Whitman Stories

Graduating senior Andy Burnstein ’20 has advice for Whitman College students coming behind him: Get involved in the community. Register to vote in Walla Walla. Give back through local organizations. Be part of the city and culture. “Many Whitman students feel separate from the community, which is really unfortunate,” Burnstein said.

In March 2020, Whitman College, Friends of Children of Walla Walla and the Walla Walla Public School District (WWPS) signed a new letter of understanding to consolidate and strengthen two different mentoring programs to better serve — and reach more — children.

Three Whitman College students are being honored this spring for their outstanding contributions to the college and the greater Walla Walla community through the Campus Compact Presidents’ Civic Leadership Awards and Newman Civic Fellowship programs.

Sposato intends to reinvigorate the 54-year-old publication as a voice for the growing city that has been his longtime home. In a social media post, he said he is buying the magazine “because I do not want it said that in the years when my generation came of age, that Seattle lost its voice. I believe Seattle’s best days lie ahead and Seattle magazine will tell the stories that shape our city for generations to come.”

Blagov identified indicators of antisocial personality disorder (sometimes referred to as sociopathy) including egocentrism, callousness, manipulativeness, lack of empathy, impulsivity and fearlessness.

What is an ally? Who decides? And at what point does allyship become more about the status of being “in” with an affinity group then it does about using your privilege to elevate and protect it? Is the concept of “allyship” itself broken and harmful to those wanting to build coalitions that will advance a more equitable society? These were just some of the many questions that students, staff and faculty at Whitman College grappled with during the 2020 Power & Privilege Symposium on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.

Blagov provided his perspective on the psychology underpinning public reaction to celebrity Jameela Jamil's statements on her sexual orientation and the question of not feeling "queer enough."

Whitman College students received recognition for their work in costume, scenic and make-up design, scholarly work and playwriting in February at the Region 7 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). Associate Professor and Director of Theater Daniel Schindler also was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion in recognition of his service and commitment to the KCACTF and its values.

The award will be presented on October 1, 2020, during ceremonies hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Crocker’s distinguished diplomatic service spans more than 40 years and includes serving as ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan.

On Feb. 21, 2020, Whitman Innovation Network hosted an open house to introduce the WINcubator to the college and Walla Walla community. Located in the basement of the Whitman College Technology Services building on Main and Touchet streets, the project was funded by a $25,000 grant from the Port of Walla Walla, a nonprofit dedicated to tourism and business development in the valley.

What does it mean to know a place? It’s a question that Whitman College grapples with introducing to incoming new students each year during orientation. The orientation planners work to provide programming that gives an introduction to the Walla Walla Valley and Whitman College that acknowledges and informs incoming students of the human history of the area.

As an associate professor of philosophy, Tom Davis, doesn’t often find himself diving into the world of medicine. However, recently he has experienced it twofold: as a cancer survivor and as co-author of the new book “Story by Story: Who I Am, What I Suffer.”