Seen and Heard

Alumni of the Year 2021

• Gary Wiss '66 (top left)
• Gale Crosby '81 (top right)
• Kelli Wheeler att. '86-'91 (bottom left)
• Handel Wellington '01 (bottom right)

ONLINE Homecoming: How to participate

Join us online April 22 through 25 for a combined Homecoming Weekend 2020 and 2021!

You'll connect with your classmates and the university in real time (class reunions, department "hangouts," church service) and enjoy many other opportunities from the comfort of your home.
 

"Mosaic Moments—
Celebrating art, service, and a time-honored space."

We're honoring the classes of 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1981, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2010, and 2011.

We're also celebrating Village Hall's 100th birthday, 60 years of student missions, 50 years of art majors and minors, and the 10th anniversary of the Atlas, a popular student hangout. Plus, we we will honor and celebrate our Alumni of the Year 2020 and 2021!
 

Send your memories or masterpieces by April 12

Make this celebration special by sending us your memories and photos for our online galleries!

• Former student missionaries and task force volunteers, share your stories here.
• Submit your pictures and memories of Village Hall here.
• Alumni of WWU's Art Department, submit a photo of your masterpiece for consideration here.

Enjoy a real-time virtual reunion

Honor-year class presidents and some of our academic departments are planning real-time virtual reunions where you can visit with your classmates during the homecoming weekend. Watch your mail or visit wallawalla.edu/homecoming for more details. Be sure to register to attend a reunion!

Run, walk or shuffle...and maybe win a prize

We might be online for homecoming, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten the annual 5K! Wherever you are April 19 to 25, get moving and complete your own 5K. Share your photos on social media using the hashtag #MosaicMoments or send the photos to us at alumni@wallawalla.edu (include your name, grad/attended years and your 5K race time) and we'll enter you in a drawing for one of two prizes.

Show off that car

We're taking those beautiful rides online! In the spirit of our annual homecoming Car Show, share a picture of you with your ride on social media using the hashtag #MosaicMoments or send the photo to us at alumni@wallawalla.edu (include your name, grad/attended years, and your car's make/model/year) to be posted in our online gallery.

Warm up your swing (golf is happening in-person!)

Join us in-person for the annual Eugene Winter Golf Classic. Catch some fresh air while you catch up with friends, enjoy beautiful Walla Walla, and support student athletes (all proceeds benefit the Athletics program). Entry fee is $70 per person or $240 per foursome. More details at wallawalla.edu/golf. Registration open now, must register by April 1.

More alumni events

Just in case, be sure to save these dates!

Westwind magazine delivered via email

To be thoughtful about our financial resources (so that we can best support students and equip our campus for safe learning during the pandemic), this year's spring and summer issues of WWU Westwind magazine will be delivered to you via email with a link for easy access. Please be sure your contact information, especially your email address, stays current to continue to receive Westwind magazine.

Alumni who do not have access to email are encouraged to call (800) 377-2586 to make other arrangements to receive our spring and summer Westwind issues.

The Spring 2021 issue will be available on March 24, so be sure to check your email spam folder if you don't see it in your inbox, you'll also find it at wallawalla.edu/westwind.

Walla Walla University update

WWU helps with efficient vaccine clinics

The Center for Humanitarian Engagement (CHE) at Walla Walla University is playing a key role in recruiting and organizing volunteers for the COVID-19 vaccination clinics held by the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health and Providence St. Mary Medical Center. The Walla Walla clinics have received kudos from near and far for their excellent organization and for involvement of hundreds of community volunteers to provide an accessible, efficient vaccination process.

In addition to helping to establish a local Walla Walla Volunteer Corps group, the CHE partnered with the Associated Students of Walla Walla University (ASWWU) Global Service division to help students plan and staff a table near the exit of the center to congratulate and celebrate with those who received the vaccine.

“It has been a beautiful experience,” says David Lopez, executive director of the CHE. “It’s a neat thing to be a part of a community like Walla Walla that cares for each other.”

Student missionary "Jesus' heartbeat"

Martessa Davis, a sophomore music education major, is serving as a student missionary in Arizona from August 2020 to June 2021. Davis' children's ministry work with the Navajo Nation includes planning and leading addiction prevention programs, giving Bible studies and organizing kids' Sabbath Schools.

Davis recently shared highlights from her experiences, including this advice for students interested in ministry work: "People are more important than tasks: prioritize people. ...Most of all, take time to pray. Connection time with Jesus is what fuels every other interaction. Find a spot, find some time, find tea, and settle down with Jesus every day. I promise it will make a difference."

Read more about Martessa's experience here.
 

COVID-19 update and spring quarter plans

COVID-19 TESTING for winter quarter was a success, and we were heartened by relatively low rates of positive test results during those first few days. Safety protocols are still in place according to state guidelines, and random testing for students, faculty and staff is helping us detect and interrupt the spread of the COVID-19 virus on our campuses. 

SPRING BREAK will be observed by Walla Walla University as currently scheduled, March 18 through March 28. All College Place and Portland campus students must be back on campus on Sunday, March 28, for COVID-19 testing. Students have been asked to plan their spring break travel so that they return in time for their scheduled test.

WHAT WILL SPRING QUARTER BE LIKE? A year ago, as we struggled to understand the novel coronavirus, WWU went into reaction mode, doing our best to respond to many unknowns. Over the summer we were in preparation phase, using what we'd learned to ensure our campuses for whatever fall would bring. We focused on prevention fall quarter, deploying screening tools and technology to tie us together while keeping COVID-19 from spreading. Winter quarter was about expansion and how we could provide more in-person and on-campus learning. Now, looking toward spring quarter 2021, we plan to step carefully towards normalization, structuring our processes and protocols for safety and increased engagement.

• Spring quarter will begin with COVID-19 testing. Like winter quarter, insurance billing should cover the cost of the tests. Once test results are back students will receive a clearance notice from the COVID-19 Compliance Team, and they then may access campus facilities.
• In keeping with federal, state and local guidelines we will continue COVID-19 safety protocols like wearing masks, social distancing and encouraging careful hygiene.
• In-person classes will still allow for social distancing.
• We will still require daily health screening through the SaferMe app, though screening stations will be phased out.
• When appropriate according to state guidelines, COVID-19 vaccination will be available to those that choose it.
• Most university employees will return to on-campus work, though meetings and appointments will remain mostly online.
• Invited guests, including prospective students and their families, will be allowed on our campuses.
• We will phase in group activities according to state guidelines, and worship services will be allowed in-person as guidelines allow.
• We're looking forward to beautiful spring weather so we can take advantage of outdoor spaces to accommodate small-group gatherings and activities!

How to help WWU move forward

• Pray for us. Our students, faculty and staff are together navigating unusual circumstances this quarter, and we believe your prayers are powerful in these moments.
• Guide people to our online resources if they have questions or need the latest information about WWU's plans. 
• Ask us your questions. Our online "Ask a Question" form is an easy way to get accurate information directly from the university.
• Participate in online homecoming events, sharing your memories and strengthening our connections with each other.
• Encourage in-person or virtual campus visits. Know someone thinking about college? Encourage them to schedule a virtual visit to WWU. Our virtual campus visits are easy to schedule and fun to do!
• Make a donation to the WWU Fund, which is designed to help the university with its most immediate needs. This year the WWU Fund has equipped our classrooms for dual-modality and distance learning; provided students, faculty and staff with personal protective equipment (PPE); and helped to fund student scholarships.

Know someone who should be at WWU?
Encourage them to visit us virtually or in-person!

When they visit they can talk to WWU professors, and connect with WWU students—plus, meet people who can help with finances, employment, admissions, student life, and more. Their visit is personalized so they will have ample time to explore their interests and get their questions answered. We’ll even help cover costs to come visit!

Send them to wallawalla.edu/visit to schedule a campus visit.

Stay involved

Come for a visit
(when campus is open again)!