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President Emeritus Bill Robinson

  1. Whitworth University
  2. President Emeritus Bill Robinson
  3. Of Mind & Heart Newsletter
  4. May 2002

Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: May 2002

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

It's my custom to wait until after commencement to write the May Mind and Heart. I like to report fresh graduation news, and I seem to be a bit less agitated than when I'm raging around in my annual mid-May panic. Something wonderful happens to me on the drive home from graduation. Although my right hand and my face ache from all the shaking and grinning, I feel a sudden sense of contentment, believing that we have laid solid foundations for lives of mind-and-heart commitment. Most of this year's grads witnessed the Columbine shootings as freshmen and the terrorist attacks as seniors. Those are sobering brackets to what should be a blissfully idealistic season of life. What will become of these students' hopes and dreams? I predict they'll mount a furious charge toward their goals. This class has heard the term "victims" more than enough, and they will not allow themselves to be victims of fear, disrupted opportunities, or anything else. Between 1998 and 2002, the Whitworth mission intersected with a wildly volatile environment. Out of that intersection emerged graduates with toughened resolve, heightened perception, and a longing for God's kingdom. May God go with the Class of 2002 as they lead us.

Academics

Every Monday after Commencement, Vice President for Academic Affairs Tammy Reid hosts a TGIM brunch during which she announces faculty awards and we hear from retiring faculty members. Award winners this year were Randy Michaelis, School of Education (Whitworth Teaching Excellence Award); Brent Edstrom, Music (Dean's Award for Junior Faculty Achievement); and Craig Hinnenkamp, School of Global Commerce and Management (Outstanding Adjunct Award). We also heard wonderful farewell remarks from Les Francis (Education), Linda Hunt (English), and Don and Doris Liebert (Sociology, Education). Rod Hansen (Math/Computer Science) could not be with us. Huge thanks, roaring kudos and Godspeed to these faithful Whitworth profs.

Some of you may be unaware of our 3+2 program in engineering. We've had long relationships with several prestigious schools that welcome our pre-engineering students. This year, Nichol Pettis has been selected as a 2002 Harold P. Brown Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. This undergraduate award includes a full-tuition scholarship as well as a $3,000 yearly stipend. Nichol participated in an extensive essay and interview competition that drew from students across the nation; she was selected as one of only two students to receive this award. Great job, Nichol!

Too often, college freshmen are characterized as fun-loving teenagers stretching the limits of their new freedom. Such is not always the case. A couple of weeks ago, students from the freshman seminar course Justice and Ethics in the Era of AIDS organized an on-campus AIDS-awareness event. With the support of advisor Frank Caccavo, the students centered the event around a panel discussion by the Spokane AIDS Speakers Bureau. Students from the Theatre Department also offered an AIDS-related presentation. The goal of the event was to encourage outreach and provide opportunities to serve HIV/AIDS-affected people in Spokane.

Not only are current students standing tall, but our young grads are making us proud.Heather Steckler Parker, '96, will make her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall on Nov. 3 as a winner of the 2002 Puccini Foundation Competition. I'm so psyched about this. Heather is great, and this is a fabulous event - as I discovered when I attended the Tully Hall debut of Frank Hernandez , '93, after his Puccini Competition victory. Also, Alissa Johnson, '01, has received a Fulbright grant to study in Africa. Alissa will examine how the economic forces of globalization are causing increasingly rapid cultural creolisation in West Africa. Her project brings together the study of film, economics, and culture in a very innovative and compelling manner. Both Rob Wilson (School of Global Commerce and Management) and Carol Smucker (Modern Languages) worked closely with Alissa on this project.

Summer marks the season when faculty fan out for various summer projects, but every year it seems as if the sponsored research activity on the Whitworth campus grows.

  • Finn Pond (Biology), Kent Jones, and Susan Mabry (both Math/Computer Science) are recipients of the college's Summer Science Initiative funding for research projects with students.
  • Karen Stevens, Don Calbreath (both Chemistry), and Finn Pond received Summer Science Initiative curriculum grants to revise courses.
  • Richard Stevens (Physics) and Karen Stevens will work with Project Kaleidoscope on Science for All Students, also funded by the Summer Science Initiative.
  • Jim Waller (Psychology) and Pamela Corpron Parker, '81, (English) have been selected to be the college's nominees for National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipends.

Also, many faculty will be writing, speaking and presenting papers off campus this summer.

Enrollment

We have a great class lined up for this fall. Residence halls will again be bulging at the seams. Academic quality is at an all-time high, while our gender ratio is much more even than in years past. On the downside, because of another record-breaking number of applications, we've had the wretched task of denying admission to more students than ever before. Nobody likes that. Undoubtedly, there are talented young people in this group denied admission who will just hit their stride a little late. I hope we'll see them as transfers.

The Financial Aid Office is so grateful to those who make scholarships possible at Whitworth. These funds allow many students to return and graduate. Award notices for 2002-03 renewal applicants are going out this month to students' home addresses. If a student filed the FAFSA by the May 1 priority deadline and has not received an award by the last week in June, please give the Financial Aid Office a call at 800-533-4668. As always, students who receive only merit scholarships do not need to file the FAFSA.

Student Life

I would have loved this year's great Springfest had I taken only one bite of a "treat" that the FDA should ban right now. I was one of many fools who risked adult diabetes or a massive heart attack by gobbling deep-fried Oreos smothered in hot fudge and whipped cream. I was really proud of one student who skipped the whipped cream because it was fattening. Anyway, it was a beautiful day with bands, comedians, and "Mr. Whitworth" honors going to sophomore Landon Crecelius (not exactly résumé material). This year's Springfest proceeds went to the Spokane Food Bank.

Next year's ASWC officers are President EmmyLou Taylor, Executive Vice President Stacey Johnson, and Financial Vice President Tim Frey. They'll do a great job. Special thanks this year to all of our ASWC leaders and particularly to Tony Hoshaw, ASWC president, and Tristan Brown, senior class coordinator. In the next Whitworth Today, which should arrive in your mailbox in mid-July, you'll read about our very unusual - and very successful - student-leadership program.

Resources

The campus is just stunning right now. The grass is so green and lush, and we're even starting to see a few blades standing tall in the Ultimate Frisbee war zone in the Loop. Summer projects for our Physical Plant Department will begin with landscaping the south end of the Pine Bowl so that it matches the beautiful work done last summer on the north end. Also, we'll put new roofs on the Johnston Science Center and the fieldhouse and do renovations in Ballard and in East and West Warren.

On the fund-raising side of life, we have good news, anxious news, and nervous news.Our good news is that with two months left in our Faith in the Future Campaign you have donated or pledged $57.5 million, which exceeds our goal of $50 million. Your generosity inspires and humbles us. Thank you. Our anxious news is that we still need $1.4 million in gifts/pledges before we break ground on our new academic building, Weyerhaeuser Hall. We are absolutely ready and anxious to start turning dirt now, but we are also adamant that we will not use any debt financing. Although we have far less long-term debt than any of our top cross-application schools, we believe that people who love Whitworth will step forward and keep us from having to hand our successors heavy debt burdens. Finally, our nervous news is that as of April 30, we still need $350,000 in our annual Whitworth Fund before June 30. Yikes! If any of you would like to make a gift you can use conventional snail mail, make your gift online at www.whitworth.edu/supportingwhitworth, or call Campaign Director Stacey Smith at 800-532-4668. We are so grateful to the many alumni, friends, parents and organizations who have supported the mission of Whitworth. You're great.

I'm honored, grateful and excited to report that Whitworth is planning to keep me in this job for the next five years. In two of the biggest areas of my life - what I do and the person with whom I do it - I am one lucky hombre. I thought I should include this information so that you'd be aware (perhaps "warned" would be more apt) that for at least another five years, I will be here plugging away, working and praying as hard as I can to steward your generosity well. Thanks for making Whitworth a great place to do what I do.

Athletics

The slammin' boys of summer had another outstanding season, finishing 16-8 in the NWC and 20-18 overall. The baseball Bucs finished second in the conference, only a half-game behind George Fox. Three Pirates were named All-Northwest Conference: senior catcher Brian Savery (for the second straight season), who led the conference in runs scored and batted .415; junior pitcher Kurt Reese, who finished with a 6-3 record and a 4.41 ERA; and junior shortstop Chris Hughbanks, who batted .367. Seniors Scott Biglin (first base) and Aaron Keller (outfield), along with junior Marques Molett (utility), earned honorable mentions. I loved watching these guys just demolish opposing pitchers this year.

The tennis teams completed their seasons at the Northwest Conference championship tournament April 19-20. The women's team took third place, their highest finish since winning the NWC title in 1997. A pair of juniors received honors when Jill Huibregtse was named All-Northwest Conference and Jill Vaughan was voted the conference's Sportswoman of the Year. The Pirate men took seventh in the tournament, and freshman Chad Dierickx received all-conference honors.

Softball finished the season 5-29, and sophomore shortstop Laura Romag earned all-conference honorable mention. The future looks promising, as a pair of freshmen were the team's top hitters. Andraya Robertson batted .351, while Aubri Azzarito batted .312 and led the team in extra base hits and RBI.

The Pirate track-and-field teams had another strong season. The women took third at the Northwest Conference championships. Sophomore Kristen Shields won the 100-meter dash and anchored our victorious 4x100 relay team. Sophomore Leslie Nelson came from 30 meters behind to win the 10,000 in dramatic fashion (I went nuts watching that race). And senior Abby Jo Hornstein was Whitworth's fourth female conference champion, winning the heptathlon. The Whitworth men took fifth place. Senior Leo Suzuki won the 400 for the third consecutive year, junior Ben Rorem sprinted to victory in the 100, and both Pirate relays took home gold medals, with Leo anchoring the 4x400 and Ben anchoring the 4x100. Five Pirate track athletes are headed to the NCAA Division III championships this week in St. Paul. Ben and Leo will run the 100 and 400, respectively, junior Beth Abbey will run the 800 meters, and junior Jessica Austin and Abby Jo will compete in the heptathlon.

Alumni

We're excited about the Summer Reunion Weekend on June 28-30. The weekend, which will feature faculty lectures, a lake cruise, reunion banquet, lodging in Boppell Hall, reminiscing, worship together, and breakfast with Alumni Director Tad Wisenor and me, will be a wonderful time of celebration for the classes of 1950-54, '61- 62, '71-72, and '81-82. Please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations with any questions, or check the web at www.whitworth.edu/alumni/reunion2002.htm.

The entire college community gathered at the HUB last week for our annual Service Awards Banquet. The following retirees were honored: Sally Bumgarner, program assistant in the sciences since 1990; Les Francis, education professor since 1984; Rod Hansen, math and computer sciences professor since 1981; Linda Hunt, English professor since 1981; Doris Liebert, education professor since 1983; Don Liebert, sociology professor since 1973; Alice Keller Mewbourn, director of human resources, and Ray Kuhn, HVAC specialist. Honors for outstanding service went to Luz Merkel, administration; Mark Bessermin, Physical Plant; Kathy Davis, Professional/Technical; Michelle Seefried, support staff; and Craig Tsuchida, faculty. It was a great time with great people!

This year's Whitworth Institute of Ministry (July 15-19) will follow the theme Evangelism in the 21st Century. Jim Singleton, senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas (and one of our fine trustees), will be the preacher. Convocation speaker will be Miriam Adeney, associate professor of missions at Seattle Pacific University. And the Bible teacher will be Darrell Guder, Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary (and former academic V. P. at Whitworth). This will be a great program with special youth and family activities. Contact Program Assistant Michelle Seefried, 509-777-3275 or mpace@whitworth.edu, for information.

Closing Thoughts

In my charge to the members of the Class of 2002, I made the observation that not everyone out there will love them as we do. As Jesus graduated into his third year of ministry, he encountered a few naysayers himself. The Pharisees thought he was demon-possessed (Mt. 12: 22). His kinfolk thought he was nuts (Mark 3:22). His neighborhood seemed to think he was a fraud (Mt. 13:53-58). And Herod thought he was John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded, reincarnated (Mt. 14:2). Jesus didn't let these mistaken identities throw him for a loop. He shook the dust off his sandals and moved on. But the moment of truth came when his dear disciples mistook him for a ghost as he came to their rescue on the Sea of Galilee (Mt. 14:26). Jesus responded to their confusion with magnificent clarity: "Take courage, It is I, don't be afraid" (Mt. 14:27). In a world that has become quite frightening, I hope our graduates will look for Jesus coming to them in the storm saying, "…It is I, don't be afraid." Life will stir fears in the hearts of this class, but if, through the wind and the rain, they see Jesus, the great I AM, then calm will be theirs, and they will declare with the disciples, "Truly, this is the son of God." I hope this summer brings all of you God's peace. Thanks for your part in another very good year at Whitworth.