Veterans
Day memorial service set for Friday
Nov. 8, 2018 from WSU Insider
To
culminate Veterans Week at Washington State University, the ASWSU Student
Veterans Committee will host a Veterans Day Memorial Service 11:50 a.m.–1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 9.
U.S. Air
Force veteran Jonathan Brown, USMC veteran and retired Pullman police officer
Ted Weatherly, and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Lt. Col. Archibald
Harner will be guest speakers during the ceremony.
Those
attending will gather at Terrell Mall, and then proceed to the memorial. The
ceremony starts at noon at the WSU Veterans Memorial, located at 450 Veterans
Way on the Pullman campus.
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STORIES
THAT LIVE FOREVER: WSU Veterans Memorial
By Jason
Krump, WSU Athletics
May 20,
2007
Located at
the center of the Washington State University campus is the WSU Veterans
Memorial.
On the
memorial are engraved the names of Washington State students, faculty, and
staff who served their country in violent conflicts that took place far from
the peace and tranquility of the Palouse. Each name represents a life
sacrificed either in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam
War, the Persian Gulf War or the Global War on Terrorism.
To better
appreciate the stories contained within the WSU Vets Memorial, it is helpful to
understand the story of the memorial itself, and the man responsible for its
creation. Part one of the series tells their story.
At the
heart of the Washington State University campus is the Murrow School of
Communication, one of the most respected and renowned communication schools in
the nation.
For years,
students of, and alumni from, the school have produced stories on a wide range
of topics. Some stories resonate for a day, some for many years.
While the
students and alumni of the Murrow School generate stories on a daily basis,
just north of the school is a structure whose physical size pales in comparison
to the Murrow School, but the stories contained within its walls, and their
meaning, cast a shadow larger than any building on campus could.
The structure
is the Washington State University Veterans Memorial. The memorial displays the
names of the Washington State alumni who gave their lives in World War I, World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.
The
motivation for the creation of the memorial came from the story of an
individual who fought in two wars, but whose narrative, and those of his
comrades, became overlooked by the emotions stemming from another war.
Dedicated
in 1993 and rededicated when it was completed in 2000, the memorial is the
brainchild of C. James Quann, veteran of the Korean War, former WSU Registrar,
and author of the book "WSU Military Veterans: Heroes and Legends."
Quann
worked 25 years as the University Registrar at Washington State, including four
years as Associate Registrar. He currently holds the courtesy appointment of
WSU Registrar Emeritus and Coordinator, Veterans' Research.
As a
freshman arriving at Washington State College in 1950 (the school would become
Washington State University in 1959), Quann and his classmates were told of the
exploits of Ace Allen, who graduated just a few month prior to Quann's arrival
on campus.
Allen
served two and a half years in the Air Force during World War II, attended WSC
under the GI Bill, and upon graduation, returned to the front line in Korea. It
was there he was killed in action on Aug. 9, 1950, just two months following
his commencement from WSC.
Quann, who
served in Korea as a First Lieutenant in the Army after graduating from WSC,
came back to Washington State in 1966 as a member of the registrar's staff and
became registrar in 1970.
His return
to WSU occurred at the height of the Vietnam War.
"The
public was investing a great deal of interest and emotion in the Vietnam War
issue, and the media was constantly making comparisons between World War II and
Vietnam," Quann wrote in his account of the history of the memorial.
"The Korean War and its veterans seemed to have been forgotten."
Quann
decided that something should be done to honor Washington State's Korean War
veterans who gave their lives in the conflict. He began to conduct research to
find information on Ace Allen and anybody else from the Korean War.
Initially,
Quann found little on the Korean War, but he did find information regarding
World War II that caught his attention.
"In
the library archives I ran across about 200 letters written by President
Holland to the families of the students killed in World War II," Quann
said. "In those letters he promised them a memorial will be built on
campus with their names inscribed thereon.
"It
never happened and nobody knew why," Quann added. "I thought we
should honor the promise that President Holland had made by building the
memorial, but also include Korea and Vietnam."
After
receiving the go ahead, Quann formed a committee comprised of students,
faculty, and staff representing World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The committee
was officially appointed, and the process of creating the memorial had begun.
In its
initial planning, the committee had to consider several issues: where to build
the memorial, what design should it take, the hours that needed to be invested
in researching and obtaining documentation on those killed or missing in action
in the various wars, and to raise funds to build it since state funds could not
be used on the project.
In 1987, a
location at the center of campus in an area bounded by Bryan Hall, Avery Hall,
Stevens Hall, Thompson Hall, and the Murrow Center was chosen as site for the
memorial in what Quann describes as a "treasured spot right in the middle
of campus."
That same
year, a national search was held to seek a proper design for the memorial.
Quann describes in his writings that the parameters for any design firm to
consider were: the design must be contemplative in nature, as in the Vietnam
Memorial in Washington, D.C.; the memorial must be timeless because its purpose
is to honor veterans of at least three eras; the memorial should capture the
eternal spirit of patriotism and the defense of freedom, and the design must
include the capability to individually recognize the over 250 who made the
supreme sacrifice.
The design
that was decided upon was two-fold in nature. One component was the creation of
a diagonal "Veterans' Walk" pathway leading from Stevens Hall to
Bryan Hall where it joins "Hello Walk."
The memorial
itself went through a number of redesigns before culminating to what now
exists. At its center is a large brass core engraved with the names of the
Washington State students, faculty, and staff who lost their lives in World War
II, and the Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf wars.
In
addition, above the benches surrounding the core are plaques that have the
names engraved of those same individuals. In 2006, a plaque that contains the
names of those who lost their lives in the current global war on terrorism was
added.
A plaque,
a gift from the class of 1920, honoring the Washington State students who fell
in World War I was already being displayed in Bryan Hall. When the Veterans
Memorial was created, it was decided to move the plaque from Bryan and placed
it within the memorial. The plaque is placed on a pedestal at the north side of
the structure.
The
original design also called for a second pathway to branch off from the center
of Veterans' Walk and curve down to the memorial. As Quann writes, this walk
would symbolize that although all of the WSU community took the diagonal path
from time to time, some of our colleagues - students, faculty, and staff - took
a much different path, and some ultimately gave their lives for our freedom.
The brass
core at the center of the memorial displays the names of the Washington State
students who fell in World War II, and the Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf
Wars.
The
concept of the path originating out of Veterans' Walk was revised to a pathway
leading to and from the Memorial on both its north and south sides.
In 1990,
Quann took a position at the University of California at Santa Cruz but he
still kept in touch on the progression of the memorial.
Although
funding did not allow the construction of all components of the memorial, the
primary portion of it was dedicated on Veterans Day, 1993.
In 1996,
then President Sam Smith renamed the street bordering the memorial
"Veterans' Way." Three years later, the class of 1949, to help
commemorate their 50th anniversary, began a campaign to complete the memorial.
Through their efforts, the finished memorial was rededicated on October 7,
2000.
"It
dawned on me that there was a tremendous lack of knowledge about World War II,
Korea, and Vietnam."
WSU
Memorial founder C. James Quann on the inspiration for his book WSU Military
Veterans: Heroes and Legends.
While one
memorial was completed, it was during this time that Quann was working on
another big project, another memorial of sorts, whose inspiration came while
Quann was at Santa Cruz.
"I
had an experience in June of 1994 on the campus of Santa Cruz that got me to
thinking of what later became my book," Quann said. "It was the 50th
anniversary of D-Day and I had an opportunity to talk with a number of students
one-on-one and I asked them `What do you think?' "
The
answers Quann received, or the lack of one, were striking to him.
"No.
1, they didn't know anything about it. No. 2, they didn't care and No. 3, they
wish it would get off the air so they could watch other TV programs," he
said. "It dawned on me that there was a tremendous lack of knowledge about
World War II, Korea, and Vietnam."
When Quann
returned to WSU in 1996 to take an appointment as registrar emeritus and
coordinator of veterans' research, he would spend nearly the next decade
conducting research for his book, which became a compilation of stories from
Washington State College/University students, faculty and staff from World War
II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf conflicts.
"I
was concerned I might not do justice to the memory of these heroes," Quann
said. "Every time I came away from an interview I would come back with two
or three more names I didn't know about. The project kept getting bigger."
What
originally was thought to be a two-year project turned into one that lasted a
decade. The result is the book WSU Military Veterans: Heroes and Legends.
With his
book and the founding of the memorial, Quann has left a lasting legacy to WSU.
And
through their stories, a legacy is exactly what the individuals behind the
memorial's names have given to Washington State University, and to their
country.
Copyright
2007, Washington State University Athletics
--wsucougars.com--
::::::::::
WSU
women’s soccer hosting NCAA Tournament 1st Round game Friday night
From Pullman
Radio News
Washington
State University women's soccer will host a 1st round NCAA tournament game
Friday night. The Cougars will play Montana at 7:00 at the Lower Soccer Field.
WSU defeated the Grizzlies earlier this season. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3
dollars for seniors and kids.
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WSU
Soccer: Rachel Thompson Named 2018 Academic All-District
11/8/2018 from
WSU Sports Info
PULLMAN,
Wash. - Showing off her skills on the field and in the classroom,
redshirt-junior Rachel Thompson was named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic
All-District 8 team Thursday as announced by CoSIDA. The all-academic team
recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on
the field and in the classroom. Thompson is the first Cougar to earn the award
since Rachael Doyle in 2013.
One of the
top student-athletes at WSU, Thompson earned first team academic all-district
honors after posting a 3.78 GPA in human development. On the field, the Alaska
native stepped in to the Cougars' starting goalkeeper role six games into the
season and proceeded to lead WSU to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight
season.
In goal,
Thompson finished the regular season 7-4-1 overall with 2.5 shutouts. She made
her mark early for WSU, shutting out No. 8 UCLA, 1-0, on the road to begin
conference play while earning a 1-1 draw against No. 1 Stanford in late
October. In both games, Thompson was at her best posting 12 saves in each game.
After each performance, she would earn the Pac-12's Goalkeeper of the Week
award.
As a first
team honoree, Thompson is now eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America.
First-, second- and third-team. Academic All-America honorees will be announced
in early December.
………..
Company
moves to block records release
Motion
comes after request from writer to obtain information
The
company behind commercialization for WSU's Cosmic Crisp apple filed an
injunction to block records requests about the project, stating their release
could harm itself and the university.
By IAN
SMAY, Evergreen
Nov 8,
2018
Proprietary
Variety Management, the company selected by WSU to help with the
commercialization of the Cosmic Crisp apple strain, has filed for an injunction
blocking the release of public records relating to the fruit in Whitman County
Superior Court.
There will
be an oral argument regarding the motion in Whitman County Superior Court at 11
a.m. Friday.
If
granted, the injunction would block the release of records PVM claims contains
proprietary information that would harm the company and WSU, according to court
documents.
The motion
came after M. Sharon Baker, a freelance journalist, requested documents related
to finances, marketing and other materials regarding the new apple strain. WSU
was scheduled to release those documents on Nov. 14.
PVM could
not be immediately reached for comment on the motion. WSU said it is included
in the suit due to the records in question belonging to the university.
“My
understanding is that WSU is named in the case only so much as we are
custodians of the records in question,” Phil Weiler, vice president of
marketing and communications for WSU, wrote via text Wednesday night.
Information
requested to be blocked by the lawsuit includes marketing information, trade
secrets and other information contained on a slideshow. PVM claims in its
injunction request that it “expected that the PowerPoint slides and the
marketing launch synopsis would remain confidential.”
However,
PVM states in its claim that it did not mark the slides and the marketing
launch synopsis as confidential. The company goes on to say in the suit that
the release of these documents would “harm WSU’s Cosmic Crisp branding and
marketing efforts” and that because of this potential harm it did not feel the
need to mark such documents as confidential.
Budgetary
information for the apple is included in the records requested by Baker,
according to the filing. This includes pricing and profit projections, which
PVM said would harm WSU if the information were to be made public and fall into
the hands of other competitors in the apple market.
According
to the Washington Public Records Act, companies can be exempt from releasing
information that would include proprietary information or trade secrets.
In its
proposal, PVM claims it has met standards needed under the Public Records Act.
The decision would not only blocks WSU from releasing the documents to Baker,
but also to any other reporter or member of the public who requests the
documents in question.
This is
not the first legal action to take place over the Cosmic Crisp apple, as WSU
was sued in February by Seattle-based company Phytelligence, which claimed the
university broke terms on a contract allowing them to grow the apple’s trees.
WSU countersued with allegations of portraying the university in a misleading
light, infringing on a WSU trademark and violating parts of the Consumer
Protection Act.
Editor’s
note: This article has been corrected to clarify that as of Thursday, Nov. 8
PVM has not yet been granted an injunction.
::::::::::::::::::
Football
looks primed to go more than Bowlin’
No. 8
ranked Cougars still have chance to make College Playoffs
By JOHN
SPELLMAN, Evergreen Nov 8, 2018
The second
College Football Playoff rankings came out Monday night, and WSU did not move
up or drop as they remained No. 8 in the nation.
Despite a
close victory over University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday, the
Selection Committee decided to not move the Cougars up in the standings.
The
biggest chance WSU has to move up is if No. 7 Louisiana State University (7-2),
which lost to No. 1 University of Alabama on Saturday, dropped behind the
Cougars in the standings.
Surprisingly,
the committee did not think LSU should be ranked below the Cougars despite the
fact that LSU has one more loss than WSU and has already been eliminated from
the Southeastern Conference Championship game.
However,
if WSU keeps winning, the committee will have no choice but to move the Cougars
ahead of the Tigers. With that being said, all WSU can focus on is winning each
of its remaining games if it wants any chance to make the College Football
Playoffs.
Another
thing holding the Cougars back in the rankings is the strength of their
schedule. WSU had a fairly easy non-conference schedule of University of
Wyoming, San Jose State University and Eastern Washington University, none of
which are part of a Power 5 conference.
Not only
that, but another key factor to making the playoffs as a one-loss team is
winning against quality opponents. However, the two quality wins for the
Cougars so far this season were against University of Utah and University of
Oregon. Oregon currently is not ranked, making the win over Utah crucial. Unfortunately,
Utah lost this past weekend to Arizona State University, devaluing the Cougars’
win over the Utes earlier this season.
Even with
all of these aspects going against WSU, it is still ranked No. 8 in the nation
and has a shot to make the playoffs. If they keep winning and some puzzle
pieces fall into place, the Cougars can make a little noise and take a run to
the title.
::::::::::::::::::::
Buffs
don't want Beaver fiasco to define their season
Colorado
trying to pull out of a skid including a loss to Oregon State two weeks ago
By Dale
Grummert Lewiston Trib
After
watching his Buffaloes squander a 28-point lead against the worst team in the
conference, Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre stayed true to his ritual of donning
a jacket and tie for the postgame news conference and answering every question
as forthrightly as possible.
"We
were rolling," he said, "and I guess the wheels just rolled right
off."
That was
two games ago, but the Buffaloes' agonizing 41-34 overtime loss to Oregon State
at Boulder, Colo., still threatens to define their season.
After
winning their first five games, they've now lost four straight, and there's a
distinct possibility they'll drop their final three and fail to secure a bowl
bid for the second straight year. Simply clinging to some shred of their 31-3
second-half lead versus the Beavers on Oct. 27 would have settled the bowl
issue and eased some of the pressure the team is now facing.
The
injury-riddled Buffs (5-4, 2-4) play at Folsom Field for the first time since
the Oregon State fiasco when they face No. 10 Washington State on Saturday
(12:30 p.m. Pacific, ESPN). The Cougars (8-1, 5-1) have won five straight
league contests and are favored by six points.
Until the
Buffaloes win a game, memories of the rallying Beavs will surely haunt them.
References to the game, from outside and inside the program, will continue.
MacIntrye said after the loss that, however distasteful the task, he planned to
study video that evening from his team's collapse and start to mull
corrections.
But time
was limited. The Buffs' next game was on a Friday night, on the road, against
fast-improving Arizona. They lost 42-34. Since late last season, they're now
0-7 when playing for bowl-eligibility.
At his
weekly news conference Tuesday at Boulder, MacIntyre kept getting asked to
compare the Buffs' performances in the recent losses to those of their
early-season wins. For example, what happened to the sort of clock-milking
drive that keyed their 28-21 defeat of Arizona State?
Well, the
coach replied, the Buffs mounted a fairly time-consuming drive against Oregon
State, after the Beavers had closed to within 31-28. The possession was
approaching five minutes when quarterback Steven Montez dashed for 6 yards on
third-and-5, only to be foiled by a back-side holding penalty. The Buffs failed
to convert on third-and-15 and settled for a field goal.
Were the
Buffs overachieving in September? - that was another of the questions. Have
they lost the type of resolve that allowed them to surge past Nebraska in a
road game Sept. 8?
MacIntyre
is trying not to dwell on his team's injuries, but they're inescapable. The
most damaging is a case of turf toe that has sidelined receiver Laviska
Shenault, whose sensational September had thrust him into the Heisman Trophy
picture.
MacIntyre
likened his value to that of WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew. And the latter
could have a field day in Boulder. Injuries in the Colorado secondary aided
Oregon State quarterback Juke Luton and, the next week, Khalil Tate of Arizona,
who threw for 350 yards and five touchdowns.
That game
in Tucson, Ariz., saw two more CU receivers get hurt, including K.D. Nixon, a
would-be hero of the Oregon State ordeal. Filling the void left by Shenault, he
caught 13 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns that day before dropping an
end-zone throw in overtime.
"My
best game turned into my worst game," Nixon said at the time. "I let
the team down. We lost the game because of me, so I live with it and make up
for it."
The pain
this team is feeling is almost palpable.
Minshew
makes O'Brien semis
Speaking
of the WSU quarterback, Minshew was named one of 16 semifinalists Wednesday for
the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.
A fan vote
counts as 5 percent of the selection process for each round. Three finalists
will be announced Nov. 19.
:::::::::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
Colorado
fighting injuries, adversity as No. 10 Washington State comes to town
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 7, 2018, 6:28 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of the Spokesman-Review of Spokane
At Folsom
Field, Boulder, Colorado Saturday, Nov. 10:
Washington
State at Colorado Buffaloes, 12:30 p.m. PST TV: ESPN
PULLMAN –
Stating the value of wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. to Colorado’s football
team, coach Mike MacIntyre made an analogy Tuesday during his weekly press
conference that would resonate with any Washington State fan.
And one
that would equally make them squirm.
“Well, I
think when you take a Heisman Trophy candidate out of your picture, it’s a big
deal,” MacIntyre said, speaking of Shenault Jr., the sophomore wideout who
became one of the nation’s breakout players through CU’s first five games before
sustaining a turf toe injury. “Kind of like (Gardner) Minshew. Take Minshew
out, it might change Washington State. So we haven’t had our best football
player on the field for 3 1/2 games, since halfway through the USC game. So he
only played 5 1/2 games.”
Shenault
Jr’s toe may be the most pertinent example of how injuries have depleted
MacIntyre’s 2018 roster. Before he was injured in the second half of a game at
USC, the Texas native caught 60 passes for 780 yards and six touchdowns. That’s
in addition to his five rushing touchdowns.
When
Shenault Jr. has played in all four quarters for the Buffaloes, they’re 5-0.
When he hasn’t, CU is 0-4. When his top receiver was flexed out wide, Colorado
quarterback Steven Montez posted an average QB rating of 179. In the four games
where Shenault Jr. has either been a limited participant or absent, Montez has
seen his QB rating dip to 122.2.
Colorado
was once the nation’s 19th-ranked football team. Now, after four consecutive
losses and a wave of injuries, the Buffaloes (5-4, 2-4) will be chasing bowl
eligibility for the fifth consecutive game when they host the Cougars (8-1,
5-1) Saturday at Folsom Field (12:30 p.m., ESPN).
CU’s star
receiver is listed as “day to day.” MacIntyre has indicated that Shenault Jr. would
be a game-day decision, though fans were encouraged by a post from the player’s
Instagram, which showed Shenault Jr. in a practice uniform at Folsom Field.
Even with
him back, the Buffaloes could still be hurting at wide receiver – and elsewhere
on the field.
Two other
starting receivers, Jay MacIntyre (concussion) – the coach’s son – and J.D.
Nixon (hip) are also day to day.
Another
high-impact injury has been the one to starting strong safety Evan Worthington,
who left CU’s game against Oregon State with a concussion and hasn’t returned
to the field. Two opposing quarterbacks, OSU’s Jake Luton and Arizona’s Khalil
Tate, have posted career-high passing numbers with Worthington on the sideline.
Another
metric that would accentuate the safety’s value, as pointed out by the Boulder
Daily Camera: With Worthington healthy, CU’s defense gave up nine touchdowns
and intercepted seven passes in 7 1/2 games. In the 1 1/2 games he’s missed,
the Buffaloes have allowed eight touchdowns and picked off just one pass.
Worthington
or no Worthington, the Cougars are still wary of what the Buffaloes are capable
of doing in the secondary. CU, which has a knack for producing pro-level
cornerbacks and safeties, has had four of its defensive backs selected in the
last two NFL drafts.
“They’ve
got quality players every year,” WSU coach Mike Leach said. “There’s a lot of
guys running around from Colorado that are pretty good players. So they’re kind
of like they always are. They have some good players at some key positions.”
Worthington’s
status is a question mark and the Buffaloes have had to replace cornerback
Chris Miller, who sustained a season-ending hand injury against USC. Running
back Beau Bisharat is also questionable for CU and starting kicker James
Stefanou will miss his fourth consecutive game.
The
injuries can be especially gut-wrenching for a team that lost each of its last
two games by a single touchdown. The Buffaloes took Arizona to overtime before
bowing 42-34.
“We got
beat up a little in the USC game, but the other three games I think we
definitely could’ve won,” MacIntyre said. “If you watch the games, we could’ve
won all three games. And we didn’t. We’ve got to find different ways and other
guys have to step up. That’s part of life. That’s part of football.”
:::::::::::::::
Washington
State Football defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys nominated for Broyles Award
Wed., Nov.
7, 2018, 11:58 a.m.
Spokesman-Review/By
Theo Lawson
For the
second year in a row, a Washington State defensive coordinator is being
recognized as one of the top assistant coaches in college football.
Cougars
defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys was one of 53 coaches nominated Wednesday
for the Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top assistant.
Claeys is in his first season as WSU’s DC after taking over for Alex Grinch,
who was nominated for the Broyles Award in 2017.
WSU’s
defense has been able to sustain its success under Claeys and three new
position coaches on the defensive side of the ball: outside linebackers coach
Matt Brock, cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath and safeties coach Kendrick
Shavers.
The
Cougars rank 24th nationally and fourth in the Pac-12 in total defense,
allowing just 327.1 yards per game. They’re allowing 23.8 points per game,
which is sixth-best in the Pac-12 and 45th-best in the nation.
Despite
losing All-American defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa and former starting nose
tackle Daniel Ekuale, who’s now with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, WSU has
managed to generate more quarterback pressure than anybody else in the Pac-12
and leads the conference with 27 sacks through nine games. That number is also
tied for 16th in the country.
Claeys was
one of five Pac-12 assistant coaches nominated by the Broyles Award. He joins
Arizona State DC Danny Gonzales, Cal DC/outside linebackers coach Tim DeRuyter,
USC assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator Johnny Nansen and Utah
defensive coordinator/safeties coach Morgan Scalley.
::::::::::::::
Commentary --Nearby
History: Alpine skiing has history on the Palouse
By Mark
O'English WSU MASC for Moscow Pullman Daily News
Nov 8,
2018
Alpine
skiing has history on the Palouse
It had
existed at Washington State College as far back as the 1910s, but the
relatively short hills of the Palouse and the difficulty of getting to larger
slopes in an era before most people had cars meant it was often a sport of the
well-off, not for the average college student.
The
popularity can be seen in mechanized tow ropes set up on the slope from the
athletics fields to Van Doren Hall, but that was still short and repetitive.
In the
1936-37 school year, one of WSC's students was a young man named Dallas
Clinger, who was a champion ski jumper. As he was competing for the WSC clubs,
he needed a place to practice.
So, before
the 1936-37 winter, Athletic Director Doc Bohler, groundskeeper Shorty Sever
and the WSC ski team came together to design and build a 200-foot long ski jump
on the campus. This stood on the hillside behind what is now the concrete
elevator north of the Compton Union Building/CUB. Below that, as today, were
the college's athletic fields; jumpers would land just west of the location of
today's Football Operations Building.
At that
point, the CUB was not yet built on campus; that area was mostly free-standing
trees, with only a water tower, Butch's Cage and a brick reservoir on that part
of the hilltop; the jump actually started atop the reservoir. Reports at the
time say it was one of only two ski jumps located on a college campus in the
United States.
While the
jump would have to be reworked or rebuilt several times in the coming years, it
remained on campus for some time, becoming part of the college winter
environment. In addition to being used as a training site for the ski club,
Clinger offered instruction in ski jumping to interested students almost from
day one. While no reports of injuries made the early Daily Evergreen issues,
there are reports of "broken hickories" (skis) on the part of
unsteady students. In the mid 1940s, ski jumping demonstrations would be a
major part of the campus Gelundasprung, or Winter Week, festivities.
With the
onset of World War II, the campus welcomed U.S. soldiers to receive training on
campus. An obstacle course was built below the ski jumps, and for the advanced
soldiers, the ski jump became a part of that - they would literally run up the
ski jump and back down again as part of the course. The uniqueness of this led
to the course being pictured in the Oct. 12, 1942, issue of Life Magazine.
The Daily
Evergreen last notes the ski jump in use in the 1948-49 school year. In 1948,
WSC had completely revamped and reopened the WSC North-South Ski Bowl located
just south of Emida, ID, and now with a taller ski jump of its own. With
automobile travel even more available, the ski programs could easily go there
to train.
As the
spring of 1950 saw the moving of the adjacent Butch's Cage down to the
northeast corner outside the football stadium, and the beginning of the
construction of the CUB (which at the time ended just about at the jump, though
the later addition of the theatre did run completely over the former jump
site), it seems apparent that the ski jump would have just been too close to
the CUB construction site, and so was dismantled somewhere between 1949-50.
Thirty seconds of film footage of the jump still exist, viewable through
YouTube at
through
the WSU Libraries' Films channel. Ski-jumping demonstrations occasionally still
happened on campus, for a while on the old "Poultry Hill" which used
to stand where Johnson Hall now sits, but those soon faded, and the memory of
the WSC ski jump has gradually faded as the campus has aged.
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