Editor-in-Chief: Rachel Alexander
Rachel is a senior, technically majoring in politics-environmental studies, but secretly majoring in journalism (no one’s told her that Whitman doesn’t actually have a journalism department). Prior to her Editor-in-Chief-ship, she has worked for The Pioneer as a news writer, opinion columnist and news editor, and holds the current record for most articles published in the paper (106) and longest distance biked for an interview (8 miles). In her free time, she blogs, freelances, writes for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and does research/journalism about the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration issues.
Emily is a sophomore from the San Francisco Bay Area. She began tentatively exploring her interest in student journalism during her senior year of high school, but didn’t actually dive in until joining the staff of The Pioneer last fall as a news writer. A years’ worth of articles later, she still enjoys (almost) every minute of the job and hopes to continue to improve both her own skills and the paper in her capacity as editor.
Karah is currently a junior German major from Yuba City, California, a small town that looks nothing like the California you see in the movies. Her likes include grammar, studying languages, libraries, candy canes, maps and good coffee. With the exception of a hiatus in Freiburg, she has been working for the Pioneer in some news-related capacity since she came to Whitman in 2010. If she has ever said hello to you even though you’ve never seen her before, don’t worry. The job just requires that she spend a decent amount of time on People Search.
Aleida Fernandez is a sophomore history major. She loves World War I and the Russian Revolution and enjoys dropping interesting (to her) tidbits about them in random conversation. She hopes to one day become a jack-of-all-trades, master of none which, is why she came to Whitman. Aleida is interested in working in the magazine business and hopes to one day travel the world for her job.
Opinion Editor: Alex Brott
Alex Brott is a senior politics-environmental studies major, hailing from Santa Rosa, California. He joined The Pioneer in the spring of 2010 as a columnist. After a semester abroad in Ecuador studying ecology and conservation he returned to the Pio to start his work as Opinion Editor. On campus, Alex has also been involved in ASWC, music, the outdoor program, Greek life, and men’s club volleyball. In his copious spare time he tries to get outdoors as much as possible, make music, and bake bread.
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, junior Tristan Gavin comes from a long line of his relatives. The English major took a break from the glamorous life of a collegiate baseball player to try his strong, yet surprisingly soft hands at journalism in the fall of 2012. Gavin writes for Sports and the Backpage, was promoted to Sports Editor after the disappearance of Pamela London, and “doesn’t” know “anything” about the “bulky mass” in the “bottom” of “Lakum Duckum”. In addition to his passion for writing, the charming albeit shy Gemini enjoys the middle seats of planes, fancy things and magnets. Gavin was voted “best smile” by his graduating high school class, plays Soprano ukulele, and is currently single.
Adam is a senior environmental humanities/rhetoric and media studies double-major from Santa Cruz, California. He started working for The Pioneer as a puzzle contributor his sophomore year, creating a crossword puzzle on a (mostly) weekly basis for the backpage. He discovered that this was really difficult, and eventually took up work regular humor writer and became the Humor Editor the following semester. After a semester abroad in New Zealand, Adam is back at The Pioneer with new zeal as the Feature Editor. Adam also likes playing the ukulele, and eating food.
Kyle is a sophomore coming all the way from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He started working on The Pioneer his freshman year as the Opinion Editor, and then moved to columnist. This year he yucks it up on the backpage as the humor editor. His favorite comedian is the late Bill Hicks, and his favorite comedies range from The Big Lebowski to the Monty Python works.
Photography and Videography Editor: Marie von Hafften
Marie began working for The Pioneer as a first-year, and is excited to join the editorial staff after four semesters as a photographer. During the spring of 2012, Marie trained with professional journalists in Rabat, Morocco, and dreams of working as a foreign correspondent. She is passionate about feminism and LGBTQ issues. Marie is an anthropology major from Anchorage, Alaska.
Illustration Editor: Julie Peterson
Julie is a sophomore politics-environmental studies major with plans to minor in Studio Art. When she is not in the Pio Office, you can probably bet that she is on Youtube, searching for videos to share with people in the Pio Office. If this isn’t the case, she is probably trying to master the Gangnam Style dance somewhere else, to show to people in the Pio Office. And if that isn’t the case either, she is probably drinking hot chocolate and thinking warm fuzzy thoughts about the Pio Office. While a zealous advocate for all things squirrelly, she is still mildly afraid of a surprise-squirrel-attack on Ankeny, but that doesn’t stop her from sketching caricatures of the furry critters to hang up in the Pio Office.
Shelly is a junior politics major from Salt Lake City, Utah. She began working on the Pio as a news reporter and has since held positions as news editor, copy editor, and an off-campus blogger. She is excited to return to the Pio as a part of the web team since being away from Whitman for a semester, studying abroad in northern India. When not obsessively replying to Pio-related emails and hunting down sources, Shelly enjoys baking, reading, going for long runs, and (of course) catching up on the news.
Web Editor: Blair Hanley Frank
Blair is a senior English major from Walnut Creek, California. In addition to his work for the Pio, he also contributes to PCWorld, Macworld and TechHive. In his spare time, you can find him playing Magic: The Gathering on Friday nights at Book and Game, or trawling the internet for his next big story. He blogs at blairhanleyfrank.com, and you can find him on Twitter @belril.
Before deciding on Whitman, Ben was sure he wanted to major in Computer Science, but now you’ll find him in the Philosophy department. His passion is for game design, and he’s created several small games in Flash—his area of expertise—but he’s also interested in web and graphic design, animation, and coding in general. It’s his job to manage (and improve) the technical side of our fabulous website.
Chief Copy Editor: Marisa Ikert
A stickler for grammar from a very young age, Marisa is pleased to be rounding up the copy editing team this year. Marisa hails from Portland, Oregon, but spends her summers in the San Juan Islands, teaching French and journalism to kids at Canoe Island French Camp. At Whitman, Marisa lives in La Maison Française (along with fellow Pio editors Alex Hagen and Allison Work!), and participates in Chorale and Story Time along with the Pio. On the academic side of things, you can usually find her in Olin, analyzing literature in French or English. When she’s not busy looking up AP style rules or using People Search to verify the correct spelling of your name, Marisa enjoys reading novels, writing letters, climbing rocks, planning surprises, and eating ice cream on top of just about everything.
Production Manager: Sean McNulty
Sean is a junior religion major hailing from the golden hills of San Luis Obispo, California. When he isn’t up to his elbows in an InDesign layout, Sean enjoys reading long-form nonfiction, listening to drone metal, and eating over-stuffed sandwiches. His preferred Werner Herzog film is Grizzly Man and his fondest-remembered Latin American city is Cuzco.
Advertising Manger: Hannah Bauer
Hannah is a senior English major from Salem, Oregon who is passionately in love with Whitman and has come to adore Walla Walla’s rustic charm. While her work for The Pioneer stays corralled in the Advertising Department, she enjoys writing and editing for fun and profit. She tries to embody the Ad Man of the Mad Men era. She appreciates a good Brie.
Business Manager: Vincent Peterson
Vincent is a BBMB (that’s biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology) major in his last year at Whitman College. He has had a strong interest in economics since high school and is pursuing a minor in the subject. He is from a small farm town in south-central Wisconsin where his family raises a small flock of chickens and sheep.
Production Associates: Callan Carow, Maddi Coons, Molly Johanson, Madison Munn, Annie Robison
Copy Editors: Chloe Kaplan, Matthew Nelson, Katie Steen
Sarah Cornett, Lachlan Johnson, Keenan Hilton, Daniel Kim, Maegan Nelson, Dylan Tull
Clara Bartlett, Emma Dahl, Nathan Fisher, Mallory Martin, Quin Nelson, Matt Raymond
Sam Chapman, Blair Hanley Frank, Gladys Gitau, Sayda Morales, Natalie, Tamburello, Spencer Wharton
Cole Anderson, Peter Clark, Sarah Debs, Kyle Howe
Hannah Aguirre-Clayshulte, Serena Runyan, Emily Williams
Toby Alden, Elena Aragon, Tristan Gavin, Evelyn Levine, Tabor Martinsen, Matt Raymond
Cynthia Chang, Riley Foreman, Tristan Gavin, Lindsay Holdren, Matt Raymond, Dylan Snyder
cade beck, Catie Bergman, Faith Bernstein, Devika Doowa, Brendan Johnson, Skye Vander Laan, Halley McCormick, Marlena Sloss
Emily Jones, Luke Hampton, Asa Mease, Marlee Raible, Tyler Schuh, Eduardo Vazquez
Circulation Associate: Tom Glass
Advertising Associates: Helen Brooks, Evie Vermeer
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