Our Place in Walla Walla
Our Place in Walla Walla is a periodic column published by Noah Leavitt, Co-Director for the Career and Community Engagement Center for External Affairs and College Liaison for Community Affairs. It was created as a tool to help Whitman students learn more about the Walla Walla Valley, many of whom are living in Walla Walla for the first time. Each piece examines a different element of the area, from annual events to landmarks to community leaders.
Our Place in Walla Walla is published bi-weekly during the academic year as a featured column in the Whitman Today newsletter and here on the website.
October 30, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #6: Elections and Voting
These days, our place is filled with ballots. Washington uses a mail-in voting process and so over the past week Walla Walla residents have received their ballots for numerous races.
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October 16, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #5: Local Alumni
Inspiring Whitman College alumni are all around us, every day. Indeed, you could not live in a better place to get to know community leaders who want to support your goals and aspirations than Walla Walla, because many of these leaders are our alumni.
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October 2, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #4: Heritage Park and Windows on the Past
If you walked Main Street during the last two weeks you likely noticed a new construction site about halfway between campus and Walawála Plaza. Set to open in late Spring, the new Heritage Park will become the heart of Main Street and will be a venue for the entire community, “continuing the expansion of public gathering spaces that have been created downtown in recent years.”
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September 18, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #3: Connections Conference
The Walla Walla Valley is home to many people committed to building a more just, inclusive and accessible community for those who live here now and those who will live here in the future. On Friday Oct. 6, Whitman students are invited to spend the day with nearly 100 local leaders from BIPOC communities as well as white allies to build relationships to open up creative thinking about our Valley’s transformation.
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September 4, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #2: The Happy Canyon Pageant
The Pendleton Round-Up, running from Wednesday, Sept. 13 through Saturday, Sept. 16, is one of the oldest and largest rodeos in the United States. Another special event connected to yet quite distinct from the rodeo is the Happy Canyon Pageant.
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August 21, 2023
Our Place in Walla Walla #1: The Fair
The Walla Walla Valley, home of Whitman College, is complex, traditional, innovative, surprising and lovely. It’s a place that’s proud of what we have and also aware that we need to be looking ahead to guide our future.
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