Northwest Cougar Quarterly E-Update Spring 2012
Stories in this issue:
- How Coug are you? Adam Orth '03 and Jeff Day '04
- New seating area honors Earl L. Muir
- News from your Alumni Advisory Board
- Cougar-run Premier Press is making its mark
- Future Cougs
How Coug are you?
Adam Orth '03
and Jeff Day '04
When the Washington State University men’s basketball team announced its 2011 schedule, it got Adam Orth (’03, communications, Pullman) and Jeff Day (’04, business administration and real estate, Pullman) thinking. They schemed over buffalo wings about how they might “take over” the University of Portland’s “turf” when the Cougars came to town to face the Pilots.
“When Gonzaga men’s basketball comes to the University of Portland, they block out many tickets and hold a rally. We wanted to rival that and take UP by surprise with a swarm of crimson and gray,” said Adam.
As connected Cougs, both Jeff and Adam serve on the WSU Vancouver alumni advisory board, help the Columbia River Coug Club and hold season football tickets, they knew they needed to make some calls. After speaking with WSU Athletics, the WSU Alumni Association and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations in Vancouver, the die-hard Cougar fans were well on their way to planning the coup.
On game day about 150 Cougars took over the Twilight Room in Portland before the game.
“Watching the look on the faces of U of P fans when they walked into the bar and saw nothing but crimson and gray was a lot of fun,” said Adam. “The event exceeded even our expectations. Then again, I’m never surprised to see loyal Cougs coming out in large numbers to support our school. We have the best fans and alumni in the nation!”
The Cougs migrated from the Twilight Room to the game to join other enthusiastic fans in the stands.
“We helped make the men’s basketball team feel at home. One of the players tweeted, ‘Felt like a home game.’ It was amazing to see more than 50 percent of the stands wearing Cougar colors,” said Adam.
If you have an idea for a great event that will bring Cougars together, Adam and Jeff say, just ask. “The more ideas and events that are out there, the more it brings the WSU community together,” said Jeff.
New seating area honors Earl L. Muir
When Washington State University Vancouver was established 23 years ago, Earl L. Muir served as campus development manager. He managed the development and design of the WSU Vancouver campus. Earl was very excited to be involved in the initial stages of planning and designing a brand new campus for Washington State University.
During his tenure on the project, he served as manager for site selection, programming, environmental assessment, planning and phase one construction of the campus. His vision, artistic skills and dedication to perfection are reflected in every building and facility on the Vancouver campus.
Earl attended Washington State College (now WSU), graduating in ‘54 with a baccalaureate degree in architectural engineering. He and his wife, Margery, returned to Pullman in 1967 when he took a position with his alma mater in the Capital Planning Office. Earl was the university’s staff architect for the Fine Arts Building, the Webster Physical Sciences Building (which is the tallest building in the state of Washington due to elevation), Hulbert Hall and Martin Stadium. The last 10 years of his 30-year career at WSU was spent working on Phase 1 of the WSU Vancouver campus, which was reportedly the highlight of his career.
Earl passed away in Pullman, Wash. on Nov. 28, 2009 at the age of 77. To honor his legacy and passion for WSU, his family made a generous contribution to create a new seating area on the WSU Vancouver campus for students, faculty, staff and community members to enjoy. Nestled above the tree line, this seating area is southeast of the Firstenburg Student Commons at the top of the pathway that leads behind the Library building. The benches are strategically placed to look toward campus’s main plaza in order to view the projects Earl helped create.
Please come and visit this beautiful seating area next time you are on campus, and honor a WSU Vancouver pioneer.
News from your Vancouver Alumni Advisory Board
The WSU Vancouver Advisory Board has been busy this quarter. We thank all of you who participated in alumni events and fundraising efforts to support WSU. You helped make this an especially great fall semester. For those of you who weren’t able to participate, we missed you, but would love to fill you in on some of the fun we’ve had.
The fall Cougs in the Community event involved working with Clark Public Utilities’ StreamTeam and members of WSU Vancouver’s facilities/operations department to plant trees along Mill Creek. We got down and dirty and had a ton of fun! It was wonderful to help beautify an area right next to the campus while helping the environment and local stream habitat. Folks of all ages showed up for this event. It was good to see everyone working so well together—even the children worked really hard.
If you haven’t signed up for our spring Cougs in the Community event April 14 at the Clark County Food Bank, there are still spots available. Email van.events@vancouver.wsu.edu to sign up.
In December the Alumni Advisory Board assembled Finals Week Care Packages with a t-shirt, a mug, goodies and coupons. The care packages were purchased by alumni, friends, parents and partners for students. The care packages were a big hit. Students appreciated getting a little extra TLC during a stressful time. Proceeds from the care packages go to the Student Leadership fund.
Spring finals will be here soon! Finals Care Packages are available for sale now for just $20. Email van.alumni@vancouver.wsu.edu if you would like to surprise a deserving student.
Please join the WSU Vancouver Alumni Facebook and Twitter pages to learn about upcoming events by WSU Vancouver, Athletics, the Alumni Association and the Alumni Advisory Board. We would love to see you at the next event!
Heather Cook
’03, Vancouver Alumni Advisory Board
Cougar-run Premier Press is making its mark
An interview with Chris Feryn '85, president, Premier Press.
Q. How long have you worked for Premier Press?
A. I have worked in the business for 18 years. My wife and her two sisters have owned it for the last decade.
Q. How did you come to work for Premier Press?
A. Just as I finished my MBA, my father-in-law was looking to retire from the printing company he started and transfer ownership to his three daughters. One morning Joni, my wife, asked if I’d come to work at her company to learn the business and eventually take over for my father-in-law. It took about five years to work through the transfer. Since then my father-in-law has been focusing on his golf game. Fortunately for me, I’ve had more luck running the business then he has had improving his golf game.
Q. Tell us more about your business.
A. Premier Press is a family-owned/operated, single-source solution for award-winning offset printing, digital on-demand printing and wide-format printing for oversized graphic arts solutions. Over the last five years our business has been transitioning from just print to providing communications solutions as well. We are among the largest printing companies in the Portland/Vancouver area and produce work for many large corporations in the area.
We have a strong environmental focus. In 2011 we became the first printer in the Northwest to run a carbon-neutral facility and achieved SGP certification, the most difficult environmental certification in the printing industry.
Q. Does the business have any Coug traditions?
A. I’m smack in the middle of Duck and Beaver country, and we even have a few Husky fans. We bet a six pack on football games. My fridge has been a little bare the last few years, but I continue to wear my Cougar gear, and I’m always optimistic for next year.
Q. What is the most surprising place you’ve encountered a fellow Coug?
A. During the summer between my junior and senior year at WSU, I had an internship with IBM in Endicott, N.Y. I was about a month into the internship and working on the production floor when I recognized a friend from class. Turned out IBM had brought him out for a job interview. It was a total shock for both of us.
Future Cougs
What do WSU parents and their kids have in common? Crimson and gray, that's what!
Little ones sport their crimson and Cougar attire. Even a pup has Cougar pride.
Thank you to everyone who sent in such great photos.
