The Rat Post

ALBANY – U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley , U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum alongside Albany Mayor Alex Johnson II gave local constituents a chance to voice their opinions about local and federal issues during a town hall event at Linn-Benton Community College.      On Sunday, Jan. 18, Merkley and Bynum spoke in front of a crowd of 100-plus people at the Russell Tripp Theater at LBCC’s Albany campus.      Of the attendees, most are a part of the older generation. Top discussed issues were the current political turmoil with the Trump administration, affordable housing, the cost of education, federal grants, reproductive rights, mental health, climate change, and protecting illegal and legal citizens against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.      Linn-Benton President Lisa Avery welcomed and introduced Merkley, Bynum, and Mayor Johson in the theatre. Later handing the microphone to Mayor Johnson to explain his plans for Albany and affordable housing. ...

     Man, how times have changed since my first introduction back in April… Almost a year later, and here I am still at Linn-Benton!      Not much has changed, aside from the usual “tweaks” in my degree focus and change of universities after LBCC. I originally thought about going to Arizona State after, but have settled on Oregon State to pursue my bachelors in Marine Studies and my masters in Oceanography.      Of course, once again, aside from the usual class assignment to say what's new. I am writing this and updating you all because I am taking Journalism 215 this term with Rob Priewe.      I’m still into surfing and actually entered my first surf contest this past September and came in 15th. Currently we are in the process of remodeling a former Bellingham School District bus that we purchased in Washington at Northwest Bus Sales. We are almost finished with No Rain the Bus.      As my last introducti...

     Local photographer Al Crane uses a double exposure with water and clouds to create an interesting effect of two photos mixed together as one. On Nov. 12, LBCC’s South Santiam Gallery hosted a reception for the photographer and his work. His work focuses on water in the forms of rivers, streams, rain, and clouds – as water is an essential part of our existence and a reminder of the ever-changing cyclical nature of life.      Double exposure involves layering two photographs over another at the moment of capture, leaving some aspect of the photos to chance. The constant movement of the water and clouds add to the spontaneity and helps focus on the beauty, power, and mysterious nature. This exhibit was displayed in the South Santiam Hall Gallery for a limited time. This on campus gallery features rotating exhibits from local artist throughout the year.      

     Stickers? In The Commuter!?      That’s right! If you picked up the October edition of The Commuter, you may have been one of the lucky 240 that got the fall/Halloween-themed stickers, plus you may be lucky enough to get them in the November issue as well! Look for them now in newsstands around the Albany campus.      You may be asking yourself, “That’s cool, but why are they in there?”      Well, it started as an idea to bring more student involvement into the publication. We at the paper are always looking for new ideas to bring a fresh perspective to The Commuter for all students, staff and faculty on campus to enjoy. Reaching out and making connections to students, the stickers are currently made by our on campus Art Club and Jesus Sandoval-Uribe, our comic strip creator.      To say that our October editions were a hit would be an understatement. They went out quicker than 2025 World Series tickets … ...

At a Glance: Kristina Holton Occupation: Dean of Science, Engineering and Mathematics at Linn-Benton Community College and Board Director of the AWCC and local School Board in Junction City Age: 43 Hometown: Junction City, Oregon Family: Married, 2 daughters Education: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics; Master’s in Mathematics Education; Doctorate in Educational Leadership – all from Oregon State University Years at LB: Seven years Before teaching at LB: Lane Community College Math Resource Center Director, Interim Dean of Math and Engineering at LCC, middle school and high school teacher, and instructional coach Favorite Teams: Linn-Benton Roadrunners, Oregon State University Favorite Sports: Tennis, cross country, swimming, and football Other Interests: Skydiving (soon), music, traveling, hanging out with friends/family, leadership, math, active in American Association for Women in Community Colleges – AAWCC local and state level -----------------------------------------------...

Photo copyright Skylar Wilkerson After my Q&A with Nick May, Matt Scotton sent me an email connecting me to Michelle Kobold. She was the instructor that taught the graphic design class that was commissioned by May to create the stickers. Mrs. Kobold followed up with an email with the names of those students that made the stickers, Nicole Johnson, Jack Hagner, Hadassah Zderad, and Carlos Torres. They created the stickers during the winter 2025 term. I then scheduled a Q&A session with the students, Johnson, Hagner, and Torres. Zderad was unavailable for the meeting. In case you were wondering, they were the one who designed the Uno-style ones and the LB pancake-style sticker! What was the idea behind the sticker? Torres: So I designed the “Find Your Path” sticker and the “LBCC Backpack,” so my kind of inspiration behind them was a 90s internet sort of vibe. I wanted it to look very digital in its design, but still kind of childlike and playful. That was kind of the idea I was...