Features

By: Molly Wampler In the past year, the University of Puget Sound has made a conscious effort to unify the Tacoma community with our campus, and have set specific goals with this objective in mind.   Kaitlyn Vallance, lecture programmer for the Associate Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS), has put much thought into this year’s lecture series, and, in efforts to tie in this goal of community partnerships, wanted to start her series with Tacoma local Shalisa Hayes.   “I’ve decided to do a lecture series centered around...

By Eada Gendelman Nikita For fifth-year student Nikita New, education was never a given. Her mother grew up in El Salvador during the Salvadorian Civil War and was forced to drop out of school in the ninth grade. Her father was also raised in an unsafe and poverty-stricken environment where getting an education did not seem feasible. Although 42 percent of students whose parents attended college usually graduate within four years, only 27 percent of first-generation students graduate within the same amount of time, a 2011 University of California Los...

By Eada Gendelman   After working in law and public policy for more than 30 years, Eric Holder, Jr. visited the University to lead a discussion entitled “Principled Leadership.” The members of the campus and local community gathered in Schneebeck Concert Hall to hear Holder speak about his controversial career and share his personal experiences as the first African American attorney general of the United States. This interactive discussion took place on March 3 at 8 p.m., leaving a remarkable impact on students and faculty alike. “Questions of drone strikes,...

By Emma Brice   The University of Puget Sound holds many events throughout the year such as Take Back the Night and No More Week of Action in order to bring sexual assault awareness to campus. This past week, Sexuality Issues, Race, and Gender Education (SIRGE) has put on events in order to encourage awareness of these problems in society today. “This week we are holding three different events. Tuesday we put on a photo campaign, where we asked people to write down why they were saying ‘No More’ to...

By Eada Gendelman On Feb. 18, Latinos Unidos worked in collaboration with the Tacoma Art Museum, Centro Latino, and Pacific Lutheran University to present Exploring the Latino Experience in Tacoma, a reception and student-led panel discussion. Students and local community members joined together in the Rasmussen Rotunda at 6 p.m. to examine the challenges Latino-Americans must overcome in the Tacoma community and beyond. “Latinos have a long and rich history in the United States dating back more than 500 years, and they have become the largest minority group in the...

By Grace Cook This year of graduates marks the smallest class of English majors in recent memory; upper-division classes that would have had an average of 10-15 students last year are now experiencing numbers as low as four. Like other majors in the humanities, English majors are often asked, “What are you planning on doing with that?” This question reveals a loss of belief in the Humanities as a field of study. In recent years the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors has been growing while the...

By Emma Brice One of the main concerns people face when going off to college is the unknown territory of what the food will be like. Meals play a crucial role in a college student’s life, and luckily the University of Puget Sound has been granted several diverse options. Recently the University welcomed Spoon University to campus, giving an additional food resource to students in addition to from The Cellar and the S.U.B. “The purpose of Spoon University is to inform college students (who may be navigating their own kitchens or campuses...

By Marcelle Rutherfurd According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), upwards of 30 million individuals in the United States are affected by eating disorders. The issue of negative body image and the mental issues that stem from it is a huge part of today's society. From day one, American children are bombarded by images of “perfect” bodies, due to the tendency of popular media to portray one stock body type that is considered generally attractive. With such a harsh and triggering environment surrounding us, both...

With February being the official month of love and bad rom-coms, it’s hard to remember that intimate partner violence is just as likely to occur on Valentine’s Day as any other day of the year. The YWCA of Pierce County works 24/7 to provide support for survivors and their children as they recover and rebuild their lives.  Unfortunately, conversations about intimate partner violence are often confusing and unconstructive, leading to victim blaming and survivors questioning the validity of their experience. “Intimate partner violence is important to talk about because it’s...

  For the month of February, the Black Student Union (BSU) has organized a wide range of events and activities to honor Black History Month. Whether it be group discussions or watching films together, the BSU has worked tirelessly to fill this month with meaningful experiences that not only celebrate the past of African Americans, but also inspire both Black and non-Black students to cultivate a well-informed community of allies. Working together with other university sponsorships, organizations, and professors, the BSU has created a programming calendar that provides students with...

  Here at the University of Puget Sound, there are a wide selection of study spots, each possessing its own unique vibe that students can choose from to focus on the daily grind of homework. Diversions Cafe has always been a hot spot on campus, but more recently has gained popularity due to its new makeover. Whether the goal is late night studying, an early morning coffee date, or a simple hangout with a friend, Diversions is the place to be. Some may wonder the reasoning behind the renovations of...

In light of Donald Trump’s increasing popularity, The Office for Intercultural Engagement held its first Speak Out Loud (SOL) conversation of the semester to discuss “The Trump Effect.” On Feb. 3, students gathered at The Student Diversity Center from 5p.m. to 6p.m. to talk about Donald Trump’s recent comments, actions, and attitudes towards minority communities. “Like all the SOL conversations, this one was an opportunity to discuss a particularly pressing subject that affects life both on and off campus,” first year Aidan Regan said. In a Socratic-seminar style discussion, students...