Many of us have bicycles or rent them from the bike co-op.

We are, after all, college students on a budget and not all of us can afford cars.

We all know it is common knowledge that wearing your bicycle helmet can prevent injuries and save lives.

You don’t have to wear your helmet over the age of 16, but let’s face it; it would be a good idea.

Not all of us wear bike helmets and I myself have been guilty of this. But have we ever really thought about why we aren’t wearing helmets?

I have ridden my bike into town a few times and it’s not exactly the safest place for a cyclist.

There are not many bike lanes, and the bike lanes that are present are in pretty bad condition.

Three weeks ago I fell off my bike three miles off campus on Highway 99. I was trying to turn into a driveway so I could get up onto the sidewalk.

Instead, my bike hit some divots in the road and I slid across the sidewalk scraping up my hands, a knee and bruising my other leg.

I am really lucky that I did not fall into the road, especially since I was not wearing my helmet.

A pedestrian about 20 feet behind me did not bother to see if I was okay. Nor did the cars driving past bother to stop or even slow down.

Not knowing what else to do, I got up and with bloody hands, I grabbed my bike and continued to my destination where I was able to wash my hands and put on Band-Aids.

Now, I have scars on both hands and I am afraid to bike anywhere.

The part that bothered me the most was the fact that cars did not even bother to slow down.

This is a college town and there are a lot of bicycles on this campus so you would think that McMinnville would be more bicycle friendly by having clearly marked bike lanes, free from divots or potholes, and that drivers would be considerate of bicycles.

Bikers beware! Read the bicycle manual, available at the DMV and learn the turn and stop signals.

Then use them.

It will help keep us safe against these angry transforming monsters. But most importantly, wear your helmets!

Kiera Downs

Copy editor

Kiera Downs can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com.

When spring comes around, the leaf blowers and lawn mowers come out to play all day long. I understand the school’s desire to keep the campus looking attractive, but the level of maintenance is sometimes over the top.

Linfield has bright green lawns and pristine bushes and flowers, and that’s something that really attracts prospective students and parents. But will it really matter if the grass is longer than an inch and there is some dirt on the sidewalks?

I don’t enjoy being suddenly woken up from a delicious slumber by a heinously loud riding lawn mower driving right past my open window at nine in the morning.

And as soon as I fall back asleep, along comes a trimmer, loudly grazing the edge of the grass that no one ever looks at.

My room and apartment are then filled with the lovely morning smells of gas fumes and cut grass, which don’t go away for hours.

In the afternoon, this disrupting maintenance continues outside of classroom windows, making it next to impossible to hear what the professor is saying and distracting the whole class. It’s to the point where it feels like it happens all day, every day.

Okay, my rant is over. The point is, the school could afford to cool it a bit with the landscaping. The campus is beautiful as it is.

It seems that there is constantly some kind of machine running somewhere on campus. It then makes me wonder about the sustainability of it all. As stated in our December editorial, Linfield uses 4-cycle blowers instead of 2-cycle blowers in an effort to be more environmentally conscious and produce less exhaust emissions.

This is great, but I still think that less maintenance would be a better option. Less fuel use is less fuel use.

I just think that there is an excess amount of maintenance on our campus. There is nothing wrong with some overgrown foliage and not-so-perfectly manicured shrubs.

It seems like an unimportant priority to me, and those are just my personal beliefs.

Some people enjoy seeing uniform landscapes and consider overgrowth to be an eyesore. But I prefer a more natural look. It’s one thing I love about Oregon—the lush, wildly growing plants and trees. I don’t see why a college campus has to be so tightly and neatly maintained. It begins to feel somewhat forced and unnatural.

I sincerely wonder the impact that less landscaping would have on our community. I’m guessing little to none, and I think that few would even notice. The campus would still be beautiful.

Kelsey Sutton

Managing editor

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

Recently, the White House Correspondents dinner has made me think about the use of comedy in politics and news in general, and how the popular comedy news sources are still under fire as not being legitimate forms of news information.

Comedy Central shows like “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” have become more successful over the years following an upward trend as traditional news sources and newspapers are going out of business. This information isn’t new, but it is surprising to see the shift over the last 13 years.

In a 2009 study that shocked many people in the journalism world, 21 percent of 18 to 29 year olds said that these comedy shows were their main source of news, growing from 9 percent in 2000. Only 23 percent said they found information from the broadcast news sources, which had fallen
from 39 percent.

Since the creation of journalism, there has always been news satire, one of the most famous satirists being author Mark Twain. There is obviously a trend for younger audiences toward these comedy news sources. So why are so many people fighting the idea of using comedy in journalism?

I understand the main goal in journalism is to write with objectivity, to present the facts and let the audience decide how to view a story. But like Rachel Smolkin wrote in her 2007 article, there are many things journalists can learn from shows like John Stewart’s, including audience numbers.

As readership for major news sources goes down, maybe variety and comedy is exactly what is needed to keep people reading. There should still be a commitment to the facts, but after seeing five or eight or ten of an article with the same facts on major news websites, I’m not going to want to read another boring article with the same information.

Instead, as so many people in my generation are now doing, I’m going to go to YouTube and watching interviews by Zach Galifianakis. Wouldn’t it be great if news media could begin to try and break into this audience market?

Though news shows like the ones on Comedy Central may not be giving us all the news information we need, they still make us more informed than we would be otherwise. If more news sites began to engage a younger audience with comedy, it would be much easier to get people to pay attention to the stuff that counts.

I’ll admit that one of the reasons I kept informed during the 2012 election was because I wanted to know who the people were that I was laughing at while watching the Bad Lip Reading videos. And though I sometimes disagree with its choices, The Onion tweets on my twitter feed are often a welcome break from the monotony of news information.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate traditional news, but sometimes I want variety. Sometimes I want to be able to agree with journalists because they are showing me their opinions. Sometimes I want to laugh because I know that other people in the world are seeing the same ridiculousness I am, and aren’t afraid to call others out on it.

Olivia Marovich

Staff writer

Olivia Marovich can be reached at

linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.

I’m writing in response to the editorial on donation requests. As a student who works at Phonathon in the College Relations Department, I, more than most, understand why Phonathon is so vital to the college.

The fact that I receive scholarships and that they were one of the deciding factors in my decision to attend Linfield also enhances my understanding of the importance of philanthropy.

Linfield College is a wonderful school and the community here is close-knit and extremely supportive; the affinity for supporting one another is also present in our alumni and parents.

It isn’t difficult to see just how much they love and support us—all you have to do is look at the numbers.

More than 2,500 alumni and 765 parents give every year to Linfield because they all believe in Linfield and its students, in us.

They know the power of a good education and they understand the value of giving back to the Linfield Community. It is because of them that over 93 percent of students can rely on scholarships and financial aid each year, myself being one of them.

Not only do those donations go toward scholarships, but they also make a huge impact on our daily lives here at Linfield.

Not many students know that tuition only covers 86 percent of what it actually costs to educate a Linfield student, and without the support of our extended community, we would not be here.

This is why we have events like Tuition Free Day.

Tuition Free Day, which we celebrated April 18th, represents when our tuition runs out and the rest of the year is paid for with donations.

Without donations from people like our alumni and our parents, we would not be able to be in school right now; the semester would have had to end on April 18th.

This is a tangible reminder of how important donations are to the college, and how much we are indebted to our donors.

So yes, Linfield is an expensive school, but it also takes care to lower costs as much as it can for students and their parents.

The only way it can do that is if we have donor support. Phonathon is a way for students to reach out to the donors, not only to ask them to continue their support, but also to thank them.

Being a caller has given me the invaluable opportunity to personally thank our alumni, parents, and friends of the college who donate.

Knowing that they all have a hand in my education and my experience at Linfield is incredibly moving.

I want them to know, as I want you to know, just how much we rely on their support and are grateful to them for believing in us.

Kelsey Hatley ‘13

I put this under other, as it’s not purely a complaint or a correction that needs to be reprinted in a later edition by any means (as what I read appeared in the opinions section of the newspaper anyway), but can maybe just serve as a reminder (if anyone wants to take it) to make sure what is being said is actually true, and not merely exaggerated stories influenced by media overlooking the facts of the case.

(Just to reiterate, this comment is not meant to be taken as an insult or harsh criticism by any means)

In the opinions section on page 3 of the April issue, a student wrote an article that rose good points called “Be smart, don’t ruin things for others.”

Though I agree with what she said about underage drinking, her comments about the coffee lawsuit irked me a little, as it was a bit apparent there wasn’t research done about it beforehand.

In this case, McDonald’s was clearly at fault for the burns suffered by the 79-year-old lady as the store was repeatedly warned the temperature of their coffee was too hot (180-190 degrees) and did not comply with regulation.

Kadi White ‘13

Linfield is known for its great study abroad opportunities. You cannot walk across campus without meeting someone who studied abroad and absolutely loved it.

This opportunity is something we are all lucky and proud to have.

Since hearing about a student being robbed while abroad, some students have been worried that they might not be as prepared as they originally thought they would be.

“Linfield requires all participants to attend a study abroad orientation, which also includes pre-orientation assignments. Students are also encouraged to take a course in Intercultural Communication and to attain a high level of proficiency in the target language,” said Shaik Ismail, director of International Programs at Linfield College.

“Aside from general cross-cultural factors, issues of cultural adaptation and societal values of the host country, students also learn about the specifics of the host city, country and about the host institution itself,” he said. “The orientation program goes into various ‘real-life’ scenarios that are aimed to prepare students for unforeseen circumstances. We also discuss issues of health and safety and how to avert or minimize exposure to risk.”

Although study abroad preparations are very thorough, it may be beneficial to make programs even more individualized depending on the country the student is traveling to. Since cultural values, beliefs and norms are different depending on the country, it is important that students are educated on differences.

“Educational systems and the culture of learning vary quite a bit, depending upon where you go to study. One of the outcomes we seek from our students is the ability to negotiate successfully within a system that is markedly different than the one we are accustomed to in the U.S.,” Ismail said.

Ultimately, students are given adequate tools to be prepared to study abroad.

It is their job to use these tools and tailor them to their specific needs.

So no one needs to excessively fear about studying abroad. Linfield provides students with the appropriate tools to deal with difficult situations.

Otherwise, it is your own duty to continue preparing individually and specifically for the country you are going to.

“We try to individualize these sessions as much as possible, bringing in faculty experts of the countries and universities where our students will be studying. Students are also encouraged to learn as much as possible about their host country in the pre-departure assignments,” Ismail said.

-The Review Editorial Board

Body image is something college students struggle with on a daily basis. This issue spans the gaps of gender, race and age. It is something everyone has dealt with at least once in their life.

On April 14, Dove released the latest installment of its “Real Beauty” advertising campaign called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches.” This video spread quickly through social media, with a vast majority of people praising the message.

Even though it has been over a month since the advertisement was released, it is still frequently popping up on my Facebook newsfeed. It obviously is striking a chord with people, especially women, and it is an interesting occurrence to say the least.

The video features women describing themselves to a professional forensic artist and he sketches them as they see themselves. Then, another person with whom the woman had briefly interacted comes in and also describes her to the artist. The women then compares the difference between how they see themselves and how the others presumably see them.

Ultimately, this video is saying we are our own worst critics. This is entirely true. We judge ourselves by the ideals society has set. Admit it, you have done it yourself. We have a tendency to see our flaws in comparison to the images of perfection thrust upon us by the media at large. Realizing this, and working to develop a more positive body image is a worthwhile endeavor and I applaud Dove for taking on this difficult mission.

However, there are a few things I would have liked to additionally see in the ad. Although the main women in the ad showed a little diversity, older women were not used in the ad and all of the women were slim. There was not enough diversity of age and body shape to really make an impact on all types of women. By not using images of a wide array of women and types of beauty, the ad has already lost a little significance.

I thought of this example when I was watching the commercial with my grandmother. As a strong and proud woman, she still said this commercial no longer applied to her because she was old. The advertisement did not upset her by any means, but I’m sure there is a woman out there saying, “great message, wish it applied to me.”

There is no one single definition of what beauty is. Nobody can define it and I applaud Dove for carrying this message to a wide audience. However, I recommend that their next ad be more diversified and redefine what it means to be beautiful.

Alyssa Townsend

Opinion editor

Cancer is one of the many diseases that’s a constant threat to society today. But the one at the front of everyone’s mind lately is breast cancer.

Angelina Jolie is known far and wide for her beauty and acting abilities, but more recently she has taken the spot light with the news of her decision to get a preventive double mastectomy. Jolie was tested for a rare mutant gene, BRCA1, which drastically increases the chances for getting breast cancer.

Due to Jolie’s discovery, she made the brave decision to cut down the risk of breast cancer by removing her breasts. But, this has caused many women to ask the question, “am I at risk? Should I get this test?”

Before anyone jumps the gun and rushes out to go get the test to discover the BRCA1 gene, you should know it’s quite pricey— $3,000 according to a New York Times article on Jolie. There are other preventive methods that women can take.

Breast cancer affects almost everyone in the world in one way or another. Whether it’s you or a family member diagnosed with the disease, its victims are not limited to just women. Men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer — just look up former Cleveland Browns fullback, Ernie Green. It is important for everyone to be educated on their level of risk for the disease.

The first thing to do is to explore your family history. While a family history of breast cancer isn’t always a guarantee diagnoses, it can be a good starting point. A Plan Parenthood nurse once told me that a good rule of thumb is to start getting a mammogram 10 years earlier than the age that your family member was diagnosed.

The second precaution a person can take is performing self-breast exams. There are many sources online that demonstrate how to perform a self-breast exam, making it easy and accessible for just about everyone.

Self-breast exams are by no means a way to locate all tumors and abnormalities, but it’s a good way to know what is normal for your breast. This way, if anything out of the ordinary does occur, the chances of you recognizing something out of the ordinary will increase.

The third, and simplest, thing you can do to be aware of your breast cancer risk is just talking to your doctor. Doctors, especially ones who know you well, can discuss all your options to determine your risk level. This is their job, meaning they are used to any and all questions you may have.

As the medical world progresses, more and more of these types of test will appear. With the ability to determine what ailments may affect us in the future may be helpful, it is important to look all the prevention methods before making any drastic decisions. So while Jolie’s sacrifice was brave, there are other ways that everyday people can take to know how at risk they actually are.

Kaylyn Peterson

Managing editor

In light of McMinnville’s UFO Festival that occurred this weekend, I began thinking about what would happen in light of an alien invasion. Once I began thinking about this, there was an example that shot into my mind.

On Halloween 1938, Orson Welles put on a radio play inspired by “The War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells.

In this radio play, there was an alien invasion in America, and the result was mass hysteria.

One study found that one in 12 people believed that the attack was real. Police stations and networks were receiving thousands of calls during the broadcast, but they did not know what was going on either.

I would like to know what would happen if this were to be tried again in the U.S. today. Looking at the ways that news is delivered today, the outcome would have been quite different. Time Magazine wrote an article on this in 2008 and said that Americans have grown too smart to be fooled again, but I disagree.

I speculate that the “news” would have not been transmitted by radio, but through television news sources. It would need to start in a very rural place otherwise no one would believe it.

Once the local news channels cover the alien invasion, a national news program like The Today Show could get a hold of the story and spread it even farther. It is very important that some sort of national news with major credibility picks up the story.

At this point, social networks would take over in the spreading of this “news” to everyone’s friends.

In the 21st century, there is more scientific information that allows people to believe that there may be life beyond Earth. All of the ingredients needed to recreate this are here.

The reasoning that people cause mass hysteria is because of missing the disclaimer. It is very well known that when people post to social media, there would be many mistakes in spreading the news. People would be likely to just post that there is a martian invasion on Earth, especially if they missed the disclaimer. There would be people who tried to calm the public down, but without evidence that this is not happening, there is little that they could do to stop panic.

The use of the Internet would also amplify the hysteria beyond the U.S. boarders. The possibility of a global meltdown would be massive, and could have disastrous effects.

In this modern world, the possibility to use Facebook for evil is massive. It is possible that “The War of the Worlds” could cause an actual war and lead to military actions that could indeed cause massive destruction.   Even if destruction does not happen, both the local news station and the national news source would be blamed (even if the national news did not know it was fake).

This would change the face of American news by stripping away American’s trust in the news.

Either outcome would be disastrous to America. Either to its media, or to its citizens.

Julian Adoff

For the Review

I re-watched the “Breaking Bad” episode when Walt defeats Gus for the third time this weekend. “Could I possibly be a sociopath?” flashed through my mind as I realized I was watching three men get blown up in a retirement home. And, dare I say, enjoying it?

This is a constantly debated issue in America and all over the world today: violence and censorship in the media.

While no concrete studies have proven that violent television and video games leads to violence, organizations and advocates against media violence continue to believe there is a correlation.

The United States currently has no censorship laws about violence in the media, only censoring sex and sexual acts. While there is an age-rating system in place, violent material is more readily available to young people in our country than in many other places in the world.

So what does this mean for me, my “Breaking Bad” addiction and my neurosis about possibly being a sociopath?

I take comfort in the fact that viewers of violent material are a much larger number than the percentage of people who actually commit violent crimes.

We have to acknowledge our countries obsession with violence. It’s a very accepted part of our lives.

The “Saw” franchise made seven movies, and more blood and gore is available in media today than ever before. What is it that makes us drawn to violence?

A new study will aim to discover just that, and the results will be released later this year at the International Communication Association in London. Some researchers believe that people may be drawn to the pain and suffering of others because it will offer some insight into their own motivations and the deeper meanings of their lives.

Others argue that by seeing negative after affects played out on-screen, people are less likely to turn to violence in real life. The strongest argument in favor of violent media content remains that an average person would not be persuaded to harm someone else after simply watching or playing something violent. Only an individual who already had these tendencies would be pushed to that extreme.

Still, how does this apply to me?

Well, I think that writing this is a pretty good indication that I won’t be committing an acts of atrocious violence in my life, but as I said earlier, my main source of comfort is in numbers.

I am not the only person who enjoys “Breaking Bad.” Or Quentin Tarantino. And there is obviously a large enough audience for “The Human Centipede” that they created a whole second movie about is (disclaimer: if you are a person who watched either version of this film and found any enjoyment in it, please re-evaluate your life choices).

So we can’t all be evil, right? I also find solace in the fact that at this point in history, we are doing pretty well as far as violence is concerned.

On the whole, our world is less violent at this time than it has ever been. I mean, we literally used to tar and feather people.

So I won’t fret anymore when I go to Netflix and immediately search for “Once Upon a Time in the West” when I’ve had a bad day. “Reservoir Dogs” when it was really bad. Because we all need to feel connected in misery sometimes.

Olivia Marovich

News editor

As the semester draws to a close, everyone is scurrying to figure out their summer plans. Over 160 students have already decided to spend their summers working on campus. This includes research opportunities, working in Dillin Hall or working for multiple offices across campus.

Getting a campus job is often like hitting the jackpot. A student needs to only work 20 hours a week to be able to live on campus for free. Some students ultimately decide to work on campus because of the free room and board. When students are hired, they are often excited to work hard and live somewhat comfortably.

However, many of these students were shocked this year when they were assigned to live with strangers in dorms. The options for summer housing were incredibly limited and even upperclassmen were assigned to live in Potter Hall and Frerichs Hall. Upperclassmen especially expected more apartment options to be available.

“We have a large number of graduating seniors and soon to be seniors that are requesting summer housing. In the past, we have had students who are currently living in suburb housing that will live in a residence hall for the summer. We do not have enough apartment housing to house all suburb eligible students in the suburbs for the summer,” said Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Jeff Mackay via email to students registering for summer housing.

The email was sent late on Sunday night before registration the next day, leaving students with less than 24 hours to figure out their backup options. The chaos at registration showed that people were ill-informed about summer housing. Students who originally wanted to live in a double apartment were scurrying to find a third roommate in order to just live in a triple in the dorms. Either way, students seem to have felt completely out of the loop.

Some of the students at summer housing registration were asking why the Hewlett Packard Park Apartments were not an option for summer housing.

These apartments would easily fit four students and even strangers would be happy to live together because each apartment would have separate rooms. Mackay and others at registration said that the HP Park Apartments were not an option since they house visitors during conferences and camps, which bring in revenue for the college during the summer.

While this is a necessary source of income, students were still upset that their needs were not being prioritized. One student asked why just one HP couldn’t be open for students. This would create a lot of extra housing and provide more opportunities for students to live in apartments.

Even though students are receiving free housing, it still would have been nice to know in advanced that housing options were so limited. Housing is often a factor when deciding where to stay over the summer and for that reason, students should have received the email about summer housing weeks in advanced rather than the night before registration. This would eliminate confusion and give students the opportunity to evaluate their summer job choices.

-The Review Editorial Board