Mind & Heart Newsletter: April 2014

An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor

Whitworth's students get to challenge themselves and demonstrate their well-crafted skills in many venues – in research, internships, service-learning, and in any one of the dozens of opportunities students have to compete with other students from respected institutions. Perhaps we most often think of student competitions in athletics – Pirate Athletics is certainly known for its tough and resilient efforts on the field of competition. One of the things that initially caught my eye four years ago when I was looking at Whitworth was our community's school spirit: Whitworthians always rally around their own to support them, particularly in competition. But we don't just celebrate the marks in the win column, and we don't just celebrate our students' competitive success in athletics. For example, last year, not one team among Whitworth's 18 NCAA Division III athletics programs finished with a team GPA of less than 3.0. This past winter, Whitworth's women's swim team had the highest team GPA in the country – they're fast and smart! And, as I said, our students engage in friendly competition in other venues. Just a few weeks ago, Whitworth's forensics team successfully defended its national championship title at the National Christian College Forensics Association tournament at California Baptist University. The team defeated 28 other schools, winning more than 30 individual titles and three team awards. The team – three speakers and five debaters – came home as national champions! I'm so grateful for the ways in which our students continue to shine. Your support and prayer are critical for their continued success. Thanks for all you do to support our students!

Academics

Athletic training students and faculty recently provided medical services for a Paralympic wheelchair basketball tournament hosted by ParaSport Spokane. This service-learning experience integrated class material, commitment to service, and passion for competitive athletics. Cynthia Wright, '05 (Athletic Training), served as a faculty volunteer; athletic training students, including Sierra Craig, Jacob Treat, and Joanna Nicolas, all '15, and Julia Johnson, Mariah Dodge, Danielle Miller, and Victoria Labrie, all '14, also participated.

Craig Hinnenkamp and former Whitworth professor Brad Sago (School of Business) published an article, The Impact of Significant Negative News on Consumer Behavior toward Favorite Brands, in the Global Journal of Business Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2014. Craig also presented a paper, "Reframing Business Ethics Pedagogy: an Other-Centered Perspective," at the annual Christian Business Faculty Association Conference.

Tami Robinson (Library) is the new managing editor of the journal The Christian Librarian.

The School of Education organized a successful 30th annual Whitworth Writing Rally, in which 490 elementary students, along with families, teachers and volunteers, participated. Former SOE faculty member Les Francis and Pam Francis were honored for their 30 years of support for the rally. My appreciation goes to SOE faculty, including Kathryn Picanco and Lisa Laurier, and staff.

The 2014 Inland Northwest Business Plan Competition is under way. The competition allows students to take steps toward starting successful businesses by competing for awards totaling $27,500. This year's BPC received 120 entries, and after the first round, 11 Whitworth teams remain in the running.

The Class of 2014's senior art exhibition, Cairn, can be seen in Whitworth's Lied Center for the Visual Arts April 15-May 17.The opening reception will take place April 15, 5-6 p.m., and the closing reception will be held May 17 at 11 a.m., both in the Lied Center.

Professor Diana Trotter (Theatre) performed to acclaim in Lake City Playhouse's production of Margaret Edson's Wit. Spokane's Spokesman-Review reviews her performance here: www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/25/review-trotter-lifts-lake-citys-wit.

Whitworth Theatre's Broadway Unbound is coming to Cowles Auditorium May 9 at 7 p.m. Join us at this annual student showcase, which brings to the stage diverse performances that otherwise would be seen only in the classroom. Don't miss this one-night-only event showing off our actors' and dancers' talent and hard work. Admission is $3.

Christopher Parkin, '05, of our music faculty will perform a work composed by music department colleague Brent Edstrom at the North American Saxophone Alliance conference. Selection was based on the musician's ability to "showcase the versatility and progression of the saxophone in performance, pedagogy and industry." The musical NASA is the largest organization of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Hear them here! The Whitworth Wind Symphony will present its spring concert, South by Southwest, on Saturday, May 3, at 8 p.m. downtown at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. The special guest on the program is Douglas Yeo, who retired recently after 27 seasons as the bass trombonist in the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestra. Ticket prices are $7 general admission/$5 students and seniors.

The Whitworth Jazz Ensemble will soon perform in the newly dedicated music hall at Ferris High School. The ensemble will join the Ferris Jazz Ensemble and the Spokane All-City Jazz Ensemble on April 22 at 7 p.m.

The Whitworth Choir's spring concert, featuring Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Johannes Brahms' Neue Liebeslieder(New Love Songs, Op. 65), will take place on Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m., at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox.

Student Life

We've seen lots of double-takes at students walking around in business suits this month. Student life leadership positions are hiring, ASWU will hold elections in early April, and a new group of student leaders will begin to look forward to 2014-15!

It's Spring Break as I write this, and students are involved in a number of service trips, including trips to Costa Rica and...Spokane (for an urban experience). Outdoor rec is backpacking on the Washington coast and mountain biking in Moab, Utah.

Whitworth's first ever Mental Health Awareness Week also took place on campus this month, with ASWU clubs and the health & counseling center coordinating events that focused on the issues of depression and anxiety and highlighted the resources and support available for people who face these issues. The events of the week were well-attended and highly appreciated by the campus community.

Communications Professor Alan Mikkelson and Assistant Dean for Student Success Nicole Boymook presented a program on relationships that was sponsored by the Class of 2015 and the RAs of Duvall and East halls. The program was called Friend Zoned, and it dealt with the navigation of all types of relationships (family, friend, romantic, roommate, etc.).

Whitworth hosted more than 40 high school students for the annual BELIEF (Because Every Life Is Empowering the Future) Conference. High school participants from Spokane's East and West Central neighborhoods spent three days preparing to apply for college and hanging with 58 Whitworth students who served as volunteer mentors. The Whitworth Center for Service Learning & Community Engagement, with financial support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, ASWU and many Whitworth students who donated from their meal plans and gave approximately 2,950 hours of volunteer time, offered this opportunity that enabled participants to experience college life firsthand, to explore their strengths, to develop leadership skills, and to articulate a personal commitment to attending college.

The Center for Service-Learning has also launched a new website that will connect Whitworth students, faculty, staff and alumni to volunteer opportunities, and will track their hours of service in the community. In February, 481 students signed up on the website to connect with local agencies to volunteer their service. Create your own profile today at serve.whitworth.edu, and you can sign up to volunteer for the upcoming One Million Meals event, on May 3.

Alumni & Families

Celebrate the Puget Sound Alumni Chapter launch on April 25. Whitworth alumni, family and friends across Greater Seattle are invited to Whitworth's Puget Sound Chapter launch, April 25 from 5:30-8 p.m. at 1927 Events. The event includes appetizers and a no-host bar, the opportunity to connect with other Whitworthians, an update on the university, and a special address from Professor of English Leonard Oakland on society and film. Advance registration is $10. Contact IA events at 509.777.4974 or iaevents@whitworth.edu.

Final Exam Survival Kits are available for order until noon Friday, April 25. Surprise your favorite Whitworth student with one of two great options, which will be ready for their pick-up just before Finals Week, in May. To order, visit www.whitworth.edu/alumni/forms/birthday.

The Class of 2014 is preparing to celebrate Commencement Weekend, May 16-18. Congratulations to our almost-graduates and to their families, all of whom will be celebrating soon! For information, visit www.whitworth.edu/commencement. Whitworth's farewell to graduates is as epic as its welcome to first-year students during Orientation Week. I promise that you won't want to miss any of these events.

A huge summer-reunion celebration for the classes of '63, '64, and '65 is just around the corner. Alums from those classes are invited to stay on campus the weekend of June 20-22 to celebrate their milestone reunions at a number of events. For more information, and to register, please visit www.whitworth.edu/alumni/reunions/50yr.

Admissions

Please remind any prospective Whitworth freshmen you know that May 1 is the deadline for submitting an enrollment deposit to hold a spot in the Class of 2018. We are not sure how many late depositors we'll be able to accept this year, so interested students should get their deposits in by the deadline. The $350 deposit can be paid online at www.whitworth.edu/enrollmentdeposit. Still on the fence? Spring is a great time to make a campus visit. Sign up for a Why Whitworth event or schedule an individual visit online at www.whitworth.edu/visit. Questions? Contact admissions at 800.533.4668 or admissions@whitworth.edu.

Now is a great time for transfer students to apply for fall. Go to www.whitworth.edu/apply and click on the Whitworth Transfer Application button. Every year, we enroll more than 100 transfer students – ranging from those who have completed just a semester of college to those who already have their associate degrees – and we're thankful for the many ways these students enrich our community. Transfer counselor C.J. Perry is available to help at cperry@whitworth.edu or 509.777.4768.

The financial aid office has sent out awards to all new freshmen and transfer students who applied by the priority deadline of March 1. If you know a student who is planning to start at Whitworth this fall and who has filed a FASFA form but has not yet heard from the financial aid office, please have him or her call 800.533.4668 to speak with a staff member. In May and June, we'll e-mail 2014-15 renewal award notifications to current students. The priority deadline to file the FAFSA for need-based financial aid is May 1. Academic scholarships are automatically renewed.

Resources

With the help of dedicated professors, faithful staff and generous donors, The Whitworth Fund is able to provide nearly 2,200 scholarships each year as well as to illuminate countless light bulbs to illuminate classrooms and study spaces and make Whitworth's mind-and-heart education possible on campus and around the globe.

During April, seven faculty and staff members will represent the campus community in a contest of sorts, asking you to rally 'round Whitworth's one-of-a-kind mission. So, if you've ever wanted to see Vic Bobb (English) play a mouth harp or Jim O'Brien (Sodexo) in full Pirate garb, or if you've ever been curious to hear the fight song rapped by Dayna Coleman (Student Life), played as a piano duet by Ben Brody (Music) and Karin Heller (Theology) or sung as a folk duet by Dale Soden (History) and Kathy Storm (Academic Affairs), now's your chance! When you make a gift before April 30, you can vote for the one(s) you'd like to see perform the Whitworth fight song. So, for Whitworth fight, fight, fight, and let's keep Whitworth's mission alive for our current and future students.

Sports

The Pirates hold the Northwest Conference’s best marks in 13 track-and-field events and rank highly among all NCAA Div. IIIathletes. Dakota Kliamovich, ’16, holds the nation’s best mark in the women’s hammer throw, while Corey Burt, ’15, leads the country in the shot put. And Stephen Cooper, ’14, has posted the best decathlon score to date in Div. III.

The women’s and men’s tennis teams are enjoying a Spring Break trip to California. The Pirate women are 9-2 and are currently tied for first place in the NWC standings at 7-0. The men are 5-6 overall, but 5-2 in the NWC and angling for a spot in the four-team conference tournament.

The softball team is 19-7 and currently second in the NWC standings, at 11-3. The Pirates are hitting .288 as a team, with a team ERA of 2.91. Whitworth has a pair of important upcoming four-game series against George Fox and Linfield.

The baseball team is 6-14 overall and 3-6 in the NWC. Seven of Whitworth’s losses have been by a single run. Pirate pitchers have come on strong, with Cory Mack , ’14 (2.67 ERA), and Spencer Ansett, ’14 (2.89 ERA), leading the way.

Whitworth’s golf teams are just under way for spring. The Pirates will host the Northwest Conference Spring Classic (men and women) on April 6-7 at Canyon Lakes, in Kennewick.

Closing Thoughts

Students just returned from Spring Break and were pleasantly surprised to see that the Whitworth campus had been miraculously transformed during their absence with the arrival of spring. Long gone are the piles of snow, and instead we are all enjoying sunny days, budding trees, and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I’m particularly mindful of our graduating seniors this time of year. They are simultaneously feeling the excitement of their impending graduation and the growing lament that their time at Whitworth is coming to a close. I’m so proud of these graduating students and their many contributions to our campus. We’re already looking forward to next month’s commencement activities. Thanks again for all you do to support the university you love.