Whitman College Pioneer - Graduation Issue 2009

GR ADUAT I ONEDI T I ON Whi t ma nCo l l e g e Pi o ne e r

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News

Whitman College Pio neer

May 18, 2009

Class of ‘09 prepared to tackle challenges ahead

by Elana Congress

Once enrolled students arrive on campus, though, they are no longer defined by their Reporter performance in high school but by their contributions to Whitman.

Since their arrival in August 2005, the stu“On May 24, we’re going to be cheering,” dents of the class of 2009 have greatly said Cabasco. “We got to know them as high impacted the Whitman community. school seniors, we got excited to see them Although it’s difficult to define a class come to Whitman, and then made up of 340 individuals, Dean we got to see them get inof Students Chuck Cleveland says volved once they arrived.” the class of 2009 consists of leaders Although she has only and doers. been at Whitman since “This class has brought activism the fall of 2006, Andrea back to campus,” he said. “They Ramirez, the director of leave a legacy of change, activism student activities, has also and concern for others—both globenjoyed watching the seally and locally.” niors’ development.

He mentioned the work of WhitRamirez works with man Direct Action (WDA) and students in many differCampus Greens specifically, and ent contexts, but most noted that many of the seniors’ effrequently through the forts have had an environmental Associated Students of focus. He also emphasized the Whitman College (ASWC) class’s generosity. and the Campus Activities “They show a real caring for Board (CAB). others,” he said. “The Emergency “The students that I’ve Fund for students—that’s the work worked with have been reof the seniors. The seniors led that ally outgoing and commitcharge, along with junior David ted to what they’re involved Changa-Moon.” with on campus,” she said.

The seniors will certainly have “It’s been great to see the to use their creativity, enthusiasm seniors figure out what they and intelligence once they hit “the want to accomplish and real world”: they’re graduating in become their own person, the crux of an economic downturn. finally feeling comfortRuth Wardwell, the director of able with who they are,” communications, emphasized the she said. “They start to see difficulties that graduating students themselves as adults and face. kim role models.”

“I have only the best wishes for Members of the Class of ‘09 mingle at a wine tasting event at Merchants.

The seniors’ accomplishthis class but it comes with concern Organized by the Senior Class Committee, the event celebrated the last 25 ments transcend academon their behalf,” she said. “For those days until graduation. ics, but their scholarly achievement is also who want jobs right away, their challenges are guess is that they’ll rise above that,” she said.

Each Whitman affiliate has interacted with noteworthy. Twenty nine percent of the class great. For those who want to go to grad school, they are well prepared and that’s a good feel- the graduating seniors in a different context. will graduate Cum Laude (Whitman GPA of Some remember specific events and others re- 3.650 or greater), Magna Cum Laude (Whiting.” man GPA of 3.800 or greater), or Summa Cum member certain students.

As the Dean of Admission and Financial Laude (Whitman GPA of 3.900 or greater).

Although Cabasco is sad to see the seniors Aid, Tony Cabasco knew the class before Inside the Pioneer its members even arrived on campus. When go, he knows they’ll be back.

“When we admit high school seniors, News.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 the members of the class of 2009 applied we’re not just recruiting students: we’re to Whitman, their SATs scores were out of Opinion.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17 recruiting alumni,” he said.

1600, not 2400.

Of the 361 first-years that Years in Review.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25 Cleveland shares a similar sentiment. enrolled in September 2005, 39 were firstFeatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-39 “We’ll see this class again,” he said. “They generation students, 53 were valedictorians A&E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-51 may be gone, but they’re still connected.” at their high school, and 51 had a familial Humor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52-53 connection with Whitman.

Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-63 Barbara Maxwell, the associate dean of students for student programs and activities, also recognized the unfortunate financial climate.

Additionally, though, she recalled the tragedy that occurred during the class’s opening week in 2005—Hurricane Katrina.

“Their bookends are not positive, but my

Who is the Class of 2009?

Credits & Majors

Students need 124 credits to graduate from Whitman. The average number of completed credits was 126. 27 students are graduating with a double major.

The most popular majors are biology (31 students), psychology (29 students) and politics (27 students).

In addition, there are seven Biology-Environmental Studies majors, one Biology-Geology major, and five Politics-Environmental Studies majors. There are 54 students in the combined Environmental Studies major, with the largest number (12) in the Environmental Humanities major and the smallest number (2) in the Physics-Environmental Studies major.

Popular Courses The most common courses taken by students graduating this May were Psychology 110: Introduction to Psychology, Economics 107: Principles of Economics, Chemistry 125: General Chemistry, Art History 103: Introduction to Art History, and Math 126: Calculus II.

Admissions Facts 69 percent were involved in community service in high school; 56 percent participated in at least one varsity sport; 55 percent did music (vocal and instrumental); 29 percent participated in outdoor activities; 22 percent were captain or co-captain of a varsity sport; 22 percent participated in theater in high school; 36 percent were editor/co-editor of the newspaper, yearbook, or literary magazine (9 percent). 23 founded a club or student organization; 12 were Eagle Scouts; 12 were ASB or senior class president. The entering class traveled to 59 countries and spoke more than 18 languages.

Facts and Figures Eight percent of graduating students transferred to Whitman from another college or university. 361 firstyears enrolled at Whitman in September 2005, and 83 percent of students graduating this May entered Whitman in September 2005. 19 students will graduate in September—a remarkably high number compared to past years. 340 students are expected to graduate on May 24, but the number may change due to difficulties with transfer credits; 23 percent of the class of 2009 participated in a Varsity Sport at Whitman; 77 percent of graduating seniors are Caucasian; nine percent are Asian/Pacific Islander; six percent are Hispanic/ Latino, three percent are international students; three percent are Black/African American and two percent are American Indian/Alaskan Native. Male students comprise 51 percent of students that enrolled at Whitman in September 2005, and 49 percent are female.

In contrast, 50 percent of graduating students are male and 50 percent are female. *Data is from the Profile of the Class of 2009, compiled by the Admissions Office in September 2005, and a Class of 2009 Fact Sheet, compiled in 2009

by Neal Christopherson in the Office of Institutional Research.

May 18, 2009

News

Whitman College Pio neer

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Commencement Weekend features Amb. Crocker array of events for grads and families to bid farewell Taken from the Whitman Web site

Friday, May 22 8-10 a.m. - The Class of 1959 invites seniors and their parents for a tennis outing in the Bratton Tennis Center. This fun event is for players of all levels; adults only, please. Interested in playing? Contact Gene Greenlee ‘59 at 360-412-4139 or genewgreen@comcast. net.

8 p.m. - Harper Joy Theatre production: “She Loves Me” - Book by Joe Masteroff, Music

by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

Harper Joy Theatre, Alexander Stage. Tickets available for purchase beginning April 27; please call the box office at 527-5180.

9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Bookstore

families hosted by Michelle Janning & Neal Christopherson; 1103 Figueroa Street.

7 p.m. - Young Alumni Gathering. No-host social at the Mill Creek Brew Pub.

11 a.m. - noon - Psychology Department reception for Senior Psychology majors and their families; Maxey Auditorium.

8 p.m. - Harper Joy Theatre production: “She Loves Me” - Book by Joe Masteroff, Music

by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

Harper Joy Theatre, Alexander Stage. Tickets available for purchase beginning April 27; please call the box office at 527-5180.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Lunch may be purchased; Reid Center Cafe.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - NEW! - Commencement BBQ with music by Orange Fight. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 on the day of the event. Purchase tickets online here; Reid Campus Center Side Lawn.

1-2 p.m. - Intercultural Center Open House, Reid Center 216.

Sunday, May 24 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Coffee, espresso, juice, bottled water, and pastries may be purchased at the Reid Center Cafe.

8 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Kappa Kappa Gamma Strawberry Breakfast for Seniors and their families.

Hosted by Ann Stewart Skoglund.

open

9 a.m. - noon - Coffee, espresso, juice, bottled water, and pastries may be purchased at Cafe ‘41 in Penrose Library.

9 a.m. - Spectator seating open, Memorial Building South Lawn along Boyer Avenue.

Saturday, May 23 8-9:30 a.m. - Breakfast, Coffee & Espresso may be purchased; Reid Center Cafe.

8-10 a.m. - The Class of 1959 invites seniors and their parents for a tennis outing in the Bratton Tennis Center. This fun event is for players of all levels; adults only, please. Interested in playing? Contact Gene Greenlee ‘59 at 360412-4139 or genewgreen@comcast.net.

9-5 p.m. - Bookstore open 9:30 a.m. - Phi Beta Kappa no-host brunch and annual meeting. Young Ballroom, Reid Campus Center. Phi Beta Kappa members and their guests are invited.

10:30 a.m. - noon - President Bridges and Dr. Kari Tupper invite all Seniors and their families to an open house reception at the Sherwood House; 1107 Alvarado Terrace.

11 a.m. - noon - Sociology Department reception for Senior Sociology majors and their

varonin

1:15 -2:15 p.m. - Mongolia trip slide show by Bob Carson, Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies. Hall of Science 151.

2:15 -3:15 p.m. - Geology Department Open House. 1st floor, Hall of Science.

3-5 p.m. - Senior Thesis Art Exhibit, Reception and Celebration. Sheehan Gallery, Olin Hall.

3:30 p.m. - Baccalaureate, Cordiner Hall.

5-7 p.m. - Dinner may be purchased; Reid Center Cafe.

9-11 a.m. - Bookstore open

9:50 a.m. - Senior class photograph, meet near the Science Building on Ankeny Field in caps and gowns.

10:15 a.m. - Senior class lines up on the sidewalk between Maxey Auditorium and Lakum Duckum.

10:20 a.m. - Faculty photograph, meet on the north steps of Memorial.

11 a.m. - Commencement Ceremony, Memorial Building South Lawn along Boyer Avenue.

1-4 p.m. Bookstore open

to graduates

by Chelsea Bissell Reporter

Whitman and Foreign Service Alumnus, Ryan Crocker, has promised to make his upcoming Commencement speech brief to ensure that the awaiting graduates won’t fall asleep under the rays of the hot Walla Walla sun.

Crocker, a ’71 graduate of Whitman and recently retired Ambassador to Iraq, visited his alma mater on April 28 to prepare for graduation. He promised to bestow upon the graduates his wisdom from a 38-year career in the Foreign Service alongside words of guidance.

But aside from its brevity, Crocker was unwilling to divulge any teasers regarding his upcoming address, entitled “Lessons from a Long War.” His polite evasion stemmed from indecision about what he will discuss during graduation.

“There will be some spontaneity to it,” he said.

Though Crocker was purposefully vague, he did give an overview of “Lessons from a Long War.” “I’ll reflect on both the long, literal war and also the war in another sense, just the whole process of living a life,” said Crocker.

Crocker’s post-graduate life certainly blossomed. Shortly after graduating from Whitman in 1971, Crocker took the Foreign Service Exam and passed. Crocker devoted his 38-year career throughout the Middle East, serving as the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Pakistan, before serving what he calls his “most difficult post” in Iraq.

Crocker committed himself to the Middle East and even spent weeks with the Bedouin, herding sheep and becoming more proficient in Arabic, a notoriously difficult language to learn.

This estimable service made Crocker a prime choice for this year’s Commencement address.

“Ryan Crocker is one of the most experienced, talented and respected US Ambassadors,” said Jed Schwendiman, Assistant to the President. “He was given one of the most challenging jobs imaginable and handled his work CROCKER, see page 10

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News

Whitman College Pio neer

May 18, 2009

Seniors to embark on post-grad study with awards

by Cindy Chen

international development in Washington D.C. this summer. Junior Jackson Cahn, Senior Reporter recipient of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, will be working at Every year, Whitman students continue to the National Institute of Standards and earn awards for post-graduate study, and Technology in Maryland this summer. this year is no exception. Years of hard Some students will be traveling abroad work and drive propel Whitman students to Asia. Among these are five seniors, to pursue top awards around the country, Katrina Barlow, Thomas Bugert, Kaston like the Watson Fellowship (senior Aisha Griffin, Kyle Pereira, and Jason Shon, Fukushima) and Fulbright U.S. Student who were selected to the Japan Exchange Program. and Teaching Program (JET).

“It is one of the less risky English teaching programs in Japan because it is run by the Japanese government. It is also one of the most well-known teaching programs for foreigners in Japan (at least in America, to my knowledge),” said Pereira.

Seniors Greg Eiselt and Marty Skeels won Princeton in Asia Fellowships which will take them to China and Vietnam, respectively, to increase cross-cultural understanding between Asians and Americans.

Alumna Corinne Zipparo Gibbon, ’06, won Top row, left to right: Marty Skeels, Thomas Bugert; Bottom Row, left to right: Aisha Fukushima, Musa Kpaka, Katrina a Fulbright English Barlow, Jason Shon, Kaston Griffin. teaching assistantship to Vietnam, and seniors The Watson is one of the most inno- with Curtis and Thorndike also selected Asteria Valusek and David Blanchard vative and independent fellowships and as national finalists for the prestigious were finalists to the Fulbright U.S. Scholwinner Aisha Fukushima, will be travel- Truman scholarship, which recognizes ars program. As finalists, the Fulbright ing around the world after graduation to juniors who have leadership potential and national committee recommended them want to pursue to their country of choice but since space study raptivism (the careers in gov- and grants are limited in each country, not marriage of hip hop ernment or pub- everyone gets to study in their country of and social activism) For more information, visit the Whitlic service. choice. However, the status of finalist is a with the stipend of man Web site at whitman.edu/content Other awards great achievement in itself. $25,000 that the /news/grantawards. provide stuThese are just a few of the awards won award provides. She dents with the by Whitman students this year. Students was the only recipio p p o r t u n i t y can find out more about these opportunient from a Northwest to teach or study domestically and inter- ties through the Fellowships and Grants school.

In one of the most competitive years nationally, like the Monterey Institute office as well as through faculty. on record, Whitman was the only school Davis United World College Fellowship to have three Udall Scholars. Juniors received by senior Musa Kpaka to study Lisa Curtis, Elena Gustafson and Camila Thorndike received this award which honors Congressman Morris King Udall’s 30year legacy of public service.

“All of these awards, even if they apply for them as juniors or sophomores, go towards graduate study or they will be carried out after they graduated,” said Keith Raether, Interim Director Post Baccalaureate Fellowships and Scholarships.

Some students were multiple winners,

Whitman Winners Fellowship, scholarship and grant awards 2008-09, as available at press deadline Fulbright Grant Corinne Gibbon ‘06 David Blanchard ’09 (finalist) Asteria Valusek ’09 (finalist) Watson Fellowship Aisha Fukushima ’09 Udall Scholarship Lisa Curtis ’10 Elena Gustafson ’10 Camila Thorndike ’10 Truman Scholarship Lisa Curtis ’10 (finalist) Camila Thorndike ’10 (finalist) Princeton in Asia Fellowship Greg Eiselt ’09 (China) Jill Laney ’09 (finalist) Marty Skeels ’09 (Vietnam) Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Manuel Mora ’10 Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Tim Shadix ’09 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Jackson Cahn ’10 Monterey Institute Davis United World College Fellowship Musa Kpaka ’09 Davis Projects for Peace Jesse Phillips ’09 and Curt Bowen ’09 Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Katrina Barlow ’09 Thomas Bugert ’09 Kaston Griffin ’09 Kyle Pereira ’09 Jason Shon ’09 Reese Ishmael ’09 (alternate) Michelle Kwon ’09 (alternate) Brigitte Woods ’09 (alternate)

Chase Cooper, ‘09, has been named the first-ever recipient of the Delta Gamma – Hattie Fry Award.

This award, established in honor of Whitman and Delta Gamma alum Hattie Gordon Fry, provides funds to recognize a graduating Greek senior who has demonstrated strong character and leadership, served as an ambassador and advocate for the Whitman Greek community and made a positive impact on the Whitman community as a whole. Each Greek organization nominated a graduating senior for the award, and the Dean of Students evaluated nominees. This is set to become an annual award.

May 18, 2009

News

Whitman College Pio neer

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Q&A: Bridges reflects on the past four years

by Alex Jeffers Reporter

courtesy of whitman communications

The Pioneer: When did you arrive at Whitman?

George Bridges: I arrived here in 2005. My first day on the job was July 1.

P: So that was right before the class of 2009 came to campus?

GB: Yes, they came in August and it all started.

P: What do you think about the class of 2009, generally speaking?

GB: I think the class of 2009 is phenomenal. It’s filled with really interesting, engaging and inspiring young men and women, and I’m really proud of their accomplishments.

It’s been a great four years, and I feel very fortunate to have been here and gone through this great cycle of education with them. It’s fun.

P: Have there been significant ups and downs with the class of 2009?

GB: There are ups and downs with every group of students, and luckily almost of them have been ups with this class. I think I came here with what I would almost call a misconception of small colleges in general, and the misconception is this: for most of my career I’ve taught at larger schools where students learn primarily through classes and in lectures, but at Whitman, and smaller liberal

arts colleges generally, the students learn in relationships. It’s relationships with professors, one-on-one conversations inside and outside the classroom, and relationships with other students. One of the most important things I’ve learned in coming here is how precious those relationships are and how long they affect the lives of the students. It isn’t just a four-year window; those relationships really carry on through decades. What’s been incredibly impressive to me is that these relationships sustain over many years.

mulating questions, and formulating the right questions. My hope is that they would continue to ask questions about every aspect of their lives and about our country. I hope they take risks. You can’t grow intellectually, emotionally, personally, if you don’t take risks—and I don’t mean risks that challenge your safety, but I mean intellectual and personal risks that stretch your understanding of the people around you. Take risks, do things that you might not otherwise do, simply to gain a much better understanding of yourself and others.

P: How have you affected the class of 2009?

GB: Well, the great challenge in being a college president is knowing how you impact your students. I can tell you how I hope I’ve affected the experiences of the class. I hope from our time together that they’ve learned– from me and from others–about the value of asking questions, the value of examining the perspectives they bring to the environment in which they live and work. I think we’ve had many conversations about diversity and about the importance of acknowledging and embracing differences. Those are among the issues that I hope have been part of their experience, and I hope I’ve contributed to that.

P: How has Whitman changed as an institution in the last four years?

GB: The good news is that so many aspects haven’t changed. It’s academically very solid and its approach to educating students remains just as it was 120 years ago, focused solely on the undergraduate, so there’s continuity there. At the same time, colleges are like living organisms—buildings come and go, people come and go, they are environments that are constantly changing. So you see the addition of a new global studies program, you see the expanding involvement of students in faculty research, you see international scholarships and fellowships, you see an increasing number of students participating in our Outdoor Program. You see a changing mix of students coming to campus; among our admitted students for the fall of ’09, more are students of color, more are from other parts of the country, and more are from different socioeconomic backgrounds. These are huge changes given the long history of the college. We’re a more d i-

P: How has the class of 2009 affected you?

GB: Profoundly. The relationships I’ve developed with individual students have given me enormous hope for their leadership of their communities, and how they will respond to their inheritance, the social conditions, and the economy that my generation will be leaving them. I’m enormously hopeful for the future of these students and for the country—they’re so smart and so inspiring. What I also like so much about this generation of students is that many of them value serving others. Service to others simply wasn’t a part of my college experience; it was off the radar screen. This is also a generation of students that is far more interested in global issues.

Many of them study and travel abroad while they are here and some even before they are here, and this is just such a remarkable set of attributes for young men and women who have their entire lives ahead of them.

P: Do you have any advice for the graduating seniors?

GB: I would hope that they would continue to ask questions. The value of a college education is not formulating answers; it’s about for-

verse group in many respects and those changes are, I think, all for Whitman’s betterment and will lead to a stronger institution. Whitman is and will continue to be a ladder of opportunity and mobility to students who wouldn’t necessarily—by virtue of their family background—have access to a school like this. I think Whitman will be stronger five years from now than it is now if we keep these trends going up.

P: Do you see yourself here for a lot longer?

GB: Well, I hope so. I wouldn’t want to leave. I can’t think of a place where being president would be a better job. There are two aspects of the college that I like the most, and I will continue to like the most: I like and respect the students, I like the energy they bring to the campus; and I enjoy and have the deepest respect for our faculty—these are really talented people who could be anywhere in the country, and they chose Whitman because they want to be a part of this intentional academic community focused on undergraduates. It’s really very inspiring.

mitchell

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News

Whitman College Pio neer

May 18, 2009

l l e w e r a f n a m t i h W d i b y t l u c a f d e v o l e B Mary Anne O’Neil

by Shannon Buckham

David H. Carey

by Shannon Buckham Reporter

Professor David Carey began teaching at Whitman in 1989 and has been an active member of the Philosophy Department for the past 20 years, serving as department chair twice. He received his B.A. from St. John’s College, two masters’ degrees in theology and philosophy and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Carey has taught courses in Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Plato’s Republic and Values, while dedicating himself to the Antiquity and Modernity curriculum.

He received the Thomas D. Howells Award for Distinguished Humanit ies Teaching in 1996.

His published works include Chaucer’s Church (2002), with co-author Edward Forster, and “The Social Mortgage of Intellectual Property (2007).

For Carey, life after Whitman will be all about relaxing for awhile.

“I have a large stack of books I want to read,” he said. “Otherwise, like Ambassador Crocker, my plan is to have no plan, no schedule, for a while. Then refocus on my next big project, whatever that is.”

Reporter

Professor Mary Anne O’Neil first came to Whitman as a sabbatical replacement in the spring of 1977. For the past 32 years, she has taught in the Foreign Language Department, and this past semester volunteered to act as chair while taking on a special topics class on conversational Italian in addition to her regular course load.

She has taught courses in French and Spanish as well as a range of courses in world and western literature. A member of many college committees, O’Neil served as Associate Dean of the Faculty, Chair of the Faculty and Chair of the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department, and was Core Coordinator for 2008-2009.

“Of the many highlights, I would mention the establishment of our Language Learning Center in Olin and our years as part of the Northwest Language Consortium,” she said, adding that these contributed to more collaboration be-

tween faculty and students and developed better means of incorporating technology into language instruction.

O’Neil received her B.A. in French from the University of California at Berkeley, her M.A. in French from Middlebury College and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon. At Whitman she has remained devoted to the development of the Language Department and to the Undergraduate Conferences, which she said have improved each year.

While she will miss life at Whitman, O’Neil has embraced retirement as a chance to settle some unfinished business.

“For the first six months after I retire, I plan not to get dressed but to stay in my PJs,” she said.

O’Neil will also be working with publisher Yale University Press to develop two series of lesson plans to help other language instructors teach her book, “La France et la francophone,” which is already used at Whitman for intermediate and advanced French.

courtesy of whitman communications

“I will miss, above all, my colleagues in the Olin building, many of whom have already left Whitman,” O’Neil said. “We had so much fun and we worked together so well. I include among those colleagues the wonderful administrative assistants and custodians.”

Robert A. Fontenot

by Shannon Buckham Reporter

In the 34 years since joining the Mathematics Department at Whitman, Professor Robert Fontenot has savored his role as advisor to students completing the 3-2 Engineering and Computer Science Program and his work with independent study students. Fontenot, who is ending his career at Whitman this year, said he will miss the day to day interaction with students wheeler and colleagues, but he has big plans for the future.

After earning his B.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Louisiana State University, Fontenot worked at Oakland University for 3 years before joining the faculty at Whitman in 1975. His courses over the years have ranged from calculus to linear algebra to numerical analysis to operations research and differential equations.

“I have been blessed by good relationships with my amazingly dedicated and highly

His goals and plans competent colleagues among the facfor the future include ulty and staff at Whitman,” he said. “I an Alaskan cruise, have enjoyed having good students in volunteer work, remy classes and, in particular, for indesearch projects, and pendent studies in things like topology learning Spanish. or game theory and for honors theses or But first, he plans to senior projects.” relax.

Fontenot’s involvement has not been “I am going limited to the mathematics department, to rest a little bit, however. spend lots of time He served as faculty adviser to the with my wonderTau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and parful wife, and pet my ticipated in rock climbing trips with the cats,” said. He also Outdoor Program, and he and his wife intends to visit his hosted a series of picnic dinners and children in Califordiscussion groups for students. courtesy of whitman communications nia, Texas, and Del“A group of eight or so students… met weekly in my home over a two-year aware and family members in Louisiana. period for discussions of magazine articles and for The list continues: long walks and bike rides, consumption of yummy treats,” said Fontenot. drinking coffee and wine, eating “fattening treats Fontenot was a Paul Garret Fellow and has been awarded the A.E. Lange Award for Distinguished with friends,” reading the New York Times, attendScience Teaching twice. He served as a member of ing plays and talks at Whitman and elsewhere, and the Catholic Children and Family Services Board getting more involved with church activities and and was honored for this community service with organizations that serve the poor. the Town-Gown Award in 1996.

News

May 18, 2009

Jea

er l l e t s a M n Car wile

by Gillian Frew Director of Writing

When Professor Jean Carwile Masteller and her husband, Professor Rick Masteller, joined the English department at Whitman in 1978, they filled the first-ever shared position on faculty. At the time, Carwile Masteller recalled, the appointment was so unusual that newspapers in Walla Walla, Spokane and Seattle all covered it.

“Hard to believe we caused such a buzz then,” she said.

Upon arriving at Whitman, Carwile Masteller also found herself in the unique position of being one of only five tenure-track female faculty members. No courses on women’s studies were offered through any department. During her first year teaching, however, students started a petition requesting that the English department offer a course on women. Carwile Masteller, whose dissertation was focused on American women writers, also proposed a course.

The following year, Carwile Masteller taught what she believes to be the first course of its kind at Whitman, and the year after that offered a course called “Growing up Female” as part of the first-year seminars program.

“I’m proud of both of these moves to expand the curriculum,” she said.

Carwile Masteller received her B.A. with Honors from Lynchburg College, her M.A. in English from the University of Virginia, and her Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Minnesota. Her specialties are American literature and culture, particularly of the nineteenth century, women’s literature and the relationship between canonical and popular culture. She has published works on Henry David Thoreau and Andrew Jackson Downing, among others, and has contributed to the Emily Dickinson Encyclopedia.

Last year, Carwile Masteller was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite her ongoing treatments, which will conclude in June, she continued teaching while spearheaded the creation of two separate funds at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla to finance mammograms and other services for

patients who cannot afford them. She called on the English department to support her community service effort, inspiring several students to participate.

“After this year, I will miss the daily contact with students who give me enormous energy,” Carwile Masteller said. “This year that support and energy has been not just intellectual, but also personal as students, faculty and staff have given me strength. I will miss the students but look forward to the letters, cards, e-mails, phone calls, and visits that I hope will continue.”

With the responsibilities of teaching behind her, Carwile Masteller plans to devote her attention to the “boxes of research materials that call” and a new project on the musical settings of Emily Dickinson, a top priority. Her orchids will also be receiving some extra care.

“I will try to revive my orchid collection that suffered this year with inconsistent attention,” she said. “I lost half of my orchids, but I’m already starting to rebuild the collection. Then, too, the garden calls for renovation. So in many ways I plan ‘to cultivate my garden.’”

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Richard N. M asteller from the University of Minnesota.

While studying at the University of Virginia, Masteller met his future wife and colleague with whom he would later share an office at Whitman (still Carwile Masteller’s current office). Both taught at Illinois State University and the University of Minnesota before coming to Whitman; appropriately, he proposed to her in the Edgar Allen Poe Garden.

With his specialty in 20 th century American literature, Masteller taught a wide array of courses covering 1600-present, as well as seminars and photography courses. His published essays concern the America purveyed by western stereographs of the late 19 th century, modernism and the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, the satiric vision of John Dos courtesy of whitman communications Passos and Reginald Marsh, and rural architecture in the works of

by Gillian Frew Andrew Jackson Downing and Henry DaDirector of Writing vid Thoreau. Masteller’s artistic expertise Looking back on his three decades at Whit- enabled him to offer an innovative array man, Professor Rick Masteller does not of interdisciplinary English courses, such think in terms of the big accomplishments, as The Harlem Renaissance, The Shaping although he has many—pioneering Whit- Spirit and The American City: Image and man’s first shared faculty position with his Experience.

Like Carwile Masteller, he intends to wife, Professor Jean Carwile Masteller, in 1978, or receiving the Smithsonian Visiting pursue unfinished research projects after concluding his career at Whitman. PhotogScholar’s Grant, to name just a few.

Rather, he frames his reflection through raphy and pleasure reading are also on the a passage from Virginia Woolf’s To The agenda.

“I’ll still be here, digging into the boxes Lighthouse, which, true to his English proof materials I’ve amassed over the years,” fessor instincts, he diligently “unpacks.”

“As she struggles to complete her paint- he said. “I’ll pick up my own camera—and, ing while simultaneously reflecting on her yes, play with Photoshop. And I’ll turn to long association with the Ramsays, Lily read again some of the poetry and fiction Briscoe, the artist-protagonist of the nov- I’ve enjoyed before, as well as many texts el, thinks: ‘What is the meaning of life?’” I’ve not had time to open.”

In recalling his experiences with WhitMasteller quoted. “‘That was all—a simple question: one that tended to close in on one man students, Masteller again conjures up with years. The great revelation had never Virginia Woolf.

“We’ve all had various amounts of darkcome. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead there were little daily ness in recent years; I’m cheered by the fact miracles, illuminations, matches struck un- that students themselves continue to bring illumination, sometimes striking matches expectedly in the dark.’”

Masteller received his B.A. with Dis- unexpectedly in the dark.” tinction from the University of Rochester, his M.A. in English from the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. in American Studies

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May 18, 2009

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Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Katrina Mie Barlow, Whitman class of 2009 We are so proud of the trail you have created and the path still to be forged. Help to bring peace, beauty, humor, and wisdom to the world.

Love, Dad, Mom, and Laura

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, MOM AND DAD

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News

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May 18, 2009

Crocker praises Whitman’s ability to educate

hn

so

n

of a people’s imaginative literature is crucial tool for insight into that culture.

“It’s a valid a tool for understanding foreign culture as any other discipline and perhaps more so,” said Crocker.

Crocker’s commitment to the Middle East and the depth of his understanding of the area has led him to be considered one of the most respected and honored American Ambassadors.

In January 2009, President Bush awarded Crocker with the

jo

admirably.”

While to many, Crocker’s upcoming address is an honor for Whitman, the Ambassador attributes much of his success to his alma mater.

Crocker claims that, especially now, liberal arts education properly equips students for diplomatic work. The emphasis on global studies and study abroad programs solidifies and makes foreign relations a reality for many students.

“And more broadly, you’re here to think,” said Crocker. “To think in a disciplined and yet creative fashion.”

Crocker especially praises the education he received in English Literature here at Whitman. He found that his background as an English major was a “huge asset” for his post-Whitman life. For Crocker, the ability to analyze and dissect imaginative literature is an important intellectual and sensory device for understanding the surrounding world.

“It’s a tremendous mental discipline,” said

Crocker.

He went on to explain that remarkable battles are more easily overcome when someone possesses the abilities to understand, investigate and interpret creative literature than someone who doesn’t. He cites its abilities of mental expansion, abstract thinking beyond the purely intellectual.

“You learn not only to think, but to feel. And that is a very undervalued part of knowledge,” said Crocker.

“How you sense something, as well as how you intellectualize it.”

More specifically, Crocker claimed that an awareness

o.

CROCKER, from page 3

Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a president can bestow upon a civilian. Crocker was the first member of the Foreign Service to receive the award. The medal was presented by President Bush at the State Department where he touted the “sacrifices and accomplishments of the State Department as a whole.”

For Crocker, this recognition of the Foreign Service was one of the most gratifying aspects of receiving the award.

“It was a huge honor, well beyond my own merits,” said Crocker.

For students who desire to follow in Crocker’s footsteps and join the Foreign Service, Crocker insists that a Whitman education properly equips students for diplomatic work. The current emphasis on global studies and studying abroad, solidifies and makes foreign relations a reality for liberal arts students.

“You’re here to think,” said Crocker. “To think in a disciplined and yet creative fashion.”

Out with the old, in with the new: a look at the Class of 2013

by Maggie Allen Reporter

Each year brings a unique and diverse group of incoming students to campus, and the class of 2013 is no exception.

In another record year, with applications up 5 percent, the Office of Admission received 3,437 applications, compared to approximately 3,080 last year. Of those who applied, 1,498 students were accepted. As of May 15, 418 students have enrolled; this number may increase pending transfer students.

Forty-eight states were represented in the acceptance process. There was a 26 percent growth in applications from California, Colorado grew by 9 percent, Idaho increased 20 percent, Massachusetts 21 percent, Nevada 29 percent, and Texas 16 percent.

Seventy-five percent of the transfer students are from a four-year college, and many of these students are transferring from top-tier schools, such as Emory, Middlebury, Dartmouth and Cornell.

“These are kids at really good places, and they have said that they don’t think it’s the right fit and that Whitman is the better fit,” said Director of Admission Kevin Dyerly. “I’m really excited for the group of transfer students, who really provide

a different perspective because they already have some college experience.”

Acceptances arrived from 20 different countries, and 26 percent of the admitted students are students of color, with 2.5 percent more international students. There were 357 international applicants, compared to 250 accepted last year.

These students come from such places as Bangladesh, Botswana, Costa Rica, Egypt, Malaysia, Uruguay and more, with the largest representation from Asia.

“We are trying to craft the class to represent a pretty broad range of countries and continents,” said Dyerly.

There were also a record number of students accepted from very close by. Six students from Walla Walla High School received acceptance letters.

Academically speaking, the profile of accepted students is still very strong.

The median unweighted grade point average (GPA) was 3.85, the median verbal SAT 700, math 680, writing 680, and the median ACT was 31.

Extracurricular activities of the incoming class range from talented thespians, artists, debaters and musicians, to athletes, and students who have conducted scientific research and founded nonprofit organizations. Incoming student Peter Bur-

rows from Minnesota, for example, co-founded an Equestrian Artistry at his high school.

The main challenge the Admissions Office may face within the upcoming year is coping with the economic downturn.

“The recession may have not affected application choices for colleges this year because by the time the economy really tanked, students had already made their decisions on where they were going to apply,” said Dyerly. “However, the recession might really affect who doesn’t look at Whitman next year. And then there’s just the uncertainty of what the economy is going to do and how that might impact the students we have admitted.”

“If the economy doesn’t improve, that will have an effect for those who apply next year,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco. “Another challenge was that last year was the peak of high school graduates, so we are now going to experience a slow decline in the US for the next five to six years.”

However, considering that the college is still up 5 percent in applications despite the economic downturn, Whitman is doing very well compared to other colleges.

“That just says that the college is doing a lot of things really well. And our national and international reputation is getting stronger,” said

Dylerly.

Many attributes are drawing students to this campus, despite the financial difficulties. Incoming student Kevin Dyer, from Carson City, Nevada, said that the English program was particularly attractive to him.

“Also, the swim team seemed to be miraculously fit to match what I was looking for, so I’m looking forward to wrecking shop there,” Dyer said.

“Driving into Walla Walla, my mind became a little more open because of the beautiful rolling hills and mountains,” incoming student from Minnesota Libby Arnosti said. “The town’s cute main street also helped me think a little more positively, but upon being introduced to the people and campus, I fell completely in love with everything about Whitman.”

Megan Emily Vermillion from Seattle agreed: “Whitman was such a thrill to fall in love with.

This college will be the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me!”

Cabasco shares the same enthusiasm and is looking forward to August.

“We’re excited for this new group of students,” he said. “We think it’s a good group and are excited to meet them. I expect them to come and get involved and engaged like [this year’s class] did.”

May 18, 2009

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Congratulations, Mica!

Wherever you land in this great big world, we will be proud!

Great Job!!

You’ve done it again!

We love you, and we wish you the best, now and always.

Mom and Dad

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Op-Ed

Whitman College Pio neer

Welcome to the 2009 Graduation Edition

WhitmanCollegePioneer S P R ING 2 0 0 9 Editors-in-Chief: Kim Sommers, Jamie Soukup Director of Writing: Gillian Frew Business Director: Megan McIntire

e d i t o r s

Letter from the Editors Thanks for picking up a copy of The Pioneer’s first-ever, but hopefully annual, Graduation Edition!

We wanted to create this edition as a way of celebrating Jamie SOUKUP and the seniors and saying Kim SOMMERS Editors-in-Chief congratulations. We hope that the Senior Superlatives, the Matriculation List and the reviews of the past four years will be appreciated by seniors, parents and all of the Whitman community who flip through these pages. Our hope is that every senior will see themselves reflected in these 64 pages­— that as they leaf through, they will remember all the activities and events that have helped to shape their college careers.

This issue would never have happened without the hard work of the entire staff, who have been

May 18, 2009

planning and preparing for months. When we first raised the idea of having a special Graduation Edition, everybody was nervous about the timing of such a big issue coming out in the midst of finals. But the hard work and planning of the production team, the section and graphics editors, our advertising staff and all others have made this possible.

This is the last print-edition that will come out before the next school year begins. Be on the lookout for our first issue of the ‘09-‘10 school year which is scheduled to print on Sept. 3, and be prepared for more special editions next school year.

In the meantime, voice your thoughts on this issue and others online at whitmanpioneer.com.

While we won’t be publishing anymore letters to the editor this school year, you can tune in online to share what you’re thinking, and even read the occasional mid-summer breaking news story.

Thank you for a great semester, and take care this summer!

-Jamie Soukup and Kim Sommers

News Editor: Molly Smith

A&E Editor: Mike Sado

Feature Editor: Autumn McCartan Op-Ed Editor: Derek Thurber

Sports Editor: Andy Jobanek

Humor Editors:

Photography Editor: Illustration Editor:

Associate News: Hanna Ory Associate A&E: Mariko Helm Associate Feature: Lyndsey Wilson Associate Op-Ed: Gabriela Salvidea Associate Sports: Mallory Peterson Sarah Hatheway, Evan Cartwright Peter Zipparo Tyler Calkin

r e p o rt e r s Iris Alden, Maggie Allen, Chelsea Bissell, Alethea Buchal, Shannon Buckham, Cindy Chen, Elana Congress, Alyssa Fairbanks, Josh Goodman, Rachel Hoar, J. Staten Hudson, Alex Jeffers, Sara Levy, Billy Low, Rebecca MacFife, Lauren McCullough, Noah Moskat, CJ Wisler, Libby Watkins

c o l u m n i s t s Russ Caditz-Peck, Lisa Curtis, Bryant Fong, Spencer Janyk, Alex Kerr, William Lawrence, Miles Pengilly, Caitlin Tortorici, Jesús Vásquez, Gary Wang Contributing Columnists: Connor Guy, Margaux Cameron Reviewers: Corey Feinstein, Andrew Hall, Becquer Medak-Seguin

p ro d u c t i o n Production Manager: Sara Rasmussen Senior Production Associate: Rebecca Fish Production Associates: Brianna Jaro, Tessa Matson, Quinn Taylor Copy Editors: Matt Manley, Sarah McVicar, Aakanksha Veenapani Web Manager: Andrew Spittle

p h o t o g r a p h y Senior Photographer: Ellie Klein Will Falltrick, Isabel Hong, David Jacobson, Sunn Kim, Krystin Norman, Leah Wheeler

i l l u s t r at i o n Sam Alden, Kelly Douglas, Emily Johnson, Olivia Johnson, Colleen Mitchell, Tricia Vanderbilt, Jillian Varonin

For information on advertising in or subscribing to The Pioneer, contact The Pioneer’s Business Director, Megan McIntire, at Business@whitmanpioneer.com.

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

The Pioneer welcomes letters to the Editor or any contradicting opinion pieces.

SUBMISSION Policy Letters may be submitted to The Pioneer editors, Jamie Soukup and Kim Sommers, via e-mail at editors@whitmanpioneer.com; or sent to The Pioneer, Whitman College, 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 signed and may be cut for space and edited for journalistic style. douglas

May 18, 2009

op-ed

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Whitman College Pio neer

Op-ed

May 18, 2009

Here’s to you, Whitman: a bittersweet farewell To Whitman, Walla Walla and beyond: In my four years on this campus, I’ve experienced a ravenous amount. I’ve thought about much. I’ve done Jesús some. I regret little.

VÁSQUEZ Rather than pitifully Columnist attempt to summarize my undergraduate experience, I figure I’d give some advice, apologies and thanks to various groups, going off of what I’ve learned here at Whitman.

To the first-years/underclassmen/the young at heart, I urge you, as trite as it may sound, to take risks. Do daring, unusual things, step outside of your comfort zone a bit, and NEVER be quick with your judgments.

To Walla Walla, I beseech thee. Please, please, PLEASE construct a restaurant and/ or café that operates longer than 9 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on the weekends. Really. I mean, I know there’s a harsh economic climate, but, I guarantee that you’d have a strong Whitman clientele, and I’m fairly sure townie adolescents would flock there as well in the wee hours of the morning. Shari’s is great and all, but, the distance can be a bit troublesome at times, and most people care not for the quality of food (which, really, I’m ok with, but that’s a different story).

To those that think Walla Walla is a slumbering, dormant town, I urge you to re-evaluate your judgment.

To those that drive by on Isaacs with the windows down, don’t yell slurs at people. It’s not nice. Really, you should have learned that

in kindergarten.

To those I’ve ever offended or hurt via my tardiness, please understand that I meant no such thing—it is merely a flaw of my personality which has improved modestly, and is an ongoing project.

To those who I’ve offended with my sometimes off-putting taste in modern music, I apologize slightly (and a bit half-heartedly).

To all those who I wanted to meet, but never got the chance, I apologize most dearly.

To those who I RA’ed, thank you for always providing a challenge, as well as many life lessons and no shortage of intriguing stories.

To those support groups and student services, including those in the Health Center, Financial Aid Office, ARC, FGWC and GLBTQ, among others, thank you immensely for all of your help and support, without

which I would surely have been lost.

To all the musicians whom I’ve had the honor and privilege of playing, studying and growing with, thank you for sharing your immense talents, passion and wisdom with me.

To those in Danger Mermaid (which, along with The Peeled Tangerines, is officially the best band on campus), I love you all. Never lose the upbeat.

To those of you who are insane enough to have been a friend to me, words cannot describe how you have impacted me. You will always have a special place in my heart.

As we disperse into the wild unknown that is the real world, far from the seclusion of the Whitman bubble, I hope you can look back on this time with me and smile. To know that even if we did fall, we fell together.

To you, my dear Whitman. Here’s to you.

Songs that kept me relatively sane

douglas

I miss “The Ear,” and my attempts to resurrect it through alternative means have resulted in a stalled Tumblog and Music Video Meltdowns (which Molly Smith and Sara Rasmussen tell me Mike are great, but then again, SADO they worship the ground I A&E Editor walk on).

“The Ear” was the unofficial music pullout in the The Pioneer and was managed by alum Alex Frank. It was like Pitchfork, only not as pretentious. Well, okay, we were pretentious (you could only enjoy Britney Spears ironically). Andrew Hall crafted haikus about Robocop. Sophie Johnson talked about how much she wanted to have sex with everybody on staff.

Grant Margeson hated Animal Collective. Keith Cushner loved Panda Bear. I poked fun at Alex for his love of Fall Out Boy. Frankly, I did that at every meeting.

Either way, “The Ear” cultivated my love of music both new and old. I’m addicted to the Hype Machine. My earphones are glued to my head during those long jaunts to the classroom. I cannot go a day without finding a new song.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I need my music to survive. I’ve been angry most of my senior year, because I re-

alized that the life I had coming in as a freshman was radically different from the life I have now as a senior. So, when that 10-page paper was due tomorrow, or when my friends were pissing me off, I retreated into these songs.

The inevitable love songs: Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z) – Rihanna, House of Cards – Radiohead, Wait - The Kills, Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Cars - Drive I’m a heartless romantic. Not hopeless. Heartless. Dudes break my heart constantly, so I guess I’ll go to Hot Topic, buy some tight clothing, and dye my hair jet black. Ha, no. Never. I’ll just take comfort in Rihanna offering me a place under her umbrella. Or Karen O’s faint compusure in “Maps.” Or the slow and passionate lull of “Wait.”

Yeah, I cry myself to sleep every night.

“Disco” never died: I Regret The Flower Power – Black Devil Disco Club, From Here to Eternity – Giorgio Moroder, Lights and Music – Cut Copy, Get Innocuous – LCD Soundsystem Disco will get its due some day, especially Italo disco. It certainly engendered my love for today’s current dance music. Giorgio Morder and Black Devil threw down some great synths in the past, so bless LCD and Cut Copy for keeping them alive.

Now if only I could get more people to listen to them rather than Flo Rida over and over again.

Lupe Fiasco FTW: Paris, Tokyo – Lupe Fiasco When I interviewed Aisha Fukushima about her post-bac grant, she mentioned that her under-

graduate conference presentation would involve Lupe Fiasco. I responded enthusiastically. “The Cool” doesn’t work as a concept album, but Lupe is still at the top of his game. “Paris, Tokyo” is a reminder of the time I had away from Whitman in another country, and how I’ll probably never get that chance again. I mean, I will when I’m rich and famous and loved all over (or I meet a sugar daddy), but for now, Lupe will take me to those far off places with his flow.

Music Shruthi Manjunath would not like or understantd: Street Hassle – Lou Reed, Rapture – Blondie, More - Peaches, Work - Junior Boys, NYC - Interpol “Um, okay, what is this? Why is she rapping?

Did he just say ‘the subway is a porno’? Why is this woman so abrasive and psychosexual? ‘Pick up the paperweight’? Oh, wow, deep. Don’t even get me started on this song about prostitutes. Listen, Sado, I love you but this is some stupid sh*t.

Now play me some Metro Station.”

Tiny dancer: Summer’s Gonna Hurt You – Diplo One of these days I’m going to choreograph a dance around this song, except—oops—I can’t dance [Ed. note: Yes he can]. My BFF Ozzie Angel would probably do it, because he is an exceptional dancer. Also, tiny.

Do not want: Asher Roth – I Love College Screw you, Asher Roth.

May 18, 2009

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Thank you Whitman!

Kyle Gilkeson ‘09

Follow your bliss!

-Joseph Campbell

Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.

-Katherine Whitehorn

Congratulations!

Dad, Mom, Gwyn & JT

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WHITMAN COLLEGE 2005 - 2009

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years in review

May 18, 2009

Catching up with ‘09 transfers

by Alex Jeffers Reporter

Not everyone who entered Whitman as a firstyear in fall of 2005 will walk across the stage at this month’s commencement.

As at most schools, students transfer into and out of Whitman for a variety of reasons each year, and the class of 2009 was no exception to that trend. With first- and second-year retention rates reported by Whitman’s Office of Institutional Research at 92.8 percent and 88.4 percent respectively, the vast majority of the 2005 cohort—also known as the graduating class of 2009—remained at Whitman for all four years. But what became of the other 11.6 percent of the 2009 class. Where did they transfer to and why?

Two ex-members of Whitman’s class of 2009 are Ava Jacobi and Nick Landau. Jacobi left for Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., at the end of her sophomore year in May 2007. Landau left Whitman upon completion of his junior year in May 2008 to attend Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore..

Jacobi sensed from the beginning of her Whitman experience that she wanted a different type of school.

“While I got quite a lot out of my time at Whitman, I knew that it was never the perfect fit for me,” said Jacobi. “I was far away from my family and from internship, work and cultural opportunities I hoped to pursue.”

Ultimately, the feeling of tension did not make her decision any easier. Though the choice was a hard one, Jacobi has no regrets.

“The decision was very difficult because I loved Whitman, but ultimately I realized that I had two more years and should try something new rather than stifle my curiosity,” Jacobi said. “Ultimately, I’m glad that I left Whitman when I did because I never became bitter or regretted attending for two years. I can truly say I’m happy with my somewhat bizarre college experience and wouldn’t do anything different.”

While Washington, D.C., may be a livelier area than southeastern Washington state, there are still things that Jacobi misses about Walla Walla. Despite having left, she still feels pride for Whitman. Next year Jacobi plans to attend Cornell Law School.

“Certainly there are things I miss,” said Jacobi. “Living in D.C., I miss fresh food, clean air and water, and the generally low cost of living [in Walla Walla]. Mostly I miss my friends

Seniors recall most talkedabout events

by Chelsea Bissell Reporter

Courtesy of Ava Jacobi

Courtesy of Nick Landau

Ava Jacobi and Nick Landau enjoyed their time spent at Whitman, but sought different college experiences.

and professors, intramural football, club lacrosse, the awesome gym and how close everyone was on campus. Especially my first semester as a transfer student, there were times when it was very difficult and I was nostalgic for Whitman.”

For students considering transferring from Whitman, Jacobi has some advice to make the transition easier.

I can truly say I’m happy with my somewhat bizarre college experience and wouldn’t do anything different.”

-Ava Jacobi, ‘09

“If you do transfer, don’t cut and run,” Jacobi said. “Stay in touch with the people who made a difference for you at Whitman. Awesome people are awesome people wherever they are, and you’ll regret it if you don’t talk to them because you will have left with an ‘eat my dust’ mentality. You’ve met some incredible people and you should do all you can to keep them in your life.”

Unlike many transfer students who switch schools after experiencing dissatisfaction with their situation, Nick Landau had always anticipated his transfer from Whitman.

“I always knew I was going to transfer even

when I first applied to Whitman,” said Landau.

“Becoming an engineer was my goal from the start but I wanted to develop a strong liberal arts education as a base before I focused down into my major.”

At Oregon State, Landau has had a hard time communicating with administrative bureaucracy, but his switch to an engineering college has been a welcome adjustment.

“The only thing I really don’t like [at OSU] is all of the red tape. Getting my classes to transfer properly has been a hassle and a struggle because there are so many channels I have to go through,” Landau said. “Despite this, it is nice being in the engineering college and among technically like-minded people.”

The class of 2009 has seen members transfer out of Whitman, as well into Whitman. Men’s basketball standout Chris Faidley is a graduating senior who transferred after his first year at Seattle Pacific University in 2006.

“I think I’m a totally different person than I would’ve been had I stayed at SPU,” said Faidley.

Faidley’s decision to come to Whitman greatly enriched his academic and personal experience as a college student.

“I’m way more independent. [At Whitman] you’re forced to think for yourself,” Faidley said. “The academics here are way different. The liberal arts education…has totally changed who I’ve become. I’ve had to reshape the way I even think, it’s been great.”

Blackface Incident 2006 ushered in a hugely publicized and controversial event at Whitman. At a “Survivor” themed party at the Sigma Chi house, two students, attempting to represent racial division on the show, arrived in blackface. At that time, “Survivor” teams on the show were determined by the contestants’ race. Major controversy ensued as concerned students expressed their outrage at the incident on the student listserv. The debate gathered steam and soon became a heated topic on lips and listservs alike. The administration, with the help of students and faculty members, inducted a Symposium to spur educated discussion about racism, prejudice and the sinister history of blackface and minstrel shows. Both the “blackface incident” itself and Whitman’s reaction caught the attention of national news.

The Symposium continued for another year before it was halted.

Windstorms Windstorms of record proportion ravaged Walla Walla and the Whitman campus in early January of 2008. Luckily, most of the students were off campus, still enjoying their last week of winter break and no one was hurt.

Nevertheless, the 78 mile per hour winds still managed to fell 55 trees on campus and the paper clip statue near the library.

Jack Issue Controversy In the spring of 2008, The Pioneer ran its annual “jack issue,” reporting fake and satirical news for April Fools. One piece, titled “Indians take over Bridges office,” had an illustration of President Bridges in a headdress surrounded by Native Americans. The humor was lost on many and the controversy initiated a series of listserv debates and letters written to The Pioneer. Some of the students, faculty and staff who responded expressed their outrage at the article’s apparent lack of sensitivity, respect and historical awareness.

Others defended the article on the grounds of EVENTS, see page 20

years in review

May 18, 2009

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Remembering celebrated graduation speakers past

by Chelsea Bissell Reporter

Technically, the exact moment of graduation occurs when students receive their diplomas and shake hands with the paper’s bestower.

This single moment, however, is rarely the most memorable in the reminiscing hearts of graduates.

Instead, graduates tend to remember the speakers and their addresses as the events that define the ceremony. Luckily, Whitman has a long history of honoring its graduates with accomplished and sophisticated speakers.

Of course, honorary Whitman degrees prove an incentive for these talented individuals.

The speakers for the past three Commencement ceremonies have lived up to history’s expectation.

Whitman has culled the likes of William Gates Sr., (the Microsoft big-wig’s father), renowned economist, environmentalist and human rights activist Jeffery Sachs and Berkeley history professor and ethnologist, Dr. Ronald Takaki.

Though three years is a narrow scope of history, the differences in the three speeches, the events discussed and the mannerisms utilized show the character of each year. They reveal the issues of our age and the shifts and similarities from one graduation year to the next.

To the graduates of 2008, William Gates Sr. discussed community in a time where the individual thrives.

Gates began his address poking fun at his more famous son for not finishing college and humor-

ously blaming himself for not motivating Bill Jr. enough. The speech began to get more serious as Gates discussed family, both traditional and cultivated.

Gates implored the students to consider what it means to be a parent. He expounded on the relative absurdity that parents are expected to start cold, without any experience or instruction for their new role and offered his advice.

“Let me suggest that you be as deliberate as you can be about the job of raising your family,” said Gates. “Being deliberate helps translate your fundamental human decency into your behavior as a parent.”

He went on to extol the marvel of good, lasting friendships. Gates emphasized that maintaining friendships is a deliberate and provoking process.

“You do need to mail that note or make the phone call to keep friendship alive,” he said.

Gates tied his discussion of close relationships to an individual’s relationship with humanity. He defined this citizenship as unity and social support, sticking together.

He labeled the Civil Rights Movement as the most magnificent example of citizenship in his generation. His praise focused on the larger community, the unsung heroes of the movement.

“For every Martin Luther King there were thousands of courageous southerners, citizens whose names we don’t know, who sat in at lunch counters,” said Gates. “Thousands who registered to vote, boycotted buses, and enrolled in schools GRADUATION, see page 21

Courtesy of WHITMAN COMMUNICATIONS

Dr. Ron Takaki speaks at commencement for the graduating seniors of 2006.

College’s reputation grew with class of 2009

by Josh Goodman Reporter

As graduating seniors leave Whitman behind, they leave a place with a bit of a different reputation than when they first arrived. More selective, less hippie and more diverse are just a few of these changes, according to a survey of students.

But seniors also leave a place that retains many of the features they came for: rigorous, friendly, and full of opportunity. “[There are] less hippies, more people in suits, fewer white people; it has become less PNW (Pacific Northwest),” said senior Rand Biersdorff.

“I think we are still known for the quality of

students and the opportunities that teachers present,” added senior Kiki Brennan.

The ever-changing Whitman reputation is a result of a combination of factors: being recognized in publications, college outreach and simply the students themselves.

“Some might believe that Whitman’s reputation is something that we create in a public relations kind of way or that we market, but I think our reputation is based on what alumni say about us. It’s based on faculty scholarship and accomplishments, student scholarship and accomplishments, whether it’s the debate team, or research, presenting at conferences,” said Dean of Admission Tony Cabasco. “It’s also how high school

counselors perceive us and know of us. And how outsiders—review and ranking systems—rate us, and how we’re perceived by prospective students and the general public.”

In addition, Whitman’s reputation has changed in recent years through its mention in popular college-search books. These include the Princeton Review’s The Best 368 Colleges, The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students and even All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals, and People of Faith.

Perhaps one of the most significant changes in the college’s reputation has stemmed from Colleges That Change Lives, a book that profiles

40 excellent liberal arts colleges throughout the country. Not only has this book brought Whitman nationwide exposure, but Whitman, along with most of the other featured schools, go on a Colleges That Change Lives tour that helps Whitman draw students from areas it doesn’t normally travel to.

“If we were to go to New Orleans by ourselves, we’d be lucky to get 15 people,” said Cabasco.

“But with Colleges That Change Lives, we’ll get 800 people.”

As a result of the tour, national exposure, as well as outreach, Whitman has become more REPUTATION, see page 23

20

years in review

Whitman College Pio neer

May 18, 2009

Gearing up for the main event: programming highlights

Courtesy of Whitman Communications

Courtesy of Whitman Communications

Nadine Strossen spoke on October 19, 2006.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks on February 12, 2007.

Salman Rushdie signs books on November 8, 2007.

Marjane Satrapi speaks on April 10, 2009.

by Cindy Chen

October 19, 2006 ACLU President Nadine Strossen discusses present state of civil liberties in the U.S., for the William O. Douglas lecture series.

October 18, 2007 Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) comes to Whitman. He’s best known for his music, which could be described as mashups, except he uses eight to twenty different songs per song.

Tickets sold out in record time, and many students were unable to acquire them.

release “None Shall Pass,” which includes traditional hip-hop, futuristic funk and laidback rock riffs.

Courtesy of Whitman Communications

Senior Reporter

2005-2006 October 20, 2005 Author bell hooks comes to speak at Whitman. A cultural critic, feminist theorist, author, speaker, and professor, bell hooks’ lecture was entitled “Ending Domination: What Does Love Have to do With It?” A critic of mainstream feminist theory, she insists that feminism should acknowledge differences among women, which has become a central tenet of feminist scholarship.

2006-2007 September 22, 2006 Irish American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly plays at the Reid Ballroom. With a wide array of instruments and high energy, the concert sold 600 tickets in less than two hours and resulted in a sweaty, chaotic dance party.

February 12, 2007 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks about the environment, and appeals to America to address violations of the environment. “This is not just the destruction of the environment (that we face),” he said. “It’s the subversion of democracy.”

February 23, 2007 White House Press Corps veteran Helen Thomas, who covered President John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, speaks at Cordiner Hall for the Hosokawa Lecture. She laments America’s fall from grace in the world’s view, and says that we’ve “lost our halo,” due to the illegal war in Iraq and “hustling for deep pockets” by politicians.

2007-2008

November 8, 2007 Salman Rushdie draws from his own experience with censorship to discuss the necessity of free speech, contentious or sympathetic. He also speaks about religion and migration in a talk that stretched beyond an hour. Rushdie receives a standing ovation from the capacity crowd. He then answers questions on topics ranging from his recent knighthood to Columbia University’s hosting of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September.

Norman

2008-2009 April 10, 2009 Marjane Satrapi, author and director of “Persepolis” which was the required reading for the class of 2012, speaks at Cordiner about how she came to write comics, her life and the power of language to divide.

YEARLY February The Vagina Monologues, put on by Voices of Planned Parenthood (VOX) and Feminists Advocating Change and Empowerment (FACE), is one of the most dynamic performance ensembles. It is a collection of testimonials of women based on their fears, experiences and frustrations.

May 1, 2008 Aesop Rock, hip hop laureate, comes to Whitman. He plays music from his 2007

Student assaults among top issues for seniors EVENTS, from page 18

satiric intent. Some even commended the article for spurring such debate.

Student Assaults In a number of separate incidents in the 2008-2009 school year, students have been assaulted by people outside the Whitman

community. One student was assaulted and chased on two separate occasions by a small group of young adults. Another student experienced a similar attack outside the library.

The aggressors were never apprehended.

Break-ins in On-Campus Housing Alongside the student assaults, there have been multiple cases of resident hall break-

ins in the past four years. In 2006 a women who was reportedly high on meth and other substances broke into Jewett Hall and was subsequently tackled and restrained by a security officer. She then bit him and was restrained further. That same year, an older man broke into Prentiss Hall and wandered around with the expressed purpose of looking for a student. He burglarized some rooms and

was forced to leave. Early in the 2008-2009 school year, a number of the interest houses suffered the burglaries of laptops and televisions. Jewett and Lyman Halls were also hit, but the thieves managed to evade capture.

May 18, 2009

years in review

Grad speakers motivate SPEAKERS, from 19

where they weren’t wanted. Thousands who marched into mobs of men armed with billy clubs.”

For Gates, these people enmeshed in an en masse resolve to fight for a cause is the meat of public will and “the real substance of democracy.”

Gates implored the graduates of 2008, their friends and family, to participate in these acts of citizenship. He touted the public will as the general consensus of moral action. According to Gates, there is no shame in joining the public will.

“You don’t need a soap box to be a good citizen,” explained Gates. “You just need to be part of the public will to make life on this planet a little bit better.”

Jefferey Sach’s 2007 Commencement speech, entitled “Meeting our Millennium Promises,” expressed sentiments of significantly greater morose than Gates.

Sachs, an economics professor at Harvard and author of a number of books on poverty, economic development and environmental stability, focused much of his speech on politics.

He began by marking 2007 as the anniversary of such illustrious events as the end of the slave trade in the British Empire, the independence of India and Ghana, and the public’s introduction to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

“Paul McCartney has turned 64, and yes we still need him, and yes we’ll still feed him now that he’s 64,” joked Sachs.

President Kennedy’s 1963 commencement address at American University served as the kernel of Sach’s speech. During the president’s address, Kennedy made a plea for peace, both in America and the Soviet Union. According to Sachs, this peaceful plea would have been an impossibility for the nation’s leaders in 2007.

“Our generation has left you with a bit of a mess.

President Bush’s sentiment that you are with us or against us is the opposite of what we need,” said Sachs. “As in 1963, we must look inward to make sure that our attitudes are compatible with peaceful co-existence on a crowded planet.”

Sachs continued on his political path by highlighting the three global problem areas that will rest on the shoulders of the graduates: the wealth gap, “global environmental degradation” and “peace with China, India and the other rising powers.”

Sachs ended his Commencement address with a homework assignment for the soon-to-be graduates.

“I assign you to end extreme poverty by the year 2025. The mid-term exam is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015,” lectured Sachs.

In a move very similar to Gate’s appeal for public will, Sachs emphasized the need for community cooperation.

“You can — and indeed must — work in groups,” he said.

The joyous and celebratory tone of Dr. Ronald Takaki’s 2006 Commencement address abandoned political aspirations and disregarded homework assignments. Takaki, a professor of American history at Berkeley, used his book on mulitcultral America as the inspiration for his speech “A Different Mirror: Studying the Past for the Sake of the Future.”

Takaki began his address with the beginning of his education. He praised his high school teacher in Hawaii. Knighted with a Ph.D., this teacher pressed his students into exploring knowledge.

He taught Takaki that the “how” of knowing is often more important than the “what.” He taught Takaki the definition of epistemology.

“How do you know you know what you know?”

It’s a definition he still uses when teaching his current students the same term.

This teacher, discontented with Takaki’s plan to remain in Hawaii after high school, wrote to Wooster College in Ohio.

“A month later, I received a letter from the dean of the College of Wooster, which read: ‘Dear Mr. Takaki, you have been accepted to the College of Wooster. But please fill out the application form,’” said Takaki.

Once transplanted in Ohio, Takaki was awashed with culture shock, as were his fellow students.

They misunderstood his Hawaiian background and thus his ability to speak English.

“Looking back at my Wooster experience, I realize that it was not their fault that they could not and did not see me as an American,” said Takaki.

“My fellow students viewed me through a filter. I call this filter the Master Narrative of American History.”

For Takaki, this served as the jumping point for his fascination with the American cultural collage. He addressed this subject by talking about his book “A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America,” which he humorously plugged during the address.

He ended his speech with hopes that all the graduates will honor those mentors that fought for their students. He also asked the graduates to continue to ask themselves, “How do you know you

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Whitman College Pio neer

years in review

May 18, 2009

Remembering Michael Quimpo, a lost classmate

by Hanna Ory Associate News Editor

Nearly one year and one month after the tragic death of junior Michael Quimpo, students remember him on what would be his graduation this Sunday, May 24. Quimpo committed suicide in an off-campus house on March 27, 2008 at the age of 21.

Quimpo was born on February 6, 1987 in Manila, Philippines. As the son of a missionary physician, Quimpo grew up traveling as his family relocated several times during his childhood. Before moving to Walla Walla to attend Whitman, Quimpo lived in New Guinea, Bangladesh and Nepal. Due to his unique upbringing, Quimpo was quatrilingual: proficient in English, French, Hiligaynon and Tagalog.

During his time at Whitman, Quimpo was highly involved with the Intercultural Center, and participated in many of their activities and events including the Tunnel of Oppression and the International Banquet.

At the time of his death, Quimpo had recently finished applying for transfer to Columbia University as part of Whitman’s 3/2 engineering program, under the guidance of mathematics pro-

fessor Bob Fontenot. At Columbia, he planned to pursue a degree in computer science.

“It was clear to me that he was kind and thoughtful and that he had a well-developed, almost sly, sense of humor. I am sad that he is no longer here to love, and be loved by, his family and friends,” said Fontenot.

Following his death, the campus rallied around Quimpo and his family, as students, faculty and staff attended numerous prayer and memorial services to honor him. During one memorial service 18 members of Michael’s family joined the Whitman community in showing pictures, telling stories and singing songs in his memory.

Shortly after their trip to Whitman, Quimpo’s family wrote a letter to the college community in Michael’s memory. The letter encouraged current Whitman students to look out for one another, continuing to give love and support to their peers.

“If there are any lessons to be learned, and we hope there are, some lessons are about communicating with each other. Let your parents, friends, and loved ones know where you are, and how you are. It is a kindness,” said the letter.

Courtesy of the Intercultural Center

Late junior Michael Quimpo passed away on March 27, 2008 at the age of 21. Quimpo’s death prompted a great deal of sorrow amongst students as they gathered for numerous prayer and memorial services.

Astronomy to alternative core: best classes at Whitman Lauren McCullough Reporter

The graduating class of 2009 has a wealth of information to share about the classes they’ve taken over the past four years. Though a senior’s favorite classes often depend on his or her major, most seem to agree that a good professor makes a class memorable at Whitman.

A class mentioned frequently as one of Whitman’s better classes was Principles of Astronomy with UJ Sofia. Kaston Griffin said that ASTR 110 was probably his favorite class at Whitman.

Griffin, an English major, enjoyed learning about “something as obvious as the moon, which is actually something really complex.” Though Sofia will no longer be teaching next year, Griffin noted that it was a great opportunity to take a class from a NASA scientist.

Some seniors especially enjoyed classes within their major or minor department.

English major Jon Klapp thoroughly enjoyed

taking creative writing in the English department and recommends that students take Introduction to Creative Writing. He says, “The creative writing department in general is pretty cool. Katrina Roberts, the poetry and nonfiction lady, is really good. Scott Elliot, who is on sabbatical this year, is also a good teacher.”

Melissa Andreas, who is minoring in Japanese, was happy to be able to take the language, which wasn’t offered in her high school, at Whitman. Andreas enjoyed courses taught by Professor Akira Takemoto. “It’s really hard to pick one class because I really liked all the classes I took with him,” she said.

mitchell

Andreas noted that the course she took in the Japanese department was different from taking languages in high school.

“The class wasn’t just about vocabulary lists and learning how different verbs worked, but also about taking in Japanese culture along with the language.”

Linda Mummy, mathematics major, enjoyed Math Modeling and Numerical Methods with Professor Doug Hundley. She liked that the course was “useful in other math classes.”

Mummy also added that Hundley’s teaching style and personality made class interesting as well. “He’s a funny, nice guy, and his class was very useful. Doug is very easy to talk to and is always there for extra help.

Other students have taken advantage of the

new art building, and recommend the various fine arts classes offered at Whitman. Mary-Eileen Gallagher recommends taking Book Arts or Printmaking with Professor Mare Blocker.

Josh Berliner recommends taking the Study of Jazz with Professor David Glenn. Berliner agreed that a great professor can make a class interesting: “Dave is a knowledgeable and charismatic guy who tells stories about his days playing with all the jazz greats.”

The course was comprehensive, something Berliner enjoyed. “The class covers all of jazz history and every possible type of jazz and jazz artist,” Berliner said, adding that “in the end the course left me with a greater appreciation for the art form and a want to listen to jazz on my own.”

Other courses that were mentioned as being popular were Introduction to Fiction with Professor Majumdar, Alternative Core with Professor Julia Davis and Whitman in the Global Food System with Professor Aaron Bobrow-Strain.

May 18, 2009

years in reviEw

Whitman College Pio neer

Future from foundations: construction on campus

College’s link to community strengthens REPUTATION, from 19

by CJ Wisler Reporter

Whitman is a constantly changing community.

The influx of the student body is not even the half of it. For seniors, their four-year life at Whitman College has undergone some major changes in terms of building development and renovation.

This constant restructuring of the campus, according to Vice President for Development and College Relations John Bogley, is essential for Whitman College.

“New facilities and investing in present facilities to make sure the buildings meet the current needs of students is an ongoing process at Whitman College,” said Bogley, regarding the importance of new building projects for students at Whitman.

Bogley’s responsibilities as Vice President include starting fund-raising activities such as soliciting funds from alumni and other college benefactors, alongside the governing board.

The graduating class of 2009 has witnessed the construction and opening of some of our campus’ most important and popular buildings.

The Baker Ferguson Fitness Center and Paul Harvey Pool, a $10.5 million project, expanded the former fitness space by about 80 percent, giving students, faculty and staff members spacious rooms for weight training and cardiovascular exercise, as well as an attractive eight-lane, 30meter pool. It opened in the fall of 2006.

The Welty Counseling and Student Health Center, which provides for the physical and mental health of Whitman students, opened in fall of 2006.

The Student Health Center provides 24 hour a day health services for everything from students suffering from the common cold, stress or more serious cases such as students in need of the morning after pill or pregnancy testing. The Counseling Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with one “open hour” each day for students who need immediate aid.

The Fouts Center for Visual Arts opened in fall of 2008, offering visual art students 38,000 square feet of classrooms and hallways to display

23

JACOBSON

The Fouts Center for Visual Arts opened in the fall of 2008, offering visual arts students 38,000 square feet of classroom and public space.

and create their works. The project was also constructed in order to insure “current esthetic, technological, health and safety standards in the arts,” said Associate Professor of Art Charles TimmBallard on the Fouts Center’s informational Web site.

The combined cost of both the Welty Counseling and Student Health Center and the Fouts Center for Visual Arts was about $15.2 million.

Ongoing projects that the seniors have witnessed but will not see completed include the new Sherwood Athletic Center and the renovation of

New facilities and investing in present facilities to make sure the buildings meet the current needs of students is an ongoing process at Whitman College.”

-John Bogley, Vice President for Development and College Relations

the vacated studio arts space in Olin Hall.

The $15 million Sherwood Center project includes the addition of a second gymnasium, locker space, new training and athletic rooms, a team audiovisual room, office space and a larger indoor climbing wall. It will be completed by the start of fall of 2009.

The Olin Hall renovation includes the transformation of said vacated space into classrooms and office space for students in the humanities.

The project will be finished by the start of next

semester.

Future projects for Whitman College include the renovation of Maxey Hall and the possible renovation of Harper Joy Theatre.

The Maxey Hall renovation will include an enlargement of various classrooms as well as the addition of new offices and classrooms. Bogley hopes the project will occur this summer. The cost of the project is unknown at this time.

The renovation of Harper Joy Theatre is not predicted to occur for a few years, according to Bogley. However, the project will hopefully include the addition of new offices and classrooms.

The plan also includes the replacement of Alexander Stage chairs and a larger “black box” theater.

Finally, the plan hopes to enlarge the costume and scene shop, the lobby and the green room. The projected cost, if the new “Black Box” is included, runs around $7 million.

The cost of these facilities, according to Bogley, is not determined either by a need to be thrifty or a need to be flashy.

“We want to provide facilities that reflect a high quality and sustainability rather than how cheaply we can do it or how grandiose we can make it,” said Bogley. “We expect high quality, long lasting facilities that meet the expectations of a college like Whitman.”

Above all, the constantly changing expectations and face of the Whitman community help shape the college’s future building and renovation projects.

“There will always be future projects. That’s kind of the life of a college,” said Bogley. “You’re always looking to provide the facilities necessary to educate students in an environment conducive to learning.”

geographically diverse. Only about 35 percent of new students come from Washington, down from 40-45 percent four years ago.

Whitman has also become more racially and socioeconomically diverse. Twenty-six percent of admitted students for the class of 2013 are racial minorities, up from about 18 percent four years ago. And there are more first-generation college students than before, at 13 percent of the admitted class versus 10-11 percent in the past.

However, Whitman’s reputation hasn’t caught up as quickly.

“While some things have changed, people’s perceptions have changed more slowly, such as the perception of Whitman as not diverse,” Cabasco said. “That takes time.”

While most of the focus on Whitman’s reputation has to do with students and alumni, staff and faculty, and national rankings, another aspect is its relationship with Walla Walla.

“I think in terms of Walla Walla, we are more engaged with the local community than we’ve ever been,” said Associate to the President Jed Schwendiman. “Students who are mentors and volunteers through the Center for Community Service play a huge role in connecting the college to the town.”

Junior Jenna Stearns echoed that sentiment, adding the importance of the student-faculty relationship as a part of Whitman’s reputation.

“It is seen as a school for people who are interested in service to the community and a good broad liberal arts education with faculty who care more about the students than their research,” she said.

Faculty who care about their students is a commonly mentioned aspect of Whitman, and part of Whitman’s reputation that hasn’t changed. Likewise, Whitman remains an outdoorsy school, and a school with a great books class (be it Core or Encounters) to serve as a first-year experience.

“There is something uniquely Whitman about the Whitman experience that is still there today,” Cabasco said. “An alumna from 1985 or 1965 would still recognize that spirit here today.”

Though the college, and its reputation, are sure to keep evolving, there will still be something uniquely Whitman for members of the Class of 2009 when they come back.

24

Whitman College Pio neer

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August 28, 2005

From start to finish, it’s been total joy. We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished and especially of who you are.

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25

26

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

FEATURES

M ATRICULATION LIST CLASS OF 2009

CLASS OF 2009

GRADUation feature

Last name

Alazar

First Description name Alexander Attending Central Washington University for a MA Music Katherine Attending Northeastern University for a Ph.D. Sociology Brett Working for University of Alaska Southeast as a Field Technician for Landscape Genetics Lauren Attending Seattle University School of Law for Environmental Policy for a JD Law Michele Attending University of Oregon for a MM Musicology Henok Undecided

Anderson

Michael

Andreas

Melissa

Angel

Osvaldo

Applegate

Marja

Atwood

Carolyn

Auld

Wynne

Avila

Becky

Aviza

Andrew

Axelrod

Brett

Abrams Acosta Addis

Adler Aichele

1 3

Most Likely to:

4

8

2

Act in SNL (1, 12) Sarah Hathaway and Willie Kunkel Save the world from global warming (5) Karlis Rokpelnis Become president (2) Elliott Okantey Be seen on the red carpet/the big screen (4) Rosie Brownlow Compete in the Olympics Brett Axelrod Discover a cure for a disease (13) Jillian Varonin Take over the world (8) Roman Goerss Write a NY Times bestseller/Pulitzer Prize winner Graham Trail Become a high powered CEO/on the cover of Fortune 500 Tom Poole Win a Grammy Aisha Fukushima Become a Whitman prof Andrew Johnson Have a famous art exhibit at the Guggenheim Tyler Calkin

5

6

Babbitt

7

8

Bach Bacheller Baculi

Spent the most amount of time: Sleeping through/skipping class (7) Engaged with a romantic partner At the gym (3) Pulling all-nighters (8) Playing Frisbee shirtless on Ankeny (10) As class sweethearts (9) On Facebook (11) On an OP tip (6)

Emily Fassler Caitlin Tortorici Lauren Alder Roman Goerss Luke Sanford Kate Acosta and Gareth Olds Mark Kennedy Andy Erickson

9 10

Badjie Barlow

11

Bartha Baxter Bayasgalan

Beier

12

Bell Beloof PHOTOS COURTESY OF S. HATHAWAY, E. OKANTEY, L. WHEELER, R. BROWNLOW, K. ROKPELNIS, O.P., E. FASSLER, R. GOERSS, L. SANFORD, E. KLEIN, W. KUNKEL, J. VARONIN

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009

13

Bennett

Working for Teach for America Travelling then pursuing AmeriCorps Working for International Creative Management Attending Texas Heart Institute for Clinical Perfusion Attending University of Colorado Colorado Springs for an MBA Other

Benson

First name Lauren

Berliner

Joshua

Bhatt

Etasha

Biersdorff Bird

Rand Weston

Bissell

Chelsea

Description

Location

Major

Taking a year off to do Americorp before attending graduate school Working for Adventure Treks as a trip leader

Spokane or Seattle, WA

Politics

British Columbia, CANADA Working as a volunteer in the GUATESomos Hermanos Program, MALA then applying to medical school “Livin’ it up!”

Austin, TX

Location

Major

Ellensburg, WA

Music

Boston, MA

Sociology

Blanchard Booth

David Carson

Juneau, AK

Biology-Environmental Studies

Booth

Kevin

Seattle, WA

Politics-Environmental Studies

Boyd

Eric

Eugene, OR

Music Brennan

Kimberly

Brey

Rosa

Working for Mono Lake Com- Lee Vining, mittee as an intern CA Taking a year off before attending law school in California Taking time off and participating in the Canadian Theatre Fringe Festivals Taking time off and auditioning for plays Working for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center “Ski bumming” Working for the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Attending Washington State University for an MBA in Electrical Engineering Taking time off

Applied Mathematics & Physics Minneapolis, Religion MN JAPAN Biology Los Angeles, Foreign Lang & Lit: CA Spanish Houston, TX Biology

Brizendine

Chad

Brown

Kristan

Colorado Springs, CO

Brownlow

Rosie

Bruhn

Jessica

Buckingham Bugert

Kyle Thomas

Burns

Jared

Burton

Aaron

Working for The Park School Baltimore, of Baltimore as a Lower MD School Intern

Playing semi-professional soccer this summer with hopes of playing professionally in a different nation later Micah Attending Columbia University for 3-2 Natural & Mathematical Sciences Morgan Potentially volunteering for AmeriCorps Anna Working for MCM Design Studio Pauline Taking time off, possibly teaching English in Seoul, South Korea Jerreh Plans to study international relations in graduate school Katrina Working for the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Matthew Working for Teach for America Katherine Taking time off Onon Visiting with her grandparents and searching for an environmental job in the Bay Area Nicole Attending University of California Berkeley for PhD Molecular & Cell Biology Ian Working for the forest service Emily Working with an organization that designs exchange programs for international professionals Reid Taking time off

Last name

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Fredericksburg, VA NYC, NY

Mathematics Economics-Environmental Studies Race & Ethnic Studies Sociology-Environmental Studies Sociology

Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Unknown

Race & Ethnic Studies Walla Walla, Biology & Foreign WA Lang & Lit: Spanish Economics-Environmental Studies History & Politics JAPAN

Environmental Humanities

Baltimore, MD Phoenix, AZ

Pure Mathematics Psychology Economics-Environmental Studies

Calkin Cameron

Cartwright Carver Castellanos Ceronsky Changa-Moon Chapman Chow

Berkeley, CA Biology

Chu

Medford, OR Environmental Humanities Portland, OR Music

Clovis Clowers

Phoenix, AZ

Clubb

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology

Working in a women’s shelter and then teaching English in Korea Undecided Taking a year off and pursuing a graduate degree in architecture “Education by books and constantly changing environments will be important in establishing a different place to live and be well in” Pursuing a job in !y "shing, with the aim of guiding for a few years Working for Capuchin Volunteer Corps

AZERBAIJAN

27

Environmental Humanities Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Religion Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology English

Philosophy Kalispell, MT Politics Art

Biology Cleveland, OH

Psychology Interdisciplinary & English-Anthropology Philosophy Theatre

NYC, NY

Theatre

Seattle, WA

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Politics Philosophy

Utah JAPAN

Pullman, WA Applied Mathematics & Physics

Tacoma, WA Applied Mathematics Tyler Attending California Institute Valencia, CA Art of the Arts for an MFA in Integrated Media Matthew Leading a trail crew in the Alaska Biology Chugach State Park for "ve months, then traveling, and possibly biology "eld research Evan Taking time off Chicago, IL Theatre & Music Forrest Volunteering for the Peace UndeterBiology-EnvironCorps mined mental Studies Sagen Waiting to hear back from Psychology National University of Health Sciences Katherine Philosophy David Studying civil engineering at NYC, NY Natural & MathColumbia University ematical Sciences Adam Working then travelling and Orcas Island, Philosophy applying to graduate school WA Tricia Working for Helpline as a Walla Walla, Interdisciplinary & case manager WA Social Psychology Phillip Attending Seattle University Seattle, WA Economics & PhiSchool of Law for a JD Law losophy Derek Studying for MCATs and ap- Seattle, WA History plying to medical school Jenna Pursuing a temporary Unknown Biology research position at the Scripps Research Institution or OHSU and applying to graduate or medical school Riley Working for L’Ecole Winery Walla Walla, Rhetoric & Film on the harvest crew and then WA Studies moving to Australia

26

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

FEATURES

M ATRICULATION LIST CLASS OF 2009

CLASS OF 2009

GRADUation feature

Last name

Alazar

First Description name Alexander Attending Central Washington University for a MA Music Katherine Attending Northeastern University for a Ph.D. Sociology Brett Working for University of Alaska Southeast as a Field Technician for Landscape Genetics Lauren Attending Seattle University School of Law for Environmental Policy for a JD Law Michele Attending University of Oregon for a MM Musicology Henok Undecided

Anderson

Michael

Andreas

Melissa

Angel

Osvaldo

Applegate

Marja

Atwood

Carolyn

Auld

Wynne

Avila

Becky

Aviza

Andrew

Axelrod

Brett

Abrams Acosta Addis

Adler Aichele

1 3

Most Likely to:

4

8

2

Act in SNL (1, 12) Sarah Hathaway and Willie Kunkel Save the world from global warming (5) Karlis Rokpelnis Become president (2) Elliott Okantey Be seen on the red carpet/the big screen (4) Rosie Brownlow Compete in the Olympics Brett Axelrod Discover a cure for a disease (13) Jillian Varonin Take over the world (8) Roman Goerss Write a NY Times bestseller/Pulitzer Prize winner Graham Trail Become a high powered CEO/on the cover of Fortune 500 Tom Poole Win a Grammy Aisha Fukushima Become a Whitman prof Andrew Johnson Have a famous art exhibit at the Guggenheim Tyler Calkin

5

6

Babbitt

7

8

Bach Bacheller Baculi

Spent the most amount of time: Sleeping through/skipping class (7) Engaged with a romantic partner At the gym (3) Pulling all-nighters (8) Playing Frisbee shirtless on Ankeny (10) As class sweethearts (9) On Facebook (11) On an OP tip (6)

Emily Fassler Caitlin Tortorici Lauren Alder Roman Goerss Luke Sanford Kate Acosta and Gareth Olds Mark Kennedy Andy Erickson

9 10

Badjie Barlow

11

Bartha Baxter Bayasgalan

Beier

12

Bell Beloof PHOTOS COURTESY OF S. HATHAWAY, E. OKANTEY, L. WHEELER, R. BROWNLOW, K. ROKPELNIS, O.P., E. FASSLER, R. GOERSS, L. SANFORD, E. KLEIN, W. KUNKEL, J. VARONIN

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009

13

Bennett

Working for Teach for America Travelling then pursuing AmeriCorps Working for International Creative Management Attending Texas Heart Institute for Clinical Perfusion Attending University of Colorado Colorado Springs for an MBA Other

Benson

First name Lauren

Berliner

Joshua

Bhatt

Etasha

Biersdorff Bird

Rand Weston

Bissell

Chelsea

Description

Location

Major

Taking a year off to do Americorp before attending graduate school Working for Adventure Treks as a trip leader

Spokane or Seattle, WA

Politics

British Columbia, CANADA Working as a volunteer in the GUATESomos Hermanos Program, MALA then applying to medical school “Livin’ it up!”

Austin, TX

Location

Major

Ellensburg, WA

Music

Boston, MA

Sociology

Blanchard Booth

David Carson

Juneau, AK

Biology-Environmental Studies

Booth

Kevin

Seattle, WA

Politics-Environmental Studies

Boyd

Eric

Eugene, OR

Music Brennan

Kimberly

Brey

Rosa

Working for Mono Lake Com- Lee Vining, mittee as an intern CA Taking a year off before attending law school in California Taking time off and participating in the Canadian Theatre Fringe Festivals Taking time off and auditioning for plays Working for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center “Ski bumming” Working for the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Attending Washington State University for an MBA in Electrical Engineering Taking time off

Applied Mathematics & Physics Minneapolis, Religion MN JAPAN Biology Los Angeles, Foreign Lang & Lit: CA Spanish Houston, TX Biology

Brizendine

Chad

Brown

Kristan

Colorado Springs, CO

Brownlow

Rosie

Bruhn

Jessica

Buckingham Bugert

Kyle Thomas

Burns

Jared

Burton

Aaron

Working for The Park School Baltimore, of Baltimore as a Lower MD School Intern

Playing semi-professional soccer this summer with hopes of playing professionally in a different nation later Micah Attending Columbia University for 3-2 Natural & Mathematical Sciences Morgan Potentially volunteering for AmeriCorps Anna Working for MCM Design Studio Pauline Taking time off, possibly teaching English in Seoul, South Korea Jerreh Plans to study international relations in graduate school Katrina Working for the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Matthew Working for Teach for America Katherine Taking time off Onon Visiting with her grandparents and searching for an environmental job in the Bay Area Nicole Attending University of California Berkeley for PhD Molecular & Cell Biology Ian Working for the forest service Emily Working with an organization that designs exchange programs for international professionals Reid Taking time off

Last name

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Fredericksburg, VA NYC, NY

Mathematics Economics-Environmental Studies Race & Ethnic Studies Sociology-Environmental Studies Sociology

Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Unknown

Race & Ethnic Studies Walla Walla, Biology & Foreign WA Lang & Lit: Spanish Economics-Environmental Studies History & Politics JAPAN

Environmental Humanities

Baltimore, MD Phoenix, AZ

Pure Mathematics Psychology Economics-Environmental Studies

Calkin Cameron

Cartwright Carver Castellanos Ceronsky Changa-Moon Chapman Chow

Berkeley, CA Biology

Chu

Medford, OR Environmental Humanities Portland, OR Music

Clovis Clowers

Phoenix, AZ

Clubb

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology

Working in a women’s shelter and then teaching English in Korea Undecided Taking a year off and pursuing a graduate degree in architecture “Education by books and constantly changing environments will be important in establishing a different place to live and be well in” Pursuing a job in !y "shing, with the aim of guiding for a few years Working for Capuchin Volunteer Corps

AZERBAIJAN

27

Environmental Humanities Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Religion Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology English

Philosophy Kalispell, MT Politics Art

Biology Cleveland, OH

Psychology Interdisciplinary & English-Anthropology Philosophy Theatre

NYC, NY

Theatre

Seattle, WA

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Politics Philosophy

Utah JAPAN

Pullman, WA Applied Mathematics & Physics

Tacoma, WA Applied Mathematics Tyler Attending California Institute Valencia, CA Art of the Arts for an MFA in Integrated Media Matthew Leading a trail crew in the Alaska Biology Chugach State Park for "ve months, then traveling, and possibly biology "eld research Evan Taking time off Chicago, IL Theatre & Music Forrest Volunteering for the Peace UndeterBiology-EnvironCorps mined mental Studies Sagen Waiting to hear back from Psychology National University of Health Sciences Katherine Philosophy David Studying civil engineering at NYC, NY Natural & MathColumbia University ematical Sciences Adam Working then travelling and Orcas Island, Philosophy applying to graduate school WA Tricia Working for Helpline as a Walla Walla, Interdisciplinary & case manager WA Social Psychology Phillip Attending Seattle University Seattle, WA Economics & PhiSchool of Law for a JD Law losophy Derek Studying for MCATs and ap- Seattle, WA History plying to medical school Jenna Pursuing a temporary Unknown Biology research position at the Scripps Research Institution or OHSU and applying to graduate or medical school Riley Working for L’Ecole Winery Walla Walla, Rhetoric & Film on the harvest crew and then WA Studies moving to Australia

28

FEATURES

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Last name Conner

First name Evan

Conrad

Jessica

Cooper

Chase

Working for a year then travelling and attending medical school Writing or editing for an environmental publication Working for U.S. PIRG

Cooper

Kayla

Taking time off

Cotler Coulson

Kyle Andrew

“Working for the CIA” Pursuing a career as a wildlife biologist Information withheld Attending graduate school at Dartmouth College for mathematics Attending University of Texis at Austin for a PhD in Philosophy

Coyle Crytser

Briana Danny

Cutter

Brian

Dafforn

Brian

Daigneault Davis DeVleming DeVore Doane Dollar Donaldson Dooley Droppert Duffy Duncan Dundon

Durfey Eiselt Ellis Endres Erickson Faidley Fassler Feehan Fimbres Fischer Fisher FitzGerald Fitzpatrick Flessner Fouts Frank Freed Friedman

Description

Location

Major

Last name

Bellingham, WA

Biology

Fukushima

San Francisco, CA Undetermined Walla Walla, WA Langley, VA

Environmental Humanities History Applied Mathematics Music Biology

Politics Hanover, NH Pure Mathematics Austin, TX

Gabrielson Gallagher Garebamono Gibson

Laura

Description

Applying to graduate schools

Golden Goldenberg

Jonathan

Goltz

Daniel

Gordon

Molly

Gilkeson Ginsbach Goad

Goehring Goerss

Attending Columbia University for 3-2 NMS Chemical Engineering Working as an Employment Specialist at a social service agency Working as a teacher for AmeriCorps - Boys Hope Girls Hope Attending Oregon State University for a Ph.D.

Gottschall

Nicholas

Grady

Noella

Graffe Grandpre Gray Greenberg

Hague

John Lawrence Forrest Justin Pursuing admissions work at Whitman College Kathryn Working on Plum Forest Farm until October Kaston Working as an Assistant Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Peter Pursuing a job in economic consulting Sasha Undecided Lauren Volunteering along the Thai/ Burma border for a Burmese human rights organization Michael Taking time off

Hampton

Justin

Working for In"nity Rehab

Hansen

Robin

Working for Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton National Park Pursuing a job as a lab tech

Greenberg Grif"n

Grif"n Gross Guest

Hanson

Josiah

Harrington

Todd

Hatheway

Sarah

Hawes Hayashi

John Justin

Location

Received Watson FellowSOUTH ship, researching “raptivism” AFRICA, SENEGAL, INDIA, MOROCCO, FRANCE Undecided Undecided

Working at the Stanley British Primary School in a teaching internship Stephanie Traveling to Botswana to learn about the country, its people and its culture; then working with children and women as a social worker Kyle Working Jake Attending Stanford University for a Ph.D. in Chemistry Erica Working as an Energy & Environmental Intern for the Center for American Progress Nicole Working as a botanist at the Great Basin Institute Roman Travelling and then working in politics Sarah Working as paralegal

Philosophy

German Studies & Physics Justin Working as the Jewett Hall Walla Walla, Biology Residence Director WA Calvin Taking time off Portland, OR Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Kathryn Working for English Network JAPAN History 21 as an English teacher David Taking time off Walla Walla, Economics WA Jennifer Planning to take more Seattle, WA Psychology classes, "nd part-time work or the Bay and apply to graduate school Area Nicholas Politics Nick Unknown Albuquerque, Art History & ViNM sual Culture James Politics Jordan Working construction Reno, NV English Megan Taking time off and audition- NYC, NY Theatre ing for plays Matthew Traveling Unknown Religion Kelly Taking pre-med classes at Seattle, WA Geology the University of Washington before applying to medical school Chelsea Working for King Canyon Louisiana Geology-EnvironBuffalo Inc. as a wellsite mental Studies geologist Gregory Working for Princeton in an Yunnan Asian Studies Asia fellowship Province, CHINA Kaley Planning to take a year off English and apply to graduate school in London Becky Possibly teaching English SOUTH English and then attending graduate KOREA school Andrew Taking time off Walla Walla, Applied MathematWA ics ChristoConsidering playing profesPolitics pher sional basketball in Europe or joining the US Air Force Emily Economics & Theater Blair Pursuing a career in corpo- Seattle, WA Theatre rate event production and public relations Evan Undecided History Kat Taking time off to “appreciate Biology the possibilities” Ashley Working for U.S. PIRG Unknown Politics Jordan Psychology Courtney Working for the US Forest Steamboat, Environmental Service as a range techniCO Humanities cian Andrew Working for Microsoft as Redmond, Chemistry a Software Development WA Engineer Cody Volunteering for AmeriCorps Federal Way, Pure Mathematics WA JacqueUndecided, but planning to Physics-Environline go to graduate school for mental Studies civil engineering Alexandra Psychology Rebecca Working for the Menachen Jerusalem, Music Begin Heritage Center as an ISRAEL Israeli Government Fellow

First name Aisha

Troy MaryEileen Moabi

Gil

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009

Writing sketch comedy and applying to The Onion Undecided Working for the Sonoma County Economic Development Board as Program & Policy Development intern Working as an intern for Senator Maria Cantwell in her D.C. of"ce “Exotic dancing”

Heavey

Shana

Henderson

Ian

Henke

Alexander Attending University of Washington for a Ph.D. in Economics

Denver, CO

Major

Last name

Rhetoric & Film Studies

Hennings

First name Maxwell

Heyvaert

Whitney

Hill

Andrew

Hirata

Daichi

Holce

Nicholas

Ishmael

Reese

Psychology English Economics & Politics Sociology & Spanish

BOTSWANA; Sociology & ForSeattle eign Lang & Lit: Spanish

Jacks

Washington D.C.

Johnson

Andrew

Johnson

Joseph

Johnson

Vanessa

Kato

Kevin

Kaufman

Erin

Kegan

Benjamin

Kelly

Shawn

Kennedy

Mark

Kiefel

Gabriel

Kim Kinstler

HyoJeong Jake

Klapp Klipfel

Jon Joel

Knox

Andrew

Kpaka

Henry

Krall

Emily

Kunkel Kutscher

William Ellen

Kwon

Michelle

Lakes

Julia

Laney

Jill

Larson-Xu

Alisa

Laxson

William

Laymoun

Sara

Battle Moun- Biology tain, NV Washington Politics D.C. Laramie, WY Politics-Environmental Studies Politics-Environmental Studies NYC, NY Natural & Mathematical Sciences Spokane, WA

Psychology

Chicago, IL

Religion

Corvallis, OR Mathematics Psychology Politics Philosophy Walla Walla, Music WA Vashon Environmental Island, WA Humanities JAPAN English

Economics Psychology Sociology-Environmental Studies Salt Lake City, UT Pendleton, OR Jackson Hole, WY

Chicago, IL

Biology-Environmental Studies Psychology Gender Studies Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Rhetoric & Film Studies Theatre

CA English Sonoma, CA Asian Studies

Taking a year off and working, to pay for law school the following year.

Pursuing international teaching jobs

Attending Washington State University for a MA of Community Counseling Nathaniel Taking time off, working at the Iron Horse Golf Club

Jacob

Washington D.C.

Sociology

UKRAINE/ POLAND Seattle, WA

Psychology

Leary

Ryan

Economics

Leavitt

Julia

Location

Major

Environmntal Studies-Psychology Traveling and learning Span- ARGENTINA Biology ish Attending Louisiana State Baton Foreign Lang & Lit: University for a MA of French Rouge, Loui- French siana

Rachel

Chicago, IL English Palo Alto, CA Chemistry Biology-Environmental Studies

Description

Working as the Lyman Hall Residence Director of Whitman College.

Working as a hydraulic technician for the U.S. Forest Service at the Umatilla National Forest Attending summer school and then keeping options open Will be working and deciding whether to continue studies in law or graduate school Doing research in psychology Pursuing "lm

Walla Walla, English WA JAPAN, Asian Studies THAILAND, KOREA and COSTA RICA Pullman, WA Psychology White"sh Politics and Kalispell, MT Walla Walla, Philosophy WA Pendleton, OR

Geology

Boise, ID

Art

Spokane or Asian Studies Walla Walla, WA Phoenix, AZ Psychology

Rhetoric & Film Studies Working as the summer staff Carnation, Latin American of Camp Korey WA Studies Pursuing a career in theatre New Jersey/ Theatre directing Philadelphia Attending Walla Walla Com- Walla Walla, Biology munity College for an E.M.T. WA certi"cation Chemistry Working on portfolio and applying to creative writing graduate programs Taking a year off to write Attending the graduate mathematics program at Western Washington University Attending Robert Day School of Finance and Economics at Claremont McKenna for a MA Finance Attending Harvard Kennedy School for a MA Public Policy Working as a Climate Protection Intern for Natural Capitalism Solutions Working as a Tasting Room Assistant in Va Piano Vineyards Pursuing an English-teaching job overseas Working for the Wallowa Land Trust Working for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in a nonpro"t called the Ministry of Caring Working as an English Teacher in the Whitman in China program Attending Colorado State University for a Ph.D. Pursuing a job in print advertising and marketing Attending the University for a MA Geology Working as a Neighborhood Coordinator for BMAC-Commitment to Community

NY

English

Bellingham, WA

English Physics & Mathematics

Claremont, CA

Biology & Economics

Cambridge, MA

Economics

Boulder, CO

Sociology-Environmental Studies

Last name Lee

First name Aaron

Levy

Katie

Levy Likarish

Noam Nicole

Littman

Nicholas

Lopez

Valerie

Lund Snee

Jens-Erik

Madsen

Trygve

Maizel Manjunath Martin

Leor Shruthi Karina

Martinez

Jessica

Martinez Martinucci Masarie Mathewson Matisse Matsumoto Matzinger McKay McKenzie McKinstry McKiver McVicar Meith Meyers

Miller

Biology Walla Walla, History WA Asia

Anthropology

Wallowas and Enterprise, OR Wilmington, DE

Environmental Humanities Psychology

Miller Millikan Mills

Minckler Mittelsteadt

Kunming, CHINA

Politics

Fort Collins, CO California

Chemistry Psychology

Tucson, AZ

Geology

Mitterling

Walla Walla, Foreign Lang & Lit: WA Spanish

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER 29

Moore Morita Morris

Description Traveling in Europe, then entering a profession Working in the restaurant of a lodge, exploring the mountains and studying for the LSATs Working as an English teacher in the Whitman in China program Taking time off and planning to travel abroad in the next year Working as an English teacher for WorldTech Working as a geologist for the U.S. Forest Service for the Geological Society of America Geocorps Undecided Teaching English abroad Attending medical school

Working as an English conversation teacher for Amity Corporation Samuel Taking time off “wandering the deserts with a knife, a canteen, and a vial of acid” Theodora Taking time off

Location

Major Economics

The Grand Tetons

Sociology

CHINA

Biology & Music English

San Francisco, CA

Biology-Environmental Studies

THAILAND

English

Coeur d’Alene, ID

Geology & Politics

Unknown

JAPAN

Foreign Language & Lit: Spanish Philosophy Psychology Sociology-Environmental Studies Asian Studies

New Mexico

English

Ithaca, NY

Berkeley, CA Rhetoric & Film Studies Alex Working at Yellowstone KOA West Yellow- Mathematics & stone, WY Physics Andrew Working as a Lab Technician Brooks, OR Biology for Nunhems USA Inc. Nicholas Politics-Environmental Studies Mallory “Running away and joining Foreign Language the circus” & Lit: French Gia Geology-Environmental Studies Bryce History & Politics Michael Continuing the job hunt, reApplied Mathematsearching graduate schools ics for Engineering Emily BCI Academy teaching SOUTH History English KOREA Charlotte Working as a production NYC, NY Politics assistant at a production company Sarah Preparing for GREs NH Philosophy Alison Attending BCI Academy English Travis Attending University of Los Angeles, Biology California Los Angeles for CA a MA Public Health with an emphasis in Community Health Sciences Andrea Working as an Organizer & Salem, OR Politics Fundraiser CAUSA, Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Coalition Benjamin Psychology James Waiting to hear from Ameri- Wenatchee, Philosophy Corps WA Lee Attending The Peabody Baltimore, Music Institue at Johns Hopkins MD University for a MD and getting a Graduate Performance Diploma in Orchestral Conducting.

Michael Attending Jefferson Medical Philadelphia, Biology School at Jefferson Univer- PA sity for a MD. Kristen Conducting research with Walla Walla, Biology Professor Lenna Knight, ap- WA plying to medical school Alexander Pursuing a job in the "nanSeattle, WA Economics cial services industry Kevin Biology Jill Asian Studies Erin Working for the Parks and Walla Walla, Sociology Recreation Department be- WA fore applying to grad school

28

FEATURES

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Last name Conner

First name Evan

Conrad

Jessica

Cooper

Chase

Working for a year then travelling and attending medical school Writing or editing for an environmental publication Working for U.S. PIRG

Cooper

Kayla

Taking time off

Cotler Coulson

Kyle Andrew

“Working for the CIA” Pursuing a career as a wildlife biologist Information withheld Attending graduate school at Dartmouth College for mathematics Attending University of Texis at Austin for a PhD in Philosophy

Coyle Crytser

Briana Danny

Cutter

Brian

Dafforn

Brian

Daigneault Davis DeVleming DeVore Doane Dollar Donaldson Dooley Droppert Duffy Duncan Dundon

Durfey Eiselt Ellis Endres Erickson Faidley Fassler Feehan Fimbres Fischer Fisher FitzGerald Fitzpatrick Flessner Fouts Frank Freed Friedman

Description

Location

Major

Last name

Bellingham, WA

Biology

Fukushima

San Francisco, CA Undetermined Walla Walla, WA Langley, VA

Environmental Humanities History Applied Mathematics Music Biology

Politics Hanover, NH Pure Mathematics Austin, TX

Gabrielson Gallagher Garebamono Gibson

Laura

Description

Applying to graduate schools

Golden Goldenberg

Jonathan

Goltz

Daniel

Gordon

Molly

Gilkeson Ginsbach Goad

Goehring Goerss

Attending Columbia University for 3-2 NMS Chemical Engineering Working as an Employment Specialist at a social service agency Working as a teacher for AmeriCorps - Boys Hope Girls Hope Attending Oregon State University for a Ph.D.

Gottschall

Nicholas

Grady

Noella

Graffe Grandpre Gray Greenberg

Hague

John Lawrence Forrest Justin Pursuing admissions work at Whitman College Kathryn Working on Plum Forest Farm until October Kaston Working as an Assistant Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Peter Pursuing a job in economic consulting Sasha Undecided Lauren Volunteering along the Thai/ Burma border for a Burmese human rights organization Michael Taking time off

Hampton

Justin

Working for In!nity Rehab

Hansen

Robin

Working for Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton National Park Pursuing a job as a lab tech

Greenberg Grif!n

Grif!n Gross Guest

Hanson

Josiah

Harrington

Todd

Hatheway

Sarah

Hawes Hayashi

John Justin

Location

Received Watson FellowSOUTH ship, researching “raptivism” AFRICA, SENEGAL, INDIA, MOROCCO, FRANCE Undecided Undecided

Working at the Stanley British Primary School in a teaching internship Stephanie Traveling to Botswana to learn about the country, its people and its culture; then working with children and women as a social worker Kyle Working Jake Attending Stanford University for a Ph.D. in Chemistry Erica Working as an Energy & Environmental Intern for the Center for American Progress Nicole Working as a botanist at the Great Basin Institute Roman Travelling and then working in politics Sarah Working as paralegal

Philosophy

German Studies & Physics Justin Working as the Jewett Hall Walla Walla, Biology Residence Director WA Calvin Taking time off Portland, OR Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Kathryn Working for English Network JAPAN History 21 as an English teacher David Taking time off Walla Walla, Economics WA Jennifer Planning to take more Seattle, WA Psychology classes, !nd part-time work or the Bay and apply to graduate school Area Nicholas Politics Nick Unknown Albuquerque, Art History & ViNM sual Culture James Politics Jordan Working construction Reno, NV English Megan Taking time off and audition- NYC, NY Theatre ing for plays Matthew Traveling Unknown Religion Kelly Taking pre-med classes at Seattle, WA Geology the University of Washington before applying to medical school Chelsea Working for King Canyon Louisiana Geology-EnvironBuffalo Inc. as a wellsite mental Studies geologist Gregory Working for Princeton in an Yunnan Asian Studies Asia fellowship Province, CHINA Kaley Planning to take a year off English and apply to graduate school in London Becky Possibly teaching English SOUTH English and then attending graduate KOREA school Andrew Taking time off Walla Walla, Applied MathematWA ics ChristoConsidering playing profesPolitics pher sional basketball in Europe or joining the US Air Force Emily Economics & Theater Blair Pursuing a career in corpo- Seattle, WA Theatre rate event production and public relations Evan Undecided History Kat Taking time off to “appreciate Biology the possibilities” Ashley Working for U.S. PIRG Unknown Politics Jordan Psychology Courtney Working for the US Forest Steamboat, Environmental Service as a range techniCO Humanities cian Andrew Working for Microsoft as Redmond, Chemistry a Software Development WA Engineer Cody Volunteering for AmeriCorps Federal Way, Pure Mathematics WA JacqueUndecided, but planning to Physics-Environline go to graduate school for mental Studies civil engineering Alexandra Psychology Rebecca Working for the Menachen Jerusalem, Music Begin Heritage Center as an ISRAEL Israeli Government Fellow

First name Aisha

Troy MaryEileen Moabi

Gil

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009

Writing sketch comedy and applying to The Onion Undecided Working for the Sonoma County Economic Development Board as Program & Policy Development intern Working as an intern for Senator Maria Cantwell in her D.C. of!ce “Exotic dancing”

Heavey

Shana

Henderson

Ian

Henke

Alexander Attending University of Washington for a Ph.D. in Economics

Denver, CO

Major

Last name

Rhetoric & Film Studies

Hennings

First name Maxwell

Heyvaert

Whitney

Hill

Andrew

Hirata

Daichi

Holce

Nicholas

Ishmael

Reese

Psychology English Economics & Politics Sociology & Spanish

BOTSWANA; Sociology & ForSeattle eign Lang & Lit: Spanish

Jacks

Washington D.C.

Johnson

Andrew

Johnson

Joseph

Johnson

Vanessa

Kato

Kevin

Kaufman

Erin

Kegan

Benjamin

Kelly

Shawn

Kennedy

Mark

Kiefel

Gabriel

Kim Kinstler

HyoJeong Jake

Klapp Klipfel

Jon Joel

Knox

Andrew

Kpaka

Henry

Krall

Emily

Kunkel Kutscher

William Ellen

Kwon

Michelle

Lakes

Julia

Laney

Jill

Larson-Xu

Alisa

Laxson

William

Laymoun

Sara

Battle Moun- Biology tain, NV Washington Politics D.C. Laramie, WY Politics-Environmental Studies Politics-Environmental Studies NYC, NY Natural & Mathematical Sciences Spokane, WA

Psychology

Chicago, IL

Religion

Corvallis, OR Mathematics Psychology Politics Philosophy Walla Walla, Music WA Vashon Environmental Island, WA Humanities JAPAN English

Economics Psychology Sociology-Environmental Studies Salt Lake City, UT Pendleton, OR Jackson Hole, WY

Chicago, IL

Biology-Environmental Studies Psychology Gender Studies Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Rhetoric & Film Studies Theatre

CA English Sonoma, CA Asian Studies

Taking a year off and working, to pay for law school the following year.

Pursuing international teaching jobs

Attending Washington State University for a MA of Community Counseling Nathaniel Taking time off, working at the Iron Horse Golf Club

Jacob

Washington D.C.

Sociology

UKRAINE/ POLAND Seattle, WA

Psychology

Leary

Ryan

Economics

Leavitt

Julia

Location

Major

Environmntal Studies-Psychology Traveling and learning Span- ARGENTINA Biology ish Attending Louisiana State Baton Foreign Lang & Lit: University for a MA of French Rouge, Loui- French siana

Rachel

Chicago, IL English Palo Alto, CA Chemistry Biology-Environmental Studies

Description

Working as the Lyman Hall Residence Director of Whitman College.

Working as a hydraulic technician for the U.S. Forest Service at the Umatilla National Forest Attending summer school and then keeping options open Will be working and deciding whether to continue studies in law or graduate school Doing research in psychology Pursuing !lm

Walla Walla, English WA JAPAN, Asian Studies THAILAND, KOREA and COSTA RICA Pullman, WA Psychology White!sh Politics and Kalispell, MT Walla Walla, Philosophy WA Pendleton, OR

Geology

Boise, ID

Art

Spokane or Asian Studies Walla Walla, WA Phoenix, AZ Psychology

Rhetoric & Film Studies Working as the summer staff Carnation, Latin American of Camp Korey WA Studies Pursuing a career in theatre New Jersey/ Theatre directing Philadelphia Attending Walla Walla Com- Walla Walla, Biology munity College for an E.M.T. WA certi!cation Chemistry Working on portfolio and applying to creative writing graduate programs Taking a year off to write Attending the graduate mathematics program at Western Washington University Attending Robert Day School of Finance and Economics at Claremont McKenna for a MA Finance Attending Harvard Kennedy School for a MA Public Policy Working as a Climate Protection Intern for Natural Capitalism Solutions Working as a Tasting Room Assistant in Va Piano Vineyards Pursuing an English-teaching job overseas Working for the Wallowa Land Trust Working for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in a nonpro!t called the Ministry of Caring Working as an English Teacher in the Whitman in China program Attending Colorado State University for a Ph.D. Pursuing a job in print advertising and marketing Attending the University for a MA Geology Working as a Neighborhood Coordinator for BMAC-Commitment to Community

NY

English

Bellingham, WA

English Physics & Mathematics

Claremont, CA

Biology & Economics

Cambridge, MA

Economics

Boulder, CO

Sociology-Environmental Studies

Last name Lee

First name Aaron

Levy

Katie

Levy Likarish

Noam Nicole

Littman

Nicholas

Lopez

Valerie

Lund Snee

Jens-Erik

Madsen

Trygve

Maizel Manjunath Martin

Leor Shruthi Karina

Martinez

Jessica

Martinez Martinucci Masarie Mathewson Matisse Matsumoto Matzinger McKay McKenzie McKinstry McKiver McVicar Meith Meyers

Miller

Biology Walla Walla, History WA Asia

Anthropology

Wallowas and Enterprise, OR Wilmington, DE

Environmental Humanities Psychology

Miller Millikan Mills

Minckler Mittelsteadt

Kunming, CHINA

Politics

Fort Collins, CO California

Chemistry Psychology

Tucson, AZ

Geology

Mitterling

Walla Walla, Foreign Lang & Lit: WA Spanish

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER 29

Moore Morita Morris

Description Traveling in Europe, then entering a profession Working in the restaurant of a lodge, exploring the mountains and studying for the LSATs Working as an English teacher in the Whitman in China program Taking time off and planning to travel abroad in the next year Working as an English teacher for WorldTech Working as a geologist for the U.S. Forest Service for the Geological Society of America Geocorps Undecided Teaching English abroad Attending medical school

Working as an English conversation teacher for Amity Corporation Samuel Taking time off “wandering the deserts with a knife, a canteen, and a vial of acid” Theodora Taking time off

Location

Major Economics

The Grand Tetons

Sociology

CHINA

Biology & Music English

San Francisco, CA

Biology-Environmental Studies

THAILAND

English

Coeur d’Alene, ID

Geology & Politics

Unknown

JAPAN

Foreign Language & Lit: Spanish Philosophy Psychology Sociology-Environmental Studies Asian Studies

New Mexico

English

Ithaca, NY

Berkeley, CA Rhetoric & Film Studies Alex Working at Yellowstone KOA West Yellow- Mathematics & stone, WY Physics Andrew Working as a Lab Technician Brooks, OR Biology for Nunhems USA Inc. Nicholas Politics-Environmental Studies Mallory “Running away and joining Foreign Language the circus” & Lit: French Gia Geology-Environmental Studies Bryce History & Politics Michael Continuing the job hunt, reApplied Mathematsearching graduate schools ics for Engineering Emily BCI Academy teaching SOUTH History English KOREA Charlotte Working as a production NYC, NY Politics assistant at a production company Sarah Preparing for GREs NH Philosophy Alison Attending BCI Academy English Travis Attending University of Los Angeles, Biology California Los Angeles for CA a MA Public Health with an emphasis in Community Health Sciences Andrea Working as an Organizer & Salem, OR Politics Fundraiser CAUSA, Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Coalition Benjamin Psychology James Waiting to hear from Ameri- Wenatchee, Philosophy Corps WA Lee Attending The Peabody Baltimore, Music Institue at Johns Hopkins MD University for a MD and getting a Graduate Performance Diploma in Orchestral Conducting.

Michael Attending Jefferson Medical Philadelphia, Biology School at Jefferson Univer- PA sity for a MD. Kristen Conducting research with Walla Walla, Biology Professor Lenna Knight, ap- WA plying to medical school Alexander Pursuing a job in the !nanSeattle, WA Economics cial services industry Kevin Biology Jill Asian Studies Erin Working for the Parks and Walla Walla, Sociology Recreation Department be- WA fore applying to grad school

30

FEATURES

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Last name

First name Morris-Rosen- Matthew feld

Moulton Mountjoy Moyer Muckler

Mummy

Nabelek Nelson Nelson

Ng Nishibayashi North Nostdal Nusse O’Malley Ogle Okantey Olds Oost

Otto Owen Ozuna Parish

Parker Parkin Patterson PendletonKnoll Pengilly Percival

Pereira

Phelps Phillips

Description

Location

Working at the Sky Hawks Seattle, WA Sports Camps as a baseball camp director, then pursuing a Sports Management masters and MBA

Major

Last name

History

Phillips

First name Jesse

Phillips

Stephen

Pine

Kerry

Piper

Keefe

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology John Working for Tax Foundation, Economics & a policy think-tank Politics Katherine Biology & Music Brett Studying dance and visual Philadelphia, Art art at Washington University PA in St. Louis, before moving to Philadelphia to complete a work for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival Linda Working as an Autistic Stu- Walla Walla, Pure Mathematics dents Classroom assistant WA for AmeriCorps, Blue Mountain action Council Marc Biology-Geology John Attending Gonzaga Univer- Spokane, Chemistry sity School of Law for a JD WA Law Julia Working this summer at Seattle Sociology-Environan outdoor and innovative mental Studies job, then participating in ADAMAH: a 3-month Jewish Environmental Fellowship in CN, working on a 4-acre farm Jennifer Working as an English teach- CHINA Art History & Vier in the Whitman in China sual Culture program Mark Job hunting Los Angeles, Physics-EnvironCA mental Studies Sarah Attending McGill University Montreal, Foreign Lang & Lit: for a MLS Library & Informa- Quebec Spanish tion Studies CANADA Sarah Traveling and/or living near a Walla Walla, Sociology-Environski resort WA mental Studies Ysbrand Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology JohnGender Studies Caleb David Taking time off Seattle, WA Philosophy Elliott Taking time off Seattle, WA History Gareth Attending Brown University Providence, Economics RI Kathryn Assistant coaching for the Walla Walla, Psychology Whitman women’s tennis WA team and working around town Elsbeth Working during the summer Walla Walla, Environmental WA Humanities Jaime Asian Studies Matthew Politics & Race & Ethnic Studies Elizabeth Volunteering for the sumAlaska Mathematics mer with the Alaska Baha’I community, then pursuing neuroscience/biology graduate programs Eric Art & Geology Stephen Working as an English teach- Xi’an, Shanxi Classics & Philosoer in the Whitman in China Province, phy program CHINA Rachel Working as a Research As- London, Politics sociate at the Adam Smith ENGLAND Institute Seren Working as a Case Manager San Mateo, Clinical Psychology at the Youth & Family Enrich- CA & Applied Theater ment Services Miles Unknown Portland, OR English Scott Working as an Assistant JAPAN Astronomy Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Kyle Working for the Japan ExJAPAN Asian Studies change & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Katherine Taking time off and workSeattle, WA Art History & Viing for the Pilchuck Glass sual Culture School Gregory Working as a Research UTAH German Studies Associate at Intermountain Health Care

Samuel

Pogue Poole Porter-Roth Presto Price Quay Quintana Rachor

Ramirez Rampy Rathjen Records Regan Richards Rietveld Riley Roberts Robinson Robinson Robinson Rohr Rokpelnis Rosales Rosback Rose Ruelas Sado Sady Sakari Salazar Sanders Sandy Sanford Saunders Schaffer

Schaumberg Schoenfelder

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009 Description

Location

Working for Davis Projects for Peace as a Grant Recipient Playing for professional soccer team Kitsap Pumas and promoting art work Attending Boston University School of Medicine for Forensic Anthropology Volunteering for Whitman Christian Fellowship

HONDURAS Environmental & GUATEHumanities MALA Art Boston, MA

Major

Anthropology

Walla Walla, Philosophy WA Alexandra Biology Thomas Job hunting NYC, NY Economics Elizabeth Working while considering a Walla Walla, Environmental career in writing WA Humanities Chelsea Pursuing a career in environ- Seattle, WA Biology-Environmental research mental Studies Wesley Music Simon Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Micaela Philosophy Laura Working for a commuSociology nity development consulting company as a Continuity Specialist/Customer Jose Taking time off San FranPolitics cisco, CA Ariana Working as a service coorNew OrArt History & Vidinator leans, LA sual Culture Cole Taking time off and working Denver, CO Religion Lindsay Working as an Adaptive Crested Economics Sports Center intern Butte, CO Tarah Biology Andrew Performing lab research at Seattle, WA Biochem, Biophysthe Fred Hutchinson Cancer ics & Molecular Research Center Biology Eric Attending law school in the NYC, NY History fall on the East Coast John Working for AmeriCorps in History Walla Walla Amanda Taking a year off before grad Physics-Astronomy school Katherine Taking time off to apply for Politics law school and travel Laura Taking time off Seattle, WA History Patricia Living aboard a sailboat and Seattle, WA Economics-Mathelooking for a job matics Charles Undecided Philosophy Karlis Studying Chinese and work- Beijing, Politics-Environing for the IES Beijing study CHINA mental Studies abroad program for a year Susana Taking time off to apply to Seattle, WA Foreign Lang & Lit: medical school for fall 2010 Spanish Sydney Attending University of Davis, CA Physics California Davis City for MS Atmospheric Science.

Aaron Religion Victor Physics-Astronomy Anthony Undecided Molly Smith’s English basement Sophia Working as a Harvest Walla Walla, Politics-EnvironWorker for Northwest Grain WA mental Studies Growers Charli Attending University of Victo- Victoria, Physics-Astronomy ria for M. Sc. & a Ph.D. CANADA & Mathematics Gabriela Taking time off Walla Walla, Foreign Language WA & Lit: French Andrea Art History & Visual Culture Kelly Physics-Astronomy Luke Working as an intern at Con- SRI LANKA Politics sultative Group on International Agricultural Research Blake Attending callbacks in SeNYC, NY Music attle for Regional Theatre Kristen Attending The Slade School London, Art of Fine Arts University ENGLAND College London for a MFA Painting.

Ned Earning an E.M.T. certi"ca- Aurora, CO English tion.

Caitlin Working as a CommunicaWashington Politics tions, Parent and Family D.C. Engagement Intern in the District of Columbia Public Schools

Last name Schoenike

First name Celi

Schroeder Sciacca

Betsy Matthew

Seyfert

Christine

Seymour

Andrea

Shadix

Timothy

Shoaf

Edwin

Shon

Jason

Sigley

Kevin

Skeels

Martin

Smith

Jacqueline

Sokpo Sollom-Brotherton Spoor

Gonpo Noel

Stadmeyer

Peter

Laura

Stein

Leora

Stein

Rachel

Stellberg

Sarah

Description

Moving back to Germany to GERMANY work and hopefully intern at a medical facility, with plans of applying to medical school in the future Playing the violin in a gypsy jazz band and producing a CD with his band, Ranger and the Rearrangers Working as a teacher for Teach for America Working as a Geology Technician for Whitman College Working as an Emerson National Hunger Fellow for the Congressional Hunger Center Traveling the United States in a counterclockwise fashion, working in Anchorage, AK for a year, then pursuing law school Working as an Assistant Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program

Working as a volunteer for AmeriCorps Traveling in Central America and taking time off before applying to medical school Either attending UCSB or working with children or adolescents Taking a cross-country road trip, and following Obama to "nd work Working as a "eld biology research assistant and then job hunting in NY Taking time off

Stull

Kate

Stutsman

Austen

Suarez

Cynthia

Sullivan

Brianna

SunEagle

Taurra

Swan

Madeline

Taggart

Fiona

Taliaferro

Littlepage Taking time off

Thompson Thongdymanyvong Thurman Thylur

Bay Area, CA Walla Walla, WA Washington D.C.

Major

Last name

Environmental Humanities

Tirabasso

First name Chloe

Tivona

Shayna

Tortorici

Caitlin

English

Trail Urback

Graham Meghan

Geology-Environmental Studies Politics

Valusek

Asteria

VanDonge

Benjamin

Varonin

Jillian

Vasquez

Jesus

Veenapani

Aakanksha

von Wolffersdorff

Adrienne

Vorhauer

April

Wade

Sara

Wall Wellman

Liam Kyl

Wenzel

Lauren

White

Daniel

Wiant

Kirsten

Psychology Economics

Anchorage, AK

History

JAPAN

Asian Studies

Economics & German Studies English

Psychology Sociology Art

Amy

Teal

Seattle, WA

Working as an English Southern Teacher as part of the Vietnam Princeton in Asia Fellowship program Taking a year off CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA

Strauss

Tate

Location

Attending George Washington University for a DPT Physical Therapy Attending law school at Gonzaga University Working as a Research Associate at the Cognitative Psychology Lab Taking time off

Los Angeles, Art CA CENTRAL Biology AMERICA

Southern California Washington D.C.

Sociology-Environmental Studies Psychology & Art Economics

Spokane, WA. New Haven, CT NYC, NY

Interning with Senator Maria Washington Cantwell DC

South Freeport, ME Samuel Serving as a 2nd Lieutenant Ft. Benning, in the U.S. army GA Natalie Working as a naturalist for Maui, HI the Paci"c Whale Foundation William Taking time off and search- Walla Walla, ing for employment, then WA applying to graduate school Souksam- Working as a teacher for Federal Way, lane AmeriCorps WA Dusti Information withheld David Taking classes from Univer- Colorado sity of Colorado-Boulder, and applying to medical school

Wilson Wilson

DOMINICAN Biology-EnvironREPUBLIC mental Studies Humboldt County, CA Washington D.C.

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Wilson

Art Foreign Lang & Lit: Spanish Psychology

Wilson

Woods

Psychology Art History & Visual Culture & Rhetoric & Film Studies Music Foreign Lang & Lit: Spanish Sociology-Environmental Studies Economics Biology Environmental Humanities Sociology Gender Studies Asian Studies

Woods Wu Wutzke

Yeganeh Young Youngblood Ziegler Zippel Zoline-Black Zumeta

Description

Location

Taking a year off and working, then either a volunteer teaching program or pursuing a degree in alternative pre-school and K-8 education Working as an Au Pair for a private family Working freelance at the LA Times

Orcas Island, Philosophy WA

Taking time off, pursuing work at art center, teaching Currently applying to teach English in South Korea for one year, beginning this fall Working on an entrepreneurial project for several months before grad school to pursue a Masters in Teaching Taking time off and applying to biomedical sciences graduate school programs Working for the Walla Walla Valley bands in an Assistant Director Internship Taking time off, volunteering and preparing for grad school Working as a teacher for AmeriCorps for San Miguel Middle School Working for the Department of Developmental Disabilities Job-hunting Completing the 3-2 Computer Science Program at the University of Washington Working for Gardens’ children’s program Taking a year off, workinging and coaching baseball at Whitman, then graduate school in geology Undecided

31

Major

ITALY

Race & Ethnic Studies Los Angeles, Gender Studies CA Politics Berkeley, CA Art Jeju, SOUTH Sociology KOREA Walla Walla, History WA San Francisco CA and INDIA Walla Walla, WA

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Music

Mumbai, INDIA

Economics & English

Chicago, IL

Rhetoric & Film Studies

Pendleton, OR San Francisco, CA

Sociology

Seattle, WA

Latin American Studies Economics Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Boulder, CO

Economics-Environmental Studies Walla Walla, Geology-EnvironWA mental Studies

Walla Walla, Psychology WA Carole Working as a teacher for St. Louis, Sociology Teach for America MO Daniel Completing the 3-2 engineer- Seattle, WA Natural & Mathing program at the University ematical Sciences of Washington Kevin Commercial "shing this sum- Alaska Anthropology mer, then working at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this fall Natasha Working as a research asSan Juan Politics sistant through the fall, then Islands, WA taking time to travel before attending law school Brigitte Enrolled in intensive Spanish GUATEBiochem, Biophyslanguage program and medi- MALA ics & Molecular cal volunteering in USC’s Biology Somos Hermanos program Haley Psychology Mengwen Attending medical school at Pomona, CA Art “Ruby” Western University of Health Sciences Kellie Working as a Program & Walla Walla, Biochem, BiophysManagement Analyst for the WA ics & Molecular US Army Corps of Engineers Biology & Applied Mathematics Sina Pursuing work as a business Seattle, WA Economics analyst Hayley Working on a television show Seattle, WA Rhetoric & Film Studies David “Reading and writing” Philosophy Brendan Working for a business con- Elgin, IL Psychology sulting "rm Seth Received the Swashzone La Conner, Physics Fellowship studying tidal WA !ats with Woods Hole Joseph Biology Brian Working as a Project ManAlbuquerque, Philosophy & ager for Maroland L.L.C. NM Politics

30

FEATURES

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Last name

First name Morris-Rosen- Matthew feld

Moulton Mountjoy Moyer Muckler

Mummy

Nabelek Nelson Nelson

Ng Nishibayashi North Nostdal Nusse O’Malley Ogle Okantey Olds Oost

Otto Owen Ozuna Parish

Parker Parkin Patterson PendletonKnoll Pengilly Percival

Pereira

Phelps Phillips

Description

Location

Working at the Sky Hawks Seattle, WA Sports Camps as a baseball camp director, then pursuing a Sports Management masters and MBA

Major

Last name

History

Phillips

First name Jesse

Phillips

Stephen

Pine

Kerry

Piper

Keefe

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology John Working for Tax Foundation, Economics & a policy think-tank Politics Katherine Biology & Music Brett Studying dance and visual Philadelphia, Art art at Washington University PA in St. Louis, before moving to Philadelphia to complete a work for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival Linda Working as an Autistic Stu- Walla Walla, Pure Mathematics dents Classroom assistant WA for AmeriCorps, Blue Mountain action Council Marc Biology-Geology John Attending Gonzaga Univer- Spokane, Chemistry sity School of Law for a JD WA Law Julia Working this summer at Seattle Sociology-Environan outdoor and innovative mental Studies job, then participating in ADAMAH: a 3-month Jewish Environmental Fellowship in CN, working on a 4-acre farm Jennifer Working as an English teach- CHINA Art History & Vier in the Whitman in China sual Culture program Mark Job hunting Los Angeles, Physics-EnvironCA mental Studies Sarah Attending McGill University Montreal, Foreign Lang & Lit: for a MLS Library & Informa- Quebec Spanish tion Studies CANADA Sarah Traveling and/or living near a Walla Walla, Sociology-Environski resort WA mental Studies Ysbrand Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology JohnGender Studies Caleb David Taking time off Seattle, WA Philosophy Elliott Taking time off Seattle, WA History Gareth Attending Brown University Providence, Economics RI Kathryn Assistant coaching for the Walla Walla, Psychology Whitman women’s tennis WA team and working around town Elsbeth Working during the summer Walla Walla, Environmental WA Humanities Jaime Asian Studies Matthew Politics & Race & Ethnic Studies Elizabeth Volunteering for the sumAlaska Mathematics mer with the Alaska Baha’I community, then pursuing neuroscience/biology graduate programs Eric Art & Geology Stephen Working as an English teach- Xi’an, Shanxi Classics & Philosoer in the Whitman in China Province, phy program CHINA Rachel Working as a Research As- London, Politics sociate at the Adam Smith ENGLAND Institute Seren Working as a Case Manager San Mateo, Clinical Psychology at the Youth & Family Enrich- CA & Applied Theater ment Services Miles Unknown Portland, OR English Scott Working as an Assistant JAPAN Astronomy Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Kyle Working for the Japan ExJAPAN Asian Studies change & Teaching Program as an Assistant Language Teacher Katherine Taking time off and workSeattle, WA Art History & Viing for the Pilchuck Glass sual Culture School Gregory Working as a Research UTAH German Studies Associate at Intermountain Health Care

Samuel

Pogue Poole Porter-Roth Presto Price Quay Quintana Rachor

Ramirez Rampy Rathjen Records Regan Richards Rietveld Riley Roberts Robinson Robinson Robinson Rohr Rokpelnis Rosales Rosback Rose Ruelas Sado Sady Sakari Salazar Sanders Sandy Sanford Saunders Schaffer

Schaumberg Schoenfelder

FEATURES

MAY 18, 2009 MAY 18, 2009 Description

Location

Working for Davis Projects for Peace as a Grant Recipient Playing for professional soccer team Kitsap Pumas and promoting art work Attending Boston University School of Medicine for Forensic Anthropology Volunteering for Whitman Christian Fellowship

HONDURAS Environmental & GUATEHumanities MALA Art Boston, MA

Major

Anthropology

Walla Walla, Philosophy WA Alexandra Biology Thomas Job hunting NYC, NY Economics Elizabeth Working while considering a Walla Walla, Environmental career in writing WA Humanities Chelsea Pursuing a career in environ- Seattle, WA Biology-Environmental research mental Studies Wesley Music Simon Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Micaela Philosophy Laura Working for a commuSociology nity development consulting company as a Continuity Specialist/Customer Jose Taking time off San FranPolitics cisco, CA Ariana Working as a service coorNew OrArt History & Vidinator leans, LA sual Culture Cole Taking time off and working Denver, CO Religion Lindsay Working as an Adaptive Crested Economics Sports Center intern Butte, CO Tarah Biology Andrew Performing lab research at Seattle, WA Biochem, Biophysthe Fred Hutchinson Cancer ics & Molecular Research Center Biology Eric Attending law school in the NYC, NY History fall on the East Coast John Working for AmeriCorps in History Walla Walla Amanda Taking a year off before grad Physics-Astronomy school Katherine Taking time off to apply for Politics law school and travel Laura Taking time off Seattle, WA History Patricia Living aboard a sailboat and Seattle, WA Economics-Mathelooking for a job matics Charles Undecided Philosophy Karlis Studying Chinese and work- Beijing, Politics-Environing for the IES Beijing study CHINA mental Studies abroad program for a year Susana Taking time off to apply to Seattle, WA Foreign Lang & Lit: medical school for fall 2010 Spanish Sydney Attending University of Davis, CA Physics California Davis City for MS Atmospheric Science.

Aaron Religion Victor Physics-Astronomy Anthony Undecided Molly Smith’s English basement Sophia Working as a Harvest Walla Walla, Politics-EnvironWorker for Northwest Grain WA mental Studies Growers Charli Attending University of Victo- Victoria, Physics-Astronomy ria for M. Sc. & a Ph.D. CANADA & Mathematics Gabriela Taking time off Walla Walla, Foreign Language WA & Lit: French Andrea Art History & Visual Culture Kelly Physics-Astronomy Luke Working as an intern at Con- SRI LANKA Politics sultative Group on International Agricultural Research Blake Attending callbacks in SeNYC, NY Music attle for Regional Theatre Kristen Attending The Slade School London, Art of Fine Arts University ENGLAND College London for a MFA Painting.

Ned Earning an E.M.T. certi!ca- Aurora, CO English tion.

Caitlin Working as a CommunicaWashington Politics tions, Parent and Family D.C. Engagement Intern in the District of Columbia Public Schools

Last name Schoenike

First name Celi

Schroeder Sciacca

Betsy Matthew

Seyfert

Christine

Seymour

Andrea

Shadix

Timothy

Shoaf

Edwin

Shon

Jason

Sigley

Kevin

Skeels

Martin

Smith

Jacqueline

Sokpo Sollom-Brotherton Spoor

Gonpo Noel

Stadmeyer

Peter

Laura

Stein

Leora

Stein

Rachel

Stellberg

Sarah

Description

Moving back to Germany to GERMANY work and hopefully intern at a medical facility, with plans of applying to medical school in the future Playing the violin in a gypsy jazz band and producing a CD with his band, Ranger and the Rearrangers Working as a teacher for Teach for America Working as a Geology Technician for Whitman College Working as an Emerson National Hunger Fellow for the Congressional Hunger Center Traveling the United States in a counterclockwise fashion, working in Anchorage, AK for a year, then pursuing law school Working as an Assistant Language Teacher as part of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program

Working as a volunteer for AmeriCorps Traveling in Central America and taking time off before applying to medical school Either attending UCSB or working with children or adolescents Taking a cross-country road trip, and following Obama to !nd work Working as a !eld biology research assistant and then job hunting in NY Taking time off

Stull

Kate

Stutsman

Austen

Suarez

Cynthia

Sullivan

Brianna

SunEagle

Taurra

Swan

Madeline

Taggart

Fiona

Taliaferro

Littlepage Taking time off

Thompson Thongdymanyvong Thurman Thylur

Bay Area, CA Walla Walla, WA Washington D.C.

Major

Last name

Environmental Humanities

Tirabasso

First name Chloe

Tivona

Shayna

Tortorici

Caitlin

English

Trail Urback

Graham Meghan

Geology-Environmental Studies Politics

Valusek

Asteria

VanDonge

Benjamin

Varonin

Jillian

Vasquez

Jesus

Veenapani

Aakanksha

von Wolffersdorff

Adrienne

Vorhauer

April

Wade

Sara

Wall Wellman

Liam Kyl

Wenzel

Lauren

White

Daniel

Wiant

Kirsten

Psychology Economics

Anchorage, AK

History

JAPAN

Asian Studies

Economics & German Studies English

Psychology Sociology Art

Amy

Teal

Seattle, WA

Working as an English Southern Teacher as part of the Vietnam Princeton in Asia Fellowship program Taking a year off CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA

Strauss

Tate

Location

Attending George Washington University for a DPT Physical Therapy Attending law school at Gonzaga University Working as a Research Associate at the Cognitative Psychology Lab Taking time off

Los Angeles, Art CA CENTRAL Biology AMERICA

Southern California Washington D.C.

Sociology-Environmental Studies Psychology & Art Economics

Spokane, WA. New Haven, CT NYC, NY

Interning with Senator Maria Washington Cantwell DC

South Freeport, ME Samuel Serving as a 2nd Lieutenant Ft. Benning, in the U.S. army GA Natalie Working as a naturalist for Maui, HI the Paci!c Whale Foundation William Taking time off and search- Walla Walla, ing for employment, then WA applying to graduate school Souksam- Working as a teacher for Federal Way, lane AmeriCorps WA Dusti Information withheld David Taking classes from Univer- Colorado sity of Colorado-Boulder, and applying to medical school

Wilson Wilson

DOMINICAN Biology-EnvironREPUBLIC mental Studies Humboldt County, CA Washington D.C.

WHITMAN COLLEGE PIO NEER

Wilson

Art Foreign Lang & Lit: Spanish Psychology

Wilson

Woods

Psychology Art History & Visual Culture & Rhetoric & Film Studies Music Foreign Lang & Lit: Spanish Sociology-Environmental Studies Economics Biology Environmental Humanities Sociology Gender Studies Asian Studies

Woods Wu Wutzke

Yeganeh Young Youngblood Ziegler Zippel Zoline-Black Zumeta

Description

Location

Taking a year off and working, then either a volunteer teaching program or pursuing a degree in alternative pre-school and K-8 education Working as an Au Pair for a private family Working freelance at the LA Times

Orcas Island, Philosophy WA

Taking time off, pursuing work at art center, teaching Currently applying to teach English in South Korea for one year, beginning this fall Working on an entrepreneurial project for several months before grad school to pursue a Masters in Teaching Taking time off and applying to biomedical sciences graduate school programs Working for the Walla Walla Valley bands in an Assistant Director Internship Taking time off, volunteering and preparing for grad school Working as a teacher for AmeriCorps for San Miguel Middle School Working for the Department of Developmental Disabilities Job-hunting Completing the 3-2 Computer Science Program at the University of Washington Working for Gardens’ children’s program Taking a year off, workinging and coaching baseball at Whitman, then graduate school in geology Undecided

31

Major

ITALY

Race & Ethnic Studies Los Angeles, Gender Studies CA Politics Berkeley, CA Art Jeju, SOUTH Sociology KOREA Walla Walla, History WA San Francisco CA and INDIA Walla Walla, WA

Biochem, Biophysics & Molecular Biology Music

Mumbai, INDIA

Economics & English

Chicago, IL

Rhetoric & Film Studies

Pendleton, OR San Francisco, CA

Sociology

Seattle, WA

Latin American Studies Economics Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Boulder, CO

Economics-Environmental Studies Walla Walla, Geology-EnvironWA mental Studies

Walla Walla, Psychology WA Carole Working as a teacher for St. Louis, Sociology Teach for America MO Daniel Completing the 3-2 engineer- Seattle, WA Natural & Mathing program at the University ematical Sciences of Washington Kevin Commercial !shing this sum- Alaska Anthropology mer, then working at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this fall Natasha Working as a research asSan Juan Politics sistant through the fall, then Islands, WA taking time to travel before attending law school Brigitte Enrolled in intensive Spanish GUATEBiochem, Biophyslanguage program and medi- MALA ics & Molecular cal volunteering in USC’s Biology Somos Hermanos program Haley Psychology Mengwen Attending medical school at Pomona, CA Art “Ruby” Western University of Health Sciences Kellie Working as a Program & Walla Walla, Biochem, BiophysManagement Analyst for the WA ics & Molecular US Army Corps of Engineers Biology & Applied Mathematics Sina Pursuing work as a business Seattle, WA Economics analyst Hayley Working on a television show Seattle, WA Rhetoric & Film Studies David “Reading and writing” Philosophy Brendan Working for a business con- Elgin, IL Psychology sulting !rm Seth Received the Swashzone La Conner, Physics Fellowship studying tidal WA "ats with Woods Hole Joseph Biology Brian Working as a Project ManAlbuquerque, Philosophy & ager for Maroland L.L.C. NM Politics

32

perspectives

Whitman College Pio neer

Courtesy of Nicole Beier

May 18, 2009

Courtesy of Katie Phelps

Courtesy of Amy Strauss

Courtesy of Cody Fouts

Courtesy of Cody Fouts

Courtesy of Amy Strauss

Courtesy of Kyle Gilkeson

Courtesy of Nicole Beier

perspectives

May 18, 2009

Whitman College Pio neer

Courtesy of Katie Phelps

33

Courtesy of Amy Strauss

Courtesy of Nicole Beier

Courtesy of Cody Fouts

Courtesy of Mark Kennedy

Courtesy of Mark Kennedy

Courtesy of Katie Phelps

Courtesy of Kyle Gilkeson

34

Whitman College Pio neer

advertisements

May 18, 2009

Congratulations Marc!

Best of luck to you.

Keep hugging those rocks! love mom, dad and Patrik

ngratulatio o n C

From your friends in the Whitman College Office of Communications

WILL s!

o!

to g y a W

Will Thompson ’09

features

May 18, 2009

Professor

Michelle Janning

Professor Janning’s Top 12 Ways to “Handle” Work-Family Balance in the Real World Dear Seniors, Given that you are re-entering the real world and expanding your efforts beyond the Whitman Bubble, you will inevitably face a life somewhat different from the heavily integrated life in college that you’ve been leading (where work is the same as home and friends and lovers are the same as colleagues).

Now, the real world is full of these blurry boundaries too (I know this because I’m married to a colleague and certainly spend time doing work at home). But it’s going to feel a little different. It’s filled with more opportunities for you to negotiate the boundaries (if there are any) between the paid world of work and the unpaid world of home (however you conceive of that term), and everything in between.

Some of these may not apply to you for a few years, and some may never apply.

Maybe they’ll make you look at your own upbringing in interesting ways. And so, I humbly offer some tips for managing that negotiation...

1. If you have a partner, and you have a complaint, call it as it happens, but do so productively and with compassion. A good marriage or life partnership works when each partner does her best to make the other partner successful.

2. Draw boundaries in your life, if you need them, and be explicit about them to people whose lives are affected by the drawing of a boundary.

3. Check your rotation—if all of the areas of your life (work, personal life/family/ partnerships, body-mind-spirit, community) rotate in stress level over a month or a year, you’re probably okay. If one or two areas are always stressful, then ten years (or less) from now you may not be very happy.

4. If you have children, and if you throw a birthday party for them, buy yourself a present. Also, let your kids play with dirt AND watch a little TV. Moderation is key

in most parts of life, and a little popular culture savvy can be a blessing. It’s good to teach kids that early.

5. Hire someone to clean your house, and pay them well.

6. Know your workplace policies AND cultural norms. Find out about both of these with regard to work-family balance as soon as you can.

7. Read what researchers say about your occupational culture, whether it’s fishing, raising children or being a lawyer. Find out if people in your line of work seem to be happy people.

8. Don’t consider yourself lucky if you happen to be in an egalitarian relationship.

Consider it more normal than it is and it may become so. To be lucky means that your situation is unusual or exceptional, and things are not really changing.

9. Make sure your kids see you at work, especially if you’re a woman. If you participate in the paid labor force after you have children, and the kids say, “You don’t want to go to work, do you Mommy?” -- respond with “I do want to go to work because it makes me happy, and because it means I can provide a good life for you. But I love spending time with you more than anything else.” There is little room for guilt in our lives. It is a counterproductive emotion.

10. Have a good sense of humor about work and family issues.

11. If you have spent the last four years figuring out that your independence matters to you tremendously, as many Whitman students do, you may need to teach a present or future partner how to help you when you feel vulnerable (because you will).

12. If you are in a position where you have a partner, have date nights. Love your partner. Know that there is no single person in this world who can meet your every need, but it’s nice to come close.

With warmth and blessings, Michelle

Whitman College Pio neer

Dear Seniors, I am honored to be asked to give some advice on your postgraduate life. The invitation to address you is especially meaningful since I, like you, am leaving Whitman at the end of this semester. I have been here longer than any of you—32 years, to be exact—so my departure will be both more dramatic and more difficult because it will signal the end of my career as a teacher. I am grateful for all of the wonderful memories I have of my former students, including several members of your class whom I have taught in Core or French. These memories will sustain me, more than anything else, during my life after Whitman.

My first piece of advice is to finish all pending academic work if you haven’t done so already. Clear up those incompletes, turn in your theses, write those final papers. You will have plenty of time for pub crawls, celebratory meals with friends and parents, volunteer work, etc. once you have finished your class work.

If you think you are unmotivated to do so now, you will be even less motivated this summer. You will enjoy walking across the stage at Commencement much more with your Whitman classes fully completed.

Next, give yourselves an intellectual graduation present by drawing up a list of books you will read during your first six months after college. If you like novels, as I do, consider reading a novelist’s entire opus. Return to some of the authors you read your first year in Core, such as Plato, the English Romantic poets, or Toni Morrison. If you majored in the sciences, read the biographies of important modern figures in this field. You could even re-read authors you first read in high school, such as C.S. Lewis or science-fiction writers. If you can’t finish a book, don’t be afraid to abandon it or even to change your whole reading list. What you read is less important than the commitment to read. Reading for pleasure will become a life-time habit if you begin now, and this present to yourselves is a fitting continuation of your Whitman education, which stressed engagement with a variety of texts.

In addition, pick one activity that you

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will do from now on without multi-tasking. If you are a walker or a runner, don’t listen to music while you walk or run.

Leave your iPods at home. You will get in better touch with your body. You will start to hear the birds (not to mention the cars behind you!), recognize the plants on your route and smell the air. If you like music, get rid of all other distractions when you listen. Music will become more than the background to your daily routine.

If you like to spend hours on the phone with friends, do so, but not while you are checking your e-mail or walking your dog.

We are all so lucky to have friends that we should accord them the attention they deserve. Now is a good time to realize that you can’t do everything, and focusing your attention on any single activity will ultimately make it easier for you to choose the activities you cannot live without.

As a senior in college I read the following line written by T.S. Eliot in Four Quartets: “We had the experience but missed the meaning.” I have never forgotten these words, which seemed to me both a warning and a piece of advice. They warned me that it is all too easy to live life as a series of unconnected events out of our control. We meet people, we lose contact with people; we travel, we come back home; we go to college, then we take up careers that have nothing to do with our studies. But we can find meaning if we take time to digest our pasts. One reason I am retiring from teaching now is to meditate on the years I have spent at Whitman in the hopes of finding meaning in my experiences. I suggest that you also spend many hours over the summer and the next year making sense of your college days. Try to evaluate your choice of a major, your friendships, even ask yourself if Whitman was the right college to attend. An honest self-assessment will not only serve as a proper conclusion to your Whitman career but also make you more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, give you insight into your place in human history, and prepare you for the future.

Mary Anne O’Neil

Professor Mary Anne O’Neil

Whitman College Pio neer

features

May 18, 2009

M are Blocker Professor

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Heidi Baldwin, Career Center

The most dreaded question to a college senior is “What are you going to do after graduation?” Thinking about life after college is overwhelming for many, not to mention beginning your career during the biggest recession since the Great Depression and an 8.5 percent federal unemployment rate.

People are showing up by the thousands for job fairs. Those who are 40 or 50 years old are taking on summer jobs typically held by teenagers.

Every morning, news shows feature career experts who provide advice on how to find jobs in this extremely difficult job market.

That is the bad news. Now here is the good news: Your degree is from Whitman College.

Over the past four years you have learned to think critically, creatively solve problems and have gained strong communications skills. You have research skills; you can analyze and in-

terpret data. You have held leadership roles, delegated tasks and managed projects. You know how to prepare presentations and organize events.

Most job seekers are unprepared.

They lack focus and apply for anything they can find. Whitman graduates have the education, skills and experience employers want.

Unprepared job seekers blast out resumes and don’t take the extra step to make them specific to each position.

features

May 18, 2009

R achel Stein ‘09 My first semester at Whitman I was overwhelmed by the microcosm that I was living in—my high school was twice as big! This meant there always seemed to be new trends that were unique to our little community: to this day Whitman is the only place where I hear “pre-funking” more often than “pre-gaming.”

Since my ea rly feelings of claust rophobia, I have lea r ned to f u lly embrace ever y t h ing t he “ Wh it ma n Bubble” has to offer. Now, as I contemplate my graduat ion I wou ld like to sha re a few of t he un ique aspects of Wh it ma n wh ich I w ill m iss: The human birdbaths in front of Hunter: there are few places better to cool off on a hot day. Lately it even smells like chlorine has been added to the water!

Styx: I love that I never quite know what decorations might adorn this sculpture at anytime. From advertising to creative forms of self-expression, Styx is a campus emblem.

Dress up parties have a fond place in my heart. As a freshman I found myself pulling out old costumes and creating a “dress up box.” Over the past four years, its contents have been put to good use and I never fail to be entertained by the themes Whitman students create.

President Bridges bow ties are a memorable fashion statement for all Whitman students to take note of.

Campus bands! Whitman events and parties would not be the same without the classy music of Danger Mermaid, the

Raptavists and Red Light Blue Light.

Beer mile is one of those Whitman events that you can’t forget (even if you want to!). But really, what better way is there to take advantage of college rowdiness than beer mile?

Chorale contest is a Whitman staple that started before us and will outlast us.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup at lunch on Monday are one of the little things that will be hard to forget about Whitman. On a cold and rainy day or when I am feeling particularly in need of comfort there are few things better.

The blinking crosswalk on Isaacs.

Okay, I know that is ridiculous, but how many times have I crossed the street there?

Finally, one of the things that I will miss most about Whitman is everyone hanging out on Ankeny. I know that when the weather is even halfway decent there will always be people out playing sports and enjoying the grass—something that always makes me smile.

These are just a few of t he t hings I could share which make Whit man special to me; t here are big t hings, t here are small t hings, and I am sure t hat t here are t hings which I haven’t even t hought of yet. When t hat happens, I hope t hat I am able to t hink back to all of my wonderful memories at Whit man and revel in past moments. As cheesy as t hat sounds, I k now t hat many of you feel t he same way—t he t hings I will miss about Whitman are not just mine!

Ask not what an organization can do for you, but what you can do for the organization; keep the focus on the employer’s needs.

The harsh reality is that most employers don’t care what you want to learn from the job and how you hope to grow and develop.

They want to know what you bring to the organization. If you are wondering if you have skills employers want, rest assured, you do!

You just need to be prepared.

To become a successful job seeker, first develop a focus. That may sound scary to

many students who have so many interests and passions. One thing to keep in mind is that being 100 percent focused and appearing 100 percent focused are two very different things. Appear focused to a potential employer.

Second, realize your skills. The best way to do this is reflect on your experiences from campus and summer jobs, internships, volunteer, student organizations, leadership roles and athletics. Transferable skills such as teamwork, communication skills, initia-

Whitman College Pio neer

Dear Graduating Seniors, “This, you know, is a time of taking in taking in friendship, conversation, gaiety, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, holiness - and later, well, there will be a time of giving out,” remarks a friend of Sheldon Vanauken about the college years in Vanauken’s memoir A Severe Mercy. This profound insight, shared during a late night conversation among friends, is to me the clearest statement of the ultimate goal of a college education: college is that time when you prepare for your own time of giving out.

It is now your turn to take the richness of your education and experiences from Whitman and share them with the world. By contributing your gifts and talents to others, you can begin to utilize your four-year investment of taking in. How you choose to do this depends on you.

Share in a way that is uniquely yours.

Choose to inspire with your gifts –whatever they are. Do not become complacent in either your actions or your thinking. Use your finely honed intellectual mind-set to ask “why?” and “how?” Use your talents, whatever they are, to enrich the lives of others. Remember that many will see you as a role model, so act in a way to deserve that respect. However, it may be helpful to realize that others may resent or reject your experiences and perspectives.

You have been a member of a rare environment for the past four years. At Whitman, we encourage you to revel in the richness of our campus: the facilities, the faculty, the friend-

Professor

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ships, the challenges and the conversations.

A community of passionate people surrounds you; people who share your enthusiasm for learning, teaching and volunteering engage you in their world just as you engage them in yours.

The world at large is, on the whole, much less generous in spirit. Be prepared for hardships and frustration. Be prepared to face indifference. Be prepared for others to not openheartedly listen or care. Be prepared for little or no praise when you do things well.

Be prepared for more accountability when you do something poorly. Be prepared to have times in your life when you do not love your job. Be prepared for the times when you have so much responsibility that you feel you can go no further.

Through it all, though, rely on the strength you gained during your time of taking in.

Recognize the value of each little step as you progress forward. Work to maintain your friendships. Make good choices and be willing to accept change. Laugh at yourself and your mistakes. Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t expect others to always take you seriously. Respect those around you even when they disagree with you. Learn to really listen. And, above all, be true to yourself. Be true to the fundamental parts of your humanity and what makes you uniquely you.

Become the adult you are meant to be.

Embrace your own time of giving out.

Sincerely, Allison Calhoun

A llison Calhoun

tive, project management and a strong work ethic should be emphasized in job search correspondence.

Third, network, network, network! In a tough job market the single most important thing anyone can do is network.

Right now employers are reluctant to list positions because they become inundated with applications. It is much easier to hire a friend or relative of a current employee than to go through the time and expense of listing a position, sorting through hun-

dreds of resumes and cover letters, and conducting interviews.

Don’t count on waiting for advertised positions. Be proactive and let everyone you are acquainted with know that you are looking for employment and the field in which you are looking.

We are here to help! The Career Center serves alumni as well as students. Our services are available at any point in your career.

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features

Whitman College Pio neer

Professor

Dana Burgess

Many of those dispensing advice (welcome or not) to college graduates this year are likely to address the economic downturn.

Your job or career will consume much of your energy for the next 45 years or so, but I would like to invite graduates to think about other challenges.

Be conscious of how you think. When you get all caught up in what you are doing, make sure you sometimes step back from it and think about how you think about what you are doing. Beware of getting so immersed in your activities that you deny yourself perspective on what you are doing.

Listen carefully to someone who tells you that you are full of crap. Maybe that person is wrong, but maybe not. Suspend judgement long enough to figure out that person’s reasoning.

Just as you should be slow to dismiss another’s challenge to your worldview, so should you be slow to accept someone’s approval of it. Praise may be even more dangerous than blame, if it prevents you from understanding how you think. It isn’t easy to make time for genuine reflection. You may

need to formalize that activity, if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

Art provides exactly the new perspective you need. It lets you see afresh what you may have erroneously thought you already understood. You don’t need to be rich to make sure that you regularly expose yourself to art.

When you travel to a new city, stop by the museum to see the Manet. When you have a boring wait in an airport, try to read Balzac rather than Danielle Steele.

Don’t limit yourself to what you already like. If you find opera boring, but you get invited to the opera, go anyway! Try to figure out why folks like it. If you reconfirm your prejudices, you will have learned about your prejudices. If you don’t, you will have acquired a new perspective.

Have real conversations. We usually talk to one another about trivia or personal experience. It’s fine to ask about your friend’s weekend and to have an opportunity to tell about your own, but try to have some real conversations now and then. Ask your friend when it is better to work for social justice and when it is better to work for your own

One of the best parts of our journey thus far is that we have only just begun. In these final weeks, each trial and tribulation seems to be so small in relation to the world opening up before us. Soon-to-be graduates all have a lot to offer those around them in intellectual agility, emotional profundity and well-roundedness, and I hope that as they begin this next chapter in their life, they will continue to help mentor and build the communities that they touch along the way.

The time is always ripe to reinvest and give back to the world, our home countries, our local communities, as well as our families and friends who have so selflessly molded us into the vibrant individuals we are today.

While I would like to reflect on these four years with the idealism of a wide-eyed college kid, it is also important to acknowledge the trials and tribulations that have been part of each one of our experiences at Whitman.

Adversity forces people to look inside themselves and then to look beyond themselves; like the wind and rains that help seeds spread and plants grow, adversity is an ele-

ment of life’s forces that pops the deceptive lacquer of the “Whitman bubble” and helps us stretch beyond its allusive mental and physical boundaries.

I will genuinely miss the sense of community at Whitman that was made most apparent to me in moments of adversity and times of triumph. Even in spite of the fact that our campus struggles to understand one another’s lived experiences across various social and economic lines, the ongoing process of negotiating our identities, finding our niche and exploring sites of resistance in this microcosm of Walla Walla informs us as much as it frustrates and excites us. There is almost always someone willing to take your hand or lend a hand throughout this winding Whitman journey, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Let us take this moment of transition in our lives to recognize the histories of resistance that those who have come before us have lived in order to foster our futures of freedom, and our personal responsibility in carrying on that legacy for future genera-

May 18, 2009

advantage. Don’t just say that you liked this movie better than that movie because this one has a more attractive actor. Try to discuss what actually makes this movie better than that. When Alden the Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on the door, “Class of 2009” explain your own concepts of God and try to understand theirs! Accept any opportunity to have a real conversation.

Finally and most importantly, love!

You may spend some hours during young adulthood worrying that you aren’t being loved enough (or, perhaps, that you aren’t getting laid enough).

Such worry, though natural, doesn’t get you out of yourself. If you pay attention to art, or if you engage in real conversation, you are getting a new perspective; you are growing.

If you are merely being loved, you may not be getting a new perspective and you may not be growing. But if you, yourself, do the loving, you are sure to get a new perspective, for you will be striving to understand the perspective of your beloved.

So try not to worry too much about being loved, and try to pay attention to loving. The being-loved will flow from the loving, as the Beatles remarked: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

tions. Let us take this moment to celebrate the fact that we each have the capacity to give back to the communities that have loved and nurtured us, that have pushed and challenged us. Let us celebrate through critical reflection and direct action.

As a womanist with roots as complex and deep as our nation’s history, I am proud not only to say that I have made it this far, but that the journey has just begun. This is because the apathy of teachers who didn’t believe in me was outweighed by the support of those who did; because friendships that were based on loose loyalties were overshadowed by those based on a profound sense of love and trust; and because, through all the privileges and the hardships that make up my/ our “Whitman experience,” I have learned to believe in myself with the help and strength of this Whitman family. Although my class-

mates and I will be leaving Whitman in a short period of time, the lessons we have learned in our time here will never leave us, and I can only hope that, through our contributions to this to this campus community, we are also leaving a little bit of ourselves behind.

A isha Fukushima ‘09

features

May 18, 2009

Professor

Jean Carwile M asteller A Prescription for Surviving After Whitman College When I was asked to write a column of advice to the graduating class, I tried to run from the assignment. I have no trouble dispensing advice in my office, but to put advice into print?

That thought evokes memories of “Climb every mountain” sung at my own graduations and other strains of cliché-filled advice about LIFE. Or maybe I was evading thoughts that I’ll be graduating with you, in a way, as I begin the next stage of my career and semi-retirement. Then, an advisee advised me to just write.

So I prescribe three bits of advice to be taken in order. “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”; “Up again, old heart”; and finally, “I’m so sorry. It’s just impossible.”

You may initially perceive some contradictions here, but after four years at Whitman, you know better than to expect simple words of advice. Perhaps some of the tidbits seem familiar.

Remember The Little Engine that Could?

That little engine climbed the rugged mountain and accomplished the seemingly impossible, thanks to the chant of “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” So when the impossible looms, recall the chant.

But sometimes that chant just won’t be enough. So then turn to Ralph Waldo Emerson, best known for his optimistic aphorisms in essays like “Self Reliance.” Even Emerson knew that simply asserting that one should be self-reliant was not always enough. In his essay “Experience,” he struggled with those moments when life was so complicated that harsh realities challenge one’s sense of meaning, even one’s ability to see clearly.

Perhaps he was recounting what my favorite poet, Emily Dickinson, called those “larger – Darknesses – / Those Evenings of the Brain / When not a Moon disclose a sign – / Or Star – come out – within.”

By the end of the essay “Experience,” Emerson returns to his belief in himself, even if the tone of the essay is a bit muted, and wills

himself to pick up and keep moving forward.

“Up again, old heart,” he concludes. I know I’ve used those words a lot this year.

I realize that you’ll be getting lots of advice to embrace possibilities, follow your passions, give of yourself to help others in need, and on and on. But my final bit of advice reminds you (and me) to remember to take care of ourselves sometimes.

I have a colleague across Ankeny who has been trying to teach me to use the words of Miss Manners when too many people make too many demands of me, demands I assume I must meet to fulfill others’ needs. Miss Manners advises us all to draw some boundaries sometimes to protect ourselves from overload.

So when my earlier advice doesn’t work and when you need to regroup, remember that you can say, “I’m so sorry. It’s just impossible.” I’m told Miss Manners advises us not to make excuses. Just stop with those six words.

Don’t misunderstand me. Don’t start with this chant. Such advice should not be followed too often. Resort to it only when you need to regroup.

Also, do as I say, and don’t ask what I do.

I’m rather good at the first two prescriptions.

I often use “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Those words have been especially helpful this challenging year. And when the going gets tough, I can will myself to chant “Up again, old heart.” But saving time for myself is harder. Perhaps I’ll need to join you with that chant.

So follow your passions, be kind to others, and keep on going in the face of adversity. In other words, listen to the good advice others will be giving you. But also learn when to protect yourself from too many demands, even some demands you make of yourself.

I don’t wish you an easy life. Life is too complicated for such a wish. Drawing on the words of Emily Dickinson, I wish you a life that “steps almost straight.”

Whitman College Pio neer

No one knows what to expect at college.

Despite “understanding” gained from siblings’ stories and movies like “Animal House” there is no way to prepare yourself—except, perhaps, to bring a condom.

I arrived here with armloads of clothes, a matching dorm room bedroom set from Target and zero condoms.

Dropped off like the rest of the lost puppies on the curb side of a residence hall, I watched my parents drive away and walked into my new independent life. Except that someone cleaned the bathroom I used. And all of my meals were prepared.

And the longest paper I wrote was five pages.

Things have changed during my four years here; now I clean my own bathroom, my bedspread is from India where I studied abroad, and my thesis was 10 times longer than my final Core paper.

My sister, t he ot her Beloof, was a sen ior when I was a f resh ma n. Fi ndi ng sa nct ua r y i n a crowd t hat was less capt ivated by t he novelt y of no pa rent s a nd cou nt less beers, I bonded w it h a g roup of her close f r iends. A f ter a recent ref lect ion on my ow n g raduat ion, I e-ma i led t hese a lu m n i ask i ng t hem to send me l ist s of t h i ngs I must do before I lef t Wh it ma n a nd Wa l la Wa l la.

Unsu r pr isi ng ly, t he l ist s ra rely encou raged me to work ha rder academ ica l ly, but emphasi zed t he i mpor ta nce of ever y t h i ng else about Wh it ma n, specifica l ly t he f r iendsh ips t hat a re forged.

Wh i le rem i n isci ng one f r iend w rote, “Towa rds t he end, l it t le i n you r classes w i l l be as wonder f u l, i mpor ta nt or more memorable t ha n t he t i me you spend t here w it h you r f r iends. So sk ip when you wa nt, stay up late when you wa nt, a nd have no sha me i n enjoy i ng ever y m i nute of it.” He is r ig ht: above a l l else it is t he people at Wh it ma n t hat ma ke it such a d ifficu lt place to leave.

I will miss my core classmates, who have come together for brunches since our initial bonding during freshman year. I will miss the generosity of professors who are supportive and exceptionally willing to go out of their way for students. I will miss my women, those that I bonded with

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four years ago, who have shown me unimaginable love and support during my time at Whitman.

I will miss those that live in the music building and get hot for modulations and Beethoven symphonies. I will miss running next to section mates at the gym. I will miss the hot chocolate at the Patisserie and dollar slice Tuesdays at Sweet Basil.

I will miss splitting 11 pitchers between seven people in a night that left my face and stomach hurting from so much laughter. I have swum through so many days full of rich experiences that my fingers are shriveled and I am want for air. It is hard to get let go.

I am finally beginning to understand how privileged I have been to spend four years among such amazing people. Perhaps it is appropriate that only now, at the end, I realize the treasures of this place. While unfair, it is not surprising that I can only recognize my deep gratitude for Whitman immediately preceding my departure.

There is no turning back once we cross that stage and shake the omnipotent hand of President Bridges. With a handshake and an autographed piece of paper we will officially conclude four decadent years at Whitman. We shed this institution and depart from our friends to move forward into our futures of adulthood.

Although some of us will move on together, most will scatter and our next chapters will begin in hundreds of different places. In this moment of pre-departure I am torn between where I am going and where I have been. What lies ahead is uncharted territory, what has passed can only be accessed by memories, and in the now I find myself fighting to retain moments that are slipping too quickly into history.

“I remember t h i n k i ng about how fast it a l l went,” one of my f r iends reca l led, “l i ke sa nd i n a fist.” Qu icker I wou ld say, l i ke t he sk ip of a hea r tbeat— a nd just as st ra nge. We t ravel i nto da rk ness, st ra ig ht i nto t he u n k now n f ut u re, i n t he hopes of shedd i ng l ig ht on t he cor ner s of t he world we reach. Sh i ne on you crazy d ia mond.

Emily Beloof ‘09

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: r e c n a D r o i n e S Best O zz ie A n ge l

R FALLT

IC K

M a jor: S pa nish

Cho reo g ra p her o f se W hit ma n da nce p ro vera l d ucti o ns

by Iris Alden Reporter

Though Ozzie Angel did not always know he wanted to be a dancer, dancing was a part of his life for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve been dancing all my life because I was raised in Latin America. It’s part of the culture,” said Angel.

Angel was born in Los Angeles and subsequently lived in Guadalajara, Mexico and Spain. Angel’s mother is a dancer and singer who exposed him to dance at a young age.

When Angel was old enough to choose his own extracurricular activities, however, he initially picked gymnastics. He continued his gymnastics training for three years before going to his first cheerleading competition at age 13, where he found that he enjoyed doing the stunts.

Cheerleading became Angel’s principal activity for the next seven years. He rediscovered dance through competitions and then gradually began to learn new forms of dance, including ballet and modern.

When Angel came to Whitman, he discov-

ered dance’s potential as a medium of entertainment. While dancing had previously been reserved for competitions in Angel’s life, at Whitman he learned its expressive quality.

“It was at Whitman that I was exposed to theater dance. It required a lot more emotion— playing a certain character and dancing as that character,” said Angel. Though Angel has the most extensive experience with hip-hop (He even started his own class here at Whitman.), his current interests lie in ballet, largely because it is still new to him.

“I enjoy every form of dance, but at this point in my life, I’m more interested in ballet. I’m still exploring it as an art. I like the form. It’s very strict and disciplined. I had always thought of dance as a more free, sort of abstract movement,” said Angel. Angel remembers last semester’s “Tree Speak,” put on through the modern dance program with Vicki Lloid, as one of his Whitman dancing highlights.

“It was nice because it was a lot of dancing, but the focus was mainly on emotions,” he said.

Part of Angel’s continuing devotion to dance lies in its ability to help him channel his real life emotions in a therapeutic manner.

“For me, it can be a means to cope,” said Angel.After graduating, Angel plans to move to Los Angeles and work for the International Creative Management talent agency, hoping to get to know the industry and make connection.

However, dancing hasn’t been ruled out as a possibility in Angel’s future.

“I definitely want to pursue dancing. It’s something I love—I actually love it!” he said.

Angel’s ultimate dancing goal is to be able to make a living off dancing alone.

“Ideally it would be a job…If I don’t make it, whatever that means, my plan is to go to law school and be an entertainment lawyer and perhaps do some side dancing, or perhaps even start a dance studio and teach dance with my background,” said Angel. It seems that no matter where his life will take him, dancing will remain an important part of Angel’s life.

“We should all dance!” he said.

Seni or S in

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ger:

A isha Fuku shima Major: Rhetoric and Film Studies “Have an attitude of gratitude” ~Maya Angelou Creator and Singer of the Raptivists (rap + activism)

by Alethea Buchal Reporter

Aisha Fukushima is a recent recipient of the prestigious Watson Foundation Summer Fellowship, which will pay her $28,000 to travel to Morocco, India, South Africa, United Kingdom and Senegal to study raptivism for 12 months.

Fukushima grew up singing in musicals.

She sang because she needed an after-school activity to occupy her while her parents, international booking agents, were busy in the music realm.

After traveling around and living in various cities between Seattle and Bellevue, Fukushima spent seven years in a small international school in Bellevue where she became fluent in French.

At Whitman, Fukushima has firmly established herself as a social “raptivist,” singing to express the grass-roots, street-consciousness that can often be forgotten.

In addition, Fukushima was involved with the American Civil Liberties Union, Justice Beyond Borders, Whitman Direct Action and the creation of the Whitman Institute for Summer Enrichment (WISE) program.

When asked about her future plans, Fuku-

NOR

MAN

shima said, “Although I love music and music will always be a part of my life, I don’t know that I want to pursue it as a lifetime career. One thing that’s pretty sure is that whatever I do in the future will involve advocacy for human rights and socioeconomic justice--giving back to our local, national and international community.”

Fukushima will begin her journey in human rights and socioeconomic justice through her summer fellowship, hoping to learn what it truly means to be a global citizen.

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Whitman College Pio neer

Best Senior Filmmaker: Ben Kega n

May 18, 2009

Best Senior Artist: in k l a C r e l Ty M ajor: S tudio Art

Major: Rhetoric and Film Studies Director of short documentary “Team Taliban,” chosen as one of the top five short docs by New York Magazine Co-creator of “Dry Creek,” a web series, with senior Evan Cartwright.

PROP

by Sara Levy Reporter

For as long as he can remember, senior Ben Kegan has wanted to make films for a living.

“As a kid my friends and I would ‘play’ film during recess. We rehearsed scenes on the playground, and then the next day we would come out and pick up where we left off. When our parents took us to a new park we’d be like, this place is perfect, we’ll use these trees for the jungle scene,” he said. “Although to be honest, we didn’t really have any concept that in order to make a film we would need cameras. But there was something very true in that ignorance, like our collective imaginations were all we needed to make a film.”

Since then, Kegan has directed and produced an array of documentaries, TV shows and short films. He has previously done a television pilot with Kim Wetter, a graduate from last year’s senior class.

This year he and senior Evan Cart-

P

wright co-wrote a web series called “Dry Creek,” starring juniors Eliza Young and Finn Straley, senior Kevin Moore and Professor Withycombe, with first year Sam Alden doing the audio recording (watch it at www.DryCreekSeries.com).

Kegan also directed a short film called “Team Taliban,” which is listed on imdb.com.

There is only one user comment, but the user rated the film 9 out of 10 stars and wrote a rave review.

“Very thought-provoking and very well done! See this film! It’s a very interesting look at independent professional wrestling and explores various concepts about balancing religious faith with being a performer, finding a balance between being true to yourself and your family whilst also being an entertainer,” wrote “borelli.”

Kegan said that he really appreciates the experience he got from filmmaking classes at Whitman.

“With Intro to Filmmaking, you make 4 films in one semester, and that kind of intensity is very useful. In the Advanced Filmmaking class you make a documentary film. That was the first time I approached making a doc, and I completely fell in love with

non-fiction storytelling,” he said.

Kegan said that he has appreciated the support by his film professors at Whitman, and he hopes to see the filmmaking opportunities expand in the future at the school.

“Whitman has been extremely supportive of filmmaking. I can’t thank Dr. [Robert] Sickels enough. Whitman has allowed me to take some great creative risks and supported me all the way,” he said. “If anything I’d like to see the department grow. We need more tenured positions in film and media studies.”

According to Kegan, finding time to film is extremely difficult because of peoples’ school schedules. However, the satisfaction of a job well done makes it worth it.

“One of my best moments from making films at Whitman was walking into the bedroom in the house we used for “Dry Creek,” and discovering Finn, Carly, Bryan, Eliza, Kevin and Sam all passed out on the bed together after a very long day,” he said.

After college, Kegan plans to dedicate himself to making movies.

“Filmmaking is awesome because it’s exhausting. It demands everything,” he said.

But that is precisely what Kegan likes about it.

by Gillian Frew Director of Writing

If Tyler Calkin had to live in one building on campus, it would be the Fouts Gallery (clearly).

Selected by his peers as “Best Senior Visual Artist,” Calkin sat down with the Pioneer to answer a few questions about his win.

Pio: Did you come to Whitman intending to pursue a studio art major? If not, what made you choose it?

Calkin: I knew I was an art major from day one.

Pio: If you had to choose one Whitman building to live in, which would it be?

Calkin: Fouts, clearly. It feels a little cavernous at night, but the senior studios are well heated, and it has pretty much everything I would need. I was almost living there at points this year, anyway.

Pio: What are your favorite/ least favorite things about being a studio art major?

Calkin: My favorite thing is the complete freedom you have to make work that is meaningful to you out of any material or method and having professors that want to help refine your ideas. My least favorite is the difficulty of fitting non-art classes with my major. I can’t say the time commitment is a problem, though, because that’s what makes the major so rewarding.

Pio: What have been some of your biggest artistic accomplish-

h on g

ments while at Whitman?

Calkin: I have been fortunate enough to show my work in blue moon and quarterlife, as well as a couple off-campus shows. But honestly, I feel like my biggest accomplishment by far has been my thesis.

Pio: What are some of your fondest memories? When were you the most stressed-out?

Calkin: Bonding with my fellow seniors this year has been a great experience. I will also fondly remember getting to know my professors over the past few years. There were some times this semester when I was seriously stressed-out and didn’t think my thesis would come together.

Pio: Who have been some of your mentors or role models?

Calkin: During these past two semesters both Professors Acuff and Herzog have acted as mentors.

Pio: What’s next for you and what kind of career do you hope to pursue in the future?

Calkin: I will be attending CalArts next fall, going for an MFA. I hope wherever I go in the future I will be making the kind of work I have been moving toward these past few years.

A&E

May 18, 2009

Whitman College Pio neer

: t s i l a t n e m u r t s n I r o i n e S t s Be A le x A b r a m s

by Alyssa Fairbanks with Mariko Helm Reporter and Associate A&E Editor

Alex Abrams, a music major with an emphasis on performance, plays the cello. He has played the cello for 13 years.

Abrams said that he has only really been playing the cello seriously for four of those years.

Abrams grew up in Blaine, Washington where he attended the local high school. His high school did not have an orchestra so he played string bass for the Wind Ensemble. He still plays the bass as a secondary instrument.

After nine years of just playing for fun, Abrams began to put more of an effort into playing.

“I can’t really say why it is that I decided to put some real work into my instrument other than it felt like a very natural thing for me,” said Abrams.

Sophomore year of college Abrams

transferred to Central Washington University (CWU) to further his study of the cello. He studied with John Michel, an accomplished soloist, chamber musician and Cello Professor who has taught at CWU for the last 14 years.

After a semester at CWU, Abrams returned to Whitman. “I basically missed my friends here at Whitman,” he said.

Abrams has performed in a wide variety of ensembles while studying here at Whitman.

He has been in productions at Harper Joy Theatre, String Quartets and flute trios. Abrams performed this year in the Fridays at Four Recital Series.

He was part the production staff, performing musical and vocal arrangements, for Harper Joy’s March production of “Medea’s Children.”

He has also performed extensively for the composition majors. Additionally, Abrams is one of 13 cellists in the Walla Walla Symphony—the oldest continuously operating sympho-

J a k e K in s t le r

by Mike Sado Arts and Entertainment Editor

Jake Kinstler has enjoyed success on the Harper Joy Theater stage with his plays “Killers, Priests, Sinners & Whores” and “Can We Love After The Apocalypse?” Now, the wordsmith has been chosen by his fellow students as the “Best Senior Writer.” The Pioneer recently asked Kinstler to talk about his win.

Pio: Which person in your life helped you cultivate your skills as a writer? What do you like to write about?

Kinstler: My parents certainly started me down the path. When I was little, my mom

made up stories to tell me every night before I fell asleep. She also read books to me before I could read them myself. My dad basically taught me how to write in middle school and high school. He stressed clarity and simple language, so when he reads my writing these days, he probably thinks of himself as a failure. Scott Elliott, the fiction professor here at Whitman, really awakened the writer in me and helped me [in developing] a voice of my own. Finally, Kristen Kosmas, a visiting playwright for the Instant Play Festival earlier this year, introduced me to play writing and showed me an entirely different direction I could take.

As for my writing, I find myself most natural and excited when I write about things that aren’t

M ajor: M usic

“M ed io cre mus ic is ea sy. Real mus ic ca n’ t rely on ta lent; it invo lves true dedi catio n and tirel es s wo rk to create ve ry sp ec ia l and pers onal ar t.” - Al ex Ab ra ms

ny west of the Mississippi.

Abrams presented his senior recital Saturday May, 2, 2009 in Chism Recital Hall with Nathan Shiu playing the piano.

As for the future Abrams plans to pursue a masters of Music at CWU next year.

He hopes to move on to a doctorate eventually as well. He would love to teach at the university level.

Ultimately though, Abrams plans to be part of a big city orchestra. i n h is ow n words Q: Why did you choose the cello as your preferred instrument?

A: I chose the cello by chance more than anything else. In third grade I wanted to be in the school orchestra and when I was choosing instruments I knew I didn’t want to play violin.

So I flipped a coin and it was between viola and cello, and the rest is history.

Best Senior Writer:

g : En a jor

lish

Q: Have you considered voice, or are you strictly instrumental?

A: This may be an odd way to answer this question but the cello itself is a very vocal instrument making is a very versatile instrument.

It can provide bass lines in ensemble work or it can sing unlike many other instruments. But on a personal level I enjoy playing an instrument and wouldn’t prefer anything else.

Q: Why do you consider music to be an important part of the arts?

A: In short I’d say that in the last couple of years I’ve discovered that music speaks true to the human condition. Like all art, the marriage of form and technique both complicated and simple produces everything from the heroic to the tragic. I truly think music is unique in that it speaks to humanity on a level I don’t think I quite understand. It is simply a different way to express oneself.

Write r of “Can We Love After the Apoc alyps e?” for the Instan t Play Festival.

f tor o irec ner s & d d n in ct er a s, S Wr i t Pr i e s t e O n e - A , s h e t r n r e r “ K ill res ” fo s t; W in o e t h W Con Pl ay

M

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real, and trying to discover where they can intersect with things that are

real.

Pio: Who is your favorite fiction author?

Kinstler: Favorite author? That’s a hell of a question. So I will offer you three with no explanation: Jorge Luis Borges, Neil Gaiman and William Faulkner.

Pio: What is one of your fondest memories as a senior at Whitman?

Kinstler: One of my fondest memories? Well, one that doesn’t involve drinking too much beer at the Green and conversing with 40-year-old divorcees and tattoo artists would be the OneAct [Play Contest]. It was an absolute blast and

one of the most rewarding activities I’ve been a part of.

Pio: What’s next for you as a post-baccalaureate?

Kinstler: Fear. I’m being cast out of Eden to wander alone though a scorched and broken country. But I do have a few plans. Very randomly, a hotel owner in the Olympic Peninsula is commissioning me to adapt a novel into a play this summer. Also, I might be living in an R.V. and caretaking the Snoqualmie Outdoor Theater. The world’s a strange place sometimes.

Regardless of what happens with those, I’ll be applying to creative writing graduate schools this coming fall. After that, there’s nothing but an uncertain canvas stretching into the dark.

A&E

Whitman College Pio neer

: r o t c A r o i n e S Best R o s ie B r o w n lo w

May 18, 2009

Music Video Meltdown

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Grad Edition

By Mike Sado Arts and Entertainment Editor

M a jor: The a ter CJ Wisler Reporter

After four years of intense focus, hilarity, and devotion to theater, senior Rosie Brownlow is saying goodbye to Whitman College and Harper Joy Theatre.

The winner of the Pioneer’s Senior Artist of the Year for “Best Actor,” Rosie Brownlow, stated that whatever doubts she may have had as a college student, her dedication to acting has never wavered.

“I would have declared [as a theater major] the day I rolled into Walla Walla if I’d known I could,” said Brownlow on her major and desired career.

“That’s one thing I’ve had almost no doubt about.”

Born in New York City and raised the majority of her life in Portland, Brownlow first started acting at the age of 6, where she played an elephant at a theater camp.

She started “seriously acting” in the 8th grade, finally deciding to be an actor her senior year of high school after playing a mental patient in “Dracula.”

Her involvement with the theater program has been intense as well. As the Drama Club President, Brownlow has been responsible for organizing Drama Club events such as Drama Rush (a barbecue put on at the beginning of the year for first year Drama Club members), the spring break trip to Ashland, Drama Banquet and other events.

Some of Brownlow’s favorite aspects of the Whitman theater program and Harper Joy Theatre include its small size, accessible opportu-

nity for fun activities and the general closeness.

“It’s so small… everyone is always in a play and working in the shop, taking Drama Literature courses and playing on the softball team,” said Brownlow. “We all spend 5 or 6 hours a day in the theatre and know each other really well.

[There is an] incredible sense of community and the opportunities afforded here.”

Brownlow also loves the quirks co u rt e and character of Harper sy of e mil Joy as well, y fa ssl with its secret er nooks, compartments, tunnels and walls covered in old playbills.

“I’ve spent years staring at the walls and every time I find a new playbill or poster I swear wasn’t there before,” said Brownlow.

Some of her notable college roles include Lady Britomart in last year’s production of “Major Barbara”, for which she received a “Best Supporting Actress” award from Harper Joy Theater, as well as Mrs. Myrtle Webb in this year’s production of “Our Town”, and Helena in 2006’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Aside from acting, Brownlow also directed this year’s Instant Play Festival and One Act Play Festival, worked on the “deck and fly” crew of “Urine Town” in spring of 2006 and as a properties designer for “Apparition” in spring of 2008. Brownlow considers her most memorable project at Whitman College to be her senior project playing the lead character in “My Name is Rachel Corrie.”

Brownlow attributes much of her theatrical knowledge and her development as an actress to the theater professors, particularly Assistant Professor of Theatre Chris Petit and Garrett Professor of Dramatic Art Nancy Simon.

As h e r R o t h “ I Lov e College” F r o m “As l e e p i n t h e b r e a d A i s l e ” ( U n i v e rs a l M o t o w n , 2 0 0 9 ) DI R : J o n at h a n L i a a n d S c o o t e r Br a u n

Oh, this song. I keep on thinking Asher Roth is part of a viral campaign for an upcoming comedy; alas, “I Love College” is real, and it features doozies like “I wanna go to college for the rest of my life” or “I danced my ass off and had this one girl naked.” Didn’t we retire frat-rap already? Maybe this song will inspire Tucker Max (author of “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell”) to write another “fratire.” Please don’t, Tucker. Welcome to the world of Asher Roth, unfortunately: Girls in the corner, pizza in the back and furries in yo’ face. This is the world’s worst Sublime video.

And this song is your legacy, seniors. Raise a beer and cry.

Rating: CoMMUNITY COLLEGE

V i ta m i n C “ Gr a d u at i o n ( F r i e n d s F o r e v e r ) ” F r o m “ V i ta m i n C ” (Elektr a , 1999) DI R : Gr e g o r y d a rk

So this cheery piece of high school pap was directed by a hardcore and softcore pornographer. Whodathunk? Fortunately, Vitamin C never ended up in Gregory Dark classics such as “Let Me Tell Ya ‘bout Black Chicks” or “New Wave Hookers.” This video? Sadly lacking in orgasms. Instead, you have the orange-haired Vitamin C playing a...guardian angel? Vengeful ghost? What? We’re never told, although I’m guessing the latter since the mousy, pixie-haired senior in the video gets blocked by a girl with a bad weave going after her man. Girl mopes around before finally getting the courage to...hug him.

Oh, c’mon now. Lame. Now I know where Natasha Bedingfield steals her ideas from.

Your friends love this song. Laugh at them.

RAting: VITAMIN XXX

“Chris… has the most energy per square inch of anyone I’ve ever met and Nancy has directed me in all of the really meaningful theatre experiences I’ve had at Whitman,” said Brownlow. “They’ve taught me everything I know.”

Brownlow’s presence at Whitman College will be sorely missed by the Drama Club and theater community as she moves to New York City next year to audition.

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May 18, 2009

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‘K-Dub’ rocks harder, better, faster, stronger

by Jamie Soukup Editor-in-Chief

Since January 1971, KWCW 90.5 has been regularly broadcasting to student and community listeners. There have been many significant events in the station’s history, from the initial request for student funds in the fall of 1971, to the on-air accusation of prisonguard beatings in 1979, to the flag-burning constitutional debate on the radio show in 1989. Yet in its nearly 40 years in existence, “K-Dub” (as it is affectionately known) has remained student-run and committed to providing students and Walla Walla community members with the knowledge and air space to share their music and voices.

The past four years for the radio station have been busy and fairly constant. Senior Kyle Gilkeson, “K-Dub’s” general manager, said that the basic structure of the radio station has stayed in tact for a few years now.

“That’s a testament to the work and planning of past KWCW staff. The positions at the station and the size of the policy council remain largely consistent, but there are slight variations year to year, depending on the needs of the station,” said Gilkeson.

Gilkeson believes that the biggest way KWCW has changed in the past four years is in terms of this accessibility.

“Fundamentally, KWCW’s mission is to provide a plurality of perspectives and opinions. Sometimes these opinions are expressed through varying genres of music and sometimes through news or talk radio. We try to fashion KWCW’s identity around the people who both listen and volunteer, so that the station is a reflection of the diversity of the community. What we’ve tried to do in the past few years is make the schedule as eclectic as possible,” he said.

He added that another of the biggest changes “K-Dub” has been working on has been a transition away from physical media

towards digital media.

“Promoters and record labels have found significant advantages to digital distribution, such as a more economical use of time and money. As a result, we’ve been building our digital library by ripping the CDs we receive and downloading the albums and mp3s that we receive via e-mail,” he said. But, he said, there are no plans to replace the media entirely, because “everyone still has love for the physical products.”

New technology has also played a part in the past four years in terms of becoming more accessible to listeners.

“I think one way we’ve been able to achieve accessibility is through the internet. A few years ago, we didn’t have the resources or the capability to stream our signal online. The stream, coupled with our Web site and blog, create even more opportunities to hear and be heard,” said Gilkeson.

“K-Dub’s” digital changes have not been without mistakes, however.

“Just in the past couple weeks we installed this new software that overwrote the entire semester’s digital rotation, from which every week we make specific playlists… it’s really important. That was all just erased,” said current junior Grace Harnois, a K-dub music director. Luckily, things were sorted out, but not without significant stress on the part of the station’s directors.

In addition to digital media, Harnois believes one of the biggest accomplishments that have been made in the past few years has been the authority that “K-Dub” has gained, referencing the College Media Journal that she and Gilkeson attended last

fall.

“This year was the first year in a long time anyone has been sent to the CMJ conference.

I feel like we’ve been so disconnected with a lot of other college radio stations; it’s a really strong community that we haven’t really been a part of. Talking to other people about just the way their stations are run … that was really valuable,” she said.

Yet Harnois and Gilkeson both mentioned that some areas that KWCW has traditionally had authority over have been redirected.

Bringing bands and musical groups to campus, which in previous years had been traditionally “K-Dub” organized, now falls under the jurisdiction of ASWC. Gilkeson remembers one of the bands that the radio station brought to campus as one of the high points of the past four years.

“One event that sticks out in my mind was the Menomena & Talkdemonic show we brought to campus in the spring of 2007,” he said. “We were able to partner with Blue Moon and coordinate the musical component of their release party. It was a special show because of the way it bridged two previously unassociated organizations in a fun, unique way.”

Part of the reason that the radio station has shifted is due to organizational and budget issues.

“Radio is expensive,” said Harnois. “We have to spend money to be respected enough to be sent good music and dealt with on an adult scale, rather than being treated like kids who are just trying to run the station.”

Harnois, who will be involved in the station next year as a senior, hopes that KWCW will become more organized. Gilkeson is not sure what to expect, but believes that the possibilities of the station are endless.

“The great thing about KWCW is that it can evolve, morph, and completely change texture, but the foundation remains the same.

The station was founded upon, and continues to function under, principles of serving the community, both within Whitman and the greater Walla Walla community. So as long as people listen to music and have opinions, we’ll be alive and well, working hard in the mezzanine,” said Gilkeson.

Creation of live stream and blog for music reviews and news.

Fall 2008: Station directors were sent to the College Media Journal Conference.

THE PAST FEW Y E A RS AT K W C W “K-Dub” begins to build digital media library, ripping CDs and albums to MP3s.

Spring 2007: KWCW brings Menomena and Talkdemonic to campus with Blue Moon.

alden

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Whitman College Pio neer

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May 18, 2009

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Christie, We are so very proud of you and your accomplishments! You are beautiful both on the inside and out. We know that you will be an amazing teacher and that you will succeed in anything that you choose to do. Congratulations and we love you so very much!

Mom, Dad and Nick It is no wonder you have excelled in poetry! From looking at the poems you wrote in third grade, it was obvious that you loved poetry even then.

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N E T P O T E TH

May 18, 2009

S u m m e r M o v ie s Yo u S h o u ld MOON - JUNE 12TH

by Corey Feinstein and Cindy Chen

Sam Rockwell is astronaut Sam Bell in this brand new sci-fi thriller by Duncan Jones (son of glam-rock icon David Bowie). In the future, Sam is contracted to work on the moon to mine a special gas that could reverse the energy crisis on earth. Two weeks before completing his three-year assignment, he begins feeling isolated and begins to suspect that he is being replaced by his company. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received very high critical acclaim with some predicting it to be one of the best films of 2009. - COREY

Movie Reviewer and Guest Reviewer

courtesy of Dreamworks

Transformers: revenge of the fallen - JUNE 19tH Michael Bay returns to direct the sequel to “Transformers” along with original stars Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox. This time, the Decepeticons return to take LeBeouf’s character hostage, who discovers something about the origins of the Transformers. Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots fight back. The first film pleased one of the largest audience bases ever, so the follow-up is destined to have an even larger audience.

We’ll see if Optimus Prime lives up to the challenge. - COREY courtesy of the weinstein company

UP - MAY 29th Pixar films are consistently heart-warming, well-written and beautifully rendered, and “Up” is no exception. “Up” follows the life of a grumpy old man (Ed Asner) who rigs his house with a bunch of balloons to fly off to South America. Pixar’s created everything from an underwater world to a dystopian vision of Earth in the future, therefore the sky’s the limit in “Up.” Besides, what summer is complete without a Pixar film? - CINDY courtesy of Disney/pixar

Inglorious basterds - august 21st Quentin Tarantino is taking on WWII. He has repeatedly stressed, that despite the setting, the movie will be a traditional “spaghetti-western but with WWII iconography.” The film stars Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, and a laundry list of other known entities. “Basterds” follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers who are led on a special mission to spread fear throughout the Third Reich. Tarantino has been working on this script for over ten years, and if nothing else, it promises to be a film very unlike anything else. - COREY

courtesy of focus features

AWAY WE GO - JUNE 5th Sam Mendes goes “indie” with “The Office’s” John Krasinski and “SNL’s” Maya Rudolph in a story of a husband and wife who seek the perfect place to call home. It’s finally Krasinski’s time to show off his chops as a leading man because “Leatherheads” really didn’t count, as it was George Clooney’s show. “Go” has the elements of an “indie darlings” like “Juno” with quirky music and an animated/sketched poster, which could go very wrong. But I have faith in Mendes, who brought us great films such as “American Beauty” and “Jarhead.” - CINDY

A&E

May 18, 2009

see because

Whitman College Pio neer

C in d y a n d C o r e y T e ll Yo u S o

Harry Potter and the half-blood prince - JUly 15th Is there anything else to say? The sixth book contains some memorable moments of good versu s evil, as well as a healthy dose of teenage angst between the principal characters. The sixth book is one of my favorites, as it has the right mix of exposition, teenage romance and humor. The movies continue to improve as the actors grow up, and the latest trailer is absolute perfection, showing just enough of the key scenes but leaving enough to the imagination. “Harry Potter” will be showing in IMAX 3D, which should be interesting and hopefully enhance the film rather than give everyone a headache. - CINDY courtesy of Fox searchlight pictures

WHATEVER WORKS - JUNE 19th This is Woody Allen’s latest flick, following the great success of “Vicky Christina Barcelona from last year. The film stars Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood, and is about the odd relationship the two build after a chance meeting. “Works” is supposed to be a return to Allen’s standard New York talky flick, casting Larry David of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame in place of the standard Woody Allen character. The film has to be worth checking out just to see this duo work together. - COREY

courtesy of Sony pictures classics

500 Days of Summer - july 17th Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t. That’s the basic premise of “500 Days of Summer,” an indie comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. After being dumped by his girlfriend Summer, Tom, the hopeless romantic, reflects on their 500 days together to figure out what went wrong. Gordon-Levitt is one of the most underrated actors working today because he consistently turns out great performances in indie fare and studio films. A selection at the Sundance Film Festival, “500 Days” is looking like a refreshing take on the romantic comedy, or at least a great alternative to the typical romantic comedy fare of the summer. - CINDY alden

Courtesy of sony pictures classics

RUDO y CURSI - RELEASED MAY 8th “Y tu mamá también” costars, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal reunite as two hardscrabble soccer fans whisked from the drudgery of smalltown banana picking for a shot at the big time. Directed by Carlos Cuarón (brother of Alfonso), the movie shares a lot of similar undertones to “Y tu”.

It promises to ignore the typical Hollywood formula and delivers a raw portrayal of true Mexican life. It’s been performing well at film festivals and in Mexico. We’ll see if it does well in America. - COREY

courtesy of Universal Pictures

PUBLIC ENEMIES - JULY 1st Two of the best actors of our generation, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, team up in this 1930s crime pic directed by Michael Mann. Depp plays the notorious John Dillinger, a Robin Hood-esque bank robber, who is being tracked down by Melvin Purvis (Bale), a federal agent. A stellar cast, including Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard and Channing Tatum, rounds out this film. Though we’ve seen similar odes to infamous criminals in past years, like Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster,” the combination of Depp and Bale will surely elevate this film to the next level. - CINDY

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humor

May 18, 2009

Date nears for seniors to be released into wild

Whitman College is one week away from graduation. The campus is bursting with expectation and excitement, students happily exchanging numbers and charting out their summers. In the offices of the President and the Dean of Students, however, faculty and staff are making different preparations.

“It’s almost here,” says Donna Cummins. “The Great Migration.”

Cummins is referring to one of the most important events in the life of a Whitman College student: the release of a graduating senior into the wild.

“The release is definitely something to watch,” says Cummins. “These students have been kept in captivity for the past eighteen years, their needs closely monitored and wants satisfied. They’ve been fed a steady diet, been carefully socialized, and participated in numerous experiments.

We’ve done all that we can for them.

The real test is what they do out there without us.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that

the new alums are on their own: each individual is fitted with a radio collar for further observation during their first few years of freedom. This move, while drastic, is considered necessary, as the sudden transition from a stable environment to an uncertain future can come as a shock to graduates. Although most adjust after time, there have been reports of twenty-somethings suffering from depression, early onset of alcoholism, and repeated viewings of Zach Braff films.

But as Cummins explains, it’s part of the circle of life.

“We can’t take care of them forever. It’s difficult for many students to adjust, having imprinted like that.

But they have to leave sometime.”

Although this is an annual event, many administrators still find the process difficult.

“It’s so hard to say goodbye,” says Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland, wiping a tear from his eye. “My babies are all grown up.”

A Whitman College faculty member poses with an incoming first-year student, attempting to heal the rift in his heart left by his favorite seniors leaving campus.

by Sam Alden

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DEPOSED for tyranny, crimes against humor, wearing white after labor day, making a general mess of things, petty theft, failure to accept criticism, etc., etc.

Reportage by Carmine Montgomery and Evelyn Windsor happy that they’re gone

For the past year and a half, so-called “editors” Sarah Hatheway and Evan Cartwright have ruled the humor section of the Whitman Pioneer with an iron first. Now, we are thrilled to report their reign of terror has ended.

The duo was apprehended in the Pio offices early last Friday morning, hurriedly putting the finishing touches on their last section. Splashed across computer screens were partially Photoshopped images bearing titles including “Is it time to burn (as in make jokes about) (George) Bridges?” and “Audience Bored at Annual Choral YAWN-test.” The time was 3 AM.

Another Year Gone!

by George Bridges president

Well, students, that time has come.

We may now mark off one more year in our endless shuffle down the winding coil of mortality, endlessly dragging our heels towards the halls of Hades. Ha ha! No, I’m just kidding.

But in all seriousness, my friends, we have reached that time when we say goodbye to our friends and colleagues: some merely for the summer, and some forever. I would have you know that I am incredibly astute to the sort of emotional turmoil it can put one in. To that end I have authorized the college to dip into my Personal Emergency Cookie Reservoir to help students cope with any sort of duress they experience. No abusing this privilege, though, guys! I need to eat

“They didn’t even put up a fight,” reported Editor-in-Chief Kim Sommers. “It was like they knew we were coming for them.”

Added co-editor Jamie Soukup, “Thank God. We were prepared to use force if necessary. Cartwright’s small, but he can get scrappy when he’s cornered.”

Hatheway and Cartwright are now securely incarcerated in their decrepit off-campus house, where they will remain until commencement. Even with this knowledge, the campus still bears the scars of the atrocities they have committed.

“Finally,” said visibly relieved junior Alex Kerr. “I mean, I like puns and pictures of cute animals as much as the next person, but every week? Come on!”

“At least they had Sam Alden to add a smattering of class to their usual hackneyed tripe,” continued Kerr, looking over dinner too.

But enough about all that depressing stuff. Let’s talk about the future! What are you guys doing with your summer? I’m totally going wakeboarding one weekend.

You know, I was watching the season finale of Fringe the other night and I started thinking to myself, “What if real life was like this?” Not like a television show, of course, but like if science could change the world. And then I realized it does. Every day.

But where was I? Oh yes. Don’t think that myself and the rest of the big ol’ Whitman College family (they hate it when I call it that) are going to be resting on our laurels while you all skedaddle for the summer! Nope, we’ve got a gym to finish, and I’ve got a rock wall to test out. If it can’t handle the stress of being used as a Frisbee golf hole, then it’s not for us!

We’ll build a new one.

In conclusion, reach for the stars. I know that those of you who are commencing will surely take my wisdom with you wherever you go. Even across oceans.

All my love, George

his shoulder momentarily to ensure that it was safe to speak.

“Sorry about that. I just feel like they’re out for me all the time or something.”

The disgraced ex-editors have yet to make any public statements regarding their ousting. However, housemate Kevin Moore has the inside scoop. “They’ve just been sitting around peacefully, with these serene looks on their faces. I think they’ve accepted their fates at this point.”

History majors on campus are equating this turn of events with such landmarks for freedom and good taste as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

“I think that’s almost giving them too much credit,” said Sommers. “I mean, we only hired them back because nobody else applied for the job.”

On a More Serious Note, We Would Like to Thank: - Sam Alden - Alex Kerr - Finn Straley - Matt Oakes - Kim Sommers - Jamie Soukup - Sara Rasmussen - Kevin Moore + DZ - George Bridges, for believing in us - Anyone who thought that Carmine and Evelyn were pseudonyms for other secret humor writers and not us - Our moms and dads and sisters - Everyone who uses the Pio Web site for keeping our pages a comment-free zone!

Save the earth!

- All of our readers for putting up with us and calling us out. Thank you.

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May 18, 2009

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To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly -Henri Bergson

Congratulations Julia!

We are so proud of you & we love you very much!

Mom, Dad, Eric & Grandma Junie

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We couldn’t be more proud of the woman you’ve become.

Mom, Dad, Ben, Josh and April

Congratulations Lauren!

Take a bow Bravo, standing ovation We love who you are We love who you are becoming Our hearts are filled with joy, pride, and love on your graduation from Whitman Love, Mom/Dad/Sarah

May 18, 2009

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May 18, 2009

Team of the Year: men’s varsity tennis sence, in a way, made the team grow stronger.

“We lost our top player, so a lot of people had to step up and fill that gap,” Wilson said. “Anyone can play in the top group, so it forces you to work harder.”

And the work, it seems, has yielded widespread results.

“I believe every single person on our team has become much better,” Kassam said.

Beyond their worthy accomplishments in the past year, all signs point to an even brighter future for the team. With most of the current roster set to return next season, and a strong recruiting class waiting in the wings, 2009-10 will bring aspirations for a whole new level of success—including, as Wilson sees it, a chance for the ultimate achievement.

As Wilson put it, “I think we’ll have a shot to contend for a national championship.”

Editor’s Note: The following article, along with the articles on the two senior athletes and game of the year, are The Pioneer’s own picks based off of a year of coverage of all varsity athletics.

by Noah Moskat Reporter

In a year that featured major growth and success on the part of several varsity teams, the prowess of the Whitman men’s tennis team stood, yet again, nearly unmatched.

The hits just kept on coming for the team this season—and on their heels, a host of wins and awards.

Mounting another dominant campaign, the men served, smashed and rallied their way to a perfect 16-0 record against their Northwest Conference opponents. On April 18 they downed Pacific Lutheran to claim their second consecutive conference title, which secured them an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III national championships.

The group chalked up a 24-4 overall mark, the best of head coach Jeff Northam’s twelveyear tenure, and are seated 26th in the most recent Division III national rankings, third highest among schools on the west coast.

This significant success has garnered honors for a number of individuals. Sophomores Chris Bailey and Etienne Moshevich and junior Dan Wilson were named to the All-NWC First

by the numbers

Courtesy of brett axelrod, whitman communications

The men’s varsity tennis team after they won the NCAA Division III national championship.

Team. Bailey, Moshevich and senior Justin Hayashi each won the conference’s StudentAthlete of the Week award.

Yet perhaps most notable was Northam’s award for NWC men’s tennis Coach of the Year—his second straight and the fourth of his career.

“He deserves it,” said junior Nadeem Kassam of Northam’s selection. “I would give all the accolade to Coach [Northam]. He has done a great

job, and he is really dedicated to this team.”

Although the team came into the season primed for success, some trepidation arose regarding the losses of two of its strongest players, defending NWC Player of the Year junior Matt Solomon and his older brother senior Daniel Solomon.

But it appears that those remaining players harnessed this as motivation to practice and perform with even more diligence—and ab-

• NWC Conference champions 2008, 2009

Women’s tennis

• Katie Oost: second-team 2009 • Katie Oost: All-American, Fall 2008

The men’s soccer team broke out this season in putting together their best season of this decade. After placing fifth last year, the team went 9-2-3 in conference (11-2-7 overall) and finished just two points short of Whitworth for the NWC crown. Whitman had eight players tabbed for All-Conference honors, including standout seniors Brett Axelrod and Stephen Phillips on the First Team.

Axelrod was also chosen as the NWC Defensive Player of the Year.

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21

6

.770

Number of conference matches won over the past four years

Number of doubles wins for Justin Hayashi ‘09 and Dan Wilson ‘10

ITA Division III West Region ranking

Winning percentage in all singles matches over the year

Championships, awards for class of 2009 Men’s tennis

Honorable Mention: Men’s Soccer

Men’s basketball

• Chris Faidley, G: honorable mention 2006-07, second-team 2007-08, first team 2008-09 • Chris Faidley with 1720 points moves into second place all-time on the Whitman career scoring list

Women’s soccer

• Alisa Larson-Xu, M: second-team 2008 • Sarah Nostdal, D: honorable mention 2007, 2008 • Jennifer Doane, M: honorable mention 2008

Men’s soccer

• Stephen Phillips, M: first-team 2007, first-team 2008 • Brett Axelrod, GK: second-team 2007, first-team 2008, Defensive Player of the Year 2008 • Greg Phillips, M: second-team 2008 • Kevin Sigley, D: honorable mention 2008 • Mike McKenzie: D, honorable mention 2008 • Jordan Droppert, M: honorable mention 2008

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Senior athletes of the year

Chris Faidley: three-point sharp shooter, record breaker

by Noah Moskat

as good a teammate as he is a player. Men’s basketball coach Reporter Eric Bridgeland gave Faidley nothing but praise.

Put simply, Faidley is one of the most pro“Chris Faidley is the epitome lific players in Whitman basketball hisof a leader,” Bridgeland wrote tory. And he merits this distinction, of in an e-mail. “He sacrificed evcourse, not only for his efforts this season, erything for his teammates this but in light of them alongside the remarkpast season. Chris is one heck of able track record of his four years of play. a basketball player; his talents Scoring has certainly been the name on the court, however, pale in of the game for Faidley. He led the NWC comparison to the kind of person in that category each of the past two seahe is.” sons, averaging 20.4 points per game this Faidley hopes to pursue a year. Faidley also departs Whitman as the basketball career overseas after school’s second all-time leading scorer, graduation, and he is currently having tallied a whopping 1,720 points. in the midst of training for this This season he was selected as a memopportunity. ber of the All-NWC First Team. He also Reflecting on the past four earned conference Student-Athlete of the years, Faidley emphasized the Week twice, an award he won six times toenjoyment he drew from attendtal over the course of his career. ing Whitman. After spending a And as if this were not enough, Faidley, disheartening first year at Seattle after entertaining the idea for a number of Pacific University, he transferred years, joined Whitman’s varsity baseball in the hopes of discovering a team as a relief pitcher this season, appearkim more rewarding experience— ing in 10.1 innings.

Chris Faidley, ‘09, led the Whitman men’s basketball team in points, As those around him would attest, Faid- three pointers made, steals, free throw percentage and minutes played. which is exactly what he found.

“I stepped into a great situation,” ley served his team with loyalty and passion,

Faidley said. “What made it great for me was being here.”

Honorable Mention: Brett Axelrod and Stephen Phillips The pair that will be inevitably linked in Whitman soccer history merit honorable mention for this distinction.

Axelrod, the NWC Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team player, led the conference in goals against average, save percentage, shutouts and minutes played.

Phillips led Whitman in scoring each of the past three years, and made his second consecutive All-Conference First Team this season.

The duo traveled to England this past March to train with professional and semi-professional teams, as well as one club, Stoke City, a member of the worldrenowned English Premier League. They each hope to pursue soccer after graduation, either abroad or closer to home.

Alisa Larson-Xu: leader by example, ‘even-keeled’ player

by Noah Moskat Reporter

If one was in search of a dependable, levelheaded, dedicated leader, Alisa Larson-Xu would make a superb choice. And though her position as a defensive midfielder may not often generate big numbers on the stat sheet, her unwavering presence has provided a valuable boost for the women’s soccer team.

Larson-Xu, who transferred from the University of California-Santa Cruz after one year, started 52 games in her three seasons of Whitman soccer. She served as a team captain this year, and in recognition of her strong defensive efforts was tabbed for the All-NWC Second Team. The midfielder tallied three assists, all of which came in Missionary wins.

Yet whether or not her contributions have shown up on paper, they certainly have in the eyes of her coach, Scott Shields.

“She’s a fantastic player,” said Shields. “She understands how to play the game on multiple levels—it didn’t matter what we wanted her to do, she would do it.”

“We would not have been as good as we were without her,” Shields said.

Larson-Xu described her own approach to the game and how it has shaped her experiences over the past several years.

“I’m the silent, lead-by-example type,” Larson-Xu said. “And I have learned how to play a leadership role.”

These tendencies to take charge without domineering have not gone unnoticed by her coach, and he has come to regard her as a steady foundation of the team.

“She’s always there, always ready to practice—so consistent,” said Shields. “Even-keeled and strong.”

After graduating, Larson-Xu will embark on Whitman’s Year in China program, then possi-

bly apply to law school.

Reflecting on her life as a Whitman student-athlete, Larson-Xu said she found the schedule to be challenging but rewarding. She also discovered soccer was a motivating factor in devoting energy to her studies.

“It’s hard to balance everything,” Larson-Xu. “But it’s worth it.”

Honorable Mention: Katie Oost Katie Oost and sophomore Elise Otto won the ITA Northwest Fall Championships doubles bracket.

Alisa Larson-Xu, ‘09, led the Whitman women’s soccer team in assists with three. The team finished in fourth with a conference record of 9-6-1 and 11-7-1 overall.

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Whitman athletes move on to other professional careers

by Rachel Hoar Reporter

For many senior athletes, the end of 16 years of school sports is fast approaching. So what comes next?

Few Whitman athletes plan to pursue a professional sports career, but many will continue their sport after college.

“I plan on keeping swimming in my life, and possibly competing in triathlons where, of course, swimming is a part,” said varsity swimmer Vanessa Johnson.

“I want to continue to play and be involved in tennis for as long as I can,” said tennis player Katie Oost.

After graduation, many student athletes will focus on their careers instead of

competing in semi-professional or professional leagues. The need to work limits the opportunities and time a graduate has to pursue athletics. However, many Whitties have found ways to incorporate athletics into their jobs.

“I plan on assistant coaching for the women’s tennis team, and likely working for another previous Whitman coach as well. I also plan on teaching tennis lessons during the summer,” said Oost.

Professional athletic opportunities may also be slim due to scholarly demands.

“I think collegiate play offers the opportunity to gain an education and perform at a

high lever,” said varsity soccer player Michael McKenzie. “Yet, it also makes the transition to the professional level difficult because of the balance between training and school…I would love to play professionally, but my focus on school has made that possibility extremely slim.”

Others will stay active, but will pursue other types of activities, whether these are jobs or sports.

“This summer I am going to work for the forest service as a range technician in the Colorado Rockies,” said swimmer Courtney Fitzpatrick.

“After that I plan to do a six-month work study program at Shoshoni Yoga retreat in Colorado where I will get certified to become a yoga instructor.”

Varsity athletics have greatly influenced many Whitman athletes, whether or not they plan to continue their sport.

“I would say that my career as a swimmer has led me to realize how physical activity is related to spiritual well-being…I was always learning about myself, specifically what my body and mind are capable of,” said Fitzpatrick.

“I have greater b i lt r faith in myself and e van d in what I am capable of achieving and committing to,” said Johnson. “I’m sure this will transfer somehow into whatever next steps I take.”

Despite their extensive athletic careers, however, some athletes acknowledge what they have learned and prepare to take the next step, to move on.

Varsity basketball athlete Brendan Ziegler, who plans to move to Illinois next year to work for a business consultant, looks forward to taking the next step. “It was time to move onto the next phase of my life,” he said.

May 18, 2009

Athletic event of the year Whitworth at Whitman, men’s soccer

at the feet of first-year forward, Jordan Thomas, who, having to react in a split-second, sailed the ball high right before the half-time whistle.

In the second-half, Whitman had two good opportunities at a goal. Senior forward, Marc

by J. Staten Hudson Nabelek, tested the Whitworth keeper early, Reporter drilling a shot at the left post that the diving Amid steady rain and with a potential national keeper barely pushed wide.

Two minutes later, senior midfielder Greg bid up for grabs, Captain Brett Axelrod marshaled his defense from between the goal posts Phillips skipped a grounder into the Whitworth keeper’s chest. The and urged his ofball landed in front fense on in what of the goal but a would prove to be Whitworth defendone of the most er was able to clear exciting games on it out. campus this school Whitman domiyear. nated both overtime The game was periods but was unagainst a Whitable to capitalize on worth side that held their higher time of a slight lead over possession, putting Whitman in the only one shot on conference, boastgoal in the two 15 ing a record of minute periods.

8-2-2 to Whitman’s “Everyone’s al7-2-3. The winner ways physically would pretty much spent at the end of be guaranteed the a 2OT game,” said top spot in the Axelrod. “But we Northwest Conferhad played so many ence (NWC) and jacobson up to that point in get an automatic the season that we bid to the national Jordan Droppert, ‘09, had four shots during Whitman’s game against Whitworth on Nov. 1, including the team’s felt that we were tournament. only shot during the first overtime period. better prepared for it However, a win for than Whitworth was, either team was not in the cards. Over 500 fans were in attendance which only added to the disappointment of tying on Nov. 1 as Whitman and Whitworth played to the game.”

In recent years, the Whitman-Whitworth ria 0-0 tie after two overtimes. The two overtime periods were 15 minutes each and, since there valry has become more intense as Whitman’s are no shootouts in conference play, when nei- stronger program has allowed for some nailther team had scored after these additional 30 bitingly close matches.

“Whitworth is consistently a strong side,” said minutes, the referees called the game.

Defense dominated on both sides with the rain Axelrod. “Although this was the first time we severely hampering any kind of meaningful of- hadn’t lost to Whitworth in the last four years, we’ve played some real close and physical games fensive drives.

“The rain made it hard to play possession soc- with them. We have a natural rivalry just based cer since the ball ran so much faster than nor- on our geographic separation from the rest of the mal,” said senior captain Brett Axelrod in an e- conference, but our program’s recent developmail. “This benefitted Whitworth since they’re ment has blossomed our rivalry with Whitworth not as much of a possession team as we are and into one of competition and not just location.”

Whitman ended their season a week after the helped to even out the game.”

Despite the rain, Whitman was able to out- Whitworth game with convincing wins over shoot Whitworth 23-15. With 30 seconds left in Pacific University and George Fox University, the first half, senior Stephen Phillips ricocheted a bringing their season record to an impressive 11shot off the Whitworth crossbar. The ball landed 2-7, a team record.

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Powell, Howell leave Whitman for other programs “I think Whitman is fortunate to have attracted been progressing, getting stronger over the last one of the best young coaches in the Northwest,” few years. I believe that, with the help of the W Sports Editor Feezell told current Whitman SID Dave Holden Club, we will now make a change for the better in After a year of competing, the Whitman athletic after Powell was hired in 2003. “Casey’s under- baseball as well. I would have been glad for Coach department enters the summer with two vacan- standing of the game is tremendous. He knows our Powell to lead that charge, but now we will becies to fill. Baseball head coach Casey Powell and conference and has recruiting contacts throughout gin a search for our next coach who will lead our assistant athletic trainer David Howell will both the region. He understands what it takes to have a baseball program into national prominence,” said successful baseball program at a small college.” move on to other programs next year.

Snider in an e-mail.

Now seven years later, Athletic Director Dean Powell, Whitman’s baseball coach for the past Whitman opened their search for a replacement seven seasons and the 1996 NWC Player of the Snider echoes Feezell’s original statement about for Powell today.

NWC wins during PowPowell’s baseball knowlyear at Linfield, will “We’re looking for someone who has head ell’s seven year tenure edge. transition into an assiscoaching, winning experience that also has eviAs an athlete and a “He loves baseball dence of being a strong recruiter and has a desire tant coach position for coach, being competi- in and out. He’s an out- and drive to bring our baseball program to national the Division I Seattle University Redhawks tive in nature, you want to be standing baseball guy. prominence,” said Snider.

He knows the game,” Baseball team under at the highest level in anyAssistant coach Sean Kinney, who has either said Snider. head coach Donny thing you do.” played or coached at Whitman for the past eight Powell’s batting averHarrel also praised years, has expressed interest in the job and will be Harrel. Seattle Uniage at Linfield dur-Head coach Casey Powell Powell’s work ethic. versity hasn’t played one of many applicants for the position, according ing his junior year “Casey has a tremendous ability to get the best to Snider. varsity baseball since the mid-1980s and not at the Division I level since 1980. The 2009-10 school out of the ballplayers he teaches and is a true work Howell, on the other hand, leaves Whitman afhorse in our game,” said Harrel in an e-mail. year will be their first season back. ter only one year. He was hired at the beginning of While Powell listed Whitman’s record during his fall semester as a Sabbatical replacement for Head Powell and Harrel worked together before when Harrel was the head coach of the semi-pro Bend tenure and difficulties recruiting to Whitman—the trainer Juli Dunn and then stayed on for spring seElks in 2000 and 2001 and Powell was his assistant Missionaries played with only 17 guys on the roster mester after Dunn moved into a new role as DirecPlayers honored coach. Powell listed a chance to work with Harrel this year, eight below Major League Baseball’s 25 tor of Academic Resources. as NWC student again as one of the major reasons he took the job at man standard—he finds his success as a coach in Howell was accepted into a PhD program at the athlete of the week the players he’s seen mature.

Seattle University.

University of Oregon and will begin work there in under Powell “You really see the maturity in guys from fresh- the fall.

“We have a great relationship off the field, we work well together on the field, our families get a man, sophomore years to upperlong great, our kids get along great, and our wives classmen and that’s something get along great. All that, tied in together, made it I’ve really been proud of,” said Powell. “The way that guys seem like a perfect opportunity,” said Powell.

Also attracting Powell to Seattle University was come to practice and come evthe chance to coach at the Division I level after ery weekend to compete knowplaying and coaching exclusively at Division III ing that they might not be the most talented team on the field, Linfield and Whitman.

“As an athlete and a coach, being competitive in but still playing hard.”

Powell mentioned that a goal nature, you want to be at the highest level in anyof his in taking the job was to thing you do,” said Powell.

Along with his position as an assistant coach, leave the program better than Powell will be the team’s recruiting coordinator when he entered it. He listed the while coaching the infielders, running game, short overall atmosphere, field quality and equipment as things that game and overseeing the team’s academics. “[Powell’s] head coaching experience at Whit- have improved under his tenure, man athletically and academically will let him but still expressed uncertainty identify the types of student/athletes who will suc- for the program as a whole.

“I don’t know if I’m leaving ceed on and off the field at SU,” said Harrel in an it in better shape or not; I feel e-mail.

Powell leaves Whitman after compiling a 24- like I am,” said Powell.

When asked if he Powell had 159 record in the Northwest Conference and 38214 overall. He was originally hired after head improved the baseball program, coach and part-time Athletic Director Travis Fee- Snider put the team’s recent zell chose to solely focus on his administrative struggles in context. courtesy of LES kitamura “Our baseball program has work. At the time, Powell was only 27 years old, Head coach Casey Powell, pictured to the far right, eyes the team in the field with assistant coach Sean Kinney directly to but had coached four years as an assistant coach struggled for more than 20 his right. Powell leaves Whitman for an assistant coaching job at Division I Seattle University. Kinney will be one of the apyears. In other sports we have plicants to replace Powell. Kinney has spent the last eight years at Whitman–four as a player and four as an assistant coach. at Linfield.

by Andy Jobanek

by the numbers: Powell’s career

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Club sports show tremendous growth over four years

by Libby Watkins Reporter

As another year draws to a close, it is important to recognize the indelible effects this senior class has left upon the club sports programs here at Whitman. They have experienced both growth and depletion in the past four years, but each has definitively left a mark on Whitman’s athletic harmony.

“My freshman year was the first year that all club sports budgets were subsumed under the athletic department,” said senior Erin Morris, the student representative for the Club Sports Committee. “Before then, students could go to many offices to ask for money, but this collected all those funds under one body.”

Morris explained that each year since her arrival at Whitman, club sports have become more cohesive and better organized. The creation of the Club Sports Committee her first year has enabled voices from all over the campus to administer the programs. The committee is made up of representatives from the athletic department, ASWC, student services and the general student body.

“Club sports as a whole have made leaps and bounds of progress in terms of organi-

zation, accessibility and commitment to students since I started here,” said Morris.

This progress has, in many cases, translated into success and heightened involvement.

Senior Haley Woods, captain of the Whitman Motherruckers rugby team, has seen marked enlargement of the program since her arrival.

“There has been an increased interest in women’s rugby as the years progress and our team gets larger,” said Woods, who commented that despite their battles with player retention each year, a group of dedicated girls has emerged who will take the team to the next level.

“I think I’m leaving a pretty strong team behind and I am excited to see how they do in the next year,” said Woods. “I fully intend to come back for Alumni Weekend next year and see what it’s like to play against them.”

For the men’s rugby team, the Reapers, the number of players has skyrocketed over the past four years, according to volunteer coach Eric McAlvey. When McAlvey started coaching in 2001, the team was typically only about 17 players deep and often faced difficulty getting players to practices and play on road trips.

“Now in the fall our roster is generally 28 or more players,” said McAlvey. “The added depth enables us to draw upon more

talented on hns player s E . Jo as well as exposing many more students to the game of rugby.”

The team’s record has improved with this increase, as the team won a record nine games last year, and has led to a rising awareness and love for the sport.

“Rugby builds a tremendous amount of camaraderie amongst all players that is unlike any other sport, and I know that all of my players would attest to that,” said McAlvey. “From day one players see how awesome the game is both off and on the pitch.”

Senior Todd Hawes, a member of the Reapers since his first year, names rugby as one of the things that has changed his life at Whitman.

“I thank my teammates for some of my greatest memories and our coach for teaching me a lot about athletics and life,” said Hawes.

As a sport that gets hardly any recognition, fencing at Whitman has stayed relatively under the radar, but with a recent influx of interest from first-years it seems that the club will see a continued increase in participation.

The team attends two types norman of events: seminars and tournaGabe Kiefel, ‘09, and the other Whitman Reapers have been one of the fastest growing club teams on campus over the ments. past two seasons. A year before, head coach Eric McAlvey challenged his team to give him a reason to come back as “Our team has sent representacoach after the team finished the year 3-7-1 with low roster totals. The team responded and numbers are up.

tives every year [to a multi-day seminar in Seattle],” said senior Stephen Parkin, club captain and head instructor. “This has helped us become known within the greater Northwest fencing community, which has grown spectacularly in the last few years.”

In tournaments, the team typically does very well, and consistently brings home medals from each tournament.

“Our beginning and intermediate level fencers especially tend to do a fine job, which goes to show the efficacy of our emphasis on mastering the fundamentals and on careful, controlled and graceful fencing,” said Parkin. Because of this, Parkin expects the team to continue to do well in upcoming years.

Despite growth for many programs, there are a few programs to which Whitman has had to say goodbye in the past years.

Women’s softball essentially folded in the fall of 2007, due to a lack of turnout.

“Since our captain left Whitman it was kind of left up in the air and up to the rest of us to keep the team together, but there wasn’t really enough people left for it to be a legitimate team anymore,” said junior Kristianne Chavez. However, there are hopes of rekindling a team in years to come.

The coed ice hockey team will be defunct at the end of this year, as the majority of the players are graduating, including club founder and captain Morris. Morris started the club as a first-year.

“I am sad to see it die as I graduate, but I am grateful to have made it go for my four years,” said Morris. “It has been a wonderful experience for me and it hurts to know students next year won’t have this opportunity, but it was worth every hour I put into it.”

The team played their final game ever on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. against the Walla Walla Adult League.

Overall, the club sports scene is on the rise, with new sports added almost every year.

“I think club sports will continue to grow and succeed as it continues to be more supported and organized,” said Morris. “It provides many students the opportunity to participate in numerous athletic endeavors.”

SPORTS

May 18, 2009

THROUGH THEIR EYES:

extending careers past Whitman

by Mallory Peterson Associate Sports Editor

While senior year marks the end of many students’ athletic careers, a handful of varsity athletes are aspiring for athletic excellence after graduation in either semi-professional or professional leagues.

Senior Chris Faidley, a varsity basketball and baseball athlete, for instance, is planning to play in a professional basketball league abroad, either in Australia or Europe.

“My long term goals are to play basketball overseas for a year or two, and then come back home and go into business and/or to possibly coach basketball at the high school or college level,” said Faidley. “At this point things are fairly uncertain, but coaching is something that I know I would love to do at some point in my career.”

During his time at Whitman, Faidley has led a successful career. Faidley set a new single-season school record his sophomore year, scoring 91 3-point baskets. As a junior, he earned All-Second Team honors and led the conference in scoring with 16.9 points per game. This season, Faidley topped the conference in more ways than one, securing 84 3-point baskets and scoring an average of 20.4 points per game. Whitman’s second all-time leading scorer, Faidley finished his athletic career with 1,720 points. He was recently distinguished will All-NWC FirstTeam Honors.

Faidley credits a portion of his success as a student athlete to the athletic programs at Whitman that foster athletic excellence while balancing the many scholastic requirements.

“Whitman athletics have taught me a lot about working with people, problem solving, leadership, commitment, preparation, prioritizing, remaining time-efficient, non-procrastinating and many other qualities that will influence me throughout the

rest of my life,” said Faidley.

For the time being, however, Faidley has been training in Walla Walla, practicing with the Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball team and the women’s basketball team on campus. He has also been shooting hoops at the YMCA and frequently trains at the Baker Ferguson Fitness Center. Despite his seemingly busy training schedule, Faidley realizes that he needs to step it up if he hopes to play professionally.

“I will need to train for several more weeks in order to get to ‘playing shape,’” he said.

While Faidley aspires to play basketball in a professional league, seniors Bret Axelrod and Stephen Phillips plan to break into the European soccer scene.

Over spring break, Axelrod and Phillips traveled to England to try their hand in English soccer leagues.

The two Whitman athletes practiced with three British soccer teams: the Newcastle Town Football Club, a semi-professional team, Crewe Alexandra, a professional team, and Stoke City Football Club, a member of the English Premier League (EPL).

While in England, the duo chronicled their experiences on their blog: http://whitmanlads.blogspot.com/.

Initially surprised by the level of play—a higher caliber than they were accustomed to in the states— the two eventually adjusted and became more confident in their abilities.

“I won’t say that we can both comfortably play on this level since we’ve only been there for one day of light practice, but today we each held our own nicely, except in the small sided game it didn’t seem as if my defense felt like playing, at all,” Axelrod wrote in his blog. “I must have gotten scored on 20 times in the half an hour that we played. Steve [Phillips] put a couple in past the other keeper […] and made the opposing

defenders look foolish at times.”

Although British soccer players and coaches may not understand why Axelrod and Phillips are pursuing soccer at the age of 21 and 22, which is considered late to start a professional career, neither would hesitate to sign a professional contract today.

“It’s become a little embarrassing for us to explain the American education/athletic system in the U.S. to the guys here. We’re relatively old, being 21 and 22, and it’s almost a joke to them that we’re trying to start playing pro now when they’ve been established for three years at least when they’re 21-22,” Axelrod and Phillips wrote in their blog. “It’s become pretty obvious to us why American soccer is so stunted in its growth and why more Americans don’t play in Europe.”

Both Axelrod and Phillips hope to sign on with a British team. As of now, Phillips will play with the professional Kitsap Pumas in the USL Premier Developmental League, three tiers removed from the MLS. Axelrod also plans on signing with an American team for next year.

Although the future of these Whitman varsity athletes is uncertain, Faidley, Axelrod and Phillips will undoubtedly continue to play the sports they love, regardless of whether or not they sign contracts with a professional league.

Whitman College Pio neer

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Whitties set records in 08-09 school year Men’s Swimming Name Event Jamie Nusse, ‘11 500yd free Chris Bendix, ‘12 1,650yd free Noel Sollom-Brotherton, ‘09 200yd back Chad Trexler ‘11 200yd back Noel Sollom-Brotherton ‘09, Mitchell Lee ‘12, Ysbrand Nusse ‘09, Jamie Nusse ‘11 200yd free relay Noel Sollom-Brotherton ‘09, Eric Molnar ‘10, Ysbrand Nusse ‘09, Jamie Nusse ‘11 800yd free relay

Time 4:45.63 16:43.55 1:54.53 2:09.45

3:09.59

7:00.53

Women’s Swimming Name Event Laura Flynn ‘11 50yd free Laura Flynn ‘11 100yd free

Time 24.59 53.82

Men’s Basketball Chris Faidley ‘09 passes Dan Rough ‘98 for second on Whitman’s all-time scoring list with 1,720 points.

alden

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congratulations

CLASS OF 2009 The Pioneer wishes you

!

the best of luck .

s t ay i n for me d a b out c a mpu s

even after you leave

su bscri be to th e pio Sign me up!

Name: ____________________________ Address: __________________________ Telephone: _________________________ E-mail: ___________________________ Full year ($60): ______________________ 1 Semester ($35): ____________________

limited time offer -last opportunity to buy at discounted ‘08-’09 rates! choose from one semester for $35 or full year for $60 make checks payable to the Whitman Pioneer and send to Christina Russell at 280 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla WA, 99362.