Whittier College Poet Commons The Rock Archives and Special Collections Spring 2008 The Rock, Spring 2008 (vol. 78, no. 2) Whittier College Follow this and additional works at: https://poetcommons.whittier.edu/rock WHITTIER COLLEGE MAGAZINE >> RE-IMAGINING THE CREATIVE ARTS SPRING 2008 >> TALES FROM FULBRIGHT AND NIXON FELLOWS Alumni Association Board of Directors Career Mentoring Poet G.O.L.D. Regional Chapters Admission Ambassadors Poet Council Purple & Gold Study Abroad Societies LG BT IN THE ERA of Facebook, MySpace, and numerous other social networking sites, the Whittier College Alumni Association is able to keep you connected to an even more powerful network, one that is available exclusively to you: Whittier College Alumni Online Community! The Alumni Online Community allows you to view a secure, password-protected directory of contact information for fellow Poets, update your own Whittier alumni profile, share class notes, learn about alumni activities, and reconnect with fellow alumni who share similar interests. To join, log on to whitfier.edu/alumni For your eight-digit temporary password, contact the Office of Alumni Relations, 562.907.4222. Spring 2008 Volume 78, Number 2 FEATURES A Pond Defiled 24 Anthropology professor and Fulbright scholar David lyom shares a personal tale from his journey to Nigeria lost year—involving fish, ancestral retribution, and unusual native customs. Creative Careers 28 Rather than plodding along a typical career path, five young grads have found personal ingenuity and market opportunity are the perfect modern blend to find an unusual job in the creative arts. Good Fellow 34 Hansen Hunt '08 heads to Tijuana for a day of fieldwork on his Nixon Fellowship project: to identify and promote small, native businesses employing socially responsible practices and to preserve the essence of the border town's artisan community. DEPARTMENTS From the Editor 2 President's Corner 3 Campus News Around the Rock 4 Society Pages 12 Faculty Files 14 Sports 18 Bringing Home 'The Shoes" 20 Alumni News Developing Whittier 40 Alumni Association President's Letter 42 Poet to Poet 46 "THE SHOI Senior Moments 52 ABOUT THE COVER: A coveted trophy since 1941, The Myron Claxton Shoes—the prize in the football rivalry between Whittier and Occidental—returned home to Whittier this year after a seven-year absence. Photo by Steven Burns; story on page 20. 1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY THE ROCK TO "THE SPOT"! EDITOR THIS FALL, POPULAR CAMPUS HANGOUT "THE SPOT" TURNS 60 YEARS OLD and moves to its new home in the fully renovated Campus Center. From its incarnation as a soda fountain to its current iteration as a café, it's been a place where students have met and felt in love, discussed ASSISTANT EDITOR issues of the day, had their first employment, and, in general, shared their fears, frustrations, NOTES Laughter, and triumphs throughout their college days. ART DIRECTION 'S OR FEATURES EDIT Ana Lilia Barr David, Stephanie Chavez '10 Erica Amico '10 Jessica Santoyo '08 CONTR5UTORS :rony Barnston Thomas Elliott 1 Questions? Cassey Ho '09 Concerns? Love it? Hansen Hunt '0 Hate it? Then Let Mike Kennett us know. E-mail The Quaker Campus [email protected] Josh Wood '10 Letters are subject Laurence Martinez P11 to publication in a future issue of The Rock. THE ROCK, Spring 2008 Volume 78, Number 2 Copyright © 2008 Whittier College Join us as we 10 THE ROCK is published by celebrate the Whittier College grand opening of To honor The Spot's long legacy within the Whittier College family, we're asking for short Our mailing address is: the new Campus stories, memories, even photos of what The Spot meant to you in your days on campus. What THE ROCK Center—including Office of Communications do you recall happening here? Did something momentous take place? What were your favorite The Spot—during Whittier College dishes? Who were the quirkiest staff members? Do you have a "soft spot" for The Spot? Whittier Weekend 2008, 13406 Philadelphia St. P.O. Box 634 October 17-19. Submissions should be sent via e-mail to [email protected], or by U.S. Mail to The Whittier, CA 90608 Rock, do Whittier College Office of Communications, P.O. Box 634, Whittier, CA 90608. All submissions will be considered for publication in The Rock, online, or in other alumni and Phone (562) 907-4277 student publications. Fax (562) 907-4927 E-mail: [email protected] 2 PRESIDENT'S CORNER ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS: NI HAO! This ubiquitous problem-solving skills, outside-the-box faculty with connections, and to welcome phrase greeted us every- thinking, and a penchant for innovation. all when they travel to the China that is where during our visit to We professed that small classes, active their home. China during the first week pedagogy, and learning-by-doing were Listening to our proud Poet alumni I PHOTOSTOP. of March. Visiting Hong reasons why we consistently place and parents tell their own stories of time To see a photograph Kong, Shanghai. Beijing, among the top tier of colleges and spent at Whittier themselves or with taken at our alumni- and the ancient city of universities and how we know that their Poet offspring. I realized that it is parent gathering in Xinzheng, afforded an Whittier propels our students' intellectual difficult to characterize fully the value of Hong Kong, turn to page 45. opportunity for members and personal growth. a Whittier College education. You have to of our Whittier delegation to meet with In return, we learned about the see for yourself what it is like to be in officials at some of the best universities substantial energy and resources being class with David Paddy, Laura McEnaney, in the country and to begin to establish devoted toward the Chinese university or Sean Morris, three of our most recent partnerships to benefit Whittier students system today. We learned about the Nerhood Award-winning professors. and faculty. Vice President for Academic emerging commitment at some uni- Or observe the bubbling excitement of Affairs Susan Gotsch, Vice President for versities to American-style liberal arts students working on marketing projects Advancement Elizabeth Power Robison, education, and a zest for experimentation or psychology experiments or interning at and I explored possibilities for student and and adopting best practices wherever Broadoaks School. You have to hear and faculty exchanges, study abroad pro- found. And we discovered opportu- see the performers during choir concerts grams, and internships. We also shared nities for collaboration. For example, and Friday Musicales. And how can we information on our student life programs. Whittier soon will host a student life find words to describe the enthusiasm Formally seated across the table professional from Fudan University of the 75 participants in Mike McBride's from presidents, party leaders, and other who will observe and learn from our Model UN. officials, I was struck by the extent to campus model, and we will send a team We communicated just the flavor which the Chinese are eager to learn back to Fudan to continue discussions of a Whittier education to our Chinese about Whittier's brand of education. about general education. And several university hosts, and, knowing that the Two of the most prominent universities universities will cooperate in student full effect would need to be experienced in China—Fudan and Peking—even asked and faculty exchanges. We can learn in person, we eagerly invited them to us to prepare talks about how we deliver much from building relationships with visit our campus (one president is already a liberal arts education, and how we our Chinese counterparts and exposing planning to do so in May). I invite you know that it makes a difference. All of interested students to China's rich past all to have the same experience. Visit us the universities we visited were curious and dynamic present. again, sit in on classes, watch students' about the education we offer at the small, Another highlight of our trip was presentations, and talk with our seniors private college that graduated President the opportunity to connect with Whittier about what and how they have learned. Richard Nixon '34 and about the success alumni and parents in Hong Kong and The value and importance of our work of our other alumni. Beijing. Varied in their professions—film here really hits home when you observe So we told them about Whittier. We producer, commercial interior designer, it in action. told them that we educate students for a headhunter, financier, hotel developer, lifetime of change and discovery through a global company's senior VP, head Go Poets! exposure to a broad array of coursework of business development in corporate in addition to in-depth knowledge in a banking, an owner of the largest discipline. We reported that interdis- mortuary business in Hong Kong, and a ciplinary instruction was a hallmark of minister for press and cultural affairs at Whittier College, as well as a necessity the U. S. Embassy in Beijing—they offered Sharon D. Herzberger for graduates whose careers will demand to help students with internships and President 3 NEWLY NAMED POETS HUMANITARIAN-AUTHORS ISABEL ALLENDE AND WILLIAM C. GORDON RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREES October, capping a daylong visit that her dying grandfather that became her BOOK-MAKERS. Dean of Faculty included a classroom lecture, meeting debut novel, The House of the Spirits. K Susan Gotsch (Left) student writers, and a dinner celebra- Through her use of a writing style applauds Whittier's tion at Wardman House, the home of known as "magic realism." Allende has ROC newest honorary President Sharon Herzberger. told the story of Chile and its people, Poets, Gordon Called a "genius" by critics, Isabel and in particular, its women, to acclaim.