Blog Forum 1

Topic 1: Goals

My goals for this class are:
To be more comfortable with taking pictures on the fly and get over the feeling of invading someones privacy.
Just go for it.
Also, to find the interesting parts of campus-nooks and crannies where the magic happens.

Topic 2:

Herb Ritts was a fashion photographer that focused on black and white using the style of Greek sculptures as inspiration.
He died December 26, 2002 and had lived in Los Angeles his entire life.

His claim to fame seems to be in his particular style of close ups that often, as mentioned above, have a very sculpture like physique about them- he used clean lines.
It is said on his website that he was very committed to HIV/AIDS causes, and his photos often blur the lines between gender and race.
He also did video as well for music and advertisements.
Lots of body.


Topic 3:

I would like to get some photographs of the garden club out at work
and maybe do some of the commuter.
You mentioned the kitchen earlier which sounds super cool to capture.

Details? Not sure, unfortunately I have class during the garden club, but I might do some on their next clean up event.

LBCC Campus Photos-1st week of spring term

 Student signs registration forms with springtime pen.

Commuter students from Corvallis board the bus.

Our beautiful courtyard on Wednesday afternoon.

Seg.1:Community Consciousness-Yo'Life Column

Community Consciousness

Yo-jah- Life doesn’t come easy.

Not to no specialty one, no specialty how.

And that’s okay, because as humans, creators of our realities, dynamic aspects of our ecosystem, we too are apart of nature.

We so are part of each and every now.

With each and every human.

 “Yoga is the practice of tolerating the consequences of being yourself” - Bhagavad Gita

Yoga, what ever that means for you whether it is Hatha-physical practice, Breathwork, mindful eating, service or study-among the foundational principles in the practice, creates a common ground in creating the quality of each moment lived by one of all of us. Historically it is proven so, outside the box of insanity- “ doing the same things expecting different results (essentially)”- into a subtle underlying form of consistency in it’s results among people.

As pain, anger and fear (unconscious energy forms) trigger further forms of anger, fear and pain, presence, compassion and curiosity give way to a handful of positive potential enactments from humans.   Communities from east to west historically, and now across the world are catching the “fad” of yoga.

But it’s not even about that.

It is a matter of becoming that which you are, realizing it as so. Abandoning tendencies of controlling - of knowing, in order to “be”. -As if growing was something that came other than naturally. . . It’s that gentleness that we seek from outside that is entirely cultivated within. Cheesy I know, but don’t you can’t pass up recognizing how the most simple, age-less catch phrases happen to be the most relevant and effortless reminders of tips towards peace.

Allow yourself to be your best without worrying that you might possibly be capable of giving anything but that...

To whom may be so inclined to the practice of perfection-seek only

a mere essence of already established peace: #NeedNothing #MakeDo #InnerInnovation

Adaptability becomes second nature when enforced by way of Prana: #Breathe.

Essentially, also, we must remember, that appropriately there isn’t a right way to do yoga. It merely comes with practice and expansion of the body by focusing and relaxing the mind. Consistency, as students, parents, teachers, we should know.  #BreakingdownBarriers.

Acrylic and Graffiti Paint Pents, Canvas by  Georgia Ry

Breaking barriers beginning with yourself. You know, the ones that keep the shadows at our backs and our heads held high so as not to be mistaken for any true feelings that may be escaping through the cracks. . . Even in our community of safe, creative, strong minds, open interactions do not seem to be too much of a common place. . . #Perceptioncheck

What is the limit, the barrier that keeps us from reaching out to each other in provoking conversations, open ended eye contact, recognition of brilliance. . . of not interactively imagining and seeing each other as potentially-gasp- “perfect”?

Stretch a little. Not necessarily your body, but your mind. Just a little bit. Everyday.

Comfort Zones are meant to give you the outline of where your path is meant to be.

Outside of academics. Outside of side comments, facebook feeds, twitter tweets, selfies, world news, local news, school news, sports, routine. . . There’s a bit of yoga life in that which surrounds you-even in the above mentioned facets of life. That’s why it’s there, in community to community. Yoga as more than being a new fad for health industries, hollywood and clothes, more than the stunning, wise figures who realized the methods of use. It is simply nature; natural, loving, interactive, conscious, dynamic being.

You do not need to be a woman to practice  yoga

You do not need to listen to a certain kind of music

You do not need to become a Nag-Champa incense fanatic

You do not need to create a fire hazard with candles

You do not have to be happy to practice yoga

You do not have to be small, flexible, or athletic to practice yoga

You do not have to be religious or spiritual to practice yoga

You do not have to give up pleasure to practice yoga

You do not have to be young to practice yoga

You do not have to eat organic food or be vegetarian to practice yoga

You do not have to do anything you do not want to do. #YogaLife

And yes, We know: “It’s easier said than done.”

Ink by Georgia Ry

“Reshape yourself through the power of your will; never let yourself be degraded by self-will. The will is the only friend of the Self, and the will is the only enemy of the Self.”-Bhagavad Gita

*Yo’Lyfe is an experimental column aiming towards providing alternatively spiritual, culture related rifts related to day to day life. Student interactive, feedback, suggestions on topics, issues, etc. are more than welcome.

p.s. #Finals #SurvivalKit

Corvallis Hip-Hop Coalesces

“It is about the culture you live, it is not just sayin, ‘Yo I do hip-hop’. You gotta live it.” - Pras, Fugees, from the movie "Rhyme and Reason"

Hip-Hop is something that is felt, and is ongoing. It is the culture that was created by a significant group of people participating in documentation of culture and lifestyles, tendencies and changes. Hip-hop began as, and has continued to become, a multifaceted mode of communion; a stage for future generations to grasp. Local hip-hop artists across the nation, however specifically in Corvallis, Ore. take part in the maintenance and expansion of hip-hop. 

In Corvallis a conglomerate of local music artists under the name Starfleet: Nappy T, Original Intelligence, Kidd Fresh, Self Med, Mikee and PHNV, have taken seed and are performing regularly at Interzone on Monroe Street. The group consists of four rappers, three producers and two artists with overlapping roles of EDM/Trap. On Saturday, Feb. 7 the group performed to a full coffee shop of supporting locals and passers-by.  

Old school hip-hop goes down deep, known through America’s mesh-pot of diversity through forms of gospel, jazz, blues, disco, and rock and roll. From these rhythms with a twist of poetry, the environment of the artists became hip-hop.  The wave of hip-hop culture from the 1970s onward, pronounced itself dynamically as a representative tool of the people.

Through the four main pillars of facets - rap, scratch, graffiti and dance - came the energetic vibe that carried the movement by way of street language, street fashion, beat-boxing, and the entrepreneurial aspect of business. Without all of these elements, hip-hop would not be as effective as a vehicle for change and social impact.

Like all popular music, media and a monopoly industry will, and did, play its part in the development of hip-hop culture. In the movie “Rhyme & Reason” starring Too-$hort and B-Real by Peter Spirer, the voices of hip-hop artists concluded that the reason why they participate in hip-hop music and culture is not because of the money, but because of the power it holds and the strength it brings between people.

Record labels and contractors made a lot possible in the production area and universal recognition of hip-hop, but there was a slippery slope to pay for getting involved in the wrong labels. Ultimately you risk losing your authenticity, or life.

Not all hip-hop has been lost in the influence of media, money and external influences. Local music is still strong in its cultivation, sticking to the roots of hip-hop.

“Working together has pros and cons. We are competitive with each other so one person’s hard work pushes hard work out of another. Plus everybody brings something else to the table whether it’s a skill, a different way of thinking or just energy. We learn and grow from each other,” said Nappy T.

One of the artists, LBCC student, Jamaal McGinty, is known as Kidd Fresh who rapped alongside a CHS graduate Turlough, Scottel, Nappy T , who is part of Eloquent FU6$.

“To make people think and look at the things they have ignored for a long time. . . I like being clever through my music in a way that raises awareness, but also at the same time I will sometimes aim for some party shit because that's what sells, and I have ambitions to take this further than a hobby,” said Kidd Fresh.

In his music, Fresh strives to find balance between genres and subjects, essentially what’s coming from the heart and what’s going to sell.

“[The] most influential artist has to be Tupac. I know it sounds cliché, but what he did as an artist and as a person really inspired me. His poetry, his lyrics, his actions, his views, all of it inspires me. It really is way deeper than rap. Pac was an intelligent thug who saw deeper than the surface. That's what rap, and music in general, means to me,” said Kidd Fresh.

Self Med, a 2014 CHS graduate, performed his EDM Trap sets bringing in the new artistry of the generation.

“The most influential artist was not any rapper, but a music producer; Onra. Hip-Hop got a little lost for a minute, rapping about materialism and other things. It definitely has changed. I'm more into the EDM aspect, how hip hop turned into trap. My purpose is to create vibes that can be transferred through air, to get people on a different level of consciousness.”-Self Med

When it comes to their goals as a local artist group, Aaron Ojeda, Self Med, hopes for expanding to recruit new artists and create clothing.

“You need a solid beat, top-notch production and outstanding promotion. You need a dejay also, so it is really teamwork that makes a dream work, which is the name of a song by one of my favorite rappers Dizzy Wright,” said Fresh.

“Cause Hip’Hop is the way you walk, talk, live, dress, act, see, smell, fuck, shit, fuck. Ya Nah’mean?  It’s all dat right there”- RZA, Wu Tang Clan, from the movie "Rhyme and Reason"  

By the end of the show, the artists and audience left sweaty, vibrant and vibin. The crowd of locals and OSU students from high school age to parental supporters of artists, stuck around outside on the sidewalk discussing the quality of their experience, and inside the art filled, multi-room cafe catching a late night coffee and treats while surrounded

“Hip-Hop is like a vehicle, you can use it to go anywhere you wanna go.”- Romye, Arrested Development, from the movie "Rhyme and Reason"

If anyone is interested in buying music from the above artists and/or starting a hip-hop culture club, please contact Georgia Ry at The Commuter, Twitter or Facebook.

At a glance:

Suggested Movies: Rhyme & Reason, Biggie & Tupac

Artists: Biggie, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Too-$hort, B-Real, Wise Intelligent, Biz Marks, Mac Dre, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, Mary J.Blige, and Romye from Arrest Development, Tribe Called Quest, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Keep your Eyes out for Local Artists Shows!

Sunny Green: Naturopath in The Making

With eye shadow popping and rings glimmering, Sunny Green, a full time student, mother and the president of the Horticulture Club here at LBCC, takes her regular stroll out to the campus garden to check on the plants and plan next steps of action for the Horticulture Club.

Green works hard, laughs hard and plays hard. After 39 years of life, she is of strong build and vibrant energy, most likely due to her chosen career goal of naturopathy and her consistent involvement with student action undoubtedly keeping her own youthfulness alive. 


She joined the Horticulture club because she enjoys green, growing things. Her youthful energy matches the younger members perfectly creating a dynamic, inspiring and motivated momentum in their work as a team. Her duties with the club are a matter of organizing events and supporting the students take action on projects as well as coordinating with Stefan Seiter the club's adviser.


"Working with Sunny is wonderful. She's very talkative and funny. She's always been kind to people she works with. I think she does well as our president because she is organized, attentive and a hard worker. She goes above what we need. Sunny is our mother earth and we are her darling flower children. She looks out for us and keeps us busy. . ." said Rhianna Maynard the club's secretary.

Whether it's through her math and science classes, working with the Horticulture Club on cleanups, plant sales and garden plans, she embodies her work towards her goals to become a Naturopathic Doctor. As a living result of how powerful natural remedies from the earth can be, Sunny has her mind set on acquiring an extremely valuable set of skills.


Her love of plants was one that grew from birth, having spent much time with her grandmother in the garden. She describes her upbringing as a conservative protestant experience, which contrasts to her liberal attitude she carries.

Her educational career in horticulture oriented science began after an accident in 2001 leading to a cervical fusion.


"When I went to the doctor with what I thought was a new symptom they would prescribe another pharmaceutical. I became very sick, cachexia is just one example, so I went to alternative medicine and whole foods."

Cachexia is a "wasting syndrome" which is characterized by loss of weight, fatigue and weakness to extreme degrees in someone who is not actively trying to lose weight.


She reports now in her full body and brilliance that she is the healthiest she has ever been, and her energy proves it. Working with plants out in the field is hard work, not to mention taking 15 credits towards an associate degree in science with a biological emphasis in naturopathic medicine. Her goals are to then transfer to OSU, and or attend National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Ore..

"Plant based medicine is my primary focus and treating the whole person; mind, body and spirit."


At a Glance:

Sunny Green 39 years of age, Origin: Massachusettes Current: #PNW Oregon

Major: Associate Degree in Science, Biological Emphasis in Naturopathic Medicine

Participation: Horticulture Club (Tuesdays at noon in the LBCC green house)

Setting Boundaries: LBCC PETSA Training

LBCC is taking sexual harassment seriously, and in an ideal world, all students would be participating fully.

Under Title IX rights it is required for all incoming students at LBCC to participate in the Personal Empowerment Through Self Advocacy (PETSA) training online. The purpose of the training is to empower students through providing interpersonal awareness skills to increase confidence in dealing with harassment and other social discomforts on or off campus.

When it comes to harassment at Linn-Benton Community College, crime-data reports support there isn’t an obvious reason to raise immediate concern about campus safety, but it makes for no excuse for members of the community to slack on taking precautions. When students take PETSA training they become more aware of how to handle discrimination and harassment situations as a victim and as a bystander.

“There is a lot to be said for students influencing students at times more powerfully and effectively than a teacher or manager might be able to,” said Lynne Cox, assistant dean of student affairs.

Out of 55 students surveyed only 39 reported having taken the PETSA training, while 16 said they hadn’t. All of the students agreed that their experience on campus has been positive and safe, and that if there was a more prominent risk of harassment that they would invest more in trainings.

“I know Oregon State has had issues, but here we have more of a community setting. I feel like everyone helps out everybody,” said Mikayla, an LBCC sophomore.

The training is supposed to help students to recognize what harassment really is, and isn’t, in legal terms. About 20 reports a year have, when investigated, boiled down to a matter of, “Someone’s bothering me and I haven’t learned what to do when someone’s bothering me,” said Cox. “The nicest thing you can do is set clear boundaries and use clear communications.”

In order to approach the LBCC community more realistically, Public Safety Coordinator Marcene Olson, Human Resources Director Scott Rolen, and Lynne Cox collaborated with students working in their offices to adapt the training to be less gender-biased.

“It was important to [us] to communicate to our community that every person can be part of the solution and that every person can be a victim,” said Cox.

In 2014 policy changes to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), victims of Title IX violation dating violence such as stalking or sexual harassment have more control in the course of disciplinary action following a report. Upon request of a “student victim” of an off campus Title IX violation, LBCC Equal Opportunity Coordinators have the responsibility to take action, where previously the only option for a victim was to report to the police if they had experienced harassment or assault off campus.

Stalking has been part of the refocusing of VAWA laws. Stalking has been “more prominent” than sexual harassment cases at LBCC according to Cox, and usually when a high conflict situation occurs it stems from dating gone bad.

“We’re a microcosm of our greater community. . . every criminal that exists in our society goes to school here just like every great person that exists in our society. . .Each person is responsible for his/her choices or actions. We can never excuse our own behavior or conduct by saying we were only responding to someone else's choices,” said Cox.

Future plans for a more hands-on training approach towards dealing with student health and safety issues depend on funds. The federal government creates mandatory laws regarding student health and offers no funding for colleges to swiftly implement them.

“We made a budget proposal; request for a full-time educator to develop outreach activities and workshops on topics of student health, in partnership with Human Resources, Public Safety, and Student Affairs. That position would cost $60-75,000 per year. It is not likely to be funded this year, as there are so many other urgent student needs and positions in line for consideration,” said Cox.

In 2009 there was a series of student health workshops starting on Valentine's Day resulting in a mere three student attendance. The lack of student involvement on this subject hasn’t changed. During winter term there were 700 students invited to an advisor event orienting around student health subjects, but only seven students came. About 99 percent of students did not follow up on the opportunity.

“We would like to see more education and engagement of students in many issues of student health: Drugs, alcohol education, employability skills; development of communication and problem solving skills,” said Cox.

Where to Report:

Lynne Cox’s office, Assistant Associate of Student Affairs (for student vs. student) in Takena Room-107B

Scott Rolen’s office, Human Resource Director (for student vs. employee): rolens@linnbenton.edu

Public Safety: Red Cedar Hall Room-119

Safety

Report a Complaint 

Sexual Harassment Qualifications:

Unwanted verbal or nonverbal behavior by third party or one who is directly involved.

Creates a hostile environment (makes people uncomfortable).

Interferes with person(s) ability to perform their work/duties safely and effectively.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to: comments, slurs, jokes, symbols, innuendos, cartoons, pranks, physical harassment, etc., which are derogatory on the basis of Title IX policy characteristics.

An Organic Campus

                                                      An Organic Campus

Linn-Benton Community College has one-upped traditional cafeteria food.

It may come as a surprise to find that most of the vegetables in the LBCC food system have actually been grown, organically, here on campus by fellow students and instructors.

On such a small campus one might wonder where a garden could possibly fit, however slowly but surely this well kept secret has been growing for the past 11 years since Stefan Seiter planted the sustainability program on a small west side, one acre plot out past the volleyball courts.

But the garden is growing and the goods are being noticed. "We have an herb garden, annual fields, perennial trees and shrubs, two unheated greenhouses, sheds and a rain garden" reports Miriam Edell, the year round supervisor of the garden. Miriam helps students with the over all maintenance procedures for organic farming and gardening, as well as working with work study individuals "giving them opportunities to learn about garden maintenance, such as mowing, mulching trees and fields, making compost, general clean up, watering and weeding."

An article published in the Gazette Times on May, 11th 2014 by Steve Lathrop, reveals that although "the demand from the school is small" those working in the garden - Seiter, Edell, horticulture and work study students - still provide a hearty amount of produce to not only the culinary arts program at Linn-Benton, but also to the student body and community by means of a small, once a week farmers market here on campus.

The opportunities that come with the garden and green house are widespread, one of which includes providing a hands-on learning environment for students participating in the new Profitable Small Farm certificate program, which started this past fall. In addition to scholastic opportunities for students, there is also a community field for members to work on, and summer positions available as well.

Whether you have any experience working with plants, trees and animals on a small or large scale plot of land, the LBCC Organic Garden offers a student ground-up learning opportunity to get their hands dirty, mind clear and immune system boosted, not to mention be able to enjoy seeing and tasting the fruits of their labors enjoyed here on campus.

For more information on how to get involved with the garden, keep your eyes out for the Horticulture Club Profile in the Commuter next week, check in with work study and or contact Edell or Seiter in White Oak Hall.





At A Glance:

What: LBCC's Organic Garden and Green house
Where: West Side of Campus in Albany Oregon
Who's Involved: Horticulture students and instructors, community members, Horticulture Club
What's Growing: Perrenials, herbs, vegetables, trees
Utilities: Green house, rain shed, shed and green house
For more information:
 Miriam Edell: edellm@linnbenton.edu WOH 123
Stefan Seiter stefan.seiter@linnbenton.edu WOH 124
Horticulture Club President: Sunny Green sunny.green.2279@mail.linnbenton.edu