Life is extreme. What have we done to survive through crisis? Biology, history, classics and more tell the story of how and what we do to survive. Here are a just a few of this summer’s lectures that explore this fascinating subject.

Summer College is a week of intellectually challenging classes, lively discussions and entertaining experiences on the Whitman College campus. Best of all – no tests! Join us June 7 to 12, 2009 to connect with the Whitman experience of today. Experience stimulating talks by professors, a field trip and social events – all in the beautiful campus setting. View the complete list of lectures, events and activities.

Schedule Subject to Change.

Faculty/Staff bios:

Morning lectures:

Shipwrecks of the Imagination: Ancient Roman Poetry of Survival Dana Burgess, Professor of Classics, received an A.B. in Literature from Bard College, and an M.A. in Latin and a Ph.D. in Ancient Greek from Bryn Mawr College. He came to Whitman in 1986. He is now the Chair of the Department of Classics. Professor Burgess’s scholarly work has focused upon Greek Tragedy, Greek and Latin Poetry and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He is currently working on the Roman Stoic philosopher, Seneca. How to Mend a Massacre: Race, Class, Tragedy, Survival and Reconciliation in Greensboro, 1979 Bob Withycombe, Professor of Rhetoric and Film Studies Don’t Panic!: A Guide to Financial Survival Denise Hazlett, Professor of Economics The Evolution of Our Atmosphere: A Four Billion Year Exposé Allison Calhoun, Associate Professor of Chemistry, is in her seventh year at Whitman and teaches courses in general and physical chemistry and the applications of physical chemistry in environmental and polymeric systems. Prior to joining the faculty at Whitman, she worked for five years in the polymer industry and holds three patents for the use of mineral additives in polymeric thin films. She is the co-author of a Polymer Science text book and has three current research projects examining the interface of minerals in polymers. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Flexible Packaging Division of the Society of Plastics Engineering and is a member of the Physical Chemistry Test Writing Committee through the American Chemical Society. Ancestral Tough-Guys: Out of Africa and Around the World Delbert Hutchison, Associate Professor of Biology, is the recipient of the College’s 2005 A.E. Lange Award for Distinguished Science Teaching. He is a field biologist who uses molecular genetic techniques to investigate questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. His particular field of interest is population genetics and the study of how various evolutionary forces (e.g., mutation, random genetic drift, natural selection, gene flow) and historical events affect the distribution of genetic variability within and between populations of lizards. You Think You’ve Got it Bad!: Our Obligations to Those Struggling to Survive Rebecca Hanrahan, Professor of Philosophy Literature, Art, and Survival: From Celebration to Consolation Jean Carwile Masteller, Professor of English and Director of Race and Ethnic Studies, came to Whitman in 1978. Her teaching areas include American Literature, American Studies, women writers, and the relationship of canonical and popular culture. During the spring, she is teaching a favorite seminar: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and their Legacy. Her research focuses on nineteenth-century popular fiction and the working girl, as well as canonical nineteenth-century writers. Other projects range from the Jesse James Stories to women’s culture clubs, including the Walla Walla Woman’s Reading Club, a group founded in 1894. Currently, she is working on musical settings of Emily Dickinson. Beyond Survival: Reviewing the Photographs of Walker Evans Rick Masteller, Professor of English, has taught courses in American literature and culture since arriving at Whitman in 1978. For the last decade he has also offered a history of photography course in the Department of Art History and Visual Culture Studies. He has organized exhibitions of photography and of graphic art for Sheehan Gallery, such as Seeing Through Photography, and We, the People? Satiric Prints of the 1930s. Other publications relate to modernist poetry and to various aspects of visual culture, including western stereographs, the modernism of Constantin Brancusi, the satiric vision of Reginald Marsh and John Dos Passos, and the “Masters of American Photography” stamp series published by the U. S. Postal Service.

Afternoon sessions:

Movement that Matters: A three-day workshop of functional exercise to enhance your everyday life at any age and any stage. Michele Hanford, Fitness Facilities Director, has worked at Whitman since August 2006. In addition to serving as Director, she also teaches two intermediate fitness classes at the College. She is a multi-certified fitness instructor with more than 25 years of experience in the fitness industry specializing in group exercise and personal training. She has hosted several workshops for the community at large in addition to helping hundreds of people achieve their health and fitness goals. Prior to working at Whitman, she owned a ladies-only gym and group exercise owner for 15 years. A Record of Survival: A sesquicentennial history of Whitman College and its archives. Michael Paulus Jr., Archivist and Special Collections Librarian for the Whitman College and Northwest Archives, which is the archives and special collections division of the Penrose Library. He came to Whitman College in 2006 from Princeton Seminary, where he was a special collections librarian. During his time at Whitman, Paulus has focused on the use of manuscripts, archives, and rare books in undergraduate education and in creating digital collections to enable greater awareness and use of the unique collections at the college. Paulus regularly publishes and presents on archival and historical topics and is a regular contributor to HistoryLink.Org: The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. More information about the Whitman College and Northwest Archives is available from: www.whitman.edu/archives. Great Book Structures: A hands-on course on bookmaking techniques that have survived the ages. Mare Blocker, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art is a native of Washington, and divides her time between McCall, Idaho and Walla Walla, where she is a Visiting Professor at Whitman College. She earned a BFA in ceramic sculpture at the University of Washington and an MFA at the University of Idaho. Mare has been publishing artist's books since 1979 and her work is included in over 70 public collections worldwide, including the Library of Congress, The Victoria and Albert, The Getty Research Center and the University of Washington Special Collections. Mare is a board member of the Book Arts Guild, serving book artists, collectors and enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. Sculpt/Survive/Shelter: A hands-on course on bookmaking techniques that have survived the ages. Explore and create a sculptural installation that responds to contemporary forms of shelter, in particular, those that are most influenced by today’s economic, social and environmental urgencies. From the makeshift to the modern, from the primitive to the post-modern, we will look at how sculptors play with personal and collective needs, spaces, desires, and psychologies. The questions: Does form follow function? Is a utopian lifestyle possible? Field trip: Experience the secret life of Walla Walla’s most famous export – the sweet onion. See the inside of a sweet onion packing facility during the peak of harvest. Swing over to the Whitman Mission to get to the root of Walla Walla history, and picnic in the shade with your friends. A truly Walla Walla afternoon. Lunch provided.

Registration information for Summer College 2009: $595.00 full registration (entire week) Regular registration includes all class activities, all meals through lunch on Friday, welcome reception, field trip and overnight dormitory-style accommodations in Prentiss Hall. $40.00 additional for optional Friday night in Prentiss, June 12 Participants who want to stay until Saturday may do so for an additional $40, which includes lodging and breakfast. $450 full program, day student (no housing) Day student registration includes all class activities, field trip, and all meals except breakfasts. $190 for lectures only The "Lectures Only" option includes Sunday reception, morning sessions, and field trip.

To reserve your space: Send in your payment by May 1. Your registration is fully refundable until May 22; after May 22, your registration will be refunded less any deposits made for events. Please note on your form if you have special needs with diet or room accommodations. To register: Two ways to register --- Register online or use our PDF form (print, complete, mail) (pdf version. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this page. You can download a free copy from Adobe.) However, If you prefer, you may call the number listed below and register by phone with a credit card. Mail to: Whitman College Alumni Association, 219 Marcus St., Walla Walla, WA 99362. Any questions call 1-800-835-9448, ext. 1, (509) 527-5167 or email Angela at torretak@whitman.edu. Participants will receive a confirmation letter in early June.
Register Online for Summer College Registration Form for Summer College - (pdf) complete and mail in to the Alumni Office