Whitman Pioneer Fall 2012 Issue 12

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Issue 12 | November 29, 2012 | Whitman news since 1896

Budget cuts on the wing Pioneer Park Aviary faces CLOSURE

by EMILY LIN-JONES News Editor

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reliminary hearings for the city of Walla Walla’s 2013 budget have placed Pioneer Park’s Aviary in peril. In the face of a budget shortfall due to low tax revenues, city officials say that the aviary may have to go unless volunteers can obtain sufficient funding from private sources.

“Unfortunately [volunteers] have been unable to achieve sustainable funding and there is no path going forward right now,” said city council member Barbara Clark at a city council meeting on Nov. 14.

She added that the economic recession and its effect on the city’s financial situation has forced the council to triage. The proposed closure of the aviary is just one of many proposed measures to balance the budget. Others include the raising of cemetery and recreation program fees, changes to the fire and police department budgets and cutting back Walla Walla Public Library hours.

“This is not a cutback that’s going to leave children going to bed hungry, or put people’s health care and safety at risk,” said Clark of the aviary’s potential closure.

The aviary is currently funded out of the city’s general fund, receiving a part of the Parks and Recreation Department’s budget. City officials estimate that the aviary’s closure would save the city approximately $55,000 a year.

The aviary’s expenses primarily consist of staff salaries and money for maintaining its structures. According to Parks and Recreation officials and workers at the aviary, additional funds are needed for 2013 to renovate some of the aviary’s structures, which do not currently provide the birds adequate protection from outside predators.

If the aviary does close, it will still be funded for the first three months of the new year to allow time to relocate the birds.

As in past years during

which the aviary was in danger of closure, community members concerned about the aviary’s removal are mobilizing to prevent it. At meetings at Pioneer Park on Tuesday, Nov. 7 and Friday, Nov. 16, a group of concerned citizens who call themselves the Friends of Pioneer Park Aviary made plans to solicit financial assistance from local businesses and other institutions, along with individual contributions.

“We needed to find a sustainable funding source, and that just hasn’t happened yet,” said city council member Shane Laib, a longtime organizer for the Friends of Pioneer Park Aviary.

“If we can show commitment to the council that we can pull this off, we can start moving forward,” he said.

Although the group hasn’t yet found the stable, long-term source of funding they need to ensure the aviary is protected for the future, Laib said he is optimistic about achieving that goal. He noted that the group includes members of all ages and backgrounds who seem to be prepared to organize in a short amount of time.

“This group is a little younger; it has more energy,” he said.

Among those rallying support from the community are Whitman professors Elyse Semerdjian and Jacqueline Woodfork, who decided to take action after hearing about the aviary’s potential closure.

“Elyse and I came up with the idea of doing a Facebook page and it took off from there,” said Woodfork.

“It has generated some con-

Textbook law not followed on campus

versation.”

She noted that she was glad to be able to join forces with the aviary’s older supporters, some of whom have been working to protect the aviary since its founding in 1982.

“We’re happy to tap into the preexisting energy in this group, which has happened here,” she said.

A final hearing for the proposed budget will be held on Dec. 3 at City Hall. The city’s budget must be finalized by Dec. 31.

“This is not a cutback that’s going to leave children going to bed hungry, or put people’s health care and safety at risk.”

Barbara Clark, Walla Walla City Council member

PHOTO BY VON HAFFTEN

Basketball returns seeking NWC title

by TRISTAN GAVIN Staff Reporter

by lACHLAN JOHNSON Staff Reporter

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ince the U.S. Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in 2008, professors and the Whitman bookstore have found themselves hard-pressed to conform to the act’s regulations regarding textbooks. The HEOA requires both publishers and academic institutions to provide students with information on the textbooks associated with courses, preferably before registration for those courses begins.

“I’d like to get my textbooks for next semester [now] so I can start reading over break because next semester is really busy for me,” said senior Spencer May. “Usually I go to Amazon [to order textbooks], but if the prices at Amazon and the Whitman bookstore are the same I go to the bookstore ... The Whitman bookstore really does its best to serve Whitman students to the best of its ability.”

The Whitman bookstore, faculty and administrators have been working for several years to increase the amount of information available about textbooks being used in each course before registration. However, no information

For classes being taught by new faculty, providing the titles of texts in March is sometimes infeasible. was available during the most recent registration as the software was in the middle of a transition.

“The bookstore is very aware of what the regulations are, which basically say that students have a right to know what

textbooks are being required for each class and approximately what those textbooks are going to cost in the preregistration process so they can make good decisions before they come in to class,” said Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell.

Whitman typically does preregistration for spring and fall semesters in November and April, respectively. This means that in order to have textbook choices available during registration, decisions must be made in October and March. While other institutions usually repeat the same courses using the same textbooks, Whitman’s course offerings frequently change, and even courses that are repeated often change texts. For classes being taught by new faculty, providing the titles of texts in March is sometimes unfeasible.

“Before I even technically started here one of the things I had to do was really scramble to get textbook orders in for my fall classes,” said Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology and Environmental Student Jesse Abrams. “[In some cases] textbook orders are due before the departments make an offer [of employment to new professors being hired for the next semester].”

If a department decides on textbooks for a new professor, it runs the risk of the professor switching the texts, resulting in students buying books which are not used in their courses.

Veteran professors can also face issues with the HEOA’s demands. Because textbooks are due so far in advance, they must finalize their syllabi for a semester many months in advance, and are unable to take advantage of summer and winter breaks or incorporate materials at the last minute.

see TEXTBOOKS, page 2

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ast spring, the Whitman men’s basketball team graduated one of the school’s highest all-time scorers in Brandon Shaw, a pair of players who would go on to sign professional contracts in JP Alvarez and David Michaels, and a versatile wing in D.J. Wright. In spite of its losses, this year’s team expects to improve upon its 20112012 season and second-place Northwest Conference finish.

Senior forward Ryan Gilkey and his teammates acknowledge the losses as part of the game, but see great prospects in this year’s team.

“Every year the dynamics of the team change; that is the nature of sports and of life. We have some amazing talent and dedicated players this year and are looking forward to seeing everyone fulfill their potential,” said Gilkey.

“We’ve got a great group of guys, and each individual brings their unique personality and perspective to the table,” said junior Ben Eisenhardt.

While players come and go, as one would expect from collegiate sports, one thing has remained a constant in Whitman’s basketball program for four years: Head Coach Eric Bridgeland. After taking the helm in 2008, Bridgeland has transformed the team from the bottom of the conference to a perennial serious contender for an NWC championship. “[Coach] Bridgeland makes sure we push ourselves every day and are consistently improving. What he has done with the culture of this program speaks for itself in the relationships and success our team has experienced thus far,” said Gilkey.

Perhaps the most telling impact Bridgeland has had is the

Drew Raher ‘13 dribbles past players from St. Thomas University. Photo by Bowersox

wteam-first mentality he has instilled in his players. When asked about individual and team goals, Gilkey was short and to the point.

“No personal goals.

Team goal is the NWC championship,” he said.

Another aspect of Bridgeland’s culture is the fact that the team has no official captains.

“We don’t have captains because everyone on the team should be a leader and be willing to step up when necessary.

When everyone has the mentality that they have ownership of the team’s success ... That being said, natural leadership always rises to the top,” said Gilkey.

see BASKETBALL, page 5

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Students train to teach Civil Rights Movement

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hitman Teaches the Movement, a community service project started last year, sends Whitman students into local Walla Walla public school classrooms to teach about civil rights. This year students will be teaching between Jan. 22 and Feb. 2, and training for the program occurred this week.

“It’s a really important issue that all of the United States is failing the civil rights test, and so it’s really cool that they are asking college students to go in and teach about the Civil Rights Movement,” said sophomore participant Molly Emmett.

This volunteer program provides Whitman students the opportunity to get into the Walla Walla community and work with a wide variety of younger students. Students can choose to teach in a second grade, fifth grade, seventh grade or eleventh grade classroom in an area public school.

“One of the reasons I like this project so much is that it appeals to a wide variety [of] students—there [are] the students that love working with kids, that want to be teachers, that are passionate about civil rights or history or that are just always looking for a way to get involved in the community,” said sophomore Sophie Schouboe, this year’s head of the project, in an email. “Anyone can participate and get something out of the project if they want to. It’s not restricted to a certain group or really to people with any particular skill set, plus it’s not a huge

sue,” said Emmett.

Students are trained before going into the classrooms to present the material in a way that is appropriate for the age group as well as how to get kids thinking critically about the issues that are being presented to them, such as discrimination and race.

Training occurred this week, under the direction of Michelle Marsh Garcia from the Teaching Tolerance program at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Garcia’s prior work includes working with the Anti-Defamation League and the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission. In addition, she has done work focusing on programmatic interventions to reduce prejudice, enhance intergroup relations and promote educational equality, according to Schouboe.

“The [training] sessions include facts about the Civil Rights Move-

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Staff Reporter

time commitment but it really makes you feel like you have accomplished something.”

The program appeals to students with various backgrounds and goals.

“As of right now, my career goal is to be a high school teacher, so I thought this would be a really great chance to go into a classroom and see if this was something that I wanted to pur-

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by MAEGAN NELSON

ment, discussions about what it would have been like to live during this era and articles relevant to each grade level topic that groups can talk about and hopefully be able to integrate into their lesson plan,” said junior Maggie Ayau. “The purpose for these sessions is to better prepare students entering into the classrooms with a more thorough understanding of what they’re teaching.”

Statistics state that educating young students on these issues is vital. Erin Pahlke, assistant professor of psychology at Whitman, has been working closely to study the positive effects that Whitman has through this program. Primarily, she is focusing on how Whitman Teaches the Movement is affecting students at Whitman.

“Despite decades of concern about racial inequalities in the United States, current data suggest that Whites remain consistently advantaged within many domains, including education, income and health,” said Pahlke in an email. “So, for example, in 2007, 75 [percent] of White adults owned a home, compared with only 47 [percent] of Blacks and 50 [percent] of Hispanics (Census Bureau, 2008). College students, then, are entering adulthood in a country with persisting racial/ethnic inequalities.”

Schouboe is looking forward to spreading the word about Whitman Teaches the Movement.

“Our main goal for this year is to make the program more visible and well-known around campus. Hopefully in future years it can expand to more Whitman volunteers and more Walla Walla classrooms,” said Schouboe.

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS

by Emily lin-jones News Editor

28.1

Percentage of inmates in Washington state prison facilities convicted of drugrelated crimes

24.1

Months, on average, spent in prison by offenders released from Washington prisons over the past year

37.9

Average age of inmates in Washington’s prison system

28

Number of prison and work release facilities currently operating in the state of Washington

17,101

Maximum operational capacity of Washington state prison system

17,458

Number of offenders in confinement in the state of Washington as of Sept. 30, 2012

7.6

Percentage of Washington’s inmate population that is female

3.6

Percentage of Washington’s offenders incarcerated for life without possibility of parole or release

13.4

Percentage of Washington’s inmate population classified as “Low Risk to Reoffend” SOURCE: doc.wa.gov

Bookstore, faculty face obstacles to posting book prices in advance from TEXTBOOKS, page 1

“I have talked to other professors who say, ‘There’s just no way I can meet that early deadline, therefore I’m just not going to go through the campus bookstore to do my book orders.’ That’s not my approach, but I have heard that it’s something that professors do in order to circumvent the [Higher Education Opportunity Act],” said Abrams.

The possibility of professors and students turning to other sources for texts is a serious risk to Whitman’s bookstore. While the bookstore manages to sell books to students at discount rates by passing along savings from buying bulk from publishers, serious competition from Amazon and Barnes & Noble remains a risk.

“When I started working [in New York], there were over 4,500 independent bookstores in this country ... there are now about 1,400 ...

A number of publishers have gone out of business because Amazon requests a 55 percent discount [when it places orders],” said Book Acquisition Specialist Janice King, who does textbook ordering for the Whitman bookstore. “Publishers are beginning to price for [the] Amazon discount. So what happens is the prices rise, because Amazon [is] discounting and [the publishers are] pricing texts to get their [profit after the] discount with Amazon, rather than pricing as they would in an independent market.”

With all of the problems involved with the HEOA, Whitman will likely never be able to fully comply with its requirements. Fortunately, there is no immediate threat of retaliation by

Whitman’s bookstore faces difficulties complying with the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which requires that textbook prices be posted prior to registration so that students may choose their classes accordingly. A significant population of students shop for their textbooks online to take advantage of better pricing. Photo by Mellema

regulators for the college’s failure to provide textbook information for every course at registration. “[The HEOA] has no teeth. Basically, the way it was written ... asks

colleges to do the best job that they can, to do what’s reasonable, and there’s no penalty if you don’t comply with it. There’s no fines, there’s no angry letters to the president [of

the college], there’s basically no teeth in this legislation,” said Maxwell. “So we have adopted an attitude that it was written with good intentions—to make sure that students

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are aware of costs, that students understand what is going to be required of them—so we try to comply in the very best way we can knowing that we’ll probably never be 100 percent.”

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.

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

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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.

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by Patricia Vanderbilt Staff Reporter

At a lunchtime meeting of the Social Justice Club in Glover Alston Center, Paul Lemieux ‘14 [right] discusses local issues of social justice with Zoe Erb ‘14 [left] and Bailey Richards ‘14 [center]. Photo by Bowersox

Social Justice Club aims to tackle local issues, engage community in activism

by DANIEL KIM Staff Reporter

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unior Paul Lemieux recently created a new Social Justice Club in the vein of other campus activism groups like Campus Climate Challenge (CCC) and Whitman Antisystem and Radical.

Unlike these other groups, however, Lemieux wanted to specifically approach inequality within the social justice region, envisioning the club as a roundtable discussion about ways Whitman students can advocate for social justice causes and make tangible differences.

“I was inspired to create this group because I felt like I have been in the Whitman bubble for too long, and I hadn’t been involved enough on campus, especially in groups that are reaching beyond the Whitman community and getting involved with the Walla Walla community and statewide and

national issues,” said Lemieux.

Although the new club on campus has been active for about a month, Lemieux and members of the social justice group have been focusing on the domestic sphere more than an international one. Before looking to address social inequality in other nations, the members thought it would be most impactful if they took physical action instead of more passive actions.

“I wanted focus domestically and didn’t really look into being a human rights group that focused on rights abused in Democratic Republic of Congo, for example. I didn’t want to just write letters to the Democratic Republic of Congo because there is not that much you can do with an issue that you are so detached from. I know that it’s already hard enough to fight for issues domestically,” said Lemieux.

One of the group’s first projects has been looking into Whit-

man’s investment portfolio, with help from members from other activist groups like CCC. “By starting with Whitman’s investments, it’s allowing us, the students, to have more power to take action than to write a letter to a distanced nation. We can say which investments should be made because we are students here and we do have a voice in the college’s decisions,” said Lemieux.

Lemieux said he understands that there are many different kinds of activist groups on campus, but he believes what separates the social justice group from the others is that the social justice group focuses on the social justice aspect of activism, while other groups might look into environmental preservation methods or racial discrimination and inequality. Still, he said, these groups can work together to achieve their goals.

“There are a lot of overlaps

from other clubs, and I started taking part with CCC. I know that they have some members who are really interested in the same thing, in terms of Whitman’s endowment and the investment portfolio. From looking into this area, people are fond of finding ways to have a student voice on what Whitman investment should be,” said Lemieux.

Sophomore Ari Ronai-Durning is a student who is very interested in the matters of Whitman’s investments. Ronai-Durning, an occasional attendee of CCC, has been researching information regarding Whitman’s environmental stance through various avenues, one of which was investments. Ronai-Durning has agreed to work with matters covered by the social justice group and is currently working with them to interview Whitman’s Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Peter Harvey.

“I was happy to have someone

else interested and even just looking into it. Having more than just one person interested was helpful and got me motivated again because I had previously shied away from the project because it was such a large institutional thing to change,” Ronai-Durning said.

Although the social justice group is very new to the Whitman campus, it will continue to have many discussions relating topics of inequality and justice.

“I’m really interested in the group because it is a good opportunity to challenge people. I think it’s really easy to be passive and just accept things for how they are and not think about why we choose to make certain decisions. I think it’s a lot more effective to challenge people and make them think about what kind[s] of decisions they make and how other people are affected by those decisions,” said junior Jeremy Schofield.

Research group unlocks discussion about prison

by SARAH CORNETT Staff Reporter

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hitman’s Prison Research Group, meeting once a month at lunch in Reid Campus Center, allows students to learn about issues with both Washington State Penitentiary and prison as an institution. This large freeform discussion includes not just members of the Whitman community but many residents of Walla Walla and officials working in the prison.

The motivation for the creation of the group came from both the intellectual possibilities with prison in general and the unique proximity Whitman has to the prison.

“Prisons and criminal justice are interdisciplinary subjects that include psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, economics and others,” said Steve Rubin, a former psychology professor at Whitman, in an email. “We felt that liberal arts students and educated people in general would be interested.”

The Washington State Penitentiary is located just a couple miles from campus. In efforts to bring greater awareness, Rubin and Peterson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences Keith Farrington began the Prison Research Group in the early 1980s.

Other professors have also been heavily involved with the group, including Professor of Economics Pete Parcells and Mitch Clearfield, senior lectur-

er of philosophy general studies.

“The addition of Professors Parcells and Clearfield really added to our group,” said Rubin. These professors further add to the interdisciplinary nature of the group.

The group provides opportunities to discuss and engage with both the concept of prison and prisons themselves.

“We have some general things we try to accomplish each year,” said Farrington, one of the current leaders of the group. “We try to provide a forum where students, faculty, prison officials, other people that work in the criminal justice system in Walla Walla and occasionally people that have spent time in prison ... [are able] to talk about stuff that’s happening.”

Each meeting has a different focus. At the group’s most recent meeting, attendees discussed the effects the recent elections could have on the prison population.

“Every week is different,” said sophomore Gabie Brosas. “There’s always discussion about issues within the prison and prison in general.”

One topic discussed in detail was the issue of marijuana legalization, an especially timely topic given that many inmates have been incarcerated for dealing or using marijuana.

Handouts, including one that described “10 Alternatives to Prison,” were distributed to attendees. The discussion featured many different perspectives be-

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cause of the diverse group that attended, which included students, faculty and community members interested in the issues.

According to Farrington, the group prides itself on being open to all.

“We are very conscious that it’s an informal, voluntary organization,” said Farrington. “There is no credit provided, and students, faculty and community members come on a voluntary basis to talk and exchange ideas.”

In addition to providing a space for discussion, the group has toured prisons in multiple states and took a trip to Great Britain 10 years ago.

“The group provides opportunities to tour prison facilities in the area. Usually that means the Washington State Penitentiary, but we’ve broadened our perspective quite a bit,” said Farrington. These excursions allow the group to not only talk about issues in the prisons, but to experience them firsthand.

In addition to these trips, the group has provided tools for students who have written theses on the Washington State Penitentiary or on other issues with prison in the past.

Farrington and Rubin had this in mind when they created the group.

“One thought we had was that it could help psychology and sociology students develop a thesis dealing with the penitentiary,” said Farrington.

Dozens of students over the past few decades have researched the penitentiary for their the-

The Prison Research Group uses the Washington State Penitentiary as a source of information to fuel its monthly discussions on prison issues. Photo by Bernstein

ses, some of them using the group as a resource. The group has enjoyed great support from the penitentiary itself in researching and touring the facilities.

“We’ve had wonderful support from the [penitentiary],” said Farrington. “I think they really care about educating us and our students about prison-related issues.”

At most meetings there are representatives of the prison, and the group has had good relationships with its officials. A num-

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ber of Washington prison superintendents and officials, including current superintendent Steve Sinclair, have attended meetings.

Prison-related discussion will leave the confines of the group next semester, as a number of classes will address issues with crime and punishment.

“There will be a lot of prison-related activity next semester,” said Farrington.

Students and faculty acknowledge that this unique forum provides a way to think about local issues outside of campus.

“I think it’s really interesting that we’re so close to the state penitentiary but it isn’t talked about,” said Brosas. “The research group is a great way to get out of the bubble.”

Corrections to Issue 11

2012 - 2013 term. Near campus!

Contact at (509) 520-2272 or Exemplarrealestate.com

In the article “Model U.N. learns through first competition in Seattle” on page 3 of Issue 11, it should have been reported that the group is managed by the independent nonprofit the Northwest Association for Global Affairs.

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Humans Being is comprised of (left to right) Eli Smith ‘13, Jessica Shatkin ‘15, Mark Glasionov ‘12, Maya Abramson ‘15, Jonas Myers ‘13, Robby Seager ‘13 and Bo Sagal ‘13 (not pictured). Photo by Felt

Humans Being shakes up local music scene

by Emma Dahl Staff Reporter

I

f you’re in tune with the Whitman music scene, you’ve probably heard of the student band Humans Being, a group composed of Alumnus Mark Glasionov ‘12; seniors Jonas Myers on bass guitar, Eli Smith on rhythm guitar, Robby Seager on cajon and drumset and Bo Sagal on mandolin, and sophomores Jessica Shatkin on flute and Maya Abramson on violin, with all members contributing to the vocals.

Myers discussed the origin of the band and its name. “[Humans Being] was a name that I had thought of a while ago when Robby and I

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: A Cappella Coffeehouse & Bookstore Discounts Come enjoy a warm start to your evening with music from all three a cappella groups, an array of refreshments and discounts on all non-textbook items in the bookstore.

Friday, Nov. 30, 6:00 p.m. in Reid Basement

Macy’s Parade of Lights This annual parade is a beloved tradition, starting on Boyer & Palouse and weaving around downtown Walla Walla. This year’s parade will feature more than 50 entries, including floats, tractors, horses and marching bands.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 6:00 p.m. on Main Street

Chorale and Chamber Singers Fall Concert Whitman’s choral groups will perform in their annual fall concert under the direction of Jeremy Mims.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. in Cordiner Hall

27th Annual Feast of Carols Choirs and choral ensembles from Whitman, WWU, Wa-Hi and the Walla Walla Church of Latter Day Saints, as well as the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra, will converge on Cordiner Hall to perform seasonal music. Tickets, which often sell quickly, are available at the door with a contribution of a canned food item.

were still in [the band] Dabbles in Bloom,” he said. “We knew that a change would be imminent [since some members of the band were graduating]. Dark times.”

After playing music over the summer with Seager, Sagal and Smith, a band began to take shape, a band originally called Witch Doctor.

But one day, Myers had a realization. “ ... It just occurred to me that I had always wanted to be in a band called Humans Being, and that I had also always wanted to be in the band that we had formed, because it was way fun,” said Myers.

“Yeah, well, we’re all humans—being,” he said, when pressed about any deep-

er meaning behind the name.

“I like to think of it like ... this [human] entity has created this being. Apostrophe, ‘S,’” Smith said.

“I think of it as a way of life in that everyone is valuable and has something to contribute, like we’re all part of a big human tribe.

For us, that’s being in this band and playing music,” said Seager.

“A lot of the time, we say, ‘We are Humans Being, and so are you.’ It’s a little hokey,” said Abramson with a laugh.

While the band plays mostly Beatles covers at gigs, they are working on writing original music.

“It’s a lot easier to create a huge set list and have really long gigs if we learn charts for covers and just jam on them.

It’s also fun,” said Shatkin.

She cited a wealth of creative energy in the band as a powerful force behind writing original songs.

“Usually they’re more complicated and defined and arranged,” she said of the band’s original music. The band has about six or seven original songs in their repertoire, with more in the works.

Humans Being has played several shows in Walla Walla, at various bars, restaurants and wineries, averaging one gig per weekend throughout the semester.

In addition to local shows, the band also described plans to go on tour over the next spring break.

“We have an ‘infinity tour’

planned,” Myers said, half-jokingly. “We don’t know where we’re going but it’ll be in the shape of an infinity.” As of now, the band plans to visit cities such as Portland, Seattle and Boise.

Abramson cited playing with the band as a way she likes to shake off the Whitman bubble.

“At Whitman ... you get wrapped up in your Whitman ways. For me, this is a really good release for that,” she said.

“Be the humans that you are, world,” said Myers as a parting statement.

Interested listeners can find Humans Being on their Facebook page to find out more about upcoming shows and whatever else the band has to offer.

‘Silver Linings Playbook’ makes for a winning blend of comedy, drama

by Nathan Fisher Staff Reporter

D

uring Thanksgiving break, I did my fair share of relaxing, which included catching up on missed episodes of “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead,” and more importantly, watching lots of movies. As expected, my sister dragged me to see the final “Twilight” movie (“Breaking Dawn: Part II”) and all I can say is, “Woohoo!!!!” Thankfully, no more hunky-dud Taylor Lautner turning into a werewolf.

Seeing “Lincoln” late Thanksgiving night was awesome, but the movie I loved was the comedic drama “Silver Linings Playbook.”

“Silver Linings Playbook” features the budding relationship between Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Although both Pat and Tiffany are emotionally unstable, their unlikely bond helps them cope with their issues. The movie opens with Pat being released from a state mental institution after an eight-month involuntary commitment following an emotional and violent physical outburst after finding his wife with another man. Pat moves back in

ILLUSTRATION BY JONES

with his mom (Jacki Weaver) and his OCD dad (Robert DeNiro). All he wants to do is reconnect with his wife, who refuses to see him and has a restraining order against him. Pat continues to have trouble controlling himself, has no filter and is in therapy several times a week. The movie could actually be quite dark and depressing, but is filled with wonderful comic scenes such as when Pat’s friend

(Chris Tucker) from the mental institution periodically breaks out to visit or watch a football game before the cops drag him away.

Pat’s attempts to reconcile with his wife are unsuccessful and while visiting a friend for dinner, Pat finds himself on a surprise set-up with Tiffany, who comes with her own baggage. After her husband dies, she copes with her grief by sleeping with

all of her co-workers and gets fired. The socially challenged duo bonds while discussing the drugs their therapists have prescribed to them, and the two begin to grow close. Tiffany offers to help Pat with his marriage if he agrees to be her partner in a dance competition. The friendship the two share changes their lives.

“Silver Linings Playbook” sports an all-star cast and each actor is pushed beyond their recent acting ventures. After seeing Cooper sputter in “The Words,” I was worried he would try and pretty-boy his way through another movie, but he rose to the occasion. Lawrence effortlessly shed her Katniss bow-and-arrow image and portrayed the dancing widow with ease. Together, Cooper and Lawrence had great chemistry and played off of each other with witty dialogue and arguments over who was the most messed up. Most of the laughs, however, come from Pat’s jailbird friend, played by Chris Tucker in possibly one of his best performances.

“Silver Linings Playbook” melds comedy, drama and mental problems while offering a perfect escape from the impending doom of the upcoming finals week.

Tuning in to Ocean’s “channel ORANGE”

Sunday, Dec. 2, 7:00 p.m. in Cordiner Hall

Staff Reporter

perhaps these five interesting facts about him will win you over:

T

1. Ocean worked as a ghostwriter for music pop sensations like Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Brandy and John Legend.

by Clara Bartlett

Student Activities Arts and Crafts Fair Reid Ballroom will be packed with handmade student crafts and food from a wide variety of vendors. Stock up on gifts for the holiday season or just enjoy the spectacle!

Monday, Dec. 3, 4:00 p.m. in Reid Ballroom

In order to escape winter blues, Lyra Dalton ‘14 makes outfits more exciting with her collection of scarves. “They’re my closet staple,” she said. Photos by Bergman

Style spotlight Every week, The Pioneer searches out Whitties who bring an extra splash of fashion consciousness and sartorial daring to campus. This week’s style spotlight: junior Lyra Dalton.

Style Soundbite: “Scarves are my closet staple.

I own about 14! I love them in every way, shape and form because they add a little color to everything, even in the winter when it’s dreary. And I get cold incredibly easily, so they keep me cozy. My favorite is probably the red one because it’s warmer than all the other ones. I also love how a scarf can make an otherwise plain outfit more exciting!”

his summer, I was introduced to Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE. The R&B album offers a blend of desensitized wisdom and reflective passion. Listening to the album is similar to the feeling of watching a tidal wave crash on mute volume, with the emotional strength of the music resonant, but at the same time restrained. Ocean’s emotional outpour is strong, clear and raw; however, there is a weariness, an exhaustion in his voice and music that doesn’t allow the listener a full emotional immersion. In this way, the album dodges all the clichéd pitfalls of a typical R&B ballad: No one is getting trapped in the closet with R. Kelly.

Ocean’s music reflects the new movement of contemporary R&B—it’s more about reflection and less about dancing in the club. Hitting on themes of decadence and disillusionment, Ocean echoes the feelings of our generation. He seems to undergo a semi-existential crisis born of existence in a half-adult, halfchild state. While these themes pervade the whole album, they are especially present in songs like “Super Rich Kids,” “Pyramids” and “Thinkin Bout You.” So if I haven’t convinced you to give Frank Ocean a listen, then

2. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit Frank’s hometown of New Orleans, he moved to Los Angeles. What was originally a six-week visit turned into a permanent residence.

3. After speculation about his sexuality before channel ORANGE was released, Ocean wrote an open letter announcing that he had fallen in love with someone of the same sex.

4. In 2010, he became a member of alternative hip hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. 5. As a child, Ocean grew up listening to his mother’s CDs on her car stereo, including albums

by Celine Dion, Anita Baker and the soundtrack to “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Even if you don’t consider Ocean’s personal history, channel ORANGE is a rich, fascinating experience. Give it a listen and immerse yourself in this new corner of today’s musical landscape.

SPORTS

Nov

29 2012

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5

Student-athletes balance music, sports

by SARAH DEBS Staff Reporter

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usician-athletes are few and far between.

The dedication, practice time and focus demanded of musician-athletes is incredibly high both in the practice room and on the field. While music and sports are seemingly separate activities, there is overlap in mental preparation and self-discipline.

Whitman student musicianathletes senior Katri Gilbert and sophomore Cheney Doane balance the two activities with grace and insight. Gilbert is a violinist, sings in Chorale and runs varsity cross country. Doane is a pianist, sings in the campus a cappella group Schwa and plays basketball, varsity golf and club volleyball.

The Start of Something New Early on in their lives, both Gilbert and Doane were selfmotivated musicians. Even in a family that was not particularly musical, Gilbert took the initiative to pursue the violin.

“I was five years old when I started. I begged my mom for violin lessons, so she just went and got me a teacher and rented me a violin and I instantly loved it. It was so much fun,” said Gilbert.

Doane’s piano playing days began in a similar manner with more parental support than pressure.

“I started taking piano lessons when I was seven. It wasn’t like my parents saying, ‘Go play the piano.’ I saw someone playing the piano and from that point thought that was something I [wanted] to do so I started taking lessons,” said Doane.

This self-drive is also apparent in Gilbert and Doane’s childhoods as they simultaneously pursued athletics.

“I have home videos of me lying around on a basketball before I could even walk,” said Doane.

“So I really started playing basketball when I was like two on the mini tiny little hoops, and that was the first organized sport I played in kindergarten. Golf I picked

up when I was 10, and volleyball during high school.”

Sports have also always been an integral component of Gilbert’s life. While basketball was the main sport she played growing up, she played soccer to stay in shape between seasons. Junior year of high school, she decided to go out for the cross country team instead of soccer.

“I tried something new—[cross country]—and [that] was the best decision I’d ever made,” said Gilbert. “We had a great coach, a great team, and it was so much fun. Turned out my times were fast enough that I was able to look at running as a college athlete.

That was something I’d always wanted to do, growing up playing basketball. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was going to be cross country because that was what I was good at.”

over and over again. It’s just a matter of doing it the best you can at that time,” said Gilbert. “But with cross country, the course is always changing. It’s not just running up Mill Creek. You go out and there’s the variables of the day, who else is running a fast race, and you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the race actually happens.”

While Gilbert finds distinctions between violin and cross country, the lessons she has learned from one activity have helped her succeed in the other.

“Cross country taught me that I tried something new at 16 years old when most people are already pretty experienced and that was okay.

I took that experience and auditioned for Chorale this year, which I probably would not have done if I hadn’t had that positive cross country experience,” said Gilbert.

The Mental Approach Since they started athletics and music early on, Gilbert and Doane have noticed some similarities and differences when preparing for either a big competition or a recital. Cheney Doane ‘15 (above) is one of Whitman’s “student-athlete-musicians,” who has balanced “There are defi- and mastered the mentally challenging activities of music and sport. Photo by Bernstein nitely techniques, especially between golf and piano, from ‘I hit a bad shot’ to a positive proaches them differently. She that I have seen an overlap in terms mindset. Also, with missing notes sees music as an individual expeof preparation, such as switching or missing a shot in basketball, rience with the purpose of sharmindsets,” said Doane. “In piano, the emotional responses to your ing a story, and cross country as a it’s switching mindsets from com- performance are very parallel.” team effort with a collective goal. poser to composer and piece to Gilbert has always sepa“When you’re doing a recital piece. In golf, you have to change rated music and sports and ap- it’s a routine that you’ve practiced

The Social Side For both Gilbert and Doane, involvement in athletics and music has allowed for many opportunities to create great camaraderie with people who have a variety of interests and strengths.

“My two groups [of musician and athlete friends] are definitely super contrasting,” said Doane.

“I don’t know a ton of athletes who play classical piano and vice versa, but I’m kind of a goofy person all over the place. You see that in both aspects. When I’m playing sports I’m goofy with sports stuff, and I can make jokes about professional athletes whereas in music I can make composer jokes.

The vernacular, humor and interests are obviously different between the two groups, but I’m able to happily relate to both.”

Friend groups are one aspect of being a musician-athlete that Gilbert does not find she places into separate boxes. Instead, she is able to be herself no matter whom she is around.

*

Want to read more?

Follow up online at whitmanpioneer.com/sports

Profile: Internationally ranked weightlifter Kayla Sua ‘13 ... When I was in high school I went to three world championships and my last one I finished with, it was when I was 17 and I ranked first in teens and third overall women. And that was the last one I did. Now this is the first one I’ve done in three years.

by PaM LONDON Sports Editor

T

ackling opponents, pushing through scrums and running through the mud on Ankeny Field, senior Kayla Sua looks like any other hard-nosed rugby player. But underneath that exterior, this Motherrucker is an international record-holding weightlifter who has recently come back into the sport to compete at the 2012 World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters World Championships. Two weeks ago, Sua traveled from Walla Walla to Las Vegas, Nev. to test herself at worlds in a sport in which she had not been competitive since she was 17 years old. The day before leaving for worlds, Sua spoke with The Pioneer about her experience with the sport, her expectations for future competitions and her relationship with her dad, also a competitive weightlifter.

When did weightlifting start getting serious for you?

When I first started when I was 13 it wasn’t that serious. I actually went in because I was really shy when

Two weeks ago, Kayla Sua ‘13 tested herself against the strongest women in the world, competing in the 2012 WABDL world championships in Las Vegas. Photo by Bernstein

I was in middle school and I wanted something to get me out of my shell, and being able to compete in front of lots of people ... In my mind it would help me be more confident. So I went just to work out and have fun with the team, and I ended up actually being

kind of good and I really liked it so I kept doing it. So I got really serious when I was in high school, and I actually started competing to go to nationals and worlds and stuff, and then I stopped in college because it was too hard to commute back and forth

What prompted you to get back into serious weightlifting and go to worlds again?

I missed it. I missed it since I stopped freshman year. But I knew that I didn’t have time ... My dad still does it. Just this past summer I went and watched him compete and he did fairly well but he was like, I don’t think I’m going to go, because it was kind of like our thing that we did together and he just felt weird doing it just by himself and I jokingly was like, oh, I’ll do it with you, and he was like, really? And after that it was like, oh, I’m doing it and it’s still weird because it was a joke and now I’m going!

Your dad is also a weightlifter. How did he get into the sport?

My dad started after me. He used to drop me off and wait in the

Men’s basketball tips off 2012-13 season from BASKETBALL, page 1

Bridgeland’s system has allowed upperclassmen and underclassmen alike to assume large roles on the team moving forward. In addition to off-the-court leadership being more balanced and fair, the structure of the program has allowed different heroes to rise to the occasion in each of its five games so far this season.

With a dynamic offense Whitman has averaged over 97 points per game since the start of the 2012-13 season and has consistently had multiple players scoring in double-figures. Eisenhardt leads the team in scoring with nearly 20 points per game, while others have put up great individual performances including junior Ignas Pavilonis’s 23 points and five three-pointers against Mary Hardin Baylor University and first-year Jackson Clough’s 13-point effort in the season opener, his first collegiate game.

The team has already faced a series of tests coming from a nationally ranked University of St. Thomas team from Minnesota and a three-game trip to California, followed by a game against Mary Hardin Baylor at home last Sunday.

“We purposefully put a challenging schedule together to challenge our returners and get a good feel for what we had to work on to compete with

the best,” said Coach Bridgeland. So far Whitman has handled its tough opponents and come away with three wins in a row after starting the season with a pair of competitive losses.

“We didn’t feel like we played very well in our opener against St. Thomas, but in each game since then we’ve played progressively better and better. Our goal is to get a little better as a team and a little closer as a group each day, and we feel as though we’ve been doing that,” said Eisenhardt.

As for the rest of the season, the team looks to take it one game at a time, but always with the goal of a conference championship.

“We were voted to finish second in the conference in the preseason poll, and we took that as a challenge,” said Eisenhardt.

Whitman’s high-octane offense takes to the court at home against UC Santa Cruz this Thursday before taking on their alumni this weekend.

“We will continue to look to improve both offensively and defensively in these two contests in preparation for next weekend’s NWC openers,” said Coach Bridgeland.

The regular season begins next week with a pair of league opponents in the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University Dec. 7 and 8.

car and my coach saw him and was like, that’s a big guy—do you know if he would want to try lifting? And my dad got really into it.

How do you like competing alongside your dad?

I love it. It’s the thing that made me want to go back, honestly. Me and my dad have always been really close ... There’s not really that many father-daughter pairs in the sport in general and we kind of push each other. When I’m up on stage the only [voices] I hear [are] him and my coach, and I don’t think I’d still be as into it as I am now without him.

*

Hear more from Kayla:

online at www.whitmanpioneer.com/sports

Sports weekly factoid While she was in high school, senior Kayla Sua set state and world records for her age group, benching 240 pounds and deadlifting 430 pounds. Her goal is to deadlift 500 pounds.

SCOREBOARD Basketball

Men’s v. St. Thomas University Nov. 15: L 104-81 v. UC Riverside Nov. 17: L 89-76 v. Pacifica University Nov. 19: W 121-85 v. Bethesda University Nov. 21: W 114-68 v. Mary Hardin Baylor Nov. 25: W 94-84 Women’s v. University of La Verne Nov. 16: W 70-55 v. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Nov. 17: W 64-50 v. Northwest University Nov. 24: W 66-53 v. Eastern Oregon University: L 67-58

swimming

Men’s Northwest Invitational Nov. 17: 1st Women’s v. Whitworth University Nov. 17: L 189-158

upcoming Basketball

Men’s v. UC Santa Cruz Nov. 29, 8 p.m.: HOME v. Alumni Game Dec. 1, 8 p.m.: HOME Women’s v. Pacific Lutheran Nov. 30, 6 p.m.: HOME v. Colorado College Dec. 1: AWAY v. Walla Walla University Dec. 4: AWAY

swimming Josh Duckworth ‘14 (above) and the Whitman men’s basketball team are riding a three game winning streak into a matchup with UC Santa Cruz. Photo by Bowersox

Husky Invitational Nov. 30-Dec. 2: AWAY

FEATURE

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nov

29 2012

The rise of the

t n e d u t e-S

With the rise of e-resources and the Internet in academia, how has learning been technologized?

Students make transition to e-readers rience with the Kindle equal that of a print book; in some instances, Budak thinks the eunior Nick Budak began reader surpasses print books his personal e-book jourbecause it is more conveniney only about a month ent and actually works better. ago, yet he is already a con“The way the screen vert—for him, there is no reads is startlingly like a turning back to the days book. It’s hard to imagine an of ordinary print books. electronic screen that can so A friend lent him an Amaccurately emulate the flat azon Kindle while Budak texture of paper unless you’ve was studying abroad in Beiactually held one,” he said. jing, and he plans to purchase Also, unlike a typical his own very soon. Initialcomputer or cellphone, the ly, Budak struggled with the Kindle has an astonishing obvious differences between battery life, making it usethe Kindle and print books. ful for the student on the go.

After using the Kin“I read at least five midto long-length books, including an entire trilogy, over the course of multiple weeks without having to charge the Kindle once. In fact, by the time I returned the Kindle to my friend, I had read everything in her ‘library’ that seemed interesting and the Kindle still had a little battery left,” said Budak.

While most people consider the Kindle to be best for pleasure reading, Budak personally feels that he will rely heavily on his Kindle for academic reading as well. As a politics and Asian studies double major, many of his classes distribute long PDF documents as reading, such as journal articles and book excerpts.

“The Kindle can download and turn anything in PDF format into a ‘book,’ making it the ideal platform for getting class reading done and saving loads of paper from printouts. I’m not normally someone who With the advent of the e-book, students face a new choice when purchasing texts prints out articles anyeither for leisure or class: on the e-reader or in physical print? Photos by beck way, but the Kindle is

by Kaili Masamoto Staff Reporter

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dle a few times, though, he quickly grew accustomed to the new reading experience and is now completely won over by e-books, even delaying doing his homework beyond his normal habits for the sake of pleasure reading on his Kindle.

“I became a convert virtually the moment I picked up the Kindle,” said Budak. “My friends can attest to the fact that, although we were hiking and traveling on the gorgeous Tibetan plateau, I was riveted by the Kindle pretty much every spare moment.”

Not only did his expe-

definitely preferable to reading off a laptop screen, and way more portable,” he said.

The Kindle also has useful features such as a “percentage display” which tells you how far you are in the book, and gives you the ability to highlight and take note of your favorite quotes. Budak found this made academic reading more exciting as well.

“The Kindle even tells you what passages other Kindle users have highlighted, bringing a social element to reading. Features like these make reading more than fun; it’s addicting to use the Kindle! Unlike with gaming or Facebook, however, we’ve been raised on the principle that reading is good, so I don’t feel guilty when I go on a Kindle binge. I’m learning!” he said.

However, he acknowledges e-books are not for everyone or for every reading type. While he believes that the benefits of Kindle reading outweigh the drawbacks, Budak still is a fan of printed books.

“Many non-popular or niche titles are not yet available on Kindle and I am perfectly comfortable buying the book[s] at a local store.

I also like to read self-published or ‘indie’ literature on occasion, and I feel like that kind of work belongs more in a hard copy,” he said.

First-year Laura Ames is a fellow Kindle owner, although she is not quite as convinced as Budak of the Kindle’s virtues.

“The Kindle is very convenient, but I think there’s something about having the book right there. All my favorite books—like ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’— there’s a physical copy that I always read,” she said.

First-year Jeremy Nolan’s preferred method of reading is on a Barnes and Noble Nook; he’s had one for three years.

“It was kind of an impulse buy. I’ve always liked Barnes and Noble, I’ve always enjoyed their products and I like being loyal to a certain brand so I figured I would go with Barnes and Noble,” he said.

Although he currently uses it for pleasure reading and as an “accessory to [his] laptop,” Nolan says he can see himself switching over to all electronic reading in the future.

Unlike the rest of these students, first-year Tino Mori has happily stuck with print books. To him, print books have a special feeling of permanence that makes them more worthwhile. Since our society today is so technology-driven, it’s a nice change to have a print book instead.

“I spend too much time on a screen as it is, writing, doing other stuff.

It’s relaxing not to have a screen sometimes,” he said.

His adherence to covers, paper and bindings does come with a bleak realism of what the future might hold for books.

“It’s hard to imagine a future with books, though,” said Mori. “Jetpacks, floating cities ... don’t really jive with books.”

While the transition, if it happens, will definitely be gradual and not happen anytime soon, it is impossible to predict if books will ever become obsolete.

In a time where vintage and old thrift stores are more popular than ever, we might continue to cherish books.

“Our generation seems to simultaneously be obsessed with leaving the old behind and recapturing the ‘retro’.

Given that vinyl, 35mm film and other ‘analog’ forms of data storage have all found a home in the 21st century, I’d say the traditionally printed word will stick around for a while,” said Budak.

Professors incorporate tech into classrooms, assignments

by Hannah Bartman Staff Reporter

T

he average Whitman student is surrounded daily by technology. Between doing work with word processing to reading e-resources, the use of computers in education is becoming increasingly vital.

This phenomenon has forced professors to reevaluate their use of discussion in a world where human contact is being replaced by digital communication.

“If I can provide [students] the opportunity to utilize the tools that they use inside the classroom instead of outside the classroom and keep it focused on the activity, then I see no problem with that,” said English Professor Christopher Leise. “This is the reality of how students study and consume information. I would rather keep pace with how you guys do your thinking and learning rather than to try and force something unnatural.”

One way that Leise accomplishes this is through his use of Wikispaces and blogs in his class.

In Wikispaces, students can tweet questions they may have about the reading, or post some of their own work. This allows for group collaboration and discussion of ideas that extends outside of the classroom.

“It allows for the conversation to stay active beyond class,” he said. “Once they are done I think the sustained conversation about what they’re doing with their paper and how it’s being received by an

audience really gives them a clear sense that it’s not just homework for a class, but it is part of a fundamental act of communication [and] that other people might be interested in what they have to say. I think that really reflects what we do as writers in the scholarly sphere.”

The same is true with the use of blogs in classrooms. Both Leise and Professor of History Elyse Semerdjian use blogs to encourage communication outside of the classroom.

“It helps [students] steer away from the sense that there’s a way that you’re supposed to write for college, and more towards the idea that there’s a way that you should write for other people so that they’re interested,” said Leise.

Discussion in a public format not only widens students’ perspectives to the opinions of their peers, but it also provides them with the chance to make an opinionated claim, even if it may be wrong.

“I hope that my students will get used to thinking in public as well as in private,” said Justin Lincoln, professor of new media studies. “It’s okay to be wrong sometimes and change your mind, even publicly.”

The use of blogs and other modes of interaction on the Internet create another medium for contemplation of class material. Lincoln believes that the interactions of students on his class Tumblr site reinforces ideas to be discussed in class.

“I think that in the educational process we need to think about things many times. Just thinking

about it once is not enough,” he said.

“You think about something as you read it, as you respond to it, as you talk about it in class and then maybe in a different discussion later to an issue that we’ve talked about three other times. That’s great.”

E-books, while not utilized by many professors due to the lack of availability of full books online, can bring distractions and barriers to class.

“My sense is that a lot of faculty members are not completely sold that e-reading is going to always work for a good, small classroom dynamic where you’re having intense conversation and close readings,” said Semerdjian.

Assigning e-books also means that laptops and other e-readers are to be used in class, which brings other distractions directly into the classroom.

“I still have not figured out how to have a seamless conversation with the class while a person has a wall, which is the top of the laptop, between me and that person,” said Semerdjian. “Technology sometimes can become challenging to a good conversation.”

While the Internet and e-books are increasingly being used in classes and for homework, not all Whitman classrooms have bridged into the newest available forms of technology. At times this is the choice of individual professors; however, the onus is often on the college itself.

Jon Loney, manager of instructional multimedia services, works to increase Whitman’s equip-

While e-books are cheap, they remain absent from most classrooms. Photo by beck

ment and technology use, working to assist the professors in their increasing needs for technology.

“As far as the classrooms I feel like we are a little behind [with technology], but there’s a certain element for which technology is unnecessary for us because of the size of the campus,” said Loney.

The lack of funding for large projects causes Whitman to fall behind in modernizing the classroom.

“We used to have a set amount

of funds for adding new classrooms, but when we had the recession that was one of the first things that got cut,” said Loney.

Despite this hindrance, Whitman classes have still adapted to the varied use of web-based communication to further improve education. By utilizing new technology for educational purposes, professors can continue discussion outside of class and produce an education that is a transition from the past.

OPINION

Nov

29 2012

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Carbon tax needed to put dent in pollution Sam Chapman Sophomore

A MOVING FOREST

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ords cannot describe what a great time I had on Election Day, watching liberal progressives beat Team Rape and the Adelson Gang in state after state. However, the election’s over, and it’s time to head back to reality. Now that Washington has held onto its progressive government, we the people need to show them we’re ready for a significant, intelligent and beneficial policy change. I’m talking about an emissions tax—and with a receptive legislature braced for action, there’s no better time.

I am a realist when it comes to human behavior. Habits are difficult things to change, especially when those habits are netting

you billions annually. If policy limits energy and holdings companies to a certain emissions cap, that policy only incentivizes pollution right up against that cap—something the planet cannot afford. What we need is a law that will make polluters strive to pollute as little as possible, one that changes emissions from externalities to true costs.

That leaves us with two options. I don’t love either of them, but the time has come for those serious about environmentalism to get their hands dirty in less-thanperfect options. If economic habits are the root of the problem, we can’t keep proposing solutions that expect people to ignore them; one look at this year’s weather makes it clear we can’t afford to be picky.

Cap and trade is popular with politicians because it seems to make environmentalism and the market economy fully compatible. Unfortunately, they still aren’t. Once a wealthy corporation bought up a stack of carbon credits, it would not only be able to continue to vandalize the Earth, it could legitimize that vandalism by claiming to be playing by “green” rules.

The emissions tax is superior for several reasons, but first and

foremost because it treats pollution as what it is: a vice. Pollute more, get punished; pollute less, earn a reprieve. As for specifics, the emissions tax currently proposed in several states is modeled on a successful tax instituted in British Columbia. The tax—a flat rate based on tons emitted—is paid by all polluters in B.C., and rolls up gradually to give businesses time to adjust.

The most important aspect of the tax is that it is revenue-neutral.

This policy is a tax hike no matter how you look at it, but the hike is offset by cuts to other taxes. British Columbia, for example, cut its income tax rate to 10 percent, one of the lowest in the G8. It’s the tax-cut aspect that will win this proposal bipartisan support, since the emissions tax will cause gas prices to rise. Americans will look more favorably on that if their income tax drops in response.

I say “emissions tax” instead of the more common “carbon tax” because of natural gas: The al-

Political Cartoon by Asa Mease

leged miracle fuel does indeed emit much less carbon when burned, but spits out enough methane to break even and more. A broad emissions tax would convince the American energy machine to use natural gas as a bridge to an alternative fuel infrastructure, not a crutch to extend a finite and dying fossil fuel supply.

The tax has bipartisan support from econo-

We need to start curbing greenhouse gases right now, and it’s looking increasingly clear that economics is the only way to do it. We’ve got candidates in office now who will be responsive to an environmentalist agenda. Let’s put them to work.

ILLUSTRATION BY HWANG

Palestinian lives deserve mourning

by Lesli Meekins ‘13 Guest Columnist

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Painful sex is never normal Spencer Wharton Senior

SEXCETERA

A

ccording to a 2001 study in American Family Physician, as many as 60 percent of women claim to have experienced episodes of pain with intercourse, but many who have persistent, severe symptoms never seek medical attention. On top of physical pain, painful sex can have emotional consequences as well—an anonymous Whitman student experiencing chronic painful sex described feeling as if she were “drowning.”

Seeking help with sexual issues can be difficult, but painful sex in particular is important to investigate. Good sex shouldn’t hurt, and when it does, it means something is going wrong—physically, psychologically or both.

Physically, there are multiple reasons why sex might be painful, starting with the most basic: insufficient lubrication. Unless you’re properly lubricated, bodies rubbing against each other is going to generate a ton of friction, especially on the sensitive tissues of the vagina and penis. Ow. Making sure everyone’s sufficiently aroused before having intercourse is an important way to avoid this, but when everyone’s turned on and still not fully lubricat-

ed, there’s a simple solution: lube.

Don’t be ashamed of lube. Especially among people who are new to sex, lube is often treated like a sex toy—a taboo option primarily for people who are really into sex. I don’t buy that. If you’re sexually active at all, then you should have a bottle of your favorite lube in your nightstand. It helps prevent uncomfortable sex, and also greatly extends the durability of condoms. Having lube on hand just shows you care about sexual comfort and safety.

Safety is particularly important, because painful sex can also indicate infections, including (but certainly not limited to) chlamydia.

I interviewed Cynthia Fine, Community Health Educator at Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, about painful sex, and she heavily stressed chlamydia, the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States, especially among 18-25-year-olds.

“For 90 percent of women, there are no symptoms. Yet that infection can progress,” says Fine, and if it progresses far enough, it can cause pain and irritation.

Chlamydia is easily screened for and easy to treat, but it’s also easy to prevent. Particularly since chlamydia disproportionately affects the 18-25 age group, Fine strongly recommends that students use condoms whenever they have sex—and if you use condoms, you should use plenty of lube with them to keep things comfortable.

In addition to problems with lubrication and infections, painful sex may indicate a more complicated physiological issue like vaginismus (uncontrollable vaginal spasming).

Doctors can help diagnose and treat

mists and has already worked wonders in B.C. Since the vast majority of small business aren’t significant polluters, the cut in the corporate income tax rate helped entrepreneurs more than they were hit by the emissions tax hike, and ended up coming out ahead.

these conditions, but Fine says if sex hurts, you shouldn’t leap to the conclusion that it’s due to a rare condition like this: “When you hear hoofbeats, you think horses, not zebras.”

Painful sex can point also to psychological issues, like feeling uncomfortable with sex. When you’re having sex, you don’t want to be tense at all; a tense mind leads to a tense body, after all.

Fine thinks creating a safe atmosphere is key: “Feeling safe with your partner, feeling confident that your limits will be respected, knowing that you can change your mind with your partner and they’ll respect you and adhere to that—all that is going to bring a sense of safety and trust so that you can relax.”

Greater comfort also makes arousal easier, which is the last area to investigate if sex is painful. If your partner isn’t getting turned on enough before sex, it might be a sign that you have more to learn about his or her body.

“Sometimes,” Fine says, “people make the mistake of assuming, ‘I’ve been with a sexual partner before, so I know how it goes.’ But each individual is unique.” By talking with your partner about what they personally enjoy, and by referring to resources such as sex ed textbooks and websites, you can equip yourself to better provide what your partner needs as well as creatively solve problems that may arise.

As intolerable as it may be, painful sex is not a condemnation to lifelong emotional and sexual dissatisfaction. It’s just a warning light, letting you know that something isn’t quite right. If you’re experiencing chronically painful sex, don’t despair—you are not alone, and there are solutions.

Voices from the Community

ho may be killed without repercussion, without significant outcry from the international community? What sort of lives—or nonlives, rather—are disposable? Despite the establishment of a universal code of human rights after the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust, we still live in a world where only some lives count.

Hannah Arendt believed that refugees, without a nation-state, lack significance and fall under the category of “human remnants.” Theorists such as Giorgio Agamben and Judith Butler have dealt in depth with the question of how states may destroy any citizen by suspending political rights and declaring a state of emergency, and in turn protect themselves against the legal charge of “human rights violations.”

What does a non-life look like, and how can we see it in our contemporary political context?

These lives unworthy of recognition are, unsurprisingly, difficult to locate. They “live” (if we can call it that) in Guantanamo Bay, in Abu Gharib, in tribal areas of Northern Pakistan where American drones freely roam and hunt their (sub)human prey.

These lives are hidden from us in two ways: first by their inability to present themselves and their own story through Western media ears, and second by a series of dismissive categorizations that prevent us from feeling any empathy with these marginalized and erased bodies: Terrorist, Muslim Extremist, Al-Quaeda Sympathizers. More than political classification, these are terms aimed at dehumanizing.

Once given one of these labels, the category comprehends from our perspective the person’s entire being. Even sympathizing with a “Terrorist” that was a mother or father is difficult, since “we,” the funders of drone strikes and massacres, cannot see their death, for they were already stripped of their humanity and symbolically “killed” through categorization as the enemy.

The recent massacre in the Gaza Strip presents a complex example of how Palestinian lives are erased in plain sight.

Between Nov. 14 and Nov. 21,

172 Palestinian men, women and children were erased, all while the world stood by and America trumpeted Israel’s “right to defend itself” by committing extrajudicial assassinations and shelling civilian areas. How can this be?

Israel and the United States have been able to justify an extensive military occupation, followed by a “withdrawal” and siege that began in 2006. The blockade has proven that balancing Gazans between humanitarian disaster and death is child’s play. The most recent major military strikes include the 2008 “Operation Cast Lead” that killed more than 1,400 Gazans, and the most recent “Pillar of Defense.” Among the “terrorist enclaves” destroyed by U.S. weaponry this past week were a kindergarten, a hospital, the media center that housed global and local news agencies, and countless family homes that entire Gazan families were, according to several tweets, cowering in since “dy-

Americans must recog­­­­nize their role in rendering Gazans unworthy of political rights. ing together would be a blessing.”

Of course, Israel is not the only aggressive actor in the recent conflict: Hamas is also active in missile attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Hamas will not comply with Israeli demands to demilitarize, despite their decision to recognize a two-state solution, which excludes territory annexed by Israel during the 1967 war.

However, the most important lesson to be drawn from this situation is that Israelis and Americans must recognize their role in rendering Gazans unworthy of political and human rights, then disposing of them. Until this happens, the blood on all of our hands, for our complacency with the murder of brown bodies, remains.

A new political spectrum could emerge within the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once this cycle of two-step erasure is recognized.

Palestinian lives must be mourned and granted human and political status for Hamas to similarly recognize Israeli lives. Until the sacredness of life is recognized and mourned for, we all remain vulnerable.

Want to write for opinion?

For more information, write to: editors@whitmanpioneer.com

How do digital learning tools factor into your education?

Poll by Charlie Li

Cambridge Liao

Xiaotong Duan

Tyler Schuh

Clare Sobetski

First-year

Junior

First-year

Senior

“We do Gen-chem question sets on line and I usually watch TED talks and Khan Academy on my iPad. New media are definitely powerful tools for studying!”

“I think it gives us a faster way to access information, but not necessarily the most effective way. I personally learn better when I have an actual book or an actual professor—a real connection is important.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the look/smell/ touch/taste of a stale library book, but in terms of nimbleness, compatibility and access to similar material, I prefer the virtual form.”

“Reading on a computer or tablet screen may be all the rage, but I will always be a pen and paper girl. I love having a physical library.”

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Nov

29 2012

Freshman males claim to enjoy sex I n a recent survey conducted by ASWC, it seems freshman males are overwhelmingly enjoying the act of coitus.

“I came into college not having much experience, ya know, in the bathroom. I mean bedroom,” admitted one freshman male, Cam Srosby, after being assaulted by Senior Kappas wearing lipstick in the Beta bathroom because he “looked like a teddy bear.”

“At first it just felt kinda weird, but then I realized it was kinda like porn kinda,” noted an anonymous freshman male. Since losing his virginity earlier in November he changed his AIM username from Legolaslover94 to I_ get_wood_like_treebeardxxx.

Since then, males have been meeting in the 2-West

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AIB

Lounge to try and get more women into their couch-beds.

“One strategy that works is to tell them you’re a senior, and keep making comments about how ‘you can’t believe you’re hooking up with a first-year.’ Then mention how your 400-level sociology classes are super tough. They will totally believe that,” said one of the more mature idiots of 2-west.

“I HAPPEN TO LIKE SEX ... DAD,” said one ecstatic yet rebellious freshman male after getting his first kiss sometime during Family Weekend. His father, a strict Catholic man, looked down, ashamed, and said, “I knew this would happen. We’re bringing you back home. This damn hippie school has gone too far.”

Although they claim to like

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Thanksgiving day activities

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hanksgiving Day tends to raise a lot of alarming concerns. Sure, it’s a day of thanks (supposedly), but in reality, it has become a day of questionable origins that is dedicated to football, awkward family moments and a mass effort to collectively and willfully raise the country’s obesity percentages.

Ironically, the only aspect of the holiday that still accurately reflects its advent is the tradition of the hosts inviting and feeding people that they disdain in a failed attempt to remedy tensions between the two parties. But aside from those petty concerns, a

sex, the freshman males aren’t exactly sure how it works.

“The more condoms the better!” said one freshman whose username on Whitman Encounters is JabbatheButt. He then claimed to have once put 10 condoms on his flaccid member. “I also do the same thing with my contacts,” he later snorted. The Backpage can only hope he was putting the contacts on his eyes, not somewhere else.

Freshman girls, however, are underwhelmed. “I’m gonna need more than four to five drinks on a typical night if I’m gonna have to deal with these idiots for the rest of my college career,” one said.

more disturbing element has surfaced in recent years: How does one take a day that is unglamorously dedicated to food (which is pretty much every day if you live in the South or Midwest) and make it more exciting? Football is one solution, but it doesn’t satiate the increasingly hungry and craving part of our minds that desperately yearns for Aunt Gertrude to stand up and walk out of the room in disgust as your dad, uncle and brothers silently applaud your successful efforts to rid the table of its nefarious source (i.e. Aunt Gertrude). Here are some fun ways to make the day interesting:

ILLUSTRATION BY SCHUH

21

f you have ever relieved yourself in an academic building, you have probably seen the alcohol consumption posters depicting the percentage of Whitman students drinking various amounts each weekend. As part of his thesis for mathematics, senior Kevin Duh found an obvious flaw with the poster.

“They don’t add up,” he said triumphantly, brow still speckled with beads of sweat from the tedious calculations he squeezed out.

“Only 79 percent of the student body is represented on this poster.

That’s not even half of the school!”

While he still has some crunching to do, Duh was certainly correct that some of the school is not being represented. A large number of the school’s students (approximately 21 percent) are up in arms over what is being called “inebriation without representation” and drawing parallels to the Occupy movement.

“We are 21 ... The 20 per ... One percent of the 20 school,” argued a drunken Delta Gamma sophomore.

The DG was one of many

DUMP STREET

of the “top bracket” students who were down in the dumps after being left off of the drink chart for having more than nine drinks on a night of debauchery.

“I don’t let academics get in the way of my drinking. So what?

TKE is bestly the def of the sororities,” said a Tau Kappa Epsilon junior into a Breathalyzer that he mistook for a microphone. Like his statement, his BAC was hard to discern, but was estimated at around .30. “On the metric system?” he asked over bites of an uncooked quesadilla.

The Whitman administration has their hands full stifling the complaints of a fifth of their student body they had swept under the rug for years. “We want to promote healthy choices, not that,” said Barbara Maxwell, gesturing towards the Beta porch.

The movement to hide the 21 percent’s drinking tendencies has raised questions as to the other substance abuse amongst students being hidden by the administration. Namely, folks are concerned with addressing the jenkem

rumors circulating North Hall. Jenkem is a Zambian street drug produced by collecting the methane gas from fermented waste.

“If there are students drinking 10 or more drinks on a weekend night, there are definitely probably some students huffing poop gas,” said John Masla, resident assistant of North Hall.

For some students, it is more of a matter of ethics than anything.

“I just can’t, in my right mind, huff jenkem with the knowledge that the administration won’t make my habits public. It’s really just nutty,” said brown junkie Sam Crosby.

For the time being, Whitman’s administrative team is satisfied to have pinched off the jenkem movement through stifling the voice of minority substance abusers on campus.

Whether Whitman’s 21 percent or jenkem community will mobilize and serve a piping hot pile of justice by occupying the gutters and alleys of Walla Walla in protest remains a mystery, but the voiced frustrations of a stifled voice have been heard, sort of.

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While no one is looking, add your own “touch” to the dishes that you aren’t planning on consuming ... examples include adding beets to the cranberry sauce, mixing yams into the pumpkin pie, inconspicuously stuffing your great aunt’s dachshund, Odie, inside the turkey just before its placed in the oven, etc.

Once the food is prepared and set, discreetly loosen the legs of the chair that your obnoxious and overweight uncle Vern will be sitting in, politely offer to sit next to him during the meal (to the pleasant surprise of your family), and then, just as he goes to exclaim his annual “Boy, am I stuffed ... get it?” line, you wrap your foot around one of the legs of his chair, give it a sturdy but unnoticeable tug and then watch in pleasure as your uncle and his chair collapse midsentence while he reaches for the table cloth and brings the rest of the turkey down upon his embarrassed, greasy face.

Walk around the house all day dressed as a time-period Pilgrim, passionately crying out, “If we really want to celebrate Thanksgiving Day ‘traditionally,’ why don’t we make a feast, invite our neighbors, then kill them and take their land?”

After all, this is the day of Thanksgiving, so it only makes sense to offer excitement that others can be thankful for on a holiday built on anachronistic and dubious traditions.

Dubblebaby by Toby & Sam Alden

Read more Dubblebaby online at http://dubblebaby.blogspot.com/