Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: February 1996
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
Last month I shot off my mouth about our warm weather and caused record-breaking cold in the entire nation. Also, you can forget what I said about our utility bills. I'm pleased to report that the college experienced minimal damage from the arctic temperatures, but we also discovered that our heating capacity is not equal to minus-24-degree temperatures. Everything now appears to be back to normal as we begin the spring semester. Thanks to those of you who sent warm notes of encouragement this month. We send expressions of gratitude to all of you who demonstrate your care for Whitworth College in so many different ways.
Academics
Omitted from last month's list of Jan Term classes was Sociology Professor Raja Tanas's tour to Israel. They had a great trip. Raja was born in Bethlehem and offered a special perspective on the social and political activities in that part of the world.
We received provisional approval from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges to offer a B.A. in Organizational Management using a non-traditional schedule and the cohort model. The program, which is scheduled to begin this fall, is designed for people with two years of prior college experience who are looking for a format that respects the demands of work and family. Although very rigorous, this high-quality program will be ideal for highly motivated adults who are interested in completing the bachelor's degree in a management-related area. Please contact our Continuing Studies Office or our Business Department if you would like more information.
The forensics team is going wild! Whitworth's team is ranked in the top 25 in the country by the National Parliamentary Debate Association (which includes all colleges and universities, regardless of size). Brian Boyle, Ben Cassidy and Rebecca Ricards are winning everything in sight; and Laura Walker won the prestigious William O. Douglas event last weekend at the Western Washington University tournament. Coach Mike Ingram, a national leader in forensics, has done a great job with the program. Go, Bucs!
Good news on the grants front: Susan Power Bratton, Whitworth's Lindaman Chair for Science, Technology and Society, has written a grant resulting in our participation in a global stewardship project with 12 other schools from the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities. The project is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Her second grant, funded by the Washington State Campus Compact program, will enable the development of a service-learning component in three of our existing science courses.
Other recent grants include $25,000 from the Carl M. Hansen Foundation (which has been so generous to Whitworth over the years) for pre-engineering scholarships and the English Reading Endowment; $100,000 from friends of Whitworth and Spokane's Uptown Opera to establish a formal partnership between Uptown Opera and Whitworth College through staffing, internships, workshops, and promotional activities; and $30,000 over the next two years from the Council for the Advancement of Private Higher Education to help support a project addressing faculty roles, faculty rewards and institutional priorities.
Student Life
The month of February is packed, as will be the Fieldhouse for "Pack the Gym Night" this Friday, when the men's basketball team battles Lewis and Clark College of Portland for the NCIC championship. Sumo suits, bungee racing, and human bowling are but a few examples of our commitment to provide serious intellectual exchange for our budding scholars.
Anyone who's ever attended Whitworth's International Banquet knows that our international students put on a great show. This year's banquet will be held March 2 at 5 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. We invite you to come and see your friends, enjoy exciting live entertainment and have a great meal.
Spokane Community College President James Williams spoke on campus as a part of Black History Month. At the invitation of the Black Student Union, he reviewed for us the 100 years of African-American history in education since the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision (1896) sanctioned the separate-but-equal doctrine that was upheld until Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka in 1954.
February 20-27 is Career Week. A number of activities, including a career fair hosted by Spokane businesses, will help students develop their job-acquisition skills.
Admissions & Enrollment
Freshman applications for the fall of '96 have almost caught up to the record number we had received a year ago at this time. With transfer and international students on pace, it looks as though we will be in a good position by the March 1 application deadline.
On Sunday and Monday, April 14 and 15, the Office of Enrollment Services is sponsoring Sneak Preview for high school juniors and their parents. This weekend provides a great opportunity for high school students to get a taste of college classes, campus activities, dorm life and Leavitt cuisine. Registration forms for the limited number of spaces can be obtained by calling our Office of Admissions.
In the next two months our Financial Aid Office will send out more than 1,200 award packages to accepted freshmen. The recipients of these awards will then determine if Whitworth is within their financial reach. In spite of our efforts to hold down tuition and our students' attempts to increase the amount of money they earn and borrow, a significant number of students simply cannot afford to pay for a Whitworth education. This is a very perplexing situation in which we and other independent colleges find ourselves, but it heightens our appreciation for your support. Your generosity enables us to provide financial aid that makes a Whitworth education accessible to a broader range of students.
Finances
We are delighted with your support of this year's Annual Fund. We are well ahead of last year and bucking the trend of declining unrestricted giving to charitable enterprises. Several gifts of appreciated stock lead us to believe that the bull market in equities is helping annual giving. Incidentally, a number of Whitworth friends have used annuity contracts and charitable trusts to avoid taxes and increase the income derived from highly appreciated stocks.
Athletics
Watching this year's men's basketball team is pure joy. The men are currently ranked fifth in the nation, having come off a three-point road victory against Whitman and two overtime victories against Linfield and Willamette. Coach Warren Friedrichs, in his 11th year, needs just one more win this weekend for another NCIC championship. The Bucs (18-4, 10-2) take on second-place Lewis and Clark and fourth-place Pacific Lutheran. Starters Nate Dunham, Roman Wickers, Jeff Arkills, Gabe Jones and Nate Williams have led the team, with excellent support off the bench. This is not a particularly big or tall team, but they are unequaled in hustle and savvy.
The women's basketball team has had a tough year but it is still mathematically possible for them to earn an NCIC playoff spot. They are currently 4-8 in the conference, and need a pair of wins this weekend, plus a bit of bad luck to befall a couple of other teams, to make it into a four-way tie for fourth place. The top four places make the playoffs. Jennifer Tissue and Sherri Northington continue to lead the women's team, with Sherri ranking 12th in the nation in rebounding, averaging 11.2 per game. In her second year, Coach Helen Higgs continues to provide excellent leadership for a young, and pretty inexperienced, club.
Our Nordic ski team has qualified for nationals in its first year. Along with other Western teams from Whitman and the Air Force Academy, the Whitworth team has been invited to the national meet in Mt. Snow, Vermont. Because skiing is a club sport, our task is now to find travel funds. Leading skiers on this year's Alpine team included downhiller Alisun Knowles, who made it to regionals in her event, Tayt Knowles, John Andonian and Mike Stevens.
Great news from our men's and women's swim teams: The men scored a decisive 120-85 victory over Linfield, ending the Wildcats' streak of consecutive dual-meet wins at 39 (they hadn't lost one in the last five years). Jeremiah Pappe led the men, winning the 100- and 200-meter freestyles, Jeff Rice swam his best time this season and won the 100-meter butterfly event, and John Rasmussen, Dan Welch and Jeff Rice came in 1-2-3 in the 100- meter breaststroke. The women also scored an impressive victory at Linfield, 124-79, with Jan Okada, Dorian Reese, Liza Rachetto, Shannon Braun and Carley Bush doing their usual great job of leading the team. The men are tied for first in the conference with Linfield, and the women are in second, right behind PLU, as both teams head into the conference championship meet here at Whitworth February 22-24. I've been able to attend our home meets, and you wouldn't believe the excitement. We hope you can join us for the conference championships.
Miscellaneous
We have received word that former trustee Rev. W. Wilson Rasco died recently. Rev. Rasco, former executive of the Presbyterian Church's Alaska Northwest Synod and Senior Pastor at Millwood Presbyterian, helped found Northwest Harvest. A graduate of Whitworth, Bill was a tireless servant of Christ for many years. He is survived by his wife, Faith, of Mercer Island, Wash.
I was in Washington, D.C., last week attending an annual meeting of independent college and university presidents, a group which reviews public policy and calls on legislators. Highlights of the trip included a great meeting with almost 30 area alumni, a very helpful visit with our Congressional Representative, George Nethercutt, and good presentations from Washington officials, including an hour with President Clinton. For a fleeting moment, my self-esteem skyrocketed when, as I met the President, he addressed me by my name. I immediately returned to earth when I remembered that a nametag the size of Wisconsin was tacked on my chest. It is impossible for me to think about Washington and Olympia without feeling deep concern for state and federal student-aid programs. In spite of our best efforts to hold down expenses and your generous provision of revenue, the cost of educating students for the 21st century is rising. Without external support, we question whether students aiming for lower-paying service careers will be able to afford the debts they will incur at the schools that specialize in preparing students for service Ñ schools like Whitworth. We need to build our endowment and push for supportive public policy if we hope to continue to prepare teachers, ministers and other social servants to do their important work in our world.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the many Northwesterners who have been hit by the recent flooding. Last night, Bonnie and I had a late-night Valentine snack at a restaurant on the banks of the Spokane River. The river, at its highest level in two decades, roared relentlessly, barely clearing the bottom of the footbridge just east of Monroe.
Dates to Remember
- February 20-27 Career Week
- March 2 International Banquet
- March 18-22 Whitworth Spring Break
- March 25 Wind & Jazz Concert
- March 28-31 Theatre Production
- April 7 Easter
- April 13 Luau
- April 25-26 Board of Trustees
- May 5 Bloomsday
- May 7 Jazz Choir Concert
- May 17-19 Commencement Weekend
Closing Thoughts
I think George Whitworth would be feeling pretty good about his college today. Along with the growing recognition we are receiving for academic excellence, many of us sense a stirring of God's spirit among our students. On three separate occasions yesterday I spoke with graduating seniors who referred to the deepening of their faith as one of Whitworth's central effects in their lives. Thanks to all of you for your support of a heart-and-mind education.
