That’s up to you. Eastern alumni are invited to send in photographs of themselves holding up the current issue of the magazine. Please include some information about your travels and yourself with your submission. Email to Eastern Magazine, or mail to 300 Showalter Hall, Cheney, WA 99004-2445.

’10 James Wohrle and ’13 Savhanna Robertson enjoyed the view from the El Yunque National Rain Forest in Puerto Rico in March 2013.

’67 Nancy Pohle and ’68 Ed Pohle hit the beach in Kauai, Hawaii. Before retiring, they taught in the East Valley School District in Spokane Valley. Ed played on Eastern’s Championship football team in 1967.

’05, ’98 Evi Hill and ’01, ’94, ’86 Jeri Schmit spent their 2013 spring break taking eighth graders on a trip to Washington D.C.  Evi teaches second grade at Betz Elementary in Cheney and Jeri is a sixth grade teacher at Cheney Middle School.

Brendan Genther ’00, his wife Marla Nunberg Genther and daughter Alyssa enjoyed the sunshine of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in April 2013.

’73 Jerry Barnard, Cheney, and daughter ’02 Jenny Barnard Schaefer are pictured together in Palm Springs, Calif. Jerry is a retired, full-time grandpa and Jenny, wife of ’03 Gabe Schaefer, is the mother of two and a health care manager in Palm Springs.

’08 Andrew Nye and Melissa Miller were married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in March 2013.  This picture was taken at Lovers Beach.

’08, ’05 Grant Bishop and his wife traveled to Guatemala on a medical mission for Hearts in Motion in spring 2013. Grant is a developer for 14Four in Spokane.

Eastern magazine visited Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom in February 2013 with ’95 Joseph Mastel, ’04 Colleen Mastel, Steven Griffey and future EWU alums Joseph Griffey, Samuel Griffey and ’02 Rachael Griffey.

Bart Mihailovich ’06 and wife Sara (Horn) ’07, visited Italy in April2013. This photo was taken on top of Castel Sant’Angelo with Rome in the background.

’11 Dino Valdez, BA visual communication design, and his girlfriend Alyssa Santana, visit one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the Kukulcán Pyramid or El Castillo (The Castle) – in the pre-Columbian city of Chichen Itza, on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

’80 Steve Coomes took his keepsake issue of  Eastern magazine all the way to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico in February 2013. Coomes teaches social studies at Southridge High School in Kennewick, Wash.

‘12 Tim Cheeney, his mom, ‘75 Lynn Rowland Cheeney, and their family visited Riviera Maya, Mexico, to celebrate Tim’s graduation and Lynn’s retirement. They live in Seattle, where Tim is a staff accountant for Ascentis Corporation.

Eastern magazine goes to Cuba! Members of the EWU community recently voyaged to Cuba as part of the newly launched study and travel program. The EWU students, Amy Nuñez, Lucy Vásquez, Katie Higgins, Brandy Bippes, Thomas Shalloe, Mayra Villalobos, Samantha de Abreu and Jennyfer Mesa were accompanied by faculty members Joseph Lenti, Robert Dean, Martín Meráz García and Christina Torres García. The focus of the trip was to look at pressing issues, including agricultural sustainability, the effects of the U.S. embargo, gender equality, socialized medicine and senior citizen services, recent economic reform and the viability of socialism in modern Cuba.

Joshua Porter ’08, is an instructor at the Spokane College of English Language. He was recently asked to fly to Hollywood, where he filmed a commercial. “I have next to zero experience acting, but having never been to Hollywood, I wanted desperately to be in warmer weather, so I thought I would accept the adventure. I answered an email, which led to a Skype interview that prompted a phone call, which elicited my exploratory adventure that led me to California, where I was treated like royalty – all within a matter of a few days.  While I was traveling, I caught up on EWU news with the Eastern Magazine.”

’71 Larry Conboy, takes Eastern magazine to the top of the Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck in Chicago in October 2012. Conboy is a photographer in EWU’s Office of Information Technology.

’74 Paul Demianew and ’75 Suzann (Hensley) Demianew celebrated their birthdays at Gullfoss Falls in Iceland in November 2012. They met in a chemistry class and were married in 1974. They said Iceland was cold, “even colder than the wind blowing at Eastern!” The couple lives in Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Mike Genova ‘83 and Leslea Warnick ’84, visited Paris, France on their way to the International Pool and Spa Trade Show in Lyon, France, at the beginning of November.  Mike is the owner and president of Leisure Concepts in Spokane, the leading producer of after-market products in the spa industry.  Leslea is the Insides Sales and Marketing manager for Leisure Concepts and has been with the company for four and a half years.

’76 Neil Anderson and ’77 Glenda (Kuther) Anderson visited Florence, Italy in November 2012. They live in Everett, Wash. Glenda is the financial manager for the Schack Art Center in Everett. Neil retired from the Snohomish County Department of Planning and Development Services after 32 years of service and now works for a Seattle area golf course.

Richard Huss ‘70 and his wife Molly Huss ’08, ’00, recently traveled to Costa Rica to celebrate Richard’s retirement as a purchasing manager for Haskin’s Steel. Molly continues to work as a mental health counselor for Catholic Charities Spokane. (in Montezuma, Puntarenas)

Coworkers at Whitman County in Colfax, Wash., created some excitement for the football playoffs by organizing their own alumni rally. Pictured:  ’73 Bob Reynolds, Fair & Facilities director; ’92 Janel Goebel, Parks & Recreation coordinator; ’67 Bob Lothspeich, County Treasurer; ’85 Tim Myers, Parks & Recreation director; ’78 Michele Beckman, HR program coordinator; ’99 Kelli Campbell, HR director, ’11 David Ledbetter, finance administrator; ’04 Erin Young, office specialist and ’98 Todd Heitstuman, park ranger.

Greg Cossette ’70, on recent trip to Panama. Now retired from 40 years in the classroom and looking for real biology/geology experiences. Photo taken at Uverito Beach near Las Tablas. “I ran into a couple of girls wearing EWU T-shirts in Pedasi. No camera handy; would have made for a great shot. Thanks for doing this for all Easterners, Savages and Eagles alike.”

Clifton “Jack” Barrette ’65, standing by one of the animals that he carved for the Adirondack Carousel in Saranac Lake, New York. The loon and toad were his addition. He retired after 32 years as an art teacher.

Chad Larsen ’96 and Erica (Miner) Larsen ’96

Chad and I met in Tawanka thanks to Geoffrey Coofoot. Chad just assumed that Geoffrey knew me. We started dating shortly after. But two and a half years later it ended. Chad graduated and moved back to Bellingham, Wash. I still had a year to go at EWU. I didn’t see him again for eight years.Five years after we broke up, I got a Christmas card. After bumping into Chad’s sister, she called him, telling him I was moving to California with another guy. She wanted to know what he was going to do about it! His card wished me well. I sent him a card back and for the next three years we exchanged cards at Christmas.

After three years of holiday cards, I called Chad asking if he would be willing to get together.  He agreed and we began dating long distance until I could move to Washington. A year later we were married and now have three beautiful children, Nathan (6), Daniel (4) and Vivian (2).

During the years we were apart, I kept telling myself that if Chad was still out there and single, there must be other guys like him too. Nobody ever compared. He later shared that I would randomly show up in his dreams. Now I have a great husband and a great career (dental hygiene), all because of my time at EWU!

Bill Stiffler ’70 and Joan (Hilliard) Stiffler ’70

Me met in May of 1967, at a street dance in front of the Student Union and have been dancing ever since. As juniors, in November ’68, we were married in Joan’s hometown, Okanogan, Wash.

Our favorite activities at Eastern during our undergraduate years revolved around spending time together at Louise Anderson Hall, of course attending dances in LA Hall and the Student Union, studying at the library and Intercollegiate Knights and ROTC events.

Since 1973, we have made Maryland our home. After Joan received her master’s in library science at the University of Maryland, she has been a branch manager of public libraries. I am a community college professor of English. We have one adult son and daughter-in-law and hope to be grandparents in the near future. We will always have fond memories of our years at Eastern, especially the dances.

Cody Carlson ’05 and Casey (Evans) Carlson ’05

Cody Carlson literally “swept me off my feet” when we met at Eastern. I played volleyball at EWU and it all began when I broke my right foot in our home opener in the 2002 season. I was placed into a short leg cast and sentenced to crutch my way around campus. Cody’s sister, Molly (Carlson) Cook ’03, who played basketball at Eastern, wanted to introduce us but never got the chance. However, when I crutched in to world civilizations class in Cheney Hall and sat down next to Cody we knew who each other were.

After a few classes he worked up the nerve to ask me on our first date and we headed to Spokane for a movie. The only seats available were in the very top row. Before I began to crutch my way up the stairs, Cody stopped me, set my crutches to the side, scooped me up and carried me up the stairs.

We were engaged four years later and after I finished physician assistant school, we married on Aug. 29, 2009. We are happily married living in Medford, Ore. Our little Eagle, daughter Taylor, arrived on Dec. 14, 2012.

Scott Bayles ’97 and Tina (Dalton) Bayles ’96, ’98

I saw Tina walking up the sidewalk toward Dryden Hall. I was headed in so I held the door open for her.  I recognized her from education class and I asked, “How did that test go for you today?” She looked at me with a quizzical look, not recognizing me. Disappointed, I reminded her of the class we had together. Not the most auspicious beginning but over the next couple of months we got to know each other and stayed in touch after the class ended.

Within a year, we started dating and were spending many late nights at the Morris-Street Café, sharing a pint of Cherry Garcia. Within two years, we had graduated. Tina began her master’s, I finished my student teaching, and we both began our teaching careers. In spring of 1999, I brought Tina back to the spot where we first talked – right outside the doors of Dryden Hall – to ask her to marry me.

Later that year, we moved to the Seattle area for full-time teaching jobs but we came back to Spokane to get married in July 2000.  Almost 13 years later, we are happily married and have three beautiful kids, ages 11, 6 and 4. The oldest hopes to go to Eastern one day. We love Eastern for many reasons, but mainly because it is where our love began.

Jason Hutchinson and Denyse (Foss) ’96 Hutchinson

It was fall of my sophomore year (1992), and finding love was the last thing on my mind! I enrolled in country swing dance class to meet some cute country boys who knew how to dance. There were plenty of cute boys in the class, but one in particular caught my eye. He was tall, dark, very handsome, and he could dance. We chatted a few times in class and I was pretty sure the interest was mutual. One day after class, he walked me to my car and I offered him a ride across campus. When I dropped him off he reached for his backpack and I started spewing my phone number! I thought he was reaching for his day-planner (you know we all had one in the ‘90s) and was going to get my number. I was nervous, OK? He said, “Well, I was just grabbing my bag, but I’d love to get your number.”

He asked me out on our first date the next day, and the rest is history. We’ve been happily married for 16 years; we have two beautiful boys and an amazing life together. Every so often, we “get our country on” and try the dances we learned, but we’re not quite as graceful. Thank you EWU for giving me the love of my life!

Jarret Clarke ’08 and Sherry (Donaldson) Clarke ’06

Jarret and I met in the fall of senior year in Jane Baker’s communications class. The beginning of our relationship was very seventh-grade, with the nervous giggles and shaking hands. To me, it definitely felt like “cool guy” meets “clumsy, nervous girl.”  It didn’t take long before we were waiting for each other after class so we could talk. We liked the same activities, music, movies and had the same sense of humor. It was like we’d been best friends for years.

We worked together on a class project, which included planning a class breakfast. Following the breakfast, Jarret helped me clean up, but I was so nervous that I knocked over a big cup of plastic coffee straws, sending them flying across the table and floor (clumsy girl). I was so embarrassed, as we were on our hands and knees picking up the straws. I’m amazed Jarret (cool guy) still wanted to ask me out after all of this. About two weeks later, he invited me out to Eagles Pub with some friends. I anxiously agreed and from that night forward, we were inseparable.

We got engaged in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in December 2008, were married in Tacoma in February 2010, and live in Lake Tapps, Wash. I’m still pretty clumsy and he’s still pretty cool.

Bill Fortune ’56 and Adele “Bunny” (Johnson) Fortune

Bunny Johnson was a transfer student from Eastern Montana College of Education, Billings, Mont., and Bill Fortune, student body president, was from Missoula, Mont. Bill was speaking to the students at a meeting when he noticed Bunny in the audience and planned to meet her. This took place as Bunny was walking to her Louise Anderson dormitory. Bill said, “Well, hi.”

They were married Dec. 14, 1955, in Spokane, and lived in “Trailerville” on the Eastern campus. After graduation, they moved to Edmonds, Wash., where Bill was a teacher, coach and later a school district administrator. He also served in state and national administrative positions.

They became the parents of four sons who are all doing very well. The oldest son, Bill Jr., also graduated from Eastern. Bill and Bunny still live in Edmonds and often return to Eastern for Homecoming.

Bill Linton ’80 and Sharon (Kester) Linton ’80

I grew up in a little town in eastern Washington where cowboy boots and western hats were the uniform of the day.  One evening during my sophomore year (November 1977), I was headed from Streeter Hall to the library to find a quiet place to study. Contrary to the thoughts of some (my wife in particular), I was not “cruising.” Rather, it was chilly so I had on my boots and hat as well as a WWII trench coat I had inherited from my dad.

I happened upon a table where this attractive tall blonde girl was sitting. I had seen her at a few parties and at a Ski Club meeting. I started talking to her about skiing and mentioned I had just learned to ski the year before and was looking for some equipment. I asked if she knew anything about buying ski equipment and she volunteered to go to a ski swap later that week to help me find some skis. That ski swap was our first date.

A few years later we were married, a year to the day from the day we graduated from EWU, June 13, 1981. We love telling our kids about how we met in the library and have continued to enjoy shopping for skis and hitting the slopes together for almost 32 years.

Rod Snyder ’93 and Heather Snyder ’91

After I graduated from EWU, I went to work as marketing director for a Spokane credit union. A few months later, I started a marketing intern program with the help of my alma mater. Eastern student Rod Snyder applied. When we saw each other across the credit union lobby on Sept. 30, 1992, sparks flew. Of course I hired him, and we made it through his internship in a very professional manner. He likes to point out that I gave him an A. Then we fell in love.

On April 15, 1995, we were married in Spokane. We now have three children and live in Longview, Wash., where we both work for credit unions. I am so grateful to EWU for not only providing me with an education that lead to a long and rewarding career, but for sending me the man of my dreams for an intern interview!

Mike Maguire ’89 and Kathy (Ide) Maguire ‘88

My roommate was dating his roommate.That’s how we met. They didn’t last, but we did!

We started dating seriously the summer we both turned 21. During the school year we spent nearly every Thursday night dancing down at “Showies,” often side by side with EWU alums Benji and Marcy Estrellado.

I graduated a year before Mike, as he had taken some time off from school to work. I moved to Spokane to start my career but continued to commute to Cheney on Thursday nights for dancing.

On Feb. 14, 1989, Mike asked me to drive to Cheney to type a paper that was due for class the next day. I resisted; it was a work night for me, plus I was getting sick. He cajoled me into coming out as I could type that paper three times faster than he could (true).

After I did his homework for him, he convinced me to go to Showies for a beer, even though I didn’t feel well. It was, after all, Valentine’s Day! We had a beer, then another, and then he somehow managed to blurt out something that I later deduced was an offer of marriage. It wasn’t particularly eloquent, but it was memorable, and oh, so sweet! We were married April 7, 1990, and currently our two children attend EWU.

Jim Perez ’75 and Paula (Saucier) Perez ’75

In 1973, my Pontiac packed with all my worldly possessions; I headed out, intent on enrolling at Eastern Washington State College. I had an AA degree, the G.I. Bill and little else so I was fortunate to find housing in Sutton Hall, which served as the veteran’s dormitory during that time.

Unbeknown to me, my future wife brought her AA degree to EWSC at the same time, albeit along a different path. As fate would have it, we became members of a study group. My primary intent was to stay focused but this cute (I was focused, not blind) coed, being the spark of the group, became the center of my attention.

One particularly cold morning, she and I happened upon one another on campus. She invited me to the PUB cafeteria and treated me to a cinnamon roll and coffee. That was the start of an almost daily ritual, along with late-night walks under snow-laden pine trees, walking around campus and Cheney, mostly between Dressler Hall (where she lived) and the Savage House, one of our favorite hangouts. She would come to watch the spectacle of my intramural games and I would support her work at the campus crisis line. Oh, and, there were those group study sessions.

Thirty seven years of marriage, two daughters, grandkids and two baccalaureate degrees later, we remain connected with Eastern in many ways, perhaps none more memorable than those two years we shared as students.

Doug Bell ’86 and Amy Bell ‘86

We met the fall of our freshman year.  Doug lived on the fifth floor of Streeter Hall, I was on the seventh. A group of us went to dinner one night and we hit it off right away. Our dates usually consisted of meeting up for dinner at Tawanka or $2 movie night in Spokane. We were inseparable almost from the start, soul mates.

We married during Christmas break of our junior year. Our parents felt that we were too young, but gave us their full support emotionally and financially. We were off on our journey together. Doug was commissioned as a 2^nd Lt. in the U.S. Army the winter of ‘86. Together we have journeyed through the U.S. and Europe and raised two amazing kids. Currently, Doug, a Lt. Col., is serving a one-year tour in Afghanistan and I am a military liaison for Cedar Crest Hospital in Texas. We continue to discover new things about life together and are each other’s best friend, wanting the best for each other. While it hasn’t been easy, it has been wonderful. Our grand adventure continues with the best years still to come.

Bill Miller ’94 and Dionne Miller ’95

On Nov. 5, 1992, I met my husband Bill Miller on the STA bus commuting out to Eastern.  I/we hit it off instantaneously, especially as we were a captive audience for each other during the beautiful drive out to Cheney. The next day we sat together again on the bus and Bill asked me out on a date the next day. Well, you can say the rest is now history. We tied the knot on June 25, 1994, and it has been a wonderful journey ever since. We have been blessed with two kids Emily (15) and Zach (12). That is the story of our beginning. Hard to believe it’s been 20 years.

Rod Tucker ’90 and Nichole (Fagen) Tucker ’92

Our paths crossed several times while we were both at EWU but it wasn’t until after we both graduated that our hearts connected. In May 1993, we both (separately) came back to campus for the Orland Killin Dinner. I found her alone later that night at Showies. I summoned the courage to sit down and talk with her and the next thing I knew we were smooching on the dance floor.

I was completely smitten and she laughed when I told her she should come to visit me in Los Angeles, where I lived at the time. After sending a few postcards along with some gentle coercion, she flew down in July and we spent the next five days falling head-over-heels in love. She moved to L.A. in August. We moved back to Seattle in 1996, got married and now have three beautiful boys. We recently celebrated our 16th anniversary and can’t wait for 16 more. Happy Valentine’s Day Schmoopie. Thanks for dancing with me.

Alex Blue ’05 and Shannon (O’Neill) Blue ’04

During winter quarter 2002, Alex Blue and I had management class together. The professor had us introduce the person sitting next to us on the first day, but it wasn’t until almost a year later at a Halloween party at Showies/Eagle’s Pub that Alex and I first connected. We talked for most of the night and it turned out he remembered me from the management class. I was instantly attracted to Alex’s sense of humor and his Indiana charm and eventually we became inseparable.

After graduation Alex applied for a job in Alaska, my home state, without telling me and when he got the offer we decided to take a new adventure and packed up for our move north. We have been in Alaska for over six years and got married two years ago at Majestic Valley Lodge, which is near the breathtaking Matanuska Glacier. We have had a great journey together and both enjoy all the outdoor activities the Last Frontier offers with our two dogs Ziggy and Noosa. We love sharing our story of how a boy from Indiana and a girl from Alaska came together and it all started at EWU.

Mark Lathrop ’00 and Sarah (Morris) Lathrop ’08

It was the first day for both of us in the MBA program. Our first class, accounting 505, started with Professor Dowd telling us to find a “friend” in class to exchange contact information with in case we weren’t in attendance. Mark immediately made his way over to me to get my contact information and to be his “friend.” After class he sent me an email with his schedule to meet to work on our final project, which he assigned himself as my partner.

That first email was one of many corny emails we’d send each other over the course of a few months, riddled with accounting terms as a way to act like we were discussing class. Since we were both in relationships, we kept our meetings and discussions to strictly school work. But after about two months, Mark finally said I’d have a date if I broke up with my boyfriend. It was just the enticement I needed. Within three weeks we had both broken up with our significant others and I really did have a date – the best date of my life.

That was seven years ago on Nov. 11, and we’ve been together ever since. In 2007, a few months before we both graduated with our MBAs, we were married. And we still discuss accounting through email.

’67 Charlie and ’70 Elaine (Koop) Cobb

It was winter quarter 1966, I was taking a break from gymnastics practice when I saw “blue eyes” Charlie Cobb playing tennis in the gym. We engaged in small talk at the drinking fountain. I didn’t see him again until the first day of fall quarter 1967, when he asked me to go to the football game on the weekend. I wasn’t sure about dating him so I replied, “I’d have to think about it.” Later that day Charlie caught up with me and pressed for my answer, I agreed to go.

After dating a year, we eloped to Philadelphia. Charlie was stationed in Virginia and I was in Cheney and Philly was in the middle. Following the wedding, Charlie deployed to Germany and I returned to Cheney to complete the quarter. After Christmas, I moved to Stuttgart, Germany and enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon thanks to the U.S. Army. Charlie volunteered for Vietnam and while he was deployed I finished my degree at Eastern. Upon graduation, I signed a contract with Marysville School District.  After the Army, Charlie was hired by the Everett School District where he taught, coached and was an administrator for 30 years. We have three boys, Trevor, Garrett and Quentin and celebrated 45 years of marriage on Nov. 20, 2012.

’08 Rocky and ‘08 Janelle (Balin) Hanni

During the fall of 2005, Rocky was playing football and Janelle was a student athletic trainer. Two mutual friends eventually brought them together. It was a cold December night with snow covering the ground. With a few friends, they went to the hill by Reese Court for a little winter fun with sleds. After a few runs down the slope, Rocky decided to give Janelle a little extra push and she went flying down the hill at unprecedented speeds then was white-washed at the bottom. Janelle knew any man bold enough to shove her down a hill was the man for her. They kept in touch during winter break when they went on their first real date in Bellevue, Wash.

Janelle spent the next couple of years cheering for Rocky at football games, regardless of the weather, and Rocky attended many of Janelle’s Alpha Phi Sorority events. They enjoyed many lunches at Tawanka between classes.

They were engaged on Dec. 17, 2007, and married on July 25, 2009, in Orting, Wash. Many of their friends from EWU who played a huge part in their lives were able to attend the event. They now live in Albany, Ore., but still make the drive to watch Eagle football games and visit the place where it all started.

’10 Robert and ’12 Marie Hoffman

My husband Robert and I first “met” on MySpace, as corny as that may seem.  EWU had their school group on the site, and I joined the group in the summer of ’07 before my freshman year, posting a thread of all my concerns and fears of coming to the university.  Robert was the only one who responded to my thread, eventually giving me his phone number in case I had other questions.

The first week of school, I had started working at Eagle Espresso at the PUB, and that’s where I met him in person. I hadn’t noticed him at first but I finally recognized him from his photo. I was too shy to say, “Hi, nice to meet you,” but I’m sure my reaction said it all. Late that fall quarter, we began speaking to each other and hanging out often, and by mid-winter quarter we had started dating, even after we had both explained to each other and agreed that we were not interested in a relationship and that our studies were our priority.  We married on Dec. 11, 2010, and celebrated our wedding in the Hargreaves Hall Reading Room, and we couldn’t be happier

’86 Chad and ’02 Bethany (Luck) Hutson

When Chad Hutson and Bethany Luck met through an internship set up by EWU Professor Steve Blewett,  little did they know what started as an education opportunity would turn into a lifetime commitment.

Years before meeting Bethany, Chad graduated from EWU with a degree in journalism that took him to the Seattle area writing for daily newspapers. Being too opinionated to work in the media he found his true passion in public relations.

Years later professor Blewett would meet him back in Spokane where Chad had settled into a PR career. That’s when Blewett decided one of his best students, Bethany, could go far in her own education interning for Chad. He introduced the two and soon an internship was created.

After the internship, the couple realized there was more than a professional relationship there and they began to date. On a hot summer’s evening in 2004, they were married at Arbor Crest and their new lives would begin. Bethany’s career soon skyrocketed as she became a social media expert and just recently the couple took their communication skills to Pittsburgh with their twin 5-year-olds, to accept new job offers.

Bethany and Chad have fond memories of their days at EWU and of their courtship inspired by a journalism professor who still believes one of the Hutson’s offspring should have been named Steve.

’68 Jerry and ’68 Gail (Johnson) Jantz

We met 47 years ago, during football season, at a dance held in Louise Anderson Hall.
We married 45 years ago, Dec. 11, 1967, just after Jerry played in the National EWSC
Football Championship game.  We both graduated with degrees in education. We have the most wonderful memories of EWSC and of our years dating and we still share our
love of everything football!

’07 Casey and ’07 Lindsey (Barnett) Knopik

It was a love story that could be written in the history books, or rather, The Easterner (student newspaper). With the journalism program located in downtown Spokane, Casey and Lindsey met on bus rides from Cheney to the now extinct Spokane Center.

While it might not be front page material, Casey and Lindsey’s story would fit well within the pages of the Eagle Life section. It was during their junior year that they became good friends while taking journalism classes and writing for The Easterner. But it wasn’t until their senior year that the two began dating. Their love for sports, especially EWU football and basketball, was only one of the many things that drew them together.

After graduation they continued dating (even long distance for a year with Casey in Washington and Lindsey in Nebraska) until Casey proposed in March 2009, at Multnomah Falls in Oregon. They were married in Orting, Wash., on Aug. 28, 2010. Their wedding served as an excellent opportunity for an Easterner class of 2007 reunion. Many of their past newspaper classmates attended the wedding, which only helped bring their story full circle with the people who were a part of what brought them together. They now live in Issaquah, Wash., and are still filling in the rest of their story, or in their case, newspaper article.

’07 Buddy and ’07 Karisa McSpadden

Buddy and I met winter quarter of 2004, through mutual friends. We began a friendship and had many late night conversations of how we envisioned our lives once we graduated and were “all grown up.” We had identical views on how we wanted our lives to be.

Our friendship blossomed into a relationship, becoming an official couple on May 20, 2005. We graduated in 2007, and Buddy proposed to me on the 4^th of July, 2008. We were married on July 18, 2009. We had our first daughter, Elise, in 2010, and our second daughter, Adilyn, on Dec. 17, 2012. Buddy and I loved everything about our experience at EWU and can only hope that our daughters will someday have the same experience.

’11 Jason and ’11 Nikki (Riedner) Myers

We met the spring of 2008, walking to biology class from Kingston Hall. We both had separate math classes but they adjourned at the same time and we shared the same biology class in the science building. At first we walked in silence but I couldn’t stand not having a pleasant conversation with someone, so I started it up one day. From then on, he always made sure to walk me to class and open doors for me. He even came to school when he felt sick so that he could see me.

We dated for three-and-a-half years and he proposed 15 minutes after my graduation in 2011, right outside Kingston Hall, where we officially first met. We got married in Colton, Wash., on July 14, 2012. He is my best friend and the love of my life and a true Eagle fan for life!

’06 Sherwin and ’05 Elizabeth (Kooiker) Newton 

Liz and I met in 2002 in Pearce Hall. She was a CA and I worked the night desk. When Liz and her on-call buddy Kim would finish their rounds, they would end up down at night desk playing Risk with me. It took Kim and me about six months to convince Liz to go on a date with me but eventually she did. We went to Chili’s and then to see The Italian Job in Spokane. After about three years of dating, we got married in Las Vegas on May 5, 2006. We now live in Kent, Wash., and have been happily renovating our house room by room. We welcomed our beautiful twin girls, Reese and Carly, on July 2, 2012, and life just continues to get crazier every day!

’62 Ed and Kathleen Steen Praxel

A 50^th anniversary greeting card arriving in the mail this July 2012, with President Obama’s and first lady Michelle’s greetings and signatures on it, recalled memories of our belated honeymoon.

My uncle, Donn Steen, was EWU’s printer for many years and Ed Praxel worked for him after classes on a daily basis. Donn knew I was interested in art and that Ed was an artist so he introduced the two of us. Ed graduated winter quarter 1962 from Eastern and we were married that summer. We postponed our honeymoon due to his summer job of 12-hour shifts at the Spokane Forest Service, followed by a teaching position in Forks, Wash., which delayed it further.  That spring Ed was hired as a teacher with the Panama Canal Company. We drove to Panama in an MG 1100 – more than 5,000 miles on the opened, not-completed Pan American Highway.

In Guatemala we drove 45 miles through the landslide area of “El Tapon” canyon and crossed five different slides. We arrived late in San Salvador and all the hotels were closed so we slept in the car in the city plaza for several hours. A volcano appeared to float in the muddy colored water of Lake Nicaragua, which is inhabited by fresh water sharks. In Costa Rica, we saw the volcano Irazu and the ash which inundated San Jose, and traversed the 11,322-foot pass of the Cerro de la Muerte. Pictures of our trip can be viewed online. Our belated honeymoon was the adventure of a lifetime.

’04 Jeremy and ’05 Katherine (Yerbich) Ryf 

It had to be fate! We both returned to college to complete our bachelor’s degree after time off to figure out our direction in life. We met winter quarter 2002 in Professor Thompson’s geology class. Jeremy was studying environmental science and I was working full time for the Department of Ecology and focusing on my studies in fisheries. Sparks began to fly as we found more opportunities to chat before/after class, at study group and on our trek to the free parking lot.

During our talks we found that we both were country-raised in rural Washington on opposite sides of the state; me in the wheat fields of Kahlotus, and him in the mountains of Packwood. We both have a passion for the outdoors, simple living and a love for good friends and fabulous food.

After three years of dating, Jeremy proposed to me on June 17, 2005, at Palouse Falls in eastern Washington and on June 17, 2006, we were married at Mayfield Lake Resort in western Washington.

EWU is where “everything” started and we didn’t get very far.  We live in the wheat hills of Four Lakes, surrounded by Ponderosa pine trees, combining the best of both worlds that we grew up in and now our two daughters get to enjoy.

’86 Gary and ’86 Peggy (McCutchen) Smith

It was Sept. 18, 1982, on the fourth floor of Dressler Hall. Four girls from the 10^th floor enter Mark Lawrence’s dorm room and joined in a game of quarters. Peggy McCurchen and Gary Smith met for the first time. Peggy is from Enumclaw, Wash., and Gary is from Omak, Wash. If it was not for Eastern, this 30-year relationship never would have happened.

Three years later, on Aug. 17, 1985, they were married in Enumclaw. They lived in Cheney until they graduated in 1986. They bought their first house in Federal Way, Wash., in July 1988. Their first child, Garrett, was born in 1991, and is currently a junior at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

In 2003, Gary accepted a position at the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., where he currently is the vice president of classified advertising and interactive media. As empty nesters, Gary enjoys golfing at Bentwinds Country Club and Peggy enjoys spoiling her designer mutt named Princess.

Gary and Peggy continue to live in Apex, N.C., and remain eternally grateful to Eastern Washington University for its part in their love story.

’05 Jeremy and ‘04 Amie (Nicholson) Wheeler

Jeremy and I met in February of our sophomore year (2001). He was a Sig Ep and I went to one of their functions with a friend. He wouldn’t let me out of his sight that night and he couldn’t believe I was the girl on the Homecoming poster that year! He invited me to watch him play hockey for the EWU Eagles. They won and he thought he was so cool because he got his chin cut open! I guess it worked, since we’ve been together ever since.

I graduated with a BS in dental hygiene and moved back to Olympia. He followed once he graduated the next December, with a BA in business management. In 2006, we were married (with many EWU alums as groomsmen and bridesmaids). In fall 2011, we moved back to the Spokane area with our daughter and son. We look forward to being closer to our alma mater and being able to attend more alumni functions!

’79 Sam and ’81 Rose (Donnelly) Worth

In the fall of ’78 I was returning to fifth floor Morrison for my sophomore year. A floor mate from the previous year had a new roommate who hadn’t shown up yet. Coming in to the dorm the first day of classes was the mystery roommate, Sam Worth. We found out that he had a recent bout of appendicitis and was recovering from surgery. Naturally there were good natured jokes made and he took them well.

After a few short weeks, he moved out of the dorm as he had reconnected with previous off-campus roommates. But the damage was done; we’d gotten to know one another. Out first date was to see George Carlin perform Spokane – kind of set the tone for the relationship.

My last diary entry in December was, “This guy could be the one.” I remember thinking, after I wrote it that, in the future this statement could look pretty cool, or pretty stupid. Thirty two years of marriage and two kids later, turns out it was cool. Thank you, Eastern Washington University, for a great college experience, my degree and my husband. “We’re still having fun and you’re still the one!”  Orleans

Katie Pemberton is presented Idaho Teacher of the Year check by Tom Luna, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction.

When most 7-year-olds are just getting used to going to school, Katie Pemberton already knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her early passion and years of dedication since have paid off for both her and her students, as Pemberton has been honored as Idaho Teacher of the Year.

This prestigious award follows an already impressive year for the Coeur d’Alene teacher and Eastern Washington University alumna. Pemberton also received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for 2011 and was awarded the Coeur d’Alene School District Teacher of the Year for 2012. As one of only 97 recipients of the Presidential Award, she received a weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. It is the nation’s highest recognition of K-12 math and science teachers for outstanding teaching in the United States.

Pemberton graduated magna cum laude from EWU in 2005, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in education. She hit the ground running and was hired immediately at Canfield Middle School where she is in her eighth year of teaching math. From day one, Pemberton said she wanted to engage her students as much as possible with technology, so she started writing grants in her extra time.

Photo: Brain Plonka

Now recognized as a leader in grant writing and technology use, she has received thousands of dollars in technology grants to create her 21st-century mathematics classroom. She provides her students with innovative and technology-rich mathematics lessons. With their own laptops and now iPads – all funded by grants that she has sought; Pemberton’s students are actively engaged in their learning and are required to think critically as they build a strong conceptual understanding of math.

“This age is such a critical time in her lives when we have a chance to make a real and lasting impact,” Pemberton said. “It’s so important to engage with them immediately on a positive level.”

That’s why she decided in her early days of teaching to greet her students with a handshake at the door every day.

“To say hi and how are you is all it takes sometimes to make a connection with them immediately,” she said. “I can see in their eyes that they know they matter and want to learn.”

Taking extra time with her students is something that Pemberton has committed to more and more over the years. She estimates that she works an average of 50 to 60 hours a week between classroom time, prep, writing grants, and most importantly to her, time before and after school to tutor students who need extra time.

“Certain kids need more one-on-one time and private tutoring for families can be expensive,” she said. “Not all kids want to ask for help – it’s hard. So it’s important to build that trust and connection with them.”

Pemberton is especially committed to high-risk students, sixth through eighth grade, who would otherwise slip through the cracks if not given the extra hour or two a day of tutoring.

“I can see the confidence build in them – in their faces and even in their handshakes that usually start of limp and evolve into firm confident exchanges,” she said.

Pemberton credits her education and training at EWU for preparing her so well for real life teaching and what it was going to take to make that connection.

“Eastern does a tremendous job of offering real classroom experience. I knew exactly what I was getting into – all of the extra work it would take, and it only reconfirmed my commitment that is what I was always meant to do,” she said.

She loved her education so much that she hard a hard time deciding what she wanted to specialize in because she thrived in teaching math, reading and music. She ultimately decided to major in reading with a minor in math. It only took five days after graduation to land her job at Canfield.

Becoming a teacher has fulfilled the dream she had as a little girl when she used to play school with her cousins, who still tease her about always wanting to be the teacher.

“I just love it so much and can’t imagine ever doing anything else,” she said. “No one gets into teaching to become rich or to get summers off. They do it because they really care and want to make a creative difference.”

Pemberton doesn’t know how it feels to get summers off because she also teaches at Lewis-Clark State College each summer. She calls her two jobs the best of both worlds teaching kids and non-traditional adult students.

The most rewarding moments come when she hears how her past students are doing. Just recently she received an email from a parent of a once high-risk student who struggled in eighth-grade math. After putting in a lot of extra one-on-one time with him, her former student is now majoring in civil engineering.

Whether it’s former students, parents or colleagues, the accolades keep coming for Pemberton. As Idaho Teacher of the Year, she is a nominee for National Teacher of the Year and will go to Washington, D.C. where she will meet President Barrack Obama.

“I am so incredibly honored. This is the most amazing profession,” Pemberton said during an assembly in December where she was surprised with the award amongst her colleagues, students and family at Canfield.

STORY BY COURTNEY DUNHAM

Breaking the Code

Karen Fisher-Alaniz ’96, MEd, ’88 BA education

Our parents are our most unexplored mystery. Whether close or distant to us, we see them as “parent,” rarely knowing or thinking about the person that they are outside that role. So few of us get to discover that person inside, even if it may be just a question away.

Like many, Karen grew up with a father who was always there and yet always absent. As a little girl and then an adult, she talked to him, but they never really had a conversation. He’d told her stories of his childhood and of his time in the Navy, but she’d barely listened.

But on his 81st birthday, without explanation, her father placed two weathered notebooks on her lap, with more than 400 pages of letters he’d written to his parents during World War II. The more she read, the more she discovered about the man she never knew and the secret role he played in the war.

Thus began an unintended journey – one taken by a father and daughter who thought they knew each other, a journey of healing and discovery that started with a leap of faith.

Karen Alaniz is an author and writer, living in Walla Walla, Wash.

http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/breaking-the-code.html

 Abiqua Live at Eastern

This CD was recorded live in April 1974 by Ed Bruneau, who had been the editor for the Easterner, the student newspaper during the 1972-1973 school year. He decided to run for ASB president in 1974. His campaign platform included creating a non-profit student bookstore co-op to compete with the existing bookstore, reducing the cost of books and merchandize for the students.

He came up with a creative way to get his name and ideas noticed by providing a free concert at the Pence Union Building, featuring the band Abiqua. The concert consisted of cover interpretations from the Beatles, Carly Simon, Jethro Tull, Moody Blues and others, as well as some of Abiqua’s original material.

1974 was a pivotal year for Spokane and the rest of the country. The World’s Fair, Expo ’74 opened in May that year and the OPEC Oil Embargo ended and that August, President Nixon resigned in disgrace.

Abiqua’s concert was one of those moments in time that represent an era of change, hope and excitement. The 13-track, 75-minute album is available on CD and .mp3 download on Amazon.com and at Bostonbooks.org.

Bruneau is the owner of Creative Consultants in Spokane.

www.bostonbooks.org

Butterfly Moon: Short Stories

Anita Endrezze  ’75,  MA English, ’73 BA education

Butterfly Moon is a collection of short stories based on folk tales from around the world. But the stories freely mingle fantasy and reality, witches and tricksters and everyday folks. Compellingly and poetically recounted, these enjoyably disturbing tales lead us to question what is real – and why reality matters.

Endrezze has deep memories. Her father was a Yaqui Indian. Her mother traced her heritage to Slovenia, Germany, Romania and Italy. And her stories seem to bubble up from this ancestral cauldron.

Endrezze is a poet, an artist and a writer. Her recent books include Breaking Edges (Red Bird Press, 2012), Throwing First at the Sun, Water at the Moon (University of Arizona Press, 2000) and At The Helm of Twilight (Broken Moon Press, 1992), which won the Bumbershoot/Weyerhaueser Award. She is the recipient of the Washington State Writers Award and a GAP award. Her work is in many anthologies and literary magazines around the world.

She lives in Everett, Wash., and is married with two children and works as a storyteller, artist and teacher. Endrezze teaches university courses and her work has been translated into seven languages, published in 10 countries. She has taken part in the Washington State Council for the Humanities Speakers’ Series.

www.uapress.arizona.edu

Benson is Back

Wade Benson is returning to EWU as the university’s volleyball coach.

While coaching at EWU from 2000-06, he guided the Eagles to six consecutive 20-win seasons, three Big Sky regular-season titles and a second-round appearance in the 2001 NCAA tournament.

He’ll replace interim coach Lisa Westlake, who stepped in when head coach Myles Kidd resigned four matches into the 2012 season.

“He has been a tremendously successful head coach at every school,” Eagles athletic director Bill Chaves said. “What he was able to previously accomplish in the Big Sky speaks for itself. We look forward to our program again being very competitive year in and year out under his leadership.”

New Trustees Appointed

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has appointed two new members to the EWU board of trustees and both are alumni – Judge James Murphy of Spokane and Vicki Wilson of Richland, Wash. Their terms are effective immediately and will continue through Sept. 30, 2018.

Judge Murphy earned his BA from Eastern in 1965 before going on to law school. Murphy served on the bench for 26 years in Spokane County, retiring as a superior court judge in 2003.

“As a graduate, I have watched an amazing transformation occur at the university since my days as a student,” said Murphy. “I know this growth was largely made possible by the leadership of an active board of trustees and dedicated leadership provided by staff and the office of the president. I can’t wait to be part of such a creative group of people and such a dynamic process.”

Vicki Wilson, a native of Tri-Cities, earned her BA in business administration from Eastern in 1981. She currently is a manager in the service operations organization for Lockheed Martin Information Technology.

“EWU was a very important part of my early adult years and has played a significant role in who am I today,” said Wilson. “I’m excited and look forward in helping to continue the great tradition of EWU.”

Wilson and Murphy replace Kris Mikkelsen and Ines Zozaya Geist, whose terms recently expired.

Trustees on the board work with EWU President Rodolfo Arévalo to set the strategic direction of the university and help ensure that EWU is academically and financially accountable and successful.

Scholar in Residence

This fall, students in the university’s Department of Psychology spent Thursday afternoons learning principles of compassion and practice from a world-renowned scholar and teacher, Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye.  

A Tibetan Monk, Geshe Phelgye is founder of the Universal Compassion Movement (UMC) and a member of the Dalai Lama’s Parliament-in-Exile. While serving as a Scholar in Residence at EWU, he offered a seminar on Buddhist psychology. Additionally, during winter quarter 2013, Geshe Phelgye will teach a two-credit course for the College of Arts, Letters & Education. And during spring quarter 2013, he will teach a two-credit seminar for international affairs within the Departments of Government and Honors.

Business School Nationally Recognized

EWU’s College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) has been named an outstanding business school by The Princeton Review, which features EWU in the 2013 edition of its annual guidebook, The Best 296 Business Schools.

Student input from surveys and data collected from each institution helped identify the top business schools named in the book.

“EWU is honored to have our program recognized by The Princeton Review for having a balance of affordability, quality and convenience,” said Roberta Brooke, director of EWU’s MBA Program. “This is the result of a team effort by all those associated with Eastern, and we will continue to strive for excellence.”

Young Professionals Network Series a Success

What began as a casual speaker series aimed at addressing the needs of Eastern’s young alumni has become the go-to community for young professionals. The Young Professionals Network Series is a monthly get together that is part career booster, part happy hour mixer.

On the first Thursday of each month, these events begin with a networking-focused happy hour. These take place in a unique setting each month in order to feature new hot spots throughout Spokane.

These events provide young alumni the opportunity to engage with special guest executives and professionals in a relaxed setting. Upon arrival, attendees fill out information cards to be entered into a drawing. The most anticipated prize is a private, 30-minute lunch with the featured professional or top-level executive panelist. After the networking hour, special guest speakers discuss selected topics, followed by a Q & A session, prize drawing, opportunity for job announcements and additional networking.

The target audience for the Young Professional Series is young alumni, specifically recent graduates looking for connections. The primary objective is to provide a professional outlet for them to network with each other and alumni who can share expertise and mentorship. In addition, the alumni office wants to understand the needs of this group. In doing so, they hope to begin a lifelong, mutual relationship.

Their goal is to present topics that are unexpected enough to separate their event from other events and speakers and find featured guests who connect with the audience, entertain and provide relevant advice. To aid in this effort, attendance is limited, with a reasonable fee charged to attendees and rewards for returning attendees and their guests.

The inaugural event was held in April 2012.  Since then, alumni have responded greatly to the opportunity to engage. The launch event had 38 attendees, and by the third event, 68 people attended. A true sign of success is that, as a direct result of the series, three alumni attendees attained employment offers.

For more information contact Leah Mow or 509.359.4553.

Man on a Mission

David Reese, a pre-med student at EWU, completed a 24-hour treadmill run of 105 miles between 11 a.m., Dec. 14 and 11 a.m. Dec. 15.

Reese’s goal was to break a world record by running 161 miles on a treadmill in 24-consecutive hours. Although he fell short of his world record attempt, his efforts still made his fans proud.

His goal came from his desire to raise $500 for people living in rural areas who need access to medical care.

In this issue of the magazine we’ve shared the stories of couples who met, fell in love and married because of relationships that developed during their time at Eastern. In their wedding photos we see the joy and anticipation of their journey together. Their stories are romantic, humorous and touching. The newlyweds are writing the first chapters of their love story; the plot deepens for those in the middle and some couples have written their final chapters together.

The Chandler’s Love Story

Leo Chandler and Patricia Sterling met and fell in love in Dr. Celia Allen’s Psychology 101 class in the fall of 1955. “Leo told a joke and I was the only one who laughed, so Leo turned around to see who got it,” writes Pat. “According to Leo, I psyched him out ever since. After class we walked down the hall at Showalter together and that was the beginning.”

Leo was a junior and Pat was a freshman. They both became very involved in campus life and activities. Leo served as Student Body President in 1956-57 and was editor of the student newspaper. He was also involved in Ski Club, Scarlett Arrow and the Bachelors Club. He lettered in swimming and football. Pat was president of the Eastern Chapter of Future Teachers.

They dated and became engaged a year later. Their wedding took place in May 1957, in Spokane. “We wanted our many EWC friends to be able to attend before they left for summer vacation,” wrote Pat. “After a whirlwind honeymoon to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, we came back to take finals. After Leo’s graduation, we lived in Spokane and began raising our five children (Shannon, Kelly, Bridgett, Michael and Kevin). In 1965 we moved to the Seattle area and settled in Mountlake Terrace, Wash. On May 26, 2012, we celebrated our 55^th wedding anniversary.”

Leo suffered declining health over the past few years and had been undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma since September 2012. He passed away in his sleep on Nov. 29, 2012.

For more than 30 years Leo designed retail stores, and in 1995 two of those stores were named retail stores of the year. An avid sports fan, Leo refereed football and basketball for 25 years in Spokane, Whitman and King counties. He was a founding member of the Mountlake Terrace Rotary and a 37-year member of St. Pius X Catholic Church. In his retirement, Leo was able to use his degree in English to tutor student athletes at the University of Washington.

Over the years, Leo and Pat have remained dedicated supporters of Eastern. Leo served as a former director of the EWU Alumni Association.

Donations in Leo’s honor may be made to the scholarship funds of Eastern Washington University or Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, or to St. Pius X Catholic Church in Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

Paying It Forward

By Brian Lynn ‘98

A good teacher supports, challenges, inspires and pushes students to be the best version of themselves. Since 1980, Leonard Stern has been that mentor for Eastern Washington University students. A professor in the Psychology Department for the past 32 years, Stern passed away on Oct. 19, 2012.

Now, one of those former students has created an endowment in his name to honor the long-standing contributions and mentoring Stern provided, while also supporting and promoting high-quality undergraduate research.

Jeff Joireman was a student of Stern’s who later became a research assistant during the 1987-88 school year. Working with Stern impacted Joireman to such an extent that it inspired him to attend graduate school.

“He gave me a really good balance between guidance and independence; we would have an idea, but he let me analyze and shape it,” said Joireman, now an associate professor and PhD coordinator for the marketing department at Washington State University. “Without his guidance and support, it is unlikely that I would have pursued a PhD and enjoyed the opportunity of an academic career. It was a great experience, and I have always wanted to honor that mentoring he gave me.”

The Leonard D. Stern Research Award was started with a $25,000 gift from Joireman, and is open for additional contributions. Dividends from the endowment will be disbursed annually in Stern’s name starting in 2014, or sooner, depending on contributions.

The annual $1,000 award will be granted to undergraduate psychology students who submit a formal research proposal. The winning proposal will be selected by Psychology Department faculty in conjunction with Joireman. “I’m hoping the award can help make it possible for undergrads at Eastern to participate in research and experience some of the options I had available because of Len,” he said.

Indeed, while Stern’s teaching legacy lives on at EWU in the form of the award in his name, it has spread to WSU, where Joireman teaches marketing research, consumer behavior and his mentor’s hallmark class: statistics. “Len was a really reliable guy and very smart. He was especially skilled at making statistics easy to learn,” said Joireman. “I have tried to model his teaching style in my own classes, especially when teaching statistics.”

While Stern, who was teaching an online class right up until his death, will no longer walk the halls or teach in the classrooms of Eastern Washington University, his impact will remain a part of the university in perpetuity thanks to Joireman’s generous gift.

If students, colleagues or alumni would like to contribute to this endowment, they may contact Foundation Development Officer Mary Ann Murphy, 509.359.6703.

Eastern extends its condolences to the families and friends of these individuals.

2000s

’04 Kristin K. Dralle, age 42, died March 12, 2012, in Bellingham, Wash.

’02 Eric Robert Forsberg, age 32, died Sept. 27, 2012, in Tacoma, Wash.

1990s

’96 Rosemary (Fishburn) Earp, age 52, died Sept. 23, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’96 Ariet Oman, age 45, died Oct. 15, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’95 Tanya R. Davis, age 41, died May 25, 2012, in Issaquah, Wash.

’94 Delmar J. Stevens, age 72, died Aug. 16, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’94 Sally Storms, age 56, died Sept. 4, 2012, in Newport, Wash.

’93 Vernon “Darrin” Mason, age 44, died July 3, 2012, in Cheney, Wash.

’93 Cynthia “Cyndee” Northrop, age 59, died Oct. 11, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’92 Mary (Logan) Edgens, age 77, died Aug. 2, 2012, in Chattaroy, Wash.

’91 Judy A. Crowell, age 65, died Oct. 3, 2012, in Davenport, Wash.

’91 Linda G. Cunningham, age 63, died June 4, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’90 Beverley Ann Cochrane, age 77, died Oct. 3, 2012, in Pasco, Wash.

’90 Janet A. (Seslar) Hancock, age 70, died June 18, 2012, in Cheney, Wash.

1980s

’89 Robert Absten, age 56, died Aug. 4, 2012, in Fircrest, Wash.

’89 Nicholas Allan Clemenson, age 63, died Sept. 23, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’89 Janet L. Reardon, age 50, died Aug. 21, 2012, in Burbank, Wash.

’88 Marian Rose Norberg, age 62, died Oct. 24, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’86 Denise Lafreniere Lupien, age 54, died Sept. 20, 2012, in Tacoma, Wash.

’85 Mary Margaret Hoffman, age 72, died Oct. 13, 2012, in Ellensburg, Wash.

’84 Betty J. Fowler, age 87, died Nov. 14, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’83 John David “Dave” Stenhouse, age 63, died Aug. 15, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’82 Tressie Spracher Sluder Cartner, age 87, died in October 2012, in Olympia, Wash.

’82 Rodney Roy Spurlock, age 58, died May 27, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’80 Joy Wedeman, age 56, died Nov. 8, 2012, in Centralia, Wash.

1970s

’79 Curtis Allan Johnson, age 55, died June 23, 2012, in Cheney, Wash.

’77 Kenneth T. Fornof, age 63, died Dec. 17, 2011, in Cheney, Wash.

’77 Frank William Cardwell Sr., age 80, died Nov. 4, 2012, in Wenatchee, Wash.

’77 Donna (Wickline) Marvin, age 64, died July 24, 2012, in Spokane Valley, Wash.

’77 Lydia Teresa Sims, age 91, died June 23, 2012, in Seattle, Wash.

’76 Dayna R. “Butch” Brown, age 63, died July 8, 2012, in Everett, Wash.

’76 James A. Burgen, age 65, died Oct. 18, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’76 Dwight Scott Hamilton, age 72, died Aug. 7, 2012, in Rosburg, Wash.

’76 Janice Christelle Newell, age 58, died June 25, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’76 Kimberly Kay Vaughn, age 58, died Nov. 15, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’75 William G. “Bill” Muncey, age 68, died Sept. 20, 2012, in Kennewick, Wash.

’75 Fredric C. “Fred” Wallick, age 72, died June 13, 2012, in Cashmere, Wash.

’74 William Randall “Randy” Burns, age 62, died Sept. 16, 2012, in Renton, Wash.

’74 Michael Glen Holl, age 63, died June 29, 2012, in Bellingham, Wash.

’74 Mary Lou Loftus, age 68, died June 14, 2012, in Everett, Wash.

’73 Robert E. “Bob” France, age 67, died June 13, 2012, in Kirkland, Wash.

’73 John R. Sims, age 74, died April 3, 2012, in Humptulips, Wash.

’73 Jerome Skinner, age 66, died May 31, 2012, in Richland, Wash.

’72 Gerald Stein, age 66, died Sept. 8, 2012, in Yakima, Wash.

’71 David A. Nees, age 69, died Oct. 2, 2012, in Priest River, Idaho

’71 Ernie Packebush, age 67, died Oct. 15, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’70 Sally Jo Fowler, age 82, died May 22, 2012, in Friday Harbor, Wash.

’70 Gary N. Billesbach, age 66, died June 14, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’70 Randall J. Brock, age 68, died Oct. 22, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’70 Barry Phillip Delong, age 66, died June 27, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

‘70 Donald Rennewanz Jr., age 69, died Nov. 10, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nev.

1960s

’69 Don Dawson, age 72, died Aug. 10, 2012, in Goodyear, Ariz.

’69 Wilmer G. “Wil” Ditton, age 71, died Aug. 23, 2012, in West Virginia

’69 Everett C. “Butch” Ginther, age 66, died Aug. 22, 2012, in Wenatchee, Wash.

’69 Cornelia B. “Connie” Heston, age 76, died July 5, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’69 Betty H. Minnich, age 93, died May 27, 2012, in Cheney, Wash.

’69 Charles Edward Rice, age 94, died Sept. 3, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’68 Charles L. Decker Jr., age 68, died June 26, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’68 Keith Earl Shoemaker, age 70, died Aug. 19, 2012, in Benton City, Wash.

’67 Rick N. Baer, age 67, died July 14, 2012, in Seven Bays, Wash.

’67 Roger “Buck” Hylton, age 69, died July 1, 2012, in Ammon, Idaho

’66 James L. Morasch, age 68, died Feb. 3, 2011, in Pasco, Wash.

’65 Gary M. Honda, age 71, died May 22, 2012, in Orange, Calif.

’65 Laurence John Nelson, age 83, died Oct. 2, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’65 Jack L. Smiley Jr., age 69, died May 1, 2012, in Walla Walla, Wash.

’64 Rod Ostboe, age 70, died Oct. 15 2012, in Richland, Wash.

’64 Gary Enium Rasmussen, age 75, died July 9, 2012, in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

’64 Edith E. Smith, age 89, died June 8, 2012, in Spokane Valley, Wash.

’64 Wilmer Robert “Bob” Spanjer Jr., age 76, died Dec. 4, 2011, in Cheney, Wash.

’63 Beverly Jean Miner, age 78, died Aug. 26, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’63 Charles Herrin, age 75, died July 23, 2012, in Kennewick, Wash.

’63 Neil T. Williams, age 72, died July 13, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’62 Lucille (Quast) Copeland, age 92, died June 6, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’62 Daryl Walter Noyd, age 74, died May 14, 2012, in Wenatchee, Wash.

’61 Ronald L. Robinson, age 75, died June 11, 2012, in Edmonds, Wash.

’60 Dorothy (Pelley) Finch, age 92, died May 25, 2012, in Grandview, Wash.

’60 Isaac Eugene Metz, age 76, died March 7, 2012, in Mesa, Ariz.

1950s

’59 Margaret (Beckman) Fettig, age 75, died June 15, 2012, in Kent, Wash.

’59 Neil Allen Rector, age 75, died June 14, 2012, in Sacramento, Calif.

’59 Conrad A. Wicht, age 81, died Oct. 22, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’58 Ethel L. Barstow, age 82, died Aug. 12, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’58 John P. Tracy Jr., age 92, died July 10, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’57 James Douglas “Doug” Casey, age 85, died Oct. 17, 2012, in Longview, Wash.

‘’54 Leslie Edwin Lillquist, age 80, died July 15, 2012, in Bellingham, Wash.

’54 Ada Lorraine Solberg, age 79, died April 23, 2012, in Warden, Wash.

’53 Lucienne C. Harris, age 95, died Sept. 4, 2012, in Winnemucca, Nev.

’53 Lloyd N. Rainwater, age 92, died Aug. 19, 2012, in Palm Springs, Calif.

’52 Harold F. Kafer, age 89, died July 26, 2012, in Bothell, Wash.

’52 Frances Stark, age 93, died May 10, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’51 Norma Lee Main, age 82, died Oct. 16, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’51 Lane Leo Carlton, age 89, died Aug. 5, 2012, in Omak, Wash.

’51 Norman L. Stewart, age 84, died June 2, 2012, in Trinity, Ala.

’51 Janice Wright, age 82, died Aug. 11, 2012, in Coulee Dam, Wash.

’50 Howard M. Gamble, age 85, died Sept. 22, 2012, in Brewster, Wash.

1940s

’49 Anna Laird, age 94, died Aug. 6, 2012, in Richmond, Va.

’47 Bernadine Bayley “Bernie” Hanson, age 89, died Oct. 2, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’45 Amy Bell, age 88, died Nov. 9, 2012, in Stehekin, Wash.

’42 Robert Burgess, age 95, died Sept. 14, 2012, in Bellevue, Wash.

1930s

’38 Anna L. Pellett, age 94, died Dec. 21, 2011, in Sitka, Alaska

’37 Evelyn M. Surprise, age 96, died Aug. 8, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

’34 Ethel Gordon Metzger, age 98, died March 22, 2012, in Spokane, Wash.

Faculty and Staff

Retha L. Lucas, died on Oct. 26, 2012, in Four Lakes, Wash. She retired in April 1983, from Custodial Services after 13 years of service. She was 91 years old.

Thomas McArthur, age 65, passed away Oct. 30, 2012. He retired Sept. 1, 2012, with 20 years of service to EWU, last serving in building maintenance.

Lenard D. Stern, PhD, age 66, died Oct. 16, 2012, in Spokane, Wash. He came to Eastern’s Psychology Department in September 1980.

Susan E. Wallace, age 80, died Oct. 28, 2012, in Louisville, Colo. She retired in May 1995 from the library, after 25 years of service.

Tell us what’s new with you. Did you get a promotion, start a new career, get married, have a baby or retire? Share your good news.It’s simple. Visit EWU’s Alumni Association website or call 888.EWU Alum or 509.359.4550.

EWU Alumni Named Washington State’s Regional Teachers of the Year

Congratulations for carrying on Eastern’s tradition of educational excellence!  

Cheney High School, Cheney School District

Syrie has taught English at Cheney High School for the past nine years. He was first inspired to become a teacher in 1985, when a very cool English teacher in black Levi’s® helped him realize he could stay in the place (school) that had become his refuge and offer the same sanctuary to future generations.

He believes passionately in teacher accountability and that when teachers fall short, it is not necessarily due to lack of ability, but because the system for holding them accountable has failed to guide teachers along the path of continued growth. He believes teachers can do this for each other, in concert with their administrators. Indeed, his own colleagues testify that he does this for them – offering constant inspiration and challenging them to step out of their own comfort zones for the sake of students.

Paschal Sherman Indian School, Omak School District

Quintasket, a 26-year veteran teacher, currently teaches sixth- to ninth-grade science. It was a criminology practicum in college that convinced her that she’d rather be a teacher and use education to keep kids out of jail.

Her curriculum is a unique blend of Native American language and culture and science menus. There are no traditional textbooks in her classroom. Instead, students are using the technologies and research materials of today. The result is a classroom full of confident scientists with the ability to collaborate or work independently to solve problems.

Quintasket is also committed to building cultural understanding and community between students of varied backgrounds. For the past four years, she has been a leader in the Connections Through Science and Adventure program, which uses hands-on experience and field study to build camaraderie between students from Paschal Sherman and Omak High.

River’s Edge High School, Richland School District

Sites is a National Board Certified Teacher of math and social studies at River’s Edge High School, an alternative school in Richland. His focus is building relationships and resiliency at River’s Edge, which he believes creates lasting results for his students.

Many of his students have had little academic success, so building their confidence is a key component of his instruction. He reminds them to dream big and plan for college or a trade after high school. Not only do 70 percent of Sites’ students have a post-graduate plan, but he is often singled out by graduates as the reason for their success.

Sites recently spearheaded a $100,000 fundraising effort to provide a free daycare center for teen parents. He advocates for National Board Certification and alternative education. His elected officials know and respect Brian, and look to him as an expert resource.

Smith is Maryland’s Superintendent of the Year

The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland announced in November 2012, that Calvert County Public Schools’ superintendent, Jack R. Smith, PhD, will represent Maryland as Public School Superintendent of the Year for 2013.

In 1985, Smith earned his MEd from Eastern, and in 1980, his BA in education.  His wife of almost 33 years, ’91 Gayle M. Smith, is also an Eastern graduate.  The couple met in Dressler Hall in 1978.

Smith is currently serving in his seventh year as leader of the 16,352 student public school system. Eight years previous to this current assignment he served as a principal, director and deputy superintendent in Calvert County after serving as a principal for six years in Tokyo, Japan.

Swoop Goes Cruising

Thanks to Ron Howe ’70, and nine of his friends, Swoop got to see the world last summer.  The group packed up the 6-foot Swoop cut-out and took him on a cruise on the Danube River.

Back: Warren Wilson ‘59, Dell Secrest ‘63, Swoop, Bill Dick ’67, ’62; Ron Howe ’70 and Paul Rayburn -Middle: Karen Wilson ‘69; Dwyllis Secrest and Nadine Rayburn- Front: Merry (Mills) Dick ’67, ’62 and Susan (Shackette/Kuhn) Howe ‘68

Recent announcements

2010s

’12 Demontrice Bigham, BA psychology, has been accepted into the Master of Divinity degree program at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, N.Y.

’12 Jessica Fasoli, BA education, and ’11 Beau Bailey, BA recreation management, were married July 21, 2012, in Spokane Valley. Beau is a 2^nd Lt. in the Army Reserves.

’12 Jeffrey J. Hershey, BS biology, married Erika Salgado on Aug. 12, 2012, in Sequim, Wash. He is attending medical school at the University of New England in Maine. The couple lives in South Portland, Maine.

’12 Chelsea Lawhead, BS exercise science, has joined the cross country/track and field coaching staff at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., where she’ll pursue her MBA. While at EWU, she helped set two school records as a sprinter and served as a track and field intern.

’12 Jeremy Marinos, BA economics, has been hired by Greater Spokane Incorporated as an economic development coordinator. He previously worked for the Institute for Public Policy at Eastern Washington University.

’11 Lauren Dotter, BA accounting, and Chaz Goble were married Aug. 18, 2012, in East Wenatchee, Wash. She is an accountant at a construction company in Spokane, where the couple resides.

’11 Levi Estes, MOT, and ’10, ’07 Meg Smith, DPT, BS biology, were married on Aug. 15, 2012, in Coeur d’Alene. She is a physical therapist and he’s an occupational therapist in Spokane.

’10 Keenan Bowen, BA communication studies, has been hired as an advertising specialist for Tribute Media, a Web development and marketing company in Boise, Idaho. He previously worked at Kelly/Brady Advertising in Spokane.

’10 Stefanie Hill, BS community health, and ’10 Nicolaus Hoerkorn, BS community health, were married Aug. 25, 2012, in Bellevue, Wash. They are both health coaches and live in Bellevue.

’10, ’04 Lance D. Kissler, MS communications, BA graphic communications, has been promoted to senior community development officer in Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU)’s marketing department. He started working there in 2010, as new media and marketing officer. Lance was named EWU’s 2012 Inspirational Young Alumnus.

’10 Lauren Nissen, BA communication studies, has been hired as the fund development specialist for Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. She previously worked as a marketing associate for the Inland Northwest Community Foundation.

2000s

’08 Kasey Knox, BS biology, and Matt Wilberding, were married Aug. 25, 2012, in West Richland, Wash. She is a tissue culture technical specialist at Signature Genomic Laboratory. They live in Spokane.

’07 Candice Nell, BA education, married ’06 Chris Cwik, BA communication studies, on Oct. 13, 2012, in East Wenatchee, Wash. Candice is a kindergarten teacher in the Cheney School District and he is a paramedic in Spokane.

’07, ’00 Stephen A. Taylor, MA public administration, BA finance, has been named city manager of Kelso, Wash. He previously served as the city administrator of Connell, Wash., and spent seven years on the Spokane Valley City Council.

’06 Raenell Rafferty, BS applied developmental psychology, graduated with a master’s degree in education, school counseling, from Loyola University Maryland, in Baltimore, Md., and has been hired as a high school counselor for the Montgomery County Public Schools.

’05  Shann Ray Ferch, MFA creative writing, is one of 12 authors nationwide who will receive an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation for American Masculine, (2011; Graywolf Press) his collection of short stories.

’05 Katie (Moffit) Mauseth, BA education, and her husband Scott welcomed a baby girl Shannon Nichole, in February 2012. Katie completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University in Nebraska, in July 2012.

’02 Holly Doering, MFA, has been hired as a technical writer for Imprezzio Inc. She previously taught composition at Spokane Falls Community College and served as an editor for the Better Business Bureau.

’01 Tasha Hansen, BA finance, and Drew Rodman were married on Aug. 18, 2012, in Spokane. She is an employee of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. They live in Auburn, Wash.

’01 Max Held, BA music, has been hired as an associate by the law offices of Dunn and Black P.S., Spokane.

’00, ’96 Farran W. Bognar, MSW, BA social work, is enjoying retirement in Florida and the recent birth of his new granddaughter, Vivienne Alise. He has a new service dog named Tyrone. Farran says, “It’s hard deciding whether to swim with Tyrone or go to bed. This is the life. Work on.”

1990s

’99, ’82 Terrie Ashby-Scott, MSW, BA communication disorders, has been appointed to the Inland Northwest Community Foundation’s Grants Committee.

’99 Ginni Blackhart, BA psychology, recently received tenure and a promotion to associate professor of psychology at East Tennessee State University.

’99 Amy S. Meyers, BA recreation management, is an Air National Guard Airman 1^st Class. She graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

’98 Geoff Stone, BS chemistry/biology, married Denise Haworth, June 24, 2012, in Las Vegas. He is a rural carrier for the U.S. Postal Service of Kennewick.

’97 John Soennichsen, MFA creative writing, has received the John McClelland Award, presented by the Washington State Historical Society for his Columbia magazine article, “A Toe in the Water: J. Harlen Bretz’s First Field Exploration of Eastern Washington’s Channeled Scablands.” John lives in Cheney.

’95 Stacy Davis, BS physical therapy, has earned ASTYM certification. She is a physical therapist at Kootenai Health Outpatient Rehabilitation Services in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

’95, ’84 Sara Sexton-Johnson, MS communications, BA business management, has been hired as district director of workforce, continuing education and corporate training for Community Colleges of Spokane. She previously served as interim executive director of e-learning and off-campus programs at EWU.

’95 Melanie Tucker Thompson, BA applied psychology, has been appointed as acting assistant vice president for Student Services at Northern Illinois University.

’92 Christina K. Campbell, BS nursing, BA English, is working as a nurse at a pediatric clinic and at an outpatient surgery center in Beaverton, Ore. She says she enjoys the variety.

’91 Randy Casto, BA business, has been hired by Columbia Bank as senior vice president and team leader of the company’s Spokane Private Banking department. He has 23 years of banking experience.

’91 Laura Lesser, BA business administration, has been promoted to Spokane Teachers Credit Union’s Main Branch manager. She previously served as manager of STCU’s Indian Trail Branch.

’90 Tony Rugel, BA government, has been appointed Superior Court Commissioner for Spokane County Superior Court. For the past eight years he served as assistant attorney general for the Department of Social and Health Services.

’90 Jamie Skogstad, BA business, has been hired by Imprezzio Inc. in Spokane as a client solution director. She previously worked for Esterline as business development director.

1980s

’89 Greg Bever, BA general studies, has been appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to serve on Community Colleges of Spokane’s board of trustees for a second five-year term. He previously served as publisher of the Spokane Journal of Business for 15 years, retiring in January 2012.

’87 Robin G. Milne, BA professional accounting, has been hired as the director of finance for Jefferson City, Mo. She has more than 20 years of government consulting experience in financial administrative operations. She previously served as director of consulting for CGI Technologies of Fairfax, Va., where she worked as a sale executive and accounting manager since 1991.

’87 Jess Walter, BA journalism, has had his book, Beautiful Ruins, named book of the year by Esquire magazine. The book was also been named “best audio book narration of 2012” by salon.com and is one of The New York Times “100 Notable Books of 2012.”

’86 Mark A Purvine, BA sociology/social science, has been hired as the principal of Castle Rock High School in Castle Rock, Wash. Originally from Eugene, Ore., he began his teaching career in the Beaverton school district near Portland. He has taught in the Spokane area and most recently, at a Department of Defense middle school in Fort Campbell, Ky.

’85 Jim Campasino, BA personnel management, has been hired by Greenstone Homes as sales manager at Kendall Yards in Spokane. Previously he served as founder and president of Innovative Capital Partners Inc.

’85 Terry Neal, BA accounting, was awarded U.S. Bank’s Pinnacle Award for employee achievement. He serves as vice president of commercial real estate for the company in Spokane.

’83 Karen Burkhardt, BA accounting, has been hired as a manager at McDirmid, Mikkelsen and Secrest P.S. in Spokane. She previously served as a partner with Burkhardt, Dierdorff, Shriver and Walther PLLC.

’82 Patrick Garrity, BA finance, has been promoted to director of lending strategy by Spokane Teachers Credit Union. He has been with STCU for 19 years.

’80 Jeff Verble, BA industrial technology, has been hired by Spokane Teachers Credit Union as commercial lending manager. He has 29 years experience.

1970s

’77 John Goheen, BA radio/TV, a three-time winner of National Press Photographers Association Television News’ “photographer of the year” award, is an independent filmmaker and instructor at Loyola University in Chicago.  His documentary, V-Day 11.11.11., examines what it means to be a veteran in America.

’75 Jay P. Parikh, BA theatre, has joined Maryland Public Television as managing director of the station’s Content Enterprises unit, bringing more than 30 years experience in the entertainment industry, broadcasting and program development/distribution. Previously, he held a number of executive positions at KCTS-TV, the PBS station in Seattle.

’74 Karl Wilkinson, BA education, has joined Soleil Real Estate in Spokane. He previously worked as an agent for ReMax Real Estate.

’73 David G. Brown, BA biology, and wife Karen celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary recently at their home in Tracyton, Wash. Dave is now retired from Radiological Engineering.

’72 Bob Bodnar, BA physical education, served as the head coach of Pasco High School’s wrestling program for 18 seasons. Three Big Nine Conference “Coach of the Year” awards, four Big Nine Conference championships and 65 state placers later, the retired physical education, science and Spanish teacher was inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in October 2012.

’71, ’64 Keith Vradenburg, MEd and BAE physical education, taught and coached for more than 40 years before becoming mayor of Entiat, Wash., in 2008. He grew up in Entiat, a town of 1,200, located in Chelan County.

1960s

’69 Gary Hammond, BS geology, retired from Franklin County, after 35 years as a real estate appraiser in the assessor’s office.

’68 Daniel L. Lambert, BA social work and sociology, completed 40 years of work with WorkSource Spokane, the Washington State Employment Security Department in September. He is the supervisor of the Business, Veteran and AmeriCorp staff at WorkSource Spokane. He plans to retire in February 2013.

’65, ’57 Albert J. Semprimoznik, MA school administration, BA physical education, and wife Gayle, recently celebrated their 55^th wedding anniversary. Al retired as a school principal from Wilbur Elementary in 1982. He has enjoyed fishing trips to Alaska for 14 consecutive years. The couple has two sons Greg and Jeff, who carry on the family wheat and barley farm in Wilbur, Wash.

Dear Alumni and Friends,

The historic one-room schoolhouse that sits at the heart of the Eastern Washington University campus remains a cherished centerpiece, a constant reminder of our heritage as a normal school for training teachers.

More than 130 years later, Eastern is a thriving comprehensive university offering diverse, quality programs while serving as a driving force for the culture, economy and vitality of the Inland Northwest. Training students in the field of education is still a critical part of our mission, and as you will see in this issue of Eastern magazine, we still do it well!

Over the past year, graduates of our Education Department have been recognized as the best in their fields – earning honors such as state teacher of the year and state superintendent of the year. There are also some inspirational stories and reminders about why some of our alumni enjoy making a difference in the lives of children.  Credit goes to the outstanding staff and faculty who are among the most dedicated and nationally recognized professionals in the field of education.

Today, EWU remains committed to preparing students to enter this noble profession just as we take pride in ensuring all of our 12,500 students find success in whatever path they follow.

That is why, as president, one of my top priorities is to make sure Eastern students will continue to succeed by urging state lawmakers to restore funding to higher education so that we can avoid large tuition increases. This will allow more students to realize their dreams, just like the teachers profiled in this magazine.

It is also why your continued support is appreciated, whether it is through scholarship donations, attending events or just spreading the word about what a special place we have here at Eastern Washington University.

And, next time you meet with your child’s teacher or principal, say thank you – they very well may be an outstanding Eastern grad!

Superstitions come in many forms. One of my favorite beliefs is in my magical black and white checkered hat that I purchased at Disneyland a couple of years ago. I know it is lucky because I wore it during the entire 2010 Eagle football season and subsequent championship run.

This year, I resurrected my hat for good luck. My colleagues and I insisted that someone in my family had to wear the hat in my absence at the Portland State game. My daughter refused to wear it, and my husband only gave in and put it on after a bumpy first half.  The result was a check mark in the “win” column.

In December, Eastern’s football season came to an end in one of the craziest games I have ever seen. Although my lucky hat did not take us all the way to the championship game in Frisco, Texas, our team continues to climb in the ranks of the elite FCS programs and the entire 2012 journey (from the tailgating to the last second of each game) was impressive, memorable and fun!

Thank you to the team, and the team behind the team, who made this season incredible, including the more than 100 alumni band members who dusted off their instruments and filled the seats vacated by our band students who were off campus for winter break. And thank you to YOU the alumni who faithfully stand tall and proud of your Eastern Eagles.

But the fun doesn’t stop with the end of football season.  We’re excited for 2013 and the many planned alumni activities, including one of the most meaningful events, the Alumni Awards Gala on May 18. Although it is several months away, we have already begun the process of accepting nominations.  The success of the event, and the honor bestowed on our awarded alumni, are the result of the time you take to nominate noteworthy EWU graduates.  I hope you will take a moment after reading this and go to http://alumni.ewu.edu/alumniawards to reflect on your friends or family who are deserving of these awards.

This celebration allows us, in a sense, to scream from the rooftops, throw confetti and say, “thank you.”  From teachers, mentors, volunteers, military and businessmen, Eastern alumni are making a difference across the globe in surprising and moving ways. The gala event acknowledges their commitment with specific awards, including Lifetime Achievement, Exceptional Military Service, Inspirational Young Alumnus, Distinguished Faculty, Alumnus of Services and Organization of Excellence.

If you want to wear my lucky hat while filling out your nomination form, just let me know.

Mystery of Missing Photo Solved

I was very pleased and grateful to see one of my photos in the fall issue of Eastern magazine (page 15, Uriel, Erlinda, Martina and Pedro Iñiguez).

I took the photo for the admissions director at the time and he submitted it to The Spokesman-Review. The photo is of the Iñiguez family from 1987. I spent time working in the publications department, writing and taking a few photos, before taking classes myself to become a teacher.

I earned my second degree in 1989, and have been teaching for more than 20 years. My first degree was in communications with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. While I did not pursue a career in TV, I married someone who did. That brought me to Spokane when my wife, Trudi, got a job as a reporter and weekend weather anchor at KREM-TV.

I currently teach photography and publications at Henry M. Jackson High School in the Everett School District. I have taken numerous sports and political photos on the side.

Time moves on, but every once in a while you get to take a trip back. Thank you for such a wonderful feature on a remarkable family. I am honored to have had a small part in such a extraordinary story.

’89 Bill Trueit, Everett, Wash.

Editor’s note: The Spokesman-Review photo archivist spent a great deal of time trying to locate the original photo for us to use in Eastern magazine. The photo appeared in the newspaper in January 1987, but the original photo was nowhere to be found in the newspaper’s archives. Shortly after the article appeared in Eastern magazine, we received Bill’s letter and the mystery was solved.

We want to hear from you! Send us your letters.

Letters may be edited for length and clarity and civility.