Stacey Barchenger

The City of McMinnville announced its approval in January to rezone 24.5 acres of land on Linfield’s Keck campus, and students and faculty are weighing in on the possible effects of a commercial development on the site.

The college’s agreement with developer Trammell Crow is confidential, and it is too early to know what may be built, though rumors circulating campus focus on big-box stores such as Costco.

Linfield College President Thomas Hellie said he does not expect to make any formal announcements regarding commercial tenants until December 2008.

Linfield’s Sociology of Community class is focusing on homelessness and housing issues this semester, as well as growth and development topics including urban sprawl.

It is no surprise the class has been debating the pros and cons of developing Keck campus.

Robert Gardner, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, teaches the class. He said he sees the positive and negative aspects of a development, but he doesn’t have enough information to make a clear decision about whether or not he supports it yet.

“It’s a give and take,” Gardner said. “You have to consider, ‘do we need another development in McMinnville?’ But then there is the other side; the development would bring money to the college.”

Students discussed the possible construction of a big-box development on the land with many things in mind, including aesthetic appeal, increased traffic on campus and the future of the Wellness Trail.

A major issue is the proximity of the land to campus, and the possible effects the development would have on the Linfield and McMinnville communities.

Junior Maggie Crawford is in the class and said a big-box store, such as Costco, would be good for the McMinnville community overall, but not necessarily for Linfield.

“It’d be great for jobs and for students,” Crawford said. “The idea of anything wholesale in McMinnville would not be bad, but I’m opposed to huge development behind the library.”

She considered the location, traffic, noise and overall look of the land when deciding her view on the issue.

The class speculated the development of the land might significantly hinder future growth and construction at Linfield because of a decrease in available land.

Students proposed other options for the land, including a manufacturing operation instead of commercial development that could provide internships for students, sophomore Katelyn Krygowski said.

Krygowski, Crawford, junior Eric Butler and sophomore Nadia Abraibesh met May 8 to discuss the development. The group resolved to write a letter to the vice president of the college expressing how it would like the property used, including offering alternatives to a commercial development.

A sort of buffer-zone between any commercial tenants and the college would be favorable, Crawford said, and something like a community garden could be profitable for Linfield and the McMinnville community.

Claire Oliver

Two Linfield students were rewarded for their initiative last week when they placed second in their divisions in the 12th-annual Toyama Cup Speech Contest.

Freshman Michael Colby and junior Amy Shoemaker traveled to Portland on April 28 to compete against other Japanese-speaking students from other Oregon colleges and universities in the contest, sponsored by the Toyoma Prefectural Government and the Japan-America Society of Oregon.

The Toyoma prefecture and the state of Oregon have acted as sister states for 19 years. The contest is another manifestation of that partnership, Associate Professor of Japanese Chris Keaveney, said.

Colby took second place among students who have studied Japanese for one year or less at the college level.

Shoemaker, who placed second among contestants who have studied Japanese for two years, spoke about her visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, while studying abroad. Her speech focused on how the visit reaffirmed her opposition to war.

Contestants were judged on the fluency and content of their speeches by a panel that included Japanese educators, businessmen and diplomats from the Portland area.

Colby said he had less than a month to prepare his speech, which dealt with his experiences in the classroom and the dynamics surrounding his learning experience.

Aside from practicing in front of a mirror, he said working with Keaveney, as well as Assistant Professor of Japanese Mafumi Omura, was the biggest help when preparing for the contest.

Keaveney said feedback was provided on grammatical errors, but the student’s voice within the speech was entirely his or her own.

“We asked students to provide us with a draft so we could provide them feedback on quality and smooth it out without changing the language of the speech,” he said.

Keaveney said he was impressed with Colby and Shoemaker’s performances this year.

Colby said since beginning to prepare his speech, he has gained more of a tendency to think in Japanese instead of English in class. He said speaking in a formal environment allowed him to gain further insight in his classroom experience.

Kelly Copeland

Recent evaluations show the majority of students who filled out evaluations approve of the overall job of this year’s ASLC Cabinet.

Organized and facilitated by freshman Elections Committee Chair Jake M. Masin, students had the opportunity to express how this year’s ASLC Cabinet performed. 

Evaluation forms were distributed to members of the Senate, who forwarded it to constituents and posted on Student News. Despite giving students two weeks to respond, Masin received just 78 responses.

Although the number seemed low, Masin said it is a large increase compared to the 14 evaluations received last spring, and they still provide valuable feedback for incoming Cabinet members.

“It’s a way for next year’s Cabinet to step up and make sure the job they do is better,” Masin said.

The evaluation consisted of nine questions, with additional inquiries if students answered a certain way. Each student was asked to read the questions and respond on a scale of one to five, with one meaning unsatisfactory, and five meaning no improvement is needed.

Masin said most students gave positive feedback. Overall, students said their approval of the Cabinet members was “good,” with little to no improvement needed, as was the function and organization of Senate and the approval of the ASLC president.

Despite the petition controversy that took place last year regarding students’ discontent with senior outgoing ASLC President Chipo Dendere, Masin said the surveys did not reflect any dissatisfaction with her work.

“There weren’t any references to the petition,” Masin said. “I think that shows it didn’t affect most
peoples’ opinions.”

Masin said the comments students made regarding things that could be changed were minor. He said students would like the ASLC Web site to be updated more frequently, to post office hours of Cabinet members more clearly and to make small improvements on existing policies and procedures. 

The most notable request made by students was to see Cabinet members participate in more campus events.

Junior ASLC President Chris Schuldt said the evaluations will improve the function of next year’s Cabinet by providing ideas for changes students want to see.

“I think it is a necessary tool, and I am happy it has to be done,” Schuldt said. “This gives us more of a perspective of what the students want, and we are going to take this and make some changes so students know we care.”

Nicole Bennett

Students are breaking out with scabies.

Higher than normal reports of scabies on campus have students and faculty concerned.

 According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is a microscopic mite infestation of the skin, which spreads through prolonged skin contact. Pimple-like irritations usually appear in skin folds on the wrist, elbow and knee and between fingers. It is common to find irritations on the penis, breast or shoulder blades.

“Lots of other rashes can look like scabies,” Patricia Haddeland, clinic coordinator and board-certified nurse practitioner, said. “It is important to do a thorough examination. The ultimate test is a skin scraping and identification of the mite itself.”

Scabies is contracted through extended contact with the skin of an infected person, such as cuddling through a movie or sleeping in the same bed.

Those with a weakened immune system are at a higher risk of infestation. Students are advised to avoid sharing clothing, towels or bedding with anyone who has scabies. Activities such as shaking hands and hugs do not allow enough exposure time for infestation.

Pets become infested with a different scabies mite that does not affect humans. Pet mites would cause only slight itching and irritation for a day or two before they die because they do not reproduce on humans. 

Herron said he thinks he contracted scabies from sleeping in the bed of a friend’s roommate in Seattle.

 “The worst part of my personal experience was not being sure where it came or how to deal with it,” sophomore Scott Herron said. “It has been a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting ordeal, but if you get treated early, it will not be as bad as I had it.”

On a person, mites can live up to a month, but they die within 72 hours once away from the body. Haddeland recommends students wash their clothing and bedding.

“Scabies can travel from person to person or through contaminated clothing,” Haddeland said. “Someone could have picked it up over Winter or Spring Break and brought it to campus without realizing it.”

Haddeland recommends students put non-washable items in sealable bags, or call Facilities Services to wash the carpet. Students can get bags from their Resident Adviser.

“The school administration should try to help by offering free and easy access to the health center, cleaning services and accommodations for infected and potentially infected students,”Herron said.

Students can make appointments at the Student Health Center if they suspect they have scabies. Contact Jeff Mackay, associate dean of students and director of Residence Life, or the Health Center for further information. For more information on scabies, go to www.cdc.gov.

The following is an interview conducted by Review Staff Writer Casey Tharp with Laura Neroulias from Yourthreecents.com. Please see the full story in the News section.  

With the popularity of group political discussions on sites like Facebook, and with the many political blogs available out in cyberspace, what makes YourThreeCents special as a place for discussion?

YourThreeCents.com is a place for the “Independent, Unedited Voice.” Compared to Facebook and the other political blogs, this site is specifically targeted to Generation Y. It is their advocate and their outlet!

(You’ll definitely get more of a feel about the site after this interview.)

When you visit YourThreeCents.com, you’ll see that the people that answer and ask questions or just post their thoughts, have concerns on what is going on in their lives and want POSITIVE change! This site is a place to show what this generation is thinking and carry the voices of the young masses. People come back and respond, come back and represent, come back and remand a presence in where their future and the future of this country stand!

Can you tell us a little bit about the site’s creators, and how it came into being?

YourThreeCents.com was created by a few recent college grads who thought that their generation needed a clear, precise place to voice their opinions on the state of their nation and the world. The college graduates that are involved come from Binghamton University, Temple University, Penn State, and Syracuse University. Being members of Generation Y, the reason we created the site was because we are the future and the way we vote today affects every aspect of our lives. Many young American’s have no idea what is going on in their backyards or in the world. We wanted to create a site to inform America’s youth and allow the world to see what we think of everything going on in politics and show how much is affected by politics. This site allows for the nation, the political leaders, presidential candidates and the world to hear what our generation has to say.

What made you decide to take action? Why a website?

Personally, I, as well as the rest of the creators of ‘Your Three Cents,’ have always cared about politics- The world revolves around politics, our future revolves around politics. We were all talking one day and we realized that there really wasn’t a clear and specific place where America’s youth was being heard, politically. Asking around and seeing that the rest of Generation Y agreed that what was missing in today’s world was a place, specifically for THEM to go to, YourThreeCents.com was started in order for all of America to see what this generation has to say politically.

How do the opinions and arguments voiced on the site get translated into political action? Could you describe how the site is an actual force and an opportunity for action?

This site is the perfect place for Americans and elected officials to go to in order to see what this generation is thinking. YourThreeCents.com is incredibly informational with this age group and people want to see what we think. We are American base but, have international appeal. Around the world, people are able to see what is going on specifically in one’s life, at one’s school and can see what your opinions are. This is an amazing outlet and gives an inside look on what concerns us! This site gives amazing opportunity for conversation, ideas exchanged and for one to think outside the box.

Do you anticipate any issues regarding the site’s policy of completely free speech? Undoubtedly there will be some non-constructive or derogatory arguments posted. How is the site set up to deal with such occurrences?

Not at all. We take pride in not censoring anything and not taking down anything that may be offensive. YourThreeCents.com is the “Independent, Unedited Voice!” America’s youth needs to know what is going on around their country and around the world, and people need to know what and how we think. This site gives the amazing opportunity for someone in California to hear what is going on in Missouri. For someone from Vermont to hear what is going on in Oklahoma. The goal of ‘Your Three Cents’ is to create a blogging community where ideas are exchanged and voices are heard. NOTHING is to be censored; NO voice is to remain quiet. We believe and know that today’s youth has an obligation to enable change and politically influence this country and the world. The purpose is to return the power to them, giving them an outlet to speak up and voice their opinions.

The only thing that we will touch is if we have spam but, everything else is there to stay!

YourThreeCents.com, however, is not just a blogging community but, it is also an informational site. Our visitors are bright, intellectual and care about their future (and realize that this is the place to voice it!). Being that it is an informational site, the people who visit and post on the site are those who want the truth, who want answers and don’t want anything sugar-coated. Whether it has to do with the questions, links or our news feed, if it has been affected by politics, it’s on the site, uncensored.

‘Your Three Cents’ was created to help America’s youth say what is on their minds! We encourage the idea of thoughts and opinions exchanged! 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. We don’t want our generation’s voice to be “lost in the wind.” We have a mind of our own; we have strong opinions and it’s time to start challenging the nation! Anyone can put anything up! It is updated every day, numerous times a day, with new questions pertaining to what happened that day in politics.

Why choose Linfield as the school of the week for May 4th? What makes Linfield a school particularly likely to become involved and spark activity?

Mistake, we have chosen Linfield for the week of May 11^th- May 17^th.

There are many reasons that go behind picking a college. The schools that we want to highlight are schools that have good reputations, which have students that are intellectual and care about their future. The college we chose is one that would want to INFORM America, those who want to vent and the people who visit the site want answers!

Being that it is an election year, we also take into consideration and try to coordinate if an event is going on in a certain state. The Oregon Primary is right around the corner and 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. They will love to hear stories about the candidates as well and this will be Linfield’s chance to take advantages of this spotlight! Linfield can say what is on their mind, not just on the election but also about things that affect them daily. We know that picking Linfield, the students are bright and want the nation to hear what they have to say. We pick schools that are from different areas of the country so we can get different opinions and not be one sided.

In general, being chosen as “College of the Week,” it allows emphasis on the opinions that come from college students. Its intention is for the students to show what they have to say about our nation’s state of affairs and show America where they stand, always sparking tremendous activity. Choosing Linfield, it will give an insight on what may be going on in your community and what political events are happened and are happening on campus. By being highlighted this coming week, America gets a chance to hear what your political opinions are and gives them a chance to ask you questions. The students at Linfield will take a stand and let the country know where they stand for the future of this county!

“College of the Week” is a great way to see the differences between your schools Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and undecided. It’s also a way to respond to your rival schools comments, let your local officials or the Presidential hopefuls know what your college issues are. A way to post pictures of events happening on your campus and a way to let America know in advanced what political events are happening around your area.

Linfield has such an excellent reputation academically and athletically. They have students that are intellectual and care about their future (which is what YourThreeCents.com is all about!). We are very excited to have Linfield University as our College of the Week from Sunday May 11^th – Saturday May 17^th and we encourage EVERYONE to sign up on YourThreeCents.com as soon as they can! Your opinions don’t have to wait till you’re school is being highlighted that week, and it doesn’t end when your week is done. The professors especially love knowing that their school has been chosen to be highlighted and tell their students right away, involving even more activity. 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 and speak up about what is going on around their campus and their opinions of the nation’s state of affairs.

Students will be wondering what they are supposed to do with such a space as YourThreeCents creates. What would you suggest they engage the site fully? Besides posting opinions and arguments, what can students do with the site? How do you envision the discussion looking? Like a debate? A conglomerate of many threads of concern? A casual conversation?

YourThreeCents.com is extremely useful for students and young American’s! America’s youth need to know what is going on around their country and around their world. This is a great opportunity for the students at Linfield to let people know what’s going on. We are an internet based generation and can spread the word faster to make a dramatic change in our nation’s politics. ‘Your Three Cents’ was created to help America’s youth say what is on their minds and to showcase our strong opinions! People tune into this site numerous times a day! It has grown to over 1 million hits and grows increasingly every day.

The site was created for Generation Y to not only give their two cents but, their THREE CENTS (and by doing so, grabbing attention to this generation!). If people come to the site even once, respond, vent, or learn something new that spells success. The only way we can make a difference in our nation is if this generation takes a stand and SPEAKS UP on what is going on in their heads, giving ‘Your Three Cents.’ We wanted to restore this generation’s voice and change the path of our country in a good way. Politics needs Generations Y’s voice!

The site is tremendously beneficial to students. This is a place where people can post questions for the Presidential candidates, where people could post pictures of issues that most concern them. A place for someone to inform their peers, where people can let others know that they are campaigning for a cause, where people can participate in spreading the voices of America’s youth through political events happening around the nation.

We are aware that it being an election year, a lot of the subjects that have been posted and discussed has been from people stating what each candidate is going to do/ not do for their future and where people stand with this election. That is extremely important, however, it definitely does not stop there! YourThreeCents.com has a political platform but is topical; Many subjects such as sports, health, war, lifestyle, etc have been touched upon. The world revolves around politics so if it includes it, it is mentioned. The way we make our decisions this year will definitely impact our future. Many of the issues that have addressed are; birth control, job growth, presidential candidates/primaries, abortion, unions, Darfur, the increasing dollar, Iraq, National Security, etc.

The people who visit the site and who post and answer aren’t just interested in what people are voting on and who they are voting for. They want to know what’s going on, especially people being in the same age bracket. This is why this site is great for college students. Our users/viewers care deeply about the future and you won’t find any celebrity gossip on this site. We feel that it is more important to focus on what the members are saying and getting as many people as possible to become active.

YourThreeCents.com is the perfect place to voice your concerns or voice things that you agree with politically that is happening around you. Different questions are posted everyday and it is interesting to see what today’s youth, across the country have to say. Check the site everyday!

News

• Scabies outbreak
• Cabinet evaluations
• Japanese speech contest
• Great Harvest is open

Features

• Genius on campus

Arts

• Opera theater
• Spring Singers
• Movie review

Sports

• Track and Field
• Tennis
• Softball
• NWC honors

For five Linfield students, meandering walks and hikes lead to prize-winning photos in the International Programs Office annual photo contest

Lizzie Martinez

Copy editor

Senior Kyle Henderson

“Crocs Beware”

First place, Linfield Students Abroad

January Term, Environmental

Economics, Australia

Hiking in Australia in January means 100 degree heat. For senior Kyle Henderson and other Linfield students, an entire day of traipsing along cliffs meant they were more than ready to cool off. When the group spotted a watering hole filled with rainwater, the students jumped in.

“We were just goofing off in the watering hole,” Henderson said.

After a few weeks, the group had yet to spot a single crocodile down under. Perhaps to inspire future crocs to show themselves to Linfield students or to make their own fun with crocodiles, Henderson grabbed his camera and asked the students to pose like crocs.

“We did eventually see a little croc up close and another one far away,” he said.

Senior Ivan Rott

“Peace Flame”, First place, Judge’s Award, Spring Semester Abroad, Norway

Senior Ivan Rott spent an entire semester immersing himself in the Norwegian culture.

“The whole Norwegian, even Scandinavian, attitude is about peace and egalitarian ways of life,” Rott said

The Peace Flame, located near the Nobel Peace Museum in Norway’s capital of Oslo, stands as a testament to this. While on a walk one day, Rott noticed a connection between the flame, museum and country. He pulled out his camera and shot the image.

“It was a good way to capture the spirit,” he said.

Sophomore Katie Ouzounian

“Sunset at Isla San Cristobal”

First place, Landscape

January Term, Environmental Ethics, Ecuador

The Amazon rainforest affords numerous opportunities to shoot photos of exotic animals under the cover of canopy. But for sophomore Katie Ouzounian, her perfect photo came not in the rainforest, but on the island of San Cristobal at the end of a five-day boat journey through islands off the edge of Ecuador.

Taking advantage of a break from studying, Ouzounian set off on a stroll through the small town. When she chanced upon a view of a sunset streaming through a tree, she remembered the advice she had once been given.

“Someone once told me to take pictures of sunsets through things because it’s more interesting,” she said. “So I did.”

Junior Kendall Moriarty, “Stories of a Lifetime”

First place, People, Fall Semester Abroad, Ecuador

After a week of traveling the beaches of Ecuador, Moriarty found herself in the tiny town of Canoa on Christmas Eve. On the way to a restaurant, she stumbled upon a riveting sight, one she would see throughout the weekend. A woman was perched quietly on the edge of the sidewalk, focused on her writing. Moriarty went into the restaurant with friends, and the woman kept writing.

“I saw her several times that weekend, she was constantly writing,” she said. “Who knows what she wrote; but it must have been worth her undivided attention.”

Junior Doug Sides, “Sunset at Hyde Park”

First place, Architecture

January Term, Samuel Johnson’s London, England

For junior Doug Sides, his last day in London was part disappointment, part excitement. Though he was unable to find the famous chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant to sample the fare, he did happen upon a gorgeous scene in Hyde Park. Sides spent the end of his month-long trip to London revisiting all his favorite haunts in the city, when he came across the fountain, with light streaming in.

“I was simply in the right place at the right time,” Sides said.

Photo and Essay Contest Winners

Landscape:

1st Place

Katie Ouzounian

“Sunset at Isla San Cristobal”

2nd Place

Ally Cross

“A View from Elmina Castle”

3rd Place

Kendall Moriarty

“An Eye to the World”

Architecture:

1st Place

Doug Sides

“Sunset at Hyde Park”

2nd Place

Katie Westlake

“Gare du Nord”

3rd Place

Logan Close

“Il Palazzo dei Doge”

People:

1st Place

Kendall Moriarty

“Stories of a Lifetime”

2nd Place

Kendall Moriarty

“Esperando”

3rd Place

Michelle Harteloo

“Squirrel Feeding in Green Park”

Judge’s Award:

1st Place

Ivan Rott

“Peace Flame”

2nd Place

Janna Windsor

“Colors of Mexico”

3rd Place

Ashley Page

“Telescopic Sea”

Linfield Students Abroad:

1st Place

Kyle Henderson

“Crocs Beware”

2nd Place

Katie Westlake

“A New Perspective”

3rd Place

Jasmine Klauder

“The Pyramid View”

Essay Contest:

1st Place

Lizzie Martinez

“Oaxaca”

Ansley Clark

“Letter to My Mother”

3rd Place

Barbara Tanner

“China Reflected: An Essay”

Katie Paysinger

Changes to campus housing provide students with a chance for more spacious accommodations as they begin registration this week.

The occupancy level in the Red Apartments has been lowered to two per apartment. This allows each student to have his or herown bedroom.

“The Reds definitely appeal to me because everyone gets their own room,” junior Morgan St. Jean said.

St. Jean said she hopes to register for one of the apartments.

Jane Failing Room 220 will  become a single, and rooms 302 and 414 in Pioneer Hall are now triples instead
of quads.

Freshman MacKenzie Lowen is one of the current four residents in Pioneer 414.

“It is a good idea to change this room back into a triple,” she said. “That way everyone will not be so cramped.”

Freshman Hilda Escalera, also in 414, said it seems people who are in quads are more likely to switch rooms once the year has started compared to those in triples and doubles.

Allowing students more space in their rooms is one of the reasons for the occupancy changes, Jeff Mackay, associate dean of students and director of Residence Life, said.

“Our housing model showed us that we had six projected vacancies for next year in the suburbs,” Mackay said. “We thought that changing the Reds to doubles, where there are three apartments, would make them more popular because everyone would have their own bedroom. That got rid of three of the
vacancies.” 

The housing model is based on the number of this year’s upperclassmen and the anticipated number of incoming transfer students.

“The projection model is not a science, it is an art,” Mackay said. “This is what we think is going to happen based on previous retention rates. We also find more students are going abroad their junior year, which takes some pressure off the suburbs.”

Seniors tend to dictate the direction of housing registration, Mackay said. This year, 80 percent of students live on campus, including those in fraternity houses.

Mackay said students living on campus have higher GPAs than those who don’t. The average GPA for off-campus students last spring was 3.03, compared to students in the suburbs, whose GPAs averaged 3.38.

“People living in the (Hewlett-Packard Park Apartments) can hit the snooze button twice, throw on a ball cap and still make it to class,” Mackay said.

Monday is registration for singles and triples in the suburbs. May 7 is for singles, triples and suites in the residence halls.

Registering for residence hall doubles will be May 8.

All registration is done in the Wilson Upper Gym beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Kelly Copeland

Assistant Editor 

Students often skip class for one reason or another, but what happens when a professor repeatedly misses class for an appointment, a meeting or other reasons?

When do students stop counting their blessings and start adding up the money they are losing?

Dean of Enrollment Services Dan Preston said thinking about how much money is lost when a class is canceled does not give an accurate representation of what is actually being missed.

“You can quote a tuition price and divide it by the credit and class, but when you look at it as a continuum, it is a different matter,” he said.

Preston said when a student enrolls for a class they are paying for more than just the professor’s instruction time. He said tuition goes toward funding many things, such as the facilities, the work done by the Registrar’s Office and the preparation time of the professor.

He said most students do not pay full tuition, but rely on scholarships, so it would be nearly impossible to determine how much students should be compensated for the class time lost.

Still, it may be hard for students to not quantify each class. For the 2008-2009 school year, tuition has risen to $13,575 per semester. A student taking 16 credits for one semester pays approximately $848.44 per credit, and a total of $3,393.75 for a four-credit class.

For that four-credit class, meeting three days a week for 42 weeks, students lose $80.80 per class period, with no other factors being taken into consideration.

Associate Dean of Faculty Liz Atkinson said if a professor is aware he or she will be unable to attend class, they are obligated to provide an alternate activity so students can still use the time they would otherwise spend
in class.

“As we all know, learning happens inside and outside the classroom,” Atkinson said.

Where extended absence is necessary because of illness or other emergency situations, the dean, in consultation with the department head, shall be responsible for making alternative instructional arrangements.

Atkinson said there are always exceptions to the policy, and that the compensation for missed classes varies in individual situations.

When professors cancel class once or twice, most students rejoice at the unexpected free time, but start to get upset when one or two days turn into four or five.

For students like sophomore Hannah Sanford, having class canceled frequently becomes more of a burden than
a convenience.

Sanford said she has taken several courses where the professor frequently canceled class for meetings or appointments. At first it didn’t bother her, but she said when it began to happen more often, the less she benefited from course material.

“Missing classes throws off the whole class schedule,” she said. “When you miss enough days, it’s harder to get back on track. It’s confusing because you forget what you learned before.”

While Sanford doesn’t worry about not getting her money’s worth when classes are canceled, she said she has several friends who refuse to skip their classes for that reason.

“It’s more (of a problem) when you miss a lot of class and start to miss out on the experience,” Sanford said.

Atkinson said while it can be frustrating for students when classes are canceled, it is often necessary for professors to do so to fulfill other obligations that come with their title.

“If a faculty member is going to a conference (as part of) their academic duty, that is important,” Atkinson said. “We want all of our faculty to stay current in their profession.”

Sanford said she would prefer the professor notify students of the absence in advance. She said she recently had a professor cancel class at the last minute on the day she was scheduled to give a speech.

“It’s worse when they send you something that day,” Sanford said. “Not only does it throw the schedule off, but when you miss an important project, it throws your personal life off too.” 

Amber McKenna

features editor 

On Earth Day, President Thomas Hellie signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment as a step to combat global climate issues.

According to its Web site, the commitment is an effort to address global warming through neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions and motivating research aimed at restabilizing the earth’s climate. More than 500 colleges across the country signed the commitment, and the number keeps growing.

Fred Ross, senior adviser and assistant to the president, said Hellie’s decision came after six months of careful consideration by a committee set up in October. The committee, titled Advisory Committee on the Environment and Sustainability, is comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, students and a representative from McMinnville Water and Light. The group decided it would be beneficial to the school.

“Signing (the commitment) says to the world, ‘we will commit to reducing our greenhouse gases and set up options,’” Ross said. “We didn’t just want to doit for publicity.”

In conjunction with the commitment, the college has plans for the new constructions, such as the Northup Hall renovation and the future fitness center, to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. This will require using recycled building materials and sustainable construction practices.

Other goals of ACES are to replace residence hall and on-campus apartment appliances with Energy Star certified appliances, and to reduce the waste stream the campus produces, focusing especially on food waste.

Sophomore Duncan Reid is a student representative on ACES. He said it is important for colleges and universities to reduce their ecological footprint and become carbon neutral.

The committee was charged with weighing the pros and cons of signing the commitment.

“I value that (President Hellie) wanted to take the time to make sure this gets done correctly rather than hastily signing it and not being able to follow through,” Reid said.

Reid described the commitment as a tool for motivating institutions to reduce their impact on the
environment.

Ross said the hardest way to reduce gas costs is the transportation the college uses.

“What do you do when the football team needs to get in a bus and drive to Willamette (University)?” Ross said. “Or when the president needs to get to New Jersey?”

The change in environmentally friendly practices will be long term, but will start with small things such as low-flow shower heads, Ross said.

“The most exciting part about (the commitment) is that it is a concrete commitment to sustainability,” Reid said. “And (we get) to see the college as an institution embrace these values.”