The last couple of decades have seen an incredible increase in gender diversity in the world of gaming. Video games, tabletop games and other forms have created an entertainment subculture with few, if any, barriers to entry for any interested party. Yet, one of the major issues in gaming has stuck around for almost as long as gaming has been in our world: misogyny and gender bias. Male-dominated spaces and the mythical “gamer girl” pervade even in an era where one might be forgiven for thinking that gaming is an...

Does the ASUPS Vice President just hire their friends to executive staff positions? Year after year, the perception is that ASUPS elections are popularity contests, and that the ASUPS VP, who makes the hiring decisions in consultation with the President, hires from their friend group. “It always comes into question when execs hire individuals they’ve had pre-existing relationshps with. No matter how strenuous the application process is, there’s never information released about why those individuals where hired or what qualifications they have,” Senate Chair Kaitlyn Vallance said. ASUPS President Nakisha...

Reporter Paul Goudarzi-Fry sat down with senior Senator C.J. Quierolo to discuss activism, rhetoric and some of the issues at Puget Sound. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this interview are subjective observations and musings, and do not represent an official stance by Quierolo regarding their work in The Trail, Wetlands, Black Ice or ASUPS media and its affiliates. Paul Goudarzi-Fry: How do you move an audience, as an activist, from awareness to engagement? C.J. Quierolo: I feel like the way that audiences or just… people come to be engaged...

Wetlands Magazine has been inducted as a media department under ASUPS. Previously an ASUPS-sponsored club, Wetlands now joins the roster of literary outlets at Puget Sound on the ASUPS Media Board. Established during the 2011-2012 school year, Wetlands turns a critical eye to social issues, including gender, sexuality, ability, age, class, race, embodiment, intersectional identities and social justice. In 2013, the magazine was included as part of the Gender Studies Program at the University, and has been entirely funded by students until this recent election. “We had long wanted ASUPS...

The student-organized Perspective Inspired Experience  (PIE) Conference will be held March 7 at 10 a.m. in Upper Marshall Hall. This conference will feature more than 20 speakers discussing each of the three parts of PIE. Among the speakers are professors from Puget Sound, local activists, educators and directors who are all seeking to answer the tagline posed by the conference: “What frames your world?” “Each speaker… twelve minutes to speak about a passion or an experience or some ‘thing’ that really impacts the way that they see the world,” alumna...

Editor's Note: The following article is an updated version from the article published in the March 6th edition of The Trail. The original article contained certain factual inaccuracies. The Trail is dedicated to providing accurate reporting and apologizes for any misinformation. On Feb. 19, Greg Reeser brought grievances to the formal senate meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound regarding Sophomore Senator Kyle Chong and the Pogar/Vallance voting ticket. Reeser’s allegations included misrepresentation, polarizing the senate, manipulation of private conversation and political manipulation to secure further...

Puget Sound’s radio station KUPS has received funds from ASUPS to start KUPS Records. The first release will feature local and international artists, compiled for this event. “This will be the first release from the station but has been discussed on and off over the last couple years,” KUPS general manager Chloe Ginnegar said. According to KUPS hip-hop music director Travis Shetter, the release will be titled So Far to Go: A Tribute to  James DeWitt Yancey. Known by his stage name J-Dilla, Yancey passed away in early 2006. “We...

  The University’s African American Studies Program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the program has captured the interest of the community and has gone on to participate in major events such as the 2014 Race and Pedagogy National Conference. Initially, the AFAM program was a collaborative effort between a small number of professors with a common concern. “In the mid to early 1990s, there was a campus discussion about the lack of diversity on campus and the student body, and that came to include a discussion...