Prepare for Graduation

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year, especially for the college.  It is in fact, graduation time. 

The graduation ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. on June 13.  Graduates and attendees are urged to get to the Albany Linn County Fair and Expo Center’s Santiam Building no later than 5:45 p.m.  Parking will be in the main lot, but in case there are no more spots available, there is an overflow parking lot across Price Road in the grassy area north of Timber Linn Lake.  The Albany Trolley will be available to transport people to the Expo Center. 

Map of where to go.  Courtesy of The Linn County Expo Center

Doors will start opening for the ceremony guests.  Seating is first come, first served, so plan accordingly.  If you’re saving a seat for someone, it may only be “saved” up until 6:45 p.m. 

Now, for the graduates, there are certain things that you are and aren’t allowed to do during the ceremony.  Such as, don’t bring anything that you don’t want to carry throughout the entire ceremony.  Graduates have been told not to have their cellphones with them, but we all know that no one will listen to that rule, so please have it on silent the entire time.  If you have any children, please do not bring a stroller as there is limited space and a stroller will just clog up the aisles. 

There will be diploma covers that are going to be handed out to graduates during the ceremony, if certain graduates have already received their covers; you are asked to return the cover to the college immediately after the ceremony. 

Your degrees and/or certificates are conferred by the LBCC Board chair and will become official once you’ve passed all of the graduation requirements for your degree and/or certificate.  If you’re graduating in Spring Term, then your diploma will be mailed to you sometime in July.

Do you smoke?  If so, then you’re allowed to smoke no closer than 20-feet out from the building.  Alcohol of any kind will not be permitted at any time during the ceremony.  Once the ceremony is finished, there will be a reception where everyone who attended the graduation ceremony is invited to join.  There will be a special appearance/photo opportunity with LBCC’s very own Rocky the Roadrunner.

Lastly, make sure to have fun because the next day will be the real first day of the rest of your life.  Congratulations on graduating and good luck in your chosen career.  Make sure to not let the real world get you down.

Student Artwork Stolen from Santiam Hall

Update: A reference to an unreliable Facebook-related source was removed from the article.

By now, you’ve probably heard stories about the missing gnome on campus.

Some might think that this is hilarious, but after hearing that this small knitted gnome was bought for a two-year-old boy, it doesn’t seem so funny anymore.

Rosalie Lingo, a freshman here at the college and the creator of the knitted gnome, doesn’t find this very amusing, either.

“I think it was taken because the thief thought it would be funny or play into the roaming gnome prank,” said Lingo.

It happened at 7:47 a.m. on May 9.  The man walked straight up to the plastic showcase it was in and lifted it up and walked away with the now labeled “roaming gnome.”  While this man was doing this, he looked directly at the camera.  Once the man had taken the gnome, he came back into the building and put the plastic dome back onto the pedestal.  However, it wasn’t until later on that same morning that North Santiam Hall secretary, Jeremy Cornforth , even noticed that the gnome was missing, to which Lingo was notified that her artwork was missing.

“They called me asking if I had picked the gnome up after the reception.” said Lingo.  “I told them no and then they said someone must have taken it then.”

Lingo filed a police report and by the end of this week, art gallery coordinator Rich Bergeman said that he will be forced to file the insurance paperwork on the piece of art.

Once the paperwork has been completed, Lingo will begin working on a brand new gnome for the little boy this was originally intended for. The first one that Lingo made took around 30 hours to make.

The man in the image has disregarded the time and effort that went into this gnome.

If anyone can identify the man in this image, please notify campus security or the Albany Police.