� Whitman Magazine

CAMPUS NEWS

July 2007 �

WhenagunmanturnedtheVirginiaTechcampusintoakillingfieldinApril,Whitmanstudents,facultyandstaffrespondedwithshock,followedquicklybyloveandsupport.ThecampuscommunitycametogetheronApril18foravigiltorememberthe31studentsandfacultybeingmourned2,500milesaway. VigilorganizerNatalie Knott ’07saidshewas“amazedandsohappytobeapartofthiscommunityatthatmoment”whenstudents,staff,facultyandcommunitymembersgatheredtoexpresstheirthoughtsonaposterlatersenttoVirginiaTech. Strongattendanceatthevigilwasa“testamenttohow

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Whitman’sdebateteamcappedabril-liantyearofcompetitionwithaninarguableresult:theNo.1rankinginthecountryincombinedpolicyandparliamentarydebatebasedonNationalDebateTournamentandNationalParliamentaryDebateAssociationfigures. WhitmanunseatedperennialrivalUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,fortophonors.Invarsitypolicydebate,CoachJimHanson’screwtriumphedoverpower-housesHarvard,Emory,NorthwesternandDartmouth. Whitmanalsowastheonlyschoolinthecountrythisyeartosendteamstoelimina-tionroundsinallfournationalchampion-shiptournaments.ThoseteamsincludedseniorsChris Chamness, Matt Schissler, Ross Richendrfer, Ben Meiches andMeghan Hughes. ThecollegequalifiedthreeteamstotheNDT,thesmallestschooltodosointhehistoryofthetournament. “DebateisacriticalpartofWhitman’sliberalartsmission,”saidHanson.“Debatersareexposedtodiverseideasfromsuchfieldsasphilosophy,scienceandpolitics,andtheyhavetoanalyzeand

Debaters No. 1 in combined policy, parliamentary debatesynthesizethoseideasintotheirownwhentheycommunicatetheirarguments. “Howmuchourstudentsdedicatethemselvestotheworkthatdebaterequireswillalwaysamazeme.Butknowingtheircommitment,andthestrengthofthisparticularteam,I’mnotsurprisedwiththeresults.” OntheheelsoftheNDT,RichendrferwasselectedasaScholasticAll-AmericanbytheCross-ExaminationDebateAssocia-tionforhisfour-yearrecordofachieve-ment.(Richendrfer’sgreat-grandfatherattendedWhitman,andhisgreat-greatuncle,StanleyYates,wasanaccomplisheddebaterandthecollege’sfirstRhodesScholarin1911.) Inparliamentarydebate,ChamnessandJeff Wilson ’08reachedtheeliminationroundsoftheNationalParliamentaryTour-namentofExcellenceinLaramie,Wyo.TheirshowingputthematNo.25innationalrankings. Hanson’sindefatigablehelpersincludeAaronHardy,assistantforpolicydebate;RobOlsen,assistantforparliamentarydebate;andstudentassistantAndrew Lum ’07.

“This is the third year in the past four that Whitman has advanced teams to elimination debates in all four tourna-ments. I don’t think any other team in the nation can say that.”

— Jim Hanson professor of forensics

(National Debate Coach of the Year 2004)

Premed student’s jazz earns him top spot at Lionel Hampton Eddie Fisher ’07hadjustdriventhe124milesfromtheLionelHamptonJazzFestivalinMoscow,Idaho,toWallaWallawhenProfessorofMusicDavidGlenncalledtotellhimtoturnaroundandheadback.Fisherhadearned“MostOutstandingCollegeJazzMusician”honorsatthefestivalinFebruary. Hisreward:aninvitationtoperformwiththeLionelHamptonNewYorkBigBand.ItwasamomentFisherrelished,butonlyforamoment.Thesaxophonist,historymajorandchemistryminorisnotonetorest,particularlyonlaurels.Especiallywhentherewereseniororalstoworryabout,andmedicalschoolacceptancestosortoutforfall. “I’mprettyseriousaboutmyacademicexpecta-tions,”hesaid.“ButI’mnotcompetitive.I’mnotouttolearnsomethingatsomebodyelse’sexpense.” Fisher’smusiceducationcameearlyandeasily.Bothofhisparentsplaypiano(hisfatherdoublesonguitar),andbothhavehadalongstandingloveaffairwithAmericanmusic,beitbluesorBroadwayshowtunes.Fishertookuppianowhenhewas8.Twoyearslaterheswitchedtosaxophone.InhissophomoreyearatRooseveltHighSchoolin

Seattle,heearnedachairintheschool’snationallycelebratedjazzbandandayearlatertraveledtoLincolnCenterinNewYork,whereRooseveltearnedfirst-placehonorsintheEssentiallyEllingtonFestival.Thecompetitionistheyardstickofjazzmusicianshipatthesecondary-schoollevel.“TosharethestagewithWyntonMarsalisatLincolnCenter...Idoubttherewillbeasinglebiggermomentformeinjazz,”Fisherallowed.Hesaidthisknowingthatmusicisanintegralpartofhislife,nottherulerofhislife.ThisfallFisherwillentermedicalschoolatPennsylvaniaStateUniversityafterturningdownoffersfromDrexelandSt.Louisuniversities.He’salreadyaskedhimselftheobviousquestion:Whatwillbecomeofhismusicalambitions,giventhedemandsofhismedicalstudies?TheanswerliesbetweenthelinesofFisher’sinitiallistofschools.Mostareincitieswithlivelyjazzscenes.Hismindtellshimhecandoboth—medicineandmusic.Hisspirittellshimhehastodoboth. “IknowI’llneedthemusictobalancetheschool-work.”Eddie Fisher

powerfullymanyfolksatWhitmanexperiencedtheshootingsatVirginiaTech,”saidAdamKirtley,Stuartreligiouscounselor.ResponseamongWhitmanstudents,staffandfacultyranthegamutoffear,anger,sadnessandnumbness,Kirtleysaid. “Thevigilwasanopportunityforpeopletocome,tobethereforeachotherandtakeaccountoftheirrelationshipsatWhitman,”hesaid. “AlotofpeopleinterviewedonTVaftertheshootingssaidBlacksburg(Va.)wasthelastplacethey’dexpectsomethinglikethattohappen.Wewoulddescribethisplaceinexactlythesameway.Alotofpeopleherewereaffectedbythat.”

“I couldn’t imagine that we — as a commu-nity of students much like Virginia Tech’s community of students — wouldn’t do something to remember them. I couldn’t imagine just going on about our daily lives.”

— Natalie Knott ’07

Whitman community mourns with Virginia Tech after shootings

CAMPUS NEWS

� Whitman Magazine July 2007 �

Fun conservation notebooks draw international attention Theymakethecoolestcerealboxnotebooks,onesthatflyoutoftheWhitmanBookstorealmostbeforetheyhittheshelves.Butmakinga“cool”notebookisn’ttheirgoal.Jay Heath ’07,Kristen Kirkby ’07and

othermembersofthePaperCampaignmakethenotebooksfromone-sidedpaperdiscardedoncampusandrecycledcerealboxescollectedbytheEnvironmentalStudiesHouse.Theobjectoftheenterpriseistoreusemate-rialsbeforetheyarerecycledanddrawattentiontopaperwasteoncampus.Paperconsumptionhas

beenafocusforHeathandKirkbysincetheystartedareduce-for-recycleprogramasfirst-yearswiththegoalofraisingmoneytohelpthecollegebuy100percentpost-consumerwasterecycledpaper.Whentheybeganthepush,30percentofthepaperpurchasedbythecollegemetthisstandard.Todayitalldoes.Theclevercerealboxnotebookshavedrawninternationalattention

afteravideoshowingtheproductionandpurposeofthenotebookswasawinnerinanationalcontest. Seethevideo:truths.treehugger.com/

video/contest_entry_cool_notebooks_f.php.

Students garner record number of Fulbright scholarships In memoriam

Beloved biology professor dies at 97 ArthurRempel,aprofessorwhospent37yearsinfusinggenerationsofWhitmanstudentswithaloveforbiologyandtheworldofnature,passedawayMay1,2007,inWallaWallaatage97.Heissurvivedbyhiswifeof73years,Lucile. “IlearnedinmyfirstyearatWhitman(1975)howgreataninfluenceArtRempelhadbeenonhisstudents,”saidCharlesDrabek,thebiologyprofessorwhoholdstheendowedchairinRempel’sname. “Hispassionateloveforthemiracleoflifewascommunicatednotbyeloquentoratorybutbyhiswholebeing,”Bruce Beckwith ’55saidofRempel. FollowingRempel’sretirementin1976,hespentdecadesmoredevotedtothelifelonglearningofalumni.Atage86,hewasaresourcelectureronaPanama/CostaRicacoastalcruisewithalumni,Shirley Quine Coffin ’56recalls. “Hedetailedthemigrationoffloraandfaunanorthand/orsouthacrosstheIsthmusofPanamaovertheages...andhissignaturedeliveryoftwohoursatatimewithnonotesamazedallofourfellowpassengers,excepttheWhitmancontingent!Weremembered!”

Formorealumnicomments,seewww.whitman.edu/content/news/alumnitribute.

English professor helped develop Core precursor MichaelMcClintick,aformerWhitmanEnglishprofessorknownasavoraciousreaderwhointroducedmanynewauthorstothecurriculum,passedawayMarch11,2007,inWallaWallaatage66.HeretiredfromWhitmanin2004afteralmostfourdecadesintheEnglishDepartment. McClintickjoinedthefacultyin1965,andoverthe

yearsplayedakeyroleincreatingthecollege’sexpositorywritingprogramanddevelopingfirst-yearseminarsthatprovidedtheinspirationfortheCoreprogramtoday.

ProfessorEmeritusPatrickHenrysaidMcClintick’smainapproachtoliteraturewaspsychological.HestudiedattheJungInstituteinSwitzerland.

“Hisknowledgeof20thcenturyworldliteraturewasprofound,andheattractedasmallfollowingofEnglishmajorswhotookjustabouteverycourseheoffered.”HenrydescribedMcClintickasa“verysuccessfulhuman

beingwho,attheendoftheroad,battledcancerforalmostfiveyears,takinghischemotherapyandwalking10milesaday.” McClintickissurvivedbyhiswife,Kathleen,andsonsChristopher ’84,John ’88and James ’96.

Daniel Beekman

Jay Heath ’07 and Kristen Kirkby ’07

How do you write “$120,000 National Science Foundation Fellowship” in Morse code?

Ben Schupack ’07holdsaworldrecordinMorsecode,butthatdidn’tearnhima$120,000NationalScienceFoundationGrad-uateResearchFellowship.RatheritwashistalentforgeologynurturedthroughWhitman’sintensivefield-basedwork,andcompetitivewritingskillshonedthroughcollegewritingclasses,thatSchupackfeelsearnedhimafellowshiprareforundergraduates. Inthefall,SchupackwillattendgraduateschoolattheUniversityofColorado,Boulder,toworkwiththeInstituteofArcticandAlpineResearch,focusingontheinteractionbetweenvolcaniceruptionsandArcticclimatevari-ability. TheseniorfromSammamish,Wash.,discoveredhisloveforgeologyandenvironmentalscienceatWhitman,wherehefoundtheenthusiasmofhis“brilliantandpassionate”geologyprofessors“quitecontagious.” “Whitmangeologystudentshavethegreatadvantageofanactivefieldcomponentinthecurriculum,”Schupacksaid.“Thebestgeolo-gistsintheworldaretheoneswhocansticktheirnosesintheoutcrops,gettheirhandsdirty,makedetailedobservationsandhaveunhinderedcreativity.” Asanundergraduateresearcher,Schupackpresentedatfiveprofessionalmeetings,fourofwhichwerenational,onsubjectsrangingfromhighArcticlakesintheSvalbardArchipelagototheeruptionstylesofvolcanoesonMars. “Hehassomuchtalent,”saidgeologyProfessorBobCarson,whoisquicktopointoutthatthescholar-athletealsohasatalentforthefinearts.SchupackparticipatedonthecyclingteamandservedasleadtrombonistintheWhitmanJazzBand. AsforhisMorsecodeskills,that’smoreofahobby,Schupacksaid,althoughhedoesholdtheCQWorldwideInternationalDXContestWorldRecord. Sohowdoyouwrite“$120,000NationalScienceFoundationFellowship”inMorsecode?“.----..-------.-/-..---.-...-...-.-./-..--..----..-.-../...-.-....-.-.-../..-.---..--.-...--..----./..-...-...-..---.--............--.”

Michael McClintick

Ben Schupack

EightWhitmanstudentsandtwoalumniwereawardednationalFulbrightscholar-shipsthisspring,arecordforthecollegethatearnedaspotintheFulbrightProgram’stop25Fulbright-producingschoolsinthenation.Inthelastfiveyears,Whitman’sstudentsandalumnihavebroughthome26Fulbrights. AnthropologymajorDaniel Beekman ’07earnedaFulbrighttotraveltoChinatostudy“howBeijingwillpresentitselftoaglobalaudiencewhenithoststhe2008BeijingOlympicGames....TheChinesehaveinvitedtheworldtoscrutinizethreedecadesofdevelopment.Forbetterorworse,theGameswillpunctuateChina’squestformodernizationandgloballegitimacy.” Eric Cates ’07,aSpanishmajor,willteachinSpain. Ezra Fox ’07willteachEnglishinMalaysia.Aphilosophymajor,heisgoingthere“togainfirsthandexperienceofaMuslimcountryandgivemystudentsaviewintotheUnitedStates.” Kyle Martz ’07, agenderstudiesandGermanstudiesmajor,willtraveltoGermanytoteachEnglishasasecondlanguage.HehopestousetheexperiencetoprovideGermanstudentswithabetterunderstandingofothercountriesthoughconversationandexposuretoU.S.culture.“Iplantousecultural‘pointsoforientation,’suchasclassic

Ezra Fox Veronica Willeto

A. van SchilfgaardeKyle Martz

Katherine Pease

andcontemporaryliterature,filmandmusictocompareandcontrastcultures,”hesaid. Megan McConville ’07,achemistry-environmentalstudiesmajor,willdoresearchonsoilandsedimentandstudywatermanage-mentintheNetherlands. Katherine Pease ’07,aneconomicsmajor,isembarkingonajourneytoSouthKoreawhereshewillserveasahighschoolteachingassistant.She,too,hopestopromoteinteractiveculturalexchangesintheclass-roomandout. Ari van Schilfgaarde ’07, aphysics-envi-ronmentalstudiesmajor,willteachEnglishtosecondaryschoolstudentsinanIslamicboardingschoolinCentralJava,Indonesia. InBotswananextyear,Veronica Willeto ’07, ahistoryandraceandethnicstudiesmajor,willstudyculturaltourism.“OneformoftourisminBotswanaisindigenousculturaltourism,”shesaid.“Thoughculturaltourismisanalternativepreferabletoindustrialtourism,therearestillnegativeimpacts.” Fulbrightfellowshipsalsowenttotwoalumni.Tanya Henderson ’05willserveasateachingassistantinGermany,andEmily Marr ’04willconductresearchinSouthKorea.

Formoreaboutthewinners,seewww.whitman.edu/content/news

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Arthur Rempel

CAMPUS NEWS

� Whitman Magazine July 2007 �July 2007 �� Whitman Magazine

Funky footworkWhitman students are, above all else, individuals. From hiking boots to high heels, Crocs to duct-taped sandals, their footware matches their unique personalities.

Photo essay by Ezra Fox ’07

Beforetheyhavereachedtheirsenioryears,Erik Andersen ’08 andJoseph Bornstein ’08aretherecipientsofpres-tigiousscholarshipsthatwillpayeachofthem$30,000towardgraduatestudies. Andersen’sBeineckeScholarshipisoneoffewavailableforgraduatestudiesinthehumanities,accordingtothe

WhitmanGrantsandFellowshipOffice.TheNorthernCaliforniastudent’svolunteerexperi-encesinTibetin2004andhisstudyofFoucaultandKantinhissophomoreyearatWhitmanwerekeyelementsinhisdevelop-mentofaself-designed

majorinpoliticsandphilosophy. “ThefreedomWhitmanhasprovidedmeindesigningmymajorallowsmetoaskthequestionsthataremostrelevanttome,”Andersensaid.“Atthesametime,myprofessorshavehelpedmetostruc-turemyworkinsuchawaythatpushesthesequestionsanddrawsoutthetensionsbetweenpoliticsandphilos-ophy.” Aftermuchsoul-searchinginTibet,hedecidedonateachingstylethatwasnotsimplyculturallysensitive,butalsononvi-olentandunimposing—“onethatcouldaccommodatepossibilitiesthatneithermystudentsnorIcouldknowinadvance.”Consequently,hesaid,“IbegantofindwaysforourclasstoaddressTibet’smultidimensionalproblemsthroughaninterdisciplinaryapproachthatcombinedtheater,visualartsand

Leadership, academic acumen earn juniors prestigious Beinecke, Truman scholarships

Joseph Bornstein ’08 holds Fabian Fermin, the boy he helped in Nicaragua.

prosewithhealtheducationandindige-nousnutritionalandmedicinalknowl-edge.” Andersenisconsideringgraduateprogramsinrhetoric,socialthought,thehistoryofconsciousness,andcompara-tivestudiesindiscourseandsociety.Hisultimategoalistobeaprofessorwhoworkswithstudentstoimagineradicallydifferentwaysofliving,“asmyworkonthephilosophyofnonviolencecontinuestotransformandbetransformative.”BornsteiniswellknowntoWhitmanMagazinereadersforhislarge-scalecommunityactivismandserviceprojects.Recognizedforhisleadershippotentialandthelikelihoodhewillmakeadiffer-encetotheworld,Bornsteinisoneofonly65TrumanScholarshipwinners

selectedfrom585candidatesacrossthenation.AphilosophymajorfromAshland,Ore.,Bornsteinspentthesummerafterhissoph-omoreyearspear-headingtheBuild-A-HouseProject,which

raisedmoneytoconstructahomeforaNicaraguanmotherandhersonleftdesti-tutebyherhusband’sdeath. HecamebacktoWhitmanthatfallandhelpedfoundWhitmanDirectAction,agroupdedicatedtosocialandeconomicjusticeandenvironmentalsustainability.Memberslearnedhowtobuildabiodieselprocessor,andthefollowingsummerheandotherstudentstraveledto

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Professors close Whitman careers

CentralAmericatoteachcommunityleaderstherehowtobuildtheproces-sors.Thestudentgroupprovideda110-pagetechnicalmanual(inEnglishandSpanish)thattheywrotetodocumenttheprocess. BornsteinseessomeofhissuccessasaproductofthefacultyandstudentcommunityatWhitman.“Theyhelpedgivemethecapacityforthoughtfulnessandthecourageandsupporttofollowmytrueaspirations,”hesaid. Bornsteinplanstopursueamaster’sdegreeinpublicadministrationatColumbiaUniversity’sSchoolofInterna-tionalPublicAffairsandhopestoeventu-allyfoundanongovernmentalorganiza-tionfocusedonenvironmentalandsocialresearch.

ThreeWhitmanstudentsearnedProjectsforPeace

awardsforworkproposedinChiapas,Mexico,andSierraLeone.Fourstudentswereamong57undergraduatestudentsnationwidetoearnHumanityinActionfellowships.Seecampusnewsatwww.whitman.edu.

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ProfessorClarkColahanhasseentheteachingofSpanishlanguageandlitera-tureundergoatransformationinhis24yearsatWhitman. “Iwaseducatedbythemodelthatcalledforyouonlytoreadgreatlitera-tureandenrichyourlife.” WhileColahan’sstudentsstilldoso,forthepastseveralyearssomeofthemhavealsousedtheirskillsbyvolun-teeringinthecommunityastranslators. Colahan,whoreceivedthecollege’sG.ThomasEdwardsAwardforExcel-lenceinTeachingandScholarshipin2004,sayshewillmissmostinretirementtheopportunitytogettoknowWhitmanstudents.“Whenstudentsbelieveyouhavesomethingtoofferandthankyouforsharingitwiththem,itfeelsgoodanditmakesyoufeeluseful.Beingusefulisimportanttome,”hesaid. Inreturn,Colahantriedtoteachhisstudentstothinkcriticallyandlogically.“IhopeIalsotaughtthemthatliteraturecanbeawonderfulwindowintotherestoftheworld.Literatureopensyouuptounderstandotherculturesandwhatpeoplefeltfive,sixor200yearsago.There’salottobesaidforempathy,andIthinkliteratureisawaytocreateit.” AlthoughColahansayshe’shadmanyincrediblemomentsduringhiscareer,onethatstandsoutisaSpanish-Englishtranslationclassofonlytwostudents.

“Dr.Drabekwillberememberedbyhisstudentsnotonlyasahighlymotivatedprofessorbutalsoasadedicatedandexceptionallykindheartedmentorwhogenuinelycaresaboutthesuccessofeverystudent,”readsaplaqueonthesecondflooroftheHallofScience. The2007biologygraduatespresentedittoProfessorofBiologyCharlesDrabekattheannualseniorpicnicattheDrabekhome,anditnowhangsnexttothebiologyalumniphotoboardhecreatedtohonorgraduatingbiologyseniors. Duringa32-yearWhitmancareer,Drabekhascollectedmanyaccolades,butthesurpriseretirementreceptionhisbiologyseniorsthrewhimApril21wasoneofthemostspecial.“Ihadthebest

time,”hesaid,notingthatArtandLucileRempelattended,andalumnireminiscedabouttheRempelLectureseriesDrabekhascoordinatedsince1983. AlthoughDrabekdoesn’tmentionthem,othercareerhighpointsincludetheDr.A.E.LangeAwardforDistin-guishedScienceTeachingin1992andthenamingofDrabekPeak,Antarctica,inhishonorbyaU.S.AdvisoryCommitteeforhis“scientificresearchandcontributionsintheAntarctic.” Drabekishappiertospeakofhisstudents.“Ihopetheyhavelearnedhowtheycanbesuccessfulinlifewiththepropermentoringandeducation;andIhopetheyhavelearnedhowtobeobjec-tive,tolerant,understandingandgivingpeople,”hesaid. “Whenastudentreturnsfrompresentingthesisresearchatascientificconferencetosay,‘Ifeltsogoodaboutmyself,’”andwhenalumnilookhimupwhentheyreturntocampusandtellhimhowmuchtheyappreciatehowheinflu-encedtheirlives,“that’swhyIlovedoingwhatIdo,”Drabeksaid. Evenso,Drabeksaysit’stimeforhimtomakeroomforoneofthe“manyyoungprofessorswhoneedtheopportunitytofindwhatIfoundatWhitman.” Travelingwithhiswife,Jane,reading,volunteeringandspendingtimewithhisgrandchildrenareonhisto-dolist.

—LenelParish

SincebothhadanexcellentcommandofSpanish,theywereabletospendtheirtimetranslatingpoems.“Wewerelikea

triowritingpoetry—whenyoutranslatepoetry,it’slikewritinganewpoem;wehadsomeextraor-dinarymoments.” ColahanplanstoforgeaheadwithhisresearchandwillpresentapaperatHebrewUniversityinJerusaleminDecemberontheroleoftheBiblein

thePicaresquenovelofthe16thcentury. Healsohopestovisitnationalparks,playSpanishCelticmusicwithhisbandanddovolunteerwork.

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Charles Drabek

Joseph Bornstein

Erik Andersen

Clark Colahan

CAMPUS NEWS

� Whitman Magazine July 2007 �

Phalkun Mam ’07, Steven Ly ’07andRobbie Munday ’07,wholedthemen’stennisteamtoitsbestseasonintwodecadesthisspring,didtheirshareofwinningoverthepastfourseasons.Playinginsinglesanddoubles,thetriowalkedoffthecourtswithacombined(andincredible)totalof443victories. Mam,aphilosophymajorfromSalem,Ore.,finishedwithaschoolrecord156victoriesinhisfourseasons.Munday,abiochemistry,biophysicsandmolecularbiologymajorfromOkanoganFalls,B.C.,wasn’tfarbehindwith148careervictories,whichleaveshimwiththethirdhighesttotalinschoolhistory.Ly,abiologymajorfromFairview,Ore.,finishedwith139victoriesforfourthplaceontheall-timevictorylist. WithMam,LyandMundayleadingtheway,WhitmanrosetoNo.12inthenationalrankingsandqualifiedfortheNCAADiv.IIInationalchampionshiptour-nament.TheMissionariesadvancedthroughthesecondroundbeforelosingtoNo.8DePauwUniversityintheRoundof16.Whitmanfinisheditsseasonwitha24-8win-lossrecord,includinganunblem-ished16-0recordduringtheNorthwestConferenceregularseason. Themen’stennisteamcappeditsseasonbywinningthefirstGeorgeBallSportsmanshipAward.Whitman’sStudentAthleteAdvisoryCommitteewillgivetheawardonanannualbasis. Mam,LyandMunday,asnotedintheWhitmanSportsScoreboard(below),receivednumerousindividualhonors,rangingfromAll-NorthwestConferenceFirst-TeamrecognitiontoIntercollegiateTennisAssociationAll-Americanhonors.Munday,whoearnedAcademicAll-Districthonorslastyearaswell,wrotehishonorsthesisonresearchhedidlastsummerattheSalkInstituteofBiologicalStudiesinSanDiego,Calif.

—StoriesbyDaveHolden

Seniors lead men’s tennis team to No. 12 in national rankings

Riding high: Cyclists win fourth U.S. team trial TheMissionarywomen’scontingentwasasdominatingasever,buttheWhitmancyclingteamfelljustshortofathirdconsecutiveNationalCollegeCyclingAssociation(NCCA)DivisionIIchampionshipinLawrence,Kan.,inMay. WhileWhitmanfinishedinthirdplaceinthecombinedmen’sandwomen’sscoring,thewomen’steamwonitsfourthconsecutiveteamtimetrialwithRebecca Jensen ’07(Mukilteo,Wash.),Mara Abbott ’08(Boulder,Colo.),Mia Huth ’09(Turlock,Calif.)andKendi Thomas ’10 (Greencastle,Ind.)postingatimeof28:14.8.JensenandAbbottwereontheteamsthattookthelastthreetitles. Abbottoutclassedthefieldinthewomen’s56-mileroadrace,winningthateventforathirdconsecutiveyear.Herwinningtimeof2:57.15was33secondsbetterthanthatofherclosestopponent.Inthecriterium,theMissionaryfoursomeofJensen,Abbott,HuthandThomasdominatedthewomen’srace,whichranfor55minutesplusthreelapsonaone-milecourseonthenarrow,tree-linedstreetsofLawrence.Inthefinalsprinttothefinishline,thewinner(withatimeof1:03.29.7),edgedThomasintosecondplaceandAbbottintothird.HuthandJensen,whosettheearlypaceforWhitman,placed21stand30th,respectively. Abbott,whowonlastyear’scriterium,finishedthisyear’schampionshipwithatotalof274pointsinthecriteriumandroadrace.Thatgavehertheall-aroundindividualtitleby48pointsoverherclosestcompetitor.Itwashersecondconsecu-tiveindividualcrown.Inherfirsttriptonationals,Thomasfinishedfifthintheindi-vidualstandingswith196points.Spikaplaced19thoverallwith84points.Abbottspentpartofherspringseasonridingwithaprofessionalcyclingteam,winningtheTourofGilaandplacingsecondoverallattheRedlandsBicycleClassic. Intheteamtimetrialformen,ayoungWhitmansquadfinishedninthin25:00.4,sevensecondsoutoffifthplace.Themen’sroadrace,whichtotaled86milesorthreelapsarounda28-milecourse,wasmarredbycontroversy.Aportionoftheoriginalcoursewasunderwaterduetoflooding,forcingraceorganizerstouseagravelroadthatproveddisastrousformanyriders.Withcompetitorsfallingvictimtoflattiresandcrashesinthegravel,lessthanhalfofthe115ridersfinished. Whitman’sDuncan McGovern ’10(Peterborough,N.H.),oneofthefortunatefewtosurvivethegravelgraveyard,finishedthirdinathree-mansprinttothewire,thehighestfinisheverinthemen’sroadraceforWhitman.BasedonMcGovern’sstrongshowingintheroadrace,hefinishedsixthinthefinalmen’sindividualscoringwith148points.

Formoresportsnews,visitwww.whitman.edu/athletics.

Rebecca Jensen ’07, left, and Mia Huth ’09 race through the Walla Walla country-side during a cycling event hosted by the team in April.

Steven Ly ’07, center, runs to celebrate after a win at Whitman.

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ScoreboardAchievements by Whitman scholar-athletes

Heidi Tate, a two-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in women’s tennis, left Whitman to pursue a career in the medical field. Tate compiled a 67-32 NWC win-loss record over the past seven seasons. This year she was named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Coach of the Year for the Western Region. Hannah Swee ’05, Tate’s assistant coach, will coach the Missionary women next year on an interim basis.

Men’S TenniS Phalkun Mam ’07 (Salem, Ore.) ITA All-American, singlesNWC Player of the Year; All-NWC First TeamSchool Record: Most career winsOutstanding Senior Performer* Steven Ly ’07 (Fairview, Ore.)R.V. Borleske Trophy; Top Male Athlete*;All-NWC First Team; NWC Player of the WeekRobbie Munday ’07 (Okanogan Falls, B.C.)ESPN The Magazine Academic All-DistrictArthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership & Sportsmanship, ITA West RegionAll-NWC First Team

Matt Solomon ’10 (Los Gatos, Calif.) ITA All-American, doublesAll-NWC Second TeamOutstanding Freshman Performer* nadeem Kassam ’10 (Vancouver, B.C.) ITA All-American, doubles

WOMen’S TenniSHadley DeBree ’10 (Ketchum, Idaho) All-NWC First Team; NWC Player of the WeekMaura Flaherty ’07 (Salem, Ore.) All-NWC Second Team; NWC Player of the WeekNWC Sportswoman of the YearUndefeated NWC singles season

VOLLeyBALL Kate Borsato ’07 (White Rock, B.C.) Mignon Borleske Trophy, Top Female Athlete* Rosa Brey ’09 (Bozeman, Mont.) Outstanding Sophomore Performer*

WOMen’S SOCCeR Kristen Berndt ’08 (Manson, Wash.) Outstanding Junior Performer* Men’S SWiMMinG Clint Collier ’08 (Albuquerque, N.M.) Outstanding Junior Performer*

WOMen’S ALPine SKiinG Rachel Walker ’07 (Whistler, B.C.) Outstanding Senior Performer*

WOMen’S nORDiC SKiinG Devon Spika ’10 (Ontario, Canada) Outstanding First-Year Performer*

Men’S BASKeTBALL Chris Faidley ’08 (Shoreline, Wash.) Outstanding Sophomore Performer*

* Whitman Athletics AwardnWC: Northwest ConferenceiTA: Intercollegiate Tennis Association

COACH UPDATe

Information compiled by Dave Holden, sports information director.

CAMPUS NEWS

10 Whitman Magazine July 2007 11

George Ball Award for Excellence in Advising

Jim Russoassociateprofessorofchemistry

InnominatingJimRussoforthisaward,astudentnotedthatRussohas“graciouslyansweredmymanyquestions,patientlylistenedtomyhopesandconcerns,andmadegenuineeffortstoguidemetowardresourcesthatwillhelpmerealizemygoalofbecomingaphysician.”Russojoinedthefacultyin1989.

SixWhitmanCollegefacultymembersreceivedawardsatCommencement.

WhatdoestheWhitmanexperiencefeellike?Whatmakesthecollegesospecial?Whatkindofpeopleare“Whitmanpeople?” AnswerstothesequestionswillleapoffthescreenwhenyouvisittheWhitmanWebsitethissummer.Anewdesignincludesstreamlinednavigationandseveralnewspecialfeatures. Thedesignisreflectiveofthecollege’sadmissionviewbook,usingthesamecolorsandsimilarvisualpresenta-tion.Home-pagenavigationisenhancedwithcrisperaudiencelinesandtheaddi-tionofa“GoDirectlyTo”drop-down.Newfeaturesgivethesiteinteractivityandwillbehelpfulintargetingprospec-tivestudents.Themainimageandthestackofthreephotosleadtoafeature

New Web site design and features enhance the user experience

Class of 2011 at a glance

Faculty lauded at Commencement for advising, teaching, mentoring

Robert Y. Fluno Award for Distinguished Teaching in the Social Sciences

Kay Fenimore-SmithassistantprofessorofeducationKayFenimore-Smith“exemplifieswhatitistobeanoutstandingWhitmanprofessor,”astudentwroteinsupportofthenomination.“Sheencouragesustothinkcritically,toexamineourownphilosophiesaswellasthosetowhichweareexposed,andtounderstandhowourownpersonalbeliefs,backgroundsandassumptionsinfluenceouractionsandperceptionsoftheworld.…IwillbeadifferentteacherasaresultofmyclasseswithKay,andamuchbetteroneforit.”Fenimore-Smithjoinedthefacultyin1994.

Thomas D. Howells Award for Distinguished Teaching in Humanities

Robert BodeAlmaMeisnestEndowedChairofHumanitiesAfellowfacultymembercommendedRobertBodeforhisabilitytocallacrowdof100undergraduatestoorderquicklyandto“focustheirattentionandconcentrationonthetaskathand.Hecoversanastonishingamountofmusicineach(rehearsal)session,andyetunderhisdirectionthequalityofthemusicisalwaysforemost.”Bodejoinedthefacultyin1986.

A.E. Lange Award for Distinguished Science Teaching

Barry BalofassistantprofessorofmathematicsStudentslaudedBarryBalof’senjoymentofmathematicsandteaching.“Hisenthusiasmiscontagious,”saidonestudent.AnothernotedthatBalofisalwaysavailableforextrahelpand“nevermademefeelsillyforaskingsilly

questions.”Studentssaidhis“abilitiesinmathematicsareunquestionablyamazing.”Balofjoinedthefacultyin2003.

G. Thomas Edwards Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship

Melissa Clearfieldassistantprofessorofpsychology

StudentsandthePsychologyDepartmentfacultynominatedMelissaClearfield.“Sheisalreadyamasterteacherwhosestudentsloveherandwhomentorsothercolleagues,includingus,”membersofthe

PsychologyDepartmentwroteintheirnomination.“Herteachingischaracterizedbyoptimalratiosoforganizationandcreativity,rigorandwarmth,andconfidencecombinedwithasincerecommitmenttokeepimproving.Herclassroomsandresearchlabarechargedwithenergyandvitality.”Clearfieldjoinedthefacultyin2001.

Suzanne L. Martin Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Halefom Belayassociateprofessorofeconomics

HalefomBelayencourageshisstudentsto“thinklong-termandglobally,bringinghisdiverseexperi-encetohisadvising,sharingpersonallifestoriesto

bringeconomicsalive,andhelpingstudentstoclarifytheirownareasofinterest,”onestudentsaid.Anothernotedthat“Ishallremaineternallygratefulnotonlyforencounteringsomeoneofsuchgreatspirit,withsuchwisdomtoshare,butevenmoresoforhavingsomeonelikehimasamentorandfriendforlife.”Belayjoinedthefacultyin1996.

The Whitman Admission Office shares the following details about incoming first-years:Record number of applications: �,0�� students1,��� admittedExpected size of entering class: 425Most ethnically diverse class in the history of the college. Students of color and

international students make up 25 percent of the entering class. Students from 33 states and 23 countries.

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Staff honored with Janice Abraham awards

called“UniquelyWhitman.”Aseriesofprofiles—peopleandprograms—givessitevisitorsfirsthandinsightintotheexcitingthingsthathappenatWhitman,inandoutoftheclassroom.Asecondnewfeatureremainsunderconstruction. Whencompleted,“ExperienceWhitmanVirtually”willgivevisitorsan“experientialtour”ofcampus.Throughacombinationofinterviews,videofootageandphotos,ittargetsprospectivestudentsandreflectsthecollege’soutstandingacademicprogramandthemyriadopportunitiesforcocurricularinvolvement. Venturingoffthehomepage,visitorsseethedesignthemecarriedthroughtocontentpages,manyofwhichfeatureenhancedcopy.Alumniandparentscanusethesiteinexactlythesamewayastheydidbefore;theportalpageswillincludenearlyallthesamelinks.TheHarrisOnlinealumnicommunitywillremainaccessiblethroughthealumnisite.

Commencement 2007

FranMeyer,accountspayablecoordi-nator,isapatientteacherassheexplainscollegepoliciesandprocedures,andaproblem-solverassheanticipatesprob-lemsandfindsolutionsinherowndepartmentandothers. PattiMoss,DivisionIIIassistant,isacomputerandcopy-machineguruwhosepositiveattitude,professionalism,accu-racy,tactandcalmdemeanorkeepthedivisionoperatingsmoothly. Bothwinnersofthe2007JaniceAbrahamAwardsareexceptionalstaffmemberswhohelpcreateapositivecampuscommunitytosupporttheacademicmissionofthecollege.

“IamveryproudtobepartoftheWhitmancommunity,andIappreciatethatittakeseachandeveryoneofustomakeWhitmantheamazingcommunityitis,”saidMeyer,whohasbeenwiththecollegesinceJune2000. Moss,anemployeesinceJanuaryof1999,feels“extremelyfortunatetoworkwithsuchagreatgroupoffacultyandstaffinDivisionIII,andI’mproudtoconsiderthemmyfriendsaswellasmycolleagues.” Theaward,givenannuallytostaffmemberswhohavemadesignificantcontributionsandprovidedoutstandingservicetothecollege,isnamedforformerTreasurerandChiefFinancialOfficerJaniceAbraham.

Patti Moss and Fran Meyer

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1� Whitman Magazine July 2007 1�

Commencement 2007

Onacooldaythatthreatenedrainanddeliveredsprinkles,internationaleconomicadviserJeffreySachstoldthe2007CommencementcrowdgatheredonMemoriallawnthat,giventheweather,hewouldsetasidehislectureonglobalwarming. Insteadhebeganthekeynoteaddresswithwarmrespectforthe367graduatesoftheWhitmanClassof2007,agroupthathas“alreadycommencedtoshowitsleadershipintheworld.” “Thisisaclassthathasstudiedabroad,solvedenviron-mentalproblemsintheCaribbean,woncountlessFulbrightscholarships,joinedthePeaceCorpsandembarkedonworld-changingProjectsforPeaceaspartofahighlyprizedandcompetitivenationwideeffort,”Sachssaid. “Andyouhaven’tevengottenyourdiplomasyet.” Sachs,directoroftheEarthInstituteatColumbiaUniversity,hasservedaseconomicadvisertotheUnitedNationsandtogovernmentsaroundtheworld.HeadvisedtheClassof2007thatitwillfacethreegreatchallenges:theextremegapbetweentherichandthepoor;theextremethreatofglobalenvironmentaldegradation,climatechange,waterstressandthedestructionofotherspecies;andlearningtoliveinpeacewithChinaandIndiawhilerealizingthattheUnitedStatesis“onenationamongmanyproudandpowerfulnations”andnotaself-styledsolesuperpower. “Ourgenerationhasleftyouwithabitofamess,”Sachssaid.In2000,worldleadersagreedtotheMillenniumDevelop-mentGoalstofightpoverty,hungeranddisease.“Wehavenotyethonoredthosepromises.Youdon’tevenhearaboutthemfromourleaders.Itisasiftheydonotexist.”

Honoringthesemillenniumpromiseswillbe“yourgenera-tion’srendezvouswithdestiny,”Sachstoldthegraduates.Andbeingtheprofessorthatheis,hecouldn’tresistgivingthemonelasthomeworkassignment.“Iassignyoutoendextremepovertybytheyear2025.Themid-termexamistoachievetheMillenniumDevelopmentGoalsbytheyear2015,”hesaid.“Butdon’tdespair,thisisanopen-bookassignment,andyoucan—andindeedmust—workingroups.” WhileSachshonoredtheservicethatseniorshavealreadyofferedtheworldwhileatWhitman,thecollegehonoredhimwithanHonoraryDoctorofHumaneLetters,adegreealsoconferredonPaula England ’71(seepage28).

SeniorclassspeakersStephen Carter ’07andDru John-ston ’07,knownfortheirirreverentcommentaryonthePioneerBackPage,tooktheCommencementstagetoreflectontheiryearsatWhitmaninarunningdialoguepunctuatedwithculturalreferencesfromtheirgeneration.Dictionary.com,Wiki-pedia,“TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles,”“TheLionKing,”“HarryPotter”and“AmericanPie2”allmadeitintotheirscript. Butbetweenthelaughlines,theysharedthis: “ForallthejokeswecanmakeabouthowwehavechangedsincecomingtoWhitman,wehavetoadmitoneundeniablefact:thatweareaclassofleaders.Andweareleadersbecause

wemaynotknoweverythinglifewillthrowatus,butatWhitmanwehavetransformedfromprecocioushigh-schoolersintocapableadults.” “World:WatchoutfortheWhitmanCollegeClassof2007,”Sachssaidinhisaddress.Theseyoungleadersare“goingtochangetheworldandmuchforthebetter.”

ForthecompletespeechesbyJeffreySachs,theseniorspeakersandtheBaccalaureatespeakers:

www.whitman.edu/commencement/

Jeffrey Sachs

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(Top left) Senior class speakers Stephen Carter ’07, left, and Dru Johnston ’07 drew hearty laughs from the audience and platform party during their speech. (Above) Seniors gather for the traditional group photo on Ankeny Field. (Bottom left) A joyous Kristy Nowak ’07 gets a hug after Commencement. (Left) Lázaro Carrión cele-brates after the ceremony with his diploma. (Below) Friends and family found many ways to cheer on their graduates.

One last assignment for the accomplished Class of 2007: End extreme poverty by 2025

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CAMPUS NEWS

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in THeiR WORDSScholarly perspectives from the classroom and beyond

In2004,ImetmyresearchcohortsinChristchurch,NewZealand,forthefirsttimeinperson.Wehadbeencollabo-ratingviae-mailonlearning-preferenceresearchsincethelate1990s.Itisacollaborationofstrangebedfellowsinasense:anAmericanprofessor,aKiwirugbycoachandaKiwieducationalconsultantbroughttogetherbyasharedpassionforlesseningthegapbetweenhoweducatorsteachandhowstudentslearn.

“Aha” moments and hallway conversations Myinvolvementinthisgrouphap-penedbyaccident.Astheprofessorofanintroductorysportsmedicinecourse,Ifoundmyselfconstantlyperplexedbyonestudent’sinabilitytograspelementaryconcepts.Becausethisstudentalsowasavarsitysoccerathlete,Ienjoyedinterac-tionswithheroutsideoftheclassroomintheotherrealmofmyjobasthecollege’scertifiedathletictrainer.Ourexchangesalwaysseemedfluidandeasy,butintheclassroom,herinteractions,abilitiesandskillsseemeddisjointedandunpredict-able.Insearchofatooltohelpunder-standwhyweweresofarapartintheclassroom,IstumbleduponeducationalconsultantNeilFleming’sVARKinven-tory.

ByJuliDunnAssociateProfessorofSportStudies

Inthefleetingmomentsbeforea9a.m.class,theinven-tory’sease,useandself-scoringnatureappealedtome.Iadministereditinthefirstfiveminutesofclass.Theresultsshapedthe“aha”

momentthathasprecipitatedmyresearchinterestsforthepastdecade.Becauseofmystrongvisualpreferences,myteachingmethodscateredtoasimi-larlypreferencedlearner.Theyoungwomanwhostartedmedownthisroadofinquiryseemednowapolaropposite. Withastrongread/writepreference,itwasasifwewerespeakingdifferentlanguages—minethelanguageofcolors,shapes,symbols,chartsand2-Dimages;hersthelanguageoftext,blackmarksonawhitepage. Inapassinghallwayconversationwithhercoach,Isharedmynewfoundknowl-edgethatwasreshapingmypedagogyonthefly.WhenIexplainedherlearning-preferenceresults,hisresponsefueledmyinterestinexploringthedifferencesincoachingmethodsandstudent-athletelearningpreferences:“Makestotalsense,”hesaid.“ShenevergetsawordofwhatIsaytoher.” Inthe10yearssincethe“aha”momentandthehallwayconversationthatfollowed,myrevisedinventoryhasbeenusedinternationallybycoachesandathletesinmorethan20sportsatvaryingperformancelevels(highschooltoOlympic-caliberathletes). ThedataIhavecollectedsupportstheideathatwhathappensintheclassroom(orinsomecasesdoesn’thappenintheclassroom)betweenteacherandstudentisnotallthatdifferentfromwhathappens(ordoesn’thappen)betweencoachandathleteonthefield,court,slopesorinthepool.Themaindifferenceistherolethattimeplaysinphysical-performancetasksversusknowledge-acquisitiontasks.

Whilestudentsintheclassroomhavetimetoprocessinformationpresentedinamodalityoutsidetheirprimarypreference(s),student-athletesmustoftenmakesnapadjustmentsinthestressofaperformancesettingconstrainedbytime.Anydelayinresponsebetweencoachandstudent-athletecouldequalamissedopportunityorill-timedmotorresponse.Thetime-sensitivenatureofsportneces-sitatesthatcoachesandathletesspeakacommonlanguageofinstructions,verbalcuesandappropriatemotorresponses.

Reshaping the coach/athlete dynamic ResultsfromtheVARKinventoryforathleteshavepower-punchingpotential.Thepowerofknowledgeofone’slearningpreferencesandthepreferencesofotherathletesandcoachescanenhancecoaches’andathletes’motivationandskillacquisition.Coacheswhoareabletouseavarietyofmethodologiestoreacharangeofpreferenceswithinanathleticgrouphavethepotentialtoenhanceathletes’performances.Theyrecognizethatbymatchingcoachingmethodstoathletes’learningpreferencestheylessenthepotentialformiscommunication. RichardSmith,coachingmanageroftheNewZealandAcademyforSport,beganusingtheVARKinventoryforathleteswithOlympic-calibercompetitorspriortothe2004OlympicGames.OurpathsconvergedwhenmydatafromtheStatessupportedhisdatafromNewZealandandAustralia.Similartotheclassroomdata,wediscoveredthatcoachesseemtobeatoddswiththeathletestheycoach.Themostnoticeabledifferenceoccursintwobi-modalvari-ables:read/write-kinestheticandaudi-tory-kinesthetic. Coachesarefarmorelikelytohaveread/writepreferencesthantheathletestheycoach.Similarly,athletesaremorelikelytohaveauditorymodalities.Indatacollectedthusfar(n=1800),coacheswithread/writepreferencesoutnumber

athletes2-to-1.Theconversealsoistrue:Athletesoutnumbercoaches2-to-1inauditorymodalities.Bydevelopingstrate-giesthatcoachescanemploywiththeathleteswhohaveparticularVARKprofiles,wearerevolutionizingcoachingstrategiesinarangeofsettings:pre-performance,performanceandpost-performance. Coachesinternationally(NewZealand,AustraliaandCanada)andnationally(U.S.Men’sVolleyball,NCAADivisionI/II/IIIcollegesandhighschools)areusingtheirownVARKinventoryresultsinconcertwiththeresultsoftheirathletestotransformtheimpactthattheircoachingmethodshaveontheirathletes.

For better or worse? ForhighschoolfootballcoachesinNorthDakota,VARKinventorydataexplainedwhycollegeandhighschoolathletesleaveplaybooksinlockerroomsacrossthenation.Withlessthan1percentoftheathleticpopulationdemonstratingavisualpreference,thetried-and-trueplaybooksarebecomingobsolete.Thebindersfilledwith“X”sand“O”sthathavebeenastapleofathleticculturearegivingwaytosmall-groupcoachinginwhichmembersofacoachingstaffarepairedwithgroupsofathleteswithsimilarlearningpreferences.Theresult?Studentathleteswithstrongvisualpreferencesstillreceiveplaybooks,butstudentswithstrongkinestheticoraudi-torypreferencesarenotsubjectedtowhattheyseeastime-wastingmethods. Coachesprimestudent-athleteswitha

strongauditorypreferencepriortoprac-ticewithashortlectureabouttheday’spracticeobjectives.Thesestudent-athletes’cohortswithkinestheticandread/writepreferencesareexposedtowalk-throughs,videoanalyses,tacticalwrite-upsandwrittencoachingtheory,respectively. Whenthesesmallgroupsofathletesandcoachesreconveneasafullteam,individualcoacheshaveequippedgroupsofstudent-athleteswithtimelyandappro-priatelypresentedinformationthatputsallthestudent-athletesonthesamepagedespiteawidevarietyoflearningprefer-ences.Thiscoachingplanandensuingmethodologysetsthestageforproduc-tive,efficientanddifference-valuingprac-ticesandcompetitions. WhentheNewZealandAcademyofSportadministeredtheVARKinventorytotheirelitecoaches,theyanticipateditwouldserveasacoachingadvantage,buttheymighthaveunderestimatedtheextenttowhichthecoachesusedtheknowledgetheyacquired. Anational-levelcoach,whoalsocoachedprofessionally,hadknowledgeabouthowhernational-teamathletespreferredtoreceiveinput.Whenshefoundherselfcoachingprofessionallyagainstoneofhernationalathletes,theinformationbecamethekeytovictory.Asastrongvisuallearner,theathleterequiredspatialinputtopositionheronthefieldofplayandthuswasinconstantcontactwithopposingplayers.Armedwiththisknowledge,thecoachinstructedherplayerstokeepaconsiderable,and

perhapsunorthodox,distancefromthismarqueeplayer. Theresult:Thevisuallydependentathletegrappledaroundthefieldofplay,appearingforthefirsttimeinherprofes-sionalcareertobeunawareoftheobjec-tiveofthegame. Whilelearning-preferenceknowledgeisnotthesilverbullettoenhancedcoachingmethodsandathleticperfor-mance,itcanbegintolessenthegapbetweenhowcoachespresentinforma-tionandhowathletesreceiveit.Suchknowledgeisperhapsmostimportantinthehighschoolanddevelopmentalarenawheremanyathletesstopplayingbecausethegapbetweeninstruction,learningandperformancebecomestoogreat,andthedifferencesbetweencoaches’learningpreferencesandstudent-athletes’learningpreferencesareatthegreatestodds. Asathletesriseintheranksofeliteperformance,thedifferencesbetweenathletelearningpreferencesandthelearningpreferencesofthecoachesdiminish,leadingustowonder:Docertainlearningpreferencesadvantageathletesandcoachesintheeliteranks?Arecertainathletesdisadvantagedbecauseoftheirlearningpreferenceandnotnecessarilytheirathleticperfor-mance?Candiversecoachingmethodsaidindevelopingagroupofdiverselearnersthatpersistintotheeliteathleticranks? Wehopefutureresearchcanhelptoanswerthesequestions.

JuliDunnisassociateprofessorofsportstudiesand

headathletictraineratWhitman,whereshehasworkedsince1993.ToseetheathleteVARKinventory,visitwww.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=athletes

Coaches who understand how players learn have an advantageJuli Dunn, associate professor of sport studies, uses visual cues in her classroom. Her research helps her and other profes-sors and coaches match their teaching styles to student-athlete learning prefer-ences. The student at left is Charlotte Gourlay ’08.

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Juli Dunn

While learning-preference knowledge is not the silver bullet ... it can begin to lessen the gap between how coaches present information and how athletes receive it.