George Fox Culture: What’s Poppin’ at Fox?
Reported by Kylie Bean
Photography by Janelle Winn, Avery Owen and Olivia Grijalva
George Fox University (GFU) has an interesting campus community, with many distinct quirks. There are some objects, actions, and qualities that are specifically unique to GFU students. So, what’s popular at GFU, and how do these things affect our campus as a whole?
Stickers are a fundamental part of nearly every GFU student's existence. This may be due to the fact that stickers are an outlet for personal expression, thus a person's stickers are representative of their unique identity. For instance, thanks to StickerFest, many GFU students have been branding their bottles with “Not GFA”--meaning “Not George Fox-Approved”. What does that say about identity, eh?
During the late fall, winter, and early spring seasons, Newberg is notorious for its dark and somewhat gloomy weather. It’s a rare and glorious occasion to have blue skies and sun. So, as soon as a single ray of sunshine touches our normally shadowy town, every student floods to the Quad. You can find students lying in hammocks, playing spikeball or simply soaking up the sun.
In mid-fifty degree weather, observers can see students in shorts and tank tops, strolling around campus, most likely sweating. GFU students will risk sunburns to catch some of that good ol’ Vitamin D. Can you blame us after not seeing the sun in what seems like months?
Another popular thing to do on campus is watch reality TV, but not just any series… “The Bachelor”! Every Monday or Tuesday night, there are watch parties all across campus. Throughout the week, people patiently wait for the next episode to air and gossip about their latest theories and opinions.
In light of class closures at GFU, the Coronavirus has been on every student’s mind. This sickness is no laughing matter, but there are some ironic occurrences you may have experienced. For instance, when corona-talk became more prevalent on campus, you started using the hand sanitizing station in the Bon. Or, after a single cough or the slightest pain in your throat you wonder, “Do I have corona?”
Each of these aspects of GFU creates a unique living community on campus. Each feature reveals the different personalities of individuals, while connecting these differing characters through similar interests.