The annual Festival of Lessons and Carols is Tuesday, December 1, at 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church. This service, hosted by the Department of Music, is a traditional Advent celebration that tells the story of the coming of Christ through Scripture and song. Donations to the SPU Benevolence Fund will also be collected (cash or checks written to Seattle Pacific University). The Benevolence Fund provides assistance to students in times of personal crisis.

Faculty and staff and their families are invited to this annual event on Friday, December 4, 7-10 p.m. in Tiffany Loop. “Tradition” is produced by STUB, the Student Union Board.

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Assistant Professor of New Testament Laura Holmes will introduce the Center for Biblical and Theological Education’s (CBTE) next Lectio series at a dinner seminar on Tuesday, January 5, 6-9 p.m. The next Lectio is on the Gospel of Mark. The seminar will examine common questions among believers such as “Have you ever wondered how to follow Jesus when you haven’t got it all figured out? When Jesus surprises you? Or when you need encouragement to be faithful?” The seminar is free for faculty and staff, and includes dinner. External guests can also attend for $20. To register, email Nate Hoover, CBTE interim assistant director, at hoovern@spu.edu.

Prospective students, alumni, and their families will be on campus Friday, December 4, for “Pizza with the President.” If you know a high school student who would be a good fit for SPU, please let him or her know about this special event. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is hosting this pre-Tradition tradition at 6 p.m. in the Hendricks Falcon Club in Brougham Pavilion. Guests will visit with President Martin and then go to Tiffany Loop for the Christmas festivities. RSVP online. If you are planning on attending Tradition, please welcome these visitors to our campus. 

A message from Professor of Geography Kathleen Braden: “Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 9, 12:30-1 p.m. in Demaray 355 for a showing of the cartoon, Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Bring a brown bag lunch and beverage. Cookies will be provided. Don’t we all need a little razzleberry dressing just about now in this troubled world?” 

Campus Dining is offering the following specials this week.

Common Grounds / Academic Perks
Sunrise Special: Purchase a grande espresso (does not include Frappucinos) with a pastry of your choice for only $5.29.

Medley
By popular demand, we are offering a Five-Topping Salad for $5.99.

Subway
It’s Tween Time! From 3-5 p.m., get a foot-long sub (Ham or Cold Cut Combo) for only $5.

Sandella’s
All grilled flatbreads are only $3.99.

C-Store
Duo Deal: Get a 20-ounce bottled soft drink with a small candy bar for only $2.99.

Einstein’s Bagels
Tween Time Specials. From 3-5 p.m., get a Ham or Turkey Deli Sandwich for $5; or a Ham or Turkey Bagel and Schmear for $2.

The last event of "Digital Wisdom," a three-part series featuring theologians discussing issues related to living in the digital age, is Monday, November 30, at 7 p.m. in the Library Seminar Room. Michael Burdett from Oxford University will talk about “Forming the (Virtual) Self: Christian Practice and Internet Living.” The series is funded with support from the Provost Innovation Fund, SERVE, and the SPU Library.

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The basketball season is underway and the Falcons are excited to announce a new change to the Junior Falcon Kids Club program. The Queen Anne Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is the new title sponsor of the program, and that means membership is now FREE for all Falcon fans in eighth grade and younger.

Junior Falcon members receive all of these great benefits for the 2015-16 men’s and women’s basketball season.

-   Free admission to all Falcon home events (a total of 27 games)
-   A free Junior Falcons T-shirt
-   An exclusive, personalized Junior Falcons credential
-   Special VIP opportunities to meet coaches and players
-   Special meet and greet events with Talon, the Falcon mascot
-   A birthday card from Talon with a coupon for free food at Menchie’s!

Sign up today by visiting the Junior Falcons registration page.  

Thursday, December 3
Women's basketball vs Western Oregon, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 5
Women's basketball vs Concordia, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m. More

The Fall census information is now available on the Office of Information and Data Management (IDM) website. Several pages on the IDM website are open to the public; others are available only to SPU staff and faculty. If you have comments or questions about the information appearing on the website, contact Tim Gatlin, senior systems and data manager, at tgatlin@spu.edu or 206-281-2545.

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You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, December 1, to have stationery order(s) delivered on December 11. Stationery orders are now delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on December 1 will be delivered January 15, 2016. 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.

Flu shots are now available in Health Services, located in Watson Hall. Current staff, faculty, and dependents (age 15 years and up) who have Cigna coverage through SPU may receive their annual flu shot free of charge as part of the preventive care benefit. For those not covered by Cigna, the cost is $25. Make an appointment by calling 206-281-2231.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. 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, December 3. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, December 7.

Associate Professor of Political Science Caleb Henry recently presented a paper titled “Obergefell, Locke, and the Changing Definition of Marriage” at the annual conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists in Ohio.

Earlier this year, Joanna Poznanska, professor of international business, presented a joint paper with Hai Yue Liu, professor of business from Sichuan University, at the 25th International Conference of International Trade and Finance Association in Sarasota, Florida. The title of the paper was "China's FDI in Korea: Implications for the Bilateral Trade."

Artwork by adjunct art professor Rachell Sumpter appeared in the recent Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Her work was featured on the cover and in an article in the Bulletin. See her work in the Bulletin online.

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Professor of Apparel Design and Merchandising Jaeil Lee co-authored a paper titled “Assessment of Textile and Apparel Curriculum in Mongolia from the Academia and Industry Perspectives” at the International Textiles and Apparel Association annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The project was made possible by a Lilly SERVE Grant she received for summer teaching at Mongolia International University.

From University Archivist Adrienne Meier: From 1910 to 1916, students of Seattle Seminary and College published a monthly literary journal titled The Cascade. Students submitted stories, poetry, essays, artwork, and jokes to the publication, which also included reports of the monthly doings of student groups and clubs and news from around the campus. Some issues were produced by one particular student group or class, such as the (high school) Seniors, the College students, the Alethepian Society (women’s group) or the Philopolemical Club (men’s group). All issues contained advertisements for local Seattle business, and many were printed in the campus printing shop in the basement of Tiffany Hall. The June issue of each year served as the yearbook. In 1917 or 1918, the monthly issues were dropped, and only the yearbook issue remained. The SPU yearbook is still known as The Cascade, while the student literary journal has been known as Essence, Second Essence,” and now Lingua. Early issues of The Cascade can be downloaded from Digital Commons. Select the link to see more issues.

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(Last week’s Bulletin did not include a link to a photo gallery of Japanese maples on campus. The link is now included at the end of this article.) From SPU Master Gardener Jeff Daley: One of the fantastic benefits of a mature landscape is that herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees love to reproduce themselves. They provide seedlings that you can share with friends and neighbors or just plant into your own garden. The SPU campus is full of leafy treasures ― over the years I have enjoyed discovering and transplanting them here, there, and everywhere.

Recently I teamed up with Associate Professor of Biology Eric Long and students from the Biology and Environmental Science departments. We shared an exciting time together scouring the campus for Japanese maple seedlings. We gathered and transplanted 125 seedlings that will grow and ultimately be used as gifts at SPU’s 125th year Anniversary Gala. What a beautiful expression of giving back something tangible and meaningful, grown on our campus, and potted by SPU students.

The botanical names for the Japanese maple are Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum. The Japanese maple grows in a mind-boggling number of different cultivars and varieties. Many are quite expensive, and all are unique and elegant additions to any landscape. Sizes range from a midsized shrub a few feet tall, to 30-ft trees. Some varieties do quite nicely planted in containers or even as bonsai. In the fall, Japanese maples electrify the garden with varying shades of bright red, yellow, and orange; they are guaranteed to brighten any gray, dreary Pacific Northwest day.

If you are considering a Japanese maple for your garden, shop for your tree in the fall to see the color of the leaf. Japanese maples will generally do well when planted in sunny areas, although most prefer partial shade, especially in the hotter part of the day. As a rule of thumb, non-green-leaf varieties like burgundy, red, or golden will be much more susceptible to sunburn and should definitely be given partial afternoon shade. Water well the first few years until your tree is established. Be aware that Japanese maples do not like to sit in standing water, so planting them in riparian (near streams, lakes, natural springs, etc.) areas should be avoided. In wet conditions like this you could plant the native vine maple Acer circinatum, which is every bit as decorative.

Select the link to see a photo gallery of Japanese maples on campus, as well as students planting seedlings.

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