Corey and Kolton's Fun Adventure Downtown

Having fun on the goat at the downtown park. You can put anything in its mouth and he will suck it down  due to the intense vacuum that he is equipped with.

Stopped by Atticus after taking a round on the Carousel. Yeah...the store wasn't really that cool but we tried to make it look like we had fun.

Now that I look at this picture: Kolton...why are your legs straddling my inner thigh? Did you think you were going to fall off? Anyway...it was impossible to "slide" down the wagon. We were literally scooting ourselves down the slide and it may have looked a bit inappropriate to some.

Exploring Spokompton with TEAM NACHO LIBRE consisting of Millie, Rebecca, Stephanie, Nick and Samson

On a crisp fall afternoon on Tuesday the 13th Team nacho Libre went for a nice run downtown

and Samson unsuccesfully tried his charming moves on a nearby runner, but she was just stone cold. Literally

After our little run downtown we hit up Boo Radleys and enjoyed their bizzare collection of things to spend our hard earned money on. 

We then proceeded next door to the fine store/coffee shop known only as "atticus"where most of us developed beautiful mustaches:

 And then we dived into their literary section and began to expand our horizons with knowledge!

One of our favorite aspects about Atticus was the quote from "To kill a mockingbird" on their wall.

 After we left Atticus, Samson hijacked a parking meter.. just kidding

We decided to tak a picture from outside the store to display some of the interesting artifacts that can be found inside Atticus.

 And then on our drive home leaving downtown, we saw an advertisement for the GREATEST university ever and began to giggle excitedly like school girls.

And thus concluded our adventure into the lands of Spokompton. I mean downtown Spokane.

- TEAM NACHO LIBRE

Kevin, Nick, Sam, Julia, and Ethan went somewhere.

But where? When? Why? In what whay?  We actually went the Tuesday previous, which means we weren't slackers and did the assignment on time. I am simply tardy with the blog posting. 

Here's a shot of the whonderfully epic Christmas tree in one of the Mall's main lobbies.

 Here we see Nick, Julia, Sam, and Ethan enjoying their Atticus-bought drinks inside of Boo Radley's!

Here we see Ethan, Nick, Julia, and Samuel performing a perfect Tebow in front of the Carousel.

Downtown adventures!

My mom was in town and since she grew up here, she knows a lot about Downtown Spokane so I went on my adventure with her! Here are just a few places she took me...

First we went and saw the beautiful Christmas tree that is up in the mall...

 Next, I fed the goat some leaves...

And finally I rode down the big red wagon! Which, my mom told me, she spent many sunny days playing on as a kid and used to take me and my sister on when we were little as well... 

Exploring Spokane with Holli, Rebekah, Danny, and Katie!

On November 17, one freshman seminar group (the fearless Holli, Rebekah, Katie, and Danny) embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Or, at least, the journey of a weekend. They ventured into the great beyond outside the "pinecone curtain"...into DOWNTOWN SPOKANE!

First, we stopped by Atticus for some knickknack browsing. Definitely a very cool place! We all vowed to come back and buy ridiculous amounts of Christmas presents here.

Rebekah, Holli, and Danny outside of Boo Radley's. They had such cool everything here! Katie and Holli, who were new to downtown Spokane, were enthralled by Boo Radley's merchandise.

 

Rebekah, Holli, and Katie with the trash goat. Sitting on him is a LOT colder than it looks...

At any rate, it was a very enjoyable morning/early afternoon in Spokane. We did some fun (and eclectic) shopping, had a nice walk through Riverfront Park, and even made a quick sweep through the mall and picked up Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory sweets! It was nice to get out into the city and see what awesome things Spokane has to offer, from glitzy malls to eccentric shops to gorgeous parks. Hopefully, we'll all have a chance to go again soon!

You spin my head right round when you go DOWNTOWN! Katelyn Yesiki, Amanda Andrade, and Brittany Peterson

Auntie's bookstore! My aunt doesn't look like that but whatever. Loved all the books and the homey feeling. 

Peek-a-BOO RADLEY'S. Can't really read the sign, but we all know it's there. 

At Atticus'. Nothing like a cup of joe and some knick-knacks on a Sunday morning. 

Conclusion: This adventure was a success. No one got cut on the bus, we learned about a few of the hidden treasures that Spokane has to offer, and we got to see the ginormous Christmas tree in the plaza! Definitely will be heading downtown more often. 

 

Downtown Adventure

Luke Elderdge

Tommy Bocchi
Christian McKinney

Outside of scout, We ate there. It was delicious and good to get away from Saga food. Luke had a breakfast burrito, Christian a hamburger, and Tommy a sandwich.

Outside of Atticus. It was closed when we got there but we peered through the windows like creepers. We couldn't figure out what type of store it was, coffee? coffee and nicnacs? We shall go back sometime earlier in the day.

Looking around Boo Radley's. Talk about an eclectic store. They had Rey Guns! awesome. They kicked out though because they were closing. Another place we will go back too.

Feeding the trash goat. If you can make it out. Tommy is riding the goat and Luke is posing like Sasquatch above him. We had no idea what the trash goat was going to be, were not expecting that!

The downtown adventure was a good experience too see the sights of our new home city. It was fun to run around and get a feel for what it is like. We will definitely go back! Parking was a pain with all the one way streets. Also, we got a parking ticket, we don't know why, super lame.    

Mission Possible: Downtown Spokane (with Izze, Madison, Hannah, Molly, and Jennifer)

So... We're posting way more photos than we're supposed to. Because we're cool like that.

This was in the Atticus Finch Coffehouse Thingy. It was pretty cool. It had lots of cool stuff. There's not really anything interesting I have to say about it. Madison got a birthday present for her roommate there. Izze says their Lattes are really yummy.

Cool block thingies in Riverfront park. So that was cool. We had to ask some random stranger to take our picture. He had a beard.

Boo Radley's. I have no idea if I spelled that right. It was a really cool store, and we all sort of fell in love with it.

We're adorable.

This was one of those awkward group photos where we see how many people we can fit in a photo with someone in the photo taking the picture. It was pretty sweet.

Yay! Gigantic wagon! Embracing our inner children!

This slide was actually really, really crappy. Just saying. You could barely go down it without scooting yourself down it with your feet. However, it made it much easier to stay on while taking a picture.

Registration is Fast Approaching...

Next week you're meeting with your advisor to talk about your courses for next semester. You should sign up for a time using the sign-up sheet taped to your advisor's office door. You should show up with a couple of things:

1. A thought-through list of courses you think you'd like to sign up for in January and Spring, fortified by your having made sure that they are offered at times when you can take them all. Use the "Search for Sections" option in Pirate Port (under the "Whitnet" options) to find open sections and times. Use the Whitworth online catalog to look at requirements for your major, and go here to take a look at recommended 4-year plans for your major.
2. A few backup ideas about courses you'd like to take if you can't get the ones you're aiming for.
3. If you can figure out how to find it and print it, or if your super helpful sophomore friend can help you get it done, bring a printed-out copy of your program evaluation sheet, too. It's in Whitnet, down there under "Academic Planning."
4. A copy of your resume, as far as it has come so far.

The better prepared you are, the more we'll be able to get done in these quick sessions; if you're not perfectly well prepared, that's okay, though. Don't panic about any of this. Be aware (beware?), too, that you may have to be in touch with us about scheduling a couple of times before we get your schedule squared away, this time around. You guys are about last in line for registration, which means this semester you may have upperclassmen keeping you out of the classes you want. (That's okay. You'll be the all-powerful upperclassmen soon enough, blocking all those freshmen...)

Major’s Fair & ElectiveFest! Assignments

You will have noticed, through your careful reading of the syllabus, that you have two events to attend next week as required elements of our course.

These events are the Major’s Fair and Elective Fest (both sound exciting, no?); they are both easy to attend and have potential for gaining some knowledge of campus culture and academic study (and free candy—and it’s candy season!).

In accordance with attendance, you have a few simple tasks while basking in the academic life. (These can be completed in groups or with a buddy if you like—everything is more fun when done with friendly-type people).

Major’s Fair: Wednesday, October 31: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., HUB

On your way to lunch, or after checking your mailbox, stop by three major tables and pick up some swag. Also, talk to the representatives. Ask them to tell you something fun and exciting about the major, or to tell you why it’s a good idea to become a fillintheblank major. Write three of these things down on the back of a flier from one of the tables. Put your name on the flyer and turn it into your advisor.

ElectiveFest!: Thursday, November 1: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Westminster 252

Stop by Westminster (the home-away-from-home of your’s truly) and find out about English department electives being offered this Jan term and spring. There are good classes coming up that fulfill gen ed requirements and are taught by some darn good, smart people.

Pick up a flyer for a class you’ll think about taking and turn it into your advisor with your name and two reasons you think this class would be a good one for you.

Dine with a Mind Assignment

DUE by Friday, November 2 at 5 p.m.  (You can leave the assignment in your advisor’s mailbox or just slip it under their office door if they’re not around).

The task:
Invite a Whitworth professor out for coffee and ask them about their college experience. Then, type up a 300-ish word summary of the experience.

Tips:

*Start early! Whitworth professors love to meet with students, and love coffee almost as much, but time is always valuable. Work ahead of your deadline and offer your chosen Professor a few different options for meeting times to ensures a greater chance of success.

*Dine with a Mind vouchers are available at the info desk in the HUB. Make sure you have the voucher before the appointment

*You may certainly interview professors with whom you’re studying this semester. But also think about inviting another professor in your major, or perhaps someone who leads a study tour or teaches a Jan term class you’re thinking about taking.

*Below are some questions you might ask Professor Whatshername while you share some time. Feel free to add your own.

• Where are you from?
• Where did you go to college?
• What was your most difficult moment from your freshman year of college? How was this resolved? What did you learn from the experience?
• What was the biggest surprise from your freshman year?
• What advice do you have for freshmen about transitioning to college life?
• What were your study habits when you were a student?
• How did you decide to become a professor?

Scavenger Hunt with Katelyn, Brittany, and Amanda!

 A Sunday Morning in front of Chapel!

Newspaper Time, Autumn has arrived!

The fancy fish eye mirrors in Westminster!

Reading Response, Option 2--Davenport

Guy Davenport describes his family's ritual of hunting for arrowheads as a way to talk about his formation as an academic. Read this (smart, engaging) essay and think about the experiences that have shaped you as someone who loves to learn. (After all, that is why you are here, right?)
This piece is reprinted here (scroll down to it, or read the intro) at Harper's.

Again, use the comments field below to leave your comments on/response to this essay. Please take a second to review the reading response instructions here before posting. And, as always, don't be boring!

Reading Response, Option 1--Berry

Wendall Berry is a committed Christian activist who calls us to devote ourselves to a particular place, to live our lives with attention to the land and to the people around us. His commencement address challenges college graduates to live fully into the commitments they have made during the past four years. He also describes why a small, liberal arts college is a better educational institution than a massive research school--which is where you are right now. See? Relevance!

This text can be found online here.

NOTE: Use the comments field below to leave your comments on/response to this speech. Please take a second to review the reading response instructions here before posting. Don't be boring!

Reading Response--for real this time (and with a choice!)

The long-awaited reading reponse assignment is finally ready for you. Thank you for your patience.

There are two reading options for the response (one reading by Wendall Berry, one by Guy Davenport), both of which will have their own prompt posts, but here are the general guidelines:

TECHNICAL DETAILS/Where to Post In the sidebar, you'll see the two reading options. Once you've done one of the readings, you should use the sidebar to get to the blog post for that reading. Once at that post, you should use the comments area to post your response to the reading.

Your Required Contribution: 300 words for the reading that you choose. (Again, 500 words would be better. There is no maximum.)

How to Contribute (1): For this assignment, click "Post a Comment" at the appropriate blog entry. (See instructions below.)

• Option 1: You can do one big comment to contribute, or you can post a couple of different smaller items.
• Option2: It would be terrific to see you not only posting absolutely original comments but also commenting on each other's comments. The blog allows your response to Convocation to become a conversation in ways that plain-old paper printouts cannot. So let's converse! 

The Deadline

Your response is due by class time on 10/23....you have other work due that day as well, so manage your time and check the syllabus (and the blog) for that other stuff.

Content of Your Response

Your response to the essay should demonstrate insightful, engaged, critical thinking. Select something about the essay that you find especially interesting, provocative, enraging, truthful, controversial, or otherwise noteworthy. Explain what it is that caught your interest, and then explain why you agree or disagree. Be sure to give concrete examples from the text to back up your position. And keep in mind that explaining the author's position is important, but that second part--where you say something about this that only you would say--is where things get interesting.

Conversations

As always on this blog, it would be excellent for you to start a conversation with the rest of the class. As part of your response, you can post questions about the reading. You can also comment on and respond to things that others have already posted about the reading.
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Belated Scavenger Hunt 2012 Post!

Please indulge the tardiness of this post, as it was due to technical difficulties.

Le fancy chapelle door handle!

Trying to capture all of us with the wee creature creation was a small challenge.

Not sure why we haven't read the papers any sooner!

The scavenger hunt was quite the success!  Though best conducted on business days, y'know, when businesses are actually open and operating and such..

Lorna, Kristen, and Hannah go on a Whitworth-y adventure!

Hey look, we found a bus stop! How cool is that? And Lorna is holding a bus pass, because she's all cool and uses public transit.

Here is an awkward cell phone photo in front of a fisheye mirror! I would like to point out that everyone in this photo has red hair. We thought that was really cool. Lorna's sister is in this picture because she came along with us for part of our scavenger hunt. She's cool like that.

Here we are in the writing center. Aren't books fascinating? Especially books about MLA formatting? We think so. Apparently.