Whitman Pioneer Spring 2012 Issue 2

This Week On Web

Introducing the Editors’ Blog: A look behind the scenes at The Pioneer www.whitmanpioneer.com

Feature pg. 6

The newest crop of Jan-starts discuss their transition to college life and gap semesters

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EDUCATION LEVY HAS PAYOFF

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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ith an election coming up, Walla Walla has been blanketed by campaign signs urging residents to “Vote YES for Kids.”

On Feb. 14, 2012, voters will decide whether to replace the current school levy, which expires at the end of 2012, for another four years.

The current levy, approved by voters in 2008, makes up approximately 20 percent of the school district’s operating budget. Levy dollars pay for extracurricular programs, including athletics, arts, Future Farmers of America and drama programs. Many regular school activities are also supported by the levy, including elementary school physical education, Advanced Placement classes at Walla Walla High School and the district’s gifted program.

Aside from the educational benefits for students, Superintendent of Walla Walla Public Schools Mick Miller said the levy will positively affect Walla Walla’s economy.

“It’s going to employ a bunch of people in Walla Walla,” he said.

Many salary needs for the district are not completely funded by the state. Miller said that about a third of staff salaries are paid for out of levy money.

Whitman community members have worked on the campaign for approving the replacement levy. Shauna Bogley, a Whitman alumna with three children in Walla Walla Public Schools, chairs the Citizens for Schools committee, which campaigns for the levy.

“I really believe in making our schools strong,” she said. “I’ve been a classroom volunteer for 13 years, and I see how much the levy benefits the children of Walla Walla.”

She said that Walla Walla has always approved past levies. For her, the biggest challenge is making sure that people remember to vote, so that election results reflect the strong support for schools in Walla Walla.

“We need every yes vote we can get,” she said. “We don’t want [the levy] to just slide by.”

Whitman students who have worked in schools see the benefits of levy dollars in the classroom.

IM committee members dish on organization, expansion of sports offered to Whitman community

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ISSUE 2 | February 2, 2012 | Whitman news since 1896 PHOTO BY AXTELL GRAPHIC BY HENDERSHOT

by RACHEL ALEXANDER Senior Reporter

Senior Nina Neff, who works with Gear-Up, a college readiness program, said that many of the resources supporting her students are funded by the levy. Even with current levy money, Walla Walla High School students are sometimes missing textbooks or other resources that would help with after-school tutoring. Neff sees the levy as a crucial way of maintaining equal education for all students.

“Whitman wants to be in a community where there’s equitable opportunity for success. In order to do that, there just have to be the resources that will allow students to prepare for college,” she said.

President George Bridges and other Whitman staff wrote a letter in support of the levy to the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. In it, they highlight the importance of strong schools for creating a good community.

“Strong public schools benefit not only children in the Walla Walla Valley; they also are magnets drawing successful businesses, talented workers and communi-

ty leaders to our area,” they wrote.

Assistant Director of Off-Campus Studies Barbara Hoffman echoed this sentiment. Hoffman has worked for the levy campaign, and believes that the presence of a good public school system in Walla Walla helps Whitman attract talented staff.

“Walla Walla public schools do a great job of educating our children, and having a good school system brings strong staff and faculty to Whitman College,” she said.

Hoffman pointed out that Walla Walla has many English as a Later Language (ELL) students, as well as relatively high poverty rates.

“Because of that, our job as a school district is a tough one—to make sure all children are educated,” she said.

She pointed out that many affluent parents might be able to make up for a lack of extracurricular activities by hiring private teachers and paying for afterschool classes. Levy dollars allow for equal opportunity to participate.

“I want to make sure that everybody in our community has ac-

cess to those resources,” she said.

Associate Professor of Sociology Michelle Janning is also in favor of the levy.

“I come from a long line of public school teachers, so I strongly support public education,” she said.

She also believes that strong schools in Walla Walla can serve as a model for Whitman students who are interested in education, especially because of all the challenges facing the district.

Janning has a son enrolled at Green Park Elementary, and sees the levy-funded programs as an investment in the future.

“It’s a really good use of taxpayer money,” she said. “If you have success in teaching children at early ages, they are better at coping with things later in life.

It’s a good economic investment.”

Although she doesn’t like to publicly show her support for election measures, Janning made an exception for the levy.

“I don’t put signs in my yard,” she said. “I put a sign in my yard for this one.”

‘Dating Doctor’ shares RMS divides to address student needs, interests humor, romantic advice

by SHELLY LE News Editor

by CAITLIN H A R DEE

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A&E Editor

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n Tuesday, Jan. 31, WEB and Whitman welcomed visiting speaker David Coleman, “The Dating Doctor.” Coleman, a sought-after motivational speaker in the midst of a whirlwind national tour, worked the audience masterfully, illuminating unspoken truths about both sexes that had the room rapt and silent one moment, and in hysterical laughter the next.

To get a proper diagnosis on the condition of campus romance, The Pioneer asked students for their opinions about love at Whitman College. An online survey turned up bleak results: of the 142 students who answered the survey, 19 percent said they rarely go on dates, while 22 percent said they don’t date; 17 percent said they don’t date, but hook up infrequently; five percent said they don’t date and hook up frequently, 28 percent said they have a steady significant other; and nine percent responded with “other.” Many of these “other” respondents expressed a desire but inability to date.

“Find me a boyyyyyyyyyyyy—I’m not even picky!” wrote one lonely Whittie.

Not a single survey-taker responded that they frequently go on dates.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the romantic opportunities available to them at Whitman, while 62 percent said they were dissatisfied.

Many of those lovelorn souls turned up in force in Reid Ballroom to hear the Dating Doctor speak. “Dating Doctor” Coleman offered a range of tools for navigating the search for love in his lecture, notably his A-B-C-D rule of in-

David Coleman (above) known as “The Dating Doctor,” speaks in Reid Ballroom to a captivated audience. Coleman offered insight into dating dynamics. Photo by Parrish

itial interest: attraction, believability, chemistry and the desire to get to know the person better. Coleman also emphasized that the ideal relationship must complement, rather than complete a person, and that we must first be whole and secure in ourselves before looking for love.

After his hour-long presentation, Coleman started an informal speed dating and Q&A session in the back. The Pioneer spoke to several students about their reaction to the lecture.

“I think it just helped me be honest with myself and, you know, realize that decisions that I make may not be the best, and that I deserve better than I think I do,” said first-year Laura Neff.

“I feel it went pretty well, but he enforces a lot of heteronormativity and I think that’s bullshit,” said junior Peter Mullins.

Mullins also offered his assessment of the reasons behind the current dating doldrums afflicting Whitman.

“I think people are ashamed of their sexuality, deep down, and that’s why it only goes down drunk on the weekends. And everyone’s too busy.”

“I really liked [the lecture],” said first-year Alisha Agard. “It shed a lot of light on questions that I had, and insecurities and fears; it kind of helped me get over that. I’m the kind of person that’s kind of shy and doesn’t really like to go after my love interests, but I feel like after hearing him speak, I might try to go for that.”

Students chime in on pick-up lines, dating hotspots and what Whitties find attractive.

Read the rest of the article at www.whitmanpioneer.com

hitman faculty voted on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to split the Rhetoric and Media Studies Department into two new departments.

The change is effective immediately. The new rhetoric studies department will offer two majors, a general rhetoric studies major and a political and legal rhetoric major. The film and media studies department will offer one major, which will be advised by two faculty members and will include interdisciplinary courses.

According to Professor of Forensics Jim Hanson, the split was made possible because of a new rhetoric tenure-line, and the reinstatement of a film media position that had been cut in recent years for economic reasons.

“Students seem to be a little more specialized in their interests these days, so this was a great opportunity to go from a workable department to something that is truly ideal and meets the needs of the students,” Hanson said.

The Rhetoric and Media Studies department was created when the opportunity arose for Hanson to collaborate with retired Whitman professor Bob Withycombe to offer a combined field of studies. Although both fields had similar elements, Hanson said that combining them has been difficult for students looking to specialize specifically in one area.

“It somewhat has worked to have the two together, but it’s not been ideal,” said Hanson. “Now students can really get the major they want.”

Junior film and media studies major Nate Lessler agrees.

“I’m really looking forward to [the switch] because I’m really more interested in film and media over the rhetoric element,” he said.

Current seniors will not be affected by the switch, but subsequent classes will be asked to choose between the two departments. The departments plan to allow students who have taken previous courses in the old Rhetoric and Media Studies department to count these courses as part of either new major. “[The departments] are being really accommodating in terms of credits counting for our majors if you’re transitioning from [the old] major to another,” Lessler said.

Hanson notes, however, that students who have declared their major and prefer to keep a rhetoric and media studies major are welcome to do so.

“I think there’s one person who wants to continue keeping both components of the major, but most students are overwhelmingly in favor of the change, as far as I know,” he said.

While Lessler is excited for the split, he noted that having a rhetoric component in his field of study has been helpful in broadening his academic experience at Whitman.

“There’s some cool rhetoric courses that I took, that ended up being really interesting and fun, that I wouldn’t have taken otherwise, if they hadn’t been required,” he said. “But it’s just really nice to have the simplicity of [the major] on my résumé.”

Lessler also noted that having the simplicity of one field of study rather than two may make it easier for future employment and graduate school programs. see RMS, page 3

NEWS

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Board of Trustees confirms salary increase for college staff, faculty

by EMILY LIN-JONES Staff Reporter

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he Board of Trustees approved a two percent salary increase for college faculty and staff this year. The increase was recommended to the Board by President Bridges at a board meeting in November, and went into effect Sunday, Jan. 1.

Pay raises for college employees have been rare to nonexistent over the past few years, due mainly to the floundering economy.

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Pete Harvey cited increased enrollment and the recovery of the college’s endowment fund as major factors in the college’s ability to increase salaries this year.

“We try to do salary increases once a year. The last few years there have been very little or no salary increases because of the economy, but prior to that it was typically once a year,” said Harvey.

Although salary increases are typically recommended to the college’s budget officers and

the Board of Trustees after being discussed by a committee of student, staff and faculty representatives, this year’s pay increase was a little different. Budget officers took the initiative in recommending the increase after discovering that the college’s budget was capable of covering it. The college’s operating budget this year is about $63 million, 60 percent of which goes toward staff and faculty salaries and benefits.

“This current raise came mid-year because the college finds itself in better financial shape than we had projected a year or so ago,” explained Associate Professor of Astronomy and General Studies and Chair of Faculty Andrea Dobson. “[It came about] because the budget officers both wanted to do something to ameliorate the erosion of compensation and found themselves able to do so.”

Dobson said that the pay increase is welcome after the recent drought, although there is still more room for growth.

“My sense is that the raise

Bookstore aims to upgrade outdated inventory system

by MOLLY JOH A NSON Staff Reporter

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his year, Whitman’s bookstore has undergone a number of changes in an effort to remain independent. Some of these improvements have been made to decrease the likelihood of theft occurring in the store.

Bookstore Service and Operations Specialist Zoey Smith acknowledges that theft can be an issue.

“Fortunately, theft is not a problem at Whitman the way that it can be at some large, commuter campuses,” Smith said in an email. “While there have been occasional instances of theft, we at the bookstore are proud to be part of a community made up of honest individuals who are sincerely committed to improving the world in which they live.”

“We welcome your suggestions, feedback and involvement.”

Bookstore Operations Specialist Zoey Smith

According to senior Wing Lam, a bookstore employee, if theft does happen at the bookstore, the instances are few and far between.

“I’ve worked here since my freshman year, and I’ve never seen any theft,” Lam said.

The bookstore is not able to keep track of how much money is lost in stolen pens, candy or textbooks because it does not use a “Point Of Sale” system.

It hopes to acquire one in the future to better track money flowing in and out of the bookstore.

Though employees count the inventory, there is no record of what items are actually sold and which items just go missing.

“The [method of taking] in-

ventory at the bookstore is antiquated. Taking inventory was actually just us hand counting all of our stock,” said sophomore Rose Haag, a previous bookstore employee.

The bookstore has taken some measures in order to better protect itself against the possibility of theft.

Director of Security Terry Thompson advised the bookstore on what could be done and what to look out for in regards to theft. After the bookstore was rearranged, Thompson suggested that the bookstore place some domed security mirrors to aid visibility of some areas. They were installed at the beginning of fall semester.

Many students seem to think that the bag check that goes on during the beginning of each semester is an effort to prevent theft, but Smith said that is not its express intent.

“We began the check not because we doubt the integrity of Whitman students, but because it has proven a helpful way to ensure that periods of increased business run smoothly,” said Smith.

Sophomore Ben Menzies, who has worked as a bag checker, addressed students’ impatience with the bag check system.

“I think the bag check is much less annoying than people seem to think it is,” Menzies said. “It’s a simple show of good faith on the customer’s part at a time when the bookstore does have to deal with a greater threat of theft, and as long as the employee is doing her job, it’s at most a 30-second process.”

The bookstore makes a point to take students’ input and suggestions in regards to what is sold, creating a community environment.

“This is your bookstore, and we welcome your suggestions, feedback and involvement,” said Smith. “In being there for the campus, [we try to] carry things that students are looking for.”

WHITMAN STUDENT FEES AT WORK

helps address the erosion in compensation that many college employees have been feeling in recent years, but it’s not that much in actual dollars for most people,” she said.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of General Studies Claire Valente said that many faculty members are appreciative of the raise regardless.

Senate meeting 1/29 • Senators Alex Brott and Alejandro Fuentes Mena sworn in.

• Real Food Alliance confirmed unanimously as ASWC Club.

• Whitman College Trap Shooting confirmed unanimously as ASWC Club.

• Request of $600 from Contingency Fund to Drama Club to attend Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Request passed unanimously.

by SHELLY LE News Editor

“I think most of us understand that the college has been in a difficult spot [financially],” she said.

Harvey said that he hoped the coming year would prove more fortunate for the college’s budget allotment toward salary increases.

“It’s a relatively small increase at two percent, and we’re hoping to do more in the next academic year as well,” he said.

1 in 10

Estimated average number of children who have a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States.

24,000

Estimated number of children who will be born with a form of autism out of every four million children born in the United States.

200,000

Estimated number of teenagers diagnosed with a form of autism who will reach full adulthood in the next five years and be forced to grapple with challenges in the workplace and social discrimination.

2/3

Amount by which the cost of lifelong care of autism can be reduced with early diagnosis and intervention.

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

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New lectures diversify Philosophy Department

by K A R A H K EMMER LY

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ike many other facets of Whitman College, the philosophy department is working to diversify and expand its department.

Visiting Johnston Professor of Philosophy Geoff Ashton is bringing a new lecture series to campus. The series will consist of four lectures on various themes within Asian philosophy over the course of the semester. The first lecture will

aspects of both Westand Eastern philosophy.

“Each talk is taking somewhat of a comparative approach because the audience is made up of mostly American Anglophone students and faculty,” he said. “We’re not just trying to account for or catalogue traditions, but trying to clarify what it means to us.”

He hopes to see that students have learned something new in the lectures.

“I’m hoping students get a taste for how philoso-

Number of years since the last major revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The revision is expected to narrow the criteria for being diagnosed with autism and limit the availability of health, educational and social services to those falling out of the diagnoses range.

ing ern

News Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY LOOS-DIALLO

be held today, Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Olin Hall 130.

The series covers topics from many different disciplines, and Ashton believes that it will appeal to a wide variety of students.

“It has a pretty broad reach of topics, including philosophy, religion, Asian studies, the arts, feminist studies and German studies,” he said.

Ashton said that the lectures will be incorporat-

phy is practiced in non-Western philosophical traditions.

[I’m] hoping the lectures broaden their horizons,” he said.

The lecture on Feb. 2 will focus on interpretations of Indian philosophy by German Idealist philosophers.

The next three lectures will take place on March 6, April 19 and April 26. All will begin at 6:30 in Olin Hall 130. Topics include looking at femi-

S O U RC E: T H E N E W YO R K T IM E S, AU T IS M S O CI E T Y, C EN T ER S F O R DIS E A S E CO N T RO L A N D P R E V EN T I O N, EM EDT V.

nism and Buddhist ethics, music in Chinese philosophy, and the question of how to approach comparative thought.

Senior philosophy major Elana Congress is glad to see that the department is offering classes outside of the Western tradition.

“Philosophy is often considered a discipline full of old, white men. But these classes remind us that philosophy exists all over the world . . . It’s exciting to see the department trying to diversify and emphasize a wider perspective,” she said.

This last semester, Congress took Ashton’s course entitled “Aesthetics East and West,” and enjoyed being exposed to a different branch of philosophy.

“Aesthetics was especially interesting because I had never studied it before. I enjoyed reading Asian and Indian philosophy, which were beautiful in their simplicity,” she said.

She also feels that students, especially those who have taken courses in Asian Philosophy this year, will benefit from the lecture series.

“In my aesthetics class last semester we read Western texts and Eastern texts and then drew some of our own comparisons. I think it will be really cool to hear experts talk about the comparisons they have made.”

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EDITOR I A L

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Editor-in-Chief Patricia Vanderbilt

Production Manager Ted Hendershot

NEWS

Business Manager Hailun Zhou

Managing Editor Cara Lowry

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

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.

News Editors Karah Kemmerly Shelly Le A&E Editor Caitlin Hardee Sports Editor Libby Arnosti Feature Editors Alyssa Fairbanks Kelsey Kennedy Opinion Editor Alex Brott Humor Editor Cari Cortez Photography Editor Ethan Parrish Illustration Editor Binta Loos-Diallo

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Whitman returns to Wallowa County

by DY L A N T U LL Staff Reporter

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ast summer, Whitman in the Wallowas took 12 Whitman students deep into Wallowa County, Ore. to work with residents and study interdisciplinary environmental issues through hands-on work in the community. Following the success of the program’s first outing, Miles C. Moore Professor of Political Science Phil Brick and Visiting Assistant Professor for Environmental Studies and Geology Ellen Bishop are gearing up to lead another group of Whitman students into Wallowa County this summer.

Due to the success of the first iteration of the program, the core of this summer will remain the same. That being said, however, there are two major differences that will turn this year’s program into a slightly different experience.

The first difference is a change in the central question that students will be exploring.

“In the context of climate change, how can ecosystems be restored and strengthened to meet both human and natural needs?” Brick said.

In the face of climate change, students this year on Whitman in the Wallowas will investigate the theme of “Resilience” and how it applies to a county like Wallowa County. How can Wallowa County and the surrounding ecosystem remain resilient to climate change?

What role must ecosystem services play? According to Brick, these

are the questions that Whitman in the Wallowas will be exploring.

The second significant difference in this year’s program is the change in professors who will be leading the excursion. Senior Lecturer of Environmental Humanities and General Studies Don Snow and Associate Professor of Biology Delbert Hutchison, who led the first outing, will be replaced by Professors Phil Brick and Ellen Bishop this summer.

Snow commented on how this will change the program.

“One of the obvious [changes] is: Delbert is a biologist, Ellen Bishop is a geologist. I’m a humanist, literary person, and Phil is a politics person. The differing backgrounds of the professors probably will have some bearing on the way the program works pedagogically,” he said.

Despite the differences in professors, the program will still be working incredibly closely with Wallowa Resources, the local, nonprofit, environmentally focused organization that they worked with last summer.

“We have a very good working relationship with [Wallowa Resources], and we have satisfied their needs as they have ours. So regardless of what the theme is, we are definitely working with them again,” Hutchison said.

Senior Alegria Olmedo, one of the participating students from last summer’s program, expanded on how easy the connection with Wallowa Resources was last summer.

“Working with Wallowa Re-

sources, they know the community so well—the ranchers, the loggers and everyone—so it is a really easy network. People there are waiting to have someone to talk to and tell their story,” she said.

Moving beyond just this coming summer, Whitman is planning on turning Whitman in the Wallowas into a consistent program.

“The plan is to offer it in the summer before Semester in the West goes out. Semester in the West typically goes every other year, so this will be offered every other summer,” Hutchison said.

Hutchison also commented on how Whitman in the Wallowas will change and adapt with the changing environment of Wallowa County.

“As things change, [Wallowa Resources and other nonprofits] are able to give us input and let us know ideas on topics, people to meet and new things to talk about, so absolutely things will change,” he said. “The really good thing about cooperating with them is that we can ride that wave as well, to try to help them with ideas that they could do, but also bring those really cool current issues to our students as well.”

Snow noted that the success of the program’s future hinges on the success of this summer.

“Whether it will become a permanent fixture remains to be seen. We had a great turnout last year; we had twelve really fine students . . . we got it off to a good start,” he said. “This could really be the pivotal year.”

Last summer’s participants worked with Wallowa County Resources. Program leaders hope to strengthen this relationship. Photos contributed by Olmedo (above) and von Hafften (below).

Rhetoric and Media Studies split allows expansion of interdisciplinary courses, greater student specialization from RMS, page 1

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“Last summer, when I was applying for jobs, in interviews I was always asked ‘what is rhetoric and media studies?’ rather than just one,” he said.

Sophomore Alyssa Goard, who is considering one of the majors in the rhetoric department, agrees.

“I have heard students say who’ve gone through the major that they’ve been confused in how rhetoric is paired with some of the more film-specific classes,” she said.

According to Hanson, this has been a major question for years among graduating rhetoric and media studies majors and their employers.

“The thing I’ve heard over and ADVERTISEMENT

over from students is ‘I’m applying to film graduate school and my diploma says rhetoric; this is not good,’” he said.

Goard hopes that the split will

“The department could change in a way that I couldn’t have anticipated.”

Alyssa Goard ‘14

allow the college to dedicate funding to both departments and allow professors to grow their course load.

“If [professors] were allowed to add specificity to their research

by allowing them to pursue things that are pertinent to their study, it would allow the departments to grow stronger,” she said. “The department could change in a way that I couldn’t have anticipated by the time I graduate and that’s kind of exciting.”

Overall, Hanson and Lessler agree that the split will be better for the future of the college and graduating students.

“Ultimately, I think it can make the college more attractive. I know that I would have come here even faster had it just been film and media,” Lessler said.

Additional reporting contributed

by Josh Goodman.

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IM COMMITTEE BACKSTAGE Board

members

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Intramural sports organize, expand

by KY LE HOW E Staff Reporter

F

rom flag football to bowling, to tennis and basketball, intramural (IM) sports are a large part of Whitman life. Many Whitman students take part in IM sports, but most Whitties know little of the IM Committee who controls, regulates and ensures that every aspect of IM sports run smoothly.

“I have no idea who runs the IM Committee,” said firstyear Max Lloyd, who has played IM soccer and football. “They run IM sports?”

The Committee consists of seniors, juniors and a sophomore, all of whom have been involved with IM sports since they began attending Whitman. Through the IM Committee, students are able to play IM flag football, dodgeball, soccer, tennis, basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, bowling and more.

“The IM Committee is student run; there are six people on the Committee every year.

They send out forms, organize the sports, get field space, work with administration,” said senior Jeff Gayle, one of the leading figures on the Committee. Gayle has played nearly all of the IM sports available.

Gayle was drawn to the Committee by his love of sports. “I spend a lot of time around sports; I have been doing this since sophomore year, so it is just fun to organize the sports that I end up playing and trying to make them run as smoothly as possible,” said Gayle.

Students at Whitman involved with IMs often play numerous sports offered by the IM Committee.

“Over the course of the year, I would venture to guess at least half of the people, if not more, play a sport at some point. In football there is [sic] about 20 teams in both the guys and girls divisions,” said

Gayle. “I like playing football; it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy playing with my team and against my friends.”

In IM Committee work, there are some problems that cannot be avoided.

“There are always little issues,” said junior IM Committee member Gus Friedman. “In the sports arena at Whitman, varsity athletics dominate the top, club sports make up the middle, IM sports makes due with what we get. So scheduling field space and gym space is always a challenge.”

Over the past few years, the IM Committee has been learning how to better use this space to provide a better experience for participating students. “We have been trying to recently move it towards being more stable. In past years [the Committee] was really casual and unorganized, and we are doing a better job of making it more organized so people don’t get upset.”

The Committee attempts to accommodate the needs and time obligations of the students. “We are doing what we can with what we are given to make it work as smoothly as possible,” said Friedman.

There are many goals the IM Committee strives to meet; nonetheless, their number one goal remains the same. “Our number one goal is that people have fun, and so we do our best when someone has a complaint to figure out what the proper resolution is,” said Gayle.

The Committee is considering adding more sports in the coming years.

“We are going to do mini-golf this year,” said Gayle.

Gayle encourages all Whitman students to participate in IMs. “Try it; there are a lot of people who have not necessarily played the sport, and just want to hang out with their friends. I think it is just a fun way to do something with your friends,” said Gayle.

off

on

intramural

sports

Profile: IM member Gus Friedman ‘13

by SA R A H DEBS Staff Reporter

A

fter a long day of es, Friedman sits at a table in the ment of Reid wearing a green fleece and a huge

classdown baseforest smile.

Gus Friedman Class: Junior Major: ES-Chemistry Hometown: Seattle, Wash.

Why do you like being on the Intramural (IM) committee?

I think it’s important to give back, especially to something that you really like. I have participated in IM stuff pretty extensively, and it seemed like a cool thing to get involved with to help organize and improve the process. It’s something that directly impacts me as a participant, and it’s good to know I can make the experience better for other people as well.

How did you get involved with Intramural Sports?

I played a bunch of different sports my freshman year, and a couple of the people on the committee approached me and asked if I’d be interested in joining the committee. I said yes, filled out the application and got it.

What sports experience have you had previously and now?

I played soccer at my high school, and basketball growing up. I’m playing on the club volleyball team here. IM-wise, I’ve done flag football, soccer, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball and softball.

Wow. So you really like playing IM sports?

Yeah, I love being athletic, and getting to form a team with friends, just playing alongside people that you know. It’s pretty competitive and a lot of fun.

What specific things have you done while on the Committee?

It depends on the sport. Historically, there have been six people on the Committee. Usually only one or two are involved with running a given sport in the administrative way. The seniors usually oversee everything, and then

Gus Friedman ‘13, a member of the IM Committee, has played six IM sports at Whitman. Friedman plays on the Phi Delta Theta football team. Photo by Peck

delegate responsibilities. Using basketball as an example: I get the forms out to everyone as successfully as I can, collect them, create the schedule for each division, contact the Varsity Basketball players to get volunteers to ref the games. Assigning ref to the games turns out to be much trickier than it should be. Then, when the season’s over, I have the standings, put together the playoffs, and order the blue shirts for the champions.

That sounds pretty involved.

Some sports are more [involved] than others. Anything with refs is much more complicated; not only are you dealing with players having conflicts, but the

refs do as well and the communication gets crazy. But, usually, once the schedule is made there is less involvement on our part.

What is your favorite team to play on?

Probably football. That’s something that I never played growing up. Those [football] games get pretty competitive, which I love. Really getting to play hard against teams you developed rivalries with; it’s just a much more competitive season than some of the other sports tend to be. Some people want a more laid back experience, and there are plenty of other sports that are good for that.

How much do Whitties know about IM sports?

70 percent of Whitman students participate in IM sports.

72 percent of Whitman students know that debate is an IM sport.

74 percent of varsity athletes also participate in IM sports.

54 percent of non-varsity students participate in IM sports.

WHITMAN

70%

Swimmers win big before Championships

by M AT T TESMOND Staff Reporter

W

ith Conference Championships a matter of days away, the Whitman Swimming Team faced its toughest challenge yet and came through in extraordinary fashion at the final meet before the year-end championship meet.

“People have been swimming their best in practice, and we’ve just started our taper. We’ll definitely be setting the stage for Conference,” said women’s team Captain Katie Tackman before heading up to Spokane for a double-dual meet against Whitworth University and The University of Puget Sound last weekend.

And set the stage they did, with both teams finishing in second out of the three teams, arguably the strongest in the NW Conference. For the women’s team it marked the first time they’ve beaten the UPS squad.

“We had an amazing meet, where everyone gave it their all.

There were lots of season best times and even a lifetime best for Melanie Notari,” said Tackman.

On the men’s side, the three top teams in the Conference squared off in a quest for aquatic supremacy. The men finished in second beating a powerful UPS team but losing to a dominant Whitworth squad.

Chris Bendix, a senior captain and distance swimmer, was extremely impressed with the men’s squad’s performance at the meet.

“It could not have gone better. Everyone was able to get up and race,

Whits in second

by PA MEL A LONDON Staff Reporter

W

Swimmers test their speed during time-trials in practice last week. Their six-month season draws to a close next weekend at the NWC Championships. Photo by Bernstein

which isn’t easy to do this time of year. Everyone is pretty beat up right now. To have people going lifetime bests and breaking school records right now is crazy.”

This meet was raced mid-taper, meaning the swimmers are still allowing their bodies to heal and the times posted will only get faster.

“Conference will be extraordinarily fast. Next year, there may not be a single record on the men’s record board that isn’t from 2012,” said Bendix. Assistant Coach Kevin Howard put it simply. “We’re going to step up to the challenge and make our presence known.”

Although there were many great

individual performances, much of the team was quick to aim the praise at their coach Jenn Blomme. “I have always believed in Jenn,” said junior backstroker Joey Gottlieb.

“Our success is a testament to her.”

Blomme has rebuilt the swim program over the last ten years, from a small noncompetitive bunch into a Northwest Conference powerhouse with its sights aimed at the top spot.

The swimmers are now focused on preparing for the most important races of the season at the Conference Championships from February 10-12, which will be held at the King Co. Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.

hitman’s bid to climb into first place in the Northwest Conference (NWC) fell short this past weekend, but back-to-back career nights from senior David Michaels helped the men’s basketball team salvage a split and stay in the mix in a logjam for second place in the Northwest Conference. Whitman improved to 14-5 on the season and 7-3 in conference, leaving the Missionary men tied for second place with the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University, just two games behind first-place Whitworth.

Michaels scored 71 points over the course of two games en route to earning a place on the D3hoops. com national team of the week.

Arguably the biggest games in the season for the Missionary men will come this weekend when PLU and UPS come to Walla Walla for a pair of games. Two wins could vault Whitman into first place; losses would drop them out of the Conference title picture.

Pacific Lutheran University and University of Puget Sound visit George Ball Court Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both games start at 8 p.m.

SCOREBOARD Basketball

Men’s vs. Lewis & Clark Jan. 27 vs. George Fox University Jan. 28 Women’s vs. Lewis & Clark Jan. 27 vs. George Fox University Jan. 28

Loss 74-81 Win 82-62 Loss 71-69 (OT) Loss 82-51

Swimming

Men’s vs. Whitworth University Jan. 28 vs. Universtiy of Puget Sound Women’s vs. Whitworth University Jan. 28 vs. Universtiy of Puget Sound

Loss 53-69 Win 76-45 Loss 45-77 Win 68-54

Tennis

Men’s vs. Eastern Washington Jan. 28

Loss 5-2

UPCOMING Basketball

Men’s vs. Pacific Lutheran University Feb. 4, 8p.m. vs. University of Puget Sound Feb. 5, 8p.m.

Women’s vs. Pacific Lutheran University Feb. 4, 6p.m. vs. University of Puget Sound Feb. 5, 6p.m.

Home Home

Home Home

A&E

Feb

02 2012

Expect to cry at ‘Extremely Loud’

by NATH A N FISHER Staff Reporter

F

riday night I wanted to see a movie that would make me laugh and forget about the looming work of the new semester.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” was not that movie—it was horribly sad . . . yet still worth seeing.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” begins with the funeral of Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks).

Mr. Schell and his wife (Sandra Bullock) are the parents of Oskar (Thomas Horn), a shy nineyear-old boy who possibly has Asperger’s syndrome and does not get along well with others, but loves mysteries and puzzles. Os-

kar’s dad created puzzles and mysteries for Oskar to solve that required the boy to explore New York, talk to people and interact with the world around him. Tragically, Oskar’s dad dies in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2011. The movie relies heavily on the 9/11 factor, and Oskar and his mom are devastated by the loss.

One day, Oskar finds a key and a note while rummaging in his dad’s closet that says, “never stop looking.” In an attempt to prolong the memory of his dad, Oskar decides that the key is the last puzzle his dad gave him to solve, and scours the streets of New York to find what the key opens.

The film chronicles Oskar’s

quest to unlock the mystery of the key, and his encounters with New Yorkers including a compulsive hugger, a transvestite and—the person who I felt stole the show—actor, Max Von Sydow, only known as The Renter. The Renter is a mute man, who has the words “yes” and “no” written on either hand, and only communicates through writing. Max Von Sydow’s acting was powerful and heart-warming.

Though offering a very faint storyline of a slightly odd kid’s adventure in New York, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” relies heavily on triggering the viewer’s emotions. Nearly EVERY single person in the movie theater cried at some point—no, I did not shed

Every week, The Pioneer searches out Whitties who bring an extra splash of fashion consciousness and sartorial daring to campus. This week’s Style Spotlight: sophomore psychology major and double economics and Spanish minor Bella Zarate.

Style Soundbites: “My shoes: I was supposed to go to a conference in Olympia, to go meet our senator, or something like that, in high school. I didn’t have any black heels at all, so the day before I was supposed to leave, I looked everywhere to get heels and they were all really expensive, like, $70 for a pair of black heels that I was only needing for that conference. So I ended up waiting to get them in the morn-

ILLUSTRATION BY L O OS-D I A L L O

a tear; I was possibly dehydrated.

But I do recommend this sad, emotional rollercoaster to moviegoers.

by CL A R A BA RTLET T

Bella Zarate ‘14 (above) stands tall in her favored footwear, a pair of heels from Payless. The well-heeled Whittie shared her shopping strategies. Photos by Beck

ing I was leaving, so I looked everywhere again, and I ended up at Payless with my mom. She was like, ‘No, we should have come here in the first place,’ and of course you always try to talk your parents out of, like, ‘Don’t try to choose my stuff,’ so I fought her, and finally we went in, and I found the pair of black heels, that I kind of get a lot of compliments on, now that I look back!

They were only, like, $20, tops.”

“My belt actually came with a dress that I have, that I don’t really like as

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Staff Reporter

A much. I took it off of that piece of clothing, so I could put it onto other things. I like to mix and match.”

“My shirt I got pretty recently. I have hardly worn it and didn’t realize I had it. I got it in Spokane on a weekend trip with some friends. I got it at . . . maybe Forever 21? Forever 21 or Papaya. Or Wet Seal. Those three are really good stores to go to if you’re looking for pieces of accessories, or things to mix and match, ‘cause they’re not, like, $50 for a top.”

“I get influenced by other people’s looks, or through magazines.

‘Glamour,’ ‘Seventeen’. . . the thing about ‘Seventeen,’ is I like that they have just a page of articles of clothing, that you can try. In ‘Glamour,’ I just like how they model the clothing, and they have a bunch of really cute clothing all the time.”

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PIO PICKS Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights several events happening on campus or in Walla Walla during the weekend.

Here are this week’s picks:

Black Keys’ new album sustains gritty, authentic blues-rock sound

STYLE SPOTLIGHT

5

PAGE

fter they dropped out of college, childhood friends Patrick Carney and Daniel Auerbach, better known now as The Black Keys, made a living mowing lawns and whacking weeds for a slumlord. They ended up getting fired for not edging a lawn correctly, but the blues-rock duo pressed on, this time in a more musical direction.

After a decade of hustling productions of new songs, The Black Keys finally won popular and critical acclaim in 2010. Their album, Brothers, which included the popular single “Tighten Up,” won three Grammy Awards, as well as being sampled on many commercials including for Subaru, Victoria’s Secret, American Express and Zales.

On Friday, Dec. 2nd, 2011, The Black Keys released their catchy, beat-driven, gritty roadtrip-ready album titled El Camino. The album represents not only The Black Keys’ ability as a musical group (following up the commercial cashcow of Brothers was no easy feat), but also their achievement in keeping bluesy garage-rock alive and

German Orientalism and the Concerns of Comparative Philosophy Guest lecturer Dr. Sai Bhatawadekar presents her research on the misappropriations of Hindu religion and philosophy by Hegel, Schopenhauer and the German Idealist school of philosophy.

Thursday, Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m. Olin 130.

Salsa Night with Eddie Manzanares Walla Faces presents highenergy Latin jazz artist Eddie Manzanares. Sit back and watch, or participate– free Latin dance step instruction is provided!

Thursday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Walla Faces Tasting Room, 216 East Main St.

Drag Fest Coalition Against Homophobia presents a fabulous night of genderbending fun! All identities welcome. Drag attire is recommended but not mandatory.

Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. Reid Ballroom.

Cinema at the Cellars Sapolil Cellars and Tangent Media Group present a collection of cinematic gems, hand-picked by the Valley’s most devoted film aficionados. No cover charge, and free popcorn for all!

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sapolil Cellars, 15 East Main St.

kicking to a nice, non-fussy beat.

The album is perfect for a good head-bobbing session near your laptop speakers, or even a party-mix buffer song between the rap and dubstep.

Recommended songs include, but are not limited to, “Lonely Boy,” “Gold On the Ceiling” and “Money Maker” (Ludacris’ version is good too).

FEATURE

Feb

02 2012

PAGE

6

STARTING IN JANUARY “It almost felt like the Jan-starts were being treated like celebrities.”

AARON ROSENBAUM ’12

Top from left: First-year Jan-starts Jacqueline Kim, Kelsey Lund. Bottom from left: Helena Victor, Emily Walker, Hilary Painter, Brooke McKallor sitting in front of Penrose Library on a sunny winter day. After spending a semester traveling or working, Jan-starts arrive to navigate classes, res life and the social scene at Whitman. Here, new and past Jan-starts discuss the unique community that develops after taking a gap semester. Photo by Felt

Gap semester travelers bring fresh perspective to campus

by MOLLY EMMET T Staff Reporter

W

“It was an independence builder” HILARY PAINTER ‘15

Painter spent her gap semester backpacking in the Himalayas through the National Outdoor Leadership School. Photo contributed by Tirrel-Wysocki

hile many first-year students’ fall semesters were highlighted by discussions about Odysseus and IM football, a handful of firstyears spent theirs traveling to exotic destinations and learning in alternative ways.

When some students are admitted to Whitman, they are offered admission for the spring semester instead of the fall.

“Each year, there are a number of qualified, compelling applicants who we’re unable to admit outright for fall, but offer a place in the spring class,” said director of admission Kevin Dyerly in an email.

The school can accommodate these additional students in the spring because more juniors study abroad during the second semester and many seniors do not register for full courseloads. Thus a small spring class can enter Whitman in January.

“Many of our Jan-starts welcome the opportunity to take a semester off after a grueling high school experience to travel, work, or serve their communities before enrolling at Whitman,” said Dyerly.

Last fall, first-year Janstart Hilary Painter traveled half-way across the globe to go

backpacking in the Himalayas.

She was able to do this through a course facilitated by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and it proved to be an invaluable adventure.

Along with her group, Painter journeyed from village to village in the northern Uttarakhand province of the mountain range.

“It was an independence builder,” said Painter of her two-month excursion.

“It was quite an adventure.”

Compared to days spent hiking in India, the transition to Whitman has been a bit strange, but Painter believes she and her Jan-Start peers have integrated well.

“I think all of us had our fear of academics and making friends, but we all have Encounters together, so it’s a nice transition back into the academic world,” she said.

First-year Dylan Snyder is another student who took a gap semester during the fall, and he spent his time in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.

“I had the option to either go abroad or get a job, and I figured I wouldn’t have time after [finishing] school to go traveling,” said Snyder.

Through an organization called Carpe Diem Education, Snyder took a two-and-a-half month trip through the South

Pacific, where he gained an outdoor education through activities such as working on a dairy farm in New Zealand, and scuba diving in Australia.

“The experience taught me to relax, loosen up and prepare for living in the dorms, in close quarters with a person my own age,” said Snyder.

A third member of the spring class, first-year Helena Victor, spent three months of her gap semester in Mexico, also through a NOLS program. She went backpacking, kayaking and sailing in Baja. And though it was a challenge, Victor found the experience extremely rewarding.

“One of the things they really emphasize in their curriculum is ‘tolerance for adversity and uncertainty.’

That was definitely something I needed to work on,” said Victor.

Although her transition back into society was a bit overwhelming, Victor feels the transition into Whitman has been smooth, thanks to the lessons she learned from her time abroad, as well as Whitman’s efforts to make her feel comfortable.

“I feel like my mental stamina has increased tremendously and made me ready for the transition back into an academic environment,” Victor said. “[Plus,] it’s nice to be surrounded by such inviting people.”

Jan-starts overcome awkward transition, find community

by KINSEY W HITE Staff Reporter

F

or first-year Whitman students starting their college experience in January, the transition, although difficult, is overwhelmingly fulfilling according to a variety of Jan-starts.

The class of 2015 grew by 17 students at the beginning of second semester with the introduction of Jan-starts into firstyear residential and academic life.

These new students either chose to defer a semester, or were offered spring admission by the college. All are integrated within first-year residence halls, make up their own Encounters course (led by Professor Mitch Clearfield) and experience their own shortened version of firstyear orientation. However, the transition into college life a semester after most have settled in provides its own challenges.

“The first few days were slightly awkward just because all the regular students were coming back and excited to see their old friends, and we were these random people wandering around their dorms,” said firstyear Jan-start Brooke McKallor. “[However], once everyone settled in, I experienced so much kindness, and I felt really welcome!”

Jan-starts from years past echo McKallor’s thoughts. Sophomore Jan-start Andrew Martin equated his social experience to a “superfast first-year orientation,” explaining that you make many friends quickly as a Jan-start, but many “fade away” since he didn’t “have a first semester to dabble around in friend groups” like the first-semester students did.

“I thought that the Jan-start experience was the best thing that could have happened for my social life and for my identity as a

social human being,” said senior Jan-start Aaron Rosenbaum. “It almost felt like the Jan-starts were being treated like celebrities, since everyone was excited to meet the new students on campus.”

Rosenbaum also said that the other Jan-starts in his class “provided a great group of friends.”

According to Rosenbaum, the relationship amongst the Janstarts themselves is both unique and unifying. The Jan-start students typically become close throughout orientation week and within their Encounters course, mostly within each individual residence hall. A sense of solidarity and understanding runs within the group, which makes the social transition to Whitman life more understandable and not as intimidating.

“We were super tight at first. Especially the ones who lived in your dorm,” said Martin.

“It’s like rolling your Scramble, your section and your core class into one beautiful jumble.”

“It’s like rolling your Scramble, your section and your core class into one beautiful jumble.”

Andrew Martin ’14

The transition to college academics proves to be a challenge for some of these second semester first-years. After taking up to eight months off of schooling, getting back into the swing of studying, coupled with the difficulty of collegiate education comparatively to high school leads to some struggles in class.

“I felt like the only bad part of my Jan-start experience was the academic transition. Part of this is my own background having never taken a discussion-based

class before, but much of it had to do with the lack of assistance, planning and support from the college,” said Rosenbaum.

“First of all, registration times were last for Jan-starts and I was not able to get into classes that would have been interesting and important to take—especially as a science major—forcing me to take classes that were taught by visiting professors, which was not ideal. Normally freshmen get SA’s. However, I never felt like I had someone to go to for that help, after meeting them once during orientation, I never worked with them again.”

Academic stress, coupled with an added pressure to attempt to graduate in three and a half years, leads some Jan-starts to seek schooling during their first semester off, or forces them into staying at Whitman for more than the seven semesters needed to graduate. From each Jan-start class, some students end up staying at Whitman for an additional two semesters, instead graduating with the class under them. In Rosenbaum’s case, as a chemistry major, he lost a year of science classes due to his position as a Janstart. However, not all Jan-starts feel the stresses of academia at the beginning of their Whitman career.

“I don’t feel as though being a Jan-start disadvantaged me academically,” said senior Janstart Shannon Morrissey. “It provided an incentive to graduate early and save a semester’s worth of tuition, and I was still able to spend a semester off-campus.”

Despite the difficulties of beginning their college career later than a majority of students, the interviewed Jan-starts all seem to agree that their experiences, although hard, were fulfilling.

“It is definitely a unique way to start college!” said McKallor.

First-year Jan-starts Hilary Painter (top left), Helena Victor (top right) and Brooke McKallor (bottom) discuss gap semesters and fitting in at Whitman College. Photos by Felt

OPINION 7 Blackberry must Climate change fear misplaced stay relevant to PAGE

Feb

02 2012

SAM CHAPMAN

ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON

First-year

I

advocate the end of the world as we know it.

This is something readers should know about me. Note that I am not in favor of the end of the world. The world is mountains and books and rain and the firm, reassuring crust beneath our feet. I’d hate to lose that.

The world as we know it means that money rules, that we treat the planet like a toilet and that two of any three randomly selected groups of humans are more likely than not to have some feud with each other. This is what needs to end.

This is also why I am not afraid of climate change. I’m not saying we should be complacent—far from it. But fear does not enter into the equation. What’s happening to Earth is a different matter entirely.

If left unchecked, runaway emissions will eventually cause the ice caps to melt, and the poles will turn into massive heat sinks. However, that would only be the dramatic finale to a full course of global warming. Its first effects are already being felt across the globe: extreme weather effects, desertification, the death of coral reefs and the early onset of spring.

As I write this, Funso, the first Intense Tropical Storm of the 20112012 Indian Ocean season, is hovering over Mozambique, where it has already caused death and de-

struction. In 2005, the season of Katrina and Rita, we ran out of names for Gulf hurricanes for the first time, and were forced to use Greek letters. Now, we encounter that problem almost every season.

For purposes of this article, let’s assume that the science linking warming effects to hurricanes, blizzards, heat waves and droughts is sound. Now, I’ve always viewed the United States as the center of this fight—possibly due to a bit of latent jingoism, but mostly because, frankly, we pollute and consume far more than anybody else. It’s easy to blame China and India, until you think about whose demand they’re filling.

Until recently, we Americans were ducking the consequences of our actions rather deftly: we were driving pollution, but too well-situated to feel its effects. Our productive lands are, for the most part, not

Beer, music industry have same indie history KYLE SEASLY First-year

W

hat does one do after the end of a particularly arduous day? I like to kick back and put on some familiar tunes. If I were 21, perhaps I would crack open a bottle of that fizzy amber stuff we call beer, and put one back.

Beer and music are indeed ways to help one relax, and perhaps more related than one might expect. From what I can gather, there are two reasons for striking similarities between beer and music, and both of these lie in the way they are made. The first is that we live in a Do-It-Yourself era. For example, if one is not happy with the beer one is tasting, or the music that is playing on the radio, one can relatively easily go out and get a brew kit, or pick up some recording equipment and start whipping up new creations.

The second is that we all want our tastes to be as specific as possible—“No, I only like Wavves’ first album because after that they lost the lofi aesthetic that really pleases my lobes.” Or, “Yeah, the Ninkasi IPA is all right, but I much pre-

fer the Two-Hearted Ale because it’s a little hoppier and has that hint of honey that I so crave.”

This trend started, like all things great, in the year 1978.

The Rolling Stones had one solid record left in them, and, thanks to giants like AnheuserBusch, Coors and Miller, there were only a total of 48 breweries left in America. There were also scant independent record labels around the country, with giants Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner controlling nearly all of the market share.

These giants had advertised their competitors out of the market, and one could taste the lack of creativity within the beer industry. The three companies were producing basically the same lager, and whoever spent the most on advertising on television, got the biggest market share.

Thankfully, Jimmy Carter, my favorite peanut farmer of all time, legalized the brewing of beer in one’s home in 1978.

Some people, in response to this bland market, began to think, “Hey, I can make better beer than this,” so they went out and got a brew kit, and began to stir up some wort, which could potentially evolve into them getting a small brewery started.

With the principles of creativity and a DIY attitude, microbreweries have popped up everywhere. Today, there are about 1,400 microbreweries in the United States, a drastic shift from the 48 total breweries in 1978.

At the same time, Greg Ginn,

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coastal plains, and our economy is diverse enough to withstand storms.

Though the 2005 season began to change all that, the Third World continues to bear the brunt of the hit.

As cynical as it is to point out, we in this country don’t change policy based on watching others suffer. If we’re ever to go after global warming, it will first have to go after us—where we live.

Which brings me to the point of all this. If there’s one thing in our country that’s consistent, it’s hindsight. Our highest-profile laws are made in response to sensational crimes; our military is always armed to the teeth for the previous war, our airport security primed to foil whatever plot al-Qaeda last tried. In most situations, legislation is too late to do much about what triggered it.

The environment, however,

is different. It’s on a bigger scale, far bigger than anything else bandied about on the political stage.

This scale grants us time to undo the damage we’ve done. No matter how far we extend the consequences of our actions into the next millennium, it will not be too late.

This is why I’m not scared: because sooner or later, some terrible first-world event will shock us out of complacency and lead to swift, direct action that will mitigate the worst of the crisis.

The world as we know it cannot persist after that. Sea change will follow catastrophe like a tsunami after an earthquake. Once we know the stakes, we’ll never again look at our environment the same way.

And yet, we cannot in good conscience wait for this. As Al Gore is fond of saying in his “Inconvenient Truth” presentation, the choice facing us is a moral one. We have two options, as a nation: we can act now, under our own will and power, to turn the Earth off its collision course with disaster, or we can offer up the Third World as a sacrificial lamb, while we wait for severe climate change to club us to our senses.

This past autumn, my hometown of Austin, Texas was threatened by drought-fueled wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and burned for days on end. Lest readers believe me to be an armchair moralist, know that the suffering awaiting us stood on my doorstep. Yet I know what almost happened to my home is nothing compared to what is already being suffered in Mozambique, Bangladesh, the Maldives or hundreds of other places across the globe.

When fear is removed, all that remains is the choice between right and wrong. Will we let Los Angeles burn or New York fall into the sea before we make that choice?

Political Cartoon by Kelly Douglas

future bandleader of Black Flag, was also sick of a stale music industry. He wanted to produce something original and creative, without the corporate strings attached. Ginn, like so many others who would follow in his footsteps, had the DIY aesthetic, and believed that creativity should lead the way, rather than sales.

He then went out to found one of the best independent record labels ever, SST Records.

SST then began to circulate records by Ginn’s own Black Flag, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr., the Minutemen and many others.

These artists, and the whole independent label idea, brought creativity to an otherwise generic market. With complete creative control, and no advances in their wallets, they could produce what they wanted, rather than what the large record company thought would sell. In addition to this, smaller labels (as well as breweries) can be more nimble and appeal to specific tastes, rather than large companies trying to force a particular brand down our throats.

Following SST’s example and work ethic, small independent labels began to pop up all over the United States: Dischord

Voices from the Community

records in D.C., Sub Pop in Seattle and Touch and Go in Chicago.

Although these small independent labels have had a massive impact on the music world, independent labels still only account for five percent of all records sold. Guess how much of the market share microbreweries account for? Around five percent.

My best guess for why these two seemingly unrelated industries share a timeline and similarities is the age that we live in. We live an age of hyper-specialization.

Instead of sitting down with a Budweiser (a mediocre beer with some nice moments) and listening to Foghat (a mediocre major label sponsor band with some nice moments), today, one can sit down and enjoy “citrus accents from abundance of dry hopping, while malty undertones shake hands with the hop character,” and listen to “post-punk art rock with Dylanesque tinges and reggae vibes.” See what I mean?

The fact is, small labels and breweries can specialize and not focus as much on profit as their corporate peers. This allows for more creativity and more risks to be taken, and at the end of the day, more enjoyment. Cheers.

remain in market BLAIR FRANK Junior

Research In Motion (RIM) is on the ropes. The company best known for producing the Blackberry rocked the tech world last week when it announced that its two CEOs were resigning. To those of us who follow tech news, this isn’t exactly surprising. The Playbook tablet, designed to be a competitor to Apple’s iPad, flopped hard. In discussions of smartphone competition, Blackberries are hardly brought up, except perhaps as a reference to something that used to be cool.

RIM managed to stay profitable by continuing to churn out Blackberries, because in a market that was most interested in the smartphone as a business tool, the Blackberry was incredibly useful. However, with the introduction of the iPhone, that market began to shift dramatically. Smartphones are no longer just for the residents of the corner office anymore–they’re consumer products that are becoming increasingly popular for use at home and with people of college age and younger. And let’s face it: Blackberries aren’t hip. RIM must figure out how to revitalize its product line, or die.

On the face of things, that’s only big news for IT folks in enterprise environments, like companies or schools that rely on Blackberries as their organization’s smartphone of choice. But RIM is providing important competition in a market that’s currently dominated by Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7. Back in the days before iPhones, the major competition among smartphone manufacturers was in developing a better phone for enterprise use. That’s how we ended up with iterations on the Treo from Palm and a truly ugly Windows Phone OS. Apple entering the market signaled a major shift in the way things were done, and that competition has led to a lot of positive innovation in the smartphone space. That’s why I want RIM to remain relevant: Solid competition will drive innovation.

But in order to do that, RIM must realize that the Blackberry formula that carried them this far has to go out the window. People who have cut their teeth on iOS, Android and WP7 (in other words, young folks like us) are going to be entering the enterprise in droves in the coming years. A new study has noted that iOS has been gaining a lot of traction among executives, and the new blood entering the workforce will only accentuate that. While IT directors may like the really well-developed tools that RIM has provided for working with Blackberries, they’re ultimately going to be beholden to their end users.

Right now, one of the biggest hurdles Blackberry is facing is design. With the other major smartphone platforms, I can easily conjure a clear mental image that represents the way that its hardware and software looks, whether it’s Apple’s iconic iPhone design, Motorola’s Droid or the clean boxes of Windows Phone 7’s interface. Blackberry can’t provide that right now, but a design home run (coupled with marketing) will do wonders. One of the greatest strengths of the Blackberry platform right now is the Blackberry Messaging service. For those folks who aren’t familiar with BBM, it’s basically a more feature-rich form of text messaging that runs on a Blackberry’s data connection. (Apple is working on something similar with iMessage, but it’s not nearly as full-featured as of iOS 5.) If RIM can couple BBM with a compelling hardware and software platform, there’s some real potential for success.

As it stands right now, I’m tenuously hopeful. In an interview posted on YouTube, RIM’s new CEO seems to have some understanding that they need to make a change. I just hope that change isn’t focused around a strategy of doing the same thing and expecting new results.

What IM sport would you want to see brought to campus? Photos by Bergman

OLIVIA WHITE

DANIEL SWAIN

KAYVON BEHROOZIAN

EMMA SNYDER

Sophomore

Junior

Sophomore

Sophomore

“Pole dancing. They’re even trying to make it an Olympic sport!”

“Intramural broomball. That would be cool.”

“A pie-eating contest. It would be more fair for the non-athletic people.”

“A snowball fighting league or timed cup stacking! Isn’t college about childhood, anyway?”

SLIGHT ACQUAINTANCE

I R U 13% T T DA AB NC LE E O AT N T. K A .E. BE

6%

A

W

IN

DO

W

G IN

BR 4%

11% C LA S I N D U LG SY BE E IN V E RA A GE

22% SEND A BOOT Y C A LL TE X T

When unsure how to react, look at a point past them and enthusiastically wave to an imaginary friend.

Nobody, I repeat, nobody will suspect a thing.

At the fifteen foot mark, use your periphs to gauge if they are looking at you.

If so, smile. If not, “receive an urgent text.”

COMPLETE STRANGER

MORTAL ENEMY

CLOSE FRIEND

M

sh*t Whitties don’t say “Man, I really love the broccoli and carrots in Prentiss, I wish they served them more often.”

OTHER

2A E1

nd :

E

R FO

e eek

B 5% S L E E P A

UR

R EI Y T H RT E PA SE A % T 10U T A O

1

Y

ER

O

A.

GO

RT

PP

S

P

OW

H

In a school where everyone has at least a general idea of who everyone else is (and any doubts can be assuaged with some artful creeping), it is critical to know how to navigate the dangerous waters of greetings on Ankeny. I know who you are, and I know you know who I am, etc . . . and we’re walking toward each other across Ankeny . . . what do I do?!?! Here is a quick survival guide to help you figure it out.

Ignore at all costs.

Possibly whisper veiled threats upon passing.

Comic by Julie Peterson

7%

PA

HO

DO

a ty pic a

of Ankeny greetings

Distance does not matter when you are walking toward someone you know very well.

You may scream “HEY” or “OI” and even hold personal conversations while still fifty yards apart.

When approaching someone you have spoken to no more than three times, it is vital that you pretend not to see them until they are about fifteen feet away. Make sure your feet still exist. Only when the fifteen-foot mark is reached can you look up, smile and say something noncommittal (like, “Oh, hey,”) in a surprisedsounding voice.

12 A N %G E T DO D RD RUN ER CH DO IES MIN OE

R.

1. My anaconda don’t want none unless you’ve got buns, hun.

2. Also, hands wouldn’t hurt.

3. It doesn’t matter what color your eyes are, as long as they remind me of fresh dew on a field of clovers.

4. 32, 24, 34 5. I just wanna burn a spliff and eat Thai, man.

6. Our relationship will have to last at least a month.

7. In that time we will make sweet, sweet love.

We will also have sex. Lots and lots of sex.

8. I won’t say no to a threesome, but I won’t say yes either. ;) 9. I like a woman with a bit of mystery. So make sure you’ve killed someone, or at least have pulled off a crazy jewel heist.

10. If you haven’t killed anyone, I have the perfect idea for our first date.

Surviving the

erately. On

lw

If you’re reading this right now, this is to you:

Girlfriend

d

rin

od km

Wh it t

WANTED:

Much to my dismay I am currently single and it’s not because I’ve been idle, trust me. I have been asking out girls for the past several weeks now, but every time they have either said “no” or spat in my face or both. I’m desperate. Hopefully, one of you lovely ladies out there will read this and realize that I’m the man you’ve been waiting for all these years.

8

K

2012

PAGE

EA

02

ies

BACKPAGE

Feb

“The Bhagavad-Gita is really easy to grasp, too bad we don’t spend an entire semester of Encounters on it.”

“I just love the smell of Beta’s basement. Nothing says ‘party’ like the aroma of cum and rotten beer.”

“Mmm, Keystone is the BEST!” “Ay yo. I’m headed to that party in Prentiss tonight.”

“I’d much rather go to a WaHigh football game than have an actual football team at Whitman.”

“Yeah, of course I did all my reading for Encounters.”

“I think all the pipes in Anderson add a pleasant aesthetic feel to the dorm rooms.”

“My prof only gave me five pages of reading to do by Monday.

What am I supposed to do with the rest of my weekend?”

“There’s a larping party at North tonight for the people who aren’t going to the blackout at TKE? Chyeah I’m going.”

“I wish I had more homework on Sunday nights. I hate having too much time with nothing to do.”

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“No! I would never have sex with someone on the fourth floor of the library if no one was there and we had locked all the doors!”

“There’s too much to do in Walla Walla for me. Sometimes, I wish Whitman were more isolated from the city life, you know?”

“George Bridges? Never heard of him.”

“Hey, I’m thinking about just writing my essay on Friday night. You down?”

“I wish there were more white people here. I hate all this diversity.”