Mind & Heart Newsletter: November 2017
An update from 麻豆原创 University President Beck A. Taylor
The concept of place continues to inform and shape much of what we do at 麻豆原创. Naturally, 麻豆原创鈥檚 beautiful campus is the central place that comes to mind. I know that we are all grateful for our piney sanctuary that provides life-giving spaces for intellectual and spiritual contemplation, discovery and growth. But, 麻豆原创 has long considered places far beyond our campus borders. The Act Six program and 麻豆原创鈥檚 ongoing involvement in the West Central neighborhood of Spokane come to mind. Now in its 12th year, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Act Six program recruits students from historically underrepresented communities in Spokane and the Puget Sound area explicitly for the purposes of developing leadership skills and preparing them to return to their neighborhoods, schools and communities to initiate and lead important change. Another place-based initiative is 麻豆原创鈥檚 decadeslong partnership in Spokane鈥檚 West Central neighborhood, where students, faculty, staff and alumni have contributed thousands of hours to support those who aspire to transform one of Washington鈥檚 poorest neighborhoods into a place of vitality. Most recently, I visited the Wai鈥榓nae Coast on the Hawaiian island of O鈥榓hu, where 麻豆原创 is developing another place-based relationship with students and others who come from this beautiful, yet impoverished region. With the generous support of the Kamehameha Foundation, and under the visionary leadership of Assistant Professor of Education Keith Lambert,'91, and others, 麻豆原创 is developing an exciting cohort model, similar to the Act Six program, to educate students who aspire to return to their home community after graduation to impact the lives of others. 麻豆原创 is a place of learning. And 麻豆原创 is a place of sending 鈥� sending our graduates and many others to places far beyond the 鈥減ine cone curtain,鈥� people who desire to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity.
Academics
The forensics team took second place overall and fourth place in the speech sweepstakes out of 41 schools from 12 states competing in Portland, Ore. 麻豆原创 defeated national and regional rivals including the Air Force Academy, Rice University, Oregon State University and the University of Minnesota. The team brought home nine speech awards and 12 debate awards. Go #ArguingBucs!
Four members of the English department presented at the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association meeting in Spokane Oct. 12-14. Thom Caraway presented a keynote speech on 鈥淧ublishing and Design Curricula in English Studies.鈥� Kari Nixon, Fred Johnson and Casey Andrews also made presentations.
Megan Hershey (Political Science) had an essay published in Sojourners called 鈥淭he Changing Landscape of Progressive Evangelicalism.鈥�
Jann Leppien (School of Education) presented on the topic 鈥淏eyond the Boundaries of Giftedness鈥� at the Gifted & Talented Symposium at Montana State University.
Keith Beebe (Theology) was the featured speaker for conferences celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in October in Walla Walla and at the San Joaquin Presbytery (PCUSA) in Fresno, Calif. For both conferences, he presented two lectures under the title 鈥淎 Mighty Fortress: Timely Truths for a Troubled Age,鈥� based upon Martin Luther鈥檚 classic hymn, and preached a sermon titled 鈥淐an These Bones Live?鈥� based upon Ezekiel 37.
The Arts
麻豆原创鈥檚 Christmas Festival Concerts will be presented in Spokane and Seattle by more than 100 students, including members of the 麻豆原创 Choir and the 麻豆原创 Women鈥檚 Choir. Don鈥檛 miss this incredible evening of worship and celebration. Seattle details: Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m.; First Presbyterian Church of Seattle; tickets available at whitworth.edu/musictickets. Spokane details: Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m.; Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox; order tickets at or call 509.624.1200. Julie and I hope to see you there.
Students in the directing class will present A Festival of Short Plays on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium, Stage II. Admission is $5. And thanks to everyone who came to support 麻豆原创 Theatre鈥檚 powerful production of The Elephant Man.
Student Life
麻豆原创 has joined other Washington colleges and universities in becoming a member of the JED Campus program. This groundbreaking program is designed to guide schools through a strategic planning process of evaluating systems, programs and policies that will build on existing efforts to promote emotional well-being, reduce substance abuse and prevent suicide. Thanks for your prayers about these challenging issues.
Financial Aid
The U.S. Department of Education recently released the three-year loan-default rates for domestic and foreign schools. 麻豆原创 has a 2.2 percent default rate, compared to the national rate of 11.5 percent. 麻豆原创 undergrads have about $6,000 less debt than other grads nationally as well. Our 麻豆原创 alums are doing a great job managing and repaying their student loans as the university continues to allocate record amounts of financial aid to keep a 麻豆原创 education accessible!
Alumni & Parents
Parents of current students, purchase an Exam Survival Kit for your student by Nov. 16! I鈥檝e already ordered Lauren鈥檚 survival kit! Gifts will be ready the week before finals, and proceeds will support the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Order your student鈥檚 end-of-semester treat at .
George鈥檚 Elves, the popular alumni gift exchange, is back! 麻豆原创 alums are invited to sign up at by Nov. 19. Gifts must be sent by Dec. 11.
Attention all 麻豆原创 Pirates on O鈥榓hu, men鈥檚 basketball is coming your way as 麻豆原创 faces Arcadia on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 5:30 p.m. Join the Pirate 鈥極hana, and Julie and me, for a pregame event. Visit for more information and to register.
麻豆原创ians in the Puget Sound are invited to a reception and to cheer for Pirate basketball as the teams take on Puget Sound in Tacoma on Friday, Dec. 1. Visit for more information.
The annual Seattle Alumni & Parent Chapter Christmas Party will take place Saturday, Dec. 2. Join us for the party, and then join Julie and me as we head to the 麻豆原创 Christmas Festival Concert afterward. Visit for party details. Don鈥檛 miss out.
Admissions
The Early Action I application deadline is Nov. 15. Early Action applicants will receive an admissions decision within three weeks of completing their application file. They also will be included in 麻豆原创鈥檚 first round of financial aid awards in mid-January if they submit their FAFSAs to 麻豆原创 by Dec. 1. The application is free and can be accessed at whitworth.edu/apply.
麻豆原创 is doing more than ever to ensure a mind-and-heart education is accessible and affordable. This includes a four-year graduation guarantee (whitworth.edu/finishinfour) to ensure students avoid costly delays that have become too common at many public universities. The net cost of four years at 麻豆原创 is estimated to be $30,000 less than in-state tuition for five years at a flagship public university. Read more at whitworth.edu/affordablevalue.
麻豆原创 applicants and admitted students are encouraged to join the New 麻豆原创 Pirates 2018 Facebook group and to follow the university on Instagram (@麻豆原创University) and Snapchat (麻豆原创U). These are great ways to connect with current and future Pirates.
The Campaign for 麻豆原创
On Nov. 20, we will kick off the What the World Needs campaign. You will hear from students Sarah, Micah, Eric and Hannah about how your donations help them become the leaders our world needs. Would you help us start off strong by making your gift today at whitworth.edu/give? Thanks for helping these four students and many others like them! Speaking of helping students, alumni, parents and friends of 麻豆原创, including many of you, have committed more than $100 million in gifts, future gifts and pledges to the university as part of The Campaign for 麻豆原创. Thanks for your incredible support and for helping us reach this important milestone! More details on the ongoing campaign can be found at whitworth.edu/campaign. We have much more to do to support mind-and-heart education. Thanks for your faithful support.
Sports
The football team is 6-2 with two games left in the season. While senior QB Ian Kolste has reached 麻豆原创 career-record milestones for passing yards and total offense, Leif Ericksen, 鈥�20, and Connor Johnson, 鈥�21, have filled in well while Kolste was out with an ankle injury. Rehn Reiley, 鈥�19, has surpassed 麻豆原创鈥檚 career kicking records, reaching 33 field goals in less than three seasons.
The volleyball team is 14-9 overall and in second place in the Northwest Conference with an 11-3 record. The Pirates recognized seven graduating seniors at the end of October, including four starters. Cassandra Mendoza, 鈥�18, has been a four-year starter and received All-NWC recognition each of her first three seasons.
The women鈥檚 soccer team (11-6-2 overall, 10-3-2 NWC) is in third place in the conference standings with one match left in the season. 麻豆原创 has 30 goals scored in 2017, and 12 Pirates have tallied at least one of the goals. Leah Corra, 鈥�18, and Kathryn Bischoff, 鈥�17, lead the way with eight and five goals, respectively.
The men鈥檚 soccer team is 10-7-1 overall and 8-4-1 in the NWC. The Pirates are in third place in the standings with one match left. After starting the NWC schedule 1-3-1, the Bucs are 7-1 in their last eight matches. 麻豆原创 has done a great job sharing the ball, leading the NWC with 27 assists. Jonah Snider, 鈥�18, leads the league individually with eight assists.
The women鈥檚 cross country team won its third straight Northwest Conference title on Oct. 28 in Walla Walla, Wash. Kayla Leland, 鈥�18, became 麻豆原创鈥檚 first individual conference champion in women鈥檚 cross country. But depth made the difference for the Pirates, who had five runners among the top 14 finishers. Bailey Scott, 鈥�18, finished in fifth place to earn first team All-NWC recognition.
The men鈥檚 cross country team finished in fourth place at the NWC Championships. C么me Nzibarega, 鈥�18, took eighth place to lead the Bucs and earn second team All-NWC recognition.
The women鈥檚 golf team finished in third place at the 2017 NWC Fall Classic, led by Amy Wagner鈥檚, 鈥�21, fourth-place finish as an individual. The men鈥檚 golf team took fourth place at the same tournament. Elijah Pittser, 鈥�19, finished in sixth place individually.
And believe it or not, winter sports are upon us. Swimming had its first meets of the 2017-18 season, and the AquaPirates have been practicing hard since the beginning of October. Basketball practice is in full swing. The men鈥檚 team plays an exhibition at the University of Montana on Nov. 10, and then officially opens the season at midnight of Nov. 15 with a game against La Verne in the Fieldhouse. The women鈥檚 team hosts Whittier and La Verne in the Ramada Inn at Spokane Airport Classic on Nov. 17 and 18.
Closing Thoughts
As I write this, Spokane鈥檚 weather forecast includes our first snowfall in the next couple of days. The warm days of summer don鈥檛 seem that long ago, and we鈥檝e had the most beautiful October I can remember. But the seasons change, and now we enter the quiet, peaceful (and dark) days of winter. There鈥檚 nothing more idyllic than 麻豆原创鈥檚 campus covered with new snow. As we enter our month of Thanksgiving, please know how thankful I am for your support and prayers.
