Whitman College Pioneer - Spring 2010 Issue 2

JAILHOUSE ROCK KWCW listeners tune in from the state penn

FIRE AND SPICE

SPRING BREAK 2010 Five weeks away, Whitties go wild with their vacation plans

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International cuisine, American style: Café 66’s spin on global dining page 6

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WHITMAN COLLEGE Walla Walla, WA Volume CXXVI Issue 2 whitmanpioneer.com F , 

Bon Appétit cuts waste The food service company is encouraging students and employees to cut down on waste in Whitman’s dining halls.

Students, guided by daily food waste tallies, decreased waste last week compared to the week before. Inside the kitchen, Bon Appétit is optimizing the amount of food it prepares to limit leftovers. page 3

State work study in jeopardy

by JOCELYN RICHARD News Editor Thanks to assistance from state and federal funds, Whitman has been able to offer all students the opportunity to work regardless of financial need. After June 2010, however, the college may be forced to discriminate which students it allows to occupy campus jobs.

Whitman students will lose over $400,000 in funding if Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposed state budget, which calls for the suspension of the Washington State Work Study and the Washington

Scholars programs, is finalized by state legislators in upcoming weeks.

In December 2009, Gregoire was required by law to submit a balanced budget with no new revenues in reflection of Washington’s $2.6 billion budget gap.

While initial cuts to the Need Grant program were partially restored in January 2010 as part of Gregoire’s supplemental budget, the Washington Work Study and Washington Scholars programs are still in jeopardy of being dissolved.

Gregoire introduced her January 2010 supplemental budget with a personal statement, “Rebuilding our Economic Future,”

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Staff Reporter Citizens of Walla Walla will vote on a sales tax increase to fund the Valley Transit system this Tuesday, Feb. 9. The vote will be the end of months of hard work on the part of the Campaign for Valley Transit, which began its fight to stop service cuts last fall.

Barbara Clark, a member of the Valley Transit Board who has also served as the head of the steering committee for the campaign, is hopeful that the measure will pass.

“A lot more people have become aware of the crucial role Valley Transit plays in our community and our economy,” she said.

In order to preserve the transit system as is, voters will have to approve a sales tax increase of .03 percent.

Clark believes that Valley Transit is an important part of Walla Walla, and that it’s in every citizen’s best interest to keep it running.

by ROSE WOODBURY Staff Reporter

THIS WEEK in

OPINION

marks cannot disguise the financial distress that may be in store for nearly 500 students at Whitman who benefit from state-funded financial assistance. In addition to the $240,000 it receives in work study funds, Whitman is reimbursed 65 percent of students’ wages, which allows the college to hire many more students than qualify for the work-study program.

Off-campus employers such as Heart to Heart, YWCA, the Red Cross, Campfire and many non-profit organizations are also subsidized by the state for employing Whitman students.

WORK-STUDY, page 2

Transit tax vote to occur Tuesday

Gym hours complicate weekend workout Planning to work out at the Baker Ferguson Fitness Center last weekend, sophomore Yonas Fikak arrived at the $10 million, 38,000-squarefoot fitness facility only to find its doors closed. This semester the college has curtailed weekend hours at the center, which contains fitness and training equipment for all students, faculty and staff as well as for nearly 35 varsity and club athletic teams, in an effort to reduce spending.

“I went to the BFFC on Saturday to work out and I was surprised to see it closed,” said Fikak, who considers exercising a “basic need” that the college is obligated to provide.

The Baker Ferguson Fitness Center, which was open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. during the fall 2009 semester, is now open from 8 a.m until noon. On Sundays the gym opens two hours later than it did last term, operating from noon until 10 p.m. rather than from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Junior Heather Nichols-Haining was one of the many students dissatisfied by the cutbacks. “[I was] annoyed and a little frustrated to see that the gym is closed for a big portion of the weekend,” she said.

It is especially bothersome because Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings are considered by NicholsHaining and other students to be “prime gym times.”

“It would make more sense to do . . . noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays,” said junior Brian Wakefield. “Only having BFFC open in the mornings on Saturdays is a little ridiculous . . . Working out hungover is no fun, and most students wouldn’t be up that early anyway on a weekend morning.”

As Fitness Center Director Michele Hanford points out, however, both the BFFC and the Sherwood Center are open 88 hours per week.

“Our survey responses indicated that students tend to like late hours while staff and faculty appreciate the BFFC, page 2

in which she expressed her displeasure with the proposed cuts, explaining that they are a necessary evil because the state can no longer afford to finance its higher education system at pre-recession levels.

“I fully recognize that what I recommend cutting today may not be restored for many years, if ever,” Gregoire said in the document. “While I am required to submit a budget with no new revenues, my work is not done. The reductions I propose are too hurtful and damaging, and do not represent my values or the values I know most of our citizens hold.”

However conciliatory, Gregoire’s re-

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“A public transit system is a piece of basic infrastructure in the community,” she said. “It’s important to employers.

It’s important to businesses in town. It’s important to schools.”

Mark Brotherton, who is also on the campaign’s steering committee, agreed that bus service is important to Walla Walla. He drives Dial-a-Ride buses which serve handicapped and senior citizens.

“I work there, so I have a stake in it,” he said. However, Brotherton says his work for the campaign is about more than his job.

“If I could give up my job and ensure a win, I would do it,” he said. “It’s more important to the community. It’s a resource that’s here and shouldn’t be given up on.”

The ballot measure is the last chance to raise additional revenue for Valley Transit without facing significant service cuts. Dick Fondahn, the general manager of the system, says that compounding financial problems have pushed the system to the breaking point.

In 2000, a state repeal of a motor vehicle tax led to a 53 percent d e c r e a s e in revenue.

Although fares were raised and services were cut at this point, it wasn’t enough to sustain the system in the long run. However, if Walla Walla’s VALLEY TR ANSIT, page 3

Student writers struggle, thrive with one-acts

by MEHERA NORI Staff Reporter Based on an ancient Greek tradition of theatrical competition, Harper Joy theater’s annual One-Act Play Contest will open next Wednesday, Feb. 10. A committee of readers selects three students’ one-act scripts from a larger pool of submissions.

These students then have the opportunity to produce their one-act with a student director, cast and crew. The audience members rank the plays and the winner of the contest receives a cash prize.

This year, the committee chose scripts by sophomore Michaela Gianotti and seniors Mimi Cook and Galen Cobb to compete in the contest.

Gianotti’s “That Chair Is Empty” centers around the ONE-ACT CONTEST, page 5

FENNELL Ben Moore ‘11 and Justis Phillips ‘12 rehearse a scene for “The Ride,” the one!act submission written by Mimi Cook ‘10. The one-acts show on the Freimann Stage from Feb. 10 through Feb. 14.

“If the American democratic experiment is to succeed, then those we elect must be allowed to govern.”

“People in China see the lifestyle they’re supposed to have—what we already have here in the United States.”

- Russ Caditz-Peck page 8

- Gary Wang page 8

“Transfer students inhabit the strange middle ground between sophomores and first-years.”

- Ami Tian page 9

“How do you write a story about a product that has two years of hype behind it when you haven’t even seen it?”

- Blair Frank page 9

NEWS

2

February 4, 2010F

WORK STUDY: Students rely on aid  page 1 “We’re pretty rare here at Whitman College. Most colleges only allow eligible work study students to work—it’s really unusual for a college like Whitman to allow all students to work. It’s pretty amazing; we’re very lucky,” said Marilyn Ponti, director of financial aid services.

“Whitman spends a lot of money on their payroll for students,” Ponti continued. “What may happen as we tighten our budget is that it’s possible only students with work study eligibility will be able to work. We want the students who have the most need to be able to get jobs, and that’s really our priority.”

For many students, taking part in the work study program is an important part of financial aid. If the budget is approved, it will be difficult for Whitman to offer jobs to everyone because the college will not take away scholarships and grants from students who already receive them.

“Hopefully, the goal with Washington State Work Study is to pay the students a little bit more and give them a great working opportunity,” Ponti said. “When we mail financial aid packages out, we may grant them, say, $2,000 in work study. If they can’t find a job, it’s pretty difficult.

We don’t just take the $2,000 and put it on their account; they have to work.”

In the event the budget is finalized, a number of students may not be able to attend Whitman at all.

“We have a number of students on campus who receive a Washington Scholars scholarship, and that enables those students to be here,” said Ponti. “For a lot of those students, if they lose that money they may not be able to stay.”

Junior Tessa Carlson echoed Ponti’s forecast.

“I’m a recipient of a Washington Scholars grant, and without it, I can confidently say I would not have been able to afford coming to Whitman,” she said.

“If that money disappears next year, it is going to make paying Whitman’s tuition a huge burden to deal with during my senior year.”

Without it...I would not have been able to afford coming to Whitman - Tessa Carlson ‘11

“Because I only have one more year at Whitman, I wouldn’t transfer,” continued Carlson. “But it would make senior year a lot more difficult. I haven’t had to take out that much money in loans as of yet.

But I get a substantial amount of money each year in grants, so [if the budget is approved] I’d have to find that money some other way, by taking out loans or

by working a lot more or by asking my family for money, which I’ve never done before.”

In consideration of the possibility the budget will be approved, Whitman has put a number of programs and services on hold until the numbers are final. The Student Engagement Center has held back on moving forward with the application process for summer internship funding.

“We normally fund about 20 internships through the Whitman Internship Fund and another 20 through the Washington State Work Study Program,” Ponti said. “Right now we’re holding off on that because we don’t know if we’ll have the money available or not, so we don’t want to offer the internships. So normally the Student Engagement Center has two different internships, and now they just have one.”

Ponti hopes students will take action by voicing their concerns to their state

legislators in writing.

“What we’re hoping is that everyone will write our legislators and say, ‘This is huge. We rely on these jobs to pay our tuition, to buy our books, to help with so many other things and possibly to pay our rent or food,’” said Ponti. “There are a lot of students that rely on work study.

Our goal is to get as many students as possible to write their legislators about how important education is, how important it is that you work, that you have the opportunity to do an internship, to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

“If we don’t have these internships, and we don’t have these jobs, what will students do?” Ponti said continuing. “It’s hard enough right now in this economy to find a job. We’re very lucky that we have as many jobs as we do on- and off-campus, but I have a feeling some of those jobs will go away. And that worries me.”

Ski bus program renewed BFFC: Students adjust to hours

by JOCELYN RICHARD News Editor

With ski season in full swing, Whitman will continue to offer free bus trips to Bluewood Ski Resort every Saturday morning throughout the month of February. So many students signed up for multiple trips last year that the Outdoor Program, which helps coordinate seating, decided to offer sign-ups on a per-trip basis.

The bus service, which is entirely funded

by ASWC, was inaugurated in 2009 by junior Carson Burns after he discovered that many Whitties were unable to pursue their interest in skiing and snowboarding because they had no transportation to local ski areas.

“When I came to Whitman I was shocked to hear that a place like Whitman didn’t have a ski bus, especially since so many Whitties I knew skied. So when I was elected as a sophomore Senator, I took charge with Mike Scigliano in starting up and coordinating the ski bus program.”

“Spring semester 2009, the ski bus was a resounding success, and it was filled almost every time,” said Burns, adding that students were often too enthusiastic when scheduling their ski trips.

“Our only problem was that students who signed up a month in advance sometime wouldn’t show up. Last year, the OP helped minimize that issue by encouraging

students to just show up in the morning to hop on the bus.”

Students can begin signing up for a spot on the bus, which seats 14 people, starting on the Monday of the preceding week before each Saturday’s departure. The bus begins its one-hour journey to Bluewood at 9 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.

Senior Allie Rood, who co-heads the Whitman Backcountry Ski Club, drove the ski bus on Jan. 30 and hopes the college will sponsor more events at the Dayton, Wash. ski resort in the future. She commented that the resort offers slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all skills levels.

“Bluewood is an amazing mountain to learn how to ski [on],” Rood said. “I myself switched over to Telemark skiing last year and had a great time with the transition. It is a small and intimate ski area. There are never lines and there is plenty of opportunity to get better fast.”

Rood noted that the Jan. 30 bus was mostly attended by first-years, and hopes upperclassmen will take advantage of the service as well. She stresses it is not necessary that students sign up in groups, as it is usually easy to find someone else on the trip who shares the same interests.

“There was a girl in the bus who was getting some extra practice in for her Telemark ski class; there were people on the bus from Colorado and people who were renting equipment from the rental shop at the

mountain,” Rood said. “There were groups of friends and others who were alone.

Someone mentioned, ‘Are there always that many Whitman kids at the mountain?’ and I said, ‘Yes. There is a great community of Whitman kids up there that even if you are alone, you will be sure to find someone to ski with once there.’”

If students are unable to ski on Saturdays, Rood added, e-mailing the listserv is a good way to team up with people carpooling to the mountain on other days of the week.

Burns hopes the ski bus will continue to operate after he graduates, and plans to pass on his management duties to another Senator. Though many skiers have cut back on ski trips due to the poor economy, Burns hopes the ski bus will make it possible for Whitman students to continue skiing.

“I understand the poor economy might deter some potential new skiers from hitting the slopes this winter, but I hope the ski bus might just be their answer,” Burns said. “They could save money by borrowing a friend’s skis, hopping on the free ski bus, and just paying the student ski ticket price. They’d have to remember their Whitman ID!” “I haven’t ridden it before, but I think it is a great idea and I definitely plan on using it this semester!” said senior Allison Armstrong. “It’s so nice that students without cars have a way to get to the mountain.”

Food drive starts next week

by ROBERT CRENSHAW Staff Reporter The time draws near once again to raid pantries, cupboards and places where non-perishable items may hide to help families and individuals in need. Whitman’s annual all-campus food drive, which donates all proceeds to the Blue Mountain Action Council Food Bank, is planned to take place next week from Monday, Feb. 8, until Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The event was established roughly two decades ago by the Community Service Center in collaboration with with the Community Service House and Whitman’s fraternities and women’s fraternities.

Food collection boxes will remain at spots around campus throughout the week. Last year, the food drive collected roughly 600 pounds of food items for individuals and families in need.

Lina Menard, community service coordinator, highlights the importance of hosting the event in February.

“February is the month when food bank stores are the lowest. Farms donate during the summer and during fall and winter, contributions are made due to the holidays,” said Menard.

Menard also commented on the influence of the current economic downturn on past and upcoming food drives.

“The last two years have been tricky, but we are still hopeful,” she said. “I encourage students, when going to grocery stores, to pick up a little something extra for those in need.”

The most needed foods are protein items such as peanut butter and tuna, quick meals such as macaroni and cheese

or pre-prepared meals, baby food and canned vegetables. “[We] could use pinto beans, lentils, split peas and any other dry goods like that,” said Gail McGhee of the Blue Mountain Action Council, a warehouse for local Walla Walla food banks.

The food, once collected by the Blue Mountain Action Council, is distributed to food pantries such as the Helpline Food Pantry, First Presbyterian Food Pantry, the Salvation Army Food Pantry and others.

Individuals can enroll in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to receive food vouchers that allow them to pick up food from the pantry each month.

McGhee also discussed the number of Walla Walla residents who rely on donations to local food pantries.

“Currently the local pantries are serving approximately 700 or more families each month. In 2009 they saw 9,312 families which had 25,967 individuals in them . . . We also take food to Clarkston, Pomeroy and Dayton.”

Whitman students can volunteer with this project in a variety of ways.

“The Community Service Office is looking for student groups and students to get involved,” said Menard. “Students can help with collection or promoting the program.”

Ian Cooper, Christopher Tobin-Campbell and Jonah Strotsky, all seniors, use elliptical bikes at the Baker Fergueson Fitness Center. Due to budget cuts, the BFFC is closed this semester on Saturday afternoons and evenings and Sunday mornings.

 page 1 morning times,” Hanford said when asked why she opted for earlier hours on Saturdays.

She added that she did not have a particular group of people in mind when deliberating on the new weekend hours.

“Our head count gives record of general usage. In adjusting hours, we used all this information and tried to accommodate [student, faculty and staff ] preferences. It is worth noting also that Sherwood hours were not adjusted at all.”

For many faculty and staff mem-

bers and even some students, the new Saturday hours are ideal.

“I’m actually totally psyched for the new hours—I’m a morning person, so the new Saturday hours are perfect for me,” said junior Arianna Cortesi.

While many students are annoyed that they will have to change their Saturday routines this semester, some see the reduced hours as a logical sacrifice to save money.

“I think people will adjust their schedules and it will work out,” said sophomore Jack MacNichol, who uses the gym six times per week. “It seems like a pretty reasonable cut. We don’t need a gym open all day every day.”

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CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 1: The credit for the Winterim photos on page 2 should read Cornelius instead of Cornellius.

Chandini Gaur, not Guar, is pictured on page 3 accompanying “Glover Alston Center opens, provides new meeting space for intercultural groups.”

Lisa Curtis’s column “Why we failed in Copenhagen” on page 7 was cut off in print. The full text can be found at whitmanpioneer.com.

BOWMAN

MON - SAT 10AM TO 7PM Pastrami, Panini, Sandwiches, Fresh Salads, Homemade Soups, Vegetarian, Take Out, $2 Beer, $5 Wine CORNELIUS Emily Johnson ‘12 and Anna Ekstrom ‘12 gather cans for next week’s campus-wide food drive. The food drive runs from Feb. 8-12.

NEWS

0February 4, 2010

3

VALLEY TRANSIT: Cuts would be two-phased

Walla Walla residents rely on Valley Transit to get around. Two bus lines will be eliminated and frequencies on remaining lines reduced unless voters pass a sales tax increase Tuesday. ���� page 1

PHOTOS BY BULLION

Associate News Editor A campaign to reduce student and kitchen waste in dining halls during the week of Jan. 25-31 produced mixed results.

Consumer waste decreased— by 13.8 percent in Prentiss Dining Hall and 10.3 percent at CafÊ 66— but kitchen waste, such as vegetable peels and thrown out leftovers, increased by 0.9 percent in Prentiss and 15.7 percent in CafÊ 66.

That amounted to 2,339 pounds of total food waste at Prentiss Dining Hall and 803 pounds at CafĂŠ 66.

Data for Jewett Dining Hall was unavailable.

Roger Edens, general manager of Bon AppĂŠtit’s Whitman operations, is working to reduce kitchen waste. “We’re actually tracking production and overproduction of specific items at Prentiss and Jewett and that’s part of the effort,â€? he said.

Edens hopes that by knowing of which foods Bon AppĂŠtit prepares too much, they can reduce kitchen waste.

While last week is the only week that Bon AppĂŠtit planned to engage students with daily waste tallies and bright blue and orange ‘Taste Don’t Waste’ signs, the kitchen efforts are part of a threemonth company-wide low carbon diet program. “Part of it is an education thing,â€?

Edens said. “If you’re trimming the outer leaves off a head of cauliflower, how much of that stem are you leaving on there. How much are you trimming and throwing away, basically.�

Edens said the waste reduction was important because of the emissions from transporting extra food and because food in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.

Employees also help to reduce waste among students. First-year Meaghan Russell, a server for Bon AppĂŠtit, said that the company tells its employees how much to serve in order to minimize waste. “They usually tell us when we’re serving something to give a certain number . . . at a time. But we can give seconds,â€? she said.

Senior Lisa Curtis, campus sustainability coordinator praised

Bon AppĂŠtit for their efforts to reduce waste. “I think Bon AppĂŠtit is doing an incredible amount. They’re a really sustainable catering company and the Whitman branch is very open to ideas and very helpful in changing their practices,â€? she said, noting their willingness to eliminate trays in dining halls two years ago after hearing student concerns about waste.

The biggest change Curtis would like is a composting program. “The main thing that I see with waste being a problem is that we don’t have a composting facility right now,â€? she said. “The problem with [a source as big as] Bon AppĂŠtit is that the composter itself would cost a couple thousand dollars because there’s so much waste.â€?

Curtis said there would soon be an application for a grant from the Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund or Outdoor Environmental Leadership Program. “I would say [composting is] fairly likely because there’s so much support for it and so many people who want it to happen,� she said. “I think the main issue right now is finding funding.�

Edens echoed Curtis’s sentiments, but doesn’t plan on purchasing composting equipment soon. “There’s two tons worth of stuff [weekly] that if there was commercial composting in Walla Walla, it could go there,� he said.

While efforts to reduce waste are effective to a point, neither students nor employees are perfect about minimizing waste. Russell said she’d occasionally seen other employees throw out bags of bread with two or three slices left. “Sometimes they take the other slices and put them in another bag of bread. It doesn’t happen all the time,� she said.

Curtis said students looking to have a big impact on sustainability can start small by paying attention to how much they waste at Whitman. “I feel like Americans in general tend to produce more waste and use more resources than any other country in the world,� she said. “I think that starting at Whitman and starting by only taking the food you need is a great way to make the world a better place.�

Finance Chair Matt Dittrich ‘12 led an effort to preserve the current Student Activity Fee for the upcoming academic year, while at the same time planning to expand student services and programs.

by MOLLY SMITH Editor-in-Chief For the first time in over a decade, the Associated Students of Whitman College voted in favor of a proposal not to raise its Student Activity Fee for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Last Sunday, Jan. 31, the ASWC Senate decided unanimously against raising a fee that, according to sophomore ASWC Finance Chair Matt Dittrich, has undergone a yearly increase since its initiation decades ago.

The Student Activity Fee, which is included in students’ tuition package, constitutes a large percentage of ASWC’s annual operat-

ing budget.

The fee was set at $320 for the current 2009-2010 academic year, a significant increase from 20032004, the earliest year on ASWC record, when the fee was set at $226.

Dittrich spearheaded the proposal not to raise the fee, receiving unanimous support from both the Finance Committee and the Senate. “Due to the terrible state of the economy and the great financial burden which families and college students are currently incurring, I believe it is the duty of ASWC’s government to keep tuition costs as low as possible,� Dittrich said in an e-mail. “It is our duty to com-

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pose a modest budget, a modest budget that works.�

Dittrich is confident that the current fee will be sufficient for funding student activities and services for the upcoming year and does not believe club funding and ASWC initiatives will be affected by the vote. ASWC plans to add several new clubs and salaried positions to next year’s budget, and new initiatives are in the works, including the installation of laser printers in residence halls and the creation of an Outdoor Program Travel Fund. “I will ask all of our clubs and budgeted items to submit conservative budget requests. We will also be budgeting for an additional

30 students,� said Dittrich. “Finally, we have a few contingency funds that have been underused or not used at all, which we can reallocate for other, more beneficial purposes.�

He plans to find an extra $19,000 for the 2010-2011 budget, a conservative estimate.

ASWC salaried position holders and club representatives will submit budget requests in early March, from which Dittrich will draft a budget. Two finance forums will follow in early April, allowing students to petition their salaries and club funding.

Dittrich will present his final budget for 2010-2011 to the Senate on Sunday, April 18, for approval.

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by JOSH GOODMAN

Fondahn said that he has seen no organized campaign against the measure, but he has received a telephone call and an e-mail in opposition. “Both of them were against additional taxation,� he said. “Neither of them seemed to have any issues with Valley Transit services.�

Clark believes that the Walla Walla community will come through for the transit system. “This community is small enough that people really step up when there’s a problem,� she said. “I think that attitude is going to work for us.�

ASWC opts not to raise fee

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Bon AppĂŠtit aims to reduce waste

population increased to 50,000 by the next census, it would be classified as a “small urban area� and eligible for more federal transit grant money. “Our goal was to scrape by until the end of the 2010 census,� said Fondahn. However, in July 2009, Congress passed a bill which raised the population requirement to 100,000 people—something Walla Walla had no hope of meeting. In addition, the recession has led to decreased sales tax revenue, another major source of funding.

The Valley Transit board tripled fares from 25 to 75 cents in response, and has delayed cutting services until the sales tax increase is voted on. If the measure does not pass, transit services will be cut by 50 percent in a two-stage process. Phase one would begin immediately and involve complete elimination of routes three and seven.

Buses would only come every 45 minutes, rather than every half hour. A second phase of cuts would occur about a year later, when several state and federal grants expire. At this point, more routes would be cut.

A&E

The Pioneer ISSUE 2 FEB. 4, 2010 Page 4

KWCW DJs foster links to community, penitentiary inmates

by AMI TIAN Staff Reporter

BULLION WEB Chair Steven Stradley ‘12 (left), stands between the crowd and the band Menomena at a concert that he organized last semester.

Dwindling budget forces WEB to curb ambitions Back in September, the old Campus Activities Board and ASWC Events restructured to form Whitman Events Board. Although organizers were optimistic at the time of this switch, many students have voiced dissatisfaction over the fact that the Events Board brought relatively few musical performances to campus last semester. A&E reporter Caitlin Hardee investigates why this is, and looks in to some of the programming they have planned for the coming semester.

by CAITLIN HARDEE Staff Reporter Seniors at Whitman may recall the concert during their first year when Flogging Molly performed live here at Whitman. This spring, the band is still touring, but the closest they’re coming to Whitman is Tempe, Ariz.

While Whitman still enjoys a wide range of programming events, the generally lower profiles of artists such as Point Juncture, WA and Menomena raise the question of what has changed since the days of concerts from the likes of Maroon 5 and Guster. The answers lie in the continuing evolution of Whitman’s relatively new programming body, the Whitman Events Board.

This past September, former members of the now-defunct Campus Activities Board and new officers of WEB expressed confidence in the availability of sufficient funds to procure large acts. “My freshman year we had Flogging Molly and Salman Rushdie was here sophomore year . . . that was ASWCfunded and now WEB is also going to be ASWC-funded, so all of that money is still going to be available,� said senior and former CAB Chair Kali Stoehr.

The current official position on the budget is slightly less optimistic. “I’ve never said [the new budget] was comparable in the past; I’ve always known it was less money than it was previously,� said Leann Adams, WEB faculty coordinator and assistant director of student activities. “This year they’re working with a budget that is smaller than the combined budgets for all of programming last year, and it’s being distributed across five or six programmatic areas. So, music is functioning with a smaller budget than the combined budgets last year for concerts and Coffeehouse. [Junior]

MUSIC REVIEW:

by ANDREW HALL Music Reviewer The last decade was good to Spoon, who responded to being dropped from major label Elektra in 1998 by achieving commercial success with superindie Merge, with whom they released Girls Can Tell, Kill The Moonlight, Gimme Fiction and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Over the

F

Matt Coleman, our music director, has had to make choices about when to invest money in small Coffeehouse performances, how to use money in a big concert, and how to distribute it between fall and spring. Since WEB is getting rolling, and is still in its development phases, I think he did plan on focusing more resources on the spring than on the fall, so that he had time to use them really well.�

Despite the changes in programming, many Whitman students are still reasonably content with the selection of events available. In an online survey, 28 percent of students indicated they were very satisfied with the amount of concerts, speakers, Coffeehouses and other event programming on campus, while 59 percent indicated they were somewhat satisfied, and 13 percent indicated they were very unsatisfied.

This year, they’re working with a budget that is smaller than the combined budgets for all of programming last year.

- Leann Adams, WEB faculty coordinator “I thought the amount of concerts was fine,� said sophomore Meghan Bill. “However, I did feel that there were a lot of programming events that students didn’t attend, like I know some of the movie viewings weren’t very well attended. I know it costs a lot of money to put on those movies, and if nobody shows up, it could be better spent elsewhere.�

Although concerts and speakers are historically the most popular events, WEB wants to ensure that event programming continues to diversify, and to this end is bringing a wide range of

performers to Whitman this spring, including comedian Ty Barnett and slam poet Alvin Lau. However, deprived concert-goers need not worry—Coleman reported having between half and two-thirds of his budget for musical programming remaining, and is currently wrangling with student committees and booking agencies to contact artists and make bids. Although bidding and convincing large artists to travel to Walla Walla presents its problems, students can expect at least one larger concert event this spring.

Admittedly, it is not only large concerts that pose a financial and logistical problem. To bring any outside band to Coffeehouse also demands considerable resources. “When we bring in bands like Point Juncture, WA there’s a very significant cost,� said Colleen McKinney, student activities program adviser. “The cost with them is not only the honorarium, but travel, hotels and food.�

Addressing these considerations as well as the resources of burgeoning musical talent on-campus, Coleman has decided to forgo booking outside bands for Coffeehouse during this semester in favor of booking student and faculty bands. With a greater volunteer response from the student body, the number of Coffeehouses held could also potentially increase, according to both Adams and Coleman. Coffeehouses may also start appearing on Thursdays and Saturdays as well as Fridays.

In short, students should be able to look forward to a rewarding programming season, whatever the roughness of the fall semester transition period. “It’s a real formative process, just like any organization building up from the ground,� said sophomore WEB Director Steven Stradley. “We are very optimistic,� said Adams.

Some of KWCW’s most loyal listeners are tuning in from the Washington State Penitentiary. “Blues Therapy,� KWCW’s award-winning blues show, gets one to two letters a month from an inmate who calls himself “Dreamer.� “Dreamer says he likes the show because the music is so great and we mix up our selections—playing new releases as well as old favorites,� said Ray Hansen, co-host of “Blues Therapy� and Walla Walla resident. “He also enjoys the joking that goes on between me and my co-host.�

Hansen views the interaction between KWCW and the state penitentiary as another part of the station’s interaction with the Walla Walla community in that KWCW plays music that inmates and community members can’t hear on other stations. “I see the relationship K-Dub has with the inmate listeners very much the same as it is with the community at large,� said Hansen. “KWCW programming is eclectic and finds fans from all walks of life.�

However, interaction between KWCW and inmates sometimes requires regulation. In certain cases, KWCW must determine an appropriate level of involvement in issues concerning the state penitentiary. “It can get weird,� said senior Joe Gustav. “Last semester . . . what happened was this inmate was calling in collect to shows. I don’t exactly get what his deal was, it was something about how he was homosexual and he couldn’t get into this church group and he wanted us to do something about it and tell people about it.�

KWCW advised the DJs not to publicize the issue and redirected it to authorities within the penitentiary. “We should never, ever, ever be involved with anything like that,� Gustav said. “Thankfully we have a bunch of DJs who are community members, not Whitman students, who have either worked in the pen or are familiar with how it works and referred this specific case to the proper people. It’s not our place to interfere in this.

We don’t know the veracity of the statement given. He may just trying to be incite stuff or whatever, and we don’t want any part of that.�

Nevertheless, Gustav emphasized that interaction with the inmates is mostly positive, and the DJs always have the power to determine the degree to which they want to interact with their listeners.

First-year Patrick Wiley, who currently cohosts “The Schmorgesborg,� was contacted by state penitentiary inmate Ramon Silva at the end of last semester. Silva wrote Wiley a letter after Wiley gave out his name on his show.

Despite Wiley’s initial surprise and apprehension, he is now glad for the contact.

At first Wiley was hesitant to respond. The letter was “a pretty heavy letter� and described problems that Silva struggled with within the penitentiary. “I didn’t write him back right away because I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with it, but [my co-host] and I

had talked about doing like a group letter from North [Hall]. And that I was down to do because I wasn’t comfortable enough to do it totally alone, and so now we’re getting together a letter and hopefully it’ll be sent next week.�

Part of what convinced Wiley to write back was that he felt an obligation to support Silva, who was making an effort to turn his life around. The letter expressed a desire that Wiley put Silva in contact with other Whitman students. Wiley thinks that the interaction would be beneficial to Silva, who in turn offered to answer any questions Whitman students had about life inside the penitentiary. “I’m not saying that my life is perfectly in order,� said Wiley. “But certainly I’ve had more opportunities than this guy— and I mean just I was thinking if I were in jail and had nobody around, I would love if people wrote to me so I’d have something to do. So I feel like when people who’ve made mistakes or whatever reach out and try to get their life back in order, then it would be extremely hypocritical of me just to ignore it and be like ‘Well, you’re already down the drain.’�

Wiley views radio as an opportunity for the inmates to establish a relationship with the outside world, as well as with members of their own generation. “The guy mentions in the letter he’s been locked up for all of the YouTube era, all of the Myspace and Facebook. He’s never seen that stuff and doesn’t know how it works so he’s disconnected a lot, and having a radio connected to a college is key to that part of our generation and our experience. I think it gives—especially someone who’s been locked up for a long time and has lost themselves—gives them a chance to be a little bit connected, and I think that’s the most important part of what K-Dub does.�

Anyone interested in writing to Silva should address their letters to: Ramon Silva DOC #326609 Washington State Penitentiary 1313 N. 13th Ave Walla Walla, WA 99362

ALDEN

œ7UDQVIHUHQFH¡ GHÀQHG E\ UDJJHG XQÀQLVKHG HOHPHQWV course of that four-record run the band saw their sales improve to the point that they broke the Billboard Top 10 in 2007; the critical consensus surrounding their work turned near-unassailable, and thus they entered the 2010s with a reputation as one of the most reliable bands working today. They produce accessible pop music that hints at experimentation, but never let it stand between the band and a song. The band’s risk-taking was relatively safe— something for which one would have to listen, rather than something that hits immediately—as frontman Britt Daniel and drummer/producer Jim Eno were certainly interested in sound, but still had hooks and striking melodies at the forefront of their music.

Transference differs in that it is not a refinement of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga in any way; it tries hard to sound fragmented and broken, it flirts more openly with

psychedelia than anything the band has done before, and rarely does Daniel exude the confidence he seemed to carry on the band’s last two albums.

Songs occasionally sound like unfinished demos, reducing mid-line to their most skeletal elements in low fidelity, the percussion sounds relentlessly digital, songs suddenly and inexplicably cut out mid-line, leaving some to wonder if early copies of the album were defective. There are obvious, abrasive hard pans in the stereo mix, reminiscent of obnoxious production techniques from the late ‘60s.

Consider “Written in Reverse,� the album’s first single. It sounds like some sort of vicious kissoff, but one that Daniel simply can’t bring himself to deliver; he says little more than “that lightbulb’s gone out� and “I want to show you how I love you, but there’s nothing there.� “Before Destruction� opens the album

obviously wounded, almost like an extended three-minute introduction than a song itself, with reverb-heavy, wordless vocals and a ceaseless drum loop taking the forefront of the mix, well above an acoustic guitar and voice arrangement that sounds deliberately tinny. “Goodnight Laura� sounds deliberately unfinished; it features a second verse in which Daniel repeats a vocal melody almost exactly as it was in the first, but without any words, as if this is clearly a reference version that could have been reworked into something much grander.

And those moments are here, too; “Trouble Comes Running� sounds like a ragged, lo-fidelity version of Gimme Fiction single “Sister Jack� with Guided

By Voices—like sutures between segments, as it cuts in and out of the full band arrangement. The melody and the chorus are so strong, however, that they

carry the song effortlessly. Points also go to the battered “I Saw The Light,� perhaps the one song here in which nothing suddenly falls apart, yet the song gives way to a lengthy, cerebral outro that hints at, but never delivers anything explosive.

It’s hard not to read Transference as a breakup album, and it’s even harder to read it in Spoon’s chronology. Whereas on Girls Can Tell, Daniel sang about these things with an Elvis Costello-like energy, here his angst turns in on every aspect of these songs, as if there was nothing he could do but make a deliberate attempt to put his destroyed headspace on display through what would be confident, straightforward pop music if only he’d chosen to present it that way.

I can’t tell how replayable it is, or if it’ll make it anywhere in my rotation, but it probably deserves more than a dismissive description like “interesting.�

A&E

February 4, 2010

5

ONE-ACT CONTEST: Instant Play Festival alums return for more  page 1

FENNELL Michail Georgiev ‘12 (left) and Ryan Campeau ‘13 (right) rehearse “The Ferrets of My Heartbroken Past,” a one-act play written by Galen Cobb ‘10.

Sampson family preparing for a special dinner guest. The eldest daughter, Julia, is home from college and is a bit unnerved by the somewhat erratic behavior of her mother and her two younger siblings.

Julia's feelings worsen when she realizes that the expected dinner guest may be a figment of her family's imagination.

Cook's "The Ride" retells the story of Cassandra and Agamemnon. In this rendition, Agamemnon is a soldier returning from war with Cassandra who is cursed with a vision of their coming murder. In the last hours before arrival, Cassandra tries to warn Agamemnon, but he is intent on his return home.

"The Ferrets of my Heartbroken Past," Cobb's one-act, is the story of Gray, who after a devastating break-up begins to piece him self together despite being tormented by both a self-serving friend and the specter of his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, Gray's unexpected attraction to a fellow ranch-hand leaves him conflicted between forbidden love and his roughand-tumble cowboy lifestyle.

These writers, their directors and their casts and crews have been working for weeks to put together their productions, which has been a process full of new opportunities, but not without frustrations.

When asked what the most frustrating part of directing a one-act was, the three directors had similar responses.

"The biggest challenge is telling my peers what to do," said sophomore Caitlin Goldie, director of Cook's "The Ride," “I don’t want to tell them what to do be-

International students experience Bon Appétit’s ‘international’ food

by LIZ SIENG Staff Reporter Perhaps the first time many of Whitman's international students eat American food is upon arriving in Walla Walla, when they encounter Americanized versions of their home cuisines in Reid Campus Center's Café '66.

“It’s good food, but it’s not Mongolian,” said junior Enkhjin Batjargal, as she dug into her plate of Café '66's Mongolian grill option from the Fire and Spice line.

Students often credit Bon Appétit for living up to its reputation of providing seasonal and nutritious foods through its extensive menu and salad bar. Bon Appétit regularly serves ethnic dishes in the dining halls and at Café '66, ranging from Indian curry to taco salad.

After leaving her native Mongolia to study at Whitman, Enkhjin first became familiar with non-authentic Mongolian food from Bon Appétit. She urged her visiting sister, Nomunaa Batjargal, to sample her plate. Nomunaa appeared unexcited to try her first Americanmade Mongolian meal.

“This doesn’t look anything like Mongolian food,” she said before taking a bite.

With few exceptions, all students are required to purchase a meal plan when they begin studying at Whitman. Incoming international students who discover menu items supposedly from their host countries are likely to experience a fusion of cooking.

When asked for her opinion on the dish, Batjargal only responded with a polite smile. Not surprised by her sister’s reaction, Enkhijin pointed out the dish's distinctly un-Mongolian characteristics: the unfamiliarly sweet sauce, the use of Japanese Yakisoba noodles and the variety of vegetables not typically found in Mongolian dishes.

“The meat, vegetable and noodle concept is the same. The ingredients are different,” she said as she further explained that Mongolians often stir-fry noodles

but do not eat tofu or water chestnuts and typically do not use bok choy, bell peppers, broccoli or mushrooms.

Whether there are differences in preparation or in flavoring, campus food shows that interpretations of foreign dishes can easily fall way off the map.

Enkhijin mentioned how Mongolian food differs in other locations.

“I’ve never had Mongolian food anywhere else in America,” she said, “But when I first came [to America] I heard about how popular Mongolian grill is and that restaurants stir-fry meat on big stoves just like Mongolian soldiers used to barbeque with their

E. JOHNSON swords. It’s completely untrue. Mongolian grills are a myth.”

Junior Trang Pham, from Vietnam, grinningly shared the story of her encounter with Hanoi beef soup at Prentiss Dining Hall. Born and raised in the capital Hanoi, Trang guessed that the dish was a popular beef noodle soup usually called Vietnamese pho.

“When swiping into the dining hall I saw it on the menu and was so excited!” she exclaimed. “I told my friends to try it with me, but when I went to the soups I couldn’t tell which one it was.”

Trang approached Susan Todhunter, Prentiss Dining Hall manager, and asked her to identify the correct soup of

the two.

Explaining that she was surprised by the taste, Trang said that Vietnamese soups are traditionally flavored with herbs and green onions and mixed with thinly sliced beef, whereas this soup had a sweet flavor and contained chunks of beef.

“I thought it tasted plain,” she said, “I was disappointed, but I appreciated that they tried.”

Students may not agree with American representations of their home foods, but they are able to appreciate Bon Appétit’s effort to diversify the menu. For those judging the international food provided at Whitman, senior Neda Ansaari emphasizes that it is the thought that counts.

“I realized that it was hard for them to make the right flavors,” she said.

Originally from India, Ansaari first experienced Americanized Indian food at Whitman while working as a Bon Appétit server.

Observing the kitchen and inspecting the spice cabinet, she noticed unfamiliar methods of cooking and a lack of familiar spices. Still, she would eat Jewett’s chicken curry on a weekly basis.

“I thought the taste wasn’t great. I thought it was probably made with spices they use in any other food,” said Ansaari. “It makes sense that they won’t have very exotic spices.”

Since curries at home are much spicier and more flavorful, Ansaari was satisfied but unimpressed.

“When you grew up with a particular spice at home, something your mom made or a specific style, it will obviously not taste the same here,” she said. “If Americans go somewhere else to get a hamburger, I’m sure it won’t be the same.”

PIO PICKS Every Thursday, The Pioneer highlights several events happening on campus or in Walla Walla over the weekend. Here are this week’s picks: Visiting Writers Reading Series: Anthony Doerr The VWR series, sponsored by the English department, brings novelist and Boise, Idaho, native Anthony Doerr to campus to read from his award-winning work. He is author of three books with a fourth scheduled for release this summer, and has won three O. Henry Prizes.

His work has also won distinctions such as New York Times Notable Book, the Washington Post “Book

of the Year” and finalist for the PEN USA fiction award.

Thursday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. Kimball Theater. Free.

Spanish-Themed Dinner at La Casa Sign up to enjoy a Spanish-themed dinner with the residents of La Casa Hispaña. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Hannah LaCroix, or email her for more information.

Sunday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. La Casa Hispaña.

Japanese Horror Films Come hear about Japanese horror films and how they fit into Japanese culture. This is the first part

of a semester-long lecture series put on by the residents of the Japanese Interest House, Tekisuijuku.

Sunday, Feb. 7. Free. Contact Tekisuijuku RA David Abramovitz ‘10 for more information.

Open Mic - Poetry Style Whitman’s premiere slam poetry group, featuring sophomores Dujie Tahat, Eli Singer and Dorian Zimmerman hosts an open mic in anticipation of slam poet Alvin Lau’s upcoming performance later in the month. Come hear your fellow Whitman students perform their poetry.

Friday, Feb. 5, at 4:15 p.m. Kimball Theater. Free.

cause, you know, it’s uncomfortable."

Sophomore Sarah Wright, director of Gianotti's "That Chair is Empty" agreed.

"Half my cast is older than I am," she said. "I let them know that they have just as good of ideas as I have. So we get to collaborate and really come together as a team."

Senior Lindsey Witcosky, director of Cobb's "The Ferrets of my Heartbroken Past," also indicated that she had experienced some difficulty keeping the group in check.

"The most frustrating thing is maintaining control over a group of my peers," she said. "Student directing is tough because often everyone takes it less seriously, and that can really hinder the production."

But despite the minor challenges that the directors have faced in leading their peers, their casts and crews seem to really enjoy working with a student director. First-year Jeremy Kotler, who plays the part of Phil in "The Ferrets of My Heartbroken Past," found this dynamic particularly productive.

"Professional directors have more of an idea of what they want to do and you have to conform to that; but here, the actor and the director can work off of each other," he said.

Much like the Instant Play Festival, which is held in the fall semester, the One-Act Play Contest offers unique opportunities for student writing and directing. While the One-Act Play Contest allows writers an indefinite period of time to write the script and a few weeks to direct it, the Instant Play Festival has

more draining rules. Writers for the Instant Play Festival have only twelve hours to produce a ten minute script, and directors have only twelve hours to direct the production before it opens that night.

Many of the actors, directors and writers now working on the One-Acts were also involved with the Instant Play Festival, and the majority of them preferred the One-Act process. The actors appreciated how much more time they were given to work on their roles.

"I’m liking [the One-Acts] more because I have more time to develop my character and learn my lines," said Kotler.

For the writers, having more time was very helpful.

"I like this process. I like having lots of time because the Instant Play Festival was so quick and you just write it and don’t really have time to go back and change things. It’s like word vomit on a page; hope it’s good. But [the oneact] was something that I wrote multiple drafts of," said Gianotti.

Cook expressed similar sentiments.

"In this process I got to write what I wanted and really write the play I wanted to write as opposed to the play [for the Instant Play Festival] that my caffeinehyped, sleep-starved brain wrote at the three in the morning," she said.

Difficulties aside, most student participants agreed that the One-Acts have been extremely fun to produce. "[This] is basically three weeks of having fun and exploring a new text, and you also have the writer there with you, which is really great," said Wright.

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by KARL WALLULIS Puzzlemaster ACROSS 1. __ Laden 4. Some degree holders (abbr.)

8. “I need it yesterday” 12. 2007 French Open champion Ivanovic 13. Ingrid’s “Casablanca” role 14. He returns to late night on March 1 15. VCR relative 16. Removes a 28-Across, say 18. Small knapsack 20. Levels 21. One of Aristotle’s three components of rhetorical argument 22. Valerie Plame affair agcy.

24. Compass pt.

25. Not kosher 26. Fruit drink made by Coca-Cola 28. Part of Truth, Justice, and the American Way 32. “La Traviata,” for one 33. Stoner’s accessory 35. Reproductive units 38. Noshed 39. Organization whose name means “table” 40. Biggie vis-à-vis Tupac 42. Some military school students 43. Your favorite part of the Pio 46. Catcher’s locale?

47. With 38-Across, cause a disturbance 48. Geometry calculation 49. Unanimously

46

50. Malt shop purchase 51. “All we see or __ is but a dream with in a dream” (Poe) 52. French definite article DOWN 1. It may be worth 3 points 2. Artificial fertilization method 3. Church area opposite the altar 4. They have perfect basal cleavage 5. Site of many an internet rant 6. Poisonous snake variety 7. “Wait a minute…”

8. M*A*S*H actor Alan 9. Confiscate 10. Pays to play 11. Entourage 17. Greek muse of lyric poetry 19. Wicked tight 22. Entourage 23. One of the pre-Colombian societies 26. Get in a tizzy 27. TOTALLY STOKED 29. Iridescent jewels 30. Category for 4- and 29-Down 31. Journalists’ guide 34. Artists’ aid 35. Shamu and friends 36. One born between August 23rd and September 23rd 37. Steer clear of 39. Brothel proprietor 41. “The Thin Man” dog 42. Plains tribe of Minnesota and Montana 44. Is no longer 45. Mining yield

For answers to last week’s crossword, see whitmanpioneer.com

FEATURE

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February 4, 2010F

Productive break It may still be chilly in Walla Walla, but the escape. This week’s Feature has the scoop on excursion opportunities and what professors networking to interviewing—to help you make a relaxing spring break on the beach, a service

Whitman students lead new, diverse spring break options This year Whitman students have planned excursions for the long spring break that explore new areas, offer varied challenges and travel further than ever before. All trips have been imagined, organized and will be led by student leaders.

by REBECCA BRIGHT Feature Editor This year, spring break trips sponsored

by Whitman offer a twist on the classic, bikini-clad Cancún vacation. The Outdoor Program and the Center for Community Service have planned trips for students who want to get away from campus, learn something new and have fun in the process.

The Outdoor Program will offer two trips this year. The first option is a sea kayaking excursion to Baja,

Mexico, led by ‘09 alumna Kate Ceronsky and OP Assistant Director Salmon Norgaard-Stroich. The students plan to fly to La Paz, Mexico, rent kayaks and kayak to the remote Isla San José. There they can spend the days paddling and swimming, and the nights fishing and relaxing.

This year’s program is unique, Ceronsky said, because it offers students the opportunity to focus on kayak leadership skills and learn

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about the conservation issues of Baja. The trip will cost from $1100-$1200 per kayaker, including airfare, kayak rentals and food—relatively cheap, said Ceronsky, compared to similar commercial trips. Students can sign up in the OP Rental Shop in the basement of Reid Campus Center until the trip is filled, and no prior kayak experience is required.

The second Outdoor Program group is headed to the warmth of Southern California’s Death Valley National Park for 10 days of hiking, camping and hot springs. Senior Lilly Dethier and ‘09 alumnus Ranger Sciacca chose the location for its natural beauty, location and predictable weather—usually in the 70s this time of year, said Dethier.

Hikers will have the chance to cook trail food, stargaze and admire the wildflowers that bloom in March.

Students of all experience levels can sign up at the OP Rental Shop until the remaining spots are

CORNELIUS Kate Ceronsky, an ‘09 alumna, will lead a sea kayaking trip to Baja, Mexico this March.

filled.

The Center for Community Service has designed and planned serviceoriented trips for spring break. This is the first year that the Center has organized its own excursions. Junior intern Kelsie Butts spent the fall semester researching organizations, building contacts and organizing logistics for each of the four trips planned for this March.

The students will mainly stay within the Pacific Northwest, with the exception of one group heading to New Orleans. Each group will work with local non-profits to learn about an is-

sue affecting their area and participate in service projects, including community building in Issaquah, sustainable building in Portland, homelessness in Seattle and disaster relief in New Orleans. Butts said that each trip will include awareness, as well as service.

“Service is important, but the trips will also focus on reflection and education. We want to teach students to take what they’re learning and bring it back to campus,” said Butts.

Although spots for these trips have already been filled, students still have the opportunity to research and plan their own service-oriented trips.

Students share past spring break experiences

by REBECCA BRIGHT Feature Editor Still need ideas for your spring break?

In the past, Whitman students have participated in an array of trips that included everything from humanitarian aid to meditation. Here, three Whitman students share past experiences that may inspire you.

Last spring, senior Jonathan Goldenberg helped organize a student trip to the Mexico-Arizona border sponsored by the student club Justice Beyond Borders. The students worked with the advocacy group No More Deaths to provide humanitarian aid to individuals in need of medical assistance in the Sonoran Desert, learning about critical immigration issues in the process.

“The combination of service and education has been really valuable,” said Goldenberg. “Learning about these issues is important because it helps focus future advocacy work.”

Goldenberg also helped organize and lead a 2008 spring break trip focused on immigration issues in the Pacific Northwest.

Senior Susannah Lowe spent her sophomore year spring break living

for a week in a monastery. The trip was organized as part of an alternative break led by Whitman students. Life at the monastery was strictly organized; Mornings began early at 4:30 a.m. and included three to four hours of meditation, time spent doing outdoor chores and ritual meals, all led by the monk in residence.

“At first it was kind of a culture shock,” said Lowe, “but after a while I didn’t want to leave. The trip gave me the chance to really get to know the group of students and form a spiritual connection.”

Sophomore Kiley Wolff canoed on the Green River during a spring break trip to Southern Utah last year. The week-long trip was sponsored by the Whitman Outdoor Program and was student-planned and led. An OP trip has its advantages, Wolff said.

“I didn’t have to do any work for it, planning-wise. All the planning was done, all the arrangements were made, which was really nice. I didn’t have to worry about any of that,” said Wolff.

Although the trip focused on canoeing, the students found time to hike, read and relax.

“It was pretty idyllic,” said Wolff.

CONTRIBUTED BY WOLFF Whitman students paddle on the Green River during a 2009 spring break trip to Southern Utah. The trip was led by Whitman students and sponsored by the Outdoor Program.

FEATURE

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in store for students, faculty long winter days are the perfect time to start planning your spring break spring break 2010, including trips led by Whitman students, independent are planning. We’ve also included tips on the internship process—from the most of the weeks left before break starts. Whether you’re looking for project or time with family, we want you to enjoy your two weeks to the max!

All work, some play for Whitman profs

by HADLEY JOLLEY Staff Reporter Jim Hanson, professor of forensics and head coach of the Whitman College debate team, has planned a busy spring break this year. He will spend the first five or six days preparing Whitman’s debate team for tournaments in Oakland, Calif. and Lubbock, Texas, that are set for the second half of break.

“We might do something in between the tournaments. The policy debaters get a day or two off, and the parliamentary debaters I think get three days off,” said Hansen.

He is not alone—for many professors, spring break is a chance to do work that’s not feasible while classes are in session.

“We don’t get a break, really. It’s just a time to get some research done,” said Nathan Lien, visiting assistant professor of chemistry.

Lien, like Hanson, will spend the first half of his break working with students on research projects in chemistry, and the second half traveling.

He is going to San Francisco for the

American Chemical Society’s National Meeting and Exposition, a biannual chemistry conference that, according to Lien, just happens to usually occur in the last week of of Whitman’s spring break.

“It’s four days of nonstop presentations,” Lien said.

Both men agreed that summer is vacation time for faculty. However, just because they’re working doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy themselves.

“I like interacting with the students on our team. We just have a lot of fun talking. I also really like the growth and challenge that the students experience when they’re at these tournaments,” said Hanson.

One professor who is not working this spring break is Noah Leavitt, adjunct assistant professor of sociology and general studies. Leavitt plans to travel to Trenton, N.J. for the unveiling of his grandfather’s tombstone.

The unveiling is the end of a year-long mourning tradition in Judaism.

“The one-year cycle is the psychological insight that Judaism offers, which is that when there’s been a death or some sort of really signifi-

cant trauma in a family or in a relationship, you need to ease out of that trauma. You can’t just suddenly return to life the next week and think every thing’s fine,” said Leavitt.

However, in past years, Leavitt has also used spring break to conduct academic research. He and his wife traveled for a sociological study, interviewing couples in which one spouse was Jewish and the other Asian.

“Spring break is a time that we are able to do some of the research that liberal arts college professors are supposed to do in conjunction with teaching all of our classes,” he said.

All three professors, however, are traveling, even if not for a traditional vacation. Spring break gives professors an opportunity to travel without having to take time away from teaching.

Of course, spring break isn’t a vacation for all college students, either.

The debate team will travel with Hanson, and two students plan to research with Lien over break. For these students and professors, spring break offers a chance to work together outside of Whitman classes.

1RQSURÀWV RIIHU alternative breaks

by KRISTEN COVERDALE Staff Reporter Looking for service-related spring break adventures? Here are a few options within the United States and abroad that offer new experiences and a chance to help others.

Student Conservation Association Alternative Spring Break 2010

Dates: March 14-20 Where: Grand Canyon National Park What: The organization provides environmental service projects for college students, training them to be conservation leaders. This trip involves camping on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, daily hiking trips, vegetation projects and removing graffiti throughout the park.

Web site: www.thesca.org/serve/internships/special-programs/alternative-spring-break

day-to-day life in Appalachia. Outdoor trips are offered and some tutoring opportunities are available as well.

Web site: www.volunteerabroad.com/ listingsp3.cfm/listing/3855

Build homes in Costa Rica

Dates: March 21-29 Where: San Ramon, Costa Rica What: Students will work with the community to improve housing conditions in San Ramon. This trip involves a homestay, training and manual labor as well as immersion in the local community.

Web site: www.i-to-i.com/volunteerprojects/build-homes-in-costa-rica.html

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Global Volunteers: Renovate homes or tutor youth in Appalachia Dates: Year round, one- to two-weeklong trips Where: West Virginia What: Students will work to create safer housing for low-income families and will learn first-hand about

Starting the summer internship search before spring break

by BECKY NEVIN Staff Reporter We may be caught in the grips of winter, but it is time to plan ahead for the sunny days to come. For some of us, summer may entail returning to that summer job or even facing the daunting task of applying for one. For a refreshing change of pace, make this summer the best one yet by applying for an internship.

The question: When is the best time to start looking for an internship?

“All of the hard-core applying and interviewing happens in the period between winter and spring break,” said Ali Barlow, assistant director of the Student Engagement Center.

There are several steps to applying for an internship. The best resource for perfecting a resume or finding an internship is our very own Student Engagement Center. Just take the trek up the stairs in Reid and the friendly staff will be glad to guide you toward the future of your dreams.

The following four steps will help illuminate the path to the perfect summer internship.

1. Scout it out “The web is a great resource—our site is a great place to start,” said Barlow.

The Student Engagement Center has purchased memberships for Whitman students to National Internships Consortium and www.internships.com. See the Student Engagement Center Web site for information and instructions on using these databases as well as other links to internship sites.

Barlow recommends www.idealist. org, a database of 93,000 non-profits across the globe, which offers volunteer opportunities or jobs in every imaginable field.

“Often, students are overwhelmed by the availability of information,” said Barlow.

2. Network “It’s valuable to spend half an hour each day making networking connections.

Write e-mails, make phone calls, do research,” said Barlow.

The first step in networking, said Barlow, may be asking family friends and professors if they know of any internship opportunities.

“In general, I think just having conversations with Whitman professors about personal and academic interests is a good way to find out about opportunities that one, as a student, might not be aware of,” said senior English major Christine Texeira. Texeira and senior Mimi Cook interned this past summer with Assistant Professor of English Scott Elliott.

In order to obtain an internship, it is important to invest in a relationship with your networking contact. Have coffee with that person. Get to know them on a personal level. An internship is often a huge time investment for an employer, said Barlow, so the student must be convincing and committed to the company or professor.

Lacking in network connections?

Take a stroll down to the Student Engagement Center, where there is a database of 1,500 Whitman alums who can help connect students to organizations that offer internships.

“We get e-mails from them all the time asking, ‘Why hasn’t anyone contacted me?’” said Barlow.

represents your skill set. For example, if you worked at Starbucks, instead of writing, “I learned how to make coffee,” write, “I learned how to be efficient, manage money, and communicate with a variety of different people when I worked at Starbucks.”

The Student Engagement Center Web site offers a PowerPoint with tips on how to format a cover letter as well as a resume. Barlow encourages all students who need a few pointers on their resume to stop by for a conversation; this can often help to flush out various skills that you never knew you had.

4. Apply early, often “If you find a job that you’re not sure that you’re qualified for or would completely love, just apply,” said Barlow.

There is no rule of averages regarding how many internships you should apply for. Keep searching for unique opportunities until you get an internship.

Apply early. Start perfecting your resume and researching opportunities during winter break. Apply in January and February; interview and confirm your internship during spring break.

Problems?

If you’re not qualified for an opportunity—Often this is the case for underclassmen with little or no experience in their field of interest. A good recommendation is to take a volunteer job or work at a summer camp for to gain work experience toward your dream internship.

Be patient; work towards your future in small steps.

If you can’t afford to stop working for a summer in order to take on an internship—Some internships are paid while some reward in experience. Whitman offers an internship grant, which funds 24 students every year to do a 10-week unpaid internship in the area of their major. Although the grant process is highly competitive, students are encouraged to apply. The deadline for applicants is March 31. See the Student Engagement Center for more information.

Although the road to finding that perfect internship may seem long and winding, the rewards are worth the effort.

“One thing that makes Whitman students so great is that they go out and enhance what they learn in class with an internship,” said Barlow.

BOWMAN

3. Update resume Think of a resume as a self-advertisement. You can be your own best promoter by purging all grammatical errors and providing information that

Susan Buchanan, director of the Student Engagement Center, offers advice to Andrew Lee ‘10. The Student Engagement Center provides resources for students seeking an internship or job.

Opinion

The Pioneer ISSUE 2 FEB. 4, 2010 Page 8

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Obama’s problem of polarization My fellow columnist and Opinion Editor Alex Potter recently wrote that the unforeseen election of Republican Scott Brown in the traditionally LISA CURTIS blue state of MasColumnist sachusetts was “ringing endorsement of the inherent conservatism of the American people.” I would argue that instead, the election was a sign that the American people are fed up with the polarized, partisan politics of Washington.

The election of Scott Brown signals the end of the Democratic supermajority that supposedly enables them to pass anything they want, anytime they want. If only it were that simple . . .

Since taking office, President Obama has had to fight tooth and nail within his own party to pass “radical” legislation such as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and the budget. With Brown’s election, the Democrats have announced that they will seek a “scaled-back bill” on health care. They’ve stopped mentioning the cap and trade bill stalled in the

Senate altogether. All of these changes have occurred despite the fact that the Democrats still control the Senate by 18 votes.

Most of the media has focused on the consequences of Brown’s election on the Democratic party, entirely forgetting the effects on the Republican party. Now that the Democrats no longer have the ability to push legislation through, the Republican party is going to have to prove that they aren’t just “the party of no.”

So far, they haven’t done too well.

The Senate recently defeated a White House proposal to form a bipartisan commission to deal with the debt and deficit.

Several Republicans who once co-sponsored the bill voted against it. In the polarized world of Wash-

ington, any Republican who is seen as cooperating with the President is likely to face a challenge from his own party in the upcoming primaries.

“Polarization is the twin evil of partisanship,” recently explained Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers.

Baker believes that while partisanship is natural, the real problem comes from the personalization, search for immediate political gain and volume of conflict that characterize polarization.

But our president is not giving up on his promise to change the polarized world o f

Washington. Last Friday, Jan. 29, Obama attended a House Republican retreat in Baltimore, spending 90 minutes in one of the longest public debates any President has had with a hostile audience.

Defying expectations, it was an incredibly civil debate. Obama complained that the Republicans had painted him as radical while the Republicans countered that the president has failed to listen to any of their ideas. Both sides agreed that they were to blame for the vicious polarization that has

marred Obama’s first year in office.

As the New York Times noted, the debate more closely resembled the British tradition where the Prime Minister submits to questions in the House of Commons than anything ever before seen in Washington.

If Republicans and Democrats can keep that spirit of civility then maybe Americans can have not just a president, but a government that we can believe in.

DOUGLAS

Malls in China: Brand FORGET OBAMA today, buy tomorrow Americans must America is known for its consumerism.

We invented the strip mall as well as online shopping. We’ve even created a term for shopping when GARY WANG we can’t afford to: Columnist credit card debt or if you prefer, window shopping. Notoriously, our savings rate was below zero or near it until the financial crash happened last fall. We’re also known for exporting our lifestyles abroad.

Isn’t that what happens when people across the world see our movies? They see a particular aspect of American society. So while “Avatar” could be interpreted as an allegory about the horrors of colonialism or ecological devastation, it also represents the most potent combination of technology and money in film. You’re bombarded with computer-generated jungles that make the real world pale in comparison.

And when people across the world see “Avatar” they’re seeing what American culture is capable of.

In China, for example, there are only 10 IMAX theatres in the coun-

Dear Editors,

try; it so happens that one of them is in Kunming, where I am right now. To see the movie, you have to buy tickets two to three days ahead of time. Each ticket is hundreds of Renmingbi (the unit of currency here, literally translated as the people’s currency). People love it just like they love everything else about America except the whole human rights/democracy lecturing.

In fact, walking around parts of town, you get the distinct feeling that you’re walking in a giant city display— those 10 by 10 foot plastic models of how cities are designed to look that mayors, urban planners and architects use. Sometimes, you’ll see them in museums. In China, there are some areas that look like life-size versions.

The streets are a little too clean. The buildings are a little too new. It’s as if everything’s just been built for you to wander through.

Yet, a lot of the new luxurious hotels, designer stores and restaurants are empty or close to it. Now, why is that? It costs a lot of money to build a seven-story shopping mall. It costs money to buy space in that shopping mall. It costs money to hire people to run your store. It costs money to build big billboards. And yet, not many people actually walk in and buy stuff compared to how much stuff there is.

What I think is going on is an effort at brand management. Companies know that China still, on the whole, is very poor. They also know that 30 years ago, it was a lot poorer. And they’re betting that in the next 30 years, it’s going to be a lot richer. So, what better way to lock up a future billion consumer market than by building now? Get your giant Adidas logo on the streets before Nike gets theirs.

What ends up happening is that western companies build stores here.

People in China see the lifestyle they’re supposed to have—what we already have here in the United States. So, why not have it now?

Walking the streets, you see an enormous generational gap in terms of how people look and what they wear.

People our age are like us. They are interested in the same movies, sports, hobbies, etc . . . Meanwhile, people who are over 50, who’ve been through the Cultural Revolution, are living a very different lifestyle.

It seems like China’s population is slowly being groomed to be the perfect consumers. Companies are flocking here to invest because of the highly educated work force. Low prices. No capital gains tax. And hundreds of millions of people ready to live their dreams— or rather, the American dream.

SONG

LETTER TO THE EDITOR In a recent editorial, your columnist Mr. Potter stated that “like all good conservatives, Americans are fearful of the concentration of power.” (Jan. 28) Now, in past articles, Mr. Potter has tried to define what a ‘true conservative’ is. The statement, even by his

previous definition, misses the mark completely. A conservative afraid of concentrated power could not be more opposite the philosophy of the original conservatives—men like Prince Metternich of Austria and King Charles X of France. On the contrary, they favored the tradition of concentrated

power in the hands of the monarchy, the nobility and the clergy. The conservatives described in the article are in much closer to classical liberals, like those who authored the Articles of Confederation.

- Ian Williams ‘12

EXVW ÀOLEXVWHr! President Obama’s State of the Union address was a great speech—it had urgency, humor and a little something for everyone. But forget the spin you heard RUSS on CNN. In terms CADITZ-PECK of real political Columnist change—that is, passing President Obama’s agenda—the speech mattered very, very little.

In fact, let’s take that a step further. In terms of passing health care reform, climate change, a jobs bill, etc., the role of the President matters much, much less than the media’s talking heads—or the public—seem to imagine.

While the president may offer a compelling character and simple narrative device for our news media, democracy is a complicated affair. Perhaps above all else, democracy requires an informed public. Right now, the public needs to be informed about the Senate filibuster— no matter how dull a topic it may be.

As of last week, only 26 percent of Americans knew the basic Senate filibuster rule—that it now takes 60 votes, rather than a majority, to pass a bill in the Senate. A public that believes the President of the United States has the ability to simply “buck up” and pass bills—irregardless of the threat of filibuster in the Senate—is either uninformed or misinformed.

The filibuster rule was not created by the Framers. In fact, the filibuster as we know it only came into existence in 1975. The change—requiring 60 votes to begin voting on a bill rather than 51, plus removing the need for Senators to physically stand and speak before the Senate to block voting—resulted from a minor Senate rule change that was part of a liberal compromise intended to advance civil rights legislation. Now, Senators easily and anonymously block legislation from behind closed doors.

Franklin D. Roosevelt needed only 51 votes to pass the New Deal. Lyndon B. Johnson needed only 51 votes to pass the Civil Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid. Even Ronald Reaga—whose 1981 tax cuts were technically filibuster-proof as part of the budgeting process—needed only 51 votes to pass the centerpiece of his “Reagan Revolution.”

Yet since Obama’s inauguration, the lack of public knowledge of the 60-vote filibuster–and the failure of the media or the Democratic Party to inform the public—has allowed Republicans to qui-

etly and undemocratically become the tiny “Party of No.” When the relatively-liberal voters of Massachusetts elected a Republican to the Senate last month in a special election, only 38 percent of those voters said they were motivated by opposition to Obama’s policies. Rather, the frustration seemed to stem from the failure of Democrats to act boldly and pass their agenda.

Now with just 41 votes in the Senate, Republicans have obstructed the agenda Americans overwhelmingly voted for in 2008. While the House passed progressive bills—due to 60-vote filibuster employed by Republicans and conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats in the Senate— President Obama and the Democrats have been slow, or unable, to deliver.

Americans must learn about the filibuster, or the voters will continue to see a president and a party that can’t get things done. Once Americans understand the rule, I am confident it will be abandoned in order to return to a system in which the election of a supermajority can lead to real change.

If the American democratic experiment is to succeed, then those we elect must be allowed to govern. Elections must matter. If voters see no change when they elect a massive majority, the hope and optimism at the heart of the democratic experiment will quickly be replaced by cynicism and apathy.

Thus, the filibuster must now be at the center of our national discourse.

Without the filibuster, President Obama and the Democratic supermajority in the Senate would have undoubtedly passed a historic health care bill, an admirable climate change bill, effective financial regulatory reform, a more effective stimulus bill and the jobs bill Democrats are promising to address unemployment.

This is not to downplay the fact that President Obama can—and must— work hard to wrangle votes in the Senate for his agenda. But as Obama’s first year has taught us, this has much less to do with delivering powerful speeches than bargaining with Senators over specific requests and recruiting formidable candidates to run from the left against Republicans and Democrats who stand in the way.

But in our news media and our casual conversations, the president must not be anointed the metaphorical father of the nation. It’s time to abandon our over-emphasis and near-fetishism of the role of the President of the United States, and focus our discourse where the real power now lies—in the undemocratic, filibuster-threatening Senate.

OPINION

February 4, 2010

Tech writers: Stop whining about iPad For those of you who don’t know, Apple released a little trinket on Jan. 27, the iPad. Finally, after two years of rumors about an apple tablet circulating BLAIR around the blogoFRANK sphere like digital Columnist herpes, there has been a product announcement. Since the iPad is the Next Big Thing out of Cupertino (Apple’s home base) it’s hard for digital media types—myself included—to keep from wild speculation.

Unfortunately, things have gotten out of hand.

First, some details about the iPad special event held in San Francisco: It was an invitation-only event, with mostly media types invited. However, it was a small event, and not everyone who writes about tech was invited. I know I wasn’t. But articles about Apple products bring in big reader numbers, so every blogger worth his or her salt from here to Yakutsk is going to be writing a piece on it.

Therein lies the problem: How do you write a story about a product that has had two years of hype behind it when you haven’t even seen it? Furthermore, how do you maximize the potential readership bump that could come with an article about the iPad? In some cases, the answer seems to be to write something stupid. In my expeditions around the Internet, I’ve run into a lot of complaints when it comes to the iPad. Some of them have merit but a lot of them are just a bunch of drivel from people who felt jilted when the iPad didn’t live up to all of their masturbatory fantasies.

I’ve decided that it would be a good idea to break down the top three complaints I’ve seen (in no particular order).

1. No multitasking Okay. Apparently, it’s a big deal for everyone to make sure that all of their personal computing devices can do 15 things at once, which is fine by me.

I appreciate the ability to write my column on my laptop while simultaneously checking my Twitter feed, chatting with people on Facebook and watching an episode of “Castle” as much as the next guy.

9

POLI T IC AL C ARTOON

But that’s on my laptop, which is packing a 2.16 GHz, dual-core processor, as well as 4 GB of RAM. The iPad’s processor is a 1 GHz, single-core chip.

But, for all its power, my MacBook’s battery life tops out at about three hours of typical usage, if I’m lucky. For the iPad to make its 10-hour battery estimate, minimizing power usage is key. You can’t do that if you are running four apps at once.

Having to keep track of all of the apps currently running would be a pain. Long story short: Multitasking makes way more problems than it solves.

2. No support for Adobe’s flash plug-in I understand, Flash is used a lot on the web. I’m plenty guilty of wasting my time playing incredibly addicting little games that are powered by Flash. That said, I’ve had a lot of problems with Flash. Blogger and analyst John Welch put it very eloquently on his blog: “The problem is the plug-in crashing our browsers.” I spent two hours playing Flash games before writing this column. My browser crashed three times. Flash sucks up processing power like a turbocharged dust buster.

3. There’s no camera Cameras are nice. As a photographer myself, I have an entire page of apps on my iPhone devoted to taking pictures with its camera. That said, I don’t see the use of a camera in the iPad, because it’s just too big. The iPad’s dimensions are well-suited for holding in your hands and reading, or typing on your lap. But holding something roughly that size up and trying to take a picture with it are just not what it was designed to do.

As someone who reviews products, I know that it takes substantial time to really get to know a new gadget, especially something as multifaceted as the iPad. Most of the analysis that comes out over the next few weeks before the iPad is actually released to the public (or most reviewers) is going to be powered by the wild speculation machine that is the blogosphere.

If you enjoy blowhards spouting assumptions and theories at one another, by all means, pay attention. They’ll love the traffic. Otherwise, just wait until March.

DOUGLAS

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&RUH %HQHÀFLDO WR WUDQVIHU VWXGHQWV" When I first came to Whitman, I was sort of looking forward to Encounters, also known as Core—really, I was.

Even though I was a sophomore. Even though I was sick of AMI TIAN requirements. Even Contributing though I believed Columnist that I already knew how to read and write at a college level—I had been doing it for a year, after all. But still I was looking forward to Core, partially because I had no alternative, and partially out of genuine excitement. I was curious. I wanted to learn what Core had to teach me.

I had taken a required writing course at Carnegie Mellon University called Inter-

pretation and Argument, which had been pretty much the bane of my existence. I had started out that course, too, with high hopes. First-years were able to choose their own sections from a variety of sections, each of which had its own specific topic.

Examples included “Defining Terrorism,” “Punk and the Politics of Subculture” and “Frankenstein: Technology and Dystopia.”

My section was called “Hamlet and Contemporary Consciousness.” I had asked for it.

Most of my problems with that course were not with the content itself, but with the instructor, who was a pretentious graduate student whose passions included mumbling, staring at the corner when he talked and sending indecipherable emails. His favorite words were “mimesis,” “cogent” and “fuck.” Needless to say, it was difficult to communicate with him, which

the Pioneer

made class discussion excruciating.

I’d like to think that despite all of that, my writing had somewhat improved by the end of the semester, that I hadn’t suffered for nothing. I figured that Encounters couldn’t possibly be as bad as Interpretation and Argument, and that even if it was, at least I’d be able to get something out of it. Besides, they didn’t let graduate students teach at Whitman.

From what I could gather during the first few weeks of the semester, the purpose of Core seemed to be twofold: 1. to bring incoming students’ compositional and analytical skills up to par on a college level and 2. to make students familiar with canonical cultural texts. Although I felt that the first part didn’t really apply to me, the second part seemed important and useful.

As the semester went on, however, I

felt increasingly frustrated by the lack of relevance to contemporary society that these texts seemed to hold, and by the pace of class discussion, which was painfully slow.

I heard similar sentiments expressed by the other transfer students I knew. I heard about and envied transfer students who petitioned out of Core by arguing that they’d taken an equivalent course at their old school.

Transfer students inhabit the strange middle ground between sophomores and first-years; they’re new to Whitman, but by no means new to college. One reason that I, as a transfer student, felt frustrated

by Core is that it placed me in the category of those new to college. In my mind, I was past that. I’d taken a required first-year course. I’d paid my dues. So what was I doing here, sitting in a course full of first-

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years, with a book in front of me telling me how to cite sources in MLA format?

Ostensibly, there is something about the Encounters curriculum that is unique to Whitman.

One person I talked to said that maybe the purpose of Core was to provide a common, unifying experience for all incoming students.

“It gives students a foundation, a chance to discuss the same readings,” he said.

“And to whine together a lot.”

Maybe that’s it. But there are rare moments when I’m glad that I’m taking Core, when I read something particularly resonant in a text dating back to 500 BC, when someone says something unexpectedly insightful about the reading or when I hear my professor say something and I think, “It could be worse—at least he didn’t say ‘mimesis.’”

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The Whitman College Pioneer is a weekly student-run newspaper published under the auspices of the Associated Students of Whitman College. The purpose of The Pioneer is to provide pertinent, timely news and commentary for Whitman students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents, as well as the Walla Walla community. The Pioneer is dedicated to expanding open discussion on campus about the issues with which students are most concerned. We provide coverage of Whitman-related news as well as featured local and regional events, and strive to maintain a standard of utmost fairness, quality, and journalistic integrity while promoting freedom of the press. In addition, the Pioneer strives to be a learning tool for students who are interested in journalism. The Pioneer welcomes all feedback and publishes weekly Letters to the Editor in print and online.

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Sports

The Pioneer ISSUE 2 FEB. 4, 2010 Page 10

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JACOBSON *AMIEĂ’.USSEĂ’f Ă’LANEĂ’THREE Ă’ANDĂ’!NDREWĂ’2OEHRIGĂ’f Ă’LANEĂ’ONE Ă’TAKEĂ’OFFĂ’FORĂ’THEĂ’ YARDĂ’FREESTYLE Ă’.USSEĂ’TOOKĂ’ÂľRSTĂ’INĂ’ Ă’BESTINGĂ’THEĂ’SECOND PLACEĂ’503Ă’SWIMMERĂ’BYĂ’OVERĂ’FOURĂ’SECONDS

Men upset UPS, women trounced

by MELISSA NAVARRO Staff Reporter The Whitman men’s and women’s swim teams are on their final laps as the season draws to an end. The dual meet on Friday, Jan. 29, against the University of Puget Sound marked the final home appearance for the Missionaries, with the men’s team earning a 102-101 victory and securing second place in the highly competitive Northwest Conference with an impressive 6-1 record.

The men's team victory is their first over UPS since the Loggers joined the NWC in 1997. The win will undoubtedly give them momentum going into the NWC Championships.

First-year Kevin Dyer and sophomore Chris Bendix are among the notable underclassmen who sped past UPS. Dyer broke Bendix’s NWC record from last year for the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:14.27 and Bendix held his own at second place with a time of 10:27.46.

For the women’s meet, Whitman fell short against the Loggers with a 15253 loss, but they still remain hopeful for the conference championships. “We pictured ourselves doing well at the beginning of the season and remained confident,� said senior Sidney Kohls of the women’s team.

The Whitworth Pirates men’s and women’s teams beat the Loggers on Saturday, Jan. 30, leaving the Whit-

The team and swimming have been the most important part of my time here at Whitman.

- Sidney Kohls ‘10

man men secure in their second place standing, and the women in third place.

The Whitman teams have not finished above third in Northwest Conference since 1987, making this season particularly noteworthy.

“Despite finishing our dual meet season with a couple of losses against top teams like Whitworth and UPS, we can attribute our progress this year to our freshmen women,� Kohls said, hopeful for the next few seasons.

First-year Charlotte Graham won the 200-yard individual medley for the Whitman women with a time of 2:17.03.

As for the men's team, junior team leader Jamie Nusse gears up to finish off the season strong and prepare for his senior year on the team. Nusse won the 200-yard freestyle for Whitman with a time of 1:50.23. “The changes that this team has seen come from some of the guys stepping up and really committing a

lot this year,� Nusse said, noting the team's younger swimmers.

Kohls reflected on her past swimming career at Whitman and how the program has transformed in recent years. “The team and swimming in general have been the most important part of my time here at Whitman. It’s going to be kind of tough to say goodbye,�

Kohls said. “The rest of the seniors and I have really done a lot in our four years and just being part of this team was a huge thing for all of us.�

Whitman's teams will conclude their season with the North West Conference Championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. Feb. 12-14.

Missionaries continue rollercoaster season

by ALLAN CRUM Staff Reporter The Whitman men’s basketball team went 1-1 this weekend, losing its first game against the Pioneers of Lewis and Clark 68-62 on Friday, Jan. 29, before smashing conference cellardwellers Willamette University 103-82 Saturday, Jan. 30.

The Missionaries have six games remaining this season. Considering all six are against conference opponents, Whitman will need more offensive explosions like Saturday in the coming weeks, rather than a repeat of the drawn out brick-fest that was Friday’s game.

While Whitman was able to end its five game losing streak against the overmatched Bearcats, the Missionaries struggled offensively against Lewis and Clark, posting their lowest point total of the season up to this point.

First-year LuQuam Thompson tossed in 19 points versus the 6-12 Pioneers, going three of six from behind the arc.

However, the rest of the Missionaries were unable to match his production, combining to make only six of their 29 attempts from three-point land.

Lewis and Clark was able to capitalize on the poor offensive execution of the Missionaries with a balanced attack that allowed four of its players to break double figures. They were led by senior guard Josh Kollasch with 17.

The game remained close until the be-

ginning of the second half, when the Pioneers went on a 14-4 run, extending their seven-point half time lead to 17.

Whitman was able to bring the game within a manageable distance thanks to clutch shots down the stretch from senior Jordan Wheeler, junior Justin Artis and Thompson. It looked as though Thompson’s one-man offense—he scored 10 straight Whitman points late in the second half—might be able to steal the home team a win, but the clock proved to be the Missionaries’ real enemy as Lewis and Clark made their free throws to preserve the win.

After the loss on Friday, Whitman sorely needed to break out of the five-game losing streak that had been dragging them towards the bottom of the Northwest Conference standings.

Luckily the Missionary men were able to do just that against the 4-15 Willamette Bearcats on Saturday.

Everything that went wrong against Lewis and Clark seemed to fall into place for Whitman against the Bearcats.

In the same arena where Whitman just one day earlier couldn’t buy a trey, the team sunk jump shots like layups. Peter Clark, a 6’4’’ sharp shooting firstyear who missed eight of his 10 threes against Lewis and Clark, poured in six long bombs against Willamette, while sophomore Brandon Shaw led the Missionaries with 25 points, 14 of which came from the free-throw line. “The Willamette game was a must

win not only because we needed to protect home court, but also because we needed it to continue to be in the hunt for a playoff spot,� said Clark, who leads the Northwest Conference in three-point shots attempted per game.

Whitman shot 39 percent from three-point range and 46 percent for the game, continuing to prove their offensive dominance and pushing their already conference leading points per game to 85.5, but it was Coach Bridgeland’s swarming press defense that really prevented Willamette from keeping the score close. “We were very happy to have the consistent effort from beginning to end versus Willamette,� said Bridgeland. “We struggled with this versus Lewis and Clark.�

The Bearcats were unable to maintain possession throughout the game, finishing with an astonishing 27 turnovers. The Bearcats’ 6’7’’ senior post player Cameron Mitchell, leading scorer and rebounder in the Northwest Conference, was the only visiting player who was able to exploit Whitman’s lack of interior size, leading Willamette with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The Bearcats left the game with a 1-9 conference record occupying last place in the Northwest conference. Their next opponent will be Bridgeland’s old team, the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 5.

The Whitman men will try to prove

FENNEL

,U1UAMÒ4HOMPSONÒf ÒDRIVESÒAGAINSTÒTHEÒ,EWISÒANDÒ#LARKÒ#OLLEGEÒ0IONEERS Ò(EÒPROVIDEDÒTHEÒONLYÒOFFENSIVEÒLIFTÒINÒAÒ ÒLOSS ÒSCORINGÒ ÒPOINTS ÒÒ 4HOMPSONÒHASÒAVERAGEDÒ ÒPOINTSÒPERÒGAMEÒINÒTHEÒLASTÒFOURÒGAMES that Saturday’s game symbolizes a new swing in momentum during this coming weekend’s games at George Fox University and Pacific University on Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6, re-

spectively. The game against George Fox, which sits above Whitman at third in the Northwest Conference, will be especially important for the Missionaries post-season hopes.

SPORTS

February 4, 2010

11

Women secure big A Superb Bowl win, extend streak for the ages

by BAILEY ARANGO Staff Reporter The Whitman women’s basketball team overcame a six-point halftime deficit and held off a late charge from Lewis and Clark College to win a crucial home game at Sherwood Center Friday, Jan. 29. Despite a first half that saw the visiting Pioneers put together an 11-0 run and compile a six-point lead to close the period, the Missionaries took the lead early in the second half and held on to win 61-56.

The Missionaries, just one win removed from a five-game losing streak, rode strong performances from upperclassmen and first-year students alike to knock off a talented Lewis and Clark team and improve their Northwest Conference record to 3-6.

The Pioneers, who entered the contest alone in second-place in the NWC and leading the conference in rebounding and rebounding margin, were outrebounded by the Missionaries 44-29.

With the win Whitman evened the season series with Lewis and Clark avenging an early season road loss, which saw the Pioneers dominate the Missionaries 53-38.

Head Coach Michelle Ferenz was optimistic about the Missionaries ability to adjust their style of play in their second match-up with the Pioneers. “We changed our whole defensive game plan this time around,� said Ferenz. “We did a much better job defending their inside game and made them shoot from the perimeter. They struggle from long range, and we did a much better job on the boards.

Lewis and Clark leads the conference in rebounding, so to beat them on the boards is a great effort.�

Megan Spence, Lewis and Clark’s 6-foot center and leading rebounder, was held to just five boards, while Whitman senior Hilary White put together her first double-double of the season, adding 14 points to her gamehigh 13 rebounds. White, who averages just over 12 points a game and whose two three-pointers per game is second

in the Northwest Conference, kept the Missionaries in the game at both ends of the floor. Eleven of White’s 13 rebounds came on the defensive side of the ball, and her three free-throws in the game’s final minutes cemented Whitman’s victory.

Despite being trounced 44-29 in the rebounding column, the Pioneers stayed with Whitman throughout. Although the Missionaries took the lead for good with nine minutes left, Lewis and Clark surged back to tie the game at 38, 40, 42 and 44. “The game was back and forth for the whole time,� Ferenz said. “I think a key for us was [junior] Jessica Brice in the first half. We were really struggling to score, and Jess grabbed three offensive rebounds putting two back in for scores to give us a real lift. Otherwise, we would have been down double digits at the half.�

When dominant junior center Rebecca Sexton fouled out midway through the second half, first-year Kelly Peterson filled the void in the paint. “I was just trying to be aggressive, and I was looking for my shots every time down the floor,� said Peterson, whose 16 points throughout were far overshadowed by the six points she scored in the final two minutes. “We really needed to win on Friday—this was a really pivotal game for us.�

Peterson is one of three Whitman first-years to make substantial contributions this season. “Mary Madden, Kelly Peterson and Emilie Gilbert have played really well in a tough situation. I am really proud of the way they have stepped up and helped us despite being first year players,� Ferenz said after Friday’s game.

As Madden, Peterson’s roommate, put it, this season has been a decidedly comfortable transition. “Since all three of us played so much in high school, this year has really been a smooth transition back into playing for us. We’ve been able to get into roles we’re already familiar with,� she said.

Madden’s three offensive rebounds

in the second half proved to be crucial, and Gilbert’s put-back of a White miss to close out the half sent the Missionaries into the locker room on a positive note.

Decimated by injuries, the Missionaries entered Friday’s game needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. “We just have to take it one game at a time,� Ferenz said.

While losing junior guards Anna Forge and Jenele Peterson for the season was “a huge blow,� Ferenz has been impressed by her team’s ability to play well under difficult circumstances, a sentiment echoed by Madden. “[The injuries] hurt our offensive flow at first, but we’ve had really good togetherness in the last few games.�

Ferenz’s team showed no signs of fatigue in their Saturday night game, in which they routed conference cellar-dweller Willamette 67-35. The win brought the Missionaries’ conference record to 4-6 and placed them two games out fourth-place and a playoff berth. Whitman will play two crucial road games this coming weekend.

Friday, Feb. 5, they will travel to Newberg, Ore. for a showdown with defending Division III National Champion George Fox University followed by a match up with struggling Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. on Saturday.

Whitman players and coaches recognize the importance of each game going forward as the try to make up ground in the conference standings. “We can’t afford to miss more than one more game, and we can beat both George Fox and Pacific,� Madden said.

With six NWC games left the Missionaries have overcome catastrophic injuries and a series of close losses to place themselves in position to make a late season run at the playoffs. However, Ferenz is keeping their recent success in perspective. “We just have to keep focused on getting better each day, each game.

If we do that, things will take care of themselves,� she said.

DOYLE McCARTHY & GABE CAHN Sports Columnists

The Super Bowl XLIV match up between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints has the potential to be one of the greatest championship games in recent history. Regular season powerhouses in their respective conferences, these two teams have both carried their success deep into the postseason. We are certainly not trying to argue that there have not been memorable Super Bowl games played over the past few years, or that the Super Bowl by its nature is not a viewable competition. Still, who can name a Super Bowl match up in the last 10 years that has hosted two quarterbacks of a caliber equal to that of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees? Or one that has a team being supported by an entire nation; minus the city of Indianapolis and the immediate Manning family?

To elaborate, we have compiled a list of three major reasons why we think that this Super Bowl will be one to remember: 1. Shootout Potential The Saints’ offense led the league in scoring and total yardage during the regular season, yet with Peyton Manning leading the Colts’ offense, it is unclear who’s offense is more threatening.

Needless to say, the Super Bowl point record could be shattered. Additionally, Brees threw for 419 yards against Washington in the regular season and Manning approached 400 passing yards last week against the Jets. With these two prolific passers, we could realistically see Kurt Warner’s record for passing yards in a Super Bowl (414) get shattered.

Missionaries get Slugged

by BIDNAM LEE and JAY GOLD Staff Reporters In the midst of losing five straight games to Whitman’s number one doubles team of senior Matt Solomon and first-year Jeffrey Tolman, University of California— Santa Cruz’s Marc Vartabedian unleashed his frustration by turning away from the court and forcibly hitting the tennis ball against the stone wall of the Bratton Tennis Center. The tide appeared to be turning favorably not only for Solomon and Tolman, but for the men’s tennis team as a whole. However, the team fell short of fulfilling the promise encompassed within this fleeting sign, dropping a series of close matches to fall 8-1 to the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, the top ranked team in NCAA Division III. Aside from seniors Jake Cappel and Jasper Follows, who combined to defeat UC—Santa Cruz’s Ulrich Capaul and Parker Larsen in a 9-8 (7-4) decision, the Missionaries emerged from this Jan. 30 match winless in both singles and doubles play. That being said, Whitman was far more competitive than the final score suggests.

Head coach Jeff Northam described the match as “a good loss.� “At every position we competed with Santa Cruz and had opportunities in most every match. The difference between winning or losing a set 6-4 comes down to a point here or there,� he said.

In doubles matches shortened to eight games, Solomon and Tolman ultimately lost a tantalizingly close 9-8 (7-3) decision while the number two doubles team of senior Christoph Fuchs and junior Quin Miller succumbed to an 8-6 defeat.

In singles Solomon played evenly with UC—Santa Cruz’s number one, Bryan Pybas for a short while, only to lose in consecutive sets (4-6, 1-6). Junior Chris Bailey and sophomore Conor Holton Burke—playing second and sixth, respectively—each claimed a set, but were unable to win their matches. Tolman lost consecutive 6-4 sets in number three singles while Fuchs lost in straight sets in the number four match.

Considering UC—Santa Cruz crushed Whitman last year at the NCAAs, this

showdown with the defending Division III National Champions was by no means a complete disappointment. “The big thing the team takes out of the match is belief. We now know that we can play with the best team(s) in the nation,� said Northam.

It was especially impressive that UCSanta Cruz was unable to overwhelm Whitman this time given that junior Etienne Moshevich and senior Nadeem Kas-

2. Loaded Sub-Plots The Saints have never been to a Super Bowl in their franchise history and for a city like New Orleans, which is still devastated from Katrina, there is absolutely a larger significance for the city as a whole. A Saints victory will bring Mardi Gras 10 days early, ya dig?

On the Colts side, the fact that Peyton Manning’s dad, Archie Manning, played with the Saints for 11 seasons and that the Manning family is hugely popular amongst New Orleans fans could bring about some tension, despite what official media reports suggest. Also, Colts wide receiver Pierre Garçon has dedicated his playoff performance to his native country of Haiti, hoisting the Haitian flag after the AFC Conference Championship game.

3. Dynamic Defenses In their two playoff games, the Saints’ defense has officially ended one legendary quarterback’s career (Kurt Warner), and may have indeed ended another’s (Brett Favre)—both in a brutal fashion. New Orleans’ defense plays extremely aggressively, relying on turnovers to keep opposing offenses off the field. The Colts, on the other hand, are small and speedy on the defensive side of the ball, relying on a ruthless pass rush to apply heavy pressure on the quarterback. Unfortunately, the Pro Bowl man-beast that is Dwight Freeney is suffering from a torn ankle ligament which will limit his mobility during the game. Although each team has a distinct defensive style, both units could be successful.

If you actually required any persuasion to watch the Super Bowl, you probably hate freedom. And in that case, this column is not meant for your eyes. The purpose of this article was to get you as excited as we are about the big game on Sunday, and prove to you why this game will not be boring, despite Peyton Manning’s participation.

In the last 10 years, no better-balanced teams have met in the Super Bowl, and oh yeah, there’s the commercials . . .

For more commentary, tune into KWCW 90.5 FM Tuesdays at 1 p.m.

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whether this match was a setback or building block. It’s all in how we use this match as motivation to push ourselves harder in training over the next few months. We have a chance to be a very special team,� said Solomon.

Whitman will have two weeks to hone its game before conference play begins with matches against Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 13 in Tacoma, Wash.

S������� Women's Basketball

The Whitman women have an opportunity to to finally climb above .500 this weekend in Newburg, Ore. on Friday Feb. 5. Unfortunately, they will be facing a George Fox University team that has thus far gone undefeated in Northwest Conference play. Whitman, 4-6 in conference action, will have their hands full with the 17-2, overall, Bruins. The folJACOBSON 1UINÒ-ILLERÒf ÒPREPARESÒFORÒAÒVOLLEYÒ against the UC—Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, the number 1 ranked tennis TEAMÒINÒTHEÒCOUNTRYÒ $IVISIONÒ))) Ò sam, two of Whitman’s top players, were unable to play due to injury.

In a testament to its depth, the team was able to remain competitive in spite of the injuries to these players. “In college tennis you only play six singles players. We have 15-16 guys that can compete in our conference . . . Going into the weekend, Conor Holton-Burke was our number-eight player. However injuries to Etienne [Moshevich] and Nadeem Kassam gave him the opportunity to play and he almost knocked off the number six player from the number one team in the nation,� said Northam.

Along with team depth, Northam and Solomon cite togetherness and experience as the team’s primary strengths. In light of these strengths, Solomon is cautiously optimistic regarding the team’s future. “At this point, I think it’s hard to say

lowing day, the Missionaries will travel to Forest Grove, Ore. to face Pacific University. The Boxers, currently with a 3-7 NWC record, are below Whitman in NWC standings and may provide relief to an injury-ridden roster.

Men's Basketball

The Missionaries go into the Friday, Feb. 5, matchup with George Fox Uni-

veritsy in Newberg, Ore. with an opportunity to climb to .500 in conference standings, putting them in good position for the play-offs. The Bruins are currently 6-4 in NWC and 9-10 overall. This Saturday, Whitman will be in Forest Grove, Ore. facing the Boxers of Pacific University, cellar dwellers of the NWC. The Boxers are 2-8 in NWC, 6-13 overall.

S��������� Women's Basketball

Lewis and Clark College vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. on Saturday, Jan. 29 Points by Half 1 2 Tot Whitman College (8-10, 1-3 NWC) 24 37 61 Lewis and Clark College (12-6, 6-3 NWC) 30 26 56

Willamette University vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. on Saturday, Jan. 30 Points by Half 1 2 Tot Whitman College (9-10, 4-6 NWC) 32 35 67 Willamette University (3-16, 1-9 NWC) 16 19 35

Men’s Basketball

Lewis and Clark College vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. on Saturday, Jan. 29 Points by Half 1 2 Tot Whitman College (9-9, 3-6 NWC) 23 39 62 Lewis and Clark College (6-11, 5-4 NWC) 30 38 68

Willamette University vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. on Saturday, Jan. 30 Points by Half 1 2 Tot Whitman College (10-9, 4-6 NWC) 49 54 103 Willamette University (4-15, 1-9 NWC) 42 40 82

Swimming

University of Puget Sound vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. Friday, Jan. 29 Team Score: Men Women Whitman College 102 53 Whitworth University 101 152

Men's Tennis

Lewis-Clark State College vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla. Wash. Friday, Jan. 29 Team Score Lewis-Clark State College (1-1) 4 Whitman College (1-1) 5

UC - Santa Cruz vs. Whitman College in Walla Walla. Wash. Friday, Jan. 29 Team Score UC - Santa Cruz (3-2) 8 Whitman College (1-2) 1

The Pioneer ISSUE 2 FEB. 4, 2010 Page 12

Backpage

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Black Student Union Guest writers: Tumi Mothei & Sarah Deming

HEY AMERICANS! For years, unfortunate statistics have been labeled with stigmatic and unfairly harsh terms like “Black-White Achievement Gap� and “Racial Profiling.� Thankfully, Obama has brought us into the post-racial world and we can leave those ugly terms behind. Below are your new, less controversial . . .

POST-RACIAL TERMS FOR UNFORTUNATE FACTS! YOU USED TO CALL IT . . .

1. The Black-White achievement gap 2. Racial profiling 3. Police brutality 4. Crooked cops 5. Affirmative action 6. Wage inequality 7. Minority 8. Barack Obama 9. Crack vs. cocaine sentence disparity 10. Greensboro diner sit-ins 11. Three-Fifths compromise 12. George Bush doesn’t care about black people

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