Whitman College Parents' e-News
November - December, 2009
Whitman College Parents' e-News |
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November - December, 2009 |
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Items of Interest: (Select link to locate information.) |
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| Flu update There were 14 new ILI (influenza-like illness) cases reported to the Welty Health Center the week of Oct. 18-23, bringing to 35 the total since the beginning of the semester. Most students were back in class within three days. There have not been any hospitalizations.  The vaccine, once thought to have been available this week, has not yet been distributed.Of the approximately 47,000 cases of ILI reported to the American College Health Association (ACHA) “there have been only 78 hospitalizations and no deaths, indicating this disease remains generally mild,” quoting a report on its Web site. “However, there continues to be risk of exposure to vulnerable individuals in our campus communities. Statewide outbreaks continue to be active in the West and Northwest regions.” Because the attack rate in the college population continues to rise, it is critical that we continue to be vigilant about preventing the spread of the virus, reports Tracee Anderson, chair of the pandemic team. This and previous weekly updates are available on the flu web site. Read about the latest outbreak in this Pioneer article. |
Family Weekend 2009: Follow-upFamily Weekend 2009 had a great feel to it. Families (including parents, siblings and grandparents) appeared to really want to experience Whitman and Walla Walla and enjoy their student’s experience. Even the rain on Friday did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm – (as one parent commented they loved seeing the rain on the leaves). We try to focus on families seeing what student life is like at Whitman and, while adding 780 family members changes the dynamic, they got a pretty good taste of Whitman and Walla Walla. Many families were venturing out to dine in Walla Walla or Waitsburg and some had made reservations months in advance! The Planetarium was as popular as ever and with the addition of two extra shows (bringing the total to six), almost everyone who was able to be flexible with their timing got to see a show. The parent/faculty social was well attended and interactive and the a Cappella group concert filled Cordiner until 11:15 pm. Tamarac House does weekly Tamalucs where students potluck together, and on Family Weekend they held a Famaluc which was a family potluck. More families ate in the dining halls this year and some new events that were hits included:
It’s the flexibility and enthusiasm of the families that make the weekend a success! |
Parents Fund Project for 2009-2010 Parents Fund Scholarship Endowment Established last year with gifts totaling nearly $100,000, the Parents Fund Scholarship Endowment continues to be the primary focus for the Parents Fund this year with the goal of raising an additional $250,000 for the project. The Parents Fund Scholarship Endowment will provide unrestricted scholarship funding to assist Whitman in recruiting and retaining outstanding students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our vision for Whitman is to provide scholarship funding that will allow as many deserving students as possible to attend. Your gift to the Parents Fund Scholarship Endowment will ensure substantial growth and, as an ongoing project, it will allow annual contributions from future parents to grow the fund indefinitely. Please consider a gift to the Parents Fund Scholarship Endowment. You can make your gift online at https://rs.whitman.edu/~gifts/ |
Medica family gift funds journalism, writing internships Iris Alden ’10, Lara Goodrich ’10, Dena Popova ’10, Eleanor Ellis ’13 and Dylan Plung ’11 Writing for the Pioneer student newspaper was one of the favorite activities of alumna, trustee and donor Megan Salzman Medica ’81, who has parlayed that treasured experience into internship opportunities for five current Whitman students. Thanks to the latest gift from Salzman Medica and her husband, John, the five students are working as paid writing/journalism interns at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (UB) and in Whitman’s communications office, gaining valuable experience and honing their skills while providing greatly appreciated assistance to their mentors. Of the five students benefitting from the Medica internship gift, three work at the UB – Iris Alden ’10, Lara Goodrich ’10 and Dena Popova ’10 – and two work for the college’s communications office – Eleanor Ellis ’13 and Dylan Plung ’11. Read more.... |
| Do you want to keep in touch with your student’s world? Subscribe to The Pioneer, Whitman College’s student run newspaper, and have a view of your student’s life delivered to your door every week.  Part of The Pioneer’s mission is to act as a cohesive bond for the Whitman community—keeping students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni informed and engaged. Support the Whitman community and our outreach by subscribing to The Pioneer. Your support allows The Pioneer to provide students the opportunity to practice journalism and manage a working business. If you are interested in subscribing, please download the rate form for additional information. Any questions, please contact Kim Sommers ’11, Editor-in-Chief, at sommerka@whitman.edu |
October 2009 – President’s Report and Gift Report issue |
 “The Fountain - a newsletter for Whitman community” “The Fountain” gives a week-to-week, “life of the college” snapshot. It is written for faculty and staff and designed to help the campus community keep abreast of what’s happening at Whitman. It features events and news briefs that focus on the good work that staff and faculty do and changes or activities that affect them. It is published online weekly. View “The Fountain” |
Fall Harvest: Fellowships and Grant Opportunities for Alumni
 Princeton in Asia: Service-oriented fellowships (teaching, NGOs, etc.) in various countries in Asia.
NSEP Boren Fellowship: Fellowships for study (U.S. or abroad) in languages and international security. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships: Fellowships for new graduate students preparing to work in foreign service. Carnegie Junior Fellows Program: Fellowships for work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior associates. Note deadlines and contact Keith Raether, director of Fellowships and Grants, or administrative assistant Karen Kinder. |
| How
parents fit into their students' lives at college: Interested Yet Not Intrusive Just because your student is at school, it doesn't mean that he no longer needs you to be involved in his life. It's important for you to be involved—it's actually quite essential to his success! The key is being interested in what's happening in his life without being too intrusive. Some ways to do just that are:
The Campus Approach
A Web of Support Students who are struggling with various concerns can turn to:
A New Chapter, Paper Clip Communications, Little Falls, NJ More Reading: Newsweek's "The Fine Art of Letting Go" |
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Grape Line offers scheduled service between Walla Walla and Pasco, and is a regularly scheduled service that runs 3 daily round-trips. |
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What's Happening on Campus |
Whitman in the News |
Change of Address:
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| The John Day Fossil Beds • April 29-May 2, 2010 with Pat Spencer, professor of geology Read more and register for this trip. |
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The Civil Rights South • May 25-June 2, 2010 with Bob Withycombe, professor of rhetoric and film studies Read more and register for this trip. |
| Camp Whitman at the North Cascades Institute Lake Diablo • July 22-25, 2010 Whitman faculty across the academic spectrum will lead this weekend seminar in Washington’s spectacular North Cascades National Park. Read more and register for this trip. |
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| The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon • August 6-8, 2010 with Theresa DiPasquale, associate professor of English Read more and register for this trip. |
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| Would you like to mail or ship something to your student? We have information to assist you located on the Shipping Information page. |
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| Would you like a glimpse of student life at Whitman? Visit our Student Journals page. http://www.whitman.edu/admission/studentjournals/ |
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If you have any
comments or questions please feel free to contact: |
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| Donna Cook Gardner '95 Development Officer Parents Programs (509) 522-4420 Cell Phone: (509) 301-2340 Fax: (509) 527-5859 gardnedc@whitman.edu |
Brenda Sanchez |
Editors |
Donna Cook Gardner '95; Development Officer; Parents Programs Brenda Sanchez; Annual Fund Officer Teri Durfee; Advancement Services |
Graphics, Layout and Design |
Teri Durfee; Advancement Services |
Contributors |
Donna Cook Gardner '95; Development Officer; Parents Programs Nancy Tavelli; Assoc Dean of Students: Campus Life; Residence Life and Housing Margaret Hoglund, Administrative Assistant - Alumni Office Keith Raether, Director, Office of Fellowships and Grants |
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Whitman Magazine