Whitman Pioneer Spring 2012 Issue 9

WHITMAN FEES: A HISTORY

In 1882, a semester at Whitman would cost you the equivalent of $363 2011 dollars.

This graphic documents the rise in Whitman charges over the past 130 years. The data was compiled from past college catalogs in the Penrose Library Archives starting in 1882, when the first college catalog was published. All figures were adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index and are calculated in 2011 dollars.

28,327

2008: Global financial crisis 2001: Invasion of Afghanistan

20,000

1987: Black Monday (stock market crash)

15,000

*2012 insurance fee is projected Infographic by Alexander, Berfield & Hendershot

1929: Stock market crash 1929-1941: Great Depression

Legend Tuition Room Board Books & Supplies (est.)

ASWC Health Insurance 1890

10,000

1955-1975: Vietnam War

1944: G.I. Bill 5,000

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

12 20 0 1 20

1882

1914-1918: World War I

25,000

PIONEER GROWING TUITION OUTPACES FAMILY INCOME

News Editor

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hitman College recently released its student fees for the 2012-2013 academic year. Tuition for next year is set at $41,790, a four percent increase from last year’s tuition. This is the lowest tuition increase the college has had since 2000. Despite this lower-than-average tuition increase, the growing cost of college prompts some to consider the sustainability of the higher education model.

While tuition increases are occurring nationwide, at some places as high as nine percent, some students are optimistic that Whitman is able to keep financial aid costs at pace with increasing tuition.

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by SHELLY LE

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“My hope is that the quality of education that we’re paying for now and students will continue to pay for in the future will be worth the high price tag, but by that same token we’ll be able to offer more financial aid,” senior ASWC President Matt Dittrich said.

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Peter Harvey further addressed the particular factors that go into the decision to increase Whitman’s tuition and by how much.

“We look at what our needs are, what kind of salary increases we want for staff faculty and other priorities if there are any new initiatives we want to take.

Then we look at the market place, how our college compares to other colleges,” he said. “It’s all

about trying to find a balance.”

Next year, the college hopes to primarily fund salary increases for faculty and staff that have undergone performance appraisals.

“A high priority for the college is doing a three percent increase for faculty and staff,” Harvey said. “We would have actually done more [increases]; in the last few years we’ve only had one to two percent salary increases.”

Additionally, the college will be adding two new tenure line faculty positions next year, one in chemistry and one in biology.

Tuition increases have been outpacing growth in consumer price index and family income. Taking into account inflation, Whitman tuition increas-

ISSUE 9 | April 5, 2012 | Whitman news since 1896

es have averaged 3.27 percent over the past 20 years. In contrast, inflation levels have averaged 2.63 percent in the same time period.

However, Harvey reminds students that comparing the cost of education is not necessarily a fair comparison.

“A Whitman education today is significantly stronger and better than it was 10 years ago . . . the faculty student ratio is significantly less than it was 10, 20 years ago. We do a whole bunch of educational experience programs that we never did 15 years ago,” he said.

President George Bridges discussed the correlation between higher education and the skilled labor market.

“Tuition increases have out-

paced inflation for many years in sectors of our economy reliant on highly skilled workers. The costs of seeing a doctor, lawyer or attending a college or university where faculty members have PhDs from leading graduate programs have all risen at rates higher than inflation,” he said in an email.

In a sense, college finances can be compared to the business model of selling technology.

“Look at a Whitman education like an Apple product. They come out with a new iPhone or a new iPad that’s stronger every couple of years. In order to stay relevant and in demand, you have to be making yourself better, and I feel that Whitman does as well,” Harvey said. see TUITION INCREASE, page 3

Maxey Museum to return Native American remains, burial items

by EMILY LIN-JONES Staff Reporter

A

A desert view of Altar Valley in southern Arizona, where student volunteers with the Tucson-based organization No More Deaths provided food, water and medical assistance to immigrants crossing the border in harsh conditions. Photo contributed by Beers

No More Deaths provides humanitarian aid at border

by JULIA STONE Staff Reporter

R

ecently, immigration has been a highly contested political issue, but six Whitman students who spent one week on the U.S.-Mexico border reveal that immigration and border control is just as much a humanitarian issue as it is a political one.

Earlier in January, sophomore Keiler Beers began organizing a group of five students to take part in a spring break service trip volunteering with the organization No More Deaths. No More Deaths is a non-governmental organization based in Tucson, Arizona that provides direct humanitarian aid to immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the conviction that humanitarian aid is never a crime, volunteers provide food and water, and medical assistance if needed, along the trails frequented by immigrants crossing the border.

The group included senior Lauren McCullough and sophomores Sean McNulty, Maren Schiffer, Luke Rodriguez and Genevieve Jones.

No More Deaths attempts to raise awareness that immigration is a humanitarian crisis, not just a hot political issue. This stance on the issue first prompted Beers to organize a group of student volunteers.

“The politics of the issue is important, and something that needs to be addressed, but . . . it is a humanitarian crisis,” says Beers. “It’s not something people can take sides on other than the fact that no one should be dying in the de-

sert, and I think that is something everyone should be able to come to a common ground.”

After a day of orientation with members of the organization, the group of students camped near the border town of Nogales. The group spent all day hiking along the heavily trafficked trails, leaving water bottles and food for migrants.

“There’s trash everywhere, like used water bottles, clothing, backpacks and a lot of other stuff you wouldn’t expect to see. You really got a sense of how many people were crossing by looking at the amount of trash,” said Rodriguez.

When two lost men wandered into their camp one morning, the group was faced headon with the shocking reality that most migrants face. Rodriguez described the experience.

“They were really disoriented. Their group had been scattered by border patrol on Saturday night and it was Wednesday when they walked into our camp. They probably had been going in circles . . . they hadn’t had food since they’d been scattered. They had been drinking from cattle tanks, which is not good water at all, so one of them had bloody diarrhea.”

Jones was also deeply effected by this event.

“One of the men qualified for an emergency evacuation and it was extremely difficult to cope with the fact that we couldn’t just put him in the car and drive him to the hospital,” she said.

According to Jones, a medical evacuation in the desert would not only have been costly and le-

gally complicated, it would also have ended in his deportation.

On their final day, the group witnessed ‘Operation Streamline,’ which is a court proceeding that happens every weekday and allows for quick and efficient mass deportation. Created in part to give jail time for crossing in the hopes of deterring immigration, detainees are given half an hour with an attorney on the morning of their trial. Almost every detainee is given a plea bargain, in which they are sentenced to between 15 and 188 days in prison as opposed to being charged as a felon, a crime that risks up to 20 years in prison.

All students reported that their views towards immigration policy have changed significantly. Policy changes in the last decade have extended border control’s jurisdiction past the border zone, which has increased border control’s presence and authority in Southern Arizona.

Because there are checkpoints along the roads extending from the border all the way to Tucson, migrants must hike an extra 70 miles north through mountain desert in order to get past the border zone. By constructing walls in places where it is easier to cross the desert, border control is effectively funneling the flow of migrants through an extremely harsh and mountainous desert terrain.

“What [border patrol] is essentially doing is trying to make the journey of crossing as difficult as possible,” said Rodriguez. “I expected misguided policy, not malicious policy.” see NO MORE DEATHS, page 3

ny place as old as Whitman’s Maxey Museum is bound to have a few skeletons in the closet.

The Museum’s proprietors brought some of them to light last month when they discovered a box containing human remains and items thought to have been taken from Native American burial sites along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The college will return the remains and associated objects to local tribes later this month, as per the Native ILLUSTRATION BY HWANG American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. “[We’re] very happy to comply.

The museum is a valuable resource, and the last thing we want to do is

get in trouble with anybody. Not just the Native Americans, but the federal or state [government],” said Professor of Anthropology Gary Rollefson.

NAGPRA, a federal measure passed in 1990, requires all institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American cultural items to their places of origin, or face a fine from the Department of the Interior.

This is the latest in a series of several repatriations Maxey Museum has gone through since hiring former visiting professor Jennifer Karson as its NAGPRA consultant in the spring of 2009. Karson serves as a mediator between the college and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, who have reclaimed many of the skeletal remains and funerary objects formerly stored in Maxey Museum. see MAXEY MUSEUM, page 3

InterNation Celebration changes venue to reach wider audience

by AMY HASSON Staff Reporter

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elly dancing, Spanish love songs, Irish stepdance and a fashion show.

These were just some of the many entertaining acts featured in the InterNation Celebration on Friday, March 30.

In the past, the Beyond Borders Club hosted an international banquet consisting of both food and performances together. This year, the club decided to revamp the celebration, splitting the event up into two parts.

The night started with an International Feast in Prentiss Dining Hall, which featured foods from Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The InterNation Celebration, held later in the evening at Reid Ballroom, showcased 12 performances from different parts of the world.

Senior Rimmy Doowa, a performer in the celebration and active member of the Beyond Borders Club, said the changes were made in hopes of reaching a broader and bigger audience.

“Separating [the feast and performances] and making the tickets cost $5 instead of $10 or $20 opened it up for the whole Whitman community and the Walla Walla community. We all work so hard for it, so it’s better to have a bigger audience,” said Doowa.

First-year Lydia Loopesko, a master of ceremonies for the event, and member of the Beyond Borders Club, was very enthusiastic about the new venue.

“The fact that we had good lighting and sound made it look much more profession-

al and formal,” said Loopesko.

All proceeds from the event went towards establishing an International Students Fund.

Junior Marcial Díaz Mejía is president of the Beyond Borders Club and thought the new fundraising focus of the event helped boost the turnout.

“Knowing that the money would support fellow Whitties seemed to make the event more attractive,” said Díaz Mejía in email.

Many international students are not able to afford the costs of traveling to and from home during winter, spring or summer breaks. Although details are not yet finalized, the International Student Fund seeks to improve students’ experiences by defraying those costs.

“This our first year trying this, but this fund has a lot of potential,” said Doowa.

Junior Marcial Díaz Mejía is president of the Beyond Borders Club and thought the new fundraising focus of the event helped boost the turnout.

“Students were more interested as we told them about the International Student Fund that we are creating. Knowing that the money would support fellow Whitties seemed to make the event more attractive,” said Díaz Mejía in email.

Many international students are not able to afford the costs of traveling to and from home during winter, spring or summer breaks. Although details are not yet finalized, the International Student Fund seeks to improve students’ experiences by defraying those costs.

“This our first year trying this, but this fund has a lot of potential,” said Doowa.

ASWC CANDIDATES

Apr

05 2012 What is your year & major?

Whitman Investment Company, I have learned a great deal about what it means to be responsible for other people’s money.

2013, economics What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

After having served on the Finance Committee and as the CEO of the

As Nominations Chair, I will be tasked with organizing the nominations process for each of the campus media organization heads, nonsenator members of the Nominations Committee, as well as College Committee positions.

ZAC PARKER

Nominations Chair Candidate

What is your year & major?

2015, undeclared with an interest in politics, philosophy and rhetoric

applicants for positions, and I feel an increased focus on physical advertising in addition to email will be extremely effective.

My background in advertising as a member of ASWC’s Communications Committee will be instrumental for the Nominations Chair position. Nominations Committee has been plagued in recent years with low numbers of

I think that homogeneity is a pretty

What is your year & major?

2013, economics with a minor in French What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

I have over two years of experience working in ASWC and one semester serving as the Oversight Chair. As the Oversight Chair, I had the opportunity to sit on the Executive Council, see ASWC as a whole and work with each individual committee. Because of this, I am very familiar with how each committee functions and how to best coordinate them.

The Finance Chair position requires the understanding of the business office system here at Whitman. I was the student intern there last year, so I am very familiar with how it functions in relation to ASWC. I also possess knowledge of economics not only from the United States, but also from China and Europe.

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

Whitman is an academically rigorous college, but our occupational training isn’t enough. I would like to work closely with the SEC to increase internship/student job opportunities, and establish graduate school liaisons for students. This would provide a new source of information about graduate school and summer internship opportunities. I am planning on bringing in recent Whitman graduates to talk to students about their job search experiences and GRE preparation.

Giving students access to their funds requires a unique blend of political savvy and financial understanding . . . As an international student from China studying economics, I have firsthand knowledge of how valuable it is to be exposed to people of different backgrounds.

Finance Chair Candidate

What is your year & major?

2013, sociology-environmental studies What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

I am involved with various groups on campus which I believe gives the advantage of knowing the diversity of opinions and students’ interests.

What is an issue or problem on

What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

Experience . . . [This] gives me a better foundation when making the major decisions that I will be making as President. I’ve also benefited from serving on a wide range of committees including the Oversight Committee, Student Affairs Committee and Executive Council. I know where ASWC has been in the past, and I will use this knowledge to better lead ASWC into the future.

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

www.youtube.com/ voteformargaret

campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

I believe that students should have more experiential learning as part of the education in which they interact with the outside world. I’d like to see more opportunities for students in all the majors as well as interdisciplinary approaches. I’d like ASWC to coordinate efforts by talking to the administration and faculty, and coming up with possible solutions together.

I would like to serve as the head of the Student Affairs committee, a committee I was a part of as a senator. While working with this committee, I helped facilitate writing the Pre-Registration Survey, founding the Coalition of Student Governments Whitman compares itself with and meeting with student advisers.

As the club clerk, I have maintained communication with over 60 clubs, and helped 20 of those clubs write constitutions passed through senate. I have also spent time working to completely re-structure the club clerk position for

Whitman provides us with a great foundation of learning, but then seems to fall short in helping us transition from inside the Whitman bubble to the real world. We have the ability to make proactive changes by working with the Student Engagement Center to offer students better connections with alumni. We can do this by using a virtual network where alumni and students are automatically connected. There are already schools who have built this platform.

I am running for ASWC Vice President. I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the Student Affairs Committee working on initiatives for the student body.

I solicited faculty syllabi and helped institute a way to view them through CLEo. Through this, I had an opportunity to navigate situations with varying faculty perspectives. In addition, I have had a full year on student affairs and [am] familiar enough with the committee that I feel comfortable enough to keep it working for your best interests. Among other initiatives this year, I have helped organize first-year ASWC informational sessions, instituted student taught yoga classes, researched perceptions of ASWC from the student body as a whole and have helped in the continued design of an Academic Major Informational Packet.

I have many goals for next year: discovering if ASWC elections are limiting for people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, researching and advocating for service learning opportunities in different academic disciplines and continuing to educate incoming classes about the functions of ASWC, as well as open leadership positions within it.

ALLISON BURNS

KAYVON BEHROOZIAN Presidential Candidate

What is your year & major?

2013, English with a minor in religion What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

I have been involved as both a senator and a member of the Executive Council

Business Manager Hailun Zhou

Managing Editor Cara Lowry

Production Associates Katie Berfield, Sean McNulty Madison Munn, Molly Olmsted, Cara Patten, Allison Work

PIONEER

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Copy Editors Aleida Fernandez Marisa Ikert

FEATURE

Web Editor Sara Rasmussen

ILLUSTRATION

SPORTS

cade beck, Caitlin Bergman, Faith Bernstein, Allie Felt, Halley McCormick, Chaoyu Li, Nicholas Farrell

I aim to make ASWC more transparent and accessible to the students; to continue building ASWC into a formidable voice [within the] college; making positive steps forward with campus safety; and [to] increase ASWC’s hand in developing “real-world” experience opportunities on campus.

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

Whitman offers a premier liberal arts education—but something students constantly complain about is the significant lack of real world experience they receive during their time here. Whitman needs to begin offering opportunities for real world experience both in and outside of the classroom.

I will push for such action. In high school, we had a “student store” that was run entirely by students. Accounting, inventory and marketing were done by students. The success of that store hinged on the students themselves. This is real world experience. Likewise, many colleges around the country have something similar.

Samuel Adler, Susanna Bowers, Molly Emmett, Talia Rudee, Kinsey White

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Elena Aragon, Tabor Martinsen, Theo Pratt, Dana Thompson, Bridget Tescher

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

Webmaster Kirk Crosland

Peter Clark, Sarah Debs, Kyle Howe, Pamela London, Sylvie Luiten, Matt Tesmond

Sam Chapman, Blair Frank, Sandra Matsevilo, Nathan Ord, Kyle Seasly, Julia Stone

on ASWC. I have . . . come to gain a solid handle on where ASWC stands and where it can be taken. As the only woman running for the position, I have experiences and views that differ from the other candidates.

Circulation Associate Emily Coba

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Photography Editor Ethan Parrish

Rachel Alexander, Allison Bolgiano, Amy Hasson, Molly Johanson, Emily Lin-Jones, Julia Stone Clara Bartlett, Nathan Fisher, Alex Hagen, Mallory Martin, Ellie Newell

Humor Editor Cari Cortez

The ASWC President is responsible for maintaining strong relationships with the Student Body at large . . . [this is] something I plan to significantly improve when I take office.

2) I have served as a senator my entire time at Whitman and currently serve on the Executive Board for not only Model UN as their President, but also for Phi Delta Theta as their Treasurer.

I will come in with multiple perspectives on how execs should be run, and I will be free to run it in a way that I know to be more effective for my leadership style.

Production Manager Ted Hendershot

Opinion Editor Alex Brott

3) Improve ASWC communication with the student body, because your representatives work for you and you deserve to know what we are doing to improve your Whitman experience. . . Students deserve to have more resources available when learning about careers and searching for job possibilities.

The ASWC President serves as a liaison to the Board of Trustees, Administration and ASWC. This takes a confident, devoted, knowledgeable and energetic individual— qualities that I’m well experienced with.

1) I will be a Junior if elected.

I won’t have my thesis [or] graduation . . . to distract me from performing the duties of the President.

Editor-in-Chief Patricia Vanderbilt

Alex Bailey, Ariel Carter-Rodriguez, Kelly Douglas, Ruth Hwang Emily Johnson, Julie Peterson, Erika Zinser

2) Work with the Student Engagement Center on creating a virtual network to easily connect current students to alumni for internship, career and graduate school advising and opportunities.

I am a driven leader that will confidently represent you as your President.

What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

BUSINESS

Feature Editors Alyssa Fairbanks Kelsey Kennedy

1) Work to increase student input in matters such as the curriculum and tenure process.

2014, politics

WRITING

Sports Editor Libby Arnosti

For three years I have been representing you on ASWC, holding positions on various committees, as well as spending one year on the Executive Council.

This unmatched experience will provide me with the foundation needed to lead ASWC through our current challenges and beyond. As President, I will:

What is your year & major?

PRODUCTION

A&E Editor Caitlin Hardee

Presidential Candidate

Vice-Presidential Candidate

future years, so that clubs get even more of a say in their representation on ASWC. If elected, I would continue working on projects we started this year, and . . . begin a number of other ideas . . . such as creating networks for students within the same major (or the same abroad programs, etc.) in order to spread communication, community and awareness.

Chief Copy Editor Jean Marie Dreyer

RYAN GILKEY

I want to focus on creating more experiential learning opportunities for our students. I’ll be advocating to each department to find new innovative ways to develop experiential curriculum.

EDITORIAL

News Editors Karah Kemmerly Shelly Le

Platforms and full interviews can be found at whitmanpioneer. com

2013, economics major, math minor.

Vice-Presidential Candidate

and junior years, in the Student Affairs, Nominations and ommunications Committee . . .

I have seen the organization grow and evolve, and more effectively advocate for students.

I want to continue this path and work towards a stronger institution that leads the way in the evolution of Whitman as a community in which students play an important role.

Responses compiled by staff reporter Molly Johanson, photos

by Bergman

What is your year & major?

FERNANDO MEDINA COREY

Vice-Presidential Candidate

During my time at Whitman, I have worked in constructing Whitman as an institution that provides different learning opportunities to enhance the student experience. I have served as a senator during my sophomore

Finance Chair Candidate

XIAOJIAO (MARGARET) YANG

MARCIAL DÍAZ MEJÍA I am running for ASWC Vice-President/Student Affairs Chair. I was born in the year of the dragon, and I am a Pisces who enjoys dancing, cooking and getting lost in big cities.

3) I want to help each and every one of you reach your goals and discover new passions.

a great deal about what it means to be responsible for the students’ money.

Likewise, in my position as Finance Chair, I will make it my priority that your money goes to projects that will ultimately make Whitman College an even better place to go to school. As Finance Chair, I want to work to represent the most important aspect of Whitman, the student body, your voices and concerns.

SAM SADEGHI

As Finance CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Chair, I’d make sure it’s easy for you to get your money’s worth from the resources you’ve helped create. . . I’d hold an information session every semester to explain how you can get your ideas funded by ASWC, and also hold monthly conferences explaining where your money is going and why.

In my two years serving on ASWC’s Oversight Committee [and] as Oversight Chair, I have gained exhaustive knowledge of how ASWC works.

2) I want to increase funding for clubs sports.

After having served on the Finance Committee and as the CEO of the Whitman Investment Company, I have learned

huge issue at Whitman. While I love most of the ‘Whittie’ reputation, I don’t like [that it] necessitates a sort of sameness amongst all the students here. I think my focus on raising the inclusivity and accessibility of ASWC is the most genuine plan I can offer for redressing this problem from the position of Nominations Chair.

What is an issue or problem on campus for students that you would like to effect change in, and if so, how?

2

increase the total amount of money going to student development projects.

1) I will actively push to

of ASWC over the past year, I feel that I am extremely qualified to manage the Nominations branch of ASWC and fulfill these duties. As Chair, I would focus on substantially raising the extent to which each position Nominations handles is advertised for. I see this position as a unique opportunity to use my skills and abilities to get more people across campus involved in ASWC.

Given my experience as a member of both the Nominations and Communications Committees

What do you think you offer to your position that’s unique from other candidates?

I have decided to run for ASWC Finance Chair because I truly care about your student experience.

When elected as Finance Chair I will have three primary goals:

Two big things! One, I will actively push to increase the total amount of money going to student development projects. Two, I want to increase funding for clubs sports. I would do this not through raising the student fee, but through alumni donations.

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Advertising Manager Hannah Bauer

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

I believe that Whitman . . . fosters a strong sense of community, and the best way to do so is by keeping all members of the student body informed and aware. I hope to work with campus media organizations, clubs and college administrators to promote transparency with regards to both administrative and student government actions.

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 weekly Letters to the Editor in print and online.

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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.

The

NEWS

Apr

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3 Students win awards for civil rights education 05 2012

by MOLLY JOHANSON Staff Reporter

D

uring spring break three seniors were given the chance to expand their knowledge of the civil rights movement beyond the Walla Walla school system.

Seniors Shannon Morrissey, Libby Watkins and Alyssa Fairbanks, along with Assistant Dean for Student Engagement Noah Leavitt traveled to the Office of Civil Rights in Seattle on March 21 to give a presentation about their experiences teaching the civil rights movement in Walla Walla Public Schools with the Whitman Teaches the Movement initiative. The three were also recognized with Civil Rights Education Hero Awards.

“Just the opportunity to be the guest speakers at the OCR was just really cool . . . as seniors in college, we have something to offer; they were interested in what we had to say. That just felt really powerful . . . They’re people who got involved in their work because they wanted to change the world when they were in college. It was cool for them to see the next generation of activists,” Morrissey said.

The Whitman Teaches the Movement initiative began this past fall as a one-time engagement with the community. In a partnership between Whitman, The Southern Poverty Law Center and Walla Walla Public Schools, 100 Whitman students volunteered to teach about civil rights in local elementary, middle and high schools in

the weeks following Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The repercussions of the movement have gone on to have many positive impacts in the lives of students and communities.

cool. Talking with the OCR about it made it seem all the more relevant. I want to go to law school. I’m really interested in civil rights and education . . . I hadn’t even really thought

ment are just part of the mission of the Student Engagement Center. Because of the success of the Movement, the SEC plans to hire for a position that organizes com-

Seniors Alyssa Fairbanks, Libby Watkins and Shannon Morrissey presented to members of the Southern Poverty Law Center at the Office of Civil Rights in Seattle on March 21. They recieved Civil Rights Education Hero Awards. Photo by McCormick

The invitation to come to the OCR was extended by Attorney Tim Sell, who read about the Movement in the news. The visit served as educational for both the OCR and the students who presented.

“I learned, they learned, it’s

about the fact that there was an office of civil rights of the department of education. It’s really cool though because all of a sudden it just fell in to my lap,” Watkins said.

Leavitt noted that the opportunities that are created by the Move-

munity outreach events. In looking towards the future, Leavitt plans to possibly expand the scope of the Movement program to include education about civil rights locally in Walla Walla.

“The college is trying to find

Financial aid to increase with tuition from TUITION, page 1

Where this analogy fails, [Apple] can often bring down the cost of technology, Whitman can’t . . . the whole nature of our product is based on faculty-student interaction and small class sizes.”

First-year Evan Griffis is hopeful that the college will provide him with a financial aid package that will reflect Whitman’s higher tuition, and would like to see the benefits of increased tuition in his subsequent years at Whitman.

“I understand that it’s a necessary evil,” he said, “but it’s hard to say that you actually feel that your educational experience is increased to the same amount you’re paying—I hope so, but as a freshman I haven’t had enough time here to actually say I’ve felt it.”

According to Harvey and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco, the college is helping students deal with the increasing cost of college by providing more financial aid. The college has allotted even more financial aid for new students next year to increase socioeconomic and ethnic diversity “Federal and state governments pays less toward supporting education, our students used to get

more grant money and we’ve tried to make up with that with Financial Aid. One of the biggest growing portion[s] of our operating budget is financial aid,” Harvey said.

“Not everybody’s going to afford [Whitman] but we’re doing a lot to help as many [students] as we can.”

Cabasco discussed the challenges of ensuring students receive enough aid to actually attend Whitman, while also allocating enough money to appeal to prospective students.

“We’re trying to balance our increases with what can we do to relieve pressure on students by ensuring financial aid is available, and we don’t want to put ourselves in position where we hurt the retention of students or our chances of attracting new students,” Cabasco said.

While financial aid may be a growing sector for the college, students currently not receiving any form of financial aid have been especially feeling the increasing stress of paying almost an extra for tuition than what is originally advertised to them their freshman year.

“I was not considered for any merit aid coming to Whitman, and Whitman did not offer any need

based aid. This continued increase in tuition means only an extra burden on my parents,” junior Matthew Morriss said in an email. “In some ways it’s easy for people who may have a lot of aid to say the tuition increase doesn’t affect them, but it really affects my family.”

Griffis, whose own experience is currently subsidized by financial aid further discussed the importance of the College’s retention rate.

“Tuition is felt by students, especially those already on aid that is dependent on them coming here.

If it’s already hard for a lot of students, a $1,600 increase is difficult. I would hate to see an increase that is meant to improve our education be the factor that makes somebody not return to Whitman.”

With increasing tuition prices every year, the college doesn’t expect to move back to a need-blind admission policy in the near future.

“Given our place in the market place, we can only afford to do so much, and when we deal with those realities, I don’t think we’re abandoning our values. We’re still working aggressively to encourage and promote the diversity of our student body,” Harvey said.

Griffis noted that it is unfortunate that need-sensitive admis-

sion affects Whitman’s diversity, but believes that the college administrators are making a well-reasoned judgement based on the different areas Whitman wants to excel in.

“High tuition paired with a need-sensitive admission might be unattractive to incoming freshmen, but it’s a tough decision for the college to make.

At the same time, it’s unreasonable for students to demand a need-blind admission policy if the school is not in the financial standing to do so,” he said.

Although the college is working towards expanding its financial aid sector, the reality of increasing costs is hard to ignore. At Whitman’s average tuition percent rate increase, 30 years from now, when most current students can expect to begin funding their own children’s higher education, students can expect to pay nearly $100,000 dollars or more a year—not including housing, books, extracurricular fees, and travel costs.

“I do understand the motivations of the college for increasing tuition,” Griffis said. “I just can’t think of what else college could do to make it worth that much.”

Students share their desert experiences with lectures, panel, gallery exhibition from NO MORE DEATHS, page 1

Beers agreed and expanded on the way legal policy takes precedent over the humanistic side of immigration.

“How the border patrol does what it does, and the disregard for human life that goes on down there suggests something larger than just a policy problem.”

For Schiffer, a crucial aspect

of the problem is that immigrants that have successfully crossed cannot openly share their stories for fear of legal consequences; the result is widespread misconceptions about who exactly is crossing.

“While it’s completely true that cartels control vast areas of border territory, almost everyone actually crossing is just desperate to escape poverty or return

to their families,” said Schiffer.

The group constructed an exhibit to display stories of immigrants, artifacts and photos in the Stevens Gallery. They also hosted a panel on the evening of Wednesday, April 4 with Professor Bobrow-Strain and Professor Apostolidis to bring to light and start a dialogue about the border crisis. By sharing powerful stories

the group hopes to better inform the Whitman community of the humanitarian crisis that is happening in our own country.

“It’s about raising awareness. What I’ve focused on is understanding the situation because I think that with understanding comes conscious decision making and conscious activism about the issue,” says Rodriguez.

Sophomores Luke Rodriguez and Geni Jones, senior Lauren McCullough, sophomores Keiler Beers, Sean McNulty and Maren Schiffer, and junior Rachel Alexander shared their experiences providing humanitarian aid for migrants on the border at a panel on Wednesday, April 4. Photo by Farrell

ways for students to deepen their understanding of this piece of land that we’re all sharing here . . . You can have experiences here [in Walla Walla] that can translate at an incredibly high level of importance and significance,” said Leavitt.

In addition to connecting the college to the OCR, the Movement initiative has created a strong connection with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kate Shuster, who conducted the Center’s initial research project about the state of civil rights education in America and put together the curriculum for Movement, just released a new study titled The State Standards We Deserve. Shuster continues to work with Whitman in the evaluation stage of movement.

“Whitman Teaches the Movement was a huge success. Whitman students seem to have learned a lot . . . Whitman Teaches the Movement is a model program for other colleges and universities across the country,” said Shuster in an email.

The program evaluation was conducted by Morrissey, junior Ethan Robertson and first year Fabiola Ochoa. With the help of Shuster, the group plans to have a report ready by the end of April. In addition, Leavitt and Community Service Coordinator Interim Kelsie Butts are preparing a report which will serve as a how-to-guide for other schools who would like to conduct a similar service project.

“This is such a cool opportunity. It’s just like a winwin-win . . . everyone gains so much,” said Morrissey.

Remains to be reburied at Umatilla reservation from MAXEY, page 1

“These items have been in the collection of Maxey Museum for probably about 100 years. It’s very hard to know how they came to be in the collection,” said Karson. “It’s now against the law to disturb archaeological sites. One hundred years ago, it wasn’t.”

The remains will be returned to the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, Ore. The tribes will then take them to be reburied in a private location on the Umatilla reservation.

Repatriation of remains has long been a point of contention in

“These items have been ni the collection of Maxey Museum for probably about 100 years. It’s very hard to know how they came to be in the collection.”

Jennifer Karson, Northwest Museum Temporary Assistant

the Northwest and other areas of the United States. Rollefson points to Kennewick Man, a prehistoric skeleton discovered along the Columbia River, as an example of when negotiations between tribes and archeologists may break down.

“Among some archaeologists there’s still a lot of push-back . . . How do we repatriate this to the proper Native American group if we can’t even identify it? It’s a difficult moral question, it’s a difficult legal question. Some American archaeologists would say it’s a difficult academic question,” he said.

Fortunately, most of the remains found in Maxey have been easy enough to identify that repatriation has presented few major conflicts.

“We’ve never had anything as potentially earth-shattering as Kennewick Man,” said Rollefson.

According to sophomore Blythe Monoian, president of the American Indian Association at Whitman, artifacts looted from grave-sites are still a sore point for many Native Americans. “[It’s] adding insult to injury . . . There are still people alive today who have undergone oppression from the government, who had to go to Catholic schools and were forced to not speak their language and were taken away from their parents. The oppression is still so recent,” she said. “[Repatriation] is trying to reclaim the things we do have left, and artifacts tend to be extremely valuable.”

Karson said that at this point Whitman seems to have accounted for and repatriated many of the human remains in its collection.

“There’s hardly any human remains left [at Whitman], so that’s good. That’s almost completed,” she said. “We’re miles ahead of places like Harvard, Berkeley, University of Oregon. Every university has to deal with this, unfortunately.”

A&E

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05 2012

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Whitman alum’s ‘RAPtivism’ album spreads positive message worldwide

by ALEX HAGEN Staff Reporter

R

APtivism, a hip-hop album by Whitman alumna Aisha Fukushima ’09, has finally been released after years of traveling, recording and post-production.

Fukushima, who was able to produce the album thanks to her Watson Fellowship, traveled extensively in Africa, Europe and Asia. The fellowship awarded her $25,000, giving her the opportunity to collaborate with several artists and rappers around the globe.

Fukushima’s travels took her to places such as Copenhagen, Denmark, where she heard the story of Iraqi asylum-seekers living in the heart of the city.

Fukushima noted that although she experienced different stories around the world, much of what she encountered was relatable.

“Lyrically, in the creative process, we really try to connect our struggles, because the deportation, the immigration debate, things that we talk about in that particular song, are something that people in the United States, as well as Denmark, as well as a number of other countries, people have experienced this,” said Fukushima.

While Fukushima’s travels took her to a variety of very different places, connecting her to a new “global family,” she felt a special connection with the people she met in South Africa.

“This was the first time in my life that I lived in a place where

I actually blended in in some sense,” she said, mentioning that its history of apartheid and current cultural and political atmosphere were a special inspiration.

Fukushima’s wide array of influences and inspirations are present throughout the album, which mixes elements of various genres of music as well as different styles of hip-hop.

“A lot of it borrows from what we might think of as the American hip-hop aesthetic, but then we might hear traditional instruments, we might hear a certain kind of flow in the Wolof style,” said Fukushima, referring to her experiences in Senegal.

Fukushima also mentioned other musical influences, including Lupe Fiasco, about whom

she wrote her thesis at Whitman, as well as Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill and Ella Fitzgerald.

After an extensive post-production process, which culminated in mastering by Legion of Dume in Seattle, Fukushima released the album online. Her future plans include a speaking tour in Kazakhstan this summer, a TED talk in Alaska, and a workshop for youth in San Francisco, all the while spreading the message of RAPtivism.

“It’ll continue to go global as well as serve the local,” she said.

Fukushima recently attended a release party for the album, noting the positive response the album has received.

“There was so much positive energy in the room. I was,

‘Hunger Games’ brings deadly dystopian struggle to big screen

by NATHAN FISHER Staff Reporter

I

am proud to report that I actually read a non-required book this week—”The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. Okay, okay, it’s an easy fun read, 374 pages with big print, with words of fewer than eight letters. The film version is a surprisingly good adaptation of the book, making me pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed both.

For those who haven’t read the book, “The Hunger Games” is set in the future, with America separated into 12 districts ruthlessly dominated by the Capitol, under the leadership of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Each year, the districts must participate in a raffle to “elect” two 12to 18-year-old Tributes to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a fight to the death between the 24 contestants, and the last one alive is showered

in riches and glory for life. The Games are broadcasted across all the districts to serve as a reminder of a former

LOOS-DIALLO

squashed rebellion, reasserting the power of the Capitol over all.

“The Hunger Games” follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer LawMy rings—this one has Sanskrit on it; it’s a prayer to the Mother Goddess.”

Janaki Phillips ‘14 models her blend of vintage and world style. Photo by beck

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: sophomore anthropology major Janaki Phillips.

Style Soundbites

rence), who volu nteers as Tribute to replace her younger sister who was chosen in the raffle.

“I have eight piercings, five of which I did myself. I got my first ear piercing at Claire’s — pretty standard — and then, when I was 15, my mom took me to get my nose pierced. I pierced my second ear piercing myself, and then, in high school, over a year or two, I started gauging them.

While I was an exchange student in Finland, I pierced my own lip one night, for no other reason than, I was kind of bored. My host sister had a lot of piercings and there’s a huge piercing culture in Finland for some reason, and also, I was messaging some friends from home, and one of my friends just got her septum pierced. I was like, ‘I want another facial piercing.’ And so I did it myself, sort of stupidly, before I realized that there is indeed a nerve in your lip, that if you hit, you’ll paralyze your own face. But I didn’t know about that, so I just went for it.”

“I found this sweater in a vintage shop in Queen Anne, Seattle when I stayed there visiting my best friend last spring break. My belt, I found this spring break; I went back home [to Denver] for the first time in, like, eight months and went shopping with my mom and we found this belt for, like, $2 at a thrift store. It was a good find.”

“My bracelets, I’ve had for a while.

I made the large one—it has arrows on it. This one I’ve had on since June 2009. It’s a wristband from a concert I went to in Finland. It was a rock festival, and I haven’t taken it off since.

Katniss is stripped from her family and friends, cleaned up, clothed and trained by her drunk and sarcastic mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson)

before being placed in the arena for the Games. Katniss learns to do whatever it takes to survive.

I loved the book, and I really liked the movie version of “The Hunger Games,” which sticks reasonably close to the text. The casting is spot-on with Sutherland and Lawrence bringing great performances, but the drunk and stumbling Harrelson and the dramatic blue-haired Stanley Tucci stole the show. Both were hilarious in this relatively grim film and gave strong performances.

If you have not read the book, I highly recommend it. It is a quick read that keeps you hooked.

Even the movie, clocking in at two and a half hours, barely feels like an hour. Fear not, you don’t have to read the book to love the movie. Teen angst, bloody battles and a fast-moving plot all lead to a great movie for anyone to enjoy! Luckily, we have two more books (and three more movies) in the series to anticipate.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ tells bittersweet tale of cancer-stricken lovers

by KARIN TOMPKINS Contributing Reporter

Y

oung adult novelist John Green, author of the award-winning novels “Looking for Alaska” and “Paper Towns,” alters his storytelling method for his new novel, “The Fault in Our Stars.” Green’s previous novels tell stories of unrequited love from the perspective of skinny, geeky young men, but in Green’s new novel, the protagonist is a terminally ill female who very quickly finds and develops a romantic relationship with a one-legged, “metaphorically-inclined” basketball star.

This change in pace may seem strange for those who have previously read Green’s novels, which so poignantly capture the bitterness of unreciprocated emotions and the awkwardness of adolescence. In “The Fault in Our Stars,” however, Hazel and Augustus immediately act on their feelings for one another, leaping into love before the cancer present in both their bodies can take away their opportunity to spend time together. The rapid maturation of Hazel’s and Augustus’s relationship allows Green to explore deeper

themes with his new work, transcending previous elaboration on longing, frustration and pursuit of the “dream girl” for a new discussion, as Hazel’s disease and her relationship with Augustus force her to confront the fundamental realities of life and death.

With this new novel, Green continues to demonstrate his knack for blending serious, even tragic, situations with laughout-loud humor. Overall, “The Fault in Our Stars” is a heartrending love story and rightfully lacks most of the wacky antics of Green’s previous books, but Hazel’s wry observations and Augustus’s charm provide levity. Targeted toward young adults, Green captures the teenage voice impeccably, yet peppers his work with sufficiently elevated diction and literary references to keep sophisticated readers happy. Even the novel’s title is an homage to Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” which should establish that “The Fault in Our Stars” is not your average YA novel, nor is it your average “cancer story.” This book may induce tears in even the least sentimental reader, and it certainly inspires thought and provides a heaping helping of perspective.

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like, ‘Yes! This is what RAPtivism is about!’” said Fukushima.

The entire RAPtivism album can be downloaded for free (with an optional donation) at http://raptivism.bandcamp.com.

IMAGE COURTESY OF FUKUSHIMA

Andrew Bird weaves deep pop melodies

by CLARA BARTLETT Staff Reporter

B

esides being a whistling virtuoso and a lyrical genius, Andrew Bird is capable of taking a song that begins as a simple melody and weaving it into something incredibly complex and beautiful.

With his new album Break It Yourself, including a song featuring St. Vincent, Bird doesn’t disappoint. All the staples of his style are there: the pizzicato violin plucking, the whistling interjections and the obtuse, borderline dark lyrics.

Since he started his solo career 10 years ago, Andrew Bird’s music hasn’t strayed from his roots and unique chamber pop style; as a body, his work has been relatively consistent.

But in listening to each of his individual albums, one develops the sense of looking at his music through different panes of colored glass. Noble Beast was bright and yellow, sunny and happygo-lucky. Mysterious Production of Eggs was dark-tinted, weird, warped and hard to see through.

In his recent 2012 album, Break It Yourself, Andrew Bird erects a window that utilizes a full spectrum of the colors used in his previous albums, further saturating these colors to create a slight variation on his past musical body of work.

Overall, the album feels like a means of catharsis for Bird. His lyrics often taste of bitterness, with lines such as “You’re the one who sank my Lusitania / but somehow it don’t register as pain at all.” Despite the gloomy messages of some of his songs, the music itself is more upbeat than it has been on previous albums.

Yes, Break It Yourself might be more of the same from Andrew Bird. But if the same is evocative lyrics dripping with mystery mixed with intricate, layered and melodic lines, then why complain? This latest album doesn’t disappoint.

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: Intermezzo Whitman Dance Production presents “Intermezzo,” with direction by Adjunct Instructor of Dance Idalee Hutson-Fish and additional choreography by Raffaele Exiana. Come view a selection of four beautiful new dance pieces, set to the conducting ofVisiting Assistant Professor of Music Jeremy Mims with the Whitman College Orchestra.

Friday, April 6, 8 p.m. Cordiner Hall.

Coffeehouse Coffeehouse and WEB present two groups of Whitman senior women: Daria Reaven and Jo French, followed by For Square, consisting of Alethea Buchal, Elizabeth Fleming, Carrie Sloane and Carissa Wagner.

Come relax and enjoy the music!

Friday, April 6, 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Reid Campus Center.

Wind Ensemble Spring Concert The Whitman College Department of Music presents the Whitman Wind Ensemble Spring Concert, conducted

by Professor of Music David Glenn.

Wednesday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Chism Recital Hall.

SPORTS

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05 2012

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Photo by McCormick

by KYLE HOWE Staff Reporter

T

his past weekend Whitman’s cycling team hosted the Missionary Omnium, a Pacific Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference race that occurs in Walla Walla each year.

The team featured 18 rides this weekend, against Division I and II schools including the University of Washington, Oregon State, Gonzaga and Willamette. Organized and run by the same studentathletes that were racing, the event brought in funds to support the growth of Whitman club cycling.

The Whitman teams performed outstandingly, with the B women placing first in the time trial and the B men placing second.

In the individual criterium race, senior Aurora Bowers and junior Molly Blust placed fourth and fifth respectively; in the men’s B

division, sophomore Luke Ogden, and first-years Alberto SantosDavidson and Eli Robinson took first, sixth and eighth. Sophomore Rachel Geiter earned the most points: 158 total for the weekend.

In the past years, Whitman has been a powerhouse team, winning the DII Championship in 2010.

The team, currently ranked just behind University of Oregon, University of Washington and Western Washington University, appreciated having the race at home in Walla Walla for various reasons.

“It is nice having a home advantage, because that is one of the courses that we ride all the time. We have done really well in the past—it is nice knowing the course and the corners, and you know where the weird spots in the road are,” said Blust.

This home race acts as the starting point for the final push to the end of the season. “My legs

don’t start getting into race form until now. Our big race is conference at the end of the year, as well as Tour of Walla Walla,” said Blust. “[This race] is building up to the conference finals. For some riders, if they are in the top category, they can go on to nationals, which are in May over in Ogden, Utah. It is another step in the season, another chance to get some experience, to get some points for the team,” said senior captain David Hancock.

Hancock has been hard at work not only preparing for the race, but organizing it as well; he is the race coordinator this year.

As this race is the primary fundraiser for the team, this job is key for making possible future races and events for the team.

“It is a chance to raise money which goes to paying for travel, and food, and registration for all the other rac-

es. So we have two things going on at once,” said Hancock.

As cycling is a club sport and therefore has no college-hired coach, the Whitman’s cyclists take it upon themselves personally to train and prepare for races.

“Since we are a club sport, we don’t have a coach to tell us how to prepare. [The difficulty of rides] definitely depends on where people are in their training,” said Blust.

By the end of the seven whirlwind in-season weeks, the team will have traveled throughout the Northwest to attend various racing events.

“We’ve been to Eugene, Corvallis, Bellingham, Seattle; next week is Bozeman and Missoula, and conference finals will be in Pullman and Moscow,” said Hancock.

Although much of the team is comprised of first-years and sophomores, many of the riders

are ranked as B riders, defining their status in cycling races, ranging from A to C, with A being the highest. The higher ranked riders are up against stiffer competition, as the races are more competitive and faster. The A ranked riders receive more points in the standings because of their ranking, and more difficult races.

“This is definitely more of a development year, but we have a lot of really good riders. We are winning in the B’s but we don’t have any A riders. Whitman is completely dominating the B field in both the men’s and women’s field.

Right now we are in fourth place in the conference, which is really good for our size,” said Geiter. “[The Missionary Omnium] was the hardest race I’ve ever done. It was really tough; the whole weekend went really well,” said Geiter.

Profile: First-year Lawless twins serve up wins for women’s tennis

by SARAH DEBS Staff Reporter

O

ver lunch at Jewett Dining Hall, Morgan and Courtney sit down to talk about tennis, twins, and time at Whitman together.

Hometown: Austin, Texas Major: Both Undecided When did you start playing Tennis?

Morgan: When we were five years-old.

Courtney: The courts were right across the street from our elementary school so it was the cool thing for little kids to go and play tennis.

First-years Evan Heberlein and Peter O’Rourke take a break to bite into the weekend tournament’s namesake food—a Walla Walla sweet onion. Photo by Farrell

Sweets host Onionfest

by MATT TESMOND Staff Reporter

D

uring a wet, muddy twoday stretch this past weekend, Whitman’s Ultimate team took a quick break from intense DI tournaments to have some fun.

The team competed in Onionfest, a coed tournament hosted by the sweets featuring 21 club and college teams from across the northwest.

“Onionfest is definitely a lot of fun. It offers the men’s and women’s teams the opportunity to dress up, goof off and care less about the more competitive aspects of frisbee than about enjoying the lighthearted spirit of the tour-

nament,” said junior Eddie Hill.

There was potential for a meaningful match-up with the Huskies from the University of Washington, but unfortunately the team had to end up cancelling it’s trip to Walla Walla.

Instead the team got to focus full-time on fun, while not worrying about the results.

“This tournament actually doesn’t demonstrate anything about our season, It’s just a really fun time for the team and alums to come and play,” said senior captain Stephen Stradley.

Now that the fun is over however, both the men’s and women’s teams will continue to fight for national prominence on the DI level.

SCOREBOARD UPCOMING GOLF

Men’s NWC Spring Classic March 31-April 1: 2nd Women’s NWC Spring Classic March 31-April 1: 2nd

BASEBALL

v. Lewis & Clark College March 31: L 4-3 v. Lewis & Clark College April 1: W 7-5 v. Lewis & Clark College April1: W 11-2

TENNIS

Men’s v. Whitworth University March 31: W 9-0 Women’s v. Whitworth University March 31: W 6-3

BASEBALL

v. Pacific University April 6-7: AWAY

TENNIS

Men’s v. Linfield College April 8: AWAY v. Willamette University April 8: AWAY Women’s v. Linfield College April 6: HOME v. Willamette University April 7: HOME

Were you part of a team when you were younger?

Courtney: It was mostly individual tournaments that we started playing when we were eight.

Morgan: When we were 12 we started travelling outside of Texas to national tournaments.

Did your high school have a tennis focus?

Courtney: It was a normal college prep school, but happened to have a tennis academy attached to it.

Morgan: The academy was a ton of work. We had practice from 3:50 until 6:00 every day and then fitness until 7:00.

Courtney: During the day when other kids had free periods, we were having lessons. It was a lot of work, but it helped us get better.

How was the transition from high school tennis to college tennis?

Courtney: Coming to a Division III school was kind of different because we were training at an academy that was preparing us for a DI-level school. So here there is a lot more emphasis on school work, which is important. So we’re really well prepared, and we can always do extra work outside of practice.

Morgan: Also, junior tennis is so cut-throat, and a lot of junior players start hating tennis.

Coming here, the environment is so much more healthy. Everyone wants to work so hard and get better. The team is so much more supportive than the academy.

Looking forward to the next three years, what are you guys most excited about?

Morgan: Spending more time with

Together with their teammates, first-year tennis phenoms Courtney (left) and Morgan Lawless have taken the Northwest Conference by storm. Photo by Bergman

our team, just getting even closer.

Courtney: This year I want to win conference and get to nationals.

Morgan: I want to win a national championship.

Favorite pre-game meal?

Morgan: Steak, everyday!

Courtney: Yeah, steak is awesome!

Morgan: But like, really, pasta with some chicken is probably the best.

Courtney: No sodas or candy.

Morgan: Except for occasionally...…

What’s it like to go to college together?

Morgan: We were both choosing between the same top two schools and our parents were like “Ok, you guys need to decide on the count of three just say which school” and we both said Whitman.

Courtney: But we have our own friends and everything so it’s nice.

Favorite place to eat in Texas?

Morgan: Everything is good!

Courtney: Can’t go wrong, bigger and better. I mean, Outback is a chain…

Morgan: But it’s one of our favorites!

Courntey: Also, Homeslice pizza. We took the team there when they came to play over in Texas spring break and they loved it.

Morgan: And Amy’s ice cream.

Best ice cream in the world!

Any pet peeves about being a twin?

Morgan: We get asked three times a day asked if we’re twins. We’re kind of used to it so it’s not that big of a deal.

Courtney: Just people calling us the wrong names. They know who we are, but people just mess up sometimes.

Morgan: Or just being called “Lawless” or “The Twins” instead of our first names.

Favorite part about being twins?

Morgan: The Fred and George [from Harry Potter] aspect that we get to prank people and be tricky.

Courtney: And the Brian Brothers! They’re amazing tennis double players, the best that have ever lived, by far.

Morgan: They’ve been our idols since we were eight.

Apr

05 2012

FEATURE

Spring in Walla Walla offers the chance for a mid-semester adventure. Whether you prefer to indulge in local food and drink, explore hiking trails or take an OP sea kayaking trip, opportunities outside the Whitman bubble abound.

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6

spring day tripping ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHNSON

Milton-Freewater inspires flavorful trip

by KELSEY KENNEDY Feature Editor

T

he town of Milton-Freewater, Ore.—affectionately known among locals as “Muddy-Frogwater” for its ubiquitous frog imagery—is within easy reach of Whitties looking for a day trip off campus.

Just 10 miles south of Whitman, Milton-Freewater’s location in the Walla Walla Valley Wine Appellation attracts many tourists to the area for tastings. However, the town’s appeal extends far beyond grapes.

The Blue Mountain Cider Company, one of the most celebrated attractions in the area, offers a change of pace from winery visits with its variety of ciders made exclusively from apples grown in the Walla Walla Valley.

“Cider is not as filling as beer and it’s something different . . . there’s something for everyone,” said Nancy Cazele, one of the coowners of the fa m i ly-r u n c o m p a n y.

T h e company offers sweet, dry and cherry varieties of cider yearround, and special seasonal flavors in spring and summer. Peach cider, the company’s most popular springtime flavor, will be available at tastings starting on the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance’s spring release weekend, May 4-6.

The Blue Mountain Cider Company is open for visitors 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday-Saturday.

For the more food-motivated taster, Milton-Freewater’s chocolate shop Petit Noirs is the perfect place to indulge in a myriad of unique truffle flavors, including pumpkin white chocolate, rhubarb ginger, Pendleton whiskey hazelnut praline and rosemary pink peppercorn.

Petit Noirs owner Lan Wong attributes this mix of sweet and savory flavors to inspiration from the natu-

ral environment of the area.

“Our inspiration comes from wines and fresh produce grown around here,” she said.

Petit Noirs prides itself on making chocolates with high concentrations of cacao (at least 64 percent in dark chocolate and 35 percent in milk chocolate) that are free from preservatives and artificial flavoring. According to Wong, the shop offers “a little of everything for everyone,” accommodating all budgets. Wong’s homemade nougats are a steal at $1.50 and truffle boxes start at $15.

The Petit Noirs tasting room is open 11 a.m.5 p.m. on Thursday-Sunday.

Only a couple miles down Highway 11 is Clay in Motion, an art studio specializing in handdecorated traditional American pottery. Clay in Motion owners Bob and Corina Neher focus on creating pottery that is functional, lead-free and dishwasher-, oven- and microwave-safe. Their biggest selling item, the original hand-warmer mug, is a practical and affordable purchase for students (only $18), glazed with color combinat ions inspired by nature such as “ocean tide” and “desert sand.”

The Clay in Motion studio, gift shop and espresso stand are conveniently located in the same complex on the east side of Highway 11. In addition to pottery, the Art in Motion gallery houses other crafted goods including blown glass and artisan jewelry.

The studio and shops are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.

After a day of shopping and visiting tasting rooms, day trippers to Milton-Freewater can go back in time in the comfort of their own cars at the local drivein movie theater. As of press time, the current shows at the drivein were “The Hunger Games” and “One for the Money.” Tickets are $6 per person and information about upcoming shows and showtimes is available at ht t p://m-fdriveintheat re.com /

Hikers, cyclists offer advice on local trails

by KINSEY WHITE Staff Reporter

A

s the spring season ushers itself gracefully into Walla Walla, the beauty of the city itself and the surrounding natural world become more readily available for seasonal recreational activities. The possibilities for individual spring recreation, such as hiking and biking, abound.

For students interested in biking, cycling team members freshman Eli Robinson and senior David Hancock suggest the Mill Creek Road Trail, a 28-mile trip that follows Isaacs all the way out of town.

Robinson also suggests a trip to Harris Park, which is south through Milton-Freewater and then east out of town. The Harris Park trip is up to 50 miles roundtrip, but promises gorgeous views. For more adventurous bikers, Robinson recommends a 90mile roundtrip trail, south from Walla Walla through Milton-Freewater, continuing south to Weston, turning onto highway 204, and climbing until you reach a tollgate. Although extremely long, the climbing aspect of this trail is both an amazing workout and well worth it to see the view.

“For a shorter ride, you can head out to lower Waitsfield from Clin-

ton by crossing the highway and loop back on middle Waitsfield via a right turn on Valley Grove.

That ride is about 16 miles, and is great around sunset! For quicker adventures, taking the Mill Creek trail up to Bennington Lake is always nice,” said Hancock.

For students who enjoy pounding the ground rather than biking, Walla Walla offers an abundance of hiking trails within the Umatilla National Forest. To find a complete list of trails in all four ranger districts of the Umatilla, you can visit the Walla Walla Ranger Station, located at 1415 W. Rose St. One of the four ranger districts of this area is called the Walla Walla, which consists of 19 different trails open to hiking and biking.

“I think hiking is an amazing way to spend time off campus,” said first-year Ali Danko.

“Walla Walla is really pretty. I feel like a lot of people consider [this town] to be underestimated because it’s so flat. However, when you hike, you get to appreciate the scenery that is actually around us.”

An easier trail from this area is called the Jubilee Lake National

Novices welcome on spring OP excursions

by SUSANNA BOWERS Staff Reporter

L Waitsburg offers slice of small town life

by SAM ADLER Staff Reporter

I

s Walla Walla feeling a bit old-hat, yet you’re still yearning for a slice of small town Americana? Look no further than Waitsburg, Wash.

“Waitsburg?

I didn’t know there was anything to do in Waitsburg!”

Well, you were wrong!

Located just 20 miles east of our fair college town, the town of Waitsburg offers enough attractions to thoroughly titillate the culture glands of you and your day-tripping companions.

For a history lesson, visit the Bruce Memorial Museum, restored by the Waitsburg Historical Society, and featured on the National Register for Historical Places. Built in 1883—less than two decades after Waitsburg’s founding—this once lived-in Victorian mansion now stands in all of its restored beauty as both a monument to the

past and as an educational tool.

Feeling a bit down, and the SAD light in the Counseling Center is just not doing it for you?

Try some aromatherapy by visiting Lavender’s-R-Us, Waitsburg’s u-pick lavender field and lavender gift shop. Deck yourself out with lavender swag, or, if you want, just stop long enough so that you can leave smelling like soap.

And if all your fragrancewafting has left you feeling a bit peckish, avail yourself of Waitsburg’s local culinary fare.

Jimgermanbar—named for its owner, Jim German—serves up a host of Euro-inflected small plates. And, if you are of a lawful drinking age, sip on some of German’s cocktails, which have carved out an ardent following due to their seasonal ingredients and expert execution.

Still hungry? For another dining experience, head across the street to the Whoopemump Hollow Café, which dishes up

Recr e a tion Trail, which is 2.6 miles in length, but only tips in at a maximum of an 8 percent grade, lowering its overall difficulty. For Whitties seeking a more difficult trail head, the 9.8mile North Fork Umatilla Trail offers a challenge. This climb consists of a 5.8-mile-long climb along the south slope of the Coyote Ridge.

Finally, for the most challenging of hikes in the Umatilla, one can try the Umatilla Rim Trail. Beginning at the Buck Creek Trail head and ending at the Blue Mountain trail, this trail takes one over 2,000 feet upwards in elevation over 7.5 miles.

In the first 1.5 miles alone, the hiker gains 1,900 feet of elevation. Although difficult, this trail promises a panoramic view off of Buck Mountain that is well worth the climb.

southern comfort food Tuesday through Sunday, and has reached the status of a Waitsburg institution not only through its solid takes on Southern classics, but through its lively, friendly atmosphere.

Now how about some wheat? Stop by L&B Kitchens, Waitsburg’s local purveyor of wheat products. Yet be warned: This is not your everyday purveyor of wheat meals and flours, as L&B Kitchens specializes in the purveyance of the nutritious whole grain wheat berry. Boil them, mash them and stick them in a stew; these unctuous and succulent morsels are the perfect way to savor a last taste of Waitsburg, as well as the perfect addition to soups, chilis and salads. So take a package to go, so that upon your return, you may prove to your disbelieving peers that you experienced the fun, one-of-a-kind urban tapestry that is Waitsburg, Wash.

And before I forget: Pass the wheat berries, please!

ooking to stay active this spring with some fun outdoor activities? Whitman’s Outdoor Program, as well as many other clubs on campus, is offering several opportunities this season.

Sign-ups for Outdoor Program excursions began at the Winter Activities Fair, but there are still spots open for certain destinations at the rental shop on a first-come, firstserved basis. Acc or d ing to Stuart Chapin, the assistant d i r ec tor of the outdoor program, the most popular trips in the spring tend to be backpacking and sea kayaking.

The one backpacking trip already has a long waiting list, but it is not too late to sign up for sea kayaking or some of the other opportunities.

“Check out the whitewater rafting,” said Chapin. “We still have space, and it’s really fun. The scenery at the Grande Ronde is as good as you can get!” Chapin raves about this location, claiming he saw ten bald eagles when he visited over break. This trip, among many others the OP offers, is especially geared toward beginners.

“The OP’s job is to provide intensive instruction to entry-level participants. If they want more, they should go to the whitewater club, climbing club or any of the other outdoor clubs on campus,” said Chapin.

“If you are competent outdoors

and in snow, the mountaineering trips are open. If you are belay-certified, the climbing trips are open, and everyone is encouraged to come to the competitions,” said junior Jack Lazar.

The Sweet Onion Crank climbing competition is coming up on April 28, which is a great way to get a taste of the climbing community without even having to leave campus.

“I think the climbing club isn’t so much of a club as it is climbing people, and climbing people are [really] cool,” said Lazar.

He described the amazing friends he has made and the fantastic times he has had on trips with this supportive group of people, and encourages everyone to try it out.

If you don’t feel ready t o take on an excursion quite that long, consider a simple biking trip to a nearby location such as Bennington Lake.

“The OP bike shop has recently come into a lot of bikes, which will be for sale over the next six months,” said Lish Riley, the rental shop manager. If even that seems too daunting a prospect, there are great options right here on campus for students to stay active.

“The open kayak is for people who want to stay on campus to just see if they like it,” said Chapin. Other fun activities like the climbing wall are also free, and can give students an idea of whether they would enjoy a longer trip.

For more information about outdoor programs, visit the rental shop in the Reid basement.

OPINION

Apr

05 2012

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7

No More Deaths reveals abuse near home

by LAUREN McCULLOUGH ‘12 and KEILER BEERS ‘14 Guest Columnists

A

mericans and Whitman students have a long legacy of being interested in humanitarian crises outside the United States. Live Aid in the 1980s. Sudan. Haiti. Most recently, Whitman students and the broader American public are discussing the controversy around the recent viral video about Kony and conflict in Uganda. However, our recent experience volunteering on the U.S.-Mexico border with No More Deaths threw into light a strange paradox: Although Kony is currently widely discussed at Whitman and in the American media, there are few people aware of the human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration, while political in some ways, has humanitarian dimensions which, cloaked in political rhetoric and polemics, go unnoticed. When we only look to humanitarian issues beyond the United States, we remain

both ignorant to the humanitarian crisis on the border and unable to take meaningful action. This lack of action extends well beyond the border itself, and limits our options in the fight for justice.

It’s not our own posturing which has us suggest that there is a humanitarian crisis on the border: It’s a widely held international view. People are dying in the borderlands every single day.

There have been over 70 known deaths on the Arizona border alone since last October. The American Civil Liberties Union estimates that there have been 5,607 migrant deaths from crossing in the last 15 years—but the actual death toll is likely much greater.

It’s hard to find bodies in an expansive, dangerous desert, and other estimates suggest that as many as 30,000 people have died.

Last week, Amnesty International released a report which found that border policies result in a “pattern of human rights violations.” Most obviously, these human rights violations occur on the border and

are caused by entities like Border Patrol. However, the humanitarian implications of borders extend far beyond the physical wall: Borders exist beyond borders, even here in Washington state.

Take for example, the issue of educational equity. As the United Nations recognizes, “Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights.”

Still, in the United States, undocumented students are ineligible for any form of federal financial aid which often makes higher education prohibitively expensive. This is only one example of an invisible border; there are many others.

Our focus on issues outside U.S. borders has an additional consequence: The way we think about fighting injustice is constrained. It becomes easy to believe that passive behaviors—donating for a cause, buying wristbands or holding a benefit—are not only ways to generate real social change, but perhaps the only way to do so. These are valuable actions in

Writerly perspective adds value to life SAM CHAPMAN First-year

W

hen I was a junior in high school, I acted in a production of “Our Town,” Thornton Wilder’s classic play, in which a layer of sweet Americana conceals a core of pure human misery. In a key scene, the protagonist asks the omniscient narrator if anybody “realizes life while they live it.”

“No,” replies the narrator.

“Saints and poets, maybe. They do some.”

It’s the poets, the writers and fabricators, with whom I am concerned today. As everybody who reads fiction with any regularity knows, there are certain elements that are crucial to a good story, and whose absence frequently causes a reader to “forget” to finish: compelling, realistic characters; a vivid setting; and a plot to move things along.

My philosophy of life has always been to live like I am writing myself in a story. I’ve tried a

few philosophies, and this is the one that has brought me the best dividends. It allows for tremendous freedom while ensuring everything I do will be fruitful.

I’ve been a writer of fiction for many years, and I can’t help doing this; for most of us, it comes naturally, because—to some degree—we all got into this in order to rewrite our own lives. We knew that, if we learned to manipulate words well enough, it would grant us omnipotence: over another world, if not our own.

To live your life like a writer means to gather fascinating characters around you. We do this by seeking out dimensions in those we know, because everyone is a compelling character: It is truly rare to meet somebody who is boring to the depths of their soul. We love the characters in our lives not despite their flaws, but because of them, because flaws make a character all the more lovably human.

To write your life means that you put extra effort into establishing your setting. You’ll need to make sure that you notice details—not every detail, of course, because that detracts from other stuff, but just enough to make the place in which you live a player in your day-to-day actions.

If you build your setting well enough, it can become like a character, and you’ll never feel alone.

Political Cartoon by Kelly Douglas

If you write your life, it’s got to have a plot. Some people think all lives have one out of necessity, and there’s some truth to that, but all plots can stagnate. It’s our responsibility, as writers real or metaphorical, to add incident to them. If you just let things happen to you—or worse, let nothing happen at all—nobody will believe you as a protagonist.

If you write your life, you’ll find it far easier to pass through hard times, because you’ll know that nobody wants to read a story in which everyone is happy all the time. Complication, as I once heard it described, is when an author makes things as bad as they can possibly be, and then worse. Everyone has had weeks where they feel like a cosmic writer is messing with them. Ultimately, though, you are the cosmic author—and if you can learn to take pain not as tragedy but as catharsis, you’ll ensure the best outcome for yourself.

There is no greater joy than agency, from which all other joys follow. Under this philosophy, whether you choose to indulge your passions or live frugally, to have globetrotting adventures or to build a rewarding life at home, you will be beholden to only one idea: making sure your novel, for which you are author, audience and protagonist, doesn’t make you fall asleep.

Guest Columnists

L

Mutualistic symbiosis.

I make sandwich.

U eat sandwich.

Text or call 509-522-9991 Sunday 10-3:30 Monday-Saturday 10-7:30

a place for food

ast Sunday, the ASWC senate approved a nearly $8,000 funding request for Whitman Direct Action’s annual two-month summer trip to a rural village, Willywood, Guatemala. It wasn’t an easy sell—these funds are a part of Whitman’s sticker price, a fee of approximately $320 each year, appropriated by the ASWC senators who we elect to fund all of the student organizations on campus.

In justifying this request, my first passionate impulse is to cry for the most basic and essential human right, access to clean water. However, I quieted my personal resolve to fight this injustice—as a result of Guatemala’s weak centralized and historically corrupt government, insufficient and ineffective water policies and infrastructure, and a lack of education surrounding sanitation practices. These factors alone do not justify the financial contribution of every Whitman student.

What might begin to do so is the opportunity that Whitman Direct Action has afforded me, and the equal opportunity that every student has to get involved with WDA or with the many

Voices from the Community YIFAN YANG Junior

Once I wake up from the green couch I can see the blue sky and white clouds.

ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON

Unitaskers must up their game BLAIR FRANK Junior

P

ortable gaming is in crisis. Dedicated handheld consoles like the Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita are primarily designed to do one thing: play games. When dedicated handheld consoles were the only game in town, console makers didn’t have a problem. But now, thanks to smartphone platforms like iOS and Android providing rich gaming experiences in their own right, Nintendo and Sony have to rise to meet that challenge.

Therein lies the problem: The handheld market has long been focused on providing an acceptable gaming experience, and has relied on being the only game in town for any sort of handheld video gaming in order to make sales. With the rise in mobile gaming that

we’re seeing now, though, that sort of mentality seems increasingly outmoded. I’m catching up on much of Square Enix’s back catalog right now on my iPhone.

Square’s ports of classic titles like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics are proof that it’s possible to provide a rich gaming experience on an iOS device.

As a college student with limited income, paying $300 or $400 for a device that does not perform multiple tasks like a smartphone or a laptop seems really steep. New games for those systems cost $40. That kind of an expenditure is just hard to swallow as a cash-strapped student, especially for a handheld experience that seems to be up to par, but nothing incredibly special.

I don’t want to see handheld consoles disappear, though.

Complex gameplay, especially when it comes to certain genres like shooters, is incredibly difficult to execute on a device with no physical buttons. I firmly believe that handhelds can continue to be a driver of innovation in portable gaming, but Nintendo and Sony have to step up their execution, and prove that their consoles are worth the extra money.

WDA’s funding reminds Whitties of easily accessable campus resources

by ANNA MURVEIT ‘13 and SEAN McNULTY ‘14

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their own right, but they also mask the fact that there are other more meaningful and effective ways to address human rights issues.

We do not suggest that Whitties shouldn’t care about or be active in issues which occur outside the United States. In fact, many humanitarian issues are, in different ways, linked directly with policies and actions from the United States, and it’s important to recognize this. However, we must be attentive to the ways our focus is pulled to some issues at the cost of others. We also have to acknowledge that there is more we can do to address the humanitarian issues caused by immigration policy, and it can happen in our school.

Earlier this year, ASWC and the Board of Trustees passed a Statement on Undocumented Students. This is a perfect example of Whitties creating real change, no wristbands required. As such, we hope to see heightened awareness of, and more actions combating, the invisible and visible borders to human rights on campus.

other organizations on campus.

We all have an equal opportunity to argue before ASWC to request these funds ourselves. The money in the Travel and Student Development fund allows our student government to fund a wide range of student organizations and requests. Whitties pay for the lion’s share of our project, so WDA always keeps the benefits to student body in mind by compiling reports, presenting findings at the undergraduate conference, and hosting educational events and conversations about development each semester.

All students, regardless of their involvement with WDA on a weekly basis, were allowed to participate in the independent studies and encouraged to apply for the Project Team. More broadly, all students have equal access to ASWC funding to pursue whatever it is they believe deeply in. Our position as students at a small, private liberal arts school—with all the library resources, professor expertise and funding only accessible to college students—allows us to start working on our passions or professional goals today.

WDA, and other ASWC organizations like it, provides crucial opportunities to develop students’ passions outside of the classroom. Whitman alum-

nus and founding WDA member Curt Bowen demonstrates where these opportunities can lead. Following graduation and a Davis Projects for Peace fellowship, he and a few other Whitties started a sustainable agriculture NGO called Semilla Nueva.

They essentially took the WDA model and planted it in Guatemala, where they carefully tend to its successful growth in many rural villages. His experiences in WDA were no doubt formative in the eventual creation of Semilla Nueva, and I hope that other students make use of Whitman’s opportunities to further their own passions—career or otherwise.

My Whitman education both in the classroom and through WDA has empowered me to act in an educated, and hopefully ethical, manner toward social and environmental justice. This is my passion, and what I want to do with my life. Whether or not you share my often idealistic sentiments, I hope this piece may at least remind you of the incredible and endless opportunities that exist on this campus. Every student organization here is the brainchild of a group of Whitties, and by paying the ASWC fee, we all agree to financially support each other in our pursuits. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources, and to live your passions as much as possible.

What is your favorite part of Walla Walla spring? Poll by Li

CHRISTOPHER FARLEY

ROSE WOODBURY

XIAOTONG DUAN

Sophomore

Senior

Sophomore

Long runs in the wheat fields under a clear sunny spring sky.

Having friends over for cookouts and bonfires in our backyard.

Spring means the coming of summer and then I can go home!

BACKPAGE

Apr

05 2012

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8

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON

All this “Hunger Games” mania got me thinking: What would happen if a similar situation occurred at Whitman? What circumstances could lead to such a terrifying prospect? Here is a potential and (hopefully) unrealistic situation:

D

ue to lack of available food, laziness to continue to produce food, punishment to ungrateful college students, or merely for some sick pleasure and satisfaction that only the drones of Bon Appétit could find amusing, no more food is given to the students. Instead, Bon Appétit invests all their time and efforts into putting the school on lockdown by keeping students on campus via watchmen, i.e. former workers camping out in cars in case any unfortunate student tries to escape, or through the many squirrels Bon Appétit has trained to keep watch and eavesdrop on students.

Just to prove how much power they have over students, Bon Appétit decides to pit each class year versus each other in a battle for survival. Each class elects six

of their craftiest, strongest, cleverest and craziest mofos to fight against the other classes to death or submission in the unpleasant dystopia formerly known as Prentiss Dining Hall. In a perverted version of a Mr. Whitman campaign, chosen students ask for donations for supplies they might need in their impending fight. The entire student body is mandated to attend the “games,” which will be filmed live. The contestants are placed in the dining hall and only allowed to use what is available to them, i.e. stale bread, which can cause blunt force trauma; cups of hot tea to burn the others; or the “poisonous” shrimp, mushroom and corn soup, which causes vomiting and, in extreme cases, death if even a spoonful is consumed. The winning class is presented with unlimited flex dollars/meal swipes, while the other classes must forge for food on campus or use their two meal swipes a week cautiously. With a final slap in the face, Bon Appétit reminds all Whitman students to “not fuck with the people who handle your food.”

a backpager

Due to quick accessibility and numerous colorful illustrations, it has been noted that the Backpage of The Pioneer gets rather a lot of traffic. We in the humor department would like to thank you for flipping the paper over and critically perusing our attempts to be funny whilst occasionally quirking your lips in what MAY BE a hint of a smile. To show our appreciation, we’ve decided to give you a special sneak-peek, behind-the-scenes, once-in-a-lifetime, overly-hyphenated-adjective glimpse into the life of a backpage writer.

8:25 a.m. Wake up suddenly from a horrible dream involving Jerry Seinfeld and two empty halves of coconuts asking, “Am I funny? AM I FUNNY??”

Realize there are only five minutes until the alarm goes off. Use an obscure British cussword and just haul your corpse out of bed.

9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Various and sundry classes.

Scribble down a couple of sex-related quotes from your professor for Overhead @ Whitman.

3 p.m. Think about writing your article. Promptly forget about it when you see a squirrel flat-out sprinting across Ankeny. The long way. Go outside to cheer the audacious little bastard on.

4 p.m. Okay, seriously writing your article now.

4:01 p.m. LEVEL SEVEN APPRAISER ON BEJEWELED HELL YEAH 4:38 p.m. Focus. Psych yourself up to write your article. Stare at your face in the mirror trying out different kinds of laughs (the bark, the laugh that goes in instead of out, and my personal favorite: the nose laugh, also known as the SnotPut).

5:15 p.m. Sporadic sobbing of “I don’t know how to be funny!!” to friends who nod politely while rolling their eyes at the same time, talented Whitties that they are.

6 p.m. Distract yourself with food. Pasta line for seconds. Homemade ice cream sandwich with cookies for dessert. ‘Nother one for the road.

‘Nother one for the destination. ‘Nother one for the food baby. He’s a growing boy.

7 p.m. Finally write the thrice-blasted article, bleeding every word through your eyeballs, and turn it in. SUCK. CESS.

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Cartoon by Ariel Carter-Rodriguez

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