The Commuter story critique

Action in Nature Photo Show

Max Brown from The Commuter wrote a story about the annual art show on Friday, November 13th at 7:30 pm where photographers gather to show their photography skills.

The lead was intriguing and was written in a way where a person reading the piece could picture the auditorium in their head. It was very clean and well written.

The nut graf gave a lot of information, as intended to. The description of a few of the photographers was really good and since I didn't attend the show, it gave me an insight of what was shown.

I thought that the last quote by Haley Cobb was a bit rude and if it were me, I wouldn't have published it. “A few of the pictures were interesting,” Cobb said,“but after hearing about each and every plant I started to get a little bored.” I would be very embarrassed if it was me she was talking about, saying that she got bored after awhile. Hearing a description about every little flower and what not could be a little boring, but it is unnecessary to add a quote like that in a story read by many people in the Linn-Benton area.

The three things that stood out to me was the description of what the photographers showed, the unnecessary quote by Haley Cobb and the lack of links or where to get more information besides e-mailing someone.

There were no links in the story. Instead an e-mail address of Bob Ross was given.

Mug of Mohammad

International student Mohammad Sharifpoor.

Press Release Rewrite

The LBCC choir is presenting The Season of Light in Song and the tickets are on sale now.

Conductor James Reddan will be leading the LBCC Concert Choir, Men's Choir, and the Re-Choired Element in the Fall concert on Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 pm. The perfomance will take place in The Russell Tripp Performance Center Takena Hall. There will be no reserved seating and admission is $6.

You can purchase your ticket online at the On-line Box Office or in Takena Hall. Business Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m - noon, 1 - 2 p.m. & 1 hour prior to concert. They will be accepting cash, check, Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

At A Glance:
Who - LBCC Concert Choir, Men's Choir, and the Re-Choired Element
What - Performing The Season of Light in Song
When - December 3, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Where - The Russell Tripp Performance Center Takena Hall LBCC, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SE, Albany
Cost - $6

For more information, please visit the following:
On-Line Box Office
Performing Arts Calender of Events



(Would interview James Reddan and a members of the choir.)

Jehoshua at a BMX competition

Jehoshua Cooper jumping a ramp at a Portland skate park.
He won second place during a competition that day.

Photo Critique #14

"Bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity"

I love hippies. Period.
This picture is so great because of the sign, of course.
It's funny because it's true.
I like how almost everything is blurred except the sign and the two subjects because they are the main focus.
The cropping is great. I wouldn't cut anymore off the picture.

Photo Critique #13

The colors of this photo really caught my attention. It's vintage-like and I love it.
I really like the faded colors.
I think the lighting is good but could be a little brighter.
There's a lot of dead space on the top. It could be cropped closer to make the picture better.
This is a fun photo because of the girl's body language.
It seems free and happy, and the balloons add to that feeling.

BMX Competition

Here are a few pictures of my boyfriend, Jehoshua, during a bmx competition.

Macy's Star Council Discusses Future Events

Every Friday at three, a Star Council meeting is held in Macy's department store at the Downtown Salem Center to discuss upcoming fundraisers.

About ten employees and three managers attend the meetings to discuss ways to improve the Macy's "family." The council plans events and activities to allow the employees to grow closer to one another while raising money for events like the annual Christmas party.

Star Council changes people every 6 months to get a variety of ideas and also to give all the employees a chance to speak their mind. During the meeting they discussed a variety of different activities that they're planning on doing within the next couple months.

Since the dress code at Macy's is very professional, Star Council has come up with some ideas to raise money by giving employees a chance to pay to wear more comfortable attire. During the football Civil War, employees get the chance to pay to wear a team shirt for $2. Also, because Black Friday is exhausting, especially for employees, they can get relief by paying $1 to wear tennis shoes for the day.

Star Council is also planning on selling candy cane grams for $1 each and doing a chilli bowl feed where one bowl of chilli costs $3 and with cornbread and a drink it will cost $5. Brenda Dawson adds, "I think that Star Council is great because they do neat little fundraisers that any employee can participate in."

"It's wonderful to know that in this day in age people are still supporting the economy by shopping. Even though the activities that Star Council provide are for store employees only, it allows shoppers to see that we know how to have a little fun too." says store employee Renee Garcia.

The meeting at Macy's went smoothly and was very successful. Ideas were coming non-stop and the positive energy was uplifting. Employers at Macy's know that it's not all about just selling clothes and making a profit. Being connected is very important to them. "We have some of the smartest and friendliest staff that I have ever seen. This makes Macy's a very enjoyable place to work at." said Kathy Marker.

Let's do the time warp.. every Saturday night!

The Denton Delinquents 2009
Photo Credit: The Denton Delinquents

Since April 1978, The Clinton Theater has presented the cult-classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But this isn't just an ordinary showing of the movie, not even close. While the classic is being screened in the background, the foreground is full of actors portraying the characters in the movie. Do audience members throwing rice, toast, and a deck of cards sound normal? Of course not. But at the Clinton Theater, a theater that has a small stage in front of the big screen, it is very normal. This exciting event takes place every Saturday night.

Every first and third Saturday of the month a theater group called the Clinton Street Cabaret take over the venue in an exciting performance and then on every second and fourth Saturday of the month, The Denton Delinquents act out the movie. Not only do they act it out, they mock it by making fun of the movie, in the most respectable way, every chance given.

On Halloween night, Rocky lovers experienced the show like never before. The Denton Delinquents performed at 7:30 pm and it was shocking how mature these teens were. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is known for being edgy and provocative, but that didn't stop these actors from performing the way the adults in the movie performed.

From being stripped in their undergarments to role-playing a short sex scene as a silhouette, by the end of the show viewers had forgotten how young the serious actors really were.

Mallory Adams who plays Magenta said, "Being in the Denton Delinquents and getting to act out my favorite movie is so great. I love all the cast members and I couldn't ask for anything better."

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic about a couple who, after a flat tire, end up at an alien-tyranny's mansion on a very important night. That evening is very special because it is the revealing of Dr. Frank N Furter's creation, "a man with blond hair and a tan" named Rocky Horror. Other members of the planet Transsexual Transylvania are there to celebrate as well. The couple are horrified yet intrigued by this new idea and soon forget that they simply just wanted to use the phone.

At midnight, the Clinton Street Cabaret took over the venue. This group of 20-40 somethings aspiring and for-fun actors knew every single line and rather than looking like they were acting, they made it real. The Delinquents were impressive, no doubt, but the Cabaret was far more believable. "I really love being able to transform into a tranny on the weekend. It's not something most guys would be comfortable doing" said the tranny-playing Jordan Salt.

The costumes and dramatic make up of those acting in front of the big screen closely resembled those in the movie and the majority of the lines were hit dead on. "This is, by far, the best thing I've ever done on a Saturday night and it was only $8. I just want to stay here forever! This is definitely a must-see!" said a Rocky-virgin, Sarai Avitt.

The Clinton Street Theater

The Denton Delinquents

Clinton Street Cabaret

Who: The Denton Delinquents and The Clinton Street Cabaret
What: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Where: The Clinton Theater
When: Every Saturday Night at 7:30 and Midnight
Cost: $8

Photo critique #12

This picture caught my attention because of the lighting.

I like how the light is directly behind the girl. Also I like how it's mainly behind her head, this way you don't tend to look directly at her face but rather focus on the rest of the picture.

The cropping is perfect besides the top. I think the picture would look better if the top of her head wasn't cropped off.

I also like the coloring. It's very soft and warm.

Photo critique #11

I liked this picture mainly because you can see the Eiffel Tower where the gate is open, it gives the tower a frame.

The gate is fancy and it compliments the tower very well.

I also like the black and white. It always givs a photo a sense of classic and timelessness.

The cropping is perfect on all four sides.

Photo Critique #10

I'm a sucker for silhouettes so I really loved this picture.
I love the angle and how it's low to the ground slightly looking upwards.
I think that the cropping is perfect.
Also the sunset lighting in the background behind the flower is perfect.
The colors are great.

AK Carpets and More

AK Carpets and More in downtown Albany is a father-daughter owned carpet and flooring company started by Ken Burling and Andrea Hampl in April of 2000.

The idea for the business started when Hampl moved back to Albany after getting her accounting degree from Eldorado College in San Diego, California. Her brother had a major surgery so she didn't want to work a lot. The divorced mother of two got a job doing book keeping at a floor-covering store, The Carpet Warehouse, and when their books got up to date she realized that she loved selling. "I love Andrea. She worked very hard for me at a very difficult time and she stuck with me," said Reeni Henley, her former employer. After that, Hampl and her father decided to open their own store since the business she was working for was having problems and struggling.

They sale all sorts of flooring like carpet, vinyl, laminate, hardwood, and ceramic tile. The two are actually talking about expanding their business. "My father came from a furniture business and so he knows that area very well, so we are thinking about expanding into furniture," said Hampl. Andrea has about 12 years of experience and her father, Ken has about 17 years of experience in retail in the furniture business.

When asked what it's like working with her father, Hampl smiled and replied "It was a little difficult at the beginning because the first 3 years of being open he was actually working his other job because we wanted to make sure that our business would succeed. Being an older man, if he quit and it didn't succeed he would have a hard time finding a job. So yeah, now that he's on full time it's easy. It's actually kind of fun."

Originally the business was suppose to open in a different location, but when the building they're in now became available they decided to move there instead. It suited them perfectly because it's size. Hampl added, "We needed a larger space. Downtown Albany was struggling and we didn't think it would do what we needed it to do but it ended up working very well for us."

The busiest times of the year are right before the holidays and right after tax season. They also have three major sales, during the fall, their anniversary sale which is in April, and their spring sale. AK Carpet and More also offers installation and all their contractors are licensed. "I know a lot of people besides Adam, my son, who work for Andrea and Ken. Several of the installers that worked for Bill & I continue to work for Andrea, so I know they're good workers," included Henley.

"I am very satisfied with the business as a whole," said Burling. Both are happy with the way the store is going and they are hoping for more years of success in the future.


At A Glance:
AK Carpet and More
140 1st S.E.
Albany, OR 97321
Phone: 541-928-0755
Fax: 541-926-7465


For more information, about:
AK Carpet & More
Downtown Albany
List of Carpet Stores in Albany, Oregon

What I've learned in News Reporting

It's surprising, to me, that I have learned so much in just 50 minutes, three times a week in News Reporting. All of the information that I've acquired can be used while I pursue my career in journalism.

News Reporting is taught by Rob Priewe who also teaches classes like Media and Society and Intro to Photojournalism. The class is held from 11 am to 11:50 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays every week.

The most important piece of information that I have learned is that in order to be a good reporter, having relationships and knowing people is essential because people make news, know news, and are news. Some other things that I found to be important is to really dig deep. Get a lot more information than you plan on using, just in case. Also, making the person who is the interviewee feel comfortable is highly important. That way more information will be given because when people are comfortable they become vulnerable.

I'm really glad that I am taking this class because I know it will help me in the future tremendously. I really enjoy the exercises and assignments and I think all of them have a great amount of purpose and can be used later on in life. The textbook is also amazing. So much great, valuable information and it's not boring like most textbooks are.

For local news (Albany, Oregon) check out the Democrat Herald
Also check out The Wall Street Journal for news that covers international and the United States news.

Neighborhood Photos

Just another day at LBCC...

Phyllis and her dog, Sky. Phyllis is the manager of Linden Wood apartments behind LBCC.

Construction continues on a building to left of Takena Hall at LBCC.

Photo Critique #9

This photo caught my attention obviously because of the reflection.
I liked it because I can't remember ever seeing something like this before.
I think the cropping is perfect and the colors in the bubble are very vibrant.
The picture is very sharp and clean as well.
I also really like that the green background is very blurry.

Photo Critique #8

I really liked this photo mainly because I am obsessed with silhouettes.
I think it is a very unique idea for a photographer to have the two subject ( bride and groom) in the water...especially since it would be hard convincing a bride to get her probably expensive dress that wet.
I also really like the sunset in the background and how the water reflects it and the people.
I really like the cropping, too. I wouldn't have changed it at all.