Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: May/June 1997
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
You will notice that this month's issue of Mind and Heart is also next month's issue. April and May have been bursting with activity and rich with significance. I simply could not find the time to crank out this newsletter during the middle of May; so here it is, Memorial Day, and I'm sitting here dictating in front of a muted television. As I reflect on all that's happened in the last month, I'm amazed at how abruptly an academic year ends. Last Sunday morning, graduates, relatives, friends, guests, alumni and members of the college community blanketed the campus. On Monday the place looked post-apocalyptic. We send special thanks to you this month, recognizing that your financial support, encouragement and prayers nudged many of last week's graduates across the stage. I hope this letter finds you in good spirits.
Academics
On May 18, a record 500 students marched in the 107th Commencement of Whitworth College. The Spokane Opera House was filled to capacity, and we apologize to those of you whom the fire marshall would not allow to enter the ceremony; next year we will either use a free ticket system or move to the larger Spokane Memorial Arena. Among the many notable elements of the ceremony were student speakers Sarah Eells and Scott Sund, Academic Achievement Award winner Kim Jewell, Servant Leadership Award winner Moses Pulei, and honorary degree recipient David Irwin, president of the Washington Friends of Higher Education. It was also a great privilege for me to be asked by the students of the Class of 1997, with whom I "entered" Whitworth College four years ago, to be their Commencement speaker.
This year's Sunday morning Baccalaureate service featured retiring Religion Professor Dale Bruner. Dale's sermon offered the finest statement of God's relationship with humanity that I have ever heard. Dale has been acclaimed by many as one of the great Bible teachers of our era, and this Baccalaureate service displayed the insight and passion that we will all miss very much.
Also retiring this year are French Pierrette Christianne-Lovrien and Psychology Professor Bill Johnson. Pierrette has been with Whitworth College for 34 years, Bill for 28 years. Retirements provide an excellent opportunity to chronicle our professors' impact, and we were all amazed at the list of contributions these wonderful Whitworthians have made. I know that Pierrette, Bill and Dale would love to receive notes from any of you who were touched by their lives. Just send notes to Whitworth College and we'll see that they receive them.
Two Whitworth professors have just published new books. Communication Studies Professor Gordon Jackson's book is titled Outside Insights For Contemporary South Africa (Human and Rousseau). And Associate Professor of Religion Jerry Sittser's A Cautious Patriotism: The American Churches and the Second World War was recently published by the University of North Carolina Press. We extend our congratulations to Gordon and Jerry.
Other Whitworthians in the news: Les Francis, associate professor of education, was honored by the Spokane Area Council of Librarians; Jim Waller, associate professor of psychology, gave the invited address, "Racism in America," at the International Conference on Developing Religious, Racial and Ethnic Tolerance; Mike Ingram, associate professor of communication studies, provided great leadership at the National Parliamentary Debate Association Championships; and Religion Professor Jerry Sittser, History/Political Studies Professors Corliss Slack and Julia Stronks, and Theatre Professor Diana Trotter are beginning work on their Pew Summer Fellowships.
We just received word that Tim Robblee, a 1990 Whitworth music education graduate, has led the student jazz combo at H.M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif., to the title of "Best High School Jazz Combo" in Downbeat magazine's International Competition. Great job, Tim!
Admissions & Enrollment
The May 15th admissions report looks very good. The number of new freshmen who have confirmed their intention to enroll at Whitworth is right where we want it to be and well above last year's. Our mid-May deposits were running 27 percent ahead of the May figure for 1996.
The Financial Aid Office has been busy packaging awards for our returning students.Most financial aid packages should arrive at home addresses before the end of June. This year, most student loan funds will transfer to individual accounts electronically, eliminating the need for students to sign checks at the Business Office.
Student Life
On the Monday of finals week we had a great Honors Forum in which award-winning seniors were recognized and a number of continuing-student endowed-scholarship winners were identified. Also, this year's Most Influential Professor award went to Forrest Baird, professor of religion and philosophy, and the Alumni Ideals Award went to senior Mark Jackson. Congratulations go to all the students who were recognized during Honors Forum for their achievements.
Apart from the Commencement and Baccalaureate ceremonies, the two best-attended Commencement Weekend celebrations were the Commissioning Service on Friday night and Senior Reflections on Saturday evening. This year's Commissioning Service included homilies by students Lissy Hatch, Jeremy Nelson and Troy Miller, English Professor Laura Bloxham, Professor Emeritus of Sociology Ron Frase and Resident Director Jim Page. This very meaningful evening was concluded in a communion service in which four stations of faculty members distributed the elements and anointed the seniors' heads with oil. Those of us who attended the service had no doubt that these seniors will go confidently into the world, living and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Both literally and metaphorically, it is hard for us to disengage from the sweet, sad embraces that end our four years together. But as we commission these students, we are, in turn, confirmed in our calling to serve the next class of freshmen, who will step nervously onto our campus this fall. Senior Reflections, emceed by Tim Hornor and Rebecca Ricards, provided a fun-filled evening of remembrance. Slides, journal entries, performances and skits crunched four years of hilarity and meaning into two hours and 15 minutes. There are some moments when the mere sight of a microphone in the hands of a student jacks my anxiety level to an immeasurable point, and although David Collins revved up my pulse a bit this year with his Bill Robinson imitation, it turned out to be a really fun evening.
A letter from Dean Chu, '76, pointed out that last month's Of Mind and Heart reference to the "17th Annual Luau" must have been mistaken. The report he gave of the luaus from 1972 to 1976 sounds very familiar. So maybe this was the 27th and not the 17th Annual Luau. However many we've had, they have been high points in Whitworth's social calendar.
Photographs taken by senior Steve Brashear and junior Carrie Wasser recently adorned the walls of the Campus Center. Their beautiful and moving pictures of South Africa, taken during the Jan-Term study tour, were a fine addition to the ambiance of this popular gathering place. The cafe area was built with the hope that student art would be displayed there, so we are pleased that Carrie and Steve put the space to its proper use.
The Black Student Union got everybody loosened up for finals with a "Last Chance Dance" in the Campus Center. It was a big success and very well attended. Many thanks go out to the BSU members for providing a great outlet for student stress during this busy time of year.
Finances
June is the final month of our fiscal year, and we need your help. As of May 16, your giving to the Annual Fund has been excellent, and we have received $980,415.21 in unrestricted Annual Fund gifts. But we still have $169,584.79 to go to reach our goal for this fiscal year. These funds are especially important, as they are used to balance the budget and to support important line items such as financial aid and faculty salaries.
I think we can make a strong case for those of you trying to decide whether to support Whitworth in the wonderful fact that this year, more than 100 parents of current students became new donors to Whitworth College during our Parent Phonathon. We are both strengthened and moved by this support. We also ask parents for their input on how we can do a better job of serving their children. At the last President's Cabinet meeting, we reviewed all the very helpful comments that came in. Thanks again, parents!
A huge thanks goes out to the Whitworth College Auxiliary. Over the years this group has given in excess of $200,000 to make Whitworth residence halls a better home away from home for our students. This year I peeked in on the auxiliary's annual fashion show and spotted supermodel Dolly Jackson and heartthrob Tad Wisenor (both of whom make style statements every day in Development and Alumni Relations) working the catwalk. Bonnie Robinson also got in on the fun and then tried to explain to me that there is an unwritten moral obligation to buy at least half the stuff you model.
Within the next few days we will start tearing up the campus again. We will begin construction on Phase II of the Campus Center by pushing the Loop road farther east in order to make room for the new building. We will also add parking areas on the east side of the new road. For the past several years we have also done interior renovation on several residence halls each summer. This summer we will be working in Ballard, McMillan and Warren Halls. We will also upgrade the kitchens in Arend, Baldwin-Jenkins and Stewart Halls.
I received more boos than cheers for the item in April's Of Mind and Heart identifying specific items that you might want to donate to the college. One of our trustees reminded me that Mind and Heart has served as an information source and not a fund-raising tool. I think she is right. I will always report on our financial situation, but my original motivation for starting this newsletter came from a remark that the only time alumni hear from the college is when it needs money.
At last, we have received official confirmation that the National Science Foundation is granting Whitworth College $660,000 toward a $2.1 million renovation of the Johnston Science Center. In order to accept this gift, we need to raise $240,000 (most of which has been pledged or received already) by August , and the balance by fall of 1998.
Athletics
With two match victories at the NAIA National Tennis Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., Whitworth's women's tennis team earned a tie for 36th place in the nation. Senior Jodi Baker led the way with a singles victory over the player from David Lipscomb College of Tennessee, and then teamed with senior Tara Fiebick for a hard-fought, three-set doubles victory over an opponent from North Dakota. Congratulations to Coach Jo Wagstaff and the entire team on a great season, which also included the NCIC conference title.
Despite a pesky flu bug that followed the team members to nationals, several track and field athletes made good showings at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Marietta, Ga., last week. With a throw of 130 feet two inches, senior Trina Gumm earned a sixth-place finish in the javelin and her third consecutive All-America showing at the national meet. In addition, freshman Rosalie Pope finished 15th in the long jump (16'-7.75") and 17th in the triple jump (35'-1"); senior Heather McDonald finished 16th in the heptathlon (3,206 points); and junior Betsy Slemp threw her way to a 24th-place finish in the hammer throw (127'-0") and a 25th-place finish in the discus (109'-8").
The baseball team finished up its best season in years with a 16-7 record in conference.Heading into the last weekend of the season, the Bucs had to win all five games to capture the NCIC championship. They beat Linfield in a close game Friday, then lost the second half of the doubleheader, 10-6. After a narrow 8-7 defeat on Saturday, the Pirates returned to Merkel Field to whip Whitman in a season-ending twin bill, and finished fourth in the conference. Senior catcher Alex Schuerman had several key hits to help pace the Bucs, and sophomore third baseman Jack Arthaud had a great weekend, going 4-5 with a home run in one of the crucial wins. Senior pitcher Clark Rider also turned in an awesome performance. Junior outfielder Jason Francek, who batted in the mid-.400s throughout the season, was named to the NCIC All-Conference first team, and six Bucs received conference honorable mentions.
To bring you up to date on post-season awards for our basketball players, senior Nate Williams and junior Ben Heimerman, of our men's team, received first-team All-NCIC honors, and junior Jeff Mix earned an honorable mention. On the women's side, seniors Jen Tissue and Sherri Northington were named to the All-NCIC second team, and senior Rebecca Moore received an honorable mention. MISCELLANEOUS I look forward to seeing many of you this summer. We are excited about the cluster reunions for the Classes of 1950-54 and for the Classes of 1971-73. We are also very excited about a record-breaking registration for the Whitworth Institute of Ministry. This year's daily speakers include Earl Palmer, Roberta Hestenes and our own Dale Bruner. What a rich time this will be!
Dates to Remember
June 8-14 Elderhostel I
June 13-15 Early '50s Alumni Reunion
June 27-29 25-year reunion for Classes of 1971,'72,'73
July 6-12 Elderhostel II
July 20 Dale Bruner Retirement Celebration
July 21-26 Whitworth Institute of Ministry
Closing Thoughts
We conclude the 1996-97 academic year with the strong sense that Christ was and is in our midst. Our Redeemer and Friend walked with us through every situation, in heartbreak and joy, on both sides of every issue, and in the daily tasks that are sometimes the most challenging of all. Thanks be to God, and thanks to all of you for sustaining us through another year.
