F eature
6 • T he C lackamas P rint
N ovember 26, 2003
Garrettson builds a future through CWE
Karen Hill
F eature E ditor
ulty, contracted this lean-to for the horticulture department
at Student Vocational Village Alternative High School.
In a ti me when mediocre homework
assignments and half-hearted attempts
to excel are a common occurrence
among overworked college students, a
job well done is not easily overlooked.
Jordan Garrettson is one of the ever
decreasing number of students who are
willing to do a job—and do it well.
Garrettson, a second-year student at
Clackamas, is enrolled in a Building
Construction
Cooperative Work
Experience program (CWE), which
gives him the chance to practice his tal
ents and skills, earn college credit and
assist in the preparation of a career in
building and construction.
CWE recently presented Garrettson
with the opportunity to build a lean-to
for the Student Vocational Village
Alternative High School, located on
82nd Ave. near Madison High School.
The lean-to, referred to by the high
school as an “outdoor classroom,” was
built for the purpose of having a cov
ered shelter for the horticulture students
to grow and study plants.
A plan to build a raised, movable,
three-walled structure with a roof,
which could be easily disassembled,
was presented to Garrettson. A student
from the school's workshop class had
done a rough sketch of the plans as a
guide.
“They had the idea,” said
Garrettson, “I took it, improved on it
and ran with it.”
The students and faculty of the
Student Vocation Village were invited
to assist in the construction of the lean-
to, which took roughly 40 hours to
complete. Between four and 15 stu
dents worked with him on the project,
said Garrettson.
“It was hard to find jobs for every
body!” he said.
Education
Coordinator
and
Program Advisor Sue Metcalfe
arranged the project for Garrettson. She
found out about the need of the Student
Vocational Village and recalled the
needed work experience for Garrettson.
“And I just put the needs together,”
Metcalfe said.
Through this, Garrettson was able to
do a ‘service learning project,’ said
Metcalfe, which means providing serv
ice for another organization.
“I enjoyed seeing the connective
ness Clackamas was able to share with
other schools,” she said.
“I thought [Garrettson] did a really
good job,” said Metcalfe. “You can't
put just anyone in that situation and
have them do that well.”
Garrettson plans to get a degree in
Building Construction and Program
Management, in which he would over
see projects and ensure smooth opera
tions. Currently, he's enrolled in a 12-
CARRETTSON
credit Project Management class which
meets once a week. This is the first
installment in a course that will contin
ue throughout the year.
“[Building construction] has been
my passion for a long time,” said
Garrettson.
“(It's] something I've
always loved to do.”
His list of completed projects
proves his point. Garrettson has built
numerous decks and fences, remodeled
basements and hung sheetrock.
He hopes to get a job as a builder
someday. For now, Garrettson said,
‘Tm just focusing on the present”
Student wheels her way through college
Campus accessibility rates high at Clackamas
Cory Price
good compared to Mt. Hood
Community College (MHCC) and
Portland State University (PSU).
We all face challenges going to
“[Clackamas] is much better than
college, but students in wheelchairs Mt. Hood. They have really steep
have even more obstacles to endure.
ramps at [MHCC]. Ramps here are
Clackamas
student
Deana an easier grade,"Butler said. PSU is
Butler is in a wheelchair due to a inconvenient for wheelchairs, too.
four-wheeling
“They
i only one way to get
accident
four
around for wheel
years ago in Coos
chairs.
Here [at
“We're stereo
Bay.
Her quad
CCC] there are many
went over an 18-
typed as stupid
ways to get around."
foot wind shear,
The only ramp at
and mentally ill Clackamas
throwing her over
that is
the
handlebars.
when we're
really steep is in
Butler was rushed
Barlow
Hall.
not.”
to
Portland's
However, this doesn't
Emmanuel hospi
pose much of a prob
Student Deana Butter,
tal in a Life Flight
lem for Butler; she
helicopter.
on the misconception of
doesn't have classes
“It was loud and
in that area of cam
people in wheelchairs
it was orange, that's
pus. Butler's class
all I remember of
schedule keeps her in
it/’ said Butler.
McLouglin Hall, Clairmont, Streeter
Butler spent three days in ICU.
and the library.
Overall, she had just over a month of
These buildings are equipped
healing time before going home, per
with automatic doors or light-weight
manently paralyzed from the hips doors.
down.
Butler struggles, however, with
What does Butler think about the the speed or lack thereof, regarding
handicap accessibility of the college? the automatic doors.
Her overall rating of the college is
“Automatic doors are so slow!”
Co E ditor -I n -C hief
Butler said. “Clairmont has the
slowest door. I sit outside, waiting
for the door to open, saying to
myself, ‘Um, o.k — When!’”
Another minor issue on campus is
the bathrooms. Some stall doors
open the wrong way, while other
stalls are too small for a wheelchair.
“Bathrooms might have a bar
but aren't big enough to get a
wheelchair into,” Butler said.
“Bathrooms are disabled-accessi
ble, but not wheelchair-accessi
ble.”
Butler also expressed her frustra
tion with stereotypes.
“People who can walk on two
legs are called able-bodied people,
when someone who is in a wheel
chair is referred to as disabled,”
Butler said. “We're stereotyped as
stupid and mentally ill, when we're
not. People say we're never going
to accomplish anything in life.”
Currently Butler is going
through the criminal justice pro
gram at Clackamas in hopes of
becoming an assistant detective.
She is earning A's and B's in all her
classes.
I took the opportunity to spend
the day in a wheelchair and experi
ence a portion of what Butler does
In the spotlight: Nie Delzell
Delzell also maintains a long
distance relationship with The
Cyndee Mady
Print's former sports editor Elena
Boryska, who is currently pursuing
Co E ditor - in -C hief
Journalism at Washington State
Sports enthusiast Nic Delzell University, in Pullman, Wash.
has advanced from staff writer to
“My lovely girlfriend is the best
Sports Editor for The Clackamas thing in the world. She's com
Print in just three shortXerms.
pletely changed my life—taught
“If they had a
me to be a good
ghetto
sports-
boy,”
said
announcing -job. I'd
Delzell. “I think
“
If
they
had
a
get it,” Delzell said.
about taking the
ghetto sports-
“I'm still trying to
six-hour
drive
master the English
and just getting
announcing
language.”
out of here every,
job, I'd get it.
Wtyen he's not
every,
every,
checking out the
x every,
every
I'm
still
trying
sports action on cam
day.”
to master the
pus, Delzell likes to
“Every time Nic
play basketball and
visits he makes
English lan
keep up on his three
me forget how
guage. ”
favorite professional
boring Pullman
sports: baseball, bas
is,” -
said
ketball and football.
Boryska,
“He
What does Delzell
always seems to
Nic Delzell
consider to be his
make everything
Sports Editor
greatest talent?
better.”
“Making people
With two more
laugh. I have a keen ability io do years of community college and
it even when I'm not trying,” he career explorations still ahead,
said. “If there were still Court Delzell is just taking life one day
Jester jobs-I'd apply.”
at a time.
Profile by
DELZELL
Deana Butler, an ASG office assistant, stamps posters
with approval for scuba instructor Harry Klein.
everyday. I didn't fully realize the
daily struggle that one has to endure
while in a wheelchair. Those auto
matic doors do not open fast enough
at all and trying to open a regular
door is a juggling act in itself.
When a wheelchair restricts a per
son, people often have the audacity
to
stare
at
the
wheelchair
unashamedly.
“For me, I would rather have
someone ask me flat out what is
wrong,” said Butler. “And it's nice
when someone does offer assistance.
It's a nice reprieve from the daily
grind.”
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