Whitman students connect with U.S. ambassador to Iraq in conference call

Students in Shampa Biswas and Bruce Magnusson’s politics course on the Iraq War last week participated in a rare learning moment: a videoconference with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker ’71.

At 7:30 p.m. in Baghdad – 8:30 a.m. in Walla Walla – Crocker greeted a group of 21 students, two professors, three technicians, and Whitman College President George Bridges and Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lori Bettison-Varga, all gathered in the Science 151 classroom for the session.

Biswas and Magnusson’s students prepared more than a dozen questions in advance of the session. They ran the gamut of issues, from “the largest single obstacle to achieving U.S. objectives in Iraq” to “the domestic cost of continued spending in Iraq and the war on terror” to “U.S. citizens’ understanding of world events, particularly in Iraq and Arabic-speaking countries.”

“(The ambassador) reaffirmed the complexity of the issues in Iraq that we have tried to get across in class,” Magnusson said.

Biswas noted that “The Iraq War” course was designed as an international politics class using the war as a springboard for questions about the politics of international law, the future of the United Nations, the implications of a privatized military and other issues.

She and Magnusson were quick to salute their students for their contributions to the videoconference and the class in general. “They are an exceptional, highly motivated group,” said Biswas. “They have really grappled with some difficult issues from a variety of perspectives.”

Jeff DeGroot ’08, who serves on the Council on Student Affairs, spoke for many classmates in his evaluation of the session. “There couldn’t have been a better way to conclude our semester studying the Iraq War than to interact with a Whitman alumnus who it is at the center of the current policymaking process in Iraq,” he said.

The videoconference was coordinated by Richard Sackett ’05, manager of instructional media services, with help from David Sprunger ’96 and Matt Pearson ’07. Sackett found a room that would meet all requirements, saw to all technical links with Baghdad and orchestrated two trial runs before the conference. Sprunger set up lights and circulated a wireless microphone among students during the question-and-answer session. Pearson operated one of two video cameras.

“Technical Services did a remarkable job,” said Magnusson. “The setup was very impressive. To have a real-time conversation with the ambassador about Iraq was amazing.”

Seattle magazine shines light on Whitman

An advertorial in the December issue of Seattle Business Monthly, titled “Embracing the Future: Walla Walla County Economic Report,” spotlights Whitman, referring to its outstanding reputation and its role in contributing to the economic vitality of the region: “Higher education is another sector helping the local economy to grow. Led by Whitman College, the state’s first college and one of the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions, the area has gained a reputation for educational excellence.” Read the article online here.

Faculty Accomplishments

David Carey, professor of philosophy, has just published a book, “The Social Mortgage of Intellectual Property.” Earlier this month Acton Institute’s Web site posted an excerpt from the book, “In Defense of Intellectual Property.” In this article, Carey discusses some of the reasons that intellectual property in some new technologies may appear to be unlike other forms of property because of its “indefinite replicability – multiplication without diminution.” However, he argues that although new technologies can perfectly replicate such things as music or computer software, that fact does not necessarily “render traditional notions and norms of property obsolete.” In fact, “Income from selling one’s product is a form of use; so it is not the case that sharing intellectual property is loss-free to the sharer.” The article can be found in its entirety at the Acton Institute’s Web site .

Staff Profile: Shannon Lee Shearer
Executive Assistant, Development and College Relations

• Birthplace: Moses Lake, Washington
• Education: Moo U (Oregon State)
• Years at Whitman: My first full day at Whitman was during opening week 2000.
• Favorite book/film/music/play/art/etc: I’ve got too many favorite books to list… movie has to be “Father Goose”; music is “I Feel Lucky” by Mary Chapin Carpenter; and I love any play with choreography by Bob Fosse.
• Favorite sculpture on campus: The “bowl” fountain
• Best travel experience: My husband Greg and I visited Hawaii with my grandfather and uncle to celebrate Grandpa’s 102nd birthday.
• Interests/pleasures: Reading, walking my dog Buckwheat, and Las Vegas at least once a year
• Recent accomplishment: Putting my snow tires on this year three weeks before the first snow!
• What people don’t know about me: I’m really not that much of a mystery… what you see is what you get.
• A day in the life/on the job: My days vary tremendously—I’m seldom bored, and almost always surprised by how fast 5 o’clock comes around.
• Favorite aspect of Whitman: Gotta be my coworkers
• What I’ve learned here: Expect the unexpected.
• Quote: “Live like there’s no tomorrow, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching.”

Coming Events
All events are free unless otherwise noted

Monday, Dec. 3
Concert: Whitman Music Department presents the Cello Choir Fall Concert. 7:30 p.m., Chism Recital Hall, Hall of Music. Conducted by Edward Dixon.

Thursday, Dec. 6
Lecture: “Cahokia: An Ancient Kingdom in the Mississippi Valley,” by Michael Fuller, St. Louis Community College, at 8 p.m. in Olin 157. The lecture is presented by the Walla Walla Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Thursday, Dec. 6 – Sunday, Dec. 9
Opera: Harper Joy Theatre presents Mozart’s opera “Così fan tutte” on the Alexander Stage, 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Description: Tripping through Lorenzo Da Ponte’s witty libretto and soaring on Mozart’s music, four young lovers discover the danger in deceiving and being deceived. Sung in English.

For tickets and information: Call (509) 527-5180 during Box Office hours (10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays) or fax to (509) 522-4406. During performance weeks the Box Office is also open from noon to 1 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, as well as 45 minutes prior to each performance.

Friday, Dec. 7
Recital: Fridays@four presents Emma Wood, celloist. 4 p.m., Kimball Theatre, Hunter Conservatory.

Thursday, Dec. 6, Friday, Dec. 7
Dance Performance: Whitman Dance Theater, directed and choreographed by Vicki Lloid, will present “Dreams, Myth and Memory,” an exploration of some of the darker aspects of human interaction. 8 p.m. on the Cordiner stage. This dance concert will feature live music and original compositions with the Whitman Cello Choir, performing alongside soprano Christine Janis of Walla Walla University, under the direction of Edward Dixon, Whitman professor of music. Whitman music students Colin Shepley and Lee Mills will contribute an original score, “Whispers,” for a performance piece of the same title. Other works on the program include presentations by Whitman choreographers Kevin Van Meter and Kate Greenberg.

Faculty Accomplishments

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