Spring 2021
Caffeinated Cougs
Washington State University alumni keep the coffee roasting and flowing during the pandemic. » More ...
Fair trade
Winter 2006
Barbara Novak: Business as ministry
After Barbara Novak ’72 received an M.A. in bassoon performance from Southern Illinois University, she became second bassoonist in the Spokane Symphony. “I really got a chance to play everything from the great second bassoon parts to the great contra bassoon solos. I had a great time . . . . I think that the training I got in the orchestra here [Washington State University] was superb. It probably was the catalyst that . . . launched me into performing as a career.”
Novak’s life was changed, though, by the tragic death of her son, Steve, in a mine exploration accident.
“When my son died, … » More …
Spring 2009
Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, and Survival
About twelve years ago, I drank my first cup of fair trade coffee. I didn’t spend much time thinking about the implications—it just seemed like a decent idea to pay farmers a good price for their product. But even the simple assumption that a fair trade or organic label guarantees farmers a better income or life can be questioned. Do farmers actually receive extra profit? Are they more successful than conventional producers? Do the labels mean anything to them? In Brewing Justice, Washington State University sociologist Daniel Jaffee explores those questions, and other complications … » More …