Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Feature by: Zoe Perkins ’25

On Monday, March 10, Whitman College faculty members invited the college community to a panel event highlighting the contributions of Black women to their research, theories, classrooms and lives. 

The “Sojourning to Freedom” panel, named for 19th-century anti-slavery activist Sojourner Truth, focused on Black women’s legacies of survival, joy and visibility.

The panel was sponsored by the Office of the Provost and led by Assistant Professor of Gender Studies Giramata, whose work is concerned with Black feminisms, Black diaspora studies, anti-colonial Black visual arts and critical trauma studies. Supported by the Gender Studies Department, they initiated and developed the two-part panel series aimed at highlighting the unique experiences and contributions of Black people, pluralistically. It was curated alongside fellow Black faculty at Whitman, highlighting their experiences and needs in and outside the classroom. Giramata is particularly invested in the anti-colonial political education and the study of Black life through Black feminist thought. 

Read more.

In order to accommodate the changing needs of the construction site for the new Junior-Senior Village Apartments, a portion of Boyer Avenue directly between Bratton Tennis Center and the construction zone will be closed from Wednesday, April 2, through early July. Pedestrians will still be able to use the sidewalk on the north side of Boyer and are encouraged to cross Boyer at either the Park or Palouse intersections. (Map attached.)

Please join us in welcoming the following new Whitman College staff members who started in March:

President Sarah Bolton will hold open office hours on Tuesday, April 1, from 12:30–1:30 p.m. in Cleveland Commons. Throughout the semester, students can drop by these sessions to share their thoughts or just to chat.

The Transforming Classics series continues with a free talk by Stephanie Balkwill on Tuesday, April 1, at 5:30 p.m. in Olin Hall, Room 129. The talk will be titled “Who Was the First Woman to Rule China? Feminist Historiography as a Method for Historical Sleuthing.” Balkwill is Associate Professor of Chinese Buddhism in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she is also the Director of the Center for Buddhist Studies. The event is funded with support from the Judd D. Kimball Lectureship Endowment in the Classics.

The annual Genevieve Perry Lecture in Religion will take place on Wednesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. Winnifred Sullivan, a specialist in law and religion from Indiana University, will deliver a talk titled “Making a King: The Political Theology of Joan of Arc.” The speaker will explore the role that Joan of Arc played in making Charles VII the king of France. The event is funded with support from the Genevieve Patterson Perry Endowment for the Study of Economics. (Flyer attached.)

Students, are you looking for employment? Handshake is a great place to look for open job opportunities. At the moment, there are more than a dozen listings, including: Communications Illustrator Intern, Commencement Marshal and multiple Community Fellowships! You can also upload your resume to Handshake to expedite the application process. Visit the app store to download the Handshake app and use your Whitman email address to get started. 

Whitman’s free supply of recycled caps and gowns have all been spoken for! Graduating seniors who still need caps and gowns may purchase them online. Be sure to order by May 1 to ensure plenty of time for shipping.

Monty Simus (right)—Founder of Water Politics and Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Blue Finance for The Ocean Cleanup—spent a couple of weeks on campus this semester as an O’Donnell Visiting Professor with the Center for Global Studies.

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: MELT

Sherwood Athletic Center

12:30–1:30 p.m.

President Bolton’s Open Office Hours for Students

Cleveland Commons

2:15–4 p.m.

Pickleball Open Play

Sherwood Athletic Center, Multipurpose Gym

5–6 p.m.

Machelle Hartman: ‘Finding Leadership Through Listening’

Maxey Hall, Room 119

5–7 p.m.

Whitman Debate & Forensics Performance Showcase

Reid Campus Center, Lower Level

5:30 p.m.

Kimball Lecture: ‘Who Was the First Woman to Rule China?’

Olin Hall, Room 129

8 p.m.

On-Campus Housing Week Open House

Prentiss Hall, Great Hall

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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