5th Annual Teddy Bear Tea and Auction a Success!

The 5th Annual Teddy Bear Tea, "Bears Around the World," took flight flawlessly.

The Teddy Bear Tea was held on Thursday, April 28 2011 in the LBCC commons and was hosted by the LBCC Foundation. They had seating for 160 people and it's estimated that 140 people attended. The gathering consisted of tasty treats from around the world, various speakers, raffles and auctions, and hot air ballooning teddy bears. The Foundation reached their goal of raising $3000.


People of all ages filled the Commons, all dressed in their best tea attire. There were lovely spring dresses and hats everywhere you looked. The Foundation did a great job of making sure everything appealed to both children and adults. Many kids eyes widened when they saw the colorful cake pops on the food table in the midst of Italian pizza, Asian vegetable rolls, French creme puffs, Hawaiian chicken salad sandwiches, and teddy bear shaped shortbread cookies. LBCC Catering kept all the trays full and warm and did a wonderful job.


There were squeals of joy when a ticket number was read off for one of the kids-only raffle baskets and it belonged to one lucky little girl. The most obvious kid friendly aspect, though, was all off the teddy bears! Teddy bears in baskets on the table, teddy bears hanging from the ceiling in hot air balloons, teddy bears in chairs, on stage, in t-shirts! And one giant teddy bear on the live auction table that everyone had their eye on...

"The staff of admissions and registration put together a basket for the live auction that had a huge teddy bear in it and it was valued at $505," Paulette Myers, the event's coordinator said. "It ended up being purchased for $460. It was the biggest competition of the night."

Attendees were all surprised and giddy when they won a basket. "I am very excited I won a basket! I didn't think I would," said 10 year old Sabrina Grato. It was Sabrina and her mother, Lise Grato's, first time attending the tea. "It was a very fun event with great food and fabulous selection of baskets from different businesses," said Lise Grato. Sabrina Grato agreed with her mom, "I want to come back again!"

The reason the Foundation puts on the Teddy Bear Tea every year is to try and raise as much money as they can for the students of LBCC. The Foundation provides funding to various things associated with LBCC, from sports to clubs to academic needs. With the economy in its' current state, these funds becoming increasingly important. LBCC President, Greg Hamann was a speaker at the event and spoke of the increasing need for more funds. "This past year we served about 25,000 students and that's about a 30% increase over the last three years," Hamann explained. "At the same time, we've seen about a 25% decrease in funding."

An LBCC mathematics major, Coquille Rex, also spoke at the tea, and described her journey during her attendance at LBCC. She explained how she has a family and just wasn't sure she'd be able to go back to school, but she found a way to. The third speaker, LBCC Foundation President Martha Wells, used Coquille as a model of so many other students who feel the same way, and are able to use LBCC to overcome the idea that they can't go back to college. "Our ability to fund scholarships for students becomes increasingly the responsibility of people like you, for whom we are eternally grateful," Wells said to the tea attendees.

The LBCC Foundation supports many different students and programs throughout campus, and they work very hard to do so. Here's to hoping next year's Tea is just as successful as this year.

AT A GLANCE:
Money raised: Approximately $3000
Number of attendees: 140
Number of adult baskets raffled: 12
Number of kids baskets raffled: 7
Number of silent auction baskets sold: 30
Number of live auction baskets sold: 6
Speakers: Greg Hamann (LBCC President), Martha Wells (LBCC Foundations President), Coquille Rex (LBCC student)

LBCC Foundation Preps for Teddy Bear Tea and Auction

The time is quickly approaching for LBCC's 5th annual Teddy Bear Tea and Auction.

The LBCC Foundation has hosted the Teddy Bear Tea and Auction since 2006. Each year has a different theme, and this year's is Bears Around the World. The event will be held Thursday, April 28, in the LBCCs commons. For $10, you get to attend the event and enjoy tea and other tasty treats that fit the theme. You also get the opportunity to buy raffle tickets and put them in drawings to win one of the baskets that have been donated by local businesses, companies, or groups. In addition to the raffle, there are live and silent auctions you may take part in. All the proceeds go the LBCC Foundation fund, which supports college programs, students, equipment, and other academic needs. 

Past LBCC president, Rita Cavin, came up with the idea to start the tea, and Paulette Myers has been the coordinator of all five events. The first tea was the only theme less one and the four years following the original tea have all had different themes: Bears at the Circus, Bears on Picnic, Bears on Safari, and this year's, Bears Around the World.

Around 50 baskets have been donated to be raffled off at this years tea. Each basket contains a bear, and any other goodies the business or group decide to fill it with. Many businesses put gift certificates in their basket, which can be of huge value, and include other items that pertain to their business. Some groups get really creative to make sure their basket stands out. "The PEO Sisterhood of Sweet Home did a basket one year, and they got a huge laundry basket and they filled it with books. They had each of their members find a book to put in it and the title had to be the same initials as their name. They put an alphabet quilt in there too, it was really nice," explained Paulette Myers, the current coordinator of the tea and member of the Foundation board. 

The baskets range in value, with the average falling at about $50-$80. Some of the donors go far beyond that, though. "Central Willamette Community Credit Union, Barrett Business Services Inc., and The Corvallis Clinic have all done baskets that are upwards of $300," Meyer said.

The raffle fun isn't just for the adults though. Many children attend the tea, so to make sure they have a good time, the Foundation sets up about five baskets that are only for children to put their tickets in. "Its hard to pick a favorite part of the tea, but I really like to watch the kids choose which basket they are going to put their ticket in, and I like to see them win. They get so excited," said Roxie Putman, who has been an attendee of all past four teas. 

The generosity of the donors is one of the things that makes this event very special. The other is the food! "We always serve tea, and lemonade for kids. Every year we match the treats to what the theme is. Last year was Bears on Safari and we had tropical and exotic foods. This year is Bears Around the World, so instead of traditional crumpets and sandwiches, we are doing cake pops and creme puffs for France, pizzas for Italy, vegetable spring rolls for Asia, taquitos for South America... Oh! And everything is little and mini, all the food is miniature," Myers said. 

The foundation is hoping to raise $3000 at the Teddy Bear Tea and Auction this year. To find out about reservation availability so you can join in the festivities, you can contact Foundations at (541)917-4209, or email them at foundations.linnbenton.edu. 

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: The 5th Annual Teddy Bear Tea and Auction, themed Bears Around the World
WHO: hosted by the LBCC Foundation
WHEN: Thursday April 28, 2011 from 4:30 pm- 6 pm
WHERE: the Commons, second floor in Calapooia Center at the LBCC Albany campus
WHY: To enjoy tea and snacks and to participate in raffles and auctions to win bear gift baskets that have been donated by various local businesses, companies, and groups, all to benefit the LBCC Foundation Education Fund, which supports college programs, students, equipment, and other academic needs.
HOW: you can call (541)917-4209 or email foundation@linnbenton.edu to make reservations by Friday, April 22. You may still call after April 22, but reservation space may not be available.

Club Story; Sigma Kappa Delta

Sigma Kappa Delta, LBCC's English Honor Society, is more than you'd expect.


Besides honoring the academic achievements of it's members, Sigma Kappa Delta also takes part in quarterly group activities. They attend plays or films together and then discuss them over coffee or dinner, they read books over break and come back and discuss them after, or they have get togethers where they do English related activities, such as a group poem. "We'll get together for lunch and send a prompt around and everyone adds a line to it, and at the end we have a poem," explains Linda Spain, the clubs adviser. The group took part in last Mays Relay For Life at OSU, as well. SKD raised over $700 for the organization and they plan to take part again this year. 
  
"In community college, people often come and go like ships in the night and don’t have places to get connected, so one of the purposes (of Sigma Kappa Delta), besides honoring scholar, is to get together and talk about things of similar interest," said Spain. While you do need a 3.4 GPA to get an invite to the English Honor Society, you do not have to be an English major. "Most members, in fact, are not English majors. They major in something else, but enjoy language," Spain said. 

"I enjoy the camaraderie of the other members of SKD. We get together to discuss books we have read, attend plays, or just have lunches with one another. I love that although we are all very different people, we have common interests," said SKD member Mindi Hartzell Jones. Jones is one of 160 total students who have been inducted as lifelong members into the LBCC chapter, which was the first chapter in Oregon and started in 2007. 

You can also visit the National SKD website.

 

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: 

Sigma Kappa Delta, LBCC's English Honor Society

ADVISER:

Linda Spain

WHAT THEY DO:

LBCCs Welcome Day, OSU Relay For Life, Attend plays and films, Read and discuss books, Meet over lunch or coffee, Enjoy each others company!

HOW YOU CAN GET INVITED IN:

Attend LBCC for at least two terms, Take at least one English or Literature class and obtain at a least a B grade, Have an overall 3.4 GPA

INTERESTING FACT: 

LBCC's chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta was started in 2007 and is the first and only chapter in Oregon!

Gamechangers Tour review

Headliner: A Day To Remember

Support: We Came As Romans, Pierce the Veil, Bring Me The Horizon

Venue: Roseland Theater, Portland OR

Inside the Roseland Theater at 6:30 pm on April 2nd, the floor was packed with anxious teenagers. The line outside had snaked around 2 sides of the building, equalling about 2 block lengths. The show was sold out, and 1400 people were now excitedly awaiting the beginning of the Gamechangers Tour. The lineup featured four heavyweights in todays Alternative Rock and Hardcore music genres: We Came As Romans, Pierce the Veil, Bring Me the Horizon, and A Day To Remember. 

As lights dimmed the crowds noise got increasingly louder, until the 6 members of We Came As Romans took the stage and overpowered the crowds cheer with their fast paced opening number, Broken Statues. It was obvious right away that although WCAR was the opening band, they were in no way unknown to the crowd. It only took moments for a mosh pit to open up and for people to start jumping, shoving, and screaming along to the music. WCAR powered through 6 songs off their album To Plant a Seed and never ceased energizing the crowd. 

At 7:45, Pierce the Veil took the stage, opening with their song Besitos. As surprised as I was at the immediate positive response of the crowd to We Came As Romans, Pierce the Veil did not disappoint either. It seemed as though the farther we got in the show, the rowdier and involved the crowd got. It was during Pierce the Veil's closing number, Caraphernelia, that things started getting really crazy. The crowds singing was almost overpowering the singing of lead vocalist Vic Fuentes. During the last chorus, Jeremy Mckinnon of A Day To Remember joined PTV on stage to scream part of the song in which he did guest vocals on the bands recorded version of Caraphernelia. Seeing the vocalist of ADTR before their set and before the crowd had expected to completely set everyone off, and Bring Me the Horizon kept the momentum up.

Bring Me the Horizon is a metal band originating from the UK where they built a huge following, and then began to build one in the US as well. They are now signed to three different record labels. One in the UK, one in the US, and one in Australia. It is less common for a band to start in the UK and make a large fan base in the US as well, as opposed to the reverse, so I was extremely impressed at how enthralled fans here are. BMTH played a 45 minute set, and led up perfectly to A Day To Remember.

Between sets, the venue was vibrating with excited chatter from the crowd. Everyone was talking to everyone, conveying which songs they hoped ADTR would play, and rumours they had heard of surprises that were built into the set. A black cutain was dropped from the ceiling 20 minutes to ten, concealing what was going on onstage. At 9:50 the room went dark and the entire crowd compacted forward toward the stage and began cheering loudly, anticipating the bands entrance. The curtain fell and  A Day To Remember jumped into the song Sticks&Bricks. The opening song was one of their heaviest and made the crowd go instantly crazy. The whole crowd turned into a giant pit of jumping, dancing, moshing, and generally freaking out. The transitioned from Sticks&Bricks into a few songs form their breakthrough album For Those Who Have Heart. You could tell that the majority of the crowd were long time fans, singing every word of every song, even ones from two or three albums ago. Six songs in, during All I Want, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy joined ADTR on stage and sang part of the song, the first  of many unexpected events. The next one came two songs later, during All Signs Point to Lauderdale, when stage crew members threw probably 30 rolls of toilet paper into the crowd. Streaks of white paper went soaring across the room for the rest of the night, the whole place looked like a raging house party. Toilet paper was not the only thing we were being hit with throughout the night. Water, beer, shoes, hats, and other random liquids and articles of clothing were constantly flying through the crowd and landing on people. Not to mention crowd surfers. It would have been impossible to tally all the crowd surfers that were bobbing along the tops of hands and heads. During the song 2nd Sucks, Jeremy challenged the crowd to do a more challenging crowd surf, in which someone had to be laying flat, like the board, and someone else had to stand on top of them, as if they were surfing. I thought this sounded crazy, but apparently the crowd was crazy, because many people succeeded in that challenge. 

The next surprise, and my favorite of the night, took place during the title track of the bands third album, Homesick. Jeremy disappeared to the side of the stage, and less than a minute later he reemerged in a giant, clear hamster ball. He ran forward and launched himself in the ball into the crowd. I was amazed at his stability, he was able to sing the whole song while running around on top of the crowd in this giant ball, and only fell inside it a few times. Four songs later, the band thanked the crowd and exited the stage, much to the crowds dismay. 

After a few minutes of chanting "one more song" and cheering, A Day To Remember took the stage again and did two final songs for their encore. First, Jeremy and guitarist Kevin played an acoustic version of their song If It Means A Lot To You. Before the song, Jeremy told the crowd "Sometimes I don't remember all the words to this song, so you all are going to need to sing this as loud as you can". The crowd did not disappoint. I could hardly hear Jeremy over the voices of the crowd as we all sang along. It was a beautiful moment in an otherwise rowdy show. Near the end of the acoustic jam, the rest of the band took their places and ended it fully instrumental. They led into their closing song, and what Jeremy referred to as "the jam", The Downfall Of Us All. A large net above the crowd released hundreds of balloons and the room turned into a colorful, sweaty, loud blur. Everyone in the room gave it their all for the final jam, band and crowd alike. There could not have been a more perfect closing number.

I would classify the Gamechangers Tour as one of the craziest, funnest, best concerts I have ever been a part of. The lineup was flawless, each band bringing their own flair to hardcore music. We Came as Romans with their songs conveying a sense of unity, connectedness, and loyalty. Pierce the Veil with their storylike lyrics, strobe lights, hardcore dance beats, and unique sound. Bring Me the Horizon with their established stage presence and unyielding metal breakdowns. And A Day To Remember with their variety of records and songs, strong messages and sing along lyrics, heavy breakdowns and distinct guitar riffs and drum beats, and all around quality music that has been building and evolving, and gaining a wide following, since 2003. A Day to Remember is a band that has stayed true to themselves and their music since day one and have worked tirelessly to get to where they are now. They deserve all the sold out shows and amazing success that they are receiving now.

Music to check out:

We Came As Romans; on purevolume

Album: To Plant a Seed

Song: Roads That Don't End and Views That Never Cease

Pierce the Veil; on purevolume

Album: Selfish Machines

Song: Caraphernelia

Bring Me The Horizon; on purevolume

Album: Suicide Season

Song: Chelsea Smile

A Day To Remember; on myspace

Album: What Separates Me From You

Song: All I Want