The SPU Theatre Department presents "The 39 Steps," Feb. 2-4, 9-11, in the E.E. Bach Theatre in McKinley Hall. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece, a juicy spy novel, and a dash of Monty Python and you have Patrick Barlow’s wildly inventive comedy. A fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! 

All shows are at 7:30 p.m., with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Feb. 4. Buy tickets online.

The Music Department welcomes composer Nansi Carroll to Seattle to celebrate her music and perform the world premiere of A Tree Telling of Orpheus, a piece commissioned by SPU. SPU musicians will also perform a choral concert in Bellevue, featuring her music with the SPU Concert Choir. All of these events are free and open to the public:

Sunday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m., St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 4228 Factorial Blvd. SE, Bellevue: Holy Eucharist and Celebration of Nansi Carroll, with Nansi Carroll and the SPU Concert Choir.

Thursday, Feb. 16, 11 a.m., Nickerson Studios 103: “Faith and Music,” a talk with Nansi Carroll. Open to the public. In this discussion, Nancy will discuss the intersection of her faith with her music. 

Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., Nickerson Studios: The world premiere of A Tree Telling of Orpheus, with the SPU Chamber Singers, TORCH, and the POST-HASTE REED Duo.

Mammograms save lives! To help make these essential tests convenient for women in our community, SPU is hosting the Swedish Mobile Mammography coach on Wednesday–Thursday, Feb. 22–23. Schedule your appointment by going to Swedish Breast Center online scheduler. Bring your medical history form from the online scheduling link, your insurance card, and photo ID. Face masks required. The coach will be near Tiffany Loop on Third Ave. W. For more information, contact Cherylin Shdo, human resources benefits specialist at shdoc@spu.edu.

From Frank Kinard, manager of SPU Mailing and Copying Services: Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, all mail and packages will need be picked up directly from Mailing Services. As we work to steward resources responsibly, we have made the decision to eliminate delivery routes at this time. Each department will need to make arrangements to collect their items on a regular basis. We are sorry for any inconvenience this imposes, but please know we remain committed to supporting you and your department’s operations. If any of you have any question or concerns, feel free to contact us at 206-281-2077.

Get ready! Parents and families are coming to campus for Family Weekend 2023, Thursday–Saturday, Feb. 2–4. Festivities include men’s and women’s basketball games, a performance of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, and more. We hope you can join us for some of the events! Check out the Family Weekend 2023 schedule.

SPU Student Counseling, Health and Wellness invites you to "Beating the Winter Blues" — an event to provide a positive boost for the campus community as we get through the long winter months — on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 1–3 p.m. Visit with therapy dogs in the Eaton lobby (1:30–2:30 p.m.); order from the coffee cart in the Eaton breezeway; and enjoy wellness activities such as journaling and a flower giveaway in the Student Union Building’s Fireside Room. If you have questions, call 206-281-2657 or email scc@spu.edu. 

Owen Ewald, assistant professor of classics, presents “Joys of the Greek Bible" at this year’s C. May Marston Lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. He will share his experiences reading and teaching the Bible in ancient Greek — both the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek. Despite some small differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the messages of Scripture to God’s people remain strong and consistent. When the New Testament authors quote the Septuagint, they carry and amplify earlier Scriptural messages to a new group of God’s people — Christians.

Jonathan Tran, Baylor University’s associate professor of philosophical theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion, is the guest lecturer for the 2023 Palmer Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 9, 7–9 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. His lecture is titled, “The Divine Economy vs. Racial Capitalism: Identity Politics, Antiracism, and the Redemption of All Things.” With antiracism lost in a fog of identity politics, it has surrendered the work of liberation to debasing forms of class warfare. But antiracism as a mode of liberation theology narrates justice and mercy as natural to the world insofar as they are natural to God. By considering the work of local forms of Christian life invested in God’s deep economy, we see God’s redemption of the world.

The lecture is sponsored by SPU’s School of Theology and Seattle Pacific Seminary.

Luncheon: Faculty and staff members are invited to a luncheon on Feb. 10, 12–2 p.m. in Fine Center at First Free Methodist Church with the 2023 Palmer Lecture speaker Jonathan Tran, Baylor University’s associate professor of philosophical theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion. For more information about Dr. Tran, check out his book Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism, which presents a novel way of thinking about and approaching racism and antiracism. RSVPs are required through EventBrite.

Documentary: The SPU community is also invited to the free documentary film screening of Far East, Deep South on Friday, Feb. 10, 7–9:30 p.m., at the Majestic Bay Theatre, 2044 NW Market St., Seattle. RSVPs for the documentary are also required through EventBrite.

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 to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contact Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. 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 Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Thursday, Feb. 2, and the next issue will be published Monday, Feb. 6.

If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Join in celebrating Dave Church, assistant vice president for Facility Management, for his 42 years of exemplary work at SPU on Monday, Feb. 13, 1:30–3 p.m., in the Hendricks Falcon Club, Royal Brougham Pavilion, with a program starting at 2 p.m. Dave has made an impact on every department, building, and (most likely) every office on campus. We are compiling a book for him, and blank notecards will be available at the event for you to write him a note to be included. If you are unable to attend but would like to include a note, email your message to kamemoto@spu.edu, or pick up a note card/drop off a note or card in Demaray 250.

Jennifer McKinney, professor of sociology and director of women’s studies, recently had her book, Making Christianity Manly Again: Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, and American Evangelicalism, published by Oxford University Press.

Brittany Tausen, associate professor of psychology, and industrial organizational psychology; doctoral student Mintesinot Misgano; and psychology undergraduate alum Brea Wilson had their article, “Campus Racial Climate, Psychological Well being, and Race Based Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Monoracial Black and Biracial Black Students Following Heightened Exposure to Police Brutality,” published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

An essay by Kathleen Braden, professor emerita of geography, titled “Toward A Modern Bestiary,” was published in the winter 2023 American Scientific Affiliation newsletter, God and Nature.

As a member of the scientific council of the association Aux Sources de la Provence, Alberto Ferreiro, professor emeritus of European history, is part of the team putting together an “apologia” to solicit the Vatican to declare Caesarius of Arles (sixth century) a Doctor of the Church. At recent meetings with the association director, the new Bishop of Aix and Arles, the director of the Institut Sources Chrétiennes of Lyon (largest publisher of patristics in France), and in the presence of the postulator and the vice postulator of the cause of Caesarius of Arles, Alberto was chosen to write the main biographical essay on Caesarius’ life and legacy to be presented with all other documents to the Vatican.