December 2024 | Vol. 26 #4
In This Issue
Sparking Connection
The Campus Pantry
New Climate Action Plan
Meet Ayaka Dohi
Holiday Survival Guide
Global Engagement Faculty Development Award Showcase
The Global Engagement Faculty Showcase is Dec. 3, 4-5:30 p.m. in the Joann Jundt Lounge in the Hemmingson Center with opening remarks delivered by 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Trustee Irv Zakheim. These faculty members will present their research and insights made possible by the Global Engagement Faculty Development Fund:
- Emma Ariyo, kinesiology and sport mgmt
- Andrew Goldman, history
- Gregory Gordon, environmental studies
- Toruun Haaland, Italian studies
- William Hayes, sociology and criminology
- Jessica Maucione, English
- Charles Pepiton, theatre
- Karen Rickel, kinesiology and sport mgmt
- Ryan Turcott, kinesiology and sport mgmt
- John Sheveland, religious studies
- Jenaro Abraham, political science
- Laurie Arnold, Native American studies
- Gloria Chien, religious studies
- Tracey Hayes, leadership studies
- Ann Ostendorf, history
- Pavel Shlossberg, leadership studies
- Rebecca Stephanis, Spanish
- Bi Zhao, political science
Interdisciplinary Research Teams
We've Worked Hard All Year - It's Time to Celebrate!
A beacon of care, hope and connection – the annual ROTC Christmas Party is officially set for Dec. 12, noon-4 p.m. Dating back to 1969, the celebration began with Col. Joe Boyle, former professor of military science. He saw a campus, somber in the face of the Vietnam War, in need of a little joy and humanity. Join ROTC in College Hall 045 to continue the tradition in its 55th year!
It’s time to don your best Victorian attire (or cocktail attire) for the President’s Christmas Party! President Thayne & Julie McCulloh are hosting this year’s event at the Historic Davenport Hotel on Dec. 13, 6-10 p.m. If attending, please RSVP by Dec. 3.
Painting This Place
Renowned local artist Ben Joyce (’01) took a nostalgic stroll back through his time at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø for the first piece in his University Collection. Joyce, known as the “Painter of Place,” celebrates what makes this campus so special, incorporating even the tiniest of details.
The piece now hangs in the Hemmingson Center as a tribute to the place that builds Zags.
Prints of “91³Ô¹ÏÍø” are available for purchase on Joyce’s website, with 25% of each sale supporting student scholarships.
Thea's Dessert of the Month
What Would Iggy Do?
A reflection by Jamie Aitken, senior director of Strategic Communications, on slowing down and appreciating the world around you.
I’ve been thinking about how my way of thinking has changed in the two and a half years I’ve been at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø. Before I came here, I never asked the question, “What would Iggy do?”
I can safely say I didn’t know who Ignatius of Loyola was, and I’ve never been one to spend time in meditation and reflection. The Jesuit life was not something I grew up with. I came up in the television business where you literally had to pay attention to seconds, to live by seconds. Even the business side that wasn’t strictly governed by the clock was completely different from this world. Your ability to make judgments and act quickly could mean the difference between winning and losing. It’s been an adjustment to enter the world of Ignatius. And I’m really glad I did.
Where I’m tempted to immediately react, Ignatius says, “Hold on, let’s try reflecting on this, what it means not just to you and your problem, but where this issue came from, why it’s here and what it means.”
Taking a breath to reflect hasn’t been easy for me, but I see how important it is. Without it, I’m the guy in the car doing 70 mph and missing a big piece of the world that’s going by in a blur. That’s a piece of the world that others are living in, maybe struggling with, and it’s meaningful and important to them even if I don’t see it. And it should be important to me because it probably is affecting my life even if I’m not taking the time to notice.
This is where Ignatius lived and called us to pay attention.
So, I’m trying to slow down and be intentional about getting outside my own self and thinking about how others see the world. I think that’s especially important now, when that world is so polarized. It’s not easy because it makes me realize I have to get outside my own comfort zone to listen first then act.
This Ignatius stuff seems hard at first, but it’s really not. It’s literally about slowing down, looking, listening, praying if you’re religious, reflecting just thinking if you’re not, being honest with yourself and caring.
The world is always going to be a challenging place, but it’s really beautiful too. Ignatius helps us navigate it and appreciate it at the same time.
I'm thankful for where I am today, with all of you, at this place, where I’m learning to ask the question, “What would Iggy do?”
Around Campus
Upcoming Events
Dec. 2, 5-5:30 p.m. Hemmingson Christmas Tree Lighting | Hemmingson Rotunda
Dec. 3, 12-1:30 p.m. Learn practical skills for interacting with people with disabilities at the Zags for Abilities Fair | Cataldo Hall
Dec. 8, 10-11 a.m., 12-1:30 p.m. Advent Mass followed by pictures with Santa and Spike! | University Chapel College Hall & Hemmingson Rotunda
Dec. 9-11 Staff Assembly is offering a free meal at the COG for all staff! Pick up your ticket for either breakfast or lunch on Dec. 9, 10, or 11 at the Hemmingson Welcome Desk. Breakfast will be available between 7-10 a.m. and lunch between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Grab your ticket and enjoy a meal with your colleagues!
Dec. 12, 1-3 p.m. Kick off the holiday season celebrating your coworkers. See who will receive the Fall Staff Assembly awards and decorate a cookie decorating! | Hemmingson Ballroom
Dec. 14, 7 p.m. and Dec. 15, 2 p.m. Create a new holiday tradition at Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico. The vibrant show weaves cherished Mexican traditions into a magical story of the season | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
Dec. 18, 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. All employees can connect with 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s mission at “Leading in a Jesuit University.” Explore topics like Jesuit worldview, Cura Personalis and discernment | Zoom
Jan. 7 Take time to reflect on the past year and look to the year ahead at a one-day retreat for staff and faculty | Bozarth Mansion
Jan. 24, 7 p.m. Zags Night at the Chiefs is coming up! $35 gets you a ticket and a 91³Ô¹ÏÍø-Chiefs flannel | Spokane Arena
Spotlight
The College Media Association selected 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Student Media as the winner of nine awards for work created during the 2023-2024 academic year including, but not limited to, photography, advertising and graphic design.
Noteworthy
New Hires
Alexandra Cassano, enrollment operations specialist I, Admissions; Brandon Haddock, director, Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center; Daniel Clark, maker space and lab coordinator, School of Engineering & App Science; Danny Lopez IV, FXD agile coach, ITS; Gabriela Marquis, program coordinator, Student Affairs; Jacob O’Brien, custodian, Plant Services; James Matulis, machinist and project support coordinator, School of Engineering & App Science; Justin Higginson, custodian, Plant Services; Kameron McCardell, program asst III, College of Arts and Sciences; Karen Hoff, counselor, Student Financial Services; Krystal Bates, program asst, Law Career Services Office; Sophia Sedlar, strength and conditioning coach, Athletics
Changes/ Promotions
Carol Osenga, asst director of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Law School Foundation, School of Law; Nelda Drackley, custodial shift supervisor, Plant Services; Patrick Kearns III, senior international student advisor, Center for Global Engagement; Victoria Bjordahl, program asst, University Advancement; Olivia Bridston, application administrator, ITS
Goodbyes
Chrishone Wilson, sr. Employment specialist, Human Resources; Isla Ortiz-Leyva, gift accounting asst, University Advancement; Joan Perkins, finance systems administrator, Controller’s Office; Mary Margrave, HR data & systems coordinator, Human Resources
Anniversaries
45 Kai Uahinui, DBA and ERP Architect, Integrations Operations
10 Eric Blunt, Custodian, Plant Services; Sherri Lynch, asst dean, School of Leadership Studies
5 Jacqueline McCormick, marketing and event coordinator, Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office; LeAnn Blair, manager of clinical legal programs, Clinical Law Programs; Juliya Fox, business analyst, ITS Administration; Hank Wiswell, security officer, Security