chalk. The mind behind this interactive art piece is University of Puget Sound junior Sophia Munic. Those returning to campus might remember the student-created sculptures scattered around campus last year, specifically the huge, white sewing needle on Todd Field which asked passersby to write on it with markers. The needle sculpture...

By Aidan Regan After 12 years as Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel won another four-year term in Germany’s Sept. 24 election. But for the first time since the 1950s, a xenophobic, far-right party will enter the German parliament. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won 12.6 percent of the national vote, campaigning in opposition to many of Angela Merkel’s policies, including immigration. It is now Germany’s third-largest party with 94 seats in the Bundestag, the German parliament. Parties are elected into the Bundestag based on proportional representation, and Germans elect...

By Molly Wampler “You’re the best!” one student yelled to former Diner employee Shanece Johnson-Wilson during our interview. Several others stopped by with hugs, miss-you’s and stories, and she has only been gone for a week. With her high spirits and loud laugh, Johnson-Wilson liked to make herself known on campus, and students loved her. “She is energetic and funny and relatable, and treats you like family,” senior Kristina Braverman said. After four years at The University of Puget Sound, Johnson-Wilson left her stable job to go back to school....

By Christina Pelletier Just as senior Gabe Newman’s passion for photography developed since he set foot on campus four years ago, so has his skill and technique. As a first-year at the University of Puget Sound, Newman was disappointed to see that there were not any photography classes on campus, but was able to meet other first-years with interests in photography during his orientation week. Later that year, Newman was hired by Photo Services where he could keep up with his photography aside from his freelance portraiture business. Newman wanted...

By Angela Cookston The Center for Intercultural and Civic Engagement (CICE) hosted a lecture on Sept. 26, National Voter Registration Day, with Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, on the importance of voter engagement: why people should want to vote and why that matters. Kim Wyman was elected to be Washington’s 15th Secretary of State in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. She is only the second woman to hold this position in Washington’s history. “Secretary Wyman promotes civility and civic engagement and is committed to connecting people with their government,”...

In the times of Genghis Khan, Mongols worshipped the Eternal Blue Sky. Today, the sky of the nation’s capital Ulaan Baatar is more smoggy than it is blue, ranking in as one of the most polluted cities in the world.   This became apparent after a few days of living here. You can smell the grayness outside — in the afternoon, the smog often gets so dense that the nearby mountains disappear from view. Our hostel is located near a ger district, which refers to a community of unplanned, tent-like...

By Christina Pelletier If you walk past the Student Diversity Center Thursday nights, chances are you’ll hear the roars of laughter coming from the Black Student Union (BSU) meeting. The group meets every Thursday at 8 pm where they have the chance to get together and celebrate black culture. Treasurer and Social Media Representative of the BSU, Blake Bouligny, a Puget Sound sophomore, describes the atmosphere of the club as a “family,” and though they’ve only been meeting for a month, they’ve become a close knit group and all feel comfortable...

By Angela Cookston In an ongoing study, students and faculty researchers look into on-campus energy consumption and sustainability awareness using student’s self-reported shower times and temperatures. The Trail sat down with Amy Fisher in the Science, Technology, and Society program on September 20 to discuss the study. “The overarching goal is really to think about how we can use our energy more efficiently and potentially make changes at a grassroot level that could help mitigate things like climate change,” Fisher said. She broke that goal into its many parts. “The...