Viewscapes

The WSU Fight Song, the roaring crowd, the electric atmosphere.Washington State University’s Cougar Marching Band is often the heart and soul that connects WSU alumni and fans at these games.In this episode, new Cougar Marching Band director Jon Sweet takes magazine associate editor Adriana Janovich behind the scenes. He talks about the music, the marching, the fans, and the incr

Young people have lots of questions about diet, exercise, and sexual health. TikTok is one of their most trusted venues for finding out information.“They’ll go to TikTok and ask questions,” says Nicole O’Donnell, assistant professor at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. “They’re learning about health mostly through other people’

2023 was a year of weather extremes, with damaging floods, fires, and storms unfolding across the globe.The United States logged a historic number of billion-dollar weather disasters, while smoke from Canada’s wildfires choked parts of the country.“It’s kind of odd to be talking about our neighbor just to the north, but they really did have such a big impact in North America

A simple decision about what to order for lunch can have profound effects on others.“Food is interesting because it touches so many other communities,” says Samantha Noll, an associate professor of bioethics in the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at Washington State University. “When we decide that we're going to eat that falafel sandwich, or that burg

Palouse prairie of eastern Washington and northwestern Idaho is an endangered landscape. It’s dominated by forbs—flowering plants—that cover the fields with a riot of color that attracts native pollinators.The Phoenix Conservancy is among the groups restoring Palouse prairie. Led by Chris Duke, a doctoral graduate in biology from Washington State University, the organization

Eric McElroy is an American pianist and composer who released his debut album, Tongues of Fire, in March 2023 on Somm Recordings. He wrote the songs to accompany poems from modern poets W.S. Merwin, Gregory Leadbetter, Grevel Lindop, Alice Oswald, and Robert Graves. The poems are sung by acclaimed English tenor James Gilchrist and McElroy performs on piano.McElroy graduated from Wa

Dean Janikowski is the kicker for Washington State University’s football team, a 2022 graduate and currently an MBA student at WSU. He also has a great time on Instagram and other social media with photos and videos playing football for the Cougs, riding dirt bikes, and kicking spicy Chicken McNuggets.In this episode, Dean talks with Washington State Magazine writer Becky Kramer

Kellie Zimmerman is no stranger to the Seattle tech scene. And she’s on a new adventure in the industry. She spent over 15 years building and leading teams in companies such as Concur and Avalara.Zimmerman is now CEO of Bellevue-based startup Brightloom, which leverages AI and data to help restaurants such as El Pollo Loco, Ruby Tuesday, and Jamba Juice accelerate their marketing

James Donaldson had a great college and professional basketball career, a physical therapy business, and many aspirations, even in retirement from sports. But over the course of several years, illness, bankruptcy, divorce, and circumstances in life sent Donaldson into a dark mental spiral. He found his way back, writing a book about his struggles and starting a foundation to help o

Tom Haig loves adventure. From his high-flying diving days of youth to his recovery from a bicycling accident that left him paralyzed, Haig keeps on moving.He chronicles his life, struggles, and triumphs in a new memoir from WSU Press, Global Nomad: My Travels through Diving, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Haig writes with wit and candor about the ups and downs of adventure, culminating in