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Articles by Megan Rogers
Borrow More than Books at Your Local Library
‘Library of Things’ collections let patrons borrow toys, games, tools, outdoor gear, art prints and more Illustration by John R. Goodwin At the local library, you can find books. You can also find a paper shredderand a label maker to tackle organizing projects. A karaoke machine to liven up a birthday party. A puppet theater with six adorable wild animal creatures to check out when grandkids visit. Welcome to the library of things.
Grassroots projects to address food insecurity sprout up across New Hampshire
Community fridges in Berlin and Newmarket have been open for a little more than a month and are already drawing significant community support. At the fridges, people drop off canned or fresh food to share with neighbors. Others stop by to obtain food at a 24/7 location with low barriers to use. Volunteers visit twice a day to check on the fridge. Restaurants donate leftover food. “It’s been bigger than I ever dreamed it would be.
These Gift Sets Are Almost Too Good to Give Away
Health These Gift Sets Are Almost Too Good to Give Away Founded by former pro snowboarder Nima Jalali, Salt & Stone is rooted in a fundamental understanding of the elements and how they affect our skin. Every formula blends naturally derived actives from the sea and the mountains with clean, gender-neutral scents designed to ground you, energize you, or simply make an everyday ritual feel more intentional.
Who owns your local newspaper?
The front page of an early October 2025 edition of The Keene Sentinel features stories about city elections, the ongoing drought in New Hampshire and two Medicare Advantage providers leaving the state. It’s all local news. Flip to the second page of the paper, and you’ll see the paper’s masthead, a list of the over 225-year-old daily paper’s key personnel and contact information. The local theme continues on the masthead, says Sean Burke, president and chief operating officer of The Sentinel.
Across New England, new strategies and collaborations fill the need for local news
Late last year, journalists at The New Bedford Light, a community news outlet in Massachusetts, covered plans for $1 billion in renovations at the city's aging school buildings. Because of the nonprofit news outlet’s reporting, the next school committee meeting was packed with citizens, says Lean Camara, chief executive officer of the Light. That’s just one of the examples Camara can point to that show how the Light’s reporting has directly led to more civic engagement in the coastal city.
Is Your Deodorant Doing More Harm Than Good?
Health Is Your Deodorant Doing More Harm Than Good? All featured products and deals are selected independently and objectively by the author. Better Report may receive a share of sales via affiliate links in content. Ever wonder what’s actually inside the antiperspirant you swipe on every morning? We reach for it to control our body odor without a second thought. But if you look at the back, you’ll probably find a common ingredient: aluminum.
The best Christmas cookie recipes
It’s almost Christmas time! Snow, holiday movies, hot chocolate and cozy blankets—it is the best time of the year. And do you know what the best way to kick off the Christmas season is? Cookies! Here are my favorite cookie recipes that I make every year.
CWU has three areas of concern for reaccreditation
During the accreditation kick-off meeting on Nov. 17, CWU President Jim Wolphart said there are three areas that they need to improve on before reaccreditation in 2026. According to Wolphart, those three areas are the strategic plan, advising and learning outcomes assessments. Accreditation makes sure the university stays up to education standards and has continuous quality standards.
North Academic Complex will be built to be more sustainable
The North Academic Complex, which is set to replace the Language and Literature building and Farrell Hall, will be built to be more sustainable by including geothermal heating and solar panels. The complex is set to finish in 2026 and will take the place where the flag plaza is. According to CWU’s Sustainability Officer, Jeff Bousson, the GeoEco center, which connects the complex to geothermal heating, will sit across the street.
Elvin Delgado appointed interim associate vice president of academic affairs
Elvin Delgado, associate dean of faculty development, research and interdisciplinary initiative, was appointed interim associate vice president of academic affairs on Nov. 2. This was after Kurt Kirstein was appointed interim provost and vice president of academic affairs on Nov. 1. Delgado said that as of now, he isn’t sure when they will have someone to fill the role full-time, but he plans to return to associate dean once the position is filled.
Mortenson donates $50,000 to help enhance education in the Safety and Health management program
Mortenson, a construction engineering company, donated $50,000 to the Safety and Health Management program. CWU alum and safety director for Mortenson, Nick Cordell, helped facilitate this donation. According to Cordell, he wanted to help fund the program to get supplies and other things that they may need. “It’s important to me that our future safety and health management professionals get a good education,” Cordell said.
Tuition to raise 3% next fiscal year
Tuition will go up 3% next fiscal year (2024-2025). According to Chief Financial Officer Joel Klucking, tuition increases every year due to a 2015 state law called the College Affordability Act. Klucking said that when the act was created, the legislature put a cap on how much the universities in Washington could increase their resident undergrad tuition and lowered tuition by 20%. “They have this formula based on a 14 year average of median hourly wage growth in Washington,” Klucking said.
Top five songs to add to your fall playlist
It’s fall! The leaves are changing, the mornings are becoming crisper and the cozy vibes are stronger than ever. It’s time to put on your headphones and walk down the streets, pretending you are in a movie. Here are my top five songs that scream fall. ‘Oh Oklahoma’ by Jack Stauber This song gives you all those spooky feelings.
Palestine and Israel conflict: What’s happening now
Conflict has continued to escalate between Palestine and Israel since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Anne Cubilie, professor in the English department who used to work at the United Nations in humanitarian response, said this was probably a massive intelligence failure by Israel and its army. “The U.S. State Department has designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997.
CWU police lieutenant climbs 12 peaks this summer
CWU’s police lieutenant Marc McPherson climbed 12 peaks from July 23 to Aug. 2. McPherson, accompanied by the Corporal for the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Nick Burson, traveled through Oregon, California and Washington. According to McPherson, he climbed Lassen Peak, Mount Shasta, Shastina, South Sister, Middle Sister, North Sister, Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Glacier Peak and Mount Baker.
Voices for Change program required for new students
CWU students may see an online course titled Voices for Change popping up on their Canvas page. This course is meant to educate students on how to identify a bad situation and help in a safe way. Voices for Change will be split into two modules. The first is Hazing and Bullying Prevention Education, run by Executive Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Joey Bryant.
Ball State administration implements new Student Success Centers across campus
Two years ago, Ball State administration created a task force to address student retention and overall success, finding ways to support beyond just their academics. One of the results is the implementation of Student Success Centers within the university’s colleges. “There is a student success revolution happening in higher [education],” Patrick Collier, associate dean for the College of Sciences and Humanities, said.
El Safe Group de CWU celebra un foro abierto
Nueva formación de Voces para el Cambio propuesta por los estudiantes El Safe Group de CWU realizó un foro abierto el 15 de mayo para que los miembros de la comunidad de CWU revisaran las recomendaciones creadas por el grupo. La reunión del foro abierto sirvió como oportunidad para presentar las metas que el equipo había establecido y para recibir comentarios de los estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad.
Saying goodbye: CWU faculty and administration reflect on their experience
Megan Rogers, News Editor Gail Mackin: Associate Vice Provost How long have you been at CWU? It will be exactly six years when I leave. What is your favorite thing about your position? I’m behind the scenes, but I know that I’m impacting every single student who’s here on campus, and to me, that’s incredibly important. I spent 20 plus years teaching mathematics. I always loved that. Loved engaging students.
CWU Safe Group holds open forum
CWU’s Safe Group held an open forum on May 15 for CWU’s community members to review recommendations created by the group. The open forum meeting served as an opportunity to present the goals that the team had created and get feedback from students and community members. The workgroup was established in response to student and community protests regarding instances of Title IX violations in late 2022.
The top five advantages of owning a dog
A built-in best friend (or child) According to the University of Sydney, “Researchers from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre and RSPCA NSW found new dog owners self-reported lower levels of loneliness within three months of getting a dog.” I have a six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix named Annie and I 100 percent consider her my child and best friend. I love to spend time with her by playing with her and teaching her new tricks. She truly does make me feel less lonely.
Mental health training required for law enforcement
The Ellensburg Police Department (EPD) has seen an increase in calls related to mental health issues from 2015-2022, according to the Daily Record. According to the Daily Record, “In 2015, EPD reported 171 ‘mental health referrals.’ That grew to 245 in 2017 and 424 in 2020.
National shortage of therapists affecting CWU’s Student Counseling Center staffing
The Student Counseling Center, located in the CWU Ellensburg campus, is currently having hiring difficulties due to the national shortage of therapists, according to Director of Counseling Cindy Bruns. To understand why this national shortage of therapists is happening, lecturer of psychology and licensed therapist Jennifer Kassing said we must look at why more people are seeking mental health treatment.
Wildcat Pantry proposes new student fee to cover increasing student needs
The Wildcat Pantry, located on the first floor of the James E. Brooks Library, offers free food to CWU students and has proposed a new student fee to help cover the pantry’s costs. According to Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Jaeda Nelson, the pantry is spending about $1,000 a week on food. She said that they get about 500 visits to the pantry a month and distribute around 4,000 pounds of items quarterly. “We don’t have any recurring or reliable form of funding,” Nelson said.
CWU is still seeing low dorm occupancy after COVID
Megan Rogers, News Editor Residence hall occupancy on the CWU Ellensburg campus towards the end of the academic year is still below administration expectations, impacting staff in both housing and dining. According to records obtained by The Observer, there were 2,054 students living in the residence halls in fall 2021 versus 2,143 in fall 2022.
Physical books are far superior to ebooks
Readers are faced with one of the most complex decisions: to read a physical book or to read an ebook. Now, both probably have their pros and cons. But, I am here to tell you physical books are far superior to ebooks and as someone who owns over 100 books and a Kindle Paperwhite, I...
CWU senior lecturer and production manager award The Gold Maddaion Award
Jerald (Jerry) Dougherty, senior lecturer and production manager at CWU, received the Gold Medallion Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) on Feb. 22 because of his volunteer work with the organization. “I appreciate being acknowledged for a lot of hard work I’ve been working as a volunteer with the American College Theatre Festival,” Dougherty said.
Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Andy Parks joins training taskforce for employees of color
Megan Rogers, News Editor CWU’s Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Andy Parks was appointed the first co-chair for the Washington Employers for Racial Equity, Black Talent Development Task Force this year. Parks said his passion and role is making sure employees of color are prepared for positions with leadership training.
Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center offers healing through horses
Horses, healing and hope take the reins at Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center (Spirit TRC), located on Sorenson Road in Ellensburg. Spirit TRC was founded by Evelyn Pederson in 2006, after she went through a challenging time in her life and started volunteering at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Redmond, Washington. Pederson said that she started driving for two hours every Saturday.
Central Washington Disability Resources is creating more accessibility with new PAS Program
Central Washington Disability Resources, (CWDR), is located in Ellensburg and services the disabled members of the community. Within the last month, they created the power, action and system (PAS) program to modify the homes of people living with disabilities to help them become more accessible. “We can help individuals build ramps for their home for accessibility so that they can enter their homes,” Mayra Colazo, executive director for CWDR, said.
CWU faculty members share their Fulbright experiences
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program allows faculty members “teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world,” according to the website. On Feb. 10. CWU was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution.
Students raise concerns for lack of dining services training
Student employees in dining services continue to raise concerns about communication and training shortcomings as they have for over a year, as reported by The Observer last winter. Lack of training and communication A former dining services employee who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic said, while their overall experience working in dining was positive, one of the biggest issues was the lack of communication.
CWU’s workgroup aims to address gender-based violence
CWU’s Gender-Based Violence Work Group has enhanced communication with students and student leaders, and worked to search for a new Deputy Title IX Coordinator, according to the CWU Safe website. The workgroup was originally announced on Nov. 10, 2022 and since then they have met twice.
Gun violence impacts American students
According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, as of Feb. 6 there have been 69 mass shootings in 2023. These shootings resulted in the death of 116 and the wounding of 262 people. The Mass Shooting Tracker defines a mass shooting as, “an incident of violence in which four or more people are shot.” Washington has been affected by one mass shooting in 2023, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker. The shooting in Yakima took place on Jan. 24.
Jeffery Bousson joins CWU as new sustainability officer
Jeffery (Jeff) Bousson joined CWU in December as the university’s new sustainability officer. As the sustainability officer, Bousson said he is developing projects, programs and initiatives related to sustainability. Bousson studied political science with a minor in public administration at Eastern Illinois University then got his master’s in climate science and solutions at Northern Arizona University. After working in the sustainability field for a few, years Bousson came to CWU.
CWU forms the joint governance sense making group
CWU’s Joint Governance Sensemaking Group met for the first time on Nov. 22 and will continue to meet throughout the course of the academic year. The group is composed of Amy Claridge, Walter Szeliga, Greg Lyman, Evlin Delgado, Michelle DenBeste and Sathy Rajendren. Along with executive sponsors, President Jim Wolphart and Mark Samples.
CWU signs two-year contract allowing APOYO to remain on campus
Megan Rogers, Assistant News Editor CWU signed a contract with Allied People Offering Year-Round Outreach (APOYO) on Oct. 18, which will allow APOYO to remain in their on-campus facility until Oct. 31, 2024. Associate Professor and Director of the Museum of Culture and Environment, and APOYO Board member Hope Amason said when APOYO made the agreement with CWU in 2020 they were hoping to relocate to their own facility off campus when their previous agreement expired in 2022.
Wildcat Pantry hosts Pack the Pantry to support student needs
The Wildcat Pantry, located on the ground floor of the James E. Brooks Library, is hosting Pack the Pantry throughout the month of January, a drive to help bring in food donations and other essential items for the CWU community.
CWU’s education abroad fair allows students to learn about options for studying abroad
CWU hosted the Education Abroad Fair in the SURC on Nov. 16. The purpose of this fair was to introduce students to the different options available through CWU and partnering organizations for studying abroad. The Education Abroad Fair had representatives from the Study Abroad and Exchange Program’s office, faculty-led programs and CWU’s partner organizations.
New Gender-Based Violence Prevention workgroup to review policies, practices and programs
CWU announced on Nov. 10 its plans for a new gender-based violence prevention workgroup. The workgroup will be meeting on a regular basis shortly after Nov. 30.
Kittitas County jail received a mental health grant
Kittitas County Jail received a $483,552 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. These grants are designed to create mental health support programs for inmates in the justice system.
CWU had a community voting center to help with the election
Community voting center encourages student involvement CWU helped to engage students in the voting process on Nov. 8 through a voting center located in the SURC. “If they haven’t received their ballot from whatever county they’re from, from wherever they live, they can come here and get that ballot and be able to vote,” Jerry Pettit, Kittitas County auditor, said.
Sarah Spurgeon Art Gallery features work by faculty
Megan Rogers, Senior Reporter 2,000 pounds of solid ice filled the Sarah Spurgeon Art Gallery in Randall Hall for the Department of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition on Nov. 3. The gallery features the recent work of full-time and part-time faculty members, graduate teaching assistants and retired faculty members from CWU. One piece that will be shown is “Thaw” created by the Art and Design Department Chair, Gregg Schlanger.
Students march against Title IX violations
Chants of “Stop protecting rapists!” rang through the walkways between the SURC and Brooks Library on Tuesday, Nov. 1 as students aired their grievances over alleged Title IX violations by campus staff.
Ellensburg’s noise ordinance
The City of Ellensburg has a noise ordinance that is in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “24 hours a day, any [of] what could be considered unreasonable noise that can be heard from over 100 feet away, can be considered a violation,” Josh Bender, administrative sergeant for the Ellensburg Police Department, said.
CWU’s enrollment numbers are down
Megan Rogers, Senior Reporter Enrollment numbers at CWU have been down for over a decade, according to Joel Klucking, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration. The Board of Trustees (BoT) met on Oct. 20 to discuss what enrollment numbers look like at CWU. According to the presentation, the total enrollment numbers are down.
ASCWU stresses the need for a new vice president
Megan Rogers, Senior Reporters “Transitioning into my role [as president] has been increasingly difficult…because I have to play a game of what is worth more of my time,” Luis Reyes, ASCWU President said, in the ASCWU BOD meeting on Monday, Oct.17. During the meeting, Reyes and Interim Executive Vice President and Senate Speaker, Brayden Smith, talked about how they are struggling with the workload due to the fact they do not have a permanent Executive Vice President.
CWU awarded silver STARS in sustainability
CWU received silver STARS in sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) on Sept. 16. The Sustainability Tracking, Rating and Assessment & Rating System (STARS) was created for higher education. There are five ratings a university can earn: Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. To receive a STARS rating, universities must collect data and submit a report.
Wildcat Academic Mentoring program began this fall
Wildcats Academic Mentoring (WAM) launched this fall, which is an all-new peer mentoring program created and directed by Julia James. James said WAM is an academic success program that also balances emotional and mental wellness with self-care. On the wellness and self-care side of WAM, it’s all about helping students who may be struggling in their lives and it’s about being a listening ear for them.
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