Mind & Heart Newsletter: March 2011
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
The year is flying by! I can't believe it's March already – I haven't even settled on my New Year's resolutions yet. There's still snow on the ground in Spokane, but we're hoping for an early spring thaw. What an amazing time on our campus – our Pirate athletics teams continue to provide lift and energy to our community, graduating students are working hard to finish (but are beginning to diagnose themselves with "senioritis"), student productions and events occur nearly every day, impressive guest speakers visit regularly, prospective students and parents are checking out Whitworth in record numbers, and our community continues to discuss the Whitworth 2021 vision and strategic plan. This campus buzz provides fuel for me as I continue to learn more about the community and travel to meet with Whitworth's alumni, parents and friends. One of my new favorite activities as president is to preach at churches in the region and at chapel, where I'm sharing the "pulpit" with several colleagues this semester. For the past 10 years I have been blessed to teach an adult Sunday school class, but standing in front of a congregation and preaching the Good News is an exhilarating and humbling experience – I am quick to remind folks that I may be the first (and possibly the last) economist invited to preach in their church! I love preaching for several reasons. First, it keeps me in God's Word. The busyness of my schedule would make it easy for me to crowd out my time with God, but with several sermons always on the horizon, I have good reason to stay disciplined. Second, I get to tell the Whitworth story. I don't use the pulpit to advertise, but I do remind people that Whitworth is dedicated to Christ-centered education. Third, I get to connect with even more Whitworthians. Last Sunday I preached four services at Bellevue Presbyterian, and in the evening service, the entire front row of the congregation was wearing Whitworth sweatshirts – I love it. Most important, I get to share how a sinner like me can have forgiveness and great hope through Christ. What an awesome blessing and responsibility.
Academics
Twenty-seven of our students are studying abroad this semester. Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China, Costa Rica, France, Ghana, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are hosting these Whitworthians, and we're welcoming students from France, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan. I love the fact that our students are so eager to travel and study abroad.
In January, Maxford Nelsen, '13, Rhylee Smith, '11, and Ja Ja Quarless, '12, faced off against Spokane Falls Community College in a debate akin to the format used in the Denzel Washington movie The Great Debaters. Our team opposed the resolution for Washington state to adopt legislation that would allow for the recreational use and cultivation of marijuana. The team was coached by Joe Vigil, '93 (Communication Studies). Join us at Whitworth next month for the rematch, which will be part of our Speakers & Artists Program.
Many Whitworth students learn the ropes in their disciplines during professional internships. Kelly Thorpe, '11, is doing professional makeup work for the latest project at North by Northwest Productions. Kristoff Decker, '11, works with the Spokane Police Department, assisting at accident and crime scenes, managing evidence and staffing volunteer-recruiting booths at area colleges. Priya Yeganathan, '12, is interning at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, her home country. She works in the American Outreach Library, compiles remarks for the public affairs officer, and coordinates activities for Sri Lankan relief programs. Last summer, Michael Woessner, '11, completed an accounting internship at Andes Natural, S. A., in Concón, Chile, generating financial accounting statements for the company, which exports snail secretions for use in facial cream (no kidding), as well as angora yarn for fabrication of sweaters, gloves, scarves and hats. Aaron Korthuis, '12, recently completed his third semester interning at Spokane's Center for Justice, where he oversaw the creation of a credit-correction program that seeks to assist low-income clients in their efforts to rehabilitate poor credit. Last fall, Kate Schmedake and Andy Keyser, both '11, and Andrea Idso, '12, served as editorial assistants with Rock & Sling, the literary journal for which English Lecturer Thom Caraway serves as editor-in-chief. The students learned first-hand what it takes to run a literary journal, solicit authors, acquire manuscripts, manage a website, evaluate submissions, and deal with all the facets of operating a literary journal. Check next month's M&H for information about more of our students who are involved in internships that will prepare them well for life after Whitworth.
Spring semester is off to a great start at the Costa Rica Center. We have 19 undergrads and one grad student living with Costa Rican host families while taking classes at the CRC campus and participating in a variety of internships. Courses offered include Spanish, Latin American Culture, Latin American Women Writers, Conservationism and Human Rights, Latin American Studies and Core 350 (with discussion groups in Spanish and English). Our "south campus" faculty has grown with the addition of Jenni Holsinger (Sociology) and her family. Jenni is taking sabbatical leave at the CRC and co-teaching Core 350. ¡Pura vida!
The Arts
By special invitation issued to only two Northwest collegiate jazz bands, the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Dan Keberle (Music), performed at the recent Music Educators All-Northwest Conference in Bellevue to an appreciative audience of more than 200 music educators.
Katie Litzenberg, graduate ministry intern for campus worship, organized a campus worship summit last month at her alma mater, Seattle Pacific University. Litzenberg, currently a student in our M.A. in Theology Degree Program, organized the event, which involved SPU students and staff along with nine Whitworth students and Associate Professor Ben Brody (Music).
Under the direction of Diana Trotter (Theatre) a student troupe took an original Whitworth show on the road during Jan Term. They performed Mirror, Mirror: The Body Image Show to more than 2,300 people, including three church groups and 14 middle and high schools. Mirror, Mirror, an original script, was developed by Whitworth students and is based on the idea that peers, families and the media shape our ideas about body image. The script is woven from a wide range of materials, including popular literature, nursery rhymes and statistics.
This month, Whitworth Theatre presents Eurydice. The classic tale of Orpheus has inspired operas, movies, and a ballet, and it now takes the form of a modern adaptation that offers creative sets and a fantastical version of the tale. The play opened last weekend, and Julie and I thoroughly enjoyed it; you can catch a performance March 11 or 12 at 8 p.m. in Whitworth's Cowles Auditorium. Tickets are $8; students, children and seniors (62-plus) pay $6. Purchase tickets at the door, in advance by calling the theatre box office at 509.777.3707, or online at www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets.
Events
The Whitworth Institute of Ministry, one of our flagship programs to serve the church, will soon be registering participants for its 36th annual gathering, July 11-15. This year's WIM, "Enduring Wisdom for the Church Today," will explore how the wisdom of the past helps us experience God's redeeming love through Jesus Christ in our lives, in our churches, and in our world. Professor Emeritus Dale Bruner (Theology) will lead Bible Hour and Karen Petersen Finch (Theology) will help participants apply Reformed theology through her reflections on "Calvin for Congregations." In addition, my good friend and former colleague Timothy George, dean of the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, in Birmingham, Ala., will preach at our evening worship services. Together, they will set the context for stimulating reflection, spiritual renewal, and personal refreshment. See our website, www.whitworth.edu/wim, for additional information.
Student Life
Next week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and Duvall students and staff have planned a number of programs to address this topic. Arend residents splashed it up at a pool party in February and enjoyed swing dancing lessons and a variety of mocktails. East Hall welcomed Costa Rica Center Director Lindy Scott, who asked, "Does Our Christian Faith Have Anything to Contribute to the Immigration Debate?" Boppell hosted Jam Session Night, with lots of residents participating. And residents from several halls have visited a nearby trampoline place, Sky High, for hall activities, usually returning uninjured.
Intramurals are in full spring swing. After a great fall semester with 75 teams playing basketball, soccer and volleyball, spring intramurals are blowing up: 103 teams (with an average of 10 students per team) are signed up to play. These numbers are just for basketball, volleyball and soccer. We haven't even advertised yet for Frisbee and flag football. Our facilities – and the local Y— are getting a workout! I'm told that Dale Soden (History and The Weyerhaeuser Center), invited by some students to join their hoops team, recently played in a big game way past his bedtime.
Alumni & Parents
The Whitworth Choir and I will both be in California during Spring Break, March 21-25. I look forward to meeting some of you at concerts that coincide with Taylor Tour events. Here's the choir's schedule: March 19, 7:30 p.m.: La Cañada Presbyterian Church (Taylor Tour event at 6 p.m.); March 20, 4 p.m.: Irvine Presbyterian Church (Taylor Tour event at 2:30 p.m.); March 23, 7:30 p.m.: CUSD Performing Arts Center – Shaghoian Concert Hall, Fresno; March 25, 7:30 p.m.: Fremont Presbyterian Church, Sacramento; and March 26, 7:30 p.m.: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley (Taylor Tour event at 6 p.m.).
Information on exam energy kits will be sent out soon for parents who'd like to order goodies or fruit treats for their studying offspring. In the meantime, you can always order early online at www.whitworth.edu/parents by selecting Birthday and Gift Service. The deadline to order is April 18; kits will be handed out starting May 5, just in time for Finals Week. What a great way to encourage your student!
It seems as if May is a long way off – but Commencement Weekend reunions are just around the corner for members of the classes of 1951 and 1961. All alums who graduated in 1961 and earlier are invited to join us on campus during the weekend of May 13-15. You can still register for this great weekend of celebration, but there's no time to waste. Visitwww.whitworth.edu/reunions or contact the alumni office at 509.777.3799 or alumni@whitworth.edu.
Fifteen- and 18-year reunions of the Central America Study Program will take place this summer. For all you non-math majors, those reunions encompass the groups from 1996 and 1993, respectively. The 15-year CASP alumni will gather in Spokane the weekend of July 24-26, and 18-year alums will gather July 15-17. For more information, visit www.whitworth.edu/alumni.
Resources
On April 1, students will celebrate that symbolic point in the academic year when tuition no longer covers the costs associated with their enrollment, and when outside support from donors, the endowment and other university operations help to fund the rest. They call it Tuition Freedom Day, and to honor those who help make that day and the rest of the year possible, students will be sending handwritten notes to thank you donors. It's a wonderful way to remember that gifts, both large and small, help underwrite these students' experiences. They – and we – are extremely grateful.
Sports
What can I say about our men's basketball team? The men, on their way to Ohio this week to play in the NCAA Div. III Sweet Sixteen, entered the tournament as No. 1 in the national rankings. The Pirates (27-1) are making their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance and have already broken the school record for most victories in a season. Jim Hayford is NWC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his 10 years at Whitworth. Senior Michael Taylor was chosen NWC Player of the Year by league coaches, while senior David Riley earned First-Team All-NWC honors for the third time in his career. Junior post Felix Friedt (who sports a healthy 3.96 GPA as well as a dominating presence down low) was selected as a Third-Team Capital One Academic All-American, becoming only the second Whitworth men's basketball player ever to receive that honor.
Women's basketball finished 11-14 overall, 7-9 (sixth place) in the NWC. The Pirates were in the running for an NWC playoff spot until the final week of the campaign, despite playing with no seniors this season. Sophomore Emily Guthrie, who led the league in three-pointers per game, was named Second-Team All-NWC.
The swim teams ran away with both Northwest Conference championships. The men won an incredible 16 of 18 events and rolled up the largest margin of victory in conference history on the way to their ninth straight title. Steve Schadt was selected NWC Men's Coach of the Year, and senior Kalen Darling won three individual events and earned the men's Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet for the second year in a row. The women won their second straight NWC championship and their third in the last four years. Freshman Kate Duvall broke the all-time NWC record in the 200 backstroke, while sophomore Abby Pavelko defended her title in the 400 individual medley.
Women's tennis is off to a 4-0 NWC start (5-2 overall), tied for first in the NWC, and will definitely be in the hunt for a third straight conference championship. Rachel Burns continues to play very well at No. 1 singles for the Pirates, who have already bested some fine teams.
Men's tennis is 2-2 in the NWC (3-5 overall). Junior Daniel Redfern and senior Colin Zalewski share the top two singles spots.
Emmanuel Bofa, '10, will run in the 800-meter race at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field championships this month in Columbus, Ohio. He will be joined by junior Tonya Turner and freshman Jheri Gates, the first Whitworth female track athletes to make it to the indoor national championship, where they will compete in the mile and the high jump respectively. Outdoor T&F begins its season this week.
Baseball is currently 5-7 and is getting tremendous production from freshman Tyler Pfeffer, who is batting .406 through the first 12 games.
The softball team struggled to a 6-10 start, but things are looking up. Their early games included four against No. 1-ranked Linfield – but last weekend they took a doubleheader from UPS, and they're now 4-4 in the NWC.
The golf teams begin their spring schedule later this month.
Closing Thoughts
We're talking a lot these days about the future of Whitworth. As the new president, I have used this opportunity to ask our community, "What do you want Whitworth to be in the next 10 years?" Those conversations have yielded a draft of our new 10-year vision and strategic plan, which we're calling Whitworth 2021. We are asking all Whitworthians to spend some time reviewing the plan and providing input. We want to hear from you. I encourage you to visit www.whitworth.edu, and to click on the Whitworth 2021 link on the right side of the page. There you will find detailed discussions of the opportunities and challenges facing Whitworth and our responses to them. Whitworth's vision must be a shared vision, so we need your feedback. Thanks for keeping Whitworth in your prayers.
