Spring is here and the days are getting longer and the sun is starting to come out more. That means it’s time to pack away those heavy winter sweaters and jackets and bring out your T-shirts, skirts, dresses and cardigans. If you’re not quite sure how to channel your inner fashionista this spring, these Linfield trendsetters have some tips to share.

Junior Bouquet Harger said she was exposed to unique trends in fashion growing up in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Being in the city and seeing advertisements in the media influenced my style. You also get to see a lot of movie stars and models walking around,” she said.
She also said that in Bangkok it’s common to see a style that has hints of masculinity and femininity.
“I adopted the trends of Thailand to my own style,” Harger said.
She said she is looking forward to rocking military boots with a flower-printed spring dress this season.
“I don’t want an outfit to look too sweet or too rocky,” she said.
She is also interested in wearing flowy spring dresses with hats, and jean shorts with boots, heels or flats, she said.
She mentioned that she likes to include one eye-catching aspect in her outfits. For example, if her outfit consists of a lot of natural colors she will add in one bold-colored piece of clothing.
Harger said she also gets inspiration for her outfits from websites, such as www.threadsence.com, www.shopruche.com and www.thrifted.net. She also likes to shop at Forever21.
“They’re really cheap and sometimes they have cool stuff,” she said.
Junior Emily Anderson said she got into diverse fashion styles when she attended high school at the Arts and Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton, Ore.
“I think that my high school helped me think a certain way. It made me not afraid to stand out,” she said.
Anderson said that her style began to take on a more vintage appeal when she noticed to her roommate’s style.
“My roommate was into thrifting and she got me into looking at things in a different way,” she said.
When the weather gets warmer Anderson said she’ll be excited to wear her burnt orange Banana Republic dress that she found for $5 at St. Vincent De Paul.
“This spring I think I’ll be keeping my eye out for mustard yellow and burnt orange colors, floral print dresses, higher-waisted shorts and below-the-knee skirts (if I’m feeling brave),” she said in an email.
Junior Alison Pate grew up in an art-filled community
located on the south end of Whidbey Island, Wash. She
mentioned there aren’t any big-name clothing stores on the island so if she wanted to go shopping, she would have to take a 20-minute ferry ride off the island and then drive 30 minutes to the nearest mall.
Aside from it being difficult to shop for conventional clothing, she said that it really wasn’t for her.
“I always just felt weird in jeans. Overall, I don’t feel comfortable in them,” she said.
Pate became interested in heading to thrift stores to find clothes when she would go shopping with her dad, who she said also likes to find unique items.
“I pick pieces that are fun and that gets a little collective,” she said.
One outfit that she anticipates wearing this spring is a white dress with brown wedge heels, she said.
“I think it’s good to wear what makes you feel comfortable. Dress for yourself,” she said.
Junior Molly Chew grew up in Vancouver, Wash., and said that living so close to Portland may have had an influence on her fashion.
She said that she has never been into mainstream fashion, and she tries to avoid mass produced clothes. In fact, she prefers to get her clothes from places, such as the Portland Saturday Market or Buffalo Exchange.
“Sometimes it’s nice to be uniform, but we’re not uniform so it’s good to look different because we are different,” she said.
Chew said that she likes to create her own fashion. She has been making her own jewelry for years and has even made some of her own clothes.
“Making stuff is really fun. If you make something, it is 100 percent your style,” she said.
Her ideal outfit for spring is a colorful spring dress with no shoes, she said.
“It will be nice to see everybody in bright [colors] again,” she said.

Shoprusche.com
Pros: Eco-friendly clothing and accessories.
Plus sizes.
Features a look-book for spring styles.
Has a great selection of dresses, shorts and boots.
Cons: Moderately high to high price point.

Threadscence.com
Pros: Features a look-book for spring styles.
Has great selection of dresses, shorts and boots.
Cons: Moderately high to high price point.

Thrifted.net
Pros: Low price point.
Unique items that are not mass produced are available.
Cons: Have to bid on garmets.
The selection is limited.

St. Vincent De Paul
Pros: Located in McMinnville.
Low price point.
Able to find unique items that are not massed produced.
Cons: Can be difficult to locate items.

Forever 21
Pros: Great selection of spring dresses and shorts.
Low price point.
Cons: It can take some digging to find what you’re looking for.

by Chelsea Bowen/Opinion editor
Chelsea Bowen can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.

At our beautiful campus, there are many married professors, staff and administrators who you may not know are couples. Here, they share their knowledge and passion for life with each other and their involvement in our Wildcat community. This is the first in a series of Q-and-A stories with Wildcats who’ve tied the knot.

Adrianne Santina &
Brian Winkenweder

Adrianne is an adjunct professor of art & visual culture with a specialization in non-western art history and teaches Introduction to Visual Culture. She has taught at colleges and universities in New Mexico, New York, Texas and Oregon.
Brian is chair of the Department of Art & Visual Culture and also associate professor of art history at Linfield. He earned his master’s degree in English and art history from University of New Mexico, where he met Adrianne when she started her doctorate. They married just before they moved to New York City for Brian’s doctorate in art history and criticism from Stony Brook University. They both began teaching at New York University and Dowling College at the same time.

How long have you been at Linfield? Did you two meet at Linfield or did you move to McMinnville after you were married?
Adrianne: Well, Brian started teaching at Linfield before I did. I started teaching here in the fall of 2006.
Brian: We moved to the University of North Texas (Denton, Texas). Adrianne was an assistant professor of art history; I was a visiting professor in art history and design history. Our offices were just down the hall from each another. Our son, Scott, was born while we taught there. We always worked on opposite days so one of us could do child care. Scott, as a newborn, spent a lot of time in our offices. Now, he is a 7-year-old boy.

Why did you two decide to come to Linfield?
Adrianne: Brian was offered a job in the Department of Art and Visual Culture. We also liked the location, as we are both from the West Coast. I’m from California, and Brian grew up in Gladstone, Ore.
Brian: To be closer to our extended families (Adrianne’s lives in Orange County, Calif., and mine live in Seattle, Wash.). I grew up in Oregon, and it is a dream come true to return “home.”

How do you like Linfield?
Adrianne: Speaking for myself, I like it here. I enjoy working with the students in my AAVC 110 course as I see people from different majors.
Brian: This is the best liberal arts college that I have ever worked at. I love the students and the colleagues in my department. Even after six years, I still pinch myself to make sure I’m not living in a too-good-to-be-true dream. My grandparents lived in McMinnville when I was a child, and I have always loved Linfield.

What do you think of your spouse working at Linfield as well? What do you like and dislike about it?
Adrianne: I do like working where my spouse works. We both teach in the same discipline, so we always have plenty to talk about. And, of course, it’s convenient, too.
Brian: We are very lucky to be able to work side-by-side as the only art historians at Linfield College. But, it would be awesome if we could hire one or two more art historians and start a major in art history.

Are things different between you when you work together and when you are at home?
Adrianne: Yes, we do treat each other differently. We act like professional colleagues when we’re both at Linfield. However, sometimes our conversations will stray to topics from home, such as what we’re having for dinner or whose turn it is to take our son to karate.
Brian: Yes. Our dynamic at school is different than at home. We try to treat each other as professional colleagues on campus. As department chair, I always include my wife on departmental messages, even if it is an issue that I’ve discussed with her previously, because it is important that she be treated as any other adjunct in my department, in my opinion.
At home, we act like a married couple that happen to share the same profession. Therefore, we talk about art history and academics. We constantly troubleshoot how to be better teachers. Because of this, my wife enables me to experiment and grow as a professor. I share virtually everything I write with my wife, who is an excellent editor. We share our lecture and discussion strategies and troubleshoot potential pitfalls. Sometimes, we have to “turn off” the academic conversation and talk about more mundane things. Boundaries between my private and professional life can be hard to define and maintain, but it is important to do so in order to avoid burning out.

Would your children like to go to Linfield?
Adrianne: If our son would like to go to Linfield, I’ll definitely support it. Since he’s only 7, we’re not worrying about college too much right now. He has said that he would like to come to Linfield, but, then again, he also says he wants to study engineering at MIT. There’s still plenty of time for him to decide.
Brian: I would be happy if Scott were to attend Linfield because I know he would be receiving an excellent education. However, I think it would be best if he went to a different school in a different state so he can grow and expand his horizons. Yet, Scott is only 7 years old, so we have a few years before we solve that issue.

John & Wendy Sagers

John is associate professor of history and coordinator of Asian Studies. He spent his undergraduate studying arts in history at University of California, Berkeley and then focused on East Asia history for his doctorate at the University of Washington, from which his wife Wendy graduated as well.
Wendy is an adjunct professor of international programs, English language and culture program, and modern languages. She She taught math and science in secondary schools for seven years, taught English classes in Japan for two years before coming to Linfield. This is her ninth year teaching at Linfield.

How long have you been at Linfield? Did you two meet at Linfield or did you move to McMinnville after you were married?
Wendy: I met my husband at a friend’s wedding. He was from California, and I was from Washington. We wrote letters to each other and were both in Japan at the same time. We started dating there. We came to Linfield after we were married.
John: When we started at Linfield, we had one son who was 2 years old and another son who was 3 months old.

Why did you two decide to come to Linfield?
Wendy: We looked for jobs at colleges and universities with a strong Asian focus and were close to family. We were delighted that Linfield had an opening when John was completing his doctorate.

How do you like Linfield?
Wendy: I love my job. I have great co-workers who are knowledgeable in their field and care about their students. The students are interesting, motivated and nice to each other. Additionally, the campus is beautiful, the weather is mild, and we are close to the ocean, the mountains and large cities.

What do you think of your spouse working at Linfield as well? What do you like and dislike about it?
Wendy: I like working in the same place as my husband. We can talk about events and issues that relate to both of us. It gives us more common ground.
John: We are happy that we can live close to campus, go to campus events and share experiences.

Would your children like to go to Linfield?
Wendy: It depends on their interests. Our older son will probably attend a liberal arts college and talks about Linfield. The study abroad opportunities are excellent, and he would make some nice friends. But he might decide he wants to be farther from home when he is older.

Jeff & Kristi Mackay

Jeff grew up in Billings, Mont., and came to Linfield as a student in the mid-1980s. Jeff was Associate Students of Linfield College president two years in a row and began to work at Linfield as an intern running the college activities in the summer following his graduation. Jeff worked in activities for about 12 years, taking a one-year sabbatical to earn his master’s degree in higher education administration. Jeff has served as the associate dean of students and director of Residence Life since January 2000.
Kristi, program coordinator of Career Services, grew up in central Oregon and came to Linfield as a student in the late-1980s. After graduation, Kristi lived and worked in the Portland area for about 10 years before accepting a position in career services at Linfield.

How long have you been at Linfield? Did you two meet at Linfield or did you move to McMinnville after you were married?
Kristi: We knew of each other as students but ran in completely different circles. We officially met and began dating a year after I graduated from Linfield. We dated while Jeff was working at Linfield, then, after we were married, lived in Tualatin for four years and moved to McMinnville in 2000.
We have two children: Gracie, who is 4 years old and attends Linfield pre-K, and Ben, who is almost 3 years old and will attend the pre-K in the fall. I’m sure many students have seen them around campus.

Why did you two decide to come to Linfield?
Kristi: As students, for the same reasons most students do: small school, small class size and the types of activities available at Linfield. As professionals, it is because we love working with the 18-to-23-year-old population.

How do you like Linfield?
Kristi: Love it! We work here, we go to sporting events and include the college in our philanthropic giving each year.

What do you think of your spouse working at Linfield as well? What do you like and dislike about it?
Kristi: It’s nice to work at the same place because we understand the work that one another does.

Are things different between you when you work together at Linfield and when you are at home?
Kristi: We try not to talk about work too much at home, but it’s inevitable.

Would your children like to go to Linfield if they are not going to college yet?
Kristi: They already do as preschoolers. And, yes, we would be quite happy for them to attend Linfield when they are older, but that will be up to them.

by Jaffy Xiao/Features editor
Jaffy Xiao can be reached at linfieldreviewfeatures@gmail.com.

The summer season is approaching and that means the winter pounds packed on from the massive amounts of holiday foods need to be shed before the swimsuits are brought back out. A quick-fix crazy tea diet or magic pills endorsed by Jersey Shore cast members could do the trick but are not recommended for health reasons. A safer option is a simple trip to the gym. Since Linfield’s weight room can get overcrowded, a membership at a McMinnville gym may be just what the trainer ordered. Here is a list of workout facilities in the local area for those who are looking to improve their “situation.”

McMinnville Crossfit

According to Crossfit’s website, “Crossfit is a fitness program focused on maximizing a person’s potential in strength, cardiovascular endurance, respiratory endurance, power, speed, stamina, flexibility, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy. In other words, general all-around athleticism.”

Crossfit is more for the athlete willing to sweat. It is not the average gym with stair stepper machines, but it uses classes to get the members in shape. There are classes throughout the day, at specific times, to sign up for depending on which works best with your schedule.

Tanning:

•None

Pricing:

•Intro. Academy (6 classes for 2 weeks): $55
•Misc. Membership 10-visit punch card: $111
•3x week prices, no contract:
1 month: $90
3 months: $80/month
6 months: $70/month
1 year: $60/month
•Unlimited, no contract:
1 month: $120
3 months: $110/month
6 months: $105/month
1 year: $90/month

location:

845 NE 8th Street

Phone:

•503-435-9013

Cindy’s Gym

Cindy’s Gym is not for everyone — literally. It is a women-only health club. The gyms boasts many machines for a cardio workout. The gym also offers classes, including Zumba and yoga, throughout the day that are free with membership.

Tanning:
•Non-members:
10 tans: $42
Per month: $60
Single tan: $7
•Monthly members:
10-tan monthly package: $30
Monthly, unlimited: $42

Pricing:
•Student/1 month: $40
•Student/1-year contract: $35/month

location:
1015 NW Adams

Phone:
•503-472-2541

Excell Fitness

Excell Fitness is a medium-sized gym near Pizza Hut. It provides many cardio machines with televisions to watch your favorite shows while working out. The drive is a little bit further than most gyms but it is a cheaper option. Excell also offers a nutrition system online and classes such as Zumba and Turbo Kick.

Tanning:
•Now owned by Tan Republic
•One month unlimited in silver level bed: $19 (offer ends April 1)
•Half-off enrollment for any membership (includes free bottle of Hemp lotion)
•Offers UV-free Mystic tan: $15 with membership

Pricing:
•Student special, 1-year contract: $34/month with $60 enrollment fee or $49 without a contract

location:
1461 NE Highway 99W

Phone:
•503-472-3022

Anytime Fitness

Although a little bit farther from campus, there is a benefit to the drive to Anytime Fitness. Hence the name, Anytime Fitness, the gym is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Pricing:
•Student special: $31.99/month for a 1-year contract plus enrollment fee

Tanning:
•Once month, unlimited: $43.99 (membership not required)

location:
856 NE Hwy 99W Suite C

Phone:
•503-472-7200

Curves

If you are short on time, head over to Curves. The workouts are aimed at accomplishing
a cardio and strength-training session in 30 minutes. The gym is offered to women only, and they can visit any Curves location with the membership.

Pricing:
•One-year contract: $34/month, plus enrollment fee

Tanning:
•None

location:
490 NE Highway 99 W

Phone:
•503-472-3280

by Corrina Crocker/Sports editor

While we began Spring Semester discussing new professors and new classmates, 63 students are experiencing a transition from a foreign culture back to America’s culture. They studied abroad in Fall Semester, and it opened their eyes to new perspectives.

For some of them, studying abroad is even more than that.

“When I was in France, I represented both America and Vietnam,” junior Mai Doan, a four-year international student from Vietnam, said.

To complete a French minor, she studied at the American University Center of Provence in Aix, France, last fall.

Junior Cassie Kwon, a Korean-American born in Seattle, Wash., who studied abroad at Kanto Gakuin University in Yokohama, Japan, is another student who had a unique multicultural background before studying abroad.

“People in Japan greeted other girls that I was abroad with in English but greeted me in Japanese,” Kwon said. “I might integrate that culture more, but I definitely felt the wall between us.”

Junior Michele Wong studied abroad last fall at the Hong Kong Baptist University. She said she didn’t feel like she was living in a foreign country but rather a big U.S. city, such as San Francisco. She visited Hong Kong for two weeks when she was in high school, and her father is originally from Hong Kong.

Learning their languages

Not all the study abroad programs at Linfield have language course requirements, but learning the language of the country you’re visiting seems to be the best way to learn everything else.

Doan said she was already interested in the French language when she entered Linfield and that France has always been a place she has wanted to visit.

Kwon said she didn’t expect to learn and speak Japanese fluently, but Japanese has become her third language besides speaking Korean at home and English at school.

“It’s such a privilege to learn a language and know other languages; it’s so important to keep on top of that,” Kwon added. “A lot of people assume that because I speak Korean, Japanese comes naturally for me. But I only found these similarities as I was learning Japanese not [because] I already knew the similarities.”

Culture barriers

While learning the language is the first step to communicating well with locals, culture shock as another challenge that presents itself as students come down from their excitement of being tourists.

Wong said she was excited about everything during her first visit to Hong Kong in her senior year of high school, but studying abroad last fall let her tourist mood shift to that of a resident.

Kwon agreed. She said she took pictures of everything including each meal she had and shopping goods during the first month in Japan.

“I thought [going abroad in France] would be simple and easy as I already had study abroad experience at Linfield. But it’s not true,” Doan said. She has been to the U.S. since senior year of high school.

On the other hand, study abroad experiences let these girls understand the cultures they already hold onto.

Kwon said she realized her attachment to Korea didn’t mean that she is Korean.

“Even though I was in Korea, I was an overseas Korean,” she added.

For Doan, a third culture helps her open her mind, she said.

“[Before I studied abroad in France], I always kept my Vietnamese value and doubted U.S. value. I didn’t accept being an American but preferred Vietnamese food and boys,” she said. “French people helped me to push myself into French culture.”

Learning from cultural differences

Definitions of culture shock differ for everyone, but these three girls said they learned from the cultural differences they noticed.

Kwon said she was impressed by how locals taught her rules patiently. And she was able to learn more about the Japanese culture through her mistakes by getting in “trouble” and breaking the table manner rules.

Influenced by Korean custom, she said she thought she was an expert at using chopsticks. But when she and other Linfield students had a barbecue in Japan, she and another girl grabbed a piece of chicken with chopsticks at the same time and everyone froze. Later, a native Japanese explained that it’s unacceptable for two pairs of chopsticks to hold one piece of food.

Kwon also provided two other tips she learned in Japan: Don’t stick chopsticks in the rice bowl, and don’t ask to change orders in the restaurant because it means you are destroying the chef’s creation.

When she lived with a host family in France, Doan said she felt like she was a princess the first day she woke up. Her host mother cooked breakfast and took care of the laundry for her.

“These are things that even my mother won’t do for me. Being independent in America is what I learned [as an international student at Linfield], and I learned being interdependent from French culture,” Doan said.

Although Wong said she did know what she should have expected before going abroad, she was moved by how local students are tied to family, as she has many family members on her father’s side in Hong Kong.

Distinct changes

Besides the culture shock, Kwon said she noticed distinct changes in herself after she came back.

She said before going abroad, she knew she should practice her Korean and Japanese with some Korean and Japanese exchange students at Linfield, but she didn’t care at the time. She thought they came here to learn English, so she only spoke English with them.

“After going abroad, and I came back, I spoke Korean to Korean exchange students this year, and they spoke English to me — practice for both of us,” Kwon said.

Doan said she changed when her host family helped her embrace the French culture, which helped her loosen her grip on her American and Vietnamese identities.

Opening her mind to fully understand French culture, Doan plans to go to France for a master’s degree after she graduates from Linfield.

Wong also said she plans to go back to Hong Kong in the future because of the friends she made and family members.

by Jaffy Xiao/Features editor
Jaffy Xiao can be reached at linfieldreviewfeatures@gmail.com.

Summer is approaching. For those students looking for a summer job or entering the job market in June, a better economy needs to come soon.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate fell 0.4 percent in January — a small victory with a smooth decrease since its highest peak of 10.6 percent in 2009.

Co-founder of InternMatch Nathan Parcells said that since the economy has not fully recovered yet, the process of networking is more critical for students entering the real world.

“Network really is a key. Go talk with as many people as you can,” Career Services Program Coordinator Kristi Mackay agreed.

Lori Howell, senior associate at Prichard Communications, a public relations agency in Portland, also highlighted the importance of networking and informational interviews. She said the most effective start for students with limited experience is to have conversations with professionals and identify at least three types of jobs they are interested in.

After participating in many informational interviews with college students, Howell identified these tips for building a network:
• Prepare at least five questions about occupations you like
• Contact professionals in your interested field, and ask for 20 minutes to talk about job hunting
• Ask them how they got their jobs and what they usually do in their current jobs
• Remember to mail a thank-you card for their time and information after the interview and later when you get a job

During the era of the Internet, search engines might help you to find some opportunities, but not unadvertised jobs, such as those announced in trade meetings or networking events. Statistics show that two thirds of all jobs are found informally.
Mackay said many students have a misunderstanding when they are searching for jobs or internships because they focus their search only online.

Compared with big companies that widely advertise jobs, small businesses and nonprofit organizations are a good start for students who have limited real-world experiences, Parcells said. InternMatch is an online internship-search website that collects such opportunities.

Assistant Professor of Mass Communication Lisa Weidman indicated during a career class that students should not be afraid of applying for their dream jobs.

With a matured network as a good start, a résumé and cover letters should represent a student’s experience and skills.
Liberal arts college students’ skills are more transferable than those in general universities but they’re not always specialized enough, so students need to identify what skills they can bring to the table, Anne Hardin Ballard, director of Career and Community Services, said.

Mackay suggested a typical three-step theory for students contemplating their career:
1. Learn about yourself. Come up with questions about your interests, skills, expected geographic location, long-term and short-term goals, expected work environment and so on.
2. Learn about what’s out there. List jobs found on the Internet, in newspapers or heard about during a conversation. Mackay said this addresses how students should not overlook informational interviews.
3. Make a match between No. 1 and No. 2.

Parcells, an expert at internship hunting, said the reality is that paid internships are limited for students, but a common difficulty for students is that they don’t know how to highlight professional skills besides listing experience in the office or industry environment.

“The value of doing internships is not just adding more titles into the résumé but also knowing what you really like after a short period of real-world work,” he said.

Mackay noted an important point about interviews that has overwhelmed most students.

“A job interview is a conversation. While the recruiter asks you questions, you should do so as well.”

Campus sources:

Résumé workshops: Learn how to create a résumé and cover letter. The workshops will go over content and formatting and touch on job and internship search strategies.
March 14, 2 p.m., Walker 302
March 29, 2:30 p.m., Walker 201
April 19, Noon, West Wing of Dillin
May 5, 4 p.m., Walker 201

Career After Hours (all at 4 p.m. in the Fred Meyer Lounge):
Feb. 22, Career Quest: “Getting the Opportunity You Want”
Feb. 28, Social Service Careers
March 1, Internships
Nathan Parcell, co-founder of InternMatch, addresses the question of why you should get an internship and provides the empowering “how” to find, develop and take advantage of an internship experience.
March 1, April 12, LinkedIn
Career Services Program Coordinator Kristi Mackay will discuss how to use LinkedIn as a tool for professional networking and searching for jobs.
April 21, Management
A panel of recruiters will discuss management-training programs that can be a great way to start your career.
April 26, Financial Service
A panel of professionals will discuss different career paths in financial services.

Other events:
Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m., Riley 201, Evergreen Water Park Presentation:
Evergreen representatives will be on campus to provide a sneak peek of the new water park, scheduled to open early June. Learn what jobs may be available and how to apply for them.
March 30, 4 p.m., Walker 302, Peace Corps information session
March 30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Walker 124, Resumania
April 1, First Avenue Job Fair, University of Portland:
First Avenue Job Fair has recruiters talk to students about internships, summer jobs, full-time positions and graduate schools. Please visit www.olapcfirstavenue.org for more information.

Information provided by Career Services

Online job
search:

1. http://www.internmatch.com

This is an internship-hunting website and a good start for undergrads who don’t have much work experience. Most work opportunities listed are in nonprofit organizations and small businesses in the Northwest. The InternMatch blog (www.internmatch.com/blog) and Twitter feed (@internmatch) are updated regularly with ideas about jobs, internships, interview techniques, career tips and the like.

InternMatch co-founder Nathan Parcells will talk about his own experiences and share unique perspectives on internships at Linfield on March 1: see Campus resources’ at the left for more details.

2. http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list

Prichard Communications’ Mac’s List is a job resource for people studying communications. Most posts are for high-level jobs in the Portland area, but some are internships, events and volunteer opportunities. It also gives students an idea of what communications jobs look like. Senior Associate Lori Howell participated in countless informational interviews with job hunters and said she likes to help students with networking.

The return to campus for Spring Semester means many things at Linfield: new classes, new professors, and a long awaited break from the cold weather. One exciting change is a revamped e-mail system designed to help students manage messages more efficiently.

The system is the result of an update on the Microsoft Exchange server. The update spruced up the server from the 2003 version to the 2010 version. In addition to a new interface, the system has twice the previous storage capacity for messages, which allows students, faculty and administers much more space on their individual mailboxes.

“The growth and the use of e-mail since we installed the software has been so great that the old hardware had not been keeping up,” Irv Wiswall, chief technology officer for Integrated Technology Services, said. “We needed to put it on newer, faster hardware.”

Notable aspects of the new system include a “Search All Messages” feature and more calendar options. The server also groups conversations as one e-mail so they are easier and faster to delete.

Wiswall said the previous system performed at its best only when used with a Windows-enabled computer and an Internet Explorer browser, limiting some features for Macintosh users. The new system has increased compatibility with Macintosh computers, and Wiswall said he believes using browsers such as Firefox and Safari will not affect its capabilities or features.

Overall, students have found the change to be a beneficial one, and they note that the new conversation-grouping component is one of the most highly lauded features of the new system.

“The new e-mail is really helpful in tracking un-opened e-mails and conversations with people,” junior Andrew Carpenter said. “The only drawback I have found is that sometimes e-mails can get buried in a conversation if it is between multiple people.”

The new interface has also received positive feedback.

“I think the new e-mail looks more professional,” sophomore Patrick Depetula said.

Most students have found that their biggest problem with the new interface is figuring out how to navigate it.

“Some of the changes, which seem like an effort to increase organization, only seem to confuse me,” senior Quinn Murphy said. “The new system lacks the simplicity of the old system.”

Students who use a smartphone or other mobile device to check their e-mail will also have to reconfigure settings to accommodate the new server.

“I found that the new e-mail is much easier to use and is also much easier to use on my smartphone,” freshman Emma Galdeira said.

ITS offers several resources to students and faculty who experience problems with the system, including a link to a video which provides an overview of some of the differences (see the Wildcat’s tips below for the link).

The Support Desk in Mac Hall is open during the common lunch hour to assist anyone experiencing problems with the new system.

Wildcat’s tips for e-mail navigation
• ITS has provided a video which gives a brief overview of the changes to the system. Enter search “Introduction to Outlook Web App 2010” on Youtube.com, or go to http://ow.ly/3YOPd

• Any students needing assistance with reconfiguring phone settings to read their e-mails can go to http://ow.ly/3YJXZ on The ITS Help Desk website for more information.

• Students with questions are encouraged to stop by the ITS Support Desk in Mac Hall if they are in need of further assistance.