The Clackamas print., January 12, 2000, Page 8, Image 8

8______
Feature
James Gould: Proving the world wrong
WedNEsdAy, J anuary 12, 2000
TldE ClAckAMAS P r INT
New ASG president overcomes a debilitating injury and years of teasing to take Clackamas to new heights
told me what was going on at
home,” Gould said. “When I came
out of the coma the first person I
On any given day, a typical saw was my mom and the first
student here at Clackamas words I said were, ‘I love you,
might see James Gould, our mama.’”
newly appointed ASG presi­
The road to recovery was long
dent, walking through campus. and arduous, and they seemed to
At first glance he may not ap­ hit roadblocks at every turn. How­
pear to be someone capable of ever, after 59 days at the hospital
running the affairs of our stur Gould came home.
dent government. His left foot
“Sometimes I wonder what it
turns in slightly, causing him would be like to have the use of
to limp, his left hand is curled both arms...I would also like to
and carried by his side. At one know what it would be like to play
time, he was labeled mentally all the sports that you need two
retarded by the school system. hands in,” Gould said. However,
However, beyond all the ex­ he doesn’t hold any frustration
ternal factors lies a motivated, or resentment about the cards
determined, intelligent, and that life dealt him.
compassionate man. He has
When asked if there was one
beaten all the odds and grown thing he would change about
from an underestimated, lonely his life, Gould answered,"I
and teased child to hold the wouldn’t change anything. My
highest posi­
accident has
tion available
made me a more
for students at
caring person
Sometimes I
our college to­
and maybe I
day.
wouldn't even
wonder what it
“Someone
be here as the
would be like to
may see me and
president if it
know that I’m a
never
hap­
use both my
part of the stu­
pened.”
arms...but I
dent govern­
Even though
wouldn't change
ment and think
Gould’s out­
right off, I
look is optimis­
anything.
wouldn’t be
tic, his life
James Gould
able to do
hasn’t always
ASG President
something like
been easy. Per­
that,” Gould
petual teasing
commented.
and name call­
“But then I’ll
go and ing followed Gould from el­
prove them wrong. I’ve been ementary school through high
SARAH WELCH I Clackamas Print
proving people wrong my school.
Gould loves to go bowling and has a high score of 180. His disability doesn't slow him down,
whole life.”
However, although the com­ whether he is playing sports, running the student government or working on homework from his
Gould’s venture into proving ments stung, he never felt any classes.
people wrong started at the age anger toward the people who
tion as president and a social
"He wasn't there to see me he encountered other attacks.
of three and a half.
teased him.
This time people were not at­ life (including time spent with
graduate from high school and
Up until that point in his life,
“The people didn’t under­ I wish he was here to see me tacking him because of his dis­ his girlfriend Audra), he
he had been your average, stand what had happened to now. But I know he's watching ability, but instead because of his doesn’t take anything he has
healthy three year-old. He me. If they were in my situation from above," Gould emotionally outspokenness
for granted.
played in mud-pools (built
they would be going through recounted.
at the trial and
Gould under­
.....
by his father), loved to eat spa­ the same thing. I don’t blame
the
stands
the
After his high school gradu­ about
I've been proving
ghetti by smearing it every­ them for what they’ve said,” ation in 1998, Gould enrolled at Rankin contro­
value of a mo­
where, and he loved to
ment and also
Clackamas. Many years versy. While
people wrong my
rough-house with animals. —
the value of
prior, counselors and the majority of
whole life.
Howver, in the early
life.
therapists thought that people were
eighties James was playing
"I don't mind
Gould could never gradu­ supportive,
James Gould
with his brother Jason near
talking about
ate from high school, let Gould encoun­
a huge Eucalptus tree
tered some ani­
my accident. I'm
alone go to college.
when suddenly a branch,
a motivational
Shortly after enrolling mosity from
weighing approximately 65
person and I
in the fall of 1998, Bryan some members
pounds, fell from the tree and
know that there's a reason I'm
Fuentez, then the vice of ASG.
landed on Gould’s head,
"We just need to focus on here right now."
president,
recruited
crushing his skull. He lost the
Gould has many goals for the
Gould to get involved in the changes that need to hap­
equivalent of two tablespoons
pen in student government and future. He wants to be married
the ASG.
of brain matter and the left
And by the end of the put all this behind us," Gould and have a family. However, his
side of his body became para­
year Gould decided to run replied, when asked about the main focus is becoming an el­
lyzed.
frustrations within the ASG.
ementary school teacher.
for vice president.
Gould was rushed to the
He won’t let the negativity of
It is his maturity and wisdom
He didn't know if he
hospital where he under­
even had a chance a few people bother him as he that has brought him so far in
went several surgeries to
against his opponents, works to put back the pieces life. When most people would
remove pieces of his skull
who were popular and and begin a fruitful year in stu­ quit and give up, Gould pressed
from his wound. And he
on toward the goal, never los­
athletic. But Gould's vic­ dent government.
SARAH WELCH I Clackamas Print
spent the next four days in
His agenda is full and his ing sight of who he was or
tory, by an overwhelming
Gould is proud of everything he has
a coma. The doctors told
majority, proved again to workload tough, but Gould isn’t what he was capable of accom­
accomplished and he is excited about his
Gould’s parents that he new job as president
plishing.
Gould and those around one to turn down a challenge.
wouldn’t survive, and if he
"I struggled a little bit last
"I will continue to prove
him that he could do any­
did survive then he wouldn’t shared Gould.
term trying to balance every­ people wrong. It's what I do
thing he set his mind to.
be able to walk and he would
In 1995, Gould was faced with
Shortly after the decision to re­ thing," Gould recalled, "It was best."
another heartache. His father, move Jennifer Rankin from her hard, but I'm doing better this
be brain damaged.
“My mom and dad talked to the man he affectionately calls position as ASG president was term.",
Comments or questions can be
While he strives to balance a
directed to Shelbi Wescott at 657-
me [while I was in the coma] all the his hero, died unexpectedtly of upheld, and Gould was ap­
6958 x 2309 or shelbi5@juno.com
time. They read stories to me and a heart attack.
pointed to assume her position, full load of courses, his posi­
SHELBI WESCOTT
Feature Editor