Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: September 2007
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
The Indy 500 begins with the announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, Start your engines!" and the race begins. I can relate. But we spend two weeks starting our engines before exploding into the first lap. Whitworth's 118th year is officially under way. One of the parents at Orientation said to me, "Working with these students must keep you young." I thought she was kidding, but I replied (kindly, I hope), "No, working with students mostly keeps me awake." Come eventide, the spirit of sleep-deprivation wafts across campus into my house. It's a disease. But the energy that comes with a little sleep shortage is so worth it. This week we welcomed 535 new freshmen and 95 transfer students. I am really impressed with this group. On paper they are scary smart, but they also seem balanced as they laugh easily and move warmly among their new friends. They do have this frenzied side that reached fever pitch at Mock Rock on Tuesday night, but that gave way Wednesday morning to the sobering announcement by their alarm clocks that classes begin now. It's all so good. Please keep all of our students in your prayers. God has brought them to this place and called us to serve them. I think it's going to be a good year.
Academics
Retirements and new positions bring us an unusually large class of new faculty members, including Patty Bruininks (Psychology), Todd Cioffi (Theology), Angela Gonzalez (English), Janet Hauck (Library), Walter Hutchens (School of Global Commerce), Scott Miller (Music), Moses Pulei, '97 (Theology), Lindy Scott (Spanish), Dana Stevens (Education), and Roberta Wilburn (Education). Visiting faculty members for this academic year include Chris Baskin (Art), Chris Dalton (History), Kathryn Picanco (Education), Matthew Roberts (Philosophy), Kim Villalpando (Education), and Joe Vigil, '93 (Communication Studies).
Through the Whitworth Speakers & Artists Series we import provocative ideas.September's guests include Episcopal priest, author and activist Paul-Gordon Chandler, whose lecture is titled "Salaam on Islam: Waging Peace on Muslims in the Spirit of Christ"; Stanford fellow and internationally known speaker Dinesh D'Souza, who will discuss "Christianity, Islam and the War on Terror"; and Greg Lukianoff, of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, who will present the Constitution Day Lecture, "The First Amendment, the Private Campus and You." (For a complete list of speakers and events, go to www.whitworth.edu/speakers&artists.)
Our art department isn't waiting for a new building to showcase its works. The department's In House exhibit will run Sept.17-Oct. 25 in the Fine Arts Gallery. The opening receptions with the artists will take place Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. In House will feature works by associate professors of art Gordon Wilson and Scott Kolbo; professors emeriti Barbara Filo, Pauline Haas and Walter "Spike" Grosvenor; visiting artist Chris Baskin; and several lecturers and instructors. The exhibited works will showcase media including sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking, graphic design and handmade books.
Our science faculty members spend a good part of their summer engaging students in sponsored research projects. Here are just a few examples: Biology students Paige Claiborne, Ben Moresco and Lisa Parcher worked with Mike Sardinia, '87, to study the molecular mechanisms underlying memory acquisition and retrieval. (I'm excited about this because my hippocampus is deteriorating at a torrid pace.) Chemistry students Chris Fenton and John Hauck worked under Drew Budner on improving two electrochemical sensors for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. Joshua Simmons worked with Kamesh Sankaran (Physics) on a project for the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to improve the computational speed of models for plasma thrusters for spacecraft propulsion. And Jennifer Johnston worked with Kamesh and folks from WSU on a project for the U.S. Office of Naval Research that could lead to better understanding of how strong explosions affect materials.
Our students receive many scholarships, but some are especially encouraging. Junior biology major Tovah Kingman's road to becoming a nurse has been eased significantly by a $26,294 scholarship from the Woodrow Foundation, administered by US Bank. The scholarship covers tuition and books for the 2007-08 academic year. Kingman says, "This scholarship is an incredible blessing to my family and me, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude." Robert Hawley, who is a member of the US Bank group that selects the scholarship recipient on behalf of the Woodrow Foundation, said, "Tovah was chosen based on her passion to serve her campus and community, her proven ability to overcome obstacles, and her overall enthusiasm for life." We could not agree more.
The Whitworth Choir, under the direction of Marc A. Hafso, has received a coveted invitation to perform at the 2008 Northwest Convention of the American Choral Directors Association. The conference will take place in Vancouver, B.C., in February.
Enrollment
Enrollment planning works a little like some family planning. We didn't plan to have quite this many, but we sure wouldn't want to throw any of them back. So we begin this year with the largest group of new students in our history, and we are thrilled to have them all. The mean grade-point average and SAT score for this class are 3.7 and 1811 (approximately 1210 on the old scale), respectively.
Student Life
Students arrived ready for the Expedition of the Mind and Heart last Saturday. After they got settled into their new homes, they were greeted with information from more than 50 student clubs and organizations. And just when we thought that history professor (and perennial good sport) Dale Soden couldn't look any more ridiculous, he tumbled into the orientation skit as Tarzan and we knew he had reached a new low. But his overview of Whitworth's history welcomed new students into the rich traditions and deep sacrifices that built the institution of which they are now important members. Traditiation softly and gently traditiated the newbees, and the Warren men were victorious in the annual Mock Rock competition, followed closely by Stewvall (Stewart and Duvall) women and BJ men. The fieldhouse was packed for this event, and we're sure that this weekend's Bingo game and the Stewart Lawn Dance will be at capacity. Outdoor rec is wasting no time in taking advantage of the nice weather this weekend to take 25 students to raft the North Idaho rapids. Finally, an Ultimate Frisbee pickup game last Thursday that included more than 100 students would seem to indicate that Whitworth will have a very healthy and competitive fall intramurals schedule. We're back!
Resources
Here are a few of the many projects we worked on this summer:
The big name change: A ton of people helped make this a reality on July 1. Some of the more noticeable changes are the east-entrance monument, the Whitworth University lighted sign, and the lightpole banners. Thanks to Facilities Services Director Ed Kelly and Communications Director Greg Orwig for leading the smooth orchestration of this change. Card-access system: We will soon complete phase one of installing access-card readers in all residence-hall main entrances and designated secondary entrances, as well as in several academic buildings and the library. The existing I.D. cards will be replaced with an access card that has all of the existing functions (meal account, etc.). There will be growing pains and issues with this system, so we'll need some patience.
Visual-arts center: This project began in late May. The first half of the summer consisted of demo and utility relocation. The concrete work is almost done, and the steel framing is scheduled to begin Sept.17. Barring severe weather or unforeseen circumstances, the roof will be weathertight before Christmas. A link to photographs of construction progress is available at www.whitworth.edu/vab.
Southwest intramurals field: This student-recreation area was seeded on Aug. 30. The seed mix was designed for heavy use and will not be fully established and "playable" until late spring. We have great facilities-services folks, and later today Bonnie and I will host them for our annual picnic. At this event we harvest all of their suggestions on how to make Whitworth a better place, right after we read a long list of their ideas from last year that we implemented. This is our 15th picnic, and it's always one of my favorite moments of the year.
When I reported in the last issue on The Whitworth Fund, I did not yet have overall giving totals for fiscal year '07, which ended June 30. It was a great year, thanks to many of you. Whitworth received 8,855 separate gifts, totaling more than $10.5 million. These gifts went to projects as wide-ranging as student scholarship endowments, our new visual-arts center, the intramurals-field project, campus operations, and the list goes on.... Most of these gifts were outright cash donations, but quite a few others were bequests and planned gifts that represent lifelong relationships with Whitworth. Speaking of lifelong relationships, I'm bummed to be out of town next week when one of our favorite friends and donors, Lou Livingston, turns 107. Lou will never be too old to do two things -- tease me and flirt with the ladies. Thanks to all of you for the many ways you choose to support the mission of Whitworth University. We are blessed, but we also find ourselves in very deep need of several new facilities. I'll keep you posted.
Athletics
Women's soccer is off to a fabulous start, beating two outstanding teams in Texas.Freshman Kaylyn Plumb scored the game-winning goal in an upset of 9th-ranked Trinity University. The Pirates rolled past Texas Lutheran 6-0. Seniors Jael Hagerott and Greta Thibodeau lead an experienced and talented team that will be a force to reckon with in the Northwest Conference.
Men's soccer also went to Texas, and while their results weren't quite as stellar as the women's, they showed signs of coming together as a fine squad. The Bucs dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision at 7th-ranked Trinity before ending in a scoreless draw with Southwestern University. Seniors Ben Dixon and Skye Henderson provide experience for a mostly new lineup. Speaking of Skye and Ben, it was great to watch them team up yesterday for a sudden-death OT goal to beat Canadian powerhouse Simon Fraser.
The volleyball team went to Las Vegas for a tournament and came away with a solid 3-1 record. Setter Holly Ridings and middle blocker Sarah Rusch were named to the all-tournament team. The Pirates look much improved over 2006 and will be tough to beat in the NWC this fall.
The cross-country teams are off and running, so to speak. The men may have their strongest group in several years. Freshman Nick Gallagher took second place in his first collegiate race at the Whitman Invitational. Sophomore Jo E. Mayer will lead a deep women's team.
The football Bucs are looking to continue the success of 2006, when the team finished 11-1 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Senior linebacker Casey Clifton, last season's NWC Defensive Player of the Year, leads a defense that returns eight starters.
Finally, Michael Allan, '07, became the third Pirate to make an NFL team when he was named to the final 53-man roster of the Kansas City Chiefs. Even as a tight end, he finished third in the pre-season in receptions for the Chiefs. Be sure to keep an eye out for Michael on television on Sunday mornings (and Sunday, Monday and Thursday evenings) this fall.
Alumni
Homecoming 2007 is just around the corner, with four major reunions scheduled Oct. 5-7. Communication studies alumni will gather to celebrate the service of professors Ingram, Jackson and Pyle, and alumni from 1987 and 1997 expect big turnouts, as well. The '97 group is stoked about the Ultimate Frisbee Challenge Saturday morning. Perhaps most anticipated is the reunion to celebrate the 50-year relationship between Young Life and Whitworth. Many past area directors and leaders plan to attend. The schedule of activities and an online registration form are available at www.whitworth.edu/homecoming.
We hope to see you Oct. 13 at the annual dessert before Whitworth Theatre's fall production. This year's play, directed by Theatre Instructor Brooke Kiener, '99, is Bertolt Brecht's take on the Greek tragedy Antigone. Enjoy a plate full of sweets and an interesting conversation with Brooke before the play. In a time of war, questions about patriotism and courage are pushed to the front of our minds. Antigone, in a modern translation, examines the clash between loyalty to one's country and loyalty to one's beliefs. Details and online registration can be found atwww.whitworth.edu/alumnievents.
Miscellaneous
This year, U.S. News ranks us No. 3 in its best-values listing and No. 9 on its list of best master's-level universities among 116 institutions in the 17-state Western region. These rankings have encouraged our students and alumni, but you can't quantify the strength of our mission, faculty or campus culture, and those factors are especially important in determining whether Whitworth or any other school is best for a student. It's interesting that the number of schools refusing to cooperate with the U.S. News ranking survey is rising. When you unpack the rankings, you find helpful data; but a full quarter of the score is purely subjective. We'll keep participating in the survey, but we encourage folks to recognize the limits of putting a number on the ways in which students experience a campus.
Closing Thoughts
Yesterday in opening convocation I tiptoed into the high-risk territory of trying to explain why we have chosen to be a less restrictive institution than many Christian universities. I close this newsletter with a quote from that speech because a) it helps you new parents understand a little more clearly our Christian identity and why we value our non-Christian students, and b) to be honest, I'm out of time. As a faculty and staff we do not have specific doctrinal rules for membership; we do not have specific behavioral rules for membership; we do not sign a faith statement; rather, in all of our diversity we make a faith statement. We stand at the cross with a Roman centurion and we declare, "Truly, Jesus Christ is the son of God." We join in community, believing that the unifying power of the cross is greater than all the ideas that divide us and all the characteristics that differentiate us. That belief also deepens our appreciation for students who do not call themselves Christians. When we walk with those who find true north in a different direction, we will explore and understand territory closed off to Christians who surround themselves only with those of like minds. It isn't always easy to be Whitworth, but it is always good. Thanks for your support and prayers.
