Thursday, January 27, 2022

Off-Campus Studies staff Barbara Hoffman, Laura Cummings and Susan Holme.

 

1. Global understanding is a key component to a liberal arts education. We encourage all students to consider studying abroad and offer a wide range of Off-Campus Studies (OCS) partner programs to meet the academic needs of students in all majors (e.g. AIT Budapest for computer science students and the British Academy of Dramatic Arts in London for theater majors).

 

2. Health and safety is a top priority for OCS. Fortunately, vaccines have enabled study abroad enrollments to rebound amidst the pandemic. 59 Whitties are currently (or will soon be) studying off-campus this spring semester in locations as varied as Tanzania, Israel, the Caribbean, South Korea, and Sweden. Check out past and current OCS student blogs here.

 

3. Reducing financial barriers to OCS is also a priority for us. Whitman need-based aid and merit scholarships can be applied to the fees of all 79 of our semester-long partner programs in 40 countries. Check out our program list here.

 

4. Whitties can study 23 different languages through OCS (including beginning Arabic, Hindi, Italian, Nepali, Swahili and Swedish) and hone languages studied at Whitman (Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish).  

 

5. Fun OCS Staff Facts: OCS Coordinator Laura Cummings teaches aerobics at Whitman, is an avid pickleball player and sings the national anthem at many of the college’s sporting events!

 

6. Whitties can engage in internships (as part of an academic course for credit) on about half of our OCS programs; our students have taught English in high schools in Vienna and Rome and interned with MSNBC in Washington, D.C.

 

7. Fun OCS Staff Facts: OCS Associate Director Barbara Hoffman has lived abroad in New Zealand and studied abroad at Cambridge University in England while she was in college. She loves to camp and hike with her husband, Kurt, and their labradoodle, Mr. Darcy.  

 

8. A study abroad experience helps students complete requirements toward the Whitman Global Studies Concentration.

 

9. Fun OCS Staff Facts: OCS Director Susan Holme speaks Mandarin Chinese and has served as resident director for study abroad programs in Taiwan and China. Her favorite activities include cooking Chinese food and snorkeling in warm seas.

 

10. Students who want to know if they are on track to study abroad can check out the OCS Advising by Major info on the OCS website.  Select a major, then click on "Planning Tips." 

If you have not yet taken your second baseline COVID-19 test as part of our spring semester campus access requirements, please do so as soon as possible. We strongly encourage you to come today. Baseline testing is open today and tomorrow at Cordiner from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone who does not complete their second test by the end of the day tomorrow will have their campus access suspended.

This semester the Whitman community has a unique opportunity to grow our understanding of the history of the Walla Walla Basin and the Native communities connected to this area. In collaboration with Whitman alum Roger Amerman ’80 (Choctaw) and with the endorsement and partnership of CTUIR and other tribes in the region, a Plateau long tent will be built on Ankeny Field, tentatively open during April 18-26. In Amerman’s words, “The Long Tent is truly a stunning and majestic example of Indigenous architecture that is unique to the world and comes from the Inland Northwest/Columbia River Plateau region of North America.”  

 

We hope that much of the campus community takes advantage of this important educational experience. The Long Tent Working Group (Amerman, Cheysen Cabuyadao-Sipe ’23, Director of Facilities Tony Ichsan, Sheehan Gallery Director Kynde Kiefel, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Sociology Helen Kim, CCEC Director Noah Leavitt, Yakama and Nez Perce tribal descendent Lonnie Sammaripa, Environmental Studies Lecturer Stan Thayne and Provost Alzada Tipton) is working on developing information, programming, and procedures for the Long Tent. Starting today in this weekly Thursday series in Whitman Today, we will be updating you on opportunities and guidelines for engaging with the Long Tent leading up to the opening on April 18 until it comes down on April 26.  

 

In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Noah Leavitt (leavitns@whitman.edu) or Helen Kim (kimh2@whitman.edu) with any questions or concerns or to discuss opportunities for your department to engage with the Long Tent.

Noteworthy

Somoskey and Somoskey Exhibit at Eastern Oregon University

Fouts Center Safety and Technical Assistant Andrew Somoskey and Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Emily Somoskey are currently exhibiting a selection of paintings in a show titled "Vis-à-vis" at the Nightingale Gallery at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. “Vis-à-vis” consists of a variety of works that explore and expand upon the traditions of painting. Emily’s mixed-media work on canvas integrates layers of paint and collaged digital prints, while Andrew’s includes oil painting on canvas, wall-based installation and vinyl collage. 

Santana-Acuña Book Garners International Recognition

Associate Professor of Sociology Álvaro Santana-Acuña's book Ascent to Glory was selected by Indian newspaper The Telegraph as one of the Page turners of 2021 in non-fiction. This month, Al Muheet press has published a translation of Ascent to Glory into Arabic. 

McCracken Joins 1,000 Point Club, Garners NWC SAOW Honors

For the second straight week and third time this season, senior Kaylie McCracken has been named the Northwest Conference's Women's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week. McCracken led the Blues to four wins in four games this past week and on Jan. 21 scored her 1,000th career point. 

In accordance with Washington state Labor & Industries employer requirements, we are notifying the campus community that in the past 24 hours, nine 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. 

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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. 

 

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