Newsletter | July 19, 2021: Removing SAT scores, beating the heat and The Front's new advisor
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Monday, July 19, 2021
This week, learn about why Western no longer requires SAT/ACT scores for admission, how to beat the next heat wave on a budget and meet The Front's new advisor.
On Campus
Western no longer requiring SAT scores for admission
Western Washington University has joined multiple other Washington universities in making the SAT and ACT optional tests for admission, a new decision which many students and advocates hope will create a more equitable admissions system.
This change, which has been adopted by six other universities in Washington state, including the University of Washington and Washington State University, was made official May 2021...
Bellingham was unprepared for the heat wave that hit over the last week of June. When our average June high is around 65 degrees, it’s no wonder that most of us struggled with oppressive humidity and temperatures well above 90 degrees. Many Bellingham residents lack resources like air conditioning to help mitigate this kind of weather. This raises some concerns such as: What can we do to stay cool if we’re hit with another heat wave, and how can we do it on a college student’s budget?
In a public health news release posted to Whatcom County’s website on June 24, the Whatcom County Health Department recommended limiting outdoor activity, staying hydrated and soaking in cold water in the event of high temperatures. These were in line with the actions taken by Western Washington University student Kaitlyn Davidson...
Kie Relyea is the incoming adviser for The Front. Prior to joining Western Washington University in June to help guide the independent student newspaper, she worked for 23 years as a journalist at The Bellingham Herald, which covers Whatcom County in Washington state. Her area of coverage varied widely during her decades as a reporter at The Herald and included business, social issues, government, recreation, crime, the environment, the arts and restaurants, including food reviews. She wrote news stories and features, meeting people on some of the happiest days of their lives and on some of the hardest. Kie’s proudest accomplishments as a Herald reporter included writing about her family fleeing Vietnam in the days before Saigon fell, teen girls in alcohol and drug recovery, and survivors of the Holocaust. And although she complained about it every time she had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to cover the mountain leg of Ski to Sea -- a 90-plus mile relay from Mt. Baker Ski Area to Marine Park off Bellingham Bay -- the glorious mountain view coupled with competitors’ excitement at the start were her favorite parts of race-day coverage. She also served as the News/Lifestyle editor for The Herald for about a year. Her favorite part of that job was guiding the reporting and writing of journalists, especially young talent. Kie also taught beginning newswriting at Western while working at The Herald. Western has had a student-run newspaper since 1899. Kie is excited to be part of the legacy, which includes the work done by Prof. Betsy O’Donovan, the outgoing adviser for The Front. Kie looks forward to guiding a new generation of journalists eager to cover Western and Bellingham, doing the hard but rewarding work of informing their community. Photo courtesy of Kie Relyea
