Active Minds Activating Hearts

LBCC’s chapter of the Active Minds Club proudly hosted Lynn Bain and her Suicide Prevention presentation to the Albany LBCC campus on May 22.  

Room 206 in North Santiam Hall facilitates learning and last Thursday was no exception.

Lynn Bain, lead 35 students and faculty through her presentation, that both reassured and informed each person in the room that there is hope when dealing with suicide issues. She stressed that getting involved is the answer.

” My son took his life when he was 19. Even though I had been trained, and worked as a counselor for 20 years, I didn't recognize the seriousness of his situation. Since 2002 I actively sought out training in the field, and as a department we started offering workshops on campus. We also formed a Suicide Prevention Coalition on campus comprised of faculty, staff and students. Our goal was to organize activities to spread information about suicide prevention campus-wide,” said Bain.

Mark Weiss Initially Contacted Bain on behalf of the Active Minds Club to organize a time and place to conduct the suicide prevention presentation.

Weiss is a part of the career services department here on campus as well as an a active member of the Active Minds club. Weiss “pitches in from time to time” helping organize events for the club. Weiss had some words to share regarding his concern around the issue of suicide.

” First, and foremost, that suicide is all too common at colleges and universities throughout the country, accounting for over 1000 student deaths per year. Second, that most suicides are preventable, if a) someone reaches out to the student who is suffering, and 2) there is awareness of how to get help.”

Bain provided the group with a multitude of educational resources including links to http://www.halfofus.com/  and also refurred the assembily of staff and student to the Active Mindes web site http://www.activeminds.org. both of which provide information regarding suicide prevention.

Bain has taken tragedy from her life, and refocused it into educating students and peers as to the complex issues that surround suicide. She emphasized  Recognizing warning signs and that offering help can prevent suicide.

“ My hope is that we all can be more comfortable discussing the subject of suicide, and mental illness in general. Mental illness is treatable - and suicide is preventable.  Where there is help, there is hope,” said Bain.

The active minds club meets once a month on the albany campus. The next meeting for the group will be at noon May 30. in room 107 of the North Santiam Hall building.

Something is wrong here

                                                   Something is wrong here!

The Commuter has been able to secure an interview with the student who is at the center of a situation that took place while he tried to use one of the computer labs on campus.

The intent of this interview is to shed light on an ongoing situation on campus. We at The Commuter will let you, the readers, decide what to think.

Q. Can you tell me about the situation? (what happened)

A. I was headed into the learning center computer lab when Mike Smith pulled me aside to tell me to “pull up my drawers because he could see my crack.” I looked back at my rear end and felt that my pants weren’t unacceptable, and my boxers weren’t showing. He claimed to be personally offended by my pants and told me I could either pull up my “drawers” or go work somewhere else.

At this point, I was offended.

I asked him how was it that he was offended when: 1. After I walked in the lab he wouldn’t see me again until I left and 2. My pants were not even low enough for his allegations to be true. He also made a statement about “keeping his labs safe.” I asked him if there was a school policy, conduct, or dress code that I was violating and he said that by not following his request that I was indeed violating school policy. I told him that if he is denying me access to the lab due to a personal preference or opinion that I was going to go ahead and do my homework.

So I walked into the lab and sat down to start my homework. He followed me in, and told me to get out. At this point there were other students around watching. I told him that if he could give me a legitimate reason why I shouldn’t be able to do my homework in the lab, I would leave. He said, “oh come on, you know why.” I said, “no I don’t, so tell me why I can’t sit here and do my homework. He failed to produce a reason again, so I asked a few more times to get my point across. I wanted it to be known to the people around me what this guys’ reasoning was. He went and got his supervisor, a guy named Shay, who came in and pretty much said he wasn’t completely aware of the situation but he knew that a disagreement had taken place and that I needed to leave the lab. I told him the same thing I told Mike, that it was bullshit and there is no reason I should not be able to do my homework in the lab. He (Shay) told me that if I didn’t leave, he would call security. I told him to do whatever he felt necessary because I wasn’t leaving until I finished my homework, so he left and called security.

5-10 minutes later I finished my homework and got off the computer. When I walked outside of the lab and grabbed my water bottle off of the table, Mike, Shay, another guy and a lady were all standing there looking at me. Someone asked me what was going on and I told them I had nothing to say and I was waiting for security.

Security got there and he was rude from the start. He asked Mike what happened, and then told me that it wasn’t an unreasonable request and I explained that I felt it was. He asked me for my Driver License or school ID and I told him that I didn’t have either but I had my student number. He then accused me of lying about the identification, but I had in fact forgot my wallet that day. Then he tells me more than once that I am not allowed in the computer lab and I needed to leave campus, so I told him the only reason I was still there was I was waiting for him to arrive, and that once he finished “repeating” himself I would leave. He then said, “that’s it. You’re suspended.”

Q. How do you feel about going to school at LBCC?

A. I honestly loved this place and felt pretty comfortable here, but after this I don’t really know how to feel. The school has taken action to help me get through this unfortunate situation, which I am really happy about because I wasn’t expecting any support. I feel really good about some aspects but really bad about others; the situation still happened and I can't just forget that.

Q. What has been the outcome of the situation to date?

A. I had a meeting with and have talked to several people who appear to be fighting for me. I did miss a really important day of school do to this, but thanks to the dean I am able to make it up and the suspension has been erased from my records.

Q.  Tell me how you feel about the way you were treated?

A. I’m still pretty furious about the situation. I also learned later that the same guy made a previous outrageous allegation, stating that the day before that he could see my complete bare butt as I was walking out of the learning center. Blasphemy.

5. Was there anyone involved during the process of advocating for your student rights?  

During the process, not at all. No one cared what I had to say and they all were defending the faculty member. Saying things like, “the request isn’t unreasonable.” And just taking the staff’s side automatically.

6. Were you suspended for the interaction?

Yes, I received a 2 day suspension for the incident. The second day I knew I couldn’t miss another day of classes so I went to school and contacted Lynn Cox, Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

7. How have you been dealing with your personal feelings?

Ive been trying to stay positive and not think about it too much because every time I do, I feel anger start to build. It is a bit of a challenge still attending this specific school just because I know all the money I have to pay to go here and these kind of things happen. It makes it a little bit better hearing that there are people fighting for me from a lot of different angles, but I guess I just have to wait to see what kind of actions are actually taken.

North Santiam Hall blooms for annual art show

Linn-Benton Community College’s Annual Art Show took place last week on Wednesday, May 7, in the North Santiam Hall Galleries.

This year, 43 students submitted 115 different works of art to be judged by their peers. Sixteen different students received awards during the reception, which was held on the second level of the North Santiam Hall’s art gallery.

Claire Denning was awarded Best in Show for her charcoal drawing “The Hang Man.”

This year’s Presidents Purchase award went to Kayla West for her clay sculpture “Reef.”

“This art show gives students an opportunity to get real life experience displaying their work,” said Johnny Beaver.

Beaver won three different awards, including an award from Studio 262 in Corvallis.

Sarah Melcher won three different awards with her “Lips On Fire” piece.

“The whole [NSH building] was full of art!” said Melcher, adding that she would be entering again next year.

The exhibit will be running through June 6, so make sure to get down there and admire some beautiful art.

Career Connect with Career Connections

Student Affairs employees in the The Career Centers of Linn-Benton Community College, work to accommodate students who are thinking about their futures.

Offering career direction counseling, academic advising for undecided students, and also providing students a better understanding of the job application and interview process, are some of the main interests of the Career Center.

Along with providing help building cover letters, compiling resumes, and the opportunity to network with possible job opportunities via job matching, students and alumni can take a hands on approach to securing a future that utilizes the skills acquired during their education.

The Albany Career Center, is introducing a new job database tool called Career Connections, that in the form of software, helps transition LB students into the workforce by matching the students skills to actual employers’ needs.

Initially acquired through the $18,679,289 Credential Acceleration and Support for Employment (CASE) grant in October of 2011, Career Connections has been slow to gain recognition among students on campus; that should not reflect the potential of this interactive tool though. As student use of the program becomes more frequent, employers/staffing agencies will come to rely on LBCC’s new system to fill positions available in their operations.    

As the CASE grant came to an end this December, LB staff are transitioning the program from the CASE team to the  widening array of tools available to students in the Career Center. Lynne Cox, Associate Dean, Student Affairs said,

“We are one team of Students Affairs employees who equip students for their careers, help them find their career vision, providing training in personal growth and employability skill development, as well as provide counseling, academic problem solving, crisis intervention and referral, and a database matching students with employers in our community.”

If you are a two year program student, getting registered with the new software is recommended by the start of your second year.  Student who are registered with the new program are afforded the opportunity to see what the job market actually looks like in a real world setting. Being able to find job placement after school is an issue that the Career Center focuses on each and every day. Whether it be a small adjustment or a complete overhaul to your educational plan, the folks at the Career Center are ready to help. Student Success Specialist Justin Chin said,

“There is no prescribed time to enroll, but as a students get closer to completing their programs and degrees at LBCC, the sooner they can connect with employers and the labor market, the better.”

Janeen Phillips is one of the Student Affairs employees available to students in the Career Center. She specified some of the goals for the department by saying,

“Future plans for Career Connections include: 1) improving connections with LBCC faculty and Career Connections so they can encourage student participation, 2) advocating for participation in Career Connections to be included in the job search curriculum of college programs, and 3) enhanced marketing to alumni students.”

Contact The Career Center via phone at 541-917-4780 or be sure to drop by their office located in Takena Hall on the Albany campus.

 

So Trashy

Pick up your trash. Push your chair in. Be thankful. These are just a few normal operational characteristics on this campus. At times, I wonder if i might suffer from a mild case of OCD, to become as irritated with table tops littered with some assholes lunch remnants, or when I watch a staff worker in the Learning Center do the chair mombo every ten to twenty minutes pushing chairs back into their rightful place.  

Upon further consideration and confirmation from my girlfriend, it is safe to say I am far from an orderly fellow. I contribute my fair share to the mess here on campus. The mess that other people are tasked with cleaning up. The human beings that clean each bathroom, hallway, and room in our building, work tirelessly to make sure our campus is not the pigsty a majority of our fellow students strive for each and every day.

Although I may not be OCD, it is verifiable that I am a creature of habit, and in so I have an established way of doing things. I arrive on campus at 7:30 a.m. every morning. I find myself greeted each morning by the gleam of a new opportunity, reflecting up from the floors of Takena Hall. I can’t help but think each time,  “ whoa somebody needs a raise.” Everything from the papers on the countertops, to the liners in the trash cans, seem to have been magically reorganized like a seen from the Disney classic “Fantasia.” I stop off to get coffee and head to my math class.   

By the time I wrap up my educational needs for the day, I pack my bag and signify my pending exit with a sigh. My walk most times starts in the Learning Center. I usually don’t notice what transpires around me during the day because of my machine like focus (har har) but at the end of the day when most students have filtered away, I can’t help but notice the bits and pieces of crap that have been left behind after a long day. They are on the floor, they are on the table tops, and there is no one left in the room to pick them up.

I meander through the upper corridors of Takena Hall and see how all but a few of the table tops have been mistaken for trash receptacles. I traipse down the stairs and head for the front doors to catch a bus home and that is when (on most days), I come face to face with the magical force that I often ponder in the mornings upon arrival, broom in-hand and the look of determination chiseled into her face. I say, thank you and good job.