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Feature _____________ L
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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.