On behalf of the city of Pullman, let me welcome you to our city of 32,110 and yes, those figures include students. Now for those of you who come from much larger cities, Pullman will seem small and that’s not all bad. I’ve lived in larger cities (Sacramento and Los Angeles) and believe me, every time I’m sitting in traffic, inching my way on I-5 or the 405 on the west side, I’m grateful for Pullman’s quick commute.

As a big-city dweller you may find this hard to believe, but we actually get complaints that it may have taken 14 minutes to get from one end of Grand to the other. I know that’s hard to believe but people get conditioned to the many advantages of Pullman. Notice, I said advantages!

That’s right, on the WSU campus or in town you can actually get to know faculty and staff, fellow students and members of the Pullman community. Around here, we actually make eye contact and say “hello” or “hey” or “good morning.” The campus even has a “hello walk” and it’s your assignment is to find it and say “hello” to someone passing by. When you’re outside of Pullman and you see someone wearing Coug gear with that great Cougar logo created by Randall Johnson in 1936 you also need to say, “Go Cougs.” That’s part of our tradition.

I would like to encourage you to get off the hill during your stay. It’s easy to do with Pullman Transit and the good news is that you have already paid for the ride with your student fees. Just show your WSU ID card (and that works for staff and faculty too) and you can go to most locations in the city. Last year our transit system, with some hybrid busses in our fleet, moved more than 1.3 million riders. If you go to Pullman Transit’s Web site and click on “Where’s my bus?” you’ll have an answer.

If you want more flexibility, you can certainly use the Green bikes on campus or one of several cab companies that are operating in Pullman. At the request of your ASWSU Senate, the vehicles and drivers have been checked and registered by the Pullman Police Department and they should display the proof. We work closely with ASWSU and twice a year we hold a combined ASWSU Senate/Pullman City Council meeting. We have been told by student leaders such meetings are rare in this country. (They shouldn’t be).

You’ll find great restaurants in Pullman with various price ranges and specialties. Look for 30 Days of Pullman supported by ASWSU with lots of great deals in town. The latest large store to add to our retail base is Pullman Building Supply with an inventory that will rival those large franchise stores that heavily advertise. All the new car dealerships in the Pullman-Moscow market are here in Pullman and if you need wheels, they offer a great range of choices—from used to new, domestic and foreign.

During your time on campus you’ll be seeing a lot of construction, not only on campus but in the city. Our biggest project is the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport realignment project that will be completed by 2018-19. We are extending the length of the runway and adding instrument approach. Alaska Airlines serves the airport with three flights a day to Seattle (and a 4th coming in November) with the Q-400, 76-passenger plane. It’s convenient and you’re in Seattle in an hour and connecting to any place in the world. Alaska offers a number of deals throughout the year so just check Alaska’s site or our website, FlyPUW.com.

While you’re here you will find lots of opportunities to expand your résumé and Linked In profile by volunteering in the community. We welcome you. Whether it’s with our parks and rec department, Pullman Regional Hospital, Pullman Chamber of Commerce, Whitman Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, or a religious organization, you can find a myriad of experiences and interests to prepare you for a great future.

While I was teaching on campus I always shared that Pullman, with our hilly terrain, prepares you for life better than most schools. After a semester you’ll be thinking that all classes are uphill. There are lots of hills and valleys in life but just being in Pullman, you’ll be in far better condition for life’s challenges than those wimpy Huskies.

Thanks for being Cougs and best wishes in your academic work. If you need to contact me, you can call me at City Hall (509) 338-3316 or email me at [email protected]. As always, Go Cougs!