Features

Coffee lovers rejoice: there’s a new bean in town. This year marks the beginning of a new partnership between University Dining and Conference Services (DCS) and Portland-based company Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The partnership is the result of a month-long search following the expiration of DCS’ previous contract with Caffe Vita. “This is a chance to turn a new leaf, an opportunity to work with new equipment and a new company, and a chance to do our due diligence to the student body,” Manager for Diversions Cafe and the Cellar Paige...

Gears had been turning for a long while, but it was not until four years ago that a committee assembled to change the future of environmental policy and decision making (EPDM) at the University. Now, future students can open up their 2016-2017 bulletin and see EPDM listed as a major. Before jumping into the planning process, the EPDM curriculum committee asked themselves a couple of questions. “The first question was—is this something that will be valuable for students? The second big question was—can we pull it off?” international political economy...

  By Noah Lumbantobing, Brianna Bolton, Allison Nasson, and Tyler Sherman   Greek Life is often synonymous with the college experience. Mainstream media is saturated with films like Neighborhood and American Pie, which perpetuate the stereotype of hard-partying fraternities and sororities. That representation, however, and the assumption that all fraternities and sororities adhere to it, has consistently come under fire on the Puget Sound campus. Greek chapters at the University of Puget Sound often pride themselves on inclusivity and their strong anti-hazing policies, especially when contrasted to Greek life communities...

An exciting announcement came out of the Environmental Policy and Decision-Making department earlier this month: starting in the fall of 2016, Puget Sound students will be able to major in Environmental Policy and Decision-Making. Since the formation of the Environmental Science department, students have only been able to minor in the subject. The decision to expand the department and the program comes at a time when sustainability and climate change are especially important and controversial topics in the United States and around the world. The major will require students to...

Have you ever wondered how one can help the needy while also exploring the entrepreneurial spirit? A 2003 alumni of Puget Sound, Matt Scarlett and co-founders Ian McFarland and Gregory Ahn have created a wine club called Pour Generously in order to help support underfunded charities.  It works in a way that benefits all involved:  four times a year the co-founders sample hundreds of lesser-known but still remarkable wines and choose from those to ship to their subscribing members.  Half of the proceeds from each purchase go to undiscovered charities....

Living in Tacoma, you may be unaware that down in the Port among the factories and toxic zones is the country’s fourth-largest detention center housing hundreds of detainees, many of whom are undocumented people from Mexico, South America and Central America. Whether or not Tacoma residents were previously aware of this facility, very few ever get to hear these people’s stories. A new radio show on KUPS gives students, faculty and local residents the opportunity to become educated about these undocumented individuals by hearing their testimonials. Sophomore Kelsee Levey and...

In the Feb. 20 issue of the The Trail, an article about the theatre exhibit in the Collin’s memorial library used the word dramaturgy.  Many of you have probably never even heard of this word in your life. It means the theory and practice of dramatic composition. If you want to experience the true meaning of dramaturgy, all you have to do is wander through the theatre exhibit in the library, and get lost in its bold and captivatingly detailed displays of the theatrical experience.  For thespians and non-actors alike,...

“I wish I could buy all organic but I just don’t have the money for that.” It’s a common sentiment heard in my house when grocery shopping time rolls around. As college students, we just do not have the disposable income to spend on buying the most environmentally sustainable food. Being a conscious shopper takes a lot of time, which we also do not have a lot of, as we are involved in a lot more activities than just classes such as RDG, Greek Life, work and other extracurricular activities....