Some of you may have heard of the recent, horrifying event at George Fox University in our neighboring town, Newberg.
A cardboard cut-out of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was found hanging from a tree with fishing wire outside a residence hall the morning of Sept. 23 by custodial workers.
The effigy was removed before many had the chance to see it. It included graffiti that read, “Act 6 reject.” Act 6 is the university’s scholarship program aimed to recruit
minority students.
The president of the Christian school, which is known for its strict standards of student conduct, addressed the entire student body at chapel and urged students to embrace love, not hate. There are no leads at the moment as to who might be responsible for the hate crime.
This incident goes to show that it takes years, sometimes hundreds, to build up a reputation but just minutes to tear it down. It may not have been a student, or anyone affiliated with the university for that matter. Nonetheless, it all reflects back on George Fox.
Linfield is also a small college, and we too have a tiny percentage of minority students. It is scary to think this type of incident could happen on our own campus. Though we have been known for having a prestigious reputation and friendly student body for 150 years, one incident could change everything.
How do we prevent problems such as this from happening? The answers are education, involvement and public forums where views can be discussed and heard.
In this issue we wrote about a Tibetan artist, a guest on campus, and the painting he is creating. In his piece, the artist portrays a sword on fire which represents the sharpness of the human mind and how gaining knowledge burns away ignorance.
ASLC Senate started up this week, beginning yet another year of giving students the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and ideas to our college and to voice
their concerns.
College is defined as an institute of higher learning. This is the place and this is the time. At Linfield, you are surrounded by educators, such as assistant professor of psychology Jesús Ilundáin, who we profile this week in the features section. Take the opportunity to absorb all you can from these great minds and prepare to spread it to
the rest of the world.
In addition to knowledge, build yourself up. Surround yourself with people you admire and will not be ashamed to be linked to later in life. Bond with people who are different from yourself and discover what they can teach you.
Finally, be careful of what you do. It is said that actions speak louder than words. We all know it can take only one action to tear you down completely.
