Whitman College Pioneer - Issue 6 Fall 2009

SPECIAL FEATURE

e n e c s g u r d s u p Cam Whitman under the counter

DRILLING, SHEETROCK: VOLUNTEER LESSONS

LOCAL BASKET BALL PLAYER SIGNS WITH LAKERS

CONCERT FEATURES STUDENTS’ COMPOSING TALENT

OPINION, page 8

SPORTS, page 11

A&E , page 4

WHITMAN COLLEGE Walla Walla, WA Volume CXXV / Issue 6 whitmanpioneer.com O , 

Campus groups rally for R-71 Whitman Civil Liberties Union works to pass Referendum 71, which would expand domestic partnerships

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Staff Reporter With the November election approaching, some Whitman students are working hard to educate the campus about Referendum 71.

“I’ve just been pushing the word to FOR MORE: See page 7 for columist Joey Kern’s opinion on R-71.

anyone who’s interested,” said senior Kelli Kuhlman, co-president of the Whitman Civil Liberties Union (WCLU).

Essentially, R-71 would extend the same benefits that married couples have in the state of Washington to registered domestic partnerships. Kuhlman says that not all domestic partnerships are same-sex—people can qualify if one member of a partnership is a senior age 62 or over. For her, supporting R-71 is an issue of equality.

“I really believe that everyone should have the same rights,” Kuhlman said.

“The ACLU’s all for equal protections and approving R-71 would continue R-71, page 2

Sexual assault reports increase Fall Visitors’ Day breaks Northwest boundaries BULLION

Marisa Ikert of Portland, Ore., learns about Whitman from tour guide Chapman Strong ‘12. One hundred five students from accross the country attended Friday’s Fall Visitors’ Day.

Maxwell speaks to sexual assault findings in recent annual security report

by GILLIAN FREW Executive Editor

In an annual security report released Thursday, Oct. 1, sent by Associate Dean of Students/Student Programs Barbara Maxwell to students, faculty and staff, the college provided a breakdown of crimes reported on and around campus during the most recent three-year period from 2006-2008. This data include instances of assault, theft and drug and alcohol violations, with several categories designated to reports of sexual misconduct.

Maxwell, along with campus security, the Walla Walla Police Department, residence life and other administrative offices, compiled the 25-page report in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires all colleges and universities to disclose timely information about crime and security policies on campus.

According to the report, 2008 saw a sharp upswing in the number of reported forcible rapes at Whitman, with 15 instances occurring on-campus or in areas defined as adjacent to or accessible from campus, 2.5 times the number reported for 2007.

To find out more about what those numbers mean and what is involved in the process of reporting sexual assault at Whitman, The Pioneer sat down with Maxwell, who also serves as the college’s sexual misconduct prevention coordinator.

The Pioneer: What do you believe caused the number of reported instances of forcible rape to go up in 2008?

Maxwell: I don’t have any reason to believe that the number of instances has dramatically altered one way or another in the last couple of years. I think the number of people who have completed a reporting form is what has increased.

The Pioneer: What’s the value of completing the report, other than just following the law?

Maxwell: There’s value in counting the number of instances that happen on campus . . . This number, more than anything, [reflects how] the culture on this campus has changed such that a significant number of people feel comfortable confiding in someone else and actually reporting their incident. Would that have been true ten years ago? No. The Pioneer: Many of the rapes reported last year took place off-campus.

Why do you think that is?

Maxwell: There was nothing in 2008 that would say, ‘Ah-ha! That’s why so many happened off-campus.’ Most things that are going to fit into the category of forcible rape, which is really both completed and attempted [penetration], the thing it needs is a secluded place. So really, any space that’s secluded—and that could be a residence hall room, that could be a room in a fraternity, it could be an offcampus house or an apartment—has the potential for that to occur. Why so many seemed to happen off campus last year? I can’t answer that, I have no idea.

The Pioneer: What’s your message for students who are sexually assaulted?

A SSAULT, page 3

Reported forcible rapes at Whitman in 2008, by location

by LEA NEGRIN Staff Reporter Prospective students and their family members flocked to Whitman on Friday, Oct. 9, for the first of two Fall Visitors’ Days.

Of the 260 people in attendance, 105 were prospective students. The students who came hailed from 13 different states.

“We even have someone from Texas,” said senior and admissions intern Rachel Hahn, who greeted visitors along with senior Jacqueline Kamm.

Throughout the last decade, the student body has shifted from comprising of approximately 50 percent Washington students to less than one third. The college continues to evolve into more of a national and international institution rather than a regional one, according to Assistant Director of Admissions Victoria Lidzbarski and Director of Admissions Kevin Dyerly.

“Whitman’s biggest challenge is that it’s off the beaten path . . . once students come visit, this place sells itself,” Dyerly said.

This growth in recognition is not because Whitman has changed its identity, according to Dyerly, but rather because of the awards Whitman continues to receive

from third-party ranking systems such as the Princeton Review and Colleges That Changes Lives. Due to these reviews the school’s name has reached more ears across the globe, attracting an increasingly diverse student body. Locations of postgraduate work also spread Whitman’s name to more distant locations.

“My college counselor recommended Whitman and my principal spoke really highly of it,” said Ashley Rassi, a visiting high school senior from Ohio.

Throughout Visitors’ Day, prospective students toured the campus, learned about Whitman’s curriculum and participated in various programs including academic sampling and listening to a student panel on their Whitman experience.

“I am impressed with how friendly everyone is,” said Rassi. “I liked that they kept things in small groups but I wish that there had been more time to go to a real class.”

Despite the recession, Whitman has continued to receive more and more applicants. “[Whitman’s applicant pool] has been up four to six percent consecutively for the last couple years,” Lidzbarski said.

Each year, Whitman reaches out to ap-

proximately 30,000 prospective students through pamphlets, emails and letters. A typical applicant pool is around 35,000 students. With international recognition rising, Whitman’s applicant numbers have increased in recent years. “[Whitman’s applicant pool] has been up four to six percent consecutively for the last couple years,” Lidzbarski said.

Even the national recession hasn’t caused a dip in applications, despite the college’s sticker price surpassing $48,000 this year.

Whitman increased its financial aid by over a million dollars from last year to this year to meet the needs of students, as reported previously by The Pioneer. The college’s ability to address this issue is due in part to the support from friends of the college such as alumni.

“We used every penny of it to retain students,” Dyerly said.

As national and international regard for Whitman increases, and financial assistance for students stays strong, Whitman will likely continue to attract students from increasingly diverse regions.

Soon, even someone from Texas may not seem so remarkable.

RESIDENT ADVISORS CITY TAX TO FUND TEACH SUCCESSORS

INFRASTRUCTURE

by RACHEL ALEXANDER

by MAGGIE ALLEN

Staff Reporter

A group of 20 sophomores and juniors gathered in the Jewett Lounge on Monday, Oct. 5, to learn about becoming Resident Advisors.

A panel of current RAs answered questions and talked about the application process, as well as the benefits *In Whitman’s Annual Security Report, and struggles that come with instances reported in the residence halls the job.

category are included in the on-campus statistics

T H I S

W E E K ’ S

“Sometimes you feel like it’s a thankless job,” said junior and Jewett 3-West RA Caitlin Moore. “But just knowing that you might make a difference in someone’s life . . . it’s cute.”

Applications for prospective RAs are available until Friday, Oct. 16.

“It’s always an exciting time of year for us,” said Sean Gehrke, the assistant director of the Residence R A , page 2

Staff Reporter Walla Walla City Council plans to increase utility taxes in order to pave the way for repairs and replacements to the city’s crumbling public works infrastructure.

The new tax, which goes into effect in January 2010 and would raise the average utility bill by $5.35 per year, will pay for improvements to the city’s sewage, water and

street systems as part of the Infrastructure Sustainability Plan. Construction will begin in 2011.

“It’s come to a point that our infrastructure is just crumbling under our streets,” said Wrandoll Brenes, city engineer for Walla Walla.

“We need and want to create an infrastructure for citizens that is sustainable in the long run . . . so our business plan needs to have the funds and ISP, page 3

COL U M N S :

Kickin’ it old school: How to get the most out of command time

‘The Elephant Man’

Rio de Janiero to host 2016 Summer Olympics

Alumni reclaim community

Easy to get lost in Lips’ new album

T ECH T IME

NETFLIX I T

COMMEN TARY

REFLECT IONS

MUSIC REVIEW

by Gary Wang

by Andrew Hall

page 9

page 4

by Blair Frank page 7

by C. J. Wisler page 4

by Jay Gold and Bidnam Lee page 12

NEWS

2

R-71: WCLU helps students register to vote

October 15, 2009O

from page 1 that.”

Referendum 71 was originally Senate Bill 5688, which was passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on May 18, 2009.

However, citizens opposed to the bill gathered enough signatures to place it as a referendum on the November ballot, allowing the voters of Washington to decide whether the law should stand.

For Kulhman, the main issue has been making sure students know about the referendum.

“Because it’s not an election year, people aren’t as active in voting,” she said. “The biggest group that we need to have vote is the young people.”

To make sure Washington voters are aware of R-71, the WCLU set up a table in Reid for a week during lunch and talked to students about the importance of voting. They’ve also helped people register to vote in Washington.

Kuhlman says they’ve also made efforts to involve Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College through the Network for Young Walla Walla.

But if the students for R-71 are so active, where are the dissenting voices? Senior Alex Potter speculates that conservative students are afraid to speak up.

“I doubt a conservative at Whitman would openly discuss this issue because it’s kind of a death wish to oppose gay marriage on this campus,” he said.

First-year Nick Marquiss says he opposes the bill because it doesn’t go far enough.

“I think it’s kind of a sham to cover up equal rights and marriage,” he said.

However, he has no plans to campaign against it.

“I’ll vote against it, but that’s it,” he said.

Students have had mixed success trying to talk to their peers about the issue.

“A lot of the people I know aren’t voters in Washington,” said first-year Matt Morriss. “We can talk about it but we can’t do anything about it. I feel sort of helpless in that regard.”

Morriss is a member of both the Coalition Against Homophobia and GLBTQ, but says neither group has talked to its members about R-71.

“They haven’t really brought it up in meetings, which I think is really weird, because we have Washington residents,” he said.

Kulhman says many Whitman students seem to be aware of the issue.

“They know what R-71 is or at least have heard of it,” she said.

For voters in the state of Washington, absentee ballots will be mailed out on Oct. 14, 2009. Kulhman hopes that enough voters will turn out and vote for the referendum.

“It’s really up in the air right now,” she said.

Corrections for Issue 5, Oct. 8 “Delays expected on Seattle route” on page 1 identified Allen Jurgens.

Mr. Juergens’s first name is Steve.

“Bratton tennis goes solar” on page 1 misspelled Camila Thorndike’s name as Camilla.

“Students who will change the world” at the bottom of page 1 misspelled Seth Bergeson’s name as Berguson.

“Slam poets set sights high” on page 4 credited Dorian Zimmerman with the first response instead of Eli Singer.

“Ski club, athletic department at odds over returning coach” on page 12 credited the quote beginning with “What we are looking for...” to Sean Kinney instead of Dean Snider.

VON HAFFTEN Joe Cohen ‘12 and Jake Schwartz ‘12 help fill balloons for Saturday’s Apple Harvest Festival. The Children’s Museum of Walla Walla event relied on Phis and other volunteers to run booths and help with games.

Phis assist Children’s Museum festival, anniversary celebration

by LEA NEGRIN Reporter Families who flocked to the Children’s Museum of Walla Walla for the Apple Harvest Festival the evening of Saturday, Oct. 10, were able to enjoy a carnival-style array of festivities, with the help of volunteers from organizations including AmeriCorps and Whitman’s Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

“It was definitely a joint effort,” said Emily Shultz, who grew up in Walla Walla and is currently the Volunteer Coordinator for the Children’s Museum as well as a member of AmeriCorps.

Seven Phi students stayed in Walla Walla during the four-day weekend to help with the festival.

“We like events like this where we get to see the bigger community,” said Phi Philanthropy Chair Zach Duffy.

Bundled in scarves and coats, children ran from room to room in the mu-

seum, as well as from booth to booth outside. Admission to the festival was free. To play the various games, children handed over 25 cent tickets that were purchased at the door.

“My name is Sabrina and I think it’s great!” one child said after playing a treasure hunt game and continuing to the nearby cookie walk, a colorful butterfly painted across her face.

The Apple Festival was also the celebration of the museum’s fifth anniversary. The museum strives to make learning fun and productive for children through hands-on activities. The festival demonstrated that approach through games such as the harvest market and Italian restaurant. Kids could do their own shopping in the market using the raffle tickets or cook in the restaurant’s play kitchen.

The many volunteers enjoyed the festival as much as the children.

“It seems really fun. I’m sure I would have liked it,” said ‘09 alumna

Linda Mummy, who helped at the hat toss booth. Since graduating, Mummy joined AmeriCorps and is currently stationed at Edison Elementary in Walla Walla.

Jake Shwartz and Joe Cohen, sophomore Phi volunteers, served pizza to their eager young customers.

“We thought it would be a fun thing to do,” said Schwartz.

The level of support the museum received from the community could be seen by the large number of people helping run the booths, as well as the many families from the local community who attended. The museum’s halls were crowded and no booth stayed empty for long. A constant line of kids stood before the bouncy castle and go fish game.

“It’s fantastic,” said Executive Director of the Children’s Museum Amy Woiblet.

New group would put efficient light in low-income homes

by JOSH GOODMAN Associate News Editor If Whitman’s newest environmental group gets its way, many of Walla Walla’s low-income households will shine brighter this winter with donated compact fluorescent lights.

The yet unnamed environmental justice group, inspired by similar projects at Duke University and Yale, hopes to start installing the energy-saving light bulbs as early as next month. When the new light bulbs go in will depend on contributions from corporations and non-profits.

“We were a lot more interested in the social side of environmentalism,” said senior Natalie Popovich. “We were talking about starting a green jobs group this year and [Campus Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Curtis] brought in the idea of installing, so it was kind of [a question of] ‘why aren’t we doing that here?’”

The compact fluorescent lights the group plans to install use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, according to Energy Star, drastically reducing their carbon emissions. They also last 10 times as long. But the upfront cost of the more expensive CFLs can be an obstacle for low-income households living paycheck to paycheck or with no pay at all.

Money is also the obstacle between this group’s ambitions and making their project a reality.

“We’re trying to get resources,” said Popovich. “We have a little money to start with, but we’re trying to get the momentum behind it.” “[We need to] find either a source of grants or Wal-Mart or Home Depot or a distributor of CFLs who will give them out for free or at a low-price so we can give them for a long period of time,” said senior Tyler Harvey, who is also involved in the project.

While no company has made a firm commitment to the new group, the

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group is currently in communication with Wal-Mart.

“We are trying to figure out something where we can either donate the light bulbs or donate money to help out with the cost,” said Steve Deck, community involvement coordinator at the College Place Wal-Mart. “There’s also the possibility of some of the associates at the store getting together to help pass out the light bulbs.”

Deck believes Wal-Mart’s role in this project can go beyond simply donating or discounting light bulbs.

“The community that we get into the store, they see that we’re part of it and they want to be a part of it, too,” he said.

To that end, Deck hopes the project, as well as Wal-Mart’s use of CFLs, will make the community more passionate about energy efficiency.

Meanwhile, Popovich is hoping for firm commitments from Wal-Mart, Pacific Power and other entities.

“The idea has been very well em-

braced, but it’s hard to do concrete things like find a lot of money, or actually walk up to someone and give them a bunch of light bulbs,” she said. “Those are all ob-

stacles, but I think there’s so many good things and positive responses we’ve been getting. Everyone we talk to gets really excited about it.”

CORNELIUS

A new environmental justice group plans to help low-income households in Walla Walla use energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

RAs: Recession spurs interest from page 1 Life and Housing Office.

Gehrke said a lot of interested students have already stopped by the office to pick up an application or sign up to receive more information about the application process.

“The recession is kind of the wild card factor this year,” he said.

According to Jewett Resident Director (RD) Justin Daigneault, many other small colleges are seeing a rising number of applicants for RA positions, since RAs receive free room and board. Gehrke said it’s too early to tell if this year’s applicant pool will be larger than last year’s.

The applicants are excited about the possibility of becoming an RA, regardless of financial considerations.

“I had two really awesome RAs when I was a freshman,” said sophomore applicant Paul Kruss. “I want to be able to give everyone else that sort of experience and be part of it again.”

As a first-year, Kruss lived in E section of Lyman, affectionately known, along with D section of Lyman, as the Tower.

Kruss notes that his RAs did a wonderful job of connecting with the residents.

“Pretty much everyone [who lived last year in] the Tower is applying to be an RA,” he said.

Sophomore Chrissy Delicata, also a former Tower resident, agrees that being an RA would be a good opportunity to connect with first-years.

“You get to be a liaison into a new environment for them,” she said. “I think that would be really rewarding.”

Current RAs and RDs are involved in the selection process and conduct preliminary interviews with applicants.

“We’re looking for leadership skills,” said senior Justin Daigneault. He also stressed the importance of being able to relate to students from a variety of backgrounds. “[RAs should be] open to diversity, appreciating, recognizing and celebrating the different places people are coming

from,” he said.

Senior Daichi Hirata, now serving his second year as an RA, remembers his own application process.

“I was really scared,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure if I would be a great RA, but I had a feeling that I really wanted to be one, even if I didn’t have a clear conception of what that would be like for me.”

He stresses that the applicant’s ability to offer residents their skills is not the only consideration for potential RAs. What the potential RA would learn is also important.

“I really look for people [where] it’s equally valuable for them,” he said.

“Through that process, residents can grow as well, seeing the RA grow with them.”

Veteran RAs agree that the experience has been an integral part of their time at Whitman.

“They always say, ‘Once an RA, always an RA,’” said Daigneault. “It was a great experience. It made me who I am today.”

NEWS

9October 15, 2009

Assault: Fear still obstacle despite ‘advanced’ campus from page 1 Maxwell: I have a checklist of things that I will talk to a student about. And those will include things like safe housing—are you living in a place where you feel safe? Has this impacted your academics? Have you sought any kind of medical treatment? Do you need to?

Have you thought about seeing anyone in the counseling center? Do you need or want to? And then we always talk about the judicial component. Part of that is, are you interested in reporting this to the police? If so, I’m happy to go with you. And then we’ll talk about reporting it to the college.

The Pioneer: What’s the difference between reporting sexual assault to the police and reporting it to the college?

Maxwell: In a criminal case, you [the individual accused of assault] could lose your rights, you could be incarcerated. At Whitman, the most significant thing that anyone can do to you is deny you the right to be a student here—we could expel you and just say, ‘you’re done, you’re not coming back,’ because we’re not a court of law; we’re not pretending to be a court of law.

The Pioneer: Why do you think some students choose to report sexual assault to the college but not to the police?

Maxwell: Often times they want something done, but when you start thinking this male or female student could end up in jail, a lot of times they’re like, ‘I don’t want to go there.’ That doesn’t mean that they don’t want the institution to make a statement and to do something . . . One of the things I hear frequently is, ‘I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.’ That’s probably the number-one thing I hear. The second thing is, ‘I want this person to learn that this behavior is wrong, that this was harmful, this was hurtful.’ I very rarely get, ‘I want an apology.’ The Pioneer: What’s your approach when speaking with victims about their options?

Maxwell: I don’t push. It’s not my job to push. But it’s definitely my job to inform and to talk to them about filing a report with the campus. And I can’t do that for students. I have the same responsibility of confidentially that the health center and the counseling center have, so no matter how much I think a student should report, I can’t do that on behalf of a student, nor would I ever. I can encourage a student to seriously think about it, and I do.

The Pioneer: In your opinion, how prevalent is sexual assault at Whitman?

Maxwell: I have had certain women say, ‘you know, Barbara, if every man and every woman at Whitman report-

ed every time that they were inappropriately groped, you’d have hundreds, hundreds of these slips on your desk every Monday. So they’re probably right. There are certain behaviors that have become so commonplace that I think the majority of students shrug them off.

The Pioneer: What about men reporting sexual assault?

Maxwell: I have had two male students who’ve come in to talk to me specifically about their incidents, and neither of those students chose to go forward with any kind of conduct option . . . my guess is we’re probably still very, very under-reported in terms of the number of males who it occurs to.

The Pioneer: Why do you think some students come talk to you weeks, months or even years after being assaulted?

Maxwell: Sometimes it’s just having someone help you make sense of what happened. For some students it’s very otherworldly, like, ‘did it really happen? Did this thing really happen to me?’ And you know it did, but it still feels almost like it happened to someone else . . . I’ve had people talk about trying to run, but it feels like you’re in waist-deep water and no matter how fast you go, you don’t move.

The Pioneer: Since you started work at Whitman, how many cases of sexual assault do you recall being prosecuted?

Maxwell: I got here in the summer of ’90, but I do think in that ’89-’90 school year we had two Whitman students who did report to the police and I think that whatever court proceedings happened were in that spring before I got there. They took the stronger case first and I believe it lost, so they never took the second case. As far as I know, [during] my twenty years that’s the only one that ever made it all the way to a court . . . it doesn’t happen very often.

The Pioneer: Why do so many students choose not to report sexual assault?

Maxwell: Fear is still the numberone obstacle and it’s the fear that other people will find out and judge them.

And I think as advanced as Whitman is, there’s still a significant number of people that buy into rape myths. If somebody’s been sexually assaulted, the first instinct is to figure out what he or she did to have that happen to them. It’s like if you went downtown and you got mugged, and you came back, people wouldn’t say, ‘well, why did you have your computer with you?

Why did you have your purse? Why did you have money? How stupid of you.’ We wouldn’t say that. We’d say, ‘oh my God, I can’t believe that, are you okay?’ I mean, immediately the blame would be on the person that harmed you. In any kind of sex offense

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CLERY ACT: REPORTS OF FORCIBLE R APE AT WHI TMAN

residence halls 1

non-campus property 3

on campus 2

residence halls 2

off campus 1

2006

off campus 2

2007 Total: 6

Total: 7 case, we’re not there yet. We’re getting better, but we’re not there. We still have too many people that immediately blame the person that was harmed, like, ‘what’d she do, what’d he do, why did you drink that, why did you go there, what were you thinking?’ It’s the only crime where the victim has to prove that he or she isn’t guilty.

on campus 2

The Pioneer: What’s Whitman’s ultimate goal in addressing sexual assault?

Maxwell: Our goal shouldn’t be to have any better of a policy than we already have or to put into place too many more resources because that requires somebody who’s already been harmed. We need to put our efforts

BOGGAN

and our resources into prevention.

For more information on Whitman’s sexual misconduct policy, visit http:// www.whitman.edu/content/smrn.

The annual security report is also available online at http://www.whitman.edu/content/security/annualreport.

ISP: Pipes leak 26 percent of city’s water year but will have to pay for the improved infrastructure. We have to be aware that when we raise these rates, we are raising them on some people that do not have any source of income to pay for those rising costs.�

Mayor Dan Johnson also realizes the hardship new taxes can create. “It’s going to be harder for the citizens because it’s going to cost more money because you have to repair the whole infrastructure,� Johnson said. “It looks like it’s going to cost an extra thirty dollars [over five years] for each tax payer.�

The plan will also focus on improving sidewalk accessibility at intersections, repairing curb and gutter systems that fail to facilitate management of stormwater runoff, encouraging citizen involvement in streetscape and sidewalk improvement projects and enhancing the quality of life throughout Walla Walla. “This is a long process and it’s going to take years,� Johnson said. “You just don’t jump in and do it in a few years, but it’s a good place to start.�

The brains behind this project hope this plan is very successful because it is vital for the citizens and the community, even if it raises taxes. “It’s a mixed bag,� Cummings said. “You want to get these things done . . . you want to make it a better society and do what’s right, but at the same time you

have to figure out how to satisfy the community.�

The mayor also believes that there is going to be debate and discussion once the new tax goes into effect. “It’s going to cost money,� Johnson said, “But it’s a great plan to conserve our water because we have leaky pipes. 25 percent of our water is going through leaky pipes and right in the ground instead of going

into our system.�

Brenes thinks that this plan will benefit everyone in the long run, even if, at first, it does not seem practical. “It’s critical for our safety, health, our citizens,� he said. “We need to have a sustainable plan and what we have been living with in the past has not been sustainable.�

E

vision for the future.�

Analysis of Walla Walla’s sewer system by Infiltration and Inflow shows that during the winter, nine million gallons of wastewater flow into the treatment plant per day. However, less than half that amount is received for treatment during the drier months because the broken and deteriorating sewer pipes allow untreated sewage to seep into a shallow aquifer. This is because of the absence of hydrostatic pressure from groundwater that is present during the wetter months.

The water system is also leaking, and the number of leakages has increased each year, according to Walla Walla’s Water Division. One billion gallons per year are lost annually because of broken and undersized pipes. That is equivalent to 1,514 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or 26 percent of the water treated for distribution.

Then there’s the degradation of the streets. Lack of a sound budget and a comprehensive policy to establish methods to repair the streets have prevented necessary patchwork.

With three failing infrastructures, City Council felt the need for the ISP. “This is the first time that we’ve come together with a comprehensive plan that says that these problems are interrelated

and we should address them as a whole together,� said Brenes.

City Council and the town have realized in the last ten years that this job is not a small undertaking. “It’s come to a point that our infrastructure is just crumbling under our streets,� Brenes said. “We need and want to create an infrastructure for citizens that is sustainable in the long run . . . so our business plan needs to have the funds and vision for the future.�

The ISP has been developed to address these infrastructure issues. A long-term commitment, the ISP will work on a six year plan to target areas for replacement of all three systems so that future generations may have safe and efficient systems. “Our infrastructure will affect me as much as it will affect my children and my grandchildren, and sustainability is a way of continuing services in an efficient manner, and that’s what we should do,� said City Council member Jerry Cummings.

At this point, January’s tax increase is the main concern for the City Council and Walla Walla’s citizens. “Many people living in Walla Walla are trying to keep their homes, and we are looking at raising cost annually for a lot of services,� Cummings said. “The widow or retired person that is living on social security will get no increase in benefits this

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A&E

The Pioneer ISSUE 6 OCT. 15, 2009 Page 4

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Composers’ Concert provides Aloha Sushi to platform for student talent open lounge in old

Wildberries location

by C.J. WISLER Staff Reporter

At the Whitman Composers’ Concert, student composers’ works “see the light for the first time,” said Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music John D. Earnest.

The concert, which took place on Thursday, Oct. 8, celebrated each student composer’s hard work and dedication to music by showcasing their various pieces of music to the Whitman community.

Students who take at least one semester of a composition class are usually asked to perform one or more of their final works at the Composers’ Concert.

“I feel like I’m a pretty creative person and so it made sense to have an outlet for music and creativity and get some direction towards a final piece,” said junior Emily Allen. “The Composers’ Concert is something that Professor Earnest really pushes us to be a part of at the end of the year.”

Many of the students take the composition class more than once, focusing on different styles each term. Students typically start by composing suites, which focus on a series of movements that share a common theme. Another form that composition students work with is a theme and variations style, which typically includes a passage of another composer’s piece, followed by transitions to a variety of original pieces that build on the style of the original.

“I think the class really forced me to write with a specific conception of style and flow of the music, rather than a random archaic piece,” said junior Jonathan Spatola-Knoll.

The concert featured works by each student composer, including Allen’s “Suite for Piano”, senior Harrison Fulop’s jazz piece—the only piece to include a singer—“Lonely Songs on Poems of Maya Angelou,” Knoll’s piano and violin duet “Variations on a Theme by Prokofeiv,” senior Marshall Baker’s piano piece “Variations on a Theme by Clara Baker” and senior Kevin McCoy’s piece for a saxophone quartet, entitled “Variations on a Theme by Coltrane, ‘Lonnie’s Lament.’”

For Allen, the class was an important experience as she worked to hone her piece as well as to develop the overall theme.

“I was struck by a particular melody

by CAITLIN HARDEE Staff Reporter

PHOTOS BY CORNELIUS Top: Geneva Faulkner ‘11 joins Johnathan Spatola-Knoll ‘11 to perform his own duet for piano and violin. Bottom: McKenna Milici ‘11 performs a jazz piece, “Lonely Songs on Poems of Maya Angelou,” by Harrison Fulop ‘10.

that just sticks with you, which is the melody in the Waltz [the second movement],” said Allen. “[The class] helped me stretch beyond that simple melody to include to other movements that add a little different sound to the overall piece.”

For students such as Fulop, who have taken more than one semester of the course, the class helped to improve his composition and his musical analysis skills, which are especially important to him as a music performance major.

“Sometimes it’s really difficult to translate what you want to say to the audience into music and the class helped me experiment with how to do that,” said Fulop. “It also really helped me

NETFLIX IT: ‘THE ELEPHANT MAN’

by C.J. WISLER Staff Reporter “My life is full because I know I am loved.” As the final line of a movie, this could be pretty bad. Anyone could easily brush it off as a vapid romantic

WOLFF

statement passed melodramatically from a hunky gentleman to a beautiful woman. But when “The Elephant Man” confidently and happily says it in the midst of dying, it is far from overly sentimental or vapid.

David Lynch’s masterpiece “The Elephant Man” is an artist’s telling of the real-life story of Joseph (called John) Merrick. Merrick suffered from a congenital condition that severely deformed his body—hence his freak-show name “The Elephant Man.” The movie, while not completely true to

the original story, follows Merrick through his London Whitechapel Hos-

think harder about what the composer wants in his piece. It gave me a whole new perspective on how music is created and interpreted.”

The concert was followed by a question and answer session, where the audience asked the young composers about their works. Although in previous years, audience members “tend to be quiet,” according to Fulop, at this year’s concert, audience members were interested and actively participated in the discussion, eager to give feedback about each student’s pieces.

“People weren’t shy at all,” said Fulop.

“They asked critical questions about the piece, which made me re-evaluate what I had written. I hate doing it, but it’s probably good for me.”

pital stay and his relationship with physician Frederick Treves.

This movie, while a little dated, and perhaps cliché—how many movies have been made about a special, though disabled, individual re-evaluating what it means to be human?—is ultimately remarkable in many respects. Lynch’s choice of black-and-white filming, much like his cult classic “Eraserhead,” is beautiful, dark and surreal. The music and sounds stir up the workhouse age of the late 19th century, with the groans of steam engines combined with soft Danny Elfman-style violin music and frightful sounds of elephant trumpeting in the more surreal moments.

John Hurt, who plays the title character, is unrecognizable in his prostheses. His horrifying, pitiable frame and face is juxtaposed with a soft, gentle voice and demeanor. Hurt, while unable to contort his face to express emotions, uses his soft voice and hesitant demeanor to portray Merrick’s personality. While simple, his reactions to the world definitely water the eyes, whether he is closing his eyes in nervousness or fear or blinking in wonder.

While there are some definite bad guys, such as Merrick’s abusive freakshow owner Bytes—played by the amazing Freddie Jones—and a night porter who uses Merrick. The “good guys” of the story, while well-meaning, often treat Merrick simply as a more sophisticated freak rather than a human being. Anthony Hopkins, who plays Dr. Treves, is fantastic as the ambitious yet kindly doctor who cares for Merrick despite his questionable motives.

Although I think many people would find it either too artistic, too sentimental or both, the movie is a classic worth watching. It is a lovely testament to Merrick’s amazing story, and while it is not a heavy mental engagement, it will get your heart and tear ducts working. Merrick’s story, while not heroic, is human, heartfelt, and worthy of attention.

With the closing of local café Wildberries, located just off Main Street, neighboring Aloha Sushi Bar seized the chance to expand its premises and offer Walla Walla a new nightlife opportunity. The old café will be connected to Aloha Sushi and will be called the Longboard Lounge. Aloha Sushi owner Paul Mobley is excited by the opportunity to expand, and was eager to share his plans for the new bar.

“We want to be open before Christmas but certainly we’ll be having a New Year’s Eve party here,” he said. “We’re looking at seating about 20 people, serving hard alcohol, and staying open until eleven at night.”

The lounge will feature a flat-screen TV, providing customers evening football games and, with luck, Japanese game shows. Mobley also intends to continue the decor theme of Aloha Sushi.

“People have requested TV in Aloha Sushi right now, but that’s just not part of my plan – I want people to focus on conversation when they’re dining for sushi, with the chefs and with their dining companions,” said Mobley. “The decor will be a Hawaiian kind of theme— sophisticated, kind of a Ralph Lauren, Tommy Bahama look, with palm trees and sea grass.”

Mobley also explained the circumstances surrounding his desire to acquire added space for Aloha Sushi’s clientele.

“We have a tendency to turn people away on the weekends because they don’t make reservations and we can’t accommodate them quickly enough, so we want a place for them to relax while they’re waiting for sushi seats,” he said.

Mobley plans for the lounge to offer a range of nightlife activities.

“We’ll be able to offer sushi in there, and being able to have that in a bar setting, with TV, might be attractive to

some of the older generation,” he said.

“We’re probably going to do a karaoke night once or twice a week, maybe do some sumo wrestling with [fat] suits once a month. We want to keep it fun and lively.”

Concerning the closing of Wildberries, Mobley spoke highly of owner Judith Henderson’s culinary genius, and explained the circumstances surrounding her decision to close the café and move back to her original base of Dayton. The café and catering company owner had hoped to find new market opportunities in Walla Walla but was forced to close because changes in the local industry.

“When she got here, within three months of being here, four or five other catering companies started up, so that really impacted her. She struggled pretty much the whole time she was here, because the catering business was just oversaturated,” he said.

Beyond the Longboard Lounge’s target of a New Year’s opening party, Mobley intends to use the lounge for a broad range of events and celebrations.

“It’ll give us more flexibility to do parties and those kind of events, high school reunions, private events, etc. I wouldn’t be opposed to live music–we’re really friendly with the Blues Society downtown; we support them quite a bit, so we’ll probably be doing some blues nights, open mic nights and karaoke certainly.”

Aloha Sushi’s customers are cautiously enthusiastic about the lounge.

“I think the area needs something with a little twist to it,” said Jillice Beko.

“As long as it doesn’t spoil the mood of the restaurant itself,” interjected fellow diner Jon Jewett. “If it turns into some twenty-one and over romp, it would be kind of annoying.”

“But we could sample that,” said Beko.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with what we all love.”

MUSIC REVIEW

Easy to get lost in Lips’ new album

by ANDREW HALL Music Reviewer As they re-entered pop culture’s collective consciousness for the second time in the 2000s, the Flaming Lips did two things: they developed a live show that seemed to be getting larger, stranger and more capable of consuming everything around it, but they also made only two albums.

On both records, Wayne Coyne struggled to push his plainspoken meditations on Big Questions (death, death, death, politics, death) and the band didn’t really develop beyond the grandiose arrangements of The Soft Bulletin, where Coyne pulled off the Big Questions thing effortlessly and yielded an unbelievably affecting, utterly essential record in the process.

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was fine, but it achieved nothing that hadn’t been done on its predecessor save for helping the band find a new mass audience, which that live show certainly helped bring about. At War With The Mystics, then, was the band’s first real misfire; Coyne’s reductive, political lyrics and the band’s sudden penchant for infuriating singles combined with longtime producer Dave Fridmann’s complete and total sonic overload made the whole affair overwrought and notably not enjoyable.

On its follow up, Embryonic, the Flaming Lips address their two major issues— wanting to talk about Important Things but having nothing to say about them, as well as bloated production—by sidestepping them completely. For the first time since Clouds Taste Metallicor Zaireeka, they deliver a full-on exploration of texture built on low fidelity recording, skronk, chaos and acid-drenched sonic detours, and it’s a whole lot more fun than anything else they’ve released in the last decade.

Opener “Convinced of the Hex” takes twenty seconds before letting a groove emerge in a wash of recording equipment noise, and when it does, it’s full-on can worship with drummer Steven Drozd banging out a relentless, mechanical beat atop dissonant, minor key synths and two

different layers of fuzz in each stereo channel. Coyne is buried in the mix, the thing drops out more than it comes to an end, and “The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine” picks up into another strange, aggressive rhythm with sampled cell-phone interference.

“Evil” is the first track in which Coyne actually feels like a major presence, and here his voice sounds fragile, weakened by the world surrounding it. Halfway through a low-frequency buzz hijacks the mix, and the signature Lips prettiness gets only a few seconds of airtime before “Aquarius Sabotage,” which sounds like late-period, progged-out Boredoms.

There are other moments where Coyne’s voice gets to break through, but only in the context of nightmarish lullabies, like “If,” with a gentle melody underpinned by creaks, and on “I Can Be A Frog”—where Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs makes a whole bunch of animal noises on a collaboration that sounds like it was recorded over a broken telephone—Coyne sounds like he’s struggling not to burst out laughing over the course of the entire track.

As a whole, Embryonic is certainly overlong, but that really doesn’t matter, since this is the least song-oriented record this band has released since its pre-Warner Bros. existence, when the band’s live setup included a running motorcycle with a microphone in its tailpipe and its operator struggled occasionally not to drive it into crowds. The band is now big on ego death and darkness, and is unafraid to either alienate its fanbase or to release something that sounds like it was an absolute joy to produce for everyone involved.

It’s a record one can easily get lost in, as Drozd’s rhythms and Fridmann’s unbelievably abrasive production are a totally functional hook for most of this record. I haven’t had enough time to truly digest the thing, given its 70+-minute runtime, but it’s a whole lot of fun to take in. And given that, I can finally say that again, America’s premier major-label weirdos are back to deserving that title, even if Kanye West really should probably keep it.

A&E

October 15, 2009

5

Popova publishes short C ROSSWORD stories collection in Bulgaria P UZZLE

by MERRETT KRAHN Staff Reporter “Aren’t you going to ask me about my book?” asked senior Dena Popova, an international student from Bulgaria, at the wrap-up of a conversation concerning her latest film script entry in the NISI MASA International Screenwriting Competition. Popova has had a busy Whitman career, finding success in screenplay writing on an international level and now, publishing her first book, a collection of short stories, poems and photography.

Popova was unsure if she was going to enter a script in the NISI MASA contest this year, even though she found success last year, having her script, entitled “At the End, it Rains,” picked as one of the two representing Bulgaria in the larger European competition.

NISI MASA is a collaboration of European organizations representing 19 countries that work together to enrich and further European cinema. Each year, they sponsor the European Script Contest, which allows young people ages 18 to 28 to enter scripts. The scripts are judged in a nationwide contest, after which the winning scripts from each country are evaluated in order to pick an international winner.

“Working on the last script, I really spent a lot of time on it. I even did some research, traveling in the countryside to observe a ritual that was happening in the script. This one was very spontaneous. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write again for the competition. Maybe two days before the deadline I sat down and I wrote it, so it’s super short. I would say it was very, very spontaneous. I just wrote it and luckily on the day of the submission [deadline] I met the people that organize it on the street, so I gave it to them and off it went,” said Popova.

Her script this year is entitled “The Cherry Oedipus,” and differs significantly from her last entry.

“The story is about a boy shooting cherries with his slingshot from the balconies of his building. It pretty much presents all the sounds of the apartments.

You get a collage of all the people that live in this building,” said Popova. There is no dialogue in her screenplay and Popova has even begun thinking about how she would like it to be filmed as well.

“I personally see it with animation, very visual. It won’t be a realistic movie at all, it will be very cinematographed. Just a lot of ambient sounds,” said Popova.

PIO PICKS

Her inspiration came from one image.

“I had this very strong image in my head of a little boy who is shooting some kind of a fruit at white bedsheets of his mother. The whole idea of blood on white sheets. I started the whole story from this image and then placed it in the setting of a backyard,” said Popova. The change of artistic pace paid off.

“Once I got the idea to write it like this, it was so much easier,” said Popova.

Script submissions for this year’s contest were due on July 31, and there is no word yet on how Popova’s script fared. If it isn’t as successful as last year’s, Popova won’t be fazed.

“Even if I don’t win the contest, I will really try to pursue this script and maybe make the movie next summer or something,” she said.

I had this strong image in my head of a little boy who is shooting some kind of fruit at white bedsheets.

Dena Popova ‘10

After winning the Bulgarian portion of the competition last year, Popova was awarded a scholarship to a script-writing workshop held in the suburbs of Paris. “[The workshop] was one week of constant discussion of cinema and films.

It was great just being with people for whom this is their passion and being able to talk with them about it. It was amazing,” said Popova.

The workshop provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with the 24 participants from around the world.

“It was cool to meet and network with people who study cinema. Some of them had actually made some short films. We were in this beautiful old medieval castle.

The tutors were all professional filmmakers and script writers. They helped me a lot,” said Popova. If her script this year reaches the same level as last year’s did, she will be invited back to participate in another workshop.

In addition to awaiting word of her screenplay, Popova is eager to finally hold her latest finished project in her hands: her book, entitled “Girls from Good Families.”

“It’s going to be published at the end of November by a Bulgarian publishing house. It will be mostly short stories and

COMICS

Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights three events happening over the weekend on campus or in Walla Walla. Here are this week’s picks: Divertimento Baroque Orchestra Company Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Chism Recital Hall. Free.

Under the direction of conducting student and junior Jackson Maberry, the chamber orchestra returns for yet another season despite the graduation of its original director and founder, alumnus Lee Mills.

This year, Maberry has pushed the group to take on the daunting task of performing a full opera (albeit a concert presentation)—Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. To this end, Maberry calls the group the Divertimento Baroque Opera company in this context.

Divertimento Chamber Orchestra Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. –in Chism Recital Hall. Free.

The chamber orchestra will also perform a regular concert the following night, showcasing works

by Franz Schubert and ’09 alumnus Noam Levy, who will use his composition to apply for graduate programs in composition.

Fridays at Four Friday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. in Cordiner Hall. Free.

William Berry, trumpet, and Kraig Scott, organ, teachers at Whitman and Walla Walla University, respectively, perform together an eclectic mélange of classical and modern pieces, including works by J.S. Bach as well as modern titles like “My Funny Valentine.”

compiled by CONNOR GUY

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Dena Popova ‘10 travelled to France during her sophomore year to participate in an intensive week-long script writing workshop.

a couple of poems. I met the publisher at a workshop for a creative writing class last summer,” said Popova, whose experiences studying abroad at Whitman have helped to inform her writing.

“I ended up writing almost all of them as new stories, and most are based in Buenos Aires or Paris. It’s stories that I encountered abroad,” said Popova.

Last year, Popova spent a semester Buenos Aires, Argentina and the second in Paris, France.

“Buenos Aires was amazing because there was a special cinema track. We went to film school and we got to make a movie there. The city’s also just amazing.

In Paris, the program wasn’t as good as in Buenos Aires, but Paris is Paris. It was very enjoyable,” said Popova.

Writing a book was in Popova’s plans.

“I’ve always been writing, and my father is a writer as well, so he was always pushing me a bit to do this, as well. I just decided that now is the time to publish my earlier pieces because I want them to be published and I am more content with them now,” said Popova. The book will be published Popova’s native Bulgarian, but she plans to have copies available on the Whitman campus to show the community.

The Whitman community will not only have the chance to view Popova’s artistic achievement, but also that of another Whitman student.

“The photograph on the cover is by a Whitman student, a friend of mine, Sean Bradley, as well. They asked me to propose photographs I wanted for the cover, and as it turned out, they liked that one,” said Popova.

Popova isn’t entirely sure of her plans after graduating in the spring, with innumerable possibilities such as graduate school and working.

“Right now, I’m working on schoolwork and applications for grad school,” she said. “Maybe I’ll go to New York, apply elsewhere in the U.S., or maybe Spain or Buenos Aires. If grad school doesn’t happen, I’m thinking of going to Buenos Aires to help in the production of a movie.”

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ACROSS 1. He always rings twice 8. Trolley relative 12. Eponym of a major American environmental organization 13. Russian name suffix 14. With much pomp and circumstance 15. Minneapolis Grain Exchange, on the stock ticker 16. Author of “Two Treatises of Government,” 1689 17. Author of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman 19. __-de-France (Paris’ province) 20. It measures your heart rate 23. Funeral song 24. Old school video game console 25. Wind a yarn?

27. Being a good dog 29. A reflexive pronoun 31. Recipe amt.

34. A late-night TV host 35. Sudanese city 37. Kwik-E-Mart owner 38. Stag’s weapon 40. A-lister 42. Tres y tres 43. Hero in Homer’s Iliad 46. East, south of the border 47. Defamed in print 48. 12-Diagonal borderer 49. 12-Diagonal borderer

2. Recipe units 3. State bording Minn.

4. Pupil 5. British order of chivalry 6. Instant messenger giant 7. Denny’s headless?

8. Feature of many Skype conversations 9. Wish undone 10. Spill blood for blood spilled 11. 12-Diagonal borderer 14. 12-Diagonal borderer 18. Arctic bird 21. Banjo location, in song 22. With playful exuberance 26. Teeming (with) 27. Going down 28. Ben’s out of order?

29. __ Abe 30. Being 31. More far-fetched 32. Nimble and quick 33. Bars, across the pond 34. Lawyers’ concerns 36. More aloof 39. Slowing down (mus.)

41. Jazz legend Fitzgerald 44. Double LI 45. Hemoglobin component

DOWN 1. Prisoner’s motivation

created by KARL WALLULIS

DIAGONAL 12. This puzzle’s theme

Puzzlemaster

Humor

The Pioneer ISSUE 6 OCT. 15, 2009 Page 6

What your soul patch says about you

1) While many may question your sexual preference, you know what you like: women. Tons and tons of women. Out at the clubs, you dance all up on the ladies because you’re a man. A man with facial hair contained to a small segment of your chin. That soul patch tells everyone that you are confident and aggressive. Success immediately follows everything you do—success and especially the ladies. There’s always a different girl in your room. Sometimes, when your roommate is away for the weekend, you keep one girl in your bed and another in your roommate’s bed and switch girls every half hour. Your roommate will never find out—because you have a soul patch and because you’re a FOX.

2) You’re a stoic. Your cultured bit of facial hair reflects your sophisticated, reserved nature. After your eight-hour shift developing film at Wal-Greens, you listen to a few of Debussy’s sadder pieces in that antique, hand-carved oak chair left by the previous owners of your house. It doesn’t matter that you have little to no friends or make little to no contact with the outside world. Ayn Rand and your pet rat, Malvolio, will keep you company.

Seriously though. Maybe you should consider at least opening the blinds, maybe venture outside once in a while. And perhaps lighten up on the all-black ensemble. Your neighbors are concerned.

Can you spot the difference?

3) After graduating from the art institute, you are woefully jaded by the limited career options for your art history and East Asian printmaking major. You remind yourself everyday that your security guard position at the public art museum is temporary, only until that curator’s position in New York comes through for you. After a long day of work, you pick up your disintegrating copy of “Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man,” sip on some Yellow Tail and remember the good old days of college. In the morning, looking in the mirror, you glance at your soul patch and think, “Thank god I look like an artist.” You proceed on with your day knowing that everyone else will, too, look at your soul patch and understand that you’re one of those “artsy guys.” Never shave off your soul patch.

4) Douche bag? Perhaps. X-Treme dude? Yes. When you’re not climbing a steep rock crag with all your fingers taped together (X-TREME!) or mountain-unicycling (SO X-TREME!) in Moab, you’re probably singing along to a little Spearhead on your trail run or you’re picking up a discounted North Face Denali jacket from REI. You love to travel and your most recent trip to New Zealand left you with one of those totally rad Maori Tribe tattoos around your bicep. Just a spontaneous, in the moment souvenir to remind you of your X-TREME trip backpacking in the area. That’s how you roll: WILD and FREE and ready for ANYTHING X-TREME. You’re a TIGER.

NG I UR Simi Singh of the “Girls T A W ho Wish T hey Could FE Grow A Soul Patch” To get involved with “Girls Who Wish They Could Grow a Soul Patch,” talk to Simi Singh as she is walking to class or sitting alone on that park bench she sits on!

This week in A&E: Reviews of Flash games on the Internet that totally distract you from writing your midterm paper which is due at nine the next morning and subsequently cause you to fail the class but it’s for your major and it’s too late to switch majors and they won’t let you graduate so instead you grow a soul patch and hang out on campus selling weed to freshmen until the school files a restraining order and kicks you out of your on-campus housing so you go to your girlfriend’s house but she’s all, “we broke up sophomore year,” whereupon you decide to hitchhike to Reno but the first guy who picks you up puts a knife in your face and starts yelling about MK-ULTRA then robs you and throws you out of his car somewhere in central Idaho and several tragic years later you find yourself working in a pepper mill until—on your 45th birthday—your hand gets caught in the machinery and after you go to the hospital they tell you that they can’t reattach your hand but they give it back to you anyway and you put it in a bucket of ice and throw it off the bridge before returning home to your empty trailer where the eighth season of “Married . . . With Children” plays perpetually on your small, sad television set and you flop down in your bean bag chair, scooping cake frosting straight from the can with your remaining hand while you ponder what kind of God would make Flash games so addicting and easy to play. .................................................................................. p7

Soul patch trends

Cabbage Soul Patch Kids

Soul Patch Adams

Birth Consoul Patch

Seoul Patch, Korea

Sour Soul Patch Kids

Is a soul patch the right choice for you?

Which of these phrases best describe you? a.

Gray haired, matronly and wise b.

Brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon on the way to the top c.

Slacker with a heart of gold d.

Soul patch What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? a.

Heart-smart organic cereal, smoothie and Metamucil b.

Go for a run, trying in vain to outrun your personal demons c.

Too depressed to get out of bed d.

Stroke chin How was your first kiss? a.

Don’t remember it was so long ago b.

Ruthless c.

Awkward but sweet d.

Bristly under the lower lip Which period in American History are you most nostalgic for? a.

The jazz age b.

Your childhood c.

Whenever they first invented pizza bagels d.

The golden age of soul patch

Which outfit best represents your personal style? a.

Bifocals, cardigan, ancient jewelry b.

Tailored suit worn under OR Scrubs c.

Sweatpants, T-shirt that is too tight over your expanding beer gut and any shoes you shoes don’t have you don’t to tiehave that to often tie that often d.

Shaved head, black-rimmed glasses, black turtleneck and soul patch

De La Soul Patch

How many times a day do you think to yourself “I wish I had a soul patch”? a.

20-30 b.

90-100 c.

I never stop thinking this. d.

N/A

Results:

Mostly A: There is a soul patch in your future.

Mostly B: You should probably have a soul patch.

Mostly C: You need to grow a soul patch RIGHT NOW. DO NOT DELAY GROWING A SOUL PATCH. Mostly D: You clearly already have a soul patch. Why would you take this quiz?

There are probably better things for you to be doing with your time right now.

Eye Soul Patch

EMILY BASHAM, GALEN COBB, NADIM DAMLUJI, HELEN JENNE, ALEX KERR, SIMI SINGH AND FINN STRALEY

Opinion

The Pioneer ISSUE 6 OCT. 15, 2009 Page 7

HUBANKS Mill Creek Dam is not one of the four dams slated for removal by local electricity provider PacifiCorp.

PacifiCorp to remove four dams by 2010

JAMES SLEDD Columnist

Last week PacifiCorp— Walla Walla’s electricity provider—agreed to remove four of its dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California, as the dams have devastated the

Klamath’s salmon runs.

PacifiCorp’s four hydroelectric dams block returning salmon from reaching their ancestral spawning grounds. But if we want salmon to survive, we must re-

move more dams than just those on the Klamath.

Snake River salmon face a similar plight. The Snake flows through Idaho and eastern Washington, passing just north of Walla Walla.

Like the Klamath, the Snake used to host prolific salmon runs. Tragically, the Snake’s salmon runs have dwindled since the Bureau of Reclamation built four hydroelectric dams on the lower stretches of the river in the 1970s.

Salmon populations are dwindling nearly everywhere along the West Coast.

The only truly healthy remaining salmon runs in the United States are in Alaska.

California’s salmon are in such poor health that the state has canceled the

T ECH T IME

Kickin’ it old school: How to get the most out of command line For better or worse, textual interfaces have fallen into disuse.

Not for lack of usefulness, I might note. Though it may seem BLAIR FRANK c on f u s i n g , Columnist ant i qu ate d and useless, the command line is a good way to get down to the most basic functions of a computer in the fastest way possible. So let’s get started.

First, realize that there are a few fundamental differences between Mac OS X and the various iterations of Windows, besides the GUI that we see all the time. OS X is built on UNIX, while Windows is built on the Microsoft Disk Operating System, or MS-DOS. MS-DOS is often shortened to just DOS. Where do the differences between these systems lie, aside from just the names?

First and foremost, there are a lot of subtle differences in the backbone, making each unique. However, they’re really technical, and don’t matter that much to people who would rather just do cool stuff.

Here are the basic commands, which are common to both systems: mkdir- mkdir is short for MaKe DIRectory. This creates a directory (better known as a folder) inside the directory you’re in.

So, let’s say you’re in the directory foo, and type in the command mkdir bar cd- cd is short for Change Directory.

Using the previous example of our directories foo and its subdirectory bar, and you use the command cd bar, you’ll then be in the directory C:\foo\bar for DOS or ~/foo/ bar in UNIX. rmdir- rmdir is short for ReMove DIRectory. If you wanted to delete bar, use the command rmdir bar. Of course, that only works when you’re inside foo, but we’re keeping it simple for now.

If you’re wondering: “How the heck do

I get to the cool stuff?” Fear not. Here it comes. Unfortunately, in order to start doing really cool things, I’m going to have to separate the Mac users from the Windows users. Since I’m a Mac user, I’ll start with the folks using OS X. sudo- sudo allows you to run commands as your computer’s super-user.

A super-user is someone who can do anything to the computer, right down to modify the system preferences. The root account, which is what sudo emulates, is more powerful than even a basic admin account. A lot of the computer-modifying stuff requires sudo, which is why I brought it up first. softwareupdate- softwareupdate is a command line implementation of Apple’s Software Update tool. Why should you use the command line instead of the nice friendly GUI? The command line interface is much more simple than the graphical interface. All you need to do is type in sudo softwareupdate -i -a, and then type in your password, and your computer will take care of the rest. say- say is a command that allows you to get the built-in text-to-speech utilities to speak whatever text you put in. If you were to use say “hello”, one of the many disembodied voices built in to Mac OS X will say “Hello.”

Let’s get to some of the cool stuff Windows can do. tree- tree shows you the complete file structure of your user folder. Just type in tree, and see all of the folders in your user directory. format- NEVER, EVER, EVER use this one. EVER. This will wipe your hard drive clean. But if it’s what you want to do, well, so be it.

If you’re interested in more cool stuff, like how to get old-timey games running on DOS or how to make your Mac sing, check out the Opinion Blog on The Pioneer’s Web site for some tricks.

Blair Frank is a first-year chemistry major. The past three summers he was an editorial intern at Macworld.

commercial salmon fishing season three years in a row.

In addition to blocking migration, the tepid, slack reservoirs impounded by the dams also make the Klamath’s water less hospitable to fish. In 2001, thousands of migrating salmon died in the unnaturally shallow and warm waters of the Lower Klamath. Simply put, the dams are slaughtering the Klamath’s salmon.

PacifiCorp agreed to remove the Klamath dams after months of negotiations with a coalition of environmental organizations, agricultural groups, and the federal and state governments.

Under the agreement, PacifiCorp will operate the dams until 2020, at which point they will be demolished. The Kla-

math agreement is a milestone for environmental groups who have been fighting to remove the dams for over a decade.

All of the Snake River’s salmon runs are listed as endangered or threatened.

According to a National Marine Fisheries Service report, a total of 23 endangered sockeye salmon passed all four Lower Snake River dams from 1990 to 1999—an average of about two fish per year.

In order to have healthy salmon runs in the Snake River, the four dams must go. But this decision is unpopular among local residents—the slogan “save our dams” graces many bumper stickers in Walla Walla.

The Bush administration resisted removing the dams. Instead, the Fish and

Wildlife Service decided on expensive measures such as trapping migrating salmon, loading the fish into tanker trucks and driving them hundreds of miles around all four dams.

The Obama administration left the Bush administration’s rules in place. The government must reevaluate its decision and seriously consider demolition.

Just as on the Klamath, the Snake’s salmon runs can’t be restored while the dams stand. The costs of dam removal will be high and debate heated, but letting salmon runs disappear would be an unforgivable tragedy.

James Sledd is a senior environmentalpolitics major.

Whitman’s listserv, Shantou’s BBS: two ways of living revealed Having studied at Whitman for more than a month, I initiated a Chinese writing project entitled “Wei Meng Zhi”— Whitman RENSI KE Stories. “Wei Columnist Meng” means “Wh it m an ,” which also means “strong and robust’; “Zhi” refers to stories.

One day, I got a message on Shantou University Tulip Bulletin Board System where I post my stories: “are you homesick or sick [for your university] for living alone in the U.S.?”

I’m not very homesick, since Whitman has been a home away from home thanks to all the wonderful people I’ve met here.

But I’m certainly sick for my university because the campus culture here is vastly different from the campus culture at Shantou University.

Every day I post a brief Chinese translation of Whitman Web pages or a journal entry about my experience.

This satisfies my home schoolmates’ curiosity about their American peers, just like they spice up my life by posting numerous texts and pictures about current affairs, school news, class announcements, personal stories and all that other intriguing information.

Every day, the bulletin board system automatically generates a top ten list featuring the ten most-replied-to posts. The contents of the top ten posts are extremely polarized—some are significantly newsworthy or intriguing, while some are crazily gossipy or boring.

But that’s probably the use of the bulletin board system: you log in either to take in new information or to chill out for relaxation.

Wanna know what’s going on with Obama? On Oct. 10, top ten had a lot to tell.

The 33-line prose poem titled “What an International Joke” argued that it was the Chinese leaders who should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, since China has initiated no

war in decades, but in the end the poet appeared to change his or her mind: “Maybe the Selection Committee is right—as they gave Obama this prize, Obama will be too embarrassed to wage new wars—North Korea and Iran, you have a good night.”

Despite this politically-overwrought poet, most students at my university are self-centered. Right now the top post is about soliciting designs for making the uniform T-shirts of the Student Union of my school, Liberal Arts School.

With 19 replies so far, the post most recently was replied to by a student who has been waiting for the new T-shirts for a year, exclaiming, “Thank goodness! We will finally have our own T-shirts!”

Going over a few club advertisements and basketball news posts, I got to the last top ten post.

The post came from the page of “feeling”: the bulletin board system’s sections of “feeling,” “love” and “bridge,” which are respectively filled with emotional diaries, love stories and personal advertisements (for seeking a girlfriend or a boyfriend— the demand for the former is sky high), remain big sources of top ten posts.

With personal stories plus tempting titles, such posts are always in the spotlight.

“I heard people say . . . when you wish someone ‘all the best,’ your love for him or her dies already.”

Reply A: “Right.” Reply B: “It’s just like when you are told ‘you are a wonderful person.’” Reply C: “It actually means that you are not allowed to love him or her any more.” My university’s bulletin board system never runs out of love experts.

Matching screen names on the bulletin board system with the real people I saw on campus was hard. It felt strange realizing that the most quiet and passive classmates probably were the “founders of the nation”—a title given to the most active bulletin board system users. That’s probably the magic and madness about my university’s bulletin board system.

Generally, Whitman’s listserv corresponds with the bulletin board system’s sections of “finding” (lost and found digest), “traveling” (rides digest), “advertising” (for sale digest). The Interest House Community, as an exception, often sends e-mail advertisements about parties and movie nights, but I’ve never seen personal ads on Whitman’s listserv.

But the ways of advertising are different: while students might post a 200-word ad for a film series, their Whitman counterparts might simply e-mail the student listserv one line: Kung Fu Panda Crashes ASH at 8 p.m. on Thursday.

That’s it; Whitman students’ succinct style is probably due to their time-consuming 100-page reading assignments, and the fact that the personal ads—if they were ever needed—translate into vigorous socialization in real life.

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

WOLFF

OPINION

8

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Response: ‘Who needs ideology?’

Editor ,

In response to Gary Wang’s piece entitled “Counterpoint: Who Needs Ideology?” I think Mr. Wang may be confusing ideology or “weltanschauung” (which translates, loosely, to “world view”) with partisanship. When he says that “[Obama’s] not fitting into an ideological box,” he should be saying “a political party.” Yes, Obama works “from factual problems to policies,” which is in tension with a typical partisan approach, but isn’t such an approach more indicative of bipartisanship than it is a rejection of a certain ideology?

Furthermore, taking into account the fluid nature of partisan politics, couldn’t this move towards bipartisanship also be seen as an attempt to move the democratic party in a different direction for the future?

But beyond these linguistic disputes, by equating partisan politics with ideology, one loses sight of where ideology IS present within Obama’s politics. In particular, when it comes to Obama’s foreign policy, the continued occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the increased recognition of the UN are both expressions of “small-l” liberal ideology which has been historically linked to the politics of American Empire. This imperial tendency can be seen in Obama’s expressed intent to continue the United States’ occupation of the Middle East as well as his use of soft power to influence the political situation in Iran. Here, one is reminded of Teddy Roosevelt’s

famous adage, “speak softly and carry a big stick”—a phrase which was used by Roosevelt to explain the politics of protecting America’s imperial conquests. Following this logic, Obama, like Bush before him, has no intention of sacrificing the possibility of a prowest Middle East. Such a “victory” would not only present a major step in the “War on Terror,” but also in the continued struggle for global economic hegemony with China, India, Brazil and the EU, among others. So while his style of liberal imperialism may lack Bush’s brazen, unilateral approach, Obama still shares similar motives.

In sum, while partisan politics may involve, to a certain extent, the competition of opposing world views, one must take a step back to see that these schoolyard squabbles of Left vs. Right, Liberal vs. Conservative and Democrat vs.

Republican are often just in-fights over who gets to be the “team captain.” As Slavoj Zizek has famously said about the ideological implications of Anglo-American toilets, “the basin is full of water, so that the [excrement] floats in it, visible, but not to be inspected.” Indeed, upon inspection of Obama’s foreign policies, one soon realizes that Obama’s ideological “excrement” is no different than that of those whom he has followed, except for, perhaps, a better smell.

—Brian Abelson ‘08

Program Officer H.F. Guggenheim Foundation

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R-71: ‘Everything but marriage’ not enough The state of civil rights in this country is an affront to everything we stand for.

Gay Americans are being denied basic rights to which JOEY KERN they are conColumnist stitutionally g u ar ante e d, all because their sexual orientation denies them an official marriage. Their “unions” are not provided the same rights afforded to straight couples and they are bogged down in a debate grounded in prehistoric notions of what it is to be homosexual, what it is to participate in a marriage.

Senate bill 5688, signed by Washington governor Christine Gregoire in May 2009, offered an opportunity for gay couples to receive benefits afforded to married couples, without the official title of marriage being applied to their unions. However, even this concession in the advancement of gay rights was miraculously met with resistance. Anti-gay activists rallied enough support to put the bill to a popular vote, now referred to as Referendum 71.

Reasons to support R-71 are offered in a Sept. 27 column by Pioneer columnist James Sledd, but R-71 is not enough to secure the equality our country needs, the equality or constitution demands.

Separation of church and state: It is a widely known American tenet, recited in history classes from fourth grade onward. This concept is one of the fundamental divisions that allows democracy to exist in our nation. Gay marriage, for reasons borne out of misunderstanding or downright bigotry, somehow finds itself ignored in the context of this discussion.

There are churches, priests, judges and pastors who are all more than willing to wed a gay couple. Done. If churches have decided that they can support gay marriage and respect it for its own worth, then all that is standing in the way of gay marriage

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COLUMNISTS Alethea Buchal, Lisa Curtis, Blair Frank, Rensi Ke, Joey Kern, Matt Manley, Alex Potter, James Sledd, Molly Smith, Derek Thurber, Gary Wang

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EDITORIAL POLICY The Whitman College Pioneer is published under the auspices of the Associated Students of Whitman College. The purpose of The Pioneer is to provide pertinent, timely information and entertainment for Whitman students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents, as well as the Walla Walla community. In addition, The Pioneer strives to act as a catalyst and forum for communication within the Whitman community. To do so, The Pioneer publishes weekly Board Editorials. These opinion pieces reflect the views of The Pioneer, and not necessarily the views of each individual associated with the newspaper. The Pioneer welcomes letters to the Editor or any contradicting opinion pieces.

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SLOANE is the state.

This flies in the face of every argument presented by anti-gay marriage proponents. They claim that, in allowing gay men and women to marry, we will somehow undermine the structure of marriage itself. I concede that, yes, marriage has been traditionally between man and woman.

However, we now live in an advanced society where concepts of homosexuality have radically shifted. “Tradition” does not justify a discriminatory practice that has always been an affront to these individuals, who, in our nation’s history, have had to hide their sexuality from others and conform to a society that did not want to understand them.

Now, we have the benefit of living in country where, at least partially, people have come to understand homosexuals and respect them as equals in society. It is time for this equality to exist as a legislative fact, and until gay marriage is legalized completely on a nationwide level, this will not be the case.

California is perhaps the best example of the venomous hatred that

exists in the anti-gay community. The fact that minority rights must continually be subjected to a bigoted majority vote is something our founding fathers did not intend for our legislative structure. Proposition 8, and now R-71, are each examples of a lose-lose situation for gay couples who just want the same rights as their straight counterparts.

Marriage is a not sacred thing for its religious tradition or for its traditionally man-woman format. Rather, marriage is sacred for what it represents: a deep personal commitment between two people that should not lightly be severed or broken.

Gay couples throughout the country share these connections. They have deeply personal relationships, they are every bit as devoted and loving as straight couples, sometimes more so. These relationships exist, yet people will still not allow them to be called what they are: marriage, in its truest form. This is something to which we are all entitled.

Joey Kern is a first-year English major.

Habitat for Humanity work exceeds expectations

REPORTERS

PRODUCTION

October 15, 2009

ALETHEA BUCHAL Columnist

I didn’t know what Sheetrock would feel like. I imagined some sort of cold rock but instead the leader of Habitat for Humanity pulled out a large square of gray, plaster-like mate-

rial.

“Have you ever used a power-tool before?”

I respond, “I . . . I mean . . . I think so?”

He rubbed his dusty hands on his hat brim, took out a power drill and started drilling screws into the wall.

It was amazing how easily the screws simply dug right in—there was almost no resistance.

“You wanna try?”

He handed me the drill and a couple screws; I held my breath. It felt heavy ADVERTISEMENT

and awkward. I approached the wall slowly and tried to hold the drill-bit straight, but it trembled under my weak hands. I reached inside my workman’s belt and pulled out a screw, which the drill head immediately sucked up.

“It’s magnetic,” the leader said, winking.

The drill squealed as soon as I touched the wall and in a few seconds the screw fell on the floor. Only after

There’s nothing more satisfying than cutting a piece of Sheetrock and drilling it into a wall. Don’t ask me why.

It’s just true. my fourth attempt did the screw actually go in at the right angle.

That was just the beginning. Sophomore Julia Schneider, first- year Ben Lerchin and I helped put in Sheetrock for an entire bedroom. In a little over two hours we managed to measure the

open wooden portions of the wall, cut the plaster material with a power saw and screw in Sheetrock.

Who knew that our work would later insulate a woman’s house from the bitter cold of Walla Walla winters? And she worked on it too.

Habitat requires all its soon-tobe residents to spend hundreds of hours working on their own homes.

It’s not just a gift.

Yet those two hours were a gift to me. My work at Habitat for Humanity was surprisingly satisfying. There’s nothing more satisfying than cutting a piece of Sheetrock and drilling it into a wall. Don’t ask me why. It’s just true.

Not only that, but I learned some crucial life skills. I mean, who knows what could happen if there’s suddenly a huge storm and we have to rebuild all our houses from nothing?

So grab a couple friends and join the Community Service House for Saturdays of Service. It only takes a couple hours and it’s totally worth your time.

Alethea Buchal is a sophomore hoping to create a major joining music and human rights.

OPINION

9October 15, 2009

9

‘Investor Act’ offers better safeguards

DOUGLAS

REFLECT IONS

Alumni reclaim community

When alumni weekend rolls around, who actually cares?

Whitman’s development office, for sure, and the greek system.

FraterniGARY WANG ties get their Columnist alumni back who want to relive their carefree youth, and the college has various activities planned to showcase itself.

There’s an element of nostalgia involved because at some level, growing up is a process in learning to be inauthentic. What I mean is, when you get old, you’ve got to get a job. Maybe your boss isn’t very pleasant. Maybe your coworkers are really boring and aren’t fun to hang out with. Well, suck it up. Paycheck’s on the line. You learn to be more pragmatic.

After college, you don’t have a regular group of people you see anymore; no common classes, schedule and living space. Who knows where you’ll live?

What if it’s Milwaukee? Or back home with the folks? In a sense, we’re radically alone after college. We’ve lost the predetermined schedule and space that we’ve had since we were in kindergarten.

Part of what happens is loss. But what

kind of loss? I’ve heard from a few recent graduates that after graduation, “drinking just isn’t as fun.” Bars are overrated: more expensive, stranger people and you have to drive everywhere. The sense of community is lacking.

And that’s exactly why alumni come back. Modern adult life often loses that sense of community because our relationships become mediated by work.

Why? Economic dislocation or the seductive vacuum of material consumption. The very nature of an object, like a nice bottle of wine or your new shiny iPod touch, is that they can’t talk back.

We, as human beings, can master them.

You finish drinking the bottle of wine and you learn how to operate the iPod touch with all the new gadgets.

We get bored of the same objects, so we’ve got to buy new ones. Thus, this delusion about objects makes all our other relationships subservient even though the whole idea of a bottle of nice wine is to drink it with someone else.

Can you get bored of a person? Or a community? For one thing, you’d have to be able to understand someone in his or her totality. You’d have to know every tick, every need, every habit and every aspect of that person.

Is that possible? Probably not, so what happens when people think they get bored with one another? They actually don’t try.

It’s the pretension of knowing someone else and making them predictable.

The very condition of us being free is that we’re capable of surprising each other and hence, capable of not being boring.

What does this mean for alumni? If adult life isn’t satisfied with mere material consumption then what’s missing? A community. Because all our lives, we’ve had a community in some form. It’s that community, constituted by a mutual understanding, that assures us that we’re not alone in any sense. After college, we have to specialize in a specific job. That’s why people say the friends you make in college are the friends you keep for life.

It’s not that after college you learn to be fake. You learn to be practical and deal with a much broader range of people. In college, not so much, no matter how much diversity there is. And in this bubble, we have a unique opportunity to grow and develop relationships unmediated by practical concerns, although the networking train is coming up fast.

There’s something strange that happens between the ages of 18 and 22 that make these four years somehow more important than any other four years for the rest of your life. Hopefully, we’ll get our one weekend a year to recapture what’s happening in our lives now.

Gary Wang is a junior political philosophy major.

In the course of recent events, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Penn) introduced to the Senate last week the Investor Protection Act that BRYANT FONG takes meaContributing sures to proColumnist tect private investors.

Scandals such as Madoff or Stanford should not happen again, according to the act, which would increase the power of the Security and Exchange Committee.

The financial regulatory system of the United States needs new tools to protect the common investor. The current system is one that corporations control and one to which citizens have fallen prey. But the government needs to be careful, as it should not interfere too much with the financial system, creating a socialist republic.

The new bill in essence allows the committee to request specific documents, conduct random and periodical surveillance and risk assessments of those documents and people of interest when deemed necessary. It will also provide greater incentive and more protection for whistleblowing on scandals.

According to Davis Polk, the committee will act in the best interest of retail and clients, through prohibition of “sales practices, conflicts of interests and compensation schemes” deemed contrary to investor interests and limiting provisional impartial customer agreements.

Kanjorski simply states that he is

“overhauling the regulatory structure of the financial services industry.”

But is this necessarily for the better of the individual or is this government meddling with private lives again? Either way, it will be different than the structure we have operating now.

This seems to be a valiant attempt by the government to help the individual stockholder that suffers at the plight of large investors or corporations. However, there is some chance that it just might work.

The committee lacks power to effectively regulate the stock market because of the most recent issues of the Madoff scandal. According to USA Today, the committee was accused of not investigating sooner when the firm was notified as early as 1999 and did not act until December 2008.

Madoff did not suffer; the individual investors who trusted him to provide returns are the ones who lost their life savings.

Too often, private investors are caught in the hands of large corporations, and thus the government needs to interfere, regulating markets to protect the individual. When this is accomplished, faith in government will be restored to citizens. In this case, investors would recognize that the government will watch out for them.

This much-needed change will provide the government with new tools to regulate the market and protect the small investors who are lost amongst the large volume traders, thus providing more checks and balances between government and the autonomous economy.

Bryant Fong is a sophomore majoring either in chemistry or economics.

Sustainable model: Whitman bubble not so bad after all At Whitman we enjoy talking about “breaking out the of the bubble.” As the semester wears on, many of us sign up for LISA CURTIS OP trips or Columnist go on road trips to Seattle, attempting to satisfy this nagging feeling that there is more to life than lies between Maxey Hall and Reid.

As a senior, it has dawned on me that soon I won’t just be taking a break from Whitman’s duck-filled sidewalks, but this bubble we keep talking about will collapse around me. As its imminent demise becomes apparent, I’ve started to wonder if there isn’t something uniquely important about living in a bubble community.

There is something unique about being able to walk down the street and see three of your best friends in a span of three minutes. It is something beneficial, not only for personal happiness, but, I would argue, also good for the world.

If you think about it, bubble life has much in common with an ecofriendly lifestyle. Living in a bubble implies a close-knit community, with an emphasis on the close, in terms of both distance and friendliness.

Walking, biking, carpooling, eating local food, wearing local crafts: these are all characteristics of a bubble community, as well as activities that you’re likely to find on a flier from Campus Climate Challenge. Crazy to equate happiness and sustainability in one bubbly category? Maybe, but surely I’m not alone in my delusions.

Many people consider college the best four years of their lives. While this may not be true for everyone, environmental economist Bill McKib-

ben has often written about college communities as a model for a sustainable and happy lifestyle.

In his essay “Global Warming Can’t Buy Happiness,” McKibben cites studies showing the steady decline in happiness during times of sterling economic growth as a sign that big houses in the suburbs, larger televisions and more technological gadgets have made us less happy.

As McKibben puts it, “Would you rather have a new television or a new friend?” Evidently, valuing people over things could go a long way in cutting carbon emissions and making everyone a lot happier.

In the 1970s, the idea that neighborhoods should be connected and walkable spawned a whole new type of urban planning called smart growth. The focus on climate change over the past couple of years has given a lot of momentum to smart growthtype development.

In 2005, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement to have cities commit to reducing carbon emissions. One of the ways that 973 mayors have pledged to do this is by adopting smart growth principals.

These principals include many traits inherent to college lifestyles, especially small colleges in Walla Walla, Wash. Whitman is very walkable and bike-able, has a large amount of natural beauty and is a “distinctive, attractive community.”

That last trait immediately brings to mind the vast number of Whitties who can go multiple days without showering and still look damn sexy in their flannel.

I’ve realized that not only will I miss watching those naturally beautiful bohemians roam Ankeny, but that I’m really going to miss this bubble!

If you think about it, bubble life has a lot in common with an ecofriendly lifestyle. Living in a bubble implies life in a close-knit community, with an emphasis on the close, in terms of both distance and friendliness.

LOOS-DIALLO

Lisa Curtis is a senior environmental-politics major. She is Whitman’s Sustainability Coordinator.

10

FEATURE

October 15, 2009

Under the Counter Whitman’s drug scene Many students have tried them, some are repulsed by them and a few are hooked. No matter what one’s opinion is on illegal drugs, it’s no secret that they play an integral role in the health and social aspects of college life.

To see just how much drugs impact the Whitman community, The Pioneer conducted a campus-wide survey detailing student opinions and personal habits regarding illegal drug use.

In concordance with Washington state law, illegal drugs are defined here and in the survey as any drug or controlled substance that is not legally obtainable, or is legally obtainable but was not legally obtained.

Surveys were delivered via campus mailboxes to all Whitman students, and the first 100 responses were analyzed for this study. While some statistics from this sample population may not have accurately reflected the student body as a whole, others correlated precisely to the demographics. For example, 56 percent of respondents were women, 31 percent were affiliated with the greek system and 15 percent were athletes; nearly all these figures directly correspond with the Whitman student body.

For this special feature, The Pioneer shares the survey results as well as personal anecdotes regarding drug use.

Student celebrates two years sober

CONTRIBUTED BY BEN SPENCER Ben Spencer ‘10 commemorated two years of sobriety on Oct. 15.

by WILL WITWER Staff Reporter For senior Ben Spencer, the end of the day began with a sunrise. On a park bench at 7 a.m. in 2007, coming off an all-night high, Spencer watched the sun begin its ascent and passers-by starting their day with dogs in tow. His day was at its end.

“It was one of the most amazing sunrises I’d ever seen,” said Spencer, “But there was just this disconnection between being able to feel happy about it and actually seeing it happen. That kinda sticks in my head.”

Two months after that sunrise, Spencer went cold turkey, making a life-changing decision to become clean. Today Spencer proudly celebrates two years of sobriety, which have allowed him to solidify his relationships with his family and mature as both a person and a student.

“It was just a random day in the middle of the month that I have no particular connection to. It just all of a sudden made sense,” said Spencer. “It’s sometimes referred to as hitting bottom. For me the bottom was that sudden realization that I couldn’t ignore this anymore, because I wanted something more from life and I wasn’t finding it in using drugs and alcohol.”

He had struggled with substances for a long while but did not think he really had a problem. Only after taking a semester off to go to rehab did he start to think of his consumption of drugs and alcohol as problematic.

“Rehab was a huge thing. Although I didn’t believe I was an addict or an alcoholic while I was there, I think the fact [that] I saw so many guys like me with the same problem was important,” said Spencer. “One thing they say in treatment is that ‘you might go back to using but we’re going to ruin the experience for you.’”

Spencer, a rhetoric and film studies and religion double major, began his involvement with illicit substances in seventh grade, when he smoked pot for the first time. In high school, he started using more substances, such as mushrooms and occasionally cocaine. The reasons were threefold, he said: depres-

sion, boredom and a search for life’s big answers.

“I’ve always been looking for those absolute truths and I think that if you are into that kind of stuff, drugs are really appealing because it’s like new levels of consciousness,” said Spencer.

In conquering addiction, Spencer also overcame depression. Before he stopped using, Spencer would, in his words, “self-medicate,” which helped him temporarily. But it was never enough.

“I definitely think I’ve struggled being happy in my own skin and being anxious about social situations—I used pot [and alcohol] because it made things easier; it’s that whole social lubricant,” said Spencer. “Ultimately it doesn’t work because the effects wear off and you have to get more and then you’re right back where you started.”

Today, drugs and alcohol no longer interfere with Spencer’s medications and he is much happier. Coming from Walla Walla, Spencer never thought he would come back to the small-town boredom he grew up with. However, his family has always supported him, and he feels that his connections are better than ever.

“One thing I really love about my family is how close we are,” said Spencer. “From freshman year in high school until I decided to quit, I could just feel this divide coming between me and my family, because especially after I went to treatment, they were not accepting of the fact that I was still using.”

Apart from familial bonds, sobriety has brought Spencer more self-confidence as a student. He has, in his words, caught up and now takes his academics seriously.

“I didn’t think I was a smart person at all when I came into Whitman,” said Spencer. “I didn’t have that drive . . . Over the last two years I’ve put a lot of work into it, and my education now comes first and I really enjoy it. I’ve come to see learning as something really positive and something I want to do.”

Sobriety has done wonders for Spencer. He is now more permanently happy and a more interested student; he even mentioned his ability to have a mature relationship with his girlfriend. But Spencer says he does not condemn drug use in moderation.

“I don’t think using drugs is an objectively bad thing.” said Spencer. “It’s just a really slippery slope and individuals need to decide if they have a problem or not.”

BY THE

NUMBERS

Of students who have used an illegal drug, how many have used:

80%

of students believe that Whitman has a drug scene ALDEN

40% of varsity

who have used at least one illegal drug used for the first time before coming to Whitman

believe that drugs are just as common at Whitman as any other U.S. college or university

69% of students

surveyed have used an illegal drug, aside from alcohol or prescription medications, at least once in their lifetime

73% of Biology

majors surveyed have used an illegal drug, which is the highest percentage of all other represented majors in our survey

100%

42% of students

athletes have used an illegal drug

71% of students

MARIJUANA

84% of students

MUSHROOMS

32% ACID

19% COCAINE

affiliated with the greek system have used an illegal drug

WHY WHITTIES TAKE DRUGS Students who have used illegal drugs attribute their use to:

100%

100%

100%

100%

75%

75%

75%

75%

50%

50%

50%

50%

25%

25%

25%

25%

7% ECSTASY

6%

BOGGAN AND LERCHIN

All data collected from the first 100 responses of a campus-wide mail survey.

Students attribute drug use to fun, curiosity

by HELEN JENNE Staff Reporter In a campus-wide survey conducted

by The Pioneer, 69 of the 100 student polled have used illegal drugs, and 67 of those students, about 97 percent, cited social aspects and entertainment as their reasons for doing so. Thirtynine of the 69 students also said curiosity prompted them to experiment with drugs.

Only 13 of the students who responded said they used illegal drugs because of boredom, and only five said they had used drugs because of depression.

Drugs, in this case, most commonly refers to marijuana. Of the 69 students who had used illegal drugs, all of them had tried marijuana. The numbers fall significantly from there.

This is also reflected in the 2009 Whitman College Lifestyle Choices

Survey. Of 769 students, 53.5 percent had tried marijuana. The next most commonly used drug—prescription drugs not intended for the user—constituted 8.5 percent of students. Hallucinogens, including LSD and mushrooms, have been tried by 8.3 percent of students.

A Whitman student who asked to remain anonymous said he smokes marijuana most weekends and has tried mushrooms once. He started smoking marijuana when he was fifteen because he wanted to and it was fun, he said.

“I think people at Whitman use drugs for fun and for socializing and to make things less awkward,” he said.

Rich Jacks, associate dean of students for health and wellness, has a similar perspective on drug use.

“I talk to students who use [marijuana] because it’s cool, because they will be accepted, to deal with insecu-

[Drugs] help them manage stress and pressure, and while some students decide to cut back or stop completely, a lot of students have no intention of changing what they’re doing.

Rich Jacks, associate dean of students for health and wellness

rities, or they like who they become,” said Jacks.

Jacks counsels students who have decided that they have a problem and want to make a change.

“It helps them manage stress and pressure, and while some students de-

cide to cut back or stop completely, a lot of students have no intention of changing what they’re doing,” said Jacks.

Whitman students’ general attitudes about marijuana seems to be that it is acceptable, as long as it doesn’t interfere with academics. In the 2009 Whitman College Lifestyle Choices Survey, 52.8 percent of students said that for other people—as long as marijuana doesn’t get in the way of other responsibilities—occasional use is okay. A lower 20.5 percent of survey respondents said that, for others, frequent use of marijuana is okay, if that’s what the individual wants to do.

The 2009 Whitman College Lifestyle Choices survey also shows two trends that influence drug use: gender and affiliation with the greek system.

Twenty-four percent of independent men said they used marijuana more than once a month, while 48 percent of

men in fraternities said they used marijuana more than once a month, according to the 2009 survey. Eleven percent of independent women said they used marijuana more than once a month, compared to 19 percent of women in sororities.

More than twice as many men than women, and almost twice as many students affiliated with the greek system than independent students, said they used marijuana more than once a month.

Regardless of these demographic trends, the reasons cited for using illegal drugs remains constant across the board.

“Most of the time it’s a combination of curiosity, their friends are doing it and it’s cool,” said Jacks. “[Yet] for students who use it chronically, clearly their curiosity has already been satisfied.”

9

Sports

The Pioneer ISSUE 6 OCT. 15, 2009 Page 11

First-years learn to Walla Walla juggle school, sports native signs with LA Lakers from FIRST-YEAR, page 12

by JAY GOLD Staff Reporter After a long, somewhat unconventional, journey that has taken him around the globe, Walla Walla native Thomas Kelati has finally reached the NBA. Roughly four and a half years removed from playing collegiately at Washington State, Kelati is now playing for the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers alongside 2009 Western Conference All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, having taken career detours in Belgium, Poland and Spain,.

The Lakers signed Kelati—a 6’5’’ swingman with a silky jump shot—to its training camp roster on September 30th.

Earlier in the offseason, the Walla Walla High School product signed a two-year deal with Euroleague power Olympiakos.

However, the club revoked the deal as a result of a failed physical. Former Lakers’ second round pick Von Wafer, who played for the Houston Rockets last season, added a compelling twist to this saga by signing with Olympiakos and filling the slot that Kelati otherwise would have.

Last season, as a member of Spain’s Unicaja Malaga, Kelati posted averages of 11.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game and tied the Euroleague record for most three-pointers made in a single game by astoundingly draining nine against Lottomatica Roma. Prior to playing in the Euroleague, Kelati played an essential role in Turow Zgorzelec’s consecutive appearances in the Polish League finals in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons.

Kelati, the world’s only professional basketball player with Eritrean roots, averaged 14.5 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals per game over the duration

COURTESY OF EUROCUPBASKETBALL.COM Kelati dribbles up court, providing a surprising lift for the Polish League powerhouse Turow Zgorzelic. of his senior season at Walla Walla High and figures prominently into Washington State’s record books. Kelati ranks third in three-point percentage (42.7), second in three-point field goals made (232), seventh in steals (133) and eighth in assists (274). As a senior, he averaged 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game en route to earning a spot on the 2005 All-Pacific 10 Conference Team.

In spite of what Kelati has accomplished at this point, it is quite conceivable that the Lakers, with so many talented players already firmly entrenched in roster spots, will cut him before the preseason expires.

Even if he does make the regular season roster, there is little hope that Kelati, who played just eight minutes in the team’s first preseason game, will steal anything more than a sporadic sliver of playing time from Bryant, Ron Artest, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton on the wings.

Still, merely having this opportunity represents a defining moment in Kelati’s career. After a journey that started in Walla Walla and led him overseas, the dream of playing in the NBA is at last within his reach.

Basically, it’s a time for first-years to acquaint themselves with the other people with whom they’ll be spending the next four years.

For first-year student-athletes, however, between practices, games, road trips, workouts and meetings, there isn’t nearly as much time to socialize with the class.

“It’s like a mixed bag because I’ve missed out on a couple big events due to tennis, but besides that it’s good," said first-year tennis player Matt Tesmond. "[Being on a team] gives you an instant group of friends, basically, and then you can just Advertisements

grow from there.”

Despite the obstacles of being a firstyear athlete, playing a familiar sport with people from different classes provides a major assist in handling the transition from high school to college.

“Actually, a lot of people have to do it, but I have no idea how I would acquaint myself [with Whitman] without tennis.

That would be a lot harder, I think,” said Tesmond.

Rudd expressed a similar appreciation for the soccer team.

“I have this great resource that firstyears might not: I can know everything that’s going on, what to expect out of ev-

erything. It’s kind of an amazing experience because you get to be part of another thing, rather than just being part of your new section—you have another group that you’re included in,” she said.

It’s evident that, despite the challenges of being a first-year student-athlete, these students wouldn’t have it any other way.

Their first-year experience ultimately becomes defined by the hyphen in between “student” and “athlete.” One without the other would feel incomplete, not just because they play on a sports team here at Whitman, but because both are such vital parts of who they are and how they got here.

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E-mail entries to photos@ whitmanpioneer.com

WEEK FRIDAY, Oct. 9

SUNDAY, Oct. 11

Volleyball

Women’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot

Whitman College (3-7-1, 2-6-0 NWC) 0 0 0

Whitman College (3-6-2, 2-4-1 NWC) 0 0 0

Lewis & Clark College (2-5-1, 2-5-3 NWC) 0 1 1

Whitworth University (8-2-1, 6-1-0 NWC) 0 1 1

Women’s Top Whitman finishers (par 83): Tate Head (80, 91) 171 Caitlin Holland (82, 95) 177

Whitworth University (10-3-0, 7-2-0 NWC) 0 0 0

Wash.) vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., 2:30 p.m.

Game Notes: The Whitman men welcome the University of Puget Sound Loggers (3-4-0) to town this weekend.

In the teams first meeting on September 27th in Tacoma the Missionaries (2-4-1) suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Loggers which put them in an early hole in the Northwest Conference standing. However with a win on Saturday Whitman would leapfrog UPS and climb from sixth to fourth in conference standings.

BowlesInvitational in Bush Park in Salem, Ore. in early October. Whitman coach Malcolm Dunn noted that Whitworthwould be their strongest opponent in the conference. Whitworth, along with Pacific Lutheran, Linfield, and Lewis & Clark will all be competing at the conference.

next April when the next season begins.

conference leading Puget Sound University with a game against fellow conference cellar dwellers Pacific Lutheran University on Sunday. In their first match up September 26th in Tacoma the Lutes handed the Missionaries a disappointing 3-1 loss. With two victories this weekend the Whitman women could move from seventh to third in the conference standings.

Pacific University vs. Whitman College in Forest Grove, Ore. Game Scores 1 2 3 Team Records Pacific 25 21 7-8, 2-5 NWC

4

25

25

Whitman College 17 25 20 4-10, 1-7 NWC

23

(3)

(1)

SATURDAY, Oct. 17 Women’s Soccer

University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Wash.) vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., noon.

Game Notes: The Whitman women look to avenge an early season road loss to the Northwest Conference powerhouse University of Puget Sound Loggers (11-0-0) this weekend. In the teams first matchup in Tacoma the Missionaries (3-6-0) played the heavily favored Loggers to a 1-1 tie at halftime thanks to a stifling defensive effort and an early goal from senior Liz Forbes. However, Puget Sound’s explosive offense dominated the second-half scoring five unanswered goals leading the Loggers to an impressive 6-1 victory.

Men’s Soccer

University of Puget Sound (Tacoma,

Lewis & Clark College vs. Whitman College in Portland, Ore.

Cross Country

Puget Sound Cross Country Invitational (W6K, M6K) in Ft. Steilacoom Park, Tacoma, Wash., 10 a.m. (W6K), 11 a.m. (M6K) Game Notes: All-star women Yasmeen Colis and Kristen Ballinger closed in on sixth place at the Charles

Whitworth University vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Golf

NWC Men and Women’s Fall Golf Classic at Heron Lakes in Portland, Ore. 11 a.m.

Game Notes: Junior Brian Barton received medalist honors on October 12th at the Northwest Conference Northern Colleges Golf Tournament in Lakewood, Wash. Barton fared well despite the men’s team’s slip to fourth place in the final team standings. The Whitman men’s and women’s teams face off against other NWC schools for this two-day event and meet again

MONDAY, Oct. 12

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14

Golf

Women’s Soccer

NWC Northern Colleges Golf Tournament at Oakbrook CC in Lakewood, Wash.

Men’s Top Whitman finishers (par 71): Brian Barton (75, 74) 149 John Abercrombie (76, 84) 160

Swimming

College of Idaho (Caldwell, Idaho) vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. 1 p.m.

Game Notes: The Whitman Swim Teams open their season this weekend with a dual meet against the College of Idaho. Last year the Missionary men’s and women’s teams dominated their Coyote counterparts earning 152-43 and 135-57 victories respectively.

SUNDAY, Oct. 18 Women’s Soccer

Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, Wash.) vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., noon.

Game Notes: The Missionaries follow their Saturday match up with

Whitworth University vs. Whitman College in Spokane, Wash.

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot Whitman College (4-7-1, 3-6-0 NWC) 2 0 2

Men’s Soccer

Pacific Lutheran University vs.

Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., 2:30 p.m.

Game Notes: The Missionaries look to beat the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes (5-2-0) for the first time this season on Sunday. In the team’s last meeting in Tacoma the Lutes overcame a phenomenal performance by Whitman goalkeeper Nic McDonald to earn a 2-1 victory.

SPORTS

October 15, 2009

Summer baseball returns to Walla Walla community

by STATEN HUDSON Staff Reporter In the 1970s and early 80s, Borleske Stadium near Highway 12 was the place to go in southeastern Washington for your summer baseball fix.

Some of the best college players from across the country, including future Hall of Famers, Ozzie Smith and Tony Gwynn all cracked home runs over the imposing “Green Monster” of Douglas firs that dot the outside of the field.

Now, after nearly 30 years, summer baseball will return to Borleske in 2010.

Pacific Baseball Ventures, LLC, a group of investors with strong ties to the Walla Walla community, has announced that they have been granted an expansion franchise in the West Coast League, a summer collegiate wood bat league with a roster of teams from across the Northwest. Each summer, teams recruit top college talent from across the country to play in the league.

The league has proven to be a popular choice among college players, who see it as an opportunity to prove to professional major and minor league teams that they don’t need the wide sweet spot of a carbon-fiber bat to crush a baseball over the fence.

“The WCL allows players to compete in an environment that prepares them for professional baseball,” said Zachary Fraser, a representative for Pacific Baseball Ventures. “Swinging a metal bat in baseball is like playing basketball on an eight-foot hoop and then having to play on a 10-foot hoop when you join the NBA. Wood bat leagues like the West Coast League help bridge that gap and prepare players for what is ahead.”

WCL President Ken Wilson is excited about adding the Walla Walla franchise to the league’s roster of teams.

“We are excited to see minor leaguestyle baseball returning to Walla Walla and to have a terrific ownership group with ties to the local community,” said Wilson in a news release. “Many in southeast Washington and northern

Oregon remember the likes of Smith and Gwynn, and we look forward to creating new memories.”

The Walla Walla franchise, whose team name and colors are, as of yet, undecided, is currently recruiting college players from across the country.

Despite the newness of the team, Fraser and Wilson don’t envision the franchise having any problems selling players on Walla Walla.

“I think we will be very competitive,” said Fraser. “We have players coming from the Big XII, the Big 10, the Pac-10, potentially the SEC, plus we are looking at a mix of players with local ties as well.”

“We get players the old-fashioned way—we get on the phone, introduce ourselves, and sell the player on the quality of the experience they will have in Walla Walla. We work closely with college coaches and develop relationships with them across the country.”

With the season still eight months away, team administrators are hard at work getting everything ready so that when the June 10 season opener rolls around, the team can hit the ground running.

Still on the agenda are a multitude of cosmetic as well as functional renovations to Borleske stadium.

“The first round of renovations includes new dugouts, a new backstop and a new grandstand behind home plate with traditional baseball-style seats,” said Fraser. “Future plans will include a party deck/beer garden, additional seating and expanded concessions options.

Borleske is a great ballpark that just needs a little love to restore the amenities to their former glory, and that is what we are doing.”

The club is welcoming community feedback in preparation for the official team name and colors. Fans can go to www.wallawallabaseball.com to provide their ideas.

The official team name, brand, website, ticket prices and leadership staff will be announced at a date to be determined in the fall.

VAN NESTE After nearly 30 years, summer baseball will return to Borleske Stadium in 2010. Pacific Baseball Ventures, LLC have been granted an expansion franchise in the West Coast League, a summer collegiate wood bat league with a roster of teams from across the Northwest.

12

VYING FOR VICTORY

JACOBSON Whitman women’s volleyball team prepares for a tour of Oregon, facing off against Linfield College and Willamette University this weekend as they inch closer to the end of the season. Their Northwest Conference record currently stands at 1-6 and their overall season record is 4-9.

COMMEN TARY

First-year athletes find balance

by BIDNAM LEE Staff Reporter Being a first-year student at Whitman is an experience akin to watching a bad Michael Bay movie. You don’t really know what’s going on and you’re not sure if you even should, but things are exploding left and right in great heaping balls of fire. The special effects are perplexing but engaging and your adrenaline is pumping for a reason you can’t even quite identify.

Add the time commitment, various responsibilities and frenetic lifestyle of a college athlete to the unmistakable bedlam of the normal Whitman first-year experience, and finding an appropriate movie analogy becomes much harder.

Anything short of a cinematic experience that actually singes your eyebrows and lights you on fire for every explosion

in the movie wouldn’t quite do justice to the equation. In other words, being a first-year student-athlete at Whitman can get pretty crazy.

Hyperbole aside, more than one in five Whitman students plays a varsity sport. This means that there are currently more than 80 first-year students in the class of 2013 who are roughly five weeks into discovering the challenge of being a student-athlete here at Whitman—having an experience that is unequivocally distinct from the rest of their classmates.

Not surprisingly, the greatest challenge for these first-year athletes is finding the balance between the rigorous academic workload of Whitman—“rigorous,” of course, meaning “extremely rigorous”— and the commitment of being a college athlete, especially with regards to time.

The old concept of time management

has found new life in the daily lives of these student-athletes.

“You just have to manage your time really well. In between every class if I ever have down time I’m working on homework or like planning out my week and on the bus, everyone is always doing homework—you have to if you want to get everything done,” said Jaclyn Rudd, a first-year varsity soccer player who contributes at midfield for the Whitman team.

Of course, as much time as first-years spend reading books for Encounters and writing analytical essays into the late hours of the night, the first-year experience is largely characterized by the social life—hanging in section, meeting people in the residence halls, flirting with cute girls or handsome guys.

FIRST-YE ARS, page 11

COMMEN TARY

Rio de Janiero to host 2016 Summer Olympics

BIDNAM LEE & JAY GOLD Staff Reporters On Friday, Oct. 2, the International Olympic Committee handed Rio de Janeiro the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, despite strong bids from Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. It will be the first time the Olympics have been held in South America and only the second time in a Latin American city, the first being Mexico City in 1968.

Rio exemplifies a tale of two cities. On the one hand, it is often called “A Cidade Maravilhosa,” or “The Marvelous City,” and rightfully so. The second-largest city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro boasts a spectacular natural setting that features staggering, forest-covered mountains, breathtaking, white-sand beaches and tourist-attracting, tropical climates— a paradise in every sense of the word.

Known for its festivities and zeal for cel-

ebration, Rio de Janeiro is unequivocally one of the most beautiful and welcoming cities in the world.

On the other hand, Rio is infamous for its crime rate and economic inequalities.

A large portion of the 6.1 million inhabitants of Rio live in poverty, occupying shantytowns, called favelas, outside of the city. Controlled by drug gangs and private militias, many of these favelas are breeding grounds for the type of violence and crime that plagues the city.

According to officials, there were just under 5,000 murders last year in Rio, half of them drug-related. In comparison, the combined number of homicides last year in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, an aggregate population of over 15 million, was 1,406. Additionally, the police in Rio de Janeiro only compound the problem, admitting to having killed 1,118 people in 2008 who were “resisting arrest.” American police killed 371 people in the entire country during the same time period.

Understandably, there are both voices of enthusiasm and concern regarding the city’s ability to host the Games. It will undoubtedly allow Rio de Janeiro to shine in the global spotlight and will hopefully compel the city to address many of the structural, political and

social problems that afflict it. But is Rio taking on a challenge that is too big, making promises that it can’t hold? And will hosting the Olympics augment the problems of the city or remedy them?

In 2007, Rio de Janeiro hosted the Pan American Games, seen as a major triumph for the city and the country of Brazil. Yet, in winning the bid for the 2007 Pan Am games, Rio had promised to build a new light railway, a new state highway and 54 kilometers of new metro lines to accommodate the event, none of which ever actually materialized. Additionally, the Pan Am games reportedly ended up costing much more than the original estimate of $177 million, which is incredible, considering that none of the cost went to the proposed infrastructure projects. Some reports even estimated the final cost of the Pan Ams to be around $2 billion. Brazil will also be holding the 2014 World Cup and nearly two years since winning that bid, construction has yet to begin on its 12 stadiums.

These are not convincing credentials by any means, and as much as the entire world would love to see the Olympics take place successfully in the beautiful setting of Rio de Janeiro, it’s rather unsettling. The issues of lack of infrastruc-

ture and venues point to an issue deeper than just the citizens or location of Rio de Janero. They highlight a glaring blemish on the municipal authorities that are responsible for the oversight of those projects.

There’s a certain sense of justice in the fact that South America will no longer be excluded from hosting the Olympics, an event that professes to be indiscriminately global. That being said, it’s hard to overlook the extent to which violence overruns certain sections of the city, and the obvious administrative issues that could potentially make the impact of the Olympics a negative, rather than positive one, setting Rio and Brazil back, rather than pushing them forward.

While these concerns need to be addressed, the International Olympic Committee sees vast potential. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claims that hosting the Olympics will unite Latin

BOG

GAN

Americans in much the same way that Che Guevara’s tour of South America did. And in promoting the city’s bid, Rio organizers emphasized the city’s ability to infuse the Olympic tradition with something truly new, taking the Olympics to a level of festivity and celebration never seen before.

After all, it’s Brazil. Whether or not the reality of the 2016 Olympics will meet these grand promises is yet to be seen.

Rio has more than six years to prepare for arguably the greatest global event to take place on South American soil. So as the rest of the world puts its faith in Rio de Janeiro and puts the 2016 Olympics on the backburner, we can only hope that when 2016 rolls around, these concerns are just afterthoughts.