Allison Calhoun, Pete Reid ’49 to chair faculty/staff annual fund drive

Barbara Stubblefield ’66, annual fund director, reports that Allison Calhoun, associate professor of chemistry, and Pete Reid ’49, assistant to the president, are the 2007-08 co-chairs of the Faculty-Staff Annual Fund. Through the fund appeal, faculty and staff will receive a letter this fall asking you to consider making a gift to the college. Last year, 99 faculty and staff members made gifts totaling $45,869 to support Whitman and its students.

Calhoun has made annual gifts to Whitman since she arrived on campus; “I give to demonstrate my support of both the mission of the college and our students. It is my hope that this money will be used to help create opportunities for our students and to provide them with the pivotal experiences that make college both a time for academic and personal growth.”

Reid has been a loyal donor throughout his years at Whitman. “Being part of Whitman College in one capacity or another for more than 60 years (I was a good friend of Cushing Eells), has given me a perspective that few people share. Whitman has always been a fine school, but it is a better school today because of the support and dedication of friends, alumni, faculty and staff. I consider it a privilege to make a gift to Whitman each year; an investment in the future.”

Unless otherwise specified, gifts will be designated as unrestricted and therefore be directed to the area of greatest need. “You may, however, restrict your gift to a specific department or program, scholarship aid to students, library or another designation of your choice,” Stubblefield says.

Allison and Pete want to say “Thank you!” As in classroom discussion and athletic endeavors, participation counts, and they both look forward to seeing a community of participants.

Sheehan Gallery officially opens three new exhibits Friday
Two featuring Whitman art and language faculty members

Akira Takemoto

The Sheehan Gallery opens a triple showing Friday, with an opening artist talk at 5 p.m. in Olin 130 followed by a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

The main space of Sheehan Gallery is dedicated to “not by everybody.” Originally commissioned by the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University, “not by everybody” is an exhibition of cast and manipulated ceramic works by Los Angeles artist Michael Minelli. Through this series, Minelli explores how labor, memory, narrative, material content and desire might be realized as constituent parts within a matrix of pleasure and conspicuous consumption. Minelli will present the opening lecture Friday.

In Sheehan’s South Alcove Gallery #1 is “Between Spaces and Reflections: The Tea Utensils of Toyoda Mokugen,” curated by Akira Takemoto, director of Whitman’s Asian Studies Program and professor of foreign languages and literatures (Japanese). This exhibition functions in conjunction with Sheehan’s permanent Japanese tea room and includes a selection of works by Japanese ceramicist Toyoda Mokugan. Mokugan will present an artist’s talk Thursday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. in the Sheehan Gallery.

In Sheehan’s South Alcove Gallery #2 is “Crushing Weights,” a selection of new works by Charles Timm-Ballard, associate professor of art. In this exhibit, the artist’s sculptural machinations reveal a complex mechanical allegory. Within this series of crushing machines and tortured metal objects, Tim-Ballard depicts unseen psychological states. Timm-Ballard will present an artist’s talk at 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19, in the Sheehan Gallery.

Next year’s health benefits reviewed by faculty and staff committees

Gary D’Agostino, boiler technician/plumber, reports that the Staff Fringe Benefits Committee will meet over the next several weeks to review the medical plan for next year. The committee members ask that anyone with feedback regarding how the blended plan worked for them contact Carol Harris in Human Resources, Memorial 102. She will relay the information to committee members without identifying individuals’ personal experiences. There will be a joint meeting of the staff and faculty fringe benefits committees on Oct. 23 to discuss next year’s medical plan; watch e-mail or The Fountain for further details.

Faculty and Staff Accomplishments

David Schmitz, Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History, was one of seven principal speakers at the annual Frank Church Conference on Public Affairs held Oct. 4 at Boise State University. The conference is named after the late U.S. Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho) who served in Congress from 1957 to 1981.

Schmitz was invited to the conference by Bethine Church, the late senator’s widow, on the strength of an article written by Schmitz that drew parallels between U.S. policy during the Vietnam War and in the current conflagration in Iraq. Schmitz, the author of six books including “The Tet Offensive: Poitics, War and Public Opinion,” has written four articles about Church since the late 1980s when he began to study the senator’s legacy. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the late senator led an investigation of civil liberties abuses of the executive branch during his tenure. “Church was always willing to ask the uncomfortable questions that needed to be asked,” said Schmitz. “He was always skeptical of executive power.”

Whitman photographer and parent Kathy Farrell Guizar ’95 received the Citizen Activist Award from the Walla Walla County Traffic Safety Task Force at the group’s annual Awards and Recognition Luncheon Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Guizar was cited for:

• being instrumental in helping secure grants to improve walking and riding conditions near Blue Ridge, Edison and Pioneer schools;
• regularly attending Walk this Way programs; and
• using her photography skills to help promote awareness for safety issues.

Guizar’s photos highlighting current conditions of congestion and high-risk crossings on streets and sidewalks tipped the scales in the final decision to award funds to Walla Walla from the national “Safe Routes to School” program, funded by Washington state.

The grants will help pay for improvements to streets, sidewalks and crossing areas that will make walking and biking to school safer, specifically for the work being done near Blue Ridge Elementary School with funds awarded for the 2005-2006 grant cycle, said Guizar.

The effort to provide safe passage to school represents one of the many aspects of the Coordinated School Health program that has been developed by the School Health Advisory Committee in the Walla Walla School District. Guizar has also worked with professor of chemistry Jim Russo, chair of the Health Advisory Committee for the past two years, in the development of a parent and community Health Newsletter. The first two editions of the newsletter, focusing on nutrition and fitness, have been written and produced by Whitman students. For more information about the WWPS Fitness and Nutrition Policy and Procedures, visit httpw.wwps.org/support/nutrition_fitness.htm.

Faculty Profile: Nadine Knight
Assistant Professor of English

• Name: Nadine Knight
• Department: English
• Birthplace: Baltimore, MD
• Education: McDonogh School, Princeton, Harvard
• Years at Whitman: 8 weeks
• Courses: Intro to fiction, Intro to African American literature, American protest literature
• Favorite book/film/music/play/art/etc: No single favorite– too many to name
• Favorite sculpture on campus: "Three Stories"
• Best travel experience: Driving around New Zealand a few years ago. Going to Turkey this past summer.
• Interests/pleasures: Travel, horseback riding, WTF Taekwondo (still looking for people who share this interest!)
• Recent accomplishment: Getting this job, finishing my Ph.D.
• What people don’t know about me: One childhood dream was to compete in the Iditarod.
• A day in the life/on the job: Run late, arrive early, forget things, try to have fun, drink lots of caffeinated beverages.
• Why I teach: Because literature is meant to be shared and I want more people to enjoy discussing texts
• Favorite aspect of Whitman: Thriving frisbee-golf culture
• What I’ve learned here: On the West Coast, people smile just to be friendly. And they genuinely enjoy small talk.
• Quote: “Be good and you will be lonesome.”– Mark Twain

Tuesday, Oct. 9
Film: Whitman’s Canadian film series: A Tour of the Canadian Provinces presents “Willy Wonderful” at 7 p.m. in Olin 157, Whitman College campus. Free.

Friday, Oct. 12
Gallery: Whitman’s Sheehan Art Gallery opening of “not by everybody: work by Michael Minelli.” Opening lecture by Michael Minelli at 5 p.m. in Olin 130; opening reception follows from 6 to 8 p.m. Free.

Friday, Oct. 12
Film: CAS presents “L’Enfant” (The Dardenne Brothers, 2006, France) at 7:30 p.m. in Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory. Free.

Sunday, Oct. 13
Film: CAS presents “L’Enfant” (The Dardenne Brothers, 2006, France) at 7:30 p.m. in Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory. Free.

The Fountain is published by the Office of Communications. Send news to Editor Lenel Parish at thefountain@whitman.edu. Photos are accepted. Submissions are due by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for the following week's issue. Editorial Assistant: Marcy Manker ’10. Managing editor: Lana Brown. Director of Communications: Ruth Wardwell. Online: www.whitman.edu/fountain