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Kelsey Sutton/Managing editor

Caption: Junior Dillon Casados was recently elected the Associated Students of Linfield College president for the 2013-14 school year.

When I entered Jazzman’s, he was staring out the window, lost in thought. He greeted me with a huge, familiar smile. In fact, Dillon Casados’ face is one that nearly every Linfield student is familiar with. He invited me to sit down, ready and excited to talk about his freshly acquired position as president of the Associated Students of Linfield College.

Students elected Casados and junior Jake Baker for president and vice president for the 2013-2014 year on March 12. Running on the platform of community, Casados promised to create an even closer environment for students to grow and feel included.

“I’m not sure Linfield would be where it is without the students,” Casados said. “I want to be an open line of communication for the student body. With how much they contribute to Linfield, I think it’s important that they have a voice, and that their voice be heard.”

Casados isn’t wasting any time. He plans to jump in and begin shadowing former ASLC president senior Nic Miles to learn the ropes and better understand the role is about to undertake. Casados and Baker are shaping the new cabinet and plan to hold cabinet meetings before senate.

“One of my main goals is bringing together a cohesive group within the cabinet and senate, so we can reflect on the student body and how we get involved with the school and participate in the community,” he said. “We want to encourage the students to come together as a community and let their voices be heard. I really want to make that happen so students can truly enjoy their four years here.”

Casados understands some groups may feel underrepresented. To this, he said, “It’s a matter of students expressing concerns and ideas on how they can change it so we can make it happen.”

As Casados talks about Linfield and the students, his eyes begin to come alive with excitement. His passions show through in the form of friendship, compassion and togetherness. As guaranteed in his campaign, Casados spends an hour or so every day in Jazzman’s or Dillin. He invites students, alone or in groups, to have a conversation with him, sharing ideas or just keeping one another company.

“I want to bring the Linfield community closer together,” he said. “I want to let the students know I’m here to listen.”

Casados learned the value of friendship from his family, whose unity inspired him to share the love with everyone around him.

“My parents have been nothing but supportive of who I am and my experiences,” he said. “Through the unconditional love they’ve shown me, I’ve been able to relay that to other people. I want to show unconditional love to other people, in all aspects of humanity.”

Growing up in Utah, Casados said he doesn’t believe he was pushed hard enough. As part of only one percent of his graduating high school class going out of state for college, Casados had to learn how to challenge himself. He wanted to jump out and experience the world.

“I was put in a position where I had to push myself. A lot of my peers weren’t thinking about college, but I knew I wanted to go. I stopped doing what everyone else was doing and started paying attention to my grades. I established a little environment for myself to succeed,” he said.

When Casados was a freshman, he had no idea he wanted to be the president of ASLC. He wanted to make new friends and established a goal to meet one new person a day. He was interested in building true and empowering relationships.

“With that goal in mind, I saw the power behind communicating with people and hearing each other’s ideas. I think the goal subconsciously influenced me to want to be president someday,” he said.

Casados has been a part of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity since 2010, with leadership positions like vice president and treasurer. Casados said he’s enjoyed being able to be a part of the growth of the organization.

“We went from a whole lot of nothing to a whole lot of something,” he said.

Casados is majoring in philosophy, his passion, and minoring in finance and economics, which is for practical reasons. When it comes to the future, Casados wants to invest and build a real estate organization with his brother and sister.

“Ten to 15 years down the road, when we’ve built financial security, I’d like to travel the world, write books and talk to people, motivational type stuff,” he said.

Casados said he is interested in someday building a community where individuals who are qualified in their fields and dedicated to helping the common good can come together and influence each other, share ideas and start working toward the world’s problems.

“I’m starting to understand the idea of the interconnectedness of humanity and how it ties in to people coming together achieving their goals,” he said.

Casados hopes to one day influence the world community, starting small with Linfield and getting bigger. He is letting his passions drive him. Passion together with drive, he says he doesn’t believe it’s possible to fail.

Kelsey Sutton/Managing editor

Photo credit: Chrissy Shane

Photo credit: Samantha Javier

Even if you don’t know Stephanie Raso, you’ve probably seen her.

Walking through Ford Hall, you will find that her name and face pepper the information wall.

In a passé position, with one arm extended forward and book in hand, Raso poses in one of the Linfield READ posters.

Framing the poster are past articles, picturing Raso dancing skillfully on the Ice Auditorium stage.

The senior communication arts major has been immersed in the Linfield dance scene since her first days on campus—and since her arrival, the scene has grown.

“Although we don’t have a big dance culture at Linfield, I try to support it as much as possible,” Raso said.

A humble simplification considering she has been enthusiastically active in promoting the dance showcases, as well as persistent in communicating with college relations.

“I really want to see dance succeed at Linfield,” Raso said.

Raso’s indisputable appreciation for dance is a product of her extensive experience.

“My mother started me in tap when I was four,” Raso said.

After tap, she moved to jazz, then ballet—fast forward 20 years and Raso has mastered an array of dance forms.

“In a nutshell, I’ve done it for a long time,” Raso said. “I’m passionate and very dedicated to it.”

Raso’s dedication is evident, as she will perform in four different numbers in this semester’s dance showcase, choreographing one dance and co-choreographing three others.

However, Raso’s ardor isn’t limited to dance.

Raso has been working as an intern for Vista Hills Vineyard and Winery, an internship that’s known to be difficult to land—except for Raso.

“I applied and that week they wanted to work with me,” Raso said.

Since officially being hired in October, Raso has spent countless hours at the peak of Dundee Hills, learning the complexities of wine making.

“There’s so much that goes into the production of wine, it’s really fascinating,” Raso said. “I slowly but surely started to develop my knowledge about the wine industry.”

Raso regularly informs customers about Vista Hills’ highly acclaimed Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines, a task that she happily performs.

“Working in the tasting room, it’s fun because you meet different customers,” Raso said. “You get to learn about the people who come in.”

On March 10, Raso set up an exclusive, RSVP event, in which she prepared the Treehouse Tasting Room for about 32 Treehouse Club Members who visited Vista Hills to hear winemaker and General Manager Dave Peterson talk about select wines.

“She set up this entire event,” Tasting Room Manager Ryan Fish said. “She also did our last Thanksgiving event.”

Additionally, she worked the wedding season—a busy time for the winery.

“I’ve never imagined having an internship at a winery. I enjoy the world of wine so much,” Raso said.

Between the numerous duties for dance and the internship, Raso’s time is stretched, impressively so.

Not only has she had to prepare a senior thesis, which she presented last semester, she has had two opportunities to study abroad, recently returning from Greece and Rome.

“I am so grateful and thankful for having the opportunity to go abroad, not once but twice,” Raso said.

Even more, Raso has to balance the daunting responsibilities of a senior preparing to start a new chapter away from Linfield.

“Now that I’m a senior, I have to think about places I have to go. I’m dealing with the graduating questions, like where I’ll live,” she said.

The California native has considered returning to her hometown in the Bay Area, but she sees potential in Oregon.

“I’d like to stick it out here and get into the wine industry or get back involved with dance,” Raso said. “I like to be optimistic. I’d rather not say what’s negative when I might find something or something might fall into place.”

Chrissy Shane

Features editor

Chrissy Shane can be reached at linfieldreviewfeatures@gmail.com