News

University Facilities Services has drafting underway for multiple projects that will significantly expand and renovate the Student Union Building in the coming years. Current underclassmen will enjoy a servery with greater efficiency and a kitchen with more space for S.U.B. workers to cook food and wash dishes. The servery has struggled to meet the demands of the student population during peak hours in recent years, and the proposed changes seek to minimize lines especially during lunch and dinner. The projects are part of a larger effort to update the S.U.B.,...

Puget Sound was recently accepted as one of 250 schools across the nation to participate in President Obama’s “The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenege.” The challenge began in June of 2010 when, at the recommendation of the President’s Advisory Council for Neighborhood and Faith-Based Initiatives, the White House invited a group of leaders (including our own University Chaplain, David Wright) from the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) and the Association of College and University Religious Affairs (ACURA) to explore how the White House can partner with institutions of higher...

The dearth of bike racks on campus has led to bikes being illegally locked on handicap handrails, making the rails largely inaccessible. A new method of enforcement was implemented on Sept. 26 to keep the handrails clear. Any bikes found locked to handrails will be impounded and students will have to prove ownership in order to reclaim their bicycles at security by describing their bike and its location. As of Sept. 28, no bicycles had been impounded. Todd Badham, Director of Security, said handrail congestion has only recently become a...

Green Dot, a national program that teaches bystanders how to deal with power-based personal violence, is thriving on the Puget Sound campus. Administrators and students alike have praised the program for its accessibility, inclusiveness and practical approach. Green Dot was founded by Dr. Dorothy Edwards, whose mission is to create a cultural shift by reshaping the way we look at violence. The term “sexual violence” was replaced with “power-based personal violence” in order to include a much broader range of harmful behavior. Director of Multicultural Student Services Czarina Ramsay does...

Residence Hall Association (RHA) elections this September yielded 30 new executive members, all of whom are now part of the extensive Residence Life network.  The RHA training retreat, hosted by the Resident Student Association (RSA) at the end of September, is designed to prepare them for the job of managing overall wellness in the dorms. Wellness remains the primary theme, but this year’s members plan to approach this objective through special emphasis on new programs and regional participation. In the spirit of accessibility, RSA Advisor Jenni Chadick has also created...

Thinking about walking down to 7-11 for a slice of pizza or a corndog later this evening? Director of Security Todd Badham wants you to think again before making your 2:30 a.m. snack pilgrimage off campus. This time of year has had some of the highest crime rates in the past, and Security Services would like to help change that trend. “This time of year can potentially be the biggest crime period because there are a bunch of new people that don’t know Tacoma or haven’t lived by themselves before....

At the close of last semester, the ASUPS Budget Committee convened in an emergency meeting to reconsider allocating $14,000 to the Sailing Club for new racing boats.  The decision stirred controversy due to the sheer dollar amount of the investment, which is expected to benefit the 40-member club at a competitive level for the next eight years. The request passed both times it was presented to the Senate but was met with some opposition by both senators and students who joined the meeting to express their dissent. ASUPS Club Sports...

The Beta Theta Pi campus chapter was suspended during the summer due to charges of under-age drinking, marijuana use and hazing. The fraternity was put on probation years before the suspension, starting with a hazing violation a few years ago and continuing with under-age drinking cases and accusations of drug use. “It wasn’t any one thing, honestly. Ultimately what it came down to was lack of internal culpability,” Moe Stephens, Assistant Director of Student Activities for Greek Life and Leadership, said. “The actions of some members of Beta Theta Phi...

Thanks to a previously overlooked legal technicality, Wal-Mart may be coming to town after all. A California-based developer has submitted plans to build a 150,000 square-foot Wal-Mart supercenter on Union Ave. next door to Target, where the Tacoma Elks Lodge is currently located. Although the Tacoma City Council passed a 6-month moratorium on all big-box retailers on Aug. 30, it did not take effect until it was printed and publicized in accordance with Washington state law.  The developer submitted plans for the Wal-Mart on Aug. 31, the day before the...

After evaluating Puget Sound’s sustainability efforts in the past year, the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) will be using the assessment to create short- and long-term priorities for university sustainability endeavors and goals, according to John Hickey, co-chair of the SAC. The SAC hopes to have the new Center for Health Sciences building be LEED certified. According to www.usgbc.org, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified means that a building has been internationally recognized as a “green” building. Puget Sound currently has two LEED gold certified buildings: the Facilities Services...