I want to give you a brief update on our wonderful 125^th Anniversary Gala Celebration on May 20 at Fremont Studios. So many things made the evening special, but we were honored and blessed to hear from some of our outstanding alumni like author, pastor, and writer of The Message Eugene Peterson ’53; Seattle Urban Academy Principal Sharon Okamoto ‘75; Landesa Co-founder and Senior Advisor Tim Hanstad ’85; and F5 Networks and Tempered Networks Co-founder Jeff Hussey ’81. Another highlight was the music of Joseph, a folk band of three accomplished SPU alumni who performed several songs. They joined the beautiful finale, an original composition debuted at the gala based on Psalm 8 from The Message, and performed with Assistant Professor of Music Stephen Newby, Minister of Worship Phillip Ferrell, and SPU choral and band ensembles. Finally, we heard President Martin share an inspiring vision for the future of Seattle Pacific.

In addition to a memorable evening, we raised $230,000 for SPU scholarships, and commitments and pledges are still coming in.

I want to thank all the staff members who worked so tirelessly to make this evening truly a “once-in-125-years” event.

We created a website to share highlights of the evening, including the many videos that were shown. Enjoy!

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Summer is associated with relaxation and freedom from academics. However, summer can be a time when depressive symptoms heighten for college students. Changing roles for the summer, shifting responsibilities, and relationships can be difficult to navigate. Students may be at a disadvantage with less access to mental health resources over the summer, making awareness and self-care critical for mental health. To learn more, visit the Wellness blog.

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You have until 9:59 a.m. on Wednesday July 5, to have stationery order(s) delivered on July 14. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on July 5 will be delivered on August 14. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

Bloodworks Northwest will host a blood drive on campus Friday, July 14, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. near the entrance of Tiffany Loop. There’s an extra need for donations during the summer, so encourage friends and family members to stop by and donate. Schedule an appointment online.

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The 10th of each month is the last day to make changes to your upcoming payroll check. Do you need to add or remove your spouse and/or children from your health care plans? If so, contact Human Resources (HR) to complete the appropriate form. Changes might include events that are expected to impact your benefits and deductions, such as your spouse or children gaining or losing coverage due to employment, birth, marriage, etc. Additionally, any changes you wish to make to your 403(b) account contributions must be made by the 10th of the month. For changes to your 403(b) account, contact Transamerica Retirement Solutions at 1-888-676-5512 (5 a.m.–6 p.m. PST), or 1-800-755-5801. If you have any other benefits-related changes, call Mardeth Hughes in HR at 206-281-2816.

A message from Tiffany Shelton, assistant director of conference services: As the 2016-17 academic year comes to a close, I wanted to remind you about an upcoming change to Upper Gwinn reservations. Effective July 1, 2017, Upper Gwinn room setup (Dining Services labor costs) for your internal events will no longer be paid for by Conference Services. This was announced in the 2015-16 academic year, along with the Upper Gwinn policy changes that went into effect on July 1, 2016. In anticipation of this, all 2016-17 Upper Gwinn invoices have included these charges as an informational note, to help you budget for this increase, and potentially adjust your room configurations.

Beginning July 1, 2017, “setup fees” will appear on your Upper Gwinn invoice in addition to the room charge. Both the room charge and the setup fee will be charged to your budget number via semimonthly interdepartmental charge, per the existing process. Note that if you are also ordering catering for your event, setup fees should be quoted on your catering event order as well. If you have questions, contact Conference Services at conferenceservices@spu.edu.

During the summer, Mailing Services will deliver and pick up departmental mail in the afternoon only. Feel free to go to Mailing Services if you need your mail prior to the afternoon delivery. If you have modified summer hours for your department, contact Elaine Stevens in Mailing Services at estevens@spu.edu and they can accommodate your mail pickup or delivery.

Find out about resident and retail dining summer hours of operation online. 

From June 26 to 29, enjoy Cocina Del Sol's Happy Hour. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m., receive 20 percent off your ENTIRE PURCHASE!

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The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every other week during the summer months. If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity. The next deadline is Thursday, July 13. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, July 17.

The School of Theology celebrated three new "reverends" within their faculty in June. Bo Lim, associate professor of Old Testament and university chaplain, was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Shannon Smythe, assistant professor of theological studies, was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Assistant Professor of Wesleyan Theology Matt Sigler was commissioned as a probationary elder in the United Methodist Church. 

Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Global Development Studies Brad Murg presented a paper titled "Cambodia's Labor Arbitration Council: Negotiation, Focal Points, and Bargaining in the Garment Sector" at the International Studies Association Conference at the University of Hong Kong.

A book chapter by Michael Hamilton, professor emeritus of history, was just published in Billy Graham: American Pilgrim (Oxford University Press, 2017). The chapter is titled: "From Desire to Decision: The Evangelistic Preaching of Billy Graham." The book is edited by Andrew Finstuen, Anne Blue Wills, and Grant Wacker. The chapter is an expanded version of a paper Michael gave at a national conference at Wheaton College in 2013.

An essay by Assistant Professor of English Peter Moe was published in Inside Higher Ed. The essay is titled "A Year with the New MLA," and reflects on the big changes the Modern Language Association made to their citation practices.

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The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome the following new employees:

Vivian Bonsu, operations coordinator, Student Financial Services
Megan Burroughs, program coordinator, Marriage & Family Therapy
Gerdon Jones, student and GOLD alumni engagement coordinator in Alumni and Parent Relations
Titus Munteanu, security officer, Office of Safety and Security
Vasyl Tomyev, microsystems analyst, Computer and Information Systems
Dot Williams, security officer, Office of Safety and Security

Frid Nutley, spouse of the late Professor of Physics Hugh Nutley, died on March 30. In 1966, Hugh joined the faculty at Seattle Pacific, where he taught physics and later helped to establish the Electrical Engineering Department.

Frid completed her college degree in English at SPU in 1972 and an M.A. in English at the University of Washington in 1974. She went on to teach classes part-time at SPU and at Puget Sound College of the Bible, and she later worked at SPU as the editor of Response newsletter from 1977 to 1979. In 1979, Frid resigned as editor to write a book about a refugee from Yugoslavia during World War II. 

Frid and Hugh had a deep heart for people from other cultures. In the 1970s they sponsored a family fleeing from Vietnam, in 1983 they sponsored a family from Poland who were escaping the Polish government’s persecution of the Solidarity Union, and they were active in the 1990s with ministry to international students. They offered free English lessons to these students, followed by a Bible study if they wished.

Hugh retired from SPU in 1997 and died in 2003. Frid continued to be involved with her six children and many grandchildren, as well as activities in her church.

Memorial gifts can be made to the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture.

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From Master Gardener Jeff Daley: Our Washington State flower is none other than the Coast Rhododendron, Rhododendron macrophyllum. It is in a category all its own; the big, the bold and the beautiful. It thrives in its natural environment, growing in the understory of our Pacific Northwest forests, where dappled sunlight and just the right amount of moisture and acidic soils abound. You can see many happy native rhodies out on the Olympic Peninsula. Planted with intention in our landscapes, a mature rhododendron is capable of creating a brilliant color display in the garden. With a little research, you can plant several varieties that have different bloom times, and color can be extended from mid-spring into July.

Rhododendrons and azaleas are closely related. The way to tell them apart is by counting the stamens, which are the male part of the flower. The azaleas have five, but their bigger brother, the rhododendron, has 10. Back in the day, if you wanted to have a flowering shrub in your landscape, you either planted rhododendrons or azaleas. That’s about all that was available. Fortunately, we have come a long way in the last 40 years, and there are numerous new flowering shrubs available.

Several varieties of rhododendrons are planted throughout campus. Some newer varieties have recently been introduced and caught my eye. The underside of the leaf on “Wine and Roses” is a beautiful burgundy wine color, and “Everred” has brightly colored reddish leaves all year long. I noticed both these plants at the Rhododendron Species Garden in Federal Way, where you can purchase plants for your garden.

Some of the benefits of growing a rhody are:

• The brilliant color display: Purple, lavender, cream, pink, red, and various hues of yellow and orange.
• They are an evergreen shrub, with leaves that persist all year and can provide structure in the landscape for all seasons.
• Some of the larger growing plants can be used as a screen to hide an unsightly part of your yard or your neighbor's.
• They create a nice green backdrop to enhance other plantings in the foreground.
• They attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.
• Large mature plantings will add property value to the landscape.
• Our climate is perfect for growing rhodies, making many gardeners jealous! 

We are fortunate to have several renowned rhododendron gardens in our area where you can learn more about rhododendrons and see some exquisite varieties from all over the world.

• The Rhododendron Species Garden (Federal Way)
• The Meerkerk Garden (Whidbey Island)
• Rhododendron Glen at the Washington Park Arboretum (University of Washington)
• Whitney Gardens and Nursery (Brinnon)