Lauren's Blog

A Taste of New York

2009-11-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

At A Glance:
Who: Willy McKnight
What: New York Style Sabrett Hot Dog Stand
Why: Bringing a traditional New York hot dog stand to the streets of Corvallis
Where: Outside of Madison Plaza on the corner of 4th and Madison, downtown Corvallis
When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. every Tuesday-Saturday

What better person and place to get a hot dog from than a true New Yorker selling hot dogs in a street stand identical to what you would see in the big city. “If you want a little taste of New York you can find it in downtown Corvallis between Starbucks and Noahs Bagels every Tuesday through Saturday,” said owner Willy McKnight. From 11ish in the morning to 5pm you can receive your very own tasty New York style Sabrett hot dog at Willy's Hot Dog Stand near the corner of 4th and Madison.

With 35 years of cooking experience and no place to work, McKnight decided to open a business of his own. “I found my self unemployed last May,” McKnight said, “At age 50 I had a hard time competing with 19 or 20-something-year-olds going to school.” Thinking the people of Corvallis could use a good hot dog, he decided to do something about the now common situation of un-employment, and introduce the New York delicacy to Corvallis.

The large metal stand in front of the Madison Plaza is, "exactly what you'd find all over the streets of New York," said McKnight. At Willy’s Hot Dog Stand, you can find a traditional, and gluten-free, Sabrett hot dog with ketchup and/or mustard for just $3, along with an assortment of delicious toppings to spice up your dog for an additional .25 cents.

“The sweet pickled relish was delicious,” said customer Rebbecca Rathsack. Along with the relish are toppings like chili, and home-made barbecue onion made by McKnight himself. "I thought they were really good because you get more dog than bun," Rathsack said.

"It felt authentic," said Kyle Polensky, "but don’t ask me what authentic tastes like. I really liked it."

If you are in the mood for something sweet, Willy’s has something for you too. He is now making home-made simple sweet crepes. Gluten-free, and dairy-free (without the butter or whipped cream), these crepes with preserve are an excellent sweet treat for anytime of the day.

Also being sold at Willy's Hot Dog Stand are chips for .75 cents, cans of soda for .75 cents, and frozen candy bars for $1.

“I feel like I'm right on track," said McKnight on the progress of the newly opened stand, "So far I’ve had great reception from the good people of Corvallis." Receiving lots of support from friends and landlord Hugh White, as well as recognition from people walking by, McKnight has had a great start to his new business.

Swine Flu Press Release

2009-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Missing class for a week or more only leads to getting behind on homework and tests. This is no fun at all, especially when your time out of school was spent in bed with an awful sickness like swine flu. The big Swine epidemic scare has become something more and more common on college campus's, and is now more of a hassle than anything else.

Similar to the more common seasonal influenza flu, the H1N1 virus is spread from person-to-person. Symptoms of swine are also similar to the seasonal flu are; fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, as well as diarrhea and vomiting.

The virus can be spread from one day before symptoms appear to seven days after being sick. Younger children may be contagious for a longer period of time.

There is an H1N1 vaccine currently out there, some reaching Corvallis, but it is much more scarce than originally expected. The longer amount of time to manufacture a dose of the vaccine has caused smaller quantities to be dispersed across the country.

Due to the lower amount of vaccines, several groups have been created by the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to decipher who has priority of receiving the vaccine over others. Be on the look out for a category you may fit into to see if you qualify for the vaccine.

pregnant women
people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact
children 6 months through 4 years of age
children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions

According to the OSU campus alert page, “OSU will make certain that any campus-based H1N1 vaccine clinics or vaccine availability are promoted heavily to students, faculty, staff and others who might be eligible to receive the vaccine here.”

In order to prevent catching or passing the swine flu the OSU campus alert page recommends a few steps to taking precautions. Practicing good Hagen like, washing hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol based sanitizer. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, do not share food or drink with others, and avoid contact with sick people. If you have the virus stay home until 24 hours after having a fever and try to limit contact with others as much as possible.

Information on academic issues related to the H1N1 are updated frequently on OSU's Emergency Alerts web page. More facts and videos on the swine influenza are located on the CDC website.

Action in Nature Photo Show

2009-11-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

At A Glance
What: 30th annual Bob Ross Open Invitational Nature Photography Show
Where: Forum Building 105 at Linn-Benton Community College
When: Friday, November 13th, 2009
Why: An event for local nature photographers to show off their recent work, as well as anyone else interested in viewing the pictures.

The large auditorium was pitch black, with only the reflection of the bright images cast on the audience to reveal the look of awe on their faces. A variety of “action” themed photographs had the audience gasping in amazement at this year’s Bob Ross Open Invitational Nature Photo Show at Linn-Benton Community College.

Friday, Nov. 13th marked the day of the annual Photo show, where photographers from around the Willamette Valley area came together to show off their nature shots in the Forum Building at LBCC. Each photographer was asked to bring no more than 20 digital photographs, without heavy manipulation or significant editing. A website with information on the show stated, the point was to show off the “elegance of nature ‘in the raw’.”

The show began around 7 p.m. with Bob Ross on stage flipping through the many slides submitted by each photographer. Each photographer gave a short explanation on the pictures as they appeared on the stage. There seemed to be a personal theme within each photographers work applying to the overall theme of action.

Some, like Mike Sullivan who had a lot of pictures of rivers and waterfalls, captured action in their pictures by using actual motion. Other’s used animals to capture action in nature.

Sherry Haywood’s pictures were all taken in the northern tip of South Africa. When talking about her pictures taken of elephants, wild hogs, giraffes, and more Haywood said, “We were in a safari car only about 30 feet from the actual animals.” Haywood also had a few photographs of the unreal African sunsets.

“I really enjoyed getting the chance to see some awesome pictures by local people,” said LBCC student Haley Cobb. “It was great to see photographs from around the world that they took for their own personal enjoyment. I’m interested in photography, so the show was very inspiring for me,” said Cobb.

Like Haywood, Ellen Hamill used animals to capture action in nature. Her photographs were all of dogs on the beach. She gave a short synopsis of each dog, and titled the pieces “confronting the wind”.

A few photographers felt the need to go into detail about the subject they photographed. Giving a detailed explanation of how and where each exotic plant and flower grows, Bredan Marsh had many pictures taken around volcanoes.

“A few of the pictures were interesting,” Cobb said, “but after hearing about each and every plant I started to get a little bored”.

The photographers were given the opportunity to display their works for anyone to see, and as the crowd "ooed" and "awed", it's safe to say the show was a success.

For any questions on the show, or information on how to sign yourself up for next years, email Ross at Rosspix@comcast.net.

Commuter Article Critique

2009-11-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

What: "Suburban Love Stories", article on Karelia Stez-Water's reading from her works at one of The Valley Writers Series events.
Where: The Campus News section of The Commuter
Who: Max Brown
When: Thursday, November 12th issue
Why: To inform people on the turn out of the event

With an excellent lead and successful nut graf, "Suburban Love Stories" in Thursday, Nov. 12th’s issue of the commuter is a great article. Max Brown writes an informative article on Karelia Stetz-Water's reading from her works at Thursday, Nov. 5th's, Valley Writers Series event.

The article was informative and did a great job using the inverted pyramid. Brown takes the reader from setting the scene in the lead with, “The room was packed and full of laughter…,” to the less important details of what’s in store for her future at the end.

Brown made sure to include quotes from people with two different stances on the topic, making the article not biased. He includes quotes from Stetz-Waters herself, as well as student Sarah Riley saying, “I loved how she used comedy and makes you laugh when she reads her own writing”.

He also talked to student Benjamin Brumbaugh for the article, who disagrees with the content of Stetz-Waters memoir.

Overall Brown did a great job of being informative on the event, including a variety of points of view, and following all the basic criteria for the make-up of an interesting article.

The Inside Scoop on Democrat Herald

2009-11-12T02:40:00.000-08:00

The chaotic news room you see in the movies, turns out to be just a worked up stereotype of what an actual news room looks like. On Wednesday November 4th Rob Priewe’s News Reporting and Writing class took a field trip to the Democrat Herald news room to get an inside scoop on the process of making a successful newspaper.

Martha Wells, directed the group of intrigued students through the room of reporters. Quiet and working hard, the reporters continued to work on their almost finished publications. A few looked up to flash a welcoming smile, as the students ventured into the conference room.

Wells talked to the class about the rise of local video footage online and the importance of delivery speed has to readers. She also said that videos of events and news stories has had a positive affect on online readers, bringing local raw news to the public even faster than a written out story can. The class was also greeted by associate editor, Steve Lundeburg, who also gave the class a few wise tips.

All the newspapers are printed by noon and delivered by 5pm, going as far out as Cascadia and Sweet Home making there way towards Albany homes and businesses.
The Democrat Herald has never missed printing a paper in 20 years of being open.
There are a few reporters that work at the Democrat Herald only part-time, finishing the rest of their work at home a couple hours per week.
With the increase in online readers and other sources, like craigslist, paper and advertisement sales have gone down.

The most shocking part of the field trip was the calm, stillness that lingered in the news room as the reporters, writers, and editors finished their stories and page layouts. The actual printing press on the other hand, was busy pumping out five 1,000lb rolls of newspaper for the day.

Brian Bielman Q & A

2009-11-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Starbucks shift supervisor by day, Moher drummer by night. You may recognize Brian Bielman as the guy who made your coffee at the Timberhill Starbucks in Corvallis, but behind the green apron is a musician with a passion to rock. For about three years now Brian has been leaving his day job to practice and perform with punk/rock band Moher, located in Eugene. The band just recently returned from a 21-day, 20-show tour along the West Coast.

Lauren: Have you lived in Corvallis your whole life?
Brian: Indeed I was born right up the road in Good Samaritan Hospital, lived here until I was 18 (1997) then went to school in Eugene and Chicago before moving back here for more school in 2007. Now that education is no longer a factor, I am interested in moving again to a more musical city. The job I have is just too good to leave though!

L: How long have you played music (drums)?
B: I began playing drums for my church's youth group about 15 years ago. I had never played before that and didn't own a set, so I'm not quite sure why they let me do that! I started playing guitar over ten years ago and keyboards about six.

L: What is your favorite part of playing?
B: There is an indescribable rush that happens when playing live, and that feeling never comes at any other time in my life. To hear and see the crowd after finishing a song is always thrilling. And I don't necessarily mean cheering and applause, it's equally fascinating to hear the silence and see the stunned faces that we occasionally cause

L: How did you meet your band mates?
B: I was approached by our singer, Erin, when she transferred to my workplace from California. She had heard that I played guitar and wanted to know if I was interested in working with her and her husband, so they gave me a demo CD, which I loved, and I joined up as a rhythm guitar/keyboard player!

L: How long have you been playing with Moher?
B: Well if you've ever played in a band, at least here in Oregon, then you know it's damned hard to find a decent drummer. Seeing as how I had some history on the instrument, we decided I'd save up, buy a kit, and switch instruments. That was about a year and a half of us doing nothing but writing and rehearsing together. Finally, in March of '09, we added a bass guitar player, and in April, played our first show.

L: Do you guys get along well?
B: We do, considering we have very little in common! Haha! We don't do anything together outside of the band, especially since everyone else lives in Eugene. But when we do get together it is a happy experience.

L: Where did you go for your tour?
B: The tour started in Olympia, and then made its way northward to Seattle, with a couple stops in between. We then headed south, playing a couple shows in Oregon before entering California and making our way down to San Diego. A few more shows coming back north and we were done! The best shows were Vancouver, Riverside and San Luis Obispo.

L: What do you like about touring?
B: Quite honestly there is not much to like about touring. It's considered lucky if you get to sleep in some one's house, even more so if you get to eat three square meals a day. Forget about showering and doing laundry as much as you'd like! And our van broke down right before we left, so all five of us crammed into a Ford Explorer for the entire trip, so there goes any chance of a personal bubble or any solitude, which I quite value. But what makes it more than worth it is being able to play! It's especially meaningful when people you've never met, who have never heard your music, end up hooting and hollering and sometimes even dancing to what you play them. That is why the temporary loss of all those amenities I take for granted feels like no big deal.

L: Is it hard to juggle work and the band?
B: No not at all! I have a boss who is also excited in what I'm doing, and I really don't have to request very much time off from him (with the exception of touring). The hardest part is getting my mates to remember that my work schedule is completed two weeks ahead of time occasionally, so they might not be able to schedule a rehearsal or show on the fly.

Seth Godin on Idea Infusion

2009-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

"Ideas that spread, win" and "is it remarkable" are two essences of where idea infusion is going according to business man and change agent Seth Godin.

February of 2003, Seth Godin, gave a speech at TED on where idea infusion is going. Regardless of what you do, or what you are marketing, "its about can you get your idea to spread or not" said Godin.

Throughout the speech Godin hit the points on taking risks and the importance of getting your voice heard. "Sell to people who are listening, and maybe just maybe they will tell others," he said targeting listeners of any age.

A few important facts Godin included in his speech to stress the idea of where idea infusion is going are:

1. design is free when you get to scale
2. riskiest thing you can do now is be safe. very good is the worst thing you can do. good is boring.
3. people with $2,000 stereos don't want to listen to new music.

His speech was full of useful information and was accompanied by a slide show of humorous photos to grasp the audiences attention.

Acoustic Musicians Come Together for a Jam at Block 15

2009-10-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

At A Glance
Event: Acoustic Roots Music Jam
When: Every Monday night from 8-11 p.m.
Where: Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery, 300 S.W. Jefferson Ave., Corvallis
Also at: Wooden Nickel at 108 N. Center St., Sublimity, or Guthrie Park 4320 Kings Valley Hwy, Dallas.

Looking for somewhere to escape a bad case of the Mondays? Or just in need of a place to enjoy good food and music? For about one year now musicians of all ages and musical backgrounds have been returning weekly to Block 15 for an acoustic roots music jam.

Every Monday night from 8-11 musicians come together at restaurant and brewery Block 15, to enjoy the company of new and old friends while playing music. The Acoustic roots music jam allows the musicians to collaborate their acoustic talents, while providing free entertainment and a good vibe for the restaurant.

Over the chatter of dining customers, a mixture of up-tempo and mellow bluegrass music filled the restaurant. The casual setup of friendly musicians consisted of two guitar players, a man on the fiddle, a woman playing the stand up bass and her husband on the mandolin.

As the night progressed the group took pauses between songs to enjoy some food and drink of their own. This is usually how a jam works said the musicians. One by one they were joined by more people with their instrument of choice; a man and woman each on the violin, a man with a banjo, and another guitar player.

“Sometimes the group gets up to 20-something people,” said Block 15 hostess Libby Lebourveau, who has been working the past few Monday nights. “It’s always nice to have live music, and the musicians are all really nice”. While waiting to be seated a group of people applauded the cover of Grateful Dead’s, "Friend of the Devil."

“Some people are really cognitive of the music, and others just drink beer and watch football, not really paying attention” said Lebourveau.

Most of the musicians have met through jamming at Block 15, participating in separate bands on a regular basis outside of the Monday night jams. There were a few musicians who do have connections beyond the jams.

“We’ve been playing music for longer than we’d care to admit,” said guitar player and vocalist Sam Holmes of his old friend from high school, and fiddler, Steve Speth.

“I love getting to play with my husband,” said Betsy Yochelson of getting to play alongside husband Theron Yochelson. Betsy plays the stand up base, Theron plays the mandolin, and both sing. Traveling from Sweet Home to play with their friends may be a little far but for the Yochelson’s, “It is so worth it for once a week”.

Getting the chance to play together weekly provides these newly found friends with more than just the chance to perform music. “I have learned a lot from playing with these people,” said Holmes, “The more you play the better you get. You see something and you learn something. That motivation helps you learn”.

Whether you have been playing for 30 years or are just starting out, this warm group of people has no intention of anything but a good time. The music jam at Block 15 is a welcoming and low-key environment for anyone to join. This event is simply musicians coming together to eat some food, have some drinks and do what they love, make music. For information on other jams similar to the one held at block 15 visit the Wooden Nickel in Sublimity, and Guthrie Park in Dalles.

When Zombies Attack

2009-10-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Unnatural faces, pale skin, hunched shoulders and limpy legs are all symptoms to be on the lookout for this fall. Zombies could be lurking around any corner waiting to attack. "This Halloween is a high season for zombies," said Lee LeFever of Zombies in Plain English. In order to live to see the Thanksgiving holiday there are a few steps involved. Identify the zombies and "plan your route and ration," LeFever said of this uprise of Zombies.

Growing number of students enrolling in the Degree Partnership Program

2009-10-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

At a Glance:
What: The Degree Partnership program
Where:OSU, LBCC, and other Oregon community colleges.
Who: Linn-Benton and Oregon State students looking for alternatives to saving money, getting into more classes, and access to double the resources.
How: Apply online or at either school
More info: Contact LBCC admissions at (541 )917-4811 or OSU admissions at (541) 737-4411, or check out LBBC's Degree Parntership Program webpage and OSU's Degree Partnership Program webpage.

Class sizes at Linn-Benton are growing due to the amount of students enrolling in the LBCC/OSU degree partnership program. Formally known as duel enrollment, the degree partnership program (DPP) allows a wider variety of opportunities for students. Saving money, achieving more credits for OSU admission requirements, and access to more resources are just a few reasons students are enrolling in the program.

With an increase of 1,148 students over the last six years, the number of students registered for classes at Linn-Benton in the DPP skyrocketed from 1,318 students in fall of 2003 to 2,466 in fall of 2008. “We expect the numbers to be even larger than last year,” according to OSU Associate Director of Admissions Communications, Blake Vawter. Students are also able to do a three-way partnership program between OSU, LBCC and any other Oregon community college. “We are seeing more students that are in DPP via LBCC/Chemeketa CC/OSU and LBCC/Lane CC/OSU,” said Vawter, “This usually occurs because it allows students different course offerings within a commutable area”.

Participating in the Degree partnership program allows more flexibility in registering for classes, as well as access to double the resources. “At LBCC I was able to get into a popular class that was full at Oregon State,” said sophomore student Carissa Cunningham. Currently registered in two classes at Linn-Benton and two classes at Oregon State, Cunningham is working towards a degree in Human development and family sciences. “This program offers the best of both worlds,” She said, “It’s a great way to save money, and guarantee that I get into the classes I need for my major”. You can take up to 10 credits a term at a cheaper price and more intimate size at LBCC, while benefiting from the many campus amenities and student involvement at OSU.

“This was also the only way OSU would take me as a transfer student,” Cunningham said, “Otherwise I didn’t have enough credits”. Students who do not yet meet the OSU admission requirements are able to enroll in LBCC to finish 24 credits and apply as a transfer student. Recent High School graduates can receive an easier transition into a big University through the DPP. “Some students feel intimidated by a large research university like OSU.” Said Blake Vawter, “Via DPP they can take a class or two and see what it is like while they take the majority of classes at LBCC. When they are ready, the transition to OSU is less of a shock”. Whether you are a transfer student or a first time freshman there is only one application process for the program, which has to be done at least three weeks before the start of each term. Students can apply at either school or online .

From getting help at LBCC’s learning center to enjoying OSU sporting events for student prices, the possibilities for success are endless with the Degree Partnership Program. For more information on the program visit LBBC's Degree Parntership Program webpage or the official website, OSU's Degree Partnership Program webpage. You may also contact LBCC admissions at (541 )917-4811 or OSU admissions at (541) 737-4411.