Week 5 Photos- LBCC Profitable Small Farms

Student Mariah Hake browses the vegetables at LBCC's Profitable Small Farms stand in the courtyard on Thursday, April 28. Hake holds fresh, free range eggs in her hands, produced through the care and labor of students in the farms program. Behind her, student Bobby Staneart scans the vegetable stand.

LBCC student Carmela Scafidi makes a sale of fresh free range eggs to student Mariah Hake on a Thursday afternoon, April 28 in the courtyard. Scafidi participates in the LBCC Profitable Small Farms program, where students learn to grow organic food and sell it at the weekly courtyard farmers market. Behind Scafidi student Jesse Schell helps another farm stand customer, student Bobby Staneart.

The LBCC Profitable Small Farms program sell's their organic produce and free range chicken eggs to students in the courtyard on Thursday afternoon, April 28. Carmela Scafidi (behind table, left) and Jesse Schell (behind table, right)  display their vegetables and talk with students. 

"The Jungle Book," a re-imagining by director Jon Favreau brings an old story thriving back to life.

A tip to audiences: stick around for the credits on this one, because they’re almost as intricately put together and entertaining as the film itself.

Shere Khan, photo courtesy of Disney.com

Lost in a vibrant world of tangled trees, where serpentine danger lurks among gnarled branches, a little boy runs wild through an intoxicating and merciless jungle. Finding family in a pack of wolves, his greatest protector in a panther and his best friend in a bumbling bear, Mowgli must come to terms with his humanity or risk the destruction of his mammalian companions.

“The Jungle Book” will reach its flame deep into the minds of both children and adults, setting imaginations afire with a keenly created, fantastical world.

Photo courtsey of Disney.com

Director Jon Favreau and screenplay writer Justin Marks infuse a classic tale with new life in a revitalization of stories written by Rudyard Kipling and popularized in Walt Disney’s final film animation of 1967. Neither exactly a live-action version of the original Disney film, nor entirely reliant on CGI, this film lies somewhere in between. Its computer effects gracefully illustrate an ethereal and dangerous world of wise-talking animals and outlandish adventure.

Neel Sethi stars as Mowgli in a strong feature-film debut, behaving with an understated naturalism, as if the Disney character stepped out of the cartoon jungle and onto the set.

Comparisons to the past are irrelevant; what Favreau has created here is both reverent to the Disney classic and Kipling’s tales, and yet utterly divergent. It is an amalgamation of a storybook, a coming-of-age hero tale, and a modern-paced spectacle, evolving into a metamorphosis of all three. It is it’s own special butterfly.

Favreau, whose greatest directorial successes are arguably “Elf” and “Iron Man,” skillfully draws on just the right amount of each flavor to create this modern “Jungle Book” revival.

“We had to draw inspiration not just from ‘Jungle Book,’ but also films like ‘Lion King’ and the big five animated ones,” said Favreau in an interview found on Slashfilm.com.

Some of this influence is strikingly apparent, namingly the stampede scene as Mowgli is caught in the fray of fleeing beasts. The death of Idris Elba’s antagonistic Shere Khan, as the scarred, giant tiger falls to the flames of the “red flower,” parallels a combination of Mufasa and Scar’s deaths in the “Lion King” perfectly.

None of these influences render the film as unoriginal, however.

After Disney experienced success with the live-action re-imaginations of “Cinderella” and “Maleficent,” they prepared to give Favreau the go-ahead, leaving the best of modern CGI technology at his disposal.

“To have those tools available for something other than a superhero movie was a big treat for me,” said Favreau.

The director certainly made the most of them. Favreau spent two years creating his own spectacular jungle world within the urban jungle of Los Angeles. The entire thing was filmed in a studio downtown, according to reviewer Andrew Barker for Variety.

Yet, “The Jungle Book” looks and feels as though it’s the real thing.

“I think just because you could do anything doesn’t mean you should do everything,” said Favreau, referring to the cinematography of the film.

While filming "Iron Man," Favreau learned sometimes the best way to infuse a film with a realistic thread is to shoot realistically, as if using an actual camera rig.

At one point the water of a swirling river splashes the camera lens. It’s almost overkill, but it doesn’t distract from the expertly-paced storyline.

Favreau’s choice in cinematography lends to the believability of the jungle world, leaving room for the viewer to immerse themselves in the blossoming relationships between Mowgli and his animal friends.

This story, though not the same as the 1967 version, makes enough nostalgic references to the original film to satisfy a generation of older moviegoers while inundating the film with a modern framework. Favreau holds back on the musical sequences, but deftly works in a short “Bare Necessities” number between Bill Murray’s Baloo and Sethi’s Mowgli.

Through most of the film, voice-acting cameos of star actors such as Scarlett Johansson and Idris Elba don’t distract from the believability of incredibly realistic yet expertly anthropomorphized animals. Unfortunately, when Christopher Walken’s voice hits the screen as King Louie, a jarring disconnect may occur for adult audiences. To hear such a distinctive voice, typecast in another villain role without seeing his actual face becomes disconcerting. When Walken’s gigantopithecus King Louie begins to sing “I Wanna Be Like You,” the melody sits out of tune with the overall direction of the film. But “The Jungle Book” quickly recovers from its falter, devolving into a crumbling action sequence.

King Louie, courtesy of Disney.com

The film does not rely only on action and spectacle, pausing long enough to develop substantial character relationships and a jungle creation myth. Elephants lumber through the mists as ancient, revered creatures. Their tusks and hooves once dug ravines, creating rivers and forest, bringing life to the jungle setting.

Mowgli’s wolf pack recites part of one of Kipling’s poems “The Law of the Jungle,” surfacing the overarching theme.

Now this is the Law of the Jungle --
as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper,
but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk
the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

“Wolf” no longer represents a uniformity or a rejection of Mowgli’s humanity, but the joining of differences to create strength in unity. In a re-visioning of the time-old story, Mowgli is not fated to return to civilization and live separate from his animal pack. Instead of emphasizing a division between animal and human, the film opens a door into the further lingerings of childhood imagination, one where a little boy is free to run wild in harmony with creatures of the jungle.

Favreau likened the production of this film to building a ship inside a bottle in the interview on Slashfilm.com. What seemed impossible became possible once every piece fit together like a puzzle, meticulously designed to rise together as something entirely new and different, captured inside an impossible vision.

Congratulations, Favreau. This ship in a bottle is sure to sail the seas of a million imaginations.

At A Glance:

“The Jungle Book,” released April 15, 2016
Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Children’s, Family, Adventure/Action
Screenplay: Justin Marks
Adaptation: From stories by Rudyard Kipling
Starring: Neel Sethi as Mowgli, Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa

Photojournalism portrait and mug shot

Painter and mural artist of Seattle, Washington Caleb Fleisher poses with his painting in progress, the tiger.

Seattle artist Caleb Fleisher

Seattle artist and graphic designer Caleb Fleisher poses with his painting in progress, the tiger.

Caleb Fleisher

The Agrestic growing wild: A peek inside a local Corvallis dispensary

A close-up of some of the glass pipes on display for sale at The Agrestic.

A budtender arranging the case of jars filled with marijuana buds.

From the outside the small building seems unassuming, but a distinctive, pungent aroma seeps through its front door, luring in clientele with the promise of something potent.

Inside, the gloss of magazines glint from their spread on a sleek coffee table and chairs line the walls of the waiting area. The lilting melodies of Dionne Warwick fill the lobby background with a low glow of sound. A little pot of pink orchids rests on a sun-lit windowsill and painted silhouettes of trees climb the walls. Customers are greeted at a single sliding glass window, where they are asked to provide their IDs.

A door to the room beyond the lobby reads, “Restricted Access Area, No Minors Allowed.”

The door creaks open and a sun-weathered elderly woman enters the product room, shuffling in with a limping gait. She pauses before the counter, resting her weight on a wooden cane. On the woman’s shoulder a tattoo is fading into her wrinkled skin.

Claire displays some of the best product.

“How’s it going, friend?” asks the young woman at the counter.

“I need 25 bucks of something strong,” replies the limping customer.

The budtender, Claire, recognizes the customer as a regular; a medical cardholder.

“Absolutely. Are you looking for a flower or an edible?” asks Claire.

Expertly recommending a product to satisfy the customer’s needs, Claire is quick to turn her big smile on the next customer arriving through the door.

The environment is relaxed, friendly, and the employees smile in genuine hospitality at The Agrestic, a medical and recreational marijuana dispensary on 3rd Street in South Corvallis. Peddling medical marijuana and marijuana-based products since 2014, The Agrestic has rapidly adapted to the bill signed by Gov. Kate Brown, allowing the recreational sale of marijuana flowers and plant starts, or clones, effective Oct. 1, 2015.

“Good old fashioned weed has been the thing selling the most around here,” said Claire. “And we can barely keep the clones on the shelf.”

Plant clones are provided by Renegade Roots, The Agrestic’s partner in growth and production of live cannabis and dried flower products. The clones clear the shelves in no more than a couple of days, selling for $18.75 each, tax included.

Display shelves are filled with edible products, oils, live resin concentrates and even marijuana-infused beverages. A small case in the corner contains a variety of pipes, glass whorls of bright colors placed next to seashells with tiny golden screens nestled in their pink curves.

There are 725 licensed growers in Benton County, and the dispensary undergoes a constant bombardment of product samples from vendors. With such a wide variety to choose from, The Agrestic is able to hand-pick the best products available.

“As a patient I’m really enjoying a lot of casually medicated products,” said Claire. “We have some honey, peanut butter, and lemon-ginger drinks that are really easy to incorporate into my day without having to smoke. But I’m also really enjoying live-resin concentrates immensely.”

Claire began employment at the dispensary shortly after the October legalization of recreational marijuana sale.

“I came in as a patient and left as an employee,” said Claire.

The customers enter the sales floor two at a time, with medical card holders receiving service first. ID’s are checked twice; once when checking in, and once before completing a sale. 

“Keep it away from kids,” the budtenders remind customers.

Inside the magic door, a pristine glass case is brimming with silver-lidded cylinders containing over 25 strains of dried marijuana flower. Despite black shades drawn down over the large windows, sunlight fills the room with bright light.

The menu is divided into Sativa and Indica strains, variations of the plant which induce different effects on the human body. Each strain is labeled with its THC content, some including CBD content as well. These range from $6 to $12 a gram.

“Lamb’s Bread,” a sativa, is budtender Claire’s all-time favorite strain. Unfortunately, it’s a strain that’s quite difficult to grow unless you’re near the equator. However, they offer a “Lamb Sour Diesel,” which she describes as a stellar alternative.

“It’s our legal obligation to the state, and our ethical obligation to our patients, to ensure that each item on our shelf has been tested for potency, mold, mildew and pesticides,” says The Agrestic’s website, www.theagrestic.com.

Each product is tested in a state-approved laboratory for strength and quality before making it onto the sale shelves.

In this evolving business, the regulations are constantly changing. Adaptation and strict adherence to state law is the key to The Agrestic’s success.

“The thing about this business is that everything changes, products are new, products are complicated. People don’t understand how complicated they are,” said Nathan, an employee since November. “It’s just always exciting because it’s new, and no one knows what’s going to happen.”

Budtender Jason helps a customer with a purchase.

The employees don’t seem to mind a little chaos, however, conducting business with jovial attitudes.

“It can be kind of chaotic but that’s the risk you run, going into a new business,” said Claire. “But it’s been awesome, it’s been fun. I’ve been learning so much every day.”

At 5 p.m. on a Monday, a steady stream of people fill the waiting room. At least 20 customers enter the building over the next half hour.

“The dispensaries are all really different,” said a regular customer. “I like this one. I like this whole environment. It’s so homey, and other ones are not.”

Whether for medicine or pleasure, the business is drawing its customers in.

“We have really great patients that have been around the world and keep coming back here. It’s pretty fantastic knowing the people in your community,” said Claire.

Inside the waiting room at The Agrestic.

At a Glance

• The Agrestic is a recreational and medical marijuana dispensary located at 1665 S.E. 3rd St. in Corvallis, Ore. 
• Their menu is available on Leafly.com
• The Agrestic is open for business seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 
• Only those who are over 21 years of age may purchase marijuana.
• Recreational customers may purchase up to seven grams of dried marijuana flowers per day and four plant clones.

"Pancakes and Politics" Photos Week 3

Bert Gupthill, Students for Bernie club adviser,  douses his pancake in syrup at the club's event, "Pancakes and Politics," on April 13 in the LBCC Commons..

At "Pancakes and Politics," held Wednesday, Aril 13,  in the LBCC Commons,  student Matti Guilliams pours some syrup on her brunch while Bert Gupthill waits his turn. 

Students Anja Herr and Rebecca Michelson talk politics at the "Pancakes and Politics" event held on Wednesday, April 13 in the LBCC Commons. 

Other photos from the event:

LBCC student Delphine De Colon deep in conversation at  the Students for Bernie club's event "Pancakes and Politics" on Wednesday, April 13 in the Commons.

Bert Gupthill, cheerful adviser to the LBCC club Students for Bernie, at their event "Pancakes and Politics" on Wednesday, April 13 in the LBCC Commons.

LBCC students discuss politics at "Pancakes and Politics" held in the Commons on Wednesday, April 13. From left to right: Delphine De Colon, Levi Willmeth, and Diana Christafersen.

LBCC Baseball Practice

LBCC baseball player Nick Barraclough pauses for a drink of cold water at a hot and dusty practice on Tuesday, April 5.

LBCC  assistant baseball coach Darin Nelson scans the field as his players scrimmage on Tuesday, April 5.

LBCC catcher Tyger Liner suits up during practice on Tuesday, April 5.

Post Week 1 Photo J

Student Ceph Poklemba shares a poem with the LBCC Poetry Club on Tuesday, March 29th in the courtyard. 

Corey Self, art major, celebrates the first sunny day of spring with a little music making on Tuesday, March 29, in the LBCC courtyard

Members of the Gideons give bibles to students in the courtyard of LBCC on Wednesday, March 30.