We’re just over halfway through winter term, well into February, the term seems to be flying by. The brighter days of spring are on the horizon. February is a short cold month but at least we haven’t gotten iced in like we did in January. I apologize in advance if I jinx that. I always find winter term a little tougher than fall and spring due to the weather. The rainy gray days don’t allow us much time to get outside and recharge. February is right in the middle of the term, we have midterms then start thinking about finals, I would argue it’s the toughest month of the term.
February isn’t all bad of course, we may have gray days and academic challenges to conquer but it’s also Black History Month and we have Valentine’s Day as well. I personally feel that Valentine’s Day is a little over commercialized but the theme of the holiday is something I can get behind. I believe both Black History Month and Valentine’s Day share a theme of love. Black History Month is more about love as a force to counteract the centuries of hate, while Valentine’s day is more about romantic love between individuals. Love as an idea of togetherness, acceptance, and collaboration is something we need more of in today’s world. In today’s world it can
seem that everywhere you look there’s hate and conflict. This hate gets in the way of our development as a species. Love is what drives the world forward and brings us together. You as an individual may not be able to change the world but you can change the lives of those around you by remembering the importance of love and acceptance. If enough of us get onboard then maybe we can change the world for the better.
Apart from the philosophical themes of February, the Commuter has some exciting things happening. We’ve been getting a lot of new story content from Rob Priewe’s News Reporting students, so many stories that we can barely fit them all in the magazine. Next month we’re considering bumping up our page count to give us extra space which we would use to expand the visuals we pair with our stories. In addition to new Commuter contributors we’ve also got some new columns in the works so keep an eye out for those next edition.
Thanks for reading, I hope the remainder of the term treats you well and we get a few sunny days here and there. We’ve only got a few weeks left to go, the finish line is in sight. I wish you luck, Roadrunners!
Ryan Janowitz Editor-in-Chiefthe Commuter is the student-run magazine 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.
The Commuter encourages readers to use its “Opinion” section 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.
wanna get together? We’re really nice and fairly cool and we’d love to hear what you have to say. Not big on journalism but love to journal? Perfect. Are you a STEM major with major opinions? Let’s hear ’em. Like writing about ’80s film? Local animals? Snack hacks? Maybe you have a hefty folder of flash fiction on your laptop, just dying to be published and printed. Drop us a line. We’d love to meet you, read you, and support you. Think your ideas might be too weird or too niche for submission? Even better. The Commuter is an awardwinning publication because of our wide range of contributions and our unique contributors. So reach out. We’ll be staring at our email inbox in the meantime, not an ounce of chill to be had.
interview by EMILY JIMERSON photo by SARAH ROSE LARSON
Jessica Maddox always has a bright smile on her face. She’s patient and open to her students’ questions and feedback. She even brought chocolate to share with the Math 105 class after a joke about how chocolate makes students smarter. She strives to help her students succeed and grow more confident using math in their everyday lives. Her office is located in White Oak Hall, room 116.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your background with math?
I grew up with a dad who liked math, logic puzzles, and games. He used to give me three digit numbers to add up when I was like five years old. My family played a lot of games so I was part of that early on. I was good at math. And so I always knew I wanted to major in math, so I never changed. I was like, I’m going to college, I’m gonna get a degree in math, it’s gonna be great. I wasn’t sure about teaching, but I really liked my teaching experience in grad school where they put me in charge of a class. You just start, they’re like, “You’re a grad student, teach math to other students.” And I really liked it.
What are some of the classes that you teach?
I’ve taught many, many classes at the community college level. I’ve been doing this for about 12 years. So Math 105, 111, and 112 are kind of the core statistics. Multivariable Calculus. Right now I’m teaching discrete math, which is Math 231. We talk about proofs and sets and a lot of logic. That’s a very fun one to teach. And then I have taught some sub 100 levels as well. We’ve got 50, 95. I’ve taught 98 a lot. I’m the course lead for 98 as well. That’s the one that leads directly into 105, so I care about that a lot.
Why did you choose to become a teacher?
I had the idea for being a teacher when I was probably nine years old. In fourth grade my teacher said, “Here’s a stack of papers. Would you grade these? Here’s the key.” And just like going down the list of checking yes or no, it felt like I had the secret knowledge that I could share with other people. And it sounds crazy because most teachers will tell you grading is the worst part. But I really liked it. I was like, this is fun. It’s fun to be the one who knows all the things. And I try to be nice about it, but I know a lot about math and so my job is making it fun. That always seemed like a good challenge to me.
What are some of your passions outside of teaching?
The big one right now is pickleball. I’ve been playing a ton of pickleball this last year as much as I can. It’s my most active hobby. My other hobbies are board games and crossword puzzles, and I read a lot. Usually Science Fiction (and) Fantasy. I’ve been reading some Nonfiction recently. There’s one called “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, who is a comedic author. It’s all about the Appalachian Trail in the eastern part of the country, which I used to live right next to. So it was very interesting to read history and stories about people in a funny way, like, he’s a funny guy.
What does a typical day look like for you working at LBCC?
Usually I am coming in, in the morning to prepare for classes. I might be adjusting things or making copies. And then I have one or two classes per day, sometimes three. But that’s a lot on a single day because the actual teaching in the classroom is a pretty big energy drain for me. I’m very introverted, believe it or not. I stand in front of 30 people and talk for an hour and a half and it’s like a different part of my brain, but afterwards I’m very drained.
So coming in, preparing, teaching the actual classes. Then there’s usually some administrative stuff, paperwork, keeping attendance, looking ahead to the next day. Often there’ll be meetings. So a variety of meetings and miscellaneous stuff fills the rest of my day. At some point, I have to think ahead to next term where I’m like, I gotta get those classes ready.
I’m teaching statistics next term for the first time in a year and a half. And the class has changed since then. There’s been state legislation about this class and what it has to have. So there’s some prep that I need to do. Also keeping an eye on my emails. I think this job (has) a lot of different pieces. I also get a lot of autonomy. Like the classes are set, but I could grade before class, or in the afternoon, or in the evening. So that’s really empowering. What has surprised you about being a teacher?
One of the funny things that has surprised me is how I have learned to remember students’ names until the end of term. And then they all go away, like my memory has been trained. You just need to remember these names until the end of term. And I feel bad sometimes when I run into a student.
I would say that another surprising thing is how often I run into former students. And I never remember their grades. I never remember their academic work. I remember what they were like as a person. Like, oh, this person was so fun to have in class, or this person didn’t show up a bunch. Those are the kinds of things I remember. I never remember their name. Almost never. Those connections and the lasting impact has been a surprising part to me (that) I didn’t anticipate.
How do you motivate your students?
I really try to think about what they will need in life. And sometimes that’s easier or harder depending on the students, depending on the class. It’s really hard with college algebra to say you really need to know all the details of all of these functions. You’re only gonna need it if you go on to more math. That’s why I like 105 so much. Actually, I think it’s the one where I can make it the best case for you might actually need this, you might actually find this useful in your life. So that’s my main go-to source of motivation for my students.
Is there anything else you’d want people to know?
I would say (teaching) takes more time than I thought. At a glance you’d be like, “Oh, you only are in the classroom 10 or 12 hours a week.” And that doesn’t sound like very much, but there’s so much around it, so many meetings, so many other things happening at the state level. Conferences with other colleges and schools. And that is one of the surprising things as well, I would say. just like, oh, there’s a lot of other things. But at the same time, that keeps it fun and interesting because I have some level of choice. Do I go to this conference or not? Do I become a part of this group that meets five times a term or not? So I always say being a teacher is a great job and I love working at a community college.
Originally I thought I would want to work at a four year school, but I love being a part of a community college’s mission. It’s very important to me. So work that’s meaningful and I get to choose my own schedule. And I get to talk about math a lot. It’s really perfect for me. Whenever I take a survey that’s like, “How satisfied are you with your career?” I’m like, “Max, I love it.”
Need somewhere to hang out other than work, class, or home?
Roast Runners is LinnBenton Community College’s premier space for students to relax while they work, hang out, or attend events. RoastRunner’s is a good “third space” as described by manager Jonah Wasmer, who has been managing the cafe for about a year.
As you enter the cafe a long bar sits against the front window. As you walk further, several small round tables run against the right wall. The center of the cafe looks like a living room in the center with black leather chairs arranged in a circle for talking. The color scheme is a sleek black and gray.
The cafe is connected with many other parts of the college. The venue frequently hosts staff and student club meetings and assorted events. For example on Jan. 19 karaoke night filled the space. The graphic design department is involved in the cafe’s logo and merchandise designs; and the art department is gearing up to create a mural inside the cafe.
Those looking for a job might consider becoming one of Roast Runner’s baristas.
“Jonah is a great manager,” said barista Tommy Booker, “I don't have any complaints about this job.”
He said joining the team is like becoming part of a group of friends that are “respectful but playful.”
Barista Faith Gray walked me through her day as a barista at Roast Runners. It begins at 7:30 a.m., and her responsibilities include cleaning up the lobby, restocking the milk and cups, brewing house coffee, putting out the sign, unlocking the doors, and turning on the open sign.
New customers might be surprised by the lower prices. According to Wasmer low prices are a priority when catering to their student clientele.
One need only do a price comparison between for example a latte at Roast Runners and Imagine Coffee in Corvallis. A Latte at Imagine Coffee starts at $4.25 compared to only $3.50 at Roast Runners. An extra shot is also going to cost you double, $2, at Imagine Coffee compared to Roast Runners $1.
According to Wasmer, this is in spite of their use of Sisters Coffee’s beans, which he said are higher quality and local to Oregon.
When asked what they’d recommend to a newbie, manager Wasmer, and baristas Booker and Gray all said they’d recommend the white chocolate mocha. “It’s a good balance between like brewed house coffee and like fancier coffees” said Gray.
For those with a sweet tooth Booker said one of his favorites is the caramel frappuccino, which was redone during fall term and in his opinion has
▲ photo by Samantha Marsh ▼ photo by Sarah Rose Larsonimproved with “a balance of coffee and sweetness.”
He said others who prefer something that tastes more “coffee-forward” he thought would be better off trying a latte or Americano. This is because they don’t have any additional flavors added.
I interviewed customer and student Mike McReynolds while he was picking up a white chocolate mocha (no whip!). What he likes about Roast Runners is : “The prices are really good, they’re always really friendly (…) and (…) they always remember you.”
The cafe caters to those with dietary restrictions by offering sugarfree alternatives to their syrups as well as oat, almond, soy, and coconut milks.
Roast Runner is located to the right of the student union on LBCC’s Albany campus.
Its hours are 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
▼ photo by Sarah Rose Larson
re your rights under attack?
Finn Johnson argued that they are when presenting Jan. 25 at LBCC on the topic of anticonstitutionalist, anti-trans legislation.
Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in sexuality, gender, and queer studies from Portland State University, a masters in women, gender, and sexuality studies from Oregon State University and is currently a doctoral student at OSU in women, gender, and sexuality studies, as well as ethnic studies.
Johnson spoke at LBCC’s Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity Office on the Albany campus. Upon entering you see a table with event flyers and complementary masks and hand sanitizer. In the back of the room another table displayed a sign up sheet and free drinks. On the left of the room is the podium where presenters speak, and on the right a corner of armchairs surrounding a coffee table. Sprawled across the center of the space are various chairs and tables for the audience.
As students entered they were greeted by event organizer Gaby Esquivel, who spoke before Finn’s presentation. They welcomed the audience and said the Diversity Equality and Inclusivity Office is like a “second home on campus,” and that the room is where the Gender & Sexuality Alliance meets every Friday.
Johnson began by saying that while he is not a lawyer, he has a focus on law and is “passionate about helping queer and trans people understand their rights.” This is a particularly important time to do so, he said.
“2023 is arguably the most historically awful year for anti-trans legislation” with “almost 600 bills introduced over the course of the 2023 legislative session in all 50 states.”
Unfortunately, he added, 2024 is gearing up to be even worse with “almost 400 (bills introduced).” So it’s more important than ever that those in the LGBTQIA+ community and allies stay informed about their rights.
He said the justification for these bills isn’t evidence-based, and that “misinformation has not been effectively combatted.”
Johnson explained how many of the anti-trans bills being proposed and passed across the nation
violate the First and 14th amendments.
“The First Amendment does a lot of things, it protects a right to freedom of association, freedom of speech, so, right now we need to think about how freedom of speech is being challenged in terms of anti-trans legislation.”
For example, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed in Florida by Gov. Ron Desantis, HB1557, “inhibited the free speech of faculty and students in expressing their gender identity and sexual orientation at work and at school, and it also forbid instructors and faculty from teaching about materials that are LGBTQIA in nature.”
“The 14th amendment guarantees all American citizens will be protected equally, meaning no identity group should be targeted based on an aspect of their identity which is unchangeable,” such as being transgender, he said.
Johnson said there is some hopeful legal action being taken against this type of legislation. For example, "In 2020, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia established that discrimination against transgender people is a form of sex discrimination, which is illegal under the 14th Amendment. This set a legal precedent that can be used to understand attacks on trans rights as sex discrimination because gender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination. We have seen some significant wins in court in the realm of trans rights. We've seen drag bills defeated in many states, bathroom bills and gender-affirming care bans blocked, and the right to misgender, deadname, or bully students named as unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment."
For those interested in getting involved, Johnson said, his “best suggestion is if they see a bill that feels threatening to them, even if it’s not their own state, they can look up the legislators that’re sponsoring this bill and they can write them directly via a physical letter or an email and they can call.” He added, “You can write a joint letter with a group of people or maybe get a club sponsor to sign off on it or an organization sponsor.”
Another option, he said, is volunteering with a legal advocacy group, such as Basic Rights Oregon.
Finally, he encourages people to talk to those “who are not transgender about the impact of anti-trans legislation.”
“One of the best tools for fighting this kind of hate is actually just education,” he said. “Just talking about it with people and normalizing having conversations about transgender people and their struggles. Because many cisgender people I think do want to help and are wellintentioned but just don't know how, or feel like they may be intruding.”
At the same time, Johnson said, “Any type of activist work comes with risk and it has to be a risk you’re willing to take on.” He recommends “limiting (your) public online presence” and “making sure you have community support and, if you belong to an institution, institutional support.”
After the presentation, the audience had a reflective discussion over pizza about the topic and covered issues such as art, safety, and finding LGBTQIA+ joy in the face of these troubling times.
Great minds don't always think alike. This sentiment, which can be found prominently displayed on the website for the Heterodox Academy, reverberated soundly at the academy's campus community gathering and information session on Jan. 22 at Chinook Hall in Corvallis.
The event, organized by LBCC staff members Mark Urista and Rob Camp, aimed to inform attendees about the Heterodox Academy and the importance of viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement.
"If you're open to the idea of challenging yourself on things that you believe," said Camp, the current manager of Student Life and Leadership at LBCC, "consistently, I think Heterodox will always teach you something new."
Camp first learned about the Heterodox Academy through his work with the free expression team at LBCC. While researching policy surrounding free expression, the team discovered the small start-up group.
"It’s a group that’s focused on being able to ask questions for things you don’t know or don’t agree with to help us learn to engage in conversation that’s not comfortable," said Camp.
The Heterodox Academy is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization consisting of over 6,000 university students, staff, and faculty. One of the primary missions of Heterodox is to advance higher education by promoting open inquiry and ideological diversity.
However, LBCC's inclusion in the network gave the college a special distinction. A distinction Jason Dorsette, LBCC's executive director for Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, proudly shared during Monday's meeting.
"Today, while the Heterodox Academy
Diversity, and Inclusion would be locked in step with the Heterodox Academy.
"We believe in discourse. We believe in open dialogue. That’s what diversity is all about,” said Dorsette following the announcement.
Throughout the night, guests mingled and conversed with one another on the importance of having difficult conversations. Members of LBCC's civil discourse program were in attendance, as well as a group of students from Chemeketa Community College.
In 2022, LBCC was selected through a competitive process to be a member of the Heterodox Academy's inaugural campus community network. The network, which consists of 23 universities across the U.S. and Canada, seeks to inspire institutional change.
campus community network has grown," said Dorsette, "LBCC is still the only community college in the network."
Dorsette kicked off the night by addressing and welcoming the crowd. During the introduction, he announced that the Office of Institutional Equity,
Co-organizers Urista and Camp walked from table to table, greeting everyone who had shown up and joining in on most conversations.
Urista, a member of the communication faculty at LBCC, was the first person from LBCC to join the Heterodox Academy. Urista discovered the organization after reading an article in the Atlantic Monthly written by Jonathan Haidt, the creator of Heterodox Academy.
"Because it resonated with me," said Urista, "it made me want to learn more about the author and the work that they did."
Part of Urista's fondness for the Heterodox Academy comes from the similarity between the organization's mission and his experience as a college student. Urista posed the following questions for students interested in learning more:
"Do you think it’s important to interact with people who think differently than you do?"
"Would you like to understand why somebody has a perspective that is totally different from yours?"
"If so, get involved with the Heterodox Academy.”
What motivated you to start making and selling your art?
For as long as I can remember, I have always appreciated art and embraced my creative side. Growing up, I had to deal with poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. There was always some major event going on that I had to try to cope with. Art is such a broad term, but I found that it was one of the only things that was reliable and stable in my life. Even as a kid, I was using art to help me process my emotions, exploring painting, drawing, clay, pastels, collages, ceramics, writing, music, and more.
Why the name, matchai designs?
It’s always funny when people ask me this question, because I honestly don’t know how I feel about this being the origin story of “Matchai Designs”, but here it is. In March 2020, I bought myself a Nintendo Switch just so I could play “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. I played Animal Crossing growing up, starting with Animal Crossing on GameCube and working my way through multiple generations of the game on multiple consoles. It was always my favorite game. I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours playing as a kid. Naturally, I was indecisive when choosing a name for my new island. For some more context, I used to be a barista in high school and early in college, and that was a job that I really enjoyed. I wanted to name my island Matcha or something similar, but that felt too basic. My partner said, “Why don’t you combine matcha and chai?”, and Matchai was brought to life in the form of an Animal Crossing island. Now, how that became my business name, is simply that it was unique so the name wasn’t taken yet. Plus, I felt too much pressure to create an entire new name for a business. So, basically, I stole it from my Animal Crossing island.
How do you come up with ideas of what to sell?
Initially, I made things that I knew people would want. While I love stickers, I was making designs that were simple and well-liked. I had fun at first, but really quickly got burnt out making art for other people. I started to create more designs for myself and found that art was so much more fulfilling this way. Even though they weren’t my best selling designs, they were the ones that I was most proud of. In terms of physical products, once I expanded out beyond stickers, my business grew. Diversifying my product catalog really helped with creating a wider and more sustainable customer base. It also helped me improve my art skills with more mediums and exploring different art styles. Have you come across any challenges running matchai designs?
I would say like, 90% of what I do as a business owner is navigate challenges. The most prominent challenge for me has been finding the inspiration to create art for creation’s sake. It feels unproductive to create something and keep it for myself. Turning my hobby into a business has made me more prone to burnout when it comes to creating art, so I have to be mindful about that. I used to spend a lot more time designing, but recently, I have been focusing more on production of existing designs. I hope that someday soon I will be able to get back to the drawing board to bring new pieces to life.
There’s also the challenges of just owning a business. Dealing with tracking expenses and revenue, lots and lots of spreadsheets, production and inventory, fulfilling orders from multiple channels, upgrading equipment, spending entire days (or weekends) vending at events, customer service, commission work, and so on. As someone with a disability who also works full time, it can be overwhelming to keep up with the day to day operations. Along with burnout, there’s also the struggle of letting the numbers define my work. It’s enticing to allow the likes, shares, reposts, and sales determine how successful I am as an artist. Imposter syndrome can really have an effect on me and my ability to create. I’m not sure if that feeling ever truly goes away, but it’s part of what pushes me to work hard and become a better artist and small business owner.
Read the full article at lbcommuter.com.
Can you tell me a little about yourself, your major, and what you do at LBCC?
Right now I'm getting my associates in either Liberal Studies or general studies. I'm taking computer science classes, because I intend to transfer to software engineering after I get my associates. And in terms of stuff that I do on campus. I'm a student leader in the Civil Discourse program, we do a variety of things over there. We also write point counterpoint op eds for the Commuter and then we also host Braver Angels debates fairly regularly. So I spend a lot of my time at Linn Benton doing stuff. But right now I'm taking computer science classes, because I intend to transfer to software engineering.
What is Civil Discourse?
So, the first concept of civil discourse is being able to talk about controversial topics or a variety of different topics in a civil way without, you know, attacking the other person or just actively listening to them. We try to do our best to facilitate that on campus, through all the different activities that we do. In fact, one of the things we're doing now is every Tuesday, me and another co leader Abby are hosting gatherings for people in the community to just hang out, as long as they follow our guidelines, which are outlined because we're an HXA campus. So a lot of it is just basically being respectful. You know, come with an open ear. It acts as a place to interact and hang out. So, basically a lot of our activities in the program are really set up to build a better community that is able to talk with each other.
How were you introduced to Civil Discourse?
When I was growing up I was in the debate club. Once I got to LBCC I took Mark Urista's COMM114 class because it is a general education requirement. I also kind of just like playing devil's advocate a lot of the time. So I wanted to take COMM 114 because I'd rather do a debate than public speaking and I ended up really liking it. We did a lot of interesting things. Later on Mark
pulled me aside and was like, “hey, so I have this Civil Discourse program. You seem like you like this stuff, do you want to join”. He offered me some talent grants and that was really what sold me. I stuck with the program since winter 2022 and it's actually what kept me in college. I had never wanted to go to college my entire life and I just happened to take that class and get involved with the program.
How did you become interested in Journalism?
It comes down to a variety of things, but essentially I just value the truth. In terms of what I respect about journalism, even if I'm not the one doing it is the push for finding the truth. That goes over into a variety of different things when it comes to the Civil Discourse program whenever we have a very, very intense debate or whenever we talk with each other realistically, we're just trying to find the truth of the situation. Overall I just value journalism, and I do appreciate and respect a lot of journalists who go out and do dangerous things, to find that truth. It's really an honorable thing. Do you have any inspirations when it comes to journalism and your appreciation of the truth?
Yeah, a few different figures come to mind. Socrates and Aristotle, because I learned about them specifically in COMM 114. So I think there is a nice value of truth coming from those two figures throughout history. But, mainly, Mark Urista has been a great mentor to me. So yeah, I'd say Mark Urista as a professor and in terms of a figure out of history it’s Socrates or Aristotle.
Anything else you would like to add?
Being in the Civil Discourse and also a student leader has given me multiple different opportunities to get involved in other programs such as Braver Angels in the college debates and Discourse Alliance. Over the summer, we got flown out to Denver for a symposium where we got trained to be chairs for Braver Angels debates, so I'll be able to help facilitate that and I do that regularly across campus for people and for professors in their classrooms.
Can you tell me what you are doing currently?
I am dual-enrolled at LBCC and OSU, I will be completing all my credits for my bachelor’s degree in communications this summer. At LB I am a student leader with Civil Discourse and a student advocate for LB’s Cornerstone Program. I also have a fellowship with the college’s Debates and Discourse Program.
Can you tell me what makes the Braver Angel’s model effective for debates?
With the Braver Angels format, we alternate affirmative or negative on the proposition. That way, both sides get heard equally. The biggest thing that we do is after you make your speech, the audience can ask questions, but they’re addressed to the chair, not to the person who spoke. Addressing all of the questions to the chair makes a big difference. Both sides are heard equally. It’s nonadversarial, nobody’s trying to win the debate. We don’t have a vote at the end to see which side did better. It’s what we say is “The collective search for truth.” We’re just trying to find solutions and understand each other better.
How have you used that skill set in your own personal life?
People ask me that all the time, “How do you talk to people that you disagree with?” I’m not a superhero. But paraphrasing is a big one. Stop, listen to what they said, and then try to say it back to them without my own editorializing to make sure that I understand what they’re saying. Then I try to figure out what their value is, where they’re placed in the hierarchy of values, and where they’re placing the highest value. Because in these debates and in these conversations, what I hear most often is everybody has the same goal and just different ideas of how to get there. The biggest thing is to be interested and not defensive. And that can be really hard sometimes.
You have mentioned the influence of having skilled tradespeople in your family shaped your opinion concerning STEM.
I come from a really blue-collar family. And I’m a first-generation college student. I am a liberal arts major, so I like to talk about my feelings, I want to understand things, that’s just not the environment that I come from. Now that I’ve been in higher ed for a little while, I see that there seems to be this sort of rivalry between the liberal arts and STEM. They sort of devalue each other sometimes. I don’t know how intentional that is, but you know, “Psychology is not a real science.” and “What are you going to do with that liberal arts degree?” kind of thing?
STEM jobs are what put food on the table for me as a kid. Those jobs are just as valuable to our economy, and to our community, as anything that you can do with a liberal arts degree.
Part of what we do in civil discourse is just trying to bring both sides together. I guess bringing STEM and liberal arts and what we do with Cornerstone is like me trying to do that with my own life. It’s taking the blue-collar side of my family and life with my sort of liberal arts, liberal hippie life of my own and trying to marry those together in some way.
You have said you believe education and communication hold the key to solving many of the world’s problems. Can you elaborate?
Education is going to expose you to people of different races, socioeconomic classes, and political backgrounds. You’re going to meet people who humanize them. It’s really easy to alienate and demonize someone that you’ve never met. Once you meet somebody from that culture or that background, it makes it a lot harder to hate them. I have my super close friends that I hang out with on a daily basis or weekly basis are fairly liberal. Sometimes I have some more conservative ideas than them, and we have open discussions about it, and we talk about it, and we disagree. We agree to disagree on some things. The same with my more conservative friends now that I lean left. I still love and respect them the same way that I loved and respected them before my ideas changed. They still love and respect me the same way. Our conversations look different, but we understand each other better.
There’s this line in the sand that can be drawn in those situations, am I hearing you say it doesn’t have to be that way?
They are still human beings. Are they people that would I want to hang out with outside of my personal time? Probably not. You have some beliefs that I’m like, “That’s pretty messed up.” But you’re still a human being, and I still value the fact that you are here. I would rather know where you’re coming from than make up a story about how you got there because I would rather you know where I’m coming from than make up a story about how I got here.
What do you hope people will get out of hearing part of your story?
Trust yourself. Trust that you can do whatever it is that you want to do. Trust yourself that you’ll find a way to make it happen. Talk to someone that’s different from you. I think those are probably the two big ones.
Trust yourself and talk to somebody that’s different from you.
Read the full article at lbcommuter.com.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: interview and photo by SARAH ROSE LARSON
Pack your bags and grab your passport because this summer, LB Culinary Arts is turning textbooks into boarding passes and embarking on an unforgettable educational escapade to the heart of Europe – Prague!
In addition to LB’s second annual study abroad trip to Costa Rica this summer, the Culinary Arts department will be hosting their own two week study abroad program in Prague, Czechia. The trip will take place July 8-19, and although the class associated with the trip is “World Cuisine,” you do not have to be a culinary arts student to participate.
The faculty who are accompanying the students on this trip are Chef Josh Green and Chef Stacy LeBar, both from culinary arts.
“I traveled to Prague with my family in 2017 and loved it,” said Green. “I really liked the food, especially the chimney cakes.”
Even though Prague is a city that Green is familiar with, he said the reason they chose Prague as the destination was that “it was one of the most economical and safe destinations offered through the study abroad company we used.”
More than being economical, Prague is often hailed as the jewel of Central Europe. Having visited the city a couple of times myself, I can concur - Prague is a gem! The city captivates visitors with its enchanting blend of history, architecture, and vibrant energy. Travel + Leisure magazine even listed Prague on their “Readers' 15 Favorite Cities in Europe of 2023” list.
So what can students expect from their study abroad experience?
According to Green, the activities will include:
• Taste of Prague Walking Tour
• Sapa Market Culinary Walking Tour
• Historic Prague Walking Tour
• Traditional Czech Cooking Class
• Vltava River Cruise
• Day Trip to Kutna Hora
• Guided Tour of Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church)
• Guided Tour of St. Barbara Cathedral
• Guided Tour of Medieval Mines
• Group Lunch
• Day trip to Plzen
• Plzen Brewery Tour
• Entrance to Great Synagogue
• Group Lunch
• Additional Cultural/Co-Curricular Activity planned in conjunction with LBCC & CIEE
“Students will also have free days, and free time on most days to go and explore the city on their own,” Green said.
What can students expect in terms of cost?
The total cost for the program will be about $4000, and includes:
• Flights
• Group Airport Transfer upon arrival and departure
• Public Transportation Passes
• Farewell Dinner
• Lodging: shared apartment accommodations for students (1-2 students per room; 3-4 students per apartment with kitchen)
• Tuition and fees for the associated class, other meals and spending money during the trip are not included in the total cost.
“There are opportunities for students to offset costs,” said Green. “We have several fundraiser events scheduled, and the money raised will decrease costs for students who participate.The amount of relief will be distributed based on the number of hours a student volunteers.”
The deadline to apply for the trip is March 15, and space is limited. If you’re interested in applying, have questions, or want to volunteer, you should contact Chef Josh Green by email: greenj@ linnbenton.edu.
Andy Peterson has been the head coach of LBCC baseball since 2018. Since then, he’s led his team to an NWAC South title in every full season he’s coached, adding an NWAC Championship title in 2022. Peterson gave his thoughts on this year’s team and their “unfinished business” heading into 2024.
How are you feeling about practices going so far?
They’re going really well. I have a great group this year. They’re working really hard to carry on the tradition that has been established here. They get along with each other both on the field and off.
Has the team responded well to goals and expectations you and your staff have set for this season?
The team knows about the history of this program when they come here. The players who have been here make my job easier by making sure to push the new guys to do things right. If a player makes a mistake, they let them know before I do. I would love to make them run laps when I see someone slacking but they haven’t given me a chance yet. I’ve been impressed with their work ethic.
Have you got an idea of your starting line-up? Position players and pitchers?
Pretty much. The team is full of talent. There is a mix of sophomores and freshmen . We are also deep at all positions and our pitching staff is strong.
What do you feel are the strengths of this year’s team and what do you feel they still have to work on to achieve the team’s goals?
Team chemistry is our strength. They know that we came up short on their goal of repeating as NWAC champions. The players have stressed to the new players that we have unfinished business. They hit the weight room at 6 a.m. Batting practice and fielding practice at 12-3 p.m. while also carrying 3.4 GPA as a team.
Do you have a close relationship with the OSU baseball program? How and why?
I do. I played with coaches and almost became a part of their staff just before I was named the head coach here after a year as assistant in August of 2018 at the age of 26. It was a little scary at first but I have great support from the athletic director, Mark Majeski. I stay in contact with Gibby (Ryan Gipson), who was the previous coach at LBCC, who is now an assistant coach of the Beavers.
Could you tell readers something about yourself that is not on your bio page? What are the hobbies you have outside of coaching the Roadrunners?
I also serve as infield coach for the Okotok (Canada) Dawgs of the Western Major Baseball League. The WMBL boasts a long-standing tradition of creating a showcase for top Canadian and American professional and college prospects. We are ranked the No. 1 wood bat league team. I love professional hockey and have gone to almost every arena. My girlfriend lives in Canada and I’m trying to get her to move down here but Canada is a beautiful place to live. I love ice fishing when I go up there. I also love to golf when I can.
The 2022 NWAC Championship Tournament bracket sits next to Peterson’s desk to remind him and his players of what all the hard work is for. “I have a team that wants to have their own championship bracket in my office to motivate future players.” Watch for the full article on lbcommuter.com!
Winter term may only be halfway over, but Linn-Benton’s final sport of the school year is already stepping up to the plate. Roadrunners baseball season is set to start, with the regular season running from mid-February to mid-May.
In 2023, LBCC baseball finished the year with the NWAC South title and a 29-18 record, eventually falling short in the championship tournament. The Beaks finished the season with a ranking of No. 6 in the final NWAC coaches’ poll. It was a down year for the program, but only by their own lofty standards. Excluding a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, the Beaks have won the NWAC South in the past six full seasons, and they’re only two years removed from an NWAC Championship title in 2022.
Leading the Beaks for the past five years, head coach Andy Peterson hopes to continue in the program’s winning ways in 2024. However, the team had some key departures over the offseason, losing a bevy of All-NWAC South honorees as they completed their sophomore seasons at LBCC. The names include pitchers Dylan Rush, Chase Reynolds, and Brady Baltus, as well as infielder Cole Cramer, outfielder Titus Dumitru, and designated hitter Trey Nelson.
Cramer was additionally named AllNWAC second team, while Dumitru was part of the All-NWAC first team as well as the NWAC South MVP.
The player losses will be tough to overcome, but Linn-Benton’s 2024 roster still holds plenty of talent, featuring 14 sophomores and 16 incoming freshmen. Among the returning sophomores is outfielder Aidn Dougherty, who made the All-NWAC second team and NWAC South first team last season. Other returning sophomores who saw significant time last year include Kace Naone, Spencer Sullivan, Evan Chadwick, Vincent Iwamura, Camden Christenson, Jordan Hockett, Camden Stephens, and Ethan Buckley.
“Last year I was just following the lead of the older guys and just learning from them what it means to play in this program and how
to go about your business,” said Naone. “This year my role has changed because I’m one of the guys trying to teach and lead the younger players on the team so that we can all be successful as a team.”
Some of the names to watch in LBCC baseball’s freshman class include Portland’s Kellen Segel, a right-handed pitcher who was with the Corvallis Knights in 2023, and Mt. Angel’s Ethan Kleinschmit, another pitcher, who can throw over 90 miles per hour and is an Oregon State commit. Linn-Benton looks to field a bolstered pitching rotation in 2024.
“There are a lot of big pieces from last year’s team that are gone, but we are very confident in this group of freshmen we have this year,” said Naone. “Guys are going to leave and move on but we have been working our butts off so we can be the best we can be with the guys we have around us. No doubt in my mind that we can do big things this year.”
In fact, despite the roster turnover, the Beaks enter 2024 as the 37th-ranked JUCO baseball team in the nation according to Perfect Game USA. Only one other NWAC team made the list, with Tacoma coming in at No. 47. However, the Beaks won’t face the Tacoma Titans in the regular season this year.
The Beaks will start off their season on the road February 17 as they start a two-day, four-game series against Columbia Basin. The team’s home opener will be the latter half of a home-and-home series against Clark, with the first game at Linn-Benton starting at 11 a.m. on February 25.
The Beaks will end their regular season against Lane Community College at home on Saturday, May 11. If the team can clinch the NWAC South title once again, they’ll get an automatic berth in the NWAC Championship Tournament as they set their sights on winning their second championship in three years.
words by RYLAND BICKLEY
ALBUM: Wall of Eyes
BAND: The Smile
PRODUCER: Sam Petts-Davies
OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★
review by RYLAND BICKLEYIn The Smile’s music video for their song
“Friend of a Friend” – directed by Paul Thomas Anderson – Thom Yorke and his bandmates perform in front of a crowd of children. As the song plays, some in the audience dance, one seems to roll his eyes, while others seem mesmerized by the trio’s hypnotizing sound.
Yorke’s lyrics are vague as ever but seem to stitch together a picture of life during the pandemic, while eerie strings fade in and out. The song ends, and as the children break into cheers, Yorke cracks a rare smile as the video fades to black.
There’s something striking about The Smile, the side project of two Radiohead members in Yorke and Jonny Greenwood as well as jazz drummer Tom Skinner, performing in such a simple setting. There’s no stage, elaborate light show, or roaring crowds as the typical Radiohead concert would feature. It’s clearly intentional –The Smile is a more laid back version of Radiohead, free of the expectations that come with being one of the most influential rock groups of the past 30 years.
The Smile’s excellent 2022 debut, “A Light for Attracting Attention,” made that clear, lacking the cohesiveness and grand nature of late Radiohead material. But it was still easily the most fun listen from Yorke and
“Wall of Eyes” begins with its title track, which fades in with an acoustic bossa nova sound, juxtaposed with a 5/4 groove and distorted percussion in the background. Yorke’s haunting falsetto and a gorgeous string arrangement by Greenwood add a heavy sense of melancholy. It’s the first track of many on the project to end with a prolonged, almost ambient outro as the song unravels with dissonant guitar chimes. It’s the perfect opening track – representative of the feel of the album to come: a warm hug from someone holding a knife.
What follows is perhaps the biggest left turn of the album, “Teleharmonic,” built around a synth-sounding guitar effect and the closest thing a Radiohead-adjacent project will ever get to a reggaeton beat. It’s more hypnotic than danceable, however, as Yorke’s heavily layered vocals weave through instrumentation that can best be described by the album’s psychedelic artwork.
The band lets Jonny Greenwood loose on the following two tracks, and his angular riffs dance around Tom Skinner’s sophisticated, jazzy backbeats. The loud guitar that opens “Read the Room” immediately clashes with the last dreamy notes of “Teleharmonic,” and Yorke’s nasally vocals at the start are easily his weakest on the album. But the song’s chaotic atmosphere is instantly intriguing, and its outro, a distorted riff in 11/8, is lots of fun.
On “Under Our Pillows,” the band follows a similar route but soon pivots to a swirling outro in the final minutes. Skinner’s driving beat and a great bassline from Yorke keep the song’s momentum while Greenwood’s delay-heavy guitar is hardpanned in both ears. It’s an excellent song, but tracks such as “The Opposite” and “Thin Thing” from the band’s previous album scratch the same itch in a more compact, accessible way. But on “Wall of Eyes,” The Smile seems more interested in constructing soundscapes than anything resembling a radio single, which is reflected in the average track length of five minutes and 40 seconds.
That vision is realized best on the album’s closing four-track run, which includes two excellent, meditative
tracks in “I Quit” and the album closer “You Know Me!” Both songs take their time as they slowly build with subtle instrumentation. The soaring string sections, muffled piano chords, and Yorke’s soft vocals aren’t immediately catchy, per se, but they’re expertly engineered for unwinding after a long day with eyes closed and headphones on – comforting, and free from the sinister undertones that permeate much of the tracklist.
The best two songs on the project are the aforementioned “Friend of a Friend” and the album’s lead single, “Bending Hectic.” The former is almost Beatles-esque in its bouncy rhythm section and piano-heavy instrumentation, but it’s a Thom Yorke song after all, and that comes with mixed time signatures and a chorus that ends with delay-heavy vocals. But the track’s progressive elements don’t feel forced at all, with an inviting melody and mixed meter that sounds entirely natural – as if the length of each bar was individually fine-tuned. It’s the perfect mix between experimentation and good-oldfashioned songwriting, balanced skillfully by one of the greatest musical minds working today.
While “Wall of Eyes” is full of gems, “Bending Hectic” shines the brightest. The first five-and-a-half of its eight-minute runtime are standard The Smile fare – that is, a beautiful melody accented by eerie guitar work by Greenwood. But it’s soon interrupted by a 30-second dissonant orchestral build that’s only broken once Greenwood stomps on his distortion pedal, ushering in a massive final chorus. Sure, the lyrics depict a car crash “down an Italian mountainside,” but the music is easily the most outrageous fun the band members have recorded in years. It’s emblematic of everything The Smile seems to stand for: veteran musicians letting loose and making the art that they want to create.
Like most of Radiohead and The Smile’s earlier work, “Wall of Eyes” isn’t the most immediate collection of songs. But give them time to grow. It might’ve been a January release, but “Wall of Eyes” should already be a strong contender for one of the best albums of the year.
Monthly music recommendations to keep you inspired.
Wet Sand
Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Wet Sand” by Red Hot Chilli Peppers is rather cryptic with its lyrics. Many people say it's a love song but some people also say it’s a love song about learning to love life, the highs and lows, and find meaning in the world. Nonetheless it’s a beautifully melodic track.
The Commuter
Recommends:
TheCommuter
Wet Sand
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Come a Little Closer Cage the Elephant
Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division
Something About Us
Daft Punk
Hunnybee Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Golden Light
STRFKR
D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L Panchiko
Atta Girl
Heavenly
Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires Cocteau Twins
Float On Modest Mouse
Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia) Gorillaz, Peter Hook, Georgia
So what's your major and what made you decide to go to LB?
I am a graphic design major, and I went to LB because I like the program here. It was easier than going to a four year college. I picked this school because it's also near my house so I get to live at home.
How long have you been making art?
I've been doing art since my 8th grade year of middle school. I started doing it in my art class, and then I realized, oh, I'm actually kind of good at this. So I started doing more of it going on and I thought, graphic design seems fun. So I just ended up doing that.
What's your favorite medium for art?
My favorite medium for art is colored pencils, and I also really like to work with gouache, but I don't know how good I am at using gouache.
So how do you implement the colored pencil into your graphic design projects?
Well for our packaging design class, we had to do the candy box and I designed the candy box with gouache and I used colored pencils with that as well. Then I scanned it in and made a digital version to print.
Can you tell me a little bit about the pieces you chose to feature and what inspired them?
So one of them is Sailor Moon, and I love Sailor Moon. My style is very “pastely” eclectic, like, just a lot and pink. So I decided to draw sailor moon, and it was one of my first mixed medium projects. I did mostly colored pencils, but I also used
sharpies and copic markers. Then for the other ones that I did, there's the Ateez Present piece, which is a K pop group. I did a screen printing of that one, and I took that one when I was more into the visual communications program so I had my graphic design knowledge. I designed it in Adobe Illustrator, then I took each of the layers and made separate screen printings, then I printed those all on. That was a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun too and I enjoy how it came out.
So it's kind of like a screen printing collage.
Yeah, it's a screen printing collage. So I did the group photo with halftones and then in separate layers, I made the magazine style where people cut out letters of the magazine and paste them on, kind of a cryptic message. I did that, but I made it with fonts I had on Illustrator, then I made those on each of the layers, and then I screen printed them all. I made several prints of that, but it took about like three or four hours altogether to do it, which is a lot.
Anything else you want readers to know about you or your art?
It's like, silly, but like, keep going. If you're worried about not finding your art style, it always comes to you in ways that you don't know. I wasn't sure what my art style was until I actually came to LBCC and I was like, wow, I really do enjoy going into the pastels and the pinks and the blues. It's a part of everything I do. So even if you're worried that you're using too much of it, it's like, so what? It's what makes you. It's your uniqueness.
▲ Alora Thomas
▲ Alice Khavari
▲ Theo Jones
▲ Charles Dickey
AUTHOR: Pierce Brown
PAGES: 382 Hardcover, 416 Paperback
GENRE: Science Ficition, Fantasy Fiction, Dystopian
OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★
review by MASON WILLSThe first book in the “Red Rising” trilogy, Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising” is a well put together and action-packed adventure.
Taking place on Mars in a far future in which people are born and forced to live in a hierarchical system based on colors, where Red is at the bottom and Gold is on top, the story follows a Red named Darrow who must become a Gold to restructure society and liberate his people. Once Darrow has become a Gold he has to go through a violent military training called The Institute in order to get close to the Emperor of Mars, Nero au Augustus.
This book is written in the first person through Darrow’s eyes. We get to see all of the conversations, battles, and emotions solely through him. The descriptions of things are great. Pierce Brown did an amazing job of having Darrow describe most things around him in a way that doesn’t feel out of place. There are some made up terms for specific things, but they are either explained quickly or are easily inferable. It has the dense and sometimes lengthy descriptions of classic high fantasy novels, which may or may not be a negative depending on the person.
The book also feels more like a mixture of fantasy and science fiction rather than straight science fiction. The setting of the Institute is a large valley filled with forests, rivers, farms, and castles. It acts as a violent game of capture the flag and with that comes the use of some medieval war tactics to gain the upper hand. Inside those tactics are futuristic things like weapons and armor.
Darrow is an amazing main character. He is far from a two dimensional character, although it may seem the opposite in the beginning. He starts out as a person solely out for vengeance, but as he learns more about his new Gold allies different emotions come into play that muddy the water. The evolution of Darrow can be seen by some as lacking in this book and in a lot of ways he is a “perfect character” who’s good at everything, but this book acts as an introduction to the series and the flaws in his character are steadily revealed in the pages.
The action scenes are spectacular. Pierce Brown describes nearly every detail so that you can almost always imagine exactly what's happening. The fights feel incredibly fluid and fast paced with clever tactics that can be pretty surprising to see happen. The action always furthers the plot as well, so it never feels like an action scene is there just to be cool.
“Red Rising” is the beginning of a multi book spanning science fiction epic and starts Darrow’s story with a gripping journey. With great characters, action sequences, and plot this is an easy recommendation for any fan of science fiction.
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