Mind & Heart Newsletter: March 2014
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
I'm writing this month's update on an airplane heading to Napa Valley with Julie. It will be a relaxing weekend for me, but a grueling one for her. Julie is running the Napa Marathon on Sunday, and I have the luxury of a clear calendar and a three-day weekend, so I decided I would go along for moral support. I've never run a marathon, nor do I ever plan to, so what I know, I know only second-hand. Most people who train for the 26.2-mile endurance test, including Julie, train for months. Miles build and accumulate each week, usually reaching a peak two weeks before the event. Not unlike other athletes who allow their bodies to rest and recover before a big event, marathon runners cut back dramatically on their mileage in the days leading up to the race. This past week, Julie has barely looked at her running shoes. But here's the thing – all that energy that goes into pounding the pavement during normal training has to be funneled in new directions. That "runner's high" has to come from other activities. It's been fun to watch Julie this past week as she has frenetically cleaned the house, sorted through the kids' closets for clothes drives, accomplished a few household repairs, artistically decorated encouraging notes to the kids, and planned summer activities. I think one more week of not running would drive her (and maybe the rest of us) insane. I'm so proud of her accomplishment, and I can't wait to see her cross that finish line!
Academics
Jerry Sittser (Theology) was recently a visiting scholar at the Biola University Center for Christian Thought; he presented on "John Cassian as Desert Psychologist: An Analysis of his Institutes and Conferences," and also lectured on "Adversity as Spiritual Formation."
Arlin Migliazzo (History) was invited to serve as an editorial consultant for The James Poyas Daybook: The Account of a Charles Town Merchant, 1760-1765, an online exhibition.
A Concise History of Catholic Martyrdom in China, by Tony Clark (History), written and translated for the Year of Faith, was recently published in Hong Kong. Tony also presented a paper, "Jesuits in Late Qing China," at the Jesuits in World History International Symposium and Teachers' Workshop.
The library has two new exhibits on display: Faith in Miniature: Christian Prayers & Devotions and Famous Signatures from the Whitworth Ruby Collection (which includes signatures from Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks and others).
The School of Business is conducting mock interviews with students who are preparing for job searches. Weyerhaeuser Hall will soon welcome representatives from the federal government, top private-sector businesses (Avista, Potlatch, Itron, McKinstry), all five major banks and the two leading credit unions, as well as many alumni and proud Whitworth parents who are local "influencers."
Candice Correia recently received notification that her co-authored manuscript, On the Social Costs of Bankruptcy: Does Filing Under Chapter 13 Really Lead to Significant Creditor Repayment?, will be published in Volume 5, Issue 1 of the International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development.
An abstract, "Pre-Activity Sports Massage Does Not Affect Vertical Jump or Sprint Performance," written by athletic training students Aaron Libolt, Richard Aley and Victoria Reardon, all '14, and faculty members Cynthia Wright (Athletic Training) and Beth Abbey (Health Science), was accepted by the National Athletic Trainer's Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium as a finalist in the undergraduate poster presentation category. The abstract will be published this spring in the Journal of Athletic Training.
Hanh Nguyen, '14, an Act Six scholar, has been invited to present at the American Chemical Society's 247th national meeting. Her presentation stems from her summer internship as a member of the Wheeler Computational Chemistry Research Group, with the Texas A&M Chemistry Department.
The Arts
The Ceramics Invitational, featuring Terry Gieber, Gina Freuen, Lisa Nappa, and Chris Tyllia, will run through April 4 in Room 201 of the Lied Art Center.
Brent Edstrom (Music) will be the featured performer at the next Spokane Jazz Orchestra concert, on March 8, downtown at The Bing. Brent is writing and arranging most of the music for his portion of the concert, which is billed as Swingin' With the Piano Man.
Pride and Prejudice, based on the novel by Jane Austen, adapted by Jon Jory and directed by Brooke Kiener, '99, will take place March 7, 8, 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m. and March 9 at 2 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. Tickets (www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets) are $8; $6 for students and seniors. Pride and Prejudice has much to say about the interplay between money and marriage, social status and ingenuity, and of course, first impressions and self-improvement – topics that remain crucially relevant today. This adaptation moves fluidly through places and moments, zeroing in on the essence of character and plot points, and preserving everything audiences love about Austen's work.
Student Life
February rocked, beginning with Cultural Awareness Week, organized by ASWU's multicultural clubs. The week began with renowned researcher Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., who taught Whitworthians about white privilege and questioned students, faculty and staff about their response to this oppression. The community also heard from Whitworth's Costa Rica students, who presented on the biblical theme of Shalom. A panel of professors discussed LGBTQ issues on Sunday evening, and the week concluded with the comedy presentation The Black Jew Dialogues. ASWU's Andriana Siefe headed up an entertaining and thoughtful week. On Feb. 21, students attended the black-tie event George Whitworth's Gala Royale, coordinated by ASWU's Raleigh Addington. All proceeds went to the May 3 Million Meals event.
Pam Oswalt (Health & Counseling Center) has led the way in helping our campus become more aware of ways to deal with sexual assault. Green Dot, a program that encourages bystanders to do something if they find themselves in a setting where another person is being sexually harassed, assaulted, coerced, or bullied, presented a halftime skit at both women's and men's basketball games. Volunteers gave away green basketballs, manned and womanned a Green Dot information table, conducted a "soundoff" of the ways in which a bystander can intervene, and held a raffle. Thanks to Pam and the Green Dot committee for a huge success!
Alumni & Parents
The Whitworth Wind Symphony will soon be on its way to California for Spring Break! We hope you can join us at a free concert and/or accompanying alumni/parent event in one of five California locations during the week of March 22-29. Details can be found on the alumni & parent events calendar at www.whitworth.edu/alumnievents.
Update your contact information and enter to win! We want to be sure that we can reach you, and we're interested in important changes in your life. Alumni and parent submitters who send updates during March will be entered to win Whitworth gear or a giftcard from Barnes and Noble! Alums can update their info at www.whitworth.edu/alumniupdate and parents can update us at www.whitworth.edu/parentupdate. Thanks for helping to keep our database current!
Alums from the classes of '63, '64, and '65 are invited to return to campus to celebrate 50th reunions June 20-22, 2014.Registration opens soon, and a schedule is available at www.whitworth.edu/alumni/reunions/50yr.
Join your Southern California alumni & parent chapter today. Whitworth alumni and parents are invited to gather in pilot areas across the West to socialize, stay connected with Whitworth, develop professional networks and share the Whitworth story with prospective students. Join Whitworth's newest chapter in SoCal by visiting www.whitworth.edu/chapter. Or contact Danika Heatherly, '10, at 509.777.4761 or dheatherly@whitworth.edu to inquire about helping to launch a chapter in your area.
Parents, it may be hard to believe, but it's nearing time to order Final Exam Survival Kits! Keep an eye on your e-mail inbox/USPS mailbox for order information at the end of March. Surprise your favorite Whitworth student with one of two great options, which will be ready for them to pick up just before Finals Week, in May.
Admissions
Our March 1 freshman application deadline is passed. But if you know someone who needs an extension, encourage him or her to contact us at 800.533.4668 or admissions@whitworth.edu. Applicants with incomplete files should submit transcripts, letters of recommendation and test-score reports as soon as possible. The sooner we have a complete file, the sooner we can make decisions and send out those fat acceptance envelopes. The transfer application deadline for fall enrollment is July 1.
A new Act Six Academy program is being offered for incoming first-generation and underrepresented freshmen from Spokane and from the Seattle/Tacoma area. The program builds on the success of the Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative, providing extensive pre-college leadership training and cadre-building to participants. Academy applications can be accessed at www.whitworth.edu/academy and are due March 15.
Financial Aid
It's FAFSA season! Newly admitted students should have submitted FAFSAs by now and can anticipate receiving an award soon. Continuing students have a priority deadline of May 1 and will receive their awards electronically in late spring. For new or continuing students who still need to apply, students and parents can automatically load the tax data from the IRS website (which is preferred over hand-entering the data) two weeks after their federal tax returns are filed electronically. Confirmation of Whitworth's receipt of a student's FAFSA can be seen on WhitNet. Scholarships for students who receive academic scholarshipsonly will be automatically renewed; these students are not required to file the FAFSA.
Resources
You help make a Whitworth education possible for our students. In the years since George Whitworth first envisioned an education of mind and heart, dedicated professors, faithful staff and generous donors have made it possible for students to continue to enjoy this unique experience. On April 1, they'll celebrate the symbolic point in the academic year when tuition no longer covers the costs associated with their enrollment – when outside support from donors, the endowment and other university operations help to fund the final six weeks of school. We call it Tuition Freedom Day, and we honor you for making the difference between a good education and a GREAT education for each of these students. It's a wonderful reminder that gifts large and small help fulfill George Whitworth's mission. From students, faculty and staff alike, thank you!
Costa Rica
In the life of every institution, difficult decisions must be made to ensure that resources are being stewarded in the most faithful ways. Recently, I made the decision to suspend our semester-long Costa Rica Center programming for the 2014-15 academic year. We will continue to offer the Jan Term experience at the CRC for honors freshmen in 2015. Although the CRC has offered transformative learning experiences for students and faculty since 2010, we've had difficulty maintaining the enrollments and academic programming necessary to justify the investments we are making there. As a result, I'm asking our community to spend next year working on a new plan to utilize the CRC in more sustainable ways. A campus task force will begin work immediately on this effort. Whitworth remains absolutely committed to international education; our other successful Jan Term and semester-long programs attest to that, along with our No. 6 ranking nationally among similar institutions based on study-abroad participation. I offer my sincere thanks to CRC directors Lindy and Dinorah Scott, along with all of our U.S. and Costa Rican staff, for their wonderful efforts at "Whitworth South."
Sports
Men's swimming won its 12th consecutive Northwest Conference championship by a margin of nearly 200 points last week in Federal Way. Wes Walton, '15, earned Co-Outstanding Men's Swimmer, winning the 200 I.M., 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke and setting two NWC records along the way.
The swimmin' women finished in second place at the championship meet by just two points. Jackie Beal, '15, won the 100 and 200 backstrokes, while Alisa Stang, '14, won the 100 and 200 freestyles. The Whitworth 200 and 400 medley relays set new NWC records.
Men's basketball is once again national-tourney bound. The guys clinched an unprecedented fifth consecutive NWC championship with a win over Whitman. On their way to the title, they mounted one of the greatest comebacks in school history, rallying from 11 points behind George Fox with just 90 seconds to play to force overtime and grab a 105-101 win. The fieldhouse went NUTS!
Women's basketball beat No. 1 nationally ranked Whitman to earn a berth in the national tournament. The amazing Pirates also upset a nationally ranked George Fox team to finish third in the Northwest Conference. Kayla Johnson, '14, recently surpassed 1,000 career points, and Head Coach Helen Higgs became the first women's basketball coach in NWC history to achieve 300 career victories.
The indoor track and field teams have set 10 school records this winter. Kierstie Shellman, '15, has topped her own marks in the pole vault three times and is now at 11'6". Keegan Shea, '14, currently holds the weight throw record with a mark of 57'7".
Spring sports are under way. Softball completed a successful trip through Southern California with a 7-3 record. Shannon Wessel, '17, batted .367, while Peyton McMahon, '15, led the team with 12 RBIs. Baseball is 2-2 following its SoCal trip. All-American Tyler Pfeffer, '14, hit .471 with two doubles and seven RBI.
Closing Thoughts
Perhaps one of the ways you participate in the Lenten season is to give something up for the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It's a good tradition, because it reminds us to lean upon the strength and sacrifice of Christ rather than upon the things of this world. I wonder what would happen if each of us were also to commit to simple acts of service each day during Lent. In addition to giving something up, we would be adding something to. That pattern seems to mirror Christ's example to us. Jesus gave up his place in heaven and ultimately gave up his life to add overflowing abundance to our lives. His acts of sacrifice and service changed the world forever. I pray that we have the courage and resolve to do the same. May God bless you and yours. Thank you for the many ways you support Whitworth University.
