Kate Straube / Photo editor

Kate Straube can be reached at linfieldreviewphotos@gmail.com.

Just when we thought Psy’s reign over YouTube and pop culture would end, he released his second hit video “Gentlemen.”

This video is being called the sequel to “Gangnam Style” and features a brand new dance routine.  I was secretly hoping that he would become a one hit wonder and then pony dance off the music scene, but I guess my wish was not granted.

I can easily imagine why his new video got more than one million views in the first five days after it was uploaded. People were curious.

Is it possible for him to create another song of equal annoying-ness?  Well ladies and gentlemen, Psy just proved it is!

Let’s start with the music itself. The song sounds exactly the same.  It has the same beat, the same highly synthesized melody and follows the same structured formula.

I mean if you are into that kind of music, you can pay $1.29 on iTunes.  Lets be honest, Psy probably payed $1.29 million to get that ridiculous video produced.

Speaking of the video, it felt like my eyes were being assaulted by multiple squirrels on steroids.  There was too much going on at once. It became almost impossible for the viewer to even enter this “magical and fantastic” world that Psy was trying to create.

I understand the motive to create this space where people can just party and go crazy, but is there such a thing as going too hard?

Also, his videos just don’t make sense to me.  Half the time, I sit there wondering “what is going on?”

“Why are you dancing like that?”

“What is the point of all this nonsense?”

Eventually I just give up, and then feel the guilt of being one of the millions of views on YouTube that have made this video a worldwide sensation.

It is interesting to note though that Psy’s songs are not as popular in other countries.

Take South Korea for example.

You may find it hard to believe, but Psy’s video was banned by a South Korean TV Network for a “traffic cone violation.”  (Within the  first  minute  of  the video, Psy kicks over a traffic cone.)

Maybe the fact that we like this video reflects on us as a country.  We thrive on drama and the extreme.  Psy’s videos do just that.  They provide us with a fake world where we can get lost and input our own fantasy.

Despite how annoying his videos may be, they have certain elements that Americans eat up like McDonald’s cheese burgers.

Well done, Psy, well done.

Kelsey Sutton / Managing editor

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

I feel that students, myself included, often get way too caught up in a small detail of the learning process: the dreaded grade point average (GPA).

While it is definitely important to work hard and strive for the best possible grade, it isn’t worth panicking about.

It is something that has taken me a long time to realize and accept. In high school, a GPA was incredibly important to getting scholarships and getting into college.

But now that we’re in college, it’s really about passing our classes and learning.

I’ve often stressed myself out about my cumulative GPA, thinking that it determines what kind of student I am or how smart I am.

This is simply not true for anyone.

Many professors have told me that employers hardly ever, if at all, look at an applicant’s grades or transcripts.

It’s about the experience and the knowledge you have, which can come in many forms aside from a letter grade.

Especially at a college like Linfield, the goal is to learn and expand your personal horizons.

Unless you’re applying for graduate school, which in that case GPA’s may be a large factor, try to remember this.

It is hard to get a 4.0, or even a 3.5, in college. I still haven’t quite figured out why it’s so difficult, especially when it feels like I’m doing really well in a class, but it’s something I’ve had to come to terms with.

And I think we all should.

It doesn’t matter what kind of student you are. GPA’s do not determine your worth as a student or thinker.

It is simply a combination of letter grades that are generated by numbers. Your GPA doesn’t show how much you loved a class or how much hard work you put into a project.

And it definitely doesn’t take into account life’s unpredictable events.

Some people are naturally good at taking tests and memorizing small details and concepts.

I happen to not be good at that, and sometimes it shows in my grades.

However, I am an active participant in all my classes, and I still gain a lot of insight and knowledge from each course. I am a hard worker, and often that is what matters.

You could get constant As on everything, but leave college without growing as a human being.

So next time you are drowning in homework, trying to prioritize your classes and beginning to have a meltdown, try to relax.

Continue to work hard, but remember that no one in the real world cares if you got a C+ on that test or an A.

They just care if you could actually pass the class.

In the end, it’s really the degree you earn that matters.

And earning a degree entails much, much more than acing every exam.

Kaylyn Peterson / Copy chief

Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewcopyed@gmail.com

Remember when you were a little kid and the most stressful things in your life were coloring inside the lines and cleaning up any messes you made.

Being college students, we take on a lot more stress, but reverting back to those childhood tasks might be what relieves the stressful times coming up.

With the semester taking a turn toward a stressful dead end, there are some easy ways to back out without losing your head.

Students are beginning to stress about projects, papers and tests, but taking 15 minutes to let loose your creativity, could help you do better to think and stay relaxed during these stressful times.

The easiest and simplest way to release your creativity is to simply take a pen, pencil or whatever, and draw.

It doesn’t matter what you draw, or even if it’s good; all that matters is you are not thinking about whatever you were last working on for 15 minutes or so.

When time is short, or when your drawing skills really bother you, grab a coloring book from Dollar Tree, and color one picture.

Only one!

This allows you a creative outlet that requires little effort, without taking away too much time from all those important studies that you were worried about in the first place.

While letting your creativity flow during stressful school situations is useful now, it is not the only time you can use arts and crafts to unwind.

Stress is a part of our daily lives.

Whether it is caused by school, work, friends or family, crafting can give you time to think.

There are plenty of situations that may lead to anger and stress.

Angry crafting is one of the quickest ways to get control of emotions and can often result in some interesting artwork.

Before anyone says that this is only for the ladies, guys can be just as crafty as any woman.

Maybe it won’t be on paper or in a coloring book, but get hands on and make something.

Perhaps someone likes to whittle. Or maybe someone really enjoys photography. Go ahead and make something new that you could be proud of.

Any type of creative outlet will work perfectly!

It doesn’t even have to be practical, and you can throw it away later if you don’t like it.

While classes, such as biology, history and calculus can numb the brain after a while, crafting can refresh your thoughts and ideas, and might even get you a better grade due to new ideas.

Once you get the creative juices going, who knows how original your ideas may be.

Your professors would probably appreciate it.

Now I can’t say this will be particularly helpful for art majors, but maybe some creative writing will work for you.

The Review Editorial Board

The Editorial Board can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com

We all know that Linfield is an expensive school. Some people are paying for college themselves, while other people’s parents are footing the bill.

Paying for college can be challenging, and everyone definitely doesn’t want to be asked to give more money.

At a certain point, our wallets will run dry if we continue to be asked to donate even a little more.

This is especially true for parents.

They should not be asked to donate more money because they are already paying a lot of money for their child’s tuition.

So when Linfield representatives begin calling parents, it is understandable that students are expressing their annoyance.

One student said his parents were extremely upset when they were asked to donate money to Linfield only a few days after they sent in the tuition check.

The student continues to be annoyed because his parents have been called several times since.

We understand that Linfield thrives on and requires donations.

However, recent alumni, current students and their parents aren’t the appropriate people to ask.

It often irritates these individuals, which will ultimately lead them to never donate money even when they are older and have the means to do so.

We think that only alum who have been graduated for at least four years or more should be contacted for donations.

They are most likely to be reminiscent of their college years and have the money to actually donate. A recent college graduate definitely doesn’t have the money to donate to Linfield.

They typically are paying off student debt and trying to start careers so they can’t afford to donate the little money they do make.

In addition, there should be clearer guidelines on how to get off the call list.

An individual must specifically say “I want off the call list.”

Many parents and alumni are unaware of how to get off the call list, so perhaps if the person calling was clearer, people would be less annoyed by the caller asking for money.

We all knew Taylor was trouble when she dropped her latest album “Red.”  Here we go again with yet another album full of break up songs that leave us asking ourselves, “When will it end?”

The now 23-year-old appeared on the music scene in 2006 with her hit “Our Song.” Clearly, that song meant nothing because she has dropped every single guy she has dated since.  She quickly made it to the top of the charts, while at the same time boosting her country cred.

She became an instant hit among the teenie-boppers, as well as practically every single girl on the face of the planet. At the time, we were all awkward middle and high schoolers dealing with the fact that dating was a completely foreign concept. Too bad Taylor only sang about failed relationships. Thanks for the confidence boost. Not.

I will admit, at first her songs were catchy. It was refreshing to hear a girl sing about such subjects that were quite taboo at the time. But after the second break up hit, it got old…and fast. When you analyze the facts, the number of Taylor’s ex’s greatly surpasses the number of tear drops on her guitar. She should be nominated for an episode of “True Life: I can’t stop serial dating boys.”

Let’s move onto her latest album, “Red.”  If this was her attempt to be as lame as Carly Rae Jepsen, job well done! As much as I dislike country, her pop album may be worse. We have all seen the edited version of her “I Knew You Were Trouble” video with a goat. (If not, check it out.) That video just proves how ridiculous we find her songs.

Nobody cares about little sweet Taylor trying to be punk. Also, your performance at the Grammy’s was beyond painful to watch. Talk about awkward and a tragic lack of sex appeal. And that passive aggressive dig at One Direction’s Harry Stiles was really mature. Forget “Taylor Nation,” I am a “Directioner” for life!

When it comes down to it, Taylor should go back to country. Honestly, that is where she belongs. Then I would not have to hear her songs on the major radio stations. Also, a little dating tip from me to you, Taylor…stop going through boys like goats go through grass.

In the end, the fact that Taylor can’t keep a boyfriend for longer than the length of one of her songs will make any guy say, “You DON’T belong with me.”

Kate Straube

Photo editor

Kate Straube can be reached at linfieldreviewphotos@gmail.com.

Amongst the chaos of the natural disasters around the country, local assaults against our fellow students and personal challenges, the world can often seem a bit overwhelming.

When things get hectic the best thing to do is stay present.

As difficult as this may seem, there’s a framework that can provide some assistance with this idea. It’s been said that depression is caused from dwelling on the past, and anxiety is caused from irrational scenarios of the future.

Both of these extremes come from failing to accept what is right now.

Spiritual teachers around the world have been promoting this idea of presence for centuries. The idea has remained relatively consistent and seeks to promote the same thing.

Finding balance outside of yourself must begin from within. This requires being present in every moment possible, whether they be difficult or not.

Another term for this is “no mind” because all the internal chatter in your mind is silenced. This allows you to think about things that matter.

When you achieve this it presents itself as a warm feeling of euphoria. The flowers smell especially wonderful, the trees are noticeably greener, even the sidewalk seems to catch your footsteps better.

Some achieve this sense of calming via meditation, but there are various ways in which it can successfully be obtained.

Being meticulously aware of your surrounding details is another way to achieve this.

When you are completely engaged in the moment, you automatically push aside the things that cause  the unnecessary pain.

This isn’t to say that we can just forget our obligations to work and school, but rather we should be incorporating these techniques to help achieve a better quality of work.

Being present allows a person to focus on the task at hand, to make clear and concise decisions and
really illustrate the best of his or her abilities.

As I’ve been practicing these things in my own life, I’ve noticed a new sense of clarity in my everyday activities.

Simple things like making a pot of coffee have become exciting and refreshing.

Yet, I’m also able to calmly attack a stack of homework.

I believe that there are healthy ways to cope with all of life’s challenges. I think it’s important that college students are aware of these options.

College can be an influential time in a young adult’s life, and now is when we should be investing in learning productive skills in dealing with stress and problem solving.

Kelsey Sutton 

Managing editor

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

Just more than a year ago, Linfield was struck by a string of crimes. A few backpacks were stolen, a student was mugged and another student was abducted, but luckily returned.

These incidents made campus have a sense of hyper-awareness. Everyone was watching out for each other, and campus grew stronger from it.

With time, students began to forget to look out for one another. As students continue to forget to be safe, the potential for calamities rises.

As a whole, the Linfield community often forgets that we are still a part of the rest of the world, where bad people do exist and disasters out of your control do happen. This is just a reminder to take care of one another.

You might not even realize that you and your friends aren’t doing a good enough job at keeping each other safe. Odds are, you have found yourself in an uncomfortable situation that could have been prevented.

For example, it is 1 a.m. after the library closed, you don’t know anyone else leaving the library and you live in Pioneer.

What do you do?

Most students don’t want to call and wake up their friend for a ride or call campus security because they’ve never done that before.

The fact is that this is an issue of safety. Campus is safe, don’t get me wrong, but random people do have the ability to walk around the campus whenever they want.

Swallow your pride and take that ride from CPS. Or call your friend for a ride; if they are a good one they will come. Don’t risk walking back across an empty campus alone late at night. It can give even the bravest students the goose bumps.

Many situations like this come up on a daily basis. When this happens, take a second to really think about your safety.

As children,we relied on our parents for everything, from fulfilling physiological needs to safety. As college students, we are finally responsible for our own decisions. But this responsibility shouldn’t stop at just yourself. It should include every other student on campus, whether they are your best friend or that quiet girl that sits in the back of your psychology class.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it also isn’t that hard. Linfield prides itself as a tight-knit community where everyone cares and looks out for one another. Remember that motto.

Take care of one another as though we’re all siblings or close friends. Watching each other’s back is as simple as not letting your friend text while driving, walk home in the dark or leave with a random guy at a party.

Take every step possible to create and maintain a safe campus for your friends and yourself. Care for one another and make smart choices.

Linfield is a safe campus, in comparison to most colleges, so don’t be afraid. Instead, just be thoughtful of everyone’s safety.

Alyssa Townsend

Opinion editor

Alyssa Townsend can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.

As I look around the Linfield campus, something is becoming more and more clear. As a whole, the Linfield community could benefit from reprioritizing and trying new communication techniques.

This term, there have been a few instances of extreme miscommunication that caused an uproar among all members of the Linfield community and beyond.

This miscommunication does not only affect the students, faculty and other staff, but also the surrounding McMinnville community and one that is often overlooked, our families.

We must not forget that issues are at least two-sided and don’t always have a right and a wrong. Every event can be looked at from many angles.

One event that had its roots in miscommunication is still fresh in all of our minds. The claim that Medical Clemency no longer exists ripped through our campus during the last two weeks.

This proved to be false, but could it not have been avoided if there were better systems of communication set in place?

I know that the tendency of many students about the Medical Clemency rumors was to blame College Public Safety, Residence Life or countless other people on campus, but let’s take a step back for a minute and look at the bigger picture. How can we keep this or similar rumors from happening in the future?

The answer is both simple and complicated. If everyone at Linfield worked on being forthcoming with information, then I feel that positive opinions on campus would skyrocket.

The blame for a rumor cannot be placed on one individual or group on campus. And there is not only one group that needs to work on communication.

As students, I know that we want to blame people in seats of “power” on campus, but that will never solve anything. It will just make things worse. Here is what we can all do to make things better.

We need to work on ways to have our voices heard. There is already a system in place for that. Every week, a group of student senators meet in T.J. Day Hall with the Associated Students of Linfield College Cabinet to, among other things, solve issues that are brought up by students. If there is something that is bothering you on campus, email someone on Senate or the ASLC vice president. Your voice will be heard and the Senate will act.

It is important that Linfield staff be open with students and foster an environment for communication to take place. Although it seems as if students do not care and will not read the emails that are sent to us, we will listen.

In addition, staff must be preemptive when dealing with student concerns. For example, the Medical Clemency rumors must have reached someone’s ears before The Linfield Review asked for an interview or the ASLC president asked for a meeting. If you hear something that sounds false and alarming, please try to be open with us about what is going on and stop a rumor from getting worse.

Let’s use the “explosion” about Medical Clemency as a catalyst for finding a new way to communicate with each other about important issues. One thing that we must remember is that whatever the outcome is, we must all work together as staff, faculty, students, parents, “townies” and anyone else who is involved.

Everyone can do their part to make this campus even better than it already is, and it is pretty great.

Julian Adoff

Multimedia editor

Julian Adoff can be reached at linfieldreviewonline@gmail.com.

The Lindex is Linfield’s college directory that only members of the Linfield community have access to.

The Lindex allows you to search for a person at Linfield and find out their phone number, unit box, address and major or department.

Students can request to be left out of the Lindex if they recognize how much of their information will be accessible, but then their email is nearly impossible to find when it is needed.

If you wanted to, you could find everything you wanted to know about that random student who sits behind you in biology.

Maybe you can’t remember your club adviser’s email so you use the Lindex to figure out how to reach her.  If you had a reason to, you could find out where your professor lives.

At some point, this access to personal and private information gets just plain creepy.

This access to the information leaves us questioning if the Lindex should require more restrictions and less personal information. Is the Lindex invading students’ privacy?

Although we do agree to allow our information in the Lindex, are students really aware what they agreeing to and how much of their information will be out there?

Ultimately, how much is too much?

For example, a professor’s home address is definitely something a student shouldn’t have access too. It is inappropriate and probably isn’t even useful.

In today’s advancing technological world, most communication is done via email. No student should ever just go to a professor’s house to ask a question.

Addresses should be removed from the Lindex to prevent possible dangerous or awkward encounters.

Perhaps only a person’s name, email and possibly phone number should be allowed.  This information is basic enough that there is no invasion of privacy.

On such a small campus, privacy can be hard to find. Everyone knows everyone’s business. Having the right to decide who knows where you live and what you’re majoring in may help keep what little bit of privacy students do have.

Let’s cut down the Lindex so everyone can feel more comfortable yet still be accessible.

-The Review Editorial Board