L CC TORCH.COM
LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S PA P E R
M AY 1 , 2 0 1 4
The Torch v o l u me 5 0 , e d i t i o n 2 2
INSIDE RECORD-BREAKER PIANO MANIA TITAN TWILIGHT EUGENE, ORE.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
John Perkins
Former 'economic hitman' offers to teach at Lane
THE $12 MILLION
Author: 'Revolution in progress' Penny C. Scott A&C Editor
QUESTION EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane President Mary Spilde speaks during the Board of Education’s April 28 special session. The college is considering measures to balance next year’s budget against a $12 million deficit.
Board directs Spilde, administration to deliver more information on budget cuts Sean Hanson Managing Editor The Lane Board of Education fielded two plans this week to balance the budget
against a projected $12.6 million shortfall and an estimated 12 percent drop in enrollment as other cuts loom on the horizon. Each of those plans calls for
drastic measures: shuttering the Cottage Grove campus, reducing the subsidies offered to Lane students who pay for onsite childcare, increasing percredit tuition by $3, and/or passing on the card-swipe fees assessed at the Titan Store and cafeteria to customers.
Citizens, faculty members and student leaders offered hours of testimony as spectators strained to listen from the foyer during the April 28 special session. After the testimony and the proposals, the board voted 6-1 BOARD ON PAGE 3
Buffalo hazing discussed at Peace Symposium Attendence reaches 400 during first day Penny C. Scott A&C Editor People are waking up to the injustices and corruption throughout the world, said speakers at last week’s Peace Symposium, addressing issues that ranged from cruelty and homelessness to social justice. Two main themes recurred throughout the symposium. The first is awakening to injustice, especially in the United States. The second: peace and justice are not only possible, but a right of all sentient beings. “There is a very noticeable rising of national and international movements in response to this moment in history that we live in where there is a
growing social and economic and ecological crisis," said Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, national director of Move to Amend. The 2014 Lane Peace Symposium attracted approximately 400 people on its first day. In an address by Mary Spilde, she said Lane discovered what it cares about when it decided to create the Peace Center. This served to emphasize Lane’s commitment to being a local driver of change. Among the more popular topics was Yellowstone’s buffalo. The remaining 3,400 buffalo that live in Yellowstone National Park are in danger, according to Good Shield PEACE ON PAGE 3
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Sophomore catcher Colby Rice was called safe at third base after an overthrown ball in a 2-1 win over the Clackamas Community College Cougars on April 29.
Titans take 2-of-3 from Lakers Lane clings to first place in highly competitive South Region
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor For at least another week, Lane stands atop the most competitive region in the conference. The Titans took two of three games from the Southwestern Oregon Community College Lakers over the weekend to increase their record to 12-6.
They hold a narrow half game lead over the Clark Community College Penguins (137) while the Lakers sit in second place at 12-7. The Titans, Penguins and Lakers are the only teams in the region with winning records and will battle for the two available playoff spots over the last half of regional play. BASEBALL ON PAGE 9
Lane Peace Symposium keynote speaker and bestselling author John Perkins said he risked his life when he wrote about the powerful people and organizations that "control the planet's natural resources." Perkins speaks to groups all over the world about how corporations and governments manipulate the markets and people. His central objective, however, is to bring people together in peace. Perkins told the crowd of approximately 200 people gathered in the Longhouse that we live in an economy based on killing that's a total failure. It's time to shapeshift from a death economy into a life economy with whole new systems that honor life, he said. "We are in the midst of the greatest revolution in the history of the world," Perkins said passionately. "You were born into this revolution because you have a role to play." His speech was met with a standing ovation. It took Perkins more than 20 years to finish writing his highly controversial best-selling book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Disturbing world events and tens of thousands of people dying every day from starvation compelled him to keep writing, while death threats and bribes stopped him. His inner conflict ended when in 2004 the book was finally published. In the book, Perkins describes economic hitmen as “highly paid professionals” who use “fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex and murder” to cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. He claims that “They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign ‘aid’ organizations into the coffers PERKINS ON PAGE 3
2 The Torch LCC TORCH.COM LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S P A P E R
STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alyssa Sutton
MANAGING EDITOR Sean Hanson
SPORTS EDITOR Jarrid Denney
A&C EDITOR Penny C. Scott
REPORTERS
Jackson Dietel Eddie Leach Laura Newman Courtney M. Springer Chris Patrick Chris Piepgrass
COPY CHIEF Zack Bear
PHOTO EDITOR Eugene Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHER Michael Shaw Cartoonist Riley Webber
PRODUCTION MANAGER Byron Hughey
GRAPHIC ARTISTS Wes Fry James Capps
WEB EDITOR Tenaya Smith
AD MANAGER Randy Maxwell
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Patrick Blough
NEWS ADVISER Winston Ross
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.
CONTACT The Torch Lane Community College 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405 torch@lanecc.edu (541) 463-5654
OPINION&COMMENTARY EDITORIAL
Board should spare Cottage Grove campus This week, both the administration and the college Budget and Finance Subcommittee revealed separate proposals to address the $12 million deficit. The committee’s proposal, which would close the Cottage Grove campus to save Lane approximately $440,544, is alarming. It's the equivalent of using a cleaver instead of a scalpel. The subcommittee is unlikely to have such a relatively faraway campus’ best interests in mind. More importantly, the idea goes against Lane’s ideals. Student leaders have little at stake in the proposal, as they do not receive activity fee revenue from students who only attend the Cottage Grove branch. As such, they are not technically members of the Associated Students of Lane Community College. Faculty union President Jim Salt said that he hopes many of the part-time instructors at Cottage Grove could be reassigned to the main campus or other postings, but this does little to alleviate the additional burden that would fall upon the students who count on those services. Who’s going to stand up for Cottage Grove students? Of the city’s residents, 19.2 percent live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — higher than the state and national average. Attending Lane’s main campus would add an additional $50.30-per-term charge to Cottage Grove students’ bills through the student activity fee, which provides services that are much less accessible for commuting students because of time constraints. The campus represents opportunities, which include a GED program and remote classes, for students in Cottage Grove and adjacent communities. Requiring a commute to Lane’s campus would burden students in southern Lane County. This could be the difference between feasibility and impracticality for students who are disadvantaged by distance, income or both.
REPLACE
RILEY WEBBER / THE TORCH
Lane President Mary Spilde said the administration considered closing the Cottage Grove campus early in the budgeting process, but rejected the measure. We believe the administration was correct in that decision. Early estimates conclude that Cottage Grove needs funding equivalent to a $1.50 tuition increase, if estimates of next year’s enrollment decline are accurate. As such, The Torch also supports measures to keep the Cottage Grove campus open, whether through a tuition increase, budget cut, staff reallocation or combination of methods. Any tuition increase which student
government backs should include the preservation of the Cottage Grove campus. A minor budget adjustment can sustain one of Lane’s small but vital programs that reaches disadvantaged students who are paramount to the college’s mission and better prepare the college for the future. Lane champions serving the underserved, helping the disadvantaged and educating as many people as possible, even if they don’t provide the greatest return-on-investment to the college. The Board should maintain their ideals, even when state funding is distant and those in need are far away.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Faculty seeks to clarify safety clause Recent items in The Torch presented an inaccurate view of the tentative classroom safety agreement between the Lane Community College Education Association and the administration. The LCCEA openly brought the issue to the table because a pre-bargaining survey identified classroom safety as the number one non-economic concern of faculty. Although most faculty don't have to contend with egregious or threatening student behavior, such problems do occur, and they can be devastating to learning conditions and the well-being of faculty and students. In too many cases in recent years the current
response from the administration proved to be inadequate, and not because faculty lack an understanding of how behavior problems are handled. The agreement addresses these issues and meets the concerns of both parties while balancing the rights of students. Contrary to some opinions, the agreement does not allow faculty to permanently remove a student from class indiscriminately. Faculty members, by college policy, currently have the right to remove a disruptive or inappropriate student for only one day, but under the new agreement, they may, in extreme cases, request that the Academic and Student Affairs office permanently remove
the student. The ASA will cite the student in a timely manner, prohibiting the individual from returning to the classroom until the administration completes an investigation. If the administration and the faculty member disagree on whether the student may return to class, the Classroom Conduct Review Committee, comprised equally of students appointed by the ASLCC, administrators and faculty, shall make a determination. The student retains the right to appeal the committee’s decision as defined in the student conduct code. The agreement developed by the LCCEA and the administration protects the learning
environments of students, faculty and staff by establishing a responsive system of due process that includes accountability for all parties involved. Provided the administration responds quickly and effectively to classroom safety problems, students who adhere to the student conduct code are better protected under the new agreement. LCCEA Action Team Lee Imonen, chairman Jane Benjamin Jay Frasier Marisa Hastie Christina Howard Polina Kroik Jim O’Brien Tamara Pinkas Michael Skupsky Ken Zimmerman
CORRECTION: In the April 17 edition of The Torch we inaccurately stated that the faculty safety proposal had been leaked. The Torch regrets this error. CLARIFICATION: In the April 24 edition of The Torch we wrote in the story “Elections gets new look, website” that students might have to register for a different, more private network, while in our editorial we stated that voters in fact did not have to register. To clarify, voters do not have to register; they must only enter their L-numbers and passwords. The Torch apologizes for the confusion.
THE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
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NEWS&FEATURES
PEACE: 3,400 buffalo remain at Yellowstone CONTINED FROM P. 1
Aguilar, a speaker at the Peace Symposium. When the buffalo wander out of the park, they are subjected to massive hazing and firepower, Aguilar said. The reason? They are eating grass. Aguilar showed video footage of buffalo being hazed and killed. According to Aguilar, the reason cited by authorities for the attacks is because the buffalo transmit a livestock disease called brucellosis. "This isn't something that has ever happened," Aguilar said. "The real reason is that the buffalo eat grass meant for cows." The Buffalo Field Campaign 2013-2014 newsletter cites,
Shield Aguilar
"The Montana Department of Livestock, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; National Park Service; U.S. Forest Service; and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” as being responsible for hazing hundreds of buffalo this spring using horses, ATVs and a helicopter.
In a statement from the Peace Symposium, committee attendees were invited “to engage in honest conversations about oppression, power, cultural paradigms, diversity and privilege." The reason for such honesty, the committee states, is "these conversations are necessary components of building and expanding cultural competency and fostering peace." Lane's Peace Center has been hosting Peace Symposiums since 2007. "It's been a wonderful event," Stan Taylor, chair of Lane Peace Center and Faculty Instructor said. "The ASLCC and the Council of Clubs made the event possible."
PERKINS: Author criticizes predatory capitalism CONTINED FROM P. 1
of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources.” It’s “a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization,” Perkins writes. “I should know; I was an EHM." Perkins is not without his critics. Sebastian Mallaby of The Washington Post wrote "this man is a frothing conspiracy theorist, a vainglorious peddler of nonsense, and yet his book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, is a runaway bestseller." The indigenous tribes of South America taught Perkins what's possible for humanity. He lived with them for three years in the 1960s, and has regularly spent time with them ever since. Indigenous people are community-minded, Perkins said. They see that if one person is suffering, then the whole tribe is suffering. People aren't inherently selfish; predatory capitalism has infected the consciousness of people, but that is changing, he said. "In 2005, right after the book came out, I would hear students say that all they wanted was money and power. I don't hear that anymore," Perkins said. "They want to have children, and they want to use their degrees to make a better world for their kids." Symposium attendee Paul Spindel, from Portland, said he was raised to believe that success was about bigger and more. "Now I do what I love. I'm making much less money, but I'm happier," Spindel said. People are becoming much more aware, Perkins said. "They are waking up to the fact that we're being screwed," Perkins said. "There's a real awakening happening, espe-
cially among young people." Perkins sees the corporate oligarchy as a dark tidal wave. He said it's a much larger feudalism than we had during the Middle Ages. "There are very few lords in the castles now, and they are calling the shots all over the world," Perkins said. "On the other side, there's this wave of light coming in. We've got these two waves coming together and some of the people in the dark wave would easily go into the light wave if they thought they could still keep their jobs and their reputations and whatever else it is that drives them." Perkins sees the U.S. as the linchpin in the global situation. He said Americans have the power to usher in a new economy. "Less than 5 percent of the world's population lives in the United States and consumes 30 percent of the world's resources, while half the world is starving or on the verge of starvation," Perkins said. Consumers who want cheap gasoline and who look the other way if that means destroying a rainforest are participating in the "death economy," Perkins said. The same holds true for consumers who want inexpensive clothes, but look the other way if that means slaves in Indonesian sweatshops have to make
“We are in the midst of the greatest revolution in the history of the world. You were born into this revolution because you have a role to play.” John Perkins
them. Perkins said we need to create a "life economy" founded in services and practices that help people. He maintains that capitalism isn't inherently bad. It's the distorted version we've become accustomed to that has given capitalism a bad name. We can have a full-employment prosperous economy focused on creating life, getting rid of pollution, helping starving people feed themselves and creating new technologies, he said. There is tremendous opportunity at this time for growth and for a better world. "We've got amazing technology today," Perkins said. "We're able to fly to the moon, we've cured a lot of terrible diseases, we've got amazing music and art, and for the first time in history, we've got the technology to communicate with each other across the planet instantaneously." Perkins said our means of economic development are destroying us. He urged the audience to stop buying from corporations that employ unfair practices and enslave people. He added that writing to them stating why is an important part of the strategy. Perkins said it's very important to recognize that corporations are made up of people who are often confused about what's happening and that, to a large degree, they take their directions from the people. "It's up to we the people," Perkins said. During an interview at the symposium, Perkins offered to become a member of the faculty at Lane Community College. "Being around young people is important," Perkins said. "I'd love to teach here for a semester. If there are time constraints, then perhaps a weeklong class might work."
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane student government President Paul Zito addresses the Board of Education at the April 28 special session.
BOARD: Cottage Grove could close CONTINED FROM P. 1 to suspend laundry service in the 2014-15 school year, a measure that will save the college $257,300, just 2 percent of the shortfall. The college provides laundry service for several departments, including athletics and culinary arts, as well as outside institutions. The board may adopt one of the two proposals, one from administration and another from the college Budget and Finance Subcommittee, in June. A $3 per-credit tuition hike would net Lane almost $1 million in additional revenue, but student government Vice President Rebekah Ellis said the effect this could have on enrollment would be devastating. “I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of ... the choices that I make on a dayto-day basis over my personal health versus my education, what I can afford and what I can't afford — any increase in tuition is just basically asking me for money that I don't have,” Ellis said at the meeting. With their proposal, administrators sought to close the $12 million gap without increasing tuition. The Budget and Finance Subcommittee crafted its compromise proposal around a $3 tuition increase and the closure of the Cottage Grove campus, which would save Lane an estimated $440,544. The administration considered closing the Cottage Grove campus, but initially passed on the idea, Lane President Mary Spilde said after the meeting. “I don’t know what criteria the Finance and Budget Subcommittee used to put Cottage Grove on the list. We’ll take their proposal under advisement,” Spilde said. “We’ll need to carefully look at the option.” In an April 26 email to faculty members, faculty union President Jim Salt suggested a “mere $5 tuition rate hike” would prevent the college from cutting $1.6 million from programs. According to each of the proposals, the college would
save as much as $4.6 million — more than one-third of the shortfall — by leaving faculty vacancies unfilled and reassigning instructors, but the compromise provides a more conservative estimate of $3.7 million. Each plan also calls for the elimination and reassignment of part-time faculty, to save Lane approximately $2.8 million. Salt and student government President Paul Zito sit on the committee, tasked with consolidating proposals from several different factions at Lane. The student government sought to balance the budget without increasing tuition, but Zito said he entered negotiations willing to consider the $3 bump as a bargaining chip. At the April 30 student government meeting, the senate voted to cap any tuition increase at $1.88 per credit. “We agreed to the increase in bargaining and stand by it. The compromise is already in place,” Salt said. “How it will look still needs to be worked out, but it’s another sacrifice.” Both plans would increase the revenue the privately owned Titan Store must contribute to the college’s budget, from $300,000 to $500,000. The two plans would also increase the enrollment cap on classes, which might net the college an additional $1.5 million. Zito and student government Treasurer Zach Wais said that’s the smartest measure in either proposal. Each plan would require the college to delay the purchase of instructional technology and capital improvements to save an additional $1 million; withhold the transfer of $500,000 in financial aid funds to match federal contributions; and return $500,000 or more from the international program’s net income to the general fund. (A&C Editor Penny Scott and Production Manager Byron Hughey contributed to this report.)
The Torch / Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
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SPORTS&RECREATION
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane sophomore Dylan Hamming claimed his second consecutive NWAACC Decathlon Championship on April 29 at Lane Community College.
Back-to-back championships Dylan Hamming defends his title in the NWAACC decathlon Men’s Decathlon
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor It wasn’t the way he had hoped to win it, but on April 29, Dylan Hamming conquered the NWAACC decathlon championship for the second consecutive year. Hamming scored 6,788 points, easily besting Seth Buck of Clackamas Community College, who finished second with 6,523. Hamming’s effort was enough to earn him fourth place on Lane’s all-time record board. However, if things had gone as he had planned, Hamming would have been competing for first place with Colton Thurman, his friend and fellow Titan. Thurman was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering a hamstring injury last week. “All year we were hanging out all the time, just waiting for this day,” Hamming said. “And then Thursday he goes and tweaks his hammy. That was a huge letdown, but I knew that I had to just do my best.”
Points
100
LJ
SP
HJ
400
Day 1 Score
110H
DT
PV
JT
1500
1 Dylan Hamming Lane CC
6788
11.08
20’10.75”
40’08.75”
5’08.75”
49.97
3543
16.09
113'07”
13’11”
177’03”
4:47.69
2 Seth Buck Clackamas CC
6523
11.65
20'10.5”
41’08”
6’02.75”
51.22
3509
16.23
110’05”
12’11”
164’05”
4:56.71
3 Jayson Brocklesby Olympic College
6294
11.23
20’05.25”
34’00.25”
6’4”
49.26
3544
17.14
105’06”
10’07.5”
143’11”
4:34.12
4 Tre Larson Lane CC
5823
11.52
19’08.25”
34’05.5”
5’07.75”
52.81
3101
16.59
94’01”
10’11.5”
177’01”
5:05.87
Thurman, who owned the top decathlon score in the NWAACC prior to the meet, would have been considered a slight favorite over Hamming had he competed. “It’s extremely disappointing, considering last year I was unable to compete too,” Thurman said. “But this year I’ll be ready for (the NWAACC championships), and last year I wasn’t.” Hamming trailed Brandon Brockelsby of Olympic College by just a single point after the first day’s events. He took
THE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
command of the meet by beating both Brockelsby and Buck in the first four events of Day 2. By the competition’s last event, the 1,500-meter race, Hamming had separated himself from his competitors and held a 211-point lead over Buck. He ran a 4:47.69 and placed second in the 1,500, assuring his victory and his place in school history. “At the end of Day 1, being ahead of Seth, who I knew going in would be my strongest competition, and know-
ing what events I had left for Day 2, I knew I was in a good spot,” he said. Titans freshman Trey Larson finished fourth in the decathlon in only his second time competing in the event. Larson said he had never considered competing in the decathlon in high school and only did so once he started practicing with Lane in the fall. “It’s actually not terrible,” Larson said. “Everybody always talks about how bad it is, but coming into it, the worst thing is the 1,500 and that’s all
mental.” Hamming now sits in exclusive company. He is just the third Titan to ever win back-toback decathlons. “He is obviously very athletic, but it’s his mental toughness that’s most impressive … It’s almost like he can will things to happen and that’s why he (sets a PR) in almost every contest,” Lane head coach Grady O’Connor said. “Last year, he came out of nowhere to beat Seth Buck, and this year, he just took control and didn’t give anybody a chance.”
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SPORTS&RECREATION
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane sophomore Kara Hallock broke the Lane heptathlon record with a score 4,785 at the April 29 NWAACC Heptathlon Championship held at Lane Community College. Hallock finished second to Elizabeth Venzon of Clackamas Community College.
Titans freshman McKenzie Folkerts finishes the 1,500-meter run while Lane sophomore Kara Hallock looks on at the NWAACC Heptathlon Championship at Lane Community College on April 29.
Record and heartbreak Kara Hallock finishes second in heptathlon championship despite breaking school record
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor This year’s heptathlon was a bittersweet event for Kara Hallock. The Titans sophomore scored 4,785 points, exceeding her personal best in the event by over 100 points. Her performance also launched her into Lane’s record books. Hallock's score shattered the school heptathlon record, which had stood since 2004, when MacKenzie Winkle scored 4,698 points. However, her record-setting performance was only good enough to earn her second place for the day. Hallock finished second to Clackamas sophomore Elizabeth Venzon, who scored 4,905 points to earn her second consecutive heptathlon title. “I think Liz would not be where she’s at if not for Kara and vise versa,” head coach Grady O’Connor said. “Just
having a rival there, where they know if they stumble the other one is going to take advantage, is huge. Neither one of them really blinked or stumbled, and they both came out as champions in my book.” Hallock, who also finished second last year, led Venzon at the end of day one, but lost ground in the javelin throw where she scored just 371 points compared to Venzon’s 639. “I definitely knew that was going to be the point where she caught up, so I just tried to do everything I could in the other events,” Hallock said. “I give her a lot of credit. She worked hard. She’s a good competitor.” Although she was hoping for a first-place finish, Hallock, who has already signed a letter of intent to compete at Oregon State University next year, has reason to be optimistic about the upcoming
Women’s Heptathlon Points
100H
HJ
SP
200
Day 1 Score
LJ
JT
800
1 Elizabeth Venzon 4905 Clackamas CC
15.86
5’07.25”
32’06.5”
26.23
2866
17’09”
126’05”
2:27.38
2 Kara Hallock Lane CC
4785
14.74
5’05”
32’00”
26.54
2935
18’09.25”
80’00”
2:28.35
3 Kendra Hamm Spokane CC
4259
16.13
5’01.25”
27’01.25”
26.01
2599
17.01.5”
84’05”
2:34.00
6 Mackenzie Folkerts Lane CC
3849
16.50
5’05”
27’01.25”
27.83
2509
15’06”
58’02”
2:36.94
NWAACC championships. “It was a good experience. I can build off of this,” Hallock said. “(Finishing second) is pretty hard, but I still have more work to do.” She is currently ranked second in the conference in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump, and is tied for third in the high jump, while also
ranking fifth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Lane freshman Mackenzie Folkerts finished sixth in the heptathlon with 3,849 points in her second time competing in the event. “It was good,” Folkerts said. “I didn’t do so hot in long jump and javelin, so I have a lot of room for improvement, and I’ll
definitely be a strong contender for next year.” The Titans will count on Folkerts in both the high jump and triple jump when it comes time for this year’s championships. She set a personal best of 5'5" in the high jump during the heptathlon, which ties her for third in the conference with Hallock.
The Torch / Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
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SPORTS&RECREATION
Alyssa Sutton / THE TORCH
Lane freshman Dakarai Hightower broke the school record in the high jump, set by Kelly Graham in 1976, by jumping 7'0.25" at the Oregon Relays on April 17. He went on to break his own record by jumping 7'1.5" on zApril 24 during the Titan Twilight.
Former prep star leaps i Dakarai Hightower breaks Lane’s high jump Jackson Dietel Reporter A blue Lane Community College track jump suit covers Lane freshman high jumper Dakarai Hightower’s 6’4” slender frame. With jet black curly hair, and a little bit of stubble on his chin, Hightower has the looks of a typical young man. But he is anything but typical when he’s in the high jump pit. As soon as Hightower takes a couple of deep breaths, he’s off running towards history. In the past two weeks, he has broken and re-broken the Lane high jump record. He first did so at Hayward Field on April 18, when he cleared 7'0.25" and then topped his own record at the April 24 Titan twilight with a leap of 7'1.5." Kelly Graham’s record
leap of 7'00.5 had stood since 1976, but Hightower toppled it in just his second meet. “Dakarai is a phenomenal talent. He has huge expectations every time he steps on the track. We’re really trying to work on his mental focus,” head coach Grady O’Connor said. Hightower was born and raised in Tacoma, Wash. It was there that he discovered his love of sports — one in particular. “I played basketball and football growing up for fun, but I’ve always been a onesport athlete,” Hightower said. “I figured if I was going to do one sport I might as well try and be the best.” Hightower’s drive to be the best began at the middle school level. There, he
THE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
first watched his older brother Martese Hightower, who was competing on the track and field team at Bellarmine Preparatory School. “When I was in middle school, I originally wanted to play baseball,” Hightower said. “When I watched Martese run, it made me want to try track.” Hightower’s first introduction to high jump came at an unexpected time: during his freshman year of high school at Curtis Senior. “I was just hanging out on the infield before one of Martese’s track meets, waiting for him to come out, when all of a sudden one of my friends dared me to go jump six feet,” he said. It was a moment that would change the way Hightower
looked at sports. “I wasn’t even in track apparell. I had on basketball shorts, and Air Jordans, and then I just cleared six feet like ait was nothing,” Hightower said. From that moment on, Hightower began to take track and field seriously. He was new to the sport, but began to show steady improvement. During his junior season, he jumped 6’4 and finished 10th at state. In his first event of his senior year at Clover Park, Wash. ,Hightower made a jump that would become a turning point in his career. “They almost cancelled the high jump. The weather was awful,” Hightower said. “It was cold and the high jump pit was flooded.”
Despite the tough conditions, Hightower persevered and jumped 6’10”, easily high enough to give him the victory. “Clover was really where I realized I could jump at the next level. To jump 6’10 in those conditions really gave me a ton of confidence moving forward,” Hightower said. Hightower improved throughout the remainder of the season, winning all of his events with the exception of the BorderDuel Track Classic, an end of the year meet between Oregon and Washington's top athletes. However, it was in the summer after his senior year, that his jumping ability really soared. Hightower set the highest mark in the nation for a high school jumper and won the Junior Olympic Nation-
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SPORTS&RECREATION
Eugene JOhnson / THE TORCH
Eugene Johnson / THE TORCH
Lane freshman Dakarai Hightower reacts afer his third failed attempt at passing a jump of 7'1" during the March 22 Oregon preview at Hayward Field
into Lane record books record twice in two weeks als, in Baltimore Md. with a leap of 7'3". Hightower doesn’t remember much about the jump itself, but he’ll never forget the atmosphere inside Morgan State University’s Hughes Stadium. “Baltimore was actually my second attempt at 7'3", and the entire stadium was clapping,” Hightower said. “The stadium was in an uproar. They actually had to hold off the 200meters until I was finished. That’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget.” After the Junior Olympics, Hightower made the decision to take a year off from school in 2013 to give himself a break. “I did an indoor season with the University of Washington unattached,” Hightower said. “I also did a couple of meets at Hayward Field and some local
meets around Tacoma.” The year off allowed Hightower the time to see what being a collegiate high jumper was like. Specifically, he was able to compare the ability of jumping indoors versus jumping outdoors. “It really depends on where you go,” Hightower said. “The East Coast is a lot different than jumping at (University of Washington). At UW, it really caters to guys who are power jumpers. I like to use my speed more, but it was a great experience to compare the differences between the two in that year off.” After the year off, Hightower still had to decide where to compete with his collegiate eligibility. A recommendation from his good friend Jemiel Lowery, who was a sprinter at
Lane for two years, first turned Hightower in the Titans’ direction. After several team workouts, Hightower felt like his decision had been made. “I really liked the team environment and the overall coaching staff,” Hightower said. “It almost felt like I was back home. I felt welcome here.” Dakarai Hightower is a man with an easy smile and approachable personality. Whether he pursues high jump professionally or not, his future looks bright, but the humble man isn’t about to get ahead of himself. “I’ve put all my eggs in this basket,” Hightower said. “I haven’t thought about my future much. I want to go to a Division I school later on. But right now I’m just focusing on the present.”
alyssa sutton / THE TORCH
Head coach Grady O’Connor offers tips to freshmen Dakarai Hightower and Kaelen Byrum along with sophomore Cody Cowdin.
The Torch / Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
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SPORTS&RECREATION
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Lane freshman Coleman Byrum hands the baton off to freshman Justin Angove during the 4x400 meter relay at the Titan Twilight on April 24.
Alyssa Sutton / THE TORCH
Lane sophomore Alex Sattley placed first in the triple jump with a leap of 45'00.5" during the April 24 Titan Twilight meet.
The disarray relay Spontaneous final race tops off successful mid-week meet for the Titans
Jarrid Denney Sports Editor The April 24 Titan Twilight featured everything you could ask for in a track meet. At Lane’s annual meet, fans witnessed numerous personal bests broken, a school record for the second time in less than a week, and a chaotic 4x400-meter relay that featured five different Titan crews competing for bragging rights. With four Titans’ men's teams entered in the long relay, and just one women's team, Lane head coach Grady O’Connor decided to combine the two relays, as they were the last two events of the meet. The decision led to plenty of excitement and friendly trash talk between the Titans athletes. “Oh yeah, we were definitely talking,” freshman Weston Petewon said. “I told Neal (Larson) that I was going to crush him when we ran our leg. Man, he pulled away, but it was all good.” Coaches were on hand to record splits, but there were
no official times taken from the relay. Several minutes before the relay began, four athletes from the UO Running Club walked over to the starting line and said they wanted to compete as well. They were allowed to run, but did not have a baton. Instead, they used a water bottle. “The climate was right for it, so we didn’t have a problem with it,” O’Connor said. “It was fun.” Although the evening ended on a lighthearted note, the Titans were all business on the track prior to the closing relay. Freshman Dakarai Hightower broke his own school high jump record with a leap of 7'1.5", just six days after he shattered Kelly Graham’s school record, set in 1976. In the horizontal jumps, Lane sophomore Alex Sattley won the triple jump with a final mark of 45'00.5" and placed third in the long jump. Sattley is currently ranked second in the NWAACC for the triple jump. Sophomore Jalen Timms
THE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
alyssa sutton / THE TORCH
Sophomore Sean Mcgetrick finished first in the 110-meter hurdles at the Titan Twilight on April 24. Mcgetrick ran a time of 14.82 seconds.
turned out solid performances in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She now ranks in the top four in the conference in three different sprint events, as well as first in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Sophomores Leah Wilson and Madison Seaman finished first and second in the hammer toss, respectively, and both set season personal bests. Seaman also won the shot put and discus, with Wilson plac-
ing second in the shot. Lane’s pole vaulters placed two athletes in the top three on the men’s side and swept the podium in the women’s event. Despite finishing first in the men’s vault, Lane sophomore Zach Olivera said he wasn’t happy with his performance. “I was hoping to at least come out here and get 16'6". I’ve been jumping 17 feet in practice,” Olivera said. “Men-
tally, I just need to figure it out when I get on the runway in meets, because obviously in warmups and practice, I have the right mindset.” The Titans will return to action when athletes who meet qualifying marks will travel to Corvallis for the OSU High Performance Meet. Non-qualifying athletes will travel to Forest Grove for the Pacific Twilight, a two-day meet from May 2 to May 3.
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SPORTS&RECREATION
EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Sophomore third baseman Eric Long smashes a triple in a 13-6 win over the Clackamas Community College Cougars on April 26.
Titans lead region going into second half of regular season
CONTINED FROM P. 1
“I think it’s going to come down to pitching depth, and literally, I think the region will be decided by one play,” Lane head coach Josh Blunt said. Lane fell to the Lakers in a 3-2 nail-biting loss on April 25 at Coos Bay, and then played a second game that was suspended in the middle of the 12th inning due to darkness. The game will be resumed and completed on a later date that is yet to be announced. Sophomore Jared Priestly gave a solid performance on the mound for the Titans in the first game. He tossed six innings and, despite not striking out a batter, kept the Titans in contention by surrendering only three runs. Freshman Travis Kelly threw two scoreless innings after relieving Priestly and struck out two Lakers. The next day in Eugene, sophomore Jeff Hardy shut down the Lakers with an eightstrikeout performance. Hardy put in seven innings of work and surrendered just one run in a 2-1 Titan victory. “That was huge,” freshman catcher Kyle Beam said. “He definitely set the stage for Game 2 as well. He just threw lights out, a lot of strikes. We couldn’t have asked for a better perfor-
mance.” The Lakers jumped to a quick start in Game 2, scoring two runs in the first inning. However, the Titans bounced back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first, due in part to the struggles of Lakers starting pitcher Mitchell Daughtery. Daugherty walked two batters and allowed two hits and two runs in one inning before Laker coach John Cooper decided he had seen enough and pulled Daughtery from the game. Lane tacked on another run in the second, but then struggled through an ugly third inning. Freshman Jackson Bertsche was pulled midway through the third after allowing four runs in the inning, and it appeared the Lakers had taken control of the game. However, Beam leveled the score with a two-run homer over the left field scoreboard in the bottom half of the third. Beam, who is now hitting .263, has two homers in his last four games after struggling at the plate early in the season. “I’m just starting to see the ball better,” Beam said. “I have guys in the lineup who are protecting me, and it’s easier to hit
26 11 1 EUGENE JOHNSON / THE TORCH
Sophomore first baseman Jarren Goddard avoids a tag from Clackamas shortstop Alejandro Barajas in a 13-6 win over the Cougars on April 26.
with them on base.” The next inning, Laker left fielder Cedric Zumwalt launched a deep fly to right field and broke into a home run trot, thinking the hit would clear the fence. But the ball bounced off the top of the rightfield wall and Zumwalt was thrown out at second, ending the inning and deflating a Lakers rally. Lane took control of the game for good in the fourth inning, when sophomore Darin Nelson drove home two Titans,
giving Lane an 8-6 lead that it would not surrender. The Titans scored a run in all seven innings on their way to a 13-6 drubbing of the Lakers to complete a sweep of the doubleheader. This week, the Titans will start the second half of their regional schedule with a home doubleheader with the Mount Hood Saints (8-9) on May 2, and the following day they will travel to Salem to take on the Chemeketa Storm (6-11).
RBIs by Lane first baseman Jarren Goddard; 10th in the NWAACC Times that Lane outfielder Spencer Smith has been hit by a pitch this season; most in the NWAACC Run allowed by Titan relief pitchers Travis Boggs, Shane Quarterly and Travis Kelly
40
Innings that Boggs, Quarterly and Kelly pitched this season
51
Strikeouts by Titan pitcher Jeff Hardy; the fourth most in the NWAACC
42
Sacrifice hits by Lane this season, third most in the NWAACC
The Torch / Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
10
ARTS&CULTURE REVIEW
Marimba band advocates for orphans at Cozmic
High schoolers raise scholarship funds for orphaned students
The practice rooms under Ragozzino Hall, many of which have pianos, are available to students and faculty during school hours.
Modern 'maniacs' honor masters Instructors demonstrate professional piano skills
Chris Piepgrass Reporter In an effort to raise money for Lane music program scholarships, Lane instructor Barbara Myrick has brought Piano Mania back to the stage. Everything from classical to jazz to contemporary music will be played on grand pianos by solo instructors and ensembles alike. They will be performing in Ragozzino Hall in order to raise funds for students in Lane’s music department on May 6. These ensembles will range from duets to quintets. The show is expected to start with a bang with all five of Lane’s grand pianos on stage playing at once. The show will then play through a series of solos. After intermission pianos will return to the stage, culminating in a finale when all five pianos will be played simultaneously once again. “The money we make from all of our concerts, faculty and student, goes into an individual scholarship program,” Myrick said. “We require our majors to take private lessons here. This money helps those out that have a problem with that. The amount of money we get depends on the audience, so the more people that come, the better.” Music classes on campus require the pianos on a daily basis. Everytime the faculty rehearses, they have to move the pianos from separate rooms into the centrally located bandroom on the first floor of Building 6, under Ragozzino Hall. After rehearsal pianos, must be put back so classes can use them the following day. “The three piano pieces and the five piano pieces we really have only started a few weeks ago. We put them together very fast because we can't get five pianos together very often,” Myrick said. Faculty members helped bring the performance togeth-
er. Rick Canter is one of them. He has donated his time, frequently tuning the pianos for the performance. “That's huge. It's a lot of work. He's an unsung hero in our book because its awful if they're not in tune,” Myrick said. Faculty in collaboration with James McConkey will set the stage so each piano will be facing the audience, displaying the intricacies of the more complex pieces. Myrick and the music department established rules early to maximize the concert’s entertainment level. “Pianists, especially accompanists, get used to being in the background. They always have to wear black and be unobtrusive,” Myrick said. We have rules for this concert. One is be prepared, the other is dress to the nines and the third is have fun. You’re going to see some things in this concert that you wouldn't normally see in a piano concert.” Seth Mulvihill, a music theory and songwriting instructor at Lane, also contributed by rearranging "Ride of the Valkyries" for five pianos. “We don't have as many opportunities to play together as much as we would like, because we all have our own things we’re doing in the community,” Mulvihill said. “We’re all friends. We just don't get to play together. éowyn Miller, a sophomore music major at Lane, will be attending Piano Mania. She is eager to see her teachers play. “The communication between them will be really cool to see,” she said. “They’re all really amazing musicians.” Miller anticipates being inspired by faculty performing. “I think it will really impress students and really inspire us to keep up the good work. It doesnt matter how gifted you are; it matters how hard you work and how much you love music,” Miller said. “That’s what keeps you going.”
THE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
Eddie Leech Reporter The warm, resonant and sometimes loud sounds of an 11-piece marimba band filled the air at Cozmic Tuesday April 22, and for a very good cause. The proceeds from its extensive touring contribute to the tuition and expenses necessary for sending orphaned African students to universities around the world. In the audience were a group of Lane students from the Music in World Cultures class taught by Joshua Humphrey. The Maru-a-Pula Marimba Band show was one of several “out-of-class listening experiences” recommended by Humphrey. Hearing and seeing music from different cultures in a “live” setting and chatting with the players after the show always generates a deeper, more emotional connection than simply hearing a CD or
viewing a YouTube clip. At a small venue like Cozmic, you can actually meet people from across the globe and gain a better sense of their lives. In this setting, music can definitely be a true learning experience. The band consists of students from the Maru-a-Pula high school, located in Botswana, which currently has 20 orphans among its 600 students. The school’s goal is to have 40 such students by 2016. In Botswana, one in five children are orphaned either by war or AIDS, so this project has a significantly positive impact on the lives of many students. The school also funds the project from its tuition fees, as well as from a variety of contributors both local and international. Maru-a-Pula students have graduated from top universities such as Columbia, Princeton, Williams, Stanford, MIT and Oxford, where they’ve placed two Rhodes scholars.
If you’ve never been to a marimba band performance, I highly recommend putting it on your list of musical experiences not to be missed. The sound produced by these mostly wooden instruments is rich and mellow, covering a wide dynamic range. The various marimbas are of different sizes producing everything from high notes to bass notes, chords and single note melody lines, which combine to create the different parts of each song. Marimba bands are like a giant piano played by several people. The student musicians were obviously having loads of fun during their high-spirited and enthusiastic performance. As this atmosphere spread throughout the sizable crowd at Cozmic, their highly rhythmic sound made it virtually impossible not to dance. And by the way, the Lane contingent certainly made its presence felt on the dancefloor! This was a fine night for all concerned.
Pete Alport / Visit Bend
CHRIS PIEPGRASS / THE TORCH
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11
ARTS&CULTURE
Safety advocates march through Eugene Courtney M. Springer / THE TORCH
Anime & Manga Club president Brandon Schmidt stands at their table in the cafeteria to try and recruit new members on April 22.
New club provides anime Film group works closely with GSA
Courtney M. Springer Reporter
MICHAEL SHAW / THE TORCH
Police block traffic as hundreds of people marched from the University of Oregon campus to Lane Community College's downtown campus as part of the April 24 Take Back the Night, an annual rally to encourage victims to report sexual assault to police.
Lane multimedia program veterans appear at Adrenaline Film Project
CHRIS PIEPGRASS / THE TORCH
Jesse McCullough represents Lane’s film team in his role as “the apparition” in Cinema Pacific’s Adrenaline Film Project April 25.
Speed Racer, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop — all of these titles are Japanese animation. And if you already knew that, you might belong to the Anime & Manga Club. The group is new to Lane and brings people together once a week to vote, view and discuss various anime series. “We tend to be very fun-loving, and I accept everyone’s level of anime watching,” Brandon Schmidt, the club’s president and founder, said. The group extends an invitation to the occasional viewer or routine streamer. A group of approximately 20 people attended last Friday’s meeting with visible enthusiasm. The club came together in January at the urging of Schmidt’s friends. He established the club and scheduled its meetings for Fridays. The members use the first few meetings of each term to compile a list of titles for the group to watch. Once the master list is completed, members vote to decide which series will be watched each week. Last week, members voted and watched four episodes of Princess Jellyfish, a tale about a girl who is fascinated by jellyfish, which leads her to form new friendships. To write any more would break Schmidt’s strictest rule: no spoilers. Various themes are chosen each week and are different throughout the term. The club boasts multifaceted members, many of them artists. During the Friday, April 25 viewing, a few people pulled out their art work while they watched, which included someone with a large sketch pad and another with a plastic
bag of colorful clays. On April 23, the club had a tabling event where several members were in costume, including Morgana Tyndall, one of the club’s two vice presidents. Tyndall was dressed as a tan-andwhite flying squirrel creature. “It’s comfortable, but it gets warm,” Tyndall said. On the table were two laptops playing anime, along with manga novels and art from several members. Monica Lopez, the group’s secretary, displayed a card game the club created. “Artists from within the group illustrated the cards,” Lopez said. Group members created the images and character information for the entire deck of cards. The group has also been approached to design a poster for the Lane Spring Carnival and the Student Nurses’ Association. Along with being art-centric, the club also works closely with the Gender and Sexuality Alliance due to the content of some anime. Several students belong to both the GSA and the Anime & Manga Club. “In this animation, there are a lot of GSA-type references, like in Princess Jellyfish you have a guy who dresses like a girl,” Schmidt said. “We’re very open-minded here.” The anime club will be back for fall term with a few series preemptively on the view list. Schmidt has been inspired to expand into cosplay, short for “costume play,” where people can dress up as favorite characters inspired by anime, manga and other sources to role-play. Schmidt plans to reach out to cosplay groups in the community and the Lane Culinary Club with meetings to be held at Titan Court.
The Torch / Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
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ARTS&CULTURE
Chris PIEPGRASS / THE TORCH
Nancy Wood, Lane English as a Second Language instructional specialist, sings for guests at the Pints For a Cause fundraiser held at Ninkasi Tasting Room on April 26.
Beer breaks language barrier
Ninkasi hosts fundraiser for English as a Second Language students Chris Piepgrass Reporter Lane’s English as a Second Language Advisory Board collaborated with Pints for a Cause at the Ninkasi Tasting Room on April 24. Ninkasi’s tradition of community service leads them to hold fundraisers like this every Monday and Thursday night. “Ninkasi has an online application. I applied for it and I think it was within 48 hours that they gave us a few possible dates,” Lane ESL instructor Annick Todd said. “The process was very smooth.” Lane’s ESL committee is comprised of community members from all over Lane County. Some of these committee members are former students of the ESL program. At an advisory board meeting a member mentioned doing a fundraiser and Ninkasi’s Pints for a Cause came up. The ESL program earned $1 for every pint sold at the Tasting Room from noon until 10 p.m. “In the past we haven't had a lot of money for scholarships, so we’re trying to change that,” Todd said. Hundreds of guests danced on Ninkasi’s patio as Nancy Wood, an ESL instructional specialTHE TORCH / Thursday, May 1, 2014
ist, laid down vocals over the accompaniment of Paul Safar. Safar hashed out chord progressions on the keyboard and provided the vocal harmonies for the duration of the two-hour set. The duet also returned for an encore at the end of the night. In exchange for donations of any size, raffle tickets were awarded to attendees — the prizes for which were donated by community and advisory board members. “Last week somebody donated a seven-night stay at a five-star hotel in Cabo San Lucas,“ Todd said. Other prizes included two tickets to the NCAA Track Championship at Hayward Field from June 11 to June 14, a class at Lane, a professional photo shoot, a certificate for a healing session at Exquisite Healing in Eugene and a onemonth LTD bus pass. When their names were called, none of the drawing winners were
present to receive their prize. “I have their contact information. We told them they didn’t need to be present to win,“ Todd said. ESL is a noncredit class offered to students who need to communicate better with future instructors. After increasing their fluency, students have the option to enroll in credit classes. This fundraiser gave Lane the ability to present scholarships to students who can't afford the class. Teofora Wences is a former Lane student and recipient of the scholarship. When she first enrolled at Lane, she spoke little English. “I believe in the power of the scholarship in this community,” Wences said. “It’s a good program for people that really want to succeed.” While she networked, program dean Cathy Lindsley helped supervise the event. “We have served resident ESL
“Our students really want to know what it's like to live here and talk to native speakers.” Cathy Lindsley program dean, English as a Second Language Lane Community College
students since the ‘70s,” Lindsley said. “One class for one term is $47. Some students don't have the money to pay.” The ESL Advisory Board also partners with eScript, a nationwide corporation that mediates the donation of a percentage of purchases at select locations. The benefits are awarded to an organization of the donor's choice. “Every time you shop anywhere that is a partner, they give a certain percentage to the ESL scholarship fund, “ Todd said. The ESL Advisory board has been working to increase the number of eScript members associated with ESL. Last year, 16 people were registered as contributors. Since then, the number has gone up to 47, bringing the program closer to its goal of 100. Students are also encouraged to help their classmates by volunteering. “We have people that are either work-study or learn-and-earn students that come in and help in classes. Our students really want to know what it’s like to live here and talk to native speakers,” Lindsley said. “There are different kinds of English, and that’s what we try to help them learn.” The ESL program accepts donations through the college website.