CAMPUS NEWS
Clackamas Community College
April 27,1988
Page 4
Suicide prevention week...
Myths dispelled
by Stephani Veff
Opinion/Copy Editor
The coming week, May 1-7,
has been proclaimed Suicide
Prevention Week by Mayor Bud
Clark and Governor Neil
Goldschmidt and the public is be
ing asked to take a look at this
very serious problem that is
plaguing thè nation.
The importance of having such
a week set aside this year to bring
awareness is evident in suicide
currently being ranked eighth in
the leading causes of death in this
country. Suicide takes the lives of
some 30,000 people each year.
Suicide is not a problem of any
one particular group of people - it
affects both men and women at
any age, of any race, creed,
culture, and economic position.
There are differences though in
the statistics of attempts and
completed suicides. Women are
more likely to attempt suicide and
are most likely to use drugs or
poison rather than violent means
to kill themselves. Men, on the
other hand, are most likely to use
a quick, violent means of suicide
such as a gun or hanging and are
thus more successful in their at
tempts.
There are many myths and
misconceptions about suicide and
it is important to get the facts
straight. Some people think that
suicidal persons are mentally ill,
when ip fact the person is ex
tremely urihappey and upset, but
not necessarily mentally ill. It’s
also often thought that if the per
son is already having suicidal
thoughts (and/or attempts) that it
is too late to save him/her from
destruction. Both of these myths
are untrue and believing them
could cost someone’s life.
There are many danger signals
to look for when someone is con
sidering suicide as a way out of
his/her depression and over
whelming problems:
1. A previous attempt at
suicide puts the person at high
risk to try again.
2. Extreme depression,
sadness, anxiety, decline in in
terest in work and other people.
3. Changes in personality and
behavior, such as sleeplessness;
lost weight, appetite, or sexual
drive; tendency to withdraw.
4. Preparations for death, such
as making a will, putting affairs
in order, giving away personal
possessions, acquiring means to
commit suicide (gun, rope, etc.)
5. A suddent lift in spirits can
mean the person is relieved
because the problem will “soon
be ended.”
If you notice any of these
signals don’t assume that the pro
blem will take care of itself, the
person needs help and support.
You can help the person by giving
active emotional support and
showing that you take the
person’s feelings seriously and
want to help. Listen to the person
and ask concerned questions. Ex
plain that with help and support
the person can recover and feel
good again. Also encourage the
person to take positive action and
try to relieve the unhappy and
troublesome situations. Have the
person keep active in his/her job
and other activities such as
physical exercise. Most impor
tantly have the person seek pro
fessional help from any of the
following:
1. A crisis or suicide prevention
center.
2. A mental health center.
3. A physician.
4. The clergy.
5. State and local mental health
associations.
6. School counselors.
Suicide; is preventable if the
right steps are taken. One of the
best steps a person contemplating
suicide can take is to call the
Metro Crisis Intervention Service
in Portland. The services of the
center are provided to the public
free of cost with all calls being
confidential and can remain
anonymous.
The basic approach of the
center is to deal with the pro
blems, stresses, and traumas of
the callers on a short term basis.
The center also provides informa
tion and referrals to over 3,000
community resources for its
callers. The service is open 24
hours per day, seven days a week,
365 days a year.
If you are having difficulty
coping with the stresses and
strains of every day life or if you
know someone who may be feel
ing this way, give the Metro Crisis
Intervention Service a call at
223-6161.
Burrows gains new position
by Michelle K. Taylor
Assistant Opinions Editor
Jim Burrows has recently began
working as the department chair
person of the Employment
Management Division.
He will soon begin work as a
staff development officer.
Burrows old job was as project
coordinator at the EMD. Jim
came to his new position when
Marcia Coker was promoted to
assistant dean.
Burrows as been working at
CCC for seven and a half years.
He started out as a machine shop
instructor.
As the department chairperson
of the EMD, Burrows helps with
going out into the local business
and industry making contacts
and assessing what types of train
ing that people need. After that a
curriclum is set up and instructors
are found. “We do a lot of public
classes,” Burrows said.
Burrows came, over to the
United States from Scotland 26
years ago. He received his voca
tional training while he was living
in Scotland.
I worked in the trade here in
Portland for almost 18 years.
Burrows said his job was “to
establish rapport with business
and industry and bring it back to
campus.” He also said that this
was the most challenging thing he
has done since he began working
Photo by «lulle Church
Jim Burrows, hailing from Scotland, is now the department
chairperson of the Employment Magangement Division.
at Clackamas.
“I think we have a fantastic
faculty, a really diverse faculty
and I really enjoy working with
them.”
Oregon, N.W. rivers at risk
by Lisa Graham
Co-News Editor
The Oregon River Initiative is
asking voters to support the State
protection of 11 Oregon rivers.
The rivers protected by the
initiative would be the John Day,
Klamath, McKensie, Metrolius,
Nestucca, Rogue, Umpqua,
Wallowa-Grande
Ronde,
Deschutes, Elk, and the
Clackamas.
Some, such as the Deschutes
and the Clackamas, haye
segments that are currently
protected. The initiative would
extend the protected areas of
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these rivers. Petition Coordinator
Kate Crokket explained the
initiative, “The Oregon River
Initiative seeks to include more
river miles into the State Scenic
Water Ways System. It would
just about double the current
existing miles protected.”
If protected the rivers would be
protected from the destruction of
their natural state. “On the State
level, the initiative would protect
against the building of
hydroelectric-electric dams,” said
Crokket. “Right now that would
protect Walker creek that has
been proposed by the city of
McMinnville for a dam. This
would also prohibit the building
of the Salt Caves Dam in
Klamath that would disrupt a
critical segment of ecological
importance.” If the initiative is
passed, it would also prohibit
placer mining or heavy dredge
mining,
logging,
water
withdrawals, and restrict
development.
Hatfield’s Omnibus Oregon Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act.
The Federal proposals,
however, do not protect the
Clackamas, portions of the
Deschutes, the Middle Fork John
Day, all of the South Fork
McKensie, and portions of the
North Umpqua, Wallowa,
Walker Creek and McKensie.
“The Federal acts do not prohibit
mining, only dams,” said
Crokket. “The most threatened
rivers are excluded. These are
included at the State level.”
Also, Crokket added, if the
State Initiative does not pass it
sends a message to Washington
D.C. that this is an issue we, as a
State, do not care about. “The
most important aspect is that
these areas deserve protection,”
she said. “Some of these rivers
are definitely at risk. On the
The Oregon River Initiative
will require the signatures of
63,578 registered voters by June
8, 1988 in order to make it onto
the 1988 fall ballot. Currently,
only 10,000 signatures have been
collected.
McKensie, the Forest Service is
planning to clear cut down to the
banks. This will affect shade,
insect population, temperature
control -- these in turn effect the
food supply of native trout.
Elimination of the trees would
damage the population of our
native trout in the McKensie.”
The passing of the State
Initiative is critical, said Crokket,
not only for the protection of
rivers on the State level but also
for the passing of four federal
river protection bills. The federal
bills are basically the same and
are patterned after Mark
On campus some petitions for
the initiative have surfaced. For
more information about the
initiative concerning issues or
petition forms, Kate Crokket,
Petition Coordinator, can be
reached at 231-0934
»
D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer
Density