UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Student Activities

Student Activities Names Zimmerman to New Post

Tyler Zimmerman has been promoted to the role of associate director of student engagement in the Office of Student Activities, according to Jeromy Koffler, director. He will primarily work to support ASUP, the implementation of the new Engage platform, and the many programs within student activities.  Many faculty and staff may recognize Zimmerman through his role as weekend and late night program coordinator, and previously as the assistant director of Christie Hall. He is also a graduate of the University’s master of communication studies program and has been on The Bluff since 2012. Please join us in welcoming Tyler to his new role starting July 2.

 

The Beacon Earns National Mark of Excellence Awards

The University’s student-run news source, The Beacon, has won six national Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. Winners include:

  • Hannah Sievert, Feature Writing (Small School Division), “Call to the Church“
  • Ben Arthur, Sports Writing (Small School Division), “Tall Standards: Despite Being Undersized, Wintering and Johnson are one of the Top Backcourts in the Country.”
  • Rachel Ramirez, On-line Feature Reporting, “Life and Terror: John Paul Mugisha Finds a New Life on the Bluff.”
  • Finalist, Claire Desmarais and Brennan Robinson, General News Reporting (Small School Division), “ROTC Adjusts Training in an Era of Mass Shootings.”
  • Finalist, Annika Gordon, Feature Photography (Small School Division), “Muslim Women Answer: What Does the Hijab Mean to You?“
  • Finalist, Rachel Rippetoe, General Column Writing (Small School Division).

For more information contact student activities at x7470 or stuact@up.edu.

Beacon wins eight Gold Circle Awards for Digital Media

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, based at Columbia University in New York City, has awarded The Beacon eight Gold Circle Awards for Digital Media. This national competition covers content published by student-run college media organizations during the 2016- 2017 academic year. The Beacon placed in the following categories: spot news photograph, sports photograph, editorial writing, breaking news, news writing (planned), general or humor commentary, informational graphics and interactive graphics. The Beacon also won certificates of merit for news feature, sports feature, and personality profile.

For more information see the article at this link or contact Nancy Copic, student activities, at copic@up.edu.

Spring 2018 Orientation: Welcome New Students!

Orientation for new students begins on Friday, January 12, at 9 a.m., in the Pilot House, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities.  For a complete schedule of events, go to this link. Be sure to welcome our nearly 100 new students and their families! Questions? Contact the Office of Student Activities at x7470 or stuact@up.edu.

 

Invitation to Latinx Employees: Let’s Get Together

All University community members who identify as Latinx (Latino/Latina/Chicano/a/Hispanic, etc.) and work at UP in any capacity, including adjunct, faculty, staff, and administration, are invited to contact Yuri Hernández Osorio, who serves as diversity & inclusion program coordinator in students activities. Hernández Osorio hopes to form an informal group for Latinx employees. She hopes to create an email list so the group can stay in contact, organize events, and share trainings and resources. The overall mission is to gather and provide informal support to each other. To join the group or for more information contact Hernández Osorio at hernandy@up.edu.

New Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator: Yuridia Hernandez-Osorio

Yuridia Hernandez-Osorio joined the Office of Student Activities on August 3, 2017, as the new coordinator for diversity and inclusion programs, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities. She is a 2015 University of Portland graduate with a bachelor of arts in social work, and won the Joseph S. Gallegos Award for Outstanding Service and Leadership in Social Work that same year. Since her time at UP, Yuri completed her masters of social work at the University of Michigan, where she served as an intern at Wayne State University’s Latino/a and Latin American Studies Center.

For more information contact student activities at 7470 or stuact@up.edu.

Bon Voyage to Bethany Sills, June 1

After 12 years of service to student activities, Bethany Sills will be leaving The Bluff to start a new chapter in her career as a professional development manager with Audigy Group. Her last day will be June 2, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities.

Bethany was hired as a program assistant in June 2005 and was promoted to assistant director and multicultural programs coordinator in 2007.  In her time at UP, Bethany has collaborated with students, faculty, and staff to develop countless events that educate about identity and celebrate cultural, racial, and religious heritage. She was also invited to serve on the Presidential Advisory Committee for Inclusion and to assist the Division of Student Affairs in the development of a diversity and inclusion website and strategic plan.

There will be a celebration on Thursday, June 1, in the Bauccio Commons Terrace Room, at 3 p.m., to appreciate and thank Bethany for her service to the students and the University community. For more information contact Koffler at koffler@up.edu.

Beacon Wins Six First Place Awards, Advances to National Competition

The University of Portland’s student-run digital news publication, The Beacon, has won six First Place awards in the regional Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence contest, and now advances to the national SPJ competition in the following categories:

Digital:

Small university (9,999 or fewer undergraduates):

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Anaheim, Calif., in September.

Beacon content also placed in regional finals (Second or Third Place) in the following categories:

  • Breaking News Reporting (Clare Duffy, Hannah Baade)
  • In-depth Reporting (Clare Duffy, Malika Andrews, Rachel Rippetoe, Annika Gordon)
  • Sports Writing (Malika Andrews)
  • Best Use of Multimedia (Cheyenne Schoen, Jeff Braccia)
  • Online News Reporting (Clare Duffy,Hannah Baade)
  • Online In-depth Reporting (Clare Duffy, Malika Andrews, Rachel Rippetoe, Hannah Baade, Jenna Rossiter)

The Mark of Excellence Awards for Region 10 involved student media entries from colleges and universities in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. See complete regional contest results here.

International Night at UP, March 3: All Welcome

international-week

The University of Portland will celebrate its annual International Night during Diversity Dialogues Week on Friday, March 3, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons. The annual event is a night for the campus and community to come together and celebrate everything that international cultures contribute to the world. The event is free and open to the public and will start off with a student hosted Showcase of Nations highlighting various countries around the world. Student and professional musicians including Portland Taiko, Turkish group Ritim Egozotik, and Mariachi Viva Mexico will perform. During the night, international cuisine will be served a la carte. There will also be free henna body art, a Chinese calligrapher, and a photo booth for participants to enjoy.

For more information contact International Student Services at iss@up.edu.

 

Orientation Planning Underway, Input Welcome

The planning process for fall 2017 new student Orientation programs and activities is underway, according to Jeromy Koffler, student activities. Any suggestions, recommendations, proposals, requests, or other all around “we should really do that!” items will be gratefully accepted by Koffler (koffler@up.edu) or Andrew Downs (downs@up.edu), faculty representative, by Tuesday, February 28.