THE
TORCH - MAY 1, 2019 - VOLUME 54, EDITION 12 - EUGENE, OR -
Sports / pg 4
Hack / pg 6
LCC News / pg 8
‘If you can walk, you can dance' Celebrating diversity through the international language of dance
Evelyn Vannezza / reporter
Award-winning dancer Souzana performs an Egyptian-style belly dance during the International Dance Gala on April 28. The gala was the finale of Eugene’s first-ever National Dance Week, which brought dancers from all over the world to the city.
Campus Decaffeinated
Evelyn Vannezza Reporter As spectators entered the Ragozzino Hall at Lane Community College on Sunday, April 29, they were greeted by a message on the background of the stage reading “Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body,” a quote by Martha Graham as a recognition of her contribution to dance arts. Graham was an American modern dancer with a career that spanned over 70 years and whose technique reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. Anticipation quietly grew around the grand finale of Eugene’s Inaugural National Dance Week, which included dance classes, workshops, lessons, labs and even a dance celebration in Kesey Square on Saturday. This was the first annual event to showcase dances from around the world with a world class lineup. As Colette Ramirez took the stage to introduce the event, the crowd roared for the coming spectacle. She imparted to the crowd that dance can be a form of building trust and kindness among diverse groups, as it brings out the richness and depth of having diversity in the community. The visual effects taking place in the background of this production show a plane leaving Eugene, Oregon and landing in Havana, Cuba, where they rotate through photos of the local markets, culture and
continued on page 5
Titans shine bright in the Twilight
Blenders to close after Spring Term
Finish top three in 20 events
James Croxton Reporter Blenders, the only coffee shop at Lane Community College, will be leaving after June 30 as part of the outsourcing of the school’s Food Services, currently run by David Ferris, which have seen declining profits over the years. However, as part of Food Service, Blenders has its own story as the often-forgotten-about facet of the department on the second floor separated from everyone else down below. Taya Ream started working in the coffee shop in 1998 and has since become the integral leader that makes Blenders what it is. In fact, the coffee shop didn’t even have a name at that time. It was just there and located downstairs in what is now The Renaissance Room at the time being led by Jack Denny. “Blenders was the last concept to reopen after the [Center Building] remodel,” Ream said, adding “when
Trayse Riggle Reporter The Lane Track and Field team converged with other Oregon teams, Saturday, April 20, to compete in the Titan Twilight meet. This was the first home track meet of the season and the Titans capitalized on their home-field advantage. The Twilight Meet was an annual event until the 2016-17 season when they chose to not hold the event. The following season, 2017-18, the team didn’t host any meets at home, thus was the second year in a row without the meet. This season marks the continuation of the Twilight tradition. The Titans did not disappoint. Both Titan teams came out with a win claiming a top three position in 20 competitions, improving from their 15th place showing in the Raider Invitational. The women’s team saw 15 players in the top three, three of whom claimed the top spot. Shayla Noil took home the gold medal in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.33.
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dancers. Two dancers with radiant smiles danced their way to the center of the stage, carrying an easy effortless step, joined by two more couples, the crowd howled in support. Going from an improvised number to a choreographed and intricate number as a group elicit a loud cheer from the crowd. The stage went dark, the plane landed in Spain. Next on stage was Martita Santiago who led the crowd into a loud “Hola” greeting. The stoic Mona Lisa smiles on the faces of the powerful four ladies on stage added to the allure and intricacy of the dance led by Santiago as the matriarch. As the cheers and howls from the crowd intensified, genuine broad smiles crept into their stoic semblance. Santiago took the stage alone once again, she built momentum from the crowd, culminating in the first standing ovation of the night. The stage went dark once more and the world map transports the audience to Johannesburg, Africa. On the screen an African proverb appears “If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.” In the darkness of that stage, Michael Moloi vocalized birds, wind, animals, and nature before letting out a blood-curdling scream. As the stage lit back up, he went into a series of complex movements, and depicted a poem with his body. He revealed to the crowd then that it was a story of the diamond and gold industrialization and the effects that it had on his people and the land. The next flight was to Egypt, and Souzana made her appearance on stage with a dazzling outfit to match her smile and onstage charisma. She performed two mesmerizing numbers, one with a veil the other without which highlighted her stunning belly dancing skills. On to India, from the dark came a jingle as the lights turned on, a woman began her
Selina Scott / photojournalist
Eryn Ricker places third in the long jump with a 4.84 meter jump during the 30th Avenue Twilight Meet on April 20. Ricker also competes in 100 meters, 200 meters, 4x100 relay, pole vault and long jump. continued on page 5
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stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
EDITORIAL THE
TORCH THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE THE STAFF Editor-in-Chief Marek Belka
Production Manager/Art Director Anna CK Smith
News Director David Galbreath
Copy Editor Janelle Dutton
Reporters
James Croxton, Trayse Riggle, Audrey Scully, Evelyn Vannezza positions open
Graphics Prenapa Techakumthon
Illustrators Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence, Ashaundra Talbot positions open
Cartoonist position open
Photojournalists Lana French, Ben Nguyen, Selina Scott, Trent Toyama position open
Business Director Jason Petorak positions open
Multimedia positions open
Web Designer Ian Kersey
News Advisor Charlie Deitz
Printer Oregon Web Press Albany, Oregon
LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS • Letters to the editor should be limited to 300 words. • Guest columns should be limited to 700 words. • Please include the author’s name, phone number and address (for verification purposes only). • The Torch reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length, grammar, spelling, libel, invasion of privacy and appropriate language. • The Torch cannot guarantee publication of letters or guest columns, and may not be able to reply to all submissions. POLICY • The Torch is editorially independent and reserves the right to publish at its discretion. All web and print content is the property of the Torch and cannot be republished without editorial permission. • Up to two copies per issue, per person of the Torch are free; each additional copy is $2.
Letter from the (self-serving) editor
“What would you do if money wasn’t an obstacle?” That’s not a terrible question. Sure it’s a little patronizing, but it has some merit. Depending on who you ask, the answer might reveal some ambition or expose a streak of narcissism and materialism–both make for good follow-up questions. I asked myself that question about The Torch last week, during a rare quiet moment to myself. “If money wasn’t an obstacle, what would The Torch do?” That’s a much harder question. There are some easy answers – purchase new camera and video equipment, hire a full-time web developer, pay the staff the living wage they deserve – but a good journalist wouldn’t accept an easy out. Material things will never give you a personality, nor will they give you a personal philosophy. But, ultimately, it can only be a hypothetical question. Money is always an obstacle, isn’t it? Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to many administrators and exchanged emails with many more about ongoing budget concerns, both with The Torch and the college. Most of them gave me similar refrains about being viewpointneutral, “interesting dilemmas” and how every decision is about dollars and cents. But it doesn’t have to be. If you look at things through a financial lens, you only see how much we value our staff and our work in dollars and cents. But a spreadsheet doesn’t tell you about the inexhaustible Annie Smith, who works upwards of five jobs, attends school full-time and still manages to be the last one out of the office on production nights.
A budget report wouldn’t include anything about Selina Scott, who went from casual Instagram user to keen-eyed photojournalist right before our eyes. Meeting minutes fail to mention Sabrina Piccolo – who was nearly the first-ever community college student to be awarded the prestigious Snowden Internship – or Prenapa Techakumthon, who managed to submit her graphic assignment (ahead of deadline!) while in Thailand. They – and the 37 other incredible staffers that made up The Torch so far this year – are so much more than data on a spreadsheet or names on the masthead. They are people. They are students. They are worth it.
Marek Belka Editor-in-Chief
R O T I D D E NTE A W a ... for
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CONTACT
lua
Torch Editor
Emails: editor@lcctorch.com letters@lcctorch.com advertising@lcctorch.copm tips@lcctorch.com
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The Torch editor is responsible for directing newsgathering and the publication process, and has control of the news and editoral content of the paper. The editor should have journalistic, management and organizational abilities, training and/or experience. He or she should also have previous service on a newspaper staff, and have gained an adequate understanding of the operation of a newspaper.
theTorch Lane Community Collegte 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene OR 97405 (541)463-5655 @lcctorch @thetorchnews
rien e p x e e ble lif
Applications for 2019-2020 will
be available online Wednesday, May 6
Due Friday, May 3, at noon. lcctorch.com
Submit applications online or to Center Building Room 008 or the Languages Literature and Communication office, Center Building Room 457.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
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NEWS
Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence / illustrator
Tune in, turn on Local radio station expands with community help Audrey Scully Reporter A philanthropic arm of Oregon Country Fair, KOCF community radio had a benefit concert April 20, at Whirled Pies in Eugene. The live 8-piece band filled the atmosphere with jazzy riffs. People of all ages danced and laughed and spun around on the floor. KOCF was raising funds and celebrating their move to their new frequency 92.7 FM. KOCF is a low-power community radio station that has been broadcasting to the Fern Ridge Communities of Elmira and Veneta for the last four years. They are housed in the Lane Fire Authority station in Veneta. With the frequency change they can now reach Noti, Crow, Alvadore, and surrounding communities of Coburg, Junction City, and parts of West Eugene on 92.7 FM. This will increase
their audience from about 6,000 to approximately 100,000. KOCF also streams all of their programming at kocf.org. Partnering with the city of Elmira, and hiring the help of a consultant to guide them, KOCF has plans to enhance their broadcast in the coming years. Such plants include switching their transmitter at the fire station at a mere 300 feet elevation to the peak of a nearby mountain at 900 feet elevation, and increasing their current 100 watt signal incrementally. The station is a project of the Oregon Country Fair, started by a group of Fair elders in 2015. Dean Middleton is the station manager and has 40 years experience in television broadcast, the last 18 were spent in Media Services at Lane Community College. Besides broadcasting funky tunes, the fire station can disseminate emergency messages. KOCF provides educational programming, informs the public on the philanthropic endeavors of the Fair and strives to enhance the relationship the Fair has with the community. The Fair has been a supporter of the community since it started fifty years ago. It began as a fundraiser for a nonprofit school. Over the years they have expanded their support
to many neighboring schools and nonprofit organizations that support the arts and humanitarian aid such as Bags of Love, The HIV Alliance, Shelter Care and many more. They currently raise an average of $2.2 million each year that goes to programs helping those of the community who need it most. In line with those same principles, KOCF raises funds to aid students with an interest in media broadcasting and audio production. Lane Community College at one point donated 25 computers to KOCF which were then donated to Elmira High School. This technology saw the founding of a student-run station, Falcon Radio, named for the school’s mascot. Besides putting on radio shows, the students are learning how to build promos, they designed promos for this fundraising event for the frequency switch.
Due to federal regulations on controlled substances, LCC administration has barred us from displaying this adver-
tisement for Inhale, a locally owned business located at 86784 Franklin Boulevard, Unit A in Eugene. If you would like to know more about advertising opportunities in The Torch or how the First Amendment applies to student news organizations, please contact the current Editor-in-Chief, Marek Belka (editor@lcctorch.com) or the Student Press Law Center (splc.org).
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stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
SPORTS Lane Titans
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In the first game of a doubleheader,4-17-19 the Titans edged past Chemeketa in a pitchers Lane Titans Chemeketa Storm 10 GAME 2innings, duel. Charlie Patterson threw8 seven scoreless giving up two hits and striking out four. Trey Werner picked up the save. Outfielder Takanori Shimizu continued his hot batting streak, going two for two 4-20-19 Corban (JV) Warriors Lanein Titans and batting a run on a sacrifice the bottom of 4 the seventh. Curren Mitzel also 10 fly inGAME 1 drove in a run after capitalizing on a Chemeketa error. • Charlie Patterson - W (2-1) 7 innings, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 0 earned runs 4-20-19 • Trey Werner - Save (3) 4-17-19 Corban (JV) Warriors Lane Titans 14 3 GAME Lane Titans Chemeketa Storm • Takanori Shimizu - 2-2, 1 RBI, stolen12base 1 2 1 2B, 1GAME • Curren Mitzel - 2-3, 1 RBI Lane Titans Lane Titans
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4-26-19 In Game Chemeketa swung back4-20-19 at the Titans, lighting theMt. rotation 10 runs Lane2, Titans Hood for Saints 1 5 up Corban GAME 2 (JV) Warriors Lane Titans 4 on 10 hits. The Titans rallied10 twice to push the game into extra innings but ultimately GAME 1 fell to the Storm. Logan Zozaya smacked a three-run homer in the fourth inning and Hayden Curtis recorded his first career home run–a leadoff dinger on a 3-2 pitch–in 4-27-19 Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints 4-20-19 5 15 five GAME 1added another the bottom of the ninth. Takanori Shimizu hits, (JV) including two Corban Warriors Lane Titans 14 3 GAME 2 doubles and an RBI single. The Titans went to the bullpen early and often, using eight total pitchers against the 4-27-19 Storm’s Lane suddenly hot batting. Starter Donovan threw three giving up Titans Mt.innings, Hood Saints 4-26-19 9 GAME 2Baldocchi Lane Titans Hood Saints 72 better butMt.ultimately GAME 1 slightly five earned runs on seven hits.6The bullpen fared couldn’t 4-17-19 overcome Chemeketa offense. Lane Titans Chemeketa Storm 2 1 GAME 1 • Takanori Shimizu - 5-5, 2 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI 4-26-19 Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints • Hayden Curtis - 2-5, 1 HR,1 3 RBI 5 GAME 2 • Logan Zozaya - 1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI 4-17-19 Lane Titans Chemeketa Storm 8 10 hits,GAME • Pitching staff: 8 pitchers used, 10 runs, 2 6 K 10
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Mt. Hood Saints 5 15 GAME 1 4-20-19 Corban (JV) Warriors Lane Titans 10 4 GAME 1 4-27-19 Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints 9 2 GAME 2 Lane capitalized on four errors and five walks with a strong offensive showing against 4-20-19 Warriors Titans 14base hits, 3 doublesCorban GAME 2 Corban.Lane Seven Titans recorded including two from (JV) Hayden Curtis Lane Titans
and two RBIs each from Jaxon Woodhouse and Logan Zozaya. Lefty freshman Joe Ball got his first start, throwing two solid innings before the Titans 4-26-19 Titans Mt.scoreless Hood Saints dipped Lane into their bullpen. Trestyn the7 save with two innings. 6 Dumilieu GAMEearned 1 • Hayden Curtis - 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI • Jaxon Woodhouse - 2-3, 2 RBI 4-26-19 • Kyle Strange Lane Titans- 2-3, SB Mt. Hood Saints 1 5 GAME 2 • Joe Ball: W (1-0), 2 IP, 1 R, 1 K • Trestyn Dumilieu: S (1), 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K
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The Titans exploded for 10 runs in4-26-19 the bottom of the first inning before winning Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints 6 Jack Swisher’s 7 double, Nathan GAME 1 leadoff on run-rule in five innings. After Sprenger followed with an RBI double of his own, opening the floodgates for the Titans. 14 runs is a season-high for the Titans, led by career-best performances from Sprenger and Swisher. 4-26-19 Lane Titans Hough gave Saints Starter Trenton hits and in two innings 1 up fiveGAME 5 homeMt.runHood 2 a two-run pitched, but the bullpen kept Corban’s bats on ice. The Titans also committed no errors for the first time in ten games. 4-27-19 • Nathan Sprenger: 3-4, 4 RBI (career-high), 2 2B Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints 5 15 GAME 1 • Jack Swisher: 3-4 (career high), 2B, RBI • Trenton Hough: W (3-0) 2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 K
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Trent Toyama /Storm photojournalist Lane Titans Chemeketa GAME 2 Jesse Carr, a left-handed pitcher for the Titans, winds up to strike out a batter at the beginning of the fourth inning. The Titans played a doubleheader against 4-20-19 Chemeketa College in the afternoon of Wednesday, 17, taking Corban April (JV) Warriors LaneCommunity Titans GAME 1 a win in the first game and a loss in the second.
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FrenchSaints / photojournalist Lane Titans Mt.Lana Hood Corban (JV) Warriors Lane Titans GAME 1 GAME 2 Infielder #27 Logan Zozaya tags a Corban player as he tries to steal second base in the early game on April 20. The Titans won the game with a score of 10-4.
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In a critical series with playoff implications, 4-26-19 the third-place Titans’ watched two Lanerallies Titansfall short against Hoodbehind Saints 5-1, 1 theGAME 5 2 late-inning second-place Saints. AfterMt. falling the Titans took advantage of a pitching change to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. After Mt. Hood took back the lead in the ninth, Lane stranded two runners 4-27-19 on baseLane to end the game. Titans Mt. Hood Saints 5 15 GAME 1 Jaxon Woodhouse drove in two RBIs and freshman shortstop Matt Dallas popped off three hits late in the game to keep the Titans in competition, while Curran Mitzel added 4-27-19 an RBI and two stolen bases. Lefty starter Charlie Patterson threw five innings, giving Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints 9 whileGAME 2gave up one up ten hits and three earned runs, three2 relievers earned run each. • Jaxon Woodhouse: 1-3, 2 RBI • Matt Dallas: 3-4, R, BB • Curran Mitzel: 0-1, 3 BB, 1 RBI, 2 SB • Charlie Patterson: L (2-2), 5 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 K
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In the second game of the doubleheader, Mt. Hood clobbered a pair of home runs 4-27-19 Lane Titans Mt. Hood 5 15on a line-drive GAME while the Titan offense went cold–Lane’s lone1run came soloSaints home run from Curran Mitzel in the bottom of the third. Takanori Shimizu extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the fifth. 4-27-19 Mitchell gave up four 9 earned runs in four innings, and striking LaneBell Titans Hood Saints 2 walkingMt.three GAME 2 out one. Trenton Hough gave up another run in one inning of relief, while Joe Ball closed with two scoreless innings. • Takanori Shimizu: 1-4, five-game hitting streak • Curran Mitzel: 1-2, HR, RBI • Mitchell Bell: L (0-4), 4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 K • Joe Ball: 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 K
stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
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Selina Scott / photojournalist
4-27-19 4-26-19 First basemen Takanori Shimizu catches a pass from an infielder after a hit by Mt. Hood’s Lane TylerTitans Linch, completing the out in the first inning of Lanes Friday game Mt. Hood Saints
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Lane Titans Mt. Hood Saints GAME 2 that ended 5-1. Shimizu has a batting average of .376 putting him above the league wide average. Lane Titans
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The Titans gave up eight runs in the4-27-19 top of the first inning on the to being Lane Titans Mt.way Hood Saintsrun9 2 GAME 2 ruled by the Saints. Lane showed a little spark on offense late in the game, scoring four runs in the seventh, but Mt. Hood answered with four more runs to end the game early. After being pulled in the fourth inning for Michael Moore, starter Riley Howard finished with four innings pitched and nine earned runs. Moore gave up another five unearned runs in just over two innings of action. On offense, Henry Lovekamp, Jaxon Woodhouse and Matt Dallas each recorded an RBI late in the game, while Takanori Shimizu extended his hitting streak to six games and walked in a run. • Jaxon Woodhouse: 3-4, RBI • Henry Lovekamp: 2-2, RBI, 2B, 2 R • Riley Howard: 4 IP, 9 ER, 4 K
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The Titans bounced back strong in Game 2, seizing the lead in the first inning and never looking back. Strong pitching from starter Donovan Baldocchi kept the Mt. Hood offense on ice, while freshman Matt Dallas threw three scoreless relief innings. Takanori Shimizu continued his hitting streak and smacked his second home run of the year in the top of the sixth. After splitting their final series against the Saints, the Titans face Clark and Southwest Oregon to close out their season. The Titans (16-16, 8-8) are tied for third place with Clackamas and four games behind Mt. Hood for second place in the region. With eight games left in the season, the Titans face a narrow path to the postseason • Takanori Shimizu: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI • Skyler Vail: 2-4, 2 SB, 2 RBI • Donovan Baldocchi: 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 K • Matt Dallas: W (3-3), 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 K
... continued from front
Selina Scott / photojournalist
Nick Rogozinski hands the baton to Raymond Blasquez during the 4x100 meter where the Titans placed third with a time of 42.94. Lane’s men finish first with 130 points in the Twilight Meet.
Titans shine bright in the Twilight
Eryn Ricker and Delaney Fields tied for first place in the pole vault getting 3.50 meters. The Titans had five ladies take home the silver medal. Laisha Alvarez got second place in the 800-meter race, running it in 2:48.62. Trew Farnworth placed second in the high jump with a mark of 1.54 meters. Farnworth got the silver medal in another jumping event marking 10.16 meters in the long jump. Bell Hill was just shy of first in the discus throw, throwing 36.86 meters. Riley Ovall also came home with second place, launching 37.84 meters in the javelin throw. The Ladies 4-by-1 team placed second as well ending with a time of 48.99. The Titans got third place in five events. Isabella Garcia placed third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.05. Emily Thomason got bronze in pole vault at 3.40 meters. Ricker placed third in the long jump, leaping 4.84 meters. Paris Newdall was just shy of second place in the shot put throwing 12.21 meters while Kate Borsz got bronze in the discus with a throw of 36.08 meters. The men’s team claimed one gold medal and placed in the top three in five different competitions. In the high jump Jonah Tactay had the top mark jumping to a height of 2 meters with Titans Aidan Acord and Raymond Blasquez right behind him sharing second place. In the 400meter sprint Titan Jacob Williams placed second finishing in 50.25. Anthony Stone also brought home the silver medal running the 1500 meter run in 4:06.00. Lane got third in the pole vault with David Sanchez-perez getting to a height of 4.48 meters. Trent Reavis also gave the Titans a Selina Scott / photojournalist third place trophy in the shot put with a throw of 14.13 meters. Jaiden Lemberger improved by taking 0.7 seconds off her 100 meter Lane nicknamed this particular meet the 30th Avenue meet to honor the Oregon star long- hurdle time on Saturday’s Twilight Meet. Lane’s women's team scored first distance runner, Bill Dellinger, who used to run along 30th Avenue as a workout. with 150 points.
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stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
NEWS
Coding for humanity
Prenapa Techakumthon / graphics
Developers volunteer efforts to help local companies
Marek Belka / editor-in-chief
Tyler Curtis, a self-taught mobile app developer, watches an interview with his teammates on the final day of Hack for a Cause. The annual event brought together professional and amateur developers, who worked to create technology-based solutions for local businesses and governments.
SATURDAY MAY 4
Old-Time Festival 8TH & LINCOLN • 541.687.2746 ALL AGES ALL THE TIME WWW.WOWHALL.ORG
2 PM Workshops; 8 PM Square Dance
FRIDAY MAY 10
David Galbreath Reporter Local developers wrote code to solve pressing issues in the community at Hack for a Cause. Volunteers worked from the evening of April 26 until noon on April 28. They used software to fix social problems. Some developers came for the cash prize, some came for the free food, but in the end all the efforts contributed to a humanitarian cause. Software company, Nulia and the Technology Association of Oregon hosted the event in a downtown office building. Companies who are struggling with modernizing facets of their businesses presented their issues, such as digitizing data recorded on paper, as something that can be improved by programming. Developers were treated to an endless supply of soda and snacks to help burn the midnight oil. Creating an inviting atmosphere has made Hack for a Cause grow, now the largest hack-a-thon
SUNDAY MAY 12
Swingrowers Dimmer Twins High Step Society
Patterson Hood & Mike Cooley of Drive-By Truckers
in Oregon, for the past four years. Developers came together to solve problems presented by local governments, civic organizations and nonprofits. These volunteers could choose an issue to work on or be assigned one. After receiving an assignment, the next hurdle for the developers would be to form a team. This was the second year for Frankie Gold who signed up alone. Gold has a day job as a database engineer and knew she wanted to be working in the Google programming language “Go.” The mentors and coordinators knew the perfect fit for her and set her up with a group of two, that then grew to six people. They dubbed themselves Xakclub. The team’s end goal was to create a homeless resource finder application and website. The final site would be for the less fortunate to find a nearby shower, a place to sleep or a food bank, and find out the wait times for the various services. The database with that information exists already, the challenge was to make the data accessible. With a team, objective and plenty of Mountain Dew, the team began by assigning
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
Volunteer Orientation
Slocan Ramblers
7 PM
Breakers Yard
MAY 14
MAY 16
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
7
NEWS
Marek Belka / editor-in-chief
Conner Maddlozzo, May Tusek, Frankie Gold, Alex Enerson and Alexandr Iapara wrote thousands of lines of code during the annual Hack for a Cause in Eugene. The amateur developers had never met prior to the marathon tech event, but succeeded in creating a mobile app designed to connect homeless people with local resources.
roles. May Tusek, whose role was to work on the front end user interface for the application, has a personal interest in the homeless resource finder challenge. “I’m homeless myself,” Tusek continued, “if you come from a background of being poor, or just from awful anything, and you end up being homeless it’s really hard to find your footing,” Tusek said. “This one I feel like can be a really awesome resource for individuals.” There is no precise data that shows the percentage of homeless with smartphones yet, getting smartphones to the homeless has been an ongoing endeavor. A program called Lifeline Assistance, or sometimes referred to as ‘Obama Phones,’ puts smartphones in the hands of the less fortunate. Knowing the majority of those cell phones operate on android systems, the Xakclub team designed their application to run on those phones. After the excitement of the first day, teams settled into their private conference rooms to refine ideas and start building the framework of the application. In a competition atmosphere teams were frantically trying to outrace their competitors, working by the light of their own LED You doing Hack for a Cause this year?
screens into the early morning hours. The team members took shifts napping while others worked, but nevertheless, fatigue pushed the developers to their limits. This wasn't just a humanitarian effort, but a chance to improve the developers’ skills. “I started doing Hack-a-thons because I wanted to have some projects to show extracurricular work,” team member Jake Petersen said. Collective learning was a theme throughout the weekend. A programming history was not required of volunteers, and some used this opportunity to build new skills. Gold came with a plan in mind. “My goal this time around is to learn a new programming language. Before this hack-a-thon I had not written a single line of code in Go,” Gold said. “The point is not to get development experience, the point is to get team experience. For me at least,” team member Connor Maddlozzo said. Some developers, like Maddlozzo, love to dabble in hack-a-thons all over the state and already had another hack-a-thon planned for the following week. “I come to these for developer in team
Yeah, I’m making a video game simulating about running for government offices.
experiences,” Maddlozzo said. “And you also get to meet great people.” Dragging themselves into the final hours of Sunday the team started finalizing their application concepts. Every developer dug deep in a frantic atmosphere and found the energy to create the product they set out to accomplish. “You start out with small ideas that lead into bigger ideas which lead into better ideas, and hopefully by the end of it you have something looking nice and not a sleep deprived ridden mess,” Turek said. "The Final Countdown" by Europe filled the office space to add pressure to the closing moments of the weekend. Representatives of Lane County government and Symantec judged Xakclub and their competitors. A tired crowd of programmers gathered in the main office room for the award ceremony. Winners of the respected challenges would win a $599.99 cash prize, and even though Xakclub may not have won, their work will be saved and used if needed.
Sneaking the idea of political importance in a video game?
Hey, if they can handle GTA they can handle being in office.
Ashaundra Talbot / illustrator
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stories that matter
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Wednesday, May 1, 2019
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Campus Decaffeinated I learned that we were on a separate floor than the rest of Food Service, I was skeptical.” The current Blenders location was allegedly designed and planned to be used as another large Study Room. Ream’s skepticism rang true as the years went by. Initially, she felt that “when we first reopened, being on the second floor hurt our business,” she said. “Blenders is not listed on any sign saying that we are on the second floor.” The coffee shop still regularly “gets new customers, sometimes longtime students, who don’t know we are here.” If asked whether Blenders received fair treatment during the recent months as proposals for outsourcing for being considered by the Board, Ream said she didn’t think so. “Working in Blenders has been great, my extended family has grown with coworkers and customers,” she doesn’t feel that the administration has taken any of that into consideration. “I do not feel like the Board, themselves, spent much time deciding to go through the decision to cut Food Services and I don’t feel like we are being treated fairly,” she said. Then there’s the committed staff of Blenders. Ream, expressing her utmost appreciation for them, said “we have several long-term staff who have been with us for
Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence / illustrator
years. In those years, they have stood by our side, worked through five management changes in five years, through the remodel, through position changes, and venue closures.” As Blenders’ run comes to an end, the staff “have earned sick time which they will not be paid for, and are now being discouraged from using,” she said. One staff member had their hours stripped tremendously after calling in sick for a couple of days. The baristas of Blenders will diverge on five separate paths once the coffee shop closes its doors for the last time. Taya Ream will be transferring to a different department on campus. Liz Dawson will be continuing her work in the Center for Meeting and Learning. Mikey Young will be going to work at Spectrum. Tina Sablan will continue to work at her second job while looking for other employment. Cody Norton is looking for his next opportunity. As for what will happen to Blenders’ current space, Ream said “to the best of my knowledge, they will replace us with a local coffee business.” She added that “in my opinion, it would be nice to see Global Delights, who we already serve, come in and make great drinks for our Blenders customers.” However, Dutch Bros. is a company that is rumored to have been floated around as a possible replacement. For those concerned, a supportive customer has started a petition outside of Blenders for those to sign in opposition.
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‘If you can walk, you can dance’
rhythmic dance. As the music grew to a crescendo, so did her movements. The room went dark again and one dancer became three, their exotic movements were in near perfect synchronicity. Next was Bali, performed by LCC faculty lead, Bonnie Simoa, which kicked off with a silhouette slowly coming into view, with slow subtle but deliberate movements. The lights turn on and her movements are almost imperceivable. Both music and dancer have a sudden surge and the graceful dancer bursts into action. The pattern repeats for the rest of the dance, the dancer kneeling, using subtle hand, finger, head and body
movements followed by a sudden short bursts of dancing around the stage, incorporating other bodily movements. The next plane landed in Hawaii, bringing onto the stage seven little girls who elicited a collective aww from the crowd. Their dance was graceful; each of them putting in their best effort. The crowd roared when the number concluded. Next on stage were eight older girls who did a lively number with beautiful props decorated with red flowers. They were no less spectacular than any of the previous performers. The Hawaii portion of the show concluded with four sophisticated older
Evelyn Vannezza / reporter
Michael Moloi, dressed in traditional African garb, sits on a hand drum while explaining the origin of his interpretive dance. Moloi’s dance told the story of diamonds and gold in South Africa and the impact of industrialization on his people.
Evelyn Vannezza / reporter
Chela Marx, Eyrika Monroe and Kaya Skye, dancers with Eugene Flamenco Arts, perform a traditional flamenco dance at the International Dance Gala.
Evelyn Vannezza / reporter
LCC dance instructor Bonnie Simoa performs an excerpt from the Gambuh, a 400-year old Balinese dance drama.
women, dancing to a soft song. Oklahoma was the last destination, drawing gasps from the crowd. Darin Henry took the stage wearing one of the most stunning outfits of the evening, an outfit made by his mother and aunt. The music started and he took off with big movements, the children in the front row jump to their feet, clapping in rhything to the music and moving to the beat themselves. His presence as commanding as his performance was extraordinary. With ease, and yet incredible energy, he performed three powwow dances. The rest of the performers joined him on
stage and made their way into the crowd, walking up the stairs and standing in the middle of their applause. After all the acknowledgements, Simoa announced that someone was going to be the first recipient of the Cultural Luminary Award which was given to acknowledge her contribution and her dedication to the arts within the community. By Santiago’s stunned reaction, she had no idea this was coming. She was asked to come up on stage, alongside her family and everyone present from her dance company, Flamenco Chico.