Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2001)
■ Feature _____________ L ■ WedNEsdAy, M ay 2, 2001 TR e CI ac I ìamas P rint Students get insight into a murderer’s psyche MAGGIE JIRASEK Feature Editor Mass murder/serial killers is the title of a new class offered at Clackamas as part of the criminal justice program and explores the phenomenon of both mass murders and serial killings and the impact each has upon society. Instructor Brian Howarth, who has taught at Clackamas since 1979, is teaching the class for the first time. Part of the instruction includes learn ing the difference between a serial killer and a mass murderer. “We are looking into the his torical crimes that have taken place, the very notorious ones, and the mass murderers and serial killers involved in the crimes,” said Howarth. “There is a difference between the two. Serial killers are predators. They go out and target indi viduals who fuel their fanta- sies. Every serial killer has a special design. Mass murder ers, on the other hand, are people who kill many individu als at one time. Their killings are usually one time events.” The 1995 Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh is a good example of a political mass murderer. He targeted the fed eral building in Oklahoma City and killed 168 people. Situations like school shootings, where individuals kill as many people as possible and sometimes take their own life, are also considered mass murderers. “There might be people who drive into a McDonalds and just start shooting people. That is considered a mass murder,” said Howarth. Students also get a chance to learn how profiling is done as well as why it's important to profile killers. “We look at famous cases, anywhere from Jack the Ripper to the Limburgh kidnapping,” said Howarth. We address a lot of issues. We will also have some guest speakers coming in.” Because the content of the lessons include showing police tapes, videos and slides of corpses and dismembered bod ies, the class requires a sense of maturity. “I wouldn’t suggest a 13-year- old in my class since the class is very graphic. I would say this is PG-13,” said Howarth. “It’s a ma ture topic but it shows the real world. It’s what people need to be aware of when they are looking at going into a police career.” Approximately 60 students are attending the class. “I enjoy the class. It’s actually very interesting to find out why people do these things,” said Josette Starks, student. The class will be offered again Fall term 2001. ASSOCIATED PRESS The college's new 'mass murder/serial killers' course features such killers as Jeffrey Dahmer, who lured homosexuals and male prostitutes into his apartment by offering money for sexual favors. At the time of his arrest, five skulls, three torsos, a refrigerated head and many other human body parts were found in Dahmer's apartment. Check the fall schedule for details. Expanding welding program sparks interest tions of mild and stainless steel with the workplace, but it is open to ev eryone. Caldera is enthusiastic about this opportunity. “It’s allowing me to open the shop more and more and to build even bigger and faster and better,” she said. “There will always be a need for welders- the field is so the help of students working in the industry and painted the individual welding booths in a non-glare blue gray. New sophisticated Miller weld ers and an ESAB plasma cutter keep the shop current. There is now equipment so students can also learn flux core, dual-shield, TIG and oxy-fuel welding and welding and brazing. Welding Instructor Stuart Strader, who started teachihg last MAGGIE JIRASEK I Clackamas Print Sue Caldera, welding instructor, built the Clackamas welding program from one class to eight classes per term. ALLISON T. GERFIN Contributing writer cess, but it would take a lot of work. She had labored for seven years in the industry and taught at both In 1989 when Sue Caldera, one of Clackamas’ two welding instructors, started building railcars at Gunderson in Portland, all she wanted out of welding was to make enough money to support her three children. She didn’t know that less than 10 years later she would be Mount Hood Community College, where she earned her certificate, and at PCC, but nothing had prepared her for this challenge. She spent a year just cleaning up the shop. A pile of broken PowCon welders that were almost 20 fall, will take on more classes as the program continues to grow. Currently there are courses for ev eryone. If you like the metal trellises and plant hangers seen in garden centers, you can take the hobbyist class on Saturdays and learn to make one. Other classes help people who already do repair work, such as mill wrights, but need to know some welding too. Farmers come to learn how to fix their own implements and bad habits in the real all that re world,” she said. from scrap at CCC. mained. Under Caldera’s perseverance, a storeroom for junk has turned into a “When I first started clean and well-equipped modem cleaning up, three different cut funding for high schools and colleges, and welding programs "For the first time in my life, I actu ally get to enjoy welding." of projects - fun, funky and func tional. There’s a saw blade a stu dent “painted” with a scene in MIG wire and another’s elegant sculpture made with discarded fan blades. It’s obvious her students love the ability to make stuff through welding. “I try to make it fun,” said Caldera. And it’s fun for her too. “For the first time in my life, I get to actually enjoy welding.” to work on. With the passing of the college’s bond measure, the weld ing program or WorkFirst training, con ing program will soon double its fa tact Sue Caldera at503-657-6958x2013. For more information about the weld Caldera Instructor Also being of WorkFirst Training for Welding Tech nologist. Clackamas is the only local col lege certified to teach this 11-week, 26 give it a try.” Now used for MIG and tirely. When Caldera arrived here in« stick welding, they “run like 1998, there was one welding class’ champs.” Where did she learn to open to the public. So few students repair stuff? “Here,” she laughed. workplace relationships and life were being trained that the demand “I’ve had a crash course. I just take skills training. WorkFirst is used by for welders outstripped the number things apart to see how they are put the Oregon Employment Depart of qualified applicants. Caldera knew together.” Caldera has also procured dona- workers and to help others adjust to she could make the program a suc CCC’s first formal fabrication class. Students will learn how to design, layout and prepare projects in addi tion to welding them together. “I have a list of things I want built for the shop, like tables and fixtures, and the students will make them,” she said. “It will be great.” Right now Caldera is looking to get more equipment and would love donations of aluminum for students Her classroom, Bl57, is open for anyone to come and see the gallery fered in Spring 2001 for the first time is credit comprehen sive course. Students are instructed in metal welding and cutting pro cesses as well as “soft” skills, such as keyboarding, resume writing, were scaled back or eliminated en I good reasons. Her students’ metal crafts sold out in the first hour at last year’s Horticulture Departments’ spring plant sale and raised $500. bars. Welding certification is offered for those seeking specialized, often higher-paying positions. One can also take the 9-month American Welding Society Entry Level Welder program and earn AWS certification and entry into a national registry upon completion. Caldera also encourages full-time welders to take refresher courses. “You pick up a lot of years old was people told me Sue they were junk and to just get rid of them,” she said. “I thought, well, I’ll clean them up and This summer, Caldera is teaching way in three years. Caldera is proud of her students and the program for racecar builders fabricate reliable roll building an entire welding program metal shop used for teaching over eight courses per term - from hob byist classes to professional weld ing certification. The passing of Measure 5 in 1992 vast.” cilities on campus. Welding at CCC has come a long ment and AFS to re-train displaced MIKE POLLOCK / Clackamas Print Corey Morton is working on a vertical weld in Caldera's welding class. A Work First Training for Welding Technologist course is also offered at Clackamas for the first time.
