In September 2019, the prestigious Washington Monthly recognized Evergreen as their number one master’s degree granting college in the U.S. A month later, I stood at a lectern in that other, surreal Washington, our nation’s capital. I was there to explain to a group of high-powered donors and educators just how and why Evergreen excels at serving first-generation, low-income, and other nontraditional students, and how those students go on to excel in their jobs and public service.
After a summer spent in Evergreen’s newly opened carving studio, the refurbished Welcome Woman resumed her stance at the entrance to campus on Oct. 2. The carving was updated and re-painted by master carver Greg Colfax (Makah) and Bunni Peterson-Haitwas ’19 (Skokomish). The project was made possible through a partnership between Evergreen Facilities and the Longhouse’s Artist-in-Residence program.
The state legislature strongly affirmed its commitment to Evergreen’s unique model of education in passing a 2019–2021 operating and capital budget that supports the college and boosts aid to low-income college students across the state.
Former state Sen. Karen Fraser was elected incoming chair of The Evergreen State College Board of Trustees on June 13, succeeding businessman Fred Goldberg, who will continue on the board as Vice-Chair. Fraser, who for decades represented the college’s legislative district, is a former Evergreen adjunct faculty member and parent of an Evergreen graduate.
Educator, activist, and entrepreneur Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga began her work on July 15, 2019 as the first-ever dean of Evergreen’s Tacoma program.
“Marcia’s proven leadership and breadth of experience will help us improve service to students and community at Evergreen’s Tacoma program,” said Evergreen President George Bridges. “I know she will bring energy and passion to this important work.”
Tambourine Sculpture Preserves the Past for the Future
For artist Carol Rashawnna Williams ’97, the tambourine holds a special place in her heart.
In the Pentecostal church tradition in which she was raised, the tambourine has deep power and significance to women. Later in life, many pass their own tambourines on to their daughters. When Williams was given her mother’s tambourine in 2015, it inspired her to learn more about the history of the instrument.
Evergreen’s first-ever Juneteenth celebration brought 400 students, staff, faculty, and guests together on June 7, 2019. Those in attendance enjoyed music, food, and dance together, discussed issues such as the criminal justice system, and came together as a community to celebrate and reflect.
Every watch tells a story. In this case, the 1955 Omega Constellation Nick Harris ’13 inherited from his great-grandfather tells how an industry steeped in tradition is surviving changes in the technology of time.
How MES Grads Alexandra James & Albert McConathy are using what they learned at Evergreen to understand & protect cherished ecosystems
A hot milky haze filtered the sunlight over the Hanford Reach, as a plush tour bus drove through the sagebrush steppe and pulled up to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
Stepping out of the bus, Alexandra James MES ’19, absorbed the shock of moving from air-conditioning to the dry, 100-degree heat of the Columbia River Basin. She then turned to escort a group of visitors as they disembarked.
If you’re lucky, when you step off the plane at the Sea-Tac International Airport, you’ll find yourself greeted by a vivid and magical dream in stained glass at Gate A-14.
In this dream artwork, the sun and moon are carried across the sky in a Pegasus-drawn chariot. The deep blue firmament through which they fly is flooded with uncanny creatures of the zodiac, jeweled with stars. And off to the side lay the dreamers themselves, embracing in the top room of a yellow tower.
For faculty member Sarah Eltantawi, appreciating Islam means realizing its vastness and complexity.
When Sarah Eltantawi was little, she climbed on her father, at often inconvenient times, to hone her acrobatic skills. “He would be praying,” Eltantawi remembers, “and I would climb on top of him, roll down his back, and flip over when he bowed to the floor. And he would let me.”
His patience with Sarah’s exuberance befits what she fondly calls “falafel Islam,” the gentle faith into which her parents nurtured her.
