Videos
Every year, thousands of new and returning students visit the Red Square Info Fair to catch up after a long summer and check out the hundreds of clubs and activities available to them throughout the year.
Here's a look at what went down on Sept. 22, 2014, the first day of the 2014 Info Fair.
The annual Alumni Association event heralding a return to school for the Western Washington University community will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Western Wednesday, Sept. 10, in the PAC Plaza.
President Bruce Shepard will be on the grill, alongside campus chefs, providing mouth-watering bratwursts and other delicious dishes. Also available will be hot and iced coffee, compliments of The Woods Coffee, and special GYBO cupcakes. The Prozac Mountain Boys will entertain the crowd with live music while Alumni Association representatives give away prizes.
Registration is $8 for Alumni Association members and $13 for non-members.
A raffle will be held during the barbecue to support student scholarships, with the grand prize being a $150 gift certificate to The Steakhouse, two tickets for San Juan Cruises and two tickets to the Mount Baker Theatre. The second-place prize is Sounders swag. Raffle tickets are $5, and only 150 are available.
Parking enforcement is suspended from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 10. For more information, call 260-650-3353.
Jason A. Morris, an associate professor of industrial design at Western Washington Unviersity, will debut his feature-length documentary about Walter Dorwin Teague, titled “Teague: Design & Beauty,” on Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas, as part of the Industrial Designers Society of America International Conference.
Teague was a pioneer in the field of design, crafting many of the products and places that defined modern America: Kodak cameras, the Boeing Stratocruiser aircraft, Steinway pianos, Sparton radios, Texaco service stations, Stueben glassware, the Marmon 16 automobile and the 1939 World’s Fair.
Through hand-drawn illustrations, photographs, product designs, interviews, narrative, animation and film, Morris’ documentary uncovers the mysteries of Teague’s life, his rise to prominence through humble origins, his mid-life transformation and the stories behind some of his greatest designs.
Though Morris has produced three short documentaries that have been selections at film festivals -- one of which he won best documentary for -- this is his first feature-length documentary.
Morris has spent more than four years making this film. He hopes to schedule a screening of the film at Bellingham's Pickford Film Center this fall or winter.
Morris has taught at Western since 2004. For more information, contact Morris at 360-650-2514 or jason.morris@wwu.edu.
Kathy Murray's connection to Western Washington University runs deep. She got her master's degree in theater from Western and has spent more than 20 years working in Western's Office of Admissions, the Registrar's Office and as manager of Western's Testing Center.
But, Murray has another role that she fills outside Western. She is queen of The Honeybees, an all-woman quartet that sings songs from between the 1920s and ’60s and performs spontaneous, theatrical antics for birthday parties, retirement parties and other special functions. The Honeybees have published three albums over their 11-year history, Murray said.
"If anybody wants to buy a CD, come by my office!" Murray said on July 17 at Bellingham’s Joe Martin Field, where The Honeybees sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a Bellingham Bells game.
Fewer than 10 people at Western recognize Murray as queen of The Honeybees, she said. But she doesn't mind.
"Maybe people don't get the paper," she said with a laugh.
The Honeybees performed 10 gigs during a tour of California that ended in the last week of July.
"When we were in California, there were people just going, 'Oh, you made our day! All these memories that come flowing back to us,'" Murray said. "That's our passion, really, is to get these people to smile and to sing along."
Murray's plans for the future include publishing another album with children's songs in mind, and remaining queen of The Honeybees after she retires.
Robert W. “Bob” Keiper, 69, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on July 18, 2014.
Keiper was born to Alyce and H.C. “Mike” Keiper of Gibbon, Neb. He married the love of his life, Helen Mae “Toots” Bengtson of Trumbull, Neb. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Kearney State Teachers College and a master's degree in theater education along with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Northern Colorado. He taught at high schools in Nebraska and Colorado, at the University of Southern Illinois and retired from Western Washington University as a tenured professor in the Woodring College of Education.
Keiper started at Western in 1990. In 2008, he was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award.
"His work in the preparation of future teachers is outstanding and has led to many innovative practices," Secondary Education Chair Bruce Larson said in announcing that award.
He was a teacher’s teacher, recognized by students and colleagues as gifted in his ability to instill the passion for teaching. Keiper also loved the theater, directed numerous plays, loved to travel the world and loved people, often endearing himself to them.
The spring 2010 issue of Western's Window magazine featured Keiper's beloved "Dynamics of Teaching" class. The aim of the class was to help young teachers become more lively, engaging and effective in the classroom.
“Monotone is a killer in the classroom,” Keiper told the magazine. “Life dies out in some classrooms when it should grow and flourish. Research shows that teachers who are caring, outgoing, spontaneous and animated do better with adolescents.”
Keiper presented his "Teacher as Actor" workshops internationally. He was a beloved public speaker, as more than one former student and colleague have written on a special page set up for memories of Bob.
He is survived by his brother Don Keiper of Gibbon, his sister Shirley Skow of Grand Island, Neb., and four nieces and one nephew. He was also loved by an extensive “adopted” family, all of whom claimed him to be their “Uncle Bob.”
A memorial service will held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, located at 2117 Walnut St. in Bellingham.
Keiper’s remains will be interred in the columbarium at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Denver, where he will again be with the love of his life, “Toots,” who preceded him in death.
In lieu of memoriam, Bob requests that donations be made to local community theaters or educational programs for underserved youth.
Bob was all about living, learning, laughing and loving!
[ Editor's note: Most of this article is from an obituary published in The Bellingham Herald on July 23, 2014. ]
Facing the Future, an award-winning developer of teacher’s guides, student textbooks and digital resources that equip and motivate K-college students to develop critical thinking skills, build global awareness, and engage in positive solutions for a sustainable world, has become an independent program of Western Washington University.
"We are thrilled to join Western Washington University and to work with such dedicated and inspirational faculty, staff and administrators. The university's long tradition of excellence in environmental education, primary and secondary education, and business administration with ethics and justice at its core makes us so proud to become Vikings," said Kimberly Corrigan, executive director of Facing the Future.
Facing the Future will retain its name, partners, and network and will work collaboratively with university faculty and experts on scholarship, research and outreach.
“Facing the Future is a leader that empowers teachers to ignite their students’ interest in complex environmental issues. Facing the Future will benefit from the environment, energy, and sustainability educational programs and research at Western. In turn, Western faculty, staff and students will have an outreach mechanism for sharing their educational programs and research with a worldwide audience,” said Steve Hollenhorst, dean of Western’s Huxley College of the Environment.
FTF's staff will remain headquartered in Seattle, continuing under the direction of Executive Director Corrigan. FTF will be located in the university’s Seattle office, which also includes the WWU Foundation.
“Western Washington University has partnered with Facing the Future on a variety of projects over the last decade. We are very excited that they will now be a part of the Western family. Thousands of teachers in the U.S .and around the world use Facing the Future materials to help K-12 students at all grade levels explore a wide variety of global issues pertaining to the environment, economies and social justice. Now we look forward to working with the Facing the Future team in the months and years ahead to introduce their amazing materials to new audiences here in the U.S. and internationally,” said Victor Nolet, WWU professor of Secondary Education whose research has included sustainability in education.
FTF staff research and write global issues and sustainability curriculum materials that meet national education standards; provide professional development training to teachers on global issues, sustainability, and service learning; and help schools integrate global sustainability across their curricula.
Facing the Future curriculum is in use in all 50 states and more than 120 countries by teachers and students in grades K-college and across multiple subject areas, including science, social studies, and environmental education.
Facing the Future, founded in 1995, has received support from many prominent private foundations, government grants, individual donations and income from its various textbooks and other publications. As an independent program of Western, FTF will continue as a self-sustaining organization, reaching out to even more educators and students.
“In the years to come FTF will serve tens of thousands more educators across the nation and throughout the world, and will strategically expand the communities it serves to include higher education, business, government, and the general citizenry to more deeply understand the pressing local and global issues of our time and to work effectively to prepare young people to take leadership roles in building a just and sustainable future for all,” Corrigan said.
Facing the Future, highly regarded by educators across the nation and world, has won numerous prestigious awards, including: Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist from the Association of Educational Publishers, 2011; North American Association for Environmental Education, Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an Organization, 2010 and 2006; International Association of Webmasters and Designers 2003-2004 Golden Web Award, and Eisenhower National Clearinghouse Digital Dozen Award, 2002.
Western Washington University's Lakewood facility on Lake Whatcom allows the Western community to enjoy sailboarding, kayaking, sailing, canoeing and windsurfing on the lake.
The 4,000-square-foot Lakewood log facility contains a boat house, meeting lounge, locker rooms and the manager's apartment.
In addition, the site has a sand volleyball court, picnic tables and barbecues, hiking trails and a Ropes Challenge Course. Beginning, intermediate, advanced and instructor sailing classes are offered through the Physical Education Department. Private lessons also are available.
Video created by WWU student Zach Becker, who works in the Associated Students Publicity Center.
The 2014 Summer Noon Concert Series continues today, June 9, with a noon performance by local group Br'er Rabbit on the PAC Plaza at Western Washington University.
The video above shows another local band, Snug Harbor, opening the summer series this past week, on July 2.
Voted best band in Bellingham in 2013 (Cascadia Weekly), Br’er Rabbit revamps classic stringband instrumentation with homespun percussion and a unique integration of six-string ukulele and cello. With widely varying influences, three distinct vocal styles and copious amounts of foot-stomping, they demonstrate a sound that's at once original and familiar, appealing to audiences of all generations and genres.
The free Summer Noon Concerts take place throughout July at noon Wednesdays on the PAC Plaza, or in the Viking Union if it's raining.
Upcoming concerts:
July 16: Willow Vane.
Led by Russ Fish (of Ruby Parasols and Fairhaven Recording Studio), Willow Vane promises to take the Folk-Americana sound to new ambient and electronic places – a place you haven’t visited yet, but need to. Come let yourself be transported.
July 23: Happy Valley Sluggers.
Bellingham’s own Louisiana-style Cajun band will be kicking up the fiddle and accordion to help Western feel a bit more like “The Big Easy.” All that will be missing will be the craw-dads and the étouffée. Get ready to tap your toes and feel the impulse to book a flight to Cajun-country.
July 30: City Hall.
Called a Bellingham “super group” by What’s Up! Magazine, City Hall is a 21st century band through and through, taking disparate influences from abroad (Grandaddy, Whitest Boy Alive, Dirty Projectors), combining them with contrasting styles from their own past and present projects, (The Palisades, Vervex, SoccerMom) and creating a sound steeped in Northwest tradition, yet boiling over its own borders.
Western Junior Whitney Fleming knows horses. As president of the WWU Equestrian Team, Fleming has learned to look for nuances in the way riders signal horses and the way horses respond. Tiny movements in the muscles of a riders' legs or hips are often all that's needed to communicate with animals that can reach 1,200 pounds and have personalities as unique and individual as their riders. But Fleming did not realize how close she was to the animals she rides and works with until a traumatic trailer crash toppled her horse into a highway ditch.
This video was shot, edited and produced by Western Washington University journalism students Brooke Warren, Jordan Whitford and Mindon Win as part of WWU's Digital Media in Journalism class. Special thanks to Whitney Fleming and the WWU Equestrian Team.
All his life, Tony Dominguez wanted to play basketball. As a boy, he practiced four to five hours a day. When he was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease at the age of 14, he wanted nothing more than to get better so he could get back on the court. When he finally realized he would not reach his potential as a player, Dominguez turned to coaching. He worked for 17 years as an assistant coach for the Western Washington University Vikings.
After the Vikings won a national championship in 2012, long-time Head Coach Brad Jackson left for the University of Washington, and suddenly Dominguez had his own team. Now, as the new Vikings head coach, he is striving to live up to expectations and keep the Vikings on their winning course.
This video was shot by students in WWU's Digital Media in Journalism class during the winter quarter 2014. The piece was edited by Senior Instructor Stephen Howie.