T H E
L I N N - B E N T O N
C O M M U N I T Y
VOL. 52 EDITION 12
C O L L E G E
JAN. 27, 2021
Just another
Oregon Winter Day Valley Feels Its First Day of Snow in 2021 STORY BY HIKARI KAWAI The day began with a moody, brisk, gray morning. Nothing very significant, just another winter day in Oregon. Suddenly around noon, there is something more solid than rain falling onto the ground, barely enough for anyone to give much thought to. Time progressed, and so
did the significance of the weather outside. Now there are white fluffs falling down onto the ground. There are excited voices out on the street as people step outside to marvel at the flurry of white surrounding them. Cars slow down, struggling to maneuver in this sudden change in weather. A white quilt covers the Valley. Today it snowed. PHOTO: HIKARI KAWAI
A car slowly turns onto snow covered Northwest Monroe Avanue. PHOTO: DAKOTA GANGE
Makayla Atwood (left), Hannah Ivey, and Samantha Schmidt don’t hesitate to take advantage of the snow day here in Corvallis. “It’s even more fun like this!” the girls shout as they play at Franklin Square park. PHOTO: DAKOTA GANGE PHOTO: HIKARI KAWAI
Snow clings onto the tree branches and dead leaves.
A bright yellow raincoat sticks out like a sore thumb on this snowy day, where pitbull Nahla loves to play.
PHOTO: HIKARI KAWAI
Big fluffs of snowflakes fall, layering more and more snow on the street and all around Corvallis.
Inside this Edition
GRAPHICS: FREEPIK.COM
VIRTUAL LEARNING
SEE PAGE 2
PEACEFUL PROTEST
SEE PAGE 3
SPORTS
SEE PAGE 4
2
CAMPUS NEWS
JANUARY 27, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
Moving Forward,
Moving Back The Impact of Virtual Learning at LBCC
The Commuter is the weekly student-run newspaper for LBCC, financed by student fees and advertising. Opinions expressed in The Commuter do not necessarily reflect those of the LBCC administration, faculty and students of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, and cartoons reflect the opinions of the authors. LBCC is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Letters Welcome The Commuter encourages readers to use its “Opinion” pages to express their views on campus, community, regional and national issues. The Commuter attempts to print all submissions received, but reserves the right to edit for grammar, length, libel, privacy concerns and taste. Opinions expressed by letter submitters do not represent the views of the Commuter staff or the College. Deliver letters to: Address: The Commuter Forum 222 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW Albany, OR 97321 Web Address: LBCommuter.com Phone: 541-917-4451, 4452 or 4449 Email: commuter@linnbenton.edu Twitter @LBCommuter Facebook LBCC The Commuter Instagram @LBCommuter
Our Staff Adviser Rob Priewe Editor-in-Chief Katie Littlefield Layout Designer Rebecca Fewless Marketing/Advertising Isaieh Heiken Sean Ramos A&E Steven Pryor Joshua Bloedel Photography Editor Hikari Kawai Student Voice Editor Dakota Gange Web Master Marci Sischo Copy Editor Bowen Orcutt Contributors Karen Canan Brenda Autry David Shaughnessy Megan Oliver Tanner Johnson Natalie Pelc Abby Johnson Leah Biesack Alistar Woods Sydney Greene Aidan Arthur
STORY BY AIDAN ARTHUR Hours spent bent over a computer, typing and revising and submitting. Zoom meetings providing the only form of human contact. These are the shared experiences of millions of college students this year, including those at LBCC. This new reality has presented challenges for teachers and students, but there are upsides to virtual and online classes. For some teachers, they’ve led to innovation in learning. And the increased availability of LBCC classes, teachers, and tutors—which are now accessible basically anywhere with an internet connection— has allowed some students vastly increased opportunities for learning. “The virtual classroom takes away from being able to do group projects and group assignments…there’s not as much potential interaction,” said Steven Merge, an LBCC communication instructor. However, he added that “there are benefits, and the first one that comes to mind is that because classes are recorded, my students can go back and rewatch themselves and see what they’re doing really well and what they could improve in.” Chris Riseley teaches English at LBCC. “I do think that there is a hierarchy of effective distanced-ed strategies, and above that is in-class faceto-face teaching,” Riseley said. He also described a way that this time has allowed him to innovate in teaching. Rather than assign a textbook for his Shakespeare class, he let each student annotate a portion of the text they were reading, creating their own textbook based on resources they’d been given
The Linn-Benton Community College Poetry Club will host two upcoming poetry events, each featuring Anis Mojgani, the current Oregon Poet Laureate. Both events are free and open to the public. A two-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam and winner of the International World Cup Poetry Slam, Mojgani is the author of five books of poetry, an opera libretto called “Sanctuaries,” and a children’s book that will be released in the coming year. In addition to being a poet of “fiercely hopeful word arias,” he is a visual artist and musician. Originally from New Orleans, Anis currently lives in Portland. The events are: On Wednesday, Jan. 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m., Anis will perform his poetry, followed by a question-and-answer
JANUARY 27, 2021
LOCAL NEWS
Peaceful Protest
3
PHOTO: DAKOTA GANGE
A man sits in front of the gates that surround the Salem Capitol, and prays for peace for All from sunrise to sunset. “I’m just praying today that people who walk on this ground will feel peace.”
Lone Man Prays all Day for Peace Among an Empty Protest at the Capitol in Salem STORY BY DAKOTA GANGE AND CHRISSY VEACH
PHOTO: PHOTO FROM LBCC NEWS SERVICE
and individual research. In reference to that project and innovation generally, he said, “Any [teaching strategy] that’s super effective is going to stay when we go back to teaching face-to-face.” LBCC student Krista Fortenberry had a different perspective on the shift. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “I’m a single mom of two, so being able to do this all virtually gives me more opportunities since I don’t have to drive anywhere.” She also pointed out another valuable resource that has emerged from the distanced strategy: online office hours and tutoring. “The biggest help for me has been the tutors, that you can just get to them online instantly. Whenever I had a question, if a teacher wasn’t available, I could just get to a tutor online.” Riseley had a similar take on availability to students. “I expanded my office hours pretty much to infinity,” he said. “If you’re my student, you get my personal cell phone number and you can call me nine to five, Monday to Friday. This is the only way I get to have great conversations with every student.”
There is a significant difference between “virtual” classes that involve Zoom sessions and “online” classes that are even farther from regular learning. “I think real-time meetings are essential,” said Riseley. However, both teachers agreed that virtual classes still leave something to be desired. Riseley said, “There’s a level of learning that happens in a real-time classroom that even Zoom can’t help,” while Merge specified that “the drawback of the virtual class is that it’s harder to stay attentive and involved...there’s a lot of distractions for students.” The LBCC community has adjusted to a new reality, and switching back, however much many might want it, will have consequences. In the return to in-person instruction, school officials should consider what—or who—might be lost in that process. As Fortenberry said, “I hope that if they go back to in-person they keep the virtual part of it. The only reason I was able to come back to school was that it was virtual. I love it.”
LBCC hosts Oregon's Poet Laureate COURTESY OF LBCC NEWS SERVICE
COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU
session. On Friday, Jan. 29, from noon to 1:30 p.m., Anis will host a poetry workshop. Whether you write poetry or not, you are welcome to attend. To RSVP for these events, please register by clicking here and an email with the Zoom link and password will be sent to you. Linn-Benton Community College has an active and impactful student-led poetry club that dates back to at least 2008. Students from many different majors and backgrounds meet regularly to share original work and sharpen their appreciation for poetry. Their work has been performed at live events, compiled into written collections, and they have hosted wellknown poets from throughout the country. For the past 12 years, LBCC also hosts what is believed to be the only student Poet Laureate among the 1,200plus community colleges in the United States.
SALEM -- After the Capitol in Washington, D.C., was stormed by protesters, rumors circled the nation that more protests could happen at all state capitals on President Joe Biden's inauguration day. The rumors filled social media platforms, and both the City of Salem and local and state police informed the public of the potential for a violent protest. However, on Wednesday, Jan. 20, it was a quiet and rather calm day at the Capitol in Salem. Across the street from the Capitol a small crowd formed, not exceeding 25 people at any time. One woman flew an American and a Biden flag, and one man held up a cardboard sign criticizing those on the left, another man held two signs against President Trump, and two men calling themselves the “gospel guys” shared their message of Jesus and Christianity. This was the entirety of the protest, where
PHOTO: DAKOTA GANGE
Man protests against Trump across the street from the Salem Capitol.
journalists with cameras expecting a story outnumbered protesters. Many civilians walked by with camera phones, while the police circled the block, and cars honked their horns in support or disapproval. The front of the Capitol was bare of people, however, in front of the gates that surrounded the building knelt a man with a folded up flag and a lit candle, praying. His face and eyes were covered, and he declined to state his name. The man did not move from his position throughout the protest. “I committed to God that I would be here no matter what. I got here just as the sun was going up, and I plan on being here until sunset,” he said. “I’m just praying today that people who walk on this ground will feel peace.” “To me it’s energetics. … You don’t need to speak to get the energy out there, you can feel it. … Just the energy of me out here is doing something, and I’m trusting that God has asked me to be here for a purpose. “Whatever we do, it doesn’t matter if people see it or not, because it’s the energy that follows that matters.” He spoke about how we are all one body here in the world, and in the United States, and that “we cannot cut off one body part,” and the division between the two political parties is causing that to happen. “It’s not about the left or the right, it’s a cultural issue.” “My ancestors came over on the Mayflower, and they’ve been here ever since. That blood is in me. One of my Irish ancestors married a Cherokee, and so I have Cherokee blood. There is Catholicism in my family, and some of the first Mormons are in my blood line, as well as the Oregon settlers, and Montana cowboys; it’s just all in there!” “You can’t pick and choose, that’s my history. It’s the same with this country and its people, we don’t get to pick and choose, we have to learn to live with us all. We have to find a way to get along, cause we can’t divide off any one part,” he said.
PHOTO: CHRISSY VEACH
Biden flags flutter in the wind on this day at the Salem Capitol peaceful protest.
PHOTO: CHRISSY VEACH
Man holds sign that reads: “Democrat lawmakers not charged, not investigated! Hillary, Biden, Obama, Harris, etc., Schiff also FBI, CIA, etc., Members of Congress = Den of Thieves, Corrupt Judiciary, Scripted Congress, Fake News - ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Wall Street Traitors, Moral Hell.”
This man said he hopes for accountability among the hearts of the people in this country. “If we all as citizens take personal accountability for our own lives, never feeling like a victim, things will be better. If there's a challenge to hate, think: ‘How do I solve this and what do I do to make my life better? … It starts with personal accountability.” As seen on social media, opinions over what happened at the nation’s Capitol included many who were scared, and that the
Click here
For more information, contact Club Advisor Tristan Striker at striket@ linnbenton.edu.
Click here for more information
Capitol invasion instilled fears over safety and personal rights, or an attack on America itself. Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee tweeted during the D.C. protest: “I am in the House Chambers. We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks. Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber. This is not a protest. This is an attack on America.” The praying man at the Salem Capitol said, “The thing that happened at the Capitol, all those people, they said, ‘President Trump told me to do this,’ and that’s not personal accountability. It’s destructive, and just perpetuates the same things. I just feel like I have to pray for peace.” He talked about our freedom: “We come here and we get to choose. That’s why accountability is so important, no matter whether you're a homeless person or the POTUS” “People need to feel peace in their hearts. There’s just so many people who have been terrorized by Donald Trump... By Trump saying, ‘If I am not the president, this country will cease to exist,’ well that's terrorizing people because it’s not true. He’s been so good at scaring people.” “We have to remind people that they are part of our family, that we don’t hate or disapprove of them, we have to reach out to them. We all suffer from the human condition … we have a short amount of time that we’re alive, and so we have to learn the same lessons. … But that’s why we're here, to experience these lessons, and that’s why freedom is so important,” he said. “There’s an energetic balance to the world, and our prayers, energy, and thoughts all matter.” The man sat in silent protest for the remainder of the day, praying for peace among the masses. Nobody else talked to him for the remainder of the protest. Was it the fear of getting arrested that kept the State Capitol at peace that day? Or was it a realization that what happened in D.C. was not good? Perhaps it was the thought and wishes of peace among many. Regardless, there was one lone man out there that day, who seemed to have all our best interests in mind.
4
SPORTS
JANUARY 27, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU
5-Word Book
Reviews
50 for 50
LB’s first baseball team, 1971
The Early Years: 1969-1979 First Roadrunner Baseball Team Earns Championship 1971 marked the first year that the Roadrunners had a baseball team that competed in intercollegiate athletics. The team was coached by Dick McClain (LB's athletics director and who later became the Executive Director of the NWAACC) and consisted of just 17 players. Linn-Benton won more than 30 games on their way to claiming the Southern Division Oregon Community College Athletic Association (OCCAA) League title. The team had several All-League
Members of the 1971 team at its NWAC Hall of Fame Induction 2011.
players including Terry Cornutt, Ethan Bergman, Dennis Coon, Tim Faville and Tim Labrouse. Cornutt led the league in batting average .519 leading the LBCC to an 11-1 record. The 1971 LBCC baseball team is the
only team to win a OCCAA championship in their first year. Members of the 1971 Roadrunner team included (please excuse and omissions or errors... and please let us know):
► Larry Brown ► Terry Cornutt ► Ethan Bergman ► Terry Simons ► Dan Lipsey ► Mikal Stampke ► John Lowden ► Dave Whitney ► Tim Faville ► Winston Tucker ► Roger Bauer ► Steve Carothers ► Tim Labrousse ► Steve Hagen ► Rick George ► Dennis Coon ► Tom Martell Head Coach: ► Dick McClain
Back on the Court Update on LBCC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams
STORY BY SYDNEY GREENE The Linn-Benton men’s and women’s basketball teams and coaches have been itching to get back on the court due to Covid limitations. The Northwest Athletic Conference has created a phased approach that breaks down the amount of practicing, workouts, and competition the players are allowed to do to make sure they are taking proper health precautions. The coaches have also put players in their own pods to eliminate contact with each other. In a normal year or regular season, the teams would have started open gyms by Sept. 28. However, due to Linn County being in the high/extreme risk category for covid, that did not happen. Since Linn County is in the high/extreme category the teams are restricted in the amount of time they can practice and strength train. The teams cannot practice outside their basketball/ weight training class. This means that they are only practicing three hours total a week and only have one and a half hours of weight training a week. As long as Linn County stays in the high/extreme category there will be no “contact” in practices as well. Joe Schaumburg, men’s head basketball coach at LB, said, “This gives
PHOTO: LBCC NEWS SERVICE
Jerod Gibson is the Women’s Basketball Coach.
us the opportunity to grow as a team and to keep learning how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Instead of basketball being a Fall/Winter sport it has become a Spring sport. In a normal season, game play would have started Feb. 13. That has now been changed to March 25, which is the start of non-league games. LBCC will play three non-league games against Umpqua Community College, Lane Community College, and
Southwestern Community College. April 3 is the start of league games, where Linn-Benton will play each team in their league twice back-to-back. For example, they would play Lane on Saturday and then Lane again the next Saturday to limit contact between teams. Players had to learn to get used to doing workouts and conditioning on their own to stay in shape for the season to come. With gyms being closed over the break and players having limited access to getting shots up, Fred Harding, a player on LB’s men’s team, said, “It was hard finding ways to get in the gym.” All players and coaches wear masks during practices and weight training sessions. They also try to social distance as much as possible. During practices and lifting sessions is where the pods come into play to make sure everyone is keeping the proper distance and following guidelines to make sure everyone stays healthy. “We have two pods of six in the gym and four pods of three in the weight room,” Gibson said Jerod Gibson, LB’s women's head basketball coach, explained how most of the communication he had with his team was through Zoom. “It is harder to communicate,” he said.
BY LEAH BIESACK
Cannery Row, John Steinbeck: Skilled, but not showy. Perfect. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy: It will floor you. Period.
Swamplandia!, Karen Russell: Worth reading, but not buying.
Ready for the Closeup? STORY BY
STEVEN PRYOR
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the long-running “Pokémon” franchise. While the year will see many new spins on fan favorite concepts, one in particular has been anticipated for years to come: “New Pokémon Snap.” This sequel/re-imagining of the Nintendo 64 classic sees you, the player being assigned to photograph Pokémon in the Lental region under the guidance of Professor Mirror. This simple, yet engaging gameplay hook helped make the original N64 title a beloved experience ever since its initial release in 1999. Fans of the first game and the franchise have long been clamoring for a follow-up on a newer system with more monsters from the entire history of the franchise. Now, with Bandai Namco taking the reins from the previous developers of HAL Laboratories; this follow-up looks set to deliver exactly that and much more.
NEW POKÉMON SNAP PUBLISHER: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company DEVELOPER: Bandai Namco PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch ESRB RATING: RP RELEASE DATE: April 30 PHOTOS: IMDB.COM With numerous advances in video games and photography since the original game saw release in 1999; this title looks to rank among the best spin offs in the franchise to date. “New Pokémon Snap'' will definitely be ready for its closeup when it launches on April 30.
SAFETY SUGGESTION BOX
Resolve to be Ready for Whatever Comes Your Way Prepare your Emergency Plan for Work/School/Home
GRAPHIC FREEPIK.COM Gibson said he and his players missed being out on the court. “It is super challenging, not only for the athletes and their passion for basketball, but for us coaches leading a group through Zoom is hard.”
5
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway: A quiet, constantly tense party.
In 2021 LB celebrates the 50-year anniversary of its athletics program. COURTESY OF LBCC NEWS SERVICE
A&E
JANUARY 27, 2021
10 Ways You can Resolve to be Ready LBCC Safety & Emergency Readiness
LBCC has a Safety Committee whose goal is to identify and eliminate risks on our campus, and to prevent accidents and illnesses through the involvement of employees, managers, and students in an effort to provide a safe and healthy place to both work and learn. A "Safety Suggestion Box" is available to provide a way for you to communicate your safety concerns, hazards spotted, and suggestions for promoting safety. Please email your suggestions, comments, concerns to: safetycommittee@linnbenton.edu
S T U DENT LEADER
6
A&E
JANUARY 27, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
'Fallen Order' Rises to Greatness STORY BY
STEVEN PRYOR
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
Over the last few decades, the “Star Wars” saga has inspired numerous video game adaptations. While several games have had stories distinct from the hit movies; one in particular has stood out since its release in November of 2019: “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.” The game’s story follows Cal Kestis, a young Jedi who was forced into hiding between the events of “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.” After being found out by the Empire while working as a scrapper; Cal falls in with a small Rebel freighter on a quest to master his knowledge of the Force in order to restore peace and justice to the galaxy. Though previous games in this vein such as “Star Wars 1313” and “Project Ragtag” regrettably never got far off the ground before being cancelled, several ideas from those titles are incorporated into this game. The way planetary exploration and combat are handled draw parallels to the likes of “Dark Souls” and “Uncharted.” In both looks and personality, Cal is essentially
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER PUBLISHER: EA/Lucasfilm LTD
DEVELOPER: Respawn Entertainment PLATFORM: PS4 (Also Available on Xbox One and PC) ESRB RATING: T
what Nathan Drake might be like as a Jedi. While not quite as unforgiving in terms of difficulty as the “Dark Souls” games and other similar titles, it’s also far from a cakewalk: even on lower difficulty settings, your skills will be tested whether you’re a lifelong fan or a relative newcomer to the franchise. The game also has considerable attention to detail in the graphics and sound. The planets you visit are bursting with unique areas to explore, full of alien lifeforms and Jedi artifacts. Some goodies you find can be used to customize your lightsaber; spacecraft and even your droid companion BD-1. Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind the excellent “Titanfall” games have crafted an experience that still proves there’s a place for compelling single-player stories and gameplay in an age where multiplayer is everywhere. With persistent talk of a sequel in development for the near future, “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” is a game that rises to greatness; and is easily recommended as one of the best “Star Wars” games in recent memory.
OVERALL RATING:
Stellar 'Squadrons' STORY BY
COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU
SH S T U DENT LEADER
I P COUNCIL
A&E
JANUARY 27, 2021
STUDENT LEADERSHIP UPDATE
ARE YOU STRUGGLING
AT LBCC?
The Roadrunner Resource Center helps navigate or guide students over barriers that come up during the term that might prevent them from staying in college. Some resources we can get you connected to might be: • Connecting to resources for childcare • Helping purchase textbooks or other school related costs • Assistance with transportation • Help connecting to resources
that can assist with utility bills, internet and phone costs • Connecting to food resources within the community • Referrals to healthcare related assistance • Help with connecting to housing resources within the community • Access to emergency funds that could help assist over a barrier • Assistance accessing scholarships on campus as well as other forms We are here to assist you-please reach out with any questions you might have- we are here to help you be successful! Just send an email to resources@linnbenton.edu to connect with a Resource Navigator. Or, visit our campus Single Stop Resource Tool to complete a quick profile where we can then match you with many community resources and LBCC emergency funds that could help.
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
The Parents Club
The Parents Club was established to help advocate for and support parents who are in school. Members come together and share their experiences while finding resources they may not have known about. For information you can reach out to student lead Krista Fortenberry at krista. fortenberry.9913@mail.linnbenton.edu, or Club Advisor Aoife Magee at mageea@ linnbenton.edu
GRAPHICS: FREEPIK.COM
Resources STAR WARS
SQUADRONS
DEVELOPER: Nintendo EAD PUBLISHER: EA/Lucasfilm LTD DEVELOPER: Motive PLATFORM: PS4 (Also Available on Xbox One and PC) ESRB RATING: T OVERALL RATING:
music from the movies being perfect compliments to the game. Overall, the game is proof that sometimes all you need for a good “Star Wars” game is the simple joy of recreating your dreams of being a starfighter pilot. With that in mind, “Star Wars Squadrons” is an easy recommendation for both newcomers and longtime fans alike.
7
CLUB SPOTLIGHT
Roadrunner
STEVEN PRYOR
“Star Wars Squadrons” is a space combat game published by EA and Lucasfilm and developed by their partners at Motive. Released in the fall of 2020; the game is not only a fantastic “Star Wars” game in its own right, it’s one that has a refreshing burst of simplicity that harkens back to games released for the saga in previous generations. The story takes place chronologically between the events of “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens.” After creating your own custom starfighter pilot, you take part in a series of missions centered around the numerous spacecraft in the “Star Wars” saga. The gameplay recalls the likes of the “Rogue Squadron” games, being simple enough on the surface to enjoy; while also sporting a tremendous level of depth and complexity even on lower difficulty settings. Graphically, the title does a great job at depicting both the pilots and spacecraft you’ll be spending time with. The game features both familiar locations and entirely new ones as your story campaign sees you alternating between starfighters of both the dark side and the light side. The sound crisp and clean, with both the voice acting and John Williams’
SH
Complete the grid so each row, column, and 3x3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit.
Roadrunner Resource Center
Do you need help with financial resources so you can stay in school? ► Rent ► Utilities ► Food ► Textbooks ► Other school necessities If you are facing difficulties and new strains on your finances Click Here to get connected to resources, or reach out @LBCommuter on Instagram To Print
Click Here
To Print: Click Here