Seattle Metropolitan ranks Whitman best in Northwest, features Dr. Ball

Seattle Metropolitan magazine joins the legions of those who believe Whitman is the greatest, ranking it No. 1 of 39 Northwest colleges and universities in its October 2008 issue. The publication is a lifestyle-oriented magazine serving the city of Seattle.

Among comments in the description: “If you can get in, Whitman might be one of the best schools for all-around college experience in the Northwest — college being the operative word.” Variables used to rank the schools included sophomore retention rates, student satisfaction with academics and campus social life, SAT scores and average GPA, and more.

The issue also includes a Q&A with Professor Emeritus George Ball, who the editor calls “the social conscience of Whitman College and a candid mentor to students, dishing out advice on education, life and even sex.” One of Dr. Ball’s quotes: “On war — ‘It’s so hard to think that the weapons of power are with the people without real conscience.’”

See the article at Whitman in the News

Fouts Center Open House is Oct. 25

All campus community members and the public are invited to the Fouts Center for Visual Arts Open House Saturday, Oct. 25, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Feel free to bring your family, friends and neighbors to help the college celebrate the opening of Whitman’s newest building at 150 S. Park St.

Faculty members will be available to guide you through this amazing structure, and students will provide art demonstrations using their new state-of-the-art facilities. Coffee, tea and hot cider will be provided.

Five decades of Whitman football coaches, players reunite

Gridiron veterans from Whitman’s storied past will gather on campus this weekend for the first Alumni Football Reunion. Approximately 150 alumni, guests and former football coaches will be on campus, said Nancy Mitchell, associate director of alumni relations. Coaches from five decades of the football program will join alumni from the classes 1938 through 1979 for a weekend of activities. “We’d appreciate your joining us on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Borleske Stadium for a ceremony to honor past football players and coaches,” she said. (In case of severe weather the ceremony will be moved to the Young Ballroom, Reid Campus Center.)

Other weekend events include a “Punt, Pass and Kick” competition and a talk by G. Thomas Edwards, professor of history emeritus, “The History of Football at Whitman: Excitement and Controversy 1897-1976.” A complete schedule of events is here.

Faculty Accomplishments

Paul Apostolidis, associate professor of politics and Judge and Mrs. Timothy A. Paul chair of political science, has been interviewed by Anna King twice in the last month on NPR concerning Latino politics in the Yakima Valley. “Apparently there are more Latino candidates running (in the Yakima Valley) this year than ever before,” said Apostolidis. “It’s my sense that our students’ research (The State of the State of Washington Latinos) has played a real role in helping propel these kinds of changes.” He also spoke about the problems that his students have identified with the election rules that dilute minority votes and about challenges and successes with Latino mobilization. Read the report online at www.walatinos.org)

“In The State of the State of Washington Latinos: 2006,” Ian Warner ’07 researched the lack of Latino political representation in Sunnyside, Wash., and concluded that the use of at-large city council elections was responsible for the disparity in Latino representation and possibly represented a violation of the Fair Voting Rights Act. After an investigation by the federal Department of Justice, which agreed with Warner, the city decided to make changes in its election methods.

Further research has been done by Nick Dollar ’09, who found similar problems in school board elections in other Yakima Valley towns; and Emma Fulkerson ’08, who contributed new research last spring about new and promising steps that local Latino organizations and leaders are making to spark more voter participation and civic engagement.

Health tip — Did You Know…?

Eating a healthy breakfast…

• Improves coordination
• Reduces late-morning fatigue
• Increases alertness and concentration
• Helps to avoid weight gain
• Improves academic performance

Furthermore, fat-burning processes are most active in the morning, and fat-storing processes most active at night. All the more reason you (and your family) should eat a good breakfast! For some breakfast ideas, information on pets and Halloween, allergies and benefits checkups, you can read the entire October 2008 issue of the “Live Well, Work Well” newsletter from insurance and healthcare specialists at Parker, Smith and Feek, Inc.

Coming Events
All free unless otherwise stated

Wednesday, Oct. 15
Screening: The presidential debate will be screened at 5:30 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium.

Thursday, Oct. 16
Visiting Writers Reading Series: Poet Robert Wrigley will present a reading of his works. 7 p.m., Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory.

Thursday, Oct. 16
History Lecture: Historian and Professor Robert Stacey will present “Writing the History of the Jews of Medieval England: Why It Matters,” the 2008 Skotheim Lecture in History. 7:30 p.m., Olin 130.

Friday, Oct. 17
Lecture: Visiting Lecturer Shadia Drury, Canada Research Chair in Social Justice and professor of philosophy and political thought at the University of Regina in Canada, will present “Chauvinism of the West.” 7:30 p.m., Olin 157.

Friday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 19
Film: Cinema Arts Series presents “Take My Eyes” (Bollain 2004, Spain). 7:30 p.m., Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory.

Monday, Oct. 20
Lecture: “Overcoming the Silence of Generational Poverty” will be presented by Donna Beegle. 7:30 p.m., Maxey Auditorium.

Monday, Oct. 20
Lecture: Visiting educator Gary Genosko will present “Punched Drunk: Alcohol, Surveillance and Technology.” 7:30 p.m., Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory.

Thursday, Oct .23, through Sunday, Oct. 26
Theater: Harper Joy Theatre presents “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder: A requiem for an America that may never have existed, this stage treasure attempts, in the words of the playwright, “to find a value above all price for the smallest events in our daily life.” 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Alexander Stage, Harper Joy Theatre. Tickets and questions, call the Box Office at 527-5180.

Thursday, Oct. 23
Illustrated Presentation: “The Caves of Mustang: Recent Discoveries Near Nepal’s Border with Tibet” will be presented by Broughton Coburn, project leader of a reconnaissance expedition to Mustang, a formerly forbidden kingdom in Tibet that remains a pristine relic of culture, history and art. Coburn’s expedition found human skeletons, abandoned ancient text folios and much more. He will deliver a thought-provoking and entertaining illustrated presentation in which he will share this year’s findings with the public for the first time. A film of the expedition is being produced for a National Geographic Television special to be aired in March, 2009. 7 p.m., Kimball Auditorium, Hunter Conservatory.

Saturday, Oct. 25
Open House: Whitman College presents an open house for the Fouts Center for Visual Arts. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m, 150 S. Park St..

Save the date!

Wednesday, Nov. 5
O’Donnell Lecture: Tomson Highway, aboriginal playwright, author, and activist from Canada, will present an O’Donnell Lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Kimball Auditorium. At the age of 30, Highway wrote his first play, the award-winning “The Rez Sisters.” This play, about the lives of aboriginal women on the reservation, catapulted him into fame and set the stage for his next play, “Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing,” about the lives of aboriginal men The Ashton J. and Virginia Graham O’Donnell Visiting Professorship in Global Studies was established in 2002 by the 1943 Whitman alumni to give current and future students the chance to experience the opportunities the O’Donnells enjoyed in their careers. Ashton’s career after Whitman allowed them extensive travel, business dealings with domestic and international clientele, and diplomatic responsibilities with the U.S. Department of State.

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. Director of Communications: Ruth Wardwell. Online: www.whitman.edu/fountain