Mind & Heart Newsletter: January 2013

An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor

I'm writing this month's update on a flight to San Francisco. Most people who know how much time I spend in airports, TSA lines and next to crying babies in pressurized, pathogen-rich metal tubes express sincere sorrow and pity at my predicament. When Julie and I travel together, she usually says something like, "I don't know how you do it!" She usually says these words as she's putting her clothes back on after going through screening. My response to these empathetic comments is to shrug them off. I offer platitudes like, "It comes with the territory," or, "If I got upset about it, my life would be miserable, so I choose to roll with the punches." Those responses betray the truth, however. I LOVE flying. I suppose we all grow accustomed to and depend on the routines in our lives for some measure of comfort and predictability. For me, getting on an airplane is one of those regular occurrences that I need. Weird, I know. Beyond all of the reasons that get me on an airplane in the first place – visiting with donors and alumni (which is why I'm headed to the Bay City), attending conferences, following our students to performances, lobbying legislators – airplane travel offers other experiences that I've grown to appreciate. I know I'm in the minority on this, and some of you are now questioning my sanity, but here are just a few of my reasons. First, I get a lot of work done on airplanes. With the rumble of the engines, I usually fall asleep upon takeoff, mouth gaping embarrassingly. But after a few minutes of catnapping, I get right to work – no distractions, no telephone calls, no e-mails, and, unless Chatty Charles is sitting next to me, no one to talk to. Paradise. On my desk at home, I usually have a pile of materials that I save to read on my next flight. I like to save long reports or that book I've been meaning to read. For particularly long flights, I'll take a writing assignment or two, like this one. Also, as a social scientist, I love to "people watch." Truth is, aside from the infield at Talladega (trust me) and the local Walmart, there's no better place to observe humanity than at the airport. I like to count how many people are wearing shorts when the temps outside are hovering near zero, or guess what problems people are solving as they hurry through the airport intently talking on their cell phones. Long gone are the days when people dressed up to travel. These days, many people look like they performed an oil change just before heading to the airport. But mostly, I love airplanes because they take me to new places. And new places invariably mean new people. Most of my travel is for Whitworth, so that means on the other end of those long flights are folks who care deeply for this place, either because they think fondly on their own days as a student, or because a precious loved one is now studying among the pines. I suppose that's what gets me through that particularly intimate TSA patdown. Friendly skies? You betcha.

Academics

Flint Simonsen (School of Education) was recently awarded the Northwest Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Network's President's Award for "outstanding contributions to the socio-behavioral success of children and families in the Pacific Northwest." Flint was also the keynote presenter at the third annual NPBIS Conference, at which the award was presented. His address title was "Crack the Code: The Key to Understanding and Managing Behavior." Flint consults extensively with school districts throughout our region on developing school-wide, positive systems that encourage appropriate school behavior and learning.

Janet Hauck (Library) currently serves as president of Northwest Archivists, the professional organization for archivists from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Her training in historic preservation and archival issues has been worked into key history classes for the spring that will prepare students for history internships in Spokane.

The athletic training program will take 15 students to Pullman this month for a regional workshop. The event brings together all three accredited athletic training programs in Washington (WSU, EWU, and Whitworth) and is a great opportunity for inter-program collaboration and learning. Also, Brittany Plunkett-Castilla, '13, who was my trainer as I was rehabilitating my Achilles tendon last semester, was nominated to attend a national athletic training student leadership conference, iLEAD, as Whitworth's representative. The conference takes place this month in Dallas.

The history department plans three public lectures in February and March: the Feb. 14 Simpson-Duvall Lecture, on the theology of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Lewis Baldwin; a lecture by historian and Whitworth alumnus Paul Harvey, on Feb. 28; and a Speakers & Artists event on March 5 featuring Tamrat Admassu, the former prime minister of Ethiopia.

The Arts

Gray/Grey: New Works by Michelle Forsyth is now showing in the Bryan Oliver Gallery of the Lied Center for the Visual Arts. The exhibit runs through Feb. 9 and features mostly gray/grey paintings and weavings built up of layered washes, plaids, and thread, through which Forsyth explores the grid in various forms. I've seen the exhibit, and it's wonderful.

Brent Edstrom (Music) just returned from performing two concerts in Florida with jazz and Motown star Freda Payne (remember Band of Gold?). Brent was recently offered a contract for a second book with Oxford University Press, on the topic of musical applications of microprocessor technology.

Student Life

December programs included the yearly East Hall Ball, complete with a deejay and mocktails, the senior class Christmas party at Bozarth Mansion and the 'Tis the Season Christmas Unplugged Talent Competition, with all proceeds going to the Leadership 250 charity project. When finals (finally) ended, ASWU sent out 357 shuttles to the airport, the train station, and bus station to get students home for the holidays. We hope everyone had a good rest, a lot of turkey (or lasagna, or stir-fried tofu) and trimmings, and a warm, happy Christmas with family and friends. We're excited to have many of our students on campus for Jan Term.

Alumni & Parents

Alumni can enjoy free Pirate basketball in the fieldhouse throughout January and early February. Home games through Feb. 1 and 2 are free to alumni and their families. Start times and matchups are available at www.whitworthpirates.com. On Feb. 2, join us for complimentary refreshments in the Scotford Fitness Center during halftime of the men's game (as the Bucs take on Pacific) as part of our annual Alumni Night in the Fieldhouse festivities.

Portland-area alumni, parents and friends are invited to the Portland professional networking event on Thursday, Feb. 21. Tim Wilkinson, Boppell Dean of Whitworth's School of Global Commerce & Management, will moderate a panel discussion with Portland-area community and business leaders including Jeff Harvey, president and CEO of Burgerville, a Portland-based restaurant known for its local and natural ingredients and commitment to sustainability, and Jon Collins, co-founder of Epipheo Studios, an advertising agency that produces customized videos for businesses and organizations. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with Whitworth staff and faculty and to network with fellow Whitworthians and professionals in the area. Registration opens soon, so stay tuned.

Washington, D.C., area alumni and friends are invited to join Director of Campaign Planning Tad Wisenor, '89, and me for a casual reception at The Mad Hatter, near DuPont Circle in D.C., on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 2, from 3-5 p.m. Details and registration are now available online. I would love to see you!

It's time to start thinking about Commencement Weekend reunions, May 17-19, when members of the classes of 1953, 1963, and 1973 and all alumni from 1972 and earlier are invited to join in the celebration on campus. More information will be coming soon.

Admissions & Financial Aid

Jan. 31 is the recommended deadline for students admitted through our Early Action Application Program to submit their enrollment deposit. The $350 deposit, which can be paid online at www.whitworth.edu/enrollmentdeposit, holds a student's place in the incoming freshman class and also gives students the opportunity for priority consideration in housing and class registration. The deposit is refundable until May 1, so all admitted students are encouraged to submit their deposits ASAP if they are seriously considering Whitworth as their college home.

The 2012-13 FAFSA website is now available for new and returning students who wish to apply for need-based or federal financial aid. Families can file the electronic pre-filled FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov. Our priority deadline is March 1 for new freshmen and for students who wish to apply for summer work-study. For returning students who seek financial aid for 2013-14, the deadline is May 1. For transfer students enrolling in the fall, the deadline is July 1. Families who file their tax returns prior to completing the FAFSA may be able to load the IRS data into the FAFSA electronically. This saves time and ensures the accuracy of the data. Students who receive only a Whitworth academic scholarship do not need to file the FAFSA unless family economic circumstances have changed.

Live auditions for Whitworth music talent awards will be held Feb. 9-10. Interested students can register online by going to www.whitworth.edu/music and clicking on Scholarship Auditions. Students who participate in Whitworth's excellent music ensembles are eligible to audition for talent awards regardless of their major. Talent awards also are available in art, theatre, journalism and forensics. Information will be mailed to students who indicated interest in these programs on their Whitworth admissions applications.

This month we're hosting 20 extraordinary young leaders from Spokane and Tacoma/Seattle who are semifinalists in the Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Program. These students were selected from several hundred applicants to compete for a spot in Whitworth's 11th cadre of Act Six scholars. These students are gifted, equipped and challenged to be agents of transformation on campus and in their home communities.

Resources

Thanks so much to those of you who made financial contributions to Whitworth in December. Each gift, large or small, makes a huge difference to the university. We just completed our 1,500 by the 15th: Light the Match campaign, the goal of which was reaching 1,500 alumni donors by Dec. 15. This number would put us a little over halfway to our goal for the entire fiscal year. The campaign was energized by a $50,000 gift from the chair of our board of trustees, Walter Oliver, '67, who offered this matching gift if at least 1,500 alumni contributed. We are pleased and grateful to announce that we surpassed our goal. In fact, 1,958 Whitworth alumni made gifts! This crucial support from alumni strengthens our ability to support students through scholarships and financial aid, to invest in academic programs and facilities, and to advance Whitworth's transformative mission of an education of mind and heart.

We invite you online to view our new donor honor roll. This site now includes all George F. Whitworth Society lifetime donors of $25,000 or more, all Jay P. Graves Society members who have notified Whitworth of a planned gift or bequest, and annual donors from the past fiscal year. The site also shows the consecutive years of giving for each donor. Remember that all donors of three or more consecutive years are included in The 1890 Society in honor of their consistent support. The honor roll can be found at www.whitworth.edu/donorhonorroll.

Costa Rica

The CRC is abuzz with activity this month. Thirty honors freshmen are on campus to study The Care of Creation: A Biblical Mandate and our Faithful Response. The course combines theology, biology, music, political science, service projects, fishing, and a crocodile boat trip as our Costa Rica students strive to grow in faithful care of God's good earth. The center has also welcomed 10 students under the direction of Melinda Larson (Health Sciences), '92, who will be living with host families in San Rafael de Heredia. They will be doing medical internships in the morning and studying medical Spanish in the afternoons. A long weekend at Punta Mona, on the Caribbean coast, will help them balance work, study and recreation.

Sports

Women's basketball is off to its best start in quite a while. Included in the Pirates' victory total are key Northwest Conference wins – including one over nationally ranked Whitman – that place the women in a great position to make the playoffs. Guard Lauren Picha, '13, has been doing all the little things to make the team successful: passing, defending, and rebounding. (Hey, those sound like big things to me.)

The men's team is 13-1 and ranked 5th in the country. The Bucs pulled off a 3-0 trip to Southern California and won their 13th in a row against Whitman this week. Guards Dustin McConnell and Colton McCargar (both '14) have each posted career-high scoring nights to lead Whitworth to victory early in the season, and Wade Gebbers, '13, blew up the fieldhouse with 22 points – all in the second half – in a double OT victory over Whitman.

The swimming teams held their winter training camp at Whitworth after Christmas. The Pirate swimmers averaged between 10,000 and 16,000 yards of training per day over the course of the nine-day camp. In December, Kate Duvall, '14, became the first 2012-13 Whitworth swimmer to post an NCAA qualifying mark. She did so in the 200-yard backstroke at the Husky Invitational.

Indoor track and field begins meets this month. I'll let you know how they're doing in my next newsletter.

Balin Larson, '15, of our men's soccer team, was named Third Team All-America by D3soccer.com after he helped lead the Pirate men to another NWC title and an appearance in the NCAA Div. III tournament. Congratulations, Balin!

Closing Thoughts

Speaking, as I was earlier, of books to read on airplanes, here are a few I recommend: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain; The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls; Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks; The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach; Twenty-Thirty, by Arthur Brooks; and Grace and Gender, by Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen. As you can see, my reading interests are all over the place. And yes, almost without exception, I lug real books with me on the airplane and avoid iPad reading if I can. Wherever your travels may take you, grace and peace in the new year.