Photo Galleries

Westen Cares: students offer free hugs, candy to help ease the stress of finals

Students handed out candy, words of encouragement, and hugs in Red Square Tuesday, December 1 in efforts to spread cheer to peers preparing for finals.

Photo by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern

Western Washington University marks the winter season with the annual lighting of the giant sequoia tree that grows in front of Edens Hall on Wednesday Nov. 18, 2015.

A crew of five works to hang the sixteen strands of lights from the top of the large tree using ropes, carabiners and an elevated work platform. Two workers supervise from the ground and feed the lights up to Luke Mason and Seth Crawford while Ty Holladay works from inside the tree on its branches.

Photos by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern

Photo by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern

01. Natalie Lang (second from Left) laughs with her friends as they take part in the Trivia Game at the STEM Mix it Up event on Thursday night Nov. 12, 2015. The event took place in Western's Multi-Purpose room and included trivia, raffles, a panel of guest speakers and tables for different STEM organizations on campus. 

Jay Teachman, professor of Sociology at Western Washington University, gave a talk titled “The Lives of Veterans after Military Service: A Portrait of the Last 75 Years” during Western's Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 9.

The ceremony began with opening remarks by WWU President Bruce Shepard.

Watch the full video here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/77336656.

Photo by Rhys Logan / WWU

Team scrimmages, a high-flying slam dunk contest, a heated three-point shootout and performances by the Western Washington University Cheerleading and Hip-Hop squads highlighted another great event at the 29th Annual Viking Jam held Thursday, November 5 at the MAC Gym at the Wade King Student Recreation Center on the WWU campus.

Freshman forward Daulton Hommes (Lynden, WA/Lynden Christian) won the slam dunk contest, narrowly edging out high-flying junior Jeffrey Parker (Richmond, CA/Salesian).

Language and Culture Programs International Potluck and Halloween Party

Western Washington University's Language and Culture Programs hosted its annual International Potluck and Halloween Party Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The event was held as an opportunity for attendees to connect with people from around the world while learning about different cultures. Students and staff from Western's Intensive English and Asia University America programs as well as other members of the Western and Bellingham communities attended to socialize, eat, play games, and show off their costumes.

Photos by Rhys Logan // WWU

Photo by Rhys Logan / WWU

About 1,000 fifth graders from Skagit and Whatcom counties are visiting Western Washington University today, Oct. 20, to see firsthand what a university campus is like. The tour kicks off the seventh year of Compass 2 Campus, a proactive effort that sends trained WWU student mentors into schools in order to get more kids to see themselves as lifelong learners.

Photo by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern

A handful of Western Washington University students have created an art project in which they place large black-and-white prints in the windows of Wilson Library, visible to passers-by.

Photo by Jonathan Williams / WWU

Students, faculty and staff participating in the Campus Equity and Inclusion Forum launch event Oct. 15 went outside to paint a temporary mural on campus after listening to keynote speaker Michael Benitez Jr.

Maxwell Hand hefts a large mallet while playing one of the many carnival games offered at The Fair on Wednesday Oct. 14, 2015. Photo by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern

The Fair, a significant part of Vikings for Change Month at Western Washington University, attracted roughly 500 people who played games, shared ideas and networked with local sustainable groups, said Seth Vidana, director of Western's Office of Sustainability.

The event, which was free and open to the public, featured free local food samples, 21 carnival games, a model residence for low-impact living, booths from local sustainable groups, a scavenger hunt and $900 in prizes.

Photos by Kyra Betteridge / WWU Communications and Marketing intern