Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: April 2010

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

This is my penultimate Of Mind & Heart. My mother taught me the meaning of "penultimate." She was a great musician. She told me the penultimate measure in a score of music was the second to the last one. When my dad referred to the penultimate measure, I knew I wanted nothing to do with the ultimate measure. I might get sappy in my final M&H, so I'll use this penultimate one to answer a question I've been asked often. "Have you had second thoughts about leaving the presidency of Whitworth?" No. The signs are clear. For example, the other day, I needed a jacket for cool, not cold, weather. I found two cold-weather jackets hanging on the hook Bonnie has allocated for my entire outdoor wardrobe. I couldn't remember if I owned a cool-weather jacket (sign: failing memory). So I wondered if some guest had left a nice jacket in our front closet that I had not yet "appropriated" (signs: we might be entertaining too much, and I'm turning into a thief). Well, lucky me. Someone did leave a light black leather jacket in our closet (sign: we are for sure entertaining too much). I tried it on and found out it was too big (sign: I'm shriveling up). I didn't really care that it was too big (sign: I'm right around the corner from walking out of the house in plaid pants, a striped shirt and a madras sport coat). So, if you find yourself asking two questions when you next see me –"Why is he wearing a black leather bathrobe?" and "What in the heck did I do with my black leather jacket?" – you can claim your coat and skip the third question about why I am leaving the presidency. It's obvious.

Academics

The eighth annual Spokane Intercollegiate Research Conference will be held at Gonzaga April 24. Graduate and undergraduate students from Whitworth, Gonzaga and Eastern Washington will present their academic work to an audience of peers and faculty members. Many Whitworth students will be presenting, including chemistry students who have worked on research projects with Deanna Ojennus, on "Machine Learning Protein Design" (Brant Woodruff and Alexander Hymel); "Oral Delivery of Heavy Metals with Titanate" (Chase Talbot); and "Essential Structures of V-ATPase E and G" (Kirsten Khoe, Jeff Kintner, Cameron Stroyan, and Jared Vogel).

We have two notable exhibits of students' art this month. Juniors will display their works in deFINEart, this year's edition of our third-year students' annual show, from April 13-23 in the Lied Center for the Visual Arts. The opening reception is on April 13 from 5-7 p.m. in the Bryan Oliver Gallery. We will also host the fine work of our seniors from April 27 until May 15, with the opening reception on April 27 from  5-7 p.m. Please join us.

Tim Dolan (Weyerhaeuser Center) contributed a chapter, "Making Sense of Ministry: A Clergy Cluster Project," to a recent book, A Lifelong Call to Learn: Continuing Education for Religious Leaders. It was published this winter (Alban Institute, 2010).   

We'll host many excellent speakers and artists this month. Kent Annan, co-director of Haiti Partners and author of Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle, will join us April 7 to talk about his move to Haiti and "the nitty-gritty joys and stumbles of living and ministering in a two-thirds world environment, with reflections about faith, doubt, love and God." Laurie Lamon, '78 (English), will read poetry on April 16 at 7 p.m.; Betty Williams (Education) will deliver the annual Lindaman Chair Lecture– addressing"Best Outcomes for Students with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism," on April 21 at 7:30 p.m.; Anthony Clark (History) will deliver the Great Decisions Lecture,"China's ‘Great Unity': U.S.-China Relations on the New Global Horizon," on April 22 at 7:30 p.m.; and best-selling author and Chapman Endowed Reader Jess Walter will read from his works on April 23 at 7 p.m. All of these events are in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall. For a complete list of events, see www.whitworth.edu/events.

School of Education faculty members Kathryn Picanco, Debbie Tully and Ann Teberg have been working with representatives from Gonzaga, WSU, and EWU to implement the co-teaching model, where mentor teachers and student teachers teach together in the classroom. Kathryn, Debbie and Ann are founding members of the Eastern Washington Co-Teaching Leadership Team. 

In early March, Brad Sago (Marketing) presented his research,"The Changing Attitudes and Expectations of Parents of Collegiate Athletes," at the 2010 International Conference on Sport and Society in Vancouver, B.C. I suspect March Madness offered the ideal frame for a presentation of Brad's research.

In March, piano students of Music Professor Judith Schoepflin participated in the week-long Washington State Music Teachers Adjudications. Sarah Clark, Rose Halcomb, Mac Merchant, Adam Ohlson and Amy Watts were selected for their outstanding performances and were chosen to perform in the Collegiate Honors Recital held at Gonzaga. 

Faculty members are engaged in some interesting sabbatical work this term. Marc Hafso (Music) is composing and arranging folk songs, spirituals and original compositions for various Whitworth choirs. John Larkin (Physics) is researching photodynamic therapy, a light-activated cancer treatment. Randy Michaelis, '70 (Education), is examining middle-class norms in teaching, and developing some workshop materials for teachers in schools with high poverty rates. Corliss Slack (History) is conducting research for her book on shrines from the medieval British Crusades. Pete Tucker, '91 (Computer Science), is writing an undergraduate textbook for software quality assurance and taking care of his and Jane's new baby, Meredith Anne, who showed up last month.

Admissions

All admitted students need to submit their deposits soon! May 1 is the deadline, and we usually have to enforce that date rigidly. Whitworth is an amazing community. Scholarship and relationships come together here like at no other school I have seen. I'm excited for all the incoming freshmen who will enter into an incredible four years.

In May and June, the financial aid office will e-mail 2010-11 renewal award notifications to current students. The priority deadline to file the FAFSA for need-based financial aid is May 1. Academic scholarships are renewed automatically (if all criteria are met).

Student Life

March was filled with many excellent student-led programs, including the traditional Warren Peace talent show, with all proceeds going to charity. Spring Break gave students a lot of options for travel. Outdoor Rec took students backpacking and rafting on the Olympic Peninsula, and Service-Learning and ASWU sponsored missions trips to Jamaica and Louisiana. More than 100 student leaders were hired this month for next year, and now ASWU begins the election process for leaders for 2010-11.

Resources

Whitworth Fund fact: Although much of The Whitworth Fund is contributed by caring people who make giving decisions as they go, a part of the fund is pledged annually. Bonnie and I make annual pledges and then use payroll deductions to fulfill our commitment. To date, Whitworth holds unfulfilled pledges to TWF for more than $190,000. Because our fiscal year ends in June, we're really counting on the fulfillment of those gifts in the next few months. If your pledge is part of that amount, you can send your gift to the university or you can fulfill your pledge online at www.whitworth.edu/give.

Athletics

The swimming seasons came to an outstanding end at the 2010 NCAA Division III championship meet, in Minneapolis. All seven Pirates scored, either individually or on a relay. Senior Natalie Turner became the first woman in Northwest Conference history to score in all 12 of her career events at the NCAA championships. And sophomore Rory Buck finished second in the 200- and third in the 100-yard breaststroke.

The men's basketball team reached the NCAA Div. III Sweet Sixteen for the second time. The Pirates finished 26-3, setting school records for winning percentage and consecutive victories (25). Senior Nate Montgomery was named to the D3hoops.com and NABC All-America teams. Jim Hayford was chosen as the West Region Coach of the Year.

The track and field teams are already well on their way to an outstanding outdoor season. Emmanuel Bofa broke his own school record in the 800 with a 1:48.69, which leads the nation and is one of the fastest Div. III times ever. Ron Whitley has qualified for nationals in the discus and hammer throw. Erica Cox broke her own school record in the hammer.

The women's tennis team is well on its way to a second straight NWC title. During the last week, the team has defeated three regionally ranked teams, all on the road. Rachel Burns is having an all-conference kind of season as the No. 1 singles player, posting a 13-3 record. (She is also a good doubles player, which is why she often invites my friend and me to play against her and anyone with a pulse for what can only be described as target practice.)

The men's tennis team has already made one huge breakthrough,posting its first win since 1991 over traditional power Pacific Lutheran. The Pirates are in line for a high seed at the NWC tournament, and the team could finish as high as second in the NWC this season. Michael Shelton has been strong at No. 1 singles. The tennis bubble has made a huge difference in the success of our tennis teams.

The softball team won eight straight games over spring break to bounce back from a rough start and reach the .500 mark this season. Junior Jessica Mangis tossed back-to-back three-hit shutouts during the winning streak, and freshman Jamie Brunner is hitting over .400.

The baseball team has played well in the NWC. Junior Kyle Krustangel leads the team in batting average, slugging average, extra base hits and RBIs. C.J. Perry and Jake Hanley have moved into the starting pitching rotation and have posted ERAs below 2.00 during March. Last weekend the guys took two of three games at Linfield, a perennial national powerhouse.

The golf teams will be playing their first major tournaments on April 10-11 at the NWC Spring Classics. The women hope to challenge for the NWC title again this year, while the men compete for a title they held 2005-07.

Alumni & Parents

We'll be welcoming our newest group of alumni during the Senior Send-Off Dinner, on April 29. Together with career services, the Whitworth Office of Alumni & Parent Relations will celebrate the members of the Class of 2010 as they enter their last few weeks as Whitworth students and take their place in the lifelong family of Whitworth alumni.

Commencement Weekend reunions are just around the corner for members of the classes of 1950 and 1960. All alumni who graduated in 1959 and earlier are invited to join us on campus the weekend of May 14-16. There's still time to register for this great weekend of celebration, but don't delay. Visit www.whitworth.edu/reunions or contact the alumni office at 509.777.3799 or alumni@whitworth.edu.

Registration is now open for the classes of 1963-67, who are invited to campus June 25-27 for the Mid-'60s Reunion. We'd love to see you on campus for a wonderful weekend of reconnection. (I suspect Kathie Koopmans Neir, '64, has already tracked you down.). The main banquet will be held on Saturday night, and I will be speaking at breakfast on Saturday as well as giving my last sermon as Whitworth's president on Sunday morning. To register online, visit www.whitworth.edu/mid60s.

The brochures make it sound like I have one foot in the grave, but what our communications folks are calling my Last Gasp Tour is mostly a chance to visit folks in Southern California (May 26), Northern California (May 27), Portland (June 3), and Seattle (June 6). I'd love to see you there. Cost for each event is $10 to help offset expenses. To register online, visit www.whitworth.edu/presidentsreceptions. 

Alumni, parents and friends are invited to have lunch, dinner and a day on the golf course in Spokane or Seattle, in support of Whitworth Pirate athletics. The annual Whitworth Golf Classic will take place at the Spokane Country Club on Friday, June 4, with 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. shotgun starts. The Westside Classic is scheduled for a 2 p.m. shotgun start on Monday, June 7, at the Golf Club at Newcastle. Contact Susan Meyer (509.777.3224, or susanmeyer@whitworth.edu) for registration information for either tournament.

Miscellaneous

We're publishing an updated version of history professor and Whitworth historian Dale Soden's Whitworth history book, first printed for our centennial in 1990. It will include more than 75 additional pages and 200 new photos covering the last 20 years, and you'll be able to pick up your copy in the bookstore and online (www.whitworth.edu/bookstore) after mid-May. 

We invite you to enjoy a week of spiritual renewal with fellow clergy and laity by joining us July 12-16 for the 35th annual Whitworth Institute of Ministry. Worship will be led each evening by Princeton Theological Seminary Homiletics Professor Luke Powery – one of The African American Pulpit's "20 to Watch," who is known for incorporating mad vocal chops, poignant cultural references, and expressions of the African Diaspora into his renowned preaching. Hear Luke Powery The daily Bible hour will be led by Andy Dearman, director of Fuller Theological Seminary's Houston branch and a respected theologian who has taught on four continents. Other featured speakers include pastors and Whitworth trustees Peter Barnes, Kathy Goodrich and Jim Singleton, along with Whitworth professors Jim Edwards and Ben Brody. I will lead the communion and commissioning service to conclude the week. We'd love to host you on Whitworth's beautiful campus this summer. To register for WIM, visit www.whitworth.edu/wim. For more information, contact Toni Sutherland at tsutherland@whitworth.edu or 509.777.4345 

I have just republished my first book, Leading People from the Middle: the Universal Mission of Heart and Mind. I've edited, updated and shortened the 2002 edition. Unlike Incarnate Leadership, this is not a faith-oriented book. In it, I have attempted to use the past century's most influential leadership theories to explain the effectiveness of 21st-century leaders and organizations. Of course, I use a lot of personal stories that involve Whitworth, so Pirate readers will smile knowingly. I've also been faithful to my own voice. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but people say the book sounds like me. You can get it from Amazon.com now, and it will be available in our bookstore in mid-April.

Closing Thoughts

I hope Lent has been rich for those of you who celebrate this special time. In chapel this semester we are looking at the "I am" statements in John. Yesterday, something struck me when I thought about God instructing Moses to tell the Israelites, "I AM sent you."  At that time, the only definition for God was God. God was above explanation; no metaphor was adequate. During this Holy Week, I have been meditating on the shock of what turned out to be the consummate definition of God – God incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus was arrested, he asked who the soldiers were looking for. "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. Jesus said, "I AM," and the words and the shock and the contrast and the moment jolted them flat on their backs. And you know what happened then. Who could have imagined such a loving God?