Whitman Stories
![Whitney Rich runs in the cross country championships.](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2020/February/Whitney-Rich-Thumbnail.jpg)
February 11, 2020
Distance Track Program Expands Competition for Cross Country Athletes
Beginning this spring, Whitman College’s scholar-athletes have a new opportunity to compete nationally in the NCAA. The college has formalized its nontraditional cross country season as an NCAA-recognized distance track program.
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February 11, 2020
Emeritus Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies Bob Carson Weighs Future of Flood Control in Walla Walla Valley
In light of recent flooding in the foothills of the Blue Mountain, he writes that the future of flood control in the Walla Walla Valley must be addressed, including critical infrastructure.
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![A portrait of Al-Rahim Merali at the Google campus.](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2020/February/Al-Rahim-Merali-Thumbnail.jpg)
February 10, 2020
Al-Rahim Merali '13 Redefines Success at Google
Psychology major Al-Rahim Merali '13 thought he knew what he needed to be successful. Today, the User Experience Researcher at Google knows that success is more about flexibility and critical thinking then what kind of degree you have.
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February 7, 2020
Meet Our Whitties: Kylie Nash '20
Meet Our Whitties is an occasional feature produced by the Office of Communications. It features a Q&A with students from across Whitman College. The February feature is with senior BBMB major Kylie Nash.
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![A portrait of Johanna Stoberock](/images/academics/majors/english/faculty/Stoberock-Johanna-250.jpg)
February 5, 2020
Author Johanna Stoberock Brings Writer Lessons into the Classroom
Johanna Stoberock has always been a writer. Her storytelling started young: “I guess growing up I always wrote. It was something that I really loved doing. I was a huge reader and kept a journal for years and years” said Stoberock, a senior adjunct assistant professor of Composition and General Studies at Whitman College.
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February 3, 2020
Film and Media Studies Professor Robert Sickels' Guide to 2020 Oscars
Alma Meisnest Chair of Humanities and Professor of Film and Media Studies Robert Sickels spoke to a reporter about this year's Academy Award nominees and concerns over the lack of diversity.
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January 31, 2020
Sociology Professor Álvaro Santana-Acuña Curates Gabriel García Márquez Exhibit
"The Making of a Global Writer" opens February 1 at the University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Center. Comprising approximately 300 items, including numerous never-before-seen documents, it charts the Nobel Prize-winning author's path toward becoming a literary star.
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![Students sit in chairs and talk to alumni during sophomore summit.](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2020/January/sophomore-summit-2020-thumbnail.jpg)
January 24, 2020
Sophomore Summit Helps Second-Year Students Find Direction
Hosted by the Student Engagement Center (SEC), the 2020 Sophomore Summit brought together more than two dozen students with alumni and community leaders to explore careers and gain professional skills.
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January 21, 2020
Politics Professor Jack Jackson Discusses Impeachment Case
Assistant Professor of Politics Jack Jackson describes the impeachment case against President Trump as "new territory" for the U.S. but adds that the proceedings "may reveal more consensus in the country about the president’s behavior than people imagine ... The partisan spectacle in Congress may, in fact, be obscuring this reality.”
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January 21, 2020
Basketball Player Jaron Kirkley '20 Perseveres as Student-Athlete
At six, Kirkley suffered a seizure that left him unable to read, write and speak for years. Doctors warned he would never be a regular student, but Kirkley, now a geology-environmental studies major at Whitman in addition to a standout on the basketball court, has overcome obstacles with the support of his professors and coaches.
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![Activist and speaker Mariah Parker.](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2020/January/Mariah-Parker-Thumbnail.jpg)
January 16, 2020
Unity Week Brings Community Together to Focus on Social Justice
The Walla Walla community is invited to join Whitman College in creating positive social change during its inaugural Unity Week events, Jan. 20-24, 2020. It’s a week that brings together community members, leaders in social justice, and college students from Whitman College, Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) and Walla Walla University (WWU) with speakers and workshops aimed at transforming a passion for equality into action.
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January 14, 2020
Psychology Professor Erin Pahlke Discusses Children's Reactions to Elections
Associate Professor of Psychology Erin Pahlk, who co-authored a study last year about kids' reactions to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said that right now children need some help "thinking through the different politicians’ perspectives and the different policies."
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