eUGeNe JOHNSON / THE TORCH
LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S
i N D e P e N D e N T, S T U D e N T- R U N N e W S P A P e R
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V O L . 5 0 , n O. 1 3
ASLCC
SFB grows by three Students appointed without opposition Taya Alami Reporter
IT’S OVER Titans stumble at finish, playoffs hopes ended Jarrid Denney Sports Editor With the season on the line, the Lane men’s basketball team responded with one of its strongest performances of the season on Feb. 17 versus the Mount Hood Community College Saints. Unfortunately, the Titans’
effort wasn’t enough, and they suffered a 71-69 defeat. “It’s a heartbreaker,” Lane head coach Bruce Chavka said “It was great to see our guys battling and playing hard. We just couldn’t play 40 good minutes and that’s been our problem this year.” The 5-6 Titans entered the game in sixth place in the
Northwest Athletic Association of Community College South Region. They needed a win to keep their playoffs hopes alive. Lane started the game on a red-hot 11-0 run, and were led by sophomore forwards Alex Sattley and Dale Baker. The duo combined to score 20 points in the first half.
Titans sophomore forward Zach Kirschbaum scored only two points in the first half, but made a huge impact on the defensive end. Kirschbaum picked up five rebounds and three blocks in the first five minutes of the game alone. Kirschbaum also held SEE LOSS ON PAGE 6
Social Science Department plans new mural Tran Nguyen Reporter After two and a half years, Lane students in Designing Arts for Public Places are in the final stage of design for a new mural for Social Science Department on the fourth floor of the Center Building. “We feel that the social science department was not truly represented by the art currently in (the) social science building. So we came up with a couple ideas to identify ourselves, and redoing the murals in the building was one of them,” said Jane Benjamin, one of four members of the project committee. Lane studio arts faculty Thomas Madison is in charge of the project. At the meeting, he presented to the social science committee four palettes with four different themes to
describe the variation of the “most diverse department in the campus.” Nick Siegrist, the mural’s primary designer, said he was inspired by the Eugene elaboration on nature when he created the palettes. He is now doing an internship with Madison on this project. “Every student in my class came up with his/her design, then we showed (them) to the committee, and after all (that) we narrowed down to Nick’s,” Madison said. Student designer and photographer Nicole Rund contributed one of her photographs of a Eugene protest in a design. The image is presented as a negative to create an ambiguous view of people looking forward toward social changes, Madison said. “It is also nice to have a picture that tells a story of local
eUGeNe JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane graphic design student nick siegrist works on his mural design, which was chosen for display on the fourth-floor walls of the Center building as a part of the remodel.
people right here in Eugene on the mural,” Madison said. “It will add more layers of meaning to the painting.”
The four color palettes raised controversial opinions among members of the committee. SEE MURAL ON PAGE 7
The Associated Students of Lane Community College Senate ratified three students as members of the Student Finance Board at its Feb. 19 meeting. The SFB is an advisory board with the responsibility of overseeing the student activity fee and ensuring that its funding programs directly benefit students, according to its application. Student leaders approved Carter Hendrick, Ross Serna-Smith and Ashley Jackson to join the group. Jackson said the SFB deals with the student activity fee it serves as an access point to connect with students. “I feel like most students won’t stop and necessarily listen to a big group,” Jackson said. Jackson said she worked as a treasurer for another organization for four years. Although the infrastructure may be different, Jackson said looking over a budget is familiar position for her. Audio engineering and production student Serna-Smith said he has no budget experience, but he’s willing to learn. “I want to benefit students in a non-biased way, and help add transparency to our budget,” SernaSmith said. Hendrick, an environmental studies student, said he wanted to join SFB to make a difference. “I’m interested solely to get involved with something at school,” Hendrick said. “That’s pretty much the only reason.” Hendrick added that he had learned a lot during the time he volunteered for SFB. “They’ve (all) done a really great job so far,” ASLCC Senator Rebekah Ellis said. All the students were approved without any opposition, and a total of two abstentions — one because Ellis is a friend of an applicant and another abstention occurred accidentally when another, Senator Zach Wright, had fallen asleep and woke up suddenly when it was asked if there were any abstentions. “Sorry,” Wright said.
2
editor-In-CHIEF
Opinion
CLIFTON HANEY
EDITORIAL
Oregon should limit contributions Lane Community College’s student-run newspaper
STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Clifton Haney
MANAGING EDITOR Alyssa Leslie
NEWS EDITOR J. Wolfgang Wool
SPORTS EDITOR Jarrid Denney
A&E EDITOR
Laura Newman
REPORTERS
Taya Alami Jackson Dietel Crystal Gasser Cameron Hughey Tran Nguyen Chris Patrick Chris Piepgrass Penny Scott
COPY CHIEF Sean Hanson
COPY EDITOR Zack Bear
PHOTO EDITOR Eugene Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHERS Matt Edwards Zora Parker
Cartoonist Riley Webber
PRODUCTION MANAGER Byron Hughey
GRAPHIC ARTISTS Wes Fry Lynette Slape
WEB EDITOR Tenaya Smith
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Patrick Blough
NEWS ADVISER Paige Parker
PRODUCTION ADVISER Dorothy Wearne
POLICY • Letters to the editor should be limited to 300 words. • Guest commentaries should be limited to 500 words. • Please include the author’s name, phone number and address (for verification purposes only). • The Torch reserves the right to edit letters and commentary for length, grammar, spelling, libel, invasion of privacy and appropriate language. • The Torch reserves the right to publish at its discretion. All web and print content is the property of The Torch and cannot be republished without editiorial permission. • Up to two copies per issue per person of The Torch are free; each additional copy is $2.
We live in a country where we have the right to select our leaders via election, be it federal, state or local leadership. Here in the Willamette Valley, we know our interests will be represented by those we vote for. After all, it is the electorate that gives the elected their power, right? Elections are expensive. As citizens we are allowed to donate money to candidates and ballot measures and exercise our influence. We even have regulations to restrict donations so the wealthy and big businesses won’t override the rest of the population. Don’t we? Not in Oregon. We are going to need to make big waves to get attention focused back on us. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, our state stands alongside Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah and Virginia in having no restrictions on campaign donations to political candidates. Followthemoney.org, an organization that collects and logs campaign contributions for each state directly from each state’s government, shows how certain individuals who donate to campaigns in large sums are also CEOs of companies. These individuals are potentially seeking influence for their enterprises. Some of these donors are not even Oregon residents. Here is an example: According to receipts submitted to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, in one statewide race during 2012, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, the chief legal adviser to the state government, received a donation of $70,000 from John Sperling. Who is this individual donating towards an Oregon election? Sperling lived in Phoenix and was the chairman of the board for Apollo Group Inc. at the time, as well as the company’s founder. The Apollo Group owns the University of Phoenix. That’s just one of many contributions made to Oregon races. According to followthemoney.org, approximately $66 million was donated to statewide political campaigns in Oregon during 2012. Of that, more than $45 million came from businesses and institutions
such as nonprofits, colleges, charities and others. There is no way to avoid the fact that some politicians will feel like they owe these organizations that funded their elections. When electoral candidates take money, they owe a debt to the financial backer, a debt that may mean supporting policies that are best for the donor instead of best for the voter. And this isn’t just Oregon’s problem. The Federal Elections Committee has placed restrictions on donations to federal campaigns, but there are still issues. According to the FEC’s website, large donations can be made by individuals — which include U.S. businesses as well as citizens — directly to parties, PACs and other qualifying committees, which, in turn, re-distribute it to other candidates. This allows for corporations and wealthy individuals to contribute multiple times. The invention of the SuperPAC allows for unlimited spending on behalf of candidates, as long as the SuperPAC never directly contributes to or coordinates with the candidate or party. But what do we do? We are college students, and most of us are broke. If we pulled all the money we could spare, we could never buy the loyalty we should already expect from politicians. What we must do is make our opinions known, and we have three ways to take action. The first is to go talk to Lane’s student government. The Associated Students of Lane Community College sends a delegation to Salem several times each year to lobby. Tell them your issues so they can represent you. ASLCC works with the Oregon Student Association to help further students’ interests. They are here to represent you. Put them to work. Sara Shepherd is the state affairs director of ASLCC. Her position requires her to interact directly with the Oregon state legislature. If you are a credit student who pays an activity fee, you are a member of ASLCC, so she has a responsibility to you. Go to the ASLCC
Senate meetings Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and speak your mind. Another option can be found at wolf-pac.com. Wolf-PAC is an organization that is currently campaigning across the country to get a 28th amendment added to the U.S. Constitution for the separation of corporations and state, and also limiting the overall amount that can be donated by individuals. The organization was founded by Cenk Uygur, current host of The Young Turks, an online news show, and a Columbia University Law graduate. Mike Monetta, a representative of Wolf-PAC, said in an email that the goal of the organization was to implement the separation of wealth and state, including a goal to make SuperPACs extinct. Wolf-PAC is encouraging volunteers to contact state representatives to support the new amendment. If twothirds, or 34, of the states’ congresses ratify a constitutional change, then it overrides the federal government and adds that amendment. If you go to wolf-pac.com you will find many ways to help make this change. All of Oregon’s senators’ and representatives’ contact information is available to tell them to support WolfPAC. People can also act on their own to instigate this change. You can demand that your representatives, both on the state and federal level, take actions to restrict these donations. You can arrange your own petition for this issue to be addressed. The most important thing is to get your voice heard. Reciprocity towards businesses and wealthy individuals is the how many politicians get money to win elections. That relationship should be between average voters and the elected candidate. If we do nothing, our politicians will continue to be vulnerable to influence from private interests, and we can’t afford that risk. We have to take a stand to fairly distribute the influence in politics. If we fail to act, who will protect our interests? No one.
CONTACT The Torch Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 torch@lanecc.edu
COVER
Lane freshman forward Daemund McCants (left) and SWOCC freshman forward Jordan Willis fight for the ball in a game Feb. 19 in Eugene. The Titans were defeated by the Lakers 93-78. Riley Webber / THE TORCH
THE TORCH / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014
NEWS EDITOR
NEWS
J. WOLFGANG WOOL
3
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS Feb. 11 to Feb. 18 Feb. 11
Public Safety received a report of possible harassment in the Center Building. Public Safety asked the unidentified student to leave the class and issued a citation.
Feb. 11
The Lane Downtown location had a vending machine that was damaged and coins were stolen. Public Safety took a report and submitted a work order. EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane currently does not charge for partking, however the committee is discussing a fee.
Feb.12
Student government decides to survey students on fee fixes
ASLCC considers parking pass as possible source of revenue Taya Alami Reporter Lane’s student government will survey students about whether they’d support increasing the college’s transportation fee, cutting the programs it pays for or implementing a parking pass. ASLCC Sustainability Coordinator Michael Weed sits on the Transportation Fee Committee, and said the fees account currently has a surplus. However, since the college’s recent addition of a downtown campus, parking costs have increased by $28,000, putting stress on the fee revenue account. The fee, which every student taking classes on the main campus pays each term, helps cover student bus passes; BikeLane, a
program to encourage cycling to and from campus; and Zimride, a carpool network for students and staff. Students who attend classes at Lane pay a $27 fee per student, while students taking classes away from the main campus pay only a $5 transportation fee each term. The issue was first discussed publicly during the Jan. 29 ASLCC Senate meeting, when members of the student government first decided the fee merited closer student-attention. During the Feb. 12 meeting, Weed told student leaders a number of strategies had been been considered when he had attended the transportation fee committee meeting in January, including adding $1 or $2 to the transportation fee in the near future, cutting programs the fee
supports, or implementing a parking pass. Because all plans discussed by the committee were still in the stages of early brainstorming, it was unclear whether the Lane staff members who drive to work would be required to purchase parking passes as well. Weed said he doesn’t want students to be charged more than they already pay to attend school, and told his fellow committee members that he felt charging students a fee for a parking pass wasn’t fair. However, Weed said he felt that the other two people on the committee are sympathetic to students, so he tried to be sympathetic to his fellow committee members too. “I said, ‘As a person, that’s the way I would go if I were
Feb.13
you, and I was trying to make up revenue,’” Weed said. “And the reasoning behind that — yes, that really, really sucks — but this is the third school I’ve gone to, and this is the first one that has not charged for a parking permit.” ASLCC Treasurer Zach Wais told his colleagues that implementing and enforcing such a program would cost money in additional personnel. “I don’t think they’ve considered that,” Wais said. ASLCC President Paul Zito wasn’t enthused by the prospect of forcing students to purchase parking passes. “If they’re able to charge specific students to get a permit to park, that’s the laziest way to come up with revenue,” Zito said.
Students lobby Oregon Legislature on behalf of peers Lane students join other colleges in Salem
J. Wolfgang Wool News Editor Lane students went to the Salem Capitol Building to lobby the state legislature on Feb. 11. They talked about student tuition and affordability, financial aid protection, student loan tax benefits and other student relevant issues and bills. The lobby day was organized by the Oregon Student Association. More than 50 students representing several colleges went to the capital, including approximately 15 students from Lane. The Lane
lobbyists were a blend of members of student government and students at large. “The day went well for the most part. This wasn’t my first time lobbying. It was a mix of people who were new and not new at lobbying,” Sara Shepherd, Associated Students of Lane Community College State Affairs Director, wrote in an email. Shepherd and OSA Lane Campus Organizer Brittany MacPherson provided training to the prospective lobbyists Feb. 10. ASLCC Sustainability Coordinator Michael Weed wrote in an email that the students
were split into 10 teams, with five to seven students representing different campuses. Each team had an OSA staff member to coordinate them and answer questions. Each group was assigned four to five politicians to speak with. If the legislators themselves were not available, they had members of their staff speak with the lobbying students. “My group only met with one of our five reps, Rep. John Huffman,” Weed wrote. “His responses were on par with most of the staffers we talked with as well. That they
Public Safety responded to a request for a welfare check on a student who was reported to be behaving strangely in the shower, using two showers at once, while wearing socks. Public Safety observed no strange behavior.
want to help reinvest in higher (education), but weren’t sure how much money there would be to work with.” Several members of ASLCC felt that the conversations were positive overall, and said they believe the legislators were receptive. “When we shared our personal stories and they were able to put a face to the issues we were lobbying for, it really made an impact,” ASLCC Senator Malisa Ratthasing wrote in an email. “I feel like the more students we get involved in the work that we, ASLCC, advocate for, the more empowered we feel.”
Housekeeping reported graffiti in the men’s restroom in the library. Public Safety took pictures of the graffiti and placed a work order for it to be removed.
Feb.14
Public Safety received a report of a balding, white male in his 40s being confrontational to passersby. Public Safety could not find him.
Feb.15
An officer inspecting water in a tunnel under Building 15 found that it appeared to be seeping in through electrical circuits.
Feb.15
A Public Safety officer noticed a water leak — two drips approximately every five seconds — coming from the fifth floor east roof access door. The leak was dripping down the inner wall and onto the fourth floor near the elevator access. The responding officer moved a trash can to catch drips and put up wet floor signs.
Feb.15
Public Safety noticed and photographed graffiti on the exterior wall of the old Downtown Campus building in the north alley near Willamette Ave.
Feb.18
Public Saftey recieved a report of a man with a rifle on the fourth floor of the Center Building. Further inspection revealed that he was simply carrying his umbrella.
The Torch / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014
4
SPORTS
Titans freshman guard sets records Snook creates momentum as Titans approach playoffs
Jackson Dietel Reporter On a cold January night at Titan Coliseum, nobody knew it yet, but history was about to be made. A scoring record that had stood for 11 years was about to be broken. At 5-foot-9-inches, Lane freshman, point guard Shelby Snook, seems like just a regular run-of-the-mill athlete. However, after a closer look at Snook during game play, anyone can tell that she has the uncoachable ability to score at will. That ability was on full display when the Titans faced the Umpqua Community College Riverhawks on Jan. 8. Snook dominated the Riverhawks, scoring 44 points and leading the Titans to a pressure-packed 94-93 win. Snook broke the previous scoring record of 42 points, set by Dominique King in 2003. “I knew I was scoring pretty well, but I was completely surprised when people told me I had just broken the record,” Snook said. However, more important than the stats to Snook was how her team responded. “I’m just really happy that we dug down and found a way to win,” Snook said. Snook has a refreshing attitude. In a sport that can cause star’s egos to rise above the team, she has an attitude that team success comes first. She will do anything to help her team win. Snook has helped the Titans to a second place position in the Southern Region. Snook grew up in Roseburg, learning the game of basketball from her father, Rod Snook, a basketball coach who was head coach for the women’s team at nearby Umpqua Community College until 2002. He was also an assistant coach at the University of Oregon for three years and the University of Idaho. Snook also has two older brothers: Jordan Snook, who played point-guard at Umpqua Community College, and Skylar Snook, who was also a shooting guard for the Riverhawks. “I remember going to the local gym in Roseburg when I was little and playing ball with my dad and two brothers. Those were always fun times,” Snook said. In these practice sessions, Snook began to hone her game — specifically, her rebounding. Snook is tied for second on the team with 6.71 rebounds per game. “Growing up, my dad always encouraged rebounding.
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Snook sits in in front of the water fountain behind Building 1 between classes.
Shelby Snook 2013-14
• 20.38 points per-game, second in NWAACC • 5.00 assists per-game, fifth in NWAACC • 48% field goal percentage • Five games of 30 points or more • Season-high of 44 points Matt Edwards / THE TORCH
Lane freshman point guard Shelby Snook leads the Titans in scoring and and assists this season and boasts a season-high of 44 points.
He always drilled me on boxing out and the fundamentals. I played with my brothers a lot, and they gave me good practice in rebounding against bigger opponents,” Snook said. Snook joined the Titans by way of Roseburg, where she played soccer and volleyball and ran track for Roseburg High School. However, basketball has always been Snook’s favorite. “I’ve always wanted to play college ball. I guess you could say I’ve always had a passion for it,” Snook said. When Snook made the Roseburg High School varsity basketball team in September 2009, she was coming into a program that featured few players with varsity experience. As a result, the Indians went 7-16 overall, with a 2-9 record in conference play Snook’s freshman year. As
THE TORCH / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014
the years progressed, the Indians began to steadily improve. Indians head coach Jeff Thomas began to see improvement in Snook’s game as well. “Shelby was an integral part of us, improving each year starting her freshman year. She was asked to do a lot of things for us and really took that challenge head on,” Thomas said. Snook’s willingness to make the needed sacrifices for her team paid off her senior season, when she led the Indians to an 18-8 overall record and a spot in the playoffs. Thomas saw improvement in more than just Snook’s basketball abilities. “As she got older, she began to become more comfortable communicating with me and was someone whose opinion I respected as she is knowledgeable about the game,” Thomas
said. After graduating from Roseburg, Snook joined a Titans team that was fresh off winning the NWACC championship last season. Lane head coach Greg Sheley’s offensive system immediately took off with Snook at point guard as the Titans lead the NWACC in scoring, with 84 points per game. “Our offense has been really effective with Shelby at the point. Shelby can get to the basket really well,” Sheley said. “Teams have to decide if they are going to take away the drive to the basket or the threepoint shot.” Although Snook was excited to continue her basketball career at the collegiate level, she had her struggles at first. “At Roseburg, I was playing in a program that I had been playing in for years. I
had a level of comfort with that system,” Snook said. “So at first, it was difficult to adjust to a new offense and adjust to what my new coaches wanted from me.” The Titans have had a few hurdles to overcome this season. Snook specifically talked about about an 85-66 loss to Clackamas Community College on Jan. 5 that still eats away at her. “That loss to Clackamas has definitely opened our eyes,” Snook said. On Feb. 1 the Titans struck back with a 73-66 home win over the Cougars. Snook led the Titans with 35 points and five assists. “We knew it was a must win if we wanted to have a chance to get first in the region,” Snook said. They are a good team so it felt nice to win.”
SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTS
JARRID DENNEY
5
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Titans forward Zach Kirschbaum knocks down a three-point shot in the first half of a 93-75 loss to the Southwestern Oregon Community College Lakers on Feb. 19.
Kirschbaum takes shot at Division I dreams Jarrid Denney Sports Editor On the first possession of Lane’s most recent basketball game, Zach Kirschbaum caught the ball at the top of the key and knocked down a quick 18-foot jump shot. The Titan’s sophomore has hit plenty of similar shots this season, and there would have been nothing extraordinary about it if he were a 6'2" guard. The extraordinary fact is that he isn’t. At 6'10", Kirschbaum is the tallest player in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, and one of the most versatile. He is averaging 10.58 rebounds and 2.88 blocks per game this season, and has dominated opponents on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, but has done so in an unconventional way. “I like to tease him and tell him that he’s a 5'6" guard trapped in a 6'10" body,” Lane head coach Bruce Chavka said. “He laughs and rolls his
eyes, but he has a tremendous face-up game. He shoots the ball really well.” As opposed to playing the bruising inside style of basketball most players his height do, Kirschbaum has found success with a finesse normally reserved for a shooting guard. He possesses a mid-range jumper that forces opponents to guard him closely when out on the perimeter, but also the quickness to blow by them if they get too close. When playing with his back to the basket, he depends mostly on turn-around jump shots and deceptive post moves to score. Kirschbaum says that he grew up idolizing the Dallas Mavericks’ 7' sharpshooter, Dirk Nowitzki, and it’s obvious when watching him play. “I love shooting the ball. It creates mismatches,” Kirschbaum said. “Big guys usually don’t like guarding on the perimeter or the wing, and when they see me, they don’t expect the jumper. It’s a huge advantage.” Early in high school,
Kirschbaum thought he would spend his basketball career as a guard. Going into his freshman year at Mountain View High School in Las Vegas, Kirschbaum was just 5'10". He admits that basketball had never been a priority to him. “I was an OK player, but I didn’t take basketball all that seriously,” Kirschbaum said. “I just wanted to go through high school and get my education and everything.” However, by the end of his sophomore season, Kirschbaum had skyrocketed to 6'8". He saw his chances of playing basketball at the college level increase too. In order to play against tougher competition and improve his chances of being recruited by colleges, Kirschbaum decided to transfer to nearby Chaparral High School after his freshman year. After a senior season in which he was second in the state of Nevada with 15.5 rebounds per game, the scholarships started pouring in.
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Kirschbaum ultimately accepted a full-ride scholarship to play at Vanguard University, an NAIA school in Costa Mesa, Calif. He filled a limited role for the Lions during his freshman season, averaging 1.7 points in 4.7 minutes per game. Kirschbaum enjoyed his time at Vanguard and had nothing but praise for his coaches and teammates. He said he is confident that by his junior or senior year he would have worked his way into the Lions’ starting lineup. However, Kirschbaum’s ultimate goal was to play at the Division I level. After his sophomore year at Vanguard, he decided it was time to go all-in. “I loved playing down there in Southern California, but I knew I could do better,”
Kirschbaum said. Kirschbaum transferred to Lane because he knew he would have an opportunity to play more minutes, hopefully catching the eyes of Division I scouts. Chavka said he has received heavy interest in Kirschbaum from some Division II schools, such as Western Washington University and University of AlaskaAnchorage, as well as Utah Valley University, a Division I school. “To make it to the Division I level, I think he’s going to need to work on his low-post defense a little bit, just because he will be playing against guys who are just as big as him,” Chavka said. “But I think recruiting will pick up a tremendous amount for him down the stretch.”
The Torch / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014
6
SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTS
JARRID DENNEY
DOWN TO THE WIRE Lane tied for first in South Region, with one game remaining Chris Patrick Reporter Coming off of a 96-45 win against Portland Community College on Feb. 15, the Lane Titans took the court against the winless Mount Hood Community College Saints in Eugene on Feb. 18, making up a cancelled game from Feb. 8. After a series of slow starts, Lane was able to put up 57 points in the first half. Freshman Marikah Wright dominated the first half, contributing 23 points and seven boards while shooting 10-of-11 from the field. The Titans were able to string together a 27-6 run to end the half. With a 30-point advantage going into the second half, Lane showed no sign of slowing down. Opening up the half with another huge run of 20-4, the Titans were able to produce a 77-31 lead at one point. Lane unloaded the bench with a 50-point lead while 13 minutes remained in the game and cruised to an impressive 101-41 victory. Wright led all scorers with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and 11 Titans scored at least three points. Sophomore starting guard Tori Mahaffie suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury going for a block midway through the second half. Mahaffie did not return to the game and Lane head coach Greg Sheley said he wasn’t yet sure of the severity of the injury. On Feb. 19, the Titans continued their hot streak with a 118-58 win over the Southwestern Oregon Community
College Lakers. The Titans shot 22-of-46 from the three-point line and broke the school record for most three-pointers in a game. They set the previous record of 20 earlier this season. Freshman Niki Duncan shot 7-of-10 from beyond the arc for a team-high 25 points, and freshman Gabby Heehn knocked down six three-pointers. “This is what you’re supposed to do when you’re a championship level team,” Sheley said. “You’re supposed to take care of business like we have the last three games, get a lot of kids a lot of playing time and have a lot of fun and get excited.” With the two victories, Lane is now 9-2 in South Region play and locked with the Umpqua Community College Riverhawks for first place in the region. Lane will play its last game of the season Feb. 22 at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, while Umpqua will finish up its season at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham. If both teams win their last game, Lane will automatically win the South Region due to the NWAACC’s tie-breaker process for first-place teams. Each team in the region is given a seed number, and the teams rotate numbers at the end of each season. So for example, this season, Lane’s seed number is two, and next season it will be three. Umpqua’s seed is four, so if Lane wins, the Titans will be crowned champions of the South Region because they own the higher seed this season.
alyssa leslie / THE TORCH
Lane freshman Marikah Wright scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds aginst the Mount Hood Community College Saints Feb. 17. The Titans won 101-41.
Men’s NWAACC South Region
Women’s NWAACC South Region
South
w-l
W-L
PCT
South
w-l
W-L
PCT
Portland
10-3
19-8
.704
X- Lane
9-2
20-6
.769
SW Oregon
9-4
20-7
.741
X- Umpqua
9-2
22-5
.808
Clackamas
9-4
15-11
.577
X- Clackamas
8-4
19-6
.760
Mt. Hood
8-5
19-7
.731
Chemeketa
7-4
16-10
.615
Chemeketa
8-5
12-13
.480
Portland
4-7
8-15
.348
Lane
5-8
12-15
.444
SW Oregon
2-9
13-14
.481
Umpqua
2-11
6-19
.240
Mt. Hood
0-11
2-22
.083
Linn-Benton
2-12
5-18
.217
LOSS: Men finish season with low note CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 sophomore center Mac Johnson, the Saints’ leading scorer and rebounder, to just five points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half. Lane took a 34-25 lead into halftime, but the Saints responded immediately to start the second half. Johnson connected on three consecutive baskets coming out of the locker room, and the Saints quickly narrowed the Titans’ lead to just four points. Unfazed, the Titans extended their lead back out to as much as 15 points midway through
the second half, but the Saints refused to quit. Mount Hood shot a near-perfect 16-of-17 from the free-throw stripe in the second half to help propel yet another comeback. They chopped the Titans’ lead back to four points with four minutes remaining. The Titans kept their composure and matched the Saints shot for shot. It appeared they might have finally put the nail in Mount Hood’s coffin when freshman guard Willy Malos hit a deep three to put the Titans up
THE TORCH / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014
67-62 with two minutes remaining. However, the Titans committed several critical turnovers down the stretch, and Mount Hood guard Jalen Thomas shot 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the last 90 seconds of the game to put the Saints ahead by two with eight seconds remaining. Freshman point guard Dyrall Goods dribbled the length of the court and found Kirschbaum wide open on the wing with the clock winding down.
Kirschbaum launched a three that would have won the game as time expired, but it clanked off the side of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor, leaving the Saints victorious and crushing the Titans’ playoff dreams. With nothing but pride on the line, the Titans faced off for their final home game versus The Southwestern Oregon Community College Lakers on Feb. 19. Lane played the Lakers close for the first half and went into
halftime a trailing just 42-36. However, they weren’t able to keep up with the Lakers, who blew open the game in the second half on their way to a 93-75 victory. Lane sophomore Alec Breazeale led the Titans with nine rebounds and eight assists. “It’s pretty disappointing,” Breazeale said. “We had high expectations of coming out here and getting a win and making the NWAACC tournament, but our season has not gone as planned.”
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Green Chemistry Club President Chris bristow
Green Chemistry Club displays biodiesel at the Lane 2014 Club fair.
CRySTAl GASSeR / THE TORCH
Green Chemistry Club Treasurer aaron fredrickson
Green Chemistry Club works to bring biodiesel to Lane Crystal Gasser Reporter Something is cooking up in Lane’s Science Department, and it’s the ideas of half a dozen members of the Green Chemistry Club involved in a hands-on biodiesel project. The club members want to create an educational space where students interested in green chemistry and alternative fuels will be able to gain experience in setting up and producing biodiesel fuel. The club’s faculty adviser, John Thompson, said he expects the biodiesel project to be up and running within the year. Biodiesel is a fuel that is produced from vegetable oils, fats or recycled cooking grease, making it biodegradable. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, biodiesel is safe and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. There are some final steps the club needs to accomplish before they can actually begin building an educational environment that meets safety regulation. The
SFS
club must gain approval from Lane Facilities Management and Planning for the finances to complete the project and permits for new construction. Safety codes need to be set in place as well. To meet regulations, the club must install running water, safety sinks, safety showers, an eyewash station and proper drainage systems to dispose of chemicals. Several members of the club said they hoped they could someday distribute the fuel. A cost for the fuel has not been determined; any proceeds would go to recovering operating costs. “I think it would be great if students could fill their tank with fuel made by other students, and we are going to do what we can to move toward that admittedly unlikely dream,” club treasurer Aaron Fredrickson said. Facilities Management and Planning is responsible for assessing safety regulations. “I’m personally very supportive of the efforts of the club,
but speaking on behalf of the facilities, we won’t be able to assess code and safety requirements until we receive additional details about the layout and operation of the plant from the club,” Facilities Director Russell Pierson wrote in an email. The club has not had a stable location for many years. The current location for the biodiesel plant is behind Building 10 in what are called test cells. The cells were once used to test aircraft engines. “Several years ago, we made biodiesel here and then we moved to another location on campus. So we have done it before, but now we’re in a new place and we are getting the space worked out so that we can get started,” Thompson said. Members of the club are currently submitting their plumbing and wastewater plans to the facilities committee, which will then determine the cost. “It seems that there are people that don’t quite understand the level of accomplishment that the club has actually
achieved. It seems like a lot of people assume that we haven’t had any difficulties setting up the biodiesel project. There has actually been a lot in our way. There is an uneven distribution of knowledge about where we stand as a club,” Green Chemistry Club President Chris Bristow said. Fredrickson remains aware that when trying to fund a science project, there are a lot of committees involved that must submit their approval. He said that is something that a typical science class won’t prepare students for. “On the upside, this is good training for us,” Fredrickson said. In the meantime, the club continues to receive waste oil from Food and Beverage Manager Mike O’Neal. The club filters the oil to prepare it for processing. “The way I’m starting to see it now, we are the group of students making this possible for the future. Somebody has to go through all the work of making this happen,” Bristow said.
Benjamin preferred a design that includes a human element with a hint of abstraction, while committee member Micah Cordova chose the colder tone palette because it reminded him of the Pacific Northwest. Interim Dean of Social Science Phil Martinez suggested postponing the decision on the final design until the committee could collect feedback from every division in the social science department. Madison said the mural will also feature quotes from some key figures involved in social change. “Our team has been researching each area and coming up with short quotes that are fairly ambiguous but may bring thoughtful statements,” Madison said. “(We also have a) long way to go with quotes, but we definitely will be done this term.” Madison and Siegrist also came up with a budget proposal of $1,000 for the whole project. Almost half of the budget will be spent on paint, purchased from Eugene store Tommy’s Paint Pot. Tommy’s Paint Pot was the donor for primer and paint for Lane’s mural on the side of Building 5. Madison turned down their offer to donate this time, because he thinks it is necessary to keep local business going. “The budget really makes the project realistic,” Cordova said. Students in Madison’s summer class will complete the project. “After finishing the mural, we also plan to get (started) with another project,” Benjamin said. “We would like to have important and meaningful people in the social science field being framed or photographed and hang their pictures around the building.”
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THE TORCH / THuRsday, fEb. 20, 2014
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A&E EDITOR
Arts & Entertainment
Laura Newman
LAURA NEWMAN / THE TORCH
Asian-Pacific Islander Student Union member Audrana Deleon (second from left), poses with Rites of Passage members Kumu Iwalani (left), Maliki Plummer (center), Tiffany Akerele (second to right) and Athens Plummer at the Feb. 15 Asian Celebration in Eugene.
APISU contributes to Asian Celebration Lane County Fairgrounds hosts annual event
Laura Newman A&E Editor Thousands gathered at the Lane County Fairgrounds to shop, eat and learn about the vast array of cultures of Asia for the Feb. 15 Asian Celebration, an all-volunteer event. All proceeds fund the event. Former ASLCC treasurer Matthew Yook, who chaired the community room for this event, emphasized the importance of having events like the Asian Celebration to bring communities together. “A lot of Asian culture gets propped up as a model minority,” Yook said. “But then you look at the word Asian and see what that entails.” Yook said there is much more to the festival than Chinese and Japanese culture; Pacific Islanders, Indians and others were
also represented. “It’s real integral that people realize there’s so many different facets in the same communities (in which) we’re all living,” Yook said. “And if we can check out the significances of our cultural differences and look how similar the root is, then that would create a style of empathy.” The event also showcased a variety of demonstrations, including martial arts, dance, music and food tutorials from various Eugene businesses and organizations. Lane dance students, under the direction of Lane dance instructor Bonnie Simoa, performed traditional Balinese dance on the main stage in the Asian Marketplace. Members of the group plan to travel to Bali through a study-abroad opportunity. Asian-Pacific Islander Stu-
dent Union representative Tiffany Akerele told visitors about the union and performed a hula dance. The club offers not only offers students with Asian and Pacific Island heritage a place to feel welcomed, but also open to the community, Akerele said. This union also offers summer programs called “Rites of Passage,” available to junior high school and high school students interested in learning about Hawaiian tradition and culture. There, students learn to hula, play the ukulele and take special field trips. “We’re a community union, so we try to embrace that. We’re here, representing LCC, but we are an identity group, and you’re not alone,” Akerele said. “If you are entering (into Lane), we’re here to support you.”
Lane student Erin Elder performs a rare 200-year-old Balinese dance, the Legong Keraton Playon, at the Feb. 15 Asian Celebration. Left: Color textiles and other unique goods were sold in the Asian Marketplace during the Asian Celebration.
THE TORCH / Thursday, feb. 20, 2014