Gonzaga University received a major distinction in its continued efforts to promote diversity throughout the University. The Gonzaga Law School earned the Diversity Matters Award from the Law School Admission Council for its diversity outreach efforts. It was one of 10 schools nationwide to receive the distinction.

The 10 schools were recognized for their “commitment to reaching out to ethnically and racially diverse populations.”

The Gonzaga Law School’s ethnic and racially diverse students doubled from 8 percent in the 2006 freshman class to 16 percent in the 2012 freshman class. In that same six-year span, the amount of scholarships available to diverse current students increased by more than $1.5 million.

“Recruiting a diverse student body continues to be an integral part of our admissions process at Gonzaga Law,” said Susan Lee, Director of Admissions. “We are committed to building a diverse class because we know this benefits our community.”

The Joel E. Ferris Alumni Association has a grand celebration planned for the school's 50th anniversary, but it's almost didn't happen. When the Alumni Presisdent walked away things looked grim, now, with new leadership, the 50th Anniversary Celebration and All Class Reunion is set to be one the biggest events of the summer.

When Mike Dale saw Facebook posts that the 50th Anniversary was about to go under, he stepped up and took over the planning for the event. That was six weeks ago, and since then the celebration has gained new momentum.

Dale graduated in 1989 and has been traveling the country as a professional painter for shows like Extreme Home Makeover and Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare. He knew his experience in T.V. gave him a unique edge to get the ball rolling again for Ferris.

The George Nethercutt Foundation announced on Thursday that they will be holding a Citizenship Tournament in the fall of 2013.

The tournament will feature self-paced activities that test student's knowledge of U.S. history, current events, economics, government and foreign policy. It is open to students in grades four, eight and twelve.

“I wanted to have the input of young people in policy making,” explains George Nethercutt about why he started his foundation back in 1996. He goes on to say that this tournament is a great opportunity to show students what it's like to participate in the civic life.

Nethercutt describes the tournament challenges as being things that will encourage students to be “more immersed in government”. The first round tasks could include things like interviewing a veteran, attending a city council meeting or writing a letter to the editor or to their congressman to see what response they get.