Whitman Pioneer Fall 2011 Issue 12 by Whitman College Wire

Sports pg. 4

A&E pg. 5

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The music issue: A&E looks at everything music, from on campus groups to shake-ups in the biz

10 things you might not know about Whitman’s co-ed acapella group www.whitmanpioneer.com

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PIONEER

ISSUE 12 | December 1, 2011 | Whitman news since 1896

FRANK WARREN SPILLS HIS SECRETS

k n i h t we , t s e r e c etim ng a se m o i “S p e e k e r ’ lly e a w e r ’s t i d .” s an u ng i p e ke en r r a et W r c k e n -Fra r, PostS to a e r C PH GR A

IC BY

H UA

Undocumented Students Statement meets Board approval

by K A R A H K EMMER LY and SHELLY LE News Editors

by EMILY LIN-JONES Staff Reporter

hitman students were recently greeted with blank index cards in their mailboxes along with notes urging them to write down secrets and submit them to WEB’s annual PostSecret Gallery Show. This year the show coincided with a lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 30, by Frank Warren, creator of the original PostSecret website. Warren created the project in 2004 with the idea of strangers mailing in anonymous secrets written on postcards, which he then posted in batches on his website. Today Warren’s blog is one of the most visited blogs in the world and has inspired countless spin-off projects. Senior Charlie Weems, the lectures director of WEB, thought that students would respond well to the interactive nature of Warren’s talk. “We got a lot of responses last time that Dan Savage was really great, and Frank Warren does the same style of Q&A lecture about issues that students don’t generally get to talk about at Whitman,” he said. “I think students are lectured at enough as it is. People spend their entire week in class where the professors are lecturing to them, so

it’s nice to get someone that they know of to talk to them and do a really interactive presentation that’s not just a traditional lecture.” Warren’s lecture did indeed have a substantial interactive portion. Warren began the lecture by sharing the history of the project, explaining his motivation for starting it while displaying and reading aloud several of the most memorable secrets he has received over the years. “Sometimes we think we’re keeping a secret, and it’s really keeping us,” Warren said. “It could be undermining our relationships with other people. It could be blocking us from being who we truly are.” Afterward, audience members were invited to stand up to share their own secrets aloud in front of the crowded hall with themes ranging from abuse to nit-picky habits. In addition to the lecture, community members have been given a chance to interact with PostSecret through the PostSecret Gallery show located in Reid Campus Center’s Stevens Gallery. Interested members are invited to write their secrets on note cards and allow them to be hung anonymously in the gallery until the show closes. “The PostSecret Gallery [show] has always been really well-received I L L U S T R AT I O N BY B OW E N

on campus. I think people find it really fascinating,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Leann Adams. The gallery show has been held at Whitman several times in the past. Sophomore Julia Maxwell, one of WEB’s creative arts directors, said that the decision to continue the show each year was influenced by the results of a student survey. “[WEB] got a lot of feedback about wanting the PostSecret show [to] come back again because [people] thought it was really cool. It just so happened that Frank Warren was coming to lecture, so it seemed like a good time to have it,” she said. Maxwell said she was pleased with the community’s response to the gallery. “It’s doing pretty well. A lot of people have put up their secrets, which is exciting. It’s really cool to see Whitman be involved in that,” she said. Much like the content of Warren’s site, the confessions are hugely varied in tone and style. “Sometimes I pee in the shower,” one proclaims, while another begins “I was molested at the age of 13 . . . ” Some cards are carefully decorated with crayon and photographs, while others are just a few words scrawled in pen. see POSTSECRET, page 2

Staff Writer

by ROSE WOODBU RY Staff Reporter

hitman is revamping its website to update its online presence and to better distinguish it from similar schools. The new website, coming out at the end of November, will sport a home page that emphasizes Whitman-specific content more than ever. The new home page will emphasize places across campus such as Ankeny Field, Penrose Library, the Allen Reading Room, the Science Building and Lackum Duckum. It will also feature content on Whitman’s core required class, Encounters. Both of these sections will

feature comments by students. Assistant Vice President of Communications Ruth Wardwell described why the committees designing the website decided to emphasize Encounters. “We decided to build frontpage content around Encounters. Why? Because nobody else has Encounters; [it’s] only at Whitman. And yes, there are many colleges and even universities that have first-year programs . . . many of them have similar attributes, but nobody has one just like ours,” she said. The home page will also feature Whitman’s experiential learning offerings, such as Semester in the West and State of the State. see WEBSITE, page 2

see UNDOCUMENTED, page 2

‘Now is the Time’ campaign to begin new era of fundraising

by A LLISON WOR K

Upgraded website to showcase unique aspects of student body

n Nov. 17, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve a statement in support of undocumented students. The statement went up on Whitman’s website on Nov. 29. The statement reads: “Whitman College seeks to establish a vibrant community of individuals who are intellectually talented, have the potential to be leaders in and out of the classroom and are from diverse backgrounds both nationally and internationally. Recognizing that undocumented students make important contributions to the intellectual and social life of the campus, Whitman College admits and enrolls students regardless of citizenship. Whitman College uses non-governmental resources to support the academic efforts of such students who qualify for financial aid.” Whitman is the first liberal arts schools in the nation to show this kind of public support for undocumented students. The proposal for a statement was brought to ASWC by Alumnus Ariel Ruiz ‘10 in November 2010 after ASWC formally endorsed the DREAM Act, a congressional bill that would grant legal permanent residency for undocument-

ed immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. Ruiz gave a presentation to the Trustees during their meeting in February 2011 asking for their support. The presentation consisted of a panel of undocumented students who attended Whitman at the time explaining their experiences. The panel emphasized that undocumented students and their contributions are integral to the Whitman community and its identity. “It was about trying to get students to interact with the Trustees so that the Trustees could see the faces of the people we were talking about,” Ruiz said. “I really wanted to ensure that people encompass that this problem has a face.” The students’ presence before the committee drove the issue home. “It became very clear to us in the room, the contributions that these students make to the campus, and the fact that in many ways they are a very hidden population. The committee clearly wanted to acknowledge those contributions and affirm their support for these students,” Cleveland said. According to Larry Stone, chair of the Diversity Committee of the Board of Trustees, the panel proved to be decisive in encouraging the committee to support the statement proposal.

n Friday, Nov. 18, Whitman announced the start of its “Now is the Time” campaign at a dinner for Trustees, alumni and friends of the college in Seattle, Wash., kicking off the public phase of a new fundraising endeavor for the college. “It is unusual for a college to go as long as Whitman has gone without holding a comprehensive campaign,” said John Bogley, vice president for development and college relations. “This is Whitman College’s first comprehensive campaign since the $50 million Campaign for Whitman from the 1980s.” The “quiet phase” of the campaign, which started July 1, 2007, ended Nov. 18 with the approval by the Board of Trustees to bring the fundraising public. The goal is to raise $150 million for the college by June 30, 2015. The college already has about $97 million in funds committed before the public phase of the campaign. “The world is changing,” said President George Bridges. “We have to provide different types of experiences to students to prepare them for that world.” “Now is the Time” aims to provide financial support for three distinct areas of the Whitman education. It looks to bolster the academic program, adding 12 endowed professorships as well as providing students more opportunities for research and internships. $75 million is allocated for this purpose, while $50 million is designated for additional financial aid. The remaining $25 million will go to the general Whitman endowment, funds that allow the college flexibility to “respond immediately and ag-

gressively to new challenges and provide extraordinary opportunities for students each year,” according to a campaign pamphlet. According to Bogley, the selection committee who hired Bridges looked for a new president to lead a new fundraising campaign. Bridges began his tenure in 2005. “The selection of George Bridges really put into fast-forward the idea of pursuing this campaign,” said Bogley. “We began planning for this campaign the minute George arrived.” While the campaign aims to improve many areas of the Whitman education, it also is focused on sustaining the quality of education already present. “We want to preserve those parts of what has always been integral to a Whitman education and yet enrich them,” said Bridges. “Small classes, close relationships between professors and students, rigorous academic work—it’s always been a part of the college. We will retain those. but what we want to do is enrich the classroom experiences with new material and new kinds of experiences outside the classroom.” Funds from the campaign will go toward advancing off-campus studies, increasing opportunities for student-faculty research and providing more internships for students. But the benefit to the college is not only in the future. The funds already raised during the quiet phase of the campaign have gone to significant projects around campus. According to Bogley, projects like the renovation of Harper Joy Theatre and Sherwood Athletic Center were funded at least in part by some of the $97 million already raised for the campaign. Additionally, two faculty chairs were created from donated funds to sup-

port current professors. Specific departments like biology and chemistry have already seen an impact. “[Students] are already directly benefiting from [the campaign],” said Bridges. “It’s not something that’s ten years down the road. The effects are being felt right now.” The public section of the campaign is the result of a carefully planned private phase of donations. The fundraising managers begin with a vision and reach out to longtime donors and close friends of the college to see if people are willing to donate to that vision. According to Bogley, if there is success in the initial phase, a discussion of opening it to become a public campaign begins. “The overarching reason for the campaign is to generate enthusiasm, a call to action,” said Ruth Wardwell, assistant vice president of Communications. “It draws attention and focus on the college. It draws together common interests in the success of the college now and in the future.” The difference in the campaign in the public phase is that the college reaches out to more than individuals who have a history of donating to the college. “We are expanding the circle of people who we hope will contribute significantly to the future of Whitman,” said Bogley. This includes asking alumni and friends who have made small contributions in the past to gift more significant amounts, and it includes encouraging first-time donors to contribute. “We’ve been remarkably successful [in the quiet phase of the campaign], especially given the economic headwinds that have faced our country for the last two and a half years,” said Bogley. see FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN, page 3

NEWS

Dec

01 2011

PAGE

Burglary strikes fraternities by SHELLY LE News Editor

ver Thanksgiving break all four fraternities on campus were hit with a string of burglaries. According to Interfraternity Council Community Relations officer junior Alejandro Fuentes, the burglaries occurred on two separate occasions. The first burglary occurred between 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23, and 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, at Beta Theta Pi and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Fuentes, who stayed on campus during the break was working on an essay in the study room of Beta when he left at 11:30 p.m. to sleep over with friends in TKE. Fuentes reports that when he came back to Beta to work on his essay at 1 p.m. he found his laptop missing in addition to graffiti on the house walls. “Because no one was home at the time, [the burglars] were successful in entering what we believe is a window on the first floor,” Fuentes said. A total of two laptops, watches and small electronic devices have been reported missing. Fuentes estimated that a total of $4,000-

$5,000 of goods were taken. Fuentes notes that before he left for TKE that night, he ensured that all the doors were locked and stated that the windows were locked by the house janitor and handyman before he left for break. “Before I left the house I made sure the house was on what we call ‘lock-down,’ which is where all of the doors are locked so that no one without the punchin [code] can get in,” Fuentes said. In addition to the items stolen at Beta, a flat screen television, an XBox and other electronic devices were taken from TKE on the same night. Although Fuentes was at TKE on the night the burglary occurred at the houses, he did not hear any commotion at either houses. “There were five of us in TKE that night, and none of us heard any footsteps or loud noises,” he said. An attempted entrance was made at Phi Delta Theta, but a fraternity member was awoken by the noise and chased the attempted burglars away between 3 and 4 a.m. On Saturday, Nov. 26, a successful burglary occurred at Sigma Chi, Phi and

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS by SHELLY LE News Editor

Percentage of Americans who use the internet everyday.

Average number of hours Americans spend a month online.

Percentage of worldwide internet users who engage in social networking.

Phi Delta Theta was hit by a string of burglaries over Thanksgiving break. A laptop computer was reported missing to the Walla Walla Police Department. Photo by Bernstein

again at TKE between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. According to Walla Walla Police Officer, Tim Bennett, the Sigma Chi house was entered through a front door that had been propped open. A lap top computer, speakers, an amplifier and credit and gift cards were reported missing in addition to a wallet that contained $80 in cash. A side door and window were found unlocked at the Phi Delta Theta house, and a laptop computer that is valued at $1,500 was also reported missing.

2,646

Fuentes notes that whenever students leave campus for extended periods of time, the fraternities experience a number of theft occurrences. While the campus may appear to be a safe haven, Bennett cautioned that students need to remain wary that theft that can always occur. “Burglars know where the target rich environments are located and know when students are gone. Students need to keep their property locked up or take them home with them when they leave on breaks,” Bennett said.

Number of online sites the average internet user visits in a month.

Number of warrants federal authorities needed to obtain data from three WikiLeaks associates’ Twitter user accounts earlier last month.

$559 million

WEBSITE TO CAPTURE ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ from WEBSITE, page 1

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco said that not all of the features of the new website are designed to cater to external audiences. Many of the changes will improve the site for internal audiences as well. “While some of the features may focus on telling the “Whitman story” by trying to provide a sense of place, other features, like the navigation links, will cater to internal audiences,” he said in an email. Wardwell said that making the website as specific to Whitman as possible is important for engaging prospective students. “It’s like a book cover, you know? Are you going to be able to tell what the book is about, if it interests you, by looking at that home page?” she said. “And we believe that the

home page that we’ve created does illustrate Whitman’s distinguishing attributes.” Cabasco agreed. “We hope that the new admission web site will do a better job of communicating Whitman’s distinctive identity—the combination of academic rigor and a friendly, down-to-earth, engaging campus community— to prospective students,” he said. When senior Jasper Bash applied to Whitman, he didn’t spend much time on the website precisely because he felt that it wasn’t the most productive way to learn specific information about Whitman. “[All college websites] kind of look the same, I feel like,” he said. Bash also thought that some of the organization could be improved.

“I remember seeing the current students web page [as a prospective student] and thinking, ‘This looks really busy and scary,’” he said. While the current students page will not undergo any major design-related change, some of the updating will help bring other organizational aspects of the site up to date, which will be helpful seeing as the last update happened back in 2006-07. “I consider what we’re doing [part of] the ongoing evolution. We’ve made some changes since then because the college changed its visual identity,” Wardwell said. To create the new website, the college created a panel of current students to describe their experiences as prospective students. Committees of staff and faculty discussed the website, and

Amount victims of Internetrelated crimes lost in 2009, up 110 percent from 2008.

1.5 million

the college also hired an external provider, Lipman Hearne, to help with the designing process. “A college website has to serve many audiences and constituents: internal people and external people. External people would be prospective students, even prospective faculty who are considering teaching here. Internally, we have many needs: staff, faculty, special programs, departments, The Pioneer,” she said. “The navigation of the website, the header and the footer, haven’t really changed much, but the content of the home page does target external audiences.” Wardwell emphasized that the appearance of the website is key to helping Whitman gain the recognition it deserves. “A college website is probably the number-one window that people on the outside have,” she said.

Number of Facebook accounts whose usernames and passwords were placed for sale on an underground hacker forum in 2010.

Sources

S O U RCE: T H E H U FFIN G TO N P OS T, T H E WA L L S T R EE T J O U R N A L, T IM E M AG A ZIN E, T H E IN T ER N E T C RIM E CO M P L A IN T S CEN T ER, C N E T.

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 11 The article “Whitman debate moves toward gender equality” on page 1 should have stated that Whitman’s Policy debate team has four women, not six.

Student support catalyzes unanimous Board decision from UNDOCUMENTED, page 1

“The students who came were incredibly moving to the committee and I think the experience is one that needs to be brought to the American people over the next few years because I think very few members of the public have any idea of the situation of undocumented youth,” Stone said. Though Whitman has enrolled and provided some financial aid for undocument-

ed students for several years, administrators felt that putting such a statement in writing is extremely important. Ruiz points out that though the statement is beneficial for the college as a whole, it is also hugely valuable for undocumented students considering applying to institutions of higher education. “Future undocumented students that will come to Whitman will feel more at home knowing that we have serious-

ly discussed the issue on undocumented status,” he said. Stone believes that the statement is especially timely because he predicts issues facing undocumented students will be a hot discussion topic in the near future. “I’m confident that over the next five years many other institutions will follow Whitman’s lead. I believe we will change nationwide as a result of this,” he said.

Frank Warren discusses his PostSecret project at a lecture in Cordiner Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 30. A collection of student secrets is on display in Sheehan Gallery. Photo by Bernstein

Gallery reveals student secrets from POSTSECRET, page 1

Senior Sam Alden, co-director of creative arts for WEB, noted that the project can function much differently on a college campus than it does when submissions are accepted from around the world. “I don’t think that you could guess who any of the people are, but I’m sure that in writing the secrets you have to be a lot more cautious in order to remain anonymous. I think, a lot more than the writing of it, it affects they way they’re read. When you read the secrets on the internet, they’re interesting only in themselves as secret,”

he said. “Something that PostSecret can do within the context of a small community that doesn’t always feel comfortable talking about things is to allow things to come to the surface and allow you to understand the people around you better.” Warren himself acknowledged the benefits of PostSecret enacted on a smaller scale. “At a display like [the Stevens Gallery show] it’s much more meaningful for students to know they might be reading secrets from their dorm mate or their classmate or someone they sit across from in the cafeteria and have lunch with,” he said.

EDITOR I A L

PRODUCTION

W R I T ING

BUSIN ESS

EDITORIAL POLICY

Editor-in-Chief Patricia Vanderbilt

Production Manager Ted Hendershot

NEWS

Business Manager Hailun Zhou

Managing Editor Cara Lowry

Production Associates Katie Berfield, Alecia Kaer, Carter Muenchau, Maddison Munn, Molly Olmsted, Cara Patten

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

News Editors Karah Kemmerly Shelly Le A&E Editor Caitlin Hardee Sports Editor Libby Arnosti Feature Editors Alyssa Fairbanks Kelsey Kennedy Opinion Editor Kyle Seasly Humor Editor Adam Brayton Photography Editor Ethan Parrish Illustration Editor Binta Loos-Diallo

Chief Copy Editor Erik Larson Copy Editors Aleida Fernandez Marisa Ikert

ILLUSTRATION Alex Bailey, MaryAnne Bowen, Kelly Douglas, Emily Johnson, Julie Peterson, Eduardo Vasquez

PHOTOGRAPHY

Marin Axtell, Cade Beck, Caitlin Bergman, Faith Bernstein, Allie Felt, David Jacobson, Jack Lazar, Chaoyu Li, Marie Von Hafften

Samuel Chapman, Josh Goodman, Molly Johanson, Emily Lin-Jones, Kyle Seasly, Dylan Tull, Rose Woodbury, Allison Work

A&E

Circulation Associates Matt Booth, Emily Coba, Junpei Tsuji, Leland Mattaeus

Clara Bartlett, Nathan Fisher, Alex Hagen, Kyle Howe, Mallory Martin

WEB TEAM

FEATURE

Webmaster Kirk Crosland

Molly Emmett, Tyler King, Sandra Matsevilo, Frances Nunn, Kinsey White

SPORTS

Maddy Bell, Sarah Debs, Kyle Howe, Pamela London, Sylvie Luiten, Matt Tesmond

OPINION

Philip Cheng, Elizabeth Cole, Blair Frank, Benjamin Roberson, Alfredo Villaseñor

BACKPAGE

Elena Aragon, Cari Cortez, Tabor Martinsen, Dana Thompson

Web Editor Sara Rasmussen

SUBMISSION POLICY

ADVERTISING

Letters to Editor may be submitted to The Pioneer via email at vanderpa@ whitman.edu or sent to The Pioneer, 345 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla, WA, 99362. All submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Saturday prior to the week that they are intended to appear. All submissions must be attributed and may be edited for concision and fluency.

Advertising Manager Phuong Pham

CODE OF ETHICS

Advertising Associate Hannah Bauer

The code of ethics serves as The Pioneer’s established guidelines for the practice of responsible journalism on campus, within reasonable interpretation of the editorial board. These guidelines are subject to constant review and amendment; responsibility for amending the code of ethics is assigned to the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with the editorial board. The code of ethics is reviewed at least once per semester.

For information about advertising in The Pioneer or to purchase a subscription please contact vanderpa@ whitmanpioneer.com.

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NEWS

Dec

01 2011

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Admissions sees increase in transfers by K A R A H K EMMER LY News Editor

arlier this month, the office of admission received a total of 125 Early Decision applications. The admissions office estimates that approximately 115 applications will be completed and reviewed. This is an increase from last year’s 97 completed applications but is still a number fairly consistent with the trend of the last six years. Early decision applicants came from 21 different states, some of which were Ohio, Florida, and Tennessee. About onefifth of the early decision applicants identified as students of color. According to Director of Admission Kevin Dyerly, the applicants are fairly similar to the past six years of Early Decision applicants. “There’s a pretty good spread of students from across the country. The make-up of the pool looks pretty comparable to other years. There are just more applicants than last year,” he said. Dyerly suggests that last year’s low number of applicants could have been due to the economy. “You could look at last year and say that economy was a player. Certainly could have been a factor. But what’s not to say it isn’t a factor this year? It’s hard to point to specific causes other than families feeling the crunch and not wanting the pressure of committing to a school up front,” he said. Though this applicant pool is fairly similar to those in past years, it does contain an anomaly. Within this application pool were 11 transfer

Early decision applications by year

applications. Compared to the number of transfer applications in the last six years, which ranges from zero to five, this number is quite high. Dyerly speculates that the increase in transfer applications is due to the fact that Whitman will not be accepting transfer applications for the Spring 2012 semester. Of these applications, Dyerly predicts that the office of admission will send acceptance letters to between 100-115 students. On average, an incoming class at Whitman is made of 25-30 percent early decision applicants.

2011 97

2006 85

INFOGRAPHIC BY PETERSON

2012 N/A

2006 67

2007 77

2012 115*

Number of Early Decision applications submitted

2007 102

2011 67

Number of accepted Early Decision applications

2008 93

2009 131

2010 100

2009 95

2008 73

2010 123

Dean of Admission, Kevin Dyerly anticipates that of the 125 applications the admission office recieved, 115 of those will be fully complete applications.

New fundraising campaign brings campus together from FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN, page 1

According to Bogley, people donate to the college when they are confident in the education it provides. Bogley said that no matter what profession alumni end up in—business, law, medicine, teaching, the ministry, social services, non-governmental

organizations, governmental organizations—they are well prepared by their time at Whitman. “Whitman people go out and do all those things, and they do them better, we believe, and donors believe, because of the quality of the liberal arts education,” said Bogley. “People give

to Whitman because they believe it’s a change agent for bettering the world in all sorts of ways.” “It gives me enormous pleasure to go and ask people to invest in an institution that’s moving ahead,” said Bridges. “So many institutions, particularly public institutions, are just strugADVERTISEMENT

gling immensely to keep afloat.” Both Bogley and Bridges expressed their confidence for the success of the campaign over the next four years. “Whitman has a very bright future, and this campaign will continue to move us in a direction that will benefit our students,

faculty and our staff,” said Bridges. “It’s all about the people.” The campaign leaders are holding an official kick-off Friday, Dec. 2, in Cordiner Hall at 4 p.m. Students, staff and faculty are all encouraged to come and learn more about the campaign, and what it means for the future of Whitman.

SPORTS

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IMs invite fun, competition by M A DDY BELL Staff Reporter

s most students sat sunken into library couch cushions or quiet room bean-bag chairs the Monday before Thanksgiving Break, Whitman’s intramural dodgeball teams began the first day of their 2011 season in the Sherwood racquet-ball courts. Hearing the smack of rubber on concrete mingled with the shouts of players at war beyond the square glass windows on the racquet-ball court doors, it’s difficult not to want to join in. This playful atmosphere appears to be the allure of all intramural sports at Whitman. “[In IMs it’s a] come one, come all atmosphere. Everyone acknowledges that they’re not the best at that sport, but you approach it in a more funny way,” said junior Molly Esteve, Captain of a Division 2 Dodgeball team called Team Angst and player for this year’s IM football champions, the Effin’ As. IM players dedicate themselves to their sport at the level they see fit. “One guy on our [dodgeball] team watched Youtube to help prepare, and he actually got better,” said Esteve. “For Dodgeball . . . the games can get intense, but no one practices for them. We just show up and throw a ball around,” said senior Eric Tolleson. “One girl’s team even did a voluntary dry season. But mostly we show up to have fun.” There are four or five sports each IM season: football, tennis, soccer and dodgeball in the fall and softball, basketball, frisbee and volleyball in the spring. Many IM athletes will play multiple sports during both sea-

Staff Reporter

artial arts are often only associated with Asian disciplines such as karate and taekwondo, but a lesser-acknowledged Western European tradition is practiced even closer to home than you might think. It’s hard to miss the Whitman Fencing Club beginning a bout under the falling dusk and the spotlights in front of Cordiner on Monday and Thursday nights. The Whitman Fencing Club is not only a club but an educational program whose leaders and members look to maintain and broaden appreciation for their sport on the Whitman campus. “It’s exactly like a school,” said senior and Fencing Club President Kyle Moen about the function of the club. And in practices you learn just what you would in any class: the basics. “My freshman year, the club consisted of two people—graduating seniors—so they passed on their knowledge and a book they used for reference . . . We still use it today. There are moments where we are very academic, reading primary source literature, but then there are the times when we’re playing around with techniques and swords and jackets, but every once in a while we find something that works,” said Moen. With their numbers rising— around twenty members attend regular practices—the Fencing Club is looking forward to accomplishing even broader goals. As president, Moen is not only the liaison between ASWC and his members but between the club and the global fencing community. Moen receives offers from diverse sources, from convention coordinators in Nevada to European martial arts schools, inviting Whitman fencers to learn new fencing styles. “We’re hoping to become a club sport; that is, if we can get the extra funds,” said Moen. There are three levels of rank in the Whitman Fencing Club that serve as what Moen describes as “basic tests of competency.” The ranking system is unique to Whitman fencing. “It’s a way for us to divide peo-

Basketball

Men’s vs. Washington Univsity in St. Lewis Nov. 18 vs. UC Santa Cruz Nov. 19 vs. Chapman University Nov. 25 vs. Cal Lutheran Nov. 26 Women’s vs. Williams College Nov. 19 vs. Tufts University Nov. 20 vs. Northwest University Nov. 23

Loss 65-68 OT Win 68-56 Win 77-64 Win 68-62 Loss 53-56 Win 70-51 Loss 61-64

Swimming

Men’s and Women’s Northwest Invitational Nov. 19-20

3rd both teams

UPCOMING Basketball

Men’s vs. George Fox University Dec. 28 p.m. vs. Lewis & Clark College Dec. 8 p.m. Women’s vs. George Fox University Dec. 2 6 p.m. vs. Lewis & Clark College Dec. 3 6 p.m.

Home Home Home Home

Swimming ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

sons. The captain of the dodgeball team Tendercats, Tolleson has been involved in IM sports since sophomore year and has played eight out of the nine intramural sports available at Whitman. “The first one I played was [football]. Some friends in [my dorm] asked me to play, and I missed it from high school,” said Tolleson. With fees at 2 to 3 dollars per person, these sports are ideal for the Whitties who want to

Growing fencing club lunges to great heights by M A DDY BELL

SCOREBOARD

ple based on their capabilities and gauge their interest in the club,” said third-ranked Captain Eric Schmidt on the ranking system. Every new member, regardless of experience, starts out unranked and moves up in ranking after showing dedication to and improvement in the sport. There are three weapons used in classical Italian fencing: foil, saber and épée. The foil is a lightweight stabbing-practice weapon whose target area is limited to the torso. The saber is a slashing weapon, slightly heavier with a larger handle. Its target area encompasses the whole upper half of the body including arms, head and hands. The épée is the largest sword of the three and has a target area of the entire body. In order to be able to use all three weapons, Whitman Fencing Club members must achieve a second rank within the club. The club’s explorationbased practice is one that attracts many members new to the sport. “Eric, our Captain, is a very good teacher. He makes [new members] feel welcome, and every week they are learning something different, something new. You know you’re not going to be bored and you’re going to be improving,” said second-rank sophomore Beth Levin. In addition to exploration on campus, Whitman’s fencers work to provide new skills for the program in their attendance of 4W—the Western Washington Western Martial Arts Workshop. Besides being a mouthful, 4W is the northwest’s largest Western martial arts training event, attracting martial arts practitioners worldwide. It takes place every two years in Seattle, Wash., and the Whitman Fencing Club is hoping to be able to again send delegates to this fantastic forum of fencing fanatics. “It’s interesting how you can bond with people who hit you with three-foot pieces of steel, but we have a good time with it,” said VicePresident Nina Estep, whose last trip to 4W afforded the club with information on pugilism, a lunge-based attack similar to modern boxing. Kate Seiberlich, a first-year who came into the club this year with no fencing experience, is soon to test into the first rank. “It’s actually a lot of fun. People should try it,” she said.

Fencers hone their skills in the basement of Sherwood. New and experienced fencers are invited to learn the technique and history of the sport. Photo by von Hafften

play for the joy of it. And through playing together, teammates often become long-term friends. “I don’t know how I would have met [a lot of my current friends] outside of IMs. It’s a great networking opportunity among students,” said Tolleson. “It was a section bonding thing our freshman year for football,” said Esteve. “It’s kept us together for the past three years, and it’s kind of fun getting to reunite over throwing balls at each other.”

The fun factor is present for all IM players at Whitman, and the great thing about IM sports is that they are open to every student to enjoy. “The IM Committee is in place to organize the IM sports and make sure it’s accessible for everyone. We’re trying to get on as many listserves as possible so people can know when sign-ups are due and [when games are planned],” said sophomore IM Committee mem-

Men’s and Women’s Husky Invitational Dec. 1-4

Away

ber and IM player Brian Choe. “Playing [intramurals] . . . there’s not the commitment of a varsity sport, but it’s the same feeling and joy that you got in high school or playing sports before,” said Choe on the difference between IM and club or varsity athletics at Whitman. “There’s less time commitment and less pressure, but you still get that thrill of competing. It’s why most people play sports,” said Tolleson.

Remember last year’s whiteout game? 60% of polled Whitties say

is their favorite basketball fan theme. Whitman basketball is back: Get ready.

Profile: Assistant coach Kevin Howard makes new waves in swim program by PA MEL A LONDON Staff Reporter

Profile: Kevin Howard University of Rochester ’11 Current Position: Whitman Assistant Swimming Coach How did you get involved with coaching swimming at Whitman? I was looking for a job in coaching during the summer and used the NCAA coaching site to find the position. I was working as an engineer for a biomedical company, and I wasn’t really happy with it. I’d rather do something I’m happy with. What was your collegiate swimming experience like? I was four-year varsity and a five-time school record holder, except they’re going to be broken soon [Laughs]. I recruited my replacement too soon. [Rochester] was less of a supportive team atmosphere, but it was still something I enjoyed a lot. Favorite moment from your collegiate career? I finished third at conference one year in the 100 backstroke. Also breaking a school record that was older than I was—that was pretty cool. It was set in 1984. I said that this was my favorite swimming memory in an article about our team. The guy whose record I broke sent an email to our coaches and said he was glad this was one of my favorite swimming memories but to “remind [Howard] that I’m still better than he is.” Favorite stroke to swim? Backstroke, hands down. I swam the 100- and 200-meter backstroke and a 200 IM (individual medley). Whatever my team needed me to do, I did. Pre-swim meal? I like to get “garbage plates,” which is a Rochester regional thing. It’s a mac salad with home fries on top with two hamburger patties topped with chili and hot sauce. That was only for afternoon meets. My best-ever dual meet was after I ate one of those on a four-hour bus ride . . . though I wouldn’t suggest it as a meal for right before a meet.

Kevin Howard talks with a swimmer at a meet. Fresh out of the University of Rochester, Howard drove cross-country to arrive Whitman in September. His responsibilities for the team include technique work, coaching workouts and recruiting. Photo by Beck

Could you compete against any of your Whitman swimmers? [Laughs] I swam against (firstyear) Nic Win the other day [in the 50 yard backstroke at the Alumni Meet] and he out-touched me. Everybody made fun of me for taking second. I would have had him, too, if I didn’t mess up my start. What are you looking forward to this season? I’m looking forward to breaking records and going to the NCAA’s. We have a group of swimmers right now who are extremely capable of both. I also have a little bet with my assistant coach at Rochester that we score more points at the NCAA’s than they do, so we have to get there. We don’t have terms yet . . . there will be terms. Maybe I’ll shave his head after he loses. He would look really bad with that. I hear you have a story about your dog and a cross-country road trip . . . My dog and I drove from Massachusets to [Walla Walla] in four days. That’s around 3000 miles. It was clear across the United States. It was a long drive, a lot of driving every day. There’s a lot more farmlands in America than I originally anticipated, but it was good. [My dog] looked like she wanted to kill me half the time, but she made it. What is your favorite non-swimming activity? I’ve gotten really into cy-

cling lately. I ride my bike to work every day. Last summer was my first cycling season. I did a bunch of races in Massachusetts, New York, that region. Cycling’s pretty intense. That transition must have been a little weird. It was interesting—coming from swimming I had really good aerobic shape but it was a really rough transition at first. Turns out you need to do more than just breathe. What’s one activity that you’ve tried and discovered you are really no good at? I didn’t think that I was going to be any good at this, but my girlfriend made me take ballroom dancing classes, and I really am no good. I’m also frustratingly bad at water polo. Just have no coordination. Okay, you’re hypothetically competing in a team medley for an NCAA title: Which leg are you swimming and which three current Whitman swimmers are on your team? I’d be swimming backstroke. [Junior] Paul Chang on the breaststroke, [first-year] Karl Mering on the fly and [senior] Mitchell Lee on the freestyle. That would be if it’s a 200; if it’s a 400 then it would be [sophomore] Galen Sollom-Brotherton on the freestyle. That relay would be a school record holder.

A&E 5 Whitman band explores passion, angst PAGE

Dec

01 2011

by M A LLORY M A RTIN Staff Writer

“F

uck Chastity Belt!” You’d think this would be an insult hurled by a displeased crowd member, but for Whitman’s all-girl rock group Chastity Belt, it’s exactly the opposite. The band has seized this rough, in-yourface catchphrase as its motto. Composed of seniors Julia Shapiro on vocals and guitar, Gretchen Grimm on drums, Annie Truscott on bass and Lydia Lund on guitar, Chastity Belt was originally inspired by the “angsty teens of Walla Walla,” as well as their own personal frustration. “We needed to get out our angst, and we found our form of expression. We were all stressed out working really hard at school,” said Shapiro. “I think we can all agree that we feel much better after practice or a show—or breaking bottles too, that helps.” “I think we just had a bunch of pent-up angst. We started breaking bottles, realized that didn’t cut it and then actually started playing music,” Lund added. “And now we have mu-

sic,” Shapiro continued. “So thats like . . . ” “Our medium of expression,” said Lund. The self-described “postpost-pu n k-merg i ng-i nto -neo punk” band was officially born in the spring of 2009, when the group won BetaFest. However, the girls were playing together for some time before that. “Originally we would just pretend that we were in a band called Chastity Belt. We’d be at a show and we’d start chanting ‘Chastity Belt’ to get the crowd going,” Shapiro said. “Then once [the other band] was done we’d use their instruments, but we didn’t know how to play them. So we’d kind of pretend that we had a song, even though we didn’t.” “Mostly after everyone had left!” said Lund. Chastity Belt no longer has to pretend, and you can check out some of their original music, like “Pussys, Weed and Beer,” and “Teenage Hooligan” at www. soundcloud.com /chastity-belt. Although the seniors are pursuing different interests—Shapiro is a psychology major with an art minor, Grimm is studying

Chastity Belt band members (from right) seniors Lydia Lund, Annie Truscott, Julia Shapiro, and Gretchen Grimm have been unusually quiet this semester, but fans can expect some new music in the spring. Photo by Felt

mathematics, Truscott is a politics major and Lund studies biology, they all agree that music is their true, communal passion. “I think music will be with all of us forever,” said

Shapiro. “We are all very passionate about music.” Fans should keep a close watch on the band next semester. After a stress-filled fall semester, the girls plan to devote

their spring to music and have some new songs out soon. Check out their Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/chastitybeltmusic for information about upcoming concerts and releases.

Industry insiders speak on music business crisis PIO PICKS by CAITLIN H A R DEE A&E Editor

Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights several events happening on campus or in Walla Walla during the weekend. Here are this week’s picks:

Flapjackson Pollock Come to the Fine Arts House for an orgy of expressionist eating. Drizzle syrup on your pancakes, Jackson Pollock-style. Thursday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Fine Arts House.

Techno Party Like cars, beer and having a strong economy? Techno music is just one of the many things Germany does best. Wear things that glow and come dance your heart out.

Friday, Dec. 2, 9 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. German House.

Christmahanakwanzika Come enjoy some multicultural winter festivities! MECCA explores holiday traditions from across the world. Saturday, Dec. 3, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. MECCA.

Songs of Peace and Joy The Whitman College Department of Music presents Songs of Peace and Joy, the Chorale and Chamber Singers Fall Concert. Come hear a selection of beautiful and uplifting seasonal music. Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. Cordiner Hall.

Lucy Volbrechet ‘15 keeps her sense of style thrifty with some European influences. Photo by Beck

STYLE SPOTLIGHT Every week, The Pioneer searches out Whitties who bring an extra splash of fashion consciousness and sartorial daring to campus. This week’s Style Spotlight: First-year religion major Lucy Vollbrecht. Style Soundbites My shoes I found at the local thrift store where I live called Good Cheer—I live on Whidbey Island, which is outside of Seattle. They’re actually a boy’s shoe, and they cost $6 but they’re originally from Nordstrom, so they’re a real find. My pants are corduroy, and they’re from a consignment shop in Seattle called Buffalo Exchange. My shirt is orig-

“I

didn’t invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella.” Spoken by big-time A&R rep character Dennis Hope in “Almost Famous,” these words have resounded throughout the years. Major record labels have historically been seen as safe havens, bastions of wealth and influence, with pockets deep enough to support their artists through patches of rough weather. However, in the midst of the relentless erosion of music industry revenues since the advent of online piracy, the number of big umbrellas just dropped from four to three. On Friday, Nov. 11, it was announced that EMI Music would be acquired by Universal Music Group for $1.9 billion, while EMI Publishing will be absorbed by

Sony for $2.2 billion. Meanwhile, the storms are only getting worse. The Pioneer spoke to a range of industry insiders and music lovers on these developments and their implications for a struggling business. Andrew Harms, music director and DJ at major Seattle radio station 107.7 The End, spoke via email on the record industry’s slow decline. “The recent break-up/sell-off of EMI is further evidence of an industry model struggling to survive,” said Harms. “As one giant falls, the rest are there to scoop up the pieces. Eventually they’ll all be gone because they’ve been either unwilling or unable to adapt to the new reality of the ‘business’ of music.” If the deal passes global antitrust regulators, Universal will control over 40 percent of the music market, sparking complaints from independent labels and their inter-

national coalition, Impala. Electronic musician and owner of Fateless Records Dean de Benedictis discussed the historical conflict between major label monopolies and the interests of smaller labels. “I don’t see [the merger] as being that much different than the monopoly that maybe a handful of them had before that,” said de Benedictis. “Before the internet made music so much more accessible, these companies were actually trying to figure out ways to cut out the independent artists. This was in the late 90s, they were trying to figure out, ‘How do we crowd them out, how do we make more business for ourselves?’ Then when the internet explosion happened, it definitely turned everything upside down. All of a sudden they were losing money and going out of business. They had a new concern: ‘How do we stay in busi-

ness?’ So they left that whole agenda behind because obviously the independent artist was going to suffer anyway. We’re not raking in millions, we’re raking in barely enough to make a living before the internet comes along, and now it’s like we’re knocked out of the game. We have to make it like a well-paying hobby at this point. That goes almost as far up as labels like Sub Pop, which is still considered indie, but that’s famous, their audience is huge. So the way that Sub Pop was, maybe just before Nirvana hit big, is the kind of label that’s being decimated, not even given a chance to get to a certain point where they can make a decent living.”

Read the full article on the web

www.whitmanpioneer.com/arts

Whittie father-son duo heart of Seattle jazz band Pedal to the by A LEX H AGEN CD featured studio musicians Ko- the band’s concerts often take spon- ‘Metals’—Feist rum and Jherek Biscoff on drums taneous turns to keep things exciting. and bass, and the current live line“I have two favorite as- releases perfect f you’ve attended a Coffee- up includes bassist Todd Houghton, pects of performing: improvishouse concert at Reid at some percussionist Jeffrey Moose ing and exploring new ground travel album Staff Writer

point over the past few years, chances are you’ve heard the music of Ranger and the Re-Arrangers, a band founded by violinist Ranger Sciacca ’09 and his father Michael on rhythm guitar. The band last visited Whitman on Friday, Nov. 11. The quintet plays primarily jazz and is composed of mostly stringed instruments, including mandolin, guitar, bass and various percussion instruments. In an email to The Pioneer, Sciacca wrote about the evolution and the style of music they perform. The band was created around the father-son duo, who assembled the other members after recording and releasing a CD born from playing concerts for fun. Their debut inally from Eddie Bauer, but it’s also from the thrift store from my town. The cardigan is, like, remade from an old grandpa sweatshirt, and it’s from a thrift store too. My bracelet is from New Mexico, and it’s a traditional Catholic saints bracelet, and the idea is that you’re supposed to wear it all the time and then when the stickers fall off, then you get to make a wish. My bag is an old camera case that I got from a garage sale in my neighborhood and it used to belong to a good friend of mine who is a wonderful artist. I have a sidecut, which is, like, a new European trend, and I got it this summer in Sweden. I was inspired by one of my best Swedish friends to get it cut this way. I’m really excited about having my hair cut short, because I had long hair for a really long time and I’ve always really felt like I should be a short-hair kind of person. It was really pretty scary and edgy for me to cut it short, and now I feel like I’ve liberated the real me. I think I’ll keep it short for the rest of my life. I think putting an outfit together really isn’t as hard as people make it out to be, but I think the most important thing is color coordination. Right now what I’m wearing is green and red together, which is normally a complete no, but by the color tones, it works just fine, it’s not like total Christmas. I also like texture, cause now I’m wearing cords, and I’m wearing some wool, and I’m also wearing—this is kind of faded, kind of soft and I like that—the leather.

and mandolinist Dave Stewart. “The idea was that since we wouldn’t be able to play regularly anymore, we might have reached our peak, and we wanted to create a record of our music before we got out of practice,” said Sciacca. However, Ranger and the ReArrangers’ touring days are far from over. By Sciacca’s count, the band has played around 100 performances just this year. Most of the time, it sticks to the Puget Sound area, where the ensemble is based. “Our annual show at Whitman is an exception,” said Sciacca. “We just love the chance to visit the school and Walla Walla, and see our friends.” Because it performs so often,

when the band is having a really good night and surprising the audience with a tight arrangement—like suddenly going to halftime, or stopping,” said Sciacca. When describing the band’s music, Sciacca discussed the images and sounds it brings to mind. “I would say that it evokes a gypsy campsite or a Paris café,” he said. “Every song has a lot of energy, whether it’s plain to hear in a joyful swing number or barely subdued beneath the surface in a mournful ballad.” At the moment, the band is playing several concerts in the Seattle area next month, but it probably won’t be too long until you can hear its unique sound for yourself.

One Feet better than two by NATH A N FISHER Staff Writer

ittle baby penguins singing and dancing are only cute for so long. “Happy Feet Two” tries to rekindle the love of the first dancing and singing penguins movie but falls flat like a penguin trying to fly. The main plot of the film follows Mumble (Elijah Wood), now a grown-up, and his son Erik, who, unlike his dad, cannot sing or dance. Similar to the first movie, “Happy Feet Two” takes on the issue of global warming, and as the ice melts, all of the emperor penguins become trapped behind a wall of ice. Animals and humans come together, singing and dancing, to save the penguins but not the movie. Although the movie’s main characters are stale and dull, the smallest creatures, the krill, steal the show. Will the Krill (voiced by Brad Pitt) with his best friend Bill the Krill (voiced by Matt Damon) try to move up the food chain because Will finally wants to “chew on something with a face.” While the krill were my highlight, the krill jokes and entire purpose in the movie seemed haphazard and thrown together. “Happy Feet Two” tries too hard, and the music and dancing simply do not have the same effect as five years ago. A movie that is trying to blend music into the story should not have the best songs be an opera sung by a baby penguin, “We are the Champions” sung briefly by Pitt, and Damon trying to sing “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” Big-name stars try and fail to salvage the film. Robin Williams,

ILLUSTRATION BY BAILEY

reprising the roles of both Lovelace and Ramon, falls flat. Sadly, Lovelace and Ramon sound as if they are both voiced by the same person. Hank Azaria (“The Birdcage”) adds his wonderful voice as the Mighty Sven, a fraudulent puffin who pretends to be a penguin who can fly. Unfortunately, even these talented voice actors are unable to save the movie from crashing. “Happy Feet Two” is admittedly targeted toward the younger demographic, but not even my inner child found much of the movie entertaining except for the krill— they were one in a krillion. Yes, just like the flat krill jokes, goodbye krill world, and goodbye “Happy Feet.”

KWCW SHOW OF THE WEEK

GRAPHIC BY ALDEN

by CL A R A BA RTLET T Staff Writer

his past summer, I went to visit my aunt in Wyoming. I was really excited to 1.) travel alone, 2.) sit in a window seat and 3.) listen to a fantastic playlist (in which I had invested a disproportionate amount of time). As I settled into my seat, awaiting departure, I pulled out my iPhone only to realize I had never downloaded the playlist. Indulging in disappointment, I ended up listening to angry music as a strange selfinflicted punishment for my forgetfulness. It was a miserable flight. Take it from me—the next time you’re building your preflight checklist, find a place between “toothbrush” and “phone charger” for “good travel music.” Which brings me to Feist. On Oct. 4, Canadian indie-pop-rock goddess Feist released her first record since her extremely successful breakout album of 2007, The Reminder, which included popular hits like “I Feel It All” and “1234.” The new album, Metals, is a lot darker and more reflective in its lyrics, instrumentation and mood. The light pop gestures take a backseat to comtemplative exploration—it’s unlikely that many of these songs would show up in an iPod commercial. While not every song is a readyfor-radio earworm, the album is definitely worth a listen, especially if you wish to hear an arrangement of songs in an album with a collective movement and purpose. It’s the perfect travel album; you can listen to Metals in its entirety without the bother of anticipating your next desired tune while the inner music journey reflects the outer. Whether you find yourself on a car ride home with friends or family or awaiting your departure at the Pasco airport, allow Feist to narrate your travels—and don’t forget to sync your devices beforehand.

‘The Art of Metal’ Ziggy Sawdust storms the airwaves after Midnight Monsoon with two hours of hardcore jams to meet your metal needs. German metal, death metal, industrial, grindcore—it’s all here. Show Monday how you really feel about it. Mondays, 12 a.m. - 2 a.m. On the dial at 90.5 FM Walla Walla and streaming live at www.kwcw.net. For requests, call (509) 527-5283.

FEATURE

Dec

01 2011

PAGE

STUDENTS PLAY PUNDIT

WEIGHING IN ON CAMPAIGN SEASON * More thoughts on info-tainment, international news

Full article online at www.whitmanpioneer.com

,, ,, ,,

Newt Gingrich believes the Federal Reserve should be audited. He would like to shrink the federal Department of Education and is against the super-committee that has been formed to cut the deficit. He is against cutting defense spending and would repeal Obama’s health care plan.

WHERE WHITTIES GET THEIR NEWS by MOLLY EMMETT Staff Reporter

“I think Gingrich embodies much of what is wrong with Neo-Con philosophy. They claim to want to promote democracy around the world at any cost, but in doing so they trample over the rights of many of the individuals they claim they are protecting.” Shane Young, ‘13 Michele Bachmann proposed the Lightbulb Freedom of Choice Act. She is against cap and trade, promises to only serve one term as President, and believes separation of church and state in the Constitution has been misinterpreted.

“I definitely want to send Michele an atlas. I wonder if she’d accept it. I mean, maybe I should send her five —she doesn’t know where Libya is. It’s in Africa!” Mehera Nori, ‘12

Rick Perry that he can of federal elected, he

points to his work as governor of Texas as evidence balance a budget. He believes in reducing the influence government and has promised Americans that, if will “make Washington inconsequential in your lives.”

by T Y LER KING Staff Reporter ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON

“I agree with many of his fiscal policies and how he’s been able to keep the Texas budget generally pretty balanced and, kind of along those lines, promoting business both big and small within the state. However, I disagree with him on many of his social issues, especially abortion and gay marriage.” Lindsay Fairchild, ‘13

Herman Cain proposes a 9-9-9 plan: nine percent personal income tax, nine percent sales tax and nine percent corporate income tax. He believes that the government doesnt create jobs—businesses do. “The thought of, you know, electing someone who is so pro-business scares me.” Leah Siegel, ‘14

I think [Stewart’s and Colbert’s shows] are popular because they mix humor and politics. Carolyn Hart, '12

On a campus of mainly liberal young adults, one type of news source that comes to mind is late-night talk shows like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with John Stewart. An alternative to the nightly news reports aired by channels like ABC, FOX and MSNBC, these parodies are what senior Carolyn Hart calls “info-tainment.”

I get magazines because I think it’s important to read long-form journalism. Carolyn Hart, ‘12

Traditional newspaper and magazine coverage is often the most accessible. Whether online or in print, some students regularly check The New York Times headlines or subscribe to weekly magazines like The Economist or Newsweek. Not only do these sources have reputations for breadth of coverage, they also provide options for more depth.

American journalism is not the best. I often have to go elsewhere to look stuff up.

Although he introduced a health care plan as governor of Massachusetts that inspired Obama’s plan, Mitt Romney claims that his plan was intended for the state level and not a national model. He wants to cap government spending as a percentage of GDP. “I don’t mind his Mormon religion and I think way too much is being made of it.” Joe Sims, ‘14

Simi Singh, '12

Stations like National Public Radio and shows like “DemocracyNow!: The War and Peace Report” provide listeners with segments on a variety of news in a straightforward manner. Both news outlets are independent and promote a more global focus than other sources.

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OPINION 7 War against censorship: Never surrender PAGE

Dec

01 2011

PETER CHEN Senior

never had convenient access to Twitter, Facebook or Youtube for nearly two years before I came to Whitman College this fall. To access these websites, I had to use a special software called “FreeU,” and even though I could open website pages, sending a comment and video would take forever because it takes a long time to climb over the Great Fire Wall (GFW). The GFW is a powerful tool called for by the Chinese government and invented in 1998. Since then, the Chinese government has been using the GFW to monitor and filter information on the internet. Any anti-government or anti-communism content is interfered with and blocked. There are many ways the GFW operates to censor the internet: filtering and redirecting DNS, blocking IP addresses, filtering URLs, resetting

connections and filtering packets. The Chinese government limits people’s access to the internet because it worries that full exposure to information will affect its goal of building a harmonious society and cause social disorder. In July 2009, Facebook was banned in China because it contained anti-China content. The Chinese government wanted to ban access to this kind of information in order to reduce citizens’ chances of questioning national policies on political issues such as Taiwan and Tibet. Due to the internet censorship, lots of people have not been able to get access to these websites when they want to. No matter how strong the GFW is, however, some people still find ways to climb over it and get access to the information they want. In Chinese, this is called “fan qiang” (climbing over the wall). There are lots of ways to climb over the GFW. The first thing people tried was changing the IP addresses on their computers to escape from the censoring of the GFW. This method worked for a fairly long time. The developers of GFW, at the same time, worked to update it to face all these rebellious actions. When this method no longer worked, people also tried to use proxy websites which could re-

ILLUSTRATION BY BOWEN

Twitter, Facebook break illusion of understanding

direct the website links to be opened on another internet server. Proxy software, similar to proxy websites, climbs over the GFW by relocating IP address and redirecting websites to be opened on other internet servers. However, proxy software does not work all the time due to the constant updates of the GFW. Of course, the developers of proxy software also release updated versions every month to cope with the updating of the GFW. FreeU helped me to get access to most of the censored websites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, even though sometimes it takes a really long time to open them. The Chinese government banned these websites due to political concerns and in order to achieve its political goal: keeping the society stable. However, even though it succeeds in building a harmonious society in this way, the harmony will be broken one day when people find out the truth. I think a truly strong nation will never be afraid of letting its people hear different opinions, sometimes even anti-government content. Moreover, it should trust everyone’s ability to make judgments about what they hear and see. If no trust is put in the people, a country will never be really strong; it will only seem strong.

Political Cartoon by Kelly Douglas

be the richest man in the world.” one but yourself. This bias gives ALFREDO The grossness aside, when I us the idea that we can use a few VILLASEÑOR first read this tweet from Gaiman, words to encompass someone’s

Junior

ith the intent of broadening my knowledge of social networking sites, I recently decided to get my very own Twitter account. I’ve been following writers, comedians, hacker groups, news organizations and the queen of England, trying to get some insight into the thoughts and workings of today’s internet-goers. But despite my ethnographic aims, Twitter has left me just as clueless about people as I was before. Here’s a recent tweet by a sick Neil Gaiman that I feel sums up the bafflement brought on by Twitter: “If horrible brownygreen snotgunk was incredibly valuable and rare, I would

I couldn’t help but scrunch my eyebrows and scratch my head about it because this man had nothing in common with the favorite author I had so long imagined. Before, my image of him was of a lonely, abstinent man living in a basement, writing strange and horrific stories and occasionally going out at night for mischief and inspiration. To think that he could have a wife, three kids, two dogs and a house in Minnesota—or that he could have the downtime to post something mundane on the internet! His tweets taught me that there was an embarrassing lot of stuff that I didn’t know about him or anyone else for that matter. It turns out that I was (or am) suffering from a cognitive bias called the illusion of asymmetric insight. It’s the condition of thinking that you understand people a lot better than they understand you, and it results in a tendency to categorize everyone—every-

Voices from the Community What is your favorite band that you think no one has ever heard of? Poll by Jacobson

CHRISTOPHER FARLEY

JACOB WRIGHT

Sophomore

personality, having as little information as that from a single observation. Whether it’s their major, religious beliefs or frat house, there are as many labels that we’ve assigned as there are people we know, yet we never think of ourselves as belonging to any of those labels. Even if a label fits you, you don’t have it define you the way you have it define someone else because you know that there’s more to you than that. We are the complex and mysterious outside observers while everyone else is so neatly sorted out into our thought-up classifications. A twist to the illusion is the way social networking sites have magnified it by letting us project the bits about ourselves that we want people to see. We’re not drawn to sites like Facebook just because we want to keep in touch with friends; we’re also very interested in giving everyone a show, a portrait of ourselves that is satisfying. As a result, we take in the information that’s been put up, and we come up with classifications for everyone. Then all of a sudden we think we’re experts on the people we’ve observed, knowing that whatever information they have on us hasn’t even scratched the surface. So it’s a bias that everyone has, and it probably makes our social interactions easier. I would think that if we didn’t have it, we’d have to recite a whole person’s biography in our heads every time we’d bump into that person. But it’s also a big part of what makes us very good at belittling people, very good at forgetting the depth that every mind possesses. Whether it’s an evolutionary adaptation that promotes competition or the price of being sentient, or both, I don’t really know, and I don’t think we can fix it, either. But why does everything need a solution? I think it would be just fine to look into someone’s eyes and remember that this person is, in fact, a giant, an ocean of thoughts and secrets.

Whitman offers separate life ELIZABETH COLE First-year

eaving for college has subjected me to a plethora of new experiences, but the one I was arguably least prepared for was the incessant deluge of “hellos” and “goodbyes.” The past 18 years of my life have been rather consistent, the people and things I am most familiar with tending not to subject me to abandonment, nor I them. Before these past three months, the longest amount of time I had spent away from my twin sister was a week when she went to Girl Scout Camp in the summer of our ninthgrade year. My mom went on vacation with a friend to Italy one summer and I missed her for 10 days. My dad would go on the occasional Boy Scout trip and I wouldn’t see him for a weekend. But close friends had always stayed in town, and I was never far from my family if I needed them. I was not practiced

“Hmm . . . I’ll play the small-time singer-songwriter card: Charlie Sutton.”

“Wolfgang Gartner is a German dubstep house music artist I listen to. I also listen to a techno band called ‘Oceanlab’.”

YIFAN YANG

CORINNE PINGUL

Junior

Sophomore

UNPRETENTIOUS SANDWICHES a place to eat Monday-Saturday 10-7:30 Sunday 10-3:30 522-9991

“May Day is my favorite band; we call them the ‘Chinese Beatles.’”

“The Coats—they are an a capella group, maybe out of Seattle.”

in the art of leaving or of being left. Because of this lack of experience, I am still surprised to find how I react when confronted with situations that require me to reacquaint myself with the people I have left behind and to say goodbye to them once again. I am still learning which people and which things I miss most about home. Before leaving, for instance, I would not have suspected that the activities I would miss the most would be among the most ordinary of my existence: riding in cars, sleeping in my own bed, cooking a real meal, even helping with chores I am not subject to at school. What I find most strange about returning home is how easily I slip back into my old environment even though it has changed since we’ve last shared company. There is almost a sense of melancholy that accompanies the realization that your neighbors have repainted their house or that a new building has been built in town. Things have not come to a halt because I have left; they have gotten along just fine without me. I was never entirely essential to the function of the town, and yet I blend back in effortlessly upon my return. Being away has changed the connotation of words I never thought twice about. Saying goodbye could be for the night, for a week or for three more months. The ache of missing people is the same when you are across town as it is when you are 800 miles apart. What surprises me most, however, about my newfound comings and goings is how comfortable I am with being away. I still miss people terribly, but the environment I have established at Whitman is one that can, in many ways, stand as a substitute for the place I have left behind. Leaving for school has added a duality to my life with which I have never before been familiar. There are now two locations— two communities of people—that I am happy to call home. And though I would not wish to live without either, though while I am at school I still long to visit with people back in California and to patronize the places I frequent when I am home, the short amount of time I am able to spend with my family and my hometown makes me appreciate them more than I ever have before. Saying hello again is still the most euphoric of experiences, and saying goodbye just as difficult as the first. But never before have the vineyards that line the hillsides of the Napa Valley looked so beautiful to my eyes, and never have I had a better vacation than upon returning home.

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Dec

01 2011

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THE ISSUE OF INEQUALITY The Whitman Inequality Map

collegegirl08 Molly Buchanan can’t decide where to go abroad, France or Morocco? #firstworldproblems treregdfg Curtis Durand had to have diet pepsi with my dinner because they didn’t have diet coke wahhhhhhhhh #firstworldproblems whittie4lyfe Hugo Heikes it started to rain while i was wearing my toms, gross! #first(andthird) worldproblems iloveshopping Anita Radics got a hole in my lulus, what will i wear?#firstworldproblems ttebow Timothy Tebow waffle machine wasn’t working at brunch, i had to eat pancakes...booooo #firstworldproblems sportygirl3 Marcia Howard my house is so far away! it’s like a 10 minute walk to class #firstworldproblems carsmoneyhoes Trent Johnson I’m only making minimum wage #firstworldproblems ironwoman99 Harriet McBride pool’s closed, i guess i have to work out in the gym. ugh #firstworldproblems lonelyboy Dirk Philips can’t decide where to take my girlfriend for our anniversary, saffron or olive? #firstworldproblems

When I’m walking around campus, I’ve got prospies coming up to me, saying, “You have so many different kinds of inequality on campus. How can I tell which are socially acceptable and which are not?” Well, I am always here to help prospies (and to awkwardly stare at those touring groups on my way to class, whispering, come to Whitman . . . ), so here is Whitman’s own Inequality Map: 1. Inequality of outdoorsy-ness is acceptable. It is totally fine to brag shamelessly about your various and sundry kayaking, rock climbing and backpacking excursions to pasty couch potatoes. 2. Major inequality is not socially acceptable. It is not okay for a BBMB major to literally OR metaphorically spit in the face of a humanities major or vice versa. We like to think we all work pretty hard here. Let’s not look too hard at this. Egos are at stake here. 3. Hometown inequality is socially acceptable. Regardless of where you are from, it is highly recommended that you talk about it as much as possible to prove to other students how uniquely awesome your hometown is because, eventually, they will surely come to agree with you. 4. Political activism inequality is questionable. On one hand, it is socially acceptable to wave signs and pass petitions in protest, but if you take it too far, you will likely be protested. 5. Eating location inequality is socially acceptable. Feel free to flaunt your easy Prentiss access to Jewetters, Lymen and women, and Northies, knowing full well that they resent you for it. 6. Eating habit inequality is not socially acceptable. It is not okay to look down on others simply because they eat meat and you haven’t ingested anything cut from, produced with or secreted by animals in eight months. We walk a fine line of politeness here at Whitman. Know your inequality map.

goofsjr Henry Goofs, Jr. went to the midnight showing of breaking dawn, too tired to work #firstworldproblems pthompson45 Patrick Thompson iphone broke, have to use my mom’s old blackberry :( #firstworldproblems Lordvoldemort7 Conrad LeBoeuf don’t have my soccer cleats, guess i have to wear regular tennis shoes for our im game today #firstworldproblems chadbroskii Chadwick Brostoevsky my sister just offered me a bowl.................................of cereal :( #firstworldproblems jesslovesbeiber Jessica Loves-Bieber bradley cooper as the sexiest man alive!?!?!?! fuck that!! BIEBER FOREVER #firstworldproblems hottiewithabody Michelle Barrett my mom overcooked our tofurkey this year. #firstworldproblems tvmanic Victor Sarnoff glee sucks this season #firstworldproblems ILLUSTRATION BY VA ZQ U E Z

The Whitman Inequality Quiz 1) 3 > 5.

TRUE or FALSE

2) 4 B’s > 1 A. 3) 8 hrs of sleep > 8 hrs of Harry Potter books on tape.

TRUE or FALSE

4) 3-hr Chem Lab > 30 min. of “Days of Our Lives.”

TRUE or FALSE

5) 1 real friend > 100 Facebook friends that you don’t know.

TRUE or FALSE

6) 1 Prentiss meal > 100 jEWWett meals.

TRUE or FALSE

7) 4 min. with a kitten that is wearing socks > 4 hrs with a cute guy.

TRUE or FALSE

8) Men’s sports > Women’s sports.

TRUE or FALSE

Comic by Emily“Backpage” Johnson

Noises from the Community WANG HAO First-year

GERFRIED WETZELHOPPESON

What did you do over Thanksgiving Break that is far superior to anything your peers who went home got to do?

MARY HANSFORD

ERIK VALDEZ

Senior

Sophomore

First-year

“My RD bought us some dank pizza one night. Ate, like, eight slices. That was pretty intimate and cozy.”

“I became accustomed to actually being able to study all day until last Saturday night, when the decibel volumes slowly began rising to their usual levels.”

“All my housemates were gone, finally got to walk around naked again”

“Got to kick it with George Bridges. Yeah, you jelly.”