Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: March 2008

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

March is the best. What other month features Lent, March madness and Spring Break? I rest my case. We need these March rituals. Last week, Bonnie and I hosted our residence-hall directors for a pesto party. With great wisdom and care, our RDs lead our student leaders. But for the RDs, March madness doesn't really conjure up thoughts of basketball. Dorm life gets a little wacky at this point in the year. I suspect our students will do some emotional stretching in March. They think keeping an even keel is overrated. In this past week I have seen students crippled with sadness for a grieving classmate, and I have seen other students absolutely roaring with delight. They need to do both. We all do, and March is a good time to do it. During Lent, we anguish with Christ as he journeys to the cross. And we agonize at our part in sending him there. And then we howl with joy at whatever our brand of March madness might be. For me, life just feels a little more worth living knowing I will soon be able to watch 16 straight hours of NCAA basketball -- or at least that I could if it weren't for my wife and my job. I hope this great month brings you to your knees and to your feet. Thanks for all the ways you come to your feet for Whitworth.

Academics

We've added hands and feet to the mind and heart of a Whitworth education. This spring, 39 courses across 14 departments are engaged in service-learning. Here are three examples from Jan Term:

Identity, Race and Power (Arlin Migliazzo): Students spent one class period each week in an organization that serves Spokane residents of non-white and non-European ethnic backgrounds.
Psychology of Love (Patricia Bruininks): Research shows it is easier to love those who are near us and like us. In this class, students built relationships with people with whom they would not normally cross paths.
African Life and Culture (Amowi Phillips): Students visited World Relief to interview three African employees, from Liberia, Burundi and Eritrea. Students heard their incredible stories, their perspectives on African and American culture, their thoughts on how Africa is portrayed in the media, and what they miss most and least about their homeland.

Gordon and Sue Jackson (Communication Studies/Off-Campus Programs) were honored last month by the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery with the Traditional Child Care Volunteer Award. They deserve the award. They give of themselves at work, and then they give more after work.

Whitworth jazz students did it again! They joined schools from across the nation at the 2008 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and were named Outstanding College Jazz Band (for the sixth time since 1996). Nathanael Ankeny, '08, was named Outstanding Alto Saxophone, and Jared Hall, '08, received Outstanding Trumpet Soloist honors.

The Whitworth Symphony Orchestra presents a concert March 9 featuring winners of the second annual Whitworth Concerto Competition, which the music department hosts each fall to showcase talented students. This year's competition winners are pianist Rachel Cutler, '10, violinist Michael Korpi, '09, and composer Shawn Tolley, '08.

We've discovered an interesting ranking. The Institute of International Education just reported that in 2005-06 Whitworth ranked 11th among the top 40 master's-level institutions for undergraduate study abroad, with 52.5 percent participation. We have a globally aware faculty and a great off-campus study office that make this happen.

Several political-science students attended Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign stop in Spokane. They talked with her and she signed their copy of the Constitution. Professor Julia Stronks said, "This establishes us as poli-sci nerds, but in a good way." Deep down, I don't think Julia feels there are any bad ways to be a poli-sci nerd.

My notes say Frank Caccavo (Biology) and his dog-sled team won four of the six races they entered this season across the Northwest. Frank has a dog-sled team? When did he get one of those? Way to go, Frank.

Here's word on new faculty grants.

Rich Schatz (School of Global Commerce & Management) received a grant from the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Mini-Grant Program on Free Market Economics: Scholarship, Teaching and Practice. The grant will fund a research project, the subjects of which are Rich's students when he was in the Peace Corps years ago.
Deanna Ojennus and Drew Budner (Chemistry) received a Pittsburgh Conference grant toward the purchase of a high-performance liquid chromatograph. This new instrument will provide our students with training in one of the most widespread techniques used in research and industry today.

School of Education faculty members have been busy lately.

Dennis Sterner presented "Private Colleges Take on the NCATE Standards: Creating a Culture of Evidence" at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education meeting.
Betty Williams presented "Biomedical Research Routes Concerning the Causes of Autism" at Atlanta's Behavior Analysis Autism Conference. She co-authored the paper with Associate Professor Emeritus (Chemistry) Don Calbreath.
Lisa Laurier received the AILACTE Scholar Award, given by the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education. This $2,500 award is given to promote research among junior faculty.
Sharon Mowry led an effort that resulted in the approval of our principals program by the Professional Educator Standards Board. The board approved the consortium for administrator professional certification that includes Whitworth, EWU, Gonzaga, WSU and ESD 101.

Lindy Scott, who joined Whitworth's Spanish faculty this year from Wheaton, and who specializes in Latin American history, will present the second lecture of this year's Great Decisions Series. His lecture, "Why Latin America Is Shifting to the Left," takes place March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall. Lindy is co-editor of the book Terrorism and the War in Iraq (2004) and is editor of the recently published book Christians, the Care of Creation, and Global Climate Change. He also edits the Journal of Latin American Theology and is the U.S.A. coordinator for the Latin American Theological Fellowship. It is great having Lindy in the Whitworth community.

Enrollment

We had a very good year for freshman applications. As of our March 1 deadline, we have received 5,450 freshman applications for fall 2008. This is 5.7 percent more than last year and represents a record high. Most admission decisions have been made and communicated. Financial-aid awards for admitted freshmen are in process, with many already in the mail. Students interested in transferring to Whitworth have until June 1 to submit their applications.

Student Life

March is jammed. This week, students are shedding their vices in ASWU's Week of Seven: From Vice to Virtue. Each day focuses on a vice to avoid and offers programs that replace the vice with a virtue. The Whitworth Unplugged talent contests continue this month, with the two winners of each of the six contests going to the finals to determine who will be Whitworth's Pirate Idol. Movie Mania begins this month with a free feature film and snacks in the HUB, and magician Derek Hughes will wow students on the 12th. Student life and our cultural-events coordinator are putting on an evening called Courageous Conversations Create Caring Communities. This program lets students discuss anything they like and ask any questions they might have in a safe and caring context. Finally, the month will end with Spring Break and outdoor rec's "Whoo Ha, Utah!" trip, which will include rock-climbing, rafting, four-wheeling and mountain-biking.

The Africa-Time Lunch featured the culinary skills of Emmanuel Anukun-Dabson, Jarvis T. Lunalo, Eric M. Gitangu, Paulo Dichone, Elorm Atisu, Willy Rotich and Anderia Lual.They cooked fufu and chicken curry. Their stories of life at Whitworth and in the U.S. provided fellow students an opportunity to learn and eat well at the same time.

ASWU President Scott Donnell reports, "Classes are getting into full swing, intramurals are kicking in, and I threw my first Frisbee of the year today in The Loop. This is a time of decisions: Where should I work this summer, who should I live with next year, and how many loans can I take out before my parents cut the rope? Oh well, life is beautiful, and Spring Break is just around the corner."

Athletics

Whitworth's swim teams made it a sweep at the 2008 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships. The Pirate women ended UPS's historic 11-year run as NWC champions, outdistancing the Loggers by more than 100 points. Sophomore Natalie Turner repeated as the NWC's Outstanding Women's Swimmer, sweeping the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyles. Senior Samantha Kephart earned career sweeps of the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events. The Whitworth men earned their sixth straight NWC title and their seventh in the last eight years. Senior David Dolphay won the 500 and 1,650 freestyles for the third straight year, while freshman Michael Woodward won the 200 I.M. Steve Schadt was named NWC Women's Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

The Pirate men's basketball team won its second straight NWC title, earning home-court advantage for the conference tournament. The Bucs beat UPS in the championship game 96-69, gaining an automatic berth in the NCAA Div. III tournament. To our delight, Whitworth was granted a first-round bye and asked to host the winner of the Occidental vs. Pomona-Pitzer first-round game. In conference honors, Jim Hayford is the NWC Coach of the Year for the second straight season; senior Ryan Symes was named by the conference coaches as NWC Player of the Year; and senior Colin Willemsen was chosen First Team All-NWC. Junior point guard Ross Nakamura earned honorable mention. This has been an amazing year for a team that returned only one starter!

The Whitworth women's basketball team finished the season 13-12 overall and 8-8 (tied for fourth place) in the NWC. Junior forward Alida Bower was named First Team All-Northwest Conference, and sophomore Natalie Orrell received honorable mention.

The track-and-field teams have had a strong indoor season. Sophomores Cody Stelzer (high jump) and Emmanuel Bofa (800) have qualified to compete at the 2008 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, March 14-15.

Tennis is off to its best start in many seasons. The women are 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the NWC. Rachel Burns and Lexy Harrington have joined Linh Aven to form a powerful top three for the Bucs. The men are 6-3 overall and 6-1 in the NWC behind the play of newcomers Brian Elliot and Josh Steele, along with veterans Ed Anegon and Scott Donnell.

Baseball and softball were scheduled to open NWC play at home March 1, but 10 inches of snow on Merkel Field and Marks Field caused those opening games to be moved to different sites.

The golf teams open their spring season March 17 at the LCSC Invitational.

Overall, Whitworth continues to have an outstanding 2007-08 season. Of the 10 championships awarded by the NWC so far this academic year, Whitworth has won five.

Alumni

Alumni, parents and friends in Portland and Seattle are invited to hear Professor of Psychology Jim Waller present Deliver Us from Evil: Genocide and the Christian World on March 15 at 4 p.m. at Portland's Westminster Presbyterian Church or on March 16 at 2 p.m. at Seattle's First Presbyterian Church.

Whitworthians in Southern California can hear Associate Professor of Biology Craig Tsuchida present Christian Evolutionist: An Oxymoron? on March 29 at 7 p.m. at Grandview Presbyterian Church, in Glendale, or March 30 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, San Diego. Registration for the Waller and Tsuchida events can be found at www.whitworth.edu/alumnievents.

Our parent-relations staff is launching an e-newsletter, The Loop. It will debut just before Spring Break and will contain timely information, interviews, stories, and resource recommendations from student-life, career-services and parent-relations staff. We will e-mail the link to all current parents who have viable e-mail addresses in our database. If you'd like to make sure we have your e-mail address, please send it toparents@whitworth.edu or complete the new parent update form atwww.whitworth.edu/parents. The newsletter will also be accessible via the parents website.

Miscellaneous

Many of our guest lectures and other events are being recorded and are available for listening or download on our website at www.whitworth.edu/podcast. Check them out.

I hope you can make it to our 33rd annual Whitworth Institute of Ministry July 7-11.We're pleased to welcome back WIM veterans Craig Barnes and Steve Hayner. Craig, one of the finest preachers in America, serves Pittsburgh Theological Seminary as professor of leadership and ministry and is senior pastor at Shadyside Presbyterian Church. Steve is associate professor of evangelism and campus ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary, a post he has held since leaving the presidency of Intervarsity Fellowship. You don't want to miss this WIM.

We're all horrified and saddened by the shooting events on campuses across the country. We have a number of efforts in place and under way to increase our safety, and we'd like students and their parents to register cell-phone numbers and other numbers on the university's Jyngle site. It's easy to do: Just go to www.whitworth.edu/emergency for instructions. We'll test this system in the coming weeks, and we'd like to have as many people registered as possible. We don't want to have to use the system, but we want to make sure it works if we need it. So we'll test it periodically. Thanks for helping us keep our campus safe!

Closing Thoughts

In the middle of writing this newsletter, I went to the HUB for a meeting with our student leaders and then grabbed a bite of lunch. I sat down with six freshmen who live in B.J. It was definitely the madness part of March. One of the guys had a little problem with his beef wrap. His mouth became an active volcano. Another guy's name is B.J. Think about that. Three days after you get to college, you're at Mock Rock with a building full of people screaming about how B.J. rocks. "Yeah, I do." "Oh, wrong B.J." He said it was crazy meeting students in his hall. "What's your name?" "B.J." "No, that's where we live. What's your name?" I thought maybe I could stabilize B.J.'s self-esteem by explaining we had named the dorm in hopes that one day he would live there. He wasn't buying, but he appreciated the lie. After leaving the B.J. table, I sat down with our dear friend Taizo Fujiki, who is here, for the sixth time, with his Seiwa College women's football team, the Capricious Angels. And that began more March madness. Pretty fun. Again, I hope you have a great March, and that you enjoy all the Easter blessings of the resurrected Christ.