Student concerns about event safety at Whitman have escalated amid two unrecorded but publicized gun-related incidents and a third recorded incident of “aiming or discharging fire” at fraternities and off-campus houses on E Isaacs St. In this climate of unease, some students are questioning whether the culture of fear that currently defines the party scene at Whitman has reached unwarranted levels and what can be done to create safer, more welcoming gatherings.
While Whitman-affiliated events have received complaints and criticisms of quality this school year that are certainly up for debate, there is no doubt that serious breaches of safety have occurred at several of them. Most recently, a loud popping noise at a Feb. 15 Club Noir Valentine’s Day-themed party at Troy House sent attendees into chaotic panic, intensifying students’ fears of violence.
The Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) is still investigating the noise. According to Administrative Sergeant Nick Loudermilk, officers talked with witnesses in the area and inspected the area for shell casings on the night of the party.
“…they [officers] were not able to substantiate that actual shots were fired,” Loudermilk said.
Besides gunshots, fireworks are a common culprit of loud noises. Loudermilk also mentioned car backfires and falling objects as possibilities.
Students who attended the Feb. 15 party have their own accounts of how it unfolded. First-year Olivia Mercado, who was at the party before the noise sounded, described a chaotic atmosphere.
“…I was getting a really terrible vibe. So when the music went out the last time, I was like, ‘You know, let’s go, this is really bad.’ And then we were maybe a block away, and that’s when the gunshot happened. People started running out of the house pretty quickly, and it went from chaotic to super chaotic,” Mercado said.
First-year Saul Cervantes Chavarin also witnessed the aftermath of the incident.
“Everyone started running in every direction. There were cars passing by, but people still crossed just to get away. I was kind of present at the party during the incident, but I was just leaving — I was around 100 feet away. Then, I heard the shot and just stood there watching to see what it was because I wasn’t sure if it was a gun or not. It wasn’t that loud. And then once we … saw people running in every direction, we started to run back to Jewett,” Cervantes Chavarin said.
Mercado and Cervantes Chavarin both expressed discomfort about attending Club Noir parties in the future.
“I definitely will not be going back to any Club Noir event unless they really step it up and publicly admit some fault there. I still feel pretty good about going to other parties, and I’ve never felt any danger there,” Mercado said.
Cervantes Chavarin also noted concerns about the availability of Club Noir events to non-Whitman attendees.
“I’d rather just stay away from Club Noir Parties. They say that they’re not Whitman-based, but they clearly want Whitman students since they don’t charge Whitman students … they only charge townies, and they don’t ID people. I’ve seen people in high school show up. I think incidents like this should be handled better. Club Noir didn’t really release a statement — they just kind of hoped people wouldn’t talk about it,” Cervantes Chavarin said.
According to their email to The Wire, Club Noir leaders were “inside playing music” and therefore unable to comment on the source of the noise. They declined to comment further on party safety concerns.
While the incident occurred at a private property rented by students, others have occurred near fraternity houses on the same street. Most notably, shots were fired on Oct. 6, 2024 at Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), sparking fears among Whitman students about Sorority and Fraternity Life (SFL) security.
Loudermilk explained that, though the WWPD quickly dispatched to TKE, they were unable to immediately apprehend any suspects.
“While [officers] were en route, they got information about a possible shooter vehicle description,” Loudermilk said.
One officer came across a vehicle that matched said description and attempted to follow it, but the effort ended up in vain.
“They [the driver] ditched it [the car], and so they didn’t find anybody at night,” Loudermilk said.
The WWPD is still investigating the case. Fraternity presidents have not responded to The Wire for comment at the time of publication.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Stace Sievert, the Associate Director of Student Activities: Sorority & Fraternity Life (SFL) and Student Leadership, was in close contact with SFL members.
“It [the shooting] was discussed in a fall 2024 meeting for all sorority/fraternity Presidents and mentioned in a spring 2025 meeting with many newly elected sorority/fraternity Presidents… In fall 2024, all fraternity Chapter Presidents and the IFC [Interfraternity Council] President and I had a meeting with Whitman Security. Topics addressed included what happened, reactions, resources, policies, strategies and support,” Sievert said.
Sievert lamented the shooting.
“My immediate reaction was surprised alarm and worry. I care deeply about our students and our community. I’m simultaneously shocked [and] disappointed that this is something our community has had to reckon with and also relieved [and] grateful that it all didn’t turn out so much worse,” Sievert said.
SFL took immediate action to improve event safety after the shooting.
“The first week of the spring 2025 semester, a track in the SFL Officer Summit (with two members from most Chapters present) included Stop The Bleed Certification presented by the Whitman First Responders, a review of policies, including firearms policies from Whitman Security, and de[-]escalation strategies presented by WWPD. This training was designed to support SFL student leaders working to make any event they’re at safer, not only parties or other social events hosted by sororities/fraternities,” Sievert said.
For future parties and other SFL events at Whitman, Sievert recommended several safety guidelines.
“Keeping your whits [sic] about you and being mindful of campus policies can help. All students, affiliated or unaffiliated, who are attending SFL parties should collaborate with event hosts to immediately contact Whitman Security or WWPD if firearms or other dangerous weapons are present,” Sievert said.
While he stressed the importance of public safety awareness, Loudermilk ultimately encouraged students not to let the shooting stop them from attending and enjoying future gatherings.
“…it’s always good to be prepared and be vigilant and do things to keep yourself safe, but as far as being fearful that… [at] any party there’s going to be violence… I would tell a student confidently that they can go to a party and they shouldn’t have to be hypervigilant or on edge worried that something is going to happen at any minute,” Loudermilk said.
Event safety remains a top priority for both attendees and organizers. While institutions like SFL have taken the initiative to implement new training and security measures, the incidents at TKE and with Club Noir have left a lasting impact on the larger Whitman community. With differing opinions on safety risks and fears of violence and event accessibility, the future of party culture at Whitman remains uncertain, but what is clear is that students are demanding accountability and change.
