Thursday, March 12, 2026

By Everett Calhoun ’28

Semester in the West is undeniably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I applied to the program during my first semester at Whitman, I had little to no knowledge of what I was getting myself into. I had heard that as a part of the program you travel across the country and visit beautiful places, all while earning college credit. This automatically caught my attention as an outdoorsy person with an interest in environmental studies, but that was just the half of it. Undoubtedly though, I am very glad I decided to apply.

My cohort—which included myself and 20 other students, two staff members and two professors—spent three months driving around the western half of the United States. Essentially, we were camping and living out of vans while meeting with a variety of local organizations about environmental issues that impact their communities. However, there is so much more that made Semester in the West special to me.

From an academic standpoint, I learned about environmental challenges the West faces from multiple—and often opposing—perspectives. For example, in California, Whitman alum Ryan Garrett ’18 spoke with us about his work on the Mono Lake Committee, an organization working to prevent further diversion of water from the ecologically rich Mono Lake. We also spoke with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the very entity responsible for those diversions. Being able to hear directly from both sides in the places where these conflicts are unfolding made the issues feel real, complex and urgent.

We also had a range of guest speakers, which I found to align with Whitman’s interdisciplinary curriculum. 

Read Everett Calhoun’s full Student Voices blog post and see photos from his Semester in the West experience.

Assistant Professor of Politics Denise Fernandes recently published a political essay, “What Is the ‘Fantasy Triangle’ in U.S. Policy—and Why It Matters to the West Asia Crisis.” The evolving Middle East conflict has been born out of a long history of the American idea of energy security, and Fernandes analyzes archival material on the United State's energy and foreign policy in West Asia as a way to make sense of the unfolding crisis and its impacts in South Asia.

The ENGL-245 Native American Literatures class will host guest speakers from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to share first harvest and hunting stories tonight from 7–9 p.m. in Olin 129. Students in the class will have priority seating, but the event is open to the campus community.

LGBTQIA+ Student Services invites all 2026 graduates, guests and campus community members to attend our annual Lavender Graduation on Friday, May 8, 4–6 p.m. Lavender Graduations are held at colleges across the country to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of queer and trans campus community members. Graduates who participate will receive a lavender stole and a certificate. A reception will follow the ceremony. Advance registration is required for both graduates and guests. (Flyer attached.)

Each year, Whitman College recognizes staff members with the Janice Abraham Award, celebrating staff who have gone above and beyond job expectations in providing outstanding service to our campus community. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, May 1. Visit the Janice Abraham Award webpage to view previous award winners.

This week includes two chances to watch the Whitman women’s lacrosse team with home games on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. and Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m. on James Hayner Field.

12:30–1:10 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Yoga

Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114

4–5 p.m.

Food Justice Project: Pantry Sort & Build

St. Francis Cabrini Food Pantry

5–6 p.m.

Adopt-a-Grandparent: Plant Pot Decorating & Form Signing

Reid Campus Center, Coffeehouse

5:30–6:30 p.m.

Whitman Events Board: Bachata Dance Class

Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom

6 p.m.

Whitman Women’s Lacrosse vs. Carthage College

James Hayner Field

7–9 p.m.

Native American First Harvest & Hunting Stories

Olin Hall, Room 129

Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

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.

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