credit: Loos Diallo

In response to student and faculty concerns regarding the Academic Dishonesty Policy, the Student Life Committee voted in favor of an ASWC-sponsored resolution calling for a faculty code revision of the policy. Passed on Friday, Feb. 5, the resolution included a revised draft of the policy written by senior ASWC Vice President and Student Affairs Chair Jordan Clark and sophomore Senator and Student Affairs representative Noah Lerner.

The Student Life Committee and Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland are concerned that the current policy’s definition of plagiarism is too broad and its punishments too strict. Instances of plagiarism under the current policy range from negligent or improper citation to intentional plagiarism of another author’s work.

The penalty for a first time offense, regardless of the nature of the infringement, ranges from a minimum grade of an “F” on the assignment to a maximum grade of an “F” in the course. The penalty for forgetting to cite a source can be the same as for purchasing a paper off the Internet.

According to Student Life Committee Chair Brooke Vick, an assistant professor of psychology, the committee typically does not discuss matters of curricular or disciplinary policy. It may, however, identify issues of student concern relevant to these areas and make recommendations for addressing them, as was the case with the Academic Dishonesty Policy.

“Several members of ASWC approached the committee with ideas about how the policy could be revised. Members of the committee provided feedback on those ideas and several drafts were discussed as a group,” Vick said via e-mail.

Cleveland first approached Clark and senior ASWC President Nadim Damluji early last semester to discuss his concerns, as well as those of students and faculty members, regarding the current Academic Dishonesty Policy.

According to Cleveland, approximately 20 cases of academic dishonesty are brought to his attention each year. The cases vary in severity of offense.

“I felt like there are some situations where the current policy ended up with an overly serious sanction—that the penalty exceeded the transgression,” said Cleveland. “My concern was that in cases that were maybe less intentional—cases in which there were cultural or language differences—it would be nice if the faculty had greater discretion and a wider range of sanction in first time cases.”

Clark and Damluji shared Cleveland’s concerns, delegating the job of researching and revising the policy to Clark and Lerner.

They concluded that the current Academic Dishonesty Policy disproportionately affects first-year and international students who may not be accustomed to the citation style used by the American university system.

Furthermore, they found that the policy does not accurately represent current faculty practices in regards to punishing plagiarism.

“A lot of professors simply don’t follow the current policy. Most professors aren’t going to report a small citation error to the Dean of Students and they are not going to fail a student,” said Clark.

Jordan and Clark presented their findings to students at the Oct. 22 Town Hall Meeting, an open forum between students and ASWC.

“We received near unanimous support for amending the policy at our Town Hall,” said Clark, prompting a revision of the policy.

ASWC’s revisions primarily focused on the penalties for first-time infringements of academic dishonesty. Their revision reads: “For a first offense . . . the faculty member shall have the discretion to decide what punitive measures to take with a maximum penalty of a grade of ‘F’ in the course.”

ASWC’s rationale behind the revision, as stated per the Faculty Code Revision they submitted to the Student Life Committee, is that “it gives each faculty member the discretion to measure the seriousness of the infraction and decide upon the appropriate punitive measures . . . allow[ing] faculty members to differentiate between serious acts of plagiarism and minor errors in citation.”

The revision reflects Cleveland’s desire for the policy to help students learn from their mistakes, whether that comes from rewriting a paper, forgoing a grade or having a grade deducted.

“I don’t want to minimize the importance of academic honesty. I think it’s critical to what we do here; but I also think learning and education can be part of this policy,” said Cleveland.

“[The revised policy is] not supposed to make it easier for students in any way, it just allows a professor to decide ultimately when they want to prosecute things versus turning them into a teaching opportunity,” said Lerner.

The Student Life Committee, after approving ASWC’s revisions, has recommended that the Faculty Committee consider both students’ concerns regarding the Academic Dishonesty and the new, revised policy.

It remains to be seen how the revised policy will fare on the floor of the Faculty Committee.

“There definitely has been some resistance from professors. We’ll see to what extent the faculty like what we’ve come up with then we bring the [revised] policy before them,” said Lerner.

Clark hopes that the revision process will increase student involvement and open the doors to better communication between students, ASWC and faculty.

“Cleveland is really interested in getting more students involved in college policy,” said Clark. “Students aren’t always involved in the decision making process, and we’re trying to break down the barrier between the faculty deciding on things that affect us and us being able to reciprocate, backing policies that we support.”

The bus service, which is entirely funded by ASWC, was inaugurated in 2009 by junior Carson Burns after he discovered that many Whitties were unable to pursue their interest in skiing and snowboarding because they had no transportation to local ski areas.

“When I came to Whitman I was shocked to hear that a place like Whitman didn’t have a ski bus, especially since so many Whitties I knew skied. So when I was elected as a sophomore Senator, I took charge with Mike Scigliano in starting up and coordinating the ski bus program.”

“Spring semester 2009, the ski bus was a resounding success, and it was filled almost every time,” said Burns, adding that students were often too enthusiastic when scheduling their ski trips.

“Our only problem was that students who signed up a month in advance sometime wouldn’t show up. Last year, the OP helped minimize that issue by encouraging students to just show up in the morning to hop on the bus.”

Students can begin signing up for a spot on the bus, which seats 14 people, starting on the Monday of the preceding week before each Saturday’s departure. The bus begins its one-hour journey to Bluewood at 9 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.

Senior Allie Rood, who co-heads the Whitman Backcountry Ski Club, drove the ski bus on Jan. 30 and hopes the college will sponsor more events at the Dayton, Wash. ski resort in the future. She commented that the resort offers slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all skills levels.

“Bluewood is an amazing mountain to learn how to ski [on].” Rood said. “I myself switched over to Telemark skiing last year and had a great time with the transition. It is a small and intimate ski area. There are never lines and there is plenty of opportunity to get better fast.”

Rood noted that the Jan. 30 bus was mostly attended by first-years, and hopes upperclassmen will take advantage of the service as well. She stresses it is not necessary that students sign up in groups, as it is usually easy to find someone else on the trip who shares the same interests.

“There was a girl in the bus who was getting some extra practice in for her Telemark ski class; there were people on the bus from Colorado and people who were renting equipment from the rental shop at the mountain,” Rood said. “There were groups of friends and others who were alone. Someone mentioned, ‘Are there always that many Whitman kids at the mountain?’ and I said, ‘Yes. There is a great community of Whitman kids up there that even if you are alone, you will be sure to find someone to ski with once there.’”

If students are unable to ski on Saturdays, Rood added, e-mailing the listserv is a good way to team up with people carpooling to the mountain on other days of the week.

Burns hopes the ski bus will continue to operate after he graduates, and plans to pass on his management duties to another Senator. Though many skiers have cut back on ski trips due to the poor economy, Burns hopes the ski bus will make it possible for Whitman students to continue skiing.

“I understand the poor economy might deter some potential new skiers from hitting the slopes this winter, but I hope the ski bus might just be their answer,” Burns said. “They could save money by borrowing a friend’s skis, hopping on the free ski bus, and just paying the student ski ticket price. They’d have to remember their Whitman ID!”

“I haven’t ridden it before, but I think it is a great idea and I definitely plan on using it this semester!” said senior Allison Armstrong. “It’s so nice that students without cars have a way to get to the mountain.”

Last Sunday, Jan. 31, the ASWC Senate decided unanimously against raising a fee that, according to sophomore ASWC Finance Chair Matt Dittrich, has undergone a yearly increase since its initiation decades ago.

The Student Activity Fee, which is included in students’ tuition package, constitutes a large percentage of ASWC’s annual operating budget.

The fee was set at $320 for the current 2009-2010 academic year, a significant increase from 2003-2004, the earliest year on ASWC record, when the fee was set at $226.

Dittrich spearheaded the proposal not to raise the fee, receiving unanimous support from both the Finance Committee and the Senate.

“Due to the terrible state of the economy and the great financial burden which families and college students are currently incurring, I believe it is the duty of ASWC’s government to keep tuition costs as low as possible,” Dittrich said in an e-mail. “It is our duty to compose a modest budget, a modest budget that works.”

Dittrich is confident that the current fee will be sufficient for funding student activities and services for the upcoming year and does not believe club funding and ASWC initiatives will be affected by the vote. ASWC plans to add several new clubs and salaried positions to next year’s budget, and new initiatives are in the works, including the installation of laser printers in residence halls and the creation of an Outdoor Program Travel Fund.

“I will ask all of our clubs and budgeted items to submit conservative budget requests. We will also be budgeting for an additional 30 students,” said Dittrich. “Finally, we have a few contingency funds that have been underused or not used at all, which we can reallocate for other, more beneficial purposes.”

He plans to find an extra $19,000 for the 2010-2011 budget, a conservative estimate.

ASWC salaried position holders and club representatives will submit budget requests in early March, from which Dittrich will draft a budget. Two finance forums will follow in early April, allowing students to petition their salaries and club funding.

Dittrich will present his final budget for 2010-2011 to the Senate on Sunday, April 18, for approval.

By 6:30 p.m., the block of sage white cheddar cheese had been whittled down to a small cube, while senior ASWC President Nadim Damluji and senior ASWC Student Affairs Chair Jordan Clark sat happily in the ASWC office.

“It’s been great. That was a half-wheel of cheese,” said a proud Damluji.

Clark came up with the idea to have a day where anyone could come in and talk to their ASWC representatives. He based the concept off of the “West Wing” television show episodes in which the White House staff entertains proposals from special interest groups that normally don’t get attention. ASWC focused the day on making sure everyone could have their say.

“It’s kind of morphed into ‘let’s sit at the table and have a conversation,’” said Clark.

The duo hoped that it would provide a space for people to address a variety of issues already on their minds.

“We’ve had complaints raising from ‘GoPrint is really frustrating and I’ve already run through my money’ to ‘I want more school spirit’ to ‘the back page’ and ‘there’s not been enough female performers on campus.’ Like, any grievance you can air out here,” said Damluji.

Not all the interactions were complaints. Junior Ari Frink was one of the many students who stopped in to talk. He said he was readily supported by ASWC when seeking funds from ASWC on behalf of the Campus Climate Challenge.

“For PowerShift last year, ASWC threw down money for us to go to that conference; I just feel like the school has really helped out,” said Frink.

Damluji also used the event as an opportunity to gauge student knowledge of ASWC as part of his continuing efforts to improve communication and involvement in the student community.

“I have questions for you on some things,” Damluji said to Frink. “How much do you know about ASWC? To try to get money, do you know where to go to and stuff like that?”

“I think I know how to do it,” said Frink. “I should because I’m a budget rep. But at least I know people who know how to do it, and they’ve expressed that it’s not a difficult process. Maybe I don’t know a ton about the inner working, bylaws and stuff like that, but I get the sense that people working for it are doing a good job and have our best interests at heart.”

Clark was excited about the input he was getting on the various issues. ASWC has been reaching out to students in various ways, including tabling during lunch four days a week to solicit comments on campus life from students. Clark promised that the Student Affairs Committee will be hard at work addressing student concerns raised during the day.

“Big block of cheese: Success,” said Damluji.

“It was kind of like relief,” he said. “I could see the election going any way.  I was talking with a lot of the other candidates, and we were thinking of reasons why any person could get elected.”

Also elected as first-year senators were Autumn Knutson, Nathan Abrams and Alex Brott.  In addition, the entire student body voted to allow outgoing seniors to vote in executive elections.

The election is being regarded as a success.

“I thought turnout was, by Whitman standards, good, but I wouldn’t call it a knockout category,” said sophomore Oversight Chair Jack MacNichol. “I would love to see numbers more like 80 percent rather than 30.47 percent [for the amendment] or 64.50 percent [for first-year senators].”

Voting this year used a new software, which sped up the results process.

“The results came through pretty clear,” MacNichol said. “About five minutes after the polls closed, [we received] a link with the results.  It was . . . much easier than ever before.”

The only problem that occurred was among a handful of new students who had enough credits to be considered second-semester first-years or sophomores. Although not initially able to vote, that problem was resolved quickly for most people, according to MacNichol.

Senior ASWC President Nadim Damluji looks forward to the new senators joining the team.

“Everyone was really well-qualified,” he said. “I look forward to working with all the new freshmen senators.”

In addition to first-year elections, the constitutional amendment allowing seniors a vote in executive elections only slightly passed.  While it easily got above the 20% of the student body required for it to pass, it received 68.28% of the vote, only a sliver above the necessary two-thirds vote for a constitutional amendment.

Still, not everyone went home happy.

“I’m definitely disappointed,” said Paul “H-P” Hamilton-Pennell, who received fifth place in the senate election. “I think I was probably less invested in the prospect of being in student government as the other kids were, so there aren’t any personal ramifications, but I was excited about working with some of those guys and getting to know them.”

Hugh Parker and Devin Kuh also did not receive enough votes to win.

Hamilton-Pennell feels that being new at Whitman affected how elections went.

“Just about everyone I talked to said they voted for so and so because they were the only person who they had heard of that was running,” he said. “I’ll be interested to see as issues arise, especially in my class, how people start feeling about the elections and about ASWC.”

Still, he considers the loss a “mixed blessing,” given his currently busy schedule.

Meanwhile, Atkins is getting ready for his duties as an ASWC senator.

“I’m just really excited to be in student government and be able to help [turn] the freshmen ideas into reality,” he said. “I’m just prepared to do my job now.”

Calvin Atkins
Why I am running for ASWC Senator: I am running for ASWC senator to represent the class of 2013 and to enact the change that my fellow students desire (such as increased sustainability on campus, toilet seat covers in residence halls, etc.)
Why first-years should vote for me: My passion is leadership therefore I will be completely dedicated to my senate position and to serving as your voice in student government.
What I would do if elected: If elected senator I will open up multiple avenues of communication between myself and the freshman class where they can submit ideas, concerns, etc. to myself and I will take these requests to committee and do everything I can to make them reality.
Favorite childhood television show: Recess

Alex Brott
Why I am running for ASWC Senator: I am running for ASWC Senator so that I can voice the concerns and needs of the freshman class, get to know better the students and campus, and positively change OUR home for the next four years.
Why first-years should vote for me: Students should vote for me not only for my solid background in leadership and peer relations, but my generally pragmatic, organized, positive and passionate nature.
What I would do if elected: While my primary actions if elected will be based on what students find most pressing, some tangible goals include working with groups on campus to provide composting, procuring either a printer for the Jewett Lounge (like in Anderson) or a color printer in the library and working with the Whitman Events Board and ASWC to bring one major musical group to campus rather than three smaller ones.
Most embarrassing moment: Pulled over by a cop while dressed up for a showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Paul Hamilton-Pennell
Why I am running for ASWC Senator: I am running for ASWC Senate so I can participate first-hand in making decisions that directly affect our experience here at Whitman and make a positive contribution to the greater Whitman community.
Why first-years should vote for me: I approach issues in unconventional ways and offer unique solutions.
What I would do if elected: I am excited to begin addressing issues as they arise; I have no immediate agenda.
Favorite Disney princess: Jasmine

Autumn Knutson
Why I am running for ASWC Senator: I am running to be an ASWC senator because I am enthralled by diversity and feel a strong sense of community when I represent people with ideas and interests that I would otherwise not have the opportunity to understand.
Why first-years should vote for me: I believe that I deserve the vote of the first-years because I will pursue my position as a senator very strongly throughout the entire year, rather than just election times, with the goal of making the class of 2013 a distinguished class that improved upon the already exceptional community of Whitman and the surrounding areas.
What I would do if elected: If elected senator I plan on pursuing my role through understanding of my constituents outside the meetings and seeking rapport where they feel most comfortable, such as dorm rooms, various club’s meetings, or even encounters while watching athletics or eating at the dining hall.
Fictional character I’m most like: Strawberry Shortcake

Devin Kuh
Why I am running for ASWC Senator: I am running for ASWC senator in order to be a voice for the class of 2013 and help make Whitman the best that it can be.
Why first-years should vote for me: You should vote for me because I’m not running to get my own agenda accomplished; I’m running to make your voices heard.
What I would do if elected: I plan to be a liaison between the class 2013, ASWC and Whitman College Administration.
One word self-description: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Hugh Parker
Could not be reached for comment.

First-year senate candidates field questions from classmates in Jewett Lounge, Tuesday, Sept. 15. Credit: Cornelius

First-years heading to the polls this Monday, Sept. 21 got an opportunity to meet their senator candidates for the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) in a forum that was as much about Disney princesses as it was about politics.

“I thought it was successful,” said sophomore ASWC Oversight Chair Jack MacNichol.  “We had a couple great questions, but then we did, as these forums tend to do, diverge, into some questions about which Disney princess represents you.”

The forum on Tuesday, Sept. 15, the first of two, served as an opportunity for first-years to get to know the first-year senator candidates running in Monday’s election.  The election also features a campus-wide vote on an amendment to allow senior voting in executive elections during the spring.  Though most of the forum consisted of offbeat questions, candidates also showed their serious side.

“I really thought… having solar panels that were recently installed was a really cool idea,” said first-year candidate Nathan Abrams. “I think if Whitman could build on its dependence on green energy, it would be a really good thing. I think a fair amount of the campus would be behind that.”

“My first idea that I’ve noticed at this is school is that we have chalkboards,” said first-year candidate Autumn Knutson. “I thought it would be cool to have whiteboards.”

Though the forum spent more time on favorite childhood television shows and James Bond actors than issues like these, it appears to have been helpful.

“I sort of had an idea before but it changed a little bit,” said first-year Nate Lessler. “It helped me. It could have been shorter—I think a lot of the questions where they had similar answers could have been fast.”

Amendment on senior voting

Monday’s election will also feature a proposed amendment to the ASWC constitution seeking to overturn last year’s controversial rule barring seniors from voting in executive council elections. It will require 20 percent of the student body to vote and a two-thirds majority among those who do to pass.

The amendment would change part of Section One of the ASWC constitution to say, “All members of ASWC will be eligible to vote in the election.” The current wording says “All members of ASWC who are not graduating in the current semester will be eligible to vote in the election.”

In spite of a lack of publicity for the amendment, MacNichol is confident that the amendment will get the necessary votes.

“All the freshmen will be voting,” he said. “But I also think a lot of seniors, if they want to vote in the spring, will be interested in this, because the amendment will allow them to vote in the Executive Council elections.”

The election takes place Monday, Sept. 21, with online voting from midnight until 8 p.m.  First-years will have the opportunity to rank senator candidates in order of preference, from first to seventh.  All students will be able to vote for or against the proposed senior voting amendment.

Students interested in learning more about first-year senator candidates can attend tonight’s forum in the Anderson Main Lounge at 7 p.m.

In their meeting on Sunday, May 3, ASWC senate paved the way for an increase in future seniors’ voting rights, passing an amendment to the ASWC constitution to allow all members of Whitman’s student body to elect members of the Executive Council. Now the measure must pass a vote of the overall student body by a sixty percent majority to become an official ASWC law, and many senators speculate that this will be achieved. 

The issue of senior voting rights has remained ambiguous and somewhat unresolved as of late, with junior and senior senators providing varying recollections of how the issue was dealt with in previous years.

“Institutional memory is not as strong in ASWC as it should be,” said Senior ASWC Senator Aisha Fukushima. 

The passing of the proposed amendment overturns the senate’s decision of April 5, when a unanimous vote was needed to allow seniors to vote in this year’s EC elections. In April only one senator voted against the measure, causing it to fail. The same senator, senior Roman Goerss, voted against the measure this time. The measure still passed since only a majority was needed in this case, not unanimity, because time allows for a student body vote before next year’s EC elections.

Fukushima voted in favor of the amendment. 

“The seniors have a vested interest in the upkeep of the school and all of the different ASWC institutions [after they leave],” said Fukushima. “There are a lot of arguments to take into consideration, especially given the fact that first-years who are coming in next year won’t be able to vote. I think it’s important to have a plurality of voices.”

Fukushima also acknowledged the rationale of the opposition, admitting that seniors will indeed be voting for ASWC officials who they will not see in office.

“There are people that say ‘Well, the seniors won’t be here next year,’ which is totally true,” she said. “[However], I think that seniors who feel invested [in ASWC] will vote, and I think that they can offer an informed vote in this process. It seems like my opinion is echoed in the senate.”

Sophomore Andrew Matschiner sided with opposing Senator Goerss on the issue.

“If [seniors] are not going to be around [the following year], it doesn’t seem to me that they should necessarily have a right to vote,” he said. “I don’t say this because I don’t like seniors, but if they’re not going to be on campus next year it doesn’t make sense that they should have a stake in what’s going on here at that time. But then that begs the question: ‘Should incoming first-years be able to vote?’ Ideally, incoming first-years would be able to vote too, because the ASWC officials being elected will affect their college experience, but unfortunately that’s impractical and difficult.”

Money was the hot topic on the ASWC Senate’s agenda as they convened for their fifth meeting of the spring semester on Sunday, April 19. Foremost among the issues discussed were details concerning the ’09-’10 ASWC budget and the creation of a fund to augment ASWC officers’ stipends.

ASWC’s total budget for fiscal year 2010 is projected to be close to $485,000. The largest share of the budget will be distributed among ASWC clubs and the new ASWC Programming Board. ASWC’s annual contribution to club sports was also increased from $22,000 to $30,000, in order to make up for cuts in the Whitman’s Club Sports contribution. 

Returns from ASWC’s over $250,000 endowment were also earmarked (or purposed) for service learning projects such as Justice Beyond Borders, Whitman Direct Action and the Youth Adventure Program and to sponsor Organic Garden summer interns.

“We’re really excited about the purposing of our endowment, a goal that all of us in the Finance Committee have been working toward since September,” said Finance Chair-Elect for next year first-year Matt Dittrich in an e-mail.  “With this development, Whitman’s ’09 –‘10 school year is destined to be pretty tasty, and to have a greater positive impact on the world.” 

Perhaps the most significant item of discussion on the agenda was the creation of a fund to augment ASWC officers’ stipends. The stipend pool was created to help supplement the pay given to ASWC employees who qualify for need-based financial aid, so that they may be able to fulfill their work-study requirements without working at another on-campus job. 

ASWC President-Elect junior Nadim Damluji explained this development. 

“Realistically, it is hard to work an ASWC paid job in addition to another job on campus, and if students are forced to take that route they are seriously compromising their ability to fulfill their duties to ASWC and as a student in college,” said Damluji in an e-mail. “It was created based on an overall frustration placed on students in this situation, and [the ASWC Senate] worked it into the budget for next year pending approval of new bylaws in the last Senate meeting. I wrote those bylaws with Senator Jordan Clark, Student Affairs Chair-Elect, and we made sure they reflected the intent of our mission to create equal opportunity for all ASWC positions.” 

The ASWC Finance Committee is scheduled perform a comprehensive three- to five-year review of paid ASWC positions to ensure that the pay reflects the nature of the job.  

“Until that comprehensive review is done, we felt this stipend pool was a necessary intermediate step to make sure no one is discouraged from seeking an ASWC paid position based on financial need,” Damluji said.

Despite concerns of some Senators in attendance who believed that this fund oversteps ASWC’s boundaries, the fund was overwhelmingly passed.

For all interested students and members of the Whitman community, there will be a town hall-style meeting tonight in Reid G02 at 7:00 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the newly-reformed Programming Board. The next Senate meeting of the year is scheduled for Sunday, May 3.

Credit: Calkin.

Many seniors, expecting to be able to vote in Monday’s ASWC Executive Council (EC) election, were surprised to learn that they were ineligible to do so.

Last year, large parts of the ASWC Constitution were rewritten, and the status of seniors’ voting ability remained somewhat unresolved. While some ASWC senators recall approving seniors’ ability to vote, others do not. In any case, the current by-laws being used by the ASWC Senate do not allow seniors to vote in elections for the fall of their graduation year. This detail was only noticed a few days before Monday’s elections, which had already been set up to accommodate seniors.

The day before EC elections this year, ASWC Senate held a meeting in which a motion was called to try and amend the ASWC Constitution. This amendment would have allowed members of the senior class to vote in the election.

A unanimous vote was needed to pass the measure. All but one senator voted in favor of the measure, so the motion failed; seniors were not given the ability to vote in the elections.

Amendments to ASWC’s Constitution normally require a two-thirds vote of the Senate and then a referendum of the student body in order to pass. To expedite the process, last year a clause was added to the Constitution to allow a unanimous vote of the Senate to bypass the student body’s approval. This was the process used in this situation.

In this case, ASWC Vice President and Chairman of Student Affairs senior Roman Goerss was the sole voter against the measure. He rejected the measure on constitutional grounds.

The general debate among the Senate had two basic sides. Some Senators felt that to deny seniors a vote would disenfranchise members of the graduating class, who arguably have a stake in the composition of ASWC after they leave. Others felt that because seniors won’t be represented by the new administration, it would be inappropriate for them to vote. 

Senior ASWC Senator Carole Wilson believes seniors should be able to vote.

“It has been the standard of Whitman for the past five years, at least, and it is an important part of EC elections,” said Wilson. “We do not e-mail potential first-years and give them a chance to vote for the candidates. Therefore, only three fourths of the student body for next year is eligible [to vote] and I think this is highly problematic. Seniors have a vested interest in ASWC’s continued success and provide an institutional knowledge that is essential.”

Goerss, on the other hand, believes that the measure is unconstitutional because it violates the original intent of the ASWC Constitution.

“There is a special clause in the Constitution that lets the Senate change it unanimously as long as the change doesn’t contradict the intent of the existing Constitution. The proposed amendment clearly does so, as the Constitution states ‘members of ASWC who are not graduating in the current semester will be eligible to vote’,” said Goerss.

To Goerss, the ASWC Constitution is inviolable, regardless of anyone’s personal preferences.

“Even if I had voted yes, the amendment would have been unconstitutional, and I don’t believe the Senate should or can violate the Constitution which the student body ratified, no matter how much we might all want to,” Goerss said.

Junior Senator Ellie Klein said that ASWC Senate will avoid such ambiguous situations in coming years.

“I believe that [the Senate] will look more closely and regularly at our Constitution in the future to ensure that this type of untimely confusion does not happen,” said Klein.

Under the current system, the ASWC Programming Committee and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) work independently of each other to host events for students. A few other small organizations also plan campus events independently, including Coffeehouse, the Arts and Crafts Series and Stevens Gallery. 

ASWC Senators listen to proposed changes to campus programming at the April 5 Senate meeting. Credit: Norman.

The plan for next year is to merge and incorporate all of these organizations into one body, collectively called the Programming Board, which will centralize the planning and coordination of activities on campus. This new body will be headed by a Program Board Chair, along with a Marketing Manager, a Co-Sponsorship Manager and individual directors for: Cinema Arts, Special Events, Creative Arts, Musical Entertainment, Cultural Events and Lectures. The body will also include a General Board of Volunteers.

There are multiple reasons for the changes. Among them are anticipated budget cuts and the departure of Andrea Ramirez, the current Director of Student Activities, a position that will not be filled next year. With less money and fewer staff members, the decision to combine various programming bodies was made in order to distribute responsibilities more efficiently and cut back on overall cost.  

Staying at Whitman into next year will be Leann White, the Assistant Director of Student Activities. White is optimistic about the changes. 

“I’m certain that we’ll be able to make it work,” said White. “I have no concerns, I just want to make sure that whoever’s in the chair position is really capable and confident, and has enough programming experience to lead this organization. I think this group can do so much more, and can do higher quality programming, because they’ll be communicating with each other about everything that’s going on.”

According to White, the new structure of programming bureaucracy will be more in line with what other colleges and universities use. Especially at a school as small as Whitman, it may be more effective to do away with multiple programming bodies.

“Most colleges and universities have boards like this. Having two different programming bodies is a fairly unusual way to do it, especially for a school as small as Whitman,” White said. “Realistically, you don’t need separate bodies doing programming if you have less than a couple thousand students.” 

During their meeting on Sunday, April 5, the ASWC Senate voted for the new Programming Board Chair position to be an elected one that the student body will decide. Originally, Ramirez and White proposed that the position be determined by a nominations process that students would apply for and then be appointed to.  

The creation of a new programming body puts junior Mimi Cook and first-year Stephen Stradley in a unique position. Both campaigned to become the new ASWC Programming Committee chair, but that position will no longer exist. Although the school-wide election for this position was held on Monday, April 6, the results were not announced. 

Cook has accepted the uncertainty of her situation. 

“I have known throughout my campaign that the chair position in the new structure would be a harder, more demanding job,” said Cook.  “ASWC Senate decided to make this an equal chance opportunity by voiding the Monday election and holding a special election. While this provides more competition for Stephen and I, I support this decision because it opens the
race up to people who would like to run for the new Programming Board Chair, and I
believe any student should have that chance.”

Petitions for the Programming Board Chair are due Monday, April 13. The election for this position will take place on Wednesday, April 15 along with the Senate elections.
 Also affected by these changes is sophomore Coffeehouse manager Matt Coleman. He believes the restructuring is a positive change, and will try to secure a spot in the new programming administration.

“I think it is great that we will have a dedicated board that will be responsible for the programming on campus instead of many different groups all trying to have events at the same time and predict what Whitman students want,” said Coleman. “Since my position will not exist next year, I am applying to become the Musical Entertainment Director because I think it has so much more potential than Coffeehouse ever did.”

Positions for the Programming Board are by application, due on Monday, April 20.

For more information, visit www.whitman.edu/content/student-activities/pb or contact Ramirez (ramireae) or White (whitele).

Executive Council Candidate Platforms
Spring 2009 Elections

President:

Will Canine:

ASWC is for three things:

1. Protecting your rights as a college student.
2. Providing awesome programming for students.
3. 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 General  Studies Committee and the President’s Council on Diversity, I’ve  advocated for students at the highest levels of Whitman’s  administration. Through these painful budget cuts and into next year,  I’m ready to dedicate myself to ensuring ASWC not only continues to  provide services, but also increases its power to protect students.

Larsen Close:

Novelty

BAM Mendiola:

Friends:

Please join me in continuing what President Obama has begun by electing one of the very FIRST openly gay, Latino, first generation, working class presidents in Whitman College history!  My dedication as a former ASWC senator and president of two diversity clubs has prepared me for the honor of serving as your ASWC president.

As president, I will create dialogue about diversity that actively promotes the inclusion of every student at Whitman.  We all have valuably diverse experiences and perspectives that are important for the symbiosis of our community.  Please join me in making history.

Thank You,

BAM Mendiola

Nadim Damluji:

My years of experience on ASWC allow me to recognize the problems  that face students, and give me the skills to institutionally solve  these problems.  As Programming Chair, Finance Senator, and Board of  Trustees’ student representative, I have continuously advocated for  student interests. As president I will continue to address  unforeseeable challenges with sound judgment. I promise to:

• Make ASWC more autonomous in the face of Administrative cutbacks
• Establish communication between Fraternities, Sororities, and Clubs  to obtain a diversity of perspectives on key issues
• Participate in discussions with Faculty and Staff  to make students’  interests clear

Sincerely,

Nadim Damluji

Student Afffairs Chair:

Jordan Clark:

Hello there!  My name is Jordan Clark and I am running for Student Affairs Chair.  I’ve been involved with ASWC for three years as Chair of the ASWC Oversight Committee and as a junior senator on the ASWC Student Affairs Committee.

Here are a few policies I will pursue if elected:

• Fighting back against the administration’s disproportionate cuts to student activities
• Reforming Whitman’s archaic credit system
• Increasing campus safety by working with the administration and campus security
• Opening up a dialogue between Greek leadership and ASWC to identify common problems
• Soliciting student input through tabling, advertised meetings, and surveys

Marcus Koontz:

Ben Franklin once said, “the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others.” I invoke Franklin’s sentiment; my ideas about how to change ASWC are no better than yours.  We must doubt the idea of perfection in the ASWC Government and strive instead to improve it. To improve the government I will create an online forum where current and future policies are discussed and students contribute ideas and concerns. This should be a student driven government, with your help we can make it more so.

Ryan Lum:

The budget cuts that came from the president’s office are one of the biggest issues that affect all Whitman students. Clearly the economy is doing poorly, and student services will have to be cut. However, the way that the president’s office did so was unacceptable. They did so in secret without conferring with any students/student representation at all.    This lack of transparency from the president’s office is not unique to this year alone. Having served ASWC as a Student Affairs senator and Executive Council member, I know I have the capacity to change this paradigm.

Read more @: http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?picture&eid=68785682027&created&new&m=1#/event.php?eid=68785682027

Finance Chair:

Matt Dittrich:

My name’s Matt Dittrich, and I want to serve you.  I’m not talking about bringing you food, or engaging in a competitive dance-off with you, I’m talking about working nonstop to ensure that your ASWC dollars are spent wisely and that your quality of life exceeds standards previously set forth.  Since September, I have enjoyed the privilege of serving in the Senate.  Now, I’m asking for the privilege to serve you as Finance Chair.  Considering these trying economic times, some school programs will get cut; as Finance Chair, I promise to offset these adversities to the best of my ability.

Kiet Vo:

Hello,

I would like to humbly submit my application for the office of   AWSC  Finance Chair.  I have had extensive leadership  experience  as the  Budget Chair and co-President of the BSU,  the Sigma Chi  Philanthropy  Chair, and IFC Community Relations  Chair. Among the  few goals I aim  to accomplish are:

• Provide adequate funding for clubs
• Take into account preferences of the student body in deciding the allocation of finances
• Maintain responsible student finance while considering our current economic situation and the additional financial strain on students
• Strengthen channels of communication between ASWC Finance and the student body

Best,

Kiet

Programming Chair:

Mimi Cook:

As Programming Chair, I will promote greater student involvement in programming.  I will sustain open communication with students and groups so we can support the events you love and bring artists that appeal to your interests.

In light of the challenges facing Student Programming over the next year, I will search for new and positive ways to approach programming, including an increased focus on collaboration.

Ultimately, you have the power to control programming, and we are here to be your hands and feet.  Get involved!  Planning events is a fun and rewarding experience. 

I look forward to working with you.

Stephen Stradley:

Creativity. Enthusiasm. Inclusion. These traits of mine are more important than ever as budget cuts affect how ProgCom will affect the Whitman community. Programming at Whitman is in budget trouble and the changes that we need to make are not obvious, but I will work through every possible option and maintain high quality programming while striving to better reflect the community’s interests in our events. As a senator on ProgCom, I have gained the vital experience and an understanding of how ProgCom works and how we can make it better. I encourage you to contact me with your questions.

Nominations Chair:

Missy Navarro:

Coming into my fourth and final year here at Whitman, I look back on what I’ve done so far and how much more I can do to live it up with all of you. I can personally say that ASWC has given me those opportunities, as I served as a club rep, a junior class senator and as a Nominations Committee member. This committee provides everyone with a chance to have a hand in ASWC, which I can personally vouch for. I’d like to develop during my senior year as the Nominations Chair hoping to re-energize ASWC.

The onslaught of campaign posters plastered around campus and the creation of electoral Facebook groups signals only one thing: ASWC elections.

Over the course of the next two weeks, Whitman students’ electoral decisions will determine the makeup of the student government for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Elections for the Executive Council (EC) are scheduled for this upcoming Monday, April 6. Senate elections will follow on Wednesday, April 15.

Comprised of both elected and appointed officers, the EC positions up for election include the President, Chair of Student Affairs, Finance Chair, Programming Chair and Nominations Chair.

There are 12 students running for the five EC positions this year. According to current ASWC members, this is an increase from previous years.

“Executive Council elections in the past have been pretty non-competitive… which isn’t good if you don’t have a strong candidate,” said ASWC Communications Director senior Rand Biersdorff.

Last year, three of the five EC positions were filled by candidates who ran unopposed. In comparison, the only position with a lone candidate this year is the Nominations Chair, after another candidate decided not to run.

A candidate running unopposed is not guaranteed of a win, however. It is possible for write-in candidates to gain office. Last year, a senior senator was elected through this process.

EC elections use an instant runoff voting (IRV) system. This preferential system of voting uses ranked ballots to stimulate a traditional runoff in a single round of voting.

According to ASWC bylaws, “The votes are counted only by tabulating the first choice, and then if no candidate has a majority of first-preference votes, the least popular candidate is eliminated and each vote which has been awarded to him or her is then transferred to the voters’ next-choice candidate.” This process continues until one EC candidate receives the necessary majority (over 50%) for election.

Current Oversight Chair, junior Kendra Vandree, describes the system as being the most logical.

“This allows so that the general opinion of constituents is represented, even if it doesn’t result in the candidate with the highest number of first preferences,” Vandree said of the system.

Senate elections are conducted in a similar, although not identical, manner. If a senate candidate does not initially receive the majority of the vote, then the other rankings are taken into consideration for just the four highest candidates. 

The elections are conducted through an online electronic polling system. Students will receive an email inviting them to participate in the election. Students may vote from their personal computers or from a campus computer. Voting stations will also be set up in Reid Campus Center. 

The online poll will be open from 12:01 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 6.

In light of the economic turmoil the college is currently facing, next year’s Executive Council has a tough road ahead. They will face many challenges and will be called upon to make many important decisions that will have a significant impact on student life.

“[I’m] here not just 8-5 but on the weekends and in the evenings as well,” said Ramirez. 

Due to the number of programs put on by ASWC and clubs that required her assistance Ramirez worked every weekend.

VOICES
“The move to not fill the position shows an extreme lack of foresight
from the administration. Sure this is a tough economy and everyone
has to make cuts, but the role Andrea (and George her predecessor)
plays on this campus is invaluable to students…I am not exaggerating
in saying that I frankly don’t know what the future of this campus will
look like without her, or without anyone else in her role.”
–Nadim Damluji, ‘10, ASWC Senator
“Needless to say things will be changing in Student Activities. I
understand that the college will not be filling this position however,
I feel that they are lessening opportunities to students by reducing their
support in leadership positions as well as decreasing the effectiveness
of student programming.”
–Kali Stoehr, ‘10, CAB Chair

“Andrea has been a guiding light to this organization for some time,” said ASWC Vice President and Chairman of Student Affairs Roman Goerss.

Ramirez, who has filled the Director of Student Activities role for the past year, will not return next semester due to personal reasons.  

The Whitman administration, feeling pressure to reduce operating costs, has chosen to postpone the start of the search to fill the director position.  The postponement of this search was not included in President George Bridges Feb. 19 letter to the community which cited that the College would be reducing staff levels by five full time equivalencies.

“It would be a substantial blow to student life on campus on a very basic level for that position to go away,” Goerss said.

The decision to postpone the search was made by the College’s budget officers.  According to ASWC Finance Chair David Changa-Moon none of ASWC’s Executive Council members were consulted in the decision, despite the significant impact the position loss is expected to have on student activities and the operations of ASWC.

“There will be less that students can do and less that the students activities office can do,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Leann White.

Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland, one of the College’s budget officers, met with the Executive Council on Monday, Mar. 2 to discuss the search’s postponement.  During the meeting he emphasized that many decisions regarding how the position’s duties will be fulfilled have not been made.  

Cleveland and the associate deans have started meeting weekly on Thursdays to discuss how to manage the budget cuts, including the Director of Student Activities role.  Their first meeting was last week.

“The first meeting was all over the map,” Cleveland said. “It was the first time that the reality [of the budget cuts] had really hit.”  

Another meeting was held this morning, Mar. 5.  Cleveland hoped that it would be more productive than the first.

“I have to get buy in from my staff to do things differently,” said Cleveland regarding his hope that his personnel can come together to work across boundaries and offices to accomplish the necessary duties, such as providing extra assistance to the student activities office. 

The director position fulfills a variety of duties from sitting in on ASWC meetings, meeting with Executive Council members, ensuring clubs have a clear directive and that they are following policy, contracting almost every band, speaker or entertainer that is brought to campus, and helping ASWC to oversee its two full time employees.

 “I’m worried about the absence that this [not filling the Director of Student Activities position] is going to have on students.  I’m actively worried about what the student activities office only being staffed by one person is going to do to ASWC,” said ASWC President Elliot Okantey.

Rachel Stein, ASWC Programming Chair anticipated the effect a reduction in staff would have, saying, “Even if our [ASWC] budget stays the same, if our support staff decreases, then we can’t put on the events without someone to help us through the process.”

David Changa-Moon, ASWC Finance Chair believes that if the position is not filled, ASWC may only be able to host three or four events next year because of the time associated with planning and contracting visitors.

“I’m a little disappointed, I think this a pretty critical position on our campus, and it also facilitates the flow of around $200,000 of services that is provided to student through programs and events,” said Changa-Moon.

“I don’t know how they [the budget officers] weighed the decisions that they made, but I feel as though maybe they didn’t have a full understanding of all the services the director provides, and how many of ASWC’s resources that she helps facilitate to get to students,” he said.

Changa-Moon summed up the Executive Councils sentiments, saying, “The EC is very anxious and nervous about what the future of student services is going to be.  There is also a sense of disappointment, but more of a sense of anxiety about what are we going to do next and how are we going to cover our bases.”

To read the article concerning this topic click here.

Roman Goerss, ‘09, leads Wednesday’s Town Hall on the Emergency Development Fund.

Members of the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) and club representatives convened at Wednesday’s Town Hall meeting to discuss ASWC’s proposed Emergency Development Fund.

Spearheaded by Finance Chair junior David Changa-Moon, ASWC proposes to reallocate $166,000 from its approximately $300,000 endowment in order to establish a fund for students who find themselves in emergency situations and are in need of financial assistance.

As it stands, emergency financial assistance is provided by Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland’s office. However, as a result of forthcoming budget cuts, his office will no longer have sufficient money in its annual budget to guarantee financial assistance to students who find themselves in an emergency situation.

Examples of past assistance provided by Cleveland’s office include financing a student’s airfare so he could return home for his father’s funeral and purchasing glasses for a student who was otherwise unable to do so.

“Many students can handle these experiences, but Chuck Cleveland finds that about the bottom third of financial aid recipients have a great deal of difficulty meeting their emergency needs,” said ASWC Vice President and Chairman of Student Affairs senior Roman Goerss.

According to Goerss, Cleveland’s office spends approximately $10,000 a year in emergency assistance.

The administration has pledged to contribute $44,000 to this fund, for a grand total of $210,000, a figure that is projected to accrue an annual interest of $10,000.

“On average, [the fund’s] interest alone will be able to pay for student emergencies every year,” said Goerss.

Although the college’s money for emergency financial assistance would no longer come from Cleveland’s office, it would continue to be under his discretion.

Despite its good intentions, the Emergency Development Fund remains a fairly controversial proposal.

As ASWC has never before been in possession of such a substantial endowment, there are no bylaws stipulating how this money should be used.

Furthermore, given that ASWC is financed through student fees, current ASWC bylaws forbid the college from giving its money to any entity other than students. These laws also stipulate that ASWC money must be equally accessible to every student.

“The issue [this fund] would create is twofold,” said Goerss. “Number one, we’d be stepping away from that precedent. And number two, we would be taking money that was collected over the years from all students and setting it up so it would be available for specifically some students who were in particular financial circumstances,” said Goerss.

It is important to note, however, that student fees from the past few years are not a part of the endowment money.

Although the majority of club representatives in attendance agreed that the Emergency Development Fund was a worthwhile use of ASWC’s endowment, they grappled with questions of oversight, confidentiality, possible misuse of the fund by the administration, what would define an emergency, and who would qualify for assistance.

Despite being unable to come up with concrete answers to such questions, the majority of students in attendance agreed that ASWC should have some type of oversight of the fund and the ASWC Executive Council and Senate should continue pursing the creation of such a fund.

“I’m very intrigued by this,” said Campus Climate Challenge representative sophomore Liesl Olson. “I think it’s a good idea, but I do think that ASWC needs to have some oversight of the fund because otherwise it may be viewed as ASWC writing a blank check to the administration. But as long as you have that oversight I think it will set a precedent as to what exactly constitutes a student emergency. I’ll also be interested in how ASWC will decide who qualifies for assistance.”

Members of ASWC’s Executive Council along with ASWC Senators will further discuss the student feedback from the Town Hall meeting at the upcoming Senate Meeting on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 pm in Reid GO2. According to Goerss, the Emergency Development Fund will most likely be voted on at the April 5 Senate meeting. All Senate meetings are open to the public.

ASWC welcomes any student input regarding the fund. Questions and comments should be directed to Roman Goerrs at goerssre@whitman.edu.

The money in the savings fund is recovered from groups’ unused funds each year. 

Technically, ASWC has had a surplus for several years; it is allowed to tap into its savings fund when it matures at around $20,000. Due to the lack of a unified will regarding how the money should be spent, it has remained in the savings fund. 

This year, ASWC is choosing to use some of its money to form the Student Development Fund, meant to help finance student-driven projects. Many students have already applied for funding and a few projects have been accepted.

“A couple of students are going to El Salvador to observe their elections,” said ASWC President, senior Elliot Okantey. “We also gave a grant to the cycling team to afford to go to nationals. The money is being spent on things that students like to do and things that we’d like to help students do but that we normally don’t have the money to fund.”

According to Okantey, the fund has been extremely useful with the recession taking such a big toll on the college’s ability to fund student projects.

“It’s coming in handy now that the Dean of Students and the President’s offices do not have the sort of surpluses that they used to fund projects like these out of,” said Okantey. “We’re happy to be able to do that for them.”

The fund is temporarily offered and student access will end sometime this spring. ASWC is choosing to offer the student development fund for only one semester as there is no procedure detailing how to carry over the funds to the next year. 

 “We want to fund things that are happening now and we tend to distribute all that money this year because things get tricky when we try to carry things over,” said Okantey. “We don’t have any by-law or protocol that would frame how we would use it if this money carried on to the next fiscal year.”

 ASWC is also looking to form an emergency fund that would be used to help students who are struggling financially due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the death of a parent. Usually, such situations are handled by the Dean of Students’ Office but the economic downturn has made that unfeasible. 

“The economic downturn is making it such that every department is being told to curb spending, so there’s no surplus money to speak of,” said Okantey. “This made us realize that we would hate for a student’s Whitman experience to be diminished by his own personal discomfort at not being to attend to a death in the family or something like that. So we’re working on ways to set up an endowed fund that would every year produce a certain amount of money that students with need, meeting certain economic requirements, can access.”

Students looking to learn more about either fund can go to the ASWC Web site.

When the slopes beckon and skis sit abandoned in a corner, Bluewood Ski Resort is an excellent place to be, and the new Whitman ski bus is the perfect way to get there.

This winter, the Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) are sponsoring a ski bus to Bluewood, the first time such a service has been offered.  The ski bus now runs every Saturday until Feb 28.

“Last year I would always see fellow Whitman students up at Bluewood on the weekends, and I would often hear about epic powder days when I couldn’t make it up to the mountain,” said sophomore ASWC senator Carson Burns.  “This year, as ASWC senators, Mike Scigliano and I thought we could provide a great service to Whitman students by creating an ASWC-funded Ski Bus.

The service is made possible by the ASWC Student Development fund, which is set in place specifically for student initiatives.

The bus has space for only 12 students, and spots are filling up quickly. Students can sign up for a space in the Outdoor Program rental shop. There is a waitlist option, so even if all students do not show up, the bus will still be taken full advantage of by those on the waitlist.

“We would love to make the ski bus available for more students. It’s all about balancing supply and demand really, so if more and more students continue to sign up, then ASWC would love to fund more buses to go up to Bluewood. This is our first time trying it, so we are essentially feeling it out as we go,” said Burns.

“This is a great service being offered by ASWC to Whitties, and I hope it gets taken advantage of to the fullest extent, meaning people will actually show up when they sign up,” said Lish Riley, OP rental shop manager.

“This is a great way to get Whitties out on the slopes and save fuel by carpooling. I know I wouldn’t be going skiing this weekend if it weren’t for the bus even though I have my own car,” said sophomore Anastasia Andreas.

Getting the wheels on the bus to go…

The bus traveling up to Bluewood for the first time last weekend had difficulties starting, but Whitman students were still optimistic about the experience.

“The bus wouldn’t start, so we got stuck at Bluewood, and then Dayton, for a long time. That sucked. I had to buy a deck of cards and bad coffee to pass the time, the bus is still a good idea,” said sophomore Bridger Root.

“Last weekend the bus broke down up at Bluewood, so the Physical Plant had to send another bus to pick up the stranded Whitties. But hey, how can we plan for that?

Despite that inconvenience and any unforeseeable disasters in the future, I’d like to say the ski bus should continue to be a success,” said Burns.

What is Winterim? Winterim is a series of activities the first weekend of Spring Semester. These events are offered either free or at a nominal cost and are first come first serve.

The activities which you can sign up for include: SE Asian Cooking, Making Blankets for Community Service, Cross Country Skiing, Self Defense Workshop … and many other activities! Questions? Email Rachel Stein at steinrm@whitman.edu

The Savings Fund is officially available to student-initiated projects. This $40,000 award is open to all students and organizations and intends to foster myriad forms of student initiative that will positively impact Whitman College and the surrounding community.

Some examples of possible projects include endeavors that promote environmental sustainability, environmental and social justice, personal development, or art.

Due dates for project proposals over $2,000 are December 5, January 30, February 17, and March 30. Project proposals under $2,000 are accepted on a rolling basis.

For an application, please email aswc_finance@whitman.edu. Please submit all completed applications to inbox outside of ASWC office (Reid 210) or electronically to aswc_finance@whitman.edu.

A Town Hall was held Monday evening on the topic of Core. Students suggested remedies for Core, which in its current form lacks faculty support. The meeting was attended by over 40 students and moderated by Student Affairs Vice President Roman Goerss. Will Canine will bring students’ grievances and suggestions to the Core Curriculum Committee, which he sits on.

The Senate met last Sunday. Business included final adoption of revised by-laws and a report on recent activity in the Board of Trustees. By-laws will be on web site shortly.

IMPORTANT: The Finance Committee has recently finalized criteria for the Savings Fund. This $40,000 award is open to all students and organizations and intended to foster student initiative in its myriad of forms that positively impact the environment of Whitman College and the surrounding community.  Project proposals will be evaluated by the following criteria:
1) Feasibility of project (timeline, costs, human investment)
2) History of group
3) Scope/Impact of Project
4) Legacy of Project (Long-term Impact)
5) Effects beyond campus
6) Civic Engagement and Responsibility
7) Spending is within the bylaws

Some examples of possible projects include endeavors that promote environmental sustainability, environmental and social justice, personal development, or art in any of its various manifestations. Email aswc_finance@whitman.edu for more information. Publicity efforts are under way.

“It is important for the campus as a whole to be aware,” said Cleveland in the e-mail alert released to the student body on Tuesday.  Students should travel in groups at night or call campus security for an escort, he said, and report any suspicious persons.

CAMPUS THEFTS

Items most frequently targeted in the recent outbreak of thefts are blackberrys, cell phones, and laptops.  Students should immediately report missing possessions to campus security or the police.

“I want to encourage all Whitman community members to lock all doors when leaving an unattended room or office,” Cleveland wrote.  “Please do not leave valuable items laying in vulnerable locations.”

IHC Resident Director Patrick Herman echoed these sentiments in a warning sent out Wednesday evening to residents of the interest houses, in the immediate wake of a theft at the Writing House that resulted in the loss of a resident’s laptop.

“Security and the Walla Walla Police have been actively investigating these thefts, and apprehended one suspect in the Ankeny incident,” he said, referring to the assault .   “But we all need to be aware, keep our eyes open and our valuables safe.”

Beginning Wednesday, the IHC has instituted a system of 24-hour lockdown on all houses to combat the security threat.

According to the Walla Walla police officer that responded to the theft at the Writing House on Wednesday, the campus has seen a definite upsurge in criminal activity in recent weeks, particularly thefts at student residents.  The officer emphasized keeping all entrances locked at all times and the porch lights on, as intruders are likely to target a house more than once if their first attempt is successful.

The Writing House is not the first IHC residence in which items have been reported stolen since the start of the school year. Thefts occurred at the Community Service House in October.  A warning was also issued to the Whitman community after a student living in a rented house on Merriam Street encountered an intruder on Friday, Nov. 7.

When asked if campus security was equipped to handle this increase in crime, Bryant Stringham, part time Whitman security officer and patrolman for the city of Walla Walla insisted that the best way to reduce risk to people and property is for students to take logical precautions.

“The knee-jerk reaction is to say ‘Oh, security needs to beef up,’ but that won’t do any good if people won’t take responsibility for themselves and their belongings,” he said.

INTRUDERS IN JEWETT

Campus security and the Residence Life staff of Jewett Hall responded to an incident involving two intruders on Saturday that culminated in one arrest.  The intruders, whom witnesses described as high school age Caucasian males, were intercepted in the Jewett lounge by senior Mike Minckler, the Resident Assistant of 2-West.

“I received complaints in my section that some strange, random guys were in the lounge,” Minckler said.  “I asked them if they lived in Jewett and they replied, ‘yeah, we do.’  I said I didn’t think so, and asked them to leave.”

Minckler said he called security when the two continued to behave suspiciously as he escorted them from the building.  A security officer, as well as Jewett Resident Director Jon Lundak, had already appeared on the scene in response to multiple residents’ claims that they recognized the two intruders as the same young men involved in the Halloween thefts in Lyman.  Security stopped the suspects on Ankeny, near Olin Hall.

“Jon and myself decided to go check up with security, because we realized this situation deserved a lot of attention,” Minckler said.  “As myself, Jon, and a Lyman resident were headed over to check the situation out, the two young men started running eastbound on Ankeny back towards Jewett.”

Lundak and Minckler then decided to assist security by intercepting the fleeing suspects as they ran, which enabled the security officer to tackle and contain one of the young men.  Minckler pursued the other through the construction site and across Ankeny, however the suspect was quite fast.

“He must have had quite a bit of adrenaline rushing in him,” Minckler said.

Police responded to the call and apprehended the remaining suspect, who was identified as a student at De Sales High School with possible gang affiliations.

ASSAULT ON ANKENY

When sophomore Johnny Zimmerman first spotted two figures approaching him on Ankeny Field around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, he assumed they were fellow Whitman students coming back from a party.  Zimmerman had been visiting friends in North Hall and was returning to his room in Douglas Hall when he encountered the two men, one who was later described in Cleveland’s campus alert as Caucasian, 5”10 and stocky, the other Latino and slightly shorter, with a leaner build.

Zimmerman said the Caucasian figure, who initially approached Zimmerman asking him if he’d seen his dog, “smelled like alcohol and weed.”

“I would definitely say he was under the influence,” Zimmerman said.

The man continued to pursue Zimmerman across the field, demanding to know if he was carrying a weapon and then asking if Zimmerman wanted to fight him.

“It kind of came as a shock,” said Zimmerman of the incident.  “Especially on Ankeny.  That’s why I didn’t even try to avoid them when I was walking past them on the field.  Because I didn’t even think about there being a problem here.”

As Zimmerman continued moving in the direction of Jewett Hall, hoping to encounter fellow students and an open door, his pursuers threatened him and insisted that he stop walking away.  However, Zimmerman said the would-be muggers lost interest as he drew closer to Jewett and then met up with a group of Whitman students.  He called campus security on his cell phone at about 1:30 a.m. from behind Jewett to notify them of the situation.

Meanwhile, first-year Sam Alden was accosted by the same two men as he made his way from Lyman to the Library, at about 1:45 a.m.

After posing the same odd question about a lost dog, one of the men “continued walking past the point where it was obvious he should have stopped,” said Alden.

The men proceeded to assault Alden after he attempted to run for the library.  Although one of the attackers reached for Alden’s wallet, he threw it down again after discovering that it contained no cash.

When security arrived on Ankeny, responding to the call made by Zimmerman, the two attackers fled, leaving the injured Alden on the ground.

“I yelled at the security officers, ‘hey, I just got mugged!’ and they said ‘we know’ and came over,” said Alden.  “It was a police officer and one of the security guys.  They asked me questions about how they were dressed and what had happened, and they took my information.”

Although Alden was advised to seek help from the health center or counseling center if he saw fit, security did not escort Alden home after the incident occurred.  Zimmerman, too, noted that the security officer on the phone did not offer to escort him home.

“We have no way of knowing if they [students] want an escort,” said Stringham, when asked why the offer was not extended after the assault.  “If he [Alden] didn’t get one it’s because he didn’t ask for one.”

Senior Roman Goerss, ASWC Vice President and Chairman of Student Affairs, spoke to Alden about security’s response, and later presented concerns to Associate Dean of Students Barbara Maxwell.

He expressed appreciation the college cares about its students, and that such discussions of concerns and suggested changes can be made.

Goerss’ suggested improvements for campus include ensuring that the blue emergency phones on campus function properly and that the warning e-mail system addresses incidents promptly, even if they occur on weekends.

“It’s at a point where we need this community to do something,” Goerss said.

The next Senate meeting is this Sunday in RCC G02 at 7:00 p.m. All students are welcome to attend.

Come to the RCC Ballroom tonight (Thursday) at 7:00 p.m. to watch comedian Eliot Chang perform. Co-hosted by Asian Cultural Awareness and ASWC Programming.

“We’re trying to let people know that we exist,” David Changa-Moon, ASWC Finance Committee Chair, said.

“We have resources on campus that we want to make available to the students and we also want to give them more information about the student government… and what services it can provide for them.”

Letting students know that they can voice their opinion regarding ASWC’s allocation of funds is the first of several steps the ASWC Finance Committee is taking to bridge an apparent communications gap between the student body and its representative government.

“This was the first step, we just wanted to get information out there,” Changa-Moon said. “Every week before our meetings we send out an e-mail to the student listserv that states the agenda items that we will be discussing at that meeting so that people can look at them, peruse them, and say ‘O.K., this might be something that I’m interested in,’”

Until recently, however, few students have attended the Finance Committee meetings.

“Typically, there is not a whole lot of [student] involvement,” Changa-Moon said. “I know there are two students who [attend meetings] and have said that they are interested. Since the fliers came out it looks like there may be a couple more spots of interest and maybe when the tabletoppers go out there may be even more interest.”

Interest may also grow as a result of the topics that will be covered by the Finance Committee in the next several months. There is a proposal on the ASWC Senate floor which suggests that the $44,299 ASWC Savings Fund be “split in two,” according to a memorandum issued by the Finance Committee.

A small portion of that money ($4,299) will be “transferred to the Travel and Student Development fund” in
order “to further fund this active and diminishing source of money for students,” according to the memorandum.

The remaining $40,000, as suggested by the Committee, should “be treated as a general fund for student initiatives,” according to the memorandum.

“If the fund was to be created, I’m partial to having open meetings,” Changa-Moon said. “We’d consider proposals. Any student at large that wants to come can listen in and weigh in, if they want. We will most likely hold special sessions of the Finance Committee, depending on the volume of requests we receive from
students that want to sit in [on the meetings].”

Changa-Moon says that nearly every aspect of ASWC finances is talked about at Committee meetings and nearly all are open to the public. The only closed session of the Finance Committee will be when it “goes through budgeting in April,” which is when it “reviews every single request from the 70-plus line items that it has,” said Changa-Moon.

The ASWC Finance Committee meets every Thursday at 4 p.m. in room 110 or 207 of the Reid Campus Center and e-mails concerning the Committee can be sent to aswc_finance@whitman.edu.

The Senate also discussed the criteria used for approving student requests of the nascent “Savings Fund.” The ASWC Finance Committee will be holding a forum on the matter TODAY, Nov. 6 during their weekly Thursday meeting, 4:00 p.m. in RCC 207. All students are welcome to attend.

APPLY FOR SWEET, PAID POSITIONS ON CAMPUS!
Applications are now available for Public Speakers Director, Public Events Director, Films Director (term: academic year ’09-’10) and Pioneer Editor-in-Chief (term: Spring ’09-Fall’09).  Applications are available online at: http://www.whitman.edu/content/aswc/committees/nominations/applications. Look out for emails with more information. Applications are due THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13th at MIDNIGHT. Please direct questions to Nominations Chair Julia Nelson at nelsonjm@whitman.edu.

Under the current By-laws, recognized ASWC clubs have been able to serve alcohol at campus-wide events provided that the club members paid for the alcohol out of their own pockets, not with ASWC funds.

In contrast to what is currently stated in Article II, Section Four of the ASWC By-laws, which specify that “ASWC monies shall not be used to purchase alcohol or elicit drugs,” the By-law in question could expressly prohibit clubs from serving any alcohol at campus-wide events.  Clubs found to have violated the By-law would lose ASWC funding for that event and would run the risk of having their ASWC recognition revoked.

“No language for the By-law had been generated and the Finance Committee has only discussed the merits of having such a By-law in place,” Finance Chair junior David Changa-Moon wrote in an e-mail.

Changa-Moon reiterates that no action has been taken yet. According to ASWC officials, a greater enforcement of alcohol policy for clubs could come as a result of alcohol-related student misconduct at recent ASWC-sponsored events. Officials cite ASWC Advisor Andrea Ramirez, who also serves as Director of Student Activities, as the impetus for initiating the discussion about revamping the current alcohol policy.

“She said that this is something that we need to do for liability reasons,” said sophomore Club Clerk Ryan Lum. “Andrea Ramirez started the discussion [about the By-law] with the finance and student affairs committees this fall.”

Changa-Moon supported Lum’s statement that liability was the motivating factor in reviewing alcohol policy.  He added that in reviewing existing By-laws, Ramirez’s concern was also to “ensure that ASWC is taking all measures to endorse safe and responsible behavior.”

“Wherever there is alcohol, liability issues follow,” ASWC President senior Elliott Okantey said. “No longer is it enough to know that ASWC money is not being used to purchase alcohol – now we need to know whether an event put on by a club that [ASWC] supports is serving alcohol.”

However, Ramirez disagreed there would be definite greater enforcement of alcohol policies and claimed that this year’s policies would be merely a continuation of that of previous years.  She did not directly comment when specifically asked about her role in instigating discussion and re-evaluation of the current By-laws.

“Any changes to any of the ASWC By-laws will come from an ASWC committee,” said Ramirez in an e-mail.

Some ASWC members, who wish to remain anonymous because of their positions, have questioned Ramirez’s role in the drafting of the By-law. They cite a possible departure from the usual By-law process as cause for their concern.

Traditionally a By-law is suggested by an ASWC Senator to the Student Affairs and Student Policy Committees. If approved, it is introduced to the Senate floor and is then voted on by the Senate and members of the Executive Council, and either passes or fails.

In this case, however, senators say Ramirez suggested and introduced the By-law herself instead of through an ASWC Senator.

When asked if ASWC officials felt pressure from their advisor to consider revamping the current alcohol policy, Lum affirmed that he did feel pressure.

Another ASWC insider did not criticize Ramirez’s actions, but did say her role as both ASWC Advisor and Director of Student Activities was interesting.

Clubs receive ASWC funding as well as resources from the Student Activities Office. The fact that ASWC and the Activities Office both have different policies, underscores the complexity of the relationship between Ramirez and ASWC.

Ramirez directed requests for further comment on this matter to ASWC officials.

The By-law will be discussed at the upcoming Finance Committee and Student Affairs Committee meetings. These meetings are open to the public, and Changa-Moon invites anyone interested in learning more about the By-law to attend. It will also be discussed at the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 12 p.m. in Reid 240.

If approved by the Student Affairs and Policy Committees, the Senate and Executive Committee will vote on the proposed By-law on Nov. 2.

Lum is confident that the By-law, will in some form, be passed.

“I’m pretty sure that this is going to pass. It might not pass entirely in its original form, but the overall idea behind it will be accepted,” Lum said.