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Photo provided by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Career perspectives: law enforcementStudent rides along with sheriff dad Working as a cop will be dull — but when it isn’t, mayhem ensues. Most of the time Deputy Travis Whetzel, a Douglas County sheriff, writes reports, but he also wrestles with frightening situations. He has been in law enforcement for a little over 15 years: 13 years at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, two years for the Myrtle Creek Police Department, two years in the military police and 19 years as my dad. On Monday, Oct. 21, I rode with him for the first time in his patrolRead More →

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Kamilah Mirza / The Mainstream    HIV Alliance spreads awareness, educates Douglas County The HIV Alliance, which has been serving Oregon communities since 1994, comes to UCC at least once per term. This month, they came to campus to inform about their services. What is HIV and AIDS? HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, weakens the immune system and makes it harder for the body to fight off infections and certain types of cancers. It can also trigger other autoimmune conditions. AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the final stage of HIV infection; however, not everyone who has HIV gets AIDS. Common side effects of HIV are flu likeRead More →

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Inventors of lithium ion batteries awarded Nobel Prize Ever wondered what is powering your portable electronics or what will energize the new electric vehicles? John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino changed the world with their discoveries on lithium ion batteries. Just a few weeks ago Goodenough, Whittingham, and Yoshino were awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in chemistry for their creation and development of the lithium-ion battery. The Nobel Prize is awarded annually for innovation in academic, cultural and science fields including physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economic sciences. The Nobel awards were created by Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in 1895. Read More →

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Photo provided by Pixabay Debates narrow field of Democrat candidates In the quest to defeat Donald Trump, the Democratic party has enlisted the largest and most diverse group of candidates in history. Once topping at 27 “major” candidates, the field has shrunk to a still unprecedented 18. The campaign so far has essentially been a race to see who can get attention from the party’s base of supporters before 2020. All have had the opportunity to win over the public, partly through qualifying for televised debates. Am I the only one who has noticed that the debates are too long, too overcrowded, with too muchRead More →

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Photo provided by Christine Ross Local doctor promotes plant based diets The average person over the age of 65 takes eight pills a day, according to Dr. Charles Ross, the developer of a plant-based diet training being taught locally through Umpqua Community Veg Education Group, known as UCVEG. “And that means some senior is taking 16 pills because I am taking none,” Ross says. Ross developed the whole food plant-based diet after taking several different statins to lower his cholesterol but finding he wasn’t able to tolerate them. Then one night eight years ago, he and his wife Christine were watching a CNN documentary, TheRead More →

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Owen Cherry/ The Mainstream New daycare on campus hoping to help students and staff Finding affordable child care in Douglas County, described by some as a “daycare desert,” is often a struggle. For parents, finding a safe place to leave their kids can obviously be one of life’s biggest stressors Following the shutdown this year of the campus’s former Ford Family Enrichment Center, students and staff worried about what alternatives would open up. Now, looking to fill the FFEC’s shoes, the recently moved Maple Corner Montessori (MCM) daycare, preschool, kindergarten and elementary school is operating on campus. UCC President Debra Thatcher, who was referenced inRead More →

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Silas Scott/ The Mainstream Blood drive successful John Jachetta attends the American Red Cross blood drives in Roseburg, Oregon every couple of months whether it is UCC’s drive or the drive at the local Red Cross center. “It is good for me to give my blood every couple of months because it renews my blood,” said Jachetta. Bobbi Long, a phlebotomist who works for the Red Cross and has for years, offers confirmation of Jachetta’s perspective. She knows the benefits of blood donations, “For men, it reduces a chance of a heart attack by 80%,” she says. This benefit is larger in men because menRead More →

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Kamilah Mirza/ The Mainstream Council works for more inclusivity on campus The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, or D.E.I., is currently in the beginning stages of work to create and promote a more inclusive and diverse atmosphere on campus. The D.E.I. wants to start a campus-wide dialogue regarding students’ needs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. They are also working on implementing a cultural competency plan for campus in accordance with the Oregon HB 2864 bill and the HECC Equity Lens. 2014-2015 Report In 2015 the Higher Education Coordination Commission (HECC) created a work group to analyze and develop recommendations based on data regarding underrepresentedRead More →

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Owen Cherry / The Mainstream Chemistry professor discusses common obstacles and success strategies for chemistry students Joseph Villa, who has a doctorate in analytic/environmental chemistry, has been a chemistry professor at Umpqua Community College since 2014. Villa spent 13 years studying chemistry. Here he shares some of his educational story with insights on how to succeed as a chemistry student. What drew you to study chemistry? Up until the 10th grade I was convinced I was going to be a child psychiatrist. That was what I thought I wanted to do. But in 10th grade I took a biology course with a really great teacher,Read More →

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Katelyn Buxton/ The Mainstream Study groups enable students to succeed The average college GPA for a math major is 2.90 with only 2.78 for chemistry majors, according to a study done by Kevin Rask of Wake Forest University. For anyone struggling with these subjects, this is not surprising. However, majors and non-majors alike can get help through UCC’s study groups. Study groups are dedicated meetings with an academic coach. While students may meet with the coaches other times, study groups enable students to come together and discuss the subject as a body. Students are often pleased with the results of attending academic coaching. “Study groupsRead More →

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Josh Whetzel/ The Mainstream Riverhawks break four game losing streak with win over Cougars UCC’s volleyball team sought retribution Oct. 19 against Clackamas Community College after previously conceding a 3-0 loss to the Cougars. The RiverHawks (17-14, 3-7 NWAC South Region) managed to clinch a win against the Cougars (10-20, 2-8 South) that went to five sets. The win broke their losing streak of the past four games in spite of facing a team that had defeated them in three sets previously. Set scores were 25-14, 22-25, 18-25, 26-24, 15-9. This match earned UCC  their third win in the Northwest Athletic Conference in the SouthRead More →

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Sparked by allegations of improper conduct with a foreign leader, Donald Trump is now facing the one direct threat to his power that a coequal branch of government can force: impeachment. Representative Adam Schiff’s impeachment inquiry is making the case that attempting to gather political opposition from another country (and potentially withholding their funds that had been approved by Congress) is a violation of the Presidential Oath of Office. For the average person who has better things to do than spend 24 hours a day paying attention to the news, talk of impeachment and Trump is often met with confusion and misunderstanding. With internet trollsRead More →

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For centuries, human beings have smoked. Be it nicotine, marijuana, opium, or cocaine, our species has been purposefully inhaling toxins to get high. Despite the risks that come, smokers have always been looking for ways to evolve their habits, including the new practice of vaping. Originally seen as a somewhat healthier alternative to smoking regular cigarettes, vaping and electronic cigarettes have boomed in the market since 2003. Now, nearly 17 years later, people are dying as a result of these vapors and their related illnesses.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 26 people have died with another 1,100 reported sick.Read More →