A LOOK AT WHITMAN LIFE, 1850
NEW MEN’S VOLLEYBALL CLUB
pg 15
DRAMA CLUB CELEBRATES SHAKESPEARE
pg 25
pg 21
MARCH 12, 2009
TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS SPEAKS pg 26
WhitmanCollegePioneer
VOLUME CXXIV / ISSUE 6 WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON whitmanpioneer.com
Varsity ski cuts spark outcry, discussion by Kim Sommers with Cindy Chen Editor-in-Chief and Senior Reporter
The economic crisis has finally hit home. Last night, Wednesday, March 11, 300 Whitman students, faculty, staff and concerned community members filed into Maxey Auditorium to discuss the controversial decision to ZIPPARO convert the varsity A crowd of nearly 300 listen to George Bridges respond to a question. Alpine and Nordic ski States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Associateam to a club sport. President George Bridges, Athletic Director tion (USCSA) national championships in WinDean Snider and other top administrators were ter Park, Colorado, bringing with them several on hand to answer questions from the audience top finishes. “The biggest frustration is how blind-sided about the decision which was announced to the everyone felt. There was no transparency in community on March 10. This decision comes only days after the the process to cut the team or where the money Nordic ski teams returned from the United is going or how it got cut so quickly,” said Var-
WhitmanPioneer.com Poll WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO CUT THE VARSITY SKI TEAMS?
30%
ZIPPARO
Varsity ski team member Brad West, ‘12, voices his concern to George Bridges while teammates Aurora Bowers, ‘12, left, and Chris Machesney, ‘12, right, listen in.
sity Nordic ski team member senior Lindsay Records. “It was so sudden.” The team and their coaches, Tom Olson and Calisa Schouweiler, were notified on Monday, March 10 of the decision, only hours before
26%
22% 23%
I SUPPORT IT
I DISAGREE WITH IT
CONDUCTED OVER COURSE OF MARCH 10-12. 159 RESPONDENTS.
I DON’T AGREE WITH IT, BUT UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS DONE
FORUM, see page 3
First state execution in near decade scheduled for Friday by Elana Congress
I AGREE WITH IT, BUT DON’T THINK IT WAS IMPLEMENTED THE BEST WAY
their teams. According to the letter Bridges released to the community, the varsity program will be converted to the club level starting next year for both student experiential and
Reporter
On Friday, Mar. 13 murderer Cal Coburn Brown, 50, is slated for execution at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla in what will be the state’s first lethal injection since 2001. As of publication, Brown’s execution is still set for the earliest minutes of tomorrow morning. He will undergo lethal injection as close to 12:01 a.m. as possible, if his case is not stayed. A stay of execution is a court-ordered post-
ponement of an execution. A stay will only be granted if a Washington judge hears Brown’s appeal and sides in his favor. Before the inmate sentenced to the death penalty (ISDP) is executed, the Penitentiary Assistant Secretary must check if any stays have been granted. This final confirmation occurs even after the ISDP has been placed in restraints in preparation for his execution. This past Monday, the Washington state Supreme Court denied two appeals by Brown’s attorneys. EXECUTION, see page 5