VOLUME 47 • EDITION 26 APRIL 20, 2016 Your Pot Culture Update STARTS ON PAGE 4 LBCOMMUTER.COM [email protected] PAGE CAMPUS NEWS 2 APRIL 20, 2016 CAMPUS NEWS APRIL 20, 2016 PAGE 3 GENDER, RACE, STAFF MEMBErs HONORED AND SEXUALITY Three staff members earn top LBCC awards ThrOUgh POETRY Cave Canem Poet and activist Makalani Bandele visits LBCC Cover Credit: Richard Steeves With a calm demeanor and surreal student Ashley Horne. personality, poet and activist Makalani Some sources he gains inspiration from On the cover: Bandele wanted to create a more intimate are free-jazz and abstract art. Josh Wolfe discussion, so instead of standing, he sat “There’s nothing worse than listening on the stage. to outdated moldy poems,” said Bandele. On Friday, April 15, Bandele visited His advice for aspiring poets is to The Commuter is the weekly student-run newspaper for LBCC, OW ITA OVE LBCC for a poetry reading and held a read contemporary poetry and look financed by student fees and H R D poetry workshop the following day. up the national book winners from the advertising. Opinions expressed in “He is the type of human being that last 10 years. The Commuter do not necessarily lets his soul reach out to other people,” “Let your teachers help guide you reflect those of the LBCC said LBCC advisor Tim Black. when reading someone like Whitman,” administration, faculty and students of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, ADE OETRY Black and Bandele met at Cave Canem, said Bandele. “My favorite poets are M P an annual retreat for African American contemporary poets.” and cartoons reflect the opinions of the authors. poets and writers in Greensburg, Pa. “I’m always playing with music During the college in-service day, on Vickie Keith, an administrative Career and Counseling Center Center Letters always welcome. “I held myself back,” said Black. “I was structure and film structure, approaching Tuesday, April 12, LBCC announced assistant for LBCC Student Services was faculty member Mark Weiss’ selfless terrified I wasn’t black enough to attend how a painter approaches a painting,” Address: the faculty winners of the Distinguished also honored with the Pastega Classified service to LBCC was recognized with the MATTER Cave Canem, until I met Makalani.” said Bandele, who describes his work as The Commuter Office Staff Award and the two winners of Excellence Award, receiving $1000. Keith Distinguished Staff Award. After over 25 Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove was awarded OSU’s 2016 Originally from Kentucky, Bandele “non-conventional avant garde.” Forum 222 the Pastega Awards. has been working with the college for 17 years supporting students in achieving 6500 SW Pacific Blvd. Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement was making his second trip to Oregon. Through his poetry, Bandele hopes LBCC mathematics faculty Roger year, and was awarded for her meritable their academic and career goals, Weiss “I love this part of the he will be able to help people’s minds Albany, Oregon 97321 Maurer was honored with the Pastega service to both students and staff. will retire this June. he put on her glasses and took a sip Dove continued, swaying side to side country,” said Bandele. become a little freer. Web Address: Faculty Excellence Award, winning of water as a full room of students, as she read. Funding for Bandele’s visit came “I’m not a reader of poetry at all commuter.linnbenton.edu $1000 for his dedicated service to S professors and poetry lovers sat waiting to One poem that stirred the emotions of from the Student Leadership Council so it was interesting having someone Phone: the college and the students for the 541-917-4451, 4452 or 4449 hear her speak. the audience was “Parsley.” and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance read their poetry and hear his creative last 25 years. Club. They accepted $1000 for views on music and art,” said LBCC Email: “Thank you, thank you everyone here. The poem is based on the Dominican [email protected] I feel like I have come home,” said Rita Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo, known his honorarium tickets. student Zebedee Ira. “It was a new Dove. “This is the spirit of a community for the “Parsley Massacre.” In 1937 The English Department and the experience for me.” Twitter @LBCommuter I belong to.” Trujillo had an estimated 20,000 Haitian Benton Center each gave $100 to help Bandele likes to challenge language On Thursday, April 14, former U.S. immigrants massacred, with hopes to rid cover the cost of his workshop. and the status quo. He believes readers Facebook The Commuter Poet Laureate Dove was awarded Oregon the Dominican Republic of “foreigners.” “It always strikes me when I hear people want poetry to be disruptive just as much State University’s 2016 Stone Award for Soldiers carried parsley and approached introduce me as an ordained minister,” as they want it to follow the rules. Google+ said Bandele. “You wouldn’t expect some LBCC Commuter Lifetime Literary Achievement. anyone they thought to be Haitian. “In order to change the status quo, it OSU’s Dean of Literary Arts Larry They were asked to pronounce “perejil,” of the topics I talk about.” must be disrupted,” said Bandele. “A lot Our Staff Rodgers kicked off the evening with a the spanish word for parsley. If they He explained how writing on of contemporary poetry wouldn’t have CAMPUS short film that he described as “what couldn’t pronounce the “r” correctly gender and sexuality helps answer his happened if it weren’t for deconstruction.” Adviser the essence of Rita Dove has done they were killed. own questions by putting himself in His workshop went further into Rob Priewe for our community.” This particular poem took Dove seven a situation where he’s able to learn explaining the difference between more about himself. conventional and non-conventional Editor-in-Chief The film showed students from OSU years to write; part two of “Parsley” is Richard Steeves VOICE and surrounding Corvallis high schools called “The Palace.” “The writing process forces me to think poetry. He also gave exercises to help creating different works of art inspired “I had to enter into his mind even about it,” said Bandele. write abstract poetry. Managing Editor by Dove’s poetry. though I didn’t want to,” said Dove. Bandele’s writing process is interesting. “This really made me think about Emily Goodykoontz 4:20 Are you going to celebrate? Question: OSU President Edward Ray had the Dove also read poems from her book He uses a series of word play exercises thinking differently,” said LBCC student Photography Editor honor of presenting the award to Dove. “Thomas and Beulah.” that help keep his poetry abstract and Paige Kosa. “Your thoughts can go all Marwah Alzabidi “There’s something about poetry that’s “‘Thomas and Beulah’ was the book non-conventional. over and that’s okay, especially if you’re magic,” said Ray. “Poetry is language at my grandmother made me write,” “I am more concerned with the way communicating for emotion.” News Editor Melissa Chandler its most distilled and most powerful.” said Dove. “She was dead by the time a line sounds than its meaning,” said A special announcement was made I wrote it.” Bandele. “Sound is very important Sports to guests about Dove’s “Collected Dove introduced her poem “Canary” to me.” Jason Casey - Editor His writing process involves paying Brian Hausotter Poems 1974-2004,” which isn’t set for describing it as “if her daughter were to release until May. fall in love with a mediocre artist.” At attention to the types of images that A&E Norton Publishing Company released certain parts in the poem laughter carried are being created and “taking control” Kyle Braun-Shirley - Editor dozens of copies to Corvallis` local across the room. of the poem. Story and Photo by Benjamin Scheele ALYSSA CAMPBELL Steven Pryor book store, Grass Roots, especially for She also read “The Bridge Tower” from “I just love freedom of expression; this occasion, giving Corvallis first dibs her latest poetry book “Sonata Mulattica.” it’s very energetic and real,” said LBCC @alyssafayec Layout Designer Caleb Forrest in the country. It was about a mixed violin prodigy who Nick Lawrence Jasmine Beatty Business Administration Nancy Lasater “She is a poet that thinks of was around the same time as Beethoven. Business Administration Web Master Business Administration everyone,” said Rodgers. “Rita Dove’s Ending the evening with newer Marci Sischo “Indifferent; I’m not going to stop poems matter.” poems, Dove gave credit to her students “I don’t really like it. anyone, I have friends that use.” “I think it’s fine. Dove began by speaking on the for the inspiration. Editorial Assistant I don’t care what Hannah Buffington It’s long overdue.” efficiency of literature in response It was an evening that won’t be everyone else does.” to Robert Pinsky’s essay “Does forgotten by all who attended. Wrapping Social Media Editor Poetry Matter?” up the event, the room stood for a round Marina Brazeal She talked about all of the people from of applause. Dove thanked everyone and different walks of life who sent her mail prepared for the book signing. Poetry Editor Alyssa Campbell with suggestions on “how to bring poetry “Laughter is a powerful uniter,” said into American culture” when she first Dove. “There’s room for everyone under Contributors became poet laureate in 1993. this wonderful canopy of poetry.” Allison Lamplugh Katherine Miles Next Week’s “What they wanted was to say they Moriah Hoskins were hungry for what poetry could do for Morgan Connelly Topic: them.