Best People

Most helpful student adviser

Responses such as "nobody" or "the EWU catalogue" were most abundant in this category, but others gave props to those who've pointed them toward scholastic success. Dr. Chris Valeo, assistant professor of English, was one of three runners up. Valeo said a good adviser should be informed, interested and willing to listen. She tells students not to be shy after one session, but to keep coming back as many times as necessary. "I think they worry that they're intruding, but talking to students about their goals and plans is one of the best parts of my job," she said.

Barbara Baines, operations manager for running start and another reader favorite, said in her nine years at EWU she's learned to keep learning so that she can always keep students updated with the latest information.

The final contender, adviser for the College of Arts and Letters Jill Wagner, said she tries to hear what the student isn't saying overtly in order to help them figure out their future goals. Wagner said above all else, students need to stay in touch. "Advisers get really busy, so it helps when students get a hold of us," she said.

Best Spiritual Leader

While we were expecting a more corporeal frontrunner, Jesus (also spelled "Jeezus" by a few folks) seems to be the hands down winner in this category. Born in Nazareth around 1 BC, Jesus became a rebel prophet who spoke up against the conventional religious teachers of his time. He fell in with a dozen fishermen and traveled about the Middle East - helping the poor, the sick and the world weary - before the authorities finally caught up with him and nailed him to a cross for his eccentric brand of wisdom. After reportedly rising from the dead, Jesus ascended to heaven, leaving in his wake a few popular world religions and, according to our reader poll, some lasting prominence as best spiritual leader at EWU.

Pastor Bob Elfers follows Jesus in second place.

Member of staff (non-faculty) who most deserves a raise

Scores of people wrote in their appreciation of "janitors" or "custodians" for this category. While Custodial Manager Ray Godin said the pay of EWU's 70-plus custodians is comparable to that of other universities, he agrees they should be recognized for their dedication to campus health and safety. "They clean up everyone's messes," said Godin. "It adds to the daily work when somebody spills their soda and leaves it behind or when people don't recycle and it adds to the waste."

Barring some sort of unforeseen budget bonanza, custodians won't likely be getting a pay raise any time soon. One way students can give pay back for keeping things tidy, said Godin, is by treating classrooms, bathrooms and campus living spaces like they would their own homes. "If you pack it in," said Godin, referring to garbage or newspapers, "remember to pack it out."

Most inspiring professor

No surprise here: Dr. Scott Finnie, Eastern's own "Big Daddy" and assistant professor of Africana Education, swept the polls in this category. Do a quick "Finnie" search at Easterneronline.com and you'll come up with over 30 articles in which the man is mentioned - a testament to his popularity and his reach across campus. Since the start of his teaching career at EWU in the early '90s, Finnie said he's tried to keep the classroom fun in order to encourage students to learn. "What I like most is engaging students to examine themselves through the scope of history," he said.

When asked to share something that inspires him, Finnie offered up a quote by George Bernard Shaw, commonly attributed to Robert Kennedy. "Some men see things and say 'Why.' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"

Dana Elder, professor of English and director of the honors program, was in second place.