Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: May 1996

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

Right now it is 6:30 a.m. Monday. Last night we concluded three days of non-stop Commencement-weekend activities. The Monday morning after Commencement is always a time when reflection comes naturally. This year's calm is being stirred up by a noon deadline for writing this letter. Moreover, I drained my creativity tanks this weekend as I frequently found myself in the position of having to put indescribable emotions into words. But please hear this: Yesterday I handed diplomas to 407 success stories who would not have walked across the stage without the support of people who believe in Whitworth College. So thanks to the thousands of you who made yesterday possible.

Academic Affairs

Several of our faculty are on the move. Barbara Filo in the Art Department and Les Francis in Education have been promoted to the rank of associate professor. Warren Friedrichs in Physical Education, Dan Keberle in Music, and Rich Schatz in Economics have all been promoted to the rank of full professor. The Board of Trustees also granted tenure to Steve Meyer, '80, in Philosophy and Religion, and to Glena Schubarth in Psychology. And after 29 years of wonderful service to Whitworth College, Professor of Biology Dave Hicks is retiring and has been named professor emeritus. Dave has had a profound effect on many lives, and we will miss him greatly.

During the spring semester we were entertained and provoked by the Theatre Department's Festival of Christian Drama series. Professors Diana Trotter and Rick Hornor, '70, brought three Christian productions to campus this spring. Additionally, several senior performances provided stirring accounts of the trials and triumphs of the Christian experience.

Because more than 60 students received academic awards at the Honors Forum, it is possible to mention only a few. Special congratulations go to President's Cup winners Lisa O'Donnell Bartel from Albany, Ore., and Andrea Blake from Spokane, both of whom graduated with 4.0 GPAs. Seniors Ed Kross from San Bruno, Calif., and Wendi Story from Boise, Idaho, were given the Servant Leadership Award, and Rachel Hornor from Spokane received the Alumni Ideals Award. Rachel and senior Nate Dunham of Almira, Wash., were also honored with the Distinguished Collegiate Achievement Award.

It was another very successful year for our Pew Younger Scholars program. Several of the student research projects this year were particularly interesting to their faculty mentors. Topics ranged from Tim Scott's "Radical Individualism: Where Did it Come From?" to Cindy Turner's "The Green Knight at al-Khidr: An Arabic Interpretation of the Spiritual Guide in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Other student participants were Jason Webb, Peggy Hardt, Sherri Schueler, Lissy Hatch, Erika Herrmann, Joe Schneller and Kara Kirkman. Faculty mentors included Laura Bloxham, '69, Jim Waller, Laurie Lamon, '78, Dale Soden, Glena Schubarth, Doug Sugano and Dan Sanford, '65.

Our 106th Commencement was marked by the granting of honorary degrees to the Rev. Joong-Sik Han, head chaplain of Soong Sil University, Seoul, Korea; Dr. Amnuay Tapingkae, former president of Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Father Bernard Coughlin, S.J., president of Gonzaga University in Spokane. A dinner in the Campus Center honoring the recipients was extremely gratifying, as these noted educators expressed their admiration and affection for Whitworth.

Personal highlights of this past weekend for me included:

• having as our guest former President Mark Koehler, '37, Whitworth's only alumnus/president. Sadly, Dr. Koehler's wife, ClaraBelle, passed away in April; the Koehlers would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on Commencement Sunday;
• Leonard Oakland's brilliant Commencement address;
• seeing the members of the Class of 1946 at their 50-year reunion and remembering when I used to have that much energy;
• having senior Jeremy Haub introduce me not only as the Baccalaureate speaker but as his friend;
• having Jeremy Haub point out to 1,100 people that if the rate at which I'm losing my hair is any indication, I must have a fairly difficult job;
• wedging ourselves into the Chapel for the Senior Commissioning Service, at which our faculty members anointed our graduates for lives of service to God and humankind;
• listening at the Commissioning Service as faculty members and seniors expressed their love and appreciation for the growth they have brought to one another;
• dissolving into my chair Sunday night at 9:30 with a profound sense of completion, only to have four non-graduating students stop by to see if they could play basketball in our driveway (which they did), and to remind me implicitly that not far behind this class we just graduated are more energetic lives that God has given us to educate in heart and mind.

Next year the Academic Affairs Office will be led by Tammy Reid, '60, serving as interim chief academic officer, with associates Gary Whisenand from the Registrar's Office; Laura Bloxham, '69, from the English Department; Kathy Storm, vice president for Student Life; and Dale Soden from History/Political Studies. Touted as "Dean Team '96," these talented people who know and understand the college will provide strong leadership while we search for Ken Shipps' replacement. Please keep Ken in your prayers, as his move to John Brown University has been stalled by a serious health problem. We are confident of his ultimate return to full health, but he and his wife, Charlotte Kroeker, would appreciate your prayers.

Admissions & Enrollment

As of May 1, the numbers for applications and admittances are right where they were last year, which is exactly where we want them. Although freshman deposits are down 13 percent from last year's May 1 total, we hope that is a function of the government delays I referred to in my last letter. Our Admissions Office staff members are concerned about a painful phenomenon they're seeing this year. On one hand, students have a stronger desire than ever to attend Whitworth College, but on the other hand, the financial hurdles students are reporting have never been higher. We are all trying to figure out how to respond to this year's record number of students who list Whitworth as their first choice but who are unable to afford the cost.

As you would expect, our Financial Aid Office is doing everything possible to help students find ways to crack the cost barrier as we project an entering freshman class of 350 students. Incidentally, the Student Loan and Marketing Association recently honored Whitworth's Financial Aid Office, along with financial aid programs at nine other institutions, for innovation in assisting students. Congratulations to Traci Stensland and Marianne Hansen, '92, for putting together this award-winning program.

Student Life

Student Life activities in the last month of the year seem to take place hourly. The Mac Hall Talent Show superbly demonstrated the twisted minds of the men of Mac Hall. A lovely spring formal took place on a Lake Coeur d'Alene boat cruise with about 350 people in attendance. Springfest, held in Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane, raised money for the City Gate Mission. My contribution to Springfest was as one of several faculty and staff featured in the dunk tank. It was unsettling to see 300 students foaming at the mouth, clamoring to be first in line to throw something at me. I think the first guy thought he was supposed to knock the entire apparatus over and drown me.

Finances

Tom Johnson, our vice president for Business Affairs, reports that as of April 30 our budget is right on target. If our annual fund giving reaches our budgeted figure, we will complete the year with our 20th consecutive balanced budget.

The New Era era is over. We have returned our excess funds, signed an agreement with the court trustee, and been released from further responsibility and assured that the money we returned will be distributed to the many fine organizations that ended up with deep deficits as a result of this mess.

Athletics

Whitworth finished fourth in the NCIC McElroy-Lewis All-Sports Award balloting this year.We got big points for our three conference championships, but no points for having the best fans in the conference (even though we do).

Our men's track team finished fourth in the conference, with our women finishing fifth.Led by Coach Kirk Westre, freshman Chet Doughty, long jump; senior Trina Gumm, javelin, discus, and shot put; senior Dan Kepper, decathlon; senior Brian Lynch, 5,000 meters; freshman Betsy Slemp, hammer; and senior Diana Smith, discus, will head for the National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Whitworth baseball team also finished fourth in the conference with a record of 10-8 in the conference and 20-16 overall. Coach Rod Taylor, '91, led his team to a sweep of Whitman College on the final weekend of the season. The Pirates reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1992. First-team All-Conference selections from Whitworth included first baseman Sean Patterson of Spokane and pitcher Jason McDougal of Tacoma. All-Conference selectees were freshman Eric Brown, senior Chris Fukai, senior Larry Turner, senior Ryan Stevens, and junior Ryan Swan.

Women's tennis finished sixth in the NCIC, while the men came in third. The women ended the season with an 11-7 conference record. Both Jodi Baxter and Joelle Staudinger advanced to the third round in the conference championships. The men compiled a 7-7 record in the conference, and Jon Wrigley and Brad White finished second in flights five and six, respectively, at conference championships. Josef Durr took third place in flight one, and Sean Weston took third in flight two. Head Coaches Jo Wagstaff and Pat Dreves, '95, are looking forward to next season as the Bucs continue to improve.

Miscellaneous

For years, the Women's Auxiliary has sponsored events that raise money for the refurbishing of our residence halls. In April, Auxiliary members held their annual spring tea and style show, which they reported to be great fun. We deeply appreciate the work of these dear friends of the college.

When we speak of dear friends of the college, we must mention Dayne Nix, '64, who died in April here in Spokane. Dayne was the bursar at Whitworth from 1947 to 1990, and he was known for his loyalty to the college and for his generosity to Whitworth students - many of whom he helped with his own funds. After retiring from Whitworth, Dayne volunteered his time with the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, Meals on Wheels, and City Gate. He earned a lasting place in the heart of the Whitworth community.

If you haven't signed up for the sea-kayaking overnight trip in the San Juan Islands on August 11 and 12, be sure to call Tad Wisenor, '89, our alumni director, at 1-800-532-4668 or 509-466-3799. This is the first of many alumni trips we will be sponsoring in the years ahead.

The trustees accomplished much at the biannual board meeting on April 25 and 26.Approval to proceed with fund-raising efforts for the completion of the Cowles Auditorium remodel, Phase II of the Campus Center, and the Dorothy Dixon Faculty Center makes certain that we will be busy over the next two years. Also, the board approved construction of a 75-bed residence hall, pending the approval of a self-liquidating, private financing plan. For the past several years we have had to turn away many students who wanted to live on campus, and this project is designed to solve that problem in a way that will put no additional burden on our operating expenses. Of course, if anyone reading this letter wants to honor a loved one with a gift that would qualify for naming the building, every dollar reduced in the debt load would flow straight to the bottom line. Hence, instead of a self-liquidating financial structure, we would have an income-producing arrangement. I can't begin to tell you how much that would help us. In addition to this year's board meeting being very productive, board members gained new insights and deepened their relationships with one another in a 24-hour retreat that preceded the official meeting. Thanks to Carol Wendle and her committee for their work on what we all believe will be a regular addition to selected board meetings in the future. In the next Mind and Heart I will report on the newly elected trustees.

Dates to Remember

Closing Thoughts

Probably the best way for me to close this newsletter and to thank you for your support is to quote from a note I received from the mother of one of our graduating seniors: "I want to thank you, the faculty and everyone else who, in one way or another, touched my son's life during his four years of learning at Whitworth. He has become a mature, confident, and caring individual, and has come a long way in his faith journey. Please remember that all concerned have my heartfelt thanks and deepest gratitude for all they have done. May God bless their lives as richly as they have blessed Ed's." So I join with this mother in expressing gratitude to all of you who have contributed to the enrichment of Ed and his many classmates.