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Article 1--DRAFT
WSU Professors kick back, enjoy summertime in the Palouse
WSU Professors loosen up (a little) during summertime in the Palouse

5 W’s—Who, what, where, when, why
How it happened

Lead: WSU Professors Roberta Kelly and Nathan Nicol loosen up (a little) in the Palouse during the warm, summer months.

Lead: WSU’s Communication Professor Roberta Kelly and Philosophy Professor Nathan Nicol favor summertime in the Palouse when they can unwind, relax and enjoy a few months of quiet.
Ever wonder what your professors are up to when the majority of WSU students head home for summer? Many professors, especially Roberta Kelly and Nathan Nicol, prefer the summer months when the Palouse has calmed down and they are left with a little more free time.
However, not much free time. Clinical Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies of the WSU Edward R. Murrow School of Communication Roberta Kelly is currently teaching two time consuming Com295 courses and has four journalism interns. WSU Philosophy Professor Nathan Nicol, on the other hand, while not teaching any courses the first summer session, stays extremely busy with keeping up on independent research and caring for his newborn baby girl, Beatrice Ava.
Besides research and the daily demands of parenthood, Nicol enjoys playing the acoustic guitar and taking baby Bea for walks. Kelly, when she can catch a break from grading an endless stack of papers, enjoys relaxing with a nice book, showing horses with her daughter or cleaning the barn on her farm. However, Kelly said her fun won’t start until the middle of June when the first summer session is over.
Both Kelly and Nicol prefer Pullman in the summer mainly because it is a little quieter, and there is less traffic. During the summer, a student may likely bump into Kelly at the Moscow Co-Op, Winco, the bank, or out to breakfast every once in a while at the Sandpiper. Nicol may be seen at the arboretum in Moscow or the Sunnyside Hill Park with little baby Bea, or perhaps watching a Bears game at the local Pullman Sports Page Tavern.
As far as summer travels go, Kelly and Nicol don’t venture far from the Palouse. Kelly will travel to nearby cities such as Spokane or Lewiston for various horse shows, the Lewiston Fair Grounds or to visit her father and Nicol has plans to attend the Cubs game in Seattle this summer at Safeco Field.
Kelly’s favorite thing about the Palouse in the summertime is watching the fields change from all the different greens to gold. However, neither Kelly nor Nicol seem to love the dry heat of the Palouse in the summer. Nicol, originally from Chicago, admitted to missing some of it’s crazy rain storms.
Although Nicol is scheduled to teach summer courses in later sessions, he explains the importance of staying on top of his research. “Publish or perish,” he said, “the days when you could just be a good teacher are over” (Nicol).
Kelly has been teaching in the Communication School since 1985 and makes a daily 30-40 minute commute to WSU from her home on the outskirts of Moscow, ID, while Nicol has been in Pullman for about four years and lives in Pullman near Sunnyside Hill.
Kelly has lived outside Moscow ever since and plans to retire there on her farm. Nicol too plans on staying in Pullman for a while and explains that the low crime and good public schools are ideal for raising the baby.
Nicol also explained that WSU has a good spousal accommodation program, meaning the University hired both him and his wife. He doesn’t plan on going anywhere else unless something changes with the new budget cuts or they are to receive a similar offer, which is rare in today’s economy.
Both Kelly and Nicol seem to have their summers packed full of various activities. Whether it be in the classroom, out working on the farm, or taking baby Bea for a walk, WSU professors lead normal lives like the rest of us and enjoy their summertime in the Palouse.