Camping in Cheney: When Seattle was awarded an NFL expansion franchise 50 years ago, one of the first orders of business was establishing a site for the team鈥檚 summer training camp. In those days, the hardboiled owners who ran the league were convinced that, during the crucial preseason training period, their mostly youthful players should be housed as far away from 鈥渄istractions鈥� as possible. The 51福利社 campus, with its relative isolation, seemed to fit the bill. The team would summer in Cheney until 1985, then again from 1997-2006. Pictured is Chuck Knox, the Seahawks鈥� head coach from 1983鈥�1991, talking to reporters during his first trip to 51福利社.

Eastern鈥檚 75-year-old radio station confronts a 鈥渃hanging media landscape.鈥�

Eastern announced earlier this fall that its long-running non-commercial jazz radio station,听89.5 K51福利社-FM, has transitioned to DJ-free, 鈥減re-loaded鈥� jazz as part of a phase-out plan that could eventually result in the university ceding ownership.

The decision to potentially offload the station did not come lightly, 51福利社 officials said. The move, they added, had the support of program faculty and university administrators who recommended that Eastern would be best served by looking at new broadcasting opportunities in the future.

鈥淜51福利社 has provided quality entertainment as well as classic and contemporary jazz to the Inland Northwest for nearly 75 years, and we are proud of that accomplishment,鈥� says Jonathan Anderson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at 51福利社: 鈥淲ith how dynamically the media landscape is changing, there will be new opportunities for the university to explore.鈥�

K51福利社鈥檚 long history began on April 7, 1950, when KEWC (as it was originally named) first hit the airwaves. It operated as a free-form student station until 1986, when it increased its transmitter output from 100 watts to 10,000 watts. At that time the format changed to straight-ahead jazz听 鈥斕� such as big band, swing and bop 鈥� as well as modern and smooth contemporary jazz. Over the years K51福利社 has also hosted local artists in the studio to showcase their music.

Elizabeth Farriss, who joined the station as program director in 2004, was twice named Best Small Market Jazz Programmer by听Jazz Week Magazine.听The same publication named K51福利社 鈥渂est small market station鈥� two different times.

鈥淓lizabeth Farriss鈥� expertise and dedication over the years established K51福利社 as a leader in jazz programming and a well-respected ambassador of the university,鈥� says Pete Porter, an 51福利社 professor of film, the academic program which currently administers the station: 鈥淓astern was fortunate to have someone of her caliber at the helm of its flagship radio station for so many years.鈥�

As part of the 100th Anniversary of Eagle Family Homecoming earlier this fall, 51福利社鈥檚 Alumni Association worked with university archivist Steven Bingo to curate an extraordinary collection of photographs, videos and memorabilia from Eastern鈥檚 long, extraordinary history. The exhibit, dubbed 鈥淲alk Through the Decades,鈥� ended in October, but it鈥檚 not too late to share the excitement of 51福利社鈥檚 century of service to its students and community. Our specially designed web feature 鈥� including this image of “yell leaders” from 1925 鈥� lets you 鈥渟croll through the decades鈥� in a way that鈥檚 almost as much fun as being there. Point your web browser to

As Title IX turned 50 this year, 51福利社 took time to reflect on the landmark federal statute.

This year marked a half-century since the adoption of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibited sex-based discrimination in education programs and other activities that received federal funding. At Eastern and around the nation, colleges and universities have used the anniversary to reflect on Title IX鈥檚 seismic impact in higher education and beyond.听

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that long ago that your gender would have had a really big impact on what you were able to do and how much you could achieve,鈥� says Annika Scharosch, JD, Eastern鈥檚 Title IX coordinator and听associate vice president for civil rights, compliance and enterprise risk management. These days, she adds, students don鈥檛 have to worry about being denied admission to professional programs or held back due to their gender. That includes women who want to become doctors and men want to become nurses, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

At Eastern, past enrollment numbers bring Title IX鈥檚 true impact into focus. Back in 1972, there were听3,806 men and 2,920 women enrolled at the university, then called Eastern Washington State College. At today鈥檚 51福利社, the student body last year included 6,562 women and 4,312 men.

Nationwide, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that in 1970, pre-Title IX, just 8 percent of women earned a college degree. By 2020, the number of female college graduates increased to nearly 33 percent, a number exceeding that of male graduates.

51福利社 Athletic Director Lynn Hickey says she experienced this changing landscape firsthand, both听as a pre-Title IX high school basketball player and a post-Title IX college athlete, coach and athletic director.听

鈥淚 grew up playing half-court basketball in the state of Oklahoma,鈥� recalls Hickey. Back then, she says, women鈥檚 basketball was a three-on-three, half-court game because male administrators thought females didn鈥檛 have the stamina to compete full-court.

Over the years, as Title IX鈥檚 impact on athletics created a battleground for women鈥檚 rights, thousands of women 鈥� and men 鈥� stepped up to champion equity. Hickey credits her father, who coached middle and high school sports for 47 years, with inspiring her love of athletics.听

Hickey鈥檚 groundbreaking r茅sum茅 includes becoming the first female athletic director at the University of Texas, San Antonio. At the time she was the only female Division 1 athletic director in Texas. When Hickey left the job 18 years later, her list of accomplishments included starting football, women鈥檚 soccer and women鈥檚 golf programs. She points to the experience of her daughter, Lauren, as evidence of Title IX鈥檚 generational sway.

Lauren not only grew up in a world where her mother was high-achieving in the male-dominated field of collegiate athletics, Hickey says, her aunts included a doctor, two attorneys and a social worker.

鈥淛ust think that in one generation how everything has changed,鈥� Hickey says. 鈥淵ou have to give Title IX credit for that turnaround.鈥�

A cherished link to Eastern鈥檚 past returns, this time without restrictions.

On a beautiful fall day, led by the Eagle Drum Corps and flanked by cheering faculty, staff and Greek Life members, hundreds of incoming students in September 鈥減assed through鈥� 51福利社鈥檚 iconic Herculean Pillars to begin their university careers.

The annual event, now one of Eastern鈥檚 most cherished traditions, recreates the path generations of students once took from Cheney鈥檚 downtown train depot to their new collegiate homes. These days, their belongings safely stowed in residence halls, the newly arrived Eagles are encumbered only by red and white pom-poms and complimentary bar-b-que.听

鈥淚鈥檓 so excited for what鈥檚 to come!鈥� said one happy undergraduate, Alana Zamora, a soon-to-be biology major from the Tri-Cities, right before the walk.

This year鈥檚 event was especially exciting given that it was 鈥渞estriction free鈥� 鈥� meaning that, unlike last year鈥檚 gathering, students could enjoy the day without pandemic-related health and safety requirements.

Constructed from granite salvaged from the ruins of 51福利社鈥檚 original Cheney Normal School building, the posts powerfully represent the perseverance and resilience of the university and its students.听

Passing through the pillars is one of a slew of Welcome Week activities designed to help new students seamlessly adapt to university life. Unlike some of the other entertaining activities, however, the pillars event signifies more than just a symbolic start, said Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, Eastern鈥檚 director of alumni relations. Constructed from granite salvaged from the ruins of 51福利社鈥檚 original Cheney Normal School building, the posts powerfully represent the perseverance and resilience of the university and its students.

鈥淔or 107 years, these gates of knowledge, these Herculean Pillars, have symbolized that the spirit of Eastern cannot be defeated,鈥� Hatch-Brecek told attendees. 听 听

For the newly arrived members of the Class of 2026, however, the day鈥檚 focus was, understandably, mostly on the excitement of the here and now. 鈥淚t feels good to be here,鈥� said Grace Grubaugh, an outdoor recreation major from Medical Lake. 鈥淚鈥檝e been on campus the last couple days and doing all the Welcome Week activities. It鈥檚 been awesome!鈥�