Linfield celebrates Women’s History Month
Linfield is hosting a series of events in March celebrating the contributions of women to the community in honor of Women’s History Month. This week’s events include:
- Monday, March 14 – Juliette’s House information table, noon, Fred Meyer Lounge
- Tuesday, March 15 – Information table for Gender Studies, American Association of University Women, and Students Advocating for Gender Equality (SAGE), noon, Dillin Hall; sponsored by Gender Studies Department
- Thursday, March 17 – Experiences of Latinas at Linfield panel, 7 p.m., 201 Riley; sponsored by LCLA and Multicultural Programs
In addition to weekly events, a number of activities will be ongoing throughout the month.
- Nominate outstanding female students, staff, administrators and faculty at Linfield. Nominations will close Friday, March 25, at 5 p.m. The month will conclude with a grand finale celebration Thursday, March 31, recognizing several women from each category. tinyurl.com/LinfieldWHM16
- Month-long fundraiser for Juliette’s House, 301 Riley Hall
- Accomplished Black Women Throughout History display in Nicholson Library, sponsored by BSU
The events are sponsored by Multicultural Programs, Black Student Union, Career Development, Linfield Student Health, Wellness, and Counseling Center, Political Science Department, Nicholson Library, Gender Studies, Students Advocating for Gender Equality (SAGE), Linfield College Latinos Adelante (LCLA), HHPA, Community Engagement and Service, Mass Communication Department, Juliette’s House, Men’s Antiviolence Education Network (MAVEN), Unidos Bridging Community, College Activities & Greek Life.
For more information, contact sfuller@linfield.edu, lcard@linfield.edu or dgrenie@linfield.edu.
Campus plans fourth annual Linfield Pi Day Fun Run
Join the Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Center for the fourth annual Linfield Pi Day Fun Run/Walk. All are welcome for this 3.14 mile run/walk on Monday, March 14, in celebration of math, science and good health. Registration is free. Run or walk in celebration and eat some pie at the end of the race.
Check in time is 2:45 p.m. at the Walker Hall Courtyard. Race will start at 3:14 p.m.
To register, email Kara Kepple at kkepple@linfield.edu with first and last name, email and department/major and class year.
Linfield presents Japanese sword lecture
Michael and Gabriel Bell, founders of and swordsmiths at Dragonfly Forge, will present “Earth, Wind, Water and Fire: The Art and Science of the Japanese Sword,” on Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall.
The lecture will be live streamed for those unable to attend.
The discussion will include a short lecture, a panel discussion featuring Linfield faculty, and a display of some of their swords. The panelists include Tianbao Xie, professor of physics; Brian Winkenweder, professor of art history; Chris Keaveney, professor of Japanese; and Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza, professor of philosophy. During their visit, the Bells will visit several philosophy and Japanese classes and the Fencing Club.
Michael Bell is the master swordsmith and chief instructor at Dragonfly Forge which is located in Coquille. His interest in Japanese martial arts led to practicing kendo and iaido and eventually led to a five-year apprenticeship with master Japanese sword maker, Nakajima Muneyoshi, in 1970. During this time he learned how to judge the quality of a sword and its mountings and how to restore the sword to its potential, both as a weapon and as art. Michael continued working after his apprenticeship at several locations and in 1987 he, along with his wife and son, Gabriel, moved to Oregon and established Dragonfly Forge, where he forges and mounts swords of the highest quality and teaches the art to others. His blades have won numerous awards at major knife shows, as well as other honors.
Gabriel Bell is the son of Michael Bell and grew up in Dragonfly Forge, learning how to work with his hands and forge knives. Gabriel attended Willamette University, working with his father during the summers. In the spring of 2006, he studied at Tokyo International University in Saitama, Japan. After graduating from Willamette in 2007, Gabriel managed the incorporation of Dragonfly Forge LLC with his parents, and helped with the foundation of Dragonfly Forge’s formal swordsmithing school, Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo. One of his Japanese tanto swords was awarded Best Art Knife in 2009 by the Oregon Knife Collectors Association, and in October 2013 he had the privilege of attending Ford Hallam’s intensive Iron Brush Immersion Workshop in Wilmot, N.H., to study kinko, fine Japanese metalworking. Gabriel works full-time for Dragonfly Forge as a swordsmith and cutler, as well as assisting with instructing the swordsmithing school.
This event is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Dean’s Speaker Fund and PLACE (Program for Liberal Arts and Community Engagement), exploring this year’s theme “Air, Water, Earth, and Fire: The Ancient Elements on a Changing Planet. For more information, contact Jesús Ilundáin-Agurruza at 503-883-2362 or jilunda@linfield.edu.
Campus career fair set
Linfield will host the Connect on Campus Career Fair Tuesday, March 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Jonasson Hall, lower level of Melrose Hall.
Students are encouraged to connect with different organizations looking to hire both paid summer internships and full time career positions.
For more information, contact the Career Development Office, 503-883-2733, career@linfield.edu, linfield.edu/career.
Cultural anthropologist to speak on Costa Rican migration and conservation
David Hoffman, cultural anthropologist, will present “How do the Ancient Elements Motivate Costa Ricans’ Migration to National Park Edges?” on Tuesday, March 15, at 5 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall.
Hoffman will discuss why population growth in protected area buffer zones is of concern, due to its potential impact on biodiversity both within and outside the protected areas. He will present findings from his six years of anthropological work measuring and modeling Costa Rican migration to the 10-kilometer buffer zones of three Costa Rican National Parks: Carara, Arenal and Barra Honda. These findings will help Hoffman explain the motivations of Costa Rican migrants and demonstrate that, while socio-economic rationales related to conservation and development are present, something more elemental is at work. He will relate his findings back to localized management concerns and the global policy and practice of biodiversity conservation.
Hoffman is an associate professor in the anthropology and Middle Eastern cultures department at Mississippi State University. He is a cultural anthropologist specializing in environmental anthropology and his professional research interests include conservation policy and practice, human migration and protected areas, community-based conservation, co-management, political ecology, sustainable development, tourism and livelihoods. Since 2009, Hoffman’s research has focused on investigating the motivations and movement of internal migrants to the edges of Costa Rican parks and protected areas. His recent research in Costa Rica was supported by a three-year National Science Foundation grant and his dissertation fieldwork in Mexico was supported by a Fulbright Fellowship.
Hoffman received his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Colorado. Before becoming a professor at Mississippi State University, Hoffman was an assistant professor at the University for Peace in Costa Rica. He has presented numerous lectures at the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology. In 2015 he was elected as the senior at-large board member for the American Anthropological Association’s Anthropology and Environmental Society.
This talk is free and open to the public and sponsored by PLACE (Program for Liberal Arts and Community Engagement), exploring this year’s theme “Air, Water, Earth, and Fire: The Ancient Elements on a Changing Planet. For more information, contact Rob Gardner, 503-883-2677 or rgardne@linfield.edu.
Linfield Theatre presents ‘Almost, Maine’
The Linfield College Theatre Program continues its 96th season with a romantic comedy, “Almost, Maine,” March 15-18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Marshall Theatre in Ford Hall.
The production is set in the mythical town of Almost, Maine, and follows nine vignettes about love. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. The bruises heal, the hearts mend – almost – in this midwinter night’s dream.
Thomas Gressler, Linfield professor emeritus, will guest direct the play, with stage management by Alyssa Lawrence, scenic and lighting design by Ty Marshall, sound design by Rob Vaughn ’97 and costume design by Laurel Peterson ‘07.
Gressler performed professionally throughout the mid-Atlantic region for 10 years, including appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Chance of a Lifetime. After working in television advertising for two years, he became the entertainment director for the Special Services Entertainment Division in Korea, which included producing the Bob Hope TV special. After receiving his Ph.D. from Kent State University, he was director of theatre at the University of Oregon and then at Linfield, where he taught from 1980 to 2000. He has directed more than 200 plays, musicals and operas, and has published three books and numerous articles.
“‘Almost, Maine,’ a cross between Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ and ‘The Twilight Zone,’ is a wonderful choice for this year’s theatre season,” Gessler said. “It’s a light-hearted show and gives me the opportunity to work intensely, one-on-one, with each acting student. Even though the reviewers often describe the play in phrases such as ‘Love in the Time of Frostbite,’ or ‘Romantic Whimsy meets Magic Realism,’ I find the hilarious, quirky comedy underpinned by real human suffering and confusion. This makes for a wonderful acting challenge for the students, some of whom are new to the stage.”
Cast members include senior studio art major Heidie Ambrose from Silverton; senior psychology major Emily Griffin from Angwin, Calif.; senior theatre major Travis McKenna from Elko, Nev.; junior theatre major Naomi Boydston from Friday Harbor, Wash.; junior theatre major Joella Cordell from Caldwell, Idaho; sophomore physics major Geoffrey Rath from Oakes, N.D.; sophomore political science major Ben Bartu from Berkeley, Calif.; freshman creative writing major Nicole Mitchell from Bellingham, Wash.; freshman math major Anna Penttila from Vancouver, Wash.; freshman creative writing and theatre double major Glenn Rust from Eugene; freshman nursing major Madison Ryder from Gresham; and freshman psychology major Alex Satterlee from Hillsboro.
Tickets are $9 for full price; $7 for seniors (62+) and Linfield faculty and staff (two tickets per ID); and $5 for students (any age, any school, one ticket per ID); with a $2 discount on all tickets on opening night. Seating is reserved. Tickets are available at linfield.edu/arts and at the Marshall Theatre Box Office. Located in the lobby of Ford Hall, the box office is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., and until 7:30 p.m. on performance days.
For more information, call 503-883-2292. The Marshall Theatre is fully accessible.
Summers to discuss the economics of higher education
Jeff Summers, the Dave Hansen Endowed Chair in Economics at Linfield College, will present “The Economics of Higher Education” on Wednesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. in 201 Riley Hall.
Summers will discuss three main topics related to the economics of higher education. The first topic will be the fundamental characteristics of the economics of higher education, in which Summers will consider institutional heterogeneity, market fragmentation and the wealth hierarchy. The demand for higher education will be the second topic, exploring the economic return of a college education, its nonmonetary benefits and student responsiveness to tuition and financial aid. The last topic Summers will cover is affordability, disruption and public policy. He will talk about the causes of tuition and cost inflation, student loans and debt, the forces of disruption sweeping over higher education and recent public policy proposals.
Summers, a member of the Linfield faculty since 1992, holds a bachelor’s degree from Wabash College, a master’s from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Before teaching at Linfield, Summers taught at Wabash College and Reed College. From 2001-2008 Summers served as the associate dean of faculty at Linfield. Summers is the first Dave Hansen Endowed Chair in Economics to be awarded by Linfield.
The lecture is free and open to the public. The Linfield College faculty lecture series offers one presentation each month by a member of the Linfield faculty. For more information, call 503-883-2409.
Faculty, administrators earn grants
A number of Linfield colleagues have earned grants to boost research and programming needs.
Megan Bestwick, assistant professor of chemistry, received a grant of $58,500, from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to fund three years of student-faculty collaborative research.
Joni Tonn, director of community engagement and service, secured a grant of $5,000 from the Juan Young Trust in support of the WISE middle school mentor program for the 2016-17 year.
The National Science Foundation awarded Jeremy Weisz, assistant professor of biology, a grant of $128,416 in support of three years of student-faculty research in collaboration with Drs. April and Malcom Hill at the University of Richmond in Virginia.
Thanks to the grant writing efforts of Josephine Zarkovich, Linfield Gallery curator, The Ford Family Foundation granted $15,000 to Linfield College to develop an exhibit and catalog of Oregon artist Tannaz Farsi.
Community News
Barbara Seidman, professor of English, along with three English majors – Angelia Saplan ‘16, Camille Weber ‘16 and Keri Dixon ‘18, executive assistant for student affairs and athletics – attended the annual international convention of the college English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta, in Minneapolis, Minn., March 2-5. Saplan presented original poems under the collective title “Voicing the Voiceless,” Weber presented “Jane Eyre and the Quintessential Four Words: ‘I Care for Myself’” and Dixon presented “Anne Finch: Exploring the Language of Sex and Power in Marriage.”
Campus calendar
MONDAY, MARCH 14
11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Nursing Career and Education Fair, Peterson Hall, Portland Campus
Noon: Juliette’s House information table, Fred Meyer Lounge
2:45 p.m.: Pi Day Fun Run/Walk, 3:14 p.m. start time, Walker Hall Courtyard
7 p.m.: Michael and Gabriel Bell, “Earth, Wind, Water and Fire: The Art and Science of the Japanese Sword,” Ice Auditorium
TUESDAY, MARCH 15
11:30 a.m.: Connect on Campus Career Fair, Jonasson Hall
Noon: Information table for Gender Studies, American Association of University Women, and Students Advocating for Gender Equality (SAGE), Dillin Hall
5 p.m.: David Hoffman, “How Do the Ancient Elements Motivate Costa Ricans’ Migration to National Park Edges?” Ice Auditorium
Today through Friday: “Almost, Maine,” 7:30 p.m., Marshall Theatre
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
Today through Saturday: Swimming at NCAA III championships
7 p.m.: Jeff Summers, “The Economics of Higher Education,” 201 Riley Hall
THURSDAY, MARCH 17
Today though Saturday: Track and field at Jim Klein Multi-events and Westmont Classic (Westmont, Calif.)
7 p.m.: Women’s lacrosse vs. Wooster
7 p.m.: Experiences of Latinas at Linfield panel, 201 Riley
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
11:30 a.m.: Blood Pressure Screening Clinic, Cook Hall lobby
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
10 a.m.: Men’s tennis vs. Treasure Valley Community College
10 a.m.: Track and field at Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open
Today and tomorrow: Baseball vs. Pacific, noon
Today and tomorrow: Softball at Pacific, noon
