News across Greater Walla Walla
Fake Plastic Therapists
The promise of an AI therapist is seductive: an on-the-go counselor that is cheap, nonjudgmental and always available. In a world facing a massive mental health crisis, and a country creeping on the verge of an economic crisis, turning to a chatbot for emotional relief feels like…
The Identity of the Youngest Child
I hate my last name. This hatred has become an inside joke, so few people know my last name; I often receive cards addressed to my Instagram handle. It appears to be truly nothing more than a joke, but it stemmed from my resentment towards where I stood in my family. A resentment…
Computers for all!
Every syllabus week, professors begin to drone on about their technology bans — aka no laptops, earbuds, phones or otherwise. Each reason seems more frivolous than the last: “I think typing is rude,” “your neighbor could be distracted by your screen,” “studies show…,” “this is a…
Invasion on the West Coast: The European Green Crab
On the shore of Willapa Bay along the Olympic Peninsula, clam farmer Katie Ruseink breaks open the carapace of a mottled green crab with her hands like she’d done many times before, watching the flashy set of ten neat, distinct spines adorning its shell split in two with a single…
NBA Season Preview
The 2025-26 NBA season ended with the New York Knicks besting the San Antonio Spurs to win the championship for the first time in 53 years. After a historical season for the Knicks and for the NBA as a whole and the emergence of new top contenders in the league, the scene is set…
We Need More Internet Controversy!
When I was growing up, my grandpapi always used to tell me about how “it” was so much better in their day. He never really…
Profits Over Pages: The Inequity of Whitman’s New Printing Policy
Whitman College has once again shown how it puts students’ needs on the back burner while raking in money from unsuspecting alumni and friends. Whitman’s…
Crushed Rocks for the Planet? A Dive into Enhanced Olivine Weathering
At a glance, green gemstones appear to have little in common with trolley problems. Yet a cloth of profound climate hopelessness and unlikely geochemical solutions…
The 10 minutes after putting your phone down
The 10 minutes after you finally get your grimy, doom-scrolling, unintentional-time-wasting fingers off your phone. The black box we all turn to for guidance every…
Rediscovering Religion
When faced with the dire reality of the flawed, fragile foundation of one’s entire being, your whole world feels like it’s falling apart. Growing…
“I leave dishes in the sink too”
I imagine that, at this point of the year, they are beginning to show themselves to many of you. That one person we have all…
U.N. Ditches Mercator Projection, U.S. Objects
Since 2005, Google Maps has used a variant of the Mercator projection for its digital maps. Because of a recent international measure, though, your favorite…