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 20
C O L L E G E
APRIL 14, 2021
No Turning Back A Little Girl Says “Goodbye Japan, Hello United States”
STORY AND PHOTOS BY HIKARI KAWAI Is this real? Is this really happening? What about my friends? What about obachan (grandma) and ojiichan (grandpa)? Questions flooded my 7-year-old brain after my parents told my sister and I that we were going to be moving to the U.S. after we finished school back in April of 2007. Honestly, I can’t quite recall how my parents told us. I just remember getting that sinking feeling all dropping down in my tummy, bracing for whatever they had to talk to us about. We were moving partially due to the fact that my mother had been in a bad bicycle accident in 2006 where she tore her meniscus and sustained other injuries. While recovering, she still managed to be the sole provider for our family. I remember her going to work in her wheelchair and crutches. Eventually, she could tentatively walk on her own again. My dad, as much as he tried to apply and find jobs, it proved to be a seemingly endless venture. My parents were worried about the future they could provide for us. My mom still needed to recover from the accident. So it was time to make the move. The news of our move spread fast at school, because my mom worked at my school as an English teacher at Shirayuri Gakuen, an all-girls, Catholic, private school. Classmates bombarded me with questions, politely saying they
would miss me. I took the initial news quite well. It didn’t feel real. It was a bit of an exciting thought at one point for me. I thought to myself, it’ll be an adventure and someplace new! However, my older 14-year-old sister did not take this news lightly at all. Understandably so. Japanese was the language I grew up speaking. The only time I spoke English was to my mom and in English class. But it was easy switching between the two languages as my mother is an Oregonian and my father Japanese. They introduced to me both languages while I grew up, making it easy to switch from one language to another. Making such a big move to the U.S. would have proven much more difficult had I not been immersed in two languages, two cultures, and having had a small idea of what the U.S was like from visiting my mother’s family in the summer. Ever so slowly, we packed, saying goodbyes, telling people and having to hear the same stuff over and over again. My classmates chattered about how they would miss me, but mostly, how lucky I was to be going to the U.S. I just nodded in agreement. Feeling inside a mix of excitement and dread. My classmates gave me little written letters saying their goodbyes. I still have them. My first-grade teacher put them all in a rectangular red box with banana print. I sometimes go back and read them, remembering my days in Japan. My first home. Bittersweet, I think, is the word I’m looking for when I read those letters,
☺
PHOTO ABOVE: Hikari Kawai’s first-grade class at Shirayuri Gakuen. Kawai can be seen toward the middle holding flowers.
Hikari Kawai standing next to her first-grade teacher.
because every time I bump into them, cleaning my room or what not, I read them more and more slowly and understand less of what was being said at the time. I hoped that I would be missed. I hoped my friends would stay my friends. I hoped that I could hold onto the Japanese language well enough that when I went back, I could still chat with them like before. Sometimes when my classmates, friends, family or neighbors said something along the lines of a heartfelt goodbye, I fought to snuff out the feelings that welled up in my throat and eyes. The day we were leaving Morioka, we took a taxi to get to the train station. As the taxi left our home, I looked back,
taking in every moment I could. We headed into the heart of the city, buildings and people blurred past the window as I stared. I recall bumbling along with my mom, dad, and sister, carrying my backpack and rolling a small suitcase behind me. At the train station, as we made our way to the platform, we had to get onto an escalator, which slowly took us to the platform. My eyes widened in surprise. Me and my sister’s classmates and teachers and a few other friends had come onto the platform before we had gotten there, to say a final goodbye. Tears. I fought to keep them inside. The large knot in my throat rose, threatening my composure. We stepped reluctantly from the platform onto the train as announcements for the final boarding call for the airport came on over the speakers, and warning that the doors would be closing. I stood watching but I was too short when the doors closed. My dad tried to lift me up to see and wave goodbye but after a quick moment, he put me down. I ran over to the large window, frantically waving goodbye. I couldn’t fight it any more -- tears started streaming down my face. It felt as if I was leaving a part of myself behind.
Inside this Edition
GRAPHICS FREEPIK.COM
ONE DOSE DOWN
SEE PAGE 3
CHASING HAPPINESS
SEE PAGE 4
PHOTOJOURNALISM
SEE PAGES 6-7
2
CAMPUS NEWS
APRIL 14, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
Wellness Wednesday The Value of Whine 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
In American society it is not often taught how to cope with emotions or feelings. We learn a lot of how to handle things by our learned experiences growing up. Could be negotiating, listening, problem-solving, yelling, screaming, drinking and so on. Think of how you learned to deal with stress--was it positive or negative? Did you identify it as stress? Was stress a good thing, bad thing or just part of life? Could you talk it through with someone who just listened? Did you find before you finished your thought someone was telling you what to do and how to do it? Have you changed your relationship to stress over time? There is much strength in listening, just listening. Not waiting for your turn to speak, but really listening so the other person is fully heard and a bit more understood. Watch conversations around you and observe how often the speaker is interrupted. Notice that if you pause during conversation, another person often jumps in before you’ve completed what you’re saying. This is known as jumping your pause. Try this when someone stops speaking, ask gently - “what else?” Or some other open ended question. It allows the speaker to ref lect, think more deeply and discover their own answers. Which brings me to the value of whine.
GRAPHIC BY FREEPIK.COM
There can actually be value in whining with some boundaries... ▸...If it is done in the right time and place, with a good listening partner. (Not in class, while pretending to listen to an instructor) ▸...If at the end of whine time you feel it is "out of your system" and you can let it go ▸...If, through your rant time you have new insights into the issue that caused the whine, or you see new solutions ▸...If, as a result of whining you have distanced yourself from the immediate angst ▸...If, you commit to not bringing the subject up again. The act of whining is problematic when it does not change an outcome and it is repeated multiple times. Then it becomes attention seeking. A good bout of whining means that You are different as a result of whining There are action steps identified You are truly done with “it” (no fair pretending you are over something when you really aren't). PS: Whine and wine. Maybe that's a future wellness class I can teach?
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APRIL 14, 2021
COLUMN
3
One Dose Down LBCC Student Shares Their COVID-19 Vaccination Experience slot as I had a few Zoom meetings and
COLUMN AND PHOTO BY a Twitch stream planned for later that JOHNNY MEDIA afternoon. As I mentioned at the top, I'm one of those lucky few, the able-bodied, no preexisting condition having, American humans who were able to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Let me walk you through how that experience went and what that day entailed. To say scheduling the appointment time was easy would be selling the experience short. Calling it "easy" would be describing it more difficult than it was. It was effortless, unchallenging, and straightforward. In total, to get from the health department home page to the completion of the process and confirmation of my appointment was a total of about 6 clicks of the mouse. In the middle of those clicks was a short information page where I had to share my name, age, date of birth, as well as my insurance information (though if you didn't have insurance, you could skip that last part). I picked a day and a time and I was done and scheduled. I've had more issues ordering gifts off Amazon than I did scheduling this appointment. I had scheduled my shot for Friday April 2, 2021. I opted for a morning time
I'm lucky, not just because I was able to schedule my appointment at all, but also because of my location in the world. The clinic that I was able to schedule my shot at was only about a five minute walk from my front door. Because I live in Monmouth, I was able to go to the pop-up clinic set up in the Werner University Center at Western Oregon University. As I departed my home and embarked on my journey to the COVID-19 vaccine, I couldn't help but admire the gorgeous Spring weather we had. A few high clouds here and there but otherwise a bright and sunny Friday morning filled with blooming flowers and budding trees. In my short journey, I passed a handful of people out enjoying this fine day. Couples taking a stroll, a college student leash training their Jack Russell in between classes, someone walking back with their breakfast burrito from Koyote's. As I passed each of them I pictured the not too distant future we're headed towards in which some of these people will feel comfortable without a mask on while doing these everyday chores. I pictured myself in such a situation and thoughts
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started filling my head as I followed the plethora of signs pointing me towards my future. How liberating it'll feel to take family walks this summer without that mask covering our faces. Will I be comfortable enough to go in stores if the mask mandate is lifted in summer or fall? How weird is it going to be to see people's mouths again in public? It's going to be much harder to talk to myself as I shop, I might continue wearing my mask just for that fact alone. Before I could think too long on these nearing futures, I arrived at my destination. I was expecting something big and grand. Maybe something like the queues at Disneyland or something? Instead, I was met by a friendly Western Oregon security guard and a nurse in a high visibility vest holding a clipboard. After we all did the typical Oregonian coming out of the depths of winter, where we comment on the weather and the sun as if it's the first time we've ever seen either, the nurse asked me "Dose one or dose two for you today?" as if I were ordering a Starbucks drink. I replied with, "one please," and they directed me towards a few wolf paw print decals on the ground, spaced out every 6-feet. They led me to a reception desk where two other nurses with laptops greeted me with the same drink order question of "dose one or dose two?" before I ever reached the front of the desk. I threw up one finger, as I didn't want to shout across this large open and empty space. One of the nurses responded by asking for my name. I gave the "Johnny Media, M E D I A" response that's been ingrained in me over my thirty-plus years of people not knowing how to pronounce or spell my slightly unique name. Through their mask, they confirmed that I was there on time and pointed me to an empty zigzagging maze of plastic ropes and more decals stuck to the floor 6 feet apart. At the end of the robe maze designed for hundreds but solely used by me at that moment, I found a huge convention room, and at the entrance, 6 tables and a mob of masked intake individuals ready to help dozens of people at once and met by just me. A shower of green lamented cards rose from the desks and I was directed to
one of these lovely folks. After confirming my non-expired, state or federal ID, I then followed another path of decals to an area of 20 vaccine stations all manned and ready to go. Met by another sea of raising green cards I walked over to my at-the-moment personal nurse. As I went to sit down, my nurse asked me if I had any questions. I didn't, having been following the vaccines and the testings for the better part of the last five months. I foolishly wore a long-sleeve button-up so I had to unbutton and pop out my left arm. While doing that, my nurse went over the type of vaccine I was about to get and the expectations of the next 24 to 48 hours post receiving my prick. I told them I appreciated the information, set my arm up, got into a shot receiving position and was poked in the upper part of my left arm. Once the bandaid was placed over the tiny hole that they priced into my skin, I popped my arm back into my shirt, buttoned my dog print long-sleeve back up, and walked to the designated waiting area. I walked to one of the 50 chairs spaced six feet apart in this wildly empty convention room. I had 15 minutes (the mandatory waiting time you have once you receive the first shot) to wait and contemplate that new future that I was now headed towards. I threw on my "pop-punk" playlist on my phone and texted my wife. I let her know that I got the shot, I didn't feel it, and that the injection site doesn't hurt at this point either. I let her know I'd be home in about 18 to 20 minutes and then I'd be jumping straight into my numerous Zoom meetings for that day. That made the 15 minutes fly by and I got up and walked to the door. As I looked back to take in this moment, I saw a member of the cleaning crew go to my empty chair and instantly disinfect it. Another person in a high-visibility vest held the door for me and thanked me for coming in. I nodded and said, “thank you,” and started my short walk home in the beautiful Spring weather. Once home, I started my onslaught of Zoom and streaming as if it was any other quarantine Friday in Spring. About 10 hours after the inoculation, my arm did get very sore and was tough to lift above my shoulder. I had no issues sleeping and when I woke for the next day my arm only felt sore in the way that it does when you have a heavy workout day. Occasional bumping it was sore here and there, but my life is back to normal as if I didn't get a state-of-the-art vaccine injected into my body. I can't wait for April 30 when I get my chance to drink up "dose two" and do my part to help try and keep those around me safe and healthy as well as put this whole pandemic behind us as a nation and a connected world. I don't know if at this point we'll ever have a "back to normal" but it's nice to think that we might at least have less stress and worry in the world. That's what I'm looking forward to the most.
GRAPHICS BY FREEPIK.COM
4
COLUMN
APRIL 14, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
Chasing Happiness:
Goodbye Salary, Hello Journalism Linn-Benton Student Reflects on Big Life Changes
COLUMN AND PHOTO BY DAKOTA GANGE “Happiness can’t be bought.” The saying echoes and bounces off the walls of life, circling social media and often received in the form of advice from friends and family. We tell ourselves this, and it’s supposed to be common knowledge, but then why do so many of us stay in a situation where we are unfulfilled? For me, it was financial security that kept me from striving to achieve my dreams. Financial stability was such a force that drove me to comfortability and peace of mind. Knowing I could eat and pay the bills helped me sleep better at night. Being a restaurant manager is a vivacious career. It’s meticulous but with enough leniency to have a blast, all the while you’re constantly around people. It just wasn’t what I wanted to do. It can be a tangled and confusing mess to be stuck between security and dreams. For those out there caught in the middle, perhaps it’ll bring you some comfort knowing I traded my comfortable decade-long salaried career for a chance chasing my dreams through education and an unstable paycheck. Now I’ve arrived at the top of the mountain, and it’s time to jump off this cliff. I’m only 27, but those years have been filled with a chest full of treasured lessons, and
a catch-up on bodily wear and tears as the aches begin, both physically and mentally. Although, I’m not jumping down into the abyss, but rather into the next valley, where I can see an even taller mountain. For ten years now I’ve been building my skills and career in the customer service industry, quickly leading to a comfortable fiscal situation. I wasn’t unhappy per se, and I had a great time, but it just wasn’t that exact puzzle piece I was looking for. And I knew it wasn’t; I still went to work every day and caught myself thinking, “Am I really going to do this for the rest of my life? I can’t do this for 80
Sibling Love
percent of my life!” Very comfortable I was, but not without a price of unfulfillment. I had always wanted to go back to school, but it always turned into, “Okay, next fall you will.” Then the pandemic hit last March, and my life was forcefully shaken up. I was laid off from my restaurant management position, which was the push I needed to go back to school. So I went back, and immediately fell into a position of writing. In the blink of an eye I began taking journalism classes, and writing for the school newspaper.
Journalism found me, I didn’t find journalism. I never knew how much I loved writing, and how complete and fulfilled it made me feel, and like I might even make a difference someday. Even if no one read my work, my words were out there in print, finally organized from the depths of my mind. When I write I can feel my whole heart just magically seeping through the tips of my fingers, and my soul dancing through my veins. After being laid off for several months, my work brought me back parttime. This was still enough for that financial stability, and I could go to school. Um, can you say win, win!? Then last week I got a call from my boss. They were ready to bring me back full-time, but not without significantly impeding my school schedule. Basically, I was faced with the choice of my current career, or my education? I had 48 hours to decide, but I knew in a flutter of a heartbeat that I was never going back. We are meant to be enthralled in what we do. All too often I hear stories of the unhappy, oftentimes due to jobs we don’t love. So, here I am; a student, soon to be a first-time mother, extremely fiscally uncomfortable, and I couldn’t be more content. It's become very apparent that my happiness is found chasing my dreams, and what comes with that is all worth it.
GRAPHICS BY FREEPIK.COM
Student Shares Sunny Summer Memory
COLUMN BY AVERY LEON-CASTILLO The sun radiated through my small window as I opened my eyes. The light reflected off my mirrors and off of my shiny porcelain vintage tea set. I awoke with a feeling to go on an adventure. I hadn’t in a while. “Nadia!” I cried out, getting my little brother’s attention. He came into my room and I informed him of my idea of going on a “sissy date” as he calls them. Promptly, he nodded his head with excitement; his brown curls bobbing up and down with him. He ran out of my room to his own and put on clean shorts and a t-shirt. I got up and did the same. I also wrote a brief note to my sleeping mother, informing her we would be back before dark. When we were outside, putting on our shoes, Nadia asked if we could do what we did last year. I nodded as I recalled the last time we went. We took another route into Corvallis because the one by the bridge leading there was closed. We went to the New Morning Bakery and each got a piece of lasagna and walked down to the Book Bin where I bought him the series called “The Magical Misfits” by Neil Patrick Harris. The smell of the hot pavement came back to me as I opened the shed with the designated key -- a small gold one with a piece of blue painter’s tape separating it from the house key. We got our bikes and walked out of the driveway, anxious to get the adventure going.
The sun shone bright and hot but the air was cool. It felt refreshing to be outside. Nadia sped ahead of me, his road bike shining in the sunlight as his long legs churned. My own road bike still felt a bit too tall for me but was a cool deep green. We sped down the hill and out of the mobile home park in a flurry of excitement. We crossed the bridge into Corvallis and raced each other down the little hill into the riverfront park and turned towards the New Morning Bakery, where we got some “zweites Frühstück” as my grandma called it. After breakfast we walked with our bikes in tow, trying not to hit our ankles on the pedals. A couple stopped us on the way to the bookstore. They had matching shirts on and looked nice enough. “You and your son are very polite! Have a good day!” Nadia laughed when the couple left. “They think you’re my mom!” The whole rest of the day he teased about it, laughing about how they thought I looked old enough to be an 11-year-old’s mom. Almost 12, he sneered. It’s funny now, but back then it was irritating.
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COLUMN
APRIL 14, 2021
5
Ode to Beginnings LBCC Student Shares Her Best Friend Origin Story
COLUMN AND PHOTOS BY
KATIE LITTLEFIELD
Pens click, chalk scrapes and voices murmur. Seventh grade holds a feeling I’ll never forget, no matter how much I’d like to. Anxiety that you can't place, and an itch you can't scratch, all while surrounded by strangers you’re sentenced to live with for six more years. Sitting in the corner with my short brown hair and oversized clothes, it was obvious to anyone that I was the new kid. Out of place. Holding my bright green hand-me-down iPhone with a crack in the screen that made it borderline unusable. This wasn’t unusual in this school. Ten kids to a classroom 40 minutes from Corvallis deep in the woods. A new fishing rod rated higher status than the newest iPhone. It was only a few months before that I had a strong support system filled with an overabundance of friends. My family was a nomadic type. Moving from hatchery to hatchery around the state to pay the bills. Switching schools never bothered me at a young age. I considered myself quite adaptable and easy to get along with. I was never the line leader because someone else always wanted it more than me. Instead I would hold the doors open for my classmates with a smile. Moving during the beginning of middle school was more difficult than I’d anticipated. Friend groups were established, gossip vibrated through the halls, and puberty seemed to hit everyone like a bus. Holding doors open to lay low wasn’t going to work this time. Observant as I was, it wasn't hard
Katie Littlefield (left) and Gracie Hildebrand celebrate achieving A’s on a test in middle school, 2013.
Katie Littlefield (left) and Gracie Hildebrand are still side-by-side in 2021.
to notice a girl in my class hopping off the walls. Trains of thoughts switching tracks like mad and a tone of voice that showed no anxiety. Rectangular glasses, bright tye-dye hoodie from American Eagle, and a gapped smile soon to be in wires. She was interesting, but I didn’t think much of it because class was starting. “This week we’re doing an outdoor project,” Ms. Ellis, our homeroom teacher, announced. “You’ll be building tools from natural materials you can find.” Seems easy enough for a history assignment. Being a native to the outdoors gave me a surprising amount of confidence. Though this confidence translated to every other student, not just me. Especially those in Sportsmans Warehouse camouflage hats and mudcoated Romeo boots.
“Oh, and you’ll be working with partners.” Ms. Ellis added. Fuck. Hastily, students moved around the classroom. “I call Keegan!” Jake yelled from two tables over. Sounds of papers shuffling and chairs squeaking across the polished floor filled the room. “I’ll take Colten,” Noah added. Students jumped over tables and carried stacks of plastic seats from across the room: this was absolute chaos. “Dibs on Jami!” Kaleea said. My heart was beating out of my chest. Feeling frozen from anxiety I put my eyes to the floor and my hands to my temples. It’s embarrassing to have your teacher assign someone to you, but I had no choice. I barely knew anyone's name. Chaos beginning to subside,
I lifted my head expecting to see my teacher approaching me. To my surprise, the girl who was bouncing off the walls previously began to pull out the seat next to me and was getting settled. “We’re going to be partners,” she said matter of factly. As much as I wanted to run to the bathroom and hide and later beg my teacher to do the project solo, I instead nodded my head and began to plan our project together. I never would have guessed that eight years later we would be the best of friends. The kind that wakes you up from a depression nap at 4 p.m. to drag you out of the house and put a smile on your face. The kind that knows everything about you because they were with you along the way. The kind that you know will stick it out with you even through your lowest moments. It was difficult and nervewracking to let someone new into my life at 13 years old. Being strong that day is easily the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Thanks, Gracie, for taking the first step when I couldn’t.
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6
LOCAL NEWS
APRIL 14, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
City In The Sun Photojournalism Students Capture the Happenings ‘Around Town’
PHOTO: CARLIE CARI
Tori Fox hanging on a sunny spring day.
PHOTO: MACKAYLA TOKAR
Scott Normand and little Miss Kally (dog) patiently waited for their partner to finish up their vaccine.
PHOTO: SADIE BEAM
Corvallis Indoor Farmers Market at the Corvallis fairgrounds.
PHOTO: RILEY GOFF
This is Peanut, he was one of the many kitties at the Tangent SafeHaven Humane Society.
PHOTO: SI MATTA
Peter and Marianne (who did not wish to share their last name) take in the sun on the waterfront of Corvallis.
PHOTO: ETHAN PHIFER
Austin Dufort enjoying his day off in the warm Corvallis weather.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
APRIL 14, 2021
LOCAL NEWS
7
PHOTO: SI MATTA
Bob, as he wished to be called, works on his crossword puzzle in front of the New Morning Bakery in Corvallis. PHOTO: SADIE BEAM
Jen Macone, an owner of The Mushroomery, explains mushroom stump care to a customer. The Mushroomery can be found at both the Waterfront Farmers Market and Indoor Farmers Market in Corvallis.
PHOTO: SADIE BEAM
Cheryl and Tom Christner shop veggies at the Gathering Together Farms booth, noting that these were "the best greens they've ever seen." The Christners recently moved to Oregon from New Hampshire and love Oregon's produce.
PHOTO: BRANDON CARR
Melanie Harper playing the harp at The Grand America Hotel located in Salt Lake City on April 9. PHOTO: CARLIE CARI
Exploring Downtown Corvallis in city alleyways. Pictured: Makinley Johnson
PHOTO: RILEY GOFF
The very sweet, yet very energetic Milo was such a beautiful Husky. Milo was one of the many dogs at Safe Haven. We took him outside and he loved to run around.
PHOTO: JUSTUS MORELOS
LHS Drum Major Emmie Tessen giving "elbow touches" before a football game during the pandemic.
8
SPORTS
APRIL 14, 2021
LBCOMMUTER.COM
50 for 50
In 2021 LB celebrates the 50-year anniversary of its athletics program. We will highlight people, teams and moments from the past five decades of Roadrunner Athletics. You can nominate a former athlete, coach, team, supporter or memorable moment from LB athletics.
The 1980s Kory Tarpening, Track
1980-81 Women's Basketball Team
The 1980-81 women's basketball team won the OCCAA championship with a perfect 16-0 record while leading the league in team defense with a 51.9 mark. At one time, they were 27-0 and ranked third nationally by the Associated Press. The Roadrunners qualified for the NJCAA Region 18 Tournament at North Idaho College but fell short in the championship game and missed a chance to play in the NJCAA Tournament. Their 28-2 record is still the best in school history. The 1980-81 team members were: Desiree Anderson, Linda (Quigley) Butsch, Linda Friesen, Debbie (Prince) Herrold, Kerri (Anderson) Lemerande, Joelle (Quesinberry) Lewis, Debbie Mothershead, Susan Newhouse, Tracie Odden, Jean (Melson) Siefer, Sheri Steiner, Pamela (Snyder) Tams and Head Coach Dave Dangler. The team was inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 2005.
Debbie Prince (Herrold), Cross Country, Basketball, Track Prince was a three-sport athlete at Linn-Benton from 1979-1981, participating in cross country, basketball and track & field. In basketball Prince earned 1st Team all-OCCAA honors twice and led Roadrunners to undefeated 16-0 Conference title in 1981. She was named OCCAA Player of the Year in 1981. In track Prince competed at the NJCAA National Championships meet in the heptathlon and javelin. In her freshman year, Prince also set the school record in the 800 meters, posting a time of 2:27.66. Prince finished ninth in the heptathlon at the NJCAA's her sophomore year. In 1987-88 Prince returned to LB to become the women's basketball head coach. The Roadrunners placed fifth in the 1991 NWAACC Tournament. Prince had also served as an assistant coach in basketball, cross country and track before becoming the head basketball coach. Prince retired as head coach after the 1992-93 season and continued to teach part-time at LB until 2020. She was inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 1999.
EXPL RE
Tarpening participated in track & field at Linn-Benton in 198081. During the 1981 season, Tarpening was the Region 18 Pole Vault champion and went on to place second in NJCAA National Championship meet. After LB, Tarpening went on to the University of Oregon, where he placed second at the NCAA Championship meet. Tarpening's career continued after UO, competing internationally with great success.He was a member of the 1988 USA Olympic Team that participated in Seoul, Korea. During his competitive days, Tarpening was one of the world's premier pole vaulters for more than a decade. Tarpening was inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 1992.
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APRIL 14, 2021
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5-Word Book
Reviews BY LEAH BIESACK
Vampires in the Lemon Grove, Karen Russell Fun. Weird. Notes of Saunders. Foundations of Earth Science, Lutgens/Tarbuck/Tasa Dense, dry rocks. Equivalent writing. A Small Place, Jamaica Kincaid Weighty. Important. Delivered with prowess. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson Expertly all over the place.
Titan-Sized
Smackdown GODZILLA VS. KONG
REVIEW BY
STEVEN PRYOR
DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard STARRING: Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Shun Oguri, Bryan Tyree Henry, Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, Eiza Gonzalez, Demian Bechir and Kaylee Hottle RATING: PG-13 MY RATING: ★★★★☆ AVAILABLE IN THEATERS AND ON HBO MAX (STREAMING TILL APRIL 30)
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
On March 31, the long-awaited “Godzilla vs. Kong” finally saw release both theatrically and on HBO Max. The film is the latest installment in Toho and Legendary Pictures’ “Monsterverse,” and it’s easily the best film in the franchise to date. The story follows up the events of the 2014 remake of “Godzilla,” 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and the 2019 film “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” As the world tries to deal with the looming threat of the “titans” among them; the two title characters are forced into a conflict for dominance as the corrupt Apex corporation tries to use them to find a mythical location known as “Hollow Earth.” Director Adam Wingard wholeheartedly embraces the absurdity of the concept and the original Japanese
films that inspired this one. While both King Kong and Godzilla had previously clashed on film in 1962 (though the canon of that version is often debated among fans), this is the definitive version of the bout fans have been waiting for. What the film lacks in characterization, it more than makes up for in sheer thrill. Though Wingard has previously
directed mainly low-budget horror fare as well as the infamous 2017 Netflix “Death Note,” this film does show he’s a more than capable action director. From the opening battle in Florida to a climactic final showdown in Hong Kong; the story strikes a balance between a darker tone and a big-budget version of the numerous giant monster slugfests Toho produced
throughout the past few decades. Whether it’s on the big screen or your preferred screen at home, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is a testament to the title characters’ lasting appeal and is definitely an easy film to recommend as a titansized smackdown.
10
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APRIL 14, 2021
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A Precious Little Reissue SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD: THE GAME
REVIEW BY
STEVEN PRYOR
PUBLISHER: Ubisoft
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
In the year 2010, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game” originally released. Much like the film that released the same year and the original graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley; the game’s unique blend of elements from anime, retro video games and alternative music seemingly made it destined for cult classic status; especially as it was removed from its original release in 2014. Now, the game has returned to a new generation of consoles by fan demand. With just over a decade having passed since its initial release, the game is every bit as fun and fresh as it was when it first came to Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. The game follows the same story structure as the graphic novel series and the 2010 film by Edgar Wright: Scott Pilgrim is courting a young woman named Ramona Flowers; and must clash
DEVELOPER: Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Chengdu PLATFORM: Nintendo Switch/Amazon Luna (Also Available on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Originally Released on Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade) ESRB RATING: T MY RATING: ★★★★★ with her “seven evil exes” to win her affections. Playing as Scott, Ramona and other key characters from the source material; what follows is an homage to side-scrolling arcade beat-em-ups done in the style they pioneered: simple enough to pick up and play, yet tough to truly master. Even when playing on “Average Joe” difficulty, the game will test your mettle whether you’re a longtime fan of the original release or playing it for the first time.
In terms of presentation, the visuals and sound are an absolute delight. The graphical design is perfectly suited to adapt the source and pay tribute to the 8-bit and 16-bit brawlers that influenced the game. The setting of Toronto, Canada is colorful and bright; with expressive characters and unique details abound. Each stage and encounter has music that recalls not only classic gaming staples such as “The Legend of Zelda” and early
Japanese role-playing games; but titles such as “The Clash at Demonhead” and “Crash and the Boys: Street Challenge” (even the pause menu has its own music in the vein of the NES version of “Battletoads.”). Overall, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game” is a precious little reissue that gets it together for both lovers of the original game and newcomers who want to try it for the first time.
A Spectacular Achievement for DC REVIEW BY
STEVEN PRYOR
@STEVENPRR2PRYOR
More than three years have passed since the original version of “Justice League” released in theaters. The film garnered a mixed reception from critics and fans, and was the result of a troubled production that saw the original plan for the film being altered significantly. Now, after demand from fans, Zack Snyder has assembled his director’s cut of the film on HBO Max; marking not only a significant improvement from the 2017 version; but a spectacular achievement for DC Comics on film in its own right. The film’s plot picks up where the events of the previous films in the DC Extended Universe left off, with Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) seeking to build an alliance of heroes in the absence of Superman (Henry Cavill). At the same time, the world is being thrown into chaos by Darkseid (voice of Ray Porter) and his herald Steppenwolf (voice of Ciaran Hinds); who seek three otherworldly artifacts known as “Mother Boxes” that could cause disaster in the wrong hands. With the aid of Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), the “Aquaman” Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the “Cyborg” Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) and “the Flash” Barry Allen (Ezra Miller); the Justice League must unite to face the looming threat to the world. At a cost of $70 million, the
ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder (Based on characters from DC Comics) Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Godot, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams and Diane Keaton with Kiersey Clemmons, Joe Morton, Jared Leto, Ciaran Hinds, JK Simmons, Jesse Eisenberg, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Harry Lennix and Ray Porter RATED: R MY RATING: ★★★★★ Available on HBO Max previous 120-minute cut of the film has been upgraded into a massive 242-minute epic. The story has multiple different chapters that combine to make one
larger narrative not only by reintroducing scenes absent from the film released in 2017; but expanding upon storylines that were previously reduced or cut outright.
Without any major spoilers, both the heroes and villains benefit significantly with more time being devoted to fleshing them out. Steppenwolf in particular has a much more compelling dynamic with Darkseid, and more time is given to each individual hero’s character arcs. Cyborg and the Flash have had their roles heightened considerably, with the latter having a key scene featuring his lover Iris West (Kiersey Clemmons). Both Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and Martha Kent (Diane Keaton) have a larger arc that uses elements from the landmark comic book storyline “The Return of Superman.” The film is also contains a host of changes to the audio and visuals that distinguish it from the previous version. Not only has the original color scheme for the film been restored, the special effects have been vastly improved from the 2017 cut of the movie; with the appearances of Superman and Steppenwolf being among the most notable upgrades. The original music from Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenborg has also been restored, having been previously replaced by a score from Danny Elfman. With DC, HBO Max and Warner Bros. having much in store for the future, it’s clear that “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is the definitive version of the film and a must-see experience in its own right. It’s easily one of the best reasons to have HBO Max and is highly recommended for viewing.
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STUDENT LEADERSHIP UPDATE
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