Whitman College Pioneer Fall 2011 Issue 5

Service outside the bubble

Getting filthy in the Dub Dub

Do the volunteer efforts of Whitman students meet the critical needs of the Walla Walla community?

Students and community members weigh in on dubstep, the latest polarizing electronic music phenomenon.

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www.whitmanpioneer.com | Whitman news since 1896 | Walla Walla, Washington

2011

Juan Melendez discusses injustice of capital punishment

by SAM CHAPMAN Staff Reporter

“I

hope he’s not innocent . . . I hope he’s not innocent . . .”

Whenever Juan Roberto Melendez saw the lights flickering in his cell, that was the mantra he repeated over and over in his mind. After spending 6,446 days on death row in Florida for a crime he did not commit, Melendez began to tell his story all across the country.

On Tuesday, Oct. 4, he gave a lecture that delivered a single, powerful message: The death of one innocent man invalidates the entire system of capital punishment.

“It’s all about details, education,” Melendez said in his speech. “People need to know that it does not deter crime. People need to know that it costs too much. People need to know that it’s racist. People need to know that it’s cruel and unnecessary.”

Melendez was brought to campus as a speaker by a joint effort between Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) Sociology Instructor Susan Palmer and Peterson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences Keith Farrington.

“When you have a speaker that comes to a shared event, it in some ways doubles the amount of work you need to do,” Farrington said. “Susan dealt with the large organization that handles the bureaucratic aspect.”

Melendez spoke at both campuses and attended classes taught by both professors.

“It’s important for people to be realistic about flaws in our justice system,” Palmer said.

“In this case, I think it’s important for students to hear a personal story, as opposed to just a statis-

Speaker Juan Melendez describes his 17-year-long stint on death row for a crime he did not commit during his lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Melendez was brought to Walla Walla in a joint effort by Whitman and WWCC. Photo by Axtell

tic. To be able to have some level of empathy, that the system in some cases might be flawed.”

Melendez’s approximately 17-year-long ordeal began when he was arrested for armed robbery and first-degree murder in 1984 and convicted after a week-long trial by a mostly white jury based on the testimony of two police informants who cut deals with prosecutors.

“No physical evidence against me,” Melendez said. “On the defense side, I had four witnesses say that the police informant was a snitch who had a grudge against me, but I had a problem—every witness on my side was from the African-American race. When a black man and a black wom-

an testify for the defense, all of a sudden, the credibility is gone.”

Speaking to a crowd in Olin Hall 130 so large it threatened to violate the fire code, Melendez next described the squalid conditions he faced in prison and the friendship of other inmates who helped him survive by teaching him to read, write and speak English.

One of the night’s most harrowing anecdotes came when Melendez related how close he came to committing suicide, near the tenth year of his imprisonment.

He began by explaining how his friends on death row would bribe “runners” from the main prison to bring them garbage bags so that they could hang themselves.

“I took that bag, and I made a rope, and then I put a noose in it. Then I looked at my bunk, and I looked at the rope, and I said to myself, ‘I’d better lay down and think about this a little bit more,’” he said. “I fell into a deep, deep sleep, and I start dreaming. In the dream, I’m a little kid again, doing the things I used to love. I find myself on the most beautiful beach in the world, at least to me. Every time I wanted out of there, every time suicide thoughts came to my mind, I would pray to God, ‘send me a beautiful dream.’”

The tale of a good friend’s death due to staff negligence offered a further glimpse into the disturbing realities of prison life.

“There’s a brother on the ground (from a heart attack or stroke) so we tell [the nurse], ‘He’s not breathing! He needs air!’ But telling the so-called nurse to give mouth-to-mouth to a brother on the ground— you’re wasting your time,” he said. “He died in my arms.”

“I wasn’t saved by the system. I was saved in spite of the system,” Melendez said of the case that finally freed him.

Distraught over the execution of five of her other clients, his longtime attorney handed his case over to a crack legal team, who petitioned for a change of venue based on the fact that the county judge had been Melendez’s first public defender.

Once moved to Tampa County, the case fell into the hands of Barbara Fletcher. After retrieving the case files, Fletcher discovered that the attorney had withheld critical evidence from the court, including a taped confession of the real killer and the corroborating testimonies of 16 witnesses.

Armed with this information, Fletcher wrote a 72-page opinion in which she chastised almost every official involved with the case. Her opinion led prosecutors to throw out the case against Melendez.

“I can honestly say I owe that brave woman my life,” Melendez said.

The lecture ended with a hopeful note, as Melendez described how his fellow inmates applauded as he was released and how he learned to live more richly after being deprived of simple pleasures for so long. see CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, page 2

Report shows decreased crime on campus

by JOSH GOODMAN Staff Reporter

W

hitman was a safer place in 2010 than 2009, according to the college’s Annual Security Report released Thursday, Sept. 29. The report, federally mandated by the Clery Act of 1990, noted that incidents of robbery, burglary and forcible sex offenses at Whitman decreased from the previous year.

According to the report, there were two burglaries in 2010, both of which were in January, down from seven in 2009.

There were 17 drug violations in 2010, down from 30 in 2009.

Associate Director of Security Craig McKinnon said that the decrease in burglaries was partially because crime at Whitman is often cyclical, with one person or a group of people committing similar crimes repeatedly until caught.

“The rash of burglaries we had [in 2009]—I think that was one person, and that person, I believe, was caught by the police, and we saw the incidents stop,” he said.

However, the Annual Security Report does not list theft of individual items such as laptops and bicycles. This information can be found in the security office’s online daily crime log. There were 17 such reported thefts last year. However, McKinnon noted that 80 percent of thefts on college campuses nationwide—most often thefts of small items such as flash drives or cash—are not reported to security.

Reported forcible sexual offenses, which range from forcible fondling to rape, also fell; there were six such reported offenses in 2010, down from eight in 2009 and 18 in 2008. Barbara Maxwell, associate dean of students and sexual misconduct prevention coordinator, said she would like to think that the decline is due to the Green Dot sexual misconduct prevention program, launched in fall 2009.

“The impact that Green Dot has is that it really creates a norm on campus that it’s every person’s responsibility to intervene if they see something that might be unsafe, might be high risk, might cause a problem for the students

Statistics for the past three years concerning crimes that occurred on or adjacent to Whitman campus, including off-campus housing. Infographic by Patten

WHITMAN CRIME IN NUMBERS Forcible Sex Offences

2008

8

6

2009

2010

Alcohol Violations

Burglary

Robbery 0

18

in the situation,” she said. “The community has such a heightened awareness about what is appropriate and what is inappropriate and [I like to believe] they do such a great job of intervening when they see something that may be high-risk.”

Maxwell said that it was ultimately impossible to know whether the decline is due to Green Dot or, instead, a lower rate of reporting sexual misconduct, but noted that the college would gain more insight into the issue of unreported sexual assault when it conducts its next safety survey in the spring of 2013.

More generally, McKinnon said that an increased security presence on campus—the college hired an additional security officer last year to overlap with other officers during high-risk times—played a role in the decreased crime.

“Our visible presence can deter a large number of crimes from occurring,” he said. “You walk by where someone is planning to steal something, you see them, they see you and that crime has been stopped and you don’t even know.”

2

2008

0

2009

2 2008

2010

Drug Violations

7 2009

2

2010

Aggravated Assault

56 6

30 36

41

45

2008 2009 2010

11

2008

3

2009

2010

0

2008

Sports

Opinion

SPORTS, PAGE 5

OPINION, PAGE 7

Men’s club volleyball team gains momentum going into third year

2009

2010

Peter Chen compares the dating cultures of China and the United States

Deborah Butterfield, sculptor of “Styx,” the famous horse located in front of Penrose Library, visited campus this past Tuesday, Oct. 4 to discuss her work. Photo by Felt

‘Styx’ artist Deborah Butterfield visits campus

by EMILY LIN-JONES Staff Reporter

W

hitman students and local sculpture enthusiasts had the opportunity on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to meet world-renowned sculptor Deborah Butterfield, creator of the beloved Whitman campus fixture “Styx.” Butterfield delivered an hour-long lecture at Maxey Hall about her artistic career and vision.

Butterfield gained recognition in the art world for making horse figures out of a variety of non-traditional materials, including driftwood and scrap metal. Her work has been acclaimed by critics and exhibited worldwide, including in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

“I’d been a horse girl all my life, but was embarrassed about drawing horses and had been teased,” she said, explaining her journey towards focusing solely on the equine form.

Butterfield attended the University of California at Davis to study ceramics, but started to become disillusioned with the medium and made forays into sculpture.

After recovering from a life-changing car accident while abroad in Europe, Butterfield returned to school, determined to pursue her passion.

“I said, ‘Screw this, I’m making horses,’” Butterfield said.

Butterfield noted the influence of the Vietnam War in her first horse sculptures.

“I decided I wanted to make a horse that’s me, and not a war horse . . . These horses were like a metaphorical substitute for myself, and I made them my size,” she said.

Despite the consistency of her figurative subject matter, Butterfield’s horses spring from a variety of inspirations, ranging from her father’s death to her marriage to the Sept. 11 attacks. Although she bases many of her sculptures on actual animals, Butterfield considers them to be abstract.

“They’re not horses . . . This is really a rectangular canvas on four legs, with a neck and a head and a tail.”

“Styx” was cast in bronze at the Walla Walla Foundry through the collaboration of Butterfield and the Foundry’s owner, Whitman alumnus Mark Anderson. The basis of the sculpture was driftwood taken from the Snake River.

Butterfield said she was initially hesitant to allow students to name the sculpture themselves. “[Students sent in] some good names but it was really cool because ‘Styx’ was something I had considered using before. The idea that the kids here were so smart and well-rounded in literature—it’s such a delight; it’s such an amazing school. I was really thrilled and tickled to have it named Styx,” she said.

Web Exclusive

see STYX, page 3

A&E reviews dark foreign comedy ‘The Guard,’ starring Brendan Gleeson.

Online at www.whitmanpioneer.com

NEWS

Oct

06 2011

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Local high school students take courses at Whitman

by ALLISON WORK

are ready for a college-level class.

Staff Writer

You may be sitting in class next to a high school student. Because of a program connecting Whitman and the greater community of Walla Walla, a handful of high school students partake in classes on the Whitman campus each semester.

“It’s a great program,” said David Guichard, professor of mathematics and Whitman’s facilitator of the program.

The program allows up to 16 area high school students each to enroll in one Whitman course per semester.

“This is great prep for when I go to college,” said Julia Cosma, a junior at Walla Walla High School. “It’s a chance to broaden my horizons and get a deeper understanding of a subject.”

According to Guichard, the program began in the 1970s.

“Maybe it occurred to somebody that this would be a nice thing to do for the community,” said Guichard. “It’s great. I wish it were a little more well-known, because I think it’s one of the really good things that Whitman does for the community.”

While the college reserves 16 spots for these students, in recent years the program hasn’t seen the quota completely filled. Each spring, Guichard prepares applications and the Dean of Students Office sends announcements out to local high schools. Students may apply if they’re interested in the opportunity and demonstrate that they

Guichard reviews the applications submitted to him and makes recommendations to the Dean of Students Office before students are accepted into the program.

“All the applications come in to me from the various high schools and I go through them,” said Guichard. “If there aren’t more applications than spots, we rarely turn anyone down.”

The option is currently available to any high school student who has met the appropriate prerequisites for a certain course. There is a minimum GPA requirement on the application form, but according to Guichard, if a student can demonstrate an aptitude for a certain subject they may still be accepted.

The students are usually high school juniors and seniors. Occasionally there are sophomores who can demonstrate the appropriate preparation for a college course.

Cosma is currently enrolled in French 150, after having finished all the French available to her at WaHi. She took the Whitman language placement test online, filled out the application and was accepted last spring.

“I feel like the individual experience is especially great for French,” said Cosma. “We have a small class, so it’s a great opportunity to learn more verbal skills.”

There are only five or six students taking classes this semester, according to Guichard. Because of scheduling constraints and travel lo-

gistics, it can be difficult for students to enroll in courses at Whitman.

“With travel time, students pretty much have to give up two high school periods to get one Whitman period unless they can take an evening class or a late afternoon class,” said Guichard.

“It really does make it harder.”

High school students also have to register for classes after all the full-time Whitman students have had their chance, so often the high school students don’t get into their first-choice classes.

“They get what’s left over,” said Guichard. “Sometimes there’s nothing they want to take that they can get into, unfortunately. That doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.”

Students usually take courses in advanced math or languages, but Guichard said the course choices have been across many subjects.

“The courses that students take seem to go in waves,” said Guichard.

“Recently, I think the most popular courses have been languages. But we’ve had students all over the map.”

Guichard likes the opportunity to facilitate Whitman’s side of the program because he likes being able to help out the students.

“I’m willing to do it essentially until I retire,” said Guichard. “I like doing it because I think it is such a good program, and it directly benefits students.”

The courses are offered to high school students free of charge, while someone normally coming in from the community to take a

ILLUSTRATION BY BAILEY

Whitman class would have to pay for their credits. But since the students register after all full-time students to take class spots still available and pay for their own books and course fees, it doesn’t affect the college negatively. In fact, as Guichard points out, the students aren’t the only ones who benefit.

“We get students who are both

Whitman students discuss work opportunities, Melendez speaks job market with alumni at networking event from CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, page 1

by ROSE WOODBURY Staff Writer

T

o schmooze or not to schmooze—that is the question. Last Friday, Sept.

30, many current Whitties decided to meet with past Whitman grads to schmooze and network at the Alumni Networking Reception.

With Fall Reunion Weekend this past weekend, campus was swarming with Whitman alumni from all years. The college held the networking reception in an effort to help current students make the most of this influx of alums.

Over 50 students and just over 30 alumni gathered in Reid Campus Center where the reception took place.

Senior Spanish major MaryBeth Murray talked about why she decided to attend.

“I think that any opportunity to gather information about what the job market is like right now is really smart,” she said.

Director of Career Development Susan Buchanan

WHITMAN STUDENT FEES AT WORK ASWC SENATE MEETING 10/2 New clubs confirmed: • China at Whitman • Whitman College Collegiate Starleague Team • Story Time Project • GlobeMed at Whitman

stressed the importance of networking regardless of the job economy because of the kind of “insider information” alumni can provide about their fields.

“I think networking is probably the brightest tool in the box because in any job market, good or poor, it’s who you know, not what you know,” she said.

At the reception, alumni clustered in groups based on their field and students were invited to mingle with alumni working in different fields. Students were given the chance to gain valuable advice from Whitman alumni who have gone on to pursue occupations as writers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, former Peace Corps volunteers and business entrepreneurs. Other career fields represented included international development, political communications and renewable energy.

Upon entering the reception, students were given sheets with “Quick Networking Tips” provided by the Student Engagement Center. These sheets gave suggestions on how to gracefully enter and exit a conversation, as well as examples of questions to ask.

The sheets suggested saying “May I join you?” or “I have a question on that topic” in order to enter a conversation. In addition to asking alumni about their professions and the job

market, the tip sheets also suggested asking them how they got into their field and whether they could provide any contacts.

Many students attended the reception to explore what fields might interest them. “[I want to gather] ideas about where to go next,” Murray said.

In addition to gathering ideas, students at the reception had the opportunity to enter into the networks of the alumni.

“You’re tapping into their network even if they’re not doing what you want to do,” said Buchanan.

“Even if they’re not going to give you a job, they’re the key to being noticed by an industry or field.”

Alumnus Eric Scott ’06, who now teaches biology at a community college, explained why he decided to attend the reception.

“I just thought it would be fun to talk to current students,” he said.

Similarly, Lyndsay Troyer ‘06, currently a graduate student in chemistry at Colorado State University, agreed.

“I think networking has a lot of importance,” she said.

Many of the students who attended left feeling like they gained some insight into post-graduate life.

“The student as a job seeker will be far more knowledgeable as far as the jobs they’re seeking,” Buchanan said.

Melendez extended his stay in Walla Walla so that he could attend a dinner in his honor Wednesday evening. Speaking to a group of students from Whitman and WWCC, Melendez predicted that the death penalty would be abolished within the next ten years, and described meetings with recently executed inmate Troy Davis and anti-execution New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

“I told him, you’re the one in power,” Melendez said of Richardson. “You make the changes. I gave him lots of reasons.”

WWCC student Anthony Martinez described being surprised and affected by the speech.

“It was pretty amazing the way he told his story,” Martinez said. “I expected him to tell it sad. He told it in a way like he enjoyed it, and it was cool how he managed to live through it, how he managed to move forward through it.”

The final words of Melendez’s lecture echoed his hopeful prediction, asking the audience to join him in fulfilling his dream of ending the death penalty.

“I have a confession to make: I’m still a dreamer,” he said. “But this dream cannot come true if all of you don’t get involved. You see, you are part of my dream now!”

good enough to get in and who like their experience here enough to come here,” said Guichard, speaking of the few high school students who eventually apply and become full-time Whitman students.

“There’s certainly something in it for Whitman: good community relations [in offering the program] and, sometimes, good students.”

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS by shelly le News Editor

1,267

The number of governmentsanctioned executions in the United States since 1976.

2.3 million The average cost of a death penalty case in Texas.

5

Number of executions in Washington state since 1976.

96

Number of countries that have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

5th

Rank of the United States in number of executions per year, behind China, Iran, Pakistan and Iraq.

95%

Percentage of death row inmates who cannot afford their own attorney.

80%

Percentage of all death sentences in the United States that occur in the South.

4.3

ADVERTISEMENT

Times more likely a defendant is to receive a death penalty in Georgia if they are accused of killing a white person, as opposed to an African-American person.

Travel & Student Dev. Requests • The Pioneer, $6691.00 for 11 staff members to attend ACP Convention in Orlando, FL. Request amended to 8 members.

Passed.

• FACE, $1265.00 for 3 club members to attend Feminist Campus Leadership Conference in Los Angeles, CA. Passed.

• KWCW, $1500 to send 2 members to the College Music Journal Conference in New York City, NY. Passed.

SOURCES: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, THE DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER, CBS NEWS, THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION.

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 4 In the article “Football controversy: Sudden end of declining program in 1977 vexes Whitman community” on page 8, the claim that Whitman’s alumni donations are just beginning to return to pre-1977 levels is incorrect. For the correct data, visit whitmanpioneer. com after 10/6.

ASWC FINANCE MEETING 10/4 Travel & Student Dev. Requests • Cathryn Klusmeier, $160 to fund teaching a yoga class at Whitman.

Passed.

• Model UN and Waiilatpu requests passed through to senate meeting on 10/9.

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

Oct

06 2011

Café ’41 opens for business after repairing pipe damage

ILLUSTRATION BY BOWEN

by DYLAN TULL Staff Writer

F

or the entire first month of this school year, Whitman students working into the late hours of the night at Pen-

Butterfield talks horses from STYX, page 1

Butterfield feels that the sculpture’s permanent placement on campus deepens the connection of the viewer to the piece.

“Usually you spend just 7-30 seconds looking at art [but] people here have four years to look at the art on campus . . . There’s different kinds of art that are meant to have an impact and my art is very quiet, it’s kind of humble,” she said. “I think my work is like a prayer. They’re my animal prayers and they’re meant to be lived with. It’s like a daily practice.”

Michelle Acuff, professor of sculpture, had her students attend both the lecture and a field trip to the Foundry on the following day to observe and interact with Butterfield as she works.

“I think her work is incredibly relevant to what my students are doing in beginning sculpture [class],” said Acuff. “You don’t often get a world-class sculptor to come and chat with you . . . That’s a pretty rare opportunity.”

Charles Timm-Ballard, head

rose Library have had to go without the treats normally provided by the library café. On Monday, Sept. 26, the café reopened, and that period of hunger and strife finally came to an end, giving many tired library-goers one more reason to procrastinate.

The café was closed due to a complication with a broken sewage pipe. According to Roger Edens, general manager of Bon Appétit, the construction workers excavating Memorial Hall struck a sewage pipeline, causing water to soak into all porous substances.

Needless to say, there were sanitary and structural complications.

Edens remarked on the recent opening of the café via email: “The room has since been cleaned and sanitized and the cabinets have been rebuilt and replaced.”

This is wonderful news for weary students in need of sustenance to help them power through a rough night of homework. of the art department, agrees that Butterfield’s work is beneficial to Whitman.

“Deborah’s work does what good art does: it asks you to question the nature of your experience,” he said. “We’re lucky to have a piece of sculpture on campus that operates at that level, and having the opportunity to hear the author of that work speak about her experiences as an artist is an extraordinary opportunity for art students and for anyone who would like deeper insight into creative processes.”

Butterfield acknowledged Whitman students’ playful interaction with “Styx,” mentioning the use of the sculpture to “model” different outfits, but also spoke seriously about the importance of interacting with the work on a personal level.

“I think the most important thing about artwork is that it helps us crawl out of our small limitations and develop empathy or that idea of other,” said Butterfield. “I believe that this is what animals are here to teach us too, that we can learn to speak without words . . . I want you to be able to stand next to my work and understand it with your skin and your muscles, not just your eyes and your brain.”

PAGE

3

SAW expands crops to basil, lettuce

by MOLLY JOHANSON Staff Writer

F

or the past two years, Student Agriculture at Whitman (SAW) has been providing Bon Appétit salad bars with crops of micro-greens grown in the greenhouse on the roof of the science building. This year the group is expanding its crops to include both a lettuce mix and basil.

Junior Natalie Jamerson, the president of SAW, planted a dozen basil plants before school began and more plants were later planted and maintained by other group members. There is now a total of 50 basil plants in the greenhouse, which will be harvested later this month.

The lettuce mix is still in its testing stages, but should be ready later in the semester.

“Bon Appétit specifically asked for basil. We want not to just be producing but also filling needs,” Jamerson said.

SAW group member and sophomore Grady Olson is similarly excited about the new crops and their potential.

“We’ve been wanting to do salad greens for a long time . . . to sell something that we know everybody always eats,” he said.

While SAW is part of the many green groups on campus, it is primarily a business. The group sells its produce and uses the funds to produce crops for the following year.

“It is a practical skill, running a business. I love that.

Planting things you can do on your own, but the business aspect you can’t,” said Olson.

Although SAW only just became an ASWC-recognized club in spring 2011, the group began two years ago with the help of the Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF). The SRLF is a loan given to students on the condition that it will be repaid within five years. SAW was able to repay its loan in spring 2011, and it now has a large budget for the group’s expenses.

One of the group’s major expenses is seed, which is imported from Maine.

“They are not the most local, but they are dependable. We have the budget to buy good seed.

Since we need to produce sellable, dependable crop we don’t want to take chances,” said Jamerson.

Currently, SAW only sells its produce to Bon Appétit. According to Jamerson, at $18 a tray, the micro-greens are a very lucrative crop. SAW anticipates that the basil will sell for about $8 per pound.

“Bon Appétit is really into buying what we produce. It’s part of their philosophy to buy from student agriculture,” said sophomore Lydia Bailey, a member of SAW. According to Bon Appétit’s handbook, which is available online, the company’s goal is to “purchase seasonal and regional ingredients from local small farmers and artisans within a 150-mile radius of [its] kitchen.”

SAW is primarily run by student volunteers, at least one of whom is usually an environmental studies intern. For one environmental studies credit, interns research ways in which the group can expand and more thoroughly address the goals of the group.

The group’s goals are to both promote learning about local food and to increase the amount of local food on campus.

“It makes sense to promote [the] educational aspect of growing food,” said Jamerson.

Although SAW has made great strides within the past two years, because there is so much overlap with environmentally sustainable clubs at Whitman, SAW has had some difficulty finding its niche, particularly in the usage of on-campus resources.

“We can’t reliably count on the biology greenhouse. In spring during the plant biology class and senior thesis projects, SAW has the least right-of-way to use the greenhouse,” said Bailey.

Junior Andrew Strong and

senior Jo French are currently researching the plausibility of building a separate greenhouse on campus. This potential greenhouse wouldn’t just be for SAW, but the group needs will be considered in the formulation of the greenhouse.

The greenhouse may also benefit students who live off campus and are not on a meal plan. Strong and French plan to consult Landscape Specialist Bob Biles, members of the community and previous environmental studies interns who have researched similar projects.

“The one thing I’m a little hesitant of . . . is whether [a greenhouse] is going to fit well into the community or is it going to be something that is over-stepping programs we already have and other options that could potentially be more productive,” said Strong. “It would be really cool to see a greenhouse constructed in the next few years.”

By the end of the semester, Strong and French intend to create a proposal for a greenhouse that other students can use as a starting point.

Meanwhile, SAW is constantly learning and growing. Just this past week, the group discovered that a new germination method for their micro-green crops yielded much better results. The group credits Bailey for coming up with the new method.

“SAW taught me a lot about the business side of agricultural organization, like the importance of planning planting schedule and plant problem-solving skills. It’s fun. I like finding better ways to farm,” said Bailey.

You can stay up to date on SAW by visiting their blog: studentagwhitman.wordpress.com.

SAW volunteer Zoe Pehrson ‘13 waters lettuce plants. Lettuce and basil plants will be sold to Bon Appétit later in the semester. Photo by Bergman

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GRADUATE SCHOOL FAIR October 6, 2011 10 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Reid Campus Center Ballroom

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06 2011

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Juan Martinez enthralls audience with dark fiction

by ALEX HAGEN Staff Reporter

O

Visiting Assistant Professor of English Juan Martinez reads aloud in Kimball Auditorium for the latest Visiting Writers Reading Series event. Photo by Li

n Thursday, Sept. 29, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Juan Martinez graced Kimball Auditorium with an intimate reading of his two new short stories. Martinez, whose work has been published in various journals and anthologies, also took questions from the audience.

First, Martinez read “Northern,� a humorous story with elements of horror. “Northern,� parts of which were inspired by David Cronenberg’s horror film “The Brood,� was commissioned for an upcoming anthology of short stories set in Las Vegas. Like much of Martinez’s previous work, the story blends several different genres, and its plot takes several surprising turns before the end. “[‘Northern’ was] seductively creepy,� said senior Megan Oost. “It was eerie, but you wanted to know more about it.�

Martinez also read “Best Worst American,� a gentle, sweet story that takes place at a WalMart. When taking questions from the audience, Martinez admitted his appreciation of the store. “It could be a commentary on the awfulness of Wal-Mart, but it’s actually a commentary on the awesomeness of Wal-Mart—the awful awesomeness,� Martinez said.

Throughout the reading, the audience was attentive and thoroughly engaged, largely due to Martinez’s dynamic style of reading. “[Martinez] possesses a rare

ability to perform his pieces and add a new dimension to them,� senior Brady Klopfer said. “You hear him read and it’s almost like it wasn’t even the same piece of work.�

The two stories Martinez read were quite different thematically and stylistically. “I think one thing that makes him really unique is his ability to use a really unique style of language that’s not the same for every piece,� said Klopfer. “It’s not like you’d read a piece and say, ‘Oh, that’s Juan Martinez,’ based on the language alone, but each piece has this really interesting craft and use of language that’s slightly abnormal and works for that piece.�

In the question-and-answer portion of the reading, Martinez named his various influences—mentioning authors such as Stephen King, Vladimir Nabokov and Charles Dickens—and discussed his writing process. “I often find myself discovering meaning as the story’s going along, so information that is being withheld from the characters is sometimes being withheld from me because I’m not aware of it,� said Martinez. “You get to see first-hand how the writer goes through his process and then presents the material to us,� said first-year Tory Davidson after the reading. “I think it’s awesome.�

Carmen GimĂŠnez Smith, the next author in the Visiting Writers Reading Series, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. in Kimball Auditorium.

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

“Within the Silence�

The Walla Walla Diversity Coalition presents “Within the Silence� as part of Freedom From Discrimination month. This dramatic presentation follows the story of a JapaneseAmerican family interned during World War II. Thursday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Maxey Auditorium.

Oktoberfest Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman offers a relaxed afternoon of beer tasting in honor of this great German holiday. $5 cover charge.

Friday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

19 N 2nd Avenue.

Brahms Festival The Walla Walla Symphony presents a selection of Brahms’ works, with an “Inside Music� pre-concert talk at Reid Campus Center. Tickets online at www. wwsymphony.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, “Inside Music� at 6:30 p.m. in Reid, Festival from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in Cordiner Hall.

Do you wub dubstep? Students sound off on electronic phenomenon

by CLARA BARTLETT Staff Reporter

E

ver hear those reverberant drum patterns pulsing at maximum volume on some kid’s headphones in the library? Ever go to a party and find yourself dying with intense anticipation of a bass drop? Or hear clipped vocals and a generally repetitive “wub-wub� sound coming from down the hall? What you’re probably hearing is dubstep, the newest musical craze sweeping the nation.

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music. Its sound is best characterized by clipped samples, occasional vocals, bass drops leading into dynamic peaks and the wobble bass—an extended bass drop that is manipulated or distorted in volume or in rhythm.

This past week, The Pioneer interviewed several students around the Whitman campus about their feelings on dubstep. Their opinions, just like dubstep’s bass line, were varied.

First-year student Zane Macphee said, “There’s no explanation to why I like it. It’s just a visceral reaction. It pumps you up, you really can’t be sad while listening to dubstep. It’s definitely a mood-pleaser. It’s the build and the crash, the boom and the bust, and that’s really what sets it apart.�

Sophomore Elaine Whaley, who spins dubstep as a party DJ, agreed. “I really like dubstep because it’s such a stress reliever to listen to, not like calming music or anything. Its totally different than any other music. You either like it or you don’t, and most people seem to enjoy it.�

Local resident Rob Snow, also known as DJ Star Rock, runs a radio show on KWCW called “Double Dub U,� exclusively devoted to dubstep. Snow spoke through email in praise of the genre. “I think [dubstep’s] great,� said Snow. “Good vibe, great bass and often has massive distorted synths.�

Snow also theorized about

the nature of dubstep’s appeal. “I think it’s the beat, which is very similar to hip hop, and it’s use of ‘gritty’ synths. This appeals to those that want something a bit edgy but don’t want the screaming vocals of a rock band.�

But others disagreed about the danceability and emotional response elicited by dubstep. “You can’t shake yo ass to it,� said first-year Eli Robinson via email. “You can only look dumb and move around. Not sure if my opinion goes any deeper than that.�

First-year Tabor Martinsen agreed. “As far as music genres go, [dubstep] all sounds pretty similar, and it’s very limited.�

In an online survey, students were asked to specify their feelings on dubstep. Out of 148 responders, 60 percent indicated positive opinions towards dubstep, 23 percent indicated negative opinions and 17 percent were neutral or unaware of the genre.

What’s that, haters? Can’t hear you over the WUB WUB WUB . . .

45.3% HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DUBSTEP MUSIC?

16.2%

14.9% 6.1%

Love it!

Give me the dub wub, day and night.

I like dubstep in certain settings.

I don’t really feel one way or the other about dubstep.

Staff Reporter

F

or returning students passing the Fouts Center for Visual Arts, the front brick wall may seem unusually bare. The marble miniature of Michelangelo’s “David� that once hung from the building by a lurid orange chain has disappeared.

Titled “Juxtapose,� the piece by Assistant Professor of Art Michelle Acuff originally caused a flurry of controversy. Some students found the piece at odds with the minimalist beauty of Fouts’ architecture, while others liked its

daring vibe. Love it or hate it, students were naturally curious when the piece was gone at the start of the semester, inciting questions of censorship. “We’ve been getting a surprising number of questions over [the statue],� said Amber Broel, the administrative assistant for the center. “But the answer is actually very simple.�

Rather than only displaying one art piece, the center has decided to replace the display on the building’s exterior periodically so as to show off many different styles and works of art.

All artwork displayed will be the work of Whit-

Dubstep kind of irritates me.

Dubstep is complete and utter crap for tools, I hate it.

14.9%

What-step?

GRAPHIC BY PETERSON

Fouts’ missing Michelangelo spurs student curiosity

by MALLORY MARTIN

6.8%

man College faculty members.

The artists’ statements about their pieces will be accessible at the center’s front desk.

When asked what they thought of this idea, students seemed primarily positive. “[Michelangelo’s] ‘David’ was cool, but I like the idea of changing things up,� said sophomore Gabriella Kaus. “I like that the art is all close to the Whitman community.�

Fellow sophomore Natalie Pond was equally enthusiastic about the cycling art. “I feel like it’ll be a great way to get to know the professors,� said Pond. “I’m curious to see what else they put up.�

KWCW SHOW OF THE WEEK

‘Gourmet Music’ Emily Coba and Devin Stone rock the airwaves every week with classic feel-good tunes from the past century. It’s perfect listening for your drive-time commute, radio dinner or homework brain-tunes.

Tuesdays, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. On the dial at 90.5 FM Walla Walla and streaming live at www.kwcw.net. For requests, call 509.527.5283.

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ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

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SPORTS

Oct

06 2011

Profile: Motherrucker Cameron Michels

by SYLVIE LUITEN

S

itting on the couches at Reid, wearing a Motherruckers sweatshirt and shorts, Michels has a temporary cast on her foot.

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

When did you start playing rugby?

I started at Whitman as a Janstart and have been playing ever since . . . so I guess three years?

Volleyball

vs. Pacific Lutheran University Sept. 30 vs. University of Puget Sound Oct. 1 vs. Whitworth University Oct. 5

So what happened to your foot?

It’s a hairline fracture; I actually got it playing flag football. But it should be better after two weeks; that’s when I get to stop wearing this thing [gestures at the cast].

Staff Reporter

M

en’s volleyball became a club sport in the fall of 2008, when the team’s current senior class was in their first year. Several players—including seniors Ryan Smith and John-Henry Heckendorn—competed on high school and club teams, and came to Whitman wanting to continue playing.

When Smith arrived on campus, he found the sport to be pretty much non-existent to the extent that some people did not even know men played volleyball.

Smith and Heckendorn met during orientation and realized that they both wanted to keep playing.

Since Whitman does not have a varsity program for men’s volleyball, Smith and Heckendorn decided to create their own team.

They got their first chance to play as practice players for the women’s varsity volleyball team and Head Coach Carolyn Papineau; later, with Papineau’s help, they were able to start their own organization. Thus men’s club volleyball was born.

While Smith and Heckendorn were working to bring men’s volleyball to Whitman, other schools in the Northwest were starting club volleyball programs of their own. The Pacific Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (PIVA) was established in the same year (2008) for club teams around the region, including Whitman.

“The first part [of building

Whitman sports weekly factoid

1st Roberg, Lawless

Win 1-0 Win 1-0 Loss 0-1 Loss 0-2

Loss 1-3 Loss 0-3 Loss 0-3

Golf Cameron Michels ’12, a women’s rugby player who also competes in IM flag football, sits on the couches at Reid. An injury to her foot has taken her out of both sports temporarily, but she eagerly awaits her return to the field. Photo by Li

rugby–you get as naked as you want and run to the other try post. We have some around the full moon too but I don’t know if I can talk about those . . .

What about traveling?

It’s really good bonding time– we’re all sleeping in the same rooms for an extended period of time and get to bond on a whole other level. We’ll see each other and be like, “Remember that time we went to Spokane?” It’s an adventure where we get to celebrate our love for each other.

And the first-years?

Oh my gosh, yes, there’s lots of new people—and they’re not only freshmen—maybe 10ish?

There’s a game this weekend and I’m excited to see how they do!

Do you have a big rivalry with anyone?

The thing is, we don’t win a lot because when we go up against some schools like [University of Washington] who have huge pools of girls to draw from, they end up with giant girls.

They’re huge! So we really like

to play Gonzaga—we’re pretty evenly matched and we’ve actually won the past couple of times. With the smaller schools we have more of a chance.

What else do you guys do together?

We do team dinners once a week and trade off with the off-campus girls cooking and the freshmen swiping us in [to the oncampus dining halls], so this year will be a good year for that. We’ll have to take advantage of all the new girls . . .

Senior club volleyball players reflect on successes of growing 3-year-old program

by PAMELA LONDON

Tennis

Soccer

Profile: Cameron Michels Class: Senior (‘12) Major: Sociology Hometown: Kirkland, Wash.

What kinds of traditions do you guys have?

There’s the “Zulu” where after you score your first try ever– which is like a touchdown for

SCOREBOARD Women’s ITA Northwest Regional Championships Oct. 1

Staff Reporter

What is your favorite part of playing rugby?

[Rugby’s] a really awesome sport, and what goes along with that is the camaraderie.

All the people on the team are my best friends. Practices are only three times a week, and we have games almost every weekend, so it’s not a huge time commitment, but we choose to be there. It’s also a huge self-esteem booster to go out and play an 80-minute game—afterwards you just feel so great.

5

PAGE

the team] was finding guys who were interested in playing volleyball,” said Smith. “[The PIVA] really helped us with the competition to get to play volleyball.”

The team splits their yearlong training into phases, gearing up towards a series of tournaments of conference competition from January to March.

“When we come back in January we will start up tournaments pretty quickly and look to make a run at the conference championship,” said Heckendorn. “Our number one goal this year is to beat Gonzaga [University], who are a perennial powerhouse in our conference, and I think we’ve never had a better opportunity [with the experienced players we have].”

In only its fourth year of existence, the team has become extremely popular among Whitties.

“It was surprising to see so many guys who were interested to learn a new sport, and patient enough to stick with it,” said Smith. “The past couple years it was probably the fastest growing club sport. This year has been exciting so far because we have a new, large group of both experienced and inexperienced [players], but more importantly enthusiastic and excited freshmen who want to play on the team.”

The team’s successful establishment has allowed it to focus this year on becoming more organized while still improving as a unit on the court.

The team held elections last

spring for the first time to establish a formal leadership group.

There are now officially elected captains who handle coaching and tactics, a president who handles administrative business, a treasurer and social chairs.

A unique aspect of the team is their wide-reaching social circle among other club and varsity teams at Whitman. Last year, men’s volleyball started a companion women’s club team and has established close relationships with the women’s varsity team, as well as the Ultimate frisbee teams.

Despite the success the players have had in establishing a relatively successful program in a short time, it does not appear as though the team has a future as a varsity sport. Although the interest is present, there are no men’s varsity collegiate teams in the Northwest at any level, so it would not be practical for Whitman to promote men’s volleyball then have the team travel hundreds of miles every weekend for matches.

One thing that never lacks is the team camaraderie that was present from the beginning.

“People seem to be really buying into the team this year,” said Heckendorn. “I think now that our seniors have all had four years together, we should be about to peak this season.”

Whitman men’s volleyball will host a tournament at the end of November for teams from all over the Pacific Northwest.

Junior Alyssa Roberg never lost a set during last weekend’s threeday Women’s Northwest Fall Championship tournament in Sa-

lem, Ore. Roberg cruised to a first-place finish in singles and won again in doubles with firstyear teammate Courtney Lawless.

Women’s Whitman Invitational Oct. 1, 2

1st

Cross Country

Men’s and Women’s Charles Bowles Invitaional Oct. 5

7th of 16

UPCOMING Volleyball

vs. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 8

Away

Soccer

Men’s vs. Whitworth University Oct. 8 Women’s vs. Willamette University Oct. 8 vs. Whitworth University Oct. 12

Away Away Away

John-Henry Heckendorn ’12 serves during a men’s club volleyball match. The team has found a community of Northwest club teams to compete against. Photo by Jacobson

What’s on your iPod?

ADVERTISEMENT

Whitman varsity athletes sent us names of their favorite pumpup songs that get them ready to step onto the court, dive into the pool, tear up the field and race to the finish.

Infographic by Olmsted

FEATURE

Oct

06 2011

6

PAGE

Beyond the Bubble For many Whitman students, community service is a crucial cornerstone of the college experience.

Volunteering often becomes a launching point for involvement in Teach for America, the Peace Corps and other popular post-Whitman programs that span the globe. This week, Feature investigates how this passion for service translates into tangible change in Walla Walla.

Whitties transition from volunteer vacations to local philanthropy

W

hile the Center for Community Service can help students find volunteer opportunities in Walla Walla to participate in on a consistent basis, they also organize special trips and projects including Summer Community Outreach Excursions (SCORE), Spring Service Trips and Spring Service Day. In general, first-years participate in SCORE trips before

,,

All of our trips are centered around service and education . . . direct service.

Kelsie Butts ’11, Community Service Coordinator

arriving at Whitman, while Spring Service Trips and Spring Service Day are open to all Whitman students. Spring Service Day also encourages participation from Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College.

“All of our trips are centered around service and education . . . we really focus on the direct service,” said Kelsie Butts, the community service coordinator SCORE and Spring Service Trips.

Butts notes that the SCORE program in particular gives volunteers the opportunity to gain an understanding of challenges faced by Walla Walla before arriving on campus. “[SCORE] is focused on getting to know the Walla Walla community, working on local issues and so really getting into the community,” Butts said.

The Center for Community Service has volunteer opportunities available for students at local to national levels. However, depending on the project and area they are volunteering in, students may be asked to pay for the money needed to cover the cost of participation, food, housing and transportation.

To attend the New Orleans Relief & Rebuilding Spring Service Trip, students are expected to contribute $800 plus the cost of a one-way plane ticket back from the trip. For some students, the Center for Community Service is able to subsidize the cost of this trip by $200 with a scholarship.

Some students question the effectiveness and financial rationale of these programs that send students across the country to volunteer.

“Local volunteering helps your local community, so as long as you’re being productive within your own community then we don’t need to leave a carbon footprint by flying people somewhere else to

do a community project. Yes, it’s a great experience, especially for the person going on the trip . . . but from a financial point of view I feel like the resources aren’t really being applied toward what they’re meant to benefit,” said sophomore Bella Zarate, who volunteers by mentoring both children and adults in the Walla Walla community.

In reference to the students who will help build houses on the New Orleans Service Trip, Zarate said,“I feel like the community is being benefited by having a house, and I don’t think necessarily that we need to send Whitman College students on scholarship funds to go and build [that] house.”

Besides environmental and financial concerns associated with transporting students to volunteer project sites, another possible problem is the discontinuity which may occur between their experiences on the trip and the way in which they use those experiences to benefit the Walla Walla community upon their return.

To aid in the transition, the Center for Community Service encourages students to form volunteer groups with the other individuals from their SCOREs and Service Trips for Spring Service Day as a way to reunite the group and continue their volunteer efforts locally.

“When we do have Spring Service Day . . . we try to pair those trips with organizations locally who are doing the same type of work, and then the education students have with those issues translates well to the direct service in Walla Walla,” said senior Shannon Morrissey, a Service Trips intern.

Kelsie Butts, the community service coordinator, notes that among the three participating colleges, between 500 and 600 students sign up to volunteer on Spring Service Day. “I think one thing that’s tough with a day of service with so many volunteers in this community is that there sometimes just seems like you have too many people trying to find things to do to help. I think it was very project-specific whether people felt like [Spring Service Day] was valuable,” said Morrissey.

Senior Julia Schneider, who has worked as the community service summer intern and has led a SCORE and Spring Service Trip, acknowledges the possible problem of it being difficult to connect international service trips with your local community.

“I think a lot of times when you go places and you have this experience which is really great but only for a short period of time; it can seem really separate from your regular life or really otherizing of ‘that experience’ and ‘those people,’” said Schneider. “I think there’s so much that can be done within your small neighborhood. . . There’s something really great about doing something in your own community and making that as great as it can be and then spreading those ideas outward.”

LOCAL / NATIONAL

13.5% USA

INFOGRAPHIC BY BERFIELD

INDIVIDUALS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

Walla Walla

U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey

23.8%

Fanny Kirkman (Top, middle row left) with fellow Whitman students in the early 1900s. Whitties have the opportunity to volunteer with Blue Mountain Action Council and the Kirkman House. Museum volunteer Rick Tuttle shows off artifacts on display at Kirkman House. Bottom photos by Beck, top photo contibuted by Tuttle

Exploring volunteer opportunities off the beaten path

by MOLLY EMMETT Staff Reporter

A

lthough Whitman students are involved in many volunteer organizations every year, some groups receive more outside attention than others.

There is no doubt that programs like Storytime and Habitat for Humanity are popular because of their direct appeal to young adults, but there are numerous other opportunities for specific volunteer work in the Walla Walla community.

Two lesser-known nonprofits are the Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) and the Kirkman House Museum.

Students can fully participate in a non-profit.

Rick Tuttle,

Kirkman House Volunteer

“I think that both of the organizations are ones that students, if they knew more about them, would be very interested in what they offer to the community,” said Kelsie Butts, Whitman’s community service coordinator, via email.

Both the Kirkman House Museum and the Blue Mountain Action Council provide unique ways for Whitman students to give back to their Walla Walla community while learning valuable skills. These organizations welcome all student interest and, though no Whitman students volunteer

at either place currently, both are hopeful that Whitties will choose to work with them in the future.

The Kirkman House Museum is a local historic site that offers tours of the house of William and Isabella Kirkman. William was a prosperous businessman in Walla Walla’s cattle industry during the late 19th century and was also a member of Whitman College’s Board of Trustees. The museum is now run completely by volunteers and has plenty of opportunities for students to get involved. There are chances to participate for several hours every month in events such as the Halloween Party and the Sheep to Shawl Festival. There are also long-term volunteer positions such as being a museum docent or cataloguing the collections. There are no required skills to volunteer at the museum, but a student should show great enthusiasm and a desire to learn and participate.

“The Kirkman House is a valuable opportunity for those who are interested in museum work and want to learn about the history of Walla Walla and the surrounding area,” said senior Sarah Canepa in an email. Canepa was an exhibits intern and volunteered at the museum’s children’s program, Hands on History, this summer.

Maintaining the museum’s reliance on volunteers, those who run the organization are currently voting to add two positions to their Associate Board—one for a Walla Walla University student and one for a Whitman student. “[Through these positions,] students can fully participate in a non-profit,” said community volunteer Rick Tuttle.

The Kirkman House Museum is located on 214 N. Colville St., and interested students should contact the Volunteer Coordiantor, Wendy Cheng.

Another local organization that provides great opportunities for students to volunteer is the Blue Mountain Action Council, located at 342 Catherine St. There are two programs at BMAC that rely on volunteer work: the Literacy Program and the Food Bank.

The Literacy Program exists to help those who need guidance in learning English, in studying for the GED or with reading in general. Volunteers must go through a total of ten hours of training and are then paired with a service-receiver based on their strengths. The time commitment is at least one to two hours a week. Anyone interested should contact the program’s coordinator, Darya Tucker.

“We have been fortunate to have many Whitman students and professors involved with the program,” said BMAC’s Director of Community Services, Kathy Covey, in an email.

BMAC also runs a Food Bank which distributes about fifty pounds of food to approximately 300 seniors in the community once a month. The food boxes are allocated by the USDA and contain nutrients to supplement seniors’ diets. Student volunteers would dedicate four to five hours on the food distribution day to help box and deliver the food, as well as to sort and stock items following a food drive. The person to contact for volunteering with the Food Bank is Gail McGhee.

Does Whitman’s passion for service meet community needs?

by KINSEY WHITE Staff Reporter

I

nvolvement in philanthropy while at college is not a question for most Whitties.

Four hundred twenty-three members of the Class of 2015— a whopping 82 percent of the class—participated in some form of community service while in high school. At the college level, this commitment to volunteerism takes many forms, from the Center for Community Service-organized programs to philanthropy through a Greek organization.

As the Whitman influence in volunteering remains prominent within Walla Walla, students and staffers alike are calling for an expansion of volunteer horizons.

Junior Lesli Meekins spent her summer volunteering with the Walla Walla Public Library and the city’s Parks and Recreation department, running a summer reading program for students in four city parks.

“I don’t think Whitman students are aware of some very serious problems facing the Walla Walla community, especially issues related to migrant workers and their families,” said Meekins.

“I think volunteering, no matter its application, is going to benefit the community. However, I feel as though most students limit themselves to issues they see and are familiar with rather than serious issues that we are not confronted with daily.”

While the Center for Community Service programs such

as Adopt-a-Grandparent and the Storytime Project remain popular on campus, Meekins encourages students to look beyond these well-publicized opportunities to other organizations in need of student support such as Commitment to Community and the Community Center for Youth, which serve predominantly lowincome residents of Walla Walla.

Peterson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences Keith Farrington, who has done extensive research in relation to the penitentiary and its social effects on Walla Walla residents, recognizes income level as a serious issue in the community.

“I personally think that there is a fair amount of poverty in this community. I also think there’s a fairly substantial delinquency problem,” said Farrington. “I think that there’s a lot that can be done to steer kids in the right direction.”

In fact, according to statistics compiled by the Community Center for Youth (CCY), 22 percent of Walla Walla County residents ages 10-19 live in poverty.

The CCY, which was established in 1999 in response to need, provides at-risk Walla Walla teens with enrichment programs and academic support. The CCY encourages the support and involvement of Whitman students.

“CCY youth bask in the attention they receive from Whitman students,” said Cynthia Selde, director of programs and operations at CCY. “Many of our youth come from dysfunctional homes and have been made to feel that they aren’t important . . . so to

,,

Staff Reporter

,,

by SANDRA MATSEVILO

I don’t think Whitman students are aware of some very serious problems facing the Walla Walla community Lesli Meekins, '13

receive the attention of Whitman students means a great deal to them. They begin to feel like they do matter and what they think and say is important.”

Through the consistent development of new communityoutreach programs such as Summer Community Outreach Excursion (SCORE) trips for incoming first-year students, the college continues to create opportunities for volunteer work with Walla Walla residents. This, coupled with the proactive, empathetic outlook of many students, has faculty and students alike excited over volunteer opportunities.

“I think we have a very good presence in the community,” said Farrington. “I think what you [as a student] really need to do is get a survey of the landscape to figure out what is important to you, and what the needs are in the community, and then go about finding out how to plug yourself into a situation to get involved in those programs.”

OPINION

Oct

06 2011

7

PAGE

Take it slow when dating Chinese girls Earthquake in Italy Peter may set new ethical Chen guidelines for scientists Senior

Alfredo Villaseñor Junior

I

n 2009, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake killed more than 300 people in L’Aquila, Italy.

It also destroyed many of its historic buildings, along with a university dormitory and a hospital.

An earthquake of that magnitude wouldn’t have made it to the front pages in a place like Japan, where nearly every building is designed according to anti-seismic standards; here it probably would have been on the news for about a week, and afterwards quickly

In my view, all these people are collectively at fault, but I don’t think they should be punished for it. forgotten by the general public.

What makes this earthquake special is that early this month seven Italian seismologists began their trial for failing to warn L’Aquila’s residents about the earthquake.

They are facing charges of manslaughter, punishable by fifteen years in prison, and, in a separate case, the possibility of paying $31.6 million in damages.

Before the earthquake, these seismologists as well as other government officials were part of a committee that was organized in response to a threemonth series of small tremors.

Their goal being to evaluate the risk of a large earthquake hitting L’Aquila, the seismologists told the committee that the possibility could not be totally ruled out.

This statement went in sharp contrast to what was said in a subsequent press conference, where one of the committee members told the media that the situation posed no danger, his logic being that the small tremors were dissipating energy and decreasing the probability of a large earthquake.

The other seismologists

knew that statement to be scientifically incorrect; however, no one said anything to the contrary. The rumor wound up spreading throughout all of L’Aquila, and six days later, when the big quake happened, many people remembered what was said in the press conference and stayed indoors.

Today the people of L’Aquila are demanding that someone be held accountable for not warning them of the danger—but the question is who.

Fingers are pointed in all directions: the quidnunc that began the rumor; the seismologists who neglected to correct him; or the government officials whose jobs were to enforce anti-seismic building standards, as well as take general precautions despite the low probability of an earthquake.

In my view, all these people are collectively at fault, but I don’t think they should be punished for it. Instead, these scientists and government officials should be charged with coming up with a new warning system, something like a seismological forecast that can give people scientifically founded, transparent and real-time risk assessments of seismic activity.

There would be of course a large margin of error, but at least it would deter any kind of rumor from spreading the way it did after the press conference.

It could be broadcasted through the internet and television, and it could even be put on billboards, much like the fire danger signs we have scattered throughout the United States.

Punishing these seismologists has the possibility of antagonizing the scientific community inside and outside of Italy. If scientists are afraid of sharing their expertise in a political environment where they face the possibility of being punished, the only outcome can be catastrophe.

In an era when global warming is changing and augmenting weather systems throughout the world and when more and more people are living in highrisk areas, scientists who are experts in their field and governments whose job is to maintain public welfare should be working more in tandem than they are now. To keep unpredictable natural (and unnatural) phenomena from decimating the world’s population, governments need to admit that they need scientists.

Political Cartoon by Kelly Douglas

M

y Chinese female friends told me that they allowed their boyfriends to hold their hands after dating for two months and to kiss them after half a year. I bluntly asked how long it would take for them to allow sex with their boyfriends. They said, “Never.”

My friend Dianna Alma, a sophomore at Whitman, however, told me that holding hands was not necessarily an indicator of a relationship.

“If a guy and girl express interest in each other, they will generally start holding hands together before they are officially in a relationship; they will probably kiss on the second or third date in a private setting; they will have sex around three months, depending how often they hang out or communicate with each other,” she said.

Obviously, sex is more accepted and common here. I asked my RA why condoms were provided everywhere in residential halls.

She giggled and said, “Just keep quiet if you bring someone back, and be safe.”

I agree that a relationship without sex is an ordeal of abstinence. But Chinese girls possess some reasons for their restraint.

China had a feudal society for over two thousand years. During this time women had few rights.

Their parents decided their marriages. Some of them did not see their fiancés until the wedding day.

A woman’s virginity was indispensable. If a man found his wife was not a virgin when they got married, he could kick her out. As a result,

ILLUSTRATION BY PETERSON

the woman would be discriminated against and would be regarded as a whore. She could not go back to live with her parents because it was such a humiliation. Most likely, she would end up selling her body at a whorehouse or committing suicide.

Changes in culture never happen overnight. These values have been passed on by generations. Therefore, virginity is still a big deal to most Chinese women, even though China is a very modernized country where fans are upgraded to air conditioners, black and white TVs are upgraded to LCD screens and mud houses are upgraded to skyscrapers.

If a Chinese girl were to have sex with her boyfriend, it would mean she thought of him as her prospective husband. So take it slow when you date a Chinese girl; she needs time to confirm that you are the one she wants to join for the rest of her life, not only in her bed.

Though sexual relationships are very different, most “couple activities” slide right through the culture barrier. Boyfriends and girlfriends hang out,

watch movies, study, eat and travel together. Chinese girls, however, may like to do a bit more shopping with their boyfriends.

In China, it’s not uncommon to see a girl walking down the street with a guy lagging behind with several shopping bags, or some guys sitting for hours in the shopping mall, playing on their cellphones while their girlfriends are trying on countless dresses and swiping their credit cards.

One might wonder who pays these bills. In China, a guy mostly pays the bills on dates, but he will not pay for his girlfriend’s shopping safaris unless the girl becomes his wife. Then he becomes an anxious husband, praying that his wife will show mercy to their bank account.

So guys, be patient when dating a Chinese girl—holding hands, kissing or sex might not happen anytime soon. Be generous when dating a Chinese girl—it might only take you one month to kiss her if you offer your credit card. Especially be truthful when dating a Chinese girl—her heart might be more fragile than her virginity.

Keep sexist trolling under bridge Blair Frank Junior

I

’d just like to try a little experiment: picture the first person who pops into your head when you read the word “gamer.” I’d bet that for most of you out there, that person is male.

That’s how gamers are often perceived, after all. Playing video games seems like an activity that’s incredibly male-dominated and male-centric. There’s something to that perception as well: when an entire website can regularly publish harassing messages that female players receive without any sort of a shortage, that says something about the sort of environment that exists for women in gaming. The sort of discourse (if you can even call it that) that takes place in the lobbies and chatrooms of many popular games is just unacceptable, especially when it relates to creating a welcoming environment for people who aren’t in the dominant (male) culture. Just because someone isn’t male doesn’t mean that she can’t have good ideas or understand the game in a way that would prove beneficial to all players. To that end, I think we, as gamers, need to make the medium more accessible to women.

First, we need to understand (and make clear) that ability in a particular game does not correlate with gender. I’ll come right out and say it: I’m terrible at fighting games. Absolutely godawful. If you put me behind the controls of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, I simply wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Skill, es-

Voices from the Community

pecially when it comes to playing games, comes from a variety of different sources. I think that everyone can agree, though, that having experience with a particular game and others of the same genre is directly related to one’s ability to perform well.

In other words: the more practice you get, the better you’ll be.

Since practice, not some innate gender difference, is key to good performance, we also need to make sure that the communities we build around these games are welcoming to women. When it’s considered socially acceptable to throw around sexist language, sexually harass people ingame and otherwise make someone’s experience miserable because of either their actual or perceived gender, that’s not welcoming to someone who isn’t a part of the dominant culture. Treating someone like a human being instead of something less than that in-game is something we need to be actively advocating.

If we make it easier to practice a game in a welcoming environment, rather than ostracize people for being different, there’s a greater chance they’ll get better.

Finally, we need to be willing to call people out. On the internet, and pertaining to gaming, there’s this idea that you need

to have a thick skin. That trolls shouldn’t get to you, no matter what they say. After all, if you just ignore them, then everything will be fine, or so the conventional wisdom goes. Here’s my problem with that: it removes any sense of responsibility for making the communities we inhabit nice places to be. Nobody should be forced to endure catcalls or harassment while they’re trying to have fun. Saying that we have no collective responsibility to keep the games that we enjoy enjoyable is cowardly and nonsensical. Sure, it’s important to not feed the trolls, but at the same time, that’s just not enough. Offensive content for its own sake can stay on 4chan. Spending time in whatever game you choose, whether it’s the latest incarnation of Madden or Modern Warfare 17 1/2, should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. If we, as gamers, make a concerted effort to stop the sort of idiocy that is far too common these days, I think that everyone involved can have more fun.

One final word: If you’re part of the problem, I want you to think twice the next time you’re thinking of typing “gb2kitchen.” Me, I don’t think it’s worth being an asshat to someone just because they aren’t like you.

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What do you think about the Occupy Wall Street movement? Poll by von Hafften

LESLI MEEKINS

SHANGLUN WANG

ADRIEL BORSHANSKY

AUDREY VAUGHAN

Junior

Junior

Senior

First-year

“It is going to need universal support from everybody. There needs to be a bigger catalyst before something like this can affect change.

I want it to work, but I don’t think it will.”

“It is a very idealistic movement and unlikely to succeed because there is no unified demand and no institutional support.”

“One of the most amazing things to me is [. . .] there are actually relationships being formed for a common purpose of voicing frustration—the act of creating community.”

“It is an outrage that protesters were arrested. They were peacefully protesting, totally within their right.”

BACKPAGE

8 TKE puts staff of Pioneer on probation T es f Atrociti Oct

06 2011

he Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity has placed The Pioneer on probation for questionable goings-on during the infamous Pioneer Initiation Week, a representative said on Wednesday.

“The initiation is really getting out of hand,” a junior TKE member declared in a subsequent press conference. “Someone has got to step in and put a stop to this insanity.

Someone’s gotta step up and protect those poor little freshmen.”

When asked to elaborate on the nature of the initiation rites in question, a sophomore replied, “I am not at liberty to expound these details; suffice to say TKE is ashamed of them.”

When pressed, the sophomore finally produced the following list of near-deadly hazing techniques:

ioneer Le dger ofour printed copies of The oPrk

g and a sp -Consumin cha sauce ra Si t me) u b g in ttention to a y with noth a p , y ed to ing (sit, sta being forc d n a s -Cat train ie wedg g atomic it -Receivin t picking ay withou d le o of Gou da h t w u o go a shoes f o ir a p ll, Furry ga to the Sma -Fashionin m e th g in d wear a cheese an Walla Wall vention in n o C ” t g n n e Rod apalm Po hallenge unds of “N , Saltine C e -Three ro g n e ll a h amon C me time -The Cinn ll at the sa a y and n n u B by s, swirlies e li il w and Chub t e w nd sundry -Various a noogies

“They’re behaving like animals,” a TKE pledge said of upperclassmen on the Pio staff, who were conveniently unavailable for comment. “We at TKE decided to put a stop to it.”

A first-year news writer did step forward, however, to offer his firsthand account of the hazing.

“It was terrible,” he wailed. “They told us to write a 200-400 word article this week by a specific time.

Then they said they’d post it for the whole school to see.”

Showering tears of embarrassment and shame, he continued, “Then they said they’d repeat this again, and again and again, all year long. I don’t think I can take much more of this.”

Various students claim that

ILLUSTRATION BY VAZQUEZ

the goings-on at The Pioneer

a five-year-old was asked to depict

In response to last week’s events,

PAGE

Wholesome group activities that are totally awesomer than any initiation practices

L

ooking for some fresh and creative ways to initiate your group? Consider these exciting options that not only catalyze bonding but also test the strengths of the individuals joining, creating some solid solidarity all up in that.

would

1. Going to a petting zoo Kickin it with all the llamas can sure facilitate some group bonding. Some may go so far to take a goat home.

Mmm . . . can you say “chevre?”

4. Crocheting Together, folks can collectively improve on their cross-stitch abilities while making fun, toasty and snuggly garments in preparation for winter. What could be better?

2. Going to the Sausagefest The Sausagefest at De Sales emanates delicious smells, juicy tasty brats and meats of all varieties, and definitely is a feast fit for the Gods. The other kind of sausagefest

be

totes

unacceptable.

3. Completing a 1000-piece puzzle Aww yeah, working on a cognitive functioning, feel-good, self-esteemincreasing puzzle. Whattup, group dynamic!

5. Playing shuffleboard It’s always time to throw down for a showdown to see who can skill it up on the shuffleboard court.

Tournament style, for the win.

6. Jump rope competition Taking it back to the elementary school gym status, one’s true skills are revealed by the consistency and tricks that one can pull off with the jump rope. With the power of friendship, everyone can learn to Double-Dutch!

and dudettes battle in an epic mealtime fashion. Spice it up by requiring the participants to use 13 kinds of spices in their dish, and to only give them six minutes!

Experiences will be shared as participants writhe on the floor in absolute abdominal pain.

7. Painting ceramic pottery Okay, we all know everyone secretly loves going to those D.I.Y. paint-then-bake places. Let the group members express themselves by choosing a standard mug, or perhaps a decorative little animal to get some soul connections.

9. Cement laying This one is the test of strength and skill. See how many, if any, of your bonding team can resist making a footmark in the cement. That would be rude and unproductive.

8. Iron chef cook-off Let things get intense as dudes

10. Rolling around in a grass field with cuddly puppies.

Does this one really need an explanation?

they would pass by the Pio office and, behind curtained windows, hear the cackles of Editor-inChief Patricia Vanderbilt and Humor Editor Adam Brayton.

Brayton is known in seven states and three countries by his alias, “Puzzle Slut.” In Morocco he is on record as being named “Tits” and for having done some really bad stuff at a news organization in Marrakech.

Investigations will continue as to the specifics of the goings-on in the Pioneer staff room this past week.

Until then, TKE is going to keep a close eye on the paper.

A TKE junior publicly made this solemn declaration, “We will scour every article of every page of every paper until we get to the bottom of this.”

Cry for help from Pioneer writer

I

n light of this week’s newspaper initiation, my boss asked me to write an article about my experience thus far so here it is.

On the first day, Satan my boss Adam made me clean his dirty laundry helped me through a writing workshop. It was a horrible experience that made me contemplate the meaning of my life great experience that helped me learn to write well. Later I was forced to eat the soggy leftover newspapers from last week’s issue for my only meal of the day was given some big cheese pizza as a reward for working hard. The next morning started off with tyrannical Adam making me listen to four hours of Celine Dion as punishment for showing up two minutes late and me jamming to Wu-Tang Clan while working on how to choose a good topic for articles. The rest of the day my Nazi boss Adam locked me in the printing room closet and forgot about me gave me the freedom and time to see what kind of work I produced on my own. On day three, Adam told me to guess how many words there were in the last issue of The Pioneer and then made me count every single word to see if I was correct; the whole time Adam screamed arbitrary numbers and if I lost track, he pinched the soft part of my inner thigh, and made me start recounting again showed me how to edit my own articles. The final day of initiation was spent with the Fuhrer Adam showing me naked pictures of his two biggest Hollywood crushes; Rosie O’Donnell and Dolly Parton, and asking me to write an article about why they were so hot and me discussing why Cosmopolitan should have a men’s issue and what column we would write for it if we could. All and all, it was a horrific mistake an amazing time tHat I will nEver forget as Long as I write for The Pioneer newspaper at WhitMan collEge. -An oppressed first-year who is scared to reveal his identity.

Comic By Jung Song

Dear Whitman College Community, I would like to address some things in this missive that have come to my attention. The question has arisen as to whether or not I’ve been giving my writers “love taps” (lightly giving them a tap to the face with a kind-hearted fist) as a means of rewarding or reprimanding them for their good or bad work. I would like to assuage all fears by confirming this. I have been giving my writers love taps, because I love them so very, very dearly. I love tap them at staff meetings, passing by them on Ankeny, and in the classroom. The sound of them falling to the f loor (smitten) and wailing (screams of affection) is the sound of reciprocated feelings. So fear not!

Love, Adam “Not like Marrakech at all” Brayton

Q: What is the difference between a whisk and the Puzzle Slut?

A: A Whisk Doesn’t...

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