Five Things to Look for on a Campus Visit at Whittier College

1.) The Rock

The Rock is one of Whittier’s long-standing traditions. Originally installed by seniors pulling a prank, it is a large boulder that sits on campus. It is located next to the Campus Inn (cafeteria) and usually has a bright hue. Every day, the rock gets painted by a different club, organization, society, or person. Students have to reserve the painting of the rock and if you get up close enough, you can see the layers of spray paint from over the years. Every year during society pledging, the rock is rushed, painted, and protected. Allegedly, every couple of years the rock is burned. This eliminates a few layers of paint from its exterior. In the rock’s 100-plus year lifetime it has been moved, stolen, broken and repaired. It is something that brings students together and also can be used to show pride and bring awareness to issues.

2.) Wardman Memorial Gym

The Wardman Memorial Gym is located on the upper quad. It originally housed the school’s athletic endeavors; however, when the Graham Athletic Center was built, it was converted into the art department’s space. Inside the building, there is a lot of student art that is either on display or being worked on. Some pop culture fans might even recognize it from being in feature movies like Back to the Future. The building still holds a lot of its original charm of being a gym, and the evidence of its former life can be found throughout the building. If you climb up the bleachers, you can look down on all of the art work being produced creating a very interesting perspective.

3.) Faculty Houses

Whittier has a number of on-campus faculty houses. In these houses, a certain professor will live and host events on campus. These houses are nestled next to (and sometimes adjacent to) the dorms. The professors that live there are also contractually encouraged to allow students to host events there (lectures, group meetings, etc.) This is unique to Whittier and it encourages students to interact with faculty outside of class. In some of these faculty houses, there may be some historical artifacts from the school or from the person the house is named for. The Dezember House, located next to the freshman dormitories, is named for a famed Whittier College football player. His jersey and some of his pictures hang in the home, providing students a glimpse into a past Poet’s life at Whittier College.

4.) Wanberg and The Organic Garden

Wanberg Dorm is a dorm of folklore and legend. The dorm has been rumored to be a former syphilis ward, hospital, mental asylum and nursing home. Although I cannot comment on the validity of the statements, it certainly adds a certain feel about the building. Outside of Wanberg and the professors’ on-campus house is an organic garden that was started a couple of years ago. This garden is special in that a class tends to it. The professor who lives in the house oversees the garden and its produce. The garden produces food that is occasionally featured in the Campus Inn. Students are encouraged to come and work in the garden and get in touch with their green thumb.

5.) Amphitheater and Basketball Court

While on the tour, also look out for the school’s Amphitheater and outdoor basketball court. The Amphitheater hosts outdoor productions of plays, the annual Dub-Sync dance/singing contest, opening and closing ceremonies for a student’s time at Whittier College, and it is a nice place to hang out. There are traditions that happen in the amphitheater and it is a favorite place to hang among society members as well. The amphitheater is surrounded by large trees, making it a fun place to do homework or work out. Additionally, Whittier added an outdoor basketball court in the last four years. This provides students who want to play basketball recreationally a chance to get onto the court and show off some skills.

Katherine Van Allen, originally hailing from Portland, Oregon, attended Whittier College from 2008-2012. Katherine majored in Social Work, graduating with membership in two honor societies and one social society. Katherine played sports for three years at Whittier. She currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys her job as a geriatric social worker.