A NEW ERA President Mary Cullinan
up front Dear Alumni and Friends: I’m delighted to write my first letter for EWU’s alumni magazine. By the time this issue is published, I’ll have served as Eastern’s 26th president for nearly 10 weeks! The weeks have been a whirlwind. I’m committed to learning as much as possible and meeting as many people as possible in the shortest time possible—it’s a wonderful challenge. On my early-morning runs, I have delighted in our gorgeous campus and Cheney neighborhoods. Since starting as president on Aug. 1, I worked with the EWU executive team, calling students who haven’t yet registered for fall. I greeted incoming students and their families at our firstSTEP program. I’ve been connecting with legislators and their staff members. I’ve attended gatherings of community leaders in both Cheney and Spokane. I’ve been meeting with EWU faculty and staff and regional educational leaders. I accepted our Unity in the Community platinum sponsor award. I threw out the first pitch at a Spokane Indians game. And I was honored to flip the coin at our football game on Aug. 23. What a day that was! I got to talk with many of you at the tailgate event and during the game. It was amazing to look out over the sea of red and experience such powerful support for our team.
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But Eagle support goes far beyond football. Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve met proud EWU alumni. They’re staffing legislative offices, managing local businesses, contributing to community organizations, teaching in our schools and working as EWU faculty, staff and coaches. They tell me right away, and with tremendous enthusiasm, that they went to Eastern. Their alma mater is clearly a huge point of pride. I very much look forward to meeting many more EWU alumni over the coming months. As ambassadors, as models of Eastern accomplishments, you are key to the success of this outstanding university. Go Eagles!
Mary Cullinan President Eastern Washington University
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features
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Celebrate, Honor, Recognize
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Meet President Mary Cullinan
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Incredible Alumni Honored
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Volesky’s Rendezvous with Destiny
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Keeping the Dream Alive
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College Football Started Here!
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Kelleher Goes the Write Way
Red Tie event recap
Eastern’s 26th President
2014 Alumni Awards winners recognized
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Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky takes command of the “Screaming Eagles”
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Alumna Elena Calderon overcomes hardships and gives back EWU in national spotlight as Eagles kick off the 2014 season Screenwriter, TV writer/producer’s career started at EWU
on the cover A New Era - EWU’s 26th President, Mary Cullinan
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departments
2 up front 4 letters to the editor 6 on the road 8 eastern etc. 36 your turn: A Tale of Teamwork 38 faces & places 40 class notes 45 in memoriam 46 final thoughts 47 events calendar
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Letters to the editor We want to hear from you! Send us your letters. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and civility.
Best of Luck, Dahir Jigre
Thanks for the Memories
I enjoyed reading the story in the spring issue about Dahir Jigre (Dahir Jigre Believes all Things are Possible) and learning that he is a Kent-Meridian High School graduate. I, too, am a K-M alumni, class of 1992. In addition, I taught English at K-M for three years (1998-2001). I also worked as the assistant coach for cross-country, and know firsthand the power of K-M’s strong running sports programs to enrich students’ lives.
I want to let you know how much I look forward to the alumni magazine — it brings back so many memories. In fact, it inspired me to make my first trip back to the Eastern campus since I graduated in 1965! Pearce Hall, where I spent my senior year, Showalter Hall, where I had many of my classes, and the student union building, where I drank many cups of coffee, were familiar. The other buildings were new. The old football stadium was gone, but I found the new “red” field striking!
But I do have a correction for the article, which stated that Jigre took the school “to its first state cross-country appearance in a decade.” While I was teaching and coaching at K-M in the ‘90s with head coach Roger Erickson, the boys’ XC team competed at the state meet in Pasco in 1999. If my memory serves correct, K-M boys placed third. Kent-Meridian High School has long been known as a powerhouse running school with athletes whose personal backgrounds include immigrant experiences, many from African nations. It’s great to know that this tradition continues and that a graduate like Jigre has found success at EWU — where I went to grad school for creative writing.
The memories came flooding back: the classes, the drama productions I took part in, and the parties. I look back on my time at Eastern as one of the happiest of my life. Terry Saxe ’65 Montesano, Washington
Best of luck to Jigre, and kudos to all the teachers who have helped him on his journey through the years in Kent and Cheney. Amy Silbernagel McCaffree ’05 Spokane, Washington
Corrections: 50th Class Reunion: In the spring issue of Eastern magazine, the date for the Golden Grad 50-year Reunion for the Classes of ’63-’65 was incorrect. The event will be held on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18, in Cheney. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni, 509.359.4550, EWUAlum@ewu.edu. In the spring issue’s article, Senior to Senior, Joan (Reinbold) Hisaw’s name was misspelled. We apologize for these errors.
EASTERN
F A LL 2014
THE MAGAZINE for Eastern Washington University Alumni and Friends
Editor Kandi Carper ’05 ART DIRECTOR Ryan Gaard ’02 Contributing Writers Kandi Carper ’05, Jeff Bunch ’88, Kate Daniel ’14, Cameron Pilkinton, Dave Cook, Dave Meany Contributing designers Ginny Baxter ’05, Elizabeth Morrison ‘15, Kristin Dulik Copy Editors Jeff Bunch ‘88, Cameron Pilkinton Photography Ryan Gaard '02, David Lane, Pat Spanjer ’80, Brenda Howe ’90, ‘84
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Editorial Board Steve Blewett ’69, Jeff Bunch '88, Gina Campbell ’90, Cassie Devaney ’96, Brendan Genther ’00, Nick Lawhead ’07, Lisa Leinberger ’98, Kayla Carter Northrop ’08, Robin Pickering ’03, ’97, Nancy Tsutakawa ’70 Vice President for University Advancement Michael Westfall Director of Alumni Advancement Lisa Poplawski ’01, ’94 Director OF marketing & Communications Teresa Conway EWU Alumni Board President Tom Capaul ’97, ‘94
Contact Us Email: easternmagazine@ewu.edu Phone: 509.359.6422 Write: Eastern Magazine, 102 Hargreaves, Cheney, WA 99004-2445 Eastern magazine is published fall, winter and spring by EWU Marketing & Communications, and is mailed free to alumni of record in the United States. View this and previous issues online at www.ewu.edu/easternmagazine.
SUPPORT THE EWU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WITH EVERY PURCHASE!
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For more information visit a local branch or find us online at watrust.com/ewuaa.
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on the road with eastern magazine Where will Eastern magazine be spotted next? You are invited to send photographs holding up the current issue. Include some information about yourself with your submission. We may not be able to publish every submission. Extras will be posted on the Eastern magazine Facebook page and on the magazine’s website. Send to easternmagazine@ewu.edu or Eastern Magazine, 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, WA 99004-2413.
1. ’14, ’12 Terra Boling (center), boyfriend ’13 Kyle Ferrier and mom, ’82 Teresa Boling in the Caribbean in June. Terra teaches at Sunset Elementary in Cheney, and Teresa is a dental hygienist in Elma, Washington. 2. ’10 Christie Greiner-Shelton hiked through the Swiss Alps at Lake Stellisee. The Matterhorn is in the background. 3. EWU alums pose for a picture at ’14 Zac and Sandy Hearron’s wedding in Ariel, Washington, in June. 4. ’89 Mike McCracken with son, Kevin and daughter, Kelsi, at Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida. 5. ’65 Jim Murphy, EWU Board Trustee, at the IAAF world track and field relay championships in Nassau, Bahamas, in May. 6. ’78 Mark Nysether visited one of many game reserves in South Africa during a 16-day trip in June. He and wife, Vickie, live in Arlington, Washington. 7. ’02 Denton Norwood and his wife, ’06 Kayla, vacationed in Maui in June, where they visited ’04 Stefanie Born, who lives on the island and works as an athletic trainer at Maui High School. 8. ’08 Zac Drllevich, ’09 Kalen Williams and ’09 Jael Johnston at Kalen and Jael’s wedding reception in Buckley, Washington, in May. The couple is moving to Durham, North Carolina, where Jael will begin graduate studies at Duke University. 9. ’91 Ted Cummings and his wife, Laura, attended a wedding in Orange City, Iowa, in June. Ted retired after a 32-year teaching/coaching career in Walla Walla, Washington. 16
10. ’59 Dave McWhirter and his wife Purle, visited San Luis 18. ’99 Amber Collings traveled through Scotland and is Obispo, California, to celebrate their grandson, Chris Ostrom’s graduation from Cal Poly. 11. ’11 Rachel Block-Stewart and husband, ’11 Cameron A. Stewart, celebrated their fifth anniversary with a tour of England and Italy. They live in Port Orange, Florida, where Rachel is a school counselor. Cameron will receive his doctorate in December. 12. ’67 Lt. Col. Jerry Mellick (Ret.) and ’66 Col. Donald C. Nelson (Ret.) at the Vietnam helicopter pilot reunion in Louisville, Kentucky, in July. The two have been friends since the sixth grade. 13. ’68 C. Lynn Smith and his wife, ’69 Jani K. Wyrick Smith, from Walla Walla, Washington, took a river cruise from Amsterdam to Bucharest in June. 14. Mark and ’66 Linda Dearborn visited the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, during trip to Europe. They were present for the 70th anniversary of D-Day in June. 15. ’07, ’05 Stacey Roestel in Petra, Jordan, where he consulted with the Jordanian Armed Forces regarding cyber operations and security through the National Guard State Partnership Program. 16. ’12 Ann Huston and ’11 Sydney Stover met as seasonal park rangers at Capitol Reef National Park, in Torrey, Utah, although they both attended EWU at the same time. 17. Twenty SigEp alumni from the ’90s participated in their 15th annual golf invitational at the Coeur d’Alene Resort this summer.
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pictured with the Edinburgh Castle in the background. She is currently an ultrasound tech living in Maple Valley, Washington. 19. ’78, ’76 Rich McDonald at Beaumaris Castle in Wales in June. This was his 31st time leading a tour to Europe and is his 38th year of teaching with the Richland School District. 20. EWU’s Cru organization climbed Pyramid Peak in South Lake Tahoe, California, this summer. Top: Justin Martin, Jennae Lockhart, Bobby Ulrich, Jocelyn Cuglievan, Jake Williams, Tyler McDonald. Bottom: Meredith Lewis, Molly Kenoyer, Alec Montemayor, Isamara Velasco, Christina Polich, Kelsey Adrian and Melissa Ulrich 21. ’99, ’87 Molly Popchock (holding the magazine) with her family on vacation in southeast Alaska this summer. 22. ’14 Tiffani Kittilstved and twin brother, Wyatt, an EWU student, at Mt. Rushmore during a cross-country trip to University of Tennessee, where Tiffani will pursue graduate studies. 23. ’05 Evan Wagner, ’03 Kendra (Kelley) Wagner, ’05 Shari (VanDyke) Montandon and ’04 Rick Montandon with their children in May, visiting Chincoteague Island, Virginia. 24. In July 2014, the Craner family traveled across the country for a reunion near Sandpoint, Idaho. Front: ’59 Merle R. Craner, Joanne (Charlton) Craner, EWSC/EWU Bookstore manager, ’90 Karen Craner. Back: ’80 Nancy (Craner) Myers, ’80 Terry Myers, ’88 Edward Craner, ’90, ’88 Dianna (Watson) Craner, ’12 Emily Craner.
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eastern etc. Computer Science Scholarships Help Recruit the Best and Brightest The Computer Science department will award its first Computer Science Alumni Endowed Scholarship to a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science this fall. The department’s faculty hopes the scholarship will financially equip them to pay a full year of tuition for as many computer science students as possible. “The impact on the CS program and to CS students is twofold,” said Stu Steiner, a computer science professor. “First, it will make it easier for qualified students to afford the high cost of a college education. Second, since the requirements for the scholarship to be awarded are for the top-performing students, this will help recruit the best students into our program.” Faculty began work on the scholarship in spring 2011, commencing a 20-month fundraising effort that resulted in 20 pledges or gifts donated by alumni and faculty, and a total of $25,000 in addition to an approximate $81,000 yet to be collected as of 2013. Once employed, recent graduates of the program are asked to contribute $1,000 to the fund, payable over five years. According to the National Science Foundation, 50 percent of the economic growth in the U.S. is attributable to innovations in science. Fields related to STEM (or science, technology, engineering and mathematics), including computing, are crucial to advancement. Consequently, graduates with expertise in STEM-related fields are currently in high demand. Department faculty say that EWU is uniquely equipped to prepare students for such professions, and that the scholarship will enable more students to receive STEM-related education and subsequently contribute to the local community after graduation.
EWU Helps Wildfire Victims In an effort to help students and their families impacted by the Carlton Complex fires in Washington state, a team of financial aid counselors and outreach staff from EWU visited Okanogan County to provide assistance to those planning to attend Eastern this fall. Meetings were held in August at Okanogan High School and Omak Middle School, making it more convenient for affected students to get their questions answered. This came after Eastern authorized $250,000 in aid for an EWU Student Hardship Fund to help with tuition and housing for current and incoming students in Okanogan County. Hardship grants are also available to EWU students outside of the Carlton Complex Fire area through the EWU Financial Aid Office, 509.359.2314 or finaid@ewu.edu. To ensure as many students as possible receive assistance, the EWU Foundation has started a fundraising effort to support the Hardship Fund. Donations can be made through the Foundation at www.ewu.edu/hardshipfund. 8
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eastern etc.
Congratulations to our Newest Alums Commencement ceremonies were held on June 14 at Roos Field. This year, 2,682 undergraduate (bachelor’s) and 598 graduate (master’s and doctoral) students were eligible to attend commencement.
The weather could have been better, but it didn’t seem to dampen the excitement of the graduates, or the pride felt by their families and friends who gathered to celebrate the students’ great accomplishments. Additionally, 165 EWU students graduated at the university’s Bellevue campus on June 19.
Alum Named to University’s Board of Trustees Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Michael Finley, ’05, ’03, to the EWU Board of Trustees.
His term, effective July 1, will continue through Sept. 30, 2015. Finley is completing the term of Mark Mays, who passed away this spring. Finley is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and is a two-time chairman of the Colville Business Council. He earned his BA in American Indian studies in 2003 and an MA in history in 2005. “I am truly honored being bestowed such a distinguished position,” said Finley. “It is a responsibility I accept with humility, and I pledge to foster success with the university and the entire student body, in every discipline, and at every corner of the institution. This represents an opportunity to give back to the university that helped me realize my own potential, which in turn led to my prosperity.” Trustees on the board work with the EWU president to set the strategic direction of the university and help ensure that EWU is academically and financially accountable and successful.
EWU Student-Athletes Make Big Sky All-Academic Team A total of 49 Eastern Washington University student-athletes have been honored on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team for spring quarter 2014: 25 from women’s outdoor track and field, 12 from men’s indoor track and field, five from men’s tennis, four from women’s tennis and three from women’s golf.
To qualify for the team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 cumulative grade point average or better at EWU and meet the requirement of playing in at least half of the team’s competitions (or for cross-country and track and field, at least compete in the Big Sky Conference Championship meet). A total of 152 EWU student-athletes were honored on the 2013-14 Big Sky All-Academic teams. In the winter, 49 were honored, including 24 from women’s indoor track and field, 10 from men’s indoor track and field, nine from women’s basketball and six from men’s basketball. Of the 54 Eastern student-athletes honored in the fall, there were 19 from football, 17 from women’s soccer, nine from volleyball and nine from women’s cross-country. E ASTERN: fall 2014
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eastern etc. Hall of Fame Inductees Named EWU doubled its fun at this year’s Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Induction.
Volleyball/basketball player Janelle Ruen-Allen and the 2001 and 2002 Eagle Volleyball teams she played on were among the 14th class of inductees in the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame, honored on Oct. 3-4 in Cheney. Football player Greg Gavin and contributor Judy Crabb were also inducted, and men’s basketball player Jack Perrault was honored posthumously. The 2001 and 2002 volleyball squads combined for a 50-8 record under former head coach Wade Benson, who returned to coach in 2013. The 2001 squad advanced as far as any other Big Sky Conference team in league history by beating Oregon State and winning a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament. The 2002 volleyball team finished 29-2, but astonishingly did not receive one of 33 at-large berths handed out to nonautomatic qualifiers for the 64-team NCAA Championship. With the fifth-best winning percentage (.935) in NCAA Division I history — breaking school and Big Sky Conference records in the process — the Eagles were ranked as high as 15th nationally. Ruen-Allen starred on both of those teams, was the Big Sky’s MVP in 2002 and the BSC Tournament MVP in 2001. She also played basketball for the Eagles, and was a two-time winner of the prestigious Inland Northwest Female Athlete of the Year Award. She went on to play professional volleyball and is now an assistant coach at EWU under Benson. Crabb has served as the administrative assistant for the Eastern Athletic Department for nearly 40 years. A lifelong Cheney resident, she started in September 1977 and has worked under nine athletic directors. Gavin was a two-time NAIA All-American, and was honored on the All-Evergreen Conference first team in 1967, 1968 and 1969. He was selected as the top center in school history in public voting, which took place in 2008 when Eastern’s “100 for 100” all-time football team was announced. He went on to win 120 games in 29 seasons as a high school football coach. Perrault, who passed away at the age of 51, lettered for Eastern’s basketball team from 1942 to 1945 and played in the NAIA Tournament three times. An incredible athlete who was an alternate for the 1948 Olympic team, he became a quarterback at Washington State and played professional basketball.
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2001 Team: Front: Robyn Felder, Janelle Ruen, Emily Hall. Middle row: Lindsay Crandell, Jessie Wright, Jamie Carmichael, Casey Evans. Back: Lindsay Page, Fehi Tuivai, Michelle Jeske, Courtney Bush, Megan Kitterman, Keva Sonderen, Monica Lynch.
2002 Team: Front Courtney Bush, Jessie Wright, Brittney Page, Janelle Ruen, Monica Lynch, Lacey Bell, Keva Sonderen, Lindsay Page. Back: Andrea Verdoljak, Emily Hall, Kristy Chester, Fehi Tuivai, Megan Kitterman, Casey Evans, Sara Reilly, Lizzy Mellor.
Janelle Ruen-Allen
Greg Gavin
Judy Crabb
Jack Perrault
eastern etc. Women’s Basketball Team Makes Academic Honor Roll For the 13th time in program history, Eastern’s women’s basketball team finds itself among the nation’s elite in the classroom, ranking second in the 2014 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, the organization announced in July. The Eagles have earned a spot on the honor roll 12 times under 13-year head coach Wendy Front: Hayley Hodgins, Bethany Montgomery, Jade Redmon, Lexie Nelson, Kylie Huerta, Schuller. This year’s squad had a cumulative Miranda Mielke, Tisha Phillips, Cece Pearl. Back: Athletic Trainer Kacey Hoob, Assistant Coach Steve Lowe, Aubrey Ashenfelter, Marly Anderson, Laura Hughes, Hanna Mack, Melissa team GPA of 3.615. Williams, Haley Shaner, Head Coach Wendy Schuller, Assistant Coach Jessica Huntington. “This honor is a testament to the hard work our team put in this past year,” Schuller said. “We emphasize academics from day one here at Eastern, and this award signifies what our program stands for.” EWU and Northern Colorado, ranked at No. 3, were the only Big Sky schools on the prestigious list. The University of Missouri-Kansas City topped the list with a team GPA of 3.628. The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll recognizes NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season.
Student Appointed to EWU Board of Trustees Francisco “Frank” Navarro has been appointed as the student representative to the Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. His term was effective July 1 and will continue through June 30, 2015. A graduate of Sunnyside High School, Navarro is a first-generation college student who previously served as the executive vice president of the Associated Students of EWU (ASEWU). He will graduate in June 2015 with a BA in computer science. “I believe my student experience will be of great service to the mission and goals of the Board of Trustees,” said Navarro. “I hope to work with the board to ensure the overall success of all Eastern students, and find ways to improve retention and graduation rates at EWU.” In addition to his duties at Eastern, Navarro is a board member of the statewide Latino Educational Achievement Project and has served as chair of the M.E.Ch.A. student chapter at Eastern. He is also the past recipient of the Google Scholarship and Microsoft Academic Scholarship. E ASTERN: FALL 2014
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Celebrate, Honor, Recognize The EWU Foundation’s Red Tie Gala, held July 18 at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, was a night to remember. Celebrate The Gala celebrated the successful conclusion of bigFutures, Eastern’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign. The university exceeded its goal of raising $15 million in private voluntary support, including $11,231,649 in gifts, $756,625 in pledges and $3,974,774 in planned gifts. Honor The event honored the legacy of retiring EWU President Rodolfo Arévalo and his wife, Nadine, thanking them for their many lasting contributions to the university. Paul Tanaka, chair of the EWU Board of Trustees, said, “President Arévalo’s leadership and accomplishments during this historic time at Eastern have been outstanding. Dr. Arévalo’s thoughtful and measured approach to the many challenges and opportunities the past eight years has put the university, and its students, in a remarkable position to succeed.” Recognize Each year, the EWU Foundation hosts the university’s most generous donors at a special event to say thank you and to share stories illustrating how these financial gifts are an investment in the university, and, most importantly, in student success. Because of the generous gifts from our donors, EWU is fast becoming one of the strongest regional universities in the West. This support keeps Eastern affordable and within reach for hundreds of students each year, and makes it possible for EWU graduates to prepare for, compete and make a difference in the rapidly changing world we live in. Four hundred and fifty students attend EWU because of our donors. Annual gifts and endowed scholarships helped fund more than $800,000 during the 2013 academic year. Watch stories about how giving makes a difference in the lives of students at ewu.edu/foundation. 12
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Dr. Rodolfo and Nadine Arévalo
Marci ’89 and Benji Estrellado ’88
Merry ’62 and Bill Dick ’62
The EWU Alumni Association is excited to once again bring you family-friendly tailgate fun.
RedZone The
Where Eagle Fans Get Fired Up!
Join us, along with the Washington Trust Bank Tailgate Bus, for FREE food, drinks, prizes, games and giveaways. You can also take in the ESPN 700 Pregame Radio Show live. Swoop, Eagle Cheer and the Marching Band will stop by, too!
Northern Colorado vs. EWU Oct. 18 | Tailgate: 11 AM | Kickoff: 1:05 PM North Dakota vs. EWU Nov. 1 | Tailgate: Noon | Kickoff: 2:05 PM
RedZone The
Montana vs. EWU Nov. 8 | Tailgate: 10 AM | Kickoff: 12:10 PM
To find us, head to Lot P12 behind Roos Field, and follow the signs to the best tailgate on the lot!
Where Eagle Fans Get Fired Up! Alumni.ewu.edu
Meet President Mary Cullinan By Kandi Carper ‘05
If you Google “Mary Cullinan,” you’ll get 442,000 results in .30 seconds. You’ll find several entries regarding her selection as Eastern Washington University’s 26th president and even more outdated entries stating that she’s the president of Southern Oregon University. Everything you find only begins to touch the surface of this remarkable woman.
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Bright, approachable and equipped with a great sense of humor, Cullinan brings 34 years of higher education experience to EWU. On Aug. 1, she became the only sitting female president among the state of Washington’s colleges and universities, and the first woman to be named EWU president on a permanent basis. According to a 2012 report by the American Council on Education, only 26 percent of institutional leaders are female. Before coming to EWU, Cullinan spent eight years as president of Southern Oregon University in Ashland, 10 miles north of the California border. From 2003 to 2006, she served as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Stephen F. Austin University in Texas. She also has substantial experience in the California State University (CSU) system, including seven years at CSU Stanislaus, where she served as dean of the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences and professor of English, and 15 years at CSU Hayward (now CSU East Bay). Cullinan earned her MA (1973) and PhD (1978) in English literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and her BA from the University of Pennsylvania (1972). Cullinan recently discussed her new role as Eastern’s president with Eastern magazine and shared some interesting personal tidbits that you won’t find on Google. Why Eastern and why now? “I’ve heard so many positive things about EWU over the years — starting back in 1996 when I was hired as dean by the provost at CSU Stanislaus, Dr. Richard Curry. He had been dean at EWU and always spoke very enthusiastically about the mission of the university, its role in the region and the faculty’s commitment to students. I have also known Dr. Arévalo for a number of years and could see he was doing a great job to provide a strong foundation for EWU during difficult years. The more I learn about EWU, the more impressed I am by all that has been accomplished to serve students and the region.” How will you engage alumni? “I very much look forward to meeting alumni, and learning more about their interests and needs and how we can work together. I’m particularly interested in deepening connections between alums and current students, and also working on ways to connect alums with prospective students, perhaps through special interest groups. Also, I’d love to learn more about how we’ve engaged EWU faculty and staff who have degrees from EWU. Alumni can be tremendous ambassadors for a university. I look forward to working with everyone.”
With declining state support, how can EWU ensure it has the financial resources needed to further its mission? “Public universities everywhere struggle as state allocations decrease and more pressure is put on students. Fundraising is increasingly important, of course, and so are partnerships with business, nonprofit organizations and other educational institutions. It is vital that we engage our communities, including alumni, in communicating the importance of public higher education in our state. Public universities were founded on a compact with the state that has been eroding; we need to renew a commitment to education that is fundamental to ensuring a dynamic economy and engaged, educated citizens.” How do we get large traditional universities to adapt to a world that is going to require them to be nimble and entrepreneurial? “The president needs to express a vision for the university — and to stress that the university must be responsive. We need to be responsive to students, to changing demographics, technologies and workplace needs, and to changing economic realities. We need to foster and support our excellent strengths — but we can’t rest on our laurels. The world is changing around us. We must change as well, but we can change sensibly and strategically within an environment of teamwork, communication, mutual understanding and support.”
Up close and personal Married? Yes. She’s married to Jeffrey Kelter, a retired attorney. They met at a wedding in 1981. Family? No children, but has family living in California. Pets? No. “I can barely keep a plant alive with the life I lead.” What do you like to do to unwind? “I’m a runner. I run in the morning, as early as I can. I like to run by myself and get some thinking done.” Do you like football? The red turf? “The red turf is amazing! Football and all of athletics serve as a highly visible front door for a university. I worked hard to get Southern Oregon University football into a conference, and that effort really paid off with exciting rivalries that brought increased attendance at games and greater visibility that greatly helped overall student recruitment.” Her parents? Her mom graduated with a BA in political science from Cal State Berkeley in 1932. Her father was the youngest of E ASTERN: Fall 2014
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several brothers who went to Stanford. Her father didn’t want to follow in their footsteps, so at age 17, he went to the University of Oxford in England. His going-away gift was a typewriter, and he wrote a letter home every day. Those letters provide an amazing view of Oxford in the 1930s.
Was it really different from Penn? “The scale of it was different. At Penn, you could drop in on a Quakers football game for free. You’d just go over and watch them play Princeton or Harvard. And the first time I thought I’d drop in on a Badgers game, I realized that you basically had to inherit tickets. I had no idea.”
Childhood? Her parents moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Texas after WWII, where her father and a partner started a public relations firm in Dallas. That’s where she was born. “My father was very involved in campaigns in Texas. He was actually involved in a fairly disastrous campaign on the wrong side of LBJ’s (Lyndon B. Johnson) senate race in 1948. He and his firm promoted Coke Stevenson, who was a well-respected character, but he lost in that famous senate race. (Johnson won by only 87 votes out of 988,295 cast — one of the closest results in a senatorial election in U.S. history.) Anyway, it got my father on President Eisenhower’s radar screen, and so ‘Ike’ appointed my father as assistant postmaster general, and we moved to D.C. when I was just a toddler.
California dreaming — “In the middle of writing my dissertation, I said to myself, ‘Berkeley’s got a pretty good library. I could move back to California, and be warmer and finish up.’ And so I did that. I really loved living in Berkeley. I didn’t want to start applying for teaching jobs everywhere in the country. I decided to try my hand in the Bay Area. I had been focused on 19th century novels since I was 8 years old. I thought maybe I should diversify a little bit. And so I got a grant writing job with the Fort Mason Foundation in San Francisco and began doing consulting work. Then a job opened up in the MBA program at Cal, where they wanted someone who could write and knew about business. So I did that. Then they were hiring in the business school at Cal State Hayward (now CSU East Bay) and asked if I’d like to teach a class in business communication. So I tried that. Next thing I knew they called and wanted me to be full time there. It just evolved, but it was just what I’d hoped for — finding a job that was exciting and in the Bay Area."
“My father worked in that capacity through the Eisenhower administration and then decided he really didn’t want to be in public office. He wanted to be the voice behind the public office, and so he began writing for the Texas legislators he had met in Dallas. Eventually he did some writing for LBJ, who knew a good writer when he saw one. Those were the days when you could work on both sides of the aisle, which is a time long gone. He actually did a number of speeches for President Kennedy as well.” High school? Attended Stone Ridge Country Day School, an all-girls private school in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was the yearbook editor. “I complained about being at an all-girls school at the time, but I really appreciate it now. I was able to focus on being a good student.” Bobby Kennedy’s daughters attended school there. Maria Shriver, Cokie Roberts and Eugene McCarthy’s daughters also went to school at Stone Ridge. “No one was allowed to wear any campaign buttons. There were people from all sides of the political spectrum. Two of Robert Kennedy’s daughters were in our school when John Kennedy was killed. There was no security at the school. Suddenly we had the Secret Service everywhere, and everyone was in a panic. It was a terrible time.” College — How did you pick Penn (University of Pennsylvania)? “We didn’t have the Internet. We would go off and visit schools – making choices based on impressions. I knew I wanted to go to an Ivy League school. And I wanted to go to an urban school. I knew I didn’t want to go to Cornell, for instance. When I got to Penn, I had a perfect interview, and I loved being in downtown Philadelphia. That was back when Philadelphia was the fourth-largest city in the country. It was a really exciting place to be and a great school.” Graduate school — Why Wisconsin? “I had spent most of my life on either the West Coast or the East Coast, and I thought, ‘why not try the middle of the country?’ I thought I’d try something really different from the Ivy League environment.” 16
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Mission in life — “At Cal State Hayward, I realized that I loved working with the regional public university student. Cal State Hayward had huge numbers of Asian families who had come to the Bay Area from many different countries. They were really terrific students who had horrific stories. What they had been through was incredible. But they were bound and determined to get an education, and teaching them was a wonderful job. I felt really inspired to be a faculty member and came to understand deeply the value of a regional public university. I’ve stayed committed to that mission ever since." From professor to administrator — In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Professor or Administrator” (April 3, 2013), Cullinan explained her career choices this way: “At first my jobs arrived almost by accident. I took on the department chair’s job when our chair became ill. Then I served as interim dean when the dean retired. The provost sent me to a number of conferences where I learned more about higher-education issues and problem solving at the administrative level. When I saw an ad for the dean’s position at Cal State Stanislaus, I applied enthusiastically. There was never a moment when I said, ‘That’s it. I’m going to be an administrator.’ However, I saw my administrative work had lasting value for students — and for the institution. That’s been a hugely motivating aspect of my career… I still feel my decision to become an administrator was the right one for me. I’m happier living with the surprises and challenges of administration, especially as a university president. Every day is different. And I know I’m making a difference by helping the university thrive in difficult times.” E
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IncREDible Alu By Cameron Pilkinton
Lisa Poplawski, director Alumni Advancement; John Allen (accepting for his brother Rick Allen); Justin Von Hagel; Dr. Rodolfo ArĂŠvalo; Nadine ArĂŠvalo; Ryan Walters; Thomas Tiffany; Dave Walker (accepting for Washington Trust Bank); Mitch Mihalovich (accepting for son, Bart Mihalovich) and Albert Watson.
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It was an evening of inspiration and celebration as the 2014 EWU Alumni Awards winners were honored for their incredible contributions to their communities, the university and their professions.
umni Honored The awards, which have been presented annually since 1973, included six individual award winners and the Organization of the Year. At this year’s event, Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo and his wife, Nadine, were also honored for their many contributions to the university during his eightyear presidency at Eastern. A call for nominations went out to the more than 100,000 Eagle
alumni in 62 countries. The nominations were then given to the Alumni Awards Selection Committee made up of past winners and EWU Alumni Association board members, as well as campus and community partners to review and select the award winners. This year’s elegant affair was presented by Numerica Credit Union on May 31 at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox in Spokane.
Lifetime Achievement Award: ’65 Thomas O. Tiffany, PhD
The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the EWU Alumni Association. In 1965, Thomas Tiffany earned his BA in chemistry/biochemistry from Eastern. In 1969, he earned his doctorate degree in biochemistry from Oregon State University, followed by postdoctoral training at the State University of New York. During the course of his professional life, he has authored more than 40 technical publications and filed 10 U.S. Patents. Tiffany returned to Spokane and continued his career as the general manager for Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory (PAML) in 1987. The company had 125 employees at the time. PAML grew exponentially under Tiffany’s 23-year tenure as CEO and has become one of the top 10 clinical laboratories in the United States. In 2010 and 2011, PAML was recognized as the best employer in the state of Washington with more than 1,600 employees. Now retired, Tiffany says that he is in his fifth career, “doing what I want to do, on my time.” He currently sits on four community boards and three commercial boards. Eastern has meant a lot to Tiffany through the years, as he has interacted with the university on many different levels. Thomas Tiffany
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Alumnus of Service Award: ’69 Rick Allen
Rick Allen retired in December 2013 as president and CEO of the Pierce County United Way. Allen made a huge impact on so many lives during his 20 years on the job. He helped set up the ABCD Dental Program, which targeted approximately 30,000 uninsured children in Pierce County who had no access to dental insurance, and he worked to implement 12 family support centers in neighborhoods throughout Pierce County. One of his proudest accomplishments was the development of the high school “varsity letter in service” concept in partnership with 15 school districts in Pierce County. Students earn their varsity letter just like in sports by participating in at least 145 hours of community service. To date, nearly 3,000 students from 36 high schools have earned this varsity letter, with each student averaging more than 220 hours — valued by national volunteer standards at nearly $20 million in services. United Way volunteers manage the program, and it is being replicated by other United Way organizations in the state and across the nation. Allen graduated from Eastern in 1969 with a BA in journalism. He was unable to attend the Gala as he and his wife were in Croatia on May 31, but his brothers, John and Rob, were happy to accept the award on his behalf.
Exceptional Military Service Award: ’68 Ret. Col. Albert Watson, U.S. Army Reserve
Al Watson received his BA in mathematics education in 1968. That same year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and served in Vietnam. Having received several medals and awards, Watson said that all he wanted during his military career was to do his job to the best of his ability and take care of his people. His dedication to the people he served with in Vietnam goes beyond just their time as young soldiers. In 1996, Watson began a quest to reconnect with the men of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, and since then, he has found more than 500 of the men who served in that brigade from 1966 to 1970. This project has provided that group of veterans with a great opportunity to rekindle the friendships that were so important during their service. Watson met his wife, Jean, in 1966 when they were both undergraduate students at Eastern. Isle Hall was the student center at the time, and Watson helped organize student dances every Friday and Saturday. That’s where the couple first met. The Watsons continue to be involved with the university, attending events and coming back to visit the university that means so much to both of them.
Distinguished Career Mentor Award: ’96 Justin Von Hagel
Justin Von Hagel is the director of Aerospace Parts Programs at Janicki Industries. He earned his BS in mechanical engineering technology from Eastern in 1996. Prior to joining Janicki, Von Hagel was director of engineering at Triumph Composite Systems in Spokane from 2005 to 2011. During his career, Von Hagel has been involved in all aspects of aerospace — from tooling to product design, program management, marketing and senior management. When Von Hagel came to Eastern, he had no clue what major he wanted to pursue, but he found himself drifting toward engineering, the profession his father had also chosen. As he went through school, he had several mentors who supported him in a multitude of ways. His best memories of being mentored came from those who gave him the skills to navigate a business, collaborate with co-workers and other aspects of life. Von Hagel has been able to spend time mentoring students, and getting his motivation from the satisfaction of making a difference in students’ lives and staying connected to Eastern. Von Hagel said, “It is rewarding to be able to help students find their way and take steps in the right direction.”
Greek Values and Service Award: ’07 Ryan Walters
Ryan Walters’ search for a college began one morning at the kitchen table with his parents. The search did not last long. Both of his parents attended Eastern, and when Walters visited the campus he was hooked. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in business administration and marketing. As a freshman, Sigma Phi Epsilon recruited Walters within the first two weeks, ending his stay in the dorms very early as he went to live in the chapter’s house. After graduating, he was hired by SigEp headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, where he would serve as a regional director. Assigned to the southwest region, he had the opportunity to see 18 other universities and work with the men of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at each university he went to. Currently, he is on the local chapter’s Alumni Advisory Board. The board challenges and pushes the chapter to continue to do better things on campus and in the community. In his “day job,” he’s a property manager for the Commercial Management Division of Kiemle & Hagood Company, one of Spokane’s largest real estate companies.
Inspirational Young Alumnus Award: ’06 Bart Mihailovich
When Bart Mihailovich was selected as the 2014 Inspirational Young Alumnus, he was serving as the Spokane River Keeper for the Center for Justice. This award recognizes an upand-coming leader who has graduated from Eastern in the past 15 years. As the Spokane River Keeper, his job was to be an advocate for the Spokane River, for the health of the watershed, and for the community that accesses and uses the river. In July, Mihailovich was hired by the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global environmental association, as the affiliate coordinator. In fact, Mihailovich’s father, Mitch, accepted the alumni award on his son’s behalf as Bart was attending a waterkeeper’s conference on the East Coast during the awards ceremony. Originally from Butte, Montana, Mihailovich jumped right into campus life, getting a job on campus and attending as many events as he could. As a journalism major, he wrote for The Easterner. After graduating in 2006, he went to work on environmental issues in the Northwest. Life after graduation was not only about his career, however. Mihailovich remains connected to his alma mater and serves as an Alumni Association board member.
Organization of the Year: Washington Trust Bank
Washington Trust Bank was established in Spokane in 1902, during a time when checking accounts were first being offered. After five years of operation, the bank’s assets grew to more than $1 million, even with the economic hardships that occurred in the 1900s. Having had a legion of loyal customers, Washington Trust Bank was determined to give outstanding customer service, a promise that still rings true after 112 years of service. Committed to that promise, Washington Trust Bank thrives as a strong community partner and has forged a substantial relationship with Eastern Washington University. Empowering its employees to volunteer, making financial contributions to secure student success, advertising in Eastern magazine and being an active presence at EWU football games are just a few of the many ways that Washington Trust Bank supports the university. Its mission to not only provide banking services but also foster the growth of Spokane and the surrounding area is a testament to exactly what businesses can do in a community to make an impact. Dave Walker, vice president of Private Banking at Washington Trust Bank, accepted the award.
’s Volesky Rendezvous with Destiny By Kandi Carper ’05
Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky ’83 (BA, military science) assumed command of one of the country’s most storied military divisions in U.S. history on June 20. He’s Eagle 6, the new Commanding General of the “Screaming Eagles,” the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. How fitting for an EWU Eagle!
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Change of Command Ceremony, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, June 20, 2014
I went to Princeton University to get my master’s, and I’m not busting Princeton, but I would tell you that Eastern Washington University had probably the most inclusive environment for students. It was more like a family there, and the instruction I got really set me up for success today. I couldn’t have done it on my own.
At age 52, Volesky, a Spokane native and 1979 Ferris High School graduate, embraces his new assignment with the same enthusiasm and dedication he has exhibited during his distinguished 31-year military career. Volesky comes to Fort Campbell with his wife, LeAnn, and their son, Alex, a junior at Fort Campbell High School. “I can honestly say LeAnn and I have won the lottery,” said Volesky at the Change of Command Ceremony in June. “Not only do we get to serve with the magnificent soldiers in the only air assault division in the entire world, but we get to work alongside the best community teammates anywhere.” In addition to his BA from EWU, Volesky earned his master’s degree in strategic studies from the Air War College and a master’s in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University. Volesky chose Eastern because it was close to home and a great fit. At first he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study, but his junior year, he finally decided on ROTC and a military career. He said he had wonderful leaders at Eastern, including professor of military science Lt. Col. Massey, Maj. McPeak, Maj. Clyde Simmons and Maj. Springer, who got him into the program. “I got some really great role models who really helped me develop as a person and as an officer in the Army. Because it was a small university, I really enjoyed the instruction I received there."
In 2012, Volesky was awarded EWU Alumni Association’s inaugural award for Exceptional Military Service. Volesky joins five other Eastern alums to attain the rank of general. On receiving the award, Volesky said, “The evening reinforced for me that we in the Army need to strengthen our outreach to our communities. We should support events like these, not only to strengthen our bond with the community, but to show support and say thanks to all of you who have supported us during our deployments and separations from our families. Being at Eastern with retired servicemen, university and community leaders and other professionals was an enriching experience, and made me rededicate myself to supporting the university in the future.” Volesky made good on that commitment in March, when he was the guest of honor at EWU’s 2014 Military Ball. Volesky said it was great to get a chance to visit the Spokane/Cheney area again — being able to speak to the cadets and their parents. He also got a chance to go home and visit with his dad and see his family. “I need to come back to Eastern in a little while, said Volesky. “If I don’t make an annual trek there, someone’s going to get on my Facebook page and make a disparaging remark. I graduated from the Fighting Eagles to now serving the Screaming Eagles. I’ve got to make the most of that connection.” At EWU’s Military Ball in March, Volesky talked to the cadets about making sure they are prepared — ready to serve and to lead. “When I came into the Army in early 1984, our Army was completely different than it is today. And if they were just as good as I was back in 1984, the Army would run over them. You’ve got to be a better captain, a better major, because our Army is that much better. I really challenged them to dig into what this Army profession really means. It’s very important to me, and I want it to be really important to them.” Volesky himself had to prepare for his new post as Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division. That meant going through The Sabalauski Air Assault School at Fort Campbell. “The good news was that coming out of Eastern, I learned the value of physical fitness in ROTC,” said Volesky. “I took that commitment E ASTERN: Fall 2014
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Maj. Gen. Volesky addresses Cadets at EWU’s Military Ball, March 2014
Maj. Gen Volesky with wife, LeAnn, and son, Alex –photo courtesy of the Volesky family
seriously and kept myself in good condition. It was challenging — going through an obstacle course, doing a 12-mile road march with a rucksack and the rest of it. But I was OK because I kept myself physically fit. Today, in America, only one of four people we want to enlist are qualified because we have a physical fitness issue in our society. Obesity is challenging. One thing we reinforce here is that you’ve got to be both physically and mentally tough. The other piece was that I have great soldiers here, and they can motivate a 52-yearold by telling me ‘Hey old man, are you going to make it?’ They helped me along by keeping me challenged.” As for his responsibilities as Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Volesky said, “We’re coming under some really challenging times. We’re drawing down our Army at a time when the world is not at peace. I was here in the ’90s and saw us draw down the Army after Desert Storm, but there wasn’t a near peer competitor. We were the super power, but if you look at what’s going on today, there are issues across the globe. So how do I make sure that our soldiers are trained and ready, and that they have what they need as we’re in an environment of small resources?” Volesky said that there’s also another piece being addressed by today’s Army commanders — personal issues, including behavioral health, suicide and sexual assault. “I’m 52 years old, and my ethical upbringing is much different than the kids today,” said Volesky. “I’ve got a 16-year-old son, and the challenges he’s facing are not the ones I faced. Technology with social media and the rest is completely different than what I had growing up. How do you meet those needs and understand how they interact inside their environment? By drawing them out and getting them to be the best professionals in the Army.” Volesky said another challenge is that during the past 13 years the military has lost some of the core competencies it had in the past because the forces have been in an insurgency fight. It’s his responsibility to make sure that our country’s soldiers are trained and 24
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ready “to get some of the core blocking and tackling in, to face a near peer competitor.” Volesky has personal knowledge about insurgency fighting. While serving with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, Volesky commanded at the battalion and brigade level with multiple deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a Task Force Commander on April 4, 2004 (some soldiers call it “Black Sunday”), then Lt. Col. Volesky personally led an ad hoc element of two tanks and 11 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to rescue a Bradley Fighting Vehicle section that was isolated and in heavy contact in a Baghdad slum, known as Sadr City. Volesky mounted his Bradley Fighting Vehicle and departed Camp War Eagle at the head of the column. While receiving small arms fire, RPGs and detonations from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the route, Volesky continued on and arrived at the site. He then secured the site and evacuated the wounded. For his actions, Volesky received the Silver Star. He has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Ranger tab. Prior to assuming command of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Volesky served as Chief of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. “I had never worked in D.C. before and so when I came up to the Pentagon, the learning curve was pretty steep,” said Volesky. “What it really showed me was the challenges a big army has in getting what it needs for training and equipment to maintain our forces. I was able to see the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Secretary of the Army every day as they had to deal with these challenges on a strategic level. Everyone is really trying to do what they can for our soldiers. When I saw some of the issues that we faced up in D.C. — and as Chief of Public Affairs, every bad news story came across my desk — it enabled me to see where some of the gaps are in communicating with our soldiers. It was one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had — one of the most difficult jobs as well.”
Left to right: Maj. Gen. James C. McConville, outgoing commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command and Maj. Gen. Gary J. Volesky. (U.S. Army photo by Larry Noller)
Volesky’s experiences in combat, as well as his understanding of the bigger picture and strategy at the Pentagon level, make him uniquely qualified to take command of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division’s Screaming Eagles. In 1942, when the 101st Airborne Division was activated, its first commander, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, noted that the division had no history, but it had a “rendezvous with destiny” and would be called into action when the need was immediate and extreme. For many people, when they think of the 101st Airborne Division, Band of Brothers, the World War II miniseries based on Stephen Ambrose’s biography of a company in this elite division, comes to mind. It’s one of TV’s most-watched series of all time. But this is no TV drama. “This is a serious business we’re in,” said Volesky. “We make a lot of really difficult decisions, and soldiers’ lives depend on some of these decisions. In Iraq and Afghanistan, when our soldiers are out there, we’re focused like laser beams on accomplishing the mission, taking care of our soldiers and really getting after it.” There are 38,000 soldiers, civilian professionals and multiple tenant units at Fort Campbell, all of which Volesky is responsible for as Commanding General. In March, after a local Spokane newspaper covered his promotion and visit to the Military Ball, some of Volesky’s former classmates commented on the story. They congratulated him, thanked him for his service and remembered him as a fun, “goofy” kid. He wasn’t sure about the “goofy” part, but he said he certainly enjoys his profession. “I love what I do,” said Volesky. “I believe that we inspire excellence through our own personal example. We say that leaders don’t get to have bad days because our soldiers deserve the best leadership that we can give them. And so I have fun every day. I’m passionate, and I want that to resonate with every soldier, regardless if he’s been in the Army a week, or 20 years — to say this is the best profession you can be in. You’re a key member of the team for our Army, and our nation, and you should be proud of that, because I’m proud of you.” E
101st Airborne Division Branch:
United States Army
Type:
Air assault
Size: Division Headquarters: Fort Campbell, Kentucky Nickname:
“Screaming Eagles”
Motto:
Rendezvous with Destiny
Mascot:
Bald eagle (Old Abe)
Engagements: World War II: Normandy, Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, Alsace Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
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I think if I wouldn’t have attended Eastern, I probably wouldn’t have done as much as I’ve done. I think because it’s small and it’s a small community, I was able to reach out to a lot of people whenever I encountered difficulties, which was a lot of times. I have professors who I see like my family and my advisors – I would go to them whenever I was struggling. 28
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Keeping the Dream Alive
-Elena’s Story By Kate Daniel ’14
Elena Maria Calderon's father cradled her in his arms as he, her three siblings and mother ran through the desert toward the United States border. A helicopter loomed overhead, prompting the family to stop abruptly, crouching underneath a bush in hopes of avoiding the patrol’s keen eye. Her mother clutched her rosary beads, praying quietly to God to protect them from capture. This is Calderon's earliest and clearest memory; she was 3 years old. Her bright brown eyes fill with tears, her voice quivering slightly as she recounts the day she and her family bid farewell to extended family and friends and their hometown of Aquila, Michoácan, in Mexico. Like millions of others, the Calderons were in search of a better life in the United States of America. Once they had safely crossed the border, the family settled in Mattawa, Washington, where they obtained employment as agricultural laborers. By the time she celebrated her 5th birthday, Calderon was working alongside her parents and elder siblings during harvest time. It was in her teens that Calderon began to recognize the implications of her family’s undocumented status and the reason for her parents’ risky choice. “It’s not something I thought about until I was in high school, and then I started seeing what that meant, that I was actually undocumented,” said Calderon. “You start putting all of these pieces together. That is why we had to do it. That’s why we had to leave Mexico. That’s why at that young age I experienced that. But now I use those memories to get me through college whenever I need motivation.” That motivation proved useful for Calderon as she earned her BS in community health from Eastern in 2013. The 23-year-old is now a graduate student in Eastern’s Master of Public Health program. It has also motivated her as she embarked on a mission to empower other undocumented students, and encourage them to speak up regarding matters such as the Dream Act, legislation approved in the state of Washington in February 2014. The act allows young, undocumented students who came to the U.S. as children, and meet certain requirements, to apply for state need grants to pay for college. “I think [the Dream Act] will decrease barriers, so more students will feel like they have access and hope. There are so many students who just want to give up, and they say, ‘The government doesn’t care about me’ and now it’s like, ‘Well now you have no excuse,’” she said. “As long as they get an education, that’s what matters. And not just Latino students, I’ve met Asian students and African students who are 1079. It’s really amazing to think that students like me won’t struggle as much to pay for school.” Calderon said she had previously been afraid to speak in support of the
Dream Act, or about her undocumented status, fearing negative reactions and potential consequences for her and her family. She noted that the stigma against undocumented individuals is largely based upon the false impression that this population does not pay taxes or that they will be draining the economy rather than contributing to it. Calderon pointed out that she and her family members have work permits and Social Security numbers, pay taxes on each paycheck and do not receive tax refunds. “Being Latina, sometimes I would feel judged in classrooms or sometimes I didn’t want to speak out because I felt intimidated, and I felt like whatever I had to say wasn’t that important,” she said in regard to how her background has affected her academic path and desire to ignite change. “But it’s also been really empowering because there are not that many Latino students in college — especially undocumented Latina women — so I get the chance to go back to high schools and then be a role model and mentor to other students. I never thought that I could do that, go back and say ‘Because I did it, you can do it, too.’” Despite her academic success, including winning the title of Ms. Eastern 2011, obtaining a college education was not always a priority for her. Dissuaded by the complicated application process and financial strain, Calderon had at one time considered forgoing the path of higher education and becoming an agricultural laborer, or perhaps returning to Mexico. She recalled that her documented friends could not empathize with her situation, and most of her undocumented classmates did not apply to college at all. “I think if I wouldn’t have attended Eastern, I probably wouldn’t have done as much as I’ve done,” she said. “I think because it’s small and it’s a small community, I was able to reach out to a lot of people whenever I encountered difficulties, which was a lot of times. I have professors who I see like my family and my advisors — I would go to them whenever I was struggling.” Calderon’s appreciation for the emotional, academic and financial assistance she has received prompted her to give back to the EWU community. In 2012, she established her own scholarship, which grants $500 to a Latino student or prospective student in need. After graduation, Calderon plans to continue working to improve health and education opportunities within the Latino community. E
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COLLEGE
FOOTBALL
Started Here! By Jeff Bunch ’88
It was Eastern Washington University’s day in the sun. The national spotlight shone brightly on EWU as ESPN’s “College Football Starts Here” campaign came to Cheney on Aug. 23. While the showcase featured Eastern’s top-ranked Football Championship Series (FCS) team, the visibility for the university was the bigger win. The nationally televised game was a first for EWU, spotlighting the campus on a picture-perfect day. EWU alumnus Colin Cowherd, an ESPN broadcaster, was in attendance for weekend festivities that included a book signing and a rally the day before the game at Spokane’s River Park Square. Cowherd also received a key to the city of Cheney and was in attendance among a sellout crowd 30
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of 10,310 as the Eagles defeated rival Sam Houston State, 56-35. Cowherd predicts EWU will capture its second FCS championship this season. EWU Athletic Director Bill Chaves said the weekend, months in the making, would have a long-tail effect. The university aired a promotional spot on national TV, and its brand reached tens of thousands more via the Web and social media.
“It’s really an opportunity for the university to showcase itself,” said Chaves. “From the standpoint of athletics, it will help us, certainly. But universitywide it’s about getting exposure for the university, attracting students, retaining students and graduating students.” The weekend was a celebration of Eastern’s emergence as a regional education leader. “Just the national exposure is unbelievable,” said EWU President Mary Cullinan. “I think our opportunities in 2015 will be increased because of this kind of exposure. The excitement that you can see about this university, it’s going to be great for athletics but great for academics, too.” The pregame rally in Spokane drew a crowd who cheered a lineup of speakers in the shadows of a giant EWU banner that hung in the downtown mall. Downtown Cheney rolled out the Eagle red carpet on game day, closing down First Avenue for a pregame party. The festivities then moved up to areas adjacent to Roos Field, which were packed with tailgaters and alumni revelers. Inside the stadium, a team of skydivers got the crowd to its feet just before kickoff. The football team put on its own show, pulling away from the Sam Houston State University Bearkats in the second half.
Pep Rally at River Park Square, Spokane, Aug. 22, 2014
EWU alum and ESPN broadcaster, Colin Cowherd, receives key to the city from Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove.
ESPN cameraman at Roos Field
Skydiver delivering game ball
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EWU President Mary Cullinan sits for game-day interview
The event served as a homecoming of sorts for self-made alums like Cowherd, who laid a successful foundation at EWU while attending from 1982 to 1986.
“I really enjoyed my experience,” said Cowherd, who hosts ESPN radio and TV shows. “I have nothing but positive memories.” Cowherd lived on campus, studied radio-television and immersed himself in on-campus media opportunities. Such determination is a quality he observes in other Eastern alums. “The eastern side of the state is hardworking people, and that really speaks to what Eastern is,” he said. “It’s not glamorous. It’s getting a little taste of the glamour, but they deserve it and they’ve earned it.” Alumnus Jess Walter (’87, BA, journalism), a bestselling author, said the emergence of EWU in athletics mirrors its growth in other ways. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is that it’s not just football that’s doing well,” said Walter. “I love that they’ve embraced the fact that Eastern’s a place for a lot of first-generation college students — a place where you can succeed even when you don’t come from a family that has Ivy League roots. “I think there’s a lot of really cool stuff going on… I don’t think it’s only football leading it. I think it’s indicative of what I’ve seen from Eastern, which is this amazing move into the 21st century, into a different kind of school.” E
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Spotlight on Eastern, Aug. 23, 2014 Viewership and value of national and local media TV coverage
Audience Estimate: 15 million
publicity Value: $2 million *Figures provided by Cutaway Media
Online Traffic
EWU WEBSITE VISITS AUG. 22-24 Total site-wide page views: 92,688
Compared to: UW game weekend (Sept. 5-7): Up 15%
Previous weekend (Aug. 15-17): Up 33%
Previous home game weekend (Dec. 20-22, 2013): Up 41%
Previous home opening weekend (Sept. 6-8, 2013): Up 25%
Oregon State game weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2013): Up 26% total Facebook Page impressions: (Aug. 18-25, 2014) 297,000
Part social hour and part career booster, the EWU Young Professionals Network is the perfect place to meet fellow alumni, while getting insider career advice.
Join us from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Locations vary. How to Network at EVERY Stage in Your Career Oct. 9, 2014
Holiday Social Nov. 13, 2014
Speak Up! Jan. 8, 2015
Speed Networking Feb. 12, 2015
LinkedIn, Etc. March 12, 2015 Leadership, Management, Entrepreneurship April 9, 2015 What I Want to Do When I Grow Up AGAIN May 14, 2015 More information and registration for YPN programs is available online at alumni.ewu.edu/events.
Kelleher Goes the Write Way By Brandon Hansen ‘08
Tim Kelleher came to Eastern in the mid-1980s with a love for writing – he left knowing exactly what he wanted to do. The result? You’ve probably already seen it on your television or movie screen as the native New Yorker has written, produced and directed several television shows and movies, including his current position as a writer and producer on the CBS show Two and a Half Men. “The toughest part of writing is writing,” Kelleher said. “It’s what sets writers apart from non-writers. I think a lot of people would like to be writers, but the hard part is sitting down and doing the actual writing, particularly when it feels like you don’t have it on a given day. Some days are great and you’re really flowing. Other days, not so much.” Kelleher refers to the Dorothy Parker quote “I hate writing. I love having written,” when referencing the daily grind of writing. However, Kelleher’s passion has yet to be extinguished. He’s written for eight different TV shows and three movies dating back to 1989. Kelleher began his journey at the University of Arizona. After one of his UA professors, David Terwische, took a job at EWU, he urged Kelleher to take a look at the university. “He told me the facilities at EWU were much better than Arizona’s and that, as an undergrad, I would have a lot more opportunity to get my hands on equipment in Cheney,” Kelleher recalls. “At the time, people didn’t have digital cameras and you couldn’t edit video or music on your computer, so access to equipment was at a much higher premium.” The R-TV Department at EWU didn’t disappoint. Even years after his time as a college student and several big gigs later, Kelleher still looks back with fondness. 34
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Photo: Kat Monk
“My experience at EWU was fantastic,” Kelleher said. “The R-TV Department was an exciting place to be. A lot of that was because of the other students in the program. I was part of a group of really passionate people who wanted to have a career in entertainment, and the enthusiasm among us was palpable.” The group produced a weekly variety show titled, Technical Difficulties. The R-TV department would produce several comedy pieces that they wrote, while bands would come in from Seattle, Portland and Spokane to take part in the show. Kelleher was also the program director at the student-run radio station KEWU, and he participated in a summer workshop put on by Terwische, where students would write, produce, direct and star in six half-hour shows. Kelleher hosted a weekly TV show, You’re in Good Company, which focused on arts and entertainment. “My experiences making Technical Difficulties gave me the confidence to believe that doing it professionally was an option,” Kelleher said. Kelleher also began doing stand-up comedy during his time at EWU and was a professional comic for a year after graduation in 1986. After doing an internship at Late Night with David Letterman, Kelleher got his big break when fellow EWU alum Scott Schaefer (’85 BA radio/TV) pointed him toward a writing and performing job opening in Los Angeles. “I sent in a bunch of jokes and got a job on The Late Show,” Kelleher said. Kelleher would end up with writing credits on The Pat Sajak Show, Empty Nest, The Arsenio Hall Show and In Living Color. Kelleher then penned his first movie, the Walt Disney comedy, First Kid, starring Sinbad, in 1996. The movie, about a Secret Service agent protecting the 13-year-old son of the President of the United States, would go on to gross $26 million. Two years later, Kelleher wrote and obtained the director’s seat for The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon, a made-for-TV movie starring Tony Danza. “Writing and directing that movie was one of the best experiences of my career,” he said. Kelleher originally sold the script of a Philadelphia garbage man-turned-NFL-kicker story to Disney as a feature film. Then the company lost interest in producing it as a feature film, instead greenlighting it as a TV movie for The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC. Kelleher’s story was a perfect fit, and he was asked to make the film for $3 million in 20 days, instead of the standard feature film budget of $20 million in 45 days. “I accepted the offer and was glad I did,” he said. “It was a challenge to make a movie with five NFL game sequences in 20 days, but I did a lot of preparation beforehand, and we were able to finish it on time and budget.”
When Kelleher looks back, the Phenomenon movie was a highlight, and so was writing for the groundbreaking In Living Color TV show. Kelleher was the creator of Rock Me Baby on UPN, and his latest prized project was writing the 2013 film, Grudge Match, starring legendary actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro. “I came up with the idea for Grudge Match after noticing older boxers coming out of retirement to fight again in their 50s and thinking ‘how old is too old to fight,’” Kelleher said. “I sold the idea to Warner Bros. as a vehicle for Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson.” While those two marquee names passed on the project, Warner Bros. was able to get De Niro and Stallone to sign on.
“I was extremely grateful to see something that came out of my imagination come to life,” Kelleher said. “I was on the set the week they shot the climactic fight sequence and watching the two most iconic actors in film history battle it out was a truly surreal experience.”
Not many people can say that the actors who played Rocky and Jake La Motta (the two legendary movie boxers Stallone and De Niro are known for) duking it out was a product of their imagination, but Kelleher has those bragging rights. Outside the bright filmmaking lights that he continues to turn on, the 51-year-old writer says he has a very normal life in Southern California with three kids who are the focal point of his life. “Other than family, I enjoy spending time with friends and staying healthy and active — bike riding, hiking and getting to the beach when I can.” Work-wise, Kelleher said he loves his current position as a writer and producer for Two and a Half Men, and would enjoy taking over the director’s chair again. While consistently writing can be a love-hate relationship for even professionals, given Kelleher’s track record, one that started while producing a variety show at EWU and has continued in the hills of Hollywood for the past 25 years, his imagination will continue to produce results that will grace TV and movie screens well into the future. E E ASTERN: fall 2014
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A Tale of Teamwork the ’74 National Wheelchair Games In June of 1974, the National Wheelchair Games were held at Eastern Washington State College in Cheney. The rapidly growing games had been held annually for 18 years, but this was the first time they had ever been held outside New York City.
By Isabelle Green ’76
Co-directors Linda J. Bergesen ’74, MA, physical education, a graduate teaching assistant in therapeutic physical education, and Marion Soulek, EWSC assistant professor of recreation and park administration, were the driving force behind bringing the games to the campus. They campaigned to move the games west, specifically, to Cheney. They finally persuaded the organizers to try a new venue by extolling the virtues of Eastern’s brandnew athletic facilities and pointing out that Spokane would be hosting an international expo that year — a destination within easy reach of Cheney guests. These two remarkable women then focused their energy on getting EWSC ready for an influx of wheelchair-bound participants. Access for the handicapped was in its infancy as a national movement. Things we now take for granted, like low-level water fountains, curb cuts, and vans and buses that accommodate wheelchairs were not common on the campus, or anywhere else. However, by game time, the campus made several adjustments, and the curbs between the dorms, food services and the physical education complex all had cuts for wheelchair access. Rental vans had been reserved and drivers had been hired to get wheelchair athletes loaded and unloaded so they could travel to Expo ’74 in Spokane and to other local destinations. Traveling between the dormitories, food centers and the athletic facilities involved traversing some steep hills. Local junior and senior high school students were recruited to act as “pushers” to help the wheelchair athletes get back and forth as needed. All of this was achieved through a cooperative effort, headed by EWSC’s Conference Center where I worked as a coordinator. Physical plant, food service, housing, physical education staff and the Conference Center worked together to identify and provide the services that would be needed for this unique group of people. The EWSC campus was fully scheduled almost every week that summer because of Expo ’74. Everyone who belonged to a national organization wanted to hold their annual meeting on our conveniently located grounds. The pressure was on to get the dorms ready for occupancy as soon as the students were gone. The Physical Plant Department requested at least a week to get them ready for guests. The Wheelchair Games participants were the first group scheduled after cleanup. 36
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Photo courtesy Eastern Washington University Archives
your turn We were feeling confident that our comprehensive preplanning had identified all the major glitches that might occur, but we had not factored in the unexpected outcome of a long cold winter. The college administration decided to postpone the start of winter quarter by one week, which pushed the end of spring quarter by a week. This created substantial savings on heating costs for dorms and classrooms. This seemed like a logical decision, but no one thought to check with conference scheduling, a relatively new service, to see if the move would create a conflict. But the conference organizers were determined to make this work. The fantastic EWSC Physical Plant staff said they could do the cleanup in two days instead of a week, focusing on the rooms needed for the Wheelchair Games participants, mostly in the Morrison/ Streeter Residential Hall complex — Eastern’s newest and most handicap-friendly facility. It would be very tight, but the games were still on. Two days before the first players were scheduled to arrive, I received a call from the campus Physical Education Office. “We just received a call saying two charter planes, full of wheelchair athletes will be landing at Spokane International tomorrow evening,” said the office secretary — having no idea the kind of panic she was causing. “We thought you would want to know that they will be here a day early.” The Physical Plant staff worked around the clock. Our registration staff worked for 18 hours straight to get the best accommodations possible for our guests. It was chaotic, but I never heard a single complaint. The players never griped about their rooms or about waiting in long lines on the first day for food. On the contrary, our wheelchair guests were generous in their gratitude for our efforts to get them housed and fed. They thanked us for the drinking fountains, the curb cuts, the vans and for the pushers that were with them almost 24 hours a day — so they could play and see the sights as well as participate in the games. They thought we were doing a grand job. It made me wonder about the kinds of inconveniences they had endured during past games — and what they must put up with in their everyday lives. The many alumni, community volunteers and staff who worked on the games and served our guests wore their event T-shirts with pride for many years after the games. As an alum, I have never been more proud of my alma mater. When it was all over, the players, unanimously, said they would like to come back another year. That never happened, but the spirit of those special guests left a permanent imprint on the hearts of their Cheney hosts and on the Eastern campus which, because of their visit, provided a much more hospitable environment — both physical and psychological — for future students and guests with physical disabilities. E Isabelle Green served as director of EWU’s Conference Center, the Spokane Center and as Alumni Director.
your turn
is a recurring feature that gives Eastern alumni the opportunity to share their thoughts, opinions, musings and stories. Readers are welcome to submit original essays of 1,000 words for consideration. Send to Eastern magazine, easternmagazine@ewu.edu or 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, WA 99004.
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1. EWU Night, Spokane Shock Arena Football, Spokane - May 9 2. Eagle 4 Life Tour, Tacoma - May 15-16 3. Eagle 4 Life Tour, Wenatchee - June 20 4. Alumni Board Retreat, Leavenworth - June 21-22 5. EWU at Tri-Cities Dust Devils Baseball Game - June 24 6. School Spirit Day, Spokane Indians Baseball - July 20 7. EWU vs. Sam Houston Tailgate, Roos Field - Aug. 23 8. EWU at Silverwood Theme Park, North Idaho - Aug. 29 9. EWU vs. Montana Western Tailgate, Roos Field - Aug. 30 10. EWU at University of Washington, Seattle - Sept. 5-6 11. Seattle Student Send-Off, Seattle - Sept. 11 12. Encanto Gala Dinner and Auction - Sept. 13
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class notes
8 EMAIL YOUR NOTES TO easternmagazine@ewu.edu. Eastern Alumna Crowned Miss Washington Kailee Dunn, 22, proves you can have both beauty and brains. She graduated cum laude from EWU in June with a BA in communication studies and was crowned Miss Washington at the state’s pageant in July. She is putting her scholarship prize money toward paying off her student loans. A 2010 Kamiakin High School graduate, Dunn was chosen as Miss Spokane in February 2014. She wrote for The Easterner, EWU’s student newspaper, and created a blog to showcase acts of kindness, health tips and community involvement. She plans to combine her public relations degree with her love of baseball to work for a Major League Baseball team. So far, she has worked in Minor League Baseball for the past five years, most recently doing public relations/social media work for the Tri-City Dust Devils and Spokane Indians. Her platform is “Girls on the Run: Inspiring Positive Decisions Today,” a nonprofit focused on helping girls in grades three to five. She went on to compete in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September. That didn’t work out the way she had hoped, but she has an opportunity to travel to Shanghai, China, with Washington’s Lt. Gov. Brad Owen in October.
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’14 Shawn E. Rosman, BA accounting, has been hired by Etailz as an inventory specialist. ’14 Noriko Sunada, BA communication studies, has been hired by Etailz as the Japan vendor onboarding specialist.
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’13, ’09 Kelsey Crane, MURP, BA interdisciplinary studies, has been hired as an events coordinator for Sustainable Resources Inland Northwest. ’13 Lisa Kinne, BA management, has joined Keller Williams Realty Spokane. ’13 Alvaro Figueroa, BA finance, has joined the Downtown Spokane Partnership and Business Improvement District as the marketing and communications assistant for the University District.
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’12 Seth Gossler, BS computer science, has been hired by 14Four as a front-end developer. Previously, he was a developer for EWU and North by Northwest Productions.
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’12 Moises Inguez, BA education, social studies, demonstrated his bravery and represented Eastern by wearing his EWU T-shirt during the recent Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. ’12 Patrick Spanner, BS computer science, has been promoted to director of chapter operations at Pi Lambda Phi. He lives in Frostburg, Maryland.
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’11 Chaya Branham, BA management, has been hired as a customer care specialist by Etailz, an online marketer of environmentally friendly products. ’11 Ashley Reese, BA recreation management, has been hired by Visit Spokane as a convention services coordinator. Previously, she held sales and catering positions at The Davenport Hotel and The Glover Mansion. ’11 Jacob Varns, BS computer science, has been hired by 14Four as a front-end developer. He was previously a software developer for Spokane Teachers Credit Union.
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’10 Keolalani D. “Kao” Akana, BS technology, has been promoted to production manager by Colmac Industries in Colville, Washington. ’10 Asa M. Bradley, MFA creative writing, will have her paranormal romance series Valhalla’s Vikings, published in 2015 by Sourcebooks. She was a speaker at the Romance Writers of America’s 34th Annual Conference held in in San Antonio in July and is a finalist for the 2014 Golden Heart Award. The purpose of the Golden Heart contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding manuscripts written by individuals who have not published a novel or novella. ’10 Becky L. Ramirez, BEd, health and fitness, has been named head volleyball coach at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, Washington. Previously, she served as head coach at Grandview High School and Riverside Christian, both in Yakima. She’s also coached Team Yakima for four years.
class notes Kruse Takes National Honors ’86 John Kruse, the host and producer of Northwestern Outdoors Radio, received three Excellence in Craft awards during the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America's annual conference held in May in McAllen, Texas. He received a first place award in the radio broadcast category for fishing, with an interview he did with guide Bruce Warren in September about fishing the Columbia River Gorge. In the hunting category, Northwestern Outdoors Radio received a second place award for its broadcast of a field hunt for geese in eastern Washington. Kruse also took a second place award for a humorous conservation-themed interview he conducted with Janie Fink of Northwest Birds of Prey, highlighting everything Kruse didn’t know about great horned owls. This national competition features outdoor radio shows and podcasts from all over the United States. Asked about the strong finish in three distinct categories, Kruse replied, “We must be doing something right, and it’s wonderful to get feedback saying so from not only our listeners, but also from the judges who are our peers in the outdoors media industry.” Northwestern Outdoors Radio is an hour-long weekend show that airs on 52 stations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The show covers fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, conservation, and a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities and destinations with a strong focus on the Northwest. ’10 James Schaefer, BS biology, and his wife, Katie, have started their own small business, Centric Analytical Labs LLC, a state-accredited drinking and environmental water laboratory in Port Orchard, Washington.
Childhood Cancer Organization Inland Northwest in recognition of her work within pediatric oncology. Rowe is a pediatric oncology social worker at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.
psychology, has joined Windermere North Spokane LLC as a broker. Previously, she was the Drug Free Communities program manager at Pend Oreille County Counseling Services in Newport, Washington.
’09 Nate Rogers, BA geography, married Ines Cuesta Urena on May 25, 2014, in Missoula, Montana. He works for Missoula County as a senior GIS specialist. The couple lives in Missoula.
’08, ’05 Shawn C. Vestal, MFA creative writing, BA interdisciplinary studies, is one of five finalists for the 2014 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize literary award for his book Godforsaken Idaho. The prestigious award comes with $25,000 to the author of a debut work of fiction. The winner will be announced on Sept. 29. Vestal is a news columnist for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane.
’06 Sherwin D. Newton, BA graphic communications, has been hired by Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, as a system engineer.
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’08 Tom J. Hanrahan, BA marketing, has been promoted to sales team lead at Amazon in the greater Seattle area. Previously, he served as a regional marketing consultant for Amazon, and prior to that he worked as sales manager for LivingSocial in New York, N.Y. ’08, ’06 Sola Raynor, MSW, BA social work, has joined Windermere’s Manito office in Spokane. Previously, she was with Kestell Company Realtors. ’08 Maggie Rowe, MSW, has received the 2014 Golden Heart Award from the American
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’07 Alicia Kinne Clawson, BA government, has been hired as the assistant director of government relations for Eastern Washington University. Previously, she was an organizational improvement specialist for the University of Washington’s Organizational Effectiveness Initiative.
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’06, ’01 Martina Coordes, MBA, BS applied developmental
’06 Caitlin R. Prunty, BA marketing, has joined the law office of John H. Guin, PLLC, as an associate attorney. Prunty practices construction law, commercial litigation and environmental law, zoning and land-use matters. She is a 2013 graduate of Gonzaga School of Law. ’06 Custodio Valencia, BA Spanish, director of the Trio program at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington, has been awarded the Equity Award, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated success in furthering equality and student achievement in the community and technical college system.
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class notes Congratulations U-District PT U-District Physical Therapy received Greater Spokane Incorporated’s annual AGORA award in the small business category in June. The five award-winning businesses were chosen by a panel to recognize business excellence. Brian Cronin (’01 MPT) and Jeff Hart (’01 MPT, ’97 BS biology) make up two of the three-person ownership team of U-District Physical Therapy. Brian’s wife, Christine Lee Cronin, earned her Doctor of Left to right: ’01 Brian Cronin, ’08 Christine Cronin, ’95 Amber Nelson, ’13 Tyler Martindale, Physical Therapy from Eastern in 2008, as did Karie ’06 Karie Ike, ’08 Nick Carlone, ’09 Courtney Randall, ’10 Taylor Robinson, ’11 Chris Hawley, ’01, Pruett Ike in 2006, Taylor Robinson in 2010 and ’97 Jeff Hart, ’08 Chad Chambers and ’14 Jamie Lee. Jamie Lee in 2014. The company has 10 physical therapists, and seven of them are graduates of EWU. Their head athletic trainer received his master’s from EWU. Three of their seven sports trainers/ personal trainers are EWU graduates, and three of their eight PT aides are currently attending EWU. “Our business is very connected to the EWU PT department,” said Brian Cronin. “This fall will be my eighth year teaching in the department. We also provide internships for both undergraduate and graduate students from EWU.”
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’05 Erik Puthoff, BS communication studies, has been hired by Spokane Teachers Credit Union as a community development officer. Previously, he was a marketing director at Spokane City Credit Union.
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’03 Marty Gonzales, BS communication studies, has been named chief executive officer of Generation Alive in Spokane. Gonzales most recently served as the executive director for Mobius Children’s Museum and Mobius Science Center, and has more than eight years of experience in nonprofit executive management. Generation Alive was founded by Major League Baseball pitcher Jeremy Affeldt to inspire and motivate young people to get involved and to live a life of compassion toward others who live with the pain of extreme poverty.
’03 Scott Rivas, MBA, has been promoted to senior project manager for DCI Engineers in Spokane. He has more than 19 years of civil design experience and has been with DCI since 2004.
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’02 Buddy Honshell, BA finance, vice president and financial adviser with D.A. Davidson & Co. Spokane office, has earned
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the Certified Wealth Strategist designation. He has been with the company since 2011 and also holds the Accredited Asset Management Specialist professional designation.
Association, the Spokane Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers, the Washington Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
’02 Jason Jess, BA accounting, has joined Itron Inc. in Liberty Lake, Washington, as a senior compensation analyst. He has 10 years' experience in corporate compensation and holds the Certified Equity Professional designation.
’01 Kristy Perrault, BS biology, has been promoted to escrow officer at Valley Title Guarantee in Yakima, Washington. She has worked as an escrow technician since 2008.
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’01 Krista Kinard, BS biology, has joined Spokane Eye Clinic as a neuroophthalmologist after completing a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Utah John A. Moran Eye Center. She received her medical degree from the University of Utah, School of Medicine, and completed an ophthalmology residency at the Moran Center. ’01, ’94 Lisa Malpass, MPA, BA government, BA public administration, has joined Winston & Cashatt, Lawyers, PS, as an attorney in the firm’s elder law practice. She has practiced law in Spokane since 2003 and is a Title 11 Guardian ad Litem for Spokane County Superior Court. She is a member of the Spokane County Bar
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’00 Jared Rose, BA marketing, is the corporate partnership sales manager for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. Previously, he served as president of the Portland Thunder Arena Football league.
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’98 Eric Strickland, BS computer engineering technology, has been hired by Etailz as a software developer. ’97 Todd D. McGann, BA recreation management, has joined the Northwest Enterprise sales team at CenturyLink as an account manager. He has more than three years of experience in the information technology and telecommunications industry, and was previously the executive director of Washington Youth Soccer.
class notes
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’95 Laura Wintersteen-Arleth, BS nursing, has been named secretary of the Spokane Central Lions Club for 2014-15. ’90 Wayne Brokaw, BA government, executive director of the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors, has been elected chair of the organization’s Executive Leadership Council. ’90 Mathew Plank, BA government, is the new director of Fund Development and Marketing for Camp Fire Inland Northwest. He was formerly the director of marketing and development with Lilac Services for the Blind.
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’89 Jay Osborne, BA educationphysical education, taught fifthsixth grade in Hoquiam, Washington, from 1989 to 1995 and has been a physical education specialist in the Richland School District since 1996. He was named the West Richland Outstanding Educator in 2005, and lives in Kennewick, Washington, with his wife, Donna.
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’88 Edward R. Craner, media communications, has been promoted to senior vice president, strategy and marketing for HOLT CAT®, the Caterpillar equipment and engine dealer for south, central, north and northeast Texas. He has been with HOLT since 2008. Prior to that, he worked for AT&T in sales operations and supply chain management.
’84 Susan K. Wright, BA urban and regional planning, has received the 2014 Administrative Professional Contribution Award from WSU Spokane in recognition of her contributions as an administrative professional employee. Wright is an assessment analyst in the WSU College of Pharmacy’s Assessment Office.
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’83 Doug Kelley, BA recreation administration, was recently named chair of the Spokane County Parks Advisory Committee and is on the board of the Spokane Parks Foundation. Other board involvement includes the Spokane Sports Commission Board and chair of its Legislative Committee. He is also on the EWU College of Business Advisory Board. ’83 Dora Sybouts Swart, BA education, math, was recently named Administrator of the Year by the Washington School Counselor Association. She is an assistant principal at Prairie High School in Battle Ground, Washington. She lives in Chehalis, Washington, with her husband and two daughters.
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’82 Craig R. Whitbeck, BA management, has achieved membership in Commonwealth Financial Network’s 2014 President’s Club. He is a financial adviser with Commonwealth and the owner of Clear Future Financial, LLC.
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’84 Julie Gardner, BA counseling, educational and developmental psychology, has been hired by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho as a marketing and media manager.
’79 Dorothy M. Mathers, BS nursing, was awarded Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award at the college’s commencement ceremonies in May. The award is the most prestigious of the college’s faculty tributes. Mathers, of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, also received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the college in 2009. She has taught medical-surgical nursing full time at Penn College since 1994 and part time from 1991 to 1994. Previously, she worked as a staff nurse at hospitals in Pennsylvania and Washington.
’84 Jeff Snow, BA accounting, has been named president of the Spokane Central Lions Club for 2014-15.
’79 Ted Schinzel, BA personnel management, has been named first vice president of the Spokane Central Lions Club for 2014-15.
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’84 Dana L. Anderson, BA international affairs, earned her EdD from George Fox University this spring with the honor of outstanding dissertation. She currently teaches at Lee College and Lone Star College in Texas.
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’75 Jay Parikh, BA theatre, has been promoted to vice president and head of Maryland’s Public Television (MPT). He joined MPT in 2012 as managing director of the station’s content enterprises unit, bringing more than three decades of experience in the entertainment industry, broadcasting, program development and distribution. He and his family live in Columbia, Maryland. ’75 Kent Schultz, BA management information systems, has been appointed chief credit officer of RiverBank. He has more than 35 years of banking experience, including commercial and retail banking, management, audit and credit underwriting experience.
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’73 John M. Morgan, BEd, retired from his job as Pasco (Washington) School District’s assistant superintendent in June. He spent more than 40 years in education. His first teaching and coaching jobs were in the Columbia School District before he headed to Hanford High School in Richland, Washington, in about 1980. He became a history teacher and football coach at Pasco High School in 1990.
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’70, ’68 Jerry L. Cummins, MEd, BA education, a retired teacher/ administrator at Walla Walla School District, is currently serving his 23rd continuous year as a member of the Walla Walla City Council and his fourth term as mayor. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving member of the city council in the history of Walla Walla (est. 1862). During his 32-year teaching career, he started as a business education teacher at Garrison Junior High, moved to Walla Walla High School as department chair and ultimately served as the district’s vocational director for 18 years. During his education tenure, he also served as state president of both the Washington State Business Education Association and the Washington Vocational Association. In 1998, EWU honored him with an Eastern Alumnus of Service Award for his community service.
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class notes
The Hour of Lead By ’83 Bruce Holbert
Lonesome Animals was named as a Best Book of 2012 by both The Seattle Times and Slate, a literary debut sparking with beautiful language set against the rugged landscape of 1920s Washington state. Holbert returns with The Hour of Lead, an epic family novel and coming-of-age story that is once again imbued with the mythology of the west. After losing both his twin and his father in a brutal, unexpected snowstorm, Matt Lawson must take over the family ranch. As his mother disappears into grief, Matt learns the hardest lesson the west has to teach: He is on his own. Invoking the same beautiful landscape and language of his critically acclaimed debut, The Hour of Lead is a wider, more expansive novel, less violent but just as affecting, another important contribution to the literature of the west.
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E ASTERN: fall 2014
Letters from Brackham Wood:
A Moira Edwards Mystery
By ’80 Rita Gard Seedorf and Margaret Albi Verhoef In 1937 England, Moira Edwards sends a letter from Brackham Wood, where she has been serving as a maid, to the last known American address of her relatives. This puts in motion a series of letters spanning WWII. In these letters, Moira and her cousin, Margaret Walker, a doctor living in Spokane, reflect on their lives, the world’s condition, changing times for women and a case of espionage. Rita Seedorf is a retired EWU faculty member who became reacquainted with her childhood friend, Margaret Verhoef, as they planned their high school reunion. Together, they started writing Letters from Brackham Wood. Seedorf has also written academic publications and articles on local history. She is the author of One Room Out West, the Story of a One-Room Schoolhouse and its Students. She and her husband, Martin, live in Cheney.
Another Autumn
By ’86 Yvonne Higgins Leach In her first collection of poems, Yvonne Higgins Leach connects to the world in a big way - through an empathetic heart that seeks to understand the mysteries of the human experience. These poems fully embrace the seasons of life, and they do so splendidly through perfectly chosen images, simple language and a genuine voice. This first collection is full of intimate poems about family, love, loss, community, work, separation and connection. Each poem invites the reader to consider his or her own life more thoughtfully. Higgins Leach has spent decades balancing a career in communications and public relations, raising a family and pursuing her love of writing poetry. She splits her time living between Snohomish and Spokane, Washington.
in memoriam Basketball Legends Pass Away
Jack Roffler
Eastern lost two basketball Hall of Famers within two days of each other in August. Jack “Rabbit” Roffler ’46 passed away Aug. 14 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89. George Gablehouse ’48 passed away Aug. 16 from cancer. He was 91. Roffler was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Eastern’s 1945-46 team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. He played during three of the most successful basketball seasons in school history, and later distinguished himself as a teacher and basketball official. Originally from nearby Pine City, Washington, Roffler played professional basketball for the Springfield (Missouri) Squires and Tacoma Mountaineers before settling in Port Townsend, Washington, where he taught from 1948 until his retirement in 1979. He spent 25 years as a basketball official. Gablehouse was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame as an individual in 2009. He played for Eastern in 1943 and from 1946 to 1948, earning first team All-Washington Intercollegiate Conference honors in 1946 and 1947. Formerly from Selah (Wash.) High School, Gablehouse was student body president at Eastern and graduated cum laude. He coached at Omak and Marysville high schools before embarking upon a more than 20-year career at Centralia Community College, serving as athletic director and director of physical education. In his retirement, Gablehouse split time between his homes in Olympia and Packwood, Washington.
George Gablehouse
08 94 87
’08 David M. Hansel, age 47, died June 8, 2014, Idaho Falls, Idaho
’01 Dan O’ Bannan Jr., age 63, died June 30, 2014, Port Orchard, Washington ’94 Susan K. Anderberg, age 60, died June 18, 2014
’91 Gina M. Luppino, age 54, died July 3, 2014, Pasco, Washington ’87 Carole F. Hubbard, age 71, died June 24, 2014
’86 Donna M. Boulac, age 62, died May 7, 2014, Scappoose, Oregon ’85 Michael W. Marceau, age 58, died July 10, 2014
’73 Richard M. Fraser, age 67, died July 15, 2014, Soldotna, Alaska
’58 Roy W. Graffis, age 82, died July 4, 2014, Spokane, Washington
’73 Robert W. Sallee, age 82, died May 26, 2014
’55 Wallace E. Russell, age 86, died June 1, 2014
’73 Louanne M. Whitton, age 66, died May 25, 2014
’53 Keith L. Yates, age 86, died June 10, 2014
’71 Eileen Shirley Price, age 93, died May 21, 2014 ’70 Vee Fletcher, age 94, died April 25, 2014 ’70 Dick Lofstedt, age 67, died June 22, 2014 ’70 Bonnie J. Melton, age 65, died April 7, 2014
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’69 Billie B. Mountain, age 94, died June 25, 2014, Rathdrum, Idaho
’67 David W. Eckles, age 71, died May 9, 2014
’82 David R. Rockwell, age 55, died May 26, 0214
’67 Robert L. Harrington, age 91, died May 25, 2014
’82 Scott R. Troop, age 54, died April 28, 2014, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
’64 John A. Betz, age 74, died July 13, 2014, Hermiston, Oregon
’81 Candy Engleman, age 70, died May 30, 2014, Spokane, Washington
’64 William E. Clift, age 73, died May 13, 2014
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’77 Steven W. Brooks, age 67, died June 2, 2014
’76 Chris D. Wollam, age 63, died May 27, 2014 ’73 Clinton U. Fait, age 72, died May 1, 2014
’62 Gordon A. Rose, age 86, died May 30, 2014, Longview, Washington
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’59 Roland C. Glidden, age 81, died June 21, 2014
’52 Wallace C. Barker, age 90, died July 17, 2014 ’52 Thomas G. Mercer, age 88, died June 17, 2014
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’38 Dorothy L. Scroggs, age 96, died April 20, 2014
Faculty & Staff Carol Prentice died March 28, 2014. She worked at Eastern for 19 years. Before retiring, she worked as an administrative assistant in Human Resources. Faculty Emeritus Ray Whitfield, PhD, died June 21, 2014. Whitfield retired July 1, 1977, after 28 years as a professor in the Department of Education. He also served as dean of graduate studies. Curtis Coffee died July 26, 2014, in Spokane. He retired from the Department of Music in January 1996 after 26 years of service.
’59 Jacqueline C. McKay, age 75, died May 9, 2014
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final thoughts From Lisa Poplawski, director of Alumni Advancement This year, my son, Colton, entered his junior year in high school. Having now completed the right-of-passage experience of earning a driver’s license and driving on his own, this year will be filled with more events that will shape his future: upperclassman leadership opportunities at school, first wave of college preparatory tests and college visits. Since I am first-generation student/alum, he is my long-awaited opportunity to create a family legacy at Eastern. Although I will beam with serious mama pride wherever he goes (especially if on a fat scholarship), I’ve made it crystal clear to him that he will be disowned (at a minimum!) should he go to the University of Montana. At Eastern, we speak often about our first-generation students and the opportunities that exist for them to start something big, an opportunity to change the future of their family forever. However, many of our alumni are part of many generations of students who have graced this campus throughout its history. These families truly embody the phrase “Eagle 4 Life.” In this photo, I am pictured with ’68 Larry Miller and ’15 Jake Miller, who are holding a photo of Larry’s mother, Marguerite Kahl Miller, who began their Eastern family legacy at Cheney Normal School in 1931. Jake, the punter for Eastern’s football team and his sister, Holly (not pictured) represent the fourth generation of the Miller legacy. Other members of the Miller family legacy include: ’86 Michael D. Miller, ’91 Douglas C. Miller, ’94 William L. Miller, ’95 Dionne Bell-Miller and ’11 Shaun Blakeman. As EWU enters the busiest months for college applications, I want to thank our family legacies who continue to entrust Eastern with their next generation and thank those who are our recruitment ambassadors throughout our regions. Much has been written about rising tuition costs, but make no mistake, Eastern continues to be the best higher education value in the state of Washington. We are proud to maintain small class sizes, a wonderful campus environment, exciting study and research opportunities, and incredible access to faculty and staff who are devoted to student success. To celebrate EWU’s family legacies, please email me at lpoplawski@ewu.edu a photo featuring your generations of EWU alums that we can share through our social networks. As an added bonus, I will send “Eagle 4 Life” T-shirts to the family exhibiting the most Eastern pride. Speaking of bonuses, did you know about the special benefit to alumni families? Your children and grandchildren are eligible for numerous Alumni Association scholarships. This year, 34 scholarships of $1,000 were awarded with monies invested through the EWU Alumni Scholarship Endowment and license plate funds. Apply online at www.ewu.edu/admissions. Just one more thing: if you are planning a campus visit to EWU with your prospective student, please let me know you are coming so you can stop by my office for a hug and a hello. Larry Miller, Jake Miller and Lisa Poplawski
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E ASTERN: fall 2014
events calendar 17-18
18
25
50-Year Reunion Classes of ’63-’65
Red Zone Tailgate EWU vs. Northern Colorado
Library Oktoberfest
(Cheney)
(Roos Field)
25
28
30-Nov. 2
Eagle Fan Tailgate EWU vs. Northern Arizona
Blue Zones Speaker, Dan Buettner
Homecoming/Family Weekend(Cheney)
(Flagstaff, Arizona)
(Spokane Convention Center)
The 1
RedZone
Red Zone Tailgate Where Eagle Fans Get Fired Up! EWU vs. North Dakota
(Cheney)
8
13
14-22
Red Zone Tailgate EWU vs. Montana
Young Professionals Network, Holiday Social
EWU Theatre presents To Kill a Mockingbird
(Cheney)
(Cheney)
(Cheney)
The Red Zone
15
21
30
Women’s Volleyball vs. North Dakota
Eagle Fan Tailgate EWU vs. Portland St.
Basketball Doubleheader Men’s vs. Eastern Oregon; Women’s vs. Central Washington
(Portland, Oregon)
(Cheney)
14
20-21
19-21
Men’s Basketball vs. University of Washington
Alumni Silver Mountain Ski Weekend
MBA Arizona Golf Getaway
(Seattle)
(Kellogg, Idaho)
(Wickenburg, Arizona)
DECEMBER
Where Eagle Fans Get Fired Up!
MARCH
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
Join your fellow alumni and friends at these exciting upcoming events. For more information and to register, visit alumni.ewu.edu or call 888.EWU.ALUM.
7 EWU Holiday Jazz Concert (Spokane)
For ongoing updates of fall events, visit alumni.ewu.edu. For a calendar of all athletic events, including women’s volleyball, football and soccer, visit goeags.com. E ASTERN: Fall 2014
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EASTERN Magazine
University Advancement Eastern Washington University 102 Hargreaves Hall Cheney, WA 99004-2413
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