Our Place in Walla Walla: The Penitentiary
|
Feature by: Noah Leavitt, College Liaison for Community Affairs
|
Photo (1887, Whitman College and Northwest Archives, Washington State Penitentiary Collection, WCMss057): Washington State Penitentiary’s first guards.
|
This week, the Whitman Wire features a story about a recent tragedy at the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP), one of our state’s four maximum security prisons (“close custody”) and, until the Washington Supreme Court ruled the state’s death penalty statute unconstitutional in 2018, the location of Washington’s Death Row and the facility where the state executed convicted inmates.
The Penitentiary—sometimes referred to as “Concrete Momma”—is a massive and often “invisible” influence on our region (although, covering 540 acres, it can definitely be seen). It houses approximately 2,400 men from all across Washington, making it the largest correctional facility in the state. Opened in 1886, approximately 1,100 people are employed by the prison as corrections officers, contract workers and other roles, making it the fourth largest employer in Walla Walla County. (Lots of helpful general background and history about the WSP is available at Wikipedia.)
In the Wire story, Elena Schenkenberg ’24, who has taken classes at WSP, reflects, “The prison isn’t talked about very often, and it’s visually separated from us. By bringing it to the forefront of the conversation, we can start to get more support and advocates for prisoner rights, both in and out of those walls.”
For many years, the college hosted the Whitman College Prison Research Group (PRG), an interdisciplinary initiative that every month brought Whitman faculty and students together with professionals from local law enforcement and the various corrections institutes (WSP along with the county’s Juvenile Justice Center and the County Jail). Topics of importance would be discussed and often research collaboratives were developed that could benefit community partners and also serve as meaningful academic efforts for students and faculty. (For instance, a 2009 project estimated that WSP accounted for nearly 10% of the local workforce).
Read more.
|
|
|
Emeritus History Department Chair Featured in The Nation Article
|
|
|
“Waste As Horizon” Talk Canceled Today
|
The “Waste As Horizon: Infrastructure and the Future of Palestine” talk scheduled for tonight has been canceled.
|
Whitman Undergraduate Conference Tomorrow
|
The 26th annual Whitman Undergraduate Conference, a celebration of the scholarship, critical thinking, self-driven exploration and creativity of Whitman students, takes place on Tuesday, April 9. Visit the website for the full schedule of poster sessions, panel sessions and musical performances.
|
Accreditation Visit Next Week
|
Whitman College will host an accreditation evaluation team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities from Monday, April 15 to Wednesday, April 17. Individual open forums will be hosted for students, staff and faculty. The Assessment and Accreditation Committee has compiled an FAQ for Students and FAQ for Staff/Faculty for your reference. Additional information and reports are available online.
|
Lavender Graduation Announced on May 8
|
Lavender Graduation, an annual event celebrating the accomplishments of our LGBTQIA2S+ students, will take place this year on Wednesday, May 8 at 3 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom. All LGBTQIA2S+ graduates, allies, friends and family members are invited to attend and show their support. RSVP by Friday, April 12. (Flyer attached.)
|
|
|
Whitman College is pleased to announce the selection of Cecilia Kang ’94 as speaker for its 138th Commencement Ceremony. Kang is known for her award-winning technology reporting for The New York Times.
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114 (weather dependent)
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
|
|
|
|
|
Memorial Building, Room 205
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114 (weather dependent)
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall
|
|
|
|
|
Memorial Building, Room 324 or Online (RSVP)
|
|
|
|
|
Strategic Planning Feedback Session for Faculty & Staff: Vibrant Campus Community
|
|
|
|
|
Welty Student Health Center
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Financial Planning Discussion (Staff)
|
|
|
|
|
Cleveland Commons, South Corner
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Queer Resource Center
|
|
|
|
|
La Casa Hispana (Interest House)
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall
|
|
|
|
|
Cleveland Commons, Outside
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Basement
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Room 209
|
|
|
|
|
Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
Would you like to share an event 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 submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other content to share with the Whitman community, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon for the following day’s newsletter. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
Previous issues of Whitman Today are archived on our website.
|
|
|
Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
|
|
|
|
