The
4 Feature
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006
Clackamas Prin
Club Dignity seeks awareness
Ben Maras
Editor-in-Chief
A spot at this term’s ASG Clubs
Fair provided just the boost needed for
Clackamas student Mathew Spencer
and his ideas. Spencer is the founder
of the up-and-coming “Club Dignity”
flie college’s first club specifically for
people with disabilities.
“I thought it might be a good idea
to have one,” Spencer said. “From
what I can tell, this campus has a lot
of disabled students, and parents of
disabled children.”
After conceiving the idea, Spencer
began drawing support. He enlist
ed Casey Sims, coordinator of the
Disability Resource Center, who was
eager to help.
“I think [Club Dignity] is some
thing that’s needed on campus,” Sims
said. “Often, people with disabilities
feel isolated; one of the best benefits
is that people [without disabilities] can
relate to the challenges of overcoming
the kinds of barriers [associated with
disability] and raise awareness.”
After turning his club constitution
in to ASG, Spencer and company
faced one last challenge: getting the
minimum five members needed to be
declared a campus club. After just a
couple of hours at toe Clubs Fair the
membership had already surpassed
the requirement, as eight people
signed up as club members. Spencer
expects to see more soon.
According to the club constitu
tion, their main goal is to “foster a
supportive environment at CCC for
people with disabilities,” and to “offer
a venue for group members to discuss
and problem-solve challenges that are
associated with disability.”
Spencer says that the group is
more about affecting and supporting
the members of the club, but that they
wish to make their cause on campus
known.
The constitution further indicates
that they intend to “advocate for cam
pus changes to promote access and
acceptance for people with disabilities,
as well as educate the general campus
on issues pertaining to disability.”
Sims says that accessibility extends
beyond wheelchair ramps and auto
matic door buttons.
“It means the website being read
by a voice reader, so that people
with disabilities can surf the site. It
also means providing [class] text in
alternative formats,” naming books-
on-tape and larger type for those with
sight disabilities.
Spencer himself has to take advan
tage of these services. He has been
diagnosed with Attention Deficit
Hyperactive Disorder, Asperger’s
Disorder and a non-verbal learning
disorder, which is similar to, but mild
er than Savant Syndrome.
“I sometimes jokingly compare
don’t pay attention to the issue, and nation,
myself to Rain Man,” Spencer said, that can sometimes lead to discrimi-
“I have seen discrimination (
referring to file 1988 film
campus,” Spencer said, “ffi
everywhere if you look ha
starring Dustin Hoffman,
although he says his is not as
enough.”
extreme. “It takes me a while
Sims says that while the
to read or write, so I get my
is discrimination, die colie
books on tape.”
is already doing a great deal
Likewise, most of the
make itself more accessible,
members so far signed up in
“I don’t know what oj
Club Dignity have learning
college can say [that] thej
two rooms of toe main door
disorders in some form or
the main building are conn
another.
Although both Spencer
ted to servicing people w
and Sims say the campus’
disabilities,” he said, referi
ing toe main doors of the!
accessibility is better than
most, they also believe that
Brod Community C enter,
In these early stages
the disabled and their disad
Club Dignity, big plansi
vantages often get overlooked
already being made. U
as a group, and that the cam
are already planning to lj
pus would benefit from hav
ing its awareness raised.
speakers from various on
nizations such as Voc Rdj
“You look at different
- which assists people w
minority groups - and yes, I
disabilities in finding j
am referring to people with
- speak to the members,
disabilities as a minority
help make Club Dignity
group - any member will take
community effort
different layers of offense to
“Being accessible
that level of joke,” Spencer
important with who we’ret
said when asked about The
Print’s use of the word “crip
ing to serve [at toe college
Sims said. “The culte
ple” in a light-hearted man
Clackamas is one of aco
ner in an opinion piece about
and acceptance.”
parking last term.
“I personally don’t,” he
For more information
said, adding that he thinks it
Club Dignity, see the Al
SPENCER
Jeff Soensen Clackamas Print
office.
speaks volumes that people
Control engineersaves college bucks, keeps rooms coz
CJ Ciaramella
I Feature Editor
Hilmo Ljucevic may be the
most powerful man on campus. He
has control of every room of every
building on campus at his finger
tips.
Well, at least when it comes
to temperature. Ljucevic is part of
Plant Services - the group in control
of the power plant that heats the
college.
“My position here is control
engineer,” said Ljucevic. “My first
assignment is to take care of the
utilities - electric, gas, and others.
Also, I try to improve efficiency.”
Efficiency is the key. As Ljucevic
stated, the more efficient the system,
“the more money we save.”
To this end, Ljucevic imple
mented a computer system, called
“Automated Logic,” that can inde
pendently monitor and adjust the
temperature of any room on cam
pus.
“Depending on the outside tem
perature, the boiler increases or
decreases [the temperature accord
ingly],” said Ljucevic as he demon
strated the program. ‘Tor example,
the outside temperature is 49, but if
I say toe temperature is 48 ...”
Ljucevic typed the number into
the computer and turned to look at
the huge boilers outside his office.
In about 30 seconds, they kicked on
with a loud “whoosh!”
The automated system^ has
made life easier, and not just for
Ljucevic.
“Before [the system was
installed], we had four or five peo
ple a day calling to say that their
room was too hot or too cold.”
And since Ljucevic implemented
the program, the college has saved a
lot of money. He Was too modest
to say exactly how much, but a
spreadsheet he briefly showed made
it clear that he was doing more than
turning off the lights when he left
a room.
“In every room, I’m checking
the temperature and adjusting.”
Ljucevic said.
Before moving to the US from
Bosnia, Ljucevic held a similar job
LJUCEVIC
as an engineer. He was also a seri
ous chess player.
“I played chess at the university
in Sarajevo. I was good for a couple
of years, but after my studies I got
married, had children,” Ljucevic
said, shrugging his shoulders. “You
have to give some things up.”
Of course, it’s hard to give some
things up completely.
“In 2004 I played in a tourna
ment, and I won,” Ljucevic said.
“The money I sent to the children
in Sarajevo.”
Ljucevic has long had soft spot
for lads.
“I’ve always liked working with
young people,” he said. “After the
war I taught children chess. Two of
my students are now champions in
Bosnia.”
Ljucevic sees chess as a way
to encourage the kids he adores,
which is why he is currently work
ing on starting a United States
Chess Federation sponsored chess
club on campus.
“I’m thinking the way to save
our children is sport ... My phi
losophy is, if you make them busy,
they won’t have the time to go out
on the streets,” he said. ‘T feel I can
help people with chess.”
Ljucevic is happy working at
Clackamas. “I want to say here,
from the beginning, I had trust,
understanding and a good environ
ment,” Ljucevic said.
He specifically wanted to thank
Bill Leach and his co-workers.
“They’re really good people,” he
said. “[They] gave me a chance to
show what I could do. I hope they
are satisfied with my work.”
Judging from his current pro:
ress, Ljucevic need not worry.
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