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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend June 18, 2006 Putting smarts to the test By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER — Few things frighten people as much as the fear of public speaking. Those who administer Mensa tests would argue that little strikes terror into the intellectual's heart like failing to score above the 98th percentile of their exams. The 50,000-member American Mensa society put out the call for potential new members this month at testing sites around the country. Not surprisingly, there were a lot more people relaxing at the Del Rio Vineyards tasting room just down the road on Saturday than there were hunkered over the Mensa test at the Rogue River Library. "People get real resistant," said Tina Bernette of Jacksonville, who interviewed several no-show Mensa wannabes during the previous week. "They're afraid they're not going to do well. We had a pool of 15 that had inquired, but there's a real fear of failure." Mensa membership is open to persons scoring in the top 2 percent of the general population on an approved intelligence test. There is no other qualification or disqualification for membership eligibility. On this day, Mensa proctors outnumbered test-takers 2-to-1. Charles Awalt, who works at the Clackamas County Historical Society, asked a young woman entering the library if she was there to take the Mensa test. "I already have a fragile self-esteem," the woman shot back as she walked away. Only two people — one by design and one along for the ride — submitted to the two-hour ordeal. "I wasn't doing anything Saturday so I thought it might be fun to see what happens," said Chris Welton, who sets up new escrow files for First American Title in Medford. "When I was a kid, I took the California Achievement Test and tested pretty well. I thought 'What the hell, I'm kind of interested to see the Mensa test.'" Welton has a political science degree from Southern Oregon University and had a 1260 SAT score, as he recalls, in high school (under the old scoring system, that's well above average). His girlfriend, Jennifer Varner, wasn't planning to take the test. "I figure I can just read," she said, before giving in to cranial exercise. Testing is behind closed doors, with no one but the proctors on hand. Bernette punched her admission ticket several years before realizing she was qualified. Bernette was reading Omni magazine when she saw a Mensa advertisement listing qualifying scores. "I took the Miller Analogies Test when I was getting ready for graduate school at Southern Oregon in 1989," she said. "I knew I had a score above the one listed and went and dug it out." Awalt has been a long-time Mensa member. His wife Diane joined the fraternity five years ago, based on a standardized test taken in the third grade when she lived in Arvada, Colo. "I was accompanying Charles to different (Mensa) functions and I found out those old school IQ tests counted. I had to call the school district and initially they just sent a high school transcript and my SAT scores — that wouldn't have gotten me in." After going through a battery of pattern recognition questions, computation, simple story problems and vocabulary tests, Welton and Varner were read a story. "We weren't allowed to take notes" Welton said. "You could only go on what you could remember, so that was kind of interesting. They don't expect you to finish everything, and some of them were about how much you could do in 12 minutes. I certainly don't have a feeling that I aced the test." Mensa doesn't tell its prospects how well they score, only if they made it or didn't. As for Varner? "I don't think I'm a member," she said. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or at [email protected] Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews