The Daily Bruin

Operation Christmas Child is here! Be a part of blessing a child with a gift this Christmas. The process is simple: 1) Get a shoebox (we have these available in the SpIL annex and by request if you do not have one you can use). 2) Pick whether you will make a shoebox for a girl or a boy. 3) Get things to put in the shoebox. There is a list of suggested items and a list of items you cannot put into the box including perishable food, liquids, etc. For a complete list, visit the Samaritan’s Purse website. Finally, put a rubber band around it, put a sticky note on it identifying what living area you are from, and drop it off in the Bruin Den.

Empty boxes will be available in the Bruin Den this week, and all boxes must be dropped off by 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. There will be a competition between living areas, and the one that wins will get an ice cream party!

Faculty and community members are welcome to participate!

For more information, contact Mikayla Greenwell at mgreenwell12@georgefox.edu.

George Fox University has elected to allow a roll-over of up to $500 from the Health Care Flex Spending Account into the next plan year!

Key dates for participating employees in the 2014-15 plan:

• 3/31/2015 – Last day to use the funds in the regular plan year
• 6/29/2015 – Last day to submit claim(s) with receipt(s)/substantiation
• 7/30/2015 – Allegiance will automatically roll any unused balance in your account (up to $500) into the 2015-16 plan year

Note: This change does not apply to the Dependent Care Assistance Account.

Remember, you can submit claims for expenses as soon as you incur them for the 2014-15 plan year.

Need assistance with submitting Flexible Spending Account claims? Contact Allegiance Benefit Plan Management at 877-424-3570. Have questions about your George Fox benefits? Contact Darby Thiessen in Human Resources at ext. 2188 or dthiessen@georgefox.edu.

With the holidays quickly approaching, the Financial Affairs Office would like to bring to your attention the schedule for processing check requests and expense reimbursements to accommodate the short holiday weeks.

You can view the holiday check run schedule here.

Please check this page periodically for any changes to the current schedule.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

– The Finance Team

Bon Appetit needs your help! We are running low on dishware in the dining room and would ask if you have taken any plates, bowls, silverware, glasses or coffee cups out of the dining room that you please return them to us. There is a cart set up just outside the dish room doors for your convenience.

Listed in order of recency, they are:

• Director of Housing
• Administrative Assistant, Oregon Writing Project Collaborative

The link to each of these position announcements can be found at jobs.georgefox.edu. If you know of someone you believe might be a good fit for any of these jobs, please refer the person to the website for information about the job and instructions about applying.

Interested in the chance to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador? Zack Brown, representative from Living and Learning, Ecuador Study Abroad, will be on campus Tuesday Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Wednesday Nov. 19 from 5-7 p.m. Stop by his table in the Bruin Den and talk with him about this great opportunity.

Contact Lynn Scott at lscott@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Want to spend more time with your family and less time in the kitchen this Thanksgiving? Let Bon Appetit do the baking for you! We will be offering our house made pumpkin or dutch apple pie and pumpkin cheesecake for sale. Stop by the Bruin Den, Bruin Bites or Villa Café any day next week (Nov. 17-21) and pre-order your pie or cheesecake. Orders must be placed and pre-paid by Nov. 21 and will be ready to pick up Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th. The pies are $6.99 each and the cheesecake $14.99.

Contact Lisa Miles at lmiles@georgefox.edu with any questions.

The university is building a new dorm and parking lot where the community garden is currently, so we’ll be getting a new location by Joan Austin Elementary School. We are going to say goodbye to the current garden together, and move our fruit trees and other perennials over to the new location. Come join us Saturday, Nov. 15  from 1-4 p.m. for work and celebration!

Contact Hannah Kunde at hmkunde56@gmail.com with any questions.

The Science Outreach Program aims to serve the greater community and promote an interest in science from a Christ-centered perspective. Our purpose is to help advance science education, raise the scientific consciousness of the community, and share resources of the George Fox University Science Department.

We have scientific equipment many elementary, middle and high schools do not own. Equipment loans are also available to the homeschooling community. If you need microscopes, dissecting tools, physics models or a variety of other teaching items, we can loan them to you and help enrich scientific learning among your students and family. Equipment is loaned out on a first come, first served basis for up to one week (seven days).

To borrow equipment, send your requests to scienceoutreach@georgefox.edu. Questions? Contact Elizabeth Licon at elicon@georgefox.edu.

Poet and social commentator Aaron Belz will read from his recently published book, Glitter Bomb, and give a lecture on laughter on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Wood-mar Auditorium. Belz’s poetry has been published in journals coast to coast, from Fence and Boston Review to Eleven Eleven and Zócalo Public Square, and he has given live readings in numerous venues ranging from literary salons to comedy festivals. He’s released two chapbooks and three full-length books of poems, the most recent two from Persea Books. He’s the former editor of The Curator and a contributing editor to Capital Commentary. He is poet laureate of Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he also lives.

We are partnering with Bridgetown Ministries in Portland and Salem Leadership Foundation in Salem tonight (Thursday, Nov. 13). We will be having a meal, drinking hot chocolate and building friendships with those that live outside. Dress warm!

We will meet outside the ASC offices at 5:30 p.m. The Portland group will get back around 10:30 p.m. and Salem will get back around 8:30 p.m.

Email Mikayla Greenwell at mgreenwell12@georgefox.edu with any questions. See you there!

Know of students who need some help when it comes to budgeting and personal finances? The Academic Resource Center is hosting a workshop, “Financial Follies: Managing Personal Finances,” today (Thursday) from 10:50 to 11:40 a.m. in Hoover 105.

Ryan Halley, associate professor of finance, will lead the session. Please encourage students to attend.

Here is a synopsis of the workshop:

Have you wondered what it would be like to have more freedom with your personal finances? Have you ever been stressed about your financial situation? If so, come find out what you need to know about money. You’ll be surprised how simple this process can be. This workshop will provide information on a variety of personal finance topics and will focus on budgeting and credit cards.

Learn basic methods of self-defense at no charge this Thursday, Nov. 13 from 6-8 p.m. in Wheeler 221. The college years are one of the most vulnerable times when it comes to violence and assault. This is the most prevalent among women ages 18-25, so it is important to have at least a basic knowledge of self-defense. The instructor is an experienced martial arts instructor who is offering this class free of charge. There will be two sessions offered throughout the school year.

Do you have questions about the new chart of accounts, running budget reports or completing a purchase requisition? We want to help with that. Please join members of the finance team for a question and answer session on Wednesdays each of the next four weeks. We will be available to answer group questions or work with people individually in any finance area in which you need more information and assistance. All currently scheduled sessions will be held in Lemmons room 12:

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 3-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 3-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 26 from 3-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 3 from 3-5 p.m.

Please check the Financial Affairs scheduled training page for updates and additional information about training sessions.

A memorial service will be held to honor the life of sophomore Aaron Altman today (Wednesday) at 4:30 p.m. in Hoover 105.

Refreshments will be served in Hoover 104 following the service. For more details, contact the Office for Spiritual and Intercultural Life at 503-554-2320.

The College of Engineering invites the university community to its final “Earth, Wind, Fire and Water” lecture event tomorrow (Thursday) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Hoover 105. The event will feature George Fox engineering professor Chad Stillinger, who will present “Ocean Wave Energy Systems.”

This is the final presentation in the five-part series, dedicated to renewable energy, sustainability, climate change and the environment.

Questions? Contact Bob Harder at bharder@georgefox.edu.

Contemplative Worship is an elective chapel event that meets in the Prayer Chapel every Thursday morning from 10:50 to 11:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to come use the stillness for prayer and reflection.

Please join us for dinner this week as we once again help celebrate Cultural Celebration Week by preparing dinner menus from across the globe. In addition to our normal menus, this year we will also be featuring dishes from China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Kenya, Rwanda, India, Ecuador, Australia and Canada. The cash price for dinner in Klages Dining Hall is $9.35 for all guests, visitors and non-meal plan students.

A memorial service will be held to honor the life of sophomore Aaron Altman on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 4:30 p.m. in Hoover 105.

Refreshments will be served in Hoover 104 following the service. For more details, contact the Office for Spiritual and Intercultural Life at 503-554-2320.