Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: October 2002
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
Yesterday, my class of Whitworth seniors heard the story of a young widow in Mississippi who found herself 2,000 miles from family with twin girls to raise, no job training and only a high-school diploma. Today she is a renowned researcher in bioinformatics who serves as a professor here at Whitworth. In the final acknowledgment of Susan Mabry's doctoral dissertation at Cal Irvine, she says nothing of the obvious grit needed to overcome the crushing barriers of her journey; rather, she tells of a gracious God who led and protected her down a path that was so surprising, so difficult and so good because God was there. The students who heard this account will graduate into a world tormented by economic and military threats far greater than we have seen in recent years. They are bright, well-educated and confident. But I think this environment has caught their attention. I think they want to hear the same "Follow me" that Susan heard. I think they are right where God wants them. May that be said of us all.
Academics
Teaching college students is really good but it's really hard. They need as much as we have to give. So I'm impressed that our faculty members carry their expertise beyond the classroom. Below are two examples. I'll include more next month.
- Russ Richardson (Athletic Training): If you see Russ on ABC or ESPN October 23-27, it will be because someone has taken a serious pratfall, and I hope it's someone other than Russ. As an athletic trainer for the U. S. Figure Skating Association, he is one of two medical directors for an event that will take place in Spokane, and is the primary-care provider for the U.S. delegation. The other director is Ed Reisman, the team physician for our Athletics Department, who is himself a former world-class pairs skater. Russ, Ed and many of our athletic training students should have a great time working this event.
- Betty Williams (Education) has been named project director for a $500,000 federal grant made to the Spokane Guilds' School. The school serves children from birth to age 3 who have disabilities, as well as their families. Betty reports, "The grant will bring together some of the best minds in the country." As a result of the grant, four conferences will be held on the Whitworth campus during the coming year on early identification and assessment, educational treatment, pediatric therapies, and family involvement. The public can benefit from several free presentations, the first on Nov. 5. For more information, contact Betty at 777-4688.
On Sept. 20 we celebrated the official launch of our new School of Global Commerce and Management. It was a grand statement of the new identity and mission in our business-related programs. Enriching the event was the presence of those who laid the foundation for this effort, including former business faculty members Rich Hungate, Jay Kendall, Chuck McKinney, Dan Sanford and George Weber. Our 150 guests had the opportunity to hear from Wayne Angell, formerly of the Federal Reserve Board, and Dean Kyle Usrey offered an inspiring statement of the world's need for globally trained business leaders with Whitworth values.
We've had two great exhibits recently in our Koehler Gallery. The first was by Spokane artist Ken Yuhasz, who displayed his neon sculpture in an exhibit in September. Then, early in October, we opened Harvesting Hope and Humor, featuring nine members of the Northwest Papier Mâché Artists' Guild. Their sculpture, on display until Nov. 27, features a wide range of imaginative pieces, including work by local artists.
Veteran jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath will perform in concert with the acclaimed Whitworth Jazz Ensemble Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. As one of the last original-generation jazz artists still performing around the world, Heath has played with Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and a host of other jazz legends. Now, at 75, he's one of the treasures of the U.S. and the jazz world.
Enrollment
Our official enrollment has been recorded at 2,206. I'm glad that we are able to provide a Whitworth education for more students than ever, but this number is a little above our ideal. Actually, if the rise in enrollment were the result of significantly overshooting our freshman class target, we'd be like sardines. But almost all of the growth has come through transfers and retention, with the latter pushing our six-year graduation rate above 70 percent (very high in relative terms).
The first of our two Great Escape campus visit programs for high school seniors will be held Oct. 20-21. Information and registration materials can be found on the Whitworth website in the Prospective Students section. The second Great Escape date is Nov. 17-18. Please spread the word.
Student Life
Community Building Day is a great Whitworth tradition. The whole Spokane region loves it, as do we. This year's event began with a town-hall meeting organized by ASWC that dealt with issues of poverty in Spokane. Then, more than 600 students, faculty and staff went to work, and I watched nine buses filled with students head off to nonprofit organizations all over Spokane. In the words of one organization's director, "They did three days' work in two hours, which means we won't have to close down our soup kitchen at all to do this work."
Bonnie and I were at the symphony a few weeks ago and saw Whitworth students everywhere we looked. This is not unusual, because the Spokane Symphony graciously releases unsold tickets to college students on performance night for drastically reduced rates. With that in mind, Mark Baker, '04, organized a night at Dick's Drive-In and the symphony. (Although Dick's is the cultural antithesis of the symphony, the burgers are so good that you don't mind having to eat with one hand while you thump yourself in the chest with the other to keep the sludge moving through your arteries.) So 67 students dressed up and drove to Dick's while Mark took everyone's ID to the ticket window along with the cash he had collected, got all the tickets, then joined the group at the drive-in. Way to go, Mark.
Resources
Last Saturday morning I heard the sound that scares me like no other -- sirens on campus. Our health center was on fire. Fortunately, no one was in the building at the time and there have been no related injuries, but the building is probably totalled. It appears that the fire was electrical. Fire district investigators and our insurance consultants will complete their reports in the near future, and we should soon have a plan for relocation. Right now we are using space in the physical plant building and a couple of mobile units to serve students. Kudos to Jan Murray (health center director) and Steve Thompson (director of facilities) for having the operation back in business by Monday morning.
During Homecoming Weekend we will celebrate the success of our Faith in the Future Campaign. We ended the campaign with you giving beyond our $50-million goal by more than $10 million. This is a wonderful expression of support for our mission and our students. Thank you so much. While we're oversubscribed in some areas, we still need to finish several key initiatives. Most important, we still need to collect $1.3 million to finish Weyerhaeuser Hall. But we thank God that the campaign resulted in more than $31 million to enhance our academic program in the form of faculty development, programmatic dollars and student scholarships; in just over $14 million for capital improvements; and in more than $14 million in operational money. We cannot thank you enough. I hope you can be here for our time of celebration and thanksgiving.
Athletics
Fall athletics continue to flourish. Below is an update from Steve Flegel, '89, our excellent sports information director.
The volleyball team is cruising toward another outstanding season. The Bucs are 13-1 overall and 4-0 in the Northwest Conference after sweeps of PLU and UPS. The second win was especially impressive because the Loggers were ranked 10th in the nation. But Whitworth, now ranked 7th, responded to the challenge and rolled to the win. Julie Weatherred has followed up her All-America season by leading the Bucs in kills, hitting percentage and digs. She was named NWC Player of the Week after hitting .491 and putting down 31 kills against PLU and UPS, including a match-high 20 kills against UPS.
The cross-country teams have performed very well. The women have been ranked in the DIII Top 25, and Leslie Nelson has won three races, including last week's Pasco Big Cross Invitational. She leads a solid mix of veterans (Beth Abbey, Jessica Austin, Elaine Heineman) and freshmen (Kristi Dickey, Heather Thomsen, Teranne McComas) who will make the Pirates a formidable group come conference and regional championships.
Men's cross-country has shown dramatic improvement. Jesse Stevick, Ben Robinson and Doug Blackburn give the men an impressive 1-3 combination. They led Whitworth to a second-place finish in Pasco. If a couple more men step up, the Bucs can really improve upon their 2001 results at the conference and regional championships.
Women's soccer is ready. The Pirates gave Whitman all it could handle in a 4-3 loss on Sept. 25. Then the Bucs defeated Linfield, 1-0, in Oregon, and gave 10th-ranked Willamette a struggle before losing 3-1, also on the road. Heather Sale and Piper Moore form a dangerous offensive combination. Each scored two goals and added assists over the weekend. Whitworth is 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the NWC.
Men's soccer faces serious obstacles in its quest to repeat as NWC champ. The Pirates lost key defender J.R. Remmington and scoring leader Calvin Ball to injuries, then opened defense of their title with a 4-1 win over Whitman -- but they sustained a 3-1 loss at undefeated Linfield and a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat in double overtime at Willamette. They're now 5-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference, and Scott Kerwien is one of the NWC leaders in assists this season with six.
After three big victories, the football Bucs suffered their first loss, 31-28, at Montana-Western. Some pundits thought the Bucs would be fortunate to win even one of their difficult first four contests. But impressive wins over Montana Tech (35-14) and Menlo College (30-7) followed a dramatic victory over Bethel (27-26) in the season opener. The offensive line, led by team captain Isaac Larson, has performed wonderfully well, helping quarterback Scott Biglin and wide receiver Dwayne Tawney to put up outstanding numbers. The defense, led by Jon Hook, Jeff Riddell, Dusty Kinley and Austin Neale, has also been stellar. Whitworth's attempt to defend its NWC championship begins with the Bucs' conference opener against Willamette in the Pine Bowl on Oct. 12.
Alumni
Spaces are currently available for alumni and parents on next year's Core 650 Germany tour, Back Roads of the Reformation, with Religion Professor Jim Edwards and his wife, Janie. The trip will take place July 29-Aug. 9, beginning in Berlin and ending in Dresden. Check out our website, www.whitworth.edu/alumni/germany2003.htm, or call the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at (800) 532-4668 for info.
During this year's Homecoming Weekend, you can attend our fall theatre production, The Sound of Music, as well as great athletics events, including a battle between last year's conference co-champions in football (Whitworth and PLU), campaign celebrations, and worship on Sunday morning. All of the latest info is on the web (www.whitworth.edu/alumni/homecoming.htm), and the registration form is available for you to sign up online. I am also delighted to include this announcement from Alumni Director Tad Wisenor:
We're pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2002 Alumni Awards. They will be honored at Homecoming at a reception on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m. in the chapel. Look for more information online after Homecoming Weekend, and keep those nominations coming!
Distinguished Alumni Award
The oldest practicing surgeon in the U.S., Grant Rodkey, M.D., '39, is a senior teaching surgeon at the Veterans Administration hospital in Jamaica Plains, Mass., a visiting surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and a clinical professor at Boston University. He earned his M.D. at Harvard and received a Massachusetts Medical Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.Alumni Service to Whitworth Award
Tireless supporters and longtime volunteers Dick and Mary Ann Barney, both '60, moved to Spokane from Seattle upon retirement. Dick is a devoted fan of Whitworth athletics and a member of the Crimson Club board, and he and Mary Ann have served countless hours in support of our alumni office and of the annual Christmas choir concerts.Alumni Mind & Heart Award
Richard Carr, '49, retired as a major general and chief of chaplains for the U.S. Air Force in 1982, after serving throughout the world and establishing marriage and military family support programs at airbases worldwide. Originally ordained in the Church of Christ, he helped establish the Washington, D.C., office of World Vision. Dick is interim pastor at National Presbyterian Church in the nation's capital.Recent Alumni Award
A local TV news producer in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Portland after graduating from Whitworth, Jen Pifer, '92, now works for CNN in Atlanta, where she is senior producer of News Night with Aaron Brown.
Join us for our annual pre-concert dessert on Nov. 9 at 6:45, as saxophonist Jimmy Heath joins Professor of Music Dan Keberle and the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble for an evening of good sweets and sweet tunes. Call the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations or sign up online at www.whitworth.edu/calendar/AlumniCalendar.htm.
Closing Thoughts
Milestone:
We've just received the news of the death of Lillian Whitehouse Lyle, who died Oct. 1. Lillian was employed at Whitworth from 1965-1981 as associate dean of students, dean of women, associate director of student development, and director of the Women in Transition program. Lillian was a blessing to so many of us in so many ways. And she made significant contributions toward the education of women, non-traditional students, and senior-citizen scholars. Memorial contributions may be made in Lillian's name to Whitworth or to the Spokane YWCA (829 Broadway, Spokane, WA 99201).
My apologies to those of you who were nice enough to call about the leadership book I wrote. We had a little mixup on our end. If you order through amazon.com or call our bookstore (509) 777-3710, you shouldn't have any trouble. It's been fun doing readings and speaking about the research that went into the book. I always find people especially attentive because I'm from Whitworth. I think folks also find that the scandalous behavior we've seen in the management of high-profile companies makes the leader who dwelt among us and we beheld him... (John 1:14) so much more compelling than the leaders who dwell above us where we can't see them. Well, enjoy this beautiful autumn, and thanks for all that you do for Whitworth.
