THE
TORCH - MAY 15, 2019 - VOLUME 54, EDITION 13 - EUGENE, OR -
ASLCC / pg 6
Baseball / pg 10
Arts / pg 12
Taking the inside Lane Titans win 23 events on way to Southern Region title
Lana French / photojournalist
Freshman Trew Farnworth clears the bar to takes third place in high jump with a 1.54m leap on a blazing May day. Farnworth also placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles and second in the women’s triple jump.
Marek Belka Editor-In-Chief On a sweltering May day on their home track, the Lane Titans brought home their seventh consecutive NWAC South regional championship. The Titans took first place in 23 events, literally running away with both the women’s and men’s titles. But first, the Titans had to overcome the hottest temperatures of the year. High temperatures reached 85 degrees on May 11; by the end of the meet, thermometers along the sun-baked surface of the track topped 140 degrees. Spectators crowded in whatever shade they could find while athletes from the seven colleges at the meet gathered and gulped down water under mascot-branded continued on page 8
Dress, dance and displays of diversity International students shine in annual variety show Evelyn Vannezza Reporter International Night allows the international students at Lane Community College the opportunity to showcase their country for everyone who visits the exhibition for the earlier part of the event at the Mary Spilde Downtown campus which is followed by a showcase in the form of a talent show. Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence / illustrator The Vice President in charge of the program, Paul Jarrell, discussed community, the theme of that day’s spring conference on campus. He said, for students who do not a shortage of support staff including nurses, have the opportunity to travel, this serves academic and mental health counselors. as an invaluable window to the different The graduation rates of Oregon high things around the world brought here by schools are among the lowest in the country. international students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Oregon ranks 48 in the nation. Most educators, and students alike, would attribute these outcomes to a lack of funding. “Community college success and retention rates are also below the national average. You have a right to a well-funded quality education–I wonder if there isn’t some sort of cause and effect to that, right?” LCC Vice President of Student Affairs Paul Jarrell said. “If we are going to reverse that we do need our legislature to realize that you are Ben Nguyen / photojournalist an investment. You are the way out of this Saki Hanada, a Japanese and we can do better and we must do better.” international student at Lane, As of May 8, the state has allocated performs Hawaii’s traditional dance $590 million to Oregon community col- the Hula. Hanada is also a student leges. However, according to the Oregon ambassador for Lane‘s international
‘We must do better’ LCC joins statewide walkout over education funding Audrey Scully Reporter Swaths of red shirts swirled in front of the Center Building at Lane Community College, chatter energizing the sunny atmosphere. Laptops lined the edge of a long table; students took their turns typing on them. The LCC student body, the faculty and staff unions and administration came together to raise attention around state funding of community colleges and to send emails to the Oregon Legislature. This rally was one of many rallies across the state. At K-12 schools, enough teachers walked out on Wednesday that 25 school districts had to close 600 schools. They are frustrated with overcrowded classrooms and
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program.
Kana Takeuchi and Vinh “Jimmy” Tran were the masters of ceremonies for the evening, introducing themselves and a short introduction about international night at LCC. It has been running for four years in a row. They left the stage and the event kicked off with a fashion show as a couple of young women from Japan, Kana Endo came out in a Saori and Sena Doi came out in a Yukata. They were followed by a couple, Victor and Kelly Nguyen from Vietnam, came out wearing Ao Dai’s. The young woman, Jane Low, followed in a very demure style, wearing a Baku Kurung, from Malaysia. The two young women from Thailand, Pha Portongkums and Sara Suksoi, flirted with the crowd in their Chud Thai. A young man from India, Shijo “John” Yahannan, carried himself in a dignified manner in his Kurtha and Mundu. He was followed by a couple from South Korea, who were by far the most cheered for by the crowd wearing the traditional clothing from South Korea. Followed by a young lady from Korea, who came out with a broad smile. A young man from Togo, Felix Adjana, drew a big cheer from the crowd in his Betekeli, as did the young man from Burkina Faso, Aime Nacoulma who also wore a Betekeli. The young man from Hong Kong, Wai Yin “Jacky” Yuen posed in some power stances in his Tong Joong, getting a big reaction from the young women in the crowd before concluding the fashion show. The emcees introduced performers Jack, Ginny and Queen performing an acapella song from Vietnam. The stage went dark as the three young people set up. When the lights went back on, Jack started playing the guitar while Ginny and Queen began to sing continued on page 3
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STUDENT ELECTIONS 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
Reporters
Remembering Alex Gradin Alex Oyombe Gradin, a student at Lane Community College, was shot and killed in a parking lot behind Taylor’s Bar and Grill in the early hours of May 4, according to the Eugene Police Department. He was 21 years old. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Alex spent his first few months in an orphanage before being adopted by the Gradin family. "We appreciate the outpouring of love and concern we have received in the tragic death of our son, Alex," his family said in a statement released to the public. "He was an unexpected blessing to our lives when he joined us as a baby in Kenya and grew to be a compassionate, thoughtful young man. He naturally made many friends all over the world, who are grieving right now. We request at this time that you allow us to heal and support each other as a family."
Alex is remembered by his friends and family for his wide contagious smile and warm, often-goofy sense of humor. He was an enthusiastic athlete, running track and playing football at Tigard High School before graduating in 2016. After a year at Western Oregon University, Alex transferred to LCC and moved to Eugene. A candlelight vigil was held for Alex on the evening of May 8 on LCC’s main campus, where his teachers, classmates and former teammates from Tigard High gathered to share their fond memories and pay their final respects. “He once told me in a class that his goal was to become super wealthy,” Beth Landy, one of Alex’s teachers at LCC, said. “We laughed about it at the time, but later I realized that he didn’t want to be rich only for himself. All he wanted was to take care of his family.” Alex is survived by his mother, father and four siblings. In lieu of flowers and other gifts, the Gradin family asks that well-wishers send donations to New Life Home Trust, the Kenyan orphanage where they first met Alex two decades earlier.
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Selina Scott / photojournalist
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‘We must do better’ Community College Association, community colleges need $647 million just to maintain current service levels. Moreover, community colleges are requesting an additional $70 million for student services, as well as $70 million for an expansion of career technical education. National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia attended rallies in Portland and Salem Wednesday. She said in a note read by Adrienne Mitchell: “Community colleges fulfill a critical role in the education continuum, with
social justice at the core of our mission. Community colleges are fundamental to a healthy democracy in the U.S., providing access and a pathway out of poverty for many students.” According to a 2014 report from the Oregon Education Investment Board, “the cost to the state is approximately $833,333 per child growing up in poverty. These costs include estimates related to future foregone earnings,
CONTACT theTorch Lane Community Collegte 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene OR 97405 (541)463-5655 @lcctorch @thetorchnews Emails: editor@lcctorch.com letters@lcctorch.com advertising@lcctorch.copm tips@lcctorch.com CORRECTIONS In Edition 13 (‘If you can walk, you can dance’), we failed to credit Lana French for one of her photographs. We apologize for the error.
Jason Petorak / business director
Paul Jarrell, Vice President of student affairs at LCC, delivers a speech during the statewide walkout on May 8.
incarceration costs, and healthcare costs.” When those students’ families move out of poverty, the report claims, the return to the state (in terms of tax revenue and decreased social service costs), would be similar, saving approximately $833,333 per child. Graduates show a return investment to the state in terms of tax revenue and lower social services costs. At the high school level, students that do not graduate cost society, taxpayers “over $292,000 in lower tax revenues, higher cash and in-kind transfer costs, and imposed incarceration costs” relative to a high school graduate that contributes $287,384 over the course of his or her lifetime. A pupil who finishes a two-year degree or certification program is estimated to contribute $461,661 into the community. Those with a bachelor's degree can be expected to generate $793,079 in tax revenue for society over the course of their lifetime. Many members of the LCC student body face housing and food insecurities — “At the same time the majority of community college faculty in Oregon are part-time with little if any job security, and salaries that sometimes qualify them for government assistance,” Garcia said. Community colleges have been forced to cut programs and crucial student services, such as counselors, or have outsourced services like the Titan Bookstore and Food Services.
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STUDENT ELECTIONS Legislators refer freeze on reefer State halts permits for new cannabis growers James Croxton Reporter Oregon has too much cannabis. One-million pounds too much of it to be exact. Or to put that hard-to-picture figure into perspective, enough of it has been produced just in the last two years that, if stopped immediately, the supply can last the state for another six years at current consumption rates. Anyone living in, or visiting, the state can see this issue firsthand. There are innumerable dispensaries—often with at least a couple on a single street—throughout its metropolitan areas such as Portland, Salem, and even Eugene-Springfield. In fact, in April 2019, Business Insider published an article written by Abby Tang, Jennifer Lee and Nisha Stickles that put the smoking-hot problem into perspective. It’s gotten so bad that “one tub of marijuana costs $20,000 in New York but costs only $7,000 in Oregon,” they explained. What can be done to solve this surplus? Some, such as The Craft Cannabis Alliance, believe that the answer is to open up Oregon’s borders and allow for interstate, or international, cannabis trade. Unfortunately, while exporting to another country may sound like a viable solution, the plant’s current federal classification as a Schedule 1 drug make this unlikely to happen. So, while exporting to Canada—which is having major shortages—sounds like a good idea, it is not
Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence / illustrator
an option. Instead, the Oregon Senate voted 18-10 on April 29 in favor of what they believe to be the solution to this growing problem: a
temporary freeze on cannabis production. The bill is two-fold: one, it will keep the production levels static over the next two years; and two,
new license applications will not be offered while currently licensed producers will be able to renew theirs. According to High Times, the monthly cannabis magazine, Oregon’s problem has to do with its ideal climate for producing these large quantities of highquality cannabis. This is because, as Emma Chasen, writing for the Green Entrepreneur in April 2019 explained that the 2017 collapse of Oregon’s cannabis market was “due to the low barrier to entry for licensure,” meaning that as so many businesses entered the market, the surplus got greater and greater to its current point. The state’s population simply cannot consume all that is produced. As a result, prices have suffered. In Eugene, Oregon, an ounce of cannabis flower costs as little as $30, but the average for high-quality flower is just over $210. This is drastically lower than other states, though, according to aggregate website, Price of Weed. There, the state of New York’s ounces cost an average of about $340. Even California, long recognized as a major cannabis producer, has higher prices, while not by much. There, the average cost for an ounce of high-quality flower costs a consumer around $250. If this problem isn’t solved, it may affect the state negatively. Arguably the most damaging way the oversupply can do so is crashing prices. They, at some point, may get so low that producers could export their product to other states illegally, as the High Times article suggested. This will not only severely damage the legal cannabis market in Oregon, but it will fuel an already present black market. The federal government has warned that if this were to become a problem, they would have no choice but to crackdown on the industry.
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Dress, dance and displays of diversity in their native language. The duo harmonized in time to the guitar, all three bouncing off of each others’ energy. Next the emcees kept the ambiance light with jokes then introducing Saki who performed the Hula to the opening theme to Lilo and Stitch, “He Mele No Lilo.” She glided gracefully onto the stage, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. Her strong stage presence was palpable throughout the room as she effortlessly performed the number. Sara, from Cape Verde, was then invited to go up on stage next to perform acapella. The room went totally silent for her soulful song. The crowd listened intently as she poured her heart out, who responded with resounding applause as she bowed and left the stage. Jack got on stage once more to entrance the crowd with his guitar. The cheer died down to silence as Cherry began a very sentimental performance. Tran’s sense of humor transferred over to his performance as he continued his light hearted manner, joking with gestures and getting the crowd to laugh. But it didn’t last long, as both performers continued their emotional performance. Their performance was followed by eight Japanese students who stormed the stage, breaking into their performance. The crowd plauditted as two of the students took up jump ropes and began a well-choreographed and stunning performance. The other six students broke up into two groups, coming from opposite sides they jumped the ropes crisscrossing each other, their performance was mesmerizing. Next on stage were two young women, one began to sing
in Vietnamese, the other followed in English. Somewhere in the middle of their heartwarming performance, they switched and sang in the other language. Later, an ensemble of nine Korean students got up on the stage with tremendous energy, the three male students step off the stage, leaving the six women to perform an equally energetic number. The stage went dark and when the lights came back, the three students rejoined the front of the group, one of the members dressed to impersonate Psy and the crowd
WWW.WOWHALL.ORG
Ben Nguyen / photojournalist
International students perform an ensemble dance set to Fitz and the Tantrums’ “Handclap.” In addition to performing, students at the event had educational booths for visitors to learn about their respective home nations.
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absolutely lost it. Noelyn got up on stage to perform a Ugandan dance number. As the music and her movements climaxed, so did the cheers of the crowd, clapping in time with the beat of the Zumba song. While the song playing was very fast, the performer’s movements managed to stay slow, rhythmic and very methodical. The show ended with a bang, as four students set off confetti cannons with all the performers dancing together on stage. All the performers took a bow, coordinator Mary Millard went on stage to thank everyone who was responsible for putting on the event and to thank those who were in attendance.
MAY 17
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STUDENT ELECTIONS
2019
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STUDENT ELECTIONS Editor’s Note
Editor’s Note
This content is supported by the Associated Students of Lane Community College Student Government.
Stefan Cogurik did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, but released a campaign statement with the ASLCC Voter’s Guide. “As a member of the Student Activity Fee Committee, I’ll be doing my best to keep school reasonably affordable for the general population of students. Not only does the price point of school keep many underprivileged people from gaining an education, [but it also] keeps those who can make it into college closer to poverty. I’m excited to gain experience on the Activity Fee Committee and do the best I can to work with both the school and the students I’d be representing.”
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The Student Activity Fee Committee manages the allotment of the activity fee that all LCC students pay. The SAFC is tasked with ensuring that all student clubs and organizations are spending their fee money as mandated in their charters and recommending fee decisions to the Board of Education.
LCC is the fifth college Laura Leader has attended. “This is by far the college that has the most interaction between students, faculty, and the structures that are in place.” Leader said. She can track her interests for politics all the way back to running for her elementary school's treasurer. She hasn’t decided on a major, but she plans to get involved and take on a role where she feels she can help others. “I'm going to be standing by what I really believe in here, which
On Jan. 17, the Associat Students of Lane Comm College Student Govern held their first public me of the new term. At the meeting, new President Keough announced tha ASLCC would circulate a letter,” signed by all sittin members of the student government, that would address the controversie the previous term and o a path forward for the n administration. After the ratification of Vice Presid Amadeo Rehbein and President Pro Tempore Michael Gillette that eve Keough read the letter a to the students present Editor’s Note meeting. This content is supported by the Associated Students The Torchofhas agreed to Lane Community College publish the ASLCC’s ope Student Government. letter. We have not mad changes to the content letter.
is practicality and impartiality.” When asked about her priorities as an SAFC member, Leader says her focus will be on spending money wisely. “I think that priority number one is making sure that the money is all being used,” She says some programs in the past were given surplus money that could have gone to other programs that requested funds. She intends to have every dollar allocated and accounted for and is put to enrich student’s lives. t
”I want to do things and not just talk about things.” CyRil Fagar sees many opportunities for improvement around the school. Being involved in LCC organizations has exposed issues that he feels can be reformed. “A lot of things that need to change are the systems, not exactly the people, but the systems,” Fagar said. “And the people who are in the systems right now need to either move into space where they are working with the greater good or working for an outdated system that no longer works.” He sees the budget as the lifeblood of the school that is currently being strangled at higher tiers. In response, Fagar plans to allocate funds to ease growth and expansion of student groups, as well as encourage more communication between students, administration and campus organizations. “If everybody did their own work separately and hid it from each other, you put them all together it doesn't work,” Fagar said. “The fact that you are transparent and able to work together makes it so people can collaborate into a more cohesive construction.” As of now, he is a full-time student with other activities around campus, including working with the Multicultural Center.
Having spent the 2018-2019 year on the SAFC, May wants to continue representing the student body. His experience has brought to his attention that many students don’t know where their money is going. “To me, the most important part of the student activity fee committee is making the student body aware that they are paying x amount of dollars each term,” May said.“And making them aware of the services they get out of it.” May is a dual-enrolled student at the University of Oregon, pursuing a business degree. His objective is to raise awareness on the money students have spent on fees and to
show them they have a say in how the money is spent. ”There would be no reason for anything other than complete transparency in every part of this process.”
Laney Baehler, who was voted into the SAFC in the 2018-2019 school year, hopes to get reelected in order to ensure that the SAFC is as efficient as possible. During her last term on SAFC, she said “it was kind of a mess, and I know a lot of things went wrong, and a lot of things didn’t get done.” Baehler explained that “when I was in the process of trying to catch everything up, it was really overwhelming and so I want to make sure that there is a system set up so that that doesn’t happen again.” Additionally, she would like to see that the Student Activity Fee remain as low as possible. “Since we know that tuition is already a mess of its own, textbooks are super expensive, and we all have lives and bills to pay...the Student Activity Fee should be the least thing we worry about,” she said. However, if that concerns students involved in clubs, she added that, “it should still be enough money so that they can run efficiently, but no so much that students need to worry about.”
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STUDENT ELECTIONS LCC’s current Chief of Staff Bryant Everett will bring over 10 years of experience as a manager for a Fortune 500 company to fight for student’s interests. That professional experience, combined with her experiences with the ASLCC, gives her an understanding of what will be required on the job. “That just let me have a backdrop of how student government in itself has run or does run typically, which is super important to inform me going forward,” Everett said. She feels the skills she acquired at her past managing position will translate into the new position. Running as Everett’s vice president is Leila Jebara. Wanting to spread her heart to the student body, Jebara is seizing the opportunity to bring people together. “I’m just one person, but I love to give my heart to everyone else at LCC,” Jebara said. Her major is in microbiology currently but may take her love for others into oncology. “We would like to bring in everyone at LCC to get
to know each other more,” Jebara said. As their campaign statement says “putting the unity in community,” their plan as executives is to create an interdependent system for groups to help each other. “Our largest goal is to create as much intersectionality as possible,” Everett said. Things like: if we have an event that needs dishes or things like that, we may be able to reach out to things–like say CASA [Ceramic Art Student Association]to make things like that or different groups to do different things.” One of the largest challenges they will be taking on is administrative changes, those changes are currently under discussion. “The biggest thing that I think that we’ll do is do a lot more outreach to all the other organizations and clubs and sort of bind together everyone as a singular college and university.” Everett said.
Shana Santry-Weiland was elected as a Senator for the 2018-2019 school year. He switched roles to a position as Chief of Staff but continued to participate as a voluntary committee chair member. “I spent a lot of time speaking up at Senate meetings, so I think it's going to make more sense being a senator,” Santry-Weiland said. Being a non-traditional student, he feels he will bring “professional practicality” to the position. “We have organizations on campus that get an allocation of our student fees that dont always show everybody why they get it,” Santry-Weiland said. He hopes to make the process more transparent. Learning from his time on ASLCC, Santry-Weiland Michael Gillette, who currently serves as the President Pro-Tempore of the ASLCC Senate, wants to build on the triumphs and struggles he experienced in the Senate this year. “Though we’re all aware of what happened on student government early in the year, I looked at is as a learning experience,” Gillette said. “It highlighted the flaws in our existing system, flaws that we worked to address this year. There were positive outcomes, too: it made us more collaborative and cohesive as a staff and a team.” Though Gillette doesn’t see a political future for himself–the linguistics major would rather be a translator at the United Nations–he views himself as a strong advocate for student representation in the ASLCC. Gillette said he was the lone senator who
spoke against a proposed constitutional amendment reducing the number of senators from 10 to eight. “When we’re making that decision,” Gillette said. “We’re shutting the door on students and future senators. More senators means more students have their voices heard.” In addition to his experience on the Senate, Gillette also says his personal history and identity helps him relate to a broad cross-section of students at Lane Community College. “I approach everything with inclusivity and respect in mind,” Gillete said. “I’m a single father, a military veteran and Hispanic–I’m half-Cuban–so I understand a lot of different perspectives.”
has noticed the bylaws and school’s constitution have not been updated in nearly a decade. “In any of our governing documents right now, there is no mention of the pay scale that the student government actually adheres to,” Santry-Weiland It’s all done by word of mouth.” Being someone who did not always pay attention to school committees, Santry-Weiland feels a responsibility to look out for the students who can’t or aren’t always involved. As he put in his campaign statement: “just because you don’t care what the student government is doing doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be working for you, just as much as it works for those who are involved.”
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STUDENT ELECTIONS Valerie Hoffman joined the ASLCC in late 2018. With her sights on the 2019-2020 school year, she wants to immediately begin working on organized labor. Hoffman, echoing her campaign statement, said that 5 percent of students under 25 are represented by unions and she wishes to improve that figure. She argued for this by saying that “wages are stagnating, or falling, and productivity is going up and that needs to be changed.”
Amber Coleman was a school protection officer in Florida after serving in the Army for six and a half years. Her goals as senator focus largely on raising student awareness. “I’ve seen students broke down for two hours trying to ask somebody for a jump,” Coleman said. “But at the public safety office, you just go bring an identification card and they give you a battery charging box, but they just didn't know.” With her goals set on law school, Coleman hopes to gain a place on the Senate to begin a possible career in politics. “I also have the drive to continue making my community a better place,” Coleman wrote in her campaign statement. At the top of her list is finding a better way to facilitate new students that come to Lane. The goal is to create more ease of access for new students to get involved through a more thorough orientation. Another topic of concern for Coleman is the safety and security of the students. “There are a lot of spots in Lane Campus where the security cameras don’t see,” Coleman said. She plans to use her expertise to ensure the welfare of the students and faculty. Aime Nacoulma, who joined the ASLCC in early 2019, is seeking his first full term as a student senator. His top priorities include tackling rising tuition costs and the impending outsourcing of the Bookstore, where he also works. “Even though the movement for a tuition freeze put some pressure on the school board,” Nacoulma said, referring to the LCC Board of Education. “I need to have a closer look at the bookstore situation.” Nacoulma, an engineering student from Burkina Faso in West Africa, said he was “among the lucky ones” who earned opportunities to study in the United States. “Although I battled to reach this point of my life,” Nacoulma wrote in his campaign statement. “I am grateful and give credit to the people who have lifted my voice and have had my back when my words weren’t enough. Today, I am running to represent your voice.” Nacoulma also acknowledged that he wasn’t able to meet with as many student organizations as he intended, an oversight he aims to address if he wins another term. “I am ready to commit as much time as needed to this role to make sure the work is done correctly,” Nacoulma said. “I want to get involved in either of the governing councils… That should allow me to identify and get a better sense of the needs [of students].” Alexandria Jackson is new to campus but has already been getting involved in multiple organizations. By enculturing herself with events like the Native American Student Association’s Powwow and joining the Black Student Union, Jackson has a newfound love for LCC. According to her campaign statement, she feels “that a big part of my purpose on this Earth is to help others to the best of my ability.” Her priorities lie in the student's interest. She spent her spare time in high school as a tutor for the Freshman Academy, helping others in her nature. “I want to help as much as I can,” Jackson said. On the top of her to-do list as a senator would be to find ways to get students involved around campus. “I feel like everybody thrives off of having a relationship with another person or several people, especially with your teachers,” Jackson said. Her plans to create student engagement is to appeal to the new generations. Creating events of friendly competition, like video game tournaments or relay races will be a good way to create “cultural bridges,” according to Jackson. Also on her mind as a senator are programs that the school is at risk of losing. “Earlier today I learned they dropped the philosophy department and that’s a major interest of mine.” She hopes to stop any further programs from being cut.
Though she has yet to serve in the ASLCC student government, Samantha Mosley is no stranger to legislative politics. “I travel to Salem all the time to speak with representatives and senators about student issues,” Mosley said. “I’m the only [Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion] representative here at LCC that goes up there regularly.” According to Mosley, her work at the state level gave her invaluable communication skills and confidence to tackle pressing issues, but she never considered running for student government until a few weeks ago. “I had just returned from Salem, and someone told me ‘Hey, I think you’d be really good at this’ and just kept telling me I should run,” Mosley said. ”Eventually, they got to me.” Despite her initial reluctance, Mosley believes her activist spirit and career as a special education teacher’s aide give her an edge in the campaign. “I bring a lot of traits that other senators don’t,” Mosley said. “I’m easy to talk to, I’m not judgemental, I can basically talk to anyone. I’m still going to be myself–it’s the only thing I know how to do–but it’s about knowing how to be respectful and not abuse your power.”
Ahmad Alkadi is an international student with a unique experience at LCC. “My immediate focus would be to improve cultural competency across LCC; I want to ensure the voice of international students who face microaggressions like I have is heard,” Alkadi said. Being from Saudi Arabia has lead Alkadi to undergo “several microaggressions and outright racism.” After watching friends in the student government demonstrate the amount of change student could implement, he decided to run for Senate in the 2019-2020 election. Having attended LCC since 2017, Alkadi has found avenues for change. “I’m hoping that through becoming a senator, I will not only have the chance to connect with people and break the cultural barrier, but also stand for others like me who face the same obstacles.”
Ama Wayne, a returning ASLCC Senator from the 2018-2019 school year, spoke a lot about how she would like to continue her work towards inclusivity and accessibility here on campus. Looking back on why she decided to run for Senator again, she said “I felt a sense of connection with student government” and that she “wants to continue the work she’s been doing this year.” In regards to the Student Activity Fee, a hot-topic on campus, Wayne said that she “would like to see a decrease in the cost of the Student Activity Fee so that students are initially paying less.”
Lucien Guidotti-Lawrance / illustrator
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Wednesday, May 15, 2019
SPORTS ... continued from front
Taking the inside Lane canopies. Clackamas’ Anthony Garcia vomited twice before besting Lane’s Aidan Acord by .03 meters–just over an inch–in the high jump. Despite the hot conditions, the Titans dominated the meet. Emily Thomason’s final mark of 3.82 meters in the pole vault set a school record. Shayla Noil took the 100-meter dash by .13 seconds–an eternity in an event measured by hundredths of seconds–and Trent Reavis won the men’s discus trophy by a whopping four meters. Lane athletes also took the top three spots in the women’s hammer throw and the men’s pole vault. Even when they didn’t win, the Titans still came out ahead: Lane sprinters finished second through sixth in the men’s 200-meter dash, good for a combined 27 points. After bagging another regional championship, the Titans look to continue their track and field dynasty at the NWAC Championship in Mt. Hood from May 21-22. The Titan men have won six consecutive NWAC titles; the women have finished second four years in a row after winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Here’s how the Titans fared on May 11:
Trent Toyama / photojournalist
Sophomore sprinter Shayla Noil takes the lead during the 4x100 meter relay. The NWAC Southern Region Conference Track and Field meet was held between seven colleges on May 11. Lane women took second place in the event.
100M Dash
400M Dash
Women: • 1 - Shayla Noil (12.28) • 4 - Destiny Curley (12.78) • 5 - Zarah Wemple (12.94) Men: • 2 - Nick Rogozinski (10.83) • 5 - Briley Pull (11.10) • 6 - Andres Lopez (11.19)
100M Hurdles Women: • 1 - Tylor Harper 15.60 • 2 - Isabella Garcia 15.64 • 4 - Jaiden Lemberger 16.79 • 7 - Trew Farnworth 17.42 Men: • 2 - Israel Miles 15.00 • 3 - Raymond Blasquez 15.43
Women: • 5 - Laisha Alvarez 1:06.97 • 6 - Annie Taylor 1:07.46 • Men 400 Dash • 2 - Dimitri Williams 51.34 • 5 - Jordan Poppe 52.85 Men: • 1 - Isabella Garcia 1:04.33 • 4 - Tylor Harper 1:17.28 • Men 400 Hurdles • 1 - Israel Miles 56.01 Jason Petorak / business director
Isabelle Garcia (near) and Taylor Harper (far) jockey for the lead during the Women’s 100m Hurdles. Taylor ended up in first by a slim four second margin, with Garcia taking second place.
800M Women: • 2 - Claire Ebert 2:27.23 • 5 - Annie Taylor 2:30.90 • 7 - Daelyn Wilde 2:41.92 • 8 - Laisha Alvarez 2:41.93 Men: • 1 - Ryle Hollick 1:59.67 • 2 - Nolan Bylenga 2:01.26 • 7 - Cody Gilbert 2:03.52 • 13 - Tayton Lapointe 2:09.43
200M Dash
1500M
Women: • 1 - Eryn Ricker 26.18 • 2 - Destiny Curley 26.34 • 5 - Zarah Wemple 27.53 Men: • 2 - Jacob Williams 22.24 • 3 - Nick Rogozinski 22.38 • 4 - Nathan Poff 22.61 • 5 - Josh Peterson 22.62 • 6 - Andres Lopez 22.94 • 8 - Briley Pull 23.18
Women: • 2 - Alexis Crowl 5:01.45 • 5 - Melody McGrath 5:10.66 • 6 - Jordyn Holland 5:15.87 • 7 - Daelyn Wilde 5:16.84 Men: • 1 - Anthony Stone 4:00.30 • 2 - Andy Muha 4:05.57 • 4 - Grayson Mazziotti 4:10.80 • 9 - Casey Pugh 4:16.31 • 13 - Jesse Todd 4:30.73 Jason Petorak / business director
Laisha Alvarez pushes past the competition during the Women's 400 meter event. Alvarez finished fifth with a time of 1:06.97.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
stories that matter
theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
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SPORTS Discus Women: • 1 - Paris Newdall 38.30m • 2 - Kate Borsz 37.55m • 3 - Isabella Hill 37.07m Men: • 1 - Trent Reavis 44.76m • 3 - Zane Wardell 39.59m • 6 - Sawyer Christopher 36.55m
Hammer Throw Women: • 1 - Kate Borsz 45.91m • 2 - Paris Newdall 40.40m • 3 - Isabella Hill 39.73m Men: • 4 - Trent Reavis 40.02m • 5 - Zane Wardell 39.12m
High Jump
Jason Petorak / business director
Sophomore Riley Ovall hurls a javelin during the NWAC Southern Region Track and Field Championships. Ovall was the only Titan competing in the event, finishing third with a 37.33 meter throw.
Long Jump
Women: • 3 - Trew Farnworth 1.54m • 4 - Jaiden Lemberger 1.49m Men: • 2 - Aidan Acord 2.02m
Women: • 1 - Emily Thomason 3.82m (school record) • 3 - Eryn Ricker J3.50m • 4 - Delaney Fields 3.40m Men: • 1 - Justin Petz 4.78m • 2 - David Sanchez-Perez 4.68m • 3 - Nathan Wirth 4.38m • 6 - Adrian Garcia 4.08m
Javelin Throw Women: • 3 - Riley Ovall 37.33m Men: 1 - Sawyer Christopher 62.71m 6 - Trent Reavis 49.60m
Shot Put
Long Jump Women: • 6 - Jaiden Lemberger 4.61m Men: • 2 - Jonah Tactay 6.99m • 8 - Nathan Poff 6.52m
Lana French / photojournalist
Jaiden Lemberger lands the long jump in the regional finals. Lemberger also participates in the hurdles and sprints. She placed fourth in both high jump and long jump and took sixth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Women: • 1 - Paris Newdall 12.48m • 5 - Kate Borsz 10.94m • 7 - Isabella Hill 10.00m Men: • 1 - Trent Reavis 13.93m • 2 - Zane Wardell 12.87m
Triple Jump Women: • 2 - Trew Farnworth 10.32m Men: • 2 - Jonah Tactay 14.28m
Relay
Jason Petorak / business director
Delaney Fields clears the bar during the Women’s Pole Vault event at the NWAC Southern Region Championships on May 11, 2019. The Titans took first and third in the Women’s pole vault, and finished first the overall point total.
Women: • 1 - 4x100 Meter Relay (48.97) • 2 - 4x400 Meter Relay (4:16.44) Men: • 1 - 4x100 Meter Relay (42.66) • 1 - 4x400 Meter Relay (3:23.36)
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Wednesday, May 15, 2019
SPORTS
Trent Toyama / photojournalist
Right-handed pitcher Donovan Baldocchi slings a baseball down from the mound toward a Southwestern Oregon batter. The Titans crushed the competition throughout all eight innings, eventually taking a win splitting the double header after a walk-off homerun.
Bat-men return Hot-hitting Titans hope for deep playoff run Marek Belka Editor-In-Chief The streaky Titans slugged their way into the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs with a dominant offensive showing in May. After winning five consecutive games and seven of their last 10, Lane hopes to carry their momentum into a postseason packed with talented competition.
The Titans’ hot-and-cold play this year can be blamed, in part, on just plain bad luck. The team faced one of the toughest schedules in the NWAC–including multiple series against fourth-ranked Linn-Benton and seventhranked Mt. Hood–and coped with lingering injuries in the pitching staff. They were also at the mercy of Oregon’s manic spring weather; the Titans couldn’t play a home game until a month into the season because of rain, snow and icy conditions. But, as the sun returned, so did Lane’s good fortune–and their offense. After splitting a home and away series against the Clark Penguins, the Titans traveled down the coast to Coos Bay, where they crushed last-place Southwestern Oregon in a doubleheader by a combined score of 16-2. The rotation
struck out a total 17 batters, while the top of the batting order smacked doubles and triples off the outfield fence. The next day in Eugene, the Titans ended their season in style, hanging up another 22 runs in a doubleheader against the Lakers. After locking up the third seed in the NWAC South, the Titans have just under two weeks to prepare for the playoffs where they’ll likely face stiff competition. The NWAC Championships will be held in Longview, Washington from May 23-27.
5-03-19 Lane Titans Lane Titans Lane Titans
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5-04-19 • Trestyn Dumilieu:L (0-1), 3 IP, 4 ER, 1 K GAME 2 Lane Titans• Jesse Carr: 2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 2 K Clark Penguins • Skyler Vail: 3-5, 3 RBI 5-04-19 • Hayden Curtis:GAME 2-3, 3B,2 2 RBI Lane Titans Lane Titans
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Trent Toyama / photojournalist
Skyler Vail, an outfielder for the Titans, rounds third base after hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning. Vail, a sophomore, is originally from Apple Valley, California having moved to Oregon to further pursue his baseball career according to his athletic bio.
5-04-19 Lane Titans Wednesday, May 15, 2019
GAME 1 Clark Penguins theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
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• Donovan Baldocchi: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 K • Joe Ball: W (1-0), 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K • Henry Lovekamp: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2B • Matt Dallas: 2-4, 2 RBI • Skyler Vail: 1-3, RBI
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Ben Nguyen / photojournalist
Henry Lovekamp, infielder, bunts against the Clark Penguins and makes it safe to first base. Lane walked six Clark batters throughout the game and ultimately lost 5-1.
South Western Oregon Community College South Western Oregon Community College
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South Western Oregon Community College South Western Oregon Community College South Western Oregon Community College Trent Toyama / photojournalist
First baseman Jaxon Woodhouse whacks the ball toward the outfield during the first inning of the game. Woodhouse GAME is a freshman and has Western a battingOregon average of 2 South Lane Titans .333, 18 RBIs and a total of 11 runs this season. Community College
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Trent Toyama / photojournalist
Freshman catcher Matt Dallas pops a flyball during the first game of a doubleheader against Southwest Oregon. Dallas, one of the Titans’ top recruits this season, was a crucial piece of the team’s late-season offensive burst.
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• Riley Howard: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 4 K • Bullpen (Dumilieu, Howard, Mitzel): 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 K • Jaxon Woodhouse: 1-3, 2 RBI • Matt Dallas: 2-3, 2B, RBI
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theTorch // www.lcctorch.com
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
NEWS 'The Wolves'
'How to be a sissy'
Trent Toyama / photojournalist
Brian Haimbach emanates his truth during his one man show "How to Be A Sissy" on Thursday, May 9 in the Blue Door Theater. Haimbach, the program's faculty lead, completed his Ph.D in 2017 on the premise that Bugs Bunny embodies the gay aesthetic.
Lana French / photojournalist
The Wolves finished its run May 5 at Ragozzino Performance Hall to a standing ovation. The play is about a team of young soccer players dealing with life’s issues. The charcters overcame their differences to support one another in dealing with the loss of a teammate. They laugh, cry and experience grief as a team and as friends
Kit Yan
Queer Heartache
Slam Poetry Performance and Writing Workshop
May 22, 2019
Thursday, May 23, 3 – 5 PM
Showing @ BLUE DOOR
THEATRE
Lane Community College main campus, downstairs Bldg 6
Building 19, Room 119
Slam poetry is about empowering yourself to use your voice for social change, public speaking, and storytelling
Curtains Up @ 6PM Register for free Tickets @ Eventbrite
My name is Kit Yan, and I’m a queer, trans, Asian-American slam poet from Hawaii. As such, the communities I speak to and from are some of the most vulnerable in our country, as highlighted by the findings of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) report about the specific experiences of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (ANHPI) transgender people in many areas of life. My show, Queer Heartache is all about these struggles, as well as about queer love smashing racism, patriarchy, and systemic oppressions.
Sponsored by the Gender Equity Center and co-sponsored in celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by the LCC Asian and Pacific Islander Student Union. To request accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event contact the Center for Accessible Resources at least one week in advance at 541-463-5150 or accessabilityresources@lanecc.edu