Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeBy the Herald editorial staff
It's been 20 strong years for the Tri-City campus of Washington State University.
Twenty years that have seen a seed sprout and put down strong, deep roots in a welcoming community.
This Saturday's 20th anniversary celebration is for the whole community, with everything from an exciting vision for adults to instructions on how to make ice cream and "slime" for the kids.
It's a young campus and the idea from the beginning was to make it attractive to place-bound Tri-Citians.
So, this party includes gently reminding youngsters to think local when, in a few years, they start looking around for the right school.
There will be other events Saturday, from a pancake breakfast to more academic pursuits.
Everyone in the Tri-Cities is proud of this campus. Twenty years is long enough for it to have settled into a solid, reliable role in the community.
But 20 years is also short enough that many residents can remember when the whole idea was just a dream.
The transition to WSU was from the old Joint Center for Graduate Study and Tri-Cities University Center -- a consortium of universities in Oregon and Washington that primarily offered graduate degrees in sciences and engineering to Hanford workers.
But a small group conceived the idea of converting it to a branch campus of WSU.
There were battles to be fought, obstacles to be overcome and legislation to be passed.
The three original dreamers, then-WSU President Sam Smith, then-Gov. Booth Gardner and the Herald's late publisher, Kelso Gillenwater, combined their talents toward creation of a branch campus here.
Soon they were joined by an ever-expanding group of enthusiasts who pulled the right levers and encouraged the decisions to make the hope a reality.
The entire community is invited to the Richland campus Saturdayto celebrate this 20th anniversary by highlighting the ways in which WSU Tri-Cities has made a difference.
As Chancellor Vicky Carwein points out, the school has attracted remarkable people and launched an impressive array of academic programs.
Lives have been changed.
The school provides a highly educated work force by developing future leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and health care providers.
In just two decades, WSU's Tri-Cities campus has graduated more than 5,000 degreed professionals who are making a difference in the lives of their families, companies and communities.
Saturday's celebrations are free and run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alumni, faculty, staff, former and future students, their families and community supporters are encouraged to re-connect with the Cougar spirit.
In addition to the pancake breakfast, there will be carnival games, the inspired activity of letting youngsters make their own ice cream and slime, and fun science shows.
Mini-seminars on a variety of topics -- from bioproducts to bees, retirement to wine -- will be presented. Food vendors and a beer garden will be available for lunch.
By the year 2020, WSU-TC aims to serve 5,000 students, 80 percent undergraduates and 20 percent pursuing higher degrees.
It also expects:
-- To be a destination campus for the greater Mid-Columbia region, known for its rich cultural diversity, and the only four-year public institution in Washington with federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution.
-- To be known internationally for programs supported by funded research in engineering, sciences and technology, attracting research partnerships, world-class faculty and international graduate students.
-- To have a global impact and reputation in bioproducts and clean energy, precision agriculture, viticulture and enology.
-- To be a vibrant residential campus with facilities and services that support "24/7" campus life, engaging students and community in activities, sports, lectures, cultural events and performances.
Finally, WSU-TC expects that local residents will experience the campus as integral to their quality of life and the region's identity.
It's a big dream for 10 years.
But the successes of the last 20 years indicate that these are reachable goals.
You might go out Saturday and cheer them on.
The words to the proper cheer are:
Go Cougs!
Editorials are the consensus of the Tri-City Herald editorial board.
Editorial board members are Rufus Friday, publisher; Chris Sivula, editorial page editor; Ken Robertson, executive editor; Matt Taylor, contributing editor; Lori Lancaster, editorial writer; Shelly Norman, editorial writer and Jack Briggs, retired publisher
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