Tag Archives: Eastern Washington University

Halloween Night Thursday Rundown

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Happy Halloween! Who is ready for a night of screams and treats? This post is historic because it is only the second time I have written a Thursday Rundown on October 31. The first time was five years ago in 2019. Before you hit the neighborhood to trick-or-treat, let me offer up five random topics…

Red Tie Gala – Earlier this month, we kicked off the public phase of Eastern Washington University’s comprehensive fundraising campaign—Build Our Future. This was another project I had the opportunity to work on the moment I stepped on campus. The public-facing effort launched with the Red Tie Gala on Oct. 18. This was such a nice event because not only did it generate enthusiasm for this very important phase of the campaign but it was also a celebration of the work completed up to this point. The cherry on top was that I got to bring Sidney. Not only did we have a nice date night, but she got to meet my boss and team. EWU has raised $67M of its $100M goal.

The Red Tie Gala was a blast! Sidney got to meet my boss, Eric Limburg (and we both got to meet his wife, Tara), and she also met members of my team. What a fun time we had supporting Eastern Washington University.

Earlier And Earlier Every Year – I remember back in the day when it used to be pushing it if Santa showed up a couple days before Thanksgiving. Now he is showing up several days before Halloween! In fact, not only did my kids fist bump with Kris Kringle this past Saturday, they said “hello” to Mrs. Claus too. To be honest, this isn’t totally unprecedented. Santa dropped candy in Sloan’s trick-or-treat basket back in 2021, too.

Beau, Sloan, and my niece had a Santa encounter at a trunk-or-treat over the weekend.

Pumpkin Carving – Although the carving of pumpkins is perhaps the one thing I don’t love about Halloween, it doesn’t mean we don’t do it. Sidney always takes the lead on this festivity with the kids. This year, Sloan and Beau got their pumpkins during a Halloween party at Brick West, a brewery in downtown Spokane. They might be smaller in size than carving pumpkins from grocery stores, but they definitely did the trick.

Sid and the kids busy carving pumpkins earlier this week.

River Park SCARE – We didn’t just do trunk-or-treats this past weekend. Cognizant of the fact that cavities aren’t good, I took the kids to other spooky events that weren’t candy-based. One such opportunity was River Park SCARE. It took place in River Park Square, our area’s downtown mall, and offered tons of fun activities. The event offered Lego building, bath bomb creation, balloon making, and princess meeting. It was a nice change of pace from the sugar-paved road of the trunk-or-treat circuit.

Sloan and Beau having fun at the River Park SCARE event.

Candy Inflation – With the prices you see below, I think we might have to opt for more tricks than treats. Or, in my case, we might just have to turn the light out at our house and dash over to my parents’ where they already have their candy stash for trick-or-treaters. Call me a cheapskate, but candy prices for a single bag are getting a little out of control. Granted, what you see below is chocolate and it is packed with 200 pieces but inflation is definitely real.

I encountered this expensive bag of candy at Safeway.

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Have an awesome night, everyone! Stay safe, make memories, and be kind to all the little goblins and ghouls. Don’t Blink.

Another One Rides The Bus

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Every university I have worked at has offered a special perk to its employees. At the University of Montana we received free football tickets, at Coastal Carolina University we enjoyed early release on summer Fridays, and at WSU I benefitted from a very liberal work-from-home schedule.

My favorite perk at Eastern Washington University? A bus pass.

I ride the 661 to the EWU campus a lot. I board the bus at the Jefferson Park and Ride in downtown Spokane.

My new employer provides faculty, staff, and students with a Spokane Transit Authority bus pass. With so many people living in Spokane and with EWU boasting a Spokane campus, it just makes sense for the university to encourage ridership on the STA routes that provide service to/from Cheney.

My vantage point most mornings when I am on the STA bus.

I have seized the opportunity. I try to take the bus 2-3 times per week as I capitalize on the dependability, sustainability, and, for the most part—comfort—that is offered. It serves as a happy arrangement in multiple respects…

First, it saves my vehicle from wear and tear. It is 27 miles from my home to my office. The bus stop where I board is 12 miles away at a park-and-ride in downtown Spokane. Thus, a normal 54-mile round trip for my Ford Escape is reduced to a 24-mile round trip. Sparing my car 30 miles per day adds up. It means less mileage, less gas, and less chance for an accident. It also eliminates driving for an extended time on I-90, my least favorite part of the commute.

Next, there is the convenience aspect. If you know anything about parking on a college campus, it can be scarce and expensive. Taking the bus has allowed me to bypass both those issues. When I use STA, I am dropped off at Eagle Station, the EWU-branded main campus bus plaza that is a convenient two-minute stroll to the building I work in. There is no stress, no driving around in circles, and no time drain.

The Eagle Station is the top bus stop on campus. It is a 2-minute walk to my office.

I also really appreciate the time I am given back that would otherwise be spent behind the wheel. A one-way trip from the park and ride to campus is 20 minutes. That means I have 40 minutes at my disposal on any given day I ride the bus. I use it to catch up on text messages, read the newspaper, check email, and format blog posts.

Finally, taking the bus just connects me better to EWU. Whether I am waiting at the stop or riding in my seat, I am surrounded by Eastern staff, faculty, and students. It has been a great way to solidify/build connections while reminding myself of the diverse EWU community.

It is hard not to smile when you are on the bus.

Thank you to Eastern Washington University for offering this option to all Eagles. Also, hats off to the bus drivers who are always so pleasant! Don’t Blink.

B-Roll Thursday Rundown

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How is your spooky season going? Well, if your fright-o-meter is already at capacity, you might want to skip this rundown because my writing is really scary! Here are tonight’s five topics…

More Face Painting – Back in August, I devoted a whole blog post to face painting and how my kids are infatuated with the art. Sloan and Beau couldn’t pass up the opportunity once again this past weekend. At Saturday’s Autumn On the Ave event in the Union district and at the Brick West Pumpkin Fest on Sunday, the kids took advantage of the free face painting stations. Both artists were really talented as the faces of Sloan and Beau became canvases for Spider-Man, a unicorn, and a turtle.

The kids naturally gravitated toward the face painting stations while we were out in the community last weekend.

In the EWU Classroom – A project I have spearheaded at work is the updating of our photo and b-roll libraries. On Tuesday and today, I worked with crews to gather student affairs-based content and academic-based content. Today was all about academics as we visited seven different classrooms/labs on both the Cheney campus and Spokane campus. From ceramics to robotics to biology to photography (and so much more), we captured a lot! It was really cool to see the students so focused and to observe the professors engaging with them. Can’t wait to put all this incredible content to use in our marketing materials.

It was a packed day as we visited seven different Eastern Washington University classrooms/labs.

National Pasta Day – Today is National Pasta Day and I actually wrote an entire post to commemorate this special date last year. I celebrated by listing my top 5 favorite pasta noodles (I am sure you are so surprised, right?). You can tap the link for my entire list but I will throw you a bone—or a pasta noodle—by revealing my #1 noodle: it’s angel hair! I appreciate how I can effortlessly twirl this angelic type of pasta on my fork and it seems like all sauces naturally pair well with it.

I like nothing more than bowl of pasta and a glass of milk.

Flavored Cotton Candy – On Friday night, Sloan and I enjoyed a daddy-daughter high school football date night. We went to nearby University High School to watch the Titans defeat Ferris High School. Sloan most likely won’t remember the final score nor the homecoming halftime show, but I do think she will remember the cotton candy stand. Besides the giant servings, this stand was particularly memorable because of the different flavors you could order. Whether you wanted green apple, POG, or even bacon-flavored cotton candy, it was like you were in a Baskin-Robbins with the variety. Sloan opted for watermelon.

Sloan and I pose for a photo with her watermelon cotton candy at the 10/11/24 football game at University High School where the host Titans defeated Ferris High School.

The Office That Ages – As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris battle for the White House, they know that if they win the presidency, unimaginable stress will be waiting for them. And, as we have seen throughout history, that stress will definitely show physically. Make no mistake about it, being President of the United States will age you and Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most popular example. This photo shows him in 1860 compared to 1865. In my honors humanities class as a junior in high school, my end-of-year project was a study on the aging effects of the presidency. My two group members and I constructed a White House replica and filled it with before and after photos of past U.S. Presidents. We supported our thesis that presidents age more rapidly than an average American with literature, mathematics equations, and death rate data (of course if we did this study today, Jimmy Carter would have skewed our results).

Abraham Lincoln in 1860 (left) vs. Abraham Lincoln in 1865 (right).

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I hope you will be doing the monster mash all weekend long. Thanks for reading and we will catch up on Monday. Don’t Blink.

2024 Birthday Gifts

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I always like to share the birthday, Christmas, and Father’s Day gifts I receive from my wife and kids. They never fail to give useful and sentimental presents that fit my tastes to a T. Here is what I received for my birthday last week…

Sloan – My all-time favorite candy is Twizzler Bites and/or Nibs. For me, they are really enjoyable to snack on whether I am at a game or watching Netflix. But not only did she give me licorice but she also gave me a candy bar that I didn’t even know Reese’s was still making. I loved Fast Breaks when they hit the market in 2001 but haven’t had too many opportunities to indulge the last many years. Making both these candy gifts even sweeter was that I was on a “cleanse” for six weeks that didn’t allow sweets. She also added a box of tissues as I fill my pockets with them every day. Last but not least, Sloan sentimentally gave me a mini Jenga set. When we were in Leavenworth this summer, we played many rounds of giant Jenga. We made so many great memories that she wanted to remind me of them by gifting me the mini version.

These are the gifts that Sloan gave me.

Beau – Well, Beau took Sloan’s lead…or did Sloan take Beau’s lead? Whatever the case might be, Sidney told me our children went back and forth on who was going to give me the candy/tissues. So, in the end, they both decided to get me the same goods (which was totally fine by me!). But they did branch out with the games they gifted me. While Sloan opted for Jenga, Beau gave me a version of “Would You Rather…?”.

These are the gifts that Beau got me for my birthday.

Sidney – My wife simply nailed it. I have started to build my EWU wardrobe but it consists mostly of polos. Sid helped me diversify my closet by giving me a couple selections that are more casual. On my birthday, she gave me my first EWU pullover, something that is very timely as it is now autumn in the northwest. She also hit it out of the park with another EWU “first” for me—a ball cap! Not only is it a style I like, but it actually fits on my head in a manner that doesn’t make me look like a doofus. Don’t know what it is, but many hats just don’t look good on me. Can’t wait to wear it on Saturdays!

These are the birthday gifts that Sid got me for my birthday.

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Much thanks to Sid, Sloan, and Beau. Not only do these three humans “get me,” but they are also generous and thoughtful. Love you! Don’t Blink.

Back In The Office (literally)

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I have now worked at Eastern Washington University for two months. Over the past 60 days, many differences have become apparent between my new gig at EWU and previous higher ed jobs I have held. Duties, structure, and procedures are all examples of this contrast. But perhaps there is one glaring difference between working at EWU and my last stop at WSU…

I am now working entirely in the office vs. mostly remote. Returning to five days on-site has definitely been an adjustment, but not in an overall negative sense. But you want to know one thing that has not changed? My attire. Throughout four years of working primarily at home, I always dressed as if I was working at the office. My wife told me I was crazy but it helped me to take my job more seriously.

However, while my wardrobe didn’t change (except from replacing crimson with red), lots of other things did. Here are five adjustments I have made since returning to the office full time…

I am back in the office!

Packing A Lunch – When I worked from home, I would take a break around noon and stroll into the kitchen. I would pull out some leftovers from the previous evening or heat up some chicken nuggets and sit down to watch Netflix. Ha! Not anymore. I am back to making peanut butter sandwiches the night before. However, it all works out because I also prepare sack lunches for my kids, so I am able to knock out midday meals for the three of us all at once.

Meeting Time – Of course a major dynamic shift is that most of my meetings are now in-person. Speaking with people face-to-face is definitely more enriching than over Zoom but the biggest adjustment I have had to make is just taking care to be punctual. I became so used to Zoom calls and the convenience of hopping on the meeting right when it started (i.e. if a meeting was at 9 a.m. I would log on right at 9 a.m) that at first I didn’t provide myself extra time to walk to the meeting site once I started at EWU. I know it sounds weird but it is true. And even though most of my meetings take place in a conference room inside the building I work in, it still takes a couple minutes to leave my office and walk up the stairs.*Sigh* Remote work to in-person problems.

Commute – Perhaps the biggest adjustment of all has been driving to/from work each day. While employed at WSU, I worked from home four days per week and the only driving I did on those days was taking my kids to/from school. Over the past two months, I have driven to Cheney (and back) each day, about a 36-minute commute in average traffic. Having that daily time in my vehicle to just chill/think is nice but so was walking out of my at-home office into our living room at 5 p.m.

Co-Worker Interaction – When I worked remotely, I never felt a disconnect with my colleagues. Even through Zoom, we developed genuine relationships—both personal and professional. But now that I am back in the actual office, that same relationship development and the opportunity for social interaction is so much more enhanced. I don’t have to wait for a Zoom meeting to chat with someone…people are literally just a few feet outside my door. You greet people when filling up your water bottle, mingle with co-workers at lunch, and join the occasional gatherings that take place in the lobby area of our offices. Work is truly social again.

What My Job Is All About – When it all comes down to it, working in the office is so great because it has brought me back to campus full time. What’s so great about campus? Well, besides the beauty, squirrels, and dining options there is one other big thing…STUDENTS. Most of us who work in higher education do it for the students and when I was working primarily from home, I didn’t get to be around them much. Now, on a daily basis, I get to be inspired again by the enthusiasm, youth, and intelligence of the population that makes it possible for me to even have a job.

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I know it is a good thing that I have returned to the office. I always said that the WFH arrangement I had at WSU probably wouldn’t last forever. Making the switch on my own via a job change was better than having it one day taken away from me. However, soon enough, I will have the chance to work one day from home per week. I am looking forward to having that brief taste of working remotely. But you better believe I will still be dressing up in my EWU polo and khakis once those days start 😂. Don’t Blink.

Feeling On-Brand At EWU

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Fitting In

I definitely feel like an Eagle now. A major project championed by our University Relations Department flew into market last week. Its reveal proved a perfect way to mark my two-month anniversary at Eastern Washington University.

Last Tuesday, we officially launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning as the region’s polytechnic. Our university is owning our time-honored commitment to applied learning while continuing to invest in additional opportunities for all students across all disciplines to engage in hands-on experiences. By allowing students to do their craft while at EWU, we equip them for more opportunities once they enter the workforce. After all, there is a reason why 75% of our graduates find jobs related to their major.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning last week. We are now the region’s polytechnic.

Hey, I Know About This

I had a really interesting perspective with the development of the evolved brand when I started at EWU. While still at WSU—where we were coincidentally working on debuting a major branding campaign ourselves—it was made public that EWU would embrace the positioning of the region’s polytechnic. Although it was months away from launch, the future of brand marketing at Eastern Washington University was now revealed. From this outside-looking-in vantage point, I paid close attention as the institution provided updates on the work, faculty offered feedback, and the media covered the developments/debate closely.

Yes, there was some controversy about the branding direction EWU was headed. However, it didn’t faze me.

You see, I was well aware of the shift to the region’s polytechnic long before I even applied to EWU. To be honest, I saw promise with the positioning. I firmly believe that the key to successful branding is differentiation. Often, I bring up the example of attending a higher ed marketing conference where a slide was shown with brand tag lines on one side and university logos on the other. The presenter asked if we could draw lines from each marketing tag line to the respective college it belonged to. It was just about impossible. All the tag lines were so generic (i.e. “Driven to Discover,”Here is How,” Creating Bold Futures,” etc.) that you couldn’t differentiate which mantra belonged to which university.

EWU wasn’t going to have an identity issue at all with the region’s polytechnic. At the same time, it wasn’t going to be easy. In addition to the massive amount of work required for any brand evolution, the push back element was  very real.

And here is the actual slide I referenced in the previous paragraph. I couldn’t help but take a photo of it during the 2023 AMA Symposium for Higher Ed.

Joining the Effort

And that’s where I came in. Launching any type of brand is a marathon and I entered the race toward the home stretch. It takes a lot of time to successfully introduce any type of branding campaign—usually at least a year. Research, discovery, platform development, expression, and launch are just some of the major components. With my hire date roughly two months before launch, I entered the picture as we were finalizing our brand platform and building assets.

Basically, I jumped on the band wagon once all the hard work was already completed 😂.

To be fair, the home stretch was grueling and there were still plenty of challenges to navigate. However, the major effort put forth by those on the University Relations team and others across the university prior to me setting foot on campus was significant. I was impressed with what everyone had done.

I was also very humbled by how gracious my team treated me. My UR colleagues truly knew how to make me feel part of the brand squad, even if it could have seemed like the new guy was swooping in at the last minute to snatch glory for himself. My boss and co-workers provided me with in-depth context, valued my opinion, and tolerated my many questions.

Assisting Where I Could

They also allowed me to contribute. Providing input at strategy meetings, participating in calls with our marketing consultants (shout out to idfive!), approving brand assets/resources, and LISTENING were all ways I got my feet wet with the brand evolution.

As the days passed and crunch time drew near, I became very invested in our brand evolution and felt genuine camaraderie with my EWU team. I had the opportunity to build our paid media plan for the brand’s roll out, write brand-related content for the web, develop the SEM strategy, and deal with launch logistics. Again, small contributions compared to what my team had already done—and continued to do—but exciting nonetheless.

Our evolved brand positioning officially launched on Sept. 24, 2024.

Let’s Launch!

The official launch came on Sept. 24 during Convocation, a start-of-the-academic-year event where the EWU president addresses faculty and staff. Toward the end of the program, President McMahan talked about Eastern’s new positioning and then premiered the two-minute brand anthem video. The centerpiece of the brand evolution roll out, our team exerted a lot of effort to perfect it. The video was met with resounding applause and at that moment we went live with our paid and organic plans. We were finally in market.

Although executing the launch took a big weight off our shoulders, the crucial work is now just beginning. Incorporating, explaining, supporting, and feeding EWU’s new positioning is something that our University Relations team and the rest of the institution will focus on each day moving forward.

A successful branding initiative requires differentiation and I think we nailed it. I am proud of my team for their tireless work and grateful that they allowed me to be part of the effort

Set For Success

I believe in the unique way that we are now presenting Eastern Washington University. Positioning ourselves as the region’s polytechnic will deliver us more attention from prospective students and their parents who are looking for colleges that offer hands-on learning and real-life experiences. Even though we aren’t changing who we are, just boldly stating who we are, I think our fresh approach is going to make EWU standout in a very crowded and competitive market.

Once again, much gratitude to my team members who worked so hard on this brand positioning and welcomed me with open arms. Working with Eric Limburg, Ginny Baxter, Amy Bradberry, Melodie Little, and so many others down the stretch was a rewarding experience. But in the end, a change of brand positioning goes way beyond just marketing. I recognize everyone else at EWU who helped us become the region’s polytechnic through their vision, research, planning, support, and time. Cheers to forward-thinking. Don’t Blink.

Part of the EWU Team

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I am now officially an Eastern Washington University Eagle. I have put in my first three days, met my team, walked the campus, and even participated in my first few meetings.

Check the ID, I am an official EWU employee.

And oh yeah, I have also sported the red and white…

I love my college gear and I have an initial wardrobe of EWU polos. This is what I wore on my first day.

I was given a very warm welcome on my first day. My boss brought in donuts and everyone came out to the gathering area and welcomed me. The rest of the day continued with the same warm sentiment as my new colleagues weren’t shy about stopping by my office to introduce themselves. Speaking of my office, it was completely ready for me when I walked in with a swag bag on my desk, a welcome message on the white board, and a case of my favorite soda waiting for me.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1.

For those of us who have switched jobs and been fortunate, there is a feeling of excitement and relief that is evident after the first few days. With initial nerves out of the way and a better understanding of the environment you will be working in, you start to feel confident in your decision and hopeful that you can contribute. I think I am at that spot right now.

I work in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

Of course a lot more is expected out of me than just feeling “hopeful” but that will come. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, the best attribute I can bring to the table at this specific time is the ability to listen. I have learned much from my EWU colleagues just over the past few days but there is much more learning to do—and that requires listening.

I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity at EWU.

I have been welcomed and accepted by Eastern Washington University. This initial embrace has made me even more determined to make a positive impact. The ball is now in my court to reciprocate this good will and do my best. Don’t Blink.