Thursday, May 21, 2026

By Jack Jackson, Associate Professor of Politics, Co-Director of the Law, Culture and Humanities minor and Pre-Law Advising

During the past academic year, the college inaugurated a new minor in Law, Culture and the Humanities (LCH) and also relaunched the Pre-Law Program as a faculty-led component of academic advising. The LCH program sponsored its first Visiting Educator, and students attended an array of LCH lectures and events across the campus. 

Faculty and students will continue engaging with the law during the summer. Some highlights: 

Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics Katie Heard, James Barrow ’28, and Kam Negri ’28 will trace the social, political and legal pathways through which capital punishment was abolished in Washington state.  Funded by Whitman’s new Humanities for All Times grant from the Mellon Foundation, they will collect the oral histories of a variety of legal officials, political actors, academics and lay individuals even as they explore archived legislative debates, court transcripts and more.  Together, these histories and texts will allow them to consider how—if at all—the ideals of justice can truly be realized in carceral states, even after such states have abolished one of the most retributive forms of punishment. Barrow will also be interning with a United States Magistrate Judge at the district level in Portland, Oregon, this summer.

Ariel He ’27 will be studying in the Cornell Prelaw Summer Program in Paris. The program introduces students to international and comparative law through coursework taught by Cornell Law faculty and via visits to French and international legal institutions. Through classes on the foundations of the U.S. legal system, international human rights, and comparative legal practice, the program offers a valuable opportunity to examine how law is interpreted, applied, and institutionalized across different national and global contexts.

Chloé Williams ’27 will be interning with the Homeless Action Center (HAC) in Oakland, California, a community-based legal services program that specializes in benefits advocacy for the disabled and unhoused residents of Alameda County. Williams will work under the direct supervision of attorneys to represent clients in claims for federal, state and county benefits. Summer interns at HAC are able to see on a more granular level how the law can intersect with social justice. The undergraduate summer internship at HAC is unique to Whitman. 

Daniella Moreno ’29 will intern at Three Rivers Legal Services in Gainesville, Florida, working with a Whitman alum in legal aid. Moreno will help pro bono lawyers with research and interviews in a variety of disputes from landlord-tenant issues to driver’s license suspensions. Additionally, Moreno will be partnered with a criminal defense attorney, state attorney and a member of the judiciary each week to observe court proceedings and case-building strategies.

Wishing all of the faculty and students listed above a productive and enriching summer.

If you are engaging with the study of law this summer, please feel free to share.

Event Schedule:

Commencement Weekend Dining Options:

Whitman College Bookstore:

As announced as part of ongoing budgetary work, the college will be changing the tuition benefits for the dependents of Whitman employees. These changes will not affect any dependents of current employees who are currently making their fall plans.

Adam Miller and Erika Cerda Adžemović will hold two information sessions, one this summer and one in the fall, to provide more details about changes to the benefit, how the new tuition exchange partnerships work, and how the partnerships can benefit students and families.

As a reminder, the current cash tuition benefit will not be available to dependents of new employees hired after Aug. 21, 2026, or for dependents born or adopted after that date. Once information session dates have been solidified, we will publish them in Whitman Today.

Whitman employees are invited to attend a virtual information session on international travel safety today from 2–3 p.m. This event will be facilitated by immigration attorneys with MacDonald Hoague & Bayless. Join this event on Zoom.

The Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC) invites graduating seniors to share your post-Whitman career and academic plans through the Senior First Destination Survey in Handshake. The CCEC uses this information to support Whitman students who are considering similar trajectories, including specific graduate school programs and future employers. (Flyer attached.)

In its first seven months, the Whitman Wheels electric vehicle car share program—a collaboration between Whitman College and the Associated Students of Whitman College—was used for 239 trips, totaling 5,079 miles. This produced 4,022 less pounds of carbon dioxide than if those trips had been in conventional vehicles. Whitman Wheels can be accessed via the Sway Mobility app, and is available for Whitman students, faculty and staff. Detailed instructions are available online.

As a reminder, most campus offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, which is a staff holiday. Bon Appetit dining facilities will also be closed. Next week, Whitman Today will be distributed on Tuesday and Thursday.

Four years have come and gone for the Class of 2026, culminating in commencement on Sunday. Congratulations!

2–3 p.m.

Information Session: International Travel Safety & Security (for Faculty & Staff)

Virtual Event

5 p.m.

Senior Athletics Banquet

Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom

11 a.m.

International Grad Brunch

Cordiner Hall, Side Lawn

9:30–10:30 a.m.

Phi Beta Kappa Induction

Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom

2:30 p.m.

Baccalaureate

Cordiner Hall

11 a.m.

Commencement

Memorial Building, South Lawn

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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