Vol41Issue21

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Clackamas Print e Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Volume 41, Issue 21 An independent, student-run newspaper First copy FREE; additional copies 1 ¢ Appeal to ASG results in walk-out In the last hundred years, man has gone from wagons that take months to travel across the country to rocket ships that can touch the moon in a mat- ter of days. With technology advancing faster and faster, it is becoming a necessity to be able to cope with the changes and think in innovative ways. One of Clackamas’ most recently-developed degrees, Integrated Media Studies (IMS), deals with the issue of change head-on by blending many of the courses the school already has into a new department. The program, which is pend- ing state approval, is an amalga- mation of many of the college’s existing media classes. It encom- passes eight focus areas that are offered to students: Video Production, Graphic Design, Music and Sound For Media, Film Studies, Web Design, Broadcast Journalism and Audio and Sound Engineering. According to Andy Mingo, broadcast journalism instruc- tor, Clackamas offers the most focus areas of any community college in the region. Although much of the course work will be hands-on, English Instructor Sue Mach says that the degree will involve taking core classes within areas such as arts and humanities and sci- ence. Courses like these hold a high priority in any technical field, Mach says. New degree integrates creativity and technology John Hurlburt News Associate Please see IMS DEGREE, Page 3 Out of the 18 community college student governments in Oregon, only Clackamas claims to be exempt from Oregon Public Meeting Laws. The events involving Jayc Izso and his removal from ASG have brought the lawfulness of the organization’s actions into question by the Clackamas com- munity. The group of individuals involved in Izso’s termination and appeal procedure maintain that student government is adhering to all laws, while the other side asserts that not only state public meeting laws are being broken, but also constitutional rights of due process and free expression. Oregon Public Meeting Laws state that governing bodies are not allowed to meet in private session to make decisions – only to dis- cuss limited issues. But although the public may be excluded, members of the press cannot. During the appeals meeting, a request made to the commit- tee regarding its exemption from public meeting laws was sent to Bill Zuelke, dean of student ser- vices. In a conversation with Izso and a member of The Print, Zuelke insisted that the ASG appeals committee was obeying the letter of the law. “Any law written by anyone can be interpreted,” Zuelke said. “We feel we are following an appropriate process. Our lawyer’s interpretation may not be the same as your (Izso’s) lawyer’s interpretation. We have rights and responsibilities. They (ASG) have followed their constitution.” According to a brochure pro- vided by the Oregon Attorney General, Oregon State Law (ORS 192.610 – 192.695) says that a “governing body is any body with the authority to make deci- sions for or recommendations to a public body on policy or admin- istration.” The Student Press Law Center also says that a “student govern- ment therefore is a governing body authorized to make recom- mendations to a public body on policy or administration … the attorney general has ruled that the power of a student government to recommend … to the Board of Higher Education under Oregon law makes them a ‘governing body’ subject to Public Meetings Law (ORS 351.070).” Lydia E. Bashaw News Editor ASG claims to be exempt from Oregon Public Meeting Laws despite questions from students In less than four minutes, the appeals committee set to decide on Jayc Izso’s reinstatement into Associated Student Government walked out of the public meeting last Wednesday, despite questions regarding the student govern- ment’s exclusion from state public meeting laws. After leaving the room, the committee went behind closed doors and made an official decision on the appeal without the presence of Izso. The verdict will be sent to him in a letter, which at press time he still had not received. The appeal was filed by Izso after ASG removed him from his position in an executive session just days before the elections race for president. Due to his elimina- tion, he was made ineligible for the elections and was deleted from the ballot. The meeting The five individuals related to the ASG assembled to discuss Izso’s appeal against his removal from position. Seated along a table in the dark recesses of Community Center room 127, ASG Clubs Senator Javierh Montero, Adviser Michelle Baker, Senator Mitch Knudsen, Senator Melanie Kralzer and Student Outreach’s advising and recruitment specialist, Ariane Amstutz, addressed Izso’s appeal. Eager to hear the results of the appeal, a group of people had con- gregated, including 18 students, one faculty member, Izso himself and his appointed student repre- sentative, Matt Ostergren. Knudsen, seated directly in front of Izso, began the conversa- tion, asking the rest of the room to be silent so the proceeding would go smoothly. Then, he announced that it was Izso’s opportunity to speak. “This is your chance to tell your story as to why you should be reinstated,” Knudsen said. “I’m going to have you say your story as to why you should come back in, and then I’m going to ask everyone else to leave the room while we make the decision.” Izso challenged the necessity of a closed-door decision, citing Oregon Public Meeting Laws. Librarian talks about utilizing solar power to save money and the environment See page 6 Max Lesser exhibit opens with vibrant colors and abstract art See page 5 Women’s relay team combines friendship and talent See page 7 High school students use “World of Warcraft” to promote voting in the Democratic primary See page 4 Lydia E. Bashaw News Editor John Shufelt Clackamas Print The appeals committee stood and left the room last Wednesday refusing to answer concerns from Izso and the audience regarding ASG’s adherence to Oregon Public Meetings Laws when they asked everyone to leave so a decision could be made. Please see IZSO APPEAL, Page 3 Please see ASG AND LAWS, Page 3

description

See page 5 John Hurlburt Max Lesser exhibit opens with vibrant colors and abstract art Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Volume 41, Issue 21 The meeting The appeals committee stood and left the room last Wednesday refusing to answer concerns from Izso and the audience regarding ASG’s adherence to Oregon Public Meetings Laws when they asked everyone to leave so a decision could be made. Please see ASG AND LAWS, Page 3 Please see IMS DEGREE, Page 3

Transcript of Vol41Issue21

Clackamas Pr intTh e

C l a c k a m a s C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e , O r e g o n C i t y, O R We d n e s d a y, M a y 1 4 , 2 0 0 8 Vo l u m e 4 1 , I s s u e 2 1

A n i n d e p e n d e n t , s t u d e n t - r u n n e w s p a p e r

F i r s t c o p y F R E E ; a d d i t i o n a l c o p i e s 1 ¢

Appeal to ASG results in walk-out

In the last hundred years, man has gone from wagons that take months to travel across the country to rocket ships that can touch the moon in a mat-ter of days. With technology advancing faster and faster, it is becoming a necessity to be able to cope with the changes and think in innovative ways.

One of Clackamas’ most recently-developed degrees, Integrated Media Studies (IMS), deals with the issue of change head-on by blending many of the courses the school already has into a new department.

The program, which is pend-ing state approval, is an amalga-mation of many of the college’s

existing media classes. It encom-passes eight focus areas that are offered to students: Video Production, Graphic Design, Music and Sound For Media, Film Studies, Web Design, Broadcast Journalism and Audio and Sound Engineering.

According to Andy Mingo, broadcast journalism instruc-tor, Clackamas offers the most focus areas of any community college in the region.

Although much of the course work will be hands-on, English Instructor Sue Mach says that the degree will involve taking core classes within areas such as arts and humanities and sci-ence. Courses like these hold a high priority in any technical field, Mach says.

New degree integrates creativity and technology

J o h n H u r l b u r tNews Associate

Please see IMS DEGREE, Page 3

Out of the 18 community college student governments in Oregon, only Clackamas claims to be exempt from Oregon Public Meeting Laws.

The events involving Jayc Izso and his removal from ASG have brought the lawfulness of the organization’s actions into question by the Clackamas com-munity. The group of individuals involved in Izso’s termination and appeal procedure maintain that student government is adhering to all laws, while the other side asserts that not only state public meeting laws are being broken, but also constitutional rights of due process and free expression.

Oregon Public Meeting Laws

state that governing bodies are not allowed to meet in private session to make decisions – only to dis-cuss limited issues. But although the public may be excluded, members of the press cannot.

During the appeals meeting, a request made to the commit-tee regarding its exemption from public meeting laws was sent to Bill Zuelke, dean of student ser-vices.

In a conversation with Izso and a member of The Print, Zuelke insisted that the ASG appeals committee was obeying the letter of the law.

“Any law written by anyone can be interpreted,” Zuelke said. “We feel we are following an appropriate process. Our lawyer’s interpretation may not be the same as your (Izso’s) lawyer’s interpretation. We have rights and responsibilities. They (ASG) have

followed their constitution.”According to a brochure pro-

vided by the Oregon Attorney General, Oregon State Law (ORS 192.610 – 192.695) says that a “governing body is any body with the authority to make deci-sions for or recommendations to a public body on policy or admin-istration.”

The Student Press Law Center also says that a “student govern-ment therefore is a governing body authorized to make recom-mendations to a public body on policy or administration … the attorney general has ruled that the power of a student government to recommend … to the Board of Higher Education under Oregon law makes them a ‘governing body’ subject to Public Meetings Law (ORS 351.070).”

L y d i a E . B a s h a wNews Editor

ASG claims to be exempt from Oregon Public Meeting Laws despite questions from students

In less than four minutes, the appeals committee set to decide on Jayc Izso’s reinstatement into Associated Student Government walked out of the public meeting last Wednesday, despite questions regarding the student govern-ment’s exclusion from state public meeting laws.

After leaving the room, the committee went behind closed doors and made an official decision on the appeal without the presence of Izso. The verdict will be sent to him in a letter, which at press time he still had not received.

The appeal was filed by Izso after ASG removed him from his position in an executive session just days before the elections race for president. Due to his elimina-tion, he was made ineligible for the elections and was deleted from the ballot.

The meeting

The five individuals related to the ASG assembled to discuss Izso’s appeal against his removal from position.

Seated along a table in the dark recesses of Community Center room 127, ASG Clubs Senator Javierh Montero, Adviser Michelle Baker, Senator Mitch Knudsen, Senator Melanie Kralzer and Student Outreach’s advising

and recruitment specialist, Ariane Amstutz, addressed Izso’s appeal.

Eager to hear the results of the appeal, a group of people had con-gregated, including 18 students, one faculty member, Izso himself and his appointed student repre-

sentative, Matt Ostergren.Knudsen, seated directly in

front of Izso, began the conversa-tion, asking the rest of the room to be silent so the proceeding would go smoothly. Then, he announced that it was Izso’s opportunity to

speak. “This is your chance to tell

your story as to why you should be reinstated,” Knudsen said. “I’m going to have you say your story as to why you should come back in, and then I’m going to ask

everyone else to leave the room while we make the decision.”

Izso challenged the necessity of a closed-door decision, citing Oregon Public Meeting Laws.

Librarian talks about utilizing solar power to save money and the environment See page 6

Max Lesser exhibit opens with vibrant colors and abstract art See page 5

Women’s relay team combines friendship and talent See page 7

High school students use “World of Warcraft” to promote voting in the Democratic primary See page 4

L y d i a E . B a s h a wNews Editor

John Shufelt Clackamas Print

The appeals committee stood and left the room last Wednesday refusing to answer concerns from Izso and the audience regarding ASG’s adherence to Oregon Public Meetings Laws when they asked everyone to leave so a decision could be made.

Please see IZSO APPEAL, Page 3

Please see ASG AND LAWS, Page 3

Clackamas PrintThe

Wednesday, May 14, 2008News2

“The most important thing is to train people to be thinkers,” she said, adding, “The people we are putting out in the real world are well-rounded.”

What to do after the two years spent in the program is a two-fold path. In some areas, students will be ready to enter a career field immediately, having a two-year certificate of completion. Others will be able to use an associate degree to trans-fer to a four-year university, with Portland State University being the most direct transfer, according to Mach.

The degree is the brainchild of Mach and Mingo, who saw a need to connect certain areas of study, something they accomplished with their first collaboration, the course Screenwriting and Production.

After forming the class, both knew it would be necessary to expand Clackamas’ mixed media departments, and they have been working with other teachers and faculty to do so since.

“This is the future, in a way,” Mach said. “It’s exciting and scary at the same time. It’s evolving.”

Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Bill Briare agrees with Mach.

“People want content,” Briare said.Designing content is what IMS is all about

– students can learn everything from how to build Web site graphics and set up Internet broadcasts to how to become projection assistants and edit film. Job opportunities and internships are also arranged.

The next goal for the degree – which has expanded to include many more teachers and staff than Mingo and Mach – is more centralization.

“I think what we need is a building now,” Mingo said. “Right now, things are scattered around the college.”

Eventually, Mingo and others involved in the program hope for it to expand into its own depart-ment, but before this can happen, it must undergo state approval.

During the approval process, the state will examine the degree’s validity and job opportunities for IMS students after graduation.

Along with the state’s consent, other schools are permitted to protest the institution of the degree.

None of this, however, worries Mach.Most of “that stuff usually gets ironed out,” she

said. “With luck, it will get approved the first time through.”

The estimated date for the degree to be official will be the 2009-2010 academic year.

Experiencing a shortfall in funds, Clackamas was forced to look toward departments to cut their spending. During the next school year, five full-time faculty positions will be left open to help eliminate costs.

Vice President of Instructional Services Baldwin van der Bijl explained that the five positions left open in the business, engineering, English, human services and social science departments are part of the budgeting process.

The entry-level salaries for those positions range from $45,821 to $50,644, at minimum equaling at least $229,105.

Some departments, like English, are losing their faculty position for several years. Jan Anderson, a full-time faculty member, retired in fall 2007.

“We are holding it (the position) open until 2010 because of budget rea-sons,” said Trista Cornelius, English department chair. “Yet, we are not los-ing the position altogether; the salary will just go to the college.”

With the loss of Anderson, her class load must go elsewhere, putting a heavier weight load on other parts of the department and cutting one class option for students.

“Almost all of her classes are dis-tributed elsewhere,” Cornelius said, “but there is one that no one really has the background to teach, and that is Arthurian Legends. She taught at least 12 classes a year. I know one year she took on an extra class when someone went on medical leave.”

Social Sciences Department Chair Robert Keeler has only one school year to worry about. In an e-mail, Keeler discussed the transition from losing one instructor.

“Kristin Christophersen, our full-time sociologist is completing her doc-torate and, earlier this year, decided to pursue her career elsewhere,” he said. “For budgetary reasons, it was decided to hold the position open … sociology is one of the core disci-plines in the social sciences, and we anticipate forming a search commit-tee and carrying out a hiring process during the 2008-2009 academic year, with the goal of having a full-time sociologist on board at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year.”

The engineering department will also be dealing with a loss, as Ed Landauer has retired. However, there is not a timeline set for the rehire, leaving three full-time instructors in the entire department.

“We have one position that is still open,” said Chair Matt Laforce. “We have not put it out to hire yet. We want to change the program more towards environmental engineering. It does not exist yet. I want to recast that position. We need someone who can do all the engineering but focus the department on the environment.”

With up to two years for Clackamas to get its budget issues solved, depart-ments will be asked to keep costs low.

“I’m not sure how much more a department can cut,” said student Louisa Gerard. “They are already taking our teachers and our choices. There is not much more a department can do.”

L y d i a E . B a s h a wNews Editor

The Clackamas Print19600 S. Molalla Ave.Oregon City, OR 97045503-657-6958, ext. 2309

Editor in Chief: Megan KolerCopy Editor: Colleen WatkinsNews Editor: Lydia E. BashawA&C Editor: Emily WaltersSports Editor: Andrea SimpsonFeature Editor: Kyle SteelePhoto Editor: Kayla BergeOpinion Editor: Armondo BorboaPhoto Associate : John ShufeltNews Associate: John Hurlburt

A� M������: Meredith James

S���� W������/ P������������: Kenton Benfield, Robert Crawford, Matthew Garrison, Lisa Sellars, Jess Sheppard

P��������� A��������: Mallory Bashaw

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G����: The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the stu-dent body, college administration, its faculty or The Print. E-mail comments to [email protected].

TheClackamas Print

Continued from IMS DEGREE, Page 1

Budget cuts lead to open positions

IMS Degree: Training students to be thinkers and creators

3Wednesday, May 14, 2008 NewsThe

Clackamas Print

IZSO APPEAL: Both sides seek legal counsel“I am going to have to contest

that (decision) due to Oregon Public Meeting Laws,” he said. “No decision can be made under that clause, and I actually have the statutes for you how this is an open meeting as per my decision. Would you like to see the legal statutes in regards to that?”

According to an Oregon Attorney General’s Office pam-phlet, “a ‘governing body’ is two or more members of a pub-lic body who have the authority to make decisions for or recom-mendations to a public body on policy or administration.”

The Clackamas student gov-ernment has an advisory posi-tion on the board of education that makes decisions regarding school policy.

Another part of the pamphlet says that governing bodies may exclude the public, but not the media, from discussion of cer-tain subjects by calling for an executive or closed-door ses-sion. However, these sessions are only allowed in very limited purposes, and no decisions may be made during them.

Following Izso’s offering of the legal statues, Baker became part of the disagreement, claim-ing that the meeting was not for that purpose. She also said that a lawyer had been consult-ed about whether the meeting could be private.

Giving in, Izso read a written statement regarding his termi-nation, stating his rights to due process and free expression. At the end of his statement, he called out ASG on the election process and asked for the elec-tion to be considered unconsti-

tutional and void.“Just so you know, this is not

about the elections,” Knudsen said. “This is just about you being reinstated to student gov-ernment.”

Izso replied, “They are directly related.”

Changing the subject, Knudsen asked Izso if that was all and then asked the people in the room to leave so the com-mittee could make its decision. Izso was also asked to remove himself from the room.

When asked what the excep-tion the committee had to Oregon Public Meeting Laws, Baker said, “You can … talk to Bill Zuelke, who is our dean, if you have any questions …”

The small crowd gathered became agitated, questioning the constitutional basis the com-mittee was using to hide behind closed doors and whether, if needed, Zuelke could be called to affirm it himself. Izso again reiterated that there was a need to state an exemption with con-stitutional backing.

Meeting cancellation

At 3:07 p.m., the committee collected its things, stood up and left the room.

Waiting for the committee to return with Zuelke, the room became loud with discussion of what was going to happen next.

At 3:35 p.m., Mike Caudle of Student Outreach returned to tell Izso that the committee would not be returning. The crowd accumulated quickly, mov-ing from the room to the area outside of the Fireside Lounge while Izso and Ostergren set out to find Zuelke for a written

notice as to why the meeting was not continued and when it would occur.

“He notified me that there was no cancelled meeting and, in fact, the meeting occurred in the way it was supposed to,” Izso said. “He said, ‘You made your statement, and the meet-ing was concluded. We made a decision in private session. The decision will be sent in a letter.’”

Zuelke said, “Stating legal exemption is not required. Our legal representation says we are following the law. We have a process that is fully appropriate. No rules or regulations have been broken. They met in pri-vate session due to the process. We have to follow our process with our best advice on the back table.”

Future action

Izso is seeking legal counsel and plans on following the mat-ter as far as the law will take him.

“We pursue this issue with all legal vigor,” he said. “I cur-rently have legal counsel, who I will be meeting with. Right now, the primary focus is to rep-resent the students still … we are really just trying to change this student government we have.”

Calls made to the ASG office were not returned. ASG President Tim Lussier did not respond to messages left at his office or on his cell phone. When asked to speak with the department chair of Student Leadership and Outreach, Mindy Brown, The Print was told that she was unavailable.

Timeline of Events

Tuesday, April 29First day of the “Meet and Greet”: Izso missed the

meeting due to work conflict. His student representa-tive, Ostergren, was barred from speaking to stu-dents by ASG Vice President Jessica Hendrickson.

Wednesday, April 301 p.m.

On the second day of the “Meet and Greet,” the conversation between students, ASG members and the candidates became heated.

Wednesday, April 303 p.m.

At the regular meeting of ASG, Izso and Ostergren requested that Adviser Mindy Brown and Hendrick-son remove themselves from the election process.

During new business, Senator Mitch Knudsen accused Izso of violating the ASG behavior code of conduct and failing to complete duties of his assigned position.

In a closed-door session, Izso was removed from his position, leaving him ineligible to continue his candidacy for the presidential elections.

Wednesday, April 30Later that afternoon

Izso and Ostergren drafted a letter of appeal to ASG, stating that the removal procedure was un-ethical and unconstitutional according to state law.

Thursday, May 1Democrat Club President Catherine Pike spoke

to Javierh Montero, ASG clubs senator, to call an emergency Interclub Council Meeting. The re-quest was denied by Montero.

Monday, May 53 p.m.

The appeals committee met in CC126. Izso arrived to make a statement that he would not be attending due to the lack of notification. The meet-ing was rescheduled.John Shufelt Clackamas Print

When questions regarding state law continued to be asked, the committee, led by Mitch Knudsen, filed out of the room. The committee made its final decision on Izso’s appeal in an executive session.

ASG AND LAWS: senators under fire

Continued from IZSO APPEAL, Page 1

According to Robert Cox, adviser of Mt. Hood Community College’s ASG, Mt. Hood’s student govern-ment also abides by public meeting laws, which are out-lined in its 38-page constitu-tion and bylaws.

Lane Community College’s student government also con-tains a specific clause men-tioning its adherence to the meeting laws.

Clackamas’ constitution does not mention anything in regards to the particular state laws to which ASG must hold

fast. Yet, according to its own constitution, members of ASG serve as a liaison between students, the administration and the Board of Education. The president of ASG holds an advisory position on the board.

“According to our constitu-tion, he (Lussier) is a de-facto member (to the board),” Izso said. “He is an advisory posi-tion – he represents the stu-dents – but he does not really have a vote. Under state law, ASG is therefore accountable as a public body.”

“The issue is,” said Matt Ostergren, Izso’s student rep-

resentative, “is we are attempt-ing to appeal, through the nor-mal processes as outlined in the handbook. To be honest, we do not like the process they are using because it is not out-lined in their constitution. It is, essentially, being made up on the spot. We don’t really know what is happening.”

Phone calls made to ASG Adviser Michelle Baker regarding the attorney to whom student government spoke were redirected to Zuelke once again. By press time, Zuelke was unavailable for comment, as he was out of town on business.

Continued from ASG AND LAWS, Page 1

ASG ELECTION RESULTS

The results of the election were an-nounced Friday, May 9.

The online ballot had one name for presi-dent, plus a space for a write-in. The section for vice president was the same.

Michael Vu was elected president, and Latisha Burley was elected vice president.

Calls made to the student government office concerning the voting numbers were not returned by press time.

4 Clackamas PrintThe

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Feature

High schoolers volunteer for vote

It seems like just an ordi-nary office in downtown Oregon City.

However, the calm on the outside of the building locat-ed at 605 Main St. doesn’t reflect the chaos inside its doors. “Obama for president” items flood the small entry area as volunteers work from a string of computers of all different brands in the back of the room.

The volunteers are call-ing to remind voters about the impending Oregon Democratic primary election that will be held May 20.

Last Friday evening, the office was especially bus-tling, with visitors entering in a constant stream to offer their assistance or pick up a button or other candidate items to show their support.

On this particular night, two of these makeshift head-quarters volunteers were local high school students, each of whom won’t be able

to vote in the presidential election come October, let alone in the May primary. Even without the ability to vote, they both exercise their voices to persuade others to use theirs.

“I’m using the Obama place as a foundation to get people to reg-ister to vote,” said Milwaukie High School senior Erik Watterson.

Wa t t e r s o n , who describes himself as nei-ther a Democrat nor Republican, uses the office and its resourc-es to try to up the number of voters locally and nationally.

F r i d a y , he worked from his lap-top – as other staff members watched on – attempting to convince others to vote via the chat system available through the online computer game “World of Warcraft.” Jumping from character to character, he strived to make a pro-voting presence on the game’s 200-plus servers.

Watterson devised the idea as a means of tapping into its American users who fall into a key age demographic of individuals: those who don’t

participate in political elec-tions.

Alongside Watterson, working the phones Friday was Shannon Duron, a Cleveland High School stu-dent who also takes the driv-er education course offered through Clackamas.

“My mom and I were really involved in John Kerry,” Duron said. “I would watch the debates on the news. I came to the con-clusion that I real-ly wanted Obama to be the presi-dent.”

At Cleveland High, Duron is a member of the Barack Obama Student Supporters (BOSS) club, which is currently fundraising for the Obama campaign.

“We are trying to get students activated into the political progress,” she said, “even though they can’t vote.”

Political elections affect all American citizens, and many don’t take advantage of their right to vote. A few volunteers at the Main Street office are too young to fill out a ballot but nonethe-less prove that age does not determine who can impact the election process.

K y l e S t e e l eFeature Editor

Without the right to vote, many volunteers still feel the need to help the democratic process by donating their time

“I’m using the Obama

place as a founda-tion to get people to register to

vote.”

Erik WattersonHigh School

Student

Megan Koler Clackamas Print

Milwaukie High student Erik Watterson works from his laptop last Friday to persuade “World of Warcraft” users to vote as Obama field organizer Patrick Choquette watches on.

Support your candidate

OBAMA605 Main StreetOregon City, OR, 97045503-742-2008www.barackobama.com

CLINTON32 NW 5th AvenuePortland, OR, [email protected]

MCCAINCurrently no Oregon officesYou can volunteer through his Web site atwww.johnmccain.com/Secure/Signup.aspx

5Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The

Clackamas Print

ABOVE: This untitled piece shows how Lesser utilizes rough, jutting lines in his work.

RIGHT: Thick lines surround what could be looked at as a face or scaled snakes.

BELOW: Interesting shapes create the semblance of a tunnel.

Abstract art epitomized by bright color choices

Bright, whimsical colors and abstract simplicity set against canvas backdrops hang in the Alexander Gallery inside Niemeyer Hall.

The solo exhibition of Los Angeles-based artist Max Lesser came to the campus Monday, May 5.

The use of geometric shapes unites the group of pieces, combining care-fully textured lines to create an intriguing display.

In one paint-ing, the jagged, arching lines of sunny yellow and pumpkin orange – spread upon a neutral tan – seem to spawn the illu-sion of looking through a tunnel. The symmetry of the two bold colors assists in providing bal-ance amid varying angles.

Another painting looks like a man peering disapprovingly through a fuchsia and coral window, his rectangular face coldly sneering.

Or perhaps, on second glance, it shows a couple of baskets resting neatly on their sides, providing a frame with their handles around a few scaled snakes.

I believe that is part of the beauty of Lesser’s work – the fact that what it symbolizes is dependent on the beholder, because it is able to represent a myriad of ideas.

For me, what really takes the cake is the painting that reminds me of a scrapbook page, overlapped by bars of green bamboo, contrast-

ing perfectly with a cornu-copia of lay-ered tones. It makes me think of the natural world in d i rec t opposition to a craft that i r o n i c a l l y uses a great deal of paper – made from green trees.

Altogether, the ent ire array of oil and acrylic p a i n t i n g s light up the rather plain gallery room with Lesser’s shining pal-ette – ranging from small amounts of

distinctive blacks to natural green to blinding mustard, and everything in between.

Titled “Between here or there is better than neither here nor there,” the show will continue until June 13.

The Alexander Gallery’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

E m i l y W a l t e r sArts & Culture Editor

Los Angeles artist Max Lesser’s paintings are now being shown in the Alexander Gallery on campus until June 13 as the second of the two exhibits this spring

All photos by Emily Walters Clackamas Print

I believe that is part of the

beauty of Lesser’s work

– the fact that what it

symbolizes is dependent on the beholder, because it is

able to repre-sent a myriad

of ideas.

&Arts Culture

6 Clackamas PrintThe

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

For somewhat-radical “green” supporter Terry Mackey, the solar panels he installed on his house eight months ago are an invest-ment that is already providing him with cheaper, more sustainable living.

Mackey, who is the head ref-erence librarian at the college, shared the experience and his newfound knowledge of solar power Tuesday, May 6, from noon to 1 p.m. in the McLoughlin Auditorium.

As one of the many speak-ers for the Sustainability Project at Clackamas, he spoke on what he titled, “Lessons from a 6.3 Kilowatt Solar Installation: How to

Reduce Your Home’s Dependence on the Grid.”

“When I see something that needs to be changed, I change it myself in my life,” Mackey defined as his philosophy.

And he did just that when he and his wife made the decision to install a solar-panel system on to their home, allowing it to run entirely on solar electric power.

Oregon, he claims, is “one of the best places on earth” to use such a technology.

It seems that is especially true of the Portland Metro area, due to the flexibility of Portland General Electric (PGE) to work with solar-panel users.

In certain times of the year, Mackey said that the system he owns generates more power than others.

“PGE lets us bank that energy,” he said.

Mackey is then able to use the extra power to keep his house run-ning in the cold winter months, when the amount of energy cre-ated is less than he uses.

Picking the system and begin-ning installation

Mackey and his wife knew that they wanted to put solar panels on top of their home, but the first thing that they had to do was conduct research to find the best possible system for them.

After getting proposals from several different companies, the one from Sunlight Solar – which has one of its bases in Bend – was picked above the rest.

The 6.3 kilowatt system is comprised of 30 sunpower mod-ules, each being 210 watt.

In order to begin the installa-tion process, Mackey needed to make a few updates to his house.

He began by bringing in a new panel box, and afterward sacri-ficed the skylight.

Another preparation was build-ing racks for the panels to sit in so that they would not directly touch the metal roof.

Finally, the Sunlight Solar crew was able to transport the panels from Bend and install them on top of the Mackeys’ roof.

A video can be seen of the last panel being established by search-ing YouTube for “Stacey installs the last Solar Panel.”

The resulting benefits

Although the solar-panel sys-tem cost thousands of dollars to install, Mackey is gaining money back every day with the power that is generated from it.

In fact, the first month of power after the installation cost Mackey a total of $8.77, and the bills have continued to be very low, even through the winter.

The energy sustained and saved by the system could even be compared to the well-known Mastercard commercials.

CO2 saved in eight months: almost three tons.

Kilowatts produced in eight months: 3,564 kWh.

Taking another step toward sus-taining the environment: priceless.

Speaker Terry Mackey informs a campus audi-ence Tuesday, May 6, about his experience of plac-ing a solar-panel system on the roof of his house.

John Shufelt Clackamas Print

E m i l y W a l t e r sArts & Culture Editor

Head librarian educates on the benefits of a solar-panel system

Terry Mackey speaks to a campus audience about one of his newest steps toward sustainable living: the installation of a solar panel system on to his house

&Arts Culture

CO2 saved in eight months: almost three tons

Kilowatts produced in eight months: 3,564 kWh

Taking another step toward sustaining the environment: priceless

Kilowatts produced in eight months:

If community colleges held Olympic Games, these women would be Clackamas’ dream team.

Morgan Cribbs, Stefani Dittmar, Rachel Hemphill and Kaitlyn Reid are are a force to be reckoned with in the 4x100 relay, consistently placing in the top five meet after meet.

In the most recent meet, the Southern Region Championships on May 10, the relay team took first place in both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay.

However, the four athletes not only dominate as a team – they take top marks in several individual events.

Cribbs is just .27 seconds away from breaking the school record in the 200-meter dash. Both Dittmar and Hemphill are 2007 All-Americans and Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC ) champions.

Dittmar and Cribbs run the women’s 100- and 200-meter dash in addition to the 4x100 and 4x400 relay. Hemphill runs the 200- and 400-meter dash as well as relays.

Reid is the only one of the four who participates in an event outside sprints. She runs the 100-, 200- and 400-meter hurdles during the season. At the Southern Region championships, she placed third in the 100 meter hur-dles and took third in the 400 meter hurdles.

Dittmar arrived at Clackamas because of Head Coach Keoni McHone.

“I didn’t really have any plans after high school,” she said, “and then my high school track coach introduced me to Keoni, and it just kind of happened.”

Reid says that McHone’s recruitment brought her to the college as well.

“Keoni came to a meet and told me about the team,” she said. “And the scholarship was a big draw as well.”

Hemphill, on the other hand, was recruited through soccer.

“They asked me if I wanted to run track as well,” she recalled. “It’s espe-cially hard on your body training all

year-round. I suffer a lot more injuries because I play two sports.”

Although the women compete togeth-er, they are much more than a relay team.

“We have chemistry because we hang out outside of track,” Reid said. “We have classes together, and we like spending time together.”

For two of them, a deep-seated rival-ry played a part in their friendship.

“Rachel and I actually ran against each other,” Cribbs said. “We were cross-town rivals in middle school and in high school.”

Hemphill added, “Morgan and I are best friends. We relate to each other on and off the track.”

As for the athletes’ futures, they are of varying mindsets.

For Cribbs, track is the key to her outlook.

“I guess I’ll go where track takes me,” she said. “My par-ents are eager to push me to do the best. They never hesitate to boast about me. They are very proud of anything I do.”

H e m p h i l l has her cake and eats it too, when it comes to parental sup-port.

“My mom pushes me to be the best I can be, but it is always my choice,” she said. “I am very independent in that way.”

Reid hopes that her expe-rience in track

will help lead her along a career path closely related to athletics – perhaps an occupation involving working with youth.

“I am thinking about being a trainer at a high school or a PE teacher … something to do with sports,” she said.

Dittmar, who is a sophomore this year, is not highly concerned about establishing detailed plans.

“I am transferring to Western (Oregon University), and I plan to run there,” she said. “Other than that, I will probably just mess with my horses. I would like to move somewhere new and just expe-rience life.”

The relay team is now preparing for the NWAACC championships May 22 and 23.

7SportsWednesday, May 14, 2008

The

Clackamas Print

Girls just

want to go

runA n d r e a S i m p s o nSports Editor

Track and Field

On May 10, the Cougars traveled to Southwestern University to compete in the Southern Region Championships.

The women’s relay team of Rachel Hemphill, Stefani Dittmar, Kaitlyn Reid and Morgan Cribbs placed first in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay.

Sierra Hess, who has suffered from a rolled ankle the last few weeks, came back strong this meet by placing third in the dis-cus throw with a distance of 35.54 meters in the finals.

In the javelin throw, Alaura Little took second in the event. She threw a distance of 36.26 meters.

On the men’s side, the relay team of Stan Wester, Logan Fjelstad, Mat Tweedy and Joe Gobel took second place in the 4x100 relay. And in the 4x400 relay, Wester, Fjelstad, Tweedy and Jared Correll placed first.

Freshman Kai Ojala jumped 1.93 meters in the men’s high jump, which earned him first place in the event.

Track is taking the next weekend off to prepare for the NWAACC championships at Spokane Falls Community College.

The team has been doing some accli-mation in preparation for the event.

“We are preparing for the heat,” said Head Coach Keoni McHone. “It will be about 20 degrees hotter than training has been for the last three months.”

The team is replicating the temperature by training in full sweats. Although train-ing has switched for the different weather conditions, the team is trying to stay con-sistent during the resting period.

The Cougars will travel to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) championships May 22 and 23.

Baseball

The baseball team hit a slump this week when the Cougars lost a double-header May 8 to Linn-Benton Community College. The games, which took place in Albany, were a landslide loss with the first game ending in a score of 0-3 and the second game only slightly improved, but it wasn’t enough for the Cougars, ending in a score of 5-11.

The next game wasn’t much better for the team, although the Cougars did man-age to win at least one of the games in the doubleheader.

The team came out strong in the first game with a final score of 6-2. The sec-ond game was close call, but the Cougars dropped behind with a score of 3-4.

The Cougars travel to Coos Bay today to play Southwestern Oregon Community College at 1 p.m.

Softball

Softball qualified for NWAACCs this week by staying in third place. The Cougars lost their game May 9 against Lower Columbia College at home.

The first game ended in a close score of 4-5 in the Red Devils’ favor. The second game didn’t go much better, with a final score of 1-3.

Luckily, the Cougars came back May 10 with a doubleheader victory against Clark College. The women dominated Clark in the first game with a score of 11-3 and again in the second game with an end-ing score of 12-0.

Now the team is waiting to play in the NWAACC championships May 16 through 18 in Portland. The games will be at Delta Park, and the time is TBA.

Spor ts Scores

Even though they are from different high schools and backgrounds, when it comes to track, these ladies know how to give the competition a run for its money

Stefani Dittmar, Kaitlyn Reid and Rachel Hemphill laugh at Hemphill’s antics during track practice.

Andrea Simpson Clackamas Print

Morgan Cribbs, Rachel Hemphill, Kaitlyn Reid and Stefani Dittmar, left to right, run sprints during practice. The relay team has been running together for one season and has formed strong friendships.

Robert Crawford Clackamas Print

Robert Crawford Clackamas Print

Correction

EventsOPEN: The Alexander Gallery’s new exhibit by Los Angeles-based artist Max Lesser, which features a series of new paintings, opened May 2. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is called “Between here and there is better than neither here nor there,” and will be open until June 13.

May 15 to May 30: The Student Art Exhibition for 2008 will be shown in the Pauling Gal-lery. Faculty will select the work for the show, and several awards and scholarships will be handed out after being judged by an off-campus curator. Student artwork is now be-ing accepted in the Art Center Lobby until Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Art must have been completed in conjuction with an art department class within the last year.

May 19 through 23: Alcohol Awareness week. On Wednesday, May 21, ASG is sponsor-ing a wrecked-car extraction demonstration in between Barlow and the Community Cen-ter. Includes free shirts, food and drinks. For more information, call ext. 2544.

BaseballMay 15 vs. SW Oregon CC atCoos Bay at 1 p.m.

May 17 and 19Southern Region tie-breaker TBA

SoftballMay 16 through 18 NWAACC championships Delta Park Portland, TBA

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