Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Feature by:
Whitman African Students Association—Sybella Ssewakiryanga ’26 and Jace Saplan, Senior Director of Identity and Belonging

The spring semester brings about several wonderful things: the shift from winter to spring, longer days full of sunlight, and the thrilling return of one of Whitman’s most vibrant annual events—Taste of Africa. Hosted by the Whitman African Students Association (WASA), Taste of Africa is the culmination of months of dedication and collaboration to showcase the rich and diverse cultures of the African continent. The event invites students, staff, faculty and community members to engage with Africa through dance, performance, storytelling and—of course—food.

This year’s main event will take place on Saturday, April 19, from 6–9 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom (flyer attached). For many WASA members, it’s a deeply personal opportunity to bring a piece of home to Whitman and share it with the community. Last year’s theme, “Roots and Routes,” centered on the idea of building home across borders. This year’s theme, “Ubuntu—Umuntu, Ngumuntu, Ngabantu” (translated as “I am because you are / A person becomes a person through people”), celebrates collective identity and community among the African diaspora.

As the African student community at Whitman continues to grow, so too does the range of countries and cultures represented. Last year marked the largest graduating class of African-identifying students in Whitman’s history—a milestone mirrored by the growth of WASA’s alumni network.

Terence Mahlatini ’25, a senior international student from Zimbabwe and current WASA president, reflected on the event’s cultural significance and the evolution he’s witnessed:

“For me, the importance of Taste of Africa is that it’s a community-building event for the club. Each time we are planning and preparing for Taste of Africa, I feel like we engage a lot as a club, and we get to learn from each other more. Africa is a huge continent, and there are a lot of distinct cultures that not everyone knows. The whole point is to share our cultures with the whole community here, but I think also in the process, we’re also sharing our cultures within ourselves.”

Each year’s celebration has included fashion shows, poetry readings, traditional and contemporary dances, and more—all curated and performed by Whitman students. 

Read more.

Biology major Margaret Burgess ’25 will give a presentation at an open meeting of the Blue Mountain Audubon Society on Thursday, April 17, at 7 pm. in Olin 129. In a talk titled “From Calls to Conservation: Revealing the Distribution of Black-Backed Woodpeckers in the Northern Blue Mountains With Sound,” Burgess will present findings from her senior thesis research on measuring soundscapes to reveal woodpecker distributions in the northern Blue Mountains. Burgess is a fellow with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the recipient of the 2024 Arthur G. Rempel Scholarship, presented by the society in honor of a Whitman College professor who taught from 1937–1977 and was a founding member of the Blue Mountain Audubon Society.

As part of the Taste of Africa week of events, students are invited to a “Wicked Waist Bead” event on Wednesday, April 16, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. in the Third Space Center. Create your own waist beads and jewelry in this expressive and hands-on cultural craft night. Please RSVP in advance as space is limited. (Flyer attached.)

The Office of Communications will host the annual Hosokawa Journalism Lecture on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom. Versha Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, will participate in a conversation titled “The 21st Century Newsroom: What Even Is News When Everything Is Online?” Sharma also currently serves on the boards of the Online News Association and the International Women’s Media Foundation. (Flyer attached.)

The Friends Program is hosting a carnival-style event on Friday, May 2, for Whitman students and their elementary school mentees. Volunteers are needed to run activity booths and help with setup and cleanup. Please sign up in advance. (Flyer attached.)

Photo (@whitmanathletics): On Sunday, Whitman College Athletics inducted four individuals into the Whitman Athletics Hall of Fame: Floyd Bunt Jr. (coach/soccer), Francisco Blanch ’97 (student-athlete/men’s soccer), Galen Sollom-Brotherton ’14 (student-athlete/men’s swimming) and Tracy Griffin Zerr ’83 (student-athlete/women’s swimming, honored posthumously).

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Strength & Stretch

Sherwood Athletic Center

3 p.m.

Canadian Brass: Lecture and Demonstrations

Cordiner Hall [community event]

4–5 p.m.

Open Office Hours: Watson Fellowship

Virtual Event

6:30–8:30 p.m.

Waist Bead Wednesday

Third Space Center

7 p.m.

Senior Recital: Jeffrey Wu, Jazz

Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall

7–9 p.m.

Walla Walla Symphony: Canadian Brass

Cordiner Hall [community event]

8–10 p.m.

Open Kayak

Harvey Pool

9–10 p.m.

Women+ Climb Night

Climbing Center

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

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