Whitman Today
 

Monday, April 22, 2024

Our Place in Walla Walla: Higher Education

Feature by: Noah Leavitt, College Liaison for Community Affairs

Two Whitman students, one pouring mulch from a bucket, the other standing by with a rake.

Photo: Natalie Lundberg ’25 and Brenna Mack ’27, performing community service at Sharpstein School as part of the 2024 Tri-College Community Day.  

Our place enjoys and benefits from a vibrant higher ed sector.

Yesterday, Whitman students along with students from our two local higher education partners, Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) and Walla Walla University (WWU), along with area residents joined hands for the Spring Tri-College Community Day. More than 200 students helped 14 local organizations.

Christian Gachet ’22, Community Engagement Coordinator in the Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC), who came to Whitman as a transfer student from WWCC, has a wonderful observation about the importance of the day. “This is a unique opportunity for all colleges in Walla Walla to exchange experiences, ideas, knowledge and passion for their community by offering the opportunity to create bonds between the students of all the colleges.”

Jonathan Simons, Assistant Director for Career Mentoring Programs in the CCEC, who worked at WWU before coming to Whitman, added “Tri-College Community Day is one of many ways that our valley benefits from its colleges. When the energy, creativity and passion of college students meets community need, great things happen and the community is better for it.” 

This annual opportunity to bring students together is a wonderful reminder that our community is fortunate to have three excellent and distinct institutions of higher education within just a few miles of each other. Walla Walla Community College, selected as the top community college in the nation, helps area residents prepare for rapid entry into the workforce and offers English language acquisition, high school completion, enrichment classes, short certificates, and two- and four-year degrees, according to Director of Outreach Melissa Rodriguez. Walla Walla University is a private institution based in College Place with branch campuses throughout the Pacific Northwest that is part of the global Seventh Day Adventist education system.

Their collective impact on the Walla Walla Valley is significant. The three campuses are among the 11 largest employers in Walla Walla County creating nearly 1,600 jobs for area residents (out of about 31,000 total jobs in the County). 

Read more.

Noteworthy

Student Contributes to Report on Police-Free Schools

Last summer, Mwamba Muntanga ’25 interned with the Baker McKenzie law firm in Chicago. As part of his work, Muntanga collaborated with The Center on Gender Justice and Opportunity at Georgetown Law and contributed to a recently published report on the police-free schools project titled “Fulfilling the Promise: A Blueprint to Build Police-Free Schools.”

Submit a Noteworthy Announcement

Announcements

Open Forums for AVP for Wellness Candidates

The Dean of Students Office will host open forums this week for students, faculty and staff to meet potential candidates for the position of Assistant Vice President for Wellness. 

  • Monday, April 22 at 4 p.m. in Olin Auditorium.
  • Tuesday, April 23 at 4 p.m. in Brattain Auditorium.
  • Wednesday, April 24 at 4 p.m. in Kimball Theatre.
 

Third Space Speaker Series Tomorrow

The Third Space Speaker Series continues on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium. The guest speakers will be April Warren-Grice, Ph.D., founder of Liberated Genius, and Alma Itzé Flores, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education at California State University, Sacramento. (Flyer attached.)

 

2024-2025 Holiday Schedule Published

The Whitman College staff holiday schedule has been updated through June of 2025. Please contact Human Resources with any questions.

Photo Finish

From left to right: Mathew Bockus, Jennifer Casper and Robert Fricke, each holding a gold-colored award.

The Technology Services building held its first ever Chili Cook Off competition last week, featured entries from Technology Services, Environmental Health & Safety, and Conferences, Events & Scheduling. Three awards were given out to (pictured, from left): Mathew Bockus, Client Services Consultant for “Most Creative” with his Chicken & White Bean Chili; Jennifer Casper, Director of Conferences, Events and Scheduling, for “Best Overall” with her Everything but the Kitchen Sink Chili; and Robert Fricke, Director of Client Services, for “Spiciest” with his Vegan Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili.

Happening This Week

 

Monday (Earth Day)

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Grieving@Whitman

All Faiths Room

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Pilates

Sherwood Athletic Center

4 p.m.

Open Forum: Assistant Vice President for Wellness Candidate

Olin Auditorium

4:30 p.m.

Sex Week: Dirty 4:30

Reid Campus Center, Café

4:30 p.m.

Z-Fit!

Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114 (weather dependent)

5 p.m.

Tap Dance Club: Weekly Jam

Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106

6 p.m.

Sex Week: Loteria

Reid Campus Center, Café

7 p.m.

Piano Area Spring Showcase

Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall

8–10 p.m.

Open Kayak

Harvey Pool

Tuesday

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Taller de Ortografía (Spelling Workshop)

Olin Hall, Room 227

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: MELT

Sherwood Athletic Center

4 p.m.

Open Forum: Assistant Vice President for Wellness Candidate

Hall of Science, Brattain Auditorium

5 p.m.

Sex Week: Consent 201

Olin Auditorium

5 p.m.

Stammtisch (German Language Table)

Big House Brew Pub

6 p.m.

Sex Week Education: Vaginal Orgasms

Reid Campus Center Café

6 p.m.

Whitman Baseball vs. Eastern Oregon University

Borleske Stadium

7 p.m.

Third Space Speaker Series: Alma Itzé Flores and April Warren-Grice

Maxey Auditorium

7 p.m.

WSJP Faculty Lecture Series: Daniel Schultz

Olin Auditorium

Wednesday

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Stretch & Strength

Sherwood Athletic Center

1 p.m.

Thesis Support Time

Penrose Library

3–5 p.m.

Off-Campus Studies Open Office Hours

Memorial Building, Room 205

4 p.m.

Open Forum: Assistant Vice President for Wellness Candidate

Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre

4 p.m.

Sex Week Panel: Healthy Relationships

Olin Auditorium

4:30 p.m.

Z-Fit!

Reid Side Lawn or Sherwood 114 (weather dependent)

6:30 p.m.

Film Screening: “Richland”

Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre

7 p.m.

Sex Week Education: Smut in the Stacks

Penrose Library, Room 313

7 p.m.

Webinar Watch Party: Washington Native Plant Society

Hall of Science, Room 138

8–10 p.m.

Open Kayak

Harvey Pool

Thursday

11 a.m.

Culture of Respect Listening Session (Staff, Faculty)

Olin Auditorium

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: SWAT

Sherwood Athletic Center

2:30 p.m.

Culture of Respect Listening Session (Students)

Olin Auditorium

3:30 p.m.

Moving Forward With Social Anxiety

Welty Student Health Center

4 p.m.

Sex Week Panel: Sexual Assault Nurse Examination

Olin Auditorium

6 p.m.

Sex Week Panel: Take Back the Night

Maxey Auditorium

6:15 p.m.

Passover Seder (Kehillat Shalom)

Cordiner Hall

6:30 p.m.

Film Screening & Discussion: “Richland”

Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre

6:30 p.m.

SJP Reading Group: Food and Soil

Olin Hall, Room 241

7 p.m.

Book Talk: Mike Caulfield

Olin Auditorium

7 p.m.

The Talberts (KWCW Radio Awards)

Reid Campus Center, Side Lawn

8 p.m.

La Soirée Cinéma

La Maison (Interest House)

Friday

TBD

Whitman Distance Track OSU High Performance Meet (Day 1)

Away

Noon–1 p.m.

French Table

Cleveland Commons, South Corner

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Yoga

Sherwood Athletic Center

1 p.m.

Outdoor Program Trip: Stand-Up Paddle Boarding

Wallula Gap

4 p.m.

Outdoor Program Trip: Whitewater Rafting

Deschutes River

4 p.m.

Sex Week Workshop: Heels

Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114

4–5:30 p.m.

Whitties Helping Whitties

Harper Joy Theatre, Lobby

5 p.m.

Fridays at Five: Shabbat Gathering (Kehillat Shalom)

Outdoor Amphitheatre

5–7 p.m.

Square Dance

Ankeny Field

5:30–10 p.m.

TKE-Fest

Tau Kappa Epsilon, Backyard

6:30–9:30 p.m.

Sex Week: Blue Mountain Heart to Heart Extravaganza

Reid Campus Center, Café

7–10 p.m.

Whitman Chess Club: Drop-In Chess

Reid Campus Center, Room 209

7 p.m.

Whitman Orchestra Spring Concert

Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall

Saturday

TBD

Whitman Distance Track OSU High Performance Meet (Day 2)

Away

TBD

Whitman Men’s Tennis vs. Alumni Match

Whitman Tennis Courts

TBD

Whitman Women’s Tennis vs. Alumnae Match

Whitman Tennis Courts

7 a.m.

Outdoor Program Trip: Rock Climbing

Vantage

8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence

Maxey Hall

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Greekend Capture the Flag

Ankeny Field

Noon

Whitman Baseball vs. Lewis & Clark College

Borleske Stadium

1–4 p.m.

Native Plant Restoration Coalition: Work Party

Fouts Center for Visual Arts, Outside

1 p.m.

Whitman Women’s Lacrosse vs. Willamette University

James Hayner Field

3–6 p.m.

Live Thrills Festival

Reid Campus Center, Lawn

3 p.m.

Whitman Baseball vs. Lewis & Clark College

Borleske Stadium

4 p.m.

Intramural Volleyball

Sand Volleyball Courts

7 p.m.

Jazz 1 & 2 Spring Concert

Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall

Sunday

8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence

Maxey Hall

Noon–2 p.m.

Faculty/Staff Climb

Climbing Center

Noon

First Year Beach Day

Stanton Hall, Lawn

Noon

Whitman Baseball vs. Lewis & Clark College

Borleske Stadium

Noon–4 p.m.

Sorority & Fraternity Life Yard Day

Ankeny Field

1 p.m.

Whitman Women’s Lacrosse vs. Pacific University

James Hayner Field

7:30 p.m.

Testostertones Spring Concert

Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre

Whitman Events Calendar

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.

Mountain graphic

Find us on social media: @whitmancollege

instagram TikTok YouTube twitter facebook LinkedIn