Issue 1 fall 2015

The

PIONEER

President Murray talks

politics, plans

by LACHLAN JOHNSON

Investigative Director & News Editor

P

resident Kathy Murray assumed the highest office on campus this July 1. Murray was selected by a Presidential Search Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2014. She will be the 14th President of the college, replacing President George Bridges, who had served since 2005. She comes to Whitman from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., where she served as the Provost and Dean of Faculty.

Last week, The Pioneer had the chance to sit down with President Murray and ask her several questions about her plans for the coming semester and her position on several political issues of interest to students.

President Kathy Murray assumed the highest office on campus this July

1st. Murray was selected by a Presidential Search Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2014. She will be the 14th President of the college, replacing President George Bridges, who had served since 2005. She comes to Whitman from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., where she served as the Provost and Dean of Faculty.

Murray was candid, if brief, in sharing her thoughts on issues that have grabbed the campus’s attention.

She expects much of her first semester to be occupied with searching for a new Provost & Dean of Faculty, traveling across the country to meet members of the Board of Trustees, and familiarizing herself with the campus.

When asked about divestment from fossil fuels, she expressed hesitation about gestures that are “solely symbolic,” but openness to meet-

ISSUE 1 | September 10, 2015 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXIII

Whitman student among lost firefighters

ing with students to learn more about the issue Murray considers the two-year suspension of the Whitman debate team a closed issue, though she is hopeful that the review of national debate beginning this fall will find a way for Whitman to participate in debate competitions after the two years are complete.

Though she has not yet heard the report of the WIDE diversity committee, Murray expressed support for broad efforts to address racism on campus, and expects it to influence both the search for a new Provost and the Strategic Action Plan which will be written next year.

Generally, however, Murray emphasized that she is ready and eager to listen to students.

Pio: Why did you want to become a college president?

Tom Zbyszewski (above), a rising junior, was helping fight wildfires as part of a forest service engine crew this summer. He passed away on the night of Aug. 19 in a vehicle crash near Twisp, Wash. along with two other firefighters.

In honor of Tom’s memory, a collection of photos and letters from friends and family is on page 2 of this issue.

Photo by Marra Clay

Local weed retailer to open President Kathy Murray (above) assumed office on July 1. Photo contributed by Office of Communications

by HANNAH BARTMAN

KM: There were lots of reasons.

But one of the big ones is that Provosts don’t have much contact with students ... I went into [higher education] as a faculty member because I love working with students, and this gives me a chance to have more of that in my life.

Pio: What are some projects you plan to work on this semester?

KM: We are running a national search for the next Provost and Dean of Faculty. [The Provost is] in many ways the most important partner for me in the work of advancing student learning at this college. That’s the person who hires and reviews the faculty, and is central to all the curricular things that happen, and getting that right is critically important...

I was charged with launching a strategic planning process, but [the Trustees, the faculty, and I] recognize that we need to have a new Provost in place for the process to have credibility with the faculty ... so we won’t really launch that until next summer. But it’s really important for me to spend this year listening, asking questions, learning what’s distinctive about the culture and ethos of Whitman ... so that we figure out a process for planning that’s true to this place.

Pio: What role will students play in the search for a new Provost?

KM: There are no students on the search committee for the Provost, and that’s pretty standard [among colleges].

The Provost search will be confidential only until we identify the finalists.

The finalists’ visits [to campus] will be public ... The search committee and I haven’t talked about this yet, but I’d like each of the finalists to meet with a small group of students. And there will be public presentations by the candidates, and students will be invited to participate in those.

Pio: The #AskKathy video series released in the spring was originally supposed to answer both personal and political questions submitted by the student body. However, no answers to political questions were released. Can you explain why this was, and how students’ questions may eventually be addressed?

KM: I found my responses [to the political questions] trivial in a way I wasn’t comfortable with. There’s no way in that format to talk about, for example, divestment. That’s a much more nuanced and complicated question than the 15 or 30 second vid-

A

eo they were trying to use [for #AskKathy].

The students most interested in divestment are coming to see me... [with] student groups like that, people with a particular cause or agenda, it’s probably best for us to have a conversation about it. We start to develop relationships that way and build some trust. [ASWC and Pioneer interviews are also good methods of communication].

Pio: In past years, there have been several protests on campus that could be deemed disruptive. How do you think administrators should respond to these students?

KM: Student activism is incredibly important ... I do think it’s the responsibility of the college – faculty, staff and other students – to help people find a way to express those disagreements or passions in the most productive way possible. And sometimes productive is loud.

I would draw the line at activity that keeps other people on this campus from doing their work ... If a protest kept staff members from getting to their offices and doing their jobs, I would find that unacceptable. The most famous [protests] from when I was a young person [were] sit-ins. As long as that’s done in a way that allows other people to do their work, I would not object to that.

The other line I would draw is that people need to be safe. If I think an activity is endangering people’s health and life, then we’re going to step in.

Pio: What is your position on the divestment from fossil fuels?

KM: I haven’t met with [Divest Whitman] yet, so I don’t want to get too far out in front of them, but it’s safe to say I’m not a big fan of gestures that are solely symbolic. I would want whatever we decide to do to go beyond symbolic, and I have yet to see a proposal in the higher ed media that gets past that. But I haven’t talked with this group of students, and I want to hear what they have to say.

Pio: Do you believe the college’s endowment should have any guidelines based on ethics concerning its investment?

KM: We will stay within the law, and the law has ethical components to it.

We don’t have what some campuses have, which is some sort of social responsibility committee that

takes up [the questions of] what issues rise to the level that we should consider them in our investment and other policies ... and frankly I don’t know yet if that’s the right approach for Whitman College. But it is under consideration to think about that [approach], and whether some version of that would be helpful here.

Pio: Last spring, Whitman’s debate team was suspended for a minimum of two years. Do you have any plans to address existing questions or concerns from the community?

KM: The suspension is a closed issue. But the letter from George Bridges to the community outlined next steps, and we are moving forward [with those]. [Provost and Dean of Faculty] Pat Spencer, [Dean of Students] Chuck Cleveland and I are putting together a review team [for an] independent review of the national world of debate, to try to figure out if there is a systemic problem [with debate] or if it was a distinctly Whitman problem. There definitely was a problem, so I think the response was appropriate. [The review team will decide] if there is a way for Whitman to continue to participate in debate in a safe and academically appropriate fashion. I am very hopeful that we’re going to figure out a way to do that, but I’m not going to pre-judge what the review might show. We plan to launch the review later this fall.

Pio: In recent years there have been a number of protests and complaints concerning racism on campus.

What actions may we expect in the next year to address these concerns?

KM: I have not yet been briefed

by WIDE, the diversity committee that [Associate Dean for Intercultural Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer] Kazi Joshua leads, but I know there are some ideas out there ... I fully expect that diversity will be a big piece of strategic planning when we get there. [Addressing concerns] is also an explicit expectation for the Provost position, [and] that person will lead the charge for diversity within the faculty.

Pio: Is there anything else students should know about you?

KM: I think when we keep our focus on student learning, we make good decisions, and that will be my mantra to everybody in this community.

Feature Editor

t the very end of Main Street, where one would expect to see tumbleweeds rolling lazily across the street, there is soon to emerge a new kind of weed – a kind of weed that has garnered national attention and pushed Washington on the map of progressive social ideals. The Walla Walla Cannabis Company plans to open its doors the second week of September, and will be the first of two retail marijuana stores to open in Walla Walla.

“Everybody has been very curious; everybody has been here to make sure that everything is being done right. The Walla Walla general public for the most part has taken a ‘wait and see’ [attitude]. They’re not opposed or supportive; they just want to see,” said owner of the Walla Walla Cannabis Company, Amber Cole.

Retail marijuana was legalized in Washington in November of 2012 and took effect over the course of one year. The general distribution of retail marijuana stores throughout Washington was regulated by a lottery in which each area of the state was allowed a certain number of stores dependent on population size. Walla Walla was allowed two stores, the second of which, the Walla Walla Weedery, should also see its doors open within the next month.

Walla Walla’s particular wine and foodie atmospheres are aspects that attract tourists to the town. This culture, Cole believes, is something that will be further supported by the cannabis industry.

“I don’t see any conflict [be-

tween wine and marijuana]; I think it will pair nicely,” said Cole. “I think a lot of the same people that are interested in varieties of grapes and wine will be interested in the different varieties of cannabis.”

National acceptance of marijuana is trending towards legalization. Washington and Colorado were the first to legalized recreational use of marijuana in 2012 and Washington D.C., Oregon and Alaska legalized in 2014. In December 2014, Congress passed a federal spending measure ending the federal government’s medical (not retail) marijuana ban, thereby leaving medical legalization up to each state, and currently 22 states have legalized medical marijuana.

Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, who cospearheaded the spending measure, said that the measure is “the first time in decades that the federal government has curtailed its oppressive prohibition of marijuana.”

These political changes that lift the longstanding illegality of marijuana are an inevitable precursor to developments of social change. Marijuana use still follows a social stigma that can only begin to be overcome with increased distribution and discussion.

“When it’s accepted as a medicine and people feel comfortable seeing how that’s transpiring then they realize that cannabis wasn’t this big scary thing that we thought it was,” said Cole. “I want to introduce pot to everybody in a way that feels okay. We’re coming off of a prohibition so of course it’s going to take a minute to get it and that’s where I think education comes into it.” see WALLA WALLA WEED, page 6

*This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.

Illustration by Claire Revere

New Dining Hall, Residence Hall, Apartments in the Works

by SARAH CORNETT and ELLEN IVENS-DURAN Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporter

A

new dining hall, sophomore residence hall, and apartments for juniors and seniors could be added to campus as early as fall of 2017, if a project titled the Living at Whitman Initiative is ap-

proved by college’s trustees and overseers in November.

If approved, the project would instigate significant changes to the campus map. A new dining hall would replace the existing one in Prentiss, upperclassmen off-campus housing would be built in the area around Shady Rill court and Marcus House, and a sophomore residence

hall would sit behind Anderson.

Plans for new construction on campus began last year with internal discussion among the Residence Life staff. In May, the college’s overseers and trustees gave Associate Dean of Students Nancy Tavelli permission to proceed with soliciting designs from architects according to a proposal she submitted. The Trustees will

review the final designs this November and decide whether or not to move forward with the project.

New buildings would improve on existing structures in a number of ways. According to Tavelli, the new dining hall would provide expanded hours, more offerings, and additional space for students, faculty and staff to meet and eat together. The

new residence hall would house 150 students, serving to increase community among the sophomore class, and the junior and senior housing would be Whitman’s first apartment-style building that is technically ‘off-campus,’ without a Resident Advisor and the typical Residence Life policies found in residence halls. see CONSTRUCTION, page 3

NEWS

PAGE

2

SEPT

10 2015

Remembering Tom T

om Zbyszewski, a rising junior from Carlton, Wash., was among three U.S. Forest Service firefighters killed in a vehicle crash on the night of Wed., Aug. 19.

Zybszewski was fighting

wildfires for his second summer as part of a five-person Forest Service engine crew. The vehicle crash occurred near Twisp, Wash. when the fire overtook the vehicle he was driving in.

At Whitman, Zybszews-

ki was a physics major and lived in Lyman House. He was also active in the theater community and had roles in numerous Harper Joy productions last year, including Three Tall Women and the One Act Play Festival.

In lieu of flowers, Zybszewski’s parents have requested that donations be made in his memory to Harper Joy Theatre.

A memorial service for the Whitman community will be held this Sunday at 1pm in Harper Joy.

This event is closed to the public.

The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life is also creating a space of remembrance in the Physics wing of the Science Building, for students to reflect on Zybszewski’s influence on campus.

“Tom loved Whitman.

“I am so devastated to “Tom, you will always be From his first day on hear that one of the a great human being, campus, he found most amazing people an amazing actor, an his new home, and whom I’ve ever known incredible student, every friendship he has left us too soon. a friend, a hero, a made enriched his Tom you were so smart, physics genius, and life. We will always kind, and amazing. You my Mushroom King. be grateful to all his were always such an I will eternally wait friends, acquaintances, incredible friend to me for the day that we, professors, and all the - even when everything mushrooms will take staff members. Our got bad. It hurts all over the world. You will lives feel empty at this of us that you’re no be missed, hugs and time, but just thinking longer here anymore. love from your Brazilian about Whitman helps us My thoughts and best friend.”

Ludmila Cardoso de Brito remember his unbridled wishes go out to Maxx ‘18 excitement for his and your family. I’ll see classes, and the deep, you on the other side “I worked with Tom meaningful friendships buddy. Love you.”

Zbyszewski on Three Libby Edwards ‘18 and love he found there.

Tall Women this spring, Whitman is a special and he was among the place, and Whitman “I sat next to Tom in most agreeable and students will help light Encounters for our easy-going performers the way in this world. entire first year. He I’ve worked with. He We’re proud that Tom always had such committed seriously to was among your ranks. insightful, intelligent the show, and though His spirit will always be things to contribute to his character did not there.” the class discussion, have any lines, he gave With love and appreciation, always said hi to me a great performance Richard and Jennifer when I sat next to him, without saying a word.

Zbyszewski asked how I was doing. I I gained a deep respect never had another class for him as an actor “I don’t even know with him, but we always during this play. Even what to say, but I still waved at each other in more importantly, remember last semester passing, and I attended though, Tom was in Chinese class, when many of his theater truly kind-hearted Tom was telling me all performances. These and easy to talk to. He about Twisp and his aren’t very significant was supportive of his firefighting training memories, but they friends, took a genuine and his plans for the mean something to interest in the people summer. I’ll always me; he was a lovely around him, and was remember Tom as individual who brought an all-around positive the best speaker in just a little more light to presence in the theater our class-and the my life.” department. Although most entertaining to Hillary Smith, ‘17 he and I weren’t listen to-because he especially close, I will “Here’s to one of our always brought his always consider him a own, to someone who theatre training to friend and I will miss kept the heart and even just mimicking him dearly.” spirit of Whitman alive the characters in our Natalie Berg, ‘16 always. Your Whitman textbook. He was easygoing, light-hearted, and family will remember “Thank you Tom you. Love from us all, fun, even for morning for being the best and to his family.” classes. RIP Tom. roommate a guy could Katherine Lee Needless to say, we will have. You truly were an miss you.”

More notes and photographs conamazing friend.”

Lauren Benedict, ‘17 tributed in Tom’s memory can be found online at whitmanpioneer. com

Michael Valente ‘17

All photos contributed by Tom Zbyszewski’s friends and family

PRODUCTION

WRITING

BUSINESS

Publisher Marra Clay

Production Manager Kerr Ivan Cirilo

NEWS

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Cornett

Art Director Maggie Baker

Christy Carley, Andy Monserud, Ellen Ivens-Duran

Business & Circulation Manager Skye Vander Laan

A&E

WEB

Emma Cooper, Bil McCafferty, Megan Hearst, Eric Anderson

Webmaster Connor Hargus

FEATURE

Web Content Editor Daniel Kim

SPORTS

RADIO

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

Production Associates Christopher Belluschi, Mickey Shin, Molly Unsworth, Chaney Coman, Antonio Tharp, Matthew Uecker Chief Copy Editor Rachel Needham

Kamna Shastri, Claire Ommen

Producer Marra Clay

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

Copy Editors Jessi Anderson, Callie Brown

Alden Glass

Illustrators Eric Rannestad, Asa Mease, Catalina Burch, Taylor Penner-Ash, Noah Porter, Prachi Patel, Claire Revere

Ben Shoemake, Alya Bohr, Olivia Gilbert, José Coronado, Cascade Lawrence-Yee, Noah Wertheimer, Peggy Li

Radio Hosts Anna Middleton, Andrew Schwartz

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

BACKPAGE

ADVERTISING

CODE OF ETHICS

Advertising Manager Julie Zhu

Photography and Videography Hannah Bashevkin, Rachael Barton, Anna Dawson, Denali Elliot, Tywen Kelly, John Lee, Annabelle Marcovici, Hayley Turner Emily Volpert, Anna von Clemm

OPINION

Jack Swain, Ben Freedman, Austin Biehl

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

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

SEPT

10 2015

Three construction projects planned from CONSTRUCTION, page 1

“It’s important to remember that North [Hall] is an old hospital, College House is an old motel, and Marcus House is an old fraternity. They were never designed as residence halls. Now, we have a chance to design something that’s meant for students, and not just acquired,” said Tavelli.

The “Living at Whitman” project was organized by a 14-person planning committee comprised of faculty, students, staff, and governing board members chaired by the Dean of Students, Chuck Cleveland. After the meeting of the Board of Trustees and overseers last May, the committee began developing proposals for construction. These proposals were then presented to architecture firms, who bid for the project in June.

Two Portland-based architectural firms were selected to create designs which will be presented to the trustees in November.

THA, which built the Fouts Center for Visual Arts, Reid Campus Center, Harper Joy Theater, and add-ons in the Science Building, was chosen to create proposals for the upperclassmen apartments. ZGF was chosen to create the dining hall design and sophomore residence hall.

In August, representatives from THA presented ideas to students for the two new housing projects in summer focus groups organized by Residence Life to get feedback on designs. Participants were asked about their preferences for bathrooms, roommate numbers, parking, outdoor spaces, and other design components.

“They didn’t just seem like some company that had to meet with students to fill out a requirement, they seemed interested in what we had to say,” said junior Khawaja Waheed,

who participated in a focus group on the sophomore residence hall and the upperclassmen apartments.

However, some student participants expressed concern about whether the suggested designs fit with the general style of Whitman’s architecture and the attitude of its students.

“People [have] expressed concern that Whitman has had issues with economic diversity, and maybe projecting even more of that image of privilege isn’t great,” said senior focus group participant and former resident advisor Austin Biehl.

The architects discussed features like air conditioning, communal spaces, and patios, all of which follow the general trend at many colleges of constructing high-tech facilities (though they emphasized that cost would be competitive with typical off-campus rents in Walla Walla houses). Projects like these are often discussed as ways to attract applicants, and are frequently a deciding factor for many students when they choose which college to attend.

Biehl noted that these features may be necessary to increase Whitman’s appeal to prospective students. In order to increase Whitman’s status as a desirable college.

“If Whitman wants to remain competitive, maybe it’s necessary to have spaces like this,” said Biehl, referencing what he called the “amenities arms race.”

According to a recent study

by College Planning and Management, cited by Forbes, nationwide college construction spending increased from $6.1 billion annually in 1995 to $10.9 billion in 2013.

However, other students in the focus group were skeptical about this argument.

“Is [the building] because we really need it or be-

cause other schools are doing it?” said junior Wenjun Gao. In an email sent to students in Walla Walla over the summer seeking participants for the focus groups, Tavelli emphasized that Whitman hasn’t built a new residence building for students since 1970. Instead, as enrollment increased in recent decades, the college purchased existing local structures and converted them into housing.

The “Living at Whitman” initiative originated from discussions within the Office of Residence Life and Housing about how to build community among the sophomore class. When a residence hall specifically for sophomores was discussed as a possible solution, the two other projects seemed like natural additions to Whitman’s architectural development.

“People say it every year and the school tries to do things like hangouts for the sophomores, which is great, but I think it’s hard to replicate,” said Waheed. “It’s kind of impossible to replicate freshman year when you’re like, ‘All of my friends are right here.’”

Tavelli agrees, but hopes the new residence hall, if constructed, will help sophomores maintain a sense of community by increasing common spaces and emphasizing the same kind of camaraderie that first-year dorms inspire.

“We’re really trying to find ways to build community and inclusion in the sophomore class: that’s what the residence hall is trying to accomplish,” said Tavelli.

The architectural firms will be on campus on September 17th to present displays of possible plans design models and gain feedback. Students and community members are invited to participate in this public reception.

New orientation prepares incoming FGWC students

Thirty-two first-year FGWC students toured campus and attended mock classes during the orientation. Photo contributed by Maxwell

by ANDY MONSERUD Staff Reporter

W

hitman held a special orientation for firstgeneration and working class (FGWC) students on the week of July 11-15. 32 firstyear FGWC students were given a week on campus to take sample classes from Whitman professors and gain an understanding of the on-campus resources available to students. The idea of a special FGWC orientation first came into prominence last year. The idea had several proponents within FGWC club, and concrete action toward creating the event began after a series of meetings between club members, administrators, and trustee Brad McMurchie.

“There was a greater motivation to pursue it after the article that came out last fall,” said FGWC club advisor and Associate Professor of Chemistry Allison Calhoun, referring to a New York Times economic diversity ranking published last September that placed Whitman at the bottom of their list of top colleges. “[The article] brought to the forefront the impact [economic inequality] had on students on campus overall.”

The administration took care to include FGWC students in the process of planning the event.

“It began with [Associate Dean of Students] Juli Dunn and I interviewing some junior and senior FGWC students in December, and talking to them about what they’d like to see: ideas we had, ideas they had,” said Director of Orientation Barbara Maxwell. “And then we came back in January, and we did three additional focus groups of first-year first-generation students, to see if first-year students had a different opinion on what they would have liked to have seen as compared to the juniors and seniors.”

Maxwell and Dunn drafted a schedule, which they asked Miriam Zuniga, then the president of FGWC club, to show to the group for suggestions. After a few tweaks, including the addition of a library tour and a mock Encounters-like class, the program was submitted to the Trustees for funding approval at their May meeting.

Maxwell and Dunn made a point of avoiding overlap between the special orientation and the larger first-year orientation, in order to maintain the excitement around orientation. The July dates were chosen in order to avoid interfering with Scrambles, SCORES, and fall athletics.

“It became really clear to us that if we did an orientation right before the fall orientation, we’d take those experiences away from them,” said Maxwell. “It was the only thing we could think of that allowed us to do what we wanted to do and still give them the opportunity to come back and participate in the same kinds of things that other students were participating in.”

Director of Student Success and Disability Support Services Rebecca Frost has begun research on the program, using exit surveys and following up with participants in order to appraise the efficacy of the orientation. In the meantime, several participants seem optimistic about the orientation’s effects.

“At the time it was really long and exhausting, going to every single building and meeting all of the faculty and all of the resource departments,” said first-year Daphne Gallegos, a participant. “But now, actually being here, I feel like I have a little bit of a leg up from the rest of my friends that didn’t partake in the orientation because I’m already familiar with a lot of the resources on campus, and I know who to go to for what-

ever I need. I know... where the offices are, and I’m really hyper-aware of the fact that there’s a lot of support here.”

First-year Donovan Olsen also took part in the orientation, and particularly enjoyed the informal introduction to Whitman’s FGWC community which it provided.

“All of the structured things that we did were really helpful, but then there were all these times when it was a bunch of people hanging out, and just talking and getting to know each other,” Olsen said. “I think that was my favorite part, was getting to meet people who I had a lot of things in common with.”

While complaints were few, the schedule was densely packed, and long weekend hours raised some issues. Maxwell and Calhoun hope to see this change with any future iterations of the orientation.

“With so much going on, I think the students were exhausted, I think the student leaders were exhausted, and certainly everyone who was involved in the programming was exhausted,” Calhoun said. “I think an extra day would give a little bit more flexibility to experience... being on campus without always [having] something to do.”

Junior Anna Zheng was one of several students, mostly FGWC, who helped facilitate the orientation. Zheng hopes that some of the new students she worked with will take up that mantle in the future. She and other organizers expressed their desire to see the program become a permanent fixture.

“I think that the orientation itself was such a good step,” Zheng said.

“I remember being a first-generation freshman and being like ‘I don’t know what’s going on.’ So just seeing that happen within the few months that it took to plan was really nice.”

PAGE

3

First-years react to “Think About It” program

by CHRISTY CARLEY Staff Reporter

A

ll new first year and transfer students were required to complete an online program entitled Think About It this summer, prior to arriving on campus.

Produced by the training service CampusClarity, “Think About It” uses real-life examples to cover information related to substance use, sexual encounters, relationships in college, and requires students to regularly answer questions to demonstrate engagement. Information is divided up into four sections: “Sex in College,” “Partying Smart,” “Sexual Violence,” and “Healthy Relationships.”

“Think About It” was first introduced to Whitman students in the summer of 2014 when 15 students were recruited to test the program and provide feedback to the administration. Responses to the program from these 15 students were overwhelmingly positive.

“Of the 15 students invited to test it, only one had a poor reaction to the program, stating she did not think Whitman students would care for it,” said Associate Dean of Students and Sexual Misconduct Prevention Coordinator Barbara Maxwell in an email to The Pioneer. “All the other students who completed the 2014 summer review raved about it.

They felt it was realistic, taught important course material, and would resonate with Whitman students.”

Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Administrator Juli Dunn said the program sparked her interest due to its interactive nature. She hoped that it would provide students with a baseline of knowledge before arriving on campus and participating in related orientation programs including Green Dot, Consent, and hearing speeches by Will Keim and Jason Kilmer.

“In the past, for some students, the first touch on the information [regarding substance use, consent, etc.] has occurred during Opening Week,” said Dunn in an email to The Pioneer. “Assigning “Think About It” gives us some reassurance that the first time students are hearing about the concepts of bystander action, incapacitation, and affirmative consent isn’t in a room of 200 to 400 students where they might not feel as comfortable asking a question.”

“Think About It,” which takes approximately two and a half hours to complete, guides participants through a series of simulated situations complete with character descriptions, names and dialogue. It includes graphics, text, audio and the occasional video. Students completing the program are required to answer anonymous questions throughout to gauge their general knowledge of certain topics as well as survey their attitudes towards and past experiences with substance use, relationships, and sexual activity. After the first 35 students finished the course, subsequent participants gained access to data collected regarding the attitudes and experiences of their Whitman peers.

Students may verify information presented in the program by clicking on the “Resources” button, which provides sources for the gathered statistics as well as specific information on Whitman’s policies relating to the issues at hand.

Feedback from new students on the course was generally positive, with 89.2 percent of students saying that “the course helped them better understand campus sexual culture,” 98 percent saying they both “know how to safely have fun at college parties after completing our section on

partying smart,” and that “they’ll be able to recognize attitudes condoning sexual violence,” and another 87.6 percent saying that the program provided them with a “fuller understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like.” Students gave the program an average overall rating of 4.1 out of five stars.

While some students said the program felt tedious or patronizing, most agreed that the information was useful.

“I actually did learn a lot,” said first-year student Danielle Hirano. “It was really informative, especially on the topic of consent.”

Students also appreciated the inclusion of LGBTQ examples into the program.

Ione Fullerton (‘17) and Meg Rierson (‘18), Co-Presidents of Feminists Advocating for Change and Empowerment (FACE), participated in the program as well. While they agreed that much of the information presented was useful, they were skeptical of how effective an online program could be at engaging students and combating rape culture.

“Methods of [deconstructing rape culture] should reflect [its] complexity by forcing students to challenge the ideas they have internalized,” said Fullerton. “[We need] spaces where students can interact.

Spaces that foster discussion can provide that challenge in a more unavoidable way than an online course.”

“I am concerned that requiring first-year students to complete this online course also places the topic of sexual assault on the same level as other housekeeping tasks students must do prior to registration,” she added.

While Hirano also found

“I personally really liked the computer. I’m a more visual person, and if I engage in something I’ll pay attention [more than] if I’m listening to something and not engaging with it.”

Alicia Burg, ‘19 the online component of orientation less effective, first-year Alicia Burg said that she enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with the program online.

“I personally really liked the computer,” said Burg. “I’m a more visual person, and if I engage in something I’ll pay attention [more than] if I’m listening to something and not engaging with it.”

CampusClarity has indicated that Whitman will have the option, if desired, to alter the program according to data and feedback from students. Once all new students have completed the course, the administration will evaluate data collected from the program and alter upcoming programs accordingly, potentially working with a group of student interns. Maxwell spoke to The Pioneer about some of the questions they will consider.

“Specifically, do students indicate that they learned important information from each of the sections?

Are there ways to support [or] reinforce this learning throughout the year? Are there areas where the results surprised us? If yes, in what ways and how do we respond to that?

Are there areas of the course students did not care for — can we work with CampusClarity to alter those sections in some way?” she said.

Students will also have the option to participate in two short follow-up programs in mid-October and February.

Changes at

The Pioneer Updates from the Pioneer leadership

H

appy fall! Thanks for picking up The Pioneer first issue of the 2015-2016 year. We’d like to share a couple of quick updates and projects on the horizon for us as Whitman’s campus newspaper.

First and foremost, we have updated our website. While we loved the previous look and feel of the former whitmanpioneer. com, its uploading system needed some serious care. We are still finishing the final design touches on our new site, and we’d love your feedback. Look for a survey about the design and functionality in an upcoming email.

Projects we’re particularly excited about this fall include the Pio Radio Hour, our podcaststyle show that covered everything from marijuana on campus to the history of an old army tank last year. Sophomores Anna Middleton and Andrew Schwartz will continue hosting the show, which

will be on Mondays at 9 A.M. We’re also hoping to invite more feedback and interaction with the Whitman community this year. Focus groups, campus lectures on journalism and current events, and a potential listserv with articles we’re reading are some ideas that the editorial board has been bouncing around. We’d also love to invite more speakers to campus who have interesting stories related to media, and the continuously changing way we interact.

If you ever have anything you’d like to share with us, please do. Send any tips, thoughts, feedback, or other ideas to pioneer@whitman. edu. We’d love to hear from you.

In student journalism we trust, Sarah Cornett Editor-in-Chief, 2015-2016 Marra Clay Publisher, 2015-2016

A&E

PAGE

4

MOVIE REVIEW HAIKUS

SEPT

10 2015

SHEEHAN GALLERY GETS GRAPHIC WITH FALL SHOW

by MARTINA PANSZE A&E Editor

A haiku for every movie that I watched this summer.

Pitch Perfect 2 Where was the boyfriend?

He deserved way more screen time #BringBackJesse

Louise Karneus, ‘16 (above) reads a graphic novel in the new “Seeing Stories” exhibit. Gallery visitors are encouraged to read books from the shelves.

Photo by Tywen Kelly

Mad Max: Fury Road I didn’t expect To love some bloody action But this film has heart Magic Mike XXL I can’t believe that I paid for this but it was Sort of feminist Trainwreck Girl has one-night stands, Meets that guy from SNL Kind of generic

Jurassic World Despite the high stress And heart palpitations Dinosaurs are rad

Inside Out I didn’t watch this But I had a really weird dream Based on the trailer

Paper Towns Cliché high schoolers Are boring, but damn, look at Cara Delavigne

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation Ethan almost dies Too many times to even Count, good camera work

by MARTINA PANSZE A&E Editor

T

he Sheehan Gallery, Whitman’s on-campus art gallery in Olin Hall, has opened the 2015-2016 year with “Seeing Stories: Traversing the Graphic Narrative.” The show explores graphic narratives, novels and comics comprehensively.

The Sheehan exhibit opened Sept. 1 and is located on the first floor of Olin Hall. Unlike most other exhibits, it lasts through the semester, until Dec. 11.

The interdisciplinary display covers everything from an illustrated version of The Book of Genesis to superhero comics and even non-fiction and historical works. Most of the show displays excerpts of larger books.

The pages are blown up in size and, in some cases, made threedimensional for visual purposes.

“Seeing Stories” is also interactive: books are available for visitors to read. Four large bean bag chairs, reminiscent of those popular in Penrose Library, surround four shelves full of works from artists shown in the gallery and beyond.

The display was designed by Whitman faculty curators and staff of the Sheehan Gallery, many of whom are Whitman students.

ADVERTISEMENT

Daniel Forbes, the Gallery Director, was the primary designer of the exhibitions and collaborated with Kynde Kiefel, Sheehan’s Gallery Assistant. Professors Robert Sickels (Film and Media Studies) and Sarah Hurlburt (French) also contributed to curating.

The show was several years in the making.

“Over the course of the exhibition’s development, it underwent a number of shifts in terms of configuration, but I am very pleased with how the show looks and how it holds together, especially considering how much it encompasses and how diverse it’s components are,” said Forbes.

Forbes said that the gallery idea was developed from students’ interest in comics and graphic narratives. It also supports the increasing number of faculty who use graphic novels/narratives as part of their class curriculum, such as the graphic novels Maus and Maus II by Art Spiegelman read in Encounters.

“It is one of the most interdisciplinary and faculty involved display shows we’ve had to date,” he said.

This summer, senior religion major Leda Zakarison received a Perry Grant to work with Professor Hurlburt to curate a portion of the exhibit. Together, they curated the

two back rooms, which are about the French bande dessinée (graphic novel) series Magasin Général.

Zakarison helped to translate the books and design the exhibit. Given a room and a sectioned-off portion of the gallery, Zakarison and Hurlburt were challenged with coming up with a concept to uniquely and creatively fill the space.

“We had to decide what narrative we wanted to tell about the series, and figure how we could convey the entire story of the series – which is comprised of nine books [each about 70-80 pages in length] – in two rooms,” said Zakarison. “It was a lot of work!”

Zakarison appreciated how the exhibition treated graphic novels as works of art, and was struck by the ways in which both text and images are integral to stories.

“The books that are featured in the exhibit are beautiful, and [the gallery directors] did a wonderful job of highlighting the aesthetic beauty of the books and the artistic talent of the authors while also giving people looking at the exhibit a sense of the book’s narratives,” she said.

*

The exhibit is touching campus outside of the Sheehan Gallery, too. Many of the authors, including the authors of Magasin Général, are visiting campus to speak and sign books. Alison Bechdel and Joe Sacco, whose graphic novels are depicted in as blown-up art panels, are also visiting campus.

There are a number of other on-campus events pertaining to the show. Penrose Library is featuring books from the exhibit and other graphic novels, and there are some available for purchase at the bookstore as well. Some professors have even incorporated works by featured artists into their curricula.

“I hope that this exhibit will introduce more Whitman students and community members to graphic novels and encourage them to try reading some of them,” said Zakarison.

The Sheehan Gallery is free and open to the public. The gallery’s hours are noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, contact the gallery at whitman. edu/sheehan or (505) 527-5249.

“Seeing Stories” Schedule of Events Available online at www.whitmanpioneer.com

WHAT’S NEXT ON KWCW

Photo by Tywen Kelly

by CAROLYN ERVING KWCW General Manager

A word about what to look forward to this year from KWCW General Manager Carolyn Erving.

A

fter a long, hot summer in Walla Walla, KWCW is back in full swing and ready to supply Whitman and the Walla Walla community with superb programming.

Keep an ear out for BERLAMBURGLERBER, a musicbased and somewhat unintentional comedy show brought to you by Jack Swain and Eric Underwood. Also in the schedule is The Pio Hour, hosted by Andrew Schwartz and Anna Mid-

dleton, which is chock-full of student perspectives on Whitman and beyond in a podcaststyle format. Community DJ Gary Young is back with Cosmic Dread Radio, which he describes as “dub reggae with style.” Tune in to The Gentle Headbangerz on Tuesday nights for your daily dose of weirdness & under the radar music with Devika Doowa and Ziggy Lanman.

On the staff side, KWCW will be represented by an amazing group of 15 students whose interests and obligations range from technical programming to community outreach. There’s a lot to look forward to and we can’t wait to get started! Our full program begins on Friday, Sept 11 so tune in, sit back, and rock on.

SPORTS

SEPT

10 2015

PAGE

5

Whitman Volleyball looks for new beginning

Young additions bring talent, promise for future of team

by ALDEN GLASS

SCOREBOARD

Staff Reporter

A

s the 2015 season kicks off, Whitman’s Volleyball team is ready for a fresh start. Last season the Missionaries finished with an 11-14 record, and just missed out on a .500 season. After a preseason filled with hard work, the team is coming in ready to better that record. This season will be the first, since Coach Matt Helm took over in 2012, in which every player has only ever played for or been recruited by him. Each player on the team has spent their whole time at Whitman immersed in the culture of the team. To Senior Abby Seethoff, this culture is defined by family.

“We’re all about family. We actively like to hang out with each other when we’re not playing volleyball. We talk a lot about loving each other but also being able to hold each other accountable and being honest, as families are,” she said. “We are the sum of our parts. Every single person here is important, every role matters.”

Another role that has the potential to play a crucial part in Whitman’s success is that of the crowd. In the season opening game, a large student section showed up and made sure they were heard. WhitCity, a studentled fan group created last spring, came out in force. Senior Hannah Linsenmayer was impressed with the turnout and energy in the stands on the first night.

“The fan section at home is so important for our team. Having that energy at home is great,” she wrote in an email. “It is incredible to see support from our Whitman students just as a varsity athlete in general. Specifically, Whit City is such an amazing addition to Whitman Athletics this

SOCCER

Men’s v. University of Dallas Sept. 3: L 1-2 v. University of Texas at Tyler Sept. 4: L 0-1 v.University of Texas at Dallas Sept. 5: L 1-2 Women’s v. Carroll College Sept. 6: L 0-1

VOLLEYBALL

v. U. of Mary Hardin-Baylor Sept. 4: L 0-3 v. Hardin-Simmons U. Sept. 4: W 3-2 v. E. Texas Baptist U. Sept. 5: L 1-3 v. (No. 16) Trinity U. Sept. 5: L 0-3

UPCOMING SOCCER

Shae Kanakaole (‘17), a captain on the team, elevates for a hit during practice. Hard at work since well before classes began, Kanakaole and the rest of the team has its eyes fixed on the future success of the program. Photo by Tywen Kelly

year, I am very excited to see how it progresses the already supportive community we have at Whitman!”

The offseason saw a number of players from last year’s roster decide to stop playing. A combination of injuries and tough personnel decisions mean that this year’s team will need the incoming first years and transfer students to step up immediately.

Coach Helm believes that they are ready to do just that.

“We have more depth this year than in previous years,” Helm said.

When prompted to name some of the new players that will provide an instant court presence, Helm wasn’t picky.

“I’m listing all of my new-

comers, but that’s the way it is, I believe any of them can step in and do a good job for us,” he said.

In the home opener against Walla Walla University, this depth was very apparent and vital for the first win of the season.

First year Brooke Randall and junior transfer Cherokee Washington played a lot of sets with an instant impact. Linsenmayer is so far impressed with the new-look team.

“We have 8 new players who have brought a really fun and competitive attitude to our team.

We really compete with each other in practice while managing to stay really positive and supportive of each other as teammates,” she said.

The team recently returned

from its preseason trip to Texas and finished 1-3 on the weekend against some of the top D-3 schools in the country, including No. 16 Trinity University. While the team used the trip to test themselves against top competition, their focus remains here in the Northwest.

“We’re focusing on those teams in our region to try and compete,” Helm said. “This year I think the conference is going to be very competitive. Whitworth returns everyone from last year’s conference winning team, PLU and UPS always seem to be pretty strong. Lewis and Cark got a good recruiting class and will be tough.”

In such a competitive and open race for the conference

Men’s v. Walla Walla U. Sept. 15 @ 7:00 P.M. Women’s v. New York U. Sept. 12 v. Vassar College Sept. 13

VOLLEYBALL

v. Lewis & Clark State College Sept. 12

championship Seethoff isn’t worried about what happens in November.

“If we work hard and commit to the little things in practice, the results will show” she said.

“We’re a lot more focused on the process than the end game. We don’t talk about what we’re trying to do at the end of the season, we talk a lot about what we’re going to do on the way”.

With the positive atmosphere around the team, and the surplus of talent and athleticism to complement, there is good reason to believe the journey will be a successful one.

Differing goals for Whitman Soccer teams

Back to sports: The summer in review B

by COLE ANDERSON Sports Editor

COLE ANDERSON Sports Editor

T

hough football season is undoubtedly the best time of the year, summer is a close second for various reasons.

Hockey My personal favorite sporting event of the summer is the Stanley Cup Playoffs and subsequent Finals, which featured one of the more exciting final series in recent memory. The Tampa Bay Lightning, with massive 6’7” goaltender Ben Bishop and high-paced offense, were a worthy opponent for the early season favorites, the Chicago Blackhawks, and their own collection of stars. The Hawks would eventually win the series and the Cup, but only after some of the most exciting hockey I have seen in a while. Duncan Keith, who also scored the series’ winning goal, would win the Conn Smythe Trophy, an award for the MVP of the Finals series.

Tennis The Wimbledon Championships saw Serena Williams become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title and Novak Djokovic assert his dominance once more on the men’s tennis world. I didn’t watch much of Wimbledon as the matches started at either 5 or 8 am.

Basketball The NBA championships were fun, unless you were a Lebron James fan, in which they were bittersweet. Attempting to carry his team to a title with three key starters out for the entire series, Lebron put up a valiant effort, aided at times by the Aussie phenom Matthew Dellavedova, who is probably the scrappiest player I’ve ever seen play in my life. Lebron put up insane numbers, averaging a double double per game over the entirety of the finals, a whopping 35.8 points per game with 13.3 rebounds. But none of that was any match for the Warrior’s “splash brothers” tandem of Steph Curry and Clay Thomp-

son, and the dominance of Andre Iguodala, the finals MVP. Though Curry didn’t consistently produce his typical numbers, due in large part to Dellavedova, the rest of the Warriors picked up most of the slack; though there were moments where I was convinced Lebron would not wear out and somehow keep singlehandedly winning games.

Women’s Soccer Our very own women’s national team won it’s first World Cup since 1999, which wouldn’t seem like a long time except for the fact that we’ve come so close in the last 3 Cups. Abby Wambach finally got her World Cup title, and at long last got to see women’s soccer rise back up to the level it was back in the the Mia Hamm era. The U.S. women have now amassed three World Cup titles in the seven total in the history of women’s soccer. In the final, Carli Lloyd did something no other soccer player, male or female, has ever done. Not only did she score a hat trick in the biggest game of a soccer player’s career, but did so in the first 16 minutes of the game. It was almost comical, but no less incredible. With a chip on their collective shoulder, the game seemed won from the start.

Golf The British Open, played at “The Old Course” of St. Andrews in Scotland was the catalyst for numerous naps of mine.

But Zach Johnson, a 39 year old American won in a four hole playoff that proved to be at least moderately exciting.

Horse Racing Finally, and certainly most importantly, was the historic running of the Belmont Stakes, a venue at which American Pharoah succeeded in his Triple Crown bid. This triple crown was special because it came after a 37 year drought, and in an era of horse racing that makes winning a triple crown incredibly hard. But American Pharoah proved that notion wrong, winning convincingly, and instantly turning everyone watching into a horse racing fan. I hardly ever watch horse racing, and even I found myself nervous for that race. History-making moments in sports will do that sometimes.

Here’s to a great summer of sports and an even greater college football season ahead. Go Trojans.

etween the Whitman men’s and women’s soccer teams, both with new coaches starting their first and second years, respectively, there remains a lot of building to be done in preparation for the start of conference season in three weeks. But with a new crop of talent in the first-year class, as well as a collective sense of urgency for results, the upcoming season already shows serious promise.

Fresh off of their 5-day long trip to Texas, the men’s team will now set their sights on Walla Walla U, then look towards Linfield, their first conference opponent. Though the Texas trip saw three loses, all with a slim 1-goal margin, the tough competition from large schools and added experience for the relatively young team was crucial. With the start of a new conference season looming, new Head Coach Jose Cedeno is optimistic about what he has seen so far.

“In the three games [in Texas], I thought there was a lot of growth within the team. There were guys outside of our captains really stepping up and being leaders and those are the types of players we are trying to cultivate,” he said.

Cedeno noted Noah Cavanaugh and Eric Conte as players who he saw stepping into early leadership roles outside of the team captains, Bridger Sellegren, Park Harmon and Trayvon Foy. But the leadership won’t stop there, he noted.

“We’re giving everyone the opportunity not only to play but also be vocal on the team, on and off the field,” Cedeno said.

The spring season (spring semester of last year) was an opportunity for the team to develop those leadership responsibilities within the team. Without a head coach, players were left to step in and fill larger roles than usual on the squad.

“The off season was very different because we didn’t have a coach behind the scenes organizing things, so it put a lot more pressure on the captains to be organized and dedicated in building each practice session,” said Sellegren, a senior midfielder.

Though somewhat difficult by nature of the transition, the new outlook given by Cedeno has afforded the team a new sense family as well as effort.

“I really want to see the players be creative and expressive on the field. We aren’t going to put as much pressure on winning and losing, but rather an effort and willingness to help the team be successful,” said Cedeno.

Sellegren offered similar sentiments.

“Win as a team, lose as a team, tie as a team. We’re really trying to

Danielle Audino (‘17) in action against Carroll College last weekend. Whitman created numerous chances but was unable to find the net. Photo by Hannah Bashevkin

build a sense of family on the team, regardless of outcomes,” he said.

“The fundamentals of the team from years past and the foundation of the squad hasn’t changed, but there’s a new mentality for sure so there’s a rebuilding type feeling but it doesn’t look like we’ll have a rebuilding type year.”

A more concrete goal for the team is improving its defense, which has graduated four center defenders over the past two years.

“We want to allow fewer goals this year. Last season the team allowed a pretty large amount and we’d like to cut that by 30-40%,” Cedeno said.

“By focusing our attention for now on defending well and building from the back, first by having a strong defense, then a creative midfield and hopefully a very direct offense, we think we’ll be successful.”

The women’s team is a bit less abstract in their goals for the upcoming season.

“My main goal for this season is winning conference, and that’s something I think is certainly attainable. Right now our preseason ranking is number 3 but I think we’re the best team in the conference,” said Kelsey Peck, a senior and captain on the team.

Away at rival Whitworth College to start the conference season, the women’s team be looking to build on its positive results from last season (9-7-4 overall, 7-5-4 conference). Though their coach, Laura Williamson, is back for her second season with the team, it will be the first in which she will get to work with players she recruited, those being the first-years the season.

Similar to the men’s team, the Peck sees most of the room for growth and improvement being in the back line, where the returners are primarily previous outside backs transitioning into a center defensive role.

“Our back line is an area where we’ve seen some potential challenges with losing some seniors.

Saba Zuti, Elyse Lauren and Naomi Lee have all been rotating as center backs and they’ve been working together really well,” she said.

Communication has been the main issue, but all three players are improving every practice and game at establishing a connection and building a cohesive relationship on the field.

The first conference game for the women is Sept. 16th at Whitworth. The men kick off their season at Linfield College on Sept. 19th.

FEATURE

PAGE

6

SEPT

10 2015

Walla Walla Cannabis Company joins a growing industry

Amber Cole is the owner of the first retail marijuana shop in Walla Walla. The Walla Walla Cannabis Company plans to open for business in the upcoming week. Photo by Tywen Kelly from WALLA WALLA WEED, page 1

Colorado, which had issued 833 recreational licenses as of December 2014, has garnered a reputation as a sort of haven for recreational marijuana users. Senior Danika Rothwell, who is from Durango, Colo. describes the number of retail shops in her small mountain town dramatically increasing over the past two years, to the extent that marijuana shops now outnumber churches.

“In terms of people actually smoking pot, I don’t think it has changed a lot, at least not in my experience. The thing with dispensaries is [that they are] expensive.

In the immediacy I guess although it’s more accessible, but people still have their dealers,” she said.

This change has also been correlated with some other negative social effects. Rothwell notes that

she has seen and heard of instances in which people have passed out and had to go to the hospital from consuming excessively potent edibles. Additionally, she has noticed over the past two years the homeless population has increased, and in a small town with limited social resources, this is an issue.

“Durango is a liberal space and not only is it liberal but it’s a place where people smoke a lot of pot... it’s not a shocking component of the lifestyle,” she said. “Here, it would be weird for me to imagine it all of the sudden becoming something that is socially acceptable.”

Cole had never thought about coming to Walla Walla, let alone opening a retail marijuana shop, until her friend approached her and asked if she wanted to coown a medical marijuana dispensary. This was prior to re-

tail legalization, so Cole was unsure of the restrictions and legality of the business. She hired an attorney, made sure she had someone to take care of her dogs in case of an emergency, and took a foothold in the emerging business.

It was at this time that Cole and her business partner began their medical marijuana organization called Leaf of Hope. The dispensary provided children with severe forms of epilepsy with a strand of cannabis high in cannabidiols (CBDs) called AC/DC. Currently supporting 30 families throughout Washington State, the AC/DC strain has produced very effective results, reducing seizures up to 80 percent in some children. It is because of this experience that Cole hopes to also obtain a medical license for her retail shop, so that she can provide for those children in

need on the eastern side of the state.

Before the addition of a medical license though, Cole wants to focus on education and safe use for her customers. She foresees the national trend toward legalization, and she hopes that her small business and support of local producers does not get lost among the national hype of marijuana retail.

“I think down the road, because the nation is headed towards legalization, it’s possible that [I] as a business owner might be trying to strategize how I compete with someone like Walmart. There are so many people waiting on the sidelines for it to become federally legal, and hopefully it won’t be done in a bastardized way; hopefully we can keep the quality up and support local businesses,” she said.

Despite these state-wide changes, Whitman’s marijua-

ADVERTISEMENT

MON-FRI 7am-8pm SAT 8am-4pm

lid

a v th i w

id t n

e

d tu

s

fi

re (free

w

re b n o lls

E E F F S O E C I R s T e S h A c i P w d n a S e r o m I F & WI E E R F

509-522-8422

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

)

ee f f o c ed

na policy remains consistent with the federal Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and Title IX. With these policies in mind, marijuana use on campus regardless of age is prohibited and will result in consequences as the college sees fit.

The effect of the retail shop on Whitman’s campus is similarly ambiguous to its effects on Walla Walla as a whole; factors of marijuana’s normalization, accessibility and general education will affect its usage, but that remains to be seen within the upcoming months.

“I don’t think the amount of usage will increase with the opening of a store. I think people who already smoke will continue to smoke and people who don’t might try it once but it will not change things that much,” said senior Kristin Nesbit.

OPINION

SEPT

10 2015

Board Editorial: President Murray deserves cautious optimism

T

he announcement of Whitman’s 14th President last fall was met with applause from the student body. Kathy Murray’s installment may mark the beginning of a more open, progressive administration for the college. However, while there are reasons to be hopeful, it is not time to celebrate quite yet. Murray has not yet firmly committed to any reforms, and while there has been much talk of engaging with students, it is still too early to tell whether this will truly happen.

During The Pioneer’s first meeting with President Murray, she impressed us by being open and direct. We have heard she made a similar impression on the students on the Presidential Search Committee last year and ASWC representatives who have met with her.

It will not be difficult for President Murray to exceed expectations during her first year on campus, if only because the bar for the presidency was set low last fall. At this time last year, President Bridges caused significant discontent among faculty by suggesting the censorship of speeches at commencement. Coupled with his defensive response to Whitman’s low ranking in economic di-

Op-Ed: Divest Whitman seeks an ally in President Murray Dear President Murray, It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Whitman College. As you begin your inaugural semester at Whitman, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the Divest Whitman campaign.

Three years ago, a group of students formed Whitman’s contingent of the globally active fossil fuel divestment movement. The group has since grown into one of the most effective student activist organization on campus. With enthusiastic support from students, faculty and alumni, Divest Whitman asks the Board of Trustees to divest from fossil fuels thereby aligning its financial practices with the College’s institutional principles.

An overwhelming consensus within academia recognizes the urgent crisis of climate change. We are proud of the steps Whitman has taken to claim responsibility for this crisis apparent in the work of our environmental studies program and various environmental initiatives. Yet, these actions exist in complete opposition to Whitman’s financial policies. Administrators and board members have failed to take steps to acknowledge the College’s institutional role in perpetuating systems of oppression and degradation: The board continues to invest in fossil fuels.

Last winter, Whitman faculty passed a resolution with nearly unanimous support advocating for divestment. Later that spring, students voted 85 percent in favor of divestment, and 272 students, faculty, and staff sat in Memorial Hall to protest the Board’s inaction. With this in mind, we challenge you to match the conviction of the majority of the Whitman community who has agreed that as an institution we do not endorse, nor do we believe in profiting from, the destructive practices of the fossil fuel industry.

When the Pitzer College Board of Trustees unanimously approved fossil fuel divestment along with a comprehensive climate action program last year, the plan was praised as “historic” and “innovative.” Whitman can still take a comparable leadership role and demonstrate that college financial practices can align with the missions that educational institutions pledge to promote.

You have the power to move Whitman considerably closer to this goal.

President Murray, we’re counting on you to join our fight for climate justice.

Onwards, Students of the Divest Whitman Campaign

versity by The New York Times, Bridges’ actions left many students, faculty and staff frustrated with his reactive leadership.

President Bridges focused on growing the college’s endowment. While he succeeded in this task, the college has seen equally large increases in spending and tuition, such that Whitman has merely kept afloat financially over the past ten years and is not in a significantly better position (the portion of the annual budget that comes from students’ tuition has remained largely unchanged).

Continuing growth of the endowment will need to be on Murray’s agenda in coming years, but to be an improvement over her predecessor she will also need to demonstrate leadership in moving the college forward on issues important to students and younger alumni. From racism to sexual assault, progress at Whitman has only come after vigorous student activism, and until now the administration has more often dismissed calls for change than taken initiative on its own.

President Murray is just beginning her time at Whitman, but there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. She has pledged to learn about the campus and include students in the creation of the Strategic Action Plan next year. When asked about whether ethics should play any role in the college’s financial decisions, she revealed that administrators have had conversations about the possibility of a committee to make judgements on this matter.

We have yet to see whether these words will be translated into policies, but our new President deserves the benefit of the doubt for these first months on campus while we wait to see her in action.

PAGE

7

Don’t hesitate, ask them out!

CRYSTAL AND CHEVY Anonymous

W

elcome back to Bang City! We’re sure that many of you have already noticed the plethora of fine, foxy folks frolicking freely about campus this fall. If you are like us, that probably means you would like to bang every single one of them – at least in that sexual fantasy that somehow always manages to invade your mind during Encounters.

To this we say: Just ask ‘em out!

Now, no one can give you a perfect guide to asking your crush on a date, as human interaction is highly circumstantial. However, we are here to provide some advice for when the time comes (the nasty stuff will come next week, when you’ll be in need of some spicier tips): 1. Be straightforward and specific. Games are not as sexy or effective as Hollywood makes them out to be. General Chemistry is confusing enough; you don’t need to add a romantic puzzle to your crush’s workload (or yours, for that matter).

2. Provide specific times.

It doesn’t need to be down to the minute, but scheduling a date ensures that the details don’t get lost in the hubbub of life. Plus, it keeps you from chickening out.

3. Texting is good for finalizing logistics, but don’t make the big move on your impersonal hunk of metal. It may be more nerve-racking, but telephone calls and face-to-face interactions are always more intimate – and they minimize miscommunication.

4. Meeting someone at a party and just going home with them is always fun. However, if you are ever feeling the need for more companionship, take the

Illustration by Mease

time to think about people you may want to get to know better. These are the people you should ask out.

Next order of business. Suppose the first date goes well and you’re both vibin’. You’re walking back to your abode and then comes the moment. Do you ask them inside, or part ways for the evening?

This is a personal choice and there’s no wrong way to go about it – so long as you are polite and considerate. If you are both feeling like the evening should continue, then feel free.

However this is where we, your authors, differ in opinion: Chevy feels that with his potential dates, he prefers to take things slow — keeping in mind that there are many alternatives that can be sexually pleasurable without actually having intercourse. He’s all for a little fun in bed, but feels that penetrative sex is a more powerful act than some people give

it credit for. (More on that next time when we talk about power dynamics and how low commitment and “committed” sex differ).

Crystal does not feel the need to take things slowly. She believes that if the situation arises you should “a-rise” with it.

Sex does not need to be some sort of lingering thing tinged with cultural power. It can just be a good time in which you have the unique opportunity to get to know someone in the biblical sense.

There is no formula for finding someone to share your little slice of the world with. There isn’t even any reason why you should feel the need to find such a person. But being in a relationship can be a wonderful and transformative experience. If you feel as though sharing yourself with another person may ease the confusion of being a lone entity in a big world, do it.

Bridge: not just for old people anymore TINO MORI Senior

TINO’S BRIDGE CORNER

W

ait! Don’t stop reading just because you saw the word “bridge,” as in the card game, rather than the product of structural engineering used to cross bodies of water. No matter who you are, I promise I have something to offer you.

My name is Nicholas Valentino Mori, but I go by Tino because the excessive inflection I put on my t’s already makes me sound plenty pretentious without going by Nicholas Valentino. I’d introduce myself as your weekly bridge guru, but that would imply a certain amount of expertise, which I do not (yet) possess.

I am a bridge player. I’ve played for about ten years, but I only started hitting up the club scene - not what you’re thinking - after coming to college. In May I earned my very first Master Point in a sectional match with my partner, Emily “the Destroyer of Worlds” Carrick, where several people of advanced lifespans informed me, “it’s so nice to see young people playing bridge.”

And you know what? It’s true. It’s GREAT to see young people playing bridge - we are a small but delightful group of people. We don’t have sixty plus years of experience, but we have pizzazz and spunk, and are not entirely devoid of gumption either!

Let’s clear something up right away: This column will be an absolute frustration to Life

Masters (no, it is meant to be capitalized, bridge players really like their proper nouns). It’s meant for the casual player or the reader with a modicum of interest, who’d like to know a little more. I’m here for the beginners and intermediates, as long as you consider the word “intermediate” to be a noun that can be pluralized.

How is this going to work?

Every two weeks I’ll start with a little bridge lingo, then I’ll post two bridge conundrums - one for beginners, one for intermediates. I’ll explain the beginner problem in the post, and give my solution to the intermediate one the following week.

For those of you who are completely new but still curious about the game, you can visit ACBL.org or Wikipedia, where the rules will present themselves. Please investigate and return, ready for a bridge enigma!

Why have a section on bridge lingo? If you want to blend in with a crowd of experienced bridge masters, you will need to understand the strange way they express themselves, and the many terms used in bridge discussion.

For example - The Beer Card If you’re the Declarer and you win your last trick with the seven of diamonds, and you make your contract (as long as diamonds were not trump), your partner has to buy you a beer. If your contract was doubled, they owe you two beers.

Isn’t that a weirdly specific piece of information you never needed to know, but you’re glad you know now?

I’ll start every column with a definition, so you can impress your grandparents and blend in at your local bridge club. Anyway, let’s get started!

For all intents and purpose the following letters will serve as suit symbols: S - Spades H - Hearts

Voices from the Community

Illustration by Rannestad

D - Diamonds C - Clubs For the Neophytes: You’re sitting South and you’re holding: S: K Q 10 6 H: 7 2 D: A K Q C: 9 8 7 2 East passes and it’s your bid. What do you call?

If you slogged your way through my basic explanation to the rules of bridge, this problem should not be a challenge.

Whenever you pick up your hand, sort your hand, count your points and judge the length of your suits. With a solid 14 points here, you owe it to your partner to bid. Passing is not an option.

The correct bid is 1S. Yes, you want to mention those spades, but you can’t open them.

Unless you have five cards in that suit, don’t open the bidding on a major! I’ll stop repeating myself on that point eventually, I promise.

What about diamonds?

Those are some very pretty diamonds. But always head the adage: length before strength.

With only three diamonds, you

can’t mention them, no matter how gorgeous they are.

So, in conclusion, bid 1S. If you get the chance, mention those spades. Simple as that.

For the Intermediates: This is a hand from a sectional tournament I played at in May. You’re sitting East. The bidding has gone: You’re holding: Nor t h 2C 5C Pa s s

E a s t Sou t h Pa s s 1 N T Pa s s 2S Pa s s 6C Pa s s

S: 8 7 6 5 4 H: J 10 3 2 D: A J C: 8 5 North/South were a little ambitious in their bidding. What do you lead to stop the contract?

Find out my thoughts next week!

That does it for the first installment of Tino’s Snazzy Bridge Corner. Questions? Comments? Vaguely unsettling invectives like “you succulent fool”? Contact me. See you in two weeks time!

What wisdom would you like to share with the Whitman community as the new year begins? Poll by HANNAH BASHEVKIN

MADDY POEHLEIN

EGE MALA

MADDY GYONGYOSI

KATE

Sophomore

Senior

Sophomore

Sophomore

“Be patient with yourself and others.”

“It’s never too late.”

We s t Pa s s Pa s s Pa s s

“It’s ok to wear sweatpants to class, but it’s not ok to always wear sweatpants to class.”

WHITTINGHAM

“Be spontaneous, take a risk, have fun.

That’s what college is for. Plus learn.”

BACKPAGE

PAGE

8

SEPT

10 2015

Whitman Survival Tips: Listserv Madness

D

ear Backpage, I’m a new student here at Whitman. I’ve been having a great orientation so far (I only called my RA “mom” twice!!!), but there’s one nagging problem. Like most of my classmates, I went to the Student Activities Fair and I signed up for all kinds of great clubs. But now, my inbox is crowded with emails from more listservs than I can count!

What am I supposed to do? How do Whitman students deal with all of their emails? Please help!

Thanks, Overwhelmed Oliver * * * Hi there, Overwhelmed! We here at the Backpage are more than happy to share a few tips so that you can keep up with the exciting world of listservs.

Remember, all the email listservs that you signed up for at the Activities Fair are binding legal contracts that require your participation in those clubs. Stay on top of things – each club retains legal counsel in the event that you miss a meeting. You do not want to deal with Slam Poetry’s lawyer!

YOU MUST READ EVERY EMAIL THAT YOU GET. We really can’t stress this enough. The simple fact is that Whitman list-

Illustration by Catalina Burch

servs are only used for the most critical information. You’ll never find a listserv that’s being misused for inside jokes and personal conversations, that’s for sure.

If you’re looking for the most exemplary clubs in terms of listserv management, check out Climbing and Ultimate Frisbee. Those folks are all business all the time, which you already know if you signed up at their booth during the Activities Fair!

Make sure you reply all! You don’t want to antagonize your section-mates by forgetting to describe in minute detail why you’re not at section meeting (hint: “I didn’t want to come” is always a valid excuse). There’s no worse feeling than being left out of the loop, so keep people informed!

Last but not least, be sure to check out Whitman’s Listserv listserv! For every email that you receive, this handy listserv sends you an additional reminder email to check your email! How cool is that? You can even email this listserv at a nder son@l ist s.wh it ma n.edu.

We hope we’ve relieved some stress, Overwhelmed! Check back soon for more Whitman survival tips!

The Jackpage Which sandal tan are you?

Elevator I

Illustration by Catalina Burch

JACK SWAIN Senior

I

’m going to tell you the story of something that happened to me over the summer. A few weeks ago (has it really been weeks already?), the great wandering path of life took me to conduct some business in a very tall building in the city. I won’t bore you with the details, but I was feeling pretty rotten at the time. I had also banged up my knee earlier, and was walking around with a distinct limp. You know how sometimes you just get into a funk? I was in a rotten funk.

I hobbled into the elevator, accidentally making eye contact with the two young people inside. I pressed my appropriate floor button and noticed that the occupants hadn’t yet made their selection.

“Uh. Do you guys have a floor?” I asked, politely.

They smiled at me, teeth big.

The boy had braces, each tooth a different color.

“No actually!” He said. “We just like hanging out in here.”

“For fun,” the girl added. I noticed her foot resting on top of his. They were wearing matching shoes.

“Are you like allowed to do that?” I asked.

“Oh sure,” she said. “Nobody minds us.”

“When someone comes in, we like to tell jokes and see if they laugh.”

“If they laugh, we win!”

I turned around and looked at them. “Can I hear one then?”

“Sure! What did the pirate

say when he turned 80?”

“Um.. What?”

“Aye Matey!!”

I looked at them. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s like I’m eighty? I’m eighty!”

“Oh- HA!” I started laughing obscenely and so did they. We were all still laughing when the doors opened. I hesitated to exit.

“So you guys just hang out here all day?”

“Well not all day. Sometimes we get hungry.”

“There’s a sandwich shop across the street we like.” They shared a fond, glowing look.

“You know, most strangers don’t talk to each other in elevators.” I said.

“Oh we know! That’s kind of why we’re here actually.” They looked at each other. “It’s upsetting how nobody really talks to each other. There are so many interesting, beautiful people in the world, and no one really gives a shit. This is our fight against loneliness and isolation. Plus it’s fun!”

“Everyone gets so caught up in their junk that they forget what’s really important!”

“And what’s really important?” I asked.

“I think you already know, boss.”

The rest of my day went very well. My limp started feeling better, and I stopped in a bookstore and bought a new book. These days I’m still too shy to talk to strangers in elevators, but I think it’s nice to know that someone is out there, bringing people together for a few moments and making them laugh.

Jack Swain is conducting interviews for his column. If you are interested, please contact swainjw@whitman.edu Also think about calling your mom because she would probably like to hear from you! But only if you are in the mood. You have to be in the mood for that sort of thing.

f there’s anything we at the Backpage know to be true in this world, it’s that we can tell a lot about a person based on their sandal tan. See which one matches your personality!

Birkenstock Wearers of this Germanmade sandal typically hail from some sort of liberal bastion like Seattle or Portland, and want to make sure the whole campus knows it. The Birkenstock is not merely a footwear choice – it’s a lifestyle. If someone is rocking this bizarrely thick sandal tan, they’re probably wearing a flannel, unbuttoned so as not to obscure the Bernie Sanders shirt underneath. They dabble in any and all things pretentious: chances are they only like music “you’ve never heard of,” they’re really into their philosophy class, they love This American Life, and they wore their “Birks” throughout Europe during a life-changing trip one summer. Oh, and have they mentioned how great it is being vegan?

Chaco Do you even climb? The Chaco tan is something of a myth in the Whitman outdoors community. This elusive zigzag pattern can only be found where stoke level is at its highest – perhaps on a totally gnarly crag or within the hallowed halls of Tam-

Illustration by Claire Revere

arac House. Chaco-tanners typically talk incessantly about how “chill” the Scramble that they led was, and are prone to nasty bouts with backwards-hat-syndrome. They probably have a collection of stickers that is rumored to have been a water bottle in a past life. Tragically, overusing the word “rad” is a common side effect of the Chaco tan. Hint: If you can understand what a group of climbers is talking about, you probably have a Chaco tan.

Flip-Flop Flip-flops do not always result in a tan, but we can tell quite a bit about the wearer nonetheless. Flip-flops are versatile

attire, worn by many Whitties.

They can be found on the feet of everyone from that first-year who is perpetually ten-minutes late to Encounters, to the laid-back fraternity member who manages to incorporate them into any outfit, no matter the weather. A local legend tells us that swimmers typically wear flip-flops, but there hasn’t been a confirmed sighting of a swimmer on campus since the early ‘70s, so it’s anybody’s guess if that’s true. Finally, a rule: Any group of people all wearing flip-flops can be assumed to be from California. This rule is always, without qualification, true. Always.

Go to whitmanpioneer.com to check out

“Student a Little Too Stoked on the Liberal Arts”

Welcome to Wilfrie: Renewables by Noah Porter

ADVERTISEMENT

Affordable, expert healthcare. Always.

Convenient appointments that work for you.

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

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