Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 31, 1978)
opinion The end As surely as summer follows spring and the last day of school finally arrives, so too does the last paper of the year contain the editors' farewell editorial. This year has seen a lot of changes in the oper ation of the school and in our opinion for the most part they have been changes for the better. The passage of the three-year serial levy has given us perhaps the greatest opportunity for change. Now that the administration of this school won't have to spend 50 percent of its time working for and worrying about the passage of next year's but- get they will be able to devote more time to impro ving other areas of the school. Passage of the levy also means that construction on the much-needed new science building will be gin next year. There is no question in the minds of anyone who has taken classes in Orchard Center that that will be a change for the better. Student government also has the potential to change for the better and become more responsive to student's needs. With the reelection of several of last year's officers and the experience of the new officers, next year's ASG promises to be an efficient, professional one. We would like to thank those who have cooper ated with us and made this year's paper a profess ional, informative one and also those whose con structive criticism of our job has helped us to improve.' We would like to offer this year's graduates our best wishes and good luck in the future and for those who will be returning next year, welcome, and the President thanks you for bringing back your FTE. feedback Thanks To the Editor: I would like to extend my personal thanks and apprecia tion to the fine people who helped host the first Tri—Coun ty High School Handicapped Speech Tournament. Barbara St. Mary, Denise Kline, Lloyd Day, Joe Gurrea, Hallie Brown, Norm Grambusch, Lisa Thomas Julia Chitty, Kathy Pelley and Carrie Pratt all took time out to help with the tournament and were just super to work with. With out them, the tournament would not have been success ful. Many thanks, Frank Harlow Speech department sprint 19600 S. Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon 97045 Offices: Trailer B -Telephone: 656-2631, ext. 259 or 278 editor Happie Thacker * news editor Cyndi Bacon * arts editor Lisa Chitty * sports editor Ann Breyne * copy editor Scott Starnes * photo editor Brian Snook * staff writers Randy Frank, Jim McCaffrey, Mary Madeland, Shawn Parkhurst * photograph ers * Sam Baer, Ted McKenna * assistant photo editor * Lorr aine Stratton * production manager Mary Cuddy * business manager * Paul Byers * professional advisor * Randy Clark office personnel * Crystal Tompkins, Tommi Davidson The Print, a member of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Asso ciation, aims to be a fair and impartial journalistic medium cov ering the campus community as thoroughly as possible. We en courage participation through letters, free lance articles and story ideas and suggestions. Deadlines are the Friday of the week prior to the Wednesday publication date. Commentary Graduate learns by choice Editor's note: The following commentary was written as a speech for the graduation speaker tryouts. Al though Haas was not one of the speakers chose , we felt that his comments deserved publi cation. By Larry Haas Graduating CCC student For The Print To learn, or not to learn: That ¡s the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the boredom and futility of an oppressive job and future, or to take arms against a sea of trou bles, and by education end them. To study; to cram; no more.... and by graduation end the late night study sessions and prepar ing for tests which by entering school we fall heir to. 'Tis a consumation devoutly to be wished for. To study; to cram; - - - to cram? Perchance to cheat! Ay, there's the rub. When we have ended this chap ter of our lives we must be honestly prepared for what the future holds once we have left Clackamas Community College behind. William Shakespeare and Hamlet may not have had gradu ation in mind when delivering the well known "To be or not not to be" soliloquy, but with a bit of paraphrasing and out-and out rewriting the speech can fit any person's situation, and they are very true words. Indeed, for a vast number of students in college today, their "higher edu cation" was a step taken by choice or necessity. By choice because they had finished high school and started lives of their own. . .by necessity because what training they had at that point acquired, proved unsatis factory for a good job future. The latter situation applied to me. I graduated from high school 12 years ago, and al- though I had the opportunity to attend college then, opted to enter the service. After eight years with the Coast Guard I re entered civilian life with a wife and two sons to find I was best qualified to be a chief engineer on sea-going tugboats. It was an interesting, challenging, life, al though not for a man with a family and home. (Throughout the service and when on the tug boats, I was kept away from home to the extent that I came back a stranger to my two boys.) I found by the time I was re acquainted with the kids it was time to leave again. It finally dawned on all four of us that this was not the type of family life we wanted. . .indeed we were not a family. The alternative was simple. Leave the sea and find a good land-locked job. This was the problem. This de cision was made when unem ployment was at an all time high. In retrospect, this was probably my saving factor. Since basically untrained for anything other marine related fields I would have become enmeshed in a tangle of obligations and fear- yes, fear—with a family depend ing on you, it is terrifying to contemplate failure, whether by quitting or being stuck in a hopeless, futureless situation. After checking out the job mar ket, such as it was, my wife and I decided the best thing to do was for me to re-enter school. transcripts and determination I took that first hard step. Elec tronics seemed to be a wide open field with an obvious fu ture so that was my choice. Getting signed up was. no prob lem and was quickly accomplish ed. The schedule was set up and approved. Books purchased, and all this with the precision of a well oiled machine. I now had seven to ten days to wait before the first-day of class. A slow torturous panic began to set in. Just what the heck was I doing?? I began to understand how a Denver Nugget fan might feel at a basketball game in Memorial Coliseum. Terror gripped me. I knew I was going to be the old man among all those bright, young faces straight out of high school, but, thanks to Pepto- bismol, I actually showed up that first day of school even though my wife refused to walk me to class. Much to my sur prise, I was not an old age minority by myself, in fact, the majority of students had not cracked a book, as they say, for some time. So, my two years as a student had begun...It has been a strange two years. That first fall, the kids and I would all grab our sack lunches and head out the door for school. I became one of the boys in that respect. My second grader kept hitting me with "what did you learn todav. Dad?" There were of course sacrifices...had to study for a mid-term during Wizard of Oz and I figure it will take at least two weeks to dislodge the craw ly things that have taken up residence on my dirt bike. But in all seriousness, school has certainly been different than my preconceived notions led me to believe. My last experience with school was a force feeding of information. Learn this or else. Now it was a case of hav ing the information presented and it was up to me what I did with it. In every case, if there was a problem or question, there was someone to straighten out a confused, aging mind. There have been set backs, minor ones fortunately, but school has been a good experience. It was a whole new thing to talk with a teacher like a friend rather than an unreachable power. I wonder if it's because I am nowcll the age of my instructors! was in high school? I fl not. . .because coming to col is an elected course to foil the’staff is aware that knowll is desired, not dreaded. It| been a long, arduous trail! one well worth traveling. I We have all heard the phi "graduation is not an end, i|j| beginning." Truer words T never spoken, for as one step away from school he stepsfl life better prepared as a result his experiences. It will ■ strange not to worry about® ting the schedule I want, itH be unusual not having to wich sleep into a day filled« classes, studying and a parttj job. The kids won't why their mother isn't ait spouting "Shhh, your fl sleeping," or "Hush, your J studying." Yes, life will] into a delightful, dull, l routine—-I can't wait till J when I can sign up for an ing class! por of all the thil have learned in the pastI years, I think one of the if valuable lessons has been M one need never end his questf knowledge. I have learned i® than the subject matter.. .11 learned more about myself! those around me, and have™ my eyes opened up to aw| new life. Now, with I am starting a full time job! unlimited potential, financj and educationally. Thanks] evening classes and the sup® of my employer, I fully efl to earn my bachelors de within the next few years. In conclusion,.! shall refl from flowery thank-yous» onward-and-upwards. It's a super two years—a bitexaf ating at times, but good n the-less. I believe what you're doing now is most ¡m3 tant. My years in the Cl Guard were important --II® ed a great deal. The civffl marine work was interesting,« just wasn't for me. Now, aj two years here, I'm ready fl NEW best experience. What® comfort to know if electrow becomes obsolete, I can retF for two years and emerge,™ knows, maybe even a register^ nurse. . .anythingispossit education and the desire. IT 15, SADLY, NET ANOTHER. IN 4 SERIES OF DRU5-RELATED DEWS; So, armed with high school Clackamas Community Col Page 4 inches D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer Density
