Every two years, Western Washington University’s art department comes together to put on a gallery celebrating the artwork made by faculty and staff. For the 2026 biennial, 20 artists were featured in the exhibit, with works ranging from paintings, photography and sculptures to videos and installations.
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.
The sun has returned, and with it the spirits of Western Washington University students have lifted. “We all know how it is, we live in Bellingham. The seasonal depression is real; it's hard to get outside in the winter,” Lucie Salsbury, a student employee at Western’s Outdoor Center said. “You don’t realize how much you miss the sun until you haven’t seen it for four months.”
About a hundred students and community members surrounded Fisher Fountain on Thursday, April 16, at 2 p.m. for a protest led by WWU Divest Apartheid Coalition, a student political organization against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. The protest was against “Triggered: The Ceaseless Tour,” an event held by Students Supporting Israel that invited Israeli reserve soldiers to speak on campus. Several speakers condemned the university’s compliance with the event despite students' concerns.The event was originally planned to be hosted on campus, but was relocated off campus to the Stateside student housing apartments in downtown Bellingham the day of due to security concerns. Organizers were told by university officials that they could not guarantee the safety of the event.
The portal awards over $5 million to students after each annual cycle. The scholarship portal is a centralized application process that allows students to fill out a single annual form that matches them to any scholarship they are eligible for.
On Saturday, April 18, Western Washington University’s music department will host the 2026 Western Washington Percussion Festival. The percussion festival was founded in 2011 and hosts over 200 high school percussion students from across Washington.
The case of approximately 25 skinned canine carcasses that recently washed ashore on Guemes Island in Skagit County last week has been uncovered. According to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, a veterinary forensics team concluded the dead canines were foxes.
Bellingham City Council unanimously passed a resolution that called for an end to “lawless” immigration enforcement in a “moment of fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty” on Feb. 23, 2026.
The Whatcom County unemployment rate increased from 4.6% to 5.2% in December 2025, following a broader decline in jobs countywide.According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, employers reported 300 fewer payroll jobs in the county. Sectors such as manual labor and service providing industries have lost jobs.
Housing affordability has been a hotly debated topic among Bellingham residents for years. According to a 2025 study by Construction Coverage, Bellingham had the fourth highest home price-to-income ratio out of 375 observed areas, making it one of the least affordable cities in the nation. One way the city planned to solve the issue is through investing in affordable housing as detailed in 2025’s Bellingham Comprehensive Plan.
The Western Washington University women’s basketball team took on Western Oregon University in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships semifinals Friday, March 6, at WECU Court at Carver Gym in front of a home crowd of 1,127 fans.
On Jan. 29, 2026, Western Washington University held a celebration of not just athletic achievements, but the relationships and history that defines Viking athletics as a whole. Coaches, former athletes, families and supporters gathered at Carver Gym in Bellingham, Wash. to honor the newest batch of Hall of Fame inductees: Wade Gebers, Cim Hanson, Marc Hill, Herm Nelson and Mike Palm.
Western Washington Women’s basketball defeated Seattle Pacific University 72-43 in their second-to-last regular season game on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
Every third Saturday in March, up to 600 runners from across the world gather in Bellingham to race the Chuckanut 50k ultramarathon.
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.
The words “otro mundo es posible” are painted onto a quilted tapestry banner that hangs on Community to Community’s front window. Adorned with strawberries and roses, it is a form of artful protest that reminds those who pass by that another world is possible. The organization — dedicated to the intersection of farmworker rights, immigrant rights, climate justice and democratic participation — has been working toward community solidarity and a response to ICE’s increased presence in Whatcom and Skagit counties. In doing so, a definition of solidarity has developed.
Much like exam anxiety or Sunday morning hangovers, messy dating is a disconcerting reality for many college students. In navigating these relationships, we learn through trial and error: what is fun and what is not, and who we should or should not be with.
Solutions by The State News
