Opinion
Domestic issues
Make certain credits will transfer
by Stephan! Veff
Opinions Editor
by Tammy Swartzendruber
Staff Writer
It’s dusk. It’s that hour when
time and eternity seem to blend
together as one. The rush of the
day is over. I feel a calm; a settl
ing in my spirit. From my rocking
chair I can look out on a field full
of brown grass. The wind is gent
ly shoving its way through the
long blades. The last shades of
the settling sun linger on the
horizon.
My thoughts return to the
events of the day. Why was I in
such a bad mood? Why did I yell
at my daughter? It wasn’t her
fault that I missed my bus this I
morning, or that I flunked my
math test. Why can’t I remember
to keep things in their right
perspective? This morning I had
sent my daughter to her room for
spilling her milk at the breakfast
table. In looking back, I can see
that the real source of irritation
was that I couldn’t find my
purse. How does a person handle
the stress of going to school, rais
ing a kid, and working a job?
In trying to find the answer to
this question, I asked mothers
who were juggling their jobs and
school. One just bluntly stated
that it can’t be done without los
ing your sanity. Another one said
the secret lay in how you shuffled
the cards.
I think there are two basic
ways to accomplish this seeming
ly impossible feat. The one way is
through organization. Have a
schedule and stick to it. Sit down
in the evening and make a list of
all that needs done the following
day. Be sure your goals are
realistic. Another important fac
tor to organization is to get up
early in the morning. The worse
thing you can do is to leave the
breakfast dishes in the sink. And
for goodness sake, don’t leave the
beds unmade. These little things
will seem monumental after a
hard day on the job or at school.
They’ll make you weary the
minute you walk into your house.
Be sure you have a reliable
babysitter. You need to have so-
meone you can trust. Worrying
about baby all day is only going
to drain you mentally. Have a
substitute sitter in case of an
emergency. Looking for a sitter
at the last minute is a sure way to
raise your blood pressure and
send your body into stress.
Planning ahead will help to
keep stress at a minimum. Pop
some vegetables and meat into
your crock pot before you leave
in the morning. If you don’t
have a crock pot, j>ut it in the
oven on timed bake. When you
walk in that evening your dinner
will be waiting for you. If you
think you’re too tired to do this
in the morning, just remember
how tired you’ll be that evening.
Before you go to bed lay the
children’s clothes out so there’s
time to do extra little things in
the morning,
The second important factor
is to not lose sight of who you
are. You’re not just a mother,
or a student, or an employee.
You’re an individual with your
own needs. Try to step out of
the rat race a little and pause for
reflection. Play some soft
music. Take a walk in the
moonlight. Relax in a tub of hot
water. You need this time with
yourself. It’s when you lose
Sight of who you are that you
lose sight of your world. You’ve
given to school and your kid all
day. Now you need to refuel.
Forget about the work that’s
waiting to be done, and just
relax!
I find that I can do this best
by sitting in my rocking chair
and gazing out the window.
There’s something about the
squeaking of a rocker that lends
itself to thought. Speaking of
my rocker reminds me that I am
still sitting in it. The sky has
now grown dark. A myriad of
stars are winking at me. The far
off hoot of an owl is borne on
the vesper breeze. All is peace
and quiet. I have made it
through another day.Tomorrow
holds a promise. Life is, indeed,
worth living.
Letter to the Editor
I spent four years at
Qackamas Community, 1980-84,
which wasn’t so long ago, and I
was astounded to read in “The
Print” about the gay/lesbian
rights organization on campus.
All I can say is, Congratulations.
Suburban, community colleges
have a reputation for conser
vative life styles and for rejecting
that which is out of the ordinary
or unusual. Clackamas is certain
ly no exception to this stereotype.
That’s why the founding of such
ani organization, based on the
fundamental principal that peo
ple are created equal, is so ex
citing. Ten years ago, perhaps
five years ago, such an
organizationlwouldn’t have been
possible. Today, a number of
students (and staff and faculty, I
presume) can stand up and say,
“This is who I am.”
Of course, I wasn’t surprised
to read that Vince Fitzgerald is
advisor to the organization. I’ve
known Mr. Fitzgerald as a man
dedicated to the students of this
college. This is just further
evidence of his commitment to
my old school and for that, I’m
forever grateful.
Not everyone holds certain
truths to be self evident. It took
this nation a long time to unders
tand that women are equal to
men, that Irish and Poles and
Hispanics and Blacks are equals
as well. Homophobia may be the
last socially-acceptable form of
bigotry, but that, too, is chang
ing.
Once again, Clackamas, Bravo
J. Dana Haynes
What are your plans after you
complete your studies here at
Qackamas Community College?
Maybe you will have earned a
certificate and will be heading out
to the work force; or will you be
transferring to a four-year school
to earn your degree?
For those students who will be
transferring, you need to ask
yourself if the credit classes you
are taking will transfer to a four-
year instution. You may not have
to transfer some class credits
because they will not be of help
toward earning your degree, but
you will want the majority of
your class credits to transfer.
While there haven’t been too
many problems in the past with
non-transferring credits, there
have been some, and for those
students whose credits won’t
transfer, many problems can oc
cur.
One of these problems, and
certainly not the least, is the ex
pense involved. It costs the stu
dent both extra time and money
to repeat a course, neither of
which a student might have -
especially when you consider that
many students spend their first
two years at a community college
because they could not afford to
go to a four-year school to begin
with.
Recently an agreement was
made between Portland Com
munity College and the Universi
ty of Oregon. The agreement
stated that all credits earned dur
ing the first two years of an
associate degree in academic
fields will be honored when the
student transfers.
The Educational Coordinating
Commission is working on
developing “...a simpler agree
ment would encompass all of the
affected schools.” This could
possibly be reached by developing
a curriculum that is the same for
the first two years at all of the
schools.
Until an agreement has been
put into affect, the best way to
find out if your credits are
transferrable is to see a
counselor.
Harrassment ‘irritating as hell’
by Lyn Marie Thompson
Photo Editor
“Ignorance breeds fear.”
That’s a real interesting quote,
and I’m finding out that it is also
an accurate quote.
I recently wrote an article for
the Print on the Gay/Lesbian
Rap Group that has been formed
here at Clackamas Community
College. The story’s purpose was
purely informational. I hope that
if there were other members of
the gay and lesbian community
looking for a support group, that
my article may have helped.
Once in a while we all need to
know that someone’s on our side,
to have some support to help us
make it to the next day. That’s
why the rap group is there, to
support other members of this
particular minority on campus.
In the process of doing that
story, and this next one, I met
and became friends with a
member of the rap group.
Neither of us were prepared for
the repercussions as a result of
the publication of that article.
True, the campus community
has become aware of the group’s
existence, but. not all of the feed
back has been positive. My friend
has been harassed to the point of
relinquishing their position in the
group, and is contemplating not
attending any further meetings.
In addition, I have been warn
ed that because I am the author
of the piece, I may be singled out
as a main supporter of gays and
lesbians, and could possibly be
labeled a lesbian by association. I
was also advised to be “careful”,
as there were a few students that
had been vehemently opposed to
or offended by my article, so
much so that they caroused cam
pus, removing all remaining
copies of that issue of the Print
and throwing them away. These
students, I was warned, had the
potential to be physically violent
and therefore dangerous.
Being in this position is ir
ritating as hell, but I now have a
better understanding of what it’s
like for the gay/lesbian com
munity, to be on the inside look
ing out.
I don’t understand how people
can be so blind and ignorant to
the fact that gays and lesbians are
living, breathing human beings
too. They have emotions and
feelings that are fragile, just like
you and me. They have families,
friends, are productive citizens of I
society, and have needs andl
desires just like everybody else. I
The only difference is in sexual
preference. That’s all. And if you]
don’t approve of that, fine, they
aren’t trying to convert anyone to I
see life the way they do. (Which is I
more than I can say for a lot of I
other people.)
Anyhow, my point is this:!
Before you decide to prejudge so
meone and make their life hell,
give them a chance. Find out who I
they really are. I’m not saying to I
run out and support all gays and I
lesbians. All I’m saying is, they’re I
not forcing their beliefs on you, I
so what gives you the right to..
force your beliefs on them? “Ig
norance breeds fear.” Think
about it.
The Print
The Print aims to be a fair and impartial newspaper covering the college
community. Opinions expressed in The Print do not necessarily reflect
those of the College administration, faculty, Associated Student Govern
ment or other members of The Print staff. Articles and information
published in The Print can be reprinted only with permission from the
Student Publications Office. The Print is a weekly publication distributed
each Wednesday except for Finals Week. Clackamas Community Col
lege, 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City, Oregon 97045. Office : Trailer
B. Telephone: 657-8400, ext. 309.
Editor-In-Chief: Dean Grey
Design Editor: Bret Hodgert
Photo Editor: Lyn Thompson
News Editor: Eric Berg
Opinions Editor: Stephani Veff
Sports Editor: Chris Curran
Copy Editor: Scott Wyland
Staff Writers: Mary Prath, Marie Stopelmoor,
Heieen Veenstra, Ted Weiss
Photographers: Beth Coffey, Amber Davis
Cartoonist: Jo Crisp
Business Manager: Jim Brown
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Judy Singer, Melody Wiltrout
Advisor: Linda Vogt
Clackamas Community Collegi