By Rachel Mills/Review staff writer

The Linfield campus boasts athletes galore: student athletes who nurse various aches and pains as they walk home from practice, joggers gasping for breath racing down the sidewalk with headphones on, IM teams conducting practice before games begin. The weight room is full of students running on treadmills or lifting weights, and there always seems to be swimmers in the pool.
But for some students, none of these opportunities are appealing. Take senior Grant Harmon, for example.
“I don’t like jogging,” Harmon said. “But I wanted some way to get a cardio workout.”
Harmon found his alternative in the form of ecstatic dance. Led by Christine Kirk, yoga, aqua aerobics and aerobics instructor on
campus, Harmon and a group of other students meet twice a month to express themselves through dance and get a good workout at the same time.
Kirk offers ecstatic dance at 5:30 p.m. two Thursdays each month, senior Megan Wills said. The students stretch, and then they are given an opportunity to dance in whatever way suits them.
“The music starts slow and gets faster as we go,” Wills said. “Some of the music is instrumental, some is lyrical. You can choose how you dance. If you want to jump the whole time or roll around on the floor,
you can.”
For Wills, ecstatic dance is a workout, but it’s also a way to lose herself in the music and dancing and let the cares of the world disappear.
“You just dance for yourself,” Wills said. “It’s a lot of fun. Everything else just goes away.”
Every dancer has their own reasons for rhythmic expression.
“It’s about getting in touch with yourself,” Harmon said. “I don’t really see dance as a form of exercise, but more of a way to find joy in yourself.”
But at the same time, Harmon said, the hour-long dance sessions are good workouts. He also found the additional focus on strength and flexibility to be useful.
Like Harmon and Wills, students all across campus are finding creative ways to get exercise. Some participate in organized events, like ecstatic dance, but others organize their own events.
The eight-minute ab workouts in Mahaffey Hall’s lounge are a good example. Five students exercise together, and they aren’t part of an organized group.
“We just meet to do abs,” freshman Anders Van Sandt said.
He said that freshman Nelly Evans first coordinated what has now become tradition.
“I was bored one day, so I asked a friend if she wanted to do a five-minute ab workout,” Evans said.
Her friend agreed, but they decided to turn it into an eight-minute workout, using a watch that beeps every minute the group rotates between a repertoire of fifteen ab sets.
“We do eight sets, but they aren’t always the same sets,” Evans said.
Some of the group’s ab sets are fairly standard, said Van Sandt, such as scissor kicks and leg lifts.
“We also have a lot of ridiculous ones,” Evans said, naming the “Elvis Pelvis” and “Around the World” as two examples. “When people walk through the lounge, they stare at us and don’t even ask.”
The workouts aren’t just about abs, Van Sandt said.
“Tickle fights are inevitable,” he said. “But laughing while doing abs is a great workout, so it’s okay,” Evans said with a grin.
Senior Angela Henderson has also participated in some random forms of exercise during her years on campus, but few of Henderson’s activities take place indoors.
As the president of the Outdoor Club, Henderson has organized and participated in a variety of trips that keep her in shape and let her explore Oregon simultaneously.
“We try to do at least one backpacking trip per semester,” she said. “We go white water rafting with LAB, hiking, cross country skiing and
snow shoeing.”
Henderson said the club currently offers rock climbing on Tuesday nights at the Church on the Hill.
On her own, Henderson finds even more ways to get exercise.
“I like to go on runs,” she said. “I raced in the ‘Run for the Cheetah’ and ‘The Run Like Hell’ half marathon.”
Henderson has climbed Mount St. Helen and Old Snowy and has gone mountain climbing with ice axes and crampons, she said. In addition, she gets exercise each day simply by biking back and forth from campus to her home a mile and a half away. This, Henderson said, is the best way to get exercise.
“Avoid the car,” she said. “Find ways to get around without driving. The miles add up when you are on a bike.”
She also invites students to get involved in the Outdoor Club. Students can sign up by e-mailing ahender@linfield.edu.
Another simple way to find cool off-campus exercise options is through the LAB Outdoor Programs, events coordinator Courtney Johnson said.
Johnson said she encourages students to look at the opportunities on campus, both those offered by LAB and those offered by the Health, Human Performance and Althletics department. She said the weight room has a personal training program free to students. Trainers are available to help students get a personalized exercise program or weight and endurance training.
The HHPA department also offers a variety of obscure classes that are good exercise options, including African dance, scuba and a variety of intercollegiate sports.
“We’re all about exercise and health,” Johnson said. “We offer lots of options for students as long as they are willing to look.”
She said all events are advertised in the residence halls and in the Campus Information Center. Most events have 10 positions for students, although sometimes the group will take two vans or team up with a club, such as the Skiing Club, and take a bus.
Johnson said the program offers a variety off-campus exercise options, including bungee jumping, white water rafting, hiking, ice skating, runs, surfing and kayaking. On campus, Johnson is offering swimming lessons and Zumba, a dance and aerobics cardio workout, on some Thursday nights.
The LAB Outdoor Program is always open to suggestions, Johnson said.
“We are always looking for new ideas to give students options to exercise,” she said.
Acting on a suggestion from a student, Johnson is looking into offering a sea kayaking trip in the future. She also wants to host a volleyball tournament in the spring complete with elimination and prizes.
Outside of Linfield, college students across the country are trying more and more new forms of exercise. Zumba is a good example. According to zumbafitness.com, this aerobic workout was created in the mid-90s by fitness trainer Alberto “Beto” Perez as a way to combine traditional Latin rhythms and new dance steps.
Even simple childhood toys are being transformed into pieces of exercise equipment. Gyms such as Curves sell weighted hula hoops, cautioning their members to start out using the hoop for just a few minutes and gradually working up to a twenty-minute workout.
To freshman exchange student Mai Takegawa, using toys as workout tools is nothing new. Takegawa has been performing in rhythmic gymnastics for more than four years, using hoops, balls, ribbons, clubs and ropes to perform routines.
Takegawa said she competed in individual events when she was a member of the rhythmic gymnastics team at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan. She plans to continue competing when she returns
to Tokyo.
Though Takegawa’s routines last only a minute and a half, she said each one requires a lot of endurance and flexibility. The gymnasts must maintain their level of performance while manipulating one of the five
apparatuses.
Each routine is a workout for Takegawa, who believes that rhythmic gymnastics is just as tiring as typical sports. Her favorite apparatus, the hoop, merges many gymnastics and cardio elements into a single routine.
“We combine jumps and balancing and ballet moves,” Takegawa said. “But we do it all with a hoop.”
From ecstatic dance to eight-minute abs to rhythmic gymnastics, Linfield students are finding creative ways to exercise. Want to get a workout but you don’t like the normal way per se? Not
a problem!

Dominic Baez/Managing editor

The Hills Have Eyes, 2006

I hate it when people stand too close to me in the line at the grocery store; I don’t even want to think about how I’d feel if I were stalked while lost in the middle of the desert. But that is what happens in the recent adaptation of “The Hills Have Eyes.”

In the middle of the desert, a fuel station run by an elderly man services customers. Ethel and her husband Bob are traveling from Cleveland to San Diego for their anniversary. Also present are their daughter Brenda, son Bobby, eldest daughter Lynn, her husband Doug, their infant daughter Catherine and the family dogs, Beauty and Beast. While the father talks to the gas station manager, a mutant, Ruby, grabs a red sweatshirt out of the car and runs away. At the same time, Bobby is about to relieve himself when he sees someone watching him through the window. Panicked, he exits the stall and blames the incident on his sister. After that, the attendant tells Bob of a shortcut through
the hills.

After driving a few miles along the shortcut, the SUV’s tires are punctured by a bullet belt; you don’t see those everyday. Bob walks back to the gas station for a tow truck, and Doug walks the opposite way to get help. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the family are being spied on by someone through a pair of binoculars, which is slightly disturbing to watch. Beauty runs off into the hills, and Bobby chases after her, eventually finding her gutted corpse. Frightened and distraught, Bobby runs off, but slips and falls, knocking himself unconscious. Ruby comes across him. As her brother chews on the dead dog, she safeguards Bobby from him and watches him until he regains
consciousness.

Later, Bob makes it back to the station and finds the hysterical gas station attendant committing suicide. In fear, Bob tries to flee from the scene. As he starts the car engine, he is taunted “Daddy… Daddy…Daddy! … Oh Daddy” by the leader of the mutated family. But before Bob can flee, the mutant attacks Bob. And to think, we’re only, like, 30 minutes into
the movie.

When Bobby awakes, he returns to the trailer and is told that Beast has gone missing. Doug returns with no news. As they try to sleep, a mutant sneaks into the trailer and finds Brenda and muffles her screams when she awakens. Outside the trailer, Bobby wakes up Doug and Lynn, telling them about the people in the hills and of Beauty’s death. Suddenly, an explosion in the distance draws their attention. Discovering Bob has been tied to a tree and set on fire, Doug runs into the trailer to fetch a fire extinguisher. A mutant slips inside, unnoticed, and rapes Brenda while another mutant investigates the baby in
her bed.

Doug manages to put out the fire and untie Bob, but he is already dead, while Lynn returns to the trailer. She’s greeted by a mutant, who is holding the baby and a gun. After Lynn hits him with a frying pan, he disarms her and threatens Catherine with the gun. Ethel enters with a large flat rock, attempting to pulverize him, but another mutant calls out to warn him, and he, spotting her, shoots her in the stomach. Lynn then stabs him with a screwdriver, but he shoots her in the head. Both mutants flee
the trailer.

Doug and Bobby return to the trailer and realize Catherine has been taken. Not long after, Doug finds an abandoned nuclear testing village and enters the house where Catherine is being held, but is knocked unconscious by yet another mutant, who he thought was busy watching television. He awakes in an icebox, panics and bangs on the plastic cover knocking it loose. He returns to his task of finding Catherine, only to encounter another bad guy. After this mutant tells him the story of the mutants, he begins laughing. The mutant then attempts to kill Catherine, but he is killed by Beast.

A mutant runs after Bobby to the trailer, where Brenda releases gas from the propane tanks as Bobby runs inside, attaching a strip of matches to the sliding door behind him. Bobby binds the mutant’s hand to the window. After he and Brenda escape, the mutant breaks free and opens the sliding door, which strikes the matches and ignites the gas inside the trailer, resulting in a most excellent
explosion.

In the hills, Ruby is about to return Catherine to Doug when the other mutant attacks. The final battle ensues at this point, one from which Doug is victorious.

Bobby and Brenda walk through the ruins of their trailer and find the mutant still alive, though impaled. Brenda kills him with a pickax. Brenda then spots Doug with Catherine and Beast, and the five are reunited. As they celebrate their victory, a pair of anonymous binoculars watches from the hills.

Saw, 2004

“Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore.” Creepy, right? This is the pretense of “Saw,” a delightfully twisted film that shows the inner psyche and how far people are, or aren’t in certain cases, willing to go to save
their lives.

The film begins with Adam waking up in a bathtub filled with water. While trying
to escape, his foot catches and removes its plug;
as the water drains, a glowing blue object can be briefly seen to be washed away with it. Quite the ominous beginning for him, I would say. It turns out he’s not alone in this decrepit room; Lawrence is on the other side.

Both men are chained to pipes at opposite corners of the room. Between them, out of their reach, is a corpse lying in a pool of blood, holding a revolver and a microcassette recorder. Both men discover envelopes that contain microtapes in their pockets. Lawrence’s also holds a bullet and a key that, at first, serves no immediate purpose. Adam, with Lawrence’s help, manages to snag the player from the corpse with which they play their tapes. Both tapes convey the same creepy voice.

Lawrence’s tape reveals he must kill Adam before 6 p.m., or his wife and daughter will die. Nice choice.

Hacksaws are soon discovered, though neither is sufficiently sharp to cut the chains. Then the realization sets in: The hacksaws are meant for their feet.

The movie is stuffed full of flashbacks that help to explain more about Jigsaw, the designer behind these brilliantly horrid traps. They add quite the delicious touch.

Back in the bathroom, Lawrence discovers a box holding cigarettes, a lighter and a note suggesting he dip a cigarette in poisoned blood and use it to kill Adam. The men attempt to fool the camera by faking Adam’s death with an un-poisoned cigarette, but a strong electric shock is sent through Adam’s chain, proving Adam is still alive. The box also contains a cell phone that cannot make calls, but receives them.

Here is where the plot becomes juicy.

It seems as though a deeper connection is present between Adam and Lawrence than what first meets the eye. Just as this realization is made, the clock strikes 6 p.m. Flung into a desperate temporary insanity, Lawrence attempts to follow his instructions by sawing off his foot and shooting Adam with the revolver.

As Adam recovers from his non-fatal gunshot wound. Lawrence crawls away to seek medical attention, promising to return with help. Adam searches for a key to his chain and finds another microcassette player instead. As the climatic scene of the movie, the corpse lying in the center of the bathroom lets out a long breath. As Adam watches, the until-then presumed dead body peels off a layer of latex and then slowly rises to his feet. He is John Kramer, a terminal brain cancer patient of Lawrence’s. Jigsaw, whose voice is in fact quite feeble, informs Adam that the key to his chain was in the bathtub; remember the little glowing blue object that fell at the beginning of the
movie? Yeah.

Adam reaches for a gun to shoot John, but is stunned with electricity; this triggers an extended flashback sequence that runs through the vital shots of the movie in roughly 30 seconds.        

Just before he flicks the lights off in the bathroom for the last time, John says, “Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore.” He then shouts “Game Over!” before slamming the door shut, sealing Adam in the bathroom forever, screaming his despair over
the credits.

The Shining , 1980

Throw together a little bit of psychic ability, a secluded location, a crazed main character and murder, and you get the concept for “The Shining.” This movie will mess with your mind in more ways than you would care to count.

The terrifying plot unfolds as such: Former teacher and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance,  interviews for a caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel in an effort to rebuild his life. The hotel manager warns Jack and his family of the potential for cabin fever from being shut in by snow through most of the winter. The manager drives the point home by recounting a season when a previous caretaker, Charles Grady, went crazy and brutally killed his wife, daughters and himself. Jack acknowledges the warning and accepts the job. That’s just the first of many mistakes to haunt
this family.

Meanwhile, Jack’s son Danny has a vision of blood rushing out of an elevator in the hotel, a most iconic motif that resurfaces multiple times.

Upon Danny’s arrival at the hotel, the head chef recognizes that Danny is telepathic. He explains he and his grandmother both had the gift. Because pictures sent telepathically seemed to glow, his grandmother referred to this communication as “the shining.”

Jack’s mental health rapidly deteriorates as soon as the family is alone in the hotel. He goes crazy little by little. Awesome, right?

One day, Wendy, Jack’s wife, comes running from the basement at the sound of Jack’s screams. She comforts him as he tells her he had a nightmare where he used an ax to chop her and Danny to
pieces. Before she can react, Danny appears at the other end of the room, looking beat-up, disoriented and sucking his thumb. Angrily, she accuses Jack for this and takes the child back to
their suite.

Jack is furious about the accusation. He storms around the hotel, making his way to the Gold Ballroom. Not long after, a frantic Wendy enters; Danny claims to have encountered someone in the hotel with them in room 237. Jack goes to investigate.

His exploration of room 237 is a tipping point for two characters: Danny and Jack. When he reports back to Wendy, Jack denies anything amiss in room 237. Wendy suggests they take Danny to a doctor. Jack becomes irate, lecturing Wendy on her thoughtlessness, blaming her for everything that has gone wrong in his life. Insisting  they can’t leave the hotel because of his obligation to his employers, he storms out, returning to the Gold Ballroom, which is now the scene of an extravagant party with guests dressed in 1920s fashion. He is served a drink and goes to mingle. We are introduced to Grady, who advises Jack on how to correct Danny and Wendy, if she interferes.

At the Overlook, Wendy arms herself with a baseball bat and goes searching for Jack, she is taking Danny from the hotel, with or without him. During her search, she spots his manuscript next to the typewriter. She reads what he wrote. It was hundreds of pages of a single sentence: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” She realizes Jack has gone mad. About time, but I digress…

Jack approaches from behind and a confrontation starts as Jack demands to know her intentions regarding leaving the hotel with Danny. A knockdown, drag-out fight ensues for the rest of the movie. All in all, Jack goes out-of-his-mind crazy and tries to kill his wife and son. What follows is a creepy run-and-hide sequence, most likely resulting in some people never wanting to stay in a nice hotel ever again. Let’s just say the good guys win this one.

Right before the ending credits, the audience sees a photograph that was hanging in the hotel the entire time. In the center of the picture is a young Jack. The caption reads, “Overlook Hotel, July 4th
Ball, 1921.”

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

I don’t like borrowing other people’s clothing; I don’t think I could borrow their skin, much less wear someone’s face in order to escape arrest or to murder people. But that’s just me. Maybe Hannibal Lecter feels differently?

In “The Silence of the Lambs,” FBI Academy student Clarice Starling, is pulled from her training by Jack Crawford of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, who tasks her with presenting a questionnaire to the notorious Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant forensic psychiatrist and incarcerated cannibalistic serial murderer.

After learning the assignment relates to serial killer Buffalo Bill, Starling travels to visit  Lecter. Here’s a kicker: He’s not some crazed lunatic, but a sophisticated, cultured man restrained behind thick glass panels and windowless stone walls. During this encounter, Lecter offers Starling clues, which always result in grotesque and startling events.

Following that, Buffalo Bill abducts Catherine Martin, the daughter of United States Senator Ruth Martin. Crawford authorizes Starling to offer Lecter a fake deal promising a prison transfer if he provides information that helps profile Buffalo Bill and rescue Martin. Instead, Lecter begins a game of quid-pro-quo with Starling, offering comprehensive clues and insights about Buffalo Bill in exchange for events from Starling’s traumatic childhood.

As the manhunt for Buffalo Bill begins, Starling travels to Lecter’s special cell in a local Tennessee courthouse, where she confronts him about false information he gave the senator. Lecter refuses Starling’s pleas and demands she finish the story surrounding her worst childhood memory. After recounting her arrival at a relative’s farm, the horror of discovering their lamb slaughterhouse and her fruitless attempts at rescuing the lambs, Lecter rebuffs her, leaving her with her case file before she is escorted out of the building by security guards.

Later that evening, Lecter escapes from his cell. The local police storm the floor, discovering one guard barely alive and the other disemboweled and plastered against the cell. Paramedics transport the survivor to an ambulance and speed off while a SWAT team searches the building for Lecter. As the team discovers a body in the elevator shaft, the survivor in the ambulance peels off his supposed face, revealing Lecter in disguise, who kills the paramedics and escapes to the airport. It can’t get any better than this.

After notification of Lecter’s escape, Starling
goes through her case file, analyzing his annotations before realizing the first victim, Frederica Bimmel, knew Buffalo Bill before he killed her. Starling travels to Bimmel’s hometown and discovers Bimmel was a tailor and has dresses with patterns identical to the patches of skin removed from Buffalo Bill’s victims.

Realizing that Buffalo Bill is a tailor fashioning a “woman suit” of real skin, she telephones Crawford, who is already on the way to make an arrest. Crawford instructs Starling to continue interviewing Bimmel’s friends while he leads a SWAT team to James Gumb’s business address in Calumet City, Ill. Starling’s interviews lead to the house of Jack Gordon, who Starling soon realizes is actually Gumb, and draws her weapon just as Gumb disappears into his basement. She pursues him, discovering Martin in the dry well just before the lights in the basement go out, leaving her in complete darkness. Gumb stalks Starling in the dark wearing night vision goggles, preparing to shoot her when Starling, hearing the machinations of his revolver, swivels around and shoots him first.

The creepiest part, though? Days later at the FBI Academy graduation party, Starling receives a call from Lecter. He assures her he has no plans to pursue her and excuses himself from the phone call, remarking that he’s “having an old friend for dinner,” as he follows Dr. Frederick Chilton through the streets of a
village. Gross.

Amber McKenna

Features editor

To an artist, space is more than its dictionary definition.

Space is a place, a thing, a measure of time and a tool. For sophomores Gabe Stalling and Amanda Holtby and junior Keeley Thurman, having their own space in the form of a studio in the Miller Fine Arts Center is a privilege only a select few non-senior art majors enjoy.

Holtby calls her studio a sanctuary, a quiet place where she can work.

Set against tall windows with a view of greenery and partitioned off by wooden panels, with natural light and an artistic feeling in the air, these are spaces where artists can create and express themselves.

To Stalling, having his own studio is another step on his
life-long artistic journey.

“Both my parents are artists,” he said. “So I grew up doing art.”

Most often working with pen, charcoal and pencil, Stalling enjoys depicting the human figure. He also likes to sculpt. Lately his work has become politically driven, focusing on the war in Iraq.

“It’s not a view of the war per se, but I think it’s realistic of what you might see there,” Stalling said.

He tries to express despair and depression though his pieces, such as in his latest work, a 36-by-30-inch drawing of a burning city.

What Stalling likes best about having his own studio in the art building is the creative environment.

“It’s nice to get other artists’ opinions,” he said. “It’s great being able to have a constant dialogue about pieces.”

For the second year, Thurman uses her studio as a place to use her imagination.

“I like painting inside because a lot of what I paint comes from my head,” she said.

The painter used to illustrate mythological themes, but she said she is now painting impressionistic pieces that focus on geometric shapes, such as circles and squares, and works with negative space and boxes. For her, having time and a place to just paint is crucial.

“If I can’t finish a painting within four hours, it’ll never get done; I lose interest,” Thurman said.

She works with different mediums including acrylic paints, watercolor crayons and India inks. She enjoys the natural light that pours into her studio and having one place to put all of her easels, paints and other tools.

“It’s a relief; you go in there and you paint,” Thurman said. “Even of I’m in a bad mood I can make art, and it expresses what’s going on in my head.”  “You’re in there by yourself, and it’s like your own little world.”

Lizzie Martinez

Senior reporter

To the untrained eye, all ants look alike: six legs, lots of eyes and a few feelers. But after an entire summer of observing ants in the wild, sophomore Ben Edmonds can distinguish between dozens of ant genuses.

“We had to be able to look at the ant in the field and tell what genus it was,” Edmonds said. “We got pretty good at picking up the ant, holding it up just right and being able to name it.”

 Though ants may not appear to be the most important research topic, they are actually an important part of the ecological system.

Assistant Professor of Biology Chad Tillberg said he has always been interested in ants, which led him to this research.

The summer also led to the opportunity to present research at the Murdock Conference at the University of Puget Sound on Nov. 7 and 8, giving the students hands-on experience, Tillberg said.

“[Ants are] small, but they have a large impact,” he said. “If you want to understand how a particular ecosystem works, ants are a good place to start.”

Tillberg and four students, Edmonds, junior Erik Grimstad and seniors Sara Gerusing and Alex Freauff, spent the summer roaming Oregon state parks collecting ants, conducting experiments on them and analyzing their behavior. They looked at one genus in particular.

The object of interest was a certain type of ant in the genus tetramorium, which is not native to Oregon and labeled an invasive species. The group sought to understand how this non-native ant impacted the population and behavior of the native ants.

Before the group could begin analyzing data, they had to collect lots of ants. The techniques used involved pitfall traps and a contraption known as the pooter, which allowed the students to use a tube and their breath to suck up the ants into a collection tube and then shoot the ants into vials of ethanol to preserve them.

In addition to collecting ants, the students also conducted experiments to see which ants were best at
foraging for food by setting up baits.

Working with the ants didn’t seem to be the most interesting research for Edmonds, but he opted for it after considering his other option: a summer job.

“I wasn’t excited at the beginning,” he said. “But I was pleasantly surprised.”

Each student had a different focus during the summer. Freauff examined the position of ants in the food chain. He analyzed whether the tetramorium ants were closer to being herbivores or predators.

Freauff is planning to study dentistry after graduating, but he said the research experience was still valuable.

“It was a good resume builder,” he said. “It shows being able to work in a group setting, focus and keep track of multiple things at once.”

Because the research required collecting samples of ants and the surrounding plant and animal life in a variety of locations, the team traveled to all parts of Oregon. They camped at different state parks for two to three days each to collect samples.

Tillberg, Edmonds and Freauff each said camping and seeing new parts of Oregon made the summer enjoyable.

Though the conclusions are not final, and data from the labs are still coming in, Tillberg said the research has been enlightening.

It turns out the invasive species is more sensitive than suspected. The tetramorium ant only dominates in areas with high human use. This is because the ant prefers humid conditions, which humans replicate with sprinklers. Where the ant does invade, it dominates the native species.

The analysis will be important for people who work in agriculture, such as farmers, state park workers, ecologists and agriculturists.

After a summer of working together, Edmonds, Freauff and Gerusing will accompany Tillberg to Argentina in January. The team will spend a month studying the largest ant in the world.

Photo by Rachel Palinkas

Amber McKenna

Editor in chief

October is a time for falling leaves and carving pumpkins, and, for millions around the world, it is a time for beer drinking. Right here in McMinnville it is possible to satisfy your thirst with unique and traditional brews.

The present season for brews started in Munich, Germany, with the first Oktoberfest in 1810, held in celebration of the marriage of a Bavarian prince. Today, the festival is 16 days long, usually ending in the first week of October, and features German food, music and strong, dark beers.

Unknown to many, there are traditional German beers brewing in the heart of Yamhill County.

“We’re living right in the middle of one of the most creative microbrewing areas in the world,” Mark Vickery, brewmaster at Golden Valley Brewery, said.

Vickery knows what he’s talking about. He’s been brewing for 20 years and is the man behind the beer at GVB, a local favorite.

Vickery’s current seasonal brews are the Oktoberfest, a German style lager with a smooth, velvety taste, and the Tanenbaum, a strong ale he calls a winter warmer.

“It has big malty notes, balancing the hop characters,” he said. “And with eight-percent alcohol, it’s the most bang for your buck.”

Another local expert is Rick Allen, brewer and owner of Heater Allen Brewing. Allen started his one-man operation about two years ago and went from brewing on a 20-gallon system to a 200-gallon system.

After honing his homebrewing hobby for more than 16 years and working in the wine industry, Allen began to sell his brews.

“I decided to open up a brewery and run it like a small winery,” he said. “It makes life interesting.”

And that is what he has done here in McMinnville. Allen sells directly to customers, whether it be to individuals, who buy by the bottle or case, or local restaurants, such as La Rambla Restaurant and Bar, Nick’s Italian Café and Bistro Maison, that buy by the keg.

He makes only a few different brews at a time, all of which are lagers. Lagers are made from malt and hops, as opposed to ales, which are made from yeast and hops, Allen said.

His current seasonal brew is Bobtoberfest, a smooth, crisp beer named after his late brother who inspired his interest in brewing.

“I try to base my seasonal [brews] off of traditional German beers,” Allen said.

Unlike other Oregon brewers, Allen imports all his grains from Germany and other areas of Europe. He is constantly trying out different flavors.

“I kind of have a good palette for the flavors,” he said. “I can munch on the grains and taste what it will be like.”

Though GVB and Heater Allen are the only brewers in McMinnville, there are plenty of microbreweries close by. Festivals showcasing these brewers include the coming Holiday Ale Festival in Portland, Dec. 4-7 at Pioneer Court House Square, and the Oregon Brews and BBQs Festival held in McMinnville, June 19-20.

“Take advantage of [being in this area] while you’re young,” Vickery said. “And get to know good brews.”

There are plenty of opportunities to please your taste buds nearby, so grab your pint and start sipping.

Heater Allen Brewing

503-472-4898

907 NE 10th Ave.

heaterallen.com

No regular business hours, on-site most days and Fridays from 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

5 gallon keg: $70

7.5 gallon keg: $100

Golden Valley Brewery

503-472-2739

980 NE 4th St.

goldenvalleybrewery.com

7.5 gallon keg: $75

15.5 gallon keg: $135

Not 21?

There are non-alcoholic beers, beers with less than .05 percent alcohol by volume, that can be purchased in Oregon by people under the age of 21.

Few commercial breweries make non- or low-alcohol beer; however, there are a few that are imported.

Some that do are:

Anchor Brewing Company

Anheuser-Busch Companies

Rachael Palinkas

Features editor

With special thanks to Morgan St.Jean, Justine Lee, Casey Frantom, Renata Tirta, John Clancy, Brian Richardson, and the Review staff for their contributions to this list.

College students and ramen noodles seem to go hand-in-hand. They are cheap and easy to prepare, but many have played that game and are probably sick of it by now. Here are a few ideas I, and your peers, have come up with as ways to re-create the traditional ramen dish. Ramen is also a great tool to use as a substitute in many of your favorite dishes.

A lot of the ideas sound crazy, but sometimes crazy is awesome. With a little creative energy, a cheap dish becomes a delicacy. So break outside the instructions, and think of something new. These ideas will get your noodle flowing.

1. Drain the noodles prior to adding the seasoning packet; recommended use with beef flavoring

2. Once the water has boiled, add in enough soy sauce to change the color of the water to a golden brown. Add rice vinegar and sesame oil  with the flavor packet, if desired. Cook until done. Also, add some bean sprouts, fresh diced garlic, green onions, etc

3. Prison Burrito: Prepare noodles as directed, drain and put into a zip-top bag. Throw in cheese and finely chopped veggies of your choice and seal. Roll bag so it forms the shape of a burrito. Let bag sit for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and enjoy.

4. Poor Man’s Sandwich: Boil noodles, drain and add seasoning packet and 1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter. Place noodle mixture between two slices of bread.

5. For an extra crunch, toss ramen into a fresh salad.

6. Prepare as directed on the bag.

7. Cook as directed, but about three minutes before it is done, add an egg to the water and let the hot water cook the egg until poached.

8. Break up the ramen into four pieces and place inside a large square of tin-foil. Add in an inch of water, shrimp, green onions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Wrap the tin-foil up around the ramen, leaving enough room for steam to escape. Put in a 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through and noodles have reached desired tenderness.

9. Prepare as package recommends. Once the seasoning packet is added and the desired amount of liquid is obtained, add a can of mixed vegetables, let the water heat them through and enjoy.

10. Since ramen is particularly tasteless when uncooked, add them to the top of your favorite cake-like dessert for an extra crunch.

11. Add cooked ground beef to the prepared ramen. Best with beef-flavored ramen.

12. Use ramen noodles as a replacement for spaghetti noodles. Prepare your favorite spaghetti sauce and meat balls, if desired. Use the seasoning packet to add extra flavor to the meat.

13. Add broken-up ramen to your prepared snack mix. For an extra special treat, spread snack mix evenly on a baking sheet and broil for five minutes.

14. Experiment with ramen noodles from different countries. They run roughly the same price as the ones we are used to getting, and most stores carry them in the ethnic section.

15. Have ramen for breakfast. Prepare 2 slices of bacon and set aside. Cook ramen as directed sans flavor packet, while the ramen cooks, add 2 eggs and cook until poached, about three minutes. Remove eggs and drain ramen. Plate the ramen and place eggs on top, poking them to let the yoke drain onto the noodles. Add your favorite shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon.

16. Use as noodles in your favorite stir-fry.

17. Before opening the package, break up the noodles into really small pieces. Toss the flavor packet. Fry noodles on stove-top with vegetable oil, shaking the pan constantly so you don’t burn the noodles. Add desired amount of brown sugar. Serve on French vanilla ice cream, drizzled with your favorite ice cream syrup.

18. Ramen cheeseburger pie: Prepare noodles as directed, sans seasoning packet. Drain noodles, put half in the bottom of a pie pan. In a skillet, brown ground beef, onions and mushrooms with season packet and vegetable oil. Drain excess fat. Pour meat mixture over the noodles. Place remaining noodles on top of the meat mixture. In a bowl, combine 1 egg and parmesan cheese, brush over top of noodles. Bake in 350-degree oven until noodles have become crispy on top and it is heated through.

19. Mix with your favorite acrylic paint color. Apply to canvas surface to achieve an impasto-like texture.

20. Break up noodles in package before opening, making sure the pieces are really small. Dump onto a plate. On another plate, add 3 beaten eggs. Cover final plate in flour, use a fork to mix in the contents of the flavor packet. Take thawed chicken strips and place in egg, crushed ramen, then in flour. Cook in olive oil in a heavy skillet until done.

21. Add sautéed Spam and soy sauce to your prepared-as-directed ramen.

22. For those of you that love to use a crock-pot add chicken, your favorite spices, vegetables and seasoning packet mixed with 1 cup water to the pot. Add in 2 more cups of water and cook for eight hours on low or until vegetables and chicken are tender. Add ramen noodles, cover, cook for another 10-12 minutes.

23. Add crushed noodles, prepared as directed, to your favorite tuna or chicken salad.

24. Make a ramen pizza. Prepare noodles as directed, minus the flavor packet. Drain and spread noodles over pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings and cover with shredded cheese. Cook in 400-degree oven until cheese is melted and noodles are crispy.

25. Experiment by mixing different ramen flavors together, such as oriental and beef.

26. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add noodles and cook for two to three minutes then drain. Heat 1 Tbsp. cooking oil in a frying pan, add diced onion and noodles. Once the onions have started to crisp, add half of the seasoning packet. Beat one egg and mix in with the noodles, stirring while egg cooks. Top with sriracha sauce.

27. Make a creamy chicken noodle soup by heating one can of cream of chicken soup and cooked, drained noodles. Leave the flavor packet out.

28. Ramen-Foo-Yung: Crush ramen noodles, prepare as directed and set aside. Chop onions, peppers and mushrooms. Sautée with soy sauce until mushrooms are tender. Add vegetable mixture to noodle mixture and form into 4-inch patties. Fry in vegetable oil until browned on both sides. Serve on bed of bean sprouts, topped with brown gravy.

29. Add hot water to a spray bottle. Open package of ramen and spray with hot water, enough so that you can pull apart the noodles. The interesting, crimped shape and intermingling of the noodles can add a decorative touch to any plate.

30. Amp up tomato soup by adding cooked ramen noodles and chopped vegetables.

31. Break into nuggets and place outside of door. This will alert you of intruders.

32. Add red food coloring to boiled, uncrushed noodles, without adding the flavor packet. Let sit for one hour in fridge or until noodles have soaked up the water. Place in bowl to represent brains for Halloween decorations.

33. Oriental Cole Slaw: In large bowl, add 1 lb. prepared coleslaw mix, 6 chopped green onions, 2 packages crushed ramen noodles, 1 cup slivered almonds and 1 cup sunflower seeds. In small bowl, combine 2 flavor packets, 1/2 cup sugar,  1/3  cup apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Pour over coleslaw mix and let chill for two hours.

34. For a lightweight hiking snack, open ramen package and sprinkle seasoning packet into bag. Eat.

35. Soaked in liquid for a long period of time, the noodles become soggy and not so pleasant. Add  these and a variety of other items such as fish, toothpaste and tomatoes and blend. Dare a drunk friend to drink this rather disturbing concoction.

36. Make a bird feeder by spreading peanut butter over the entire surface of the uncooked ramen then roll in seeds of your choice. Hang outside with string.

37. Switch up your favorite lasagna recipe by replacing cooked ramen noodles for each of the noodle layers in your recipe.

38. Boil noodles, add soy sauce and 2 cloves of crushed garlic, cook for two minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped broccoli and cook another two minutes. Add 6-8 frozen cooked shrimp. Cook until shrimp is heated through. Garnish with green onions and top with sriracha sauce.

39. Prepare ramen as directed with chicken season packet. For an extra zing add garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, ground red pepper and a dash of taco seasoning.

Photo by Rachel Palinkas

Rachel Mills

Review staff writer

When most of us think of the word “art,” certain images come to mind. Sculpture. Michelangelo. Art majors creating masterpieces. We often don’t realize there are other artists out there, students who are not art majors and who create art with yarn or other materials.

   For these crafters, art doesn’t just include the Mona Lisa. Perhaps their scarves will be displayed only around the necks of others. Perhaps their crochet creatures will never find a home in an art museum. Nevertheless, the art these Linfield students create may belong right next to Picasso’s.

“Art is a way to express yourself,” junior Jamie Mertz said. “My art comes from my heart, and it is very much a part of me.”

Mertz’s art does not hang in galleries or on walls in the art department.  She said much of her work is displayed in other ways. Her apartment, for example, boasts a hand-painted floor mat and several framed drawings and photographs. She said she also designs the labels for the homemade jam she sells.

Despite her experience, Mertz said she never considered herself an artist.

She grew up the daughter of an art teacher and spent a lot of time doing craft projects. Regardless of her background, she has only taken one art class in her life. Mertz also said she has never been particularly interested in selling
her work.

“I’d rather just give my pieces away,” she said. “I enjoy my work, and if others enjoy it, that’s great, too.”

Senior Kelly Willits said she loves to see others appreciating her work. However, selling her work just made sense.

“I ended up with so many projects at home,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do with them all.”

In 2005, Willits began selling her pieces online through her business, called Concertina Pieces.

The type of art Willits makes is no less difficult to create than traditional works of art, she said. One of her crochet pieces takes several hours to make.

Most of her work is crochet, but she has experimented with making rings and necklaces from vintage buttons. Willits also crochets traditional purses and scarves; however, most of her work deviates from standard crochet patterns.

“I make crochet characters,” she said.

These characters include everything from aliens to animals to coral reefs. Willits said she previously worked with sculpting, and when she learned to crochet she decided to combine the two.

Willits’ creatures are usually small and can be held in the palm of the hand. She said she tries to make her pieces child-friendly and to use a variety of textures.

Although some of Willits’ pieces are sold individually, she said she sells many in groups with a common theme. Her largest project was a crochet coral reef, a creation that included more than 25 crochet fish, plants and other sea creatures. Willits said she has made other pieces that were inspired by memories, such as the three-legged gerbil she made to immortalize a pet she had as a child.

“The gerbil actually sold,” she said. “It surprised me.”

Junior Jenny DeMoss has sold pieces, but family and friends have encouraged her to try and sell more. However, DeMoss said she tends to look at the practical side.

“Every hat I make costs about $25 in yarn,” she said. “Add to that the time I spend making it. And what if it doesn’t sell?”

She spends most of her time crafting for charity though her position as president of Wildcats with Sticks, a knitting club on campus. Currently, club members are knitting squares that they will, upon completion, combine into afghans for the Warm Up America charity.

DeMoss said she also enjoys creating pieces for others, not just for profit.

Other artists find it difficult to market their work.

“I’d like to sell it,” junior Sarah Poppino said. “I know I could because people have suggested it several times. But I don’t really know how to get started.”

 Poppino said if she were to sell her work, she would probably try to market the pieces she knits and the birthday and Christmas cards she makes. For now, Pippino crafts primarily for gifts, charity and occasionally for herself. She is presently knitting scarves for a charity in Minnesota.

Poppino said she grew up in a crafty family.

“My mom taught me to knit, crochet and sew when I was young,” she said.

Her card-making stemmed from a Sunday school activity. Pappino enjoyed the activity so much that she kept making them on her own.

Poppino said she also enjoys getting creative with her work. One of her projects was a crochet bag constructed from plastic grocery bags.

“I cut the bags into strips and crochet with them,” she said.

Poppino said she is looking into selling some of her pieces, but hasn’t thought about it too seriously because of time constraints.

1^st Date

Kelley Hungerford

Copy editor

The Review sent me a mission this week: discover an inexpensive yet exciting first date site in town. I could have easily enough asked around for where students go and what they do, but the article had to be a narrative. That meant a story. That meant I had to get me a date.

The first two people I asked turned me down; both were busy the day I wanted to go out on the town. Worry set in Monday when I still did not have a date and only two days to write the article. I advertised. “Who wants to date Kelley?” I wrote on the white board of my newspaper class. My Facebook status became “Kelley needs a date, stat. Any takers?” I thank all of my guy friends who offered to go out with me on Facebook…too bad you were all back home in Chicago.

Jordan Jacobo, sports editor, came to my rescue, saying his old roommate could use a date. A blind date, I thought. Why not? That is how I was introduced to Brian Richardson.

We met in Mahaffey Hall, room 313. There were stars in my eyes as he opened the door of his dorm room, mainly because I was so shocked that I had navigated the Mahaffey hallways and found his room on the first try. Thus began our rendezvous, and off we went.

I had planned our date carefully, hoping that it would indeed be inexpensive like the Review had asked. Having forgotten to call for price-checks, I was doing a lot of hoping.

Our first destination: Third Street Pizza Company and Moonlight Theater, located at 433 NE Third Street. The air was brisk and the sun was warm, giving us the perfect weather to walk in.
Already we had saved money on gas by not driving; this was going to be good. The walk from Linfield to Third Street takes about 10 minutes, so we had time to find out a little about each other. The first thing he asked me about was how I landed myself at Linfield, being all the way from Chicago. It was a good opening. Surprised he knew where I was from, but finding out it was because of Jordan’s obsession with my Chicago-ness, we talked about home, majors and school as we strolled down Davis Street.

We got to the theater just as he started to notice my midwestern accent and paid at the front register for two tickets to the 4 p.m. showing of “Wall-E.” Cost of two tickets: $8.

The theater, beyond a door near the front of the restaurant, was legit. Thinking it was going to be no more than a small room with folding chairs and a TV screen, Brian and I were surprised to see the amply-sized room complete with real-theater seating and couches lining the front row. For those of you fast types, an employee informed me that the first few rows have armsrests that fold up. Every other row has a bar-style counter with hot sauce, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper for those who want to enjoy some pizza with their movie.

We passed on the pizza, even though it is only $1 per slice on Mondays and Tuesdays. We had dinner plans for later. We sat in a middle row and waited for the movie to begin.

“Wall-E” was adorable. Neither of us had seen it before, and we left the cold but comfortable theater in good but hungry spirits. It was definitely time to for dinner.

Down the road from Third Street Pizza is Geraldi’s, The Italian Eating Place at 226 NE Third Street, right next to Cornerstone Café. Italian sounded good, and we decided to check it out. A bit confused, a worker explained to us that you order and pay for your meal at the cash register and they bring it out when it’s ready. In an act of hilarity, we ordered pretty much the same thing: the soup and sandwich combo, at $5 each. I had minestrone, he had potato. We got the same sandwich, no mayo or onions for me and no tomatoes for him. The place was tidy, cute and completely empty at 5:40 p.m. The two visible employees were pleasant and helpful, and, man alive, the food was delicious.

“If you were to turn on your iPod right now, what would be playing?” he asked me. Appreciative of the creativity of his question, I told him the embarrassing truth that I had last been listening to “Red Red Wine,” but that my favorites do not usually include bad 80s pop. Like our sandwiches, we found our musical tastes were similar and the conversation held through the rest
of dinner.

After dinner and picture-taking by the suddenly giggly waitresses, we walked back to campus, full and jovial that our blind date did not go awry. Was I late for work? Yes, I was. Was it worth it? Yes, indeed.

A classic first date: dinner and a movie. A wallet-friendly price: $18. I feel that I completed my mission successfully.

So, students, the next time you are torn between impressing that guy or girl you are crushing on and affording your business law textbook, remember that there are cheap, fun ways to achieve both. Well, I don’t know about the textbook, but definitely the date.

260^th Date

Rachael Palinkas

Features editor

Despite the fact that people in long-term relationships have it easier in terms of dates, McMinnville provides more opportunities for those of us in long-term relationships than it does for those awkward first dates.

The key to cheap dates in McMinnville is being aware of student discounts and daily specials at restaurants in McMinnville. Being a student gives you access to these deals.

Seeing as how both Keegan and I had things to do the evening of our date, we decided we would go out for an early dinner, grab some dessert and watch a movie, but first we wanted to spend a little time playing computer games.

We have it worked out so that we can play computer games with each other while still in our own apartments on campus. This, of course, is free and is the sort of bonding time that is important for long-term relationships. Participating in one another’s favorite hobbies will make both people happy, and you may discover a new interest for yourself.

For dinner, we went to Golden Valley Brewery and Pub. You must be thinking, “Gosh that place is so expensive,” and I couldn’t agree with you more. However, having done this whole dating thing before, we knew that we could take advantage of their happy hour menu.

Happy Hour runs from 3 – 6 p.m. Sunday – Friday at G.V.B. and has some great deals to offer. There are a total of 10 different food items to pick from, ranging in price from $2 – $6.75. The catch with the food specials is that you have to order at least $2.50 in beverages in order to qualify for them. For us, this was no problem, seeing as how they have beer specials during this time as well. You can get a pint for $2.50 or a pitcher for $6.75. The beers on tap change daily and are all really good, so you never lose.

They also have mixed drink and wine specials.

You can get soda to cover the minimum beverage order if you are not of legal age to enjoy their delicious brews.

When Keegan and I got there at 5:15 p.m., there were not a lot of people so service was quick and the place was relatively quiet. It was nice that we could talk about things without having to hear the conversations of others.

We ordered two plates of clam strips and an order of fries to share, as well as a pint of beer each; Keegan got the Dundee Porter, and I got the Red Thistle Ale.

Also, an advantage of ordering from the happy hour menu is that you get to sit on the pub side of the restaurant; Keegan and I agreed that it is much better on that side of the restaurant because the windows provide natural lighting.

Our total after tip was $22. We thought we were doing pretty well since we decided to keep it under $30 for the evening, meaning we could splurge on dessert.

On the way back from G.V.B., we stopped at MovieTime Video to rent a movie. Since I work there, I get a rather nice discount on rentals. We rented Paranoid Park, the newest Gus Van Zant movie, and left. Our total remained at $22.

For dessert, we decided to get ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. On Wednesday’s at Cold Stone, you can get a free waffle bowl with any ice cream, so you save just by showing up. We each got a “Like-it” size with a couple mix-ins; our total came to $7.13.

The best thing about Cold Stone is that you can get basically any ice cream you want. They always do a great job of playing into the holidays. So far this fall it has Pumpkin Pie ice cream, which is amazing. I can only imagine the tastiness you would be in for if you got its “Pumpkin Pie in the Sky” creation.

We headed back to the apartment to watch the movie and eat our treats. Ice cream and a movie is about as good as it gets. However, the movie sucked, and we found we were just complaining about the five minute slow-motion scenes more than we were talking about the movie. That’s another good thing about long-term relationships: You already know each other’s taste in movies so you know if it is OK to complain or not, and boy did we complain.

At the end of the movie, we each still had time to finish our homework. Keegan got to go to bed on time, and I got to watch “America’s Next Top Model.”

Our total at the end of the night was $29.13, under budget, and we got to spend quality time together off campus, which can sometimes be difficult to do.

Greg Larson

Review staff writer

On Oct. 17, 1998, the Wildcats came from behind to defeat Willamette University 20-19, clinching a 43rd consecutive winning season and becoming college football’s all-time leader in that category. Now owning the all-divisions record of 52 consecutive winning seasons, the Wildcats stand alone as the most consistently successful college football program in the country.

This type of streak doesn’t come naturally. It all starts with the head coaches, though Athletic Director Scott Carnahan said they are only as good as their players.

One of the secrets to Linfield’s success has been the stability of the coaching staff. During the streak, the ’Cats have only changed coaches four times. Carnahan said this is mostly because the coaches maintain strong connections with the college.  Also, the continuity of the program has encouraged coaches to stay.

The Wildcat football program kicked off its inaugural season in 1896, with coach A. M. Brumback manning the helm. Though the team ended with a record of 0-2, Brumback set the stage for the streak.

After 60 years of up-and-down seasons, mostly down, Paul Durham emerged onto the scene and put the program on the winning track. Durham’s 1956 squad completed a 6-1-2 record and was eventually crowned the Northwest Conference champions for only the second time in the college’s history.

In 1961, Durham’s team capped off the first unbeaten, untied regular season in Linfield’s history. Thus, the Wildcats became the first NWC team to participate in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics football playoffs. The ’Cats made it all the way to the championship where they fell 12-7 to Kansas’ Pittsburg State University.

Three years later, Durham and company returned to
the NAIA playoffs, eventually losing in the semifinals to
Minnesota’s Concordia College.

The following season, Linfield paid its second visit to the NAIA championship, but lost to Minnesota’s St. John’s
University, 33-0.

After the 1967 season, Durham accepted a job as
athletic director at the University of Hawaii.

Ad Rutschman came into the picture, hired in 1968 to succeed Durham. Rutschman continued the winning way as he led the Wildcats to a 183-48-3 record in his 24 seasons as head coach.

In 1982, the Rutschman-led ’Cats won the first NAIA national title in Linfield’s history, defeating William Jewel College of Missouri, 33-15. Two years later, Rutschman repeated success again as Linfield coasted in to its second NAIA championship. Lightning struck a third time in 1986 when the Wildcats earned their third national title.

After Rutschman retired following the 1991 season, Ed Langsdorf, an assistant coach since 1980, took the reins of the program and maintained the streak. In his four years as head coach, Langsdorf achieved a 32-9-1 record as he led Linfield to three Colombia Football Association Mt. Hood League championships.

Jay Locey, after 13 seasons as an assistant coach, was hired as head honcho in 1996. Locey drove the ’Cats to six NWC championships and tallied an 84-18 record. At one point he led the Wildcats to a 41-game winning streak. His biggest accomplishment, however, came in the 2004 season, after a 9-0 regular season, when Linfield dominated the playoffs, outscoring its opponent 160-41 en route to the championship game. In the title bout, the Wildcats squeaked by the Texas’ University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 28-21, achieving the first NCAA Division III championship in Linfield history.

Then, in 2006, Joe Smith took control after spending seven years as an assistant coach and six years as defensive coordinator. Smith has strung up a record of 14-7, which includes this season’s 2-1 record.

Smith said Rutschman, Langsdorf and Locey are the top three influences in his coaching career, stating that coaching is like parenting.

“You coach the way you were coached,” he said.

Rutschman’s philosophy, Smith said, is the basis of modern Linfield coaching. The philosophy is that coaches teach successful life skills first, then teach the player to be a successful athlete.

Carnahan said Smith mostly resembles Locey as a coach.

“[They] are both defensive guys,” he said. “They emphasize that defense maintains consistency.”

With a 52 consecutive winning season streak amidst the program, one can believe that insurmountable pressure is present. Smith said the streak is in the back of his mind, but the pressure usually comes from outside the program.

“We can’t dwell on that,” he said. “Our expectations are so much greater than that. We focus on playing to our potential, controlling things we can control and developing life skills.”

Amber McKenna

Editor in cheif

It’s a brisk December night in Salem, Va., yet hundreds stand outside.

These spectators, plus thousands more, via TV, watch in anticipation as the clock counts down: 5…4…3…2…1! Men decked in purple and red jump in the air, screaming, the Linfield Wildcats have won the 2004 NCAA Division-III Football National Championship.

Linfield’s unique color scheme, purple and cardinal, was first adopted when school sports began to be organized in 1917. Then, in 1924, the student body voted for the Wildcat mascot because, according to the Linfield Football Guide, Linfield was a small school with a lot of fight
and scratch.

“[Schools] didn’t think about things like colors or mascots in the early days,” Kelly Bird, sports information director, said.  “They just played for the sake of competing.”

Professor of History Marv Henberg said the ’20s were the time when colleges nationwide were picking mascots.

Before the vote Linfield sports teams were cheered for as the “Baptists,” referring to the schools founding values.

Bird said the logo of a wildcat face with a sailor hat, first drawn in a red monochromatic scheme, evolved in the late 1920s, when that kind of image was in style. Hall of Fame Coach Paul Durham popularized the image in the 1960s by having football players wear the logo as decals on their helmets. After little change, the logo is still on helmets today, as well as the uniforms and paraphernalia for all of Linfield’s sports teams.

“The Wildcat is like the Old Oak,” Henberg said.  “Our classic image.”

“Willy the Wildcat” has only been around since 1994, Jeff Mackay, director of Residence Life, said.  Since then, Willy has made appearances at home football and basketball games, as well as other sporting events. He even popped up at the inauguration of Linfield College President Thomas Hellie on in the spring of 2007.

Now on his second Wildcat suit, one or two people act as Willy throughout the year and are usually revealed at the end of the sporting season.

Some may wonder: For a school so focused on tradition, is a change for the Wildcat anywhere in the future?

“If we changed the Wildcat, people would be up in up in arms,” Bird said.  “Plus, winning teams don’t need to change what they’re doing.”

Get to Know Willy

Q: What do you do to get into the Willy the Wildcat persona?

A: I lounge in the sun and kill small birds and rodents.

Q: Do you have a favorite spot to haunt during the games?

A: Yes. The band is the funniest by far and dancing is fun!

Q: What’s your favorite thing about being the Wildcat?

A: The total lack of being a person and just being a large cat that walks upright.

Q: What does it smell like in there?

A: Nothing really. Well, the birds and rodents I kill, but nothing too bad.

Q: Why did you want to be the Cat?

A: ‘Cause everybody wants to be a cat.

Q: Is it hard not to speak when inside the costume?

A: Oh I speak, but I talk in the ancient cat languages that are passed on
from mascot to mascot.

Q: Do your family members and friends know you’re the Wildcat?

A: No. No one knows my true identity.

Q: Can we expect any antics from you this season?

A: Oh, you can.

Q: Have any cool moves you plan to show off at games?

A:I already have! But if those weren’t enough for you, there are more up the pipe!