Photo Galleries

Viking 45, which was on display Friday with Viking 40 and Viking 32, drew a number of onlookers curious to see the car that competed with the nation's best during the X PRIZE contest. Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike named Oct. 8, 2010, Western Washington University Vehicle Research Institute Viking 45 Day in Bellingham in honor of the team's success at the recent Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition. WWU finished in the Top 10 and was the highest-finishing U.S. university.

Flowers and other mementos are left near a couple of panels set up at the edge of Red Square on campus on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU

A couple of large, wooden panels have been set up in Red Square on the Western Washington University campus for WWU and Bellingham community members to write their thoughts and feelings regarding the recent death of WWU student Dwight Clark.

An online memorial board also has been set up, at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wordsfordwight.

Byron Starkey, Associated Students vice president for governmental affairs, addresses the crowd during an on-campus rally to defend public education on Oct. 6, 2010. Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU

A coalition of students, the United Faculty of Washington State and community groups held a rally and march at Western Washington University against proposed state education budget cuts on Thursday, Oct.7, which is a National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.

The rally began at 11:45 a.m. at the Performing Arts Center Plaza at Western next to the Viking Union, and a march through campus followed.

Students, faculty, staff and community members gather in close to hear WWU President Bruce Shepard address the crowd during a gathering for Dwight Clark on Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Red Square. Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Members of the Western Washington University and Bellingham communities gathered in Red Square on Wednesday, Oct. 6, to support each other and grieve in the wake of news that the body of missing WWU student Dwight Clark had been found earlier in the day. A crowd of thousands gathered on campus to hear WWU President Bruce Shepard, Associated Students President Colin Watrin and Eileen Couglin, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Support Services, comment on the tragic loss.

Morning fog blankets Bellingham Bay in this view from Special Collections on the sixth floor of Wilson Library on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Photo by Matthew Anderson | University Communications

Fog blanketed Bellingham Bay and the downtown area of Bellingham in this view from Special Collections on the sixth floor of Wilson Library on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Weather experts have predicted today's sun to last through Thursday, with rain showers creeping into the forecast beginning Friday.

Kristen Mahoney, an assistant professor of English at Western Washington University, leads students in a study session in Wilson Library's Special Collections on Sept. 30. Photo by Matthew Anderson | University Communications

Western Libraries’ Special Collections opened in its new digs -- a spacious and modern set of rooms on the sixth floor of Wilson Library -- back in February.

The new area features climate-controlled storage areas, a huge research space, separate offices for the three Special Collections staff members and a dedicated space for workers to sort through and catalogue new material.

Kyla Hall, a freshman in assistant professor of art Cynthia Camin's beginning drawing class sketches, the large sequoia tree near Edens Hall Thursday morning, Sept. 30. Photo by Matthew Anderson | University Communications

Students in assistant professor of art Cynthia Camlin's ART 110 beginning drawing class met near Edens Hall Thursday morning, Sept. 30, to sketch the giant sequoia tree. The layer of fog that shrouded these students -- and the rest of campus -- on Thursday burned off in mid-morning, leading to a bright and sunny day.

Weather forecasters expect the weather to remain mostly sunny throughout the weekend and into next week, though high temperatures will drop into the upper 50s.

Ethan Leung, a member of the Western Washington University student club WWU Hip Hop Association, performs at the Red Square Info Fair on Sept. 21, 2010. Photo by Matthew Anderson | University Communications

The Associated Students' annual Red Square Info Fair kicked off the 2010-11 school year at Western Washington University on Sept. 20 and 21, 2010. The annual event took place on Monday in and around the Viking Union Multipurpose Room because of rain and on Tuesday in Red Square.

The event is an opportunity for new and returning students to interact with their peers and gather information on the various student clubs and opportunities at WWU. A number of local businesses also participate, setting up information booths and handing out free stuff during the event.

David Brancaccio chats with VRI members Jon Bremer and Ben Romeijn-Stout on the WWU campus Wednesday, Aug. 11. Photo by Brett Flora | University Communications intern

David Brancaccio, a longtime national business journalist and host and senior editor of NOW on PBS, visited Western’s Vehicle Research Institute Wednesday to videotape a feature on Western’s Vehicle Research Institute (VRI) team that completed a dramatic run all the way to the last days of competition in the finals of the Progressive Automotive X Prize.

The winning boat, the UL-14 Sammamish Mortgage/WWU College Engineering Tech, driven by Paul Becker, after the Graham Trucking Unlimited Lights final. Standing near the boat are a handful of WWU students who were members of the boat's pit crew. Photo court

A handful of students from the Department of Engineering Technology in Western Washington University's College of Sciences and Technology helped man the pit crew for the UL-14 Sammamish Mortgage/WWU College of Sciences and Technology/GO NAVY hydroplane during this past weekend's Seafair event in Seattle.

The boat, driven by Paul Becker, took first place in the final of the Unlimited Lights class, narrowly beating Kayleigh Perkins, driver of the UL-72 Foster Care-Triad Racing Technologies hydroplane, at the finish line.