Whitman Pioneer - Spring 2011 Issue 12

Grad school for artists a complex reality

Warning: Construction zone

Professors weigh in on the MFA experience for students interested in pursuing careers in arts.

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Feature dons a hard hat and enters the work site where independently planned majors are forged.

WHITMAN NEWS, DELIVERED

VOLUME CXXVIII

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Walla Walla, WA whitmanpioneer.com

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ISSUE 12

Employee educational benefits to face potential cuts

by MOLLY SMITH AND DEREK THURBER Editors-in-Chief

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ressed in T-shirts made specially for the occasion, Whitman faculty and staff gathered in Olin 130 last Tuesday, April 19 to present their concerns over the proposed termination of the college’s tuition exchange program to President George Bridges.

The tuition exchange program is one of three educational benefits available to children of Whitman faculty and staff. Whitman participates in an exchange with Lewis and Clark College, Reed College, Willamette University and the University of Puget Sound, in which children of em-

ployees of these five schools are eligible to attend any one of these five institutions at no tuition cost.

Based on a report from the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of the member schools and the combined recommendation of the schools’ presidents, President Bridges announced in November 2010 that the tuition exchange program was no longer working and that it would be gradually phased out. Under the current proposal, children who will be high school freshmen in the fall of 2012 would be the last students eligible for the benefit.

“We are trying to balance a lot of competing interests. As important as it is to give as much as we can to our em-

ployees, we also have to recognize that it’s our students and families paying for it and trying to find that balance is difficult,” said Peter Harvey, treasurer and chief financial officer, in regards to the proposed benefits cuts.

“This is a collective decision, not a decision by the President or CFO of Whitman College,” Bridges added.

According to Harvey, five children of Whitman employees are currently participating in the program, while 16 children from the other member schools are enrolled at Whitman at an estimated annual cost of 615,000 dollars to Whitman.

However, according to an anonymous faculty member, the

estimated 615,000 dollars is not coming out of Whitman’s budget, but is instead an assumed loss of income based off the assumption that the 16 students on tuition exchange would otherwise be paying full Whitman tuition.

“A child who comes to Whitman from Reed or Lewis and Clark has to be accounted for somehow,” said Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and member of the Staff Fringe Benefits Committee Jason Arp in regards to this figure. “That is how the CFOs see it: as lost income.”

Regardless, Harvey emphasized that problems arise from the fact that there are limits on how many children may participate from each school.

growing up in a small, conservative town poses challenges for LGBT youth

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any LGBT teens struggle to find confidence and self-esteem; LGBT youth in Walla Walla face additional judgment and scrutiny from their community, where openness and support is not always forthcoming.

Members of the Walla Walla Community College Gay-Straight Alliance can offer perspective on queer adulthood in Walla Walla, where intolerance most commonly takes the form of silent discomfort regarding sexual minorities, rather than outspoken hatred or violent acts.

“I don’t think it’s such a big kept secret, it’s just something that people don’t want to talk about,” said one member, who wishes to remain anonymous because she is not out publicly. “It always backfired against me, I didn’t get the job, didn’t get the promotion ... It’s not that people care so much that you’re gay, it’s that they see you as a troublemaker for wanting to say so.”

This woman has found that homosexuality is something that is kept under the surface in Walla Walla -- while hatred is not openly expressed, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality makes her feel that her sexual orientation is unacceptable here. For this reason, she is only out

amongst the friends that she can trust.

“I am a member of this most despised minority ... People still equate you with child molesters, people who do bestiality,” she said, blaming these assumptions on people who are, “using ignorance and fear to further their political agendas.”

Lisa Thursby, another GSA member, is an ally to LGBT students at WWCC. “I had a friend who was talking about beating up [a WWCC student who is gay]. He said, ‘If he looks at me I’ll beat him up.’ Dudes hit on chicks all the time -- you don’t see us talk-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FENNELL

GAY YOUTH,

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State Work Study cuts could affect Whitties

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s Washington State legislators gathered this week in a special joint session of the House and Senate to finalize the 2011-2013 state budget, the 203 Whitman students who currently receive Washington State Work Study (SWS) are watching in anticipation of looming cuts.

“Work Study really helped put my own mind at ease,” said sophomore Sergio Garcia who is the president of the First Genera-

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Sports Editor

Feature Editor

Editor-in-Chief

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by NICK WOOD

by TRICIA VANDERBILT

by DEREK THURBER

BENEFITS,

International Athletes adapt to differences

gay in

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“There is a balancing mechanism [to the program],” Harvey said. “If somebody sends too many [children] to another school, they have to stop [participating] until it comes back into balance.” “[The program] is working very poorly for Whitman in part because more people want to come here than go to the other schools,” said Bridges.

Children of Lewis and Clark College employees, for example, are currently unable to participate in the exchange with several of the member schools, including Whitman, because Lewis and Clark has historically sent out more students on the program than it receives.

tion/Working Class Club and receives federal work study. “To cut even this one part of the state’s budget means denying countless numbers of students from economically challenged backgrounds the opportunity to earn those last few hundred dollars that make a college education financially feasible.”

As it currently stands, the House proposal, which was first announced on April 5, would cut 4.4 billion dollars from the state budget. Specifically, these cuts would include decreasing the availability of State Need

Grants money for private college students and the elimination of the State Work Study program entirely.

Although the proposed Senate budget, which was passed on April 12, cuts 4.8 billion dollars and also includes a decrease in State Need Grants for private colleges, it keeps SWS in place, but funded at a lower level.

The Senate’s budget would provide 23 million dollars for SWS, a decrease of 22 million dollars from anticipated levels. This would result in the loss of 3,100 SWS awards for graduates and undergraduates at schools across the state of Washington.

The exact effects of these cuts

on Whitman students are still unclear, but according to Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Tony Cabasco, this year Whitman received 158,000 dollars in SWS monies which has funded SWS jobs for 203 Whitman students.

“Not having a campus job would put me in a very difficult position,” Garcia said. “While employment is necessary, working off campus while also attending school is much different.”

Another student who currently benefits from SWS, and who wished to remain anonymous,

Advice columnist Dan Savage takes Whitties’ questions PAGE

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BUDGET CUTS,

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n top of the regular stresses of balancing academics and athletics, international student athletes face the additional burdens of both adapting to life abroad and competing in a new environment.

JP Alvarez, a junior basketball player, came to Whitman with the specific intention of participating in athletics. Alvarez could not find a solid basketball community in his hometown of Quito, and eventually he left Ecuador.

“Basketball is so much more popular here,” said Alvarez, who was named Player of the Year twice after leading his Ecuadorian team to state tournament victories as a first-year and sophomore. “That’s why I came to the United States. I wanted to get better. I wanted to play at the highest level I could.”

After two years playing high school and club basketball in Lewiston, Idaho and San Rafael, Calif., Alvarez was recruited by Coach Bridgeland to play at Whitman. The college’s generous financial aid for international students helped secure his enrollment.

First-year men’s tennis player Atanas Atanasov from Haskovo, Bulgaria also chose Whitman because it allowed him to continue participating in his sport.

Atanasov began playing tennis when he was eight. Since he did not attend one of Bulgaria’s sport high schools, he was forced to choose between academics and extracurricular athletics. He stopped competing his first year of high school. When looking at colleges, Atanasov knew he wanted to go to an institution where he could both learn and play tennis.

He found that opportunity abroad.

“Whitman is the perfect balance between school and sports,” Atanasov said.

But Atanasov had to adjust to the new facilities here in the states.

“I’ve been playing my entire life on clay courts. Coming here and playing on hard courts has been really difficult. The rallies are much faster.”

First-year golfer Erika Zinser recalled similar troubles.

“I’m not used to playing in a sweater,” she said.

Zinser, who lives in Puerta Vallarta and once played on the Mexican national team, was surprised to encounter different rules and the cold Walla Walla winter climate when she

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‘It Gets Better Project’ draws criticism and praise PAGE

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INTERNATIONAL,

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APR

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28 2011

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS

TKE placed on two-­year probation

by RACHEL ALEXANDER News Editor

1972

by MOLLY SMITH

Year when Title IX was pass, prohibiting sex discrimination in educationl unstitutions receiving federal funding.

Editor-in-Chief

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au Kappa Epsilon (TKE) was placed on a twoyear probation period in March after senior Dan Hart approached Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland with allegations of hazing that occurred during the 2010 TKE initiation.

Although Cleveland could not comment on the specifics of the probation, he stated that the TKE Chapter Advisor will be closely involved during next spring's initiation events. According to Cleveland, the advisor is a Walla Walla resident who was formerly employed by TKE Nationals.

"It's been a long time since we've had a Greek organization on formal probation. We felt that this was necessary because of the report that we had several years ago, so we wanted a little stronger oversight," said Cleveland, referring to similar allegations of hazing that a former TKE pledge brought to Associate Dean of Students and Greek Advisor Barbara Maxwell in 2007.

"If you look among the scale of continuum of things that have occurred nationally, while [the TKE's actions] were unacceptable and they constituted hazing, there was no drugs or alcohol involved. Some of these are things that the guys just simply viewed as traditions and rituals, and what may have been acceptable 20 years ago is not acceptable now," said Cleveland.

According to Hart, the probation period was originally proposed to be four years, but was then decreased to two years.

"I don't understand the politics behind that [decision], and I tried to get an answer about it but was not given a direct answer. Not only am I disappointed in the two-year probation, I'm also disappointed that it went from four years to two years.

I don't think it's a good thing; two years is not enough time to change tradition," said Hart.

Cleveland declined to comment on Hart's contention that the probationary period was shortened, stating that the TKEs "need to correct those things that caused the problems, and that's what we're asking them to do. They need to demonstrate to the college that they have made the correction."

Cleveland noted that the probationary period can be extended beyond the two years at administrative discretion. Nevertheless he is optimistic that TKE can resolve this issue in the two-year probationary period.

"I have every confidence that the problems can be corrected. [The TKEs] were forthcoming ... and they were very cooperative," he said.

Hart, however, remains doubtful.

"I think it may curb [hazing] but I don’t know if the hazing aspect of initiation will end. I don’t think the two-year probation is strong enough and I don’t think there’s enough true discussion about it on campus," he said.

"We need the facts about this and we need to stop making this secret. When a TKE active told me, ‘You just don’t know what happened,’ then why don’t you tell me? Only then can we have an honest discussion about this."

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Number of NCAA Division I schools who double or triple-count female athletes to comply with Title IX

64,712

Number of female athletes in all four-year NCAA Division III colleges in the US as of 2009.

93,979

Number of male athletes in all four-year NCAA Division III colleges in the US as of 2009 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FENNELL

from GAY YOUTH,

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says, but some members of the student body were less accepting.

“A lot of really awful things happened. People broke into my room as an RA, trashed my room ... they broke the glass on the paintings, wrote ‘die fag’ ... my roommate and I on one occasion found a dead duck on our doorstep that said ‘you’re next,’ [and another time] a chipmunk head with anti-gay slurs attached to it.”

In response, Jentzsch became an outspoken proponent of gay rights, safe sex and the open expression of sexuality. He railed against the environment of repression at Whitman in several letters to The Pioneer during the 1992-93 academic year.

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ing about beating them up,” said Thursby, who told her friend not to beat up the student.

Beth Powers, a counselor at WWCC and staff contact for the GSA, talked about the difficulties of home life for LGBT students.

“We have a member who wanted me to take him off the e-mail list -- he couldn’t risk his family finding out,” Powers said.

“They suspected he was gay, they had asked him and he denied it.

His father asked him, ‘Are you gay? Because if you are I might as well kick the shit out of you right now.’ It would not be acceptable to that man’s extended family in this community for his son to be gay.”

Powers noted that circumstances vary; she added that some students’ families are accepting.

“At the same time, I know parents who are very supportive of their children and have the courage to face any discrimination that might come their way as a result,” she said.

Powers agreed that the presence of LGBT individuals goes unacknowledged in Walla Walla.

“People don’t know that they know gay people,” she said.

His father asked him ‘Are you gay?

Because if you are I might as well kick the shit out of you right now.’

BETH POWERS, WWCC COUNSELOR

“To enforce the community standards, you must censor my language, the clothes I wear, the people I make love with, [not fuck, the pejorative that simplifies all intimacies between two men] and the manner in which I have sex. Since all that is offensive, you must control me, subject me to your standards and, offend me” (Letter to The Pioneer, 4 Feb 1993).

Jentzsch’s letters challenged the atmosphere of homophobia at the college that caused gay and lesbian students to remain closeted. Jentzsch says that because he was so desperate to start a conversation, he deliberately used language that would offend and incite his classmates. He succeeded; four weeks of response letters were printed in The Pioneer.

Looking back on his letters now, Jentzsch remembers the emotions that prompted them.

“Oh god you found my article,” he said, laughing.

“How embarrassing. I was so young ... I was so angry.”

Change started to occur.

A GSA started at Whitman in the ‘91-’92 school year. Students and faculty began LesGayBi week, an annual event.

Whitman is unquestionably a

Walla Walla EnvironmentParallels Whitman of Past Derek Jentzsch ‘93 remembers a time when this silent treatment regarding homosexuality extended to the Whitman campus. Jentzsch knows the challenges of being gay in a small-town, conservative community; he lived them. Whitman was a very different place when Jentzsch attended the college in the early 90s.

“There was a real feeling that being gay was a death sentence in and of itself, not really tied to HIV. That was the message from the dominant culture in a lot of ways. There was a feeling, internalized, that coming out could be bad for your life,” said Jentzsch about the stigma surrounding homosexuality.

Jentzsch said he was the only openly gay man during several of his years on campus.

“I’d had a boyfriend in high school, but one of the reasons I came to Whitman was I thought it would keep me straight,” Jentzsch said.

This didn’t last long. Whitman’s administration and staff supported him when he came out in his sophomore year, Jentzsch

better place now, and Walla Walla is less violent too, Jentzsch says.

“People won’t take that next step, partly because they realize it’s not worth it, and partly because the people who are rabidly full of hatred, they’re a lot older.

I think Walla Walla is better off than it was before,” said Jentzsch.

Jentzsch’s experiences at Whitman have shaped his career.

He has campaigned for gay rights and worked in AIDS prevention.

Jentzsch currently works in international development and recently taught a course at Whitman as an Ashton J. & Virginia Graham O’Donnell Visiting Educator in Global Studies. His story exemplifies the It Gets Better campaign started by Dan Savage, but those at Triple Point will be the first to tell you that Walla Walla still has a long way to go.

Youth Struggle With Walla Walla Culture Triple Point is a group that provides a safe and accepting community for local LGBT youth and allies. It was started

by Heather Rodriguez in 2007.

Walla Walla’s queer youth face additional challenges on top of the difficulties of being a teenager, Rodriguez said.

“They have one life at school, and go to Vista [Youth Center in Tri-Cities] to be ‘real.’”

Triple Point’s youth have reported experiencing both verbal and physical bullying at school, according to Rodriguez. Family acceptance is also an issue.

“We occasionally talk to a youth with a good experience, but it isn’t the norm,” Rodriguez said.

Sometimes families kick youth out of the house because of their sexuality or gender identity.

“I only know of two or three cases,” said Rodriguez. They weren’t youth that regularly attended meetings at Triple Point, but they contacted the organization looking for help.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many places for these youth to go.

“We had a 20-year-old homeless male ... here, out, nowhere to go,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez remarked that while she could give the youth names of organizations in Walla Walla where he might find assistance, she wasn’t certain that they were safe spaces. She said that religious connotations in the names of Walla Walla’s support facilities can alienate the youth.

WHITMAN NEWS, DELIVERED

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

WRITING

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

Sports Editors Libby Arnosti & Nick Wood Opinion Editor Gary Wang Backpage Editor Diana Dulek Photography Editor Jack Lazar Illustration Editor Olivia Johnson Web Editor Ellie Gold

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Triple Point outreach efforts limited by lack of access to local schools

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

Percentage of total sports recruitment money spent on female athletics source: New York Times, Whitman Factbook, US Department of Education

“The religious attachment to the name can be a problem,” she said. “A lot of them don’t have a lot of appreciation of the religious culture, and this is a pretty religious town.”

Although Triple Point is located at the Children’s Home Society, near both of Walla Walla’s high schools, interaction with the schools is limited.

At Walla Walla High School, Triple Point is allowed to put up fliers -- nothing else. At Lincoln Alternative High School they are allowed to go in, and in the past have shown the documentary film “Straight-Laced.”

“Lincoln is a lot more open,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve heard that from a lot of youth.”

Neither Wa-Hi nor Lincoln have a Gay-Straight Alliance or similar organization. Though there is interest in starting one, the bureaucratic process makes it difficult.

“They are given the runaround,” Rodriguez said. “The process takes a long time; often it’s May by the time they finish. This happened the last three years.”

After high school, many of Triple Point’s youth choose to leave Walla Walla for a more LGBT-friendly place, according to Rodriguez. For those who do not, the hope for an accepting community remains distant.

“There’s still a lot of fear in this town,” Rodriguez said.

CORRECTIONS TO ISSUE 11 In “What democracy looks like: two versions of political protest in Walla Walla,” the organization of one of the rallies was incorrectly attributed to U.S. Uncut activists working in conjunction with MoveOn.org. The Walla Walla rally was organized by MoveOn.org members only; U.S. Uncut held similar protests across the country on the same day.

EDITORIAL POLICY 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.

SUBMISSION POLICY

CODE OF ETHICS

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Adam Brayton, Cari Cortez

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Percentage of varsity student body that is female

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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.

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Advertising Associates Phuong Pham, Brian Vieth, Hailun Zhou

OPINION

Percentage of varsity athletes who are femal at Whitman

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

APR

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28 2011

Savage speaks about It Gets Better

by RACHEL ALEXANDER News Editor

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ueer kids growing up in the United States right now are living through “the best of times and the worst of times” according to visiting speaker Dan Savage. Although same-sex couples are gaining rights and awareness across the nation, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) individuals still face discrimination and lack the same rights as their straight counterparts.

Savage is an advocate for LGBT rights, as well as a nationally-syndicated sex advice columnist. In his question-andanswer session on Wednesday, April 27, Savage addressed the pervasiveness of suicide among LGBT youth, much of which is caused by bullying experiences in school and at home.

“You can bully a child out of being, not being gay,” he said, in reference to the large number of conservative Christian families who try to “reform” their gay children rather than accept them for who they are.

After a series of gay and gender nonconforming teenagers killed themselves this past fall, Savage was inspired to start the It Gets Better Project. The goal of the project is to reach out to LGBT youth who are being bullied and show them that they can lead happy, fulfilling lives as gay adults. Savage and his husband uploaded the first It Gets Better video to YouTube in September 2010, and the project now has over 10,000 video contributions from LGBT adults, youth and their allies across the country.

Savage sees It Gets Better as a way of reaching youth who would otherwise be prohibited by parents from speaking to gay adults.

“We’re going to talk to your kids whether you like it or not,” he said.

In spite of the popularity of the project, it has received some criticism. Some LGBT advocates feel that “it gets better” is too passive of a message to give youth who are suffering.

“Things maybe will get better, but you deserve to have things better now,” said senior Liam Mina, president of Whitman’s Coalition Against Homophobia.

Savage agreed that policy changes are important in the long run, but said that expecting young people to change their own circumstances is often unrealistic.

“It’s really unhelpful to a lot of queer kids to ignore the particular circumstance they’re in and badger them, bully them, blame them by saying, ‘You haven’t done enough to change your circumstance,’” he said.

For kids in a situation where they don’t have agency to make changes, Savage said that a simple message of hope — life will get better — is important.

A group of four Whitman students, along with Assistant Professor of Politics Susanne Beechey, are presenting a critical analysis of the It Gets Better Project. The group watched videos submitted during the first month of the project and analyzed the demographics of contributors, as well as the messages being offered. Their presentation will take place on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m. in Olin 157.

Beechey pointed out the LGBT suicide is not a new phenomenon, even if the attention surrounding it is.

“It’s worth noting that [queer suicide] became visible when you had a series of white gay teens committing suicide,” she said.

“This is a problem that we’ve

known about it for a long time.”

One of the findings of the group was that a large number of contributors were white gay men. Junior Mehera Nori, who participated in the analysis, said that this demographic reflects the larger queer movement.

“People who have privilege and power tend to be white, gay men,” she said.

Another issue brought up by the group was the relevancy of some video contributions to queer youth. Many It Gets Better videos have been submitted by celebrities and politicians whose experiences may not be representative. Beechey and Savage both agreed that political figures need to be pushed to make policy changes on LGBT issues. “[President Obama] has the power to make it better, to not just offer hope but offer change,” said Savage. He nevertheless acknowledged that President Obama’s It Gets Better video had a very powerful message.

“The President of the United States looked into a camera, looked into the eyes of gay kids and said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with you.’ I thought his video was very heartfelt and real,” he said.

Savage said he has been inspired by the number of LGBT youth who have contacted him to say that the videos gave them hope. Ultimately, he believes that the diversity of contributions to the project shows the strength behind a seemingly simple message.

“There are videos by wealthy people and famous people and poor people and people you’ve never heard of,” he said. “All of them are saying the same thing: it gets better.”

legislature looking for alternatives from BUDGET CUTS,

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echoed concerns over the possibility of job loss resulting from these cuts.

“If it wasn’t for work study, I believe students would have a tougher time finding jobs,” the student said. “[SWS] makes job access easy for a full-time student.”

First-year Angela Loftus does not think the SWS that she receives makes a big impact on her ability to pay for college.

“I think that cuts to work study might be reasonable since it is usually such a small part of covering tuition (especially for a school like Whitman) and outside jobs are usually available,” Loftus said. “For example, I only work six hours a week, and if I were trying to make that go towards tuition I would hardly make a dent in what I owe.”

One way the Senate has proposed to help offset the decrease in SWS funding is by increasing employer match rates, which would result in an increase in funding for the program from the private sector.

According to the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, however, inc r e a s ing employer

match rates might not be as beneficial as it might first seem since it could decrease employer participation in the program. Decreased participation could translate to decreased availability of jobs and decreased chance for students to participate in SWS. Garcia believes this could have a significant impact on Whitman students receiving SWS. “All in all, the money made from work study makes all the difference in my ability to attend college,” Garcia said.

The anonymous student voiced similar concerns.

“I’m here on financial aid that consists of Whitman scholarships, grants and other scholarships, and I’m sure many students across the state are in the same boat. If the budget is cut, an abundance of students will sink and struggle to swim,” the student said. “When it comes to families that are barely making a living and especially during this hard time those 2,000 dollars [from SWS] can be used to support a whole family instead of the education of one person.”

The final combined House and Senate budget is anticipated to be released some time next week.

Faculty raise concerns of equity in reponse to potential cuts from BENEFITS,

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“Right now, every school except for Whitman has at least one and often two ... schools they can’t send to, making it a frustrating program for the employees because they don’t know if they can count on the benefit or not,” Harvey said.

Harvey and Bridges emphasized that the other educational benefits like tuition remission — a cashgrant program in which Whitman will support up to half of Whitman’s tuition towards a child’s tuition costs at any other accredited college or university — are more reliable.

“It may not pay 100 percent [of tuition] at every school, but you know that you can get up to 50 percent [of the cost of Whitman’s tuition] at whatever school you are going to,” Harvey said.

Currently, 53 children of Whitman employees benefit from the cash-grant program, making it the most used of the three tuition benefits currently available to staff and faculty.

In addition to tuition exchange

and tuition remission, Whitman also provides tuition abatement to the faculty and staff. Tuition abatement allows children of Whitman faculty and staff members to attend Whitman tuition-free.

Some staff and faculty, however, see problems with tuition remission and abatement as alternatives to the tuition exchange.

“The [tuition] exchange and abatement program allows a custodian who is making a little over 10.75 an hour (which works out to a little over 22,000 dollars a year before taxes) [to give] their children the same access to a prestigious liberal arts education, whether it be Reed, Lewis and Clark or Whitman,” said Arp. “Without this, one more option is gone and possibly the second option is gone as well because when your budget doesn’t allow for much savings, tuition remission doesn’t do a whole lot of good.”

“It is true that there is always the option to come to school at Whitman and just pay room and board, but I think you can put yourself in

the shoes of our kids who grew up living in our community and in and around our campus a lot,” Assistant Professor of Geology Kirsten Nicolaysen added in regards to the tuition abatement program.

Senior Emily Jackson, a dependent of a faculty member at the University of Puget Sound who currently attends Whitman through the tuition exchange program, felt similar pressures when deciding to come to Whitman. Although she could have attended UPS tuition free like children of Whitman faculty attending Whitman, she chose to take part in the tuition exchange program to get away from where she grew up.

“For me personally, tuition exchange allowed me to attend a school similar to UPS without having to go to school so close to home,” Jackson said.

According to Arp, elimination of the tuition exchange program could also create more pressure on the abatement program, limiting the number of spots available for children of Whitman faculty and

EXPLORING the PERSONAL CONNECTION Stories about participation in the Tuition Exchange Program Emily Jackson

Bob Withycombe

Kirsten Nicolaysen

DEPENDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND PROFESSOR

PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC AND FILM STUDIES

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY

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y parents really pushed Whitman because it was actually my cheapest option with the tuition exchange, especially for such a great school.

I hadn't even considered Whitman until my parents told me that they wanted me to check it out, but I loved it right away, so it's likely that I would have chosen Whitman as my top choice, even without the tuition exchange.

I probably wouldn’t have been able to attend Whitman without the exchange program, or some other sort of financial aid. I received pretty good financial aid offers from several other schools that I would have seriously considered if the exchange program hadn’t existed. Fortunately for me, Whitman ended up being both my top choice and the most financially viable option.

I

have two children. My oldest child went to Willamette on the tuition exchange program—essentially we paid for room and board—and he got a fine education for essentially [what he] probably would have eaten if he’d stayed at home.

My daughter decided to go to a school in Maine. Her first year, she had a very nice scholarship but once they discovered she was the child of a faculty member with a tuition remission program, our program went away dollar for dollar. Our scholarship disappeared to the exact extent that Whitman’s tuition remission program covered. The result was that Whitman became [their] scholarship program. It cost me absolutely the same dollars out of pocket if we had no program.

The cash program, at least in my case, proved not to be a benefit at all.

I

was tenure track at a large, state university and, to come here, decided to take a pay cut of 10 percent. At the time, my partner did not have any guarantee [of employment] at Whitman or anywhere else so this really was a very major financial decision for us. In part, what made us feel good about that decision was knowing that we had things like the college tuition exchange program. To see that go away after investing five years here is pretty tough to swallow.

For the past four or five years, our financial understanding and planning has been based on the grounds that, yes we are going to have to pay room and board and there may be additional costs depending on where our child decides to go to school, but we have planned very much with [the tuition exchange] program in mind.

staff to attend Whitman tuition-free.

“A student that comes to Whitman who is the child of a staff or faculty member at Whitman has to be accounted for [as lost income], so if we lose the ability to send our children elsewhere and thus take in the children of Whitman faculty who might otherwise attend other institutions, then there is going to be more pressure on that tuition abatement program,” Arp said. “If Whitman says there are five spots for our children to come here and there are six that would like to come ... one of them is going to get left out.”

“You can imagine what it would do to the good will of our community if there are only five spots at Whitman and six families applied to those spots. We do not want to be in that position,” Nicolaysen added.

Yet, according to Harvey, since personnel expenses represent 60 percent of Whitman’s operating budget, the school can only squeeze the budget so much without affecting staff and faculty salaries or benefits.

“The reality is that we cut two million dollars elsewhere trying not to impact [the staff and faculty] with the first wave of [cuts] and we all saw some of the controversy from that with the ski team and the other cuts we made,” Harvey said. “We are trying to find ways that hit some of the other parts [of the budget] with the least impact.”

Bob Withycombe, professor of rhetoric and film studies, does not think this is a discussion that should be driven by finances.

“This is a moral argument. This is not a bottom-line argument. The college has an obligation to maintain a commitment with the children of our community to provide them with an education which is at least as good as the education we are giving to [Whitman students].

If we can’t do that, then somehow we are failing,” said Withycombe.

“Whitman runs on two things: money and good will. Sometimes you have to spend money to build the good will and that good will is what keeps a faculty member or staff member staying later [than normal business hours], inviting extra students into their homes, working with them on independent research projects, teaching overloads, things like this,” Arp added.

Nicolaysen agreed.

“I think Whitman has always been a very fine college and regionally recognized for excellence, but now we have a prestigious role on a more national scene and that has come about in great part through the dedication of all its employees, especially recruitment of new faculty. Faculty have created signature programs like [Semester] in the West. Faculty have placed more and more emphasis on doing student and faculty research. We have written successful grant proposals to bring in both instructional and research equipment to benefit the students. A lot of that is over and

above our normal mission of providing a fine education to students and to maintaining our own scholarship,” she said. “These benefits are very important to us as a way of saying, ‘Hey, we are all working together to create this,’ and Whitman is taking care of our families well.”

Harvey contends with this argument, however, saying that with the other two educational benefits unaffected, Whitman remains competitive and supportive of its faculty and staff.

“This doesn’t mean that we value our employees less,” he said. “We still know how important they are.

This institution doesn’t function without great faculty and great staff.

Having to make cuts in that area doesn’t mean we don’t value them.”

“The faculty and staff and students are the heart and soul of this institution,” Bridges added. “We care about them deeply.

We just are in a jam in terms of finances of the college and adapting to the economic downturn.”

According to Jim Russo, professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology and chair of the Faculty Fringe Benefits Committee, the committee has requested that Bridges postpone a decision regarding the elimination of the exchange program until other options for restructuring or reformatting the program can be sufficiently explored.

“We recognize that there are challenges in the nature of the program that are not making it work well for all of the schools in the exchange, but we’re hoping that instead of an elimination of the program there would be a way to restructure the program to maintain the opportunity for children of Whitman employees,” Russo said.

“You will find that there are three groups on campus: those of us who have children who have graduated, those who don’t have children, and those who do. Across that entire spectrum there is enormous support for some kind of thoughtful, systematic discussion and resolution of this that benefits everybody. It may hurt the bottom line, but it benefits everybody,” said Withycombe.

Bridges says he is open to participating in an alternative exchange program or trying to fix the current exchange program if it can become beneficial to Whitman.

“There is no lack of desire on our part,” he said. “We are trying to think of ways in which we can modify our program. If we can’t find a way to continue some version of the existing program on our own dollar, then we’ll have to work with staff and faculty [on other options].”

Despite uncertainty, Withycombe remains hopeful for a good resolution.

“I don’t think the institutional system is broken. I have great confidence that this place is full of bright people who can figure this out,” he said.

According to Bridges, a final decision is expected to be made in June.

APR

4

28 2011

Students in arts face contemporary MFA debate

by KATE ROBINETTE Staff Reporter

M

any Whitman College students live with the expectation that they will do whatever they can to earn the ‘terminal degree’ in their field. Whitman seniors pursuing careers in the arts, however, must face the more complex realities within their fields in deciding whether and when to go on to graduate school.

Whitman professors are expected to teach as well as practice in their own fields at exceptional levels. Most also carefully evaluate the state of their art. Students pursuing theater, music, visual arts, creative writing or dance might not be surprised to learn from professors that they may end up having to choose between honing their artistic skills and being successful as a professional artist. Graduate study, however, does not line up squarely on one side or the other of this coin.

For music, graduate study can help in both respects. Its value for Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Danielle Warner lies mostly in increasing the artistry and knowledge of musicians, especially ones for whom music is a passion.

“To have the opportunity to study your passion at a graduate level can only enhance your depth of knowledge in a given subject and increase your awareness of the world and your place in it,” she said. “I hope everyone gets to continue learning after attending undergraduate classes.”

There are additional perks to graduate study for many artists.

While some students enroll to im-

ILLUSTRATION BY LOOS-DIALLO

prove their craft, some do so in search of a fertile artistic community and environment. Others go to network and further their careers, and some even go, oddly, to save time in their artistic productivity.

The first thing Scott Elliot, associate professor of creative writing and English, asks students who tell him they are considering graduate school is whether they are sure they really want to write — if it feels like “a calling.”

“A gift [going to graduate school] can give you is it can save you time. [You may be able to ac-

complish there] what might take you 10 years otherwise,” he said.

Another medium in which graduate school is viewed positively is the visual arts, where a Master of Fine Arts is the norm. Justin Lincoln, assistant professor of new genres and digital art, points out that a field which seeks the non-normalized and non-standardized also has a standardized qualification is a complication that causes many exceptions.

“One of the things that colleges do, in my opinion, is help set up a theoretical framework for what people do. They problematize

things. One of the biggest bones of contention in art schools is how to strike the balance between theory and practice,” said Lincoln.

That contention speaks to the other side of the grad school debate: the notion that being an artist is not synonymous with having an MFA. “Having an MFA is not a sure ticket to the art world, nor is not having the MFA going to preclude that. It’s just one type of portal,” said Lincoln.

Succeeding in the performing arts highlights even more forcefully the break between theory and practice. Real-world experience factors into performing arts in a way that makes foregoing graduate school, or taking time off before going, an option worth considering.

“I think students come to college and they work in these programs and they have an idea of what [their field] is, but in the real world it’s a very different thing,” said Associate Professor of Theater Christopher Petit. “When you go audition for a part, for example, nobody cares what graduate school you went to. They care about whether you can do it, and if they think you can do it then they’ll give you the part.”

Adjunct Instructor of Dance Vicki Lloid holds a similar opinion.

“In my day, dancers almost didn’t even go for [bachelor’s degrees]; the idea was [that dancing professionally] was where the ‘learning’ and ‘experience’ and so forth existed,” she said. “The ‘academization’ of dance is fairly recent, and I still wonder if it’s the right choice for those wanting a professional performance career.”

The debate comes down to getting the most out of which-

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: 85th Annual Choral Contest Come vote for your favorite Greek or indie choral group and support a good cause at the 2011 Choral Contest. Traditional awards go to Best Male Group, Best Female Group and Best Interlude Performance as well as the People’s Choice Award selected by the audience. Ballots for this award can be purchased at the event for a one-dollar donation per ballot. Friday, April 29, 7:30-10 p.m. Cordiner.

Writing House Spelling Bee Come show off your knowledge of vocabulary at the annual Writing House Spelling Bee. Sign up to participate at Reid from noon-1 p.m. or through the event’s Facebook page. Saturday, April 30, 7 p.m. 121 Otis St. Orange Fight at Walla Faces Whitman’s premiere faculty rock band Orange fight will perform at Walla Faces. The band consists of three professors, a Whitman ‘89 alum, and Director of Institutional Research Neal Christopherson. Saturday, April 30, 6-8 p.m. 218 E. Main.

ever mode of experience students decide to engage in.

“You can do almost anything across the spectrum as long as you’re paying close attention to what you’re doing, making yourself a person on whom nothing is lost,” said Elliot. “And as long as you have a place to put [that experience].”

PHOTO BY VON HAFFTEN

Savage Q&A addresses complexities of college dating Savage Love advice columnist Dan Savage spoke to a packed auditorium on Wednesday, April 27. Savage answered questions about a variety of sex and relationship issues, from dating as a trans person to the legality of marrying a horse. WEB Lectures Director junior Char-

lie Weems said that he decided to bring Savage to campus to provide an opportunity for a frank dialogue .

“Whitman’s a pretty sexually repressed place. Having a question and answer session that tackles sex and sexuality will be really healthy for the campus,” Weems said.

Savage addressed common problems Whitman students face, such as the expectation that dating automatically leads to a serious relationship.

“Dating is an audition, and you are not required to cast everyone you date,” he said.

WEB to bring Dirty Mittens, The New Pornographers for final concert

by KATE ROBINETTE

Staff Reporter

Upcoming KWCW general manager Daria Reaven ‘12 looks forward to further collaborating with blue moon and going to conferences next year. PHOTO BY AXTELL

New KWCW manager aims for conceptual changes

by TANEEKA HANSEN Staff Reporter

J

unior Daria Reaven has been a music director with KWCW for two years, and also has her own program. She is taking over the role of the station’s general manager for the upcoming academic year.

Where did the collaboration with blue moon start?

Basically, it’s this idea that blue moon and KWCW are two relatively large media heads on campus that have a pretty visible presence.

And in terms of the aesthetic and interests, I think they merge well.

What are some new programs that are coming up or that you have in your head?

We have our event called Shirt Happens, which we did last year, where we give out shirts, and hopefully we’ll get [a musical] act for that … [Next year] I want to have a couple of big events … but then supplement it with smaller events as well in between, because I think that KWCW’s really good at doing big things sporadically but less good at having a more frequent presence on campus that’s visible to students who aren’t interested in exclusively indie music.

Do you have any trips planned?

The head music director and the general manager [go] to the [CMJ] conference in New York every year, and also we’re hoping next year to go to this festival in Austin called South by Southwest (SXSW).

If you were to go to SXSW, would you be going there to get ideas or would you actually be broadcasting some of it?

It would be cool to record some of it and then bring it back to be broadcast ... There’s definitely a place for [more recordings of live shows] in KWCW. [We would also be going for] ideas and networking … like [with] record label promoters.

Are there some specific changes that you are thinking of from KWCW in the past?

The biggest thing is more of a conceptual change and less of a practical one, I suppose. I think KWCW is very good at targeting an audience that’s specific to our internal interests … I want to work on making KWCW more accessible in general to people who like different genres of music that aren’t normally seen on a college campus scene, or heard, rather ... I think that means more events, I think that means better advertising, I think that means lots of things.

W

hitman ups its indie cred as ASWC invites Vancouver-based indie rock band The New Pornographers to campus on Thursday, May 5.

The New Pornographers, a talented conglomeration of Canadian musicians, according to Keith Phipps of The Onion, “writes big, catchy pop songs — and the occasional heartbreaking ballad — and delivers them with flash, filigree, and a healthy sense of pop history.”

The band is known for being a ‘supergroup’ of alreadysuccessful solo artists including AC Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar (aka Destroyer).

“I’m excited to see a higher profile band come to Whitman,” said WEB Chair Matt Coleman. “It’s always exciting to see a band whose solo projects are just as famous as the group itself.”

The concert will open with Portland indie pop band Dirty Mittens.

“The opener, Dirty Mittens, is this fantastic little band,” said WEB Music Chair Carissa Wagner.

“They’ve got a really complementary sound to The New Pornographers and they’re super excited for the show, as well. I think they’ll be really well-received at Whitman.”

Over winter break, Wagner worked with WEB and ASWC members to select a group from a huge pool of possible bands that would appeal to students. New Pornographers was the committee’s all-around favorite and, luckily, were available during the concert slot.

“I’m pretty much excited for everything about this show at the moment. I’m just happy that we’re able to bring such a big band [thanks to ASWC],” said Wagner.

Wagner also noted that it’s important for students to recognize “how awesome it is to

be at a school that coordinates so much excellent entertainment at no extra cost to them.”

While thrilled with the amount of student interest, WEB faces concerns with ticket availability, coordinating the large number of musicians and garnering enough security and event volunteers as the concert draws nearer.

“We may need some help with security, and without stu-

dent volunteers ... we can’t have this show,” said Coleman.

The concert will occur on May 5 in the Reid Ballroom. Tickets will be on available for free from May 2-5 at Reid during lunch with a student ID. The doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with Dirty Mittens opening at 8 p.m. Students may also contact Wagner at musicent@ whitman.edu for more information or to volunteer for the event.

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APR

5

28 2011

LIBERAL ARTS DIY:

ILLU

by HANNA KAHL, KELSEY KENNEDY & MAREN SCHIFFER Staff Reporters

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hitman College cannot always accommodate every student’s particular academic interests; some students are very passionate about a field of study that Whitman does not offer as a major. A fraction of these students decide to pursue their passion by creating their own major. The process, however, often proves arduous.

According to the Office of Institutional Research, the Independently Planned Major (IPM) has only been undertaken by a small minority of students in recent years. Last year, only one student graduated with an IPM, and there are currently six students on campus with approved IPMs— three juniors and three seniors.

Registrar Ron Urban points to Whitman’s inclusion of interdisciplinary majors such as Asian studies and race and ethnic studies as part of the reason why the number of IPMs are lower than they were in the early 2000s, when it was common for 10-15 students to graduate with this type of degree.

“Often a discipline will start off as an IPM and then become adapted by the faculty into a standard major,” he said.

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BACK-BREAKING LABOR

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O SH HE ND ER BY GN DE SI

INFORMATION FROM THE WHITMAN COLLEGE FACTBOOK, 2010-2011

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1 BLOCK : 1 STUDENT

This graph represents the number of students who have graduated with an independently planned major in the past 10 years.

The lengthy approval process for the IPM involves jumping through several administrative hoops. First, the student must secure an Individually Planned Major Committee, consisting of three faculty members (two of whom must be tenuretrack), to be a constant presence in the process — from initial construction to senior comprehensive exams. According to Urban, maintaining faculty members on this committee can be a challenge due to sabbaticals and leaves of absences taken by the chosen professors.

Hayley Sampson, a senior pursuing a degree in cognitive neuroscience — an IPM that integrates biology, psychology and philosophy — attests to the rigor of this process.

“It was a very complicated process; [it] could be a lot more streamlined. For a while, I was taking two sets of classes, just in case I didn’t get approved. I had a really difficult time integrating the different fields into one all-encompassing thesis that my advisers approved of,” she said.

Gary Wang, a senior pursuing an IPM in political philosophy, faced similar challenges.

“One of my thesis advisers made me submit nine proposals,” he said.

Urban said that this phenomenon is common for students pursuing IPMs. “Most students have to revise and re-submit. An IPM proposal is not likely to pass the first time. It can take two or three revisions and the process as a whole can take a whole semester,” said Urban.

The counsel from many of his professors made the process easier for Wang, but other faculty members were less supportive.

“Some faculty members were pretty skeptical about this major. They weren’t sure there was a need because the politics department is already pretty theoretically-oriented,” Wang said.

Juli Dunn, director of the Academic Resource Center, emphasizes the importance of faculty support when she advises students in the early stages of the application process.

“It requires careful planning and a solid committee of faculty. The question I always ask students when they are starting down this road is: ‘What will your IPM provide you in terms of content and experiences that some combination of existing programs cannot?’ For instance, if someone is interested in a neuropsychology IPM, how would this advantage them or be different than a biology and psychology [double major] or a major in one with a minor in the other beyond Whitman?”

Sampson felt like she could have used a lot more support in planning her major.

“This project stressed both me and my professors out ... No one had the foresight to expect such high demands of creating a major. What a project like mine needed was someone to help me integrate these fields,” Sampson said.

Despite the length of the process, Urban notes that few students give up on their goal of completing an IPM. “Students are steadfast, and if they’re going through the process of doing an IPM it’s their intellectual passion. We see a very low attrition rate. When people submit they generally go through with it.”

But the difficult process can take a heavy toll.

“I bit off way more than I can chew. My self-esteem suffered.

My grades suffered. It was intellectually and emotionally challenging and extreme. I suffered financially because I was spending time working on this major instead of applying for jobs like other seniors,” Sampson said.

Scheduling issues can also create difficulties. While biology requirements are organized so that students can take multiple major classes at once, students with specialized majors are not taken into account in this way.

“Although creating your own major may seem more broad and flexible, it is very constricting. It’s difficult to change classes because you have to petition the Board of Review for permission. Also, when you graduate your transcript will say ‘independently-planned major’ first and then your major’s actual name,” Sampson said.

AMBITIOUS BLUEPRINTS Bob Withycombe, professor of rhetoric and film studies and 2009 Washington State Professor of the Year, has worked with several students who successfully created their own majors and summarized why students choose to do so.

Students are steadfast, and if they’re going through the process of doing an IPM it’s their intellectual passion.

We see a very low attrition rate.

When people submit they generally go through with it.”

RON URBAN, REGISTRAR

“I suspect students who want to create their own majors come in three categories. One, they have an estimation of what their professional future looks like, and they want a major specific enough to prepare them for it. Two, they have a realization that there are noticeable gaps in curriculum, and they want a more interdisciplinary major. And three, they would just like to avoid a requirement or two. The middle one seems to me the most preferable motive — it allows students to engage in more serious, focused work,” said Withycombe.

Sampson’s motivation for

pursuing her IPM is a combination of the first two categories.

“I want to be a neurologist. I wanted to approach the study of thought from a liberal perspective,” she said.

Sampson transferred to Whitman as a sophomore from Mount Holyoke College where she was a neuroscience major. But at Whitman she did not have that option.

“I just couldn’t give up my love for neuroscience so I began exploring the individually planned major option,” Sampson said.

I bit off way more than I can chew. My self-esteem suffered. My grades suffered. It was intellectually and emotionally challenging and extreme.

HAYLEY SAMPSON, ‘11

Wang likewise wanted to undertake a more focused and specific field of study.

“I wanted to look at political theory from a philosophy perspective because you need to understand the intellectual tradition behind politics. I was academically interested in political philosophy and wanted to work with the best professors,” he said.

A SOLID FOUNDATION Withycombe said that IPMs may affect a student’s admission to a graduate program in a variety of ways.

“I think graduate schools can view it as either positive or negative. When writing recommendations, I have found ways to argue that an individually designed major shows student dedication to a specific study. But on the other hand, I could see schools being suspicious of students doing so to avoid requirements,” he said.

90%

Decrease in number of students graduating w/ IPM from five years ago, based on 2010 stats

Irvin Hashimoto, associate professor of English, suggests that graduate schools consider personal achievement within a major more than the major itself.

“Every year students graduate in majors like philosophy and then apply to graduate programs like creative writing. The name of a degree does not necessarily determine everything or set things in stone,” he said.

Urban noted that a degree in a specialized, self-directed discipline can further afford students a leg up in the hiring process.

“I think it can be an asset rather than a detriment. How you stand out in a stack of applications is important. If you have a unique specialization, like neurological genetics or social psychology, that will capture the attention of an employer,” Urban said.

Sampson feels that ultimately, the IPM process made her stronger.

“I passed and did really well on my orals. I realized afterward that creating a major was the hardest and most empowering thing I’ve done. When I did this, I proved to myself that I could do anything,” Sampson said.

While Sampson gained much from the experience, she’s hesitant to advise others to follow in her path.

“I would only advise them to do this if they did it in a completely different way than I did. Make sure to know advisers well, only integrate two fields, do not consider an individually planned major unless you have a lot of time left at Whitman to complete it,” she said.

Creating an IPM is certainly a strain; as a result, those who go through with it are some of Whitman’s most motivated students.

“I think it’s always challenging.

Excellent students are always the ones to attempt it,” Hashimoto said.

PAST IPMs Social Psychology Clinical Psychology Environmental Philosophy Political Philosophy South Asian Studies Post-Colonial Studies Continental European Cultural Studies Peace & Conflict Studies Global Development Studies International Political Economy

International Health United States Policy Studies African-American Studies Social Power in the United States Neural Networking & Modeling Cognitive Science Contemporary World Literature Language & Linguistics Creative Writing Music Technology

APR

6

28 2011

Whitman Sweets vie for spot at DI nationals

by PAMELA LONDON Staff Reporter

D

one with a regular season characterized by solid success, the small-town Whitman Sweets are gearing up to compete with the big guns of NCAA Division I Ultimate.

After an undefeated run through the Division III Conference Tournament April 16-17, with a field that included the defending DIII national champions Pacific Lutheran University, the women’s Ultimate team has turned their eyes towards the next prize: placing at Division I regionals, with a chance to go on to compete for a national title. The men’s Ultimate team, the Sweets, also swept through the conference tournament and chose to compete at DI regionals to continue their postseason run.

A top-three finish for either team would qualify them for DI nationals.

Prior to the season, the conference restructured its postseason tournament. DIII regionals was changed to the DIII Conference Championships, and the number of bids from each conference was cut from three to one.

Last year, the Lady Sweets barely qualified for regionals and finished in fourth place. This year, they won the entire tournament.

“Everyone just stepped it up so much [at Conference],” said sophomore captain Natalie Jamerson.

“There wasn’t one weak link, everyone gave it their all. We worked hard and found success with that.”

Finishing first out of six teams at the DIII Conference qualified Whitman for two choices at further postseason play, one being competing at DIII nationals in New York and the other being going for glory – competing at DI regionals. With little hesitation, this group of Whitties chose the latter.

“It was really rewarding to win [DIII Conference] and see all that hard work really pay off and see each other coming together as a team,”

Peter Burrows ‘13 and Jeremy Norden ‘11 practice in preparation for DI regionals. The Sweets are ranked third regionally and could earn a chance to compete at nationals. PHOTO BY PARRISH

said sophomore captain Kelley Hall.

“It was so powerful to see ourselves succeed. As a captain, it has created a lot of great momentum for the team going forward into regionals.”

Competing at DI regionals means a chance for the team to see how it stacks up against the stiffest competition in the Northwest, all of whom will be DI state schools including teams such as the University of Washington and the University of Oregon.

“We have the chance to really step up our game and give [those big schools] a run for their money,” said Jamerson. “Because we’ve been so successful this year, we’ve seen a lot of good victories. We’re

going to play these DI schools and hopefully if we play well, we could go to DI nationals. That would be the first time that Whitman Ultimate will go to DI nationals.” “[This season has] been beyond any of our expectations,” said Hall. “Obviously we know that have quite a bit of talent on our team, but it’s a team sport and team chemistry is always a bit up in the air until you start playing tournaments.”

For both the men’s and the women’s Ultimate teams, success came early and often this season. The mutual success, according to Jamerson, has brought the teams closer. “[It] really inspired me that the guys’ team stepped up their game

[at the Stanford Open in February],” said Jamerson. “That inspired me personally and that translated to the team that if we work hard toward something, we can accomplish it.”

“For such a small Ultimate program to win such big games was a huge success to the program, and spoke to the level of dedication of the players and the leadership of their captains,” said Katie Rouse ‘10, a former Whitman Lady Sweet, referring to the performances of both men’s and women’s teams. “This has hands down been the most successful season in the history of the Whitman Sweets for both teams.”

Adding to the glory of winning Conference titles for both the men’s and the women’s teams is the fact that both are the top-ranked DIII teams in the Northwest. The Sweets are ranked 17th nationally by USA Ultimate, while the Lady Sweets are 32nd nationally.

The tremendous success that the women’s team has experienced this season comes after a fourth place finish last season, as well as the loss of several key players due to graduation and injury. The many roster changes have left the team with just one senior and one junior, with the rest of the team being sophomores and first-years.

Led by Jamerson and Hall, the team has been united all season by a single goal: competing hard and winning DIII Conference. Now that the goal has been accomplished, the team can turn to the next challenge, which comes May 7 and 8 in Burlington, Wash. “[Our victory] would be a very big upset in college Ultimate, but as a captain that’s what I’ve been setting our goal to be,” said Hall. “It’s not out of our reach to do well in the tournament.”

Eight teams will compete at DI regionals, seven of which will be the DI teams that win their own conference tournaments next weekend. Whitman will join those seven teams in Burlington. Qualify-

International athletes face challenges, find community in sports programs from INTERNATIONAL,

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started playing golf at Whitman.

“Getting used to the weather, the rules and how [golfers] play here has been a shock,” Zinser said. “The density makes the golfball fly less and we have a different rules system.”

Despite growing up with prestigious golfer parents, Zinser was unsure whether or not she was going to continue competing in college.

“Even though I decided I was not going to be a professional like my parents, I knew that if I stopped playing golf, I would be sad,” she said.

Like Atanasov, coming to Whitman offered Zinser the opportunity to pursue both academics and athletics. She was pleasantly surprised by the closeness of the women’s golf team, especially compared to her team experiences back home.

“There was no such word as team,” Zinser recalled. “Everyone only cared about themselves. You only wore the T-shirt that everyone else was wearing.”

Zinser’s experience at Whitman, however, has been completely different. “[The team] gave me gear for the winter, stuff that I never knew existed for golf,” she said. “[My teammates] were very support-

ive when I was overwhelmed. They are such great people.”

Alvarez and Atanasov expressed a similar sentiment concerning the support of their teammates.

“My best experiences are on the basketball court with my teammates,” Alvarez said.

“It was said how close the team was on a [recruiting] video I saw on YouTube, but I never really expected it to be true,” Atanasov recalled.

“But I’ve found a wonderful group of people here who[m] I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life.”

Atanasov also reflected on the support granted him by his unique status as both an athlete and an international student.

“I’ve been blessed because I’ve gotten the best of both worlds,” he said. “The international community here I also

consider to be my family.”

Despite the various challenges of chilly matches and speedy returns, international student athletes have found support and inspiration from their teammates, coaches and Whitman’s athletic programs.

Alvarez also recognizes the larger impact athletics have had on him.

“The core values we have as a team I’ve been able to apply wherever I go,” he said.

Ultimately, Alvarez hopes to bring his experiences with Whitman athletics back to Ecuador.

“I want to be a coach at some point back home. There’s talent, it’s just not as developed. I want to give back everything I’ve learned and help develop basketball in Ecuador, help kids who might have been in my position.”

PHOTO BY BERNSTEIN

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SCOREBOARD Golf MEN'S NWC Men’s Golf Championships 4/22-­4/23 WOMEN'S NWC Women’s Golf Championships 4/22-­4/23

4th place

2nd place

UPCOMING EVENTS Baseball vs. Whitworth Green Game environmental fair

home; apr. 30 12 p.m. home; may 1 12 p.m.

Climbing Sweet Onion Crank; Whitman climbing wall

apr. 30 9 a.m.

Triathlon Baker Ferguson

apr. 30 8 a.m.

Golf W golf club tournament; Wine valley golf club

apr. 29 11:30 a.m.

ing for DI nationals would be a first in the history of an Ultimate program that dates back two decades.

“I’m really hopeful for [DI] regionals,” said Jamerson. “I think it’ll be a little bit of a different atmosphere because we won’t be the best team and we’ll have to face adversity. It’ll ask a lot of us and I think it will be a good opportunity to bring out the fighting, really competitive spirit that’s in all of us.”

IM bowling discontinued, committee in disarray

by ANDREW HAWKINS Staff Reporter

I

ntramural (IM) sports have struggled in the 2010-2011 school year more than in the past. On the broader level, the IM Committee had trouble finding adequate field space and organizing events. IM bowling was canceled due to scheduling issues arising from inappropriate, drunken behavior. “[Last year there was] lots of excessive drinking [and] rowdiness,” said IM Committee President Chris Barton. “To be honest, [the bowling alley this year] just didn’t seem to want our business.”

Many students are upset because of the cancellation. While some blame the students, others are upset at the IM Committee for not finding another solution. They feel that the IM Committee should have cracked down sooner or found a way to stop the students’ inappropriate behavior.

Ultimately, those interested this year regret the lost opportunity.

“It sounds really fun and there was so much hype around it,” said first-year Dan Ellis.

“I like bowling and it was fun to compete, even if it wasn’t very seriously,” said junior Alyssa Nevell.

Bowling stood apart from most IM sports by its being characterized by heavy intoxication and obnoxious behavior.

“What? No more IM bowling? How else am I supposed to drink on a Tuesday and not feel like an alcoholic or a deadbeat?” said senior Will Ethier Colón, his voice laden with sarcasm. “I honestly don’t know why anyone would be surprised by this.

I mean, we kind of deserve it.”

“I don’t even like bowling. I just liked to go out and drink with my friends,” said senior Ryan Piela.

The issues surrounding IM bowling represents one of the more detrimental cha l l en ges that the IM Committee faced this semester.

Yet

the committee’s disorganized game scheduling irked other people who do care about the other IM sports they play.

“It’s not like anyone gets competitive about IM bowling. I don’t think a lot of people take it very seriously; I know I didn’t,” said junior Adam Bronstein. “However, I’ve found it close to impossible to reschedule anything for IM Frisbee.”

“I’ve been really frustrated by the IM Committee’s lack of organization [this year]. I get that it’s hard to organize everything but that’s their job. Dodgeball was terrible this year,” said junior Dylan Wenzlau. “It was so bad I e-mailed the IM Committee and asked for my money back. They scheduled a ton of games at the same time and in the racquetball courts, there weren’t enough balls, and those racquetball courts were awful. [The courts] were really loud, cramped, it was hard to tell if people were in or not.”

The IM Committee is well aware of this criticism.

“We have had a lot of issues with scheduling. We are at the bottom of the totem pole. I think sixty or seventy percent of Whitman students participate in IM sports ... [but] we have to schedule around everyone else,” said Barton. “Club sports and varsity sports both have priority.

The real issue is with field space.”

Better communication would make it easier for the committee to fit around the varsity and club athletes’ necessary practices and playing time.

“Communication is hard because every field is run by different people,” said Barton. “And sometimes it’s hard to know who or how to get in contact with them. We’re going to update the web site, put forms and schedules online, so that everyone can use them. Hopefully, that will help with the organization and make this process smoother.”

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHANSON

APR

7

28 2011

Alternative relationships exist British reality TV cross-­ beyond conventional monogamy es genre boundaries

by A. QUARD Columnist

A

s someone who has never been comfortable in monogamous relationships, I’ve felt torn between social pressures that tell me there’s something wrong with me and that I should change, and imagining different types of relationships that are more productive and appropriate for my own needs and interests. Increasingly within some communities, people are rejecting the social standard of the monogamous nuclear family in favor of non-monogamy, polyamory or other types of non-traditional relationships.

The form that these relationships take can vary greatly. Some people may form a fairly traditional relationship between two people but designate it as an ‘open’ relationship, in which either partner can pursue sexual (or other) relationships outside of the coupling.

Some people form ‘primary’ partnerships and then pursue secondary relationships outside of that. Others pursue and form several longterm and short-term relationships with multiple people, without designating any as primary or secondary.

If you’ve never considered forming these types of relationships before, you might think it all sounds pretty weird, unnecessarily difficult or just plain unnatural. Nonmonogamy is often equated with promiscuity and fear of commitment. But for people who choose non-monogamy as a permanent relationship choice, it may involve levels of commitment similar to longterm monogamous relationships. So

why bother with non-monogamy?

Under the current model of monogamy, we readily accept that there is a natural difference between ‘relationships’ and ‘friendships’ that allows us to treat our romantic partners differently than we treat our friends. As a friend, I have very little control over who my friends form relationships with and the shape that those relationships take. But this changes with ‘romantic relationships’. It is considered much more normal for romantic partners to feel threatened by their partner’s other close relationships.

As opposed to friendships, there is apparently a ‘limit’ on how much romantic love or intimacy a person can occupy at one time, and it is assumed that if you are in a romantic relationship with one person, you cannot be in an equally meaningful relationship with someone else. “Love”, unlike friendship, is to be experienced with only one person at a time.

This idea of ownership or ‘belonging’ to one other person might feel comforting and natural for many people, but for others, including myself, this type of possessiveness and jealousy limits my ability to function as a self-determining individual. If I’m dating a straight man, he might be concerned about me choosing to form close personal relationships with other men. In straight relationships, this might not be questioned, but I’m not straight. I’m interested in men, women, and gender-variant folks. Do I now have to be careful about how I interact with everyone I might potentially be attracted to?

Many people have rejected the notion that

there is only one ‘right’ person out there for us, or the idea that we shouldn’t have sex with anyone until we find the ‘right’ one and attach ourselves to them permanently through marriage. But those same people are nonetheless heavily invested in the social ritual of finding one (at least ‘kind-of-right’) person and, in most cases, marrying them.

Non-monogamy offers a way for people to find intimacy and commitment in relationships regardless of whether they involve sex (and in the absence of the potential for marriage). At the same time, it lessens the pressure to be jealous and possessive because individuals in non-monogamous relationships don’t ‘belong’ to one other person in the same way that monogamously partnered couples do.

I understand the societal pressure to form monogamous relationships.

Monogamy works well for many people, and I’m not trying to pressure anyone into forming relationships that are uncomfortable or undesirable for them personally. But there are other options available, other ways of forming relationships, and other ways of thinking about sex and dating that challenge or rethink the current models that culture and media present as our ‘only’ legitimate option.

A. Quard is a happy politics major who is often frustrated and depressed by the ways of the world, but nonetheless finds joy and inspiration in many things and in many people. A. Quard is especially fond of the awkward and the contentedly discontented.

Whitties, give dating a try ALEX BROTT Columnist

A

bout three weeks ago, I asked a girl I didn’t know if she wanted to get coffee at the Patisserie one afternoon. We had talked briefly a few times, and I got good vibes around her, so I figured I’d get to know her better over drinks and gelato.

I thought this was normal, but our friends’ reactions tended more towards shock. It was clearly out of the ordinary to go on a good, oldfashioned date with a girl, with the intentions of kindling some sort of relationship. This general attitude shouldn’t be the case among adults, and Whitman’s vibrant hook-up culture should not preclude an active dating (as in going on dates) culture.

At Whitman, there is the often-used gray area between onenight stands and attached-at-thehip sorts of pre-marital relationships. The term ‘thinging’ gets thrown around to describe this ambiguous state of hooking up consistently and maybe exclusively; yet like these relationships, this term has no consistent definition.

I have many problems with thinging, the greatest of which being I do not think people want it as much as they say. Every person I spoke to about this article suggested that those sorts of relationships left them wanting something different, yet the lack of open communication or clear definition makes it impossible to communicate these desires.

While thinging does not have to be devoid of an emotional connection, though this doesn’t seem to be the norm, the girls I spoke to tended to look at thinging as a possible route to a relationship. It’s illogical, however, to expect a relationship founded primarily upon physical attraction to develop into something more.

Dating is an ideal solution to this affliction, getting us beyond our culture’s tendency to ‘shoot’ first and ask questions later – at least in a romantic sense. If one thing will lead to another, I’d rather a connection lead to sex than the other way around.

This seems more reliable. We should consider going on a date to get to know someone before jumping in there; relationships built on mutual communication, trust, common interests, and connectedness tend to be more physically satisfying anyway.

Sure, dating can be hard. We are so used to hanging out in large groups that intimate socializing can be uncomfortable. Add our reliance on alcohol to lubricate social situations and, for many, dates with relative strangers can be frightening. Ultimately, hooking up is much simpler than navigating the social and emotional spaces around a new relationship.

But clearly, just because things are difficult doesn’t mean we should avoid them. I see thinging as a nextbest alternative for students scared by the notion of serious relationships, or the process of starting one.

Whitties should be confident and ambitious enough to ask a someone out on a date now and again.

I’d love to see a bigger dating culture on campus. Starting potentially romantic relationships with a real connection fosters communication which can take the confusion out of relationships. Additionally, asking a girl on a date sends a clear message about your intentions.

Importantly, going on a date doesn’t have to lead to marriage. The results can vary from casual to ro-

ILLUSTRATION BY SONG

mantic – a new friend to a new lover. The increased communication I’ve stressed allows you to decide what you want to be together.

Men: Take some initiative.

Next time you’re making eyes at some cute girl or boy in the quiet room, take a chance and ask her/ him out. She or he will appreciate your confidence, and in the least you’ll probably make a new friend.

Women: Don’t be weirded out if guys or girls ask you out on dates. Be flattered if he or she pays.

Be grateful that he or she is sending a clear message, and appreciate his or her confidence. Maybe even ask a guy or girl on a date yourself.

To those who truly just want to hook up, get in there. But to those of us who want something more – and I think it’s a safe bet that we’re in the majority – we should work to break down the stigma around dating, and make the casual intimacy and good feelings of a date more normal. I’m sure we’ll all be pleased with the results.

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

AMI TIAN Columnist

O

ne fascinating aspect of British culture that I’ve woefully neglected is British reality television. On one hand I’m glad that I spent most of my time in London out of the dorm and trying to see the city; but on the other hand, if I really wanted to experience British culture to the fullest extent, I would watch what they watch on television — or, more likely, on the BBC iPlayer, which streams television on the Internet.

While most of the dramas on television (or at least the good ones — so I’ve been told) are American imports, I was surprised to discover not only that there are many popular British reality TV shows, but that some of them are incredibly bizarre.

I’d always thought of reality TV as embodying typically American characterisitics: spectacle, expressiveness, competition, shamelessness, GTL, etc. Of course, I’d known that British reality TV existed (“Britain’s Got Talent”, “Hell’s Kitchen”) but, having never seen any of it (except for that clip of Susan Boyle on Youtube), I’d imagined that British reality TV would be somehow tamer and more dignified.

I was wrong. As I’ve been traveling throughout the UK, I’ve been introduced to several reality TV shows, including “Come Dine with Me”. What I’ve noticed about “Come Dine with Me” is that it differs from American shows not in that its premise isn’t necessarily less ridiculous, but that its execution is deeply flawed. The British aren’t less willing to embarrass themselves in reality TV; they’re just not as good as knowing how to do it.

The premise of the show is that several contestants compete against each other to host the best dinner party, but the catch is that the hosts are scoring each other: that is, the contestants are also the judges. Each contestant hosts a dinner party at which the other contestants are the only guests. After each dinner party, the attendees give the host a score between 1 and 10. The winner of the competition is the one with the highest composite score.

Surprisingly, for a show about dinner parties, there is little emphasis on the food. Absent are the soft-focus artistic arrangements that you’d find on “Top Chef”; instead the pictures of the dishes re-

semble those weirdly-colored photos of fried chicken and burgers found in fast food joints. It’s nearly impossible for the audience to form an “objective” opinion of the quality of the food, since we have no panel of experts to tell us what they think.

The contestants, alone, briefly give us their impressions of the night’s success or failure, then present us with a number. There’s no buildup, no deliberation of scores, no suspense. The most puzzling aspect of the show is that it’s unclear what the audience is supposed to be getting from it. What kind of show is this? Is it a competition show like “Project Runway”? Or is it a “real people in a constructed situation” show like “The Real World”?

“Come Dine With Me” seems to be attempting to combine both genres.

The most jarring aspect of the show, however, is the out-of-place narration.

The series is narrated by an obnoxious, faceless voice, who sarcastically comments on various things that the contestants do or say. Often his quips are more cringe-worthy than what’s happening onscreen. In some way it’s as though the narration tries to apologize for the behavior onscreen. It’s saying, “Yes, we are aware that this is exceptionally shameful behavior. We’re joining in with the audience in pointing out its absurdity.”

There are various unspoken rules or conventions of reality TV that Americans follow: the suspenseful buildup before announcing winners and losers, and the fact that ridiculous behavior can speak for itself. Imagine what “Jersey Shore” would be like with a narrator, or if a narrator reacted to Tyra Banks’s bizarre and frightening outbursts on “America’s Next Top Model”. American audiences also know that competition shows are never entirely about talent, but mostly about personality; we don’t need to work to integrate histrionics into competitions because we know it already exists. Our genre expectations are clear-cut; we’re familiar with the distinctions between the voyeuristic “Real World” type and the cutthroat competition show. It seems that the British, however, are less comfortable with those distinctions.

Perhaps reality TV is all the same to them: a series of mortifications in various settings, whether it be in the home, onstage, or on the sidewalk.

But Americans know better. Reality TV is a reflection of our tastes, our fears and desires. It shows us how we see ourselves, albeit as caricatures — magnified and distorted for our viewing pleasure. American reality TV seems more comfortable with the “reality” aspect of the genre, despite its over-the-top content. Yes, The Situation just referred to himself as The Situation again; yes, this is still real life. And we’re okay with that.

Ami Tian is a rhetoric and film studies major studying abroad in London. She misses peanut butter, macaroni and cheese and having money.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, Last week, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) was invited to join FACE, Coalition Against Homophobia, the Panhellenic Association and dozens of students walking in Monday’s Take Back the Night event to demonstrate against sexual violence. Though the IFC originally said it would be happy to join, it ultimately could not find any men to participate. The fraternities had the chance to do something inspiring for our campus; it’s disappointing that they did not take advantage of it.

The fraternities have taken a lot of heat this year, and I certainly do not want to add to that by diminishing their admirable efforts to fight against Red Dots on campus. They should be commended for all the work they have done, and continue to do, to make our campus a safer place.

That said, it was disappointing that the fraternities couldn’t muster a single man to walk on Mon-

OPINIONS from the STUDENT BODY

day night. Out of the hundreds of fraternity men, was there not a single one who could dedicate an hour on a Monday to show support for this cause? What could have been a better message to our campus than the presidents of all four fraternities walking to Take Back the Night for their fellow students? What could have been more empowering to victims of sexual assault than having the leaders of the largest group of men on campus stand in solidarity with them?

I hope that in the future, the fraternities continue their work to prevent Red Dots by teaming up with groups like FACE to spread the message that the Greek men of Whitman are committed to fighting sexual violence. Sexual abuse is not the problem of any one group, and no group can solve it alone. We are a stronger, safer community for everyone when we all stand together.

Sincerely, Seth Dawson, ‘12

How would you describe Whitman’s dating culture? If you could change it, what would you change?

by BEN LERCHIN

Carter LeBlanc

Katie Chapman

Spencer May

Olivia Molden

Lauren McCullough

Senior

Sophomore

Sophomore

Senior

Junior

I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS AWKWARD AND THERE NEED TO BE MORE RED DOTS AND LESS GREEN DOTS. IT’S VERY MUCH THE PANOPTICON. EVERYTHING YOU DO IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE UNDER OBSERVATION BECAUSE OF HOW SMALL THE PLACE IS.

YOU CAN MAKE IT WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THE INDEPTH, SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP, IT’S THERE. JUST HUNT A LITTLE HARDER.

I THINK WE TAKE ON A LITTLE TOO MUCH ... TOO MANY RESPONSIBILITIES. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY DON’T HAVE TIME FOR A BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND.

I THINK WHITMAN’S DATING CULTURE IS AWESOME! YOU FIND ONE BOY AND YOU STICK WITH HIM ... BUT, I THINK IT DEPENDS WHAT SORT OF RELATIONSHIP YOU NEED.

IT’S SOMEWHAT NONEXISTENT ... PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY THAT THERE’S THE HOOKUP SCENE AND THEN THE REALLY LONG-TERM DATING SCENE AND THERE’S NOT MUCH IN BETWEEN. I THINK THAT’S A PRETTY ACCURATE ASSESSMENT.

APR

8

28 2011

CHORAL CONTEST PREDICTIONS GgG¾9i¾iPG¾ 9BWe9NG¾\wwQBG ¾qG¾D\Z¼i¾Vkhi¾hQi¾9g\kZD¾q9iBPQZN¾¹ i¼h¾ æXq9sh¾+kZZs¾QZ¾(PQX9DGXePQ9º¾9ZD¾9hW¾eG\eXG¾i\¾ekXX¾\kg¾wQZNGgh§¾qG¾ XQWG¾ i\¾ hi9s¾ ke²i\²D9iG¾ \Z¾ iPG¾ hikwM¾ P9eeGZQZN¾ QZhQDG¾ iPG¾ 4PQiY9Z¾ Bubble. We have been informed that the 85th Annual Whitman Cho² g9X¾ \ZiGhi¾Qh¾P9eeGZQZN¾iPQh¾ gQD9s¾ZQNPi¾QZ¾ \gDQZGg¡¾ QpGZ¾\kg¾gGe² ki9iQ\Z¾M\g¾gG9XZGhh¾9ZD¾QZi\XGg9ZBG¾\M¾ekhhs¾A\kgNG\Qh¾QDG9Xh ¾qG¾DG² BQDGD¾i\¾AgG9W¾iPQh¾D\qZ¾M\g¾s¼9XX

BETA

Why They’ll Win: They can smoke cigarettes and sing at the same time.

Why They’ll Lose: They’re Beta.

KAPPA

Why They’ll Win: They’re hot.

Why They’ll Lose: Hotness doesn’t always equate with sounding good.

PHI

Why They’ll Win: They’re tall.

Why They’ll Lose: Pot brownies beforehand might not be the best pre-contest warm-up.

SCHWA

Why They’ll Win: They’re Schwa.

Why They’ll Lose: They won’t.

DG

Why They’ll Win: They do not accept defeat.

Why They’ll Lose: Too many people rollin’.

TKE

Why They’ll Win: They’ve been practicing while pole dancing.

Why They’ll Lose: Not enough contestants.

SIRENS

Why They’ll Win: Azns r cute.

Why They’ll Lose: Their song choice will be off a “Now That’s What I Call Music!” album.

THETA

Why They’ll Win: Their Queen medley last year rocked.

Why They’ll Lose: They’re singing “Friday”.

FUN FUN FUN NO.

SIG T-TONES INDY WOMEN

Why They’ll Win: They actually practiced.

Why They’ll Lose: Too many goons.

Why They’ll Win: Matching outfits.

Why They’ll Lose: No one a-capella group should have so much power.

Why They’ll Win: They can actually sing.

Why They’ll Lose: What’s with those robes?

INDY MEN

Why They’ll Win: They intend to kick ass and take names.

Why They’ll Lose: They run the chance of literally kicking ass.

WINNERS

Indy women, Indy men, Schwa

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHNSON

Pornographers Mix-up LETTER FROM WEB

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kanye tweet of the week

To the students of Whitman College,

In a scheduling snafu which could otherwise be described as a giant fuck-up by one of the members of the Whitman Events Board, the upcoming New Pornographers concert will not be going exactly as planned. Instead of booking the indie rock musical group of that title, a certain member of our staff accidentally booked actual pornographers. Due to contractual obligations, the fact that we’ve already invested time and effort into advertising, and the fact that the guy who booked this already paid the wrong “Pornographers”, we’re gonna have a show anyway. Same time, same place.

kanyewest

This will still be a stage performance, as the pornography production company we hired specializes in real time, exhibitionist pornography. For that reason, your presence is greatly appreciated! The biggest changes we expect from our shift in acts is that onstage performance can be variable, and the music is going to likely suck balls. The actors and actresses are also likely to do just that. Nonetheless, it’s going to be a huge spectacle!

Hope to see you there, ,PG¾4PQiY9Z¾ pGZih¾ \9gD¾+i9wM

Real Talk:

Women shave them

Kanye West

Cherry and apple, to name a few

I could never do stand-­up ‘cause I tell jokes better when I’m sitting.

COMIC

THE TRIATHLON

Papal name

,PQh¾qGGWGZD ¾iPG¾4PQiY9Z¾ \XXGNG¾+egQZN¾,gQ9iPX\Z¾Qh¾P9e² Relieve oneself in a vulgar manner eGZQZN ¾ GgG¾9gG¾h\YG¾iPQZNh¾s\k¾Y9s¾Z\i¾WZ\q¾9A\ki¾iPG¾AQ² Decline 9ZZk9X¾igQ9iPX\Z¾9i¾4PQiY9Z Ѧ Pre-present The men are actually judged on

how well they pull off shirtlessness.

Spectators vote online Having muchcan celerity polling via SurveyMonkey. clenched hand Ѧ A There is a strong correlation be-

Ѧ The swim team doesn’t harbor

judgments for those people who aren’t very good at swimming, but try anyway. This is unless, of course, those people really suck.

tween the money raised through this event andpoint how sexy the swim The main team will look in the following season. They swear it’s not inTop 10, for example versely correlated.

Ѧ It’s funny if the people manning

that’s code for that it’s not flat.

Will-o'-the-_____ Ever.

You go uphill both ways.

o-n. Did anyone else think it was "triathalon" up until just now?

the course point you in the wrong direction. So loosen up a bit and have a laugh.

Ѧ The arrows are a lie. Ѧ Characteristic When they say thatofthe por- accent a bike Spanish tion of the triathlon is a false flat, Ѧ Triathlon is spelled t-r-i-a-t-h-lILLUSTRATION BY ALDEN

Sagacious

WORD LADDER

Women shave them

Sun action

Hey all,

Cherry and apple, to name a few

Ceremonial act

Papal name

Plentiful

Relieve oneself in a vulgar manner

Whitewater vessel

Decline

Float gently, as a smell

Pre-present

Whitman or Disney

Having much celerity

Die, as a flower

A clenched hand

William Wallace's garb

The main point

Rotate slightly

Top 10, for example

Scrabble piece

Characteristic of a Spanish accent

Beer _____

Will-o'-the-_____

Tick relative

Sagacious

South American tea-like drink

I’m finding myself with a lack of time necessary to make a crossword yet again, so I thought I’d try something new: a word ladder!

Each consecutive answer varies by one letter from the previous answer. For example, if the clue were alluding to what I am, the answer would be slut. The next clue might ask what you do with a baseball bat, and the answer would be slug.

Get it? Hope you enjoy it!

Adam

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S JUMBLE OSPREY MUSKET PLAINS MARTEN FLAUNT Q: What is life without geometry?

A: POINTLESS

Sun action