Whitman College Pioneer - Fall 2009 Issue 13

Feature

Humor

Opinion

A&E

News

SPOTLIGHT ON CAMPUS CLUBS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PIO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LISA CURTIS: COMMENTARY FROM COPENHAGEN

MOVIES TO SEE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

NETWORK FOR YOUNG WALLA WALLA INSPIRES

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WHITMAN COLLEGE Walla Walla, WA Volume CXXV / Issue 13 whitmanpioneer.com D , 

Bon Appétit apologizes for misleading menu prices The Pioneer’s investigation leads Bon Appétit to take down menu boards with outdated prices

by JOSH GOODMAN Associate News Editor Last time you ordered that large café mocha at the Reid espresso stand or at Café 41 in the library, you may have paid more for it than you thought. Or more than the menu board suggested, anyway.

Prices on both menu boards have been out of date since Bon Appétit’s annual price increase at the start of fall semester, in most cases by about 30 to 40 cents. For instance, a large cafe mocha now costs $3.59, not $3.29.

Roger Edens, general manager of Bon Appétit’s Whitman operations, said Tuesday, Dec. 8, that he was unaware the menu boards had not been updated.

“It was something that should have happened in the summertime before we opened, and I thought it had happened and it hadn’t,” he said.

In some cases, the price difference is more than just nickels and dimes. A small iced latte listed as $2.29 rings up as $3.19.

Bon Appétit took down the menu boards on Tuesday, a day after The Pioneer first inquired about the price disparity. A statement posted on espresso carts apologizes to customers for the mistake.

“I wish they would have caught it in the first week,” Edens said, noting that nobody had brought the price difference to the attention of the Bon Appétit management.

Teresa Maddess, catering director of Bon Appétit, says the signs are out of date because of difficulties in finding new lettering.

“I had to find someone who will do new vinyl lettering,” she said. “The person that did the sign previously is out of business.”

Several employees of Reid Espresso were aware of the disparity, although not of its extent.

“Some of them are different by 10 cents, some by 15 cents,” said one employee.

Edens said that the correct prices should have been posted despite difficulties with the lettering.

“The board should have come down and there should have been temporary menus, but it fell through the MENUS, page 3

BULLION Menomena, a Portland electropop band that gained prominence through indie music website Pitchfork, plays in the Reid Ballroom on Saturday. The band, which also performed at Whitman in 2007, performs with an unusual combination of instruments, including guitars, saxophones and a glockenspiel. Music Reviewer Andrew Hall interviews Brent Knopf of Menomena, page 10. For the full interview, visit whitmanpioneer.com.

Adopt-A-Family gifts spread holiday spirit

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Staff Reporter As Whitman students prepare to head home for winter break, many are looking forward to celebrating the holidays with friends and family. Some families, however, may not have the ability to provide for themselves during the holiday season. To help struggling families in Walla Walla, the Community Service Center is running its annual Adopt-a-Family program.

The Adopt-a-Family program allows Whitman students to form groups that sponsor a family with a certain number of members. In spite of the name, many of the

Students propose 2010 commencement speaker possibilities

Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter Another speaker will stand in front of crowds of graduating seniors and their families this May. While the decision of who to bring has yet to be made, seniors and faculty have been submitting nominations for commencement speakers since Nov. 17.

Some seniors, such as Maryn Juergens, harbor high hopes for this year’s speaker.

“I am really excited to have a great speaker for graduation,” COMMENCEMENT, page 3

case manager, says that the program is very popular among her clients, some of whom start asking about it as early as September.

Dickey helps families come up with the wish lists that are given to the adopting Whitman students.

“Some people ask for gift certificates,” she said. “I try to see if there’s anything tangible that they would like so the people buying the gifts can have a fulfilling experience too.”

Once Whitman students receive a list for their family, they go shopping. Typically, each family receives a gift certificate to a local grocery store, as well as more FAMILY, page 3

Four finalists vie for Watson fellowships

by LIZ FORSYTH

by ERIC NICKESON MENDHEIM

JOHNSON

families consist of individuals.

“Someone who is living alone might not otherwise have much of a holiday,” said Lina Menard, the Community Service Center coordinator. “Being able to provide that is kind of neat.”

Whitman partners with the Salvation Army and Blue Mountain Heart-to-Heart, a local organization which assists people living with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Each organization collects information from interested individuals or families about what gifts would benefit them, which is then sent to Whitman’s Community Service Center.

Jill Dickey, the Blue Mountain

Next year, senior Johanna Leader hopes to be watching Frisbee in Prague and Sweden. Senior Nadim Damluji hopes to be talking to Tintin-ologists in France. Senior Seth Bergeson hopes to be watching children play in Africa. And senior Lani Rosenthal hopes to be in Swaziland looking at a community-based organization that uses local food to support humanitarian efforts.

The four students are the Whitman nominees for the Watson Fellowship, which would enable them to travel for a year com-

pleting projects crafted around a personal passion. Having successfully advanced to being the final Whitman nominees, they recently completed their inter views with Cleveland Johnson, director of the Watson Fellowship.

“The inter view was great,” said Leader. “A lot of the questions were aimed at tr ying to decipher my character and experiences that have shaped me as a person, both related and unrelated to Ultimate. We talked a lot about the values I’ve learned from team sports and the specific values of sportsmanship and diplomacy that I’ve learned through playing WATSON, page 2

THIS WEEK AT WHITMAN:

BULLION Alex Cassidy ‘10 acts in Varsity Nordic’s final performance of the semester. Check out this week’s Feature on clubs at Whitman. See pages 4-5.

HUBANKS

Early Decision declines

by LEA NEGRIN Staff Reporter

A total of 110 prospective students applied for Early Decision I to Whitman College by last month’s Nov. 15 deadline, which is above average but does not exceed last year’s all time high of 140.

Nevertheless, there has been a five percent growth in prospective student interest compared to last year. Whitman is in contact with 31,000 students through e-mails and letters and more than 4,200 prospective students have started an application.

“We’re up overall but I’ve done this long enough to know not to count our chickens before they hatch,” said Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Tony Cabasco.

Although 2008’s Early Decision I was record-setting, 2009’s tops both 2006 and 2007, in which 95 and 107 students applied Early Decision I. For high school senior Faith Bernstein of California, the financial commitment kept her from applying Early Decision.

“If it were up to me, I absolutely would [apply Early Decision], seeing as Whitman is by far my first choice,” she said in an e-mail. “However, my parents wanted me to keep my financial options open just in case Whitman would be too much of a financial burden on our family.”

First-year Isabella Lowery, a host for prospective students, said Early Decision doesn’t make sense for students who haven’t yet finished visiting colleges.

“I think it’s hard to apply Early Decision if you’re unsure or haven’t APPLIC ATION, page 3

BULLION

Mehera Nori ‘12 as Magenta, Stephanie Burk ‘13 as Colombia and Henry Nolan ‘13 as The 14th Annual Macy’s Parade of Lights takes over downtown Saturday, Dec. 5. WinRiff Raff perform the song “The Sword of Damocles.” The three students were part of “The ning float entries included J.U.G.S. (Just Us Girls Serving), Lincoln Alternative High School, Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Saturday, Dec. See page 10.

Walla Walla County Fire District No. 4 and Walla Walla City Church. The top overall float was

NEWS

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December 10, 2009D

Bob Withycombe named 2009 Washington Professor of Year

by LEA NEGRIN Staff Reporter Professor Robert Withycombe of the rhetoric and film studies department was named the Washington State Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education on Nov. 19. The award is given annually, but this is only the second time that Whitman has nominated a professor to receive it. Keith Ferrington of the Sociology department was nominated and received the award in 1992.

“The award serves as recognition for the very high quality of teaching that happens day in and day out at Whitman,” said President Bridges, who flew out to Washington D.C. to be with Withycombe as he was honored.

A professor since 1980, Withycombe has reached over hundreds of students and been a contributing member of the Whitman community through his administrative work, his work with the

Whitman speech and debate team and his classroom teaching.

Despite the recognition, Withycombe is both humble and appreciative.

“I am very willing to admit that there are people on this campus who do extraordinary things every day,” he said.

“I don’t want to be put apart from that group, I want to be a part of that group . . . of hardworking teachers who do interesting, difficult, thoughtful things on a daily basis.”

While the recognition above thousands of other professors in Washington is nice, Withycombe said the greatest result of his award was the response he received from past and current students.

The same day that Withycombe received his award, Whitman’s communications department posted an article online.

“Within the speed of light my cell phone buzzed with letters from former students. There was this weird undertone of a very busy beehive. It was bizarre and awfully sweet,” said Withycombe.

Senior Morgan Wynne, currently in Withycombe’s rhetoric and film class, agreed wholeheartedly that he was worthy of the award.

“He’s a fascinating professor and really open to students,” she said.

Senior Ellie Klein agreed.

“He’s really good with discussions and he makes me feel like what I have to say matters. He starts every class with ‘what’s new in the world,’ which is great,” said Klein.

By mixing lectures, PowerPoints and discussions, Withycombe has inspired many students.

“What is so impressive about [Withycombe], and many other Whitman professors, is that his students from decades ago still visit him, consider him a close friend and seek his advice,” said Bridges.

The nomination process required multiple recommendations and letters prepared by Bridges as well as former Provost and Dean of Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga. The two collected letters from past students and put together a resume.

“I sort of forgot about it,” said Withycombe. “Then, in mid-October, I received a very nice two paragraph note saying I was selected.”

The recognition is both a reflection of Withycombe’s dedication to education,

which can be seen in the response from his students.

“It has been particularly nice to connect with, and reconnect with, a whole group of former students,” said Withycombe.

HONG Professor Robert Withycombe sits in his office stacked with books and files from 29 years of teaching at Whitman. The Carnegie Foundation acknowledged Withycombe’s efforts with its 2009 Washington State Professor of the Year award.

Trucks, tractors light up downtown

BULLION

BOGGAN A comparison of menu prices and actual prices for small beverages at Reid Espresso and Café ’41: Bon Appétit’s menus, which came down this week, had not been updated since a price increase at the start of the semester.

MENUS: Bon Appétit offers drink discount after error cracks,” he said.

First-year Hadley Mowe was annoyed by the price gap.

“It’s kind of scandalous,” said Mowe, who orders from Reid Espresso once a week. “With however much I went, I think it would make a difference. They should have the right prices up.”

Sophomore Emily Coba did not find the wrong pricing to be as big of a deal.

“I have enough flex where it doesn’t

really matter to me, but I know a lot of people who are already out of flex,” she said.

Senior Alex Cassidy noticed the price difference when he paid $1.72 for his small drip coffee on Tuesday, more than the listed price of $1.39, even after tax.

“I noticed it when I bought it, but I figured it was something they hadn’t updated,” Cassidy said.

In its apology to customers, Bon Appétit said it would offer medium and

porates my Whitman education,” said Damluji.

Like Damluji, Leader’s proposal incorporates both her Whitman education and her passions outside the classroom.

“I was at the [Ultimate Frisbee] World Champ games in Vancouver BC, and I’d heard about the Watson, and I was was impressed with how sportsmanly and competitive it was at an elite level,” she said.

This inspired her to apply for the Watson with a proposal based on how the spirit of Ultimate Frisbee functions through gender relations and self-officiation around the world.

For Raether, these proposals embody what the Watson is about.

“It’s all about self-awareness and selfexploration,” he said of the process.

The Watson requires that recipients

travel for an entire year outside the United States while completing their projects. Damluji plans to trace the character Tintin’s travels around the globe, while Leader hopes to study Frisbee in places like Japan, Australia and Venezuela.

For now, the nominees must wait until March to hear back from the Watson committee.

Even if Leader doesn’t get it, she says the process has been well worth it.

“It’s highly competitive, but whether or not I make it it’s been incredibly introspective and enlightening. It’s not just about the project but about how the project represents you,” she said.

 page 1

GOLD Parade floats drive downtown Saturday, Dec. 5 as part of Walla Walla Downtown Foundation’s annual Macy’s Parade of Lights. Other parade participants included dogs from Blue Mountain Humane Society’s animal shelter and a trailer of John Deere tractors.

large drinks for the price of a small during the remainder of the semester “to make things right and to help with your caffeine needs during finals.”

If you order four medium mochas per week, the special will save you $3.00, but you will have already paid an extra $16.20 more than the menu prices specify over the course of the semester.

Bon Appétit promises to have correct menus up after winter break.

“They will be updated right after Christmas,” Maddess said.

WATSON: Fellows would study in foreign lands  page 1 Ultimate. I think this form of questioning fits in with the motto of the Watson, which is ‘we invest in people, not projects.’”

“The Watson is a one-year fellowship in which fellows receive a grant for independent study and travel outside the United States awarded to graduating college seniors nominated by participating institu-

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 12: In “Wineries, police praise Delta Gamma’s Anchor Drive service” on the front page, part of the money raised by Delta Gamma is donated to the Walla Walla audible crosswalk fun, which is separate from Service for Sight. Driver requests should be e-mailed to anchordrive@gmail.com, not through www.deltagamma.org.

tions,” according to its Web site.

Keith Raether, Director of Fellowships and Grants at Whitman, has his own definition of the fellowship.

“It’s a year of examining, testing, stretching and discovering layers of yourself as you’re experiencing the world completely and independently,” he said.

For Damluji, the Watson offered him the chance to merge a personal interest with his political studies done at Whitman. His proposal focused on the study of Tintin, a popular comic book figure that he would examine as a text that is both beloved in many cultures but also Orientalist.

“When I first heard about the Watson, it was about something you are passionate about but didn’t get to study in college.

[Tintin] is the perfect thing—influenced from a time before Whitman that incor-

Clockwise: Seniors Lani Rosenthal, Nadim Damluji, Johanna Leader and Seth Bergeson.

GOLD

NEWS

9December 10, 2009

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JOHNSON

APPLICATIONS:

Acceptances capped at 25% of total class  page 1

BULLION

had a chance to visit all your colleges.

Also, it’s a big commitment,” said Lowery, who did not apply Early Decision herself.

Whitman’s 10 admissions officers are in the process of reading through the early applications and bracing themselves for the busy months ahead. Jan. 1 is the deadline for Early Decision II and Regular Decision applications will pour in until Jan. 15.

There is no set number of Early Decision applicants that will be admitted, denied or deferred until Regular Decision; however the Office of Admission will not fill more than 25 percent its total admittances through Early Decision.

A majority of total applicants, however, will not be receiving the large admittance packets. Whitman’s admittance rate, 80 percent 20 years ago, decreased to 44 percent for the Class of 2013.

Notification packets for Early Decision I will be mailed Dec. 18.

“We are an admissions office so we

like to admit people,” said Cabasco.

Most applicants are qualified for admission because of their test scores and GPA, according to Cabasco, yet the Office of Admission takes time to look at things that are “unquantifiable.”

“One of the tests for me is, ‘would I want to live with this person in Lyman Hall,’” said Cabasco. As a ‘90 alumnus, Cabasco looks for students that can not only compete academically at Whitman but for students who will also be an asset to the community.

The largest difference between current and past applicant pools is demographics.

Whitman has seen an increase in students applying from outside the Pacific Northwest. This year’s applicants are spread around the country and include several applying from overseas.

While it looks as though Whitman will continue its steady climb in applications this year, there is no way to be absolutely sure until they have all been turned in.

“Whitman is in the third inning,” Cabasco said. “A lot can still happen.”

Chelsea Kollman ‘13 selects a gift for the local family she sponsored through the Adopt-A-Family program.

FAMILY: Groceries, gifts cheer struggling locals  page 1 personalized gifts for each member of the family. The size of the families sponsored varies widely, often depending on the size of the sponsoring group. This year, a total of 48 families representing 157 individuals were adopted.

Menard said that it’s not just students who decide to adopt families.

“We have faculty members who want their children to adopt a family and have that be part of their own lesson about sharing,” she said.

For members of the Community Service House, adopting a family is an important part of the holiday season.

“I think Christmas is a time when people spend a lot of money on themselves and the people that are close to them,” said Co-op resident Hannah Johnson.

“It’s important to also be thinking of other people who can’t participate in the holiday because they don’t have the means to.”

Dickey says the extra help is appreciated this time of year. All of Blue Mountain’s clients are below the poverty line, and just the cost of heating a home can be a huge burden to a family just barely getting by.

“This is the time of year clients ask for the most help from our agency,” she said.

“People have the hardest time making it financially.”

She said that just receiving gifts can make a large difference for a struggling family.

“We always hear that people truly enjoy the gifts they receive,” she said. “We’re really thankful because the Community Service Center chooses to help us.”

Students still wanting to get involved in the project can come help wrap gifts during finals week, as a way of taking a study break while helping others.

Johnson feels that participating in Adopt-A-Family is a great way to celebrate Christmas.

“It’s a great way to take the commercial aspect of the holiday and turn it into something good,” she said.

COMMENCEMENT: Speaker nominee list increases to 30  page 1 said Juergens. “I would love to have Obama.”

While it is unlikely that Obama will speak at commencement, President Bridges and the Joint Faculty/Governing Boards Committee on Honorary Degrees have set for themselves a high bar to meet. In 2007, prevalent economist Jeffrey Sachs spoke, and in 2008 Bill Gates Sr. spoke. “[Bill Gates Sr.] was very popular with the student body,” said Associate to the President Jed Schwendiman.

“We try to get speakers from all sorts of disciplines.”

Some seniors would like to see the speaker not just be someone who the students are interested in, but also someone who can bring a significant contribution to the ceremony.

“I would like to see someone who isn’t just selected based off of their popularity with the student body,” said senior Adam Caniparoli. “I don’t care what they discuss as long as it makes us think.”

All seniors are able to submit nominations on whom they would like to see speak.

“The way the process works is we usually send out an e-mail and get nominations and those are added to a long list of previous nominations from other years,” said Schwendiman.

The list of nominated speakers cur-

rently stands at 30 people. Names on the list can be vetoed at any time by a council any time it goes through the committee process.

“The list goes through several groups,” said Schwediman. “First, a community of students and faculty decide which nominations will make it through, then the joint governing boards committee okays the list.

Then, the Board of Trustees have to approve. Finally, the president makes the final decision.”

Another consideration is the difficulty of getting a speaker to come to Walla Walla for commencement.

“We need somebody to come and speak on a certain day and a certain time,” said Schwediman. “It’s hard to get most people out to Walla Walla at

that time.”

Despite these challenges, seniors still hope to have someone who will inspire them.

“I would like to see a well-known highly regarded politician, activist or academic scholar,” said senior Sarah Deming. “It does not matter tremendously who the speaker is as my commencement will not be ruined if I did not like the speaker or his commencement address. I would like to see someone accomplished giving our class honest yet inspiring advice. I think it is important that the speaker stays away from overtly political issues but rather talks about ideals, skills and non-political viewpoints on life.”

Commencement is on May 23.

ADVERTISEMENT

VAN NESTE Charlie Procknow ‘11 and community members listen to a panel titled “Bridging the Gap: Intergenerational Activism in Walla Walla” Saturday, Dec. 5, as part of the Network for Young Walla Walla’s First Annual Youth Leadership Summit.

Network for Young Walla Walla summit succeeds

by GALEN BERNARD News Editor Approximately 50 students calling themselves “engaged youth” participated in the Network for Young Walla Walla’s First Annual Youth Leadership Summit Dec. 4 to Dec. 6.

The summit, the first event to unite students from the three participating schools since the network’s kick-off picnic last spring, drew similar numbers of Whitman and Walla Walla University students, with about 10 community college students also attending.

A television monitor in the lobby of the building donated for the event by Walla Walla Community College, the William A. Grant Water & Environmental Center, projected a definition of the summit’s theme: sustainability.

“The mutually beneficial intersection of economic stability, ecological integrity and sociopolitical justice,” the screen read.

Throughout the weekend, participants discussed the tasks that face students working on sustainability and other community issues, from fundraising to planning projects to publicizing events.

One topic of discussion was what to call such students, which led to the network selecting some new terms by which to refer to its members.

“At the Summit last weekend we talked a lot about the word “activist” and discussed some of the strong liberal connotations it has,” said Summit staff sophomore Elana Congress via e-mail.

“Instead, we like to refer to ourselves as ‘involved citizens,’ ‘engaged youth,’ ‘active citizens,’ ‘community-minded youth.’

One of those terms better describes the

full range of members in the Network.”

Saturday evening, the full range of Network members gathered around five 26” Colossus pizzas from Pipeline Pizza.

The food fueled multiple small group discussions—one about the common pitfall of procrastination by baking— before everyone formed a circle in which people could present their projects. Summit Director Senior Camila Thorndike told students to give “the elevator pitch” of their ideas.

Senior Elena Gustafson pitched her program that focuses on getting at-risk youth involved in the outdoors.

“The first time they see a tree that’s too big for them to put their arms around, it’s an amazing experience,” she said.

“I haven’t really had time to reach out to Walla Walla Community College or Walla Walla University, but if anyone is interested I’d love to talk to you.”

Other projects included helping local Latino students reach higher education and creating a forum for students to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A 20-page pamphlet given to all attendees contained four pages for them to record contact information from other individuals, so the students can stay in touch throughout the year.

The network plans to make the fall Leadership Summit an annual event, along with a spring celebration that will facilitate the sharing of successful projects and conversations about how to improve future efforts. The network’s leadership was happy with the result of the inaugural Summit, especially given the stressful time of the semester.

“My favorite part is people not only coming two weeks before finals, but being really involved,” said Thorndike.

FEATURE

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December 10, 2009D

Club your Enthusiasm Student-run clubs and organizations are an integral part of the Whitman experience.

The Pioneer highlights groups making exciting changes to their organizations.

Th n s L

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BULLION From L to R: Finn Straley ‘11, Ailie Kerr ‘13, Justis James Phillips ‘12, Kevin Klein ‘11, Simi Singh ‘12, Cory Rand ‘13, Kate Potter ‘12. Second Row: Sam Alden ‘12. The Varsity Nordic improv group performs shows fortnightly this semester.

Ren Faire Varsity Nordic: New name, same laughs and reels: student group spotlights

by KRISTEN COVERDALE Staff Reporter Looking for a new hobby or interest to explore? Check out one of these clubs on campus!

Aikido Club

The Whitman Aikido Club practices and offers training in this Japanese martial art. It is not only a practice that provides great exercise and teaches “effective conflict resolution” but it is also ties in meditative breathing. For more information, contact senior Cody Clifton at cliftoce@whitman.edu.

Anime Club

The Anime Club encourages anime fans to share their favorite anime shows with each other and hosts weekly Anime Nights every Saturday. Every year the club travels to the Sakura Con Anime Convention in Seattle. For more information, contact senior Rebecca Levy at levyrr@whitman.edu.

Backcountry Ski Club

This club shares their love for backcountry skiing and plans skiing trips. They also teach ski safety skills. For more information, contact senior Allie Rood at roodam@whitman.edu.

Fly Fishing Club

The Whitman Fly Fishing Club focuses on bettering the connection between Whitman students and the environment while bonding over the shared interest of fly fishing. For more information, contact the club’s faculty advisor, Jeff Northam, at northajw@whitman.edu.

Medieval Society

This student organization promotes interest in the history and culture of medieval Europe. The club plans activities which hark back to medieval times and also read medieval texts as a group.

Regular meetings are Thursdays at noon in the Lyman lounge. For more information, contact senior Jackson Cahn at cahnjk@whitman.edu.

by WILLIAM WITWER Staff Reporter

Varsity Nordic is like most college improv groups, except different.

“We don’t follow a script,” said firstyear member Ailie Kerr. “We’re like instant mashed potatoes.”

Varsity Nordic has undergone some focused changes in recent times, including its infamous name change. The group shifted to long form improvisational comedy two years ago, which builds characters, stories and themes in it’s scenes. Varsity Nordic has performed regular biweekly shows this year, along with some improv workshops to help newcomers.

“We’re consistent now,” said senior

member Alex Kerr.

According to Alex Kerr and other senior members, Varsity Nordic did a very limited number of performances in previous years. Being consistent with biweekly shows has allowed the group to develop a great relationship with their audience.

“We love our audience; we love you guys,” said Ailie Kerr.

And their audience has grown, partially helped by being consistent and partially because of promotion on social media like Facebook. Now that Varsity Nordic does long form improv, they feel that the audience gets more out of it, as do they.

“Short form is harder to engage in,” said Alex Kerr.

“[Short form is] a lot more limiting in what you can do in the performance,” said junior member Finn Straley. “And it’s built more about punch lines and jokes, whereas long form is really based on creating a narrative and characters and a world. It’s just a lot more interesting and a lot more fun to do.”

The performers really like the depth that long form can reach, with Alex Kerr going as far as to compare long form to “a whole improvised play.”

The group does not have major alterations planned for its future, just goals.

“I would like to see in the future branching out of the Whitman campus and doing more other campus shows and bringing in other improv groups to perform,” said sophom o r e

l o W i t

e s member Justis James Phillips. “That wayo we can all learn from each other and thee Whitman campus can see all the different forms of improv that we don’t necessarily do.”

However, Phillips’s goal falls more in the “it’d be nice” category rather than the “we are making this happen” category.

Alex Kerr also mentioned that they are trying to get a professional improv group from Chicago to come to Whitman, but did not go into detail.

At this point, the group will continue to perform at the level expected of Whitman’s premier improv group, and not take themselves too seriously while they’re at it.

“We just want to do the best performances we possibly can,” said Straley.

t c e r i WDA works with hitman D W n o i t c local immigrants A

by WILLIAM WITWER Staff Reporter Whitman Direct Action is trying to make a difference in the world, one project at a time.

“WDA is a student-run, student-led group,” said junior member Jojo Robertson. “It’s basically like a nonprofit in that students will propose projects and will discuss everything as a group and come up with a project and then try and implement it as best we can.”

In its mission statement, the student group pledges to help marginalized people through “economically and environmentally sustainable community development,” and they are sticking to it.

“We actually do try and stick to this mission statement pretty closely in our ideals,” said Robertson. “We really want our projects to be long term and not just a one-time charity sort of thing. So we do try all the time to strive for sustainability both economically and environmentally.”

Whitman Direct Action became an official campus group in 2005. Every year since its inception, members propose a number of projects and pick one to complete. Past projects have included building a house in Nicaraugua for a family left destitute by an accident; this past summer Whitman Direct Action attempted to unite immigrant groups known as Home Town Associations.

“We started out with wanting to create a network of Home Town Associations in the United States so they could all work together to help Oaxaca as a state,” said junior member Guari Mirashi. “We had to sort of tone down our efforts and actually get to know them.”

Home Town Associations are established by Oaxacan immigrants—who come in large numbers to the Pacific Northwest for work—that try to help their communities. However, the individual immigrant groups do not work together, and Whitman Direct Action hoped to create a network of these organizations. They soon discovered that they lacked the experience and connections to accomplish this goal.

“One of the challenges has been getting in contact with the [immigrant groups],” said Mirashi. “A lot of them don’t use e-mails as regularly and we’re just so used to that. Last weekend . . . it was more like 15 people got together and started talking to us. They do have a structure of some sort, but it’s way more informal. It’s like: ‘You can call me, and if my phone doesn’t work, you can call—I think, him.’”

Contact was eventually established, and over winter break students will visit some of the communities in Oaxaca that the immigrant groups represent.

The student group faces many more challenges beyond unorganized immigrant groups, though.

“Getting funding is always hard, and in terms of membership it just depends on people’s schedules and how much time they can commit,” said Robertson.

They do have to commit a significant portion of time to work.

Robertson and Mirashi emphasized how much work the club requires, an average of five to six hours per week. However, the work they do allows them to enjoy their Whitman education a lot more.

“You should not leave out how exciting actually doing stuff is compared to what you might find just going to classes,” said Robertson.

“To come out of classes and apply what you’re learning and try and make it function in the real world is a very different kind of thing.

And it’s super exciting—it makes everything that you are learning in classes that much more interesting.”

N m

s i l

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FEATURE

9December 10, 2009

5

Slam Poetry Club battles it out in L.A.

New Quiz Bowl team challenges, loses to profs

by HELEN JENNE

by HADLEY JOLLEY

Staff Reporter The Slam Poetry Club, although it does not yet have official club status, has had a successful fall semester, including a trip to Los Angeles to Ink Slam 2009.

Ink Slam is a slam poetry contest where teams from around the nation come to battle it out. Eight teams were at Ink Slam, and four teams competed against each other at a time. There were four rounds, and the order of which team goes first is decided by drawing a letter out of a hat.

Then either an individual from the team can read a poem, or the team can perform a group poem. The poems are judged on a scale of one to 10 by a random audience member.

Ink Slam was attended by club cofounders, sophomores Eli Singer, Dujie Tahat and Dorian Zimmerman. Singer and Zimmerman said that some of the most famous slam poets around were there.

“We were competing against our mentors,” Zimmerman said.

Both Singer and Zimmerman agreed that it was a great learning experience.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience,” Singer said. Whitman placed seventh, beating a team from New York, and only losing to the sixth place team by a very close margin.

In addition to going to Los Angeles, the Slam Poetry Club also hosted a Writers Colony workshop the Thursday before Thanksgiving Break and, more recently, had their first Open Mic on Wednesday Dec. 2. About 30 people attended, Singer estimated, and they plan to continue having similar events in the spring.

Ultimately, in the next school year or later, Zimmerman and Singer hope to organize a poetry slam competition at Whitman, and invite people from schools in the Washington area. In the meantime, though, they want more members.

Singer, Tahat and Zimmerman meet every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Olin second floor lounge, and encourage anyone to come, regardless of level of experience.

At the meetings, they read their poetry and then give each other feedback. Zimmerman said it’s not even necessary to bring a full poem, just a draft of a poem.

“We’re not going to be judgmental, we’re going to be constructive,” Zimmerman said.

Singer said that it’s okay even if you haven’t written poetry before.

“We’ll help you get started,” he said.

They have from three to six regulars who come to the meetings now. Zimmerman said that people have expressed a lot of interest, but one of the reasons he thinks Slam Poetry Club still doesn’t have too many members is because of the performance aspect of slam poetry.

“It’s kind of intimidating because it’s performance poetry,” Zimmerman said.

At the meetings, though, they give each other constructive criticism on the delivery of the poem, as well as the writing itself. A huge part of slam poetry, Zimmerman says, is how you sell it to the audience, which they can help you with, especially after their expevrience at I n k Slam.

Staff Reporter It was five minutes before the competition was scheduled to begin and people streamed into the room to watch Whitman students compete against faculty in a test of knowledge. However, while three faculty were scheduled to come, only two, Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies Robert Carson and Professor of Physics Emeritus Craig Gunsul, arrived. Carson consequentially recruited his wife, Associate Dean of Students Clare Carson, who had only planned on watching. More people crammed into the large room upstairs in Maxey Hall. Eventually, chairs ran out and latecomers had to sit on the floor.

SLOANE

“[Slam poetry is] not that h a r d ,” Singer said.

“A ny b o dy can do it.

It’s just your own story,” he said.

The people were there to watch Whitman’s new Quiz Bowl team compete against faculty as one of the activities for Family Weekend in October. Each team tried to answer the questions, which ranged in topic from history to pop culture to science, before the other team, and in many cases before the announcer had finished reading the question.

“My favorite thing in Quiz Bowl, or any game show, is trying get the answer before they finish the question,” said Carson.

The faculty won, having held a strong lead throughout most of the competition.

“I think the students had a real disadvantage because the faculty are the people who make up those questions,” said Gunsul.

The team, which was organized last spring but was only recognized by the school this fall, has attended one competition besides the exhibition with t h e f a c u l t y, where it tied for f o u r t h among six teams. The Competition took place at Gonzaga Un ive r s it y and five other colleges and universities, including University of Washington, attended.

At Quiz Bowl tournaments, individual teams can contain up to four students, though they may have as few as one person. Schools can send as many teams as they can fill. Whitman sent one threeperson team to the fall competition.

Ian Williams, sophomore and founder of the team, wanted to do a facultystudent competition because his high school team held a similar event against their teachers, which usually ended in a win for the student team.

“We’re planning on attending more competitions in the spring and maybe even hosting a regional competition,” said Williams.

Williams and junior Jonathan SpatolaKnoll, another core team member, both competed in Quiz Bowl in high school.

According to Williams, the current Quiz Bowl team consists of four core members who show up frequently and and a few other members who show up periodically. None of the core members, and only one of the other members, is female. This gender discrepancy is more or less endemic to the Quiz Bowl program as a whole.

The Quiz Bowl team replaced the College Bowl team that disbanded some years ago and used College Bowl questions for the faculty-student competition to increase the entertainment value of the debate.

“The questions used at tournaments are really specific and really hard, so I think if we’d used those the teachers would have answered five questions and we would have gotten three,” said Spatola-Knoll.

Whitman’s Quiz Bowl team is less competitive than others in the sport, preferring to keep the focus on fun.

Spatola-Knoll said some teams would go through hundreds of questions in a practice session, while Whitman usually only goes through 20.

“There’s definitely stuff we could do if we wanted to be really competitive,” said Williams.

The team is still accepting new members. They meet at 8 p.m. on Mondays in Reid 207.

COURTESY OF SUNN KIM Members of the Meditation Club practice mindfulness and meditation on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. in the Prentiss spirituality room.

Meditation Club promotes mindful lifestyle

by KRISTEN COVERDALE Staff Reporter Namaste Meditation Club promotes mindfulness in everyday life.

Co-president, junior Yvan Trinh, says the club teaches students how to incorporate mediation into everyday life.

“It is more than just sitting on a cushion and being quiet . . . for example, we do a lot of walking meditation. It’s all about mindfulness and focusing on the activities that you’re doing rather than

the thoughts that are running through your mind.”

In the fall of 2008 Trinh and junior Alicia LeClair wanted to create a place at Whitman where students could meditate on a regular basis. Working with Sonja Aikens, the administrative assistant for the Intercultural Center, the two decided to head up the Meditation Club.

“Meditation is a great way to be at peace and be in the present. At times I felt frustrated with my self because of my self-centered and unhappy thoughts

throughout the day. Meditation helped that,” Trinh said.

Although the club does not have formal meetings on a regular basis, Aikens leads meditations for the club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 to 8:30 p.m. in the Spirituality Room, located in the basement of Prentiss Hall.

“It’s a way for people to get together and meditate and learn about meditation if they are new to the practice,” despite the brevity of the meetings, said Trinh.

Participation in the group tends

to fluctuate as students get busier throughout the semester, but a core group of members attends meditation every week and plans other events. For example, the club sponsored a daylong meditation retreat last year and hopes to host a Winterim program about meditation through eating, as one of the primary teaching goals of the club is to expand how people view meditation.

Although she admitted that meditation can be difficult at times, Trinh said that its benefits make it well worth the

effort.

“Meditation takes time to learn but if you try for a little bit everyday you will see results. It gives you the skills to cope with life and gives you ways to get away from the everyday suffering in life,” said Trinh.

The mindfulness and calm that meditation brings could certainly be beneficial to most students, especially during this busy time of year.

Students of all levels are welcome at the weekly Tuesday and Wednesday meditation sessions.

Humor

The Pioneer ISSUE 13 DEC. 10, 2009 Page 6

Twilight’s not-so- Straight from the VAG desk sexy creatures You probably know that the high school that Bella, the star of “Twilight,” attends has both an incredibly sexy secret vampire and incredibly sexy secret werewolf, with whom she spends most of her time. But do you know the other, less-sexy closetmonsters in “Twilight”? We break down all of Bella’s paranormal hook-up options.

SEXY:

Edward

TURNS INTO: Vampire, a blood sucking Romeo HIDES DURING: Sun-lit days SKILLS: Deep-set brooding eyes; violently passionate to the point that making out is like kissing a wheat thresher with arms—huge, glistening arms; perpetual sex-hair; stubble you could sand wood with

Jacob

TURNS INTO: Werewolf/Shape Changer, a lycanthropic stud HIDES DURING: Full moon SKILLS: Charming with a mysterious past; pecs you could bludgeon a small bird with; turns into a fucking WOLF besides

Dear Mr. Glickman, On behalf of the Vampire Advancement Guild and our tens of members and supporters, I’m writing to discuss the imagery of Vampires currently promoted in the media. As of late, VAG gained recognition for its involvement in the Sesame Street Scandal over the bigoted portrayal of Counts.

So I don’t need to remind you that we are capable creating a PR nightmare in addition to actual nightmares. We here at VAG are currently outraged over the stereotypes exploited in today’s media. For example: “Twilight” The Twilight series depicts vampires as incredibly handsome, incredibly strong and psychic. Read my mind: Fuck off, Stephanie Meyer. In truth, Vampires are moderately attractive and actually fairly weak, but we do love having our insecurities played upon. We demand that Meyer remove any scenes in which Edward plays the piano.

Vampires are about as talented in life as Robert Pattinson is at acting . . . or in life.

Furthermore, as if a plot solely about a romantic teen relationship wasn’t awkward enough, VAG can’t wait until Bella finds out about Edward’s breast. Yes, all vampires are hermaphrodites and no, you can’t call us hermaphrobites—that’s hurtful. Finally, VAG wishes to declare publicly that Dakota Fanning is not a vampire. The first two evils released from Pandora’s box were hatred and illness. The third was Dakota Fanning.

“True Blood” This is a show that is so untrue that it lies in its title by calling itself “true.” Sure, the show gets some details right: We do glamour constantly and we often overstate the im-

portance of what we are doing at any given time (see: “Vampire Bill”). However, none of these slight accuracies can atone for the continued misrepresentation of vampires as attractive, definitely not the point of pulling Anna Paquin (who demonstrates an emotional range beyond her young age).

Overall, the Vampires could use more of a slight stutter and creator Alan Ball can tone down the multidimensionality of us VON HAFFTEN as a creature. While Viktor von Gentleskien speaks out for Vampires and Lady Gaga. humans find beauty in plastic bags floating freely in the wind (as they do in Ball’s seminal here’s how this paragraph would look if it “American Beauty”), Vampires prefer a life were on CW: (Take a criticism of the WB driven by unattractive shame which mani- from the 1990s. Now polish that turd by fests itself in our constant need to trick the adding more sluts). public into worshipping us regardless.

“Bad Romance” “Vampire Diaries” This is an absolutely perfect portrayal of We would correct the representation of Vampires in the media. In the places these vampires in this show, but, like most of other examples have utterly failed at accuAmerica, none of us have actually seen rate blood-sucking representation, Lady a CW show. Seriously, that network is to Gaga succeeds. Not only is she talentless, good programming what Dakota Fanning unattractive, possibly hermaphroditic is to good taste. Where are these Vampire and heinously dressed, but also she has Diaries published, LiveJournal? If the CW somehow glamoured America’s hearts and was an SUV then Tiger Woods would be at minds into making her a multi-millionaire. the wheel with Billy Joel riding shotgun. If Lady Gaga is here to stay, America, and so NBC is Tiger Wood’s professional life, than are Vampires. the CW is Tiger Wood’s personal life. Wait,

ing: Featur Guest writers: Jessica Asmus, Hari Raghavan, Hadley Mowe, Sally Boggan and MaryBeth Murray

TWIHARDS

TURNS INTO: Career-oriented Zombie HIDES DURING: Non-productive meetings SKILLS: Despite having turned into a zombie, which means he has not had the cerebral skills to get his GED in his 23 years at high school, Jeffery is passionately devoted to climbing his way up through the ranks of Conservatives on Campus. He has no time for chasing or eating girls, which Bella is into, but all the time in the world for attempting to use the voice commands on his Blackberry, despite his lack of cheeks and his slurred dialect.

Ryan

TURNS INTO: Passive-aggressive bear HIDES DURING: Winter, confrontation SKILLS: “Oh, I mean . . . if you don’t want to be mauled and eaten, that’s fine. Really, it’s fine. I don’t need to eat.

I’m not even that hungry and besides you said I was getting fat earlier. What?

Well, you implied it.”

Other authors write ‘Twilight’ JAMES JOYCE Sjdkdejfojeijfslkjdfojejaksjdkjfjeodkakcjvnoaksjdonfdsoas your eyes open them my blood boiled I saw his expression oops I breathed oops his hands gently pushed my face back I opened my eyes vampire I opened my eyes vampire forest running through in a daze understatement how lighthearted how human he seemed as he laughed how vampire dkjdkdjfofjekjejsooskdjdkdjf HOMER: Edward led the bright-eyed Bella to a clearing in the forest Where she embraced him But Athena, seeing this and being displeased Sent the monster Edward to the brink of a hideous rage And so instead of kissing they fucked for hours R.L. STINE After running through the forest and kissing for a second, Edward picked up an old ventriloquist dummy. It was evil! It was an evil ventriloquist dummy! Edward was also a vampire. A scary vampire. Then something happened that reminded Bella of her parents’ recent divorce. Spooky divorce! As Bella and Edward kissed, the evil dummy watched them. And then it came to life!

‘Twilight’ mood graphs Edward Jacob Bella

TURNS INTO: A sopping wet rabbit.

HIDES DURING: Tuesdays SKILLS: His mother places him in their bathtub every Tuesday where he stares blankly while his pores wheeze out a clear viscous fluid in a process that sounds like feet walking on a floor made of shredded ham. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” fan club president.

MOOD

Derrick

T IME

New Moon

Jeffery

Twilight

LESS-SEXY:

Pio Editor goes out with style

Abe

An excerpt from a recent interview with Gillian Frew, Pioneer Editor-in-Chief

TURNS INTO: The Loch Ness Clam HIDES DURING: Rain SKILLS: Abe is a huge-ass clam. No one is actually sure why he’s in a high school.

He’s just been attached to the third-floor heating duct for the last three years.

Somehow, it is reported, he went to junior prom.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY WOLFF

Pio: So Gillian, one of the things that you’ve changed about The Pio is the language. You’ve even allowed for swearing!

GF: Gutterslut!

Pio: Gillian, that’s not a swear word.

GF: Penis pants!

Pio: I don’t think you know any swear words.

GF: A big, fat baby!

Pio: What?

GF: Noodlepoop!

At this point, the humor writers left the interview.

Editor-in-Chief Gillian Frew

Best of ’09 by your mom WOLFF

Best Song: Poker Face My God, that Lady Gigi is so fun! She’s so theatrical and in-your-face! The girls and I listen to that song whenever they come over to play blackjack. You should see my sister; I don’t know why anyone would divorce that booty-shaker!

Best Fashion: Cardigans Cardigans, cardigans and more cardigans!!!! I just could not get enough of those this year. I sent your cousin Mary a little teal cashmere cardigan from J.Crew because she just broke up with her boyfriend Rick and I figured she could use a little pick-meup. Turns out, the first day she wore that cardigan she got asked out at the supermarket! Big mistake, Rick. They’re really magical and they keep you from looking like a street walker.

Best Joke: That one your father told OH! I can’t believe I didn’t tell you this when I called to ask how to Tivo “Operation Runway,” but your father said the funniest thing when he stepped out of the shower last week. It was something about . . . no, yes, it was something about tennis, and it was so true!

Best New Technology: Facebook Facebook has been around less than a year and I already don’t know what I’d do without it! I poked you just the other day?

Did you receive the poke? Go look on your home page, or just search for “poke.” Also, when did you start dressing like that young woman from “Transmorphers”? Put on a cardigan!

Technology—Second Place: Tweeter Best of all of 2009: (Tie) My tomato garden, Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion We had SO much rain this year and my garden looked gorgeous year round! I find that MPP, as an album, reinforces the sense of vulnerability that cuts through modern culture, and winds up being an essential component on an album that revolutionized music in our most revolutionary era.

But what do I know?

Opinion

The Pioneer ISSUE 13 DEC. 10, 2009 Page 7

Direct from Copenhagen: U.S. Congress prevents progress

If attending the United Nations 15th climate conference in Copenhagen has taught me anything, it is the incredible power of the U.S. Congress.

I really want to LISA like the U.S. delegaCURTIS tion. I just got out Columnist of a briefing with Jonathan Pershing, the special envoy for climate change, and Lisa Jackson, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Both are very smart, charismatic people who want what is best for the planet but who also have to grapple with the disturbing reality of international climate negotiations.

The reality is that the U.S. delegation is terrified of another Kyoto. The U.S. Congress refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol in 1997 largely because it did not set binding emissions targets on developing countries.

In the words of Jonathan Pershing, “We need symmetry in Copenhagen or Congress won’t accept it.”

In the eyes of the U.S. delegation, “symmetry” means that major emitters in the developing world—such as China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa—must commit to targets.

The BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) has protested that the developed world needs to lead the way and uphold the principal of “common but differentiated responsibilities” that 189 countries have ratified under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The preamble of this organization acknowledges that “the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible

cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and economic conditions.”

The U.S. delegation argues that developing countries are forgetting the last phrase of the “common but differentiated responsibilities” clause, the part that talks about “respective capabilities.”

According to Pershing, “respective capabilities” implies that the United States has great responsibility but this responsibility does not end at the U.S. border. He spoke of the assets of other countries, China’s trillions of U.S. debt, India’s methane biodigester technology and Brazil’s biofuel technology.

The U.S. delegation firmly believes that America has already done much and that it is now time for other countries to put something on the table.

Jackson spoke of the recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize its finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health and therefore can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. “The U.S. government has decided that CO2 is a threat,” said Jackson, laughing. “I laugh because we’re the U.S. government and we knew that.”

Unfortunately, I doubt that many of the delegations from other countries would find that statement so funny. For the United States to come to the table offering what amounts to less than a four percent emissions reduction, and a domestic strategy of only recognizing that greenhouse gases pose a threat, is absolutely absurd.

The amount of financing we have proposed, our “fair share” of $10 billion per year, is also vastly inadequate.

As the current—albeit struggling— world superpower, the United States cannot hide behind paltry emissions reductions and laughable domestic programs.

The European Union has proposed to cut its emissions 20 percent by 2020 and France recently proposed a Climate Justice Fund of US $60 billion per year for 10 years.

I truly believe that the U.S. delegation and the Obama administration would love to make those types of pledges.

As a trained geophysicist and a chemical engineer respectively, both Pershing and Jackson recognize the urgent mandate climate change provides for drastic emissions cuts.

However, it’s impossible to explain to the U.S. Congress (and the powerful fossil fuel industry that controls it) that the United States has a responsibility to provide leadership on climate change.

The fact that developed countries are responsible for 75 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere while developing countries will face 75 percent of the negative effects of climate change seems to imply a climate debt.

This climate debt has been widely discussed by almost every country, with the notable exception of the United States.

Our strong sense of individualism seems to have blinded us from the global problem of climate change.

The U.S. delegation knows this, and they know that they cannot return to the U.S. Congress with a treaty that truly recognizes the United States’ responsibility.

I love my country but I’m having trouble justifying our inability to provide leadership in Copenhagen.

Lisa Curtis is a senior environmentalpolitics major. She is Whitman’s sustainability coordinator.

Abortion access still threatened

by Stupak House amendment This week the Senate voted down an amendment in the health care bill that would have reduced access to abortion.

But the House version of the bill JAMES includes an amendSLEDD ment by RepresenColumnist tatives Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Bart Pitts (R-Pa.) that poses a similar risk to abortion access.

The Stupak amendment would prohibit using federal subsidies to purchase heath insurance plans that cover abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life.

When Senate passes the bill, a joint House-Senate conference committee will decide on a final version to be voted on by both Houses.

Democrats must make sure that the Stupak amendment stays out of the final product.

Proponents argue that the Stupak amendment would only continue current restrictions on using federal funds for abortion.

The amendment’s supporters note that public insurance programs such as Medicaid are already prohibited from covering

abortion; this restriction would also apply to any government-run public option.

But the Stupak amendment would go much further than current restrictions on abortion coverage.

Both the Senate and House versions of health care reform would create a Health Insurance Exchange, where eligible Americans could choose from competing private insurance policies or the public option.

Both versions also offer federal subsidies—known as affordability credits—to help people purchase health insurance who are making up to four times the federal poverty level.

The Stupak amendment would prohibit using these subsidies to purchase any health insurance plan that covers elective abortions.

Women who want to purchase a health care plan that covers abortion could use affordability credits to buy a basic health insurance plan, but would have to use personal funds to purchase a supplemental plan to cover abortion.

The Stupak amendment would jeopardize reproductive health care for working poor and lower middle class Americans.

According to the Los Angeles Times, 400 percent of the federal poverty level for a single woman represents an annual income of $43,000; the majority of women

buying health coverage on the exchange would have lower incomes.

Many of these women could not afford purchasing a supplemental insurance plan.

But the effects of the amendment would be even more drastic. Because many—if not most—women using the Exchange would not be able to afford to purchase a reproductive health care supplement, insurers would see little demand for these plans.

Many pro-choice groups convincingly argue that it would make little business sense for insurers to even offer supplemental plans, given the additional expense of administering them separately.

Thus, even women who could afford to purchase abortion coverage might be unable to do so.

If the Stupak amendment, or similar language, is included in the final health care reform bill, lower- and middle-class women will face reduced access to reproductive health care.

The amendment will, in effect, make abortions available only to the very poor—who receive coverage through state-administered health programs—and the wealthy.

James Sledd is a senior environmentalpolitics major.

Uniqueness just another brand Who are you to yourself? We all have a self-image, or an idea of who we are, with which we wrestle. We can’t ignore the self-image, obviously, because then we wouldn’t be GARY self-conscious. And WANG yes, we are self-conColumnist scious.

Maybe not all the time, like in class or when we’re asleep, but there are moments where you’re doing something not totally comfortable, say in beginning rock climbing class, or when you’re on the dance floor (you know who you are), or just in the few minutes before you doze off to sleep after a long day and night in the library.

In these moments, when we’re selfconscious, the possibility opens up for us to actually change. In some ways, it’s like the moment of recognizing someone who you had met long ago but hadn’t seen since.

You’re not totally unfamiliar with yourself, as if you met a total stranger, but when you’re self-conscious, you aren’t completely familiar or at ease with yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be self-conscious; you’d be going along doing your everyday schedule of class, eat, sleep and sex (not self-consciously).

But these moments of self-consciousness give us, uniquely, the ability to manage our identities because we can look down on them as if we weren’t already immersed within them. Unlike animals who are conscious but not self-conscious, human beings—you, me and some professors— UNIQUENESS, page 8

LOOS-DIALLO

DOUGLAS

LET T ER FROM T HE EDI TOR

Reading and writing Dear readers, Good endings are important.

Whether you’re writing an article or wrapping up another semester at Whitman, you always want GILLIAN to leave things in FREW just the right place Editor-in-Chief before marking that final period, or packing up to go home. Good endings also tend to be reflective. But when it’s open season for sleep deprivation and work cited sheets and last-minute travel plans, reflection is an easy thing to forget.

That’s why I want to take this opportunity in our last issue before break (lucky number 13!) to briefly look back on what we’ve achieved this semester, where we’re heading, and why we still need your help.

A newspaper should never be the product of a few individuals’ visions, but rather a service to its community.

So whether you read a copy each week with red pen in hand, or this is the first time you’ve flipped through The Pio, we’re indebted to you for making what we do meaningful.

And to all of our readers who have taken the time to submit their ideas, opinions, advice, outrage, praise— thank you. We are reliant on your feedback to produce a paper that is as relevant to the Whitman and Walla Walla experience as we can make it without individually interviewing every member of the campus and community each week (for those of you who are the oft-quoted exceptions to this rule, all of you saintly Encounters professors, administrators and reporters’ roommates—thank you, too). This semester, we strove to expand our coverage and cultivate an even larger, more diverse readership while never losing sight of our base, the student body. Some of our more specific accomplishments: t News reporting that includes more follow-ups on important issues, like our series on H1N1, the valley transit campaign and campus crime t More consistent coverage of Whitman faculty and the community as reflected in coverage of the 3-2 decision and voting in Walla Walla t A balance of reviews and human interest stories in A&E, in addition to eventbased stories, a weekly crossword and seasonal recipes t More in-depth investigatory reporting and better visuals for our Feature section t A dynamic Sports team committed to coverage of Whitman athletics as well high-quality commentary t Regular Opinions columns ranging from the Chinese university system to Whitman community service to current events t The best humor section The Pio’s 120year history (this claim has been factchecked—they told me so) And on a more personal note . . .

I’m so grateful to have had the privilege of leading The Pio this semester. I can honestly if unoriginally say it has been the most challenging and reward-

ing experience I have undertaken in college so far, and I will certainly take more away from having held the position of Editor-in-Chief than I would have ever been capable of bringing to it.

Because despite my tirades about sleep loss and its many incarnations— as a form of torture, as a way of killing brain cells and Astro quiz grades, as the functional equivalent of intoxication—it was a privilege. And to all of the wonderful and talented people with whom I had the pleasure of working, you impacted me far more than you’ll ever know.

Whenever I pick up The Pio on Thursdays and squint bleary-eyed at the front page, I am struck by the amazing alchemy of all that hard work and creativity transformed into 12 printed pages and a Web site with more than 100 thousand views since September.

It’s like our own little weekly miracle, with typos. And it could never happen without the exhaustive efforts of everyone who writes, edits, draws, designs, photographs, promotes, uploads—and of course reads—The Pio. Although I will be studying abroad next semester, as will several of our current editors, I expect to be involved in some capacity with The Pio for the remainder of my time at Whitman, as I have been since the start. I don’t think I could keep myself away if I tried.

Molly Smith will be taking over as Editor-in-Chief in the spring, and Derek Thurber as Publisher. I’m confident that they will both do great things to further enhance The Pio’s readership and reputation. Although it’s tempting to say that an organization that undergoes regular shifts in leadership will inevitably suffer, I think the opposite is often true—The Pio’s constant regeneration is among its greatest strengths, something that makes us not only versatile, but hopefully accessible. Working for The Pio is something everyone should try at least once; applications are available online at whitmanpioneer. com.

Earlier this semester. I said that my primary goal was for us to learn from our mistakes. I think we have. I think we always will. What I’ve come to realize is that this process of evaluating ourselves—as students, as journalists and as members of this community— won’t go away if the font changes, or we print on purple pages, or Whitman starts offering free journalism classes.

It’s permanent, and it’s the most valuable part of working for The Pio: Oct. 3, 2008: “Don’t write off The Pioneer, write to it.”

May 1, 2008: “LAY OFF: The Whitman Pioneer definitely does not suck.”

I’ve always felt these two old letters from the editor captured our zeitgeist.

While the precise wording may fluctuate from year to year, that’s the messages I’d like to send, too.

Which brings me to the last word— not really an ending, but more of a transition, that final period I mentioned more like a comma in one everlasting run-on sentence. Just not an Oxford comma.

Happy holidays from The Pio!

OPINION

8

LET T ER TO T HE EDI TOR:

Response to ‘Graduate School Grief’ Editor,

I’d like to clarify some of the information written in the Pio article titled, “Graduate School Grief” on the front page of the Thursday, Dec. 3, issue.

When I spoke with the author of the article at the Student Engagement Center, I was told that this article was being written with the premise that Whitman did not have adequate support for students to pursue graduate school options. During our conversation, he said he was surprised at the quantity of information available at the Student Engagement Center. I assumed that the article would reflect that comment. Instead, I felt that the article negatively reflected what Whitman has to offer.

Please allow me to fill in the blanks of what Whitman offers to students or alumni seeking advice for graduate school exploration. The Student Engagement Center is one excellent resource to find information on the application process. Our Web site has many, many links to sites for testing information, identifying and choosing schools, writing personal statements and specific links to programs of interest to many Whitman students. We also have an assortment of books in our library. We work collaboratively with Patrick Frierson, the pre-law adviser, and James Russo, the pre-health adviser, to provide graduate school information throughout a student’s time at Whitman. Faculty at Whitman are excellent resources for students who are

looking for programs of study that reflect their own unique interests. Graduate test scores can be sent to Whitman and will be kept indefinitely and will be forwarded on to graduate programs upon request for free.

Individual appointments at the Student Engagement Center provide in-depth information for a student who is trying to juggle senior year responsibilities with applying to graduate school. We can help with signing up for the necessary test, time lines for application, advice for obtaining appropriate references and assistance with a personal statement and interview. All our services are available to alumni, many of whom utilize our expertise. The Student Engagement Center hosts an annual Graduate School Fair each October along with a Law School Panel so students can speak with representatives from graduate programs.

The application process for graduate school demands more in-depth research in order to find programs that best meet the long term goals of the student. There is no magic list or book to do this. Instead, with advice from faculty and the Student Engagement Center, students and alumni can explore graduate programs that fit their unique qualifications, experiences, needs and goals. Appointments are available at 509-527-5183.

Susan Buchanan, Director of Student Engagement Center -

To read more letters to the editor visit us at whitmanpioneer.com

Breaking the Bubble: To all volunteers

MATT MANLEY & ALETHEA BUCHAL Columnists This week in Breaking the Bubble, we asked community groups to share their thoughts on Whitman volunteers. Their overall message: Thank you. We believe you deserve it. Don’t believe us? Check out these responses from service groups.

Christine Ludwig, an intervention specialist at Prospect Point Elementary who works closely with the Whitman Mentor Program stressed mentors’ impact on her students.

“I would like to tell the Whitman volunteers thank you. Kids get happy when they see their mentor. You make their day. You make their week. One kid told me that the best day of his whole year is going to Whitman. He just doesn’t get many experiences like that,” she said. “The whole year kind of culminates in [Mentees to campus day] . . . that is so much more powerful than me saying ‘get good grades.’”

Gary Henderson is the build coordinator for Blue Mountain Habitat for Humanity. According to Henderson, Whitman volunteers have been responsible for all the exterior paint, much of the siding, leveling and installing sod in the 1,400-square-foot backyard.

From the contributions of the SCORE pre-orientation trip to the efforts of students and parents working alongside President Bridges during October’s Make a Difference Day, the home at 112 Donald

St. has had substantial Whitman support since August. “[Whitman students] are fun to work with because they want to learn, pay attention and follow directions. The students and the coordinating staff at Whitman have been outstanding at our worksite,” Henderson said.

The new homeowners will be dedicating their house this Saturday, Dec. 12, at a public ceremony.

Crissy Kinney, coordinator of volunteers and humane education at the Blue Mountain Humane Society, told us her organization could not support itself without devoted volunteer efforts.

“Volunteers at Blue Mountain Humane Society are integral to our existence,” she said. “This fall we have had over 2,500 volunteer hours. We truly, truly appreciate the help that they give. When students come, they come in force and they are helpful and energetic.”

We also asked community groups to share any particular anecdotes regarding Whitman volunteers.

Greer Buchanan, assistant director of the Kirkman House, particularly enjoyed working with a group of unlikely shepherds this fall.

“Watching a group of Sigma Chis herding twenty plus sheep in the rain at our Sheep to Shawl event in October was a riot,” he said.

We wanted you to hear from the people whose jobs you make easier and lives a little brighter. We wanted you to hear, from the community you affect, their message.

In the words of Ludwig, “thank you for coming, and for caring.”

Uniqueness: buying into difference  UNIQUENESS, page 7 can remake ourselves, like slowly chipping away at a block of marble.

If we decide to continue, then on what terms do we evolve? It’s Whitman. We’re privileged and therefore special, at least that’s what our parents have told us for a long time. Now it’s the time to prove it, right? It’s the time to display our true selves in its shining glory.

Otherwise, we’d be called boring or awkward. And those are the worst slurs possible in our laissez-faire go-with-the-flow culture—aside from being conservative.

But being conservative, in the way Sarah Palin is, is at least is funny. Being boring is an abyss from which there’s no escape. And being awkward can generate laughs but not the kind you want.

To flee from boredom, where do we go?

If we’re compelled to be interesting, then what’s compelling us except anxiety? Does it make sense for you to compel yourself to

be unique? That’s like saying you’re forcing yourself to be authentic. Compulsion is unnatural—which contradicts the very nature of authenticity. You can be unique but inauthentic. Just go to any length to differentiate and exaggerate yourself by what you wear (no logos), what you say (not politically correct) and what you do (avant-garde and cigarettes?).

The issue is that American culture is commercialized. And the problem is not how much it costs to consume culture, in the movies or in the mall, but how mass culture gets to choose which ways of expressing yourself are relevant. And then mass culture gets to commodify and turn it into branding.

If there is an “Indie” look, then it’s probably being mass produced in Indonesia.. It’s gotten to the point that some guy can mock white people on his blog, “Stuff White People Like,” and end up with a bestselling book.

The very popularity of that blog exposes

I applied to be a columnist mainly to explore how it feels to work with an American college newspaper.

But comparing The Pioneer and The STU Journal, ShanUniversity’s RENSI KE tou Columnist newspaper, needs more than the columnist experience for comparison. So I read all 12 published issues of this semester’s Pio. The first difference I noticed is advertisements regarding the Walla Walla community. While community news is also considered by The STU Journal when it’s related to volunteer services, it’s usually not read by community members. More focus is put on academics, extracurricular activities and the university administration.

Since Shantou University is financially supported by Li Kashing, the richest person in Asia who was born in the Chaoshan area (where Shantou is located) and contributed $38 million to the founding of the university, his annual visits to the university and donations to the community are always headlines in the newspaper.

This difference in financial standing reveals the different focuses of the newspapers. Traditionally, American college newspapers are financially self-sustaining through a subscription revenue model.

Though funded by ASWC, the relatively more self-sustaining Pio does a better job of catering to students’ needs.

The Back to School issue devoted a whole page to Walla Walla business listings, and when Family Weekend and Thanksgiving came up, the Pio offered traveling tips and dining recipes, which intrigued me.

By contrast, The STU Journal is more engaged in addressing campus news. As a student reporter, I got enormous newsletter assignments about academic lectures.

The only two community newsletter assignments I got were about Visitors’ Day. The purpose of fulfilling students’ needs certainly contributes to The Pio’s depth in exploring the diversity of the student body.

I’m amazed by The Pio’s demonstration of diverse Whittie personalities. “Six Whitties Who Will Change the World” and the feature stories about Whitman alumni published on Nov. 2 are great examples.

In return, the attention received by the newspaper further enhances the relationship between The Pio and Whitties.

The liveliness of the Pio-student interaction is impressive, varying from the frequent showcase of mail and e-mail surveys and letters to the editor. The STU Journal targets students, faculty and the school administration, similar with the Pio, but the scope of coverage is much smaller.

This is caused not only by the limited page count—The STU Journal has only four pages per issue—but also a longer production process of two to six weeks, depending on whether we have big news during the period.

Unlike the Pio, The STU Journal’s chief editor is not a student, but the appointment is based on the journalistic expertise of the person.

Many people have asked if I have experienced censorship during the journalistic experience with my Chinese university newspaper. There is definitely a difference in the levels of censorship between the U.S. and China, even in terms of college newspapers. The STU Journal is supervised by the university’s publicity department, which reviews every issue and submits high-quality reports for the provincial and national university newspapers appraisals.

The STU Journal is among the top three university newspapers in Guangdong province; the winning reports are usually

whitman news, delivered.

PRODUCTION

REPORTERS

BUSINESS

Editor-in-Chief Gillian Frew

Production Manager Quinn Taylor

Publisher Kim Sommers

Managing Editor Margaux Cameron

Production Associates Sally Boggan, Alyssa Fairbanks, Miriam Kolker, Ben Lerchin, Tessa Matson

Rachel Alexander, Maggie Allen, Gabe Cahn, Kristen Coverdale, Allan Crum, Lindsay Fairchild, Liz Forsyth, Jay Gold, Caitlin Hardee, Staten Hudson, Helen Jenne, Hadley Jolley, Sam Kollar, Merrett Krahn, Doyle McCarthy, Noah Mogey, Lea Negrin, Eric Nickeson-Mendheim, C. J. Wisler, William Witwer

Art Director Rebecca Fish

Copy Editors Cara Lowry, Sara Rasmussen

News Editor Galen Bernard

Webmaster Andrew Spittle

Associate News Editor Josh Goodman

PHOTOGRAPHY

A&E Editor Connor Guy Feature Editor Hanna Ory Sports Editors Max Rausch and Dujie Tahat Opinion Editor Gabriela Salvidea Humor Editor Alex Kerr Photography Editor Simon Van Neste Illustration Editor Tricia Vanderbilt

Linnea Bullion, Emily Cornelius, Ellie Gold, Dana Hubanks, Isabel Hong, David Jacobs, Marie von Hafften

ILLUSTRATION Sam Alden, Kelly Douglas, Emily Johnson, Binta LoosDiallo, Carrie Sloane, Jung Song, Kiley Wolff

Gary Wang is a junior political-philosophy major.

awarded for their unique perspectives and in-depth analyses.

The STU Journal is cautious in handling negative campus news, such as the increase of meal prices in the dining hall, or complaints about the slow-speed Internet access. It is active in collecting different opinions from different sides, but reports may be delayed until problems are solved. This is why Chinese university newspapers, like many other Chinese newspapers, tend to give the impression that in China there is no bad news.

Interestingly, that can also be said about The Pioneer. The only negative news about Whitman I’ve read on in The Pio this semester is the decline of Whitman’s Princeton Review rankings, but the piece’s conclusion is that Princeton Review did not offer a scientific evaluation system. Whitties’ confidence is really impressive!

If it were the case at my university, we would probably wait for a year or two and then publish a newsletter titled, “STU returns to the top of Princeton Review rankings.”

Rensi Ke is a senior English major. She is this year’s Whitman Sherwood Exchange student from Shantou University in China.

SONG

EDITORIAL POLICY

EDITORIAL

Director of Content Andy Jobanek

a kind of tension in culture and our selfimages. We want to be unique, but it seems like the only way to do so is to buy into a specific culture and display ourselves materially.

It comes down to the problem of thinking in terms of boring versus interesting, or well-adjusted versus awkward. If we think we’re trapped between those two poles of social existence, then we’re always striving to get to the right pole but the ground underneath us keeps slipping backwards. It’s impossible to make yourself not boring, at least not without paying for it with your honesty.

Rather, in moments of self-consciousness, instead of immediately trying to mold yourself, as if you were a block of clay, try to keep dancing. You will naturally exhibit whatever it is that makes you unique.

Comparing The Pio with my Chinese university newspaper

Alethea Buchal is a sophomore hoping to create a major joining music and human rights. Matt Manley is a junior majoring in English.

the Pioneer

December 10, 2009

COLUMNISTS Alethea Buchal, Lisa Curtis, Nadim Damluji, Blair Frank, Andrew Hall, Rensi Ke, Joey Kern, Matt Manley, Becquer Medak-Seguin, Alex Potter, Simi Singh, James Sledd, Finn Straley, Gary Wang Puzzlemaster Karl Wallulis

Advertising Manager Matt Solomon Finance Manager Jordan Estes

Advertising Associates David Deming, Matt Tesmond, Shellin Tran Advertising Designer Brianna Jaro

The Whitman College Pioneer is a weekly student-run newspaper published under the auspices of the Associated Students of Whitman College. The purpose of The Pioneer is to provide pertinent, timely news and commentary for Whitman students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents, as well as the Walla Walla community. The Pioneer is dedicated to expanding open discussion on campus about the issues with which students are most concerned. We provide coverage of Whitman-related news as well as featured local and regional events, and strive to maintain a standard of utmost fairness, quality, and journalistic integrity while promoting freedom of the press. In addition, the Pioneer strives to be a learning tool for students who are interested in journalism. The Pioneer welcomes all feedback and publishes weekly Letters to the Editor in print and online.

SUBMISSION POLICY

Letters to Editor may be submitted to The Pioneer via e-mail at editors@whitmanpioneer.com or sent to The Pioneer, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, 99362. All submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Saturday prior to the week that they are intended to appear. All submissions must be attributed and may be edited for concision and fluency.

CODE OF ETHICS

The code of ethics serves as The Pioneer’s established guidelines for the practice of responsible journalism on campus, within reasonable interpretation of the editorial board. These guidelines are subject to constant review and amendment; responsibility for amending the code of ethics is assigned to the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher in conjunction with the editorial board. The code of ethics is reviewed at least once per semester.

To access the complete code of ethics for The Pioneer, visit whitmanpioneer.com/about.

For information about advertising in The Pioneer or to purchase a subscription, contact business@whitmanpioneer.com.

9

A&E

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Precious’ stands up to criticism

by BECQUER MEDAK-SEGUIN Movie Reviewer Lee Daniels’s latest film has been divisive to say the least. Some claim that it reinforces noxious African-American stereotypes while others maintain that it is a realistic and therapeutic portrayal of poor, urban black America.

I suggest you take a step into the life of Claireese ‘Precious’ Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a 16-year-old, illiterate, obese African-American—an extremely poor woman who has just been impregnated by her father for the second time. Her first child, known only as “Mongo” (hopefully the reference is self-evident), has Down syndrome and her mother Mary (Mo’Nique) constantly assails Precious with explosive phrases ranging from “you’re a dummy, bitch . . . you will never know shit” to “I should’ve aborted your mother fuckin’ ass.” She lives in Harlem and has just been suspended—effectively kicked out—from her local junior high school.

Precious seems like a peripheral case in a unique situation, to put it into grotesquely euphemistic terms, but such a notion could not be further from the truth. She enrolls in an alternative school and encounters women like her who rely on the ideals they’ve fashioned during the several placid moments in their life to carry them through each traumatic day. (Precious, however, dreams up her ideals during the most harrowing parts of her day: when her father rapes her, for example.)

The movie doesn’t take a melodramatic turn with this new change of scenery because little else in her life has changed. She doesn’t bond with her classmates; instead, she bonds with her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). But even this bond doesn’t full realize itself, frustrating a conventional "Matilda"-like ending.

Is that the reason why so many loathe this film? Because we get no returns on all of the agency and emotion we’ve afforded Precious?

Armond White, perhaps the most outspoken and immature critic of "Precious," writes: “Not since 'The Birth of a Nation' has a mainstream movie demeaned the idea of black American life as much as 'Precious.' Full of brazenly racist clichés (Precious steals and eats an entire bucket of fried chicken), it is a sociological horror show.”

First, to link "Precious" to a 1915 Klu Klux Klan blockbuster is as shallow as it is a poor attempt at demagoguery. Second, "Precious" is by no means a mainstream movie. Third, White's perceptions of racist clichés in "Precious" is more indicative of his own biases than of the movie’s— Precious steals the fried chicken after going hungry for several days because her mother isn’t willing to use her welfare checks to buy food for her to cook. Fourth, more insulting is White’s assumption that there is one pure/true narrative of the African-American experience that should be presented cinematically. A note to Mr. White: One-dimensional filmmaking is dehumanizing.

There are many more reasons why White & Co. disdained this beautiful exploration of subjects and themes that most of us dare not mention. They should not deter you, however, from giving this film an honest chance.

PIO PICKS “Merry Wives of Windsor” Each year, the theater and music departments collaborate to stage an opera production. This time, they’re performing Nicolai’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” See staff writer CJ Wisler’s preview, to the right. Thursday–Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Harper Joy Theater. Free.

“Veilings” Whitman Dance Theater collaborates with Vicki Lloid and student choreographers Rhya Milici, Kate Robinette, and Brenton Weyi to present their fall performance, “Veilings.” FridaySaturday at 8 p.m. Cordiner Hall. Free.

WEB Film: “Across the Universe” Sing-Along As its final cinematic presentation of the semester, WEB will show Julie Taymor’s hit Beatles musical. Singing along is encouraged, but not required.

Saturday at 8 p.m. Kimball Theater. Free.

The Pioneer ISSUE 13 DEC. 10, 2009 Page 9

Whitman DJs bring the party to campus

by CAITLIN HARDEE Staff Reporter You walk into the living room of the German House, into the Sig basement. The black lights hit your clothing and you meld into the glowing, leaping crowd. For the next few hours you can forget about going to school in the middle of a wheat field. You’ve entered a scene lifted straight from an urban rave.

The source of the sound is that enigmatic DJ, huddled in a corner over his laptop. He holds his headphones to his ears and fiddles with arcane audio programs.

Behind the stereotypical Kanye shades, you may not even recognize the guy from your lit class.

The Pioneer set out to go behind the mask of the DJ—to find those people who bring the dance scene to campus, what drives and inspires them. If God is a DJ, how did these ordinary mortals start their journey toward divinity?

“I started about four years ago,” said sophomore Brenton Weyi. “I’d usually just be hanging out with my friends, chilling, playing music. I’d always be the person who was managing it, facilitating the party, so I was like—maybe I should learn how to DJ. My friend was an amateur DJ, so he taught me the basics.”

When talking with Whitman DJs, two names always come up.

“I’ve been pretty low-key on campus,” said Weyi. “We have two really popular DJs in my fraternity, [junior] Chris Barton and [senior] Graham Toben. I tend to DJ just the parties at our house or in the immediate vicinity.”

“My pledge father and uncle at the Sigma Chi house are both DJs,” said first-

If you were DJing a party right now, what are 10 songs you’d play?

Graham Toben ’10: 1) “Forever (Cahill Club Mix)” - Chris Brown 2) “Party in the USA (Cahill Club Mix)” - Miley Cyrus 3) “Let it Rock (Tony Arzadon Remix)” - Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne 4) “Jump (Chocolate Puma Remix)” Flo Rida feat. Nelly Furtado 5) “Use Somebody (Chew Fu Festival Mix)” - Kings of Leon 6) “Down (Beat Thrillerz Remix)” - Jay Sean 7) “If I Never See Your Face Again (Paul Oakenfold Remix)” - Rihanna feat. Maroon 5 8) “Waking Up in Vegas (Manhattan Clique Bellagio Remix)” - Katy Perry 9) “Kids (She XCL Extended Mix)” MGMT 10) “I Got A Feeling (Barletta Edit)” Black Eyed Peas Chris Barton ’11: 1) “3 (Wolfgang Gardtner Extended Mix)” - Britney Spears 2) “Stand Up Like A Pimp” - The

year Carver Marshall. “Graham Toben and Chris Barton. So I just got into it this year.”

Toben and Barton are considered alpha DJs of the Whitman scene. The guys have an easy dynamic—it’s clear that they are used to reading each other and cooperating. Their dual DJ act, the Indestructible Space Hamsters, is in high demand for house parties and raves.

“I started DJing when I was about 14,” said Barton. “Just got a hold of my mom’s vinyl turntables and threw a record on. I watched this documentary called 'Scratch' and that kinda got me into it. My mom got real pissed when she found out that her favorite record didn't work any longer.”

Toben recalled the early days of their collaboration.

“I transferred here last semester,” said Toben. “Started hanging around Sigma Chi a little bit, saw [Barton] DJ one particular event, and thought to myself,'Wow, that’s the coolest thing ever. Look at all these people dancing and having a good time,' and he’s the reason for it. I picked up a computer application called Traktor, did a little research on how to use it and went to town. Once I became part of Sigma Chi, [Barton and I] started hanging out and doing our DJ thing, and since then, the Indestructible Space Hamsters have lived on.”

One of the little idiosyncrasies that distinguishes the various Whitman DJs from each other is their preferred equipment.

Gone are the days when being a DJ meant vinyl on a turntable. DJs today have a wide range of options to incorporate digital and physical media.

“I started off with [computer] programs and then I went to digital turn-tables,” said

Weyi.

“I use a computer with virtual equipment,” said Marshall. “Like a virtual turntable. It’s called Virtual DJ.” “Right now we’re using programs,” said Barton. “I used to have vinyl turntables but they got stolen last year. Then I have CDJs but they’re getting obsolete now, with the stuff we want to do.”

The DJ acts also take care to brand themselves with their own name and style, both musical and visual. Weyi, or DJ White Shadow, discussed his approach.

“I usually dress in completely white and black,” said Weyi. “I play a lot of hip-hop, mix it in with techno. I have a DJ friend, [sophomore] Ben Elstrott, who occasionally collaborates with me as DJ Trashcat.”

“I wear neon green shoes and those Kanye West shade things,” said Marshall. “I play dance music, like trance and techno.”

“We both have custom velour tracksuits with our logo embroidered on the

White Panda 3) “Maniac (Bloody Beetroot Remix)” - Michael Sembello 4) “Pjanoo (Dada Life Guerilla Fart #7)” - Eric Prydz 5) “Bonafied Lovin (Yuksek Remix)” Chromeo 6) “Meet Me At Fantasy Island” - Super Mash Bros.

7) “Awesome (Feat. The Cool Kids)” The Bloody Beetroots 8) “Waters Of Nazareth” - Justice 9) “Shinin’ Like A Crystal (v2.0) (The Pack vs Crystal Castles)” - The Hood Internet 10) “Exploration of Space” - Cosmic Gate Zach Morrissey ’11: I usually play mashups kind of like Girl Talk, so I don’t usually play full songs . . . I just put pieces of them together. I really like to do stuff that makes people laugh, so I usually start off with “Circle of Life” mashed up with Clipse’s “Wamp Wamp (What It Do).” If anyone’s interested, my mash-ups are on my blog, ghettosunrise.blogspot.com.

What’s your set-up? What equipment and/or programs do you use?

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a party while DJing?

Brenton Weyi ’12: I usually use my computer combined with a sound mixer, with the program Zulu for simple DJing, or Hurricane for more elaborate mixes.

Zach Morrissey: I DJ’ed the first Ultimate Frisbee party early this year, and when I looked up there wasn’t a single person in the room with a shirt on! Girls included. Frisbee team goes hhhhhaaarrrrd . . .

back,” said Barton, laughing. “We tend to match.”

Toben chimed in.

Graham Toben: Chris [Barton] and I use his Stanton M.202 mixer. On my computer I use Traktor PRO for Mac, and a VCI-100 Midi Controller to control all my effects, looping, crossfading and levels.

Zach Morrissey: I use a Macbook Pro, Behringer BCD3000 USB Mixer, a Behringer FireWire audio interface for sending sound to the speakers, a M-Audio Oxygen 61 Keyboard and I play all my live shows using a program called Traktor 3.3 and another called Ableton Live to use effects and trigger loops.

“My newest purchase is a sound-activated light-up T-shirt. [I wore it at] the Motherruckers' calendar release party over at the Palace,” he said.

And the most rewarding part of the DJ lifestyle?

“Honestly—when you put on a song that everyone just gets so excited about, it gives you a really good feeling inside to know that you’re providing the good time,” said Weyi.

“Just looking out at a rave, seeing two hundred people at our house, dancing and moving as one—that’s why I do it,” said Barton.

ALDEN

Chris Barton: Something which will not be printed in The Pio. Graham Toben: Nudity. Lots of nudity.

Brenton Weyi: I once DJed this party that was so packed that people literally couldn’t move, and there were people right next to me in the DJ booth; I got picked up and started crowd surfing, continuing to mix the music as I was being passed around with my computer.

T HE AT ER PREVIEW

‘Merry Wives’ offers farcical fun, escape from finals

by C.J. WISLER Staff Reporter As the dread of finals draws in, Harper Joy Theater and the music department offer much needed comedic and melodic release with this semester’s final show: the opera “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”

“The show is very fun—it’s kind of a big romp,” said junior McKenna Milici.

Composer Otto Nicolai’s score and Hermann Salomon Mosenthal’s libretto follow Shakespeare’s well-known comedy of the same title. Originally in German, the libretto has since been translated into multiple languages, including the English version that director Nancy Simon, the Garrett professor of dramatic art is using.

The opera follows Falstaff, an impoverished old knight, as he attempts to woo two wealthy, married ladies, Mistresses Ford and Page. As they seek their revenge upon him, another sub-plot follows Mistress Page’s young daughter Anne, who courts an unfavored suitor named Fenton. Two other, more acceptable suitors pursue her as well, each finding favor in one parent but not the other, resulting in parental squabbles and trickery.

According to Nathan Shiu ‘07, who plays the romantic young Fenton, the music in “Merry Wives” reflects many aspects of the show’s themes as well as the plotline.

“The music is very varied,” said Shiu.

“Nikolai definitely uses humor in the mu-

sic, mostly with Falstaff ’s character. There are lyrical passages about love and about reminiscing, big chorus sections scolding Mr. Ford and florid passages when the ‘Merry Wives’ are scheming.”

Although the show is an opera, Milici and Shiu believe that the show’s theatrical flair will keep audiences entertained.

“I think a lot of people who are used to theater brush off opera as something that only old people go to… [or] that it is all,” said Millici. “This show is so slapstick and beautifully choreographed and costumed, I think it will make a lot of people laugh.”

“The first thing that comes to mind [about the show’s uniqueness] is the costumes,” said Shiu. “They are amazingly colored and coordinated. And there are fairy and goblin masks made by [senior] Kelsey Yuhara that are beautiful.”

Shiu is also excited about the guest actor who plays Falstaff, professional singer Daniel Oakden.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to hear a professional singer,” he said. “He is absolutely wonderful. Plus, he wears a fat suit.”

In any case, both Shiu and Milici look forward to this opera. In Shiu’s case, “Merry Wives” is a lot more of what Milici would call “a romp,” compared with some of the stress of his lead role in the theater’s production of “Cosi Fan Tutte” last fall. “‘Cosi’ definitely helped me prepare for ‘Merry Wives.’ For one, ‘Cosi’ was almost

HONG McKenna Millici ‘11 plays Mistress Ford opposite professional singer Daniel Oakden who plays Falstaff.

three hours long, and the principles sing at least half that time, if not more. That’s a lot of singing,” he said. “‘Merry Wives’ is only over two hours and with nine principles there is less singing for each principle. This is really nice and less stressful.”

For cast member Milici, who plays Mistress Ford, her role in the opera is something she has strived for since she came to Whitman. Senior Kaley Eaton, who plays the role of Mistress Page (and who attended high school with Milici) explained that one musical and one opera rotates every other year. After performing in the chorus of 2007’s “Cosi Fan Tutte,” she decided to audition her junior year as well.

“I knew I wanted to do the opera my junior year, since I’m a music major with an emphasis on classical singing,” she said. “This is my one big show that would be my highlight of my college career since I’m a junior. Performing in opera is what I love to do best, and I can’t believe this moment is finally here.”

For both the audience and the cast alike, the show offers a much-needed break from the gloom of finals week. “Merry Wives” evening performances will show at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and a matinee will show Sunday at 2 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available at the theater box office, open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

A&E

10

December 10, 2009

New ‘Rocky Horror’ production bends gender, theater conventions

by C.J. WISLER Staff Reporter

BULLION Menomena drummer Danny Seim performs alongside Brent Knopf and Justin Harris.

Knopf, interviewed below, typically plays keyboard, electric guitar and glockenspiel.

Exclusive interview with Brent Knopf of

MENOMENA

by ANDREW HALL Music Reviewer Menomena came back to Walla Walla last Saturday, Dec. 5, tearing through a set that consisted of much of their two records and two new songs to possibly be included on their forthcoming fourth album. I spoke with Brent Knopf, one of the trio and the primary member of Ramona Falls, before their performance.

The Pioneer: The last show you played here was two and a half years ago. You spent over a year on tour, [drummer] Danny [Seim] released two albums as Lackthereof and you became a touring entity as Ramona Falls. How is Menomena coming together as we rapidly approach 2010?

Brent Knopf: It’s coming along, I guess.

I’ve been working on it every day for the last month, and I think there are lots of songs on the table. It’ll be interesting to see what happens once we decide what songs to put on the record, and we’ll see from there.

The Pioneer: Do you know what sort of shape it’s taking at this point?

Knopf: One of us wants a 35-minute long album, another one of us wants a double album. It could be anywhere between 35 minutes and 140 minutes long.

The Pioneer: How have yours and Danny’s solo projects shaped your work returning to the Menomena setting?

Knopf: Danny just had his 12th release, the retrospective. I’m a huge fan of Danny’s work and I’m really excited for him to have that retrospective out, because I think a lot of people need to check it out . . . He’s just such an amazing creative force. In terms of if Ramona Falls has shaped the way I’m coming back into Menomena, I feel like I’m just that much more confident with arranging music, and I’m more used to that environment, so I feel like I’m faster now at getting the sounds that I want. I feel like a lot of the work that I did for Ramona Falls involved redoing samples, so I think that’s going to help our live show. I only use my own samples; I record my own piano.

The Pioneer: Is that a painstaking process?

Knopf: It’s painstaking, and it’s incredibly tedious, but it lends the sound something more real, so I think that’ll be good for when we play live.

The Pioneer: How did you get into writing, arranging and composing?

Knopf: Just kind of by necessity. You mean like me personally, in my own life?

The Pioneer: Maybe, yeah.

Knopf: In terms of just how I came upon it myself I was always really passionate about music and started trying to dabble in songwriting and recording when I was . . . I started writing songs when I was really young, but then didn’t really try recording them, and doing, grunge songs until I was 17.

Funnily enough, the first song that I got really serious about recording, Danny and Justin [Harris] actually played on.

They were part of a band at the time—I was not in that band—but I was friends with Danny, so [he] recorded drums, and then we needed a bass player, so we actually called up Justin, but we didn’t end up forming Menomena until four years later, maybe three years later. So I kind of just got into that.

It’s strange that we ended up writing so much of our music from Deeler sessions, since that’s kind of loop-based music, and really growing up in my life I never really wrote loop-based music . . .

Deeler was only intended as a tool for live performance, so I never thought it’d be a compositional tool for us, but that’s what it ended up being. We’d kind of go into practice and goof around with Deeler for fun, and Danny ended up taking those loops and making songs out of them a long time ago. So that’s how that got started.

I always projected the talents of arranging and producing onto other people. I thought, well, maybe if we get lucky we’ll get signed and someone who knows what they’re doing will work with us, but life didn’t have that in store for us, and instead we’ve always just taught ourselves and flown by the seat of our pants. We’re all kind of self-taught. We only ever record, produce and engineer ourselves.

The Pioneer: What influence do you think online journalism has had on the band?

Knopf: I think that Menomena got really lucky in terms of attracting the attention of online journalists, so I’m really grateful that those people noticed and spread the word, because how do you spread the word when you don’t have any money?

The Pioneer: How did that happen?

Knopf: Several online people picked us up, but Pitchfork also gave the first Menomena record a good review, and it’s funny, because I’d never heard of Pitchfork at that time and someone just told Danny, “Hey, you should send your CD to this site,” he’s like “Oh, whatever,” and I think it just sat on their shelves for months, and then they picked it up because of the zany flipbook packaging. At least that’s the story I heard.

I had never heard of Pitchfork, but I remember I flipped out ’cause we went from having one sale a day on our online site to all of a sudden having sold 300 CDs, and we’re like, “Why did this happen?”

[We were] really excited. We’re like, “We sold 300 CDs! This is amazing!” and we couldn’t figure out why. That was kind of fun.

The Pioneer: Do you have an ETA on the new Menomena album?

Knopf: I’m hoping next year. I think we’re a couple months away from finishing it. I have high expectations on myself, and I want to get things done quickly, and I think all of us feel like this record has taken us longer than we expected it to.

The Pioneer: What’s currently exciting you as far as Portland music goes?

Knopf: There are some records I’m excited to hear. The new Dat’r record, the new Tu Fawning. I’m a fan of Matt Sheehy’s work, and Matt ended up being guitarist in Ramona Falls, so I’m really excited to see what he comes up with next, he’s a great solo artist in his own right. I don’t know what else. The great thing about Portland is that there’s so much great, diverse independent music happening, so everyone’s always coming up with something really exciting. There are some bands that I don’t particularly care for personally but I can still see what they’re contributing to the general community, and I’m really thankful to live there.

Advertisement

As a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" virgin, the hype and mythology surrounding the experience mystified me. I had heard rumors of course, so by the time I found my way to Maxey auditorium Saturday, Dec. 5, I understood the basic concept. The film, the audience participation and the staged show are all layered together like the world’s most risqué ice cream sundae.

Weird doesn't even begin to describe the experience, but I think I left with a deeper appreciation for what it's all about.

Each year students perform this cultclassic story of sexual comedy, lost innocence, intrigue, danger and insanity. Rather than just sitting by and showing the film version, the talented cast and crew put on a full-cast production and encourage audience participation.

Interspersing dirty shout-outs during the film, the cast of "Rocky Horror" gives more than a run-of-the-mill, WEB-style show. It breaks the boundaries of ordinary theater—both film and stage alike. Headed by creative director and Rocky enthusiast, junior Devin Petersen, Whitman’s “Rocky Horror” offers a night of fun but also blurs the lines of entertainment and what it means to be an audience member.

Audience members, dressed in fullscale “tranny” regalia a la Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank N. Furter, help set the playful gender-bending atmosphere. Despite the initial awkwardness of seeing barely-dressed people all around—and being barely dressed myself—the exposure turned to fun as more and more outrageous costumes filtered in.

Then came the virgin games. Each year, a few select students who have never attended the play/movie version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (recognizable by the large letter ‘V’ inscribed on their

Holiday film picks

by BECQUER MEDAK-SEGUIN Movie Reviewer “Hell Yes!” Film "The White Ribbon" – Dir. Michael Haneke Perhaps one of the most visually beautiful—filmed in black and white—and psychologically powerful films to come out this year, Michael Haneke’s (see "Caché") new film took Cannes by storm, almost effortlessly winning the Palm d’Or. Set somewhere in northern Germany during the years leading up to World War I, "The White Ribbon" focuses its cinematic gaze on a children’s choir, revealing a situation exemplary of what Haneke calls “the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature.” It looks to be one of those impeccable and depressing, yet astounding and presently retrospective looks at humanity.

“Sure, why not?” Film “Nine” – Dir. Rob Marshall One of the only films that looks to fit the Academy’s cookie-cutter mold for an Oscar winner, Rob Marshall’s “Nine” (perhaps naively) takes on the theme of Federico Fellini’s beautiful and everlasting autobiographical film “8 ½.” Nonetheless, its ensemble cast may be worth watching since it’s a musical and this may be the only time you’ll ever be able to watch them sing; it includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard and the lovely Penélope Cruz. It can’t be that ridiculous, right?

“Meh” Film "Sherlock Holmes" – Dir. Guy Ritchie Seriously? Robert Downey Jr. is not nearly dexterous enough to play Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s multi-layered, multi-talented, multi-everything character. And, Guy Ritchie isn’t imaginative enough to add anything to this character that we haven’t yet read. Oh, wait, he didn’t even write the script. My apologies, Mr. Ritchie. Not even Jude Law as Watson will keep this ridiculous wannabe Hollywood blockbuster afloat.

“Don’t Even Think About It” Film "Avatar" – Dir. James Cameron I officially loathe James Cameron. First he gives us the abominable, in-your-face wasteful epic "Titanic"—the worst film, by far, to have ever received any attention in my book—and now he gives us this: "Avatar," another stupidly wasteful (about $500 million to make) film with a horrendously insipid plot that finds humans and two poorly-invented alien races called the Na’vi and Pandora engaging in a war over the planet’s resources and existence. Does he really have to go rogue (i.e. to another planet and another universe in terms of film budgets) to bash us over the head with environmental conservation? Get a life, Cameron, and look at your wastefulness before you criticize us about ours.

HUBANKS Mehera Nori ‘12 as Magenta, Erin Terrall ‘11 as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Stephanie Burk ‘13 as Columbia give life to Rocky Horror, played by Tristan Rupert ‘07.

foreheads by the corset-wearing bouncers at the door) are asked to play the games.

This was perhaps the most hilarious—and scarring—part of the show. For example: The most minor game involved eating a Twinkie placed provocatively between another person’s legs.

While the virgin games were the highlight of the experience for many, the show itself entertained and tantalized the audience. Junior Erin Terrall, who played Dr. Frank N. Furter, pranced confidently in full corset and fishnets, playfully seducing Janet and Brad as well as the audience.

Janet and Brad, played by junior Patricia Xi and first-year Yoni Evans respectively, transitioned beautifully from stereotypical “normal” citizens to sexual enthusiasts.

Rocky, played by '07 alumnus Tristan Rupert, flashed his muscles even while portraying the terrified sexual Frankenstein monster.

Other outstanding cast members include Petersen as the Criminologist, who enthusiastically and mysteriously narrates the story of Brad and Janet’s strange excursion into “sins of the flesh,” as well as

first-year Stephanie Burk, who played the tap-dancing groupie Columbia.

The only fault I can find in the show is that because the movie plays simultaneously, it has an hypnotic effect and frequently draws the audience away from the live action. But, for the most part, the pull between the screen and live action added a level of complex interplay to the show.

For example, during the orgy scene, the watery weirdness on screen and the simplicity of the writhing bodies of the live actors made for a delicious parallel between the two. Petersen made a bold choice in placing the live-action orgy in the shadows directly beneath the center of the screen.

During the early marriage scene, another interesting moment occurs. As Brad and Janet begin interacting and the marriage party disperses, Frank N. Furter appears, as if out of the shadows, staring mischievously at the white-bread couple.

Although this precise movement does not occur in the movie, it added a burst of individuality to the play. This allowed the live action to break off from the movie and do its own thing.

C ROSSWORD P UZZLE 1

2

3

4

5

12

13

15

16

18

6

7

10

11

29

30

46

47

17

19

23

24

31

21 25

26

27

32

28 33

34

35 37

41

9

14

20 22

8

36

38

42

39 43

40 45

44

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

ACROSS 1. Harpies 5. Improvisational singing 9. It might come before a period (abbr.)

12. Half a sextet 13. “Encounters,” formerly 14. __ v. Wade 15. There may be one for dessert 16. Event 18. With 31-Across, cause for much wailing and gnashing of teeth 20. Possesses 21. Knack for music 22. Sign of an infection 25. Diamonds, e.g.

28. Popular bread 31. See 18-Across 34. Actress Spelling 35. Some large, flightless birds 36. To this day 37. Some addresses 39. Flatulence 41. Because “Merry Christmas” wouldn’t fit in the grid 48. Tactless 49. Dirt 50. A bad grade 51. Positive aspects 52. Kind of pressure 53. Terminus 54. Some older chicks 55. In stitches

2. Bailiwick 3. Wins a card game 4. Oregon, vis-à-vis Washington 5. “Taxi Driver” director 6. Chanel or Crisp 7. Looping paths 8. Ridicule 9. Precedence 10. Othello, e.g.

11. Transmit 17. Barters 19. Imprison 22. Ganja 23. Prop in “District 9” 24. Got naked 26. Building next to Penrose, slangily 27. Hauteur 29. Ball holder 30. “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” Author Spiegelman 32. Hungry animal?

33. Jacob’s twin brother 38. Supernatural spirit of the air 40. Plays hooky 41. Hair partner?

42. “Word to that” 43. Bring aboard 44. Oodles 45. Greg Oden needs a new one 46. Number of good men?

47. Tuba or trombone

DOWN 1. Old-school computer language

by KARL WALLULIS

For answers, visit www.whitmanpioneer.com

Puzzlemaster

ALDEN

9

Sports

The Pioneer ISSUE 13 DEC. 10, 2009 Page 11

A THLETE OF THE SEMESTER Tiger needs a cage

by GABE CAHN Staff Reporter

COMMENTARY Yes, the rumors are true. Tiger Woods did smoke crystal meth with Andre Agassi the night he drove his car into a fire hydrant—just kidding, but seriously, Tiger really screwed up this time.

The most recognized athlete in the world was even ridiculed on the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live,” affirming his moronic status. In the skit, Kenan Thompson and host Blake Lively play Woods and his Swedish bombshell wife, Elin Nordegren, mocking Woods’ inability to exercise the most vital function of marriage: lying.

The recent events that have solidified everyone’s hunch that Woods is a selfabsorbed jerk all trace back to his ‘onevehicle accident’ at 2:25 a.m. Nov. 27.

Initial media reports stated that Woods had mysteriously crashed his SUV near his Florida home, and after hearing the noise from the crash, Nordegren had smashed out his back windshield with a golf club to ‘courageously’ rescue him.

Headlines read that alcohol was not involved and Woods was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries including cuts on his lips. Sounds perfectly logical, right?

The fact that Tiger Woods refused to make any public statements about the incident just screamed scandal. That’s like letting someone guess what you got them for their birthday and then refusing to answer yes or no when they guess right; it’s a dead giveaway. But more importantly, when you are the most recognized athlete in the world, as much privacy as you would like to enjoy just is not a realistic possibility. Once you accept hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsements, you subject yourself to the scrutiny of the public. Currently, there is no word on what actually happened. An unnamed witness, presumably his wife Elin, has stated that Tiger

Matt Solomon: Men’s Tennis

by LINDSAY FAIRCHILD Staff Reporter Senior tennis player Matt Solomon has had many successful seasons here at Whitman, as well as one semester at Boise State. This October, Solomon competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s National Small College Championship in Alabama, taking seventh place.

Solomon has had an outstanding career at Whitman. As a first-year, he earned second team all-conference honors and won the ITA’s Northwest region in doubles with senior Nadeem Kassam.

As a sophomore, Solomon won the ITA’s west region singles and doubles tournament, the doubles tournament with junior Etienne Moshevich. He was ranked as high as number five in the ITA’s west region singles rankings and in the ITA’s west region doubles with his older brother, Daniel Solomon. In the same year, Matt Solomon also won the Northwest Conference’s Athlete of the Year award, the conference’s top honor.

Instead of traveling abroad, Solomon attended Boise State University the second semester of his junior year, where he continued to play tennis. Boise State, at the time, boasted a top 20 ranking amongst Division I tennis programs.

“I’ve always wanted to go abroad, but I also cherish playing tennis in college and didn’t want to give any of that up,” said Solomon. “I feel like I learned a lot from practicing with the guys at Boise and playing against the top Division I teams in the country. I learned a lot about how tennis is played at the top collegiate levels and the coaching staff there gave me a lot of tips that I’m excited to bring back to the team here at Whitman.”

Even though tennis is generally considered more of an individual sport than a team sport, Solomon is always more than willing to heap praise on his teammates. This last fall, Whitman had three of the four players in the singles semifinal

SCHEDULE Women's Basketball

With a disappointing start to their season, the Whitman women will be seeking redemption in their next two upcoming games, both rematches. This Saturday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m. they will host Eastern Oregon University. In their previous meeting, the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon busted open a close game, defeating the Missionaries 62-53 at the Lady Yote Classic in Caldwell, Idaho. Dec. 18, the Whitman women travel to Lewiston, Idaho, to take on Lewis-Clark State University.

The Missionaries will look to avenge a 74-64 home-court loss. Dec. 30, the Whitman women will wrap up nonconference play when they host Trinity Western University, hailing from Vancouver, B.C. The following Saturday, Jan. 2, the Missionaries will begin their Northwest Conference regular season schedule when they face off with Lewis & Clark College. For the remainder of winter break, they will face NWC opponents Willamette University on

Jan. 3, George Fox University on Jan. 8, Pacific University on Jan. 9, Pacific Lutheran University on Jan. 15 and the University of Puget Sound on Jan. 16.

Men's Basketball

The Missionaries look to ride a 4-1 record this season, against California teams as they face off against the Banana Slugs of the University of California— Santa Cruz this Saturday, Dec. 12, at home at 7:30 p.m. The Whit men will then begin their winter break as they host North Central University of Minneapolis, Minn. Dec. 19. Then on Dec. 28, they travel to Spokane to play in the Whitworth University Classic, where they will take on the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater Warhawks. This will undoubtedly be their toughest test for the remainder of the season as UW— Whitewater is currently undefeated at 7-0 and are ranked fifth in the nation among all Division III men’s basketball teams. The Missionaries will begin 2010 traveling to Oregon to begin Northwest

Conference play against Lewis & Clark College on Jan. 2. For the remainder of winter break, the Whit men will face NWC opponents Willamette University on Jan. 3, George Fox University on Jan. 8, Pacific University on Jan. 9, Pacific Lutheran University on Jan. 15 and the University of Puget Sound on Jan. 16.

Swimming

After a brief hiatus, the swim team will get back in the swing of things on Jan. 13 at the California Lutheran University Winter Relays Invitational in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Last year, the University of Puget Sound took both men’s and women’s titles, just barely staving of the Whit men by 20 points. With a more experienced, more talented team, the Missionaries are looking to make a splash.

The swimmers will then finish out their Northwest Conference schedule, taking on Lewis & Clark College on Jan. 15 and Willamette University on Jan. 16 before classes resume for the spring 2010 semester.

SCOREBOARD FRIDAY, Dec. 4 Women's Basketball

Whitman College vs. Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Pomona, Calif.

Points by Half 1 2 Total Pomona-Pitzer Colleges 15 26 41 Whitman College 37 43 80

did consume alcohol earlier the day of the accident, and had prescriptions for Ambien and Vicodin, but the truth is still unclear.

Even before this latest scandal, there were plenty of reasons to suspect Woods was not the Mother Teresa of professional sports. He is notorious for regularly screaming profanities and throwing or smashing golf clubs. Some famous Tiger episodes that come to mind are the time that he harassed a photographer for taking a shot during his backswing at the Doral Open a couple years back, shouting, “The next time a photographer shoots a fucking picture on my backswing I’m going to break his fucking neck.” Or the time at this year’s Australian Masters when Tiger threw his club into the crowd at the 13th hole after a poor drive. This kind of behavior is not only unacceptable because Tiger Woods is the role model for countless young golfers around the world, but also because in no other professional sport is this kind of behavior tolerated. If Rasheed Wallace blinks the wrong way on a basketball court he gets ejected and fined thousands of dollars by the NBA. Imagine if he threw a ball into the crowd.

Now, Tiger finds himself in an admittedly unfortunate predicament, yet one he deserves. In the statement he issued on his Web site, he wrote, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart,” referring to a 31-month-long affair with Los Angeles cocktail waitress, Jamie Grubbs.

His wife has since left him and surely his relationship with his two young children will be tattered. The question is, will Tiger Woods learn something from this mess, or will he continue acting as the young billionaire athlete that he is, and maybe rightly so? Either way, the man can hit a little white ball way better than anyone else, so he will be on the international radar regardless. Most likely, only age and maturity will allow him to shape up his personal life.

Team Records

1-4

2-3

SATURDAY, Dec. 5 Women's Basketball

Whitman College vs.University of La Verne in La Verne , Calif.

Points by Half 1 2 Total

Team Records

University of La Verne 29 28 57

4-2

Whitman College 32 43 66

3-3

Men's Basketball

Annual Alumni Game hosted by Whitman College Points by Half 1 2 Total Whitman Alumni 38 36 98

Team Records

---

Whitman College 29 35 93

4-2

TUESDAY, Dec. 8 Women’s Basketball

Women's Basketball vs. Walla Walla University in Walla Walla, Wash.

Points by Half 1 2 Total

Team Records

Walla Walla University 11 17 28

1-3

Whitman College 47 29 76

4-3

VON HAFFTEN Matt Solomon ‘10 finished his prolific Whitman tennis career on a high note taking seventh place in the National Small College Championships. of the regional tournament.

“One of our freshmen, Jeff Tolman, had an incredible fall tournament and his future here is really bright,” said Solomon. “In fact, his first set against me in the finals was some of the best tennis I’ve seen here at Whitman!”

Despite his many individual accolades

and accomplishments on the court, Solomon focuses a lot on fostering a unified team attitude.

“We are better than we think we are, and I want this group of guys to truly believe that we can compete with any team in Division III, because we can,” Solomon said.

Coaches should take own advice

by NOAH MOGEY Staff Reporter

COMMENTARY Have you ever seen a picture of the University of Kansas’ ex-coach Mark Mangino? I am not going to guess how much he weighs. Suffice to say he is morbidly obese. He will probably die as a result.

Charlie Weis, the ex-coach of Notre Dame, is slightly less obese. But he is still enormous.

If you look around football as a whole, you’ll see many such cases. I recently did just that. I looked at pictures of every single NFL coach. The following are obese, not all of them morbidly, but all of them significantly: Bill Parcells, Rex Ryan, Eric Magini, Tom Cable, Wade Phillips and Andy Reid. This constitutes a fairly large group, meaning its likely that during any given season, a kid watching his favorite team will see on the sidelines an obese coach.

Yes, their job requires no real expenditure of energy. They don’t have to be in shape in order to do their job, but still, they coach some of the most fit athletes in the world. They are surrounded by workouts. I mean, they lead them. Mark Mangino has repeatedly been criticized by his players for working them too hard, for making practices too physically demanding and too exhausting.

But I have yet to hear any announcer comment on their obesity. Anyone’s first thought, upon seeing Mr. Mangino for the first time, would have to do with his weight. But it is entirely ignored. What isn’t ignored is when a player shows up

to camp out of shape. Jamarcus Russel, the Raiders’ six foot six inch quarterback, came into training camp weighing 300 pounds, 30 over his game-shape weight.

The media exploded with condemnations. How dare he care so little about his fitness! It’s hypocritical! Mangino’s obesity shouldn’t be ignored and neither should Charlie Weis’.

The NFL airs commercials on national television advocating their NFL PLAY 60 program. It advocates that each child should get 60 minutes of exercise per day “in order to combat childhood obesity.”

Yet they allow morbidly obese coaches.

They say nothing. We ought to be appalled. How can we expect kids to take the NFL’s method to heart when they see so many obese coaches on the sidelines, being showered in praise and garnering massive contracts?

This double standard is disgusting. It is detrimental to the league’s well-intentioned programs and by rewarding these coaches it certainly sends the wrong message about what is and isn’t OK. But this isn’t just football. As a culture we seem to largely ignore the fact that obesity ought not be acceptable. It hurts everyone and benefits no one, not the people who will die because of it, not the kids who we beg to get fit early and stay fit. I am tired of hearing that obesity isn’t a lifestyle choice or is simply genetic or is only a symptom of a culture awash in fast-food and grease and sugar. At some point we have to hold obese people themselves somewhat responsible. I wonder how anyone who played under Coach Mangino could stomach the irony of his demands that they work, work, work!

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SPORTS

12

December 10, 2009

Missionaries destroy cross-town rival Wolves DOUG

LAS

Whitman students qualify for 2009 Boston marathon

by STATEN HUDSON Staff Reporter Three figures cut a stark profile against the muted yellowy-brown backdrop of Pike’s Peak. Only the steady crunch of gravel sliding beneath the rubber soles of their well-worn running shoes can be heard.

It’s late afternoon and the sun is beginning to set on the Walla Walla valley, casting a shadow over the town below.

After a while, one of the runners stops, puts his hands behind his head and gazes down at the sweeping panorama before him.

“You guys want to run the Seattle marathon?” he asks his two companions who stop nearby. They look at each other a moment.

“Why not?” they answer in unison, without missing a beat.

On Sunday, Nov. 29, sophomores Oliver Wood and Elliot Broze and senior Warren McDermott ran in the Seattle Marathon. McDermott and Broze both completed the marathon in under 3:30, while Wood completed the race with a time of 3:05, making him eligible to run in the Boston Marathon if he chooses.

“It just seemed like a good idea,” said Wood. “The three of us runners were a part of the now-defunct varsity ski program, so we had lots of time and flexibility to train.”

During October, Wood, McDermott and Broze, who are all members of the club Nordic team, trained hard, averaging between 50-70 miles of long-distance running, prepping them for the upcoming Nordic season and getting them ready for the race.

According to Wood, though, training was pretty informal.

“Every once in a while we would be sitting around on a random night, and we would just up and decide to run for two or three hours the next day. I loved the spontaneity of deciding to run for an afternoon and not worry about having a distinct training schedule.”

The three did try to prepare for the notoriously hilly Seattle course, making frequent trips up the forest service roads that skirt Pike’s peak, but the majority

of the time, said Broze, the three ran around Bennington Lake or the “farm loop” out Robison Ranch Road.

“I didn’t think that the hills of Seattle would be much of a problem after training in the Blues,” said Broze. “But I was sadly mistaken.”

The race starts in the city center near the Space Needle, goes southeast across Lake Washington, through the old growth forest on the south end of Seattle and ends at Memorial Stadium downtown.

“The Seattle marathon was incredibly beautiful,” said McDermott. “I have run a few other marathons in New York, and Seattle takes the prize. There were so many people and so much focused energy between everyone that it was hard to see straight.”

For Wood, the marathon was a chance to reconnect with some of his family and friends and continue a legacy.

“Part of the course is about half a block from my house,” said Wood. “We ran past my parents, [Broze]’s parents, my neighbors and four of my close friends, all cheering like crazy. This was my favorite part of the run. My parents used to run marathons and it was cool to see how our positions had swapped.”

In October, seniors Megan Bush and Katie Rouse competed in the Portland Marathon. Bush and Rouse trained hard during the summer and ran around Bennington Lake and a few other routes recommended by friends.

Record-setting numbers meant a congested race for the two.

“At the start, there were so many people that it took about two minutes after the gun went off for us to reach the start line and we were in the first ‘wave’,” said Bush. “I don’t know how many waves there were, but there was just a sea of people behind us, I’d say at least three or four waves.”

The marathon was a first for both Bush and Rouse.

“I’d run a couple half marathons and knew I wanted to try one eventually, and this just seemed like the right time to try it out,” said Bush. “I think I’m hooked though—there will be more.”

by DUJIE TAHAT Sports Editor With only an eight-player rotation that featured three first-years, the Whitman women handed the Wolves of Walla Walla University a lopsided 76-28 loss last night on their home floor, the Wolf Den. As the teams took the court, the physical disadvantage was readily apparent. Only two active players on the entire Wolves’ roster were above 5’ 7” as opposed to the imposing 6’3” frames of sophomore Kirsten Vaculik and junior Rebecca Sexton.

Immediately after the tip off, Whitman jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and never looked back.

To say the Wolves played poorly is like saying Brett Farve is God—it’s an understatement. The Wolves lacked any semblance of direction on both ends of the court. There was no apparent offensive game plan. Their play was lackadaisical. And they were called on numerous shot clock violations. Recognizing the lack of an offensive threat, the Missionaries applied the full court pressure, stifling their opponents and outscoring them 22-7.

Midway through the first half, the Missionaries eased into a zone, daring their opponents to take a shot and exploiting the lazy careless passes of the Walla Walla Wolves.

Except for two free throws, the Whitman women held the Wolves scoreless for the last eight minutes of the first half. Junior Jessica Brice nailed a three-pointer in the corner in the closing seconds, giving Whitman a 47-13 advantage going into halftime.

The second half was not much different. Unfortunately for all the spectators, there was no miracle comeback in store for the Wolves.

Defense seemed to be the emphasis though, as Whitman came out of the gates, a talkative group, very active on defense. They shifted to a man-toman scheme that forced three consecutive turnovers to start the half, and forced just 20 percent shooting for the Wolves.

“We mixed it up a bit. We didn’t pressure so much [in the 2nd half ].

It was an opportunity to try a few things,” said Head Coach Michelle Ferenz.

With seven minutes left in the game, junior Anna Forge picked a lazy pass, and led the fast break up-court.

She bounce passed to senior Hilary White who cut into the lane for an uncontested lay-up to cap a 17-4 run

COURTESY OF SUNN KIM Anna Forge ‘12 led the Whitman women’s stifling defensive effort with seven steals against Walla Walla University, Tuesday in College Place.

by the Missionaries and that’s the kind of night it was for White and the Missionaries.

Except for a play here and a shot there, the Wolves were outmatched in every way conceivable.

Forge played an outstanding allaround game with eight points, six rebounds, four assists, plus seven steals on the night. Brice sparked the offense, as she dished out 10 assists to go with her seven points. And White was sensational, scoring 10 consecutive Whitman points on two lay-ups, four free-throws and a three-pointer.

She ended the night with 21 points, two assists and nine rebounds.

Sexton, Vaculik and first-year Mary Madden provided a very solid presence in the post. Combined, they had 32 points and 18 rebounds as they swamped the Wolves, the final score reading 76-28.

With the win, the Whitman women climb above .500 for the first time this

season, boasting a 4-3 record overall outside their Northwest Conference schedule.

Despite the disappointing 1-3 start, the struggle has been more than just winning games. The Whitman women have been plagued with injury bug and have only had two days of practice with all 12 players on the court.

With potential season-ending injuries for sophomore Jennifer Keyes, junior Janele Peterson and senior Michelle Krall, the rest of the team has had to readjust.

“The expectations for the team are really high but we’ve been annihilated by injury. We’re going to have redefine ourselves,” Ferenz said. “We don’t have the depth we thought we would. We could potentially have just nine players, with two freshmen splitting time at the point. It’s really hard to redefine ourselves in December but it’s better than trying to redefine ourselves in January during conference play.”

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T he Pio is hir ing

!

Applications for spring semester are due Friday, Dec. 11 at midnight A  N E I E W C A  A D

A S E P E P M D M A D

Position descriptions and application forms are available online at http://whitmanpioneer.com/apply/ For those interested in working as staff reporters, photographers, illustrators and production assistants, applications for these positions will open next week Questions can be directed to Molly Smith, at smithmk@whitman.edu.

Happy Holidays

from the Pioneer