Jay's Blog

Tiger Woods

2009-11-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

After his crash outside his Florida home last Friday morning, Tiger Woods has once again (this makes three times) canceled his interview scheduled with investigators looking into the crash. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt reported on Sunday.
"In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site, Woods offered no details of his Friday-morning wreck outside his Windermere, Florida, home except to say he suffered cuts and bruises and was 'pretty sore'," CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt reported on Sunday.

Woods has said very little about what happened, and why he was leaving his Florida home at such an early hour in the morning, but police say that the wreck was not alcohol related. "This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," he said. "I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."

"According to a police report, he pulled out of his driveway about 2:25 a.m. Friday in a 2009 Cadillac SUV and struck a fire hydrant, then a tree," CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt reported.

Mark Steinberg, who is Woods' agent, had this to say in a statement about why Woods has avoided questioning by police. "We have been informed by the Florida Highway Patrol that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional.

Woods is scheduled to play in an upcoming tournament but it has yet been decided whether or not he will participate.

Press Release Story

2009-11-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a year of growth so far Oregon State University, which for this 2009 Fall term is boasting an 8.1 percent increase in student enrollment. That's 21,969 students, the largest student body ever, according to an OSU news release. Last year’s enrollment was 20,320.

Enrollment grew at nearly every level, the university said, including high-achieving students, students of color and out-of-state students at all levels.

Even the enrollment at OSU-Cascades in Bend grew nearly 20 percent with enrollment climbing to 611 over last years 510. "This should not be mistaken as growth for growth’s sake," OSU President Ed Ray said in an OSU news release.

President Ed Ray also tells us that this fall is the, "...largest-ever enrollment of doctoral students," and that, "our significant growth in scientific research, which attracts outstanding graduate and undergraduate students," makes it, "easy to see that ours is a university that is making tremendous academic progress."

While some say that this increase in enrollment is due to the declining economic standards in the US that drive people to seek more education, OSU representatives persist that this is intentional growth. And that they are reaching across demographics to get more student involvement and enrollment.

"Our planning efforts have enabled us to reach our enrollment targets in most areas, meaning that we are growing mindfully in ways that allow us to provide the support and services that students need to succeed while allowing for growth that is healthy for the university, as well," said Kate Peterson, assistant provost for enrollment management, in the same OSU news release.

There's no doubt that this careful planning has worked when you look at the numbers. Enrollment is up in almost every target area and things continue to look good for increased enrollment in the future.

Possible follow-up sources could be OSU President Ed Ray, Todd Simmons or Kate Peterson. Other sources outside of the story might be an upperclassman at OSU that has possibly noticed the increase of students as opposed to previous years.

Brady Quinn: Baller or Bust?

2009-11-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Taken as the twenty-second overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, Brady Quinn received a lot of hype entering the NFL. Coming off an excellent four year career in Notre Dame, Quinn looked like a steal going late in the round. During his time at Notre Dame, Quinn broke 36 Fighting Irish records, but also threw a staggering 32 interceptions in three years. Do I sense some foreshadowing? I think so. But at that point in '07 no one knew what a bust Brady Quinn would be.

His first two years in the league (being '07-'08) was mostly spent on the bench. He played in only 4 games, throwing the ball 97 times and completing 48 of his passes. He managed 563 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The reason for his lack of playing time was due to, first of all, the excellent performance of Derek Anderson and the Cleveland Browns organization and coaching staff's want to progressively enter Quinn into the NFL in an attempt to get him to be more effective. Big mistake.

With the falling performance of Anderson and the teams horrible record (now 1-8 overall) Quinn was given his shot in this 2009 season. So far he's showed us very little, besides his ability to make poor decisions. He's thrown the ball 108 times, completing 59 of his passes for 508 yards in 5 games. This may not look so bad, until you look at his touchdown to interception ratio. Quinn has thrown 1 touchdown pass compared to his 5 interceptions. That's 1 interception per game!

And when I say he's showed very little, I mean he's showed very little good. Quinn has showed us plenty of bad, including his recent chop-block on Baltimore Ravens linebacker http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4468; for which Quinn was fined $10k.

Is this all we can expect from Brady Quinn. I personally have never been much a fan of his but there's no doubt he has potential. I'm not sure any quarterback, be it Drew Brees or Peyton Manning, could win with the roster that the Cleveland Browns have right now.

Writers Choice: LBCC's New President

2009-11-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

With the retirement of LBCC President Rita Cavin coming January 31, 2010, Linn Benton was presented with the important task of appointing a new president that will lead LB in a positive direction as Cavin has in previous years. And after much thought and deliberation, Linn-Benton Community College Board of Education has appointed Gregory J. Hamann as the new president of Linn Benton CC. Hamann will assume the duties as LBCC President on February 1, 2010.

Since July 2003, Hamann has been the president of Clatsop Community College in Astoria. Originally from a dairy farm in Minnesota, Hamann has worked for various other colleges and organizations, including a counseling and residence life program at Bethel College, and serving as the dean of administration for Northwest College.

Hamann is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with LBCC, "It is with a sense of excitement and gratitude that I have been offered and have accepted the position of president at Linn-Benton Community College,” said Hamann. “This new position represents a wonderful opportunity for me to continue to contribute and to grow as LBCC and I take on the new opportunities and challenges that we now share.”

Dr. Hamann is extremely qualified for his position, receiving his bachelor's degree in psychology and social studies from the University of Minnesota, a master's in counseling psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Gonzaga University.

Being an active person is important to Hamann. He loves to run and does so on a regular basis, and it's reported on the LBCC website that he has been know to surf with students while Clatsop. I look forward to becoming aquanted with Hamann and maybe one day receiving the opportunity to interview him.

What Does it Mean to be Literate?

2009-11-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

At A Glance
Who: Rob Priewe - Media Literacy, Richenda Hawkins - Information Literacy, Callie Palmer - Cultural Competency, Gary Westford - The Fine Arts, Bryan Miyagashima - Organizer
What: Critical literacies for the information age
When: October 30th, 2009
Where: Diversity Achievement Center at LBCC
Why: Recognizing "National Information Literacy Month"

Learning, recognizing, and practicing literacy is a critical ability for everyone today in this "Information Age." But what is literacy? Is it the ability to read a book off of the shelf? Google a definition? Recognize a piece of art for what it really is? Or is it the ability to combine all of these together in order to navigate your way through everyday life, without prejudice or ignorance of others.

On Friday, October 30th a panel of four, some dressed for the upcoming holiday of Halloween, discussed these questions and others in an attempt to enlighten others on what it means to be literate in today's world. Attending the event were various LBCC students, staff, and representatives of the Oregon Community College Library Association.

The panel of four, consisting of LBCC professors Rob Priewe, Richenda Hawkins, Callie Palmer, and Gary Westford, discussed topics that they specialize in and felt were important for others to understand. The presentation was, as organizer Bryan Miyagishima put it, "open to anyone interested in how technology, society, and culture are shaping the lives and education of the LBCC Community".

First to discuss their topic was Richenda Hawkins, who spoke of the importance of "Information Literacy." She believes that a literate person should be able to do six things with information that they collect: determine, access, evaluate, incorporate, use, and understand. She emphasizes, however, that accessing the information, evaluating the information, and using the information are most important among the others.

Accessing information has changed in the last 20 years. It is mostly all electronic now, making it ubiquitous. But with this speed and the way the information is accessed now, it has become more complicated in the way that someone without the knowledge of computers, or access to them, would not be able to get the necessary information.

Evaluating the information has changed as well. Today's information is mostly generated by the "user" and people are less conscious about what they say because they believe its right, and are willing to say it. She stresses the importance of "knowing what's quality" and being able to look pass the bias in what we gather in order to use the information we gather correctly.

Next to speak was Rob Priewe, who's topic was Media Literacy. Priewe believes at this time in our world, that it takes a savvy news consumer to gather information. It's easy to gather information just by "googling" it, but what's difficult for most people today is sifting through the information in an attempt to find the truth. To do this people must be un-bias, and look at a wide variety of sources. He tells us to, "Just be well informed" and to "be skeptical, not cynical". Too many people today become "stooges" to their own biases. And Priewe reminds us that, "our democracy demands us to be well informed."

The third and fourth speakers, Gary Westford and Callie Palmer, although discussing separate topics of The Fine Arts and Cultural Competency, had a similar message in their short, 5 minute speeches. And to summarize it, a visually literate person should be able to comprehend what they see around them on a daily basis. Be it reading a stop sign or reading a map and using it. Westford spoke of the fine arts as being able to "Interpret the world around us related to art." More simply, being able to understand the meaning of objects or things related to the culture it coincides with. He stresses that we must understand and appreciate the visual world for what it is and not what we want it to be.

Palmer, on the related topic of cultural competence, asks the questions, "Am I aware of culture?" and "Am I aware of something outside of my culture?" Are people today able to elaborate, explore, or contribute to our world culture today without bias. Palmer emphasizes the understanding of diversity, and that it's no longer mankind, but HUMANkind. And that, "How people are first exposed to technology is important."

A Q&A followed the brief speeches on individual topics, in which people in the audience discussed topics of critical thinking, historical illiteracy and other concerns people had about our generation. Predictions were asked of the four speakers. All were optimistic about the future, but all agreed that it will look completely different than anything we've ever seen before.

When it comes down to it, what people should take away from these informative discussions is that no longer is literacy only being able to read and write. Our world has evolved into one dominated by technology, and those unable to use this technology are quickly falling behind those fortunate enough to have access to today's advances. We must promote self-awareness, and search for what we don't already know.

Profile

2009-10-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Potential Profile Sources:

- An OSU football player

- A local small business owner

- Someone from my hometown

- A classmate (At OSU/LBCC or from my high school)

Marketing Genius Seth Godin

2009-10-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

When it comes to marketing, and more specifically new and innovative ideas on how to capture your targeted consumers, few are better than those that come from Seth Godin. His emphasis, the key to successful marketing, is standing out from the crowd. "It's about can you get your idea to spread, or not." And it's exactly HOW you're able to seperate yourself from other competitors that can help to spread your idea, or crush it all together.

The marketing world revolves around the consumer, which means that you, me, us, the people, have the power to decide if something is worth taking the time to investigate. "As a matter of fact, the world does revolve around me." Consumers don't care about what marketers have to say. People are too busy these days, so what ultimately happens with the majority of products is that they are ignored. There's too many choices and too little time to make them. So people do what they've always done and make the safe choice. Choosing a product that you've used before and one you are able to predict the results of is easy. So it's what the marketers do to stand out that makes the consumer interested in their product in the first place.

The first thing someone attempting to market a product should do is ask the question, Is it remarkable? And if it is, the marketing must also be remarkable, along with the developer and anyone else who's fate may be tied to the product. The whole point is the make one person notice and say, "Hey, I need this." Or "This product is remarkable." After one person notices, they tell another person, and they tell another person and eventually what you have is the snowball effect and a successfully marketed product.

We could all take a few tips from our friend Seth Godin.

Surviving Zombies

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

Zombie attacks are going to happen, they're coming for your brain, and the question is: Will you be ready for it? There are some key points when identifying, surviving, and fighting zombies.
First, zombies will not look like a normal human being. Their mouth will be open, eyes hollow and barren, shoulders slouched, arms reaching and grabbing, and legs that bow and wobble when they walk. This Halloween, be careful! Zombies don't dance or eat candy, do not be fooled. Zombies want one thing, your brain.
Second, when surviving zombie attacks, make sure you have enough supplies to last out the attack. Try a Costco or any other store where food, bedding, and other necessities will be. Avoid homes and businesses as the supplies will be short-lived. Try to hide out in a cold place, or somewhere surrounded by a lot of water as zombies do not do well in the cold and certainly do not swim.
Thirdly, if you choose to do so, fight zombies with the proper zombie-fighting-gear. Chainsaws, axes, shovels, and anything else that might be good for removing heads will be key to your survival. "Kill the brain, stop the zombie."
Lastly, remember that infection is irreversible. So if someone you know, even your family or best of friends is bitten, do the right thing and off them before they go zombie on you!

Corvallis High School Football

2009-10-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 16th at Corvallis High School

Opponent: Silverton High School

Possible Sources: Chris McGowan - Teacher, Football Coach, Matthew King - Teacher, Assistant Football Coach, Ron Sather - Teacher, Assistant Football Coach, Corvallis High School Students

Possible Questions: Who was the leading rusher? Who had the most tackles? Who was the leading passer? Any special teams touchdowns? Biggest play of the game?

A big defensive play by Spencer Shear with under two minutes in the game and some tough running by Dominic Wooten gave the Corvallis High Spartans a 28-27 victory over Silverton on a beautiful Friday night.

The game started quickly for Corvallis High as they put up 21 unanswered points on two Wooten rushing touchdowns and a 2-yard touchdown pass from Quarterback Ross Orman in the first half. The Spartans were led offensivly by their Junior Running Back Wooten who rushed for 279 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns.

"The line did good up front all night," Wooten said. "Up front they gave me a push and I pounded it, kept my legs going north and south."

The Silverton Foxes scored late in the first half to put the score at 21-7 half time, and again scored two more times in the 3rd quarter to tie the game 21-21. But it was the Spartans defense that ultimately saved the game for them. With one minute, 36 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Shear sacked Silverton quarterback Nic Reinhard and all but sealed the game for the Spartans.

Silverton High did come back to score on a 46-yard pass but the extra point was wide right and the Spartans held on to win.

The Spartan's defense, which made many key stops during the game and especially in the 4th quarter, showed true grit and lots of heart during a tough battle with a league opponent.

With this victory the Corvallis High Spartans move to (3-4) overall and (3-1) in league. Their final three games of the season are all road games as they visit the defending state champs of West Albany next week, and tough opponents in Crescent Valley and South Albany to close it up.

At a Glance:
Corvallis Spartans - 28 vs. Silverton Foxes - 27
Leading Rusher: CHS Dominic Wooten 31 rushes - 279 yards
Leading Passer: SHS Nic Reinhard 15 attempts - 26 completions - 2TD - 177 yards
Key Plays: Missed PAT attempt by SHS with under 1 minute to play

The Fashion Guru Jessica Rodriguez

2009-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

When it comes to apparel design, there may be none more passionate or crafty than Jessica Rodriguez. Jessica is a 20 year old sophomore from Hillsboro Oregon, currently dual-enrolled at Oregon State and Linn Benton CC. She is the middle child in her family with an older and a younger brother. In the near future, Jessica plans to pursue an internship with Nike and aspires to someday move to a big city and open her own boutique where all the featured items will be of her design.

"Once you make it in a big city I think you can make it anywhere." And she may very well be right.

Even in our failing economy, one thing that may be depression proof is fashion, and the constant need to improve and innovate on your style.

But for now, Jessica will continue to work at Sunsations Tanning in Corvallis and study hard to earn her degree in Apparel Design. And although her boutique may be a few years off, she's only a stones throw away from being 21 and taking her trip to Las Vegas with her sorority sisters in August of 2010.

Comparing Bookstore Prices & Alternatives

2009-10-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

At a glance:

Who: Students, Bookstore Staff

What: Bookstore Prices and Alternatives

Where: 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW Albany, Oregon 97321 - 2301 SW Jefferson Corvallis, Oregon 97333

Phone Number: 541-737-4323 (OSU), (541) 917-4999 (LBCC)

When comparing textbook prices at OSU and LBCC, costs vary from expensive to downright rediculous. The reason for this is that the required and optional books differ from professor to professor even though it’s the same class. Poeple continue to pay too much for their books and no one seems to do anything about it year to year. For instance, Math 111 is a class that both OSU and LBCC offer. At OSU, the total cost of textbooks for Math 111, both required and optional, is $118.45 for new books and $88.78 for used books. But the textbooks for the same class at LBCC, although cheaper to take at LBCC, cost $258.15 for new books and $179.88 for used books.

“I hate this part of school,” says Joe Smoot from Boring Oregon. And he’s certainly not alone.

When talking with students around both campuses, the feeling is generally dismal when the subject of the bookstore comes up. It’s not only buying the books that students dread, it’s the selling back of books that’s the real instigator of the grim feelings. Most textbooks are bought back by bookstores for only 10 to 20 percent, and this is very sad considering the prices of some textbooks used today.

Book prices may vary from school to school, but one solution to spending too much money at the bookstore has become apparent, Chegg.com. Chegg.com is an affordable way to rent your textbooks instead of buying them. Renting your textbooks allows you to skip the painful process of selling your books back to the bookstore for a fraction of what you paid by simply returning them when the current term is over. This could potentially save you hundreds of dollars on required and optional textbooks. Another plus of Chegg is that for every book rented, a tree is planted somewhere in the world at a location of your choosing. A great alternative to any bookstore, Chegg.com is gaining more and more users and happy regulars.