While most students were attending Thomas Ricks' lecture last Thursday, another aesthetically rich presentation took place in Olin 130 by Dr. Hector Williams of the University of British Columbia. The lecture, entitled “Goddesses, Whores, Vampyres & Archaeologists: Digging Up Mytilene (Lesbos)," was full of an array of facts about Lesbos, ranging from its culture to its history to various accumulated artifacts. Agriculturally, Williams described Lesbos as “very green" with multiple fisheries and a large crop of olive oil. Williams also pointed to several important figures of the island including Sappho, the creator of personal love poetry in Western culture. With examples such as Sappho, Williams enunciated the complexity of Greek culture, which also was economically booming due to globalization. But the most eye-raising component in Williams lecture was the presence of vampires, or revenants, on the island. “In the Balkans, vampires were a general fact of life and a general nuisance to have to deal with," said Williams.

Which Hawaiian athlete won the decathlon in the 2001 Olympics? Knowing the answer (Brian Clay) was enough to win junior David Changa-Moon an authentic Hawaiian prize at the 15th annual luau. “I've gone to the luau every year and I think it is a wonderful event. I love the dancing and the music, the flowers are always really nice, and I really like the people," Changa-Moon said. The luau, hosted by the campus Hui Aloha club, took place on Sat. April 4 at 5:30 p.m. Each guest paid $5 for Hawaiian pork, chicken, tofu, desserts and vegetable skewers, plus music and dance performances and a chance to win Hawaiian souvenirs during trivia.

When Schwa was first formed, according to senior music major Blake Saunders, things started off a bit rough. Now the ensemble is one of the most popular musical groups on campus. The group creates a “dynamic sound" and is dubbed the “premier co-ed a capella group" at Whitman College, said Saunders. With their broad range of sound, Schwa is able to create a capella music based on songs from nearly every musical genre. Songs range from country to pop, rock to R&B and even to electronica sounds such as Daft Punk's “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." “We have a different sound than [Testostertones and Sirens of Swank] because we have both men and women. It's harder to make the sounds blend together, but it gives us a larger musical diversity," said Saunders. While multiple co-ed a capella groups have started and ended in Whitman's musical history, Schwa has lasted nearly five years. The group meets three days a week to work on new music and polishing their old songs, and they have a lot of fun. “I joined Schwa my freshman year," said senior Megan Duffy. “I knew I wanted to be in an a capella group and I chose Schwa because when they performed you could tell everyone was having an absolute blast." “Although I did a lot of group singing in high school, I like the a capella setting much more," said first-year Kyle Scott. “Being in a smaller group where each individual is invested […] creates an unparalleled ambiance."