Tag: Walla Walla University

Alumnus of Note: J. Bjørnar Storfjell

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Published in the Spring 2020 issue of Westwind Magazine

Nobody’s career unfolds quite as planned, but J. Bjørnar Storfjell—whose work has taken him on a serendipitous series of adventures around the globe—understands life’s unpredictable nature better than most.

Storfjell’s many layers make him difficult to summarize: He’s an archaeologist, an educator, a polyglot, an editor, and a former competitive ski jumper. He’s native to Norway, with citizenship in the U.S. and U.K. His story is far from linear and tricky to follow—assuming you’re unfamiliar with soil contexts and ancient Near East history—but in its simplest form, it’s a tale of “time and chance” launching a man to greater heights than he believed possible as an undergraduate.

In the ’60s, Storfjell moved to the States to study theology at Walla Walla University. He wanted to expand his knowledge of ancient history, and under the instruction of biblical languages professor Richard Litke ’48, he saw a larger context to which his studies could be applied. “Dr. Litke was really the person who was most influential in steering me in the direction of archaeology and Semitic languages,” says Storfjell, crediting the professor’s ability to engage students with the material.

Storfjell graduated WWU determined to continue learning. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree from Andrews University, studied at Portland State University, and later completed a doctorate in archaeology at Andrews, which involved research on the Byzantine Period and fieldwork in the Middle East.

“Dr. Litke was really the person who was most influential in steering me in the direction of archaeology and Semitic languages.”

Success is difficult to quantify, and though Storfjell’s résumé leaves little room for dispute, it was his partnership with Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl that undeniably proved his prestige. Heyerdahl led the 1947 Kon-Tiki raft expedition across the Pacific Ocean, and in the late 60s, Storfjell named his son Thor in honor of Heyerdahl. Decades later, Storfjell met Heyerdahl in the mountains of Azerbaijan during an excavation commissioned by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Heyerdahl was impressed with Storfjell and invited him to Russia to work on what would ultimately be Heyerdahl’s final project. When Heyerdahl passed away in 2002, Storfjell carried on his legacy, directing the Thor Heyerdahl Research Centre for five years.

As Storfjell developed expertise in archaeology and biblical languages, he worked hard to raise a new body of academics in his wake. He’s taught around the globe throughout his career, clocking a year at Auburn Adventist Academy, three at Middle East University in Jordan, nearly two decades at Andrews, a year at Kingston University in London, three years at Open University, and a decade of lecturing at Oxford University. As a professor, he showed care for his students, even crediting their names first on published articles. While teaching at Andrews, he involved students in excavation work in Michigan, Jordan, and Israel. On dig sites, he continued educating, taking Russian students into the trenches to teach them the latest methodologies.

“I was looking so much forward to having all the time in the world when I stopped teaching at Oxford,” Storfjell confesses, but only two months into retirement, he agreed to step in as editor of the Palestine Exploration Quarterly, where he currently reviews the latest archaeological research. “I think this is probably the last sort of professional thing that I will be doing,” he says, “but who knows. I will meet any challenge if it comes my way. I’m still an archaeologist.”

Tags Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

travel

A Perfect Day in the Big Apple

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Published in the Summer 2019 issue of Westwind Magazine

In New York City, people live by a few unique truths: Subways are necessary, walking shoes are mandatory, and crowds are avoidable.

Home to more than 8 million people spread across five boroughs, the city has plenty beyond flashing lights and celebrity sightings. It’s a vast cultural hub where rising chefs bring innovation to the table and talented artists dissect their crafts. Here, historic buildings live in harmony with modern architecture, and both demand appreciation.

To take it all in, you’ll have to move around a bit; the real New York can’t be found in Times Square. So lace up your sneakers and fill a MetroCard—you’ve got a busy day ahead.

9 AM • Flatiron District

Devoción

Start the morning a few blocks shy of the Flatiron Building with light treats from Devoción, a new Colombian wake-up spot that looks as if it were lifted from a page in a design magazine. You can’t go wrong with the guava Gruyere croissant, best enjoyed beneath the shop’s ceiling-strung garden or up the street at Madison Square Park.

10 AM • Midtown East

Museum of the Dog

Head toward Grand Central to the American Kennel Club’s easily overlooked and highly underrated Museum of the Dog. Explore two recently opened floors of paintings, artifacts, and interactive digital displays, all centered around one of the nation’s favorite household animals.

NOON • Nolita

Rubirosa

Ride the train directly to Rubirosa for an Italian-American lunch with locals’ stamp of approval. Situated just north of Little Italy, the mislocated pizza and pasta spot holds its own, with seating options and portion sizes suited for large groups and notable pies that put a classy twist on the “New York slice.”

1:30 PM

Dumbo

Dip into Dumbo, an industrial riverside neighborhood in Brooklyn. For photo ops below the Manhattan Bridge, walk down Washington Street; for shopping, roam the historic warehouse-turned-marketplace, Empire Stores; for skyline views and vitamin D, claim a plot of grass at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

3 PM

Dumbo/Financial District

Take the scenic route back to Manhattan—above ground and by foot. The Brooklyn Bridge spans 1.1 miles over the East River, connecting Brooklyn to the main island. Hit the walking path and enjoy the view as you cross to the other side.

4 PM • Chinatown

Ten Ren’s Tea Time or Möge Tee

Give your feet a rest and rehydrate at one of Chinatown’s many bubble tea shops. If you’re indecisive, Ten Ren’s Tea Time and Möge Tee are among the best with seating.

5 PM

Greenwich Village

Hop back in time to one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and admire quaint homes at Grove Court, Minetta Street, and MacDougal Alley. End the self-guided Village tour under the grandiose marble arch at Washington Square Park.

7:30 PM • Midtown

Bengal Tiger

Find Bengal Tiger perched atop a staircase in an unassuming building on the outskirts of Times Square. The small Indian nook dishes delicious flavors at shockingly reasonable prices.

9 PM • Upper West Side

Cafe Lalo

Made famous by You’ve Got Mail, Cafe Lalo captures the old-school charm of the Upper West Side. It’s far from NYC’s premier dessert destination but offers the perfect haven to linger for a while and debrief the day over a shared wedge of cheesecake.

Kyler graduated from WWU with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2018. He currently lives in New York City and writes for digital media brand Thrillist.

Tags Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

health

Alumna of Note: Elena Rohm

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Published in the Fall 2017 issue of Westwind Magazine in November 2017

When Elena Rohm enrolled at Walla Walla University in 2010, she already had a career plan in mind. “I never went to nursing school to work in a hospital setting,” Rohm said. “My goal in going to school was always to meet the needs of the underserved population, particularly overseas.” But helping displaced Iraqis in areas devastated by ISIS? That’s something she couldn’t anticipate.

Rohm’s mission work has already brought her to nine foreign countries across five continents. The Oregon native’s latest trip took her to northern Iraq, where ADRA and Adventist Help are building an emergency medical care hospital to serve the 100,000-plus internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region.

She lived in Erbil, Iraq, for two and a half weeks last June and July, traveling an hour to the Hasansham U2 Camp each day to help construct the hospital and treat patients from each of the five local IDP camps. “These were people fleeing from Sinjar or Mosul or a lot of the ISIS-held territories,” Rohm said.

Her daily commute to the hospital site showed evidence of a war-torn region. “We would have to go around a bridge every single day because ISIS had blown up that bridge six months before we were there,” she recalled. Despite the damage, Rohm felt safe alongside her team of over a dozen volunteers.

It wasn’t until she spent a few days at a trauma stabilization point in Mosul that safety became a concern. “You could hear gunfire and bombs going off and see the smoke in the distance,” Rohm said. Only about 2 kilometers from the action, the trauma stabilization point workers acted as a first response for several injured soldiers and citizens who wouldn’t have made it to one of the distant hospitals in time.

Rohm knew what kind of injuries to expect when she signed up to help in Iraq—anybody who watches the news knows it’s an ugly situation—but she had no idea how much of an impact the experience would have on her. “When we think of people from Third World countries, we think they’re so different. But the people are the same as us,” she said. “They have goals and desires just like we do.”

After meeting people whose lives were abruptly interrupted by war, she learned that only months earlier, their lives weren’t far from her own. “The only difference between me and these people is that I was lucky enough to be born into a place where I don’t have to worry about this,” Rohm said. “It really stood out to me more than any other trip.”

Rohm returned to her current Oklahoma home in July, where she faced a tough decision: What comes next? Rohm toyed with the idea of revisiting school to become a nurse practitioner, but she’s in a prime position to travel and there’s no age limit on a degree. “School will always be there,” she said. “I don’t know that these opportunities will always be presented the same way that I could fulfill them right now.”

Few people exchange luxury for discomfort—and fewer people do it willingly—but when Rohm marched across Centennial Green in 2013 and took her diploma, she knew her dream was far from conventional. Nobody can predict what part of the world will need help next, but one thing’s for sure: When an opportunity to help comes knocking, Rohm will open the door with a suitcase by her side and a passport in hand.

Tags alumni, nonprofit, Profile, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

education

Alumnus of Note: Matthew Engle

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Published in the Spring 2018 issue of Westwind Magazine

Twelve years ago, if someone had asked Matthew Engle about his career aspirations, becoming a teacher wouldn’t have made the list. “Teaching was the last thing I ever wanted to do as a career,” says Engle. More than a decade later, however, what was once the unlikeliest of professions has become one of his greatest successes. In December, Engle was awarded the 2017 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation and Inspiration in Math Teaching.

Struggling with direction while a student at Walla Walla University, Engle decided to take a gap year and serve as a student missionary in Palau, where he taught a class of eighth-graders. Before long, he realized that teaching was right up his alley.

“I had a handful of kids who came to me at the end of the year and said they always hated math, and they connected with it after having me as a teacher,” Engle recalls. “That was probably the thing that inspired me to teach math specifically.” By the time he left Palau, his perspective had changed. He returned to college with an unexpected plan in place.

After graduation in 2010, Engle found work teaching in China then in Montana. He now teaches math at Monterey Bay Academy in Watsonville, California. At the start of the 2017–18 school year, Engle spent long hours outside of class applying for the Rosenthal Prize.

The Rosenthal Prize, sponsored by the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City, recognizes fourth- through 12th-grade math teachers who aim to reinvent the classroom and promote hands-on learning. Applicants write a series of essays. Those who advance to the final round must design and submit a classroom activity that creatively demonstrates an important mathematical concept.

Engle’s winning 22-page submission, titled “Bringing Similarity into Light: Experiencing Similarity and Dilations Using Shadows,” explores geometric concepts surrounding similar figures and equal ratios. The lesson plan extends beyond math, guiding students into a deeper discussion about collaboration and appreciating others. “Everyone’s perceptions together are closer to the truth than our individual perception alone,” his submission reads. “We need to strive to understand each other’s viewpoints so we can grow together in our communities and the world.”

“A lot of math classes are boring really, and old and irrelevant,” he says. “I believe learning must be at the core of education, but many classrooms are focused on answer-getting instead.” Engle values intuition over memorization, and he uses math to help students develop reasoning skills and think critically about the world around them. “Education is for using information, not just having it.”

Engle received a $25,000 cash award with the Rosenthal Prize, and his lesson plan will be made available to teachers across the country. He accepted the award at a ceremony in New York City in February.

Tags education, Profile, teaching, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

policy

State Senate Internship

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The 2018 Washington state House and Senate interns convene for a Mock Floor Debate. February 26, 2018.

Allison Banks speaks on the Washington state House floor during a mock floor debate.

What do you get when you cross social work and senate? Ask Allison Banks, a senior social work major who spent winter quarter in Olympia, Washington, interning for Sen. Rebecca Saldaña. Banks, who was senate parliamentarian last year for the Associated Students of Walla Walla University, is one of about 70 students from across the state that were admitted to the State of Washington Legislative Internship Program this year. The annual program allows ambitious college students to assist legislators and learn about lawmaking for the duration of the legislative session.

In a sea of political science majors, Banks was the only intern majoring in social work. “I viewed my major as a weakness going into this,” Banks said. “When you look around and you’re the minority major, it’s difficult not to think ‘This program was designed for a different group of students.’” Despite some initial doubts, Banks quickly learned that she was right where she belonged.

On her first day of work, Banks looked through the bills that Saldaña was sponsoring. The first bill she saw called for increased healthcare benefits for Washington residents from the Marshall Islands, the Federation of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Banks served as a student missionary in Palau three years ago, and two of her former students now live in Washington state, making this a very personal topic. “I had this moment where I just froze. … I thought, ‘There’s no way that I’m coming into this new office and the first thing I read is about Palau,’” Banks recalled. “How is it possible that I got matched with the one senator who prime sponsored a healthcare bill to protect Palauans?”

Banks (left) on the Washington state Senate floor beside Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, who she interned for during the state’s 2018 legislative session.

Settling in and standing out

In the weeks that followed, Banks made Saldaña’s office her home. Most days involved answering emails and phone calls, but, she added, “the flow of that can vary widely.” A day at a senator’s office might start out slow, but if a bill drops and constituents have questions, the staff goes into overdrive to do research and give informed responses. “You’ll come into work and you have no idea what you’re going to be an expert on by the end of the day.”

Aside from the daily office work, Banks sometimes paged on the Senate floor, allowing her to witness lawmaking up close. She was impressed by the passion of the state senators and noted that they restored her hope in government.

Throughout the term, Banks and the other interns also attended seminars and participated in mock committee and floor-debate exercises. The committee and floor-debate simulations offered each intern the chance to role-play and walk through the full, bipartisan legislative process. Everything that legislators do for real, the interns did for fake, Banks noted. But fake as it may have been, the issues discussed were serious. The interns did their part to come to each meeting prepared—especially Banks, who was elected co-chair for the Democratic Party caucus. In that role, Banks worked for more than two weeks to keep up the morale of about 40 peers as they debated on the Washington state House floor.

During the caucus exercise, Banks used her social work knowledge to analyze bills in a way that other students couldn’t. One of the most dense bills that the caucus debated dealt with issues regarding juvenile justice. “Even having minimal experience discussing topics like recidivism and reentry … made me one of the most informed people in the room,” Banks said. “Social work provided additional context when dealing with these issues, and my unique perspective made me better equipped to lead in conversations and problem-solving.”

Prior to the internship, Banks planned to take some time off after graduation to prepare for law school. Now that she’s seen the link between social work and lawmaking up close, she wants to pursue a master’s in social work first. Banks encourages other WWU students to take a risk and apply for the same internship next year. “It’s reaffirmed my passion and commitment to the social work field,” she said, “as well as motivated me further to go to law school with the goal of returning to policy reform.”

Looking at a career, Banks likes the prospect of bringing social work and law together in a policy counsel position, helping legislators make informed policy decisions related to the human services field. Nothing is set in stone though, and when it comes down to it, she just wants to be a part of the lawmaking process. “There’s so much to work on.”

This series highlights the internships of three Walla Walla University social work majors during the 2017-18 academic year. (Part one of three.)

Tags Feature, policy, Profile, Social Work, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

education

Toy Hack Workshop

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Published on Walla Walla University’s digital newsfeed on January 14, 2018, and in the Spring 2018 issue of Westwind Magazine

Children with special needs face obstacles that most kids never will. Common toys that line the shelves are often incompatible with disabilities. When Brian Hartman, assistant professor of education at WWU, learned about toy adaptation programs that make toys more accessible for children with special needs, he decided to bring the idea to student clubs on campus. “Since special needs children don’t have any of these resources in the valley, I thought it would be a great program to start,” Hartman said.

On Nov. 16, the Education Club and the Society for Biological Engineering Club hosted a toy hack workshop in Kretschmar Hall, where students modified a dozen toys to make them more functional for children with disabilities. For example, they added large external buttons to an electronic alphabet toy and an air-powered ball popping toy, both of which came wired with difficult-to-access control buttons.

The Education Club led fundraising efforts for the event and purchased the toys using donations from Walmart, the WWU Center for Educational Equity and Diversity (CEED), and other private donors. The Society for Biological Engineering Club prepared tools for the event and provided technical aid to the hackers.

The 12 toys that were altered during the workshop were placed in a toy library, located in the CEED offices on the first floor of Smith Hall, where parents of children with special needs can check out toys free of charge.

The November toy hack was the first of many to come. “We intend to continue to grow the program and hope to involve engineering students in their senior projects in the future,” Hartman said. He estimates that there are 40-50 families in the valley with preschool-aged children with special needs. His goal is to build the library to 50 toys over time so that there are plenty of options for everyone.

Tags engineering, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU

history

A history worth celebrating

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Published on Walla Walla University’s digital newsfeed on December 19, 2017, and in the Spring 2018 issue of Westwind Magazine

Walla Walla University first opened its doors on Dec. 7, 1892, under less-than-ideal circumstances. On that cold Wednesday morning, a small community of dedicated Seventh-day Adventists gathered in the snow to consecrate an unfinished building that lacked central heat, running water, and functional kitchen stoves. They knew that conditions would be rough for a while, but they celebrated anyway, because that bleak morning represented a bright future.

Flash forward 125 years to Dec. 7, 2017. At 8:30 a.m., students, faculty, staff, and guests trudged across icy walkways to gather in front of the Administration Building where they reflected on the past and celebrated the future. Terrie Aamodt, professor of history and English, and alumnus Don Weaver ’56, took the crowd back to opening day, speaking in character as 1892 matron Sallie Sutherland and WWU benefactor and former Walla Walla mayor Nelson G. Blalock. The crowd then sang “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow” as did the small community in 1892 on the first day of classes. At the close of the birthday commemoration service, ASWWU Campaign Committee chair Paul Rhynard presented WWU with a check for $185,035 from former student leaders for the new Student Life and Ministry Center project.

The morning commemoration program was just one of many events that took place throughout the day. The WWU School of Nursing Portland campus celebrated the anniversary two days earlier with a birthday lunch, and the College Place campus continued the birthday events into the evening.

All day, Yogi Burgers at The Express were $1.25 off, and three pop-up parties appeared across campus with snacks for all to enjoy between classes. At noon, key participants in the Bowers Hall renovation project participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently transformed space for the School of Business, and the doors opened to the public for the first time. During lunch, signature WWU dishes and birthday cake were served in the Kellogg Hall dining room. Later in the afternoon, the Havstad Alumni Center hosted an open house to keep people warm until the evening finale—the College Place Winterfest—where the City of College Place teamed up with WWU for a parade down College Avenue, a tree lighting at City Hall, and a firework show on the edge of campus.

In spite of the freezing fog that loomed in the air during the quasquicentennial celebrations, the community turned out to be a part of something special. “It’s good to remind ourselves of who we are. We didn’t just happen,” said Aamodt. “This place didn’t just sprout up out of nothing for no reason. It’s bigger than any one of us; it’s bigger than any day of the year or any department or any particular classroom or any particular teacher.”

Tags history, Walla Walla University, westwind, WWU