The Pacifican is Moving Offices

Photo taken by Mōhailani Peloso

Goodbye Smith Lounge

Disclaimer: This article serves solely as an unbiased and factual account of The Pacifican’s past and current offices as well as a timeline of the Pacifican’s move out of the Smith Lounge. This article was written on February 11, 2025 and was factually correct at the time.

Looking through The Pacifican’s archive on Pacific’s scholarly commons, I was able to find that before the paper’s move to Smith Lounge in August of 2012, The Pacifican called many places home in its 117 years. In 2009, their office was across from the Southwest Hall Lounge, and staff meetings were held in Knoles 212. In 2011, the office was located on the second floor of Morris Chapel, and staff meetings were held in the Morris Chapel classroom. Eventually, the paper moved to Smith Lounge and has worked out of that office for nearly 13 years. 

In Fall 2024, the paper’s Co-Editors-in-chief, Amaya Leiby and Kara Uchizono, held a meeting with Pacific’s Vice President of Student Life Maria Blandizzi, in which it was mentioned that Student Life had wanted to “clean up” The Pacifcan’s office space. This was understood by Leiby to be just a cleaning out of the office. However, this was not followed up on and nothing was heard from Student Life until the following semester. 

On January 16, 2025, both Leiby and Uchizono received an email from The Pacifcan’s advisor, Jonathan Partridge, informing them that Student Life would be renovating the office; no further clarification was provided until a meeting that had been set for the 28th of that month. The meeting was held with Breann Northcutt and Josh O’Connor, the Assistant Vice President of Student Life, in attendance. It was there that Leiby and Uchizono were informed that The Pacifican would be moving offices. They were also informed that staff had about three weeks to move out and that Pacific would store some furniture for them, but all boxes and materials would have to be stored independently. At the time of the meeting, it was unclear if The Pacifican was going to get a new office or if staff would have to temporarily relocate. 

This weekend, The Pacifican staff and writers gathered to help clear out the office. Throughout Smith Lounge, dozens of photographs, and Pacific memorabilia were found. All photographs and anything that seemed of archival significance have been given to the university’s archives in order to preserve them digitally. Leftover newspapers have been given away to students and faculty, and the office has, for the most part, been cleared out.

This is a quote from Leiby on the importance of The Pacifican’s office space:

“In a recent meeting with ASUOP, I continuously reiterated how crucial I think it is for The Pacifican to have its own office. Though we may be treated as another Registered Student Organization, we produce articles, photos, a newsletter, and other digital communications. This is what makes us different from other clubs and organizations on campus. We are more than a social group; we are a fully functioning, student-led newspaper.” - Amaya Leiby

As of writing this article, no staff has been informed on when renovations will begin or when we will be able to move into a new office space. The paper has not been given any temporary space to set up. For now, the rest of The Pacifican’s staff meetings for the semester will take place in the Wendell Philips Center via room reservations.