Whitman College Pioneer - Issue 8 Fall 2009

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by LIZ FORSYTH Staff Reporter Senior Will Canine, student advocacy chair for ASWC, could not have been happier. “That’s student input right there,� he said as he held up a stack of responses to the Whitman policies that were discussed at the ASWC Town Hall last Thursday, Oct. 22.

A “ballot� was offered to the more than 50 people who attended the ASWC Town Hall meeting, asking them to give their input on everything that was discussed. The topics put forward for students to consider were the GoPrint system, the Alternative Voices requirement and a discussion of Whitman’s

plagiarism policy. “In the past these have been on one topic, something non-sexy. Not that these issues are huge but they are things that are directly impacting students,� said senior Jordan Clark, ASWC vice president and student affairs chair.

One measure ASWC is taking to ensure student participation in the Town Halls is strongly encouraging each campus club to have a student attend. Two years ago ASWC dropped the House of Clubs, which required campus clubs to send a representative to Senate meetings that could last three hours. Senate meetings remain open to all students, but the Town Hall presents a new means to involve more voices in the ASWC cision-making process. “It went as well as it could have,� said Clark. “It’s hard to make anybody do anything. When you say you have to be here or your funds will be cut, you face A SWC, page 3

Flu cases spread, no tests for H1N1

by LEA NEGRIN Staff Reporter Flu-like symptoms continue to hit students across the Whitman campus.

As of yesterday, Oct. 28, there have been a total of 85 cases of flu-like symptoms this season at the Welty Health Center. The health center does not test whether or not individual cases are H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu. While the flu has hit campus, the health center, with the support of the student body, is working to keep the flu’s impact at Whitman as low as possible.

The numbers so far have been “man-

ageable,� according to Claudia Ness, the interim director for the health center, but the college is ready to implement the Whitman Pandemic Plan in the event of a large scale epidemic. Although they are prepared, the health center is first and foremost looking to stop an outbreak of illness from occurring through preventative methods. “I don’t think people have noticed how much work the health center is putting into making people aware through all the posters and such,� said sophomore Fritz Siegret, president of the Student Health Advisory Counsel (SHAC).

FLU, page 2

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by LEA NEGRIN Staff Reporter The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority has long been awaiting the draw of the red curtain in Cordiner Hall this Friday, Oct. 30, for their eighth annual Mr. Whitman pageant. A fundraiser for a chosen non-profit organization, the event brings eight male contestants to compete in formal attire, swim wear, talent and questionand-answer categories.

In past years the non-profit organization which would receive the profits of the event was chosen by the Kappas, who looked at groups with which they had some personal connection or affiliation. Last year, for the first time, they asked the Whitman College community to submit applications for organizations they believed the fundraiser should benefit. For this year’s performance, due to heightened

publicity, the Kappas found themselves struggling to choose between 21 organizations. “In the end we chose Salud Juntos.

[Junior] Nathaniel Rankin, who is abroad this year, submitted the [application] for them,� said Leah Wheeler who is one of the coordinators of this year’s show.

Salud Juntos began in Seattle, Wash. as a project to better the health of citizens of Honduras by establishing clinics and working with communities to implement good medical practices. “It’s a pretty remarkable organization that was started by a small number of smart, dedicated people and has positively impacted thousands,�

Rankin said in an e-mail.

Sophomore Kappa Abigail Neel explained the organization’s mission.

After forming clinics “their mission is to empower Hondurans to work in

Above photo: Adam Canaparoli ‘10 entertains the audience during his fundraiser concert for Mr. Whitman.

Caniparoli is one of eight contestants.

clinics themselves,� she said.

For the pageant, Kappas select one contestant from each of the four fraternities and four independent students. “They picked big names on campus. I just sort of know everyone,� said senior Adam Caniparoli, who was asked last May to be a part of the pageant. “[The Kappas] are using people’s popularity to make a really cool and effective fundraiser. I’m glad I can contribute what I can.�

Since Friday, Sept. 18, the contestants have been fundraising for Salud Juntos. Senior Matt Solomon, one of the contestants and a nationallyranked tennis player, used his skills by MR . WHITMAN, page 3

Farmers’ Market season ends Trustees strive &RQVXPHU IRFXV RQ HDWLQJ DW KRPH IXHOV VXUSULVLQJ VXFFHVV

by MAGGIE ALLEN

for transparency

Staff Reporter As winter approaches, the Walla Walla Valley Farmers’ Market draws to a close. The last market will be this Saturday, Oct. 31, and with the exception of the Holiday Market in December, fresh and local produce will not grace the streets of downtown on weekend mornings until May. The growers and farmers that sell their goods remain positive at the end of the year, despite the economic downturn. “It’s been a good season. Sales are down a little bit, but overall, we’re doing very well,� said Ron Courson, president and founder of the new Walla Walla Valley Farmers’ Market three years ago. “Overall, we’ve had a good year.

We’re down a little bit in revenue, but some of our sales in produce are actually up,� said Beth-Aimee McGuire, the market’s executive director.

Vendors have also found this season to be a positive one. “It’s been a good summer,� vendor Antoinette LaRondelle said. “Very multicultural. We have had people come from all over. I also love to have Whitman students and their families.

We have had hot days and cold days, but it’s been fun.�

MARKET, page 3

Clockwise from top: Squash, heirloom tomatoes and peppers are among the produce for sale at the Walla Walla Valley Farmer’s Market, which also offers baked goods, crafts and artwork.

The market runs May through October, featuring an Onion Festival in July.

Musicians play Saturday and Sunday.

Whitman’s a capella ensembles Sirens of Swank and the Testostertones performed last Saturday.

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COLUMNS

by LIZ FORSYTH Staff Reporter While Whitmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Trustees prepares to meet on campus Nov. 5 and 6, who the board is and what it does remains unknown to many Whitman students. Tony Cabasco, dean of admission and financial aid, remembers when as a student he too felt in the dark regarding the Board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a student I thought it was some mythical board with closed doors and smoke rooms,â&#x20AC;? said Cabasco.

Despite its obscurity, the board influences studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience at Whitman perhaps more than any other single entity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The trustees work on all kinds of policies and financial matters for the college. They set the budget each year, approve new faculty lines and tenure decisions, decide which building projects the college will undertake, assist with fund raising, the list goes on and on . . .â&#x20AC;? said Jed Schwendiman, associate to the president, via e-mail.

The biggest topics on the agenda for the boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming meeting will be budget and tuition levels for next year, current and future building projects and fund raising, according to Schwendiman.

Judge Robart, chairman of the board,

is working actively with students to improve communication between the board and the student body. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an assumption that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no interest in student affairs; maybe students always feel that way,â&#x20AC;?

Robert said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of times the question â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what would be helpful?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; is one that students can answer better than we can.â&#x20AC;?

ASWC President senior Nadim Damluji and ASWC Advocacy Coordinator senior Will Canine have been student representatives on the board since their sophomore year. Sitting on board committees that most directly concern students, such as the Diversity Committee and Student Affairs, allows the two seniors to tell trustees what the student body thinks would be helpful and inform the student body about what the board is doing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The trustees] love having us on the committees,â&#x20AC;? said Canine.

Judge Robart seconds that claim. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think our feeling is that the experiment, no longer the experiment, of having students on various trustee committees has gone really well,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students obviously spend a lot of time here, living here, and the Governing Board members come three times, four times a year so the students have a very TRUSTEES, page 3

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COMMEN TARY

NETFLIX I T

MUSIC REVIEW

OPINION

by Allan Crum

by Caitlin Hardee

by Andrew Hall

by Joey Kern

page 11

page 10

page 9

page 8

NEWS

2

October 29, 2009O

WALLA WALLA GEARS UP FOR VOTING SEASON WCLU president urges student participation

by JOSH GOODMAN Associate News Editor With no national races, the elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, aren’t at the forefront of most voters’ attention, but that doesn’t mean democracy comes to a halt. The Pioneer sat down with senior Kelli Kuhlman, co-president of the Whitman Civil Liberties Union to discuss the election. Kuhlman acknowledges that there are difficulties in driving the vote in this off-year, but is hopeful that interest in domestic partnerships and the state budget among those registered to vote in Washington will send Whitman students to the polls.

The Pioneer: What is WCLU’s overall purpose?

Kuhlman: To raise awareness of certain civil rights issues, but our focus is what students may be affected by. Voting rights, student rights, gender, sexual orientation, privacy, that type of thing.

The Pioneer: Why do you feel that it’s important to vote this year?

Kuhlman: Democracy happens whether a president is being elected or not. It’s an ongoing process. In order to keep it ongoing, voting needs to happen every year. Even if there’s just one initiative on the ballot, it’s still pushing it forward. This country is about democracy.

The Pioneer: What is WCLU doing to get out the vote in this election?

Kuhlman: I sat on tables here in Reid for a week, I’ve been passing out pins to Washington voters to approve Ref. 71, just things like that, spreading word of mouth.

Most of the members are

not registered in Washington, unfortunately. My other co-president is registered in Minnesota. In the last three years I’ve helped with the voting drive that’s happened every year and I’ve helped people from out of state register for absentee ballots.

The Pioneer: How do these efforts compare to other years, such as years when presidential candidates or US senators are on the ballot?

Kuhlman: Getting out the word for different initiatives and referendums last year was so much easier because people were very engaged about voting for president.

The two issues on the Washington state ballot [this year] deal with state budgets and domestic partnerships. There’s not a lot of interest in voting because no major office is being elected to. And most of those people who are voting this time around are the only ones [interested] by either measure. There’s not a lot of people I’ve come across who are going to vote who are not interested in either issue.

The Pioneer: Why do you think it’s harder to get out the vote this year?

Kuhlman: A lot of people who probably will not end up voting are those who are happy with the status quo and those who take for granted the liberal policies that are in place [in locales such as King County] and don’t end up voting because they say, “it happens in King County, it’ll happen everywhere, I don’t need to vote.”

But unfortunately that’s a large amount of people who don’t end up voting.

Whitman is pretty active in voting, but statewide, the 18-25 [ d e m o graphic] is the F LF least represented, O W especially in off-year elections.

Ballot overview

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Staff Reporter This Tuesday, Nov. 3, is election day, and neither Barack Obama nor John McCain appears on the ballot. This fact might be enough to stop some people from voting, but there are still compelling issues that Washington voters will decide on, including caps on the state budget and the rights of domestic partners. For your official guide to the Nov. 2009 election, read on.

State measures

R-71 Referendum 71 concerns domestic partnership laws in Washington State. Passing R-71 would give registered domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples. Both samesex couples and couples with at least one member over the age of 62 qualify for domestic partnerships in Washington.

R-71 was passed by the Washington State Legislature and signed by Governor Gregoire earlier this year as Senate Bill 5688.

However, Protect Marriage Washington, a political action committee, which believes same-sex couples should not have the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples, gathered enough signatures to place the bill on the November ballot as R-71. A vote for R-71 is a vote to keep SB5688 in place and a vote against R-71 is a vote to repeal the original Senate Bill.

For more information: http://approvereferendum71.org/ www.protectmarriagewa.com I-1033 This initiative limits the growth of state, county and city government revenue. If passed, revenue would be capped by what governments collected the previous year, with adjustments allowed for inflation and population growth. New taxes approved by voters would be allowed under the initiative and not counted towards the revenue cap. Any revenue collected beyond the cap would be redistributed in the form of property tax cuts. Proponents of the initiative believe it would lead to more responsible government spending and

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curb increasing taxes. Opponents claim it would cripple state government, because the original revenue cap will be based on last year’s budget, where revenues were at very low levels due to the recession.

For more information: http://www.permanent-offense.org/ http://no1033.com/

Local races

16th District State Representative Laura Grant (D) is the incumbent for this seat. She was appointed to the position following her father Bill Grant’s death in January. Her opponent is Terry Nealey (R), a lawyer who has served as the Prosecuting Attorney for Columbia County.

Both Nealey and Grant endorse similar things, including supporting early childhood education, promoting the interests of farmers, developing wind power and attracting new businesses to the area.

Nealey’s campaign has focused heavily on the importance of fiscal responsibility and limiting government spending. Grant has also addressed fiscal responsibility, but has focused her campaign more on the importance of education, especially early childhood and bilingual programs. Both candidates define themselves as fiscal conservatives.

For more information: www.votelauragrant.com www.terrynealey.com Port of Walla Walla Commissioner, District 3 The Port of Walla Walla’s mission is to create jobs and promote economic vitality and development within Walla Walla County. The Port is divided into three districts, each of which has an elected

commissioner serving a six-year term.

This race is nonpartisan and is between Clarence Anderson and Ron Dunning.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin notes that these candidates have similar platforms—neither is promoting radical change in the Port’s agenda, nor do their opinions differ radically. Anderson is currently President and CEO of the Blue Mountain Credit Union and formerly a business professor at Walla Walla University. He claims that his experience with accounting and his previous work in family farming and oil field businesses give him the experience he needs to help run the Port. He supports increasing the Port’s focus on tourism and recruiting small businesses, while maintaining their work on promoting transportation and family wage jobs. Dunning comes from a farming background and currently owns Dunning Irrigation Supply, as well as his own farm. He also co-owns a biofuel company and has highlighted his involvement in renewable energy as a qualification for office. Dunning also believes the Port needs to focus more on attracting businesses to the area, even ones which only provided minimum wage jobs.

For more information: http://union-bulletin.com/ articles/2009/10/18/local_ news/091018vportcandidates.txt City Council There are three uncontested races on the ballot for City Council Positions 1-3. All three candidates are incumbents.

School Board Walla Walla School District Board Positions 1 & 2 are up for election. Both candidates are running uncontested.

Seniors greet graduate school future at fair

by ERIC NICKESONMENDHEIM Staff Reporter Over thirty graduate schools attended Whitman’s eighth annual grad school fair Tuesday. The schools came to recruit potential applicants and give students a first-hand look at the rigorous application process.

“With the economy, it’s definitely getting harder to get into graduate school,” said Student Engagement Center Director Susan Buchanan. “There’s going to be at least a year before there are significant job opportunities, especially in certain fields.”

The Student Engagement Center, however, wants to help students pursue experiences that will help them compete for top-notch schools. They assist students in finding summer internships and jobs, components that may be essential when applying for further edu-

IN THIS ISSUE: News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8 A&E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 7: t Pio Picks on page 9 under Romeo & Juliet should read “See Theater department sets ‘R&J’ in skateboard culture,” page 9. t In the “Missy gets athletic” article on page 12, Mikayla Hunter was incorrectly quoted as saying, “I like how fencing is kind of an art.” Her quote should have read, “I like how fencing is a sport, but also an art.” t The athlete of the week on Rachel 3HOBERÒ ONÒ PAGEÒ Ò IDENTIµEDÒ !LEXÒ Graves as a junior. She is a senior. t The Sept. 26 edition of The Pioneer MISIDENTIµEDÒ$EANNAÒ,AIDLERÒASÒANÒ alum from the class of ‘49. She is from the class of ‘89.

cation.

“I think a strong background in the actual program is really important,” said Student Recruiter at Washington State University Kalie Davis. “We want to see that you’ve been out there in the field and that you’re getting experience.”

The grad fair is held annually to let students look at graduate school programs up close without having to travel.

It also lets them get face time with important admissions officers and recruiters.

“We invite a huge number of graduate schools,” said Buchanan. “We tend to get mostly regional Northwest schools. It’s usually law schools; they tend to recruit more regularly than medical schools.”

Whitman also helps students into grad school by giving them an opportunity to talk to faculty on a one-on-one basis. Cultivating relationships with teachers can be pivotal in applications for graduate schools, allowing admis-

sions officers to get to know applicants more personally via faculty recommendations than students who may have attended larger universities.

With the economy, it’s definitely getting harder to get into graduate school.

Student Engagement Center $IRECTORÒ3USANÒ"UCHANAN

“We’re really lucky at Whitman because faculty is encouraged to spend time doing independent research projects with students,” said Buchanan.

“The faculty knows you well enough to be able to write a really in-depth letter of recommendation. They can talk very

personally and distinctly about how you would fit into a grad school.”

As with any application process, graduate schools look for more than just grades. They look for personality and how someone will interact with the campus environment as a whole.

“We’re not looking for a cookiecutter class,” said Associate Director of Admissions at Lewis & Clark College Tracy Sullivan. “I think it’s very important people give us a lot of information about who they are personally. We want to have students who bring an enriching environment to the classroom.”

While some students tend to be satisfied with Whitman’s resources, they urge others to take advantage of the opportunities given to them as well.

“I think Whitman does a really good job providing resources like the grad school fair,” said senior Sarah Deming.

“One thing is that Whitman students don’t really utilize these events.”

Taking time to get work experience is also promoted by advisers. This allows students to get a perspective of the world outside of the educational system and to form life experiences they might otherwise forgo in the hopes of getting into a top law school or medical school.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea to get some experience before going into graduate school,” said Buchanan. “I think it’s very important to take a year off.”

Networking is also vital in looking for jobs as well as receiving a high degree of education in a specialized field.

“We also tell students the reality is that if they want to practice in the northwest in terms of networking and making connections it’s better to attend a school nearby,” said Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Seattle University Donna Deming. “Networking is really critical. And that’s how jobs are attained.”

Flu: H1N1 vaccine on priority system  page 1 Preventative measures include reminding all to practice obvious hygienic principles such as hand-washing and covering one’s mouth when coughing.

The health center also urges students to get vaccinated.

“We are encouraging everyone to get their seasonal flu shot,” said Ness.

The health center, as of late, does not have the seasonal flu shot on hand.

“We ordered more vaccines than in the past. [We ran out] because of people’s heightened awareness,” said Ness.

Local pharmacies and clinics are administering the flu vaccines, as is the Walla Walla County Health Department, which made flu shots available to the community at the annual Flu Round Up Oct. 20 through 22. The health department processed 2,720 people in on the first day, but had to turn away community members on Oct. 22 due to a refrigerator malfunction which rendered 1,000 doses of the influenza vaccine unusable. A major concern has been the H1N1 vaccine, which the health center and the Flu Round Up are not offering.

“The [H1N1] vaccine is not available in the quantities we would need for the entire community,” said Susann Bussham from the health department.

Due to limited supply, H1N1 vaccines will be made available to individuals based on a priority system.

Pregnant women and diabetics are part of the high-risk population that will receive priority.

“This year H1N1 shots will be made available to select groups of community members,” said Ness.

At the health center, students with influenza-like illnesses will not be tested for a precise illness. The health center adopted this practice because both flus have the same treatment and, with the illness lasting three to five days, the results on the testing would most likely exceed the recovery time.

When a student is confirmed to have flu-like symptoms, he or she is given a packet which includes items such as a mask, tissues, ibuprofen, and Tylenol, then asked to stay isolated in his or her room until 24 hours after the fever has cooled, which is when an individual is deemed no longer contagious.

CORNELIUS A shelf tag announces the sell out of respiratory masks at the H1N1 clinic in the Blue Mountain Mall.

First-year Joey Gottlieb is among those who had the flu earlier this season.

“It came on fast. The first thing to hit was a high fever,” he said.

Trying not to spread the flu to his roommates also proved inconvenient.

“Every time they came over I had to put my mask on,” he said.

One of Gottlieb’s roommates, David

Shapiro, was “not really” worried about becoming ill. His lack of concern is justified by the fact that influenza is most contagious two days before the symptoms hit.

While students like Gottlieb continue to trickle into the health center, Ness feels ready to serve them.

“The health center is prepared. The campus is prepared,” she said.

NEWS

9October 29, 2009

3

Local colleges energize community solar project

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Staff Reporter

BULLION Mr. Whitman contestants rehearse group dance in the Prentiss Hall basement.

Mr. Whitman: Bridges joins judging panel  page 1 inviting people to donate to the organization in exchange for playing against him.

Caniparoli chose to use his connections as a member of Schwa to sell the group’s services through “lullagrams” as well as host a Coffeehouse show on Friday, Oct. 23, with the help of his friends.

While a good amount of profits are made at the pageants doors due to the reputation of the fundraiser, the contestants have each been asked to aim at raising $3,000. To encourage the gentlemen, the amount raised contributes to who is named Mr. Whitman.

“The amount they raise is a significant portion of who wins in the end,” said Wheeler.

Although the contestants come up with fundraising ideas on their own, they are supported every step of the way.

“We all have a posse of four Kappas who do publicity for us,” said Caniparoli.

After some cajoling, the Kappas enlisted Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell, Professor of Sociology

Michelle Janning, Professor of Mathematics Barry Balof and College President George Bridges to judge the contestants on a scale of 1 to 5 throughout the pageant.

From sorting through student-submitted non-profit applications to choreographing the opening dance to serving as MCs for the show, the Kappa sorority has involved many of its members in the Mr. Whitman pageant.

“We really care about the charity this year so we’ve put our hearts into it,” Wheeler said.

For the past week tickets have been on sale in Reid for $5 but will increase to $8 at the door.

“Despite the recession we’re setting our goals high,” said Wheeler, who has much to live up to in light of last year’s success of raising $21,000 to go to an orphanage in Uganda for children of AIDS victims.

Rankin is grateful for whatever funds the pageant raises for Salud Juntos.

“Many thanks to them for this—it’s an incredible event that they put on,” Rankin said.

If representatives from each of Walla Walla’s three colleges have their way, the region will soon be transformed by an energy revolution. This is the hope of Walla Walla University physics professor Fred Liebrand. Liebrand is working on a community solar project which will unite Whitman, WWU and Walla Walla Community College in a venture to generate renewable energy.

“It just seemed like a very good idea that could help everyone,” said Liebrand.

His idea is to solicit investments from community members and alumni of all three schools, which would be used to purchase a solar energy system.

“The idea is to allow people from the community in—people who couldn’t afford to put solar panels on their own homes,” said junior Nat Clarke, president of Whitman’s Campus Greens. Clarke is enthusiastic about the project and says Whitman only found out about it this fall.

“The school’s current involvement is cautiously interested but not actually engaged,” he said.

Clarke, along with Professor of Geology Bob Carson and the Whitman Conservation Committee, is in the process of determining how Whitman can become involved in the project.

Liebrand says that for both WWU and WWCC, the project would provide technical training for students who are studying engineering and other related fields.

The goal of the project would be for students to do the actual system installation themselves.

“Whitman may rely more on the goodwill of its students,” he said, referring to the fact that Whitman has no technical programs. Nevertheless, he feels that installing a solar system would be a valuable

SLOANE

experience for Whitman students.

“Knowing how things are put together is always valuable,” he said.

In addition to the logistical details, a major aspect of the project has been determining its financial viability. Installing a functional solar energy system is expensive, costing about $5,000 per kilowatt.

One kilowatt will generate about $85 worth of energy in a year, so government incentives are key for the project to work.

Currently, the federal government will subsidize the installation of solar systems by giving a 30 percent tax credit on the cost of the entire system once it is installed. Washington also has a program in place to pay per kilowatt hour of energy generated. Community solar projects are eligible for double the rate residential projects can receive, and if the project uses solar panels made in Washington, the total incentive is up to $1.08 per kilowatt hour.

Though these incentives might seem high, Carson points out that it makes sense for the government to invest in so-

lar energy.

“New power facilities are expensive, and we’re also getting clean air,” he said.

Carson said he’s communicating with the other colleges involved in the project to determine how they can move forward.

The cooperation of local governments and utilities will be important, as will the participation of all three schools.

Whitman junior Ari Frink also sees an opportunity for the Network for Young Walla Walla to get involved in the project. The network was founded this year so that WWU, WWCC and Whitman students can work together on projects and share ideas.

“Once we find out what a solid role for the network could be within the solar project, I’ll bring it up,” he said.

Currently, the project’s future is still being determined. In spite of the logistical obstacles, Clarke believes the project can succeed.

“I’m really excited about this project,” he said. “If it gets through, it’s going to be the next big green thing on campus.”

Trustees: Students gain voice Farmers’ Market: Sundays a struggle  page 1

 page 1

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valuable point of view they can share with those committees.”

The hardest part of being a student representative on the board, Canine explained, is determining what student voice he should bring.

“I find myself constantly tempering my positions by trying to represent all students,” he said.

ASWC is currently looking for three students to be student representatives on the board, preferably sophomores so as to provide more continuity.

Applicants will be chosen by the ASWC Nominations committee.

Less known to students is how trustees are selected and what their position entails.

“The principal qualification to be a Whitman trustee is a passion for Whitman,” said Robart. “We ask you to give up a bunch of your spare time and devote it to a cause that is this College.”

The 18 trustees serve a maximum 12-year term and work in conjunction with the Board of Overseers, who serve as advisors to the trustees. They are not compensated for their work and represent some of the larger donors to campus improvements.

The t r uste e nominating committee elects new trustees, including this year’s three additions to the board: Megan Salzman Medica, a Whitman alumna; Nancy Serrurier, a parent of a Whitman student; and David Nierenberg, who brings substantial financial experience.

The board works with the Deans of Whitman, including Cabasco who collaborates with the Board’s Enrollment Committee.

“They rely on us to provide the information they need to help engage them in

those types of committees,” Cabasco said.

Although the idea of closed doors and smoke rooms may still persist, in the future more efforts are planned to provide insights for the trustees about the school and vice versa.

“I think students might wonder what Trustees do, it’s not nearly as mysterious as you might think. We try to give instructions to the administration, they try to carry it out; the administration brings a lot of ideas to us, and we talk to them,” said Robart.

LaRondelle feels like the economy has slightly affected the market, but not enough for any permanent damage.

“I felt the economy downturn in the middle, in July and August,” she said.

“This could have been just because it was hot, but at least it has picked up again recently. People are being more frugal with their money, but other than that, things are well.”

LaRondelle also believes that the green movement has helped the market by encouraging people to shop locally.

“I hope the local movement has helped us,” she said. “People are becoming more conscious of going green and going local, and of course the fact that I use most everything in the summer from local growers encourages people to buy more local food. We also have active co-op groups, which are going well.”

Vendor Michael Locati also believes that the economy has helped the Farmers Market by encouraging people to be more conscious.

“More people probably don’t go out to eat as much, so we get more people to come out here,” he said. “We see a

shift in sales from restaurants to local individuals. Once you get established down here and start making products, people ask about us, so we start growing. It takes time for the market to adapt, but we have made certain changes.”

For example, Locati said that this is the first time he has brought squash to the market, to see what varieties people prefer.

“We’ve also seen a lot more of young mother canning going on this year, which has helped the farmers,” Courson said.

A current challenge is growing the market on Sundays. While Saturdays are busy, fewer vendors and customers come on Sundays.

“We would like to see the market keep growing, especially on Sundays,” LaRondelle said. “That’s my biggest concern. We have good attendance of vendors and people on Saturday, but Sundays are so slow. We would like people to come here on Sundays for breakfast so that we can feed them.”

Courson is glad to see the market doing well despite the economic downturn and is looking forward to a new season in the spring.

ASWC: Club attendance generates more feedback  page 1 resistance. But we’re happy with the fact we got rid of an ineffective system with the House of Clubs. This is more reciprocal, less forced.”

For many clubs, the implication that funding could be at stake did force representatives to attend the Town Hall, though they appreciated the reduced time commitment compared to regular Senate meetings.

“They’re suggesting that they’ll cut off funding if you don’t show up,” said senior Kevin Chung, representing the Baking Club. “This is better than before. [With the House of Clubs,] there were more meetings. This is once or twice a semester so this is a huge improvement.”

Each of the three topics began with a presentation of what ASWC has been doing in committees followed by a general discussion in which anyone could participate. For the GoPrint system, senior Senator Divneet Kaur addressed concerns that the system was unfair to certain majors by offering a proposal to tailor the GoPrint system more to

the needs of individuals. It would give students the ability to request a certain amount after they received their syllabi in the fall and the spring. Although the proposal seemed to answer the concerns of many students, WCTS member Mike Osterman responded to the proposed changes.

“We looked at this and found it to be nearly impossible,” he said. “That takes staff time and we’re happy to do it but if we expand that to every student we’d need a full-time staff member to do it.”

Expanding upon the GoPrint system, senior Senator Graham Brewer proposed a “Toner for All” policy to increase the number of printers on campus. Despite high set-up costs of $2,000 per printer, which would be funded out of the ASWC budget, people seemed happy about this prospect, which would increase access especially for students who live far away from the library or the academic buildings.

The General Studies committee sought feedback on the Alternative Voices distribution requirement. The committee has been working to come up

with written criteria for how the requirement should seek to enhance students’ education.

“We’ve got ten years of history, thirty classes that fulfill it, but no idea what it was trying to do,” explained Canine.

“Trying to describe it as it is right now is an important first step for what Alternative Voices should be in the future.”

Discussion was mixed on this issue as students raised concerns about a proposed change in the name from “Alternative Voices” to “Critical Perspectives” and why exactly Whitman has that distribution requirement.

Whitman’s Plagiarism Policy was the last topic on the agenda. Clark, along with sophomore Senator Noah Lerner, presented the proposed changes, which they said are strongly supported by Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland and Associate Dean of Students Clare Carson.

Lerner and Clark said the current policy disproportionally hurts international students and first-years, who sometimes struggle to grasp the policy. The senators also noted that the policy is problematic because it demands the same punish-

ment for missed quotations as for a paper purchased off the internet.

“What we find is that technically speaking, there’s no room [for professor discretion in determining punishment], so professors don’t report it. We want professors to follow policy; that’s why we want to change it,” said Lerner.

The Town Hall finished with an open

forum, asking students for input. ASWC reminded students that they can check out its new Web site, www.goaswc.org to contact their representatives if they have any further comments.

“We’re trying to get ideas for new policy directions, new problems we can fix and things we’ve already done this semester,” said Clark.

HUBANKS !37#Ò&INANCEÒ#HAIRÒ-ATTÒ$ITTRICHÒf ÒANDÒOTHERÒ!37#ÒMEMBERSÒOVERSEEÒ4OWNÒ(ALL

FEATURE

4

October 29, 2009O

Campus Crime How safe is Whitman?

Take a small town like Walla Walla and a college like Whitman, put them together, and it may seem like the ultimate safety utopia. Whitman students are notorious for leaving their dorm rooms unlocked, their laptops unattended at the library and their bicycles lying outside their houses.

However, in the past year, Whitman has witnessed an increase in crime on campus, mostly due to burglary and theft-related incidents. A recent rise in harassment of students have made some question, more than ever, their own personal safety.

The Pioneer investigates security on campus and surrounding neighborhoods, offering an inside look at the nightly routines of a Walla Walla police officer, an update on recent crime occurrences and some helpful resources to contribute to your safety on campus.

Students harassed on Isaacs, Boyer

by KRISTEN COVERDALE Staff Reporter Sophomore Gia Anastasiou and firstyear Julia Bowman were walking down Boyer Ave. toward Reid at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 when, practically out of nowhere, a man on a bike bumped into them and pulled Anastasiou’s purse from her hand. The pair chased after the thief but couldn’t keep up. Anastasiou called the police, who arrived within minutes, but they have yet to recover her purse or any of its contents.

Anastasiou emphasized that they were especially vulnerable because it was only the two of them.

“We went to sushi Friday night and we actually were supposed to go with a group of people. I feel like if we had been a big group we wouldn’t have been targets but because it was the two of us we were,” she explained.

Though cases of bike and laptop theft are fairly common—according to the Whitman College daily crime log, nine cases of theft have occurred since the beginning of the year—muggings are more rare and unexpected.

“It’s an eye opener. I thought we were in a really safe bubble but the outside world can have an impact on us here at Whitman. I’ll be more aware of the people around me and not just assume that everyone is safe,” Bowman said.

CAMPUS SECURITY RESOURCES Campus Crime Log

Campus Security Officers are required to document their activities during each shift. These activities are then translated into a security log, which details any alleged criminal incidents that occur daily.

The crime log includes the nature of the crime, the date and time it occurred, the location of the crime and its disposition.

The Daily Crime Log can be accessed at http://dailysecuritylog.wordpress.com.

Though crimes such as this tend to shock the Whitman Community, other security problems arise on a regular basis. Every weekend, as people party-hop between the fraternities and off-campus houses located on Isaacs, interactions between pedestrians and some of the passing traffic rattle nerves and distress students.

Junior Kristine Unkrich recalled a particularly unnerving experience, “I was crossing Isaacs with a friend and as a car passed me passengers yelled some pretty crude comments.

I know this experience was not unique and this happens to a lot of people. If I had been by myself I would have felt very uncomfortable but in that circumstance I was just really annoyed.”

Sometimes street harassment goes beyond verbal intimidation—which many female students have been subject to—and becomes physical. A group of students, including junior Joanne Yang, were walking to their house on Isaacs when a car drove by and passengers leaned out the window and threw an egg at them.

“We were mad so we called the cops and as we were standing outside the house they came back and they threw three or four more eggs at us,” said Yang.

She went on to explain that this incident has had an impact on her habits

Yellow Jacket Escort Services

Whitman Campus Security provides an escort service for both students and employees. The service offers access to and from campus facilities and to any location up to two blocks off campus from 7p.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week during the academic year. To request a Yellow Jacket escort, call security at 5777.

and, what might have been fun for the perpetrators, was a frightening experience for her and her friends.

“I have stress because of this. I try to walk far away from the street when I see a close speeding car,” Yang said, “I generally feel safe on campus but it’s creepy by the roads.”

Passengers in cars driving down Isaacs have also been known to throw other items, such as water balloons and beer cans, at students walking in groups or walking alone.

Junior Masud Shah felt angered by his own water balloon encounter.

“I think the worst thing was when I had three cars drive by and the first threw a water balloon that missed and

hoods are not as safe as many

blew up on the ground. The second car had a little better aim and it hit me and exploded on my pants and then the third one just drove by and laughed,” he said.

Shah went on to say that he considered carrying a rock to use for retaliation but realized that would only cause the situation to escalate.

“They’re most likely just high school kids who are bored. I think the main reason is that it’s just fun and it’s something that we’re almost defenseless against,” he said.

Junior Leah Wheeler, who had peaches chucked at her by a neighbor while she was walking home from the library, thinks that students need to realize that Whitman and the surrounding neighbor-

assume.

“Our campus is open. Many of our academic buildings are open at night and people are not as nice as we may wish they were,” Wheeler stated.

Though some crimes aren’t easily preventable—anyone walking down Isaacs is exposed to the cars driving by—it is important to be aware of your surroundings and walk in groups, especially when venturing away from campus at night.

Anastasiou offered some final advice: “I think the reason it’s probably not very safe is the fact that people are super trusting so they don’t plan for dangerous situations . . . you set yourself up for it by being alone which makes you a target.

Plan out your night ahead of time.”

CRIME BY THE NUMBERS Compiled by HELEN JENNE, Staff Reporter

15

0

cases of motor vehicle theft in 2008

number of reported rapes in 2008

number of reported rapes in 2007

instances of forced fondling in 2007

instances of forced fondling in 2008

4

2

3

cases of aggravated assault in 2008

6

2

5

Walla Walla Police Department

Incidents that take place off-campus are under the jurisdiction of the Walla Walla Police Department, while on-campus incidents are under the jurisdiction of Whitman Campus Security. Students should be mindful of their location when preparing to report crime incidents, and as such should first report to the appropriate authority in relation to their location.

JOHNSON

cases of aggravated assualt in 2007

cases of burgalry in 2008

Security phones

Security phones, or blue lights, are located in several areas of the campus, and should be used in the case of a criminal, medical or fire emergency. If you have an emergency, push the red button and you will be put in contact with a police dispatcher. Simultaneously, another officer will also be immediately sent to your location. See the above campus map for blue light locations.

Bicycle registration

The city of Walla Walla requires that all bicycles be registered with the Walla Walla Police Department. Registration costs $5, and has proven to be an effective way to retrieve stolen bicycles. Bicycles can be registered at any Walla Walla Police Station, the closest to campus being located in City Hall on the corned of 3rd and Rose Street.

36

25

alcohol referrals in 2008

11

drug referrals in 2008

F t i W h

alcohol referrals in 2007

0

drug or alcohol arrests in 2007-08

Figures from the Whitman College Annual Security Report, found at http://www.whitman.edu/content/security/annualreport

14

drug referrals in 2007 BOGGAN

i d o s I s v

n

2 f

FEATURE

9October 29, 2009

5

HOME SWEET HOME: THE SAFEST ROUTE

!"#"$% Blue Light Call Box Safe Path

JOHNSON AND LERCHIN

PLAN YOUR WALK BACK Increasing harassment of students on main campus thoroughfares has lead many people to reconsider their routes home.

While convenience most commonly drives route choices, stu-

dents should also consider the safety of their path of choice. Try to avoid walking on busy roads such as Isaacs for too long, and steer clear of poorly-lit streets such as Park Street between Cordiner Hall and Sherwood Athletic Center.

One may also want to consider planning their route around blue light locations. Refer to the map above to see their following locations: 1. Harper Joy Theatre: In landscaping between HJT and Science Building

2. Phi Delta Theta: At 715 Estrella St., on the front lawn 3. Maxey Hall: S.E. corner 4. Maxey Hall: N.W. corner 5. Memorial Hall: N.E. side, near outdoor tennis courts

6. Music Building: S.E. corner 7. Prentiss Hall: Near bridge in front of Prentiss Hall 8. North Hall: In yard in front of North Hall

Riding shotgun:

On patrol with the Walla Walla police

by HADLEY JOLLEY Staff Reporter I was shocked and scared when I first noticed the two rifles sitting next to me in the police cruiser. That was the closest I’d ever been to a gun, especially an assault rifle, and there two were leaning upright against the glass that separates the back of the police car, where people who get arrested ride, and the front. I could rub my shoulders against them.

I was going for a civilian ride-along through the Walla Walla police department with Officer Brent Barberich to see what an average night is like for a police officer around the town. It was ten o’clock at night on Friday, Oct. 23.

For a while, we sat in the parking lot listening to the dispatch radio while Barberich explained some of the tricks of a police car. In front of my seat sat a Toughbook laptop, which serves as a computer-operated dispatch. It also displays footage from the camera system within the car.

A switch to the left of the laptop would release the stop-strips from a compartment underneath the trunk, which would flatten the tires of the car behind the police car in case of a pursuit.

“They’re not tactically very good, because more often than not we’re not going to be in front of a car we’re pursuing,” said Barberich.

Officer Barberich estimated that 90 percent of calls the police department fields on weekends after ten o’clock at night involve alcohol. When I asked about Whitman, he said that Whitman students had been good this year: when the police were called over with a loud party call, it usually only took one visit by the police to get the party to quiet down or break up. He did comment that sometimes Whitman students sometimes didn’t seem to realize that drinking underage was illegal.

However, he didn’t mention Whitman in conjunction with any crimes other than loud parties and underage drink-

ing.

“A majority of the people out at night on the weekends are out drinking,” he said.

We eventually left the parking lot and started to drive around Walla Walla.

“If you were in a ride with four different officers, you’d probably have four different experiences,” Barberich said. “Each officer concentrates on a different aspect of law enforcement . . . Some guys work on a lot of traffic, some guys on drug dealers or drug usage, some guys work on gangs.”

Officer Barberich focused on gangs.

We drove by multiple houses he said were gang hangouts, none of which I could find again. I became hopelessly lost about five minutes into the drive

JOHNSON and didn’t find where I was again until I saw Safeway.

At around eleven o’clock we pulled into a parking lot to set up a speed trap. Officer Barberich was going to let me use the radar gun to catch speeders. I was looking forward to that.

Unfortunately, dispatch came in over the radio calling in a disturbance, so I never had the chance to use the radar gun on any car, much less a speeding car.

I followed Officer Barberich and another officer to the house near campus that someone had called in a complaint about noise. It turned out to be a birthday party that had gotten a bit loud, and so the officers talked to a woman

and left.

On the way back to the cruisers, the two officers discussed how brazen Whitman students tended to be with their alcohol use, but said it used to be worse. Now, I guess, we mostly confine our public underage drinking to campus.

Yes, I lost the chance to use a radar gun because somebody had too loud a birthday party. Other than that, it was slow night, at least for the car I was in.

At about 11:20 p.m., Officer Barberich dropped me off in front of my dorm. After all, isn’t that kind of their job? Making sure we all get home safe at night?

Students must balance caution, sense of security

by WILL WITWER Staff Reporter First-year Maggie Appleton feels utterly safe in her Whitman bubble and is not paranoid about members of the Walla Walla community wreaking havoc upon her notions of security.

“I think that Whitman is exceedingly safe; I have yet to witness any dodgy people anywhere or any type of violence at all or hear of any, ever,” said first-year Maggie Appleton. “And I also have an older sibling at the school who has yet to tell me of any violence he’s every heard of.”

Her brother, Max Appleton, is a junior at Whitman.

On Oct. 1, Whitman released the 2009 Annual Security Report, which follows the guidelines of The Jeanne

Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, as required by the federal government. The report shows that, while most crime is at a comparably low level to that of schools in big cities, it exists beyond the imaginations of most Whitman students.

The college may seem so safe that talking about safety as a potential problem elicits puzzled looks.

“The really dodgy ones that are going to potentially gang rape someone don’t come to hear talks on the U.S. foreign oil trade and its significance to the environment—they’re not interested,” said Appleton.

According to statistics on Whitman’s Web site, there were six forcible sex offenses reported in 2006, five in 2007, and 18 in 2008. However, the

terminology used by the Cleary Crime statistics can be misleading, according to Barbara Maxwell, Associate Dean of Students/Student Programs.

“According to Cleary, [non-forcible sex offenses] are statutory rape and incest,” said Maxwell. “I’ve actually heard students be just outraged that

The Whitman bubbleit’s not just Whitman students going out, it’s that they feel that people can’t really come in.

Ethan Maier ‘13

all of our sex offenses are forcible.”

Whitman reports zero non-forcible sex offenses each year. Maxwell also mentioned that the statistics do not differentiate between attempted crimes and completed crimes. Students feel so at home on campus that they sometimes ignore the fact that the campus is open to the public, Maxwell said.

First-year Ethan Maier agrees.

“People on Whitman campus forget that they’re in a city,” said Maier.

“I see bikes being left unlocked a lot, and that’s just silly to me, because we are in the middle of a city and there are probably plenty of people who would love to steal a bike. The Whitman bubble—it’s not just Whitman students not going out, it’s that they feel that people can’t really come in.”

While Maier also feels safe on campus, he said that people shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking that they can just leave their possessions lying around. Maxwell agreed, although she indicated that nine times out of ten one would probably be fine.

“I think that I have a responsibility, as a citizen, to take precautions,” said Maxwell. “I lock my house, I lock my car; I don’t leave things in the front seat to entice people to break the window. So is this nirvana where people can do whatever they want and be safe 100 percent of the time? No.” While students feel safe, they might take more personal responsibility, particularly concerning their possessions. There is a fine line between being responsible and being paranoid, Maxwell said.

Opinion

SLOANE

Future of publishing materializes online BLAIR FRANK Columnist

In 2005, author J.C. Hutchins was at an impasse.

“I started looking for an agent in 2005, and that went nowhere,” he said in an interview with me regarding “7th Son,” his trilogy of novels. His original 1300-page manuscript was turned down by

every agent he met.

With the advent of the Web, authors like Hutchins have many options when it comes to getting their content out to potential readers. For Hutchins, his rejections changed his perspective on getting “7th Son” out to the masses.

“I had given up on getting [“7th Son”] in print, but I had also been listening to podcasts in 2005, and was exposed to the works of folks like Scott Sigler, who were recording their novels as free, serialized audiobooks, and releasing them in podcast format,” said Hutchins.

That’s precisely what Hutchins did. In 2006, he released “7th Son: Descent” as a serialized podcast novel, to great success.

By the time he finished the trilogy with the second and third installments (titled “7th Son: Deceit” and “7th Son: Destruction”), the number of subscribers to his podcast on iTunes had reached the tens of thousands.

In 2007, before the end of his podcast

trilogy, “Descent” was picked up by St. Martin’s Press, after they hired Hutchins to work with Jordan Weisman on the novel/trans-media experience “Personal Effects: Dark Art.” Hutchins saw Personal Effects not only as a great creative endeavor, but also as a way into the publishing industry. “I also saw it as an opportunity to sneak in the basement window of mainstream publishing and see if they would be interested in ‘7th Son.’” St. Martin’s wasn’t the only interested party, though. In late April, Hutchins announced that Warner Bros. optioned the film rights to the “7th Son” trilogy. While this doesn’t mean that a movie is definitely imminent, it means that Warner Bros. has reserved the possibility to do so sometime over the next three years— which is monumental, considering the beginnings of the “7th Son” franchise.

Stories like Hutchins’s are more prevalent than you might think. New York Times Bestselling authors Sigler and Mur Lafferty also got their start by podcasting.

So what does this mean for the publishing industry at large? For one, it means that the traditional means of getting your creative endeavors out into the world can be easily circumvented. If the world at large likes what you’re offering, there’s great possibilities for more deals down the line.

To that end, I asked Hutchins what tools he found most helpful in the life of the “7th Son” franchise.

“Creating a Web site, and I know this may sound like an obvious thing . . . us-

ing a free service like Wordpress or Blogger, that costs either nothing or next-tonothing, and will establish you on the web. And that is your fortress, that is your castle,” he said.

He’s also a big fan of a social network I’ve written about in detail: “Twitter is an exceptional tool to make friends, and not only communicate with them, but promote your work.”

The biggest boon to him in book promotion, however, is not digital in nature.

“The most value I have found in working in the podcast and social media space is very similar to the most success you would find in person, which is to make friends.”

Sometimes, even with all of the shiny digital methods of promotion and the cutting-edge ways to get your content out, it’s better to turn to the more analog methods of promotion. Friends are indispensable when it comes to promotion, and helping you get your cool ideas out there. So court them however you can, whether in meatspace or in cyberspace, because they will serve you well.

Check out The Pioneer Web site for a free 100-page PDF featuring the first few chapters of “7th Son: Descent,” as well as my review of the novel, and a chance to win a copy of the book! You can find out more about Hutchins, and his books at his Web site, jchutchins.net.

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

The Pioneer ISSUE 8 OCT. 29, 2009 Page 7

Controversy over carbon offsets misses point When I told a professor that I’m working on a project to install energy efficient compact florescent light bulbs (CFL) in low-income areas in Walla Walla, LISA he became excited.

CURTIS Then I told him Columnist that I’m writing my senior thesis on possible ways that this reduction in greenhouse gases could count as a carbon offset for Whitman. Suddenly, he wasn’t so excited.

I believe his reaction to my idea to help Whitman balance its carbon output by actively reducing greenhouse gases in the community is related to widespread negative perceptions of carbon offsets.

A carbon offset is simply a credit that an individual or organization can purchase to lower their carbon footprint by paying another company or individual for an environmentally friendly project.

This idea covers everything from an individual purchasing a certain amount of renewable energy (often called “green tags”) to an industrialized country funneling billions of dollars into projects in a developing country.

Individuals, companies or governments purchasing offsets out of their own interest makes up what is referred to as the voluntary market. According to Ecosystem Marketplace, in 2008 approximately $705 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market.

The revenues are even larger in the compliance market—the market that government, companies or other organizations turn to when they are unable to meet their pledged greenhouse gas reduction targets. In 2006, the World Bank estimated that there were $5.5 billion worth of carbon offsets purchased in the compliance market.

Despite the success of the carbon market and the predicted growth due to compliance legislation and cap and trade legislation, many people question its validity. Scientifically, it’s difficult to determine whether the projects paid for by carbon credits are actually reducing greenhouse gases. Morally, it’s hard to validate a process that essentially allows wealthy people to buy their way out of a low-carbon lifestyle.

Although my professor didn’t say it, I can imagine some of his concerns: If Whitman was to offset part of its emissions through energy efficiency projects in Walla Walla, would we be imposing our environmental principles on people

who wanted nothing to do with them?

Even worse, would we be asking people who likely use far less energy than us to reduce their emissions while we kept on using energy without thinking twice?

While these are valid concerns, they’re untrue. Energy efficiency— whether it’s in the form of light bulbs, weatherization kits or water aerators— isn’t just an environmental concept. Of course, there are environmental benefits in reducing energy use, but the argument for energy efficiency is primarily an economic one.

According to the Department of Energy, the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills. Approximately 11 percent of that energy budget is dedicated to lighting— but it doesn’t have to be. Purchasing a 47 cent energy efficient CFL light bulb to replace an often used incandescent light bulb could save $15 in less than a year.

My point is not to convince you to change all your light bulbs but rather to emphasize that there’s a direct economic benefit to projects often written off as “environmental.” Additionally, there are often equally valuable but not directly economic benefits: In this case, the impetus for Whitman students to become more involved in the Walla Walla community.

Leading over 40 students and parents to knock on doors in the Farm Labor Home and offer to replace every light bulb in their house was an incredible experience. Many of the groups came back with soda and tacos in hand, having made new friends with residents while replacing light bulbs.

I knew we’d done something right when three different women came over to where I was packing up the light bulbs and asked me if we could come to their houses. Our volunteers cheerfully stayed longer than the allotted two hours to help these women, but we were only able to reach less than a quarter of the houses.

We promised the residents of the Farm Labor Home that we would come back until we had replaced every light bulb in every home that wanted it. If selling carbon offsets could provide a sustainable source of funding so that we could do that—well then they can’t be all that bad.

While the administration has yet to even consider purchasing local carbon offsets, if I ever survive the requirements of a politics senior thesis, I hope they will.

Lisa Curtis is a senior environmental-politics major. She is Whitman’s sustainability coordinator.

Transitioning from Shantou’s bubble to Whitman’s Waking up from an eight-hour siesta, glancing at the clock in the dark and recalling with remorse how many assignment deadlines I had missed because RENSI of this extended KI nap—the result of Columnist working overnight on a paper—I suddenly got a sense of Whitman’s bubble.

My personal Whitman bubble is currently filled with Bronislaw Malinowski’s psychological functionalism, Sandra Gilbert’s ekphrastic poetry and my slow process of adjusting to that bubble.

That’s right: my goal is to immerse myself in the bubble that many Whitman students try to break through.

While the content within individual bubbles varies, our communal Whitman bubble remains the product of what Whitman proudly claims—its traditional liberal arts education.

On its Web site, Whitman defines liberal arts education as a combination of “a passion for the life of the mind” and a bunch of skills to maintain that passion.

I translate this five-line definition into a pressing need to enlarge my English vocabulary and a desperate eagerness for critical thinking skills, both of which my

liberal arts education in China failed to offer.

It may confuse Whitman reader that I think Chinese liberal arts education needs to teach students more English, and some friends at home might feel equally confused because English is already a required course in Chinese schools from fifth

To answer my Chinese readers: sorry, we don’t conduct English education properly—there’s too much emphasis on grammar and written English. And those standardized English tests don’t ask for personal opinions either—our college entrance examination’s writing section even provides an essay outline for test-takers to follow.

It wasn’t until I

JOHNSON grade to college.

To answer my American readers: if conducted properly, English education is probably the only thing that Chinese liberal arts education can use to develbecame an op students’ critical thinking, because E n g l i s h major at Shantou traditional Chinese education simply University that I finally had opportunities wants students to diminish their own for expressing myself. I submitted creideas and to obey authorities. ative writing to the college’s English Writ-

i n g Competition, made speeches in the university’s English Speech Contest, worked as reporter and then editor for the English newspaper, and did many pre s e nt at i on s and projects for classes.

However, I was still feeling restricted in a suffocating bubble, since many Chinese professors still expect students to cater to their ideas and styles. How did I sense those expectations? By looking at the grades on my papers and the looks on their faces.

After taking a few courses given

by expatriate professors at Shantou, I had a chance to compare Chinese and Western pedagogy. It’s frustrating to notice that Chinese pedagogies aren’t only teacher-centered, but also whatcentered. Chinese professors like asking questions about what rather than why and how, probably because it’s easier to check facts than to evaluate arguments.

The likely result is that we acquire nothing but a great memory.

The good news is that my university has its Bulletin Board System: While most Shantou students are still tentative in class discussions, they produce perceptive and humorous insights in this nearly authority-free Internet forum.

Transitioning from Shantou’s bubble to Whitman’s bubble, I’m aware that Whitman has the same problem as Shantou in its relative isolation, which somewhat limits the praxis of a liberal arts education. But I’m blessed that Whitman’s liberal arts education has helped me mature in ways my Chinese universities could not.

At Whitman, unprecedented workloads have been keeping me up at night.

But considering the intellectual growth I’m obtaining, it’s not that bad a deal.

Rensi Ke is a senior English major.

She is this year’s Whitman Sherwood Exchange student from Shantou University in China.

OPINION

8

October 29, 2009

College hook-ups /LEHUDOV ZRXOG EHQHĂ&#x20AC;W IURP GHĂ&#x20AC;QHG Âś7KLQJLQJ¡ understanding paleoconservatives â&#x20AC;&#x153;So are you guys dating or do you just hook-up a lot?â&#x20AC;? My friend squirmed over the question. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not really dating or JOEY anything but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KERN not just random Columnist hookups either; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re . . . thinging?â&#x20AC;?

Ah. At first, I had absolutely no clue what this was supposed to mean. But upon completing additional research, I came to the stunning realization that â&#x20AC;&#x153;thingingâ&#x20AC;? is a brilliant innovation. The word is so ambiguous that it provides infinite leeway to those involved.

My friend had effortlessly defined the limbo in which millions of young men and women find themselves: â&#x20AC;&#x153;thinging.â&#x20AC;? I was floored by this revelation. Here was something that was less than dating, but greater than hook-upsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the missing link between a committed relationship and a meaningless throwaway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thingingâ&#x20AC;? seems strangely accurate in defining a good number of college relationships. As a hybrid between the sometimes-irritating relationship and the reputation-shattering hookup-buddy, â&#x20AC;&#x153;thingingâ&#x20AC;? seems a pretty powerful tool for committing in the least committed way possible.

This, to the untrained eye, could be seen as something somewhat strange or confusing. Someone unfamiliar with the situation might say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What the hell is the difference?â&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;You just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to change your Facebook relationship status, huh?â&#x20AC;? But these people are dead wrong.

This brand of relationship has existed

for a long time, but never before had I seen it so prevalent, nor heard it so eloquently portrayed. By giving it a name, countless not-quite-relationships become validated under its umbrella. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thingingâ&#x20AC;? is the manifestation of every uncertain young personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream circumstance. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re â&#x20AC;&#x153;thingingâ&#x20AC;?, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no need to fear. If you â&#x20AC;&#x153;break up,â&#x20AC;? it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even count as being dumped. Hell, you never even acknowledged the relationshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence in the first place, so how could its end possibly be an issue?

This same principle applies to the pair that gets drunk and hooks up regularly, but with no other real contact with one another. The random hook-up, while undoubtedly a pleasant experience, never really works out for more than about three weeks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thingingâ&#x20AC;? affords the young terrified person a longer grace period to make up his/her mind. If everything goes smoothly, maybe a relationship will in fact materialize from these inconspicuous beginnings, or, if it all goes downhill, they can get out with their dignity relatively intact.

So it is with great enthusiasm that I support this innovation in relationship terminology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thingingâ&#x20AC;? is the best thing to emerge from this field since men invented latex condoms. The ultimate combination of commitment and caution has proven the stepping-stone in countless relationships, and will undoubtedly continue its noble work for years to come.

So, before you jump into a relationship, before you run screaming from a potential commitment, remember, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be that way. There is an answer, and that answer is â&#x20AC;&#x153;thinging.â&#x20AC;?

Joey Kern is a first-year English major.

the Pioneer Editor-in-Chief Gillian Frew Managing Editor Director of Content Art Director News Editor Associate News Editor A&E Editor Feature Editor Sports Editors Opinion Editor Humor Editor Photography Editor Illustration Editor

Wall the border.

Abolish the income tax. Withdraw from Iraq, Afghanistan and, while weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it, the UN and NATO, too. Abolish NAFTA to protect American ALEX jobs. Who believes POTTER in these kinds of Columnist things? Paleoconservatives.

It may sound like something related to dinosaurs, and its critics would contend that it is in fact a group of near-extinct political dinosaurs.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here to explain why intelligent people are paleoconservatives and why you should engage their ideas rather than dismiss them. Maybe even you can learn to think like a paleocon.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a political message that resonates at Whitman. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably not even a message most Whitties have ever actually heard advocated. However, paleocons are part of a serious debate over the meaning of conservatism and, even more essentially, the meaning of America. So yes, you should care.

Not all conservatives are paleoconservatives, not even close. In fact, the paleocons make up just a fraction of what we could term the â&#x20AC;&#x153;conservative movement.â&#x20AC;?

Paleoconservatismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known representative is Pat Buchanan. If you go to Whitman, you have probably heard nothing about the man except that he is a racist and a xenophobe. Indeed, Buchanan has many sound bites that may be described as offensive at best.

But there is deep thought behind the paleoconservative position.

Paleoconservatives, unlike almost every other American political ideology today,

Margaux Cameron Andy Jobanek Rebecca Fish

REPORTERS Rachel Alexander, Maggie Allen, Kristen Coverdale, Allan Crum, Jay Gold, Helen Jenne, Hadley Jolley, Lindsay Fairchild, Liz Forsyth, Andrew Hall, Caitlin Hardee, Merrett Krahn, Bidnam Lee, Becquer Medak-Seguin, Lea Negrin, Eric Nickeson-Mendheim, C. J. Wisler, William Witwer

COLUMNISTS Emily Basham, Alethea Buchal, Galen Cobb, Lisa Curtis, Nadim Damluji, Blair Frank, Rensi Ke, Joey Kern, Matt Manley, Alex Potter, Simi Singh, James Sledd, Finn Straley, Derek Thurber, Gary Wang

PRODUCTION Production Manager: Quinn Taylor Production Associates: Sally Boggan, Alyssa Fairbanks, Miriam Kolker, Ben Lerchin, Tessa Matson Copy Editors: Cara Lowry, Sara Rasmussen Webmaster: Andrew Spittle

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ILLUSTRATION Sam Alden, Kelly Douglas, Emily Johnson, Binta Loos-Diallo, Carrie Sloane, Jung Song, Kiley Wolff

JAMES SLEDD Columnist

Earlier this month, Beth Humphrey (who happens to be white) and her boyfriend, Terence McKay (who happens to be black), went to a Louisiana justice of the peace seeking a marriage license. The judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer? He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perform interracial

marriages.

The story made headlines worldwide.

According to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guardian, justice of the peace Keith Bardwell, who is white, claimed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;he is not a racist.â&#x20AC;? Rather, Bardwell said, he does not â&#x20AC;&#x153;do interracial marriages because [he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t] want to put children in a situation they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring on themselves. I feel the children will later suffer.â&#x20AC;?

Of course, Bardwell is wrong: he isâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or at least his actions have beenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;undeniably racist. Denying a marriage license on the basis of race reeks of unforgivable bigotry and prejudice.

The controversy pricks sensitive nerves in the South, where the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage in 1967, barely 40 years ago.

Moreover, it reinforces stereotypes of the southern U.S., and allows those of us who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live in Louisiana (or Alabama, or Mississippi, or Georgia) to mount our moral high horses and proclaim our righteousness. That could never happen here, we might say, not in Walla Walla or Seattle

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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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ances or a written constitution (easily imitated with disparate results) but rather its political culture and spirit that make such a system work.

So on the issue of immigration, for instance, paleoconservatives are cautious about allowing massive amounts of immigrants from areas that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the same political or cultural customs as the European-British-American traditions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like other races or cultures, or object to the fact that America is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a nation of immigrantsâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Patrick Buchanan is as Irish and Catholic as they come. Rather, they argue merely that for a state to survive it must have a relatively assimilated population with similar cultural norms and assumptions upon which to form itself.

Similarly, from economics to social issues, the question for paleoconservatives is whether an action strengthens the fundamental units of our society, namely our families, small businesses, family farms, churches and local communities. There is much within the scope of paleoconservative values that liberals will find compelling.

With their heavy emphasis on culture, paleoconservatives are not a â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? political movement. One of their key publications, Chronicles, calls itself â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Magazine of American Cultureâ&#x20AC;? and is as likely to discuss theology as immigration reform. Personally, I prefer the more explicitly political The American Conservative Magazine for my dose of paleoconservative analysis.

I hope this brief introduction to the deep intellectual critique of America-as-usual by paleoconservatives will lead to more questions and more understanding among mutually incomprehensible segments of our society.

Alex Potter is a senior double-majoring in politics and Asian studies.

Denied interracial marriage reinforces racismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prevalence

Publisher Kim Sommers

Galen Bernard Josh Goodman Connor Guy Hanna Ory Max Rausch, Dujie Tahat Gabriela Salvidea Alex Kerr Simon Van Neste Tricia Vanderbilt

are not Lockeans. That means that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see America merely as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;contractualâ&#x20AC;? agreement between autonomous individuals about rights and liberties. They also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see America as simply a group of selfinterested â&#x20AC;&#x153;market forces.â&#x20AC;?

They reject the Hobbesian idea of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;state of natureâ&#x20AC;? existing before society.

Society has always existed and every individual is born, not contracted, into a family and a society. America is a nation forged of shared culture, history, language, religion and geography. It is the incarnation of our motto: Out of many, one. A paleocon would not blush to say in Burkean fashion that America is the spiritual connection between our ancestors, ourselves and our children.

Paleoconservatives are old-school, drawing mostly on pre- or anti-Enlightenment thought. Hence their prefix paleo, which means ancient. Paleocons are inspired by such thinkers as Burke, Maistre and Tocqueville for their critique of social contracts and arguments for tradition, religion and culture.

Paleocons argue that before the state there is the nation and before politics there is culture. In American terms, that means that whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important about America isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t its external political institutions alone, but the political culture that under-girds them.

The rights in our constitution and common law are rights derived from centuries of British political and legal experience, not divine, innovative or contractual. If the culture that produced them dies, then indeed they will die despite the existence of words on old parchment.

The most perceptive observer of American politics, Tocqueville, thought that what was so exceptional about America was not its system of institutional checks and bal-

or Portland or New York. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too educated, too liberal, too modern for such blatant prejudice.

But by saying that, we isolate racism as a regional problem, virulent only in former bastions of segregation and Jim Crow laws.

The reality is that racism lurks beneath the surface throughout the U.S. The United States achieved a major milestone with Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election.

But his inauguration did not strike down racism with one swift blow. Rather, President Obama has served as a lightning rod for Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden racism.

Nationally syndicated radio host Glenn Beck has accused Obama of harboring â&#x20AC;&#x153;deep-seated hatred of white people,â&#x20AC;? despite the fact that Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother is white.

When a white police officer arrested Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his own residence, Obama found himself in the middle of a national controversy. Countless conspiracy theorists nationwide ignited a furor over Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth certificate, claiming that the president was not born in Honolulu but rather Kenya. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;birtherâ&#x20AC;? movementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim Obama could not really be an American smacks of poorly hidden racism.

Most Americans think of racism simplistically, focusing only on injustices to blacks and ignoring very

real discrimination faced by Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and American Indians.

Sadly, the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the whole United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;has many obstacles to surmount before it becomes a colorblind nation. By pretending that racism is unique to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Deep South,â&#x20AC;? we hide those obstacles, and make them more difficult to overcome.

We must face the facts: racism is still very much alive in the United States.

James Sledd is a senior environmental- politics major.

DOUGLAS

BOARD EDITORIAL

6WXGHQWV 'RQ¡W RYHUORRN 5 , The upcoming Nov. 3 election isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a sexy presidential race, but Whitman students should still take it seriously. Two issues in particular dominate the Washington state ballotâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the way we see it, R-71, if not passed, compromises the civil rights of gay couples, while I-1033 has the potential to undermine state spending on services like education and health care. But no matter your beliefs, your vote is your voice, so speak up. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for some guidance, here are The Pioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s endorsements for the 2009 ballot.

YES Referendum 71 (R-71): If a married woman gets sick, her husband can take medical leave to care for her.

If a married man loses his job, he can count on his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employer-provided insurance.

Yet for Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s same-sex families, these and other rights still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t apply. To change that, we urge a yes vote on R-71.

This domestic partnership bill is a step in the right direction: it affords same-sex cou-

ples all state rights and responsibilities that come with marriage, with the exception of the name itself.

Protect Marriage Washington claims that â&#x20AC;&#x153;marriage is between husbands and wives so children can have fathers and mothers.â&#x20AC;?

But same-sex couples are already allowed to adopt and many marriage licenses are granted to couples who will never have children.

Their reasoning doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t justify withholding rights from Washington families in need.

Whitman students know the value of diversity and equality in strengthening our community. If you still need convincing, President Bridges personally endorses R-71.

NO Initiative 1033 (I-1033): In a recession, state spending helps boost the economy. I-1033 would cap spending at recession levels, resulting in permanent cutbacks that could herald large class sizes and decreased health care and support for seniors. For these reasons, we support a no

vote on I-1033.

Locally, the city council of Walla Walla and the Walla Walla county commissioners passed resolutions to oppose the passage of I-1033 in an effort to educate local voters to the damages of the Initiative. While higher taxes can pose difficulties to families and businesses during a downturn as I-1033â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proponents argue, maintaining spending at historically low levels would leave no room for growth.

This initiative doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t account for rising costs of heating, land and government employee health care, and would be a disservice to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most vulnerable citizens. Washington will suffer from a bare bones budget if I-1033 passes. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the fence about voting, the potential damages of I-1033 are worth your attention. To maintain highquality education and social services, we recommend all students vote on I-1033.

9

A&E

The Pioneer ISSUE 8 OCT. 29, 2009 Page 9

Mr. Whitman candidates aim for fun, philanthropy

by C.J. WISLER & CAITLIN HARDEE

by AMI TIAN Contributing Reporter

COMMENTARY

Staff Reporters The annual male beauty pageant, Mr. Whitman, will take place Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in Cordiner Hall. The event offers a few new surprises this year, according to Kappa Kappa Gamma Philanthropy Chair junior Leah Wheeler, who helped organize the event.

“This year’s theme is Superheroes—a kind of save the day, save the world type theme—and the group dance will feature personalized costumes, including tights and capes,” said Wheeler. “They’re going to look fabulous.”

The Mr. Whitman pageant is a philanthropic event put together by the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, offering students a chance to support KKG’s selected charity, Salud Juntos, as well as promising sheer entertainment and laughter.

The eight contestants consist of four independent men and one man from each of Whitman’s four fraternities.

This year’s judging panel, usually filled by professors, boasts some big names, including President George Bridges and Associate Dean of Students/Student Programming Barbara Maxwell.

“Since some of our usual judges are busy or on sabbatical, we decided to try a new group of people,” said Wheeler.

“We’ve always invited George Bridges, but this is the first year he has accepted.”

There will also be a “special recognition” of George Bridges by one of the contestants this year.

“It will feature a freestyle rap to Lonely Islands’ ‘Like A Boss,’” said Wheeler.

Tickets are for sale in Reid Campus Center every weekday at lunch for $5 or $8 at the door.

RUSS CADITZ-PECK: Russ Caditz-Peck, representing Beta Theta Pi, joked with fellow Mr. Whitman contestant Graham Brewer about his “impending victory” days before the competition.

“I think I’ll win because of my superior hygiene,” he said. “I think that will carry me though.”

Between Caditz-Peck’s dance moves and delicious sarcasm, he’s one of sophomore KKG member Abigail Neel’s favorites to watch.

“He just gets so into it,” said Neel. “He’s too funny.”

Costumes: students opt for ‘goofy,’ not ‘slutty’

BULLION David Protter ‘10 (left) and Russ Caditz-Peck ‘10 (right) rehearse the dance routine that contestants will perform together at the beginning of the competition.

Regarding the special talents he will exhibit during the competition’s talent section, he refused to disclose details, even to the point of threats.

“If I told you, I would have to kill you,” said Caditz-Peck. “However, you will cry, you will smile and you will shake with joy.”

GRAHAM BREWER: Bantering with Russ Caditz-Peck, Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) representative Graham Brewer asserted that being in Mr. Whitman was not his choice.

“I was sort of forced into it,” said Brewer jokingly.

When asked why, of all the many TKE members willing to participate, he was selected, he seemed playfully uncertain.

“They probably selected me because . . . well, TKE’s symbol is a triangle, and when you apply pressure to the triangle it gets stronger. So I think this is a challenge to make me a stronger TKE member,” he said.

According to Brewer, he believes he will win the beauty pageant because of his “superior grace and poise.”

ALEX KERR: As an independent, Alex Kerr revealed that the selection process was a little bit different than simple voting.

“We had a foot race,” said Kerr jokingly. “I lost, so I was picked.”

When asked why he should win, Kerr had a fairly simple answer.

“I don’t [think I should],” said Kerr. “I think Graham Toben has been raising a mountain of cash and deserves it.”

Kerr has helped raise money for the charity organization with the help of improv team Varsity Nordic, of which he is a member.

Kerr’s special talent, he stated, is “speaking.” A man of few, though humorous, words, Kerr offers a mysterious, quirky quality to the already hilarious pageant.

ADAM CANIPAROLI: A self-proclaimed “lover of attention,” independent contestant Adam Caniparoli believes he has a winning edge for a few reasons.

“I can dance better than [the other contestants],” said Caniparoli. “And . . .

I’m more charming.”

Although just as secretive as other contestants about his special talent for the show, Caniparoli stated that he believes he will offer “a tower of pure sexual attraction,” joking that “audience members will throw their undergarments on stage.”

Caniparoli became interested in competing because of the contestants from previous years’ pageants.

“The former contestants were people I always looked up to,” said Caniparoli.

“It was flattering that [the selection committee] considered me because I’ve never considered myself one of those popular people before.”

Caniparoli continues to fundraise for the pageant through his Lullaby Telegram service, in which students can rent members of his a cappella group, Schwa, to sing for a small fee.

MR . WHITMAN, page 10

First-year Natalie Jamerson’s Halloween costume is taking over her room. “There’s more cardboard than living space in my double,” she said, before reassuring me, “No injuries yet.”

Her costume? A house.

“From the Pixar movie ‘Up.’ It’s a quirky old house that the main character of the movie attaches—I think it’s 470,000 balloons that he attaches to his house through his chimney,” said Jamerson.

She plans on recreating the house as precisely as possible, balloons and all.

“Ten balloons with 96-inch diameters would be needed to get this house off the ground, so I don’t think that’s gonna happen, but I’m gonna try,” she said. “I have yet to figure out how I’m actually going to be physically inside of it, but that’s my goal.”

Jamerson’s costume is a three-week project; she started working on the house last week and anticipates that it will take until Halloween to finish. For her, it’s all about the craft. Past costumes of Jamerson’s have included an eggplant and a tornado.

“It’s not a time when you get to hide your identity or let your real identity show or any of that,” she said. “We don’t have enough opportunities to do fun projects anymore.

This is a time to express your inner sevenyear-old and make something artistic and crazy and just get out there.”

Jamerson gives advice to others who may want to try a more unique costume this year.

“Don’t worry about what other people think,” she said. “’Cause everybody’s like, ‘Oh I have to be a slut for Halloween, right?’

But no, I’m being a house. So deal with it.”

According to the movie “Mean Girls,” “Halloween is the one night out of the year when girls can dress like sluts and no one can say anything about it.” Sophomore Nina Estep noticed this trend while shopping for Halloween costumes at home and online.

“It’s a little weird because for one, it’s October. It’s cold. And then it’s like, so are you dressed as a slut or as a nurse? ‘Cause nurses don’t dress like that,” said Estep.

At Whitman, however, “sluttiness” seems to be less prevalent.

GOLD Natalie Jamerson ‘13 shows off her house costume; above her, not pictured, are the balloons.

“For the most part people go goofy rather than slutty,” said junior Katie Barich.

“Last year I dressed up as Captain Underpants. This year maybe I’ll be a big sumo wrestler or something.”

Not to say that there aren’t exceptions.

“There’ll always be some of those kinds of people,” said Barich. “But I feel like there’s less here than at other, bigger schools. For example, I lived next to Stanford University and it was just kind of scary at Halloween.”

When asked why people in college continue to dress up, first-year Ben Gourlay theorized that it was because dressing up goes hand-in-hand with partying.

“There’s a better sense of escapism,” he said. “It’s why people party in general. If you dress how you normally dress, it’s not really a surprise. Dressing up gives it a sense of newness.”

Barich had a similar opinion.

“I think everyone in college dresses up a lot. I see people in costumes every weekend, so I think that Halloween is just an excuse to go extreme,” she said.

I asked Barich to tell me about the best costume she’d seen at Whitman.

“The best costume I’ve ever seen?”

Barich asked. “One year, one of the seniors . . . showed up to all the parties in this huge squirrel costume. It was just the big head and everything and it was hilarious, especially because it got really hot, and I think he passed out because it was so hot. So there was just this like dead squirrel lying in a corner of a room. It was pretty cool.”

Upcoming live shows: PIO PICKS Broadcast, Atlas Sound

by ANDREW HALL Music Reviewer This weekend, Broadcast and Atlas Sound, with support from the Selmanaires, will be appearing at Neumos in Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 31, and at the Doug Fir in Portland on Sunday, Nov. 1. Having just seen this same tour last week as part of CMJ, I can draw two conclusions: 1. If you have any interest in the new Atlas Sound album, Logos, go.

2. Broadcast is a perfectly adequate Halloween activity.

Concerning 1: The primary draw here is the Atlas Sound show. Atlas Sound— Bradford Cox of Deerhunter—is using the Selmanaires as his backing band and together they’re performing absolutely stunning reworkings of material from Logos, his new record released last week. Over the course of an hour-long set, Cox’s destroyed Motown jams, low-key dance experiments and fractured acoustics were reworked predominantly into aching, gorgeous country music; this was nowhere near as weird as it sounds, really. Since the set is computerfree despite the fact that this is music made by one person with looping software, Cox spends much of the set doing really impressive tricks with looping pedals, making songs emerge through all sorts of techniques I certainly could never reproduce.

Album highlights like “Criminals” were given smaller yet strikingly pretty arrangements, and they played up the strengths of his vocal melodies in the process. Following what was either a new song or an introduction built on some sort of arpeggiator trick, “Walkabout” was reduced to its Doverssampling hook played on acoustic guitar and deprived of Panda Bear’s harmonies, yet still sounded huge and all-encompassing by its end. It was hard not to be impressed by just how good all the material sounded, as well as how well it worked given what little resemblance it bore to the recorded version.

Concerning 2: Broadcast’s set is the single darkest, most intense thing I’ve seen this year. I did not see Sunn 0))) supporting their album Monoliths and Dimensions, but Broadcast, still a duo, albeit one with a huge screen, delivered a whole lot of dense, haunted psychedelia. The set opened with one of the longest, densest low-frequency attacks I have ever heard accompanied by distorted footage, likely by collaborator Julian House of the Focus Group, of spirals, winters and other grayscale terror. This then dove headfirst into “Corporeal” off of 2005’s “Tender Buttons” (still their most recent proper full-length), and by this point the set’s tone had been established; Broadcast now buries their sixties pop leanings underneath drum machines that sound like they can’t actually keep time. Trish Keenan’s gorgeous vocals are now hidden amongst layers of broken-sounding objects and walls of sound become borderline oppressive. Whether or not it was good is another question entirely; I’ve never seen a set more clearly polarize an audience, as it’s usually a case of a band either being straight-up bad or good, not the band providing an experience that half a group of people that paid to see them appreciates and half finds utterly repellent. Broadcast’s pop sensibilities have been set aside in favor of playing the crowd as human tuning forks, and whether or not that’s a positive or utterly infuriating experience isn’t something I can easily decide for anyone but myself.

That said, I can say that—provided one wants to see live music in Seattle or Portland this weekend instead of attending an actual haunted house—Broadcast will be the next best choice, as there is no shortage of haunt in what they’re doing. It really is kind of alarming, especially if you’re averse to feeling low-frequency drones throughout the entire upper body. Atlas Sound, on the other hand, simply has a very good show right now and one quite worth catching.

Each Thursday, the Pioneer highlights

three events happening on campus or in Walla Walla over the weekend. Here are this week’s picks: Mr. Whitman See “Holding out for a hero,” page 1, and “Mr. Whitman candidates aim for fun, philanthropy,” this page. Eight of Whitman’s hottest male seniors compete in a beauty pageant that will benefit Seattle-based nonprofit Salud Juntos, which works to improve medical practices in Honduras. Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Cordiner Hall. Advance tickets $5 or $8 at the door.

Haunted Hospital Each year, a group of volunteers turns North Hall (formerly Walla Walla General Hospital) into the scariest place on campus with costumes, makeup, fog machines and fake blood. All proceeds are donated to

GOLD

charity. Saturday, Oct. 31, from 7-10

Contestants Calvin Atkins ‘13, Megan Vermilion ‘13, Phi Phan ‘13 and Kelley Hall ‘13 (right to left) sample and judge the many varieties of cookies on display.

p.m. Suggested donation $3.

Cookie contestants sample 25 varieties

Visiting Writers Series: Lydia Davis This series, organized by Katrina Roberts of the English department, brings prominent writers to campus to share

by MERRETT KRAHN

their work. Lydia Davis is a translator

Staff Reporter This past Friday, Oct. 23, at 3:30 p.m. the Whitman Events Board hosted its first ever cookie contest, in which students submitted their own cookies and then sampled those of their peers.

“We wanted something fun, simple and easy that students would want to do and that they’d be able to do,” said first-year WEB member Kelley Hall, who designed the graphic on the front of the aprons given as prizes. “When you turned in

and a writer of short stories. She has published six collections of short stories, including “Break It Down” and her most recent, “Varieties of Disturbance,” both of which were finalists for major awards. Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in Kimball Theater. Free.

compiled by CONNOR GUY

your cookies you were given a ballot and a number for your cookie. People went through and tasted every cookie, and then they picked a winner in each category, who received an apron as a prize.

Anyone could grab a ballot,” said Hall.

Students voted for the best cookies in a number of different categories, including best overall, best non-traditional, and best decorated. Participants submitted no less than 25 different kinds of cookies, including everything from chai chocolate chip to vegan, gluten-free varieties.

A&E

by KALEY LANE EATON Contributing Reporter I have four major phobias: organ music, dying alone, Renaissance faires and foods that look like anything other than food.

As a child, I could never understand how people enjoy those little candies that looked like hamburgers. Even fruit-shaped fruit snacks bothered me.

Needless to say, Halloween can be a frightening time for someone like me and

not because of scary stories and the haunted corn maze. I am flabbergasted by the delight some people take in meatballs made to look like eyeballs. Or cookies in the shape of weird bugs. Food magazines this time of year are relentless in their offerings of â&#x20AC;&#x153;spookyâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;creepyâ&#x20AC;? menu items. The instructions for such recipes can be especially terrifying. An example, from Recipezaar. com: For a candy called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Draculaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eyeballsâ&#x20AC;?: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Add a dot of black gel to the center of candy pieces for pupils. Drizzle red gel onto balls for bloodshot eyes.â&#x20AC;?

Did it not occur to anyone that this is disgusting?

Maybe Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still haunted by my Anglican childhood. Eating a huge plate of lasagna after a visit to the London Dungeon prob-

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

ably didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set me up well to understand the playful intentions of Halloween-y food.

I also have memories from my churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s haunted house, where children were forced to eat grapes that were decorated as detached eyeballs and all sorts of bloody attempts at pasta sauces.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong; I love Halloween.

After all, I am British and I delight in reading Poe by flashlight and scaring the crap out of whomever I can. But foodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go there. So, it is my duty to provide you with some October recipes that take advantage of the fall harvest: sensual dishes that compliment other terrors without looking disgusting. Cozy up in a blanket with a mug of hot cider, read some ghost stories and go forth into the middle of the night to be spooked. Just not by your plate.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bars

1 lb whole wheat penne

the skins.

Crust

pan and press gently into bottom. Bake

2 Âź lb butternut squash

Warm olive oil in a large sautĂŠ pan and

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15

olive oil, salt, pepper

add the chopped onion and sage. Cook

2 tablespoons sugar

minutes. Set aside to cool.

1 large garlic bulb, separated

until soft. Add to the squash in the

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 onion, finely chopped

roasting pan along with the parmig-

Filling

sugar, honey, cinnamon, pumpkin pu-

10 sage leaves, chopped

giano reggiano. Mix together, making

2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces

ree, eggs, flour and salt until combined.

4 ½ oz parmiggiano reggiano, grated

sure to scrape up the caramelized bits.

each)

3 ½ gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled

Fold in the gorgonzola.

ž cup sugar

bowl; microwave in 30-second incre-

Using a large knife, cut the squash in

Heat a pot of water until boiling and

Âź cup honey

ments, stirring between each, until

quarters. Scoop out the seeds and fibers.

cook the pasta until very al dente. Drain

1 tablespoon cinnamon

melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture;

Place the squash quarters, filled with

and mix in a large bowl with the squash

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin pu-

stir to combine. Set aside.

the garlic cloves, skin side up, in a large

filling. Spread pasta into a 9 by 13 inch

ree

Pour remaining pumpkin mixture

roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.

pan and sprinkle with more parmiggia-

3 large eggs

onto crust. Drop dollops of chocolate

Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender

no reggiano. Bake until browned, about

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl.

and caramelized, about 45 minutes.

15-20 minutes.

1/2 teaspoon salt

Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles

(Leave the oven on to cook the pasta

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50

later).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

minutes.

When it is finished roasting, scoop the

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add graham

flesh out of the skins and squeeze out

crackers and sugar and mix well.

least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Slice

the garlic into the same pan, discarding

Transfer crumb mixture to 8 inch square

and serve!

Stir together softened cream cheese,

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe

Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at

Mr. Whitman: Senior men compete ď?Śď?˛ď?Żď?­ Mr. Whitman, page 9 GRAHAM TOBEN Graham Toben is a member of Sigma Chi and also belongs to male a capella group the Testostertones. He first heard about the Mr. Whitman pageant through last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09 alumnus Kaston Griffin, who was also a T-Tones member.

However, Toben said that he will not be singing as part of the competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was thinking about singing,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Toben then decided he needed to devise a more comical act. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to try to do anything really sweet, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to try to be as goofy as possible, but who knowsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;plans could always change,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Toben remained enigmatic when asked about his talent act. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All I can say is that there will be a George Bridges impersonation,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He revealed a little more about the lengthy preparation for swimsuit modeling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real tough, and of course Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just going to be going downtown and getting a spray-tan, oiling myself up . . . working out has been a pretty tough thing for the whole swimsuit competition,â&#x20AC;? he said, before breaking into a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, no, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been fun.â&#x20AC;?

And his swimsuit? â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be decided! I have definitely toyed with a little Borat costume or something like that, but I am not adverse to showing skin, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see what happens,â&#x20AC;? he said.

MATT SOLOMON Matt Solomon feels strongly about supporting the charitable aspect of the Mr. Whitman competition, and says he is also excited to reunite with old friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;six of the eight contestants lived in Jewettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2-West during their first year. According

to Solomon, the camaraderie between the contestants strengthens the pageant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all really funny guys, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to make for a good showâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I think, one of the better shows of the past several years.

And because we all know each other so well, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not so much in a competitive spirit, but more of a communal sense of fun,â&#x20AC;? Solomon said.

He grew secretive, however, when asked if he could reveal any details about his act. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I could, but then, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have to kill you,â&#x20AC;? he said seriously. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top secret. My agent wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be very happy with me.â&#x20AC;?

Relenting a bit, Solomon offered cryptic tidbits of insight into his performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m definitely going for the approach of comedy, kind of mocking the situationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I think those make for the funnier acts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of off the beaten path of a beauty pageant. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing for my swimsuit I could have done for my talent alsoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it involves a dance.

Once I figured it out, the costume was easy, because it goes along with what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a typical swimsuit,â&#x20AC;? he said mysteriously.

DAVID PROTTER Former swimmer David Protter might not be as fast as olympic champion Michael Phelps in the water, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly slippery when questioned abut his planned act for Mr. Whitman.

On the subject of choosing the perfect swimsuit, he evoked his former athletic career. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was a swimmer in high school, and I played water polo, so that made it pretty easy,â&#x20AC;? he said.

A speedo? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going . . . the water polo route,â&#x20AC;?

Protter said evasively. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah, a speedo.â&#x20AC;?

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complied by KARL WALLULIS Puzzlemaster

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For answers to last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crossword, see whitmanpioneer.com

He produced a description of both his own mysterious act and the group dance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There will be music . . . and at times there will be dancing . . . and friends. Lots of friends. Happy people on stage,â&#x20AC;? he said whimsically.

While he admitted that there are challenges in the time commitment for rehearsals and fundraising, and a bit of nervousness regarding his talent act, he is enthused about the pageant and the creativity of the contestants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone should go!â&#x20AC;? he concluded.

NADIM DAMLUJI ASWC President Nadim Damluji is perhaps the busiest Mr. Whitman candidate.

He spoke candidly over his upcoming act, and how it will center around this very theme. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m basing it on a joke that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have time to do Mr. Whitman, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m outsourcing it to my more talented friends,â&#x20AC;? Damluji laughed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea is to have my friends do my talents and dress like me. It will look like me, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not me. It may be six [people] or something like that. It will range from a friend who can do some magic tricks, to musical talents, to theater stuff.â&#x20AC;?

He is also outsourcing the job of swimsuit model to a friend, but will be appearing with the other contestants in the group dance, and says rehearsals are going â&#x20AC;&#x153;swimmingly.â&#x20AC;?

Damluji is one of the six ex-2-Westers among the contestants, and spoke warmly of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closeness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny to see how different we are, but how we still like to have the same amount of fun as we did back then, and just hang out. A lot of the time in between dancing has been spent reminiscing,â&#x20AC;? he said.

ACROSS 1. Actress Lupino 4. â&#x20AC;&#x153;__ my Rideâ&#x20AC;? (MTV series) 8. Verify the age of 12. Malarkey 14. Like some ballgames 15. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 27-Across 17. Sot 18. Part of a conservation trio 19. Blueprint, e.g.

21. Sublime genre 23. Guitar maker Paul 24. Opus 25. Zilch 27. Major fundraising event at Whitman 32. Bit of Walla Walla produce 33. Ireland, to the Irish 34. Mind readings?

37. Number of Indians in an Agatha Cristie title 38. Wild time 39. Type of leather 41. City in ancient Persia 42. When 27-Across is happening 47. Rock and roll icon Redding 48. Scheduling aids 49. Hella 50. Hella 51. Opposite of NNW DOWN 1. Octopusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cloud 2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;__ barrel roll!â&#x20AC;?

NETFLIX IT: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;HARD CANDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

by CAITLIN HARDEE Staff Reporter If you saw â&#x20AC;&#x153;Juno,â&#x20AC;? youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll remember lead actress Ellen Page as hilarious, quirky and immensely lovable and sympathetic, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit shocking to see her twist those qualities in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard Candy.â&#x20AC;? Her character Hayley remains entertaining, intelligent and compelling, but also cruel and lethal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard Candyâ&#x20AC;? is appropriately namedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not kind to the viewer, but the result is ultimately rewarding. The story follows a young and seemingly innocent girl as she meets an older photographer over the Internet, accompanies him to his house and flirts with him.

Then things get heavy. The photographer, Jeff (portrayed by Patrick Wilson), may or may not be a murderous sex offender. Hayley spends the rest of the film crossing boundaries of ruthlessness in an attempt to discover his guilt and avenge his potential victims.

The film aims and succeeds in making the viewer supremely uncomfortable. Wilson is handsome and charismatic, and his fear, bewilderment and suffering are sickening to watch. Page is both vulnerable and strong, and one canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help being delighted at her brilliant resourcefulness. One wonders if she is going too far, cheering her on in righteous anger.

In terms of the question of vigilante justice, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard Candyâ&#x20AC;? makes Joel Schumacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Time to Killâ&#x20AC;? look, well, black-andwhite. Be prepared for your sympathies to be extremely confused. The mixture of innocence and hard-bitten brutality is somewhat nauseating.

However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also enjoyable to watch a film that so wholly engages our minds. The viewer must be in constant mental dialogue with the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characters and with their own experiences. What would I do in her place?

In his? Do I believe him? Is this right? Anyone who enjoyed the ethical challenges of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Islandâ&#x20AC;? should try this film.

Beyond the unrelenting tension and the cerebral nature of the film, its technical aspects also shine. The vast majority of screen time is shared solely between Page and Wilson. It is remarkable that a film places such high burden of dialogue on two actors and remains so totally captivating. Considering Pageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth, her fearless domination of her character is even more impressive.

The weight of dialogue falls even more heavily because of the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sparse soundtrack. There are often low sounds bordering on inaudibility and muted tones that masterfully enhance the tension.

The movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visuals also lend strongly to its effectiveness. The entire film is digitally colored by Jean-Clement Soret, who chooses colors that burn candy-bright, seducing the viewer. The overall color scale shifts based on the mood of the characters, and makes the emotions palpable.

Simple and stark, the film is both engaging and beautiful. Netflix it.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In the Loopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pokes fun at war in Iraq

by BECQUER MEDAK-SEGUIN Movie Reviewer In the satirically ravenous style of the British mockumentary (see the U.K. version of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Officeâ&#x20AC;?), â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Loop,â&#x20AC;? a new film from Armando Innucci about the joint U.S.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;U.K. talks to invade Iraq, leaves nothing in its critical wake by making fun of everything from the furtive U.S. war commission to a young British political internâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report on the pros and cons of armed struggle.

For those of you who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thought about the Iraq War much, this may seem like a dated parody of a debated and tabled subject. Incorrect. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Loopâ&#x20AC;? could not have come out at a more poignant moment in Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short-term memory. Just when many citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of both the United States and United Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;begin to forget the ludicrous, fib-ridden past of how and why we got into the mess that is the Iraq War, the film reminds us of the few people who wielded so much power, presenting a slew of colorful characters that never stray toward hyperbole, but remain credible, human and imperfect to a fault.

The film starts with a gaffeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not one of those Sarah Palin-esque idiocies that makes you wonder how the hell she got so high in politics and why the hell so many people like her, but an honest, probable political slip-up (one I wish more U.S. politicians would make). Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), Minister for International Development, has uttered the taboo word, â&#x20AC;&#x153;unforeseeable,â&#x20AC;? on a BBC radio broadcast with respect to a future war in the Middle East.

Of course, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;unforeseeablenessâ&#x20AC;? of war doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really follow the British â&#x20AC;&#x153;lineâ&#x20AC;? (i.e. position) on war and, consequently, Foster is chastised by Malcom Tucker (Peter Capaldi), the Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foul-mouthed, yappy and gullible partyline enforcer (think Karl Rove, though the character is really based on Alastair Campbell). Yet, Simon somehow conjures a sort of pathetic empathy that follows him throughout the film: every time he opens his mouthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in front of American diplomats or the British pressâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that oh-no-not-again emotion surfaces.

Simon soon becomes a pawn for both British and American statesmen who either cite him to back their position or want him to correct the record. By one hand, Simon is tugged by Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy), an American undersecretary, and Major General Miller (James Gandolfini). Both quasi-pacifists who want to slow the rush to war, Karen and General Miller are as complicated and tainted as their counterpart, Linton Barwick (David Rasche), the hyperhawkish, staunchly P.R. state department warmonger.

The film sways between feeling like a great Graham Greene novel, the ones in which a little man suddenly receives the weight (or influence) of the world on his shoulders, and a hilarious synthesis of Monty Python and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Office.â&#x20AC;? Until you realize what is really at stake in this filmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a thorough, yet morbid, critique of the way politics works on both sides of the Atlanticâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;be prepared for hours worth of the funniest big-screen satire in recent memory.

ALDEN

Halloween, hold the eyeballs

10

COMIC

October 29, 2009

3. Advice columnists have them 4. Foot soldier 5. __ time (ASAP) 6. Food additive with a bad rap 7. According to 8. Spanish coffee?

9. Deplorable 10. Pay increase 11. Units of force 13. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deviate from 16. Marjane Satrapi, e.g. Ă&#x2019;#LASSIÂľEDSĂ&#x2019;ABBREVIATION 20. Hawaiian dessert 21. Attach, as a knee patch 22. Actress Madeline of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blazing Saddlesâ&#x20AC;?

25. Soft French cheese 26. Joins the scene 28. â&#x20AC;&#x153;__ the Dragonâ&#x20AC;? (Bruce Lee classic) 29. Oases, at times 30. Exist 31. Past participle of naĂŽtre 34. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This soup __ hot!â&#x20AC;?

35. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ravenâ&#x20AC;? verb 36. Penultimate round 38. Cloudless 40. Playground comeback 41. Ugly duckling, in adulthood 43. Dashboard readout Ă&#x2019;$IMINUTIVEĂ&#x2019;SUFÂľX 45. Box score column 46. Literary monogram

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Sports

The Pioneer ISSUE 8 OCT. 29, 2009 Page 11

9ROOH\EDOO FRQWLQXHV WR GHĂ DWH

by LINDSAY FAIRCHILD Staff Reporter The Lewis-Clark State Lady Warriors showed why they are ranked 24th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Tuesday, Oct. 27, sweeping the Missionaries in three games with scores of 25-20, 25-13 and 25-18. Despite the final score, the Whitman volleyball team showed signs of life in the early going, jumping out to a 7-1 lead.

First-years Carrie Cecil and Courtney Brewer ignited an early Missionary run, combining for three kills in the first half of the first game. Sophomore Katie Miller kept things going with a service ace and senior Alex Graves combined with Brewer for a block.

Unfortunately for the Missionaries, their lead disappeared when LewisClark State's Lauryn Herrick took over the game from the service line. This run rattled the Whitman ladies, with errors and miscommunication following, adding to the Lewis-Clark lead. After a time out, the Missionaries came back ready to play. A combination of strong serving and hitting, as well as hustle and good digs by junior libero Kelsie Butts, helped the women climb back within the first game. Unfortunately, a few late errors cost the Missionaries.

After a competitive first game, both teams looked to be fairly evenly matched. However, Lewis-Clark came out roaring in the second game with a barrage of strong hits and serves. Additionally, their height advantage over the Whitman women aided their aggressive presence at the net. Scrappy play and good ball placement also helped LewisClark build on their lead. Even as Brewer, Cecil, and fellow first-year Rachel Shober added kills to their stat line, the strong Lewis-Clark offense proved more than the Missionaries could handle.

Coming off a disappointing second game, the Whitman women nonetheless returned ready to fight back in the third game. With standout play by first-years Cecil, Hannah Holloran and Olivia Nielson, Whitman seemed to be off to a great start, but LewisClark State had other plans and answered back. Both teams served and hit well, which led to some inspired

rallies. The Lady Warriors' ability to receive serves and respond with authoritative returns moved the Whitman defense around and forced the Missionaries to play out of position for most of the game. Some dubious officiating spiced up the game, but in the end, the powerful hitting of the Lady Warriors proved to be the deciding factor in the game.

Whitman falls short in Ă&#x20AC;QDO KRPH JDPH RI WKH VHDVRQ ORVLQJ WR 1DWLRQDO $VVRFLDWLRQ RI ,QWHUFROOHJLDWH $WKOHWLFV SRZHUKRXVH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI *UHDW )DOOVÂł 0RQWDQD 7KH WHDP HQGV WKHLU VHDVRQ RQ WKH URDG WKLV ZHHNHQG

by JAY GOLD Staff Reporter

COURTESY OF CARVER MARSHALL Outside hitter Alex Graves â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;10 goes for the kill against Lewis-Clark State.

Young talent breathes life into NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009-2010 MVP race COMMENTARY

by ALLAN CRUM Staff Reporter The 2009-2010 National Basketball Association season begins this week. In the years directly after Michael Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retirement (the real one in 1998: this column will not acknowledge the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;baseballâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wizardsâ&#x20AC;?), such a sentence would usually be followed by an enormous yawn and orders to be woken up sometime in March, when players actually started trying. Those were the dark ages of NBA ball, littered with hulking, immobile giants and half-court sets. A casual viewer tuning in to a game could expect to see one of three things: Allen Iverson dribbling in a swerving pattern (because crossovers make for a serpentine approach) for 30 seconds while his teammates, like you, watched; Tim Duncan converting flat-footed bank shot after flat-footed bank shot; or Shaq getting fouled. This era managed to make basketball unwatchable for both the casual fan and the hard-core purist.

Then sometime around 2003 or 2004, the NBA became watchable again. Refs started calling more hand-checking penalties, taking the advantage away from the defense and placing it in the hands of the offensive player, especially athletic perimeter players. Mike Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antoni, coach of the New York Knicks, decided that he wanted his team to start shooting the ball in seven seconds or less, regardless of the fact he was allowed 24. Most importantly, 2003 will be remembered in the NBA as the first year of LeBron James, a preps-topros basketball prodigy carved out of dynamite by a god who had decided at long last that he was going to give residents of Cleveland, Ohio a reason to live. James was and is the star the NBA needed for its new Golden Age, equal parts wholesome and â&#x20AC;&#x153;street.â&#x20AC;? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kobe Bryant without the rape (allegations), Duncan without the boring, Iverson without the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Practice?â&#x20AC;? and Steve Nash without the Canadian.

Of course, one player does not a Golden Era make. Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh were also chosen in 2003, an enormous haul of superstardom from a single draft. The

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer GURSV Ă&#x20AC;QDO home game

years following have ushered in players like Dwight Howard, Devin Harris, Brandon Roy, Danny Granger and Kevin Durant, all of whom are already the faces of their respective teams. These players, along with what remains of the guard have made the NBA fun again. In acknowledgment of this transformation, I present my preseason top ten list for the 2009-2010 NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Valuable Player Award. Yet included with each player is a short explanation why they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win the award.

10. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets: Leadership qualities? His team mate, Chauncey â&#x20AC;&#x153;I-Can-Out-Sweat-Youâ&#x20AC;?

Billups might actually end up with more MVP votes.

9. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics: He plays with Garnett. And Ray Allen. The team will win, but every time KG blocks a shot or Allen sinks a three, his candidacy takes a hit.

8. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers: The other Blazers are nowhere near as reliable as Roy, the perimeter gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tim Duncan (except I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hate Roy). The gap between potential and achievement is enormous.

7. Kevin Durant, former Seattle Sonic: Durantula will explode this year. He is unguardable; write it down. Sadly, the rest of the Thunder will sink his campaign before it really gets a chance. Look out, 2011.

6. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: Voters will stop watching his dunks and start watching his free-throws. Ugh. Luckily for Dwight, when he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win, the sports media will immediately blame Vince Carter.

5. Dirk Nowitski, Dallas Mavericks: His point guard, Jason Kidd, has been running on fumes since before he left New Jersey.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe will slow down just enough in his 14th year to seem human compared to the next three names on the list.

3. Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat: He wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do more for his team than Paul will, but he plays with a slightly better supporting cast.

2. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets: Reasonably, he should win it. A hugely

talented player on a team that wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win 15 games without him, he makes everyone around him better and so forth.

Unfortunately, reason bows to The Chosen One. 1. Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: Shaquille Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal, alien invasion, injury, suspension, cancellation of season. In descending order of likelihood.

In the early stages of the Whitman menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oct. 27 contest with the University of Great Falls, the dark, almost black clouds encircling the pitch were not the only things foretelling the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doom; that its opponents rattled off four shots on goal within the first third of the first half did nothing to ease the sense of foreboding, even if none of these shots resulted in goals.

While the Missionaries did manage to limit the Argonautsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal opportunities after the first 15 minutes of play, they ultimately fell short, losing 1-0.

Playing in front of their home crowd for the final time this season, the nonconference loss dropped the Missionaries to 3-10-3 overall. Miguel Mendez scored the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lone goal in the 57th minute by following his own deflected shot and lightly pushing the ball into a wide open net from roughlyw six meters out. With this win, Mendez and the Argonauts improved to an impressive 14-4-0 on the season.

Although a loss was hardly the desired result, Whitman Head Coach Mike Washington was pleased with the way his team played. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our effort was really good . . . We had them pinned back for a good period of time,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The mere fact that Whitman, a Division III, non-scholarship school, competed as well as it did against a powerful National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) opponent is something of an accomplishment in itself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are scholarship schools,â&#x20AC;? said

Washington, before suggesting that this puts schools like Whitman at a disadvantage.

Despite this disadvantage, stalemate would be the most accurate word to characterize the middle phases of the game. The Missionaries showed signs of life, pushed the ball deep into the Argonautsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; territory on more than a few occasions and were fairly effective in stifling the opponents offense before Mendezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal broke a scoreless tie midway through the second half.

Washington described the goal that rendered his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid for a victory unsuccessful as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a little letdown.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It looked like Tim [Shu] had it. It was just unfortunate; normally that gets cleared away,â&#x20AC;? he said.

In this game, however, it was not. After Mendez scored, Whitman mounted several threats on the goal, including a powerful strike by first-year midfielder Andrew Clark that rocketed towards the goalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upper left corner before finding the hands of Great Falls goalkeeper Zach Johnson, but was unable to attain the equalizer. In the first half, Clark narrowly missed the goal on an even more authoritative kick.

Looking beyond missed chances and other in-game minutiae, this was the final home game for seniors Todd Wallenius and Jasper Lipton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve really only got two [seniors] playing right now and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given a good four years,â&#x20AC;? said Washington.

Wallenius, who earned a spot on the All-NWC Second Team last season, currently leads Whitman with six goals, while Lipton has been a regular in the midfield this season.

Washington lamented the fact that disappointment has marred Wallenius and Liptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior seasons, but refused to let negativity overcome him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to look beyond the senior season and hope that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be better next season,â&#x20AC;? he said.

As for this season, the first of the Missionariesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; final three gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of which will be against conference opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;will take place against Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. on Saturday, Oct. 31.

SCOREBOARD SUNDAY, Oct. 25

TUESDAY, Oct. 27

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soccer

Volleyball

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot

Game Scores 1 2 3

Whitman College (7-8-1, 6-7-0 NWC) 2 1 3

Lewis-Clark State College 25 25 25 17-7

George Fox University (6-10-0, 3-9-0 NWC) 0 0 0

Whitman College 20 13 18

George Fox University vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soccer

Lewis-Clark State College vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Team Records (3)

(0) 4-15, 1-11 NWC

University of Great Fallsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Montana vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot University of Great Falls (MT) (14-4-0) 0 1 1 Whitman College (3-10-3, 2-7-2 NWC) 0 0 0

SCHEDULE Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Volleyball

The Missionaries (4-15, 1-11 NWC) travel to Tacoma, Wash. this weekend for matches with Northwest Conference leaders Pacific Lutheran University (16-5, 12-0 NWC) and the third-place University of Puget Sound (14-6, 8-4 NWC) on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively.

The Whitman women hope to climb out of the conference basement with a win this weekend.

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soccer

The Whitman women (7-8-1, 6-7-0 NWC) look to continue their three-

game wining streak on the road. This weekend, they travel to Oregon to face Linfield College (8-7-1, 5-6-1 NWC) on Halloween and Willamette University (8-7-1, 7-5-0 NWC) on Nov. 1. With a victories over Linfield and Willamette, the Missionaries would move above .500 for the first time this season, securing third-place in the Northwest Conference Standings.

10-1, 4-7-0 NWC) on Halloween and then move on to Salem for a Nov. 1 match-up against Willamette University (4-12-0, 3-8-0). The Missionaries must close out the season with three consecutive conference victories to have a chance to make the play-offs.

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soccer

The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross country teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seasons wind down this weekend as they both travel to Estacada, Ore. for the Northwest Conference Championships.

The Missionaries (3-10-3, 2-7-2 NWC) face two must-win road games this weekend as they travel to McMinnville, Ore. to face Linfield College (5-

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cross Country

SPORTS

12

October 29, 2009

PHOTOS BY JACOBSON

Clockwise from left to right: TKEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christopher 'T.C.' Tobin-Campbell â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;10 catches a pass against the Phis in the TKEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only loss in the season. Later in the weekend, Tobin-Campbell caught a last-second game-winning touchdown pass in the much anticipated rematch of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship game versus Sig. Divneet Kaur â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;10, quarterback of F-YeAh!, eludes a -ULTIPLEĂ&#x2019;3CORGASMĂ&#x2019;PASSĂ&#x2019;RUSHERĂ&#x2019;INĂ&#x2019;AĂ&#x2019; Ă&#x2019;SHUTOUTĂ&#x2019;VICTORYĂ&#x2019;ONĂ&#x2019;3UNDAY Ă&#x2019;$'Ă&#x2019;(EATHERĂ&#x2019;&ERGUSONĂ&#x2019;f Ă&#x2019;RUNSĂ&#x2019;AĂ&#x2019;CENTERĂ&#x2019;SNEAKĂ&#x2019;FORĂ&#x2019;AĂ&#x2019;TOUCHDOWNĂ&#x2019;AGAINSTĂ&#x2019;+APPAĂ&#x2019;FORĂ&#x2019;THEĂ&#x2019;ÂľRSTĂ&#x2019;SCOREĂ&#x2019;INĂ&#x2019;AĂ&#x2019; Ă&#x2019;$'Ă&#x2019;VICTORY

RIVALRY

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by STATEN HUDSON Staff Reporter Flaring emotions, heated back-andforths, the squeal of the refereeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whistle, the rowdy crowdsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of the things that make rivalry weekend great were in full effect over the weekend.

As IM football playoffs near, each

game becomes that much more important, as a good seed in the playoffs can be the difference between going deep into the postseason and throwing in the towel after the first game.

The marquee match-up of the weekend was Sunday, Oct. 25â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game between the Sigs and TKEs. The game promised to be a high energy, physical affair and

it definitely lived up to the hype. Last year, the TKEs inched the Sigs out in the championship game. However, a retooled, indy-infused Sig squad was looking to get some revenge on their rivals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a well-played, physical game,â&#x20AC;? said junior Chris Barton, who served as referee for the game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When both teams are as good as these two teams, it is a lot of fun to ref the game.â&#x20AC;?

The TKEs took advantage of a sluggish start by the Sigs, putting 20 points on the board before the Sigs could answer.

But answer they did. A run by junior Erik Korsmo put the Sigs up near the TKE goal line near the end of the half and a triple-option pass freed quarterback senior James Bevan-Lee to the outside where he ran it in for a score.

The score at half time was 20-6 in favor of the TKEs. Two minutes into the half, an interception by the TKEs put them into Sig territory.

However, the Sigs picked the ball

right backâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Bevan-Lee coming up big again.

The pick led to a touchdown by Bevan-Lee, making the score 20-13. The Sigs capitalized on their momentum and forced the TKEs to punt the ball away on their next possession. BevanLee then delivered a strike to senior Galen Bernard, which put the Sigs on the TKE goal line. The Sigs scored, closing the gap to 20-19.

Momentum on their side, the Sigs forced the TKEs to punt yet again. This time, the Sig cornerback, junior Jason Sease, returned the ball from the Sig end zone along the sideline for the score, completing a Sig comeback and giving them 25-20 lead late in the second half.

With less than two minutes left, the TKEs were down by five, needing a touchdown to win the game. In three plays, they managed to drive the ball to within 20 yards of the Sig goal line, and were knocking on the door.

After an incomplete pass attempt, the TKEs had only one more chance to

score a touchdown before turning the ball over on downs. Quarterback senior J.J. Ooi dropped back, surveyed the field and then connected with senior Chris Tobin-Campbell for a game-winning score.

After the game, Ooi commenteted on the last play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;T.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our guy. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the guy we go to.

We told him to go win the game. It was one-on-one. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been engaged in a game like that in a long time. It was quite a rush. Coming out of the huddle I was scared, but when the ball was snapped it was easy and I just remembered feeling relieved,â&#x20AC;? said Ooi. In other rivalry-week games, the Phis lost a nail-biter to the strong sophomore squad, the Thundercats, 24-20.

Meanwhile the DGs ground out a victory against the Kappas, winning by a solid margin of 19-6. The DGs triumphed despite the absence of starting quarterback, Lauren Parsons, who sustained a fractured nose and a concussion in Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game against Eat Shit.

Missy gets athletic: Motherruckers play rough It was cold and muddy out when I went to practice with the Whitman womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugby team, the Motherruckers. After arriving a little late MELISSA to the Harper Joy NAVARRO field, I was imContributing mediately told Reporter by Erin Winsper, the coach and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;07 alumna, to run a lap and stretch. The team was busy conditioning as if they were training for the Navy Seals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We seem to a bit a little out of shape,â&#x20AC;? yelled Winsper as she rallied them team in for stretches. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine what these women would be like if they were in better shape, but then again thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming from a person who considers walking up the Reid stairs to be a workout.

The team started off with passing drills, which included a lot of yelling, the focus being on communicating whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doing the passing. Anytime the ball was dropped, Winsper would count up from one to let the team know how many push-ups we would be doing for those mistakes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah ball! Yeah ball!â&#x20AC;? said sophomore Hannah Johnson, who clearly was one of the most vocal players on the team, demonstrating the significance of communication in the game. Johnson is the only one on the team with prior rugby experience and stands as co-captain with junior Emily Lorente.

By the end of the run, whoever had the ball last had to slide on the ground.

Surprisingly enough, my favorite part of the practice was sliding into the mud and getting dirty.

Then, the team went through rucking drills. This required three people to run

and protect the person with the ball. My job was to form a sort of battering ram by grabbing on to one other person and body slam the other team without stepping on my teammate who was on the ground with the ball. This was also good practice for â&#x20AC;&#x153;scrummingâ&#x20AC;? which is basically a cluster of both teams rucking into each other over the ball. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sorry! Did I step on your face?â&#x20AC;? said junior Teresa Hughes, as she rucked over a fellow Motherrucker.

The types of injuries that occur in rugby can be pretty serious. Besides a mangled face from cleats, rucking headto-head against another team can result in concussions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually not funny at all, which is why you have to remember to duck down really low, but still watch where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re charging,â&#x20AC;? said Lorente after witnessing a head-bump between two teammates.

My try at rucking resulted in me getting lifted off the ground and wondering where my left lung went.

Although a majority of the team members are new to the sport this year, it seemed to me that a lot of them knew how to break out their tough side and take out their aggression in tackling drills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so much fun from the start of the year,â&#x20AC;? said first-year Carrie Beckman, who plays the position of hooker.

Beckman demonstrated to me what she does as a hooker by throwing the ball up to her teammate, junior Emily Doyle, who is a lock. Doyle is hoisted up into the air by two of her teammates, called props, receiving a massive wedgie in the process of catching the ball before the opposing lock can intercept it.

Rugby is one of the most underrated sports at Whitman and is one formality short of being a varsity sport. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team, the Reapers, travels with the Motherruckers around the Northwest to

compete against other schools and clubs.

Both teams practice three times a week, year round. They have even gone abroad to Canada and Europe in recent years to play and broaden their cultural understanding of the sport.

Junior Paloma Sutton-Barnes is a veteran member who has been playing rugby since her first year at Whitman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of kinship in this sport. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t join a sorority so this is the closest thing I have to sisterhood,â&#x20AC;? said SuttonBarnes. After almost transferring out of Whitman, her love of the sport and team kept her from leaving.

Most of the women I knew from the team and eventually met through the practice are quite possibly the sweetest people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever met . . . but you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it on the field as they transform in to tough, rough, downright feisty fighters who could gobble up wimps like me for breakfast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want you to find something that makes you so mad and bring that aggression to the game tomorrow. Take it out on the other team and let them know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re angry,â&#x20AC;? said Lorente.

Unfortunately, after all the mental preparation and productive practice, the other team failed to show up to Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game. If you ask me, I think they were afraid of the Motherruckers tearing them up.

HONG Missy Navarro â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;10 runs through drills on Friday on Harper Joy Field as an honorary member of the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club rugby team, the Motherruckers.

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