Student Groups
The majority of community building efforts at PSR are student-led. The Office of Community Life and the CAPSR Council (Community Association of PSR) encourages and supports students to form interest and support groups that would become their network of support while they are in their academic program. The Office of Community Life provides logistical support (e.g., how to organize events at PSR) as well as workshops that provides practical leadership skills to student organizers. The CAPSR council, on the other hand, provides financial support and advocates for the needs of student groups.
Student interest and support groups are diverse. The gifts that student organizers bring into community building are rooted in their passion and interest--or those that "kindle love" in them (to use St. Theresa of Avila's words).
Current Student Groups:
Insanity Workout
Mission: Help students, faculty and staff become fit and health as we movitate each other as a community. Meetings: Mudd 100, Monday-Weds-Friday, @ 7-8 am. Contact: Tino Cordova at tinocordova@live.com
Ad Hoc
Meetings: Last Sunday of each month @ 7 pm in Buckham Chapel
Contacts: Naomi Schulz, nschulz@ses.psr.edu; Lacey Hunter, khunter@ses.psr.edu; Purpose: To "fill in the cracks" of student events: example, host coming out party for coming out day; host some evening alternative services for holy days, & host other community building events.
Friends of Wadi Foquin
Mission: To save a Palestinian village from extinction. Meeting: Ad Hoc (monthly); Contact: Mike Friedrich: 510-917-5394 or mfriedrich@ses.psr.edu and Lindsey Kerr.
Risen!
Mission: Create a collaborative bibliodrama of the story of Jesus from crucifixion through ascension, one performance in PSR Chapel of the Great Commission on March 22. Meetings: at Mudd 100 on Saturdays and one Friday. Contact: Michael Haven at mhaven@ses.psr.edu, or 510-478-4267, mhaven@ses.psr.edu, and Chris Hockley at chockley@ses.psr.edu or 510-283-1212.
Movies That Matter
Mission: To educate community members through the use of films and talks about social justice issues. Meeting: Once a month in the dining hall.
Contacts: Michele Robbins, srobbins@ses.psr.edu
Music Circle
Meetings: Approx. once a month, we will hold a jam/song circle, which is open to any musicians & listeners who want to attend.
Contacts: Eric McEuen, emceuen@ses.psr.edu; Patrick Ruth (pruth@ses.psr.edu).
Splatter Paint
Mtng: 2x per month. Contacts: Sarah McCune, smccune@ses.psr.edu; Purpose: To provide a community space for artists on campus.
Korean Student Association
Meetings: Every other month. Contacts: Sunglae Cho, scho@ses.psr.edu, Hyungju Lee, ilj0411@gmail.com | KSA website. Goal: To encourage Korean students to study harder without losing their vision/goals.
Healing Service
Meetings: Monthly on the 3rd Thursday from 7-9 pm; Mission: to provide a space for healing, relaxation for students, staff, faculty & community members.
Contacts: Dawn Roginski dmroginski@msn.com and Daniel Borysewicz dborysewicz@ses.psr.edu
Soul Food
Meetings: Tuesday nights from 8-midnight in Mudd 100; 1st Saturday of the month--Queer Fusion Dance Night.
Contacts: Jasmine Herrick, 360-941-6991, Box 397, jherrick@ses.psr.edu; Sarah McCune
Garden Group
Mission: Cultivate a spirit of connection with the earth which brings us nourishment. Meetings: Once a month in PSR community garden / more meetings during planting season.
Contacts: Kelly Kraus
Yoga & Meditation
Purpose: To practice a spiritual discipline in community, releasing stress & strengthening compassion. Meetings: Fridays, 8-9:30 am and 11-12:30 am; Location: Mudd 100 for Yoga. Buckham Chapel for meditation.
Contacts: Shanon Gorres, sgorres@ses.psr.edu.
PSR - United Church of Christ
Meetings: TBD (possibly monthly).
Contacts: Meredith Jackson, mjackson@ses.psr.edu; Michael Haven, mhaven@ses.psr.edu. Mission: To support and further United Church of Christ identity on PSR's campus.
Disability Alliance
Meetings: Weekly or bi-weekly in the dining hall.
Contacts: Katie Koumatos (aka Hodges), kskoumatos@gmail.com; Purpose: To create a supportive space to talk about the challenges of being disabled students and to develop outreach and educational programming for the campus.
No Hands But These
Meetings: Monthly didactic/film/panel. Periodic meal meetings.
Contacts: Carl Magruder, theearthquaker@gmail.com; Larissa Keeler, larissa.keeler@gmail.com. Purpose: To promote & encourage the development of chaplaincy training, residency, resources, and pedagogical opportunities at PSR.
Arch Student Association
Meetings: Twice yearly in Arch (aka Anderson Hall)
Contacts: Lindsey Kerr; 412-576-5763; PSR Box 528; E-mail: lkerr@ses.psr.edu; Student Group Purpose Statement: Take care of Arch building / community life in Arch.
awaken
Meetings: Worship experiences TBD. Contact: Meredith Jackson, mjackson@ses.psr.edu (Box 308), and Emily Labreque, elabreque@ses.psr.edu. Mission: To provide an alternative-style worship space for and from the GTU community, rootied in the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is an experiential space grounded in the histories & traditions of the Christian Church, in keeping with Jesus' ministry of proclaiming God's grace. We engage many ways of encountering God, believing that God's incarnate word is embodied in flesh and can be a source of liberation.
4M Ministries
Meetings: TBA
Mission: A mnistry of restoration and reclamation. We offer student-led services to the GTU/PSR community incorporating ancient & modern Christian spirituality while we welcome people of all faith walks. Facebook page: www.facebook.com/4Mgroup. Contact: Philip Tanner, rtanner2@ses.psr.edu; Gina Pond, gpond@ses.psr.edu
Healing Service
Meetings: Monthly on the 3rd Thursday from 7-9 pm
Contacts: Dawn Roginski; Purpose Statement: To provide a space for healing, relaxation for students, staff, faculty & community members.
Smash Ball
Meetings: Saturday afternoons & one tournament each semester on the PSR quad.
Contacts: Kelly Kraus & Emily Labreque. Purpose: To foster community & conquer vitamin D deficiency among students and therefore increase happiness.
New Thought & Students
Meetings: Every Thursday, 8 am at the Small Dining Room at the Dining Hall.
Contacts: Linda Reppond, revlinda@gmail.com. Purpose: To provide an opportunity for students for Unity,Religious Science & other New Thought communities to meet, support each other, and increase awareness of New Thought at PSR.
Benton Hall Student Association
Contact: Nate Mazur, nate@mazur.org
GTU Quidditch League
Group FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GTUQuidditch/
The Open Circle
Meetings: Full moons, Sabbat holidays (equinoxes, solstices, cross-quarters). Purpose: To create and support the presence of pagan students and interested others at the GTU, and to offer workshops, meditations, and open rituals.
Contact: Katie Koumatos, kskoumatos@gmail.com
The PSR Poly Group
Meetings: once every 2 to 4 weeks whenever persons in the group are available. Mission: to support polyamorous people and their allies in the area and to offer opportunties and speaker for interested persons. Contact: Shannon Gorres, sgorres@ses.psr.edu, 510-684-6486; Jasmine Herrick, 360-931-6991, jherrick@ses.psr.edu
GO: The Great Outdoors PSR Student Group
Meetings: One planning mtng per semester, & one outdoor event per month to be announced on our FB group.
Contact: Wesley Capps, wcapps@ses.psr.edu, JT Hills, jhills@ses.psr.edu. Mission: To build community through a common love of "the great outdoors," which we seek to experience together through hiking, camping & more.
Jesus, Jesus Jesus
This group is for students who are consider themelves theologically orthodox. https://www.facebook.com/groups/jesusjesusjesus/
Inactive Student Groups:
Coming Out of Fundamentalism
Meetings: TBD
Contact: None at this time.
Students of Color and Allies
Meetings: TBD
Organic Gardening Group
Meetings: TBD; Contacts: TBD.
Support AIDS LifeCycle 2011
Meetings: TBD
Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation
Meetings: TBD; Purpose: explore the relevance of the bible in light of postcolonial theory
Prayer Circle
Contacts: Beth Love, bethlove@icogitate.com | Mahsea Evans, 831-459-5090, mahsea@juno.com
TREES: Theological Roundtable on Ecological Ethics & Spirituality
Meetings: TBD
United Methodist Students
Meetings: Monthly
PSR Significant Others of Students (SOS)
"God doesn't call one member of the family to happiness and fulfillment and leave the others to be miserable." --Rev. Lilian Daniel (This Odd & Wondrous Calling, 2008)
A continuing work in progress. A place for support and social events for the important folks in the lives of seminarians (partners, spouses, families). Connect with other folks who “get” the challenges of being part of the family of a seminarian Family is widely defined--if you think you belong in this group, you do! Open and affirming community for LGBTQ folks, heterosexual folks, youth, and all kinds of family arrangements. For more information, please contact Tammy Hockley, trhockley@hotmail.com and Christina Borel, christina.borel@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook (if hyperlink is easy).
