Whitman Pioneer Fall 2012 Issue 5

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18 9 6

of Whitman students aren’t on Twitter

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73.2

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INFOGRAPHIC BY JONES, PETERSON & MCNULTY

Issue 5 | October 4, 2012 | Whitman news since 1896

Social Media

@WhitmanCollege

#alumni #students #administration

BASED ON A SURVEY OF 132 STUDENTS

4.7% aren ’t

by Daniel Kim Staff Reporter

95.3% of Whitman students are on Facebook

Isabel Wilkerson talks migration

by Evan Taylor Staff Reporter

S

tudents and Walla Walla community members filed into Cordiner Hall this past Monday, Oct. 1 to hear Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Isabel Wilkerson speak about her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns.” This book was chosen by the office of the Summer Read Program and President George Bridges as required reading for incoming first-years.

After being introduced by Jewett Resident Assistant junior Jeremy Schofield, Wilkerson took the podium and exuded the same passion that led her to write “The Warmth.” The book took her 15 years to complete and led her to discussions with 1,200 people related to the Great Migration.

“Something was propelling me to write this book; I just had to write this book,” said Wilkerson.

“I did not plan to spend 15 years on it, and yet that is what it took.”

During the lecture, Wilkerson examined the sheer significance of the Great Migration in American history.

“I have learned, in the process of talking about it, what the book was about,” said Wilkerson. “This was the only time in our country’s history that American citizens were forced to or felt that they had no other choice but to leave the land of their birth merely to be recognized as the citizens which they had been born.”

Wilkerson also recognized the ever-present effect the migration has on today’s society. She used music as an example and mentioned Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, Snoop Dogg and others as musicians who would not exist in the absence of the Great Migration.

Wilkerson’s lectures have brought her to 38 states. She calls Washington State “the farthest sun” because people in the Great Migration rarely migrated to such a distant place. Wilkerson closed with a poem by Richard Wright, whom she called a “poet laureate” of the Great Migration.

From the poem, she adopted the phrase “the warmth of other suns.”

“The Warmth of Other Suns”

alternates between describing the overall story of the Great Migration—from about 1915 to 1970—and delving into the deeply personal stories of three of its migrants. It follows the stories of Ida Mae Brandon Gladney, George Swanson Starling and Robert Joseph Pershing Foster as they leave the South and create new lives in New England, the Midwest and the West.

Every year, the Summer Read Program Reading Group chooses a summer reading book and tries to bring the author or a related speaker in for a lecture. The group evaluates a list of books, nominated by the community. “[The group] provide[s] detailed feedback about individual books, along with top recommendations to President Bridges,” said Mara Sorkin, the events coordinator in the president’s office. “‘The Warmth of Other Suns’

by Isabel Wilkerson was included in their top recommendations.”

The Summer Read Program has several objectives for students regarding the book choice and related events each year.

“Our primary purpose is to assist you in developing habits of thinking and respectful engagement with others and their views,” said Bridges in his speech at convocation in late August. He referred to “altercasting” as a way to put aside presumptions in order to receive new perspectives.

“To see some connection with your own life today and that history: That would be my greatest hope for students,” said the moderator of the evening, Associate Professor of Sociology Helen Kim. The book also places great importance on the theme of where one comes from.

“Without the Great Migration ... we would have a very different type of society today,” said Kim. “In large part, all of us are some type of a product of that migration.” First-year students in their Encounters classes are posed with the challenge of understanding the significance of origin, through books such as “Genesis” and “On the Origin of Species.”

see WILKERSON, page 3

A

s technology becomes more central in the daily lives of Americans, colleges all around the nation have begun breaking into social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“Most of my generation’s interactions are online, and we draw heavily on communication online, so Whitman improving and continuing its reaches and communications on the web is a big deal to myself and my peers,” said first-year Caitlin Griffin.

Whitman has taken notice that students are living more of their lives over these social communication services. Although the college still primarily focuses on more traditional means of communication like mailings and phone calls, being a part of the social gathering on the internet is an important way to reach out to students.

The administration strives for increased communication through social media and technology.

“At this point, we have used Facebook primarily to target external audiences. Alumni is the biggest audience by number but certainly donors, friends and parents, even prospective students more so than current students—but current students are more than en-

Red Reina

couraged to engage,” said Assistant Vice President of the Office of Communications Ruth Wardwell.

Whitman has had a Facebook account since December 2007 and started a Twitter account in April 2011.

“My goal with Facebook is to continue engaging both people who know us and people who don’t, but then ideally to take that further,” said Wardwell. “Are there things we can do? Can we look at the comments that people submit back to us and make connections there?”

According to a Pioneer survey of 120 students, Facebook is the primary form of social media used by students. 95 percent of survey respondents have a Facebook account.

Of the Facebook users, 60 percent of survey respondents check their account multiple times per day. Students primarily use Facebook to find out about events in the area and to socialize with friends, but few (5.6 percent) used social media as a major source of information when applying to college.

Student Twitter use is significantly lower, with only 27 percent of survey respondents having a Twitter account. Following current news and using Twitter for fun are the top uses by survey respondents. Even among Whitman students who have a Twitter account, only 14.7 percent (five people) said they followed Whitman on Twitter. see SOCIAL MEDIA, page 3

Restaurant Review INside on Page 4

NEWS

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ASWC President Kayvon Behroozian ‘14 (center) and Finance Chair Sam Sadeghi ‘14 (right) preside over the first ASWC Senate meeting of the 2012-2013 academic year, introducing new senators to proceedings. Photo by Li

ASWC Senate convenes for year’s first official meeting in Memorial by lachlan johnson Staff Reporter

T

he Memorial Building hosted the first senate meeting of the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) on Sunday, Sept. 30. Senate meetings this year will be held in Memorial, the physical and symbolic center of campus, rather than their traditional location in the basement of Reid Campus Center.

Despite complex procedural rules and a large number of new senators, the senate managed to address important issues concerning nominations, financing and clubs.

“We got a lot done,” said first-year senator Anya Tudisco. “We ratified clubs, we passed or didn’t pass finance requests, people are getting money or not getting money, people are going to conferences or not going to conferences. We could really see how ASWC was affecting student life this evening.”

Traditionally, ASWC meetings have been held Sunday evenings beginning at 7 p.m. in Reid GO2. While this room was large enough to house the senate and observers, it lacked windows and was less visible.

“Memorial 328 has very comfortable chairs, larger tables, better lighting and windows,” said

ASWC President Kayvon Behroozian. As president, Behroozian made the decision to move the location of the senate. He chose to keep the traditional timing for the meetings as Sunday evening is the most likely time for senators to be free from commitments involving classes, sports and clubs.

Despite the large number of senators new to ASWC, Behroozian attempted to enforce Robert’s Rules of Order throughout the meeting. This proved difficult at times, as specific terms had to be used to gain recognition from the chair.

“Everybody’s still learning Robert’s Rules of Order, but I feel they worked really well, and helped us get through our speaking points,” said first-year Jonathan Miranda, a member of the oversight committee, which ensures ASWC follows the rules and regulations laid out in its handbook.

Although strict time constraints on speeches and comments were enforced, the meeting still lasted over four hours and several agenda items were tabled for the next meeting. One of the tabled items was a group of resolutions that were passed by last year’s senate but never signed, and were up for re-approval.

“From our understanding, [the lack of signatures] wasn’t

due to [the previous ASWC President] wanting to veto them, it was simply due to his ... not remembering to sign them,” said Behroozian. “[The resolutions] will be considered as a slate on the floor of the senate so [they] can officially be re-approved.”

At the end of the meeting,

ter ... for this election,” she said. “[Now that we are active again] we feel that there is not a lot of political talk on campus and we were hoping that with starting Young Democrats we would spur conversation and maybe get the Young Conservatives out ... with their club as well.

We just want to get our voices out.”

In addition to these groups is senior Bao-Tram Do, who is not working with any particular organization, but with a variety of student groups like Coalition Against Homophobia and GLBT Q.

ing this because voting is really important,” she said. “I think that it’s interesting that Whitman is really civilly engaged and people have really good opinions about politics and I think it is really important to take that step to vote and have a say in who becomes the leaders of our country. I come from a position where I think that a lot of people have had to fight to vote ... so we should vote.”

Community members are also interested in registering voters for the upcoming elections. Local partisan campaigners for the Republicans and Democrats expressed their desire to encourage Whitman students, and young people in general, to vote.

“It is critical that people of all ages make the selections of candidates. I can’t encourage people enough to register and to vote,” said Doug Bayne, treasurer of the Republican Office in Walla Walla.

Norman Osterman, secretary for the Walla Walla Democrats, hopes young voters will turn out for the 2012 presidential election in even greater numbers than in prior election years, cautioning against overestimating the momentum gained in 2008 for new voters.

senators generally felt positive about it. This was the first senate meeting for most senators, and Behroozian’s first time heading a meeting as ASWC president.

“I thought it went really well.

There was a lot of discussion, there were a lot of points posed that were very thought-provoking.

I thought we discussed all the issues to a very good extent,” said first-year senator James Lavery.

The next ASWC senate meeting will be held in Memorial 328 on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. As always, it will be open for any students who wish to observe or speak on issues on the agenda.

Senate met in Memorial Building for the first time, a change from their previous meeting location in Reid basement. Photo by Li

Local activists encourage students, community members to register to vote in upcoming election

by Maegan nelson Staff Reporter

W

ith election day fast approaching, candidates are scrambling to acquire votes and get potential voters registered. Unfortunately, the majority of college students in the United States is not registered to vote.

According to the U.S. Census, 47 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 2004 presidential election. Local organizations such as Whitman’s Young Democrats are working diligently to register voters in the Walla “My IBLE goal Walla area. in terms Y RA B S TION J u n of sheer numSTR A ILLU ior Jane Carmobers is to register about one dy has been workhundred Whitman students,” ing with the Young Democrats she said. “So far we are almost group at Whitman to help answer halfway there and we are one students’ questions about voting. week into this voting project.”

“Sean Mulloy [president] and Do emphasized the imporI were talking over the summer tance of Whitman students takabout how we wanted to bring back ing advantage of their rights.

Young Democrats for this semes“I am really interested in do-

“Although in many respects 18- to 24-year-olds have the most to gain by voting because they will live the results the longest, they have the lowest turnout rate of all age groups. Even though the 2008 race appeared to create so much enthusiasm among America’s youth, the percentage of 18 to 24 voter turnout in 2008 only increased 2% over 2004, reaching only 49% in 2008,” Osterman said in an email, where he also emph a si z e d the importance of thinking criti c a l ly about the election. “In this election there is a choice between two completely different world views. Voters can choose a clear

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path to plutocracy or a path to an America where at least an effort is being made to keep the playing field somewhat level.”

At least some of these efforts to encourage the vote seem to be working: Like many young adults around the country, many s t u dents at Whitm a n C o l lege are excited about voting, some of them for the first time.

“I think it’s really important especially for our age because we are usually underrepresented,” said first-year Jennifer Tornay. “I think i t ’ s important to focus on issues that our country is facing.”

EDITORIAL POLICY

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

SUBMISSION POLICY

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

CODE OF ETHICS

The code of ethics serves as The Pioneer’s established guidelines for the practice of responsible journalism on campus, within reasonable interpretation of the editorial board. These guidelines are subject to constant review and amendment; responsibility for amending the code of ethics is assigned to the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with the editorial board.

The code of ethics is reviewed at least once per semester.

To access the complete code of ethics for The Pioneer, visit whitmanpioneer.com/about.

The

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Health Center offers free flu vaccinations for faculty, staff

by Elise tinseth Staff Reporter

O

n Oct. 2, Health Center staff, with funding from the Human Resources Center, gave a free flu shot clinic to all staff and faculty members in hopes to make vaccination convenient and to encourage people to stay healthy during flu season.

Director of the Health Center Claudia Ness, along with other Health Center staff members, was at Cordiner Hall with vaccines ready for staff and faculty during their lunch hours. The flu shots are part of staff and faculty fringe benefits in their contracts.

“The clinic is very easy, convenient. The vaccine helps ensure that I can avoid absences because of illness,” said Professor of Environmental Studies and Geology Ellen Bishop, who visited the clinic for the first time this year.

The more people that get vaccinated, the less likely it is that there will be a flu outbreak. If one does happen, it will be less severe if you receive a vaccination, said Ness.

“We try to do this ... to encourage them to do it, and if we have it all in one place it’s really centrally located for special faculty ... it is just truly for convenience,” said Ness. “We have done that for many years. I don’t have a crystal

Administration releases annual security report

by ALLISON WORK

O

News Editor

ct. 1 marked the annual day by which colleges across the nation must publish facts about the crimes that occur on and around their campuses in an Annual Security Report.

This year’s report, with data through the end of the calendar year 2011, was emailed out to students on Sept. 28. The report is often referred to as the “Clery report” and is named for a student murdered in the 1980s.

The data are fairly consistent with data of years past, although there were fewer cases of both sexual misconduct and alcohol referrals for the 2011 year.

The report, required for all colleges that offer federal financial aid, includes data from the past three years and is a compilation of information from the Whitman Security Department, the Dean of Students’ Office, and the Walla Walla Police Department, according to Craig McKinnon, associate director of security.

“These numbers are cross-referenced to ensure no duplication of the statistics,” said McKinnon in an e-mail. “All colleges that receive federal funding are then required to post the statistics on the Department of Education’s website.”

“The Clery crimes that we’re required to report on are all very serious crimes,” said Barbara Maxwell, associate dean of students for student programs and activities. “[They’re crimes] like murder and negligent homicide. So if you look across [the data], most of the categories are going to show a zero.”

Because of discrepancies in ways crimes are reported on campuses around the country, Clery report data is difficult to compare from college to college. But an intent of the report is to provide good information for people looking into the college.

“At its heart, the Clery is intended to provide students and employees—as well as future students and future employees—with a snapshot about safety on campus,” said Maxwell. “[It shows] security on campus and not only does it have the crime statistics, it also includes things like some of our policies.”

The report data is not significantly different than from years past, and neither Maxwell nor McKinnon noticed any abnormalities in data.

The report is available online and in print, and students have been notified by e-mail. According to Maxwell, part of the stipulations mandated by the Federal Government include being able to prove the information was made available to students.

If an issue were to occur, Whitman would have to be able to go back and prove that they did indeed send out information. The federal government could audit the school’s procedures for several months at a time and fine the school if they were found to be non-compliant.

ball so I can’t promise that we will continue that, but I certainly will anticipate it.”

Flu shots will also be available for family members of staff and faculty for $25 a dose. “ T h e charge of $25 to family members and students is actually a pretty good bargain bec a u s e m o s t p l a c es will charge you more than that, plus, you have to actually go there,” said Ness.

Assistant Professor of Art History and Cultural Studies Lisa

Uddin, a new faculty me m ber at Whitman this yea r, w a s also attending the clinic for the first time. “[The clinic was] convenient. I don’t have to figure out which pharmacy to go to. It’s nice, especially if you’re new to town like me,” said Uddin.

Va c c i n a t io n s for students are not included in the clinic, but, along with other care, flu shots are available to anyone on campus at the Health Center for $25 a vaccine.

“I really want to encourage everybody on campus to get a flu shot because it really does make a difference in your ILLUSTRATION BY RAIBLE ability to minimize the

flu when you get it or make the whole thing go away,” said Ness.

According to Ness, there are few reasons to not get vaccinated for the flu, some of which are allergies to eggs or preservatives, or if you have had an allergic reaction to a vaccination in the past.

Besides the shot, there are other safety measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the flu.

“I encourage handwashing, handwashing and more handwashing,” said Ness. “[What] I would encourage [for] students, especially in residence halls and if you are living with more than a couple people is to clean the door knobs, faucets, cell phones, things that you are touching over and over and over.”

Corrections to Issue 6 In “ASWC undergoes major overhaul” on Page 1 of Issue 4, it was incorrectly reported that ASWC elections were until recently closed to much of the student body. It should have been reported that although many nominations have historically been made from within the Executive Council, other students have always had the option of petitioning to be put on the ballot by collecting student signatures.

Recent changes have made applications for appointed positions open to all students.

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS by emily lin-jones News Editor

68,966

Ballots turned in by early voters nationwide as of Oct. 12, 2012.

SOURCE: elections.gmu.edu

3,763,242

Active registered voters in the state of Washington as of Sept.

19, 2012.

SOURCE: sos.wa.gov

79.7

Approximate percentage of voting-eligible population in Washington that is registered to vote.

SOURCE: sos.wa.gov

392

Number of voter registrations submitted for the “We Like Women Political Party” in California as of Sept. 7, 2012.

SOURCE: SOS.CA.GOV

72.58

Percentage of voting-eligible population in California that is registered to vote.

SOURCE: SOS.CA.GOV

103,004

Number of voter registrations needed to qualify a new political party for inclusion on the ballot in California. sOURCE: SOS.CA.GOV

Facebook, Twitter open channels of electronic communication between groups at Whitman from SOCIAL MEDIA, page 1

A majority of respondents were unaware that the college has a Twitter account.

The Office of Communication is also looking deeper into the realm of social media. However, since their Facebook and Twitter pages mainly target alumni and students off campus, Wardwell and her team are researching to establish a guideline that will help not only communications but also the Office of Admission.

“What the guideline does is help integrate communications [and] help further the brand messaging,” said Wardwell. “It enables a cross-pollination, so if coaches or faculty members, for example, are doing blogs that prospective students might be interested in, let’s make sure that the Admission Office knows in case they want to link to those on the Admission page. That’s at the heart of the guideline.”

The Office of Admission has been taking advantage of the expanded influence of social media. Sadie Nott and Robert Street

are the primary admission officers in charge of the updates in the social media for Whitman’s outreach to prospective students.

The two are also tasked with increasing the awareness of so-

“My goal with Facebook is to continue engaging both people who know us and people who don’t.”

Ruth Wardwell

cial media beyond Whitman.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco understands that in future application years, social media will be just another method of interacting with students who may be interested in Whitman, giving them more options to receive information about the school. But the use of social media is a balance that the Office of Admission must find.

“The people who aren’t on Facebook, they’re going to contact us and engage us in what-

ever means that they want,” said Cabasco. “If there are people who are in that social media space, we want to be there too and make sure that we are engaging those folks who want to be there.”

Even though Whitman has generally started trending toward these new vehicles of communication, other methods of communicating with people who are associated with Whitman are important to retain.

“If you run a TV ad, there are people who don’t watch TV. If you run a newspaper ad, there are people who don’t read the newspaper,” said first-year Everett Wild, who monitored his high school’s Facebook account and Twitter feed. “The more different outreach pool[s] you can get into, the better off your outreach and events and your visibility and transparency are.”

The Pioneer survey suggested that Whitman could improve its communication to current students in the social media realm.

Respondents said that they would

like to see updates about campus events (50.8 percent), reminders about college deadlines,such as registration (28.3 percent) and a greater variety of information in posts (32.5 percent).

The net result is that most students still receive information about campus news and events from places other than the college’s social media accounts.

Most respondents said that listserv emails, word-of-mouth, or signs and flyers around campus were their main sources of information. Several noted that they got information from Facebook, but generally from friends’ posts, rather than Whitman’s account.

“I think it’s good that we’re exploring [social media] and students are also exploring it,” said Technology & Marketing Fellow for Student Engagement Center alumnus Kyle Scott ‘12. “I think that Whitman is experiencing that growth. In the end, it will be a good move. This is evolution and we’re going to have to evolve into new forms of talking to people.”

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ASWC MINUTES 9/30 Approved request of $780 by Nilce Alvarez to continue offering Zumba classes this year.

Approved request of $4590 by The Pioneer to allow eight staff members to attend the Fall Associated Collegiate Press Conference in Chicago.

Approved request of $946 by Maya Abramson to attend the Interfaith Leadership Institute Conference at UCLA. Approved request of $1702 by Ashley Hansack for three students to attend the Facing Race Conference in Baltimore.

P(whittie) P(graze) = P(happy)

Ratified four clubs pending executive approval: China at Whitman, Body Kind, Young Democrats, and South East Asian Student Association.

Confirmed two new members of Nominations Committee: Aliza Whalen and Livingston Martin. Also confirmed Fernando Medina-Corey as ASWC Ombud.

a place to eat

1.0 509-522-9991 Sunday 10-3:30 Monday-Saturday 10-7:30

Wilkerson lecture illuminates author’s writing process from WILKERSON, page 1

First-year student impressions were positive after reflecting on the evening with Wilkerson.

“There’s no one who has the same dedication to the story, and that makes [Wilkerson] so qualified to tell it,” said first-year Sam Gelband. “She’s one of the most passionate nonfiction researchers/authors that I’ve certainly ever heard speak ... I’m really happy that with all the resources that we have; we get to fully immerse ourselves in the text by having a speaker come.”

The discussion and ideas encompassing Isabel Wilkerson and “The Warmth of Other Suns” didn’t end with the lecture.

A workshop Oct. 2 entitled “The Warmth of Future Work” by Noah Leavitt, assistant dean for student engagement, aimed to build upon the themes of Wilkerson’s lecture and discuss how students can take advantage of the offerings at Whitman and prepare for the subsequent world of work.

On Oct. 10, Whitman invites Mac Arnold, one of the country’s great blues musicians, to lead a master class in Chism Recital Hall. On Oct. 22, Stewart Tolnay, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, will examine the Great Migration in depth in Olin Hall 130.

Wilkerson incorporated Tolnay’s extensive sociologic knowledge of the migration into her book.

To wrap up her lecture, Wilkerson left the audience with the implication of a new life—whether it be escaping the injustice of the Jim Crow laws or going to college.

“When people leave, they’re making this heartbreaking decision that’s going to change their lives forever,” said Wilkerson.

“In some ways, when they do that it is such a perfect metaphor for any person coming to college for the first time. They’re leaving all that they have known and all the people who have raised them to go off to someplace new to re-create themselves.”

Isabel Wilkerson, author of the 2012 Summer Read Program book selection, addresses an audience of students and community members in Cordiner Oct. 2. Photo by Mellema

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4 Red Reina offers delicious, wholesome meals 4

2012

by Mallory Martin Staff Reporter

A

new restaurant has opened up shop in downtown Walla Walla. The Red Reina Deli offers a simple assortment of meals created from regional and local sources, friendly waitstaff and some unique beverage options.

Advertised as “honest, clean, delicious and wholesome food,” the owners of the Red Reina Deli picked the perfect words to describe their offerings. Serving up a collection of everyday sandwiches, salads and a unique special of the day, the food is as wholesome and honest as you could get. I brought my entire house along to try out the cuisine with me, and we each ordered something different and delicious.

First and foremost, the Red Reina does their produce well.

Whether it was the colorful orzo side on the plate next to me, the additions to the sandwiches or the greens on the salad, they were all fresh, crisp and full of flavor.

Even the potato salad was a pleasant surprise, full of crunchy celery and just perfectly solid potatoes.

I ordered the tuna salad sandwich on a recommendation from our waitress, who fielded a pile

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

Here are this week’s picks: Artist Talk: Nicole Pietrantoni Pietrantoni, an assistant professor of studio art at Whitman, will discuss and explore her exhibition [re] producing desire, currently on display at the Sheehan Gallery.

Friday, Oct. 5 at noon, Sheehan Gallery

Walla Walla Sweet Rollergirls Walla Walla’s premier roller derby squad will compete in their last bout of the season this Saturday. Squaring off against the Rolling Hills Derby Dames, the bout’s theme is “Monster Mash Birthday Bash.”

Saturday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m., Walla Walla YMCA

Two Experimental Performance Duos The Art Department presents joint performances from percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and Butoh dancer Vanessa Skantze, as well as guitarist Michael LeFevre and Assistant Professor of Art Justin Lincoln on electronics.

Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., Olin 130

The newly opened Red Reina Deli, located on Main Street, has a menu that offers an array of tasty choices and uses fresh produce and natural ingredients to great effect. Its exterior is punctuated with large, welcoming windows. Photos by Bowersox

of questions and was friendly and timely with the orders and water glasses. Let me say, it was a good suggestion: hot Oregonian albacore tuna mixed with cilantro, pickles and sharp cheddar, and tossed in a mix of mustard, may-

onnaise and balsamic vinaigrette.

It was tastefully rich and toasted to perfection on a crispy ciabatta roll. It had just a little bit of spice to it, and I absolutely enjoyed every bite. I only heard similar reports from my friends across the table.

I will say that it is very similar to the popular Graze both in price and food. And I will comment that although all the food was good, there were only a few options to pick from. The “build your own sandwich” option

helps with this, but it’s not really enough. However, you should keep in mind that they are only one week or so into the business—I’m sure they will expand it in time. For a good lunch option, check out their noteworthy nonalcoholic Wine Country Village beverages—pinot noir and rose are fantastic.

Located on 202 E. Main Street, formerly the home of Computer Resource, Red Reina’s business hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Saturday. To keep up with deals and daily specials, as well as mouthwatering photos of various menu selections, “like” the deli’s page on Facebook.

Coldplay gets cold shoulder due to Whitman rejection of mainstream music

by Emma Dahl Staff Reporter

T

he other night, I discovered that a friend of mine had been harboring a secret love of Coldplay. She acted embarrassed about admitting her fondness for them, as if it were something to be ashamed of. Why was she keeping it a secret? There must be a reason she didn’t tell me that she shared my love of Coldplay for over a year.

Could it be a result of a strong anti-Coldplay atmosphere on campus? Not necessarily.

Sophomore Josh Tacke offered his opinions on the band.

“Coldplay has a sterilizing effect on me as a listener. What are they bringing to the table?” he said.

While there are students who don’t like the band,

Whitman isn’t completely devoid of Coldplay fans, either.

“I like Coldplay because they have a very unique sound that’s very diverse ... and it seems very honest,” said sophomore Carrie Walker.

But this just proves that people have different opinions regarding music, which is normal. So where did the shame in liking them come from?

The answer lies within the fact that a stigma surrounds popular music; it can’t be denied. Popular music is often disregarded simply because of its mainstream status. Why? There are a couple of reasons. For one, I think there’s a fear that comes with liking a thing that everyone else likes, that going along with the crowd gives off the impression that you are a mind-

Style spotlight

less member of the flock, and people don’t want to be seen that way.

Another source of this stigma has to do with causes of popularity; there is a possibility that something is popular for the wrong reasons, because it might be superficial, poorly made music. As long as it has a catchy melody or a heavy bass drop or sexy lyrics, a song has a shot at finding hit status on the charts. It’s natural to balk at something that might be shallow and unappealing to our deeper musical selves.

But is that always the case?

Does popular music always fall short of our expectations? Sometimes a song is a hit for the right reasons—namely, the band that produced the music has real talent, and people are naturally attracted to that talent en masse. But can

a song still be “good” despite being wildly popular? Can its lyrics still speak to the human spirit even if it’s played millions of times on the radio? I think it can. Popularity might be an indicator of shallowness, but it doesn’t guarantee it.

The same way it’s dangerous to judge a book by its cover, it’s unwise to pass off popular bands as crowd-pleasers without any kind of depth in their work.

Our interests should be our own and not determined by what the majority is doing, and that goes both ways; don’t mindlessly follow the crowd, but don’t mindlessly flee from it either. I’m not saying that Coldplay is the exception here, but you should follow what you want to follow, whether a million other people are doing it too or if you’re just riding solo.

‘Looper’ delivers futuristic twists, thrills

Every week, The Pioneer searches out Whitties who bring an extra splash of fashion consciousness and sartorial daring to campus.

This week’s style spotlight: sophomore Anastasia Greeley.

Style Soundbites: “Starting from the bottom, my shoes were discovered in the depths of Urban Outfitters in the U District in Seattle, and although the tag originally said $10, I think the man wearing a dress at the checkout gave me a major discount, although only after I told him he could pull off the look well.”

“My trousers are just regular khaki, which I bought on a trip at the Gap with my mother. Embarrassingly, she owns the same pair, except she went all out and purchased hot pink ones. Although that isn’t fascinating in and of itself, these khakis made up part of my uniform this summer at Woodland Park Zoo, so they’ve been in direct contact with giraffes, hippos, ostriches, fledgling cockatiels and Oregon Silverspot Butterfly larvae.”

“My shirt was discovered in the depths of my younger brother’s closet. He’s not one for wearing many things other than basketball shorts and T-

Anastasia Greeley ‘15 chooses clothes that “fit the day,” and pulls items from retail stores and family members’ closets to complete her wardrobe. Photos by beck

shirts (and yet still manages to get more girls than me!), and so I decided to capture it and put it to good use. The big sweater was an almost-Goodwill-shelter case, but I rescued it from my six-foot-one aunt, and after sewing back the lapels and reattaching a few buttons, [I] decided it was presentable enough to wear in polite society. Many people have told me that it reminds them of jackets they wore as young children of the ‘90s.”

“I like wearing things that make me feel good, aren’t supremely uncomfortable and just fit the day. In freshman year of high school, I wore the exact same enormous sweatshirt and exact same flared jeans every day because I was uncomfortable with the fact [that] I had curves at the age of 14, and it was the most stifling period of my life. Once I started to look like a human being again, I felt better and communicated better and looked better!”

“As much as I like looking nice, there are plenty of days when I wear running shorts and jackets. But never sweatshirts, for fear of emulating 14-year-old me. But I think one should just be confident, and if that means dressing up or down, do it!”

ILLUSTRATION BY MEASE

by NATHAN FISHER Staff Reporter

R

eturning to two-dimensional viewing this week, I just couldn’t resist seeing another bloody, violent movie set in the future. “Looper,” a sci-fi action thriller, takes the time travel premise in “Terminator” and “Back to the Future” and spins a mind-bending thriller that hits a home run.

“Looper” opens in the year 2044 with Joe (Joseph GordonLevitt), a looper, waiting in a field for a hooded person from the year 2077 to be deposited on the tarp in front of him. Joe’s job is to kill the person appearing on the tarp and dispose of the body.

Time travel has been invented by 2077, outlawed, but used by the mob to dispose of, well, their problems. As Joe explains in the movie, “The only rule is: Never let your target escape ... even if your target is you.” Yup, you know what’s coming—Joe lives the good life until one day the person deposited from the future, unhooded of course, is his future self (Bruce Willis). Joe, knowing he has to kill his future self, hesitates, and future Joe escapes.

Now the movie starts to roll!

Young Joe has to elude the mob as he tracks down and tries to complete his job of killing his future self. In “Terminator” style, future Joe tries to find and kill the person who runs the mob in the future. Instead of Schwarzenegger using phone book listings of Sarah Connor, future Joe has a map with the identification numbers of three kids to kill. The time travel concept leads to some great scenes filled with twists and moral dilemmas as both Joes try to change “their” future. Along the way, the Joes encounter a mystery woman (wonderfully played by Emily Blunt), and Jeff Daniels delivers an incredible performance as a gangster from the future.

Even if you are not a thriller/sci-fi fan, “Looper” is a mustsee because it’s fresh and a scary harbinger of the future. Remember HAL killing people in “2001: A Space Odyssey”? And now, Siri helping us organize our lives, no-driver electric cars in California. “Looper” gives us a timely glimpse of possibilities for the not-too-distant future. Really, are this movie’s visions of time travel and people with telekinetic abilities so outrageous? I recommend you go see it and decide for yourself.

SPORTS

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Whitman alums reunite, play ball

by TRISTAN GAVIN Staff Reporter

E

very year, the Whitman baseball team concludes its fall season by playing a friendly scrimmage against the program’s alumni. The game offers alumni an opportunity to share

stories with current players, reminisce with old friends and see if they can shake off the rust for one day each year to compete against young athletes at the top of their game. It is also an opportunity for Whitman baseball to showcase their talent and get a feel for how they will do in the coming year.

The game was a success in every aspect this year, giving alumni and current players alike something to be proud of.

The game also served to introduce alumnus Sean Kinney ‘05 as the new manager of Whitman’s team. Kinney got to showcase his 2012-13 team’s talent to many of

From L to R: Brett Lambert ‘13, Aaron Cohen ‘14 and Peter Valentine ‘15 play in the annual Whitman baseball alumni game.

Alumni ranged from 2011 graduates to Jock Edwards ‘66, who held his own amongst the young collegiates. Photos by Bergman

his past teammates who came out to support him. The new Whitman coach even got a taste of his players’ talent firsthand when sophomore pitcher Will Thompson induced him to weakly pop up to the shortstop in Kinney’s one at bat for the alumni team. Assistant coach and alumnus Brian Kitamura ‘10 struck out against senior Tyler Grisdale, a former teammate.

Some alumni fared better than the coaching duo, including 2011 graduate Pat Stauffer, who did not hit a home run in his Whitman career but hit a home run off of Grisdale this year. “[It] felt just as good as an [alumnus] as I thought it would have as a player,” he said. Stauffer still has a year of NCAA eligibility left and hinted about a comeback.

Alumnus Jock Edwards ‘66 held his own against the current Whitman pitchers, grounding out twice but making contact with the ball in both of his plate appearances. Edwards was the oldest alumnus to participate in this

year’s game and surprised many of his teammates with his success.

“Jock still has a better swing than I do,” said 2011 graduate

Erik Korsmo, who struck out in his first plate appearance while struggling to readjust to collegiate pitching. Korsmo found

a rhythm as the game went on, contributing a single, but by then the game was out of reach.

Whitman’s current play-

One hundred even: Men’s soccer coach reaches century plateau for victories

by Peter clark Staff Reporter

T

his past Saturday, men’s soccer head coach Mike Washington earned his 100th career win when Whitman defeated the University of Puget Sound 2-1 in overtime.

With Washington entering his 14th year coaching the Missionaries, the head coach had no idea that he had reached the 100-win plateau until the feat was announced after the game.

“When the announcement said ‘I’d like to bring your attention to the

middle of the field,’ my thought was that somebody important was there.

I’m looking around to see if there was an alum or someone I hadn’t seen in a long time, but then the announcement was made and it was a nice moment,” said Washington.

Win number 100 was certainly one of the more exciting finishes, as Whitman took the full 90 minutes and more before senior Jed Jacobson finished off the Loggers with a sharp-angle strike in the 95th minute. Coach Washington’s longevity and success can be

attributed to the type of relationship that he develops with his players during their time at Whitman.

Senior midfielder Andrew Clark has been coached by Washington for four years now and believes the program is lucky to have such a quality coach like Washington.

“He really is a great coach.

He deserves all that has come to him. I know all the current players look up to him, and it’s great to see [alumni] come back too, and they are as pumped as ever to see him,” said Clark.

As good of a strategist and motivator that Coach Washington is, one of his greatest coaching attributes resides in the message he sends to his players to create a constantly improving culture.

“We talk to our guys all the time about how it’s their program and the importance of leaving it in better shape than it was when they came in,” said Washington.

With Washington at the helm, the men’s soccer program can look forward to many more successful years to come.

Whitman hosts annual triathlon

by Peter clark Staff Reporter

T

his past weekend, students and community members flocked to the Harvey Louise Pool to participate in the biannual Whitman Triathlon. A 500-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride and 3.2-mile run may sound like a normal day’s workout to some, but to others it sounds like a daunting physical challenge.

First-year swimmer Robby Dorn believes that the varying skill level is what makes the Whitman Triathlon unique.

“There are some people that just want to do it for fun; others who are serious about it use it as an end-of-the-season last hurrah. The atmosphere at regular triathlons is good, but we see our triathlon more as a community-building activity,” said Dorn.

The typical triathlon season begins in March and can go as late as early November, depending upon the climate of the location. Triathlons vary in distance in order to cater to the broad range of fitness levels and ages of different triathletes.

Community member Susan Knell was a participant in this year’s Whitman Triathlon and

took the competition in especially good stride. Knell has run the Danskin Triathlon in Seattle several times before, but said this triathlon would be challenging for a

man Triathlon has been something on her bucket list to accomplish before she graduates.

“I wanted to do it before I graduated. I thought it would be fun. I’m not going for a time or anything, so I’m not really too nervous. I [have] noth- ing to lose,” said S h a ffer.

way to challenge yourself. It’s more of a full-body-type exercise; everything is getting a good workout. It’s not just going for a 5- or 10k run. It’s a little more involved than that,” said Bendix.

While a minimum base level of fitness is helpful in completing a triathlon, it certainly should not deter anyone from giving it a try.

Whitman has its very own Triathlon Club that welcomes any and all students. While their next race isn’t until April, they encourage all prospective triathletes to continue training over the winter and look to join in the spring.

ers found success both offensively and defensively, highlighted by a pair of home runs from juniors Cam Young and Casey Minnick.

“Casey just did what he was supposed to with a high fastball and hit it out,” said senior Chris Andrews.

The Whitman pitching staff allowed just two runs on the day, both of which came off of Stauffer’s bat. Senior Brett Lambert and sophomores Spencer Hobson and Will Thompson each pitched scoreless outings.

Despite the alumni getting walloped by a score of 9-2, the mood was positive after the game.

“It’s always good to see that the program is improving and that some of the new guys are better than we were,” said alumnus Jay Richards ‘11.

The game was followed by a barbecue that was not a celebration of a win or loss, but the celebration of a program that has been around for over half of a century on the Whitman campus.

SCOREBOARD soccer

Men’s v. University of Puget Sound Sept. 29: W 2-1 v. Pacific Lutheran University Sept. 30: L 2-1 Women’s v. University of Puget Sound Sept. 29: L 2-0 v. Pacific Lutheran University Sept. 30: T 0-0

volleyball

v. George Fox University Sept. 28: L 3-2 v. Lewis & Clark College Sept. 29: L 3-2

cross country

Charles Bowles Invitational Men’s, 19th Women’s, 14th

golf

Men’s Whitman Invitational, 3rd Women’s Whitworth Invitational, 1st

upcoming soccer

Men’s v. Whitworth University Oct. 6: AWAY Women’s v. Linfield College Oct. 7: AWAY

volleyball

v. Linfield College Oct. 5, 7 p.m.: HOME v. Pacific University Oct. 6, 7 p.m.: HOME

ADVERTISEMENT

different reason.

“I’ve never been the oldest and slowest, so this is going to be kind of a bummer, but oh well.

I’ve never swam a triathlon in a pool before, though, so it should be a piece of cake,” said Knell.

Whitman senior and first-time triathlete Sarah Shaffer said the Whit-

The Whitman Triathlon appeals to a wide range of participants because regardless of a person’s experience, completing a triathlon brings a unique sense of accomplishment.

Assistant Swim Coach Chris Bendix believes that the three different legs of a triathlon is what makes it a challenging yet rewarding physical feat.

“I think it’s a great ILLUSTRATION BY ZINSER

OCT

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FEATURE

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NIGHT HAWKS

On a college campus that works 24/7, who stays up?

ILLUSTRATION BY ZINSER

Security staff make All-hours health services care campus nights safer for partiers, provide experience

by AUDREY DAVIS Staff Reporter

A

lthough students see the Whitman Security Staff on a daily basis, few get to know the workers who are on the job into the early hours of the morning.

When the night staff is on the clock, the Security Office becomes the command center of Whitman—it fields calls that can range from students asking to be let in to locked buildings to any reports of suspicious activity on campus.

Typical weekday night shifts start at 10 p.m., when many of the security officers and student escorts are still on campus. After 1 a.m., the officer on duty is on his or her own until other staff members return at 8 a.m. the next morning.

During this period, the night staff takes all student calls. The frequency and nature of these calls varies greatly from night to night, but they have proven to be one of the most interesting parts of the job.

“I got a call from a student about somebody outside on the street making noise, so I went and there were two drunk guys, nonstudents, just talking to each other in the middle of the street. I asked them to leave campus and they did so,” said Security Officer Gabe Kiefel. “That couldn’t have been replicated anywhere else. It was a very strange interaction.”

Another active branch of Whitman night security are the Yellow Jackets: students employed to patrol and escort around campus.

Yellow Jackets provide this service from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., available at times when people might feel uncomfortable on their own.

Senior Sam Mehoke, who has been a Yellow Jacket since his first year at Whitman, elaborates on the importance of his post.

“The main authoritative power of this service is a security presence on the campus,” said Mehoke.

“The escort services, when not es-

corting, make their rounds about the campus and dorms and radio in abnormal activity or suspicious persons. By having a security presence around campus and in living spaces the escort service provides a sense of security to students by students who are familiar with the campus beat.”

This student-to-student connection allows the Security Office to become more accessible in case a student has a legitimate concern. Whereas an actual security officer might be intimidating, a peer authority figure puts a friendly, familiar face on authority. Mehoke notes that sometimes even the peer security service can be slightly intimidating.

“In the years past when the Yellow Jacket service actually wore designating yellow jackets, students who were unfamiliar with the service would generally disperse from the halls and avoid us until either a friend or an upperclassman would greet us warmly,” said Mehoke. “It is important for the student body to know that they can chat [with] and rely on their friendly neighborhood escort service.”

When concerns do arise, the Security Office is an intermediary for the entire college. They collaborate with various administrative departments as well as the local authorities.

“We contract through Walla Walla Electric and the first thing they do is call us. If there’s a burglary alarm that goes off, we check it out while the police department is on their way. We expedite those interactions,” said Kiefel.

Whether they are responding to tripped alarms or walking students from the library to their residence halls, the security staff is there for students.

“When nobody else is on campus, we deal with everything that goes wrong or even things that go right. You name it and that’s what we respond to,” said Kiefel.

Post-midnight

PENROSE

perspectives A late-night study of nocturnal students

by ADAM BRAYTON Feature Editor

Corinne Vandagriff, sophomore Why wait to get your work done?

I am always curious about the papers I do well on that I save until the last minute. Papers I wait to write tend to have a more fluid process than ones I agonized

over. When you slave over something, you get tired and anxious and you talk about it with your friends and get worked up about it, but when you work on it quickly in one go, the logic tends to be tighter and makes more sense.

What gets me most in trouble is drawing the line between my own ideas and professor’s ideas on what a good argument is. That can keep me up pretty late.

by HANNAH AGUIRRE-CLAYSHULTE Staff Reporter

T

he Student Health Center brochure states: “The Health Center is open 24 hours each day during the academic year concurrently with housing and food service availability. Whitman College has the only 24-hour health center in the Pacific Northwest and is staffed both night and day with professional nurses.”

For most Whitties, a trip to the Health Center involves a check-up, strep throat testing, mono testing and medical advice. Some might go for nutritional counseling, lab tests, STD testing and even massage therapy.

While the Health Center is open 24/7, it is possible to have no idea what happens at the Health Center during the night hours.

Aside from seeing the occasional patient, during the week the night shifts at the Health Center consist of mainly generic jobs and hardly differentiate from the daytime shifts.

“There’s just some minor differences to make the flow work better so people know when it’s convenient to come.

Really it’s pretty much the same,” said Nurse Lyda DeFoor.

On these slow nights, duties include chores and taking the sporadic phone call.

“There’s some housekeeping chores that need to be done such as restocking cupboards, things like that,” said DeFoor.

“Answer the phone—sometimes there are things that I can take care of on the phone, people that just have a quick question about health or what time the doctor is going to be here.”

On the weekends, the night shift at the Health Center takes a dramatic turn. While most Whitties are out having fun during the weekend, nurses and students on duty at the Health Center have very different weekend nights and oftentimes take care of the negative side of partying.

“On a typical Friday night there will be anywhere from one

Ted Younie, junior Which semester has been hardest on you for late-night work?

Freshman year, second semester was pretty brutal. I remember staying up all night for a history paper. Encounters was rough, too ... Late at night, the mundane becomes hilarious. The laughter sets in, and you start jumping on bean bags.

Rick Lamb, senior Do you stay up late to do work a lot?

I often stay up late. It’s not because I don’t like sleeping, but there’s something about nobody else being around when I can really just focus and get in

to four substance abuse patients with the occasional crazy nights with five-plus patients,” said Woody Sorey, a senior who works night shifts at the Health Center.

“This involves physically getting them from the door to a bed, helping them in the bathroom, taking and monitoring their vital signs,” said Sorey. “And, after they’ve gone to sleep, making sure they’re lying in a way that prevents them from suffocating or choking on their vomit.”

Working at the Health Center during the night shift requires a lot of dedication and a high tolerance for being hands-on.

“The night shift consists of a lot of hands-on work,” said Sorey. “Allow me to reiterate that there is a lot of vomit!”

Although not frequent, emergencies do happen during the week and weekend night shifts, which require both the students and nurses on duty to be able to work under extreme pressure.

“They’re not too frequent,” said Nurse DeFoor. “We have allergic reactions, or people that have fallen and cut themselves, people that are very, very intoxicated that actually need to go to the emergency room ... sometimes people bring in someone with sports injuries like head injuries, passing out, shortness of breath or fractured or dislocated bones.”

Dandi Huang, a senior BBMB major who has worked the 8 p.m.11 p.m. shift, has witnessed intoxicated students brought in at all hours of the night.

“I don’t have too many crazy nighttime stories, but I have seen very intoxicated students being brought in before 9 p.m.,” said Huang. “I did monitor an intoxicated student that we ended up having to call the EMS for.”

Sorey described some of the patient attire he’s witnessed, patients apparently too intoxicated to pay any notice.

“I’ve had someone come in wearing nothing but their underwear, as well as someone wearing only a spandex onesie,” said Sorey. “The majority of patients, though, are just people

who need a safe place to finish throwing up and to go to sleep.”

So what motivates the Health Center nighttime student staff to take care of intoxicated or hurt students, address emergencies and clean up messes? Both Huang and Sorey agree that one of the main benefits of working at the Health Center is acquiring skills and experience necessary in the medical field.

“I am pre-med, so working at the Health Center gives me some insight into how clinics work,” said Huang. “There’s a list of tasks that we’re supposed to learn like vitals, running rapid strep tests ... so you definitely get some exposure to medical practice.”

Sorey, also a BBMB major, agrees that part of the appeal of his job is how great it looks on paper for medical schools.

“The primary and most obvious reasons are for a steady paycheck and to have something that looks great on an application for medical school ... it’s great to learn and even get some practice with clinical procedures like cleaning wounds and doing diagnostic tests,” said Sorey.

Aside from medical experience, the students working at the Health Center have a passion to put their knowledge to use by helping other students.

“The reasons I love my job go far beyond that,” said Sorey. “I love my night shifts, where I get to help practice real medicine and be compassionate toward people who are having a really rough night.”

The staff at the Whitman Health Center, whether during the day or night, make it their goal to provide the students with accurate medical attention in a comfortable environment.

“Our main focus is to take care of the students,” said Nurse DeFoor.

As the Student Health Center brochure states, “The College recognizes health maintenance and promotion as essential to both learning and efficiency ... we combine high-quality health care with the warmth of a home away from home.”

the zone. Plus, I’ve been able to get away with it before, so it’s a system that works. I don’t think pressure makes diamonds. I like to work in long shifts of focus, especially when writing a long paper. By the way, rabbit rabbit rabbit.

writing an essay for my political theory class on Plato’s “Republic.” It’s due at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

I don’t know if I’m gonna go to sleep tonight. Maybe I’ll sleep at 5 or 6, wake up at 8.

Kai Rasmussen, first-year Do you do your best work at the last minute?

Yes. Under pressure, it’s when I really realize that I ought to do it—as opposed to earlier in the week, when it’s just not as pressing. It wasn’t a winning strategy for my last essay because I procrastinated too much. It worked well in high school, so I hope it works well on this paper ... I’m

Miriam Kolker, senior What has your craziest all-nighter been at Whitman?

I had to write a 10-page research paper the last night of Thanksgiving break. I was supposed to do it over Thanksgiving break, but I didn’t. I came to the library first thing coming back and worked from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the fourth floor. Having friends with me helped; it was a real bonding experience.

OPINION

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Organic farmers offering preventative medicine Danielle Broida Senior

AGAINST THE GRAIN

A

merica is ill. Consumption is the most insidious disease plaguing our nation.

What we consume nutritionally and pharmaceutically are rarely ever discussed in a single conversation. Food and medicine are on two ends of a spectrum, arranged and marketed highly distanced from one another, abstracting any obvious affiliation of the two.

But there is nothing more integral to the health of our bodies than what we consume. To that end, small-scale, organic farmers must replace practitioners as the real healers of our day.

America is the most unhealthy nation in the world. We

don’t eat real food. Instead of eating what our bodies evolved to consume, we open a bag of chips, stuffing our stomachs with empty carbohydrate fillers (dextrin, maltodextrin, dextrose), partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and a handful of artificial flavors. To wash it down, we grab a drink, freshly brewed with high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar. Apparently we’ve traded health and nutrition for obesity, type two diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

We are also the most highly medicated nation in the world.

Whether you have a clear problem or not, our society prescribes “You need this!” commercials and advertisements.

The meds won’t cure, but promise to mask symptoms. If they do cure, there becomes no need to return and refill. A continuous cycle of prescribed sickness has been created, followed by illusional recovery. Consumers become increasingly unhealthy while producers rake in cash.

What the hell does organic farming and local food have to do with cancer, strokes, arthritis

Political Cartoon by Maggie Appleton

or diabetes? Whether it’s for energy, sustenance, nutrition or healing, we are what we eat. By eating real, organic food you avoid chomping into the 400+ chemicals commonly used in synthetic fertilizers; stop supporting genetically modified organisms; reduce the amount of food additives and colorings ingested; increase the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants consumed; and significantly lower the potential for serious illnesses. If we feed ourselves real food, not produce sprayed with poison and highly processed “snacks” resembling nothing you could recreate, we can look at the reality of what it means to be healthy.

Small-scale, organic farmers spend their lives working to feed people real food. They are producing the food our bodies evolved to consume. Such sustainable harvests will nurture, sustain and fill us with the nutrition we require. To function, perform and live in the highest mental and physical state possible directly correlates to what we consume for sustenance. A healthy life means healthy food. Healthy

food is real food, produced by small-scale, well-intentioned, organic farmers.

We then must ask ourselves, “Who and what is truly healing our bodies today?” Doctors and farmers alike steward health, of soil and bodies. Our culture has a tendency to box people in specific roles, negating the possibility of integration between seemingly distinct fields.

ILLUSTRATION BY MEASE

I think it’s time to break down the walls dividing the people producing our food and medications, closing the consumption gap. Farmers are the real healers of our time.

Community defies expectations Joey Gottlieb Community Member

THE WHITEST AFRICAN

S

ince beginning to work for a local company in Walla Walla this past May, I have been surprised and dismayed to discover that Whitman students are not always well-liked by Walla Walla natives. I have met and talked with people who have felt outright mistreated by Whitman students and their families, and sadly, continue to have similar encounters.

Improving our relationship with Walla Walla, which I believe is something we as Whitman students must endeavor to do, would provide us with an excellent opportunity for meaningful connections and the sort of self-awareness that arises from engaging with a population that is different in many ways (diversity in action, people).

As one friend of mine described it, “Whitman people used to bother me a lot because they

treated me like I wasn’t good enough, like I’m not similar to them. They think I don’t share their background, so I’m not their equal.” This sentiment encapsulates a great many of the comments I’ve heard my friends make when I ask them about their perceptions of Whitman students.

Often times, Walla Wallans feel degraded or looked down on by Whitties, judged as inferior because of the assumptions Whitman students make about them.

As a Whitman student turned Walla Walla resident, I am becoming more aware of what some of these assumptions are. We assume Walla Wallans are politically conservative, which implies a whole other host of assumptions like not being committed to the green movement, certain forms of social intolerance, etc. I think Whitman students also assume that Walla Walla residents are not as well-educated, which represents a significant difference, particularly when Whitties’ lives are greatly defined by their identity as students.

This is not to say that Whitman students are necessarily wrong in these assumptions. However, even if all these assumptions did turn out to be accurate, would that matter? It seems to me that there is a mistaken belief amongst the Whitman community that differences in ideological opinion

eliminate the possibility for creating relationships, and, possibly, viewing someone as an equal.

I think the question that arises here, the question that Whitties must consider when they think about how they present themselves to the community, is, “Can we, in spite of differences that may or may not exist between us, connect with the residents of Walla Walla?”

This is a topic about which I am hopeful. I have met both Walla Wallans and Whitties who have expanded their social networks to include people from both circles. I have seen people’s minds change, and assumptions shatter, and personally felt my own thoughts and ideas about social issues, friendship, politics and a whole host of other things develop.

I do not want to live in a place where I feel like wearing my Whitman paraphernalia to work results in my being treated better. Contrary to what we believe, Whitties do not live in a bubble. We are a part of this town, and our actions and conduct are seen and judged by Walla Walla’s inhabitants just as any other resident’s would be. Our first mistake may be in thinking that we are somehow separate from Walla Walla, and that our assumptions and lack of socialization with the town may go unnoticed. There are over 30,000 people in this town, and they can teach us a great deal.

Picker shortage complicates immigration debate JULIA STONE Junior

MARGINALIA

T

he apple is the quintessential American fruit. A symbol in and of itself, it conjures up images of Johnny Appleseed, American pies, fall harvest fairs, a red schoolhouse and hardworking farmers. These images are real and pervasive: A quick Google image search of “apple” turns up pictures of cheerful, rotund, blue-jean-overall-clad farmers, and kids biting into big, juicy apples. But what’s absent among these symbols are the thousands

of migrant workers necessary to the picking and packing industry.

We live in the apple capital of the world. Washington generates $1.5 billion annually from the production of apples, out-producing all other regions in the United States and the world. It is reasonable for a child in Texas to pull out a Washington-grown Red Delicious, or find Galas grown in Chelan in even the most remote corners of the earth—in fact, last year, the USDA enthusiastically led a commission that encouraged the exportation of Washington apples to Indonesia, which in turn helped spur a “healthy food campaign” in the South Pacific region.

Apples are harvested in a short period in the fall and make up 10 percent of Washington state’s economy. Coming full circle, a risky relationship is revealed: Washington’s economy rests on a crop that is highly variable, timeand environment-sensitive. What’s more, it is entirely dependent on migrant farm workers who come

to Washington to pick apples in the fall. Without these migrant workers, apples would go unpicked, and our state would not profit.

The numbers are astounding: There are about 40,000 pickers and 15,000 packers in the Washington apple industry. Most workers in the Washington apple industry are immigrants from Mexico. Working 10 to 17 hours a day during peak season, farm workers’ average annual income ranges between $2,500 and $5,000.

And that is for male apple-workers.

Last year, apple growers in Washington were over 4,000 workers short. The shortage of labor is such a threat each year that guestworker programs are the norm, and local politicians seek to disrupt the school year for middle and high school students for twoweek periods so that they can assist with the apple harvest. Other strategies include using inmates from local jails and detention centers to ensure a productive season.

This fall, more than ever,

Voices from the Community

Washington is experiencing serious worker shortage in the apple industry. Growers purport that this season will see the second largest crop in history. Apple crops in the Midwest faced serious damage; as a result, Washington apples have an even greater national and international market. Broetje Orchards, one of the largest producers in the region, has reported that they are over 800 workers short this season, and consequently face serious financial risk if apples are left unpicked.

Growers have been soliciting temporary workers, but when it comes down to it, the farm industry will have to support their workers far more if they are to save the apple harvest. When it comes down to it, the Washington apple industry depends on thousands of migrant farm workers, yet the reality is that the farm workers cannot depend on the industry, or the region that benefits from the lucrative industry. Forced mobility and instability, as well as this highly imbalanced relation of

What does health mean to you?

Poll by TANNER BOWERSOX

Katy Wills

Matt Sellick

Brian Lewis

First-year

Junior

Sophomore

“I think that health is when you are sitting in your house, and you’re like ‘Man, I really want some Lucky Charms right now,’ but then you tell yourself ‘Nah, I should probably have some Raisin Bran,’ and then that’s what you eat.”

“Health means climbing a 5.14a on the food pyramid.”

power between the workers and the industry, has serious implications for the social and political lives and health of workers and their families.

Local attitudes towards immigration continue to intensify, and misguided rhetoric against “illegal” immigrants has become a dominant voice in much of eastern Washington. Rural Washington has been a breeding ground for anti-immigration politics; just this year, several public officials have campaigned on a platform advocating fierce immigration reform to stem the influx. Although farmers and growers are typically supportive of immigration, their neighbors often underestimate the importance of this population to the region’s vitality.

So, next time you go to the farmers’ market and pick out a big, juicy honeycrisp apple, think of the worker who picked it—every bite you take weaves you deeper into the intricate political web of economic interdependencies and social hierarchies that support this state.

“To me health means that you are physically and mentally prepared to take on the things that you want to do with a good attitude.

Devin Kuh Senior

“Health means to me the night before your senior exams being like, ‘You know what? I’m not going to learn anything tonight. I’m going to go to the Whitman volleyball game and have a great time cheering on my friends.’”

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8 Obama campaign to set up unusual debate between Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney W 4

2012

ith the presidential election race heating up, the Obama campaign is set to release its biggest surprise yet. Bill Clinton and his enormous seductive penis are getting ready to, as he puts it, “bend Romney’s campaign over and show ‘em who’s got the ‘huevos’ to win this election.” While there has been speculation and controversy over Romney not releasing some of his tax statements, more recently the campaign has come under fire for not releasing information on the size of his penis.

Romney has been quoted saying, “I told everyone how big it is, so I’m not sure what the confusion is about. Like I’ve said before, it’s 18 inches in length and the people of America have the right to be surprised.” A skeptical Paul Ryan has hinted that he is not so sure of the former governor of Massachusetts’ far-fetched size, saying, “He just sits around all day with a measuring tape and pulls it out to measure, but not so people can see the measurements.

ILLUSTRATION BY JONES

He never seems satisfied with the results, though, and often cries or pounds his fists on his desk.”

Obama said the reason he has asked Clinton to help is “obvious because of his well-known ‘reputation’ that can really help our campaign.”

In response to the Romney penis debacle, President Obama asked an already eager President Clinton to “put [his] balls on the campaign table for everyone in America to see.” When questioned about his motives, Obama said the reason he has asked Clinton to help is “obvious because of his well-known ‘reputation’ that can really help our campaign.” He followed it up by aptly stating that, “At this point in the race, it’s time to ‘nut up or shut up.’ Am I right?”

An enthusiastic Clinton has politely asked a reluctant Romney

to bring his “Horse-Dick” (Clinton’s phrasing) and participate in “a gentlemen’s display of phallic superiority” to once and for all settle this compelling development.

What the upcoming display will entail is anyone’s guess, but popular presumptions include a naked staring contest in which the first one to break eye-penis contact loses. Other guesses include penis push-ups and penis jousting. Both campaigns have chosen two judges for this highly anticipated contest with a fifth neutral judge selected by the supreme court. Republicans have selected the safe choice Sarah Palin and wildcard former U.S. Representative Anthony Wiener. The Democrats have chosen the provocative duo of Hilary Clinton and Monica Lewinksy, with the Supreme Court surprising everyone in their selection of manlyman Morgan Freeman. The display, which is set to televise nationally next Thursday night, could be the deciding factor in this year’s presidential election.

The ultimate dilemma Recent DEA study declares: Frisbee “Texting while driving will L | 'frizbē |

ast week, a team of worldrenowned scholars met up to put an end to an ongoing linguistic debate. After days of discussion, they determined that adding adjectives to hobbies does not, in fact, make them sports. While the decision created uproar in the Ultimate Frisbee community, the Happy Quilting community has been incredibly welcoming to all 42 members.

“We are just glad to have company,” said Happy Quilter Ted “Patches” Cunningham, adding, “We don’t get out much.”

In fact, many members of other adjectived hobbies shared positive reactions to the change.

“Maybe one day, liberal arts students will drive themselves around the country to compete with other students in smoothly collecting stamps,” speculated Smooth Stamp Collecting commissioner Bobby “StickyFingers” Ralph.

Still, the disc-throwing Ultimists cannot help but feel slightly disappointed to have spent years getting in shape for what has been equivocated to Grand Kite Flying.

“Ultimate is more than an adjectived hobby; it’s an adjectived way of life,” ranted Whitman Frisbee activist Nathan Sany in between bites of an extra-crunchy bowl of granola that he bought in bulk.

“Without Frisbee, I’d just be another guy who quit baseball, but instead I’m the Frisbee guy who quit baseball,” Ethan Parrish reported from somewhere in the world.

Still, critics of the rising popularity of Ultimate are pleased to see it put in its proper place. “My dog chases Frisbees around, but you don’t see him wearing backward hats and obnoxious uniforms,” stated Eli Mathieu, a pleased baseball fan.

In response to the decision, the Frisbee community has been trying desperately to utilize other parts of speech to regain their status as a sport. For the time being, “With Frisbee” and “Frolicking Flatball” fall under a grammatical grey area, but who knows?

Maybe in an adverb-friendly day and age we will see “Delightfully Disc Tossing” in the Olympics.

get you higher than heroin”

T

exting and driving has been popular ever since 2007, when teenagers finally realized they could multitask and mostly get away with it.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has only recently put out commercials warning teens of the danger of texting and driving.

The DEA does admit, however, that texting and driving gets you “really damn high.” Apparently the adrenaline from driving mixed with the cell phone radiation provides stimulation in the brain close to that of an opiate like heroin. Regional DEA spokesperson Mary Hawk sat down with the Backpage in an exclusive interview.

“Yes,” Hawk admitted, “texting and driving does give you quite a rush. Many people give up work and just text and drive full time. Keith Richards also admits to being currently addicted.”

Hawk continued, “It almost gets you as high as jankem, but really nothing quite compares.”

There are many different sides to the texting and driving debate. Some claim it is mind-expanding, and is a necessary experience for all. “I see the world in a different light ever since I texted and drove for the first time,” admitted one student.

Others text and drive while listening to really shitty techno music and having lots of glowsticks in the car.

Hollywood, shortly after this study was released, declared that “Harold and Kumar Text and Drive” will come out this Christmas.

The DEA still pushes the fact that texting and driving is dangerous, and highly addictive.

Whitman College senior Jacob Jedsen admitted to tex-

Comic by Toby & Sam Alden

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ting and driving on multiple occasions in college. “I was addicted for a little while,” admitted Jedsen. “They tell you it’s not addictive, but it really is.”

Indeed, Nokia and T-Mobile are pushing a bill in congress that would allow for medical texting while driving. TMobile spokespeople have taken the stance that some people need it to cure glaucoma, ease anxiety and help depression.

Multiple studies have been done, sponsored by T-Mobile, which show texting and driving is very safe and does not kill brain cells. Common sense leans the other way, but T-Mobile insists that it “actually cures cancer.”

Hawk declared, “The bottom line is, texting and driving is dangerous. But you wanna know what’s even more fun?

Texting and motorbiking.”