Claire Oliver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Photo by Rachael Palinkas/ Photo editor

Joelle Cheek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casey Tharp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.