The Daily Bruin

Is it too wet or cold outside to go for a run or take a walk? The Wellness Committee understands! We’ve recently heard that some team members have been participating in some great alternative, indoor activities and converting them into steps as part of the “Step into 2024 Challenge.”

Some examples include bouldering at Hadlock, pilates or HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts at home, basketball, rowing machine, and weightlifting. You’d be surprised at how many “steps” can be converted from time spent doing these types of activities. Keep it up and log those steps!

Is peace possible in Israel/Palestine? It’s a question that will be discussed at the Center for Peace and Justice’s Woolman Peacemaking Forum featuring guest lecturer and panelist Dr. Jonathan Kuttab, a Christian Palestinian human rights attorney, peacemaker and educator.

Two events are scheduled as part of the forum. The first is a panel event set from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Hoover 105. The entire university community is invited to hear from those who have dedicated their lives to nonviolent activism in the pursuit of the mutual flourishing of all. The panel discussion topic will be “The Israel/Palestine Conflict and Prospects for Peace.”

You can submit your questions via this panel event registration form. Panelists will include Kuttab, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America; Todd Deatherage, executive director and cofounder of The Telos Group and former chief of staff for the State Department; and Mark Braverman, executive director of Kairos USA and advisory board member for Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions USA.

That evening, Kuttab will present a lecture, “Is There a Balm in Gilead? Prospects for a Palestinian/Israeli Peace,” at 6 p.m. in Hoover 105. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and reception. There is also a livestream link to the lecture here.

Chapel credit is available for evening lecture attendance.

Kuttab was the head of the legal committee negotiating the Cairo Agreement of 1994 between Israel and the PLO. He is co-founder of Nonviolence International as well as the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq. He serves on the board of Bethlehem Bible College and is president of the board of Holy Land Trust.

Questions? Contact Tamara Wytsma at twytsma@georgefox.edu.

We are excited to host author Kaitlyn Schiess in chapel on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 10:50 a.m. in Bauman Auditorium. Her sermon will be based on her most recent book, The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here.

All are welcome as we explore what it means to follow Christ in this upcoming election season.

Employees and students are also invited to a complimentary lunch following Kaitlyn’s chapel address, hosted by the Cultural Enterprise and the Department of History and Politics. Join us at noon that Thursday in Canyon Commons 103.

During lunch, Kaitlyn will speak on the topic of the Bible and the American presidency. Guests are invited to go through the cafeteria line and join us for the talk, which will begin shortly after noon.

Schiess is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor. To read more about her, visit this President’s Speaker Series page.

After 22 years of service to George Fox, Janelle Freitag has decided to retire. For those of us who know Janelle, this is bittersweet. We are sad to see her go, yet excited for this next chapter in her life!

The Graduate School of Counseling and the Office of Academic Affairs hope you will join us to help celebrate this momentous occasion on Thursday, Feb. 1. Please stop by Canyon Commons 101, between 2:30 and 4 p.m., to congratulate Janelle and wish her well!

Contact Laurie Fair at lfair@georgefox.edu with any questions.

Black History Month starts next week! Do you have any recommendations for the George Fox community on how to engage in celebrating it this February?

Whether it be podcasts or reading, events or restaurants, music or entertainment, the Intercultural Resource Center would love to capture your ideas for engagement. Let us know here.

Want to chaperone at one of our most popular events? If so, sign up to be a chaperone at the Sadie Hawkins dance Friday and/or Saturday, Feb. 9-10, on the Portland Spirit. If interested, please complete this form.

If you have any questions, please contact Kara Holcombe at kholcombe@georgefox.edu.

Credit report scores hold a lot of power. They can help buy that first home but can also take away financial opportunities.

In a free Canopy webinar session, Solving the Mystery of Credit Reports, we’ll provide an overview of credit bureaus, credit scoring, guidance to dispute inaccuracies, improving credit scores, and dealing with identity theft and fraud.

The session meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, or from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22. You can register for either webinar here.

Tickets for the Oregon Symphony concert on the Newberg campus are now available at the Welcome & Information Center in the Stevens Center. The concert is free to George Fox employees.

George Fox University and Austin Industries will host the Oregon Symphony for its 36th annual performance in Bauman Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. This year’s performance will feature the music of American composer George Gershwin.

A limited number of tickets are provided for George Fox employees at the half-time level and above, including emeriti employees. Tickets are limited to two per employee on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9 a.m. today (Monday) at the Welcome & Information Center.

There will be a waitlist if you would like additional tickets. Any available tickets after Jan. 26 will go to those on the waitlist. Reservations over the phone may be taken for Portland Center employees only.

If you have any questions, please contact Carly Reumann at creumann@georgefox.edu.

The C.S. Lewis Initiative at George Fox is accepting papers for The Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference happening Sept. 5-8, 2024! Submissions are welcome from scholars at every career stage, and limited scholarships are available for students and independent scholars.

For topics, guidelines and submission details, visit The Undiscovered C.S. Lewis Conference website. The deadline for short papers is March 31, 2024.

Questions or inquiries prior to submission may be directed to Dr. Jason Lepojärvi at jlepojarvi@georgefox.edu.

If you are not interested in submitting a paper but would like to attend the conference, register for the conference on the website linked above. Registration is free for George Fox University students and employees!

Identify the pros and cons of owning a home, an overview of the process, how to get prepared, and various types of zero and low-down loan programs by attending a free Canopy webinar, Home Buying and Financing 101, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6. You can register here.

Tickets for the Oregon Symphony concert on the Newberg campus will be available starting at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 22, at the Welcome & Information Center in Stevens. The concert is free to George Fox employees.

George Fox University and Austin Industries will host the Oregon Symphony for its 36th annual performance in Bauman Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. This year’s performance will feature the music of American composer George Gershwin.

A limited number of tickets have been provided for George Fox half-time and full-time employees. Tickets are limited to two per employee on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be a waitlist if you would like additional tickets. Any available tickets after Jan. 26 will go to those on the waitlist. Reservations over the phone may be taken for Portland Center employees only.

If you have any questions, please contact Carly Reumann at creumann@georgefox.edu.

Less than half of Americans have a will, but everyone needs one. Join us for a Canopy session to learn the simple steps you need to take to create a basic estate plan.

We will cover the few basic documents that can save you and your family loads of aggravation and unnecessary expense. This free online webinar will be available on demand on the member site beginning Thursday, Feb. 1.

Providence Health Plan members: Stay informed about your health by joining our monthly Tuesday Health Talks with your Providence Health Plan account manager. Your participation in Tuesday Health Talks is not just encouraged; it’s crucial to your well-being.

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, from noon to 1 p.m., we’ll focus on medical home clinics, covering what they are, how to find one, and to designate your preferred clinic. This knowledge is critical because informed choices empower better health decisions.

Your health journey matters, and being well-informed ensures you take proactive steps toward a healthier you. Don’t underestimate the impact of staying informed on your overall well-being.

Use this link to join the webinar.

If you need assitance, please reach out to Aga Kasprzyk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu

As the weather warms, we might have frozen pipes that may start to leak. Please contact Plant Services (or Campus Public Safety after business hours) if you hear or see running water, either on the Portland campus or the Newberg campus. Thank you!

If you have any questions, please contact Dixie Downey at ddowney@georgefox.edu.

Support the esports team and their upcoming events by purchasing Panda Express anywhere in the United States using their online-only order code: 916575.

If you have any questions, please contact Jerry Sanchez at jsanchez@georgefox.edu.

Join us for Quaker worship today (Wednesday) from 11 to 11:30 a.m. in Hoover 250, hosted by Jay Miller.

SpiL credit is available.

If you have any questions, please contact Paul Anderson at panderso@georgefox.edu.

This year, the George Fox University Doctor of Physical Therapy program will have the opportunity to travel to Uganda and serve their communities in need. While we’re there, we will partner with local leaders and advocacy groups to provide training and collaborate in the treatment and management of people with disabilities.

Our time will be spent at two boarding schools for children with disabilities, as well as with local physicians and nurses helping run free primary care clinics. The GFU DPT program cannot wait to see how God works through this trip for our students and those whom they will be serving.

With your support, GFU DPT will be able to not only serve the people in the rural areas of Uganda, but also utilize the physical therapy and differential diagnosis skills that they have learned in the program. Would you prayerfully consider supporting the GFU DPT with a gift today?

Give online: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/24UGANDA

Thank you for partnering with us!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Garrett Cassio (gcassio22@georgefox.edu)!

If you work at George Fox and are a mom of children ranging from birth to eighth grade, or if you are currently in the process of expanding your family through pregnancy, adoption, fostering or surrogacy, the Working Moms Employee Resource Group cordially invites you to a networking lunch.

Join us from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Canyon Commons 101 for an opportunity to connect, share experiences and gain insights into the Paid Family Leave process. We look forward to the time together!

To confirm your attendance, please RSVP to Megan Fisher at mfisher@georgefox.edu.

Do you want to start a new workout habit this year, but you’re not sure where to start?

During this 52-week series, certified personal trainer Christine Rosencrance shares weekly videos to help get your heart pumping and muscles working. Videos are delivered directly to your inbox each Monday morning for easy access.

This series is recommended for beginner to intermediate participants, and the videos allow you to fit the workouts into your schedule throughout the week.

If you have any questions, please contact Aga Kasprzyk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu.

Ready to sharpen your mental edge? Dive into part two of our enlightening series on motivation, focus and drive in Providence’s Healthy Bites podcast.

In this episode, learn how challenging mental tasks can prime your brain for success, and why a digital detox may be the breakthrough you need. We’ll also discuss the transformative powers of mindfulness, meditation and effective goal-setting.

If you have any questions, please contact Aga Kasprzyk at akasprzyk@georgefox.edu.