Issue 5 - Fall 2013 by Whitman College Wire

The

PIONEER

Issue 5 | October 10, 2013 | Whitman news since 1896

LOCALIZING THE SHUTDOWN by DYLAN TULL News Editor

he tense, drawn-out government shutdown has entered into its 10th day, the Oct. 17 deadline to raise the debt ceiling looms ever closer and tensions have only increased between President Obama and the GOP. American citizens have been relegated to useless bystanders, turning the entire crisis into a frustrating and potentially disastrous spectacle. Although Whitman College continues to function relatively smoothly, individuals at the college have been affected in a variety of underlying ways. From research that has been brought to a grinding halt, to students whose tuition payments rely on the salary of a federally paid parent, the impact of the shutdown is undeniable and demands attention. Associate Professor of Geology Kirsten Nicolaysen has encountered multiple hindrances in her work, including her and her students’ inability to complete research before a fast approaching conference, where they will be presenting their findings. Nicolaysen has a student who is finishing up an Abshire Award project looking into explosive eruptions in the Aleutian Islands, but because the student’s data is obtained through a government database, the project is at a standstill. “We’re accessing [data] through a government database. And that database is down. So we have a conference presentation related to this project in October and one in December, and we’d really like to have access to that database,” said Nicolaysen. Many senior students writing their theses also require access to government databases, and have reached a similar impasse due to the shutdown of federal agencies. Assistant Professor of Biology Tim Parker is currently advising two students who, as a part of their thesis research, spent their summers at federal agencies. At this point in time, these students would be expected to obtain the remaining parts of their data and be conducting statistical analyses on these datasets. However, they have no access to portions of their data that are still held with the government agencies. “These two students only have part of the data from their summer and they’re just waiting for folks at different federal agencies,” said Parker. In this case, as in many others, the result of the shutdown is not the end of the world. Assuming the government resumes action within the next couple weeks, the end result will be restructured deadlines and more intensive work in the future. “The fact that they’re not doing their statistical analyses right now slows them down, but it’s not some insurmountable hurdle in the time scales we’re talking about so far,” said Parker. For the others, however, including Whitman’s Outdoor Program (the OP), they must actively work around the obstacles presented by the shutdown to continue to function properly. According to the Assistant Director of the OP Stuart Chapin, between the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, the National Park System and the U.S. Fish and Game Service, around 80 or 90 percent of the OP’s weekend trips operate on federal land. The biggest challenge to the OP is that these federal lands are not all explicitly closed; there is uncertainty surrounding the status of each one, and due to federal workers being furloughed, there is no way to discover which ones are operational and what services they provide. “I think the biggest problem is not that federal land is closed; it’s that a lot of federal agencies aren’t explicitly stating what we can do on their land,” said the OP’s Trips Coordinator senior Madelyn Player. Chapin added that the distinction between what “closed” implies can be ambiguous. Some land is designated as closed, but that may be only in reference to facilities provided. So visitors can legally be on that federal land, but necessities such as water or bathrooms might be unavailable. “So trying to figure out which is which [is difficult]. National parks are closed; you can’t be there. National forests, however, appear to be ‘not open,’ which is not the same in that the bathrooms are locked and you’re not going to see a ranger, but you are allowed to be out there alone,” said Chapin. As for the future, the government shutdown can possibly affect where first-year Scrambles are able to take place at the beginning see SHUTDOWN, page 3

DAY 10

The government has been shut down for 10 days. Like millions around the nation, many Whitman students and faculty are struggling to adjust to changes, from the simple to the drastic.

Students receiving scholarships from federal agencies have had their award disbursements halted until further notice.

EXP ERI ME NT

Dozens of students and faculty have been halted from continuing research. Essential sites such as NASA, the U.S. Census Bureau and the NOAA are all offline.

INFOGRAPHIC BY VAZQUEZ AND MCNULTY

Field trips have been disrupted. Multiple groups were prohibited from visiting the Hanford Reach National Monument for planned field trips, including the Intercultural Center and an environmental studies class.

Cross Country runners typically train in the areas surrounding Bennington Lake and Mill Creek. Both sites have been closed, leaving the runners without optimal places to run.

The majority of the OP’s trips operate on federal land. At this point, the biggest questions are what land is open, what land is closed and what facilities are unavailable. Multiple trips have been canceled, and many upcoming trips remain uncertain.

Phi house plans for solar panels by Sam Grainger-Shuba Staff Reporter

Student cyclists take on trek from Seattle to Walla Walla by ISABEL MILLS Staff Reporter

Chris Perkins and Reid Shaw ‘14 (above) rode 300 miles across the Cascade Mountains and Eastern Washington en route from Seattle to Walla Walla. Photos by Volpert

ost people are aware of Whitman’s impressive cycling team. Lesser known are the handful of students, unaffiliated with the team, who have completed some pretty remarkable rides. In the past two years, three Whitman students started the school year off with a bang by riding their bikes from their hometowns to Walla Walla. Last year, then-juniors Reid Shaw and Chris Perkins mounted their bikes in Seattle for a three-day, 300-mile bike ride to Walla Walla. They started the soccer preseason immediately after they arrived. “We rode about 100 miles a day, which would last from 8 a.m. to sundown, including the time we stopped for meals and breaks. At night we found random fields to sleep on. We had sleeping bags but no tent,” said Shaw in an email. Shaw’s and Perkins’s route followed I-90 to I-82, and then followed Highway 12 to Whitman, but they were mainly biking on side roads. Reportedly, the weather see CYCLISTS, page 4

ven from abroad in Ecuador, junior Joe Heegaard has a plan for Whitman College’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter. As former sustainability chair of Phi, he is spearheading a project to put solar panels on the roof of the fraternity’s house. This project is designed to save energy and money for both the fraternity and the college. Heegaard started designing the project in September of 2012 and hopes to make concrete progress before his graduation. “I want to do this because I believe it would set an example for fraternities nationwide to strive for an environmentally responsible future. As the world continues to be devastated by non-sustainable energy endeavors, I hope that this project will act as an emblem for Phi Delta Theta of our commitment to the environment,” said Heegaard in an email. Money is the largest obstacle standing in the way of the solar panel installation. There are two options that the Phis are investigating. For $11,000, they could install 2.75 kilowatt panels that are made in Oregon. The other option is to install a similar 2.75 kilowatt system, the key difference being that these are made in Washington for $16,500 and include a $0.54 per kilowatt hour incentive. The extra incentive affects how long it will take for the panels to pay themselves off. The Oregon-made panels are cheaper, but they do not include an incentive, which would benefit Phi more in the long term. Whitman has a Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF), and the committee is currently considering Phi’s proposal for a loan. If the fraternity is considered eligible, they will receive a loan to cover a large amount of the cost of the solar panels. “With SRLF funds, I would aim to raise $8,000 and hope to take out a loan for $8,500. This $8,500 loan could then be paid back in four years from the incentives and see SOLAR PANELS, page 3

NEWS

PAGE

OCT

10 2013 ‘Whistling Vivaldi’ encourages discussions of stereotypes by HANNAH BARTMAN Staff Reporter

Roller derby excitement hits Whitman students by RIVER STERNE Staff Reporter

s LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” booms through the sound system of the YMCA, a sharply dressed commentator announces the countdown until the Walla Walla Sweets Roller Girls return to the makeshift roller rink in the middle of the gym floor. The timer on the scoreboard reaches zero and a loud buzzer interrupts the music. This is the Roller Girls’ cue. A team of tattooed and fish-net-stocking-clad women skate onto the floor to face their opponents in a hard-hitting roller derby match. This was the scene at the Oct. 5 Walla Walla Sweets Roller Girls home match at the YMCA against the Grunge City Rollers of Seattle, which the home team went on to win. Roller derby is an up-and-coming sport that has gained attention in the last few years. There are a few things, however, that separate roller derby from more traditional sports, the biggest of which being that the “ball” in this sport is actually a human being. The “jammer,” as this individual is called, serves as a puck that teammates attempt to move around the rink, completing laps to score points. Another unique aspect of roller derby is its hard-hitting nature. Roller girls hurl themselves at opposing skaters, attempting to throw them off their feet or block their jammer. At one point, shortly before the end of the match, a Sweets roller girl was knocked off her feet and

Liz Leong ‘14 is now a Walla Walla Sweets Roller Girl. They are trying to spread the sport to more students. Though a referee is present, the sport calls for hard hits. Photos by Barton

spent several minutes on the ground nursing a severely injured shoulder. This level of action and carnage makes derby a very entertaining spectator sport for many. This match marked the first time sophomore Robby Dorn attended a roller derby match, and he was pleasantly surprised. “They looked pretty intense,” said Dorn. “Overall it was a very new experience for me, but it was a total riot to watch. It’s definitely a rough sport with a lot of teamwork, athleticism and strategy.” Roller Derby’s appeal to a mass audience is not difficult to understand: heavy physicality, athletic ability, fun costumes and diverse fan base. In fact, the Sweets’ fan base is comprised almost entirely of Walla Walla locals. The whole environment makes derby exciting for new fans. “It was surreal,” said firstyear Andreas Molbak. “There was so much going on; it was hard for me to fully process everything.” The Sweets have a small connection to Whitman, with only one

current student on the roster, but they are trying to spread the sport to more Whitman students. “I’m the only Whittie who skates for them right now,” said senior Liz Leong. “Since I have started skating with them, though, they’ve tried to get more people from Whitman because the league’s kind of dying.” Leong became involved with the team after years of in-line skating experience. She began noticing posters for the Sweets on campus, and now she’s happy to have discovered the team. “I saw posters as a freshman,” said Leong. “And then I actually got interested last year enough to email them and join them.” Leong loves the uniqueness of roller derby and the fun costumes. “It’s like a full contact race in fishnets on roller skates,” said Leong. “That’s essentially what it is.” The team is big on community involvement and actively participates in giving back to Walla Walla. This can be anything from a halftime raffle to community service projects during and after the season. The Sweets continue to look for more involvement from Whitman students. “Anyone who wants to join should definitely get in contact with the team,” said Leong. “We have gear we can lend out and anyone is free to come skate — guys and girls — and it’s super cool to get to know the locals.”

Corrections to Issue 4 Dana Casterella’s last name was misspelled on page 1. Skye Vander Laan should have been credited as the photographer for the ASWC photos on page 1. Kate Runkel should have been listed as a senior in Voices from the Community on page 11. In the Scoreboard on page 9, the Whitman volleyball team’s opponents should have been PLU on Oct. 4 and UPS on Oct. 5.

PRODUCTION

WRITING

BUSINESS

Editor-in-Chief Shelly Le

Production Manager Sean McNulty

NEWS

Business Manager Annie Robison

Managing Editor Pam London

Production Associates Maddison Coons, Jess Faunt, Marianne Kellogg, Jesse Moneyhun

PIONEER

EDITORIAL

News Editors Sarah Cornett Dylan Tull A&E Editor Aleida Fernandez Sports Editor Quin Nelson Feature Editor Karah Kemmerly Opinion Editor Kyle Seasly Humor Editor Molly Johanson Photography Editor Catie Bergman Videography Editor Skye Vander Laan Illustration Editor Luke Hampton

Chief Copy Editor Matthew Nelson

Hannah Bartman, Samantha Grainger-Shuba, Lachlan Johnson, Lorah Steichen, River Sterne

A&E

Emma Dahl, Nathan Fisher, Adam Heymann, James Kennedy

WEB TEAM Webmaster Nick Budak

Web Editor Ben Schaefer

Copy Editors Natalie Berg, Lauren Sewell, Flora Sheppard

FEATURE

Isabel Mills, Serena Runyan, Amrita Singh

Web Content Editor Tristan Gavin

ILLUSTRATION

SPORTS

ADVERTISING

MaryAnne Bowen, Sophia Cooper-Ellis, Lya Hernandez, Emily Jones, Kelsey Lund, Asa Mease, Emma Rust, Tyler Schuh, Eduardo Vazquez

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Rachael Barton, Jade Blake-Whitney, Tanner Bowersox, Marra Clay, Devika Doowa, Allie Felt, Chaoyu Li, Halley McCormick, Marlena Sloss, Emily Volpert, Anna von Clemm

Marah Alindogan, Cole Anderson, Chris Calamita, Kelsey Peck, MItchell Smith, Dylan Snyder

OPINION

Dani Hupper, Andy Monserud

BACKPAGE

Elena Aragon, Rosemary Hanson, Melina Hughes, Evelyn Levine

Advertising Manager Cali Goldberg Advertising Associate Maya Booth-Balk

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

o stimulate residence hall bonding, each year Whitman chooses a book for incoming first-years to read over the summer. For the class of 2017, the Summer Book Program, as it is formally called, chose the book “Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Do” by social psychologist Claude Steele, dean of the School of Education at Stanford University. “Whistling Vivaldi” is the first book published by Steele and centers on the effects of the proliferation of stereotypes, a topic that holds significant personal weight for Steele. Growing up as an AfricanAmerican just outside of Chicago at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Steele has felt the impacts of stereotypes since second or third grade when he was first restricted from swimming in the public pool. “And that was, in some ways, the first realization I had of being black and that the other kids I lived around were also black, and that we had this contingency of identity, as I’ve been calling it, to deal with,” said Steele in an interview on National Public Radio. Steele expanded upon this interest through academic research regarding the effects that stereotypes have on performance. In his book, he focuses more specifically on how minority stereotypes negatively affect academic performance. In addressing these issues, he also provides suggestions for reducing the distressing effects of negative stereotypes. “It was super useful for people from a white-majority school to understand minority problems,” said junior Resident Assistant Annie Sirski. “It was a good discussion [in the residence halls] because we had people from all different backgrounds, like some who went to a majority white high school or some who had a more diverse upbringing. The book was a good guide on how to be an ally.” The Summer Book Program is an annual institutional program that arises through a conglomeration of student and faculty input. In the fall semester, the Office of the President sends out a listserv email to the students, asking for recommendations of books for the next year’s first-year book. Then, a committee of students, faculty and staff come together and look through the recommendations and narrow their selection down to about 10 books. The decision is then left to President Bridges, who chooses a book in tandem with the cost and likelihood of bringing the author of the book to campus. Though first-years’ reactions to “Whistling Vivaldi” have varied, most mention that the length of the book was slightly tedious. “I think the general opinion was that it had interesting things to say, but it could have said the same thing in one chapter,” said first-year Alix Eisenbrey. The theme of minority issues in “Whistling Vivaldi” also parallels Whitman’s goal of creating an awareness of diversity on campus. According to Jewett Student Academic Advisor sophomore Joel Ponce, the discussion of this book fed the discussions at the Gender and Sexuality Workshop that was required of all first-years. “[‘Whistling Vivaldi’] had good information and a lot of interesting statistics,” said Ponce. “It made people more aware of social norms and it was also useful in discussions during the gender and sexuality workshop.” Steele will be giving a speech on his book tonight, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in Cordiner Hall. His discussion of his book and of stereotype threat will be followed by a short question and answer forum.

EDITORIAL POLICY

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

SUBMISSION POLICY

Letters to the editor may be submitted to The Pioneer via email at editors@whitmanpioneer.com or sent to The Pioneer, 345 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla, WA, 99362. All submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Saturday prior to the week that they are intended to appear. All submissions must be attributed and may be edited for concision and fluency.

CODE OF ETHICS

The code of ethics serves as The Pioneer’s established guidelines for the practice of responsible journalism on campus, within reasonable interpretation of the editorial board. These guidelines are subject to constant review and amendment; responsibility for amending the code of ethics is assigned to the editor-in-chief in conjunction with the editorial board. The code of ethics is reviewed at least once per semester. To access the complete code of ethics for The Pioneer, visit whitmanpioneer.com/about.

The

NEWS

oct

10 2013

PAGE

Government shutdown reaches campus

Photo by Clay

from SHUTDOWN, page 1

Photo by Volpert

Esteemed federal judges demonstrate possibility of success by Lorah Steichen Staff Reporter

ast Friday, Oct. 4, students interested in law traded their casual attire for their finest formal dress in order to attend a lunch with three of the most distinguished federal judges on the West Coast. The lunch was an interactive question and answer session held in Memorial 331, where Whitman students had the opportunity to interact with three models of success in the legal field. This event was just one of a diverse schedule of activities planned around the visit of Federal Judges Richard Jones, Ricardo Martinez and James Robart. The event was organized between President Bridges and Judge Robart ‘69, a former member of the Whitman Board of Trustees. The judges’ visit was designed to give Whitman students the opportunity to connect with prominent leaders in the legal community. “I thought it would be a really cool opportunity to interact with really influential people in the legal community who were obviously successful lawyers and reached the top of their profession,” said sophomore Jack Percival. “I also thought it was neat that one of them was a Whitman alumnus, and I thought that it would be really insightful for him to share his experiences transitioning from Whitman to law school.” Although the visit from the judges was primarily beneficial to students interested in pursuing law, a multitude of programs were scheduled to reach a range of students. In addition to the question-and-answer style lunchtime event, the judges attended Assistant Professor of Politics Jack Jackson’s Constitutional Law class, met with “State of the State for Washington Latinos” students, discussed leadership with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and sat down with student activists at the Glover Alston Center (GAC). “They’re people who are incredibly successful in the legal community, so they want to connect with students who are interested in going into

law. They’re leaders, so they’re interested in connecting with groups of students that are really focusing on leadership ... and they’re also people who are from communities that face extra challenges to reach the levels of success that they have” said Assistant Dean for Student Engagement and pre-law advisor Noah Leavitt. These themes were particularly relevant in the discussion that students had with the judges on Friday afternoon at the GAC. The Intercultural Center hosted an intimate session where student activists from a range of student organizations had the opportunity to ask the judges questions not only of their professional background but also about the personal obstacles each has faced along the way. Judge Martinez was the first member in his family to attend high school before becoming the first Latino judge in the Western District of Washington. Judge Jones is an African-American attorney who overcame similar odds before becoming a United States Federal District judge. United States Federal Judge Robart also came from working-class roots. “I watched my mom and my dad work at terrible jobs, menial jobs to be able to put food on the table and put a roof over our head ... You guys have this incredible opportunity to do something different ... You’re already at a school like this. That’s an incredible upside to so many other people that don’t have that same opportunity,” said Martinez. The dialogue that ensued between the judges and students played out so naturally that it ran a half hour over schedule. Students in attendance seemed to really connect with the judges and appreciate the candid discussion. “I think [the event] went really well,” said Intercultural Center Intern junior Alisha Agard, who helped organize the event. “It kind of leveled the playing field, so it wasn’t as if these judges were talking to us and we were at a lecture, but there was more interaction and I felt like we were people having a chill conversation. So that was really cool.”

of next year. Every 10 or 15 years, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest undergoes a “Needs Assessment,” where they determine which commercial groups can operate in the forest. Because the OP used a temporary permit last year that cannot be renewed, they need to apply for a “Priority Use Permit” for the upcoming year, which will give them access for the next 10 years. According to Chapin, however, the application is currently halted, and even once it resumes, it will take months to complete. The OP needs to know whether or not they have secured the permit before the Scrambles are finalized and the information packets are sent out in midApril. Considering that eight out of 20 first-year Scrambles are run in the Wallowas, the government shutdown has the potential to alter the types of trips offered next year. “Every week that the government is shutdown is pushing us closer and closer to not being able to run our Scrambles in the Wallowas,” said Chapin. The government shutdown threatens to impact students financially as well, and in some cases, their ability to afford tuition. Sophomore Caitlin Griffin’s mother is the Head Contractor for Mt. Rainier National Parks, a position which has been deemed not required by the federal government, and so she has been furloughed. Griffin relies upon her mother’s salary to pay for and plan for tuition costs. “Without the government’s funding, of course, our income is significantly hindered, which is a problem,” said Griffin. “Until [the government resumes], it is a bit of a weigh on my mind the longer it goes on. Even if it doesn’t affect me now, it will in the long run, which is bad.” The impact of the government shutdown has further proven to also financially affect international students at Whitman. International students’ financial aid is contingent upon how much money they can contribute to their education. Consequently, many of the international students at Whitman work on campus, but are only allowed to do so with a permanent social security card, which are obtained in students’ first year at Whitman. This process, however, has recently been complicated by the fact that the social security office is not taking any new applications during the government shutdown. “[For the first-year international students,] we have eight applications out of 21 completed, and they are not taking new applications anymore,” said Kris Barry, international student and scholar advisor. First-year international students who have already begun work and have not yet applied for a social security number will not be paid immediately for their work and risk further complications the longer they can’t complete their application. “We really need to have these in place because some of them have started employment, and they need to be processed. It would be tragic if we didn’t get them down by the end of the year. That would be really awful,” said Barry. These issues, while not largely impactful on an institutional level, are nonetheless incredibly problematic to each of the individuals affected. With the shutdown entering into its 10th day, these complications will only increase as the government remains inactive. In the end, all of these effects will hopefully prove to be short term in regards to Whitman’s future. Until then, however, the impact is felt in many different corners of the community.

Self-defense class a success by Sam Grainger-Shuba Staff Reporter

“S

elf defense training is an investment in your greatest asset: YOU!” said self defense expert and owner of Calhoon’s Martial Arts and Fitness Center Ryan Calhoon. Every Tuesday for the entire month of October, Whitman is offering free all-female self defense classes, held at Calhoon’s gym. The classes will be offered again for the month of February. According to self-defense class coordinator and Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell, students over the years have requested self-defense classes. After several attempts at a class, which was usually a single session lasting one to two hours, Maxwell decided to partner with student Molly Dubrovsky to try to create a selfdefense SSRA class at Whitman. The two approached athletic director Dean Snider, who was supportive, but unfortunately the deadline for creating new classes at the beginning of the semester had passed. “Dean [Snider] suggested we ‘pilot’ a class to determine interest, so Molly and I decided to work with Ryan Calhoon [of Calhoon’s Gym] to pilot a 4-week, 6-hour women’s self-defense class, which we will offer both this fall, and then again in February,” said Maxwell. The sessions began on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Whitman women piled into carpools and formed walking groups to head to Calhoon’s gym. After removing their shoes, they formed a circle around instructor Ryan Calhoon. Before learning actual physical self defense, Calhoon stated that simply being aware of one’s surroundings is the best form of self defense. He mentioned that just by having car keys already in hand, checking underneath your car before approaching it, trying to walk along lit pathways and taking a buddy when walking around after dark can greatly decrease likelihood for attack. “This all takes merely a second or two, but could eliminate a situation if followed. It can quickly and easily become habit and you won’t even have to think about it,” said Calhoon.

After this brief introduction, Calhoon introduced several simple defensive skills. He focused on one-move techniques that would allow for a quick getaway. The point of self defense, Calhoon pointed out, is not to challenge your attacker to a fight, but to free yourself to the point where you can run for help. Senior participant Kate Kight felt the class was more intense than she imagined. She was brought back to an experience she had when a marine attacked her, and she underwent a PTSD flashback. Luckily for her, their was security present to help, but the event left a lasting impression. “Learning self defense reminds me of that moment when I realized this man could very easily kill me, and he couldn’t even recognize the fact that I wasn’t a threat,” said Kight. The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) claims that women are 90 to 95 percent more likely than men to be victims of domestic violence. Additionally, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) reports that 9 of every 10 rape victims are women, and 1 out of every 6 women has been a victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Kight’s experience shows that there are many different situations in which a person might need to defend themselves, and learning the most effective way to do so is vital. “I think classes like this are really important because that kind of situation could happen at any time to anyone, and it’s good to have more awareness and more of a plan so that those situations can have a positive outcome,” said firstyear participant Olivia Coackley. Some parts of the class seem to be fun, since the students are practicing on each other, effectively play-fighting. However, the act of learning to defend onself has made students consider bigger questions about attacks, especially attacks on women. “I really enjoy feeling more powerful and look forward to building skills with future classes, but I think it’s also important to remember to fight in every way we can to build a world where we [women] don’t have to live under this constant fear of attack,” said Kight.

ADVERTISEMENT ILLUSTRATION BY HAMPTON

Phis move towards sustainable fraternity from SOLAR PANELS, page 1

the energy offset,” said Heegaard. Until they find out their eligibility for the loan, the Phis are focused on raising $11,000 in order to install the cheaper set of panels. Heegaard is currently raising money and has gotten $1,500 pledged from various donors. In the next two weeks, he plans to extend the fundraising project to the rest of fraternity so they can assist in the endeavor. “I think the addition of solar panels to the Phi house could be important to any and all conversations about climate change or sustainability on the Whitman campus and at the national level of Phi Delta Theta itself,” said current Phi Sustainability Chair sophomore Ben Griffin in an email. Heegaard acknowledges that there is some dispute about the actual carbon offset of solar panels, as well as the overall efficiency, but he believes that they would be better than nothing. “We can no longer stand idle in

the midst of environmental havoc. We simply don’t have time, and although solar panels might not be the perfect solution, I maintain that it is better than the alternative,” said Heegaard. Phis seem to be showing a positive response to the idea of reducing the fraternity’s energy consumption. “We are currently in the fundraising process, but the whole house is real excited about it. I’m really excited about it,” said current Phi member junior Sam Adler. “It should still be a while though, like a year or two, before they are installed.” Phi President senior Patrick Finnegan added that it is Phi’s goal to make serious progress on getting solar panels on the house by the time Heegaard graduates in 2015. “We are highly considering the prospect of getting solar panels for our house; however, we are dealing with certain financial and advisory hurdles before we can continue

with the project,” said Finnegan.

OCT

10 2013

FEATURE

PAGE

Cyclists overcome longdistance obstacles

Reid Shaw and Chris Perkins ‘14 (above) and Colin McCarthy ‘17 (below) biked from their hometowns of Seattle and Spokane all the way to Whitman at the start of this academic year. Photos by Volpert from CYCLYING, page 1

was beautiful, which allowed them to have peaceful nights sleeping in random cornfields. Despite this, the adventure had its hardships. “The first day threatened to break our spirits … I told [Shaw] that I knew this sweet scenic route that would avoid more time on the freeway. It’s essentially a two-mile tunnel that’s pitch black on the inside and really cool, but the ride up is on a dirt [and] gravel forest road,” said Perkins. Perkins said he got five more flats over the course of the next few hours. By 7 p.m. the cyclists began to feel disheartened.

“You’d be surprised how easy it is not to think. It’s an experience. I have always done long rides like this.” Colin McCarthy ‘17 “We sat dejectedly on the side of the road and didn’t really talk to each other. [Shaw] just listened to Taylor Swift and I kicked rocks,” said Perkins. They did manage to muster their strength and press on to Walla Walla. Shaw, an accomplished Eagle Scout, successfully used a 20-dollar bill to prevent more flats by sticking it in the tire. But one can never count on the first hardship to be the last. Perkins recounts a potentially lifethreatening situation they faced. “We were severely dehydrated and struggled to power our bikes towards Touchet,” said Per-

kins. “We found someone’s house where some kids were playing with toys in the driveway. I realized the kid didn’t speak English but Reid asked in broken Spanish if we could get some water and he ran inside to get his parents. That was quite literally a life-saver.” Despite their struggles, these tough times made the best stories and memories. “Overall it was a great trip. [I] spent a lot of time with a great friend doing something we both enjoy. We were able to enjoy backroads less traveled with great weather,” said Shaw. Meanwhile this past August, first-year Colin McCarthy rode 180 miles to Whitman from his home in Spokane in two days in order to arrive at Whitman before his Scramble. This very impressive ride is not McCarthy’s first experience with long-distance cycling. The summer before his junior year of high school, McCarthy, his parents and his younger brother rode for 33 days from Spokane to New Hampshire, taking only two days to rest. The family woke up at 6 a.m., rode 100 miles in about 10 hours, and then did the same thing each day until reaching the East Coast. Two thirds of their nights were spent camping. The rest were spent in hotels. McCarthy said that biking made it easier to see the landscape around him. “In eastern Montana it’s just plains, so a lot of times there’s not a lot to look at. When you’re driving in a car you can kind of see the scenery go by. When you’re biking, you have like 15 minutes on the same exact stretch

of road, so you really get an idea for what’s there,” said McCarthy. The McCarthy family faced some navigational challenges but were fortunate enough to use technology to avoid ever getting really lost. “We didn’t get lost that much. It’s amazing what cell phones can do. Minot, N.D. had flooded that year so we actually had to do a 60mile detour. There were some bad windy days, some rainy days [and] some really hot days, but that’s to be expected,” said McCarthy. Rather than biking purely for a good workout, these Whitman students seem to see cycling as a refreshing and enjoyable experience. “You’d be surprised how easy it is not to think. It’s an experience. I have always done long rides like this. They’ve always been social events with friends and family,” said McCarthy. On his trip, Perkins was able to bond with Shaw over food and clandestine sleeping places. “We made it to Cle Elum right at dark and bought 20 dollars worth of food a piece at Safeway and feasted. We slept in someone’s backyard on sleeping pads without telling them,” said Perkins. McCarthy expressed a desire to do some of the longer rides in the area, and Perkins and Shaw talked about some potential future adventures, including cross-country rides and the Tour de France. Whatever they end up doing, hopefully it will be just as magical as Perkins described his ride this summer. “We rode like gangbusters by ourselves on the three-lane highway in the sunset. Call me crazy, but it was a little bit romantic.”

Cycling team extends helping hand to community by Serena Runyan Staff Reporter

hitman’s cycling team does more than just ride. The team performs multiple community service events each year, including helping with the local Gran Fondo bike race and teaching bike safety to local elementary school students. Every fall, the Providence St. Mary Foundation puts on the Gran Fondo, a bike race that raises money for the Cancer Special Needs Fund at the Providence St. Mary Regional Cancer Center. The funds go toward providing transportation, food, wigs or other needs indicated by cancer patients not covered by Medicaid, Medicare or other health insurance. There were over 300 participants in this year’s race on Sept. 21. During the event, members of the Whitman cycling team did everything from leading races

to helping people with flat tires. “For the most part, we’re out having fun and enjoying the countryside, making sure everyone’s safe, fed and hydrated,” said Luke Ogden, president of the team. The Gran Fondo also provides cycling team members with a chance to use their sport for a good cause. “It’s a great opportunity for the team to give back to the community surrounding us in a way that is connected with our sport,” said sophomore cycler Mackinzie Stanley. And, barring a couple mishaps, the event is mostly a chance to have a great time and get involved with the Walla Walla community. “Its a great thing that we do. I really love it,” said Ogden. “It gets us involved in the community, and gets a good word not only about Whitman but the cycling team.” Unsurprisingly, it seems

that all those involved appreciate the team’s presence. “I hear nothing but great things from both the community participants and the things our team’s riders who participate say,” said junior team member Arika Wieneke. After the Gran Fondo is over, the team focuses on the annual Bike Rodeo at Edison Elementary School. “It’s teaching kids basic skills on how to ride a bike, and also some safety skills,” said Ogden. Team members serve as role model for these beginning cyclists. “We’re making it so that safety is cool,” said Ogden. “We like to think of ourselves as ambassadors for both the school and cycling in general, because people do look up to us, whether it’s a kid or a college student.” For Stanley, it serves as a reminder of the team’s ties to the greater community.

“We all started out just like the young kids that come to the clinic, and someone had to teach us how to pedal and how to ride in the bike line and not swerve into cars. I think it’s a duty and privilege to pass on that knowledge,” she said. These interactions help build the two-way ties that benefit both Whitman and the Walla Walla community at large. “This is a great way for the Whitman team to give back for all of the support that the community gives to us,” said Wieneke. Participating in community service events also helps the members of the team bond with one another. “Doing events like the Bike Rodeo gives us the opportunity to get to know each other away from training and races,” said Wieneke. And the team certainly isn’t just about training and races. “It’s great to do some-

thing that is bike related but is not riding a bike,” said Ogden. “We’re not just about racing ... I think a lot of people see this team as being really aggressive and liking to go fast, but there is a bigger aspect of wanting to get people out on bikes.” Mainly the team wants to encourage safe bike riding. “We really want to help people get involved and get excited about riding a bike. You can go a lot of places, and it’s clean. I love seeing new people out on the road, but I want them to be safe, because accidents do happen,” said Ogden. According to Stanley, helping the Walla Walla community is just another way to connect with a larger network of cyclists everywhere. “As a biker, there is this feeling of connection to all bikers everywhere,” she said. “And participating in events like this helps confirm that feeling of community.”

oct

10 2013

SPORTS

PAGE

Intramural football coaches: Whitman’s 12th man by chris calamita Staff Reporter

y their nature, intramural sports games don’t draw in the largest crowds. For women’s flag football teams, however, there is always one guaranteed, invested spectator: the coach. It’s an odd job to say the least, and not one with very obvious appeal. After all, the coach is often the same age as his or her players, is not paid for his or her time and, most of all, volunteers to watch sports games rather than play in them. Yet, these coaches not only sign themselves up for the job, many have chosen to stick with it season after season. For senior economics major and current coach of Kappa Kappa Gamma’s flag football team Sugarsuren Byambasuren, coaching women’s flag football is the experience you’d expect any coach to have. He was asked to coach the team as a first-year student and agreed enthusiastically. Having played football in high school, Byambasuren had experience and knowledge about the game that his team knew would be useful to them, and the idea of sharing that experience with others excited his interest. “When I was in high school, I had great coaches, and that’s what inspired me to actually coach. It’s a way to give back to the passion I’ve gained from the sport,” said Byambasuren. For Byambasuren, coaching provides an opportunity to share a meaningful part of his life with others. He wants his players to take

away from their time on the team those same valuable lessons, memories and friendships that football provided him as a player. It’s that same concept of giving back that has kept Byambasuren coaching for four years. Due to the consistent roster turnover that comes with graduating seniors and incoming first-year students, his role never disappears. “What’s best for me when I coach,” he said, “is when I see an improvement in someone from the first game to the last game of the season. You want to keep improving the game and the players as much as possible. I guess that’s what keeps me coming back.” Senior environmental humanities major Nelson Falkenburg, coach of the Drink Tank women’s flag football team, sees his role differently. While Falkenburg teaches, plays and shares the limited knowledge he has about the sport, he sees his role as much more of a “figurehead” of sorts. He has assigned himself such duties as dressing in a full suit and tie for games and giving motivational speeches. Unlike Byambasuren, Falkenburg has a limited background in playing football, so he does not take himself too seriously as a mentor to his team. “I’m not an authority figure by any means. I’m more like a team member that doesn’t play, that sometimes gives advice and makes suggestions,” he said. Though he does not play in the games and may not coach in a traditional sense, Falkenburg has nonetheless made himself a part of his

team. He shares in all the team’s victories and defeats, attends every practice and contributes in whatever way he can. The connection he feels as a member of the team is enough to make the time worthwhile. One thing both coaches agree on is that, whether they are coaching or playing, they still feel the same thrills of competition. Byambasuren’s attitude towards winning reflects his outlook on coaching in general: competition is a part of the sport to be valued like any other. “What’s important is getting out there and having a good time, but obviously winning is an important aspect. If you’re not playing to win, it’s kind of like, what’s the point,” said Byambasuren. For Falkenburg, that competitiveness is as real for coaches as it is for players. “Every coach ever always says, ‘Oh, in the end it’s about having fun,’” he said, “but that’s not true. At times I got way more into it than I thought I would, and it was really fun to feel that from a coaching perspective.” In any case, it seems that coaching shares many of the same rewards as playing sports. Sophomore biology major and this year’s Alpha Phi coach Grant Laco sees the reward in the simple act of involvement. “For me it’s just a fun thing to do on a weekend. It’s a good excuse to get out on Ankeny, throw a ball around, be goofy and be active. I wouldn’t say I’ve learned many life lessons from it, but it’s a good way to have fun,” said Laco. No matter the role one assumes

Nelson Falkenburg ‘14, the coach of the Drink Tank women’s flag football team, sees his role more as a figurehead than a true authority figure. Photo by Bowersox

as coach, there is something worthwhile to be taken from it. Activity, teamwork and mentorship are all beloved elements in sports that do not necessarily require a jersey.

Whitman athletes take fashion seriously by marah alindogan Staff Reporter

ILLUSTRATION BY HAMPTON

EA Sports settlement doesn’t bode well for NCAA by Dylan Snyder Staff Reporter

n the seemingly endless war between the NCAA and its athletes, the athletes recently scored a key victory. In a recent landmark ruling, over 200,000 current and former NCAA athletes were awarded $40 million after the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and EA Sports illegally used the players’ likenesses in video games without properly compensating the athletes. Payment of the current players is still under debate because the NCAA specifically denies players the right to have monetary gain from their status as collegiate athletes. The case stems from EA’s NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video games that sell between one and three million copies combined each year, giving EA about $100 million in revenue annually. In these games, gamers could use official teams and logos, such as the iconic O for the University of Oregon football team, as licensed out by the CLC. Under the current agreement, player likenesses and images cannot be used. EA stopped short of using the images and names of players, but they imitated things like players’ skill ratings, hometown, height, weight, skin tone and jersey numbers. EA states that the company did nothing wrong, and that they will continue to abide by the rules set forth by the NCAA. The only problem with that strategy is that the rules of the NCAA landscape may be under some serious reconstruction. EA has also stated that it will cease creation of the NCAA Football series indefinitely. This issue brings to light the larger issue of whether current NCAA athletes should be able to benefit financially from their status as student-athletes. There is no

other place in the United States for players ages 18 to 20 to take their skills to receive elite coaching. In the college ranks, they are criticized and treated like professionals by the public. The only difference is that professional athletes receive hundreds of thousands of dollars to let people treat them as objects, while college athletes only get free tuition. Johnny Manziel, the polarizing quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies, has been granted permission from the NCAA to collect damages in a lawsuit in which a vendor sold “Johnny Football” Tshirts, which Manziel had trademarked. Anyone with any amount of common sense can see that he is now being paid for being famous, otherwise he never would have wanted to trademark his nickname. The NCAA is clearly profiting from these athletes. ESPN reporter Jay Bilas exposed that searching player names on the NCAA website leads to pages selling that player’s jersey, even though the NCAA has avoided compensating players on the basis that jersey sales are coincidental and did not reflect the likeness of the players. Between jersey sales and the EA’s freedom to use players’ likenesses, it is clear these athletes are being exploited. Although the NCAA appears to have an easy fix because they control jersey sales and video games, why don’t they grant players some sort of royalties or compensation? Giving all players a cut of total jersey sales and video game licensing money would prevent boosters from targeting and therefore influencing a player to attend a certain school, but also let the NCAA keep the revenue that stems from these two profitable markets. It seems like a simple solution, and after the recent settlement, it may be coming sooner rather than later.

he fashion of the general Whitman population has been pretty well-established. The active liberal arts culture lends itself well to wearing Birkenstocks, flannels, jeans and the like. And yet, Whitman athletes often dress quite differently than others. As it turns out, athlete style is a reflection of their identities as much as any average Whitman student’s Patagonia jacket, and perhaps even more so. Cate Welch, a junior who is not a varsity athlete, has observed how serious Whitman athletes are about their particular brand of fashion. “Whitman students who are non-athletes usually wear more of Patagonia and Birkenstocks just because it is more of an outdoorsy culture, but even with that there is no style that comes with it. It’s more of a comfort thing. Athletes at Whitman definitely take their workout clothes more seriously,” said Welch. When talking to athletes, it becomes clear why Welch would find this to be true. Junior tennis player Morgan Lawless has a collection of 15 pairs of running shorts. Even more impressively, senior basketball player Ben Eisenhardt has about 90 pairs of Nike shoes. The humor of the situation is not lost on Eisenhardt. “Why shoes? The way I explain it to my parents is, I could be into hard drugs, but I chose shoes,” said Eisenhardt. Sweatpants are also a major staple of the athlete wardrobe. “I like a lot of colors [of sweatpants]. I put style in my sweats. I like to accessorize with my hats or different shoes and a nice shirt,” said sophomore basketball player Tochi Oti. Eisenhardt chooses sweat-

pants largely because of their comfort and convenience. “For me as a basketball player, when I am wearing sweat pants or basketball shorts off the court it becomes like a second skin. It is what I am most comfortable in and is what I have grown accustomed to,” said Eisenhardt. Welch has different views towards wearing exercise clothing such as sweatpants. While sweats serve a purpose, Welch, like many Whitman students, would not consider them fashionable. “I just wear them whenever I go to the gym. When I go to class and I’m running a bit late, I just put on a pair of jeans. I never really wear workout clothes outside of the gym,” said Welch. However, athletes assign a bit more meaning to their athletic apparel than the average student. Lawless feels that her clothing is significant because it has a major impact on her athletic performance. “Maybe non-athletes think that all workout clothes are the same. But if you don’t feel good in something that you are going to wear, you won’t respond in the same way. That is how my team thinks. When we feel good and look good, we play better,” said Lawless. Eisenhardt even takes it a step further, feeling that his clothes will help him succeed even off the court. “It corresponds to off the court too. For instance, I had a test yesterday and I wanted to wear clothes that I would perform well in, so I wore my favorite pair of sweatpants,” he said. Most importantly, for these athletes their style is a reflection of their individuality. “I want to look relaxed while showing my athletic persona. I don’t really care what people think of what I wear because I just want to feel com-

“How much did I really contribute to this? It’s been negligible,” said Falkenburg. “But that I can claim some piece of ownership in it all, it’s made it really fun.”

SCOREBOARD Soccer

Men’s v. University of Puget Sound Oct. 5: L 1–0 v. Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 6: L 3–1 Women’s v. University of Puget Sound Oct. 5: L 1-0 v. Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 6: L 1-0

Volleyball

v. Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 4: L 3–0 v. University of Puget Sound Oct. 5: L 3–1

Golf

Men’s Whitworth Invitational Oct. 7: 10th Place Women’s George Fox Invitational Oct. 6: 2nd Place

cross country

Men’s Charles Bowles Invitational Oct. 5: 8th Place Women’s Charles Bowles Invitational Oct. 5: 11th Place

upcoming soccer

Men’s v. Whitworth University Oct. 12, 2:30 p.m.: HOME Women’s v. George Fox Oct. 13, 12:00 p.m.: AWAY

Volleyball

v. Linfield College Oct. 12: AWAY

Golf

Men’s North Idaho Invitational Oct. 13–14: AWAY Women’s Golfweek Fall Preview Oct. 13–15: AWAY

fortable. I feel confident in my sweats because it shows my true athletic identity,” said Lawless. Like any other type of student, athletes’ fashion choices are a way of showing who they are in comfort and style. Being an athlete is a unique privilege, so while sweatpants and a pair of Nikes are not the norm on Whitman campus, Whitman student athletes wear them with pride.

What are you doing after graduation? Expand your career options with the Bridge MBA at Seattle University. • For non-business majors • 12 month program to completion • No work experience required

The Bridge MBA at Seattle University. For more information, call (206) 296-5919 or email mbab@seattleu.edu Check out all of our highly ranked graduate business programs : w w w.seattleu.edu /albers /gradover view /

A&E

PAGE

OCT

10 2013

Analyze movies with care by Nathan fisher Staff Reporter

s your faithful movie reviewer for The Pioneer these past three years, I’ve seen and written about a lot of different films. This week, however, I’m trying something different. This week, let’s play a game of get-to-know me. I am a 20-yearold junior double-majoring in math and film studies. It is a pretty weird combination, but I have a passion for math and am obsessed with media. Admittedly, I watch way too much television, but I can’t stop watching “my shows.” Up until the finale, I had “Breaking Bad” viewing parties in my room every Sunday night, and now that the fall lineup has started, there goes what little social life I had to begin with! My sophomore year I decided to take a film class just for fun. I remember the first day of Intro to Film when Professor Sickels said something along the lines of “This class will change how you look at film.” He wasn’t kidding. After taking Intro to Film and a number of additional film classes, how I watched movies and television began to change. Now my mind is constantly analyzing the filming techniques, the plot structure, the underlying genre, the homages to the classics and on and on. Recently I began reminiscing about the days of simply sitting in my spot on the couch (yes, I always have “my spot” — oh, I just realized I might be a clone of Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory”!) at home to simply watching and enjoying a movie. Every film class I’ve taken emphasizes the use of analyzing what we see and hear, and how to interpret film in different ways. Each minute we are supposed to think of what the director or actor was trying to express or of the angle of the camera or of so much more. Great stuff, but are we overanalyzing? I hear people talk about how movies like “Avatar” should be hated because

ILLUSTRATION BY COOPER-ELLIS

it’s just a fancy version of “Pocahontas.” But to the naysayers I say, WHO CARES?!? All movies have flaws, but sometimes the point is to sit back, relax, have fun and lose yourself. The great movies are the ones that you can watch over and over again and analyze to learn or see something new in every viewing (hence the reason my favorite movie is “Ocean’s Eleven”). A movie doesn’t have to leave a lasting impression on the audience to be good (not great). If the viewer is entertained for an hour and a half, it seems like the movie has succeeded. Now I may have come across as thinking that the critical analysis of movies is horrible. But I would not be a film major if I didn’t love to analyze! Although I do enjoy looking deep into movies, sometimes I prefer to shut off the film-major side of my brain and just sit back and enjoy the

immense pleasure. Every Friday I go to the movie theater to do one thing and one thing only — lose myself in another world. This past Friday for example, I saw the space movie “Gravity” starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. For 90 minutes I felt as if I was floating in space right there with them and loved every minute of this AWESOME movie. I would see it again in a heartbeat. Sometimes the best treat you can give yourself is to turn off the brain. You just have to stop analyzing and lose yourself in another world. Then immediately after leaving the theater, turn your mind back on and have it start racing with meanings and ideas about what you just saw. I have found that there is a balance between enjoyment on a visceral level and of cerebral critical analysis in order to do what I love the most, watch movies.

Syrinx Effect brings cinema to music by JAMES KENNEDY Staff Reporter

wo and a half years after forming Syrinx Effect, the dynamic duo from Seattle consisting of Kate Olson and Naomi Siegel has already played at multiple Earshot Jazz Festivals and toured all over the country. With largely improvised music using a variety of unconventional techniques, no two performances are alike. The name of the band, Syrinx Effect, is derived from the organ of a bird, the syrinx. As the avian equivalent of the larynx, the syrinx allows birds to produce both high and low tones. Because the duo plays both the tenor trombone and soprano saxophone simultaneously, creating a similar duality, the name stuck. The group combines traditional chamber music with electronic accompaniment to create a distinct sound. “We wanted to have an outlet for our interest in adding electronics [to music] ... [Syrinx Effect is] a smaller group where we felt like we had full artistic control,” said Olson, reflecting on her reasons for teaming up with Siegel. The duo manages to achieve a unified yet unique sound through the interactions between their musical styles. “We both come from similar yet very different musical backgrounds ... and musical education backgrounds,” said Siegel. In reality, the group has three members, the third being an onstage laptop hooked up to a mess of wires and peripherals that has the ability to mirror the sounds from Olson’s and Siegel’s instruments, replaying them at varied intervals to supplement their performance. Olson implements the program “MainStage” to achieve this affect, hooking up the computer to a foot-controlled keypad and letting the software do the rest. All sorts of music inspire the group. “It’s all in there,” said Siegel, “Kate has had an interest in minimalism ... whereas I had more of an interest in the past in reggae.” The band incorporates an eclectic mix of contemporary jazz, electronic and folk music styles into their work. Some of the biggest influences are the musicians the duo plays with, including Seattle composer and keyboarder Wayne Horvitz. Since starting the group, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve had a lot of posi-

Syrinx Effect is unlike any musical group the Whitman College Music Department has brought in before because of its experimentation with electronics. Photo by Sloss

tive feedback,” said Siegel. “A lot of people have described our music as ‘cinematic’.” Fans’ encouraging response to the music has spawned suggestions on how the songs could be implemented into videos, which is an avenue the group may pursue in the future. Because of the genre and improvised nature of the music, listeners may expect the duo’s performances to be hard to listen to with long bouts of extended technique. “We’re not opposed to that ... but that’s not our aesthetic,” said Siegel. The group also incorporates a narrative feel into their music without relying on words. “I think we’re always trying to tell a story,” said Olson. “We’re hoping our audience follows us on whatever journey we start on musically.” She says that fans of the group close their eyes and feel like they’re “wrapped up in the sound.” This physicality is a goal of the group. “We strive for a lot of textural elements,” said Olson. To students on campus that have a similar musical drive but haven’t found the means to express it, Siegel advises that you “just keep playing, try to meet people and don’t be shy about what you’re doing.” “One thing that I really value about this project is that we keep pushing each other’s boundaries both as individual musicians and as a duo,” said Siegel. If you can’t find the motivation to branch out on your own, Syrinx Effect recommends you find a like-minded partner. “It’s an opportunity to really grow as a musician,” said Siegel. “But you can only get to that point if you share yourself or your stuff with somebody and put yourself out there. Even if it is a solo project, just do it.” Syrinx Effect played last Friday, Oct. 4 at Kimball Theatre and will continue touring through Washington until they arrive at their home in Seattle.

See our video of the Syrinx Effect Online at whitmanpioneer.com/category/arts

ILLUSTRATION BY RUST

Sexual tension creates narrative problem by ALEIDa FERNANDEZ A&E Editor

e’ve all seen the story line before: Boy meets girl (or perhaps he always knew girl); boy and girl have loads of bottled up sexual tension; boy and girl almost kiss; boy and girl chalk it up to something weird in the air; boy and girl finally kiss, and kiss and kiss. It’s the classic “When Harry Met Sally” problem. Men and women can’t be just friends because as Harry famously explains, “The sex part always gets in the way.” But is that actually true? You would think so by our pop culture. Watch any television show with heterosexual leads and there always seems to be a wink, wink, nudge, nudge that implies things are probably less than platonic. Chandler and Monica from “Friends” were “just friends” before they weren’t. Booth and Brennan from “Bones” were “just friends” before they slept together. Mindy and Danny just shared an almost kiss last spring on the “The Mindy Project,” so there goes another “just friends.” With the exceptions of “Parks and Recreation’s” Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson and “Elementary’s” Sherlock and female Watson, heterosexual characters just can’t keep their hands off of each other. It

begs the question: Why can’t they? Partly, it’s a narrative problem. Friendship isn’t romantic courtship. It doesn’t have a beginning, middle or end. Friendships aren’t sexy. When there’s a man and a woman, we expect sparks to fly, so stories about friendships — like “Parks and Recreation” or “Elementary” — are relatively rare. So when you think about it, is the lack of friendship on TV a Hollywood problem? A narrative problem? Or is it an us problem? As a culture, we have a significant amount of trouble understanding love that isn’t based on blood or sex. We have trouble with mentorship or camaraderie; we have trouble with intimate friendship. When we see these kinds of relationships in pop culture, we feel the need to sexualize them. That’s why television bloggers and commentators ship couples, despite writers explicitly saying that their leads are just friends and that’s all. And that’s why “just friends” often becomes more on TV shows. In real life, there seems to be no problem having platonic relationships with the opposite sex. In fact, if you told your best othergendered friend about Harry’s assumptions about sex getting in the way, they’d probably laugh at you. It’s about time we started seeing it played back to us that way on TV.

PIO PICKS Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights events happening on campus or in Walla Walla during the weekend. Here’s this week’s pick:

Sapolil Cellars prides itself on being more than just a winery. It has become a hotspot for local artists, attracting members from the Walla Walla community. Photo by Bowersox

Sapolil Cellars offers more than just wine by EMMA DAHL Staff Reporter

t’s no secret that Walla Walla has many wineries, tasting rooms and opportunities to go out and try some wine with friends. But sometimes it’s hard to choose from such variety. What if you don’t just want to sit and sip wine? What if you also want to enjoy some live music? What if you want some good eats to go along with your wine? Sapolil Cellars is one Walla Walla winery that has done more for its costumers than just providing an environment in which to sample their wine. They have many activities available for any 21-or-over individual to indulge in at their downtown tasting room right next door to Olive. While daily wine tasting opens at 1 p.m., the winery offers such events as “Cinema at the Cellars,” live music every weekend, and open jam and open mic nights. President and winemaker Abigail Schwerin explained that Sapolil’s wide variety of events grew out of the empty space of their tasting room. “We started doing music events, as my father, Bill, and I have always gravitated to small venues like ours for the best live music. To begin with, we

were putting on Friday nights only. Then it started to build. We looked at the space we had, and realized it was way too large for just a tasting room, so we started building other events,” said Schwerin in an email. She went on to elucidate that running a winery in Walla Walla wasn’t so much about offering good wine as it was about making a connection with the town and its community. “It’s hard to ask if we’d rather run a winery elsewhere, because we would never think of it,” said Schwerin. “Walla Walla is our hometown for four generations.” She went on to explain why running a winery in Walla Wal-

Coffee Culture Come learn about coffee appreciation and the culture surrounding it! Sign up for a 30-minute time slot, and be ready to try different types of coffee! Email sharmaak@whitman.edu for more information. Friday, Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m. at MECCA

la isn’t all about the wine; it’s also about helping to build a community. “Part of the joy in running a winery and running a venue in downtown Walla Walla is that we are helping to build our town,” she said. “And we believe in the town. A major benefit of building the business in Walla Walla is that we can actually make a difference. For example, when we wanted to put outside seating at our downtown location, it wasn’t allowed ... But we were able to work with the city to change the ordinance. This changed the landscape of downtown!” For a full list of Sapolil’s events and offerings, check out their website at sapolilcellars.com.

Buy 2 Cups Get a

Free Cone with this cupon Through NOV. 6

Sunday - Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm. Friday- Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm.

OPINION

oct

10 2013

PAGE

ILLUSTRATION BY VAZQUEZ

Fracking offers few unbiased answers DANI HUPPER First-year

he public debate on hydraulic fracturing (the process of pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the ground to crack rock formations and release natural gas) is nearly impossible to follow. It’s hard to find unbiased information on a subject so intermingled with political and economic self-interests. Do you want to punch something every time gas prices increase? Have you invested in major

oil companies like Chevron, Exxon or BP? Are you currently unemployed and looking for a job in the energy industry? Are you Dick Cheney’s biggest admirer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you would personally benefit from fracking in the United States. Are you invested in renewable energy operations? Do you live near a natural gas drilling site and often worry that your water is contaminated? Do you generally follow the opinion of Patagonia-endorsed documentaries and environmental pop culture? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you would personally benefit from the ban of fracking in the United States. These questions apply to most Americans as the majority of us are personally influenced by the energy industry in some shape or form. However, if you’re like me (you haven’t personally invested in gas

companies or found your drinking water contaminated), you’re probably struggling to form an opinion from all the conflicting information. Your confusion may not be accidental. Everyone has a motive, and the motives that come with hydraulic fracturing are particularly tremendous — the energy industry makes billions, employs millions and affects everyone. Facts are twisted, and terms are manipulated. Unbiased information is rare. Let me give you an example. Rex W. Tillerson, the chief executive of ExxonMobil, claimed a couple years ago that, “there is not one, not one reported case of a freshwater aquifer having ever been contaminated from hydraulic fracturing. Not one.” Dangersoffracking. com (the website for the documentary “Gasland”) feels differently. Their website claims that “there have been over 1,000 documented

World police return to Libya KYLE SEASLY Junior

f you’ve ever watched “The Simpsons,” you know that Homer Simpson has a good heart. He messes up (a lot) often because of poor reasoning or self-interest, but he tries to be better and is rarely ever truly malicious. A lot of the time I feel like the United States acts like Homer Simpson. We overstep our boundaries for selfish reasons, and we mess up quite a bit— we may have a good “heart,” but oftentimes it remains hidden under our large belly. This was my first thought when the United States conducted a raid on Saturday, Oct. 5 to capture Anas al-Liby, a leading al-Qaeda terrorist in Libya and also a Libyan national.

He was captured and brought to a secure location outside of Libya. The United States saw an opportunity of which they took advantage, but they failed to notify the Libyan government. The United States officially stepped on the new Libyan government’s toes. The Libyan government desires to try al-Liby in Libya. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said, “Our relationship with the U.S.A. is important, and we care about that, but we care too about our citizens, which is our duty.” Defending U.S. actions, Secretary of State John Kerry noted, “We hope that this makes clear that the United States of America will never stop in the effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror.” It’s true, the terrorist, alLiby, was apparently responsible for bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa in the 1990s. Yet how far should U.S. jurisdiction go? Do we really give ourselves unlimited power over the entire world? Many times I feel like the United States is in a vicious cycle. Tyrion Lannister of “Game of Thrones” put it best: “It seems

every time we deal with an enemy, we create two more.” Ever since World War II, the United States has been dubbed itself the “Leader of the Free World.” Because of this, the United States feels compelled to act in a nature that defends our interests, often leading us to mess up big time. We see examples of this even today. Iran is still ruled by a government that came to power using anti-U.S. rhetoric. The United States needs to stop over-extending its reach. It’s impossible to police the world and the more we try, the more enemies we create. If the United States continues in this vein, I fear the backlash will continue to get worse and worse. The fact is there are no boundaries on the U.S. military. The whole government was founded on a system of checks and balances, yet currently there is none for how the United States conducts its raids. The United States may want to protect Bart, Lisa, Marge and Maggie as much as possible, but the more we step on Ned Flanders’ toes to do so, the more backlash there will be in the future.

Campus Cartoon by Asa Mease

Voices from the Community Colin Strong

Teaghan Phillips

Senior

“I would take a class in international water politics because it isn’t a mainstream issue but is of the utmost importance on a global scale.”

“I would like to take a class on the art of constructing and deconstructing illusions.”

cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling.” Hmmm... Rick Smead, a director in the Energy Practice of Navigation Consulting claims that the Marcellus Shale, an enormous natural gas reserve under New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, “contains enough gas to satisfy the U.S. demand for 15 years.” Thefrackingtruth.org however, claims that the shale would only “meet U.S. needs for two years. Two measly years of energy in exchange for destroying the homes and lives of millions of people...” Yada yada yada... What the frack is going on? The true impact of fracking still remains unclear to me. Unbiased information will not be disclosed any time soon. There are few facts that all players in the hydraulic fracturing

debate can agree on, but I nevertheless have an opinion: I am not in support of the extraction of natural gas. All this hysteria over hydraulic fracturing is a distraction from developing an efficient renewable energy. Natural gas is often referred to as the “bridge” fuel as it emits about 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal and oil, but still does not compare to zero-carbon-producing alternatives. At the rate our average temperature is increasing, we do not have time to invest billions in converting our power plants to a “bridge” fuel. Who knows? It may even cost less to develop and convert to a completely clean renewable energy source. Our time is running out in terms of the climate crisis, and we can’t afford to invest so much in a non-renewable source.

Don’t get rid of paper ANDY MONSERUD First-year

oes anybody else miss paper? Just a little bit? Sure, it gets lost and crumpled, and it kills vast swaths of forest with each year’s batch of senior theses. Sure, it costs money to print things and money to buy notebooks. And God knows we don’t need to spend any more on textbooks than we already do. But I’m hesitant to abandon the age-old tradition of chopping plants into thin sheets and scratching out symbols on them. After all, there are some distinct disadvantages to abandoning everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) bleached tree product. First, online academic resources tend toward decentralization. Between Cleo, email, MyWhitman, individual class websites and countless other sites we need to visit for classes, knowing where to find the document, page or video you’re looking for takes up a fair amount of time and can cause one to lose focus, especially for those of us who tend toward disorganization. While school faculty and staff on every level have made a great deal of effort to make this easier, for some it’s best to keep track of one’s stuff in one’s own way. Second, online resources require us to connect to that gold mine of distraction: the Internet. While some stronger-willed students than I have no trouble staying off of Facebook, reading webcomics, checking the weather, checking the news, checking their email for the 45th time that day or checking the Bon Appétit menus for the next month, we can’t all be superhuman. I usually avoid the Internet time-suck by turning the computer or wi-fi connection off, and I know I’m not alone. It’s a very effective tactic that

can’t be done as easily when one has to read one’s textbooks online. And finally, being on a computer all the time is neither healthy nor especially conducive to learning. The Internet can provide access to a vast reserve of information, but it cannot teach you how to use that information or easily provide alternate perspectives on it, like talking with classmates does. Computers keep us tethered to outlets and indoor environments to study, and staring at screens for extensive periods of time has well-documented negative effects on health, notably sleep habits. Computers are undoubtedly useful, but we have to use moderation to prevent them from doing us more harm than good. The obvious hitch in the papered lifestyle is the dreaded printing charge. Printer ink isn’t free, and the cost of printing is a deterrent to students who would otherwise make more use of it. I know that I print less with the knowledge that I have to pay a nickel for each page of online reading I read on paper. It’s a small obstacle, but an obstacle all the same. Fortunately for me, it seems that paper is still a common guilty necessity around campus. Many students and professors have adopted a middle ground by making electronic copies of texts available online, but passing out assignments and making texts available in hard-copy form. In fact, here at The Pioneer we use this strategy with content online as well as in print. It allows both the paper lovers and the convenience fanatics to have their way with their content. To me, this middle path is ideal. The paper optional mode of operation should be universal. As much as I like the idea of saving the forests, I’m glad that stone-agers like me don’t always have to abandon our little vices completely. Freedom of choice, with lower student printer costs. Of course, restricting paper use to what we really need is always a plus, but some of us need a little more. We, the old-fashioned, won’t let paper die out. Please, Whitman College, humor us.

If you could take a class in anything, what would you take? Poll by Tanner Bowersox

Becci Moore

Administrative Assistant at Whitman Office of Annual Giving

“I’d take a silversmithing class so that I could bring my jewelry to a more refined and higher level.”

Tia Herdman Senior

“I would take the black and white photography class at Whitman because it’s a beautiful art that I would like to take advantage of.”

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

3 BACKPAGE 12 Annual Mr. Autumn Pageant gets cozy L OCT

PAGE

2013

adies and Gentlemen, it is that time of year again, the time we’ve all been waiting for: fall. And with the arrival of this glorious season came the 12th annual Mr. Autumn Pageant. This year’s four contestants, Scott Flannelman, Adam Sweaterson, Jacob Thermalsocks and Samuel “Grizzly” Bootson, competed for the esteemed title of Mr. Autumn and the honor of claiming the renowned plaid trophy. This year’s contestants were rigorously tested in categories that included lumberjacking skills, warmbeverage knowledge and appreciation, beard growing, a Q&A about what it truly means to be a “perfect fall day” and every lady’s favorite part: the swoon-inducing sweater-wearing parade, where contestants sport their best sweaters and strut the stage to a soundtrack of the Avett Brothers.

This year’s competition was especially fierce. While Bootson and Thermalsocks started out strong in lumberjacking and beard-growing, Flannelman swept the warmbeverage quiz (winning by listing all of the spices needed to make the perfect pumpkin spice latte, in alphabetical order), knocking them firmly out of the competition, while Sweaterson took a surprise lead with his answer in the Q&A session. When questioned on what constitutes the perfect fall day, no one could argue with the answer Sweaterson gave. “A perfect fall day begins early with a hot cup of coffee and a stroll through the park’s magical mosaic of leaves. It is followed by a lovely brunch featuring pumpkin French toast and butternut squash soup. Then a visit to a pumpkin patch and a romantic hayride to be followed by a love-

ly dinner, a fire in the fireplace and a viewing of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ while sipping on some hard cider and mulled wine. But the most important part of the perfect fall day is sharing it with someone you love,” said Sweaterson. It is reported that nearly 97 percent of the hearts in the audience melted upon hearing Sweaterson’s speech, securing him a spot in the top two. With Flannelman and Sweaterson neck and neck, Sweaterson assured his victory in the sweater competition, sporting a gorgeous grey wool cardigan hand knit by his grandmother. “It is a true honor, I have always lived with the belief that I was an autumn-man, despite having been born in May, but this trophy proves it. If you just love fall, you can truly accomplish anything,” said Sweaterson when asked about his new title as this year’s Mr. Autumn.

Mr. Autumn Pagent contestants Flannelman and Sweaterson muggin’ for the cameras. These autumnal gents prefer their beverages steamy and their tunes brisk like a fall breeze. Photos by Felt

Fall’s Worst

FUSION FOODS Pumpkin and Blue Cheese — Pumpkin added to good ole blue cheese brings polar opposites together in one scrumptious taste. Allspice Cheese Cake — Looking for something sweet? Well this isn’t for you. This dessert is the perfect combination of super spicy and no flavor. Eggnog with Acorns — Ever felt that eggnog is not textured enough? Well now it is with the addition of hearty acorns. Don’t choke! Squash Enchiladas — What could be better than filling a warm enchilada with soupy squash rather than melted cheese and meat? So vegan friendly. Pumpkin Seed Croissant — Forget chocolate chips, just add some raw pumpkin seeds to your already made croissants. Mm, so French. Turkey Salmon Salad — Land and sea combine in the best

way for this salad sandwich. Don’t go light on the mayonnaise! Sweet Potato-Infused Chocolate Mousse — The mushy quality of sweet potatoes could not be better suited than when paired with delicious chocolate in one giant mousse mixture. Cinnamon Baked Potatoes — Think rosemary is the spice to add to your potatoes? Think again with the seasonal favorite of cinnamon. You’ll feel like you’re diving into fall itself. Apple Cider Soaked Lasagna — It’s time to get new age with everyone’s two favorite things. Tomato sauce is boring when compared to sweet and bubbly apple cider as a sauce. Cranberry Chili Stew — A classic combination of sweet and savory. This would have been a traditional Thanksgiving dish if the pilgrims had just landed a little farther south.

SADVERTISEMENT

Autumn Poetry Corner I am freezing cold Should I turn on the heating I am much too cheap

I washed my sheets Back in the end of August Now they are yellow

The naked branches Science Building telescopes Silly astro perves

Bon Appétit scone Why are you so delicious Pumpkin spices yum

I want a jacket I can’t wear a North Face yet I am not wussy

The Patisserie Is a great place to study Loud on Saturday

Lace-up boots are back Everyone has the same pair Steve Madden Trooper

Velociraptor Stomping on all of the leaves Where is your sweater?

It’s hicky season Hey let’s go to TKE tonight Wearing scarves through Spring Consent is sexy Ooo you touched my tra-la-la And you asked first Getting my groove on Obstructive brick support post Reid Coffeehouse shows Four Day Four Day Four Days without classes freedom Just a day away

Fight S.A.D. with sad A weekly support group that pits Seasonal Affective Disorder against FEELS

Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. THIS WEEK: “The Notebook” in the GAC Cry away your S.A.D.

When my parents come Handles and weed meet closet In need of Febreeze ILLUSTRATION BY HERNANDEZ

Who stole my seasonal

remember it like it was yesterday. There are nights when the whole world seems to press in on you — the clouds linger close to the streets, and the air is cold and dense, concealing the covert and the unspeakable. Even the streetlamps seem like pale stars, feebly holding back the darkness and casting shadows on black figures in their enigmatic missions. It was my roommate who found them. All three of them. I’m used to seeing this kind of carnage — three years on campus security and you have pretty much seen it all — but this, this was different. This was personal. I surveyed the empty tins on our kitchen table. Crumbs and bits of filling were scattered everywhere — the only remains of the pumpkin, the cranberry-apple and the cherry. I’d seen them only this morning — so fresh and full of steam. Yet here I stood, on the very doorstep of my home, faced

with the inconceivable brutality of three stolen pies. I’d like to think they were still whole somewhere, but I knew those pies too well. They were delicious. They were long gone. I stepped into the hallway — the whole apartment seemed to be closing in on me — and that’s when I saw her. A platinum blonde sporting a pair of cherry-red heels that just matched her lipstick. Everything about her was pressed and neat, but she exuded an air of fullness I could not shake. Who was she, and why was she coming out of the downstairs neighbor’s room? James was not the kind of man who kept women like that around. Come to think of it, James was the kind of man who loved pie. James. James from downstairs. If I am Sherlock Holmes, then he is my James Moriarty. But I’ve got no time for limey prep-school sleuths with too much time on their hands. Give me a real yellow-jacket, flashlight wielding gumshoe

any day, and you can keep your Benedict Cumberbatch. Besides, James is not the kind of man to play games — simplicity is his protection. But here — here was a complication he hadn’t counted on. You can’t pull off a heist this size — eat three pies — by yourself, and accomplice is just a fancy word for a weakness in your plan. So I corner the blonde in the hallway. She looks at me with two of the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen and in a voice like dark chocolate she purrs: “Hey! Are you headed to class?” Oh, I know her game. Well, I am not about to be distracted. Women are all the same — they pretend not to be hungry, but inside they all thirst for pie. I look her straight in those sapphire-blue pools as I ask her the question she already knows is coming. “Hey, you haven’t seen my pies, have you?” Just a flicker — that was enough to know the truth.

“No?” her eyes dart to the door. “Class is in, like, 5 minutes — you know that right?” As if I cared — as if I could care. But I can tell she’s onto me, onto my game, and now it’s too late. Turns out James chooses his friends better than I thought. I watch her leave and turn back to the door of James’ apartment. Of course there would be no way to prove it. James is too smart for that, no. I just have to wait. Wait for him to slip up. That’s the real life of a gumshoe: You see crime every day, but there is never any justice. It’s a cold, cruel world out there. I light a cigarette and stare out the window, out into the darkened street. Not even the fire alarm can move me from my perch — watching the night, waiting for justice. ILLUSTRATION BY BOWEN