Western Washington University first-year Maxwell Richards didn’t expect cleaning nursery signs for Bainbridge Gardens would kickstart his project to clean every sign on campus – but that’s exactly what happened.
While walking around Western, students pass the blue, rectangular building signs without a second glance. But for Richards, something about them stood out and sparked his curiosity – the font.
“I like the aesthetic,” Richards wrote in an email. “I love how the letters have a little indent at the bottom.”
Lisa Brennan, the communications manager for Facilities Development and Operations at Western, wrote in an email that the font used is Optima and is on most exterior campus signs for its clean and easy readability.
“I like the simple design of them, though some of the signs are quite worn from sun and weather damage,” Brennan said.
Richards also saw the state of the signs on campus.
“I noticed the signs covered with dirt and grime and I wanted to clean them up,” Richards said.
The plan, which originally started as a joke, was to start a pressure washing club and clean larger areas on campus, Richards said.
“That would be a fair amount of work and money,” Richards said. “The signs are all uniform and tend to invoke some memories or connections for students and alumni, so we decided that people would appreciate that more.”
He approached his suitemates, Lyric Figgins and Ava Fescoe, with the idea of cleaning the signs, recording the process and posting videos on social media.
“One of my favorite pastimes is watching satisfying cleaning videos, so I thought it would be cool to make some of our own,” Figgins wrote in an email. “I especially liked this idea because it felt like we were doing something that could get us a little bit more connected to this new community of ours.”
Maxwell Richards, Lyric Figgins and Ava Fescoe hide behind an edited Ridgeway Gamma sign in Bellingham, Wash., on Feb. 9, 2025. The sign was edited to display WWU Signage, the team's social media handle. // Photo courtesy of Maxwell Richards
Having been friends for a few years, Figgins and Richards bonded over their love for completing random tasks, Figgins said.
For Fescoe, the passion Richards and Figgins have had for the project inspires her.
“It motivates me to be further involved in my community,” Fescoe wrote in an email. “Making an effort for the common good is important to me, no matter how small the change.”
Brennan said their videos made her smile on a stressful day and that “it’s a lovely way to make a positive impact.”
From the parents of Western students to the students themselves, the reaction from the community was unexpected for Richards.
One public commenter wrote in the comments of an Instagram reel posted by Western, “This is so wholesome. I love it! Thanks - Max, Lyric, and Ava - for spreading the joy.”
Another wrote in the comments of a reel posted to the WWU Signage Instagram page, “Taking such good care of my alma mater.”
Fescoe said that these moments of connectivity have created a time to remember.
“I have had the chance to meet and talk to new people solely based off this project,” Fescoe said. “The most rewarding thing about this experience is how it has positively impacted the community at WWU.”
Figgins said that she has enjoyed the positive response from the community and the questions that passersby ask her while cleaning the signs.
Richards mirrors those feelings, saying that his most rewarding part of the project has been the connectivity, each sign bringing forward new reactions.
“Seeing everyone come together over a sign is a very beautiful thing,” Richards said. “People like to check up on their old dorm, classroom, or even library.”
He hopes the community's joy from watching the cleaning videos inspires them to find something they are passionate about in their community and to do something about it.
So far, the team of three has cleaned the Ridgeway Complex sign, as well as the signs for Ridgeway Alpha, Kappa and Beta. They have also cleaned the sign in front of the Old Main building and the sign for the Wilson Library.
The team is also cleaning more than just signs. With the recent wet weather, the team has taken to unclogging the drains around campus.
“We enjoy the satisfaction of the water draining and, of course, fewer puddles to walk in,” Richards said.
He said that he doesn’t know what the future holds, with his plans to keep up the cleaning until he graduates.
“But I know one way or another,” Richards said. “All of those signs are getting cleaned!”
McKenna Kilayko (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front. She is in her second year at Western, working towards majoring in journalism with a minor in French. You can often find her drinking an iced matcha latte, DJing for Western’s radio station, KUGS, or complaining about the lack of sun. You can contact her at mckennakilayko.thefront@gmail.com.
