Wednesday, December 15, 2021

An essential element of inclusive excellence is the broad engagement of faculty, staff and students in the work, which requires campus-wide opportunities and mechanisms for professional development, continuous learning and capacity building. Next spring, with support from the Johnston-Fix Foundation, Whitman College will launch the Third Space Speaker Series, which will feature scholars, artists, writers and thought leaders whose work helps to advance inclusive excellence at Whitman and will serve as an intentional manifestation of the college’s stated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism. The concept comes from the work of critical theorist Homi K. Bhabha and Kris Gutierrez, professor of learning sciences and literacy, who see a third space as one of transgressive possibilities and where those who are often confined to the margins are centered. 

 

The Third Space Speaker Series will bring cultural humility, wealth and pluralism together to provide opportunities for transformative educational experiences that can challenge our assumptions, inspire new questions and contribute to our personal and intellectual growth. Some of the speakers already confirmed for the series include: Lissa Ramirez-Stapleton, Sheeva Sabati, Subini Ancy Annamma, Scott Brooks, Nicholas Villanueva and Leigh Patel.

 

Read more about the Third Space Speaker Series or contact diversity@whitman.edu for more information.

 

Save the Date: Meet Whitman’s Next President

Mark your calendars for 4 p.m. PST on Tuesday, January 11, for the Board of Trustees’ announcement and introduction of Whitman’s 15th president. The celebration will be held on Zoom so our whole community can come together to meet and welcome our next president on this exciting and historic day.  

 

Click here to register for the event and receive the Zoom link.

The Walla Walla Family Gift Drive was able to support 29 families, composed of 81 individuals, with the help of 21 different groups from the Whitman community who generously donated an estimated amount of over $4,000 in gifts! We are also grateful to volunteers who helped wrap all the gifts last Saturday and for the collaboration of our community partners at Blue Mountain Heart to Heart and Lincoln High School. This program would not have been possible without their contributions as well. Thank you!

Submissions to Whitman's annual literary magazine, blue moon, are now open! Send in your poetry, prose and art to bluemoon.submittable.com until Jan. 28 for the opportunity to have your work in the 2021-2022 edition. All submissions are reviewed anonymously and any questions can be directed to bluemoon@whitman.edu. The editors can't wait to see your wonderful creations!

Winter Break To-Do: Refresh Your Face Mask Collection

Odds are, you've been wearing the same cloth face masks for the entire fall semester, so winter break is a good opportunity to consider replacing them. Here are signs that it’s time to replace your cloth face mask:

• The straps are worn out or don’t stay tight.
• The fit is no longer snug.
• There are exposed threads, tears or holes.
• The mask is stained.
• The fabric has worn thin.
• You haven’t been washing the mask according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• You’ve washed a mask more than 30 times.

In replacing masks, remember to choose face masks with at three layers of fabric, a flexible nose wire and ear loops that adjust for a tight fit. Whitman's blue face masks are from BYOM, which offers high quality, well-constructed masks in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

WEDNESDAY

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“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.