In the Media
Communities support universities that support communities. That is a saying I have always thought very relevant to town-gown relations. Western and the local community support each other in so many ways. And these partnerships make us all stronger.
Often, I am surprised that some folks don’t know how involved Western is with the community, and how deeply involved the community is with Western.
Revenue, reform and, of course, cuts. Those are the options lawmakers will weigh this month as they try to balance a budget deficit projected to be about a billion dollars through the middle of 2013.
But what, exactly, is a budget cut? It depends on whom you ask.
For some, a cut is a removal of something that currently exists: A prison that is shuttered. A state employee who is laid off. A person who received subsidized health care from the state who now doesn't.
Ana Mari Cauce says there's a joke among academics about what a university provost does: She's the one who follows behind the college president and says, "What he really means is, 'No.' "
Cauce, now the dean of the University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences, will become provost for the university on Monday. As second in command, she'll run the school from day to day, making academic and budget decisions.
Sixteen teachers will study American Indian literature at Western Washington University this summer, thanks to a $122,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
During the five-week Summer Seminar for School Teachers, teachers will study four contemporary Native American novels: The Surrounded by D’Arcy McNickle (Métis), House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa), Winter in the Blood by James Welch (Blackfeet/Gros Ventre), and Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo).
I predict that politics will be a hot topic in 2012, along with jobs, the economy and health care.Beyond that, the future is a blurry haze to me.Such uncertainty didn't discourage some local residents from complying with my request for their predictions for the coming year.
Forward Rory Blanche scored a game and career-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Western Washington University defeated Simon Fraser University, 87-73, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball contest Saturday, Dec. 31, at West Gymnasium on the SFU campus. WWU improved to 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the GNAC. Center Dan Young, seeing his first action after missing three games with a concussion, came off the bench to contribute 12 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds.
Center Britt Harris scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, lifting Western Washington University to a 76-55 victory over Simon Fraser University on Saturday, Dec. 31, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball contest at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus. WWU improved to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the GNAC with its fourth consecutive victory.
Whatcom County athletes and teams provided numerous unforgettable images in 2011, but the best might have been saved for last. Anybody lucky enough to make the drive south to Tacoma on Dec. 3 likely will always remember the almost unimaginable series of events that led to the Lynden football team claiming its fourth Class 2A state championship in six years with a thrilling, come-from-behind 17-16 victory over Archbishop Murphy.
As we march into 2012, let's pause to remember some of the people who contributed to public life in Whatcom County, and who died the past year.
Not many athletes would tell their alma maters to hold off when they were selected for induction into their school's athletic hall of fame. Most would jump at the chance to have their accomplishments immortalized and gather with family, friends, former teammates and coaches to relive a little bit of the glory days. But then again, Craig Welty is not your average golfer - he is, after all, known for using a cross-handed grip.