Summer 2022
Pickleball, inside and out
A new sport sensation becomes a positive volley in some innately negative spaces. » More ...
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Summer 2022
“Army strong”
Like grandfather, like father, like son in the Washington State University ROTC program » More ...
Summer 2022
Splish splash: Memories of Fish Fans
Fish Fans entertained audiences at Washington State University for 70 years. Here are a few more memories of Cougar synchronized swim club.
Kay (Huson) Johnson (x’58 Phys. Ed.)
Fish Fans, 1957 to 1958
“I only went to WSU for one year, freshman year. My sister, Carol Huson (’59 Ed.), was already in Fish Fans. She was three years ahead of me. We were raised in Castle Rock, in western Washington, one block from the swimming pool and one block from the Cowlitz River. We were at the swimming pool day in and day out. We were both lifeguards there. … You had to … » More …
Summer 2022
A concise history of pickleball
One afternoon in the summer of 1965, Washington State Representative Joel Pritchard (later serving in the US Congress and as Washington’s lieutenant governor), Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum returned from golfing to find their families bored.
Bainbridge Island residents Bell and Pritchard set up a badminton net but couldn’t find a shuttlecock or other equipment. With a wiffle ball and improvised paddles, they lowered the net and created the game of pickleball.
They introduced the game to McCallum the following weekend, and the three men came up with rules that emphasized a fun game for all family members and all ages.
The … » More …
Summer 2022
90 Years of Memories of The Coug
It’s been a Coug tradition since 1932.
The Cougar Cottage, widely and simply known as The Coug, celebrates 90 years this year. Festivities begin in August with the annual painting of the interior east wall for a new class of Cougs to make their marks.
Here, fans of The Coug share some of their favorite memories of the Pullman institution.
Birthday Facetime
Grace Johnson grew up going to The Coug.
She’s been coming to Pullman—her dad’s old stomping grounds—for as long as she can remember. During those family weekend trips—usually for a football game and the chance for her father, Eric Johnson (’84 … » More …
Summer 2022
Easy rider
Chris Winkler found himself wanting to conquer a longer ride. He had already biked from Seattle to Portland a half-dozen times. Once, he even cycled from Tri-Cities to San Francisco. That particular trip “kind of whet my appetite,” he says. “I toyed with a forty-eight states ride. Then I thought: how about a coast-to-coast ride?”
From June through August 2021, Winkler (’86 Chem. Eng.) cycled from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine. Technically, he started his ride on the Oregon Coast, so it was truly a coast-to-coast tour.
In all, the former Coug basketball player biked 3,797 miles in 69 days across the northern US, pedaling … » More …
Summer 2022
Tips on keeping animals safe during wildfires
Wildfires affect many aspects of a community beyond the charred and devastated landscape. During a major blaze, residents must deal with smoke, fire retardants, evacuations, power outages, disrupted supply chains, and more.
Often forgotten in the equation are the damaging effects wildfire has on domestic animals. Smoke-induced respiratory problems, exposure to firefighting chemicals, and injuries from running through barbed-wire fences are common.
Linda McLean, WSU Extension director for the Colville Reservation helps residents prepare for wildfire season through public workshops and a variety of fire-related resources. She urges all pet and livestock owners to create an emergency evacuation plan for the safe transportation and shelter … » More …
Summer 2022
Strawberry recipes
Put sweet and succulent Pacific Northwest strawberries—especially Washington State University-developed varieties—on your table this summer.
Here are some ways to use them from Jamie Callison, executive chef at WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management at Carson College of Business, and Linda Burner Augustine (’83 Home Econ., Honors), author of the A Year at the Table food blog. Both also authored 2013’s The Crimson Spoon cookbook from WSU Press.
Strawberry Shortcakes
From Jamie Callison
For the … » More …
Spring 2022
The cheesemaker
“When I get introduced to people for the first time and I tell them I make Cougar Gold cheese, they don’t believe me,” says Sarah Beale, head cheesemaker at WSU Creamery. “It’s kind of fun. Especially locally, everyone knows Cougar Gold.”
Beale has managed WSU’s day-to-day cheese-making operations for three years. One of the most difficult parts of the job: training and scheduling the approximately 40 student employees.
“Scheduling is crazy,” Beale says. “If we’re doing a double-batch day, a cheesemaker and pasteurizer need to be here by 3:45 a.m. on Mondays and 4:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The rest come in … » More …
Spring 2022
“So who does that?”
Washington State University staff keep the university humming along on the research and education mission. » More ...