Fall 2013 Issue 3

The

PIONEER

Issue 3 | September 26, 2013 | Whitman news since 1896

Lyman menu change provokes student response by hannah bartman Staff Reporter

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food truck has rolled into Whitman College and has taken the place of Lyman Dining Hall. Beginning in the 2013 school year, Whitman’s food catering service, Bon Appétit, will create one internationally themed dish to serve every meal for two weeks in Lyman Dining Hall in replica of a “food truck.”

“I felt that Lyman was underutilized, so I was trying to come up with a concept that would be interesting and get more people into Lyman,” said Executive Chef Jim Cooley. “Since [Lyman is] open later at night, I thought it could be a destination place for the students to go.”

Due to student request, Lyman has since reduced the time length to one week, serving Indian cuisine the week of Sept. 23 and Japanese the week of Sept. 30. Lyman has long been a unique dining hall for athletes and students of late-night classes in that it is the only dining hall to stay open until 8 p.m. Sophomore Emma Altman, who has a ballet class until 7 p.m., now resents that Lyman is her sole possibility.

“I like the homey, quiet atmosphere of Lyman, but that is ruined by not being able to have a healthy mix of food,” said Altman.

Downtown secrets

Photos by Li

Walla Walla features storied independent bookstore scene

by SErena Runyan

Museum of Un-Natural History serves as atypical haven for eccentric art

Staff Reporter

ILLUSTRATION BY LUND

“No one wants to eat there if it’s the same food every day.

We want variety.”

Asher Jaffe ‘16

This similarly negative opinion of the new changes to the Lyman menu has been a rising concern within the Whitman community.

“No one wants to eat there if it’s the same food every day,” said firstyear Asher Jaffe. “We want variety.”

Serving approximately 70 students a day, Cooley is sensitive to student laments, and he is attempting to remedy the resistance to this new change in dining policy. Beginning on Sept. 16, Lyman added one entrée from the Jewett Dining Hall onto the evening menu in order to add variability to the students who must eat during Lyman’s extended hours.

“You learn that when you make changes, you get a lot of resistance at first, and sometimes you just have to wait it out and see how it pans out,” said Cooley. “Change comes hard here at Whitman.”

This menu change has also brought about a shift from the usual self-serve

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by Isabel Mills Staff Reporter

espite the spread of chain stores like Barnes and Noble and the recent proliferation of e-books, independent bookstores still contribute to the heartbeat of Walla Walla. Doing away with unfamiliarity and the pressure of stark untouched pages, these smaller family-owned shops make it easy to just let one sentence lead to another.

Tucked inconspicuously on 321 E Main Street is Earthlight Books, an independent bookstore that has been run by a Whitman alumnus for about 40 years. And it doesn’t look like he’s leaving any time soon.

“I’ve always said I’d like to sell books for 50 years in Walla Walla,” said owner David Cosby.

Signs in the windows colorfully advertise sales and community events, welcoming passersby with the promise of cheap used books and a cozy family-owned shop.

“It’s always been a labor of love,” said Cosby.

Although Earthlight has multiple rooms filled with closely packed shelves, there are so many books that they overflow onto any available floor space. see BOOKSTORES, page 6

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f you met him on the street, 82-year-old Gerry Matthews would seem like any other retired, happily married Wheaton Terrier owner.

In reality, he is a rather unique artist.

Matthews moved to Walla Walla with his wife Pat Stanley years ago, leaving both of their acting careers in New York behind. A class clown since elementary school, Gerry loved to entertain, but he was envious of his friends who were artists and could work from home.

In 2001, he opened a free museum in downtown Walla Walla.

Inspired by Dadaism, surrealism and absurdism, Matthews creates art unlike anything I have ever seen.

“I use the word Dada because it takes away all of the rules and regulations. You don’t have to please anybody. Collecting things and assembling them in meaningful ways is to me a whole lot of fun and not too stressful. Not everyone who comes up here gets it, but some do, and that’s fun,” he said.

His work is displayed in a hidden loft above Tallman’s Drug Store called The Museum of Un-Natural History.

see MUSEUM, page 6

see LYMAN, page 3

Ask For It campaign Whitman and Teach for America: advocates for consent Students drawn to program’s challenges

by Sam Grainger-Shuba Staff Reporter

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id you get a kiss this week? If not, you may still be wondering why people were asking for your consent to sit next to you at lunch or to give you a hug. Answer: This past week, the All Students for Consent Club [ASC] hosted its Ask For It campaign.

There were events all week to promote consent on campus in fun and positive ways. From handing out chocolate kisses (asking first, of course), to an event Friday, Sept. 20 on Ankeny Field where people practiced asking for consent, ASC managed to turn some heads.

“We want people to practice consent by asking for permission to sit with someone, to borrow a pen or to hold hands,” said junior George Felton, the co-president of ASC. According to Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell, ASC has deemed that each month will have a theme, and September’s theme is consent. By advocating for better communication between partners, ASC is trying to raise awareness about the issue of consent in the hopes of decreasing sexual violence, harassment and misconduct.

On Tuesday Sept. 17, ASC invaded Penrose Library on

a mission, armed with bags full of chocolate kisses and pink flyers explaining the Ask For It campaign in detail.

“Hey guys, can I give you some kisses?” said junior Tina Welsh, as she entered a study room on the second floor. The point was to shock people with the double meaning of kiss, chocolate or actual kiss, and then to promote the Ask For It campaign, which also plays on a double meaning.

Ask For It stems from the negative phrase “she was asking for it” — by wearing those clothes, dancing that way, etc. — but flips it by encouraging people to ask for consent, hence “asking for it.”

ASC members were assigned a floor of the library.

They walked up to students busy studying and asked for consent to give them a chocolate kiss. With the kiss accompanied a small handout and an explanation of the kinds of activities and ways to promote consent.

“I was a little nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, but overall I’m glad I said yes. I’m glad she asked first,” said sophomore Brandon Paris, who was one of the many students to receive a chocolate kiss on Tuesday.

Friday’s events included temporary tattoos, group photos and generally plenty of questions being asked. The goal was see ASKING FOR IT, page 2

by Lachlan johnson Staff Reporter

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any Whitman College students looking to work with children and interested in social justice often consider Teach for America. This fall, 14 Whitman graduates joined the 2013 Teaching Corps and began a two-year commitment to teaching in public schools across the nation. According to a recent Teach for America press release, Whitman is the fifth largest contributor to Teach for America among small schools in the country this year, and 14 percent of the class of 2013 applied to the program.

There are many reasons to apply for Teach for America.

Along with the chance to jump immediately into teaching without a teacher’s license, TFA offers applicants the security of a fulltime job after graduation while their peers search stagnating job markets. The program also heavily subsidizes a master’s in education for participants, and having Teach for America on one’s resume can open doors to graduate school or other opportunities.

“With the popularity of Teach for America, there are some people who are applying just because it looks good on a resume, and that’s the wrong reason,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry Nathan Boland, who spent three years with TFA in

Southern Louisiana. “Anybody who does Teach for America really needs to do it because they believe in their students, and the potential for them to succeed.”

Whitman students’ commitment to serving others is one of the factors contributing to the college’s large number of applicants and acceptances. Despite not having programs specializing in education that larger research universities might, Whitman students are very aware of social justice issues and want to make a difference.

“Whitman’s increased participation in the program is, I think, because Teach for America has discovered Whitman and found the sort of people we have here.

Almost everyone’s well-rounded, [has] lots of leadership [and is] well-educated,” said senior Isabel Zarate, who recruits students as Teach for America’s Campus Campaign Coordinator. “You need people that believe in everyone equally, and I think Whitman really fosters that environment.”

Many of this year’s senior class have already applied to Teach for America, and several have already been offered positions in the program. Teach for America’s application process is lengthy; after submitting a paper application, applicants have an interview over the phone. Those who make it through these initial stages of recruitment then

go through a lengthy interview process which includes a mock teaching session and a staged meeting with school executives to test how potential teachers respond to challenges they may encounter in the classroom.

“Teach for America makes you jump through a lot of hoops [while applying]. They need to know that you are willing to put in the hours it takes to get through the application if you are going to be able to put in the thousands of hours of hard work it takes to be a good teacher,” said alumna Clare Sobetski, ‘13, who is currently working for Teach for America, in an email. “It’s an effective process; the people I have met through TFA have been truly dedicated and invested in the mission of offering every student equal access to a high quality education.”

Senior Andy Riggs was recently offered a position teaching math in Hilo, Hawaii, after going through the interview process this summer. Despite the competitiveness of the program, Riggs has not yet decided whether he will accept TFA’s offer, or pursue a career in business or finance which are more suited to his economics major.

“Teaching math is something that’s really important, and [my math teachers] got me really far ahead. It was something that was a differentiator see TEACH FOR AMERICA, page 2

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‘Beyond Your Backpack’ examines life after college by river sterne Staff Reporter

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ollege is a time of growth, both academically and personally, that prepares students for the next chapter of their life: employment. While classes help students expand their knowledge in certain subject areas, there is always more learning to be done outside the classroom. The objective of Beyond Your Backpack, a new program offered by the Student Engagement Center, is to acquaint students with these extracurricular learning experiences.

The program is comprised of six workshop sessions, occurring weekly in Reid Campus Center, every Thursday until Oct. 24.

The workshops are intended to be applicable to all students, al-

though some subjects might be more relevant to certain students.

“It really depends on the student and where they are in the process,” said Director for Business Engagement Kim Rolfe.

“I wouldn’t say that out of any of them there’s one that everyone should go to. It’s all based on where you’re at in the process.”

In each workshop, various SEC employees, chosen depending on their field of expertise, will give students insight on how to best prepare themselves for employment and life after school. The first workshop, titled “Where Do I Begin?” took place on Thursday, Sept. 19 and focused on personal development on the path towards finding a career.

The first workshop consisted of reflective exercises that helped

students discover what subject or field they are passionate about.

From there, the workshop dealt with how to use that knowledge in order to acquire beneficial work experience relating to their passion.

The second workshop, following “Where Do I Begin?”, is titled “Resumes, Profiles and Letters,” and is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26. This second workshop will cover the process necessary to present oneself as an appealing employee to employers.

In addition, there are workshops that cover networking, interviews and making the best of your time on the job. The only section targeted at a specific field is centered around business writing.

Although the program attempts to cover a wide variety of subjects, the program is more ori-

ented towards upperclassmen who are closer to starting their careers.

“It’s probably more geared towards upperclassmen,” said Rolfe.

“There are some freshmen who could definitely benefit from the first two workshops, but in terms of where a student is in the process in their first year, given how early we’re offering these in the semester, first year is a time where students need to embrace where they are. They just got here.”

Over the course of the Beyond Your Backpack program, students will learn the skills, tools and savviness necessary to secure themselves success in the career field the pursue. Each week the workshop topic is designed to add another level of insight into career success, as well as walk students through everything they might need to ex-

ceed expectations in the workplace.

The idea for the program was something Rolfe began planning before she was even hired to the Whitman staff, although she imagined it on an even larger scale, with many more components.

“It’s something that I take back to when I was a student going through college. That’s not something that’s ever really taught, but it’s very valuable,” said Rolfe. “The reality is that at the end of your time here there are some skills that you need that don’t necessarily play into your liberal arts education, and I want to make sure we can provide those in addition.”

Ultimately Rolfe would like to make this an annual program that the SEC offers in the fall and make it more applicable to underclassmen.

All Students for Consent designed the Ask For It campaign to be engaging and fun.

They want to remove the awkwardness from talking about consent. Photo by Volpert

ASC spreads consent awareness on campus from ASKING FOR IT, page 1

ILLUSTRATION BY VASQUEZ

Whitman among top TFA contributors from TEACH FOR AMERICA, page 1

for me; going through school, I was ahead in math, and it gave me a lot of confidence when I was younger,” said Riggs.

Along with two years of fulltime employment, many Teach for America participants pursue a master of education, which is heavily subsidized by the program. In most states, this is one of the few ways graduates can move directly into teaching without a teaching degree. While this presents an opportunity for passionate young people to immediately impact society, Riggs argues it also undercuts the employment of more experienced teachers who have gone through graduate school and have previous experience in the field from finding employment.

“There are two sides to the story. Although it could provide a very tangible benefit to society, you have to think about the fact that because you’re getting a job, it means you’re taking a job away from someone who could be more experienced,” said Riggs. “I know a lot of people in this program are amazing and are going to put their heart and soul into everything, but at the end of the day, it’s really hard to think that I’m going

to be a better teacher than someone who’s been doing it for ten years.”

Riggs’ nuanced view of Teach for America is shared by Assistant Professor of Psychology Erin Pahlke, who joined Teach for America in 2000 and spent two years teaching fourth grade in Washington, D.C. While Pahlke feels unemployment is less of an issue in the program, as many teachers wouldn’t want to work in some of the difficult classrooms TFA sends graduates, she is frustrated by the way TFA sends graduates into some of the most difficult classrooms in the country after only five months of training.

“I could have made a bigger difference in kids’ lives if I’d figured out a way to get my teaching legs under me in a school where I was more supported, and then to move into a TFA school,” said Pahlke.

However, according to Zarate, Teach for America is constantly looking to improve, examining the characteristics of its most successful teachers and applying lessons learned in the next year’s recruiting process. While some criticism of the program remains in the Whitman community, many students judge its benefits to outweigh its

faults, and apply to join the program.

“My advice for other Whitties considering applying is simple: Make sure this is something you really want to do. The work is hard, and if it is not something you are 100 percent invested in, you are going to burn out fast. But if teaching is calling to you, by all means, do apply.” said Sobetski in an email. “It’s incredibly rewarding work, and it’s one of the best opportunities I have ever had to see immediate results for my efforts.”

Corrections to Issue 2 Matt Starr’s name was incorrectly spelled in the article “KWCW chart-topping Ember Fx talks musical, creative process.”

The photo accompanying the article “A dangerous battle cry to rethink racism” should have been credited to Marra Clay.

The pull quotation accompanying the article “Whitman Progressives spark dialogue” should have been credited to Harrison Wills ‘15.

to make it a fun event, attempting to remove the awkwardness from asking for consent.

“We want people to get involved. A lot of times people don’t get involved if they’re really scared of something. We don’t want people to feel like they’re getting blamed. Instead we want people to feel like they can have a positive, active role in this issue,” said FACE co-president and one of the organizers of this week’s events, sophomore Katie Steen.

According to co-founder and co-president junior Sayda Morales, this is ASC’s first event as a club.

“We are incredibly happy with the turnout, although we do wish more people had shown up to the rally,” said Morales. “What we did achieve was getting the word out there about consent and engaging with the Whitman body in a new and effective way.”

Table toppers have also been scattered throughout the dining halls. They are promoting consent, but in a way that breaks down the heteronormative assumption that only heterosexual men need to learn to ask for consent. The toppers feature a drawing of two outlined gender-neutral faces appearing to be having thoughts, depicted in thought bubbles, about each other. One wants to have sex, the other does not. What makes these table toppers special is that there are four different kinds of situations depicted, each fea-

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turing different gender pairs.

“The idea behind that was that things like this can be very anti-male. That is just totally feeding gender roles. And we wanted to switch that up,” said Steen. “This is an issue for everyone. This is an issue for heterosexual people, for bisexual, for pansexual people, for whatever you identify as, this is an issue for you. And just because you’re a female does not mean you don’t have to ask for consent. We just want to break down that narrative that’s very common of the male doing something bad, and being to blame in a heterosexual relationship.”

According to Maxwell, the point is to have fun.

“Our goal is to simply keep asking for consent in intimate situations on people’s mind in a playful, fun way to decrease the awkwardness of it and make asking for it the norm in interpersonal communication,” she said.

By drawing attention to the seemingly simple task of asking for consent, the hope of ASC was to promote a better communication strategy between couples. Turning an awkward situation into a more lively and sometimes silly activity is something that they hope will have a positive impact upon interpersonal communication at Whitman. Many students agree.

“I think that it is a really creative idea. It turns a negative into a positive,” said first-year Lindsay Ross.

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Community Fellows look outside Whitman by lorah steichen Staff Reporter

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y the time they are juniors and seniors, most Whitman students are ready to start implementing the skills they’re developing in the classroom in a professional setting.

The Whitman Community Fellows, an internship program run through the Student Engagement Center and funded by the Sherwood Trust, gives students the opportunity to do just that. The program, which has just welcomed its second year, connects juniors and seniors with local organizations for a yearlong paid internship experience.

“The Fellow program offers the students that are selected to participate not only a full academic year of very high level professional work at a very exciting organization in Walla Walla, but also a year of professional development and reflection,” said Assistant Dean for Student Engagement Noah Leavitt.

Leavitt, along with Career Development Director Susan Buchanan, developed the program last year, modeling it after AmeriCorps. In addition to the 10 hours each week that the fellows spend at their specific worksite, participants engage in professional development sessions and group visits to each fellow’s workplace.

“We thought, well let’s not only have students out there, but let’s also have this additional support, education, reflection, group development, because we know that those are all the best practices when it comes to having students involved in something of this duration” said Leavitt.

The fellowships allow students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to the real-world workplace. Recent alumna Sydney Conway, ‘13, who graduated with a sociology degree last spring and is now enrolled at the University of Washington Law School, served as a fellow at the Juvenile Justice Center last year.

“For me, the fellowship could truly be defined as ‘experiential learning,’” said Conway in an email.

“As a sociology major I studied the implications of inequality and the extent to which individuals are influenced by external forces. However, I had only studied this inequality and not seen or experienced

it firsthand. While interacting with young students in Walla Walla, the inequality and its implications was visible in a way that no academic article or textbook could describe.”

The work that the fellows did as interns last year not only benefitted their own academic and professional development, but also the greater Walla Walla community. This led to a great demand from local organizations for increased fellowship positions.

“The community organizations understand how talented Whitman students are and what they can offer, and so when the invitation for a free, year-long, high-level talented person to come in and make something happen for an organization is put out there, a lot of organizations want to jump on that,” said Leavitt.

In order to better address this demand, the SEC changed the selection process for community partners.

“This year [the organizations] had to apply. Last year we just sort of picked some. This year we opened it to a wide range of community partners,” said Buchanan.

The SEC received 45 proposals from a wide range of community organizations for fellowship positions.

Those selected represent the diversity of academic and professional interests on campus, ranging from Walla Walla County Public Health to the Small Business Development Center or the Blue Mountain Land Trust.

The success of the program and the demand for fellows has led to growth of the program in its second year.

“Last year was the first year that we did this and we had eight students and they had remarkable, really transformative experiences. This year we have 13,” said Buchanan.

In order to finance the additional fellowship positions, the SEC redistributed the funding provided by the Sherwood Trust, reducing the amount set aside for single semester internships. Jock Edwards is the president of the Sherwood Trust, which is a local philanthropic nonprofit.

“The mission of the Sherwood Trust is to build the capacity of our community,” said Edwards. “Students have a huge impact with what they do with the local nonprofit organizations. So it really is a winwin for the community as well as for the Whitman College students.”

by Patricia Vanderbilt Staff Reporter

David Fleming ‘14 is one of 13 Community Fellows this year. 45 groups from a diverse pool of community organizations submitted proposals asking for student fellows. Photo contributed by Banderas ADVERTISEMENT

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SEC DROP-IN HOURS Reid Campus Center 219 Ten minutes or less

MONDAYS

4 - 5 PM Law and Law School with Noah Leavitt 1:30 - 2:30 PM School-based Volunteerism America Reads, America Counts with Susan Prudente

TUESDAYS Keiler Beers ‘14 talks to Director of Career Development Susan Buchanan. The Student Engagement Center oversees the Whitman Community Fellows program. Photo contributed by Banderas

Bon Appétit responsive to student concerns in Lyman from LYMAN, page 1

style of Lyman, which is now equipped with two chefs.

Working previously as chefs for Bon Appétit on Whitman campus, the new chefs in Lyman prepare all of the meals from scratch and focus on creating meals that are authentically ethnic.

“I want to make the students happy with new experiences and new opportunities,” said Jewett and Lyman Chef Manager Nimal Amarasinghe. “I want everyone to participate so we can get more and more students.”

Cooley admits that this change in policy could have had a smoother turnover among students if it

had been marketed beforehand. Students are used to the presence of Lyman Dining Hall food as being interchangeable with the Jewett offered cuisine, and the newly differed purpose of Lyman came as a sudden shock at the beginning of the school year. For students who eat at Lyman at a lower frequency, the new changes are, for the most part, imperceptible.

“I don’t really come [to Lyman] that much so it’s always different,” said sophomore Tino Mori. “The food was really good today.”

However, for students who live in Lyman and anticipate a varied schedule, the new changes are

more negatively apparent.

“It’s kind of a gamble.

I didn’t like the tacos [they served two weeks ago], so one week was too long,” said first-year Martin Munguía. “However, I like the idea of having a menu that’s different than Jewett.”

The functionality of the new Lyman Dining Hall will continue to be varied issue on campus, and the fate of the food truck will be decided by student majority opinion.

“If it doesn’t work, we’ll definitely do something different,” said Cooley. “We will find something where everybody will be happy.”

12:30 - 1:30 PM Community Service and Volunteerism with Abby Juhasz 3:30 - 4:45 PM Resumes, Letters and Interviews with Susan Buchanan

WEDNESDAYS

3:30 - 4:45 PM Resumes, Letters and Interviews with Susan Buchanan

THURSDAYS

4 - 5 PM iEngage and Technology with Kyle Scott

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1:30 - 3:30 PM Business Resumes, Letters and Interviews with Kim Rolfe

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Boffers grab life by the hilt

PIO PICKS Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights events happening on campus or in Walla Walla during the weekend.

Here are this week’s picks: Lifeboat Come see three professors duke it out for a chance at “saving” their lives. Which major will reign supreme? Find out Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at Reid Campus Center

by EMMA DAHL Staff Reporter

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s the clock tower strikes three, a group of warriors strides across the dewy grass.

Weapons in hand, faces stern and hearts fierce, they are ready for battle. The two armies charge each other, screaming war cries and brandishing their swords and shields, glinting silver in the sunlight. It’s life or death on this battlefield.

Well, kind of...

On Ankeny Field just in front of Lyman House, Whitman College students, in the guise of warriors, most of them members of the Medieval Society, meet weekly to play war games with padded and duct-taped weapons. The activity is called “boffing,” and according to junior Sam Chapman, the president of the Medieval Society, the title might be an onomatopoeic version of the sound the weapons make as they whack around.

Boffing is similar to LARPing (live-action role-playing), but Chapman explained that there is an important difference between the two.

“LARPing is a broader category that entails taking on a persona or a character or immersing yourself in a scenario that isn’t actually occurring,” said Chapman. “There are other types of LARPing including Humans Vs. Zombies ... In boffing, all we’re doing is fighting with weap-

ons. We do things to make it more entertaining; we yell battle cries or play certain types of games ... but ultimately it’s just for the simulated combat.”

Boffing is simply the most visible activity that the Medieval Society hosts. They also hold meetings at noon on Wednesdays in the Lyman lounge where they read medieval texts such as “Beowulf,” “The Canterbury Tales” and “The Decameron.” A popular text is the “Heliand,” which Chapman described as a version of the Bible translated for Saxons.

“You’ve got special changes like Jesus is the ‘chieftain of the world’ and he’s got his ‘warrior thanes’ instead of apostles,” said Chapman.

The Medieval Society also hosts archery practices. However, these are currently up in the air since Whitman frowns upon the storage of bows on campus, and the range the club had been using was desecrated when someone whisked away the hay bales they used as targets.

Not everyone at boffing gettogethers are members of the Medieval Society. First-year Susan Nichols came by because she saw the Medieval Society’s booth at the Activities Fair.

“Hitting people with padded weapons, that sounds fun!” said Nichols.

Sure enough, the overall atmosphere is one of casual camaraderie. Boffers aren’t there to hurt

Global Grub and Multicultural Munchies Come sample and learn about appetizers from around the world and our different cultures! Getting globally aware and filling your belly at the same time — what could be better?

Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 at the Global Awareness House

Clockwise from left: Boffers prepare for war; Sam Chapman ‘15 rallies the group; Will Friedman ‘17 wields his sword; Friedman defeates his opponent. Photos by Barton

each other or to dominate the field, but to have a good time, and it definitely looked like they were. The field was rife with shouted book and movie references and little sardonic comments mid-fight, such as “Your father smelt of elderberries!”

“Cometh at me, bro!” and “Run, William! You are not Henry VII!” “[I like boffing because] it’s more fun and games rather than competitiveness,” said first-year Eric Hsu. The rules of boffing, as laid out by Whitman’s Medieval Society, are simple: They play by Black Knight rules, which means that if one of your limbs is struck, you lose that limb. You die if you’re hit in the torso. Neck and head strikes don’t count, and are not encouraged. Another rule states that you can’t swing your weapon from behind your body,

Instant Play Festival returns

by ALEIDA FERNANDEZ A&E Editor

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he Whitman College theatre department’s annual Instant Play Festival returns this weekend with 14 new playwrights. A perennial favorite, the Instant Play Festival challenges the 14 playwrights along with volunteer actors, directors and techies to write an entire play over the course of a night and then stage, rehearse and perform it the following evening.

“[The playwrights] are really scared,” said sophomore playwright Matthew Fisher. “This is a vulnerable moment for us.”

In the three weeks leading up to the Festival, the aspiring writers have participated in writing workshops led by three professional playwrights including Kristen Kosmas, assistant professor of theatre.

It is through these workshops that

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which confines the amount of force you can hit someone with, and that throwing weapons are not allowed. “[Throwing your weapon would be] historically inaccurate, ineffective and dangerous,” said Chapman.

The weapons themselves have just been around for years and have been wielded by generations of boffers. Made of PVC pipe, foam and a lot of duct tape, the weapons are stored in the basement of Jewett Hall and are repaired and remade as needed.

“If you’ve seen us, and you think it looks like fun ... come try it out!” said Chapman. “We love being approached by strangers who want to play. That makes my day.”

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Presents for Pups Create treats fit for the pups at the Blue Mountain Humane Society, then deliver them the next morning and spend time with the animals! There are sessions for six people each to come bake every half hour. Email emmettmm@whitman.edu to sign up.

Friday, Sept. 27 at the Community Service House

Can’t get enough boffing?

Check out our video online! whitmanpioneer.com/catergory/ae

Spotify

students learn how to write creatively during a short amount of time.

“The workshops have been extremely helpful,” said Fisher. “It’s been a lot of writing ... a lot of writing down ideas.”

Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29. Both performances are at 8 p.m. Tickets will be sold throughout the week as well as at the door.

versus

iTunes

Want more of Matthew Fisher’s Interview?

Check out whitmanpioneer.com/catergory/ae

Alternate universe spells trouble

by NATHAN FISHER Staff Reporter

“H

arry Potter” is baaack!!!!!

Okay, not quite, but my assignment this week was to check out Warner Brothers’ recently announced upcoming series heading to the big screen about the world of magic and wizards — a sort of Hogwarts prequel set 70 years before Harry was born. My first reaction was roughly, “SAY WHAT???”

But after reading article after article about the series in the works, I succumbed to my inner child and am excited about the prospect of J.K. Rowling’s new fantasy adventure.

The new series is going to be set around the Hogwarts’ book, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” For non die-hard “Potter” fans, “Fantastic Beasts” is one of the required books for Hogwarts’ firstyears to read. The movie will follow the book’s author, Newt Scamander, on his journey around the world exploring and categorizing magical beasts. This premise doesn’t immediately promise much action and sounds like a zoology project, but the possibilities that come with the wizarding world and magical beasts offer enough to cast a spell (sorry could not resist) over the audience.

Recognizing that I am a huge J.K. Rowling fan and not entirely objective regarding anything to do with her in the mix, I sat down with Annie Petersen, assistant professor of film and media studies, to discuss the rekindling of the “Harry Potter” phenomenon. “[The proposed revamp is] symptomatic of New Hollywood economics, in which the derivative and safe take precedence over the innovative and new,” said Petersen.

In other words, money trumps all and as long as the public keeps buying tickets, who cares if the product is just cookie-cutter reproduction?

While a bleak view of the current state of Hollywood as well as about us, the consumers, I have to agree that we are living in the age of retreaded sequels. And although we may love the Harry Potter universe, maybe we should insist that the magical se-

ILLUSTRATION BY COOPER-ELLIS

by ADAM HEYMANN Staff Reporter

T

ILLUSTRATION BY MEASE

ries stay done and complete. I agree with Petersen that “more isn’t always better.” But maybe just not when it comes to the magic of Hogwarts!

As Hollywood predicted, I will be the first in line to shell out bucks to see the newest rendition of the Hogwarts phenomena. Specifics on the upcoming movie are a bit lacking. No release date has been set. No script has been written. No cast has been set, although Daniel Radcliff has confirmed he will not be making an appearance in the new series. All we know is that J.K. Rowling will write the screenplay, noting that she “would only revisit the wizarding world if [she] had an idea that [she] was really excited about and this is it.” Rowling’s confidence gives me hope. With a net worth of over a billion dollars, according to Forbes, Rowling doesn’t

need the money from a “Potter” spinoff, so hopefully she truly believes the series really is worth revisiting.

Resurrecting the “Harry Potter” fantasy seems like a no-brainer for the studio, but risky for the die-hard Potter fan. The Harry Potter books were the first “big books” I read, and I can still remember the excitement and anticipation of getting the newest installment. The magic was the same for the movies, and the final Harry Potter movie seemed like closure to my childhood. Now with a bit of dread, I hope this new series can reclaim the magic and make me feel like a kid again, and not be a sell-out just for the money. Either way, I’ll be first in line to see Newt and his magical beasts when they hit theaters. Bring it on J.K. Rowling — no pressure.

he evolution of digital music has come a long way. In the early millennium, names like Kazaa, Limewire and Napster dominated the arena. But they soon lost momentum as government and entertainment groups began to prosecute them for their free, illegal sharing. Then came the rumors that implication in the use of these applications could mean legal action against regular civilians. This pushed many to switch over to legal options — iTunes, Zune and Rhapsody. During this time period iTunes thrived as the service with the easiest user interface and the most efficient, stylish product, the iPod. Lately though, Apple has been confronted with a competitor that actually holds its own against the technology powerhouse: Spotify. By wrangling customers in with a free service that allows them access to (almost) any song, album and artist known to contemporary pop culture, Spotify has effectively changed the climate of modern music acquisition.

“Spotify gives you instant access to a much broader range of music than you’d otherwise have access to,” said sophomore Theo Henderson.

For many Whitman College students, music is about finding artists that establish a niche and identity; Spotify makes this achievable.

“With little to no income, it is very difficult to find spare change to spend on music from iTunes at a price of $1.20 per song,” said sophomore Daniel Kim. This is the caveat for most cash-strapped students when considering whether to use iTunes or

Spotify. Spotify is not without its own catches: The free version of Spotify is plagued by persistent advertisements. Weirdly enough, for most people this isn’t a deterrent. The biggest con regarding Spotify is that unless you pay $10 a month, you can never have Spotify on a periphery device. In a society dominated by smart phones, this means no workout music, no DJing at a party on Friday night and no road tunes. Some even think these caveats don’t matter, especially when $10 are the only thing between you and these privileges.

“If you wanted, you could literally listen to a million albums a month,” said sophomore Griffin Sutich. “On iTunes you could pay $12 for a Britney Spears album from 2008 and never listen to it again for the rest of your life.”

Despite an emerging cohort of loyalists, Spotify is not yet the new king of the hill as iTunes still wins in one vital aspect: ownership. Spotify only gives you access to the songs it provides — it doesn’t guarantee a lifetime ownership, unlike iTunes which allows you to back up your purchases to a hard drive that, if you are a responsible citizen, can be yours for the rest of your life.

Regardless of which you choose, no one can deny the way in which these businesses have changed the climate of music — some, those who value an organic listening-through of a whole album, might say for the worse. Others who appreciate accessibility to so many artists, musical diversity for the average listener and more business for the average artist would say for the better. The world of music is changing and these changes are having profound effects on the way we find, purchase and appreciate music.

SPORTS

Sep

26 2013

Golf teams shoot for stellar season

by COLE ANDERSON Staff Reporter

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hitman College golf is off to another solid start following a great finish to their 2013 spring season. The women’s team ended the Northwest Conference tournament with a second place finish on the shoulders of an outstanding overall team effort, and the men’s team ended in fourth with many young players stepping up and helping the team with their individual play.

For the fall season, though there are no national implications quite yet as the national tournament is at the end of the spring season, both teams have their eyes on consistent top finishes in conference tournaments. However, the team’s goals are a bit different than those of other Whitman teams.

“College golf is an interesting sport, as the team score is the sum of individual performances. Your performance on the course doesn’t directly affect your teammates as it does in basketball or baseball, so you really need to stay focused on what you can do individually to help the team and trust your teammates to do their part,” said Andrew Welch, the only fourthyear member of the men’s team.

Senior Catelyn Webber revealed that the women’s team was already looking toward what it would take to make nationals.

“We are definitely looking to make it to nationals, and not just make it to nationals, but place top 10,” said Webber.

“I think we’re a very different team mentally. Everyone seems more focused and

more expecting of great results.”

Junior Kelly Sweeney echoed similar sentiments, even a bit more positive than Webber about nationals.

“Our first conference fall tournament [was last] weekend, the 21st and 22nd, but I feel that our team had all worked very hard on their individual games this summer and have come back ready to play to the best of their ability. Our team goals are to place in the top five at nationals and support each other no matter what along the way,” said Sweeney.

Catelyn and Kelley were just as ambitious with their personal goals, as they each are looking to not only place highly in tournaments, but win them outright.

“This season I am going to continue to better my game and improve from my previous years of playing for Whitman. My goal is to win the fall classic tournament in October and help put my team in the best position possible to go to nationals in May next year,” said Sweeney.

Webber feels optimistic about her individual season as well.

“Individually I want to win a couple of big tournaments and just in general have an awesome senior year,” said Webber.

Given the respectively low numbers on both the men’s and women’s rosters, a natural occurrence for college golf as only a select few can compete in tournaments, incoming first-years are not only valuable for the immediate team results, but also for development and potential in years to come. This season both teams have brought in one first-year each, both of which are already contributing to their teams.

“We have one new freshman this year, Griffin Lamb. I have

played with him multiple times this season already and he shows great promise, especially in his short game [putting]. He could probably give me some tips,” said Welch.

As far as scoring and tournaments go, only five players travel and the top four scores on the team count, so competition is naturally pretty tight within the team. On the women’s team in particular, there is so much talent that the number of girls who could potentially earn points for their team is very high.

“We have a very deep team

“We are definitely looking to make it to nationals, and not just make it to nationals, but place top 10. I think we’re a very different team mentally.

Everyone seems more focused and more expecting of great results.”

Catelyn Webber ‘14

when it comes to scoring and Lou Points, our freshman, fits right into that mix. She is a great addition to our team and will definitely help us to get to nationals,” said Sweeney.

Webber has also been impressed with Points’ play as well as her attitude.

“Lou came in with a great amount of confidence coming off some great summer play, and for a first-year, that’s rare.

That really helps boost the rest of

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5

Varsity golfers Andrew Welch ‘14, Jonathon Standen ‘14 and Daniel Hoffman ‘15 warm up on the driving range (left). Welch sinks a putt (above). Photos by Clay

the team morale,” said Webber.

The men’s team has started to implement a system of recording their weekly goals and reflecting on them often.

“This year we are really putting an emphasis on documenting. Before each round, we write down two goals and revisit them after the round to see if we were able to meet them. We are also putting more of an emphasis on statistics so we can take advantage of our strengths and target our weaknesses during practice,” said Welch.

The statistics referred to are simple enough, ranging from percent of fairways and greens hit to number of putts, but will really prove to make quite a difference if each player can be consistent with the goals they have laid out for themselves.

Since golf is such an individually oriented game, mental focus is important and experience is something that can’t be taught, so the emphasis will be on the seniors to help lead their teammates through tough tournaments. However, there are younger players who are already showing great maturity.

Sophomore Daniel Hoffman has hit consistently well through the first two weeks of the season and is really seeing his play come together in all aspects of the game. As the only returning sophomore, his play will help set the tone for Lamb, the only first-year.

Welch summed up the goals of the season as any funloving but wise senior would.

“This year we are going to play less golf. In competitive rounds, that is. We’re going to play less golf by getting the ball in the hole in fewer tries,” said Welch.

SCOREBOARD Soccer

Men’s v. Willamette University Sept. 21: W 0–0 v. Linfield College Sept. 22: W 3–2 Women’s v. Willamette University Sept. 21: W 3–2 v. Lewis & Clark College Sept. 22: L 1–0

Volleyball

v. Lewis & Clark College Sept. 20: W 2–1 v. Willamette University Sept. 21: W 3–2

golf

Pacific Invitational Sept. 22: 1st Place

cross country

Men’s Runner’s Soul Invite Sept. 21: 10th Place Women’s Runner’s Soul Invite Sept. 21: 11th Place

upcoming soccer

Men’s v. Pacific University Sept. 28, 2:30 p.m: HOME v. George Fox Sept. 29, 2:30 p.m: HOME Women’s v. Pacific University Sept. 28, 12:00 p.m.: HOME v. Linfield College Sept. 29, 12:00 p.m.: HOME

tennis

Men’s USTA/ITA Regionals Sept. 28–30: AWAY

cross country

Men’s Culturame Classic Sept. 28–29: AWAY

IM Committee holds great power, responsibility Staff Reporter

W

hile the beginning of the school year brings the start of many things, to some only one is important: the return of intramural sports. From flag football to mini golf, tennis to Ultimate Frisbee, there are nine different IM sports to participate in, and according to the Office of Admission, 75 percent of the student body takes that opportunity. Needless

“Everyone on the board is fun to hang out with and easy to collaborate with. I’ve always felt listened to, and it’s a great work environment.”

Michael Augustine ‘16

to say, intramural sports are big at Whitman College. While a significant percentage of Whitman students participate in IM sports, there are a few who go beyond the playing field. The IM Sports Committee is a group of students dedicat-

ed to the continuation and success of IM sports on campus, and without them our IM sports would fail to be at such a great level.

The committee, according to chair Brian Choe, has two main obligations: to make sure IM sports run smoothly throughout the year and to maintain the safety of the players.

While IM athletes get time off, the committee never stops working.

They organize schedules, playing venues, teams, participants, game rules, player safety, participating sports and countless other aspects that go into IM sports games. They are the backbone of IM sports at Whitman. Among these regular duties, the committee performs even more tasks before IM season even begins. This year is no exception, as the committee has done plenty to prepare for the year ahead.

According to Choe, the group has already begun working to inform people about imleagues.com, a new site that handles all the registration for IM sports, as well as tracks schedules and scores, making information much more accessible to the public. Even further, the committee has begun to change certain aspects of IM football, a popular sport going into

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the fall season. While IM sports games are fun ways to compete, they are also intense and can often lead to injury. For this reason, the committee has re-evaluated the rules and, with the player’s safety in mind, changed them.

“We are changing the rules to eliminate full on blocking with the hands. We as a committee did research on other schools in our area and found that we are the only school in the area that allows this much contact,” said Choe via email.

While Choe admits this will alter the nature of the sport, he reassures that it will maintain the safety of the players while hopefully keeping the sport at the same energy level. With this change, it is also the committee’s obligation to inform officials and players of these new conditions.

It’s obvious that no matter what the topic, be it organization or player safety, the IM Committee is always preparing for what lies ahead.

With such significant responsibilities, it’s hard to imagine a committee so successful as ours.

On top of heavy academic course loads and countless other responsibilities, the members perform without fail.

“Everyone on board is fun to hang out with and easy to collaborate with.

I’ve always felt listened to, and it’s a great work environment,” said Michael Augustine, a sophomore who is beginning his first year on the committee, via email.

Such passion and dedication to IM sports, despite many other per-

sonal responsibilities, can only be attributed to a love for the impact these sports have on people and W h it m a n .

ILLUSTRATION BY BOWEN

by KELSEY PECK

“ I loved my experience freshman year playing many different IM sports, and thus I wanted to give back. I had a lot of ideas of how to make IM sports better and like to organize things such as this,” said Choe.

And the rest of the students who participate attribute just as

much praise to IM sports, crediting them as stress relievers, a fun thing to do on weekends, a way to bond with the Whitman community and an outlet to compete, either at the D1 or D2 levels. Augustine enjoyed playing IM sports last year and hopes others give themselves the opportunity to enjoy themselves as well this year.

“Anyone who has even a bit of interest in hanging out with friends and messing around on the tennis courts, volleyball pitch or hardwood basketball courts should definitely make a team,” said Augustine.

Yet, despite the praise, some still doubt the validity of competition in IM sports. Some fail to participate, insisting the level of intensity is not at par or does not live up to their own standards, an opinion that Choe refutes.

“I would say that’s why we have two divisions for almost every sport. Yes, some sports vary in degree of competition, but it’s hard to argue that sports like D1 soccer, ultimate and basketball lack serious competition,” said Choe.

With both D1 and D2 levels, participants argue that it’s easy to find a team and a level that will make the IM sports experience here at Whitman satisfactory and fun for all players.

“I can’t wait for this season of IM sports to begin,” said sophomore Brianna Brown, who won an IM softball title with her team last year. “It’s an opportunity to compete with friends in a sport that is new to me.”

Brown will not only compete again, but says that she’s going for another title, eager to win a second IM champion blue shirt to add to her collection. Thanks to the IM Sports Committee, many other athletes will have enjoyable experiences competing alongside Brown for blue shirts.

FEATURE

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SEP

26 2013

Local artist Gerry Matthews is inspired by surealism and absurdism. The Unnatural History Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and admission is free. Photos by Li

Local artist exhibits eclectic work at Museum of Un-Natural History from MUSEUM, page 1

Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. he sits in the midst of his art, waiting for people to come explore and to make whatever interpretations they will.

One of his pieces is titled “Diana of the Hunt” or “Dangerous encounters of the third grade.” Created shortly after the Columbine school shooting, the primary figure in the work is a manikin of a small boy wearing a short tunic. He holds a bone in his mouth and a pistol in his hand. Gerry had heard people around him saying that everyone should honor their children. This piece of art

shows his interpretation of that.

“I think I definitely start off with an object and try to make something with it and other collected things that go with it, and ultimately [I] have the whole assembly turn into something that I can name and that has a point to it. I often don’t name them until after I’ve finished them because I don’t know what they are. And then it suddenly comes to me,” said Matthews.

Much of the artwork in the museum is fantastically thought-provoking. Whether the thoughts inspired by the art are positive or negative seems to depend highly upon the person viewing it.

“Well, I hope they’ll go out thinking how witty and wonderful it is and just enjoying it. I get some very enthusiastic remarks and other people who just think it’s ridiculous, but I enjoy it when people dig it,” said Matthews.

Some of the work in the museum is very personal. There are multiple pictures of Gerry as a young boy trying to steal a kiss from the neighborhood girl, and one piece of work even includes his passport and birth certificate.

In contrast, many of his pieces make social or political commentary. One example illustrates an image of God, taken

from Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” who is reaching toward a light switch in space. Its caption reads, “That’s all folks.”

This piece is a customer favorite.

Gerry and his wife, awardwinning Broadway-performer Pat Stanley, have five kids between them. Both Gerry and Pat are 82 years old. In fact, they were born just hours apart.

Their love story actually began at the afterparty of a funeral for a mutual friend.

“The deceased [man] was a gay piano player who we both worked with, and everyone at the party was gay except for me and Pat. I asked if I

could sit next to her, and we’ve been together ever since,” said Matthews.

Sitting in his small museum, Gerry almost seemed like a piece of art himself. Despite some age-related challenges, Matthews enjoys the work that he does.

“I’ve had this open now for 15 years, so my enthusiasm has died down a bit. I still come every Saturday because I’ve got it and I don’t know what else it would be.

What else am I going to do with it?

My concern is that I’m getting old and I don’t know how much longer I can climb those stairs or how much longer I want to come up here.

But I’m drawn to it every week.”

Book nooks engage buyers from BOOKSTORES, page 1

The unassuming mounds of old yellowed paper are enough to entice one to sit and peruse for hours.

“I come here often because I like the selection of books,” said one customer.

In such a slightly disorderly atmosphere, I feel no pressure to be aware of anything else but the ‘70s science fiction novel I’ve happened to pick up. Hidden behind these unpretentious paperbacks with the sound of a classical music playlist in the background, it’s easy to be content with the smell of an old book and the words on the page.

In the heart of downtown, on the way to 20 of my favorite restaurants, lies Book and Game. True to its word, the store at 38 E Main St. sells both books and games, in addition to fancy soaps, entertaining coffee table books, science kits and 3-D puzzles. Whitman students often visit the store for these extra items.

“I love all their board games!” said senior Jane Carmody.

Book and Game still feels like a small-town locality despite its cleaner, hipper look and the loud crackling

of

newly opened hardbacks.

“We try to create a family feel,” said manager Becky Hatley.

With walls lined with paintings of rolling wheat fields and shelves full of fun trinkets, it’s obvious that this shop is a Walla Walla specialty, and many Whitman students frequent the shop.

“I’ve been in Book and Game quite a few times. It has quite an assortment of board games and nice stationary. Overall a delightful place,” said sophomore Kai Rasmussen.

Also in walking distance of campus is Just Right Books on 1905 E Isaacs Ave. The shelves in Just Right Books are crammed with old and used books, organized by genre with signs sporting clip art to create an obviously personalized touch. What makes Just Right Books special is their dedication to providing old books and a collection of rare finds.

In fact, they recently had a sale on books published before the 1970s.

Whether customers find their perfect books or not, these stores all provide cozy spaces to get comfortably lost in.

Walla Walla is home to three colorful, independent bookstores. Customers can browse through a wide selection of used books at Earthlight or Just Right Books, or shop for quirky trinkets at Book and Game on Main Street. Photos by Li

OPINION 7 Streaming media shakes up entertainment Sep

PAGE

26 2013

Andy Monserud First-year

A

s an incoming first-year, I’ve been presented with plenty of distractions in these first few weeks, but most of them seem to be on the decline. The initial scramble for new social circles and interests has calmed down, and the firstyear class as a whole seems to have had our fill of vomiting outside Jewett bathrooms for a while.

But now I have to deal with a new threat to my well-being: a Netflix subscription. Why go to fraternity parties when I could catch up on “Breaking Bad?” Streaming is a blessing and a curse to the bored college student, and as the entertainment industry catches up with technology, the future of online streaming is hazy.

For the past 20 years, film, television, film and music publishers have spent millions of dollars trying to secure their content from piracy, usually by making it less accessible. This has included putting DRM software on CDs and DVDs, lobbying for stricter copyright enforcement and saddling digital pirates with fines of millions of dollars and sometimes jail time. But in the last few years, dot-com startup giants like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Spo-

tify have popularized a more user-friendly approach to producing revenue on media: giving the people what they want. Streaming media allows for ad revenue and encourages — often requires — users to pay subscription fees.

So far it seems to be working.

Netflix and Hulu released several original web series available to paying members this year. The fourth season of defunct Fox cultfavorite “Arrested Development” drew a crowd by sheer force of name-dropping, and Netflix originals “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” benefited from high-density web publicity and critical acclaim in both online and traditional press. All three of these series were nominated for Emmy awards this year, and “House of Cards” director David Fincher, best known for his films “Fight Club,” “The Social Network” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” went home with the award for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series. This marks the first time any online series garnered that kind of recognition from industry brass. Change has surely come.

But with any change comes some danger. If the new trend of online original series continues, will media stay as accessible as it is for long? Will broadcast and cable networks move toward a similar format? If so, will the move make programming easier or harder to access? And what will this do to quality? I hate to ask rhetorical questions, but there really are no answers at this point. If the industry continues its move toward consolidation, giving shows to one or

two streaming services (predominantly Netflix, with Hulu and Apple’s iTunes TV service nipping at the edges) that service will have something of a monopoly, allowing them to raise prices and potentially leading to a decline in product quality. On the other hand, nobody wants it to decentralize. The potential for monopoly is scary, but scouring the Internet to find an episode of “Community” only to discover more security hoops to jump through is also a pain. Effective regulation could aid the system, but only time will tell what kind of regulation will work.

It’s unlikely that television as we know it will go away. More and more shows will become available for streaming, certainly, and in order to survive, cable and broadcast networks will need to consolidate their streaming locations. It’s far too inconvenient to go on Netflix or Hulu, find that the show you’re looking for is not there and embark on a Google-powered scouring of the Internet to find a streaming location that will ask for a cable provider passcode that you don’t have.

And here’s more good news: With any luck, we’ll see an improvement in content. If on-demand online viewing becomes the primary way to consume TV and movies, it stands to reason that those TV programs and films will have to get better. Nobody seeks out “Maury” reruns to watch for hours at a time. And over the past few years, television has gotten more ambitious; new series like “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” have sprawling concepts, long-

Campus Cartoon by Asa Mease

ILLUSTRATION BY RUST

er, more in-depth episodes and loyal fan bases, largely thanks to streaming. Hopefully this trend will only continue in the future.

Journalistic convention dictates that I end this column with a call to action. There’s very little that we as Whitman students

Facebook statuses self-promote Kyle Seasly Junior

I

First-year assumptions debunked Dani Hupper First-year

M

y roommate sucks. That guy from Encounters wrote the most nonsensical blog post. She must have a great sense of humor because she watches Saturday Night Live. He’s super flirtatious and probably has no intention of really getting to know me.

I admit it. I make judgments when I first meet people (though the above depictions are fictitious).

Like everyone, I want to get to know the people I’ll be living with for the next four years, and sometimes I make premature evaluations.

With three weeks of college life under my belt, what do I really know about anyone? What grocery items they keep in the lounge refrigerator? What they wrote on the Class of 2017 Facebook time-

line? In actuality, I know very little about the incoming class, but I’m still tempted to use my surfacelevel knowledge to find friends.

But that’s a risky idea.

First impressions are poor indicators of personality. Three weeks is simply not enough time for anyone to display their genuine character. Only a first layer is visible.

I cringe to think of the assumptions one could make based on my first layer. I probably come across as a blonde New Yorker who loves country music and Mountain Dew. While this is accurate, I do not want my friendships based on this information. This basic profile excludes my infantile humor, deepest insecurities and love for long walks outdoors. These are large parts of my personality and they’re understandably not obvious to someone who just met me.

If we could identify our friends based on surface-level characteristics, the Office of Admission could save us the hassle of Orientation by sending us a list of names of our future friends along with our acceptance letters.

Hold up! If we know so lit-

can do about this other than to call the attention of our elected representatives to the problem. So in place of that call to action, I suggest a call away from inaction. It’s time for me — and, probably, you — to turn off the computer and go outside.

tle about each other, who do I ask to hang out? How do I choose where to sit during lunch?

It’s a tough question. Follow your gut, but stay open (pay attention, this is wise advice from a hypocritical columnist). It will be a while before we truly know each other down to the nitty-gritty. It’s going to take a few more section dinners where you and your friends shamelessly dress like farm animals, study sessions where someone stops what they’re doing to help you solve a difficult chemistry equation and latenight conversations over chocolate milk and some microwavable food item before we begin to have a better idea of each other’s personalities. That’s okay with me.

Who knows? Maybe that guy from Encounters didn’t have time to analyze “Frankenstein” because he was helping someone with their lab report. Maybe that flirtatious guy just has a touchy personality. Or maybe he really is flirtatious, but is also incredibly loyal and trustworthy and ends up being your closest confidant. It’s just too early to know.

Voices from the Community

f you have a Facebook, you’ve probably seen certain articulate statuses that say something along the lines of “uggggggh this is the worst.” The poster will get a couple comments that question the person’s motivation for this action and ask what is actually wrong, and the poster will not respond.

Not only are these posts annoying and contrived, they’re also extremely narcissistic. They seem to have no purpose but to call for attention. The poster is knowingly projecting their emotions of frustration into an extremely public space. Yet, behind all the images on the screen there is a living breathing human being, knowingly pushing this image of themselves upon others. Facebook statuses are an easy way to get one’s sentiments out to the public. But Facebook should cease to be a further tool for narcissistic behavior in a social environment that is slowly gaining distance from reality.

The Facebook status bar reads, “What’s on your mind?” Some use this tool to promote themselves (e.g. got into college or I did this supposedly “awesome” thing.) Others use it to vaguely complain to generate interest and pity, as I mentioned above. With every single move, one creates a permanent new version of oneself on Facebook.

On Facebook, one can take time and create a perfect, self-constructed image of themselves with each status. They can make witty comments, promote themselves in various ways and let the world know through their updates and their friends’ likes that they are awesome. Twitter is yet another version of this, where one can make contrived statuses of self promotion.

On the other hand, there are those whose statuses aim to inform

or amuse, those who make silly observations or Tweet hilarious things. They don’t take their online profile too seriously, and just get their goof on constantly. Riff Raff is great at this. He is constantly tweeting/facebooking/vining, yet he is constantly hilarious and even became a rap star (who just signed a 2 million dollar contract with Def Jam) because of his social media savvy. Another example of this is “Wolfpupy,” who Tweeted, “if anyone finds a cool leaf its mine i lost it” and “love is not saying anything but knowing you’re both thinking about cool and fast trains.”

Like most things on the Internet, I think Facebook should be taken with a grain of salt. When one presents himself or herself on the Internet as a real accomplisher/ complainer/philosopher, it’s hard to take him or her seriously in person. Take note, one is sharing with all of one’s online friends. In some cases that can be in the thousands.

Through statuses, people visibly construct a self image that they want to be known to the rest of the world — and usually it turns out to be amazingly fake. When one’s online personality is extremely publicly intimate (with hundreds of people you’re not intimate with in the least), it’s also hard to trust that person. People who don’t take their online profile too seriously come off as much more likeable in person.

It’s easy to show off on Facebook, arguably much easier than in real life. One simply pushes a button and receives instant likes on one’s accomplishments (e.g. I got into Stanford Medical School — 41 likes). This kind of instant gratification is nice after working hard at accomplishing something but takes away from the importance of real human interaction.

People who take themselves too seriously are hard to handle — at least for me — and human interaction makes one realize the importance of being humble, not simply showing off or showing frustration all the time. So instead of posting one’s frustrations or accomplishments, save that for the real people who care about you rather than of all those “online friends.”

Do you think the United States should use air strikes against the Syrian government? Poll by Jade Blake-Whitney

Katy wills

Joe Sims

Brenna Feeney

Bill Landefeld

Sophomore

Seniorw

Sophomore

Junior

“I’m definitely conflicted on this issue.

I believe that we shouldn’t let our recent combative history dictate whether or not we’re going into intervene in something that needs our assistance or our help. When you think about how many refugees have fled Syria, it’s an incredibly larger number than those that have fled ... It’s complicated.

We’ll see.”

“I’m actually not against bombing in the case of bombing per se. I think that certain strikes have been used very effectively by the United States in the past ... The problem for me when it comes to Syria is that there are too many unknown factors. If it was certain that it was Assad that used the chemical weapons ... we would create a much better and stable situation in Syria.”

“I think that the U.S. should not bomb Syria. I think that given our past history of wars in the Middle East, that we don’t need to be getting into that kind of a conflict and will only inflame the Syrian conflict that is happening. Also I think that it would mean a lot more to our status as a superpower if we display that we can solve problems without employing firepower.”

“I do not think that the U.S. government should bomb the Syrian government. I think that we need to be cooperating with international forces, international communities, such as the U.N. and really opening this discussion ... I think it would be a lot more powerful if we got multiple countries.”

For video responses visit: whitmanpioneer.com/category/opinion

BACKPAGE

Here are four upcoming opportunities this week!

Alumni Networking Reception

Reid Coffeehouse Friday, September 27th 4-5PM

Alumni will share important lessons and career experiences that can help students navigate the transition to the professional world.

• • • • • •

Law Business Social Services Education Non-Profit More!

Co-Sponsored by: The Student Engagement Center & The Whitman College Alumni Association

Making Money is a Result, Not a Purpose Monday September 30th 7pm Maxey 207 Reception to follow

Dave Williams ‘67 Former CEO of ShoreBank Pacific, the first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development Sava and Danica Andjelkovic Endowed Lectureship

To shave or not to shave?

R

ight about this time of year, Whitman students are getting into the shower (occasionally), looking in the bathroom mirror and thinking, “Should I shave now?”

It’s a difficult question to answer.

Yes, it is still much too warm for that uncomfortable lumberjack mustache and beard combo you cultivated this summer in the forest doing research on endangered wolves, or on a boat pursuing a dream career of Alaskan fishing. Or perhaps you got empowered after you grew out your leg hair for your Birthright trip to Israel (because then it wouldn’t sting at all in the Dead Sea). The bottom line is that summer is over. While fall has yet to bring in real cool chills of wind, the warm air of September is fleeting. Still don’t know what to do?

First off, ask yourself if you’re preparing for winter or trying to drag out summer. If you are trying to stretch out summer, shave.

If you are not trying to achieve an endless summer by keeping your body hair, the following article is for you.

Beards are good for looking burly, getting an image and keeping warm.

If you are unsure about your beard, ask yourself if you need any of these things. If your nickname is “Beard Pete,” then perhaps shaving the beard will ruin your reputation, but it could also be the birth of “Beardless Pete” or even just “Pete.” Do you have a cold chin and face? Do you like storing food in your beard or making jokes about it?

If you are frequently compared to Jesus and/or a homeless person, decide if you like that image. If your beard has a name and talks back to you or you

play with it excessively and put beads in it, shave it off. Beards should never talk back.

Mustaches are an all-season facial hair, but they are hit or miss. If your mustache is a John Waters pencil, erase it. If you got a Handlebar mustache to try out popular hipster culture, shave it off unless it really works for your face. Ask your friends and acquaintances because sometimes friends let friends have bad staches. If you have purchased special wax for your mustache and have a comb, keep it around. It seems to give you something to do with your extra time. However, if you look like a stubbly eighth grader who has not been introduced to a razor, kill the stache. Finally, if parents shy away from you on the street when you smile or wave at their kids, kill the stache.

The Pio does not support Pedo-staches.

Chops look like laziness incarnate on most people. They make many look fatter, or more animal-like. However, if you are going for a Beatles look and it works, keep ‘em.

Soul Patches are a tricky, tricky thing. Soul Patches beg to be shaved.

They look like a missed spot. They are compared to caterpillars and called chin pubes and people openly debate how much soul the wearer has.

Shave it now, or proceed with extreme caution.

Hello, all you hairy-legged or armpitted femme-fatales.

This is another voice telling you to do what you want to do. But also, there are good and bad reasons not to shave. Expressing inequality of expectations of men and women is among the good reasons. A bad reason not to shave is just to make your “conservative” family uncomfortable. Your hairy legs will not get them to support Obamacare or green space. Shave if you like the way it looks, shave if you miss the feeling of your legs in bedsheets, shave if you find it fun.

And if you just DGAF, go you!

HUH

The Student Engagement Center connects students with alumni.

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Fall Fashion Quiz

Fall has officially arrived and you know what that means: Fashion Week. The latest styles seen on this year’s runways all over Boyer and Isaacs have included Canadian Tuxedos, flannel on flannel and a gorgeous pair of found-on-the-side-of-the-road boots by designer Smolly JoJo that I know all of us girls are just dying to have. With the weather cooling down, it is essential to know this season’s trends in order to avoid committing a fashion faux-pas (like department-store sweaters, EW! I wear Goodwill or I wear nothing!) Take this quiz and see if you are truly prepared to rock your Birkenstocks this semester!

1. Which is the coolest way to wear sweaters?

A. A sweater over a t-shirt B. Sweaters on sweaters C. Under a bro-tank 2. Which of these three flannels is the most chic?

A. Baggy B. Fitted C. Grandpa’s hand-me-down 3. Match these: A. Pants B. Leggings C. Jeggings

1

2

3

4.What is this season’s hottest accessory?

A. Ironic trucker hats B. Hand-knit scarves C. Mason-jar traveler mugs 5. What are you wearing on your feet right now?

A. Nothing. Shoes are never necessary. Ever.

B. My latest Goodwill find C. A pair of super fine toe shoes

Photo by Clay

If you answered any of these questions, then congratulations! You are totally going to be super fly this semester. But if you need to be correct to have meaning in your life, here is how you should dress for fall to be fashionable: 1:B (extra points for sweaters3), 2:C, 3:A2, B1 & C3? These could possibly be pants?

They’ve really advanced jeggings technology these days. 4:D. a fez. 5:D I have no feet.

ABS-VERTISEMENTS

Nina Buty ‘97 Major: Studio Art Noon

Wednesday,October 2 Reid 207

Nina Buty is the founder of Buty Winery, a Walla Walla-based winery that makes a small selection of acclaimed Washington State wines. These sought-after wines are made using grapes from a handful of renowned Washington winegrowing sites, including Nina’s own organic Rockgarden Estate. Buty was named Wine & Spirits “Winery of the Year” in both 2011 & 2012.

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