____________ 5_
WEdNEschy, J une
TI ìe CL ac I camas P rìnt
Moving on, moving up
It has been one hell of a ride, but
I’m outta here. This is my final
article, my adios, my outtie, my
see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya.
I’m going on to bigger and better
things and I’m a greater person
for it. I’m so excited for the jour
ney I am about to embark upon.
I’m happy for my new journey,
but I will still miss Clackamas for
the people I’ve met and the things
I’ve learned.
I remember my first year at
Clackamas. My first memories
were of the “politically incorrect”
instructor who deemed Cleopatra
a bitch and spoke his mind. He’s
since retired, but thanks to
Donald Epstein for speaking his
mind. Thank you to Loren Ford
for showing me that if I believe I
have no feelings, it’s bullshit.
But most importantly, thank you
to Linda Vogt, my Journalism
mentor, who taught me that my
craze for writing could be used in
journalism. I also have a memo
ry that dates back before
Clackamas, and even before high
school, of a teacher who taught
me to follow my dreams. Thank
you, Mary Halter, my eighth
grade English teacher, for show
ing me I can be and do anything.
I remember the people on The
Print staff that I’ve come to know
and love. To the crew from 1999
and 2000, Angie Daschel, who
has already begun her journey, as
well as John Thorbum, Tim Bell
and Sarah Welch. It was such a
pleasure working with all of you;
people I will never forget. To
Nick Barron, you are a twister
that blew into my life from
Missouri and taught me to think
what I wanted to be and that I
should never, jusf settle. You’re
friendship has been my founda
tion in the insanity called The
Print.
I’ve held positions from busting
out as Sports Editor, to saying it
“Loud and Proud” as Opinion
Editor, to formulating ideas as
Design Editor and each one of
them has prepared me for the
roles I will take in my life. These
positions helped shape my views
and perceptions and perhaps even
my biases of what topics I would,
could and did write about
I rejoice in what I’ve done so
far, but am happy to move on to
bigger and better things. I have
been accepted to the University
of Oregon. I’m also thoroughly
excited that I have earned a paid
position as Editorial Editor, in the
Opinion Section, beginning Fall
2002. These are just a few steps
in my journey called life, but in
the end I hope to leave U of O
with a Bachelors degree in
Journalism and maybe transfer
out of state for a Masters in jour
nalism, but ultimately I hope to
open my own magazine based on
real life, with a newspaper for
mat. At this point I hope to have
done it all and seen it all.
In the future, look for my name
in
BIG,
BOLD
letters.
Maggie Jirasek
Bigger-, better things
Being at Clackamas was a very
good experience for me. I have
learned a lot in the three years
that I have been here and I also
2002
Contributed by Erin Lynch
Left to right: Salena De La Cruz (Design Editor), Nick Barron (Staff Writer) and Maggie
Jirasek (Editor-in-Chief) are in their final hoorah. They are walking one step closer to
their ultimate goals. Barron may end up a columnist for Sports Illustrated, De La Cruz
may find that dream of owning her own magazine. Jirasek could end up a reporter in a
war-torn country. No one knows, but they leave behind good thoughts.
met some awesome people.
When I started college, I had no
idea what I was doing and what
direction my life was going.
Then, I got involved in the news
paper and now I can say that it
was the best thing I could have
done. I made some great friends
on the newspaper staff and I
learned a lot about writing, pho
tography and design.
I have to admit, it wasn’t always
easy. When I first started at the
paper I didn’t even know how to
type. I worked my way up and
after being a staff writer for a
year, then feature editor, I
became editor-in-chief.. I am
really glad that I took on that
position because I have learned a
lot; not only about newspapers
but also about leadership skills
and how to deal with people.
My plans for the future are not
quite clear yet. But that’s just me.
I never know where I end up.
Life is full of surprises. I defi
nitely plan on doing an intern
ship for a year after I’m done
with Clackamas. My ultimate
goal is to one day write for a big
newspaper or maybe even work
for a news station.
Before I say goodbye, I would
like to thank all the people here
at Clackamas who have support
ed me throughout the years. So,
special thanks to Linda Vogt,
Patty Mamula, Ellen Wolfson,
Dick Stones, Norm Bemey and
Mike Caudle.
I enjoyed writing for the Print
although it got pretty stressful
once .in a while. I recall lots of
sleepless nights and newspaper
nightmares where I was haunted
by mean photo bylines. Oh, there
is one more thing: I will really,
really miss writing the,, horo
scopes. I had a lot of fun with
that because I really am psychic.
At least I like to think that.
Nick Barron
Today The Print,
Tomorrow SI
You know, I must have been
desperate to willingly join a fam
ily of four, complete with two
teenagers, on the last leg of their
family vacation from Missouri to
Oregon. Never mind the fact that
J hate the rain, and yet moving to
the Willamette Valley, I seriously
was not in the right frame of
mind last summer.
I was on the verge of turning 21,
had attended three colleges and
was searching for a path for
which to live my life. When I
was offered the chance to visit
my aunt and uncle in Oregon for
the remainder of my summer, I
took the opportunity in the hope
of finding meaning in an other
wise meaningless existence.
Within a matter of weeks I had
found a job for the Clackamas
County Parks Department and
had decided to give Oregon a try.
Call it an accident or call it fate,
but I had discovered Clackamas’
school newspaper, and on a
whim, signed up with the staff to
cover sports.
Now I rest at the end of another
school year, and while academi
cally, the past nine months may
have been a waste, it is the intan
gible benefits that I have gained
since last year that make me glad
that I moved to the West Coast.
While writing has always been a
hobby for me, I have never con
sidered it a career choice.
Writing for The Print has made
me realize that my earlier prob
lems in school were because I
was a square trying to fit into a
mold made for a circle.
As my time in Oregon winds
down, I look to .cherish the small
things that I have come to love
about this state. Although I now
wish to live in a desert, especial
ly one where people wear shoes
and act “normal,” I will miss this
jewel of America called Oregon.
I would like to thank Frank
Jordan, our news editor, for invit
ing me to join the staff of The
Print, instead of tossing me aside
like an old copy of our paper.
Kudos to Patty Mamula, our
beloved adviser, for welcoming
me at The Print and doing all that
she could to nurture my raw tal
ent. Salena, I cannot even begin
to thank you for your friendship
and your acceptance, in a state
where acceptance is preached,
but not always followed. And to
Daisy, thanks for keeping my
head the size that it should be, for
I do not want to have to go buy
more baseball hats.
Next year, you will find me at
the University of Tulsa, hopeful
ly covering sports and continuing
toward a degree that I now wish
to obtain. When the day comes
that I am one of the top sports
writers in the nation, or when a
novel of mine makes the ¡Jest
seller’s list, I can always thank
Oregon for what it has done for
me.
To those that know me, I do not
like goodbyes and farewells.
Let’s just say that although we
may never speak again, the mem
ories and experiences that we
have shared will be locked in my
mind’s eye for all of eternity.