Pilots Prevent
August 10, 2021
On Monday, August 2, University of Portland’s campus offices were once again thrumming with activity as staff returned to work on campus. After well over a year working remotely through the height of the pandemic, the return to The Bluff was like a homecoming for many employees.
To celebrate, UP leadership hosted Pilots Together Again on August 4—an outdoor afternoon event filled with hot dogs, warm donuts, and cold drinks, plus games, DIY frisbees, and (perhaps best of all) a special VIP guest appearance from the ever-so-fluffy Beni the llama.
“The Pilots Together Again gathering was our way of trying to show appreciation for all that we’ve been through and welcome back our employee community to The Bluff after seventeen months of mostly working remotely,” says UP Provost and acting President Herbert Medina. “We had over 300 people attend and the feedback we’ve gotten has been very positive, with many commenting about how nice it was to see colleagues in person again. The event was a good preview of what is to come this fall as we welcome back our entire undergraduate student body back to campus.”
For employees who had only seen their colleagues on a screen for more than a year, it was great opportunity to hang out and catch up face-to-face without the pressure of impending meetings and deadlines getting in the way.
“It was so great to see my friends and colleagues at the Pilots Together Again event,” says Janet Turner, director of financial aid. “I had fun introducing some of my staff to people from across campus that they had never met in person. We also met Mike DeVaughn, the new Dean of the Pamplin School of Business, and he even agreed to take a picture with us at the photo booth!”
For those like Dean DeVaughn, who joined UP right before or during the pandemic, the event was an especially important way to establish a stronger connection with their new colleagues. “From my first day at UP—three weeks before lockdown—I was warmly welcomed into the community, but I was only able to meet a few people in person before COVID changed our lives,” says Karen Bridges, marketing and communications coordinator. “Throughout lockdown, every person I engaged with remotely was warm, kind, caring, and genuine. So, for me, to finally be able to meet these colleagues in-person after working so long through a screen, to share a space, to eat donuts and hug llamas together, it just really enriched that sense of community.”
On August 10, members of the night crew who keep UP running smoothly into the wee hours were honored with their own special event—a midnight appreciation breakfast in the Pilot House. “This included many folks from Physical Plant and Campus Safety who do so much while the rest of us are sleeping to clean, maintain, and protect our campus,” says Evan Leadem, chief of staff and board secretariat. “We gathered for pancakes, colleagueship, and words of gratitude from Herbert.”
It’s been an unprecedented 17 months to say the least, but the Pilot community navigated the ups and downs, pivots and transitions with dedication, perseverance, and skill— and that’s something we can all be grateful for.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
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