Wes Cruse

Barber, craftsman, priest: Get to know Rev. Dan Parrish

It’s hard to miss Fr. Dan Parrish walking around campus. You might’ve seen him dressed in priestly black, wearing sunglasses or his black hat. At six foot, six inches tall, Parrish towers above just about everyone. For many UP students, Parrish is an inspiration, spiritual guide or simply just a friend.

Becoming Catholic: Students and staff complete RCIA program

April on the Bluff is marked by drizzly days, fluttering cherry blossoms and eager anticipation for summer. But for three members of the UP community—freshman Isabella Horning, sophomore Kira Champelli and Moreau Center Program Manager Tshombé Brown—April is marked by Saturday’s Easter Vigil Mass, the night upon which their journey to becoming Catholic will culminate in what is arguably the most important Catholic celebration of the year.

Five professors earn tenure

Meiser, who teaches political science, was among five UP professors who earned tenure at the end of January. The others were nursing professor Lindsey Benes, business professor Madhuparna Kolay, psychology professor Zachary L. Simmons and psychology professor Sarina Saturn. Earning tenure basically ensures complete job security for professors; a tenured professor can only be fired under extraordinary circumstances.

UP among the first institutions to rescind degree of disgraced Cardinal McCarrick

Last summer, amidst allegations of sex abuse within the Catholic Church, UP rescinded ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s honorary degree from 2008. This past weekend, UP’s decision was validated by McCarrick’s expulsion from the priesthood, after the Church found him guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power.   While Notre Dame and Georgetown waited until now to rescind McCarrick’s honorary degrees, UP was among a handful of institutions that made that decision this past July. University president Fr. Mark Poorman said that the decision in July was informed by the credibility of the Archdiocese of New York review board’s findings regarding McCarrick as well as his following resignation from the College of Cardinals. 

School of Nursing in the process of changing curriculum

Besides adding a new bachelor of science degree in Integrative Health and Wellness Studies in November, the school  is also revamping its curriculum. This new approach emphasizes critical thinking skills over rote memorization of facts. It also eliminates the previous requirement for junior nurses to undergo a summer session, makes more use of the school’s Simulated Health Center and gives students more flexibility to pursue a minor. 

Staff Opinion: Why everyone should see a counselor

I never thought it would end up this way. For most of my life, I’ve considered myself to be a well-adjusted, fairly normal American boy. I grew up in the small town of Ferndale, Washington, perhaps only known for being Jake Locker’s hometown.  I was a paperboy, the proud deliverer of the mayor’s copy of the Ferndale Record every Wednesday afternoon. I did well in school, graduated valedictorian of my class, played Call of Duty with my cousin on the weekends, and always looked forward to visiting my grandparents’ house across town, especially when those visits ended with my grandfather slyly passing me a five-dollar bill. Buy yourself a treat, he would say, his special way of saying I love you. By all measures, I was happy.

First Chamorro woman with Ph.D in mathematics gives lecture on embracing uniqueness

On Thursday night, as smells of empanadas, chicken keluguen—a traditional dish of the Chamorro, indigenous peoples of the Mariana islands— and shrimp fritters filled the air, UP students and members of Guam Club gathered in St. Mary’s to hear Rebecca Garcia’s story. Garcia is the first Chamorro woman to receive a Ph.D in mathematics, and she is a long-time friend and former student of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Herbert Medina. She was invited to speak as part of Diversity Dialogues. 

Diversity Dialogues packed with events for the next two weeks

Today marks the first day of Diversity Dialogues. For the next two weeks, there will be a multitude of events put on by clubs and other organizations to help educate the UP community about a variety of topics related to diversity and inclusion. Events are free and open to all.  “We’re carving out this time in the academic calendar to focus on issues that are related to diversity, equity, inclusion, race, privilege, all that good stuff,” said Yuri Hernandez Osorio, coordinator for diversity and inclusion programs. “But, the conversation doesn’t start or end there necessarily, and so another concept of Diversity Dialogues is continuing the dialogue.”

QUIZ: Which campus Christmas tree are you?

Decked out with ornaments, bedazzled by lights and topped with sparkling stars, Christmas trees have made their annual return to UP’s campus. Christmas is on it’s way and you might have noticed the sight of several gleaming evergreens in some of your favorite spots on campus. Have you ever wondered which of these trees captures your Christmasy self? Take this quiz to find out which Christmas tree on campus best defines your holiday cheer.

Students partake in new Social Determinants of Health class

Social Determinants of Health provided students with a unique interdisciplinary approach to the different factors that influence the wellbeing of communities. The course’s interdisciplinary perspective means that students study the subject from several different ways of looking at the experience faced by low-income households. By hosting about half of the class meetings off campus in the New Columbia neighborhood, the course gives students a hands-on experience that places them directly into the lives of people who have faced economic and health challenges.