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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2002)
4 WEdNEsdAy, MARch 6, 2002 Feature The CI ac I< amas P rînt There’s something about ’’nothing” I heard the greatest pick-up line the Since I’ve already touched upon other day. This guy walked by a girl men’s ability to raise their daugh waiting in line at the theater and said, ters and still enjoy a trip to “Do you believe in love at first sight? XXXgotmiIk.com, I’m going to Or should I walk by again?’ Pretty point out to the ladies we know gutsy. Earned him a smile, which you have your own double stan quickly turned into “Get lost, loser,” dards, but we just wisely keep our but for about 1.257 seconds he was mouths shut. If we don’t, we know the man. Whenltriedto empathize by commenting on what a jerk he | Marvin Baker was, she told me | Guest Columnist to hang it in my I shorts. Actually, I she used fewer I words than that, but you get the gist we’re going to get creamed with I don’t get it Women say they want something we did that we don’t our attention and they say they want know you know about and end up us to be honest with them, but when in bigger trouble than necessary. they get it they slap us down. Ami My personal favorite, however, wrong here, gentlemen? Some of the is when women cloak criticism as worst conversations in my life have concern. started with the question, “What are Here’s my case in point: I have a you thinking about?’ female friend who visits a lot when Ladies, here’s a hint from the guy her boyfriend’s at work - get your play book: “Nothing,” is short for, minds out of the gutter, it’s not like “Nothing you want to hear.” It’s not that. This particular instance she the feminine ‘Nothing,” (followed by plops her narrow ass down in my a heavy sigh) which is code for "drop living room and starts doing leg evoythinganddragitoutofme." This lifts while talking to me. This was is not to be confused with the sharply during mid-terms. I’m doing my spoken ‘Nothing,” (no sigh included) best to ignore her and think about followed by an enamel-rending gnash the ice cream in the freezer, when, ing of teeth. Translation: “Get the hell finally, she heaved a sigh at me and away from me.” said, “You’re not even listening.” There is also the dreamily uttered I told her I was thinking about ice ‘Nothing,” which is her way of saying cream - the truth - and she says, a guy - or possibly another woman - “You shouldn’t be thinking about has just wandered into view and be ice cream with a belly like yours.” come her moisturizer of choice. FYI,if She tried to gloss it over with, she is curious about women, here’s “Well, it’s true,” and explained how two things you need to know; (a) she’s that exempted her from hurting my probably not thinking three’s com feelings - because she had my best pany; and (b) you may be surprised to interests at heart. Then she spent discover she won’t necessarily see this five minutes telling me how she was as fooling around on you. And you going to exercise until she had "an can forget what it says in Chapter 63, ass you could set a drink on.” section 24, paragraph 5(a): threaten When I tried saving her the ef ing to start checking out other men is fort by pointing out that’s what the no threat She’s seen you gag on your top of her head was for, suddenly own toothbrush; you’re not going to I was the bad guy. All because I convince her you can switch up that told her the truth about what I was easily. thinking. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the To reach Marvin Baker e-mail conundrum of the double standard. mbaker296@attbicom. PATTY MAMULA / Clackamas Print The Print staff is pictured outside Warner Brother's Studio's theater where they saw "Death to Smoochy," directed by Danny DeVito. Left to right: Allison Gerfin, Nick Barron (back) Salena De La Cruz and Maggie Jirasek. The Print lets loose in L.A. SALENA DE LA CRUZ Opinion Editor Amidst the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles, Calif., four mem bers and the adviser of The Clackamas Print attended the National College Newspaper Con vention, sponsored by the Asso ciate Collegiate Press we ventured to sessions on news writing, pho tojournalism, headline writing, de sign and more in hopes of learning how to make the paper better. From Feb. 28-March 3, vendors from across the country offered services, free merchandise and promotional material for students while national newspapers sent experts to teach aspiring journal ists. Some of the exhibitors in cluded Newspaper Association of America, U-Wire, Associated Press and Artisan Films. “I thought it was pretty cool to have all of these different people wanting to talk to me, acting like they were my best friend,” said Nick Barron, business manager for The Clackamas Print. The first day, the soon-to-be re porters were welcomed to Los An geles by Tom Rosenstiel, director of Project for Excellence in Jour nalism and co-author of “The Ele ments of Journalism,” with a rous ing and measures to prevent college ing speech about the role of a jour drinking. Sgt. Leon Nixon of the Los nalist in society. The night ended Angeles International Airport police with a special screening of “The opened up about airport security. Panic Room” at 7:30 p.m., spon Four student panelists from differ sored by Sony Pictures. ent colleges were the primary inter On March 1, there were sessions viewers. from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ranging I thought it was a great experience from reporting on crime on cam to be able to be an interviewer at pus, polishing your news writing, this conference. I know I’ll be tak sports writing and special ses ing a lot away from the entire con sions for advisers of the student ference. I learned so much. ran papers. The night ended with a trip to “Steve Padilla from The Los An Warner Brother’s Studios to see an geles Times not only gave great advanced screening of “Death to hints on writing and copy editing, Smoochy,” starring Robin Williams, but also on working with writers Edward Norton and Danny Devito, to improve their writing, said who also directed the film. Then stu Allison Gerfin, copy editor, The dents interviewed long-time actor/ Clackamas Print. director Danny DeVito. The afternoon session was a The conference ended with an press conference that lasted one awards presentation for Newspa hour called "Binge Drinking, Club pers of the Year for Excellence as Drugs, Airport Security: Welcome well as an award for the best cover to Spring Break 2002." With age of Sept. 11. Spring Break steadily approach “It was very interesting to see ing, the content was well timed. how other papers worked. Also, to Barbara Ryan, editor of “Preven see that they had the same kind of tion Pipeline" and "Prevention File: problems we do and it was great to Alcohol, Tobacco and Other see how they dealt with it,” said Drugs”, discussed club drugs and Maggie Jirasek, editor-in-chief, The prevention. George Marcelle, com Clackamas Print. munications and social marketing ToreachSalenaDeLaCruze-maU professional, Social and Health Ser wonderwoman41477@hotmaiLcom vices, Ltd., discussed binge drink or drop by B-104. Students build team leadership with Legos MICHAELREED Contributing Writer Editor’s note: The following article received first prize in the Clackamas Regional Skills Contest’s Journalism-Feature Writing category. The article was edited for clarity, content and grammar. Imagine sitting in a crowded, noisy corridor, while your team is doing their best to piece to gether a replica of a Lego struc ture that is placed on a table in the center of the room. Does this sound like fun? That is what occurred in the Community Cen ter Skylight Dining Room at Clackamas Community College on Feb. 28. The contest was just one event at the 24th annual Clackamas Re gional Skills Contest. There were 19 high schools participat ing from all around Clackamas County. This particular event, the leadership contest, had six high school leadership teams scheduled to participate. Five of them showed up, along with two home-school teams. Each team could have no fewer than four and no more than eight people. The event was an exercise in the team’s leadership skills and how well they can work together as a group. If there wasn’t very good communication between the people with their team, their success was limited.' “Teams need to display coor dination and organization in or der to be the quickest to make the Lego replica,” said Leader ship Competition Supervisor Michael Caudle. “This exercise has great competitiveness, and it builds school spirit and excellent strategy skills.” At the beginning of the event, each team is given the Lego blocks that are needed to com plete an exact replica of a Lego structure placed at the middle of the room. Teams can use as much time as they want to plan how they are going to piece them to gether, but as soon as the blocks are touched, a timekeeper starts a stopwatch. The first team to complete it perfectly in the least amount of time wins. The leadership contest pro vided a fun and exciting atmo sphere for students who partici pated. There were some that thought that the difficulty of the assignment added an interesting twist. “It was a whole lot harder than I expected it to be, and that made it fun,” said Adam Hardlurd, a sophomore at Gladstone High School. “When I talked to people who did this last year, they said it was really easy.” Evidently, the contest last year was incredibly easier. In fact, most people thought that it was too easy. There were many changes made so that this time around teams would have more of a challenge. “I really tried to increase the difficulty. Last year the first team finished completed it in less than one minute. It was so easy be cause it was only a Lego robot. Now, I designed a more complex figure that requires more work and concentration,” said Caudle. Times this year ranged from anywhere between 12-25 minutes on the first attempt. Also, the figure this year was not recog nizable as anything, only a mass of red and white Legos. The color infrequency in the blocks causes more strategies and fewer people rushing to get finished. “It’s fun to see all of the teams using different strategies,” said Elaine Garrect, a junior on the Country Christian team. “I can tell we are losing because we spent less time planning and too much time handling the Legos.” Although there was a lot of panic to get finished, most if not all participants had a good time. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams, but just being there was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
