As in-person graduation returns, Eastern鈥檚 alumni director greets our newest Eagles for life.

It hasn’t always been easy, but I鈥檓 pleased to report that my first 10 months as director of alumni relations have continued to be the 鈥渁bsolute dream鈥� that I hoped it would be. I鈥檝e witnessed amazing things, and met even more amazing people. Now, after everything we鈥檝e endured, I believe there is one more important thing to do: CELEBRATE!

Eastern recently held its first in-person commencement since 2019, as 160 semester-program graduates, cheered on by more than 900 family and friends, walked across the stage at the Spokane Convention Center.听

This was my first graduation on that side of the podium, and there was a different kind of energy than what I experienced as an undergraduate. There was more laughter, more hugging and more smiles. There was also, not surprisingly, the palpable sense of relief that comes to those who have at last crossed the finish line of their grad-school marathon.听

These new Eagle graduates now join the ranks of Eastern鈥檚 112,000 alumni, a group who are always worth celebrating.听

At this year鈥檚 51福利社 Alumni Awards we honored seven outstanding Eags who really raise the bar on what it means to be an Eagle for Life. And while we only honor a few each year, the truth is that every single day Eagles around the world are being recognized for their achievements and service.听

One of my favorite things that I do in this role is coordinating the 51福利社 Alumni Association Board of Directors, a group comprised of both alumni and industry leaders who are as passionate as I am about giving back to their alma mater.听

We meet several times a year to plan programs and discuss ways we can further cultivate participation in the life and growth of the university. In addition, we sponsor professional and educational events, receptions and social gatherings for informal socializing and networking.听

Perhaps most importantly, we serve as mentors to students who are seeking to become more actively involved in benefitting the university community. I hope you鈥檒l take a moment to learn more about our members, and the incredible work they do, by visiting our website:
ewu.edu/alumniboard.听

What do these recent grads and older alumni have in common? They all have a desire and passion to serve. They are helpers. They want to make a difference and make the world a better place. These are the sort of caring, committed people who make us all proud to be Eagles; the generations of graduates who have made, and continue to make, Eastern such a special place.听

And my own service to this special place? It continues to be a dream. Every. Single. Day.听

Go Eags!

Kelsey Hatch-Brecek 鈥�21

Two 51福利社 School of Business grads are making waves as winemakers.

For most aspiring winemakers, the path to producing award-winning wines begins with internships, apprenticeships or maybe a degree in oenology. For Mark 鈥�00, 鈥�02, 鈥�08 and Sarah Lathrop 鈥�08, the husband and wife owners of Liberty Lake Cellars, it began in the business program at Eastern, where they became a couple while pursuing master鈥檚 degrees.

Even while still in school, the two often spent date nights at wine tastings. One of their favorite venues was Liberty Lake, where Eastern alumnus Doug Smith 鈥�75 made big red wines from Washington鈥檚 Red Mountain AVA. When Smith and his wife, Shelly, failed to produce a 2015 vintage, the Lathrops asked why. The Smiths said they were calling it quits.

Good business people that they are, the Lathrops sensed an opportunity. When Doug Smith said he鈥檇 stay on for a year to help, Sarah and Mark became owners and winemakers, even while keeping their day jobs in finance.

Sarah admits to some naivete about what was involved. 鈥淲e went into it thinking: 鈥業 don鈥檛 know, we like wine! How can we fail?鈥欌�� she says with a laugh.听

How indeed. Mark, who handles most of the winemaking duties, says his training was all informal, though he did have the benefit of some of Smith鈥檚 old class materials from the winemaking program at Washington State. Turns out he didn鈥檛 need much more. Among the very first wines he and Sarah produced was a Syrah that scored 92 points in Wine Spectator magazine.

More success followed. Still working with fruit from Red Mountain, the Lathrop鈥檚 2018 vintage was a particular triumph. At the invitation-only Great Northwest Wine Platinum Awards this year, all seven of their entries earned platinum status 鈥� a first for the 23-year-old event. Liberty Lake Cellars was also named 2022鈥檚 鈥淲ashington Winery to Watch,鈥� another first for a Spokane-based producer.

The Lathrops, gratified as they are by the recognition, are quick to share credit with what they describe as the region鈥檚 鈥渋ncredibly welcoming鈥� winemakers.听

鈥淭he winemaking community is just so open and helpful to each other,鈥� says Mark. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pretty great community to join.鈥�

听

An 51福利社 researcher and his students aim to quantify the scope of homelessness.

For individuals and families who lack a permanent place to call home 鈥� and those trying to help them 鈥� the journey to stable housing is often long and arduous. Even understanding the scale and scope of the problem is a challenge.听

Spokane鈥檚 annual Point-in-Time Count, a county-wide census of persons without housing, aims to bring the issue into better focus. The annual count, a federally mandated and funded effort, brings volunteer data-collectors into the city鈥檚 streets and shelters to pose questions central to the homelessness issue: How many are lacking housing, and why? Who are those in most need? What barriers are they facing, and how might the city and county more successfully assist them?

This year鈥檚 event, held in February, was organized by the city鈥檚 Community, Housing and Human Services Department. It included a significant boost from Eastern faculty and student volunteers, among them 51福利社鈥檚 Matthew Anderson, an associate professor of urban and regional planning who was recently awarded 51福利社鈥檚 prestigious Jeffers W. Chertok Memorial Endowed Professorship.

Among these fallacies, says Anderson, is the widely held belief that most of the city鈥檚 unhoused are from elsewhere. In fact, he says, a solid majority are local.听

Anderson, whose research background includes work in environmental justice, sustainability and city-planning theory, says the Chertok Professorship allowed him to fund three Eastern graduate students to help with the effort. In addition to tabulating numbers, these and other Eastern student volunteers also collected broader survey data 鈥� information they hope may help dispel common misconceptions about the local homeless population.

Among these fallacies, says Anderson, is the widely held belief that most of the city鈥檚 unhoused are from elsewhere. In fact, he says, a solid majority are local.听And while it鈥檚 true some are homeless chiefly because of drug and alcohol dependencies, he adds, 鈥渢here鈥檚 just as many who aren鈥檛 addicted to drugs.鈥�

In reality, Anderson continues, poor decision making is seldom the sole cause of homelessness. Instead it usually boils down to a lack of affordable housing, robust tenants鈥� rights laws and reduced government funding. 鈥淎ll it takes to become homeless is an eviction or losing your job. Any number of things can happen 鈥� medical problems, [lack of] healthcare coverage, a bill you couldn鈥檛 pay. All it takes is getting evicted,鈥� he says.

For their part, city and county officials were effusive in their praise of Eastern鈥檚 contribution, and for all of the volunteers.

鈥淭he partnership with 51福利社 is a shining example of how teamwork makes the dream work,鈥� says 51福利社 alumna Amira Djulovic 鈥�06, Spokane鈥檚 Point-in-Time Count coordinator. 鈥淎bout 140 [total] volunteers signed up for this year鈥檚 count, which is phenomenal considering the pandemic. It shows the heart of our community.鈥�

Additional Coverage: Public libraries are overwhelmed by patrons in crisis. Eagle students are stepping up to help.听

According to the American Library Association, people experiencing poverty or homelessness now account for 鈥渁 significant portion of users鈥� in public libraries across the nation. 鈥淎s the number of poor children, adults, and families in America rise,鈥� the association says, 鈥渟o does the urgent need for libraries to effectively respond to their needs.鈥�

This is certainly the case in much of the Inland Northwest, where administrators find themselves struggling to ensure that library-based information resources, services and technologies remain open to everyone. In Spokane at least, help is on the way; thanks, in part, to a group of Eastern social work students.

When the Spokane Public Library鈥檚 central location reopens after an ongoing renovation, the Eastern students will join a newly hired professional social worker to help current librarians better address the needs of disadvantaged patrons.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen an increasing need for additional support for some of our customers that is outside the expertise of traditional library staff,鈥� said Andrew Chanse, the library鈥檚 executive director, in a news release. By adding a social worker and interns, he continued, the library will be able to better serve the needs of those experiencing life challenges.听

The plan, Chanse adds, is to create a 鈥渨elcome team鈥� that will assist at-risk patrons without creating additional burdens for front-line staff. Modeled after the CARES team at the Spokane Fire Department, the team will use the expertise of Eastern鈥檚 interns to help guide the homeless and others toward available services.

听鈥淏y making this staffing change, we can synergize with 51福利社 and make a real difference,鈥� says Paul Chapin, the library鈥檚 customer-experience manager, who organized the welcome team鈥檚 formation.听

For the whole of its 140 years, 51福利社 has advanced and encouraged fresh ideas and forward thinking. Now it鈥檚 got a branding campaign to match, one that aims to share Eastern鈥檚 legacy of innovation with a new generation of up-and-coming college students.

鈥淭he New Think,鈥� which debuted in January, features a variety of edgy, technology-forward student recruitment spots for television, streaming platforms, radio, print and social media, each highlighting student participation in university research and scholarship. It鈥檚 a concept born of a collaboration between 51福利社鈥檚 University Relations group and the Chapter & Verse creative agency in Spokane.听

Sam Buzby 鈥�07, 51福利社鈥檚 director of marketing, was instrumental in bringing The New Think concept to life. He says the ad campaign, delayed for more than a year due to the pandemic, will help Eastern more effectively position itself as a university for the future.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to remind everyone that Eastern is here to meet the needs of our evolving world through innovation and excellence,鈥� Buzby says.听

The more immediate goal of The New Think has been to reestablish and fine-tune Eastern鈥檚 鈥渂rand鈥� by emphasizing the university鈥檚 role in discovering new ways to solve old problems. Consider it, Buzby adds, 鈥渁 reinvestment in, and modernization of, the university鈥檚 image.鈥�

Drawing inspiration from the 鈥渆Xp鈥� movement 鈥� an initiative that aims to use experiential learning to connect students to future careers 鈥� the spots also showcase Eastern鈥檚 strength as a multidisciplinary, collaborative university.

听鈥淲e鈥檙e highlighting the great work our faculty and students are doing throughout the university, and turning it into authentic stories that will excite our community,鈥� says Lance Kissler 鈥�04, 鈥�10, associate vice president of university relations at 51福利社. 鈥淭his campaign provides us with a platform to continue more storytelling from a variety of our academic programs for years to come.鈥�

Just weeks after 51福利社鈥檚 glittering new Interdisciplinary Science Center opened its doors, construction began on the $45 million first phase of a Science Building renovation 鈥� a companion project that promises to usher in a new era of research and discovery at Eastern.

The Science Building, dubbed the 鈥淗all of Sciences鈥� upon its completion

听in 1962, is long overdue for an update, says David Bowman, dean of Eastern鈥檚 College of STEM.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a Sputnik-era building designed for Sputnik-era science,鈥� Bowman told Eastern magazine earlier this year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just not designed for modern stuff; it鈥檚 really, really challenging to do contemporary science in that building.鈥�

These Cold War capabilities will end up in the dustbin of Eastern history when the renovated building is completed in four years.

These Cold War capabilities will end up in the dustbin of Eastern history when the renovated building is completed in four years. Plans call for Leone & Keeble, the Spokane construction firm at work on the project, to implement a flexible, carefully engineered space that will assist Eastern鈥檚 scientists and scholars in pursuing today鈥檚 increasingly complex, interdisciplinary investigations.

Though most science instruction for students will take place next door in the ISC, the steel and glass skyways connecting the two buildings are more than symbolic. The links emphasize, according to Bowman, Eastern鈥檚 stress on including students 鈥� undergraduates included 鈥� on even the most advanced investigations.

鈥淔or the College of STEM, engaging students in faculty research is key,鈥� he says.

A premium bus plaza promises to keep riders warm and (mostly) wind-free.

At Eastern, one鈥檚 EagleCard identification doubles as a bus pass for rides on any Spokane Transit Authority route. It鈥檚 a benefit meant to encourage individual Eagles, particularly those living up the road in Spokane, from fouling the air, congesting the highways and clogging campus surface lots with single-occupancy vehicles.

For those taking advantage, the pluses are obvious: gas money is saved, maintenance is deferred, parking is not an issue and any traffic headaches accrue to a driver who isn鈥檛 you.

Thanks to a recently completed bus plaza, one that includes outdoor heaters, wind barriers and real-time scheduling screens, leaving the driving to them just got even more desirable.

The downside? Bus stops, particularly those exposed to Cheney鈥檚 sometimes bitter winter winds, can make even a short wait for the No. 66 a bone-chilling bummer.

Mercifully, that is changing. Thanks to a recently completed bus plaza, one that includes outdoor heaters, wind barriers and real-time scheduling screens, leaving the driving to them just got even more desirable.

The 1,500-square-foot, $1.3 million Eagle Station, funded by the Washington State Legislature through its Regional Mobility Grant Program, opened in February. According to transit authority officials, its goal is to make commuting by bus more attractive to potential riders, especially those commuters who make the daily trek back and forth from city to campus. 听

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting, really,鈥� said one of those commuters, Alisyn Waite, a graduate student in creative writing. 鈥淚 would love not having to stress about what time my bus is coming. And the heaters are so cool. I used to freeze while waiting for the bus!鈥�听

Over its 50 years of service, Eastern鈥檚 dental hygiene program has helped students pursue a passion for dental health.

By Melodie Little

Eleven years after fleeing cartel violence in his Mexican hometown, 22-year-old Carlos Valdovinos, a newly minted graduate of 51福利社鈥檚 dental hygiene program, is ready to start making a difference.

Valdovinos is the first among his 10 siblings to earn a university degree. As he walked across the stage at Eastern鈥檚 semester commencement ceremony in May 鈥� his proud mom in the audience after making the trip from central Mexico 鈥� he reflected on how it all began. 听

听鈥淎s soon as I saw what a dental hygienist does, of how big of an impact I could bring to a diverse patient population, I just fell in love with hygiene,鈥� he says.听

For 50 years, 51福利社鈥檚 Department of Dental Hygiene has helped more than 1,600 graduates like Valdovinos pursue their passion for improving the oral health of thousands of patients.听

The work starts while they are still in school, as advanced students hone their patient-care skills by providing free and reduced-price dental services at the 51福利社 Dental Hygiene Clinic.

The 46-chair clinic is located in the Health Sciences Building on the University District campus. Most of its patients have either state-subsidized health plans or lack dental insurance. Through the years the clinic has developed expertise in serving high-risk groups, including those with diabetes and pregnant women. In addition, the clinic treats children and adults who are medically fragile and need accommodation, such as those with autism.

鈥淲e are a safety net for low-income and aging populations,鈥� says Lisa Bilich 鈥�89, professor of dental hygiene and department chair, who joined 51福利社鈥檚 faculty in 2002. 鈥淚 know Eastern is making a positive impact.鈥�

鈥淲e are a safety net for low-income and aging populations,鈥� says Lisa Bilich 鈥�89, professor of dental hygiene and department chair, who joined 51福利社鈥檚 faculty in 2002. 鈥淚 know Eastern is making a positive impact.鈥�

It鈥檚 a role that shouldn鈥檛 be underestimated, says Francisco R. Vel谩zquez, health officer for the Spokane Regional Health District. By providing access to oral care for disadvantaged members of the community, he says, the dental clinic significantly impacts the health of the people it serves.

鈥淭he importance of good oral health is often overlooked; the health of your teeth and gums has a major impact on your overall health and quality of life. Poor oral health can impact how we see ourselves, and how we are seen by others,鈥� Vel谩zquez says.听

Understanding the role of dentistry in human wellbeing has long been a central tenet of Eastern鈥檚 dental hygiene program, though much has changed since the program was first accredited in 1972.听

At the time, 51福利社鈥檚 tuition was $360 per quarter, streakers sprinted through campus and dental hygienists mainly took X-rays, filled cavities and polished teeth. Notably absent was an established link between dental decay and illness, such as endocarditis, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications.听

The cause-and-effect, once discovered, would dramatically change the role of dental hygienists, Bilich says, opening the door for program graduates to become respected members of health-care teams inside hospitals, medical clinics, therapy centers and in the field of public health.听

Take the link between diabetes and periodontitis, Bilich says. Not only is diabetes a risk factor for periodontitis, if oral health disease is left untreated it can have a negative effect on glycemic control. So, she says, treating periodontitis boosts patients鈥� ability to manage diabetes.

51福利社鈥檚 dental hygiene program鈥檚 job-placement rate is well over 90 percent, program statistics show. Typically, only those students who take time 鈥渢o explore their options鈥� are not hired right after graduation. Notable 51福利社 alumni include Jessica Scruggs 鈥�13, who earned a master鈥檚 degree at 51福利社 and served on its faculty before working as special assistant to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; Katie Glueckert 鈥�17, who serves with the Montana Hospital Association as its South Central Montana Area Health Education Center director; and Camille Luke 鈥�07, 鈥�10, the current president of the Washington Dental Health Association.

鈥淭he downtown clinic was great because we could offer services to different kinds of organizations where the need was great for underserved people who had dental problems,鈥� McHenry says.

Diane McHenry, who helped to establish the dental hygiene program and taught students for 28 years before retiring in 1999, says she is amazed by the advances in technology, techniques and dental materials, as well as the expanded capabilities of the university-operated clinic.

McHenry听 fondly recalls the program鈥檚 humble origins, when administrators at what was then Eastern Washington State College sought to address a severe shortage of hygienists in Eastern Washington. At the time, McHenry was working in a Cheney dental practice. She was tapped to serve on an advisory board, then asked to join Eastern鈥檚 faculty and help launch the degree program.

听Things didn鈥檛 go smoothly. In order to admit its first students, the program needed to transform the band room in the (now-demolished) Rowles Hall into a teaching clinic with offices. A construction delay created a scramble for temporary space.

The local dental society was nudging the university to start classes right away, and the faculty was scrambling to find the space: 鈥淲e had seven students but we didn鈥檛 have any facility,鈥� McHenry says. 鈥淪o, we were able to find a room in the Science Building that was an old lab. It was dingy and dark, and there was an aquarium in there with some kind of a big fish in it that we fed once a week.鈥�

Two quarters later, the renovation was finally completed and a 17-chair clinic opened at Rowles Hall. Although everyone was 鈥渧ery happy to move in,鈥� McHenry says, program faculty members began to realize that, because the clinic served mostly healthy young students, their hygienists in training were missing out on key learning opportunities.

Thus began the program鈥檚 push to provide its students with a more comprehensive patient-care experience while serving the greater community 鈥� an effort that culminated in 51福利社 opening a 15-chair clinic on the second floor of the Paulsen Medical and Dental Building in Spokane in 1977.听

鈥淭he downtown clinic was great because we could offer services to different kinds of organizations where the need was great for underserved people who had dental problems,鈥� McHenry says.

In 2002, the program moved from the Paulsen Building into a state-of-the-art clinic in the Health Sciences Building, a half-mile away. Today, that clinic is staffed by nearly 80 juniors and seniors who work with supervising faculty members and two local dentists, Rachel Deininger and Amy Clement. Of the nearly 8,400 patients served through the clinic, some 6 percent are children and 24 percent are over age 60.听

Anna Warrington is among the seniors receiving care through the 51福利社 Dental Hygiene Clinic. The 84-year-old Spokane resident has been coming to the clinic for three decades now: 鈥淲hen I first started coming, it was in the Paulsen Building,鈥� Warrington says, 鈥淚 met my very first dentist in Spokane through the clinic: Robert Parker.鈥�

Warrington says she comes twice a year for checkups, and receives three to four cleanings annually. She credits the clinic, which has provided her with periodontal treatment, fillings and other restoration work, with helping her keep her original teeth in good shape.听

鈥淚 just love this clinic. I love all of the people who work here, and the students, too. I would recommend them to everyone,鈥� Warrington says.

51福利社鈥檚 budding hygienists increasingly represent the diversity of the community they serve. Dental hygiene was among the first departments at 51福利社 to move to 鈥渉olistic admissions.鈥� The holistic process involves looking beyond traditional markers for acceptance 鈥� such as grade point average and standardized testing 鈥� to also consider harder-to-measure factors that point to success in the classroom and clinic.听

鈥淭hat means our students are more than a grade,鈥� Bilich explains. 鈥淭hey bring their backgrounds and that helps them interact with our patients, and that really is very important to the community and to our low-income and ESL students. It鈥檚 just a win-win situation for everyone.鈥�

For Valdovinos, holistic admissions recognized his fluency in English and Spanish, as well as his outstanding work ethic. 鈥淗e works probably twice as hard as other students because English is his second language,鈥� says Bilich.听

Valdovinos brings other qualities to the table as well. He is both humble and overwhelmingly supportive of his peers. Perhaps most important, his work with patients of all backgrounds is exemplary.

听鈥淗e understands they are not just a grade, and they are not just a number. He treats them with kindness and respect 鈥� every patient he has,鈥� Bilich says. 鈥淗e just exemplifies why we want to continue with holistic admissions.鈥�

Valdovinos brings other qualities to the table as well. He is both humble and overwhelmingly supportive of his peers. Perhaps most important, his work with patients of all backgrounds is exemplary.

Valdovinos has overcome tremendous obstacles. He was just 11 years old when his parents sent him to live with an older sister, Jovita, in Yakima, Washington. It was a tough decision, but one made necessary given the risk of staying put. Coalcom谩n de V谩zquez Pallares, the Valdovinos鈥� picturesque hometown in Mexico鈥檚 Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range, was increasingly under threat from cartel violence. Shakedowns, kidnappings and murders were routine.

鈥淚t was pretty common for us as kids to see big trucks coming down the road loaded with guns and men, or multiple funerals all over for unknown reasons,鈥� he says, adding, 鈥渢here was just violence all around us.鈥�

Throughout his four years at Eastern, news from home was filled with accounts of disappearances and deaths. At times, the sadness was so overwhelming that he felt like giving up.

鈥淭he faculty here have helped me calm myself. [They] reminded me why I am here, of the friendships I鈥檝e made and all the important things that have happened along my journey which led me here,鈥� Valdovinos says.

The dental hygiene team also helped Valdovinos find his way academically. Though a gifted student who had excelled back home in Mexico, and in math classes taken throughout his schooling in Yakima, reading and test taking in English sometimes posed challenges. Bilich and her team connected him with a mentor and a study group. Valdovinos embraced the intervention, working hard alongside classmates. Along the way his leadership skills emerged, and he became president of 51福利社鈥檚 Student American Dental Hygiene Association.

In addition to academic challenges, Valdovinos and his classmates also faced pandemic-related obstacles. In the spring of 2020, for example, as the pandemic maxed out hospital beds and forced the temporary closure of dental practices and clinics, graduation for that year鈥檚 seniors was threatened.

Eastern鈥檚 dental hygiene team stepped up to help, working with their accrediting agency to find a solution. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of our faculty for pulling together and writing an accreditation report. And, we graduated the class of 2020 on time,鈥� says Bilich with a smile. 鈥淭hat was the biggest accomplishment we had during the pandemic.鈥�

For his part, Valdovinos makes a point of crediting the generosity of scholarship donors who, from his start at Eastern, helped him to connect with his passion and ultimately earn a degree: 鈥淚 would have never been able to get my education if it had not been for the donors who helped me financially.鈥�

鈥淚 decided to pursue an education to hopefully change the future for other generations,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 feel like I am a positive role model for my family and friends. My biggest hope is that more will decide to find their true passion and change the course of their lives for the better.鈥�听

After a nationwide search involving more than 60 applicants, the 51福利社 Board of Trustees in March announced that Shari McMahan, currently provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, San Bernardino, would become Eastern鈥檚 27th president.

McMahan will succeed David May, who has served as 51福利社鈥檚 interim president for just under two years. She will begin her tenure on June 23. 鈥淚 am听beyond听excited to serve as 51福利社鈥檚 next president,鈥� says McMahan. 鈥淚 look forward to working with the Board, leadership team, faculty, staff, students, alumni and all of our community partners to elevate the importance of 51福利社 in transforming the lives of those in and around the region.听I am optimistic and grateful for this opportunity.鈥�

A first-generation college student herself, McMahan has a bachelor鈥檚 degree and doctorate in social ecology from the University of California, Irvine, along with a master鈥檚 degree in health science from California State University, Northridge. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, given dozens of scientific and community presentations and served on numerous professional task forces.

While at CSUSB, she has led efforts to increase faculty diversity, developed policies to increase graduation rates, assisted with an initiative to help students experiencing food insecurity and worked on strategies to increase campus morale.

Her unique combination of experience and expertise make McMahan a perfect fit for Eastern, says Kim Pearman-Gillman, chair of the Board of Trustees: 鈥淲e are really thrilled as a board to be able to bring in someone with Dr. McMahan鈥檚 capabilities, desire and interest in being an Eagle.鈥�听

On May 1, after a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Bloomsday road race made its triumphant return to the streets of Spokane. Much to the chagrin of their competition, 51福利社鈥檚 Red team, a running force that has dominated the race鈥檚 鈥淐orporate Cup鈥� competition for 23 straight years, were also back.

听

By race鈥檚 end, to the surprise of pretty much no one, team Red had once again finished with the title, racking up a perfect 3,000-point score.

鈥淲e鈥檙e the most successful athletic team that Eastern has ever produced,鈥� quipped team member Grant Smith, a professor emeritus of English at 51福利社 who, at age 84, has for four-decades been the team鈥檚 leader and lead recruiter.

Eagle football, of course, has won a national title. But 51福利社 Red鈥檚 now 24-year-long streak gives that moment of glory a run (so-to-speak) for its money.

Bloomsday鈥檚 Corporate Cup is sort of a race within a race, with runners representing a business or organization competing for top places and times within 13 different age groups for men and women. The first-place finisher in each group contributes 1,000 points to the team total, with subsequent finishers receiving points based on their proximity to the winner鈥檚 time.

Teams are limited to five runners. Three of these earn scores, while the remaining two stand in for tie-breaking purposes.

鈥淚t is cool when we hit 3,000, and it鈥檚 cool when we are all perfect across the board,鈥� said team Red鈥檚 David Millet, director of 51福利社鈥檚 Veterans Resource Center. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 happen very often.鈥�

But often enough, apparently. This year鈥檚 total of 3,000, in fact, marks the seventh-straight year Red has recorded a perfect score, and the 10th time overall. 鈥淲hat would you equate it to?鈥� said Millet of the streak (before this year鈥檚 win). 鈥淚t鈥檚 like the Triple Crown that Cooper Kupp won. It鈥檚 that one year where everything lines up and falls into place.鈥�

In the run up to this year鈥檚 race, Curt Kinghorn of Runners Soul, a running-gear retailer in Spokane, wryly commented on his own previous teams鈥� track record of futility against Eastern鈥檚 Bloomsday runners. Try as they might, he said, his group could never match the scores of Red鈥檚 older guys, who excelled within their age groups. 鈥淭hey refuse to lose,鈥� says Kinghorn. 鈥淚t seemed they kept getting faster the older they got.鈥�

鈥� By Dave Cook. An earlier version of this story, Seeing 鈥楻ed,鈥� appeared under Cook鈥檚 byline in The Spokesman-Review.