Spring 2014 Issue 2 by Whitman College Wire

The

PIONEER

Issue 2 | February 6, 2014 | Whitman news since 1896 | Vol. CXXXI

Whitman student to compete in Olympics by Mitchell SMith Staff Reporter

ow does someone go from being born on a couch in Chocolate Hole, a sleepy bay on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to competing in the slalom and giant slalom events in the 2014 Sochi Olympics? Just ask Jasmine Campbell, a Whitman student who is taking a break between her junior and senior years in order to pursue her dream of skiing on the world’s greatest stage. Campbell lived in the Caribbean until she was 10, when her family changed climates from the warm Virgin Islands, which have an average temperature higher than 80 degrees in the winter, to Sun Valley, Idaho, where the winter months are devoted to skiing. She quickly adopted the local passion, latching on to a sport that advertises speed and thrills as just part of a day’s work. Campbell raced in high school until a back injury forced her to stop. Campbell wouldn’t strap her boots on again until she arrived at Whitman, and it took a little coercion. Alumna Torey Anderson ‘12 was the captain of one of the first club ski teams at Whitman, which was created from the remnants of the former varsity team that was disbanded in 2009. When Campbell came to Whitman in 2010, Anderson talked her into skiing for the club team. “I just told her that college racing is more fun and she should give it one more go, so that was that,” said Anderson. From that point forward, Campbell had the Olympics on her mind. “I remembered how much I loved it and why I got into skiing in the first place ... I remembered how dedicated I was, so then I just started trying to qualify for the Olympics,” said Campbell. Soon, she began working not just on the mountains, but around the Whitman campus as well, regularly training to improve both her strength and endurance. “I’ve even seen her go on training runs at 5:30 [or] 6 in the morning,” said senior Patrick Finnegan, who has skied with Campbell since their first year at Whitman. By her junior year, Campbell’s hard work began to pay off as she began beating many of the male racers in their conference, consistently finishing in the top five of her races. During Regionals last winter, she missed qualifying for Nationals as an individual by just one spot. This success, however, did not guarantee her a spot in the Olympics. Campbell has spent much of the past six months racing in qualifying events from China to Chile. In the end, Campbell beat out another skier from the Virgin Islands to take the spot in Sochi. After getting the call saying she is going to the Olympics, Campbell relaxed a bit. “I kind of settled down and stopped growing gray hairs,” she said. With her races less than a week away now, Campbell has started to focus less on preparing for her events and more on what will happen once she is in Sochi. Among the concerns for all athletes are security, nerves and snow. These concerns add up to an Olympics with more storylines than a reality television show. Campbell is admittedly carrying some worry about the high number of threats from terrorist groups. “It adds a different anxiety to racing that I will get to experience,” she said. “It will definitely keep me on my toes.” As for nerves, those who know her best say that the pressure surrounding the Olympics likely won’t have much effect. “She’ll do great,” said senior Celine Valentin, Campbell’s first-year roommate. “I’ve never seen her get flustered. I think she thrives on being in that sort of environment.” With regard to snow, international concerns about the temperature in the Russian resort town have proved unnecessary, and more than enough snow has blanketed the mountains outside of Sochi. For the games, and for Jasmine Campbell, the next two weeks are all about going full steam ahead. The women’s giant slalom event will take place Tuesday, Feb.18, while the slalom will happen three days later on Feb. 21. Campbell’s first appearance on television, however, will not be on the slopes. Instead she will carry the flag of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Opening Ceremony, as she is the only athlete from the islands competing in this year’s games. “It’s an incredible honor,” she said of being the flag bearer. “I really can’t believe it’s been bestowed upon me. I feel extremely grateful.” From a small, snowless country in the Caribbean to the mountains outside of the busiest town in the world for the next two weeks, Campbell has come a long way. While the end of her journey to the Olympics is quickly approaching, she never forgets her past. “I just hope I do my countrymen proud,” said Campbell.

CAMP WHITMAN by Lachlan Johnson Staff Reporter

tudents must move out of residence halls by Thursday, May 22 this year, bringing an end to the period between the end of finals and commencement commonly known as Camp Whitman. Traditionally, residence halls have remained open until commencement to allow underclassmen the chance to see their friends graduate and give students a chance to relax and say goodbye to friends before leaving for the summer.

“[It’s] beer mile [and] events that the frats do every year . . . that really make college, the experiences that are student run and community run. So it’s a bummer that that’s not going to be happening.” Delaney Hanon ‘17

The staff of Residence Life made the decision to shut down the residence halls due to the belief that students spent that final week partying and engaging in disruptive behavior such as climbing buildings, drinking and streaking. They hope closing the halls before commencement will prompt students to swiftly depart from campus, and that this change will lead to less partying and disruptive behavior around campus as a whole. “As we realized that these trends had shifted and the mentality surrounding that week after finals had shifted, we had the flexibility to adapt in a way that will best take care of our students,” said Resident Director of Prentiss Hall Emma O’Rourke-Powell. The decision to close the residence halls was made in May of 2013, and students were notified of the dates of residence hall opening and closures at the beginning of the academic year. How-

ever, many failed to notice the change, and awareness of the new policy has been slowly growing. Students are divided over the decision to close the halls. Some have expressed understanding and support for the decision, but many others feel frustrated by the closure. Though some students choose to party during Camp Whitman, others use it to unwind with friends, explore Walla Walla and say goodbye to senior friends who will not be returning. “[In past years] it was nice to be on campus with all my friends and not have to worry about assigned reading or due dates or all those things and just be able to spend time with them,” said senior Ben Harris. Some students have also questioned whether closing the halls early will lead to the changes in student behavior that the staff of Residence Life hopes for. Upperclassmen who live off campus will still be able to remain and host parties, and the fraternities will remain open as well, possibly providing shelter for members moving out of the halls. “It doesn’t seem like [this] is the best solution. Maybe they could put graduation earlier, because it’s really sad when your closest friends, who are almost like family, don’t get to see you graduate when you’ve worked so hard for it. I’m sure a lot of people will find a way to come, but there probably won’t be as many. It doesn’t feel fair,” said senior Talia Rudee. Under the new policy, only students with explicit permission to stay in residence halls will be able to remain until commencement. Students can gain permission by speaking with their resident directors, but permission will only be given to students who are involved in classes or sports that continue after finals or to students who have a sibling graduating. “We’re willing to make a rea-

sonable number of exceptions for students that have a particular reason why they need to stay, like in the case of family members [graduating or] international students, but we’ll be dealing with that on a case-by-case basis,” said Assistant Director of Residence Life & Housing Andrew Johnson. While underclassmen with friends who are graduating may hope to stay in off-campus housing after moving out of the residence halls, this may prove difficult. Seniors often have family in town and are busy preparing to move and begin their life after Whitman, while underclassmen will have to deal with moving all of their belongings either out of the residence halls or into storage. The process of moving houses at the end of the semester can already prove stressful, and now first-years and sophomores will have less time in their dorms to move out. “Moving out is a huge process. A lot of people can’t just do that very quickly, so logistically it’s a lot harder [under the new policy],” said sophomore Kevin Obey. Though they have not yet had the chance to experience the week between finals and commencement, many first-years remain disappointed by the closure of the residence halls. Some students plan to stay off campus, but others will be unable to spend time with friends or see seniors graduate before students leave campus for summer. “When I was a prospie even, I was told many people stay [until commencement] and it’s lots of fun ... it’s sad because it’s such a cool community thing,” said first-year Delaney Hanon. “[It’s] beer mile and [events] that the frats do every year ... that really make college, the experiences that are student run and community run. So it’s a bummer that that’s not going to be happening.”

Divest Whitman delivers personal letters to President Bridges by Lane Barton Staff Reporter

hen dialogue does not produce a desired result, the written word can be a successful alternative. Such is the hope of the members of Divest Whitman, who have been delivering letters written by alumni and current students to President George Bridges that argue for public declaration in support of divestment from the Whitman administration. Since ASWC passed a resolution last spring calling for a committee to look into the possibility of divestment, no offi-

cial response from the college has been given. In response, Divest Whitman turned to the letters as an untried method of communication between students, alumni and the administration. “The reason we’re doing the letters is because we got no response from that ASWC resolution,” said junior Sierra Dickey. “We really value responses. We value discourse, and that’s what we’re trying to push with the letters.” In light of this goal, students involved with divestment have been delivering five to six letters a day to Bridges over the past week, just in time for the arrival of the

Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Although they hope either the Trustees or Bridges will craft a public response supporting divestment outright, members of Divest Whitman are looking for any positive movement toward the possibility of divestment. One such positive step would be to find support for a committee, as the spring ASWC resolution called for, to act as conduit for finding the course of action the college should take. “Right now we’re just looking to create a committee to look into divestment,” said junior Audrey Vaughan. “It’s one of those things we think will stand see DIVESTMENT, page 3

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AmeriCorps volunteer Eleanor Ellis ‘13 (right) instructs local elementary school students on cultivating gardens to provide for their cafeterias. Photos by Marcovici

Farm to School supports local garden clubs by DANIEL KIM Staff Reporter

n past years, there have been nationwide debates about elementary school lunch programs in an effort to decrease childhood obesity and increase the amount of fresh and healthy food served to students. The National Farm to School Network is concerned with the lack of quality food present in school kitchens, particularly with the quantity of processed food served. Farm to School paired Walla Walla elementary schools and high schools with local food producers with the objective of serving local healthy food in cafeterias. Farm to School is teaming up with Camp Fire Walla Walla, an after school program for local elementary school students, in order to accomplish this. “This year, for the first time, Farm to School partnered with Camp Fire to bring a seven-week winter garden club to all four elementary schools with gardens,” said Whitman alumna and AmeriCorps volunteer Eleanor Ellis ‘13 in an email. Ellis is the garden coordinator at Green Park and Sharpstein, as well as the coordinator and teacher of the newly-formed winter garden club program at Prospect Point, Edison, Sharpstein and Green Park. The new program is an extension of the spring garden club program held at Sharpstein and Green Park, which currently runs from April to June. This new program with Camp Fire will add gardening days from Jan. 20 to March 6 for all four elementary schools. “Each week, kids participate in hands-on learning about gardening, food and science,” said Ellis via email. “Garden club activities include planting seeds, potato stamp art, garden weather station observation and guest visits from the Whitman Composting Club and local farmers.” There are various Whitman volunteers working directly through Farm to School to give back to the community. The Whitman Composting Club is also getting involved

with the program by visiting the garden clubs as guest lecturers. “The Whitman interns who volunteer regularly will be guest speakers at garden club compost lessons, will help establish composting systems at two of the schools and will help coordinate spring garden clubs,” said Ellis. During the Camp Fire after-school program, students have the choice of partaking in different activities ranging from participating in sports to learning about plants in garden club. Students who participate in garden club will be learning how plants grow and how important the food system is. “Although I might not be interested in doing something

“Learning about what excites people is really important because it’s hard to get people excited about a subject. I hope the kids are having fun and don’t think it’s boring.” Dani Hupper ‘17

in environmental education in the long run for young students, just learning about what excites people is really important because it’s hard to get people excited about a subject. I hope that the kids are having fun and don’t think it’s boring,” said firstyear volunteer Dani Hupper. The number of Farm to School programs in the United States has increased from fewer than 10 in 1997 to more than 10,000 schools spanning all 50 states. By volunteering with the local Camp Fire program, Whitman students have the chance to give back to the community. “I’d like to be able to help out and feel like I’m helping the children in some way. When I was growing up, I had a similar mentor program where the high school students would come and help out. I want to gain more knowledge about the school system as well,” said sophomore volunteer Jacob Frei.

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

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The

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Whitman Online brings alumni network to students

IN THE NEWS

Age of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead Sunday of a suspected heroin overdose.

by ANDY MONSERUD Staff Reporter

Percent of one-time heroin users who become addicted.

SOURCE: ABOVETHEINFLUENCE.ORG

9.2

Number of heroin users worldwide, in millions. SOURCE: ABOVETHEINFLUENCE.ORG

4.2

Number of Americans over the age of 11, in millions, who have tried heroin. SOURCE: CNN.COM

Percent of heroin users that have died after 30 years of use, compared with 1.5 percent for meth users and 6.5 percent for cocaine users. SOURCE: CNN.COM

770

Divest Whitman plans for Board of Trustees arrival from DIVESTMENT, page 1

Percent increase in treatment for heroin addictions in Vermont since 2000. SOURCE: NYTIMES.COM

105

Number of people who die everyday of drug overdose in the United Sates. SOURCE: CDC.GOV

Percent increase in heroin related overdose death in New York from 2010 to 2012. SOURCE: NYTIMES.COM

up to a committee, and we just want the opportunity to look into it as a serious option.” This committee would be faced with the task of balancing the idealized goal of divesting from unwanted industries with the practical goal of ensuring the endowment is financially strong. Divest Whitman members are hoping to instigate public discourse about this issue via the letter writing campaign. Campus Sustainability Coordinator Tristan Sewell believes these conflicting goals will have to be addressed in order to break the public stalemate between the administration and the Divest Whitman campaign.

“What this is really about is doing the right thing versus what’s business smart or what financially makes sense, and that’s where they’re running into odds,” he said. The stalemate may be decided soon. Between the letters delivered to President Bridges and the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting in which divestment is likely to be discussed, members of Divest Whitman hope a public statement will come very quickly. “I would argue that it behooves us to get on this early because climate change is proceeding apace and we have an opportunity to lead for once,” said junior Collin Smith.

Corrections to Issue 7 In “Power & Privilege Symposium encourages student participation” on page 1, it should have been reported that Jack Percival is a sophomore. In Voices from the Community on page 7, Nick Hochfeld’s name was spelled incorrectly. In Voices from the Community on page 7, it was incorrectly reported that there were video responses available online.

he search for life after Whitman just got a bit easier for current students. The Student Engagement Center, in collaboration with the Alumni and Development Offices and Advancement Services, kicked off the semester with an update to Whitman Online, Whitman’s alumni directory. In response to popular demand, the network is now available to students who undergo a half-hour training session. “Students are always asking about how to connect with alumni,” said Assistant Dean for Student Engagement Noah Leavitt. “It’s just a constant request that comes in, and it has been that way for a while.” Until recently, students had to ask the SEC staff to search the database for alumni. The directory overhaul has reduced that mediation to a mandatory training session designed to teach students how to use the system and how to interact with alumni professionally. Technology & Marketing Fellow for the SEC Kyle Scott runs the training sessions. “We want to make sure that we’re very clear that students need to maintain a professional presence when they’re using this,” he said. The database itself has also changed, and alumni in it no longer have to volunteer to be contacted. Instead, alumni who do not wish to be contacted in connection with student networking must opt out. Only a small number of alumni opted to be included in the previous system for alumni contact, the Career Counseling Network, despite overwhelming interest in involvement. “You have all these very friendly, enthusiastic, supportive Whitman alumni, but only a small slice of them were actually available through the existing CCN model,” Leavitt said. Because the new system asks uninterested alumni to opt out rather than requiring interested alumni to opt in, the pool of available alumni on Whitman Online expanded dramatically as a result of the switch. Students who have already taken the training responded positively to the changes. “I hope more people go to the training sessions and know that it’s there,” senior Andy Martin said. “It’s such an invaluable resource, because everyone talks to

you about networking all the time, and it’s kind of this amorphous, terrifying concept ... it’s just something no one wants to do, and [the alumni network] makes it so easy.” Sophomore Marla Harvey also has high hopes for using the network. “It’s a wonderful resource that you can actually talk to people in your field and see what they’re doing,” she said. Scott estimates that more than 70 students have already signed up for the training sessions, and he has already had to adjust the training schedule to accommodate the high demand. “I guess word has gotten out,” Scott said. “Originally I had planned for three [sessions], but ... I’m just going to keep adding sessions until people stop coming.” Once demand tapers off, the SEC will train students on a by-request basis. The new network represents a major overhaul of alumni-student relations, and the departments involved know that work on it is not yet over. Student suggestions for the program range widely. According to senior Daniel Khamanga, the network should give students a better idea of which alumni are more likely to respond to them. “I think it would be helpful if you had a sort of a section for ... most active users,” Khamanga said. Harvey, who also agreed that a couple of changes to the system could make it better, thought that the network would benefit from more complete alumni profiles and a few interface changes. “It would be really cool if some more of the information was to be updated,” she said. “There’s a couple ways of making bookmarking easier that could be looked into.” The departments involved plan to continue improving the network. “The group who implemented this project will continue to meet and evaluate tools for enhancing student and alumni connections,” said Vice President for Development & College Relations John Bogley in an email. “It is definitely a priority for all of the offices involved.” Leavitt also looks forward to improving the system, but he’s proud of the work already done. “I don’t think we want to wrap it up for the year and say ‘we’ve done our job,’ but this is a pretty significant accomplishment for the college.”

Diane Nash teaches non-violent activism by JOSEPHINE ADAMSKI Staff Reporter

enowned Civil Rights Movement activist Diane Nash visited campus last week to hold a training in nonviolent activism for students and to give a public lecture in Cordiner Hall. Nash is best known for being an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement. Her nonviolent activism touched numerous parts of the movement, and she remains one of the most important figures in it. “Women in the Civil Rights Movement have kind of been ignored, and Diane is—if we were talking about the most important people in the Civil Rights

Movement—she would be in the top third,” said Interim Program Advisor for the Intercultural Center Kyle Martz. During her talk, Nash outlined her history as an activist. She humbly described her involvement with the movement as a leader. “I was a very lucky woman. I was at the right place at the right time” Nash said, speaking about the nonviolence movement she was able to adhere to. “Why people think they only need to follow, I do not know—I think that is a very poor way. We worked in agreement. It was the kind of environment that encouraged leadership.” As Nash continued to speak, she made it clear that committed, cohesive group leadership was

“We couldn’t have people who weren’t committed, or they would be killed . . . because we had to love each other, because we had to put each other between us and harm.” Diane Nash

what sustained the Civil Rights Movement, not one charismatic leader. At times, this group leadership even kept participants alive. “We couldn’t have people who weren’t committed, or they would be killed. If one person is realADVERTISEMENT

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ly getting beaten, one of the ways we could respond and remain nonviolent [was] we could move between the person and the person who was getting beaten. In other words, we separated them from harm. So we had to love each other, because we had to put each other between us and harm,” she said. Nash’s leadership was strongly based in compassion, according to Martz. “She operates and communicates in a way that is not only respectful but really loving and caring to people who may not feel the same way about her. That’s inspirational to me,” said Martz. Nash said the movement is still present in her daily life and acted as an em-

powerment tool for many. “I think the movement transformed us, those who were participating. It was the way I discovered my own personal power”, says Nash. At the end of her talk, she touched on racism’s presence in society today. “We seem to take for granted the progress and equality given to us by the Civil Rights Movement” she said. “We need to be serious about how racism is constantly injected into our society and how we can combat that.” While at Whitman, Nash also visited a class on gender in U.S. history taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of History Laura Ferguson.

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Mining for music ADAM HEYMANN Sophomore

ADAM’S MUSICAL MUSINGS

or me, musical discovery is cyclical. I take a band I really like, and I’ll search them on my preferred music service, such as iTunes or Spotify. I’ll find a range of limited recommended artists, look through their catalogs, and before I know it, I’ve heard all of their songs, and I’ve exhausted that corner of the musical universe. The reality, though, is that in this modern day there are tons of innovative new web services available for those looking to evolve past the one-dimensional recommendations built into default music services. As someone who relishes the feeling of finding tasty tunes and learning more about the bands I’m listening to, I see no reason to wait for the next revolution in the cycle. If you are also not a fan of waiting, check out these websites that can assist you in your infinite search for good music.

Steve Rosenfield takes a picture of Emily Aumann ‘17 as part of his “What I Be” project. Seventy-five Whitman students continue to participate in this photograhy project that strives to illuminate hidden insecurities. Photo by Volpert

Capturing Insecurities

SoundCloud: This is the most basic service out there. SoundCloud lets musicians of all kinds, whether they are Berklee grads devoting their lives to their craft or bartenders who mix their own electronic music on the

side, put tracks on the web for free. It’s also great because it provides a genre panel on its webpage that lets you pick whatever you’re feeling, from jazz to metal to Latin, and check out what songs are trending. Bandcamp: A step up from SoundCloud, Bandcamp allows artists to pay for their own domain that allows musical explorers to listen to new songs and purchase them if they deem them worthy. As a more commercial website, one can assume Bandcamp offers an overall better quality of music than SoundCloud, but that’s only true based on the assumption that songs being sold are better than those released for free. Tiny Desk Concerts: National Public Radio (NPR) has come up with a great idea. Their Tiny Desk Concert series allows quality artists, such as the jazzy and innovative Robert Glasper Experiment or the soulful John Legend, to come into their studio and record a video of a short set, which is usually no more than 30 minutes long. It doesn’t get much better than getting to watch talented musicians play tremendous music live. Pitchfork: A fusion of music journalism and critique, this website keeps visitors up-to-date on current musical happenings and also offers charts and opinions on today’s new music. Although more indiecentric, Pitchfork is more intellectually stimulating than other websites, and it does something especially convenient and unique: it provides lists of top albums from every year of the new millennium as well as the decades that proceeded it.

‘What I Be’ project empowers students to move beyond doubts by EMMA DAHL Staff Reporter

his week the Whitman Events Board, the Office of Admission and Whitman Active Minds have brought a unique art and social justice project to campus called “What I Be.” According to photographer Steve Rosenfield, the creator of the project, the objective of “What I Be” is to combat insecurities by identifying individuals’ fears and then photographing these individuals with their particular insecurity written somewhere on their face, hands or arms. It is meant to be a cathartic and empowering experience for anyone who chooses to take part. “‘What I Be’ will provide an opportunity for students to find the incredible diversity within our population and recognize that many of us might share similar characteristics, but we are all our own people,” said first-year Chloe Weinstock in an email. Rosenfield describes his project on his website: “Subjects are putting their insecurities out in the

open and exposing a side of themselves that nobody has seen before. By stating ‘I am not my_______,’ they are claiming that they do in fact struggle with these issues, but it does not define who they are as a person ... It is to spread awareness on what people go through due to society’s paved roads.” Weinstock was the driving force behind bringing “What I Be” to Whitman. She was inspired to do so after watching Voices of Whitman at the beginning of the school year. “The purpose of this project is to create an awareness of your own and others’ insecurities and to open people’s minds to the stories of others. This project allows people to step into the shoes of another and find compassion and maybe even empathy within themselves,” said Weinstock. But will this project be beneficial to Whitman students in particular? Weinstock thinks it will be particular beneficial for such a homogeneous student body. “I think that it will change the way that we see our community in a really positive way ... I hear a lot of ADVERTISEMENT

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people say that [Whitman students are] all the same, that there is too much of one kind of person. While this may be true in some ways, it is definitely false in others. Every single one of us has our own unique story, our own fears and self-doubts.” Junior Kristen Wiseman, president of Active Minds, had a hand in bringing “What I Be” to campus as well. She explained that the take-home point of the project is that everyone has insecurities. “We are all the same in that we have these things that drive us forward or hold us back in life, yet the details and how they affect us make us different,” said Wiseman in an email. Rosenfield will conduct 45-minute sessions with one student at a time to discuss their stories and insecurities, with the end product being a photograph and statement of “I am not my_______.” Rosenfield will be at Whitman photographing a total of 75 students until Saturday, Feb. 8. The final pictures will be posted on the project website, www.whatibeproject.com, and on the Whitman Facebook page.

InterNation celebrates cultural diversity by JAMES KENNEDY Staff Reporter

hen talking about Whitman College, it’s hard to avoid the resounding stereotype that the school has little cultural diversity. However, sophomore Phuong Le, president of the Beyond Borders Club, is hoping to change that misconception with the third annual InterNation Celebration, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8 in the Reid Ballroom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Throughout the rest of the year, the club holds other events like documentary screenings and lectures, but Le believes the InterNation Celebration is the largest and most important. This year, the club wants the celebration to be bigger than ever, with more performers, more planning and more cultures represented. “Not as many people knew about the InterNation Celebration last year, but more than 100 people still came to the event,” said Le, hoping the increased effort and awareness put into this year’s event will lead to even higher attendance. The event schedule includes several five-minute-long performances based on cultures around the world, ranging from various dances to musical performances to poems in various languages. First-years Hallie Barker and Wenjun Gao are performing a musical number. “Wenjun Gao and I will be playing Pachelbel’s Canon, but rather than the traditional violins, Wenjun will be playing it on the Chinese erhu and I will be accompanying her on the guitar,” said Barker. Another musical performer will be junior Catherine Callahan, who will sing four songs of Irish and Scottish origins. “I am excited to share my love of singing as well as a part of Irish and Irish-American culture with the community,” said Callahan. First-year Haley Forrester will appear twice. First, she will perform a sword dance, or “Raks al Sayf” in Arabic, which involves manipulating and balancing a sword while dancing. Then she will perform with first-year Delaney Hanon, this time in the style of the “Bhangra” Indian folk dance used in Bollywood performances. “I am so glad that the Beyond Borders Club is host-

ing this opportunity for students to come together to share their talents and passions from around the globe,” said Forrester. In addition to the many individual and duo performances, the celebration will feature a fashion show where students display the traditional clothing of cultures around the world. “All the performances are my favorite this year!” said Le. The event will be preceded by an international feast in Prentiss Dining Hall from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with food from Rwanda, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Germany, Poland and Russia. Even more so than in previous years, the InterNation Celebration will serve as an important event for a school marred by allegations of racism and cultural insensitivity last semester. After the initial Whitman Encounters controversy broke, the Beyond Borders Club met to discuss what they could do to remedy the situation, and Le hopes that the InterNation Celebration will be an important milestone. “I hope that the InterNation Celebration will be a positive way to have a discussion, to recognize the cultures on campus instead of having a big argument or one side forcing their views on the other,” said Le. “Whitman Encounters should not be the only place where people can vent their frustration.” The InterNation Celebration represents a unification and recognition of all cultures. The event is meant for every student to appreciate and enjoy, whether they identify as a member of the school’s cultural majority or are the sole student from a certain country.

PIO PICKS Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights events happening on campus or in Walla Walla. Here are this week’s picks: Jess Walter: Visiting Writers Reading Series Jess Walter, the author of six novels, multiple short stories and a non-fiction book, will visit Whitman College as the fifth reader of the series.

Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., at Kimball Theatre

SPORTS

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Baseball takes first steps toward contention by Marah alindogan Staff Reporter

ogether as one—from the field to the dugout these three simple words form the motto driving the Whitman baseball team day in and day out. Coming off the best season in the school’s history since 1975, this year’s team looks to build on their recent success. The team will rely on veteran leadership from their 12 senior players, the coaching staff and overall team camaraderie to help achieve their season goals. With a tough preseason practice and workout schedule, including twoa-days and early morning practices, the team is already starting to see their hard work pay off. “It’s been a lot of hard work,” said senior pitcher Brett Lambert. “We are focusing on the fundamentals because that is what it takes to win games. The pitching staff has also changed their dynamics. It is a lot more drill-oriented while working on the mental aspects of the game. The infielders and outfielders have also been getting more reps in on defense.” Players acknowledge this is a completely new team and season, but they are optimistic they can be as successful as last year’s team. “I think the difference between this year and years past is the expectation to win. We’re ready to make a big splash in the

Northwest Conference, and it’s exciting. Our goal is always to win conference and advance into the playoffs, but this year we believe we can do it,” said senior outfielder Jimmy Madden. Senior pitcher Aaron Cohen agreed and pointed out the high levels of commitment among the players. “The team dynamic this year is much better than in past years because we have so many people graduating and [because this is] the last year of baseball for so many guys. It’s been shown with everyone putting in good work in the gym and getting their reps in to come into the season ready to go.” Behind the 23-man roster is a young coaching staff led by second-year Head Coach Sean Kinney. The players admire their coach, and this relationship is essential to the team’s chemistry. “I love Kinney; he is an amazing guy. He has really turned the program around, as well as everyone’s feelings about baseball. He has made everyone love the game while bringing us together as a group,” said Lambert. Cohen appreciates the knowledge that Kinney and the rest of the coaching staff bring to the team. “Having Kinney as a coach has been great. It’s obvious he cares a lot about the guys on the team and everyone on the team respects him, which is crucial for having a successful year,” he said.

Continuing their success will not be an easy task for the Missionaries, and their challenging schedule includes trips to Arizona and Texas. Their biggest obstacle, however, is Linfield College, a powerhouse in the Northwest Conference currently ranked first in the nation. “We obviously want to win as many games as we possibly can, but we are really focused on taking down Linfield,” said Lambert. The baseball team’s goals stem from a culture of optimism the program prides itself on. With the help of veteran leadership, it seems like the Missionaries have everything under control. “Our goals for this season are to improve upon last year. Our record sophomore year was 5-35, and last year it was 16-22. We are looking for a winning record, hopefully a conference championship and a bid to the national tournament. We all believe that if we play to our potential, there is a definite possibility to get there,” said Cohen. Lambert also notes the importance of the senior class in unifying the team. “The leadership is spread out. We have our captains, but everybody leads by example. There is not a big need of one person leading the team,” he said. As the season begins and their fate is still unknown, the Whitman baseball team will stand by each other—together as one. “This is our year,” said Madden.

Kyle Moyes ‘14 and Cam Young ‘14 jog in the outfield (above left), and Paul Heywood ‘16 takes grounders during practice. Photos by McCormick

Women’s soccer moves on after Cato’s resignation by Cole Anderson Staff Reporter

arlier this week, the Whitman women’s soccer team suffered a setback that may be felt on the team for years to come. Former women’s soccer Head Coach Heather Cato has left Whitman for another coaching opportunity at Rogers State University in Oklahoma. Though coaching changes are often beneficial to struggling programs with subpar coaches, Cato was not considered a subpar coach,

and the women’s soccer program had a solid record of 11-9 last season. Cato cites personal reasons and the opportunity to be closer to home as reasons for her decision. Despite surprise and sadness at the loss of their coach, the women’s team is grateful for all Cato has done and is optimistic about the future of their program. “I think [the team] seemed shocked at the time. It was new news and it was hard. Heather [Cato] has done a great job of connecting personally and in a professional way

with the athletes,” said Whitman Athletics Director Dean Snider. However, in the team meeting immediately following the announcement of Cato’s departure, Snider was optimistic about the future and reminded the players of his intent to continue helping the program improve. “The next time I talked with them, they understood and agreed that this was good for both Coach Cato and her family. And I think they’re excited about the prospects that I had,” said Snider.

The team captains for the year look to continue business as usual in the off-season. Though this does pose a challenge for the team going forward, the captains and the rest of the players are on the same page regarding practices, leaving only a few obstacles ahead. “I think the biggest setback we are facing is organization. The team just has to take on bigger responsibility when it comes to spring practices, workouts and planning our trip to England this upcoming summer. But the team has been great so far in sticking together and making everything work in these regards,” said sophomore captain and midfielder Kelsey Peck. As far as the search for a new head coach goes, there are already numerous options for Snider and the team to consider.

SCOREBOARD Swimming

Men’s v. Whitworth University Feb.1: L 183-79 Women’s v. Whitworth University Feb.1: L 155-107

basketball

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity provided FREE on Whitman Campus Saturday, March 29thTuesday, April 1st Available only by advance registration. Contact the SEC in Reid 219 for more info

Gain the skills to become tomorrow’s change agents & social entrepreneurs http://jonathanclewis.me/social-entrepreneurship-clinic/

Men’s v. Pacific University Jan.31: W 78-69 v. Willamette University Feb.1: W 88-78 Women’s v. Pacific University Jan.31: W 65-55 v. Willamette University Feb.1: W 78-33

baseball

v. Corban University Feb.2: L 4-1, W 10-8

Tennis

v. Lewis & Clark Feb.2: W 9-0

upcoming Basketball

Men’s v. Pacific Lutheran Feb.7: AWAY v. Puget Sound Feb.8: AWAY Women’s v. Pacific Lutheran Feb.7: AWAY v. Puget Sound Feb.8: AWAY

BASEball

v. Whittier Feb.7: AWAY v. La Verne Feb.8: AWAY v. Redlands Feb.9: AWAY v. George Fox Feb.9: AWAY

TEnnis

Men’s v. Lewis-Clark State Feb.8: AWAY

“When I spoke with Dean [Snider] 48 hours after they had opened up the search, they already had 35 candidates, and I think now it’s [more than] 50, so we’ve had a great turnout,” said junior captain and forward Jade Anderson. Although a new coach will inevitably bring a new dynamic to the team, Snider and the captains are looking to identify characteristics that Cato displayed well and find a new coach with similar characteristics. “Coach Cato did a great job building relationships with the players and the school and the program here at Whitman. We’ll be looking for someone who’s going to have our students’ best interest in mind,” said Snider. The players reflected on Cato’s strengths. “Among many important things that Cato brought to our team, I think her concept of family was the most important. She realized that while we are an athletic team, we are also an important support system for one another. That is one thing that we are really looking for the new coach to bring in as well,” said Peck. Since she started with Whitman women’s soccer in the summer of 2010, Cato has totaled 30 wins over four seasons. Her most recent season was most notable; the team started with a record of 5-0 and concluded the season with a 3-game winning streak. Cato coached 17 All-NWC players as well as 37 Academic All-NWC athletes. Snider is looking to fill the position sooner rather than later to put the new coach in a position where he or she can carry out recruiting for next season and spend the greatest possible amount of time with the team. “We want to make sure we get someone selected as soon as possible for various reasons. We want to find someone who is excellent and ready to take this role and also someone who is able to complete our recruiting process this year. And, finally, we want someone who, if possible, is able to work with our student athletes during spring training, so they can get an idea for what their program will look like next year,” said Snider. Though the team is understandably upset about Cato leaving, they are fully supportive of her future and optimistic about their own. “As a team, we are all really going to miss Cato. She was a great coach for us and for the program, and although we’re sad to see her go, we’re glad she’s taking advantage of such a great opportunity for herself,” said Peck.

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Spring transfer students ready for round two by DREW EDMONDS Staff Reporter

ll first-year students leave something behind when they come to Whitman College—home, friends, routines—but students transferring from other colleges mid-year get to say those goodbyes twice. Restarting the college experience completely can be painful, but most students who transfer here in January agree nobody does a better job of providing a comfortable transition than Whitman students. When he received his admission to Whitman College, first-year Eric Conte was sitting with his best friend in the Linfield College dining hall, realizing it might be the last time he would be in that same position. “It was emotional. My heart kind of sank,” said Conte. Conte, along with many other Whitman transfer students who start during the spring term, are often attracted to Whitman because they want a more challenging academic experience and a tighter campus community, but they struggle to break the personal connections they have already built. The reasons students choose to transfer vary dramatically. Some are tired of walking 45 minutes to get to their classes, while others feel far from home or unwelcome. A few weeks into the semester at Linfield, Conte grew tired of the closedoff environment that seemed to be inescapable on campus. He remembers taking a long time to learn the names of the people in his hall and finding it hard to break into different social circles. Even after Conte received his admittance to Whitman, he still wasn’t sure he wanted to transfer for the next semester. He originally deferred his admission for a semester, but later he changed his mind. “I felt like, if you get to pick the school that you go to, you should love it. I liked Linfield by the end of the semester, but I didn’t love it,” he said.

When Conte arrived at Whitman he immediately felt regrets about his decision, worrying that he had made his life harder unnecessarily. But once other students started to arrive on campus, Conte realized he was in the right place. “I’ve only been here for a little over a week, but I feel really comfortable already,” he said. Sophomore Zoe Buck, a spring transfer from New York University, was ready for a more connected campus after spending her last three semesters at a school with an enrollment of 40,000 students sprawling throughout the heart of Manhattan. Buck felt her time at NYU was well spent, but after sitting through 200-person lectures led by teaching assistants, she knew she wanted a small school experience. “It was hard to leave, but I felt like I had valid reasons to make the decision I made,” said Buck. The difference in level of involvement struck Buck as soon as she arrived for orientation. At NYU she remembers orientation being brief and hands off, but at Whitman it was a very different experience. “The schedule was packed. They put a lot of effort into it, and they definitely care a lot,” she said. First-year transfer Geoffrey Leach agreed that being kept busy during spring orientation helped him feel supported during his transition. Leach, who is originally from Mercer Island, Wash., enrolled at Colby College in Maine last fall. Just two weeks into school, he decided it was time to come home. “Part of it was that it was too far away from home, and part of it was that the school was in the middle of nowhere. I had a feeling of being trapped at Colby,” said Leach. Some transfer students’ journeys to Whitman take less direct paths. When senior and former mid-year transfer Ben Eisenhardt started looking at colleges during high

school, he thought his brother was crazy for considering small schools like Whitman. “Whitman wasn’t what I expected myself wanting when I was 18,” said Eisenhardt. But after two years at Cal Poly, Eisenhardt wanted a change. Because his decision to transfer to Whitman came late, he was forced to wait another semester before he could enroll. He spent the semester taking classes at Walla Walla Community College and sitting in on basketball practices to familiarize himself with the team. Eisenhardt recalled how some of his teammates on the Cal Poly basketball team had girls doing their homework for them—a far cry from his experience with the Whitman basketball program. “We have kids here across the board who really care about their academics, kids who are ready to have great conversations about current events or personal opinions. Those aren’t conversations that I was used to having in my athletic world,” he said. When he was finally able to start classes at Whitman, he says having prior college experience allowed him to appreciate Whitman in a unique way. “In a smaller classroom, it’s almost impossible to get away with not doing the reading. The accountability is really challenging and fun to get used to,” said Eisenhardt. As the spring semester is underway, mid-year transfer students can start thinking about what lies ahead. Conte has his eyes set on the fall, when he will be able to play his friends on Linfield’s home turf. “It’s going to be a battle. I don’t want to have to hear about it,” he said. Eisenhardt knows what it’s like to be the new kid on a couple different college campuses. He hopes transfer students this year will take advantage of the welcoming quality of Whitman students. “Don’t be afraid to talk to people,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to say hi.”

Eric Conte ‘17 (top), Zoe Buck ‘17 (middle) and former Jan-start Ben Eisenhardt ‘14 reflect on their transitions to Whitman. Photos by Felt and Bowersox

Jan-start admissions process remains selective by ANNA ZHENG Staff Reporter

his spring, Whitman welcomed one first-time student and six transfers, a decrease from the 12 students admitted at the start of last spring. Though the number of admitted students in the spring may vary wildly from year to year, admission officers say the criteria for admission remain the same. “Most [Jan-starts] are transfers, but there’s always a portion who are first-years,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco in an email. The process of admission for Jan-starts is similar to the regular admission process. First-years apply to be admitted in the fall, but some are wait-listed in the fall or simply offered spring admission instead of fall admission. “We offer the spring start for some [first-years if] that’s a preferable time,” said Director of Admission Adam Miller. “In some cases, we have really compelling students, [but] because we’re a pretty selective school, we are not able to offer admission for the fall. It’s a smaller group that applies for spring, [but] nothing changes.” Whitman’s ability to offer spring admission is due to its historical pattern of having more upperclassmen study abroad in the spring semester than in the fall semester. According to Director of Off-Campus Studies Susan Holme, usually 60 to 80 students study abroad each fall, while 90 to 110 students study abroad in the spring. “[One of the primary reasons that students are more likely to study in the spring semester is because they] need more time to select a major or do coursework in their major before deciding on a study abroad destination,” said Holme in an email. Other reasons for more upperclassmen studying abroad in the spring include on-campus commitments, such as being a resident assistant or obtaining leadership roles in the Greek system. Recently, though, the number of students studying abroad in both semesters has started to

level out. Many universities and colleges offer a spring admission option depending on the amount of room that the college can hold. Whitman had a few spots open for Jan-start students, giving new students a chance to attend. “Without a few spaces for spring admission, we’d just be saying ‘no’ to more people for the fall,” said Miller. “No admission officer likes to say ‘no’ to people when [an admission officer] can give [a student] another option [to enroll at Whitman].” According to Senior Admissions Intern Jake Harwood, what differentiates a Jan-start student from a student who decides to start college right after high school is experience. Many students starting mid-year have had opportunities to gain skills in the real world, and they can utilize those skills at Whitman. “Friends of mine here who were Jan-starts spent their time either doing the arts or working or getting a new perspective,” said Harwood. “Sometimes it’s really easy to get caught in this [cycle] of academics to academics to academics. You’re in middle school, then you’re in high school. Then you’re immediately in college.” All students come with their own insights and a different understanding of the world that can be integrated into the Whitman community. “Jan-starts add to the Whitman community [in] the way that other enrolling students do and through the background and experiences they bring, such as transferring from another college, travel, internship, work experience or volunteer experience,” said Cabasco in an email. According to Miller, Whitman values diversity in the students it admits, and both Janstarts and transfer students have a different outlook on the college experience. Not only do they decide to leave their current institution, they also choose Whitman. “Every individual that comes into the community has their own story and their background,” said Miller. “I think some transfer students appreciate Whitman even more [because they have al-

ready had a college experience].” According to Miller, firstyear Jan-starts were essentially given a full gap-year, a time they could use to experience some-

thing a student who automatically started college couldn’t. “Some students are ready to start or we were able to let them start right away,” said ADVERTISEMENT

Miller. “I’d like to think of the spring admission process as an opportunity for us to add another option for students to find their way to Whitman.”

OPINION

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Is Justin Bieber immune to pains of deportation? Alisha Agard Junior

THE MIND OF AN ACTIVIST

n 2013, 369,000 immigrants were deported from the United States, and half of those deportations resulted from criminal convictions ranging from minor misdemeanors to felony-level crimes. Eighty-four percent of those individuals were not allowed any legal representation to contest the charges brought against them. So how does the Canadian citizen and pop star Justin Bieber fit into the equation? Bieber’s recent criminal activity has sparked nationwide debates and national media coverage. Justin Bieber, who is in the United States on a visa, was recently arrested for egging his neighbor’s house in Calabasas, Calif. This seemingly petty crime caused $200,000 in damage

to the neighbor’s home, making this a felony-level crime. Additionally, when the police raided Bieber’s home during the incident, they found bags of cocaine, adding another felony-level crime to his resumé. However, instead of arresting Bieber for the cocaine, law enforcement arrested and charged his friend, Lil Za, for the drugs. As if this weren’t enough for Bieber, he was recently charged with an assault on a limo driver in Toronto, Canada. Bieber’s current experiences with law enforcement, his privilege and the unfairness of immigration policies just might keep him in the United States. For many immigrants in the United States, these incidents would have immediately resulted in detainment and deportation without access to the due process Bieber has been given. He has not been deported because he has not been convicted of his “alleged” crimes yet, but many of the immigrants who have been deported for low-level crimes were never able to defend themselves. In the rare chance that the these individuals did get a chance to fight deportation, many did not have access to a high-quality attorney like Bieber has. Bieber’s case is interesting to look at because he has the TRUST Act on his side. The act, which was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown,

Voices from the

took effect just this month in hopes of protecting immigrants from deportation. Under the act, police are not authorized to play the role of immigration officers, which means they cannot check the status of a person’s citizenship or threaten to deport those who are

Girl Scouts: feminist outlet

Community

Anu lingappa Junior

What aspect of the Winter Olympics are you most looking forward to? Poll by TANNER BOWERSOX Gordon Kochman First-year

“To see Russia’s reaction to the United States’ responses to the new legislation against gay rights in Russia.”

Nathan Liechty Senior

“I’m most excited to see the United States, back-to-back world war champion, go for Cold War part two—back to the motherland [to] start ‘Putin’ it to ‘em.”

Olivia Hagel Sophomore

“Watching snowboarding.”

Andrew Patel

not U.S. citizens. Though the act is active in California, it is not active in the rest of the United States, so many immigrants still live in fear of being separated from their families and sent back to their home countries for running a red light or other minor crimes. This is not the case for Justin Bieber. Even without the TRUST Act, Justin Bieber would still be saved from the pain other immigrants feel when being deported. A majority of immigrants deported from the United States are immigrants of color. When a brown individual gets stopped by the police in a place highly populated with other immigrants, the police will most likely assume the person is a non-citizen and then begin the process of detainment and deportation. Because Bieber has celebrity status, everyone knows that he isn’t a U.S. citizen. However, if he were stopped in a situation where law enforcement didn’t know who he was, the color of his skin would not lead to the questioning of his citizenship status. That’s privilege. So far, the U.S. justice system has proven that the more privilege someone has, the easier they can slip out of things, including felony charges. Only time will tell what happens to Bieber, but my guess is that his privilege and wealth will keep him performing in arenas all across America.

THE QUIBBLER

or my 20th birthday, my parents gave me a lifetime membership to the Girl Scouts of the United States. Being a Girl Scout shaped my identity when I was growing up, and I remained a member until I graduated from high school. I view my involvement with Girl Scouts as a foundation for the feminist ideals I now hold so dear. Most people, especially my friends at Whitman College, are surprised when they learn how dedicated I am to an organization with such heteronormative and conservative connotations. This is always surprising, and it seems like no matter how empowering and progressive Girl Scouts strives to be, it is written off as soft and wishy-washy. Girl Scouts is usually placed in the shadow of Boy Scouts of the United States, and the discrepancy between how the two are publicly regarded illuminates underlying sexism at play. Boy Scouts is taken seriously as an organization that turns boys into men, while Girl Scouts is viewed as a gateway to nothing but domestic life. This slighting of Girl Scouts, when both organizations are cen-

tered on the same principles, sends a clear message—our society disregards the value of girls. Since its establishment in 1912, Girl Scouts has aimed to empower girls by teaching skills and values, while providing a space for sisterhood and solidarity. Though inspired by Boy Scouts, the two organizations have never shared management. Girl Scouts, which has always been directed by women, has been open to girls of any racial or ethnic background since 1917, and their antisegregation policies in the 1950s received a shout-out from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boy Scouts, on the other hand, banned African-American members until the 1940s. Boy Scouts did not have an official policy against racial discrimination and segregation until the mid-1970s, at which point the national president of Girl Scouts was an African-American woman. More recently, Girl Scouts has welcomed trans-identified girls since 2011, while the Boy Scouts ban on gay and bisexual members was only lifted earlier this month after a surprisingly controversial resolution in late 2013. Most people associate Girl Scouts with one thing: cookies! Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies! Cookie season, especially for someone as tightly wound as my nine-year-old self was a very intense time; I once sold more than 850 boxes. It generates around $700 million nationwide and teaches girls about business, work ethic, money-management and communication. However, cookie selling is marked by a culture that is more gendered and condescending than any other

part of the Girl Scout experience. When I was at my cookie-selling prime, I discovered that nothing opened a stranger’s wallet like a charming smile and the embracing of a personality that was, at least for me, very fake. People only seemed to want cookies from that specific little girl with doe eyes and ringlets, who had no personality or ambition outside of the weirdly domestic cookie-selling world. It’s uncomfortable that this image is what most people consider Girl Scouts to be. Girl Scouts does so much more than sell cookies! The organization revolves around leadership, the outdoors and art, and it gives girls an outlet to gain selfconfidence and discover passions. Volunteer work and community outreach is absolutely crucial. The Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts, involves designing a service project with at least 80 hours of service work. Practical skills on patches range from first aid to backpacking to dancing to car mechanics. Nevertheless, most people only recognize Boy Scouts as the organization that instills these qualities into (straight, cis, male) youth. Snubbing of Girl Scouts carries over into the grown-up world, where people are impressed when men make it to Eagle Scout, but mocking when women stay in Girl Scouts for the same amount of time. When I sold cookies, people wanted to see me as this gimmicky doll dissociated from the woman she could someday become. Yet, Girl Scouts has never been that. For over a hundred years, it’s been about empowerment, inclusion, solidarity and strength.

Mease not Mooses by Asa Mease

Senior

“I’m most excited for Vladimir Putin speaking.”

Environmentalists can find hope in future Sam Chapman Junior

A MOVING FOREST

f you have been reading these pages since May 2013, you may recall the last time my name appeared here at the head of a sign-off column in which I questioned the hopes of the environmentalist movement, my own commitment to it and the progress of mankind. I concluded that there is no purpose to the movement as it is, that fossil-fuel masterminds have already doomed us

to an unrecognizable future and that the role of an environmentalist in the modern age is to undertake a personal contemplation of their place in that future. I was wrong. In a Moving Forest first, I am eating my words. My assertions in that piece came from a place of doubt and uncertainty and were off the mark at best. Environmentalism is more important than ever, the world is ours to shape and we will keep fighting as long as the last scrap of the Earth we hold dear remains. Don’t expect this to become a regular thing. Some might wonder how this about-face came to pass; I assure you, I wasn’t coerced. I spent my previous semester working aboard a sailing school on the Caribbean Sea. S.S.V. Corwith Cramer studies the changing ocean habitat, transmits data to the National Weather Service and visits foreign ports. In the modern age,

her crew sails under wind power and navigates using the stars. As I watched the crew members’ conviction, something dawned on me. People like these sailors will keep the global economy alive as fossil fuels become

I can’t live that way anymore. There’s a chance for Earth, and I want my stake in it. So I’m rejoining the movement. scarcer. Sailing ships are driven by the only alternative energy that has been refined again and again for the last 3,000 years. Because a small number of people refuse to give up the past, a second Age of Sail seems within reach. My epiphany didn’t stop there. I realized the same logic could be broadened to the en-

tire environmentalist movement: why would those who sail planet Earth give up their power to preserve hope? In that moment, I understood that what I wrote in May wasn’t brave or iconoclastic— it was garden-variety surrender. Introspection has its place, of course, but the more I retreated into it, the more it dulled my fire. I can’t live that way anymore. There’s a chance for Earth, and I want my stake in it. So, I’m rejoining the movement. However, there is one point from my last column that I’m sticking to, and that’s that environmentalism contains a necessary thread of selfishness. Everybody who wants to save the world in some way wants to save a part of it for themselves, a planet on which their own future can play out. There’s nothing wrong with it; self-preservation is human instinct, as is our love for the places that nurture us, and this self-preservation

can produce beautiful results. Where am I going with this? My destination is a theme this column will pursue for the entire semester: futurism. After sailing led me to consider the world to come, I wondered if there are environmentalists out there who, like me, are ashamed to admit they worry about the future, since saying so implies their work is self-interested. I’ve decided to offer them succor. Each week, I plan to consider a scenario and its possible results. What if everybody divests? What if we continue on our present path? What if we stop burning fossils today? In doing so, I want to offer inspiration that there will always be a chance for the human race to reach equilibrium. That will be the premise I argue: in every scenario, hope for a peaceful Earth will never completely die. Keep checking these pages throughout the semester!

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2014

Obama adds American football to 2014 Winter Olympic Games

n light of the recent controversy surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s homophobic policies, President Obama decided to add the Super Bowl to the 2014 Olympic lineup without consulting the International Olympic Committee. Critics condemned the move as a desperate act of patriotism. Obama refuted these claims, however, stating that the decision was a noble act of nonviolent protest. Olympic athlete Shauna Lopez supported this decision. “What better way to protest Putin and celebrate homosexuality than by watching men in tights tackle each other?” she said. Whitman College firstyear James Sox, a devoted Denver Broncos fan, agreed. “American football has always promoted a culture of acceptance. From the irreparable head injuries to the spraytanned cheerleaders, football is essentially a symbol of unconditional love and freedom. Frankly, I’m puzzled as to why the International Olym-

pic Committee is so upset. They should be thanking us,” he said. When questioned about the controversy surrounding Rutgers cornerback Jevon Tyree, who quit his football team earlier this year due to bullying, Sox dismissed the case as a simple mix up. “There has never been any culture of homophobia, racism or sexism in football, and there never will be. This case of ‘bullying,’ as you call it, was a complete misunderstanding,” said Sox. American citizens also applauded President Obama’s decision. A recent poll showed that 98 percent of Americans view the Super Bowl as the most progressive television program of the year, citing GoDaddy’s 2013 Super Bowl commercial as an excellent representation of unconventional gender roles. Professor Miles Roger was not surprised by Americans’ positive responses. “Football fosters a culture of equality. The men can sit on the couch and watch other powerful men play sports for hours, while

the women can cook for them and be inspired by the sexy cheerleaders that are featured for a few minutes. I hope that this television program, which obviously condemns heteronormativity and supports equality, will help convince Putin to change his conservative policies,” said Roger. Though the International Olympic Committee refused to recognize the Super Bowl as a formal part of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Americans were not deterred. A makeshift torch was passed around the football field while drunken Broncos and Seahawks fans donned a rainbow of red, white and blue in order to support the cause. “If we can bring two American sports teams together in their love for equality and light beer, then the possibilities are really endless. Adding the Super Bowl to the Olympics shows Putin that Americans will not accept his derogatory policies,” said Jane Young, president of the Whitman Progressives Club.

Winter sport? True or false! Curling: Players push an object on ice with a broom, using the forces of ice and not directly touching the object itself. Quidditch on Ice: This game first joined in 2010. It’s magical and slippery, and it involves brooms on an ice rink.

Skeleton: Athletes zoom down a hill on a tiny sled, hoping not to be jettisoned off because they have no steering or braking mechanism.

Rhythmic Ice Gymnastics: This game is a summer favorite turned frosty, involving the skill of balancing on ice while dancing through hoops with ribbons.

Toboggan: This game is the same as skeleton, but on a curved J-shaped toboggan.

Biathlon: This is sprinting and shooting guns in one wild race.

Winter sports

t’s finally here, the time for which we’ve all been waiting: the Winter Olympics. I know this year I will be curled up on my couch, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a parka, mittens and ski mask, sipping hot cocoa while watching my favorite winter sporter duke it out for the bronze, silver and frozen, I mean golden, medal. What sports will I be watching, you ask? While the classics, such as luge and curling (who can say no to a sport in which a household chore is part of the competition?), are great, they are certainly not my favorites to watch. Of course I will be watching the most rigorous sport: the ice javelin competition, where the most fearless competitors race to find the largest possible icicles while scaling cliffs and skiing down mountains back to the javelin range, where they will attempt to im-

pale snowmen through the head. And, without a doubt, I will be watching everybody’s favorite sport, even if it has parental advisory warnings for being the most brutal and violent sport featured in the Winter Olympics: competitive team snowball fighting. A little known fact about the sport is that it was almost banned from the Olympics following the 1998 “Yellow Snowball Scandal.” The event featuring the oldest Olympians is my favorite event: the traditional sweater knitting sprint, also known as the TSKS. This fast-paced race to the hem lasts just under 48 hours of nonstop needle-to-needle action as the world’s most skilled grandmothers knit their nation’s traditional sweater patterns. I have my money on the winner of the 2010 Winter Games: Francis McClaggen, 72, the youngest gold medalist of the TSKS, taking her first win for a gorgeous Fair Isle wool sweater.

World geography crossword

Answers: F: Quidditch on Ice, Rhythmic Ice Gymnastics, Toboggan (T and F)

This week’s theme is world geography! Across: 1. Location of the 2008 Olympics 4. Country with capital city called Phnom Penh 7. French-speaking Canadian province 9. Landlocked country surrounded entirely by landlocked countries 11. Mt. Everest location 14. Small landlocked country surrounded by its only neighbor 16. Democracy in Southern Africa 19. Not Constantinople 20. Enormous canal 21. Continent with the highest average elevation Down: 1. Capital of Venezuela

2. This river flows to the Dead Sea 3. Cote d’______ 5. Guatemala claims this country as its own 6. Largest island on the planet 7. Saudi Arabia’s neighbor 8. Earth’s largest inland sea 10. Historic Polish city 11. Huge South American mountain range 12. Parisian river 13. Lisbon’s location 15. Finnish capital 16. Beethoven’s birthplace 17. Japanese metropolis 18. Least populous U.S. state Answers will be posted online next week. If you have feedback or suggestions for puzzle themes, please email bergnh@whitman.edu.

Olympic haikus Alpine skiing

Luge

Oh, look, they can turn! What an important ski skill That I do not have ...

In qualifiers I discovered the sad truth. Ice luge: not a sport

Biathlon

Nordic combined

Glittering landscapes Broken only by ski tracks Shit, she’s got a gun!

Everyone has jumped And I’m packing up to leave. But we’re not done. Shit.

Bobsledding Let’s all admit it We would not care about this Without “Cool Runnings.” Cross Country Skiing This entire sport Is now, sadly, obsolete. Thanks, snowmobiles. Curling

Short-track speed skating When offered tickets You should always say, “Oh, no” If it’s not Ono.

You’re going headfirst Down a really long canal. Wait till Freud hears this. Ski jumping When they go 90: win gold. When I go 90: suspended license.

Figure skating

Snowboarding

So you’re asking me Who cries at figure skating? Only real men.

Alright, we give up To make the Olympics hip We’ll let stoners in.

To be quite honest, We included this sport so Canada can win.

Student/Alumni networking events hosted strategically in the most high-demand locations for jobs and internships

Skeleton

If this is a sport, Then I’m the queen of England BRING ME MY CRUMPETS!

Ice hockey

WHITTIES HELPING WHITTIES

Speed skating Running fast is hard So let’s tie knives to our shoes And do it on ice.

February 25th->>Whitman **OVER SPRING BREAK** March 25th->> San Francisco March 26th->>Portland March 27th->> Seattle