Whitman Pioneer Fall 2011 Issue 4

Blogging Whitman

Revolutionary art meets recycling

From food to art, Whitman students explore their passions through online media

Whitman alum Mark Anderson’s journey to create the Walla Walla Foundry and its latest art installation

volume cxxix

page 9

page 5

SEP

www.whitmanpioneer.com | Whitman news

The average Whitman financial aid package for the 2010-11 school year.

Eighty percent of students received financial aid of one kind or another.

13%: Pell grants

4

since 1896 | Walla Walla, Washington

The average Whitman financial aid package has adjusted to reflect the changing economic reality of the past four years.

19%: both need and merit based aid

45%: need-based aid

$27,772

19%: merit aid only 20%: no aid

Source: Whitman Office of Financial Aid Infographics by Berfield and Hendershot

2008

2009

2010

$30,256

$32,062

2011

$29,426

29

ISSUE

2011

Financial aid: Whitties won’t stay if Whitman can’t pay

by SHELLY LE News Editor

T

he Whitman Financial Aid Office prides itself on striving to provide access to a wide group of students. Unfortunately, a number of students are missing from campus this year due to increasing tuition costs and individual decreased financial aid.

Although the percentage of students who have received needbased aid has increased year after year and the total amount in scholarship expenditures that Whitman gave this year is the highest it’s been in the past three years, students and their families are finding it more difficult to justify financing an education at Whitman.

Former Whitman student Troy

Cameron attended Whitman as a first-year on a scholarship last year.

For his family, the cost to attend Whitman was high, but they managed with the help of financial aid.

“Last year I received . . . about $27,000 [in scholarship], had work study opportunities and took on two loans. This turned out to be manageable with my parents paying maybe $17,000 out-of-pocket,” he said.

However, when Cameron received his aid for the 2011-2012 academic year this summer, he was shocked. “[This year’s aid] was a whole different story. My scholarship was cut to a measly $9,000, the work study was gone, as was one of the loan options. This left my family with roughly 42,000 grand to pony up for one year alone; and I had two

more to come afterwards,” he said.

Cameron said that when he contacted the Financial Aid Office, he was told that because his family’s income had slightly increased and because his brother was no longer in school, his family had more capacity to support him.

“In their minds, that effectively more than doubled what we should pay. Except that my brother’s schooling cost maybe $500 for the year,” he said.

Cameron decided not to return to Whitman after realizing how many loans he and his family would have to take on to finance his Whitman education.

“We really had to sit down and consider what a Whitman College education was worth. In the end it certainly was not worth

destroying our financial lives for my little self-contained liberal arts experience,” he said.

According to Director of Financial Aid Marilyn Ponti, every single family’s financial aid package is unique and is tailored to each family’s needs.

“When we look at a family’s situation, we look at the whole family’s situation, we look at living costs, but we also have to look at total income,” Ponti said. “There are many factors that change and play into it.

Ponti notes that Whitman’s retention rate, which is 94.7 percent, is the highest it’s been in the past five years. She hopes that it’s a reflection of students’ satisfaction in their financial aid.

“We hope that that’s a reflec-

tion that the financial aid is sufficient for them and they’re able to come back because there’s not financial issues,” Ponti said.

Katie Hudson, a former Whitman student, disagrees.

“That may be true for the general population, but as an individual I wasn’t satisfied with the amount of aid given to me,” she said.

Like Cameron, Hudson attended Whitman as a first-year and decided not to return because of decreased financial aid. According to Hudson, her family found a lack of response from the Financial Aid Office towards her need.

“My family was in shock about how little Whitman seemed to care about me,” she said.

see FINANCIAL AID, page 2

Conservatives discuss ‘right’ to speak on liberal campus

by EMILY LIN-JONES Staff Reporter

I

WEB hosts second-annual Lifeboat event Visiting Assistant Professor of English Juan Martinez, Assistant Professor of Astronomy Nathaniel Paust ’98, Assistant Professor of English Chris Leise and Professor of Forensics Jim Hanson debated which of them the audience should select for a coveted spot on a hypothetical lifeboat. Last year’s winner Keith Farrington (top left) acted as moderator; Paust (right) was the victor. Photos by Hendershot

t’s no secret that Whitman is an overwhelmingly liberal campus. Liberal viewpoints are so prevalent within the student body that it is difficult to pinpoint any real conservative population within the larger whole. Though right-leaning students exist, many are hesitant to be open about their views.

“It can be really scary to come out and say [you’re conservative],” said senior Bryant Fong, a registered Republican and former Opinion writer for The Pioneer. “I know a kid that was pretty conservative and ended up transferring out of this school. It gets that scary.”

Fong faced difficulties as the lone conservative voice at The Pioneer, including the controversy caused by an article he wrote advocating support for the U.S. military.

“I got really slandered for it. I had a whole bunch of difficulty trying to get it published,” Fong said.

He noted that his experience as a public conservative on campus had both ups and downs.

“I don’t want to shove anything down anyone’s throats, but it’s nice to have a refreshing perspective once in a while. I know I’ve been targeted as that perspective before, which is sometimes annoying and sometimes cool. It stimulates discussion, which is a good thing.”

Other students agreed that the large number of liberals on campus can discourage conservatives from expressing their opinions.

“It’s just intimidating sometimes. I don’t think it’s an active seek-and-destroy type of thing—it’s just part of the atmosphere on campus. I don’t blame anybody for it; it’s just the way it is,” said senior Kyle Moen.

Moen described himself as having libertarian views. In spite of the intimidation factor, Moen testified that his experience as a conservative at Whitman has been far from negative. see CONSERVATIVES, page 4

Academic suggestions, finances prompt changes in off-campus studies

by ALLISON WORK Staff Reporter

F

or many students, the study abroad experience is one of the most important parts of their Whitman experience. In fact, nearly half of Whitman juniors studied abroad during 20092010. This increase of study abroad students is reflected in the decision of the Off-Campus Studies Office to expand their study abroad program beginning in the fall of 2013 to better serve the needs of students and the College.

“Whitman has been, for a long time, very committed to study abroad and off-campus studies,” said Susan Holme Brick, director of off-campus studies. “We’ve provided a lot of institutional support for it.”

The study abroad office at

Whitman was first created in 1994, and since then, the proportion of students studying abroad for a semester or a year in their junior year has increased dramatically.

While the opportunities currently in place for students are plentiful and varied - with 44 study abroad programs in 23 countries the overhaul of the system aims to increase the number of options.

“One of the goals of this transition is to have more advice from the academic departments about where they prefer students in their major to go study off-campus and to convey that to students in a consistent manner,” said Brick. “Along with that, we’re going to be expanding our Partner Program list. . . our goal is to have maybe 60 or 70 on the list [of study abroad programs] that will be available

to students starting fall 2013.”

The change stems from two larger goals. The first is to more closely align the study abroad options with Whitman majors.

“In spring of 2010 we had an external review team come in,” said Brick. “A number of offices and departments on campus have had reviewers come in from other colleges and give us ideas from their institutions and give us assessments.”

According to Brick, the results of the review suggested that the college more effectively tie in study abroad with Whitman majors, so students don’t see studying abroad as time away from Whitman with an entirely separate academic experience. The Office of Off-Campus Studies will be working more closely with faculty to find high-

quality programs that are recommended for specific majors.

“We’ve always gotten input from the faculty and departments here,” said Brick.

However, they’re now hoping to have a list of several programs that are especially compatible with specific majors. It won’t be a restrictive list and students can still choose to go where they want with a large degree of freedom, but it will make it easier for students to see where their professors suggest they go abroad.

The change has also stemmed from financial constraints.. Whitman has always subsidized study abroad options, but the college cannot keep up financially in this day.

“The reality is that most private liberal arts colleges have embraced what’s called the home tu-

ition model,” said Brick. “Students can continue to enjoy the benefits of using our home campus need-based and merit scholarships and apply the credit to their Whitman degree, but for that opportunity they pay the home campus tuition.”

Although Whitman tuition will be charged for all programs beginning in the fall of 2013, financial aid will be calculated off the total cost for each student.

“We’ll charge Whitman tuition in place of the program tuition and then students will pay local or program room and board and local airfare,” said Brick. “Their need-based aid and merit scholarships, their whole package, would be based on that total amount, even if it’s higher than Whitman.” see OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES, page 2

Special Feature

Sports

Gendered lens

SPORTS, PAGE 8

SPORTS, PAGE 7

OPINION, PAGE 11

A look at the dramatic history of football at Whitman College

Swim alum and volunteer coach Jamie Kennedy ’96 gives back to Whitman

Four student columnists contribute their perspectives on feminism and female empowerment at Whitman

NEWS

Sep

29 2011

PAGE

2

Whitman College bookstore goes bagless

by SHELLY LE News Editor

A

ssociated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) recently passed a resolution to turn Whitman’s bookstore plastic “bagless.” The resolution was made in an effort to make Whitman a more environmentally conscious campus.

Senior ASWC Senator Zach Duffy collaborated with Sustainability Coordinators seniors Lauren McCullough and Katie Radosevic to create a plan that would encourage the Whitman bookstore to use fewer plastic bags, while still making the bookstore accommodating to visitors and students who don’t have any other

means of carrying their purchases.

“I figured that since we are a college that prides ourselves on environmental sustainability it would make sense if we stopped handing [plastic bags] out and thought about what the environmental implications of that would be,” Duffy said.

With the new resolution the bookstore will no longer offer plastic bags with each purchase, but will still be available at the bookstore upon request. ASWC supports a 30 cent suggested donation per bag, which will then be placed in ASWC’s Green Fund, which provides funding for environmental student initiatives.

“It’s doing something green to pay back for other green projects,” said Duffy.

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS by shelly le News Editor

$135,000 Median amount of debt with which the average student attending private medical school graduates

$1,761 Monthly payment on a debt of $150,000 at the end of a medical student’s residency at an interest rate of 2.8 percent

80

ILLUSTRATION BY LOOS-DIALLO

The average hours a resident works in a week

Visiting midnight bagpiper blows through campus

by MOLLY JOHANSON Staff Reporter

O

n the evening of Saturday, Sept. 24, the sound of bagpipes marched its way through campus.

“It was a very surreal moment,” said sophomore Lydia Bailey. “I couldn’t tell where it was coming from or if it was live or recorded. I really appreciated it.”

The origin of the music was Danny Hale, an amateur bagpiper who visited campus as an umpire for this weekend’s tennis tournament. Hale decided to practice bagpiping in his evening off hours.

Hale’s bagpiping attracted quite a crowd, and Hale amiably answered questions from

bystanders. He even gave his surrounding audience on Sunday night a quick lesson about reeds and drones. The reeds are what the air blows through in order to make sound, and they can be adjusted looser or tighter.

The drone reeds, extra pipes that make the droning background sound, are made of plastic.

When Hale needed to tighten a drone reed to achieve a better sound, a Whitman security guard who had stopped to listen offered his flashlight. According to Hale, the weather was just a little too humid, so the reeds were suffering.

For 11 years Hale played snare drum and managed the Tri-Cities-based Desert Thistle Pipe band. This last year he switched over to bagpipes to accommodate the decreasing num-

ber of bagpipe players. According to Hale, there are only about 11 bagpipers in the band.

“People are dwindling, so that’s why I’m switching over [to bagpipes],” said Hale. “I figure another 25 years and I’ll have it down.”

When asked about his Scottish heritage, Hale jokingly replied that he was “just a wee bit” Scottish.

The security guard said that as long as he didn’t get any complaints, Hale could continue playing. However, not everyone was enamored with the bagpiping.

“If it was in the daytime I’d be okay with it,” said sophomore Melina Hughes, who was distracted by the playing.

Many others, however, enjoyed the quirky musical interlude to their evening.

$186,044

“I thought it was a fun and quirky interruption of what’s normally a pretty routine walk home for me,” said Anastasia Zamkinos, resident director of the IHC, in an email. “The bagpipes were surprising and therefore made me pay more attention to the sounds and sights of campus at night than I have in a long time, and that ended up contributing to a few moments of appreciation and peacefulness that I’m really grateful for.”

Sophomore Ivana Vukovic also enjoyed the music.

“I was stressed that night, so it was refreshing to hear something as random as bagpipe music,” she said.

Hale’s parting words on Sunday evening were cheery and hopeful: “See you next year. I’ll be better then!”

Average annual wages of general practictioners

21%

Amount of the U.S. federal budget spent on Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in 2010

11.9%

Amount of the Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) spent on healthcare

78 million The number of people expected to be on Medicare in 2030.

Aid ebbs, students put off Off-campus opportunities grow from FINANCIAL AID, page 1

Students whose parents own real estate or a business have found themselves hit particularly hard by the recent trends of the economy. Sophomore Julian Hayward, whose financial aid was affected by his family business income increase, cites the fact that the office doesn’t take into account net income in accounting for his decreased aid. Hayward’s family additionally lost a source of income.

Net income versus gross income is the amount business owners gain from their business after all costs such as depreciation, interest and taxes.

“They only took into account our gross income and had a specific allowance for other expenses, but aside from that they didn’t look at our net income,” Hayward said.

“Since my family owns a business, that involves a gigantic amount of overhead, so our net income is a lot smaller than they calculate.”

Hayward is planning on leaving after this semester to attend San Francisco State University where his federal financial aid can help subsidize the lower cost of education.

Dean of Admission Tony Cabasco noted that the office strives to meet every family’s needs, but they cannot always meet 100 percent of a student’s needs.

“There will be individual cases where some families will strug-

gle for one reason or another, and in many cases we may be able to help those families, and some we may not be able to help out although I’m sure they may feel some financial need,” Cabasco said. “We do calculate gross income, but we subtract from there taxes and other measures.”

Ponti further emphasized that the Financial Aid Office aims to graduate everyone and provide the means for students to attend four full years at Whitman.

“With the economy the way it is right now, we have helped a lot of families, but we also have had to ensure that we as an institution are fiscally responsible by making sure our budget is balanced,” she said. “We try to treat everyone the same, based on the data that we’ve looked at.”

Although Hudson is frustrated with the the financial aid she received this year from the Office of Financial Aid, she says she would return if she had the means to return.

“I love Whitman, but I don’t think it’s worth that much without financial aid,” she said.

Cameron feels similarly. Although he can no longer afford to attend Whitman, he hopes that he can find a different educational experience outside of Whitman at a more affordable price.

“There’s much more real-world experience to be found and at a much more reasonable price outside of the Whitman bubble,” he said.

the entire list if it’s more expensive to go one place over another.”

“It’s nice to have options,” said first-year Audrey Kelly.

While not all from the class of 2015 know specifically where they’re interested in studying abroad, they know it is something that they’ll be looking into in the future.

“I’m absolutely interested in studying abroad,” said firstyear Annie Sirski. “I’ve wanted to [study abroad] since I was five.”

Brick suggests any student curious about the program changes or the study abroad process take a look at their office’s website and click on the class-specific red and blue buttons to find out more.

“Study abroad and off-campus studies is really important to us and we think it’s a very valuable part of students’ education,” said Brick. “We wish every student participated, and so we’re willing to provide that support.”

from OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES, page 1

Students looking to study abroad before 2013 won’t have the options available to students in the class of 2015 and beyond, but are still excited about the prospect of studying away.

“For me, if the partner programs included a wider array of theater programs, that would have been nice,” said junior Jeremy Kotler, who has applied to study this spring in England with the British American Drama Academy. “Having had the opportunity to look at more options might have been neat.”

The class of 2015 is the first class that will be directly impacted by the change, since most students choose to study abroad their junior year.

“I think it’s a good idea they’re expanding the list of countries,” said first-year Nate Higby. “My only concern is that we wouldn’t utilize

2%

Amount of the U.S. federal budget spent on scientific and medical research in 2010.

SOURCES: FORBES MAGAZINE, THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES, THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE NY TIMES, THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INFORMATION

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 3 In the article “Soccer men intend to dominate weekend of competition, take top spot in NW Conference” on page 5, Dhavan Vengadasalam’s name was misspelled.

The Feature section article on page 6 should be credited to Sandra Matsevilo, Frannie Nunn and Kinsey White.

In the “Voices from the Community” segment on page 7, Fritz Siegert’s name was misspelled.

Whitman tuition will replace study abroad tuition starting 2013 A sampling of popular off-campus studies programs and their 2010-2011 costs, as listed on the off-campus studies office webpage. In 2013, all programs costs will be replaced by the cost of Whitman tuition.

Financial aid will continue to transfer.

FIFE, SCOTLAND $14,072

ADVERTISEMENT WHITMAN COLLEGE TUITION $20,090

PHILADELPHIA, USA $13,430

GALWAY, IRELAND LONDON, $17,675 ENGLAND $18,495

PARIS,

FRANCE $18,355

BEIJING, CHINA $13,965

MADRID, SPAIN $11,800 DELHI, INDIA $17,552

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA $18,375 DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND $11,970

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA $13,475 INFOGRAPHIC BY PATTEN

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

WRITING

BUSINESS

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, Madison 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 Feature Editors Alyssa Fairbanks Kelsey Kennedy Sports Editor Libby Arnosti Opinion Editor Kyle Seasly Humor Editor Adam Brayton Photography Editor Ethan Parrish Illustration Editor Binta Loos-Diallo

Chief Copy Editor Gillian Frew Copy Editors Aleida Fernandez, Marisa Ikert, Erik Larson

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

ILLUSTRATION Alex Bailey, MaryAnne Bowen, Kelly Douglas, Emily Johnson, Julie Peterson, Jung Song, Eduardo Vazquez

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

A&E

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

Clara Bartlett, Nathan Fisher, Alex Hagen, Mallory Martin

WEB

FEATURE

Webmaster Kirk Crosland

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

SPORTS

Kyle Howe, Pamela London, Sylvie Luiten, Matt Tesmond

OPINION

Peter Chen, Philip Cheng, Elizabeth Cole, Zach Duffy, Blair Frank, Benjamin Roberson, Alfredo Villaseñor

BACKPAGE

Elena Aragon, Cari Cortez, Tabor Martinsen, Dana Thompson

Web Editor Sara Rasmussen

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Phuong Pham Advertising Associate Hannah Bauer For information about advertising in The Pioneer or to purchase a subscription please contact vanderpa@ whitman.edu.

SUBMISSION POLICY 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.

CODE OF ETHICS 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.

To access the complete code of ethics for The Pioneer, visit whitmanpioneer.com/about.

NEWS

Sep

29 2011

PAGE

3

Alpha Phi commences colonization at Whitman

by MOLLY JOHANSON

FUN FACTS

Staff Reporter

F

irst-year Julie Peterson admits that she signed up to rush because she wanted free food. Fortunately, she found more than food. She is one of this year’s 70 new members of Whitman’s established women’s fraternities, Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Gamma and Kappa Kappa Gamma. A record high of 130 girls signed up to rush this semester.

This Friday, Sept. 30, Alpha Phi, Whitman’s brandnew women’s fraternity, will have its bid night, which will be the culminating event in the year-long process of adding this new group to campus.

“We are super excited. It’s been a long process since we were invited last fall,” said Allie Winkelman, a recent Lake Forest College grad and education leadership consultant for Alpha Phi who will be on campus all year.

Even though Alpha Phi recruitment occurs after regular recruitment, it has the same kind of schedule. There is an activity day, a philanthropy day and a tea day all prior to bid night.

“I wish [Alpha Phi rush] had been at the same time as the other sororities,” said first-year Mia Tabbutt, who is rushing Alpha Phi. She expressed that it was stressful having to turn down a bid from another women’s fraternity during regular recruitment in the hopes of getting into Alpha Phi. According to Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell, having a separate recruitment schedule for the new women’s fraternity is the standard procedure. This is because there would be no current members of Alpha Phi at Whitman to participate in recruitment, and it wouldn’t be realistic to bring members from other schools. By having a separate recruitment, potential members of Alpha Phi get a more realistic view of what being in Alpha Phi at Whitman will be like.

Colors

Silver and Bordeaux

Symbol Ivy Leaf

Mascot

“Phi Bear,” named after their constellation

Pronunciation When the character of Phi follows a vowel, such as Alpha, it is pronounced with an “ee” sound instead of an “i” sound Potential members of Alpha Phi meet at Baker Faculty Center to plan events for the semester. New women’s fraternity Alphi Phi has been hosting recruitment events throughout the week. The bid night for Alpha Phi is on Friday, Sept. 30. Photo by von Hafften

While the other women’s fraternities enforced a recruitment cap of no more than 25 new members, Alpha Phi is hoping for around 65 new members. They plan to add members as the semester continues.

Alex Woodward, president of the Panhellenic Association at Whitman, says the goal of the recruitment cap is to make pledge classes smaller to ensure each girl gets a quality Greek experience.

According to Maxwell, ever since 2005 when the Delta Delta Delta women’s fraternity left Whitman, the size of the three remaining women’s fraternities steadily increased.

This desire to keep pledge classes small is actually what spurred the decision to invite Alpha Phi to campus.

“Because of the cap, more girls are able to join Alpha Phi.

Alpha Phi holds meeting for potential new members at Baker Faculty Center. A recordhigh 130 women participated in recruitment events this year. Photo by von Hafften

We’re not rejecting anyone from the system,” said Woodward.

Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment Autumn Knutson reiterated his statement. “[Panhellenic] wants everyone to thrive, which is the reason for the quota,” she said.

Alpha Phi is scheduled to move into Prentiss next year, in what is currently the mixed class Alice section. According to Associate Dean of Students for Campus Life Nancy Tavelli, this shouldn’t have a big effect on first-year housing for next year, but it might have an impact for sophomores. The college will still be housing the same number of people, and because of the anticipated smaller size of women’s fraternities, the balance between first-year and sophomore sections should even out.

Out of three contenders, Alpha Phi was chosen as the new women’s fraternity by the Panhellenic Association and a faculty vote because of its previous history at Whitman. An Alpha Phi chapter existed at Whitman between 1948 and 1979 and there are still many alumni in the area to support the women’s fraternity at Whitman.

There has also been a range of support from the Greek system itself.

“It’s great to see the rest of the Greek community—all seven of us—come together to support Alpha Phi,” said Woodward.

The established women’s fraternities have shown their support in the form of large, colorful posters in Reid. These women’s fraternities also plan to attend the Alpha Phi bid night.

The fraternities have shown

support in the form of recommending girls to join Alpha Phi on a causal, individual basis.

Also, during the event planning for the rest of the semester, the Greek community incorporated Alpha Phi into their upcoming functions.

Some students have reservations about the effectiveness of Alpha Phi’s introduction into the Whitman community.

According to Winkelman, Alpha Phi has been colonizing (the term for the introduction of a new women’s fraternity) a lot of schools lately, so they are used to the process.

“It helps that Alpha Phi brought great swag,” said Woodward, referring to the colorful blue pens and sunglasses that have been available at the Alpha Phi table in Reid.

Winkelman believes that there are benefits to joining a brand-new women’s fraternity.

“Being a founding member of a sorority is different than joining an established one in that there are leadership opportunities right away.”

First-year Alex Schnabel, who is rushing Alpha Phi, agrees.

“In [Alpha Phi], you can create the sorority around your personality,” she said.

Maxwell expressed a lot of excitement about the introduction of Alpha Phi. “I’ve heard it described as a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience,” she said. “but a college lifetime is four years. What [Alpha Phi] does this year will set traditions for the next 20 or 50 years. It is a unique opportunity.”

Nickname Aphi

Founded

Syracuse University 1872

Public Motto “Union hand in hand”

Membership More than 2,000 members on 152 campuses

Flowers

Fragrant lily of the valley and the blue and gold forget-me-not

Constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear

Famous Phis Alice Waters (chef), Rosemarie DeWitt (actress), Jeri Ryan (actress), Lynn Woolsey (U.S. Representative), Jennifer Joines (Olympic volleyball player).

Bizarre double-vandalism troubles Reid staff

by KARAH KEMMERLY News Editor

R

ecently, Associate Dean of Students for Student Programs and Activities Barbara Maxwell sent an email informing students of an incident of vandalism in Reid Campus Center. According to Maxwell, Reid staff found two chairs that had their arms sliced open.

The first chair was found two weeks ago in the TV area between the first and second floor.

The second chair was found last week in the coffeehouse area.

“What’s so unnerving about the situation is that they both happened within a week of each other,” said Maxwell. “At Reid, we generally don’t have any vandalism at all, which is what makes this situation so odd.”

Both chairs had clean cuts in their arms. Maxwell speculates that these cuts were made with a sharp tool, like a razor blade or box cutter.

Members of Reid staff are currently looking to see if they can find cloth that matches the cloth on the chairs. If they are successful, only one

of the arms of the chairs will have to be reupholstered, potentially saving them money.

“We’ll cover the expenses by reallocating funds from the Reid Campus Center budget that could have been used towards other things,” Maxwell said.

In her email, she told students to report any further incidents like this to Reid staff.

“If it was an accident, then we would understand and wouldn’t expect the student to make retributions, but we just don’t know what happened,” Maxwell said.

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

Liberal arts education valuable for pre-professional students

by SAM CHAPMAN Staff Reporter

M

ost larger universities, such as the University of Washington, have moved toward the trend of offering preprofessional majors, but Whitman is just one of the many liberal arts colleges across the nation that have remained committed to not bringing pre-professional majors to their campuses.

Pre-professional majors are fields of study where students will take a distribution of classes focused on preparing them to attend law school, medical school or other professional graduate education.

According to the Whitman College website, “Whitman does not have and does not recommend a formal pre-law major as preparation for law school, believing that no specific series of courses can be considered correct for every student who intends to enter the legal profession.”

Whitman’s pre-law advisor, Professor of Philosophy Patrick Frierson, is responsible for counseling prospective students,

juniors and seniors about what steps to take in order to prepare for graduate school. Frierson believes that, contrary to popular opinion, a pre-professional major is rarely the best option for an aspiring doctor or lawyer.

“It makes a lot of sense from the standpoint of a university, where it’s effective in getting students to come,” Frierson said.

“A lot of prospective students don’t have a good understanding of what it takes to get into law school. If they see a school with a pre-law track versus a liberal arts college, they assume that the school with the pre-law track is better equipping students for law school, when in fact it’s not.”

Frierson also denies the “widespread misconception” that certain majors, such as politics and economics, are better fields of study for students planning on law school.

“It’s not atypical for a lawyer to have to know how a big rig truck gets constructed one month, and then be able to understand complex organic molecules for a patent lawsuit the next month,” he said. “You could be [a] stu-

dio art or anthropology [major], and that’s perfect for law school.”

Whitman’s own course catalog also highlights the value of a liberal arts education for premed students, stating: “Clinicians must have the ability to communicate by speaking and writing effectively, to gather and analyze data, to continually update knowledge and skills, to work with a team of professionals, and to apply new information to the solution of scientific, clinical, and public health problems— all skills that can be acquired from a liberal arts education.”

Sophomore John Lee, a biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology (BBMB) major who plans to attend medical school after graduation, explained several ways that Whitman has helped him prepare for his goal.

“Rather than having a [premed] major, it’s just an abstract set of prerequisites,” Lee said. “Basically, if I want to apply to most grad schools, I need to take some particular classes that Whitman offers.”

Whitman graduate John Loranger, who currently works as an

admissions officer for the college, plans to attend law school in the future. Loranger credits his decision not to leap right into graduate school to the advice and experiences he received at Whitman.

“Every alum that I know in graduate school has advised me, and most of my friends, to take time, work, and clear your head, and make sure to take the next step with the conviction that it’s absolutely what you want to do,” he said.

Loranger was accepted to the Honors College at the University of Texas (UT) as an undergraduate, but decided to attend Whitman instead because of its smaller atmosphere and the close relationships he would form with his professors.

“A liberal arts skill set gives a balance of problem-solving and written and oral communication skills that are going to be the best preparation for whatever you decide to do,” he said. “Not that I wouldn’t have gotten that at UT, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it in such a tight-knit community.”

Lee also affirms the value of a liberal arts education to a student

beginning a career in medicine.

“I’ve heard of people majoring in something else, either non-science, non-bio, or non premed and being rather successful, sometimes more successful than bio majors—only because it’s unique to have someone on a pre-med track who is also a history or philosophy major,” Lee said.

Lee hopes his experience at Whitman has prepared him as a “well-rounded” student.

“I believe my Encounters professor helped me immensely with my academic writing. The [Medical College Admission Test] have a verbal reasoning section where you have to write an essay,” Lee said.

Frierson noted that a liberal arts education encourages students to pursue a passion, leading them to pursue careers that will be their best fit.

“Typically 80 to 90 percent of students end up getting into law school. Better students at Whitman go to the very best law schools in the country,” he said. “I’ve never talked to anyone who’s regretted a liberal arts education.”

NEWS

Sep

29 2011

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Campus Climate Challenge plans events, protests dirty energy

by DYLAN TULL Staff Reporter

W

hen faced with the largest environmental issues in recent memory, Whitman students are not known to remain silent. Whitman’s Campus Climate Challenge (CCC) has had a history of being in the forefront of national environmental issues, and hopes to once again make Whitman an important presence in the fight against against coal exports and the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The fight against these issues has been dubbed by Whitman activists as the Dirty Energy Campaign.

The Keystone XL pipeline is currently at the forefront of environmental politics across the nation, shaking up the world of Washington, D.C. The pipeline begins in the tar sands of Alberta, Canada. The tar sands themselves are the dirtiest form of energy production in existence.

Water is pumped into the ground to force the oil towards the surface, and then natural gas is used to heat turbines that release the oil. Because of this, it is one of the most energy-intensive forms of acquiring fossil fuels.

A massive pipeline would be built, from Montana to Texas, to transport the oil from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico, where it can then be shipped to China.

Students who are involved with environmental campaigns against the pipeline are organized and facilitated by the Sierra Student Coalition, unifying students’ goals.

Lauren Ressler, who is the Northwest regional organizer for the Sierra Student Coalition, commented on the issue. “[The pipeline] is one the most catastrophic ideas that has been thought up in recent years,” she said.

To protest the tar sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline, Campus Climate Challenge began their Dirty Energy Campaign with signs to protest and took photos of their members with the signs.

“All of those got sent [to Washington, D.C.], along with a petition with hundreds of thousands of names on it, and all of those were presented to President Obama,” said sophomore Claire Meints, facilitator of the Dirty Energy Campaign.

Whitman’s efforts to pass last year’s Beyond Coal resolutions led the way for similar Beyond Coal Washington legislation. The Beyond Coal resolution states that Whitman stu-

Members of Campus Climate Challenge protest the extraction of oil from the Alberta tar sands. The group is working to raise awareness of dirty energy’s detrimental effects.

CCC is planning to bring a speaker from the Sierra Club to campus over Family Weekend for an event that will be called ‘Parents Power Past Coal.’ Photo contributed by Meints

dents do not support coal and calls for the phasing out of the TransAlta coal plant in Centralia, Washington. It also calls for a transition to clean energy and green jobs for the members of the Centralia community. Many other Washington campuses soon followed, and the Beyond Coal legislation was later passed in Washington State.

“Whitman was the first campus in Washington to pass [the Beyond Coal Resolutions], so we really started a movement of a lot of different schools passing those resolutions,” said Meints.

The Dirty Energy Campaign is additionally fighting the TransAlta exportation of coal.

Their goal is to prevent coalexporting facilities from being built in Washington State.

The issue is that there are coal companies proposing to build coal-exporting facilities outside of Longview and Bellingham; the coal would be mined in Montana and Wyoming and

shipped by train across Washington, to then be shipped to China.

“Our goal this year is to prevent coal exporting facilities from being built in Washington State,” said sophomore Helen Angell, who is in charge of the Beyond Coal half of the Dirty Energy Campaign.

Each train would carry 20,000 lbs of coal, and six to ten trains would travel across Washington per day. According to Angell, coal is economically unsustainable, wouldn’t create many jobs, and would negatively effects neighborhoods and cities near the trains and the coal facilities. Health is a huge issue in the exportation of coal; there are increased rates of asthma in areas where coal trains travel.

“It’s also a health risk, because there is a lot of coal dust that comes off the trains that could cause a lot of pollution and health problems for people in Washington. Also, it would be shipped to China, and China

does not have good regulation for burning coal,” said Angell.

This semester, Beyond Coal hopes to get 1,000 letters written by Whitman students and have them sent to Peter Goldmark, head of the Department of Natural Resources in Washington state.

Additionally, CCC organized an environmental open mic at the Whitman Interest House Community (IHC) block party, encouraging environmentally minded students to creatively express their opinions on these issues. Chocolate Tar Sands and other treats were served along with information on the issues to spread awareness.

Over Family Weekend, CCC plans to put on an event called Parents Power Past Coal. CCC hopes to bring in a speaker from the Sierra Club and have parents contribute to CCC’s petition against the TransAlta exportation of coal.

Junior Danielle Broi-

da, member of the Dirty Energy Campaign, has high expectations for the event.

“We are trying to spread awareness and education [about the Keystone XL pipeline and the coal exports],” she said.

“We are going to have a giant inflatable inhaler to show how dangerous coal is for human health, and basically spread awareness about what’s going on and try to get people to realize how dangerous this is.”

Ressler hopes that Whitman’s efforts this year will continue influencing legislation in Washington D.C. “I would love to see Whitman lead the way again and be one of the first schools to pass another resolution or come out with a public statement saying this community does not support coal export, because I think those are the actions that lead the way and make the change that are going to get us off these dirty fossil fuel sources,” Ressler said.

Conservatives on campus Student group efforts to bring back cope with minority label free expression wall at a standstill from CONSERVATIVES, page 1

“There’s a facet of it that’s nice.

It’s nice to have a conversation with someone who disagrees with you,” said Moen.

“I was definitely more conservative when I came here.

My views on some things have moderated, and on some things they’ve stayed the same. In all cases they’ve become more informed, and that’s what coming to college is all about. The people that you meet and the conversations that you have sitting outside your dorm room are just as important to your development as a person and as a responsible citizen as the Biology 112 course that you’re taking.”

Senior politics major Adam Michel is positive about his experience as a political minority.

“I think it’s great. I knew my political views when I chose to come here, and I knew the political views of the campus.

I think that [other views] challenge what I believe and force me to find the roots of my beliefs and make them stronger.

Sometimes you have to flesh out your argument a little more so you can gain respect from your professors and peers, but at the same time, you always have something different to say.”

Despite Whitman’s reputation as a close-knit campus and its high student retention rate, not every conservative student’s experience at Whitman has been a pleasant one.

“Every once in a while somebody surprises you in the wrong way,” said Moen.

Sophomore Emily Pavela chose to take a leave of absence in a large part because she felt ostracized due to her differing political views.

“It’s like a group acceptance culture,” Pavela said of Whitman’s political environment. “Many [students] appear to be disengaged politically and identify with what the

group culture stands for so they don’t stand out and get chastised for what they really feel.”

Pavela said that although she enjoyed Whitman academically, she sensed hostility from others due to her social conservatism.

“Classes were always a comfortable place to discuss differing opinions and perspectives. However, outside of my classes, my comfort zone began to disintegrate,” Pavela said.

Pavela also cited a general lack of diversity on campus as a factor in her decision to leave.

“I think in the end, this all links back to diversity . . . some at Whitman were eager to listen to the stories of others, while others were shut out of the student body for being different from the majority. I decided I needed to search for an institution with the same academic standards as Whitman but with a more diverse and accepting student body,” Pavela said.

Other conservative students have found that the culture of discourse at Whitman tends too extremely towards acceptance to foster real political discourse.

“I think most people are actually scared to ask about social issues. People are scared to know that someone close to them believes something they don’t,” said Michel.

Despite this, Michel expressed satisfaction with his Whitman experience.

“It’s always great to strive for diversity in discourse, but I don’t see a fundamental problem with where we’re at here . . . I love Whitman; it’s a great place. Academics are less than half of what I consider to be school here; I’m very involved in the Outdoor Program and SSRA classes.” “[Being conservative] is just another facet of our lives,” said Moen.

“It’s not necessarily something that defines who we are.”

by ROSE WOODBURY Staff Reporter

L

ast semester several students formed a group interested in reinstating the Free Expression Wall, a space where students could display their thoughts and opinions. The wall was made up of a piece of plywood that hung outside the main entrance of Olin Hall.

It was removed in April of 2007.

The group, known as “Move Whitman,” consists of seniors Katie Radosevic and William Newman-Wise and juniors Maggie Appleton, Ben Lerchin, Hannah Siano and Ryann Savino.

Last fall, “Move Whitman” submitted a proposal to two committees that deal with campus aesthetics: the Arts Advisory Committee and the Tree and Landscaping Committee. The administration asked them to make some changes and has yet to hear back from the students.

Appleton explained that the administration wants some way of censoring the wall. It suggested the ASWC Student Affairs Committee evaluate anything offensive written on the wall; however, some members of “Move Whitman” feel that censorship of any kind would compromise the integrity of the project.

“We’d rather have no expression wall than a censored expression wall,” said Lerchin.

Appleton commented on how this belief affects the progress of the project.

“That puts us at a stalemate with the administration where it’s not clear how we go forward from here,” she said.

Nevertheless, Appleton said that the group plans on meeting again soon to discuss options.

President Bridges expressed the college’s full support of reinstating the wall if it’s what students want.

“Clearly some students seek it,” he said.

However, “Move Whitman” still needs to address the questions raised by the Arts Advisory Committee last fall if it wants to move forward.

ILLUSTRATION BY VAZQUEZ

Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland commented on the nature of the dialogue between the students and the administration.

“In my mind, the ball is in the students’ court,” he said.

Cleveland also mentioned that the wall was originally instated as a temporary space in response to a specific event that occurred on campus, which he declined to explain further.

“Students originally put it up because they were concerned about specific issues on campus at the time.

It was never meant to be a permanent wall and was to be taken down after fall semester. Since then the concept has evolved to a general freedom of expression board,” he said.

Cleveland added that even when the wall was up, it wasn’t always used for the purposes of expression that inspired its creation.

“It was primarily used for advertisements [during the second semester it was up],” he said.

According to a Pioneer article written in 2007, the wall was taken down because a group of students requested its removal.

The students interested in reinstating the wall now are primarily concerned with creating a space that could stir up the Whitman community.

Radosevic, who was one of the original leaders of the pro-

ject, commented via email on her visions for the wall.

“One of my main goals was to inspire conversation on campus. I have had professors who refer to Whitman as a very homogenous community, and I don’t think that it is true to such a great extent,” she said. “When you have the opportunity to share what you’re thinking visually, I think a new level of communication can sometimes occur, and we can broach topics which are otherwise left unaddressed.”

Lerchin explained the way he envisions self-censorship of the wall within the community as part of the conversation.

“If someone draws a penis on the wall, we should be mature enough to draw over it or say it’s not acceptable,” he said.

“Move Whitman” is thinking of using the space between Maxey Hall and the tennis courts for the new wall, which seems like a more permanent and aesthetically pleasing location than its original placement hanging outside the main entrance to Olin.

Despite the apparent lack of progress at the moment, group members still believe strongly in the project and are planning on reconvening sometime this semester.

“We’re all totally still enthusiastic about the idea,” said Lerchin.

A&E

5 Alumnus Mark Anderson fosters innovative art installations at Walla Walla Foundry Sep

29 2011

PAGE

Above: Mark Anderson ‘78 reclines in his office at the Walla Walla Foundry. Right: A companion sculpture to Deborah Butterfield’s “Styx” stands outside. Anderson and the Foundry provided the casting for both installations. Lower right: visitors gather to take in one of the Foundry sculpture garden’s striking pieces. Photos by Beck

Staff Writer

T

wo miles west of the Whitman bubble lies the Walla Walla Foundry. Functioning as an outdoor sculpture garden, gallery and wood shop as well as art and photography studio, the Foundry continues to prosper after 31 years of business—thanks to Whitman alumnus Mark Anderson ‘78.

Meeting The Pioneer at the Foundry, Anderson spoke about his time at Whitman, his career as a sculptor and the startup of his business. Anderson entered Whitman with thoughts of becoming an economics major, but soon realized his love for art in his sophomore year.

“I was good at art, I fit in and I could see myself developing as an artist. I’d always drawn. I’d always made things.

So working with my hands was something that was interesting to me. Things just fell into place,” said Anderson.

While a student at Whitman, Anderson crossed paths with Mike Hayes, a Walla Walla resident in the process of establishing his own art foundry.

“I helped him start his company. From the ground up, I was exposed to what it was

,,

I truly believe I couldn’t have done what I did without attending Whitman.

Mark Anderson, ‘78

going to take to have an art foundry,” said Anderson. For about a year and a half, Anderson worked full-time at Hayes’ foundry and went to school parttime. “I felt strong enough about learning that it was worth it to me to do two things at once. It wasn’t just a summer job. I was able to determine from this that I really had a love and a fondness for contemporary art.”

After graduating Whitman, Anderson worked as a teacher at Walla Walla Community College and as a technical and art installation assistant at the Olin Art Gallery at Whitman. When the Olin gallery put on an exhibition of contemporary sculpture works by Manuel Neri, Anderson introduced himself to the sculptor and later wrote a letter to Neri, asking if he could assist on sculpting projects. To Anderson’s surprise, Neri gave him work. Anderson’s work with Neri served as the inspirational and fiscal basis for the establishment of the Foundry.

“It all started from what you call bootstrap enterprise, which means essentially to just work with what you had,” said Anderson.

What started as a business endeavor to help Anderson make ends meet as he worked on his career as a sculptor soon transformed into a full-time passion.

“I ceased being an artist without any qualms even though I had been on a fairly successful path as a sculptor. What I really enjoyed was working for other people, helping them technically to achieve their own ideas,” said Anderson.

Now, the Foundry employs nearly 80 people.

“I truly believe I couldn’t have done what I did without attending Whitman,” said Anderson. “My education in art and my understanding of contemporary art is based on what I learned in college. Without that understanding, I don’t think people would have taken my passions seriously.”

,,

by CLARA BARTLETT

It wasn’t just a summer job. I was able to determine from this that I really had a love and a fondness for contemporary art.

Mark Anderson, ‘78

Anderson’s creative relationship with Whitman continues. Recently, Anderson recycled the cement walls of the old Sherwood Athletic Center into a striking new art installation at the Foundry.

“With the renovations in 2008, they were going to get rid of the cement façade, and so [Anderson] took possession of them and had them hauled away,” said Whitman Interim Media Relations Officer Gillian Frew. “He real-

ly likes using recycled materials for art. I don’t think he paid for it. He said, otherwise they’d just be filling a landfill; they were going to be discarded.”

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” said Whitman Communications Director Ruth Wardwell. “The way he’s treated the walls, or the sections, make it really attractive. It provides a really aesthetically pleasing backdrop to the sculptures, and to the whole

space there, and it’s unique.”

The Foundry has provided casting for famed sculptors and artists such as Jim Dine, Richard Prince and Deborah Butterfield.

Butterfield, who created the iconic Whitman horse known as “Styx,” will be visiting Whitman on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Styx’s twin provides company for Anderson at the Foundry, while the Whitman alum keeps his creative forge burning bright.

‘Moneyball’ redefines America’s pastime PIO PICKS

by NATHAN FISHER Staff Writer

A

dmittedly, I am not a big baseball nut. The point of baseball for me is going to the ballpark to eat a good hot dog and spit sunflower seeds. But Bennett Miller’s new film “Moneyball,” surprisingly, is not only for the baseball fanatic. In fact, very little baseball is played in the first 90 minutes of the movie. “Moneyball” is more about what goes on behind the scenes of the actual baseball game.

“Moneyball” is based on a true story of the 2001 Oak-

land Athletics’ General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt).

Beane is tasked with fielding a team on a $39 million yearly budget. Sounds like a lot, right? Wrong. The movie itself had a $47 million budget.

Beane’s $39 million team has to compete against teams like the Yankees with their bankroll of $179 million per year!

Tired of putting together a team year after year, then having his best players stripped from him at the end of the season, Beane runs into Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Brand is an economics major from Yale who turns Beane’s preconceptions of

baseball on their head. Together, the geek and the good-looker attempt to redefine baseball.

Now, imagine trying to change something that has been established for more than 100 years. The old guard rules out players who have ugly girlfriends because an “ugly girlfriend means low confidence.”

Try convincing them to look at statistics and numbers instead! The goal, as Brand convinces Beane, is to buy wins, and to get wins you need runs.

“Moneyball” is a smart and thought-provoking movie that mixes real baseball footage with the screenplay. The mor-

al of the movie is to believe in something, and then risk everything for what you believe in. Even though Hill tries to move beyond his “Superbad”esque comedy stereotype, he is still the much-needed lighthearted funnyman with perfect comedic timing. Hill and Pitt have great chemistry.

Unfortunately, at just over two hours, the movie runs a bit long. At least 45 minutes could have been cut out of the unnecessary scenes of Pitt “thinking.” That being said, “Moneyball” captures your attention and makes you want to stay in your seat until the final out.

Danger Mouse, Jack White, Norah Jones build ‘Rome’

by ALEX HAGEN Staff Writer

F

ilms and television often rely heavily on music to help tell their stories.

Whether it’s simply setting the mood or underscoring a twist in the plot, music is an integral part of visual storytelling. However, while film soundtracks are a good supplement to the overADVERTISEMENT

all work, they often aren’t able to tell a story on their own.

Rome, a recent collaboration between producer Danger Mouse and composer Daniele Luppi, is essentially a sound-

track without a film. Inspired by “spaghetti western” films of the 1960s and ‘70s, the duo spent five years creating an album that both emulates and expands on the style of those films’ music. Though there is a distinctly vintage feel throughout Rome, the album has a modern flair that allows today’s listeners to easily connect to its music.

The pair enlisted high-profile vocalists Jack White and Norah Jones to play “characters” in the album’s openended story. White and Jones only appear on three tracks each, but they both make vivid impressions and help shape Rome’s emotional arc. In their best moments—Jones’s “Season’s Trees” and White’s “Two Against One”—they are able to conjure distinct three-dimensional characters in the span of two or three minutes. Though they only give us a glimpse, their presence is subtly felt throughout the rest of the album.

However, Rome’s instrumental tracks are often the most intriguing. The beauty of the concept is that, while Luppi and Danger Mouse com-

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

Here are this week’s picks:

Taste of Fair Trade Come to the Global Awareness House for music and a range of tasty fair trade treats, including chocolate, coffee and tea.

Friday, Sept. 30, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Global Awareness House.

Coffeehouse WEB presents Gentlemen Buckhunters, live in Reid Campus Center. Coffeehouse is a musical series on Fridays and Saturdays, bringing you the talents of Whitman students, local artists and other visiting musicians.

Friday, Sept. 30, 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Reid Campus Center, Coffeehouse.

Visiting Artist: Deborah Butterfield Deborah Butterfield, creator of the Whitman horse “Styx,” discusses her work and artistic journey.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Maxey Auditorium.

posed the music with distinct images in mind, each listener can envision a different setting and story. Every song on the album easily lends itself to new interpretations, yet the story’s mysterious air never really goes away. Evoking stories both new and old, the music of Rome is powerful enough to transport its audience to an entirely different place.

A&E

SEP

29 2011

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6

IHC Block Party draws crowds Camping cuisine for intrepid Whitties

by ELLIE NEWELL Contributing Reporter

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This  summer,  I  set  out  to  spend  as  little  time  inside  as  possible.  I  think  I  slept  in  my  hand-­me-­down  red  sleeping  bag  all  but  about  eight  nights.  If  you’ve  spent  time  in  the  woods,  you  know  that  camping  and  fine  cuisine  are  often  at  odds  with  each  other.  A  show  of  hands  for  anyone  who’s  hiked  10  miles  on  a  handful  of  walnuts  and  half  a  granola  bar  they  found  at  the  bottom  of  his  or  her  pack?

And  so,  faced  with  a  sum-­ mer  spent  outside,  far  from  my  beautiful  lemon  zester,  I  learned  how  to  impro-­ vise.  Here’s  what  I  learned: 1.  PB&J  sandwiches  taste  the  best  on  the  second  day,  after  they’ve  squished  down  to  the  perfect  bread-­saturation  point.  Bonus  points  if  they’ve  been  in  a  pannier  or  a  dry  bag.  It’s  like  a  mini  solar  oven  of  wonders!

2.  Eat  aggressively.  Sure,  share  your  mac  ‘n’  cheese  with  your  fellow  campers  (no-­ body  likes  a  pig!),  but  don’t  be  polite.  Someone  offering  around  the  last  bite  of  hum-­ mus?  Nab  that  sucker.  You’ll  be  happy  and  warm  at  3  a.m.

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3.  It’s  all  in  the  sauce.  Eating  a  steady  diet  of  onions,  bell  pep-­ pers  and  carrots  over  cous-­ cous?  Seasoning  is  going  to  make  all  the  difference.  Here’s  a  recipe  that  my  friend  Liam  taught  me.  I  think  he  picked  this  up  in  a  NOLS  course: Put  a  bit  of  oil  in  your  pan  with  a  diced  onion.  If  your  camp  stove  is  like  my  camp  stove,  holding  the  pan  above  the  flame  will  prevent  an  onion  funeral  pyre.  Now’s  a  good  time  to  add  some  diced  garlic  cloves  or  gar-­ lic  powder.  Once  the  onions  are  getting  close  to  that  magic  trans-­ lucent  stage,  add  diced  carrots,  potatoes  (you  carried  potatoes  into  the  wilderness!?  Beastly!),  bell  peppers,  broccoli  or  what-­ ever  else  strikes  your  fancy.  Sprinkle  the  veggies  with  a  few  spoonfuls  of  water  to  achieve  that  ultimate  steamed  veg-­ gie  effect  and  cover.  Watch  it  like  a  hawk!  I’ve  found  that  veggies  can  go  from  tasty  to  t o a s t -­ ed  in  less  time  than  a  1967  Mustang  can  achieve  0-­60.  Now  put  a  couple  dol-­ lops  of  pea-­ nut  butter  and  a  sprin-­ kling  of  wa-­ ter  in  the  pan,  working  the  pea-­ nut  butter  into  the  water  with  a  spoon Â

(or,  you  know,  a  stick  if  that’s  all  you’ve  got)  until  you’ve  got  a  smooth  thin  paste.  A  cou-­ ple  spoonfuls  of  brown  sugar,  a  generous  spoonful  of  rice  vine-­ gar,  some  hot  sauce,  soy  sauce  if  you’ve  got  it  and  you’re  gold-­ en!  Mix  well  and  serve  over  in-­ stant  rice,  top  ramen  or  your  carb  of  choice.  ¥Buen  provecho!

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SPORTS

Sep

29 2011

Athlete profile: Swim alum Jamie Kennedy

by KYLE HOWE Staff Reporter

A

fter returning lunch break, dressed in a tie ton-up shirt, sits in on the main floor of

from a Kennedy, and a buthis office Memorial.

Profile: James ‘Jamie’ Kennedy Whitman Alum: Class of ’96 Current Position: Assistant Swimming Coach, Director of Planned Giving.

What do you do on campus?

I am an assistant coach on the swim team, but that is my second job. My main job is what makes me wear this tie: I fundraise. I am in the development office and focus on planned giving, so I’m going out and visiting alumni, and basically talking to them about ways they can use financial planning to maximize their gift to Whitman.

Probably one of my best memories from Whitman is going up to the wheat fields. It makes me happy that students still do this. We drove up to the wheat fields—must have been at the end of May, so the weather was pretty nice. Just watching the sunset, and just relaxing out there; it is very relaxing and sort of surreal at the same time.

Why did you stay at Whitman?

I didn’t stick around. When I graduated, at the time I was dating my wife [Becky Kennedy, Director of Advancement Services]. We left Walla Walla together and moved to Portland. We were there for about four years, and we absolutely loved Portland. But then I had a job offer down in California that was too good to turn down. So we packed up and moved to Sacramento, and we just didn’t like Sacramento that much. We were married at that point, and we were thinking that maybe we should start a family someday and that if we were going to do anything a little bit out there this is the time we should do it. So we visited Walla Walla a couple times and decided to come up and move. My wife got the job first, so we moved up, and I was able to get a job a few months later.

What is your favorite Whitman memory?

What is your favorite stroke?

It is still freestyle—I swam

Loss 3-2

Golf

Men’s vs. Pacific Invitational Sept. 24-25 Women’s vs. Pacific Invitational Sept. 24-25

5th out of 6 3rd out of 7

Cross Country

Men’s Porter, Erik Anderson Invitational Garrett, top Sept. 24 of roster Women’s Malloy, Erik Anderson Invitational Vistica, top Sept. 24 of roster

Soccer

Men’s vs. Pacific Lutheran University Loss 3-2 Sept. 24 vs. University of Puget Sound Loss 4-0 Sept. 25 Northwest Nazarene University Loss 3-0 Sept. 27 Win 2-0 Women’s vs. Pacific Lutheran University Loss 1-0 Sept. 24 vs. University of Puget Sound Sept. 25

Kennedy, class of ’96, returned to Walla Walla to raise his family. Most afternoons, he exchanges his work tie for a t-shirt and helps coach the swim team. Photo by Li

mostly freestyle in college. It is the easiest and the fastest.

How is the swim team this year?

I think the team is great! I am really excited, and we have got a pretty strong group of freshmen that came in. They should be really really strong contrib-

Correct answer: All of the above

Correct answer: Track

Loss 3-2

Men’s 1st by ITA Northwest Regional Tesmond, Championships Holton-Burke, Sept. 24-26 and La Cava

Which of the following club sports competed in their respective national championships last year?

Which of the following became a club sport last year?

Volleyball

Tennis

How well do students know Whitman sports?

The weekly sports page polls students on their sports know-how. Here are this week’s results:

SCOREBOARD vs. Willamette University Sept. 23 vs. Linfield College Sept. 24

When you were on Whitman’s swim team, what was your fondest memory?

The traveling. It has been so long that it is hard to say one particular trip—just when you get together as a team and start traveling, you are all packed in a room, waking up early and going out and eating breakfast . . . I just love the team travels, it is just a blast.

What is your fondest memory as Assistant Couch of the swim team?

[Big grin] Recently my best, or fondest, memory was definitely when there was a particular race—and there is a photo that goes around on the swim team of this—where [then-senior] Chad Trexler was in the evening swim finals two years ago, and he just barely snuck in, so he was in the eighth slot, swimming on the outside lane, and he was just pumped up. The whole team got behind his block, so you have thirty plus people standing behind his block, and he just raced out of his mind.

There is a picture of right when he finished and crushed almost everyone. He is turning around and there is a look of disbelief on his face when he saw his time. The whole team is just cheering, arms raised, the team was just so excited about the achievement of someone else on their team.

7

PAGE

How many varsity sports are currently played at Whitman?

utors to the team. And we have a great core of returning swimmers, so we should have some really fast times this year. We have only had one week of practice this week so far, and the team vibe is really strong—they are happy. Maybe we are not working them hard enough [Laughs].

Whitman sports weekly factoid Since its inception in 1937, the annual Borleske trophy has been awarded to basketball players a total of 37 times, the most of any sport. Football got 27 before the program was cut in 1977. Only one golf player has ever received the award. The recipient was Herman Mize ‘62, who also participated in football, basketball and track & field.

UPCOMING Tennis

Women’s ITA Northwest Regional Championships Oct. 1

Away

Soccer

Men’s vs. Linfield University Oct. 1 vs. Lewis & Clark University Oct. 2 Women’s vs. Linfield University Oct. 1 vs. Lewis & Clark University Oct. 2

Volleyball

vs. Pacific Lutheran University Sept. 30, 7 p.m. vs. University of Puget Sound Oct. 1, 5 p.m. vs. Whitworth University Oct. 5

Cross Country

Charles Bowles Invitational vs. Witworth University Oct. 1

Away Away Away Away

Home Home Away

Away

Correct answer: 8

Leland Matthaeus ‘13 steals the ball away from Pacific Lutheran opponents during last Saturday’s game. After leading 2-0 at halftime, Whitman fell 3-2 in overtime to the Lutes. The men’s conference record currently sits at 2-3 . Photo by Felt

National competition within reach for women’s golf team

by SYLVIE LUITEN Staff Reporter

W

e rarely see them in action yet the women’s golf team is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated sports teams on campus. Last fall while at the Fall Classic, the team took fourth place and continued its success by winning the Spring Classic. The women then placed second at the Northwest Conference (NWC) Tourney, narrowly missing a berth to nationals.

“Our ladies have done a great job of attracting quality players to join our program, even though it

makes the competition for ‘playing time’ more challenging. The bottom line is that our recruiting greatly enhances our chances of a NWC championship and trip to the [National Collegiate Athletic Association’s tournament],” said Coach Skip Molitor.

Elaine Whaley, a sophomore captain, explained how the season works.

“We have one tournament that counts in the fall and two in the spring. Last year we won the spring classic but were beat

by George Fox in the second spring tournament; otherwise we would have gone to nationals.”

Golf is an individual sport, so teammates are driven to compete against each other. However, the bottom line for the team is support.

“Last year we got to the point of wanting our teammates to do well. Competing against each other isn’t a problem anymore,” said Whaley.

Two new freshmen have brought more talent onto the green this year. “Kelly Sweeny and Sarah Debs are capable of leading our team on any given weekend,” said Molitor of the newcomers.

Much is expected from the returnees as well after having had such a successful season last

year. Individually, each of the women is expected to make improvements in her game this year.

“Katie Zajicek won the spring classic last year and would love to string together several years with one of the ‘NWC major’ in her trophy case. Catelyn Webber was second in our scoring average last year and is looking even stronger this year,” said Molitor.

After last year’s successes, the goals for the team this year are clear.

“Our goals are always to have a great time as a team . . . play to the best of our ability . . . and do everything in our

power to win the conference and compete well at the national tournament,” said Molitor.

“We really want to beat [2011 Conference champions] George Fox and of course continue to be a really close-knit team,” said Whaley.

The team has one home tournament this year, to be held at Wine Valley in Veteren’s Memorial Golf Club and Wine Valley Golf Club on Oct. 1-2. Whitties will have this one chance to see the talented golfers in action.

“We would really like to get a bus and see the school’s support that weekend,” said Whaley.

Katie Zajicek ‘14 (left) takes a swing at practice. Head Coach Skip Molitor walks on the green with his team (center). Although the main season is in the spring, the team has been holding regular practices this fall during its shorter five-tournament season. In their first college competition, first-years Kelly Sweeney and Sarah Debs tied for third place against golfers from Lewis-Clark State College and Warner Pacific. Archive photos

SPORTS

Sep

29 2011

Whitman football:

Uncovering the complex history of intercollegiate football through the ages

High hopes for Missionaries crushed by erratic success, striking violence in sport

by MATT TESMOND Staff Reporter

T

hree thousand people are crammed into Borleske field, wildly cheering and chanting, “Kill him! Kill him!” at the collegiate men seeking to batter, bruise and destroy opponents on the field in the search of an elusive victory. This was Whitman football in its prime. For most Whitties today, this scene seems far-fetched, even inplausible, and understandably so— considering it has been just under 35 years since the football program was cut. The Missionary football team had a tumultuous 85-year existence, and given the amount of national attention it recieved and the influence it had on students, it is amazing how little Whitties today know about the history of football at Whitman.

Whitman football was born in 1892 as a way to improve student-body recruitment. However, it did more than just help the school’s numbers.

“The game instilled a sense of community to the college as a whole,” said G. Thomas Edwards, former professor of history, emeritus at Whitman in “A Sketchy History of Whitman Football: Excitement and Controversy.”

Collegiate football in the late 1800s was not the orderly, regimented game we see to-

Football Timeline 1882: Whitman is founded 1892: Whitman varsity football program started

1905: 18 collegiate football players nationwide die from football injuries 1915: “Nig” Borleske hired as head football coach 1920: National Football League founded 1921: Whitman wins first conference championship

1937: Borleske trophy inception 1947: Coach Borleske retires

1975: Robert Skotheim becomes president of Whitman College Feb. 28, 1977: President Skotheim announces decision to cut football program

2005: Over 400 Whitman students involved in IM flag football October 2008: Whitman football reunion Sept. 24, 2011: First day of flag football season

day with many precautions and rules to keep players safe.

Football was about winning, period.

A common tactic for teams was to hunt down and attempt to injure an opposing teams’ players.

“Winning took precedence over moral scruples and amatuer principles,” said Edwards.

The sport was very dangerous and, because of that, at times controversial at Whitman.

Death was a distinct possibility—in 1905, 18 collegiate players across the nation died from football-related injuries. Whitman football was suspended for three seasons after a player was seriously injured in 1893, and missed the final games of several seasons due to a dearth of uninjured players. The danger football posed caused its place at Whitman to be questioned several times.

Despite frequent controversy, football thrived at Whitman. In the early 1900s, roughly 90 percent of the men on campus were varsity athletes; the Missionaries boasted three men’s football teams.

Whitman entered its football golden age in 1915 with the hiring of R.V. “Nig” Borleske, a former student and football player for Whitman. “’Nig’ Borleske was Whitman’s equivalent of Knute Rockne,” said Edwards glowingly.

Although his tenure started

inauspiciously, with a losing season and a 120-0 slaughter at the hands of the University of Washington, Borleske turned the faltering football program around.

In 1921 Whitman won its first Northwest Conference Championship. “[The championship] helped Borleske win campus and alumni support,” Edwards writes.

These things were essential for the continuation of the program.

By his retirement in 1947, Borleske totaled five Conference championships and also inspired the construction of the 5,000seat Borleske Field. As one of the most influential figures in Whitman sports history, Borleske is appropriately remembered every year at the Varsity Athletics banquet, where the top varsity athlete honor is the Borleske Award.

After Borleske left Whitman, the football program fell into disarray. Whitman was marred by losing season after losing season. Football was only surviving because of its tradition.

“It was important to the community. Homecoming was a major event with an impressive parade, homcoming court, a big dance and returning alumni,” said Edwards.

Despite an entire restructuring and re-staffing in 1967, varsity football at Whitman continued towards its dramatic conclusion through the late 1960s.

8

PAGE

Whitman football by the numbers

5,000

Maximum number of fans ever in attendance at a Whitman football event

80

Percent of men at Whitman who played football in 1920

70,000

Total budget for Whitman Varsity Athletics in 1977

17,000

Amount in dollars of the total budget allocated for football in 1977

84

Number of years football was a varsity sport at Whitman

3

Number of winning seasons from 1947-1976

16

Varsity sports teams at Whitman in 1977

Football controversy: Sudden end of declining program in 1977 vexes Whitman community

by PAMELA LONDON Staff Reporter

O

n any busy fall weekend, students on Ankeny Field see trailing flags pulled from the waists of eager flag football players dressed in tie-dye and sporting bright orange mouth guards. A pulled flag stops the panting players for a moment before the game starts up again to the cheers of a few dozen fans.

Thirty-four years ago, however, a huge yellow flag was pulled out on the Missionaries meaning much more than ending a play.

It did not just cost them 15 yards and an automatic first down. It cost them their football program.

Controversy falls on Whitman: Although varsity football at Whitman had been flagging during the last decade, players finishing their 1976-77 football season had no concept that it would be their last. The problems surrounding football had finally come to a head—but few knew the future of the program until it was too late.

On Saturday, Feb. 26, 1977, Coach Ken Woody received a call from the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin requesting an interview regarding the rumor that Whitman planned to cut its football program. Whispers had been circulating for the past couple of days, but Woody had not been formally told anything. Then-WhitmanPresident Robert Skotheim and Woody both denied the rumor when asked by the U-B. Skotheim told the U-B that an announcement regarding the football program would be made Monday.

At 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, Skotheim announced to the public that he and an administrative group—made up of himself, Provost Kenyon Kopf and Divisional Chairmen Vic Keister, Don King and Pat Tyson—proposed to the Board of Trustees that the Whitman intercollegiate football program be cut. This was the first that Head Coach Woody had heard of the decision.

Shortly after hearing the news, nearly 500 outraged students gathered in Cordiner Hall, attempting to make sense of what had just happened. Although promotions of drastic protest somewhat died down by their evening meeting with Skotheim in the Jewett main lounge, the majority were “angered at the way the decision had been handled” and “felt students had been undermined in the process and that it could and would happen again on other issues” (Neil Strother, “Student Reaction Negative” 3/1/77).

John Blackmon ’79 was a member of the College Athletic Committee during the 197677 academic year and, like the majority of students, Blackmon recalls the decision as catching him completely off guard.

“At the time I was not supportive [of the decision] as I viewed a football team as an important part of college and the

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

college experience,” said Blackmon, now a member of Whitman’s Alumni Association.

Needless to say, the most outraged response to the decision came from members of the football team.

“This is not really news and this is really not a surprise to anyone who has watched Whitman football in the past years,” said Skotheim in Strother’s “Football Players Protest” 3/1/77.

However, players such as then-junior Scott Renderer remained staunchly opposed to the decision.

“They’re taking away part of Whitman,” said Renderer.

In light of the events, The Pioneer published a special edition of the paper in which President Skotheim contributed a letter.

“Whitman College is experiencing a rapid growth in sports participation by students, which has resulted in plans for a major reallocation of resources in the College budget,” Skotheim wrote.

Skotheim cited increased student participation in IM sports, a resurrection of the wrestling team and the promotion to varsity status of women’s soccer as primary reasons behind the decision. At the same time, the maintenance of football required huge support. “Intercollegiate football has become more specialized, more technical, and more costly in money and staff time,” said Skotheim.

“The administration will recommend to the Trustees of the College that intercollegiate football be dis-

continued,”

Skotheim

wrote.

The Decision The lack of communication from Skotheim to the student body carried out through the Board of Trustees’ meeting two weeks later. Representatives had mixed reactions to the proposal, as dropping football at Whitman also meant an economic loss for the eight other schools in the Northwest Conference (NWC).

In the end, a decision was reached despite lingering doubts by some.

“The Board of Trustees adopted a motion from President Robert Skotheim to discontinue intercollegiate football.

The vote was not unanimous,” wrote Strother in “Board Dumps All-American Sport” 3/17/77.

Many people within the Whitman community continued to express concern following the Board’s decision, including many alumni.

“I am afraid that dropping football may have a very serious effect on the future of Whitman and that the generous giving of the alumni toward its support may drop considerably,” wrote alumnus W.E. “Bill” Berney ‘15, in a Letter to the Editor of The Pioneer.

Others remained firm in their belief that dropping football was for the best—some people, including Blackmon, changed their opinion after the confusion died down.

“It was a sound fiscal decision,” Blackmon said recently, reflecting on the events of over thirty years ago. “But, it

was a very emotionally wrenching decision for those who either were playing football or those who had played football.”

The Aftermath In the years following the decision, Whitman suffered a dip in alumni donations. The college is just beginning to see donations consistently return to the level matching pre-1977 totals. Though on the mend, the effects can still be seen today.

Whitman held its first football reunion in Oct 2008 with an event that was well attended by former players.

“I believe it was a very good move by President [George] Bridges to begin the healing process by inviting football players back to campus to acknowledge and honor them as an important part of the college’s past,” said Blackmon.

Despite the recent efforts at recognizing this turning point in Whitman’s history, questions still linger: Why was there such a blatant lack of communication between the administrative group and the Whitman community? Will alumni donations ever reach the level they were at before football was cut? Why did it take so long for the healing process to begin?

In many ways, the controversy is still manifested at Whitman. We may not have a football team to cheer for every Saturday like a major university. But the competitive spirit that drove Whitman football for all those years lives on today.

FEATURE

Sep

29 2011

9

PAGE

blogging whitman.

The film “Julie & Julia,” which hit theaters summer of 2009, was the first motion picture based on a blog. Although not as often talked about as social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, blogging is a consistently popular form of internet expression. Blogs that cover almost any subject imaginable can be found on a number of host sites. Are Whitman students part of this growing blog culture?

This week, Feature looks at blogging on campus, from the academic use of blogs to the personal.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BOWEN

Personal blogging adapts to changing social media by sharing pieces of myself online; it was an energizing experience that encouraged me to do more,” he said.

Though there were a few others like Hall, blogging didn’t become popular until 1998 or 1999, when free blogcreation programs became available.

These programs, like LiveJournal and Blogger. com, made blogging easier, as bloggers no longer needed to know how to create a website.

LiveJournal focused on recording personal experiences, which remains a common topic in the modern blogosphere.

According to BlogPulse, a trend discovery system for blogs, “diary” still takes the lead when calculating percentages of blog posts by topic.

However, LiveJournal has been replaced by newer hosting programs like WordPress and Tumblr that reflect a greater variety of blogging topics. Tumblr, in particular, has also developed strong social features—it allows you to “follow” other blogs, which means that their posts show up on your “dashboard,” a feature

by TYLER KING Staff Reporter

B

ack in 1999, just as blogs were beginning to appear in the news, Scott Rosenberg of Salon.com offered a definition for this new form of media.

“Weblogs, typically, are personal Web sites operated by individuals who compile chronological lists of links to stuff that interests them, interspersed with information, editorializing and personal asides,” he wrote.

Justin Hall, widely considered to be one of the earliest personal bloggers, started a blog in 1994 while attending Swarthmore College.

“I was 19 and I wanted to share the amazing shit I was finding on the web with other people who might not know what was out there,” he wrote in an email interview.

Although his blog started as a collection of links to things he liked, he eventually started posting his poetry and personal writing.

“I found I could get attention and connect with other people

Whitman bloggers Gingerland Blogger: Samuel Alden Description: Alden’s blog is a record of his drawings and comics, and chronicles a mix of professional work and more casual doodles.

Why: For Alden, blogging started as a way to pass the time at a boring desk job. It quickly became a platform for better and more finished works. For Alden, blogging can take up a fair amount of time, so it is important that his posts have some sort of result, usually in the form of readership.

“If you have a real fetish about huge projects your blog validates your unrelated, irrelevant work,” said Alden.

His blog has also led him to actual employers who saw his art on the internet.

URL: gingerlandcomics.tumblr.com

that bears a strong resemblance to Facebook’s “News Feed.” You can also “reblog” (quote a post and add a response), so there is a lot of interaction between bloggers.

Hall believes blogs have had a big impact on the way information is shared online.

“Blogging was a transitionary form—between the formality of traditional reporting and the unsanctioned, unauthorized, relatively open access we seem to be moving towards,” he wrote.

Even if blogging were a transitionary form, that wouldn’t mean the era of the blog is over—far from it. According to BlogPulse, as of Sept. 23 there were 171,857,137 blogs in existence, with almost 3,000 of those having been created in the last 24 hours.

As the “dashboard” feature of Tumblr shows, blogs and social networks are growing side by side in order to meet the needs of online users. Hall agrees.

“The important audience for most of our brief notes is not the entire world of strangers, but a network of folks we already know,” he wrote.

by FRANNIE NUNN Staff Reporter

Fernando’s Frolics

Action for Animals

Blogger: Fernando Medina

Bloggers: All AFA members

Description: Fernando’s Frolics is centered on the classes, activities and social interactions Medina experiences at Whitman.

Though he started it on his own, Whitman hired him to write blogs specifically about his Whitman experience. It gives prospective students an idea of typical student life and also helps Medina communicate easily with family and friends.

“Blogging is a nice way to let my parents know what’s going on in my life and also a way to let other Whitman students in on my activities,” said Medina.

Description: This blog is dedicated to all things vegan, vegetarian and animal-friendly. The Whitman Action for Animals blog is a multi-contributor page, open to any club member who wants to post. The posts range from contributor opinions on a number of topics to vegan recipes, and the members work together to create an easy-toread and interesting blog.

Process: For Medina, every blog entry is well thought-out. An outline comes first, and then the actual writing and editing process happens. Since he created his own blog, he was able to control the style and layout of the actual page through a free account at wordpress.com.

Time Commitment: Essentially, the time commitment is one hour per blog entry. Whitman pays him to produce one substantial entry per week.

URL: fernandowhitman.wordpress. com

Why: It was formed to promote AFA at Whitman College, and to make the conversations that members have at club meetings available to the Whitman community and beyond.

Time Commitment: The time commitment for a single poster is very minimal.

Hanna Mosenthal, the President of AFA at Whitman, is a regular contributor.

“I try and post at least once a week, but I just post whenever I get the inspiration,” Mosenthal said.

“When something in my life happens that makes me think about helping animals or being a vegan, I get inspired to share that with the AFA blog community,” she said.

URL: whitmanafa.wordpress. com

The internet is dead. Long live the internet!

Blogger: Ben Lerchin Description: Lerchin’s blog isn’t so much a web journal or exercise in writing as it is a repository for cool things he finds online. As of late, he has been quoting different scholarly and entertaining articles he finds interesting.

“I guess you could say it’s a mirror of my more oddball interests,” said Lerchin.

He uses Tumblr, a site he favors for the ability to follow and be followed by other bloggers.

Why: Though interested in digital media since middle school, it wasn’t until his Intermediate New Genre Arts class last year at Whitman that Lerchin found his own niche for blogging, or “reblogging.” The model of reposting other people’s work doesn’t require much effort, but makes it easier to comment on and give context to the material he favors.

“I think Tumblr is a particularly interesting platform in that it encourages sharing and creation,” said Lerchin, “instead of just being a kind of public diary.”

Time Commitment: For Lerchin, the time commitment is minimal. Since he doesn’t usually produce his own material, it doesn’t take a lot of time or energy to maintain his blog.

URL: blerchin.tumblr.com

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FEATURE

Sep

29 2011

10 PAGE

A little bear’s search for cheese: part deux Blogger: Addison Magness Description: This blog is a fun and introspective look at food and cooking in the life of a college student. Magness chronicles dishes she makes and that inspire her. Her posts combine considerable writing talent with a sincerely interesting exploration of eating well while at college, a feat seemingly impossible for many living off-campus.

Why: The blog was started in 2009, and was revamped when Magness studied abroad in Paris last semester. She, like many others, found blogging a great way to keep people at home updated when she went abroad. If nothing else, it gives her something to put on a resume.

“I’ve wanted to be a culinary journalist since I was ten,” said Magness. “My family is all about food and it’s just always been a presence in my life.”

URL: addyswwsummer.blogspot.com

Blogs infiltrate Whitman classrooms, students question effectiveness

by SUSANNA BOWERS Staff Reporter

A

few professors at Whitman have integrated blogging into their curricula recently, as a peer-editing tool or a replacement for journaling.

Professors Kristy King and Lynn Sharp introduced blogging to Encounters this year, asking their students to post every few weeks regarding the reading material and comment twice per week with additional ideas or critical feedback. A main reason that these professors have made the change is to encourage firstyear students to share their work with a wider audience.

“With journals, students got used to writing just for their professor. The blog posts stimulate them to challenge themselves, this time writing towards the entire class,” said King.

The students are more aware of their writing when they know that more people will be reading it, which the professors hope makes them work harder to write well. So far, the professors have noticed several benefits from their new method.

“The blogs get them to think critically about the text before their papers,” said King, explaining how they encourage more thoughtful discussion than she might otherwise expect.

“By reading the posts, students are able to learn from each other’s writing,” said Sharp.

Each student is able to read all of the other posts and comments, which is a major difference from any previous assignment. With blogs, students are exposed to many different styles of writing. The professors

experimenting with this method hope that the blogs will offer a much more effective (and possibly faster) way of teaching how to write at a collegiate level.

“They must think through their blog posts much more than their points in a classroom discussion, which brings things to a deeper level,” said Sharp.

However, some of the students using the blogging method question its effectiveness.

“While there might be more detail in the posts, they bring up the same ideas we discuss in class,” said first-year Luke Hedlund. “We just happen to know everyone’s opinion before we meet. The only advantage is that the blogs could help someone who isn’t as likely to speak up in class get their ideas heard.”

Other students do see significant value in the blogging system.

First-year Jess Good likes the extra help with writing aside from formal papers.

“The blogs present different ideas that I might not have thought of in class. I also find it very helpful that my professor comments and gives me feedback on them,” she said.

Overall, the professors agreed that they are very impressed with the work they have seen.

“The blogs make students take a stand,” said King, noticing much more disagreement in discussion than she is used to. “We’re making use of productive differences!”

Though they can be a lot of work, the professors believe that they will be beneficial to their students’ writing and critical thinking skills.

“Anyone who writes well writes constantly,” said Sharp.

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OPINION

Sep

29 2011

11 PAGE

Self-esteem boosted through Greek life involvement

by KATIE HAAHEIM ’13 Guest Columnist

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ike many of us Whitties, I had a less than graceful social experience in high school. (The only time I was asked to slow dance with a boy, I literally ran away and hid in the bathroom. I was that awkward.) As a teenager, I generally felt ill at ease in social situations, and while I was comfortable with my ability to achieve academically, there was little else that made me feel truly confident about myself.

I came to Whitman with an open mind and a desire to come out of my shell. But while I sat on my Jewett couch-bed as some kindly Phi Delts moved in all of my stuff, I recognized that I was still timid, self-conscious and, like most freshmen, con-

vinced that everyone on campus would make friends except me.

In an effort to meet people and, hopefully, make friends, I decided to go through sorority recruitment. Much to my surprise, I found myself accepting a bid from Kappa Alpha Theta—and so began the most important and unexpected aspect of my college experience.

As a junior and the Chief Operating Officer of Theta, I have many lingering questions about the Greek system as a national institution. I don’t see anything inherently enriching or empowering in a group of people gathering with an arbitrary set of guidelines and rituals that link them together. The Greek system, at its worst, encourages a variety of groupthink that I would argue is actively disempowering to those who find themselves a part of it. That being said,

Political Cartoon by Kelly Douglas

I would like to say that I feel I have experienced Greek life at its absolute best as a part of Theta and the overall system here at Whitman.

Let’s look back to the timid, vaguely awkward little freshman who just joined a sorority: I found myself welcomed into a vibrant, dynamic, utterly brilliant group of women that genuinely wanted me there with them. Not only that but they had no interest in changing me.

And then a funny thing happened. The more I felt accepted for the exact person I was, the more I felt a desire to change. To grow.

To be at Whitman College is to find yourself interacting on a daily basis with some of the smartest, kindest, most outgoing, and most driven women you’ve ever met.

And to be in a sorority means getting the chance to form close rela-

Guest Columnist

A

round 8 p.m. on any given Friday or Saturday night, something on campus shifts subtly. The drudgery of classes is thrown off and we all look forward to forgetting the upcoming work we have to do. However, we also forget something else as a campus when we head out to party: The party atmosphere at Whitman is disjoined from the socially conscious daytime student body.

This phenomenon isn’t isolated to Whitman—colleges across the country are struggling to reconcile social life with social justice. A fraternity at Yale University was suspended for screaming, “No means yes!” around the campus.

I think we can safely assume these aren’t ignorant students—so what could have driven some of the most intelligent students in America to

Patriarchy receding in society Guest Columnist

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isa Belkin, a columnist for The New York Times who “covers family life and writes the Motherlode blog,” is distraught. Writing in the Times, Belkin wondered: “As parents around the country send their children to campuses for the start of another academic year, what are we to make of the fact that lessons of equality, respect and self-worth have been heard when it comes to the classroom, but lost somewhere on the way to the clubs?”

What could be the cause of such a horrifying state of affairs? For Belkin, the culprit is none other than “a feeling that sexualization of women is fun and funny rather than insulting and uncomfortable.”

Upon reading her commentary, entitled rather provocatively “After Class, Skimpy Equality,” I was taken by the fact that Belkin appears to live in a world wholly disconnected from the one in which I live, yet her perspective is fascinating as an artifact showing the progress made for gender justice in the past decades.

According to Belkin, though she would never admit it, women are defined by their relationship to men. That is to say, the fact that a woman (defined by a shockingly narrow concept of gender) dresses in a “sexualized” (her term) manner necessarily means that she is doing so out of fealty to “man” (again, as a biological essence). This begs many questions: what defines sexualization? Sexual to whom?

And, most importantly, why can’t a woman choose to dress in whatever manner she pleases?

Obviously, Belkin’s answer (though unstated) is simple: in a world of female empowerment, women could dress in any fashion they pleased because

they would be free of hegemonic masculinity. This seems fabulously antiquated, though.

Even a cursory glance at the composition of the college is a stunning counterpoint to the noagency worldview. In 20 years, the college has transitioned from

Structural problems should be noted and fought, but we need not fear a pernicious patriarch leering behind every corner. “about equally coeducational” (quoted from the 1991-92 course catalog) to a 2010 gender split of 58 percent to 42 percent.

Even more important is the lagging indicator of departmental makeup. In 1991, the English department was composed of nine men and two women. Today, the division is even at five each. Nearly every department on campus has substantial female representation, which is a nationwide phenomenon indicated by the rising number of PhDs awarded to women. In 1999, women received 42.9 percent of doctoral degrees awarded. In 2009, that percentage was 52.3 percent.

The increasing presence of females in academics is reflected in programs with a far greater emphasis on female perspectives historically excluded from study. Glancing at the curriculum of the Religion degree is instructive in this manner: the first requirement is for a class in “Gender and Sociology of Religion.” Across the humanities and social sciences, classes increasingly direct focus toward feminist (and related) authors. The mere existence of a Gender Studies program, for which there was no equivalent in 1991, testifies to this shift.

Does this mean that the in-

chance to become a part of a collective that has no definitive reason to care about you, but truly and genuinely does. A chance to settle into a group that accepts you and wants you exactly as you are, but encourages you in all the ways you want to grow. A chance to finally let loose and dress up for more silly themed parties than you ever could have imagined.

That is my empowerment as a Theta at Whitman. I can be exactly the woman I want to be, and I know that no matter what, there will be a place for me here.

Don’t ditch social consciousness on weekends

by KATE KIGHT ’13

by BEN MENZIES ’14

tionships with many of those women that you would not necessarily have otherwise met. Gradually, I began to realize that there was no reason in the world that I couldn’t be like the charming, goofy, vibrant, sweet, hilarious women around me. I saw—through example after example—that it is possible to be active and involved on campus, to maintain close friendships outside of your chapter, to unwind and socialize on the weekend and to maintain your academic life.

Theta has given me all of the tools I needed to come out of my shell. I have learned how to balance schoolwork and fun. I have learned how to take on the responsibilities I want and to be a leader. I have learned that frat boys aren’t actually that scary.

I guess that’s what all of the Greek groups at Whitman are—a

This week in Opinion, we asked Whitman students to express their views regarding such topics as female empowerment at college, Greek life and awareness in party situations.

members of the queer community can feel respected by everyone.

The hard truth is that the current party culture at Whitman and around the country doesn’t provide this safe space for women or homosexuals or anyone. We all have aspects of ourselves we are self-conscious about, and as a safe community we should each respect this. So next time the Greek system throws a party that alienates a group on campus, or a sports team forces a member to do something he or she isn’t ready for or an individual grabs you on the dance floor without your consent, think about the campus you want to live on. The flip side of the hard truth of this campus is that we are the ones who can change it. We all know the greatest parties—the ones we feel great about all the next week—are the ones that include us, not as sex objects or stereotypes, but as individuals with something real to contribute.

Think you before you joke

sidious influence of patriarchy and sexism have been banished from our campus? Of course not.

Belkin, in fact, points at what I think are valid causes for concern when she relates anecdotes of certain fraternity practices at other schools (notorious cases at Duke University, the University of Southern California and Yale University). There are many upstanding members of the fraternities on campus, and Whitman’s Greek system is overall infinitely more progressive than most. However, one member of a fraternity once related to me a conversation he observed between members of his fraternity in which the conclusion was reached that none would date a woman who would not do his laundry. I think we all know that that is not an isolated instance.

Nor would it be fair to suggest that relics of patriarchy and sexism are limited to fraternities and sororities. Every day, most women still feel the need to perform the ritual of makeup so as to appear presentable, while most men feel no such pressure. Interpersonal conversations often let slip deeply held sexist beliefs that are rarely aired out in public, even though they do have real effects.

The mistake Belkin makes is not in identifying the existence of problems, but rather in ignoring the ways in which we as a society have changed to solve those problems. Structural problems should be noted and fought, but we need not fear a pernicious patriarch leering behind every corner. Rather, we as feminists must recognize that we live in a world in which women are increasingly agents themselves, and that dressing “sexy” may not indicate a deep-seated fealty to manhood. To quote a fictional civil rights icon: “I got some real honest-to-God battles to fight . . . I don’t have time for the cosmetic ones.”

Voices from the Community

willfully harm their campuses?

Although these incidents occur with a higher propensity in Greek systems, it is unfair to solely blame these institutions, for the problem runs much deeper than that. The problem lies in the party culture itself, the idea that the combination of alcohol and dance music means we have the right to ignore propriety.

The idea that limiting party themes to ones that are “politically correct” defeats the freedom of Friday nights.

As we can see from Yale’s example, though, freedom does not give the right to support deeply sexist and offensives stereotypes. Freedom doesn’t mean one is able to grab the nearest hottie on the dance floor without asking. Rather, Friday nights should be a time when every student on the campus has the freedom to celebrate the weekend safely. Where women can go to a party without being treated as objects, where

by MEHERA NORI ’12 Guest Columnist

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emember that hilarious scene in “Wedding Crashers” when Isla Fisher ties Vince Vaughn to the bed against his will? And remember that other scene when Keir O’Donnell slips into Vaughn’s bed as he sleeps and starts to make a move while Vaughn tries to get O’Donnell to stop? Those scenes were pretty funny. That is, until you realize that those scenes are of rape and assault.

Imagine the Isla Fisher/Vince Vaughn scene with the roles reversed. Imagine that instead of laughter and awkward commentary that she is pleading with him, that she’s crying, that she’s unconscious. This is the problem with rape and sexual assault humor: the subject matter is rape and sexual assault. Clearly, the fact that acts of rape and sexual violence are not humorous in any way, shape or form hasn’t stopped folks from making rape jokes. Take, for example, the laughable Antoine Dodson. Somehow, other aspects of him or his video make people forget the fact that he’s telling a news station about how his sister was almost raped. Literally, someone climbed into her bed at night with some intention of hurting her. Imagine that happening to someone you love. Still funny?

I’ve heard people defend rape jokes in a whole host of ways: that they’re just the same as cancer/AIDS/other illness jokes, that we just need to be able to laugh at ourselves or that I’m too stuffy or sensitive to get it. First, I really don’t understand what’s funny about terminal illnesses that put people in excruciating pain, so that defense is completely lost on me. On top of that, cancer is not inflicted upon someone by another person; rape and assault are clear acts of violence. Second, I understand needing to laugh about things that happen in life. It can be difficult to digest unpleasant

situations without making some light of it. But rape isn’t some unfortunate situation that one happens to be in—rape is something forced upon other people. Third, I’m not too sensitive or too stuffy to laugh at your hilarious joke. Instead, I understand how making rape jokes contributes to the construction of rape culture and refuse to be part of that. When we make or laugh at a joke about rape or sexual assault or violence, we normalize it a little bit. We make it okay to laugh at a joke about someone being brutally assaulted. We validate the experiences of people who have raped or assaulted others. By telling a rape joke, the severity of sexual violence is diminished because we accept the act of rape as something comical, funny, and commonplace.

Here’s the problem: we’re trying to make sure rape and sexual assault are not commonplace. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States, and fifteen out of sixteen rapists don’t spend a single day in prison. That means there are about 213,000 victims of assault and rape in the US, and for about 94 percent of them their abusers are never punished. How do you know that an assault survivor isn’t listening to you tell a rape joke?

Ask your family members and friends if any of them has ever been a victim of rape/assault or attempted rape/assault. Ask them to tell you their stories. Think about how they might feel when they hear a joke that makes light of a traumatic incident. Think about how hearing a rape joke might make a rape victim relive their assault. Think about how by telling a rape joke you’re taking away the seriousness of rape and sexual assault and turning it into something funny and normal, when for thousands of survivors it is neither of those things.

Now tell me a rape joke.

Do you see an imbalance of power between genders on this campus: in class, at parties, in general social interactions . . . or elsewhere? Poll by Bernstein

COLLIN SMITH

SHARON ALKER

MOLLY SIMONSON

AVERY POT TER

First-Year

Assistant Professor

Sophomore

Junior

of English

“I’ve noticed that the gender ratio in ASWC does not reflect the gender ratio at Whitman. I think this might be local manifestation of a maledominated political society.”

“I find there to be an equal balance within the [English] Department and among the students in my classes. I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress in the last 20 years when there was only one woman in the English Department.”

“In the classroom and in most social interactions, I’ve noticed that the power is distributed pretty equally, with the exception of the Greek social scene.”

“Where the discrepancy is really obvious [ . . . ] is in the party scene. Men supply the location, the alcohol, the party, and it’s usually held in their home, their turf, where they are comfortable; women are just guests, so they are at a disadvantage.”

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29 2011

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WHY STUDENTS NEED SHINY SILVER SQUIRREL SLUGS

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he instant someone said the word “squirrel” to Hector Clemons, he was six years old again, sitting at his grandmother’s feet and listening to her tales of horror and intrigue: “And when Little Bluefootman walked past the elderberry bush, what should LEAP from the leaves but a bloody-mouthed SQUIRREL. He CHOMPED on Little Bluefootman’s little blue foot and ran off. Little Bluefootman was left to writhe in agony on

the forest floor, waiting for death until he slowly began sprouting fur and square front teeth and a tail!

He roamed the forest, unable to rejoin his people, continually forgetting where his nuts were buried.”

These Weresquirrel stories deprived Hector days of sleep, and he was never quite able to shake his fear of Little Bluefootman and his evil, furry brethren. So when one night he was obliged to walk from fencing practice at Cordiner to his room

in Lyman at 3 a.m., he was sufficiently freaked out. Every shadow was a Weresquirrel lying in wait.

As he walked past the tennis courts, he noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He froze. Rotating slowly, he peered into the shadows beneath a sinister-looking tree - was that - was that a WERESQUIRREL?!

In a whirl of fur, a squirrel shot out of the darkness and onto Hector’s head, clawing and biting him. Hector struggled val-

Silly Squirrel Facts

iantly, shrieking, “NO! NO! YOU WON’T MAKE ME ONE OF YOU! I WON’T BE THE NEXT LITTLE BLUEFOOTMAN!” Screaming, Hector bolted directly into a tour guide leading a group of prospies in a What Whitman Looks Like at Ungodly Hours of the Morning tour. As they came to a halt, Hector successfully grasped the squirrel around its tiny middle and chucked it a quarter mile. He turned, breathing raggedly, to the group.

Squirrelly Songs

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ver wondered what could make your favorite songs even better? Making them tributes to squirrels, of course!

1. “Only Girl in the World”- Rihanna “Want you to make me feel like I’m the only squirrel in the world.”

2. “Boys, Boys, Boys”- Lady Gaga “Squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, we like squirrels in bars. Squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, we like squirrels in cars.”

3. “Brown Eyed Girl”- Van Morrison “You, my brown-eyed squirrel.”

4. “Every Girl”-Young Money “On to the next one, more fish in the sea. Squirrels are like buses, miss one, there’s 15 more coming.”

5. “Pearl Necklace”-ZZ Top “She wore a squirrel necklace!”

6. “My Girl”- The Temptations “I got sunshine on a cloudy day. When its cold outside, I’ve got the month of May. Well, I guess you say,

Ever wante d to kno w more abo ut the fur r y-taile d ro dents that plague o ur campu s so adorably? Here the Backpage has set o ut to e d ify the masse s as to w hat’s tr ue abo ut squir rels and w hat’s not tr ue abo ut squir rels.

FACT: When born, squirrels are naked, toothless and blind . . . In other words, not much different than most people’s grandpas.

MY TH: “Chipmunk” is not a synonym of “squirrel.”

HOW TO LOVE YOUR SQUIRREL: Don’t let it play in plastic bags.

HOW TO KILL YOUR SQUIRREL: Let it play in plastic bags.

FACT: Some college students take advantage of desensitized squirrels by “punting” them away when they approach.

Myth: On some college campuses “squirrel punting” is considered an intramural sport.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR SQUIRREL: Give it nuts.

HOW TO KILL YOUR SQUIRREL: Hit it with a car.

FACT: The Great Acorn war of 1843 involved the native squirrels of Central Park with the immigrant squirrels from Jersey.

MY TH: Squirrels only eat acorns.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR SQUIRREL: Give it a free subscription of “Squirrel Girls” or “Slippery, Squirmy and Squirrely.”

FACT: Every male squirrel, whether he will admit it or not, at one time in his life had a crush on Sandy from SpongeBob. MY TH: Squirrels are recluses.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR SQUIRREL: Rub the underside of its chin until it squeals.

HOW TO KILL YOUR SQUIRREL: Choke it until it squeals.

FACT: Squirrels have over 50 different variations of the phrase “Did you tap that?”

MY TH: Squirrels’ favorite weed is “Cali Kush.”

HOW TO LOVE YOUR SQUIRREL: Coddle their furry tails.

HOW TO KILL YOUR SQUIRREL: Tell it to collect the supple acorns at the bottom of your pool.

FACT: Squirrels cannot swim.

A young man from Quebec piped up, “Thees doez not happeen een my country.”

Hector replied, “I GOTTA GET TO THE HEALTH CENTER!!” and dashed off in a panic.

The tour guide took the opportunity to say, “Ah, yes, the Whitman Health Center is open 24/7, to all who are feeling unwell or potentially cursed.”

The parents in the group heaved a sigh of relief, and they all moved on to the next site.

what can make me feel this way? My squirrel. Talkin’ ’bout my squirrel.”

7. “Pretty Rave Girl”- I am X-ray “I know this pretty rave squirrel, always thinking bout her, when she says hi to me, butterflies roll right through me. And when I see her dancing, wanna take a chance and lean in a little closer, and maybe get to know her.”

8. “Tattoo Girl”-Travie McCoy “Hey, hello, Ms. Tattoo Squirrel, you are forever stuck to me.”

9. “ The Girl from Ipanema”- Astrud Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, & Stan Getz “Tall and tan and young and lovely, the squirrel from Ipanema goes walking, and when she passes, each one she passes goes, ‘Ahhh.’”

10. “White Girl”- Young Jeezy feat. Bloodraw “I love them white squirrels, Christina Aguilera, do it all night, now do it for the camera. I got 50 of them freaks at a time.”

itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel run run run run

Interested in a Pu z z l e S l u t o r P i o t- s h i r t ?

itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel scratch scratch itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel peed on a passer-by girl today. bullseye. itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel jump jump jump itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel sleep itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel i just spit beer out of my nose itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel diggin for my acorn itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel pretzel itismeasquirrel Nutty Da Squirrel i carry all my weight in my hips. i blame it on my species. itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel i thought those expiration dates on food packages were just suggestions. itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel sniff sniff itismeasquirrel Nutty Da-Squirrel hop hop hop hop hop

Send an email to puzzleslutshirt@gmail.com

Comic by Jung Song

Letter from the Sluttitor-in-Chief

Dear Whitman,

I confess. I have a squirrel fetish.

Love, -Adam “Leon Slutsky” Brayton P.S. Find the word “Squirrel” 20 times. If you find any more, show me and you get a free hug.

Super Squirrel Search by the Puzzle Slut E Q L U R R U Q S R E R R L Q S I L S L I U R S S

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ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON