Wednesday, September 10, 2025
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Updates From the Division of Inclusive Excellence
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By Kazi Joshua, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
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From left: Current staff members Cheysen Cabuyadao-Sipe ’23, Shelby Hearn and NiQo Bullock will take on additional roles to support a period of transition for the Division of Inclusive Excellence.
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Welcome back to the new school year!
Over the summer, three members of the Division of Inclusive Excellence’s leadership team departed Whitman College for new opportunities. We are saddened to see our colleagues leave campus; however, we accept that change is a part of our wholeness, and we celebrate their body of work and extensive list of accomplishments that they leave behind.
We also want to reassure the Whitman community that these departures were by no means related to the institutional climate, nor were their transitions part of some institutional capitulation to the political winds or an institutional cost-savings strategy. The college’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence is unwavering. A strategic pillar. Our search for our future colleagues who will step into these positions is currently underway.
As Interim Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, I will be lending direct support to Inclusive Excellence staff members, as well as to the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life as we await the arrival of our new Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, the rev. seigen johnson. (We will make a more formal introduction in the coming weeks.)
We have assembled a strong interim team that will continue to work with student groups and support their programming.
Read more to learn how this team will be structured and for additional updates from the area of Identity and Belonging.
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IRES Professor Publishes Book
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Zahi Zalloua, the Cushing Eells Professor of Philosophy and Literature, Professor of Indigeneity, Race and Ethnicity Studies (IRES), has published a book titled “Fanon, Žižek and the Violence of Resistance” (Bloomsbury, 2025). In a novel pairing of anti-colonial theorist Frantz Fanon with Marxist-Lacanian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, Zalloua explores the ways both thinkers expose the violence of political structures. This inventive exploration advances an anti-racist critique, describing how ontology operates in a racial matrix to produce some human bodies that count and others (deemed not-quite- or non-human) that do not.
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Downtown Block Party Tonight
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Whitman students, faculty and staff are invited to “Whitman on Main: A Downtown Block Party” on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 5–7 p.m. beginning at Heritage Square Park at 116 E. Main St. Participants will enjoy live music from DJ Hugo and have the opportunity to visit downtown businesses, collect fun facts and take home a Walla Walla Welcome Bag. Learn more.
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Suicide Prevention Training for Students Next Week
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Whitman Students are invited to participate in a suicide prevention training program provided by Welty Health and Counseling Center staff. The QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) model has been proven to decrease suicide risk in communities like ours. Participants will be certified as a QPR Gatekeeper, valid for one year. The training will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 4–6 p.m. in Maxey 104. Space is limited, so please RSVP in advance! Questions? Email QPR@whitman.edu. (Flyer attached.)
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Commencement Speaker Nominations Open
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All Whitman College faculty, staff, students and trustees are invited to submit candidates for consideration for the 2026 Commencement Speaker and/or Honorary Degree Recipient. Nominations are due by Wednesday, Oct. 8.
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Institutional Access to 404 Media
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Last month, Penrose Library announced a new institutional subscription to 404 Media, an independent digital media company that focuses its reporting on technology in society. Coverage includes hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy and the democratization of the internet. For access, sign up for a free account at 404 Media with your Whitman email address. Your free account will be automatically upgraded to the paid subscription account. (In library testing, it took about 5 minutes for the upgrade to take place.) You do not need to create a separate password; access is handled through your email account.
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Photo (@bonappetitwhitman): On Friday, the First Foods station at Cleveland Commons featured roasted rack of venison, smoked rainbow trout, fry bread and more. The First Foods station will return on Friday, Oct. 3.
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Faculty & Staff Forum With President Bolton
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Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
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Sherwood 114 or Reid Side Lawn (weather dependent)
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Heritage Park, 116 E. Main St.
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Baker Ferguson Fitness Center, Harvey Pool
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
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Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
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