Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2004)
JT eatore ■S, 2004 T he C lackamas P rint «11 sabbatical: not just all play yndee Mady C’JE ditor -I n -C hief P1 a two-term sabbatical 11.1 h a combination of hard 1.1 rtache and relief, English CCI Sue Mach returned to her C11 in Rook Hall in time for “V who has been teaching at 1IJ ; for nine years, spent a ;l'f her time off tending to :l' -year-old daughter Nora, Cooped a brain tumor and l1:lIt 'surgery. 11 's a good thing I was on ” Mach said. “Around the a year, she was falling a lot Jidn’t want to go down k .didn’t want to peddle her 1 lore or go to the park ... 1 1 he had an inner ear infcc- ok her ko the doctor and ¡c her an MR1 and thankful- 'cct a sl^w-growing, benign ’th ■ V(|frs at Docrnbcchcr ¿n„| Hospital were able to remove the build-up of spinal fluid, but the tumor itself was in a difficult position to maneuver. “It’s in such a place that they can’t remove it, so they’re just going to leave it in,” said Mach. “If it becomes a problem again, they’ll probably have to radiate the tumor ... but so far it’s working—sheh doing really well now.” During the unexpected crisis, Mach somehow managed to com plete the first draft of a play she wrote called “The Ixist Boy,” which was inspired by the tragic events of Ashley Pond and Miranda Caddis. “Just having had a child, I was more affected by |thc case] than before,” she said. “Oh my Cod; that just must be such a horrible thing to have to go through as a parent.” Mach thought it in poor taste to write about the two Oregon City girls, but heard about an old case that emulated the media frenzy that surrounded the local case and decid ed to pursue thc.prospcct. “It’s about the first child kidnap ping for ransom in this country,” Mach said. “The only way that [the father] could respond to the kidnap pers was answering the personals in the newspaper, so the newspaper got a hold of the story and it became a huge media event” According to Mach, two broth ers were playing in the yard of their upper middle-class home in Germantown, Pa., in 1874. It was close to the Fourth of July and the kidnappers tempted the boys with the promise of fireworks. Both boys went with the kidnappers; they sent the six-year-old boy into the store and abducted four-year-old Charlie Ross, “The kidnappers began to write a scries of bizarre letters to the father, who was a business man,” said Mach. Due to the recession that was going on at that time, the father was in debt and unable to meet the ran som demand of $20,000. “He could have raised the money, but the police were saying ‘Don’t give in to this guy; don’t give them the money’—so, long story short—he never got his son [back], never found a body, never found anything,” said Mach. In addition to writing plays, Mach mentors inner-city kids and helps them develop theatrical talent in playwriting, acting and produc tion in a program called the Haven Project Mach plans to workshop “The Lost Boy” over the summer and said the play “will probably be produced in conjunction with [the Haven Project] at some point.” Mach has five or six plays to her credit. Her most frequently per formed play, including two perform ances in New York, is called “Monogram,” about Portland play wright Hazel Hall. ....... "w-'....... ■' MACH jl-time mom, student, volunteer, honored at graduation strated leadership, academically suc cessful-—student Sonia Thomas F eature E ditor possesses all of these qualities and m H standing student, an inspi- as a result was honored with the £' rhers, overcame hardships Student Profile award. “Sonia has been a leader in her Sisucccss|at CCC, demon program,” said Becky Carnahan, one of the two staff members who nominated Thomas for the award. “She called me to get all the graduation information so she could : share, it with [students in the Accelerated Degree Program (ADP)],” Carnahan said. Aparticipatc in ADP, Sonia Thomas was able to earn her AAOT in business while only attending ;. classes «pne night a week and on *■ Saturd^^Si^™5^'S.C^;i;;S;^C Margie Gibler, a coordinator for .ADP. nominated Thomas for her ability to accumulate 120 credits . while occupying a full-time job, \ Karen Hill attending college full-time and sup through the program. porting a family, as well as managing “It’s a wonderful program to maintain a 3.97 GPA and take a because you make very close friends, leadership role in Phi Theta Kappa since you’re all taking the same class es together,” said Thomas. “They’re (PTK). * ADP is designed specifically for serious students who know what people, who need to work during the they want.” day and don’t have the time to attend Thomas will be graduating courses several nights a week. In from Clackamas next year with order to cover the adequate amount an AAOT in business and a cer of material with limited classroom tificate of supervision. The cer time, the students take classes which tificate involved taking additional integrate two or more courses. For classes in human resources, com example, the writing and speech munication and budgeting. “|The supervision certificate! classes arc combined; students write papers and present speeches on the is; a good foundation for being a same topic, in an attempt to mini supervisor in. a department,” said Thomas, who currently works as mize their amount of research. • -1 I n addition- to. r ¡the accelerated .-manager of -childcare, resource education Thomas was able to and referral at Campfire USA, receive through the program; she “so that I’m a halfway decent also appreciated the. shared goals and boss.” Volunteering has always been camaraderie she. experienced a high priority to Thomas. She has volunteered as an AWSEM group leader and as a campfire icadcr for many years. “That’s why, I joined PTK,” she said. “Community service is very important to me.” Thomas plans on using her business degree and certificate at her current job, while also hoping to be able to work in a position as a career and college counselor. “I think it’s important for peo ple to be empowered and encour aged,” said Thomas. “The skills that I’ve learned at CCC will make me better at that.” Thomas will be attending Mafylhurst 1:ih; the’ fall’YA work towards a bachelor’s degree 'in business and leadership and a certificate' in training and devel opment. fUV'OAE REGULAR >. GET OAEFRÄ^ 'c'SjUITH PURCHASE OF 21 OZ DRIAK 19193 S. Molalla Ave.. Oregon City, OR 97045 Not good with anvotherdiscount- Limit 1 per customer Offer qÿ^^obt^tOr^^ gjjl^ location .JWb'e.sCT/ni» co&ow al jnirehaae . -
