The eighth annual Student Winter Art Salon opened at the Sheehan Gallery last Saturday, Jan. 24 and will remain open until Feb. 13. The art pieces featured are all completed in studio art classes at Whitman and the pieces displayed were chosen by three studio art faculty members. This year’s salon holds an unprecedented amount of new media and technology, representing a medium of art that perhaps has not gained a significant amount of attention in previous salon years.

“We always have a handful [of digital pieces] but this is a really bright year for new media,” said Exhibitions and Collections Manager Kynde Kiefel. “I feel like in the past, new media has had an uphill battle in certain museums and galleries in the sense that [new media] is not always viewed the same way as say painting or sculpture, methods that have been around for centuries. I feel like putting digital pieces on a wall next to a painting or a drawing says this is an equal part of the conversation too.”

Two rooms in the exhibit were given exclusively to new media projects. One piece invited guests to type on a keyboard and listen to the accompanying sound that responded to each letter. Another project let the viewer type on the keyboard and watch the accompanying visual image respond to the letter on the keyboard.

“I like that there’s not just painting and photos but more interactional pieces,” said Sheehan gallery employee senior Molly Streeter. “I have not seen as many new media pieces in previous years.”

The curation of the works is also a vital component of any museum, as it creates new forms of communication between mediums and pieces.

“The way that you set the exhibit, such as the order of the pieces and the way [the pieces] connect together or contrast all makes you feel a different way when you see it,” said student curator and first-year Ludmila de Brito. “It gives it all a different atmosphere.”

Additionally students who had pieces featured in the exhibit were impressed by additional context that was added to some of their work through the curation.

“It’s really exciting in certain pieces, such as juxtaposing the photographs with the ceramic. The curation brings new life to certain works,” said sophomore Fiona Bennitt.

Kiefel also relates that the student salon is always very highly attended by Whitman students but also by community and Walla Walla Community College members.

“I feel like part of why we showcase student art to campus via the Salon is to highlight the need for visual conversation with and among our students and to offer additional layers of what art and art-making can mean in an academic setting,” said Kiefel.  “Also exhibiting [art from] people who are biology majors and religion majors is a way of giving volume to a variety of voices and showing that non-studio art majors are also very capable of this kind of visual expression.”

Eight merit awards are chosen by the three art faculty members out of the selection of pieces in the art show. Additionally, one people’s choice award is chosen and will be announced on the last day of the show, Feb. 13. The salon is free, open to public and represents a tradition of student art that supports and encourages student creative expression.

“I am very proud of the students and the work that they produced,” said senior adjunct assistant professor of art Charly Bloomquist.

Illustration by Eduardo Vazquez

Whitman students and Walla Walla police officers aren’t often at odds with each other, but when the police do get called in, students are not usually in their best form.

While the majority of students see the police as helpful and well-meaning, weekend interactions with law enforcement may provide police officers with a less-than-favorable view of Whitman students. Through the interactions he has had with students while working as a city policeman, Officer Tim Hollingsworth has a nuanced perspective on Whitman College students.

“Unfortunately the only contact we get with the students as patrol men is at the frat houses where we deal with the drunk and disorderly,” said Hollingsworth. “We don’t get regular interactions with the normal students, so most of the time our only interaction with the students is negative.”

This soured relationship does not lead to a positive and cooperative relationship between students and law enforcement. The majority of calls the police receives are from citizens from the surrounding area of the frat houses. Some instances in which they might be called are issues of disruptions of the community, such as public urination or disruptively loud noise.

“Police are generally pretty aware of the culture at Whitman and know that the school puts a lot of faith in us to make wise decisions in party situations,” said Tau Kappa Epsilon President Chris Perkins in an email. “Occasionally they’ll stop by a function and make sure everything is okay but it never goes beyond that.”

When dealing with the students, which can occur multiple times a week in the warmer seasons, the police keep in mind the personal character they perceive of the Whitman community. Most of the interactions the police have with students involve turning a drunk student over to a sober friend.

Hollingsworth notes that he has never issued an underage drinking or drug possession ticket to a Whitman student.

“Just realize that we understand that you are students, and this is a great college, and we’re very lenient with the students as long as we don’t get that attitude,” said Hollingsworth. “This isn’t an easy college to get into and to have it all thrown down the drain just for something stupid; I don’t want to be that guy. I want to try to correct it on a one-to-one level.”

Police not only have to deal with the bad mouthing from the students, but they have also had eggs thrown at cop cars and debris thrown in the road. Officer Hollingsworth has only issued one arrest to a Whitman student, which occurred last summer.

Hollingsworth arrived at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house to find a student urinating outside the house. He found the student’s sober girlfriend and turned the drunk urinator over to her. However, when Hollingsworth and his above-six-foot-tall sergeant turned to leave, a student threw a pie at the sergeant’s face.

“We get done being pretty lenient with the students when we get a pie to the face,” said Hollingsworth. “It doesn’t make us think too much of the students, but that’s the only kind of contact we get.”

One student that has had a different sort of run-in with the law is junior Logan Emlet. Last August, Emlet and another Whitman student were arrested and charged with public nuisance for streaking through Borleski stadium during the first Sweets game.

As a result of this, Emlet spent a night in the Walla Walla jail. He perceived that the police officers during the arrest were “jovial,” but it was the employers of Burleski Stadium that encouraged the arrest and subsequent charges in order to make an example out of Emlet and his classmate.

“Because we go to Whitman there are some benefits that some students think that they should get, and I just wasn’t privy to those privileges,” said Emlet.

The charges will ultimately be dropped this August, but that was only after a year of charges for lawyers, fines and a tainted record. Ultimately, Emlet has come to a personal realization that the Walla Walla Police Department was “nice enough,” and it was due to other factors that he Negareceived his sentence.

Overall, students appear to have a similar apathetic or positive view of the police based on a Pioneer survey of 47 students. Of the 27 students who said they had had an encounter with the police, 76 percent described it as positive.

Similarly, students appreciate the WWPD’s quick response and attentiveness to helping those in need.

“I was assaulted last year and the police responded fast enough to catch the guy before he could hurt anyone else. They’re good people and they’re good at what they do,” said one anonymous student on the survey.

However, a minority of students believe that Whitman students are not perceived in a positive light by the police.

“It’s pretty obvious that WWPD does not like the Whitman student body. I think part of that is that they feel a pressure to treat us differently, whether explicitly from the school or not, and … resent that—and to some extent, rightfully so,” said another respondent.

Another student described an encounter with the police while out partying in similar terms.

“Police called Whitman students spoiled. [They] think we are above ‘the rules,’” said the student.

Most security threats and issues related to the law are kept under the jurisdiction of Whitman’s own campus security, where perceptions of students are more positive.

“Primarily I interact with students and a vast majority of those interactions are positive,” said Security Guard Gabe Kiefel.

The security office is the only office on campus that is kept open 24/7, so security receives a fair amount of non-emergency calls from students. In this way, most situations in which students feel uncomfortable are kept within the security office.

“We call the police with anything involving a crime of any kind, like assault, burglary or theft. For police infractions we prefer to keep that within Whitman,” said Kiefel. “Really we call the police with anything in which someone feels uncomfortable.”

The only time that the security office feels the need to call the police is when there is a disturbance by a non-Whitman citizen. Security is not trained to involve itself in physical altercations, so the police department is a safeguard for any possible emergency situations.

“They’re very quick to respond. I’ve never had a negative interaction with the Walla Walla police department and if I call reporting something they’re very receptive,” said Kiefel.

The inharmonious interaction between students, police and security is one that creates a disconnect and an increase in tensions between Whitman and the law. The police feel an improvement can be made by solidifying a mutual understanding of respectability.

“It’s hard to have a positive mindset about the students when all we have is a negative,”  said Hollingsworth. “Let the students know that we are approachable and, we feel, more than fair with the students.”

Illustration by Katie Emory

Whether it’s for creative expression, brutally honest opinions or sexual curiosity, Whitman Encounters provides a forum for the emotions kept behind doors on campus. It has become a Whitman norm, and with the graduation of the site’s anonymous creator, the fate of the website is put into question.

“[The future of Encounters] is up to everybody that uses it; I’m just as much of a user as anyone else,” said the administrator of Encounters. “I’m the arbiter about what gets posted and what doesn’t, and that task will be passed on.”

The future of Encounters is dependent upon popular demand, and that demand is not lacking, such that the site reaches roughly 1,200 views a day. The small amount of technical and operational work that the supervisors of the site must instate will not affect the future of such a site with their disappearance.

“I try to keep it free of malicious users,” said the administrator. “Most of what I do is reinstating stuff that people have taken down, because the Whitman ‘nice’ pours over even into that.”

Encounters was predated by LikeALittle, a website that focused more on the undercurrent of sexual tension on campus. Posters would specify the hair color and sex of their admired and a short message about them. At Whitman, LikeALittle was receiving up to 100 posts a day before Encounters knocked the website out of its fame.

“I think Encounters can get a little heavy, but LikeALittle was always just fun,” said sophomore Molly Streeter.

Looking back, the administrator saw a fault in this site as being excessively “banal” and “hetero-normative.” Part of Encounters still offers the possibility of sexual relations, but it has a greater nondiscriminatory nature towards gender. Sexual orientation is, most of the time, not presupposed to be strictly heterosexual, and other forms of sexual relations are engaged as well.

The dual ability of Encounters to provide the blanket of anonymity and the social comfort of the possibility of an email address gives students the possibility but also the responsibility to speak blatantly.

“It was a response to a feeling that I got that people don’t feel comfortable actually communicating at this school,” said the administrator. “It’s time to create another place for people to connect and have meaningful discussions without the pretense of reputation and the feigned niceties.”

The administrator created Encounters in February of 2012 partially due to a belief that Whitman has a culture “where niceness is valued more than honesty.” A key component of Encounters was the wish to embrace the true emotions of Whitman students—regardless of their confrontational nature.

Despite this original wish, the administrator believes that Encounters subscribers have only reached “five percent” of its potential value.

“I am utterly fascinated by the weird stories that people have to share and I feel like it’s so rare to hear them, especially on Encounters. You have to wade through a lot of posts to get to those few actual thoughtful tidbits, but it’s worth it to me,” said the administrator.

The quirky and love-starved posts do get their share of activity, but Encounters has opened new channels of communication for students—especially Whitman’s queer community. The site’s creator remarked that earlier in the year a group of students mentioned a Queer Girls Club, recruiting students who might not have heard of the club otherwise.

Encounters also offers an interesting perspective for discussions that are difficult to sustain without the anonymity factor that the site provides. One recent post opened a discussion on Whitman’s view on “race and/or racism.”

“I frequently feel that the Whitman community is trying to challenge me to talk about race more, but at the same time, the more I talk/think about it, the more likely I am to say something that will offend someone,” said an anonymous poster on Encounters.

Race is a topic that can promote perceived prejudices simply by the identity of the opinionated. Encounters provides discussion without knowledge of a poster’s identity; his or her sex, history, race, sexual orientation or reputation is unacknowledged and unknown to the ensuing virtual crowd. This provides discussion to be based simply upon the content of the post and not about the integrity of the poster. A personal offense to one’s identity cannot be felt because a disagreement is based on an argument.

In this way, the administrator believes that discussion is encouraged in a way that it usually is not on campus.

“What good is an intellectual community if you never talk about anything intellectual?” said the administrator.

However, some Whitman students find that the anonymity granted with the site offers the opposite effect.

“It saddens me that Encounters functions as a place for people to vent their emotions anonymously because it might discourage them from seeking help in the real world. There’s only so much that you can do on an online forum,” said first-year Ellen Ivens-Duran. “I don’t think it sparks really open and honest dialogue all the time. It’s not productive.”

The nature of this kind of site—its honesty of the truth behind Whitman’s student encounters—is an element that will not disappear from Whitman culture. The fate of Encounters, or a site like it, is unknown but relies on the student body’s inevitable demand for this unique type of outlet.

“The whole point of the site is to generate the possibility of a different kind of encounter, romantic or intellectual,” said the administrator, looking back on the progress of the website. “It should be a kind of encounter that can engender sincerity and growth: the growth that comes from surprise and difference.”

Whether it’s a ride to the airport or a weekend Portland getaway, accessibility to a car would give spice to the small-town Walla Walla life.

Even though Whitman is a reputedly isolated college, it remains behind the increasingly popular trend of campus Zipcars. However, after three years of discussion, Zipcar may be making an appearance on Whitman campus in the next couple of years.

Zipcar is a car service that would allow students, community members and possibly members from the surrounding Walla Walla colleges to rent and use a car on an hourly or daily basis. The driver of a Zipcar specifies the amount of time a car is needed, and insurance and gas money are included in the reservation charge. Currently 11 out of Whitman’s 12 comparison schools use some sort of car rental service.

“The more we move towards our comparison schools, the less unique we become as an institution, and that can be applied to Zipcars,” said first-year ASWC Senator Jack Percival. “Before we pursue it more, we need to evaluate the value we place on our community. We need to ask ourselves, do we want [Zipcars] or do we want to maintain that solidarity as a campus?”

One of these comparable schools is Lewis & Clark College, which offers car rentals for five dollars an hour. These “U-Cars” are accessible and used by students to go downtown and for transportation to the airport.

“I really like U-Car; it’s easy, affordable and super convenient,” said first-year Lewis & Clark student Elizabeth Valadez. “It’s nice to be able to rent a car and not have to be 25 years old.”

Senior ASWC Senator Caroline Carr has been an active member of attempting to implement Zipcars on campus. After emailing Zipcar, she reached a dead end when they asked to be put in contact with Whitman’s sustainability coordinator or business office. Though there was no sustainability coordinator at the time, as of Feb. 21 the sustainability coordinator staff position that ASWC has pushed for will be filled beginning in the Fall of 2013.

“I’ve done a lot of research on it, but now I need the administration to pick up the slack,” said Carr. “With the sustainability coordinator coming in, it should be pretty easy for people to do it next year.”

The sustainability coordinator would be a staff position based on implementing long-standing green initiatives for Whitman. Attaining this staff member creates a link between administration and students and will be helpful in creating contacts with organizations such as Zipcar.

“Zipcar would fall in line with a greener goal for Whitman because it would reduce the amount of carbon emissions emitted by people going out on the weekends,” said Percival.

Similarly, Zipcar services would reduce the amount of cars that people bring to campus, which would enhance the goal of a greener campus.

“I think it could be a great resource to Whitman students in that they wouldn’t feel like they would need to bring their cars from across the state or from California or Washington, because they would have access to cars here,” said senior Sustainability Intern Zoey Rogers in an email. “This would hopefully encourage less driving overall, and people would be more conscious of when they chose to drive a car because they would have to rent it through Zipcar.”

At the present time, the main means of transportation for students is through sharing of friends’ cars. Cars are also available through the OP, but only for students who are certified and are typically for outdoor pursuits. This leaves the remaining population with limited weekend getaway options.

“Zipcar would fall under the umbrella of this urban adventure program that I have. I think it would be really cool to have more cultural community-based things,” said Carr. “We need more outlets for students who want to go to a city now and then.”

Carr’s idea of an urban adventure program involves a structure similar to that of the Outdoor Program, but with off-campus activities such as concerts at The Gorge and trips to art galleries or other museums. The accessibility of Zipcars would allow students to not only take short, errand-like trips, but also longer weekend getaways to Portland or Seattle. However, this would also lead to more transportation and perhaps result in a converse affect for Whitman’s goals of a greener campus.

“On the other hand, I think it could potentially encourage more people to drive who normally don’t,” said Rogers. “If there is easy access to cars, people who may normally walk or bike to the store would be more inclined to rent a Zipcar.”

The Zipcar could be a positive or negative change for students and Whitman’s green goals, and is a discussion that will continue to develop and produce results within the ensuing year. The next step in this process is receiving student opinion on this issue, and ASWC plans to reach out to students to find and represent the majority opinion.

Illustration by Luke Hampton

November 2012 marked the end of an era. It was the death of a snack that became an unofficial tag of American patriotism. It was the end of a cultural icon, a recognizable treat that held unsurpassed societal significance. Now, no 7-Eleven junk food aisle will ever be the same. This cream-filled, sugar delicacy that our generation has had to put to rest is the Twinkie.

“Twinkies were an icon and a staple of America—at least in my part of the world,” said Peterson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences Keith Farrington.

The original banana-cream-filled Twinkie was crafted in 1930, until the advent of WWII forced the rationing of bananas. Hostess made the momentous decision to switch to vanilla cream, and has since never turned back. Twinkies rose in popularity in the 1950s with the increasing number of American suburban families, filling the ideal school lunch.

“I would argue that Twinkies, Hostess snacks and the like were geared towards a certain generation and that was the youth,” said Farrington.

Likewise, they were advertised as a nutritious family snack. One 1957 ad wrote, “Housewives have told us their families eat even more [fruit] when Twinkies are perched on the side of the plates!”

In the 1960s they became an even more popular snack due in part to the increase in family bomb shelters. This began the still prevalent myth (yes, it’s a myth) that Twinkies would last the apocalypse, as Hostess sold them under the slogan that they would “stay fresh forever.” This myth has continually resurfaced, as Bill Clinton even put a Twinkie in the nation’s millennium time capsule (it was later removed for fear of mice infestation).

“It’s the prototypical indestructible junk food. It was the sort of height to which American technological ingenuity could go to create a product that was almost entirely artificial, but gave the appearance of eclairs,” said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor of nutrition and food studies.

Hostess is known more as an icon to this generation simply because it is nothing more than that. An outcry emerged from the public when Hostess admitted bankruptcy in 2012, and consumers flocked to the shelves and bought Twinkies at an unprecedented rate. A whole box of Twinkies is now being sold on eBay for a staggering price of $200,000.

Apparently, America had suppressed this Twinkie admiration before Hostess announced its discontinuation. Hostess Twinkie filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of 2012, and stated on Nov. 12, 2012 that “bakery operations have been suspended at all plants.” Hostess explained their failure as due to American’s heightened interest in more healthy and natural foods.

The simple truth is that the American public loved the cultural stigmas that surrounded the Twinkie, but could really care less for the Twinkie itself.

“They are pretty good for the first bite, but I can’t stand eating any more of them,” said sophomore Quinn Piibe.

First year Aaron Stern is of the same opinion. “Of all the Hostess snacks, Twinkies are my least favorite,” he said.

Media has of course done nothing more than perpetuate this stigmatized product. Movies such as Wall-E and Zombieland bring about the cultural significance of the Twinkie.

It also holds a political significance; the “Twinkie-defense” is now a term originating from the 1979 trial of Dan White. White was accused of assassinating both gay activist Harvey Milk and mayor of San Francisco George Moscone. White defended himself on the grounds that his depression had led to an increase in sugary foods, such as Twinkies, which inhibited his mental capacities.

Now an object of history, the Twinkie has become a keepsake only fully understood by our generation. It’s a blow to the few Twinkie devotees, but mostly the loss is an opportunity missed by the public to taste an icon of their generation.

“I have never had a Twinkie, just because it hasn’t appealed to me, but it’s definitely something that is recognized by everyone,” said first-year Andrea Berg.

Apparently the end the Mayans predicted was not the death of the human race, but rather the death of an American icon.The product that was supposed to survive us all shocked society with its abrupt irony. However, it must be recognized that the Twinkie cannot and, as of yet, has not died. It is etched in our political, social and cultural consciousness and will continue to live until there is a generation whose people are ignorant of the true significance of the Hostess Twinkie.

Addiction usually conjures images of substance abuse consuming and transforming lives. Video game addiction has the same capacity as any substance, even at Whitman College.

Gaming is most commonly seen as a simple pastime, a game to be played casually in dorm rooms with friends. However, in some cases, according to Kimberly Young, PsyD, clinical director of the Center for On-Line Addiction, gaming can turn into “a clinical impulse control disorder.”

“The gamer in you believes in nothing but the game. In your mind, he is stronger, smarter and more capable than you in every way; the real you is weak and shameful. There is no easy way out. To win the fight, you have to silence every thought having to do with the game for weeks. You have to starve a part of your own mind into submission,” said first-year Lucas Wright.*

This issue is one that Director of Academic Resources Juli Dunn is attempting to bring to the public conscience. Beginning on Feb. 6, Dunn created Whitman’s first Healthy Gaming Support Group, which meets every Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. upstairs in the GAC.

“I’ve worked with students in the past whose gaming addictions or obsessions literally ended their academic careers at Whitman, so it is real and the consequences can be significant,” said Dunn in an email.

Currently, the group has three consistent members. One of these members is senior economics major Yifan Yang. Yang experienced that his gaming, most specifically his use of World of Warcraft, affected his schoolwork beginning last year. Yang moved to Walla Walla from China in 2007 and games with his 30 or so friends that still live in China.

“There are relationships within the game that I want to keep, but I have to find a balance between real life and gaming life and that can be hard,” said Yang. “Once you get too obsessed with the game and it consumes your time, that’s when things can go wrong.”

The group focuses on posing questions such as: “What is a healthy amount of gaming in terms of time? When does it cross the threshold into unhealthiness?” It is “a tight-knit group” that “really support[s] one another,” said Wright.

“I hope students that participate in this group come to know a larger world and community in real life and recognize that they have talents to contribute in person to the Whitman community in ways that are equally rewarding and lasting,” said Dunn.

Some members are constantly fighting with their addictions, and attempting to overcome them is an everyday struggle.

“I lied to my roommate and I lied to myself, saying I had it under control. I didn’t, and I still am a gaming addict,” said Wright.

Gaming can turn into a mental dependency just like any other addiction. Addiction is defined as any sort of habit that is formed and can be extremely painful to quit.

“I have an addictive personality. It’s predictable, really, with my family history of alcoholism and drug addiction,” said Wright. “I often struggle with self-control, which exacerbates my issues with gaming and self-discipline in general.”

The Healthy Gaming Support Group serves as an escape for members to discuss these issues with a group of peers that can sympathize with these difficulties. Discovering that there is a supportive community that understands the “benefits” of gaming, as Yang describes, can be very comforting.

“It’s good to know you’re not alone with these problems and that there are people on this campus that deal with the same issues,” said Yang.

These games take up a large portion of students’ lives, but for some, like Yang, they show unforeseen benefits. More specifically, there are aspects within the World of Warcraft world that have provided Yang with insights into his interactions in his real world.

In World of Warcraft, Yang has served as Guild Master, a high-ranking position that puts him in charge of 30 other characters in the game. Through this, Yang has learned to cooperate and collaborate with people to work towards a common goal.

“In real life, you learn your duty within your society or within your class or club. In the game I learned to be reliable and communicate with people so [that] we can all reach a common goal,” said Yang.

However, this unique type of communication can also pull one farther from real-life interactions, and it is this type of communication that Yang believes would help him control this addiction. Resisting the need to play the game is easier if more commitments are made outside of the game world.

“One thing is forcing myself to go out to social gatherings. Things that put my attention away from the game definitely help,” said Yang.

These things for Yang include dinner with friends, working at his job at the theatre, going to the Healthy Gaming Support Group and finding other creative outlets. One class that has significantly helped him is his Advanced Composition course, an offering in the English department. He creates stories every week that center around personal experiences. Thus far some of these stories include experiences that have significant cultural significance for Yang, such as stories about stereotypes of Asians and Chinese hot-pots.

The issue that the members of this club and those that struggle with this addiction deal with is not a problem indicative of video games in general.

“One of the very important thing for readers to understand would be that gaming itself is not bad; it’s the addiction that’s bad,” said Yang.

Gaming can provide many positive aspects for players, but overuse and abuse can lead to negative impacts in one’s life. The Healthy Gaming Support Group hopes to provide a haven for those who have acknowledged their gaming addiction. Through the catharsis of human communication, other forms of healthy dependency can be fostered, and this minority struggle can be solved.

*This student chose to remain anonymous.

Moving into a house, both on-campus and off-campus, is a common decision for students at some point in their four-year Whitman career. However, there are certain unique traits and histories that go along with each home.

A select few student residences have histories that extend back farther than 100 years, sharing with them histories and secrets unbeknownst to the current owners.

One of these on-campus houses is La Maison Française (the French House), which was built in 1905. According to the historical plaque mounted on the front porch, the house was originally owned by two generations of the Fred and Clara Wilson family from 1910-1963. Sons Fritz and Norton as well as Fritz’s two sons all attended Whitman. Additionally, Fritz became the treasurer of Whitman, and also housed visiting professors of the college. The house was obtained by Whitman in 1963 and officially became the French House in 1968. 

“It’s a nice house,” said sophomore Resident Advisor Miriam Moran. “The windows are a little hard to open, but it doesn’t have any major problems that I’ve encountered.”

Despite the 108 years of residence, the house seems to have sustained its practical use. The only evidence of its history lies in the additional staircase in the back of the house that apparently functioned as the stairs for the servants.

“[My favorite part of the house is] in my room [where] there’s glass on the window, which has an interesting design. The way the glass is cut makes it so when the light comes in, rainbows reflect all over the wall, which is really pretty,” said Moran.

The Ocho. Photos by Devika Doowa.

A student house that shares the same antiquity as the French House is The Ocho, an off-campus house located on East Isaacs. Previously named Motel 7, the house, built in 1912, is now recognized as The Ocho because it contains eight residents.

“You can definitely feel its old, creepy force, but it’s pretty beautiful for the fact that it’s been worn down as a college house,” said current resident and senior Hannah Siano.

The odd stylistic choices, such as the “funky fun wallpaper in the bathrooms” and the “strange green carpet mixed with pink pinstriped walls” imply the age of the house, but its history is not obvious through its living conditions. The only complaint that resident Siano has, somewhat similar to the French House, is the thin windows which do not protect against the cold in the winter. However, other features of the house make up for this pitfall.

The Ocho’s ceiling beams

“The front room has really beautiful old, dark [ceiling beams] that [are], I’m sure, original, and I think that’s the coolest feature of the house,” said Siano.

Other than these unique features that suggest a style of an earlier time, the house does not show the wear of 100 years.

“It’s pretty old, and I’m sure they’ve remodeled because most of it feels pretty modern,” said Siano. “It really hasn’t been neglected or anything, so I don’t think it’s like living in a 100-year-old house.”

The Ocho

Other than the features of the house, there is little information regarding the original floor plan of the house. City Planner Imelda Osorio spoke of the house.

“There were no pictures or floor plans or any information indicating the building’s historic value,” she said.

Similar to the French House, living off campus provides that privacy and close community not found in crowded dorms. However, Siano argues that houses not involved with the campus community offer even more freedom.

“Living in a house is wonderful in that you don’t have an RA, you can burn candles and other basic freedoms like that,” she said.

Dissimilar to living off campus, living in a residential house means that the French House still has responsibilities of on-campus life. The houses have the aspect of unfamiliarity of residents like the dorms, but also have the close-knit community of living in an off-campus residence.

“It’s different living with fewer people who all have a shared interest, even though they’re all really different. It tends to be a little quieter, but you really get to know people,” said Moran.

Regardless of involvement in campus, these houses hold a historic significance to Walla Walla. Although their exact details are unknown, they share small architectural reminders, individual to their style and history.