Issue 6 fall 2015

The

PIONEER

ISSUE 6 | October 15, 2015 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXVIII

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by ELLEN IVENS-DURAN Staff Reporter

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WCW, Whitman and Walla Walla’s local community radio station, put its digital live stream back up on Friday, Oct. 9, after months of effort. Due to unreliability and technological issues, the stream had been taken down, but K-Dub’s staff seem to have hit upon a fix.

Carolyn Erving, a senior at Whitman and K-Dub’s General Manager, had been looking for a solution to the problem of the defunct stream since June. “[We’ve done] a lot of research on how can we make this better and how can we present this in an aesthetically pleasing way that’s also financially viable, meets legal requirements, and is easy for people to use. And is feasible for our staff to actually put in place. And all of those different components are a lot to deal with,” said Erving.

In order to solve the problems

Station solves live stream puzzle, charts new directions

with the stream, which included intermittent failure to broadcast, incompatibility with the website, and an inability to display the track and artist names, Erving has had to rely on her newly cohesive staff. Erving overhauled KWCW’s staff structure, adding and reviving positions such as Chief Operator and Community Outreach Coordinator to craft a staff of 15. Henry Carges, the Head Music Director, has been another key player in resolving these issues.

“We ran into a bunch of technical issues because we don’t have the funding of a big school, so a lot of those big schools have someone they can hire to do all their coding for them and then, boom, they have their new stream,” said Carges. “It’s kind of something we’ve had to learn how to do ourselves, which has been a lot of work.”

Until Friday, KWCW’s webpage only allowed listeners to see the name and title of the track that is currently playing on their terrestrial, that is physical, broadcast. Peo-

ple trying to tune in from outside the city limits of Walla Walla were out of luck. KWCW’s auto DJ, which broadcasts pre-loaded music when live shows aren’t on-air, was the only input feeding into the digital broadcast. Now, instead of the auto-DJ playing continuously, the stream will be broadcasting live shows as well.

“What you’re seeing on the website is everything that needs to be there to be up to code as a [digital] stream, college radio stream,” said Erving.

That remains true, as DJs are obligated to record the name and artist on each track they play in real time on a program called Spinitron. That information will then be transferred from Spinitron to the pop-up live stream. This solution allowed K-Dub to use a simple program already in use to display track and artist names, which they were not previously able to do.

“One of the things that’s different about the way K-Dub is run that’s different from other college radio

stations is that it’s accessible to DJs and we don’t want to have to make it so that you have to have a really large knowledge of how computers work to be a radio DJ,” said Carges.

KWCW’s DJs existed in a world apart from the frantic work of the staff. They seemed relatively unaffected by the problem.

“I’m actually very surprised to see how many people are listening to our show on the radio itself, which I feel is not the easiest venue,” said senior DJ Eric Underwood (whose show with Jack Swain, BERLAMBURGLERBER, takes place from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Tuesdays). “I was very pleased to find out that people were still listening, and to get calls into the show.”

Senior Rose Gottlieb (of The Rose and Grace Show, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays) who, like Underwood, is continuing a show from this summer and took a similar tone.

“I never had [the live stream] so I can’t miss it,” said Gottlieb, “but it

would be nice to be able to tell my parents and [other] people...it would be nice to have people listen to it from afar.”

Now, Gottlieb will have that option. Riding on their successful fix of a persistent problem, Erving and Carges are traveling to New York for the College Music Journal’s annual music marathon and conference, held this year from Oct. 13 to 17. Erving will be speaking on a panel regarding radio management, but that isn’t the only reason for the trip.

“We’ve been nominated for an award, as station with the biggest improvement, which is really nice and really flattering just because of all the hard work that has been put in and now we’re being recognized at a national level,” said Erving. “As far as I know it’s the first time K-Dub has been nominated for an award at this conference. And CMJ is basically the conference for college radio, it’s the conference for the industry.”

In the meantime, feel free to listen live.

Game Management plays crucial role Seniors FMS majors bring Triby ALDEN GLASS Staff Reporter

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very week, fans of Whitman athletics stand on the sidelines and watch as student-athletes, decked out in gold and blue, compete and represent the school. Yet, what many often fail to notice is that behind the scenes of every sporting event, there is a small army of unsung heroes clad in dark blue. The game management team arrives at games long before any athlete and stays until well after the final whistle blows.

Game management’s job is typically broken up into three distinct areas: set up before the game, management during the game, and clean up afterwards. Senior Rachel Brock is currently employed by the game management department, and shared with The Pioneer how setup works at a typical soccer game.

“Setting up the field begins about two and a half hours before the game starts. We all arrive and set up the goals, tents, benches, flags, bleachers, and all other equipment,” Brock wrote in an email. “The goals are definitely the most difficult thing to set up–it usually takes part of the group the entire time to set them up.

Setting up usually takes about an hour or so, again, depending on the goals.”

After the field is set up and the two teams arrive before the game, the management team takes a quick break before beginning their work during the competition. Sophomore Hannah Trettenero listed the types of jobs they are typically responsible for at a soccer game.

“I have only worked soccer games so far so I cannot speak for the other sports, but soccer is pret-

ty straightforward,” Trettenero said.

“During the games we do ball retrieval, game statistics, game clock, videotaping, and audio commentating.”

Brock elaborated on the process and discussed some of the difficulties of working during the soccer games.

“Everyone has [a different job] during the games, from ball retrieving to filming. I take stats and sometimes announce when I can convince people to let me do it,” Brock said. “Soccer stats aren’t that hard to take until someone scores. It’s hard to get the numbers of who scored and assisted, especially when you don’t know the team and can’t see the numbers on their jerseys.”

Along with these jobs, basketball and volleyball provide a whole new list of responsibilities for the game management team. Operating the electronic score board, especially the shot clock, becomes increasingly important in basketball games, for example. With fast-paced action and referees demanding precision, there is a very small margin for error.

The work done by game management is vital to the varsity athletics program. Film sessions are done with the videos shot by student employees. The NCAA uses the stats collected by game management to keep track of player’s performances. Sophomore Gabe Jacobson is a varsity athlete on the men’s soccer team who sees the tremendous value that game management brings.

“It’s pretty vital. I mean, ball retrievers, for example, are super important in helping everything go smoothly, and also the scoreboard and time people need to do their job right or everyone on the field will notice,” Jacobson said. “The hard part is

that nobody notices if they do it right, but everyone does if they mess up.”

The man behind the scenes of the whole program is Bryce Heuett. When interviewed by email, Heuett discussed how he came to work at Whitman for this program and what he looks for when hiring new employees.

“I was hired from Southern Utah University where I was the media relations assistant. I applied to Whitman because I’m originally from Pullman and wanted to be in the Northwest,” Heuett said. “The main thing I look for in potential employees is a willingness to learn new skills. I understand it is difficult to get much game management experience so if they’re willing to learn that is the main thing, but not the only one.”

While game management is a tough and sometimes thankless job, it isn’t without its benefits. Brock explained why she puts in the effort and spends the time each weekend at sporting events.

“I do game management because I want to support my friends,” Brock said. “A lot of my friends are on the women’s and men’s soccer teams and by working the games, I guarantee that I will be there to support and cheer them on (although silently because I’m not actually allowed to cheer).”

Heuett shared similar thoughts about his favorite part of his job.

“I really enjoy sitting back and watching the game after set up is all done,” Heuett said. “It’s stressful having to supervise all the positions and I’m constantly worrying about something going wrong, but I can’t complain too much; I love sports and now they’re my occupation.”

Cities Film Festival to Campus

Four FMS seniors worked to bring films to campus on Oct 10th. Photo by Lee

by MARTINA PANSZE A&E Editor

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ver four-day break, many students who stay on campus notice the unsettling absence of those who are traveling. On Oct. 10th, however, an especially eerie ambiance emanated from Olin Hall, where a crowd of horror, science fiction, and fantasy movie-lovers gathered for the TriCities International Film Festival.

This year, the festival extended its reach from within the Tri-Cities (Pasco, Richland, and

Kennewick) to open a fourth location on Whitman’s campus.

The event, which was sponsored by the Whitman College Film Department, ran in the Olin Auditorium from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m..

Viewers were welcome to come and go throughout the 8-hour festival.

The Tri-Cities International Film Festival (t) runs independent or student-made films and is the first film festival Whitman has ever hosted, excluding the screenings of work created in Intro and Advanced Filmmaking. see FILM FESTIVAL, page 4

15 NEWS 2 Recent incidents question relationship between Whitman, Walla Walla OCT

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Students have been harrassed by drivers on Isaacs Avenue. These events, and more positive ones like Make a Difference Day, show the mixed relationship between Whitman and Walla Walla. Photo by Hampson

by SARA PLATNICK Staff Reporter

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urrently, interactions between Whitman College and the greater Walla Walla community are generally positive. However, recent incidents and events have shown not only positive but also negative aspects of Whitman’s relationship with the larger community.

Such examples of positive interactions between Whitman and Walla Walla are Make a Difference Day, the variety of community service opportunities at Whitman that directly impact Walla Walla, and the events and programs that Whitman hosts for the community.

On Oct. 3, over 70 members of the Whitman community gathered together during Make a Difference Day and partnered with 17 different community organizations to engage with the community and help with various projects.

“Service events like Make a Difference day are a great way for students to become introduced to a community organization or individual with whom they were not previously connected. Through that service,

students may discover an interest in furthering that connection and work,” said Community Service Coordinator Abby Juhasz in an email to The Pioneer.

Juhasz also appreciates the Make a Difference Day because it allows students to work on something that a community organization prioritizes and shows their willingness to support the organization’s values.

“It is important to understand their organization’s mission and to let them identify the projects and areas in which they would like for Whitman to engage. It can be detrimental to the relationship to approach them with the presumption that ‘we know best’ and that ‘we can fix all the problems,’” said Juhasz.

On-campus student groups also work closely with the community in a positive setting.

Some examples include Greek organizations fundraising for local groups, sports teams hosting camps or activities for local kids, and the year-long programs hosted through the Student Engagement Center, such as the mentorship program or Adopt-a-Grandparent.

“We are proud that Whitman has intentionally structured

HINDSIGHT

many ways for students to deepen their involvement in Walla Walla based on their academic and professional interests, and so we often hear about students who volunteer on an occasion like Made A Difference Day and they really enjoy the people they meet,” said Noah Leavitt, Associate Dean of Student Engagement, in an email to The Pioneer.

However, on Oct. 3, the same day as Make a Difference Day, students had a more negative ex-

perience with community members. At an off-campus party, Queer Beer, an altercation between students and community members occurred when two non-Whitman students got into a fight and police were called. Even though no Whitman students were arrested, the event was hosted for Whitman students, and some stu-

dents were harmed when attempting to break up the altercation.

Dean of Students Charles Cleveland recommends that for future events, students be more conscious and careful of what they post on social media sites. The address for Queer Beer was posted both on Facebook and Yik Yak, which Cleveland believes allowed for it to become a more public event.

“If you put anything out on social media...people share [it], and so once that gets out, even though you may want offcampus residents, or a certain group [to come], once you put it out there you have no control over who shows up, and so my advice is don’t put it out on social media. And I think that’s clearly what happened in that case,” said Cleveland.

Some other recent negative interactions with Whitman students and community members are the drive-by harassment cases, which have been ongoing for years but have come to the attention of the school recently because of reports made through the online whitman.edu/assist tool.

In response to the reports made through the program, the school has worked

with both the Whitman Community and the Walla Walla Police Department to address the issues. Cleveland is also encouraging students to be vigilant in helping address these problems.

Cleveland recommends that if any member of the Whitman community is involved in any sort of harassment or unsafe situation that they report the event to the school so that they may address it. He also recommends that students be observant at all times, even as a bystander, so that the school can have more information about the events and to better fix the problems.

Cleveland understands that overall, the interactions between Whitman and Walla Walla are positive, but that should not prevent students from taking safety precautions.

“People have to understand that there’s all sorts of people in this world and not everyone likes Whitman students. Our relationships with the community overall are excellent. The Whitman community contributes a lot of time to Walla Walla; but there’s also some folks that don’t like us, and so we have to be cognizant of that and be safe in what we do,” said Cleveland.

“Our relationships with the community overall are excellent ... but there [are] also some folks that don’t like us,” Chuck Cleveland Dean of Students

by LANE BARTON News Editor

Friday 10/9

Saturday 10/10

Monday 10/12

Tueday 10/13

Wednesday 10/14

Tunisian quartet wins Nobel Prize

Explosions at Ankara peace rally

South Africa considers leaving ICC

Democrats spar at primary debate

FBI looking at fantasy sports sites

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015 due to their efforts in helping building a democracy in Tunisia. The Quartet is composed of the Tunisian General Labour Union; the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts; the Tunisian Human Rights League; and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.

Two bombs exploded during a peace rally led by opposition activists in Ankara, Turkey, killing “at least 95 people and [injuring] nearly 200 others.” The attack comes before the November 1st elections and follows a similar event in Suruc which killed 32 and wounded 100 more. The unrest has been underscored by tensions between pro-Kurdish individuals and the Turkish government.

South African leaders have explored not participating in the International Criminal Court (ICC), a multinational court that specialize in prosecuting war crimes and genocide.

South Africa is justifying the decision by claiming that the ICC unfairly targets African nations, as with the latest case against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.

The first primary debate of the Democratic National Party saw five candidates for president converse on a variety of issues such as foreign policy, the economy, and many others. Pundits spoke highly of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s performance as she fends off a charge from Senator Bernie Sanders in the polls.

Reports indicate that the FBI is investigating whether daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel are culpable of providing insider information by allowing employees to participate in their competitions. Questions are being raised after a DraftKings employee won $350,000 on a different daily fantasy site.

Source: NPR

Source: Al Jazeera

Source: Al Jazeera

Source: CNN

Source: The New York Times

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PIONEER

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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

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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.

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

The

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Students apply for Fulbright, Watson opportunities

by LANE BARTON News Editor

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he Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Watson Fellowship, which provide yearlong educational experiences in a foreign country, are highly sought-after grants and fellowships at Whitman.

The Fulbright and Watson offer a similar opportunity: the chance to go abroad for a year and learn about an area of interest either through research, teaching, or travel. They differ, however, in the specificity of the projects they encourage and how they are awarded.

“What [Director of Fellowships and Grants Keith Raether] and I often remark on is that the Watson is more about the whole person,” said Administrative Assistant for Fellowships and Grants McKenzie Lynn. “The Fulbright is just as competitive...you have to prove yourself and highlight that you’ve been a leader, that you have had teaching experience, or that you’re incredibly academic and can go abroad and study the same thing for a year. But the Watson is more about the person–it’s about who you are and how the project will affect you.”

There are two types of Fulbright grants: study/research grants associated with an art project or research in any discipline and English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) focused on English education and a commu-

nity project in a foreign country.

ETAs are generally more popular among Whitman students.

“The main difference is [with] research you have an affiliated professor or some sort of academic at a university or institution in the country who you’re going to work with for a year and that’s what your grant is for,” said senior Noah Oltman, who is a candidate for an ETA in Germany. “[For the ETA] you’re sent to an assigned country and you work about part-time, 30 hours a week maybe, as an English teacher ... and…they want you to show that you have some alternative plan for community engagement. So it’s a combination of teaching and an outside project to facilitate a cultural exchange.”

This year there are 24 applicants for Fulbright grants from Whitman. Generally, only a handful of applicants actually receive grants, with eight recipients last year matching the highest in recent memory. The process requires the ability for an applicant to articulate why they should receive the opportunity to work abroad and exchange ideas across cultures.

“The key really for Fulbright is to indicate why you are pursuing this experience in the country of choice...and to indicate your ideas of engaging across cultures: how are you going to immerse yourself in the host country and engage with that community, bringing your own experiences as an

American to the table and learning from theirs?” said Raether.

A major way in which this can be expressed for the ETA is through a project outside of teaching that is focused on community.

“There’s also a communi-

“I have learned so much through this application process and no matter what happens, I am so glad that I applied” Danielle Audino ‘16 Watson Candidate

ty-based aspect to it where...you have to do something in addition to teaching English. So what I’m looking at doing is creating a network of intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals very similar to the Buddy Program we have at Whitman, getting them together, doing different activities with them, and educating the community on how to be more inclusive to individuals with these disabilities,” said senior Jeremy Nolan, a candidate for an ETA in Mexico.

The Watson Fellowship, on the other hand, is a program supported by 40 liberal arts colleges that provides 30,000 dollar stipends to a select group of students. While there are similar requirements for Fulbright and Watson applicants, Whitman can only nominate four

Watson candidates for a chance to earn one of 40 fellowship opportunities. This year, 14 students completed applications for review by the Whitman committee in charge of nominations.

“The application process for the Watson Fellowship is pretty rigorous. The application requires a [five] page personal statement, a [five] page project proposal, and [two] letters of recommendation. There is an internal deadline at the beginning of October, then from that applicant pool, the Whitman Committee selects a few applicants to nominate to the Watson Committee. The final 40 fellows from around the country are selected in March,” said senior Danielle Audino, a candidate for a Watson fellowship, in an email to The Pioneer.

The Watson also differs from the Fulbright in that its project is often less about research and more about an individual exploring a topic rigorously and independently for a year. Watson students are not allowed to reach out to friends or even other Watsons during their time abroad and instead are required to find their own accommodations and connections for their year of travel.

“The Watson...look[s] for students of unusual promise who are obsessed with something, who are mature and brave enough to go around for a year without a safety net at all because they’re not allowed to stay with friends or stay with fam-

ily or even spend a lot of time [somewhere] that they’re familiar with. So everything has to be new and they have to be willing to navigate that,” said Lynn.

The Watson is thus focused on the individual and rewards individuals with a keen interest in a topic that can also reflect on their learning experiences over the course of the year. “[A] Watson proposal should strike that delicate balance between you, and the values and experiences that make up ‘you,’ and the specifics of your project.

The best Watson proposals, from what I’ve heard, seem to be located somewhere in the center, so that the individual can have a fascination and a relationship to what they study but will still be challenged and taken out of his or her comfort zone in the process,” said senior Brennan Johnson, a candidate for a Watson fellowship, in an email to The Pioneer.

Regardless of the differences, applicants for both the Watson and Fulbright note that the experience is worthwhile whether or not the applicant becomes a recipient.

“I have learned so much through this application process and no matter what happens, I am so glad that I applied! I would encourage everyone to apply if they have the opportunity. I gained a far better understanding of what motivates me and what I am passionate about through creating my project proposal,” said Audino in an email to The Pioneer.

Pio Past: Ducklings SOPHOMORE REVITALIZES down the drain ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP For almost 120 years, The Pioneer has reported on news from the Whitman campus and surrounding community. Pio Past pulls old articles from past decades from the Penrose Library archives to give modern readers a glimpse of campus history.

Originally printed April 22nd, 1999 by Elizabeth Johnson, staff writer.

S

tudents leaving Prentiss Dining Hall were met with a unique situation Saturday night. Two ducklings had fallen down an open sewer hole, and for more than an hour, dozens of students attempted to rescue them.

First-year student Jimmy Maize was the first student on the scene. According to Maize, two students were chasing the baby ducks and trying to pick them up.

“I saw a guy on his knees trying to pick up a baby duck right by the hole and then I heard him exclaim and they were both looking down the hole. At that point, I knew they had fallen down.

Two sets of chirping sounds were heard down the hole, so a rescue mission attempted to save them.”

Maize said that someone ran to get a coat hanger, but he didn’t think that was a smart or useful idea. He attempted to make a pulley out of cardboard and hemp with some bread on the platform to pull the ducks up. Unfortunately, the pulley wasn’t long enough to reach the bottom of the hole.

Students who gathered around the hole tried to invent new strategies for saving the ducks.

Sophomore Dustin Benham’s knowledge of sewer systems aided the group. “Basically, the sewer inlet pipe which was left uncapped leads to a bigger sewer line which I think that the ducks got trapped in and which was too deep for us to get to,’” Benham said.

Benham, Maize, and nu-

Photo courtesy of the Whitman Archives

merous other students used a wet vacuum to try and suck the ducks up to safety. They feared though that the ducks would be beheaded in the process so they tried using nylons and cloths to protect the ducks.

The sound of the vacuum was either too loud or the ducks were out of reach. Near the music building, a sewage manhole was opened, and Maize suggested sending somebody down to personally retrieve the ducks. This idea was quickly abandoned. Another idea was to flood the pipe so that the ducks would rise to the top, but Benham rejected the idea saying it would only flush the ducks further down the system.

Maize insisted they kept trying, even after Anderson Senior Resident Matt Carter told them to give up. Carter remarked during the incident, “This is stupid.” Comparisons were made to the baby Jessica incident when a young girl fell down a well and took days to rescue.

Unfortunately, the ducks were never saved. Animal control was called but never showed up. Whitman security was also present to assist.

“I think that the lesson to be learned here is that open sewer pipes need to be capped off– especially around small ducks. I would like to see an internal investigation about why this was left uncapped,” Benham said.

Maize said, “I am deeply saddened by this event.”

Ironically enough, the pipe now is covered with duct tape and a small cross and bouquet of flowers mark the spot. The bodies of the ducks were never recovered.

Maize said, “It all has to do with natural selection and Darwin. They’ll grow submarine abilities and be able to swim in sewage, and the a new breed of ducks will emerge.”

by MIKAELA SLADE Staff Reporter

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ction for Animals has advocated for animal rights at Whitman for over a decade, and though its numbers dwindled last year, sophomore Emma Bishop volunteered to be president to reinvigorate one of Whitman’s oldest activist organizations. Though the club has not yet held an event this year, Bishop plans to focus on connecting students with off-campus animal rights issues from across the state.

Bishop was paired with Action for Animals as an ASWC senator last year and observed the club’s difficulty holding events and finding members. When junior Maddie Bailey, last year’s president, approached Bishop for help at the end of the year, Bishop volunteered to take over as president.

“The club was kinda go-

“[Last year] there were not that many people in the club and the club had lost its way,” Maddie Bailey ‘17 Former president of Action for Animals

ing downhill, so I talked to [Bailey] and she was swamped with a ton of other work,” said Bishop.

“We are trying to do a mix of volunteering locally, helping out in the Walla Walla community especially at the Humane Society.”

Bishop offered to step up as President of the club because her interest in animals and interest in a career in animals rights or environmental law.

“My entire life I have loved animals; I feel like a lot of people

Sophomore Emma Bishop is working to reinvigorate Action for Animals, Whitman’s animal rights group. Membership has more than tripled this year. Photo by Nobles

say that, and I struggle to explain why mine is different–I don’t really know, I just have a really strong desire to help them,” said Bishop.

Action for Animals’ first event of the year will be face-painting children during Halloween to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” said Bishop, “but the World Wildlife Foundation is doing this big ‘Make Halloween Wild’ fundraiser where they are encouraging groups to do something and then donate to them.”

Bailey is now working as the budget manager to help the club manage it proceeds. She has been encouraged by the club’s increased attendance this year; while last year there were only four members, this year participation spiked to 15 members.

“There were not that many people in the club and the club had lost its way,” said Bailey. “In the years before I had joined the club, one thing that had been an ongoADVERTISEMENT

ing thing was making a vegan cookbook that people would submit their recipes to, but I didn’t know how to do that so I couldn’t continue it.”

The Whitman College Psychology department maintains colonies of rats and pigeons that are used for research in a laboratory on the top floor of Maxey Hall. At other schools, animal research can prove a contentious subject, especially if the animals involved are charismatic like dogs and cats or intelligent like monkeys. However, Whitman’s own lab has not been a source of controversy in recent years. The psychology department is open about the existence of the lab and the research that goes on there, and though it has had inquiries from animal rights groups, none has staged protests.

“Most of the interactions I have had are out of curiosity,” said Professor of Psychology Wally Herbranson, who conducts research with rats and pigeons. “I feel pretty comfortable with what we do and I am happy to share that information.”

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A cappella groups share goals, ambitions for upcoming year

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: Performance of Butt Kapinski, an interactive mystery/comedy play: Oct. 16 & 17, 7:30 p.m. at the Gesa Powerhouse, 111 N 6th Ave. JeanLouis Tripp & François Lapierre Drawing Concert and Book Signing:

Seniors Nate Fleming, Randy Brooks and junior Collin Faunt of the Testostertones (above left) and senior Brenna Feeney of Sirens (above right) perform at a Reid coffeehouse concert on Sept. 5. The performance was hosted by Fleming as a Mr. Whitman pageant contest fundraiser. Photo by Mutter

by EMMA COOPER Staff Reporter

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his year, Whitman’s three a cappella groups are starting the school year with new goals and new plans.

On Monday, Sept. 5, at 7:00 p.m. all three Whitman a cappella groups performed in the Reid coffeehouse.

Each of the three a cappella groups performed songs. The Testostertones are an all-male singing group, the Sirens are an all-female singing group and Schwa is Whitman’s co-ed singing group.

Schwa started the show with an incredible rendition of Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child.” Fleming led the T-tones in a jaw-dropping version of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean.” The Sirens closed the show with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of altJ’s “Interlude 1 (Ripe & Ruin).”

Each group featured veter-

an

and new singers alike.

With new voices comes the objective of setting new goals.

Fleming is enthusiastic about the new singers and how they fit right in with the T-tones.

“Honestly, a big thing we kinda like is when they’re coming out to audition a lot of them kind of fit our dynamic anyway. And so it moves through and...everyone is a bunch of goofy guys and it never changes the dynamic. It’s been the same dynamic almost every year I’ve been here.

We keep the same dynamic going and it’s so much fun. I love it.”

This year, Fleming says, the T-tones are setting their sights high to continue the a cappella legacy at Whitman. “[We’re aiming] just to continue being a great a cappella group at Whitman. Each year we improve more and more.”

To continue that legacy, the T-tones keep it simple.

KWCW Show of the Week:

The Cookie Dance

“We’re a bunch of guys who love singing and love singing great music together, and we enjoy performing for people, really connecting with the audience members, and putting on a great show because that’s what a cappella is really all about.”

This year the Sirens are planning to add new elements to their performance. According to Sophomore Anna Ballew, the Sirens are experimenting with not only the style of songs they sing, but also their style of performance.

“We are trying to incorporate more genres this year and incorporate more choreography.”

Ballew also commented on the thrill of getting new voices in the group.

“Everybody is really, really excited when we get new members and it’s always fun performing with them for the first time.”

Schwa’s goals for the year are to push the limits. Sen-

The Whitman branch of the festival was entirely orchestrated by senior Film and Media Studies majors Noelle Butler, Meg Logue, John Lee, Emma Casley and Nate Fleming.

John Lee reached out to his classmates for help organizing.

“When [Lee] told me about the possibility of hosting a film festival at Whitman I was immediately all in,” said Logue. “We have a strong department here at Whitman, but we are fairly isolated from the rest of the filmmaking world, so I didn’t want to turn down an opportunity to bring independent films from all over the world onto our campus.”

Lee worked on an independent film with the Director of the festival Nat Saenz last spring. The pair decided to try to host an extension of the festival in Walla Walla.

“It really just came down to wanting to bring in new films for students and the greater Whitman and Walla Walla Community to watch,” said Lee. The team has been collaborating on the project since midsummer. Coordinating with Saenz, the five students organ-

ized everything from advertisement to tech to carting a popcorn machine across campus.

Thirty-five films from around the world were shown in all, ranging from three or four minute shorts to an hour and a half-long documentary about the impact of Blues Music in America.

The festival was broken into four categories: Documentary Features, Community Shorts, Science Fiction and Fantasy (SF&F) Shorts and Horror Shorts. Each category was a two-hour block.

The Community Films block took place from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and featured films submitted by Whitman students, one by a Walla Walla Community member and one from a Walla Walla Community College student. The Community short films were nearly equal parts narrative and documentary.

Meg Logue’s submission is a film that she made during her study abroad program in Prague. “[The community shorts] will feature a wide range of genres and experience levels, which I am really excited about,” said Logue before the event.

Several of the Whitman ADVERTISEMENT

by ERIC ANDERSON Staff Reporter

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istening to Gregory Schnorr’s “The Cookie Dance with Chef Schnorgonoff,” one might find themselves convinced that the KWCW station is equipped with a full fermenting refrigerator, a larder and a full kitchen bakeshop. That’s because Schnorr takes care to maintain that illusion on every episode of his radio show.

On “The Cookie Dance,” Schnorr, a Whitman alumnus with a Baking and Pastry Degree from the Culinary Institute of America, integrates his presentation of a recipe with a mix of music over two hours, in order to counteract the monotony of more conventional cooking shows. The recipes range across a variety of types, just as the music covers a wide range of genres.

“Recipes can be as simple as making chocolate chip cookies or as complex as fermenting garlic black over a two month period,” says Schnorr. While they may be complicated at times, Schnorr tries to use recipes that fit what a student might have in their dorm room. However, he is aware that most students don’t have fermenting refrigerators and other specialized tools, and frequently offers more makeshift solutions that

are feasible for Whitties, such as “how to turn a closet into a more temperature-controlled area.”

For those looking for more conventional cooking tips, Schnorr mentions that he has presented a pizza recipe nearly every semester of the show’s tenure, as well as frequently showcasing cookie recipes (true to the show’s name).

On the music side, selections vary from “classic” to “very technical” to “soulful” and “acoustic,” and the show is “always having new music mixed in.” Maintaining the balance between cooking and music can be tricky, but Schnorr handles it by “never... talk[ing] over the lyricist,” with the goal of having “a continuous flow of music, the same way you don’t have a break in the kitchen... It’s very fluid.”

“The Cookie Dance,” which has been airing since 2003, has helped bring diversity to the programming of Whitman’s radio.

“KWCW can provide a learning atmosphere other than just music and streaming new rotation,” he says. “Some of the best shows have an educational component. I want to be in that part of the KWCW portfolio.”

“The Cookie Dance with Chef Schnorgonoff” airs on 90.5 FM every Sunday from 6:00a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Sweet Adelines Chorus performs ‘Variety...the Spice of Life’: Friday, Oct. 16th, 7:30 p.m. at Cordiner Hall.

Tickets available at Whitman College Bookstore.

Lila Stange Senior Violin Recital presented by Whitman College Department of Music: Sunday, Oct. 18th, 3:00 p.m. -5:30 p.m. at Kimball Theatre.

Performance of ‘The Liar’: Oct. 22 -25, Alexander Stage of Harper Joy Theatre

Whitman hosts film festival from FILM FESTIVAL, page 1

Whitman alumnus Gregory Schnorr (above) shares cooking recipes and music on his radio show, which airs Sunday mornings from 6:00-8 :00a.m. Photo by Hampson

ior Evan Martin is excited about the new incoming voices and how they will help Schwa grow.

“Schwa has added some amazing and talented new members to the group, so now we’re just looking to add new music to our group and share it with people to enjoy. Our goals are just to keep on pushing ourselves as a group, to have a great sound, and perform songs beyond our limits. It only makes it that more fantastic! All the veterans of Schwa are stoked to have these wonderful freshmen on our squad.”

The event was hosted by TTones singer senior Nate Fleming as a fundraiser in the Mr. Whitman contest. Both Fleming and Senior Evan Martin, a member of Schwa, are competing in the Mr. Whitman event.

Sounds like the a cappella groups are going to have an incredible year dancing (for the Sirens), beatboxing and, of course, singing.

Friday, Oct. 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Maxey Museum. Part of the SEEING STORIES: Traversing the Graphic Narrative series.

films were made in filmmaking classes. There were even Q&A sessions with some of the filmmakers after the screenings.

The community films cover such topics as documenting the squirrels of Whitman in ‘Squirrels Will Be Squirrels,’ an RV adventure in ‘Mobile Stripper,’ and what happens after the apocalypse in ‘Chips.’

Noelle Butler helped plan the community and student block of films.

“I feel like there is so much amazing, quality filmmaking going on in the world, so it is a really special and unique experience to be able to see some of it that you may have never been able to see otherwise,” said Butler. “I love that film can connect people, and bring us all together to enjoy something that can ultimately teach us about the world and our fellow humans.”

The annual TRIFI Festival has screened over 750 short and feature indie films since the festival’s inception in 2008.

“This is the first time we have done this collaboration to put on this particular film festival here, but I hope someone decides to continue the tradition after we graduate,” said Butler.

OCT

15 2015

SPORTS

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5

Red Zone Reflections: Whitman SSRAs offer outlet CFB Playoff thoughts, Heisman watch for coaches and students alike COLE ANDERSON Sports Editor

by GRANT LACO Staff Reporter

F

inding yourself with some extra time in your schedule? Why not try out one of Whitman’s Sport Studies, Recreation, and Athletics classes? In the spring semester, Whitman will be offering 28 SSRA courses after offering 23 this fall.

New classes that will be available include beginning skiing, beginning snowboarding and triathlon sports.

Varsity coaches frequently teach SSRA courses. To find out a little more about the draw of teaching these courses, The Pioneer reached out to a couple varsity coaches turned instructors: Women’s Varsity Tennis coach John Hein, who teaches Beginning Tennis, and Women’s Varsity Golf coach Skip Molitor, who teaches Beginning Golf. “[The courses] give us an opportunity to share the passion that we have for our sport with the general student body ... It’s a ton of fun to work with beginners and people who are just trying it out,” said Molitor.

When asked about the contrast between teaching a varsity sport and a beginning course, Molitor reflected on his experiences with both.

“It’s very enjoyable to be able to combine those two ... It’s enjoyable to work with very high level players who have played competitively for many years, but equally enjoyable to teach someone who’s never picked up a club before. I would rather be asked to teach beginning golf as opposed to only working with varsity players,” he said.

Molitor believes that he is not alone in this sentiment.

“Most of us [varsity coaches] would lean towards having that opportunity, to interact with these students who are new to the sport,” he said.

Coach Hein confirmed Molitor’s statement, speaking very highly of the ability to spread his enthusiasm for tennis to a new crowd.

“I love the beginning tennis class, both because of its differences from team practice and for its similarities,” said Hein. “While the content is at a higher level with the team and we’re building everyone’s game over a longer period of time, the principles of how to improve at tennis remain the same. I guess that’s what I love, is using the game that I’m passionate about to meet new students ... my class allows me to do that while my team allows for a much deeper teaching opportunity.”

Senior Anna Sheridan, a student in Hein’s beginning tennis class, spoke to her experience so far.

“You can really tell that everyone is improving and it’s exciting to finally be able to volley and to play games,” said Sheridan. “John is wonderful and encouraging and makes time for us before or after class if we want extra practice or have a question. Whitman has so many tennis courts (both indoor and outdoor) and it’s going to be so nice to be able to play (and look like I know what I’m doing) on the weekend just for fun!”

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Alex Honeyman (‘16) hones his climbing skills in his climbing SSRA. The climbing gym offers opportunities for all levels of climbers to improve. Photo by Nace

Despite how much Sheridan and her classmates have improved, that wasn’t necessarily the goal going into the course for everybody. It’s perfectly acceptable to join an SSRA for reasons other than an ambition to get better at the sport or activity.

“I took tennis because I needed a break in my schedule and it’s a great excuse to get outside,” said Sheridan. “I have a lot of friends with different majors who I would never have a class with, and we decided to take this class together.”

Many are hesitant about adding an SSRA to their schedule—perhaps it seems like the time commitment is too much for a busy college student for just one credit. Take it from these students that it might be worth your time to try one out. Coaches Hein and Molitor emphasize the value of mixing up your schedule well.

“At the end of the day, sports engage the body and the mind simultaneously and I think that is a crucial part of education and is something [that] every student can carry into their life after Whitman as they work to balance health, wellness, and fun with their intellectual work,” said Hein.

Molitor agreed wholeheartedly.

“It’s nice to get a group of students together and just relax and have some fun! No grades, no expectations just, let’s get outside and

enjoy picking up some new skills and [trying] something that we might have a little bit of experience in, or that we haven’t done at all. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable stress reliever.”

SCOREBOARD

ollege football usually lends itself to drama and excitement. On any given week upsets are bound to happen, changing the rankings and playoff picture instantly. Despite the inherent craziness that college football fans are used to, there is usually at least some predictability from week to week. In most CFB seasons, a pack of four to five teams usually emerges early and widens their gap of dominance as the season progresses. This is no such season; this college football season has been crazier than Texas Christian University’s game winning, fourth down, tipped by the receiver then caught by the running back, touchdown pass in the final half minute of the game against Texas Tech in week four.

2015 looked pretty special after Brigham Young University won its first two games on last second hail-mary plays, quickly jumping them from unranked irrelevancy to number 19 in the nation. But with the exception of those results, most games were consistently predictable through the first two weeks. Heavy favorites won convincingly, huge underdogs were blown out, and the top five stayed the same. Then week three happened. No. 2 (now No. 10) Alabama, one of the modern dynasties of the playoff era, lost at home to Ole Miss. The win jumped Ole Miss all the way to No. 3 nationally for two weeks, until they got blown out at Florida and dropped back down to double digits. Ohio State, last year’s national champion who is still ranked first in the nation, was tested by a subpar-at-best Northern Illinois and No. 6 University of Southern California lost to

Even this past weekend left something to be desired. TCU once again won in the closing minutes after trailing all game to an unranked Kansas State. Michigan State, who entered the weekend ranked fourth, barely won against Rutgers, a not so big Big-12 opponent, and Utah would have lost were it not for Cal’s five interceptions and a final defensive stand in the red zone with 30 seconds remaining.

Now heading into week seven, it’s still anyone’s guess who might wind up in the CFB playoff. At this point, the only teams that look consistently dominant have been Utah and Baylor, both of which have the most difficult parts of their season remaining. Clemson has picked up steam, but has already won two games by just three points or less and still has to play Florida State.

If Ohio State can stay undefeated they’ll wind up back in the playoffs, but they’ll have to beat a strong Michigan State team late in the season. Baylor still has to play TCU, a game that will decide the fate of both previously unbeaten teams, and the Pac-12 and SEC both are revolving doors, with new teams being considered the best every week.

Something that is much more certain this season is the Heisman race; a race that is all but over after the emergence of Leonard Fournette. A man among boys so far, Fournette has averaged over 200 rush yards per game through five contests and has single handedly won LSU games, keeping them unbeaten in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation.

Of course Trevone Boykin and Zeke Elliot deserve at least a mention, but barring injury or some ridiculous falloff in production from Fournette, Boykin and Elliot may want to sit back and enjoy the show being put on in Baton Rouge.

At the halfway point of the regular season, the uncertainty we have seen can only do good things for college football. Each game is important for every team. With so many schools vying for a top spot and such a high chance of any of the top

SOCCER

Illustration by Rannestad

Men’s v. Whitworth University Oct. 10: L 0-3 Women’s v. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 11: T 1-1

VOLLEYBALL

v. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 9: W 3-0 v. Willamette University Oct. 10: L 1-3

GOLF

Men’s NWC Fall Classic Oct. 10-11: 8th Place Women’s NWC Fall Classic Oct. 10-11: 3rd Place

UPCOMING HOME CONTESTS ONLY

MEN’S SOCCER

v. Pacific University Oct. 17 @ 12 P.M. v. George Fox University Oct. 18 @ 2:30 P.M.

VOLLEYBALL

v. University of Puget Sound Oct. 16 @ 7 P.M. v. Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 17 @ 5 P.M.

unranked Stanford in the coliseum.

And week four didn’t give any more clarity. No. 3 TCU needed a last minute miracle to cap a game winning drive against in-state rival Texas Tech. Utah, now ranked 4th in the nation who was a complete unknown two years ago, put up the most points against Oregon in the history of Autzen stadium.

10-15 teams having a legitimate shot at a top four spot and ticket to the College Football Playoff, the season will only get more interesting.

The teams currently in the driver’s seat should not be nearly as comfortable as teams have been in past years at this time, and that’s just perfect. Buckle up because this year’s CFB season is only just beginning.

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FEATURE

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OCT

15 2015

Juvenile Justice The bounds of campus make it easy to forget that Walla Walla is the state center of criminal justice. In their projects with the Juvenile Justice Center, only blocks away from Whitman, two students have broken the bubble.

In 2011, 1.5 million juveniles were arrested in the United States. Walla Walla’s Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) provides programming and facilities to help young offenders realize how their actions impact their community and their own lives. Seniors Rose Gottlieb and Marlee Raible are the latest students to work and volunteer there. Photos by Kelly

by KAMNA SHASTRI Staff Reporter

A

griculture, social inequalities, high-class wine culture, and educational institutions intermingle along with all aspects of the criminal justice system here in Walla Walla. Still, it’s easy to stay inside the invisible walls of campus, with an occasional meander down Main Street serving as a taste of the world outside the Whitman bubble. However, there are many students who have seized opportunities to interact with the larger society of which Whitman is a part, one being the criminal justice system.

“It’s funny in a way [because] Walla Walla seems out in the middle of nowhere, but we have the entire criminal justice system right here before our eyes.

Through various kinds of detention, police, and sheriffs, [there are] lots of opportunity for kids to get involved especially when you have a thesis program like we do here,” said Keith Farrington, the Laura and Carl Peterson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, whose research focuses on criminology.

Senior Rose Gottlieb spent her summer interning at the Juvenile Justice Center (JJC), where at-risk youth and adolescents who have committed crimes and misdemeanors undergo corrections programs. The center’s goal is to provide a supportive and safe environment conducive to rebuilding and reflecting rather than simply punishing. During their stay at the JJC, usually for one to three weeks, adolescents go through an education program and learn to reflect on their actions and the resulting implications for the community.

Gottlieb led a class about employing dialectical behavior management, an approach that suggests that two disagreeing parties can both be right. “It’s trying to break down that black and white thinking that teenagers especially get stuck in,” she said.

One of the class goals was to give youths the tools to understand their own emotions and reactions. Music served as one of many avenues to begin the exercise. Gottlieb would play a pop

song and ask the students to share their resulting experiences without filtering out how they felt.

“I was just trying to get them to have some idea of looking within and knowing what your emotions are doing, because the first step is recognizing what is going on within yourself,” Gottlieb said.

During her experience, Gottlieb faced challenges. In the beginning, students would swear at or be distant with her. Over time, she gained their trust and was able to create a cooperative environment.

“I think they definitely were more willing to trust me than the other adults in the facility because I was younger. I think that makes a big difference in terms of being approachable and being seen as a mentor,” she said.

Gottlieb did see changes in youths from when they came into the program feeling disgruntled and hesitant to when they left, understanding their actions and the larger impacts of those actions.

“I think there are certain kids that really benefit from a highly structured environment and intervention.

I have a way more nuanced understanding of detention and adolescents.”

Rose Gottlieb ‘16 Work at the JJC comes with somewhat of an emotional toll.

Gottlieb had to grapple with the fact that sometimes all she could do was listen to the inmates’ stories. There wasn’t always a way for her to directly better the situation outside of the JJC’s environment.

Senior sociology major Marlee Raible has also volunteered and toured at the JJC and has had similar feelings.

“It’s a very emotionally hard thing for me ... because these kids have never had someone listen to them. And so I would go in there and they would just tell me things and I was like, ‘I don’t even know what to say!’” she said.

Still, Raible’s passion for criminal justice has fueled her community engagement during her time at Whitman. She currently stands on the JJC’s Community Accountability Board (CAB). The volunteer-based CAB is made up of community members who speak to youths about the crimes they commit, how the community is impacted and what actions to take to make amends. According to the JJC website, the goal is to “impress upon the youth the connection between themselves, their community, and their offender activity.”

When Raible meets with youths and their families, she says it often becomes apparent as to why they choose certain actions.

“You can see everyone in there, people who are very angry, people who are sad, crying, and very apologetic. You can get people in there and you need to refer them to mental health services... by seeing these kids and talking to the mom and dad, you can see pretty quickly some of the reasons these kids might have gotten here in the first place.”

Raible sees the youths as victims of a larger system at play, entangled with our social structures; she emphasizes that juvenile justice – and criminal justice in general – goes beyond any one individual.

“We ... need to change cultural things in the first place so that [as soon as people are born, they] can have a different experience,” she said.

Scrolling through a report published in 2013 by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the U.S. Department of Justice, 1.5 million minors were arrested. The report also states that minorities make up a disproportionate number of those arrested and, more specifically, 51 percent of juveniles arrested for violent crime were black youth. Statistics like these suggest a larger connection between juvenile, criminal justice, and other current issues.

Raible points specifically to racism. “[The criminal justice system] is, to me, one of the most apparent institutional structures where you can see racism mani-

fested. So when you have extremely significant portion of the population entering into the criminal justice system, it’s extremely important to acknowledge that that is something that is happening and that should not be continuing in the way it is continuing.”

Students and Criminal Justice Involvement Whitman students have been involved on-and-off with juvenile and criminal justice institutions in Walla Walla since the 1980s. Professor Farrington’s expertise lies in criminal justice and criminology, and he has found that direct student involvement with the penitentiary and the JJC augments the concepts students learn in the classroom. “I think that sociology can be exclusively an in-class activity but to me and for a lot of students it really takes on an added layer ... you can apply what you learn in the classroom to what is taking place in the real world,” he said.

Farrington said that many students that have had the opportunity to work, volunteer, or intern with the criminal justice institutions have not only created theses, but have also gone on to work in law enforcement. In fact, the managing director of the JJC, Norris Gregoire, is a Whitman alumnus.

“You really see students develop an amazingly mature and empathetic, rich understanding ,and orientation toward problems associated with crime and delinquency. All of a sudden you can put names and faces and real life situations to the things you are talking about,” said Farrington.

For Gottlieb, the chance to work at the JJC was an opportunity to gain a more multi-faceted perspective on juvenile justice.

“I kind of went in thinking it was just going to be terrible and really disliking the idea of locking kids up, which to some extent is still problematic for me.

But I think there are certain kids that really benefit from a highly structured environment and intervention. I have a way more nuanced understanding of detention and adolescents,” she said.

OPINION

OCT

15 2015

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Board Editorial: Is Whitman really a community?

Let’s talk about talking... during sex

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ampus politics have a depressing pattern. This year we’ve already seen it play out with drive-by harassment.

Crises arise, capturing the community’s interest for a brief moment. But the novelty wears off and students go back to their daily schedules. Most of those not affected by a threat–wealthy, white students who make up the majority of the student body–disengage.

Whitman calls itself an academic community, but by definition a community’s members watch out for each other. Protecting the basic rights of others should come before one’s own self-interest and happiness. Confronting racism and privilege are not happy tasks, but they are necessary if “community” is to be more than a meaningless cliché.

White students need to be willing to permanently give up some of the time they spend on sports and extracurriculars to focus on work that will make this campus safe for students of color. There are a dozen intercultural clubs and various political issues that would benefit from more students getting involved. These groups don’t need white students to save them; they already have strong leaders.

Newcomers need to admit what they don’t know and be willing to listen, learn, and take action in ways that support students of color who’ve been working on these issues for years.

Whitman prides itself as being one of the happiest colleges in the nation–it promotes this fact at the top of its admissions page. At this moment, the college is considering constructing costly new residence and dining facilities in an effort to maintain student body happiness and keep up with other private liberal arts institutions in a luxuries arms race. Happy students means more applicants: to be specific, more wealthy applicants whose money can keep funding the country club college experience (despite its large endowment, Whitman remains one of the least financially accessible colleges in the nation). These policies have predictably led to a happy student body which repeatedly ignores the injustice that endangers its students of color.

Whitman’s students and administration need to change their priorities. Students need to focus on the well-being of others instead of self-interest, and administrators need to shift the institution’s values to prioritize community and citizenship. Otherwise we are not a community, only a collection of individuals focused on our own happiness at the expense of one another.

CRYSTAL AND CHEVY Anonymous

et’s talk about sex. More specifically, let’s talk about talking during sex. Many of us have probably at some point or another reached that critical moment in sex when something needs to happen differently. That’s not to say the sex isn’t good, or whatever is happening in the moment is not pleasurable, but for whatever reason, something needs to change. The topic of today’s column is to discuss ways to establish this dialogue and communication during sex acts. While communication is infinitely important during all sexual situations, we feel that there are three particular times when communication can truly enhance your sex life: status updates, tricks for climaxing, and cracking jokes.

The first instance is what we’ll call the “check in”. This is most useful when trying something new or when making sure your partner is receiving as much pleasure as you are. When we give consent, we assume it’s often an end-all-and-be-all to a single sex act, but we don’t realize that even within that single act there can be things that need talking about. For example, during vaginal sex, it is sometimes possible for the penetrator to go too deep and unintentionally cause their partner pain. Even if you and your partner have had sex many times before–even in this same position–it is still important to check in. This can be as simple as saying, “Is this good?” Open communication requires both partners to be truthful with their answers. It can be tough to bring up the conversation, particularly if something your partner is

Illustration by Burch

doing is uncomfortable. It might be awkward and scary, but think about it in the reverse: If you were accidentally causing them pain, wouldn’t you want to know?

The second avenue for communication during sex is when it’s going well, but you still need that little extra push to climax.

When you’re masturbating, you know exactly what that is, but obviously your partner doesn’t have the same insight. For example, even though Chevy and I are both fairly vanilla, there are things that we need occasionally to push us past the edge. These can be good to talk about before sex, but they can happen in the

moment as well. For Chevy, it’s being bitten–hard. For Crystal, it’s just a quick snippet of dirty talk. It’s not something we need every time, but it’s a good bonus!

Third: remember, sex is fun, so don’t be afraid to crack a joke.

Getting down is often conceived as a means to an end, which can give sex an air of seriousness.

While it’s certainly true that having sex with someone expresses more than words ever can, you can often add to the intimacy of the act by cracking a joke.

Things that you can laugh at during sex (from our personal experiences): queefing, cats jumping on your face, roommates walk-

ing in, funny noises, accidentally elbowing your partner in the nuts, losing your balance and falling off the bed, knocking over the lamp, etc.–the list is infinite.

Ultimately, talking during sex actively increases intimacy. Communication acknowledges your partner’s personhood, the fact that they are an individual, and through that, acknowledges that the two of you are coming to this place of intimacy and pleasure together. While it is certainly possible to have great sex without talking, communication makes sex a space for further sharing–not just of bodies, but of individualities as well.

Letter to the Editor: Housing Alliance consulted with community To the Editor: In addition to legitimate differences in approach to the plight of increasing numbers of homeless in the Walla Walla area, it has often been claimed that those involved in the new Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless failed to consult with existing officials and agencies working on the problem before deciding to proceed with the new initiative known as Madison Park.

The latest example is this quote by the director of the Housing Authority in the September 24 Whitman Pioneer: “Everything that we’ve done prior, we’ve always had community involvement. This idea was going through and the group that’s doing it didn’t contact any of the oth-

er housing providers. [They were] just kind of charging forward and not being inclusive in the conversation, and not sitting at the table with other providers of housing.”

To help you decide if this is true, here are individuals or agencies among others given site tours of the potential homeless day center and housing facility from May 28 to June 22, from whom we asked for advice as to needs and resources: Nabiel Schawa, City Manager; Elizabeth Chamberlain, Development Services Director; Riley Jones, Building Official; Rick Boyd, Building Inspector; Tim Thompson, Fire Department; Harvey Crowder, County Community Health; Debbie Dumont, Human Services Manager; Noah Leavitt, Council on Homeless-

ness; Eloise Phillips, Kay Maxfield, Diane Davis, Tam Lennox, Norm Osterman of Walla Walla County Human Services Advisory Board; Ben Norens, Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, & staff; Renee Rooker, Kelsie Beckmeyer, WW Housing Authority; Jason Wicklund, Christian Aid Center, and staff; Ted Kohler, John Anthony, Brooke Bouchey of Blue Mountain Action Council; Christie Lieuellen, United Way; Liz McDevitt, Helpline; Tim Meliah, Catholic Charities; Dave Beebe, Veterans Center; Ron Opsal, VA Medical Center; Nancy Jacobsen, Commitment to Community; Jerry Cummins, Mayor & Housing Authority board member; city council members Jim Barrow, Dick Morgan, and Allen Pomran-

ing, and city council member and BMAC employee Mary Lou Jenkins; Glenna Awbrey, STAR Project; Steve Moss, former BMAC director & State Housing Commission member; Chuck Fulton, retired police chief, Sherwood trustee; Punkey Adams, First Congregational Church, Sherwood trustee; David Fogarty, retired planner.

We also met with and offered tours to the full Housing Authority board and asked to meet with the full Council on Homelessness and the Interfaith Coalition on Poverty, along with other officials.

Though we didn’t specifically meet with the neighbors during that period, we are now doing so.

Daniel N. Clark, ‘65 Walla Walla

Cuteness: an unlikely strategy for social revolution BEN SHOEMAKE Senior

FAINT

O

n Sept. 27, 2014, Aevee Bee made a post on her blog “Towards a Cutie Aesthetic,” making pretty big waves within certain circles of the altgames community. Speaking on current trends in mainstream AAA game aesthetics, she ended up producing a powerful statement on perceptions of reality in general. “When the only voices and people and things that are rendered with ‘reality’ are guns and metal and soldiers and dust,” she says, “Then reality will be strangled. The intention of realistic graphics is not to represent reality but to overtake reality.”

After the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, Tumblr user elucipher remarked on the stunning departure it makes from the bulk of cinematic science fiction we experience today. Instead of using a dark, limited, drained color palette à la The Dark Knight, Fury Road depicts a world bursting with radiance and emotion. “Look how beautiful the world is; even when it’s dying and cruel,” she remarks in the tags of her post.

“There’s hope and weird screaming optimism in every frame.”

We are sold an image of reality, not just in games but also in movies, in the news and on TV. It is a reality devoid of color. It is a reality where protests become war-zones, a reality in which value is reducible to utility, in which meaning is equated with capital. If we are to seek progress, it is expected that we do so within this framework: through violence, service, or the economy.

But what if there is more going on than this narrow picture can contain? What if people can appreciate each other for more than just their utility or sex? What if a silly television show about a boy and his

moms can engender understanding beyond that which you can find in a classroom? What if escaping from the world to look at cute animal videos leaves you more connected to it than ever before?

There are real problems in the world that we need to face.

We have created a social environment heavily invested in the classification and policing of identities. We have created an economic system that views people as problems and liabilities rather than as individuals. We have created a planet that is falling apart faster and faster every day.

We are all probably going to die.

In resisting this end, however, we must be careful not to give up what matters most–ourselves, each other, our realities, and all the meaning we have created.

When we stand up, we must do so with color, with laughter. As Aevee remarks, “Cute graphics are the only aesthetic that can truly free you from the tyranny of reality.”

There’s something powerfully subversive about cuteness. Cute is bashful, it is weak, it is all the things you aren’t supposed to be but are, it is all the ways you aren’t

Voices from the Community

Illustration by Revere

supposed to appreciate things but do. Cute is emotional, it is colorful, it touches every identity without need for classification, it provides meaning outside of oppression. Cute wants you to be you and celebrates you for who you are.

I’ve read articles suggesting that post-apocalyptic stories have become so popular in modern young-adult literature because they reflect the world in which young people are now coming of age. Maybe there is some truth to that sentiment, and maybe the world really is coming to an end. Perhaps scarier, may-

be the world is becoming a place where the end no longer matters.

But that future is in our hands, and in creating and enjoying cuteness, we all have the power to resist.

Cuteness doesn’t seem like a tool for revolution. But within this perception lies its power: t breaks from the dominant narrative of cold, heartless oppressions and resistances. Embracing cuteness doesn’t dismiss the problems of reality, but it acknowledges the fact that, in spite of them, there are things in this world worth celebrating. And that’s something worth fighting for.

If they changed Whitman’s mascot what do you think it should be?

Poll by EMMA CASELY and MADALINE STEVENS

STACEY AMEZQUITA

ANDY SCHIFFER

MEGAN COOKE

MILO MINCIN

First-Year

First-Year

First-Year

First-Year

“The Whitman Whittie...It’s been adopted really well.”

“I would like to change the mascot to sweet onions. I don’t associate myself with the missionary.”

“Whitman Wildcats because of the two letters. WW.”

“The fighting onions. Sounds like a cool name.”

15 BACKPAGE Whitman College: A Visitor’s Guide OCT

PAGE

8

2015

North Hall RA secretly hoping residents will throw a party.

Olin Hall Organic Garden

Professor pre-gaming Encounters to combat general feelings of apathy.

Rampant Instagram photos being taken.

Tamarac House

Fraternity Houses Universally respected philanthropy organizations.

First-year friendships slowly crumbling into dust.

Science Building

Student hasn’t showered for 28 days to impress housemates.

BBMB major contemplating hope, freedom.

Parched sidewalk being carefully tended.

Jewett Hall

Maxey Hall

Student being consumed by bed crack.

Sexually threatening statues.

Admissions Skewing statistics to make school seem less white.

Student was beheaded by a frisbee here.

Penrose Library Site of 1965 Hunger Games style bloodbath to be last student to leave.

Sherwood Athletic Center

Interest Houses

Baseball player that nobody has seen in their entire life.

Memorial

Cordiner Hall

Squirrels bringing down full-grown human.

Actively pretending to give a fuck about divestment.

Special guest speaking to record crowd of 4 people.

Prentiss Dining Hall

Climbing Gym

GAC

Reid Campus Center Marcus House

Broken waffle maker instigating a riot.

Chacos required to gain admission.

Who is Glover Alston?

Prentiss Hall

Committee about having too many committees.

Solid gold steps being installed to improve morale.

Going to be gone in a few years anyway.

Labor intensive program happening that nobody knows about.

Anderson Hall Sexiled first-year pretending that section lounge couch is comfortable.

Illustration by Hampton

Student unable to confidently add to class discussion

A

ccording to numerous reports across campus, many Whitman students are unable to contribute in class without first conceding that everything they say they might be completely incorrect. Joseph Beacon-Stanley, a sophomore known to fall victim to spineless contributions to class discussion, volunteered to defend his methods.

Preceding whatever he says in class with “I might be wrong,”

or “I just have a few thoughts that could totally be off base,” Beacon-Stanley epitomizes the recent rise of convictionless class comments. “It’s really nice to fromthe-start relinquish all emotional burden from whatever I say in class,” said Beacon-Stanley.

“Even if I’m confident my idea is right, I throw in my irresolute disclaimer so people think I’m really grasping for a nice cutting edge addition to the conversation.”

Although it remains undecided where this issue stems from, many think the student’s parents are responsible. “Why not? Lack of decisiveness apparently runs in the family,” joked a classmate.

“His parents settled on a [expletive] hyphenated last name.”

Fred Fredericks, chair of the Sociology department, still fondly remembers the bold nature of class discussions years ago and offered new in-

Varsity Nordic

must start skiing

D

ue to excessive confusion among the student body, the Whitman improv group Varsity Nordic has been given an ultimatum: to change their name to something more befitting to an improv group or to start living up to their current name and begin cross country skiing.

The Dean of Students has given the wayward improv group until the end of the week to become “an actual D1-level ski team” or change their name “to something like ‘Varsity Sweets,’ ‘First Rate Curling,’ or ‘Top Notch Equestrian Vaulting,’ you know, something really improv-y.” However, Varsity Nordic has shown no indication of adding a sport to their repertoire nor of thinking of a new, less spiteful team name.

This confusing name selection was no mere accident. Varsity Nordic team member Floppyhair McFly admits that the name comes from a deliberate and malicious attempt to confuse people. “I just like watching the world burn,” he said, grinning dangerously and tossing a knife from hand to hand to indicate his delinquent tendencies.

This awful malevolence has had its intended effect on the people of Whitman. In the most recent round of

Illustration by Patel

Varsity Nordic tryouts, every one of the applicants arrived with skis and poles and were brutally disappointed to discover they would instead be playing games and practicing saying yes to new ideas. One of the hopefuls left in tears, muttering “Why would they do something like this?”

According to sources, the members of Varsity Nordic were smiling smugly and exulting in the crushed dreams of all of the people they deceived.

People go to their poorly-publicized, late-night shows at Maxey or Hunter with hopes of seeing stunning examples of wintertime outdoor athleticism, but are brutally disappointed when they discover the painful truth: Varsity Nordic is nothing but an improv group.

“This bullying has gone on for too long,” stated ASWC representative Pratfall Snollygaster.

“We already have too much confusion in our lives, what with pondering about how bees can fly, how ducks are so buoyant, and how leap years even work.

Nobody has time for wondering about Varsity Nordic. Who are they? Where do they perform?

And when? Nobody knows!”

Varsity Nordic member Petite Gardyloo organized a protest against the ultimatum on the steps of Penrose, giving out hand-painted signs that said things including “Names are a spectrum” and “Shake off the norms of labels.”

When asked about her opinion on the ultimatum, Gardyloo coughed, growled “Ain’t nothin’ gonna come from it,” in a low rasping voice, and spat on the ground. She then led a rally amongst the students. “Our name, our choice!

Don’t shame our voice!” At press time, they were still chanting.

Welcome to Wilfrie: Weekday Warrior by Noah Porter

sight into the faculty’s perspective on this phenomenon.

“Back then, kids wouldn’t think twice about confidently offering unsubstantiated claims in my class. Crushing their feeble attempts at insight and depraved sense of self worth was almost too easy,” cooed Fredericks. “Now I can’t even verbally attack one knock-kneed freshman noob without being the bad guy. It’s a goddamn outrage.”

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A former friend of BeaconStanley added that his obnoxious traits continued into other walks of life, including minimally committing to hanging out and sending vague text messages such as, “I definitely will try to come,” or “I’ll probably make it,” before inevitably not kickin’ it.

With his closing interview statement, Fredericks spoke the mind of all those involved, admitting, “the kid’s kinda just soft.”