We were standing in the middle of the gym during halftime of the basketball game. I had my tiara on and was grinning nervously at the crowd. Next to me was the freshman homecoming prince, and past him was the rest of the court. I remember very clearly watching the senior homecoming king and queen get crowned, and thinking to myself, “Wow, seniors in college – I won’t ever be that old!” Wishful thinking that most of us do at one point or another in our lives, I suppose.

And now here I am, a senior in college with a little more than a month remaining between me and the kick-start of my life as an adult with a college degree – yikes! In some ways I’m not very different from little freshman Tracy. I’m still single, I still don’t have a full time job, and I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. However, looking beyond these almost superficial qualifiers, I have changed an incredible amount. Through my experiences at George Fox, I can’t go back to the old Tracy, nor do I want to.

The old Tracy didn’t consider homelessness to be a pressing issue. The new Tracy has stood alongside peers and fed a homeless community living in Portland, heard their stories, and been touched. The old Tracy considered the mission field as a place for pastor’s kids and nursing majors. The new Tracy hopes to one day improve the lives of others internationally using the knowledge from her business degree. And most of all, the old Tracy believed God was someone encountered at church or at her private religious school only. The new Tracy has seen the Living Christ in the eyes of those around her, in the wild streets of Portland, and in the untamed beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Freshman year Tracy had absolutely no idea what college was going to be like. I took a chance and jumped into life in Newberg with all my heart. And while it’s been no cake walk, the truths I have struggled with and the people I have encountered have changed me into a woman who has seen more of the world than she ever believed possible, and has seen the hope of Christ in the freshest, most real way.

Sit anywhere in the Stevens Center and you will be able to hear a calming voice relentlessly answering the phone saying, “George Fox University,” and then proceeding to direct the caller to the right place.

Barbi Doran, information services coordinator and switchboard operator extraordinaire, is that calming voice. While she gets a never-ending supply of phone calls each day, she manages to answer the phone in the typical cheerful Barbi fashion every time.

In addition to handling the switchboard, Barbi also is the first person that most people see upon entering the Stevens Center Atrium. Barbi happily greets anyone she sees with a smile and a simple “Hi, how can I help you?”

Recently Barbi shared some of her hilarious, sometimes bizarre and rarely unpleasant phone call stories. Sometimes that basic line of “George Fox University” results in a potentially unpleasant conversation. “I answer the switchboard to a mom screaming at her kids, ‘BECAUSE I’M THE MOM, THAT’S WHY!!!’ and then asks in the sweetest voice to be transferred to someone,” she recalls.

“I had a 92-year-old woman from California call me,” Barbi continues. “She wanted to speak with the President’s Office. She informed me she had known George Fox. She asked, ‘Didn’t he have a PhD?’” Of course, George Fox died in 1691.

How often does it happen that a caller mistakes George Fox as a person who is still alive, or an active member in the community? “It doesn’t happen often, but it happens frequently,” Barbi answers.

Barbi’s role as switchboard operator has also nearly made her famous. “My claim to fame is when I helped a team on the Amazing Race (a reality TV series) win one million dollars!” she recalls. “In the last show of the season, the last three teams landed in Portland and their clue sent them to Tilikum to complete a ropes course. One team called me to get directions to Tilikum. The same team called me back a little later in the day saying they were ‘in a race’ and needed help with their clue, which was directing them to a green dinosaur near the Portland Building. After doing a Google search and not finding any green dinosaur in Portland, I gave them the address to the Portland Building to help them find their destination. It wasn’t until approximately five months later when I watched the show that I realized I had been helping a team on the Amazing Race team and that team had won the million dollar prize! By the way, in case you’re wondering, I never did receive a share of the winnings.”

When Barbi informed her supervisor that she had in fact helped a team win the Amazing Race, she was told that if she were to get a cut of the winnings, she could take the day off to go shopping.

But maybe the funniest call Barbi received was from an elderly lady who called to say she wanted to move in. “I asked her if she realized she had called George Fox University,” says Barbi. “She said ‘yes,’ so I gave her the phone number to Friendsview Manor.”

Barbi has been that warm, welcoming voice of George Fox for five years. She loves her job so much that every year on the anniversary of her hiring she throws a party – complete with food and prizes – where she celebrates her love for her job.

Barbi is always willing to help, so stop by and say hi. She almost always has candy, and all the information you could possibly need about George Fox.

The best part about college, among many other fabulous things, is the chance to get out of my comfort zone and dive right into new cultures and experiences. The latest opportunity to escape my comfort zone was to attend a service at a Jewish synagogue.

For most this wouldn’t be a big deal, but for a girl from a town of 9,000 people with about 99.98 percent of those people being Caucasian Christians, the chance to attend a Jewish Shabbat service wasn’t exactly an opportunity that came around very often. Needless to say, when I saw World Religions on the list of classes to take for my international studies minor, I jumped at the chance. Part of the learning experience of this class is to get out and experience other religions. Throughout the semester we will be required to attend two other religious ceremonies or rituals – one Muslim and one other of our choosing.

After hearing a horror story from a classmate who called another Jewish synagogue in town and got a very pointed “no” when she asked if she and a few others could attend their service, I was a little reluctant to call random synagogues across Portland to see if I and two other students could attend a service. Finally I decided I just needed to take the first step and make a call. Much to my surprise, the woman on the other end of the line was very happy that I was interested in attending a service and was quick to inform me that it wasn’t necessary to call them as they gladly welcome the public at their gatherings. I had been that stressed about this phone call, so just to get that response was a big relief.

When the day of the service finally arrived, I dressed in my ankle-length skirt and long sleeve sweater and headed into Portland for a day of cultural gleaning. After much debate whether or not that “No Parking” sign was for our parking spot, or the one in front, or whether or not the car would fit in the tiny city street parking spot, we finally headed into the synagogue.

We walked through the maze of the building, and found exactly where we needed to be. The room was gorgeous. It wasn’t the stained glass room that I had seen online, but it still took my breath away. High ceilings, plenty of light, gold accents, a stained glass window; I could have easily sat in there all day admiring the architecture. As we were five minutes late, thanks to the ever-confusing City of Portland parking situation, we had to quickly take our seats, find our Torahs and pretend like we knew what we were doing.

The service was over two hours long. But I was amazed by the beautiful room, the interesting traditions taking place, and the Jewish prayers, chants and songs, so the time flew by. Fortunately, this week’s message was on the Ten Commandments, something that as a Christian I was very familiar with. Both rabbis related the Ten Commandments to our daily lives, explaining to us the importance of each one. The rabbis also took time to explain the importance of reading Hebrew correctly; that even taking a breath in the wrong spot can mess up the entire meaning of the verse. We also learned the importance of the rituals, like kissing your own Torrah and then tapping it on the synagogue’s Torrah to symbolize that the Torrah doesn’t just belong to the rabbi or the church, but to the Jewish people.

After the service ended, the rabbi approached the three of us to ask if we had any questions, and even told us to e-mail him or the other rabbi if we had any questions while working on our assignments.

All in all, my journey to a Jewish synagogue was a good experience. I appreciate the fact that I am encouraged to get out of my comfort zone, to experience new cultures and to gain a better understanding of those in the world around us.

Very few universities connect students with faculty like George Fox does. I’ve had insightful late-night conversations with professors, and even been invited over for Thanksgiving when I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Recently, I was shown once again just how committed the faculty at George Fox is to meeting students where they’re at.

As a management major who’s graduating this May, I’ve definitely been feeling the pressure to find a job and figure the rest of my life out – like that’s going to happen in the next two months. When I expressed to Dirk Barram, the dean of the business department and one of my professors, how frustrated and helpless I was feeling a week ago, he immediately offered to treat me to lunch and give me his undivided attention. So a couple weeks ago I met Dirk in his office and we walked to the Bon (the cafeteria on campus), got lunch and sat at a table in the back. He started asking me questions about what I wanted to do, and immediately offered me suggestions of potential contacts he knew and could talk to for me. I was surprised at how much better I felt after talking to Dirk for only a few minutes. He assured me that few people find their dream career right away, that I’ll eventually figure out what my passion in the business world is, and that I will manage to survive the dark stretch from midterms to graduation.

After talking for about 10 minutes, a couple other business students joined us at our table. When you’re as friendly and invested in students as Dirk is, it’s hard to have a private conversation. After the four of us finished eating and were walking back to the business office, Dirk offered to meet us for lunch every Thursday until the end of the semester. I was shocked. I know that Dirk is incredibly busy and stressed, just like I am, but the fact that he’s willing to set aside an hour outside of classes every week to just talk about life touched me.

As an intern in the admissions office, people often ask me why I chose to pay more in tuition to come to a school like George Fox. All I have to do is explain my connection with professors like Dirk, and it quickly becomes obvious that the relationships I’ve forged here are the kind you can’t put a price on.

Heather (second from left) and members of the Crescent staff enjoy the sights in San Francisco.

Big things are happening for the George Fox Crescent. We recently launched our own website, gfucrescent.com, back in January, and even more recently got the chance to head to the Association of Collegiate Press Mid-Winter conference in San Francisco to learn about the latest things happening in the field of journalism.

A few months back, our fearless co-editors-in-chief, Chelsea Sowards and Alexis Christopherson, received a flyer from the ACP inviting us to attend the conference. After writing up a proposal to receive funding to attend, we were granted enough money for airfare, hotel costs, the entrance fee to the conference, and transportation to and from the airport. In addition, we also received funding from both the communication and English departments that helped keep our out-of-pocket costs fairly low.

The ACP conference was held at the Westin on Market Street. The five of us girls who shared a room were lucky enough to stay on the 28th floor with a fabulous view of the city. The first night, we explored China Town, went to a local art museum, and then headed back to our hotel to enjoy the comforts of a high class hotel, cable TV and huge comfortable beds.

The next day, we were off early to make the most of the conference. The first session of the day was on investigative reporting. A writer from the San Francisco Chronicle gave us his tips on how to build relationships with sources, and the importance of keeping a source’s identity under wraps when they explicitly ask to be left out of the story. I left the session feeling motivated that this conference was going to be worth it.

For their general session, the ACP brought in Burt Herman, the founder of Storify, to show us his product and inform us on ways that journalism is changing, but how the world still needs journalism. The world will always need someone to piece together facts and present a story that is easy to understand for readers.

The next session was for either editors-in-chief or those who are interested in becoming one. It covered how to be a successful leader of your school’s newspaper. At this session, the speaker gave us tips and tricks on how to not only work well with your staff, to also gain their respect.

The last regular session I attended was a presentation on how to gather facts and information about private colleges and universities, as often government documents are hard to find on private institutions. The session also covered ways to hold yourself accountable when gathering facts on what have the potential to be groundbreaking issues at private universities.

The last session was the break-out session with a pro. I was lucky enough to talk to the editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Tim Redmond, and Lila LaHood of the San Francisco Public Press. Both Lila and Tim shared stories about how they got to be where they are today, and how the game has changed for journalists entering the real world. Tim started working the graveyard shift, calling all of the police departments in the area every hour to see if there was any breaking news. He then received his big break, moved through the ranks and eventually became editor-in-chief.

This trip to San Francisco is one of the best experiences I’ve had since starting college. George Fox supported my dreams of becoming a journalist by funding my way (and eight others) to a conference where I gleaned information from some of the best journalists out there. It was a great opportunity that most of us wouldn’t have gotten to experience without the financial assistance and support we received from the university.

Shekinah (center) with Asher Seevinck (left) and Dave Wilton (right) from Loud Harp, a Christian band that performed at the retreat.

This spring retreat was held at Trout Creek Bible Camp in Corbett, Oregon. We arrived around 7 p.m. on Friday night and were greeted by a beautiful starry sky and tall pine tress all around. I went up with a small group of four friends and we arrived before everyone else.

One of my friends in our group of four had worked there several times over summer break. He was super excited to show us around. We walked around in the dark, tripping, stumbling and laughing at one another simultaneously. He pointed out the gym area and the chapel, and mentioned that there was a zip line and an awesome tree house that we could visit in the morning. He showed us several other places, including a cabin and lounge.

The last thing he showed us before we met up with the rest of the arriving groups was probably what would end up making my semester. He took us to a swing. This however, was not an ordinary swing; it hung 20 feet in the air – and did I mention it was dark? In order to get on it we had to ascend a flight of stairs, step out onto a small wooden ledge, pull the swing behind us and jump. All that said, even though I was a little scarred at first, it was the most exhilarating and fun thing that I have probably done all month, as well as zip-lining in the dark the next evening!

Although there were plenty of fun activities, meals and down time, if I didn’t mention the amazing time spent worshipping Christ and praying as a community I would be disregarding the whole experience. At retreat we had the privilege of hearing from Josh White, pastor of Door of Hope in SE Portland, our speaker for the weekend. He spoke of fearing God, loving God and the true meaning of servanthood.

We were also incredibly blessed by Loud Harp (check out their music on Spotify), a band consisting of two individuals (Asher Seevinck and Dave Wilton) whose focus is to sing of the peace that Jesus brings in the midst of doubt. It was so beautiful seeing God move in that place as we sang lyrics like “When my heart is giving out – You hold me together.”

Overall, the weekend was so much fun and such a blessing: zip-lining, singing around the bonfire, praying with one another. Be sure to make the next retreat. It will most certainly be an unforgettable weekend!

Junior Erin Kays, a double major in studio art and graphic design, got the opportunity some artists only dream of this past summer – she became a published illustrator. And not just any published illustrator, but the illustrator for alumna Sarah Katreen Hoggatt’s book of poetry titled In The Wild Places. Hoggatt graduated from George Fox Evangelical Seminary with a master’s degree in 2006 and finished a certificate in spiritual formation and discipleship in 2007.

This July, just as Kays’ inspiration was fading, opportunity came knocking when she received an e-mail sent to her and a few others to see if any of them would be interested in working with Hoggatt on her latest book.

“In the Wild Places is the third book in a trilogy,” says Hoggatt. “The theme of the book is exploring God in the wild, past the labels, beyond the fences. We tend to get so caught up in the dos and don’ts, the language, our traditions, that actual experience of the Divine is the anomaly and not the norm. Out in the forests, among the mountains, we follow trails, delight in the unexpected, gaze at the views. Such places help us remember what is truly important. I feel a freedom there and hear God best in the trees. Nearly every weekend, some friends and I are hiking somewhere in the Northwest and it has been this habit over the last two years that gave In the Wild Places its nature theme.”

Hoggatt explained that Kays’ obvious passion for the role as illustrator ultimately made the decision for her.

“When searching for a new illustrator, I received an e-mail from Erin inquiring about the job,” she recalls. “Her professionalism struck me first, her passion for and deep desire to do the job a close second. She also took the initiative to send me samples from her portfolio. Needing to see something closer in style to what the book would need, she created a pencil drawing of an old-style pocket watch. Her attention to detail, the shading, and the placement of the object and chain impressed me immensely.”

For Kays, the opportunity came at just the right time.

“It was in the middle of an art slump for me, and it was an actual job,” she explains. “It took another few e-mails with my drawings as test runs… All together I did 60 drawings for the book.”

After benefiting from the structure of a classroom for a while, when summertime came Kays was all out of ideas as to what to do next with her art. “I wanted to get involved mostly because I wasn’t able to find my own inspiration,” she says. “It’s going to be a good portfolio piece, and a good way to get into the business. It was local, since the author lives in Salem. It was really good timing.”

Due to her recent lack of inspiration, Kays was thankful that Hoggatt knew what she wanted in the illustrations. “I didn’t come up with the illustrations, but the author came to me with an idea of the illustrations to match up with the poems. Having her come to me with ideas was a lot easier, and a lot faster.”

All together, the project lasted from mid July to Halloween. “The drawings would take me from five minutes to two hours depending on the drawing. Most illustrators would have a lot longer (to complete the project) than the time I had, but luckily I had the free time,” says Kays.

Now that Kays is a published illustrator, she admits that “It feels weird. It didn’t feel any different at first. It’s like when someone asks you, ‘How does it feel to be 18,’ you don’t feel any different. Now I feel like I have grown into it. People have been asking me about it a lot, so I am prepared to answer questions now. I am more confident about it. Now I can offer my skills as an illustrator and know what to expect.”

For her part, Hoggatt has high expectations as to what will come out of her readers’ walks with God after reading her book.

“I hope people’s ideas of God are challenged,” she says. “God is so much bigger than we can possibly imagine. (God) is beyond all the religious lines we’ve created, all our traditions, our labels, and is absolutely unpredictable and wild. I hope by helping people see beyond the fences that they are free to run and explore, and to know God without worrying if they are approaching (God) in a wrong or right way. I hope they come to know God better as wanting us to be honest, to be personal, and to love freely because God is honest, personal, and freely loves us.”

***

Visit the Spirit Water Publications website to order a copy of In the Wild Places.

On Feb. 20, George Fox held its annual Dalton Lecture Series, sponsored by the biology and chemistry departments. There was an overwhelming turnout, as a standing room only crowd packed Bauman Auditorium. This year’s lecture series was given by Dr. Henry F. Schaefer III, Graham Purdue professor of chemistry and the director for the Center of Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia. In his lecture, titled “The Big Bang, Stephen Hawking, and God,” Dr. Schaefer explored a wide range of research related to this topic. The night was a mixture of science, laughs, and the comparing and contrasting of big ideas.

Dr. Schaefer spoke about his own accomplishments, his favorite being that he is “the MIT nerd that married the homecoming queen of my high school.” He graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in chemical physics, and then went on to earn his PhD in the same field from Stanford University. Since then, he has written 1,400 scientific articles, presented lectures at more than 240 conferences, and has spoken at 50 universities.

The professor also asked and confronted hard questions during his lecture, presenting both his own and other researchers’ findings on the following:

• Is the universe infinite?
• Is the universe eternal, or did it have a beginning?
• Was the universe created? If not, how did it get here?

Dr. Schaefer concluded his talk with a list of solutions to the questions he posed near the beginning. The most poignant one being: “The Creator must have awesome power and wisdom. The quantity of material and the power resources within our universe are truly immense. The information or intricacy, manifest in any part of the universe, and especially in a living organism is beyond our ability to comprehend. And what we do see is only what God has shown us within our four dimensions of space and time.”

Following Dr. Schaefer’s presentation, a reception was held, providing student researchers with a chance to present their own research findings. Student research topics ranged from breast cancer research to neuroscience research.

Students participated in mock interviews during the Get Hired! event.

Landing your dream job, or any job in this economy, is a daunting task. After four-plus years of homework, studying, exams, student employment and fostering relationships with mentors, college eventually comes to an end. But with the end comes a new beginning – a career that matches up with your four years of hard work. Hopefully this career isn’t just a job to help pay off those hefty student loans, but one that is fulfilling and makes those late nights and early mornings spent studying worth it.

This is where Career Services comes into play. Career Services’ latest event, called Get Hired!, was designed to bring in several professionals to share their years of interviewing experiences with eager almost-grads to give them the tools needed to excel at the lifelong skill of interviewing for the job of their dreams.

Career Services brought in Doug Rice, the talent acquisition manager for Enterprise Holdings. Doug shared obvious tips for acing interviews, like arriving early and sending thank-you notes or emails after the interview. Doug also shared that interviewers are no longer asking questions like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” but instead “Could you give me an example of a time that you provided excellent customer services?” This new style of interviewing, according to Rice, is called a behavioral interview. To best combat this new method, Rice gave the acronym of STAR: What was the situation you were in? What was the task you were given? What were the actions you took? And lastly, what were the results of the situation? This last one keeps you from rambling on, and ensures answers are concise and to the point.

After Rice shared his tricks of the trade (he’s conducted about 2,000 interviews) students had the opportunity to test out what Doug had taught them in a mock interview scenario. Career Services brought in Todd Williams from Country Financial, Peggy Kilburg from George Fox’s own HR Department, Jim Steele from the School of Business and Christine Thoriessen from the GFU Parent Council. Career Services also had their own staff on hand to assist in the mock interviews.

In addition to the mock interview portion, students also had the opportunity to have a small group Q&A time with Doug and pick his brain about how to interview well.

For more information on how Career Services can help you out with career counseling, internship information, and even the steps needed to apply to grad school, check out their website. And don’t forget, alumni, career services offers similar services to you, too.

Students pose for a quick photo before heading out to a James Project location.

One of the great things about George Fox is the university has several different ways students can serve right here in the local community. There’s something for everyone, whether you can commit to an hour a week or a few hours on the occasional weekend, and whether you prefer working with the elderly, children, the homeless or just contributing some manual labor.

Adopt-A-Grandparent

Coordinator: Kelsey Prentice

Adopt-A-Grandparent is a program where a George Fox student gets matched with a resident at Friendsview Manor, the retirement community across the street from Wheeler Sports Center. Students and their adopted grandparent meet for an hour every week, and on whatever day the pair agrees will work best for them. “They can take a walk, play games, talk, do whatever the two decide on together,” says coordinator Kelsey Prentice. “We all get together once a semester and throw a party.” For more information on how you can get involved or would like to matched with an adopted grandparent, contact Kelsey at kprentice11@georgefox.edu.

Little Bruins

Coordinator: Lacey McNay

Much like Adopt-A-Grandparent, Little Bruins is a pairing program. George Fox students are paired by counselors in the school district with elementary or middle school students that are struggling socially or with various aspects of school. It is a once-a-week, hour-long commitment, plus occasional parties throughout the semester. “I think it’s a great way for college students to get outside of the George Fox community and into the Newberg community,” says coordinator Lacey McNay. “It’s a way to tangibly serve since it only takes about an hour a week. And the parties are a lot of fun.” If you have time for the commitment and would like to apply, visit this web page or contact Lacey at lmcnay10@georgefox.edu.

Urban Services is a ministry that allows students to serve the homeless.

Portland Coordinator: Mary Owen
Salem Coordinator: Steven Ching

Urban Services is a ministry that serves people who are on the streets in Portland and Salem. The hope is to build relationships and expose college students to the homeless community in both cities. They go every week to Portland and Salem on Friday nights, Salem on Saturday nights, and Portland again on Sundays. Students typically serve the homeless a meal, followed by a time of fellowship and relationship building with those in the homeless community. There really is no time commitment, other than showing up for prayer and conversation before loading up and heading off to the city. And don’t worry, your transportation is provided by the university. “It’s really valuable in the area of breaking down stereotypes,” explains Portland coordinator Mary Owen. Most students are surprised about the people they meet. It has been something that has helped changed the perspective of students about homelessness. A lot of students who come for the first time are nervous, but by the end of the year it’s hugs all around. It’s rewarding to see that change in students and in the people they are ministering to.” For more information on the Portland ministry, contact Mary at mowen10@georgefox.edu, or Salem coordinator Steven Ching at sching10@georgefox.edu.

James Project

 Coordinator: Miranda D’Agostini

James Project partners with different organizations in the cities of  Newberg, McMinnville and Yamhill. James Project mostly works with the organizations Faith in Action, as well as for the See Ya Later organization at Scotty’s Playhouse in McMinnville. On the typical James Project Saturday, students work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Unlike Adopt-A-Grandparent or Little Bruins, there is no commitment to return Saturday after Saturday. The ministry is mostly manual labor.

When the group heads to Faith in Action they do yard work, house cleaning, leaf raking, and other odd jobs for houses of the sick and elderly. They focus on being present with the people they are serving and showing them the love of Jesus. For Scotty’s Play House, they are relied on monthly by the ministry to keep the play house in order. They clean slides, clear out the tunnels, or whatever else the organization needs. “It’s a great opportunity to get involved – come when you can,” says coordinator Miranda D’Agostini. “It’s awesome to build community with the students you work with; you get to know their heart. You get to live out your faith in action. James Project gives you an opportunity to get off campus, work outside and serve Jesus.” The only commitment involved is emailing Miranda a few days before to make sure there is enough transportation and snacks for all the students attending. For more information, or to sign up for a Saturday, contact Miranda at mdgostini11@georgefox.edu.
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All of these campus-run ministries are great ways for students to give back to the community and get involved. These are just a few of the weekly opportunities. During Christmas and spring break, students also have the chance to go on serve trips to various locations. For more information on serve trips, contact Kaylena Charpentier at kcharpentier10@georgefox.edu.