When Linfield English Professor Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt introduced the evening’s speaker Oct. 16 in the Austin Reading Room, she said that it was no easy task. Explaining the many accomplishments of Amitava Kumar would take at least 10 minutes.

Students of all interests attended the following lecture, which focused on literature after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

“Kumar paints a story for the listener,” freshman Ellen Massey said. “He uses social satire to show how we, as a society, judge and stereotype people.”

Born in India, Kumar has focused his career on writing and cultural studies. His goal of the night’s talk was to shed light on the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, as reflected in art and literature.

“Literature and art are always changing in response to global actions,” Kumar said.

An example that he brought up was the Feb. 2012 book by Daisy Rockwell, “The Little Book of Terror.” In this book, Rockwell paints portraits of well-known terrorists in order to give light to them as individuals.

“These are pictures of individuals who are individuals,” Kumar said in the forward to “The Little Book of Terror.”

A topic that Kumar covered in his lecture was interrogations, including the process and how the public views them, following the attacks of Sept. 11.

Kumar explained the difficulty surrounding interrogations, as well as the ethical dilemmas involved and why their use is growing.

“Why is so much being spent on the most gullible people, not going out and getting the people [who] are actually in the process of planning attacks?” Kumar asked. “In small ways, the war on terror has encircled itself on us. How may of us have met a terrorist?”

He stressed the changes that have occurred in the U.S. since the attacks of Sept. 11. Not only is it the inconvenience of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers making you take off your shoes, but that one race is more likely to be stopped, questioned and detained, has become apparent.

Kumar brought up the scenario in which a white person goes to a bar, gets drunk, gets into a bar fight and kills someone. This would not be seen the same if this person was Middle Eastern; in fact, it could be seen as an “act of terror.”

“Kumar’s discussion pointed out the struggles of those who could be associated with cultures connected to terrorism,” freshman Amy Dodge said. “If someone from those cultures did something wrong, it’d be seen as 10 times worse than it would if anyone else had done it.

“He also pointed out that the police are trying to search out anyone who could potentially be linked to terrorism to act as if they’re doing something productive to stop terrorism and make the population feel more at ease.”

Without question, the attacks of Sept. 11 and the War on Terror have made a mark on how people feel about different ethnic groups.

Kumar connected to his audience, shedding light on invalid stereotypes and prejudices.

Maddie Bergman/Staff writer

This year’s Alternative Spring Break programs will be in Tacoma, Wash., building affordable homes with Habitat for Humanity; in Westcliffe, Col., volunteering with Mission: Wolf to restore native wolf habitats; and in Seattle, Wash., to develop an understanding of different ways to work with youth.

While most students imagine Spring Break as a time for relaxation and a week of non-stressful events, other students at Linfield imagine a week of volunteering, giving back to the community and doing their best to help others everywhere. Alternative Spring Break helps students accomplish this.

Alternative Spring Break is a week-long service-learning immersion program that focuses on a specific social issue in a community, said Ashlee Carlson, Change Corps director of Alternative Spring Break.

Carlson oversees the 2013 Alternative Spring Break programs and provides a larger structure for the leaders to work within. She also participated in Alternative Spring Break her freshman year, spending time in Tacoma, Wash., volunteering with the Habitat for Humanity program. She returned to Tacoma as a leader her sophomore year.

Change Corps is a team of student leaders that provides volunteer opportunities in the larger community to help students become active citizens.

However, they are technically not a club on campus. They work through the Office of Community Engagement & Service to provide service opportunities for students to participate in. In the past, students have been able to partake in Linfield nights at the soup kitchen and Alternative Spring Break programs.

“I help the Change Corps service coordinators plan their programs by looking at logistical details for their Alternative Spring Break, such as service hours, itineraries, community partners and meeting facilitation,” Carlson said in an email.

Any Linfield student can participate in the program, but spots are limited to the organization’s capacity to host volunteers. Generally, eight to 12 students, including two student leaders and two Linfield staff or faculty advisers, are allowed in each program.

Students are selected through a blind application process. They fill out an online application, which is not associated with their name for the selection process. Alternative Spring Break leaders, with the aid of Change Corps members, go through the applications and select participants based on each program’s need. They intend to create a diverse group with students from all different majors, years and experience levels.

The three main programs that Change Corps focuses on are poverty, the environment and youth issues in a community.

“We strive to have each student serve 30 to 35 hours during their Alternative Spring Break program while also giving them the chance to bond with their group and the community,” Carlson said.

Throughout the program, students participate in reflection, which is a key component to the service-learning programs.

“It helps students take what they have done and learned on the program to think about how it has affected their personal life, as well as the lives of those they are serving,” Carlson said.

Students are also encouraged to have fun during Alternative Spring Break. There is built-in time to do activities other than volunteering, such as bowling, going to the beach or hiking.

“Alternative Spring Break forces you to step outside of your comfort zone to experience something new and serve in the community or with social issues that you are passionate about,” Carlson said. “In many cases, [it] is only the beginning and most participants will come away with a deeper sense of connection to the social issues and the community.”

For more information students can go to www.linfield.edu/serve/students/asb.html.

Samantha Sigler

News editor

On Oct. 17, sophomores Caitlin Evans and Laura Cimolino set up a petition table between Terrell and Elkinton halls in hopes of completing the signature requirement for a petition to create a dance minor at Linfield, an effort that began last spring.

“It’s a work in progress, almost half a year now,” said Evans, one of the campaigners for a dance minor.

The minimum requirement of signatures is 200, and Evans and Cimolino ended the day successfully with 202 signatures.

“We wanted to start the petition at the end of last year, but by the time we decided to do it, it was right before finals week, and [we] knew everybody was too busy to be thinking about anything but their classes, so we decided to postpone it until this year,” Cimolino said.

“We’re making great progress,” Evans said. “A lot of the dancers here are stepping forward and expressing their support.”

Professors have shown interest as well. Evans has been collaborating with Faun Tiedge, department chair and professor of Music.

“The dance minor is part of a short-term strategic plan that could become a reality if we work together to make it happen,” Tiedge said in an email. “Music and dance are closely aligned as art forms and connect in so many ways in our curriculum.”

The dance minor would bring a variety of dance classes and instructors to Linfield.

“I noticed that there is a very limited amount of classes,” Evans said.

“I would like to see more dance classes for Linfield students to include traditional dance, world dance, and popular styles from around the globe,” Tiedge said. “I strongly believe that bringing music and dance students together in the music center will allow for more creative growth and learning experiences.”

Those in support of the minor are also looking to create more dance spaces on campus, as the only dance space currently available is in the Health, Human Performance and Athletics building and is shared with other classes.

“It’s so different than the stage, and that’s all the room we have for everything,” Evans said.

“Dance classes are offered through the Department of Music. However, the dance classes that we offer in our program are not in the Bull Music Center,” Tiedge said. “They do not have a space that really belongs to their art.”

Currently, Tiedge and students are working toward transforming one of the music center’s rehearsal halls into a space for dancers.

“It features space, light, a sound system and more,” Tiedge said. “However, we need to budget for a dance floor so that we can also offer a space that is healthy for dancer’s bodies.”

“That extra room will give us flexibility,” Evans said.

There are still steps that need to be taken before these changes can start taking place, but the process has been moving quickly with the positive feedback the movement has received thus far.

“We’re receiving so much support,” Evans said, “I feel so fortunate that Linfield has been supporting us.”

“Their passion to bring more dance to Linfield with the hope of establishing a dance minor will be a lasting legacy for the future of music and dance students in our college,” Tiedge said.

Chrissy Shane

Features editor

Invisible Children’s documentary “Move” began by calling the Millennial Generation, those born after 1980, to action Oct. 16 in Ice Auditorium.

The film and members of the Invisible Children Pacific Northwest troupe urged audience members to join them in a demonstration Nov. 17 in Washington D.C. The demonstration will hold world leaders accountable to their commitments to end Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) violence, according to the Invisible Children’s website.

“I hope people don’t see Washington D.C. and immediately turn off,” said Anna Schuck, an Invisible Children advocate.

I encourage people to get involved in any way that they can and find a way. I think it seems insane that I am standing in front of a bunch of students in Oregon. But it is only crazy things that are going to end this 26-year-long war.”

Older generations have described the Millennial Generation as self-absorbed, not fit to live and lazy. Invisible Children is using this stereotype of Millennials as worthless to rally young people to disprove it  by supporting efforts to bring Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA, to justice. They are doing this through their documentary, “Move.”

Millennials around the country are more motivated than ever to end LRA atrocities and stop Kony. High school and college students are coming together to ensure their voices are heard.

“I think young people care because it’s other young people that are being affected,” Schuck said. “Kids our age and far younger than us are the ones being abducted, and I think it resonates a lot with us.

“There is something about the innocence of young people. The importance of younger generations is our ability to prioritize human rights,“ Shuck said.

We never seem to rally around the same issue, and right now, we have large numbers. Young people are of critical importance because our voice speaks volumes and people listen to us. We are the future leaders of this world,” Schuck added.

The showing, sponsored by the Circle K Club, gathered a large population of Linfield Millennials.

“This has been the greatest screening we have had at a college or university,” said Babra Akello, a Ugandan member of the Invisible Children team. “Usually 20 to 50 people show up, but this has been [an] extraordinary screening.”

Colloquium students, Circle K members and dozens of other interested students squeezed into the auditorium to learn about Invisible Children’s next move in the effort to stop Kony.

“Circle K felt it was important to get the message of Invisible Children out,” said Katharine Holm, co-president of the Circle K Club, in an email. “It calls young people to action and empowers them to create change. It is something that takes us outside of ourselves, outside of the Linfield bubble and allows us to take action on a world issue to stop immense suffering. It is a horrible situation that has been in the dark for too long.”

Invisible Children encourages us to use the “embracive of technology, confident, self-absorbed, expressive and want-it-all-now” stereotype to our advantage. They urge us to take action whether it be through Facebook, Twitter or letters to help support the Nov. 17 Washington D.C. Movement and further efforts to bring Kony to justice.

Sarah Mason

Staff writer

Administration and faculty at Linfield College are in the process of revamping the school’s January Term program, for which some changes, such as new course offerings, are already underway for 2013.

Last spring, the school passed a new strategic plan to cover the 2012-18 academic years. Throughout the draft process, faculty and administration discussed revitalizing January Term, said Susan Agre-Kippenhan, vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of faculty.

“There are great study abroad options, but staying on campus isn’t as engaging,” Agre-Kippenhan said. “[The program] is not living up to what’s possible.”

January Term is a four-week, intensive program where students focus on a single academic course. Courses are offered on campus, as well as off campus, allowing students the opportunity to study abroad.

“Students do things during January Term that they can’t do during the year,” said Martha Van Cleave, associate dean of faculty for Curriculum, Assessment and Development.

As a way to improve the program, Linfield is experimenting with January Term in the city. These are course offerings at the Portland campus, which are open to students from both campuses.

Last year was the first year the school offered a January course at the Portland campus.

This year, two courses are being offered: Sociology of Music Sub Cultures and Genres in Contemporary Drama.

These courses are a combination of lectures and field trips.

“We hope it appeals to students living in Portland. They can live at home and take a course. It helps to minimize their costs,” Van Cleave said.

Rather than paying tuition that includes the cost of January Term, as has been done in the past, students pay per credit fee.

About 50 percent of the student body participates in January Term. The hope is that January Term in the city will increase this percentage, Van Cleave said.

Another course that is fairly new is Career Exploration. This course focuses on a specific industry that might be of interest to students.

During this class, students learn about careers in the particular focus’ field. They visit various sites, interview people in the industry, listen to guest lecturers and interact with potential employers, Van Cleave explained.

This year, the class will be focusing on sports management. Last year, it focused on the wine industry.

Linfield is also offering a course that caters to first-year students, “Your Place at Linfield,” which will be piloted this January. It is a collaborative course of academics and service learning.

“We want to help students figure out their trajectory,” Agre-Kippenhan said. “Linfield has always been engaged in the community and civic service. We felt this would be a good opportunity.”

For students interested in studying abroad, January Term 2014 courses will be announced this January.

Applications will be posted online and are due in February 2013.

All courses are open to students from the McMinnville and Portland campuses.

Students are required to have a GPA of at least 2.75, fill out general information and write an essay. They are also interviewed by the faculty leading the course.

In addition, all applicants’ names are vetted through Student Affairs.

The faculty leading the courses make the selections. Then, the International Programs Office (IPO) writes up acceptance, alternate and non-select letters, which are distributed after spring break.

Students who are not selected for the course they wanted or are placed as alternates have the option to forward their application to a different course.

Many of the course offerings consist of two subject matters, or “cross-pollination,” said Michele Tomseth, coordinator of the January Term Off-Campus Program.

“[IPO] tries to be as transparent as possible when it comes to costs,” Tomseth said.

Full-time students, who are studying abroad for the first time, have their airfare covered by the school.

However, full-time students who attend Linfield through tuition exchange or tuition remission do not have this covered.

In addition to studying internationally, Agre-Kippenhan said Linfield hopes to strengthen the program by offering additional January Term options in the United States.

In the meantime, Agre-Kippenhan said the school is looking at different kinds of models it could use to improve the program.

For more information about January Term on-campus and off-campus course offerings, visit www.linfield.edu/registrars.html. To learn more about the breakdown of costs, visit www.linfield.edu/catalog/college-costs.html.

Jessica Prokop

Editor-in-chief