The Commuter: May 19, 2021

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 25

C O L L E G E

M AY 1 9 , 2 0 2 1

Remembering Laos LB Staff Member Lamngeun Virasak Reminisces on His Time Living in Laos After the Vietnam War

STORY BY BRENDA AUTRY

In 1975 when the United States pulled their troops from Vietnam, it finally meant the end of the 19 year conflict that had left more than 1 million dead. But for then 6-year-old Lamngeun (Lam) Virasak, the war was far from over.

The conflict in Vietnam was not contained by the country's borders. The fighting and bombing spilled over the border into the neighboring nations of Laos and Cambodia.

“I don’t remember a time when there wasn’t war in Laos,” Virasak remembers. “We heard bombing all the time and we never knew if we would make it until tomorrow.”

Virasak, an Instructional Assistant in the Machine Tool Technology Program at LBCC, spent the first six years of his life living in Vientiane, Laos with his mother, father, older brother, Vieng (8), and three younger sisters, Veun Kham (3), Dandy (2), and Sisi (>1).

Although officially a neutral country, the landlocked nation of Laos became a main playing field in the conflict in Vietnam due to its location between China, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Ho Chi Mihn trail, which was used by the North Vietnamese communists to move supplies, ran through the mountains and jungles of Laos and Cambodia and connected North and South Vietnam.

In 1962 the International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos was signed by China, the Soviet Union, Vietnam, the United States and 10 other countries. This agreement forbade each country from either invading Laos or establishing any military bases in the country. But several countries didn’t adhere to the agreement - the US included.

Laos was in the middle of a civil war of its own. The communist group Pathet Lao, who was allied with North Vietnam and the Soviet Union, was trying to overthrow the Royal Lao Government and take control of the country.

By the early 1960’s they had gained enough power to draw the attention of the US. President Eisenhower told the National Security Council that “If Laos were lost [to communism], the rest of Southeast Asia would follow.”

Fearing the spread of communism, the US authorized the CIA to begin training anticommunist operataives in the mountains of Laos with the mission of interupting the supply chain on the Ho Chi Minh trail. They enlisted the help of the Laotian military to aid them in their fight against their common enemy.

The US also began a covert campaign against Pathet Lao. This would become known as the “Secret War” in which the US dropped more than two million cluster bombs of Laos making it the most bombed nation in history.

Despite these efforts, just a few months after the US pulled out of Vietnam, the Royal Lao

PHOTO: LAMNGEUN VIRASAK

Virasak Family back row left to right: Vieng, Lamngeun, Veun, Damdy.

Front row: Kham (dad), Kham Kong (mom), Sisi.

Government fell and the Pathet Lao assumed control of Laos.

Virasak’s father, Kham Virasak, was a Laotian military man. During the Secret War, he was one of the soldiers who had helped the CIA in their anti-communist actions. Because of this the family was worried for their father’s safety under the new regime.

“One day my dad didn’t come home from work and we knew they had taken him away,” Virasak said.

Kham Virasak had been taken to a concentration camp near the border of Vietnam along with other soldiers who had helped the CIA. But the Virasak family wouldn’t know what happened to their father for over a year.

“Mom continued our normal routine,” Virasak said. “We didn’t know what happened to our father, but just had to hope he was still alive.”

Virasak’s mother, Kham Kong Virasak, began working on her brother’s rice farm to support her family. For the next several months the family was watched closely. They had to be very careful not to stray from their daily routines or draw any attention to themselves. They were not allowed to leave the city, or to write or receive letters from Kham Kong’s father in Thailand.

“One evening, a man came to our house and told our mother that our father was in Thailand and that he was going to help us escape from Laos,” Virasak said.

The family was overjoyed to finally learn that Kham was alive!

Kham Virasak had escaped from the concentration camp along with six other prisoners.

For months they walked through mountains and

COURTESY OF LONELY PLANET

jungles of Laos, hiding from the communist regime and making their way west toward the safety of Thailand. Along the way, one man was shot dead, and as they crossed the Mekong River so close to freedom, Kham was shot in the leg.

The wound was life threatening but he made it across the river to the shores of Thailand alive.

Kham spent three months in the hospital recovering from his injury. When he was finally released, he contacted his father-in-law, a Mekong River sailor, and asked for his help to get the rest of his family out of Laos safely.

The messenger was a friend of Virasak’s grandfather, and a fellow sailor. He was allowed to move between Thailand and Laos because he transported goods between the two countries.

The day after the messenger came to the house, the Virasak family carried out a plan to escape to Thailand. After school, the children walked to their uncle’s house which was near the river. They had visited their uncle many times before so it didn’t arouse any suspicion. Kham Kong joined the children after work and they all had dinner together at her brother’s home.

Around midnight, Kham Kong woke her children and they made their way quietly to

the shores of the river where two of her fathers friends waited for them with a boat. Kham Kong climbed into the canoe with the three girls, and Vieng and Lam clung to the sides in the warm Mekong waters. As quickly and quietly as possible, they made the 30-minute crossing to the shores of Thailand. Scared and unsure of what to expect their anxiety melted away when they recognized the figure of Kham Virasak waiting for them on the shore.

Happily reunited, the family spent a month living with their grandfather before moving into the Nong Khai refugee camp.

“The camp was about the size of the LBCC campus,” said Virasak. “Each family, no matter how big, was given a room about 14 feet by 14 feet to live in. The floors were bamboo and there were no beds or furniture. Once a week the aid workers gave each family their food which had to last all week. It was the same food day after day.”

The family spent the next four years living in the camp. In 1979 they moved to Bangkok where they hoped to obtain sponsorship and move to the US.

The family only had to wait three months before the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis offered to sponsor the family. As sponsors, the church covered housing and other living expenses for the family for the first couple of years. They helped Kham find a job, and to get the children settled in school.

“At first school was kind of weird,” Virasak said. “People made fun of us because we didn’t speak good English and for the first couple of years I really missed home because everything - the food culture, everything - was so different here.

“After a while I made friends and got used to everything and I came to know it was better here. It was safe. There was so much freedom here.”

Despite having to leave everything they owned behind in Laos, the Virasak family will never return to their home country.

“It isn’t safe for us to go back to Laos because the communists are still in power,” Virasak told me. “My mom and sister went back to Thailand once to visit cousins, but we’ve been here so long now, this is home.”

Virasak’s mother and father both got jobs at OSU, and in 1985 they bought their own house in Philomath.

Virasak graduated from Philomath High School in 1989, and went on to attend LBCC and OSU earning degrees in Mechatronics and Machine Tool Technology from LBCC. He spent 15 years working for Nypro Oregon as a Senior Process Technician in research and development and has worked for LBCC since 2012.

Inside this Edition

GRAPHICS FREEPIK.COM

LBCC'S SUSTAINABILITY

SEE PAGE 4

PHOTOJ

SEE PAGES 5-6

SPORTS

SEE PAGE 9

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CAMPUS NEWS

MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Wellness Wednesday Hey, Why Do I Need More Z’s?

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

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 Tanner Johnson Leah Biesack Alistair Woods Sydney Greene Aidan Arthur Mattea Hellman Blaine Larsen Carlie Cari Ethan Phifer MacKayla Tokar Sadie Beam Si Matta

What difference does sleep make for your health and well-being? Actually, a lot. Getting too little sleep may affect your ability to learn, your health, your mood and even your sex life. For college students, the impact on learning is especially noteworthy.

Sleep loss affects how you think.

It impairs your concentration, your mental clarity and ability to retain information.

Studies have found people who are sleepdeprived are worse at solving logic or math problems. While asleep, your brain forges new connections and helps memory retention. Sleep deprivation leaves your brain exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties as well.

Getting seven or more hours of sleep a night has shown to reduce your likelihood of getting sick. Without enough sleep, your brain and body systems won’t function normally. During sleep, your body heals itself and restores its chemical balance.

According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (biased perhaps?), up to 26% of people say that their sex lives tend to suffer because they’re just too tired. And it’s embarrassing to be out on a date and fall asleep at the movies.

Sleeping enough may actually keep you safer too. The signals your body sends may also come at a delay, decreasing your coordination skills and increasing your risks. Accidents are more likely when you’re tired - you might trip, fall off a ladder, cut yourself chopping vegetables or make poor decisions. The U.S. Institute of Medicine estimates that one out of five auto accidents in the U.S. results from drowsy driving.

When you’re tired, you’re more

likely to be cranky. And your emotional regulation is impacted. Thus you may have less patience with your boyfriend/ girlfriend, or lose your temper in traffic or not be able to cope with daily frustrations.

More sleep equals better weight control. Say what? Part of it is behavioral.

If you’re overtired, you might be less likely to have the energy to exercise or to cook a healthy dinner. The other part is physiological. The hormone leptin plays a key role in making you feel full. When you don’t get enough sleep, leptin levels drop. If you’re tired, you’re hungrier and possibly craving high-fat, high calorie foods in particular. (U.S. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research, Washington DC).

Hey – it’s not easy to always get enough sleep. You’ve got school, family, work and possibly even some social or personal time! Or maybe you have insomnia or another sleep disorder. The solutions are never simple, one-step plans.

Just know that sleep is important to your overall well-being. And do what you can to regularly get sevenish hours of sleep a night. (then again, you may have fallen asleep reading this…)

GRAPHIC: FREEPIK.COM

SAFETY SUGGESTION BOX 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

Safety Tip of the Week: Plug into safety - make your home and office safe and efficient. ► Electrical Safety Foundation International - Dedicated to promoting electrical safety ► 10 Electrical Safety Tips for the Workplace ► Indoor Electrical Safety at Home ► Outdoor Electrical Safety at Home

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

CAMPUS NEWS

MAY 19, 2021

3

Should Community College be Tuition-free?

By Moriah Rivera-Lawrence, Christopher Harris, and The LBCC Civil Discourse Program

Tuition-free community college should be offered to students nationwide.

This is because rising costs are pushing higher education out of reach for many.

President Biden’s American Families Plan offers a solution, with two years of tuition-free community college offering upward mobility and social benefits to many.

One problem for students nationwide is that rising costs are causing higher ed to become inaccessible. “Over the last 50 years, the value of Pell Grants has plummeted. The maximum grant went from covering nearly 80 percent of the cost of a four-year college degree to under 30 percent," said Biden. While this value has been plummeting, tuition costs have been soaring, with the average cost of tuition spiking 340 percent between 1969 and 2019 when adjusted for inflation.

President Biden has proposed a solution to these issues. The American Families Plan would assign several billion dollars to different aspects of education in the country, such as providing two years of tuition-free community college, teacher training, child care, and much more. The American Families Plan states that it plans on paying for itself over the course of 15 years in conjunction with other legislation. This plan will bring down costs, and increase accessibility for students, or those looking to become students.

The benefits of implementing The American Families Plan also show an increase in upward mobility, increased support for CTE programs, and social benefits.

First, upward mobility is a primary motivator for heading to college,

with the average Associate’s degree holder making about $124 more per week than

someone with a high-school diploma.

Second, with community colleges being the main source of trade education, giving free access to these programs opens up high schools to add another branch for its students to follow.

This used to be one of the options available for those students who do not fit into the modern scholastic focus on attending 4-year colleges. I think we all remember those kids who had trouble writing or reading, but put them on a welder and they would awe you with their talent.

This plan also helps address the need for talented skilled workers at a time where the world is quickly eliminating unskilled labor jobs.

far-reaching, with data showing that crime rates are not reduced by money spent on school so much as the amount of the student’s time spent in school. Providing further education can be valuable not only for students but for their communities as well. This isn’t just true for crime rates either, college grads are more likely to put more money back into the system than they take from it in the form of welfare and other government benefits.

In conclusion, Biden’s American Families Plan offers a solution to some of the problems with accessibility and affordability in higher education. It also offers a path for upward mobility to those who lack opportunity and social benefits for us all.

Finally, the ripple effects of increased accessibility to education are

By Susannah Cray, Mark Munoz, and The LBCC Civil Discourse Program

Tuition-free community college may seem like a good idea initially, but in reality its consequences would more than negate any benefits. It would downgrade the quality of community college education, encourage degree inflation, and promote economic inefficiency.

When students have to pay for community college classes, or put in the effort and initiative to get grants and scholarships, that ‘weeds out’ many less motivated students. This makes classroom environments more conducive to learning, as the majority of students value their education more and are more active members of their classes. Making community college tuition-free would attract more under-motivated students, which would negatively impact the quality of the classroom environment, degrading the learning experience. Also, teachers would often be pressured to reduce the rigor or pace of courses to accommodate underperforming students, thus downgrading the quality of the education for all students. This would have negative consequences for motivated students, who would not receive as full an education, nor be sufficiently challenged. This could also cause them to be unprepared to transfer to a four-year university, and could even put them at a disadvantage in the application process.

Making community college tuition-free would also cause degree inflation through essentially adding two more years to high school. As Mary Clare Amselem writes, “Entirely taxpayersubsidized community college would more resemble two extra years of high

school than a rigorous higher education track…Subsidizing community college outright is likely to only worsen the problem of credential inflation.” Having a two-year college degree would essentially become the same as having a high school diploma. This degree inflation would push people to get higher degrees, even if their content was irrelevant to their intended careers. People would be forced to spend more years than necessary preparing for their desired careers, and thus spend fewer years actually performing the careers they had prepared for.

Having community colleges be completely government-funded would also produce other problems. It would not force community colleges to address unnecessary cost drivers, leading to unnecessary price inflation and unsustainable accelerating cycles of economic inefficiency. Complete government funding of community colleges would also result in more government influence over the curriculum. This could further degrade the quality of a community college education as the government seeks to standardize curricula across states, or across the country. Learning experiences will most likely equalize near the lowest common denominator and quality will suffer. Increased government influence over course content could also lead to the introduction of political agendas into courses and undermine academic freedom.

Thus, tuition-free community college would have many negative consequences. There are other potential

Click Here to get involved with the conversation at the LBCC Civil Discourse Program’s Whiteboard!

solutions for making higher education more accessible for motivated, lowincome students, such as increasing grant and scholarship programs. Tuitionfree community college, through downgrading the quality of education, would defeat its own objective of helping more people have access to higher

education by rendering that education no longer ‘higher,’ and by making it more difficult for community college students to continue their education at four-year universities.

Roadrunner

Resources Personal Health & Well-Being Services

Support your life balance to achieve your goals and overcome obstacles.

► Counseling & Mental Health Support:

▪ Counseling via short-term personal

appointments ▪ Crisis care via 24/7 phone line ▪ Community resource referrals ▪ Consultation for faculty and staff to support students

► Well-Being:

▪ Help with food, housing, and child care ▪ Social connections through dozens of clubs and programs ▪ Physical activity such as a Wellness

Go to Bit.ly/2RERFQC or click Here for more information and directions to 24/7 crisis hotlines.

4

CAMPUS NEWS

MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Sustainability and Covid Cleanliness Linn-Benton Community College Engages in Regular Sustainability Practices STORY BY DAKOTA GANGE

Sustainability. What would we do without it? In a world that’s warming up, and as landfills fill, Linn-Benton Community College does what they can to aid in the fight of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Assistant Director of Facilities Stacie Braun speaks with The Commuter about sustainability and Covid cleanliness practices here at LBCC.

When it comes to recycling, LBCC provides all the haulers, and recycles materials that are accepted by the recycling industry. Unfortunately, there are more limits now than in the past on what materials are accepted. “Not a lot of places here in the states will buy it [certain materials],” said Braun.

Additionally, they sell used and left over metals, and reuse furniture in other areas whenever possible. “We try not to buy new furniture all the time.

Sometimes we will sell it to be used for something else,” or “it’s donated to be used for other schools.”

Linn-Benton used to be a pesticide free campus, however we now have gone back to some pesticide use, in part due to a lack of staffing. “Part of it is, we don’t have the staffing,” said Braun.

“We only have two full-time landscapers, so it does make it hard to manage the whole entire campus with our limited staff.”

They do use only one product to control the weeds though, and it is organic. Additionally, they do have to get approval from one of the boards in terms of efficacy before any products are used.

“It’s a process to get it approved, in terms of what we spray.” They also have to track it; where it’s used and how much, and have to provide notification to the public when and where it is used -- perhaps you’ve seen the “pesticide sprayed” signs on campus.

With the campus slowly opening back up, LBCC has increased their cleanliness practices as well. “Currently we are cleaning restrooms a couple of times a day, and we are cleaning classrooms in between face-to-face classes.” There are a couple of exceptions though, such as welding and automotive, and science labs because it’s specialized and requires specialized cleaning procedures.

“The thing about anything that kills germs, is it has to have an efficacy to kill it, and it has to have an EPA registration. So any disinfectant or germicidal must have a registration; it can’t be green. It has to be able to kill certain germs, and currently Covid is listed under its own registration category.”

Currently, LBCC uses oxifer wipes and some Clorox wipes, as well as portion packed germicidal. These products kill all the germs on the “registration categories” set by the EPA; not just Covid, but other viruses as well.

LBCC has switched over to hands-free soap, sanizier, and paper towel dispensers, as well as toilet paper

dispensers that encase the whole roll, so that there isn’t any just sitting out that people can touch.

“The other factor that is important to us in terms of health is that it’s not harmful to a person. All of these [products listed above] have a zero health rating, which means it’s not harmful to people,” said Braun.

Zooming into the future, LB does have a few hybrid cars on campus, and is considering increasing the amount of electric vehicle charging stations as they only have one.

A few years ago, LBCC started moving from fluorescent lights to LED’s, and now they have “most classrooms on campus shifted over to LED’s, and are finishing out that project by making sure all restrooms, hallways, common areas, and classrooms are in LED’s,” said Braun.

Parking lot lights have been switched over as well.

“Wherever we can, LB is switching over to LED lights.” The Oregon Energy Trust provides some cash incentives for switching over, in which LB is taking advantage of those incentives whenever possible.

The idea of installing solar panels has been thrown around, but with the Oregon Energy Trust’s budget cuts, the number of incentives out there have been reduced. LBCC does have two sets of solar panels already on campus; the windows in Madrone, and on the band stand in the courtyard.

Additionally, In order to save energy amid heating and cooling, there are some buildings that are not in use, where the heating and cooling systems have been completely shut down.

“Sustainability is not just about resources as far as recycling or anything, it’s also resources and using them to the best that we can,” said Braun.

So many businesses out there don’t recycle, or hardly do at all; as a decade-long restaurant worker, it is not uncommon to see recyclable materials simply thrown away on the regular.

I am proud to be attending a school that prioritizes sustainability practices, and looks out for its future students.

GRAPHIC: FREEPIK.COM

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

MAY 19, 2021

LOCAL NEWS

My Hometown

5

Photojournalism Students Capture Their Hometown/ Neighborhoods

STORY AND PHOTOS: SADIE BEAM

Down the road, in a quiet corner of Ladd's Addition, Lisa Pate L.Ac R.D., shows a much more zen side to the Hawthorne neighborhood. Among the dive bars, gluten-free bakeries, and bookstores, sits an oasis of naturopathic health. Pate, who has lived in the area for nearly three decades, has been practicing acupuncture and nutrition for over 20 years. She specializes in women's health and fertility.

One of her favorite parts of the job is receiving photos of all the babies born under her care.

Shoppers weren't the only ones causing a scene on the street last Thursday.

Onlookers watch as an officer arrests Kenneth Church after he allegedly set a telephone pole on fire around 2:30 pm, May 13. Though people were shaken up by the incident, no one was seriously injured.

SE Hawthorne district, Portland's bohemian epicenter, springs back to life after the long restrictive pandemic. People fill the streets eager to eat at their favorite vegetarian restaurants and visit the quirky gift shops and bookstores this neighborhood has to offer.

STORY AND PHOTOS: BRANDON CARR

Murray Parkway Golf Course has a very special landmark in their driving range.

They have a huge golf ball sitting on a tee. This golf range has 18 holes, and close to 7,000 yards total in their golf course.

Kladia (mom), Baldecer (dad), Michael (oldest son), Vanessa (daughter), Brandon (youngest son), all enjoying the nice day out at the park. The Cruz family tries to spend the nice days out together and spend more family time.

Their at a local park called "Mountainview Park"

Kaleb and Diego Call are giving their thirsty dog Chewy some water. Chewy is a 4-year-old St. Bernard. Kaleb says that he tries to take Chewy to the dog park once or twice a week, depending on how his schedule for the week turns out.

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LOCAL NEWS

MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

STORY AND PHOTOS: ETHAN PHIFER

Carson Wilson and Tyler Mack catching up with friends on Friday May 14.

A little known trail in Oregon City called Hidden Viewpoint.

The Stafford Bridge; a landmark in West Linn Oregon offers a way over the Tualatin river.

STORY AND PHOTOS:SI MATTA

Steve Hunter sets up sound at the Common Fields Food Court in downtown Corvallis, Oregon on Wednesday May 12.

Benton County Courthouse in Corvallis, Oregon basks in the evening light on Friday May 14. Photo taken from the Whiteside Theatre roof.

Nick Price, drummer in the band, Onion Machine, sets up his drums at the Common Fields Food Court in down Corvallis, Oregon on Wednesday May 12. Nick is excited to play their first show since Covid-19 put a stop to live music.

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

COLUMN

MAY 19, 2021

A Reality Check

7

Feature Writing Student Writes About Climbing the World's Tallest Mountain

STORY BY JOHNNY MEDIA

When I utter the phrase “Climbing Mount Everest” what images spring to your mind?

Do you picture accomplishing the unthinkable?

Maybe you imagine completing a strenuous task?

Possibly you think about it in the same vein as traveling into space?

You probably don’t picture it as routine as commuting to work or planning a vacation or booking a flight, right?

Perhaps you should.

It used to be, getting to Nepal was a struggle in itself. Before you could even embark on the mountain, you had to find yourself at the foot of the Himalayas. Since 1953 when Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, and Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer he assisted up the infamous mountain, first climbed to the precipice of the known world, times have drastically changed.

Nowadays, I could catch a flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tomorrow and be in Nepal in less than a day.

It’d also cost me less than I received from my first COVID stimulus check.

Did I have to use some wild travel website or booking agency to get that flight?

Nope.

A simple Google search and a click on Kayak later and I had my flight planned out, return trip and all. It even had a Honey discount code as an option.

Quite the deal!

So if getting there is no longer the exploration it once was, climbing the beast of a mountain itself must still be near impossible, right?

Not exactly.

Climbing tools and equipment have come a long way in the 68 years since that impressive Sherpa, and that bloke he helped, climbed to the peak of Everest.

Madison Mountaineering has a full webpage dedicated to what you need to pack to get from bottom to top and back.

They’ll even help buy it for you. There are now synthetic, non-cotton, fabrics that are waterproof and weather resistant. Boots that are more advanced than those that graced the surface of the moon, designed to keep your toes nice and toasty from start to finish with gloves designed to do the same for all your digits. There are also polarized goggles that will keep the wind and sun away from your peepers.

Couple all that with things like tents and sleeping bags capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures until the end of time, dry foods that cut the weight of your loadout, as well as extremely heavy-duty and equally lightweight trekking gear, the equipment you bring with you is essentially from another planet than what Tenzing Norgay had to work with.

On top of that, there are paths and routes to lead you to the summit too.

There are entire sites and blogs dedicated to comparing the route options.

Want an easier climb? Take the South Col Route. Looking to make it more of a challenge? The Northeast Ridge Route is the route for you.

You can even virtual practice the climb thanks to Google.

Not to mention, you’ll have a personal guide from the base of the mountain to the crown of it and all the way back down.

That’s right. A Sherpa just like Tenzing.

These Sherpas have climbed this “unclimbable” mountain dozens of times.

One Sherpa, Kami Rita, 52, climbed the mountain twice in one week in May 2018.

This is their career. They suit up, ascend the mountain with their paying customers who are decked out in much more advanced equipment than them most of the time, and then descend back to their homes and families. Kami Rita has now climbed Everest 25 times. He just completed that 25th summit on May 7, 2021.

So if Sherpas do this climb as routinely as some people see their in-laws, what is the draw to the mountain?

That is the first difficult question to answer.

The simple response is in the history.

Some people view climbing Mount Everest as equivalent to winning a World Series, hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, or bringing home a World Cup. Others may have done it before you, they might have had a tougher time getting there, but that doesn’t take away the magnitude of this accomplishment from you. There is a sense of majesty and honor in those icy cliffs.

Another answer, because it’s a sign of wealth.

You can be in the most average shape of anyone on this blue sphere and if you’re affluent enough, get to the top of the world. To many, Everest is simply another mark to show just how opulent they are.

They use its history as an excuse to buy their way to the top.

There is no challenge in that and nothing to be applauded.

These people also make the trek easier for those that follow by highlighting ways to get to the mountaintop with money rather than skill, effort, and talent.

Instead of seeking out a roundtrip to Nepal, being the 100th person to complete the climb in that month, and posting it on your Instagram for clout, let’s seek out our next Everest.

Everest only became the legend it is today because it was such a challenge decades ago. We should be seeking out that new, impossible for humans to conquer, task and pushing our limits in advanced and exciting ways. To use sports as an analogy again, why win the 1923 World Series with the exact same roster, Babe Ruth and all, that the Yankees did when you can blaze your own trail and win a new World Series?

Climbing Mount Everest today is simply that. Winning a championship someone else already won a lifetime ago.

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LOCAL NEWS

MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

Silver Falls Adventure Feature Writing Student Shares Their Experience at Oregon’s Silver Falls

STORY AND PHOTOS BY AVERY LEON-CASTILLO

Sitting here at my desk, photos from our last hike at Silver Falls, Oregon scroll past on my laptop screen. I’m trying to figure out how to describe in actual words how beautiful the trip was, but I’m at a loss.

We went on a day that was warm but windy, and a little bit drizzly towards the end of the day. I went along with my aunt, who’s my age, my younger brother, and my mom. It was a Sunday, in mid-April; we decided to go as a spur-of-the-moment type decision because she had read it was beautiful there during the spring season.

We piled into our car, my mom calls her Beatrice #2, after our first car here in Corvallis. Mom drove, my aunt had shotgun, and my brother and I in the back.

I brought a book and my journal, hoping to read or write but the road was winding and I have always had terrible road-sickness. My brother was reading a book that I gave him about Ida B. Wells and the two up front were talking on and on about how shitty school is.

The drive was nice, I fell asleep partway through, focusing on how the phone lines trailed up and down and up again outside my window. I think it was about an hour’s drive from our secluded house on Highway 20 in between Albany and Corvallis. I think where we live now it would’ve been close to 2 hours.

We all got out and put on hiking boots. Mine was a bit too big for my sizeeight-feet, so during the whole walk pine needles and pebbles kept falling in and we had to stop many times so that I could dump all the gunk out. All of our legs were sore and our tummies growled with hunger, but only a little bit. My mom and Nadia went to the bathroom in front of the trailhead and my aunt and I grabbed a trail map and studied it.

I can’t remember exactly what it looked like

Trail Map.

but the whole trail went past ten waterfalls and looped back around to the parking lot we were standing in. We chose the shortest trail, Maple Ridge Loop which was about 2.6 miles, so about three hours of walking.

We walked for about 30 minutes before we saw the first waterfall, the South Falls. This waterfall is 177 feet tall, it is the most popular waterfall and biggest fall in this park. There was a trail where we had to go that looped behind the waterfall. It was such an amazing experience. How many people can say they’ve been behind one?

Well, I guess everybody who’s gone through the trail, but still. Doesn’t take away from the amazingness.

There are four waterfalls in the whole park that you are able to walk behind.

I won’t bore anybody with the details of the lesser falls, even though I think every single one on that trail was magnificent. Walking was difficult because of so much uphill walking. I don’t know ANYBODY who would actually enjoy doing that. I’m super clumsy so walking up steep hills then down steep hills on soft ground with jagged rocks littering the path, is not my strong suit.

In between all the heavy breathing and water breaks/shoe-adjusting breaks/ PHOTOS! breaks, there was a light conversation between the four of us,

“How’s it going up there!?”

“PEOPLE!”

View of South Fall and a few of the plants growing behind sprinkled with water from the Falls.

Little chipmunk that posed for me, also the last photo before my camera died!

“These boots are anti-slip, Avery, calm down.”

“My feet hurrrrrrrrrrrrt!”

“WATERFALL!”

“Are you sure this is the right way???”

We finally completed our 10 waterfall siting adventure and were on the Rim Trail. This one went through the forest, trailing alongside the main road and a bike path. We found out that we were able to walk the bike path for a bit but eventually it’d go off in a different direction, but it was definitely a reprieve from the tough natural flooring.

We walked for what felt like FOREVER, food in our minds, bathrooms too, and finally after about 40 minutes of walking uphill and downhill, along with my mom shouting sometimes after reading the map, “SHOULD BE ABOUT 15 MORE MINUTES!”, it really was never 15 minutes, to our despair. We finally reached the sign saying “Thanks for visiting, please come again!” (clearly they didn’t have to walk that trail…) we reached the bathrooms. Everyone relieved themselves and we walked back to Beatrice #2, discussing what kind of foods we were dreaming of.

“Well, I want a huge pancake with two slightly smaller Belgian waffles, hash browns, a pie shake, and chocolate sauce.” My brother said. He said it with such seriousness, my aunt and I burst into laughter.

“Boy, don’t kid yourself, you’d

Left to right: Mom, Nadia, and my aunt Elisabeth.

never eat that! You always say how much you hate pancakes after I made them almost every weekend!” I said after we were done.

My aunt was chuckling and totally agreed with me. At least she and I have similar tastes in food.

“I want some really good either Italian, Chinese, or Diner food. I don’t care what, as long as it’s creamy, fried, or greasy.” I said. My aunt smiled and nodded her head.

“Yeah, then again maybe we shouldn’t eat too much, I feel a bit nauseous from the up and downs.”

We all agreed on a small place called Water Mountain Restaurant. It was pretty empty, so we ate inside. I think I got some type of garden burger, my aunt got shrimp and pasta, and my mom and brother got a veggie omelette. The food there was pretty good and satisfied our stomachs after the hike.

We got back into our car and ventured home. Sore and tired, but happy.

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

MAY 19, 2021

sports roundup:

SPORTS

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COMPILED BY SYDNEY GREENE

🏐Volleyball Roadrunners Down Rogue 3-1 Shaylyn Gray had 23 kills and 18 digs to lead Linn-Benton past visiting Rogue 3-1 in NWAC South Region volleyball action on May 12.

Set scores were 25-19, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-22.

The Roadrunners (9-4) also got 10 kills apiece from Emily Curtis and Isabelle Wyss. Sydnie Johnson racked

up 55 assists on the night.

Defensively, Alicia VandervoortWalters had four blocks and Jade Hayes recorded 21 digs for Linn-Benton.

The Roadrunner’s next scheduled game is against Mt.Hood for the South Region Playoffs -- first round on May 18 at 6 p.m.

Women's Basketball🏀 Roadrunners Drop Game to Lane 60-49

Elizabeth Chavez scored 18 points, had five assists and collected five rebounds to lead Linn-Benton past visiting Mt. Hood 61-57 in NWAC South Region women's basketball action on May 10.

The Roadrunners (4-4 overall, 3-4 in NWAC) took the lead for good when Haily O'Brien hit a three-pointer with 0:39 left to break a 55-55- tie. It was O'Brien's only made field goal of the night, but it helped propel LinnBenton to victory.

🏀Men’s Basketball Blaser Leads Roadrunners to OT Win Over SWOCC Kye Blaser scored a game-high 30 points to lead Linn-Benton past visiting Southwestern Oregon in NWAC South Region men's basketball action on May 15.

The Roadrunners (2-7 overall, 2-6 NWAC South) made 8-of-12 free throws in the overtime period to secure the win. Blaser was 4-for-4 from the line in overtime. Tyson Parker made two threepointers in the overtime period and ended with 12 points on the night.

Trailing 76-74, the Roadrunners' Colton Lauby hit a three-pointer with 0:04 left to

give Linn-Benton the lead. A foul on an inbounds play with 0:00.9 left put the Lakers on the free throw line, making one of two to send the game into overtime.

Blaser added six rebounds and six assists and made 10-of-12 free throws on the night. Ayden Foster added 16 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Garrett Workinger chipped in 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Roadrunners travel to Clackamas on May 19.

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Grace Gaither scored 11 points and Halo Parks and Brooklynn Hankwitz each scored 10 points. Hankwitz also had a game-high 12 rebounds and was six-for-six from the free throw line. As a team the Roadrunners were 17-of-22 from the free throw line.

Mt Hood (0-5, 0-5) outrebounded the Roadrunners 41-33.

Linn-Benton's next scheduled game is May 19 against Clackamas at 5 p.m.

Baseball⚾ Beaks Take Doubleheader from Lane 7-1, 5-4 Linn-Benton swept Lane in a doubleheader on May 14, 7-1 and 5-4 in NWAC South Region baseball action at Dick McClain Field.

The Roadrunners (24-6) jumped out early in game one, but needed to battle from behind in game two.

In the first game the Roadrunners exploded for five runs in the seventh inning to open up a 7-0 lead. Ian McIntrye started the scoring barrage with a triple that scored Jake Hoskins from first base. Hoskins, McIntrye and Michael Soper each collected three hits and McIntrye led Linn-Benton with two RBI. Eric Hill pitched five innings and

earned the win for the Roadrunners.

In game two, Lane (16-10) led 4-1 before Linn-Benton scored two in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the lead to 4-3. The Roadrunners added two more in the bottom of the eighth inning when McIntrye doubled home Hoskins to tie the game at 4-4.

Cayden Delozier then singled to bring in McIntyre for the final margin.

Dylan Rush earned the win for the Roadrunners.

Lane got the win on May 16 with a score of 6-4. In the second game LinnBenton got the win in seven innings 5-3.

News For You Sign up for The Commuter's new Newsletter, designed for the students, by the students of LBCC! Find local events, campus news, school updates, and more every week Join the Community @lbcommuter or follow this link: http://eepurl.com/heeMtv

Requirements:

• Age 18 or older • High School Diploma or GED Certificate • Proof of High School Algebra or Equivalent Post-High School Algebra Course with a C or Better

Women, Minorities, and Veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

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MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

The Unique World of Corvallis History A Look Into the Historical Curiosities at the New Corvallis Museum

STORY BY AVERY LEON-CASTILLO

Through the double-doubled doors of the brand-new Corvallis Museum, the first things you will see are a desk, two rooms to your left, and a huge moose on a pedestal. It might not look like much, but as you venture further inside, you will find many treasures from Benton County’s history.

The Corvallis Museum joins the Philomath site of the Benton County Historical Society. It officially finished construction in December 2020 but had to delay its opening due to the global pandemic.

It finally opened in February and has hours between 10 am and 5:30 pm Wednesday through Saturday. They do stress the use of social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as booking an appointment before your visit.

The very first room that is on the first floor of the two-floored building, is the Fred and Mary Brauti Gallery room. This room is full of photos including pictures of CHS in its pool days, downtown Corvallis in the 40s, and a picture of Louis “Lewis” Southworth who I share a birthday with and who was able to raise enough money in California, playing the violin at local dance schools, and bought himself out of slavery and bought land in Waldport, Oregon. You can read more about his story in Oregon's State Archive Article "Black in Oregon: Louis (Lewis) Alexander Southworth".

The other room on this floor is the

museum’s Konick Family Store. They have many books about Benton County and Corvallis history, lots of adorable moose and beaver plushies, and lots of prints of art made by Benton County residents. The shop is also featured online and you can visit and purchase from their website.

On the way to the second floor, there is a small staircase gallery that has vintage small-scale photos of residents in the 1900s, and small belongings like wrist watches and even a binky from somebody’s baby in the 30s!

The first space you see when you reach the top of the steps is the James and Ashnah Plunkett Gallery, which has more 3D items such as a taxidermied beaver, pieces of a statue of Hebe which was gifted then destroyed in the 1940s, and a small copper of Hermes, donated from a retired OSU professor.

The room adjacent to this one is the Mary C. Verhoeven Gallery. This room was a favorite to many people visiting recently!

The exhibit contained an old-fashioned gas mask, a bike with one HUGE wheel, an oldfashioned baby carriage and a wheelchair made from wicker.

I met a nice couple in the room and asked them a few questions:

“What is your favorite room or exhibit so far?”

“I think we both can agree this room is so far the favorite.”

They both nodded.

“Do you think you’ll go again?”

“Certainly, if we don’t finish looking at everything before the museum closes!”

I informed them it was 5:15 so they might have to return as the museum closes at 5:30.

The last gallery room is a little hidden. However, it is a pleasant walk to it as there is another hallway gallery filled with more obscure objects like strange cups, pocket watches, and a donut maker!

This room is called the Peter and Rosalie Johnson Gallery. This room had more 3D objects, including a big treecutting saw, vintage roller skates, and even a mountain goat suit paired with an old video explaining it. Longtime museum followers will recognize what’s featured in a little pocket gallery, where a huge panel

contains different rocks that fluoresce under a blacklight. Next to the wooden panel was an explanation of how to rock scientists used blacklight when determining what type of rocks they were.

As you head downstairs again to exit, be sure to visit the Konick Family Store because they have many fun souvenirs that visitors will enjoy. There’s also books, including one called “Brides of Eden: A True Story Imagined” by Linda Crew. She was born in Benton County and wrote the book based on her grandmother’s experience in the 1903 Corvallis cult, “The Holy Rollers.”

It’s a fascinating book, and as somebody who grew up in Corvallis, it’s uncanny.

This museum will hopefully grow into a fixture of downtown as it rotates in more exhibits that go more in-depth into Benton County’s history.

Irregular Horror on Netflix REVIEW BY CHRISSY VEACH

The Netflix original series “The Irregulars” is a horror-like supernatural setting that is based on the Sherlock Holmes books. This series came out on March 26.

It is about a group of teenagers that live in London, England during the 1800s who have recurring nightmares about supernatural beings that they believe are in London with them.

While living their own lives there is this man who watches over the kids in Apartment 221B, Sherlock Holmes’ apartment. The group of teenagers struggled to make ends meet to make sure they don’t live on the streets. The main kids that in this show are Jessie( Darcie Shaw), Billy(Jojo Macari), Bea( Thaddea Graham) , Spike(McKell David), Leopold(Harrison Osterfield), Doctor Watson(Royce Pierreson), and Sherlock Holmes(Henry Lloyd-Hughes).

Among the challenges for the teens: Jessie gets nightmares where she sees a doctor from the black plague she believes is going to kill her; and Bea is looking at her mother’s gravestone when Holmes’ collaborator Dr. Watson appears to enlist her help and is willing to pay for the task. Watson wants Bea to find four babies that have disappeared over the past couple of days.

If you don’t mind a little bit of gore and like mystery films this is a good show for

THE IRREGULARS STARRING: Harrison Osterfield (Leopold), Thaddea Graham (Bea), Darci Shaw ( Jessie), Jojo Marari (Billy), McKell David (spike), Royce Pierreson ( Doctor Watson), Henry Lloyd-Hughes ( Sherlock Holmes) DISTRIBUTOR: Netflix GENRE: Mystery, fantasy, romance, crime, horror adventure RATED: TV-14 MY RATING: ★★★☆☆ that. Twists and turns abound throughout the series, whether about what is happening in London or where the missing babies went.

Then for good measure, the creators have included a lot of romance between Bea and Leopold.

While watching this series for the first time everything was very out there, where each of the main characters had seen a different part of what is happening in London around the time setting. The main kids have attitudes from being on the streets most of their life.

The plotline was very predictable where I could see what was going to happen next before it even happened. With the characters,you could see what life was giving

them and the pain they went through with the events that were in their lives being teenagers living in an abandoned house and pretty much living off the streets. The character’s backstories were pretty genuine about everything.

The executive producer of the show Tom Bidwell said, “It’s quite a unique show with many genres; it’s adventure, it’s horror, it’s crime, it’s romance, it’s fantasy, it’s a mystery.” But Brian Tallerico, a blog writer, had a different experience with the show. He said, “the direction here too often feels flat and shapeless, bouncing around a costume drama in which they don’t always look comfortable or genuine.”

This series has a lot of chilling

things that happen from beginning to end, it will put you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens next. “The Irregulars” will leave you wanting more over and over again through each episode.

The actors were divided between who liked the series and who didn’t. The actors who played Bea( Thaddea Graham), Jessie( Darci Shaw) and Leopold (Harrison Osterfield)were very intrigued by the backstory and were in the zone and wanted to keep filming. The rest of the class didn’t really like what was going on with the storyline and how it was all about Bea and Jessie for the most part,they got a lot of the screen time instead of the rest of the group.

 COMMUTER@LINNBENTON.EDU

A&E

MAY 19, 2021

11

5-Word Book

Reviews

BY LEAH BIESACK

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Bruce Coville Seemingly very plausible plot. Page-turner.

The History of Rap and Hip-Hop, Soren Baker Strong foundation. Not super current.

The Ayurvedic Cookbook, Amadea Morningstar Nourishing dishes. Measurements off sometimes.

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion Shattering tragedies. Astounding mosaic rebuild.

GRAPHIC: FREEPIK.COM

Ambitious Achievement in Open World Games REVIEW BY

CYBERPUNK 2077

STEVEN PRYOR

@STEVENPRR2PRYOR

After being previously delayed from its planned release this past February, “Cyberpunk 2077” has seen the release of its v1.2 update in late March 2021. Though the game has admittedly seen its fair share of issues since its initial launch this past December; this latest major update (along with its accompanying “Hotfix” patches) is a sure sign of developer CD Projekt RED being dedicated to improving the experience and showing the true potential of the title.

Upon its initial release, while the game had a stable performance on PC and new generation consoles; the Playstation 4 and Xbox One versions were significantly less sound. Over time, a series of “Hotfix” patches and the previous major update helped vastly upgrade overall experience.

Now that this second major update has finally seen release; the full potential of the game is now being realized with more content updates in the wings (including full ports to the Playstation 5 and Xbox

PUBLISHER: WB Interactive DEVELOPER: CD Projekt RED PLATFORM: PS4 (Also Available on PC and Xbox One, Coming soon to PS5 and Xbox Series) ESRB RATING: M MY RATING: ★★★★☆

Series that can be upgraded for existing players at no extra cost).

Drawing from the “Cyberpunk 2020” tabletop role-playing game and the developers’ previous work on titles such as “The Witcher” series, the world of Night City, CA has proven to be a setting full of life and tremendous attention to detail. The depiction of a near-future Northern California is rife with quests to complete and encounters unique to each distinct “life path” you choose for your character. The real-time combat is

intuitive on the surface, yet surprisingly deep as you upgrade your skill levels of each weapon type. One key tip is don’t try to play the combat missions like a first-person shooter: your avatar will die a lot if you do. This latest major update not only further refines the progress already made on the base game; it’s easily the best version of the game to date. The game has also made a variety of improvements to the graphics that push the current generation of consoles to their limits and make a fantastic showcase for the new

generation of hardware.

Whether you’ve been playing since the initial launch this past December or have been wanting to try the game for the first time, the v1.2 update of “Cyberpunk 2077” is easily the best version of the game to date; marking an ambitious achievement in open-world games. With more content coming in the near future, now is the perfect time to jump into the world of Night City.

S T U DENT LEADER

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S H I P COUNCIL

A&E

S T U DENT LE

H I P COUNCIL ADERS

MAY 19, 2021

LBCOMMUTER.COM 

STUDENT LEADERSHIP UPDATE

STUDENT LIFE AND LEADERSHIP EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS: LBCC CAMP GUIDE:

► LBCC is running Summer camps on the Albany Campus and is looking for Student Guides to work with our middle school and high school campers. ► June 24th to August 1st. ► 16-29 hours a week.

WORK STUDY POSITIONS:

► We are looking for our student receptionists for next year.

► Not sure if you have work study available to you? Let us know and we can point you in the right direction.

EMAIL GETINVOLVED@LINNBENTON.EDU IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN EITHER POSITION.

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