The Daily Bruin

As we head toward the end of the calendar year, please check your desks and offices for any stray donation payments and hand them off to advancement as soon as possible. Moving forward, turning in donations the same week you receive them ensures we can quickly process gifts and give our donors the prompt, thoughtful care they deserve.

Also, if anyone is working with a donor who wants to make an in-kind gift and receive a tax deduction, please reach out to advancement before saying yes. There are a few requirements we must complete together beforehand.

We must have all donations in by end of day on Dec. 23, 2026, to ensure proper processing for the end of the year.

We appreciate your help and partnership in taking care of our wonderful donors. If you ever have questions, our doors are always open.

Catholic faculty and staff will be meeting in Canyon Commons at noon this Friday, Oct. 30, for a time of fellowship. If you are a Catholic employee and have been wanting to connect with other Catholics and grow in your faith, this is a great opportunity to do so!

Lunch will be provided. If you are interested in coming, please contact Bernadette Curl at bcurl@georgefox.edu or Shawn Daley at sdaley@georgefox.edu. We hope to see you there!

George Fox marketing students are conducting a research study on how homeowners connect with their neighbors, and we need your help!

Whether you bought your home last month or have lived there for decades, you are invited to take a short, anonymous online survey. Recent homebuyers (those who moved in within the last 24 months) and longtime homeowners are both encouraged to participate, because comparing the two groups helps show how neighborhood connections change over time.

After completing the survey, you can choose to sign up for a 30-minute follow-up interview to share more about your experience with neighborly connection. Participants may also enter a drawing for one of two $50 Amazon gift cards.

Participation is voluntary, responses are confidential, and the results will be used for this class project only. The survey is open through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Any questions? Contact Strom Nordeng at snordeng23@georgefox.edu.

Disclaimer: These surveys are student generated and are not to be associated with any official research conducted by faculty and staff at George Fox University. Any views or opinions presented in these surveys are solely those of the students and do not represent those of George Fox University. The distribution of these surveys is a service provided to George Fox University students as they prepare their research required by the curriculum. Students are required to have department approval. Any questions about these surveys should be directed to the students associated with the survey in question.

The CAP Center is hosting a Graduate Program Fair on Monday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Canyon Commons. Twenty graduate programs from across Oregon, Washington and California will be in attendance, including George Fox graduate admissions.

If you know of any students considering graduate school, or if you just want to spread the word, feel free to encourage any students to attend this event. Registration through Handshake is free and optional (but encouraged).

Contact Will Curtis at wcurtis@georgefox.edu with any questions or for more information.

This week we’re delighted to honor the faculty and staff that make George Fox such a special place to learn and thrive!

Come on by and visit Tim and Anne Marie at the Bruin Store in Klages from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday, Oct. 28, to enjoy 25% off apparel and gifts (some exclusions apply, in-store only). Warm up your autumn mornings with a cozy new sweatshirt or coffee mug that shows your campus spirit. 

We look forward to saying hello and thank you!

Questions? Contact Anne Marie Jacob at ajacob@georgefox.edu.

It’s not too late to register for the Multiplication Conference: Multiplying Leaders to Multiply Disciples! This event is happening right here on the George Fox Newberg campus, starting tomorrow (Tuesday) through Thursday, Oct. 29.

Get ready to explore God’s call, grow as a leader, and discover practical next steps for making disciples wherever God sends you. Registration grants access to the in-person conference as well as online resources, including the online conference in a few weeks.

This is a great way to engage on an international level with people from North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia.

• George Fox and Portland Seminary students: Register for free using discount code GFSTUDENT26.
  • Note: For students who are not on a meal plan, please use the code GFMEALSONLY, which will cover the cost of the conference but not meals.
• George Fox staff and faculty: Register for free using discount code GFUSTAFF.

Come ready to be challenged, encouraged and equipped to take your next step!

Contact Jonelle Retsema at jretsema@georgefox.edu with any questions.

All George Fox employees – full time, part time and adjunct, with a George Fox employee ID number and a George Fox email address – need to submit their personal reimbursements (including vehicle mileage reimbursement) through Concur.

If you would like to have training or have any questions on the use of Concur, please contact Kathi Becker at 503-554-2166 or kbecker@georgefox.edu.

And the winner is …

We’re excited to announce the third and final weekly winner of our prize drawing for the Miles for Meals Challenge! Congratulations to Kelsey Hutchinson, who has won a $50 Amazon gift card! Visit the People and Culture office to claim your prize.

The top three teams:

1. Centennial Tower Trekkers (1,985,436 total steps)
2. Bruin Boulevard Striders (1,770,245 total steps)
3. Stevens Steppers (1,366,277 total steps)

The Miles for Meals Challenge will come to a close on Saturday, Oct. 24, which is the final day to submit your steps and activity. Use the Daily Activity Form to log your steps and check out the Team and Individual Leader Dashboard.

Don’t forget, final prizes are coming and will be announced at the all-employee meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Final prizes will be awarded to the top individual stepper, members of the top team, and members of the team with the highest average steps per person.

The Miles for Meals Challenge is a fundraiser for the Bruin Community Pantry. Let’s make a final push to raise as much money as possible!

Visit the donation page to track progress and make a donation. Contact the Wellness Committee at bewell@georgefox.edu for more information.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Back-in-Class Mini Safety Challenge!

Employees took a proactive walk around their workspaces to hunt down essential safety gear – locating first aid kits, AEDs, fire extinguishers, flashlights, and step ladders.

Participants also mapped out primary and alternate evacuation routes and confirmed their assembly areas and building monitors. They verified building campus addresses for 911 calls and confirmed their devices are configured for FoxAlerts prior to our October drills.

A big congratulations to our challenge winner, Mike Foster, who takes home the $25 gift card raffle prize for completing and mailing in his checklist!

As a safety tip, remember to learn your safety equipment locations and emergency response procedures before the alarm actually goes off.

Please refer to our safety resources on our website, and click here to report workplace hazards. Keep watch for additional safety tips and challenges as the academic year progresses.

Any questions? Contact Teresa Arnold at tarnold@georgefox.edu.

Join us at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday) for the 15th annual Dalton Lecture in Bauman Auditorium! Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.

The Department of Biological and Molecular Sciences is excited to host Dr. Robert D. Sluka, lead scientist of the A Rocha Marine Conservation Program, for his lecture “Creatureliness and Marine Conservation: Is a Manatee Really My Neighbor?”

Sluka will dive into how seeing ourselves as fellow creatures can transform the way we care for our oceans. Chapel credit is available for students who attend.

In addition, Sluka will present an afternoon lecture, “Hope for the Ocean,” at 3 p.m. in Bauman Auditorium.

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to Amanda Sue Harris at amandah@georgefox.edu. We hope to see you there!

Keep your healthcare spending efficient and rooted in smart planning. Check your HSA or FSA balances today to make sure you are leveraging your tax-advantaged funds for medical, dental and prescription expenses.

To learn more, visit our Benefits page.

And the winner is …

We’re excited to announce the second winner of our weekly prize drawing for the Miles for Meals Challenge! Congratulations to Neil Cantrall, who has won a $50 Amazon gift card! Visit the People and Culture office to claim your prize.

The top three teams so far:

1. Centennial Tower Trekkers (1,448,881 total steps)
2. Bruin Boulevard Striders (1,191,400 total steps)
3. Stevens Steppers (980,909 total steps)

It’s a close race, so get those steps in!

Don’t forget, there are two more weeks of prizes to come. Stay active and keep logging those miles for your chance to win. Use the Daily Activity Form to log your steps and check out the Team and Individual Leader Dashboard.

Weekly prizes are awarded randomly just by participating. Grand prizes will be awarded at the end to the top individual stepper and the team with the highest average steps.

The Miles for Meals Challenge is a fundraiser for the Bruin Community Pantry. Don’t forget to join in raising funds by either supporting an existing fundraiser or starting your own!

Contact Will Curtis at wcurtis@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Dia de los Muertos (“The Day of the Dead”) is coming up, and we are bringing you a two-part event starting today (Tuesday). This evening from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Intercultural Resource Center, we are making sugar skulls while watching the movie The Book of Life!

Next Monday, Oct. 26, we will be decorating an ofrenda and other activities while enjoying hot chocolate and conchas.

We encourage you to come to either or both of these days to celebrate those who have passed. If you would like to have a past one featured on a slideshow, you can fill out this form and tell us more about your loved one.

Contact Lizeth Estevez at lestevezmartinez23@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Current events and news regarding ICE-related activities can cause significant stress, fear and trauma. We want you to know that you are not alone.

For Our Neighbor is a dedicated online resource hub created specifically to support George Fox students and staff navigating these heavy anxieties.

If you or someone you know is feeling impacted, please utilize these resources or reach out to forourneighbor@georgefox.edu.

Jason Brummit, Nathan Slegers, and the Faculty Scholarship and Achievement Committee invite you to join them for the Fall Faculty Lecture tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. in the Art & Cinematic Arts Building’s Cinema Screening Room 105.

If you can’t make it in person, you can watch the lecture here.

Dr. Joel Mayward, PhD, associate professor of humanities and cinematic arts, and winner of the 2025-26 Faculty Achievement Award for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, is the featured faculty speaker. He will share on the topic “Breaking Silos, Building Bridges: The Value of Interdisciplinary Scholarship.”

Synopsis: What do theology, philosophy, movies, pop music, poetry, television, Quaker spirituality, Latino/a culture, youth ministry, sexuality, church leadership, and diversity all have in common? They’re all topics Mayward has published or presented on as part of his ongoing academic research.

He will share about his interdisciplinary approach to scholarship, as well as his vocational journey from youth pastor to theologian and film scholar. The event is also a celebratory book launch of his latest publication, Religious Cinema for Non-Believers: Film Criticism as Spiritual Practice (Cascade Books, 2026). We’ll be giving away copies of the book in a raffle, and you can also purchase the book for a discount.

The university and surrounding community are invited, and refreshments will be provided. We hope you are able to support Joel by attending.

Contact Sarah Taylor at taylors@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Google’s latest updates turn Gemini from a single-tab chatbot into a research partner and interactive workspace. Check out these announcements:

• Gemini 4 Argon: Now rolling out across the many places you use Gemini – starting with Gemini Pro licenses – Google’s newest model leaps forward in science and math reasoning and can read and write several full-length books in a single prompt. Ranked #1 on the Vals Index for real-world finance, legal, tax, and coding work, Argon already helped Google’s Chrome team modernize 6 million lines of aging browser code, finishing months of restructuring in weeks.
  • Read Google’s announcement here.
• Interactive “Mini-Apps” in Google Sheets (Sheets Canvas): Use simple prompts in the Gemini side panel (Insert > Create a canvas) to turn flat spreadsheets into custom, interactive mini-apps – no coding or formulas needed! Transform raw rows into a drag-and-drop Kanban board, study tracker, or department dashboard that updates your sheet in real time. (Requires a Gemini Pro license.)
  • Learn more from Google’s announcement.
• Cross-App Task Orchestration: Gemini Pro now works seamlessly across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, and Chat without switching tabs. Prompt Gemini in Chat to pull project updates from Gmail into a formatted Slides deck, build a spreadsheet from a Drive folder, or send team emails right from a Google Doc.
  • Learn more from Google’s guide.
• Gemini Desktop App for Windows: For all Gemini license levels, download the new Windows 10/11 app and press Alt + Space to summon a floating Gemini overlay over any active window or syllabus, giving instant access to AI help without hunting for a browser tab.
  • Download here for Windows or Mac OS.

Questions? Contact us at servicedesk@georgefox.edu.

This week is Love Your Body Week, our annual celebration of recreation and movement here at University Recreation. Today (Monday) through Sunday, Oct. 25, we will be having tons of opportunities to to get connected with UREC.

Here’s our amazing schedule:

• Tuesday, Oct. 20:
  • Run/Walk Club: 7 a.m.
  • Kickball Tournament: 6 p.m.
  • Build Your Own Workout Workshop: 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21:
  • Fusion Spin + Pilates Class: 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 22:
  • Run/Walk Club: 7 a.m.
  • Intro to Squat Workshop: 6 p.m.
  • Intro to Bench Press Workshop: 6:30 p.m.
  • Putt Putt Golf: 7 p.m.
  • Women’s Climb Night: 7 p.m.

Attend any of these and you’ll get to enter your name into one of our five raffle prizes!

Everything thing here is free. Sign-ups are required for all except for Women’s Climb Night and Putt Putt Golf.

Contact Kelsey Cantrall at kcantrall@georgefox.edu with any questions. 

Take charge of your personal health journey with Living in Wellness, a completely free online resource from Providence Basecamp designed to help you build inner strength and develop practical well-being skills.

Whether you are looking to decompress, find better daily balance, or set intentional lifestyle goals, this program empowers you with expert-guided activities tailored to the specific areas of health that matter most to you.

Living in Wellness is a four-week series of live-taught virtual meetings every Tuesday from Oct. 27 through Nov. 17, at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

By exploring these tools, you will discover fresh ideas, encouragement, and the support needed to successfully navigate your unique path to wellness. Sign up here for this series and start building your customized wellness routine today. 

Contact Aga Kaspryzk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Formed through a collaborative partnership between George Fox University, A-dec Dental Equipment, and Northwest Christian Church, the Northwest Early Learning Academy (NELA) provides premier, distinctly Christian care for children ages zero to five.

NELA is located in Newberg’s newest early learning facility. Visit the NELA website for more information.

George Fox employee and student parents receive exclusive benefits, including:

• Waived Registration Fees: Annual registration fees are completely waived for George Fox employees and students.
• Priority Enrollment: Access to exclusive annual priority enrollment windows before public registration opens
• Faith-Based Education: High-quality care rooted in a distinctly Christian foundation, curriculum, and staffing
• Advisory Representation: Direct George Fox representation on the NELA Advisory Council to address the evolving needs of our campus community

Questions? Contact Executive Director Sarah Compton at Sarah@mynw.cc.

Join us for the upcoming fall play, Shakespeare in Love!

Performances will run from Thursday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Nov. 8, and Wednesday, Nov. 11, through Sunday, Nov. 15, in Wood-Mar Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now.

George Fox employees receive complimentary tickets for their immediate family by entering their employee email at checkout. George Fox students can attend the Wednesday or Thursday night performances for free.

You may purchase and/or claim your free your tickets here. For more information, please contact the box office at 503-554-3400.

Play Synopsis: Young Will Shakespeare has writer’s block. The deadline for his new play is fast approaching, but he’s in desperate need of inspiration. That is, until he finds his muse, the feisty, brilliant and beautiful Viola. This crafty young woman is Will’s greatest admirer and will stop at nothing (including breaking the law) to appear in his next play.

Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will’s love for Viola quickly blossoms, inspiring him to write his greatest romantic masterpiece yet.