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FactsSlang
- "Duck Rape" - The not-exactly-PC phrase used to describe duck mating season in spring.
- “Walk of shame” - If a first-year finds his- or herself at a frat house on a Saturday or Sunday morning, he/she must take the crosswalk across Isaacs Street that separates Jewett Hall from the frat houses back to his/her dorm.
- A-team - Students employed by the Admissions Office.
- Beirut - What Whitties call beer pong
- Coffeehouse - Every Friday night, the Programming Board brings a musical act, often Whitman students, to perform in the basement of Reid.
- CoHo - College House, an upperclassmen dorm.
- Core - The nickname for the required general studies course that all first-years must take.
- Das Haus - German House.
- Frolf - Frisbee golf.
- GloHo - The Global Awareness House.
- IHC - The Interest House Community, a housing option for upperclassmen.
- Indie - Non-greek, or independent, students
- K Dub - The radio station, KWCW 90.5.
- La Casa - Spanish House.
- La Maison - French House.
- Lakum Duckum - The small pond between Reid, the Music Building, and Hunter Conservatory, where many Walla Wall ducks spend their afternoons.
- MECCA - Multi-Ethnic Center for Cultural Awareness House.
- Mem - Memorial Building, the office of the administration.
- Narnia - An idyllic area of campus between Maxey and the interest houses that is home to an artificial pond.
- Prospie - Prospective student.
- Reid - Reid Campus Center.
- ResLife - Residence Life.
- Tek - Japanese House.
- The ARC - The Academic Resource Center.
- The ASH - Asian Studies House.
- The Birdbath - A fountain outside Hunter Conservatory that looks like, well, a birdbath.
- The FAH - The Fine Arts House.
- The Fish - A statue on the edge of Ankeny of a fish balancing a bowl, which has a real name, but everyone calls it by this nickname.
- The OP - The Outdoor Program.
- The Outhouse - The Environmental House.
- The Pio - The Pioneer, the student newspaper.
- Townie - Citizen of Walla Walla.
- Twittie - Citizen of Walla Walla and Whitman student.
- Whittie - Whitman student.
- WriHo - The Writing House.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- Whitman’s weekly lectures, exhibits, and concerts are almost always free, so take advantage.
- A lot of students arrive at school thinking that they can do whatever they want because no one knows them there. It’s a really small school, and if you make a name for yourself early on—good or bad—it will stick for the rest of your time here.
- Alcohol has a pretty strong presence on campus.
- Allergies can be problematic in the spring and summer.
- Bring a U-Lock for your bike.
- Get involved, but don’t over commit yourself. Leave time for the “dormlife experience.”
- If you intend to get an on-campus job, start looking on Whitman’s Web site in late August.
- Pay close attention to class offerings—often they are only available every other year, so if there is a class you really want to take, plan ahead so you don’t end up being abroad or taking other classes during the semester it is offered.
- Racially, the student body is not diverse.
- The weather is NOT predictable.
- Use the resources available at Whitman to start your own independent projects.
- You don’t have to go Greek to make friends, but the frats do offer some cool rush activities like paint-balling, river rafting, and BBQs.
Tips to Succeed
- Be open to meeting people outside your dorm and section. Make friends through an outside activity, be it the Pioneer, the radio station, religious activities, or the juggling club.
- Get to know lots of people—keep this varied group of friends and make an effort to hang out with all sorts of people.
- Get to know your professors because they are amazing people. Go to their office hours, and they will help you and give you ideas and suggestions. They treat you with a lot of respect and deserve some in return.
- If you’re waitlisted for a class, go talk to the prof in person.
- Make a schedule for your work and stick to it.
- Pick your classes for the profs, not necessarily for the subjects. It could help you discover something new, and it’s a surefire way to know that it will be a good class.
- Sign up for a lot of classes, go to them all, and then really decide what you want to take.
- Take a variety of classes and have an open mind about your major.
- Try to figure out your major freshman year so you can spend your time wisely with the classes you take for the next three years.
Urban Legends
- It is said that about 80 percent of Whitman students marry other Whitman students.
- Lakum Dukum is allegedly heated year-round in order to keep the ducks happy.
- North Hall, which used to be a hospital, is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a former patient.
- Some say there is an underground tunnel connecting Lyman House and Jewett Hall.
Traditions
- 24-Hour T-Sports - A charity event that the Whitman improv group, Theatre Sports, or T-Sports, hosts by performing for 24-hours straight while auctioning off donated items.
- Beer Mile - An annual event where naked students chug beers and run a mile around Ankeny.
- Drag Fest - A weeklong event celebrating all forms of sexuality, ending with a gender-bending dance sponsored by the Coalition Against Homophobia.
- Drive-in Movies - Movies are shown free of charge on an enormous screen on Reid Side Lawn.
- Duck Fest - Similar to “Pigs on Parade” in Seattle, this event showcases ducks made by Whitman students and placed throughout campus.
- IHC Block Party - A block party sponsored by the Interest House Community, usually with several bands, a taco truck, and activity booths with themes matching those of the houses.
- Imagine Festival - An event promoting diversity and multiculturalism, sponsored by the multicultural center.
- Onion Fest - Whitman’s three-day Ultimate tournament, which brings in teams from the Northwest and beyond.
- Pinging - An experience all first-year students go through, kept highly secretive and enigmatic.
School Spirit
Though sporting events don’t bring in an enormous amount of school spirit, every student is very proud to be at Whitman. Students think very highly of the school, its professors, and all the resources it provides. The problem areas students hound Whitman for are predictable (lack of racial diversity, for instance), but generally, students are proud to be here. It’s common for students to wear Whitman T-shirts or sweatshirts around campus, and almost inevitable that students start missing the school over breaks and after graduation, even after complaints during finals. In fact, many students have a hard time leaving Whitman because, somehow, the school just manages to charm its students, even with the fact that it’s in Walla Walla.
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