The Commuter: April 14, 2022

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L I N N - B E N T O N

C O M M U N I T Y

VOL. 53 EDITION 18

C O L L E G E

APRIL 14, 2022

MARTIN LUTHER JR.

PHOTO: SABRINA DEDEK

I V

Y E S R R O E T V C & see page

Kaden Segel throws a pitch during the Roadrunners second game against Clackamas on April 7. See page 4 for more.

GRAPHICS FREEPIK.COM

LIFE OVERLOAD

SEE PAGE 2

INSIDE THIS EDITION

HEALTH DEBATE

SEE PAGE 3

BEGINNER'S VERSE

SEE PAGE 7

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CAMPUS NEWS

APRIL 14, 2022

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

wellness wednesday Advising Center Counselor Lisa Hoogesteger Talks About Life Overload STORY BY

LISA HOOGESTEGER

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

There is so much going on in the world, in the country, in the state, in towns, at the school, with families. It is easy to become overwhelmed. Anyone else out there back to “doom scrolling” a bit as you read the news?

I feel like a yo-yo; devastated by pictures of war, elated that my child’s report card is so much better than last year, saddened about a friend who’s diagnosed with cancer (again), smiling at daffodils and crocus blooming in the yard.

It is just too much.

This is part of how chronic stress impacts us. Highs, lows, fears, joys, hope. There is always hope. Some folks diss “hope.” It isn’t an action, but it is fraught with uncertainty and emotional outreach with no direct reference.

I say “so what,” I like hope. I prefer hope to despair. I would rather believe in possibility than stay grounded in fact. Fact is not a probability.

Thus, stress management plans often emphasize meditation, self-care, breathing exercises and mindfulness. If we listen to the winds around us, we will be pulled in multiple directions, all the time. However, we can center ourselves, grounding our physical, emotional and spiritual selves in the moment, in ourselves,

focusing on strengths and what we can control.

This does not change the wind. This changes our perspective and our mental and emotional health. E+R=O – Event plus reaction equals outcome. If we can be still and be well, we have more resilience to cope with the swirl around us. Let yourself feel; Help yourself heal.

Here’s a story about perspective: Several summers ago I was riding my bike near some farmer’s fields. It was a bright sunny day and all I could see was blue sky, wispy clouds and I was enjoying the feel of the wind in my face. A farmer was out in the field moving irrigation equipment and I joyfully greeted him “Nice day eh?” He turned grumpily to me and said, “the winds are variable,” and I noticed his watering equipment was dancing in the wind.

I was temporarily crushed in not sharing the joy of a beautiful day, but it also reminded me that we all see and feel things differently and that it depends on what you’re looking at, looking for and what you need in your life right now. I needed sun and wind. He needed his irrigation equipment to water his fields.

So the winds may be variable, yet you can see and feel different things ­— Adjust your sails.

PHOTO: ELINA FAIRYTALE VIA PEXELS

Our Staff Adviser Rob Priewe Editor-in-Chief Dakota Gange Layout Designer Kailyn McQuisten Marketing/Advertising Sean Ramos ‑­ Director Alicen Arsenault - Asst. Marketing Director Naomi Thomas - AD Designer Photo Editor Sabrina Dedek A&E Editor Leah Biesack A&E Steven Pryor Sports Editor Logan Hannigan-Downs Student Voice Editor Avery Leon-Castillo Web Master Marci Sischo Contributors Chrissy Veach Brenda Autry Arianna Stahlbaum Carsyn Meyers Hathai Sangsupan Rebecca Sturm

ICONS:FREEPIK.COM

Have You Heard About the LBLive Weekly Contests?

LBLive is an exclusive social media app only available to Linn-Benton Community College students and staff. The Student Life and Leadership department provides this app for the students and is always looking for more innovative ways to increase interest. The app is easy to use and FREE to all students. The app offers campus resources that are easy to navigate, a public student feed to ask fellow classmates questions about classes or campus resources, a direct messaging system, a calendar feature where you can input your schedule, and exciting new contests and interactive post opportunities!

Roadrunners Rewards, formerly known as “LBLive Weekly Contests”, is a contest format hosted by the SLC (Student Leadership Council) on the LBLive app. Every week we host a new contest prompt.

Unlike last term’s question and answer oriented contest format, all prompts will be interactive.

For example, some might involve guessing a number of items in a photo or creating a meme. We

announce the week’s contest prompt on Monday morning. Make sure to enter your entry by Friday morning. The randomized winner will be announced every Friday afternoon. The winner will receive a $5.00 Dutch Bros Gift Card. Once the winner is chosen, they will be contacted and a gift card will be sent out to the student via mail or will be available to pick up in the Student Leadership Office (Forum 120). We can’t wait to see all your interactions on the LBLive app this term!

TRUE CRIME CLUB A brand new Lbcc club

Do you like hearing about criminal cases and trials?

Know the real name of the Nightstalker?

Talk a little too much about murder?

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LBCCStudentLeaders

@slc.connect

Passcode: gsa

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APRIL 14, 2022

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CAMPUS NEWS

CIVIL DISCOURSE

OP-ED The most recent healthy argument from our Civil Discourse Program, Advised by Communications Professor Mark Urista, talks about what could be a life changing program for some.

School-Based Health Centers have existed in Oregon since 1986, with Oregon Health Authority support.

Take a look at our debate club’s op-ed, who will take a deeper dive into both sides of the coin.

Lebanon Should NOT Allow a School-based Health Center STORY BY EAGLE HUNT, ELIANA ORTEGA, JACOB PACHECO AND THE CIVIL DISCOURSE PROGRAM Making sure that students have access to basic healthcare is vital to increasing academic performance. If a student is struggling with their physical and/or mental health, it’s going to be incredibly challenging for them to learn and succeed in school. While we recognize that school-based health centers (SBHCs) hold great potential, we also see some serious pitfalls that need to be critically examined.

Lebanon Should Allow a School-based Health Center STORY BY CHEYANNE RIDER, MORIAH RIVERA-LAWRENCE, YAHAIRA SUAREZ AND THE CIVIL DISCOURSE PROGRAM How would School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) be beneficial towards us when we have other forms of receiving medical care? Well, SBHCs have been proven to provide a variety of resources to families since they are directly located in schools. As a result, this makes it easier for students to access healthcare.

Students don’t have to leave school to receive medical attention or burden themselves with other issues such as insurance or transportation. SBHCs will improve students’ health and help them be more successful in school.

Mental health is a serious concern for every age group, but particularly young people. The statistics are startling. One in three teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2019.

18.8% of the same age group reported seriously considering suicide. Oregon has the highest rate of depression in the country. If students have easy access to mental health support, they can learn how to manage their disorders earlier on in life and overcome them. 2017 was a particularly sad year for Lebanon with a teacher at the high school and at least four other young people dying by suicide.

SBHCs would have provided these individuals with easy access to mental health care and potentially saved their lives.

SBHCs can also decrease emergency room overload and increase school attendance. Too many people use emergency rooms for basic healthcare services. This increases wait times and financial costs. A study in 2002 found that SBHC’s caused a 41-57% decrease in emergency room visits. Despite this study being almost 20 years old, the logic makes sense. If people have other options, the emergency room will not always be their first (and only) choice for accessing the care they need.

Concerns about cost and control over medical decision-making have come to the minds of some community members, with notable pushback. These concerns were addressed by Obria’s CEO, Debbie Tracy, in a recent Gazette-Times

interview: “O br i a repre sent at ive s said providers will eat the cost of care for students who can't afford care and bill insurance when they can.”

In regards to abortion, Tracy clarified that while minors can currently seek out abortion pill access online, Obria is a “lifeaffirming” clinic and will be offering access only to healthcare providers who have signed a memorandum to adhere to Obria’s values that explicitly outlines the company’s intention to never provide abortions.

With or without an SBHC, minors over the age of 15 are able to make decisions regarding their healthcare in Oregon. An SBHC just gives them the access they need to make those choices informed by medical professionals in a safe, supportive environment, so they can get back to class.

The Lebanon Community School District should allow an SBHC because it will serve the underserved, improve healthcare access, and can strengthen its community. Many have been helped by SBHCs in Oregon. Increased access to healthcare can only empower some of our most vulnerable.

First, giving minors the opportunity to take vaccinations and medication without parental supervision could result in harmful reactions unbeknownst to the student. According to Lebanon Local News, “a Lebanon resident who asked to remain anonymous has stated that her family has a history of medical conditions that require family members to be particularly careful. One of her grandchildren who wanted to get the vaccination was able to do so. She didn’t tell anyone and no one at the clinic knew her family history.

They gave her the shot with little discretion and the result was life-threatening.” This case alone justifies the worries of many concerned parents. It is important for a parent to be involved in their child’s health. Healthcare decisions can be very complex and involve weighing risks and

benefits. Parents should be involved in these decisions.

Second, parents should also be involved in the administration of services for mental health and drug/alcohol abuse. According to the Oregon Health Authority, although minors age 14 and older can access outpatient mental health and chemical dependency services independently, parents are expected to be involved in their treatment at some point. The reason for this is simple, minors are dependent on adults. They need the guidance and support of their legal guardians in order to ensure that their health improves. Without parental involvement, many treatment plans will not be successful and the minor will suffer.

Funding is also a major concern.

Many people would love health clinics available to students anonymously and for free, however getting the money to fund these services can be a daunting task. SBHCs tend to rely on financial support from the government to keep them running. According to a recent Harvard study, “[School based health centers] need an ‘active patient

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A PE population’ XE LS with high levels of insured patients— particularly students who are eligible for Medicaid or the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP).” This makes SBHCs difficult to sustain. Any changes to Medicaid’s policies could directly impact the services SBHCs provide students.

Funding changes can also affect SBHCs ability to pay their employees. This can make it difficult to recruit and retain high quality personnel in an increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace.

Concerns about funding could also result in unethical marketing towards minors to use services they don’t need in order for the SBHCs to collect revenue.

In conclusion, Lebanon Community Schools should not implement an SBHC at this time. While SBHCs have the potential to help many people, these serious consequences are worth reviewing and addressing before moving forward.

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SPORTS

APRIL 14, 2022

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Roadruners Win Two at Home

Kaden Segel pitches as his teammates watch on.

STORY BY CARSYN MEYERS

PHOTOS BY SABRINA DEDEK

The Linn-Benton Roadrunners defeated the Clackamas Cougars in both games of their doubleheader on Thursday, April 7. The Roadrunners improved to 17-6 on the season, and 4-2 in the NWAC South Region. The Cougars fell to 8-10 on the season, and 2-4 in the NWAC South Region.

In game one the Roadrunners won 7-0. Rhett Larson pitched 8 scoreless innings, striking out 10 batters in the process. Larson Improved to 4-1 on the season.

“Just trusting my stuff , last weekend I wasn’t trusting my off-speed, but coming into this I was pretty confident in my ability,” Larson said. “It feels pretty good, it’s easier when you have a really good defense.”

A handful of Roadrunners contributed offensively in game one. Ethan Lindstrom went 2-4 and batted in 2 runs.

In game two the Roadrunners came out of the gates hot, scoring two in the first inning. Ruben Cedillo hit a double into the right center field gap, bringing in Lindstrom, and then scored on a wild pitch.

After getting roughed up in the first, Cougars pitcher Wyatt Barajas pitched 6 straight scoreless innings, until surrendering the winning run in the seventh inning. Barajas pitched 8 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits.

A sacrifice fly to center field by Roadrunner Cole Cramer in the bottom of the seventh inning turned out to be the deciding run. Roadrunner Kaden Segel picked up the win for the Beaks. Siegel went 4 ⅓ innings in relief of starting pitcher Boone Rush. Siegel allowed only 1 hit in game two.

“I just wanted to give the team a chance to win, let my defense work. Our defense behind me is great,” Segel said.

Ruben Cedillo attempting to lay down a bunt.

Pitcher Boone Rush.

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APRIL 14, 2022

SPORTS

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Rhett Larson gets interview after the game by Carsyn Meyers.

Emiliano Alarcon up to bat.

Trey Nelson and Emiliano Alarcon at the game on Thursday.

Jake Morrow moves into position to stop the ball during a wild pitch.

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A&E

APRIL 14, 2022

Drop a Line for a Verse

\\\\OD 6 GREAT

LAURA BUTLER HUGHES ARTIST TALK APRIL 28 5-6 PM

Poetry Hotline Provides Daily Poem Throughout Month of April STORY BY LEAH BIESACK

PRESENTED BY THE LINN-BENTON ART GALLERY

ON ZOOM PASSCODE = ART

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

APR L 5 - 29 SOUTH SANTIAM HALL GALLERY

April marks National Poetry Month, so as a way to honor the occasion, Oregon’s very own poet laureate, Anis Mogjani, has set up a poetry hotline. Callers can dial in to listen to a recording of a new poem every day in April.

Hotline: 503-928-7008.

Think “Time and Temp,” but more melodic, and with more substance and engaging language. The daily poems are read by different poet laureates, including Oregon’s sixth laureate Paulann Petersen.

On the project, Mogjani, who is based out of Portland, told The Oregonian that his “hope is that it can provide folks with a continual relationship with poetic thought, idea, and language, whether one already has a relationship to poetry, or is new to it.”

Linn-Benton Community College had the privilege and honor of hosting Mogjani last year

for a virtual reading and writing workshop. He is Oregon’s tenth poet laureate, having assumed the position in April of 2020, and is also a National Individual Poetry Slam champion.

Mogjani continues to find new and creative ways to share words and language with communities both local and distant. Prior to the hotline, he organized a few poetry readings out of the window of his Portland studio. There were balloons, candles, and a sizable sidewalk audience in attendance.

Feeling a little out of the poetry circle?

Trust me, I get it — I’m a literature girl at my core. This Tele-Poems hotline is the perfect toedip you (and I) might need to venture into that world. So, program your speed dial. Melodic, lilting stanzas being crooned to you over the receiver are just a phone-call away.

Adelman Peony Garden

Zoom link

HERE

Where? Brooks, OR

The Linn-Benton Art Gallery presents:

When? May 22, 2022 We will admire the flowers together from 11-12 and maybe you will find yourself taking some home to enjoy.

Do you take photos?

Write poetry?

Draw comics?

If so, the Commuter would love to showcase your work.

Artwork and writing of all kinds will be considered for publication.

A L B C C St u d e n t G a l l e r y C Lorem o o r d i n a t oIrps S hum owcase

T h u r s day, A P R 2 1

Email your questions and submissions to Dakota Gange, Editor-in-Chief, dakota.gange.2771@mail.linnbenton.edu

@ 5-6PM

Artwork is available to view in Calapoolia Hall

Click Here to sign up!

Visit lbcommuter.com to see the full paper, read the latest articles, and subscribe to our newsletter

Volunteer with Noble Hour!

Calling all Roadrunners who wish to help their community!

Did you know that Linn-Benton Student Life & Leadership is offering a wide range of volunteer opportunities through our online volunteer system, NobleHour?

In this volunteer program you have the potential to earn tuition credits!

For one hundred hours of volunteer work, you can earn up to three credited hours.

In addition, you can earn prizes, which include a LBCC Volunteer sticker for one hour worked, twentyfive hours for a 5$ gift card, fifty hours for a T-shirt, and seventy-five

hours for a beanie.

There are plenty of events already in the works and that can be easily signed up for today! Notable events to sign up for include: the all-day Agate Beach Cleanup on April 23, and our Waverly Park Clean Up on May 6 from 12pm to 3pm.

Additional details and signup forms are available online, or you can contact Student Life & Leadership at getinvolved@linnbenton.edu for more information.

C’mon Roadrunners, let’s put the community back into our community college!

LBCCStudentLeaders

@slc.connect

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

A&E

APRIL 14, 2022

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Testing the Waters of Verse Which Poetry to Read for the Non-poetry Readers STORY BY LEAH BIESACK Poetry isn’t my comfort zone when it comes to what I pick up from the bookshelf.

I don’t gravitate towards it, and I don’t ask for it when my mom requires my Christmas list.

I rarely visit the poetry section in bookstores, and I admittedly tune in and out if I stumble onto a poetry reading.

And I know that this is my loss.

Like most things I avoid due to discomfort, I know there’s so much poetry could generously give me if I gave it more

Siste Viator

These sentences just hit the bones and reverberate for a while.

I have found such resonation in Waheed’s words, without even searching. It’s as if she’s vacationed in my own brain, took detailed notes of her time there, and then crafted stanzas that form a portrait, showing me and saying, ‘is this you?’ And I imagine that her words easily transpose directly onto others.

It, in fact, is her super power.

Sarah Manguso Manguso, not strictly a poet, writes poetry that spans the genres, and writes non-fiction with something one can only define as a poetic pen. Siste Viator is comprised of poems entirely spoken by people who have died, save for one. This collection is from 2006, and Manguso has since gone onto write such polished, silken nonfiction (I can’t recommend 300 Arguments enough,) that it makes me think her foundation in poetry had a hand in her later works.

Salt

of a chance. And it deserves such a chance! So when I do get over the absurd idea of avoiding the genre simply because I think I’m not ‘good’ at it, I uncover such wonderful, hard-hitting collections.

If you’re wondering where to start in the deep and detailed abyss of poems, and you don’t want to hear another person scoff at you when you confess you haven’t yet read Yeats, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the true, crushing stand-outs that have made a mark on me, a non-poetry reader.

Love Poems

Pablo Neruda This tiny book cements the bar for writing about love in a way that’s completely unique and magical, a way which is laced with sweet without any of the sap. Each poem has both a Spanish and English translation, and I recommend sifting through both, no matter how versed you are in either. Poems so good they’ll gut you.

Ariel

Nayyirah Waheed We’d all be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the woman who has inspired poets for decades and will continue to do. Without her, we wouldn’t have the verse that we have today. Ariel was written mere months before the renowned poet’s death, with Plath churning out two to three poems a day. They are said to show her truest, most vulnerable self. If we’re ever given a chance to see that in anyone, we should take the opportunity and run.

Sylvia Plath

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A&E

APRIL 14, 2022

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

PHOTO: MORBIUS.MOVIE

Creative Writing Club Wednesdays from 4–5pm

MORBIUS

Mediocre But Also Unintentionally Bloody Hilarious

Look for our Discord: Linn-Benton Creative Writing Club

DIRECTOR: Daniel Espinosa

STARRING: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Adria Arjona and Al Madrigal

Click Here for Zoom! Password: monster CLICK HERE FOR CROSSWORD

CLICK HERE FOR SUDOKU

Complete the grid so each row, column, and 3x3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit.

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.64)

7 1

8

7

1

6

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4

7

3

3 8 4

2

9 6

9

5

9

4

2

2

8

8 9

1

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4 6

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Wed Apr 13 20:11:39 2022 GMT. Enjoy!

PHOTO: IGDB

KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND

An Unforgettable Leap to 3D PUBLISHER: Nintendo

DEVELOPER: HAL Laboratories PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch ESRB RATING: E10+ OVERALL RATING:

★★★★★

REVIEW BY

STEVEN PRYOR

@STEVENPRR2PRYOR

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is the latest installment of the long-running “Kirby” franchise, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. As the first 3D installment in a series that’s been 2D throughout its entire existence, it honors the legacy of everyone’s favorite pink “star warrior” while also providing the ideal blueprint for future installments.

Taking place in a world lost to time and space, Kirby must travel the vast landscapes while encountering a wide array of special abilities, allies

and enemies; both new and familiar.

One standout new gameplay mechanic is the “mouthful mode,” which can allow Kirby to envelop objects ranging from cars to vending machines.

Visually, the game is an impressive artistic achievement; showing off stages chock-full of intricate details blended with the colorful graphics that have been a fixture of the series throughout its history. As you progress through the game, your hub world can be expanded with new buildings as you rescue more of your companions.

Without spoiling anything, the true final boss of the game ranks among the most horrifying adversaries Kirby has faced since the release of “Kirby’s Dream Land” on Game Boy in the year 1992.

As a way to celebrate 30 years of adventure and as a blueprint for what comes next, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” takes the series on an unforgettable leap to 3D that’s highly recommended for fans and Switch owners everywhere.

RATED PG-13

OVERALL RATING: ★★★ REVIEW BY

STEVEN PRYOR

@STEVENPRR2PRYOR

“Morbius” is the latest film in Sony’s shared universe of “Spider-Man” spinoffs, and the third film overall after the 2018 “Venom” and last year’s sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” While not a complete disaster in the vast realm of comic book superhero blockbusters, it still presents a middling experience that feels like a holdover from a different era of superhero movies (and not just because of delays from its initial summer 2020 release due to the novel coronavirus/ COVID-19 pandemic.)

The film follows Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto, Zack Snyder’s “Justice League,”) who is a virologist seeking to cure himself and his childhood friend Lucian (Matt Smith, “Doctor Who”) of a rare blood disease.

After an experiment gone awry, he does so, but also turns himself into a living vampire that must feed on human blood to stabilize his condition.

The resulting film may not be the worst movie under the Marvel banner, but

clearly doesn’t rise to the heights of other recent efforts such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This also raises questions about the future of this spinoff series, as does a brief credits cameo from Michael Keaton as the Vulture.

Though the film sports a $75 million budget, many of the film’s special effects and action scenes look and feel like they were pulled from comic book movies released in the 1990s and early 2000s. The CGI on both Morbius himself and a lab rat in an early scene look as if they would be more at home in a PlayStation 2 game, and the film has the tonal whiplash of a gothic horror film mashed up with an urban romantic comedy about culture clash.

That said, the film isn’t completely without its good aspects. Both Leto and Smith do make the most of the material as leads, and their performances are a notable highlight. The sight of Morbius binging blood bags like pouches of CapriSun is in the same vein of hilarity as Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock taking a bath in a restaurant lobster tank. Even if the film is not one you have to go out of your way to see, don’t be surprised if you spend the film’s 104-minute runtime stifling unintentional laughter.

While the film’s critical and box office performance is unlikely to impact the upcoming third “Venom” movie (as well as in-development spinoffs centered around Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter,) “Morbius” still makes for a mediocre, but unintentionally and bloody hilarious third outing in the Sony SpiderMan Universe.

5-Word Book

reviews

BY LEAH BIESACK

Snake Stories, Lauren Groff Mostly symbolic. Some bite anecdotes.

Coming Attractions, Tobias Wolff Perfectly odd details compacted together.

Girls, At Play, Celeste Ng Innocent and messy. Like adolescence.