NewsPacblog

 “The whole time (I’m) thinking don’t start crying. Holding that back was very hard.”  Kaelynn Carroll is recounting her performance at “LBCC’s Got Talent” in the Russell Tripp Performance Center on Feb. 19. Her song, “In the Stars” by Benson Boone, was “about grief, how he lost someone and being left here while they’re (passing) through a different world. They’re never going to see each other again.” “I definitely went through a lot of hardships during high school. I lost two family members. So being able to sing something very powerful through grief, definitely made me emotional. There were times when I was singing it in rehearsal and I would get emotional and choke up at the end. But being able to embrace that, embrace grief, and get through hardships and know that in the end it’s going to be OK, I feel like that connected a lot with the audience, because you never know what people are dealing with.” “Being able to be in the moment” with the audience, that’s why Carroll lov...

  “One thing about being a musician that I've really come to appreciate and own is that it really is an adventure and no two days are the same. Like bouncing from place to place or having these little epiphany moments here and there,” says musician Chris Rorrer of the band Macrofocus.  “I've just learned to really enjoy the process,” he adds. “There was an inkling that I might be moving back to Oregon, after really cutting my teeth down in LA.”    To which the band’s drummer, Kevin Van Walk, responds with the classic quote: “We’re gettin’ the band back together” to describe the Macrofocus reunion. “One of my absolute favorite musicians to work with,” Rorrer smiles at his bandmate’s exuberance.  The duo have varied musical resumes. Rorrer, along with being the singer, songwriter and guitarist of Macrofocus, has played cello at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Symphony. A favorite performance involved an EDM orchestra – a DJ along with live string...

  Old World, New Talent A punk bass solo about the geologic spectacle of an ancient glacial flood, followed by a primal mash inspired somehow by both Motorhead and Peter, Paul, and Mary. I’m surrounded by sandwiches. Flying fingers belied the bassist’s claim that this was the first time he had played the instrument in five years.  The Old World Deli’s mic is open. The sign-up sheet has been swarmed.  Fairly high profile this was for a warm-up refresher. How fleet would Mr. Bassman's finger fretting be with regular practice? Obtuse backstory perhaps, but swift skill. Another debut performer, Rachel, threatened to lecture the crowd. But only because her previous experience in front of an audience has so far only been professional and educational. I don’t know how she is with a TED Talk, but next speaking engagement she can now threaten the opposite. Should a lecture falter, she can now safely spice it up with her sweet and easy vocal stylings of Nora Jones light jazz. ...

 Vlad Standcescu viewed “LBCC’s Got Talent,” a public performance in front of more than a hundred of his peers, as warm-up practice for his real, most important audience of one – his mom.  Still, Standcescu  got third place in a fierce competition, featuring over a dozen student performers at the Russell Tripp Performance Center on Feb. 19. Running is his sport. Standcescu could maybe use a physical therapist himself, which he plans to be after graduation, as he currently has an injury. Music is a salve during his recovery. Check out Vlad’s music: Vladz_guitar  on Instagram After the talent show Standcescu sat down with The Commuter and explained how and why he wanted to show LBCC that he had talent. “I was in the bathroom and I saw this flyer saying ‘LBCC’s Got Talent.’ That gave me an idea, Oh, I should try that out. It just gave me the mindset, Hey, if I don’t try it, I feel like I’m going to regret it. If I do try it, I tried, you know, even if I do bad, I still ...

 My mom went back to college, and she’s like, hey, you should come do this. It’s really great. And I was like, you know what? I think I could go into animal technology. That seems achievable. We actually started around the same time. And we’re both nontraditional students. It was actually kind of nice having my mom be here because she already got to figure out all of the ins and outs of what you do at college, and I didn’t have to go through that transitional period. But I am seeing those students that are going through that transitional period and the struggling that it takes to do that. I’m grateful, but how can I bring that to these other students as well? Because it’s hard coming back as an older student.  You hear so much negativity about college. It’s gonna be so hard. The professors are gonna be so rough. And that’s actually what stopped me from going when I was younger was the stigma, look at all these barriers.  If you don’t do this, then you’re not gonna succeed...

 I chose to come to LBCC because it’s more flexible. Especially with the two-year system. I also came to LBCC because of the ease of transferring to OSU. I think it’s pretty good with civil engineering, which I’m going for. Plan A would be something to do with urban planning, municipal engineering. Plan B would be material science, if I don’t get into that.  It’s actually better than expected. Because a lot of people have been saying, oh, community college is not how people expect college to be like. But because I’m putting myself (out there) and getting involved in many things like SLC, it has not been boring at all, and I really enjoy it right now. But college, you know, ups and downs. I am starting to feel a bit nervous about homework and all that. I expect everything will get harder. I would like the challenge, but I do feel tired sometimes. For my next term, I already checked out the course schedules. I have to wake up around probably 6 to commute to Albany from Corvallis...

 I came to LB because I’m a nontraditional student. I was in the workforce for a long time, specifically in geriatric care. I wanted to advance my career prospects, whether it be through direct care in nursing or policymaking in public health. That’s why I chose LB because it’s really good for working students. It’s a much different, a much better experience. I went directly into a university the first time around. I was younger. I didn’t truly know what I wanted, and so I jumped around a lot. I also didn’t have the focus and the drive that I do now. I find that I’m a much better student now, than I was back then. I’ve had really good experiences with the teachers here. They’re very helpful. They’re very accommodating, which is really nice, especially if I’m, like, away for a leadership conference with the Student Leadership Council. (SLC) has been fantastic for me and for my development. Because I have tried to lead teams before, and I tend to be a bit of a doormat. I don’t like t...

 I have a real desire to help and to make a difference and I’m very involved on campus as it is. I’ve made quite a few friends and talking with the student body I realized that my place here is in student leadership because I know that I can make a difference here and that being on that team, working with that team in a collaborative effort, we can make a big difference here on campus.  That’s just something that I’ve always strived for is always trying to be the voice of those who can’t have their own. That’s what I’m all about. That’s what I choose to represent in the SLC is those students’ rights, services, protections that are guaranteed to you in your constitution. We have an obligation to uphold those, and it’s not something I take lightly. I am the current president of the LBCC Command Zone, which is the Magic the Gathering Club that’s on campus. I am also in Garden Club. I am in Art Club. I am in AV Club. I am in Cheese Club. I’m in Video Game Club. The list kind of go...

I’m actually from Oregon. I grew up in the Willamette Valley generally. Then I ended up moving to California. I’m relieved to be back. It was wonderful to be with my family out there, but I missed Oregon. I think Oregon’s in my heart. Definitely happy to be back, even if it means more rain. And a looming vitamin D deficiency.  LB had the tuition program for bordering states, where I could receive in-state tuition. That’s a wonderful program. I was able to come back here. I came to do surgical technology. I’m now doing studio art, which is a much better fit for me. I have always been so passionate about creating and always considered myself an artist. I felt really nervous to pursue that. But especially within our Student Leadership Council it has been really encouraging for me to follow through with my passions. And having that community, I realized that now is the best time to do that. I really love to paint. Quite the switch from STEM, but a happy one. Last winter when I was new ...

  Did you know there is a student leadership election? Did you know voting has already started? An email was sent to students to vote in the Student Leadership Council elections. Jaxon Lee, Lia Schmeck, and Rebecca Thomas are running for president. The vice president candidates are Vayne Lim, Jaymie Poujade, and Ross Zinck. (Profiles of the candidates are on The Commuter website under Campus News.) “Student leadership, we’re relatively unknown. Students might be familiar with things that we do, but not really who does them. Like, in the restrooms we have the Porcelain Posts and that’s something that student leadership does,” said presidential candidate Schmeck. “Or like the vending machines, it was SLC who made that donation to get the vending machines on campus, but they might not know who SLC or student leadership is.  “I think that’s important, knowing what you pay for and knowing who we are, because we try to provide these services that are made to support the students.” “...

“Give em’ hell Janelle!” the audience yelled.  The call-and-response chant was initiated by the first black member of Congress from Oregon; Rep. Janelle Bynum entered office in 2025. LBCC’s Tripp theater was half full on a rainy Saturday morning, Feb 7. “Mike Johnson knows who I am now. I wouldn’t say we’re besties,” said Bynum, a Democrat. “I told Speaker Johnson it’s Black History Month and I’m going to be all over you this month.” Befitting the aggressive rallying cry, she added, “I’m your fighter and you send me into battle every Monday.” “Last year I went to D.C. I got to talk to Janelle Bynum there,” LBCC Student Leadership Council Legislative Affairs Director Will Vellinga said later. “The education pieces she’s very supportive on. It’s great to be inspired, but right now I need results.”  U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden also attended the town hall. He is the longest-serving senator in Oregon’s history. The Atlantic has called him “The Lonely Hero of the Battle Against the Surveill...