Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: December 1997

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

Greetings from Seattle. The sun has started to climb over the Cascade Mountains and should soon be brightening the city. I arrived in town last night from Sitka, Alaska, where I had the privilege of participating in the inauguration of the Rev. David Meekhof as 11th president of Sheldon Jackson College. We're pleased that our partner Presbyterian college in this synod chose Dave, a former Whitworth trustee whose grandfather, the Rev. Robert Boyd, was Whitworth's third president. Sheldon Jackson, a fine school in a spectacular location, has a very important mission and should flourish under Dave's leadership. Tonight at First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, our Whitworth Choir will present the first of its five Christmas concerts. Next week they'll be at First Presbyterian in Spokane. Led by Interim Director Bryan Priddy, the choir has prepared an exquisite program celebrating the coming of our Lord Jesus. I hope this Advent season is filled with meaning for you and your loved ones.

Academics

New School of Education faculty member Greg Fritzberg has just signed a contract with a San Francisco-based publisher to write a book titled In the Shadow of Excellence: Recovering a Vision of Educational Opportunity for All. Well done, Greg.

Dean Jacobson, assistant professor of biology, has completed original research funded by the Murdock Science Block Grant Program, which supports collaborative research efforts between professors and their students. Teaming with students Dean Rocco and Andrea Olah, Dean's group worked on the "Electron Microscopic Characterization of Food Particles Ingested by a Toxic Red Tide Dinoflagellate." They conducted the research this summer and presented a seminar at the Oregon Marine Institute in Coos Bay, Oregon. Lest you think Dr. Jacobson spends all of his time with dinoflagellates, you should also know that he recruited residents of Baldwin-Jenkins Residence Hall and planted more than 30 Ponderosa pines this year.

Assistant Professor of Education Diane Dempsey Marr presented a paper titled "Collaborative Interventions for Children with Chronic Behavior Problems" at the Washington Counseling Association's state convention last month. She also serves as ethics chair of the Washington Counseling Association.

Psychology Professor Jim Waller has an interesting article, "The Foundations of Teaching Racial Tolerance: Three Myths About Racism in America," in this month's High School Magazine for Principals. Jim also received a call this week from the White House, informing him that he had been nominated to participate in a discussion panel for the Presidential Advisory Board on Race. This nomination represents a growing national awareness of Jim's expertise in the area of racial prejudice.

I have just been informed that the professorial team of Lee Anne Chaney (biology), Lois Kieffaber (physics), and Barb Sanders and Dennis Sterner (education) will be receiving a NOVA grant to help in the support of a hands-on education course that is being piloted this year. The reviewers' comments about the proposal were very enthusiastic.

Admissions

This past Monday, our Admissions Office began reading early-action applications, which had to be in our office by November 30. Decisions will be mailed to early applicants on December 15, so this will be a busy two weeks as the admissions team sifts through applications from approximately 200 potential Whitworth students who took advantage of the early-action program.

In one of my more pleasant admissions assignments, I attended Whitworth Night in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 18. Almost 100 prospective students, parents and alumni gathered at the Ala Moana Hotel, where I was able to spend time talking to our alumni while our Admissions and Financial Aid Offices made a presentation to families interested in Whitworth. This year we have 100 students from Hawaii on campus. Once again, Kamehameha High School in Honolulu is our number-two feeder school, right behind Mead High in North Spokane. Whitworth currently enrolls 37 graduates of Kamehameha and receives extraordinary financial support from this school on behalf of its alumni.

The federal government finally sent some good news. They informed us that our default rate on the Stafford Loan Program is 3.1 percent. The average default rate for private, four-year colleges is 6.4 percent. This rate is a tribute both to Whitworth and to its alumni; our very low rate stands in sharp contrast to schools that have been singled out for soaring default rates - some greater than 25 percent.

Student Life

I'm very disappointed that I've had to be out of town for this year's residence hall Christmas parties.   I usually try to crash a few of them, and I know that I would really enjoy them this year because of a special program initiated by our resident directors. Several weeks ago, letters were sent to students' families, asking them to send a small gift from home that could be presented to their daughters or sons at the dorm Christmas parties. For days now, hundreds of packages from all over the country have been pouring in. Many parents sent extra packages for our international students and for those students whose packages might get lost in the mail. Mac and Ballard Halls have done this for years, and I have been to four of the Mac-Ballard-Beyond Christmas parties. Some of the creative presents I've seen over the years have helped me to understand that the occasional twisted mind we find in Mac Hall represents an apple that didn't fall far from the tree. Thanks so much, parents!

November's jazz concert was unbelievable. Guest soloist Randy Brecker and the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble brought the house down. One of the highlights of this great night was an encore in which Jazz Director Dan Keberle and Randy Brecker went wild in a sizzling rendition of Billie's Bounce. Before the concert, we had a dessert at which 42 alumni and friends had a chance to ask Randy questions about his life and career and to hear Dan and Randy talk about the upcoming concert. It was a very interesting and enjoyable way to kick off a great evening.

Whitworth students love the arts. Thanks to student Kym Atkin, our special events coordinator for ASWC, a number of Spokane's downtown activities have been made available to Whitworth students. A couple of weeks ago, 60 tickets for the Nutcracker Ballet sold out in two hours to students who bought them at discounted prices. Kym has also gotten deals on tickets to the Spokane Civic Theatre, to West Side Story at the Opera House, and to sporting events such as Spokane Chiefs hockey and pre-season NBA and WNBA games at the Spokane Arena.

Last month's Campus Center coffeehouse presented students playing guitar and accordion (both classical and polka) and lip-synching (which I find just slightly less obnoxious than karaoke). "Impact," a professional a capella group, concluded the evening.

Somebody got the bright idea of renting a "virtual-reality car" and making it available all day long in the Campus Center right before the students went home for Thanksgiving. Students wore electronic helmets that projected 3-D clips of harrowing journeys in rugged landscapes while the "car" rocked through the motions of the actual ride. Several students discovered that there is absolutely no difference between virtual motion sickness and real motion sickness.

Twelve of our students attended the National Association of Campus Activities Conference that was held in Spokane for three days at the end of November. They found educational sessions on a wide range of topics to be particularly helpful. We are blessed to have great student leaders at Whitworth College.

Finances

Just two words will put a smile on the face of every one of our Physical Plant staffers: "El Nino." A mild, dry and sunny fall has allowed us to work on projects rather than battle the elements. (Of course, just after I wrote this, we had our first measurable snow of the season.) We are especially fortunate that the weather is allowing us to make up for the late arrival of the structural steel that put Phase II of the Campus Center behind schedule. We need to get this building enclosed before the really harsh weather arrives, so we are thankful for the cooperative weather. Having said this, we do sincerely grieve for those whose lives have been hurt by these aberrant weather patterns.

Building on the $660,000 National Science Foundation grant we received, we have reached a total of $1,145,349 toward the renovation of the Eric Johnston Science Center. Our goal is $2.4 million. Planning for the Johnston Science Center remodel is in full swing. Assuming that fund-raising continues on track, we plan to begin work on the project immediately after 1998 Commencement. Last week we received a wonderful gift of $50,000 from a great company, the name of which we will disclose to you as soon as we receive their permission. The elastic part of our budget in this project is in the area of furnishings, so we would appreciate any leads for possible in-kind contributions of new or slightly used office and classroom equipment.

Bonnie and I recently hosted a pizza party for our amazing Phonathon students. In just eight weeks, you pledged to Whitworth more than $142,000 when these students called. The Phonathon effort consisted of 32 Whitworth students who spent more than 2,000 hours on the phone and contacted more than 10,000 alumni, parents of current students, and friends of the college. Thanks to you who made a pledge! And congratulations to the entire Phonathon team, including Julia Colgan, leading Phonathoner, who dialed up more than $13,000.

The Whitworth College Board of Trustees has climbed aboard the Phonathon bandwagon. At their October meeting, board members decided that they wanted to call and thank people who have made donations to the college. It's been fun to hear the reports of trustees whose calls to extend a simple "Thank you" have led to warm conversations.

Do you find yourself fretting over those nagging, highly appreciated assets that have so inflated your net worth? Act now, and avoid the year-end rush. Transfer that appreciated stock to Whitworth College and avoid those nasty capital gains taxes. Call our Institutional Advancement Office at 1-800-532-4668 and be amazed at the many ways we have for you to avoid the dreaded "I've got too much money" syndrome.

Actually, we are anything but frivolous about the seriousness and sacrifice that characterize your support for Whitworth College. During this season of giving, we extend to you our deepest appreciation for a year in which you have been most generous to Whitworth College. Our pledge is to use your hard-earned gifts as efficiently as possible in providing heart-and-mind educations to our students. So thank you again for a great 1997, and please know that any year-end contributions will be very much appreciated.

Athletics

It has been almost exactly three years since our men's basketball team has lost a game in the Whitworth College Fieldhouse. The Bucs will be putting their streak on the line on December 11 against a very strong Lewis-Clark State team. Head Coach Warren Friedrichs expects the Pirates to be well-balanced this year, with seniors Sean Weston and Jeff Mix and juniors Tyler Jordan, Greg Jones and Doug Schultz returning. All five played significant roles in 1996's NAIA national championship run, and these guys would like to be back in Nampa next March. The conference season begins this weekend with road games against Willamette and George Fox.

Helen Higgs is beginning her fourth year as Whitworth's head coach for women's basketball. Last year the women got off to a slow start, but finished the season strong. This year's team will be short, but experienced. Probable starters include sophomores Emily Stunkel and Starr Olson, junior Kristen Davis, and seniors Andrea Sherer and Cindy Viehl. Freshman Jamie Wakefield should also play an important role. The women picked up their first win of the season last weekend against a good Willamette team (Sherer had a monster game with 35 points and nine rebounds). After finals week, they'll be taking on Lewis-Clark State on the Warriors' home court.

The always-strong Whitworth swim teams face tough competition this weekend at the Northwest Invitational. Head Coach Tom Dodd, in his 11th season, is looking for leadership to Alison Eckenroad, who captains the women's squad, and to men's team captains Dan Welch and Kris Adams. Both teams opened well, with lopsided victories against Whitman. I'll say more about the swimmers in the next Mind and Heart.

Miscellaneous

One of this year's goals is to identify and implement programs that will help our students live sensitively and appreciatively in a culturally pluralistic world. I think we're making some very good progress. The rise of this effort in our priorities comes from a report indicating that much too often our ethnic minority and international students (291 students representing 14.2 percent of the student body) have experienced coldness and insensitivity in the Whitworth College community.

One other note for alumni basketball fans: On January 31, all alumni will receive free admission to our games with George Fox in the Fieldhouse, and there will be an ice cream social after the game. Then, on February 20, there will be an alumni reception between the men's and women's games at Seattle University. And another reception will be held between games on the 21st at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. We hope to see you!

Dates to Remember

Closing Thoughts

I close this Mind and Heart with a quote from a letter I received from one of our students: "Words cannot express how appreciative I am of those individuals who have sacrificed their own incomes to make college a possibility for me. To all of you, thank you so much! In the last four years I have been exposed to challenging teaching, amazing mentors, lifelong friendships and, most importantly, the loving grace of Jesus Christ." May each of you also find loving grace as you kneel at the manger this Christmas.