Josh Cande Presents The Roadrunner Monitor

As my first year at Linn-Benton comes to a close, I find myself needing only one class to complete my associate degree. In a year filled with progressively more difficult coursework, new faces and opportunities, I must look back on the past 365 days and simply be in awe of the life that I am finally beginning to live, all thanks to the incredible opportunities offered by Linn-Benton Community College.  After arriving on campus one year ago to scout out the school, I wasn't really sure that I would be attending. My conviction was that I would soon be paying a debt to Chemeketa Community College for the school year. Even more bizarre, I thought that I might attend Linn-Benton for one term and then transfer back to Chemeketa where almost all of my credits are from. That was the plan. Reality disagreed and was different, better than I planned.  When I ended up not paying that debt to Chemeketa, I figured to enroll as a new student at LBCC because financial aid was more available. ...

I was able to meet almost all of my goals for this term and progress my abilities in news writing significantly. My greatest accomplishment for the year, and not only the term, was my sports article format. My writing also became more concise as I was able to break large paragraphs into smaller ones as a habit. This allowed me to develop a precision in directing my storytelling that allowed me to explain multiple concepts successively. My improvement of nut graph, leads, and captivating intros was certainly developed along this term, and I strongly feel that much of my writing now competes at a professional level.  Goals from the Beginning of the Term: "I think that my first goal for the term is to create a format for my research summary pieces, because I love to read peer-reviewed journals and present the information from them in a simple format that is easy for persons to understand who have a limited education in the topic at hand." It is interesting to reflect on my first...

When I started interviewing Chris Riseley, I knew that he was a writing professor and led a few clubs at LBCC. What I did not know was the impact he has had on this community. When a student interrupted our outdoor interview to thank Chris for inspiring him to complete his education when he thought he could not, I began to realize how appreciated Professor Risely really is. In his 13 years of teaching at Linn-Benton Community College, Riseley has not just been a college professor, but a part of the fabric of both Albany and the state of Oregon. Known by students all across the campus, he has taught multitudes of pupils over his career.  Quirky enough to own lizards, cats and goldfish, he brings his big personality and enthusiasm to educate not just to the classroom, but life itself. In my interview with Chris I got a glimpse of the infectious energy that he brings into his classrooms and optimism that students leave his classrooms with about their writing, their careers, and their ...

The sun shines a lot in Jerusalem, they say. There is nowhere in the world that I want to visit more than the City of Jerusalem . As the capital of Israel and the Jewish people, I have always dreamed of visiting the Holy Land and seeing the triumph of the Jewish people that is Israel after millennia of discrimination and multiple attempts at elimination. My Jewishness is the center of my identity, and at the end of the day, that’s what I am…a Jew. I have always wanted to have a Jewish community around me, which is difficult to do in Oregon. While I have been to the East Coast and had a Jewish community at Johns Hopkins, it was only for two years. In the face of thousands of years of hate, isolation, and exclusion, it will be glorious to visit the Jewish homeland someday and share memories, community, and life with my fellow Jews. There is perhaps nowhere more worth visiting than the Wailing Wall in the Old City. The Wailing Wall is a one of the holiest sites in Judaism and is where peo...

  “On Writing” by Stephen King Is perhaps one of the most telling tales of writing an autobiography that any reader will ever pick up. The stories from King's childhood include recountings of his self-published newspapers and personal life that bring light to the darkness which inspires his writing. One of the most interesting stories from his book is writing a tabloid magazine for his classmates that mock the teachers at his high school, which King was reprimanded for and nearly suspended from his school for publishing. While Mercy was found upon King, it appears to have been a pivotal moment in his life as he decided that he did not want to pursue a career in journalism.  “I never got to like Carrie White and I never trusted Sue Snell's motives in sending her boyfriend to the prom with her, but I did have something there. Like a whole career.” One would imagine that a writer would be fond of their characters, and in this quote it is revealed to the reader that King may not ...

In the quest for the next big music star, or even next great song, society scours the internet (and everywhere else, too) for even a hint that an artist has potential. By observing the Billboard Hot 100 , one name you'll come across is David Kushner. Never heard of him? All the better. At 23 years old, Kushner began his professional music career in 2020. His music has been streamed more than 500 million times, and his most notable single reached a peak of 47 on the Billboard Hot 100... so far. Is Kushner the big thing in music? You'll have to listen to "Daylight" to make a decision. David Kushner’s "Daylight" is a somber tune from a baritone voice that explores our inner conception of morality and our struggles with our inner self. The song is haunting, and the accompanying video matches the theme of the music. Check out the full lyrics here . The video starts with Kushner entering a church with a young boy while singing of his desire to stay away from his...