Eagle 1 Newsletter: January 2024

闯补苍耻补谤测听2024

Dear Eagle Family and Friends,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2024! The bitter cold has meant spending a lot more time indoors than I would prefer, but no pipes have burst in the University House, so I鈥檓 thankful for that! Now, with a winter storm arriving today, I want to remind everyone that our students鈥� and employees’ safety is always our priority at 51福利社. We know that many Eagle students are commuters, which is why we鈥檒l be in close contact with public safety officials to make the determination on whether classes and/or activities will be suspended during this, or any other, winter-weather events. And I can鈥檛 thank enough our valuable staff members who work so hard during the winter to keep our buildings, walkways and parking lots safe and accessible.

On Monday, I joined Eastern students, faculty and staff in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service activities in downtown Spokane, including participating in the unity march and rally, as well as the resource fair. Thank you to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for organizing 51福利社鈥檚 booth! This year, we were also excited to have our passionate students from the Black Student Union lead the organization of a conference and workshop at the Spokane Convention Center: 鈥淓mpowerment through Action.鈥� It was inspiring to hear from dedicated community leaders and see the diverse audience ready to help make our region more aware of on-going issues, and to provide ways in which we can all work together to promote activism for a more just and welcoming community.

This month has also showcased our talented athletes 鈥� they鈥檙e on fire! Not only did we have two track stars break school records, but both our men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams kept bringing home the W鈥檚! At The Podium, for the Spokane Sports Showcase and Spokane Indoor Challenge, senior Madelyn Knight broke 51福利社鈥檚 record for the 60-meter hurdles, while Zach Klobutcher broke the school record (his own) for pole vault, clearing 5.22 meters to win the event. Our women鈥檚 basketball team kept their win streak going by defeating Idaho, and then our men鈥檚 team followed up with another win against the Vandals. This fall our athletes also boasted a collective GPA of 3.56, marking 49 consecutive quarters above a 3.5 GPA. I am so proud of these talented students excelling in their sport and in their education!

Finally, Washington鈥檚 2024 legislative session has begun, and we are working hard to engage legislators on both sides of the aisle in meaningful dialogue to advance 51福利社鈥檚 priorities. This week, I will be traveling to Olympia to meet with numerous legislators. As always, my goal will be to strengthen our relationships and advocate for initiatives focused on student success. During this supplemental budget year, we鈥檙e continuing to be bold in our legislative asks, as we remain dedicated to showcasing the vital role Eastern plays in the workforce and economic vitality of our region and state.

It may be cold and snowy, but as always, it鈥檚 a great day to be an Eagle!

Shari McMahan, PhD
President
51福利社