Visiting Writers Reading Series Event on Thursday
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Feature by: Ananya Mehrotra ’27
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Writers Rose McLarney (left) and Justin Gardiner ’99 (right)—both faculty members in the Creative Writing Program at Auburn University—will visit Whitman College on Thursday, May 1, to read for the Visiting Writers Reading Series. The event will take place at 6 p.m. in Kimball Theatre in Hunter Conservatory. (Flyer attached.)
McLarney, author of poetry collections such as “Colorfast” (Penguin Poets, 2024), “Forage” (Penguin Poets, 2019) and “Its Day Being Gone” (Penguin Poets, 2014), has received prestigious awards including the National Poetry Series and the Fellowship of Southern Writers’ New Writing Award. She has also held fellowships at MacDowell and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and is Co-Editor of “A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia” (University of Georgia Press, 2019). McLarney’s work offers a profound exploration of identity, memory and the natural world, inviting readers to reflect on the intersections of personal and collective histories.
In “Colorfast,” McLarney explores Southern Appalachian heritage through poems that illuminate the fading and persistence of cultural narratives, particularly those involving women’s voices, domestic traditions and the natural world.
Gardiner, author of “Small Altars” (Tupelo Press, 2024) and “Naming the Lifeboat” (Main Street Rag, 2020), has been honored with the Faulkner-Wisdom Nonfiction Book Award. His writing has appeared in journals like The Missouri Review and Blackbird. He also serves as the Nonfiction Editor for The Southern Humanities Review. His work delves deeply into themes of personal loss, familial bonds and the human connection to nature.
“Small Altars” is a lyrical memoir that pieces together the story of his brother’s life, mental illness and passing, blending personal reflection with pop culture and the emotional complexity of caregiving.
At the event, McLarney and Gardiner will read from their works and answer questions. The reading is open to both the Whitman community and the public.
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Congratulations to the following students who have been elected by their fellow students to the 2025–2026 Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) Executive Council:
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- Sybella Ssewakiryanga ’26, ASWC President
- Eneida Likaj ’27 and Maetheany Ban ’28, Chairs of Finance Committee
- Sam Walker ’28, Chair of Communications Committee
- John Bannon ’27, Chair of Nominations and Appointments Committee
- Md Jubaear Rahman ’28, Chair of Student Development Committee
- Aaliyah-Ari Howard ’27 and Anissa Cherif ’28, Chairs of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Aurora Ortega ’27, Chair of Sustainability Committee
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Politics Professor Interviewed for Irish Podcast
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Andrea Sempértegui, Assistant Professor of Politics, and Michelle Baéz, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, were recently interviewed for the Irish podcast “Reimagining Development.” During the interview, they talked about the impacts of the Mirador mining project on Indigenous communities and their territories, anti-mining resistance in Ecuador, and their positioning as scholar-activists.
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History Department Visiting Lecture Tonight
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The History Department presents the Edward F. Arnold Visiting Professor Lecture on Tuesday, April 29, at 4 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. Nassima Neggaz, Associate Professor of History and Religion at New College of Florida, will deliver a presentation titled “Sunnis, Shi‘a and the Fall of Baghdad.” (Flyer attached.)
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Take the Campus Climate Survey for Students
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This year, Whitman will participate in the student survey from the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates. Degree-seeking students will receive an email survey invitation from Dr. John Johnson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence, arriving via helpdesk@naccc.org. Participants will be entered to win one of several prizes, including a new PlayStation 5. In addition, if at least 50% of all Whitman students participate in the survey before it closes on Tuesday, May 6, the Division of Inclusive Excellence, will sponsor a day of complimentary boba teas at Black Pearl Boba. Survey feedback will help Whitman assess the racial climate on campus for students.
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Multipurpose Gym
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Das Deutsche Haus (Interest House)
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