The Daily Bruin

In case you missed our recent IT security announcement, we’re answering the most important questions about the upcoming changes to your George Fox account login.

Q: What is happening to my login? A: We are retiring SMS (text message) and phone call verification methods. Soon, you will no longer be able to use a text message code to log in.

Q: Why is this change being made? A: Text message-based authentication is vulnerable to modern cyberattacks. This change is essential to better protect your account and university data.

Q: What do I need to do? A: You must set up the Okta Verify mobile app as your primary method for multi-factor authentication (MFA). This will allow you to approve logins securely from your smartphone or tablet.

Q: What if I don’t switch in time? A: You will experience an interruption to your login, and you will need to contact the Service Desk by phone for assistance. Please act now to avoid this!

Q: I already use Okta Verify or Google Authenticator. Do I need to do anything? A: Nope! You are all set, and no action is required.

Need help getting started? The IT Service Desk is here for you! Contact them at 503-554-2569 or servicedesk@georgefox.edu.

AirPods Pro 2 are going on sale at the Bruin Bookstore for one day only, tomorrow (Wednesday). Get $50 off the original retail price in-store or online while supplies last!

LifeBalance is hosting a fall contest from Oct. 1-31. As a member of the Providence Health Plan, you have access to the LifeBalance program and this fun, easy way to get entered for a chance to win.

Entering is simple: Just visit the LifeBalance website and log into your account (or sign up if you haven’t yet!) and you’ll automatically receive your first contest entry. After that, you can earn an additional entry every day in October that you visit the LifeBalance website while logged into your account. The more you visit, the better your chances of winning!

Each week, LifeBalance staff will randomly select 10 winners from all contest participants. Winners will be notified by email and their names will also be posted on the LifeBalance contest page by 1 p.m. on Oct. 13, Oct. 20, Oct. 27, and Nov. 3.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity! If you have any questions, you can contact LifeBalance Member Services at 888-754-5433 or info@LifeBalanceProgram.com.

Doctor of Physical Therapy students are seeking participants for a research study, “Upper Extremity Role During a Floor Transfer in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.” We are interested in how older adults use their arms to get up from the floor.

To participate, you must:

• Be at least 50 years of age
• Live independently or in an assisted living facility
• Be able to walk independently at least 15 feet with or without an assistive device
• Take a cognitive test
• Be willing to attempt to get up from the floor multiple times with and without using your arms

In order to participate, you must not have a diagnosis of a neurological condition or a current illness or health issue that would make performing study activities unsafe.

If you’re interested in participating and meet the above criteria, you will come to the university’s Medical Sciences Building on Werth Boulevard, where we’ll ask you to sign an informed consent form, answer questions on a questionnaire, perform a short mental status examination, and have your vitals (blood pressure and heart rate) taken. Depending on the results of these assessments, you may or may not be eligible for the study.

If you’re eligible, you will continue the single testing session that will last up to approximately one hour. During this session you will be asked to answer additional questions and get up from the floor multiple times, first without using your arms and then using one of your arms.

We may ask you to change into clothing necessary for the study if you are not already dressed in spandex shorts or leggings, a sleeveless shirt, athletic shoes that do not cover the ankles, and short socks.

You will not be paid for being in this study or reimbursed for any costs associated with traveling to/from the George Fox campus.

You are able to stop participation in the study at any time and for any reason. No information that would identify you will be made public, and we do not feel there is more than minimal risk associated with this study.

If interested in participating, schedule an appointment for testing by calling 503-554-2463 or emailing Lyndsay Stutzenberger at lstutzenberger@georgefox.edu.

The Bruin Bookstore will be closed this Friday, Oct. 10,  for the mid-semester holiday. There is also a mid-semester Champion sale for 25% off Champion-brand clothing, online and in-store, Oct. 9-16. Clearance is on sale now for 50% off.

Learn the ins and outs of Medicare at one of our free info sessions, taking place Oct. 13 and Nov. 10. Navigating Medicare can be complex, which is why Providence is pleased to offer free educational Medicare webinars designed to help you and your loved ones.

These “Medicare 101” meetings are a fantastic opportunity to learn the basics of Medicare in a no-pressure environment. We encourage you to invite your spouse, parents or other family members who may benefit from this information. All are welcome!

In these sessions, you’ll learn about the different parts of Medicare (the A, B, C and Ds), the key differences between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Supplement, and when you should enroll for Original Medicare. These are not sales meetings, and there is no obligation or pressure to enroll.

Each meeting is about an hour long, depending on questions, and can be attended from the comfort of your own home via our online webinar platform. You’ll be able to see the presenter and ask questions using the chat function without needing to turn on your camera.

Choose the session that works best for you: Monday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m (register here) or Monday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m. (register here).

The George Fox theatre department invites you to see its fall 2025 production, Havurah, presented through the Big Bridge Theatre Consortium.

Written by Margot Connolly and directed by Ben Tissell, the play tells the story of life at Crosby College, a small liberal arts university, where two student clubs strive for connection and comfort in difficult times.

When a tragedy occurs in the local Jewish community, members of the Havurah club are left reeling. The Christian social justice club wants to help, but struggles to know how. Deeply relevant and strikingly realistic, Havurah depicts the complexities and possibilities of connecting with others in times of grief.

The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 23, and closes on Nov. 2. Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m., and weekend matinees start at 2 p.m. Employees are entitled to one complimentary ticket, and students may attend free on either Thursday. You may reserve tickets here.

October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and The Daily Bruin will be sharing supportive resources. Today, we’re highlighting our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Canopy, for confidential support regarding substance misuse. This free service offers several ways to get help:

• Substance misuse learning center: Access online tools and educational resources
• 24/7 counseling: Connect with a counselor for personalized care at 800-433-2320
• Addiction care navigation: Get personalized treatment planning and ongoing support

Again, mental health support is available 24/7 at 800-433-2320.

Bring your friends and family to Homecoming tomorrow (Saturday)! Highlights include worship in the chapel with President Baker, Bruinpalooza (a party in the quad for every Bruin!), the football game, and more.

Check out the full schedule of events at homecoming.georgefox.edu.

It’s been wonderful to see such a strong start to the Miles for Meals challenge. We’re excited to share that over 20 teams have already formed, showing a fantastic commitment to supporting the Bruin Community Pantry.

Let’s continue to build on this great momentum. There is time to rally your colleagues and create a team if you haven’t already. The deadline to register is this Sunday, Oct. 5. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.

To our current participants, thank you for the great energy! Just a friendly reminder to keep your devices synced for seamless mile tracking and to manually add your other activities so all your hard work is counted.

Thank you for your participation! Questions? Contact us at bewell@georgefox.edu.

Alongside a variety of Homecoming festivities, the Department of Art and Design will be hosting a silent auction to raise funds for the new Art and Cinematic Arts Building.

So while you enjoy Homecoming tomorrow (Saturday), don’t forget to wander through the Stevens lobby between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to place your bid on 20 different art objects donated by faculty and friends of the university.

Use this link to bid on items online.

If you have undergrad students exploring graduate school and careers in healthcare, consider sharing details about our upcoming OT info meeting with them.

The session will provide an overview of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, including prerequisites, admissions, and what a career as an occupational therapist looks like.

The meeting is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Roberts Center’s Room 203.

Students can connect with faculty in a relaxed, conversational setting, ask questions, and get a clear sense of the OTD program, helping them explore occupational therapy and plan for graduate school.

More information and registration is available here. Questions? Contact us at ot@georgefox.edu.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our first-ever “Work Safe, Be Well” bingo challenge! We were thrilled to see so many of you taking steps to improve your health and safety at work, from conducting ergonomic self-assessments to practicing new wellness habits. Your engagement made this initiative a great success.

The bingo challenge officially concluded on Tuesday, and after tallying all the entries, we have randomly selected our two lucky prize winners. The moment you’ve been waiting for is here!

• The winner of an extra vacation day is … Nickie Snyder!
• The winner of the fitness tracker is … Teresa Arnold!

Congratulations!

While the challenge is over, our commitment to a healthy and safe on campus isn’t. As promised, the Wellness and Safety committees will continue to share valuable resources throughout the fall semester.

Thank you all again for your participation. Let’s keep working safe and being well!

In an era of deep political division, heated rhetoric, and rising political violence, what does it mean to seek common ground? Join our Oregon House majority and minority leaders for a timely and essential conversation on the state of civility in politics on Tuesday, Oct 7, at 6:30 p.m. in Hoover 105.

The representatives will discuss their experiences, the challenges of legislating across the aisle, and whether a more respectful and productive political discourse is possible. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from key decision-makers about how we can navigate our differences and find a better path forward for Oregon.

Reach out to Ron Mock at rmock@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.

The George Fox theatre department invites you to see its fall 2025 production, Havurah, presented through the Big Bridge Theatre Consortium.

Written by Margot Connolly and directed by Ben Tissell, the play tells the story of life at Crosby College, a small liberal arts university, where two student clubs strive for connection and comfort in difficult times.

When a tragedy occurs in the local Jewish community, members of the Havurah club are left reeling. The Christian social justice club wants to help, but struggles to know how. Deeply relevant and strikingly realistic, Havurah depicts the complexities and possibilities of connecting with others in times of grief.

The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 23, and closes on Nov. 2. Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m., and weekend matinees start at 2 p.m. Employees are entitled to one complimentary ticket, and students may attend free on either Thursday. You may reserve tickets here.

George Fox alumnus Jonathan Cirualo will give a public lecture, “Nostalgia, the Early Church, and the Hope of Christian Unity,” at 7 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) in Hoover 105.

Cirualo serves as associate professor of systematic theology at the Catholic University of America. The lecture will explore what the study of patristics has to offer ecumenical efforts, woven together with reflections on Cirualo’s intellectual and spiritual journey.

Dear university users (students, faculty and staff),

This is an important security change from the George Fox University IT department. Our commitment to protecting your account and information is our top priority.

What is happening and why?

To align with industry security standards and defend against modern cyberattacks, we are removing SMS (text messages) and phone calls as multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods for all university systems in the near future.

• SMS is no longer safe: Industry security standards now consider SMS-based codes to be the weakest form of MFA. They are vulnerable to attacks like SIM swapping, phishing, and interception.
• The change: Once this change is in effect, you will no longer be able to use a text message code to log in to university systems such as Gmail, Canvas, and MyGeorgeFox. If you haven’t set up a new authentication method by then you will no longer be able to access your George Fox account.

It’s go time! The “Miles for Meals” challenge starts now! It’s incredible to see new teams forming and rallying together. This is more than just a challenge, it’s our community-wide effort to support the vital work of the Bruin Community Pantry while boosting our own health and wellness.

Don’t get left at the starting line! You have until this Sunday, Oct. 5, to register. Joining the movement is as easy as 1-2-go! Here are the steps:

1. Fundraise/donate: Visit this page to make a contribution or set up your own fundraising goal for the pantry. Every dollar makes a difference!
2. Join your team: Use these simple instructions to log in to the Providence wellness platform, where you can create a new team or join an existing one (it’s the same easy system as last year). Once you sync your device, your miles will be tracked automatically!

Remember, every bit of movement counts! Whether you’re walking, running, swimming or dancing, use the step converter tool to turn all your activity into miles for your team. We’ve also created this step converter using the information in the PDF for steps conversion. Users can make a copy, then enter the minutes of activity to have the step equivalent calculated.

We are so excited to see what we can accomplish together! Go Bruin community!

Questions? Contact us at bewell@georgefox.edu.

Employees: As we prepare for the upcoming tax seasons, complete these steps to ensure you get your W-2 form quickly.

• Verify your address: Check that your mailing address is current in MyGeorgeFox for accurate year-end reporting.
  • Where to go: From the MyGeorgeFox homepage, go to the Profile tile and then click “Addresses”
• Go Paperless (recommended!): Sign up for electronic W-2 delivery to get your form faster and more securely.
  • Where to go: From the MyGeorgeFox homepage, go to the Payroll tile and then click “W-2/W-2c Consent” (check the box to consent)

Need help? Contact the payroll team at payroll@georgefox.edu.

It’s finally here! The Rocktober Roundup is just a few short weeks away, on Friday, Oct. 24. Join us for a rocking good time of climbing, prizes, food, games, and caffeine! Our theme is “Cowboy Disco,” so dress up as one or the other, or both! This competition is open to all skill levels, whether you are just starting out or have been climbing for a while.

A $15 sign-up fee will get you a really cool Rocktober T-shirt, entrance into a raffle, and a chance to medal. You won’t want to miss this, so sign up today!

Email Nathanael Freeman at freemann@georgefox.edu if you have any questions.