Issue 5 fall 2015

The

PIONEER

ISSUE 5 | October 7, 2015 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXVII

DRIVE-BY HARASSMENT

by LACHLAN JOHNSON

Investigative Director & News Editor

A

college campus is supposed to be a place of learning and safety, but due to harassment from occupants of cars, not all students can traverse Whitman’s campus in peace. Drive-by harassment can range from shouts and whistles to racist threats and being hit by objects thrown from vehicles.

Students of color and women have suffered these incidents for years, and though the topic received some attention from administrators in the last month, solutions remain scarce.

In September, women of color were harassed by occupants of a white truck in four separate incidents, three of which were on Boyer Avenue between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.. After three incidents were reported using the college’s new reporting tool at whitman.edu/assist, Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland sent an email to the campus community on Tuesday, Sept.

22 asking students to get a description of the car if they saw another incident take place and asking students to report harassment they know of using the form at whitman.edu/assist. “The nature in which we received these reports really required us to act. We don’t always hear from students about people yelling at them, but these were very specific and very targeted [events] which raised the ante in a way that we needed to respond,� said Title IX Coordinator and Associate Dean of Students Juli Dunn.

Though the report marked the first time students in several years that harassment has been officially reported, sexist and racist insults yelled from cars on Boyer Avenue and Isaacs Street have targeted women and students of color for years. “There are students who graduated this past year who’d been harassed for four years walking along Isaacs and Boyer,� said junior Ione Fullerton, who is co-president of Feminists Advocating Change and Empowerment (FACE). “It’s been a consistent problem, and it’s not just at Whitman, it’s a problem in this country.�

Harassment can be a frightening experience. Not only are the perpetrators anonymous, but one can never be certain how severe the harass-

ment will be. “If somebody yells something at you from across the street--and in some cases students have had things thrown at them too–you don’t know what that person’s going to do next. You don’t know if they’ll get out of their car, you don’t know if they’ll hurt you more,� said senior Shireen Nori, who has experienced drive-by harassment in her time at Whitman.

Within 24 hours of Cleveland’s email asking students to report driveby harassment online, the college received four more reports of drive-by harassment which had occurred in recent months. Administrators responded by calling a town hall meeting that night, Wednesday, Sept. 23. Though only ten students came to the town hall, around 30 students and faculty discussed the issue during the first installment of Continuing the Conversation on Friday the 25. Continuing the Conversation is a discussion series being held every Friday at noon in the Glover Alston Center; the first discussion was hosted by Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Dean of Intercultural Affairs Kazi Joshua.

Though both gatherings led to discussions among administrators, faculty, staff and students about how to address drive-by harassment, no easy solution has been found. The college’s immediate response to recent harassment has been to increase patrols by security officers and ask the Walla Walla Police Department to patrol roads on campus more frequently between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., when most recent instances of harassment have occurred.

When drive-by harassment was brought to the administration’s attention several years ago, increased police patrols were perceived as having stopped the problem. “We contacted the police, they started additional patrols, and then [the harassment] ended. The police pulled over some cars that fit the descriptions, and that effectively ended [reports of harassment],� said Cleveland.

While reports of harassment ended, it is difficult to tell whether actual incidents were

brought against perpetrators, but only if there are multiple witnesses to a repeated pattern of harassment.

While dealing immediately with instances of drive-by harassment can be difficult, addressing the problem’s long-term causes is also a challenge. At the town hall meeting, several in attendance suggested the college reach out to the city to discuss how drive-by harassment poses a challenge for the entire community. However, these ideas were

less frequent, and, if so, how long the decrease lasted. Students have experienced drive-by harassment regularly in the years between then and now.

This year, the administration has not received reports of harassment during the dinner hours since police patrols were increased during this time.

However, a group of alumni were harassed by a passing car during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 26 in front of Memorial Hall.

The policy of increasing patrols has drawn criticism from students who argue police are unlikely to be present at the exact moment drive-by harassment occurs.

Critics also point out that the increased presence of police can cause students of color to feel less, not more, welcome in their community. “The only tangible thing that they have said [at the town hall] is I’ve seen more police...[But] it definitely doesn’t make me feel safer,� said senior Gladys Gitau.

In most cases of harassment by someone from off-campus, the college prohibits the individual from returning to campus and threatens to press charges if they trespass. However, because roads are public property, this is not an option for cases of drive-by harassment. College officials hope the most recent offenders are high school students who may be set straight if their parents receive an intimidating visit from the police.

If the perpetrators of harassment are adults or high schoolers who aren’t convinced by a visit from police, the college’s options are limited. Harassment charges could be

dropped after other participants pointed out how this interaction may be an example of the college only engaging with the community to achieve something for itself. “Whitman should always be engaged with the community in mutually beneficial ways. That’s what citizenship is about. The work with schools, farms, and other community organizations. These incidents should not be the sole motivation of engagement,� said Joshua in an email to The Pioneer. One of the more popular proposals for dealing with driveby harassment is the suggestion that a shift is needed in campus culture. “We need to create a culture where, just like [with] Green Dot, there’s a bystander [intervention] approach to [harassment],� said Nori. “If you’re walking down the street and you see somebody get something thrown at them, or somebody says something to them from a car, go over immediately and [say] ‘are you okay’ or try to look at the car.�

As the weeks pass, discussion of drive-by harassment risks fading into the background once again. Concerned students are left with the task of conveying the importance of safety to administrators and the student body as a whole in order to maintain momentum “The administration will only act if the people on the ground are pushing them to act,� said Gitau. “The onus is on them to keep the students safe, but unless we convey how important [harassment] is to them, they’re not necessarily going to have an incentive to act on it.�

Illustration by Mease

COLLEGE RELEASES ANNUAL TITLE IX REPORT

Whitman College released its annual Title IX Report and Security Report on Friday, Sept. 25 & Wednesday, Sept. 30, respectively.

*

t JODJEFOUT PG 5JUMF *9 WJPMBUJPOT XFSF SFQPSUFE JO DPNQBSFE UP JO BOE JO t /BUJPOBM TUVEJFT TVHHFTU NPTU 5JUMF *9 WJPMBUJPOT PO DPMMFHF DBNQVTFT HP VOSFQPSUFE t "O BOBMZTJT PG OBUJPOBM TUBUJTUJDT CZ The Pioneer MBTU ZFBS TVHHFTUFE SPVHIMZ TFYVBM BTTBVMUT PDDVS BU 8IJUNBO FWFSZ ZFBS

To read the full reports, go online to

https://www.whitman.edu/dean-of-students/title-ix http://www.whitman.edu/security/annual-sercurity-report

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE?

Inside News

A&E

Feature

Opinion

Pio Hour

Walla Walla For Bernie Sanders had their first organizing meeting last Thursday. Over 30 community members and Whitman students talked campaigning and strategy.

PAGE 2

The Visiting Writers Reading Series has long brought big names in literature to campus, including Joann Beard and Junot Diaz. Katrina Roberts descibes the series’ history, and its fall events.

PAGE 4

Junior Emily Dotts, originally from Saipan, has organized student relief efforts aimed at the devestation caused by a recent typhoon there.

Sex columnists Chevy and Crystal talk trust, and why it’s essential to any healthy relationship.

Join hosts Anna Middleton and Andrew Schwartz as they discuss train hopping and women in undergraduate education.

PAGE 6

PAGE 7

Mondays 10-11 A.M @ 90.5 FM

NEWS

PAGE

2

OCT

07 2015

Locals, students against Mill Creek levee tree removal

Queer Beer interrupted by fight, police intervene

by LANE BARTON News Editor

A

Trees along Mill Creek (above) may be removed this month so the Army Corps of Engineers can inspect local levees. This possibilty has met critiscism from some local advocates and Whitman students, who want the Corps to wait until an on-going study into whether the trees are harming the levees can be completed. Photo by Nace

by MIKAELA SLADE Staff Reporter

T

he Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled this month to begin removing trees along the Mill Creek Levee and replace them with grass in order to comply with a government policy that requires all trees within 15 feet of a levee to be removed. The removal has met a strong rebuttal from parts of the Walla Walla community and some Whitman students.

Retired Professor of Geology Bob Carson has been a leading advocate against the tree removal. Carson has been arguing that removing these trees will only cause more damage to the levee than if they merely left them in place.

“They [the Army Corps] are arguing that these roots are making these levees weaker. We are arguing that if they cut down the trees and take the root balls out that these roots will rot and leave hollow cylinders inside the levee,” said Carson. “If these levees get saturated during a flood the water will start flowing through these hollow cylinders.”

According to Carson, there is an on-going investigative study into whether or not the roots of trees are actually making the levee weaker and, if not,

whether they still need to be removed. This study is still inconclusive but is expected to be completed in under a year.

“We are asking the Corps to delay this cutting down of all these trees until the study is complete, which will probably be less than a year,” said Carson.

Carson and a few other advocates presented their arguments to City Council at a Sept.

23 meeting, which was successful in getting City Council to sign a letter asking for the tree removal to be delayed until a full study could be completed. However, a report from the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin suggests that City Council members may instead write a letter in support of the tree removal after some Council members took a tour of the levee with an Army Corps leader on Sept. 30. That decision will be pending a vote of the full Council at their next meeting.

The Conservation Chair of the Blue Mountain Audubon Society Chris Howard has been working with the community to put a stop to this project as well.

Howard was receiving a lot of input from different members of the community about protecting the trees, so he put together the Facebook group, Save the Trees on Mill Creek Levee Coalition.

“I realized there were a lot of

people who were concerned, but not united,” said Howard. “So I started the Save the Trees on Mill Creek Levee Coalition to pull together different user groups.”

Howard organized a pro-

“We are asking the Corps to delay this cutting down of all these trees until the study is complete.”

Bob Carson

Retird Professor of Geology

test to illustrate the community’s disapproval. They began with a march through Walla Walla, then moved on to speaking with City Council members to try and get local government involved.

“We met at the Corp office and marched through the Farmers Market and all the way down Main Street with signs and slogans,” said Howard. “We got a lot of attention because you don’t see those in Walla Walla very often.”

Students at Whitman started hearing about developments last week and began gathering signatures on petitions during lunch from around campus to send to the Army Corps and illustrate their discontent with the project. Lydia Petroske is among these students,

HINDSIGHT

and has been working with the members of Save The Trees On Mill Creek Levee Coalition Facebook group to aid them in their efforts of stopping this project.

“It has been kind of a last ditch effort,” said Petroske. “There have been about eight students that showed up the to protest the was organized by Chris [Howard].”

These students plan on taking the signatures in support of saving the trees that they have acquired over the past week and sending them into the Army Corps on Fri., Oct. 2 as a final stance in order to stop them from removing these trees.

“Students are just now becoming aware of the issue, now that the project has started to commence,” said Petroske. “We have been meeting at lunch and gathering signatures, which we are going to scan in and send to the Corps.”

However, according to Howard, the Corps still seems to be preparing for the tree removal even with these signs of protest from the community.

“At this point, nothing has seemed to make a dent on the Corps. They are basically determined to go through with this project, regardless of how the community feels about it,” said Howard.

by LACHLAN JOHNSON & LANE BARTON News Editors

Friday 10/2

Saturday 10/3

Monday 10/5

Tuesday 10/6

Sponsors ask FIFA President resign

US bombs hospital in Afghanistan

US companies hide trillions overseas

EU strikes down data transfers

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is under scrutiny as four major sponsors, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, VISA and Anheuser-Busch, called for FIFA President Sepp Blatter to step down. Blatter, who is under investigation for “alleged misappropriation of funds,” claimed that he would step down in early 2016, but has since indicated his intention to stay in office.

A hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (DWB) in Kunduz, Afghanistan was repeatedly hit by U.S. airstrikes, killing at least 22 people. Bombing lasted for over an hour despite frantic calls from the hospital. DWB has called for the bombing to be investigated as a potential war crime by an international tribunal.

Using a series of financial tricks and legal loopholes, America’s top corporations have hidden an estimated 2.10 trillion dollars in overseas tax havens to avoid paying taxes, according to a new report released by Citizens for Tax Justice and the US Public Interest Group Education Fund.

The European Court of Justice, the highest court in Europe, ruled against the “safe harbor agreement” between the U.S. and EU which allowed the transfer of Europeans’ online information to U.S. government officials. The court, ruling on grounds of a right to privacy, recommended that data regulation should be in the jurisdiction of individual EU nations.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Source: Al Jazeera, The New Yorker

Source: VICE News

Source: The New York Times

PRODUCTION

WRITING

BUSINESS

Publisher Marra Clay

Production Manager Kerr Ivan Cirilo

NEWS

Business Manager Skye Vander Laan

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Cornett

Art Director Maggie Baker

PIONEER

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Mitchell Smith News Editors Lachlan Johnson Lane Barton A&E Editor Martina Pansze Sports Editor Cole Anderson Feature Editor Hannah Bartman Opinion Editor Adam Heymann Humor Editor Jeffrey Gustaveson Photography Editors Tywen Kelly Hannah Bashevkin Illustration Editor Luke Hampton

Ellen Ivens-Duran, Georgia Lyon, Andy Monserud, Sara Platnick, Mikaela Slade

Production Associates Christopher Belluschi, Mickey Shin, Molly Unsworth, Chaney Coman, Antonio Tharp, Matthew Uecker

A&E

Chief Copy Editor Rachel Needham

Claire Ommen, Kamna Shastri, Christy Carley

Copy Editors Jessi Anderson, Callie Brown, Anthony Reale Illustrators Catalina Burch, Asa Mease, Prachi Patel Taylor Penner-Ash, Noah Porter, Eric Rannestad Claire Revere Photography and Videography Emma Casley, Missy Gerlach, Karissa Hampson, Alan Mendoza, Natalie Mutter, Keifer Nace, Mika Nobles, Hannah Poukish, Kaelie Rose, Madaline Stevens, Tyler Warren

Eric Anderson, Emma Cooper, Megan Hearst, Bil McCafferty

FEATURE SPORTS

Alden Glass, Jose Coronado, Grant Laco

OPINION

Alya Bohr, Jose Cornado, Crystal and Chevy, Olivia Gilbert, Peggy Li, Ben Shoemake

BACKPAGE

Austin Biehl, Ben Freedman, Meg Rierson, Jack Swain, Clara Wheeler

WEB

Webmaster Connor Hargus Web Content Editor Daniel Kim

RADIO

Producer Marra Clay

n altercation between two Walla Walla residents and Whitman students occurred at the end of a Queer Beer party on Sat., Oct. 3. Police were called to the scene and arrested the two local men on charges of disorderly conduct.

An open investigation into these charges is still underway, as information from officers at the scene still needs to be processed by the City Attorney’s Office.

The incident occurred about an hour after Queer Beer, a party aimed at creating a safe social space for GLBTQ students, was opened to the public at 10:30 p.m.. A non-Whitman individual, who multiple students believed to be intoxicated, was asked to leave after entering prohibited areas of the event and punching walls. “[T]here was this one man who started raging around the house, going into places that we didn’t want people going in that we’d cordoned off, and then going back into them when we said no, and so finally we kicked him out of the house…and got him to stay outside,” said junior Dana Bolster, a resident of the house where the party occurred.

According to Bolster, the man asked for a friend still inside the party; when the second man came out, the two began arguing. The argument spread to a few Whitman students trying to de-escalate the situation and included vague threats of violence from the intoxicated man. “[O]ne of the men yelled out a threat to ‘shoot up’ the house, at which point I made a mental choice that these individuals had to leave immediately, so I stepped in front of the students and confronted the man and said…that they needed to leave. He punched me in the face, which of course caused an immediate reaction from the Whitman students around us,” said a student who requested anonymity because of the on-going investigation.

The ensuing fistfight between the two men and Whitman students prompted an immediate 911 call, as students fought to subdue the pair long enough for police to show up. Officers, after questioning witnesses and taking statements, took the two men away on charges of disorderly conduct. Although the incident did occur after a Queer Beer, some witnesses do not believe that the actions were spurred by discriminatory motivations.

“I am 99 percent sure it was just a drunk man who was really upset he left his hat inside and we were kicking him out because he was punching walls, and [I’m] 99 percent sure it wasn’t homophobic in any way– just drunk anger,” said Bolster.

Corrections to Issue 4 The illustration accompanying “Locals juggle, dance at Inland Octopus” on page 4 should be credited to Molly Johanson.

The photo accompanying “Annual Once-Act show hits campus” on page 4 should be credited to Brandon Fennell.

The article on Whitman History Day did not accurately describe the reexamination of history which was the focus of the event. IPECC wishes to draw attention to how Whitman College has historically promoted, and still tacitly supports, a version of history that is racially insensitive and supports imperialism. This history presents the Whitmans as white martyrs whose deaths justified the U.S. invsation of the region and killing of Native Americans.

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

Radio Hosts Julio Escarce, Mary Kampa, Anna Middleton, Andrew Schwartz

Letters to the editor may be submitted to The Pioneer via email at pioneer@whitman.edu 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.

ADVERTISING

CODE OF ETHICS

Advertising Manager Julie Zhu

Advertising Associates Wenjun Gao, Aisha Kimbrough, Lukas Koester For information about advertising in The Pioneer or to purchase a subscription please contact pioneer@ whitman.edu

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

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

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

The

NEWS

OCT

07 2015

New class schedule chosen for 2016-17

by ELLEN IVENS-DURAN Staff Reporter

A

significant majority of the faculty voted on Wed., Sept. 30 to implement a new course schedule beginning next fall. Major features of the modified schedule include having lab-length class slots in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, class slots on Tuesdays and Thursday from 11:30 to 12:50 and more classes on Fridays. The new schedule also includes dedicated times for the fourth session of classes that meet four days a week, such as math or foreign language classes.

Administrators have been working on a new schedule for the past four years. Last spring, the formal proposal process began. Two schedules, one administrator-driven and one faculty-driven, were proposed to the faculty and summarily rejected before David Schmitz, then chair of the faculty, and Peter Harvey, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Whitman, brought in an outside consultant.

“I think that a consultant was necessary…because this is what she does for a living. She is incredibly experienced in this type of thing, and her expertise allowed her to look at other schools and benchmark what they did in terms of their classroom utilization, in terms of their scheduling,” said ASWC President, senior Jack Percival, who served as the student representative on the scheduling sub-committee, which was formed in the spring of 2015. “And also it was necessary because…she was divorced from the internal politics of the Whitman faculty, which I think was the most important factor.”

The consultant, Lori DeRosa of a Boston-based Rickes firm, conducted space-utilization surveys and facilitated meetings with faculty and students in order to draft a proposal that would best meet most needs.

“It doesn’t answer all problems and it can’t meet all demands, but it tries to accommodate as many people, as many curricular needs as possible without creating more conflict,” said Nicole Simek, Associate Professor of French and Interdisciplinary Studies and the division chair of humanities and arts.

For instance, Encounters will receive a slight makeover as this schedule eliminates

the stair-step model and has all classes meeting at the same time Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The hope is to allow first-year students to choose from a wider variety of morning classes by standardizing Encounters times.

The new schedule includes changes that might take getting used to. For instance, the possibility of having students in classes until 12:50 necessitates that dining halls extend their hours, and administrators have pledged to make that a reality. Additionally, an attempt to spread class slots more equally could take its toll on Whitman’s four-day weeks.

“With the new schedule it is harder to build, both for students and faculty...a schedule where you have a day off. It is definitely possible, but I think it’s more challenging,” said Percival.

The subcommittee’s hope is that spreading classes out will minimize scheduling conflicts. Many students have difficulty taking classes in different departments because the current schedule can create opportunities for overlap.

“We’re definitely invested in the liberal arts model, where you don’t just specialize in one thing, you put what you’re learning in one department into relationship with others,” said Simek.

Stacey Giusti, Whitman’s Registrar, has been on the project for years, and she agreed with Simek that liberal arts colleges like Whitman should open up space for students to pursue multiple academic interests. She sees this new schedule as part of the solution.

“Someone can take a chemistry lab in the morning and still take a humanities class in the afternoon,” said Giusti.

This vision is a central part of the liberal arts mission, but the schedule will have to be only part of the execution. Faculty members will still have to negotiate class schedules among themselves and with the administration.

Students will still have to design their curriculum from the options presented to them. Simek preaches flexibility and attention as the solution to these limitations.

“We’ll have to be vigilant,” she said, “When new trends emerge, we’ll have to see how this new configuration helps us navigate those changes.”

PAGE

3

“Walla Walla for Bernie Sanders” hosts first meeting

by SARAH CORNETT Editor-in-Chief

O

ver 30 members of the Whitman and Walla Walla community gathered on Thursday night in Wildwood Park to organize in support of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

The event, coordinated by locals Jessica Portas and Andrew Johnson and Whitman senior Harrison Wills, provided a space for Walla Walla Sanders supporters to talk strategy and ideas. According to Johnson and Portas, the goal of the meeting was to get started on community projects that spread awareness of Sanders’ candidacy.

“Bernie Sanders needs our support because he’s not going to get the attention he deserves,” said Johnson. “My hope for this group is that we can share critical ideas with each other, and put the word [about Sanders] out there.”

Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, has proved to be more than a fringe candidate in his campaign thus far. The Vermont Senator, long known for his fight on income inequality and his self-described democratic socialism, has narrowly eclipsed Hillary Clinton in recent Iowa and New Hampshire polls. Essential to his campaign is a refusal to accept money from super-PACs, and focus instead on contributions from individual supporters.

Sanders’ fundraising strategy drastically differs from that of other candidates. His views on campaign finance have drawn in thousands of his supporters, including many of the attendees of Thursday’s event.

“He’s not just talking about public financing, he is publicly financed himself,” said Wills, who passed out voter registration sheets at the meeting. “He’s been so consistent in his politics- I feel like I can trust him as a candidate.”

Thursday’s event was structured as an invitation for Sanders supporters to begin local projects that spread awareness of Sanders’ candidacy in Walla Walla.

Ideas included a screening of the Oct. 13 Democratic candidate de-

bate at Whitman, getting letters supporting Sanders in local publications, advertising downtown and campaigning at the upcoming Balloon Stampede event and the Downtown Farmer’s Market.

Attendees split up by project in what Portas and Johnson called “leadership groups.”

They began talking about ways to both establish a strong local Sanders’ campaign presence, and to increase outreach to get existing local supporters involved with the group. The state’s primary will be held next March.

“This is just to get us off the ground,” said Portas.

“We’re trying to start something right away, especially with

“Everyone can agree that there’s a huge income inequality problem in this country. Bernie’s the only one addressing that.”

Jessica Portas

Walla Walla Resident

the upcoming debate in mind.”

Portas started organizing for Sanders in Walla Walla in August, when she created the Walla Walla for Bernie Sanders Facebook page. Though she’s never been active in political campaigns previously, she said that she believes he is the only candidate who can effectively confront national inequality.

“Everyone can agree that there’s a huge income inequality problem in this country. Bernie’s the only one addressing that,” she said.

Though Portas, Johnson and Wills planned the event, they emphasized that they want to create an open space for discussion. Talking about issues, and brainstorming about ways to effectively advocate for Sanders in Walla Walla, are their priorities with the group.

“While we put this together, we don’t necessarily see ourselves as the leaders of this group,” Johnson said.

In regards to official ties with the Sanders organization, Portas said that campaign ma-

terials are posted on his website and across internet support communities. The idea for the “Leadership group” structure was something she first encountered in official Sanders campaign materials.

Walla Walla is generally politically conservative in election results, something that many attendees mentioned as a potential obstacle. Despite this, Sanders polled well-above Hillary Clinton in a July 4 straw-poll event, and at the Walla Walla County Fair last month.

Wills and other supporters noted that, for students especially, registering to vote in Walla Walla rather than another county in Seattle or a different home state can make a significant impact. Senior Lena Goss registered to vote with Wills during the Leadership group breakouts.

“I’m really happy I came [to the event], said Goss. “The hardest part is getting involved, but once you’re here, you see that a little thing, like registering to vote, can make a difference.”

Johnson and Portas emphasized their excitement at attendance, which they said was higher than expected. Sanders’ grassroots emphasis came through during the course of the evening: a plastic Halloween jack-o-lantern designated as an idea-bucket sat next to a signup sheet. Leadership groups shared contact information on Moleskine notebooks, and a few Bernie Sanders 2016 shirts were spotted in the audience.

Portas doesn’t buy the frequent media quip that Sanders is too radical to beat more mainstream candidates. Ultimately, she said, it’s about getting the word out.

“I know he can win,” she said.

“Most people are aligned with him, they just don’t know it yet.”

If you are interested in becoming involved with Walla Walla for Bernie Sanders, sign up for their email list on their Facebook page.

Editors note: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Washington’s primary will be held in May. It will be held on March 26.

Whitties protest Snake River dams

The four lower dams on the Snake River damage vulnerable ecosystems and salmon runs, while providing hydropower for the surrounding area. Over 300 protesters, including around 40 Whitties, made up a protest flotilla this Saturday which paddled down a portion of the Snake while holding signs calling for the dams to be removed. Photos contributed by Emily Aumann and Halley McCormick

by SARA PLATNICK Staff Reporter

W

hitman students and other members of the Whitman community participated in a flotilla protest on the Snake River last weekend to advocate for the closing of four dams located on the lower part of the river.

The flotilla involved paddling, boating and kayaking along the lower Snake while holding signs to show the ecological and economic problems with the dams. The protesters documented the event with video cameras, photographs and drones to use the footage in a social media campaign to show legislators the support for this issue.

Over 300 people attended the flotilla, including approximately 40 people from Whitman College.

“It definitely felt like we were a part of something greater because we made up a big chunk of the group ...more than 10 percent of the people there were from Whitman. It was really cool,” said junior Betsey Olk, who attended the flotilla.

The dams have been a contentious issue to the river as they greatly alter the ecosystem for native salmon and other wildlife, but also provide five percent of the Pacific Northwest’s energy through hydroelectric power.

“The debate over the Snake River dams represents a larger, national conversation regarding the

role of dams in a changing, warming world…Following on the removal of the Elwha River dams, the removal of the Snake River dams would set national precedent and give birth to a necessary reconsideration of national energy sources and issues of conservation,” said junior Fiona Bennitt in an email.

Bennitt founded Rethink Dams last spring, a student organization which advocates for the removal of the Snake River’s four lower dams.

She is off-campus this semester, and in her absence junior Mariah Bruns took over organizing the event.

The flotilla protest was part of a larger effort by the group Save our Wild Salmon, a group aimed at restoring wild salmon population in

the Snake River by closing the four lower dams. The flotilla was sponsored by a variety of environmental advocacy groups, including Patagonia, who produced the 2014 documentary “Damnation”, which focused on the negative effects that dams can have on wildlife and ecosystems. The producers of Damnation attended the event and encouraged participants to photograph and record the event to use in further social media campaigns.

“There weren’t many people watching [the flotilla] because it’s a Saturday, so there’s nobody working on the dam and it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere so it’s not like there’s a lot of people that we were influenc-

ing, but that’s something we talked about afterwards, that it felt kind of weird to us that we were doing this big thing for nobody,” said Olk. “But the big thing was documented so that it can be seen by Congress and Obama and just the general public. And so I think the main goal was to get our message out but in more of a social media, online way.”

Rethink Dams hopes that by taking this event and documenting it through video and photos, the event can gain more publicity.

“I think it’s going to be mostly through visuals and media that people really learn about this issue, but I think that can also be a really effective form of communication when it comes to activism,” said Bruns.

A&E

PAGE

4

OCT

07 2015

Visiting Writers Reading Series brings eclectic lineup

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:

MTV’s “White People” Screening hosted by Whitman Teaches the Movement: Thurs., Oct. 15,

7:30 p.m., Hunter Conservatory in Kimball Theatre

Off-Campus Study: A Personal Perspective: Sat., Oct. 3 through Sat. Oct. 10, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.. Stevens Gallery in Reid Campus Center.

TRIFI Film Festival- Whitman Branch: Sat., Oct. 10,

viewers can come and go from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Whitman student films shown from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Olin Auditorium (Olin 130).

Archaeology of the Confederate Submarine: Thursday, Oct. 8.

The Visitng Writers Reading Series has brought in a wide variety of authors throughout the years. They have included David Chariandy (Bottom left, 2011), Lydia Davis (Top left, 2009), Barry Lopez (Top right, 2013) and Alex Dimitrov (Bottom right, 2015). Contributed by Allie Felt (Bottom Left), Dana Hubanks (Top Left), Halley McCormick (Top right) and Ione Fullerton (Bottom Right).

by MEGAN HEARST Staff Reporter

W

hen Katrina Roberts arrived at Whitman College 15 years ago, there was no such thing as the Visiting Writers Reading Series. Writers arrived on campus often inconsistently, without a cohesive narrative. Now a decade and a half later the VWRS is a well established program introducing students and non-students alike to the shared experience of reading.

Roberts is the Mina Schwabacher Professor of English and Creative Writing and a highly regarded author in her own right. She has published multiple collections of poetry and has a forthcoming anthology of anecdotes, experiences and insights derived from conversations with the Whitman visiting writers, entitled “Because You Asked: A Book of Answers on the Art and Craft of the Writing Life”, due out Oct. 11.

The VWRS has drawn authors from great variety of genres and backgrounds. Sherman Alexie, Junot Diaz, Nick Flynn and Kim Barnes are just a few of the au-

thors who have graced the stage in the past. Roberts reveals that, “It seemed to me crucial, when I arrived at Whitman over a decade and a half ago, to establish a consistent Visiting Writers Reading Series dedicated to bringing active writers in all genres–and emerging, as well as extremely established–to campus for readings and discussions.” Considering the lineup VWRS has this year, Roberts seems to be fulfilling her goal.

The program for the 2015-16 brings authors Alex Dimitrov, Alison Bechdel, Benjamin Percy, Rick Barot, Elena Passarello and Diane Cook to campus. Dimitrov, the founder of queer poetry salon Wilde Boys, and author of poetry collections “American Boys” and “Begging for It” kicked off this year’s esteemed and diverse gathering of writers on Sept. 27.

The next visiting writers event will bring cartoonist and 2014 Macarthur Genius Award recipient Alison Bechdel to campus on Oct. 23.

The event is a collaboration between VWRS and the Sheehan Gallery “Seeing Stories” Exhibi-

tion, as Bechdel is best known for both her autobiographical graphic novels “Fun Home” and “Are You My Mother?”, and her long running comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For.” Others may know her as the creator of the “Bechdel Test,” a widely used method of examining gender representation in the media.

Like most, this VWRS event will span many different disciplines.

“This sort of collaborative work is so valuable,” says Roberts, “and I’m grateful to the Sheehan Gallery this year, for asking the VWRS to be part of the Alison Bechdel event; there’s so much wonderful discipline-rich work happening in the literary and visual arts these days– graphic and visual texts across genre.” The Bechdel reading event, as well as all the events in the series, will be free and open to the public.

The VWRS, despite being under the umbrella of the English department, often embraces many different majors and disciplines. The Bechdel reading is a direct collaboration with the Art Department, but other events connect in subtle, varied ways.

Rape Culture in ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’

by EMMA COOPER Staff Reporter

I

n the movie “The Other Boleyn Girl,” released in 2008 and set in 16th century England, both the content and the depiction romanticize and beautify what is essentially an endorsement of the behavior of chauvinistic kings.

In the movie, the two Boleyn sisters, played by Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, compete for the position of mistress to King Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn, the elder sister, was intended to be the mistress to the already-married king, but it is the younger sister, Mary Boleyn, that earns the kings favor. This sparked an intense rivalry between sisters.

On Mary’s first day at court, the king called her to his chambers. And then, in the twenty minutes that Mary was there, she and the king fell in love.

The romantic notion of falling in love is intended to deter the viewer from the reality that Mary was prostituted for the king’s whims. There was no consent.

In one night of unconsensual sex, they fell in love. This romanticized depiction only perpetuates rape culture.

We can’t go back in time and change that era, but we can change how movies present this material to us. There should have been nothing romantic about being summoned against your will to satisfy another’s sexual appetite. The content of the movie isn’t the issue, but rather how the ADVERTISEMENT

relationship is portrayed that promotes a problem. By glamorizing the plot with costumes and big name actors and glossing over the more serious issues, the film leaves the viewer less aware of how problematic rape culture is.

And this wasn’t the only rape-culture-perpetuating scene; eventually, Anne Boleyn manipulates her way into the king’s favor. And the king raped her, but nothing was done about it. Anne didn’t report him, run from him, or fear him. The very next scene is of Anne and King Henry getting married. In fact, nothing is said about the crime again.

It becomes unspoken, forgotten about. The problem with this is that these issues should never be silenced; they should never be swept under the rug.

Roberts remarks, “I try to bring writers whose work is relevant and challenging in a cross-disciplinary way, as well–a notion central to the liberal arts; we’ve had writers come whose work, though sometimes highly literary, appeals to those interested in environmental issues, in politics, in science, in history, in art, in gender issues, etcetera.” The idea that all students can benefit from literature is integral to the program.

Since this program was designed to bring authors who would benefit both the academic and social environment on campus, Roberts’ job is often highly collaborative.

Visiting writer’s pieces are found in the syllabi of English classes as well as other disciplines. “Interactions with visiting writers deepen the experience of exploring published works in classes,” Roberts said.

The link between this program and the rest of academia remains quite deep, and provides a unique learning experience for those listening. “When the texts come alive off the page, as voiced by the writers themselves, they expand for those of us in the audience,” Roberts said.

Dr. Robert Neyland, Head of the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the U.S. Navy’s Naval History and Heritage Command, will give a talk on confederate submarines. 7:30 pm, Olin 157.

First Step Meeting, Off-Campus Studies: Mon., Oct. 12. The Office of Off-Campus-Studies and students who have studied abroad will talk deadlines, options and experiences in this informational session designed for first-years and sophomores. 4:00 pm, Olin 157.

Gendering Disaster: Wed., Oct. 14. Whitman professor Emily Jones, and visiting lecturers Jane Henrici and Cécile Stephanie Stehrenberger for presentations on issues related to gender and the environment. 7:00 p.m., Olin 157.

KWCW Show of the Week

“Let the Maggots Feast”

Linnaea Weld [right] and Jenna Stanley [left] during their jazz and funk-influenced music show ‘Let the Maggots Feast,’ which airs each Thursday. Photo by Hampson

by ERIC ANDERSON Staff Reporter

T

here are many stories Linnaea Weld and Jenna Stanley use to explain the rather unique title of their show. One of these revolves around the two hosts’ apparent lifelong dream of running a fly adoption factory, while another suggests it stems from a very strange conversation they held about blowing up whale carcasses.

Regardless, “Let the Maggots Feast” is a very interesting title for a very interesting show.

Originally titled “English 101,” the show was conceived by Weld and Stanley as a means of giving themselves an activity to do together after having roomed together during their first year at Whitman.

According to Weld, she and her co-host are simply “two pals who like music,” and the pair takes a fairly casual approach, making their setlists for each show in the studio and frequently accepting requests from the outside.

Sadly, the pair has seen a dropoff in call-ins as a result of the loss of the KWCW stream, but, despite this, they never feel worried about running low on material.

“We bring what we like and share with each other,” said Weld. The duo prefers “funk and funk-influence[d]” music, as well as songs with “jazz influence” and “strong rhythms.”

Explaining the format of the show, Stanley says “[We] start with slower songs, mellower songs... then we get more lively.”

An important part of each show is the “Fun Facts and Historical Facts” section. This segment helps keep “Let the Maggots Feast” a learning experience for the duo.

Recently, they discovered that Jimmy Carter was, in fact, still alive.

The pair, who has done interviews on-air in the past, expressed interest in continuing this element of their show. “We haven’t done a live interview yet [this year]...[but] we’re searching for a guest,” said Stanley, who hopes those interested will request to appear on “Maggots.”

Ultimately, “Let the Maggots Feast” is perfect for “anyone that likes to boogie...anyone that likes the funk, [and] anyone that likes to turnip the beat, to use a vegetable pun,” according to Weld.

“Let the Maggots Feast” airs on 90.5 FM from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each Thursday.

SPORTS

OCT

07 2015

PAGE

5

Whit City re-creating spectator culture for Whitman sports

by GRANT LACO Staff Reporter

W

hen sophomores Max Hanson and Tim Howell met at a volleyball game last year, they both shared a concern.

“People were at the game, but some people weren’t really paying attention, a lot of people were on their phones, not even into the game,” said Howell. “It was literally just Max and [maybe] three or four of his friends, and they were trying to get chants going.”

Hanson told a story similar to Tim’s.

“He was totally for it, too,” Hanson said. “So we exchanged numbers, and that’s kind of how we got to know each other.”

That’s where the idea for a Whitman student section came from: a mutual desire between two friends to bring more active support to Whitman sporting events.

“A student section was something that I saw more and more as something that I really wanted to make happen as I started going to basketball games and saw people who were there, but they weren’t really paying attention.

But you know what, it’s fun to be the fans, let’s be the fans, and show our active support,” Hanson said.

Howell’s enthusiasm for the idea comes from his own personal experi-

ence with the power of an active student section. He had helped to start a student section back in high school, where he experienced what it was like to have an enthusiastic crowd as an athlete during his time as a four-year varsity basketball player.

“Everyone would come to the games, and have chants, and support all the athletic teams. I think it’s a really good way to get a school together and connected,” he said.

The effort has received positive attention. Hannah Linsenmayer, a senior and captain on the volleyball team, voiced her appreciation.

“Whit City has created great attendance at all of our home games so far, and it has been so much fun!

Varsity athletes across the board put a lot of work and time into their sports, so it’s really inspiring and rewarding to see fellow students leading the way to support one another through athletics. After experiencing how great having Whit City is on the sidelines, I’m very excited for my last year to go out and support all of our other Whitman athletics to return the favor,” Linsenmayer said.

Whit City does not intend to fizzle out anytime soon.

The vision for Whit City extends well into the future.

“This isn’t just for us, this is for the school,” Hanson and Howell both said.

Their end goal is a culture shift.

They hope Whit City will move every student to show support at all sporting events, not just the ones in which his or her close friends are participating. Whit City believes that every Whitman student should be excited to go and cheer for fellow Whitties at sporting events.

“Whatever you’re into, everyone can come support each other,” said Howell.

Their biggest success so far was the first volleyball game of the year. They had free burgers and hot dogs out on the lawn by the Harper Joy Theatre, with lawn games and everything. After the tailgate, they all rolled out to the volleyball game together. Whit City leaders funded the entire event out-of-pocket. Currently, Whit City is seeking ASWC funding for similar events.

“More events like that would be really helpful towards what we’ve envisioned,” Hanson said. “We also want to get more merchandise.

More shirts, for themes and events.”

They are not trying to make a profit, however, and make it clear that any and all merchandise sold by Whit City would be at the bare minimum price.

“The main thing is just getting people to at the games and supporting one another. We aren’t at all trying to make any sort of profit,” said Hanson.

Though the effects have been tangible, Howell and Hanson

Men’s tennis sweeps ITAs

by MARIO SANTOS-DAVIDSON

At a recent home volleyball game, Whit City came out in force, keeping the volume up throughout. Photo contributed by Tim Howell

feel as though Whit City still has room to grow. “It’s definitely going to be a process,” said Hanson.

Howell agreed. “Anything good takes time, so we’re just going to keep moving along with this. It takes patience,” he said.

This new club has taken the

Fan sets school record in second tourney of season

Staff Reporter

by ALDEN GLASS

T

Staff Reporter

wo weekends ago, the Whitman men’s tennis team opened their fall play by hosting the ITA Northwest Regional. With all their Northwest Conference opponents in attendance, Whitman demonstrated their ambition and ability by sweeping the tournament.

Doubles team Phillip Locklear ‘16 and Zach Hewlin ‘18 won against first seed George Fox, and then Locklear and Hewlin played one another in a tightly-contested final singles draw in which Hewlin emerged as the winner. The sweep of this tournament is made even more difficult by the draining nature of the ITA. Head Men’s Tennis Coach Jeff Northam discussed the brutality of the ITA tournament.

“The tournament has all the teams in the conference come together and play in one big draw.

Anybody can win at any level,” Northam said. “It’s a pretty brutal three-day tournament with a lot of matches. If you make the finals of both singles and doubles, that’s 11 matches in three days. I thought we prepared well, and the guys did great. It was a good event for us, very good.”

Not only do the athletes have to play a high volume of games, but also teammates often must compete against one another. Hewlin believes this is one of the hardest things to do in collegiate tennis.

“It’s pretty unique to play as an individual in college. When you spend the weekend competing on your own it’s also more fatiguing than playing as part of a team,” Hewlin said. “And then you have the added strain of playing against teammates...[which is] the most draining part of the process.”

Locklear had similar thoughts about having to play against teammates.

“The singles were good for me because I didn’t have to play a teammate until the finals, whereas some other people had to play teammates during [earlier match-

I Zach Hewlin (‘18) and Phillip Locklear (‘16) won the ITA Northwest Regional doubles tournament. Hewlin also took home 1st in singles. Photo contributed by Gregg Petcoff

es]. It’s always nice to have teammates supporting you, which they can’t really do if you are playing another teammate,” Locklear said.

The feat of winning both singles and doubles is even more impressive considering the turnover in the team since last spring.

Coach Northam discussed how the team has changed and reacted to that change and the central role the sophomore class has to play.

“We lost two amazing leaders in our seniors last year, and we only have two seniors this year, so it’s a pretty young class. [Firstyear] Nishaant Limaye ended up going to the finals in the back draw and that was nice to see,” he said. “It was nice to see some of the guys step up, and it was the show of the sophomores with Zach winning, Chase [Friedman] making it a long way, and Gary [Ho] and Adam Rapoport showing well. It was the sophomore show more than anything else”.

While a youthful team can be challenged due to lack of experience, Whitman believes their talents and abilities are enough to go places this season.

Coach Northam believes that the young core of players will drive the team’s success this season.

“We’re still a pretty young team, I think that will be our strength and our weakness. The guys are enthusiastic, they know

we can compete with the best teams in the nation,” Northam said. “Last year we played awfully close with some of the top ten teams in the nation.

We know we’re at that level.”

After last year’s close 5-4 loss in the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the team’s main goal is to make the next step and reach the Elite Eight. When asked about his personal goals for the team and himself, Locklear answered quickly and assertively.

“We want to make the Elite Eight. We were so close last year.

My individual goal is to do whatever I can to have the team accomplish that goal,” Locklear said.

Hewlin matched his teammate’s enthusiasm and optimism about the team’s chances.

“As a team we could easily be top five in the nation. It’s just a question of winning the big matches on the road. We have a number of matches against top 20 opponents but not a single one is here.

So it’s a question of traveling well and preparing well. I think we can go undefeated,” Hewlin said.

With a strong air of confidence throughout the team and the performances over the weekend, providing evidence that the confidence is not misplaced, Whitman may just make their goals come true and make that next jump to the Elite Eight and beyond.

ADVERTISEMENT

Provider of choice.

To plan your future and achieve your dreams.

PPGWNI.ORG 1-800-230-PLAN 1.2 miles from campus:

Walla Walla Health Center 828 S. 1st Ave. Walla Walla, WA 99362

Whitman stands by storm already. If you like the idea of more student cohesion and supporting your fellow Whitties in a positive and fun way, you can “like” Whit City on Facebook, learn a few of the cheers, and show up to the next home game with some friends.

n her second ever collegiate tournament, Shiyang Fan set a school record by scoring a two under par 70 in the first round at the Whitman Women’s Invitational on Sept. 26. She followed that up with a 78 in Sunday’s second round, enough to win by three strokes over sophomore teammate Phoebe Nguyen.

With their team’s win in the tournament, Whitman has now won back-to-back tournaments to open the season, this time beating second place Whitworth by 24 strokes.

Much of that early success has been a product of Fan’s play.

When describing Fan’s style of play, Assistant Athletics Director Skip Molitor praised her short game.

“She’s actually probably the shortest [on our team] off the tee, but ... her wedge game is excellent, her putting is excellent, her short game is very good,” he said.

During the first tournament of the season, she struggled to find her swing with her driver and irons, but was able to adjust and improve quickly.

“She scrambled around very well to shoot 82 in a tournament where we only won by two,” said Molitor.

Despite her shaky overall play, she was able to avoid big numbers and help keep Whitman in contention.

Heading into the home tournament, the team was convinced Fan would perform well.

“We saw some indications in practice that she was starting to relax a little bit, making some birdies, hitting some really good shots,” Molitor said.

Her teammate, sophomore Phoebe Nguyen, echoed similar sentiments.

“She had been working hard on her game,” she said.

But Fan wasn’t quite as confident, commenting on her nerves going into the second day in light of her previous tournament. Back to back 82’s and an 11th place finish is a great result, especially for a first-year, but she and her teammates knew she was capable of much more.

Wine Valley Golf Course plays to Fan’s strengths, because it is, as Fan describes it, a particularly wide-open course; though it does require precise approach shots as well as solid putting, which are the best parts of her game. Wine Valley’s greens can be quite difficult, but Fan feels right at home there.

“I really like the greens.

I feel comfortable on them.

The last six holes I was feeling really good about my [approach] shots, and my putting was really good,” said Fan. This was evident on the back nine of Saturday’s opening round, as she followed up a front nine 37 with a back nine 33.

Fan went to a powerhouse golfing high school in Torrey Pines, California, winning the 6A state championship her freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons before finishing second her senior year.

“It was a lot of fun recruiting her,” said Coach Molitor.

“She was looking for a highly academic Division III situation. Right from the get-go

we thought it was a great fit.”

While she likely could have played at the Division I level, Whitman was able to sway her thanks to her devotion and interest in academics. Molitor went on to say that even during the recruiting process, he believed she was going to be a pretty special player for Whitman.

The transition onto the team has been seamless, as Fan has indeed been a great fit from day one.

“I really enjoy playing with the team, they are all super nice people,” she said.

Fan has been a great addition to the team not only with her scoring, but also with her effect on other teammates. Nguyen in particular believes Fan will greatly help her improve her own game. Having won five of her last six tournaments before the Whitman Invitational, Nguyen was looking for a new challenge and is very glad it came from her own teammate.

Having someone to compete with every single day in practice is helpful to most athletes.

“It definitely motivates you,” said Nguyen.

She also had high praise for Fan’s mental strength.

“When she plays, she shows no emotion, so you can’t tell when she’s doing well or not ... I’m actually trying to [model] my game after how she’s doing it,” Nguyen said.

If the two stars do in fact learn from each other and keep pushing one another to new heights, the rest of the Northwest Conference will have their work cut out for them as Whitman figures to be a mainstay atop the leaderboard for many years to come.

SCOREBOARD SOCCER

Men’s v. George Fox University Oct. 2: L 1-3 v. Pacific University Oct. 4: T 1-1 Women’s v. Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 3: L 0-1 v. University of Puget Sound Oct. 4: T 1-1

GOLF

Men’s Whitworth Invitational Oct. 4-5: 8th Place Daniel Hoffman: T-9th overall Women’s Culturame Classic: 3rd Place Phoebe Nguyen: 1st overall

VOLLEYBALL v. Linfield College Oct. 2: W 3-2 v. Pacific University Oct. 3 L 2-3

UPCOMING SOCCER

Men’s at Whitworth University Oct. 10 Women’s at Lewis & Clark College Oct. 11

GOLF

Men’s NWC Fall Classic Oct. 10-11 Women’s NWC Fall Classic Oct. 10-11

VOLLEYBALL v. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 9 @ 7 P.M. v. Willamette University Oct. 10 @ 5 P.M.

FEATURE

PAGE

6

OCT

07 2015

Student organizes Typhoon relief for Saipan

On Aug. 2, 2015 a typhoon hit the small isalnd of Saipan, leaving thousands without electricity. Juniors Emily Dotts (above left), a native of Saipan, and Haley Forrester (above right) are raising money for flashlights. Photos

by Stevens

by CHRISTY CARLEY Staff Reporter

J

unior Emily Dotts was in Walla Walla when she received an email from her mom in anticipation of Typhoon Soudelor, the most powerful storm of 2015 which was about to hit her home island of Saipan.

When Dotts tells people she is from Saipan, the usual response is “Where’s that?” Even though it is a commonwealth of the United States, many people Dotts encounters in the continental US are unaware of Saipan’s existence. Dotts and some of her friends from the island have even created a Facebook group titled “Where is Saipan?” dedicated to sharing stories about explaining where they are from, and some of the off-target guesses they hear from the people they encounter.

Home to about 50,000 inhabitants, Saipan is the largest in a group of islands known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) located off the western coast of the United States. Saipan was captured by the United States from Japan during World War II and became an official part of the CNMI commonwealth in 1978.

On the night of Aug. 2, 2015,

Typhoon Soudelor struck Saipan, leaving behind a trail of debris. Hundreds of people were sent to live in emergency shelters. It was declared a major disaster by the Obama Administration two days later, sending groups such as the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help with recovery after the disaster. The Typhoon later struck both Taiwan and Eastern China.

When Dotts received news of the typhoon from her mom, it was not expected to do much damage. A little later, Dotts received another email.

“I got an email from her later saying that it actually was really bad,” said Dotts. “There [were] a lot of power outages and a lot of people [were] homeless...it was just really scary.”

Dotts has experienced tropical storms on Saipan before, but has not seen anything as strong as Soudelor, with winds reaching up to 120 miles per hour, during her lifetime.

Professor of Geology Kevin Pogue, who teaches a course at Whitman on Weather and Climate, said that while warmer waters may increase the strength of tropical storms in general, it

is dangerous to link any single event like this to climate change.

He did, however, mention that rising sea levels due to the melting of ice caps and overall warmer water temperatures often worsen the effects of tropical storms like Soudelor.

“People think about hurricanes being stronger, but the other thing they forget about is that hurricanes impacting coastlines now have more of an effect because sea levels are rising,” said Pogue.

Rising sea levels, he explained, cause dramatic storm surges during tropical storms because the amount of water that is pushed ashore is increased. Often, the majority of destruction that occurs in the aftermath of a typhoon is caused by surges such as those impacting Taiwan after Soudelor passed over Saipan.

Dotts explained that residents of Saipan will receive a warning before a typhoon is about to hit. Her family generally responds by boarding up windows and preparing to use a backup generator, as power is generally lost during the storms. She said that a warning was issued about Soudelor, but no one expected it to be as destructive as it was.

The day following the storm,

approximately 350 people were placed in shelters and 60 were being treated for wounds. Dotts said that school on the island is now back in session, though it was delayed by a couple weeks due to power outages, limited water supply, and the need to use public schools as shelters for those whose houses were destroyed by the typhoon. Dotts’s younger sister has been working with the Red Cross to answer phones and respond to calls for help from residents of the island.

Over the past week, Dotts, with support from the Intercultural Center and help from some friends, as well as members of the Beyond Borders Club, has been working on a fundraiser called Light Up Saipan that was founded

by Blaine Wilson, a Stanford University graduate with a degree in electrical engineering who lived on Saipan and has family there.

The fundraiser raises money for the purchase of LuminAID PackLites to help those in Saipan who have yet to regain power, as well as assist in the aftermath of future disasters. The lights are completely waterproof, solar powered, and can last up to 30 hours with an adjustable brightness setting and a flashing mode for emergencies.

ADVERTISEMENT

MON-FRI 7am-8pm SAT 8am-4pm d i t n e d u st ) e d e f i f o c d al e v w re b h n t o lls fi wi e r ee

(fr

E E F F CO TRIES s e S h A c i P w d n a S e r o m I F & WI E E FR

509-522-8422

www.w2breadco.com 225 E. Main St. Downtown Walla Walla

As of Saturday, Oct. 3, Dotts raised $189.92 that will be donated to Light Up Saipan. Dotts also encourages students to donate directly to Wilson’s GoFundMe page, which as of Sunday, October 4 raised $1,520 toward a goal of $5,000. Each light costs $25.

The students have been tabling at Reid requesting donations in exchange for pins that say “Light Up Saipan” and five-finger lei bracelets. The bracelets are a smaller version of five finger leis that are exchanged by friends at graduation in an island tradition.

Junior Gambhir Kunwar helped Dotts plan the fundraiser at the beginning of the semester. Kunwar hoped to assist Dotts in the same way that she had supported him last year while he fundraised for aid to his home country, Nepal, after the region was struck by a large earthquake.

“I felt like it was my chance to give back to her,” he said.

Having experienced a similar situation, Kunwar says he can relate to what Dotts is going through and is thankful for the help he received while coping with the news of the earthquake last year.

“It’s a small community here,” he said. “People are always ready to help you in difficult situations.”

OPINION Not everyone is beautiful OCT

PAGE

7

07 2015

PEGGY LI Sophomore

H

ave you ever seen someone walking around campus and been shocked at how utterly beautiful they are? When it’s happened to me, I can’t help but stare out of disbelief. ‘Is that person real? ...

They can’t be real ... But they are ...’

There are some beautiful people in this world. And I mean exactly that: only ‘some’ people are truly beautiful. However, as of late, magazines and popular opinion have been promoting the notion that everyone is, indeed, beautiful.

Does anyone actually believe this?

There are certain feelings of awkwardness and guilt that arise when discussing other people’s appearances. We often say ‘everyone is beautiful’ in the context of trying to comfort an insecure friend or if someone asks us the ageold question, ‘am I cute?’ in order to avoid unpleasant interactions. Obviously, we’re not about to tell our friends they’re hideous.

But implicit in saying that “everyone is beautiful” is the notion that everyone needs to be beautiful.

The goal behind the idea of universal beauty is for us as a society to stop obsessing so much over superficial looks and beauty because everyone else has it too. People don’t obsess about having two hands because almost everyone does, in fact, possess two hands. It’s normal to be that way. In actuality however, the phrase produces the opposite effect.

When everyone has something in order to be ‘normal’ or fit in, it essentially becomes a requirement for membership in society.

When you say ‘everyone is beautiful’ instead of setting people at ease, it implies that ‘everyone needs to be beautiful.’

It normalizes beauty in such a

Illustration by Burch

Trust between partners yields healthy relationships CRYSTAL AND CHEVY Anonymous

T

Ill

his week Chevy and I are going to switch it up a bit and back off the sexin’ to discuss an issue that has recently sparked intense reflection in our lives: trust.

As my Yogi tea bag informed me the other morning, “Love without trust is a river without water.” We don’t know about you, but we’d rather not be like California with a drought of a relationship – better to stick with something like Hawaii or Michigan.

Building trust is an extensive process – and rightfully so! Trust is key to a healthy r elat ion sh ip; trust in oneself allows a person to be loved by their partner to the highest degree as well as return their partner’s love in kind.

On the other hand, when trust is broken, rebuilding a relationship is painful, laborious process.

The way we see it, there are two types of trust that function within a relationship: external and internal. The former is the trust you place in your partner. When you tell them, “I trust you,” it often refers to functional things such as upholding a monogamous relationship. This external type of trust also applies to the words of affirmation you and your partner exchange. For example, when we tell someone, “I love you,” their most likely response is often to immediately repeat the phrase back. I, Crystal, find I spend so much time reassuring my partner of my devotion that I never pause to let those words and their beautiful weight sink in. I rarely stop and close my eyes, feel the words’ warmth, and accept them into my heart as something real and

way that in order to fit in, to be accepted, you need to be beautiful because that’s what everyone else is.

The issue doesn’t stop there: The issue with saying ‘everyone is beautiful’ also lies in the nature of the characteristic itself. In my mind, beauty is and should be something exceptional or abnormal. Imagine that instead of saying ‘everyone is beautiful’ you replaced beautiful with any other distinct trait: ‘everyone is funny,’ or ‘everyone has a great memory.’ You wouldn’t say anything like that because it’s blatantly false. Just like beauty, those are exceptional characteristics.

And honest-

us

tr

at

io

n

by

Ha

m

pt

on

true and precious. I never pause to say, “I appreciate your love. I am thankful for your love. I trust your love for me is a strong as you say it is.” Perhaps these are words that can, in many situations, go unsaid. But Chevy and I find that, in the scramble for affirmation and balance, we don’t directly acknowledge that we do in fact trust that our partners’ love is credible, true, and heartfelt.

In addition to the external trust you must grant your partner, the second type of trust is internal, and therefore often overlooked. When it comes down to it, trust, in its purest form, is the trust you must have in yourself. You must believe you yourself are worthy of the adoration and happiness and love that another – by some miracle! – has chosen to provide you.

In many ways, it is easier to give love unquestionably than to receive it without questioning why someone has chosen to love you.

Things get even more complicated when you realize you can’t love fully without accepting another’s love unequivocally into your entire being.

The most difficult thing about trust is that, when it’s broken, the only way to fix it is to somehow, against all odds, generate more trust.

It’s a warped rule that feels like the universe’s private joke. But the most amazing thing is that, unlike fossil fuels or the chocolate chip cookies in Prentiss, trust is renewable.

You just have to dig deeper than you ever have to find the spark that is your humanity and, with frightened hands, offer it to another. There’s no guarantee your trust won’t be trampled on – if there was, it wouldn’t be called trust in the first place.

ADVERTISEMENT

ly, what’s so bad about saying you don’t find someone pretty? Saying that I don’t find Sally particularly attractive should be no more an insult than saying I think Sally talks a lot. Maybe I’m wrong and Sally is actually quite shy, but even if I am right, it’s not a personal attack.

Does it matter if I don’t think Hillary Clinton and Mother Teresa are beautiful? No, because they’ve accomplished feats that surpass simply being easy on the eyes as you pass on the street. People don’t need to be beautiful because there is so much more in life. I don’t make friends with a person because they’re pretty, I make friends with someone because they’re funny, interesting to talk to, or understand me on some level. Even in relationships, beyond initial attraction, I don’t think anyone would date a psychotic maniac, even if they looked like a Victoria’s Secret model.

If I were the first female president of the United States, why would it matter if I have huge pores or a unibrow? If I’m a surgeon saving people’s lives, will anyone care that I am 50 pounds overweight (especially if I myself don’t)?

By saying that ‘everyone is beautiful,’ you assign beauty the importance of ‘everyone has eyes’ when in reality beauty is like a side dish (not quite necessary, but nice if you can afford it). Not everyone is beautiful, and not everyone needs to be beautiful – there are more important things in life than looks.

Latin America faces economic crisis JOSE CORONADO Sophomore

VOICE OF LATIN AMERICA

T

he good economic fortunes of the United States have been rough on Latin American economies. Steady job growth and good performance in the retail, automotive, and housing industries have lured investors from all over the world to invest in the American economy.

The Federal Reserve recently announced it would raise interest rates to facilitate transfer of assets into the US from Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil. According to Grupo Financiero Banorte there has already been 6 billion dollars of “capital flight” (an economics term for the quick movement of liquid assets out of a country) from Latin America just this year. It’s natural for international investors to prefer investing money in more stable economies like that of the United States.

However, there are other factors forcing investors to retract their money from Latin American economies: drops in commodity prices, unsafe working conditions, growth of the Chinese economy, and in some countries, political unrest. As a consequence of this new economic crisis, countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela, all of which heavily depend on Chinese exports, have fallen into recession this year.

The currencies of almost all Latin American countries have lost relative value and unemployment in some countries, such as Brazil, stands at more than seven percent.

How is it possible that a region rich in natural resources, like Latin America, is again facing economic turmoil? How can these countries solve this problem?

One of the main causes of Latin American economic unrest is widespread reliance on exporting commodities like oil, grain and minerals. These commodities are essential for growing economies like those in China and industrialized regions like the US and Europe. But commodities are cheap and the majority of people that labor in the commodities market earn small wages. For example, according to journalist Andrés Op-

Voices from the Community

penheimer, just one percent of the money spent on a cup of Starbucks coffee goes to coffee producers in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The value of commodities tends to be low, and now that China’s economy is decelerating, the demand for products like oil and grain has decreased. Latin American countries need to stop relying so much on foreign commodities; the more they do, the more they are dependent on other countries. Latin America should focus on things like technology and improving service industry quality.

Other countries with minimal resources such as Japan have achieved economic prosperity exporting high-tech products like robotics, cars and digital appliances across the whole world.

Unlike commodities, the value of these products is not so volatile. Plus the working conditions for people laboring in the tech industry are better than the working conditions of plantations in Latin America. To develop its tech industry, Latin America will need to invest heavily in education and improve its legal and bureaucratic systems so businesses can grow.

In the Forbes Best Countries for Business Ranking, just one Latin American country is in the top 50 (Chile, in 29th place). The difficulty of starting a business in Latin America is a major obstacle for local entrepreneurs. It’s bad for the economy, not only because many good business ideas never come to fruition, but also because the people who decide to start businesses often do so illegally, evading taxes as a result.

It’s not all bad news for Latin America, though. The devaluation of currencies has boosted exports in many countries, and analysts expect the rise in exports to cause wage increases in some industries. Other industries like tourism have also benefited from currency devaluation. Mexico has seen a record cash influx of 16 billion dollars from tourism and expects the industry to grow by 6.1 percent this year. Cuba also saw improvement in its tourism industry. According to the National Office of Statistics of Cuba, tourism coming from abroad rose by 17.2 percent this year.

However, tourism in Latin America is still heavily dependent on the economic performances of foreign countries like the United States. To stop depending so heavily on other countries Latin America needs to diversify its economies, invest in education and facilitate the creation of business that can help the economy grow and give more economic power to such a rich region.

VALUING VULNERABILITY:

FINDING STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS ALYA BOHR First-Year

I

t’s unbelievably easy to get tangled up in the desire to be perfect. Everywhere around us lurks a sneaky little notion that to be worthy of connection, love and belonging, we must be flawless. Bulletproof. Along with this unwieldy assumption comes a fear and distrust of vulnerability. We may imagine it as a weakness, for it is vulnerability that rears its head in the moments when our perfect veneers crack. Vulnerability is uncomfortable. It demands risk-taking in the face of uncertainty and forces us to step away from the edge of the known and journey into the rocky terrain of emotional exposure.

And yet it is vulnerability, perhaps more than anything else, that breathes life into our relationships with others. It is vulnerability that urges us to show our truest selves. It is vulnerability that engages us with the world from a rich and meaningful place. Researcher Brené Brown has studied vulnerability extensively and has found that those willing to risk the uncertainty of opening up are far more likely to feel a strong sense of love, belonging, joy and worthiness in their lives.

It’s easy to espouse the value of vulnerability, but, as with most things, it’s easier said than done. Instead of revealing our deepest desires, fears and secrets, we tend to put up armor. We play it safe.

There’s an inherent fear of judgment attached to sharing our true feelings — the ominous “What will they think?” rattles incessantly in our minds. As humans we tend to avoid the foreboding landscape that is emotional risk-taking.

But, honestly, it’s worth it. Vulnerability isn’t weakness – it’s courage. Vulnerability doesn’t make us appear broken, but rather it illuminates our strength. A special moment blossoms when someone dares to be vulnerable. It creates a space for honest and real connection. Small talk only goes so far – it’s light and it passes time, but it’s ultimately superficial; it doesn’t lead to anything deeper. Eventually, we must wade into the murky territory of emotional risk-taking if we wish to cultivate meaningful lives.

In the spirit of practicing what I preach, walking my talk, allow me to interrupt this tirade with a brief anecdote. My dad died during my junior year of high school. It broke my heart open and sent shards of grief careening through my world.

To put it simply, my life as I knew it fell apart. But I kept smiling, laughing, going through all the motions. I acted as though nothing was wrong. Suffice it to say, I was terrible at making myself vulnerable. So much so that I ignored my own pain.

Occasionally, though, I would just fall apart. I would turn to the person I was talking to and say, “You know, I’m actually not okay.”

I would share my story. And it made all the difference. Acknowledging my pain made me feel more whole, reaching into the depths of my sadness paved the way for a life of richer feeling, and baring my soul fostered strong bonds that lit up my life.

Vulnerability, like everything else, is a practice. It feels terrifying, but it looks brave. Vulnerability is admitting you don’t know something, it’s being the first person to say “I love you,” it’s being willing to cry in front of new friends, it’s initiating something despite the fear of rejection. If we wish to feel true joy and happiness, we must be willing to embrace sadness and pain. It’s not a matter of allowing vulnerability into our lives – to live is to be vulnerable – but rather what relationship we cultivate with it. Go forth, put down your armor, and live with an open heart.

What invention are you most excited to own in the future?

Poll by MADALINE STEVENS

MARK BLAKELEY

BASSEL JAMALI

ISSAC MILLER

SCOTT COLE

First-Year

First-Year

First-Year

First-Year

“Self-driving cars would be sweet.”

“Holodeck. It’s pretty awesome.”

“Probably heads up display glasses.

Without the creepy cameras.”

“I am most excited to own a virtual reality headset.”

07 BACKPAGE New wing of hell opened up for quiet room offenders OCT

PAGE

8

2015

O

fficials in Hell have unveiled a new wing of the Underworld designed specifically for people who accidentally make noise in the quiet room. The expansion comes as part of a effort between Satan and the Whitman Dean of Students Office, who noticed the startling lack of punishment for students who disrupt the quiet room’s intellectual rigor with a misplaced cough or a wayward backpack zipper.

Said Dean of Students Cluck Cheveland, “Student academic success is a top priority here at Whitman College. We’re excited to have been able to partner with the Devil to combat a real problem on this campus. Noise in the quiet room just isn’t conducive to student learning. With the opening of a special place in Hell for people who turn the pages of their Biology textbook too loudly, our student body can rest assured that those responsible for such distracting noise will suffer until

T

the end of time, as they should.”

When reached for comment, Lucifer had this to say: “Hell has long been a place for the most notorious members of society. Our eternal fires host the likes of depraved murderers, thieves, and adulterers. But when we conducted an internal audit a while back, we noticed that we had forgotten to add a level for the worst sinners of all - those annoying people in the quiet room. After we realized our oversight, we immediately starting creating a section of Hell designed specifically for them. And let me tell you, this new section of Hell is our cruelest punishment to date.”

Added an increasingly agitated Fallen Angel, “I mean, for God’s sake, we’ve got Al Cappone in here, and all he has to sit through is a never-ending Nickelback playlist. We knew that we had to do something bigger and better to properly punish these disgusting quiet room offenders.”

An initial list of people who

will end up in Hell’s quiet room includes “the girl who can’t stop tapping her feet,” “the first-year who didn’t silence his phone,” and “that guy who blows his nose and shrugs apologetically, like it’s not a fucking big deal, asshole.”

Instead of the more traditional burning flames of damnation, those condemned will have to sit in a replica quiet room, forever enduring the judgmental glares of Whitman quiet room residents.

In fact, senior thesis students, as well as all habitual procrastinators, can receive course credit if they work in the new section of Hell. The Registrar’s office has confirmed that “Pretension 105: The Condescending Glare” will be offered next semester.

Interested students are encouraged to contact Satan at 666666-6666, as spots in the class are expected to fill up quickly.

On an unrelated note, Pretension 105 can be elected for philosophy major credit. Please direct all questions to the Registrar.

IN THE NEWS

ed Cruz blames Obamacare for his hangnail On the campaign trail Wednesday, GOP presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, who has promised a campaign chock full of “hard truths that Americans need to hear”, announced that the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 (aka Obamacare) is directly responsible for “this really irritating hangnail” he’d been nursing all that day. Cruz, whose speech centered on the evils that Obamacare has wrought on America, continued by saying, “But it’s not just my hangnail ... It has become clear to me that the President’s healthcare policy is also the reason for my speeding ticket last June, as well as that time when the waitress at Denny’s was kind of rude and abrupt with me.” Senator Cruz then proceeded to announce plans to repeal the law for the 700th time, calling such action “critical to the future of the American republic.” At press

time, Cruz was at his privately insured doctor’s office getting his hangnail taken care of.

Supreme Court rules 9-0: Donald Trump an asshole In a unanimous ruling late Saturday night, the Supreme Court confirmed once and for all that Donald Trump is “unequivocally, without a doubt, definitely a huge asshole.” The case, Common Sense v. Idiocy, reached the high court this year, after a lower court found Trump to be “kind of mean, honestly.” Idiocy appealed to the Supreme Court on behalf of Trump, but ultimately found an unreceptive bench awaiting them. The ruling represents a huge victory for Common Sense, who up until this point have found themselves stymied in the election cycle. All of that changed, though, when the smartest legal minds in the nation declared, “Donald Trump is an embarrassment to American democracy as we know it.” Even Justice Antonin Scalia - a fiery conserv-

Illustration by Rannestad

ative member of the Court - said, “I thought I was the meanest, grumpiest person I knew, but Mr. Trump has put those thoughts to rest.” Despite the ruling, Trump’s poll numbers continued to skyrocket, a phenomenon that political scientists are attributing to the overwhelming majority of Americans not knowing who the fuck Antonin Scalia is.

Local vegan woman ceases to exist Local vegan woman Lisa Strawberry vanished into thin air last week at the age of 23, after a tragic incident during dinner. According to preliminary reports, Ms. Strawberry, who was dining on a quinoa and kale salad at the time, forgot to mention to her dinner companions just how wonderful it is to be vegan.

Witnesses say that at first nothing seemed obviously wrong. A dinner companion who wished to remain nameless told the Pioneer, “Dinner was actually going pretty well, but then I noticed that something was a little bit off.

I was having steak and eggs, and Lisa didn’t say anything. She always says something.” Having kept her mouth shut for the entire meal about the myriad moral and health-related reasons that every person ever should be a vegan, Strawberry disappeared forever into a thick cloud of smoke. It appears as though her silence during dinner cost Strawberry dearly, as vegans suffer from a rare health condition in which if they forget to constantly reference the wholesome benefits of veganism, they simply cease to exist in the plane of our universe. Just like that - POOF, they are gone.

Welcome to Wilfrie: Fees by Noah Porter

ADVERTISEMENT

Illustration by Patel

Whitties endorse Sanders

T

he most recent polls are in: Bernie Sanders has overtaken Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, causing Clinton to forfeit to Sanders before the first Democratic debate. The deciding factor? An official Whitman College endorsement.

If you haven’t heard the name Bernie Sanders before and don’t feel the urge to be publicly flogged with Birkenstocks or burned at the stake on Ankeny, never fear. Bernie Sanders is a Democratic senator from Vermont running against Hillary Clinton and a few guys who kind of look like the dudes your dad plays golf with. In addition to his soft grunge hair care aesthetic, Sanders is fiercely committed to alleviating economic inequality, an issue that many Whitman students are vaguely aware exists from their bi-monthly readings of the New York Times.

Sanders’ appeal comes largely from the fact that he cares about issues directly affecting a wide variety of Whitman students. Sanders’ racial justice platform appeals to all those at Whitman with a token black friend, and his bold plan to make college tuition free piques the interest of students who have heard stories of economic diversity, but considered them a myth, kind of like Big Foot or libertarians.

Sanders is a strident proponent of grassroots campaigning and fundraising, and his Whitman endorsement was just that.

It all started when an aggressively idealistic student, White Male (pronounced “weet mah-lay”) learned what the wage gap was in a 100 level Economics class

and got way too stoked on the value of his single vote in the electoral college. Male went home, skimmed a few Buzzfeed news articles, outfitted his Patagonia with a Bernie 2016 monogram, and was ready to condescend to all of his friends with a heavily rehearsed “Oh .you’re voting for Hillary?”

In order to ensure Sanders’ success in the polls, Male began registering Whitman students to vote under the condition that they pinky promise to vote for Sanders in the primaries. When The Pioneer approached students leaving the voter registration booth, one student said, “I’m not really sure what these primaries are, but I already feel a tremendously unwarranted sense of accomplishment. This is democracy at work.”

The Sanders movement at Whitman has largely capitalized on the overwhelming apathy of Whitman students by registering students to vote, thereby inflating a false sense of political involvement. “The first step is getting people registered to vote, the second and third steps would probably be to ensure they’re educated on the issues and the voting process but that’s not really the Whitman way,” said one student while patting himself on the back with his official Bernie 2016 Self Congratulator.

The future looks bright for Sanders at Whitman College.

Drunk party conversations about Sanders’ revolutionary ideas continue to thrive among students who swear they “only smoke cigarettes when they’re drunk”, and water bottle sticker sales are going through the roof. After all, 1600 idealistic votes are really what decide a presidential race, right?