During the school year, the campus of Pacific Lutheran University is overflowing with students. Whether in a classroom, a residence hall, or strolling through Red Square, it is impossible not to encounter another person. However, as May comes to a close and students step away from campus for rest, work, or to take advantage of the opportunity to learn abroad, Conferences and Events steps up to fill the halls and yards with one exciting event after another and this year is no exception!
The summer begins with local schools utilizing our campus for graduation ceremonies. Throughout the season, we host a variety of sports camps for junior high and high school age students, including basketball, softball, volleyball, and soccer. Of course, there are the always-popular "
berry festivals" bringing the PLU and Parkland communities together monthly to celebrate beautiful sunny days with food, fun and entertainment.
As the summer progresses, the campus will also be proud to welcome both returning and new conferences. One of the biggest events of the summer will be a new one for PLU: The Zimbabwe Music Festival. This festival will take place over the 4th of July weekend and draw folks from all across the west coast and Canada to “come together and share [their appreciation of Zimbabwean music and culture], and to foster the growth of that community by reaching out to an ever-wider audience through educational and performance initiatives."
Finally, one of the biggest developments for PLU's Conferences and Events staff this summer is the return of our home office in the newly renovated University Center. This $14 million dollar project, a shining example of our campus' commitment to sustainability, recently attained the silver-level certification in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. This makes our University Center the first on the West coast to achieve this rating, something of which we are very proud.
