"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela.

University of Puget Sound in Tacoma has been using the weapon Mandela mentioned for nearly 125 years.

The prestigious university is approaching its birthday March 17, 2013 as UPS was founded March 17, 1888 - just a short time after Tacoma itself was incorporated Nov. 12, 1875. September of 1890, the school opened its doors to 88 students. The university moved to several locations over the next 13 years, including a short stint in Portland, before heading back to Tacoma.

Today, 2,600 students are enrolled as "Loggers," involved in 23 sports teams and 1,200 courses. UPS is also the only liberal arts college in the Northwest to offer a liberal arts-focused degree in business.

Approaching its 125th year is an exciting time for all involved with the school. Its web page boasts memories in pictures and words, including sporting events, kayaking trips and even tent camping in the library, where one student was highly dedicated to study for finals.

For UPS President Ronald R. Thomas, 2013 also marks his 10-year anniversary of overseeing the university. Like students and staff, Thomas also has fond memories of time spent on campus.

"I will never forget the time when a group of students unfurled a three-story portrait of me from one of the residence halls, composed from an elaborate computer program they used to scan a photo and print it in pieces on about 400 sheets of paper, taping them together to make a giant, complete, seamless portrait.

"I had a ball the time I was invited to be a guest DJ on the student radio station KUPS, and spun 10 of my favorite tunes from the 80s (with witty patter), based on live concerts I attended during the decade - from the Ramones to Dylan to the Rolling Stones," adds Thomas.

"I was moved by how attentive and thoughtful the students were in a guest lecture I gave in a history class on ‘The 1960s' - the period when I was in college, when I offered myself not as an expert of the period, but a product of its conflicting tensions, hopes and disappointments," Thomas continues.

"But what moves me most, my fondest memory every year without fail, is the thrill of Commencement Day, when I get to look 700 young people in the eye as they walk across the stage to shake my hand, accept their hard-earned diplomas, and go out into the world with such great expectations. Gets me every time," says Thomas.

While there are many memories, there are also many events to look forward to, including: A Due Celli: A Celebration of the Cello (Times Two) Jan. 25, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka to speak on "Writing for Freedom" Feb. 7 and William Ransom's performance for the 23nd Annual Piano Festival Feb. 8.

And of course, events specifically for the anniversary including 125 Years in the Stacks Lecture Series - a dramatic and revealing opportunity to learn more about the people who helped build this city and its culture, with the first lecture commencing on Jan. 28 - and "The Drive for 125," where logger sports teams aim to win 125 games over the school year. Logger teams are at 54 wins as of this writing.

LINK: University of Puget Sound's 125th Anniversary Command Center