Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: November 2003

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

One week ago, 600+ parents joined their students for a day of perfect weather, superb Parents' Weekend classes, victories in all three home sports, and a fabulous theatrical production. Today it's cold, the students are asleep or gone for fall break, and I'm staring at a nasty "to do" list that I have to plow through before catching a plane to Los Angeles , which, tragically, seems to be burning up. What a difference a week makes. I do want to thank you parents for visiting your students over Parents' Weekend. They love it and we work hard to make it a good experience. For example, it was just about this time last week that we ran out of the coffee mugs we had for you; so Assistant Dean of Students Dayna Coleman, after raiding the bookstore's cup inventory, started harvesting "pre-owned" mugs from her colleagues' offices. Please be assured that she washed the mugs before giving them to you, and as far as I know, Dayna's co-workers have pretty well rid themselves of all infectious diseases. So if you haven't developed leprosy-like symptoms by now, I wouldn't worry about your mug. Parents' Weekend always reminds me of the partnership that forms to help students succeed. Parents train, we educate, and friends help fund. All of this comes behind hard-working students who leave Whitworth and make the world a better place. Thanks for your faithful friendship.

Academics

If Shakespeare had seen director Diana Trotter's rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, he would have written African drumming and dance into the original. After seeing a local troupe perform stunningly high-energy drum and dance routines, Diana decided to try blending their music and dance into what many believe is Shakespeare's best comedy. So she created an African forest as the setting for the play's star-crossed lovers. And to the cast's delight (and ours), Diana enticed the local performers into teaching our student-actors the dances and joining them to accompany the performance. What a great show! The choreography, the set, the costumes, grand performances by the students (I can't start naming members of the cast without including everyone, so I'll resist the temptation) -- everything came together perfectly. Well, almost everything. As a person of journalistic honor, I must confess I groaned at the tortured gyrations of athletics-director-turned-thespian Scott McQuilkin, dancing in an Athenian tunic. He did, however, deliver his scowling lines scowlingly.

We've had some very interesting guests on campus this fall.

• International entrepreneur David Bussau, who's been described as the grandfather of the micro-enterprise-development movement, gave two talks on Christian micro-enterprise development. Bussau, who got his start in the food and construction industries, is the founder of Opportunity International, a development organization that has created more than a million jobs for impoverished people in developing countries. In 2000, Bussau was named to the list of "Australia's 10 Most Creative Minds" by Bulletin magazine and was awarded The Order of Australia.
• Anna Schowengerdt, '93, was in Spokane to receive our Alumni Service Award. She is with Catholic Relief Services in Baghdad, Iraq, where she leads a program that encourages citizens to participate in the new government and seeks to foster cooperation and reconciliation among community members. I found her lecture amazing in its content and insight, sobering in what she reported about the Iraqis' desperate conditions and attitude toward the U.S., and inspiring in her optimism and hope.
• Peter Hunner,'76, brought us his artistry and insights with a public lecture, and he also met with our art students. Peter and his wife, Maibritt Jonsson, have worked on the Danish island of Bornholm in their hot-glass studio, Baltic Sea Glass, for the past 22 years.
• Liberian poet Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, professor of English and creative writing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, gave a public reading from her work. She's the author of Before the Palm Could Bloom: Poems of Africa, a collection of poems that address the death and destruction caused by Liberia's civil war.
• Robert Schrire, professor of political science at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa, gave a public lecture on changes in that country since the end of apartheid, in 1994. He also spoke in numerous classes and worked individually with students on their research projects.
• Nationally known Spokane artist Harold Balazs lectured on his exhibit in Koehler Art Gallery. Two weeks later he installed a grand sculpture, which we commissioned him to create, in the library plaza. We're very lucky to enjoy Harold's affection for our art department and we're thrilled to have his wonderful sculpture grace our campus.

Our string of great visitors continues in a couple of weeks when highly acclaimed artist Ben Moss, '59, will take time from his duties as the George Frederick Jewett Professor of Studio Art at Dartmouth College to give a talk and slide presentation in the chapel on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. The title of his talk will be Begging to be Blessed. Ben will be meeting with art students on Nov. 19 for an informal critique, and he'll be visiting classes both days. We're very proud to claim this incredibly accomplished artist as an alum, and it will be great to welcome him back.

Student Life

October was a good month. While the weather was still nice, the intramural Ultimate Frisbee teams brought vitality and dead grass to The Loop, where students also watched Pirates of the Caribbean on an outside screen. We are now gearing up for inside activities, such as the Jars of Clay/Caedmon's Call concert next week. This event is sold out and promises to be an incredible show. One highlight that I missed last week was a program hosted by Sheburra Moore, '06, called Diversity at Whitworth. I've heard that students were very honest in their comments and experiences, and it was eye-opening for many students to understand others' points of view. At the conclusion, one student summed up the experience by saying, "Whitworth has done its job in bringing us all here together. Now it's our job to make this work." It's our job, too. Jesus was a champion for a long list of people and groups that society, and even his disciples, wanted to exclude. If Whitworth dares to call itself Christian, we'd better have long, open and welcoming arms.

Resources

I just saw our 2002-2003 Annual Report, which sports a great new look and condensed format for presenting our financials, donor listings and other institutional highlights from the past year. The report is available online at www.whitworth.edu/annualreport.

Weyerhaeuser Hall has a lid on it. Fully assembled sections of the roof structure were lifted into place by crane last week. Now the push is on to close things up so that interior construction can continue uninterrupted throughout the winter months. The window openings have now been framed, so the spacious views of The Loop and of the rolling hills to the north make us all want to move our offices there. At our last board meeting, the great trustees of Whitworth pledged funds to complete our interior furnishing needs. It was an act of deep generosity. Thank you so much, trustees. We were just about at the coupon-cutting stage. We still have parking-lot dollars to find, but the building is nearly paid for. If you would like to view monthly construction updates and photos, check out our website at www.whitworth.edu/WeyerhaeuserHall.

Athletics

(The following info is from Sports Information Director Steve Flegel, who often bails me out when I'm traveling.)

Football enters the final third of the season with a 3-4 record. But the Pirates have a chance to finish well and build momentum for next season. Senior WR Dwayne Tawney has set a new Whitworth career record for receiving yards, breaking the old mark of 2,793 set by All-American Wayne Ralph from 1983-86. And senior RB Billy Condon continues to extend his records for career carries (754) and career touchdowns (31).

Volleyball is 9-15 overall and has experienced some growing pains. Freshman OH Angie Florence leads the team in kills this season (3.1 per game). Junior Katy Schrader has been solid in the middle, leading the team in blocks. Sophomore setter Bekah Hornor has established herself as one of the most dangerous setters in the league, and this month she pulled off a rare triple-double, finishing in double figures in kills, assists and digs.

Women's soccer has been ranked #23 in the nation for three consecutive weeks. The Pirates are 12-4 and still have a chance to qualify for the NCAA playoffs with a strong finish. Freshman Jael Hagerott has taken the NWC by storm, ranking second in the conference in total points (31) with 11 goals and nine assists. Senior Heather Carlson is concluding an outstanding career on a high note, also ranking among the NWC leaders in assists. Sophomore Jenn Miller has been solid in goal, posting eight shutouts this season.

Men's soccer is 10-5 and sits third in the NWC (7-4). Sophomore forward Jonathan Carlson ranks among the NWC leaders in goals scored, with seven. Senior Kurt Kagawa and freshman Ali Seyedali rank high in assists with six. If not for heartbreaking losses at home to league-leading Linfield (2-1) and UPS (1-0 in overtime), the Whitworth men would be right in the thick of the NWC championship chase.

Cross-country enters the championship portion of the season with a great chance to do well. The NCAA West Regional Championships, which determine who advances to nationals, take place Nov. 15. Last season the Pirate women finished a close second to Willamette at the conference meet, but won the regionals and went to nationals. This year only one women's team from the West Region will qualify for nationals, while three men's bids are up for grabs. Senior Leslie Nelson and sophomore Kristi Dickey are running very well for the women, while freshman Michael Chuol and sophomore Doug Blackburn lead the men.

Whitworth's golf teams played well in their first fall competitions. The men won the NWC North Invitational, which the Bucs hosted at Spokane Country Club. The women finished third at the October event. At the NWC Men's Fall Classic, the Whitworth men finished third against the full conference lineup. Joe Finley led the way with a sixth-place individual finish. The women finished seventh at the NWC Women's Fall Classic, led by sophomore Sarah Shogren, who finished 16th.

Alumni

We'll have a series of alumni receptions connected to basketball games this year:

• Dec. 5, fieldhouse: free admission (sponsored by the Crimson Club) for all alumni at the first home men's game of the season, against Montana Tech, at 8 p.m.
• Dec. 20, Honolulu: reception after the men's 1 p.m. game against Mt. Saint Joseph, at Chaminade University.
• Jan. 3, Pasadena: reception after the men's 7 p.m. game against UC Santa Cruz, at Cal Tech Invitational (I'll be at this one).
• Jan. 10, fieldhouse: annual Alumni Night. Free admission for alumni/families as the men and women take on Willamette at 6 and 8 p.m. Ice cream social following the second game.
• Jan. 17, Tacoma: reception between the women's (6 p.m.) and men's (8 p.m.) games at UPS.
• Feb. 6, Portland: between-game reception (after the women's 6 p.m. contest) at Lewis and Clark.

Miscellaneous

I hope you can attend one of this year's Christmas Festival concerts. This year's concerts, titled God's Grace Is Forever, will be conducted by our new choral director, Mark Hafso, and will take place on 12/6 at 8 p.m. and 12/7 at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Seattle, and on Friday, 12/12, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, 12/13, at 3 p.m. & 7 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church in Spokane. The Whitworth Choir, chamber singers, and Trouvères will perform, with the assistance of brass, wind, and percussion ensembles. The concert features readings and music that includes works by Beethoven, Hafso, Mathias, Brotons, and Öhrwall, as well as traditional carols. Tickets ($12) may be available at the door, but they go fast, so please order in advance. For Seattle concerts, call 800-532-4668. In Spokane, call 467-9397 or 325-SEAT, or go online at www.ticketswest.com.

The Whitworth Wind Symphony will present its fall concert Sunday, Nov. 23, at 4 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. The program will include classics by Berlioz, Grainger, Persichetti and Sousa, as well as new works for wind ensemble by Frank Ticheli, Eric Whitacre and Philip Sparke. Admission is free, and a free-will offering will be taken to help support the ensemble's upcoming tour to Hawaii.

Upcoming theatrical productions include Fish Don't Float, presented by Harris Smith, Nov. 15, 2 and 8 p.m., Stage II, free; Reader's Theatre presents Last Train to Nibroc, Nov. 17, 8 p.m., HUB Game Room, free; Agnes of God, presented by Christie DuBois, Anne Hitt, and Ariana Mondragon, Nov. 22-23, 7 p.m., Stage II, Admission $1; Cootie Shots, presented by troupeWhitworth!, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Stage II, $1.

Closing Thoughts

I'm in Seat 7C pointed north. It was a good weekend in L.A. I stayed in the Robinson Room at Chuck and Karlyn Boppells', saw great alumni, friends and trustees at a President's Club dinner, preached a couple of times, stayed up way too late with a dear friend, and just sloshed down my 44th cup of coffee. It was heartbreaking to see the fire-related devastation. Somehow the people at Westminster Presbyterian in Westlake Village were joyous in spite of it all, but you know it's rough when the pastor's "prayers for the people" include insurance companies. Generally, I get home from a trip like this and dread the next time I have to board a plane. Not so this week. I can't wait for next Sunday, when I leave on what would be, for any other reason, a brutal five-day trip that includes over 50 hours of travel time. But I'm going to Buenos Aires to see our college-sophomore daughter, and that will turn the worst of travel into a delight. When I'm not consumed with the sheer joy of being with Bailley, I will be reminded of the sacred trust we hold in educating young men and women, most of whom have parents who feel much the way I am feeling right now. Two weeks ago I found tucked away in an old Bible a letter from my late father to his four children. I'm sure I hadn't seen the letter for at least 15 years. Toward the end of it he wrote, "You kids are the most precious thing I've ever laid my hands on." I hear ya, Dad. Your hand is still on me.