Not Unto Ourselves Alone
A cookie from The Bistro is a sweet treat in the midst of a busy Willamette afternoon — but this spring a newly named confection became a symbol of something more meaningful and perhaps even profound.
President Steve Thorsett chats with students during the Bowties in The Bistro event in February.
Named the “Schmidty” in honor of our director of campus recreation, Bryan Schmidt, the new type of cookie features M&M’s, peanut butter and chocolate chips. This honor has occurred only once before in the coffee shop’s 30-year history — with the creation of the “Buzz Bar” in honor of Richard “Buzz” Yocom ’49, based on a recipe from his wife, Libby Yocom, a former faculty member. Bryan’s cookie recognizes the incredible program he’s built during his decade-long tenure at Willamette. We welcome countless students from the Northwest and beyond who want to experience the natural wonders of the place we call home and to build community. Trips through the Outdoor Program, a wide selection of club and intramural sports, and — launching this spring — a new wellness program for the Willamette community are a few of the amazing programs that have flourished under Bryan’s leadership. Indeed, student activities and involvement at Willamette go far beyond what’s typical at most colleges. That’s because at Willamette, you can start something new if you have passion and initiative. Some student-run enterprises, like The Bistro and Bike Shop, are essential elements of our campus culture. And through Willamette’s 100-plus student organizations (a few of which are profiled beginning on p. 16), great ideas and opportunities for learning and service emerge every day. Countless examples also exist of students who expand and enrich their co-curricular or academic experiences by forging their own paths. They design their own unique research or experiential projects through grants, service learning or collaboration with faculty. And in doing so, they make a tremendous impact in the community and to their respective disciplines.
Take Rei Ayala ’14 and Rey Goicochea ’13, who started a poetry class in a local penitentiary to encourage creativity and help prisoners make better decisions about their lives. Or consider Maya Kaup ’17, one of my former advisees, who used a Carson undergraduate research grant to enhance her interest in conservation and behavioral ecology — areas of critical importance in the natural world we steward. A crucial element in such success is the individualized advice, support and guidance that students receive here. Mentorship comes naturally to our professors, staff and alumni. Our feature, “The Mentor Effect” on p. 8, showcases some of the professors and alumni who willingly share their time, efforts and life wisdom with other members of the Bearcat community. Many of these alumni have their own success stories to tell. They are civic leaders, entrepreneurs, community advocates and unsung heroes living our motto around the world. A little less than a year from now we’ll kick off celebrations for Willamette’s 175th anniversary. During this milestone year we hope to tell the Willamette story through the voices of our community — and we want to hear from you. I invite you to share your stories and memories with us by e-mailing magazine@willamette.edu. Non nobus solum nati sumus,
Stephen E. Thorsett President
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
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