Following last spring's Title IX investigation, a number of concerns have been raised regarding the relationship between students and assistant coaches and the administration's expectation and treatment of these coaches. Assistant coaches are almost always recent graduates, often just a year removed from being Whitman students. Despite their closeness in ...
In spring 2012, Whitman administration carried out a Title IX investigation into a report of a sexual assault by a former assistant debate coach. Individuals who were called into questioning with the investigation board, however, have been extremely unhappy with the way the investigation was handled. None of the individuals ...
In the last week of April of this year, Director of Forensics Jim Hanson announced he would be stepping down from his role coaching Whitman’s debate team in order to take a position as chair of the newly created rhetoric studies department. Hanson has been coaching debate at Whitman for ...
Over the past three weeks, a team of Pioneer reporters has been working to shed light on the circumstances leading up to Jim Hanson’s decision to step down from his position as Director of Forensics. Our reporting included dozens of interviews, both on and off the record, with current debate ...
Final exams ended on Tuesday, May 14, at 4 p.m. By 4:30 p.m. several hundred students filled the Reid sidelawn and pelted each other with colorful powder in MECCA and the South Asian Student Association (SASA)'s annual celebration of Holi. Due to cleaning issues resulting from last year's celebration, this ...
Leaning back in his swivel chair, hands clasped over his stomach, Associate Professor of English Irvin “Hash” Hashimoto sits calmly in an office that looks like it was torn apart by a natural disaster. This is because Hashimoto, 68, is retiring, and packing up all of the belongings he has ...
Creative writers at Whitman discuss their creative processes and their varied styles of expression.
As we approach graduation, let's please not talk about what we're getting done, for a change. Let's talk about getting started; the possibilities are endless.
Whitman is a safe environment to experiment with who you are, what you think, and just be different, yet students often don't take full advantage of this.
We are entering a phase in which we may be more aware of the challenges to come, but we must remember to embrace them, to learn from them and to know that in one way or another, they too will lead to moments of joy and fulfillment.
Three Whitman seniors share their exciting future plans, including farming in Italy and doing research on marine life.
[caption id="attachment_70774" align="alignright" width="300"] Lauren Kutler '13. Photos by Devika Doowa.[/caption] Lauren Kutler will travel to Boston University next year to take classes and student-teach as a part of the Math for America program. Math ...
Calvin Atkins and Haley McLeod [caption id="attachment_70766" align="alignright" width="300"] Calvin Atkins '13. Photos by Devika Doowa.[/caption] Thesis Title: Insulin Signaling in the Ketogenic Diet: An Exploration of the Role of Insulin in the Anticonvulsant Effects of ...
Molly Blust [caption id="attachment_70795" align="alignright" width="300"] Molly Blust '13. Photos by Devika Doowa.[/caption] “After college I'm going to take a year or two off before going to graduate school. I definitely plan to continue being heavily ...
These three seniors have taken a more creative edge for their theses.
[caption id="attachment_70762" align="alignright" width="300"] Editor-in-Chief Rachel Alexander. Photo by Susie Krikava.[/caption] I've sat down to write this letter half a dozen times, but it's always seemed like an impossible task. My predecessors, sitting where I ...
The commencement speaker and Whitman parent sits down with the Pio to talk writing, comedy and strange graduation rituals.
Environmental issues are a prominent concern amongst Whitman activists, yet many claim that their youthful idealism dies out once faced with the 'real world.' Here, the Circuit catches up with four environmentally-minded alumnae to see how post-grad life has affected their environmental vision.
Want to know what to do in Walla Walla after most folks have left? We've got you covered.
From a US point of view, almost everything in New Zealand is backwards. People drive on the left side of the road, walk on the left side of the sidewalk, and pass people on the left. The location of the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car really ...
First Generation and Working Class Club organized a flier-posting campaign to raise awareness about the hard work done by custodians and Bon Appétit employees on campus.
Last week football fans gathered to wait anxiously to see who their NFL teams would select from the college ranks. Some teams managed to drastically improve their teams (49ers, Bills) and some teams traded away this draft for past investments (Redskins), but either way, there is always a lot ...
Director of Forensics Jim Hanson is stepping down from his position. Debate team members and debate alumni are confused about the decision and looking to the administration for more answers.
Two Tibetans from the Tibetan Children's Education Foundation – one of them a monk – came for a four day visit to campus, where they constructed and dismantled a sand mandala in four days.
Although the Whitman Sweets fell short at regionals, their run was prolific and highlighted an overall successful season.
Senior Diana Boesch and junior Maikor Pereira Azuaje are both finishing up their Nord Award projects. These students explored critical issues facing the queer community in academic and creative ways.
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is the primary recruiting source for college basketball, but does not reflect the skills necessary to make it as a collegiate player.
The summer brings an action and laugh-filled movie list.
Although skateboarders represent a minority of the student body, skate culture is undeniably present whether students realize it or not.
Here's The Pioneer's go-to guide for the perfect summer playlist.
When a student of color is as strong of an applicant as a white student, the student of color should be accepted to respond to years of oppression and discrimination that people of color have had to face in this country.
This issue of The Pioneer will be the 91st and final issue I've worked on during my time at Whitman. I've saved my personal reflections for our graduation magazine, issue 7 of The Circuit. For now, I want to acknowledge everyone who has helped make this year challenging, fun and ...
It is not unusual for Gabe Kiefel to receive individual concerts from music students on the job. Keifel believes that he has received more individual concerts than anyone he knows. Kiefel, a Whitman security guard and alumni, always takes the time to listen to students eager to preform their music ...
Floyd Collins brings a gritty storyline and bluegrass tunes to Whitman this spring.
[caption id="attachment_70882" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Illustration by Eduardo Vazquez[/caption] Whitman students and Walla Walla police officers aren't often at odds with each other, but when the police do get called in, students are not usually in their best form. While ...
Chicago Public Schools' recent decision to begin comprehensive sex-ed in Kindergarten is a critical step in ensuring that students will have the skills to build healthy relationships founded on mutual respect and consent.
Queer individuals discuss the challenges and benefits to queer dating at Whitman.
Whitman's climbing gym hosted one of the largest regional climbing competitions last saturday after months of preparation.
Students involved in the Whitman divestment campaign use Bill McKibben's visit as an opportunity to encourage student activism.
What is one thing you would like to change about Whitman? [portfolio_slideshow]
For most Whitman students, interactions with legal authorities are virtually non-existent. However, when police interact with students, they usually only see the underbelly of campus activity.
[caption id="attachment_70885" align="aligncenter" width="404"] Campus Cartoon by Katherine Emory[/caption]
Due to health and safety concerns, as of April 28, 2013, Whitman College has placed a ban on Birkenstocks. Many students have raised up their fists in retaliation while other students, for many reasons, see the change as needed.
Last night, on the last production night of the year, the Backpage finally thwarted communism once and for all. Assisted by CIA agents and various members of a dogfighting ring, the Backpage staff members successfully staged a coup against the left-leaning “communist” senior Rachel Alexander and installed junior Shelly Le ...
For all of its wonderful oddities and idiosyncrasies, Whitman College definitely has a few things it needs to change ASAP. Whether it’s because it confuses students, makes them scared, annoys them or causes people to say “DA FUCK?”, these aspects of Whitman are almost as frustrating and bothersome as Kayvon’s ...
The 87th Whitman Chorale Contest was a nearly three hour-long celebration of music and a capella with thirteen teams competing. Hip hop, funk, bluegrass, indie rock, folk and pop music were among the genres represented. Videographer Susie Krikava brings us the musical highlights of the event....
After listening to a speech by founder of the 350.org organization Bill McKibben, over 200 members of the Whitman community marched around campus chanting slogans in favor of divesting the college's endowment from fossil fuels. The largest event held so far by Whitman’s divestment movement, the march energized supporters of ...
Whitman beat Whitworth 9-0 in what turned out to be more than just a celebration of its seniors.
On Saturday, April 27, Boyer Avenue filled with food stands, craft tables and performers in colorful costumes. The Annual Whitman College Renaissance Faire brought Whitman and Walla Walla community members together for a day of fun. Photographer Devika Doowa brings us a peek into the festivities, which included ...
Significant changes in the ASWC bylaws were made at the final ASWC Senate meeting of the year last Sunday night, April 28. Senators voted to revise a number of measures previously in the bylaws, including those pertaining to clubs. “The old bylaws reflected the house of clubs, which was a structure ...
On Thursday, April 18, a large mass of Whitman students came together to protest rape culture. The event was called Take Back the Night and was organized by Feminists Advocating for Change and Empowerment (FACE), a campus club. Students marched from Reid through campus to Cordiner. At Cordiner there was ...
For the most part, the majority of students when fulfilling a community service requirement will find that they enjoy giving back and being made to feel as if they made a difference. Perhaps like me, high school students will decide to take on service as a passion of theirs and ...
For the competitors, Choral Contest is more than just a show; it's the culmination of months of effort.
The Earth does not need saving, we do, and we must adjust our activism accordingly.
Since I'm going to be leaving campus and taking them with me, I figured I'd share my rules for understanding and contextualizing the technology industry.
[caption id="attachment_70063" align="aligncenter" width="410"] Illustration by Ruth Hwang[/caption] After a grueling week of studying, I looked forward to escaping to the theater to sit back, relax, have a few laughs and be entertained. Unfortunately, the only new movie ...
ASWC Senate passed an act on April 14 to make it easier for student-teachers to apply for funding to teach a class.
Greekend's football format changed this year to address aggressive activity. Teams by graduating class proved to be much more enjoyable for the women than the sorority teams of the past.
You might have heard of This is a Talking Heads Cover Band, a new student band taking campus by storm. This reporter can say with confidence that this group of student musicians is incredibly talented. [caption id="attachment_70241" align="aligncenter" width="640"]...
Whitman Christian Fellowship is organizing a fundraiser for non-profit organization Speak Up for the Poor, which aims to help adolescent girls get out of the sex trafficking industry.
After seven consecutive weekends playing conference opponents, Whitman baseball had a bye this weekend. Rather than using the break to catch up on sleep and schoolwork, the team flew down to California to take two games from out-of-conference University of Redlands in a doubleheader. Although it was a lot of travel ...
On Monday, April 22, Historian and Columbia University Professor Samuel Moyn discussed the origin of our definition of human rights in Olin 130.
The Fine Arts House displays the best chests cast for breast cancer.
Sustainable Walla Walla is holding the fourth annual Green Travel Competition in honor of Earth Week.
Too often faced with stigma around their hair, black women deserve to have that chance to make decisions about hair without associating it with pain, or politics, or shame.
Bon Appetit employees share the trials and tribulations of juggling their jobs with their lives off-campus.
Jed Jacobson and Leland Matthaeus had the unique opportunity of combining academics and extracurricular activities in their sports psychology thesis.
Despite their past success, the Independent Women choral group didn't manage to register for the Choral Contest in time.
Do you feel weird around your prospie? Does it seems like they don’t want to do anything? Do they sit quietly and look longingly at stuff, or text all the time? You want them to have a good time. You want them to want to go to Whitman because you ...
Everyone knows what “4/20” means. And on Saturday, it had a very interesting twist… A keg sneak! Indeed, as everyone knows 4/20 was the start of the fad that is “Humans vs. Zombies.”
Cartoonist Asa Mease's take on prospie hook-up culture.
After the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) narrowly voted against decommissioning Waiilatpu, the college’s yearbook, various students across campus reported that oh yeah, guess we have a yearbook at Whitman again.
A closer look at the 87th annual Choral Contest.
What is the biggest drawback about Whitman? [portfolio_slideshow]
Over the weekend, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams secured their dominance in the Northwest Conference on campus. With both teams playing in the conference tournament; the men soundly won their semifinal match with 5-0 win against Pacific University, followed by a 5-0 win against George Fox in the conference ...
The Tour of Walla Walla drew bicycle racers and crowds to Walla Walla on April 19, 20 and 21. Videographer Faith Bernstein brings us the thrill and power of the races.
And so the family departed from Queenstown and began the journey to Dunedin. As fate would have it, upon leaving the hotel lobby I heard the same song – a girl band remake of ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky – that had been playing when I first arrived (a circularity that ...
Everyone so often we see the public rise up in arms about how a certain athlete has wronged them, or an athlete will become frustrated with how he is being treated by the fans.
Last Friday and Saturday, Whitman improv group Varsity Nordic performed improv for 24 hours straight. Starting at 6 p.m. on April 19 and lasting until 6 p.m. April 20, the event raised money for Trilogy Recovery Community. Varsity Nordic asked for a donation of $1 per game for the local ...
On Tuesday, April 16, well-known author Jean Kilbourne delivered a lecture on the image of women in advertising, emphasizing the damaging effects that advertisements can have on young people.
TEDxWhitmanCollege creates a link between Whitman students and faculty and the broader community.
Behind Interim Head Coach Sean Kinney, baseball has had more success than in over a decade, but with Kinney at the helm there is no telling what the future may hold for the talented Missionaries.
The Mariner's are not a bad team in 2013, but lofty fan expectations could prevent them from being great any time soon.
Almost 400 submissions were received, and after headaches, some heartache and a lot of tough decisions, the 26th edition of Whitman’s premier literary magazine is finally ready for release. [caption id="attachment_69590" align="aligncenter" width="640"] ...
First-year Linnaea Weld and the Industrial Composting Club hope to make composting easier for off-campus students by facilitating a bike pick-up program.
[caption id="attachment_69543" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Illustration by Asa Mease[/caption] The Strokes, one of the greatest modern post-punk bands (in this reporter’s humble opinion), is a group that has a clear evolutionary arc in its style; beginning with the debut ...
The fate of Waiilatpu and a resolution advocating for limiting the college's fossil fuel investments were decided at an ASWC Senate meeting held last Sunday night. Though its status as an ASWC-funded organization was momentarily in question, production and publication of the yearbook will be continued next year, albeit with less ...
Students of color are often faced with higher rates of incarceration, but administrators who pay attention to the role of adverse childhood experiences in education can help buck this trend.
Jealousy can put stress on relationships, but breaking it down into its component parts can make it easier to manage.
ASWC has made some great strides to bring their message to Whitman's campus, now they just need to put the hard work in to actually make its process more engaging.
The administrator of 'Encounters' reflects on the site's progress, and looks to how it will be maintained after graduation.
FACE and the Walla Walla YWCA team up to put on Take Back the Night, a community march against sexual violence.
At a school as active and enthusiastic as Whitman, the intramural program is a popular facet of the outdoor community. While the varsity sports teams are all about competition and serious participation, intramural sports allow for those who are less competitive and more interested in the fun of a sport ...
I have joined a campaign at my college to call for our endowment to be divested from the companies with the largest reserves of fossil fuels. We call for divestment in solidarity with people on the front lines of extreme resource extraction (like mountaintop-removal coal mining and fracking) and victims of climate ...
Marking the opening of the Senior Thesis Exhibition, 5:30 p.m. tonight in the Olin Auditorium, there will be a visiting artist talk by Elizabeth Dove followed by a reception outside the Sheehan Gallery . The exhibition and reception will continue in the Fouts Center for Visual Arts Gallery, displaying the hard ...
How do you celebrate spring at Whitman? [portfolio_slideshow]
Encounters has grown from obscurity into its own niche forum in just over a year of existence. As the administrator graduates, we look back at what brought us to this point, as well as what lies in the future of the website.
[caption id="attachment_69547" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Political Cartoon by Tyler Schuh[/caption]
An article where Tristan "Three Unicorn" Gavin reveals that Macklemore will come to campus... yet again.
Students have no idea what divestment is... and quote movies!
Tabor talks about Greekend... nuff said.
[caption id="attachment_69554" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Illustration by Luke Hampton[/caption]
Whitman tennis's men and women wrapped up a pair of undefeated conference titles and look to enter national competition after this weekend's home matches.
In recent times, household names have shamed the multi-billion dollar sports industry to an extent that almost no other generation has witnessed. A 20-year old sports fan has been alive long enough to endure the Tim Donaghy fixed games fiasco, the steroids-era Mitchell Report, the dog-fighting days of Michael ...
A few weeks ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published research confirming that IUDs are safe methods of contraception, not just for adult women, but for teenagers as well. A review of over 90,000 health insurance claims for IUD users found that less than one percent of them, ...
Over 50 students, faculty and community members gathered outside of Memorial Building Monday night, April 15 to commemorate the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings with a candlelight vigil.
The results of the 2013-2014 ASWC Senate race were announced Monday April 15 at 8:00 p.m.
Last Sunday night, April 15, ASWC Senate met for nearly six hours, discussing resolutions regarding student taught classes, divestment and the fate of Waiilatpu.
ASWC released an updated version of the preliminary 2013-14 budget after the final budget appeals meeting on Wednesday, April 10. On Thursday, April 12, the ASWC Student Affairs Committee passed a bylaw amendment onto Senate that would de-recognize Whitman's yearbook Waiilatpu as a campus media organization. The amendment requires a 2/3 vote in Senate ...
I spent the last day of the old year doing the Shotover Bungee Swing. I jumped from over 300 feet (with a few seconds of free fall) into a canyon. I guess I’m beginning the transformative process of becoming an adrenaline junkie. The chaps who run the Swing are a ...
Whitman recently sent out letters to parents, announcing that tuition is set for $43,150 for the 2013-2014 academic year. This marks an increase of 3.25 percent, the lowest increase in the past decade, down from last year's increase of 4 percent.
The final Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) Town Hall of the year focused on three major subjects: the lifting of the international travel ban, addressing concerns regarding the ASWC budget and tackling the question of whether or not the yearbook should continue to be funded. [caption id="attachment_69365" align="alignright" width="384"]...
Up-and-coming soul singer Allen Stone, who has earned praise from the likes of USA Today and The New York Times, is busy on a worldwide tour but will soon find his way to Whitman for a show in the Reid Ballroom. The Pioneer caught up with him on the phone ...
Colton Malesovas watched his team dominate from the bench last year, and now it is his turn to lead the team to another conference championship.
Community Fellow and senior David McGaughy has helped the Walla Walla Small Business Development Center to plan and build a test kitchen for community members.
For almost two years I’ve had the awesome job of writing movie reviews for The Pio—Friday night: the theater with a tub of popcorn; Saturday morning: Zip off a short review. Easy! Never thinking that I would have to work and write a real article, I was shocked to see ...
For the past few weeks, several “Big Idea Talks” posters have been covering the campus grounds, advertising a first-time collaboration between the Walla Walla Public Library and Whitman faculty to give a series of locally-themed lectures open to the public. The talks, given by faculty members such as Senior Lecturer ...
The following videos take the viewer into the Walla Walla Roastery, located in Walla Walla near the airport, capturing perspectives from the owner as well as a Whitman student. The first video includes interviews with Thomas Reese and Mary Senter, roaster and owner at the Walla Walla Roastery. They outline ...
Breaking down a Black-white binary demands expanding our notions of what it can mean to be black.
A weekend of bad weather spelled out dissatisfaction for both the men and women golfers who faced poor course conditions and had their rounds cut short.
See how this author fared after three hours of listening to New Kids On The Block.
Although the divestment campaign is important, we can’t afford to politely ask that everyone around us change, oil companies included, if we can’t take the first step and change ourselves.
For the Whitman tennis teams, the changing weather means the approach of the national tournament and the indoor tennis courts becoming more and more obsolete. As days get sunnier, the availability of the outdoor courts becomes much more attractive, but as the NCAA tournament nears, the inability to use the courts ...
It's April, and the class of 2017 has been admitted. How does Whitman prepare for the influx of admitted students looking to see if they would like to make this school their home?
The Facebook plug-in, 'Bang With Friends' will revolutionize the way a generation approaches sex.
A group of 15 students will begin teaching creative writing at the Washington State Penitentiary in a few weeks. They hope to increase dialogue between inmates and community members by publishing a literary journal of the inmates' work.
Harper Joy Theatre's latest production will be Aaron Bushkowsky’s "My Chernobyl," a play that Whitman’s website describes as “a quirky romance, both touching and hilarious.” The plot follows “a naïve Canadian [who] travels to Belarus to give an inheritance to his father’s last remaining relative. While there he meets his ...
Sophomore GLBTQ intern Evan Griffis is continuing to push administration to create a gender-neutral housing option for incoming students in the next two years.
It’s the first sunny day of spring, about 75 degrees, a little after four in the afternoon, and Ankney is populated. There is soccer, ultimate, slack-lining, guitars, and the grass is lined with Kappas in bikinis on towels. The Prentiss lawn is crowded, too. They were the first ones out. ...
Two weeks after the Power and Privilege Symposium, Michael Anderson is still talking about race. A first-year upper-middle-class white student from Portland, Michael is thrilled to have had the two-day lecture series confronting the issues of power and privilege. “I wasn’t sure at first if I’d have enough time to ...
Spring has sprung! The grass has rizz! I wonder where all them Whitties is? Oh, that’s right, they’re all inside and going crazy because Walla Walla springtime weather is so goddamn fickle!
[caption id="attachment_69081" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Political Cartoon by Asa Mease[/caption]
What are your thoughts on gender neutral housing on campus? [portfolio_slideshow]
The applicant pool has been vetted, and the Whitman class of 2017 has been chosen. Now the tables have turned and the choice is up to the prospective students.
Last Thursday, April 4, Whitman Events Board Creative Arts organized an origami paper folding workshop in Reid Coffeehouse. While the event was met with low attendance, those who came were supplied with plain color and patterned paper and large instruction sheets for a wide variety of designs including boxes, ...
Saturday morning, the Whitman Women's Tennis team took to the courts against Pacific University. By the afternoon, the men's team took over and completed a hugely successful day for the tennis program as a whole. Together, the men and women swept Pacific's team 18-0.
Sophomore Tim Reed was announced as next year's ASWC President 8 p.m. Monday night, April 8, with 61.3% of the vote. Junior Rania Mussia was elected Nominations Chair, beating out first year Allison Kelly in a close race with 54.2% of the vote.
This year's Whitman Undergraduate Conference features over 120 presentations and posters highlighting students' original works produced in their courses and during semesters abroad, summer internships or research, among others. The Pioneer has chosen three presentations that we have found particularly interesting to attend this Tuesday, April 9. Hunting for Recoiling Black ...
Note: Before I even begin this piece I would like to acknowledge the fact that this may be seen as a point of contention. I would like to say that I in no way mean any offense to anyone and apologize in advance if I do so. In the United States ...
Doubtful Sound is in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park and was used as a backdrop in The Lord of the Rings (so of course we had to check it out). Fiordland is one of the rainiest places on Earth; the Cullen’s really should have relocated here and left Western Washington ...
A panel of students discussed the pros and cons regarding Whitman's potential divestment from fossil fuel companies.
ASWC worked closely with the administration to lift the ban on College funding for international travel. The administration is hopeful that by removing the ban, students will have more opportunities for pre-professional experiences abroad.
The Pioneer asked candidates running in the 2013 ASWC Executive Council elections about their qualifications, goals for next year and favorite study spots around campus.
The evening of Sunday, April 7 to the evening of Monday, April 8 marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. The internationally recognized date comes from the Hebrew calendar and marks the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, a Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw ghetto in German-occupied Poland in 1943. Challenging ...
The women's basketball team made a championship run to the Elite 8 of the national tournament to skyrocket to a program-best ranking of 22nd nationally for the 2012-2013 season.
The Whitman Sweets brought in players from all over the country to play frisbee for two action-packed days in Walla Walla.
The sweet sounds of Justin Timberlake's new album highlight maturity, growing up.
[caption id="attachment_68205" align="aligncenter" width="539"] Illustration by Tyler Schuh[/caption] Remember playing with the cool Hasbro G.I. Joe action figures for hours at a time? Of course: great memories! Remember in 2009 when our toy soldiers made their big-screen debut ...
In a year where Whitman's beloved Sweets lost a core group of leaders, Jacob Janin has risen as a top national player and a team leader.
Sharpshooting senior guard Peter Clark weighs in on the culture of gambling on
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