The Daily Bruin

The finance office will be closed from Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 1, for the Christmas break. Deposits that need to have a December 2023 date must be brought to the finance office no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21. If it arrives later, it will go into a deposit for January 2024.

Please look around your desks and file cabinets to see if there are any lingering items that need to go to the bank. If you are taking extra time off during the Christmas/New Year holiday, please send your deposits over before you leave.

If you have any questions about deposits, please contact Heather Groenlund at 503-554-2173. Thank you, and have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

The entire university community is invited to join the Office for Spiritual Life for a morning of community service and reflection on MLK Day 2024!

On the first day of our 2024 “Spring Faith Into Action” Week (Jan. 15-20), the spiritual life office would like to invite students and employees to join us for a day of community service with SOLVE in Portland.

The event is set for MLK Day on Monday, Jan. 15. Please complete this form to register.

The day plan will be as follows:

• 9 a.m.: Continental breakfast and departure from SpiL (Barclay) House
• 9-9:45 a.m.: Listening, reflecting and discussing sermon/speech by Dr. MLK Jr.
• 9:45 a.m.: Meeting at Irving Park in Portland for orientation
• 10 a.m.: Join SOLVE for MLK Day service project
• Noon: Lunch and discussion on service as an opportunity for spiritual connection and growth
• 1:30 p.m.: “Walkabout” (prayer walk, reflection and practicing presence) on MLK Blvd
• 1:30 p.m.: Debrief and drive back
• 2:30 p.m.: Arrive back at SpiL/Newberg campus

Undergraduate students who participate will be eligible to receive five chapel-elective credits.

Contact Rus St. Cyr at rstcyr@georgefox.edu for more information.

Take advantage of LifeBalance’s December deals! Click on the links to access savings at these vendors:

• Columbia Sportswear Employee Store: Enjoy employee store access through Dec. 31.
• Portland Art Museum: Save $2 off adult general admission.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Catch a game this season and save up to 10% on select games.
• Majestic Inn and Spa: Need a getaway? Save 10% on the best available rate.
• BarkBox: Score one free month with the purchase of a six- or 12-month subscription.
• FTD Flowers: It’s the perfect time to send someone you love flowers! Save 25% on orders.
• Adventure Academy: Entertain your kids aged 8-13 and save 30% off monthly subscriptions.

The Bruin Store will have the following holiday schedule:

• Dec. 18-22: 9 a.m. 3 p.m.
• Christmas Day: Closed
• Dec. 26-29: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Jan. 1: Closed
• Jan. 2-5: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We will resume our regular schedule on Monday, Jan. 8. Please note that we will be short-staffed during the holidays.

The Bruin Store wishes you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Interested in an enriching and soul-stirring weekend at the Oregon Coast reflecting on the profound ideas of C.S. Lewis’s book The Four Loves?

During the weekend of Feb. 2-4 at Twin Rocks Friends Camp, our own Dr. Jason Lepojärvi will be leading engaging talks on fundamental questions about love: What exactly is love? Are there really “four loves?” Are genuine friendships possible between women and men? What are the dangers of love? What exactly is “Christian love”?

Reserve your spot for a journey into love’s complexities and the teachings of C.S. Lewis, deepening your understanding of Christian love and forging new friendships at this unforgettable “Seminar by the Sea.” George Fox employees can receive a 10% discount for registration using the code GFU_Staff_24.

All participants will be mailed a copy of Lewis’s book The Four Loves to read in advance of the retreat. You can learn more about the seminar and register online here.

The finance office will be closed from Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 1, for the Christmas break. Deposits that need to have a December 2023 date must be brought to the finance office no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21. If it arrives later, it will go into a deposit for January 2024.

Please look around your desks and file cabinets to see if there are any lingering items that need to go to the bank. If you are taking extra time off during the Christmas/New Year holiday, please send your deposits over before you leave.

If you have any questions about deposits, please contact Heather Groenlund at 503-554-2173. Thank you, and have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Have you ever wondered how some people are hardwired for motivation, while others struggle to stay focused? Listen to this two-part podcast series on the science of motivation, focus, and drive.

Health coaches Will and Colleen sit down with Providence Medical Director Ruben Halperin, MD, to explore the often-overlooked physiological factors that shape our mental states. Learn about the role of dopamine, actionable diet, exercise, and sleep interventions to supercharge your motivation. Click here to check it out.

Stop by the Bruin Bookstore tomorrow (Saturday) for free coffee and tea. The store will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for graduates and their families. Congratulations, Class of 2023!

The Office for Spiritual Life is looking for Life Group leaders for the spring of 2024. The program will last from the week of Jan. 29 through the week of March 18. Life Groups are small groups of undergraduate students who meet together for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. Groups meet weekly for 60 to 90 minutes.

This spring, our groups will be either in person or completely via Zoom (this provides access for our George Fox Digital students). Life Groups through the Office for Spiritual Life led by a George Fox staff or faculty member will be SPIL-credit eligible in order to encourage students to engage in spiritual formation experiences that are participatory and provide ongoing community.

To sign up, please fill out this form by Jan. 3.

Please email Cyndi at cmurillo@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

Every December, the Office for Spiritual Life looks to enlist the generosity of our campus to serve our neighbors by offering donated gift cards to the families of the Newberg Public School children and youth during the holiday break.

A good percentage of students in the Newberg School District participate in the free lunch program, and many experience other insecurities around food, shelter, and other necessities. Over the holiday break, many of these families will have difficulty getting what they need. So we collect gift cards (usually between $25 and $50 to local grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations) to aid these families during the break.

Please direct gift cards to the Office for Spiritual Life by Tuesday, Dec. 19.

Reach out to Rusty at rstcyr@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

With the Christmas season upon us, many will take advantage of the phone deals being offered. If you get a new phone, here is what you need to know so you don’t lose access to your GFU email, Canvas, Zoom or other apps that use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). If you only use Okta Verify or Google Authenticator, the app will transfer to your new phone but not the settings.

Before purchasing a new phone, make sure that you have one of the following methods also set up:

• SMS (text message) Authentication
• Voice Call Authentication

You can have multiple methods active at the same time. Click this link to access Multi-Factor Authentication: Set up a Second Authentication Method instructions.

You will not be able to use Okta Verify or Google Authenticator until you go through the set-up process again. Here are the directions to set up Okta Verify and/or Google Authenticator when you have a second method set-up.

If you got a new phone and activated it without SMS or Voice Call set up, then you must call the Service Desk at 503-554-2569.

Our office will be closed Dec. 22 through Jan. 1.

Questions regarding MFA? Contact the Service Desk at servicedesk@georgefox.edu or 503-554-2569.

Join registered dietitian Kayla and chef Tim for a CTK Culinary Nutrition virtual session this Monday, Dec. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. The session will focus on how to create a heart-healthy meal you will love.

Registration is free but required for first time participants. Register here.

The Office for Spiritual Life is looking for staff and faculty members to participate in our new “SpiL Mentoring” program this spring.

This program will provide the opportunity for students to have meaningful conversations about faith and life while receiving encouragement and support from a George Fox staff or faculty member. Students in the program will be matched with a dedicated staff or faculty member, with whom they will have weekly meetings lasting approximately one hour over a span of eight weeks within the semester. The program will begin the week of Jan. 29 and end the week of March 18.

To support you in your mentoring role, we will provide a booklet with weekly suggested spiritual formation practices for you to engage in with your mentee. Additionally, there will be a training session prior to the start of the program to ensure you feel prepared and equipped.

If interested, please fill out this application by Wednesday, Jan. 3. Your involvement will make a meaningful impact on our students’ lives.

Please email Cyndi at cmurillo@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

With our busy schedules, building and maintaining meaningful relationships can be hard. You can brighten the world around you by expressing gratitude for the loved ones in your life, nurturing relationships, and connecting with your community. Click this link to view Providence’s tips on how to build meaningful connections with others.

Imagine if we all embodied love, kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity in the way we think, speak and act toward ourselves and others. This seven-session series, “Cultivating the Heart Qualities,” focuses on a new topic every month.

The series meets online every second Tuesday of the month for one hour in the evening, starting Jan. 9, 2024. Sign up at this link.

Calling all cinematic arts, video, computer science, and literature majors: If you are looking for experience to add to your resume, come to the esports arena located in the Wheeler building. We are opening up internships this spring semester for on-campus students.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jerry Sanchez at jsanchez@georgefox.edu.

As Christmas break approaches, the Campus Public Safety (CPS) office would like to pass on some reminders for your safety on and off campus:

• Report suspicious activity
• Call for escort if feeling unsafe
• Do not block doorways
• Do not warm your vehicle and leave it unattended
• Let someone know your route and ETA if traveling
• Make sure your vehicle is ready for travel (gas, oil, tires, wipers checked)
• Travel with a friend
• Make sure your bike is secured

We realize that some of you will remain on campus over break. The good news is, so will CPS. We have officers available 24/7 and will provide all of our usual services.

CPS is located at 212 Carlton Way and can be reached by calling 503-554-2090.

Please join the College of Social Work for our human rights poster presentations on Friday, Dec. 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Stevens 101. You can join any time during that period.

Enjoy light refreshments while browsing posters on various human rights issues affecting some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. Please come and support these students!

Questions? Please contact Young-IL Kim at ykim@georgefox.edu.

Murdock Library’s hours for winter break will be as follows:

• Dec. 16-17: Closed (24-hour space open)
• Dec. 18-21: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (24-hour space open)
• Dec. 22-Jan. 1: Both library and 24-hour space closed
• Jan. 2-5: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Jan. 6-7: Closed (24-hour space open)

Get ready for Winter Welcome, Jan. 5-7, 2024! For residential students, the residence halls will be reopening on Friday, Jan. 5, at noon. We hope you’ll join us for a host of events over the weekend before the start of the spring semester.

Winter Welcome is a time for you to get re-acclimated to campus and reconnect before the start of classes on Monday, Jan. 8.

Check out the Winter Welcome schedule here. Rest up this Christmas break, and we’ll see you in January for a fun-filled weekend!