aLySSa SUTToN / 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 7
MOTION MONTAGE “Translation,” performed by stephanie Bellissimo, Carolina Cabarello and anna Miller, was choreographed by Margo Van ummersen in collaboration with the dancers. SEE REVIEW ON PAGE 7
Lane updates standards for next academic year Courses, workshops offered to students getting off track Cameron Hughey Reporter With new minimum academic standards rolling out this year, administrators want to spread the word about workshops and other resources that could help students stay on track to graduate. As of Summer 2013, credit student must pass 67 percent of credits they enroll in each term as well as achieve at least a 2.0 GPA. These standards were made to increase efficiency. They aim to save students time and money lost when a class is dropped or not passed. “One thing that is known is that over 70 percent of students who don’t get their degrees end up defaulting on student loans,” TRiO Director Mary Parthemer said. “It then becomes difficult to get out of default or even to get a job because employers look at credit rating.” Students are assessed after grades are posted each term. If standards are not met, Lane will intervene with what they call alerts. The first alert is an online Keys to Success course,
which provides students with information about Lane’s departments and resources. It promotes the development of a personal success plan, as well as strategies to follow through with that plan. “Excellent students use tutors and study groups and take advantage of resources,” Parthemer said. The second alert is an in-person Keys to Success workshop, which is meant to do the same thing with the added value of interaction with peer mentors. The third alert requires a one-credit College Success: Back on Course class. The fourth is dismissal for at least a term and requires a petition to reenroll, along with a plan for success. “We have been working on this for a number of years for when students get off track even a little bit … The intention is not to punish students,” Parthemer said. “This is short-term because we don’t want students to lose financial aid.” The delivery of the information about what students can use to succeed is a key aspect of the system and has been a primary focus of
people involved. “We have been working on format and structure over the course of the last two terms and have overhauled the whole thing,” ASLCC Communications Director Robert Schumacher said. Schumacher is a peer mentor in the workshop. There are usually two to three in person student success workshops per week and are usually 110 minutes long. “I have been through it and see why it is a good idea, and why they are doing it, but I am still half for it and half against it,” Lane student Brittany Glenzor said. “It’s a pain in the ass because they don’t open stuff so people can actually go through it.” It will take at least two years to start seeing noticable results because after that time, the majority of students attending will have learned under this new standard. “The most beneficial thing about this is that it allows students to step back and really examine the problems they have, and identifying solutions to those problems. They end up recognizing the skills necessary to succeed,” Schumacher said.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
FACTS AND FIGURES
70%
percentage of students who fail to graduate that also default on their student loans. Lane is hoping to increase graduation rates by evaluating student progress more often.
FINANCIAL AID Standards are being changed to reflect GPA and class completion requirements for financial aid. However, the school is measuring student success every term, rather than every year, to advise students and recognize issues sooner.
REQUIREMENTS
67% CLASS COMPLETION
2.0 GPA
aLerTS
Students will receive alerts from Lane when they fail to meet requirements. each alert will require participation in a course or workshop. The fourth alert will lead to dismissal from Lane for a term and require students to petition to re-enroll.
Part-time faculty braces for fall layoffs Tran Nguyen Reporter With an estimated 800 course sections to be cut next school year, part-time instructors are facing a reduction in their workload, and the college is considering layoffs. Lane Vice President of College Services Brian Kelly said the college is planning to cancel approximately 10 percent of course sections in Fall 2014, to coincide with a projected 10 percent decease in enrollment.At this point, Lane is facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall in 2015. However, this number could reach up to $11 million if enrollment keeps dropping next year. “There is no definite number yet on how many people lost their jobs this year,” Lane Chief Human Resources Officer and administrative negotiator Dennis Carr said. “Some people here, some people there — not to mention some voluntary leave because they do not have enough classes.” “It is hard to have an exact number on the layoffs because maybe some instructors can teach three sections, but they only got one section cut,” added Kelly. “Their workload is definitely reduced, but they are still teaching at Lane.” Lane Community College Education Association, the faculty union, believes that Lane still has money left from the last year’s budget, LCCEA Vice President Polina Kroik said. “Don’t believe in the numbers,” LCCEA President Jim Salt said. “I do have questions about some of them.” Instructors are awaiting more news. “We have been notified that some classes and programs may be cut next term,” temporary full-time Medical Terminology instructor Kelly Collins said, “but we do not know which ones will be.” At the March 4 financial and budget committee meeting, Lane and LCCEA were unable to agree on what course sections would be cut, Salt said, but they are making progress. According to Lane faculty contracts, the college must notify instructors of their job status for Fall 2014 by May 1. Reductions in classes will leave students with fewer choices, Kroik said. “It will be hard for students,” Kroik said. “For example, (students) who work in the morning and go to school at night — they may be not able to take the classes they need.” Cuts could prolong some students’ time at Lane. “This change may take (students) three years instead of two years to go to University of Oregon,” Lane part-time history instructor said Paul Wanke said. With 13 years at Lane, Wanke has seniority. He also teaches at Oregon State University. LAYOFFS ON PAGE 2
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NEWS
Lane Community College’s student-run newspaper
STAFF edITor-IN-CHIeF Alyssa Sutton
MANAGING EDIToR Sean Hanson
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reporTerS
Taya Alami Jackson Dietel Crystal Gasser Cameron Hughey Tran Nguyen Chris Patrick Chris Piepgrass Penny C. Scott
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PHoToGRAPHERS Matt Edwards Aron Graham
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Contract negotiations fail to produce agreement so far Tran Nguyen Reporter After 10 months of contract negotiations, Lane has yet to finish bargaining with faculty, classified employees and management. Lane’s faculty has been working without a contract since the previous collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30, Lane Community College Education Association President Jim Salt said. With the goal of reaching a fair settlement, it is essential to satisfy what is important for each group, and at the same time keep the Lane general
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CONTACT The Torch Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 torch@lanecc.edu
Taya Alami Reporter Associated Students of Lane Community College representatives testified Feb. 19 and March 3 in favor of S.B. 1581, a bill that would guarantee students’ access to voter registration and other services. If passed, S.B. 1581 would require every institution of higher learning to give its student government, and any officially recognized student group, permission to provide voter registration services on campus.
fund budget balanced, Lane Chief Human Resources Officer and Administrative Negotiator Representative Official Dennis Carr said. “It is not unusual for Lane to take a long time bargaining,” Carr said. Salt said the union is making efforts to improve economic interests including pay, insurance, retirement and other benefits, as well as non-economic interests, such as professional rights, safety and workload for all faculty. He described the bargaining process as in the “late stage.” “The faculty bargaining team has not received any substantive responses to any of their propos-
als on non-economic issues,” Salt said, “with the school turning down all of their proposals.” The faculty bargaining team held a closed-door meeting on Feb. 21. Salt published the results via email: The faculty unanimously rejected the current administration proposal. “I don’t know what to expect, but I trust the right thing’s going to be done. I got the emails, but I don’t read it all because I have more important things to do — that is, to take care of students,” Lane business instructor Jim Chase said. Lane President Mary Spilde hoped to see a deal that is similar to the classified faculty’s
contract. One of the biggest hurdles to concluding negotiations is the reduced state funding. “It is tough with state funding,” Spilde said. “We have more state funding this year, but certainly not the same as we had in 2007.” Without additional resources, Lane has to keep cutting the budget, Spilde said. Further complicating matters, the college is grappling with a 20 percent drop of student enrollment in the last two years, Carr said. “But we will keep talking to each other until we resolve all the issues,” Spilde said.
Students testify on voter registration associated students of Lane Community College Treasurer Zach Wais discusses the merits of OsPIRG’s resolution condemning the Citizens united ruling during the March 5 asLCC senate meeting
ASLCC tables OSPIRG’s Citizens United resolution During the ASLCC’s March 5 meeting, the Oregon Students Public Interest Research Group submitted a resolution to the ASLCC that would condemn the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Elections Committee. The high-court ruling set the precedent that money was protected under free-speech clauses in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. OSPIRG board member
Scott Compton said he felt Lane student leaders find the preservation of democracy important as well. “We’re trying to pass a resolution ending corporate personhood and ending Citizens United,” Compton said. “This isn’t right. This isn’t how we should be running our democracy.” ASLCC Treasurer Zach Wais said OSPIRG’s resolution could not be passed as-is, because of problems in wording. The resolution called for the college itself to adopt the resolution instead of the college’s
student government. “I would very much like to pass this,” Wais said. “It’s something I believe in.” The ASLCC Senate voted to table the resolution.
Religious Diversity Alliance ratified Also at the March 5 meeting ASLCC ratified a new club. Senator Francisco “Kiko” Gomez spearheaded efforts to bring the Religious Diversity Alliance to fruition. ASLCC President Paul Zito was absent from the meeting.
LAYOFFS: Class options will be reduced CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kelly said at Lane, serving the community is its top priority, but now the college has to modify its size to fit the budget capability. Wanke said layoffs are a classic strategy for colleges to cut costs and lower tuition. “But it is an interesting relationship where they fire part-time faculty (and staff), but at the same time, they raise tuition,” Wanke said. “American education is acting more like a business where they treat a diploma as a product. As a business, the college will want to balance the budget while (maximizing) their profit.” Kroik said instructors with seniority will get to choose
THE TORCH / THuRsday, MaRCH 6, 2014
classes first. Eventually, instructors with the fewest course sections will get laid off. Since part-time instructors and temporary full-time instructors do not have a committing contract like full-time instructors, they do not have any assurance they will be employed next term. Wanke said such uncertainty can adversely affect the courses they teach. “In the sense that teachers might feel hostile,” Wanke said, “or even fear that they will be laid off anytime. That will affect class quality.” Because he has seniority, Wanke received notice by the seventh week this term that he will teach in spring.
Carr said the college has to notify part-time instructors by the 10th week what they will teach next term. “If I found out on week six this term that I will not have my job next term, I would be pissed,” Wanke said, “and (students) will suffer that for the rest of the term.” Of Lane’s instructors, 60 percent are part-time. Part-time faculty and staff get lower rates and fewer benefits than fulltime instructors, causing many of them to juggle two or three jobs and become less accessible to students, as well as other instructors, Salt said. “Many researchers have shown that overall student per-
formance declines in part-time faculty class,” Salt said, “It’s not (the part-time instructor’s) fault, just because the way that work is organized leaves them no chance to interact with students.” Without job stability and commitment, many part-time instructors can not engage fully in the working environment or have a voice in making decisions in their division, he said. Some part-time Lane instructors disagree with those conclusions. “I do not have obligations like full-time faculty, so I actually have more time to communicate with students,” Wanke said. “However, it would be very tough if I had a family and kids.”
NEWS
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College advocacy groups to decide on merger in May 2014-15 6% 6.5
2015-16
2016-17
LCC/ COCC
LCC/ CCOC
OCCSA
OCCSA
16% 1%
42.56%
60.89%
.17
OSA
%
Lane students would pay one fee after the merger instead of two, which committee members say will save them money. But because the SSA will have higher overhead than OCCSA, some of the community colleges will pay more than 10 times their current dues. Associated Students of Lane Community College Communications Director Robert Schumacher said there is a risk these estimated fees will rise because of low enrollment projections for several campuses and some community colleges’ small transportation budgets. Schumacher, who is Lane’s OCCSA board member, said some of the community colleges are facing the risk of losing their federal financial aid. These campuses may lose funding because they might be facing the third year in which their students’ default rates on Stafford loans exceed 30 percent.
LCC/COCC
.1
46.27% 77.1%
OCCSA
OSA
OSA
16.34%
11
Two student lobby groups that represent Lane and other colleges discussed a possible merger Feb. 21 during an annual conference at Portland State University. Oregon Community College Student Association and Oregon Student Association provide educational workshops for their member campuses, and help those students organize for various efforts, such as lobbying the state legislature. OCCSA consists of all 16 community colleges in Oregon. The meeting opened with a presentation by the merger committee, comprised of three OSA and three OCCSA representatives. The presenters referred to the merged organization as the Statewide Student Association. The committee presented estimates of fees students currently pay toward the organization and estimates of what they would pay after a merger. “‘Estimated’ is almost too definite of a word,” OCCSA merger committee representative Leila Forbes said. According to the presentation, OSA schools pay $1.16 per student and OCCSA schools pay $0.41. After three years, all schools will pay $0.81 per student for the membership to the SSA.
PERCENTAGE OF FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR ORGANIZATIONS, THREE-YEAR PHASE-IN TO SSA
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J. Wolfgang Wool News Editor
“Those campuses would not have any access to Stafford loans or to any Pell grants. You would, of course, have a huge decrease in enrollment,” Schumacher said, citing this as a factor in the increase of the cost per student. OCCSA approached OSA about merging. OCCSA would gain access to more staff members and services, while OSA would more than triple the number of legislators it can lobby. OCCSA only has one staff member serving 16 campuses. OCCSA representative Lizzy Atwood-Willis said that under the current proposal, there would be four caucuses: campus presidents; Oregon Students of Color Coalition representatives; Oregon Students Equal
Rights Alliance representatives which is OSA’s sexuality and gender equality branch; and a legislative caucus. Each campus’ equivalent to each position would be the representative voting member in the caucus if the exact position does not exist at the school yet. “Each campus will get four votes (in general assembly) based on those caucus spaces,” Atwood-Willis said during the presentation. Schumacher expressed concern that under the current proposal, there would be more than 80 people participating in the general assembly and that a smaller delegation would be more effective. A member of the gallery said some of the community col-
leges have no equivalency to an OSCC or OSERA representative, and would therefore have fewer votes. “There is definitely going to be an imbalance towards the start,” Schumacher said. “There might be a possibility of having somebody sit in on those roles even though they don’t officially hold the position in their student association at their campus.” SSA would have four regional directors. In addition, each campus has the option to pay to have its own campus organizer. “Essentially, this model is to increase direct services to member schools — specifically, the time that (schools) see staff members on our campuses,” Southern Oregon University OSCC co-chair Jazmin Roque said. Lane is one of four schools that currently has a campus organizer, Brittany MacPherson. Associated Students of Lane Community College Vice President Anayeli Jimenez wrote in an email that for the current school year, Lane paid $35,830 to get MacPherson. OSA and OCCSA will meet again in May to decide if the merger will go through.
COUNCIL OF CLUBS
Council fails to vote on funds request Outdoor Adventure Club decision postponed Penny C. Scott Reporter The Council of Clubs failed to meet quorum at its March 4 meeting and was unable to vote on a funds request from the Outdoor Adventure Club. Only five of the council’s 10 voting members attended the meeting. Representatives from the American Water Works Association, French Club, Rachel Nice Health and Awareness Club, Table Tennis Club, and Veterans Club were absent. The Outdoor Adventure Club is seeking funds for a one-day trip to Devil’s Elbow, Sea Lion Caves and Harbor Vista County Park on March 22. Twenty students are expected to participate. Fencing Club representative Karl Knoch expressed concerns about the fund’s disbursement.
“Why can’t we write the rules down, so we know what we’re dealing with?” Knoch asked. This led to a discussion regarding written policy. The present members agreed to address the issue at their March 11 meeting. Council of Clubs Chairman John Price said that the Religious Diversity Alliance had not yet been ratified. Those present agreed that the council would host a spring fair on April 16. It is expected that the budget for the event will be somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000. Price announced that the current balance in the council general fund is $8,894.07. The representative of the newly formed Chess Club expressed concerns that she has been unable to find a teacher to act as adviser for the club. The club has not yet been ratified.
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THE TORCH / THuRsday, MaRCH 6, 2014
SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTS
JARRID DENNEY
photos by Matt edwards / THE TORCH
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Lane freshman guard Shelby Snook drives towards the basket during the Titans’ semifinals loss against Columbia Basin Community College during the NWAACC Tournment in Kenniwick, Wash.
Lane sophomore guard Joleen Chanco dribbles past her Blue Mountain defender.
Titans finish fourth desp
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor Kennewick, Wash. — By winning last year’s NWAACC Championship, their fifth in the past 10 years, the Titans women’s basketball team set the bar incredibly high for themselves. Lane entered this season with almost an entirely new roster. However, the goal remained the same. “We have expectations of winning the South Region and competing for an NWAACC title every year. That’s our expectation,” Lane head coach Greg Sheley said. “Now, being able to live up to those are another thing.” The Titans’ hopes of repeating as champions were ended after a loss to Columbia Basin Community College in the NWAACC tournament semifinals. Despite coming up short in their pursuit of another title, the fact that the Titans made it as far as they did is
an accomplishment in itself. Lane entered the tournament without starting sophomore guard Tori Mahaffie, who was sidelined with a knee injury, leaving the Titans with a starting lineup that featured four freshmen. Their seven leading scorers were all freshmen, and only sophomore guard Haley Winter played in last year’s tournament. “I’m not disapointed at all,” freshman point guard and leading scorer Shelby Snook said. “I’m very proud of how far my team got, especially after losing Tori.” The Titans finished the season 24-8 overall, with a fourth-place finish at the NWAACC tournament. It was their eighth trip to the final four in the past 10 years. “We knew we had our work cut out for us with so many young women trying to figure out how to play the college game,” Sheley said. “I’m very proud of the way we finished. I don’t think the last game was (truly) representative of what we were.”
THE TORCH / Thursday, MARCH 6, 2014
Game 1— March 1
71-68 win vs. Highline Community College Thunderbirds Lane picked up its first victory on the tournament’s opening day with a 71-68 win over the Highline Community College Thunderbirds, the third seed out of the NWAACC West region. Both teams showed some early-tournament jitters. They combined for 18 turnovers and shot a combined 4-of-24 in the first half. The Titans ended the half with a 31-30 lead and the Thunderbirds would continue to remain on their trail for the remainder of the game. Titans freshman Heidi Walchi knocked down threepointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Titans a 56-45 lead with 11:30 remaining. However, Highline rallied back and cut the lead to as little as four after Thunderbird guard Allie Wethersby hit two free throws with 2:34 remaining.
On the next play, Lane Snook dribbled the length of the floor and converted an and-one layup to give the Titans a 67-60 lead. Lane survived a free-throw battle for the game’s last two minutes and picked up its third win of the season over the Thunderbirds. Snook led the Titans with 31 points and seven rebounds, and Walchi scored 11 points and grabbed four boards. “I’m feeling ecstatic,” Sheley said after the game. “I’m not even going to be critical. We found a way to win and that’s all you have to do at tournament time.”
Game 2 — March 2
71-45 win vs. Community Colleges of Spokane Sasquatch The Sasquatch, the fourth seed out of the East Region, upset top-ranked Bellevue Community College on day one to earn a spot in the quarterfinals against Lane. Spokane went just 16-13 on the season, but featured one of
the tournament’s top players and the NWAACC’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Riley Holsinger. Holsinger showed how dangerous she was when she knocked down a deep threepointer on the first play of the game. However, Snook scored on the Titans’ next three possessions, and Lane jumped out to an 18-9 lead to start the game, due to aggressive play on the offensive end from Snook and freshman guard Niki Duncan. Duncan connected on three shots from beyond the arc in the first half. The Titans took control of the game with a 17-3 run midway through the first half and entered halftime with a commanding 42-25 lead. Lane kept their foot on the gas to open the second half, and Spokane never got within 14 points of the Titans’ lead. Snook led all scorers with 30 points, as well as 14 rebounds, and Lane used a tough zone defense to limit Holsinger to 18 points on 6-of18 shooting.
SPORTS
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Lane freshman guard Niki Duncan establishes her defensive stance in the March 4 consolation championship game against Blue Mountain College. Lane lost 71 - 50, taking fourth place in the tournament.
Titans Season Highlights
• Took fourth place at 2014 NWAACC Tournament • Finished regular season with 22-6 record • Went undefeated at home • Led NWAACC in scoring with 82.84 points per game • Freshman point guard Shelby Snook named to NWAACC South Region First Team and NWAACC Tournament Second Team • Sophomore guard Tori Mahaffie named to NWAACC South Region Second Team • Sophomore guard Joleen Chanco named to South Region All-Defensive Team • Chanco and Mahaffie were both selected to play in March 9 NWAACC All-Star Game in Lakewood, Wash. • Freshman guards Niki Duncan and Gabby Heehn each made a season-high eight three-pointers in a single game, Duncan on Dec. 8 and Heehn on Dec. 30 Lane freshman forward Marikah Wright pulls down an offensive rebound in the Titans’ 71 - 45 quarterfinals win against Spokane Community College on March 2.
pite odds, inexperience “We wanted to make sure that everybody on the floor knew where she was at all times, so that if she got the ball, we were there,” Snook said. “She’s a great player.” Duncan scored 17 points for the Titans, and freshman forward Marikah Wright pulled down 13 rebounds and chipped in eight points.
Game 3 — March 3
87-65 loss vs. Columbia Basin Community College Hawks The Titans knew they were in for a tough matchup when they faced off with the topranked Columbia Basin Community College Hawks, the champions of the East Region. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 23-4 overall record, and with their main campus only eight miles from the Toyota Center, they were essentially playing a home game. Snook opened the game with a spin move through the lane for an easy lay-in, and despite some sloppy early
play, the Titans jumped out to a quick 13-3 lead just five minutes into the first half. After a timeout, the Hawks connected on three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and scored several more buckets off of turnovers. Before the Titans could blink, their lead had suddenly evaporated, and they found themselves trailing 17-16 midway through the first period. “They shot the ball extremely well,” Sheley said. “We didn’t do a great job of recognizing which shooters to get out on.” The Hawks turned up the pressure near the end of the first half. They double-teamed Snook on every inbound pass and forced the Titans to commit 11 turnovers, including five from Snook. The Hawks ended the half with an 11-2 run, and the Titans limped into halftime, trailing 45-34. Lane bounced back with a 7-0 run of its own to open the second half. Snook connected on layups on the Titans’ first two possessions, and Duncan
knocked down a deep three on the next to bring the Titans within four. However, the Hawks responded with a 14-4 run of their own, and from there, things started to unravel for the Titans. Columbia Basin extended its lead to 73-57 with nine minutes remaining, and the Titans never got any closer. Columbia Basin’s bench players scored 58 points in the game, including a combined 16 from backup guards Lindsay Oswalt and Lacie French in the second half to help lead the Hawks to victory. Snook led the Titans for the third consecutive game with 25 points, and Duncan added 11 points and four steals. French paced the Hawks with 20 points and 11 boards. Guard Kellie Ross also scored 20, while shooting 6-of-11 from three-point range. “They clearly knocked down threes. They were a good team,” an emotional sophomore guard Jolene Chanco said. “It just didn’t fall for us today.”
Game 4 — March 4
71-50 loss vs. Blue Mountain Community College Timberwolves With third place on the line, the Titans faced Blue Mountain Community College on the tournament’s final day. The Timberwolves finished third in the East Region during the regular season with a 19-8 record and picked up wins over Whatcom and Clark community colleges before losing to Umpqua Community College in the semifinals. The Titans were worn down from the previous day’s loss, and it showed early in the game. They turned the ball over on three of their first four possessions and quickly found themselves in a 12-4 hole. Duncan knocked down a three at the 15:20 mark to end a four-minute scoreless drought for the Titans, but the Timberwolves responded with another 9-2 run, which carried them into a 42-27 halftime lead. Nearly four minutes elapsed before the Titans scored their
first second-half basket, and by that point, Blue Mountain had taken over the game with a commanding 51-29 lead. The Timberwolves led by as much as 30 at one point, and by the second half, Sheley had emptied his bench in order to give the Titans sophomores some minutes in their final game. “I’m really proud of my team, we played some of our best basketball at this tournament,” Snook said. “This last day was tough. We didn’t come out prepared to play. I take responsibility for that a little bit.” Wright led the Titans with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Similar to the game before, the Titans’ struggles started with poor long-range shooting. They shot 3-of-22 from beyond the arc. “It was pretty tough, because it’s hard to find the motivation when you have your eye on the prize and then you realize that third place is the best you can do,” Duncan said. “It just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
The Torch / Thursday, MARCH 6, 2014
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SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTS
JARRID DENNEY
Zach Kirschbaum
Alec Breazeale
Alex Sattley
10.65 rebounds per game
3.04 assists per game
19.11 points per game Photos By EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Injuries, inconsistency cut Lane’s season short Team loses top scorers, looks to returning group for leadership
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor The Titans men’s basketball team entered the 2013-14 season with the deck stacked against them. Not a single player returned from last year’s squad, and three Titans players suffered season-ending injuries before the season even started. Freshman forwards Gage Ostanik and Orion Wright both missed extended time during the season, Ostanik with various injuries and Wright with the flu. Freshman Chris Goodloe also left the team midway through the season for personal reasons. “Off the court, we faced a lot of adversity and injuries, and for the most part, we overcame it and were battling,” Lane head coach Bruce Chavka said. “Down the stretch in league
was just tough for us.” The Titans started their season by winning five of their first eight games, including wins over Spokane and Lower Columbia Community College, two teams that qualified for the NWAACC tournament. Early in the season, Alex Sattley and Zach Kirschbaum, sophomores who transferred to Lane this year, established themselves as the Titans’ star players. Sattley scored 29 points in Lane’s first game of the year against University of Puget Sound, and Kirschbaum followed up with a 17-point, 17-rebound performance versus Bellevue Community College the next day. Chavka said Sattley is the most explosive athlete he has coached in his time at Lane, and that Kirschbaum was the “x-factor” for the Titans this season.
THE TORCH / Thursday, MARCH 6, 2014
After a rough tournament in Weed, Calif., where the Titans lost three games in three days, they started off South Region play on a low note with a road loss to Clackamas Community College on Jan. 4. The losing streak could have ended the Titans’ season, but they responded by picking up two of their biggest wins of the season over the next few weeks. They pulled off a huge upset with a 73-68 win over Portland Community College, the eventual NWAACC champions, on Jan. 18. Seven days later, they took down Chemeketa Community College, the top team in the South Region at the time. “That was the high point, beating those two teams,“ Sattley said. “It was a great way to go into the second part of conference season.” The Titans found themselves
just one game out of playoffs contention with five games remaining, but a road loss to the last place Linn-Benton Community College Roadrunners sent the Titans’ season into a tailspin. “That was kind of just demoralizing for us,” sophomore point guard Alec Breazeale said. “I think everybody just looked ahead of them. Nobody really thought that they had a chance to beat us.” Following the loss to the Roadrunners, the Titans lost their remaining four games and finished the season in sixth place in the South Region, with an overall record of 12-16. Sattley and Kirschbaum highlighted a Titans season that featured little to celebrate. Both were named to the March 9 NWAACC All-Star game in Lakewood, Wash., and both said they are planning to continue playing after Lane.
With both of his leading scorers, as well as Breazeale departing, Chavka is left with a roster of talented but relatively inconsistent players. Freshman Dale Baker was named to the NWAACC South Region all-freshman team and is the Titans’ top returning scorer. Freshman guards Dyrall Goods and Willy Malos both were steady this season, posting positive assist-to-turnover ratios. Daemund McCants, a 6'6" forward, showed flashes of brilliance down the strech. He posted two double-doubles, including a 15-point, 10-rebound performance on Feb. 15 against Portland. The pieces are in place for the Titans to return to playoff form next season. However, they will need to find a scorer to fill the shoes of Sattley and Kirschbaum.
a&E EdITOR
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
LAURA NEWMAN
EVENTS CALENDAR: MAR. 6 TO MAR. 12 Thursday 6 Lane choirs concert: building 6 ragozzino Hall 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $3 for students, seniors and staff $5 for general admission
Friday 7 workshop: Composting — Learning Garden noon to 1 p.m.
Saturday 8 Solo Festival: 7:00 p.m. building 6
Sunday 9 workshop: artist book with Matthew Tyson Building 10 Room 223 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
aLySSa SUTToN / THE TORCH
dancers from dance Northwest perform “Hanging On,” mainly choreographed by anita sanford, during Collaborations 2014 which ended March 1 in the Building 6 Ragozzino Performance Hall at Lane.
Dance Collaborations steps it up Review by Laura Newman A&E Editor The worst part of Dance Collaborations 2014 was the audience. Audience members found enough comfort in the Ragozzino Performance Hall to rest their feet on the seats and unleash night-time snacks out of brown paper bags. Gyros and foot odor not appreciated. The event was a collaborative effort of Lane’s dance department, University of Oregon students, community members and choreographers to incorporate diverse dance styles and music selections. I was pleased by the variety of the dance content. This
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year’s performance focused on the upcoming trip the Lane Balinese dancers are taking to Bali. During Collaborations, the group performed a traditional ritual offering dance, “Gabor,” which was also featured at the Oregon Asian Celebration in February. Audience members were encouraged to donate towards the trip. Dances ranged from traditional to ballet-influenced to contemporary. There was even a theatrical dance that mirrored something you would find on Broadway, which I enjoyed but hadn’t expected. “Lovecats” was a swing number that was paired with The Cure’s song of the same title. Dancers were dressed in ’40s and ’50s garb, complete
with ears and tails. While the piece was energetic, a similar piece can be found on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. Regardless, the energy of the piece pulsated through the auditorium and gave way to a roaring sound of applause. Lane lead dance instructor Bonnie Simoa soloed “Yamada Tone Poems I & II,” a dance by Michio Ito, the choreographer highlighted during February’s Repertory Dance performance. It was nice to see an instructor demonstrating her skills alongside students. The performances ranged from serious to lively, and I nodded my head to the rhythm. There was a very strong flow of content until the intermission. Afterward,
the dances became more abstract with a serious tone. The self-control and meticulousness of the dancers left me envious. The amount of time they spent practicing each piece performed was obvious. The show ended with “Teetering,” a piece by visiting choreographer Christopher Morgan. The program described the dance as “an abstract dance that explores embracing fear.” It was exactly that. The futuristic uniforms worn resembled something from The Hunger Games. While the piece was complex, I was hoping the show would have ended on a higher note instead of an intense one.
Tuesday 11 baseball: Titans vs. Centralia @ western oregon 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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All Ages All the Time
H A L L
ANDRE NICKATINA Thursday, March 6 EL TEN ELEVEN GLOOM Friday, March 7 VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION Monday, March 10 7:00 pm
CON BRO CHILL Thursday, March 13 DOM KENNEDY Monday, March 17 (rescheduled from 3/3)
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THE TORCH / THuRsday, MaRCH 6, 2014
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a&E EdITOR
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
LAURA NEWMAN
CHRIS PIEPGRASS / THE TORCH
Lane student and adrenaline Film Project veteran Jonathan Klimoski (front) edits footage as Lane student looks on Isaac Hall. Hall is not competing in the contest.
Filmmakers feel Adrenaline rush Lane students showcase skills in local film competition
Chris Piepgrass Reporter Teams of local students and filmmakers will hustle to create a short film in 72 hours during the fifth annual Adrenaline Film Project. Cinema Pacific will screen the films at University of Oregon. Each team is allowed only three primary members. During those 72 hours, teams will create, from scratch, a short film lasting three to five minutes. On the final day of the competition, participating groups will view each other’s completed work. This screening will then be followed by a ceremony, in which the teams that created the top three films will receive cash prizes and equipment. “Everyone gets a certificate of completion and we give away first-, second- and thirdplace prizes. Last year, it was all cash. The year before that, they gave away cameras, I think,” Project Coordinator Laurette Granger said. An invitation is extended to anyone who wants to be involved. “We do want it to be a community event,” Granger said. “We would like to see more community participation.” She has been working to increase participation from Lane students and community members since the project’s inception. “Last year, we had 12 teams: one team from Lane and a community team — the rest were from UO,” Granger said. Lane student Jonathan Klimoski contributed a film
last year. “Adrenaline’s cool. It’s definitely the most intensive and rewarding 72-hour experience I’ve had,” he said. As they grind through their projects, the teams are not alone. Three industry professionals visit the UO campus to mentor the competitors from start to finish. The mentors drive around Eugene and visit each set. If any team is struggling, the professionals assist, sources said. Granger said this year, students get to pick the brain of Kick-Ass 2 director and acting coach Jeff Wadlow. Contestants also come to L.A. mentors when they are ready to move to the next phase in the filmmaking process. “Until they give the green light, they can’t move on with their film,” Garner said. To apply, teams must provide a short film no longer than 10 minutes and an application, in addition to a $30 fee. But not every team makes the cut. “Last year, we got 38 applications, and we take 12 teams,” Garner said. The selected teams get together for a meet-and-greet on the first night. At that time, they meet their mentors, select talent from a pool of actors and receive the three criteria their films must satisfy. “It’s kind of an unveiling. They get everyone together after you’ve met all your potential cast. Last year, we got our genre first. They laid out cards on the ground. Then, team members went up to select one and that was your
THE TORCH / THuRsday, MaRCH 6, 2014
team genre. After that, once everyone knew what vein of storytelling they were going to be working in, you got your prop and your line of dialogue,” Klimoski said. The prop and dialogue aren’t random. They’re inspired by cultures that border the Pacific Ocean. Hence, the project’s name: Cinema Pacific. Each year, two focus nations are chosen. This year, the countries will be Chile and Taiwan, Garner said. Once they’re given the criteria, the teams are free to begin the creative process. “There was no sleeping involved,” Klimoski said. “I maybe got eight hours collectively of sleep from the first two nights — the third night, absolutely no sleep. I had been awake for 52 consecutive hours by the time the afterparty wrapped.” Organizers selected this particular format to keep things different year to year. By keeping themes a secret, it levels the playing field. It also keeps students from using already established work and forces them to create a new product exclusively for the festival. “You can’t really prepare. That’s kind of the fun of it — or the stress of it. Everyone has a great time, and it can be stressful, but that’s part of the learning process,” Garner said Lane multimedia arts director Jeff Goolsby said 72-hour film projects have become increasingly popular over the years. He is glad that Lane has students who are willing to participate in events like these.
“It’s super-intense. There’s a lot of emotion on the set. There’s time pressure from the start, but they come out with really wonderful short films. It’s one of those activities that the students will say was the most horrible thing they ever did, and they can’t wait to do it again,” Goolsby said. The deadline for the
Adrenaline Film Project was recently extended to March 7. Coordinators have done this as a courtesy to students and community members that may have had trouble meeting the initial March 3 deadline, Garner said. “We try to be accommodating. We’re part of your community,” she said.