Baccalaureate on Saturday
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Feature by: Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
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The 2025 Baccalaureate will take place on Saturday, May 24, at 2:30 p.m. in Cordiner Hall.
Hosted by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Baccalaureate is an hourlong celebration featuring music from graduating Music majors and brief readings, prayers and reflections from a wide range of religious traditions, including humanist/nonreligious perspectives. It is an opportunity to gather in community around whatever each of us finds meaningful or sacred—for those of all faith traditions, for those of no faith tradition and for everyone in between.
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“In my work, I’ve come to think of interfaith gatherings like this to be particularly generous spaces,” says Interfaith Chaplain Adam Kirtley. “Some of what is experienced at Baccalaureate might feel deeply resonant with your own story. Other things will undoubtedly feel less familiar. That’s OK. Folks are invited to engage the various elements of this ceremony in whatever ways feel most comfortable to them. This is an invitational time. Nothing is required or expected. Everyone is invited to breathe deeply, feel grounded here and open their hearts to what they might learn about others—and themselves.”
The keynote address at Baccalaureate will be delivered by Elizabeth Knapp (pictured), Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience at Washington and Lee University, where she also serves as Director of the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity. She is the mother of Jenner Smith ’22 and graduating senior Charlie Smith ’25, both Geology-Environmental Studies majors.
Student reflections will be offered by: Brennan Ibrahim Franz ’25 and Hamze Haashi ’25; Emmanual Sakala ’25; Eyleen Menchú Tuy ’25; Eva Hauksdottir-Neill ’25 and Meera Jain ’25; Nadja Goldberg ’25; and Morgan Sherwood ’25.
Keziah Eckert ’25 and Miles Wilderman ’25 will perform the second movement of Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos. Jeffrey Wu ’25 (jazz guitar) and Philip Ratner ’25 (jazz piano) will perform “Believe, Beleft, Below” by Esbjorn Svenssön, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström (2003).
The ceremony’s opening blessing will be delivered by Jesse 峰 風 (Hofu) Burgess ’92, speaking from a Rinzai Zen Buddhist perspective. The event will close with a blessing from Jeanine Gordon, enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach.
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Staff Member Publishes Book Chapter
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Director of Academic Support Services Richard Middleton-Kaplan has a book chapter in the newly published volume “The Story’s Not Over: Jewish Women and Embodied Selfhood in Graphic Narratives” (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2025). The chapter explores Linda Ellia’s response when her daughter brought home a copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf ”(“Mon Combat” in French). After composing her thoughts and emotions, and then using her skill as an artist to transform one of the pages, Ellia sent a page of “Mein Kampf” to hundreds of people from all walks of life in 17 countries, asking them to alter the pages through paint, collage, drawing, cut-up or other means. In the process, Ellia and her contributors transformed Hitler’s “Mon Combat” (My Struggle) into “Notre Combat” (Our Struggle)—a struggle of collective, creative humanity to counteract evil in the past and in the present, and a stunning work of mourning, tribute and transformation.
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Outdoor Program Summer Hours
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The Outdoor Program Rental Shop is now operating on summer hours, Monday–Friday, noon–4 p.m.
The Bike Shop will be open on Wednesday, May 21, and Friday, May 23, from 4–6 p.m. Summer hours for the Bike Shop are yet to be determined.
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All seniors are invited to take the Senior Survey before leaving Whitman College. Enter your Whitman ID number to access the survey. Responses are due by Monday, May 26. Participants are not required to answer every question. This survey is an important way the Whitman administration assesses the overall educational program of the college, and results of this survey will help develop more effective programs and policies to meet the ever-changing needs of Whitman students.
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During her last semester on campus, Zoe Perkins ’25 checked an item off of her “Whitman Bucket List” when she received permission to go inside the Memorial Clock Tower as part of a writing assignment with the Office of Communications.
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Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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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.
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