Mind & Heart Newsletter: May 2014
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
What do elaborate foam models of molecular structures, miniature statues of John Calvin, rolls of athletic tape, and stethoscopes have in common? These are just some of the fun adornments our graduating students used to festoon their mortarboards for graduation last weekend. It’s just one of the traditions our students enjoy during Commencement Weekend. Another tradition we celebrate at the baccalaureate service, the morning of commencement, is the singing of Amazing Grace. Four years ago, these same graduates sang that wonderful John Newton hymn the first night they spent on campus. It’s a bookend experience for all of us as we celebrate God’s provision for our students during their time at Whitworth. Here’s what one graduating student wrote to me after the service: “On Sept. 4, 2010, move-in day, I sat watching the funny presentations in the fieldhouse – I laughed and smiled, enjoying every second of it. At the end, we sang Amazing Grace. From that moment on, I knew that I would be able to complete this long journey. I was encouraged to know that I would sing those words again, four years later, at baccalaureate, the morning of my graduation. Over the next four years, I sang the words of that song in Baldwin-Jenkins, in The Loop, in my classrooms, on my tractor at home while working during the summer, in the weight room, and during football games in the Pine Bowl. That song gave me the strength for all times because I knew that one day, we would sing it again, together, as a graduating class. When we sang Amazing Grace this morning at baccalaureate, I’ve never felt so happy, content and sad in my whole life – sad because I’m now leaving this place I’ve called home for four years. I love this university.”
God’s grace is amazing, and so are the students of the Class of 2014!
Academics
Once again, Whitworth students are mega-successful in earning Fulbright scholarships. This spring, Fulbright named seven Whitworthians as scholarship recipients: members of the Class of '14 Alanna Feltner, psychology, Mexico; Austin Vander Wel, Spanish and international studies, Costa Rica; Sondra Willmann, education, Malaysia; Kelsey Marcinko, math, Slovak Republic; and Konstantin Tachan, biochemistry, South Korea; as well as Lindsay Johnston, '10, math and Spanish, Spain; and Stephen Eyman, '12, political science, Colombia. Please join me in a special shout-out to Professor of Political Science John Yoder, who has for many years given his time, his energy and his expertise to help students apply for Fulbrights (and whose success rate has been extraordinary); thanks also to Megan Hershey (Political Science), who oversaw this year's Fulbright applications and who assumes John's duties as he retires.
Patrick Van Inwegen (Political Science) presented "The Work of Costa Rica's Many Decisions for Peace," and Kathy Lee (Political Science) presented "Woman Suffrage in State Supreme Courts: 'The Glacier Still Moves,'" at the Western Political Science Association meeting.
Anthony Rodin, '06, visiting assistant professor in political science, successfully defended his dissertation at Purdue University (Ind.). Go, Boilermakers!
Karen Petersen Finch (Theology) published "Calvin for Postmoderns: Humility as Method and Message," in Pro Ecclesia. She was also awarded a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Lonergan Institute at Boston College, where she will study John Calvin, medieval theology, and the doctrine of the church.
Congratulations to Terry McGonigal (Office for Church Engagement) and Jerry Sittser (Theology), who were awarded a $400,000 grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust to support the Certificate of Ministry Program and to provide Whitworth's students with summer internships in churches in the U.S. and abroad.
The Whitworth Department of Psychology gave a total of 21 presentations at the annual Western Psychological Association meeting. Two students won Psi Chi Research Awards: Rebecca Markley, '14, for "An Evaluation of the Green Dot Program: A Bystander Training," and Heather Moir and Melissa Root, both '14, for "The Effect of Mood on Color Preference."
Student Life
Springfest, the traditional year-end student celebration, began the month of May with inflatable games and obstacle courses, food and craft booths, and live entertainment outside the fieldhouse. And inside the fieldhouse we welcomed more than 1,000 community volunteers who enthusiastically packed meals as part of Generation Alive's Million Meals Campaign. This event provided Spokane, surrounding food banks, and people as far away as Nicaragua and Honduras with 600,000 nutritious meals as part of our campaign to end hunger. I'm so proud of our students for organizing and executing this huge event. Bravo!
All of our student leaders for 2014-15 have been hired or elected and are already getting pumped up for New-Student Orientation in the fall. Our theme for the year is "Expect to Thrive: Whitworth 125." During Whitworth's 125th birthday year we'll offer – and enjoy – festivities and frivolity, and we are gearing up for it!
The Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement was delighted to support ASWU's Million Meals Campaign.Through the serve.whitworth.edu website, our 1,000-plus volunteers served the equivalent of 3,000 person-hours, helping pack meals to feed the hungry in Spokane and Central America. Their generous efforts contributed the equivalent of $88,176 to the local economy.
Alumni & Parents
Congratulations to the parents of the members of the Class of 2014! We count you, and your recent graduates, as Whitworthians for Life!
The second year of the Alumni Discovery Project is getting under way. If you received an invitation, I hope you'll choose to share your story with one of our 12 student ambassadors. They want to hear from you! If you didn't receive an invitation, we hope to be able to reach out to you in future years. You can learn more about the Alumni Discovery Project at www.whitworth.edu/alumni/discovery.
Alumni & parents in San Diego and Phoenix are invited to gather with fellow Whitworthians at two June events. Spend Sunday afternoon, June 1, in San Diego for a backyard gathering, or mingle with Whitworthians for Taco Tuesday in Phoenix, on June 24. Register at www.whitworth.edu/sandiegogathering or at www.whitworth.edu/phoenixreception. We look forward to seeing you!
On June 20-22 we'll welcome members of the classes of '63, '64, and '65 back to campus for a reunion; they'll be followed on July 18-20 by members of the 1999 Central America Study Program. If you are a member of either group, we hope you'll register today to join us for your reunion. For more information and to register, visit www.whitworth.edu/reunions.
Whitworthians in Seattle celebrated the Puget Sound chapter's launch earlier this spring with a kickoff that featured casual time to connect and reconnect with Seattle Whitworthians, an update on the university, and a mini-lecture from Leonard Oakland (English) on society and film. Want to connect in your area and join the 500 Whitworthians who are celebrating Whitworth in their communities? Join your chapter at www.whitworth.edu/alumnichapter, or inquire about helping to launch one!
For nearly 40 years, Laura Bloxham (English) has created a much-anticipated summer reading list. In celebration of this milestone, the English department has published Laura's List, a compilation of Laura-inspired book reviews written by alumni, current students, and community members. According to Laura's colleague Leonard Oakland, "These lists are good charts to steer your reading boat." To get your copy, along with Laura's "List of Lists," for $7.50, contact Annie Stillar at astillar@whitworth.edu.
Admissions
Incoming freshman and transfer students should be expecting a call from our admissions counselors soon to set up phone appointments with faculty advisors to register for fall classes. There's a great registration guide online to help prepare for these calls. Go to www.whitworth.edu/admittedstudents, and click on "Plan Your Classes." You'll love connecting with our (soon to be your) professors.
Incoming students should also watch for information about Summer Sendoffs that may be scheduled in your area. These informal receptions, hosted by Whitworth alumni, friends or parents of current students, allow incoming students to connect with students from their area and to get any last-minute questions answered before they arrive on campus. Check out www.whitworth.edu/summersendoffs for event locations.
Roommate info will be sent out in mid-July. Housing guru Alan Jacobs is already tweaking the algorithm that has proven amazingly accurate in assigning roommates who become lifelong friends. If you've submitted your enrollment deposit but you haven't yet submitted your housing preference form, it's time. Go to www.whitworth.edu/housingpreference. Questions? Contact housing@whitworth.edu.
Resources
When we mention alumni participation, it's not as much about money as it is about this message: Our alumni are proud to invest in Whitworth. Alumni giving is one of the ways in which universities can measure their grads' satisfaction with their alma mater. 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 our community than to acknowledge that we support Whitworth's mission together. Even a $5 gift every year speaks to your commitment to our mission. As we near the end of the fiscal year, 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. We need 1,000 more alumni donors next month to make it to our goal. Thanks to all who have given already!
Costa Rica Center
Our Summer Session A (May 26-June 20) features the Economics of Micro-Entrepreneurship course, taught by Vange Ocasio (School of Business), and Latin American Short Stories, taught by Fernando Montero (World Languages & Cultures). We have more than a dozen students from Whitworth, Gonzaga, and Westmont, who, in addition to their classes, will enjoy home stays with Costa Rican families and exciting internships in their majors.
Sports
Whitworth claimed its seventh consecutive McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy for overall excellence within the Northwest Conference. This marks the Pirates' eighth McIlroy-Lewis win overall!
The men's track and field team dominated in winning its fifth consecutive Northwest Conference title. The Bucs scored 225 points, more than double the total of the runner-up school. Peter Delap, '14, was the NWC Men's Field Athlete of the Year after he won the conference decathlon and high-jump titles and scored in the pole vault, long jump and 110 hurdles. For the eighth time, Head Coach Toby Schwarz was voted NWC Men's Coach of the Year.
Women's track and field grabbed second place at the conference meet, as sophomores Kerry Wright (javelin) and Dakota Kliamovich (hammer throw) set new conference-meet records while winning their respective events.
Men's golf tied for second place at the NWC's final tournament and ended up second in the final team standings. Senior Jesse Salzwedel medaled at the tourney, giving him enough points to earn NWC Player of the Year honors, and Jesse also earned his fourth straight First Team All-Conference honors. In addition, he was named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches' Association of America.
Women's golf finished third at the NWC tournament as well as in the NWC's team standings. Freshman Michal Schuster medaled at the NWC tournament with back-to-back rounds of 73, earning First Team All-NWC honors.
Women's tennis finished second in the NWC standings before falling to Linfield in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Juniors Saryn Mooney and Taylor Pena earned First Team All-NWC honors after leading the Pirates to a final record of 12-6.
Men's tennis just missed the NWC tournament, posting a final record of 8-10. Junior Drew Brigham was voted Second Team All-Conference by the NWC coaches.
Softball finished with an impressive final record of 27-16 overall, 18-10 in the NWC, for third place. The Pirates went 1-2 at the NWC tournament. Seniors Julia Johnson (1B) and Taylor Gilbert (Util.), junior Peyton McMahon (OF) and freshman Madi Perez (RHP) all earned First Team All-NWC honors. Johnson set school records for home runs in a single season (nine) and a career (24).
The baseball team won seven of its final 11 games to finish 13-22 overall and 10-14 in the NWC.
On May 30, the annual Whitworth Golf Classic fund raiser will take place at the Spokane Country Club. Those on the wetter side of the state should not feel left out, as the 2014 Westside Golf Classic will be held on June 27 at The Golf Club at Newcastle. Openings are available for both.
We will welcome Tim Demant, formerly from Goshen College (Indiana) as Whitworth's new director of athletics on July 1. We eagerly anticipate Tim's arrival at Whitworth and look forward to working with him to continue the success established by the Pirate Athletics team. As we welcome Tim, we thank Melinda Larson, '92, for her tireless and invaluable leadership as interim athletics director. Melinda successfully directed the football coaching transition, increased sales and marketing capabilities, and maintained a first-class program. We're grateful for her service, and we congratulate her on her appointment as Hope College's co-director of athletics, beginning July 1.
Closing Thoughts
This graduating class is very special to Julie and me. Four years ago this fall, the Class of 2014 moved onto campus wide-eyed and a bit nervous about what the future would hold. Julie and I were feeling many of those same feelings as we began our first year of service at Whitworth. Being "freshmen" together bonded us with this class in some unique and special ways. To think that four years have passed and that we've now said goodbye to those same students, well, it doesn't seem right. But our sadness in seeing them go is overwhelmed by the joy we have in knowing that God is calling our graduates into a world that needs them, and they have been equipped, by God's grace, to honor him, follow Jesus, and serve others. Thanks for the ways you support this special place! Have a great summer.
