The
PIONEER
Issue 12 | December 5, 2013 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXI
Pat Spencer appointed interim provost and dean of faculty by Sarah Cornett News Editor
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rofessor of Geology Pat Spencer has been appointed interim provost and dean of the faculty. The announcement was made to the faculty last Monday, following current Provost and Dean of the Faculty Timothy Kaufman-Osborn’s decision to resign at the end of the year. The position heads the Office of the Provost, which is responsible for administering the academic program of the college. Additionally, the provost and dean of the faculty is the chief academic officer of the college and represents Whitman College in the absence of the president. Spencer said he was honored to have been chosen and excited for the various challenges and demands of the job. “It’s a big job,” he said. “I am honored and humbled to be chosen. [Kaufman-Osborn] will leave gigantic shoes to fill.” As interim, Spencer will serve in the position for at least one year as the college begins a national search for a permanent provost and dean of the faculty. In a letter to faculty on Nov. 12 detailing Kaufman-Osborn’s planned resignation and the steps needed to replace him, President Bridges said that he planned to hire a tenured Whitman faculty member and that he was accepting nominations from professors. “[President Bridges] sent a note to the faculty requesting names of see SPENCER, page 3
CAUGHT OUT IN THE RAIN Counseling Center lacks sufficient resources for students by Lorah Steichen
TKO leaves position after 5 years by Sam Grainger-Shuba Staff Reporter
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une 30, 2014 will mark Dean of the Faculty and Provost Timothy Kaufman-Osborn’s last day in his current administrative position. Kaufman-Osborn will be taking a year-long sabbatical and plans to return to the college in some capacity in the fall of 2015. Kaufman-Osborn, known within the Whitman community as TKO, cited personal reasons for leaving the position of dean of faculty and provost. “I realized that there are important matters that have been put on the back burner because of the demands of this position,” said Kaufman-Osborn. “I have found it necessary to abandon my scholarly pursuits. I have found few opportunities for the sort of quiet reflection I so much value. And, perhaps most important, too many cherished relationships have been neglected. And so I think it is now time to move on.” The person who holds the dean of the faculty and provost position is in charge of all academic programs, which includes the faculty, the curriculum and
Staff Reporter
C “I couldn’t even get in during drop-in hours. I sat there for over an hour on the off chance that they could squeeze me in to no avail. I came back to the next drop-in time but decided to call first to gauge how busy it was ... During the dropin time, they told me they could fit me in in three weeks every other week. ” Katy Wills ‘16
ollege students are typically under a range of pressures and subject to immense amounts of stress that can take a toll on their mental health. According to Counseling Center Director Thacher Carter, over a quarter of the Whitman student population is currently utilizing counseling resources on campus. In the 2011–2012 school year, over 27 percent of students used the Counseling Center resources compared to the national average where nine to 12 percent of students at small colleges sought counseling services. “Whitman’s student body, mentally, isn’t that healthy,” said sophomore Ali Holmes. “I think that is just because of the stress and the rigor of the Whitman environment, which is something that we all signed up for obviously, but I believe that that is a contributing factor.” Use of the Counseling Center has recently increased dramatically. Over the past several years, the Counseling Center has served 30 additional students per year. An investigation by The Pioneer, last semester revealed that many Whitman students with mental health issues suffer in silence due to stigma. Students are left to rely on the Counseling Center, which has limited resources to help students suffering with mental health issues. Due to the increased use of the center, many students report diffi-
culties accessing the center’s services. Even though the Counseling Center has eight “drop-in” hours each week where students can speak with a counselor without an appointment, attending such session does not guarantee immediate care. “Drop-in hours get really full, so you have to get there really early because not very many can be seen during drop-in hours. So one time I came and there was no space. But I filled out a form anyway ... I couldn’t see someone right away, but it wasn’t that long of a wait. It was about a week,” said junior Ellen Cambron. Sophomore Katy Wills had to attend multiple drop-in hours before she was able to see a counselor. Once this preliminary evaluation was complete, it was several weeks before she was able to return for a second session. “I couldn’t even get in during drop-in hours. I sat there for over an hour on the off chance that they could squeeze me in to no avail. I came back to the next dropin time but decided to call first to gauge how busy it was” said Wills in an email. “They assured me I’d get in because I couldn’t the last time, which meant that I was taking a drop-in spot from someone else, which was unfortunate. After that appointment during the drop-in time, they told me they could fit me in in three weeks every other week.” Several students who spoke with The Pioneer believed persistence was required in order to gain access to counseling services and a
regular time slot. While most felt that they were able to gain access to counseling in a somewhat timely manner, some said this came after weeks of waiting and unanswered emails. The nature of some of the problems some of these students face, however, is in direct opposition to this requirement. It’s hard enough to reach out, and when someone isn’t responding, it’s easy to become defeated. “After my first appointment I was told I would be matched to a counselor and be informed of my regular session time as soon as possible. However, I was forced to recontact the Counseling Center in order to begin regular appointments. I waited a few weeks without response and had almost given up on the idea of going back at all before finally working up the courage to email the counselor I had met with in my preliminary appointment,” said sophomore Emily Carrick. In order to address the increased demand for counseling services at Whitman, the Counseling Center has made a budget request through the Student Affairs Office that would allocate funds for an additional counselor. The increased position would not only help alleviate the stresses that the center has encountered in recent years, but would also provide a counselor that would be able to specifically serve minority populations at Whitman. A recent ASWC resolution further supported the creation of this position and
see COUNSELING, page 3
see TKO, page 3
Paul Minor ‘17 (left) and Walker Larson ‘14 practice in the multipurpose gym. After training during the fall semester, the team will start competing to try to qualify for nationals in the spring. Photo by Bowersox
Sweets strive to utilize youth, depth by mitchell smith Staff Reporter
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he Whitman College Sweets is similar to other Whitman club sports in that it has no paid coach, the team is affected by the lack of funding, and members must find motivation within themselves to compete every day. There is one major difference though; the Sweets, the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team at Whitman, finished last year ranked in the top 20 in the country of Division I Ultimate. However, with graduat-
ed alumni, this year’s team is different, and the Sweets are forced to make changes to match last year’s achievements. Star power fueled the Sweets’ success last year, but those players are gone, leaving room for everyone on the field to become equally involved. “We’ve underlined a new philosophy where we’re all equal threats,” said senior captain Nathan Sany. “It’s exciting because if you use everybody, you have a better chance at going far in tournaments.” Sany pointed out that if a team relies on one or two play-
ers to carry it, as was the case at times last year, those players can become tired and ineffective over the course of a tournament. Typically, in order to finish on the podium in an Ultimate tournament, a team must win between seven and eight games in one weekend. “It’s nice to have everyone be trusted with the disc ... It just makes sense. I’m really excited for that,” said Sany. Because the season doesn’t start until the spring, the Sweets have been using the fall and winter months as a time to make sure that everyone has the skills to be
trusted with the disc in their hands. “This fall has been about getting the new players experience in offense and defense and also teaching people forehand and backhand throws,” said firstyear Reed Hendrickson. “It’s helpful for the older guys too because they get to work a lot more with their disc handling and throwing.” This will be Hendrickson’s first year playing on an organized ultimate team, so the emphasis on disc skills has been very beneficial to him. The off-season has been
about a lot more than just throwing and catching, though. Hendrickson also cited the importance of off-field learning about positioning and strategy. “If you’re playing high-level Ultimate and you don’t know how to run the offense, you’re going to be very lost and mess up your entire team,” said Hendrickson. Sany has been impressed with the way the less-experienced players have handled learning these higher details of the game. “[The first-years] are jumping see SWEETS, page 6