Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: September 2003
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
One week ago we were making final preparations for the arrival of 500+ new students. Two days later the tidal wave hit the beach. Nobody drowned, and everything went remarkably well. The arrival of students, new and returning, is exhilarating for us. In this kind of work, we carry a sense of readiness and calling that really cranks up the volume on "now." And, speaking of cranking up the volume, I must report on an excellent decision made by our Baldwin-Jenkins men. Evidently, they were poised en masse outside our bedroom window in the very wee hours one morning, thinking that Bonnie and I might enjoy hearing them rehearse their yells. No doubt both we and the entire north end of Spokane would have loved the experience at a more human hour, but someone thought to check his watch. Good move. This BJ brotherhood symbolizes the remarkable work done by our student-life staff and student leaders. Somehow they lead this large collection of new students, who are in many cases nervous and lonely, into rich and supportive relationships in a matter of a few days. The day after the new students arrived, I listened to senior Steve Badke blow a traditional Scottish tune on the bagpipes as he led almost 200 students to a formal dinner in the HUB. It was an amazing sight. When Steve was a freshman, he and some of his friends asked me how you become a leader. Neither they nor I remember what I said, but they are now seniors and leading this campus well. I'm inspired to think that before long the students marching to the HUB will also be leading us. We are privileged to participate in this great process of growth. Without your support, it wouldn't be possible. Thank you for all you do on behalf of these students and Whitworth College.
Academics
Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk across Victorian America, by recently retired English professor Linda Lawrence Hunt, is all over the regional best-seller lists. This is the remarkable story of an Eastern Washington woman and her 18-year-old daughter, who crossed the country in 1896 in response to a $10,000 challenge that women were too weak to make the journey. A mother of eight facing hard times, Estby saw the reward as a means to save the family's homestead. Braving harsh weather and criticism for bucking social norms and abandoning her family, Estby and her daughter completed the journey only to learn that the sponsor had reneged on the bet and refused even to pay their train fare home. I found out how hot this book is when I was the speaker last month at the University of Idaho's administrative-leadership retreat. I happened to sit next to the head of U of I's publishing house, who didn't know where I was from. I asked him how things were going and he just uncorked on this great new book of theirs -- Linda's book. You can get it through www.amazon.com or the Whitworth bookstore. By the way, I got the July sales total for my book sales on Amazon. If you're the person who bought my book that month, thanks. You kept me from a goose egg.
We welcome 18 new faculty colleagues this year. Some are permanent, while others are on visiting appointments. Among their ranks are four alumni: Ben Brody, '98 (Music), Mike Sardinia, '87 (Biology), Steve Schadt '96 (swim coach, director of the Aquatics Center), and Pete Tucker, '91 (Computer Science). The others are Mary Alberts (director of our Master of International Management program), Angeles Aller (Spanish), Dan Axelsen (Economics), Keith E. Beebe (Religion), Andrea Donahoe (Psychology), Jolene Fisher (Athletics Trainer), Marc Hafso (Music), Karin Heller (Religion), John Larkin (Physics), Changnam Lee (Education), Stephen Oster (Chemistry), Melissa Sprenkle (English), Lisa Taylor-Laurier (Education), and Deborah Tully (director of our new degree- completion/elementary-teacher-certification program).
Whitworth ranked sixth among 126 master's-level universities in the 15-state Western region in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2004" issue. Last year the magazine, which annually rates colleges on academic reputation and quality, positioned Whitworth in a tie for fifth place with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and University of Portland. This year Cal Poly was ranked fifth, with Whitworth in sixth place and the University of Redlands in seventh. The University of Portland dropped to eighth. If you count down, we moved up. Last year we were one place ahead of eighth place. This year we are two places above eighth place. Even though we made this massive jump, I still am very skeptical about the validity of these rankings. My issues notwithstanding, I am pleased that we moved from 11th to sixth in the "Best Value" rankings.
Our 441 freshmen this year have an average high-school GPA of 3.61, and average SAT scores of 1155. Both of these are slight increases over last year. In addition, 23 of our students were valedictorians in their high schools. Frankly, we could make these numbers better if we were willing to lop off some high-potential/low-score students from academically disadvantaged backgrounds. But I hope we never compromise our values that way. For example, in less than a week we have seen already the impact of our three "Lost Boys of Sudan," who could have brains the size of Egypt and still not hope to score high on an SAT test they have to take in their fifth language. Beyond the Class of '07's numbers, Assistant Dean of Students Dayna Coleman, who does a superb job running orientation, reports that this is a really spirited group.
And also on the international front, we have 17 new exchange students. They're from countries as diverse as Scotland, Mexico, Bulgaria and Uruguay. We're thrilled to have the richness of backgrounds and perspectives they bring our way. In addition, we have many of our own students going abroad, either for a semester or for the full academic year. Their destinations include the Netherlands, France, La Reunion, Hong Kong and Costa Rica.
Enrollment
Until the 10th day of classes, we can't say exactly where our enrollment numbers come in, but here's what we know right now:
- Total institutional enrollment is 2,264. This compares with 2,206 last year, an increase of 58. We expect another 20-30 graduate students by the time registration closes.
- Full-time undergraduates: 1,934. Last year's number was 1,863.
- Full-time matriculated day students: 1,714. This number will go up as upper-division students submit independent-study forms, etc. Last year the number was 1,679, so we are currently up 35 students and will likely come in up 50-60 students.
- Entering first-time full-time freshmen: 441. We're up six or seven over last year.
- Entering transfers: 89. This figure will be down roughly a dozen from last year.
- Retention of last year's freshmen: 88 percent. This number is still tentative, but it won't go higher.
Nothing in these numbers is alarming, although we were hoping to reduce slightly rather than increase our freshman numbers. All in all, this is a great group we have studying here, and we'll accommodate the extra students.
Student Life
Orientation of the new students to Whitworth is over and we're all exhausted. I just had lunch with some freshmen who absolutely loved orientation, but were really ready for classes to start. If the yell-off and Mock Rock are any indication, new students are now completely loyal to their new halls and would fall on their swords for each other (on purpose). ASWC's club roster is strong, with many offerings and many new students becoming involved in everything from the Political Activism Club to the Water Polo Club to Whitworth Missions Fellowship. One of the features of orientation that students raved about was "Step Afrika." If you're a parent of a new student, you can expect your child to move with sharply improved rhythm. This week concludes with the traditional Stewart Lawn Dance, an outside grass-volleyball tournament, and Music Mayhem, a game show in which one's music-trivia knowledge is worth prizes of money and CD players. Thanks to the Student Life staff for their excellence, energy and endurance.
Resources
We're very encouraged by our start on this year's Whitworth Annual Fund. Thank you for your support. We, like many not-for-profits, fell off in annual-fund giving last year, so we're working hard to bring attention to this need. With that goal in mind, our students are foaming at the mouth as they prepare for phonathon. Thanks for taking their calls. Many of them couldn't be here if it weren't for your support. I felt like a jerk last year when my daughter's university phonathoner called. I was still a bit bummed that our daughter hadn't followed her siblings' footsteps to Whitworth, so I was a bit stingy in the warmth category. Wouldn't you know it, this caller wants to know who our kid is; then, of course, he knows her, raves about her, and all of a sudden I'm all sweetness and light. Eesh. It's always good to be nice to these students who work hard for a good cause.
Local alumni and friends have a few more weeks to witness the dazzling beds of flowers that illumine our campus entrance. Other floral additions include flower pots hanging from the lamp posts that line the south sidewalk of the loop. Very Swiss.
Athletics
It's still a bit early in the season, but Sports Information Director Steve Flegel reports the following:
Cross-country: Nearly 40 student-athletes have turned out for Coach Schwarz's cross-country team this fall. Both squads got off to a solid start, finishing second in the men's and women's competitions in Whitworth's own Harrier Classic. Leslie Nelson finished second in the women's meet, while Doug Blackburn finished fourth in the men's race.
Football: Whitworth begins the 2003 season this weekend at Bethel, in St. Paul, Minn. Coach Tully's squad of 92 players includes 10 defensive and eight offensive starters returning from 2002. Whitworth was picked to finish fourth in the very competitive Northwest Conference, but any of the top four teams could win the title.
Men's soccer: The Pirates hope to improve on last season's third-place finish, and they have the tools to do it with eight starters back. Coach Bushey's team will be young but potentially explosive, led by super-sophomores Todd Sabrowski and Jonathan Carlson. The Bucs open 2003 hosting Edgewood (Wisc.) and Cal State Monterey Bay in the Ramada Invitational.
Women's soccer: Optimism is high that the Pirates can break into the top three of the NWC. Whitworth returns nine starters, including Heather Sale-Carlson, Whitworth's leading scorer in each of the last three seasons. The Bucs got off to a good start with a 1-0 shutout of Carroll College (Mont.) to open the season.
Volleyball: The young Pirates are looking to surprise the field this season. They lost all six starters and eight seniors from last season's NWC-title-winning team, and this year's 11-member squad includes 10 freshmen and sophomores. But Bekah Hornor and Katy Schrader could be the nucleus of a new title contender.
Alumni
Following our first home football game Sept. 20, Spokane-area graduates of the last decade (the GOLD Club) are invited to an ice-cream social at the president's house. That's the white building where I live with my wife and two recent grads who have boomeranged back home for a few months. RSVP on the website at www.whitworth.edu/calendar/alumnicalendar.htm.
Homecoming 2003 is coming up Sept. 26 & 27! It's an early one this year, so sign up now for all of your events at www.whitworth.edu/alumni/homecoming.htm. Reunions will be held for friends and fans of Sam Adams and for members of the Class of '93, and all alumni are invited to the first George F. Whitworth Honors Banquet on Friday night and a "Pirates of the Caribbean" barbecue before Saturday's football game. Reservations are required for many of the events, so please respond now.
Friday, Oct. 17, is our fall pre-play dessert, as we enjoy Puck-ish pudding and other dreamy sweets in the HUB before Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in Cowles Auditorium. Bonnie and I and some great Whitworth friends saw this play in Ashland, Ore., this summer. It's so good.
Join English Professor and Whitworth icon Leonard Oakland in Portland Oct. 18 or Seattle Oct. 19 for Films in Our Lives: How We Experience the Movies, our latest regional Core 650 offering for alumni, parents, and friends. Brochures will be mailed soon, or contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations for more information.
I've heard great things about the Core 650 Tour to Germany in July and early August.Thirty-four alumni, parents and friends joined Religion Professor James Edwards as he drew challenging parallels between the German Reformation of the early 1500s and the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. The group visited eight cities in 12 days, all in record-breaking heat. Jim beat the heat by reaching the summit of Mt. Eiger with his son, Mark -- an unbelievable feat!
Miscellaneous
A couple of days ago we had the pleasure of hosting Spokane artist Harold Balazs, who will install a steel sculpture on the Whitworth campus in September. The sculpture will be dedicated Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. in the library courtyard as part of Whitworth's Homecoming Weekend festivities.
Pete Hunner, '76, and his wife, Maibritt, founders of Baltic Sea Glass, off the southern tip of Sweden, have exhibited their work throughout Europe and have been the subject of several books about their art. Pete will be on campus Thursday, Sept. 25, and will be lecturing and showing photos of his artwork at 6 p.m. in the Science Building Auditorium, with a reception following.
Closing Thoughts
This year's orientation skit featured virtuous pirates searching for the treasure of mind and heart (it also had me in a wig, though not in drag -- another baby step toward respectability). There is something intangible here that feels to us very much like a treasure. Two minutes ago I was on the phone with a student who transferred this year from Whitworth to a great university. She called because she misses the treasure. To be sure, her school has its own wonderful treasure (and treasury!); it's just different from the one at Whitworth. I don't know exactly how to define it, but I do know how it's stored. St. Paul said, "We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show this power is from God, not us." We go about our work as breakable jars that God has amazingly glued back together...again. Within our chips and cracks, the treasure endures. We are thankful to all those who helped build this treasure, and to you for your ongoing support of its preservation.
