Mind & Heart Newsletter: May 2012
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
May is a month of beginnings and endings. As we wrap up Whitworth's 122nd academic year, we celebrate the ending of another successful term and we say goodbye to the students who mean so much to us. Our seniors, who in the fall were exhilarated by the anticipation of their impending graduation, turned melancholy about March when the reality of their departure from the Whitworth community finally sank in. May is their month – a month when we can focus on the ways in which God has blessed this remarkable class to live out Whitworth's mission. It's also a month when we can rejoice in the positive impact our seniors have had upon Whitworth. Our time with the Class of 2012 was way too short, and we now entrust them into the hands of God as they pursue their new lives. At Whitworth, we hesitate to say that we "graduate" students; rather, we like to say we "send" into the world students who are equipped to live, lead, love and learn with intellectual competence, moral courage and deep compassion. And so, as with all endings, we welcome new beginnings, with all the promise of hope they bring. Thank you for your prayers for our seniors as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
In the "Resources" section of the last Mind & Heart, I highlighted our need to increase dramatically our alumni participation in giving. We still have a big gap to fill before June 30. Please take a look at this month's "Resources" section to find out how to give, and to see why participation is so critical. Thanks for your continued financial support of a mind-and-heart education!
Academics
More national champions! The forensics team closed out its first season with a bang at the International Public Debate Association tournament, in Texas, as Travis Walker, '12, and Jacob Wilson, '15, were declared co-national champions in novice debate. This makes two national championship teams (Ethics Bowl and forensics) coached by Mike Ingram (Communication Studies/Academic Affairs) this semester. Keith Wyma (Philosophy), Mike's co-coach on the Ethics Bowl team, deserves our kudos, as well.
In April, Jim Edwards, '67, (Theology) was invited to be the David I. Berger Lecturer in Theology at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. He was also invited to be theologian in residence this month at the American Church of Paris.
On the grant front, Nathan King (Philosophy) received a $44,185 grant from Wake Forest University's Character Project for his project "Virtue Epistemology: Unexplored Territory." The funding comes from the Templeton Foundation. And Todd Friends (Business) was one of 631 applicants out of 5,200 to receive a U.S. State Department Critical Languages Scholarship.
This month we say farewell and blessings to Michael Le Roy, '89, as he assumes the presidency at Calvin College, in Michigan. We will miss you, Michael. We're grateful that Barbara Sanders (Education) returned from her sabbatical this semester to serve as senior associate provost. She will take over for Michael, as interim provost, on May 21, as the university begins a national search for its next provost/executive vice president.
Two Whitworth teams took first place in their categories in the 2012 Inland Northwest Business Plan Competition, winning a total of $10,000. In the student category, Kyle Jordan, '12, won $5,000 for first place with "Whitworth Lawn Boys"; second place, and $2,000, went to Jeffrey Aly, '12, for "Up/Down Golf Apparel." In the community category, grad students Tara Lambert, '93 (our senior accountant for tax and audit), Kimberlee Betts and Mandell Campbell (our assistant registrar) won first place and $5,000 for "MaidNaturally." In the social category, Kyle Jordan, '12, won (again!) second place and $2,000 for "Hoop Dreams," and Jacob Klein, '12, finished third and won $500 for Inland Mobility Services. Our students are amazing!
John Larkin (Physics) and his students taught middle-school students to fly. They worked on a science project with students at Northwood and Garry middle schools this semester, helping kids design experiments to be carried deep into the stratosphere by a weather balloon. After putting in lots of hours, the Whitworth students and their teams launched their experiments for Dave Gamon's eighth-grade science class and received data and amazing pictures from the experiments (including the balloon's GPS coordinates) throughout the flight. The GPS info allowed them to recover their equipment when it landed between Spokane and Pullman. The project was fruitful and enjoyable for John, his students and the participating middle-schoolers.
Our own Ann Teberg (School of Education) was recently featured in an article in The Arusha (Tanzania) Times. Ann, who has been in Arusha since January, is making it possible for Tanzanian students to extend their reading hours each day. Using money donated here, Ann has bought and disseminated solar-powered lamps, as well as books, to students in Arusha whose reading time is ordinarily limited to daylight hours or to time spent near the dangerous fumes and flames of kerosene lamps. The new lamps will promote clean and affordable energy and induce young Tanzanians to read, says Teberg. She adds, "Lights help children do homework, study hard and do well. Now they have stronger opportunities for going on to secondary schools. They may also have better opportunities in life."
Student Life
Traditional activities mark the end of the academic year at Whitworth. From the Warren Peace talent show to the finale of Pirate Idol and the senior boat cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene, spring on campus is filled with fun (and, of course, studying. Don't forget studying). We've elected our new student body officers for next year: Molly Hough, '13, ASWU president; Tim Gjefle, '13, executive vice president; and Matt Valdez, '14, financial vice president. And the year ends with Springfest in The Loop, with booths sponsored by Whitworth clubs and organizations, a classic car show, live entertainment and, of course, the Mr. Whitworth contest! All proceeds go to the BELIEF program, founded by Whitworth students, which encourages local high school students to consider higher education.
Community impact from service-learning at Whitworth is valued at more than $500,000 for spring 2012! Approximately 983 service-learning students provided more than 24,000 hours of academic-coursework-related service to community-based organizations and ministries throughout Spokane County. Based on Independent Sector's 2009 evaluation of volunteer time at $20.85 per hour, the economic impact of this service to the Spokane community equates to a minimum of more than one-half million dollars. Bravo, Whitworthians, as you faithfully serve humanity.
Alumni & Parents
Welcome, parents of the Class of 2016! You'll receive this newsletter from me 10 times each year. You're encouraged to personalize your mailing preference at www.whitworth.edu/mind&heart in order to get the newsletter via e-mail; this is part of our effort to save paper and to expedite delivery. We also wanted you to know about the Summer Sendoff events for new students and families that will take place all over the West during Whitworth's "off-season." More details are coming soon, so look for an event near you; we'll answer your questions, and the gatherings will foster your connection with university staff, regional hosts, and other new Whitworthians.
Commencement Weekend was marked by meaningful 50- and 60-year reunions, as members from the classes of 1962, 1952, and earlier returned to campus for a weekend of reminiscing and reconnecting under the pines. Alumni from 1953 and 1963, mark your calendar now for next year's Reunion Weekend, May 17-19.
Alumni and professors who traveled with the Central America Study Programs in 1979, 1982, 1987 and 2002 will reunite on campus this summer to celebrate their experiences. For information, visit www.whitworth.edu/alumni.
Admissions
We have a strong class of incoming freshmen. Each should expect a call this month from an admissions counselor who will set up a telephone conversation between the student and a faculty member to help with registration for fall classes. Accepted students, you'll receive information from the registrar's office ahead of time to prepare for these calls – and you'll love connecting with Whitworth faculty. We are excited about the Class of 2016!
Watch also for information about our Summer Sendoffs (mentioned above, under "Alumni and Parents"). Check out www.whitworth.edu/summersendoffs for locations.
Information about roommates will be sent out in mid-July. I don't know how they do it (I think it involves a complex algorithm and rubber chicken feet) but our residence life staff does an amazing job of connecting students with roommates who become friends for life. If you're a confirmed fall 2012 freshman and you haven't submitted your housing preference form, it's time. Go to www.whitworth.edu/housingpreference. If you have questions, contact housing@whitworth.edu. We can't wait to see you on Sept. 1!
Resources
When we mention alumni participation, it's not as much about the money as it is about the message: Our alumni are proud to invest in Whitworth. Alumni participation in giving is one of the few ways universities can measure alumni satisfaction. Strong participation conveys a belief in an institution's future, partnership in its goals, and gratitude for an alum's student experience and degree. There's no better way to further community at Whitworth than to acknowledge that we support Whitworth's mission together. A $5 gift every year speaks to your commitment to our mission as much as a $50,000 gift. Please consider what your annual gift can do for Whitworth – provide scholarship support, fund programs important to you, encourage student development, and maintain the beauty of our campus. Then go to www.whitworth.edu/give, or mail your gift, postmarked by June 30, to the office of annual giving. Support what means the most to you. We need 1,229 more alumni to make it to our goal. Thanks to all who have given already!
Costa Rica Center
CRC Director Lindy Scott reports, "The art students among us are finishing their projects: murals, mosaics, and an oxcart (huh?). Sunday we celebrated Bloomsday South (a three-mile run, walk, or crawl up, and up, and further up the mountain). And our students returned after having spent three months with Costa Rican host families and having shared much Spanish, good food, tears and laughter, practical jokes, and a lot of hugs."
Sports
Whitworth has won its fifth consecutive McIlroy-Lewis Northwest Conference All-Sports Trophy. The award, which measures team success across all 18 NWC championship sports, is the sixth overall for the Pirates, and the margin of victory was their largest ever. Success in academics and athletics are Whitworth hallmarks.
Pirate Baseball makes its first-ever NCAA Division III tournament appearance this month, advancing to the Div. III World Series. Dan Ramsay was voted NWC Coach of the Year; Tyler Pfeffer, '14, Dan Scheibe, '15, and Nick Motsinger, '15, all earned First Team All-NWC honors.
Softball finished the season with a 19-20 overall record in Cristal Brown's first season as head coach. Jamie Brunner, '12, was selected First Team All-NWC, while Heather Hesselgesser, '13, was chosen to the Second Team.
Women's golf finished in third place at the NWC tournament, as well as in the final conference standings. Emily Guthrie, '13, who was named First Team All-NWC, won the NWC tournament and shot a hole-in-one at the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships. Bravo, Em!
Men's golf finished second at the NWC tournament as well as in the NWC standings. That was quite a comeback after they'd opened the season in fourth place following the NWC Fall Classic. Jesse Salzwedel, '14, played his way onto the All-NWC First Team.
Women's tennis claimed third place in the final NWC standings, losing in the semifinals of the NWC tournament to eventual champion Whitman. Alli Marshall, '12, was voted to the All-NWC First Team.
Men's tennis finished fourth in the NWC standings, also losing to Whitman in the tournament semis. Daniel Redfern, '14, and Cameron Williams, '12, were both named to the All-NWC First Team.
Men's track & field team rolled to a dominating victory at the NWC championships, scoring 270 points – more than double the total of the second-place team. Toby Schwarz was voted NWC Coach of the Year, and Carter Comito, '13, was selected NWC Field Athlete of the Year. The Bucs won nine of the 20 championship events. Whitworth's women finished in fourth place, led by Jheri Gates, '12, who won the high jump.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, I want to inform you of the important and ongoing work of a special task force charged by Whitworth's board chair, Walter Oliver, to study how the university continues to affirm and live out its core theological and educational commitments during an era of rapidly changing denominational life. In April, the board discussed in detail the changes at work within the Presbyterian Church (USA), Whitworth's current covenantal partner – changes that are representative of what's happening across the breadth of Christ's church. Attracting the most attention, perhaps, among outside constituencies are current debates within the PCUSA regarding ordination standards and changing church polity, but the dynamics to which I refer and upon which the task force will set its focus are much broader, including declining membership in all mainline denominations, the diminishing percentage of Whitworth's students, faculty and staff who attend churches in mainline denominations like the PCUSA, and the waning ability of churches and other organizations to support institutions like Whitworth. While historically rooted in Presbyterianism, Whitworth has also consistently identified itself as a Reformed and evangelical institution of higher learning, one that embraces voices from across the spectrum of Christian orthodoxy. Most church leaders agree that we find ourselves in a post-denominational era, and organizations like Whitworth that have benefited tremendously in the past from their denominational connections should be thinking about how they can simultaneously honor that rich heritage and relate in new and exciting ways to the broader church.
To explore the implications for Whitworth of these changes within our affiliated denomination and the broader church, the task force was formed to advise the board as it considers how the university might position itself to advance its mission in this changing church landscape. The members of the task force have committed themselves to spending the next 9-12 months gathering data and community input for the board to consider. The task force represents all of the major constituencies of the university (students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, trustees, community members, clergy), and its responsibility will be to interact with the broader community to hear ideas and concerns. So stay tuned. The task force will be co-chaired by Whitworth Trustee Clark Donnell and me, and on behalf of the entire Whitworth community, Clark and I thank you in advance for your prayers, which will both sustain and encourage the work at hand. Have a great summer, and may Christ fill you with his abiding grace and peace.
