Whitman Pioneer - Spring 2011 Issue 8 by Whitman College Wire

LOOK AT OUR JACK ISSUE!

Music Department in Flux

All kinds of shits and giggles for April Fools Day. Enjoy the issue!

Four professors have or will leave Whitman, resulting in many changes to the program.

WHITMAN NEWS, DELIVERED

VOLUME CXXVIII

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Walla Walla, WA whitmanpioneer.com

MAR

31 2011

ISSUE 8

WALLA WALLA GOES GREEN DOT

Changes aim to increase bike usage by SHELLY LE Staff Reporter

Inspired by the success of the Whitman Green Dot program, the Walla Walla Violence Prevention Coalition seeks to coordinate and expand prevention efforts.

by RACHEL ALEXANDER News Editor

ou’re at a party, and you see someone slip a drug into your friend’s drink. That’s a red dot. You confront the person who tried to drug your friend, and then you make sure your friend gets home safely. That’s a green dot. Since the Green Dot program has existed at Whitman College, Sexual Misconduct Prevention Coordinator Barbara Maxwell has been running training sessions for student to learn how to make the Whitman campus a safer place. Her goal is to create active bystanders who intervene to prevent potentially dangerous situations from occurring. Ultimately, the Green Dot program seeks to prevent power-based personal violence through the use of these active tactics. When Green Dot started at Whitman two years ago, most students had never heard of it. The incoming first-year class heard a speech about Green Dot during Orientation Week. Students joked with their friends about the posters around campus, but gradually, green dot buttons started showing up on backpacks and bulletin boards. Now, two years since the program’s inception, Maxwell believes the program has become a part of Whitman culture.

“It’s part of the lingo,” she said. “I think by and large, students get it.” Maxwell is hoping to expand on this success by introducing Green Dot programs in Walla Walla schools. Her aspirations have become part of the newly-formed Walla Walla Violence Prevention Coalition (WWVPC), which is bringing a broad spectrum of Walla Walla organizations together to address various forms of violence in the community. As part of this effort, the WWVPC hosted their first annual Community Violence Prevention Conference on Wednesday, March 30. “There are a great many organizations who want to work to prevent violence in the Walla Walla community,” said Chetna Chopra, a member of the coalition’s Steering Committee. “It was very important to bring these people together.” The conference began Tuesday night with a keynote speech from Dr. Jennifer Sayre, who is the Director of Training and Development for the national Green Dot organization. Sayre spoke about the importance of active bystanders in preventing violence, and discussed strategies for intervening in potentially dangerous situations.

ASWC Curriculum Committee Decision Postponed by KARAH KEMMERLY

Staff Reporter

he faculty originally planned to make a decision about having student representation on next year’s curriculum committee at their meeting on Wed., March 30. However, discussion of other proposals prevented them from doing so. Prior to the meeting, ASWC was informed that several old proposals regarding inter-faculty business had made their way onto the meeting’s agenda. These items, which had already been pushed back since November, needed to be addressed. The vote about student representation on the curriculum committee has been postponed until the next faculty meeting on April 13. ASWC vice president John Loranger says that ASWC members are slightly disappointed by the delay, but not overly concerned. “We were pumped up to have the vote today and we would have liked to know the results of a vote for closure’s sake, but we understand. Since the curriculum committee doesn’t meet until next year, an extra two weeks won’t

really hurt us,” he said. Loranger believes that there might be something beneficial about the postponement. “This gives ASWC senators the chance to meet personally with those faculty members we know are opposed to having student representatives on the committee and talk with them about why we think these representatives are something positive,” he said. Loranger hopes that by April 13, ASWC might able to get a few more votes in their favor.

The rest of the conference was broken into sessions which highlighted specific forms of violence in the Walla Walla community. Presenters from a variety of community organizations addressed issues ranging from addressing gang violence to preventing cyber-bullying. A theme throughout the conference was the importance of cooperation between organizations. For example, the Walla Walla Police Department employs a Domestic Violence Services Officer — a social worker who assists victims of domestic violence in navigating the legal system. According to Stacey Martin, director of client services for the YWCA, this program has been very successful. “I think it helps victims be less scared of law enforcement,” she said. The Green Dot bystander intervention framework has inspired much of this action, but members of the WWVPC Steering Committee hope to expand violence prevention efforts beyond bystander intervention. “It started with Green Dot, but it’s bigger than that,” said Kevin Bayne, a police officer and member of the Committee. GREEN DOT ,

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hitman has recently taken initiatives to address student usage of bikes and the number of bikes on campus. The initiatives are an effort of both Whitman faculty and students to make biking more convenient for students on and off campus. A new proposal to create a bicycle policy at Whitman, effective at the end of spring break 2011, is clearing up old and abandoned bicycles locked to bicycle racks, and a new bicycle rental program is anticipated to be in place by Fall 2011 to provide bicycles to all Whitman students at low cost. Whitman’s bicycle co-op interns are developing a bicycle rental program on campus to address student desire for access to bikes. According to Campus Sustainability Coordinator, senior Nat Clarke, about 53 percent of students at Whitman, would want to rent a bicycle if a bike rental program was available. The rental program will allow students to pay a flat rate fee to rent a bike on a semester basis, aiming to provide students with a low cost means of transportation for both on and off campus needs. “The majority of use for the bikes is for off campus travel people who want to go to the store downtown, much more so than cars or buses,” Clarke said. “The idea is that renting a bike for the course of all four years will cheaper than buying a bike.” Although bicycles are already in widespread use on campus, even low-end bicycles can cost students one hundred or more dollars. Senior Ari Frink, BIKES,

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Cyclists post podium finishes at annual Whitman Bike Race by PAMELA LONDON Staff Reporter

hey may not be Team US Postal of the Tour de France, but the Whitman cycling team boasted plenty of its own competition at the annual Whitman Bike Race this past weekend. Led by senior President Roxy Pierson and Vice Presidents Simon Pendleton and Chelsea Momany, also seniors, the Whitman cycling team is comprised of a number of students who are united by a love of riding. The team was established in 2002 as a way “to bring together cycling enthusiasts on t h e W h i t

man campus,” as stated on the team’s web site. Since cycling is a club sport, the cyclists are responsible for all aspects of the team, from scheduling practices and meetings to organizing travel to races. This is all in addition to the long hours spent training, which can be upwards of 15 hours a week between riding and weight lifting. Cycling can be considered an individual sport, but for the Whitman riders it’s just as much a team sport,

making teamwork and cohesion keys to success. The riders get to know each other extremely well during training, and that pays off during races. “As for between members on the team, cycling is a very teamoriented sport,” said Momany. “When someone wins a cycling race, it is certainly due to their own strength, but very often what you don’t see is that they have one or more teammates in the pack who have been working very hard during the race in order to help that person win.” CYCLISTS, PAGE 4

PHOTO BY LERCHIN

MAR

31 2011

NUMBERS IN THE NEWS

Astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger ‘97 visits campus to talk about life in outer space by ALYSSA GOARD Staff Reporter

by RACHEL ALEXANDER News Editor

ly as she shared clips of her crew eating M&M’s and cherry blossoms captured in blobs of water in zero-gravity. She also proudly announced that she and her crew were the first to eat sushi in space. But perhaps most inspiring were the views from space. During her time in low orbit, the crew would see 45 minutes of day followed by 45 minutes of night, with plenty of opportunities to see lightning storms, city lights and sunrises. “It was pretty awesome to come across the Northwest. I could see Crater Lake and then I could point out everything else from these. The Northwest looks pretty distinct [from space].” The view was familiar territory for Metcalf-Lindenburger, who majored in geology at Whitman and later taught earth science classes at a high school in Vancouver, Wash. She continues to teach kids, though not necessarily in the classroom. Prior to her lecture on Monday, Metcalf-Lindenburger was the keynote speaker for “Great Explorations: A Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Adventure for 5th through 8th Grade Girls” in Cordiner Hall on Saturday, March 26. This is the second time MetcalfLindenburger has returned to Whitman to speak about her experience in space — she was also the Baccalaureate speaker on May 22, 2010. But to Professor of Geology Bob Carson, her adviser at Whitman, that sounds like the Dottie he knows. “As an astronaut, part of her job is educating the public, and she likes to do her job well,” he said. “She is just so eager to make people happy and to inspire people. Astronauts are so magical, and Dottie is captivating all on her own.”

9.0

ottie Metcalf-Lindenburger ’97 came back down to earth on April 20, 2010 after a mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery, and made time to come back up to Walla Walla on Monday, March 28 to talk about her experience and the importance of space exploration. Students, professors and other community members gathered in Maxey Auditorium to hear her presentation, entitled “The Road from Walla Walla to Low Earth Orbit”. “Space exploration is incredibly important,” she said. “We are on the trail of Lewis and Clark. They were sent out, went over budget, didn’t find the Northwest Passage and accomplish the main goal of their mission, yet here we are today [in the West] and we have expanded and learned more than we could have imagined.” Hers was the penultimate trip on Discovery, which retired earlier this month. Metcalf-Lindenburger and two of her crewmates were the last rookie astronauts in the space shuttle program. She said that she’d like to go back into space again if she gets the chance. “I will stay with NASA for a while and keep taking Russian,” she said. “If I could launch again I’d really love it, but if not, my other plan is to go back to school and become a professor.” During her presentation, Metcalf-Lindenburger answered audience members’ curiosities about space. One such question was about how well astronauts sleep in space. “You sleep really well in space. You’re pretty relaxed because you don’t have a bed pressing upon your body,” she said. “We sleep with pillows, but I don’t even know why we

do; maybe to remind us of home.” She also showed the audience video of her time in space.

Community anti-violence efforts expand

New bike policy, proposed share program would increase biking on campus

from GREEN DOT,

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NASA Astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger ‘97 visits Whitman. PHOTO BY VON HAFFTEN

from BIKES,

Kari Tupper, also a member of the Committee, said that bystander intervention works well in some contexts, but is limited in the scope of problems it can address. Many problems of violence are related to social issues, and won’t be fixed by active bystanders. “You need a systemic safety net,” she said, adding that bystanders still have an important role to play in the community. “A sense of responsibility for each other is tremendously powerful,” she said. “It can spur the commitment to coordinating social services to deal with problems like poverty and drug abuse.” Whitman students who have been trained as Green Dot bystanders also participated in the conference. They shared stories of looking out for friends and strangers at parties, and discussed the importance of being an active bystander. For sophomore Joey Gottleib, Green Dot has been a way to raise awareness about violence prevention. “It’s a really cool social effort,” he said. “It’s very accessible. It’s easy to be involved.” Members of the Steering Committee said that they hoped to pursue further coordination efforts between Walla Walla organizations while acquiring new resources to fight and prevent violence. Ultimately, Maxwell said the goal is to keep violence a prominent issue in the community and pursue effective, proactive preventative solutions. “We’re trying to change the culture,” she said.

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“Even adult astronauts play with their food,” she said joking-

rack, for instance--will have a notification placed on them and later removed to be put in storage if the notification is ignored. Abandoned bikes are defined as vandalized or in a nonfunctional state. The development comes after a roundtable meeting between members ranging from Whitman faculty to ASWC President Carson Burns aiming to make bicycling less of a hassle for students. “The policy enables the college to act about bicycles while still protecting students,” said Clarke. Before the meeting, Whitman had done little to enforce its bike policy, leaving handicap handrails unusable because of the number of bikes locked to them and trees and sculptures used as bike racks. Heidi Dobson, professor of biology and co-chair of Whitman’s Tree and Landscaping Committee, facilitated the effort to create Whitman’s bike policy. According to Dobson, the Tree and Landscaping Committee was encouraged to create the policy because abandoned bicycles have been a continual problem on campus. “We’re one of the few colleges that doesn’t have a defined policy,” she said. “There are a lot of problems with bicycles that are abandoned and never picked up. This causes problems for the grounds people and it also takes up spaces in the bicycle racks.” After Whitman’s ground crew identifies a deserted bike, Whitman security will be notified to photograph and tag the

dollars. Senior Ari Frink, Whitman’s other campus sustainability coordinator, believes that providing bicycles to all students is an important issue for the college to address. “I think it’s really important for this campus to have a rental program so that bicycles are available to all members of this community and particularly to students who don’t have disposable incomes to purchase quality, long-lasting bikes,” Frink said. Junior Bryant Fong, who along with junior Emily Rhoades is a bicycle co-op intern, said students are relieved that Whitman has begun to focus on this transportation issue. “It’s important to raise mobility, there’s always talk about being stuck in the Whitman bubble, and if you have a bike your distance coverage is a lot larger,” he said. “I’ve already had students come up to me who say they don’t want to buy a bike on campus.” The popularity of biking at Whitman has led to some issues, though: bicycle racks are often crowded with students who choose to leave their bike outside rather than in their residence hall or house, and there are some abandoned and incomplete bikes that have been locked to racks for months. A recent movement to create a bike policy at Whitman is making an effort to clear up bicycle racks for easier student usage. Starting this week, abandoned bikes and lone bicycle parts--a wheel attached to a bike

bike. If the bike has not been moved within two weeks, security will remove the bike and store it for eight months in the college warehouse located on Reese street – allowing enough time for students who go abroad to claim

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHANSON

their bikes. The only exception to this rule will be during winter and spring breaks when remov-

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

Feature Editors Cara Lowry & Patricia Vanderbilt

Copy Editor Maggie Ayau

Sports Editors Libby Arnosti & Nick Wood

PHOTOGRAPHY

Opinion Editor Gary Wang Backpage Editor Diana Dulek Photography Editor Jack Lazar Illustration Editor Olivia Johnson Web Editor Ellie Gold

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, Will Gregg, Karah Kemmerley, Shelley Le, Riley Mebus, Jon Ruffin, Joe Volpert

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

FEATURE Hanna Kahl, Kelsey Kennedy, Maren Schiffer, Monica Simmons

Circulation Associates Leland Matthaeus, Kira Peterson, Junpei Tsuji Webmaster Rebecca Fish

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Anna Taylor

SPORTS

Advertising Associates Phuong Pham, Brian Vieth, Hailun Zhou

Andrew Hawkins, Tyler Hurlburt, Pamela London, Matt Manley

Advertising Designer Brianna Jaro

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

BACKPAGE Adam Brayton, Cari Cortez

Magnitude of the Japanese earthquake on the Richter scale

11,000

Current death toll (approximate)

20,000

Probably final death toll, as estimated by the Japanese government

244,339

Number of people in refugee centers in Japan

0.05 Sv

Maximum number of sieverts (a unit of radiation) per year that US workers can legally be exposed to

0.25 Sv

Maximum yearly radiation dose allowed for Daiichi workers during clean-up

Number of workers who were hospitalized with radiation burns while trying to fix reactor 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant

2-6 Sv

Amount of radiation present in the cooling water at reactor 3, where the workers were

al of bikes will take place two weeks after the break has ended. Lone locks and bicycle parts will be treated in the same manner. Starting in Fall of 2011, any type of bikes or bicycle parts that are locked to handicap handrails or locations that are deemed to impair safety will be removed immediately – without warning, and will be also be stored up to eight months. However, the Spring 2011 semester will serve as an interim period; bicycles and bicycle parts that are located in these areas will be tagged and given two weeks time to be moved before removal for storage. Although Whitman is already considered a bikefriendly campus, the creation of Whitman’s bicycle policy and the proposal for a bike rental program are providing students a more convenient and hasslefree way to use bicycles. “ I t ’ s about creating access to what is already an important part of our community”,” Frink said.

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

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

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

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

MAR

31 2011

Harper Joy renovation impedes ‘lunchbox theatre’ PIO PICKS by C.J. WISLER A&E Editor

he ubiquitous hammering of the construction crew, while previously a minor nuisance to theatre students and professors, has now become a present obstacle. The current Harper Joy Theatre renovations, which will provide updated space for classes and performances, also have the unfortunate side effect of making the Friemann “Black Box” Stage unavailable for the rest of the semester. The “Black Box”, for many theatre majors and students invested in theatre, provides nearly aroundthe-clock performance space, which other spaces on campus lack. “While there are a lot of places on campus with stage-like areas ... there’s no place like the Black Box because it’s ... small, readily available to students, and yet it has a backstage. It’s definitely a loss,” said junior Theo Pratt, who relied on the space for his play “Moments Before Death”. Student shows like Pratt’s, dubbed “Lunchboxes”, provide an extra creative outlet for students interested in theatre outside of Harper Joy’s seasonal shows. Lunchboxes are typically half an hour long and vary from “Waiting for Godot” scenes to the student-written skit “Facebook: The Lunchbox”. These plays take place dur-

ing the noon lunch hour, and students on a meal plan can sign up to have a brown lunch bag delivered to them prior to the show. Senior Elizabeth Berg, one of the Drama Club’s Lunchbox coordinators, describes some of the perks of lunchbox shows. “A lunchbox can be anything you want it to be ... you don’t have to worry about logistical issues like lights and sound,” said Berg. “This gives people to chance to focus on the show itself and hone their skills. You also get the opportunity to see variety and student-produced, studentworked shows, which is exciting.” Both Berg and Pratt said the Black Box’s intimacy and adaptability of its stage enhance Lunchbox shows. “The action takes place right in front of the audience, which is not true for a main stage show,” said Pratt. “It’s a very flexible space because there is no real ‘stage’, no big backdrops or curtains. You can make it into anything you want it to be, and there’s a lot of freedom in that,” said Berg. Unfortunately, Lunchbox shows will now have to work with a new space. Berg states that though she will help students find available spaces, there are some limitations. “We’re going to have to [schedule shows] on a case-by-case ba-

Each Thursday, The Pioneer highlights several events happening on campus or in Walla Walla during the weekend. Here are this week’s picks: Casino Night WEB invites students to a night of poker, blackjack and prizes. Students can play against professors who will act as ‘house’ dealers. Prizes include, among other things, a Wii and digital camera. Saturday, April 2 at 9-11 p.m. Reid Ballroom.

Vincent Nemesis (Henry Nolan ‘13) threatens Justice Dikë (Minnie Cluff ‘12) during the production of Theo Pratt’s (‘12) play “Moments Before Death.” PHOTO BY FENNELL

sis. We’ll have to find another space on campus, [but] a non-theatre building is on its own schedule and may not be able to find time or have the suitable space for a student production,” said Berg. While Kimball Theatre and Maxey Auditorium can support some productions, such as the annual “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and Varsity Nordic shows, Pratt believes that the availability of the Black Box space is hard to replace. “One of the main things it has that people can benefit from is kind of more impromptu, last-minute shows. It’s simple, it’s right there

and available. You can’t do [those shows] in other spaces as well.” Nevertheless, Berg encourages students to attend Lunchbox performances or, if they have an idea, large-scale or small, to sign up for a Lunchbox slot. “It’s a great way to go,” said Berg. “A year ago I directed a Lunchbox scene and it helped me hone my skills as a director, which can help people take on more ambitious projects later. It’s a great way for students to get their feet wet without the tremendous pressure of a main stage show.”

Movie Night: ‘Rear Window’ Students looking for big screen entertainment without the price of concessions are invited to attend WEB’s showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. The 1954 film tells the story of a wheelchair-bound photographer who begins to suspect his neighbor of murder. Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Kimball Auditorium. Fridays at Four:: Katherine Goeldner The Whitman Music Department presents mezzo-soprano Katherine Goeldner. A favorite of the New York City Opera, she recently played the title role of “Carmen” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Friday, April 1 at 4 p.m. Chism Recital Hall.

Music program undergoes large-scale changes Tragedy transformed into ballet by WILL WITWER Staff Reporter

ollowing this year’s upcoming final performances, Whitman College’s music department will undergo several major changes. In the past two years, four tenured professors have retired, are set to retire or have left for another job. Combined with last year’s shift to a 3-2 teaching load, the department has been forced to make some cuts, though many will be temporary. “It’d been a long time since there had been any change in the music faculty at large,” said Professor of Music Lee Thompson, who is retiring at the end of the year after 25 years at Whitman. “We’re all pretty much the same age, so we’re eligible for retirement or salary continuation programs. That’s why all the change at once. Couple that with the move to a 3-2 and it was just sort of a perfect storm.” Whitman Chamber Singers have been cut (at least for next year) because, as Thompson explained, the faculty must maintain certain courses to maintain the music major, while other courses are more expendable. In an e-mail, Catharine Gould Chism Chair of Music Susan Pickett called the absence

Season of love

“a big loss for our students, our department and our community.” Other cuts to course offerings include but are not limited to Diction for Singers, Cello Choir and Jazz Bass. Many classes will now be offered in alternating years. The second jazz band was cut as a consequence of 3-2, but Professor of Music David Glenn organized another non-performance class called Jazz Workshop to make up for it. Glenn, who is retiring at the end of this school year, will remain in Walla Walla with his wife and focus on his work as a musician and composer. “It’s not really like I’m retiring ... I’m only retiring from teaching full-time,” said Glenn. “You don’t retire as a musician. [Music] is something you just do the same way that you breathe and eat ... the more you do it the more you realize you don’t know, so it’s a lifelong journey without a real end to it.” The search committee has picked three finalists for Glenn’s position who will come to campus within the next few weeks. As for actually leaving the school, Glenn says he will miss the students but remains confident that Whitman will not neglect its music program. “I’m very grateful for the gig, but it’s time to move on,” said Glenn.

“The school benefits [from] this too — it’s good for the students to get somebody younger, new ... and have them develop the program the way they want to develop it.” Another search is underway to fill Associate Professor of Music History Ed Dixon’s position following his retirement. Thompson’s position will be filled by Melissa Loehnig, graduate teaching assistant at the Dean’s Office of College of Music at Florida State University, with a tenure-track search occurring sometime in the next two years. Pickett, however, stated that there is no guarantee that his tenure track line will stay with the music department. Thompson, for his part, is convinced that Whitman’s music program will remain an important part of campus, though he himself is not entirely happy about leaving. “I think, by and large, the music program has been such an integral part of the Whitman experience and the Whitman education, so I think there is certainly a lot of support from students and alums. I just hope that the administration will be likewise supportive,” said Thompson. “[Retiring] is quite bittersweet, actually. I am through and through a teacher, you know, that is what I really love to do, but it’s time for a change.”

ILLUSTRATION BY SONG

has a background in gymnastics, which helped him in his fight scenes. “There’s a culture in ballet that’s so different than [gymnastics],” McIsaac-Davidson said. “It’s kind of ‘fend for yourself’ and it’s a little bit intense ... you have to set your own boundaries in terms of what you can do with your body and what feels right and what doesn’t.” All three dancers noted that the energy and modern music of the production would appeal to the Whitman audience. “I think it’s a high energy, fun show; the choreography is awesome. Nate’s a beautiful dancer [and] so is Tillie,” said McIsaac. Besides “Romeo and Juliet”, the show will include a piece choreographed by instructor Ida HutsonFish called “Impressions of Igor”. Finney described the piece as a more lyrical, classical ballet. There will also be two pieces performed by the Coriolis Dance collective: “Lumen” and “Inference”. Coriolis is a professional dance group started in 2008 by Natascha Greenwalt-Murphy and Christin Call. Greenwalt-Murphy is originally from Walla Walla, and she studied with Ida Hutson-Fish. The production will take place on April 1 and 2 in Cordiner Hall from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Primavera from garden to table

“We would absolutely love more hands at open gardens, which will be consistent after break on Mondays from 3-5 p.m., Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Fridays from 2-4 p.m. Whitties should also keep their eyes out for posters and e-mails advertising Saturday workshops,” said sophomore Lisa Beneman in an e-mail. Also check out the Walla Walla Farmers Market’s Facebook page to get excited for this springtime town staple opening May 1, and start researching recipes for rhubarb pie to wow your house and dorm mates with.

Lent to benefit environment

Get a shake from Iceburg and bike around town.

by HANNA KAHL Staff Reporter

‘L

ent’ is an Old English word meaning ‘lengthen’, referring to its observance in springtime when the days begin to get longer. During these 40 days before Easter, some decide to give up habits or addictions. Students who observe Lent commonly choose to give up things like watching online TV or certain foods like chocolate and meat. Lent, a time of self-restric-

Nap on Ankeny, or really anywhere outside.

Go on an OP moonlight paddle trip.

tion, goes hand in hand with movements to curb consumption and lead a more environmentally-sustainable life. The Natural Resources Defense Council suggests making annual Lenten resolutions like giving up plastic and paper bags, refraining from buying bottled water, opting for plant-based, concentrated and biodegradable laundry detergents, using recycled toilet paper brands and reducing household energy use (by setting your thermostat two degrees colder).

Whitman fashion: Rather predictable

Bring sandwiches to Pioneer Park and visit the aviary.

by CARA LOWRY Feature Editor

Eat outside, frequently.

Freeman wanted to allow the individual styles of the dancers to come out. The music and choreography not only allows for a variety of dance, but also provides flexibility for less experienced dancers. First-year Florence LeBas, who auditioned after her first semester of beginning ballet with Ida Hutson-Fish, described the production as a positive experience despite the rigorous 10 days spent working while Freeman was in town. “Dance has always been something that’s been a fear in a way, and I feel [that] by doing a production I’ve realized I can break through that,” said LeBas. “It’s okay that I’m not good, as long as I’m working on it. Because before I’ve always been like, ‘Oh, I’m just not good at dancing.’ But now it’s very different.” Like LeBas, first-year dancer Galen McIsaac-Davidson found the production process enjoyable. “It’s been really amazing to see the level of commitment, and just how positive everyone is throughout the whole process, even when it’s all happening in 10 days,” said McIsaac-Davidson. Although he is new to dance, getting involved was one of his goals for coming to Whitman. McIsaacDavidson, who plays Mercutio,

f you’re feeling vitamin deficient, never fear; spring is a great time for fresh produce in Walla Walla. Fruits and vegetables in season for April and May in Washington include broccoli, lettuce, spring peas, kale, artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb. Visit Whitman’s Organic Garden (on the corner of Pacific and Penrose) where volunteer gardeners will be busy planting in preparation for the late summer harvest and enjoy a study break in the gazebo.

Spring is finally arriving in Walla Walla, announced by sunbathing on Ankeny and the return of Katy Perry music on the outdoor tennis courts. Spring means the beginning of some relationships and the rebirth of others — as long as the sun is out. Here are a few ways to celebrate spring with someone special:

Get out of town and go on a day hike.

Staff Reporter

Find a building to watch the sunset from.

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by KELSEY KENNEDY

by MAREN SCHIFFER

5. 6.

from ROMEO + JULIET,

feature: SPRING and OTHER DRUGS

ccording to various sources such as Glamour, New York Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar, this spring fashion season is the time and place for mixand-match prints and a flashback to the 70s — think peasant blouses and high-waisted, wide-legged pants. As Whitties head back from spring break, some of these trends are bound to make an appearance on Ankeny. However, for the most part, the vernal equinox and subsequent rise in temperature are more conducive to a floral-printed landscape than wardrobe. And let’s

face it — we’ve been wearing peasant tops regardless of their presence on the runway (besides, ours are authentic, coming from Mom’s closet or a favorite thrift store). Here are The Pioneer’s top Whitman fashion trends for the spring 2011 season: 1. Birkenstocks, Tevas, Chacos, flip-flops (whatever your fashionbackward footwear of choice may be) 2. Zipped-off cargo pants and/or cut-off jeans 3. Flannel shirts with rolled-up sleeves 4. Athletic shorts for all occasions (for an “always ready for that pick-up Ultimate game” look)

MAR

31 2011

Women’s tennis finds fun, focus in California by TYLER HURLBURT Staff Reporter

magine spending spring break boating, tanning and hanging out with 10 of your closest friends in Southern California while also playing tennis against some of the strongest competition in the country. This is exactly what the women’s tennis team did . This very tight-knit group of women traveled to Southern California during the second half of spring break, from March 20 to 26, and got the chance to play against strong teams from outside of the Northwest Conference. After beating Salisbury University, Whitman College lost matches to Chapman University, University of Redlands and ClaremontMudd-Scripps. These three losses came against nationally-ranked regional opponents. The Missionaries now have an 8-7 overall record. Head Coach John Hein feels that this trip is crucial to his team’s season. “It is one of the most important parts of the year,” Hein said. “We get to train and be away from campus so we can focus on tennis.” This trip has a large impact on the season for several reasons. Going down to California gives the team the opportunity to gain experience against the sorts of opponents that it would have to face in the regional tournament, which would happen if the team wins the conference tournament. Sophomore Kate Kunkel-Patterson feels that despite losing to the in-region teams, the matches were still very worthwhile.

“We didn’t win, but it is always good experience to play teams that are better than you,” she said. The trip is also immensely critical in strengthening the bonds within the team. Kunkel-Patterson attributes a lot of the importance of the trip to the time that the team spends together. “The spring break trip, because we are with each other for a solid week, is very important for the team dynamic,” Kunkel-Patterson said. “After spring break we just really click.” Hein is very pleased with the energy that the team gives to one another. “They really feed off of one another at matches,” Hein said. To achieve the team’s goal of making it into the regional and national picture, the team will have to first make the conference tournament, which is virtually already locked in with the team currently sitting in third place. Once at the conference championships, the team will have to battle against two teams that have already handed Whitman defeats: Linfield College and Whitworth University. While Whitman did lose earlier in the season to those two teams, the team has been getting better and the conference title is not out of reach. “We are going to need to improve if we want to win and we are seeing that improvement,” Hein said. The Missionaries next face Pacific University on Saturday, April 2 at home starting at 10 a.m. before traveling to Spokane to face Whitworth on Sunday, April 3.

SCOREBOARD Baseball

Staff Reporter

he Whitman College men’s and women’s club alpine ski team finished in the top 10 in each event they participated in during United States Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding Association (USCSA) National Championships, held in Sun Valley, Idaho. Whitman’s alpine team made it to the USCSA National Championships last year, but neither team had as good of a showing. Over the weekend, the women’s team placed fifth in combined ranking, while the men’s finished tenth. “I think everyone is pretty satisfied with the performances. [Captain junior] Chris [Machesney] and

Brad [West] were bummed that they fell [on the last day],” said firstyear Patrick Finnegan. “On Saturday, 30 people fell [in the slalom race]. The course was really difficult.” Whitman was strongly represented at nationals for both teams. Machesney, Finnegan, West, junior Nathan Ord and senior Tim Bak were the men. Junior Captain Torey Anderson, first-year Jazz Campbell, and junior Lexie Drech- ILLUSTRATION sel represented the BY SLOANE

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“We always play off each other and challenge each other in order to get better and earn the team more points,” said junior Rachel Hoar. “Some of us are sprinters, some are climbers, some are time-trialists or all-around riders. Each person puts their natural talents to use and we all take advantage of this.” Thanks to the strategy and hard work of her teammates, Hoar claimed the Conference Leader jersey for the week of March 19. This indicates that Hoar is the leader in the overall time standings for all the riders she competes with. Sophomore Katie Chapman joined the cycling team at the beginning of March, after completing an extremely successful varsity swim season. Her first official competition was Whitman’s colle-

giate home race, held last weekend. “I’ll be a little nervous, especially since I don’t have very much experience riding in big groups,” said Chapman prior to the race. “But I think I’ll be excited more than anything else. I’m a huge sucker for competition and the adrenaline of racing.” The Whitman Bike Race — featuring a road race, team time trial and combine criterium — was a smashing success for the Missionary riders. In the overall conference team standings, Whitman moved from third to second place, behind only the University of Washington. In addition, 12 different Whitties earned top 10 finishes. First-years Luke Ogden and Chase Martin, sophomores Chapman and Molly Blust, juniors Hoar and David Hancock and seniors Momany and Car-

vs. Lewis & Clark 3/7

loss; 5-3

vs. Linfield 3/19

loss; 15-7 loss; 8-0

vs. Linfield 3/20

loss; 18-8

vs. George Fox 3/26

loss; 15-2

vs. George Fox 3/27

loss; 18-8 loss; 10-2

MEN'S vs. Kenyon 3/11

PHOTO BY FENNELL

Baseball wins, players snag student-athlete recognition Posting its first conference victories of the season, Whitman baseball defeated Lewis & Clark College 9-3 and 6-1 in their home doubleheader on Saturday, March 12. The next day, Whitman dropped a 2-1 lead in the final inning to fall 5-3 to the visiting Pios. After going six for nine at the plate and playing an errorless second base, Jay Richard ‘11 was awarded NWC Student-Athlete of the Week. Teammate Jake Nelson ‘12 shared NWC honors for pitching Saturday’s three-hit victory.

women’s team. Half of each team qualified for nationals, in which 105 men and 109 women representing over 20 schools compete. “Both teams qualifying for nationals was a pretty big deal,” said Finnegan. “There are 17 teams in our region and we needed to place top five to qualify for nationals.” Each alpine team competed in slalom and giant slalom, where a skier attempts to go around poles known as gates as

quickly as they can. While giant slalom has between 33 and 45 gates, the slalom run has between 40 and 75 (depending on the track and on the gender of the racer or the slope). Whitman’s best individual men’s performances came in the giant slalom where Machesney and Ord finished 18th and 19th, respectively. For the women’s team, the best individual run was Campbell, who finished 17th. Each of the women that competed placed in the top 30 for slalom, and their team ranking was sixth for the race. “I think all and all it was successful and fun. It was both Chris’s and my birthday so this was a great way to celebrate,” said Finnegan.

Small school cyclists find big success in teamwork from CYCLING,

win; 9-3 win; 6-1

Tennis

Club skiing exceeds expectations at nationals by ANDREW HAWKINS

vs. Lewis & Clark 3/6

rie Reinhart were all multiple-podium winners in the two-day event. For many of the riders, the opportunity to ride on their home course was something they had been looking forward to. Riding at the Whitman race is a matter of pride, and the cyclists wanted to show off and protect home course advantage. “Racing our home course is much better than racing other courses. First, because our course is simply better and second, because we know the course in extreme detail” said Hoar, who lost the conference leader jersey but remains in second place among individual riders. “On other weekends we often learn the course as we ride it, since we often ride a particular loop a couple times … But here, we can make moves and play earlier in the race because

we’ve ridden it so many times before.” Whitman may be a school of less than 2,000 students, yet the cycling team has experienced the support and dedication from students around campus that comes with success. For our riders, that success has come on a national level. Whitman has won team nationals in 20052006 and 2009-2010, and looks to repeat that success this season. “It’s amazing, the dedication and support of so many students, especially considering our relatively small campus,” said Hoar. “We hold our own and more.” Interested in the Whitman cycling team? For more information visit http://whitmancollegecycling.terapad.com.

loss; 8-1

vs. Swarthmore 3/11 vs. Trinity 3/12

win; 6-3

vs. University of Texas-Tyler 3/14 vs. Bowdoin 3/15

loss; 6-3

vs. Cal Lutheran 3/16

loss; 5-4

win; 5-4

loss; 6-3

WOMEN'S vs. Pacific Lutheran 3/11

win; 6-3

vs. Pacific 3/12 vs. George Fox 3/13

win; 5-4

vs. Hardin Simmons 3/14 vs. Salisbury 3/21

win; 8-1

vs. Chapman 3/24 vs. University of Redlands 3/25

loss; 7-2

vs. CMS 3/26

loss; 9-0

win; 8-1

win; 7-2

loss; 9-0

Golf MEN'S St. Paddy’s Day Invitational 3/11

5th place

WOMEN'S SoCal Dutch Women’s Golf Invitational 3/15- 3/16

3rd place

UPCOMING EVENTS Baseball MEN'S

vs. Pacific Lutheran

away; apr. 2 away; apr. 3

Tennis MEN'S

vs. Pacific

away; apr. 2

vs. Whitworth

home; apr. 3, 11 a.m.

WOMEN'S

vs. Pacific

vs. Whitworth

home; apr. 2, 10 a.m. away; apr. 3

Golf MEN'S

NWC Men’s Spring Golf Classic WOMEN'S

NWC Women’s Spring Golf Classic

apr. 2 - apr. 3

Planning to be in the South Puget Sound area summer 2011? Take courses at PLU to transfer back to Whitman.