October 9 Book .Indb

THE HAPPY TRAIL A&E Radical self love as anti-facism. Chelsea Wolfe’s new album SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND brings sleep paralysis to light. VOL. 105, ISSUE 2 SINCE 1910 OCTOBER 9, 2015 TRAIL PAGE 5 PAGE 11 Students want voice on Presidential Search Committee By Casey O’Brien Students across campus are keen to make sure their voices are heard in the pursuit of the new University President as the Presidential search committee continues to seek candidates ahead of the applica- tion deadline in November. Th e committee is comprised of eight Board of Trustees members, two faculty and a single student—ASUPS president Nakisha Renée Jones. Th e committee will be working with a third party consultant, AGB consulting, through several rounds of candidate narrowing be- PUGET fore sending their suggestions to the board of Trustees, who will be making the fi nal choice about the new president. SOUND Although the only student on the committee is ASUPS president Nakisha Renée Jones, ASUPS as an organization is not involved with the selection process. Jones was selected for her involvement STUDENT with various groups on campus. She in turn selected nine students she considered leaders on campus to off er their feedback during discussion sessions with the board, many of whom were leaders of iden- UNION tity or culturally based groups on campus. Students expressed interest in a candidate who refl ected their identities—ideally a woman or a person of color—in order to have a leader diff erent from Puget Sound’s past presidents. Sophomore and president of Advocates for Detainees’ Voices and Latinos Unidos Amanda Diaz was a member of the focus group. “All of us present agreed that we had all had experiences walking into Jones Hall and seeing the pictures of previous presidents. As you can guess, all white, all male, except for one woman. We knew that our identities were not represented there and that was one of the largest most common suggestion we gave to the search committee. We want to see our identity present in our next president,” Diaz said. Th e Puget Sound Student Union has also expressed a desire to see diversity in the next president during their protests outside of the Board of Trustees events during the Board’s visit, holding signs that read simply “president of color” and “think responsibly.” “In the student session it was brought up more blatantly, in terms of how people talked about it, and with the search committee session it was more discreet,” Jones said. She felt that diversity was not the search team’s main objective, but that the committee was defi nitely aware of the desire of the student body. “It was mentioned, and acknowledged. It’s something that they are aware of, and something that would be helpful to get a diff erent sort of take for candidacy or search participants, but not a main emphasis—if it happens it happens,” Jones said. New Student Union seeks “Th e committee seemed very interested in students’ opinions about the new president; this organization went out of their way to con- tact student leaders on this campus to hear their concerns with the current president and what we would like to see our future present to defi ne campus role do,” Diaz said. “Th ey seemed very intrigued with our educational and career goals as well as what roles we play as students leaders at Puget By Ella Frazer Sound.” e students in the focus group also were very interested in seeking a president with an interest in activism. “Contrary to popular belief, we are members, but each member stress- fi nd out about Latinos Unidos, and “Another big quality we wanted in our next president was a candidate not trying to overthrow ASUPS,” es that this organization is non- I am a Latina. How did I not know with a HUGE social justice background. We all decided that our school sophomore Layth Sabbagh said. hierarchical, meaning they do not that?” New said. “We [the PSSU] has a lot of trouble organizing students, we don’t know if it’s apathy or if Sabbagh, along with a number of have levels of leadership but prefer want to create a better connection students are generally busy but we want someone who encourages our other students, is spearheading an to work collaboratively and with an between every club on campus. Th at students to protest and to demonstrate their frustration with the injustice eff ort to bring a new student union equal distribution of power. way there is transparency with what in this world,” Diaz said. to campus amid concerns that Th is relaxed structure allows is happening. So many students do Jones, as the only student on the search committee, felt pressure to the Associated Students of Puget greater access for students looking not know about other clubs.” make her voice heard. Sound (ASUPS) is ineff ective at to become involved. As the organi- In the past week, the PSSU has “I de nitely felt a little drowned out by the committee at rst, but then responding to student concerns. zation is in its primary stages, it is gained campus awareness by pro- I realized I just had to jump in more courageously, and say things before Th e Puget Sound Student Union looking for students who would like testing outside of Board of Trustees people were entirely done talking, if there was a point I really felt strongly (PSSU) is emerging as an outlet to participate. meetings on campus. about,” Jones said. for students to voice their concerns Th is student union also prides it- Th ey were “protesting Th ursday She emphasized innovation as a quality that she wanted to nd in the about ASUPS and the Board of self on the fact that the majority of through Saturday at Board of Trust- next president. “Sometimes I think there is a lack of innovation, and Trustees. members are people of color. Nikita ees meetings to voice student con- more of a continuance of tradition or founding principles that are im- Th e PSSU thinks ASUPS does a New, a core member, puts emphasis cerns over the presidential search — great job, but notes the role of their on the PSSU’s concern with campus and socially responsible invest- portant, in terms [of] keeping people in the same rapport—but in terms of ability to adapt, I think we are a little behind.” organization is very diff erent from diversity. ment,” Sabbagh said. “We are hop- Jones feels that bureaucracy and red tape has held UPS back in the past, ASUPS. “We want to be a voice for them, ing to open up a space where other and she wants to make sure it does not do so in the future. “Th ey are very much administra- or a resource for them,” New said. student organizations may feel em- e committee states that they are seeking a “strategic and innovative tive. Th ey hand out money and they In addition to working with powered in solidarity to voice their planner.” Fundraising competence and commitment to students were run for elections, and that’s not ASUPS, the PSSU has been work- concerns to those who are the ulti- also emphasized as key qualities. Jones emphasized that nding a presi- [what] we’re interested in. We’re ing with a variety of other clubs and mate decision makers.” dent who is similar to Ronald omas is not the committee’s goal. “ ey interested in activism. We’re in- organizations on campus, including Th eir primary goals are to cre- are pretty public that they are looking for the next president, not the next terested in talking to the Board of the Black Student Union, Latinos ate connections with clubs in order Ronald omas,” Jones said. Trustees and changing something Unidos, and the Muslim Student to vocalize needs, act as a resource President omas has been respectful of the process. “He tends to leave that way,” Sabbagh said. Th e core Association. for critical thought about programs the room when they’re discussing him, making sure that he doesn’t im- members would like their organiza- “Can every student’s voice be and policies on campus and increase pact people’s opinions,” Jones said. tion to work with ASUPS to devel- heard? Th at is our goal,” New said. awareness of and cooperation be- op greater transparency between the She would also like the PSSU to tween the University and the city campus community and mainly the act as a resource for students to gain of Tacoma. Th e PSSU is focused on Board of Trustees. awareness of clubs on campus. awareness and activism, with the ul- Th e organization is led by 11 core “It took me until junior year to timate goal of social change. PAGE DESIGN/LEANNE GAN October 9, 2015 2 [email protected] NEWS PAGE DESIGN/NOAH LUMBANTOBING University makes strides toward sustainability By David Balgley Director of DCS Terry Halv- usable, but are also 75 percent and tuition. versity’s implementation of its erson said that a GoPro video is biodegradable and 100 percent “Utility costs are directly built commitment to sustainability Stewardship and the environ- set to be released within the next recyclable. This transition is still into tuition,” Baur said. “We’re and its concomitant values. ment are two core values listed few weeks to highlight DCS’ ef- in discussion, but the decision not asking anyone to make sacri- Students are welcome to be- in the University’s Strategic forts to reduce waste.

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