FEBRUARY 10, 2016 FEB. 10, 2016 COMMUTER.LINNBENTON.EDU [email protected] FEB. 10, 2016 PAGE CAMPUS NEWS 2 CAMPUS NEWS PAGE 3 LOOKING FOR A HOME? BATTLE Benton Habitat For Humanity Seeking program based on the following criteria: for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat Families with Housing Need Corvallis, for Humanity International. We are a February 2, 2016: The application process • Have a need for adequate community based 501(c)(3) nonprofit FOR LOOD for Benton Habitat for Humanity’s next shelter. organization working in Benton County, B Cover Credit: Partner Family Selection is now open. • Have financial stability to pay Oregon. Benton Habitat for Humanity's Pictures & Concept: Richard Steeves Design: Nick Lawrence The upcoming meetings (below) will mortgage. mission is to bring people together FDA policies conflict with SLC's outline the home that will be coming • Be willing to partner with to make decent homes achievable KIM BucKner & Angel Montes available and the necessary qualifications Habitat & provide “sweat for everyone in our community. The On the cover: lood beats through everyone’s feel comfortable having the blood drives Melissa Chandler - Front of a Habitat Partner Family: equity.” organization is celebrating its 25th year Transgendered students suffer from the provided through the Council of Clubs, Truman Templeton - Back • Are currently a resident of of building hope and homes in Benton Bveins, providing the body with on campus because of the policies for policies which mis-identify their gender. while technically through student fees, Monday, Feb. 15, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 Benton County. County, and will be breaking ground on vital oxygen, nutrients and energy. When blood donations being based subjectively Trans women trying to donate are often due to certain policies is allowable.” p.m. • Be able to verify citizenship or its 36th house this spring. the human body loses more than 40 on someone’s previous sex habits or their classified instead as MSM. Jordan Hagle, former president of GSA The Commuter is the weekly percent of this essential life-force, it dies. sexual orientation,” said Mirza. “There is a heavy impact to HIV and former SLC member voiced concerns student-run newspaper for LBCC, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran permanent residency. financed by student fees and Church at 2650 NW Highland Drive, A vast and never-ending need for Due to the medicinal and perishable stigma,” said Mirza. “You face micro- that a club vying for funding for a blood advertising. Opinions expressed in Corvallis Benton Habitat for Humanity observes donated blood exists in the effort to nature of blood, the FDA regulates all agressions all the time or full-blown drive could be denied at the discretion of The Commuter do not necessarily Saturday, Feb. 20, 10:30 a.m. – fair housing laws and therefore does not heal the sick and injured. Organizations blood drives. Much of the population discrimination, regardless of whether Council of Club members. reflect those of the LBCC 11:30 a.m. base family selection on the basis of like the American Red Cross do is ineligible to donate, including men you’re queer or trans. When you are “It is absurd that this is being brought administration, faculty and students their best to quell this need, but it is a who have sex with men (MSM). Current queer or trans those are only magnified. up; we have funded this for over a of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, Peace Lutheran Church at 2540 race, religion, gender, sexual preference, and cartoons reflect the opinions of Applegate St., Philomath handicap, or national origin. Habitat never-ending battle. Centers for Disease Control and There is ostracizing or other-izing in decade,” said Hagle. the authors. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7:00 p.m. – homes may be built handicap accessible “We are always challenged to meet Prevention data from 2010 shows that the MSM community, specifically as A club willing to tackle the cause of the the need. We estimate that about 38 MSM account for 63 percent of new HIV epidemiological catalysts for HIV.” Red Cross could raise their own funding Letters always welcome. 8:00 p.m. as necessary to accommodate the First Presbyterian Church at 114 family’s needs. Questions? Contact the percent of the population is eligible to cases in the U.S. Hosting three Red Cross representatives for the event, and host them on campus donate blood. About five percent of “Unfortunately the FDA does put at an executive meeting held Monday as a private contractor. Address: SW 8th St., Corvallis administrative office at (541) 752-3354 or The Commuter Office courtesy of email [email protected] HABITAT FOR HUMANIty the population actively donates,” said us in a situation where we are held Feb. 2., the SLC searched for a way to Mirza seemed open to this compromise. Forum 222 Families are considered for the housing Founded in 1991, Benton Habitat Kim Buckner, a district manager for the accountable to them. In the end it really navigate the tricky situation. “We want to find a common 6500 SW Pacific Blvd. biomedical division of the Red Cross. Albany, Oregon 97321 is the safety of the blood supply and According to the SLC constitution and ground of how we move forward and Organized through the SLC, the Red the safety of the people who are going bylaws, student fees can only be used to how we maintain the safe space of a Web Address: Cross holds annual blood drives on the to use it,” said Angel Montes, Red fund all-inclusive events. university or college campus while still commuter.linnbenton.edu LBCC Albany campus. The blood drives Cross district manager. “We have a mission to our students maintaining social-justice-oriented Phone: yield about 300 units, or donations, Montes, a gay man, has worked with in which we state that we will adhere events like a blood drive,” said Mirza. 541-917-4451, 4452 or 4449 of blood. The blood is then divided the Red Cross for 15 years. to a policy of inclusivity if we are using “I feel like it’s important to point out Email: into three components. “When I first got hired, the first their student fees,” said Lina DeMorais, that the GSA is in solidarity with the [email protected] “Through your efforts you are question was ‘What would be the biggest legislative affairs director of the SLC. blood drive movement.” Twitter enhancing the lives of some 900 people obstacle that you would face working for The SLC president agrees that Though the issue is divided, the @LBCommuter throughout this community and the the Red Cross?’ And I said the fact that their continued support of blood SLC realizes a need for the safety and Facebook greater U.S.,” said Buckner. I can’t donate blood,” said Montes. “So I drives on campus is a clear breach inclusion of all students in public events The Commuter CAMPUS This population ranges from am completely on your (Mirza’s) court.” of the constitution. and the life-saving benefits of blood- Google+ elderly to infants. For his entire career Montes helped the “Although we still might be able to drives. It remains unclear what their next LBCC Commuter The blood drives aren’t improving Red Cross and the American Association help with volunteers, other than that any step will be. Question: the lives of everyone in the community. of Blood Centers petition the FDA for a other services we provide for the blood Our Staff VOICE Kamran Mirza, co-president of change in their exclusive policy. drives directly would be a violation What does Valentine’s Day mean to you? Adviser the GSA voiced serious concerns The repeated petitions may have found of student-fee autonomy,” said SLC Rob Priewe about discriminatory policies of success. A recent change in policy has President Candalynn Johnson. the blood drives. allowed a one-year deferral instead of a The SLC still has some tricks Editor-in-Chief Richard Steeves “Realizing there is harmful impacts lifetime ban, giving MSM a chance to up it’s sleeves. to the stigma surrounding HIV in donate if they have been abstinent for “Clubs have autonomy of freedom of Story and PHoto by Managing Editor the queer community, it came to the one year prior to donation. speech that we as student government do EMILY GOODYKOONTZ Melissa Chandler attention of myself and some other But for Mirza and others this policy not. Therefore, they can receive funding,” @SHarKasaurusX students this year that maybe we didn’t change still equates to discrimination. said DeMorais. “The funding would be Photography Editor Marwah Alzabidi News Editors Allison Lamplugh Sports Jason Casey - Editor Lola Naiman Animal Science QUILT OF MANY COLORS A&E Macayla Crandall Kyle Braun-Shirley - Editor Environmental Science Benjamin Scheele “Valentine’s day is a day Former teacher presents quilt to DAC where you can show some- Jordyn Callowa “It’s just a Hallmark holiday. Layout Designer one how much you care Psycholog y Barbara Bessey, former director of Linn-Benton about her project. Nick Lawrence about them.” It’s a good excuse to do Community College’s Small Business Department, “I learned so much from making this quilt,” she something with friends or “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve may have retired last July, but that doesn’t mean said, pointing to a red flag in one corner. “This Web Master family. This year I’m having an Marci Sischo ever celebrated Valentine’s Day.” she hasn’t been busy. one here, for Nepal, it’s the only flag that isn’t a anti-Valentine’s Day party.” For months Bessey has been carefully planning rectangle, and that one, there, it’s from Saudi Advertising Natalia Bueno the perfect farewell gift to present to the Diversity Arabia.