The Daily Bruin

Want to learn how to make those gorgeous hanging baskets that grace the George Fox quad area? You will learn this skill and help Plant Services in the process by attending a Wednesday, May 21, session at the Plant Services building at 1101 Villa Road. The class begins at 9 a.m. and will last about four hours. You are welcome to join the class at any time.

To find out more, contact the Plant Services office at ext. 2010.

You’re invited to the first work day of the year at the university’s community garden, located at the hospital’s old helipad near the Villa Academic Complex. You don’t have to be a green thumb to be part of it.  We’ll work from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. this Saturday, May 10.

If you’d like more information about being a part of the garden this year, or wish to be put on an e-mail list, contact Corey Beals (Religious Studies) at cbeals@georgefox.edu, or stop by the garden.

FoxTALE will undergo maintenance and therefore be unavailable from 6 to 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13.

The university is expecting approximately 30 new international students this fall. We are looking for about 15 families who would be willing to host up to two international students in their home the nights of Aug. 24-27.

Families are asked to provide breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be provided on campus. We also ask families to provide transportation to George Fox between 8 and 9 a.m. and pick up students at approximately 5 p.m. Host families will receive a stipend to help defray some of the costs.

If you are interested in serving as a host family, please contact Dianna McIntyre or Alex Pia. If you know of others who might be interested, let us know so we may contact them.

Thank you for your willingness to consider this opportunity.

Dianna McIntyre
503-554-2649
dmcintyr@georgefox.edu

Alex Pia
503-554-2643
apia@georgefox.edu

With the postage rate set to increase on May 12, the United States Postal Service is offering a unique option: the opportunity to purchase Forever Stamps. According to the USPS website, “The Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price of stamps – including the Forever Stamp – increases to 42 cents on May 12.”

If you wish to take advantage of the Forever Stamps, University Mail Services has them for sale in books of 20 for $8.20 through Friday, May 9.  Starting Monday, May 12, the cost of the Forever Stamp will be $8.40 for a book of 20 stamps. Questions? Call ext. 2555.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and to honor the occasion the University Store is hosting a sale May 6-9. Save 20 percent on all George Fox “Mom” sweatshirts, “Mom” mugs, and “Mom” hats, as well as all earrings, bracelets, cross necklaces, and hair pieces. Also, save 30 percent on all World of Good items and Zulugrass necklaces. Bookstore summer hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Financial Aid Award and Payment Selection Form (PSF) notifications for returning students have begun to go out but they are getting a face lift for 2008-2009.

If you are a returning student who has filed your FAFSA, once you have been awarded you will receive a postcard instructing you to go to Bruindata to view and accept/decline your financial aid awards.

The same post card tells you that it is time to complete your Payment Selection Form (PSF).

Traditional Undergraduates: Once you accept/decline aid awards, you are ready to complete your mandatory annual Payment Selection Form (PSF), also accessed through Bruindata or at this link http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/stu_fin_srv/forms.html.

Graduate and School of Professional Studies Undergraduate Students: Your Payment Selection Form is completed once per academic career, unless you decide to change your payment method.

Questions? Email Student Financial Services at sfs@georgefox.edu.

Did you know that graduate students can charge books to their student account? Thursday, May 8 is the cut-off for charging summer books, however some exceptions apply.

Visit this link to find out more information:

http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/stu_fin_srv/book_vouchers.html

Contact Jenny Getsinger at jgetsinger@georgefox.edu for more information.

All are welcome to attend a TESOL Virtual Seminar in Key Issues on English Language Teaching entitled “Grammaring,” presented by Diane Larsen-Freeman this Wednesday, May 7 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. in Hoover 102 at the Newberg campus.

Teaching grammar often means giving students grammar rules and then having students practice the rules in drills and exercises. Students do learn about grammar this way, but they don’t necessarily learn to use it for their own communicative purposes. Grammaring is a dynamic process. It is what enables language students to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. In this Virtual Seminar, we will learn about grammaring, how it is learned, and how to teach it.

Presenter
Diane Larsen-Freeman is Professor of Education, Professor of Linguistics, and Research Scientist at the English Language Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. She is also a Distinguished Senior Faculty Fellow at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She is a respected author in the field of English language teaching.

Contact: Martha Iancu

Starting Monday, April 28, the Bruin Den will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the remainder of the summer.

Please note that with the OSAA choir championships on campus May 1-3, the Bruin Den will be extremely busy on Thursday and Friday during the noon hour. If you are able to come earlier or later, the lines will be much shorter. Thanks.

– Bon Appetit

If you will be in the area this summer, and would like to be part of the George Fox Community Garden, please e-mail Corey Beals (Religious Studies) at cbeals@georgefox.edu or simply talk to him. The garden is located on what used to be the helipad for Providence Newberg Hospital, near the Villa Academic Complex.

The Fitness Center will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday, April 25, through Sunday, April 27. It will reopen Monday, April 28, with shifts from 6 to 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (there will be no 4-7 p.m. shift).

From Tuesday, April 29, through Friday, Aug. 29, it will be open from 6 to 8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and from 4 to 7 p.m. (no weekends). It will be closed May 26 and July 4.

No student mail will be distributed to student mailboxes after 3 p.m. on Friday, April 25.

Forwarding of U.S. Mail will begin on Monday, April 28. For those who have requested their mailbox to remain open all or part of the summer, mail will resume to their mailbox on Monday, April 28. If you have questions, please e-mail Linda Sartwell (Mail Services) at lsartwel@georgefox.edu.

As you start to pack up for the summer, please return any Bon Appetit dishes, bowls, glasses, cups, etc. you may have. Bon Appetit bought more than 4,000 glasses alone this year and would love to have stray items returned. You can leave them outside our doors, hand them to us, leave them in boxes for the custodial staff, or even send us anonymous notes and we’ll come and get them.

Thanks for all your help … have a great summer!

– Bon Appetit

As some of you know, the first business club at George Fox University has been formed and we are looking to begin the Business Club starting next Fall, and will continue the club for the 2008-2009 school year. The Early Bird Registration special is going on for only $20. If you are able to pay $20 now for club funding (cash or check), that covers your official business club membership for the 2008-2009 school year! If you are interested in joining, please pick up a registration form in the School of Management Office, by this Friday! Please, don’t pass up this awesome opportunity! If you have any questions or concerns about anything regarding the club, please do not hesitate to contact one of us. Below is a brief description of what the business club entails!

Robin Ballard – rballard05@georgefox.edu
Warren Manning – wmanning05@georgefox.edu
Shawn Henschel – shenschel05@georgefox.edu

The George Fox University Business Club encourages a community of business majors in both the learning and real world application of business practices by networking with business professionals both on and off campus. The business club is an excellent avenue to motivate and assist members in obtaining a preferred career in business, because of its business ventures and unique resume building qualities. Experiences involving: consulting, job shadowing, investing, and listening to notable company representatives, while attending all types of business-related events, are some of the resources we have available for the 2008-2009 agenda. We hope to see you there!

Will you please help me by taking a few minutes now to submit your meal plan selection form!

If you are planning to return to George Fox University in the fall, now is the time to complete the Meal Plan Selection form in your Bruindata account.

The “Meal Plan Selection Form” is ready for you to fill out in Bruindata.

The meal plan(s) that you are eligible for will be on the Meal Plan Selection Form in your Bruindata account.

For more information about meal plans, please check out the Meal Plan Options page on the Student Life Website.

If you have any questions please contact Jere Witherspoon in the Student Life Office.

Detailed information about food service at George Fox University can be found in the Student Handbook online.

Please take a few minutes and complete this form now!

The summer Fitness Center hours (April 28 to Aug. 29) are 6 to 8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will be no weekend hours.

The center will be closed Memorial Day (May 26) and July 4.

If you have lost any items, please come to the Security Services house to check for them in the lost and found before 3 p.m. on Friday, April 25. After this time, items will be donated to charitable causes. Have a great summer break.

– Security Services

Did you attend chapel the first Monday after spring break, when Gregg Lamm spoke and packets were handed out to sponsor Compassion International children? Twenty-five of these packets were taken without students writing down information. These are the only packets in the world for these children.

If you took a packet, please contact the Campus Ministries office at ext. 2320 or e-mail ehodgin05@georgefox.edu. If you have a friend you know took a packet, please remind them of this announcement as well. Thank you.

– Campus Ministries

Richard Reiten, chairman of the board for Northwest Natural Gas and the company’s former CEO, will speak at both spring commencement ceremonies this Saturday, April 26. The university will confer 330 traditional undergraduate degrees and 362 graduate, seminary, and professional studies degrees. About 570 students are expected to participate in the ceremonies.

Undergraduate commencement begins at 2 p.m. in Miller Gymnasium in the Wheeler Sports Center, with audience seating at 1 p.m. The ceremony for graduate, seminary, and professional studies students starts at 7 p.m. in the same location, with seating for guests beginning at 6 p.m.

Also, on the morning of April 26, a baccalaureate service is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. in Bauman Auditorium.

Reiten’s commencement address is titled “A Mission Possible: Making a Difference.” For more scheduling information on commencement weekend, visit the commencement events page.