During Spring Break 2010, a group of Washington State University students volunteered on the “Spring to Action Break for Change” program, sponsored by WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Center for Civic Engagement. WSU students Cindy Ola, Ian Chittle, and Vanessa Balch describe the spring break program.
Read about other young WSU alumni and humanitarians giving back in Time Out in the World, Summer 2010 issue.
Someone recently told Phyllis Campbell ’73 that she had the perfect resume to run for governor.
In her office high above 5th Avenue in Seattle, Campbell tells me this with a mixture of amusement and certitude. Running for political office is the last thing she’s interested in.
“You can print that,” she says. “I’ll never run for political office.
“I value people who do,” she adds, “but that’s not my calling.”
Politics, after all, is so short-term.
Campbell shows me, with obvious pleasure, the medal that represents the Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award with which she was recently honored. Campbell’s relationship to Washington State University, which … » More …
“We knew it would help students who were struggling.” —Jim Ruck
Last spring alumnus Jim Ruck of Everett made Washington State University an offer it couldn’t refuse. The chemistry graduate visited his old department and asked for a “wish list” of things the department could use. He made similar requests of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN), Intercollegiate Athletics, and the WSU Libraries.
“In each case they found something they needed,” he says. “Given some choices, you look at what appeals to you and what would have the best value in your mind.”
Jim and his wife, Lee (née Neff), have made donations to … » More …
Intermittent spurts of water play on native basalt slabs and columns in the new Firstenburg Family Fountain at Washington State University Vancouver. Local residents Ed and Mary Firstenburg, owners of First Independent Bank, donated $500,000 to create the fountain and plaza as a focal point for the 351-acre campus. The Firstenburg family was recognized at an August 16 dedication. Ed is a graduate of the University of Washington and fondly remembers students gathering on the campus plaza in Seattle during his college days. WSU Vancouver executive officer and dean Hal Dengerink said the fountain is “a permanent legacy for the Firstenburg family and for WSU … » More …