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

magine being one of the 57 million people living in the United States with a mental illness.

Put yourself in their shoes, imagine the struggle or inability to function at home, in professional settings and in personal relationships.

Imagine how it would make you feel to know that you do not know why you are this way or who you can trust with such a personal issue. Imagine the way you would be treated, and imagine the way you would want to be treated.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, created to recognize the threats of mental illness and show support for those who suffer from it.

The American Psychological Association will spotlight a range of issues, such as traumatic stress and suicide in youth in recognition of the month.

Professionals acknowledge mental illnesses may be due to heredity, excessive stress, substance abuse or a combination.

Those who suffer from mental illness often experience discrimination and stigma from others, rather than compassion and understanding.

If you personally have ever experienced this, or one of your loved ones has, you know how hard it is to deal with this issue alone.

With stress building up from finals and large projects, even students here at Linfield may be experiencing personal mental health problems. Even at Linfield, people get stressed and upset, and that is completely understandable.

There are resources to get help if you need it or to direct others to if they need it.

Linfield’s Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Center exists to serve the needs of students in a holistic manner. The offices are located in Walker Hall Room 104. Remember, if you need help, just ask.

In addition, make sure to look out for one another. We are a small and close community here at Linfield, everyone should do their part and help keep everyone else happy and healthy!

If you see someone having a rough time, just ask them how they are doing. It may sound simple, but support can go a long way for a person who is feeling overwhelmed with life.

Just remember that mental illnesses exist at Linfield. In support of Mental Health Awareness Month and the oncoming chaos of finals, I encourage everyone to learn more about this important issue and really care for one another.

Just because we live in the Linfield bubble does not mean we are immune to these issues.

Alyssa Townsend/Opinion editor

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

Many of our lives are clearly on display on the Internet, and with everyone’s eyes viewing our lives, many of us have some things to clean up.

Whether you are on Facebook, Twitter or a blog, this applies to everyone. It’s not only your friends and family who you have to worry about seeing what you post anymore.

We all must worry about future employers and other individuals who make crucial decisions for our futures.

One of the first things students should work to rid their social media and other Internet outlets of is drunk photos, stories and references.

While we are in college, it might be funny now to look back at last night’s photos, but employers and others might think that this is you every night.

Why give them the wrong impression?

It’s not that people shouldn’t have these photos or stories online, but you should limit those who can see them.

Make a personal album, where only you can see, and laugh about it with your friends later when you are together. This will make them private, but accessible.

The second thing everyone should fix throughout their Internet lives is bad grammar, spelling errors and hard to read sentences. It’s not like you need to go back and fix every little mistake on the Web page, just be diligent about future posts.

It looks really bad when someone views your social media outlets, and they are riddled with missing words, made up words and bad grammar. Just take a minute when you’re done typing whatever you are posting and read it again out loud. This makes it easier to find mistakes.

Finally, the third thing we should all aim to fix is the use of profanity and words that are substituted for profanity. I’m sure there is another way to express what you are feeling that doesn’t involve these words.

If not, it might be time to step back and look at why you are so angry or why you feel the need to use these words. Employers are not going to want to hire someone who swears like a sailor.

With all this in mind, nothing is more important than being yourself online. Avoiding fake-ness and ranting, it should be pretty easy to fix up your social media and make it presentable.

I like to live by the rule that if I wouldn’t show my 94-year-old great grandma, then something needs to change or be put under a private setting.

It is also important that you understand the privacy settings because sometimes things change and the things you were hiding before appear for the world to see.

Kaylyn Peterson/Copy chief

Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewcopy@gmail.com

Linfield College has a wide range of students from various socio-economic backgrounds.

This can be looked at as a good thing, but also a bad thing. Due to Linfield’s increasing costs, the financial burden can be higher on some students than others.

Linfield’s financial aid department does a great job helping students find scholarships, grants and loans that every student can take advantage of.

This helps ease the financial burden and also lowers the economic divide to some extent.

However, there are other areas of campus that worsen the economic divide to an extreme extent. January Term is one example of a time where the campus is extremely economically divided.

There is no financial aid available for this term and can leave students at an extreme disadvantage.

There are many students who would like to be on campus during the month of January to take classes and get ahead in credits, but money often keeps them from being able to fulfil this desire.

The lack of financial aid for January Term does not help students get ahead and take classes because they cannot afford the costs.

There are many students who feel that January Term is meant for people who can spend the extra money. This does not help the school foster economic diversity.

There should be some sort of aid available for January Term.

There ought to be a way for the school to find donors to help aid students who wish to get ahead and take classes or study abroad during this optional term.

The situation can become worse because people who are not able to partake in January Term find themselves at home, usually struggling to find jobs.

There are few businesses that will hire someone for a month.

This further harms our system because now students cannot even work for a January Term to pay for the next year’s January Term.

The optional term continues to wreak havoc into the summer months.

Due to the month of school that Linfield students have off in the middle of the year, the school year ends at most a month later than schools who do not have the long break.

This continues to harm students’ chances of finding summer employment. By the time students return home from school, they find that a lot of the jobs have already been taken.

These last two points do not have much to do with Jan Term, specifically, but they do have a correlation. There are many students who wish for something to be done with Jan Term so they can be here to take classes.

Some have also said that if there can be no financial aid they would like the ability to get back home so that they can find easier summer employment.

Julian Adoff/Multimedia editor

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

I had always envisioned myself as a self-starter. After all, I worked really hard at whatever goals I set for myself.

I was driven to do my best in all aspects of my life, whether in school, sports or work. I believed that I depended on no one; all my accomplishments had been mainly achieved by my personal determination.

Sure, a few people had helped a little, but 98 percent of the credit had to go to me. Wow, could I have been more conceited and arrogant?

It took me a few years to realize that my perception of myself was seriously flawed.

Would I have done as well in school if my mom hadn’t created an environment at home that supported my learning?

Would I have done as well in sports without dedicated coaches and a parent willing and able to drive me to and from practices?

The hypotheticals go on and on, from my grandparents who taught me a strong work ethic to all the teachers, professors, supervisors and mentors who have challenged me.

Despite the fact that these are all hypotheticals, and I could have done fairly well without those people, I doubt that I would be where I am now without them. In short, I now realize that all these people have had a tremendous impact on my achievements.

I may have put in a fair amount of work, but their support system was absolutely vital.

To honor and recognize the people who have supported me and created opportunities for growth, I choose to donate. But oddly enough, it’s extremely difficult to donate to individual people.

My parents scoffed at my mention of wanting to “donate” to them since they make far more than I do and their cost of living has dropped precipitously with their number of dependents at zero.

Instead, I choose to give to organizations that in some way represent people that I honor or that strive to accomplish missions that I admire. For me, one of those organizations is Linfield College.

Linfield College not only provided me with a superb education and fantastic opportunities—both during and after college—but it also opened my mind to new and different ways of thinking.

I only managed to enjoy these benefits due to the investments that Linfield made in me through several scholarships. As a result, I feel a deep, personal gratitude for Linfield.

Above all, I feel a strong connection to Linfield.

To support their mission of providing integrated learning opportunities for current and future students, and to give thanks for my own personal benefits, I choose to give.

True, I am a recent college graduate on a tight budget and what feels like a mountain of debt through school loans looming over me.

My gift reflects my tight budget; I give $10 a month to Linfield. That $10 is a tiny drop in an enormous bucket. But for me, giving isn’t about the size of the gift.

It’s a symbolic gesture that demonstrates appreciation and love. And those are certainly feelings that I have with regards to Linfield.

Lauren Ross,

Class of 2011,

Seattle, Wash.

McMinnville and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful wineries. Linfield sits within the center of Oregon wine country and is home to the International Pinot Noir Celebration.

It only makes sense that the college takes advantage of this industry.

Linfield has been doing a great job of helping students learn more about wine and also providing them with the opportunity to get involved in the industry.

One of these opportunities is the Linfield College Oregon Wine Industry Experience.

In this internship, students learn about the business of wine through experiential learning. This is a year-long internship that starts during the summer, continues through the fall harvest and ends in spring.

During the summer, students get an overview of the industry. Fall is spent with hands-on harvesting experience at a single vineyard.

January Term is an opportunity for the selected interns to learn about the multitude of jobs that are available in the wine industry.

Finally, spring is spent working with staff to develop a wine experience.

This kind of experience is priceless for many students, as they begin their job search after college. An internship can greatly add to a candidate’s resume.

This internship also provides networking contacts for future employment opportunities and a chance to apply a liberal arts education to a local industry.

In addition, Linfield College is involved in a project dedicated to preserving Oregon’s wine history.

The Oregon Wine History Project is an online accumulation of photographs, history and information located in Nicholson Library, while the Oregon Wine History Archive is the physical source.

This resource allows students the opportunity to learn more about Oregon wine history and get involved in local endeavors.

Ultimately, these opportunities are great for Linfield and the communities surrounding it. Students get a chance to learn from hands-on internships and employers get some eager new employees.

This ongoing partnership has the potential to help the economy, create jobs and give students a wonderful opportunity to start their lives after Linfield.

It is a special and wonderful opportunity, and we hope students really do take advantage of it.

-The Review Editorial Board

There are many rules that restate common sense, because people don’t want to think about consequences to their actions, whether these consequences are major or minor.

Why is it that people think it is a good idea to do dumb things and ruin it for the rest of us?

So many people complain about the legal drinking age, but drink illegally anyway. Have you ever wondered why the drinking age is 21?

Maybe it is because so many young people choose to be irresponsible about it. They say they want to go out and have a good time, but what is good about getting so drunk so fast that you get sick, pass out and don’t remember anything?

What is it that people find so entertaining about trying to climb anything and everything?

Do they want to think they are Spiderman when they know they can’t stick to buildings and hang from bridges?

Or trees?

I like to climb trees, but other people don’t think, so they want to push the limits of how far up they can go or how much weight a branch can hold, then they fall and get hurt or die.

Since when has that been a good idea?

Never.

Did you know that there is a policy against climbing trees on campus? I didn’t, and I know a lot of other people didn’t. I can see why there is this policy.

It is to keep people safe and to prevent damage to the trees.

Have you thought about the fact that if enough people used their common sense and were safe and considerate about many things that we wouldn’t need all of these laws and policies?

Then people turn around and blame someone else for their own lack of common sense. If you order a hot coffee, you should expect it to be hot. So when you spill it, expect it to burn you.

One woman successfully sued McDonald’s because she burned herself after spilling the hot coffee she ordered.

People need to use their common sense and realize that excessive drinking can kill you, you can get hurt if you climb buildings and you shouldn’t blame your actions on everyone.

The people in our nation need to take responsibility for their actions and not be so sue happy.

They also need to realized that other people pay for their lack of common sense.

Kiera Downs/Copy editor

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