WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016
APPEAL TRIBUNE
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3B
Start thinking about that next sheepskin
Kelsey Stone
C A N YO N V I E W S
While many students
across Oregon will walk
across a stage and receive
their high school diploma
in the next month, gradua-
tion season is also a great
reminder to families and
students of what comes
after
commencement.
This season, and the
months ahead, are the per-
fect time of year for par-
ents of high school stu-
dents to help their chil-
dren explore higher edu-
cation opportunities.
The “down time” of
summer can open many
opportunities for fam-
ilies, and help parents dis-
cuss
post-graduation
plans with their students
before their senior year.
Visiting a college campus
is a crucial step in this
process.
It can be challenging
for students to narrow
down their list of potential
colleges. After all, there
are 4,700 institutions
awarding degrees across
the nation, according to
the U.S. Department of
Education’s National Cen-
ter for Education Statis-
tics.
Students should evalu-
ate potential colleges to
see if they are a “good fit”
based on their major, fi-
nancial aid, campus envi-
ronment, and other fac-
tors. Families can take a
“virtual college road trip”
on the Internet first to
help with the selection
process.
Check out a few web-
sites which offer “Virtual
College Road Trip” expe-
riences:
1) www.CollegeBoar-
d.org helps students build
an initial list of schools to
meet their needs based on
location, academics and
more.
2) www.CollegeWeek-
Live.com connects stu-
dents to free virtual col-
lege fairs with hundreds
of colleges and universi-
ties around the world.
3)
www.ecampus-
tours.com/ offers stu-
dents 360° virtual college
tours of over a thousand
college campuses.
4) http://www.college-
view.com enables stu-
dents to search for col-
leges by things like ma-
jors and tuition.
5) https://niche.com/
provides online reviews
of thousands of colleges
written by students, for
students.
Researching college
options ahead of time
helps focus the list of po-
tential schools, but web-
sites will never replace an
in-person campus tour. In
order to get the most out
of a college visit, here are
a few suggestions to keep
in mind:
Tips for a Successful
“On-Campus” College
Visit:
1) Create a wish list.
Ask students to write
down the top five things
they’re looking for in a
college. Along with that
list, they should jot down a
few questions to ask tour
guides, admissions repre-
sentatives,
professors,
and students on each cam-
pus tour. Remember to
ask about the basics, like
safety, housing, transpor-
tation, and Wi-Fi access,
but also questions that are
personally important to
your student’s vision of
his or her college experi-
ence. Students should
bring a tablet (paper or
electronic) to take notes,
and write down email ad-
dresses and phone num-
bers for follow up ques-
tions and thank you cards.
2) Timing is every-
thing. There may be few-
er classes in session dur-
ing the summer, but by
visiting during this sea-
son students often get
more personalized atten-
tion on campus tours.
Students can even ar-
range college visits to co-
incide with a family vaca-
tion during the summer
months, or group area col-
leges together for a col-
lege-themed road trip.
The typical campus
may be quieter than usual,
but students can check
out the summer term
class schedule and plan to
visit when college stu-
dents are there.
The school might also
be open to prospective
students scheduling an
appointment with an ad-
missions adviser when
they sign up for a campus
tour.
This can help show ini-
tiative and that your stu-
dent is very interested in
learning more about the
school.
3) Get the real scoop.
Students should create
their own tour after the
official one is over. Con-
sider trying common ac-
tivities, things such as sit-
ting in on a class or eating
at a campus dining hall.
Students can also get
good feedback wandering
around campus, talking to
professors or seeking
candid answers from oth-
er students about the in-
stitution. Exploring the
surrounding community
to check out local recrea-
tion and entertainment
venues is also useful.
4) Keep an open mind.
It’s important for stu-
dents to keep an open
mind and not form any
opinions right away. Wait
until the visit is over to
talk about whether the
college is a good fit, and
what aspects your student
did or didn’t like about the
college. They shouldn’t let
things like bad weather
cloud their judgment.
For more suggestions
about planning college
tours, visit:
www.bigfuture.colle-
geboard.org and www.e-
ducationquest.org.
Finding a college can
be a daunting process for
high school students, but
remember that this is also
a very exciting time for
them. Each student has
their own unique needs,
not just for academics,
but also for campus life
and extracurricular activ-
ities. Once the student has
done all the research and
toured a few campuses,
they’ll realize they’re not
just finding a college,
they’re also searching for
a home.
Kelsey Stone, of Bend,
Oregon
Connections
Academy high school
teacher. She can be
reached through ORCA at
www.OregonConnection-
sAcademy.com or (800)
382-6010.
Wildfire season on horizon; protect your home
JUSTIN MUCH
STAYTON MAIL
Very little memory jog
is needed to recall the Pa-
cific Northwest’s brutal
wildfire season of sum-
mer 2015.
In fact, the past several
summers have shown a
trend that concerns forest
service and fire officials
all around the region – in-
cluding firefighters of
our own nearby east Wil-
lamette Valley municipal-
ities. Oregon Department
of Forestry has issued a
number of reminders to
residents statewide, and a
number of local fire offi-
cials have chimed in, with
hopes that precautions
taken can turn back the
recent trends of fiery dry
seasons.
“Every year the Silver-
ton Fire District responds
to numerous wildfires in
fields or in heavy timber
in our response area,”
said Silverton Fire Dis-
trict Captain Ed Gram-
busch. “Many of these
fires threaten nearby
homes and other struc-
tures. Homeowners have
a responsibility to ensure
that they take measures to
keep their home is safe
during a wildfire situa-
tion.”
Kristin Babbs, presi-
dent of ODF’s Keep Ore-
gon Green Association,
noted that May is Wildfire
Awareness Month and the
ideal time to reduce the
excess vegetation around
your home that could pose
a wildfire threat.
“Prepare around your
house with defensible
space, make sure,” said
Jay Alley, assistant chief
of Stayton Fire.
“Having a 30-foot fire
break around the home is
extremely
important,”
Grambusch said. “Fire
breaks consist of low
growing bushes kept
away from the home,
green grass that is kept
short and well-watered,
and keeping dry debris
cleared from the area.
“Fire breaks give fire-
fighters a much better
chance at saving a home
COURTESY OF SILVERTON FIRE DISTRICT
Serious wildland fire during the summer of 2015 occurred near
the Oregon Gardens and threatened some nearby homes.
than those that do not
have a fire break,” he
said.
Babbs said Oregon
State Fire Marshal joined
other fire officials in urg-
ing residents to consider
chipping or recycling
yard debris. But if burn-
ing is the only option to
dispose of woody materi-
al, fire officials urge land-
owners to follow safe
burning practices.
“If you do burn your
debris, use common sense
and follow safety rules,”
said State Fire Marshal
Jim Walker. “This can pre-
vent
most
wildfires
caused by burning debris,
and keep lives and proper-
ty safe.”
Babbs said escaped de-
bris burns are the leading
human cause of wildfire
issues in Oregon, particu-
larly during the early- and
late-season periods when
people think it is safe and
permissible to burn.
In 2015, backyard de-
bris burns that got out of
control resulted in 133
wildfires that burned 224
acres at a cost of nearly
$381,000. Oregon experi-
enced severe fire seasons
from 2013-15. Extreme
conditions those three
years set the stage for any
debris burn that got away
to spread rapidly.
A burn pile is less like-
ly to escape control if
these simple safety tips
are followed: call before
you burn; know the weath-
er forecast; keep burn
piles small and clear a 10-
foot radius around them;
always have water and
tools nearby and ready;
stay with the fire until it’s
completely out; never use
gas; burn only yard de-
bris. Aumsville Rural Fire
District Chief Terrill
Isaak emphasizes each of
the above, and reminds
further that wind can be a
hazard.
“The wind direction
could be a factor along
with wind speed,” Isaak
said. “Make sure the wind
is not blowing embers to-
wards buildings, large
areas of weeds, and dry
vegetation. Keep a defen-
dable space around all
buildings.”
And keep an eye on it.
“Almost always when
we get called out to a fire,
folks say I just went into
the house, shop, or where
ever for a few minutes
and when I returned the
fire was everywhere,”
Isaak added. It doesn’t
hurt to keep your pocket-
book in mind. State Fire
Marshal cites state law
which requires the proper
clearing, building, attend-
ing and extinguishing of
open fires any time of
year. A first-time citation
carries a $110 fine. If your
debris burn spreads out of
control, you are responsi-
ble for the cost of fire sup-
pression and very likely
the damage to neighbor-
ing properties. This can
range from a few hundred
to thousands of dollars.
Alley also said back-
yard burning season in
this area ends June 15, and
he advises people to go to
the Stayton Fire website
to gain familiarity with
burning information.
jmuch@Statesman-
Journal.com or 503-769-
6338, cell 503-508-8157 or
follow at twitter.com/jus
tinmuch