Mind & Heart Newsletter: Commencement Issue 2016
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
Those of us who work at academic institutions measure time a little differently than the rest of the world does. Our work and play are measured in terms, semesters, credits, courses and breaks. But any combination of these things still makes up a year, even if that year doesn't end in December or begin in January. No matter how you cut it, the year ends when happy graduates and their families celebrate the culmination of all of those credits, courses and semesters of academic study at commencement exercises. Last weekend, it was my privilege to shake hands with and deliver diplomas to 800-plus Whitworth graduates. (Yes, my hand is still tired. No, I haven't yet gotten sick.) I couldn't be more proud of these new alums. Here are my top 10 reasons why they're special: (10) They survived the windstorm of November 2015 and showed their true character as they weathered disruption, inconvenience, displacement and uncertainty. I've never been prouder of the Whitworth family. (9) They weren't the class that ran Leonard Oakland off. He begins his 51st year at Whitworth in the fall. (8) They have true Pirate pride: There hasn't been a more dominant athletics program in the Northwest Conference than ours for the past nine years, and this year's teams won 10 conference championships. (7) And, speaking of championships, the Ethics Bowl team won its second national championship in five years, and senior Alex Hoffmann was named the nation's top debater. (6) A record number of students caught pine cones despite a significant decline in our tree-to-student ratio. (5) No graduate "dabbed" as s/he crossed the stage at commencement. (4) This year's grads took advantage of every opportunity they were given to enrich their time at Whitworth. They were good stewards of their mind-and-heart education. (3) Our newest graduates are being summoned into meaningful vocations and prestigious graduate programs. They will make a difference in the world. (2) These Whitworthians want to be agents for peace, reconciliation and justice in a broken and divided world – a world that will know them as peacemakers. (1) I have every confidence that the members of the Class of 2016 will faithfully embody Whitworth's mission to "honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity." And the world will be better for it.
Academics
Alex Hoffmann, '16, triumphed over 65 other topnotch debaters to become the first Whitworthian to win the national debate championship. In the year-long sweepstakes for points earned all season, Whitworth's debate team took second place out of more than 136 schools nationally.
Whitworth's Ethics Bowl team, the Philosoraptors, captured the Independent Colleges of Washington Bowl for the second time in three years. The team included Phillip Allevato, '17, Kaitlin Barnes, '17, James Eccles, '17, Ellie Probus, '16, and TJ Westre, '17. This victory comes on the heels of their team victory in the Ethics Bowl National Championship. These first two items confirm that you never want to argue with a Pirate!
Two Whitworth students have been named Fulbright finalists: Spanish/communication studies major Juliana Zajicek, '16, and international studies/Spanish major Francesca Bisciglia, '16.
Athletic training faculty and students, organized by Professor Cynthia Wright, volunteered as medical providers for the Kosé Team Cup Challenge, an international figure-skating event. Whitworth volunteers also served as part of the medical staff for Spokane's 40th Bloomsday.
In April, Whitworth hosted the Gordon Jackson Conference in Media Law and Ethics, Covering the Elections, to hear from University of Minnesota Professor Christopher Terry, a radio commentator and author of journal articles on media ethics, and University of Arizona Professor Kate Kenski, author of The Obama Victory: How Media, Money and Message Shaped the 2008 Election.
Congratulations to the following Whitworth students accepted into the WSU College of Nursing: Jennifer Adams, Vanessa Amado, Kayla Batastini, Katelyn Cordes, Nicole Harris, Chelsea Hayes, Catherine Hoff, Laura Kester, Mikayla Kraemer, Makayla Lefever, Ashley Mjor, Madeleine Misterek, Crystal Persaud, Madeline Ritter, Tad Tyhuis, Jennifer White and Madison Zenke.
And two Whitworthians were named Critical Language Scholarship recipients: Leah Dassler, '19 (Chinese), and Josh Vinton, '16 (Swahili).
Please join us Oct. 27-29 for our inaugural Gospel Conference, where we'll address Racism and the Gospel. Increasing racial tensions in our country create both challenges and opportunities for people of Christian faith to view racism through the lens of Jesus' Gospel. We'll seek to address the issue of racism biblically, theologically and relationally, and will encourage boldness and courage as God's people live out the mandate of Jesus' good news for all people.
See www.whitworth.edu/gospelconference for more information.
This year's Whitworth Institute of Ministry, July 18-22, will feature Mike Breen and Brenda Salter McNeil, who will address the question of how Christians can be effective witnesses for the Gospel during this time of culture change. How have God's people functioned in times of great uncertainty? What can we learn from our forebears about how we can be faithful to God, to one another, and to our broken world? Building upon this famous phrase – "Maybe you were made for such a time as this!" (Esther 4:14, The Message) – WIM 2016 will address the vital question of what Christian discipleship looks like today. For more information, visit www.whitworth.edu/wim.
The Arts
Brian Schappals, '17, a music composition and clarinet performance major, won the Undergraduate Student Choral Composition Award from Opus 7.
Congratulations to Whitworth Musicfest Northwest winners: Jonathan Bumpus, '17; the Whitworth Saxophone Quartet: Andrew Peltonen, '19, Ryan Stewart, '18, Max Bennett, '17, and Matt Coleman, '19; Geoff Rich, '18; Grant Rees, '17; Peter Underhill, '18; Michelle Timmerman, '16; Katelyn Slack, '16; Denin Koch, '18; and Audrey Pratt, '19.
Student Life
"Maypril" was crazy busy. Breanna Lyons and Jeff DeBray, both '17, and Katie Holtzheimer, '18, were victorious in spring elections, becoming our next ASWU officers. Visiting speakers discussed Islamophobia and sustainability, and professional entertainers, including American Idol's Will Makar, rapper Tedashii, a capella group Filharmonics and spoken-word artist G Yamazawa, kept us on the edge of our seats. Pirate Idol, Duvall Drive-In, So You Think You Can Dance, and Warren Peace featured performances by talented Whitworth students, and Whitworthians attended the Second-Chance Prom, backpacked and rode the rivers with outdoor rec, and staged Take Back the Night, an event in support of victims of sexual and domestic abuse. Earth Week, the Hawai'ian Club Lu'au and Springfest added to the excitement of this frenetically fun time of the year.
Financial Aid
Families who have completed the 2016-17 Free Application for Federal Student Aid and who haven't loaded your 2015 IRS tax data into the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool: Please consider doing that soon! It will ensure that the data on the 2016-17 FAFSA is accurate and consistent with the 2017-18 FAFSA (which will also use 2015 tax data). If the IRS data load doesn't work, we encourage you to correct the income information on the FAFSA based on your 2015 tax filing data.
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows students and parents to access IRS tax return data needed to complete/update the FAFSAand to transfer that data directly into their FAFSA from the IRS website. We recommend using this tool for several reasons: It's the easiest way to provide your tax data; it's the best way to ensure that your FAFSA is accurate; you need not provide a copy of your parents' tax transcripts to Whitworth; and it will ensure consistency when you complete the 2017-18 FAFSA. Questions about this or the previous item? Please contact the financial aid staff at 509.777.4340 or finaid@whitworth.edu.
Alumni & Parents
Families of incoming students, Summer Sendoffs are coming! Whitworth will host casual gatherings throughout the West this summer for members the Class of 2020 and their families. Come meet other families and hear from a Whitworth staffer. Check www.whitworth.edu/summersendoffs for information and to see if there will be a sendoff near you! Watch your email for updates, as well. Questions? Contact us at parents@whitworth.edu or 509.777.3772.
Join us for baseball in Seattle or San Diego. Whitworthians in the Seattle area are invited to cheer for the Mariners (or the Astros, if you like) at Safeco Field on July 16. Likewise, those in SoCal are invited to watch the Padres play the Diamondbacks on Aug. 21. Space is limited, so visit connect.whitworth.edu to learn more and to register.
Join the Whitworth team! We're looking for a new assistant director of annual giving. If you're interested in making a difference for students and for Whitworth's mission, check out the posting. Info is online, in Whitworth's employment section.
Families of current students will want to know that starting next year, an additional day will be added to the list of campus holidays. As a result, Easter Monday will now be a holiday for students, though some night classes may take place. This will allow students an extra day to return to campus after the Easter weekend.
Admissions
Incoming freshmen should be sure to ask to have a final transcript sent from their high school to Whitworth's admissions office. We're required to have this in hand before we disburse federal financial aid to students.
Information about residence-hall assignments and roommates will be out by July 15. Housing guru Alan Jacob is already tweaking the algorithm that has proven amazingly effective in assigning roommates who wind up becoming friends for life. If you submitted your deposit for this coming fall and you haven't yet submitted your housing-preference form, go to www.whitworth.edu/housingpreference. Questions? Contact housing@whitworth.edu.
The Campaign for Whitworth
When you tune into the news and think, "I wish there were something I could do to help," there is. Maybe there's a shortage of innovative teachers in your school district. Maybe compassionate healthcare providers are needed in nearby rural communities. Maybe you know someone who's looking for bright managers to develop creative solutions to difficult problems. When you give to Whitworth, you help address these challenges and many more. Your support helps more students become the critically thinking, problem-solving leaders the world needs. Every single gift to Whitworth is an investment in a better world. You can give online at www.whitworth.edu/give, or mail your donation to 300 W. Hawthorne Road, Spokane, WA 99251. Thank you!
Whitworth Serves
Some alums will receive a different kind of student phone call in the next month. If we've heard that you're volunteering in your community, we might check in with you to get more details. As we continue to gather information for Whitworth Serves, we encourage you to share your stories with us, either by phone or by visiting www.whitworth.edu/whitworthserves and clicking the green "Share Your Service" button.
Sports
This has been an amazing year for Whitworth Athletics. The Pirates claimed 10 Northwest Conference titles on the way to their ninth consecutive NWC McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy, winning by the largest margin ever. And no school has ever before won nine in a row. Whitworth won five championships in the spring – baseball, softball, men's golf, men's track & field, and women's track & field. Those titles were added to fall and winter championships in men's soccer, volleyball, women's cross country, men's swimming and men's basketball.
Softball finished the season 29-15 after hosting an NCAA Div. III regional tourney last weekend. It was the Pirates' second-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Head Coach Cristal Brown was voted NWC Coach of the Year, and Alyssa Hall, '16, Makayla Lefever, '17, and Chelsey Hayes, '18, were named First Team All-Conference.
Baseball won its first NWC regular season title in NCAA Div. III. The Pirates are 29-11 and will host a D3 regional tournament at Avista Stadium this week. Dan Ramsay, '08, was named NWC Coach of the Year, while Jeremy Druffel, '16, Jordan McGowan, '17, and Hugh Smith, '19, were all named to the NWC First Team.
The men's track team claimed its seventh consecutive NWC championship, while the women earned their second in a row. Toby Schwarz won Coach of the Year honors for both the men's and women's teams. The men rallied from behind on the final day of the championship meet and capped things off with a victory in the 4x400 relay, which they led from beginning to end.
Men's golf rallied from five strokes behind and third place in the standings over the final six holes of the conference tournament to win the 2016 NWC championship. Warren Friedrichs was named NWC Coach of the Year, and Andrew Dodge, '16, earned NWC medalist honors and Player of the Year recognition. The Pirates then finished 27th at the NCAA championships, in Rochester, N.Y.
Women's golf finished fourth in the NWC tournament and fourth overall in the standings. Chelsea Bayley, '16, was named to the All-NWC First Team based on her performance in conference tournaments throughout the year.
The women's tennis team rallied during the final weeks of the season to grab the No. 4 seed in the Northwest Conference tournament. Bella Hoyos, '17, was named to the All-NWC First Team based on voting by conference coaches.
Men's tennis finished 12-8 and also qualified for the four-team NWC tournament. Drew Brigham, '16, was voted to the All-NWC First Team by league coaches for the second straight season.
The football team concluded its nontraditional practice season with the annual Spring Fling in the Pine Bowl. More than 60 players are returning from a squad that finished 9-2 last year and reached the NCAA playoffs.
Closing Thoughts
Julie and I thank you for your support and prayers for us and our family throughout the year. As we enter our seventh year at Whitworth, we couldn't be more excited about the opportunities ahead. May God in Christ bless all of you. Enjoy the summer!
