Campus Current
Bits & Pieces
Top 10 Innovator Hails from WWC
You may have seen cnn’s list of the top 25 innovations. But did you know
that a Walla Walla College graduate is a driving force behind No. 10? Harley
Heinrich, a ’79 engineering graduate, has been a significant contributor
to the Radio Frequency Identification Tags, which are used to track and identify
materials, and has more than 35 patents in the area.
Walking with Walla Walla and Willy Wonka
The cast of the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gave a pedometer to
director Tim Burton during production of the film and reportedly clocked him
at about a million steps per day. Walla Walla College faculty and staff may
not walk that much, but they’re jumping on board the 10,000-steps-a-day
program. Participants wear a pedometer throughout their normal day, trying
to reach at least 10,000, which is roughly equivalent to the Surgeon General’s
recommendation of 30 minutes of activity most days of the week. 
A Mastery of Organ
Bethany Miller, a junior music performance major, won first place at the Regional
Competition for Young Organists in Billings, Mont., this past summer. The
Kyoto, Japan, native received a $1,000 prize and several
recital invitations around the Northwest. As a regional winner, Miller will
play a 30-minute recital at the National American Guild of Organists convention,
held in Chicago next July.
Christmas Came in July This Year!
Positive Life Radio staff and listeners brought in nearly 17,000 pounds of
food and personal care items during the annual “Christmas in July”
food drive. The food was collected in nine eastern Washington communities
and distributed to local food banks, reminding listeners that hunger doesn’t
just hit during the holidays.
Blood Flows Freely at WWC
Walla Walla College opened its veins this past year—donating 192 units
of blood during the American Red Cross blood drives held on campus. For at
least 41 of those donors, it was their first time donating. The blood goes
to the Inland Northwest Blood Center in Spokane for distribution to over 30
hospitals and clinics in the Northwest. W