Bird feeding at Linn-Benton

On Feb. 10 in the LBCC courtyard near the Hot Shot Cafe, bread was thrown into the quad to feed the birds. A concerned student revealed the real danger that bread brings to birds.

“Feeding birds bread can cause a deformity called angel wings,” said Rosa Calabrese.

Angel wing, also known as slipped wing, crooked wing or drooped wing, is a condition of ducks, geese, and other wild birds causing the last joint of the wing to twist. As a result, the wing feathers point out and do not lay smooth against the body.

Birds with angel wing are stripped of their ability to fly, losing their main line of defense. Those affected are often unable to escape predators, and can be maimed or killed. Additionally, when life-threatening weather conditions develop, they are unable to migrate and can starve or freeze to death.

Many people have grown up with the idea that feeding birds and ducks at the local park is a fun interaction between human and animal. However, this isn’t the truth. It’s a serious issue, and it should stop.

“There needs to be a distinction between the animal world and human world,” said student Vishwajeet Singh.

It is important that interactions between humans and animals be neutral, and be harmless to both parties interacting.

In the courtyard students and staff share benches on a sunny day to take in some rays. With nature all around, it’s only natural that a bird or two fly by. Without better knowledge about the harmful effects to birds, as a society, we are killing birds without realizing it.

“Bread is deadly to birds,” said Lina DeMorais, student and Chintimini Wildlife Center volunteer.

A better solution to limit the birds in the courtyard would be to feed them in the outer trees around campus, which helps keep the birds in the best natural environment possible. If students and staff welcome birds into the courtyard and allow feeding to happen, birds will become comfortable and start building nests where they shouldn’t and teach their young to eat human-food.

Not only would nests impose on natural and human habitat, but more birds can cause damage to cars, property and potentially to students and staff.

A Glimpse of Evolution

Birds. Where did they come from? How did they get here? How long have they evolved on Earth? On Feb. 11, former Linn-Benton student Jon Perry presented the evolution of flight in Forum 104 from noon to 2 p.m.

Evolution describes the accumulative change in the gene pool of a population or species over the course of many thousands of generations. The process contains mutation, natural selection and genetic drift.  

The Chintimini Wildlife Center’s Raptor Conservation Program was at the event along with the birds they care for. Volunteers Kathleen Dodge, Sarah Dilley, and Zach Heesch brought along a bird species each. Dodge presented the turkey vulture, Dilley presented the merlin falcon and Heesch presented the sparred owl.

According to National History Museum, birds evolved from Archaeopteryx who lived 150 million years ago in today’s southern Germany. This means birds evolved from dinosaurs.

The turkey vulture, also called buzzard, gets its name because it resembles a wild turkey when on the ground. They can find decaying mammals by smell as well as by sight. When threatened the turkey vulture will hiss.

“They aren’t known as a glamour bird, but they certainly make up for it with their boisterous personality,” said Dodge.

The black merlin falcon are small, fierce falcons that use surprise attacks to bring down small songbirds and shorebirds. Medieval falconers called them lady hawks.

The sparred owl is a cross between the barred owl and the spotted owl. With this “hybrid” bird, the existence of the spotted owl has decreased significantly.

During the discussion Perry showed a video that he created about evolution called, “What is the Evidence for Evolution?.” It unveiled the evolution of cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Cetaceans are closely related to the present day hippopotamus, and all evolved from an ancient four legged land mammal. From the time of conception a whale will carry the offspring in a placenta, then deliver with a live birth and nurse the baby whale.

Not only do cetaceans have similar birthing to land mammals but they’re warm blooded. Unlike the average fish with gills, whales have fully developed lungs like humans. Many whales also have hair similar to land mammals. Simply put, they’re mammals.

The present-day land mammal that resembles a whale is the hippopotamus. There are differences and similarities between the two. One distinct difference is that whales are carnivores and hippopotamus’ are omnivores, eating both plants and animals.

For more about evolution check out www.statedclearly.com.  

Vape Pens Pt. 2

Vape pens at Linn-Benton are a topic of discussion. The policy states that vape pens are to be used at designated smoke shacks throughout the campus, however students continue to vape elsewhere.

“I don’t think vape pens should be treated like cigarettes because they are not the same. No litter, no open flame, and no lingering odor. However it is also habit forming if one vapes nicotine,” said student Dennis Hill.

The campus is on a closed system, which means any potentially harmful chemicals released by vape pens could very well be carried throughout the HVAC system vents to other parts of campus. This is the reason vape pen users are being asked to be vape at the smoke shacks located around campus and why smoking is not allowed just anywhere.

“The college must be in accordance with the clean air and workplace act,” said Jones.

According to SecondsCount.org, “Second-hand vapor, as shown by a recent study, is a health concern for bystanders. Trace amounts of nicotine, flavoring, glycerine, and propylene glycol are present in the vapor the user exhales. People have reported respiratory irritation, nausea, and headaches from inhaling second-hand vapor.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies propylene glycol and glycerine as chemicals that are, “Generally recognized as safe.”

"Vape pens will be treated identically to smoking. People who wish to vape need to use the smoke shacks," said Lynne Cox, associate dean of student development.

Renovating a current smoke shack or building a new vape shack around campus could be an option. However, this doesn’t solve the issue at hand.

“There are no plans at this point to move forward on any of those ideas,” said Dale Stowell, executive director, institutional advancement and foundation.

To build a vape shack it would cost the college approximately $30,000. For an endeavor such as this, it would require the college to plan and get zoning approval. Building a shack specifically for vape users would eliminate a smoking shack for cigarette smokers.

“We know that roughly 20 percent of our campus population are smokers and make frequent use of our smoking shelters on campus. While vaping on campus has increased to a point where it is noticeable and needs to be addressed, there is a concern that the need for a vape [shack] may not be as high as that of a smoking [shack],” said Mike Jones, SLC legislative affairs.

Another option for vape users would be to renovate a current smoke shack.

“The concern from college council members however is that by renovating a current smoking [shack] we will effectively be reducing the available place for smokers on campus by 20-25 percent when they have effectively done nothing to warrant such a drastic inconvenience. Because of this, administration has no plans to renovate a smoke [shack] into a vape shelter at this time,” said Jones.

There are no signs currently posted on campus regarding vape pen use. College council members consider vape pen use already covered in the pre-existing tobacco and smoking policy already established on campus.

There is not an official plan or proposal made to create any signage stating the policy on vape pens. Administration and faculty have been made aware of the campus policy and have been asked to notify students of this if they are observed using vaping products on campus in a non designated area.

Profile: ROV Club at Linn-Benton

ROV’s or remotely operated vehicles are underwater robots that allow a person to control it above the water’s surface. ROV’s are connected to the topside via an umbilical link that houses communication cables, an energy source, and information transfer.

The ROV club is currently in the process of building their own remotely operated vehicle, however there are past ROV’s and one research ROV that club members can look at for reference while at the campus.

Currently at LBCC on Monday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. the ROV club meets in Madrone Hall in Room-114. The advisor for the ROV club is Greg Mulder, physics department chair.

Fellow student and ROV club member Melanie Woodard is the acting president. There are currently 20 people on the team.

“Everyone is a valued member and plays an important role with the building of LBCC's remote operated vehicle,” said member Cat Regan.

Club members can expect to work with a team to develop tools to solve engineering problems.

“Go swimming with a robot, and meet a great deal of talented and passionate individuals,” said member Willis Rogers.

Each year, the ROV Team participates in a competition both nationally and internationally called the MATE ROV Competition. MATE stands for Marine Advanced Technology Education.

“It’s a friendly competition where each team learns and helps each other out with problems they may face,” said Regan.

While attending group meetings the club discusses each sub team’s current project and what the team as a whole is working on. After group discussion, they break off into sub teams and work on current projects.

“We also make jokes, play with lasers, and draw lots of pictures,” said Regan.

There are four separate teams that cohesively work together as a team. Each team has a specific task such as: camera team, collection team, laser measurement team and a propulsion team.

The importance of the ROV club is to research and collect vital information. Without individuals like the members of the ROV club, humanity would still be in the dark when it comes to below the surface.

“ROV students get to learn about the depths of the ocean that no man can reach, due to pressures and temperatures. You can discover new species and learn more about a world that has barely been investigated,” said Regan.

“The ROV club is important because it allows students to work in an engineering environment. It's one thing to learn all the material in classes, but to work with a team to develop something really gives experience we all need. There are not very many opportunities for this type of thing outside of post-associate degree undergraduate work,” said Rogers.

If you find yourself reading this profile of the ROV club, attend the twice weekly meetings, and inform a member of your interest in joining the club. You never know what could be out there in the deep blue sea of knowledge.

For further information please contact Greg Mulder at mulderg@linnbenton.edu

Inclusive Panel Discussion at Linn-Benton

On Wednesday, Jan. 28 LBCC held and inclusive environment panel in the library.

Members on the panel included: Jane Sandberg (moderator), OSU staff member Tay McEdwards, Assistant Professor at OSU Dr. Qwo-li Driskill, student Kamran Ahmed Mirza, and LBCC student and community outreach director for the SLC Wyatt Zuber.

There are several terms used to describe someone whose gender was given to them at birth, and how they assimilate gender such as: transgender, trans*, gender non-conforming and cisgender. Each of these terms are considered an umbrella term.

Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms. Some transgender people are prescribed hormones or undergo surgery to change their bodies. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon medical procedures.

Trans* is another umbrella term that makes a special effort to include all non-cisgender gender identities, including but not limited to: transgender, transexual, transvestite, genderqueer, genderfluid, non-binary, genderfuck, genderless, agender, non-gendered, third gender, two-spirited, bigender, and trans man and trans woman.

Gender nonconforming is yet another term used to describe people whose gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity and femininity. Not all gender nonconforming people identify as transgender; nor are all transgender people gender non-conforming.

Cisgender is a term used to describe people who are not transgender. “Cis-” is a Latin prefix meaning “on the same side as,” and is therefore an antonym of “trans-.”

Transphobia is a term used as a bias or prejudice against transgender, trans*, and gender nonconforming people. Transphobia can be manifested in harassment and violence; exclusions from employment, healthcare, legal protections, or particular communities; or microaggressions against trans* individuals. The term cissexism is often used as a synonym for transphobia.

The panel was brought together to raise awareness of the harm caused by non-neutral environments for trans* and transgender individuals. Several topics were brought up during the discussion, including customer service interactions. Customer service interactions are one of the more serious topics mentioned because everyday people come into contact and communicate with a diverse group of people in the community.

Customer service issues such as cell phone companies have been around for eons. It’s nothing new, however it can be difficult for individuals from the trans* and transgender community. An issue that seemed to be unanimous among the panel was the usage of surnames.  

Pronouns and surnames are a way of identifying and approaching an individual. As children we’re told to use sir and ma’am in reference to people. However, this is a sensitive subject for the trans* and transgender community. Each individual prefers a different set of pronouns and surnames. The panelists were asked what they preferred.

“I prefer they, them and theirs,” said Driskill.

“I prefer females pronouns,” said Mirza.

“I prefer the surnames she, her or them, theirs and they,” said Sandberg.

During the question and answer portion of the panel, personal experiences with customer service, good and bad, were shared. For panelist McEdwards, he would rather the “conflict” between customer and customer service representative be quick and discreet.

“Misgendered? Apologize and quickly move on,” said McEdwards.

Another issue discussed revolved around the public areas in the community. Businesses, restaurants, and doctor offices are just a few places where it’s not necessarily understood how to interact with individuals of the trans* and transgender community.

“An openly dedicated company makes me more comfortable,” said Mirza.

The panelists were asked what it means to them to be trans* and or transgender. One panelist summed it up for everyone on the panel.

“For me, being trans* is about a sense of identity and I have a lot of pride,” said Mirza.

A college community has a responsibility to make everyone feels welcome and comfortable, and is not a place for discrimination. Students and staff on campus share the same goal of education. By understanding individuality, the environment can be more approachable and inviting for those of the trans* and transgender community, and LBCC took a step forward to support that message at last week’s discussion.