Not-so-hot White Chocolate Mocha

A cup of joe to go

Coffee has been a staple in the American kitchen since the 18th century. It is no wonder that a Starbucks or Dutch Bros. can be spotted on nearly every corner of every town.

According to a study done by Google, “More than 50 percent of Americans (or about 150 million people) drink coffee every day.” “That amounts to a daily consumption of more than 330 million cups! This makes the United States the most coffee dependent country on Earth.”

More and more coffee is making an appearance in the classrooms. Students rely on the caffeine to keep them going to make it through class.

Linn-Benton has two coffee shops: Hot Shot Café and the Courtyard Café, and in the bookstore they have Boyd’s coffee available.

“I go to a coffee shop at least three times a week,” said Taylor Beecher, a Linn-Benton psychology major.

In the Hot Shot Café they have a variety of coffee concoctions to fulfill any caffeine fanatics craving. The most popular drink they serve is their white chocolate mocha with raspberry sauce.

“It is good and sweet,” said David Harold, LB student and barista.

Being from the Bay area Beecher didn’t grow up around Dutch Bros. She had Starbucks and she preferred an iced caramel macchiato because it has a real coffee flavor.

If a coffee isn’t your thing then Karla Ledesma, LB student and barista at Hot Shot Café has a personal favorite: a dirty chai. Ledesma recommends a white chocolate mocha for the coffee lovers out there.

According to National Coffee Association, “Great coffee starts with great beans.”

Stay warm with a cup of joe this holiday season while on campus or on the go.

The Written Language

Sarah Mosser: Breaking the English barrier one student at a time

Linn-Benton lives up to its name as a community college. It does so by welcoming students from all walks of life.

The English Language Learner Instructional Assistant, Sarah Mosser, came to Linn-Benton in September 2014. She is also a part-time instructor teaching a course fall term: Applied Learning Strategies. ELL stands for English Language Learner. Students who don’t speak English as their primary language at home come to Mosser for assistance.

In the Writing Center Mosser is available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Mosser’s education began at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pa. She then moved to Oregon to receive her Master of Rhetoric and Composition at Oregon State University.

There is a wide variety of languages Mosser experiences on a daily basis: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.

“The languages are more diverse than we realize,” said Mosser.

Mosser focuses on the writing process: brainstorming, content, organization, and grammar. Her goal is to take the instructions the instructors have given to the students and help them make sense to the students who might not comprehend them because of a potential language barrier.

Repetition and feedback is an important factor in Mosser’s work. It is imperative that each student receive assistance that is helpful to them specifically. Being able to help them and make it easier for them to understand is all in a day’s work for Mosser.

“Sarah loves working with ELL students, and I think they feel her interest and support. Because of her training, she is better able to explain complex issues of grammar like the many rules guiding article and preposition use,” said Victoria Fridley, writing center coordinator. “She is also aware of some of the specific struggles that may stem from the differences between English and the ELL student's native language, as well as some of the cultural differences regarding composition styles and structure.”

Mosser expressed fulfillment in being available to help students achieve a better understanding of the English language. She doesn’t like to see students struggle by themselves in a foreign language such as English.

“Students have been really eager and willing to learn,” said Mosser.

Hotel Transylvania 2 Movie Review

Three years after the first frightful thrills, Sony Pictures Animation brought the “Hotel Transylvania” crew to the big screen for more laughs.

Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Jonathan (Andy Samberg) zinged in the first “Hotel Transylvania.” It is only natural for Sony Pictures Animation to create a wedding scene in the beginning of the second film. Soon after the marriage scene between Mavis and Jonathan comes baby Dennis (Asher Blinkoff). The film has a decision to be made: is he going to be a monster or a human? Mavis has to make a decision, and it will affect her son Dennis’ life drastically.

This sequel had plenty of relatability to today’s parental issues in society. With so many decisions to be made, it is no wonder this film was created as it was.

The film featured a mother’s wariness about leaving her child with a grandparent or anyone else for that matter. Being able to leave a child with someone isn’t easy, regardless of the trust factor. Parents experience all kinds of emotions from the moment of finding a sitter to the moment they leave the child with the sitter. It can stir up feelings some didn’t even know existed. “Hotel Transylvania 2” did a good job depicting this between the anxious mother Mavis and the relaxed “vampa” Dracula (Adam Sandler).

“Hotel Transylvania 2” also had some seriously funny moments throughout. Those who have seen the first film will remember Dracula repeatedly saying that he doesn’t say blah, blah, blah. In a scene in “Hotel Transylvania 2,” Mavis calls to Dracula and Jonathan to come quickly to find out that Dennis has said his first words: blah, blah, blah. Dracula isn’t pleased by this one bit. Mavis and Jonathan deny teaching Dennis this word.

Another memorable scene is Dennis’ delivery. Dracula wasn’t allowed in the delivery room, but of course he wouldn’t allow that to stop him. He dressed up as nurse Francine and in the room he went. Mavis knew his true identity the whole time. The funniest part of that scene was when a male zombie nurse came up, sprayed mint breath spray in the mouth, and tapped “Francine” on the butt. Dracula turned so quickly toward the zombie and that poor zombie nurse didn’t stand a chance. He said, “My bad.”

Another scene that can’t go without mention was when Mavis insisted that her father Dracula have the hotel baby-proofed. There were witches with corks on their noses, knights with corks on the tips of their swords, and a baby gate at the bottom of a staircase that leads to an abyss of darkness. Then the construction guy who just put in the baby gate stood there in shock. It was some seriously twisted humor.

The film really brought family life into perspective. Dracula was consumed by keeping his daughter Mavis and grandson Dennis at Hotel Transylvania. While Mavis and Jonathan went to California to find a potential location to live, Dracula took Dennis on a journey to find his inner monster. Along the way they have adventures, and in the end, Dennis finds his monster.  

For a ghoulish delight checkout “Hotel Transylvania 2.” It will definitely bring out the laughs in a family night out.

DIRECTOR: Genndy Tartakovsky

STARRING: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, and David Spade.

PRODUCTION: Sony Pictures Animation

GENRE: Fantasy/Action

RATED: PG

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5  

Halloween Office Contest

Linn-Benton faculty in the spirit of Halloween

Across the campus offices could be seen decorated in the spirit of Halloween.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Linn-Benton faculty participated in a Halloween office-decorating contest.

There were multiple offices across campus competing for the win, such as Albany Community Education, Admission and Registration, College Advancement Foundation, Human Resources, and Healthcare, LB iLearn, and Business Employer Service.

Each office had a theme: The Body Shop, pirates, circus, retired superheroes, and a haunted office.

Albany Community Education was The Body Shop. Holding down the shop were Melissa Richey as the evil clown, Chris Nystrom wearing a chest full of knives, and Emily Jerderlinich as Dracula.

The Community Education office welcomed guests with the sound of haunting music and a body hanging from the ceiling in the center of the office. On the counter sat three boxes with mysterious concoctions inside. If guests dared to place their hands into the boxes, they possibly found out what lay inside.

Admissions and Registration were ready to set sail with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Located in Willamette Hall was a mini circus. Beyond the front desk there was a tight rope, balloon animals, a fortune teller, a Barbie doll missing a limb, and a shadow wall with dark creatures.

The Calapooia Center was transformed into The Faded Powers Rest Home for Tired and Retired Super Heroes. These folks were too kind to haunt anyone. There was Bat Woman, Hulk, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Catwoman, Super Old Girl, Auntie Biotic, and the Nurse.

Just beyond the brightly lit hall lay the dark and spooky human resources office. At the counter was the previous Diana Ward. She wasn’t herself -- she was a zombie now. Off in the distance were skeletons, DJ Kronstiner and Tess Cox. Even further back, in the dark office lit only by a monitor, sat dressed as Dracula, Deana Culbertson. Out from the shadows stepped Hannibal Lecter, Scott Rolen. Spiderwebs hung from the ceiling. Bloody hand prints painted the wall above a row of graves. There was even a gelatin brain with a scoop to serve up the tasty treat.

This year’s winner of the Halloween office decorating contest, drum roll please: Human Resources. The prize is a headless RoadRunner trophy which will remain with them for a year. The trophy carries the responsibility of being next year’s judges. This year’s runner up is the office of Admissions and Registration.

Trolley of Terror

Haunts of Albany come to life

Tales of a bird lady wandering halls, twisted nurses, and dark shadows in the windows send shivers down the backs of passersby.

Historic Albany has a bone chilling history in the moonlit night.

On Friday, Oct. 23, the Trolley of Terror in Albany got its ghostly start well before the witching hour. The tour began at the Historic Monteith House Museum on Southwest Second Avenue. The first trolley ride began at 6 p.m. and the last ride was at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, there were four additional rides available for the Trolley of Terror at varying times. Friday, Oct. 30, will be the trolley’s last ride until next year. Muhaha.

The Trolley of Terror was brought to the city of Albany by the Monteith Historical Society. It is a fundraiser with proceeds from the trolley rides raise funds to maintain the historical pioneer home.

“This is a fundraiser to help maintain the Monteith House Museum, preserve the artifacts in the collection, and to continue to provide educational opportunities for the community,” said Amanda Pool, Monteith Historical Society volunteer.

The funds collected during the three days of spooky fun help to continue providing free tours to local school children and the public, as well as other projects that help tell the remarkable story of the Monteith family, and the brave pioneers who helped build Albany.

Oscar Hult the trolley tour guide. He had a mischievous laugh while he welcomed everyone aboard the trolley. All dressed in black with a top hat to match, Hult was summoning something frightful for that evening’s tour.

First stop was the Pfeiffer House Bed and Breakfast. A woman heard footsteps in the hall and a voice of a woman. Her son was sleeping in the basement at the time, so she was all alone upstairs. She didn’t know what to do! She tried to ignore the footsteps and the voice, but couldn’t. Not long after she woke up to a back rub and shouted out, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” Whoever or whatever it was left her alone.

Next door the Pfeiffer House is where the green lady, “the witch,” is said to live. And in this same neighborhood the specter of a dog with glowing red eyes roams, howling.

Apparently Albany had its very own “Bird Lady” some time ago. The Dawson House was home to a woman who had several birds. It was said that she even let the doors stay open so they could come and go as they pleased. The house was covered in bird droppings and smelled awful. The Dawson House has been known for sightings of the “Bird Lady” still wandering in the halls and tending to her birds.

Across the street in Fred Dawson’s house, a young boy was placed on the dining room table and his leg was amputated. The boy young died not long after the amputation. There have been sightings in the yard of a young boy running and playing, but he has both legs. Peculiar.

The Baltimore House is a blue victorian with a spirit of a woman in black clothes who walked through people during a current residents party one evening.

The N.H. Allen House is said to be haunted by laughing and screaming. After the house went up for sale and sold, renovations began. During the renovations shocking discoveries were made. Chimpanzee skeletons were found inside the walls! It has been said that previous owners had three chimpanzees and left them to roam free, only coming to feed them.

There is a twisted nurse who is said to haunt the halls of the Hochstedler House. She assisted the physician, however, her work didn’t end when the doctor’s shift ended. Her ghost has been seen with a tray of what could be nurse’s tools, perhaps.

Just beyond the yard is the previous Willamette Valley Hospital known as the Barnes House. Some say they can still hear the screams of past pet patients.    

“For Your Gifts,” located downtown on First Street., is haunted by an evil presence. “For Your Gifts” is a gift shop with lovely little trinkets and such, but beware a dark shadow that may throw a trinket or two your way.

The Trolley of Terror concluded at The Monteith House.

“Be careful while stepping off the trolley now,” said Hult. “Don’t want to add you to next year’s story now, do we?”

It was a candlelight tour of the home where Thomas and Christine Monteith lived so long ago. It was dark, musty, and unlike any home of the modern world. The candlelight tour began in the parlor where our tour guide Pool shared a personal story about a door in the room.

The tour group made its way up the narrow stairs to the first bedroom and listened to stories about the Monteith’s and the room. Just down the hall to the left was Thomas and Christine Monteith’s bedroom. It had their headboard from when they were married in the room and a few other original pieces from when they were alive. It felt as if they were there watching the tour.

Across the hall was the third room. On display was the dress that Christine Monteith wore during the mourning of her husband. Behind the dress was a crawl space. Where it goes, no one knows.

All throughout Albany there are frights to be had, screams to be heard, and ghosts to be seen. If haunts are your delight, creep on over to Monteith Historical Society and Albany Oregon’s Visitors Association for a spooky historic venture.  

Shake, rattle and roll

Linn-Benton participates in The Great Oregon Shakeout

“Attention please. Attention please. LBCC is participating in the Great Oregon Shakeout. This is a simulation of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Staff and faculty, please continue with the reading of the simulation script now.”

The drill announcement was initiated over the PA system. There was no alarm actually sounded to alert staff and students. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Linn-Benton staff and students participated in a campus-wide earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m.

During the Great Oregon Shakeout, Margarita Casas, foreign language instructor, was just beginning her Spanish 101 class.

The facilitator for Casas’ class was Jonah Koerner. After the PA announcement was finished, Koerner read a script to simulate the effects of a 7.8 earthquake.

“We are having a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. The ground is shaking. Glass is breaking. There are loud rumbling noises surrounding you, books are falling, ceiling tiles are falling, lamp fixtures are falling, and power is flickering. The pipes may be breaking, and water running. The objects hanging on walls are falling off, projectors and screens could be falling, and the walls may be bending inward,” said Koerner. “Those around you will be screaming and panicking. This could last two to five minutes; but it will seem much longer.”   

“Earthquake drills are important reminders for the geologic area we live in,” said Matt Helget, history student.  

Oregon is located off the Juan de Fuca plate subduction zone, making it susceptible to earthquakes. An earthquake of a 7.8-magnitude would cause devastating damage.

Once students were aware of the quake strength they were faced with the effects a 7.8-magnitude earthquake could cause, the facilitator Koerner led a brief discussion regarding the first steps, directives, and to look around the environment to see what hazards think staff and students at LBCC might face during an earthquake on campus.

“It has been probably 20 years since my last earthquake drill in high school. Though I know educational facilities have the drills, when I was working we had no such drills, so I had forgotten the protocols,” said Helget. “Also, the protocols are different; I remember standing in a doorway was an okay place to be, but now is not.”

After the earthquake drill concluded and the discussion ended, students mentioned it was helpful; however, some were concerned regarding safety in the classrooms.

“Just looking at how classes are set up though, maybe the college needs to look at the security of the projectors to the ceilings seeing they’re over work tables and desks,” said Helget.

The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes, and to improve preparedness.

There were over 550,000 participants this year in the Great Oregon Shakeout.

Student turned instructor

There's a new Instructional Support Assistant on campus

Brie Wood’s journey at Linn-Benton started over a decade ago. She has had different roles over the years, and all have been in the same room the “Math Classroom”: student aide, instructional assistant part-time, Math 20 instructor, and now instructional support assistant.

At first Wood wanted to become a pharmacist. She started her college education in 2002 in the Pharmacy Technician program at LBCC.  

While taking classes, Wood found out she enjoyed math just as much as she was good at it. She made the decision to switch from the Pharmacy Technician program to pursue mathematics in 2003.

During her time as a student, Wood began work as a student worker in 2004. She helped at the math angle, one-on-one tutoring, and math help desk at the Albany campus, Benton Center and Lebanon Center.

She graduated with her Associates of Science in Mathematics from Linn-Benton in 2007.

Wood graduated from Oregon State University with her Bachelor’s in Mathematics in 2009.

In January 2010 Wood started her teaching career at LB. As an adjunct faculty working 20-25 hours a week. As well as being an adjunct, she continued helping at the math angle and the math help desk.

“I could always count on Brie to be exceptionally patient and kind to students. She has a confidence and an ability to explain math concepts that students appreciate,” said Vikki Maurer, mathematics instructor.

Spring 2015 was the last term Wood worked as an adjunct faculty. Linn-Benton welcomed the new Instructional Support Assistant in summer 2015.

“I’m really enjoying it,” said Wood. “I like that this position lets the student get to know you really well, and then the students feel comfortable enough to come back and ask questions.”

Wood’s position allows for students to come in outside of class time for one-on-one help. and enables instructors to have the necessary materials prepared for lecture; and Wood is available to assist in training future aides for Math 20.

“She readies the classroom and supports the instructors in a variety of ways,” said Maurer. “I feel fortunate to have such a competent, bright, capable, creative instructional assistant. Brie is awesome!!,” said Maurer.

RoadRunners win in pink

Team raises awareness for breast cancer

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the RoadRunners wore pink shirts during their game Oct. 2 against Mt. Hood.

Audience members wore pink in the form of headbands, shirts, and shoes. People in attendance were definitely “digging” pink in support of LB volleyball and the fight against breast cancer.

The admissions fee, concessions, and donations totalled $223.71. The funds went to the Side-Out Foundation.

The Side-Out Foundation started with a coaching job, a second diagnosis of breast cancer, a high school volleyball team, and determination. Dunetz created the Side-Out Foundation to reach other athletes and cancer patients. Through the foundation’s events and education, he brings hope and energy to the breast cancer cause. And it all began with one magical season.

The Side-Out Foundation’s October event brings together volleyball players across the nation to raise funds for breast cancer research, demonstrate the power of teamwork, and show support for people with the disease. The events are supported by middle school, high school, and college students nationwide.

Funds raised for The Side-Out Foundation go directly to its own cutting-edge clinical trials at renowned medical institutions.

After Friday night’s game Linn-Benton is on a three-match win streak

Mt. Hood scored the first point; however, LB didn’t let them get too far, and within seconds, scored and didn’t look back.

The first set of the match the RoadRunners ended with 25-8 in favor of LBCC.

The RoadRunners were quick on their feet and fast to spike the ball over the net.

“We did really good and kept our intensity,” said freshmen Chase Bohman.

In the first game freshman No. 8 Alyvia Sams dove for the save to score the RoadRunners another point putting them at 11-4 against Mt. Hood.

During the second game the RoadRunners got a second wind and won 25-20. It was close. Both teams were in the game with all hands on deck.   

“We did very well,” said Malie Rube. “We played a very dynamic game.”

In the final set of matches the RoadRunners focused in and really drove the game home. Final score for the third was 25-12.

The RoadRunners kept the same energy and pressure on Mt. Hood throughout the match, shown in the consistent scores throughout the game.

“We’ve been focusing on small details and discipline,” said Coach Jayme Frazier.

Due to the tragedy at Umpqua Community College last week, the UCC volleyball game will be hosted at LBCC at 6 p.m.