Photo Story: The Homeless in Albany and Benefits of Volunteering

Jesus Munez(his friends call him JJ) is from Phoenix, Arizona. He moved up to Albany six months ago, and he's a member of Albany's homeless community. JJ has rickets, and is confined to a wheelchair; he lost use of his legs when he was very young. He has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction his whole life, but has been clean for the six months that he has been in Albany. He has been kicked onto the street by family, suffered through abuse and addiction, and lost his mother to cancer only a short time ago. Despite all that, he remains a glowingly optimistic person who maintains plans for the future. His goals are to open his own business and own his own residence. JJ has worked long and hard at recovery through tragedy and relapse, fighting against his predisposition towards addiction, an admittedly rough childhood, and spiderwebs of bad relationships. His greatest temporal resource? The Charity of Others.
"People are so nice here, so open. People will help me get around, they give me money. I even got this pair of gloves the other day."
In the absence of charity, JJ says he and his loved ones have been forced to commit crime.
"Years ago, when I was homeless in Phoenix, it would get too cold at night. The homeless shelters only have a certain number of beds. I never stole, but when it became to cold to sleep outside I would sometimes have to break into empty houses to stay alive. I'm not proud of it, and I would've never done it if I didn't have to. If I saw someone I knew going into a store to steal, I would give them money I earned from panhandling so they wouldn't have to. I don't like things like that."

The homeless community is unique because it is one of the only marginalized groups that depends completely on the charity of others. They don't vote, they certainly don't contribute to campaigns, and they don't sit on local councils. Even as they struggle to survive, municipalities pass anti-homeless laws and break up camps where they sleep. When the shelters are full, homeless are left with nowhere to go.
This should be an indictment of the officials who fail to help the homeless, but also an incentive to volunteer. A citizen can't necessarily build a new shelter or make the government pay for housing, but they can volunteer at soup kitchens and outreach centers, where they often find themselves short handed.
Listen to the volunteers of Saint Mary's Soup Kitchen and hear their reasons for volunteering, and how important it really is.

St. Mary's Soup Kitchen will have been serving the homeless and less-fortunate on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays for 37 years in January. The Church, located on the corner of Eighth and Ellseworth, serves a healthy variety of foods from their soup kitchen, and also supplies food, clothes, and toiletries they receive through donation.

Patricia Jacobson(81) has been the director of the Soup Kitchen for over five years, coming in often times at 9 in the morning and staying til 7 at night preparing and serving food. She also commits significant time on all the other days of the week to procure the goods that the Soup Kitchen provides; "most of the time when people think of volunteering they think of serving, but there's a lot more to it than that."

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David Enge(76) has been volunteering at St. Mary's for nearly five years. "Volunteering is a good way to use my time. I also volunteer with the historic society. We've got a population of 50,000 or so here, and considering the whole volunteer base, there aren't that many in Albany. We have times with plentiful volunteers and times with a drought, and we're in a drought period right now where we could use some good people to put in as much time of their day as they can. We could really use them."

Thomas Lehr (38) spends 20 hours a week in the kitchen, and has been volunteering for three years. "I used to come every hour they were open until my son was born... it was weird because when I first started coming here I was homeless, and I used it as an excuse to get out of my camp and get out of the cold, but when I got into a recovery house all the reasons for coming changed; it became about giving back. I've taken a great many things in my life and I think I'll have to come here for the rest of my life to return it all."

Ashley Coats(33) volunteers nine hours a week at St. Mary's. "I have a different story, I was addicted to drugs for many years; I've been clean and sober for about a year, and it's just a way to give back to something I took from for so long... Places like this provide an opportunity for people to get warm food in their stomach." Ashley was homeless for eight years. She is mother to five children, and says she made her recovery for her daughter.

End of Term Questions

My Best Photo This Term:

Demetry Arellano weaves through defenders Noah Crawford, PK Bean, and Spencer Madsen during a small-sided scrimmage.

This photo was my favorite that I took this term. In this photo the subject is Demetry(yellow penny) and he is facing the camera and the concentration shows on his face. I adjusted the setting well and used Photoshop effectively to crop the image. If I recall correctly it wasn't particularly well received because most of the players in the image were marginalized because they were facing away from the camera, but in my opinion that is what makes it a good picture. This image is reminiscent of viral photos taken at professional matches--like the one attached below-- where one player is shown to be taking on many; the lack of consideration given to defenders is what makes it a good photo.



Photojournalism Goals

I want to get photos into the Commuter, I want to expand my photo editing skills, and I want to embrace interviewing strangers and subjects, as that part is still hard for me.

I'm still working on getting those photos in the Commuter, but I have expanded my understanding of Photoshop and while the prospect of interviews is still daunting, it is much easier than it was at the beginning of term. I feel that my process for taking photos involves more seeking of perspective. In the photo above, I've moved behind a goal to get better shots of the players on offense, rather than just standing on the sideline. I have a better understanding of how framing my subjects can alter the perception of them, as will be seen in my photo story, where I feel I have taken some powerful images that are yet to be edited. I feel that my interview skills have advanced more than my photography skills; I view this as a positive because I think it is more requisite to what I want to do.

Photographer of the Week Write Up: Javier Manzano

Javier Manzano is a prominent conflict journalist born in Mexico and based in the United States. He is known for his documentation of conflict in the Middle East as a freelancer for the Associated Press, Agence Presse-France and other assorted media conglomerates. He was born in 1975 and lived in Mexico until 1993 when his family immigrated to the United States. He worked for Rocky Mountain News in Colorado until 2009, and that's when his career really took off.
Manzano's has one a litany of awards in his career, not all for his photography. For still photos, he won a Pulitzer Prize and two World Press Photo Awards. For his motion-picture documentary work, he won an Emmy award and has been nominated for two British Academy of Film Awards(BAFTA).

This photo was Manzano's claim to fame. He described the scenario in an interview Manzano did with Jessica Lum, "An old Ford Cougar was haphazardly parked on the right side of the highway. When we approached the vehicle we noticed that both of the rear side windows had been shot in. Inside the car, a little girl who was holding the hand of her fatally wounded mother. The girl’s brother, blemished by the blood of his parents stood outside the vehicle, looking on towards the highway." This photo was taken nearby, and it the decapitated head of the child's father.

Manzano is another conflict journalist who's drive and courage allows them to rise to the top of their field. He is admirable for both his professional qualities and personal motives, and has contributed work that changes the world and sheds light on important issues.

Book Report

It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
Lynsey Addario


Lynsey Addario is known for her prominent work in Iraq and Afghanistan, initially documenting the life of women in Afghanistan before returning after 9/11 to cover the Desert Storm. During the intermittent period, she traveled to the Darfur region in South Sudan to bring attention to the genocide that was occurring there. On pages 192 through 196 of her book, It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War, she documents the stories of Bibiane, Vumila, and Mapendo. Before their stories are recounted, a photo spread is displayed of the three women. Bibiane had tears running down her face, Vumila sat stolidly in a sparsely furnished room with fading walls and floor mottled from water damage, and Mapendo lies on her side looking up at the camera; it is later revealed that she is dying, and her demise is being accelerated by AIDs she contracted from gang rape. The stories that follow are startling to the reader; they demonstrate hatred and brutality and a primal level with incisive, candid language. All of the women had been raped by multiple men, their actions being a symptom of the ethnic conflict in their region. Ethnic cleansing commonly involved the rape of women from the other group in an attempt to dilute their gene pool. All three of these women had been raped and then either turned away by their families or left unable to find one. They were, as victims of crimes against humanity, ostracized and given a veritable death sentence. I have never seen a more candid and powerful piece of journalism that so effectively accomplished its goal of putting faces to an issue and humanizing those who are in need.
Addario's work is distinctive because of her choice of subject, her proximity to them, and her ability to capture the tone of any scene with a sense of totality. Her drive seems to be a blend of compassion and determination for the story that results in powerful photographs with clear motivation potential. Her photos of the soldiers in the Korengal Valley capture both the intensity of the event and the strength of the soldiers, and she managed to perfectly portray the desperation and scrapiness of the rebels in Darfur during their trek across the desert.
I have never respected an author or subject of a novel more than i respect Lynsey Addario, because her sense of responsibility to document history as it unfolds is astonishing. There are few more nobler pursuits than risking a life for the sake of posterity and information for the public. Many don't consider journalists when they think of the most valuable and altruistic members of society, and it is an insane injustice. I cannot say for certain that I share Addario's drive, but I do have a general premonition that I want to do good and affect change for the most important issues, and in that way I can relate to her.
Perhaps a less prevalent message of Addario's book is the one that is most powerful: every story is important to someone. So long as the subject of documentation is in need and the goal is to drive change, there is no story to small. This is the seed of my photostory, documentation of the homeless population in Albany. The most important lesson I have applied from her book is that activism based journalism is vitally important, and we can't count on others to do it for us.
This image of rebels in Darfur is a fantastic representation of Addario's work as a whole. This photo was taken as she trekked across the Sahara Desert illegally into South Sudan. She wrote of the Africans' resilience and fortitude, and her own struggle as she crossed the desert. Here she captures a raw image showing the emotion and experience written in the body language of these people, and I feel it is a powerful depiction of the rebels.

Environmental Portrait: The Natty Dresser

The Natty Dresser Owner: Oscar B. Hult
Tuesday, November 26th

Oscar B. Hult, owner of the Natty Dresser, poses with his measuring tape, coat brush, and a display jacket in his haberdashery.
Oscar provided extremely warm service and had a kind demeanor, but wants to portray his business as a place of class and dignity that doesn't shirk warmth.

The Natty Dresser is a family business; Oscar is assisted by his Wife and Son.
Oscar started the Natty Dresser when he was asked to be in a wedding and couldn't find a new driving hat anywhere in the valley, and he was upset that he had to go to Portland. Five years since the foundation of their store, the owners claim that fedoras and driving caps are some of their best selling items.

News Feature Photos 2

Oregon State University Intramural Flag Football Game
Tuesday, November 26th, 2019

Quarterback and Junior at Oregon State. Art McKinty, searches for options during an Intramural Flag Football game at the Oregon State University Intramural Fields on November 26th, 2019.

Quarterback Art McKinty looks to find his Sophomore teammate Nate Sievert defender Avery Wilkes pursues.

Art Mckinty's pass is swatted and then intercepted by  Freshman defender Jackson Date.

After the game, Date speaks about the unique opportunity that intramural sports provides.

"I really appreciate the effort the university puts into organizing events like this. After you finish high school, you're often told you'll never get competitive sports again. This is a resource that helps me release stress, enjoy the game, and meet new people as a Freshman in college."

My Neighborhood

My Neighborhood

 Marilyn Tollifson, 81

Marilyn, pictured here in her shop on Liberty Street in West Albany, is something like the benevolent landlord of the neighborhood. She owns and rents nearly half the houses on the block(not counting the pens rented to her several rabbits), and is known to be a very kind and forgiving landlord. Pictured on the table next to her are a variety of spray painted pine cones in frosted glass containers that she is giving to her neighbors on the street as Christmas Decorations.

The PIX Theatre did a "sense-sensitive" screening of Frozen Two intended to make the movie more accessible to audiences with impediments of sensitivities. This is part of a movement by the Pix to be more inclusive of all audiences, and they showed this within only a few days of the films actual release.

The Albany Carousel lit up at night. A long time project of the City of Albany, the Carousel was intended to be symbol for the town years before it was completed this year. The carousel was truly a community project; schools took field trips there while it was under construction, and volunteer help in its construction and decoration was accepted and encouraged.

The PIX Theatre sign is one of the most popular photos to take in town. The one-screen cinema is adored by locals and is a focal point for entertainment in the city. In recent times they have been able to attain rights to bigger movies closer to their release date, and have seen a corresponding growth in revenue.

The Pix sign from a street view

Week 8 Blogpost

Lynsey Addario Chapters 7-13

Chapter 9 of "It's What I Do" by Lynsey Addario was undoubtedly the most powerful one I came across. In this section, Addario is embedded with the 117th Airborne Division in the Kornegal Valley with a former colleague, Elizabeth. Desert Storm and Desert Shield were the first US Military operations that allowed total embed for journalists in war zones, and Addario was taking advantage of the opportunity by staying for a historically long time in one of the hottest zones in the world.

Elizabeth is pregnant at the time, and the piece really elucidates the disadvantages of being a woman in this line of work. The most emotional events and images come from the portion of the chapter when the Taliban ambushes the unit, and they take casualties. An American Solider dubbed Staff Sergeant "Wildcat" Larry Rougle is killed, and others are wounded. Addario's pictures are displayed after the literary depiction of the scene, which makes them all the more jarring. It is one of the few times in the book where and event is described and then a name is immediately put to a face and emotion to a sequence of events. The description of Rougle was extremely personal and heart-wrenching:

The KIA. The. Killed. In. Action. Fuck. "Wildcat-- Rougle-- had been hit, and he was still missing. Rougle, who had just been telling Elizabeth and me that he was going to propose to his girlfriend when he went home on leave, who had survived almost six tours since September 11, 2001.

Members of the 173rd carry the body of their comrade Staff Sergeant Larry Rougle

I felt that this image was most powerful, because it gave texture and context that came just after Addario's best descriptive writing. It was the moment I felt most acutely when reading the entire book.

This chapter was an education in the trials of being a photojournalist on an emotional and physical level. The trials that Lynsey and Elizabeth faced were daunting to say the least, but their commitment and fortitude were truly inspiring. It is easy to forget that if you're going to photograph professionals in their field, you have to have the mental and physical dexterity to keep up.

Humans of LBCC

Jesus Sandovao

"I'm a visual communications major, and I'm specifying in web media design, so it's kind of a jack of all trades that lets me work with people who want to grow businesses; doing logos, graphic design, web pages. Anything on the internet designed for promotion. It's sort of a mix of things that I enjoy, am passionate about, and come easy to me. Everyone has a dream as a kid right? Mine was to work on comic books. Coincidentally, everything we're doing[in my program] ties into that; InDesign works to design the inside of a magazine or a newspaper. It's the same software people doing comics do. That's just a hobby of mine, obviously I want to do actual marketing, but the dream would be to sell comics of my own. It's all very similar, it's creative. I've always been creative."

Manga comics are really mainstream culture now, and even as I was growing up--I''m 24 now-- it was going through that transition. The earliest Mangas--stuff like I don't know if you've heard of Shonen Jump, Naurato Bleach-- stuff like this was published here in the US in like 2004, but it was written in the 80's. So yeah it was new as a kid, and you got made fun of for it. Once you have a passion, nobody is gonna stop you."

Lynda Alboro

"My major is Chemistry right now, but I want to change it to Math, because I want to be a teacher. When I was younger I didn't really have good science or math teachers, and I just figure giving kids a positive experience will go a long way."
Given your choice of career, do you think it's fair to say you value passion and purpose over money?
"I was just thinking about this actually. I wanna be a teacher, but money is always the issue. I think it's important to do things that you enjoy doing, and that money doesn't really matter. Money isn't everything. I come from this family where my parents combined work six jobs, so seeing other people or seeing how they treat their parents or spend their money s interesting for me, because I didn't have the opportunity to live that way. So really just don't take things for granted, and thank your parents. It just makes me work harder, so I'm able to thank them. I have two brothers, we all try our best in school and try to get scholarships and thank them."

Sports! Shoot

Albany United Football Club Tryouts, Saturday November 16th

A group of Albany youth, aged 17 and under gathered for their first soccer since the end of the high school season. This was is one of the many club tryouts in the Willamette Valley that occurred in recent weeks, as the OSAA State Championship Game was played on the same day these photos were taken.

Head Coach Abie Martinez holds court with his group of players.

AUFC players await the beginning of their keep-away drill

Demetry Arellano weaves through defenders Noah Crawford, PK Bean, and Spencer Madsen during a small-sided scrimmage.

Ian Lloyd drives at long-time teammate Benj Stein near the conclusion of the mock game.

Week 7 Blogpost

Week 7 Blogpost

Hometown Project

I'm going to try to center my project within a few blocks of where I've grown up, on Liberty Street near West Albany High School. I've lived my whole life on the Dead End, and I feel like many of the people in my neighborhood would appreciate it if I could find some novelty in the banality of their daily lives. For a portrait subject I plan on shooting my neighbor Marilyn; she is one of the oldest members of the community, a community volunteer, and owning three houses on our small street makes her more or less our local slumlord. My neighborhood is moderate-low income, and there aren't a lot of landmarks around. I see two options, I could slightly expand the scope to include downtown, where I could get an image of the Pix Theatre, or I could take a photo of West Albany High School; it undoubtedly defines my sect of community. Shooting an activity will be a challenge; not a lot happens. I will have to try and find something special in the expressions of my neighbors in their garden or something to that effect. The activity will definitely be hardest, even just in terms of finding an interesting subject, or making the subject seem more interesting.

Photostory

Rocketry Club is a potential subject for a photostory. I am going to shoot one of their groups this coming week for a previous assignment, and I'm already aware that their goal is to send a rocket to 30,000 feet. It could be an interesting environment depending on when it takes place and how competitive or serious the members are. I will have to feel the situation out more when I go to visit. Then I would need to figure it out with the club administrators and the students themselves, although I don't think it would be a problem.

A day in the life of a working class student has a lot of potential. I have a couple of friends whom I admire very much that bear a lot of responsibility for people who are yet to see their second decade. Diego Casillas is my most interesting subject; he takes care of his younger siblings every day while his parents work, attends class for engineering here at LB, and then goes to to work a full time job. There could be some powerful images in his daily life, because a person so young has to do so much. In order to do this I would need his permission, the permission of his family, and the permission of his employer.

Week 6 Post

ACTION SHOOT:

  I think I'm going to try'n shoot OSU women's club soccer. I have a friend who plays with them and she can tell me when it would be best to come and shoot. I will try to shoot a game, and my only concerns about stopping the action are based on my ability to handle light at the fields. I know the game very well, and so I know exactly what I am looking for in terms of the correct and most photogenic moments.

  I feel that overall photos of sports matches are shot from elevated positions either behind or across from the benches(soccer's are on the same side of the field). I'm not sure how that can be handled at the Intramural fields, but I will try to figure it out. A medium shot can be taken of a group of players from the sideline, and the closeup can be taken of a halt time huddle, or maybe zoomed in further during play or a dead ball.

Week 6 Free Shoot- Humans of LBCC

Nathan Greensweight

Nathan is a Business Accounting Tech major in his second year at LB., looking to become an accountant or clerk.

"I'm looking to become an accountant or a clerk, running numbers, making sure accounts are in balance. I am currently using that as a stabilizing point while I pursue more of voice acting, arts based type thing. With stuff like that, it's more important to have experience than to have a resume built on education. I can make up for a lack of education with more experience. It's probably a symptom of my mindset. I think everyone is different in their own way, but I like to operate more logically. It's not my preferred plan; ideally I'd go straight into voice acting, but striking the balance between what's objectively better and what you're doing is important. If you're doing what is considered more viable, but you're forsaking your mental health and satisfaction because of it, it's not truly a better option."

Samantha Flores

Samantha is a 19 year-old business major in her second year at LBCC.

When asked about a maxim or mindset that she thinks could help others, she responded with angel numbers.

"I have a tattoo that says '444'. Those are Angel Numbers. It's based on this idea that seeing repetitive numbers, or angel numbers, is a good thing. I guess it's something I live by because I have it tattooed on me. They manifest good things, and good things are to come, as long as you have confidence. I think if other people knew about it, then better things will happen for them."

Week 4 Blog Forum (Late)

Potential Subjects for Environmental Portrait Shoot


1: Kevin Branigan
Kevin is the head coach at West Albany High School for Boys Soccer, and my boss. He also oversees several club teams from ages 8-14. Kevin's passion is undoubtedly soccer, and he is reaching what is undoubtedly the climax of his career. He has been coaching West Albany Soccer for 4 years, and had previously won only 8 games in that time. This year is different. His defense has kept 9 clean sheets in 14 games, they lost only two league encounters. For the first time in program history, West was up for a league title. This assignment represents an opportunity to document the grit and optimism that are characteristic of the current environment.
I would shoot this person before or after a practice at the soccer field, and plan to pose them with a ball or cones, some trapping of the trade. I'm an imagining an Ambassador-esque look. I will contact him by asking at work.

2: Abie Martinez
Abie works at his fathers pallet business, which has been the center of the family since they immigrated from Mexico. I believe these photos could have more value because they are of a family business, which has allowed the Martinez family to provide for their children and lives in a new country. I can take his picture at the pallet shop, potentially holding a pallet, nailgun, or both. I have Abie's number, I can contact him that way.

Week 3 Blog Forum (Late)

Shooting an Event
I shot the West Albany Boys Soccer JV Team playing away at Silverton High School. I was attracted to this event because I am a varsity coach, and it represented something that I love and am interested in shooting but also a convenient loop hole. The shoot was focused around the college students who coached the team rather than the team itself, per the parameters of the assignment.
The rain and the cold represented to minor challenges to my shoot; however, the most persistent hindrance was the size of the field and the lack of variability in range and angle that was available. As the coaches face the field at basically all times, there was no way I was going to get a shot head on that wasn't taken from over 50 yards away. I tried to create an advantage from this by setting myself along the sideline and getting images with the bench in the foreground and out of focus to add perspective.
If I were to shoot this assignment again, I would probably shoot something else as I didn't consider it would represent a conflict of interest. In an artistic sense, I would have brought a tripod. Many of my potentially better photos were blurry because of the lengths I had to go to to get well lit photos in fleeting light on a cloudy afternoon.
Some of my photos I was satisfied with, although the poor choice of subject and event never let me create a quality assignment.

Self-Critique

This photo is my favorite that I've taken. This was the first shoot where I was able to use the actual camera. While the technical subject is facing away from the camera, the expressions on his pupils faces speak perhaps more about the subject than a picture of their face would have done. One player looks ashamed, another is focused, the next seems unconvinced by him. Knowing what I do about this coach, his team, and the environment around it perhaps makes this a better photo in my eyes, but it is still my favorite regardless. I also feel the lighting and shading of this photo provide an accurate metric for the mood at the time.

Week 2 Forum (Late)

Photographer of the Week: Thomas Magnelson
Thomas Magnelson is a nature photographer who has lived in Wyoming for over 40 years. He was raised in the natural world; born in Nebraska, his childhood involved hiking hunting and swimming in the area around the Platte River. Between 1970 and 1972, he lived in a shack with no amenities or utilities, his only interactions being with a dog and raccoon. There he honed his photography skills, and in 2015 he co-published a book entitled Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, part of his long history of defending the Grizzlies of Yellowstone.

Magnelson's use of color is what stands out to me, each and every photo alive with a symphony of pigment. Even photos taken in the desert are somehow vibrant and lively, and he has the ability to turn harsh light into a satisfying hue.

Finally, his claim to fame is a photo taken of a Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone as it catches a fish flying up the cascades in mid-air. His photography of the Yellowstone area in general is what produced his best and most notable works.

It's What I Do
This book so far has been one of the most inspiring that I've read. Addario's drive and bravery is what makes her stand out, and her commitment to her field and work is astonishing. The way she views her job, and what she says about "bearing witness to history" is truly honorable. Few people bring up photographers when they are asked about important and noble jobs, and this book truly illuminates just how important they are and everything they sacrifice. The photo of the bombed out gas station where Addario and her colleagues were stopped by Qaddafi's men is perhaps the most powerful. It is interesting to read about such a high stress situation and then see something that quanitifies it so well.

Albany Events: WAHS Boyds Soccer Away Day

West Albany High School boys Junior Varsity takes on Silverton High School in a match ending 5-1 to the Foxes

West Albany JV coach Luis Martinez shouts instructions to his players

Martinez, while unhappy with the result, is happy with the growth his team has experienced this season. "We're graduating four seniors this year; that means at least 4 vacant spots on varsity. I feel that we're preparing these boys well for those spots."

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Bulldogs Ian Lloyd, Jackson Cellerini, Neil Morse, and Carter Cordle  take in instruction while tied 1-1 at half time.

Martinez explains weaknesses in the defense to his players on the bench who are preparing to go on.

Martinez feels his team's 3-3 record is passable, but laments that it is the measure of success for Junior Varsity.

"This team is a development project. JV doesn't have playoffs or a state championship, or even a league title. My job is to prepare them for Varsity, where they have a chance to do something that will mean more to them and their school."

Humans of LBCC 3&4

Jackson Finnan



Jackson is a sophomore in his first year at LBCC.






“I went to high school in corvallis, and last year I went down to California and went to Chico State. I played baseball there, and I decided I was going to go to community college for a year. I was going to go to one in California, but it was just to expensive. Decided to come back home, save some money. I was a walk on. I’m currently playing on the baseball team here.”






“The classes here seem pretty similar, not too hard yet. First week, mostly syllabus stuff so far. Chico State was obviously a lot bigger, the buildings were more spread out, this is just one building so it’s a lot easier to find your way around. I feel like there’s more communication between the students here, just cuz it’s smaller and being in a college with 25,00o kids you don’t see the same people ever really. I think at a state school people are a lot less active and talk less than they do here; I guess there are more familiar faces seeing everyone around all the time.”


“It’s good to see people from high school, run into a familiar face every once and awhile. It was good (to get out of the state for a year) I’m actually probably looking to get back there after a year.









Jade Hayes



Jade is a freshman at LB, majoring in business administration. She’s on the volleyball team at the college, and wants to own her own business in the future.





“Yeah, I’d say that I’m an optimistic person. I have to try to be optimistic; it doesn’t always end up like that. It’s definitely something I have to try to be. I’d say it’s important to try to be that way, because it just improves your life.





Jade moved to Albany from Mackenzie, a small town that she says makes Albany seem like a big city.





“I think the biggest thing with moving was being away from family, and having to just go straight into things. When I moved here, it was just 8AM practices then 5PM practices. Just like “go go go go.” I never had an adjustment period, it was just like senior summer, and then boom you’re a college student. It’s really nice to be on the volleyball team. There are 15 people on the volleyball team, and it’s great because there are 15 people that you already know pretty well. It provides a nice foundation.”





“If there was part of my mentality that I think has helped me the most, it’s just the idea that I need to stick with it. I don’t always want to be here, and sometimes I wonder “can I do this?” But then my teammates and other people just come to me and say “yeah you can do this, just stick with it. It’s simple but it works.”

Week 1 Forum

PHOTOJOURNALISM WEEK 1 FORUM



TOPIC 1--

I am a soccer coach at West Albany High School trying to get a foothold in journalism and learn more about the field. I took this class to get started in Journalism and learn more about photo editing.

TOPIC 2--

I want to get photos into the Commuter, I want to expand my photo editing skills, and I want to embrace interviewing strangers and subjects, as that part is still hard for me.

TOPIC 3--



The assignment was sort of uncomfortable at first, but I came away from my last interview feeling better about it. My last subject was very kind and interesting, and I left him feeling very optimistic about the class.

Humans of LBCC

Humans of LBCC

Saul Ramos

Saul Ramos is a 46 year old first generation immigrant from Calisca, Mexico. He attended high school in Guadalajara, and made his journey to Corvallis, Oregon at the age of 21. He found a few differences between t Calisca and Corvallis;

“The streets in Mexico are not often clean, much cleaner here. Business is different too. There, there are only bathrooms in some places. Here there are bathrooms everywhere, not there. There, in a small town, there were no public bathrooms. If you had to go, you just had to run, in the wild. In Mexico City, you had to pay 7 pesos to use a public bathroom.”


“The school system here is a lot better, a lot more care for the students...You have a lot more here, you have a lot more computers and labs and everything. When I was going to high school in Guadalajara, you know, a big city, I never saw any computers or labs anywhere. You get whatever you get and that’s it.”


After a long struggle in Guadalajara due to a lack of resources in the education system,Saul dropped out of High School, and half a decade later immigrated to the United States

Diego Casillas-Reyes

Diego is a sophomore at LBCC pursuing a civil engineering degree. He is a hispanic American, a first generation American.

“I get a big blend of mixed cultures. My parents are from Mexico, and they live as such… A LOT of things are different here than what I was taught, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing… I wouldn’t be who I am today without the blend. I understand there will be those who do not like me because of my heritage. Or perhaps one might be upset if they heard me speaking my native language, but those things don’t bother me. I know who I am and I’m proud of who I am.”

“Although I’ve yet to have a direct conflict with someone who dislikes me solely due to my heritage, I am sad to say I’ve had my fair share of situations where people have assumed things of me because of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been followed by a worker or an associate at the store. Just the other day I had an encounter with a fellow classmate where I was racially profiled. She interjected with a question I wasn’t expecting that day. She asked , ‘You weren’t born in the states, were you?’ Processing what had just happened, I told her I was born in Corvallis. After being told the Hispanic guy sitting across from her wasn’t born in Mexico, with a shocked look on her face, she replied, ‘Really!? Wow. Those are rare.’ Within minutes, I went from being her lab partner, to “those” because of how I look. I am so much more than just my ancestors, but all I can do is suck it up for now.”