Thursday, January 29, 2026

Each semester, students blog about the study abroad experiences they are having through Off-Campus Studies programs. In a recent post, Politics-Environmental Studies major Calen Romig ’27 reflected on returning from a semester in Iceland.

“I keep thinking that the past few months have been a dream. I’ve been back home for a week now, and I’m still fighting jet lag and the feeling that I just woke up.

“I was ready to leave, but also ready to stay. I know I’ve changed—but I can’t really name how just yet.

“How do you describe your adventures? I think this is the question that every traveler faces when going back to before. You alone experience your dreams, and you alone experience your life. But how to tell the story that only you know?

“I asked my professor before leaving Iceland, and she said to meet people where they’re at. If someone comes up to you and says, ‘OMG, sit me down and show me every single picture from your trip,’ then you tell a very different story from someone who asks, ‘Was your trip fun?’ Then, you just say yes. I think this is good advice—you don’t want to alienate your friends, and you don’t want to push your stories on someone who is busy with their own.

“I think I will be processing this trip for a very long time. There were ups and downs, and it flew by so incredibly fast. Now I’m pretty sure I belong to the super-secret club of people who traveled alone and young and who can’t believe it already happened, but who understand the magic of it.”

Read all of Romig’s blog posts online.

The Office of Human Resources encourages all employees to review their pay statement which will be available on Saturday, Jan. 31. You can find it in myWhitman under “Payroll Summary” in the staff or faculty tools portion of the menu. Due to the many changes to benefits and tax rates beginning this month, this is an excellent time to review your deductions for accuracy.

Now is also the time to check your federal tax withholding allowances.  If you recently married, divorced, had a change in the number of dependents or experienced other major changes in your family income, you may need to file a new Form W-4.  If you have moved to Oregon, or moved from Oregon to Washington, please make sure to notify Payroll.  

Have you reviewed your retirement contributions for 2026? Visit tiaa.org/whitman to make any changes.  

Please reach out to hr@whitman.edu or payroll@whitman.edu with any questions.  

Harper Joy Theatre’s annual Studio Series—a presentation of three works of contemporary performance from regional and nationally recognized artists—will take place from Thursday, Jan. 29, through Saturday, Jan. 31. All performances will be in the Freimann Studio Theatre beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets for each night—free for Whitman students—are available through the box office. (Flyer attached.)

Students looking to study abroad in Fall 2026 will need to complete an Off-Campus Studies (OCS) application by Monday, Feb. 9. Before an application can be opened, student must attend a First Steps meeting, then meet with an advisor from the office. OCS Interns will also be hosting an Application Party event on Monday, Feb. 2, from 4–6 p.m. in Reid Campus Center. Learn more about current opportunities on the OCS Programs website.

The 2026 Power and Privilege Symposium will take place on Thursday, Feb. 19. The Power and Privilege Executive Team is seeking student volunteers to help support this year’s events and speakers. Volunteering is a great way to engage with the symposium and support campuswide conversations around power, privilege and social justice. Sign up today!

Earlier this week, the Whitman Alpine Ski Club participated in the Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference Qualifier at Silver Mountain Resort in Idaho. The women’s team placed fourth overall. (Photo of Elias Kean ’27 by Quinn Skinner ’29.)

Noon

Off-Campus Studies First Step Meeting

Maxey Hall, Room 106

12:30–1:10 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Yoga

Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114

8–10 p.m.

Studio Series: Mylan Gray’s “Boxed”

Harper Joy Theatre, Freimann Studio Theatre

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.

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.

Find us on social media: @whitmancollege