Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Students: don't forget to check for your ballots in your Reid Campus Center post office box. Completed ballots may be returned to Reid Campus Center Post Office until 3 p.m. today.

 

Additional ballot drop off locations (open until 8 p.m. today):

• County Elections Center - 315 W. Main St., Room 203 (go here for same-day voter registration and for replacement ballots)
• Walla Walla County Health Department - 314 W. Main St. (in alley between Main and Rose, enter on 6th)
• Walla Walla County Annex - 310 W. Poplar St. (at corner of 5th and Poplar)
• Walla Walla Fire Station #2 - 170 N. Wilbur Ave. (in parking lot)
• College Place City Hall – 625 S. College Ave. (in alley behind City Hall)
• Burbank/Columbia Elementary School – 977 Maple St. (in parking lot) 
• Waitsburg City Hall – 106 Main St. (at corner of 1st and Main)
• Touchet School District – 90 Champion St. (in front of parking lot) 

Washingtonians can register to vote on election day with a valid state ID or with your social security number. This includes college students from other states who have lived here for more than 30 days and have a residential address (including a residence hall address). Questions? Call 509-524-2530 or email elections@co.walla-walla.wa.us.

 

If you would like to talk post-election, the Glover Alston Center will be open tonight and tomorrow from 5-8 p.m. Whitman staff members will be present to guide a supportive and open discussion.

Tuesday Tech Tip: Urgent Tech Needs

Perhaps your class is going right now, and the technology in your classroom isn't working. Or maybe you're getting ready to deliver a presentation and your computer is being "obstinate." Whatever the case may be, when the situation is urgent (and even when it's not urgent), there is no faster way to get help than to contact the WCTS Help Desk.

 

Think of the Help Desk like you think of 911. When you contact the Help Desk, internal routing kicks in similarly to how Emergency Dispatch routes the right emergency services to an accident/incident. The Help Desk will find the person who can help you the soonest–and we know in many cases, minutes matter.

 

To contact the Help Desk:

Phone: 509-527-4976 (don't forget: every classroom has a phone in it.)

Email: helpdesk@whitman.edu

Hours of support and other details: wcts.whitman.edu

Recently the campus has experienced an uptick in prank calls. According to victim accounts of the incidents, it was the same caller with a male-sounding voice, and the phone number appears as 509-676-8372. In response to these incidents, we want to remind you that the best way to deal with all pranks calls is to hang up and not engage the caller. If you were a victim of a prank call recently, please report the incident to Campus Security at 509-527-5777.

The Counseling Center is hosting a QPR Suicide Prevention Training from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 in Brattain Auditorium (Hall of Science). QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. Three easy steps that can save a life. Whitman students, faculty and staff are all welcome. Attendees will be certified in QPR at no cost (valid for three years).

The Whitman Fall Chorus Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 in the Chism Recital Hall in the Hall of Music building. The hour-long concert will explore "love" and the various forms it takes (loss, belonging, etc.). Arrangements will include pop classics and music sung in many different languages from (or influenced by) various cultural traditions around the world.

As a follow up to the November Board of Trustees meetings, President Sarah Bolton will hold an open forum for faculty and staff on Thursday, Nov. 10 in Maxey Auditorium. There will be two opportunities to attend in person, at 8 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. plus both sessions will be available to attend virtually (please register in advance; the same registration form is used for both time slots). There is also an anonymous Google form to submit questions in advance. 

The Visiting Writers Series continues with a reading by author Karen Russell at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10 in Olin Auditorium. Russell's debut novel "Swamplandia!" was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and was chosen by The New York Times as one of the Ten Best Books of 2011. Her latest book, "Orange World," is a collection of short fiction, and in February 2023, her dance theater piece "The Night Falls" will premiere at Peak Performance.

The United Way of the Blue Mountains seeks our support to help members of the Walla Walla community. Learn what United Way is doing in our region this year and how you can help by viewing this brief virtual presentation. It is easy to make a single donation online, or you can enroll in payroll deductions. If you elect to donate via payroll deduction, your contribution will begin in December 2022 and run through November 2023.  All donation forms are due no later than Tuesday, Nov. 15. Questions? Contact Human Resources.  

Daily COVID-19 Update

In accordance with Washington state Labor & Industries employer requirements, we are notifying the campus community that since yesterday, no one with Whitman access was confirmed positive for COVID-19. 

 

Please continue to follow all our campus COVID-19 protocols to help prevent transmission. If you have any symptoms that may be COVID-19 or know that you may have been exposed to coronavirus, please be tested. Additional masks and rapid test kits are available in the front entryway at the Welty Student Health Center during normal operating hours. 

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. 

 

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 should be 125 words or less. The deadline is 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.