As spring weather at Western Washington University arrives, it’s common to see groups of three to eight people standing shoulder to shoulder in the sun on campus lawns, bouncing around a small beanbag. At Western, students love the community this hands-free pastime – known as hacky sack – creates.
Western Washington University is among 9,000 schools in a nationwide Canvas cyberattack, rendering the website nonfunctional as of May 7, 2026.
Bellingham Public Schools is facing reductions to the Running Start program and a $7.5 million funding shortfall from the Washington State Legislature for the 2026-27 school year, resulting in planned cuts to staff positions, school libraries, athletics and student programs.
This past winter quarter, Pacific Note West, one of Western Washington University’s competitive a cappella teams, placed fourth overall at the International Championship of Collegiate a Cappella (ICCA) West Quarter Final, which took place at Tacoma Armory on Jan. 24, 2026. Out of nine competing teams, and being the only American team to place in the top four, Pacific Note West came out with a score of 372, just barely missing third place by three points.
On Thursday, May 7, Western Washington University’s Collegiate Distributive Education Clubs of America team is hosting its first-ever Shark Tank workshop on Western’s campus at 5 p.m. in Academic Instructional Center West room 305. They will bring in DECA alumni to act as the “sharks” for students collaborating on their business ideas.
The Outback Farm is a community garden and learning space located between the Fairhaven Complex and Buchanan Towers dorms on Western Washington University's south campus. Since the early 1970s, the farm has provided learning opportunities for Western students and free food to those in need.
The City of Bellingham is considering raising the prices of city-owned electric vehicle charging stations for the first time since 2022. A proposal presented to the city’s transportation commission on April 14 by the city’s climate and energy manager, Seth Vidaña, suggests raising the price of level three fast charging from $0.25 per kilowatt-hour to $0.40.
The board of the Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) unanimously approved a new contract with Western Washington University, ensuring the continuation of the student bus pass for another year. In a meeting on April 16 at WTA’s office, board members gathered online and in person to vote on a new contract that would cost the university more but keep the student bus pass.
With warming temperatures and a departure from the rainy winter months, Whatcom County finds itself entering prime fishing season once again. Starting April 25, the season officially begins, with seasonal lake openings and lifted fishing restrictions.
Just 30 minutes away from the twists and turns of Chuckanut Drive lies breathtaking fields of tulips. Countless rows of beautiful, brightly-colored flowers, just waiting for the sunshine season to finally arrive. On March 28, 2026, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival reopened for the season. This festival typically runs only in April, but due to a milder-than-normal winter and slightly warmer spring temperatures, the tulip fields opened early this year.
Every April, the roar of the Little White Salmon River is drowned out by cheers echoing from the canyon. Cars lined the shoulder of Cook-Underwood Road, near White Salmon, Wash., on April 18, as spectators and fans bushwhacked to the river. Within the lush, forested gorge, a roster of elite whitewater kayakers prepared to charge down miles of continuous rapids and waterfalls in the annual Little White Salmon Race.
Western Washington University’s track and field team hosted the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Civic Stadium. Athletes from universities and high schools around the region flooded the field as events began at 9:30 a.m.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer portal brings change to collegiate sports teams across the country every year, and Western Washington University’s men’s basketball team is no exception. At the end of the 2025-26 season, six of Western’s 16 players announced that they were entering the portal. With three graduating seniors, this leaves the roster at just seven players.
Out of the 118 players selected nationwide for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year Watchlist, two come from the same program. At Western Washington University, third baseman Maleah Andrews and shortstop Hailey Rath have earned national recognition and helped to elevate the Vikings’ softball program.
It’s no coincidence that the number of people who know basic sewing skills has declined with the rise of fast fashion. Recent trends show that cheap, readily available garments have directly limited the need for the skill.
Support from Bellingham community members is vital to keeping local restaurants alive. It's time to direct all of our support exclusively to locally owned eateries and combat the ever-growing expansion of chains.
Who is the Red Square Preacher? His street preaching tactics cause a divide in opinion among Western students.
The first time I enrolled at Western Washington University in 2019, I was freshly out of high school, homesick, unfocused and unmedicated. I flew home for spring break at 18 years old. I wouldn’t return to Western as a student until I was 23. COVID-19 wrecked what I thought my college experience was going to look like, leaving me dejected and without motivation for years.
Solutions by The State News
