Alcohol: Bringing us together,  Alcohol: Tearing us apart

The story of alcohol consumption in America can go from the happiest stories and memories, to the worst nightmare an individual can face. The idea of capturing the true effects alcohol has on American culture is extremely captivating, as well as emotional. Alcohol brings the world together to celebrate the happiest of times and enhance individuals moods. Celebrations aren't concluded without a toast, parties aren't memorable without a drink, and relationships are enhanced. Brian Plonka, photographer of the series faced struggles within his own consciousness and ethics as well as the livelihood of others. Witnessing the deaths caused from alcohol consumption and dealing with the children of abusive alcoholic parents has pushed strain on the photographers mentality. Each photo in the series is black and white to diminish the light that alcohol brings to people and show the tragedy people face. The pictures show empty expressions to match an empty feeling the consumers had felt. Peer pressure, driving, consumerism, suicide, and grief all fall into each photo. The photographer had to emerge himself into this tragic story. Plonka joined parties, gatherings, celebrations, funerals, and investigations to gather photos for his story. American society has thrived on alcohol and used it to drive happiness into the worst of times. Alcohol becomes a problem once the drinks are used to fill a void rather than temporary happiness. 

Students and faculty gather to rummage through hundreds of donated articles of clothing in the Albany Linn-Benton campus courtyard on the morning of Wednesday October 26.  

M'Liss Runyam trying on clothes at the Community Closet Fundraiser. All clothes were only a $1 and quickly sold out raising funds for the American Association for Women.

Incoming Linn-Benton freshman Phan Nguyen looking through the racks after his yoga class on Wednesday 26.

Photo by Greg Gorman

Stephen Wilkes is an American photographer from New York who is famous for capturing the world by day and night, as well as the worlds abandon locations. Stephan was born in 1957, he received his bachelors in photography from the university of Syracuse with a minor in business management in 1980. Stephan Wilkes began his career as a photographer by opening a photography studio in 1983. Since then his reputation for being one of the best photographers in America has skyrocketed through a series of publications in famous magazines and books. Stephens worked reached a new level of fame in 1998 when he visited an abandoned quarantined hospital for immigrants on Ellis Island off the coast of Manhattan as well as the  Bethlehem Steel factory both which he has captured as a world lost in time. Stephens’s photographs were published into a book called Ellis Island Ghosts, which helped to raise over 6 million dollars for the restoration of the island. His work has been published and nationally recognized in The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Vanity Fair, and Sports Illustrated. In 2000, Epson America commissioned Wilkes to create a millennial portrait of the United States, “America In Detail,” a 52-day odyssey that was exhibited in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In more recent years Stephen has embodied a new genre of stylized work called day to night. The day to night collection features one photograph built of up thousands of pictures collaborated into one. Each session can take up to 24 hours to fully capture. It captures fleeting moments of humanity as light passes in front of his lens over the course of full day The photographs are electronically blended together. The series has expanded past New York to several cities including Dubai, Shanghai, and Jerusalem. Wilkes has a passion and style unique to himself. His photography is all about capturing history through architecture, people, and cities across the globe. Some of Wilkes most popular day to night pictures occurred at the inauguration of President Barack Obama as well as Times Square on New Years. Wilkes has been featured on numerous segments on talk shows including CBS and CNN. Stephan Wilkes work is up for display in some of the world’s most renowned museums including; George Eastman Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Dow Jones Collection, Griffin Museum of Photography, Jewish Museum of NY, Library of Congress, Snite Museum of Art, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Museum of the City of New York, 9/11 Memorial Museum and numerous private collections. Wilkes has shot pictures of natural disasters, creating heart wrenching images for the public to view such as Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. Wilkes has been hired by some of the top corporations in the world to dominate the marketing scene and attract more consumers. Wilkes’ extensive awards and honors include the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Magazine Photography, Photographer of the Year from Adweek Magazine, Fine Art Photographer of the Year 2004 Lucie Award, TIME Magazine Top 10 Photographs of 2012, Sony World Photography Professional Award 2012, Adobe Breakthrough Photography Award 2012 and Prix Pictet, Consumption 2014. My favorite photograph taken by Stephen Wilkes is titled Times Square, New Years Eve, NYC. It’s my favorite work of art because not only does it capture night and day, but it captures the end of a year and the birth of a new one. The picture embodies the fast contrast of New York between hours. The location of the shot is astounding capturing the iconic Times Square.

Savannah Dahl wanders through Riverside Cemetery in downtown Albany on Thursday October 13th. Savannah's obsession with gothic romance novels influences her personality and fashion in invigorating ways.

Gothic Romance enthusiast Savannah Dahl is 17 years old and attends South Albany High School. Savannah's favorite book written by author Victoria Holt is Mistress of Mellyn published in 1960. She feels lost in time when she reads novels and fantasizes about the life's these flourishing characters live.

Around LBCC campus

Dori Litzer's morning drawing class takes their time sketching out ideas for an upcoming assignment at Linn-Benton's Community College campus in Albany.

Incoming freshmen Hadassah Gaillardet (front left) and Lindsey Estis (back left), enjoy a break at the Courtyard Cafe, laughing on October 10 at all of Jacob Birchard's jokes! 

Linn-Benton's Community Cafeteria staff works hard to prepare meals for the students and faculty. Here they work before the lunch rush on Monday, October 10.

0

+1
Kyle Thompson impressed us all with the winning shot during basketball practice on Wednesday at  the Albany Linn-Benton gym.

Teresa Guerra's intermediate basketball class practices on the activity center court at the Albany Campus.

Will Vermilyea goes for a layup during Mrs. Guerra's morning basketball class last Wednesday at the Linn-Benton gymnasium.