It’s that time again – raptor season (at least at our house) and the season of students coming back home to WSU. Every year, the summers get shorter, and the students get younger. 😊 Each August, in these Notes from the Palouse, I welcome the students and speak to the transformational power of their presence on the campus and in our hallways. It is palpable and delightful. So, welcome home students! We are glad you are here.
August is National Wellness month, and I have been reflecting on how wellness was a focus for me when I started as dean and I cleverly (or so I thought) packaged all of our great initiatives from student wellness to animal care to global health under an wellness umbrella. So, how are we doing?
We certainly welcomed our DVM students this year with an eye toward wellness — welcome bags, an orientation week full of amazing people and great community building.
Convocation this year was less formal, more fun, and ended with the marching band, fight song, and Butch, of course. Hard not to feel a bit inspired about the start of a new year after that.
It was all topped off by a lovely white coat ceremony that provides a ceremonial rite of passage into the health professions. For undergraduate students, convocation and a campus picnic serve as the culmination of an inclusive week of activities.
Convocation this year was less formal, more fun, and ended with the marching band, fight song, and Butch, of course. Hard not to feel a bit inspired about the start of a new year after that.
What also inspires me this year is the college’s 125th anniversary. I invite each of you to join us on the Pullman campus on October 4 for an afternoon of festivities honoring the past, present, and future of excellence in veterinary and biomedical research and education. Starting at 3 p.m., we will host Cake on the Bustad Hall Lawn with camaraderie, games, college-history trivia, and more, and then at 5 p.m. please join us for a special screening of the award-winning documentary “War Tails,” a film that investigates the harsh reality faced by homeless pets in Ukraine and the team working to rescue them.
In honor of our 125th anniversary, we are embarking on an ambitious journey to raise $125,000 in just 125 days — and the countdown begins tomorrow, August 28, 2024. This campaign isn’t just about numbers — it’s about unleashing possibilities together and furthering animal and human wellness for our whole community.
Wellness is central to everything we do at the college — from nurturing the human-animal bond to taking a holistic approach to student success to providing hands-on experiences in communication and research and making groundbreaking discoveries that address global health challenges. Human and animal well-being are at the core of our mission.
Your continued support and engagement are vital to our success. Together, we’ll chart a course to ensure the next 125 years are as impactful and transformative as the last.
We’d love for you to be part of our celebration right away. Help us collect 125 reasons why the College of Veterinary Medicine is so special!
If you’d like to know more, you can always read the latest stories from our college on our news page. For even more content, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok.
Be safe, healthy, happy, and stay hopeful.
Take care, Dori Borjesson