Who is the Red Square Preacher? His street preaching tactics cause a divide in opinion among Western students.
Being a student trustee is a unique role, one that for many is a great mystery. With the role being open for application ahead of the 2026-2027 school year, many students may wonder what exactly the position of student trustee entails.
Ten artists, countless ideas. Wire, paint, copper, cotton, medicine bottles, videos, photographs, yarn, ink – an amalgamation of mediums used by Western Washington University students to express themselves in the new “I Remember Being An Egg” art exhibit. The B-gallery exhibition opened to the public on March 2, 2026.
Within a week, Western students received three emails alerting them to reports of indecent exposure in Ridgeway residence halls and in Wilson Library, quickly sparking conversations between students. Katie Butler, a Western student, first learned about the situation through the campus advisory notices.
As immigration enforcement activity increases across Washington state, staff at Western Washington University are working to clarify what students should know and what the university is doing if federal agents come to campus.
Western Washington University has released an updated Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), outlining strategies for 2025 to 2030 aimed at cutting emissions, strengthening accountability and increasing climate leadership.
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.
Third graders at Happy Valley Elementary School remain quiet, grasping onto every word coming from Jason LaClair. They are enthralled he is here. Allied Arts, a gallery and leader in the Whatcom County art scene, has partnered with LaClair to bring his knowledge to the classroom.
On Sunday, in between spurts of heavy rainfall and patchy blue skies, dozens of people squeezed into the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center in Bellingham with two things on their minds: whistles and resistance.
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.
Walking into a Western Washington University softball practice, you can instantly feel an energy of connection, passion and enthusiasm radiating from the team. Players sing along to music, laugh at inside jokes and encourage each other’s efforts, all while working hard to improve their skills.
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.
Between Flora St and W Champion, nestled behind the backs of O-Pole dance studio and the Mount Baker Theatre, lies the Great Bellingham Boulder. Standing almost two stories tall, it looks disarmingly natural and serene amongst paved asphalt and urban alley.
Solutions by The State News
