Mind & Heart Newsletter: November 2011
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
As I write this, Spokane is bracing for its first dose of wintry weather – a mix of freezing rain and some snow over the next couple of days. It's a not-so-subtle reminder that the seasons come and go with little concern for my personal preferences, and that the fall semester is moving along rapidly. Students, having just enjoyed a few days off for Fall Break, are perhaps in the most stressful time of the semester, as projects, exams, and other assignments come due simultaneously. I'm always very conscious to remember students in my prayers at this time of the year – that God will sustain them, keep them healthy, and gently remind them to depend on his strength and not completely upon themselves. I humbly invite you to do the same. Whitworth's students are truly amazing – I know you'd expect me to say that, but it's true. One of the many privileges of serving as president is that I have the frequent opportunity to hear people brag about our students. It's really not fair that this praise is most often heaped upon me (a matter of convenience and proximity) and not upon the students themselves, or upon our faculty and staff, whose efforts contribute so significantly and directly to our students' success. So I always make a point to pass along these praises when I'm with our community. I hear a lot of things: Whitworth's students are intelligent; our students are hard-working; our students are prepared. But I think I heard my favorite compliment earlier this week at a community breakfast. A local business executive who has hired several Whitworth students as interns over the years started out by repeating the long list of superlatives I'm used to hearing. But then he said, "Whitworth students are also very good citizens." I liked hearing that. He went on to explain that our students are not only concerned with their personal responsibilities, but are also dedicated to the welfare of others; they seek to understand the impact of their work upon the entire organization and are invested in how the organization serves the community, even beyond its immediate stakeholders. He said that having Whitworth students around "makes the organization better." Wow. I'm so thankful to you, and to so many who support Whitworth's mission to cultivate within our students the desire and capacity to be good citizens. The world needs more of those.
Academics
Faculty members are presenting their research to colleagues around the country. Here are a few examples. Megan Hershey (Political Science): "Who Gets a Say? How Donors and Poor Communication Restrict Participation in Kenyan NGOs," PNW Political Science Association; Nate King (Philosophy): "Perseverance as an intellectual virtue," Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century conference, Baylor University; Jim McPherson (Communication Studies): "We blog about journalism history. Why, and Why Bother?," Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication; Eric Sartell, '94 (Business & Economics): "A return to objective ethics in business education: A faith-based argument for Plato's virtue ethics," One Voice Institute of Elemental Ethics and Education National Conference; Patrick Van Inwegen (Political Science): "Why not nonviolence? Choosing violence in Northern Ireland," Peace and Justice Studies Association.
Fifty students from 25 nations (including nine from South Korea) are currently studying at Whitworth. Other Whitworth students are scattered far and wide, learning new things in new places. Those with the Britain & Ireland Study Program are studying English literature in Oxford, England. Soon they'll move on to Ireland to learn about that country's art and culture.
Megan Hershey (Political Science) and Vange Ocasio (Economics) successfully defended their dissertations (Megan at the University of Indiana and Vange at Colorado State University), and you may now call each of them "doctor." Congratulations to both!
Anonymous donors have pledged $3 million to fund The Margo Long Endowed Chair in Gifted Education at Whitworth.This landmark gift recognizes Whitworth's commitment to preparing teachers who pursue a vocation in serving gifted and talented students and will support the Whitworth Center for Gifted Education & Professional Development, which is the only one of its kind in Washington state. The donation and the new chair honor Margo Long, Whitworth's longtime leader in this important program. Thanks to the generous people who made this happen!
The School of Education was reviewed by teams from the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) last March. We now have the official board actions from those reviews, and I'm very pleased to report that all state and national standards were met. Furthermore, PESB listed no recommendations for improvement and NCATE cited no "areas for improvement" in their reports. It is almost unheard of to have such a clean report. We are thankful for our staff, faculty and students who put so many hours into this process.
The Arts
The Whitworth faculty art exhibit, "Smoke and Mirrors," will open Nov. 15 in our Bryan Oliver Gallery. The artists' reception is set for 5-6 p.m. that evening. A panel discussion among the artists will take place Feb. 9. For more information, call 509.777.3258.
We've got a fever, and the only prescription is…more cowbell! The Whitworth Wind Symphony will present its fall concert, More Cowbell!, on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. General admission is $5; admission is free for seniors and students. Also, the wind symphony will undertake its first international tour this spring, when it heads down to Whitworth South, in Costa Rica, to perform a series of concerts throughout the country.
Our Whitworth Christmas Festival concerts are just around the corner. Come see (and hear) Arise, Shine! on Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church Bellevue; Sunday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m., First Presbyterian Church Seattle; Saturday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m., or Sunday, Dec. 11, 3 p.m., Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, Spokane. Tickets are on sale now: $18 general admission; $15 student/seniors (62-plus), at www.whitworth.edu/musictickets or 800.532.4668.
Stage II Shorts, a festival of short plays (formerly known as the Festival of One Acts), features advanced theatre students who select plays, audition and cast the players in open audition calls, arrange technical support, and rehearse and present the plays. Four or five plays are presented each night. Join us Dec. 6 & 8 at 7 p.m., in Cowles Auditorium, Stage II. Admission is free.
Don't miss international jazz giant Joshua Redman as he wails on sax with the award-winning Whitworth Jazz EnsembleSaturday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. Admission is $15, with tickets available at www.whitworth.edu/musictickets, www.TicketsWest.com or on campus at the HUB info desk (509.777.3796). Redman will also present a free jazz clinic, open to everyone, on Friday, Nov. 4, at 5:15 p.m. in the Music Building Recital Hall.
Student Life
Homecoming Week, with the theme "We Arrrrr Who We Arrrrr," featured students participating in dorm competitions such as a Ke$ha lip-sync contest and a costume parade requiring all recyclable materials. Whitworthians danced the night away at The Service Station, and the crown for Homecoming Week went to Arend Hall royalty. Following Homecoming, the once-a-year contest of "Humans vs. Zombies" took over the campus. Students (dressed as either homo sapiens or brain-eaters) lurked behind trees and waited in stairwells to vanquish their prey. Yikes. Now, students are enjoying ultimate Frisbee among the fall colors (and studying among the library carrels, of course). Thanksgiving Break is coming soon!
Using a problem-based approach to service-learning, Whitworth students have developed a risk-management protocol manual for Youth for Christ's Spokane chapter that has received national recognition from the organization for "attention to detail, verbiage, and consistency." This manual is quickly becoming a standard organizational model, and YFC rep Sarah Hilsen has been invited to contribute to the National Risk Management and Development Team as a result of this project. "I cannot speak highly enough of the service-learning team from Whitworth," she says. "They have made an impact not just in Spokane, but for chapters all around the world."
Alumni & Parents
Homecoming Weekend was a great success. The classes of 1991, 2001, and 2006 celebrated their class reunions, swim team alums celebrated 50 years of Pirate swimming, and biology and chemistry alumni, along with hundreds of other folks, celebrated the opening of Robinson Science Hall. Banquet guests were treated to an appearance by game show host George F. Whitworth (Dale Soden (History/Weyerhaeuser Center) in costume complete with fake neckbeard). We're already gearing up and excited for 2012!
The Mind & Heart Tour is coming! Stay tuned for more information about this series of fun and laid-back events, sponsored by the office of alumni and parent relations and featuring one of these faculty or staff members at each event: Julia Stronks (Political Studies), Leonard Oakland (English), Ron Pyle (Communication Studies), Forrest Baird (Philosophy), Kathy Storm or Dick Mandeville (both Student Life). Join us in February and March as the tour hits Seattle, Denver, California and Portland. Watch your mailbox and inbox for specific dates and locations. And if you're not certain Whitworth has your most current contact information, please take a moment to update us at updates@whitworth.edu.
Parents, we hope you've received Final-Exam Survival Kit order forms in the mail by now. Students love getting goodies from their loved ones. The office of alumni & parent relations is taking orders for these treats until Nov. 18. The cost is $25 for a fruit bag and $20 per snack kit. Proceeds benefit the endowed scholarship fund for children of Whitworth graduates. To order online, visit www.whitworth.edu/finalexamkit. Kits will be handed out Thursday, Dec. 8.
As I mentioned last month, next May's Core 650 tour with Professor of Theology Jerry Sittser (and me) exploring the roots of Christianity in America is now open for reservations. All of the details can be found at www.whitworth.edu/christianityinamericatour.
Admissions
Our early action admissions deadline is Nov. 30. This is non-binding for students; they can continue to look at other schools and get their Whitworth enrollment deposit refunded up until May 1. But early action applicants who are admitted and who submit enrollment deposits are positioned earlier in the queue for class registration, housing selection and financial aid award notification. To consider an applicant for early action admission, we need to receive just the admissions application; supporting documents can come later.
November is a great time to visit campus. We have "Why Whitworth?" Days scheduled for Nov. 11 and Nov. 18. Register online at www.whitworth.edu/visit. We've hosted a record number of visitors this year, and it's been a blast to connect with these students and their families as they explore all Whitworth has to offer – including the latest Humans vs. Zombies competition.
Resources
This is the time of year that donors and others usually receive our annual report calendar in the mail. This year, as we implement the Whitworth 2021 strategic plan and share more of the details of that plan with you, we'll introduce a completely new president's report. In addition, while we'll still send a beautiful full-color calendar to donors, we'll offer a printed donor honor roll only by request. Instead, we'll unveil on our website a new searchable electronic version of the donor honor roll. We're excited that ever-greater numbers of Whitworthians will be able to share in celebrating all of our donors, regardless of the amount each has given.
Sports
Volleyball heads into the final two weeks of the season with a two-game lead in the Northwest Conference. Hitter Kaimi Rocha, '12, continues to lead the team in kills and total points, while setter Bree Riddle, '12, leads the NWC in assists. Middle Ka'ipo Rocha, '12, set a school record with 13 blocks during a comeback victory at George Fox last week.
The cross-country teams will compete at the NWC championships this weekend. The men's team is the defending NWC champion, while the women were NWC runners-up last season. Trevor Berrian, '13, and Aaron Jenkins, '12, figure to be in the hunt for individual men's titles, while Joy Shufeldt, '13, is a leading contender in the women's race.
Men's soccer heads into the season's final three weeks in second place, one game behind Pacific Lutheran. Brian Sherpe, '12, leads the NWC in goals-against average (0.46), and Cameron Bushéy, '12, is second in the NWC in assists. The men play all five of their final games at home.
Women's soccer has risen to third place in the NWC standings. Injuries have haunted the team in 2011; only four players have been able to start all 13 matches – GK Callie Bergstrom, '12, defender Anisa Babar, '12, forward Cory Druffel, '12, and midfielder Kelsey Griswold, '14. The women play four of their final five games at home.
Golf wraps up the fall season with the NWC Fall Classic, at Heron Lakes GC, in Portland. The men's tournament figures to be a wide-open battle, with Jesse Salzwedel and Saul Martinez, both '14, leading the team in scoring so far. The women's team hopes to challenge nationally ranked George Fox behind Emily Guthrie, '12, who figures to factor into the individual medalist chase.
Football could have used a few good breaks this year. Despite its 1-5 record, the team has been outscored by a total of three points (big wins, close losses). WR Jake DeGooyer, '13, ranks among the league's leaders in pass receptions and receiving yards. Defensive back Cailen Thomason, '12, leads the league in interceptions and total passes defended.
The Whitworth swimming teams open their schedule with three invitational meets, followed by their first dual meet, on Nov. 11, against Pacific.
Basketball is hitting the practice floor. Coach Helen Higgs welcomes back most of her players from last season, and the women will be exciting to watch again this year. Coach Matt Logie is beginning his first season with hopes of continuing the success of Whitworth men's basketball.
Closing Thoughts
Academic quality has always been a hallmark of a Whitworth education, and is an area of particular emphasis in Whitworth 2021. Two recent success stories on that front are particularly encouraging to me. First, for the second time in three years, Whitworth has been named a top producer of Fulbright scholars. The only school in Washington state that had more Fulbright scholars than Whitworth was the University of Washington. Since 2000, 15 Whitworth students and three faculty members have been selected for this prestigious award. Perhaps even more impressive, of all of the schools on the list, none had a higher success rate than Whitworth. Special thanks to Professor of Political Science and Fulbright Advisor John Yoder for his efforts to support our students in the selection process. Second, the establishment of the Margo Long Chair in Gifted Education moves Whitworth to four endowed faculty positions. Such endowments are necessary to attract and retain top scholars. With the additions of the Long Chair this fall and the Charles Boppell Deanship in the School of Global Commerce & Management last spring, Whitworth is well on its way to meeting our goal of having 10 endowed professorships or chairs by 2021. I'm very pleased with this important progress, and I'm thankful for Whitworth's commitment to a Christ-centered and academically rigorous education.
