Gardening, pharmacy collaboration
By SCARLET MASON | Staff Reporter
The Gardening and Pre-Pharmacy clubs hosted a joint event for planting medicinal herbs and counting pills on Oct. 18. Members and visitors socialized as they planted seeds and carefully counted out fake pills.
Thirteen WSU Vancouver students gathered in Room 129 of the Dengerink Administration Building for a relaxing time with hands-on activities. Attendees could plant seeds for various herbs recognized for their therapeutic benefits: lavender, known for its ability to reduce anxiety, support digestion, and serve as an anti-inflammatory; basil, which assists in stress relief, heart disease prevention, and weight management; chamomile, recognized for promoting restful sleep, aiding digestion, and soothing mental discomfort; and mint, an herb with a wide range of health benefits, including respiratory relief and digestive support. Gardening participants could also take home their planted herbs and continue nurturing the plants.
Anthony Steele, electrical engineering major and president of the Gardening Club, shared his enthusiasm for gardening.
“I got into gardening because I’ve always been kind of like a tech guy,” said Steele. “Just seeds and things of that nature, seeing such a small seed grow into something big, it’s always been very interesting to me.”
Steele’s involvement in gardening extends beyond his leadership in the club. He holds a paid position as the lead student garden coordinator for the newly constructed campus garden, situated between the Clark College building and the Green 3 parking lot. In his role, Steele is responsible for overseeing the garden’s development and maintenance, enrolling students in research opportunities, community outreach, and ensuring the garden thrives as a valuable resource for both students and the wider campus community. While the garden is still in its early stages, he expressed optimism about its future potential, as the garden may soon be hiring new student employees.
Meanwhile, the Pre-Pharmacy Club guided students in practicing pill counting — an essential skill in pharmacy work. Attendees were given the opportunity to simulate real-world pharmaceutical settings by counting fake pills in small batches. Some students chose to participate in both activities, moving between working with seeds and pill-counting.
Kaelin Le, president of the Pre-Pharmacy Club, and Chloe Williamson, the club’s secretary, are both seeking careers in medicine. Williamson, who is set to go to WSU’s college of pharmacy in either Yakima or Spokane, prefers the non-invasive nature of pharmacy as opposed to surgery.
“I’ve always known I wanted to be in healthcare, [to] help people, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be cutting into people, you know?” said Williamson.
Le echoed similar sentiments along her passion for medicinal plants.
“I really like medicine, so I was interested in medicinal plants and medicinal work,” said Le. “I also enjoy working in labs, so it combines all my interests into one.”
Steele noted that this collaboration with the Pre-Pharmacy Club was just one of several events he has planned for the Gardening Club.
“I can’t say much right now, but I’m probably, in the future, going to be collaborating with a social justice club here on campus, and gardening is actually part of that,” he said.
Students interested in joining the Gardening or Pre-Pharmacy Club can get involved via their Discord servers found on their respective Instagram pages, @wsuv.gardening and @wsuv_prepharmacy, and Coug Presence.