Special Acknowledgement to Andrew Barton and Cody Yamakawa:
To start, I would like to acknowledge the two students who our community lost at the end of the school year and over the summer. Andrew Barton was in the class of 2022 and Cody Yamakawa was in the class of 2024. Both were valuable members of our community and will be greatly missed.
Students, please know you are not alone. There are many people who care about you and it is okay to ask for help. If you ever feel that you need support, please reach out to the health and counseling center. If you have a friend who is going through a hard time, be there for them and connect them with on and off campus resources. We are all in this together.
Here are some resources courtesy of Active Minds:
Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/ or text/WhatsApp "HOME" "START" "HELLO" etc. to 741741
Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org/
The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ students): https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
YouthLine (a peer crisis line): https://oregonyouthline.org/
The Mental Health Coalition (for BIPOC students): https://www.thementalhealthcoalition.org/resources/
Pilot Help Line, 503-943-7134 (ext. 3, 24 hours/7 days a week): counseling services for UP students.
Welcome back Pilots…
2022-23 is going to be an exciting year!
We are now going strong on year two of in-person classes. Last year was an overwhelming success when it came to our COVID response. Thanks to everyone in the UP community, the leadership in the COVID Steering Committee, and the COVID case management team. This year, I know we will be just as successful while being able to prioritize other aspects of making UP the best and most inclusive it can be.
In July, we welcomed President Dr. Robert D. Kelly. He’s the first layperson to be president of the University of Portland. We are so thrilled to see the positive impact he will have on the university and community. I see this as an opportunity for a renewed commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, as well as a new beginning for determining how we can be a Catholic institution that’s able to serve the changing needs of the student body.
This year, I would love to see the university continue to implement the various recommendations of Dr. Liz Ortiz’s report. This is a continual process, and it is important that we celebrate our accomplishments, while also continuing to make more progress, as there is always more we can improve on. I am also hoping to see a relationship and continuous dialogue develop between the University and the LGBTQIA+ community, as last semester we faced events that caused some members of the UP community to feel unsafe and unwelcome at UP. We never want any of our community members to feel this way, which is why we need to prioritize starting a dialogue to communicate and begin to mend and re-build relationships.
Additionally, I would like to give a special thanks to former Director of Bon Appetit, Kirk Mustain. He has been such a valuable and committed member of the UP Community. He will be greatly missed and has left big shoes to fill. Kirk will be on campus occasionally, so if you see him, please give him a smile. On behalf of the UP community, thank you Kirk for everything you did.
And finally, welcome to the class of 2026! UP is so excited to see what you all will bring to the community.
To conclude, I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and successful semester. Let’s make this year the best one yet. GO Pilots!!!
Emma Fuller is the ASUP president. She can be reached at fuller23@up.edu.
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