Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Vol. CLIV, Issue 6
Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

As spring temperatures approached 80 degrees, hundred of admitted students and their family members flocked to campus for Admitted Students Day on Saturday, April 18. Credit: Jacobson

Admitted Students get a taste of Whitman life

Josh Goodman April 23, 2009
As spring temperatures approached 80 degrees, hundred of admitted students and their family members flocked to campus for Admitted Students' Day on Saturday, April 18. The annual event, featuring tours, sample classes and information on programs such as study abroad, provided an opportunity for many high school seniors to get a better feel for Whitman. “Getting to meet the faculty was pretty amazing," said Laignee Barron of Ojai, California. “I talked to two of the professors here; they were really approachable."
Senior ASWC President Elliott Okantey leads last Sundays Senate meeting. Items on the agenda included next years ASWC budget and a new fund to suplent the stipends of ASWC officers. Credit: Wheeler

Budget, Stipends top ASWC agenda

Alex Jeffers April 23, 2009
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.

‘Greekend’ strives to unite sororities and fraternities

Cindy Chen April 16, 2009

While other schools dedicate an entire week to their Greek Week, Whitman's greek system will be holding Greek Weekend. The weekend will kick off today, April 16 with a movie on the Phi lawn and end with...

Kappas solicit charity applications for Mr. Whitman

C.J. Wisler April 16, 2009

While most student organizations and clubs are approaching the culmination of their activities for the 2008-09 school year, sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) is beginning to look ahead towards next year....

Juli Dunn, Director of the Academic Resource Center, assisted with the selection of the summer reading. Credit: Hong

Class of 2013 to encounter ‘Last Town on Earth’

Elana Congress April 16, 2009
The incoming class of 2013 will read “The Last Town on Earth," a novel by Thomas Mullen, for their required summer reading. The Last Town on Earth is a fictional novel set in 1918 in a small logging town in Washington state. The residents choose to isolate themselves to avoid contracting an epidemic flu virus sweeping the area. “I think that the themes are really important to what's going on today, both nationally and internationally: when we look at pandemic flu planning, when we think about terrorism. Do we cut ourselves off from the world or do we engage?" said Jed Schwendiman, the associate to the president.
Jaspreet Gill ‘11, will work with history professor Julie Charlip for the second consecutive summer. Credit: Wheeler

Increase in Perry Awards for summer research

Alex Jeffers April 16, 2009
Of the possible ways to spend summer vacation, staying in Walla Walla is a strange choice to some Whitties. Most recipients of the 2009 Louis B. Perry Research Awards, however, will be doing just that. Named for Louis B. Perry, eighth president of Whitman from 1959-1967, the Perry Summer Research Awards are grants of up to $8,000 given to student-faculty research teams at Whitman. This year there are 23 teams, most of them consisting of one student and one Whitman faculty member, although some teams are made up of one faculty member and two students. Compared to previous years, the number of teams for 2009 is a substantial increase. In 2005 only 12 teams conducted research, and that number has risen steadily ever since.
Timothy Kaufman-Osborn, fondly known as ‘TKO by his students and colleagues, has been named Provost and Dean of Faculty. President Bridges notified faculty of his appointment on Monday

‘TKO’ appointed provost

Molly Smith April 16, 2009
On Monday, April 13, President George Bridges announced the appointment of Timothy Kaufman-Osborn to the position of Provost and Dean of Faculty. The announcement, which was made to the faculty via e-mail, comes in response to the upcoming departure of current Provost and Dean of Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga. Bettison-Varga has accepted the position of President at Scripps College. Pending confirmation by the Board of Trustees, Kaufman-Osborn will officially assume the position on July 1. He currently holds the positions of the Baker Ferguson Chair of Politics and Leadership and Chair of the Faculty, and served as Interim Dean of Faculty in the 2006-2007 academic year.
Credit: Johnson

Three-college celebration planned for Earth Day

Gillian Frew April 16, 2009
The United Nations first established Earth Day as an annual celebration during the March equinox. In the 1970s, a U.S. senator chose April 22 as its official date. Leave it to Whitman students to expand the festivities into an entire week of environmental service projects and activities. According to Sustainability Coordinator, senior Karlis Rokpelnis, the increasing scope of the celebration and number of activities scheduled for Earth Week are the primary changes from last year's event. “Earth Day is a long standing tradition at Whitman," Rokpelnis said. “But there is a particular focus this year on cooperation between the campus environmental groups and other organizations."
Director of Financial Aid Services Varga Fox has witnessed an increase in applications. Credit: Wheeler

Financial aid office factors job loss, greater need

A shaky economy and rising tuition costs have students questioning whether they can afford to attend Whitman next year, but officials at the financial aid office say they are committed to helping students...

Imagine Celebration emphasizes diversity, education through music

Maggie Allen April 16, 2009

Performers and clubs will gather to observe diversity next Saturday, Apr. 18 at the annual Imagine Celebration.   Organized by the Intercultural Center, this festivity brings together student organizations,...

Author Satrapi talks comics, movies, cigarettes

Iris Alden April 16, 2009

"Already an hour and a half without a cigarette is painful," Marjane Satrapi said in eager anticipation of the five-minute break she would take after her lecture had finished.   Her love of cigarettes...

Departments introduce major course changes

Chelsea Bissell April 16, 2009

Developing coherent tracks for each major is a delicate process, one that is usually in flux.   This year, the philosophy, economics and English departments have taken steps to alter both their major...

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