In the Media

Record numbers of international students enrolled in Washington state universities and community colleges this fall, and the trend is especially pronounced at the UW, where freshmen students from foreign countries outnumber out-of-state freshmen for the first time.

Nearly 18 percent of the UW's freshman class is from another country, and more than half of those students are from China. It's a dramatic increase from six years ago, when only 2 percent of the school's freshmen came from other countries.

Last spring, 41 percent of international applicants said "yes" to the UW's acceptance letter — a percentage that was well above historical trends and caught the UW by surprise, said admissions director Phil Ballinger.

Students on some college campuses are simmering with discontent over Higher One Holdings Inc., a company that provides debit cards and bank accounts to students receiving financial aid.

Some people at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., have created a “Students Against Higher One” Facebook page and held a rally Wednesday to voice concerns over fees associated with using Higher One’s debit cards, which are linked to online bank accounts. About 60 students participated, said school spokesman Paul Cocke.

The protest follows an incident in North Carolina last month, in which a student complained online about his school’s relationship with Higher One in remarks the school perceived as threatening, leading to his temporary suspension.

I am honored to have been chosen to be the Dean of the Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University. I feel fortunate to work alongside an incredibly talented student body as well as dedicated faculty and staff committed to making a difference in social service agencies and schools in the region and state.

Western Washington University outside hitter Marlayna Geary was selected to the 2011 Great Northwest Athletic Conference first-team all-star squad Monday, November 14.
Geary led the GNAC in kills this season with 339 and averaged 4.24 kills per set. She was twice named the GNAC Player of the Week and achieved 13 double-doubles.

City leaders will consider buying more bus service with money from the 2010 voter-approved sales tax increase, although they don't yet know which areas the buses will serve.
The citywide Transportation Benefit District, which is governed by the City Council wearing a different hat, used the two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax increase approved in November 2010 to restore Sunday bus service earlier this year. Money from the tax also goes to boost the city's annual street repaving budget and to pay for pedestrian and bicycle projects.

As fewer Americans maintain direct ties to farming and as urban areas increase, several local organizations are working on a short film to spread a message about the value of agriculture.
Last week, Bellingham-based Hand Crank Films finished shooting footage in Whatcom County for what will be a five-minute video about the importance of farming. The video focuses on several local farmers talking about the state of the agricultural industry and providing a powerful visual message, along with a new community website for people interesting in learning more, said Chris Donaldson of Hand Crank.
The film, directed by Caleb Young, is expected to be ready in early 2012.

Kids should start learning about personal finance at an early age, especially the difference between needs and wants, so that by the time they're adults they are financially literate and able to make smart choices.
That's the message Pam Whalley, director of the Center of Economic and Financial Education at Western Washington University, tries to spread around the state through teacher trainings and parent guides.
"If you do nothing else with your child than that, you've done more than most people," she said about instilling the idea of needs vs. wants.

In fall 2007, when Dan Pike was running against Dan McShane for the open mayoral seat, eastern and northern Bellingham liked Pike.
Not so much this time around. In the 2011 race, in which he ran for re-election against former Democratic state Rep. Kelli Linville, precincts in east and north Bellingham dropped their support for him, according to a new analysis of voting data.
That was especially true in the Silver Beach area at the north end of Lake Whatcom. In 2007, that area strongly supported Pike. This year, it abandoned him and strongly supported his opponent.

Senior middle blocker Emily Jepsen, playing in the final match of her outstanding four-year collegiate career, had a match-high 19 kills with a .417 attack percentage as Western Washington University ended its season with a 25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-12, victory over Northwest Nazarene University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Saturday at the Johnson Sports Center on the NNU campus.
The Vikings finished their season 16-6 overall and tied for second place in GNAC play at 14-4. They also got 16 kills from outside hitter Kelsey Moore and outside hitter Marlayna Geary posted her 13th double-double of the year with 13 kills and 12 digs.

Forward Rory Blanche scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, both game highs, as Western Washington University broke open a tight contest early in the second half and defeated Capilano University, 104-78, in a non-conference men's basketball game Saturday at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.
Six players scored in double figures for the Vikings, who improved to 4-1 overall with their second home win in as many nights.
Forward Omid Davani paced Capilano, located in North Vancouver, B.C., with 22 points and nine rebounds. The Blues are now 1-1.