My goals for JN 217

I hope to be able to improve my paragraph structuring skills in this course:  This has probably improved the most.  I believe as far as AP style paragraph structure is concerned, I have become significantly better.  My profile for example has a plethora of different sizes of paragraphs, but all are generally short.



Also I hope to improve my esteem when it comes to being able to approach people and question/interview them:  Seeing the fact that in all of my articles I have at least one live source shows that I have worked on this.  In journalism, this is my weakness, but I am slowly getting better.  My first article may have been the hardest since I went up to people who I have never met and interviewed them.



Lastly I would love to be able to get a ton of contacts in be able to have the skill of asking people for their contact info:  I have not gained as many contacts as I wanted, nor become much better at contact information.  I have gathered contact information from two or three of my interviewees.  As for contacts, I have gained a few, and met new people, but I did not live up to my goal.  It did take guts to become acquainted with Luke from the profile, Marcene from the column, and Holly from the feature, but I did it!

Longboarding at LBCC

 Cruising on Campus

Getting hit by a longboarder on the way to class would suck. Luckily, I have never had that experience.

 Fear of unawareness defeats timeliness and cost efficiency. This may be from interpreting the anti-skateboard policy at LBCC, or from student awareness.

 LBCC policy dictates that students may not ride any “wheeled conveyances,” according to Safety and Loss Prevention Manager Marcene Olson. This includes longboards, skateboards, bicycles, unicycles and scooters. The policy states that students may not ride them on campus - minus the road. LBCC may not be thinking of the benefits longboarding provides to students, and the negative effects the policy creates.

 LBCC student Hunter Burge rides his longboard at least once a week and commutes to the Albany campus from Sweet Home.

"I think it’s fun. It’s a nice way to get some exercise in while commuting short distances, and even long distances,” says Burge.

 Burge admits to have been close to running into someone before, but had complete control of the situation. Olson, on the other hand, believes students should not ride wheeled conveyances on campus. According to her, LBCC has asked a few people to not ride on campus, but no one has been hurt this year.

 Anthony Bedoy, writer for The Beacon at the University of Portland, said in his opinion column "Longboarding: The best way to get around campus," the average longboard costs $75 to $150, but the average bike costs $100 to $300 or more. With that in mind, longboards may be better fiscally.

LBCC should reconsider their anti-longboarding policy. With the unhealthy smoke shacks next to where everyone parks, the slippery stairs located outside, and the flooded entrance to the Learning Center, longboarding sounds tame. I'd rather wreck on my board than be exposed to cancerous toxins.


AT A GLANCE:

Pros: Fiscally cheaper than bikes, better for the environment than cars, easily carried from class to class, and health properties.

Cons: Crashing tendencies, and running into other students.

LBCC Anti-Skateboarding policy.

Olem Alves at LBCC and LCC

Musician Gone Instructor: Olem Alves

Police sirens flashed upon a house as a group of teenagers played heavy music.  The amps blared leaving the teens unable to hear the wailing sirens.  The party was raided, yet the music continued. 

Years later the guitarist on that stage is now a part-time instructor at both LBCC and LCC.

His name is Olem Alves.

Alves gives guitar lessons at LBCC and teaches the Intro to Rock class.  At LCC Alves teaches music theory, improvised jazz, and guitar lessons both on a group and personal scale.

Alves has 33 years of experience in playing guitar, and according to his band, Inner Limits, he was trained by James Thornbury, the frontman of the legendary blues band "Canned Heat."  Alves earned his Master's degree in jazz guitar at the University of Oregon.  

At age 9 Alves started playing guitar.  “I started playing pretty seriously in a performing aspect when I was young like going to blues jams and performing in bands,” said Alves. 

LBCC student and musician Luke Yokoyama has taken six terms of guitar lessons from Alves and his Intro to Rock class. 

Yokoyama states, “He is very skillful… like extremely skillful.  I’ve learned a lot from him over the past, almost, two years.  He definitely did spark a little more interest in jazz and gave me more of an idea of what jazz is all about, and what the jazz guitar is all about.”

Alves has a love for the blues, but the complexity of jazz mesmerizes and intrigues him.  World reknown guitarist Scott Henderson is one of Alves' biggest inspiration.  Henderson said in an article in Guitar Habits, "for me, the ultimate form of expression is blues, where jazz appeals to me on an intellectual level."

Alves may sound like a music instructor, but all through his time instructing people, whether it be students at LBCC or youngsters in his childhood, Alves has also been a performer at heart.  The life of being in a band can only last so long, and once he had children, Alves made the decision to devote more of his time earning money instructing others.  Alves may still play in a band, Inner Limits, but he also has made a living instructing both in Eugene and Albany.

There is a struggle all too common in musicians, and that is being stuck between being a part-time musician and a part-time instructor.  “In order to make a living you can’t do any one thing with all of your time and effort,” says Alves.

Alves says, “musicians I know that do this, they have all these different streams of income and all those streams add up hopefully to one living wage that you can raise a family on.”

Some days Alves busts out his guitar during his Intro to Rock class and plays the class a song to help teach them the stylistics choices made in said song.  “As soon as you break out a guitar, and you start playing something now they’re interested.  They’re like ‘wow’ maybe just for that five minutes, and then when they go home they remember that part of the class,” says Alves.

Yokoyama says, “I’ve taken lessons here and there, and they are all with different people.  I have worked with a lot of musicians.  Some people would know absolutely nothing they are talking about, and some people know everything back and forth, and sometimes it can get a little too much.  With status-wise for him it’s much more than some of the other people I have worked with.  I can definitely tell he put his time in, he really studied the material he is proficient at, especially jazz.”

AT A GLANCE:

Has 3 children and a wife.

Master's degree in jazz guitar.

Teaches guitar lessons and Intro to Rock at LBCC.  Teaches music theory, improvised jazz, and guitar lessons at LCC.

More about "Inner Limits"

Check out music by "Inner Limits."

Interested in taking a class with Olem Alves at LBCC?

Alves at Lane.

Contacting Alves.

Reviewing Sleeping With Sirens' "Madness."

Madness Emerges

The squealing has returned for another album, and if you don't know what I mean, then you may not have heard the vocals of Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens.

"Madness" is the fourth studio album by Sleeping With Sirens, succeeding "Feel" the previous sweat stain of an album that in my opinion caused their guitarist Jesse Lawson to leave.

Before "Feel" came the hit post-hardcore albums, "With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear" and, "Let's Cheers To This" that brought Sleeping With Sirens their fame and fortune.  These two albums represent the fast-paced, no holds barred, post-hardcore sound that Sleeping With Sirens is sneaking away from.

"Madness" is Sleeping With Sirens’ first album signed under record label Epitaph. Epitaph houses classic bands such as Bad Religion, and Operation Ivy, but also the new faces of rock and metal such as Bring Me The Horizon, and Escape The Fate. “Madness” is produced by hit-maker John Feldmann, who is known for working with Good Charlotte and Panic! At The Disco.

“Madness” is a good sign of the band’s transition into pop-oriented music.  

“With their latest album, Sleeping With Sirens have tried to appeal to every group that has ever taken an interest in their particular sound, creating a disorienting, cluttered set of songs that lacks any definitive direction,” wrote Branan Ranjanathan in Exclaim! Magazine. Ranjanathan gave, "Madness" a four out of 10.

Sleeping With Sirens may be trying to appeal to every end of their fan base, however, “Madness” has had more pop songs in an album than any other album before. With fewer punk songs in each album, the evidence shows the band is working towards becoming pop.  Rather than forgetting all of their previous fans and jumping into the pop scene, Sleeping With Sirens has chosen to work their way into it.

“Madness” isn't a bad album and it isn’t their best, however, it shows improvement from the disappointing “Feel.”   Sleeping With Sirens fans are bound to buy it, and pop fans, but the punk fans might want to steer clear of this one.

If you enjoy synthesized violins then you will love “Madness.” The pop songs of “Madness” have monotonous electronic drums that can make a punk listener want to stick drumsticks deep in their ears. On the upside, Kellin’s vocals are still as serene and attention grabbing as ever.

The rock songs in “Madness” are inconsistent in intensity. “Fly,” for example, uses a great driving guitar at the beginning, only to let the synthesizer takeover, but then the chorus prevails and creates a great mixture of both rock and synthesizer. In these tracks, the guitar gives a wonderful rock sound.

Sleeping With Sirens just can’t get enough acoustic. Though there are only a few acoustic songs – one being a bonus track – they give the listeners a moment to relax.  Veteran fans may complain about the synthetic strings and simplistic theory, but everyone can appreciate an acoustic guitar and pretty bells.

Thank goodness that there are still some punk songs. Sleeping With Sirens jumped on making the fast-paced “Kick Me” the hit single for “Madness.”  Kellin is back to screaming, the double bass pedals are kicking, the guitar is driving around your head like NASCAR, and the bass is booming in the back. These songs hold the values from "With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear" and "Let's Cheers To This" and keep the fans coming back for more.

In their own words Sleeping With Sirens said, "‘Madness,’ frankly, is an unashamed masterpiece of melodic pop rock perfection, driven by an undercurrent of punk aggression and beautifully tempered by an overwhelming soulfulness and sensitivity." 

“Madness” may be melodic pop rock, punk, and soulful, but not a masterpiece.

 Rating: Seven out of 10.

Check out "Madness" here.

Pop songs:  Gold, Save Me A Spark, Left Alone, Heroine, November.

Rock songs:  Go Go Go, Fly, Better Off Dead, Don’t Say Anything.

Acoustic songs:  The Strays, Madness, 2 Chord.

Punk songs:  Kick Me, We Like It Loud, Parasites.

Nearest show:  "We Like It Quiet" acoustic tour in San Diego, CA 

Current lineup:  Kellin Quinn: Vocals.  Jack Fowler: Lead guitar.  Nick Martin: Backing unclean vocals, rhythm guitar.  Justin Hills: Bass guitar.  Gabe Barham: Drums.

Studio albums' discography:  "With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear" (2010).  "Let's Cheers To This" (2011).  "Feel" (2013).  "Madness" (2015).

LBCC undergoes April Fools' Day shenanigans

Tales of the April Fool

On April 1 there are no holds barred.

April 1 is the time of year where all the merry pranksters and joking tricksters come out and play.  Some perform slapstick humor, as others test the power of their poker face.  You must expect the unexpected when the fools of April have their day.

Some people get their kicks with the same prank every year, but others may spend months concocting the perfect one.  Fake break ups are made, fake fights start, and plenty more is possible.

Pranks are to be expected, but many may wonder if anyone at Linn-Benton Community College had been pranked brutally.

LBCC student Holly Lucas had her own small prank to share; the dreaded Saran Wrap over the door.  On April 1 Lucas told her little brother that his girlfriend was attempting to Skype him.  With the news of the faux incoming call he ran quickly in his room, and took a veil of Saran Wrap to the face.  Lucas chuckled, “he definitely toppled.”  Lucas ensured that her little brother is okay.

Apparently it is all fun and games even after someone could get hurt.

LBCC student Tobiy Berrey had found the formula to get a good prank without the violence.  Berrey stated “I’ve got my dad with the same prank three years in a row."  Every April 1, Berrey wraps a rubber band around her sink dish sprayer, and every time her father falls for it with water to the face.  Berrey said it may not be the best prank, but it works every time.

Students may have some good pranks, but the teachers have a few stories of their own.  Biology instructor John Klock opened his April 1 classes with his “quite cute” April Fools' story.

“I woke up and walked out of my bedroom door and there were six balloons standing in my way” said Klock.  Klock said his 15-year-old daughter seemed quite suspicious the night before, and the next day showed why.

“I went to the kitchen and noticed the coffee pot was full of corks… and then the coffee filter was full of red peppers” says Klock.  Both Klock and his wife’s shoes were also filled with corks that morning.  “I went to check my phone, and my phone was covered with about 100 rubber bands… it was all around, everywhere” said Klock.  The phone’s language was also changed to Chinese that morning.

That morning also included a purse containing two cans of tomato sauce, and Klock’s laptop being Seran Wrapped completely shut.  Klock said he got his revenge by putting lotion on the bathroom door the next morning, impeding his daughter’s ability to take a shower.

Klock’s April 1 morning didn’t only inspire payback, but it also inspired a joke of his own.  The next chance he got Klock told his students “Domino's just invented the edible pizza container."  The joke was nearly foolproof, except one of his students who works at Domino's said he never saw that at his location.

April 1 may bring many lighthearted jokes, whether they are old or new, but there is always a great story to be made out of it; just don’t try and eat the pizza box after Biology.

At a Glance:

 If you want to know more about April Fools' Day check the History Channel.

 Need ideas for April Fools' Day pranks for next year?  Fox17 has the answer.