Opinions vary on move of EWU graduation

Just like the ever-changing spring weather that was one of the reasons cited for moving Eastern Washington University graduation ceremonies indoors, opinions and evidence of just how the shift affected Cheney businesses also vary.

Most recently, graduation ceremonies were held at Reese Court. As EWU enrollment numbers grew events shifted outdoors to the red turf at Roos Field.

But weather, one year hot like both 2013 and 2015, or another rainy, such as 2014, made school officials want more control of the climate. They announced in April 2015 a multi-year deal to keep the weather a non-factor by moving graduation to the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

With the announcement came concerns what moving nearly 3,000 students and their families out of Cheney for a day might do to the business community.

While there is blame laid at the office of EWU President Dr. Mary Cullinan for the move, the decision belonged to Eastern's Student Affairs office.

If anecdotal information is any indicator, weather just might be the best analogy. Business was either hot or not. Bars and restaurants were able to immediately see the change.

"We had a great weekend but the biggest difference was we missed out on the feel from last year," Wild Bill's Longbar co-owner Charlie Witte said. "An overall sense of community with people walking the streets," was not present this time, he said.

Overall, the numbers were better than last year because business is better, Witte added. One of the things he noticed that was different was Saturday in general. He called graduation day in Cheney a "ghost town."

Tracy Showalter of the newly opened Section 13 Bar did not have a previous year with which to compare, but said her business was good.

An employee of the Mason Jar said, "We thought it was going to be slow, but it wasn't too bad."

While the Marketplace Bakery & Eatery was not open for graduation 2015, owner Lori Musgrave said she could gauge the difference from week-to-week business.

"I know what approximately my sales are going to be for the most part on a holiday weekend," Musgrave said. "I define holiday weekend (as) Father's Day, Mother's Day, and I have lived in town long enough where I can tell you, it was a ghost town," she, echoeing Witte's words.

Musgrave said she wasn't sure how others saw Saturday. "There was not (a lot of) traffic through town." Normally cars are going back and forth at a pretty good clip, she said.

"The streets were quiet, the restaurant was quiet," Musgrave said of Saturday. The day after graduation was another matter.

"Great," Musgrave said.

The newly expanded Holiday Inn Express experienced different issues.

"We hired buses at our expense to take people down there (to graduation), pick them up and bring them back to Cheney, hoping that they would come back here and eat and drink, shop and all of that stuff," owner Debi Anderson said. "Well it backfired."

The morning session had 47 people sign up and 90 in the afternoon. "We're thinking this is great," Anderson said. The return trip to Cheney only had about 30 percent ridership.

"They all stayed in Spokane, spent their money, ate and did their thing," Anderson said.

A story heard from guests, mostly parents, was their being unaware that graduation was no longer being held in Cheney.

"It was maybe four months ago that people started to realize the graduates would not walk on the red turf at Roos Field, but in Spokane," hotel general manager Dori Byrd said.

Anderson, who also owns the downtown shop, Against the Grain, said, "It hurt my other business, but not this one," she said, referencing the hotel.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].