Mind & Heart Newsletter: October 2013
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
The fact that Whitworth lives on the "narrow ridge" has become almost as synonymous with the university's mission as is our promise of a mind-and-heart education. What do we mean when we describe Whitworth as being on the narrow ridge? It's a useful metaphor because it paints a clear picture of the institution being situated on a precarious mountain crest that connects two steep and dangerous slopes. One slope represents the temptation that Christian universities like Whitworth have faced historically to jettison their Christ-centered missions in favor of things like greater academic reputation, or an easier time navigating an increasingly pluralistic society. Institutions like Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Chicago are among such institutions. The other slippery slope represents the temptation for many Christian universities to abandon their commitments to open and fearless intellectual inquiry and academic freedom. In a sense, institutions that have stumbled down this side of the ridge, in an effort to protect some privileged version of truth, have jettisoned their academic missions to remain more faithful. Many of us know of institutions that lie at the bottom of that slope. But by intentionally situating itself squarely on the ridge that separates these two extremes, Whitworth commits itself to pursuing faith as rigorously as it pursues truth, and to pursuing truth as devotedly as it pursues faith. Holding on to its commitments to Christ and Christ's redemptive work in this world, while at the same time remaining devoted to the courageous search for truth, wherever that search leads us, is a challenging prospect, especially in a day and age when extremism and polarity run rampant, inside and outside the church. But the scenic views from the peak offer amazing perspectives on the world and our place in it. I am increasingly persuaded that by remaining committed to academic excellence (in every sense of the word) and to the integration of Christian faith and learning, and by continuing to provide safe harbor for conversations among faithful Christians who disagree, Whitworth offers its students, and all of us, the best opportunities to learn, question, and discover. Indeed, the narrow ridge is where Whitworth belongs.
Academics
Jerusha Turner, ’15, has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship from the Semester at Sea Education Association, an internationally recognized leader in undergraduate ocean education since 1971. The criteria for the $7,500 award include academic excellence, community service and leadership experience. Congratulations, Jerusha!
Our fantastic library faculty are doing some interesting writing. Tami Robinson published an article on learning to do library research in The Christian Librarian. Janet Hauck received a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, titled “Students Finding Virtue: Theological Information, Literacy and Intellectual Tenacity.” And Amanda Clark co-authored a book, Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning, with her father, Leland M. Roth (Westview Press).
Cathy Stephens (Education) writes a column for Educational Horizons, whose October/November issue won the Apex Award for Excellence, a national honor.
Doreen Keller (Education) completed her doctorate. Congratulations, Dr. Keller!
Todd Friends (Business), recently had an article, “Turning Call Centers into Learning Organizations,” accepted by the Journal of International Studies.
Elizabeth Campbell (Psychology) recently received a $2,000 grant from the American Psychological Association in recognition of innovative teaching.
The Arts
Pauline Anderson Haas’ Compulsive Continuation – A Celebration of Her 90th Year continues through Nov. 1 in the Bryan Oliver Gallery of the Lied Center for the Visual Arts. I’ve had the chance to visit this wonderful exhibit of some of Pauline’s most recent work, and it’s amazing.
Diana Trotter (Theatre) will direct this fall’s production, The Wakefield Mysteries, which draws on the popular theatre of the medieval period to blend the humor of human folly with heartfelt religious belief. The production will run Oct. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Chris Potter joins the Whitworth University Jazz Ensemble (which has won a few awards of its own), with Dan Keberle (Music) at the helm, in concert on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. in downtown Spokane’s Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets are available through The Fox Theater and through ticketswest.com.
Student Life
Orientation Week got the year off to a great start as we celebrated "Ascending the Heights of the Mind and Heart" as our theme. New and returning students gathered for the Jon Foreman concert in The Loop, and Yell-Off and Mock Rock built community and featured students from the Class of 2017. The Stewart Lawn Dance went off without a hitch (save a little rain), and $2,500 worth of prizes went to the winners of Bingo.
Mid-September brought Community Building Day, with more than 1,000 students, staff and faculty serving the Spokane community through various work projects. Julie and I joined more than 100 of our students, and many sixth-grade Holmes Elementary students, to distribute energy-efficient light bulbs to West Central neighborhood residents. The total dollar value for that single day of service is estimated at nearly $24,000! In addition to a number of innovative partnerships between Whitworthians and the community, we used a hashtag to manage communication, participants posted hundreds of tweets and photos, and Whitworth's Twitter feed re-tweeted 25 messages from service locations and many from students. Whitworthians also posted more than 125 photos to Instagram. The day was a rousing success all the way around.
Alumni & Parents
Alums, parents and friends: Experience Belfast, Ireland, and several sites in England next June on our “C.S. Lewis Experience” Core 650 trip with Forrest Baird (Philosophy) and his son, Soren, ’07, at the helm. All of the details of this incredible tour are available at www.whitworth.edu/lewis2014, and registration is now open.
Homecoming Weekend is going to be great! Alumni from the classes of ’93, ’03, ’08, the late ’80s, and the forensics teams will celebrate their reunions on campus, Jerry Sittser (Theology) will host an event on the South Hill on Friday night, and we’ll honor our Young Alumni Award winner at Saturday’s dinner.
Family Weekend is Oct. 18-20. This event offers family members an opportunity to visit their students and to join in the Whitworth experience by attending a class led by one of our great faculty and spending time on campus with the Whitworth community. See www.whitworth.edu/familyweekend for details and online registration.
Join us on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 2, for dessert prior to the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble concert featuring saxophonist Chris Potter at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Alumni, parents and friends are invited to hear from Potter and from Dan Keberle, director of the ensemble, at the dessert. Details and online registration can be found at www.whitworth.edu/alumnievents.
All Whitworthians in the Honolulu area are invited to a gathering on Nov. 16. Join me at Dave & Buster’s rooftop lanai for a casual and family-friendly event, games, conversation and campus updates. For more information, please visitwww.whitworth.edu/alumnievents. I can’t wait to touch base with our Hawaiian alumni and families.
Join your alumni & parent chapter today. Whitworth alumni and parents are invited to gather in pilot areas across the West to socialize, stay connected with Whitworth, develop professional networks and share the Whitworth story with prospective students. Join a chapter in Portland, Seattle or Los Angeles by visiting www.whitworth.edu/chapter. Or inquire about helping launch a chapter in your area by contacting Danika Heatherly, ’10, at 509.777.4761 or dheatherly@whitworth.edu.
Have you changed your contact information recently? Let’s stay in touch! You can update your information at www.whitworth.edu/alumni/stayengaged.htm.
Admissions & Financial Aid
If you missed our Oct. 13-14 Whitworth Snapshot visit event, don’t sweat it. There are still many opportunities to schedule an individual visit or to sign up for a Why Whitworth visit day. Go to www.whitworth.edu/visit for details.
Now is a great time for students to be completing their admissions applications and requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation from their guidance counselors. Our Early Action (non-binding) application deadline is Nov. 30, but the early bird is likely to get a less frazzled guidance counselor and a quicker admission decision from us.
It was gratifying to see Whitworth listed again among the top 10 universities and top five values in U.S. News’ ranking of regional universities in the West. These rankings do a better job of measuring the quality of inputs to the educational process than they do in evaluating the quality of the education itself, but the former isn’t totally unrelated to the latter. And we recognize that, for many families, our good rankings in U.S. News, Forbes, Kiplingers, The Princeton Review and other publications elevate and/or affirm Whitworth’s position in the college-search process.
As the financial aid office staff assists students to meet their financial obligations, the students are grateful to all of the generous donors who, through their giving, make grant and scholarship funds available. Your generosity makes all the difference in whether many can continue to attend Whitworth.
Resources
Many things have changed at Whitworth over the years. New buildings have been built, new professors have arrived, and new technology has filled the classrooms. But many things haven’t changed at all. It’s still a celebrated achievement to catch a pine cone. We still see professors’ joy in teaching, mentoring and getting to know their students. And Whitworth still holds fast to its mission. The Whitworth Fund is one of the things that help Whitworth stay Whitworth. It provides scholarships that allow students to attend, it keeps the lights on so they can study, and it gives them opportunities through student life and international initiatives to continue to live out Whitworth’s mission. Please continue to support The Whitworth Fund. Give today at www.whitworth.edu/give.
Costa Rica
Provost Carol Simon, her husband, Steve, Assistant Vice President Larry Burnley, Associate Dean Jolyn Dahlvig and Vice President Dick Mandeville visited the CRC recently. They sat in on classes, enjoyed the beautiful campus, and visited internship sites. Students and staff are currently participating in a trip to Nicaragua, where they will visit the Villa Esperanza ministry, which helps adolescent girls overcome the hopelessness of living in Managua’s largest garbage dump. They’ll also talk with creative and hard-working coffee growers who have formed a co-op and who now get a decent wage for their crops, and they’ll spend time with banana pickers who have suffered from the toxic pesticide Nemagon and who are fighting for justice. The group will also visit Coyotepe, a prison where soldiers on both sides of the civil war were tortured, and will meet with Christians who are striving to follow Jesus in difficult circumstances.
Sports
Here comes Pirate Night! Our annual dinner and auction will take place Oct. 24 at the Spokane Convention Center. This year’s keynote speaker is Steve Wilson, a former Pirate quarterback who went on to serve as a local pastor – and as a referee in the National Football League. Check whitworthpirates.com for more details.
On Oct. 5 Michael Allan, ’07, (football), Coach Tom Dodd (swimming) and President Emeritus Bill Robinson will be inducted into the Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame. The induction will take place during a breakfast ceremony, and the new class will be introduced at halftime of that day’s football game against Pacific.
The football team is 2-1 and was inches away from a remarkable comeback victory against La Verne after trailing 17-0 at halftime. The Bucs opened with a 36-7 win over St. Scholastica and a 38-17 win over Whittier. DJ Tripoli, ’14 (RB), leads the Northwest Conference with five touchdown carries this season. Cornerback De’ Hall, ’15, is tied for the conference lead with three interceptions.
Volleyball is 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the NWC. The Pirates have played several five-set matches this year: four of the last six, and five overall. Jalana White and Kristine Kardell, both ’14, lead the team in kills and blocks, respectively.
Women’s soccer is off to a 5-2-1 start, 2-1-1 in the NWC. Tiara Pajimola, ’17, ranks second in the NWC in goals this season with six. Half of her goals have been match-winning tallies. And Andrea Stump, ’16, leads the conference by a wide margin in total saves.
The men’s soccer team is 3-2-1 and 1-1 in the conference. The Pirates’ first six matches are on the road; they finally get to play a game at Whitworth on Sept. 28. Midfielder Sam Selisch, ’14, leads the squad with three goals and an assist.
The cross-country teams have run well at two big meets – the Sundodger Invitational, in Seattle, and the Runners Soul/Erik Anderson Invitational, in Spokane. Christina Williams, ’15, was the top-finishing NCAA Division III athlete in the women’s race at the Runner’s Soul Invite.
Men’s golf went back to Greensboro, N.C., to compete in an elite tournament featuring the top Division III teams in the country. The Pirate team took 15th place, and Oliver Rudnicki, ’16, put together two excellent rounds to finish fourth overall individually.
Closing Thoughts
There are many unsung heroes at Whitworth – people who work behind the scenes and out of the spotlight to make Whitworth a special place. One such person is Brian Benzel, Whitworth’s vice president for finance and administration. The stewardship of the university’s financial and physical resources is a huge responsibility, and for the past six years, Brian has faithfully (and quietly) led our efforts to be a financially accountable university. In the wake of the nationwide financial collapse of 2008, his leadership was responsible for Whitworth’s resilience, and because he has always championed Whitworth’s mission, he is in many ways responsible for the excellent educational experience our students receive today. Brian is retiring in December, and I know that you will join me in thanking him for his excellent service to Whitworth and praying for him and his wife, Cynthia, as they begin a new chapter in their lives.
