Review: South Park

South Park Review, No One is Safe!

Max Jacobsen

Crude, distasteful, inappropriate, disgusting: words your parents most likely used to describe "South Park" before forbidding you to watch the animated series in your youth.

For those new to these foul mouthed fourth graders portrayed, the show aired for the first time in early 1997, and it’s been a hit ever since. The show stands out from other animated comedies with its crude animation, paired with it’s equally crude humor, and “No one is Safe” writing style. The writers Matt Stone and Trey Parker are firm believers that either all is fair game or nothing is, and they are not afraid to push the limits!

Critiques hate it, Moms hate it even more, but the general public, especially 16 to 29 year old males. In 2004 "South Park" was voted the third greatest animated show of all time, and in the time since it's ratings have only increased.

In years past, just about everything imaginable has been made fun of in parody style somehow or another on the show. From abortion, AIDS, homosexual culture, very recent celebrity deaths, to extreme political views, any and all religions, and current world events, especially controversial ones. The show is made to offend, a large attribute to its huge success.

Even after several lawsuits, and an expected mixed set of reactions and reviews, the show pushes on in just as offensive a fashion as ever! The last season bringing such episode titles as Jewpacabra, Reverse Cowgirl, and Butterballs, among 11 other hilarious titles. With Season 16 coming to an end with 14 episodes in November of last year, viewers are anticipating a Season 17 premiere in late March of this year. Season 17 promises the same crude satirical style, and outright offensive content, in true "South Park" fashion.

New episodes can be seen every Wednesday at 10 p.m., on Comedy Central channel 60 for you local Comcast subscribers. Tune in if you dare.

-At a Glance-

What: "South Park" Season 17

When: Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Who: Voices of Matt Stone, Trey Parker

Where: Comedy Central Channel 60
             www.southparkstudios.com

LBCC Active Shooter Response

Preparing ourselves for the unimaginable

Max Jacobsen

Shooters are out there. People with weapons and intent to use them to harm others are still among us. Here at Linn Benton Community College, we are taking the steps necessary to prepare ourselves for an active shooter event.

An email was recently circulated by Marcene Olson, Safety and Loss Prevention Manager. She reminds readers the importance of educating ourselves and planning for a shooter catastrophe, “The intent of this email is not to alarm you but to remind us all that these situations can happen anywhere at anytime.” Included in the email were links to the schools Active Shooter Protocols, and Lockdown Procedures.

With several very recent shootings at the front of everyone’s mind, the Dec. 17^th Clackamas Shooting, and the Sandy Hook Dec. 14^th shooting, among others, Marcene felt it necessary to remind everyone at LBCC the possibility of a similar event happening here. Stressed is the importance of educating yourself to the point of being able to make decisions to help protect you and those around you.

Run, hide, fight. The three words, the three tools that everyone should have ready and waiting in the event of another shooting tragedy nearby. Outlined in the Active Shooter Protocols, are the means by which to use these tools. Run, if you can get out safely. Hide, if running is not an option. Fight, if your other options are not available, if your life and the lives of those around you are in immediate danger, fight.

“I believe we are very well prepared,” says Bruce Thompson, Loss Prevention Coordinator here at LBCC. Through drills, active discussions and constant investigation, Bruce believes the school is well prepared for a possible shooting event.

LBCC has had two shooter scares in the past five years, both resulting in a school-wide lockdown, both resolved peacefully without incident. The last event being in late 2010, when two individuals in camouflage attire and assault rifles over shoulder were seen walking near campus. The threat was quickly dismissed when it was discovered the two individuals were actually young boys, whose parents had spray painted their toy guns black for them. Both these non-violent events have helped LBCC create the protocols in place today to help keep us safe.

             Rob Camp, a student at LBCC and the student leadership VP, thinks the protocols should be better known, "Students need to be better prepared and informed, not knowing could make a bad situation worse." Although Camp thinks the student body could be better prepared he also says "I feel pretty darn safe!" 

“The key is not just to educate, but to re-educate ourselves and others regularly, and to make a plan.” Thompson stresses, “Pay attention to new information… protocols are always evolving, always changing to better protect and prepare us.” Thompson clarifies that we should “…avoid tabloid views, instead focus on self education and proper preparation.”

Further information on Active Shooter Protocols can be found under the Public Safety section of LBCC website.

At A Glance:

LBCC's Active Shooter Protocols:

Run- If possible, get out and away, run.

Hide- If running is not an option. Barricade yourself in a room, find a secure hiding place.

Fight- As a last resort, if your life is in immediate danger, fight. Fight for your life!

More on LBCC's Active Shooter Protocol Page

Feature Story 1

Story Idea: A summary of the not necessarily new, but extremely relevant Active Shooter Response Protocols, reminding you to plan ahead for such an event.

Sources:
1. Marcene Olson - Safety and Loss Prevention Mgr.
2. Dean
3. Campus Security Office

Questions I want to answer in this story:
1. What is the Active Shooter Response Protocol?
2. What can you do to help during a shooter situation?
3. Why is it important you familiarize yourself with these protocols now?

Nut Graf:
With all the recent shootings, it's essential that we all consider our own safety and take the steps necessary to prepare ourselves for such an event. As Marcene Olson states, "These situations develop rapidly and have consequences before there is time for our Incident Command Team or Public Safety Officers to tell you what  to do. Decisions must be made... almost automatically for the your safety and those around you."

From my most recent shoot.

First Entry