Comments for The Linfield Review http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review The Award-Winning Online Edition Wed, 16 May 2012 05:18:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=117 Comment on Linfield’s identity crisis by Linfield Student/Athlete http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/05/linfields-identity-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-487886 Linfield Student/Athlete Wed, 16 May 2012 05:18:26 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10314#comment-487886 Chris, This response to your latest column should not be viewed as a personal attack, only as an analysis of some of the claims you made. I understand that the columns you’ve written are opinions, which I think you are free to write and publish, and as opinion articles, should be viewed differently than factual articles. With that said, you wrote “In a liberal arts setting, journalism by students would strive to achieve levels of excellence and accuracy akin to a professional publication. This means reporting truth, whether people want to hear it or not.” The problem with this statement is that you aren’t writing truth in your columns. What you are writing is your personal opinions and interpretations. You do accurately cite different statistics, such as box scores, which can be viewed as truth. However, once you begin to write your own thoughts and analysis on these statistics, it is no longer within the realm of truth. Truth itself is an accepted and accurate fact, not an individual’s interpretation of these facts. Therefore your claim that you report the truth, whether people want to hear it or not, is a baseless claim. What you report is your opinion. While this may be your “honest” opinion, don’t confuse honestly with truth. Since this is your opinion, which you wrote and published in the Linfield Review, it is then open to others opinions and it is within their rights to respond to it. This brings me to my next point of disagreement with your article. In the context of athletes in a sports oriented environment expecting only good press, you wrote “This of course explains the hateful speech directed my way after that column more than a year ago. In a sports-dominated culture, this kind of thing would make sense: attacking someone who undermined one of the school’s programs. In a liberal arts setting, not so much.” Are you saying that because we attend a liberal arts school, you should not be subject to the reviews and opinions of the articles that you write? By the act of writing these articles, in which you attempt to point out different athletic programs’ short-comings and faults, you are following in the footsteps of individuals that you say deserve the backlash that they get in a sports-dominated culture. I also read a post by you on one of your recent articles where you likened yourself to an opinion columnist from the Oregonian. If you intend to be considered along the same lines as this professional, have some accountability and don’t contradict yourself on this topic. You’re attempting to create a double standard where you do in fact undermine a school sports program, yet you feel that you should be protected from any criticism. If you’re free to criticize, and in my opinion, attack a program and the individuals within that program, they have the right to defend themselves within the same forum as your criticism. You have no right to claim that just because we are at a smaller liberal arts school, your writing does not deserve to be criticized. Don’t “throw a punch” at someone and then whine when they hit you back. Be accountable for what you write and accept the criticism like a professional, if you intend to call yourself one. Chris,
This response to your latest column should not be viewed as a personal attack, only as an analysis of some of the claims you made. I understand that the columns you’ve written are opinions, which I think you are free to write and publish, and as opinion articles, should be viewed differently than factual articles. With that said, you wrote “In a liberal arts setting, journalism by students would strive to achieve levels of excellence and accuracy akin to a professional publication. This means reporting truth, whether people want to hear it or not.” The problem with this statement is that you aren’t writing truth in your columns. What you are writing is your personal opinions and interpretations. You do accurately cite different statistics, such as box scores, which can be viewed as truth. However, once you begin to write your own thoughts and analysis on these statistics, it is no longer within the realm of truth. Truth itself is an accepted and accurate fact, not an individual’s interpretation of these facts. Therefore your claim that you report the truth, whether people want to hear it or not, is a baseless claim. What you report is your opinion. While this may be your “honest” opinion, don’t confuse honestly with truth. Since this is your opinion, which you wrote and published in the Linfield Review, it is then open to others opinions and it is within their rights to respond to it.
This brings me to my next point of disagreement with your article. In the context of athletes in a sports oriented environment expecting only good press, you wrote “This of course explains the hateful speech directed my way after that column more than a year ago. In a sports-dominated culture, this kind of thing would make sense: attacking someone who undermined one of the school’s programs. In a liberal arts setting, not so much.” Are you saying that because we attend a liberal arts school, you should not be subject to the reviews and opinions of the articles that you write? By the act of writing these articles, in which you attempt to point out different athletic programs’ short-comings and faults, you are following in the footsteps of individuals that you say deserve the backlash that they get in a sports-dominated culture. I also read a post by you on one of your recent articles where you likened yourself to an opinion columnist from the Oregonian. If you intend to be considered along the same lines as this professional, have some accountability and don’t contradict yourself on this topic. You’re attempting to create a double standard where you do in fact undermine a school sports program, yet you feel that you should be protected from any criticism. If you’re free to criticize, and in my opinion, attack a program and the individuals within that program, they have the right to defend themselves within the same forum as your criticism. You have no right to claim that just because we are at a smaller liberal arts school, your writing does not deserve to be criticized. Don’t “throw a punch” at someone and then whine when they hit you back. Be accountable for what you write and accept the criticism like a professional, if you intend to call yourself one.

]]> Comment on Alum revives Bruin football by Dennis Anderson http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/alum-revives-bruin-football/comment-page-1/#comment-487880 Dennis Anderson Wed, 16 May 2012 04:18:47 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10209#comment-487880 Chris Casey is a superb coach and an even more superb human being. George Fox could not have made a better choice. I predict by that by 2018, his teams will be contenders in the Northwest Conference and will challenge Linfield's dominance. More important, the young men who play for him will be well prepared for all the challenges of life after football and school. Chris Casey is a superb coach and an even more superb human being. George Fox could not have made a better choice. I predict by that by 2018, his teams will be contenders in the Northwest Conference and will challenge Linfield’s dominance. More important, the young men who play for him will be well prepared for all the challenges of life after football and school.

]]> Comment on The phenomenon of ‘blue balls’ explained by Kristen Robinson http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/the-phenomenon-of-blue-balls-explained/comment-page-1/#comment-487698 Kristen Robinson Mon, 14 May 2012 13:54:39 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=9939#comment-487698 This is to all those people that looked at me as tho I was crazy when I said that chicks get blueballs too, only its in a slightly different way, in ur face! So lets jst say for the record that its as painful for us women as it is u men, the only difference is women hve a higher tolerance for pain n discomfort n dnt find it necessary to cry about it. Believe me wen it gets to the point when its too uncomfortable most of us chicks jst handle our own shit. Unlike men, most men use blueballs as an excuse to get their partner to feel obligated to finish the job as if the world was on pause n nothing else matters.Come on guys if u ever had blueballs n its as painful as u say Y DNT OR WONT U JST RUB ONE OUT URSELF N B DONE W/ IT. However I do hve a question in regards to how long blueballs can last b4 its all said n done if u dnt hve an climax n hve to jst wait it out. This is to all those people that looked at me as tho I was crazy when I said that chicks get blueballs too, only its in a slightly different way, in ur face! So lets jst say for the record that its as painful for us women as it is u men, the only difference is women hve a higher tolerance for pain n discomfort n dnt find it necessary to cry about it. Believe me wen it gets to the point when its too uncomfortable most of us chicks jst handle our own shit. Unlike men, most men use blueballs as an excuse to get their partner to feel obligated to finish the job as if the world was on pause n nothing else matters.Come on guys if u ever had blueballs n its as painful as u say Y DNT OR WONT U JST RUB ONE OUT URSELF N B DONE W/ IT. However I do hve a question in regards to how long blueballs can last b4 its all said n done if u dnt hve an climax n hve to jst wait it out.

]]> Comment on Students shouldn’t be eager to hurry through college by Marc http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/students-shouldnt-be-eager-to-hurry-through-college/comment-page-1/#comment-487640 Marc Mon, 14 May 2012 05:52:07 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10120#comment-487640 I find the tone of this article (And Nick's comment) to be somewhat presumptuous. I feel as though both are under the assumption that college is something that is affordable to everyone. We have to realize that college tuition is rising at an incredible rate every year, and every year it is becoming more and more inaccessible to a bigger part of the population. With this in mind, it is easy to see how some people might want to rush through college, because who knows just how long they will be able to afford it? I agree that college is a fantastic experience, but it is a very costly one. I would also like to draw attention to something else in the article that I find to be horribly elitist. How does going to college qualify one to vote more so than anyone else in the world? The idea that a person with an college education is more entitled to a vote than someone without one is something that I find to be incredibly disheartening. I feel like someone with a liberal arts education should be able to recognize the kind of problems this kind of thinking can lead to. Need I remind everyone of the literacy tests that stood in the way of minorities voting in the past? While different in circumstance, this kind of thinking is similar in principle. I find the tone of this article (And Nick’s comment) to be somewhat presumptuous. I feel as though both are under the assumption that college is something that is affordable to everyone. We have to realize that college tuition is rising at an incredible rate every year, and every year it is becoming more and more inaccessible to a bigger part of the population. With this in mind, it is easy to see how some people might want to rush through college, because who knows just how long they will be able to afford it? I agree that college is a fantastic experience, but it is a very costly one.

I would also like to draw attention to something else in the article that I find to be horribly elitist. How does going to college qualify one to vote more so than anyone else in the world? The idea that a person with an college education is more entitled to a vote than someone without one is something that I find to be incredibly disheartening. I feel like someone with a liberal arts education should be able to recognize the kind of problems this kind of thinking can lead to. Need I remind everyone of the literacy tests that stood in the way of minorities voting in the past? While different in circumstance, this kind of thinking is similar in principle.

]]> Comment on Students shouldn’t be eager to hurry through college by Nick http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/students-shouldnt-be-eager-to-hurry-through-college/comment-page-1/#comment-486433 Nick Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:14:28 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10120#comment-486433 Amanda- I presume that by artistic children, you meant autistic children. Anyway, while you may have gotten your degree in less time, it is not likely that you learned as much as you would have had you spent four years in undergrad. You're right, it is a decision for each individual. That being said, however, you have to accept the fact that you will never know what your college experience would have been like had you not condensed it-- what other friends you may have made, other classes that could have expanded your horizons, etc. Your line of reasoning is exactly what the author is arguing against-- viewing college as a race to the finish (your emphasis in capitalizing THREE shows this). When it comes down to it, you did miss out on something. Who knows what that something could have been, but one can not live four years in three. College should be a formative experience that is savored rather than a hurdle over which to jump. Amanda- I presume that by artistic children, you meant autistic children. Anyway, while you may have gotten your degree in less time, it is not likely that you learned as much as you would have had you spent four years in undergrad. You’re right, it is a decision for each individual. That being said, however, you have to accept the fact that you will never know what your college experience would have been like had you not condensed it– what other friends you may have made, other classes that could have expanded your horizons, etc. Your line of reasoning is exactly what the author is arguing against– viewing college as a race to the finish (your emphasis in capitalizing THREE shows this). When it comes down to it, you did miss out on something. Who knows what that something could have been, but one can not live four years in three. College should be a formative experience that is savored rather than a hurdle over which to jump.

]]> Comment on Mental toughness will make or break softball by walter haight http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/mental-toughness-will-make-or-break-softball/comment-page-1/#comment-486126 walter haight Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:29:40 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10098#comment-486126 The Review clarification is spot on. The article is an Opinion piece by a newspaper reporter, not a cheerleader. That's why the paper is called The Review, not Tass. The reporter is free to express viewpoints, unfettered by any mandate that restricts or even forbids criticism. Conversely, readers are entitled to respond, even with a lack of poise and eloquence evident in several of the above responses. The Review clarification is spot on. The article is an Opinion piece by a newspaper reporter, not a cheerleader. That’s why the paper is called The Review, not Tass. The reporter is free to express viewpoints, unfettered by any mandate that restricts or even forbids criticism. Conversely, readers are entitled to respond, even with a lack of poise and eloquence evident in several of the above responses.

]]> Comment on Mental toughness will make or break softball by Kurtis Williams http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/mental-toughness-will-make-or-break-softball/comment-page-1/#comment-486125 Kurtis Williams Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:28:12 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10098#comment-486125 To touch in what Tyson said, in the championship game of 2010, the game ended on an "error" or "mental lapse" in Chris' mind. It was a ground ball to second that took the biggest, most terrible hop I've ever seen. To touch in what Tyson said, in the championship game of 2010, the game ended on an “error” or “mental lapse” in Chris’ mind. It was a ground ball to second that took the biggest, most terrible hop I’ve ever seen.

]]> Comment on Mental toughness will make or break softball by Nick http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/mental-toughness-will-make-or-break-softball/comment-page-1/#comment-486117 Nick Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:20:11 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10098#comment-486117 Have we lost all sense of context? A serious read of the entire article clearly situates Chris as a supporter of Catball. His article is a serious attempt to come to terms with their recent struggles given the high expectations that were set. Although not perfect, his analysis reflects a level of critical thought that seems to have escaped the majority of fans commenting here. Have we lost all sense of context? A serious read of the entire article clearly situates Chris as a supporter of Catball. His article is a serious attempt to come to terms with their recent struggles given the high expectations that were set. Although not perfect, his analysis reflects a level of critical thought that seems to have escaped the majority of fans commenting here.

]]> Comment on Mental toughness will make or break softball by Tyson Takeuchi http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/mental-toughness-will-make-or-break-softball/comment-page-1/#comment-486114 Tyson Takeuchi Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:17:28 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10098#comment-486114 Errors do not always mean a loss of focus. Sometimes in an error the ball hits the glove the wrong way and falls out. Sometimes there's nothing you can do to stop an error. Just a heads up on that one. Errors do not always mean a loss of focus. Sometimes in an error the ball hits the glove the wrong way and falls out. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to stop an error. Just a heads up on that one.

]]> Comment on Mental toughness will make or break softball by Bradley Keliinoi http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/2012/04/mental-toughness-will-make-or-break-softball/comment-page-1/#comment-486112 Bradley Keliinoi Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:18:58 +0000 http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-review/?p=10098#comment-486112 Kelley-- Hence, "all of which I am no expert, so I shall not comment further on that front." I wasn't trying to make the claim that publications should in fact submit to the wishes of their parent company. I really don't know what I'm talking about in that regard, which I fully acknowledge. It was more of a question, I suppose, that I just decided to type in my response. But I'm convinced by your claim that it's "just crap." Since you were the former editor-in-chief that I hold a lot of respect for, I shall defer to your expertise and common sense. Kelley–

Hence, “all of which I am no expert, so I shall not comment further on that front.” I wasn’t trying to make the claim that publications should in fact submit to the wishes of their parent company. I really don’t know what I’m talking about in that regard, which I fully acknowledge. It was more of a question, I suppose, that I just decided to type in my response. But I’m convinced by your claim that it’s “just crap.” Since you were the former editor-in-chief that I hold a lot of respect for, I shall defer to your expertise and common sense.

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