Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2007)
Feature Wednesday, March 7, 2007 Clackamas Print 5 ^rter teaches, leads, plays guitar Ott Tammik The Clackamas Print Twenty years ago, instructor nd Faculty President Dave Arter jscovered his passion for teach- ig- After receiving his PhD, irter put Research Chemistry on old, and by 1987 he was work- ig full-time as an instructor at Jackamas. “I love it. It is the most impor- int and fun thing I do here,” e said. “And it’s not so much ie classes I enjoy; it’s the stu nts.” At one point, Arter even gave p some of his department chair sponsibilities to other faculty icmbers in order to make time ir his classes. He has a reputation for being challenging teacher, but there [reasoning behind his require- imts. “I’m not a demanding teacher ir the sake of being demand- ig,” he said. “I’m demanding ¡cause if students don’t learn ie stuff well, they won’t have chance. “If you’re taking a history ass, you’re talking about wars id you know what that is, but i science, you’re talking about Dies and you need to learn the nguage.” “We wouldn’t be the first spe- ies to follow our nest,” he con- iued, “but we’re certainly the rst to be able to recognize the effectiveness of our actions before tive direction, and that the sci- we take them. This requires that ’ence department has a lot to offer we understand how the physical students. He said Clackamas has world works, and that’s what sci a very broad course offering, and one of its special qualities is the ence is about.” Arter has hob large amount of bies unrelated courses that can to his career as be taken online. well. “We’ve even “I’m demand “They are two had people take ing because completely sepa classes from if students rate parts of my overseas,” he life, and I enjoy said. don ’t learn the them both,” he One thing stuff well, they said. that Arter finds He has been unfortunate, won ’t have a playing guitar however, is chance. ” since college, the lack of sci and on the week ence events and Dave Arter ends he enjoys activities. This Chemistry Instructor, jamming with is largely due Faculty President his wife in their to the fact that bluegrass band. there is no sci Other hobbies ence club at are more than simply separate Clackamas. from work; they could be deemed Nevertheless, science classes strange. often take field trips - one of When this teacher isn’t in the which is the geology observation classroom, he’s pushing around tour to Death Valley. old wagons and cannons, reen Most students are not aware acting Civil War era battles with that there are also jobs on cam the Northwest Civil Council. pus for those with an interest in Along with about 200 other science. Students can help a team members, Arter and his wife of laboratory technicians set up relive the period and their heri labs by handling equipment and tage through mock battles, hos preparing chemicals for classes. pitals and ball dances. His band Positions as student tutors are performs at these dances every also available. For more infor year, playing old folk songs like mation, contact Joan Harrison- “Oh Susanna” and “Lincoln and Buckley. Liberty Too.” Arter has also been Phi Theta In regards to the college, Arter Kappa’s regional coordinator feels that it is heading in a posi since 1987. The “hallmarks” of When English majors need science How to fulfill those pesky math and sci encecredits I Jennifer Jenkins ! The Clackamas Print Every time registration for a new term is on the horizon, one large, com munal scream can be heard throughout the campus. It’s the dread of signing up for the required math or science courses needed to complete a degree that, in most cases, has no value in the field in which you are majoring. The term for these requirements is “Liberal Arts Education.” During my first attempt at college, I cursed the pro ponents of this education style. It seemed to be a way to extort more money out of college students, rath er than make us “smarter.” Now, in a second attempt, I am accepting the inevitable and looking for classes I can enjoy and still fill my degree requirements. If you look hard enough 100 series are geared toward and give it the “old college the mathematically-chal try,” you too may find a lenged. math or science class that The ESR series includes won’t bring you to the brink the lab and lecture in one of insanity. In fact, here are class period and is about a few suggestions from the how science affects the sus professionals. tainability of our current Math Department Chair way of life. Geology looks Kurt Lewandowski admitted backwards into the Earth’s that there isn’t much wiggle history to explain how and room when it comes to ful why everything looks the filling this portion of your way it does. The series real degree requirement. He did ly opens your eyes to what’s suggest that those seek around. ing an AAOT try MTH-105 If you need that last lab instead of MTH-111. The science and don’t want to class focuses on real-world devote a whole term to the applications of statistics endeavor, take a field-trip and discrete math. It does course. The science depart require placing in MTH-95 ment offers a nine-day or higher, but will satisfy trip to Death Valley every the four credits needed. Spring Break and a five-day For ASOT students, trip in May to The Malheur Lewandowski recommend Environmental Field Station ed taking MTH-111 to pre in southeast Oregon. pare for the degree-dictated Maybe you can’t leave MTH-243 and MTH-244. town. There are still real Together, these classes will ly interesting options like satisfy the necessary 12 Bird Identification, Plant credits needed. Identification and Uses, Science, on the other Volcanoes and Earthquakes, hand, has a lot of great and Astronomy. options to get that lab sci With all these choices, ence credit you may be miss it might be hard to limit ing. Both the Geology 100 yourself. and Environmental Science this community college organi zation are scholarship, service, leadership and fellowship, and about 60 to 70 thousand new members join every year. When first asked to be part of the organization, Arter said bluntly, “I don’t do fraternities.” Now, however, he has a very different view: “This is certainly an impor tant organization, probably the best in the world, cer tainly the larg est.” As one of his duties, Arter judges award entries for other regions. He said Phi Theta Kappa gives students the opportunity to go beyond what’s offered in a regular class, and if it’s work ing right, the stu dents run it. Arter believes Clackamas administration have also been doing their jobs well. “I am very impressed with the president ... The board has been very respon sive, and it wants the same thing ARTER that the rest of us want,” he said. He pointed to a framed page hanging on the wall of his office that reminds us of our efforts: “You must love what you teach, and that you teach ... Without lowering your standards, you must never let a student become convinced that he or she no longer has a chance to suc ceed in your class.”
