Thursday, December 14, 2023
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Become Trauma-Informed at Community Learning Days
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Feature by: Mary Raschko, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
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Photo (courtesy of Community Resilience Initiative): The next Community Learning Days workshop will be led by Community Resilience Initiative’s Executive Director Rick Griffin (pictured) and Director of Community Engagement Becky Turner.
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The January Community Learning Days event will be facilitated by Community Resilience Initiative—a local organization that does work nationwide to enhance understanding and responsiveness to trauma. Trauma-informed teaching is always relevant, since we all bring complex personal histories into the classroom, but it is especially timely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the presence of multiple wars and ongoing racialized violence.
“The Search for Safety: Building a Resilient Learning Community” is a two-part workshop that will help Whitman faculty and staff foster a more resilient and supportive educational community.
January 11 from 9 a.m. to Noon: Understanding the Brain's Quest for Safety and Its Impacts on Learning
The first session focuses on the brain’s inherent search for safety and how this primal quest is intricately linked to the prevalence of trauma and conflict in our lives. Participants will explore:
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- The neurological basis of perception and response to threats, both real and perceived.
- How the brain’s safety mechanisms can inadvertently lead to heightened stress and trauma responses.
- The ripple effects of these responses in classroom and campus communities.
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This session offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and real-world examples, enabling participants to understand the neuroscience behind behaviors often seen on campus.
January 12 from 9 a.m. to Noon: Applying Science to Drive Behavior and Build Resilience
The second session focuses on practical applications. Building on the foundational knowledge from the first session, participants will learn:
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- How an understanding of brain science can shape teaching methods to improve learning outcomes.
- Strategies to mitigate the impact of stress and trauma.
- Techniques for building resilience in themselves and students, promoting a more supportive and adaptive environment.
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Participants will leave this session with actionable strategies and a deeper understanding of how to use neuroscience to increase learning and cultivate resilience.
Faculty and staff are invited to register for Community Learning Days in advance.
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Nikki Brueggeman Receives David Nord Award
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Assistant Director for Career Readiness & Employer Engagement Nikki Brueggeman is the 2023 recipient of the David Nord Award—presented annually to support LGBTQIA+ focused projects at Whitman College. Brueggeman will direct an oral history project that interviews queer members of the Walla Walla community about intergenerational learning and the impact of the AIDS epidemic.
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Kaitlyn Patia Published in The Comparatist
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Assistant Professor of Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse Kaitlyn Patia published a review of Lauren Berlant’s “On the Inconvenience of Other People” in the recent issue of The Comparatist. Previous works by Berlant, such as “Cruel Optimism” (2011), explored how peoples’ relationships with the objects of their desire can work to frustrate the realization of that desire. With this newest and final book (Berlant died in 2021), they propose that we are drawn to inconvenient objects, things that both vex and attract us. In her review, Patia argues that Berlant’s book offers readers resources for living among life’s darkness, complexity and inconveniences.
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Climbing Gym Closes Tomorrow for the Break
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Today is the last day to access the Climbing Gym before it closes for Winter Break. Today's hours are from 5–8 p.m. The Climbing Gym will be closed from Dec. 15, 2023 to Jan. 14, 2024.
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OP Rental Shop Offers Winter Break Discount
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The Outdoor Program (OP) Rental Shop, located on the lower level of Reid Campus Center, will be renting gear over the winter break at a 5-day rental rate, including downhill skis and new boots that recently arrived. The Rental Shop will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 for the Winter Break, reopening briefly Jan. 3–5 and Jan. 8–12 from noon to 1 p.m. Standard hours—open weekdays from noon to 5:30 p.m.—resume on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.
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Free Counseling Services for Students
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The Counseling Center provides free access for Whitman students to teletherapy and counselors through Uwill. Choose your therapist, a time of day that meets your schedule and appointment type (video, phone, chat). For questions, contact the Counseling Center at 509-527-5195 or reach out directly to Uwill at 833-998-9455 or support@uwill.com. (Flyer attached.)
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Photo (courtesy of edulution.org): Two Whitman Computer Science majors, Silivan Munguarakarama ’24 and Anthony Maniko ’26, were recently featured by Edulution regarding their 2023 summer internships. Edulution is a learning platform based in Zambia that leverages technology to improve the education of underserved youth, especially those living in remote areas.
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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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 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.
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