LBCC picked for HP grant

LBCC has been selected as one of 10 colleges in the United States to receive a $284,000 Hewlett-Packard Innovations in Education Grant.

The grant will consist of HP technology, cash, and professional services, including wireless HP Tablet PCs, HP DesignJet printers, and remote access to HP Blade Workstations – all of which will be used to teach students and equip the new science building that is scheduled to open in January 2010, according to an LBCC press release.

The grant, which is designed to address the need for more students to pursue and complete high-tech undergraduate degree programs, comes on top of a previous grant from the National Science Foundation that provides each student up to $10,000 of scholarships for for studying math, physical science, engineering and computer science.

Instructors in physical science, engineering and computer science will work together to develop a coordinated set of classroom activities around the technology, to improve the computing skills of students and offer them a path from high-school, through community colleges and into university science and engineering programs.

“It’s kind of an exciting project,” said Greg Mulder, grant coordinator and LBCC Physical science instructor. “ I have wonderful colleagues here at LBCC, all with great ideas … the grant from Hewlett-Packard will allow us to share and coordinate our best classroom activities in order to give our students the best educational experience possible and prepare them for challenging and highly rewarding careers in science and engineering fields.”

Mulder said that the proposal was put together by a group of instructors over spring break via e-mail and that LBCC was the only community college chosen.

“Innovation is key to expanding educational opportunity and HP is privileged to collaborate with educators around the world who are committed to exploring the exciting possibilities that exist at the intersection of teaching, learning, and technology,” said Worldwide Program Manager for HP Global Social Investments Jim Vanides in a press release.

In addition to students at LBCC, middle and high school students throughout the region will have access to workshops and activities using the equipment provided by the grant.

For more information about the 2009 HP Innovations in Education, go to www.hp.com/go/grants.

(Photo Credit: MCT)

Hurling: give it a whirl.

Do you feel like you might want to hurl? A nursing student at LBCC can help you.

Dustin Herron is the founding member of the Benton Brigade, a local hurling club that is sponsored by Block 15 in Corvallis. The club is searching for new members, and will hold a workshop for those interested on Thursday, May 28, at 1 p.m. on the LBCC football field.

Herron says the sport is a great option for people who may be looking to get active and compete in a way that is an alternative to traditional sports.

“It’s a good sport if you want to pick up something new,” Herron said."It’s challenging… because it incorporates so many different skills, but once people come and play they’re hooked.”

According to the Gaelic Athletic Association’s Web site, Hurling is an ancient Irish sport that is played with a small paddle-shaped stick (called a hurley) and a small ball with raised ridges (called a “sliothar”). Points are scored by smacking the ball with the sticks, or the hand, past a goalie stationed in a netted goal (for three points), or up over the cross bar and between a set of goal posts (for one point).

Herron and his teammates move gracefully around the soccer fields in Willamette Park. They crisscross through a row of orange cones while balancing the ball steadfast on the flat side of their hurleys. They strike the ball off of the ground like in hockey. They strike the ball out of the air like in baseball or cricket.

Another member of the Benton Brigade, Mark “Wingspan” Mills, feels the sport is a challenge and joined up because he found the nature of the sport to be so interesting.

“It’s a mixture of soccer and lacrosse, among other things, and it’s a lot of fun,” Mills said.

To generate interest, members of the Benton Brigade stand in a small patch of grass between the main stretch of the Corvallis Saturday market and the Willamette River. They use their hurleys to volley the ball back and forth and invite onlookers to give it a try. According to Herron, the move has worked and he has given out a few of his cards – a white business card emblazoned with a skull and two hurley sticks as cross bones.

The Benton Brigade, which was born last June when Herron came across the Portland area club’s MySpace page, currently holds two practices a week — one of which is in the soccer fields at Willamette Park on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and one on Sunday at Avery Park at 2 p.m. All that are interested are encouraged to show up and join Herron and his teammates.

A game has been scheduled with Columbia Red Branch (Portland area club) for June 20, and Herron and other team members are working to get a club started at Oregon State University so they can compete with other club teams that exist in the Pac-10 conference. In addition, a tournament is being planned in Corvallis for the first week in October and has generated interest from clubs in Texas, Wisconsin, California, New Hampshire, and Maryland.

“We’re not just getting together, hitting the ball around for awhile, and then going out and drinking beer. We are actually pretty dedicated,” Herron said.

(Photo credit: Max Brown)

LBCC Budget Reductions

As result of what state economist Tom Potiowsky calls “Oregon’s deepest recession since the great depression,” LBCC administrators continue to try and bridge the school’s budget gap.

In a series of campus wide e-mails over the past two weeks, Marlene Propst, director of college advancement, listed proposed fee increases, reductions in activities, and reductions in personnel, explaining that over the next few weeks even more would be announced.

On Wednesday, May 20, at an LBCC board meeting, Rita Cavin will recommend a number of fee increases for the school to help reach a target revenue of $164,490.

FEE INCREASES

Late payment fee increase = $30, 500

Payment plan fee increase = $23, 860

Agency/third party fee increase = $4,630

Distance education fee = $51,000

Increased application fee from$25-$30 = 27,500

Increased ABE/GED/ESOL enrollment fees from $25-$30 = $27,000

To reduce part-time faculty costs, there are several activities that will be cut for next year for a savings of $81,141.

REDUCTION IN ACTIVITIES

The cancellation of Math Awareness Week and math regional skills contest

The reduction of clinical section in nursing

The reduction of offerings in Business and Employer services.

The waiver of Science, Technology, and society AAS degree requirements for the 09-10 academic year.

Reduction of two photography lab classes (previously reported)

Reduction of two writing classes that produce the Ezine. (Previously reported)

Eliminate financial support for faculty to participate in innovative student recruitment efforts

Reduce release time for faculty involved in educational quality projects such as assessment, a preading project with developmental studies, general education assessment.

REDUCTIONS IN PERSONNEL

Arlie Bell, computer lab specialist 1, will be taking early retirement on July 1.

Risk management clerical specialist 3 position reduced to .5

Office of Disability Services secretary 2 position eliminated

Food and Conference services has been hit hard by the personnel reductions — an action necessary, according to Propst, because they have operated at an annual loss between $160,000 – $200,000 a year. In addition to a previous decision to reduce operating hours at The Courtyard Café, to reduce part-time hours, and to eliminate a food service worker 3 position, Propst explained that additional reductions in personnel are needed to enable food services to operate without generating a deficit for the college.

REDUCTIONS IN FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL

Food Service Worker 1 position eliminated

Retail assistant position eliminated

Food service worker 2 position

Accounting specialist position eliminated through early retirement (Irene Allen)

(photo credit: tednmiki @ flickr)

Get those Clips: Work for the Commuter

Dear future journalists,

As some of you may have heard, I have been appointed as editor in chief of the Commuter and will begin by overseeing the Web site over the summer.

I call out to those of who maybe considering a career in journalism and ask that you get involved with the Web site this summer and with the new printed version that will debut next fall. By working for the Commuter, you can obtain the crucial skills (and clips) needed to make it in this field.

Starting this week, I will begin interviewing for all editor positions -- including managing editor, photo editor, online editor, news editor, a&e editor, sports editor, and opinion editor. Also, in addition to the editor positions, I am looking for cartoonists, columnists, photographers, and news reporters. Tuition credits may be available.

To obtain an application, see the Commuter's faculty advisor Rob Priewe in his office (F-112) or stop by the Commuter (F-222).

Hope to hear from you,

Ryan Patrick Henson

(Photo Credit by by seychelles88 @ Flickr)

Legal eagle says legalize drugs.

Years ago, Jim Doherty was a prosecuting attorney, and put people in jail for their use of drugs. Today, he says we should legalize those drugs.

Last Wednesday in F-113, LBCC’s Democracy Club sponsored a speech by Doherty, a legal consultant and representative for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. He believes that drugs and drug addiction are a social and medical issue, and that they should not be handled in the criminal justice system but with a regulatory and educational approach.

“A lot of people, myself and the other members of LEAP, who worked as drug enforcement agents and as undercover agents, worked for years thinking we could fight our way out of the problem. It just doesn’t work,” Doherty said.

According to Doherty, the war on drugs has done nothing to curb drug addiction, and that we spend nearly $61 billion a year of taxpayers’ money. He used examples of the United States’ attempt at alcohol prohibition, and the current situation in Mexico, to make the point that criminalization fuels the black market, creates an opportunity for huge profits, causes wide spread violence, and fills our prisons with people caught on non-violent possession charges. Despite the government’s efforts, he says, “drugs are cheaper, more potent, and as accessible as ever.”

“It’s not like drugs are hard to get. For some kids it’s easier to get marijuana than it is to get cigarettes,“ Doherty said. “So, what have we accomplished with our drug war? We aren’t keeping drugs away from people. What we are doing is screwing up people’s lives.”

According to Doherty, his organization doesn’t make specific recommendations for the nature of the regulatory policies needed, and that states will need to experiment individually to find out how they can establish a policy that reduces the harm and helps protect their communities.

He asked those in the audience to think about what would happen if drugs were available in state stores and state medical clinics. He says that, if heroin were available at state medical clinics, addicts could get pure doses so they do not overdose and would have access to clean needles, helping prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C. In addition, the move would put a stop to the illegal drug industry.

“What’s going to happen [if drugs were regulated]? The drug dealers are going to be out of business. The black market is going to be gone,” Doherty said.

The key to stopping drug abuse in our country, according to Doherty, is not by throwing people into jail, but by shifting the money from the criminal approach to more counseling and rehabilitation services for the addicted and more educational resources for our youth. Right now, Doherty said, we are spending 20 times as much on criminal costs than on rehabilitation.

“As a society we need to help people if they’re abusing drugs, and we are not helping them if they are going to jail. We are de-socializing them,” Doherty said, “If they aren’t criminal when they go into jail, they come out as criminals.”

Not all in attendance agreed with Doherty’s views, and questions arose to whether or not the costs for rehabilitation were less than incarceration. Another student wondered if these policies would discourage addicts from seeking recovery.

Robert Harrison, the faculty advisor of the Democracy Club, says that what Doherty was saying is a viewpoint that we should consider because so much of what we hear promotes the war on drugs. “I thought this was a way to bring more balance to the issue,” Harrison said.

Check out this link for information about possible changes in U.S. drug policies.

Iraq Veteran Gives Testimony

An Iraq war veteran and LBCC student, Benji Lewis, spoke to a room full of students, staff, and community members, telling them “it is not natural for a human being to take another human being’s life.”

The speech, which took place in the Board Room last Thursday, was sponsored by LBCC Peace Studies and Veterans for Peace Chapter 132 and was part of Lewis’s state-wide “We Can Say No” speaking tour. Lewis, a former Marine, gave a personal testimony that focused on the events that led him to refuse involuntary reactivation and the experiences he had with, what Lewis calls, military and cultural indoctrination.

In order to illustrate a point about the breakdown tactics used by the military, Lewis talked about “water physical training.” According to Lewis, he and his fellow recruits were told that in order to not dehydrate, they had to drink large amounts of water in a short amount of time. If they vomited, they were prompted to roll around on the ground in order to “mop the floor.” Once they all could hold the water down, they sat in a set of bleachers in the heat without anyone around. Because of a fear of the consequences of using the restroom without permission, the recruits urinated themselves.

“I want to bring to light that both of these techniques for breaking people down are what the CIA is using now for torture techniques… we are using these tactics on our own American troops,” Lewis said.

After boot camp, Lewis told the crowd that he was given a number of false promises and that his unit was told they would not be going to Iraq.

His unit was sent to Iraq, however, and served as mortar patrol in the first siege in Fallujah. One day, after Lewis had spent days without sleep, a woman whose family had been killed by his mortar fire asked him for help. Orders from above told Lewis he could not transport her to the Red Cross. She was handed a bottle of water and sent back into the city - “a breech… a war crime,” Lewis said.

Although the incident with the woman stuck with Lewis, What he calls his “Buddha moment” happened during his second tour in Fallujah. While guarding a gate outside of the city, Lewis had to turn away a man because the gates had been closed for the day. The man, angered by this, told Lewis he just wanted to go home and see his family. Lewis looked at the man and told him that there was nothing he could do about it. He told the man that he wanted to go home as well. The man turned to Lewis and said, “ I have this great idea. Why don’t you all go home, and then I’ll go home.”

“This made so much sense to me,” Lewis said to the crowd. “When I came home, I said I was never going to Iraq again because it was madness over there… Americans were dying and Iraqis were dying, for a senseless conflict, for profit, for other people.”

Last October, after being honorably discharged in 2007, Lewis said that he was called back from the Individual Ready Reserve, and knew that he wasn’t going back. He showed up for a physical in Missouri to prove he was fit for duty and to let the Marine Corp. know that he was not going back.

“I fought for my country, now I am going to fight for myself… it was time to fight for my brothers and sisters in the military, to let them know that they don’t have to stand for the injustices that are going on.

Lewis said he publicly refused his activation and began his “We Can Say No” campaign. For a while, he faced court-martial. However, on April 16, while speaking in Olympia, his orders were canceled.

“So, this big campaign has been a huge success. Not only do I get my orders canceled, but also I tell recruiters all the time that I feel bad for them. They are trying to get two people into the military a month, and I am able to talk all these other people out of it,” Lewis said.

(Photo credit: Max Brown)

The Nations First Face Transplant

In 2004, Connie Culp’s husband, Thomas, aimed a shotgun at her face and pulled the trigger. Soon after, he turned the gun on himself.

Miraculously, both of the Culp’s survived. Thomas received minor injuries and is now serving 7 years in jail. Connie was left deformed beyond recognition. She had everything taken away from her. Last December, she got some of it back, becoming the nation’s first recipient of a face transplant.

According to the guardian.co.uk Web site “The shotgun pellets blasted away the middle of her face, removing her nose, cheeks, roof of her mouth and destroying an eye. She lost the ability to breath through her mouth, to eat solid food, to feel a kiss. She was in constant pain.”

For the last few years, in addition to the physical pain, Culp has dealt with the emotional pain of being viewed as a monster. Children ran away from her. People called her names.

Yahoo News reports that on Tuesday, May 5, she unveiled her new face – the result of 22 hours of surgery by a team of doctors who replaced Culp’s face with bone, muscles, nerves, skin, and blood vessels from a woman donor who had just died.

According to Fox News, only seven face transplants have been reported worldwide, with three of those occurring in just the past two weeks.

“I guess I’m who you came to see,” Culp said to the cameras at a news conference at a Cleveland clinic.

In my opinion, Culp's outcome makes me feel as though we are living in the sci-fi future I've waited for since I was a child. If we are able to replace or transplant a face from one person to another, the medical breakthroughs that are to come excite me and make me wonder what else is possible.

(Photo Credit: jacquiscloset @ Flickr)

Iraq Veteran: "We Can Say No"

A Linn-Benton Community College student will speak about his military service in Iraq, and why he refused involuntary activation after being “honorably discharged.”

Benji Lewis, a Marine Corp veteran, who served two tours, including the first siege in Fallujah, will speak in the Board Room (CC103) on Thursday, April 30 from noon to 1 p.m. as part of his statewide “We Can Say No” speaking tour.

“The nature of my resistance was a conscious decision to no longer participate in the makings of empire, to help raise consciousness of service members as well as question the legitimacy of the largest military force in human history,” Lewis said.

Lewis looks forward to his discussion here at LBCC and feels that this is an important conversation to have with his fellow community college students because of the need to address the “realities and the questions of what we, as a society, are asking our generation to do for our interests.”

Doug Clark, LBCC Peace Studies director, feels that this will be a useful experience for students and community members who attend.

“We have a special opportunity here to listen in on and interact with a conversation that is taking place across the country, a conversation about the consequences of people enlisting and serving in the military,” Clark said.

According to a press release from Amanda Shank of the Rural Organizing Project, a co-sponsor of the statewide speaking tour, Lewis will discuss “The Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) system that allows for involuntary reactivation, GI rights, and resistance in general.”

After the event here at LBCC, Lewis will move on to speak in Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tillamook, Portland, and Corvallis.

The event at LBCC is being sponsored by Veterans for Peace Chapter 132 and LBCC Peace Studies. For more information e-mail LBCC Peace Studies: Doug.Clark @ linn-benton.edu.

A day of democracy: the "liberty tree" festival

At the time of the American Revolution, an elm tree, dubbed the “Liberty Tree,” stood near Boston Common and became a gathering place for people to voice their resistance to British rule.

Soon, nearly every town in the Union had their own version of the“liberty tree."

Linn-Benton Community College’s Democracy Club will honor their version of the tree Wednesday, May 6, by sponsoring a “liberty tree” fair in the courtyard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The fair will consist of different political parties, community groups, and campus organizations – some of the groups attending will be the Republican and Democratic Parties, Veterans for Peace, Habitat for Humanity, and LBCC Peace Studies. The groups will set up tables around the courtyard and offer literature, sign up sheets, and other information to students and members of the community.

According to Robert Harrison, faculty advisor to the Democracy Club, the festival is important to students here at LBCC, because it gives them a way to get involved.

“It offers students a chance to see democracy at the local level, Harrison said. “There are just tons of groups out there that are doing excellent work in their communities…we want to expand people's horizons,” Harrison said.

One of the ways some students in Harrison’s politics class can get involved is an open mic that will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The students will speak for five minutes each about any relevant political topic that is connected to a policy.

“It can be local, state, or federal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone takes on an emotional issue,” Harrison said.

Leah Bolger, national vice president of Veterans for Peace, feels that the open mic at the “Liberty tree” festival is a good learning opportunity for student who may be thinking of becoming activists.

“As an activist, it is important to be able to articulate your ideas in a persuasive way,” Bolger typed in an Instant message.

In addition to the open mic and group tables, the club will serve a taco lunch, including chicken and vegetarian options, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Directly after the fair, in F-113, the Democracy Club will sponsor a speech by Jim Doherty of Law Enforcement against Prohibition (LEAP).

According to LEAP’s Web site, their mission is “to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.”

For more information about the “liberty tree” festival, contact Robert Harrison at 541-917-4571.

(Photo Credit: Boston Public Library @ Flickr)

Baldemar Mendoza Jimenez

In the indigenous communities of Mexico there exists a traditional way of life. ‘You help me I’ll help you.’

Baldemar Mendoza Jimenez, an agricultural expert from Oaxaca, Mexico, stood in front of a large crowd in The Fireside room last Wednesday and told those in attendance that this way of life has been nearly suffocated by the North American Free Trade Agreement.

“The situation we find now in rural sections of Mexico, especially in
the region that I come from, we began seeing since the beginning,”
said Jimenez.

In the speech, Jimenez explained several consequences of the policy changes that have arisen since the beginning of the agreement, including the taking away of price guarantees, the promotion of the experimental planting of genetically modified corn seed, and the encouragement of farmers to depart from traditional farming methods and become dependent on pesticides.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Web site,
NAFTA was established in 1994 to eliminate trade barriers between the US, Mexico, and Canada within 10 to 15 years.

When the prices for the pesticides rose, farmers could no longer pay for them and left their farms behind to look for work in the U.S. or one the bigger cities in Mexico. With the farmers gone, Mexico relies on the U.S. for the import of even the most staple of food items — including beans, rice, and corn.

“One of the big effects of migration is that our community values and our community structure is falling apart,’ Jimenez sad. “What is happening is that our collective sense of organizing ourselves… is getting weakened… we are losing are food sovereignty. ”

Jimenez is affiliated with the Union of Organizations of the Sierra
Juarez of Oaxaca, an organization that has set out to put an end to the harmful affects NAFTA has imposed by teaching farmers how to use traditional farming
methods to restore Mexico’s food independence.

“What is most important to us is to rescue are food sovereignty as it
is fundamental in ensuring are autonomy… are right to decide what we eat, how we organize, how we educate ourselves and protect our
territories,” Jimenez said.

(Photo Credit: Rebecca Martino)

Folk counselor: Mark Weiss Sings

There are two moments in Mark Weiss’s life that make him the person he is today.

In 1964, 14 year-old Mark Weiss stood in the crowd at the Ash Grove, a legendary folk music club in his hometown of Los Angeles, and was mesmerized watching a charismatic musician named Blind Doc Watson finger pick piano, fiddle, and banjo songs on his guitar — something that no one had done before. It was an experience that would stay with Weiss.

“I just thought, oh god, I’ve got to do something like that one day,” Weiss said.

The other defining moment in Weiss’s life occurred years ago. According to Weiss, he was a college dropout and was doing nothing. One night, he attended a therapy group of a psychiatrist he had met. Those at the session agreed that Weiss should go to college to become a therapist of some sort. He became a counselor.

Weiss's coworkers at LBCC's Career Center say that Weiss is an artist all the way and that it shows around the office. It does show as Weiss’s office is a mish-mash of the two main passions in his life. A poster displaying a Woody Guthrie quote shares the walls with his various licenses and diplomas. A guitar sits in the background. A pin with a treble clef and music notes shines on his vest.

“Music is the same as any art form and it is interesting about the parallels between art and counseling… it really is something that allows for great personal expression… and there is something in that personal transformative state that you go in when your playing well and really concentrating that is that is very therapeutic,” Weiss said.

Today, Weiss, the musician, is standing in front of a small crowd at the Benton Center’s Acoustic Showcase with his folk band MC2 and is playing “Alabama Jubilee,” a song that was played by the man who gave him his musical aspirations 45 years ago. Weiss’s fingers run effortlessly up and down the neck of his guitar— the result of a whole life of practice. He has been with MC2 for nearly 25 years, playing local benefits around Corvallis—including a fundraiser to help raise the money to build the Majestic Theater.

MC2 band members Cliff and Cheri Pereira, both faculty members at Oregon State University, say they are unbelievably lucky to have Weiss as a friend and fellow band mate.

“He is the real musician of the group,” Cliff Pereira said.

In addition to the MC2 project, Weiss also plays guitar with a group of bluegrass musicians in the area. The name of the band changes before every show and is decided by the member of the band who did the booking. Also, in 1981, Weiss recorded an album of children’s songs entitled “The Moving, Counting, Rhyming, Up, Down, Left, Right, Look what I got album.” Weiss is planning to re-release it in the future.

Today, Weiss, the counselor, works at helping undecided students choose their major or by helping grief-stricken students cope with the trauma in their lives. Folk music is said to be the music of the people and when Weiss is at his day job he helps those people.

“I grew up in a family where there was a strong value around helping other people in the world and that was one of the greatest callings you could have was to be a service to others. As a counselor, I get to do that… it feels good.” said Weiss.

State of the College Address

In her state of the college address, LBCC president, Rita Cavin, told faculty and staff that, even in the face of current economic turmoil, the college, through careful planning, would move forward.

The address, which took place Friday, April l7 in the Russell Tripp Auditorium, focused mostly on the $60 million gap in the state budget allotted for community colleges and explained that some adjustments would need to be made at LBCC. One of these adjustments includes an $8 increase in the tuition for resident students and a $15 increase for international students.

Cavin explained that, because of the spike in unemployment, the state budget gap is growing rapidly and would “swallow” all of the states community college funding and still leave a budget hole of $3.6 billion. During this time of financial crisis, the college will need to position itself for rebuilding, preserve its uniqueness and values, increase efficiency, and listen to the community for workforce needs.

“This is not a new plan,” Cavin said. “This is how we have responded all along. It’s important to identify what to protect and what needs to change.”

LBCC’s plan to “navigate the economy” will be to use reserves wisely, position for a bond campaign when the community recovers, prepare for more declines in state revenues, reduce cost increases, be selective when filling vacancies, and maintain “discipline until stability and predictability are achieved.” There will also be two budget team meetings each month to evaluate proposals for savings and to monitor finances.

“Doing less and having less money does not mean we need to have less quality,” Cavin said.

Cavin reminded the crowd that money that has been spent cannot be saved and, because the college has used reserves and temporary savings to offer a path for change, the cutback periods would last longer but would also reduce the need for dramatic layoffs.

According to Cavin, this was not the first time the college has faced an economic crisis and that a $53 million cut in 01-02 took four years to recover from. “We are staring at a $60 to $70 million cut,” Cavin said.

The news in the address was not all bad, however, as Cavin pointed out some progresses that have been made at LBCC including efforts made towards environmental sustainability, the approval of a grant to provide health care for low income students, improvements in distance learning programs, and reduced child care and transportation costs for LBCC students.

In addition, the American Recovery and Investment act, a stimulus package that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, would mean increased funding for Pell grants and Perkins loans as well as $2500 tax credits for tuition and related expenses.

(Photo Credit: Gregory Dewar)

Visions of the Holocaust

Linn-Benton Community College’s Diversity Achievement Center brings the horrors of the Holocaust out of the textbooks and on to the movie screen for Holocaust awareness month.

The films, which are part of DAC’s Movie Mondays, will be shown in F-221 on Mondays from noon to 1 p.m. They are free to students, staff, and the community, and will focus on a different theme each month.

DAC Coordinator, Toni Klohk explains that the movies, which are selected from LBCC’s student library, are shown to provide an opportunity for students to socialize with their peers during their afternoon breaks and to learn something new. Free popcorn provided.

“(The movies) are for educational purposes and, although the holocaust is a very heavy subject, one that is emotional, we would like students to come in, relax, and bring a lunch,” said Klohk.

According to a press release, next Monday’s movie, “One Survivor Remembers” is a story about Gerda Weissmann’s survival and liberation after six years of Nazi rule.

Jeff Silverman, in a review for Variety, referred to the movie as “A beautiful story, filled with hope and triumph and (with) an ending that soars beyond imagination.”

Also,on Monday April 20 and 27 the DAC will show “ The long Way Home,” a film that chronicles the personal reflections of the challenges that holocaust survivors faced while trying to rebuild their lives.

“Most people don’t realize that after the people in these camps were liberated they had no where to go,” said Klohk

In addition to the Monday movies, the DAC will also recognize Holocaust awareness month by sponsoring a speech, Alter Wiener, as well as speeches from LBCC faculty Callie Palmer and Robert Harrison.

For more information, contact the DAC at 541-917-4461.

(Photo Credit: Max Brown)

Self Injury

A couple of weeks ago at my work (a drug and alcohol rehab for adolescents), A boy named p___ asks to use the bathroom, and I nod that it’s ok and begin going about my usual task of trying to get the kids calmed down and ready for bed.

So, after what seems to be awhile I'm wondering what is taking P___ so long, I walk over to the bathroom and,right as I'm about to knock, the door swings open. He’s standing in the doorway with a pencil in his hand. The eraser has been chewed off and the metal end is flattened down and shaped into a jagged point. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees me and there is a blood-soaked tissue wrapped around his forearm. Tears are streaming down his face. I am speechless.

P__ is a cutter.

The Mayo Clinic explains that cutting (self injury, self mutilation) is not an attempt at suicide or an “artistic expression." Most cutters cut because they are trying to release some sort of negative emotion, such as anger, fear, or frustration. The sensation of cutting themselves brings a temporary state of calmness and is a temporary coping mechanism for psychological pain. Other times cutting is done for manipulation or to get attention. After the act has been committed, the cutter often feels guilty, humiliated, and the negative emotions return.

According to Mental Health America’s website, of the 2 million people in the US who “Self-injure,” the majority are “teenagers or young adults with young woman out numbering young men.” These numbers only represent the people who have chosen to admit their problem. There are many more out there.

After his wounds were properly dressed and he had spoke to his counselor, P__ laid in his bunk and sobbed. I could hear him asking himself why. I could hear him calling himself names . I could hear the soft undertones of the other boys whispering about what had happened. They were looking for answers. I did not have any. I wanted to help. I didn’t know how.

If you or someone you know suffers from the desire to “Self injure,” there are a number of resources out there that can help. One of the of the more specialized Websites that I found is www.selfinjury.com or S.A.F.E Alternatives. This site offers a lot of information about treatment options and also provides an avenue to a lot more information on the topic in general. The site also directs visitors who may need help to the national “Self Injury” hotline (1-800-Don’t Cut)

(Photo Credit: learnsomethingnew @ flickr)

Slumdog Millionaire

When the lights fade up, Jamal (Dev Patel) is in the hot seat of India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” He has made it through round after round of questions -- a feat so improbable for an uneducated boy from the slums that disbelieving police tortured him between shows, demanding to know how he cheated.

Now, he sits and waits for his chance to win it all. “So are you ready for the final question for 20 million rupees?” asks the show’s host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor). “No, but maybe it’s written, no?” Jamal replies, referencing just how fateful his presence on that stage is.

The general premise behind Director Danny Boyle’s (“Trainspotting”) epic saga “Slumdog Millionaire,” an adaptation of the novel “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup, is the improbable destiny of an underdog -- a poverty-stricken orphan and his chance at glory.

The movie, which almost didn’t get a theatre release (its original distributor, Warner Independent, folded last year) and was shot entirely in India with unknown actors, recently won eight academy awards-- including best picture, best director, and best cinematography.

So, with that said, is it safe to say the movie has somewhat paralleled the path of its protagonist? Or, am I reaching?

Well reaching or not reaching, the movie’s dominance in the award sector can be attributed to its heart-racing pulse, dynamic soundtrack, and the cinematic journey moviegoers take around the tin-roof shacks and garbage-strewn alleys of Mumbai.

The narrative fuses flashbacks with shots of the game show, shedding light on the long, cruel, and sometimes amusing paths of Jamal, his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), and the love of his life Latika (Freida Pinto), and the instances in his life where he learns the answers to the questions that have brought him so far on the show.

The scenes are colorful, larger than life, and sometimes heartrending--as they focus on the dramatic nature of absolute poverty and the struggles the characters face.

In one scene, Jamal swims through the excrement of a public toilet in order to get an autograph from his Bollywood hero

In another, Salim and Jamal nearly fall from the rooftop of a moving passenger train.

The graphic images of the squalor depicted in “Slumdog Millionaire” have the movie being praised by some as an act of righteous social commentary and denounced by others as capitalistic exploitation (London Times columnist Alice Miles called the movie, “poverty porn” )

To all of this, both praise and criticism, I say lighten up.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is a touching modern day fairy tale – both buoyant and magical – and inspires hope while capturing the imagination.

We need not dissect what’s on the big screen in order to get the bigger picture.

(Photo credit: by masterorz -- Flickr)

"On Writing"

When I found out we would be reading Stephen King’s book “On Writing,” I was annoyed partly because I’m not a big fan of his, partly because I had to buy it, and mostly because I have read how-to-write books before and they are all tripe -- filled with jargon and abstract nonsense about coming up with story ideas, writing ten-page character sketches, and developing plot structures…ugh. Besides, I had come to the conclusion that writing is like singing or sex appeal; you either have it or you don’t.

But, when I started to read, I found that King does it differently. The first chapter doesn’t explain how to unlock the treasure chest of stories hidden in my mind or tell me how to write from the heart. In fact, he explains in his forward that most books about writing are “filled with bullshit.” God bless you, King. I think I will read on now.

So, with King avoiding the metaphorical and symbolic jabberwocky that plagues other books of this type, “On Writing” instead is filled with practical examples of what he does before, after, and during “his daily work” of writing. The book has a conversational narrative and is enjoyable to read -- traits I find necessary if I want to learn anything. Here are just a few of the gems King bestows.

Gem one: Write, write, write.

I don’t write nearly enough, and I don’t have a set time for writing-- two things that will change from now on. As for King, he writes 2,000 words every morning and doesn’t get up from his chair until it’s done. He writes on his birthday. He writes on Christmas. He writes on the fourth of July.

“If I don’t write everyday…the tale’s narrative cutting edge starts to rust and I begin to lose hold on the story’s plot and pace. Worst of all, the excitement of spinning something new begins to fade. The work starts to feel like work and for most writers that is the smooch of death. Writing is at its best -- always, always, always -- when its kind of inspired play for the writer,” writes King.

I think its important to note here that, with the exception of a few short stories, I mostly write nonfiction news or feature pieces. Nevertheless, I feel what King says still applies to me. If I’m working on a feature piece, I will write until I am happy with it. If I’m not happy, I will write some more. I will no longer let it spoil on the shelf.

Also, by writing everyday, no matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, I am practicing. I am finding new ways to transition. I am strengthening my vocabulary. If you want to learn to cook, get in the kitchen. If you want to learn to juggle, start throwing some fruit in the air. Whatever it is, you just got to do it.


Gem two: Read, read, read.

I think it is safe to say that King is modest when he says he is a slow reader-- he takes in about 70 books a year. 70. I read about 20 in that time, and, during the school year, I reserve my reading for mostly text books and newspapers, using the excuse that I just don’t have the time for anything else-- so lame. I am going to school to be a writer. Reading should be, and from now on, will be one of my top priorities. I will use King’s advice and listen to audio books, read in waiting rooms, read with food in my mouth, and read before bed. The excuses are over.

As King puts it:

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing…constant reading will put you into a place…where you can write eagerly and without self consciousness…the more you read the less apt you are to making a fool of yourself with you pen and your word processor.”

Gem three: 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%

Formula: 2nd draft = 1st draft -10% was scribbled on a rejected story submission King received when he was senior in high school, and he has heeded this advice ever since. Although some writers are natural “taker-outers,“ King says he has always been a natural “putter- inner.” I am also a “putter-inner. I have a tendency to over explain and to think that adding more will make it better -- like throwing shit on top of a shit pile is going to take the smell away. So, I am making a commitment to try and follow this formula (most of my stories usually go over the recommended word count anyway). From now on, if it isn’t moving the story along, adios.

“What the formula taught me is that every story is collapsible to some degree. If you can’t get out 10 percent while retaining the basic story and flavor, you’re not trying too hard. The effect of judicious cutting is immediate and often amazing -- literary Viagra. You’ll feel it,” King writes.

There are so many more insights in this book There are so many more things I could bring up and mention. Instead of running this on and on, I think I will end by pouncing on one of my favorite passages in the book.

“I never set a single word down on paper with the thought of getting paid for it… I have written because it fulfilled me. Maybe it paid off the mortgage on the house and got the kids through college, but those things were on the side-- I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for the joy, you can do it forever.”

(Photo credit: this is your brain on lithium. Flikr)

Number Two Sold Meth

Since We moved to Corvallis, my girlfriend and I have had an apartment at Sycamore Towers- a funny name really because the two-building complex is only two stories high and in no way resembles a set of towers.

We chose to live here because of the cheap rent and the nearly non-existent application process--a key point in the decision making process due to me not having anything near an acceptable line of credit. The complex is located all the way out Ninth street in the heart of the festering box-store sprawl, which is the closest thing to a ghetto in Corvallis. Anyway, none of this mattered when we grabbed the place. The living arrangement was and still is going to be just temporary.

So, because we knew we would be moving out sooner than later, we never really got to know any of our neighbors on a personal basis. There is the lonely lady next door who feeds all the stray cats, there is the guy who is in the constant state of working on his truck, and their are neighbors across the parking lot who sell drugs.

It's not a hard conclusion to come to-- the fact that the girl and guy in apartment two sell drugs. There is a steady stream of foot traffic coming in and out of the place, nobody ever stays for more then a few minutes, and they all look like the walking dead. The foot traffic has gotten so bad that the fence separating the complex to the one next door has been literally trampled to the ground.

So, I can admit that I have had a semi-obsession with number two and their illegal activities. I’ve been waiting for something to happen. So, to move it along, about a week ago, I’m sitting at my kitchen table typing up a paper for my comparative politics class, and I hear a loud commotion coming from out in front of my apartment complex-- in the direction of number two. Oh,boy.

So, unable to resist my curiosity, I go outside to smoke and see two police cruisers in my parking lot. The officers are out of their cars. One of the cops has his knee on the back of this dude and is pinning him down on the cement. The other cop is searching around by the dumpster and he is yelling."Where did you throw it, buddy. I know you threw something. Where did you throw it?”

By this time, most of my neighbors have come out of their apartments and are all standing around looking at each other. I've called my girlfriend at work and am giving her the play by play. The guy on the ground is screaming mad, screaming that the cops are assholes and he didn’t throw “fuckin nuttin.” The cop has had enough of this guy and pulls his hands up behind his back so he can cuff him.

After the guy is cuffed, they peel him off the ground and put him in the back of one of the police cars. This guy is calling them all kinds of names, names I wont even mention. Just then, an older lady comes out of apartment two and the police instantly ambush her with questions.

She’s telling the cops she doesn’t know who lives in apartment two and, more or less doesn’t know why she’s there, she just is. The cops see through this bullshit and start arresting her instantly. Another cop pulls up and gets out of his car with a white piece of paper in his hand. There is a German Shepard in the backseat of his cruiser. By this time two more cruisers have pulled up —- that makes five.

A motley crew of characters start pouring out of apartment two- there must have been a dozen of them-- along with them is the scruffy dude who lives there. The cops start wrangling them up near the police cars. Then, rwo of the officers, one of which has the piece of paper, head up the steps to the apartment and yells inside. The girl who lives there comes to the door and looks amazed that this is all happening, even though its been going on for nearly ten minutes. The cop shows her the piece of paper and she runs back inside. The cops chase after her. After a couple of minutes, she comes out in cuffs.

When the dog goes inside, I can tell the scruffy dude and his chick are sweating bullets. They know they're fucked.

In the end, im not sure how much was found or how much trouble they got into. I got tired of standing around waiting. I only know they were arrested for selling meth -- at least that is what the guy who works on his truck said. The traffic at number two has stopped. I have not seen scruffy dude or his chick since.

(Photo credit: d70focus)

Will God's Will Pick Up "Octo-mom's" Bill?

Nadya Suleman recently told MSNBC that she believes "God will provide in his own way" for her 14 children -- eight of which were born as octuplets on Jan. 26th.

14. That is two more than the number of players on the active roster of the Portland Trailblazers, three more than the number of players on the starting offense of the Seattle Seahawks.

Well, hopefully God is unruffled with the idea that Suleman received in-vitro fertilization,a process where egg cells are fertilized outside of the womb, after she already had six children conceived by the same method.

She should pray that God's "own way” of providing comes in a monthly living stipend or a blank check, because Suleman professes she has no income, receives food stamps, and plans to "temporarily" raise her children with college loans she'll get when she goes for a masters degree in counseling.

Imagine being counseled by this woman.

Suleman, who was recently dubbed "octo-mom" by tabloids, had both of her fertilization treatments at the same Beverly Hills fertility clinic. The treatments, costing around $48,000 dollars, was paid for out of a disability settlement she received for a back injury obtained while working at a mental hospital.

Well, she may need to return that mental hospital as a patient if she thinks that she'll have enough time to get a masters anytime in the next couple decades, and her idea that student loans are going to provide her enough money to raise 14 children (even temporarily) really just takes astounding ignorance.

The hospital bills of the eight newborn children alone are estimated to cost up to three million dollars. Try to pay that one and still buy your books.

So, as Suleman puts the financial future of her children in the lap of the U.S. Department of Education and the mighty hands of God, I see her children's futures carved out a different way, one that extends past a FAFSA form and falls short of the devine.

Suleman has recently set up a website (www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/) where she displays pictures of her brood and asks visitors for donations. Huh, I wonder if God has a PayPal account.

Also, other then the Web-begging, I see Sulemans children getting raised by public tax dollars, a book deal, a visit to Oprah and Ellen, maybe a reality show on TLC where she lives in a five-acre compound, buys corn flakes in industrial-sized barrels, and drives her children around Southern California in a small bus.

So,I guess the question is will her fifteen minutes of fame be enough to provide a stable future for her children? Well, if not, maybe she could just pop out a few more.

(photo credit: kevindooley, Flikr)

Iraq Veteran Against the War

Benji Lewis laughs when he talks about the trouble he caught from a Marine staff sergeant for a tattoo he got before his second tour, a large peace sign on his forearm. He laughs when he says that part of the reason he joined the military, at 17,was because it was so cold in Minnesota.

Lewis does not laugh when he talks about what war has put him through, during his assignments in Fallujah and Hadita, and the sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and high stress he endured. He does not laugh when he talks about the rocket propelled grenades, the mortar fire, and the fact that he had to kill.

Last October, after being discharged for over a year, Lewis was on inactive reserve and was taking a political science class at LBCC,driven to understand the world events that had such an impact on his life.

One night that October, Benji was woken up by a phone call at 5 a. m. It was his dad. He told him a certified letter had come. Lewis was being recalled.

The next couple weeks were nerve-racking for Lewis. He lived on a diet of mostly coffee, wine, and cigarettes -- results of a previous conclusion that there is nothing good that can arise from war, and he did not want to be part of it any longer.

He decided he would not go back.

The day before he reported to Missouri and proved that he was fit for active duty, Lewis publicly announced at a Winter Soldier hearing in Portland that he was resisting activation due to his convictions. He is set to mobilize June 1st in California.


He is the second inactive reservist, in all branches of the military, to publicly resist activation.

“We are living in a country where things are changing. The war department is now called the pentagon, but certain things do not change. Pride doesn’t change. Greed doesn’t change. Corporate pillaging doesn’t change, and the voice of the people doesn’t change,” Lewis said in his testimony.

Leah Bolger, national vice president of Veterans for Peace, said there were a number of ways that Lewis could have avoided his recall-- one being to simply ignore it and go on living his life without penalty. She admires the courage it took to announce his resistance publicly and the degree to which he has become involved.

“He is now working very hard to make sure that other inactive reservists understand their rights and options and has quickly become an integral part of the peace movement both locally and nationally,” Bolger said.

Since his announcement, Lewis has joined a number of organizations, including Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and Courage to Resist, and the peace studies program here at LBCC.

With these organizations, Lewis participates in outreach for Iraq veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. He is setting up a truth in recruitment program, which hopes to limit recruiters on college campuses and is working on a sanctuary city project in Portland, which would turn the city into a safe haven for soldiers who are conscientious objectors.

In an article Lewis wrote for The courage To Resist Web page, he calls out to other inactive reservists who may find themselves called to a war they feel to be morally wrong.

“We can say no,” Lewis writes.

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey, the Pop Graffiti artist who created the red, white, and blue Obama "Hope" poster, was arrested in Boston on Friday night while on his way to an art premiere. Boston police arrested Fairey due to graffiti that appeared in the city.

This is not the first time Fairey's name has popped up in the press lately. The Associated press has cried copyright infringement on a picture of Obama that Fairey used for the famous image.

In addition to the "hope" image, Fairey is responsible for an image of Andre the Giant with the word "obey" underneath. This image emerged in the 80's and received a lot of cult popularity.

Walk the Line.

On the back dock, the day cooks and day preps are sitting by the dumpsters talking --about the breakfast rush, the lunch rush, the wait staff, and the prep list for tomorrow. Chef jackets are strewn on the backs of chairs and cigarette smoke swirls above their heads. They laugh. They horse around. They're finished for the day.

Through the double doors, past the broken-down card board boxes and walk-in cooler, into the kitchen-- the heart of the beast. The clatter of pots and pans are only drowned out by the loud voices of the wait staff yelling for their orders or the line cooks demanding “ more fettuccini to the line."

It’s the beginning of the dinner rush and the cooks are already "in the weeds." Tickets are coming at a constant rate. Mixtures of sliced vegetables and diced meats are being thrown into oiled sauté pans. Burgers, steaks, and salmon, are sizzling on an overcrowded broiler. Plates of food are spun up in the window as an expo franticly grabs tickets and tries to put together each table’s order. The cooks curse under their breath and wipe their brows with the sleeves of their chef coats. Waitresses blame the cooks. Cooks blame the waitresses. The smell of a burned white sauce fills the air. A waitress carries an overcrowded tray in to the dining room.

Follow the tray through another set of double doors. The guests sit with cloth napkins on their laps and sip from their stemmed water glasses. They slice into their steaks. They stab their salads. They chat inaudibly, about their days, about their lives. A group gets up to leave and put on their coats. Their table is cleared as they walk into the front lobby and out the front door.

As their night ends, others have just begun.

The Final Flight of the Conchords?

Ever since the "Flight of the Conchords" taxied into the terminal and ended its Grammy-award-winning first season on HBO, the fans have waited for the next departure.

Finally, two years later, with cloudy skies on the horizon, the show took off into its sophomore season with the dry, witty, and droll execution that made the first season such a success. Unfortunately, it could be their last flight.

According to an article in The New Zealand Herald, the extended off season can be attributed to the band having to create new songs for the second season. The demand for so much material in such a short time has proven to be a challenge for the band and, because of the creative struggles that resulted, will most likely bring the show to an end.

The show stars Bret Mckenzie and Jemaine Clement playing dimwitted versions of themselves as members of “New Zealand’s fourth most famous digi-folk duo,” The Flight of the Conchords. They are having a rather unsuccessful time trying to carve out a niche in New York City.

The boys sleep in a bleak one bedroom apartment, have no money, and are unheard of to everyone but their naive manager, Murray (Rhys Darby), an overly smitten fan, Mel (Kristen Schaal), and their friend and advisor on all matters, Dave (Arj Barker), a pawn shop owner and self-proclaimed expert on American women.

Murray sets them up gigs in an aquarium, an airport, a laundromat -- only in the day though. New York City is too dangerous at night. As Murray says, “you could be murdered, or even just ridiculed.”

It’s not the dead pan humor or the lovable idiot characters that make this show so addictive. It’s the music. It’s hilarious, and, truth be told, it’s brilliant.

Each episode features a couple of musical interludes that punctuate the scenes and create a stage for the band’s eclectic musical talents. Songs are played in the styles of rock, pop, hip-hop, folk, and reggae.

In one episode from last season, the band uses their music to poke fun at another New Zealand claim to fame- "The Lord of the Rings."

After the boys hire an actor to pose as a record executive, Bret and Jemaine end up dressing as elves and performing a hip-hop song entitled “Frodo Don’t Wear the Ring,” as part of what Murray thinks is a video for the ten year reunion of the movie.

Yo, Frodo, what you doing wearing the ring?
Bling, Bling is that your new thing?
I know it's hard when you're 3 foot 4.
Your little ass so close to the floor.

This isn’t first time McKenzie has dressed up like an elf. In a blog written by Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune, she says that McKenzie actually played a small role in the first and third installments of the Peter Jackson films. His role received a lot of cult popularity from Lord of the Ring fans. The intensity of these fans is the basis for the character Mel.

After the end of the second season, fans of the show may have to buy DVDs, watch online, or download music to keep enjoying the scathing humor and knee-slapping music provided by the Conchords.

However, there is a chance the success of the show will be a muse for the band, providing musical inspiration that will spark more creativity and keep the show alive.

Fans can only wait and see.

The Second season of "Flight of the Conchords" can be on HBO, Sunday night at 10pm.

(Photo credit: leslimiperry Flikr)

Identity theft: update.

This is ridiculous.

When I'm down at the Corvallis Police Ptation, after we have discussed all the details about my stolen debit card, the cop asks me if I want to be put on a list the FBI has created for identity theft victims.

To be on this list, I would be required to remember a password for the next seven years. If pulled over by the police, I would have to give them this password or I would be detained! I understand the theory behind this, but, honestly, who in their right mind would do this.

WOW!

Visions of Trauma: Seatbelts Save Lives

For two days, a man lies on the stiff, white sheets of a hospital bed. His face is dotted with bandages, abrasions and ruby-red cuts. His neck is wrapped in a large white brace. A respirator does his breathing. Until he regains consciousness, the doctors and nurses do not know the full extent of his injuries.


Cindy Roler, a trauma nurse in the emergency room at Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis, pushes a button, removing this image from the projection screen. She explains that the man depicted was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown into the windshield of his vehicle.

Roler is giving a presentation of Trauma Nurses Talk Tough (about saving your life), a “diversional” seatbelt safety course. She explains to the small crowd of participants, who are attending the class to remove seatbelt citations from their record, that car crashes are the leading cause of death in the US for people ages 1-25, and that a majority of the fatalities are the result of head, neck, and spine injuries, which could have been avoided with the use of a seatbelt.

“Without a malfunction, a seatbelt, worn properly, will keep you from hitting your head on the windshield,” Roler explains. “If you’re not wearing your seatbelt and you’re in the front, you’re going to fly into the dash or the windshield. If you’re in the back, you’re going to get bounced around like the popcorn in an air-popper.”

According to co-founder Joanne Fairchild, a flight nurse, Trauma Nurses Talk Tough was developed by trauma coordinator Michelle Haun-Hood, operating room coordinator Andy Burnett, and Fairchild, at Legacy-Emanuel Hospital in Portland in response to a car crash that cost three teenagers their life in 1986. The nurses decided that people needed to be informed about the consequences of risk-taking behavior.

"I wondered why we were letting this happen. The reality is that the human body is fragile and people don't account for that when they are making choices," said Fairchild.

According to Legacy-Emanuel's Web site, there are 10 safety seat belt classes throughout Oregon, and the class, combined with Oregon law 811.210, which requires the mandatory use of seatbelts, has had effective results. The Web site states that, after initiating a safety belt class, Clackamas county in Oregon showed an increase of safety belt use from 17 to 94 percent in six months.

The class at Good Samaritan Hospital, which has been around for five years, also appears to have made an impact.

”At the beginning, there was about 40-80 people in each of the classes. Now, it’s more like 15-20 per class. This seems like a good sign to me,” Roler says.

Throughout the presentation, as Roler brings the images onto the screen, participants turn their heads. They cover their eyes. They groan in dismay. The horrors of the trauma unit are displayed for them to see -- a woman with a broken neck, a man’s head sliced open, the lifeless body of a female driver.

“It’s all about choices and you are in charge,” Roler says.