Pageantry and Protests: PLU students experience ‘messiness of democracy’ at President Trump’s inauguration
Washington D.C. (March. 9, 2017)- The small group of Pacific Lutheran University students, standing huddled together in a jam-packed section toward the front of the National Mall, remained silent. Some shook their heads in disbelief. Others wore expressions of shock. Two couldn’t stop tears from…
PLU alumna serves as interim director of Tacoma’s Rainbow Center
TACOMA, WASH. (March 8, 2017)- Laura Brewer ’03 was no stranger to activism when she started volunteering at the Tacoma Rainbow Center in 2000. An active Lute, Brewer engaged in a variety of LGBTQ advocacy work on Pacific Lutheran University’s campus through Harmony, known today…
Arts and technology center would bring new opportunities to Parkland
TACOMA, WASH. (Feb. 28, 2017)- Community leaders behind the Pierce Center for Arts & Technology (PCAT) have big plans to create a wide variety of new opportunities for both youth and adults in the South Sound region. The recently established nonprofit organization is working toward…
PLU Peace Corps program prepares Lutes for service work abroad
TACOMA, WASH. (Feb. 22, 2017)- Bonnie Nelson ’08 didn’t always plan on joining the Peace Corps. But when she met a returned volunteer in graduate school who helped her learn more about the organization, her plans changed. “It was through conversations with her about her…
Expert panel to discuss the meaning of ‘sanctuary’
TACOMA, WASH. (Feb. 13, 2017)- On Monday, Feb. 27, at 5:30 p.m. in Chris Knutzen Hall PLU will host a panel discussion on the development, politics and practices of sanctuary movements. “In light of President Krise’s letters in support of immigrant students and ongoing conversations…
MBA students get their hands dirty, help brand Skagit Valley
TACOMA, WASH. (Feb. 8, 2017)- Last semester, master’s students in Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business got their hands dirty and counted craft breweries, farms and grocery stores as their classroom. The MBA Marketing Management course brought them to the agricultural community of Skagit County,…
‘Learning from Standing Rock’ event at PLU to feature tribal leaders from Washington state, the Dakotas
UPDATE (1.8.17): Due to weather concerns, the Learning from Standing Rock event has been moved to Chris Knutzen Hall (CK) in PLU’s Anderson University Center. TACOMA, WASH. (Jan. 31, 2017)- Pacific Lutheran University will host an event titled “Learning from Standing Rock” on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at…
Lute catches ‘activism bug,’ gains confidence in political arena
TACOMA, WASH. (Dec. 2, 2016)- Pacific Lutheran University junior Austin Beiermann struggled to find confidence as a political activist. Beiermann’s sense of political engagement heightened after Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for president. As the election cycle progressed, he began attending monthly dinners hosted by…
Lutes give back to community, troops ahead of Thanksgiving
TACOMA, WASH. (Nov. 17, 2016)- Thanksgiving break is right around the corner. Pacific Lutheran University students are ready to go home, spend time with family and eat a nice home-cooked meal. But PLU’s service-based nursing club, Delta Iota Chi, has a way for students to…
PLU student recounts election-night experience in TV newsroom
TACOMA, WASH. (Nov. 17, 2016)- Editor’s note: A group of Pacific Lutheran University students volunteered in a TV newsroom on election night, as they have for every election in newsrooms across the region since the early 2000s. Here is a first-hand, real-time account from one…
PLU creates space for listening, offers support for Lutes seeking meaning and healing amid 2016 election results
TACOMA, WASH. (Nov. 9, 2016)- Silence blanketed the Ness Family Chapel during Wednesday’s service. Thomas W. Krise, president of Pacific Lutheran University, told students, faculty and staff — some with tears in their eyes — that now is a time to reflect on where to…
Decorated veteran and PLU staff member Steve Shumaker on PLU’s upcoming Veterans Day Celebration
TACOMA, WASH. (Oct. 31, 2016)- Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Steve Shumaker ’16 spent 12 years in the military, serving as a crew chief for Black Hawk helicopter mechanics. He now works at Pacific Lutheran University as the Vet Corps Navigator, connecting military-affiliated students with on-…