Spring 2014 Issue 13 by Whitman College Wire

The

PIONEER

ISSUE 13 | May 8, 2014 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXI

First referendum vote encourages direct democracy by LACHLAN JOHNSON Staff Reporter

or the first time in memorable history, the entire student body will vote directly on two petitions in a legislative election. The first petition in the election, taking place Thursday, May 8, will determine student support for a resolution calling for a student on the Board of Trustees as a voting member. The second act would create the position of sustainability director to organize the various groups working toward sustainability and environmentalism on campus. The two pieces of legislation were placed on the ballot after junior Harrison Wills collected signatures from more than 10 percent of the student body for the Student Trustee Resolution and 20 percent of the student body for the Student Sustainability Director Act and submitted the petition to the Associated Students of Whitman College. In order

to pass, the legislation must receive support from at least 25 percent of the student body. In addition, if more than 50 percent of the student body votes, each piece of legislation must receive more votes in support than against. “[This election] is about breaking down bureaucratic barriers and having a more participatory, direct democracy,” said Wills in an e-mail. “[ASWC] can be overly moderate and overly cautious at a time when concerted political action is desperately needed.” The approval of the entire student body may add greater weight to calls for a student representative on the Board of Trustees. Previous ASWC administrations have lobbied the board to approve a student to join the body that holds ultimate power over the college. While students now sit on several of the Board of Trustees advisory committees, including the diversity committee, academic affairs committee and budg-

et review committee, there is still no representative from the student body who may observe, speak and vote during board meetings where decisions are finalized. “This referendum, if there’s enough turnout and if it passes, will send a strong signal that this isn’t just something that’s coming from the inside beltway of ASWC, but [that] this is something the students at large are getting behind,” said senior ASWC senator Kayvon Behroozian, who lobbied for student representation on the board during his term as ASWC president in the 2012-13 academic year. Frustration with the lack of a student voice in making decisions on campus has been an issue for years. Some students blame the inability to influence directly campus policies for perpetuating a climate which discourages students from becoming invested in political issues and working for change. “I think that if Whitman students felt that we could actually change something on cam-

pus, maybe we’d be encouraged to try to do more. Because if we can’t change things in our own house, why would we try to change the world?” said sophomore Ben Sheppard. Some students perceive the Board of Trustees as isolated from student opinion, as they have little interaction with students on a regular basis, and many live far from Walla Walla, and some were never students themselves. “A lot of board members, because they’re only here a couple times throughout the year, don’t really know what’s going on in the student body beyond what ASWC passes and their interaction with student government leaders,” said senior ASWC senator Sean Mulloy. “To have a fulltime Board of Trustees member who was a student would be a really good way of informing the board of what is concerning the student body, and also having representation in those decision-making processes.” see REFERENDUM, page 2

Demographics shift in class of 2018 by ANDY MONSERUD Staff Reporter

fter flooding campus with their famous white folders throughout April, the members of the Whitman College admitted class of 2018 have made their decisions. Of the 1,441 admitted first-year students, 381 have already committed to Whitman, and the Office of Admission plans to wait out a few more before admitting students from the waiting list. Transfer students have until May 20 to enroll. The Office of Admission, fortified with three new members, pulled in a bumper crop of prospective students this year. The record number of applicants to Whitman, 3,791 all told, forced the office to decrease the rate of admission to 39 percent. The office targets a class of around 395 firstyear students and 20 transfer students each year. Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Tony Cabasco estimates that four or five students with extended enrollment deadlines will send in deposits and expects the class of 2018 to solidify by the end of May. In the college admissions business, though, there are always some unknowns. see ADMISSIONS, page 3

Lawless leads women’s tennis to regionals by COLE ANDERSON Staff Reporter

earing up for regionals this week and weekend, the Whitman women’s tennis team looks to have an even stronger showing than last year and move on to the elite eight round of the NCAA tournament. One player the team will likely be able to count on to earn points is junior Courtney Lawless. In the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll rankings, Lawless ranks third in the West in singles and seventh in the region in doubles with her partner junior Maddy Webster. Lawless also was recently named Northwest Conference Player of the Year for the second season in a row, and she was named to the First-Team All Conference team for her third consecutive year, something that Lawless is very thankful for. “It’s a great feeling knowing that the hard work is paying off. I’m so thankful to have coaches and a team that supports me so much and helps me reach my goals. I definitely could not have done it without them. They each give me motivation everyday to keep working and improving,” said Lawless. Coming in as a first-year, Lawless was a standout right away. She already had experience playing high-level tennis at a tennis academy in Texas with her twin sister Morgan for many of their pre-college years. Being one of the top players as a first-year, but not having the authority or seniority to be an outspoken leader on

the team, Lawless developed her knack for leading by example. “She always leads by example in the sense that’s she’s always fighting and that’s always been very contagious. Seeing that when you’re playing singles or are next to her on the court, it’s impossible to give up on your own match when you know she’s fighting so much,” said senior Hannah Palkowitz, who considers herself one of Lawless’s biggest fans on the team. Lawless’s time at Whitman, however, has given her an opportunity to step into a more vocal role on the team as well. Especially this season, after losing a couple key seniors from last season, Lawless has stepped into a leadership role more than she has had to in the past, something that Head Coach John Hein has seen her improve on. “This year she’s been a lot more vocal. [Alumna] Alyssa Roberg ‘13 was really vocal last year, so she’s gotten the opportunity to be more vocal this year,” said Hein. Coming into Whitman, Lawless was beginning to get burnt out on tennis, but the atmosphere of Whitman and the chemistry of the team helped her rediscover the fun in the game and has undoubtedly helped her step into a leading role. “Everyone cares so much and works so hard. I’ve been told many times by opponents that they think we have some of the best team chemistry and love in the country. Growing up, I was always training for top [Division I] tennis, and I really stopped having fun. My team has taught me how to work hard and have fun

at the same time,” said Lawless. Besides her leadership, Lawless has worked in the off-season and during this season to improve the finer details of her game. “I’ve always loved my inside-out forehand and hitting to the backhand corner of the court. My coach has really helped me work on mixing my forehand up and not hitting to the same spots. As a team we’re always trying to get stronger fitness-wise, so I’ve been doing that too,” she said. Since Lawless came in already knowing so much and having had so much experience under her belt, coaching her has been a bit different for Hein. “Everything is finer. We focus on smaller things, and so that is a challenge because it’s easy to say ‘You already do that well,’ and just sit back, but it’s also fun because we can focus on more of the details in her game,” said Hein. Though she has refined her game already on so many levels, Lawless never settles and is constantly working to improve even more, whether it is in practice or in a match. “One thing that really inspires me about Courtney is her refusal to lose until that very last point is over. Her commitment to always fight for every point and every ball is inspiring to the team because it makes us want to do the same,” said Palkowitz. When she’s not being coached, Lawless also helps her teammates in improving whatever they feel like they need help in. “She’s very approachable, and everyone loves getting advice

from her because she knows so much about the game. And everyone on the team feels like they can

gain something from coming to her, and that’s something that’s really cool for our team,” said Hein. Photo by McCormick

NEWS

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2014

Kisha Schlegel to teach creative nonfiction by DANIEL KIM Staff Reporter

A supermajority of 60 percent was needed to pass the Wa-Hi Bond. Only 52 percent voted in favor on April 22. Photo by Bowersox

Wa-Hi still hopeful after bond failure by HELEN ANGELL Staff Reporter

n April 22, Walla Walla voters rejected a bond measure that would provide the funding to update Walla Walla High School’s 40-year-old facilities. The April vote was the third time voters have failed to approve a Wa-Hi improvement bond since 2006. This year’s failed bond would have built a new science building for Wa-Hi. The current facility is by all measures outdated and ill equipped for 21st century science education. In the wake of the failed bond, the Walla Walla community has the opportunity to reevaluate the options to improve Wa-Hi facilities and reaffirm why rebuilding or remodeling are important steps toward improving education. “Most likely we won’t run another bond until 2018,” said Pete Peterson, Walla Walla High School’s principal. In 2018 the bonds approved by Walla Wallans for the Edison Elementary remodel will be retired, so a Wa-Hi bond would not increase tax rates significantly if it were passed in 2018. The April bond was set to increase Walla Walla taxes by 30 cents per $1,000 in home value. “I think the community would rally behind setting a date of 2018 and then doing everything between now and then to make that happen,” said Peterson. The future of another WaHi bond will be determined by the standing facilities commission, which is a community-based citizens group convened by the superintendent, which includes Peterson. Each of the three bonds in the last eight years has proposed a very different plan for how to improve the Wa-Hi facilities. In 2006, the plan proposed would have completely re-

built the Wa-Hi campus. Each bond measure has made changes to the plan in order to reflect differing desires of the community. The current plan would improve facilities without completely rebuilding the school. A bond to remodel or rebuild Wa-Hi needs a supermajority of 60 percent to pass in Walla Walla. Just 52 percent voted in favor of the bond on April 22. Reluctance to pass the Wa-Hi bond is seen as stemming from a variety of factors. Peterson cited the poor economic recovery and aversion toward tax increases as possible reasons voters have repeatedly refused to fund Wa-Hi improvements. “I don’t think people are anti-schools at all,” said Peterson. “I just think people are content with their level of taxation right now.” However, Professor of Physics Kurt Hoffman emphasized the fact that the most recent bond measure might have been too small for some voters. “I think there are a lot of people who felt like the bond ... wasn’t achieving enough,” said Hoffman. However individual voters might feel about any particular bond, the need to improve Wa-Hi facilities is undeniable. Walla Walla High School was built in 1964, and its staff and students face inadequate heating and cooling systems, overcrowding and antiquated science labs. The April 22 bond focused on improving science lab facilities for students, and Peterson made it clear that this is one of his priorities for Wa-Hi. “Our labs simply aren’t adequate for modern science,” said Peterson. “Just think about how much new science has been developed since 1963. Our AP courses are booked [and] kids want to take the classes, but we don’t have the facilities to do the labs.”

Hoffman stressed how important lab science is for college preparedness. “We require laboratory experiments in all the introductory science courses [at Whitman],” said Hoffman. “There’s something valuable about knowing how to make those measurements yourself.” First-year Felipe Salazar attended Wa-Hi, and while there experienced crowded and poorly equipped science labs. “We had to take turns using the equipment,” said Salazar. “Comparing the labs here [at Whitman] to the Wa-Hi labs, it’s much better at Whitman. You actually have space to do experiments ... Sometimes [at Wa-H], when we didn’t have the equipment for everyone, the teacher would just demonstrate to the class. We didn’t get to do the experiments ourselves.” With no funding to start improvements on Wa-Hi’s science facilities or other buildings in the next year, students and staff will continue to do their best to learn and teach with the facilities they currently have. “We focus on the longer term from the bond standpoint,” said Peterson, “but I try to stay grounded with the idea that we’re working hard for our kids right now.”

or the 2014-15 academic year, the English department will offer Whitman College students various supplementary courses in creative nonfiction that will be taught by new Adjunct Assistant Professor of English Kisha Schlegel. The new position was created in response to the demand from students for a nonfiction writing curriculum. Prior to the conversion of this new position, former Associate Professor of English Irvin Hashimoto held a position in composition before retiring last year. Schlegel will teach the class Intermediate Nonfiction next semester in addition to two other classes. “Nonfiction, increasingly one of the most popular genres in which to work—one that is generating a lot of discussion and to which many in other genres are ‘defecting’—does not currently have a well-established track for further study in nonfiction [at Whitman],” Gregory M. Cowan Professor of English Language and Literature Theresa DiPasquale wrote in a document arguing for the position in 2012. The English department thought that offering tracks for students who are interested in nonfiction was necessary, especially since a position had become vacated due to Hashimoto’s retirement. “I wrote to argue that the English department should retain the position vacated by Irvin Hashimoto’s retirement and convert it from a position in composition to one in creative nonfiction,” said DiPasquale. With the new addition of a nonfiction track, students pursuing their interests in nonfiction will now have that option with the availability of regularly offered intermediate and advanced-level nonfiction courses. “This hire will allow us to offer English 322 regularly and to add a regularly-offered intermediate-level course in creative nonfiction, thus giving students whose interest in creative nonfiction has been piqued by English 150 a track to follow in this genre,” said DiPasquale.

Schlegel was a teaching assistant at the University of Iowa, where she was studying in the MFA program for three years. She moved here last year when her husband, Visiting Assistant Professor of English Robert Schlegel, received a position at Whitman. “I think that’s why I’m so in love with the essay, that it’s so

“I’m so in love with the essay, that it’s so much like life. It moves, it shifts, it breathes and it’s very much based on your life experiences, based on your research, based on argument and conversation, your dialogue.” Kisha Schlegel

Creative Nonfiction Writing Adjunct Assisant Professor

much like life. It moves, it shifts, it breathes and it’s very much based on your life experiences, based on your research, based on argument and conversation, your dialogue. All of these things can be wrapped into questions and enigmas in the essay,” said Kisha Schlegel. Kisha Schlegel will be offering Intermediate Nonfiction for students who are interested in nonfiction, and the course will focus on the essays and its form. Two other classes she will offer are the HumAnimal and Introduction to Creative Writing. In the spring, she will teach an advanced course in which the students will be generating a lot of material, experimenting and talking about the work. “I appreciate the students at Whitman and they gave me onthe-ground insight into their curiosity and commitment to their interests. The faculty and staff is on your team and very much here for each other. They want to be in conversation with each other, learn about each other’s work and you don’t find that everywhere. To be in that healthy academic environment while also trying to be a creative person is very important,” said Schlegel.

Corrections to Issue 6 On page 1 “Robert Reich lecture confronts income inequality” should have been credited to Andy Monserud. On page 3 the photos for “Divest Whitman stages mock wedding between trustees, fossil fuel companies” should have been credited to Emily Volpert.

Students to vote Thursday from REFERENDUMS, page 1

In recent years, student activism has forced the trustees to address issues such as racial diversity on campus and divestment, but only after significant organization and pressure from students. “The rally [against racism] happened when the trustees were here. That’s the only reason they know there’s a problem with race [on campus],” said sophomore Maricela Sanchez-Garcia. “All the work that is being pushed for is because of [student activism]. It’s not because trustees want to do it themselves.” While enjoying a large amount of support, the resolution encouraging the creation of a student trustee is still seen by some supporters as less than ideal. Because the resolu-

tion can only encourage ASWC and the Board of Trustees to take action, it can be ignored, as the resolution on divestment passed at the end of last year was. In addition, a single student could not represent the diverse concerns of the entire student body. Compared to the resolution calling for a student on the Board of Trustees, the act for creating a student sustainability director to organize sustainability projects supported by ASWC is slightly less well known. The position would place a student in a similar role to that of Campus Sustainability Director Tristan Sewell. “It’s an opportunity for students ... to build the followthrough in their student government,” said Sewell. “Having a dedicated position in ASWC ensures

that’s part of the discussion year after year, instead of varying with the ebb and flow of student input.” If the act is passed, the position would be elected during the fall of next year at the same time as first-year senators. Candidates may form their own platform and vision for the position. This legislation led to clarifications of the process for putting resolutions and acts before the entire student body for a vote, so that further pieces may be proposed in future years. With the possibility of further legislative elections in the future and growing demand for student representation at the highest levels of decision making on campus, students’ involvement in campus politics appears set to grow in years ahead.

Assistant Adjunct Professor of English Kisha Schlegel was hired to fill the demand for a creative nonfiction writing track in the English department. Photo by Clay

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The

NEWS

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PAGE

CLASS OF 2018: A BREAKDOWN 1%

Native American

Two or more races

67% Caucasian

1,353

Students from 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Saipan and District of Columbia

International students from 30 countries: 29 students from China, eight students from Korea, four students from Canada, three students from India, two students from Mexico and two from Ghana

8% Other

Asian

Hispanic

ADMISSION RATES

47.8%

Class of 2015

Class of 2016

39.5%

Class of 2017

Class of 2018

Infographic by Peterson

IN THE NEWS

Number of countries that will take place in a global fast-food wage protest on May 15. AL JAZEERA

$15

Amount in hourly “fair wage” demanded for employees of McDonalds, Walmart and other businesses with yearly sales of over $50 million. (New York Times) NY TIMES

150

Number of U.S. cities that will participate in the protest. TIME

200

Number of workers who went on strike in 2012 for similar fastfood protests in New York City. AL JAZEERA

$7.25

The federal hourly minimum wage in the United States. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

$15,000

Yearly salary for those making minimum wage for a 40-hour work week. THE GUARDIAN

$9.19

The minimum wage in Washington, the state with the highest minimum wage in the United States. SOURCE: THE HUFFINGTON POST

Yearbook debuts with free copies by JOSEPHINE ADAMSKI Staff Reporter

his past Wednesday marks the release of the first free edition of Waiilatpu, the Whitman College yearbook. Last year the yearbook was under review to be cut from the budget by ASWC. The primary reason this was considered was because the yearbook, unlike other Whitman campus media organization publications, such as blue moon, quarterlife and The Pioneer, was not free to students. Additionally, ASWC did not see enough student interest in the yearbook, according to Waiilatpu Editor-in-Chief Meg Logue, and this was mostly likely due to the fact that it wasn’t free. “ASWC was questioning the existence of the yearbook, and they wanted to nix it, pretty much. [Junior and ASWC President] Tim Reed decided that if they decided to keep it, they would never question it again, or if they decided to get rid of it, it wouldn’t start up again. A lot of it had to do with the fact that the yearbook was not free, while most other Whitman publications are. This year we were able to offer it for free, and in the future I want to keep it free ... Giving it to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it is awesome,” said first-year Anna Zheng, who will be the 20142015 Waiilatpu editor-in-chief. This isn’t the first time the yearbook has been questioned by ASWC. Up until four years ago the yearbook club had been inactive for 15 years. “Now we have had it for four years, and last year was the first year it was considered a campus organization rather than just a club. This just changes our bylaws, and the things we’re are al-

African American

Information obtained from the Whitman website

51.5%

NUMBERS

lowed to do, but it hasn’t hinged on our freedom. It essentially makes it harder for [ASWC] to get rid of us.” said Logue. This year, because of money rolled over from last year’s budget, the yearbook was able to be offered free to students. The yearbook staff wants to continue to keep the yearbook free to make it more accessible in coming years. “Over the past years, the only source of funding the yearbook has ever had has been ASWC funding. We do have ASWC funding, almost double from last year, but since it’s not free to print, to continue to make them free we are trying to establish these other relationships to become less reliant upon that ASWC money,” said Logue. These relationships with other campus organizations and alumni and greater student awareness will hopefully generate more funding for the yearbook in years to come. “I think the yearbook is crucial because it is basically the only publication that documents the whole year ... It’s really important and it’s a good thing to have those archives kept and to be able flip through, so it [the yearbook] acts as preservation,” said Zheng. This is not just beneficial to students but also to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives. “I just think it’s really important ... for a school to have a record of things that happened during a year. This year we switched the focus to primarily important effects. In that sense it’s very important for the school and also very important for students to have, and it’s not the same thing as pulling up a Facebook page. You can actually look through those photos. It is more tangible,” said Logue.

Nine foreign countries represented in new class from ADMISSIONS, page 1

“It’s never finalized until … August, when they arrive,” said Cabasco, “but ... by the end of May we’ll have a good indication of what the group is going to look like.” At present, that picture has already started to form, and it has a few quirks in comparison to previous years. In this class, 116 of the enrolled students—about 30 percent—hail from Washington. This percentage typically clocks in at around 33 percent. The class set a record for international applicants and admittances: the number of international applicants increased to 421 from 298 last year, a 41 percent increase. Nine foreign countries are represented in the class, including students from Bhutan and Uzbekistan, the firstever students from those nations to attend Whitman. The class also set a record for applications from the states of New York and Hawaii. The remaining uncertainty comes largely from students who decide at the last minute to defer their admission in order to take gap years. Cabasco estimates that anywhere between 15 and 20 students do this annually. A still smaller number of applicants also

change their minds last minute. All these students open up spaces for waitlisted applicants. Waiting list acceptance therefore varies widely: the class of 2017 accepted around 10 students from the waiting list, but the class of 2016 took none, according to Cabasco. “The students on the waitlist are students that we think are great,” said Cabasco. “We just couldn’t find room for them. It’s nice to be able to call a few who really are interested in Whitman.” Enrolled students have already begun to connect with each other and upperclassmen via platforms like the class’s Facebook group. Among them is Christy Carly of Claremont, Calif. “I look forward to meeting everyone,” she said. “On the Facebook group ... it seems like there are a lot of awesome characters.” As always, a current of excitement runs through the incoming first-years. Emma Bishop of Orinda, Calif. is also optimistic about her upcoming transition. “I just feel like I’ve been really lucky with where I’ve been placed,” said Bishop. “I can tell already that the incoming class of 2018 is super accepting and supportive and overall excited about learning.”

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she still learns life skills in the process. She said she encourages scheduling times for meals during the day and allocating a specific amount of money to groceries. “Figuring out a budg-

et and figuring out what’s best for you, [whether it’s] going grocery shopping once a week,” Horvath said. “Make sure you have enough food. I think a lot of people are intimidated. Start simple.”

Student body divided by dining hall preferences by BEN CALDWELL Staff Reporter

he debate about which dining hall is best is always on, particularly among firstyears on campus. It’s not uncommon to hear arguments around campus about which dining halls have the best food, best seating, best atmosphere and best service—sometimes involving vehement attacks on one dining hall. Anyone who has lived in Jewett Hall, Lyman Hall or Prentiss Hall knows that residents take quite a bit of pride in their respective dining halls. But not everyone stands where you might expect them to on the issue. Junior Aanand Sharma, a resident assistant in Anderson, stressed that all of the dining halls provide good food, but says his preferences have changed over time. “As of recently, I have preferred Jewett Dining Hall better. My opinion has changed since last semester. I used to really like Prentiss, but the quality of the food can be so variable from day to day that it’s becoming unreliable for me. The food is still great, but I feel like Jewett is more reliable—I know I can go to Jewett if I want a decent meal,” said Sharma. Of course, many disagree, and some of Prentiss’s biggest fans live the farthest from it. Junior Edward Daschle lives in North Hall but prefers Prentiss even though it is farther from his residence hall than any of the other options. “I prefer Prentiss. In general it feels like the food is better. Also Prentiss has much nicer seating than Jewett does, and it just seems like it’s a better structured dining hall overall than Jewett,” said Daschle. First-year Michelle Christy, a Jewett resident, is of the exact opposite opinion. “I really like how Jewett has a more flexible setup where you can move things around and it’s not so dependent on the layout of tables, and you can eat with as many people as you want if you crowd around. Because of Prentiss’s booths, it’s a set number of people ... you might be able to squeeze eight people in a booth, but it’s not like Jewett where you can just keep adding more people into a long table. I really like that for eating with friends and interactions,” said Christy. In contrast, Daschle identified the booths as one of his favorite things at Prentiss. “There are more comfortable chairs and they have the booths at Prentiss, which is nice,” said Daschle. “It’s not just like being in a classroom, because that’s what Jewett feels like: a classroom with very long tables. And food.” Many students seem convinced the food is different between the two major dining halls, yet most students interviewed were unable to determine any factor that made the food in one hall totally superior to the others. Dennis Young, a first-year living in Anderson, concluded it was more of a mixed bag, with each hall doing some things better than others. “I prefer Prentiss for lunch and Jewett for dinner ... I think the food is generally better at

those times in the specified dining halls because Prentiss dinner is always pizza, and it gets very stale very quickly,” said Young. Christy also mentioned the perpetual presence of pizza on the menu as a disadvantage for Prentiss, adding that she thinks Jewett’s food has more variety in taste and origin. “With Jewett there’s more diversity in the countries that the food comes from,” said Christy. But there’s another kind of diversity that Jewett’s menu is definitely lacking, according to firstyear Gillian Gray, who lives in Jewett but prefers the meal options in Prentiss. Though Jewett is more convenient for her because it’s so close, Gray is often frustrated because Jewett seldom labels the different meals as vegetarian, vegan or containing animal products. “Yesterday I went in and literally nothing had any marking, so I had to ask ... And fairly often they don’t have anything I can eat, so I eat salad ... I could go to Prentiss ... but Prentiss is crowded, really crowded,” said Gray. Crowding is another issue many students feel affects their experience in the dining halls, especially Prentiss on the weekends. Rosie Sherman, also a firstyear, feels the tightly spaced tables and booths at Prentiss create an uncomfortable atmosphere. “I would say I do not generally like dining halls, but almost always Prentiss makes me feel a lot of anxiety so I don’t like being there because the layout is just somewhat more stressful than Jewett ... But as far as general atmosphere, Lyman wins over all of them because it’s quiet and calm, and you can sit on couches if you want to,” said Sherman. A number of residents from both Jewett and Prentiss agree, Lyman is the most pleasant eating experience. First-year Prentiss resident Lauren Rekhelman says she eats at Lyman sometimes just because it’s quieter. “It’s nice that Lyman is selfserve and open later than the other dining halls,” she added. Lyman has several advantages over its competitors: couches to eat on, the self-service system and its quiet atmosphere. “[Lyman] just feels a lot better and more homey than Jewett, where it’s large and you feel lost. Lyman is small and you can get to know people,” said firstyear Mackenzie Cummings. There are, of course, pros and cons to each dining hall. “None of them are perfect,” said Gray. Each dining hall has qualities that set it apart, and each has loyal supporters claiming their dining hall is best, but according to Sharma, the rivalry between residence halls is a campus myth. People don’t necessarily eat in the dining hall they live closest to. “I don’t think there’s a social divide. Simply because of the fact that students have to eat at Prentiss on the weekends, there is always a little bit of overlap. I’m willing to eat at Jewett as often as I am willing to eat at Prentiss, and I think that’s the case for many of my friends,” he said.

OPINION

MAY

2014

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Failure, difficulty presented in video games TOBY ALDEN Senior

THE BUSINESS OF PLAY

hat does it mean for a creative work to be difficult? When we talk about a book or a movie being “difficult,” we usually mean it requires close scrutiny and multiple viewings in order to be fully understood and enjoyed. When we call a video game difficult, however, we usually mean it requires a greater degree of failure and repetition to complete it than an ordinary title. This usage is similar, but more tangible. After all, failing to grasp the allegorical significance of a gatekeeper in “The Fa-

erie Queene” doesn’t stop the reader from moving on to the description of the castle he guards, but if you can’t get past the gatekeeper in Dark Souls—well, you’re just not seeing the castle. Period. But the comparison is valid in other respects: if we consider a book as a collection of effects produced by words in certain combinations, and understanding a book as being able to identify and synthesize these effects, then we could call a video game a collection of effects induced by code, and mastery of a game a similar synthesis of effect. The only difference is that the successful synthesis of a game by a player requires not only that they comprehend it, but that they manipulate certain elements of it as well, an act we could call performance, or play. Another way to think about difficulty in video games is in terms of the consequences of failure, in conjunction with its frequency. For example, in a game like Super Meat Boy, the consequence of failure—which in Super Meat Boy is defined as getting sliced to ribbons by a giant circular saw or being dissolved in a vat of salt—is

being sent back to the beginning of the level. The levels are small, meaning this isn’t a very big penalty, but because the levels are also very hard it happens frequently. The difficulty in Super Meat Boy, then, comes from repeating the same level over and over, slowly working out a pattern of movement through trial and error and ingraining it into your muscle memory. Failure has limited consequences, but occurs frequently. In a game like Spelunky or Brogue the opposite is true: failure only happens once a game, but comes at the ultimate price—permanent death and starting back at the beginning of the game. Difficult books are usually thought to be worth reading in spite of, or because of, their difficulty. We assume complexity reflects a depth of meaning, and in many texts, this is true. In others, however, difficulty in reading comes as a result of obfuscation, rather than genuine complexity. The same is true of games: while a game can be difficult in a meaningful way, its difficulty can also be absolute shlock. What distinguishes the two is a proper balance between consequence and frequency.

Mease not Mooses by Asa Mease

‘Yuppie liberalism’ represents untenable politics ANDY MONSERUD First-year

BASIC PLEBIAN INSTINCTS

’d like to preface this column with a warning to Whitman’s rarest minority, conservatives. You probably have no interest in what I’m about to say, and, frankly, it’s not catered to you. There, you’re free to go back to preparing for finals without wasting your time on my col-

umn. My problem this week is with the liberals of Whitman. It’s no huge secret that the Whitman campus leans left, but it’s also no secret that its students are largely upper-middle and upper class. This creates a troublesome norm of what I like to call “yuppie liberalism.” That is best expressed with the all-too-common mantra: “I’m socially liberal but economically conservative.” I have some bad news for those people: you can’t pick and choose like that. “Socially liberal” almost always refers to a fascination with identity politics, particularly gay rights, women’s rights and other gender politics. The politics of racial identity also hold a place in liberal Whitties’ worldviews, but a much smaller and controversial one which many members of Whitman’s largely white popu-

lation tolerate but don’t engage in. Similarly, class issues rarely come up at all. Ignoring inconvenient issues is not social liberalism— that’s selective liberalism, and it’s rarely more than empty words. The fact is, most of those issues relate in some sense or another to fiscal policy. The major reason for Whitman’s abysmally low number of black students— about 1.5 percent of the total population—is the high price of college and the prevalence of poverty among African Americans that has persisted for the entirety of the nation’s history. Poor queer people suffer disproportionate amounts of discrimination and violence, and poor victims of domestic violence frequently have fewer options to escape and rebuild their lives. While we can’t solve any of these issues with economics alone, a lit-

Farewell letter from 2013-2014 editor-in-chief

hen someone asks me what my favorite thing about Whitman is, there are a lot of things that come to mind, but one of the first is The Pioneer. I’ve worked for the paper every semester in college, with the exception of when I was abroad. It has been a significant portion of my life during the past four years, in every sense of the word. But before I say goodbye to the place I’ve called home for so long now, I would like to recognize and thank the people who have made this year possible. First, to the 80-plus Pio staffers who have written, photographed, videoed, illustrated and copy edited for the paper this year and upon whose backs our success lies: from the deepest bottom of my heart, thank you for 30 issues and a website of consistently high-quality work. Next, to Managing Editor Pam London, whose calm presence has kept my stress levels in check and who always responded to my harried demands with “I’ll get it done.” When I first met Pam my sophomore year on the way to my first Associated Collegiate Press Conference with The Pioneer, I was awed by her selfconfidence and vision for the paper. Today, I have even more respect for her. Thank you for helping me keep my sanity, for filling in the cracks and for adopting the name “Pizza Pam” with grace. I am also grateful for Production Manager Sean McNulty, whose tenacity and eye for design has kept the paper afloat for the past two years. When I met Sean during the first day of our Encounters class, I can’t say I saw

us spending many late Wednesday nights in the office together, working to never print subpar work. His curiosity for and dedication to design will undoubtedly take him far in the coming years. Though I can’t give them the space that they deserve, I owe these people my biggest gratitude, if not my first-born child: to News Editors Sarah Cornett and Dylan Tull for taking on a huge responsibility and refusing to settle for less than the best; to spring A&E Editor Hannah Bartman for her versatility and creativity; to Sports Editor Quin Nelson for learning quickly and for never needing my help leading his team; to Backpage Editor Molly Johanson for sticking with The Pio for four years and making this year’s Backpage themes my favorite during my whole time here; to Opinion Editor Kyle Seasly for always getting the job done; to fall Chief Copy Editor Matthew Nelson for his eye to detail and starting sentences with “This is nit-picky but ...” and ending them with “I’m pretty sure this isn’t in AP style”; to fall Feature Editor and spring Chief Copy Editor Karah Kemmerly for being by my side, beginning as a fellow news reporter, and for offering infinite words of wisdom; to Web Editor Ben Schaefer for knowing when the website was down within seconds; to Web Master Nick Budak for diving headfirst into the Pio’s insane and confusing code; to fall Web Content Editor Tristan Gavin for his quick email replies and to spring Web Content Editor Jess Faunt for her dedication and passion to the Pio’s web-exclusive content; to Illustration Editor Luke Hampton for his

unbelievably friendly and “sparkly” presence during Pio meetings; to Photography Editor Catie Bergman for answering endless texts and phone calls on production nights and to Videography Editor and Business Manager Skye Vander Laan for taking two under-developed positions and growing them to heights that I couldn’t have even envisioned. I also owe tremendous thanks to the Pio faculty adviser Julie Charlip, Student Activities Director Leann Adams and the entire Pioneer advisory board for guiding me through a difficult year of ups and downs. In addition, I am forever indebted to Pioneer alumni who have spent countless hours making the Pioneer what it is today and for creating a strong base from which I could carry out my ideas. And finally, to spring Feature Editor Emily Lin-Jones and fall A&E Editor Aleida Fernandez, next year’s editor-in-chief and publisher, for their dedication to quality and creativity. Their excitement for and strength in journalism is unmatched, and I have no doubt that the paper is in good hands. I look forward to watching from afar how they will grow the paper and its presence on campus. To the rest of campus: I wholeheartedly offer my thanks for the most demanding and rewarding position I’ve ever had the honor of experiencing in my life.

tle concern for the economic wellbeing of others sure wouldn’t hurt. To me, anyway, the crux of liberal politics should be equality— the availability of opportunity for everyone, no matter their socioeconomic, racial, ethnic or geographic background. So the well-being of the poor and the efficacy of the state in promoting everyone’s success should lie in the foreground of our political agendas, not shunted to the side as a peripheral issue. This apathy comes in some part from the idea that we, college students, can’t do anything

about economic policy. The Whitman bubble allows us some insulation from the real-world impacts of economic policy, and so we forget our responsibilities beyond the few thousand square feet we spend most of our lives in. But even from within those confines we can work as activists without preaching to the choir. Your senators and congressmen and women still take emails, phone calls and (believe it or not) letters. C-SPAN is boring, sure, but there are other ways to stay informed. And for God’s sake, come election time, vote!

Voices from the

Community What has been the highlight of this year? Poll by MARRA CLAY

DIANA WU Alumna

“Finding a job and an apartment.”

MAGGIE GOSE First-year

“Cleaning the Beta basement.”

COLIN MCCARTHY First-year

“Becoming captain of the nordic team.”

LOGAN GOMEZ Sophomore

“Adapting to campus after being a midyear transfer.” Shelly Le Editor-in-Chief

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MAY

2014

Seniors prepare for graduation Student looks back,

s the school year slowly winds down, senior Whitties are becoming increasingly excited about graduation. “I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I can’t wait to see what the real world holds for me and for my peers. I am going to change the world!” said super-senior Alex Bates. Numerous other seniors, including biology major Yanny Crandall shared this sentiment. “I just can’t wait to experience the real world and be free to pursue my career,” said Crandall. At the neighboring Odd Fellows Home, however, seniors are far less thrilled about the prospect of graduating. Yes, there will be plenty of flower arrangements, and everyone will wear their best black (robes) to the ceremony, but the air of excitement is decidedly absent. Coordinator of Odd Fellows Home Rica Tandel even confirmed that Odd Fellows Home will no longer be serving alcohol at the post-graduation wakes. “It just felt disrespectful to our recent grads. We do hope that this will not deter residents from coming to the ceremonies,” said Tandel When asked about their postgraduation plans, senior citizens

were fairly ambivalent. “Honestly, I am sick and tired of everyone asking me about my post-grad plans, but if I have to choose I’ll probably go with cremation,” said longtime Odd Fellows Home resident Gertrude Kadinsky. “I don’t know. I just want it to be kind of mellow since I’ve been working so hard for the past four years here. I want some peace,” said fellow resident Andy Kilbourne. Newer resident Janice Smirf was less optimistic. “I feel like I haven’t really learned enough here to be prepared for post-graduation. I don’t know if all the money I spent to go to Odd Fellows was worth it— what with all of the debt I had to go into. At least I met some new people who I will never forget,” she said. Smirf graduated immediately after speaking with The Pioneer. Her final words were full of inspirational advice for newcomers to the Odd Fellows Home. With her eyes flickering shut and her heartbeat slowing down, Smirf wheezed.

EIC INTERVIEW Editor-in-Chief Shelly Le: Hey Backpage! Isn’t it about time for my interview? This my last Pio ever after all!

“Don’t be afraid to take chances and meet new people— you only have a little time left until your life as you know it is over. Also, if you want extra painkillers, talk to Rosy on the second floor. If she graduates, then talk to Fanny.” Congratulations to the Odd Fellows Home class of 2014!

Graduation Jumble Unscramble these fun graduationrelated words!

SL: GREAT. I’m SO done! Especially because of those staffers who write their articles on production night ...*Cough cough* BP: Ha ha ha, yeah ... So Shelly, you’ve been with The Pio for all four years here. What has been your favorite Pio moment?

tle liquid courage has gone a long way to getting me to this point. That and a LOT of baking soda.

SL: You are probably thinking of when we won the Pacemaker award for prettiest nonread college newspaper website from ACP, but you’d be wrong. My favorite moment was when the News section won the coveted Pio skull at my first Pio party during Pioneer initiation week my sophomore year. I worked hard for that trophy! Changed my profile and everything.

SL: Thanks to my account dates4does&deers.com, I have a buck in my life now, and things have never been better. We’ve been on a few frolics in the woods, and I think it’s getting pretty serious. We’re thinking about taking a trip to the meadows together after graduation.

BP: Has your first Pio party experience influenced your work at The Pio and tenure as the EIC? SL: Well ... let’s just say a lit-

BP: Incredible. What are your plans after graduation?

BP: Well, that’s great to hear! Thank you for all of your hard work at The Pio all these years! SL: Thank you for finally writing your damn article!

thisnpienr evacid eslhmeos eprtsan ohsue collaoh raitbas rntekiwnog Answers: internship, advice, homeless, parents’ house, alcohol, barista, networking

Backpage: Oh gosh, yeah! I guess so. How does it feel to be finally done with The Pio?

deems class of 2014 flawless

have to say that I am very disappointed in this new generation of Whitties. When I was a freshman, things were tougher. We weren’t as spoiled as these young people. The administration didn’t care about our feelings, and there was none of this “first-year” business. We were freshmen, and we knew it! Hell, by the time they were 14, we were already 18! They were still reading “The Great Gatsby” when I was voting for the damned president! We were tough! We smoked weed illegally and we liked it better that way. We bought our booze from the liquor store. Safeway only sold beer and wine, and we had to make do. Gas was less than $3 a gallon, and minimum wage was still $8.55. We saw plays in a building covered in scaffolding. Memorial Hall was still not earthquake proof. We even had to make do with only four tennis courts—and we were grateful! You know why? Because we were built of sterner stuff, I’ll tell you what. I remember a simpler time when only 5 percent of Americans had smartphones. (Look it up; this is true.) We worried about the safety button that security introduced because so many students did not have iPhones. When we wanted to know something, we pulled out laptops out of our bags and waited for Whitman wireless to load as God intended. And we didn’t have any of your fancy computers either. MacBook Air? Please. Who could afford that? It only came out that year, for goodness sake. #prolife #notwhatImeant. And iPads? iPads were new, fancy and uncommon, and none of us thought college students would need one. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry is playing Angry Birds in class, and you know what? It makes them weak. Look what it did to Steve Jobs. I’m not saying technology made him weak, but he was alive and kicking when I was a freshman. Technology has truly become the scourge of college culture. These days, I can barely understand underclassmen. Cut me some slack. When I first came to Whitman, Facebook was still cool with the youths. Hashtags had only existed for a year, and all this speaking with hashtags business? We didn’t dream of it. And we couldn’t clean “all the things” because IT HAD NOT BEEN INVENTED YET. Adele was still a kind of computer to

Memories (slightly worn) for sale

can’t believe it is time: time to graduate, time to move on, time to spread my wings and fly. These past four years have gone by in the blink of an eye. From the cardboard box forts of freshman year to the drunken nights lying on the floor of a grungy off-campus house, every single memory has been wonder-

ful, but alas! I am a senior and only have a few precious weeks left here. I remember the first piece of Goodwill furniture I bought, an adorable little loveseat in a green-and-black 80s Aztec print. My roommate and I went halfsies on it to cram it into our Lyman dorm room, making it the cool-

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us. When we grappled with our heartbreak, we had no soundtrack. We sucked it up in a stoic silence. “Game of Thrones” was just a book, Netflix never produced a series and Hulu had only one ad per commercial break. And what has happened to the hallowed culture of academic inquiry that used to define college life? When I was a freshman, we had to be willfully ignorant of our power and privilege on our own. We didn’t have any symposiums to “educate” us so we feel better about our inability to fully understand the intricacies of the unfair and invisible bias in our favor. And Whitman still had an education department—flourishing academics could actually learn about teaching before deciding that it would be their career. Now you can just jump right in with no training whatsoever. But even from the beginning, we were learning real things—we started Encounters with the “Odyssey”—now that’s a classic! None of this wishy-washy “Frankenstein” business. It was a trashy novel when it came out and now all the freshmen are reading it? Let’s just put “Twilight” on the syllabus, and call it good. And—to add insult to injury—now they want to take out St. Augustine? How will the incoming class understand suffering? I tell you, we had standards back then. What has this college come to? Whitman College needs to take a firmer stance toward the inherent weakness of these young people with their parties and their Netflix binges and their drinking of all things fermented and distilled. Take a lesson from the good old days! A time when we worked hard and didn’t have so many things to help us get by. This college was founded as an institution of higher learning on good old fashioned values, after all, so it must stand firm against this sea of change. If we keep going in this direction, Whitman may become some bastion of useless knowledge too abstract to have any bearing on a world that is not only changing at such a rate as to leave many of our understandings outmoded, but also increasingly disconnected from the standards of a classical liberal arts education. A world wherein an increase in esoteric knowledge only serves to further alienate its disciples from the lived experience of the modern world. And that would be unthinkable.

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est room in A-Sec. So much laughter and memories on that couch, also some minor stains. $30 OBO. And then there was the coffee table I was willed in my first off-campus house. It has a few scratches and carved right into the table are the words “Chug Life,” a motto I have chosen to live by these last two years. A truly inspirational place to set your midnight quesadillas and post-Beta party hangover cures. It supports your food, drinks and spirit. $60. All of those parties and all of those mandatory costumes have piled up over the last four years. I have tried on identities like hats: cowgirl, pirate, planet, space-pirate, lumberjack, space-lumberjack, flamingo and space-flamingo... I am so going to miss those late crazy evenings dancing and sweating the night away in a basement, feeling so wild and young. $40 for the whole collection or $5 per item. I really can’t believe it is time for me to move on. I am not ready to let go. Thank you Whitman for the best four years of my life. My experiences here have truly been priceless (unlike my nearly new biology textbook, $50 OBO).