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Since Baseball games are dictated by outs and not time, in theory, a game could last forever. For some people, that’s what makes the game so theoretically romantic.

For others, even nine innings is simply too long.

As part of assistant professor Alex Gang‘s Sport in American Society class, 10 students initiated a social campaign to encourage those in the WSU community to attend a Coug baseball game and then stay until the end of the game.

The game they chose was Friday, April 12, against California.

The students had roughly a month to design and execute the campaign and their tasks included:

• Come up with a catchphrase that conveyed the purpose of the campaign.
• Develop promotional strategies (both online and offline) to disseminate information to the WSU community.
• Incentivize staying until the end of the game.

The group included 10 students and named the campaign Cougs All Nine.

Sport Management student Hyrum Futrelle said the group decided to focus on baseball because it was a main sport during spring.

“We were also aware of the problem of people not showing up to baseball games in large numbers and also not staying throughout the whole game,” Hyrum says. “This is a problem in all our sports, but it does seem to be a bit worse in baseball.”

To prepare, the group launched an Instagram page, appropriately named @CougsAllNine. At the game, they gave out stickers to attract spectator attention, as well as host a table with information. The big draw was a raffle where three people drawn would win a baseball signed by the WSU players.

And, like peanuts and a cold one, nothing says baseball like a hot dog. The group worked with WSU Concessions and handed out half-off coupons for hot dogs for the next game people went to, but fans couldn’t get those until after the 8th inning.

The effectiveness was put to the test immediately, because while temperatures at first pitch hovered in the low 60s and comfortable, the forecast called for rain to roll in around the seventh-inning stretch.

And rain it did.

But in a close game that saw the winning run on base for the Cougs (they’d ultimately lose 4-3), fans stuck around. Yet three fans were delighted to win baseballs. Won of those was WSU ROAR scholar Richard Roloff.

Hyrum says the part that was the most fun for him was seeing people get excited about these giveaways, and just the ability to talk to them when they entered the ballpark.

Because this was associated with a Sport Management class, and there needs to be learning, Dr. Gang says the group is going through its evaluation process of the social campaign.

Hyrum says the evaluation was pretty evident to him.

“If we were to do this again, I would like to start the campaign before the season to give us time to reach more people and further develop our ideas,” he says. “We could also measure our success over a few different games at different points in the season.”

Oh, by the way, total game time was only two hours and 39 minutes.

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Sam Graff – Athletic Training

Tell us a little about your background.
My name is Sam and I was born and raised in Tri-Cities, Washington, more specifically Pasco! Both of my parents are recently retired educators. My mom taught elementary and then moved into reading recovery and LLI and my dad was at the high school teaching weight training, PE and health and was also the head football coach. I have three younger brothers who all played multiple sports so there was lots of competition growing up. I pretty much grew up in a family that revolved around athletics so we kept my parents very busy. We spent many off days in our mom’s classrooms and PE gyms, at our dad’s school in the basketball gyms and out on the fields. My dad was a high school football coach my whole upbringing and into adulthood and for much of that time I can’t remember a Friday or Saturday in the fall that didn’t involve a football game. My grandpa was a college basketball coach for many years and my uncle is a current college basketball coach so we spent many holidays traveling to support when we could! The only way we were able to all get together and take a family vacation was if we had a tournament or post-season game to go to! Athletics and education have always been a huge part of my life!

What did you study at WSU? Did you always know you wanted to study that?
While at WSU I received my Bachelors in Athletic Training and became a Certified Athletic Trainer after completing the Board of Certification Exam. As I mentioned I’ve grown up around sports and coaches but more specifically around football and basketball and knew that I wanted to be involved in that in some capacity. During my first semester of college I went home one weekend in the fall and went to watch one of my dad/brothers football games. At the time I was still trying to figure out what degree I wanted to pursue. I was watching their athletic trainer during the game when I realized that athletic training was something I might be interested in. There was the athletics portion of that but more importantly an opportunity to take care of people. From then I went back to Pullman and started looking into the athletic training program. I reached out to the program and was able to get more information/requirements on how to apply. Long story short I am now in my 11^th year of being an athletic trainer at the collegiate level.

What has been your favorite thing about WSU, as well as the College of Education?
Although to me at the time, WSU felt like it was such a HUGE school, there has always been that family atmosphere and a sense of a home away from home. No matter what, I always felt like I had people to go to and confide in during my time there. Whether it was within athletics or within the athletic training program, the faculty and staff made us as students feel cared about. I love keeping in touch with everyone I’ve crossed paths with there and always love returning to visit and catch up.

Is there a memory you have from WSU that stands out in your mind as unforgettable, transformative, etc.?
When approaching the end of my time at WSU there were many discussions about what I wanted to do next. Those conversations and the decision to go to graduate school was pivotal in contributing to my career now. I remember it being a very stressful time because I knew I needed a master’s degree if I wanted to work at the collegiate level but the thought of it was so intimidating. I was a home body and thought that moving to Pullman was a huge accomplishment. I also struggled in school at times so the thought of moving even further and getting a master’s degree was daunting and I really did not think I was capable. I would have stayed at WSU forever, if I had it my way. The mentors I had at WSU are the reason I was able to get out of my comfort zone and further my education. Our Director of Athletic Training and Head Football Athletic Trainer at the time and Athletic Training Program Director and Clinical Coordinator were my biggest supporters. If I didn’t have them I would never be where I am today. I remember talking to each of them about my next steps and feeling that they had all the confidence in me to be successful. All of these mentors are people I still confide in and keep in touch with. I am forever grateful for them.

What has your career path been since you left WSU? What do you currently do? Tell us about your NOW life!
After graduating I stayed at WSU another year and was an Intern Athletic Trainer for the football program. After that I went to grad school at the University of Wyoming where I was a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer. After that I actually came back to WSU as a temporary assistant for football and filled in as someone had left right before the season. I then went onto work another internship at Stanford University as an Intern Athletic Trainer for the football program there. After that I finally landed my first full-time job at the University of Montana as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the football program. I grew to LOVE Montana and would have loved to stay with the Griz. I spent 4 years there but eventually it was time for me to look into what the next step would be for me. An opportunity to be a head football athletic trainer kind of fell in my lap and it was the next step that I needed to take in order to further my career. I am now at New Mexico State University as the Head Football Athletic Trainer and in the fall of 2024, it will be the start of my 3^rd season with the Aggies.

What makes you an agent of change?
I hope to be a positive influence on the next generation and hope that they can learn from me in a way that will help prepare them for the next stages in their life after college. Many life lessons have been learned throughout my time and I’m sure there are many more to come. I think that as a young adult I can offer some great advice to young athletic trainers and young athletes who are pursuing any type of leadership role within their profession. Times are changing but I think it’s important to remember that life isn’t always fair and its not about what hand you’re dealt but how you handle it. Work hard and treat those how you would want to be treated. It goes a long way.

Favorites

Food: BBQ or Mexican (the southwest spin on Mexican food does hit different)

Restaurant in Pullman: Feeling “fancy” South Fork or Sella’s, but Cougar Country was always our go-to

Band/song:Don’t really have a favorite song or band cause I have many. Big country music fan but also love my fair share of rap, pop, hip hop and R&B. Anything with a good message or a good beat, I’ll listen.

Movie: Remember the Titans

TV show:Pretty much any reality TV on Bravo but I’m also very competitive so The Challenge is also one of my favorites

Favorite Coug sport: Football obviously but also love seeing Coug basketball make a run in the NCAA Tourney! Will always be pulling for the Cougs no matter what sport it is!

Josh Therrien – Kinesiology (Athletic Training)

What did you study at WSU?
I graduated in 2007 with my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training.

What has been a career highlight of yours?
Making a positive impact working with countless student athletes, coaches and athletics support staff. The professional opportunity to be part of medical teams at multiple college football bowl games, the College World Series, two Final Fours, and winning a Gold Medal with USA Baseball in the U18 World Championships in Korea.

Tell us about your NOW life!
I’m currently the Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athlete Health and Performance at Gonzaga University. I oversee the Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, and Nutrition areas for the athletic department.

What makes you an agent of change?
Working sports medicine in collegiate athletics is an amazing opportunity to have impact on the lives of our student athletes. Making that impact helps to change the lives of future generations as our athletes go on to be successful athletes, citizens, people

Favorites

Food: Asian

Restaurant in Pullman: Cougar Country and New Garden

Band: Eric Church

Song: Drowning Man, by Eric Church

Movie: Bull Durham

TV show: The Sopranos

Favorite Coug sport: Football

Favorite spot on campus (when you were a student): The Summit and Martin Stadium

Hobby: Golf; pickleball; spending time with my wife, Jill, and our two sons, Abel and Olin

Place to visit (you’ve been to): Priest Lake (Idaho) and Barcelona

Dream vacation spot (you haven’t been to): Mediterranean

By Kyla Emme

We’ve all gotten that participation trophy at the end of the season, or that certificate of appreciation at the end of a grueling project.

But then you have WSU graduate student Faraj Aljarih, snagging a spot as an honorable mention for the CBIE Libyan Student Excellence Award. With 2016 being the inaugural year of the annual award, the nominees set a high bar. There are around 2,500 Libyan students with the CBIE in the U.S. and Canada, there were only 200 applications accepted, and then it was narrowed down to 6 winners. These winners included medical doctors, avid volunteers, and intense researchers – all of them making contributions to their campuses, industries and communities here in the U.S./Canada and back in Libya.

Faraj was self-nominated for the award, but his idea to do so only came after some encouragement from WSU Professor, Dr. Joy Egbert. Both she and Dr. Sara Chang wrote letters of recommendation for Faraj, all the while being a solid support system for him throughout his on-going work on his Master’s thesis. His Master’s research is looking into the relationships between inclusion of culture and learner engagement in language tasks. His hopes are that his research paper will get published in a well-known academic journal in the field of teaching and learning, and that he will be able to present his research in several conferences. He graduates this spring semester, so you may end up seeing him at a conference near you soon.

But receiving this award and eventually getting published are just stepping stones for Faraj as he sees a much bigger purpose for doing all this work.

“I hope I can give more to the society. As an international student from Libya in the United States, I have a big responsibility. I have a responsibility toward my society back home in Libya as I am sponsored by the people’s money to study abroad.” Faraj said. “Also, I have a responsibility toward the society here as I was nicely welcomed and given the opportunity to accomplish my life goals. So whatever I do for the society, whether here or back home, will be small. Giving back to society is a pledge that I will do all that I can to keep.”

By Kyla Emme

Two WSU education alumni have been chosen as regional finalists for the 2017 Washington Teacher of the Year Award. Jose Corona, a third grade teacher at Kirkwood Elementary School, completed the WSU teacher prep program in 1995. He was the regional finalist for ESD 105. Kendra Yamamoto, a preschool teacher at Martin Luther King Elementary School and teacher mentor for Vancouver Public Schools, completed her ESL endorsement at WSU Vancouver. She was the ESD 112 regional finalist.

This year, eight regional finalists had been chosen for this award, but only one has received the honorary distinction of “Teacher of the Year.” This honoree will now represent Washington as its nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Award.

All regional finalists have gotten the opportunity to share their teaching stories with legislators and educational leaders. They also have been provided with the opportunity to go around the state and share their expertise with the community and up-and-coming teachers. There are cash awards and other prizes given for their achievements also.

Kendra received a “full-ride” scholarship for her endorsement that stemmed from a grant of WSU Vancouver’s Dr. Gisela Ernst-Slavit. “TEAMS is a 1.3 million funded program by the US DOE,” Ernst-Slavit explained, “it’s designed to prepare practicing teachers and school administrators to work with ELLs in Southwest Washington.”

Since graduating from WSU, Jose has spent his 20 years of teaching at Kirkwood Elementary School. This school was no random choice, though, as he grew up in Toppenish and felt the need to go back.

By Breck Smith – College of Education intern

Many teachers give their hearts to instill in us the things they see as vital to our education, critical to our success and important to our future. Mary Alice Hall-Vaughn, a beloved educator, may no longer be alive but she will continue to positively impact others through a scholarship that has been named in her honor.

Mary Alice’s life was cut short from an aggressive form of liver cancer in May 2014. Her husband, Chuck Vaughn, always admired the passion she had for helping improve and motivate students to excel in their education. After he lost Mary Alice, it became Chuck’s mission to help continue her work by serving others. Chuck enlisted the help of his two sons, C.J. and Joe, to help him create the Mary Alice Scholarship.

Their goal is to assist students at WSU who are pursuing a degree in teaching from the College of Education. The family was able to give out the very first scholarship this year to a recipient for the 2015 fall semester.

Mary Alice devoted over four decades of her life to teaching and giving back. She began her career as a behavioral intervention specialist at the Camarillo State Hospital where she taught life skills to autistic adult residents. She would later accept a position in the Peninsula School District where she taught special education and later kindergarten. She also continued her own education by earning her National Board certification in November of 2008 and in the years that followed she dedicated her time to training and helping guide other teachers through their process of applying and obtaining this same certification. She not only impacted the kids she taught in her classroom, but also offered a helping hand to other teachers seeking to advance their careers.

“I want to bring awareness to the fact that something good can come out of such a horrific event in ones life, and that not everything surrounding a death in the family has to be sad,” said their son, Joe Vaughn. “My mother would be proud to know that we started a scholarship in her name that helps future teachers pursue their goals. It makes me feel closer to her knowing that we can preserve her memory in such a positive way that can benefit others.”

To donate to the Mary Alice Scholarship you can contact Andrea Farmer at a.farmer@wsu.edu or 509.335.4956.

Washington State University students who are flush with cash: You can ignore this. But if the jingle of scholarship money would be music to your ears, be sure to read this advice from guest blogger Amy Cox, WSU College of Education development coordinator.

The College of Education awarded 91 undergraduate and 53 graduate scholarships for the 2012/2013 academic year across our four campuses.  I encourage all graduate students and certified undergraduates to apply for the upcoming academic year.  The scholarship application deadline is January 31 and the financial aid deadline is February 15.

All undergraduate and graduate Students must apply online for scholarships through WSU Scholarship Services.

You can complete the scholarship application over multiple sessions. So take your time, think about your answers and complete each question. The College of Education will use this information in creating its lists of potential award recipients.

Please note, there are a few College of Education majors that are not on the list of chosen majors, including counseling psychology.  If you cannot find your major, choose the closest one for Major No. 1 and education for Major No. 2.

Please pay close attention to the following question: Leadership, responsibility, contribution to community and family, and co-curricular involvement are important at Washington State University.  Please prioritize your top four experiences in these areas over the last three years. This is the section on the application for you to input any employment, volunteer work and club memberships.  In this section, please be sure to list any/all college and/or club involvement within WSU.

We’re proud of our student researchers. So be sure to complete the following request as your answer will be considered by College of Education scholarship application reviewers: Participation in research and creative projects is important for undergraduate and graduate students at Washington State University. Please list your participation in research or creative projects, laboratories, hospitals and clinics. Include work done at other institutions.

Also, pay close attention and answer all essay questions when completing your application.  The essays answers are read and scored by members of the College of Education faculty.  These weighted scores are used by the Scholarship Committee when making yearly scholarship awards.

All College of Education scholarships have criteria, such as the student’s field of study, that must be considered at the request of our generous donors. A common requirement is financial need. The Scholarship Committee determines that need on an EFC (expected family contribution) score, which you receive after completing the FAFSA application. I highly recommend completing that online form so that you will be considered for those scholarships.

For more information on applying for scholarships, click here; or check out the frequently asked questions.

If you have any additional questions, contact me at 509-335-7843 or amycox@wsu.edu. Good luck!