The first vending machine was created over 2,000 years ago by the Greek mathematician Hero, who also invented the syringe. On Whitman’s campus, vending machines have been around for fewer than 50 years. These days, instead of dispensing holy water in Egyptian temples, vending machines are designed to provide students, faculty and staff with a quick, inexpensive snack.

Photo by Tywen Kelly.

Today Whitman’s vending machines are serviced by Swire Coca Cola company, the local branch of the Coca Cola Company in Walla Walla. There are over 25 vending machines on campus, which bring in a net revenue of around 7,000 dollars a year through a commission that is based off of how much is sold out of each vending machine. The funds for each machine go to the department or residence hall that houses it.

“We have vending machines are here as a matter of convenience for the students, the faculty and the staff. It’s nice when you’re starving that you don’t have to walk to the seven eleven and instead you can just grab a quick coke and a bag of chips,” said Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Peter Harvey.

And although they are designed and put into place with convenience in mind, there are still instances where students feel vending machines could be improved.

“Some of the vending machines need to be upgraded because they won’t take my dollar bills, only my coins,” said sophomore Emma Graham.

Though faulty machines can be a source of student frustration, sophomore Andy Bainton added that in some cases it can simply be the torment of all of the snacks just out of reach when one doesn’t have cash.

“I’ve always thought vending machine vendors should make a vending machine that plays ‘I Need A Dollar’ by Aloe Blacc every time you press a button,” said Bainton.

One solution for students low on money, as suggested by first-year Chris Hankin, may be to add a means to purchase food with a Whitman ID card, so that “flex dollars” included in meal plans could be used around campus. However, that change could be both expensive and difficult to arrange, as there each building manages its own machines and there is no central authority for vending machines on campus.

This is not to say, however, that vending machines on campus are not be subject to oversight. In 2011, Whitman made the conscious decision to do away with the plastic water bottles sold in vending machines as a way to cut back on the amount of plastic waste generated by the college. Additionally, students interested in different snacks in the vending machines are able petition Residence Life, and if the item they desire is carried by Swire, the change can be made without too much difficulty.

Today vending machines at Whitman carry up to 35 different options ranging from Sun-Chips to Grandma’s Cookies; however, it would appear that Whitman students are a fan of the classics, as Snickers are the most commonly purchased item on campus.

Despite all of the snack options to choose from, a big improvement from the single piece of Tutti Frutti gum sold on New York subway platforms in 1897, some students are still cautious when purchasing snacks. In recent years, vending machines have been responsible for more deaths than shark attacks (the deaths resulting when the machines are tilted or shaken in order to get stuck products). While the odds of being squished by a vending machine is small, one in 112 million, there are still those that hold their doubts.

“Vending machines? I wouldn’t trust them,” said sophomore Phil Stefani.

Photo by Tywen Kelly.

For students at Whitman, registration often means navigating the tricky business of choosing between classes, attempting to gain consent from professors and in some cases coping with less than ideal registration times. With the goal of bringing order and equity to this sometimes crazy process, the Registrar’s Office is working to improve the registration process.

Registration ended this week and with it the second trial of a new system for determining pre-registration times. While the registrar implemented the new system last year to enhance students’ chances in getting the classes that they want, there are still changes in the works regarding the scheduling of classes, professors giving consent and the ways in which pre-registration times are generated.

Registrar Stacey Giusti collaborated with students to overhaul the pre-registration process last spring. The new method maintains the principle of prioritizing registration by graduation date, but it splits each class into two tiers that alternate each semester between the early half and the latter half of registration. Within this tiered system, students are guaranteed to not be given a late registration time twice in a row.

Students have demonstrated frustration with the current system for registration. Photo by Marra Clay.

“You can be disadvantaged by a poor appointment time, but fortunately — or unfortunately — for the students, it is in no one’s hands, and that’s the fairest way we can come up with. We welcome anyone’s input on how to do things better,” said Giusti.

Senior Carly Busch added that although the system has improved, it continues to exasperate students.

“[It’s frustrating] because I know it’s an imperfect system, but more frustrating that I can’t think of a better solution,” said Busch.

In some cases students’ registration times can even have an impact on the direction of their intended major.

“I used to be really intrigued by the Politics Department at Whitman college, but due to my registration time, I have become an Econ major,” said sophomore Parker Silverman.

One solution that students often turn to as a way of working with a later registration time and quickly filling classes has been to gain the consent of the professors teaching the classes they want to take. While this technique can be a good way of ensuring that you get into the classes that you want, it is also becoming a worrying trend that both the registrar and the faculty are looking to address out of fear that it disadvantages those in the grades above them or those who need the classes for their majors.

“The Curriculum Committee is going to take up at their next meeting the whole consent issue,” said Giusti. “Because we’re now finding that [in a report by the Registrar’s Office] before we even started registration, there were 264 students given consent to get into classes before registration even began. This is not from closed classes, and while some of it is for seniors who need consent to get into senior sem and things like that, [it is] not the great majority.”

The Registrar’s Office has also sought to change the times at which classes are scheduled to meet as a way of giving students more options as to what they can take and to help create more classroom space.

“We’re trying to change the course schedule, to get rid of the stair step Monday at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Friday at 11 a.m., to make it more logical and to also add a few more time slots to it to loosen up the student’s schedules for a bit,” said Giusti. “We’re trying to spread things out, and especially in the Science Building. For rooms [the overhaul] will be very important, but [it is also] just so students don’t see so many conflicting classes.”

Sophomore Larry Schaefer claims that the problem this year isn’t so much the conflicting classes as it is the fact that he is having a hard time finding the classes that he needs to take.

“I have found registration a little frustrating, as I am trying to get into politics courses, which there are not many of, as there are a few professors from the department on sabbatical,” said Schaefer.

For those like sophomore Grace Little, registration is a time of frustration, hope and anticipation.

“I’ve just been in a place where classes are full every time, and this time I’m at 8 p.m. and I want to take Astro,” said Little.

Stacey Giusti works in the Registrar during the night of registration connecting with students as they plan classes to take for the upcoming semester. Photo by Marra Clay.

Illustration by Sophie Cooper-Ellis.

The Whitman College Board of Trustees will meet for the first of its three annual meetings this Wednesday, Nov. 5 through Friday, Nov. 7. While the board holds the college’s final say on everything from the budget and endowment to financial aid and diversity, its member selection process remains largely unknown to students around campus.

There are currently 17 trustees sitting on the board, which selects its own members for four-year terms. While the Whitman College Constitution suggests that each board member serve for up to three consecutive terms, trustees holding important offices at times serve beyond that limit. Ultimately, becoming a trustee is a commitment that asks individuals chosen to dedicate large amounts of time, money and experience towards making Whitman the best it can be.

The Nominating and Governance Committee, headed by Vice Chair Nancy Serrurier, is responsible for finding new candidates for the Board. According to Serrurier, candidates are selected based on their skill set, experiences and what the perceived needs of the board will be in the years to come.

“We are constantly looking for people who will bring a new perspective to the table. We ask ourselves, is this person going to make a difference in the conversation that we are going to have? Are they of the highest integrity and are they someone who we want influencing Whitman’s future?” said Serrurier.

Candidates for new Trustee positions are often active Whitman alumni who are involved with the Board of Overseers, the W Club, the Alumni Club or who show their commitment to Whitman in other ways. Not all board members need to be alumni, though, as the selection process also looks at individuals who did not attend Whitman but who have valuable expertise in management and governance and would be willing to make Whitman a priority in their lives.

“Every year we look at what skill sets might be rolling off the board as people’s terms end. We then try and match the kinds of qualities we want for the issues of the future with the qualities and experiences and skills of the people who are currently on the board and then we look and see, do we have any holes?” said Serrurier. “[From there], we look at what kind of person, what skill set, [and] what experiences could the board benefit from and then we go talk to them.”

After candidates are identified, approached and asked whether they would be willing to serve, the final decision is determined by the amount of time and resources that people are capable of giving. Current Chair Brad McMurchie ‘84 highlighted that often times there are many people qualified to become trustees but that it can be tough for people to find the time in their lives that this position requires.

“It’s a job that takes a lot of time a lot of energy and requires a lot of commitment to Whitman. Sometimes people who have the ability to serve may just be in a place in their life or their career where it’s just not the right fit for them,” said McMurchie.

The fact that the timing doesn’t always work out is one of the reasons that most of the members of the board are older than 50.

“The board looks for people of different ages, but the people who have the time to devote to nonprofit board service are generally older,” said Serrurier.

In addition to time, trustees are asked to make significant financial contributions to the college. As Serrurier put it, the selection of board members is not all about fundraising, but finances and financial expertise is a consideration that has to be recognized.

“Money does play a role. Boards set the direction for the future for their organizations and the future does not come to be reality without money. So trustees are asked to make Whitman one of their top philanthropic priorities, and how much each trustee gives varies hugely depending on the person’s individual circumstance,” said Serrurier. “If you look at the colleges and universities who have really soared, it’s in part because they’ve had very generous and engaged board members who are both giving and encouraging others to give.”

Ultimately the trustees do what they do because they care about Whitman. It is a job that requires a lot of work, time and a commitment to Whitman as an institution, both now and in years to come. However, as trustees attest, it is a worthwhile endeavor that allows them to stay involved with the students, faculty and the campus as a whole and to continue to make Whitman an amazing place.

“I think the relationship between the trustees and the students is an important one, and I think that we need to learn more about the students and the students need to learn more about the trustees,” said Trustee Jim Moore, ‘66, who joined the board in 2013.+

Late October on the Whitman campus is commonly marked by cooler weather, changing colors and lots of high school debaters. This coming Halloween weekend, Whitman will be holding its 42nd-annual Remy Wilcox High School Speech and Debate Tournament.

The tournament will utilize a variety of spaces around campus, from many of the classrooms to residence hall section lounges, and use Reid Campus Center as its base of operations. This year, over 190 high school students from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia are expected to attend the tournament. This year the influx of high schoolers falls over the Halloween weekend.

While the debaters are not much of a surprise to most upperclassmen, first-years can sometimes find it a bit overwhelming. Reid building manager and senior Katie Myers admitted that the first time she encountered the high school debaters she was caught unaware.

“I know when I was a first-year, I didn’t know that the debaters were coming and I didn’t know anything about the tournament, and so walking into [Reid] without knowing that is a bit of a shock,” she said.

Kevin Wright, Whitman’s custodial supervisor, who has worked for Whitman for 25 years now highlighted that the although the debaters can sometimes seem disruptive, they are certainly not as much of a disturbance as they used to be.

“I would say that it has definitely changed for the better. Mainly because years ago we just didn’t have all the facilities. At one point the Cordiner foyer was the biggest open space that we had and at that point they used to sleep on campus. It used to be that they slept everywhere. They’d sleep in the old gym, they’d sleep in student lounges. Now they don’t stay overnight on campus anymore because in the past it was so disruptive,” said Wright.

Space can still sometimes be an issue in Reid, which is often the debaters’ base of operations throughout the tournament. Even if students have seen the debaters before, Myers noted that often when people walk into Reid, they need a moment to process the unfamiliar, congested nature of it all.

“A lot of times people’s eyes just get really big and I can tell that they go through this calculation of, like, where do they need to go and what do they need to get done in this building, and then they just beeline it for the post office or zigzag around everyone to get to the coffee cart,” said Myers.

Additionally, Myers notes that Whitman students sometimes can be a little unreceptive to the idea of others taking over and disrupting the spaces and places that Whitties are used to inhabiting exclusively.

“I think on this campus, we tend to think of our bubble as very much our space and when individuals come into our space that we’re not expecting, that is already startling enough. … When you get hundreds of strangers that we might not have known about, that is a little bit shocking for people who forget that this is a public space too, although [Whitman students] do kind of make this building their own,” said Myers.

One change for the debate tournament this year is that the debaters will be showing up Friday instead of Thursday, and leaving Sunday instead of Saturday. Thus, they will be on campus for the entire Halloween weekend. To prevent debaters from attending its function, Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) men’s fraternity plans to have extra security.

“On big nights like Halloween, it’s pretty standard that fraternities will get private security from the Green Lantern Bar, or if they’re really concerned they can get the Walla Walla police,” said TKE social chair Parker Dawson. “Also, Whitman security has offered their assistance this year which would be fantastic. It’s cool when Whitman security can help out, because they know all the kids. If you just have a big bodyguard from The Green, they’re not going to know who’s a Whitman student and who’s not.”

Though some students may find the debate tournament disruptive, the event can also provide a unique experience for the high school participants.

“I know the debaters are coming and I’m like, ‘Oh boy, brace yourself,’ but I think that we could all do with a little attitude adjustment, because it is cool for them and it is only for three days,” said Myers.

While the influx of high school debaters can be disorienting to college students, it also provides the participants and opportunity to experience a college campus.

“[The tournament] gives students … a chance to visit a college campus and experience participating in a competitive environment with incredibly intelligent Whitman students running around,” said Parliamentary Debate and Individual Events Assistant Kendra Doty in an email. “My favorite part of this tournament is providing high schoolers with a new experience that they generally would not get at another time.”

This past Sunday Oct. 17 marked the beginning of Whitman’s biannual weeklong game of Humans Versus Zombies (HvZ). As of Sunday, 73 participants armed with nerf guns and rolled-up socks were signed up to play the campus-wide game of tag. While this number of players is fairly consistent with recent semesters, it follows a trend of declining participation over the past few years. Whitman has the second-oldest HvZ game in the nation; the first game here was played in 2005, and Whitman largest game occurred in the fall of 2009 with well over 200 people. These days, though, with participation averaging in the 40’s and 60’s across past semesters, hordes of that size are a thing of the past.

HvZ provided participants with supplies including bandanas, nerf guns, and ammunition. Photo by Rachael Barton.

The game itself is a weeklong event with nightly missions as well as daily interchanges between humans, who sport orange armbands and nerf guns, and the Zombies, identified by orange headbands. It is overseen by six moderators who set up the missions, coordinate activities, settle disputes and try to drum up support for the game.

Sophomore Jack Eiford, one of the game’s moderators, believes that the number of people signed up for this semester’s game is fairly consistent with the ratios that you now see at other schools, although he would still like to see participation increase.

“I think the amount of people we have is fine, given the size of Whitman,” said Eiford. “That being said, I would love it if we had games with 200 to 300 people. That would be amazing. That’s way more fun for the people who really love it, and it’s more of a group kind of thing when you have large groups like that.”

Junior Nick Moen, another moderator, admits that the numbers are lower than they were when he was a first-year but predicts that they might pick up in the next few years.

“I expect these numbers to increase over the next couple years, as we’ve been doing a good job with retention — many of our new freshmen each year stick with it, so it’s mostly dependent on how many freshmen play in the first place each semester,” said Moen in an email.

In attempts to get more people (especially first-years) involved this year, moderators have put a lot of effort into making posters, sending out emails, holding info sessions and talking to people more in general.

Bari Scott ’18, Hyun-Soo Seo ’18, and Nick Moen ’16 are ready for the zombie apocalypse. Photo by Rachael Barton.

Eiford highlighted the fact that although sometimes categorized as such, HvZ is a game that is not designed for just one “type” of person.

“We have kind of a narrow demographic of people who play HvZ, and it’s really hard to expand out from that; just in the same way that not everybody plays club lacrosse, not everybody plays a certain type of sport,” said Eiford. “But HvZ, I think, is something that has the potential to draw from many different fields and many different interests. In the game you have all different types of people playing, not just the geeks.”

While different people are drawn to the game for different reasons, sophomore Eric Hsu says that for him and for others the game becomes a way to break out of the weekly routine of school and get in some good exercise.

“It can be a somewhat stressful but really fun experience.” said Hsu. “It also gives people a chance to have some fun in a manner that’s atypical of most games, since this one goes all week long.”

A team of humans including Hyun-Soo Seo ’18, Bari Scott ’18, Winston Weigand ’18, Nick Moen ’16, and Jack Eiford ’17, prepare for a battle against a zombie (Sean Nagle-McNaughton ’16). Photo by Rachael Barton.

Question:  For the first question I thought we’d start off with the question that all east-coasters get asked when they first come to the far off reaches of Washington: Why did you choose to come to Whitman?

Answer: The quality of the institution. The location, the students, and above all the fact that Whitman was very intentional in rethinking how it wanted to proceed on matters of diversity, inclusion and equity. I was very impressed with the intelligence of students, the clear commitment of faculty and the tireless work of staff to make Whitman work for everybody. I felt very welcome and it really did not take a long time for me to arrive at the still very solid conclusion that Whitman is a place where I want to serve.

Question: Where did you grow up?

Answer: I was born in Malawi, South East Africa. I have spent half of my life in the states and half in Africa. In the states, I lived in Vermont, NY, Illinois and currently Pennsylvania. I consider Chicago my home.

Question: What’s five things that you want students to know about you?

Answer: a. I prefer to be called “Kazi.” b. I want you to come and talk to me when things are going well and when they are not going well. c. I am eager to get a sense from students what their vision of a fully inclusive, diverse and equitable Whitman is. d. I have a supportive family, My wife (Elise) my three daughters (Grace–High School Sophomore, Eneya–First year in High School, Will-Seventh grade and Miki, fourth grade). e. I love blues and gospel music and read philosophy for leisure.

Question:  Do you have any hobbies?

Answer: Yes (see above): music, reading, travel and community service

Question: If you could give a TED talk, what would it be on?

Answer: The intersection of Civic Engagement, US Diversity and Internationalization (meaning both study away and international students studying at Whitman) in creating fully global citizens and scholars.

Question:What are your goals as you transition into your new position here at Whitman?

Answer: a. Listen very carefully to every constituency regarding what is important to them regarding a diverse, inclusive and equitable Whitman. b. Get to know as many people as possible. c. Explore the possibility of carrying out a campus wide independently executed climate survey. d. In consultation with other leaders and governance bodies create a diversity council that would constitute a shared “hub” of our common work on diversity, equity and inclusion. My own sense is that this work that others have been doing before I got to whitman and that no one person alone can do it all. It is shared labor. e. In conjunction with the Diversity Council above, create a concrete vision of a diverse a Whitman and a concrete strategic diversity plan that would get us there.

Question:What are the top-three qualities that draw you to someone new?

Answer:  Kindness, Love, [and] ability to listen to others (speak less and listen more).

Question: What’s one piece of advice that you would give to someone?

Answer: A situation may seem to be insurmountable in the current moment, but in the course of time, it may very well be that it was only an opportunity for growth and maturity. The trick is to balance the two perspectives.

Question: How do you plan to deal with the issues of socio-economic diversity, as highlighted by the New York Times article, that this campus is currently facing?  (This question might be a little unfair seeing as you haven’t even started yet, but it will be a question that will most likely asked of you upon arrival and so I thought it OK to ask anyway.)

Answer: Of course, a lot has been said about this matter, and as you indicate below, I haven’t yet started working at Whitman. It would be an act of total hubris for me to make an assumption that I would have a solution without consultation with others. I can say though that the current circumstances are offering us (Whitties) an incredible opportunity to engage in campus wide conversations regarding what kind of diversity we want and what the budgetary implications are. I think it also invites us to place this current discussion in a broader national context in which questions of economic inequality have predominated and the question of the cost of higher education and the scale of debt students carry has been vigorously debated. Whitman is a small part of that, it will not solve all the questions of inequality, but we might arrive at a modest goal (general direction), that might help us continue to fulfill the social mission of Whitman and still remain economically viable.

Question: What were you like as a student?

Answer: I was a non traditional, first generation and immigrant student in the whitest state in the nation (Vermont) and my social location logically led me to student activism. I was part of an activist group at University of Vermont (I went to Trinity College across the street from UVM) that took over the administration building for two weeks and we were finally routed out by a dawn raid of the Burlington police. I created my own undergraduate degree program of study whose focus was on social change. I worked as an organize under the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness as an outreach person for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and I traveled all over the south of the U.S. doing that work. These experiences shaped my perspective as a professor and administrator.

Whitman has appointed Kazi Joshua to the newly created position of associate dean for intercultural affairs and chief diversity officer. Joshua’s position will greatly expand upon the existing position of director of the Intercultural Center when he enters it in January. The position was created in late 2013 as Whitman looked for someone who could work with students, faculty and the administration when it came to engaging in discussions and solutions to the problems of diversity, while simultaneously overseeing the Intercultural Center. Additionally, Joshua will be a member of the of the President’s Council and will have input into both short and long-term discussions and priorities of the college.

According to Associate Dean for Faculty Development Lisa Perfetti, who served as chair of the search committee responsible for hiring Joshua, his role will be to help organize the discussions and solutions surrounding concerns of diversity on campus.

“The chief diversity officer’s role is not to run interference and to solve every diversity related issue that comes up on campus. Their role is to coordinate the efforts and to help every office on campus to integrate a diversity and equity perspective into their work,” said Perfetti.

Campus leaders in many capacities are optimistic about Joshua’s appointment.

“Kazi was the consensus choice of faculty, staff and students,” said Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland.

Former ASWC President Tim Reed added that he was eager to watch as Joshua steps into his new and very unique position here at Whitman.

“Most of all, he displayed an intent focus on listening and learning about what issues are most relevant to students. I have no doubt that he’ll do an excellent job,” said Reed.

Joshua, who prefers to be called “Kazi,” is originally from Malawi in Southeast Africa, and he has lived in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, but considers Chicago to be home. He has a wife, three daughters and a son and enjoys reading philosophy and listening to the blues and gospel music in his leisure time. Joshua’s alma mater is Trinity College in Vermont. During his time there he was part of a student activist group at the University of Vermont that took over the administration building for two weeks. He is drawn to people who convey the traits of kindness, love and the ability to listen to others.

Joshua and his family are coming to Whitman from Allegheny College in Meadville, Penn., where he served as the associate dean and director of The Center for Intercultural Advancement and Student Success. He has a background in social change and theology and has taught courses on race and ethnic studies.

“I am very excited to work with him. He is very dynamic, full of ideas and is well-read. He has a lot of enthusiasm and it’s infectious,” said Cleveland.

While chief diversity officer is new position here at Whitman, the position is certainly not unique to Whitman.

“This is a position that a lot of colleges have created in their institutions. We’re in a period right now across high education where a lot of institutions have committed to the priority of that kind of a position” said Perfetti.

It looks as though Joshua will have his plate full as he hits the ground running in January, with plans of getting to know as many people as possible, the hopes of overseeing a campus wide climate study, creating a diversity council and helping to create a diversity strategic plan for the college.

“My understanding is that we resisted this [position] for a while because of the fear that that work would be siloed. Now it can be that way. If a campus doesn’t understand the role of a diversity officer, it can be just trying to unload on that person everything that comes up,” said Perfetti.

Joshua has been on campus three times now, between visiting for an on campus interview, convocation and just recently in the first week of October. When he joins Whitman full time in January, students are encouraged to make a point to get to know him.

“I felt him to be very warm, a very good listener, very passionate and an amazing mind,” said Perfetti when reflecting on her first impressions.

Joshua has high hopes for his tenure at Whitman, citing an enthusiasm on campus for social change.

“Whitman was very intentional in rethinking how it wanted to proceed on matters of diversity, inclusion and equity. I was very impressed with the intelligence of students, the clear commitment of faculty and the tireless work of staff to make Whitman work for everybody,” said Joshua. “I felt very welcome and it really did not take a long time for me to arrive at the still very solid conclusion that Whitman is a place where I want to serve.”

To learn more about Mr. Joshua and his background, read our online Q and A with him.