CWU has joined other institutions nationwide in participating in the Light It Blue tribute. Beginning on April 15 and going through April 30, Barge Hall will be lit up from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. with blue lights to honor essential workers continuing to perform their duties through the coronavirus pandemic. 

“This is our acknowledgment of the national Light It Blue campaign,” said Kremiere Jackson, CWU vice president of Public Affairs in a statement on the CWU website. “Central Washington University wants to visually display its steadfast support for the tireless efforts of health care professionals and all essential workers during this unprecedented time.”

Other iconic buildings around the United States have also been illuminated at night with blue lights in honor of essential workers, particularly healthcare workers. The Space Needle, The Empire State Building and Coit Tower are among many sites lit for the tribute.  

According to a statement posted on the CWU website, 30 blue lights have been used to achieve this effect. These lights are traditionally used for events in the SURC, but with events canceled for the remainder of the quarter they were available to be used for this new cause.

Barge Hall was chosen for its front-facing visibility, the statement said. Facing the street on East University Way, Barge Hall is visible to all of the traffic using one of the main roads past campus. CWU encourages people to view the lights while driving by and to stay conscious of social distancing measures when visiting to see them.

Some towns have begun encouraging residents to replace their porch light with a blue light to join in on the tribute.

The color blue plays a large role in the medical community, with 99Designs, a Melbourne based graphic design company, reporting that more than 80% of industry leading healthcare companies have logos that feature the color blue.

The reasons for this are because “the color blue is typically associated with credibility, trust, knowledge, power, professionalism, cleanliness, calm and focus,” according to doctor-focused marketing group Doctor Multimedia.