By Angela Cookston
Kristi Maplethorpe, a long-time member of the Associated Students of Puget Sound (ASUPS) staff, plans to retire at the end of this year. But who is she and why should everyone know about her? The Trail sat down with Kristi to find out. Kristi is a “T-loc” (Tacoma local), born and raised here in Tacoma, WA. She started working for the University in 1976, when she was hired as the Information Center Manager. She then left in 2006 to retire briefly. “I tried to retire … and then was called back in by a colleague who needed some help. It was a no-brainer.”
The colleague returned and job-shared with Kristi for eight years. “It was truly a godsend and I was happy,” Kristi said about this period. She has been working full time since then; Kristi is in her 39th year with the university.
Now, she is the Administrative Assistant and manages the ASUPS office. We asked exactly what she does with ASUPS. “I manage the office … with all the services that we provide from Orca cards to budget,” she says.
During the interview, I asked Kristi what the hardest part of her job was. “Putting out fires,” Kristi said. “Some students leave things for the last minute, and so it creates nothing short of a bit of an emergency.” But she helps with problems like this by working with her colleagues all over campus. “It is just the nature of the beast.”
But what makes this seemingly hectic position worth it? “The students,” Kristi said without hesitation. “In a lot of ways ASUPS has been the best job,” said Kristi during the interview, “because there’s nothing like working with young people, truly nothing … it’s wonderful, they keep you young and vital and happy.”
In addition to her love for the students, Kristi reflected back on some of the exciting things she’s seen in her time working with the University. “Maroon 5, when they were relatively a new group, came here to perform in the field house. The day that tickets went on sale, the line was out the door and down the street … all the way out to Alder … I don’t think there’s ever been a reaction to tickets like that since … It was mind boggling.”
However, by far, the best part of the University to Kristi is the Student Union Building. “The Student Union Building … people will remember their college experience almost more because of this building,” Kristi said. She sees it as the living room and kitchen for students; it is where everything happens and moves all the time. “It’s really the best place on campus,” she said, “you won’t forget it.”
Kristi plans to retire this year, but does not mourn the change. She has a colorful life with a recently rekindled romance to look forward to. A man whom she dated for almost two years in high school, has recently stolen her heart after she found him again on Facebook. “Fifty years later we met at Starbucks and everything has just been wonderful.” In retirement, she plans to camp, take trips, ride a train across Canada and move to Olympia. Kristi is looking forward to it.
“I am so lucky to have worked with her,” said ASUPS Director of Business Services Lauren Griffin about Kristi. “She really cares about what is happening to our students and to ASUPS … there have been times where I was feeling stressed and one brief chat with her made me feel a million times better … Kristi is the sun that ASUPS revolves around. There’s going to be a black hole when she leaves.” “Kristi is a cornerstone of ASUPS and we are going to miss her so very much,” said ASUPS Vice President, Lydia Bauer, “Kristi never hesitates to go out of her way to assist students in whatever capacity she can … her opinion is invaluable to us as both ASUPS and as students. She’s basically the matriarch of our organization and the adjustment of not having Kristi around is one that I do not envy of the incoming administration. Overall we treasure Kristi and although she will be missed (a ton), we are so excited for her to take this next step!”