via Kelsey Sutton
A student holds a balloon with an inspirational message written on it while listening to speakers present poems and readings during the rally for Take Back the Night on April 30 in front of Walker Hall.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Linfield’s Health, Wellness and Counseling Center held its first Take Back the Night rally to break the silence and provide opportunities to speak out about sexual assault. Students, faculty and community members gathered in front of Walker Hall at 6:30 p.m. on April 30, followed by a march around campus.

As people filtered in, they received biodegradable balloons and a marker to write messages of hope, empowerment or pain to be released after the march.

Adria Godon-Bynum, coordinator for student health and wellness, began with a speech about the purpose of Take Back the Night and the importance of speaking up about the safety of everyone in the community.

“Women have the right to live without fear and should be able to move about the community day or night,” she said.

The sound of her voice in the microphone, echoing off nearby buildings attracted many people who hadn’t
previously been aware of the event. Students walking out of Dillin Hall made their way to the courtyard to see what was happening.

Godon-Bynum opened the stage for those sharing poems, excerpts, short stories or monologues about sexual assault, equality and women’s rights.

A few members of the Writing through Trauma group agreed to have their creative testimonials read aloud by Dawn Williamson, a counselor at Linfield.

Junior Brea Ribeiro read a piece by Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues, about rape culture.

“Rape culture is a context where sexual violence against women is reproduced and normalized in our media and popular culture by the objectification of women’s bodies, female devaluation language and glamorizing sexual violence,” Ribeiro said in an email. “Our rape culture disempowers females while also disregarding women’s rights and safety. Eve Ensler’s ‘Over It’ poem adequately puts into words my own frustration of our rape culture, which is ultimately the reason why I read it, because I am over it.”

Participants were given a piece of paper with chants to recite during the march. Godon-Bynum pumped up the crowd by reciting these chants.

“As the march went on, it seemed like people began to really feel what it is like to be an activist, which is hard to do on a college campus, especially one this small,” sophomore Sofia Webster said in an email.

After the march, participants released their balloons and then held a somber moment of silence for victims of sexual assault and violence.

“Beginning the planning earlier and getting the word out earlier would definitely benefit the event,” Webster said. “With the time given from the moment Adria arrived, she did an absolutely amazing job with such little time. It was truly impressive.”

Kesley Sutton/Managing editor

Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewmanaging@gmail.com.

A professor from the University of Puget Sound is set to discuss the influenza outbreak of 1918 and its social and cultural implications.

The presentation, on May 14, is one of the last PLACE events of the year.

“The event highlights the devastating influenza pandemic that occurred at the end of World War I and examines how these two major events impacted one another,” said Sara Coste, visiting assistant professor of health and human performances and coordinator of the event, in an email.

Fitting into the PLACE theme of war, the event will provide a common place for people of different academic focuses to discuss the science and health related issues of war and its aftermaths.

“While those of us in the sciences tend to focus on topics, such as viral strains, viral entry into host cells, immunological responses to a virus or the biological basis of the flu vaccine when discussing the pandemic, involvement in PLACE has provided an opportunity for science, health and nursing students to examine the pandemic from a social, cultural and historical perspective, Coste said in an email.

“Courses in human physiology and microbiology, as well as courses in sociology, history and English have studied the pandemic this semester.”

Nancy Bristow recently published a book “American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic” about her study of the influenza pandemic.

Bristow is a history professor at UPS, holding the position of Distinguished Professor of History since 2006.

She is also the great-granddaughter of two of the pandemic’s fatalities.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. in Jonasson Hall, in the lower level of Melrose and is free and open to the public.

Kesley Sutton/Managing editor

Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewmanaging@gmail.com.

A Linfield student studying in Ecuador this semester was robbed while at the home of his homestay family.

Invaders stole junior Sam Gauksheim’s laptop and cell phone, along with the homestay family’s various valuables. It is unclear whether any cash was stolen. Nobody was harmed during the incident, said Shaik Ismail, director of international programs.

Gauksheim declined to comment on the incident, saying “it was 10 minutes of my study abroad experience and hasn’t really had an impact on me.”

It was not clear whether the robbers were armed or when the robbery took place.

The International Programs Office offered to pay for Gauksheim’s ticket to return home for either the rest of the semester or for a short amount of time to help Gauksheim recover.

“As soon as we heard, we got in contact with him and asked him if he wanted help,” Ismail said.

Linfield also offered to pay for a hotel for Gauksheim to stay at while he finished the rest of his semester in Quito.

Gauksheim declined both offers and instead wanted to finish the rest of the semester with his homestay family.

“He is a resilient young man and took care of things himself,” Ismail said. “He probably felt he wanted to be with the [homestay] family and not desert the family.”

This is the first time a robbery to this degree has happened to a student while abroad in the past 10 years, Ismail said.

However, petty theft does happen to students occasionally while abroad.

“Bottom line is you have to be prudent,” Ismail said. “Any place is not more violent than anywhere else.”

Linfield does its best to educate students about how to be safe while studying abroad during student orientation. Students learn tips, such as not walking alone at night, having their backpack in the front of them while walking through crowds and how to be more vigilant while walking around.

“I’m glad he’s safe and nobody got hurt,” Ismail said. “Laptops and cellphones can be replaced.”

Samantha Sigler/News editor

Samantha Sigler can be reached at linfieldreviewonline@gmail.com

Do you think all 18-year-olds should dedicate 18 to 24 months of military or civilian service?

This is the topic of discussion during Will Marshall and Tom G. Palmer’s debate at 11:45 a.m. May 6 in Riley Hall 201. Attendees will be served lunch at 11:45 a.m., and the debate will follow at noon.

The debate will center on programs requiring 18-year-olds to join military or civilian service. Such programs have been disputed for many years, and there have been a wide variety of proposals for the programs.

Marshall and Palmer will focus the debate on the program proposed by the Clinton Administration.

Marshall is a central contributor to the progressive politics movement. He is the honorary vice president of Policy Network, an international think tank supporting progressive policy ideas. He has edited and co-edited numerous books, such as “Mandate for Change,” a policy blueprint bestseller used during Clinton’s first presidential term.

Palmer serves as senior fellow at Cato Institute and director at Cato University. He is the executive vice president for Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s international programs. At the foundation, he installed programs for a global network of think tanks in 14 languages. He regularly lectures on topics, such as political science, public choice and civil society.

He published and reviewed multiple articles about mortality and politics in scholarly journals. He edited the book “The Mortality of Capitalism” and wrote the book “Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice.”

Carrie Skuzeski/Culture editor

Carrie Skuzeski can be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com.