Ryland Bickley and The Commuter Team Gear Up for 2024-25 at LBCC

Ryland Bickley leads The Commuter team into the 2024-25 school year at LBCC. Earlier this summer, Bickley was appointed editor-in-chief of Linn-Benton's student-run magazine and website. 

Ryland Bickley

Bickley succeeds Ryan Janowitz, who graduated this spring along with wrapping up his year in charge of The Commuter. Last year, Bickley served as The Commuter's sports editor. 

He and his team are looking forward to a great year, already having produced two editions of The Commuter's monthly magazine, including the Welcome Day edition that will be available around campus starting this week. 

Bickley is from Harrisburg and earned his high school diploma online from the Oregon Charter Academy, where he also served as editor-in-chief of The Current newspaper. Long before he began covering Roadrunners athletics, Bickley has been a sports writer the last five years for SB Nation/Vox, primarily covering his favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first year with The Commuter, he earned first- and third-place awards for his sports reporting and writing in the regional journalism competition sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators. 

Bickley is dual-enrolled at Oregon State University and is majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. He also is involved in LBCC's Civil Discourse Program, which promotes campus dialogue that enhances understanding among individuals with diverse viewpoints in an open and respectful environment.

In his application to lead The Commuter, he wrote to LBCC's Student Publications Committee: "I take The Commuter’s motto of 'for the students, by the students' seriously. I believe we have the responsibility of informing students about their school and community, showcasing student and local talent, and representing LBCC with a quality product."

He added, "I would like to expand our range of content, adding columnists, articles that focus on local history or the history of LBCC, lifestyle articles, more school news, editorial pieces, and more local features. I want the magazine and website to be full of fresh, creative, and informative content."

The college’s Student Publications Committee is composed of LB students, staff and faculty who annually interview applicants and appoint The Commuter’s top editor.

Those who would like to contact Bickley or get involved at The Commuter are encouraged to email the staff at commuter@linnbenton.edu. See The Commuter's website at LBCommuter.com.

For more information about journalism at LBCC, contact The Commuter’s faculty adviser, Rob Priewe, at priewer@linnbenton.edu. 

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Dakota Gange set to take over as next editor-in-chief at The Commuter

LBCC journalism student Dakota Gange will be the next editor-in-chief of The Commuter, the college's award-winning student newspaper. 

Dakota Gange

The college's Student Publications Committee appointed Gange on May 27. She will succeed current Editor-in-Chief Katie Littlefield, who will conclude her tenure as the newspaper's top editor with the last edition of the school year June 2. 

Over this past year, Gange has served as the newspaper's Student Voice Editor, highlighting various issues facing students, from the pandemic and homelessness, to paying for college and sustainability. She also has collaborated with LB's student government to highlight the advocacy efforts of other student leaders on campus.

In appointing Gange, members of the Student Publications Committee applauded the enthusiasm that Gange brought to her interview for the position, her successes this past year as Student Voice Editor, and expressed confidence that she can build on the success that Littlefield and her team had this school year. The committee is comprised of LBCC students, staff and faculty. 

In applying to be editor-in-chief in the coming year, Gange told the committee, "Writing is my way of bettering the world around me, myself included. It’s how I further reach the public, and further grow myself. Through this career, I can share the stories of those who otherwise might not have a voice, or go unheard. It’s the truth I’ve always sought after, and a way to reach out to others. I want to hear people; I want to listen to their truths, and I want to communicate with them. I thrive on these opportunities."

On the role of the newspaper, she wrote, "We have a duty here to report on important topics revolving around LBCC and the surrounding community. It’s our job to find the truth out there, and bring it forth to the light. We exist to better understand, inform, and report on various topics for our readers."

She credited Littlefield with initiating the kind of journalism she wants to continue at The Commuter: "Littlefield has shined a light on the importance and involvement of the student voice/body, and I passionately plan to continue her work/wish. Through finding student stories, we can better listen to their needs. This year we have had a paper full of diversity, and I plan to continue that through the student voice."

As editor-in-chief, Gange will lead a team of reporters, photographers, editors, graphic designers and others who produce The Commuter, which publishes weekly editions during the school year in addition to its website, a weekly newsletter and various social media. 

Those who would like to contact Gange or get involved at the newspaper are encouraged to email to commuter@linnbenton.edu or dakota.gange.2771@mail.linnbenton.edu.

For more information about journalism at LBCC, contact The Commuter's faculty adviser, Rob Priewe, at priewer@linnbenton.edu. To see more work by students in LBCC's journalism program, see their blogs at robpriewe.blogspot.com.

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Katie Littlefield Appointed Editor-in-Chief of The Commuter for 2020-21

LBCC student Katie Littlefield will be the next editor-in-chief of The Commuter, the college's award-winning student newspaper.

Katie Littlefield

Littlefield was appointed Wednesday by the college's Student Publications Committee, which is comprised of LBCC students, faculty and staff. She succeeds McKenna Christmas, who took over as editor-in-chief spring term, leading The Commuter during the college's unprecedented lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Littlefield, entering her second year at LBCC, has had a regular byline in the paper attached to her work as a reporter, photographer and editor.

During her interview with the publications committee, she emphasized her desire to reach out to other parts of the campus, encouraging a wider variety of students and staff to contribute to the weekly newspaper, the LBCommuter website, and its social media platforms.

"LBCC has so many amazing students with great talents that I want to showcase to our whole school," she wrote in her application for editor-in-chief. "I believe that one of the greatest responsibilities The Commuter has is student involvement and appreciation. This has been done very well over the years and I got to witness it first hand while working as managing editor for two terms. I’d like to amplify the voices of LBCC and showcase the hidden talents at this community college."

The responsibilities of The Commuter's editor-in-chief include appointing and managing the newspaper's staff; coordinating the work of the staff, including assigning and editing stories and photos; leading staff meetings and other newspaper activities; and representing the newspaper in the college community.

For more information about getting involved in The Commuter, Littlefield can be contacted at katherine.littlefield.5238@mail.linnbenton.edu or via the newspaper's email at commuter@linnbenton.edu.

For more information about journalism at LBCC, contact The Commuter's faculty adviser, Rob Priewe, at priewer@linnbenton.edu. To see more work by students in LBCC's journalism program, see their blogs at robpriewe.blogspot.com. 

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Commuter Shares First Issue of Spring Term 2020

Check out the first digital issue of the term from the terrific team of Journalism students of The Commuter newspaper at Linn-Benton Community College.

Bravo!

Here's the link. And be sure to check out LBCommuter.com.

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LBCC Winter Term Means New Student Blogs

Take a look to the right and you'll find a new lineup of student blogs for Winter Term.

This term LBCC's Journalism program is offering Feature Writing (JN217) and Media & Society (JN201).  Like most other departments on campus, all the Journalism classes are already full.

As part of their coursework, students in these classes will publish their work on their own blogs.  Check out some of the student journalism from last term as well.

The Commuter also is fully staffed and looking forward to working with students new to writing, reporting, editing and photography.  Numerous students are enrolled in the Journalism Lab (JN215A) and the Design and Production Lab (JN215B), where they contribute weekly to both the printed edition of The Commuter as well as the online site.

This promises to be another great term.  The staff of the Commuter is looking into attending another journalism conference this spring, possibly the Associated Collegiate Press convention March 3-6 in Los Angeles.

Finally, The Commuter and LBCC will once again be host to the annual Collegiate Day conference organized by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.  This event, May 6, is a one-day journalism conference and awards program for the state's college journalists.

So there's a lot going on in the months ahead!

(Photo credit: "extreme sports and blogging" by Will Lion, courtesy of Flickr.com/Creative Commons)
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