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.
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 ...
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.
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 ...
Although the Power and Privilege Symposium successfully got campus talking about race, the conversation cannot end with the symposium.
To the Editor, “For the last three years,” the recent ASWC press release on international travel reads, “there has been a ban on college funding going to any international travel.” That statement is remarkably incorrect. That statement overlooks $20,725 that ASWC has spent to fund the uniquely positioned Whitman Direct Action ...
We asked faculty, staff and alumni how Whitman has changed over their time as a part of the college community. Here's what they had to say.
Though the current “Information Age” has made communication easier and faster, our society still remains silent on some important issues, including mental illness. As a society, we focus so much on physical health, staying fit and eating a healthy diet. Yet we forget how to take care of the mind. ...
My thanks to The Pioneer and to [first-year] Jacqueline Rees-Mikula, who wrote the article about the Whitman Student Composers Concert in Chism Recital Hall on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, featuring new musical works by five talented young composers. Ms. Rees-Mikula's coverage provided an excellent view of the background and purpose of the concert, produced twice yearly, ...
To the Editor, The recent article about one-year sabbaticals may have given readers the impression that Professor Dana Burgess’ current sabbatical left several classics majors without an advisor. As Chair of the Department of Classics, I would like to assure The Pioneer’s readers that all of Professor Burgess’s major advisees were reassigned ...
Black Student Union students are to host a new radio show on KWCW. The show, "Ratchet Radio," will feature hip hop and rap music of a ratchet variety, an aspect of African American culture lacking on Whitman campus.
In light of the recent bout of violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces, we must consider which lives are 'mournable', and acknowledge the universality of human vulnerability.
Finding a good place to follow your passion and share your talents is like looking for a job. You need to do some research about the place and package your skills and talents in ways that make it easy for folks to include you.
This article was written by Ryann Savino '13. Driving along Wallowa Lake Highway, I wondered silently what the coming week would hold. To my right shone the choppy early morning surface of Wallowa Lake, its deep blue waters a sharp contrast to the rich green moraines along its shoreline. To my ...
You want to know what's happening in the Valley? Try hitting a different convenience store, espresso stand, lunch counter, grocery store or gas station each week and take some time to shoot the breeze with the people behind the counter and in line.
Whitman students should consider community involvement because it's training for life outside the bubble and because Walla Walla and environs needs your youth, smarts and enthusiasm.
Obama's foreign policy record is far more condemnable than Bush's, yet has been met with profound silence by liberal America. This election, we need to vote in a way that condemns pro-coup policies.
LGBTQ groups and allies are important in providing safe spaces for these groups, but do not do enough to challenge the oppressive subtext of mainstream progressive culture.
In march, one of the last genetically pure Bison herds left in the world, was released onto a Montana indian reservation. However, many groups are actively resisting this reintroduction despite the benefits. What is behind their concern?
At an internship working with abuse victims in the wealthiest county in the nation, I expected an abused population disproportionally representative of the large Latino minority and the few women of low socioeconomic status. Where does abuse fit in stereotypical "average American families," let alone in rich, gear-crazy, outdoorsy families?
I started my three-week exchange in French Polynesia with enthusiasm, excitement and an unhealthy amount of ignorance. Tahiti, and the rest of the Polynesian islands, were not given even a cursory glance in my high school history courses and had been relegated, in my mind, to that class of ridiculously ...
Descending to Guatemala’s Pacific coast feels like stepping slowly into a sauna. As the air heats up and becomes heavy with moisture, the land flattens and the crops grow tall until the only perspective available is directly down the road you travel. Our bus, spewing diesel exhaust and splashing through ...
This column was contributed by Alice Minor '12 [caption id="attachment_51724" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Credit: cade beck"][/caption] We’ve tried to climb Styx or observed someone fail to do so. Thrown or been hit by a Frisbee. Attempted the Reading Room ...
This column was contributed by Sophie Davis '12 [caption id="attachment_51729" align="alignright" width="300"] Credit: cade beck[/caption] Aldo Leopold, considered the father of the national forest wilderness system, whose book, The Sand County Almanac, and other essays have inspired generations ...
We should reflect on our experiences with privilege here at Whitman, and in the wider community. Rather than try to fix the problem at Whitman, we should accept our situation and use it to help those around us.
future Latino students must continue to engage with values of leadership, involvement, and advocacy, and realize their full potential as active members of a rising and inspiring community in the years to come.
Assistant Dean of Engagement Noah Leavitt encourages all studentsfrom first-years to seniorsto learn about what is happening in the Student Engagement Center, to take advantage of the Centers many programs, events, workshops and expertise, and to continue to let them know about what they can do to be a resource ...
By developing partnerships, we can forge long-term relationships with communities, rather than the one-night stand often used by volunteers. Working together will allow us to go far in the global development movement. Partnerships are essential in creating sustainable, culturally acceptable and necessary change in our increasingly connected world.
Whitman has given us so much and will continue to support us after graduation. As such it is important to start giving back to Whitman now, by contributing to the senior fund.
by Karin Tompkins Young adult novelist John Green, author of the award-winning novels "Looking for Alaska" and "Paper Towns," alters his storytelling method for his new novel, "The Fault in Our Stars." Green's previous novels tell stories of unrequited love from the perspective of skinny, geeky young men, but in Green's ...
Whitman students discover humanitarian issues close to home during their work on the US-Mexico border, suggesting that we often look to far abroad when thinking about activism.
Chance to travel to Guatemala for a summer reminds these Whittes of the incredible opportunities afforded to all students to advance their professional interests and passions.
This column was written by Rollo I was with my boyfriend for an entire year before we decided to publicize our relationship on Facebook. Our relationship was stable—the potential for an embarrassing or awkward public internet breakup had almost nothing to do with our decision to delay becoming “FBO.” My cringing ...
This column was contributed by Charlie Weems '12 Nonprofit Invisible Children kicked off its KONY 2012 campaign with an impressive social media blitz. Within a matter of hours the 30-minute video advocating the capture of Joseph Kony, Ugandan commander of the Lord's Resistance Army, had reached nearly 4.5 million views. At ...
As one who cares about punctuation, syntax, and clarity, I was disappointed to see The Pioneer alter my direct quote to remove a cherished comma.
This article was written by Rollo. In a quiet and secluded hallway on the second floor of Olin Hall, there is a large table tucked away in a corner that is sometimes used by students for studying. On the side of the table which faces away from passersby, the words "I ...
We are happy to hear that the Tenure Review Committee has found substantial reason to return to Professor Galindo's case, and are thankful for the continued student support regarding this issue.
Although Like a Little and Whitman Encounters can be endlessly entertaining when you're trying to procrastinate, the issues trying to be solved on the site, both personal and campus-wide, are greater than the sites themselves.
Driving from Seattle to visit, an alum is disappointed by a KWCW DJ's comments.
I am appalled by the uxorial hubris exhibited in the article 'Replacing communication with sex prepares us for divorce!' I'm surprised by the sophomoric claims made by last week's guest columnist.
Student's research does wonders for Walla Walla community.
Whitman baseball players are certainly not destined for the big leagues, and certainly aren't basking in the glory of victory, but the love of the game makes up for all of that.
Hoping for a 'boyfriend', 'cuddle-buddy' or otherwise is fine, but be wary of doing so with anybody who happens to be convenient.
Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami's short novel 'After Dark' is a mysterious, mesmerizing read that embodies Murakami's typical theme of alienation in modern Japanese society.
Kathy Nguyen's reflection on studying abroad in Argentina during the fall of 2011.
Johanna's reflection on studying abroad in New Zealand during the fall of 2011.
Ryan Nesbit's reflection on studying abroad in Norway during the fall of 2011.
Do exclusively sexual relationships we maintain in high school, college, and beyond set us up for failed marriages?
Miriam Kolker's reflection on studying abroad in New Zealand during the fall of 2011.
Kathryn Collins' reflection on studying abroad in China during the fall of 2011.
With the recent surge in popularity of young adult fantasy novels, it's often difficult to find a story that breaks from the predictable.
When asked by a Whittie how college students could move from anonymous hook-ups (the Subpar) to something better, Daedone simply answered that hook-ups will start to feel so unsatisfactory that, eventually, we as students will search for better sex. It was unclear how exactly she expected us to find an ...
I think I was too startled to say thank you, so I want to say "Thank you, Tree Climber, I don't think anyone at the UW would have done that!"
Last week, the Backpage published a twitter-themed piece degrading women and indigenous, LGBT, and black communities. I assume Adam Brayton intended to be ironic, but this does not alleviate his responsibility for publishing offensive material.
When I was looking at schools, I was looking at small liberal arts schools kind of off West Coast I-5: so, like, Willamette, Lewis & Clark, Santa Clara, those type of schools. And this is the best place [smiles].
On the evening of Thursday, Sept. 22, the OPERA collaboration posted a scientific paper [1] presenting a measurement of the speed of neutrinos—electrically neutral elementary particles that, for example, are produced in copious amounts through nuclear reactions in the sun—as being faster than the speed of light by 0.000248 +/- ...
The September 29 article by Pamela London, “Football controversy: Sudden end of declining program in 1977 vexes Whitman community," may have unintentionally left Pioneer readers with the misperception that Whitman's fundraising efforts have suffered long-term repercussions as a result of the closure of the varsity football program.
The Obama Administration has decided that it has the authority to kill citizens at its discretion, ignoring any and all Constitutional rights that get in the way. Last month, the government assassinated two American citizens in Yemen with no due process, no trial, no charges and no legal justification. The deaths of Anwar ...
Around 8 p.m. on any given Friday or Saturday night, something on campus shifts subtly. The drudgery of classes is thrown off and we all look forward to forgetting the upcoming work we have to do. However, we also forget something else as a campus when we head out to ...
To be at Whitman College is to find yourself interacting on a daily basis with some of the smartest, kindest, most outgoing, and most driven women you've ever met before—and to be in a sorority means getting the chance to form close relationships with many of those women that you ...
This article was contributed by Mehera Nori Remember that hilarious scene in The Wedding Crashers when Isla Fisher ties Vince Vaughn to the bed against his will? And remember that other scene when Keir O'Donnell slips into Vaughn's bed as he sleeps and starts to make a move while Vaughn tries ...
This column was contributed by Ben Menzies. It is written in response to a column published in the New York Times by Lisa Belkin. Lisa Belkin, a columnist for The New York Times who "covers family life and writes the Motherlode blog," is distraught. Writing in the Times, Belkin ...
The members of the Department of Sociology enjoyed reading Sam Chapman's article in the September 15 edition of The Pioneer, assuring Whitman students that we are in fact offering a full range of Sociology classes this semester, despite our personnel challenges of the past six months (challenges which are not ...
The Whitman College Sweets travelled to Burlington WA last weekend to attend their first tournament of the year. Of the 8 teams in attendance the Sweets were the only college team. Pictured top: Austin Easter splits team Fischer Price's defense. Pictured bottom left: Ben McGinn comes down with the disc. ...
To the Editor: Congratulations on a fantastic first issue. It is clear that Pio readers are in for a treat with this year's talented staff. I especially want to commend you on the 'Outside Whitman' section which did a great job showing a few of the ways that Whitman students participate in ...
Promoting a liberal arts education can be awfully weird, sometimes. Especially in the marketplace. But as Ms. Ruth Wardwell has proposed, “let's own it."
Seven tips for touring and eating around Chiang Mai, Thailand.
This summer I was part of a group of 13 Whitman students who spent six weeks in China, led by Professor of Anthropology Charles McKhann and Adjunct Instructor of Chinese Wencui Zhao. The main goal of the trip was to give our group the opportunity to study Chinese.
The federally condoned violence along the U.S./Mexico border is another chapter in the United States' abuse and exploitation of a refugee population and a disempowered racial group. Those who suffer most have the least resources and political power.
Beaver do not permeate the landscape as they once did; in fact, there are relatively few dams in the fertile river ecosystems. The reason? Initially, fir trapping. At present, cows. Fortunately for the semi-aquatic rodents, Mary O'Brien is fighting to ensure that beaver begin to repopulate streams across Utah to ...
The Pioneer interviews Whitman students on the topic of how representative ASWC is of the Whitman student body.
Dear Seniors, Given that you are re-entering the real world and expanding your efforts beyond the Whitman Bubble, you will inevitably face a life somewhat different from the heavily integrated life in college that you've been leading (where work is the same as home and friends and lovers are the same ...
Many of those dispensing advice (welcome or not) to college graduates this year are likely to address the economic downturn. Your job or career will consume much of your energy for the next 45 years or so, but I would like to invite graduates to think about other challenges. Be conscious ...
No one knows what to expect at college. Despite "understanding" gained from siblings' stories and movies like "Animal House" there is no way to prepare yourself: except, perhaps, to bring a condom. I arrived here with armloads of clothes, a matching dorm room bedroom set from Target and zero condoms. Dropped ...
Dear Graduating Seniors, "This, you know, is a time of taking in - taking in friendship, conversation, gaiety, wisdom, knowledge, beauty, holiness - and later, well, there will be a time of giving out," remarks a friend of Sheldon Vanauken about the college years in Vanauken's memoir A Severe Mercy. ...
The most dreaded question to a college senior is "What are you going to do after graduation?" Thinking about life after college is overwhelming for many, not to mention beginning your career during the biggest recession since the Great Depression and an 8.5 percent federal unemployment rate. People are showing up ...
Dear Seniors, I am honored to be asked to give some advice on your postgraduate life. The invitation to address you is especially meaningful since I, like you, am leaving Whitman at the end of this semester. I have been here longer than any of you: 32 years, to be exact: ...
One of the best parts of our journey thus far is that we have only just begun. In these final weeks, each trial and tribulation seems to be so small in relation to the world opening up before us. Soon-to-be graduates all have a lot to offer those around them ...
When I was asked to write a column of advice to the graduating class, I tried to run from the assignment. I have no trouble dispensing advice in my office, but to put advice into print? That thought evokes memories of "Climb every mountain" sung at my own graduations and ...
I know that people talk about how good French "cuisine" is all the time, but let me tell you: the cuisine is pretty decent, but the whole approach to food is what's really bangin'. No matter what you're eating, you can rest assured that love, tenderness, and at least half ...
Thursday, Apr. 23 4 p.m. "Expanded Visions in International Medical Service," an Alumni Career presentation by Dr. Gordon Tobin '65, in Gaiser Auditorium, Hall of Science. Friday, Apr. 24 9:30-10:30 A.M. "Where the Great River Bends: A natural and human history of the Columbia at Wallula." by Professor of Geology Bob Carson, Kimball ...
I've been working for the admissions office for three years. There's no formula for why a person chooses a school. I recently did a survey for current freshman and found that the overwhelming majority of them cited their visit to campus as a key reason they chose Whitman. The confusion ...
Executive Council Candidate Platforms Spring 2009 Elections President: Will Canine: ASWC is for three things: Protecting your rights as a college student. Providing awesome programming for students. Ensuring student opportunity through student organizations. ASWC has had some success, but we need to do more. As the ASWC representative to two Trustee Committees, the ...
This guest column is written by Liam Mina. Patreese Johnson. Renata Hill. Venice Brown. Terrain Dandridge. Chenese Loyal. Lania Daniels. Khamysha Coates. Ever heard of any of these women? I didn't think so. In the summer of 2006, seven young African-American lesbians from New Jersey were hanging out together. A man named ...
Below is the memorandum presented by the Student Affairs Committee to the administration concerning campus security recommendations. The memorandum was presented to Jed Schwendiman and Chuck Cleveland on Feb. 25, 2009. To read the article concerning this topic click here. Security Memorandum, Issued 02/25/09 by ...
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