Get Lit! Turns 25

For its silver anniversary, Eastern’s annual literary fest brought the star power.

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón was among the luminaries that appeared before packed venues at the 25th anniversary of EWU’s Get Lit! Festival, Washington state’s longest running literary gathering and the university’s premier literary event.

Limón, one of the nation’s most acclaimed poets — and the first writer of Mexican descent to be honored as poet laureate — appeared alongside a diverse lineup of celebrated national, regional and local authors during the four-day festival.

Audiences were treated to readings, writing workshops, craft classes, poetry slams, panel discussions, literary happy hours and more — all offered free or at a low cost.

“Get Lit helped me to see how lucky Spokane is in terms of its literary community,” says Jordan Brown, a master’s of fine arts student from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “I hope we can keep it going for future generations… It is not something to take for granted.”

There was certainly no sign of diminished enthusiasm at this year’s fest. Limón’s master class, for example, sold out in just two days.

“It really shows that people are as excited as we are for the opportunity to learn from Ada,” said author and Get Lit! Director Kate Peterson ’14, in advance of Limón’s appearance. “Clearly, lots of folks know what a rare chance they have to sit down in an intimate setting with the U.S. Poet Laureate to learn how to start a poem.”

In all, some 80 authors participated in 40 Get Lit! events. As an added bonus, this year, for the first time, Eastern students were able to attend any ticketed event for free.

“I had a fabulous time,” said Liina Koivula, an EWU creative writing graduate student from Olympia. “The energy was fantastic. Everyone seemed so happy to be there. Spokane has such a vibrant literary community, and EWU is an essential part of it.”

23 Different States 500 + Gifts

Day tradition, a team of Eastern staff and alumni volunteers spread Eagle affection in the days prior to the event by bringing balloons, chocolates and swag to alumni-owned businesses in Cheney and Spokane.

Back on campus, meanwhile, students showed their gratitude by providing poignant stories about the life-changing impact of scholarships in interviews posted on the Giving Joy Day website and social-media channels. Students also braved chilly temperatures to manage a booth where currently enrolled Eagles wrote thank you notes to those whose support made their scholarships possible.

Lucas Fyre, president of the Associated Students of EWU, later offered up his own message of thanks. “Personally, as a scholarship student, I am so incredibly amazed at so much generosity towards our scholarship programs – and we are very, very thankful,” said Fyre, a

Raised More Than $450,000

21-year-old psychology major from Spokane Valley. “Thank you so much to everybody.”

EWU President Shari McMahan also weighed in with her appreciation: “Thank you all for providing and sustaining scholarships that will help our students persist in their education. Your support is very, very important,” she said.

Miss your chance to join in the joy? Visit us at ewu.edu/give to learn how you can help.

Making History

Men’s basketball dominates the Big Sky Conference.

While the end to Eastern’s greater ambitions came too soon — a heartbreaking final-second loss in the 2023 Big Sky Basketball Championship tournament — EWU’s men’s basketball team walked off the court in Boise knowing they’d already cemented a season for the history books.

Head coach David Riley’s squad, a group just a year removed from a big rebuild, came into the season with three returning starters, a core of experienced role players and high expectations. In preseason polling, however, coaches and sportswriters expressed their doubts, with both groups picking Eastern to finish no higher than fifth.

The Eagles answered the doubters with a remarkable regular season that included a Big Sky record 16-0 start to conference play. That streak, part of a record-tying 18-game stretch of victories, earned them the regular season Big Sky Championship.

Following a heartbreaking, last-second conference tournament exit, the team got a nod from the National Invitation Tournament, where, in the first round, they avenged an early-season defeat to Washington State with a gritty road win in Pullman. It was just the second postseason game win in program history.

A second-round loss to Oklahoma State brought the 2022-23 season to a close. Then the accolades began pouring in.

In March, Eagle’s guard Steele Venters was named the Big Sky’s Most Valuable Player, the conference’s most coveted individual honor. It was the fifth time in seven years —and seventh time overall — that the Big Sky’s top accolade had been awarded to an Eastern player. In addition, Venters’ teammate Angelo Allegri was named to the All-Conference First Team, while forward Ethan Price earned an All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Coach Riley, meanwhile, was named Big Sky Coach of the Year, joining a distinguished list of seven previous EWU head coaches who have been awarded the conference’s highest coaching honor.

Not surprisingly, it was Riley who, after the season ended in Stillwater, shifted the focus back to where it belongs — on the student athletes.

“The talk in the locker room after the game was very, very brief about this game in particular. We played a good team and lost,” Riley said. “But what these guys have done throughout the season, I can’t tell them enough how much our coaching staff appreciates them.”

Hickey to Pursue ‘New Adventure’

Lynn Hickey, Eastern’s groundbreaking athletics director, retired in June.

EWU Athletics Director Lynn Hickey, one of the nation’s first women to play, coach and administer collegiate sports, late this spring stepped down after five years at the helm of Eastern Athletics.

Hickey announced her decision in February. She said she was making the move to be closer to family in Texas and Oklahoma, among them her daughter, Lauren.

“I would like to thank EWU and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve the institution the past five years,” Hickey wrote in a letter to colleagues and Eagle supporters. “I am incredibly passionate about intercollegiate athletics, and will miss the interaction and competition. But it is time for me to prioritize my family.”

Hickey came to Eastern in 2018. Her groundbreaking resume included serving as the first female athletic director at the University of Texas, San Antonio, where, at the time, she was the only female Division 1 athletic director in the state. When Hickey left the job 18 years later, her list of accomplishment included initiating UTSA’s football, women’s soccer and women’s golf programs.

During her tenure at EWU, Hickey led an athletics department comprised of 14 intercollegiate sports, including six for men and eight for women. Her legacy includes hiring eight head coaches and numerous staff members, all while working to help Eagle athletes excel in both the classroom and in their respective sports.

“I have been blessed to have been involved in coaching and administration at the high school and college level for 50 years,” says Hickey. “It is time for a new adventure, and I look forward to moving closer to family and finding new ways to continue to have an impact — and be of service — in this business that I love so much.”