Hello readers, I hope you are doing well and staying warm and healthy. We have officially entered the holiday season, now that November is upon us. I, for one, am looking forward to time in front of the fireplace sipping a warm beverage, wearing cozy sweaters and scarves, and enjoying all the season has to offer. Do you have a favorite fall tradition when this time of year rolls around? Let us know at alumni@wou.edu, we’d love to hear from you.

As we enter the final two months of 2020 we have lots planned as we say goodbye to what has been a strange year with many twists and turns. November has a few fun events such as an emergency preparedness presentation for the November Alumni & Friends After Hours and the 53rd Annual Holiday Tree Lighting! Both of these events will be virtual and/or live streamed through WOU TV. Make sure to mark your calendars and check them out.

October was a busy month as well. We hosted a few virtual events and enjoyed seeing some new and familiar faces on Zoom. Get the full recap below.

Alumni & Friends After Hours

During the October After Hours event, guests played virtual trivia with WOU Alumni President, Victoria Scholerman. The guest who got the most questions right received a WOU themed gift basket! After Hour events are the second Tuesday of each month and all are welcome to attend. They are currently happening virtually through Zoom but we hope to gather at local bars and restaurants again in the near future. Starting in November, the format for these networking events is changing to lecture style where we will have a guest speaker each month to share expertise and opinions on activities, safety, education, and more. Join us for networking, great conversation and special guest speakers.

Happy Hour with Interim Athletic Director Randi Lydum ’90

On Friday, October 16 a group of about 30 alumni, donors, and friends gathered via Zoom to hear from WOU’s new Interim Athletic Director Randi Lydum. Randi has been part of the WOU family for many years. Randi is a former track and field star who is also in the WOU Hall of Fame, and has been on staff in WOU Athletics for many years as the Compliance Officer and other roles. She was promoted to the Interim position after former Athletics Director, Curtis Campbell took a job in Alabama after being at WOU for several years. During the event on the 16th Randi talked about the future of WOU Athletics, how donors can support the program and asked each coach to talk about their current recruitment efforts and more. It was a fun event, and we look forward to the next event featuring Randi.