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.”