Thursday, March 31, 2022

Last fall, we provided some content in Whitman Today regarding Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s critically important that we call attention to the manner in which the trans community is being targeted, brutalized and discriminated against. It’s also important that we work to advance representation, affirmation and visibility. Today, March 31, is International Trans Day of Visibility (TDoV).

 

The Human Rights Campaign describes TDoV as a “time to celebrate transgender people around the globe and the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, while also raising awareness around the discrimination trans people still face.”

 

In a 2015 article, fierce trans rights activist Janet Mock explained that even though there are more transgender people in the public eye than ever before, the discussion of transgender issues still tends to exclude non-binary and non-gender conforming people, and noted that some transgender people are still more privileged than others if they are perceived as being cisgender. Carolyn Mercer of the Stonewall Trans Advisory Group noted, “for trans people to feel safe enough to be visible, we need more people to come out as allies and show their support for the trans community.”

 

Whitman College has a new student organization dedicated to centering the needs and concerns of trans students of Whitman. We are also actively searching for a new, full-time director of LGBTQIA+ student services. Trans Day of Visibility serves as an excellent moment for many of us to continue our DEIA learning journey and focus on improving our understanding and support for the trans community. The UCLA Library Film & Television Archives contains a collection of resources that center the lives and experiences of transgender people can be found.  

The Long Tent: Building Partnerships

Chief Joseph's Winter Camp at Nespelem, circa 1901. Photographer: Dr. Edward H. Latham. Photo courtesy of the Nez Perce National Historic Park Research Center, accessed at https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/npsnezperce/id/3019/rec/1.

 

For Plateau tribes, long tents have been spaces for relationship building. As people sat together and talked and taught and learned, existing connections were strengthened and new connections and partnerships were formed.

Partnerships have also been a significant aspect of the Long Tent initiative. In addition to strengthening our existing relationship with CTUIR, Whitman has had the opportunity to create new connections with:

• The elders, experts, scholars and speakers from the tribes and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest that will be part of the Long Tent programming.
• Nixya'awii Community School, a public charter school co-located at CTUIR, whose students will utilize the Tent as a venue for their learning. 
• The Whitman Mission National Historic Site, which is sharing its tent materials. This collaboration is led by Kate Kunkel-Patterson ’13, a park ranger at the site.
• Tamástslikt Cultural Institute (TCI) which is allowing Whitman to use its tent materials for this effort.
• The City of Walla Walla government, which has been working with cultural experts at TCI to honor the Indigenous people of this region to transform the First Avenue Plaza into a permanent community space known as Walawála Plaza. 

We invite you to approach the Long Tent in this spirit of collaboration and relationship-building. Who will you meet?

Technology Services will be updating the encryption certificate associated with whitman_secure at 9 a.m. today as part of regular maintenance. Your device may ask you to review and accept the new certificate in order to continue using whitman_secure. If you need assistance with this process once this change has occurred, please contact the Technology Services Help Desk.

The Whitman Undergraduate Conference is less than two weeks away! To help ensure that the conference runs smoothly, the conference committee is seeking volunteers to serve as room monitors for the various panel sessions and musical performances interspersed throughout the day. Trainings will be provided to help you learn the check-in process and to review other responsibilities. If you would like to volunteer, please fill out this short Google Form.

Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 17-23. Help the Alumni Office recognize alumni volunteers who have dedicated their time to Whitman College this past year. Fill out this form and let us know about your volunteers who deserve some extra recognition!

In accordance with Washington state Labor & Industries employer requirements, we are notifying the campus community that in the past 24 hours, two people with Whitman access were confirmed positive for COVID-19. These people are now in isolation in accordance with our campus and CDC guidelines. Though the likelihood of transmission is low due to our campus COVID-19 protocols, it is possible that others may have been exposed to COVID-19. There is nothing you need to do at this time aside from following our campus COVID-19 protocols. Anyone identified through the contact tracing process as a close contact (within 6 ft. for at least 15 minutes over 24 hours) will be personally notified. 

Have an event you'd like to share with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

“Whitman Today” is produced by the Office of Communications and is emailed Monday through Friday to Whitman College staff, faculty and students. All times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time. 

 

Submissions are welcome! If you have a professional or personal accomplishment to celebrate, an event to publicize or other content to share with the Whitman community, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions should be 125 words or less. The deadline for submissions is noon for the following day's newsletter, though submissions may be held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. By submitting to Whitman Today you also authorize use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.

 

Previous issues of Whitman Today are archived on our website.