Mind & Heart Newsletter: May 2011
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
I love the academic calendar, with its predictable beginnings and endings. I've mentioned before in Mind & Heart that September is my favorite time of the year because the start of the academic year brings so much promise and excitement. As I write this, though, I'm starting to think that May is my favorite time, not just because of the special moments I have with students and parents surrounding commencement, but also because of the quiet and calm that come when the festivities are over. Yesterday, as I walked across The Loop for a meeting, I noticed how still the campus is. Absent are the students who enjoy playing Frisbee between classes, and missing are the seniors who, in the last several weeks of the semester, seemed to congregate under the trees in hopes of catching their pine cone before graduation – a traditional rite of passage for Whitworth students. The HUB's cafeteria, almost always bustling with activity, now stands empty until summer conferences begin. The library's study carrels, which last week held the hopes and dreams (and prayers) of students preparing for finals, are now empty, waiting for the first Core 150 exam to come around in the fall. Classrooms that until now have echoed with rich conversations about Aristotle, peptides, political revolution, differential equations, and music theory are now quiet, chairs placed neatly in undisturbed rows, hibernating until the students and professors return. Paint fumes and the sounds of carpet cleaners already escape through the open windows of the residence halls as the rooms are prepared for their next tenants. The quiet can be unsettling when compared to the hustle and bustle I've been used to for the past nine months. But I think I will decide to enjoy this time, as difficult as that may be at first. I've grown accustomed to meeting students in the HUB for a quick bite to eat, and I'll miss hearing their funny stories. But I think this is exactly what I need right now. Peace. Quiet. Reflection. Stillness. "Be still, and know that I am God," the psalmist reminds us. Yes, I think May is my favorite time…until September rolls around again.
As a reader of Mind & Heart, you have a vested interest in the Whitworth community. That's why I want to direct your special attention to the "Resources" section this month. It's not only a call to action; it's a confirmation of the important role each of us plays in this community.
Academics
Whitworth is among the first 20 colleges nationwide to launch chapters of Students for Education Reform, a new advocacy and awareness organization dedicated to mobilizing the next generation of leaders to close the educational achievement gap. Founded at Princeton last fall, SFER announced that new chapters are opening this spring at Whitworth, Columbia, Duke, Florida State, NYU, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford, SUNY, North Carolina, University of Georgia and University of Texas. "As a student who was statistically supposed to fall into the achievement gap, I want nothing more than to give future generations the same opportunity that I have been given," says Macy Olivas, '13, the president and driving force behind SFER's Whitworth chapter. "I had many teachers and mentors who helped guide me on my journey to college, and now it's my turn to fight for students the way I was fought for." We love students like Macy!
Some examples of faculty scholarship from spring '11: Jenny Brown (French) presented "In the Shadow of the Past: Memory and the Medieval in Albert Camus and Julien Gracq," at the Memory, Mediation, Remediation Conference, in Canada. Karla Morgan (Economics) presented "The Impact of U.S. and El Salvador Business Cycle on Remittances," at the Midwest Economic Association, in St. Louis. Meredith Shimizu, '93 (Art), presented "Skyscraper Codes: Margaret Bourke-White and the Construction of Identity," at the Western Association of Women Historians, in California. Jerry Sittser (Theology) completed an essay for a book of collected essays, "The Desert Fathers and Mothers," in A Guide to Spiritual Christian Classics. He and James Edwards, '67 (Theology), will be keynoter speakers at the West Coast Pastors Conference this month. Patrick Van Inwegen (Political Science) presented "The End of Revolution – Assessing the Outcomes of Recent Revolutionary Movements," at the International Studies Association, in Canada.
Four members of the Class of '11 won Fulbright awards – the most we've ever had in one year. All will be teaching English and studying local cultures: Corey Dugan, majoring in cross-cultural studies and Spanish, in Spain; Angela Hartley, double major in international studies and Spanish, in Argentina; James Mitsuyasu, majoring in music performance, in Germany; and Kathryn Williams, double major in peace studies and Spanish, in Colombia. Katie also won the business plan competition, causing Patrick Van Inwegen (Political Science) to note, "That's what you can do with a peace studies major." We love professors like Patrick!
Fastest Mathematician Award: Math Instructor Anne Trefry competed in the Boston Marathon and finished in a fleet 3:57:56.
Two Whitworth teams took first place in their respective categories in the 2011 Inland Northwest Business Plan Competition, winning a total of $17,500 in prize money. The top nine teams included four from Whitworth, three from Gonzaga, one from Eastern Washington and one from Spokane Community College. Katie Williams, mentioned above, took home $10,000 for placing first in the student-generated category. Her business plan, Little Lamp Bites and Snacks, presents a healthy and "green" delivery dining service for college students. Graduate students Nicolle Gillie, Dennis Elrod and Kris Meng won $7,500 for first place in the community-based category. Grad student Terri Echegoyen took third place in the community-based category for her plan, Latah Creek Hardware & Home, and undergrads Sean Tennis and Michael Berger took third in the student-generated category for their plan, Foothills Fresh Christmas Trees.
More than 115 people attended a recent roundtable discussion featuring five Saudi Arabian students who presented narratives about gender equality in their home country and for Arab Muslim women living in Spokane. The event, sponsored by the sociology department, encouraged discussions on various aspects of equality, kinship and education.
Here's a small sample of graduate school destinations for members of the Class of '11: Jenny Merryfield (Biology), will enter a doctoral program in microbiology at the University of Tennessee. Heather Wallace will enroll in the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Duke University (and she'll enjoy a full-tuition scholarship and a fellowship to pay her living expenses). Cody Allen was accepted into the M.A. in philosophy program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He will join Kelly Vincent, '09, and Shane Gronholz, '06, who are already in the program. President's Cup winner Kelsey Pagh (French and theology) will attend Princeton Theological Seminary. And Patrick Yoho (computer science, applied physics and French) earned honorable mention in the competition for the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science with a focus on human-computer interfaces.
The Arts
Congratulations to our student winners in MusicFest Northwest 2011. Anneliese Dailey, piano, and Linnea Pearson, oboe, won gold medals in the Young Artist Reed and Piano Divisions and performed with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra at the Bing Crosby Theatre on May 12. Emerald Armstrong, bassoon; MacKenzie Covington, soprano; Jenny Danvers, mezzo-soprano; and Amy Evans, mezzo-soprano, earned silver medals.
Saxophonist Joshua Redman, an international jazz giant, will be guest artist with the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble at the 23rd annual Guest Artist Jazz Concert on Nov. 5, at 8 p.m., in Cowles Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale in September. Please save this date to hear one of the world's greatest jazz musicians in his first Spokane performance.
Costa Rica
After an exciting month that included trips to the Caribbean and Pacific coasts to study conservation and human rights, as well as trips to the U.S. Embassy, poverty-ridden immigrant communities, and Youth with a Mission, our spring Costa Rica Center students headed home. Faculty and staff were sad to see them go, but a student group from Wheaton College arrives at the end of this month. Additionally, Director Lindy Scott is proud to announce the first-ever CRC Sustainability Challenge winners: Heather Kennison, Nicholas Dennis, Hollie McCrea, and Kaitlyn Le Baudour. Taking part in Whitworth's Sustainability Challenge is just one more way the CRC hopes to foster a community based upon sustainability and creation care. Plus, it demonstrates the strong connection between Whitworth's main campus and south location.
Student Life
At the end of an incredible year of student activities, our Pirate Idol, Seth Owens, was chosen as the most talented student performer on campus. KWRS hosted "Club Dub (W)" and turned the HUB into a disco with blacklights and lasers. And Springfest – a festival of athletic challenges, club booths, food, music, entertainment, and the Mr. Whitworth contest – ended April with a bang. All proceeds went to the Jamaican School for the Deaf, and everyone had a great time in the rain. The annual senior boat cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene was the final event of the year, and the seniors had a wonderful night of camaraderie and dancing.
Alumni & Parents
Commencement Weekend marked one of our best 50-year reunions ever. More than 65 class members from 1961 and earlier returned to campus. Everyone had a wonderful time, beginning with an ice-cream social Friday evening and culminating in a catered brunch on Sunday morning.
Mark your calendars now for Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 7-9. The classes of 2006, 2001, and 1991 will celebrate five-year, 10-year and 20-year class reunions, and there'll be gatherings for biology and chemistry alumni and members of the Pirate Swim Team, who will celebrate 50 years of competitive swimming at Whitworth. All alumni are invited to campus for a weekend of fun events and reconnecting with old friends. We'll also honor our 2011 Alumni Award winners, cheer on the Pirate football team as they face off against Pacific Lutheran, and celebrate the grand opening of the William P. & Bonnie V. Robinson Science Hall. Up-to-date information on these and other homecoming events is available online at www.whitworth.edu/homecoming.
Resources
In this spring's campaign for The Whitworth Fund, we asked alumni why they give. Here are some of the great answers we received: "Because it's where I found my path," "I give so that new students can find their calling," "I give out of gratitude and my hope that Whitworth will promote wisdom, justice, critical thinking and love in a messed-up and beautiful world." (Visitwww.whitworth.edu/represent to view these alumni profiles.) These alumni are giving $100 a month, or $100 a year, or whatever they can to give back to Whitworth each year. That's great news, as these gifts directly support students' scholarships, campus programs, and our annual budget. But the sobering news is that we need many, many more of them. By the time we went to press, just 17 percent of our alumni had made a gift to Whitworth this year. (For those of you who are motivated by competition, Whitman, in Walla Walla, boasts numbers closer to 50 percent.) Declining alumni participation limits our ability to serve our students and to thrive as an institution. If you are a Whitworth alum, please make your annual gift – of any amount – by June 30. If you are a Whitworth parent or friend, please consider a gift to The Whitworth Fund to help underwrite the distinctive mind-and-heart education we provide our students. All gifts must be postmarked by June 30 or given online at www.whitworth.edu/give by June 27. Thanks for giving this request your serious consideration. I look forward to reporting our final numbers for alumni participation and for Whitworth Fund dollars raised.
Sports
The baseball team had a 20-win season for the first time since 2002 and also enjoyed a winning Northwest Conference mark (13-11). Landon Scott was named First Team All-NWC for the second straight season and also was selected to the Academic All-District Team.
Softball went 20-19 and finished third in the NWC with a 17-11 record. The Pirates advanced to their first-ever NWC tournament and took third place. Caty Lieseke was named First Team All-NWC as a catcher and was joined on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team by Sami Parr.
Both golf teams finished in third place in the final NWC standings. The women took fourth place at the NWC Championship Tournament, and Emily Guthrie was selected to the coaches' All-Region Team. The men took second place at the tournament. Jesse Salzwedel and Cameron Whittle were both named All-Northwest Conference, and Jesse was also selected All-Region.
Men's tennis posted a final record of 11-10 and climbed to third in the final conference standings with a record of 8-4. This is the Pirates' best conference finish in more than 20 years. Daniel Redfern was named First Team All-NWC.
The women's tennis team won its third straight NWC championship, finishing 17-3 overall and 12-0 in the league. The Pirates have won 43 of their last 44 regular season conference matches. Though Whitworth was defeated in the NWC tournament, Rachel Burns was voted NWC Player of the Year and was also honored with the 2011 NCAA Div. III West Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
The track and field teams continue a successful season. The women finished third at the NWC championships, while the men won their third conference title in the last four seasons. Erica Cox won a pair of throwing events at the NWC championships for the women, while Alex Hymel broke the NWC meet record in winning the javelin. Both are headed to the NCAA championships at the end of the month. Elizabeth Mattila and Tonya Turner have been record-setters in the last month, as has Carter Comito, who broke a 50-year-old school record in the discus.
Closing Thoughts
As I write my last Mind & Heart for this academic year, I find myself in the unusual position of being at a loss for words to express my sincere gratitude to the Whitworth community for the amazing welcome it has extended during my first year of service. This year has been amazing. I've witnessed first-hand how Whitworth's students, staff, faculty and alumni live out the university's mission to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity. I am humbled to work alongside so many who have devoted their professional lives to Whitworth and its students. One of the most common questions I've received this first year is, "What's been your biggest surprise?" My honest answer: It's better than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be great. Thank you for continuing to lift up Whitworth in your prayers. May Whitworth always honor Christ as it educates its students to lead with intellectual competency, moral courage and deep compassion. Have a great summer.
