College Life

You have rights....but not here.

2009-06-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Photo thanks to sxc.hu

North Korea seems to once again create extra tension between them and the United States.

On March 17, Lauran Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists from Current TV in San Francisco, were apprehended by North Korean soldiers on the North Korea China border.

The charges placed against them are "committing hostilities against Korean nation and illegal entry," said KCNA. They are being sentenced to 12 years of hard labour.

According to the New York Times "The United States government had demanded that the North forgo the legal proceedings and release the two women."

The women were doing a story on refugees fleeing from North Korea to China in search of food.

It's unknown if or when North Korea will release the two back to the U.S. but the U.S. is still pursuing their release.

Additional sources: http://www.topix.com/topstories/north-korea
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/asia/08north.html

-Erik Bender

Sailor duck saves life.

2009-06-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Bay Area News reported that a rubber duck in the form of a sailor saved a 90-year-old woman's life this weekend.

Thursday, after Shirley Madsen had a riveting day at the casino she decided to have a bath before dinner.

"I only had an egg and a half of a pancake for breakfast," Madsen said. "When I got home I was trying to decide whether to have dinner first or take a bath."

According to Madsen's daughter, Diane Weber, Madsen leads a very active lifestyle, and it is not uncommon for her to miss her daughters phone calls during the day.

However, when Madsen decided to get out of the tub she could not lift herself. She stayed warm by continually draining and refilling the tub with warm water.

Too weak to use her hands as a cup, Madsen discovered that a rubber sailor duck had a hole in the bottom that would be sufficient for collecting water.

Madsen was discovered by Weber on Saturday when another daughter, Christine Steigelman grew concerned. Madsen returned home with dry skin, a deep tissue bruise and the equivalence of two bed sores.

"I will never get in another bathtub, ever," Madsen said.

With a laugh, she further advises: "Get a bunch of rubber duckies and make sure one of them can't swim."

Having a safety plan is important when many of us have older relatives that are beginning to show signs of aging. Madsen's daughter Steigelman said, "We are close (family) and we had a routine, but we did not have a plan."

Madsen will be equipped with a waterproof medical alert device in case of this ever happening again. Unfortunately for some, it is too late, our elderly relatives may be too weak or confused to push the button on the device.

Do you have an elderly relative or neighbor who doesn't have extended family? Make sure you talk with your family or neighbor to create a plan like Madsen's daughters did. If she doesn't answer their twice daily phone calls, a member of their family will go to her home and check on her.

For more information on medical alert devices, check out LifeStation's 11 tips, and an article in the NYTimes about the importance of research.

Flickr photo by Jo Naylor.

-Becca Martino

Finals Week!

2009-06-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

So this week is finals week, everyone has their heads slammed into their books, studying, studying, and more studying. I have found that having short hair is a benefit during finals week, why you ask? Because, all the hair I've been trying to pull out is too short for me to do so!

The bright side is, after this week, most of us can relax. Unless you are getting right back into the mix by taking summer classes of course.

Everyone knows this is a stressful time. Some ways to alleviate that stress are as follows:

Go to Collegehumor.com and scroll around, I guarantee you will laugh.
Take an hour out of the day and go to the gym.
Go take a walk
Play with a cat, they are proven to reduce stress...unless you are allergic, than stay away.
Stop studying, turn the lights off, put some techno on, and dance. (I listen to techno and dance while I study, but that's just me)
Put your face in a hole here.
Read about other peoples misfortunes at FMyLife.com.
Take naps.

So, there you have it folks. I had a great time with all of you in class! Study hard, don't over exert yourself, and good luck on your finals!

-Justin Brauch

Photo Credit: poppy2323 at flickr.com.

2009-06-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know what these big seed plants are? They have self seeded all over the Philomath area; the flowers are purple and about four or five inches in diameter the seeds look like giant dandelion seeds. I think their beautiful. When I was a child I used to pick dandelion seeds, make a wish and blow them all over the yard chasing them in the breeze and trying to catch them. It was a silly little game that I played by my self when I was around eight or nine years old.
photo by: Lillian Love Whoops this is suppose to be on the photo blog. Me and my computer are haveing quite the time trying to get the write blog account up. forgive me this will be in it's rightful area soon.

LBCC dives deep for local youth

2009-06-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

LBCC’s physical science department has partnered with the Oregon Workforce Alliance to deploy an underwater and volcanic exploration team.

The team, which consists of LBCC students and nearly 50 young adults ages 14-21 from across Oregon, will spend part of July and August engineering, building, and operating an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

The ROV will do the deep water diving and exploration of the underwater volcanic geology of Newberry Caldera, 70 meters under the surface of Paulina Lake, a part of Newberry National Volcanic Monument, 25 miles south of Bend. The team will operate and maintain the vehicle from the shore, analyzing data, videos, and samples, and documenting the research, according to an LBCC press release.

LBCC physical science instructor Greg Mulder and a team of undergraduates, including LBCC’s ROV Club, will be on staff for nearly six weeks at Paulina this summer.

“This is really exciting,” Mulder said. “A number of our students get to take part in real-world exploration and discovery.”

The goal of the project is to better understand Oregon geology and expose participants to career choices in science, engineering, and math.

In addition, the LBCC ROV Club will travel to Buzzards Bay, Mass. next month to the Marine Advance Technology Education Center for an international ROV competition. According to Mulder, at the last competition LBCC’s ROV Club beat out schools such as Purdue and MIT.
The club’s current mission is to “design an ROV capable of successfully completing a submarine rescue training exercise,” states the ROV Web page.

The Oregon Workforce Alliance is supporting the project financially with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars to make the program available to at-risk teens and adults

“We’re thrilled to support and partner on this project. Youth across rural Oregon will benefit from the opportunity and experience, hopefully sparking their interest for their future and career choices,” said Kris Latimer, CEO of the Oregon Workforce Alliance.

According to the release, being part of an exploratory team will give participants the opportunity to gain skills in communication, self-esteem, and teamwork.

Other partners in the project include Clatsop Community College, Central Oregon Community College, Community Services Consortium, Linn Benton Lincoln Workforce Investment Board, and the Job Council.

Additional information about the project and enrollment in LBCC’s ROV Club is available at www.tocowa.org/urov.html or www.lbccrov.com. For more information about the Oregon Workforce Alliance, go to www.tocowa.org or call Kris Latimer, at 541-928-0241.

(photo credit: LBCC ROV club)

People Who Make a Difference

2009-06-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

This year has been one of the best years in my life. I have learned more this year then anytime that I can remember. I would not have been able to do as well if it were not for all the help and genuine support that I received from teachers, counselors and students. The students who greeted me every mourning,made coffee, and prepared my lunch every day will all be missed. I was spoiled with all the fabulous service and excellent gourmet food I received everyday at school . You will all be missed and I look forward to seeing all, who return next fall. I hope you all have a great Summer!
Posted by, Lillian Love

Welcome to Camp (David Studios)

2009-06-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

A band can only be as good as it’s recording. David Lindell, a Corvallis area native, has been recording bands and single handedly running Camp David Studio since late 2005. David started the camp in his moms garage. He quickly made enough money to move the camp into a storage unit in south town Corvallis, where it sat for 3 years before David moved it to Portland.

Why work at a gas station or in fast food when you could record bands. David started the camp so he could be his own boss, so he didn’t have to get a “real job.” He chooses when he works, and who he works with. I don’t think that David realizes the impact he has on other bands. He helps bands take it to the nest level.

Just a small list of bands that David has recorded includes Broadway Calls, the Angries, No City Lights, Arise the dead, Rental 58, The Reed Sea, Two Hands, Box Modern and many more.

The thing that really sets Camp Dave apart from other studios is David’s precise attention to detail. When working on the computer he’s known to pull every track apart down to the shortest of intervals fading out unneeded rings, leveling out volumes and adjusting the tones. This dedication along with the highest quality of equipment makes for one sweet recording.

Ross Goodman, of No City Lights, had the pleasure of recording with his band at Camp David Studio Several times. “He’s pretty professional, yet makes it a loose working atmosphere.” Goodman explained that the songs he’d recorded with David have helped immensely in getting shows and that David also helps gain bands recognition by featuring songs recorded by them on his MySpace page. “David has a lot of creative insight for the bands recording with him, whether they choose to accept it or not is up to them.”

If you’re in a band considering doing some recording, think about heading to the camp to lay down a couple tracks. David just urges that if you do come to record with him, “make sure you’re ready to go and bring a good attitude. I try my very hardest to make you sound good, you should too!”

You can contact David through the camp’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/davidlindellaudio. He welcomes any questions you may have and would be glad to set up an appointment to record.

photo by Mike Finn

-Blair McMackin

ASG explains "hiring practices"

2009-05-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

In a letter to the editor printed in The Commuter two weeks ago, “In regards to the Student Government hiring practices,” a student expressed concerns about having to submit a photo with her application to ASG. She also had concerns with “quickly squeezed- in” five minute interviews and the lack of representation of students in ASG over 30 years old.

According to Toni Klohk, ASG‘s faculty advisor, the reason a picture is required from applicants is that, if they are hired, a photo needs to be available for the Web site. In addition, she said the students in ASG are well-briefed on equal opportunity laws, on what can and can’t be asked, and what they can and can’t take into consideration. However, she does feel a good point was made in the letter and that they are currently reviewing the photo policy.

“Normally, it is required for the elections, for publicity on the Web site and other places,” Klohk said. “ I think probably what happened is, unfortunately, when that application was sent out that was not taken off. “

In response to the five minute interviews, Klohk said they had apologized up front for the “rushed” interviews but most of the hiring process was based on the application itself and the “thoroughness" of what the students had filled out.

“Even if they weren’t rushed, it would have probably taken no more than five to seven minutes,” Klohk said.

As for the concern that there is a need for more representation for students over 30 years of age, Klohk explained that one of the representatives of the business division is over 50 years old.

Chelsea Ellertson, student activity coordinator, also added in saying that ASG is not the only group in the Student Life and Leadership office and that there is good age representation of all ages in all the other groups.

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kandyjaxx/2012468692/)

Story by Ryan Henson

Getting involved with social networking

2009-05-30T12:43:00.001-07:00

On May 20, in the LBCC library, a workshop was held on social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. The workshop was taught by Richenda Wilkinson, a librarian at LBCC. The focus of the workshop was not only to get people more familiar with online networking, but to actually get them set up with accounts and networking for themselves.

Wilkinson started the workshop by explaining the importance of online networking. She explained that it’s about keeping in contact with people, re-contacting old friends, and basic social networking. She also explained the differences between Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, and explained why she prefers Facebook over Myspace. According to Wilkinson Myspace has more adds and she also stated that “Myspace is used more by younger people.”

Wilkinson also showed us some special social networking sites that focus on people having things in common with others, her example of this was a network for people involved with sewing.

Wilkinson also went over the advantages and geniusness of marketing and advertising through social networks, “it’s really a great tool for marketers.” The advertisers collect information from you through what you do on network and then display adds fitting to what you like or are into.

After a thorough explanation on how networking works Wilkinson proceeded to help everybody set up a Facebook account as well as register with the school they attended for high school. Within minutes people all through out the room were finding friends from high school that they hadn’t seen of heard from in decades. At that point the true importance of social networking became apparent and accepted by almost everyone in the room.

John McArdle, the director of development, attended the workshop for many reasons. For one, he has a son who is currently a sophomore in high school that has bought into the age of online networking. McArdle also stated that, “I’m trying to lean where this makes sense in the business world.”

Social networking is a great tool that a lot of people still don’t know the importance of. In the fastly changing world of technology it is important to keep an open mind and welcome new tools for the future. There are scheduled to be more workshops on social networking in the future so I would encourage anyone looking to embrace and take advantage of these new technologies to attend. I will update this as soon as I know when the workshops will be held, or you could keep checking the campus shorts.

Just keep in mind that if you don’t give social networking a try you may never know what you’ll miss or who you will find.

-Blair McMackin

Q&A with Sami Laskos

2009-05-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

On April 22, there was a special surprise waiting in the LBCC Commons for students. Sami Laskos, a Culinary student at LBCC had made a cake depicting zombie's eating Chef Scott Anselm's head. I had the chance to see the cake with my own eyes, and speak with Sami in an email interview for a short Q&A.

Laskos, a second year culinary student, had made the cake because she had signed up for a bakery display rotation.

Culinary student James Scales has had plenty of experience working with Sami and really enjoyed her creative cake, "The best part about working with Sami is she has the ability to get the work done. No matter what it is, she can motivate a group, organize people, or getting through any of the work that needs to be done, and she'll do it in a way that's fair to everyone involved."

Sami Laskos proudly looking over her completed cake.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me the other day about your cake. Why did you make this cake?

The cake was a project for my Bakery Display rotation. As a second year
culinary student, there are 6 mandatory rotations and 7 "elective"
rotations; each rotation is 8 or 9 school days. Bakery Display is an
elective rotation with a pretty simple goal: create something that
demonstrates at least 3 bakery skills. It's incredibly open ended. There
have been sugar sculptures, chocolate sculptures, even a Rice Krispie
castle... But I think cakes are the most popular because the basics are
familiar, but a cake can transform into almost anything.

At the end of your rotation you display your project in the scramble area.

What was your inspiration?

As a first year culinary student I said I'd never do a Bakery Display
project... I'm not good in the Bakery. Cooking and Baking lay at opposite
ends of the culinary spectrum. Cooking is pretty "free-form" and there
aren't a lot of rules: some of this, some of that... Baking is more
scientific and exact, and I think it requires more patience.

Over the summer I watched an episode of "Ace of Cakes" that lit the fire. A
woman wanted a cake for her husband with zombies sucking his brains. Simply,
I liked the idea of a zombie cake much better than I liked the idea of a
traditional wedding cake. School started a few weeks later and I signed up
for the rotation. The decision didn't really catch up to me until 6 months
later when the rotation came up and I went "Oh shit... I guess now I have to
do it."

How long did the cake take to make?

Not including the hours I spent hammering out the idea and mapping out a
game plan... I'd say somewhere around 30 hours in the kitchen. At one point
I fell behind (the zombies were trickier that I'd imagined) and I was coming
in before school and staying after to get it done...

What was your favorite part about making the cake?

Truely, I didn't know what I was doing. I just kinda went for it... and I
suprised myself.

Little things like lips and eyes took forever. Where things like carving
facial features out of cake seemed to almost happen on their own. Each small
accomplishment boosted me for the next challenge.

It's a great feeling to work really hard on something and then have it turn
out better than you'd imagined (the silly thing actually looked like chef
scott!). The cake is actually still sitting the classroom because I just
can't bear to get rid of it yet : )

What did the other students think?

I tried to keep the identity of the head a secret until the last minute- but
Chef Scott knows everything that happens in that kitchen and I'm sure he
knew before I did. Chef took it in good humor, though he says he'll get me
back : ). As for students, there was a lot of "you're doing what?!" and
"they're letting you do that?" I'm still in shock that I got away with it.
throughout the whole project I was kind of waiting for someone to put a stop
to it. But they didn't, and I just kept pushing. The blood was the "frosting
on the cake" if you will... the head looked much more innocent before the
blood. It even dried like real blood! Overall, the kitchen got a kick out of
it.

Chef Scott Anselm, noted that "Sami's cake was very creative and incorporated many sound culinary techniques. Sami is skilled and has a good sense of humor. I think she and the other students enjoyed poking fun at me. We all have a good tome together in the kitchen."

- Q&A/ Photo: Becca Martino

College Life is Stressful....

2009-05-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the end of the term and once again I've fallen behind in almost all of my classes...In the last few months I haven't had time to breathe or sleep let alone accomplish everything that has been piled upon me. So here is the starting point. the start of dead week. I plan to spend the next seven days doing nothing but working on homework and hitting the books. hopefully I'll be able to maintain my C average but even that is going to take an immense amount of work. All I can do is try my best and see what happens...

-Blair McMackin

ESOL host showcase at Benton Center

2009-05-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, May 13, the English for Speakers of Other Languages program held a showcase at the Benton Center featuring speakers and participants from all over the world. The showcase gave students the chance to show off their countries while publicly practicing speaking English.

The showcase was held to help spread awareness of ESOL and the impact it has on the community and world. “Many students don’t realize what a large ESOL program we have, and that there’s so many students from other countries who study right here at the Benton Center and in Albany,” said Mary Browning a faculty member in the ESOL department.

William Vargas, a student from El’ Salvador explained to me how ESOL classes have helped him in understanding the English Language. Vargas plans on becoming a permanent citizen so to him proper knowledge of the English language is a must.

The ESOL hosts this event every spring to kind of wrap up bringing an end to the year, but the showcase can be expected to be seen for many years to come. When asked about budget cuts ESOL instructor Kristi McMorran replied, “we’re lucky that we get a lot of federal funding for our program so we’re not just tuition based, so I don’t expect that we will have budget cuts within our program that will effect the students.”

The ESOL department hosts both credited and non-credited classes at three different levels; beginning, intermediate, and advanced that are designed for foreign students to sharpen their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The classes are offered both morning and evenings every term in both Albany and Corvallis.

-Blair McMackin

2009-05-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Students gathered Wednesday, May 20, in the center of LBCC to exchange information with many groups represented at LBCC.

Top second and fourth: pictures are representatives for a sustainability group that is just getting started.
Top third: Recycling tech.
Top fifth: Overview
Center Left: We were fortunate to have Jamba Juice representation.
Center Right: Nick Bowman (student body president), Stephen Roderick (Former Student Programming Board member ), Jesus Alcaras (SPB publicity coordinate), Jessica Van Atta
(student ambassador)
Bottom Center: Caleb Doner, Phi Theta Kappa member.

Summer lovin' will have us a blast . . .

2009-05-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Summer is knock, knock, knocking on our doors, and many of us are starting to concoct ideas, trips, and shenanigans.

Unfortunately for us, we still live in Oregon. It will rain. It is inevitable according to the Country Studies website, and Albany can expect anywhere from .5-7.7 inches of rainfall each month.

When it does rain, we should be prepared. Like a philosophical man once said, turn on, tune in and drop out. Oh wait, I'm talking about surfing the web. Put on your fingerless gloves kids, it's time to have some fun with my favorite time-killing sites!

If you'd like to do some shopping, go to MySimon, where you can shop for prices 'till your cows come home.

Looking for a present for that special someone that likes quirky shirts? Or perhaps you're in the office on a rainy day and feel the sudden urge to shoot someone with a marshmellow? Head to ThinkGeek for your shenanigans.

But what if that special someone is being a Debbie-Downer and you need a laugh? Well, odd news stories always cheer me up and I know just where to look. If you go to Drew Curtis' Fark you will not be disappointed as they update several times a day with genres like sad, strange or scary stories. You will find the best stories originate in Germany or Florida.

Next, head over to PopCap to numb your brain a little longer with a riveting game of Zuma or my nephew's new favorite, Mummy Maze.

Know someone getting married? The Knot has all the tools you need to transform into bride-zilla.

Feel like flexing your brain muscles? Check out this day in history over at the History Channel Website, then skip over to Hulu for your favorite summer flicks like Southland or So You Think You Can Dance.

So, before you know it, the day has gone, the rain has slowed down to a drips pace, go to the Weather Channel Website to find the rest of your weeks forecast.

Happy surfing folks!

_Becca Martino
Fingerless gloves photo by voteprime/ surfing photo by chrisjohnbeckett's (Flickr).

Facebook and Students

2009-05-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

Facebook is one of the fastest growing social networks for college students since it's inception in 2004. To this day it a useful tool for students to get connected to friends and other like-minded individuals who have a desire to become socially interactive on the go or while at home.
Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and a couple roommates of his while he was attending Harvard University. It eventually branched out into Boston Mass., and spread outwards until its membership has now reached outwards of 200 million world-wide. Originally intended for college students, with over 30,000 recognized colleges, universities, organizations it's growth has spawned to make it comparable to MySpace now, which in large part has been the social networks world leader.
One of the many great things for college students that make Facebook appealing is that weeds out a lot of the teens and stalkers that you may have heard about on MySpace. They are more rigourous in their approving an account, in many places they ask that you have an college email address or ask you what college, or university that you have attended and assert you in that group of people.
Another thing that makes Facebook appealing to a larger audience is that it is more adult orientated in its eye-appeal, it's not teeny bopperish, or flirty, it seems in its own way more adult-like. A lot of business professionals are using Facebook and are connecting to more people through Facebook than MySpace because of the professional-like shell.
Overall in this day and age of new gadgets and saviness in this author's opinion, I think it is a necessary tool in networking and moving on in this great world wide web.

-Frank C. Warren

The search for LBCCs next president

2009-05-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

With current LBCC President Rita Cavin officially retiring next December, the hunt for our next college president has begun.

To help with the search, the school has brought in Al Fernandez and Michael Viera, consultants from Community College Search Services. They were on campus last week holding focus group sessions to identify characteristics and skills the next president should have in order to address the college’s current challenges.

“We are not here to select [the next college president], but to facilitate,” Viera said. Different sessions were held for classified employees, faculty, staff, students, and the LBCC Board of Education.

According to a handout provided by Fernandez and Viera, they will help with brochure development, candidate recruitment, preliminary candidate evaluation and interviews, board interviews, comprehensive reference reports, a college forum for finalists, and the interview held with the board of education.

According to Jim Huckestein, vice president of finance and operations, the bill for the consultants is $26,000. During one of the meetings, an open session for all staff and students, the budget was the number one concern for those in attendance and, because there is not enough money coming from the state, one of the qualities of the new president should be the ability to “think outside of the box” in order to generate more funds for the school.

No students chose to attend the meeting.

So, the Commuter has been asking students around campus what qualities and skills they think our next president should have.

Jamie Corwin, an LBCC student in the medical @ flickr office specialist program, feels that our next president should have “a lot of people skills because this is a very diverse college.”

Michelle Evans, a graphic design major and barista at Hot Shots, would like our next president to be someone “who knows how to listen and is open to new ideas.”

Adam LaMascus, a history major, hopes the next president is “savvy with money, creative, sympathetic, and responsible.”

Ryan Henson

(Photo credit: Leo Reynolds @ flickr)

Art Classes at LBCC visit Portland Art Museum

2009-05-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I and nearly thirty other students from Linn Benton Community College, and head of the art department of LBCC, Gary Westford, headed up to Portland Oregon to the Portland Art Museum, Friday. Westford had encouraged students from three of his classes, two Understanding Art classes and one Art History class, to attend the function, so that they could get a better understanding of different art from different periods of time throughout history as well as visit a once in a lifetime exhibit called the “La voluptė de go ȗt,” which would end on May 17, 2009.

One of the great experiences of college life is taking advantage of once in a lifetime experiences. I felt fortunate, as did others to have the chance to visit the “La volupte de go ut”, before the exhibit was over. There were a lot of great paintings that were presented at the museum that I had never even thought existed. Works by Leonardo DaVinci, Vincent Van Gogh and other great artists such as Andy Warhol were also located at the museum. They also a plethora of ancient artifacts from China, Korea, Japan and many other cultures and time

One of the newest additions to the Portland Art Museum was an 11th Century artifact from India called Ganesha. It is in the figure of a man with the head of an elephant. A lot of history goes into this artifact, both in it's religious and cultural aspects making this piece very unique.

History and art can both found at this great museum that is currently ranked one of the greatest museums in the world. For me it was a great place to understand art all over again.

Gary Westford explaining some artistic facts about Portland.

-Frank C. Warren a.k.a. Frank the Tank

Layoffs at LBCC are heartfelt

2009-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Layoffs at LBCC are heartfelt by many and responses are noted today. After 23years of service Janet Jones employee at LBCC cafeteria suffers lay off. A smile on her face and tears in her eyes Jones checks out each patron at the cash register. When asked how are you today? “I’m worried I could lose 50 percent of my PERS retirement approximately 50 thousand dollars if unable to find another job with PERS benefits. There is a stimulus package available to help with 65 percent of the monthly payment for my family health insurance for nine months. My cost is $365.60 and my unemployment doesn’t kick in until Sept."

"I have given my heart to this program.” Jones said. “ I am not the only person you should be talking to, there are several other people that are being laid-off and having a more difficult time like Ramone he has seven children.” Jones said.

How difficult it must be to still have your job and watch your co-workers lose their jobs. “Nobody feels safe. I feel bad about the loss it’s kind of like a sudden death.” Pam Adams said.

Ramone said, “I was looking forward to starting my 11th year at LBCC. I had a management position and I was shocked when I found out I am going to be laid- off at the end of this term. I thought at the minimum another job would be offered.,” said Ramone.

When asked how are you feeling? I feel numb. I just want to be strong for my kids. I have seven children six adopted and one child we have legal guardianship. They are between the ages of four and 11years old and one is a special needs child. I am fortunate to have the support of my wife, a natural grandparent of one of the adopted kids that helps as well as an aunt and uncle that watch our special needs child once a week to give us a break,” said Ramone.

What are your options? “Maybe I’ll go back to school. I really do not know what is available out there yet we are supposed to get some information to help us from the school in a couple of weeks. I cannot give up I have to stay strong for my kids” Said Ramone.

"LBCC has an expected 2.6 millon dollars in shortfalls." Marlene Propst said.

Anyone looking for more information to understand what LBCC is being faced with financially can visit the LBCC website. The video at the bottom of the list is from the LBCC president.

http://po.linnbenton.edu/stateofthecollege/stateofthecollege2009/

By Lillian Love

Celebrate diversity: 55 years since Brown v Board

2009-05-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

58 years ago, in Topeka, Kansas, a lawsuit was brought against the Board of Education by 13 parents on behalf of 20 children according to Brownvboard.org.

On May 17, 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the parents, granting African- American students the right to attend any public school.

The originates in Topeka, when a young African-American girl named Linda Brown, was told she could not attend a public school close to her home. Instead, she was sent to an "all blacks" school nearly an hour away.

Chief Justice Earl Warren stated that the "separate but equal" doctrine was in clear violation of the 14th amendment "which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws."

The parents involved in the Brown v. Board of Education case weren't the only to petition the government regarding segregation.

In the late 1800s, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that having segregated railroad cars fit within the description of the 14th amendment in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. This ruling was consequential to the residents of Kansas and other states because it declared that all public locations were appropriately segregated.

Creating a tidal wave of demand, five different cases originating from Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C., involving with 200 plaintiffs were combined under the Brown v. Board case, which left positive social changes in its wake.

Women protesting Brown v. Board: "We like you, but we don't want you in our school". Flickr photo by Techne.

According to the History Channel website, the U.S. Supreme Court required public schools to "integrate with all deliberate speed."

Today, residents in Topeka, Kansas, celebrated the courts ruling. Linda Brown just happened to be one of those attending.

"How much it's meant to so many people all over the United States, not only all over the United States but the entire world," Linda Brown said.

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Without the Brown v. Board act, we would not be able to appreciate the great diversity our world has to offer. Open minds would be fewer,hatred would perhaps run rampant and we wouldn't be celebrating our first black president.

Fortunately, US history has proven that people will always stand up for the greater good, and our constitution will be there to back them up.

Map provided by Google.

To view a short clip of "This day in History" click here. Provided by History.com.

The right to freedom of.....

2009-05-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

Freedom of press isn’t accepted everywhere in the world. Some countries detain and punish journalists for covering government scandals and corruption. There is a price for the news we receive.

The Channel 4 News team from Britain was released from Sri Lanka, May 16. The news team was arrested for their report on abuse of the Tamils people.

The Tamil Tiger is a known rebel group also on the list of known terrorist groups, who is at civil war with Sri Lankan government, and has recently admitted to defeat by the Sri Lankan government.

“As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began,” said CNN. Many of them civilians caught up in the crossfire.

According to AFP's report on Yahoo “the original report, broadcast on Tuesday, contained allegations of sexual abuse and claimed that dead bodies were left where they fell, as well as water and food shortfalls.”also "the Sri Lankan government estimates that up to 20,000 civilians are being held by the Tamil Tigers as human shields."

The network behind the British news team ITN said they stand behind the actions and conduct of their journalists.

-Erik Bender

Relay For Life Turnout at OSU

2009-05-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

This was an annual event that took place in the Memorial Union Quad. It was a 14-hour event that lasted through Friday night into Saturday morning. The turnout was great and there were a lot of booths and tents set up to celebrate the lives of people who have died, beat, and who are still fighting cancer.

Relay for Life is in it's third year at OSU. The money raised from this event goes to the American Cancer Society. During this event you can sign up to walk around the MU and each lap is sponsored so you are raising money while you walk. There was also a live band playing most of the night and other activities going on around the quad.

This event definitely hit home for me since my sister had non-Hodgkins lymphoma which she eventually beat after a long hard fought battle. This event definitely raises awareness and demonstrates to others who are not so aware about how many people are actually affected by cancer.

The OSU MU Cam picked up the whole event and is sped up so you can see how it turned out. This is a really cool video so I recommend you take a look.

Thanks for reading,

Justin Brauch

Photo Credit: http://cyndygreen.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/relay4life.jpg

Balancing Homework with Your Social Life

2009-05-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Since the topic of the class blog is about college life, I thought I'd give a few tips on how to stop procrastinating on your college schoolwork and get things done so that you can actually do what you want (like have fun!).

1. Don't schedule in fun activities if you know you have a big project due around that date. It's okay to say no to a friend who wants to hang out if you know your term paper is due soon and you need to finish it. If you schedule something in advance, then check on the syllabus so you know when assignments are due. That way you can get some schoolwork done early and it won't interfere with your designated fun time.

2. Give yourself breaks in between working. It's very hard to do something for several hours at a time. Why do you think you get a lunch break at work? Depending on how much time and effort the assignment takes, make sure you're getting enough of it done between the breaks. If you need to, snack during those breaks to get a little energy boost, and do something relaxing to clear your head for a bit. When you come back to your homework, you won't feel so overwhelmed.

3. Do prep work ahead of time. If you have to write a research paper, then gather your research materials and the information you are going to use ahead of time (at least a day before). When you actually have to sit down and write the thing, all the information you need will already be compiled, giving you less work to do.

Those are my three steps to procrastination success! Although I must say, I'm not always the best at following them. The key is to plan ahead!

Get Those Clips: Work for the Commuter

2009-05-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Dear future journalists,

As some of you may have heard, I have been appointed as editor in chief of the Commuter and will begin by overseeing the Web site over the summer.

I call out to those of who maybe considering a career in journalism and ask that you get involved with the Web site this summer and with the new printed version that will debut next fall. By working for the Commuter, you can obtain the crucial skills (and clips) needed to make it in this field.

Starting this week, I will begin interviewing for all editor positions -- including managing editor, photo editor, online editor, news editor, a&e editor, sports editor, and opinion editor. Also, in addition to the editor positions, I am looking for cartoonists, columnists, photographers, and news reporters. Tuition credits may be available.

To obtain an application, see the Commuter's faculty advisor Rob Priewe in his office (F-112) or stop by the Commuter (F-222).

Hope to hear from you,

Ryan Patrick Henson

(Photo credit: seychelles88 @ Flickr)

Iraq Veteran Gives Testimony

2009-05-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

An Iraq war veteran and LBCC student, Benji Lewis, spoke to a room full of students, staff, and community members, telling them “it is not natural for a human being to take another human being’s life.”

The speech, which took place in the Board Room last Thursday, was sponsored by LBCC Peace Studies and Veterans for Peace Chapter 132 and was part of Lewis’s state-wide “We Can Say No” speaking tour. Lewis, a former Marine, gave a personal testimony that focused on the events that led him to refuse involuntary reactivation and the experiences he had with, what Lewis calls, military and cultural indoctrination.

In order to illustrate a point about the breakdown tactics used by the military, Lewis talked about “water physical training.” According to Lewis, he and his fellow recruits were told that in order to not dehydrate, they had to drink large amounts of water in a short amount of time. If they vomited, they were prompted to roll around on the ground in order to “mop the floor.” Once they all could hold the water down, they sat in a set of bleachers in the heat without anyone around. Because of a fear of the consequences of using the restroom without permission, the recruits urinated themselves.

“I want to bring to light that both of these techniques for breaking people down are what the CIA is using now for torture techniques… we are using these tactics on our own American troops,” Lewis said.

After boot camp, Lewis told the crowd that he was given a number of false promises and that his unit was told they would not be going to Iraq.

His unit was sent to Iraq, however, and served as mortar patrol in the first siege in Fallujah. One day, after Lewis had spent days without sleep, a woman whose family had been killed by his mortar fire asked him for help. Orders from above told Lewis he could not transport her to the Red Cross. She was handed a bottle of water and sent back into the city - “a breech… a war crime,” Lewis said.

Although the incident with the woman stuck with Lewis, What he calls his “Buddha moment” happened during his second tour in Fallujah. While guarding a gate outside of the city, Lewis had to turn away a man because the gates had been closed for the day. The man, angered by this, told Lewis he just wanted to go home and see his family. Lewis looked at the man and told him that there was nothing he could do about it. He told the man that he wanted to go home as well. The man turned to Lewis and said, “ I have this great idea. Why don’t you all go home, and then I’ll go home.”

“This made so much sense to me,” Lewis said to the crowd. “When I came home, I said I was never going to Iraq again because it was madness over there… Americans were dying and Iraqis were dying, for a senseless conflict, for profit, for other people.”

Last October, after being honorably discharged in 2007, Lewis said that he was called back from the Individual Ready Reserve, and knew that he wasn’t going back. He showed up for a physical in Missouri to prove he was fit for duty and to let the Marine Corp. know that he was not going back.

“I fought for my country, now I am going to fight for myself… it was time to fight for my brothers and sisters in the military, to let them know that they don’t have to stand for the injustices that are going on.

Lewis said he publicly refused his activation and began his “We Can Say No” campaign. For a while, he faced court-martial. However, on April 16, while speaking in Olympia, his orders were canceled.

“So, this big campaign has been a huge success. Not only do I get my orders canceled, but also I tell recruiters all the time that I feel bad for them. They are trying to get two people into the military a month, and I am able to talk all these other people out of it,” Lewis said.

News Reporting - Spring '09

2009-04-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this blog, created by LBCC's News Reporting class.

Over the next six weeks we will explore an issue of interest to students in the class. Some of the suggestions so far: Sports, Food, Entertainment, Politics, Community, College Life...

-rp-

(Photo credit: "TED 2008: The Big Questions" by Erik Charlton, courtesy of Flickr.com)