Samantha's Portfolio

The Corvallis Advocate • 10th October 2020

James Cassidy: From Pop Culture to Agriculture

OSU instructor James Cassidy wants you to start seeing soil. This human frequently reminds people that all culture comes from agriculture. We all start with and eventually return to soil.

“Every molecule, every atom in your body has been through the soil, billions of times and the fact that you’re not soil this moment is a temporary condition,” Cassidy said. “I mean, it’s all about soil.”

Hood View News • 3rd August 2022

Feature of children's book author

The Corvallis Advocate • 16th April 2020

Masks, Gowns, and Shields: Heroes of Corvallis Sewing Brigade

American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Ever since there was an anticipated shortage of Personal Protective Equipment or PPE for healthcare professionals, over 1300 Corvallis residents have teamed up to make high quality, home-crafted items.

The Corvallis Advocate • 4th July 2019

Sky Rights: Union Leader Sara Nelson

Corvallis native Sara Nelson is a force to be reckoned with. A rising star of the U.S. labor movement, she garnered national attention after using her AFL-CIO award acceptance speech as a call to action, urging all union members to unite to fight the previous federal government shutdown. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders even publicly thanked Nelson and her union, for motivating congress to end the 35-day shutdown.

As International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, Nelson s

Mashed • 18th November 2022

Expert Beverage Director Weighs In On The Best Cheap Fancy Drink To Order At A Bar - Mashed

Expert Beverage Director Weighs In On The Best Cheap Fancy Drink To Order At A Bar

Along with the holiday season come the parties — after all, tis' the season to celebrate. If you're like many people, you're watching your budget, but you still want to enjoy the festivities. When you learn a few mixology fundamentals, you can enjoy a fancy drink without breaking the bank.

The Local Dish • 13th September 2021

Wild Roots Spirits Begins New Era With Canned Cocktails

Wild Roots Spirits crafts their infused line of fruited spirits in ways that make them fit in as well at the farmer’s market as in a cocktail bar. Although classic vodka and gin are among their offerings, the Northwest craft distillery is well known for fruit infused alcohol. Co-owner of Wild Roots Spirits, Ali Joseph, took a moment to share insights into what makes Wild Roots stand out in the crowded craft spirits market.

Wine4Food • 9th February 2021

Hosting a Valentine's Wine Tasting for Two at Home

Even if your local wine tasting rooms and vineyards are closed, you can still replicate the experience at home. Wine tasting is an at-home date night or evening-in activity that allows you to become better acquainted both with your partner and your own taste preferences.

Winemakers regularly guide people as they sample wines at events and tasting rooms.

The Corvallis Advocate • 13th July 2020

Health & Economy: The Eat Oregon Seafood Initiative

The #EatOregonSeafood initiative is intended to give the coastal seafood economies a boost as they recover from restaurant closures and other issues related to COVID-19.

A rich source of lean protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12 and D, iron, and minerals like zinc and iodine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that non-vegetarian adults consume two, four-ounce servings of seafood per week.

The Corvallis Advocate • 8th September 2020

Birth Announcement: New Baby Orca off Coast

This weekend, the orca known as “Tahlequah” J35 gave birth to an apparently healthy calf. The mother and calf were seen free swimming together off the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Some may recall that in 2018 “Tahlequah” captured worldwide attention as she dragged her deceased calf for 17 days and 1000 miles. Her “Tour of Grief” made international news and sparked conversations on the mortality of orcas.

The Corvallis Advocate • 6th July 2020

The Science of Taste and Smell & the Covid-19 Connection

What can your sense of taste and smell tell you about your health? The answers may surprise you.

OSU Food Science Professor Juyun Lim studies how people experience taste, smell, and other related chemosensory stimuli. Her research focuses “primarily on understanding how human taste and smell work and the role of underlying human taste and smell perception and the role of human sensory perception in food preference,” she said.

The Corvallis Advocate • 25th June 2020

Corvallis’ Own Snake Scientist Talks Snake Sex, and More

Integrative Biology Professor Bob Mason might just know everything about the intimate life of the garter snake. For over three decades, Mason led the way in unraveling some of the mysteries on snakes, pheromones, and what makes a snake sexy.

The Mason Lab at Oregon State University is primarily focused on reproductive biology and a subspecialty of chemical ecology. Much of his research focuses on the red-sided garter snake, who he sees as a model species paving the way to research...

The Corvallis Advocate • 20th June 2019

Gadusol: Safer Sunscreen for Fish & Humans

Every summer, ocean lovers face the sunscreen dilemma. Fully protective sunscreen helps prevent sunburn and skin cancer, yet some popular sunscreen ingredients may harm marine life and the environment. Gadusol Laboratories is a Corvallis-based startup that hopes to offer a nature-inspired solution to the sunscreen dilemma by developing new sun protection alternatives based on a naturally occurring compound, called gadusol, found in marine organisms which provides UVB protection to the organisms.

MUO • 11th November 2022

How to Create a Work Playlist Using Apple Music

If you have a deadline approaching, you may find so many distractions. The good news is that specialized music apps promise to help you focus if you put on your headphones and listen.

However, if you already subscribe to a music streaming service like Apple Music, you may already have hours of focus music available. But with so much music, where do you start?

MUO • 26th October 2022

7 Ways to Personalize Your Netflix Profile

If you are like many people, you've used Netflix a lot. Whether you just wanted to chill with your favorite movie or you felt like you needed to binge all your favorite shows, Netflix has been with you this whole time. However, if you want to take your Netflix experience to the next level, you may want to personalize your profile, so you only get recommendations from shows you actually want to watch.

MUO • 13th October 2022

The History Behind Shazam, the Biggest App to Identify Music

Back in the day, if you heard a great song and wanted to find out its title, you had to ask someone or wait for it to come on the radio. The sound and music identification app Shazam changed all that. It is now over 20 years old, and its evolution keeps pace with the evolution of smartphones and watches.

Like Google, Shazam’s name has crept into popular consciousness as both a verb and a noun. In fact, a song or sound identified by the app is known as “a Shazam."

MUO • 28th September 2022

What Is Hoopla and How Does It Work?

If you want to save money on entertainment, your public library may be the answer. If your library subscribes to Hoopla, you have free and legal access to books, comic books, music, magazines, films, and television shows.

Hoopla is a cloud-based media lending and streaming platform for public libraries. As we mentioned before, Hoopla offers many different types of content, including books, magazines, music, and even movies and TV shows. All of this content is free of advertising.

Participating

MUO • 26th September 2022

How to Buy Audiobooks on Spotify

Spotify wants to be your one-stop platform for listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. On September 20, 2022, the service rolled out a new audiobook feature for users in the US, with plans to expand to listeners worldwide.

Audiobooks are a departure from your usual Spotify experience. Instead of ad-supported or subscription-based streaming, you purchase individual audiobooks to stream through the app. Over 300,000 titles are available, including best sellers across genres.

Spotify curate

MUO • 7th September 2022

6 Ways to Stream New Movie Releases at Home

If you want to catch a new release film, you probably don't need to go to the cinema. Using one of these video-on-demand services, you can stream a new release movie whether you simply prefer the comfort of your home or want to save money.

The video-on-demand platforms featured in this list typically offer a mix of new releases and older movies you can buy or rent.

The Corvallis Advocate • 22nd June 2020

Meet Dax, Philomath’s Delivery Robot

Philomath residents are possibly among the first in the world to receive their food deliveries from a robot.

Dax is a three foot tall, semi-autonomous service robot who has the ability to keep food hot or cold. Currently, Dax is making free deliveries for businesses and individuals in Philomath within a specific delivery area.

The Corvallis Advocate • 7th March 2019

Lora DiCarlo Battles Sex Tech Bias

It all started with an orgasm, according to Lora Haddock, founder of Lora DiCarlo. The Oregon sexual tech company gained worldwide attention when their debut product won a Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Award, only to have it taken away due to the show’s so-called standards of decency. Since the Consumer Electronics Show previously included male-oriented sex tech products, this decision prompted conversations about sexual bias in the technology industry.