There is something a little odd about the Whitman campus and its participation in the community: While college students often play an integral role in the larger community, making it truly what is known as the “college town,” Whitman and Walla Walla remain fairly distinct. Like the Jets and the Sharks, any encounter between the students of Whitman campus and the young residents of Walla Walla seems almost like a sizing-up for a turf battle. The “Whitties” and the “Townies.”

The Pioneer has launched a small investigation into “townie” perceptions of the Whitman College community, after a Walla Walla resident said that 70 percent of Whitman is gay. The resident—he wishes to remain anonymous—who was overheard making the comment stressed upon confrontation that it was not his own opinion but that of several other residents that he knows. He then explained that it was a bit of an overstatement, since most young people in Walla Walla consider it to be closer to 40 percent and that there are rampant stories among them of Whitman students being sexually-liberated, orgy-participating party animals.

The stereotype of the wild Whittie coincides with that of the easygoing hippie. “They strike me as very artsy, edgy, hippie kind of people,” said a Walla Walla College student. “They’re different, not at all the conservative type.” This was by far the most extensive answer as to how Whitman students are perceived. Locals hanging at a coffee shop downtown had little interest in the question and more than a little disdain for it. One student replied hesitantly, “I don’t really know any actual Whitman students…. They seem just generally laid back, I guess.” This seemed to be the general consensus among the young frequenters of Coffee Perk: a) that Whitties are of another, more free-spirited, hippie alternative breed and b) that nobody actually knew any Whitman students, except for “this one girl who comes in here sometimes…. She seems really nice.”

Whitman and Walla Walla find their synthesis in a few students on campus, among them junior Meghan Carlson. “In my experience, there are two main stereotypes in the community about Whitman students,” said Carlson. “First, the one that seems more prevalent now, is that they are rich urban snobs. The second, which seems just a way to poke fun, is that they are tree-hugging hippies. Walla Walla residents aren’t exactly oblivious to the fact that lots of Whitties look down on Walla Walla, thinking the town has nothing to offer and that the residents are down-home hicks whose main form of entertainment must be yelling form cars on Isaacs Street.”

Carlson said that one of her closest Walla Walla friends, a student at Carleton College, had heard rumors that Whitman students were snobby. Then she met two of them while in Ecuador, who immediately confirmed her suspicions. “I have seen open condescension from Whitman students in their reactions with the community,” said Carlson, “which is why I think there are still stereotypes.”

Whitman students and Walla Walla residents live in a state of disconnect—as usual, the “Whitman bubble” can be identified as a culprit. Students do not integrate themselves into the larger community. As long as this continues to be the case, there will not be much understanding on either part—“Townie” or “Whittie.”