With the newly minted wine studies major and the tremendous donation by Grace and Ken Evenstad, Linfield should pat itself on the back and then ride the momentum by improving its other offerings in the hopes of attracting even more students.

“This gift will enable thousands of future students to follow their passions in the wine business,” Grace Evenstad said in a press release. “It will prepare them for success and will enable the American wine industry to benefit for generations to come.”

Low student enrollment issues have plagued Linfield and other liberal arts colleges for the past several years but the new major is extremely promising. It’s almost guaranteed to bring in a new crop of students interested in studying wine.

Especially with the wine studies program, Linfield is finding new ways of marketing its strengths and unique attributes, which is how we will stay competitive in higher education’s difficult economic climate.

We should continue to expand our horizons and develop new programs but keep in mind that the programs we already have need maintenance. If our core programs aren’t kept up to date, there’d be little point in expanding.

We also shouldn’t forget what makes Linfield great: a solid liberal arts curriculum, an interdisciplinary approach, sublime faculty and staff, and an appreciation for diversity in all forms.

The wine studies major embraces all these characteristics, making it a fairly certain bet for Linfield.

It’s a big achievement for Linfield and should be celebrated then extrapolated on.