The high plains of the Rocky Mountains provided homesteaders with a profitable niche in the national livestock market when the railroad came through in the late 1800s. Meat prices, however, have not kept up with the increased cost of ranching on the high prairies. Morgan Williams, ’08, sought a way to save the ranches while also addressing the environmental need for less carbon and more renewable energy sources. He founded the Flux Farm Foundation, a 501(c) non-profit organization that gives landowners in the Intermountain West profitable, research-driven methods to use carbon sequestration technologies and produce renewable energy on farms and ranches.

Italy offers a remarkably rich experience for artists. Students in the spring 2010 study abroad course Art in Italy, taught by WWC art faculty Leah Leitson and Dusty Benedict, experienced this first-hand. Students practiced their watercolor and ceramics techniques on campus, then traveled to La Meridiana, a ceramics school located in the Tuscan countryside, where they used the landscape and culture as inspiration for their art. Senior Becca Loeb’s watercolors created during the course reflect her surroundings at La Meridiana. Becca says the course “was an excellent opportunity to revive the old days of watercolor in a beautiful and inspiring location.” The group also traveled to Florence and Sienna to visit museums, galleries and artists working in the region.

There’s a lot more to see!  Have a look over here for all the Story Behinds from years past.