The QC, Vol. 86, No. 19 • March 9, 2000

              ■ Focus on
Inauguration
Opinion
Students and professors discuss the
inaugural ritual and ceremony.
■ Fortune Cookie
Learning more about Chinese
culture is in your future! We
highlight courses on Chinese art
and culture.
■ Fantastic Freu
Fantasy Hits Stage
The Whittier College Theater
Department presesnts Arthur
Schnitler's La Ronde.
di,n
■ Record Breaking
Cathy Burt breaks women's
discus record.
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WHITTIER ♦ COLLEGE
March 9,2000
Quaker Campus
The Voice Of The Campus Since 1914 JLw— «
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Will Inauguration Speech Focuses on the Liberal Arts
B INAUGURATION
by Amy Stice
QC Co-News Editor
President Katherine Haley
Will spoke of Whittier College's
need to embrace modern technology while retaining the scholastic
and communal elements that define and distinguish the institution, in her inaugural address entitled "Amazon.com and the Liberal Arts," on Friday, March 3.
"The liberal arts in the digital
age means that we must respond
to our environment and explore
our technology to appropriately
enrich and transform our curriculum," Will said to a rain-chilled
crowd on the North Lawn.
Comparing the essential values of a liberal arts institution to
Internet book sales mogul
Amazon.com, Will focused on the
utilization of technology without
alienating faculty and student interaction. She emphasized that
Whittier College must retain its
traditions while appropriately
keeping pace with larger, more
widely-recognized public institu-
"What needs to evolve or
be transformed in order
to advance to a more
modern era? What can
possibly prepare our
students for a time of
increasingly rapid
change?"
Katherine Haley Will
Whittier College President
tions.
"Small liberal arts colleges are
about enduring values," Will emphatically stated. "At their very
best, the liberal arts colleges teach
the ability to look into the future,
to adapt to change and... to forge
the future through new ideas."
Addressing the phenomenal
success of correspondence courses, programs in which one can
obtain a diploma through the mail
or Internet, Will warned against
letting such conveniences overshadow the learning processes that
characterize liberal arts colleges.
"Never teach in a way that
would allow you to be replaced by
President katherine Haley Will begins her Inaugural speech
as her husband, Oscar, looks on.
a video or computer," Will said to
the faculty. "If you teach in the
spirit of the liberal arts, you can
never be replaced."
But while stressing the need
to strive toward academic excel
lence in the classroom, the President made it clear that harnessing
technological advancements is
vital to the success ofthe College.
"I want to think ofthe liberal arts
as a digital age," Will said. "What
needs to evolve or be transformed
in order to advance to a more
modern era? What can possibly
prepare our students for a time of
increasingly rapid change?"
The faculty responded positively to the ideas that Will put
forth in her speech and the entire
inauguration ceremony.
"What [the inauguration] represented for most of us was a
wonderful opportunity to celebrate the College and feel good
about where we're going," Chair
ofthe Faculty and Associate Professor of English Charles S. Adams said. "It's not just about Kate
Will. It's about us and new ideas
and the College."
Although diminutive student
attendance marked the ceremony, those who witnessed the event
were impressed by Will's comments.
"[Will] talked about two very
important things—faculty and
technology—and made very important points in both," junior
Allison Outschom said.
"People have been crying
around here about [technology]
and it's nice to have a leader who
recognizes that," she added.
Students Hold Caucus on Issues in Response to Society Incidents
■ ON CAMPUS
by Steve Alvarado
QC Co-News Editor
Over 25 students including
members of clubs and societies as
well as other concerned students
attended a strategy caucus in the
wake of the third controversial
society board, this one depicting
the Lancer and Metaphonian Societies Stag entitled "Run For the
Border" [see QC Issue 18, Volume 86] on Sunday, March 5.
The caucus brought together
students from various races and
groups on campus in what was
often a heated discussion. In anticipation ofthe nature ofthe discussion, junior COR President
Jonathan Collard took the initiative to mediate the discussion over
issues of sensitivity and awareness in the hopes of bringing the
issue to some sort of positive conclusion.
"Unfortunately when you have
a large group of students with
differing opinions consensus will
rarely be reached," Collard said.
"I was concerned about making
sure that this was an effective
meeting in the absence of a clear
agenda. As President ofthe [Associated Students of WhittierCollege] I tried to lead a fair process,
through facilitation and discussion. Students feel very strongly
on both sides of the issues and I
hope that once the Diversity Task ,
Force is finished with the founding work, we can use it as a tool to
mediate these types of concerns."
Students at the caucus raised
two important issues that will be
addressed to Leonard. The first
goal is to change the bylaws in the
"Code of Students' Rights and
Responsibilities" portion of the
College Handbook concerning
student complaints in order to define in a clear protocol for handling issues that could arise in the
future. By setting these new bylaws, students hope to establish a
conduct review board involving
both society and non-society members.
The second goal is to transform the space currently set aside
for posting society boards to a
public space where all clubs can
post boards.
The current version of the
College Handbook states that, "Alleged violations of the Code by
student organizations and societies will be adjudicated by the Director of Student Activities, the
Dean of Students or the Society
Advisory Board Judicial Council."
The strategy caucus, which
lasted almost two hours, began as
See CAUCUS, page 6
30
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Students debate changes in the Student Handbook on Sunday, March 5.
ISSUE19 • VOLUME 86