Mind & Heart Newsletter: February 2011
An update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor
¡Pura vida! That's Costa Rican for "Life's good!" Amidst other travels in January to California, Texas and Washington, D.C., I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Whitworth's newest campus, just north of San José, Costa Rica. I was thrilled to spend three days with students who were studying there for Jan Term (see Academics, below), and to tour the facilities and surrounding areas. The Costa Rica campus (or "Whitworth South," as director Lindy Scott likes to call it) is Whitworth's latest effort to provide the best international and cross-cultural experiences for our students and faculty. Building on Whitworth's decades-old Central America Studies Program, the Costa Rica Center provides a home base in one of the region's most dynamic economic and cultural centers. I am so proud that Whitworth has taken a bold and innovative step to provide life-changing experiences for students who are studying Spanish and who are interested in issues such as economic development, conservation, social entrepreneurship and political affairs. The students and I had fun sharing some local experiences together and playing games to get to know each other. Special thanks to directors Lindy and Dinorah Scott (both Modern Languages), and staff members Lara Lichten, '10, Kristina Kielbon, '09, and Emily Dufault, '10, for their leadership and service. Life is good at Whitworth South!
Academics
The Costa Rica Center welcomed freshmen admitted with honors (and a "freshman president") for Jan Term. The month was filled with travel, exploration, study of rural communities and small cooperatives, a tour of a coffee plantation, guest lectures from Michael Le Roy, '89 (Academic Affairs), and me, beaches, homestays – all part of the coursework. Joshue Orozco (Philosophy) and Rick Hornor, '70 (Theatre), led the academic course Philosophy of Forgiveness, which culminated in the presentation of dramatic monologues that showcased the "voice of the other."
Spring semester began with the Faculty Scholarship Luncheon. This is a time to recognize the breadth and depth of faculty scholarly work. In the 2009-10 academic year, more than 80 percent of our faculty engaged in some form of academic scholarship, which serves to enrich the faculty's expertise and strengthen the classroom experience for our students. You can find the list of faculty members' good work at www.whitworth.edu/facultyscholarship.
Calculus, a new textbook by Lyle Cochran (Math), has earned a couple of awards (which, curiously, we are not allowed to announce publicly, so trust us that they are impressive). The book is already in use by more than 140 colleges and universities. What sets the book apart is that it is accompanied by an e-book with animated models that illustrate the concepts covered in the book. Lyle humbly texted me, "Unexpected awards, but I'm thrilled, and it's good for Whitworth." It is, indeed, good for Whitworth to have high-quality teachers who are also high-quality scholars.
Whitworth triple major Brayden Hollis, '13, is one of 100 students in the U.S. to receive NASA's Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology Scholarship. The award will provide up to $10,000 of Brayden's college tuition and fees, a paid 10-week summer internship at a NASA field center, and entrée to a professional and academic support system that provides scholars with tutoring, mentoring and access to professional-development activities. Brayden hopes to complete his internship at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories, in California, or at Maryland's Goddard Space Flight Center. To infinity and beyond, Brayden! (Is it obvious that I have a 4-year-old at home?)
Each term, the students in Jack Burns' (Leadership Studies) LS 350 class develop transformational leadership initiatives. This work helps fund sustainable hunger projects with the Christian Veterinary Mission. Last year Jack's students raised $12,620.21 that went to projects in Bolivia, Haiti and Ethiopia. Since 2001, LS 350 has contributed more than $68,600 to CVM. Jack says, "I love how this course helps our students and some special people around the world experience first-hand Whitworth's mission to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity."
Many of our on-campus Jan Term classes featured experiential learning: Duff Bergquist (SGCM) taught Fundamentals of Investing; his students created diversified personal portfolios that took into account their individual risk profiles, time horizons and life goals. • Scott Kolbo (Art) showed students in Time-Based Art how to create animation and video using digital media and then set the young artists loose to shoot their own films, using guerilla-style cinema techniques. • Students in Deanna Ojennus' (Chemistry) Community Chemistry Outreach hosted tables at Garry Middle School's science fair, performing demonstrations in chemical equilibrium and chemistry & light. • In Melissa Rogers' (Psychology) Belief in Weird Things, students examined the veracity of claims like those made by psychics, astrologers and alien abductees. • Nicole Sheets (English) taught Pilgrimage Walking and Writing, during which students explored and wrote about paths on campus, the outdoor gardens and conservatory in Manito Park, a canvas labyrinth at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. • Richard Stevens (Physics) provided students in Physics of Weapons with background on the science and technologies employed in weapons dating from the Stone Age to modern nuclear devices. The course culminated with a series of debates on weapons-related topics. • Diana Trotter's (Theatre) class toured Mirror, Mirror: The Body Image Show, an original Whitworth production that includes stories about individuals' struggles with body image. Students performed 17 times in nine days to more than 2,500 high school & middle school students. • Students in Ginny Whitehouse's (Communication Studies) Article and Feature-Writing class wrote faith profiles for the Lilly Foundation based on their homestays with Hmong-American and Russian-American families during the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend. • Keith Wyma (Philosophy) taught The Vices: Virtue and Evil, in which students examined both the pop-cultural perspectives and the virtue-theoretic analyses of the seven deadly sins. They read a range of selections – from classic literature and philosophy to Rolling Stone magazine to print ads. (In studying popular attitudes toward gluttony, the class visited The Golden Corral for lunch. And lived to tell the story.) Next month I'll be telling you about some exciting internships in which our students are participating.
The Arts
"I am no bird," an exhibit featuring works by Shelly Williams, '05, and Katie Creyts (Art), will run through Feb. 25 at Saranac Art Projects, 25 West Main Street, in Spokane.
Kent Anderson Butler's exhibition "The Embodied Project" will open Feb. 22 and will run through April 8 in the Lied Center's Bryan Oliver Gallery. The opening reception will take place Feb. 22 from 5-6 p.m., and a lecture by the artist will follow at 6. Butler teaches at California's Azusa Pacific University and works in a variety of media including video installations, performance and photography. His art explores themes of pain, pleasure, struggle and redemption within a context of sacred prophecy.
Whitworth Theatre's spring production, Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl, will be directed by Brooke Kiener, '99 (Theatre). Ruhl has reimagined this classic drama about memory, love, and grief, seeing the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice through the eyes of its heroine. The play celebrates the capacity of language to create new worlds while acknowledging the inevitability of loss. Eurydice asks, "How do we choose between turning back and moving on?" Show dates are March 4, 5, 6, 11, 12. Tickets can be purchased online at www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets or through Department Assistant Jennifer Toulouse-Lee, at 509.777.3707.
The Whitworth Choir will tour California during Spring Break, and the Whitworth Symphony Orchestra will head to Hawaii in May. I look forward to meeting some of you after concerts that coincide with Taylor Tour events. Here's the choir's schedule: March 19, 7:30 p.m.: La Cañada Presbyterian Church; March 20, 4 p.m.: Irvine Presbyterian Church; March 23, 7:30 p.m.: CUSD Performing Arts Center – Shaghoian Concert Hall, Fresno; March 25, 7:30 p.m.: Fremont Presbyterian Church, Sacramento; and March 26, 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. The Whitworth Symphony Orchestra schedule is as follows: May 18, 7 p.m., Harris United Methodist Church (Honolulu); May 20, 7 p.m., Waialua United Church of Christ; May 22, 9 a.m. (church service) and 3 p.m. (concert), Kawaiaha'o Church (Honolulu).
Student Life
Jan Term at Whitworth was filled with events and activities. Students saw free movies, enjoyed professional coffeehouse entertainers, played in a dodgeball tourney and cheered on our winning basketball and swim teams. Some highlights of Jan Term were MLK Day, when students met with faculty and Assistant V.P. Larry Burnley to discuss King's "I Have a Dream" speech and had a great conversation about how this speech spurs us on to action today; and the Jan Term ski trip to Big White, British Columbia, for 10 avid skiers. February promises to be equally busy.
Financial Aid
The financial aid office is beginning to review files for 2011-12's new freshmen and transfers. New students who have filed the FAFSA by the March 1 deadline will begin receiving their financial aid awards next month. Continuing students who meet the April 15 priority deadline for submitting the renewal FAFSA (www.fafsa.gov) will receive their awards electronically in May and June. Academic scholarships are automatically renewed.
Alumni & Parents
February is Heritage Month. This year we celebrate the 121st anniversary of our founding with a series of special events and programs, details of which are available at www.whitworth.edu/heritagemonth. An art show, the Gospel Explosion concert, a number of readings and lectures, and the third annual Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival will round out a full program for students and the rest of the Whitworth community.
Whitworth alumni, parents and friends are invited to gather for dessert prior to the March 4 Whitworth Theatre production of Eurydice. Director Brooke Kiener, '99, will introduce you to this reimagining of the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl. The dessert begins at 6:45 p.m. and the play follows at 8 p.m. Reserve your spot at www.whitworth.edu/alumnievents. (See "The Arts" for other show dates and for additional info about the play.)
Members of the classes of 1951 and 1961, as well as all alumni from 1960 and earlier, are invited to join us on campus during Commencement Weekend (May 13-15). The class of 1951 will be honored at a 50-plus reunion luncheon on Saturday, May 14, and the Class of 1961 will enjoy a reunion dinner and program that same evening. If you're coming from out of town, be sure to secure your lodging soon. For available hotels, visit www.whitworth.edu/reunions or contact the alumni office at 509.777.3799 or alumni@whitworth.edu.
It's not too late to register for Taylor Tour events in Denver, Colorado Springs, La Cañada, Irvine, Berkeley and Honolulu. All the details are online at www.whitworth.edu/taylortour. I'd love to meet you (or see you again) at one of these events.
Resources
In December we received a piece of good news from Washington, D.C. Congress renewed the Charitable IRA Rollover, which allows taxpayers age 70½ or older to make distributions directly to Whitworth from their traditional or Roth IRAs. Such gifts can be made without increasing your taxable income or withholding. If you fit into this age bracket, this might be a great way for you to make a gift to The Whitworth Fund. This opportunity is available only for tax years 2010 and 2011. For more information, please contact The Whitworth Foundation at 800.532.4668 or at foundation@whitworth.edu.
February's typically a great month for Hallmark, florists and chocolatiers. I'll admit that a Whitworth Fund gift is not that romantic, but it IS meaningful. So we'd like you to add it to your list, and we remind married alumni couples that showing a little love to Whitworth and making an annual gift counts for double points in participation. No matter when you met, we're glad you share a Whitworth connection.
Sports
Men's basketball is ranked No. 1 in the country! With a record of 21-0 overall and 12-0 in the Northwest Conference, the men have won 36 NWC games in a row, 34 straight in our fieldhouse, and 46 of their last 47. And just last weekend, senior David Riley became the fifth player in Whitworth history to score more than 1,500 career points. No Washington state basketball team has ever been ranked No. 1 nationally, so we're all enjoying the excitement of our guys being atop the NCAA DIII.
The women's basketball team is in the hunt to qualify for the postseason tournament, despite being scary young. The Pirates are 10-11 overall and 6-6 in the NWC, and they came close to pulling off a season sweep of league-leading Lewis & Clark. Sophomore Emily Guthrie is the NWC leader in three-pointers per game.
Whitworth's swimmers are awesome. The Pirate men have won 77 NWC dual meets in a row (IN A ROW) over the last 12 seasons. Junior Rory Buck recently broke his own Whitworth Aquatics Center record in the 100 breaststroke. The women have won 34 NWC duals in a row (amazing!), and junior Jennifer Benson was recently named the NWC Women's Swimmer of the Week.
The indoor track and field season is ON. Graduate student Emmanuel Bofa, '10, has already posted an NCAA Division III automatic qualifying mark in the 800 meters. Sophomore Carter Comito and freshman Sam Wright have posted provisional NCAA qualifying marks in the shot put.
Though both tennis teams opened the 2011 season with losses to EWU, we expect good things from the Pirate netters, led by seniors Rachel Burns and Colin Zalewski.
Closing Thoughts
Many of us have closely watched and prayed for the transformational events occurring in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. Whitworth has several alumni in the area serving the Egyptian people and advancing the cause of Christ. Rev. Ben Robinson, '03, son of President Emeritus Bill Robinson, and Ben's wife, Emily (Hinson, '05), have been serving in ministry and healthcare in Cairo since 2009. We are pleased to report that, to the best of our knowledge, all Whitworthians in the area are safe and accounted for. Ben and Emily were evacuated to Italy just last week after a harrowing experience. I am thankful for Ben and Emily, and for so many others in that troubled part of the world who show Christ's love to so many. Please keep Egypt, Ben and Emily, and many other Kingdom workers in your prayers.
