QUAKER CAMPUS April 11, 2024
The voice of Whittier College since 1914
Volume 22— Issue 13
Uptown Rallies for Ceasefire Big Poet Give Gives Back Again Sara Martinez COPY EDITOR
Rally-goers marched to Uptown Whittier's Freedom City Church.
Sara Martinez / Quaker Campus
Sara Martinez COPY EDITOR
gaging in discourse. The flyers that were passed out read “Free Palestine. Ceasefire Now. End the occupation,” followed by information concerning the conditions in Gaza which read, “No food, water, baby formula, or medicine.” Some Whittier students were also in attendance, including third -year student and Co-Chair of the Whittier Student-Worker Alliance (WSWA), Aidan Moore, who brought umbrellas since storm clouds were threatening the crowd. Once additional signs and umbrellas were distributed, the group began their march with Pi co-Whittier Alliance organizers at the front along with two people with a large marching drum and snare drum. A variety of chants rang out, including, “Whittier, Whittier, you can’t hide! You’re committing genocide!” and “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go!” as the group walked, waving Palestinian flags and distributing flyers. As they approached the corner of Hadley St. and Greenleaf Ave., a crowd of people could be seen gathered in front of Freedom City Church. The march crossed the street and the crowds clashed, withchurch-goers chanting, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” holding their bibles high. Almost immediately, the protestors began to march towards City Hall. Before reaching City Hall, the group stopped in front of the Starbucks in Uptown, as speakers claimed that the company funds the Israeli Defense Force and condemned consumers for supporting them. Customers were seen leaving the coffee shop, as the group waved their flags and signs in front of the windows. The group then reached City Hall. Those who stayed rejoined at Central Park to enjoy sandwiches provided by the Pico-Whittier Alliance and listened to statements that urged Whittier citizens to vote in the city elections. In their final remarks, organizers urged locals to hold their elected officials accountable and be the voice of the Palestinian people, stating, “We can no longer ignore what is happening. Viva, viva, Palestina!”
Some Whittier residents are celebrating Easter a little differently this year. On Sunday, March 31, amidst a busy Easter Sunday crowd, over 70 local citizens gathered at Central Park in Uptown Whittier to participate in a Free Palestine Rally and march through Uptown. The event was put together by the Pico-Whittier Alliance for Liberation and Peace, a local organization that has recently been advocating for neighboring cities such as Pico Rivera and Montebello to call on
Council members on their failure to call for a ceasefire. A member of the movement, Lauren Ruiz, stated, “We are here because we recognize Whittier as a conservative city and there has been no action in this part of Los Angeles County. We are asking the City Council to call a ceasefire as well.” The event took place one week prior to the Whittier City elections, an event that has also recieved public criticim from residents. See "Whittier Elections Met With Backlash," on the Quaker Campus Medium for more information. The organizers of the recent
"We are here because we recognize Whittier is a conservative city and there has been no action in this part of Los Angeles County." -Activist Lauren Ruiz Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza. The public was made aware of the event via an Instagram post which read “Rally for Palestine: Genocidal values do not represent Whittier,” which encouraged participants to wear masks and bring signs and megaphones. During the rally, speakers of the Pico-Whittier Alliance delivered speeches that criticized Whittier residents and Whittier City
More than 70 people participated.
rally criticized President Biden for sending, “our tax dollars overseas to fund genocide.” Tensions were expected to be high, as the group recognized the religious observance of Easter in Uptown, given the number of churches. For the safety of those in attendance as well as for the public, organizers encouraged protesters to refrain from using the word “Zionist,” and to pass flyers instead of en-
Sara Martinez / Quaker Campus
Life: Live It Up at Whittfest and Poet Prom — 4 Articles: Campus A & E: The How's and Why's of Toddler to Trainwreck — 12
Time is up and the results are in! On April 4, the results of this year's Big Poet Give were released. The ninth annual Big Poet Give, held March 27, was a success for the College, as they raised $242,757, which is $99,258 more than what the College raised last year. This year also saw an increase in the number of donors, from 191 to 447, with the top three donor states being California, Washington, and Oregon. Aside from the money donated directly to the College, Whittier was able to match seven funds, which together brought in $108,568. These funds included the $15,000 President’s Challenge, and the $20,000 Stretch Challenge, which was announced earlier this year in collaboration with the fundraising initiative Whittier Now! Proceeds from this challenge are directed to Whittier Now!, which promotes personalized education, the liberal arts, the College’s “welcoming setting,” mission and values, social mobility, and “Poet Pride,” to name a few. The other matches in this donation initiative were Gifts from Faculty and Staff Match Challenge, which aimed for $5,000 and met that goal by receiving a $5,000 donation from Schoolsfirst Credit Union, and $12,000 from the Whittier College Black Alumni Association (WCBAA) initiative. About $20,000 was raised by past and present College parents through the $10,000 Current and Past Poet Parents Match Fund. And finally, the $2,500 Emergency School Book Match Challenge fell short of its desired goal at $1,968 raised. Several of the donors for the match challenges were College alum. In regards to meeting the College's fundraising goal, Whittier Now! fundraising initiative,
as announced on Nov. 16, 2023, is to raise $20 million within the next five years (2028), and with the success of this year’s donations the College predicts they are right on-track. Within the last few years, the College has experienced around a 200 student decrease in enrollment, partially due to the removal of men’s lacrosse, men and women’s golf, and Poet football in November 2022. As reflected by state numbers, lack of enrollment can affect school finances which prompted the closure of multiple private Catholic institutions including La Reina in Ventura County, followed by St. Agnes and St. Teresa Avila in Los Angeles County. The College’s own financial records for the last fiscal year were published last month. For more information, see “Finances Reflect Last Year" on page two. Although the fundraiser is over, Poets and donors are still able to support the College as the website provides an active link at givingday.whittier.edu. The College also thanked and acknowledged those who went "Big" and participated in the fundraiser, stating, “Thank you, Poet family! You make the Big Poet Give possible. Your enthusiastic support of the Big Poet Give is a valuable investment in our students’ success.” The updated donor wall is available for those who did not mind sharing their name and gift amount. The option to remain anonymous is available as well. In the meantime, the College urges the community to invest in the Whittier Fund through the Whittier Now! initiative, stating, "With your support for the Whittier Fund—which invests in every area of the College for sustained growth—we are able to safeguard the services that are so essential to our student experience, including the faculty and staff who create it."
Courtesy of Whittier College This year's Big Poet Give received more than last year.
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