Greetings, readers. It seems that summer continues to evade us here in the Willamette Valley, but with all the life and activity on campus it is hard to notice the unseasonably wet and cool weather. Over the past several weeks campus has been full of excitement as the end of term nears. For many students, it will be their last term forever as they leave college and enter the workforce as college graduates. It has been amazing to see many seniors out taking their graduation pictures around campus with all of the flowers in bloom. This is an exciting time in all of their lives as they prepare for their future careers. 

Although the term is coming to an end and commencement is this weekend, we are far from slowing down. May was full of activity and events. The whole month was kind of a whirlwind, check out the event recaps below. 

After Hours with WOU Volleyball Coaches 

Our volleyball team has  a new coaching staff and they are eager to get things started. On May 10, coach Kaiao Nahale-a and assistant coach Becca Holtgeerts met a group of alumni and former athletes at Arena Sports Bar in Independence at May’s After Hours event. The group was lively and excited to meet our new staff. Coach “K” and Becca are off and running with our volleyball team and look forward to this summer’s  Magic Island Classic tournament in Honolulu this August. Looking for a reason to visit the islands? Come on over! We will be there also and are planning an alumni and family experience for any guests attending the tournament. Check out details on the tournament here and mark your calendars for a welcome reception at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu on August 25 from 5 – 7 p.m. Welcome to the staff, coaches! We look forward to the season. 

Spring Game 

It was a mostly beautiful day on Saturday, May 14 when the Spring Game took place at McArthur Stadium. The football team played in an inter squad game and fans took to the parking lot to tailgate and enjoy a football game day experience. Arena and Rookies were the premiere sponsor and treated fans to complimentary beverages and food. (Thank you, Miranda and Julia! We appreciate you!!) WOU Alumni Engagement was setup with giveaways and Wolves Club Memberships and more fans setup tailgates in their parking spots. It was a great kickoff to the season and we look forward to September.  

ITC Open House 

The ITC Building, also known as the former campus elementary school, recently underwent a major renovation. The building was secured to become earthquake resistant, art was added to several locations, common areas were renovated and created and more. On May 18, we hosted a special reopening event and enjoyed beverages, snacks and tours by computer science students. Daniel Tankersly, a staff member who works in the building and has been involved in the renovation process, gave some remarks and answered questions. Next time you’re on campus, swing by the building and check out the new additions and updates. 

Other events that took place in May included the Hamid bench dedication ceremony, the Academic Showcase of Excellence, many school and prospective tours, baseball and softball games. It was a busy, yet fun and full month. June holds some fun activities as well, especially as we prepare to welcome our new president, Dr. Jesse Peters. More to come on welcome receptions for Dr. Peters. Check out the e-newsletter for information on Commencement and more.