Welcome to our journey through time as we revisit headlines that once dominated the pages of our newspaper.
As we delve into the past, we come across the top 10 stories that captivated our readers’ minds. So buckle up for this nostalgic journey, where the ink may have dried but the stories endure, waiting to be rediscovered.
1. WSU wins first Apple Cup in 1901
The weather that day was unpleasant, causing a poor crowd at the game. University of Washington won the toss and chose the west goal, which gave them the advantage of ground and wind. First half score was WSU, 5; UW, 0. One of the WSU players dislocated his shoulder due to a fumble on UW’s part and remained out of football for the rest of the season. Second half scored the longest run of 35 yards and the game score came down to WSU, 10; UW, 0. The game was called by agreement of captains with eight minutes 19 seconds yet to play on account of darkness.
2. UI steals WSU mascot Butch in 1948
Three Phi Delta Theta boys from University of Idaho successfully stole the Cougar mascot Butch — a live cougar, not today’s mascot costume — two times in one week. However, these Vandals were picked up by campus authorities the next morning and taken to the Pullman city jail for safekeeping, but they were not booked. One of the boys accepted a bribe of free tuition and living if they returned Butch to the UI campus. Butch’s locker was improved to a better and safer version after this attempted kidnapping.
3. WSU could have been a seat of control if nuclear attacks took place in 1964
Ensley Lewellyn, Washington State Civil Defense Director General, mentioned the possibility of WSU becoming a center in case of nuclear attacks on Olympia in a meeting during finals week. The sub-basement of the Compton Union Building and Holland Library were toured to see if they could be good locations to install supplies to make it an emergency control center. At the time, there were an estimated 600 missiles to be fired at different points in the U.S.
4. Fire rips grandstands during break in 1970
A fire destroyed the south stands of Rogers Field, the press box and the KWSU mobile unit during spring break. The cause of the fire was arson, campus fire chief Bill Pence said. The fire department arrived 30 minutes after the fire was reported, put out the fire by 2 a.m. the next morning and kept the fire under watch until 5 p.m. The loss from the fire was estimated at $300,000 plus $11,000 of lost KWSU equipment. The stadium was insured at 90 percent of its appraised value, but the cost of reconstruction was estimated at up to $700,000.
5. Riot – Students protest dry campus in 1998
Student riots in Pullman led to a state of emergency after the no-alcohol policy on Greek row agitated some students. One of the officers mentioned that the students were chanting, “Go Cougs, go WSU, this is what you get if you go dry,” while they threw empty beer cans and stones at the officers. Up to 2,500 people were involved. The rioters ripped apart businesses and surrounding property, causing around $2,000 in damages. There was a bonfire on the street, and rioters threw several items like portable toilets, mattresses, kegs of beer, lawn mowers and a couch into it.
6. WSU student death third drug overdose in 2017
WSU student Nader Shihadeh was found dead by his roommate in their Pullman apartment on Nov. 26, 2017, due to a fentanyl overdose and respiratory failure. WSU student Alex Callaway was found dead in his Pullman apartment on Oct. 16, 2017, due to an acute intoxication of opiates and Xanax, or alprazolam. WSU student Brock Lindberg was also found unresponsive in his bed at Pi Kappa Phi fraternity due to intoxication of methadone and alprazolam on Oct. 24, 2017. There were about seven opioid overdose deaths from 2013–15, according to a Pullman Police Department press release.
7. Jason Gesser sexual misconduct allegations in 2018
Hundreds of pages worth of allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct on the part of Jason Gesser, then-Cougar Athletics Fund athletics assistant director, were recorded. The allegations recorded a similar pattern of behavior of meeting women overnight while on the road with CAF; sexual relations with student interns and coworkers; using WSU funds to fly a woman to a golf event in 2016; and suspicious actions with and in front of donors. After multiple allegations made against Gesser, the investigation confirmed that he had violated the university’s policy and Gesser resigned from his position at WSU.
8. Student organizations react to George Floyd protests in 2020
As the protests in George Floyd’s name went on in most major cities in the U.S., WSU student organizations used social media to take part in the social change. Students also signed petitions to show they want change. Mikayla Mackle, Black Student Union president, mentioned how the Black community has contributed to the development of American society. Mackle suggested that people participating in the protests should cover their faces and avoid taking pictures of those who are unmasked to avoid dangerous situations.
9. Anonymous donor gifts $1.5 million to WSU Accounting Department in 2022
The WSU Accounting Department received a $1.5 million anonymous gift, which was used for student engagement, diversity and curriculum improvements. The Carson College of Business got an opportunity to become one of the top business school destinations in the Pacific Northwest. The donation was meant to be allocated for creating a better environment that promotes active learning, enhancing teaching excellence and the accounting curriculum at the time, as well as recruitment and retention of underrepresented and diverse students, according to a WSU Insider article.
10. Bryan Kohberger and the 2022 UI killings
WSU criminology student Bryan Kohberger was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary for his involvement in the 2022 UI killings, in which four UI students were stabbed to death in their off-campus home. The DNA sample found on a knife sheath from the crime scene matched Kohberger’s father’s DNA. A .40 caliber Glock 22 with three Glock 22, empty .40 caliber magazines, a knife and a pocket knife were seized from Kohberger’s Pennsylvania home, according to court documents.
