While many senior athletes struggle to find their place after hanging up their cleats, Western Washington University graduates often find themselves back on campus after their playing time is done. Of the 61 staff members working for WWU Athletics, 21 are listed as alumni on the staff directory or on their individual rosters.
As the quarter picks up and deadlines begin to stack, some Western Washington University students turn to the yoga mat for relief. Yoga, often viewed through the American lens as a workout or just stretching and balancing, involves much more and is spreading through student communities at Western. On campus, the yoga community is growing and the benefits are noticeable, especially in stress and mood regulation.
House Bill 2320, a bill that Washington State Legislature passed into law March 11, updates existing ‘ghost gun’ policy to make fabricating guns and gun parts using 3D printers and other industrial manufacture machines without proper permits illegal. The law will go into effect July 1.
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 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.
When wandering the tightly woven one-way streets of Bellingham, you’re never more than a stone's throw from a music venue, with venue being a loose term for anywhere people have figured out a way to plug in an extension cord long enough to run an amp through. The gatherings of music often start in the funky houses of the York Neighborhood and Garden Street, with rattling windows and crowded porches overflowing with thick smoke and baggy jeans. The house show is the perfect stomping ground for fresh bands hoping to entertain burnt-out college kids, but the short-term reality of rental leases and college degrees creates inconsistency for concertgoers and musicians alike.
It has been three years since the last biennial faculty and staff exhibition, so this year's display was much anticipated by students and staff. With 20 artists from the art department, the Western Gallery is showcasing their pieces ranging from interactive sensory pieces to weaving to rings of photographs. This event works to showcase the reality of working within the art world, often seen as intimidating by students.
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.
Solutions by The State News
