Issuu

T H E

L I N N - B E N T O N

VOL. 57 EDITION 2

C O M M U N I T Y

C O L L E G E

OCTOBER 2026

pg. 06 tes que

entity er art, id

Celebra

LBCC's Welcome Day

pg. 04

Brings new faces and college opportunities

Arts & Humanities Access

pg. 20

Corvallis arts for all

Review Resident Evil (2026)

pg. 26

munity

and com

OCTOBER 2026

letter from the other editor

reetings, all. As Managing Editor of The Commuter, I am ecstatic to welcome you to this colorful autumn season and new school year at LBCC. Being a journalist doesn’t just mean putting words to paper; it is a responsibility. To write with passion, convey ideas, and change the world — one story at a time. This has been my greatest ambition all my life: to write for the world, bringing communities together. And at The Commuter, we are accomplishing that very goal. With our dedicated Editor-In-Chief Skylar Wilkerson at the front line, we will continue to flourish and provide students with significance. It is our job to keep you entertained, inspired, and well informed. I absolutely cannot wait for what is to come next!

Audrey Linder Managing Editor

about us

The Commuter is the student-run magazine for LBCC, financed by student fees and advertising. Opinions expressed in The Commuter do not necessarily reflect those of the LBCC administration, faculty and students of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, and cartoons reflect the opinions of the authors. LBCC is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

letters welcome

The Commuter encourages readers to use its “Opinion” section to express their views on campus, community, regional and national issues. The Commuter attempts to print all submissions received, but reserves the right to edit for grammar, length, libel, privacy concerns and taste. Opinions expressed by letter submitters do not represent the views of The Commuter staff or the college.

join the team

Wanna get together? We’re really nice and fairly cool and we’d love to hear what you have to say. Not big on journalism but love to journal? Perfect. Are you a STEM major with major opinions? Let’s hear ’em. Like writing about ’80s film? Local animals? Snack hacks? Maybe you have a hefty folder of flash fiction on your laptop, just dying to be published and printed. Drop us a line. We’d love to meet you, read you, and support you. Think your ideas might be too weird or too niche for submission? Even better. The Commuter is an award-winning publication because of our wide range of contributions and our unique contributors. So reach out. We’ll be staring at our email inbox in the meantime, not an ounce of chill to be had.

in this issue:

staff

Brings new faces and college opportunities

editor-in-chief

design editor

Celebrates queer art, identity and community

managing editor

LBCC's Welcome Day

Skylar Wilkerson

Kailyn McQuisten

Outside of June

Audrey Linder

marketing director

Space grants put student ideas to work

advisor

Julia Nevius

NASA

Open educational resources explained

Nice threads at an even nicer price

Know Your Resources

Clothing Connection

Roadrunners on a Roll

Volleyball team works their way back to the championships

Rob Priewe

contributors

Brenda Autry George Bennett Kendall Burroughs Elly Funderburg Isaiah Herford Jesus Sandoval-Uribe Renee Silva Lilly Eberhart-Garah Michael McReynolds Savannah West

sticker contributors Jesus Sandoval-Uribe

Arts & Humanities Access Corvallis arts for all

Within the Horror Show

Resident Evil (2026)

Bob Dylan

Review

Ted Lasso Season 4

Poetry submission

Review

My Name is HUMAN-ity

cover photo by SKYLAR WILKERSON

WANT TO SEE YOUR NAME HERE? JOIN THE TEAM!

CAMPUS ⋅ NEWS

LBCC's Brings New Faces and College Opportunities “LB is not just about coming in and taking classes — it’s about community.” – Deron Carter

BCC’s annual Welcome Day started at 9 a.m. in the Commons Cafeteria with a full complementary pancake breakfast at the college’s Albany campus where new — and returning — students had the opportunity to learn about the college and meet the staff. “We served a ton of students, a rough estimate of 500, which was way more than last year,” said Deron Carter, interim dean and physical sciences faculty. “While I was serving pancakes, I had a student that was really nervous. She goes, ‘Is there going to be some sort of tour? Because I have no idea where anything is.’ And we told her about the scavenger hunt. It’s a fun way to see the campus and a great opportunity to connect students with resources that can support them.” Heading out into the courtyard where more than 90 booths resided, it was easy to get turned around. Luckily, the Welcome Day pamphlets handed out near Takena Hall consisted of school information, a campus map, and the scavenger hunt. Upon collecting 20 stamps from various booths, students had a chance to win free tuition credits as well as other prizes. It also gave the opportunity to connect with other students, clubs, faculty, and the community of LB. Navigating through bustling crowds and vibrant music brought booths with wheels to spin for prizes, informational pamphlets, stickers, and friendly faces ready to answer questions. 4

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words by AUDREY LINDER

words by SKY OLDSHIELD

Check out our Welcome Day podcast!

Near the entrance were booths that could also provide information on Oregon State University, business management, student employment, the resource center, and many more. The parent education program, which had a table in front of Red Cedar Hall, offers classes for parents to learn about temperament and child development. For parents living further away from campus, they offer temporary transportation and evening classes, as well as childcare. Booths stationed in front of White Oak Hall were more major-focused, such as history, biology, music, and journalism. The physical sciences table highlighted three different programs such as chemistry, physics, and geology/general sciences. Within those programs are distinct degrees: physics, chemistry, geology, environmental sciences, and food/ fermentation science. For a unique and delicious presentation, the booth made liquid nitrogen ice cream for students. Around this area stood a new face, Madeline Schosha. “I am majoring in biochemistry. I’ve always kind of been into the sciences — I took a couple of AP classes in high school and really enjoyed it. So, I said, I want to continue doing this stuff and get into research and development. I’m also in the degree partnership program with OSU and LBCC. I live nearby, and I heard the program is good.” Over at the math department, they promoted a new math springboard that allowed students to brush up on their math skills before the term starts. They also try to connect students by providing supportive services and welcoming smiles — because they know sometimes math can be intimidating. The English booth encouraged students to be curious about writing and introduced them to all forms — whether it be nonfiction, poetry, or flash fiction.

It was important for them to raise awareness about English and creative writing as a major. Just a couple of steps away stood club-related booths, such as the Garden Club, Tabletop Games Club, Poetry Club, Creative Writing Club, and a few others. Estudiantes del Sol focuses on things that are going on in our community, both on and off campus. Their mission is to promote student academic success, raise awareness about various cultures and to promote change and uplift students. They welcome everybody and talk about a range of topics — from politics to opinions. Sometimes they host potlucks, fundraisers, and study jams. Estudiantes del Sol meets every Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Forum 220. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance booth showcased a variety of beautiful art and flyers for events — such as a pamphlet promoting the Art Club. A show on Oct. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the South Santiam Hall Gallery will feature works representing 26 queer and trans artists from our community. This event will include poetry, food, and a live harp player. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance meets on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon in Red Cedar Hall 207. They are also offering an introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Upstairs inside the Engagement Center was a booth promoting the Common Ground program, which focuses on issues of equity and diversity within higher education. It’s a sixhour-a-week commitment in which a student is required to research and gain an understanding of these issues, and form activities and raise awareness. In exchange, the student receives six credit hours of tuition. Common Ground meets on campus, typically in the Engagement Center, and the meeting times are flexible. Hanging around this area stood another new student, Roan Peterson. “I’m majoring in early education. I like teaching and I enjoyed working with kids every year. I had a class that sent me to another school and I helped teach there — that was really fun. All of the teachers and staff (at LB) sound really nice. It seems like a closer program than OSU or other colleges.” The Culinary Arts Program was busy recruiting new students for this upcoming school year, with around 10

▲ Rocky the Roadrunner made an appearance, weaving through the crowds and delivering greetings.

“All of the teachers and staff (at LB) sound really nice. It seems like a closer program than OSU or other colleges.” -Roan Peterson, new LBCC student.

students returning, a full class of first years, and a full waiting list. It is a twoyear associate cohort program where students learn foundational skills about the French style of cooking, professional communication, and a focus on time management and multitasking. For their first year, they learn knife skills, different soups and sauces as well as baking and pastry, cakes, croissants, laminated doughs, etc. By the second year, there is more freedom in which they focus on professionalism and self-management. Some students learn butchery, menu planning, and purchasing. After completing the program, some students have gone on to run their own food trucks or businesses. One student went to work at a Michelin-star restaurant on the East Coast and another moved to New Zealand to work at a bakery. Another accumulation of booths included free caricatures, the National Guard, NASA, Monster Energy, Roastrunners Café and various engineering tables.

You can email the Student Leadership Council for more information on clubs and co-curriculars at: getinvolved@linnbenton.edu LB’s main phone number is 541-917-4999

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CAMPUS ⋅ NEWS

Celebra

ommunity

ntity and c

art, ide tes queer

H WEST SAVANNA words by ILKERSON SKYLAR W photos by

ride doesn’t end when June does, and neither does LGBTQ+ creativity. That was the message behind Outside of June, a student-curated art exhibition bringing together queer artists and community members through painting, poetry, ceramics, textiles, mixed media and live music. The gallery opening was held October 15, from 4 to 7 p.m., at LBCC’s South Santiam Hall Art Gallery. Curated by Alice Khavari and Matthew O’Connor, the exhibition was more than an opportunity to display art. It created a space for people to share their experiences, celebrate their identities and connect with one another. “This is a space to uplift those who are on the margins of society,” one curator explained. The range of artwork reflected just how personal and diverse those experiences can be. “I’m really, really impressed with 6

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how intermedia and interdisciplinary it is, and it’s great to see so many people,” one community member shared. Among the featured artists was LBCC student Nic Kinner, whose ceramic piece Limbo Unlimited explores the experience of existing between identities and different versions of yourself. Inspired by personal memories and the loss of a beloved cat, the piece incorporates imagery representing healing, transformation and finding comfort in nature. Artist Daisy Z. Gomez reflected on her experiences growing up bisexual and struggling to form female friendships because of assumptions about her sexuality. Her work explores self-acceptance, confidence and finding meaningful connections. For others, nature was central to their creative expression and understanding of identity. "Queerness feels like another branch of my tree, it sways in the wind,

▲ photo by SAVANNAH WEST

but is steady in its strength," shared the artist Willow Magick Tzelev “TZ” Diamondstone also explored this connection through The Importance of Plant Wisdom, a collection of paintings examining the relationship between plants and personal and collective healing. Beyond the artwork, the exhibition brought people together through conversations, shared experiences and live music. One attendee described it as "just such an amazing kind of community experience," while another praised the musical performances, saying, "The Harp is extraordinary. Community members also recognized the dedication of student curators Khavari and O’Connor. In the exhibition acknowledgement, mentors Andrew Douglas Campbell and Ann Magratten commended their months of preparation, teamwork and attention to detail in putting the show together.

The exhibitions program opens with a quote from Khavari: “We do not blame the rose for its thorns.” It was a fitting reflection of the exhibition itself, where deeply personal experiences, both joyful and difficult, could exist alongside one another. Outside of June was a reminder that art isn't just something we create or observe. It can also be a way of understanding ourselves, finding connection and making room for others to be seen.

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SPACE GRANTS PUT STUDENT IDEAS TO WORK

uilding a scientific instrument, sending it aboard a rocket and examining the data afterward might sound like an opportunity reserved for professional engineers. For OSU senior Logan Olbrich, it became part of his college experience. Olbrich was among the presenters at an Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium panel hosted by Linn-Benton Community College on Oct. 7. Panelists shared how different OSGC-supported programs helped them pursue research, develop technical skills, and explore opportunities beyond the classroom. Their projects ranged from rocket payloads to underwater robots to solar eclipse observations to research into technologies for space exploration.

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Through workshops, team grants, faculty-led projects and academic research reviews, the panel highlighted multiple ways students can get involved, including opportunities that do not require previous research experience.

FROM THE LAUNCHPAD

CLASSROOM

THE

Olbrich described participating in RockOn!, a five-day rocket-payload workshop at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, with travel funded through OSGC. His team assembled an Arduino-based sensor platform designed to collect measurements, including radiation, humidity and magnetic fields.

words by SAVANNAH WEST photos by MIKE MCREYNOLDS

Participants tested each component before moving forward, learning how individual systems contribute to a successful payload. The Experience included touring the NASA facility, watching a rocket launch from about 1,500 yards away and recovering the payload to examine the data collected. For Olbrich, one of the workshop strengths was its accessibility to students without extensive engineering backgrounds. “The barrier for entry is very low. They want to share as much information as possible,” Olbrich said. LBCC student Azreal Switzer discussed a different hands-on opportunity: an underwater robotics team supported in part by OSGC funding through the Undergraduate Team Experience Program (UTEP). The team designed and tested remotely operated vehicles for the MATE robotics competition, including a modular vertical profiler built to collect data at different depths in coldwater environments. Switzer described how the team experimented with affordable components and interchangeable parts to make its equipment more adaptable. The students also encountered technical difficulties during a competition in Canada, providing the opportunity to troubleshoot problems and improve their designs. While Olbrich’s workshop focused on assembling and launching a scientific payload, Switzer’s experience involved developing, testing and refining equipment through a student-led engineering project.

WHEN RESEARCH DOESN'T GO AS PLANNED For Heather Hill, an LBCC physical science faculty member, OSGC support offered a different opportunity: developing a research project while involving students in the process. Hill received about $15,000 through the Affiliate Faculty Research Incubator Program in 2022 to support an astronomy project with two student researchers. The project revisited the historic

1919 Eddington Eclipse experiment, which helped confirm Albert Einstein's prediction that gravity bends light. Using modern telescopes, cameras and computer software, Hill's team aimed to measure the apparent deflection of starlight near the sun during a solar eclipse. The work presented technical challenges, from connecting telescope equipment with software to collecting usable images under difficult weather conditions. Cloud cover disrupted observations during eclipse trips in Oregon and Texas, leaving the team without enough clear images for its intended analysis. However, software development continued, and the project provided students with experience in astronomical research and data analysis. “The idea is that we are incubating a new lab that could continue on forward,” Hill said. “That's what the funding was for: it is to develop something new, to help faculty get started, so that we could grow into something else along the way.” Hill’s experience illustrated another purpose of research funding: supporting the early development of a project, even when the original experiment does not produce the expected results.

RESEARCH CAN START WITH A LITERATURE REVIEW Students do not necessarily need to build equipment or conduct experiments to begin exploring a research career. OSGC’s Student Academic Research Review program offers another approach, allowing students to examine existing scientific literature, identify research questions and develop a deeper understanding of a specialized subject. Alex Mote, who began his STARR project in 2020 while enrolled at both LBCC and Oregon State University, described how an interest in computational physics led him to study ways of improving the efficiency of hardware, memory and data storage used in scientific simulations. Rather than conducting experiments, he spent about two terms reviewing existing research and working with faculty to narrow his topic.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH OSGC FUNDING

$5K OR $10K per student team

WHO CAN APPLY: Eligible teams enrolled at participating OSGC member institutions, including community colleges and four-year universities

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: • Hands-on research, engineering or STEM education related to NASA's mission and human exploration priorities • A faculty advisor and required institutional support

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 20, 2026

MORE INFORMATION: https://spacegrant.oregonstate.edu

“THE BARRIER FOR ENTRY IS VERY LOW. THEY WANT TO SHARE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE,” COMMUTER

CAMPUS ⋅ NEWS

The experience helped him develop research connections and prepare for further academic work. He later pursued doctoral research at OSU involving simulations and the effects of radiation on electronics. Ryan Knighton, another STARR participant, explored metal additive manufacturing, commonly known as metal 3D printing, and its potential applications in space. His literature review examined possibilities such as manufacturing replacement parts in space, along with challenges posed by producing materials in microgravity. Knighton described how conversations with faculty and researchers helped him refine his topic. He later pursued additional research and graduate study related to additive manufacturing. For both presenters, the literature reviews provided a way to explore a specialized field before pursuing more advanced research.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CURRENT LBCC STUDENTS The panel highlighted several distinct OSGC programs, each supporting different stages and types of academic research. For current students interested in hands-on projects, one of those opportunities is accepting applications. The consortium's 2026-27 Undergraduate Team Experience Program offers awards of $5,000 or $10,000 to eligible student teams pursuing research, engineering or STEM education projects related to NASA's mission. Funding can support competitions, capstone projects and new student-led initiatives, including projects involving robotics, scientific instruments and educational outreach. Teams must demonstrate a direct connection to NASA's Artemis program and human exploration goals, include an educational outreach component for kindergarten through 12th-grade

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▲ LBCC students participated in a symposium at OSU where they shared their work and learned about other student projects.

students and secure a minimum one-toone match in non-federal contributions. Faculty support is also required. Students from different academic disciplines are encouraged to participate. According to the program guide, teams may include students studying business, education, communications or graphic design alongside those working in scientific and technical fields. Applications are due on Nov. 20 with funded projects required to be completed by May 31, 2027. Students interested in applying can review the UTEP Program Guide and application information. Additional opportunities, including STARR and other programs, are available through the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium's student opportunities page, although application periods vary. Research can seem intimidating from the outside, but students don’t need to have a career plan in place to begin exploring it. For Alex Mote, the opportunity to dive into a subject that interested him helped him see where his interests could lead. Your interests could lead somewhere unexpected. Why not find your starting point with OSGC.

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“Students can’t learn from materials they can’t afford.” – Nicole Allen, director of Open Education at SPARC, a nonprofit organization supporting accessible education.

▲ Foundations of Education: A Collective Reimagining is an OER in use in Education classes, co-authored by Lisa AbuAssaly George, Dr. Kanoe Bunney, Ceci De Valdenebro, and Tanya Mead

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know your A

s college students, we strive to learn all that we can, at the lowest possible cost. School is expensive, life is expensive. Sometimes finding the right textbook is difficult. Finding the right resources can be frustrating. So how can we effectively learn and grow in this academic environment? The answer is simple: Know your resources. LBCC strives to make an impact on its students, supporting them in a number of ways throughout their college experience. They provide a substantial amount of resources that might not be apparent at first glance. Among these supports that benefit the learning process are Open Educational Resources, or OER’s. These are free instructional materials for all students, with LBCC funding this program to assist students facing financial challenges.

Colleen Sanders, the college’s OER and course materials affordability faculty, described the importance of these resources. “Students assume that, if it is free on the internet, it’s an OER,” Sanders said. “But they have open licenses, which means that when a faculty member finds a really cool textbook from somewhere else, they can customize and revise it to make it their own — exactly what LB students need for this course.” The materials many LBCC students are provided in class have been revised, remixed, or reused, tailoring the class to their needs. For example, OER’s reside on the internet. They are usually provided as links through your class’s syllabus or Canvas shell. Anyone (even non-students) can access them directly with no login required. And the best part? They are supplied at no-cost.

part 1

resources!

words by AUDREY LINDER

The OER program at LBCC first manifested in the library 10 years ago and has since saved students more than $6 million in textbook costs, according to the college. Around 90 faculty members have participated in the textbook affordability program. To make this happen, the college supports an OER faculty position, a textbook affordability steering committee, a textbook affordability strategic plan, the library, an OER grant program, and coordinates with its independent campus store. “In 2015,” Sanders noted, “the (Higher Education Coordinating Commission) funded a twoyear OER librarian position at LBCC on behalf of the Oregon Community College Distance Learning Association. In 2017, the HECC reallocated the original funding via legislation to form the statewide OER program.”

Understanding the availability of resources as a student is important, and OER is a valuable way to gain hold of new information in classes. In a recent survey sent to LB students by email from the Student Leadership Council, around 48% of polled students said they use open educational resources, but 22% do not know about or utilize them. And 20% were unsure whether they used them in a course or not. In addition, about 10% of students do not know about OER’s, or do not use them currently. For more information on OER’s, go online to LBCC’s Textbooks and Course Materials page.

▲ Principles of Earth Science, Revised 2nd Edition is an OER in use in Geology classes, co-authored by LBCC Physical Sciences Faculty K. Sean Daniels; Katharine Solada; and Jeremy Randolph-Flagg

To learn how to access OER's for your classes, scan this QR code for an instructional video!

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clothing connection

words by KENDALL BURROUGHS

n the first floor of the Forum Building on LBCC’s Albany campus is a boutique called the Clothing Connection. Created in 2022 by members of the college’s AAWCC chapter, it started in a small room with racks gifted from the library and ones Lena Spencer bought at the closing sale of JC Penney. Spencer, the LBCC athletics administrative assistant, got the idea after looking for an affordable interview outfit for her daughter. In 2024, the Clothing Connection was able to move into a bigger room, where it is located currently. The boutique has a range of clothing styles and provides various items, including shirts, pants, and accessories. It operates from 11 a.m. to 1.p.m. on

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, although you can make an appointment at the boutique if you can’t make it within its open hours. Most of the year, the clothes are free. But twice a year the boutique holds a $1 sale in collaboration with the Roastrunners Cafe. The Clothing Collection continues to be sponsored by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges at LBCC. The association also awards scholarships to women and last year gave out four $1500 scholarships. The Clothing Collection is a great resource for students or anyone that needs help with clothing and style. All the items are donated by staff and students at LBCC. If you have clothing that you would like to donate, bring your items to the Student Leadership Council office in Forum 120.

At a Glance:

Hours: Tues-Wed 11am-1pm (or by appointment)

Location: Forum 111

Contact: resources@linnbenton.edu

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SPORTS ⋅ GALLERY

SECTION TITLE

ROADRUNNERS ON A ROLL photos by ISAIAH HERFORD words by THE COMMUTER

t may be just the first month of the school year, but LBCC’s Volleyball team is well into its quest to return to the top of the Northwest Athletic Conference this season. Entering this week, the Roadrunners stood atop the NWAC South Region standings with an unblemished 10-0 record, and 24-1 overall. They are on a 23-match winning streak. Most recently, they played back-to-back matches against the Clackamas Cougars, winning in five sets, before returning to their home court Oct. 17, where they swept the Chemeketa Storm. This week they prepared for matches Oct. 21 in Gresham against the Saints of Mt. Hood Community College; followed by their next home matchup Oct. 23 in LBCC’s Athletics Center vs. Umpqua. This match is their annual Dig Pink Night. For more information, including results and the Roadrunners’ upcoming schedule, see athletics.linnbenton.edu/ sports/wvball. COMMUTER

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Modest Means Legal Services Family Law Protective Orders Surrogacy Landlord-Tenant

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Finding Sources LBCC LIBRARY

THROUGH LIBRARY DATABASES Research can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Join us and learn how to navigate library databases, find full-text articles, and cite sources.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21 12PM-1PM WILLAMETTE HALL ROOM 139

For accommodation requests, contact Accessibility Resources at 541-917-4789 oraccessibility@linnbenton.edu at least three business days in advance. LBCC does not discriminate based on any protected status in its programs or activities. For more information, visit linnbenton.edu/nondiscrimination. COMMUTER

LOCAL ⋅ NEWS

ARTS & HUMANITIES

Access: Corvallis Arts for All

words by RENEE SILVA photo by MIKE MCREYNOLDS

t a time when mental health and economic security are plunging, accessing the performing arts may seem unattainable or unimportant. Social media is being credibly linked to devastating mental health outcomes. Purged third spaces are trying to bounce back after COVID declines and decades of developer-raised rents. However, various studies by universities and the National Institutes of Health show serious and positive outcomes for mental and even immune health by those who have access to the performing arts. Corvallis Arts for All makes the debut appearance for the first in a series of articles about arts and humanities access in Linn and Benton counties. Corvallis Arts for All (CAFA) helps ensure the people with SNAP can have access to $5 tickets at a wide range of performances in Corvallis. Even if your SNAP benefits are low, they are important to maintain as they help access programs like CAFA. CAFA was launched in 2012 as a program of Corvallis Arts and Culture Commission. Funding comes from a variety of sources locally that receive private donations and public tax funding. For those without SNAP cards, most offer some student pricing or specially priced performances. By offering the SNAP-priced tickets, organizations are eligible for

grants that help keep the performing arts in Corvallis, much the same way Medicaid patients help to consistently fund local healthcare options. SNAP cards must be shown at the time of purchase and can be used for two tickers per performance. Some performances also include free admission for children, making this a wonderful way to introduce young family members to the arts and community connections. Each organization has its own way of processing these payments, so contact them separately. Now is the time to look at the 2026-27 Season and pick out what you may want to see in the upcoming year. Loneliness and a lack of connection are driving a plunge in our general mental health. Live performances give us the opportunity to develop empathy, explore stories and our human condition, and open ourselves up to other experiences. The performing arts help us develop an inner life and an exploration of ourselves as human beings. The oldest visual art currently discovered is more than 51,000 years old in Indonesia. Performing arts are at least 3,500 years old with examples from cultures all over the world. To be human is to be artistic and participate in community arts. Inclusion is built into these performances. For those with disabilities or neurodivergence, community can be

LOCAL

NOV 2026

School of Rock

JAN 2027

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

MAR 2027

It Can't Happen Here

MAY 2027

Young Frankenstein

CAFA $5 tickets available at: ★ Chamber Music Corvallis

★ Corvallis Youth Symphony

★ Corvallis School District Theatres

★ OSU Bands and Choirs

★ Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis

★ Corvallis Academy of Ballet

★ Chimtimini Chamber Music Festival

★ Friends of OSU Opera

harder to access. Each venue can help arrange accommodation for mobility devices or sign language access. Attending an arts performance can be an introvert and social anxiety-friendly way to access community contact. Most of the event takes place with lights down and other people engaged with the production. With the variety of experiences available through CAFA, sensitivity to light, sound, or venue can be addressed. Public transportation from Albany, Philomath and Corvallis also is available. For those with disabilities, Benton Area Transit contracts with Dial-a-Bus to help provide transportation, including weekends and evenings. People with disabilities experience higher rates of loneliness and isolation; connecting with community experiences can help. Flex that SNAP card and student ID card and find something new through Corvallis Arts for All.

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OUR WEEKLY A CALLBACK TO AT! NEWSPAPER FORM

YEARS AGO...

(WELL... 26.)

KIOSKS THAT NO LONGER EXIST ON CAMPUS

WEEK-LONG VOTER EVENTS ON CAMPUS!

A WELCOME DAY PRECURSOR?

ROGRAM P G N I S R NU GROWS...

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50 AND

YEARS AGO...

UATE POTENTIAL GRAD 76... SALARIES IN 19

FUN OLD LOGO!

ONS...

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Bob Dylan within the

Horror Show words by GEORGE BENNETT

here was once an old, weird America. One of itinerant carnies, railway hobos, odd put-upon clowns, shambling off bathtub gin and ’shine percolating in rusty oil barrels. He wore a scraggly nest of electrified hair. Was he a roving evangelist or a beat troubadour?

conspicuous, ill-fitting cowboy hat. Slim Pickens is straddling death like a bucking bronc. A hard rain is gonna fall, but, thank God, our precious bodily fluids have ceased being sapped and impurified. Defluoridation to our water. Florida-ization to our land. Talkin’ Bircher WWIII blues, with our pomaded masters of war.

All along the watchtower, looking out over Babylon.

They're selling postcards of the firing squad, they're painting the passports brown, The beauty parlor is filled with sailors, the circus is in town, Here comes the blind commissioner, they've got him in a trance ,

Now, in our tanklike buggies, with the gauge on empty, ladders required merely to climb aboard. Bots at the wheel, full speed forward, rocketing to where? We’re already turning Earth to Mars. Let Waymo ghost ride that whip. Frees up our time to ghost one another. URL has taken precedence over IRL. What can’t be automated? Along the ghosts of Highway 20, down ramshackle Highway 61, if you lean your head out far enough down Desolation Row. In this motorpsycho nightmare, there’s no direction home. Greetings from the new bizzaro ’Merica – ’roided up, yet jab-scared. Everywhere, so much filler. Enhanced and yet (though anti-Darwinian) we are devolving before our downcast eyes. No, but look at our tech, we had said, it is progress, its power is proof of our superiority. The Titanic sails at dawn. Everybody's shouting, "Which side are you on?"

Space helmets hand-fashioned of foil, to ward off electronic seepage – we used to know to steer clear of those mentally adrift cadets. Then we gave them the keys to the broadcast booth. Ride the rays, says billionaire ground control, unconvincingly strutting in his photo via DYLANPALLADIUM280/FREEPIK

A&E

Under a mushroom cloud of spliff smoke, a Eugene old-timer says he’s been saying this for years. Sixties drug talk, full of conspiracy and paranoia, is this now our ancient wisdom? Scripture has been updated to strike out love and empathy. The brain shielding aluminum is now capsuled and sold through the penetrating shine of digital rays. Brought to our doors by our trucker butlers, with Coke bottles yellow tinted on the dash. The cyber medicine show in our checkout carts. Mixing up the medicine is our assumptive philosopher/media baron/unlicensed doctor/unelected government official (who otherwise looks like a plutocrat play-acting as a tired, hack standup). It’s sorcery. We submit to its spell. This is the true tech magic, that once put upon a screen and amplified planetarily, it is no longer theft, surveillance, creepy and crazy. Our financial, medical and relational secrets and fears are content. And content is life. You that never done nothin' but build to destroy. Playing with the world, like the word’s your little toy.

These days they call the brazen madness rock ’n’ roll – buzzing guitars no longer necessary. Fading former stars of rock, in fact, trading in their instruments for bullhorns. We have digital superstition from madmen with the logic of cave dwellers. Here is where riches and power are found these days – in lunatic spewing and incomprehensible ravings, while hawking potions and elixirs. Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth.

And what of our art, when a secondweek contestant on a supposedly amateur talent TV show is straightfacedly referred to as an artist and exceedingly few dedicate total focus to the ancient pursuit? Instead we have photobombing opportunists, stealing others' ideas and creations, songs and sentences, and shrinking them down for vibes, an unobtrusive backdrop to our own smaller lives. Commentators, criticizers, reactors and unwrappers. We aren’t even hoping for transcendence anymore. Just a quick, cheap transport made powerful, inevitably, by time and subsequent decline. Ecstasy would hinder the smoothness of the camera work. Better to watch alone in the comfort of home. Where are the iconoclasts? In opposition to the cult and pull of easy nostalgia and the manipulators of the simple arithmetic of time. What is left that is ephemeral, mysterious, passed exclusively by mouth and physical touch? If our music is made by machines and we exist to feed the performance back to those machines, input from which they spin endless variations, so that we can ingest and retransmit forever, what then? Bob Dylan – one of the last left of the best – sways across the stage. He makes the usual unwieldy. Who, in college now, will have an artistic life as long, influential and varied as he? What is a meme to Bob Dylan? How would you condense and enclose him into a two-second clipped image? Probably as a drawling mutterer in a sea of overeager and overconfident sales talkers and deal makers. How does an artist exist to a gif?

“Bob Dylan – one of the last left of the best – sways across the stage. He makes the usual unwieldy.”

Pop memories bubbling up from a time of shared encounters. A bygone cultural shorthand. Even if the totem is inane or ridiculous, it was agreed upon that it happened. Pure sensation of experience; human communion in a specific space. It is a lost world. I saw Bob Dylan. I know him no better than before. But when I revisit the professional record, the mystery mutates, deepens. With him no two moments are the same; no looking back – the next town, the next song, ever onwards. Merely because it was recorded, doesn’t mean to Dylan, that it is definitive, fixed unalterably in granite. Reality, we have come to believe, needs to be captured and corralled into a frame, for the artificial is deemed superior, it is sweetened and redigested. The omnipresent mass of documentation actually emphasizes its banality. All the while hoping we are, through the presence of our phones, transforming it into the extraordinary. But how do you relive what you halfway ignored? Flesh and blood neighbors become

background, props, strawwomen and boogiemen. So much of Dylan’s life has been lived in front of rolling cameras and yet the shapeshifter is, if anything, less understood, more unknowable. The incarnation I witnessed at Cuthbert had a surprisingly spry lilt, instead of the grumpy growling I had expected. The oddity was the sweetness of it all, like the popular standards that swirled around his youth, easy Sinatra on the transistor, filtered through Dylan’s panoramic American vision and inimitable phrasing. How will these days be remembered? All is documented and so little understood. Preserved but not felt, uploaded but not truly seen. How do you document a life when a life becomes posing and promotion and file maintenance? Life filed away for later. Only to find you are simply recording the act of recording. Something is happening, but you don't know what it is …

Is there, perhaps, a change a-coming, can you hear it in the distance, blowing in the wind?

COMMUTER

A&E ⋅ REVIEW

Zach Cregger's

ach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a terrific little horror film we didn’t know we needed. With a runtime of 1 hour and 37 minutes, it’s easy to miss all of the details that Cregger so meticulously incorporated. A fan of the video game franchise, he previously directed the horror

Bloodcurdling Satisfaction

blockbusters Barbarian and Weapons. “I played Resident Evil 4 a hundred times,” Cregger said in an interview with ComicBook. “I am obsessed with it. And so, I wanted to tell a story that feels like it’s honoring the experience you get when you play the games.”

words by AUDREY LINDER

a different story,” Cregger added. So why is the Resident Evil franchise so popular?

The film was reimagined in a way

It all started with Capcom’s 1996 video game Resident Evil (or

that focuses on an original, standalone

Biohazard in Japan), which showcased zombies and mutated

plot that adopts components and themes

creatures in a first-person survival environment. The game

from Resident Evil 2 and 3, rather than

triggered massive success and contributed to the cultural trend

recreating a specific game or character.

of the horror genre.

“Let me say this: this is not breaking

Since then, Capcom has released 11 games – with Resident

the rules of the games,” Cregger said

Evil: Requiem (2026) being the most recent of the franchise.

when talking with Inverse. “I am the

They all follow a continuous storyline regarding the Umbrella

biggest worshiper of the games, so I’m

Corporation and Raccoon City in addition to recurring

telling a story that is a love letter to the

subplots and characters.

Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten

games and follows the rules of them.”

As of June 2026, the franchise has sold a total of 213 million

mountains, it follows medical courier

million copies sold worldwide).

STARRING

Bryan Hodukavich (Austin Abrams),

And Resident Evil is no stranger when it comes to cinema.

DIRECTED BY

Zach Cregger WRITTEN BY

Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry RATED

Set

the

snowy

Colorado

who reluctantly agrees to carry a package

Paul W.S. Anderson was the first to adapt the concept into

to Raccoon City General Hospital —

a live-action thriller under the same name in 2002. Though his

unbeknownst to him all of the dangers

interpretation was an embarrassing box-office flop (with little

that lie ahead, starting with an outbreak

association with the original games), it still earned massive cult

of rapidly evolving organisms that have

followings, leading Anderson to create five more.

spread throughout the city.

And in 2021, another reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon

“It is obedient to the games, it’s just

A&E

copies worldwide, in contrast with the Silent Hill series (17.8

City (directed by Johannes Roberts) circulated in theaters for

RUNTIME

1 hour 37 minutes RELEASED

September 18, 2026 GROSSING (WORLDWIDE)

$324 million

METACRITIC SCORE

79/100

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

96/100

OUR RATING

★★★★★

about a month before going straight to digital. This film also inevitably bombed because of its intense dedication to the

items, and other references. “Resident Evil” has earned

game’s original plots — and its absence of everything else.

96% on Rotten Tomatoes since its

While some argue that Cregger’s rendition of Resident Evil

release on Sept. 18 and is worthy

lacks aspects of the franchise’s storylines, it is evident that he

of every positive review. From gut-

harnesses every element of what it means to make a true film

wrenching and gory sequences to

adaptation of a video game.

adrenaline-fueled amusement, the

The cinematography is buttery and crisp as the camera

film was unexpectedly delicious.

continues to wane and pan with each moment of unease. And yet, with the horror elements in full-effect, Abram’s Bryan is so cynically vivacious and relatable that the comedic undertones felt well-deserved. Per Cregger’s intentions, viewing Resident Evil was like immersing yourself in gameplay. He occasionally shifts to a third-person perspective on behalf of Bryan, which in itself is an immaculate and charmingly frightening experience. At this point, we are Bryan. We are checking our ammunition — a terrible aim with the handgun — and we are searching an abandoned farmhouse for resources, eventually upgrading to a shotgun. Even the typewriter, strategically placed as a “save point,”

One can only hope that Cregger pursues his horror game passions by continuing

provided detail and brilliance for fans of the video game

this effective adaptation … and

franchise, in addition to the glimpses of healing herbs, first-aid

doing the franchise justice.

COMMUTER

A&E ⋅ REVIEW

The Successful Show Keeps on Delivering words by HOLLANDER BISHOFF photos via APPLE TV

SEASON

STARRING

Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein AVAILABLE ON

AppleTV OUR RATING

9.5/10

A&E

ed Lasso originally released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in August of 2020. The show became an instant favorite and a resounding success for the Apple TV streaming service. The show followed Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), an American football coach who was hired to coach a British soccer team called AFC Richmond. With little knowledge of the sport, Lasso meets plenty of failures, but with his wholesome attitude and grit, he helps the team to improve and succeed. Positive reviews flood the internet as Ted Lasso returns for its fourth season. Originally written to be three seasons, the fun, heartwarming show met its end with a loving send-off as the season three finale reached over 529 million viewing minutes. Even though it was the final episode, writers left it with some openended story plot points in case they wanted to come back to the show — and that is exactly what they did. Picking up the open end left in season three after the head of marketing, Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) is teased showing a plan to create a women's team, season four follows this with AFC Richmond and their newly created women's team. Remarkably the show continues to address real-world issues in a storydriven way that helps to further the plot. Currently six of 14 head coaches are women for the National Women's

Soccer League (NWSL). Until recently that number was a lot lower. As Mag Linehan of the New York Times Athletic wrote in April of 2025, “Only two out of 14 teams have female head coaches.” The show challenges these topics head on, even making characters doubt their own morals. At the end of the previous season, Ted moved back to the United States to be closer to his son, Henry (Grant Feely) and make life easier for himself and his ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders). After being invited back to AFC Richmond by owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley Jones and the director of football operations (Leslie Higgins), Ted agrees to return, this time bringing his son and exwife with him. Ted is met with a warm welcome by returning characters Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt). Ted does not receive a warm welcome from everyone though. He is met coldly by the rarely smiling

Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds), who was helping to coach the team in the offseason. Chilton, having sought the manager position herself, plans to leave when she finds out she was passed over for the job. Eventually, she is won over by the “Lasso Way” as Ted shows he really does care about the team. Chilton's brief plan to leave creates a unique opportunity as she questions Rebecca on whether she was ever truly considered for the job. Rebecca, who considers herself a feminist, ends up questioning herself on what true feminism is. Ted Lasso has the unique ability to blend comedy with heartfelt tones and serious dialogues based around realworld issues. As Henry Corbett writes for Seen and Unseen: “The series drew me in, lifted my spirits, and delivered some great lines of wisdom alongside the humour.” Ted Lasso continues to deliver with every episode and season four does not disappoint.

My Name is

HUMAN-ity words by ELLY FUNDERBURG

I am an outsider. Are you one too? Do you see me? Because I see you. Why is it easy To notice our differences? Are we connected By teaching divisions Of privilege? I stand beside you In isolated categories, Ignorant and colorblind, Please tell your story.

No black-only signs Or separate benches, Yet a culture divided By our invisible differences. When we walk out the door, Class dismissed, Will division still guide Where I must fit? If you wish to know, I can't choose difference. It won't change how I see you— That's courage to be human.

COMMUTER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ⋅ COMIC & GAMES

comic by JESUS SANDOVAL-URIBE

o for students every Tuesday

With your valid Oregon college ID

Two locations open 7am - 9pm daily. @firstaltcoop

2855 NW Grant Ave. & 1007 SE 3rd St.

SECTION A&E TITLE

puzzles

crossword

medium

61. Clumsy ignoramus 62. Cries from a litter 63. Vegas numbers game 64. Unprincipled dude

"Oz Introduction" by Mark McClain

hard

sudoku

1. Shoulder cover 2. Type of yoga 3. Awards for tube success 4. Hockey or hoops stat 5. Not chubby 6. "Othello" villain 7. Floating debris 8. Like hogs in the wild 9. Well-mannered 10. Window __ (A/C type) 11. Old floppy thing 12. Dark-clad faddist 13. Cunning trio? 21. Upstanding 22. "Amazing!" 26. MacGraw of "Love Story" 27. Tibetan priest 29. Blood type letters 30. Election Day privilege 31. Come back 32. Articulates 33. Title for Maggie Smith 34. "Star Trek" phaser setting 35. Hit the runway 37. Norse deity 40. Tell a whopper 42. Multi-volume reference, initially 43. Rhythmic Cuban dance 46. States north of Nebraska 49. State Farm reps 50. Hockey or hoops official 52. Had a hankering 54. Wipe out 56. Line whispered to the audience 57. Source of "E pluribus unum" 58. Tricky curves 59. Asian desert 60. __ vera

medium

1. Former home of the Mets 5. Little spat 9. Nickname for Ivan Rodriguez 14. Cured products 15. Hearty companion 16. Burger topper 17. Short bill dispensers 18. Composer Stravinsky 19. Puts up for sale 20. Beginning of a line spoken to Glinda in "The Wizard of Oz" 23. Wrangler's rope 24. Opening for a quarter 25. Refrain syllables 28. Employs a loom 33. Hi-speed Internet svc. 36. Texas Revolution site 38. __ Raton, Florida 39. Part 2 of the line 41. Part 3 of the line 44. Investor's tax-free option, familiarly 45. "Ciao, Henri!" 47. Dawn goddess 48. Win the favor of 51. "For Me __ Gal," (1942 film starring the actor who spoke the line in this puzzle) 53. Uncool sort 55. Famous Memphis street 59. End of the line 64. : 65. Fits to __ 66. Silly points 67. Concerning 68. Rendered into boards 69. Falco of "The Sopranos" 70. Tries to drop a few pounds 71. Petrol station sign 72. Critters' quarters

down

crossword

across

COMMUTER

CAMPUS ⋅ NEWS

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