Whitman Pioneer - Spring 2011 Issue 11

blue moon brings in the band

U.S. veteran speaks out on the sacrifice of the armed forces

The Tallest Man on Earth and KWCW help celebrate the literary arts magazine’s 24th release.

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WHITMAN NEWS, DELIVERED

VOLUME CXXVIII

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Columnist Bryant Fong interviews a local veteran on his views of the anti-war movement.

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Walla Walla, WA whitmanpioneer.com

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ISSUE 11

ASWC approves ‘11-12 budget

Co-op plans for move off-campus

by KARAH KEMMERLY

by SHELLY LE Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter

T

housands of dollars from next year’s student fees were divvied up when the ASWC Senate passed the 2011-12 ASWC budget in their meeting on Sunday, April 17.

Though the decrease in the ASWC student fee from 320 to 316 dollars per person could potentially have strained the budget, ASWC was also budgeting with an increase of 15 students, and thus another 4,740 dollars. Overall the decrease in budget was small: it went from close to 485,000 dollars to 470,840 dollars.

Members of ASWC are still pleased with their decision to decrease the student fund. As junior Fritz Siegert, finance chair elect, pointed out, it did not cause problems.

“It didn’t affect the budget tremendously,” he said. “And ASWC wants to show the students that we understand they and their families are going through some tough financial times.”

Junior Matt Dittrich, current finance chair and president elect, agrees.

“There were some surpluses last year, so lowering the student fee was logical. The greatest disservice we can do to students is not spend the money we took from them,” he said.

The entire budget endeavor lasts just over a month, beginning with a request for campus clubs and organizations to turn in budget request forms, moving to a finance committee meeting, two budget hearings and culminating with the Senate’s vote of approval.

A notable change in this year’s budget was a total 25.16 percent increase in money given to media groups this year. This change is primarily because the newly-formed yearbook, Waiilatpu, received 15,409 dollars plus a 1,000 dollar stipend for its editor. quarterlife also received a 69 percent increase in funds in order to improve their publication. KWCW received a 12 percent increase in funding, blue moon a five percent increase and The Pioneer a two percent increase.

Dittrich says the purpose for increased funding stems from the positive reaction these organizations receive from students and excellent leadership within the groups themselves.

ASWC BUDGET,

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Whitman remains uninvolved in a no-risk community solar project that could bring the college handsome XZWÅ\[

S

If

you’ve ever wanted to make money, save the planet or provide Whitman students with more scholarships, Fred Liebrand has a project for you.

The Walla Walla University professor of physics has been developing a community solar project which would take advantage of generous state and federal tax incentives to install solar panels around Walla Walla, allowing local colleges to reap the benefits.

After almost two years of work on the project, Liebrand recently secured approval from the state for

by RACHEL ALEXANDER a 75-kilowatt installation at the Walla Walla Regional News Editor Airport. He hopes to use the power and money these panels produce to provide scholarships for Whitman, Walla Walla University (WWU) and Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) students.

“At a time when it’s getting harder for students to go to college, I think the ability to replace some funding [for colleges] with programs that are not only good for the community, but good for the environment is the right thing to do,” he said.

At its core, a community solar project is an investment opportunity. Interested parties could purchase panels and other equipment through the community solar project, which would be its own legal entity. The organizers would oversee all technical aspects of the installation, from purchasing and maintaining panels to filling out paperwork. Investors would receive a check for the state’s production incentives—currently $1.08 per kilowatt hour for a community project with panels made in-state.

Washington state maximum This money would be dispersed via local solar production incentive utilities, which are given a tax credit by the per kilowatt hour state to cover the cost of incentive payments.

Over an eight-year period, Washington’s solar incentives would more than pay for the cost of the original installation, allowing investors to make a profit. Liebrand has estimated that from an original investment of 10,000 dollars on a solar system, incentives would total approximately 21,000 dollars over an eight year period. Individuals electing not to keep these incentives could instead donate them to a college, where they would be used for scholarships.

The individual would be able to write off the incentive donation for tax purposes, which would provide them with a tax benefit of about 8000 dollars. Through this tax writeoff, they would recapture most of their original investment while providing a substantial amount of scholarship money for the college.

$1.08

SOLAR PROJECT,

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tarting on Wednesday, June 1, the Daily Market Cooperative will move to a new location off of the Whitman campus, in the hopes of reaching out to the Walla Walla community by expanding the store.

The Co-op’s contract for their current location at 505 East Main Street -- a Whitmanowned house, expires at the end of May and has forced The Co-op Board Members to make the decision to move its location in order to keep the store running.

The Co-op hopes to expand the store by increasing bulk inventory, introduce a cooler for fresh produce, and expand its hours by hiring a regular staff. According to Matt Eppelsheimer, president of the Daily Market Co-op Board, the expiration of the contract was the extra push that the Co-op needed to expand and garner a more well-known reputation as a store.

“We have a great opportunity to use another location, and we finally decided to take a risk,” he said. “Produce is something we wanted to carry for awhile, and expanding will allow us to hire a regular staff which will make that more possible.”

Created five years ago by a group of Whitman students, including Eppelsheimer, the Coop has quickly expanded. Business has particularly grown with the introduction of the Made in Walla Walla boxes, which give subscribers a variety of local food every week. The introduction of the boxes this year has increased the Co-op’s popularity in the Walla Walla community and has increased foot traffic.

According to senior Elizabeth Bragg, one of the Coop’s volunteer coordinators, the store’s increased foot traffic was the main reason why Whitman asked the Co-op to move.

“Whitman has asked us to move because we can’t reasonably have a grocery store operating out of a house,” she said. “We’re getting too big for the space.”

The Co-op hopes to have the store moved to its new address, at Someone’s in the Kitchen’s former location, 132 West Rose Street, by June 1.

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Fouts joins Sheehan to accommodate record number of studio art theses

by MCCAULAY SINGER-MILNES Staff Reporter

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Part of Jea Alford’s thesis hangs in the Sheehan Gallery. Senior art majors received guidance from Portland Art Museum Curator Bonnie Laing-Malcomson during the installation process.

riday, April 22 marks the beginning of the studio art major thesis exhibition at Sheehan Art Galley and Fouts Center for Visual Arts, an event that allows Whitman College seniors to fulfill the “written” portion of their thesis.

“Instead of writing a formal dissertation, the students work over the course of the academic year to produce a body of work that supports a specific idea,” said Director of the Sheehan Gallery Dawn Forbes.

“Then they present aspects of that body in the gallery.”

This year, the exhibition will feature more students

PHOTO BY BOWMAN

THE STORY OF OUR WASTE Feature goes dumpster diving in honor of Earth Week PAGE

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than have ever participated in the past. A total of 17 studio art majors will display their work, with the work of 13 students at Sheehan Galley and four students at Fouts Center.

Forbes believes that this increased group of students can be attributed to the increase in studio art professors.

“The studio art faculty expanded from essentially what was a two-person faculty to an art studio faculty of nine,” said Forbes. “I think what you can see as a result of that ex-

pansion is increased diversity in the students’ work because they get to work with a variety of different faculty and in a variety of different mediums.”

Accordingly, there will be a wide range of artistic mediums on display at the exhibitions.

“We have everything from cartoonish wallpaper to ambient noise projections to ceramics,” said Exhibitions and Collections Manager Kynde Kiefel. “Medium-wise, it is one of our most diverse shows.”

Students have invested a great deal of time into their respective art pieces, and the exhibition will show only a small portion of the work they created throughout the course of their senior year.

“Part of the process is [that] the students have to edit their work. It’s an evolution; just like writing a paper, there are drafts and redrafts, false starts and tangents,” said Forbes.

ART MAJORS,

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21 2011

Assistive technology helps Academic Resource Center support students

by BLAIR FRANK Staff Reporter

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hile some consumers celebrated the launch of Apple’s iPad 2 by purchasing one for themselves, Whitman’s Academic Resource Center (ARC) had other plans. They recently purchased a pair of iPad 2s for student use on March 11.

Along with the iPads, the Academic Resource Center has a number of different gadgets on hand to lend out to students who need them. They range from a Livescribe “smartpen,” which links recorded audio to written text in special notebooks, to an Intel Reader, which can read text back to the user based on a photo taken by the onboard camera. All of them fall under the umbrella of “assistive technology,” or technology that allows people with learning differences or disabilities to more easily perform actions that would be difficult for them.

Mary Claire Gegen, program coordinator for the ARC, said that the technology helps to provide equal opportunities to those who need the extra advantage.

“Our philosophy with regards to technology is that it puts students on an equal playing field with other students,” she said.

Senior Natalie Tamburello, an intern at the ARC, agrees.

“We’re just all trying to fit within this society that school creates, and some of us need to do different things in order to do that.”

According to Juli Dunn, director of academic resources, the ARC provides disability support services to about 10 percent of the student body, in addition to other services such as tutoring, pre-major advising, and coordinating the Student Academic Adviser (SA) program.

While spending near-

Mary Claire Gegen, the ARC’s program coordinator, shows off a Smart Pen and an Amazon Kindle, two of the assistive tools available for students.

PHOTO BY LERCHIN

ly 1,200 dollars on a pair of iPads may seem hefty, Dunn says the variety of uses for the iPads will save the college money.

“The iPad is actually an incredibly cost efficient way for our office to let students sample similar hardware -- Live-

ASWC also funds several new clubs PAGE

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“This reflects the overwhelming student support for expanding literary publications. People want things in print,” he said.

Sophomore Molly Esteve, current layout editor of quarterlife and future editor-in-chief, said that despite the fact quarterlife originally asked for 9,500 dollars, they are pleased with the 6,700 dollars ASWC granted them.

“We definitely support their efforts and agree with the amount allotted. They look out for Whitman’s media organizations and we’re thankful for their confidence that quarterlife will do great things with a larger budget,” she said. quarterlife plans to use these extra funds to increase the size of their publication from about 40 to 100 pages and to change the binding to what Esteve calls “less staples, more blue moon.”

As Esteve points out, next year will be a transition year for quarterlife: they will be printing two of their four issues in the new binding. They hope that in two more years, all four issues will be in the improved format.

Esteve attributes quarterlife’s success to its staff.

“The main factors contributing to quarterlife’s growth have been phenomenal staff members with ambitious attitudes,” she said.

Senior Matt Bachmann, ed-

itor of “Hey Man,” KWCW’s newly-established music magazine, is also pleased with the money KWCW received.

KWCW requested money from the Travel and Student Development Fund to produce “Hey Man” this semester. Next semester the publication’s costs are covered in KWCW’s budget.

This reflects the overwhelming support for expanding literary publications. People want things in print.

from CO-OP,

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The store will be twice the size as its current location, allowing for more room to expand. By introducing more produce and hiring a regular staff, the Co-op also hopes to compete among other grocery stores in Walla Walla, and have a presence in the community.

“I feel like the move will really benefit the Co-op and give us more of a presence in the Walla Walla community,” said firstyear Molly Johanson, the Co-

To view the entire ASWC 2011-12 budget, go to http://bit.ly/edwteD.

BUSINESS

Editors-in-Chief Molly Smith & Derek Thurber

Production Manager Maggie Appleton

NEWS

Business Manager Dhavan Vengadasalam

Managing Editor Alyssa Fairbanks

Production Associates Ted Hendershot, Miriam Kolker, Abigail Sloan, Meg Vermilion

News Editors Rachel Alexander & Josh Goodman

Chief Copy Editor Jenna Mukuno

A&E Editor CJ Wisler

Copy Editor Maggie Ayau

Feature Editors Cara Lowry & Patricia Vanderbilt

PHOTOGRAPHY

Illustration Editor Olivia Johnson Web Editor Ellie Gold

$994,000,000 Total amount allocated in the 2011 federal budget for higher education student aid.

9 million

Number of Americans receiving Pell Grants per year.

$5,550

Maximum Pell Grant award for the 2010-11 school year.

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Number of grants students could receive per year for the 2010-11 academic year.

$4,705

Maximum Pell Grant award for the 2011-12 school year in the House’s original budget.

$5,550

Maximum Pell Grant award for the 2011-12 school year in the final budget.

1

Number of grants students can now recieve per year.

$1.3 billion Total cuts to the Department of Education in the 2011 budget. sources: library of congress, whitman college factbook, studentaid.gov, whitehouse.gov, us news & world report

op’s other volunteer coordinator.

However, while the move will help the Co-op reach out to the community, the new location’s distance from campus may deter Whitman students from shopping at the Co-op. However, the Co-op remains optimistic that the expansion of produce and hours will encourage students to see the Co-op as an organized grocery store to regularly buy from.

“Students specifically, I feel, will be more receptive to the new location,” Johanson said. “The

goal for the move is for it to look more like a grocery store, to bring its identity from less of a disorganized jumble to an idyllic Co-op.”

Rather than seeing the expiration of the contract as a hurdle for the Co-op, the board hopes to use the move to shape the perfect shop – appealing to both the Walla Walla and Whitman community.

“We’re excited because we’re moving in the direction of the store we’ve always envisioned,” Eppelsheimer said.

A row of bulk spices at the Daily Market Co-op. The Co-op will be moving locations at the beginning of May, allowing them to stock a greater variety of foods and expand business. PHOTO BY VON HAFFTEN

WRITING

Photography Editor Jack Lazar

Total amount of federal needbased grants awarded to Whitman students for the 2010-11 school year.

“ASWC has been very supportive of KWCW over the last couple years,” he said. “One thing I really appreciate about Whitman is that if you have a good idea, ASWC will almost always work with you to make it happen.”

A handful of groups, including BSU and the Whitman College Fencing Club, received funding cuts of several hundred dollars or more despite requesting increased funding. Several new groups received at least 1,000 dollars, including Challah for Hunger, Eye-to-Eye and Model U.N.

PRODUCTION

Backpage Editor Diana Dulek

$1,218,567

MATT DITTRICH, '12

EDITORIAL

Opinion Editor Gary Wang

News Editor

ic, said assistive technology plays a major part in her schooling.

“I mainly use text-to-speech software, and I’ve been using that since high school,” Tamburello said. “It helps me with my processing of language, because reading is such a strenuous process for me.”

MiKayla Briere, a first-year who uses a wheelchair, will be using the iPads as a means of making her geology field trips more accessible. Once Briere reaches the farthest she can travel, another student carrying an iPad and a wireless broadband modem will move forward from there.

“We’ll establish a connection between the two of us and then we can video chat, so I can see the outcrop up close and personal,” she said.

The iPads have proven popular. Since the ARC purchased them, they haven’t spent much time in the office due to demand.

“There was this realization that the iPads aren’t going to be home very often,” said Dunn.

Any student can check out assistive hardware from the ARC, but priority is given to students with a documented need. For those who don’t know what technology would help them most, Tamburello suggests meeting with someone in the ARC. “You can have a meeting with Mary Claire or Juli and figure out what’s best for you,” she said.

The ARC remains committed to providing students with the best technology possible in the future, as well.

“Keeping up on the new technology is a job in and of itself,” Dunn said. “We want students to continue to use the equipment we have and any emerging technology that pops up on the horizon in such a way that it help them, and in turn us, realize the mission for the Academic Resource Center.”

WHITMAN NEWS, DELIVERED

Sports Editors Libby Arnosti & Nick Wood

by RACHEL ALEXANDER

CO-OP TO HIRE PAID STAFF

More money for media from ASWC BUDGET,

scribe pen, sound amplifier, Intel Reader, AlphaSmart -- and software -- Dragon Dictation, ReadHear, RFB&D, SpeakIt, phonetic spellers -- on their own terms.”

For many, assistive technology is what helps them get their work done. Tamburello, who is dyslex-

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS

Marin Axtell, Faith Bernstein, Julia Bowman, Brandon Fennell, Ben Lerchin, Kendra Klag, Ethan Parrish, Marie Von Hafften

ILLUSTRATION Sam Alden, Jea Alford, Molly Johanson, Binta Loos-Diallo, Carrie Sloane, Jung Song, Markel Uriu

Alyssa Goard, Karah Kemmerly, Shelly Le, Joe Volpert

A&E Taneeka Hansen, McCaulay Singer-Milnes, Kate Robinette, Will Witwer

FEATURE Hanna Kahl, Kelsey Kennedy, Maren Schiffer

Circulation Associates Leland Matthaeus, Kira Peterson, Junpei Tsuji

Advertising Manager Anna Taylor

CODE OF ETHICS

Andrew Hawkins, Tyler Hurlburt, Pamela London

Advertising Designer Brianna Jaro

BACKPAGE Adam Brayton, Cari Cortez

SUBMISSION POLICY

ADVERTISING

SPORTS

Alex Brott, Lissa Erickson, Bryant Fong, Blair Frank, Tristan Grau, J. Staten Hudson, Ami Tian

Founded before the turn of 20th century, The Pioneer is Whitman College’s weekly, student-run newspaper. With a circulation of over 1,200, The Pioneer serves both the Whitman College student body and its network of faculty, staff, parents and alumni as well as the local Walla Walla community. The Pioneer publishes a weekly issue of the latest news, arts and sports coverage and student editorials. The Pioneer is entirely student-run and serves as an open forum for the student body as well as an outlet for gaining journalistic experience at a school that has no journalism program. The staff receives guidance from a Board of Advisors, a group of campus and community leaders, including Whitman College faculty and staff with journalism expertise as well as members of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. The Pioneer strives to maintain the highest standards of fairness, quality and journalistic integrity and is governed by a Code of Ethics.

Letters to Editor may be submitted to The Pioneer via e-mail to editors@ whitmanpioneer.com or sent to The Pioneer, Whitman College, 280 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla, WA, 99362. All submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Sunday prior to the week that they are intended to appear. All submissions must be attributed and may be edited for AP-style and fluency.

Webmaster Rebecca Fish

Advertising Associates Phuong Pham, Brian Vieth, Hailun Zhou

OPINION

EDITORIAL POLICY

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 by the current Editor-in-Chief and 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.

For information about advertising in The Pioneer or to purchase a subscription please contact BUSINESS@WHITMANPIONEER.COM

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by RACHEL ALEXANDER News Editor

W

hat’s wrong with the United States government?

For members of the Walla Walla Tea Party Patriots, it’s out of control government spending.

The group held a tax day rally on Friday, April 15 to advocate the importance of fiscal responsibility and limited government. Spokesperson Martha Clinehens believes that the government needs to make substantial cuts to address the growing federal deficit.

“Hard, tough decisions are going to have to be made,” she said. “There are a lot of things that I agree with and that you agree with that will have to be cut.”

For U.S. Uncut activists, the issue is corporate tax dodging. The group, which staged protests across the country in conjunction with MoveOn.org, rallied at Heritage Square Park on Monday, April 18 to object to government cuts in social services and to the many large American corporations that don’t pay income tax.

“The Republicans are cutting back and taxing working people,” said rally organizer June McKenzie. “There are a lot of corporations that aren’t feeling the pinch today.”

McKenzie said that many of the U.S.’s largest corporations, including General Electric, Exxon-Mobil and Bank of America, paid no income tax in the past year. She said that tax revenues from Bank of America and other companies would bridge much of the estimated 1.65 trillion dollar 2011 fiscal year budget deficit.

Clinehens disagreed with this analysis, saying that government spending levels are simply too high for tax increases to make up for the deficit.

“The federal government cannot tax its way out of its fiscal problem,” she said. “A very serious look at reducing or cutting programs is essential.”

The Tea Party rally presented this theme through speeches at their rally, which drew about 150 people despite heavy rain. Keynote speaker Reverend Wayne Perryman said that politicians in Washington, D.C. are out of touch with average Americans.

“We need to remind the politicians who they work for,” he said.

“The Tea Party is a movement that’s saying, ‘Enough is enough.’”

The Tea Party movement started in 2009 as a grassroots movement of fiscally-conservative Americans who are frustrated with D.C. insiders, increasing taxes and govern-

POLITICAL

PROTEST in Wa l l a Wa l l a

ABOVE BELOW

Members of the U.S. Uncut protest march down Main Street chanting, “We want health care, not corporate welfare!” The group ended up outside of Bank of America at 111 Main Street, where protest organizers delivered a tax bill to the bank manager. PHOTO BY ALEXANDER An attendee at the Walla Walla Tea Party Patriot rally stands to watch a Civil Air Patrol Cadet’s speech about the value of “strong character” and civil liberties. Like most of the rally speakers, the cadet spoke passionately about family values, repeating the patriotic refrain “from sea to shining sea.” PHOTO BY LERCHIN

ment spending. Much of the movement’s success in numbers has been attributed to its ability to connect with voters who are frustrated by a political system dominated by special interests.

This attraction has been a source of frustration for activists on the left. Since the 2008 election, American liberals and the Democratic Party have been criticized for lacking a cohesive narrative. Progressive and liberal writers and columnists have said that the left needs a story to counter the Tea Party’s beliefs.

US Uncut protests across the country might be the beginning of a unified liberal narrative. The idea behind these protests — that corporations need to pay income tax like average citizens do — has its roots in a movement called U.K. Uncut, a loosely organized activist coalition which has staged protests outside large businesses across the United Kingdom which don’t pay income tax. The idea has since spread to the U.S., where it tells a more liberal story: Government has an obligation to take care of its citizens, and if corporations paid their fair share, the country will be able to look out for everyone.

In spite of their ideological differences, the Tea Party and U.S. Uncut share structural similarities. Both groups decry a government overrun with lobbyists and special interests.

Both groups are clear about the changes they want to see happen, but are limited in their ability to make those changes happen. Even with the Republican and Tea Party victories in the 2010 elections, Clinehens doesn’t feel that the political situation has improved much.

“I think overall, we’re still in a very bad position,” she said.

Though the Tea Party is portrayed as a conservative movement, Clinehens and her fellow Tea Party activists were critical of both parties’ lack of action on reducing spending.

“There’s been a lot of pointing fingers, but no agreed upon plan,” she said.

Attendees at the U.S. Uncut rally were similarly frustrated with the state of political discourse in Washington, D.C. “It’s not going to be a democracy if [special interests] own Congress and the media,” said Walla Walla resident Norm Osterman, who attended the rally.

For this fact to change, more Americans will need to be politically engaged. Clinehens and McKenzie agreed that raising awareness was essential for solving political problems in the United States.

Osterman put it more bluntly.

“People need to wake up,” he said.

Community solar project moves forward, Whitman’s involvement uncertain from SOLAR PROJECT,

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The panels would also be donated to the colleges after the eight-year period for production incentives ends, and colleges would be able to use the power the panels generate, thus reducing their electricity bills.

Whitman is currently not involved in the community solar project, though Bob Carson, professor of geology and environmental studies, hopes to see this change.

“We can and should attempt to do more environmentally,” said Carson.

He believes the project is important for environmental reasons, both as a tool to combat climate change and as a way of educating Whitman students about the benefits of renewable energy. Even without the environmental benefits, he stressed that Whitman stands to make money by participating.

“If an alum gives all of their savings and profits [from the project] to the college, the college would do quite well,” he said.

Sustainability Coordinator senior Nat Clarke also hoped that the college would choose to participate in the project.

“It’s a meaningful project for Walla Walla,” he said. “It’s a meaningful project for Whitman, out-

side of any financial benefits.”

Whitman Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Peter Harvey said that the college is currently unable to spend time soliciting alumni participation in the project, since the college is focused on a major campaign to grow the endowment. However, Whitman may still choose to participate in some capacity. Liebrand is currently working with the Whitman administration to discuss this possibility.

Even without active alumni recruitment, Liebrand said Whitman could still receive incentives from the project.

Another issue of concern to Liebrand is solar project placement. Under existing state law, community solar projects cannot be located on college and university campuses. A proposed bill in the Washington State legislature, HB 1144 would have changed this by permitting projects on eligible college campuses. However, after passing the house, the bill was amended substantially with very specific requirements for schools which

would be allowed to site projects.

As written, none of Walla Walla’s colleges would qualify for inclusion. The bill is currently in the State Senate’s Ways and Means Committee and has not seen any major action since the end of March.

Liebrand has lobbied

for previous versions of the bill, but does not support the restrictions which make it impossible for Walla Walla schools to participate. He said that allowing installations on campuses would make it easier for students to learn about panel installation and other technical aspects of the project. This is especially of interest to WWU and WWCC students, since both schools have technical programs focusing on renewable energy.

Even with its amendments, Liebrand believes budget concerns have impacted the bill’s chances of passing, since more solar projects mean more production incentives have to be paid out.

“There seems to be a fear [in Olympia] that if they make it seem like [a community solar project] is an easy thing to do, a lot of people will do it,” he said.

“It’s not an easy thing to do.”

A representative from Senator Mike Hewitt’s office said that the senator--who represents Walla Walla--was in support of the premise of the ILLUSTRATION BY SLOANE bill, but would not

comment on Hewitt’s opinion of the current version. He was also unsure of the bill’s chances of passing given the state of Washington’s budget.

“There’s not a lot of appetite here to give money away for a tax exemption, however noble it may be,” he said.

The representative said that the bill will likely not move out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee without action from Senate Democrats, who are the majority party. Thus far, they have not placed the bill on the committee’s agenda.

Regardless of the outcome of HB 1144, Liebrand is moving ahead with the project. Currently, he is soliciting bids for the airport installation, and will begin collecting money from investors once a bid is selected. He is optimistic that the project will be able to provide significant benefits for Walla Walla’s colleges as well as serve as an educational tool for the community.

Clarke also hopes to see the project grow, and believes Whitman students will be instrumental in determining the college’s eventual role in the project.

“I really hope that students start discussing this,” he said. “[They] could help make this happen if they wanted to.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Planning to be in the South Puget Sound area summer 2011?

Take courses at PLU to transfer back to Whitman.

APR

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21 2011

blue moon celebrates release with Tallest Man on Earth

by KATE ROBINETTE Staff Reporter

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hitman’s annual literary arts magazine, blue moon, teams up with KWCW for its release party on Friday, April 22, bringing in folk artist The Tallest Man on Earth to play for the event. blue moon, in its 24th year

under that name, is an award-winning annual literary magazine.

“Each spring we have a release party … This year I approached Matt [Bachmann, General Manager of KWCW] early on in the year to see if [KWCW] w o u l d be in-

ILLUSTRATION BY LOOS-DIALLO

terested in co-sponsoring the event with us so we could get a good band and have a joint party,” said senior Lara Mehling, editor of blue moon.

They then brainstormed artists to bring in, and approached The Tallest Man on Earth to play for the release.

“It worked out well, of the bands we considered, Tallest Man is one of the favorites on campus; people are really excited about him coming,” said Bachmann.

“He’s also going to be a great artist for this event particularly because his music can be both really sort of melodious and low-key and can be also really kind of energetic and fun,” Mehling said.

Taking place in Reid basement, The Mumlers will open at 9 p.m. and Tallest Man will begin at 10 p.m.

As of April 14, the Facebook page for the event has 317 confirmed attendees, but Mehling and Bachmann chose the smallish coffeehouse because it seemed more appropriate for this event, for these artists particularly.

“Part of the advantage of putting it in the coffeehouse is that it’s more feasible than a big dance floor and more appropriate in keeping the focus on blue moon’s release,” said Bachmann.

Though the crowd size is a concern, since all-campus and coffeehouse events are more difficult to regulate, Bachmann and Mehling have prepared for the crowd.

“I’m not too worried about it,” said Bachmann, “It could be a problem, but it’s almost a good thing … The thing I was most worried about is the speakers not being loud enough, but we’re getting bigger speakers.”

Bachmann and Mehling also cite greater publicity as part of the reason for the substantial interest and excitement that students are showing.

“People talk more about [Tallest Man] than they [have for previous artists that have come to campus]. He’s just the boss,” said Bachmann. “We put out the word early enough or something, people are getting really excited, the rumors have been spreading.” blue moon and KWCW hope students take advantage of the release party in celebrating the confluence of literature, art and music that blue moon and this event hope to represent.

“We do publish a magazine for every student, although they’ll be available afterward and we’ll be tabling them in Reid. I just hope a lot of people come out to get their magazines and cake and to see Tallest Man,” said Mehling.

SPOTLIGHT ON ART

Student conductor brings 1876 to life

by TANEEKA HANSEN Staff Reporter

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n Tuesday, April 26 the music department will host the final performance of the Divertimento Chamber Orchestra with senior conductor Jackson Maberry before he heads off to Cambridge University for a masters in choral conducting.

Maberry is a senior music major who began conducting the Divertimento ensemble first semester of his junior year. One of the pieces which will be performed is his thesis, an 1876 overture by Elfrida Andree, which Maberry is turning into a modern performance edition score. The other pieces include a choral requiem by Whitman composer Emily Allen and two violin concertos.

“This is my first semester doing [work with soloists],” said Maberry of the concertos. “It’s a unique challenge to do a concerto, or part of a concerto, because all of a sudden you don’t have sole interpretive authority, you’re sharing interpretive authority with the soloist.”

Josh Melander, the first-year violin soloist in for the ensemble’s performance of Beethoven’s

violin concerto in D major, also noted the difficulty of joining soloist with orchestra.

“Usually in putting together a soloist and an orchestra, most of the rehearsal time is spent … making sure that the soloist and the orchestra are on the same page,” said Melander. “And, so far I think Jackson has done a great job accommodating all of the things that I’ve decided to do with it.”

It is not a simple piece to interpret.

“The notes are ... not technically difficult, but the more that I worked on it the more I realized that there are just so many possibilities in how to execute the pieces and what kind of musical picture I want to paint with it,” said Maberry.

Senior vocalist McKenna Milici, who will also perform at the concert, has worked with Maberry several times during his conducting career.

“Jackson started out just learning it, and really turned into quite a competent conductor. It’s really cool to get to see his journey as an artist,” said Milici.

For Maberry, that learning process is a large part of what has made working with

Divertimento so fulfilling.

“With each passing [Divertimento] concert that I have done, I have seen, both in the ensemble and in myself, mostly in myself, great improvement,” said Maberry. “The orchestra’s always been fantastic, but I don’t think I would have ever learned as much about conducting if it weren’t for working with these players.”

While a choral conducting major he will pursue is a departure from his primarily orchestral repertoire, Millici has great faith in his abilities.

“We’re all just super thrilled for him,” said Milici. “He’s got the perfect combination of good conducting technique and sheer charisma; that is pretty much the two things you need to be a conductor.”

Wherever he goes from here, it is safe to say that Maberry will take his time with Divertimento with him.

“The entire experience of working with this orchestra has just been one big best moment of my life,” said Maberry.

“Every second of it is magical.”

The concert will take place on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Chism Hall.

Diverse artistic mediums on display at thesis exhibit Increase in studio art majors and thesis projects linked to recent faculty expansion from ART THESES,

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The exhibition also serves to include the public in the art process, serving as many students’ first experience with professional displays of their art.

“Ideally, the senior thesis exhibition is a means of opening a dialogue with the rest of the campus, a way to shake off the insularity,” said contributing senior studio art major Noah Greene.

In addition, students receive the benefit of advice from an experienced professional throughout the process of putting together their piece for the exhibition. Bonnie LaingMalcolmson, the curator for the Portland Art Museum, is this year’s resident expert and guest lecturer at the opening. “[Working with a professional] is always a re-

Senior Teresa Hughes’ installation hangs in the Sheehan Gallery. Hughes is one of 17 art majors with projects on display at the Studio Art Thesis Exhibition. PHOTO BY BOWMAN

ally valuable and rewarding experience,” said Kiefel.

The event will begin with the lecture at 5:30 p.m. in the Sheehan Gallery and will move to the Fouts Critique Space at 7:30

p.m. to allow the students, family members and other members of the community in attendance to view the rest of the theses. The works will be on display from April 22 to May 21.

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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: Dabbles in Bloom Concert WEB presents a music extravaganza featuring Dabbles in Bloom alongside Whitman’s Slam Poetry Team Almighty Ink and The Turkish Royals.

As part of their summer West Coast tour fundraiser, Dabbles in Bloom will accept donations at the concert. Thursday, April 21, 9 p.m. Reid Ballroom.

Whitman Orchestra & Chamber Singers Spring Concert The music department presents the spring concert for the Whitman Orchestra and Chamber Singers. The Orchestra will perform Prokofiev’s “Classical” symphony and Finzi’s “Eclogue,” and Chamber Singers will perform, among other pieces, Melissa Dunphy’s “What Do You Think I Fought For at Omaha Beach?” This song’s text derives from the 2009 testimony of WWII veteran Philip Spooner, who spoke out in support of marriage equality. Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. Chism Recital Hall.

A Night in Argentina Mecca, La Casa and ASWC invite students interested in learning about and celebrating Argentina to swing by La Casa for tango lessons, dulce de lechebased alfajores and more. Thursday, April 21, 7 p.m. 412 Boyer.

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Board game-­based movies reveal business side of art

by WILLIAM WITWER Staff Reporter

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emember that staple of childhood, the Magic 8-Ball whence all decisions flowed? Well, they’re making a movie. Not a documentary -- (What the hell would that entail?) -- but a full-blown movie, rumored to come out summer 2012. I think the only valid response to this troubling news is, “Wait. What?”

That’s right folks, “Magic 8-Ball” could be the family movie event of 2012. (This must be the end of the world those pesky Mayans accidentally prophesied by not finishing their calendar.) Speaking of movies adapted from board games, also on the way is the Monopoly movie, as well as Battleship and a Ouija Board movie in development.

What about last summer, when Chrisopher Nolan’s brainchild “Inception” dominated box offices enough to become the secondhighest grossing movie of all time?

Doesn’t that mean audiences are hungry for new content? Shouldn’t studios try to follow a new path, one devoid of board game adaptations or 5th sequels? Actually, no.

“I think that there’s two ways to evaluate films — you can evaluate them as art or you can evaluate them as product,” said Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Film Studies Robert Sickels. “Every once in a while those two things align, but most of the people involved in the business of marketing movies and paying for movies (which is different than making movies!) could care less whether a film is art or not. Nobody who’s responsible for financing ‘Transformers’ or ‘Transformers 2’ cares that it was one of the worst-reviewed movies in the history of Hollywood.”

Indeed they do not. Both movies were highly lucrative, not just in terms of the movies themselves, but also in terms of merchandising.

Transformers was originally born from merchandise itself; before the movies was the popular television show, which in turn was adapted from a line of toys. Studio executives must be extremely conservative with their money, because the cost of making movies and promoting them has risen to the point that, to green-light a movie, they need a built-in audience. For the same reason, studios love sequels, because if the audience liked

the first one, they’ll almost certainly come back for the second one.

“There’s no reason to believe that audiences want to see original material,” said Sickels. “I guess on the one hand you could argue that audiences are hungry for movies and see what they’re allowed to see, what gets made. That said, the box office is riddled with the casualties of excellent films that got some kind of distribution but that nobody went to see.”

As much as that depresses me (“Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” are two such recent casualties, though both are actually adaptations of written work), it is difficult to argue with the logic of the film studios. If you desperately need a movie to make a profit, taking a chance on new, nonpre-sold content is a big stretch. In the end, what it comes down to is that movies designed only to entertain succeed because they do not aspire to be more than they are.

A GQ article entitled “The Day The Movies Died” argues that, “for the studios, a good new idea has become just too scary a road to travel. ‘Inception’, they will tell you, is an exceptional movie. And movies that need to be exceptional to succeed are bad business. ‘The scab you’re picking at is called execution,’ says legendary producer Scott Rudin (‘The Social Network’, ‘True Grit’). ‘Studios are hardwired not to bet on execution, and the terrible thing is, they’re right. Because in terms of execution, most movies disappoint.’”

Now, I don’t know if I would go that far, since even mediocre movies can be a blast to watch. But in terms of profitability, adaptations of board-games, for example, will always be made over “Inception” or “Source Code” (a good, new, original thriller that I reviewed last week). This speaks to the difficulty of crafting narrative and of the art of filmmaking; but if a movie is already pre-sold to the point that an audience is all but guaranteed, it does not matter if said movie disappoints on the level of art.

So stop complaining about Hollywood’s perennial sequelitis and lack of original material — it is an incredibly smart business move, and not one that’s likely to change.

And hey, “Magic 8-Ball” could be good — and I might see it even if it is not. Suck on that, hipsters.

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aste W FOLLOWING OUR

On average, the Walla Walla Sudbury Road Landfill receives 55,000 to 60,000 tons of refuse per year. In 2010 there was an 18 percent drop in tonnage as a result of decreased consumption stemming from the economic recession.

PHOTO BY KLAG

Garbage at Whitman: How trashy are we?

by PATRICIA VANDERBILT Feature Editor

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hitman College delivered a total of 314,280 pounds of solid waste to the Walla Walla Sudbury Road Landfill in 2008. This number doesn’t tell the whole story, how-

ever. It includes the waste that Whitman collects from the academic buildings and residence halls and delivers to the landfill, but not the trash that Walla Walla’s sanitation services pick up from Reid Campus Center, the dining halls and the interest houses. There is also waste generated

from construction and set striking at Harper Joy Theatre, not to mention garbage from fraternities and off-campus housing.

“That’s part of the story too,” said Bob Biles, Whitman’s landscape specialist and recycling coordinator. “It’s really difficult to keep track of all that stuff.”

Garbage generation spikes at the beginning and end of the school year. In the month of September alone, about 70,000 pounds of trash are collected, up from an average of 50,000 pounds from October through April. Moving out and graduation spur a refuse upsurge in May.

“It’s a two-week party cleanup,” Biles said, and added that the high school debate tournament is another big trash weekend.

Overall rough estimate?

“Whitman generates about a million pounds of refuse per year,” said Biles.

toilet to treatment plant: what goes down after you flush?

by KELSEY KENNEDY Staff Reporter

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Students living in the Outhouse collect and sort Whitman’s recycling before it is trucked to a recycling plant in Tacoma, Wash. PHOTO BY VON HAFFTEN

Recycling Whitman

minor blunders impact program’s efFicacy

by MAREN SCHIFFER Staff Reporter

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ecycling programs and facilities are a bragging right of the Whitman College community. However, they depend on student participation, which often is less than perfect.

Sophomore Andrew Strong, Resident Adviser of the Environmental House (otherwise known as the Outhouse) said that often people do not clean food off of their recycled containers, which makes them un-recyclable.

“It’s the little things that add up,” said Outhouse resident sophomore Danielle Broida. “I’m sure about 50 percent of what could be recycled is not, and it is up to students to put in the extra efforts that will later make a difference.”

Whitman Landscape Spe-

cialist and Recycling Coordinator Bob Biles and residents of the Outhouse head the college’s recycling efforts. The Outhouse collects and sorts recycling from every residence hall on campus. All fraternity and Interest House recycling goes directly to Walla Walla Recycling and eventually makes its way to a plant in Tacoma.

“The closest recycling facility is in Tacoma — not very efficient in terms of carbon emissions, but it is all there is,” said Broida.

Strong added that Walla Walla Recycling works to decrease the amount of waste it exports.

“They will try to sell this accumulated waste locally before taking it to the [Tacoma] plant. For example, paper is sold to WWR, [which] then [sells] it to a paper company in Spokane, from which the Union-Bulletin buys its paper,” he said.

lushed waste accounts for a large portion of Whitman College’s refuse output.

According to the City of Walla Walla, the Wastewater Treatment Plant processes approximately four to eight million gallons of wastewater everyday.

During the summer, when water usage is at its peak, Walla Walla uses 22 million gallons of water per day. The Wastewater Treatment Plant, located on Mill Creek, is a subsidiary of the City of Walla Walla and overseen by several national and state agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Once you flush your toilet or drain your sink, there are several steps to the treatment of this sewage. Sewage first goes through primary and secondary treatments that filter out solids. Next, solids are transported to a landfill, where they are picked up by local farmers to be used as fertilizer. The wastewater is treated with chlorine and UV rays and eventually released into two reservoirs: Mill Creek from December 1 to May 1, and the Blalock and Gose irrigation districts for the remainder of the year. However, the water is only treated for human waste and is not tested for chemicals from household cleaning products, drugs or other potential contaminants.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant is working with the city’s

Whitman’s sewage flows to Walla Walla’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, which processes 4 to 8 million gallons of wastewater daily. PHOTO BY KLAG

composting program to eventually make these biosolids available to the general public. According to officials at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, a partnership between the two departments would require the city to double their composting facility. As a result, the project has been put on the back

burner due to city budget cuts.

The Campus Climate Challenge group is on a mission to reduce campus wastewater. New dual flush toilets have been installed in the Reid Campus Center bathrooms and will be implemented in the academic buildings and residence halls depending on the success of this trial run.

Campus compost far from rotten

by HANNA KAHL Staff Reporter

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n a study of food waste from January to April 2010, Prentiss Dining Hall produced an average of 2,007 pounds of waste per week. In comparison, in 2007, 5,488 pounds of food waste were generated by Whitman’s dining halls and Reid. This figure is more than the weight of an average vehicle in the United States. The decrease is the result of efforts to reduce the waste made by students, administration and food services alike.

Recently Whitman’s “Green Fund”, financed primarily by ASWC, granted 16,000 dollars to build a large industrial compost worm-wigwam sys-

tem. The project was headed by the Whitman Sustainability Coordinator and interns. The food waste will be thrown into compost bins outside of Jewett Dining Hall, then transferred over to a larger compost system which will be near the Physical Plant.

This new compost system will take up to 100 to 150 pounds a day, which is approximately a fifth of the food waste produced by Jewett. This compost will be used by the Physical Plant in landscaping and by Student Agriculture at Whitman for the microgreens project.

This initiative expands on previous composting efforts. In the past, residence hall section Green Leaders, first-years hired by Campus Climate Challenge to push for

low carbon emissions on campus, built up small composting systems outside of residence halls. However, this project was short-lived.

“An excess of waste and the cold winter months severely halted the decomposition process,” said Sustainability Intern junior Katie Radosevic.

Previously, in a project started by senior Peter Gurche, the Organic Garden Club picked up some of the waste from the dining halls and used it for compost.

As an additional effort to reduce food waste, the Walla Walla Senior Citizens Center comes to Prentiss Dining Hall to pick up leftover food, which is consumed both at the center and used for its Meals on Wheels Program.

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Women’s lacrosse closes successful season

by PAMELA LONDON Staff Reporter

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his past weekend the women’s lacrosse team made Whitman history with their winning achievements on Ankeny Field as they played for the Northwest Conference Championship title.

Captained by seniors Diane Feuillet, Hannah LaCroix and Sarah Evans, and junior Krista Garrett, the team fought its way through three matches against Division I opponents over two days to claim third place overall in the Northwest Women’s Lacrosse League championships, the highest Whitman has finished in the history of the club. The NWLL championships were hosted by Whitman, and the team was eager to protect home-field advantage.

PHOTOS BY FENNELL

TOUR HITS WALLA WALLA

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hittie cyclists competed last weekend at the annual Tour of Walla Walla, taking home honors on both the men’s and women’s sides. The three-stage race included a 1.1 mile criterium loop through downtown Walla Walla and Whitman campus. Eloise Zimbelman ‘11, pictured above, and Chelsea Momany ‘11 finished the weekend in 8th and 4th place overall in their category; Jay Barlow ‘14 took 9th place in his category.

“Our expectations were to play well and really give it our all,” said Feuillet. “We’ve never made it to the championship game, so of course that is always the goal.

[We] always think positively.”

“Going into this weekend we were expecting to play our game, play it hard and have a good time doing it,” added Evans.

Whitman athletes find benefits, challenges in living with teammates

by ANDREW HAWKINS Staff Reporter

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ith housing options being discussed and sorted out for the coming year, Whitman College athletes frequently choose to live with teammates. But is this a wise decision?

Off-campus houses, Greek residences and first-year dorms are filled with student athletes.

Whether this is a good idea or not generates a fair amount of debate, especially for first-years, who are in a unique position because they have less choice determining with whom they live than sophomores, juniors and seniors.

“Coach Jeff Northam prefers that we don’t live together,” said sophomore tennis player Matt Tesmond. “I don’t think it’s a spoken rule, but none of the first-year [tennis players] live in the same section — three of them are spread out across two dorms.

None of the other players but Quinn Miller and [ R o b ert] Conor HoltonBurke live together.”

W i t h so much time spent together as teammates, it can be too much for some to also share a living space.

“It’s hard when you’re competitive with each other on the court and you’re pitted against each other for seed, and you sometimes need space away from the team. Also, if your living situation doesn’t work out, that can cause problems,” said Tesmond.

First-year rugby player Frankie Cochran agrees.

“You can be great friends and not good roommates,” Cochran said.

Opinions on the idea of athletes living together vary among coaches.

There are those, like Northam, who see it as a potential concern, while others welcome and encourage it.

Still, some decide not to be involved in this aspect of their athletes’ lives.

“Honestly, our coach doesn’t care if we live together or not,” said sophomore swimmer Rebecca Ryle. “[During our] first-year, five or six basketball players and three soccer players lived in my section in Anderson,” said sophomore Nathan Abrams. “All of the basketball players roomed together and two of the soccer players roomed together. The basketball players seemed to be close.

The line was blurred between teammate and friend.

I think that is a good thing and that both teams benefited from [the tight bond between player-roommates].”

Coaches recognize how living together can affect players’ relationships with other teammates.

Frustration, arising from constant interaction during practice and at home, can manifest itself in training and in games. Friendship, stemming from that same contact, fuels social interactions and mu-

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tual understanding: it can create verve and desire for the sport that doesn’t come with practice.

Some student-athletes worry about maintaining their independence and lifestyle, and choose to room alone.

“I think that all the guys on the lacrosse team are awesome — some of the closest friends I have — but that doesn’t mean that I would want to room with any of them,” said sophomore lacrosse defender John Tarzan Mighell.

“Charlie [Kistler] is my best friend and a great teammate, but he’s messy and I’m neat, so he would drive me crazy.

Sometimes I need m y space a n d m y time a n d roomi n g alone is the best for me.

Laying ground rules ILLUSTRATION BY [with houseLOOS-DIALLO mates] is definitely important and it’s hard to do that with teammates and friends. But it’s necessary. You don’t want your living situation to mess with your friendship or your work on the field.”

Sophomores, juniors and seniors frequently find their best friends are their teammates; thus, they do not see living or rooming together as an infringement of their independence, but rather as a chance to live with their closest friends.

“You can get really close to your teammates living together,” said Ryle. “I think it can be really good if you can work it out. I know that a bunch of the [sophomores on the] men’s team live together in a suite in Douglas, and it seems to work for them well.”

Greek life can offer one way for athletes to live together without rooming together or dealing with the bills and cleanliness that can come with off-campus housing or residence halls.

“Living in a frat house is really tight because I’m not just with my teammates,” said Mighell. “I can hang out and get alone time. I don’t really think of the guys as teammates. I think of them more as buddies. You can chill with your bros and still have your personal space.”

After defeating Boise State University 12-8 on Saturday morning, the team learned that its next opponent would be the University of Washington, the top-ranked team among the ten teams in the division. Although a 15-5 loss to UW ended Whitman’s chances at winning the championship title, the team was proud of the way it performed against a formidable opponent that they were not expecting.

“We had to play UW, which was not expected, but we really put our best effort into the game and had some good plays and some solid defense,” said Feuillet.

After falling against UW, Whitman played Gonzaga University on Sunday morning in the third/fourth place match-up. With 10-7 victory over the Bulldogs, Whitman claimed third place in the NWLL championship tournament, the highest the Missionaries have ever finished.

“We played a really great third place game against Gonzaga,” said Feuillet. “That was a really great game because we were having fun and playing our best. It was a good way to end the season.”

“I think it’s really exciting [finishing third] because it means a lot for the future of the team,” said firstyear Allie Wilson. “The team is really young, we have a lot of first-years.

It’s really exciting just seeing how fast the first-years have improved.”

The mixture of young and experienced players and the dedication all of the women helped make this season one of the most successful in the team’s history. The team proved that it can not only stand up against highly ranked state schools, but also be competitive and successful enough to finish third out of 10 teams in the NWLL. Needless to say, this will be a season and a group of players that the Whitman women’s lacrosse team won’t soon forget.

“We were able to play our hard-

SCOREBOARD Baseball vs. Willamette University 4/16

loss; 11-­5 loss; 14-­0

vs. Willamette University 4/17

loss; 14-­9

Tennis MEN'S NWC Playoff Semifinal vs. Pacific 4/16 NWC Playoff Final vs. Willamette 4/17 WOMEN'S NWC Playoff Semfinal vs. Linfield 4/16

win; 5-­0 win; 5-­0

loss; 2-­5

UPCOMING EVENTS Golf MEN'S

NWC Men’s Golf Championships WOMEN'S

NWC Women’s Golf Championships

away; apr.

22 -­ 23 away; apr.

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est on the field while still joking around and having a good time,” said Evans. “I think it is really phenomenal that our team, coming from not only the smallest school in our division but also as the only self-coached and student-run team, came out in third place. It really shows how hard we work as a team and how passionate we are about playing lacrosse.”

“The quality of play in the league has really risen in the four years I have been playing at Whitman and so all the teams are competitive,” said Feuillet. “I think the best part of the season is knowing that we can have fun and also compete with some very skilled teams.”

Men’s golf aims to move up

by TYLER HURLBURT Staff Reporter

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n Friday and Saturday April 22 and 23, the Whitman men’s golf team looks to break out of the middle of the conference and stand among the best at the NWC Championships at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, Wash.

The conference championship is the third and final major tournament for NWC golf teams. Whitman currently sits in fifth place out of the nine teams in the conference after taking fifth at the first two tournaments.

Despite finishing right in the middle of the conference at the other major tournaments, head coach Peter McClure believes that his team has the potential to progress up the conference ladder.

“We really think that we can move up into the top third or at least up one spot,” McClure said.

The Missionaries have good reason to think that they can move up. On Saturday April 9, Whitman beat Pacific 334-318 at the three-team Whitman Golf Invitational, with Whitworth taking the overall victory shooting a combined 304. Currently Pacific and Whitworth are third and fourth in the conference respectively.

According to sophomore Peter Clark, the team is motivated by this recent performance.

“We just beat Pacific and we are really pumped to make a move up,” Clark said. “We are looking to overtake Whitworth.”

Since the beginning of the season it has been the team’s goal to finish in the top third of the conference,

but Clark believes that they have not lived up to their full potential.

“We’ve probably done a little worse than we would have liked to, but just a little,” Clark said.

Whitman could improve its performance by playing more consistently over both days of the two day major tournaments. At both the Fall and Spring Classics, the teams shot much better during the second day of competition.

In the fall after starting with a four-golfer combined score of 340, the team came back to shoot a 323. This trend was even more pronounced at the Spring Classic, partly due to weather, when the team followed a first day 344 with a 318 on the second day.

The upcoming conference championship marks the end of lone senior Brian Barton’s collegiate golf career. During his four years, Barton has consistently been Whitman’s top golfer. Barton often shoots among the best golfers in the conference, highlighted by medalist honors at the NWC Northern Colleges Men’s Golf Tournament during the fall of his junior year.

Despite losing its top player at the end of the season, the team is optimistic about its future.

“Brian is our leader. He is our man. He is who we look to every tournament,” said Clark. “But, everybody is learning how to play tournament golf which we can use for next year.”

“I am very optimistic about our future although Brian has been the best player the past couple of years,” McClure said. “We have three golfers here for admitted students’ weekend. If we could get two of three that would be great.”

TENNIS CLAIMS FIFTH STRAIGHT NWC TITLE

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PHOTO BY BOWMAN

his past weekend on April 16-17 the Whitman men’s tennis team faced off against the top teams in the Northwest Conference Championships. As the top seed, Whitman hosted the match. On Saturday they cruised by fourthranked Pacific 5-0 to secure a spot in the finals. The next day Whitman faced Willamette in a battle for the conference crown.

Backed by a crowd of roaring fans,Whitman swept doubles and clinched a 5-0 win with singles victories from first-year Andrew La Cava and sophomore Jeff Tolman. As tournament champions, Whitman completed a perfect 12-0 NWC season and earned an automatic berth to nationals in May.

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Obama’s budget compromises must be reciprocated by congressional Republicans ALEX BROTT Columnist

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resident Obama has taken some heat of late for compromising on some Re-

the U.S. out of its current budget difficulties and maintain deficit-free budgets, but can justify a socially productive government open to compromise.

American government has lost a sense of fiscal conservatism, especially among supposed conservatives. Since the 1980s, Reagan’s and both Bushs’ presidencies have overseen massive increases in national debt, while Clinton alone managed a surplus while still supporting social programs and cutting taxes for the poorest Americans.

A large part of what kept these Republican presidents from balancing a budget is the misplaced logic of

publican demands regarding the current budget situation. This sort of compromise is acceptable, but only if Obama pushes for compromise in return from Republicans. If he is to continue making concessions, he needs to use them as a political tool to help advance his own agenda.

Within the budget debate, an important way Obama can push for change is by working to craft fiscally conservative budgets that still provide important government services. Re-discovering and embracing true fiscal conservatism can not only get

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‘trickle-down’ economics that tax cuts need not be accounted for in the federal budget. In the words of former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee Judd Gregg, “These tax cuts pay for themselves.” That is to say, a decrease in revenue need not be offset by a similar decrease in spending.

The supply side economic logic insists that tax cuts encourage spending, which has not been the reality. More often than not, the wealthy receiving breaks simply hold onto their money rather than reinvest in industries which would directly benefit working-class Americans. According to studies by Bush’s own treasury, increased revenue from his cuts repaid at most 10 percent of their cost to the federal budget, meaning they have certainly not paid for themselves.

It seems wrong to boil down the complexities of the U.S. budget to such a simple point

as tax cuts for the wealthy, but it is important to note that according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, the Bush tax cuts account for 49 percent of the deficits during his presidency.

Despite the persistence of facts and logic, Republicans in Congress refuse to allow these tax cuts to expire. This leads me to the theoretically simple solution of compromise. The U.S. political system could use more compromise, and I think the current budget discussions are a great place to start. Obama needs to take a more aggressive stance, when the time is right,

and use this ammo to push for significant budget overhaul.

Compromise has become something of a dirty word recently in reference to some of Obama’s concessions to Republican leaders in the budget discussions, yet is a crucial part of the democratic process. Republican do, after all, currently represent around 50 percent of the country, and our democracy should not arbitrarily nullify their interests.

At the same time, Republicans need to be open to compromise when facts and evidence are not on their side. It should not be unrealistic to hope that compromise now could beget compromise later. Ideological compromises could be, in a sense, stored up for larger, more important victories in the future, such as ensuring the Bush tax cuts are not renewed in 2012.

The current budget discussion provides an important space for Obama to make strategic compromises with Republicans.

Reduced spending and increased taxes need not be mutually exclusive routes to reduced budgets and fiscal conservatism, a goal both parties share. While I discuss the Bush tax cuts at length, they are just one example of a major concession worth trading for.

Here, there is an opportunity for a culture shift in Washington, D.C. where compromise is no longer stigmatized, but a normal part of the democratic process. It remains to be seen if the Republican leadership can accept the realities of their economic beliefs and reciprocate the compromises Obama has already made. The shared goal of reducing national debt should be achieved through compromises on both sides, which will improve the economy, and hopefully the political culture, of the United States.

Alex Brott is an environmental studies-politics major who is passionate about politics, economics and the environment. He enjoys anything outdoors and making music.

Freedom depends on efforts of US military BRYANT FONG Columnist

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ecently, I had a great opportunity to interview a local active duty Staff Sargent William Jones. He has been on nine tours around the world with the Navy, Army and National Guard and has probably seen a lot more than you. Through talking with him, I better understood his point of view on the U.S. military’s operations around the world. Fundamentally, I realized that the U.S. military exists to protect the freedom that us citizens use to criticize it.

According to SSG Jones, the military’s mission around the world is to “defend freedom of speech and expression, even if that means peo-

ple treat soldiers like shit ‘cause they have freedoms they don’t appreciate. Freedom in general is an inalienable right, it is constitutional right.”

At times people use these freedoms when groups protested against the current conflicts in the Middle East. They used mock coffins and demonstrations against the soldiers to make their point. Just check out Iraq protests on Wikipedia. If soldiers fight to protect their citizens why do citizens react in this way I asked?

Instead, the protestors should direct their anger at the politicians and not the soldiers.

Jones said that while soldiers risk their lives to “protect assholes and rights so that [the protesters] can do these things,” they themselves are “not allowed to take a political stand, they will follow orders, orders in preserving the freedoms of the world.”

Jones says that he described protesters that way because “so many people want the pilot dead for killing one civilian, but then 15 bad guys were killed.”

SSG Jones also believes

that the media “‘puts a negative spin’ on the war effort,” and does not even look at the schools, medical services or sick people that the soldiers help.

For example, one time on a patrol in Iraq, he and his fellow soldiers gave a five-year-old kid a foot split because there was no doctor around. It was refreshing to hear of soldiers helping civilians after all the negative press I read in the news. On another tour in Somalia, Jones witnessed other soldiers giving a single cracker to each child because humanitarian aid was not getting through and that was all the soldiers had to give.

“It wasn’t chocolate or pantyhose, just a cracker that gave those children the grateful look that made it worthwhile,” said Jones.

For Jones, he made many good friends serving multiple tours of duty because “there is nothing like it, and the longer you are deployed, the more friends you make ... some you keep for life, you rely on each other. It does not matter what race, breed, color one is.”

After an hour of conver-

sation, we ended on the topic of what are we willing to do to protect our freedom. Soldiers serve their country to protect our freedom around the world. They are willing to die for it. The question is what you are willing to do to protect your freedom?

So if and when you go on a protest against the war, think of how you can be hurting the soldiers, since as Jones said you “impress upon every soldier your opinion.”

I want to thank SSG William Jones for the interview, and all those who have served in the armed forces. I appreciate Alasdair Stewart of the Union-Bulletin and Roxanne Hinkle, local veterans advocate, for setting up the interview.

Bryant Fong is a chemistry major from Corvallis, Ore. He enjoys writing about politics and general current events presenting a perspective that is not represented on campus.

OPINIONS from the STUDENT BODY

BOARD EDITORIAL

Rays of opportunity in solar project

W

hitman prides itself on promoting environmental consciousness -- a goal which shapes classroom learning and campus life. The creation of the Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF) in 2009 demonstrated, for example, the college’s commitment to green projects while promoting environmental initiatives which save the college money.

Yet, past environmental initiatives at Whitman have carried the potential of financial savings, but many have risked an initial investment if the project did not turn out as planned. Every SRLF-funded project to date — microgreens, recycled letterhead notebooks, efficient water faucets — has required a capital investment by Whitman to get started.

In contrast, the community solar project from Fred Liebrand has the potential to make Whitman a large amount of money with no financial investment from the college. (For details on the project, see “The Solar Gold Mine” on page 1.) In spite of this fact, Whitman has yet to commit to participating in the project.

The state ofWashington has one of the most generous solar power incentive programs in the country.

Because of rising energy demand, the state has recognized that it makes fiscal sense to invest in smallscale, renewable power generation.

Utility companies save money by not building new power plants to meet growing demand. Washington workers who manufacture panels, inverters and engines for generation are able to make a good living. Carbon emissions from power production are reduced. And the person or group installing the panels can actually make money by taking advantage of federal rebates and state production incentives.

Liebrand’s project is an innovative way to capture these benefits for Walla Walla’s colleges. In addition to financial returns, a community solar project has significant educational benefits, allowing interested students to learn about panel installation and maintenance.

Plus, the presence of solar panels serves as a visual reminder of renewable energy development.

Understandably, the college has concerns about fundraising for the project, wanting instead to focus the development office’s energy on growing Whitman’s endowment. These concerns, however, should not prevent the administration from making a clear statement that they intend to work with Liebrand to help the project succeed.

Whitman students and alumni are an environmentally conscious group. Many who would not normally donate to a fundraising campaign if contacted by the development office would gladly put their money into a solar system. Active recruitment of investors is not a requirement to participate in the project at all—Whitman could help as it is able, without devoting staff time to calling alumni and asking for money. Student groups may also be willing to reach out to investors, as they did to raise money for the Bratton Tennis Center solar panel installation.

The simple fact is that right now, solar makes sense. Most of us know about the environmental benefits of solar, but Liebrand has shown that a community solar project can also provide a substantial return on investment. Whitman wants to be green: it wants to make money and save the planet. It’s a rare opportunity that so clearly allows us to do both.

What does diversity mean at Whitman?

by ETHAN PARISH

Rania Mussa

Philip Dickinson

Elliott Crane

Livingston

Martin

Annique Rice

First-year

First-year

First-year

First-year

First-year

DIVERSITY IS HAVING A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. BACKGROUNDS INCLUDING RELIGION, RACE, FINANCIAL STANDING, EVEN THINGS LIKE ATHLETICISM.

IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A DIFFERENCE IN RACE, IT CAN ALSO BE FISCAL BACKGROUND, ETHNICITY OF COURSE, REALLY JUST THE DIFFERING CULTURES THAT PEOPLE GREW UP IN.

DIVERSITY AT WHITMAN IS… HONESTLY IT’S JUST THE DIVERSITY OF PERSONALITIES ON CAMPUS.

WHITMAN’S DIVERSITY IS IN THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL BACKGROUNDS OF THE STUDENT BODY MORE SO THAN IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE ETHNICITIES OF THE STUDENT BODY.

DIVERSITY MEANS VASTLY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES. AT WHITMAN I ENCOUNTER DIVERSTIY IN CONVERSATION WITH FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES ABOUT WHERE THEY COME FROM AND WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN.

APR

8

es!

Giggl

21 2011

Backpage Celebrates 4/20

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LERCHIN

Classes Still Available The Backpage team couldn’t help but notice that a lot of people weren’t getting into the classes they wanted during pre-registration. Lucky for you, we’ve combed through the online Search for Classes feature to find some courses that still have room for the fall 2011 semester. This should help, in case your Stoner Studies individually-planned major doesn’t get approved.

Bio 208 - The Science of Sleep This class explores the importance of sleep to the human body, the circadian rhythm and the science of each of the sleep phases. Students will have the opportunity to use electroencephalographs (EEGs) to study the phases of sleep in laboratory mice.

Meets four times weekly at 7 a.m.

H & œ³ ª kl‘ l ^ 3 9 Mê 31 & Marijuana on the Human Body This seminar explores what happens on 4/21, after a hearty 4/20. This course discusses the gateway drug theory, examines the long-term damage of marijuana and culminates in a trip to oh-my-gosh there is a ginormous bowl of Ramen in front of me. Nom nom nom.

S 0 ´´¸ ÂŞ H 33 ^ 3 9&$ m$1 0 0 @ 3 "4$ \&1: 0 $ German is spoken by over 200 million people worldwide and is the original language of many influential texts. Learn more about this fascinating language -- you might become so fascinated that you decide to major in German Studies and help save our department. ]41 ´šœ ÂŞ @--" ]41 Â&#x2018; j &0 0 \ 11&$1 Party like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the 4th grade again. Take recorder lessons! ]41 ¾¾³ ÂŞ H41 $ 11 & 3 M$3 03 $# $3 U$ 4130< Patrice Williams, mastermind behind Ark Music Factory and the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fridayâ&#x20AC;?, recently told the L.A. Times that he attended Whitman College to study the business of the entertainment industry. This fabrication made us think maybe we should have a class on the business of the entertainment industry. In this class, you will learn how to get rich by exploiting average 7th-grade girls and using Auto-Tune to make them sound like pop superstars. However, since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Whitman, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to throw in stuff about how the music industry is like colonialism and how the price of hiring Ark Music Factory affects the socioeconomic and racial demographics of its clients. g " ´³¡ ÂŞ K 1 0 M$ &4$3 01 l ;31 This course surveys texts previously included in Encounters and the classic Core class. Texts in-

Diary of a Blazed Whittie

clude William Harveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animalsâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Epic of Gilgameshâ&#x20AC;?, and selected poems from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romantic English Poetryâ&#x20AC;? anthology. Includes a final project tying together at least four of the discarded texts into a single thesis. g1< œ¡¸ ÂŞ g1< &"& < & l&0340 Torture is a chief method of intimidation and punishment throughout the world, but can have many negative consequences, including posttraumatic stress disorder. This course examines methods of torture, how these methods work to harm victims and the legal status of torture worldwide. Includes a field trip to the Washington State Penitentiary.

Co-requisite: Psyc 345L.

"Kush rolled, glass full. I prefer the better things."

- Drake Happy holidaze! It's the most wonderful time of the year! Here at the Backpage, we decided to chronicle a day in the life of the average Whittie on 4/20. It seems not much happens, but quality over quantity, right? Holla!

g1< œ¡¸\ ª g1< &"& < & l&0340 \

In the lab portion of this class, students will implement basic torture techniques learned in class by practicing them on lab partners. Techniques include sensory deprivation, lengthy interrogations and waterboarding.

Meets Mon-Fri at 5 a.m.

11 a.m.

Skip bio and have a couple holiday treats.

kkj@ ¾¡º ÂŞ k ! s 3 s " k$&:boarding For those looking for an extra boost to their workout. Activity fee of only $19.95, but if you register in the next 15 minutes, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll cut the fee in half to $9.95 and throw in an extra Shake Weight to give a friend who you think sort of needs it.

12 p.m.

Lunch in Jewett. Thank god for unlimited desserts and Froot Loops.

1-2:20 p.m.

Art history, which was unusually interesting.

3 p.m.

Smoke and be merry.

COMIC

4:20 p.m.

Listen to "Dark Side of the Moon", watch "Wizard of Oz" without volume.

6 p.m.

Dinner of pizza and burrrrrr (beer).

8 p.m.

Get some friends; Rebelution, and pass it.

10 p.m.

Goodnight bowl, goodnight's sleep.

ILLUSTRATION BY SONG

Dear Slut-lovers, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not even going to try to excuse myself through a quasi-narrative puzzle-slut format. I just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to make a crossword this weekend. Being a slut takes a toll on time, yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;know, and time is just something I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have this weekend.

So hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a jumble. Crossword to come next week.

REPOSY

K M E S U T

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PUZZLE

Q: What is life without geometry?

JUMBLE TIME!

SPILN A

Apologies, Adam â&#x20AC;&#x153;Failure of a Slutâ&#x20AC;?

Brayton

REAMNT

P.S. I recognize I screwed up the last puzzle. The lack of clues for the down section was a vast oversight that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen again.

T A N L U F ILLUSTRATION BY BRAYTON

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