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ÚlACKAMASPríjlt
April20, 2005
Commentar
Cell phones, cars don’t mix
Shannon Armstead
Commentary Editor
Cell phones have become a part of the
average person’s existence. They are the
quintessential connection to our business
and social lives, yet collisions are bound to
happen when people put their concentra
tion on their social connection device while
driving.
Some cell phone-distracted drivers are
worse than others, yet they are all distracted
and therefore dangerous. You have prob
ably been stuck behind, cut off, or, god for
bid, hit, by one of those swerving, chatting
drivers, or, you have been one of them.
A little chat on the cell phone might
seem harmless, but save it till you have
stopped. A quick chat is all it takes to take
your vehicle, or somebody else’s, for a ride
no one wants to go on. Unfortunately many
have had to learn the hard way that cell
phones equal distraction. Melissa Borgaard
of Portland took one of those dreaded rides
when she was talking on her cell while
driving over the Morrison Bridge recently.
In “moment one” Borgaard was chatting
on her cell phone and in “moment two”
her vehicle was pummeling toward the
Willamette River.
Luckily, Melissa survived her
accident, but many more don’t.
An article in LiveScience noted that drivers
distracted by cell phones cause 2,600 deaths
and 330,000 injuries a year in the United
States. That means that seven people are
killed every day because of the distraction
caused by cell phones.
The study also confirms that using a cell
phone while driving slows your reaction
time. A 20-year-old on a cell phone has the
reaction time of a 70-year-old, according to
the study. While using a cell phone, drivers
most often look but don’t actually “see”
because they are concentrating on their
conversation instead. Previous studies have
found that cell phone users are less adept at
driving than a drunk driver with a blood-
alcohol level of about .08 percent.
Statistics like these have caused most
countries to ban cell phone use while driv
ing. While 11 states and the District of
Columbia have laws restricting cell phones
while driving, America overall is one of the
few countries that allows cell phone use
while driving. Europe charges fines for the
use of the communication devices while
driving.
It is easy for a person to assume
that they are never going to fall
victim to a serious accident
because of a cell phone
j
chat but let’s
face it: you take a risk not only for yourself,
but for other drivers when you use your
cell phone while driving. Don’t take my
word for it; talk to the relatives of people
like Gregory Davis, Leona Greif, Marcia
Nathans, Richard McKeefery, or two-year-
old Morgan Pena. Each died at the hands
of a driver who was chatting on the phone.
Supermodel Niki Taylor could
added to the list of people who
was critically injured by
__
an accident involv-
ing a cell
phone.
Last moments of class should pass in peace
Ben Maras
The Clackamas Print
At approximately three minutes
before the end of every class, it starts
like grass rustling on the savannah.
The gentle sounds of students shuf
fling their papers, unzipping back
packs, clicking their pens closed—all
poised for the instructor to fire the
starting pistol.
“OK, next time in class ... ” he
begins, but no one can really be quite
sure what comes after this, because a
deafening roar drowns out all sound
within a 50-foot radius of the class
room. It is a jumble books slamming
and binders being thrown into book
bags, while cigarettes are ripped from
their cardboard carriers and thrust into
the lips of waiting tobacco junkies
yearning for the sweet taste of arsenic
and tar.
Before the second hand has reached
the 12, instructors are left talking to
themselves and gathering their things
to prepare for their next class.
Of all the things I thought I left
behind in high school, I didn’t Expect
this strange phenomenon to rear its
ugly head in an institution of post-sec
ondary education. This practice is not
only mind-numbingly bothersome to
the rest of us students, and extremely
rude to the instructors who are teach
ing you, but corrosive to one’s own
character.
Why? Because everyone thinks
you’re an idiot when you come into
class the next day (after rushing out,, of
f t^LACKAMASp^^
19600 S. Molalla Ave.
Oregon City, OR 97045
(503) 657-6958 ex. 2309
The C lackamas Print is a weekly
student publication and is
distributed every Wednesday except
s finals week.
course) and can’t figure out why you punishment for being late. Or having
didn’t know there was homework.
only one bus to catch to get home. But
A favorite anecdote to sum this up in college?
happened just the other week in a class
There are a few excuses, yes.
which shall remain nameless. It went Acceptable excuses include: having
something like this:
a bus to catch (this only really flies
Instructor: “OK, next class we’ll during night classes though; there
be ...”
is adequate time in day classes to
(Rustling deafening roar begins.)
get from class to bus with time to
Student: (While turn
spare), or some sort of
ing around to leave, turns
emergency which must
back to student at desk
be attended to (a real
next to him or her) “Do
emergency).
What in
we have any homework
Half a minute isn’t
for next class?”
really going to save you
the name
Funny, those of us
any time, and almost
of all
who actually listen have
nothing can be that
found this amazing cor
things
important. Remember,
relation between having
this isn’t high school.
holy
is
so
homework due next class,
We’re all paying for
important
and the instructor saying
these classes after all;
that there will be home
why not get all the time
that 30
work due next class.
you’re paying for?
seconds
Who would have
Ultimately, though, I-
thought?
will ruin
-nor the rest of my kind—
Now I must ask myself,
really care if you choose
it?
and every Clackamas stu
to run out and not hear
dent: What in the name
that there will be a test
of all things holy could
the next class, but please
be so important that 30
show respect for your
seconds will ruin it?
instructor and keep quiet
Avoiding the rush to get
for another 25 seconds.
to your car or the cafeteria? Taking
If you do however feel the explicit
that nice soothing drag of stimulant- need to rush out of class like you’ve
riddeta smoke? Sprinting downstairs to found yourself in a shoal of candiru
make out with your significant other fish, please keep quiet if the instruc
(that’s a whole other rant there)? I’ve tor is still talking, and don’t ask
yet to hear a convincing excuse for questions of the person next to you
doing this every day.
which the instructor is in the middle
It made at least a little bit of sense of answering ... if you’re going to do
in high school, with a very limited something arbitrary and annoying, at
time to get in between classes, anil least don’t make yourself look like
disembowelment being an acceptable an idiot too.
E ditor - in -C hief : Isaiah Creel
C opy E ditor : James Tombe
N ews E ditor : Ben Maras
C ommentary E ditor : Shannon
Armstead
.
F eature E ditor : Karlin Johnson
S ports E ditor : Mike McCormack
A&E E ditor : Hilliary Ferguson
P hoto E ditor : Jeff Sorensen
A d M anager .- Bei» Holm
D esign E ditor : Michaele Cooper
S taff W riters : Frank Jordan,
Joe Piazzisi, Jadon Triplett, Katie
Wilson, Laura Cameron, Christa
Danielson, Mike Guidice, Kyle
Slate, Elizabeth Tobey, Norma
Martinez, Joanne Bergstrom, CJ
Ciamarello, Sam Krause, Jimi
McDonald, Jenna Johnk
P roduction A ssistants : Jesse
Arguello, Joanne Bergstrom,
When it comes right down to it,
phone call probably is not so import^
it can’t wait until you arrive at your
tion or can find a place to stop. If you
phone call is so important that you ha
do it, make it snappy and uninvolved
please stay out of my lane.
Letters to the
Editor
More than one way t
change your brakes
Hello. I am writing in concern of th
article on page 3 titled “How to change yoi
own brakes.”
First off, the way that Joe explained hoi
to do it was only one style of brakes. Ther
are many types of brake styles that requit
completely different steps in order to chang
disc brakes. Disc brakes are the only styl
he talked about and only one style of them«
that. There are also drum brakes. I am jut
saying that a writer should know all of tb
frets before he writes.
I believe there should be a recall on thi
article and you should have a few student
like us from the automotive department fi
write the article the way it should be.
Nic Armstrong
CCC Student
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from you!
Write us letters to the editor.
Please keep them under 200 words
and sign them. They may be e-mailed
to cccprint@clackamas.edu or can be
dropped off at RR135.
Norma Martinez, Jadon Triplett,
Randy Thrall
P hotographers : Brie Daykin,
Angela Gerhart, Stephen Hayes
D epartment A dvisor : Linda Vogt
D epartment A ssistant : Pat Lichen
G oals : The C lackamas Print aim
to report the news in an honest,
unbiased, professional manner.
The opinions expressed do not
necessarily reflect those of the sh
dent body college administration
its faculty or The Print. E-mail
comments to chiefed@dackama5
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