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Spring 2024

Hannelore Sudermann

Fall 2005

Cracking the Code

Nevins talks quickly and waves his hands when describing his own special tools, the challenges of making rings out of fragile marble … “I get daily requests for plans,” he says.

Justin Nevins loved all the riddles in The DaVinci Code, the secret of the Holy Grail, the messages the Renaissance master had hidden in his paintings. But what really grabbed him was the marble cylinder box in which secret messages were locked. From the moment he heard it described on a book on tape, he wondered how it would work.

But that was a year and a half ago, and Nevins had other things … » More …

Fall 2005

What I've Learned Since College: an interview with Judy Dann

Judy Dann graduated from Washington State University in 1985 with a degree in engineering and soon found a job with the City of Tacoma. Her life changed dramatically one day when she was hit by a car while crossing a street in Seattle. The accident damaged her brain stem, affecting her eyesight, speech, and mobility. She now uses a walker and a wheelchair and lives independently in a small community south of Tacoma. The following is excerpted from an interview with Washington State Magazine’s Hannelore Sudermann, April 8, 2005, in DuPont.

Life can change at any time.

I got a job at the City of … » More …

Fall 2005

Heart Trouble

Last fall workers planted a painted bronze heart sculpture by internationally known artist Jim Dine just steps from Stadium Way on one of Washington State University’s busiest intersections.

Painted bright blue, the sculpture stands about 12 feet high and is encrusted with a colorful array of objects-tools, shoes, sculpted heads, and much else.

While the local art community was congratulating itself on the significant Technicolor Heart acquisition, which was made a permanent campus fixture with money from the Washington Arts Commission, a smattering of students were railing against it.

In a letter to the editor at the Daily Evergreen last spring, one pharmacy student suggested … » More …

Fall 2005

Camp Larson—a heritage reclaimed

For the first time in maybe a century, ceremonial songs of the Coeur d’Alene tribe floated across Cottonwood Bay on Lake Coeur d’Alene last spring. The Coeur d’Alenes were reclaiming a portion of their ancestral lands, a place where they can connect with their past and create a future of education and counseling programs for their children and families.

The site, Camp Larson, was an educational venture started by a group of Washington State University instructors nearly 50 years ago, when Roger Larson and several colleagues found the picturesque property for sale at the south end of the Idaho lake. Through the University they created … » More …

Summer 2005

What I've Learned Since College: an interview with King County Sheriff Sue Rahr

Sue Rahr graduated from Washington State University in 1979 with a degree in criminal justice. In January 2005 she was promoted from King County chief of field operations to sheriff. She is the first woman to be sheriff of King County. The following is excerpted from an interview with Washington State Magazine’s Hannelore Sudermann, February 22, 2005 at the King County Courthouse.

Take your opportunities.

I was engaged to be married right after I graduated from college. My husband and I set a wedding date, sent out invitations. Everything was ready to go, and I got a call early in July from the Sheriff’s office … » More …

Summer 2005

Happy 25th, KZUU!

It was a rock ‘n’ roll idea in a Bee Gees world.

In 1977, a time of flared pants and patchwork shirts, a small group of determined students at Washington State University wanted a voice that could reach beyond campus. They wanted an outlet that wasn’t commercial, one that didn’t play Billboard’s top hits, and one that wouldn’t dream of playing ABBA or Wings.

KZUU-FM was born of the idea that there was a world of good music out there, and no one was hearing it. “We were influenced by a lot of other radio stations at a lot of other universities,” says Jon Etherton … » More …

Summer 2005

Asparagus

Toppenish-area farmer Kevin Bouchey has an affinity for asparagus, which his family has been growing since 1979. “It’s a funny crop,” says Bouchey, who also farms wheat and potatoes. “In a given farm year, you usually grow a plant and then harvest the crop later. Asparagus is kind of backwards. But it’s a fun crop to raise.”

Asparagus is harvested in the spring, when its first shoots come through the earth, long before the plant has the benefit of maturing.

Asparagus officianalis comes from the lily family, along with leeks, garlic, and onions. It was first cultivated 2,500 years ago, and throughout history has been … » More …

Summer 2005

Shock Physics: Power, Pressure, and People

After the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear device, the U.S. determined that staying ahead in the arms race would require the best scientists and the best weapons. A new federal funding model emerged, channeling money into universities around the country for research and the training of the next generation of national scientists. By the late 1950s, WSU had started on shock-wave research. » More ...