Women’s Basketball Wildcats celebrate third
win in a row after a victory against Pacific University >> page 10
February 18, 2011
INSIDE
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Linfield College
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McMinnville, Ore.
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116th Year
The ‘O’ to get some ‘do-re-mi’
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Issue No. 14
Fraternity explosion sounds ‘deafening’ Septembre Russell Copy chief
Outlook on e-mail The updated e-mail server receives positive feedback. >> page 7
MLK Day 2011 Check out photos of students lending a hand on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2011. >> page 10
Kelley Hungerford Editor-in-chief
Softball honors
Junior Stacie Doucette is the first Linfield female athlete to earn the Ad Rutschman Small College Athlete of the Year Award. >> page 16
Baseball The baseball team starts its season strong with four consecutive wins Feb. 10-13 in the Arizona Classic. >> page 15
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Editorial ...................... 2 News ........................... 4 Features........................ 7 Culture....................... 10 Sports ........................ 16
The Observatory used to be a place where students could buy lime Tostitos, frozen burritos, thick hot chocolate and other snacks. But as early as March, it may become a venue for students to create and consume music. The project, called Observatory Rocks, will pro-
vide a space for student musicians, singers, songwriters and composers to meet each other, share musical ideas, write songs and jam. This is a project that belongs to students who love music,” Faun Tiedge, chair on the Department of Music and professor of music, said. Tiedge said she has had her sights on such a >> Please see Observatory page 5
An explosion caused interior damage inside the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity house on Jan. 6, when a contractor set up a propane tank and heater to reduce the drying time of the drywall work he was finishing in a basement bedroom. No one received any injuries during the incident as the building, having been deemed unsuitable for occupancy in 2008, was vacant and being renovated. “The heater was set on a thermostat, so once the room warmed up, the heater shut down, waiting until the temperature in the room dropped to kick on,” Joseph Welsh, president of the Board of Directors for the Delta Rho Pi Kappa Alpha Building Association, said. “There was a leak, most likely between the heater and tank in the propane line, and the room filled with propane,” Welsh said. The room’s temperature dropped again, setting off the heat, which ignited the propane. “We were blessed, first and foremost, that no one was hurt in the explosion,” Welsh said. Senior Jordan Jacobo said he was across the street from the fraternity house when he heard the explosion. “It sounded like a bomb had gone off or something. The sound was deafening like a tree or build>> Please see Explosion page 4
Black History comes to campus Joanna Peterson Culture editor
Linfield celebrated Black History Month with three events, including a lecture by a former Broadway actor, who urged students to aspire to lead the best lives possible. Charles Holt, former member of Broadway’s The Lion King production’s cast, began the events on Feb. 8. More than a dozen students gathered in Ice Auditorium to listen to Holt’s personal acting narrative: a story about leaving a lucrative career at IBM, his first acting auditions, receiving a part in the Lion King and eventually quitting the show to become a motivational speaker. Holt used his experiences to
urge students to aspire to excellence, to be active participants in their life stories and to embrace community. He told the story of his first performance with the Lion King cast in December 1999, describing the view from his costume as the back leg of an elephant. “I just remember looking out of the costume and seeing members of the audience crying. I was struck by how the show had affected people,” Holt said. “It’s easy to forget that what you are doing is changing someone’s life, and you have to ask yourself if you are constantly giving your best.” The grueling schedule of a Broadway actor — dance and vocal classes, rehearsal, shows
and minimum sleep — forced him to evaluate why he was devoting himself to his profession, he said. “That’s when I started understanding what excellence was,” Holt said. “Excellence isn’t a noun. It’s an action word. It’s what’s happening now.” After challenging students to discover their passions and to pursue them wholeheartedly within their own communities, Holt opened the discussion for questions from the audience. Holt gave several students advice about subjects ranging from how to find your passion in life, to ideas for graduate school, to choosing a major that you love. He ended the night with an impromptu, a cappella performance of “Endless Night,” a piece
from the Lion King. “The world is waiting for you to step up,” Holt said. “You have the power.” • A series of live character sketches called, “Portraits of Courage: African-Americans You Wish You’d Known,” on Feb. 15 were the second Black History Month events. Two actors performed six different monologues, all written by Colin Cox, of African-American figures who are overlooked in American history. “Today I want to talk about more than just slavery,” Cox said. “I want to talk about all of Ameri>> Please see History page 6