The Torch // Volume 54 // Edition 2

TORCH the

- OCT 17, 2018 - VOLUME 54, EDITION 2 - EUGENE, OR -

LCC News / page 2

Gov. Race / page 4

Soccer / page 6

Oregon Gubernatorial Race

provided by Kate Brown for Oregon

photo by Anna CK Smith / production manager & art director

provided by Knute Buehler for Governor

"If elected, how will you protect access to higher education?"

Kate Brown

Patrick Starnes

Knute Buehler

Democratic Incumbent

Independent Canidate

Republican Canidate

"We must expand access to higher education to move Oregon forward. For too many Oregonians, higher education is inaccessible. That’s why I expanded Oregon Opportunity grants to 16,000 students attending Oregon colleges and universities. I also clarified eligibility standards and added millions in funding for the Oregon Promise, allowing students to attend community college for as low as $50 a semester. I will continue to support these programs and keep reducing barriers to higher education."

"We will have more money for education when we get PERS and rising health care costs under control. My proposal for the Grand Bargain does just this.

I propose we broaden the PERS pyramid to include private sector workers like Burger King, gas station attendants, etcetera, into a new system we call O.U.R.S. or the Oregon Universal Retirement System. With all the new young workers across Oregon added we can save the PERS pyramid from toppling over.

At the same time we need to expand the Oregon Health Plan to ALL Oregonians. The big difference between me and other single-payer politicians: I have a way of paying for it.

Since obesity, diabetes and heart disease are our number one killers in America we need to have a sin tax on junk food similar to the one we currently have on alcohol and cigarettes.

The details of how much and what will be taxed would have to be worked out in the legislature and that is why campaign finance reform must happen first. We cannot have big pharma, insurance companies and soda beverage dealers dominating our campaigns or our agenda.

That is why I promise to have CFR be my first priority in the first hundred days. I will not sign any other legislation until we have campaign finance limits and more transparency in dark money."

"Unfortunately, while spending for K-12 is on the rise, school districts across Oregon continue to face cuts in teaching positions and critical education programs. This is Oregon’s classroom funding crisis. The cause is runaway pension and health insurance costs – with no relief in sight because Governor Brown has refused to pursue real, costsaving reforms. Brown stonewalled reforms even in the face of PERS assessments that consumed almost half of new K-12 spending in her 2017-19 budget. Those assessments are costing teachers their jobs and children the opportunity for a better education.

Statewide, by 2023-25, pension costs are projected to escalate more than 70 percent and will absorb, on average, more than 25 percent of the typical Oregon school district budget. Health insurance premium costs are expected to grow by 7 percent over the next two years and will soon consume 10 percent of the average school district budget.

Simply put, under Governor Brown, Oregon’s classroom funding crisis has grown worse and she has demonstrated no political courage or leadership in seeking to solve it.

As Governor, I’ll challenge the unacceptable status quo and restore high expectations. I’ll combine the best Republican, Independent and Democrat ideas to move Oregon schools from some of the lowest performing in the nation to some of the highest.”

Age: 56 Current City of Residence: Brownsville, Oregon Occupation: Cabinet Maker Education: Umpqua Community College, University of Oregon (BA) Prior Government Experience: Elected twice to Douglas Education Service District Elected once to McKenzie School Board

Party Affiliation: Republican Age: 54 Current City of Residence: Bend, Oregon Occupation: Orthopedic Surgeon and Oregon Statee Representative for the 54th District since 2015 Education: Oregon State University, Corvallis (BS), Merton College, Oxford (MA), Johns Hopkins University (MD) Prior Government Experience: 1992- Worked on Presidential Candidate Ross Perot’s campaign 2012- Unsuccessful GOP nominee in race against Kate Brown for Oregon Secretary of State 2014- Elected Oregon House of Representatives 54th district

Party Affiliation: Democrat Age: 58 Current City of Residence: Salem, Oregon Occupation: Attorney and 38th Governor of Oregon Education: University of Colorado, Boulder (BA), Lewis and Clark College (JD) Prior Government Experience: 1991- Appointed Oregon House of Representatives 13th District 1996- Elected Oregon State Senate 2008- Elected Oregon Secretary of State 2015- Succeeded Kitzhaber as Governor of Oregon 2016- Elected Governor of Oregon in special election

Editor’s note: Each candidate was given the same question and the same amount of time to respond. Only Rep. Buehler’s response was edited for length, all others were printed as-is.

...continued on page 4

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stories that matter

theTorch // www.lcctorch.com Wednesday, October 17, 2018

NEWS

TORCH the

Heart of campus named after late education In 1977, Parnell wrote a book called “The pioneer Neglected Majority.” The book focuses on

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

THE STAFF Editor-in-Chief Marek Belka Production Manager/Art Director Anna CK Smith

News Director Sabrina Piccolo

Reporters

David Galbreath Jess Roten Sanjuanita Maria Baum Trayse Riggle

Graphic Designers

Prenapa Techakumthon Quentin J. Piccolo Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence

Cartoonist

Emmett Crass

Photojournalists Jason Petorak Selina Scott Shannon Powers

Multimedia

Andrew Johnson

Business Director Jason Petorak

Web Designer Ian Kersey

News Adviser Charlie Deitz

Printer

Oregon Web Press Albany, Oregon

LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS

photo by Jason Petorak /photojournalist

Dale Parnell, former President of Lane Community college from 1964-69, was memorialized by the renaming of the Center Building on October 12, 2018, and is now known as the Dr. Dale P. Parnell Center for Learning and Student Success.

Sanjuanita Maria Baum Reporter Lane Community College has renamed the Center Building after its first president and founder, Dr. Dale.

P. Parnell.

LCC President, Margaret Hamilton, along with current and former board members, celebrated the renaming dedication Oct. 12.

Dr. Parnell was born in 1928. He spent more than 30 years working in higher education. Parnell advocated for a community college in Lane County and his efforts paid off in late 1964 when the plans for a community college district were approved. After the school opened, Parnell was voted in as LCC’s first president. He served in that role until 1968.

issues relating to student success, and the individual differences of each student.

Parnell also served as president of the American Association of Community Colleges for three years. Founded in 1920, their own main goal is to work closely with state officials to inform and affect state education policy.

Parnell had a heart for education, according to his son Paul Parnell. Even after he retired in 1997, he still continued to teach at the University of South Florida.

“It’s fitting that the family chose the Center Building for the dedication since it is the heart of the college,” President Hamilton said.

Those who attended the ceremony included his children and other family members. His children were grateful for the chance to see that their father was being recognized. “[Parnell] believed that everyone should get a fair chance,” Paul Parnell said.

Parnell touched and changed so many lives, according to former LCC president Mary Spilde. Spilde, who is currently traveling in Spain, wrote a letter that was read aloud by board member Susie Johnston at the dedication.

The new name for the Center Building is the Dr. Dale. P. Parnell Center Building for Learning and Student Success.

Drone program lifts off LCC students can now enroll in a drone-flying program

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CONTACT theTorch Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 (541) 463–5655 @lcctorch

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Sabrina Piccolo News Director L ane C ommunity C ollege’s two-year drone pilot program launched at the beginning of the current term, giving students virtual and hands-on experience with flying drones.

The college formed the Commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems program in response to the increasing popularity of drones. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that 2.7 million “commercial small UAS requiring registration” will be sold in 2020, an increase of more than 2 million drones since 2016.

In an interview with the college, Dean of the Advanced Technology Division Pat O’Connor cited various ways that UAS can be applied today, including “mapping, firefighting, real estate surveying, building inspections.”

The courses that comprise the program aim to develop students into “safe and proficient drone pilots.”

Students will learn basics in drone operation as well as prepare for testing to receive both a Private Pilot’s License and a Remote Pilot’s License.

As of fall term, the two classes available are UAS Commercial Test Prep and UAS Flight Lab. The classes not only train students to pilot safely in a variety of situations, but also teach students how to build, program and fix drones, according to Sean Parrish, lead faculty member. The Flight Lab will also include first-person drone pilot training.

“It involves simulator training in the first part of the term and more hands-on drone flight towards the latter part of the term,” Parrish said.

Students who complete this program will obtain a two-year associate of applied science degree, a certificate in aerial photography and a certificate in geographic information science.

illustration by Lucien Guidotti-Lawrence / illustrator

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

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theTorch // www.lcctorch.com

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NEWS The Bleed in the lead

LCC student magazine becomes a third-time finalist for national award

© Antistar

27

|

The Bleed

courtesy of Jon Danner / The Bleed

Most campus crimes down LCC among safest colleges in Oregon

Sabrina Piccolo News Director The Associated Collegiate Press has announced The Bleed, Lane Community College’s graphics design magazine, as a finalist for the national Pacemaker award.

This marks the third year in a row that the student-run publication has made this accomplishment.

The Bleed is one of 34 magazines across 19 states chosen as Pacemaker finalists. More than 100 collegiate magazines entered the competition. In the ACP web announcement for the 2018 winners, ACP Executive Director Laura Widmer described these 34 finalists as “the best of the best” in collegiate graphics design.

The Associated Collegiate Press, a nonprofit organization that supports college journalism students and educators throughout the U.S., presents the Pacemaker annually to collegiate publications, including magazines and newspapers.

According to the ACP website, the judges choose finalists and ultimate winners based on “coverage and content, quality of writing

and reporting, leadership design, photography and graphics.”

Thomas Madison, an LCC graphic design instructor, as well as the supervisor of the yearly creation of The Bleed, said that he believes The Bleed’s success lies in each edition’s dedication to a specific theme. The focus this year is modernism and innovation.

“The students have to pick a theme and stick to that theme,” he said. “They have to say what they want to do and then fulfill that promise.”

Despite it being a helpful experience for students, The Bleed, which is part of a mandatory course for graphic design students, certainly comes with its challenges, Madison said.

Electing peers into a workplace hierarchy and learning to make sacrifices to fit the magazine as a whole are two major challenges that students face as artists in the program.

“Students learn to let go of their egos to look at the bigger picture,” Madison said, adding that the challenges of The Bleed strengthen students and better prepare them for the workplace after college.

Madison said that he has never been a “contest hound,” but he entered The Bleed into the ACP contest in 2016 when there was concern about funding for the graphic design program. Since then, the magazine has been a finalist each year, even winning in 2016. Funding for the program has since increased and so has the graduating class for the program, going from 16 to 24 students.

The 17 Pacemaker winners will be announced during the next ACP conference from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Trayse Riggle Reporter The annual Clery Report was released Sept. 30, and over the last three years most crimes on Lane Community College's campus seem to be decreasing while stalking remains among

the most common.

The Clery Act was enacted following the rape and murder of Jeanne Clery in her college dormitory in 1990. The law requires educational institutions that participate in federal financial aid programs to provide students and employees with the security policies, regulations and crime statistics of the school.

James L. Harris, public safety lieutenant, described stalking as repeated unwanted contact that would make a reasonable person feel fear for his/her safety.

Harris also encourages students to be proactive about their own safety.

“If you have a suspect, contact public safety immediately,” Harris said.

Despite stalking being one of the most frequently reported crimes on campus it still has decreased over the last three years with 11 incidents in 2015, seven in 2016 and six in 2017.

According to the US Department of Education Campus Safety and Security webpage, out of the four most populated community colleges in Oregon, LCC had the most burglaries–seven–and rapes–two–on campus.

Despite LCC having a relatively large number of enrolled students, the school had the least amount of motor vehicle thefts and murders among its four peer community colleges.

Portland Community College had the most reported crime on campus with 16 motor vehicle thefts and seven aggravated assaults.

Drug related incidents at LCC saw a slight increase from 2016, with three arrests and six referrals.

WWW.WOWHALL.ORG

Harris explained that every drug used on campus must be reported, and it becomes a “referral” once it gets into the hands of a judicial advisor.

For non-emergency related questions Public Safety can be reached at (541) 463-5558.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

THURSDAY

Beatles vs Stones

Pancho & The Factory

OCF halloween Hullabaloo

Shlump Eazybaked

A Musical Showdown

09:00 PM

07:00 PM

Special Guest Tba Suma

OCTOBER 25

8TH & LINCOLN • 541.687.2746 ALL AGES ALL THE TIME

comic by Quentin J. Piccolo / illustrator

OCTOBER 26

OCTOBER 27

OCTOBER 25

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stories that matter

theTorch // www.lcctorch.com Wednesday, October 17, 2018

NEWS State of debate

As election looms, candidate doubledown on campaign promises, attacks The 2018 Oregon gubernatorial race is nearing the finish line. Over the past week, candidates debated topics from rural internet access to gun control. Major candidates include incumbent Democratic Governor Kate Brown, Republican challenger Representative Knute Buehler and Independent candidate Patrick Starnes .

There were three debates and although candidate Starnes requested a seat in all three, both NBC5 Medford and KGW Portland opted to exclude Starnes from the final two debates.

However, The Torch interviewed Starnes independently to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the platforms of all major candidates.

Oct. 2: Portland The first debate, which included all three candidates, was held Oct. 2 at Roosevelt High School in Portland.

Students, ranging in age from 12-19, asked the candidates questions pertaining to LGBT rights, bullying and mental health care access.

The candidates found common ground on many of the concerns raised by the students, though their proposals for solutions varied. The candidates answered in line with their party affiliation when asked about gun control.

Brown signed a gun control bill in March of 2018 which expanded background checks, barring convicted domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from buying guns–closing the “intimate partner loophole.” Brown supports banning “military-style assault weapons and highcapacity magazines” all together. Buehler voted in favor of closing the “intimate partner loophole,” but voted against the expanded background checks and does not support the banning of any guns. In defense of his voting record, he stated “background checks are not enough” and that we must “find a balance with the Second Amendment.”

Starnes takes a Libertarian stance and does not favor the proposal of relinquishing any rights–including the Second Amendment–but supports mandatory training and specialized licenses to own and operate a high-capacity gun.

stated that if elected, “Roe v. Wade will stand,” but he voted against a 2017 bill that ensured low cost abortion and family planning and requested campaign funding from a pro-life PAC for the 2018 election.

Oct. 4: Medford

Oct. 9: Portland

On Oct. 4, Brown and Buehler participated in a debate at the NBC5 studio in Medford. Southern Oregon viewers wrote questions, which were asked by a panel of three news executives. The two candidates wasted no time in promoting their achievements and highlighting their opponent’s respective failures.

Buehler attacked Brown’s “mismanagement” of Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System and accused her administration of siphoning money from the state’s budget for education to the PERS system. On a scale of one to 10, Brown acknowledged the problem as an eight. However, she did not propose a solution to the state’s $25.3 billion deficit, saying only that she doesn’t “believe you can cut your way to a better education system.”

Although all three candidates have stated that they are pro-choice, Brown also swung back at Buehler by attacking his voting record on access to abortion. Buehler has

The third debate was held Oct. 9 at KGW Studios in Portland. Again, viewer-submitted questions were asked by a panel, but the debate’s format permitted a 60-second rebuttal–rather than the previously allotted 30 seconds– creating a more contentious discourse.

While both candidates chanted the moderate slogan of “bipartisanship,” there were no hands reaching across the aisle. Buehler again attacked Brown on PERS, school funding and the graduation rate–Oregon’s public schools are ranked third-worst in the nation. “The single biggest failure of Governor Brown is her indifference to fix our public schools,” Buehler said before he confidently declared the he “will do it.”

Buehler said he wouldn’t sign any more spending bills without major PERS reform and proposed moving the retirement funds into a private 401(k), a mutual fund investment spread over stocks, bonds and money market investments.

illustration by Quentin J. Piccolo / illustrator

Brown’s response focused on teachers and firefighters and emphasized the importance of protecting their access to Oregon’s promised retirement package.

“I think it’s easy for a millionaire to say he’s going to cut the retirements of hard-working Oregonians,” Brown said.

“I’m not willing to do that.”

Brown proposed that public employees should pay a percentage of their pension but would not answer the question of how much, she stated only that they “should have some skin in the game.” Starnes proposed an expansion to the funding source of the pension program, to include private sector employers who operate in the state as well as increasing the employee paid percentage to around seven percent.

Candidates were also questioned about the current moratorium on the death penalty which Brown intends to continue. Buehler stated that he would end the moratorium and reinstate capital punishment. Starnes said he would end the moratorium and work to amend the constitution to repeal the state’s allowance of capital punishment. Oregon has not put an inmate to death since 1962.

Currently, polls show incumbent Governor Brown ahead of Buehler by about four points, but these polls don’t account for independent candidates.

comic by Emmett Crass / cartoonist

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

stories that matter

theTorch // www.lcctorch.com

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NEWS The excluded candidate A sit-down with Independent gubernatorial nominee Patrick Starnes Jess Roten Reporter The 2018 Oregon Democrat and Republican gubernatorial candidates have raked in over $23 million in combined campaign contributions, the most in Oregon’s history.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Kate Brown netted funds from Michael Bloomberg’s gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, the pro-choice political action committee Emily’s List and Nike. Republican challenger Representative Knute Buehler gained financial support from Pape Group and Phil Knight whose $1.5 million donation made Oregon history as the most ever donated by an individual to a campaign.

Both candidates have considerable backing from their party’s Governors Associations and in the last week alone have raised over a million dollars combined.

Independent candidate Patrick Starnes, a Brownsville cabinet maker with an unassuming appearance and kind demeanor, is running on the primary platform of campaign finance reform and has limited donations to $100 per person, which, according to the Secretary of State’s website, leaves his contribution total at slightly more than $6000.

“I believe strongly in the Constitution and our freedom of speech, yet we have a problem with the loud volume! Wealthy, large donors, corporations and huge special interests are drowning out the regular person’s freedom of speech,” Starnes said. “Corporations are not people. Voters are people. And voters need to be the only donors.”

Oregon is one of five states that allows unlimited campaign donations from individuals, corporations and political action committees. In 2006, Oregonians voted on two ballot measures. Measure 46–which would have allowed an amendment to the state Constitution to limit financial donations illustration by Quentin J. Piccolo / illustrator to candidates– and Measure 47, which detailed those limitations. While Measure 46 failed, Measure 47 passed. However, without voter approval for constitutional amendment, measure 47 could not be implemented.

In 2012, during her Secretary of State re-election campaign, Brown came out in support of finance reform and proclaimed that she would limit spending on her campaign to $1

million. Her opponent in that race, Buehler, stated he was in support of reform, however he did not institute any financial limits for his election campaign and was heavily criticized by his opponent for his decision.

Starnes reported that being the only candidate in the race who has limited donations has given his competitors an advantage, calling it “a chicken and egg scenario.”

“Big money in politics,” Starnes said, limits voters to the choice between “Pepsi and Coke,” manipulating the democratic process but “without big money to support your campaign, voters don’t know they could choose root beer.”

In addition to his promise of campaign finance reform within the first 100 days in office, Starnes has also called into question the legal definition of “campaign contribution.” He has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State’s office against both Brown and Buehler, citing a 2017 Oregon legislative decision which clarifies the difference between a “promotion” and “media event.”

Starnes was in attendance for the first gubernatorial debate on Oct. 2 and requested a seat at the next two, but the host television studios declined. In his complaint, Starnes claims that his exclusion from the final two debates was essentially a promotion of the other candidates and thereby constitutes a campaign contribution which neither Brown nor Buehler reported within 30 days, a requirement of Oregon’s campaign finance law.

Both Brown and Buehler have faced claims of ethics violations for non-disclosure of finances in the past. As recently as last week the Oregon Republican Party has called for an investigation into Brown’s campaign spending. The GOP claim cites an investigatory report of the governor’s finances and a newly surfaced video in which former campaign manager Michael Kolenc alleges he was fired under unlawful pretenses. In 2017, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found that Buehler had failed to disclose $12,500 in payments he received while on the board of the St. Charles Health System in 2013. Buehler called the claim “politically motivated” and reduced the violation to “an inadvertent filing error.” He agreed to accept a “letter of education” and amended his 2014 Statement of Economic Interest.

If Secretary of State Dennis Richardson finds standing in Starnes’ claim both Brown and Buehler could face a fine. Penalties and fines levied are ultimately determined by the Government Ethics Commision.

On Saturday Oct. 13, prior to their official endorsement of Buehler, the Oregonian invited all three candidates to participate in a Governor Endorsement Meeting. In the meeting Starnes called for his opponents to discuss campaign finance reform.

“These Nike endorsements are ridiculous,” he said.

Both Brown and Buehler conceded that campaign finance reform will be necessary to maintain the integrity of the democratic process. At this Starnes requested that Brown and Buehler shake hands, symbolizing a gentlemen’s agreement to move toward constitutional amendment that will institute campaign finance contribution limits.

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OF LANE COUNTY

Lane Titans 6

vs. Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm

stories that matter

vs. Portland theTorch // www.lcctorch.com Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Eugene, OR - 12:00 pm

SPORTS Oct.

Upcoming Games

MEN’S

Win, lose and draw

Oct.

Titans tromp through the Willamette Valley in search of playoffs

SOCCER Lane Titans vs. Clark Vancouver, WA - 12:30 pm

Oct.

vs. Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm

Lane Titans

Oct.

MEN SOCCER Upcoming Games

V.S Clark Vancouver, WA - 12:30 pm

V.S Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm

photo by Torch Staff

Santos Martinez, defensive forward for the Lane Titans, takes aim at the goal against Southwest Oregon Community College October 6, 2018.

photo by Torch Staff

Cian Cronin, middle forward for the Titans, weaves around defenders to make a run for the goal.

Marek Belka Editor-in-Chief This October has seen a full range of emotion for the Titan men’s soccer team.

After an easy 2-0 victory over the winless Rogue Ospreys in Grants Pass on Oct. 3, Lane lost a heartbreaking home match against first place Southwestern Oregon, felled by a single second-half goal on Oct. 6.

Heading into Lane’s match against the Portland Panthers on Oct. 14, the two teams were tied for third place – and the final playoff spot – in the Northwest Athletic Conference South Region. A win against Portland would put the Titans in a strong position to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Instead, the Titans wrestled with the Panthers in a brutal 0-0 stalemate in Hillsboro Stadium. The match featured a goalkeeping clinic – Panthers’ goalie Isaac Aguilar saved seven of Lane’s 13 shots – and a flurry of penalties – six players left the match with yellow cards.

Frustrations simmered toward the end of the draw, with both teams receiving penalty bookings after the 75th minute for hard fouls. In the 88th minute, a yellow card on Lane defender Santos Martinez set the Panthers up for a last-minute opportunity to score. Enrique Aguilar nearly dashed the Titans’ hopes to make the NWAC playoffs, but a save by goalkeeper Jacob Scorse preserved the draw and the Titans’ season.

Midfielder Cian Cronin led the charge for the Titans, taking five shots – two on goal – in his 55 minutes on the pitch. Forwards Jesus Velazco and Callum Speed also added two shots each, though no Titan could find the back of the net.

With two games remaining in the 2018 regular season, Lane is tenuously hanging on to the final playoff position in the South region. Because of their better overall record, the Titans own the tiebreaker over Portland, but the Clark Penguins are just two points behind the two teams and could sneak into the playoffs with a strong finish.

Lane and Clark face off on Oct. 20 in Vancouver, a game that will likely decide the fate of the two teams’ postseason chances. The Titans close out their regular season campaign at home on Oct. 24 against first-place Chemeketa.

photo by Torch Staff

Middle Forward Braidon Fletcher makes a shot on goal against Southwest Oregon Community College on October 6, 2018.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

stories that matter

theTorch // www.lcctorch.com

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SPORTS Titans take two Soccer team clinches playoffs

Oct.

Upcoming Games

WOMEN’S

Oct.

SOCCER Lane Titans vs. Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm David Galbreath Reporter The Titans women’s soccer team locked down another win Oct.10 against the Southwestern Oregon Lakers. With a dominant performance on offense and defense, the Titans shut out the Lakers 5-0.

Titans had an aggressive start with two goals from Danielle VanOrd and one from Yuuyu Suzuki in the first half. With relentless pressure on offense in the second half, Aja Bumpus ended the game with a score and an assist to Bailey Johnson.

The team is secured into a playoff position and will most likely be hosting the first round on Oct. 31. With an impressive regional record of 8-1-1, Lane is second in the region and three games ahead of Portland.

Having lost to Clark earlier this year 3-0 and tied 1-1 in their second meeting, Lane is one game and a half behind Clark for first place in the region. With two games left to play before playoffs, Lane hopes to beat Chemeketa and Portland.

Lane already beat Chemeketa 8-0 and Portland 2-0 earlier this year.

If Lane wins their next two games and Clark losses both of theirs Lane will have a first round bye in the playoffs.

However, Lane is most likely looking at home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

“They’ve really hit their stride,” Mertz said.

The head coach had kind words to say about all off her players but one player that may not stand out on the stat sheets is definitely standing out in her coach’s eyes.

“She’s had something to do with everything we do,” Mertz said about defender Aja Bumpus. “She plays the ball before the assist.”

The Titans took their skills to Clackamas on Friday Oct.12 with a 5-1 victory. Lane shows no sign in slowing down their offense with 13 shots on goal to Clackamas’ 6.

Head Coach Erica Mertz has lead the team to the Northwest Athletic Conference quarter finals for the past four years. After falling one game short of making it into the Final Four last year the team has goals for another deep playoff run. Mertz plans on taking it “one game at a time.”

Oct.

vs. Portland Eugene, OR - 12:00 pm

Upcoming Games

MEN’S

Oct.

SOCCER Lane Titans vs. Clark Vancouver, WA - 12:30 pm

Oct.

vs. Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm

Lane Titans

MEN

Oct.

SOCCER Upcoming Games V.S Clark Vancouver, WA - 12:30 pm

V.S Chemeketa Eugene, OR - 1:30 pm

photo by Selina Scott / photojournalist

Autumn Straub clears the ball in the second half against Southwest Oregon Community College during their match on Oct. 10. The Titans left the game with a 5-0 win, pushing their record to 8-1-1 and second place in the south region.

photo by Selina Scott / photojournalist

Danielle VanOrd, a forward for the Lane Titans, takes her shot against Southwest Raccoons goalie Erica Alfred. VanOrd led her team with two goals in the first half, and is ranked third in the NWAC with 16 goals this season.

photo by Marek Belka / editor-in-chief

Defender Linsey Garcia stragetizes during a break in action on Oct. 10.

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stories that matter

theTorch // www.lcctorch.com Wednesday, October 17, 2018

SPORTS

photo by Alex Powers / @k.alexpowers

From left: Saige Brashears, Tiara Downing, Abby Maura and Shelby Dubay explode in cheers after Lane recorded the final point against Chemeketa on Oct. 12.

The Titans won a thrilling five-game match against the Storm, protecting their hold on second place in the NWAC South Region.

Titans weather the Storm

Marek Belka Editor-in-Chief The Titan volleyball squad continued their march toward the Northwest Athletic Conference Championship after a rollercoaster week of home matches.

On Oct. 10, Lane hosted the first-place Linn-Benton Roadrunners, who came into Wednesday’s match with an undefeated conference record and a six-match win streak.

Despite a valiant defensive effort and some clever play-calling, the Titans were quickly outmatched by the Roadrunners. After winning the first set 25-19, Linn-Benton cruised through the final two sets, running away with a rapid three set victory in a match that lasted just one hour and twenty-five minutes.

Sophomore captain Stacia Panther and freshman hitter Saige Brashears led the Titans’ defensive efforts. Panther recorded 19 digs, while Brashears recorded five solo blocks in addition to her seven kills.

With only two days to prepare for their next match against the Chemeketa Storm, the Titans quickly rallied. On a cool Friday evening, the Titans arrived at pre-game warm-ups

UPCOMING GAMES 10 19

Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon 6:30pm

10 24

Clark Community College, Vancouver, Washington 6:30pm

10 26

Mt. Hood Community College, Eugene, Oregon 6:30pm

illustration by Anna CK Smith and Shannon Powers / art director and photojournalist

photo by Shannon Powers / photojournalist

Lane captain Stacia Panther awaits a serve early in a match against LinnBenton on Oct. 10. As her teammates look on. The Titans fell in three sets to the first-place Roadrunners, who have yet to lose a conference game this season.

with a sharp, focused attitude, and carried that focus into a thrilling two-hour match.

The Titans and Storm traded set wins throughout the night, twice pushing sets into extra point territory. Players from both teams spent the night diving headlong across the hardwood to make spectacular digs, but the Titans ultimately controlled play at the net.

Though Chemeketa’s Delaney Smith recorded 15 kills, the combined Lane offensive front of Hannah Hayes, Kara Standridge and Meagan Briggs led the Titans to a 3-2 match victory.

Stacia Panther once again led the Titan defensive effort, recording another 19 digs, while Hayes and Briggs combined for ten total blocks. The victory also came as a result of improved teamwork among the Titans. Against Linn-Benton, Lane recorded 32 assists as a team, while the duo of Sierra Westling and Taylor Russell recorded 34 alone against Chemeketa.

With the confidence of a close victory giving the Titans a important jolt of confidence in a close playoff race in the South Region, Lane closed out a three-game stretch of home games by welcoming cross-town foes New Hope.

(Gonna cut it close with the game tomorrow night) The Titans are currently sitting in second place in the NWAC South region, one game ahead of Clark College and miles behind the Roadrunners. The top four teams from each NWAC region qualify for the championship tournament in Tacoma, and six teams are within two games of the final three spots.

Lane has five games remaining on its schedule, all against conference teams. The Titans will have one final opportunity to face Linn-Benton on Nov. 7 in Albany.