Mind & Heart Newsletter: September 2020

The September 2020 update from Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor

Could 2020 get any harder? That's the question we're asking after wildfire smoke caused us to move classes online just several days into the fall semester. After working so hard to open campus for residential education during the pandemic, no one could have predicted that smoke would be our chief nemesis in September. Of course, we count our blessings that none of the fires is threatening campus, and that our instructors were already prepared to deliver education remotely due to our innovative WhitworthFLEX teaching design. I know many of our Whitworth families have been more directly affected by the fires, and our hearts and prayers continue to be with them. During our move-in activities, student leaders wore shirts that read, "Resilient, Faithful, Whitworth." Those words describe our community well. Students who have experienced very difficult disruptions in their educational journeys this year continue to persevere despite the challenges. Faculty and staff who worked tirelessly all summer to ensure that we were ready to deliver on our educational promises while attending to the public health challenges we face continue to embody Whitworth's mind-and-heart mission. And through it all, we acknowledge that we are not in control, and that we must trust in God for daily provision and protection. It's easy to be consumed with the unwelcome challenges this year has brought, but we don't have to look very hard to see the incredible gifts we share. I'm sure this very strange year will continue to challenge us. I'm also confident that the Whitworth community – resilient and faithful – will rise to the occasion. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!

Academics

Dale Soden (History) was awarded the Robert Gray Medal by the Washington State Historical Society. This is the society's highest honor and recognizes distinguished and long-term contributions to the study and teaching of Pacific Northwest history.

Megan Hershey (Political Science) published her first book, Whose Agency: The Politics and Practice of Kenya's HIV-Prevention NGOs, which has since been reviewed in Foreign Affairs.

Roberta Wilburn (School of Education) was interviewed for a column in The Spokesman-Review titled, "How to be a good ally? Get uncomfortable." She was also a guest panelist in a discussion titled "Conversations About Racism in the American Church" at a Spokane NAACP meeting in July.

The Arts

This fall, the theatre department will present an original online streaming production titled Hindsight, directed by Andy Christensen. Hindsight is an artistic response to the events and experiences of 2020. A virtual performance of song, dance and stories will help us process and shape this moment of our collective experience. Join us Oct. 16-18 and Oct. 23-25 for this unique online event. For details, call 509.777.4374 and follow Whitworth Theatre on Facebook and Instagram.

The art department and the Bryan Oliver Gallery are proud to present the work of five Class of 2020 graduates. An eclectic and engaging selection of works from our newest art and graphic design alumni will be on display. The gallery will be open Monday-Thursday from 1-3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. by appointment only. Please call 509.777.4826 to schedule a visit.

Student Life

The Whitworth Counseling Center has expanded to offer 24/7 mental health access. All students can access assistance anytime by calling 509.777.3259.

The Community Building Day tradition continues, despite COVID-19. On Sept. 23, first-year students will learn about the "Pathways to Public Service" curriculum, developed by Stanford University. Students will identify their preferred way to get involved: direct service, activism, policy and governance, social entrepreneurship, philanthropy, or community-based research. Community partners will speak with students via Zoom about how they have used those pathways to make a difference in Spokane. The program will leave each new student with a plan to get involved in the community, as COVID-19 restrictions allow.

The Dornsife Center for Community Engagement has been awarded $12,000 in funds to support a Student Civic Leader Fellowships program. These funds, made possible by the Washington State Legislature, will support students working in these areas during this academic year: food insecurity, housing insecurity and/or mental health.

Campus ministry's Emmaus Scholars Program has begun its inaugural year after receiving a Council of Independent Colleges NetVUE grant and through the support of the Storm Family Endowment. Emmaus is a one-year intentional Christian community and discipleship program modeled after Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together. Under the leadership of director Derek Taylor '08, the first cohort of 13 diverse students will spend the year living in community, cultivating spiritual practices, studying theology, and living out God's heart for justice through concrete acts of service in the community.

Admissions

We are excited to welcome the sixth largest class of incoming first-year students and largest class of new transfer students in Whitworth's history. These students persevered through a pandemic to realize their dreams of becoming Whitworth Pirates. More than 50 percent of these new students are first-generation college students, come from traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic populations or are international students. They are smart, boasting an average GPA of 3.66 and average SAT of 1163. They come from 23 states and 13 countries. They are ready to make their mark at Whitworth and to be shaped in profound ways by the community they find and form here.

Admissions counselors are hitting Zoom or other online platforms this fall – rather than the road – to recruit the classes of 2025, 2026 and beyond. To read about our fantastic admissions staff and to see where they will be making virtual visits, go to www.whitworth.edu/admissionscounselors. Please encourage students you know to connect with our counselors through virtual visits to their high school or an online college fair.

In-person campus visits will resume this fall with many health protocols recommended by Whitworth's COVID Care Team and the regional health district. To ensure physical distancing, limited spots are available, so we encourage students to sign up soon. We hold our first Why Whitworth Day admissions visit event on Friday, Sept. 18, and have additional visit opportunities almost every week throughout the school year. Unfortunately, we won't be able to host overnight visitors this fall and student visitors are allowed only one parent or guest. However, we still offer a $1,000 scholarship to admitted seniors who attend one of our visit programs and enroll next fall. For more information and to sign up, go to www.whitworth.edu/visit.

Financial Aid & Student Billing

Students who received a refund for room and meals from last spring were reminded that if those refunds were used to offset expenses for the fall 2020 semester, they should plan for a higher balance due in spring 2021.

The student accounting services office and financial aid office have merged to form the Whitworth Student Financial Services Office. This provides students with a one-stop office for their financial needs.

The Campaign for Whitworth

Thank you for playing an important role in helping address the public health and racial justice issues that are affecting the university along with our nation and world. One hundred and three donors gave over $14,000 to support 11 crowdfunding projects for the Whitworth community this summer. Learn more about how your giving makes an impact for students by following the Whitworth Gives Instagram and Facebook communities.

Become a member of The Crew that sustains Whitworth students! By giving an amount that fits comfortably in your monthly budget, you will provide ongoing support that allows Whitworth to deliver reliable, lasting impact to students. Plus, automatic monthly donations save you time and hassle and save us mailing and administrative costs. Signing up is easy – just visit www.whitworth.edu/give.

You can help current students who may be struggling to meet basic needs like food, housing, insurance copays and emergency travel with your support of the Thrive Fund, which allows students to overcome hardships and thrive while taking courses at Whitworth. Learn more at www.whitworth.edu/thrive.

Alumni & Parents

New this year for parents: Pirate Parent Updates. Check out Pirate Parent Updates for news on topics relevant to parents of current students, and sign up to subscribe and be the first to know of new posts.

Parents can find answers to most of their questions on the updated parent webpage. Content will be updated often, so bookmark www.whitworth.edu/parents and visit regularly.

Instead of our traditional Family Weekend in October, this year we have created Pirate Family Connect. In order to prioritize the Whitworth community's health and welfare, and our students' education, we are asking Pirates and their families to do many things differently this year. That includes limiting in-person contact with your students. This series of events will give parents and families a chance to see some of what's happening on campus, but from the comfort and safety of your own homes. Watch for email updates and announcements on Pirate Parent Updates. This approach helps reduce the risk of families or students getting ill. It also increases the chances of in-person education continuing through the year. We're eager to welcome you to campus in person as soon as it's safe.

Homecoming Weekend has been postponed. Due to the postponement of fall athletics, as well as input from health authorities, Whitworth is considering how to best celebrate homecoming this year. When updates are available, we will email alumni and post info on the alumni webpage. Thank you for your understanding. All official reunion activities that were set to take place this October will be postponed until October 2021.

The alumni virtual book group, facilitated by Casey Andrews (English), returns in October! Andrews will guide the group through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun on Zoom. Find the group on goodreads.com by searching for "Whitworth Alumni Book Club." It will meet Thursdays, Oct. 8, 15 and 22, from 7-7:45 p.m. Pacific.

Join the English department online for three readings this fall. Hear from faculty members Jessica Clements and John Pell on Sept. 22. Leah Silvieus '07 will read her poetry as part of the Amy Ryan Alumni Reading Series on Oct. 21. Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker and author of Trick Mirror will be featured Nov. 11. All readings begin at 6 p.m. Pacific. Register by emailing apenfield@whitworth.edu.

Sports

Whitworth, along with the rest of the Northwest Conference, will wait until after Jan. 1 to compete in conference competition in all sports. The NWC decided to follow regional and local heath directives and safeguard campuses from the potential spread of COVID-19. The football, volleyball and soccer teams have moved their seasons to the spring. Golf and tennis will not play a fall schedule and will only compete in the spring. The basketball teams have the option of playing non-conference games before Jan. 1, 2021, but no games have been put on the schedule at this time.

Whitworth student-athletes found terrific success in the classroom last year. The Pirates had 214 names on the NWC Scholar-Athlete list, leading the conference in total numbers once again by a wide margin. This surpassed the previous high of 196 set in 2018-19. In addition, the Pirates posted an overall grade-point average of 3.57 across the entire department during the 2019-20 academic year.