Mind & Heart Newsletter: March 2015
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
I often catch myself repeating things that my parents said. After years of living with them, and countless dinner-table conversations, it's not surprising that I would channel them from time to time. In the same way, if you've ever heard me speak on Christian higher education for more than two minutes, you've heard me channel Fr. Theodore Hesburgh. "Father Ted" led the University of Notre Dame from 1952-87. I think I've read almost everything he wrote on higher education leadership. During his 35 years at the helm of arguably the nation's preeminent Catholic institution, Hesburgh saw the university through dramatic political, social and academic revolutions, always calling the institution back to its founding mission of free inquiry and open discussion rooted in a vibrant, Christ-centered community. My deep appreciation for Hesburgh's leadership is one reason why, five years ago, Whitworth caught my eye. The inviting ways Hesburgh spoke about integrating Christian faith and learning mirrored Whitworth's commitments to faith and reason and to navigating the "narrow ridge." Hesburgh once said that "the best way to become a great Christian university is to first become a great university." That same sentiment animates Whitworth's commitment to rigorous and open inquiry and its uncompromising goal of academic excellence. Hesburgh also described the Christian university as a "lighthouse at the crossroads," implying that as a Christ-centered place of learning, the Christian university has an important and unique role in illuminating the world's most difficult challenges with God's grace and truth. That, too, describes Whitworth's commitment to being salt and light in a broken but redeemed world. Father Ted passed away last week at the age of 97. We at Whitworth, and indeed all of Christian higher education, owe a lot to Father Ted's leadership, and we will do well to hold on to what he held so dear.
Academics
Whitworth Forensics is on a tear. After an historic victory at the recent Western Washington University tournament, where, in tournament sweepstakes, Whitworth took first place from among 29 schools, winning 51 trophies and three sweepstakes awards, the "Arguing Bucs" won the NW Forensics Conference's yearlong sweepstakes. The team triumphed over 38 public and private universities, and Whitworth also won the Western States Communication Association tournament at Gonzaga University, taking first place in sweepstakes out of 16 schools from six states and winning 37 trophies and three sweepstakes awards.
Dawn Keig (School of Business) received the "Best Instructor" award at the X-Culture International Business Student Collaboration Challenge Project. Our students were also recognized: Corina Gebbers, '15, as "Best Student," and the teams of Raleigh Addington and Spencer Ansett, both '15, for "Best Teams." Whitworth's students placed in the top 2 percent worldwide!
Jann Leppien (Margo Long Chair in Gifted Education) spoke at the Edufest Winter Innovation in Education Conference on "Developing Minds: Strategies and Tools for Scaffolding Student Thinking," and "The Pivotal Role of Administrators in Supporting and Advancing Comprehensive Services for Advanced-Level Students." Kathryn Picanco (School of Education) presented Edufest sessions "Literature Circles with a Twist" and "Independent Learning Opportunities."
Jerry Sittser (Theology) lectured on "Adversity and Spiritual Formation" at Calvin College (Mich.), and spoke on "Baptism as Catechesis, Commitment, and Choreography," "Reviving the Catechumenate in a Post-Christendom World," and "Leading Worship in a Post-Christendom, Low-Biblical-Literacy Age."
Registration for the Whitworth Institute of Ministry is now open! The 40th anniversary of WIM, July 20-24, will feature Walter Brueggemann, Andy Crouch, and Anne Zaki. For more information and to register, please visit www.whitworth.edu/wim.
The Arts
Whitworth Theatre presents These Shining Lives, directed by Susan Hardie, this month in Cowles Auditorium. Playwright Melanie Marnich's script is based on the tragic, true story of the "Radium Girls" in 1920s Illinois. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on March 6, 7,
13 & 14, and at 2 p.m. on March 8. Buy tickets online at www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets, by calling 509.777.4374, or at the door.
The 2015 Whitworth Choir Spring Tour will make stops along the I-5 corridor of Western Washington from March 20-28. The program will feature Missa Pacem (Mass of Peace), a 23-minute work for soloists, mixed chorus, piano, and percussion by Marc A. Hafso (Music). Other works include selections from Britten's Five Flower Songs and Ives' Circus Band, as well as songs from Africa and North America. Call or email the music office for additional info: 509.777.3280, jlack@whitworth.edu or lswegle@whitworth.edu.
The Whitworth Jazz Ensemble performed for more than 800 people at the National Association for Music Education's 44th Northwest conference in February. Dan Keberle (Music) reports that his group was chosen to perform at the conference's general session, which also featured famed guest speaker and renowned music education advocate Tim Lautzenheiser.
Student Life
The Whitworth Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement hosted Kate Shuster, Ph.D., a specialist on the teaching of civil-rights history in our nation's K-12 schools. Shuster visited Whitworth – and spoke with District 81's superintendent, administrators, principals and teachers – to promote the "Teach the Movement" program, which brings university students into K-12 schools as volunteers to teach the history of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. The program emanated from Shuster's 2011 report that ranked the 50 states on the quality of their curriculum in addressing the U.S. civil-rights struggle. Washington state failed in that first evaluation, and received a "D" in a subsequent ranking. Whitworth students are excited to bring the program to our campus and to Spokane schools beginning in 2015-16.
Admissions & Financial Aid
Our March 1 freshman application deadline has passed, but if you know someone who needs an extension, please encourage him/her to contact admissions 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.
Admitted incoming freshmen who live in or near Denver, Bellingham, Tacoma, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland or the Tri-Cities, Whitworth is coming to you later this month. We will host Whitworth Info Night receptions for admitted students and parents in all of those cities – providing opportunities for you to connect with current students, professors, parents, recent alumni and admissions/financial aid counselors. Come join us! Sign up at www.whitworth.edu/WIN.
Whitworth is called to equip students, staff and faculty to be interculturally competent global citizens. One way in which we are accomplishing this goal is by enrolling a more diverse student body: The number of Whitworth students from underrepresented racial and ethnic populations has doubled in the past five years. These students will be able to explore Whitworth opportunities and resources at our Multicultural Visit Program, April 16-18. Students can read more and sign up online at www.whitworth.edu/MVP. More than half of the seniors who attended last year's MVP event decided to attend Whitworth.
It's FAFSA season again! Newly admitted students should have submitted their FAFSAs 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/continuing students who still need to apply, students and parents can automatically load tax data from the IRS website (which is preferred over hand-entering the data) two weeks after filing the federal tax return electronically. Confirmation of our receipt of a student's FAFSA by can be seen on WhitNet. Academic scholarships will renew automatically (and no re-filing of the FAFSA is necessary) for students who receive only those scholarships.
The Campaign for Whitworth
Since the day George Whitworth envisioned an education of mind and heart, support from our dedicated professors, faithful staff and generous donors has made it possible for students to continue to receive this unique education.
On April 1, students will celebrate the point in the academic year when tuition no longer covers the costs associated with their educational expenses – and when outside support from donors like you, the endowment and other university operations help to fund the rest. We call this Tuition Freedom Day, and we honor you for making the difference between a good education and a GREAT education for each of these students. Your gifts, both large and small, help fulfill George Whitworth's vision from so long ago. From students, faculty and staff alike, thank you!
The Campaign for Whitworth has now reached the $60 million mark on our way to $100 million, but this undertaking is about so much more than dollars. See all of the projects at www.whitworth.edu/125.
Whitworth Serves
The webpage for Whitworth Serves Day, a nationwide day of service on March 28, is live at www.whitworth.edu/march28. Visit the page to find a volunteer location near you, or work with us to set one up in your hometown. We'll help invite Whitworthians to join you!
Are you volunteering in your community? Add your service hours to our Whitworth Serves campaign at www.whitworth.edu/whitworthserves to show the impact of Whitworthians around the world! Karen Poppen, '71, has volunteered significant hours to Caterpillar Ministries, in Huntersville, N.C., serving children who live in a low-income trailer park in her community. She tutors elementary students after school two afternoons per week. "I love building relationships with these students and seeing them grow in their confidence as learners," Karen says. Tell us your story through the Whitworth Serves campaign.
Alumni & Parents
Do you have a Whitworth alumni email account? We're making an improvement to your account on March 15 that will primarily affect how you log in. Please look for a message in your Whitworth email inbox during the first half of March regarding these changes and including complete instructions on how to navigate them. We want to make the transition as easy as possible for you.
Parents, it's nearing time to order Final Exam Survival Kits. Keep an eye on your email inbox for order information at the beginning of April. 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.
Alums, show your Whitworth pride! Visit www.whitworth.edu/alumnipostcards to download a printable PDF of one of six clever postcards to display in your home, office or car. After you post one (or two), snap a picture and share it using the hashtag #whitworthalumni on social media.
Homecoming 2015 will be here before we know it! Members of the classes of 1955, '65, '75, '85, '95, '05, and '10 will celebrate their milestone reunions, and all alumni coached by Sam Adams are also invited to return to campus for the festivities, Oct. 2-4. Registration and detailed information will be available in late spring. For now, please keep saving the date.
Sports
The men's swimming team finished in second place at the 2015 Northwest Conference swimming championships. The Pirates won six individual events and one relay. Wes Walton, '15, was the co-Men's Swimmer of the Meet after winning the 200 I.M., 400 I.M. and 200-yard backstroke. Brandon Smith, '16, earned victories in the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyles. The men's team had won 13 consecutive NWC titles. Let the next streak begin!
The women's swimming team finished third at the NCSC. The Pirates won five individual events, including three by Jackie Beal, '15. Beal took first place in the 200 I.M., along with the 100 and 200-yard backstroke races, to earn Women's Swimmer of the Meet honors.
Men's basketball earned its sixth straight Northwest Conference regular-season championship this weekend. Taylor Farnsworth and Adam Wilks, both '15, ended their regular-season careers on a winning note as Whitworth defeated PLU and UPS on the road in their final conference games. The Bucs, in their 10th consecutive 20-win season, will host an NWC tournament semifinal against Willamette this week.
Women's basketball (21-4) has now posted three straight 20-win seasons. Katara Belton-Sharp, Kendra Knutsen, Jessica Kramer, JoJo Nicholas and Lexie Zappone, all '15, were feted at Senior Night last week. Then the Bucs went to PLU and upended the Lutes, and, after a tough loss at UPS, they finished third in the NWC behind the Loggers and first-place George Fox. Whitworth and UPS will clash again (at UPS) in the opening game of the NWC tournament this week.
George Valle, '16, of the men's basketball team, and KC McConnell, '16, of women's hoops, were named to their respective Capital One Academic All-District teams for Div. III.
The indoor track and field season is winding down after several outstanding performances this winter. Katie McKay, '15, set a team record for the indoor 800 meters during a meet at the University of Washington, and Joe Green, '15, has a chance to qualify for the 2015 NCAA Div. III indoor championships in the pole vault. Joe has cleared 15'-7.25" this season.
Softball opened the spring schedule with a 10-day trip to SoCal, where the Pirates finished 7-3 against strong competition. Madi Perez, '16, went 4-1 as a starting pitcher, tossing five complete games. Chelsey Hayes, '18, doubled in her first collegiate at-bat and ended the trip with a .457 batting average.
Baseball also opened in California, where the Pirates went 1-3 against highly ranked Cal Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer. Joshua Davis, '15, batted .538 (whoa!) and led the team with two home runs and seven RBIs.
And tennis is under way. The Pirate women are 0-2, but they pushed NWC-favorite Whitman hard in several matches before falling to the Missionaries. The men's team is also 0-2, but the guys had their strongest performance in many years against NAIA power Lewis-Clark State.
Closing Thoughts
As I mentioned above, we've had very little snow this year. Our winter contrasts with the wet and frigid conditions across the Midwest, Deep South, and northeastern parts of the country. My son, Zach, who is studying in Nashville, has giggled a few times watching Nashvillians navigate snowy roads and icy conditions. Ironically, he's set to come home to Spokane next week to get some skiing in – that's not going to happen. We'll enjoy having him home anyway. With temperatures reaching the 60s, perhaps I'll put him to work with a little spring cleaning! I hope your March is warm and fun!
