Katie Paysinger

Even after the end of housing registration on May 9, rooms are still filling quickly, and it appears just enough rooms and apartments will be available for incoming students next fall.

Jeff Mackay, director of Residence Life, said there were 483 spaces still available in residence halls, and 47 apartments still available on campus. He said he hopes to have more filled in the coming weeks, while still allowing housing for incoming freshman, transfers and exchange students.

“Last year, we had a lot of leftover housing,” Mackay said. “This year we won’t have as many (suburbs left). It really depends on the size of the incoming senior class and transfer students.”

Student Services likes to hold eight to 10 apartments for transfer students in the fall.

“Sometimes students who filed an exemption form to live off campus don’t find anything they like,” Mackay said. “When they ask to come live on campus, we like to have something available.”

Mackay said housing registration went smoothly last week. He said there are never enough quad or double-occupancy apartments. This year, the Green Apartments filled quickly, which was unusual.

In the residence halls, Jane Failing Hall was yet again a popular choice for students, as were Terrell and Elkinton halls where the rooms have sinks.

Freshman Janelle Miller was one of the eager residents hoping to get a room in Jane Failing Hall.

“(My roommates and I) really wanted to be able to get a triple in Jane,” Miller said. “But people with more credits kept taking the good rooms.”  

Mackay said more and more students are entering Linfield with as many as 30 credits from high school.

“Even coming in with just a few credits gets you ahead in the ballgame,” Mackay said.

Ties were broken in extreme circumstances by whoever had the lowest identification card number.

“What made it worse was that it was our fault we didn’t have more credits,” Miller said.

Vacant rooms left over after registration are still filling quickly in Mackay’s office. On Monday, Mackay filled 13 spots in 50 minutes and was expecting to fill more.

He is encouraging around 200 students who have registered for fall semester
classes, but have neglected to arrange housing, to do so immediately. E-mails have been sent to persuade students to find adequate off campus housing or to register with him in Student Services, located in Melrose Hall Room 110.

Amber McKenna

The first Spring Photo Contest hosted by the Office of Admission will give students a chance to win prizes for their everyday snapshots.

The contest is the first of its kind and features four categories: dorm-room shots, on-campus adventures, off-campus adventures and study abroad. Admissions marketing assistant Aaron Larsen is in charge of the contest. He said it was created because the admissions staff believed it was not capturing all Linfield moments with the candid and posed pictures currently used on college promotional materials.

“We have all sorts of professional shots,” Larsen said. “We want photos that show college life.”

Larsen said he has seen many pictures that would be perfect for the contest while browsing on
facebook.

A similar competition on campus is the annual International Programs photo contest, which offers prizes for pictures students have taken while abroad.

“Our offices share pictures all the time, and we think (the contest is) a great idea,” International Programs Assistant Marie Schmidt said.

Like the International Programs photo contest, prizes will be awarded in each category. First place winners will receive $35, second place $25 and third place $10. However, the biggest reward is to have one’s photos used for future Linfield publications.

Photos will be judged by the admissions staff on originality, creativity and overall quality.

Larsen said extra points will be awarded if photos feature more than one Linfield student and if students are wearing any type of Linfield memorabilia.

Larsen said there is no limit to the number of photos contestants are allowed to submit, but contestants will only be allowed to receive one prize per category.

The deadline for submitting photos has been extended to May 23. CDs and entry forms can be turned into the Office of Admission in Michelbook House or campus mail unit number A448.

For more information on the contest, visit
www.linfield.edu/admission/contest.

Claire Oliver

Wildstock 2008 will continue to build on its success from the previous years, bringing new attractions, providing more food and increasing club involvement.

The festival, coordinated by the Linfield Activities Board, will be held from 4 – 7 p.m. today on the Riley Intramural field.

Wildstock will feature a variety of attractions including a rock-climbing wall, an acroflight machine, a mechanical bull and a surf machine. Face painting, henna tattoos and tie-dye booths are back by popular demand, along with more than a dozen others sponsored by campus clubs and organizations.

The Spanish club will host piñata bashing and serve tamales. The Feel Good club will hand out grilled-cheese sandwiches and the Democrat’s Club will let students try their hand at fast-pitch baseball.

Greek Life will not only help set up, serve food and work the rides, but will have booths of their own.

Students will have the chance to take home prizes from a relay race, among other competitions to be held; campus radio station KSLC 90.3 will be handing out giveaways.

All activities are free for Linfield students.

The involvement of campus clubs highlights the diversity of student interests on campus.

“So many different groups come together (for Wildstock),” Kasey Richter, ASLC vice president of programming, said. “It’s a way to mingle and meet different types of people.”

Wildstock, which until last year centered on a day-long festival of musical acts, saw an increased turnout from its carnival format and chose to expand on that atmosphere for this year’s event.

This year will feature more local cuisine, as last year the food supply ran short.

Muchas Gracias, El Primo Mexican Foods, Cold Stone Creamery, Chan’s Chinese Restaurant and Thai Country Restaurant will contribute. There will be a wide selection of dishes including chicken pad Thai, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and Oregon burritos. Drinks will be provided by Sodexho.

By holding the traditional Wildstock concert Thursday night, LAB was able to showcase the performers and build on the goals of past event coordinators.

“One of the goals of my predecessor, Jody Witt, was to bring bigger names to Linfield,” Richter said.

Thursday’s concert featured campus favorite Tyrone Wells whose song, “What Are We Fighting For”, has recently been playing on national airwaves. Jason Reeves, who opened for Wells, collaborated with Colbie Caillat for her debut album and can be heard in her latest single “Realize.”

“We’ve lost a lot of traditions over the years,” Richter said. “We really wanted to emphasize the ones we have and create new ones.”

Wildstock, she said, is a fitting way to bring the school year to a close and bring back tradition.

“It’s a great way to end off the year, to talk a break from studying and the stress that comes with finals,” sophomore Liz Bell, audio/visual coordinator for LAB, said. “It’s celebrating everything you’ve accomplished throughout the year.”

Jordan Jacobo

In the wake of a large drug bust at San Diego State University on May 6, Linfield administrators and faculty are taking a closer look at the realities and implications of drug use on campus.

More than 75 students at the California university were arrested for involvement in a drug ring. About $100,000 worth of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs was found during raids of three SDSU fraternity houses.

Last month at Reed College in Portland, a freshman was found dead in his dorm room from a heroine overdose. It was the second time heroine had been found at the school during this academic year.

These two incidents have sparked a discussion at Linfield about the prevalence of drug use.

Director of Campus Safety Mike Dressel said illicit drugs are a concern of his, whether or not they are on campus. In the past two years, LCS has encountered drugs several times.

“It’s a very small percentage of the student body we’ve become involved with,” Dressel said. “Drugs are here–to what level, I’m not sure. I’m not convinced it is going to be a high-volume issue for campus safety.”

Dressel said he could not envision a large-scale drug ring like the one at SDSU being present at Linfield. Campus safety’s priority is enforcing the policies of the college, not acting as a campus police, he said.

According to the 2007 Linfield Health Behavior Survey, 12 percent of students had smoked marijuana in the past 30 days. This percentage has been relatively steady since 2003.

Linfield’s usage rate has significantly dropped since 2001, when the survey showed 24 percent of students had smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.

Susan Chambers, adjunct professor of health and human performance, said the trends are often more important than the raw numbers. According to a comparative study of seven Oregon colleges and universities, Linfield has a much lower usage rate than other campuses.

“It’s a self-reported survey, so some people are going to underestimate and some will overestimate their actual use,” Chambers said. “But from year to year, populations will do that at the same rate.”

Chambers said marijuana is popular because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than most drugs.

Director of Residence Life Jeff Mackay said other drugs on campus, such as cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine, have low usage rates.

Mackay said illicit drug use is still a concern for the college.

Residence Life and campus safety have the right to search a room if it is suspected of holding drugs, Mackay said. Suspicion usually arises from the smell of marijuana smoke in a hall or because of complaints, he said.

Mackay said 14 students were cited for violating the college drug policy last year.

“Often times, when we run into those situations, and it’s apparent that marijuana is being used, the students are very cooperative and will simply hand over the paraphernalia and the drugs,” he said.

Mackay said the school only involves the McMinnville Police Department if it finds large-scale possession or evidence of distribution. This has not happened this year.

Drug violations are treated in conjunction with alcohol violations for students. A three-strike policy is used, and both drug and alcohol incidents are counted toward the three violations.

“It’s an educational process first and foremost,” Mackay said.

Dominic Baez

With the Oregon Democratic primary four days away, it is more important than ever for students to participate in what is shaping up to be an election of epic proportions.

With the race for the Democratic presidential nomination so close this year, it seems Oregon will have a say in which candidate will receive the nomination. However, with a narrow gap between the candidates, some think that might not be true.

“Oregon isn’t really important,” senior Corey Crowley-Hall, co-president of Linfield Democrats club, said. “With the race being so close, it’s going to be decided by Superdelegates. (Our primary) won’t be enough to push any candidate over for the nomination.”

He said it is now a race aimed at convincing the Superdelegates, not the general population.

Crowley-Hall said he believes  state official positions are extremely important and students should be taking special interest in those elections.

“Certainly, the presidential race is important, but the Oregon primary is just not as meaningful when the race is this close,” Crowley-Hall said.

Crowley-Hall also said the current electoral process leaves much to be desired, and it is in need
of massive reform.

“Because of the current system, states like Oregon, which are later in the process, are disenfranchised from the voting system,” he said.

That is not general consensus among students, though. Junior Josh Planton, president of Linfield Republicans club, said this primary is quite important, at least where it concerns Republicans.

“Oregon could give Hillary (Clinton) the push she needs to stay in the race,” Planton said. “Or it could be the final slash for her.”

However, he did agree the Oregon primary is not a big concern, considering how close the race is.

Planton said the Democratic primary is too close to call at the moment. Planton said because Oregon was more prone to vote for Sen. Obama, Sen. McCain still needs to push hard to secure votes for the general election.

“As a Republican, this close race is somewhat good for us,” Planton said. “However, McCain still has some problems to face.”

McCain will have to work hard in order to stand a chance in the West Coast states, Planton said, because those states tend to be more Democrat than Republican.

The 2008 Oregon Democratic primary is a mail-only primary. Ballots were mailed to registered Democratic voters between May 2 and 6. To be counted, all ballots must be received by county elections offices by 8 p.m. on May 20. It is a closed primary, and voters must have registered Democrats by April 29 to be eligible to vote in any of the partisan races.

News:

- Wildstock preview
- Bill Apel Award
- 2008 photo contest/IPO issue
- Oregon Primary Elections
- Alien Daze preview
- Leftover housing
- Drugs on campus update

Features:
- Best Java
- Brew Master

Arts:
- Studio practices and senior thesis exhibit
- Spring choral concert
- Comedian preview

Sports:
- Track
- Column
- NWC all-league for baseball/softball
- Baseball
- Men’s golf
- Softball

Jillian Beaudry
Editor in chief

At today’s events celebrating Linfield’s 150th anniversary, President Thomas Hellie announced the wood from the Old Oak will be used to improve campus landscaping and buildings, and display historical moments of the college. If smaller pieces of wood are left over, they may be used for commercial purposes.

Hellie said after the Old Oak fell in January, cuttings from the tree were sent to a nursery in an effort to graft new saplings. If the task is successful, he said several oaks will be planted in the Oak Grove.

The group in charge of deciding what to do with the remains of the tree, the Old Oak Committee that was headed by Vice President for College Relations Bruce Wyatt, received more than 100 suggestions from alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members.

Hellie said it was a challenge to pick the most suitable choices because the group wanted decisions to be in good taste, and recognize the symbolic importance of the oak to the college.
“This tree obviously carries a great deal of symbolic importance to many people,” he said.

In addition to hiring landscape architects to create a new landscaping plan for the Oak Grove, a memorial will be created on the site of where the oak stood. Hellie said he did not know if it would be created from live trees, bronze or stone.

Two cross sections will be cut and marked with important dates of the college and McMinnville. One section will stay at Linfield, and the other will go to the Yamhill County Historical Society, Hellie said.

Leftover wood will be used to create an archway for special occasions, renovations to Pioneer Hall and podiums and tables for the college. Some smaller pieces of leftover wood may be used to create gifts for generous donors to the school or available for sale to alumni, Hellie said.

Claire Oliver

Students had the opportunity to share the results of learning experiences beyond the classroom during the third annual Linfield Student Collaborative Research and Creative Projects Symposium and the 16th annual Linfield College Science Symposium, held together in Nicholson Library
on May 7.

The science symposium, sponsored by the Wendell L. Foote Science Endowment, was expanded in 2006 to include all available fields of study.

Students submitted posters detailing their projects, which are either the result of summer collaborative projects with faculty members and students or other work outside the classroom.

Past participants said this interaction contributed to the overall learning experience.

“Sometimes, (there’s) a person who knows nothing about your research, and you have to explain to them in more general terms what your experience is all about,” senior Kelly Peng, who presented in last year’s symposium, said. “To me, those are the best questions that you can answer because you can share the importance of your research and get all passionate about it.”

Peng said her merit award winning project, Thermosensitivity of liposomes of varying DPPC and DSPC compositions, looked at the synthesis of drug delivery vesicles and their role in nanomedicine.

This year, the symposium was scheduled to be incorporated into the college’s sesquicentennial celebrations and the trustee’s weekend. The projects, which in the past have only been presented for a day, will remain on display through May 12.

Liz Atkinson, associate dean of faculty and associate professor of chemistry, said this extra time will allow spectators to learn about the possibilities of the collaborative research available to them and generate
student interest.

“The symposium allows students to share with other students, faculty and community members the great opportunities there are to work with faculty or with each other,” she said.

Many of the projects to be displayed were funded by the college’s Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Endowment, which pays for research costs and student housing, as well as a stipend.

“There is a big difference between taking a class where there is an answer (and finding one on your own),” she said. “With summer research, students get a sense of ownership in a project when they see it through to completion.”

Although not all projects are the result of this endowment, Atkinson said all types of research have similar benefits of hands-on experience, as they teach students how to start a project, troubleshoot and follow its progress to the end.

“They’re opportunities to take more control of education and let students (decide) if this is what they want to do as a career,” she said.

Senior merit-award winner Caitlin Deane said her time spent researching and classifying enzyme inhibitors for the biology and chemistry departments did just this.

“It helped me realize that it’s what I want to do,” she said. “It goes beyond learning in a classroom; it’s really about creating knowledge. You’re more involved and have more of a connection 

- Photo by Rachael Palinkas/ Photo editor

Joelle Cheek

The smell of freshly baked bread wafting over campus draws students to a new company in town that offers delicious bread and opportunities for work.

Great Harvest Bread Company opened to the public May 2. Owners Bill and Nancy Cunningham, native Oregonians, have been bread heads for a long time, Bill said.

The breads, scones and other baked goods are made with 100 percent whole grains milled in the store with a stone mill from Denmark. They get the wheat berries from Montana, where the weather allows the wheat to thrive.

The tag team couple wants customers to understand the health benefits of eating their products.

“You don’t have to refrigerate our bread because there are no preservatives,” Bill said. “It usually lasts 7
to 10 days.”

The bread is made daily from scratch with a different type made each day. 

Because the business is located on the corner of Baker Street and Linfield Avenue, which is less than a five-minute walk from campus, it attracts students.

Sophomore Jamie Mertz and junior Keegan McEachern see Great Harvest as a work opportunity, and they are leaving an impression on the owners.

“An hour after showing Keegan how to knead the dough, he was kneading two balls of dough at once,” Bill said. “I was amazed.”

Not only have the owners chosen skilled employees, they have created a company that welcomes customers with a smile.

“The atmosphere seems to fit my personality really well,” Mertz said. “It’s casual, but on top of things, and the bread is outstanding.”

Bill and Nancy have made an impact on the students as well.

“They are very kind, excited people with a great sense of humor,” McEachern said.

Mertz, a long-time fan of the 30-year company, first became a bread head because a childhood friend’s parents own a Portland branch. When she heard there would be a McMinnville location, she e-mailed and called the owners for an interview.

“At first I was nervous, but (Nancy and Bill) make you feel so comfortable; I couldn’t work for two better individuals,” Mertz said. “The combination of the two is unbeatable.”

The owners strive to establish relationships with their customers by offering free slices of bread, no
strings attached.

Many other products are sold to accompany the bread, which include bread warmers, pancake mix, granola and dry soup mixes, all of which are healthy and wholesome, Bill said.

“We would rather establish the relationships,” Bill said. “Come on in and say hi.”

Great Harvest Bread Company is open 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Casey Tharp

If you have ever wanted to question a candidate, reply to a reporter or have a say in where this country is headed, now is your chance to be vocal.            

 At YourThreeCents.com, a Web site founded by recent graduates of four different colleges, students can post their opinions on anything from the presidential election to abortion rights to the green movement.

“This site is the perfect place for Americans and elected officials to go in order to see what this generation is thinking,” Laura Neroulias, co-founder of YourThreeCents.com, said. “We are an Internet-based generation and can spread the word faster to make a dramatic change in our nation’s politics.”

Neroulias said the future of our world revolves around politics, and there was no specific forum devoted to hearing what America’s youth had to say politically.

The site chose Linfield as its featured college for the week of May 11 to 17. Neroulias said she wanted a college with a reputation for intellectual, politically active students. It also has to do with timing.

“The Oregon primary is right around the corner,” Neroulias said. “People all over the world are so interested in what the candidates are doing and what your opinions are as college students and as the future.”

Neroulias said the site takes pride in not censoring anything, including offensive things, calling it the “Independent, unedited voice!”

“We do not and will not edit anything, and we feel that there will be no issues because Generation Y’s opinions count for a lot,” Neroulias said.

Visiting Political Science Professor Nick Buccola said the freedom and anonymity of the Internet is appealing, but its uncensored nature allows for the spread of misinformation.

“On the whole it is a good thing,” he said. “But in a democracy, you’re going to have people saying silly things. The hope is that people are wise enough to distinguish the truth.”

Buccola said elected officials or candidates might be looking at sites such as YourThreeCents.com, but most analysts will use more scientific data, such as polls, to make decisions. The main benefits of such a site would be in the conversation itself, and he said he would recommend it to his students.

“Linfield students have strong opinions,” Buccola said. “Any opportunity to express yourself in a public forum like that is productive for you as a citizen.”

One of the criticisms of American politics is that it is excessively narrow, Buccola said, and a site like
YourThreeCents.com is a chance for students to test the boundaries. Even wrong ideas can be useful in doing this, he said, in that anything you disagree with is an opportunity to solidify and rethink your opinions.

“It’s like a refresh button; it forces you to re-examine your own commitments and why you believe what you do,” he said

Neroulias said she sees the site as an incredible opportunity for Linfield students.    

“We encourage everyone to sign up on YourThreeCents.com as soon as they can,” Neroulias said. “When students are aware that their opinions are going to be seen nationwide, they know that this opportunity is a great way for people to take a stand.”

The full interview with Neroulias can be found online at www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/index.php.