Name: Mark Baker, '04
Job title: Associate Registrar
Department: Registrar’s Office
How long have you worked at Whitworth? 6 years
What do you like best about your job? Two things: First, trying to figure out the “puzzle” each semester of fitting all the classes into classrooms. Second, compiling and analyzing statistics from the class schedule data and creating charts and other nerdy stuff along those lines.
In what ways do your gifts and abilities help meet the needs of the campus community you serve? I’m easily bribed, which ends up being really handy for departments that want great classroom assignments. By the way, if you haven’t been getting good assignments for your classes, you now know the trick.
Favorite books: The Bible, Edge of Eternity (Randy Alcorn), Ministries of Mercy (Tim Keller), Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan), A Gospel Primer for Christians (Milton Vincent), anything by John Piper or C.J. Mahaney
Favorite movie: If there aren’t any guys reading this I’d say “Love Comes Softly”; otherwise definitely “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Favorite food: Skyline chili dogs
Favorite quote: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.”
Favorite music: Modern arrangements of hymns
Favorite animal: The cow, hands down. Pig is probably a close second, but with cheese and a side of onion rings, there just isn’t any comparison.
Guilty pleasure: Taking quick drinks of my coworkers’ pop when they are away at lunch
Hobbies: Going on dates with my wife, reading, tickling my kids, napping, golfing
Best vacation ever: Last summer our parents watched our kids for four days while my wife and I stayed in a cottage on the Washington coast. It was so relaxing.
Birth place: Des Moines, Wash.
We’d be surprised to know that…I run a wedding registry website, a baby registry website, and a website that raises money to support missions work activities.
I collect…children (I have five, ages 5, 4, 3, 1 ½ and 4 months).
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Probably Thailand. My wife spent a year there before we got married and loved it. We’d like to go there at some point together for a vacation.
What cartoon character best describes you? Wile E. Coyote?
If you could try anything and not fail go to jail, what would you attempt? I can’t give you all the details, but it would involve a NASA space shuttle, a bottle of laughing gas, and a couple of pallets of Chicken in a Biskit crackers and bacon flavored Easy Cheese.
What is your favorite sound? Silence in the forest when it is snowing. When I was a student at Whitworth I really enjoyed walking through the Back 40 in the snow and praying. It is so quiet and such a great time of fellowship with the Lord. I love how everything sounds muffled when there is fresh snow everywhere.
What is your life motto? Live for the things that will still matter in 10,000 years.
If the whole world was listening, what would you say? “You can find true rest in Jesus. Your striving to earn God’s favor is in vain. Jesus has already done all of the work. Come to Him to receive his free gift of salvation and find true rest for you weary soul.”
Favorite childhood TV show commercials: 1. Slinky. “It’s slinky, it’s slinky, the fun and magical toy.” 2. Beggin' Strips. "It's BACON!" 3. Bush's Baked Beans. "Rrroll that beautiful bean footage!" 4. Grey Poupon. "Pardon me..."
If you could go on a road trip with anyone (from the past or present), who would you choose and where would you go? I think it would have been great to be a pilgrim. Super hard, and I probably would have been one of the ones who died, but I think it would have been an amazing community and group of people to be a part of. OR being an officer with Stonewall Jackson in the Civil War. He seemed like a man of very deep faith. It would have been great to know him and see his faith lived out.
