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October 14, 2021
Vol. 120 NO. 3
Colleagues remember music professor Professor Maria Roditeleva-Wibe died of complications from COVID-19 By Chuck Dickson Staff Reporter Maria Roditeleva-Wibe, a tenured music instructor, passed away on Oct. 2 after a battle with COVID-19, according to her obituary. Secretary Supervisor Teresa Larsen provided insight into the background of Dr. Roditeleva-Wibe. “Dr. Wibe was rich in culture, music, history and personality,” Larsen said. “There were many stories she would share from her Russian heritage, her childhood, her mother, her cats which she dearly loved and various other areas of life.” Roditeleva-Wibe was a respected and brilliant instructor, according to her peers, with the general consensus being that she was universally loved. Dr. Anna Jensen, lecturer of Double Bass, commented on Roditeleva-Wibe’s character. “She was so dynamic! A true whirlwind of knowledge, passion and integrity. She was truly and authentically her own person,” Jensen said. “When I think through my life and all of the musicians that I have worked with, Maria was one of a kind. She had a playful side and a wonderful sense of humor, yet she demanded the very best of everyone at all times.”
Fall enrollment numbers released CWU sees roughly 8% decrease from 2020, 16.7% decrease from 2019 By Sean Bessette Editor-in-Chief
Photo Courtesy of CWU Music Youtube , A memorial service has been scheduled for Nov. 18 at a time and place to be determined.
Other staff members to comment on Dr. Roditeleva-Wibe included Professor Leslie Schneider. “Her students learned much from her and adored her on a personal level,” Schneider said. “The staff admired her as well, and she brought joy and excellence to everyone she touched.” Originally from Ufa, Bashkiria, Russia, Roditeleva-Wibe was an accomplished musician and instructor for over 20 years. She began playing the piano at age four.
According to her bio on the employee directory, after obtaining her master’s in musicology from the State Institute of Arts Conservatory, she completed her doctorate in ethnomusicology (world music) under Dr. Izaly Zemtsovsky at the Russian Institute of Arts History. She conducted research on the Russian folk song traditions in Bashkiria including traveling to Russia and making video and audio recordings of folk songs in Bashkiria.
Over 10,200 students are attending CWU’s Ellensburg campus and its eight sites and centers across Washington this fall, according to the 10-day census published in an article on cwu.edu. The number is down from 11,100 in fall 2020, which is roughly an 8% decrease. This quarter’s enrollment numbers are roughly a 16.7% decrease from the 12,257 students reported in fall 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the article, President Jim Wohlpart said he was “pleased” with the enrollment numbers. Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs Joel Klucking didn’t echo the same sentiment. “Enrollment was not as high as we would have liked, but a surge at the end increased our numbers,” Klucking stated in the article. “We feel very fortunate that our students have chosen to remain with us through so much adversity.” In an interview with The Observer on Sept. 28, Wohlpart said
he was expecting to see a 5% decrease in enrollment numbers, but wasn’t sure at the time because the numbers aren’t recorded until the annual 10-day census. There will not be any major budget issues or degree programs being cut in the near future as a result of the enrollment decrease, according to Wohlpart. “We were able to address that on the front end right when I got here in June. We were prepared for the enrollment number so our budget will be fine,” Wohlpart said in the interview on Sept. 28. The 10-day census showed that 43% of new first-year students and 45% of transfer students come from traditionally underrepresented communities, moving the university closer to becoming a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). Designated by the U.S. Department of Education, MSI’s are rewarded “for their efforts to serve traditionally underrepresented communities.” The census also showed that 53% of first-year students are women and 92% are Washington residents.
New bike repair shop Ellensburg Bicycle opens for business By Joseph Stanger Staff Reporter At first, CWU alumnus Seth Mills said he was uncomfortable with the idea of opening near his previous place of employment, but once Ellensburg Bicycle started to become a reality, he reached out to his new competitor and found they were supportive. “You could be across town on a bicycle in two minutes,” Mills said. “Most of the streets are pretty qui-
et and the busy ones have bike paths. It’s a really easy community to get around in on a bicycle, which is what drew me here.” Mills had experience working in a few bike shops, including what was previously Ellensburg’s only bike shop, The ReCycle Shop. “The more the merrier. I love the ReCycle Shop. I worked for the ReCycle Shop for a long time,” Mills said. “I worried about it for three weeks before the ReCycle Shop knew I was
even opening up the store because I didn’t tell anybody. Finally, I wrote the email that I dreaded, and the owner of the ReCycle Shop was completely okay with it.” After his time working in bike shops and starting a family, Mills took a job as a trucker and gained an appreciation for being able to make his own decisions on the job. He said he hadn’t planned on starting a bike shop of his own, but when he saw the perfect space
available, he jumped at the opportunity. “I decided it was time to open my own store because I wanted to do it my way,” Mills said. “I didn’t want to work for anybody else anymore.” Mills said it took about a month to figure out how exactly to start his new business, acquire inventory and set up work benches before he opened the doors to his shop. He owns and operates the store entirely on his own and said he has no plans to
hire new employees for the foreseeable future. Depending on how busy the shop is and the kind of repairs needed, a repair at Ellenburg Bicycle could take anywhere from half a day to a week. “If something simple rolls in, like you need a tube repair, I’m not going to tell you to wait a week,” Mills said. “That’s an on-the-spot repair that should be done right there.”
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