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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2007)
2 Clackamas Print Wednesday, May 9, 2007 ‘Bird nerd’s’ poems soar Nick Peter: 1 1986-20(1 Fufkin Vollmayer I The Clackamas Print Northwest community colleges have a lit erary scene, one that’s not half bad. Clackamas’ literary scene became appar ent at the poetry reading in the Literary Arts Center on May 4. The poet Derek Sheffield may not ring a bell if a) you are not a poet or b) are not in the English Department. But no matter; the language in his poems is smart, subtle and accessible. You do not need a PhD to grasp the meaning of his poems. Sheffield, an English professor at cen tral Washington’s Wenatchee Valley College, gave his reading as part of Clackamas’ Spring Term Sustainability Project. What has distin guished the lecture series from the depressing avalanche of facts about global warming, however, have been the voices of writers and poets such as Derek Sheffield. Poetry can reflect the impact of habitat loss more than a map. Take Sheffield’s poem about Wenatchee Valley College’s decision to put classrooms smack dab in the middle of an old grove of pin oaks during a construction project. Sheffield introduced the poem by saying, “There’s lots of development on campus. The cynical part of me had a hard time get ting over that. It’s bumper-stickered, you tree hugger sap, get over it. The loss was .really palpable, and I felt it enough.” Sheffield’s poem captures this with lines such as “[Where] ... Air once laced with branches, fluorescent tubes flicker.” Sheffield is a self-described “bird nerd” and during his post-graduate years in Seattle lived in a cabin on the Puget Sound. “I had no TV, no money, a lot of student loans, and I spent my time watching the grebes, loons, wood- ucks [and] harlequin ducks,” he said. “The Puget Sound became my TV.” His experience is encapsulated in a poem he read about bird migration: “Slow descent of tropical migrants/ one dirty river for South America’s clear cuts/ its song of hurried sweets...” The poem ends with “3,000 miles from the gathering of his state ... that warbler, thin from its journey, stood as if I did not breathe, and only the wind could Jennesa Palmer Clackamas Print move me.” Sheffield’s day Sheffield shares his unique poems with an audience in job at the commu the Literary Arts Center. His poems are partly inspired nity college also pays by his knowledge and love of wildife and his many homage to the biolog years of experience as an English professor. ically unique habitats of the Northwest. As a full-time English professor at Wenatchee Where poetry fits in, according to Sheffield, Valley College, he teaches a course called “[is that it] is the art of what you don’t say as “Northwest Nature Writing,” which is equally much as what you do say.” He quoted Emily Dickinson, “Tell all the part bird biology and creative writing. For the class, Sheffield teams up with an truth, but tell it slanted.” So, for those craving some slanted truth, expert on native birds. He said of the class, “It’s a learning com get a dose at the next Clackamas literary munity. Students get a field guide, binoculars reading. Of poetry, Sheffield said, “If my job was and learn Latin names for species ... Some students go on to learn more or to become just to write poetry, I wouldn’t want to do it full-time. Community college is a good life nature writers.” Many people regard listening to poetry for a wrier. I gain a lot of satisfaction from as the equivalent of eating green vegetables: teaching.” good for you, but dull. Oh, and irrelevant. Former Clackamas® Community College student ■ Nick Peters died on May 1 ■ due to injuries he sustained inH a car accident in Casa Grande, 1 Ariz. Bom in Oregon City onB June 16, 1986, Peters lived B in Molalla until his recent I move to Arizona. He attended I Molalla High School and was® in its graduating class of2004.® He lettered in wrestling all® four years and was the Molalla® District champ his sophomore® year. He loved riding four-® wheelers, playing guitar andf- having a good time with hisl friends. Peters’ friend, and former® Print staff member, Kim® Schiewe described him as fun-B loving, energetic and always up for getting a big group® together. From spring of 2002 tofl winter of 2007, Peters attend-® ed the college and received® a letter of congratulations for completion of his transfer® degree. A Catholic service will® be held at St. James Catholic I Church on May 9, with buri-’ I al to follow at Russellville! I Cemetery. At 3 p.m on May I 11, a Celebration of Life I Service will be held at the I Molalla Nazarene Chuch. Writing contest deadline dppwdcffim Andrea Simpson The Clackamas Print UNDERGRADUATE INFORMATION 7:00 - 8:30, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 15™ F LAVI A HALL SALON Discover the convenience of flexible scheduling — online, or on campus, days, evenings and weekends. Meet the academic department chairs and advisors. Learn about your scholarship and financial aid options. Sick of being a poor writer? The Writers’ Club is accepting entries for the writing contest they are sponsoring. The categories are fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. There will be modest cash prizes for the top three winners. The top three will also be published in the Writers’ Club publication coming out before the end of the year. The collection will also feature stories by members of The Writers’ Club. The deadline for entries is May 11 by 5 p.m. The guidelines for submission are: Submit all entries on a CD or Floppy disk, along with a hard copy, to the Writers’ Club, RR 225. The CD or floppy must have the participant’s student ID number on it, as well as the title(s) and category of the entry. Participants should identify the hard copy by putting their student ID number on each page. Please one-and-a-half space all fiction and nonfiction (12 pages maximum). Include a cover page consisting of the participant’s name, student ID number, phone number, address, category (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction) and title(s) of the sub mitted piece(s). Active writers in the surround ing community will be serving as judges for the contest. The identity of these writers will be announced after the deadline. The judges will have general ideas of what they are looking for. “They’ll be looking for unique ness of voice, strong use of the genre’s techniques and having something important to say. Also, just pieces that stand out from® crowd.” said Grabill. Grabill encourages writer®o enter who may not have the confi dence to submit their work “Often, people can be their « worst critic, so I would say, ^B in the words,” he said. “Why® participate, because it can be a^H feeling to share your work with others who aren’t reading it to be judgmental, but to feel what you’re communicating.” For more information, contact James Grabill, RR 225, at (503). 657-6958, ext. 2824. CAMPUS NEWS & EVENTS I To reserve a place, call 503.699.6268. PRIOR LEARNING CREDIT 6;30 - 8:00, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 22ND ROOM 200, B.P. JOHN BUILDING Earn up to 45 college credits toward your bachelor's degree for your college-level learning on the job and from life experience. To reserve a place, call 503.699.6260. ★ US News & World Report best COLLEGES 2007 "Number one in the Northwest for small classes" MARYLHURST UNIVERSITY Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accredited International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education accredited 17600 PACIFIC HIGHWAY (HWY. 43) MARYLHURST, OREGON - JUST 10 MINUTES SOUTH OF PORTLAND Serving students since 1893. www.marylhurst.edu 800.634.9982 Today What does Clackamas Community College mean to you? Show your pride in Clackamas by entering a video, I photo, collage, drawing, painting, or sculpture and capturing the Clackamas Experience in a powerful way. Submissions are due by Wed., May 9 at noon. Take submissions to Michelle Baker in the Community Center, Room 152 (Student Activities Office). You must include your name, phone number, e-mail address and mailing address. For additional information, e-mail Michelle Baker at mbaker@clackamas.edu, or call (503) 657-6958J ext 2245. Today Club Carnival in the Community Center from noon to 1 p.m. Contact ASG at (503) 657-6958, ext. 2245 for details. x May 17 Oregon State University writer laureate Kathleen Dean Moore will read from her work in the Literary Arts Center, Rook 220, from noon to 1 p.m. Moore is the author of The Pine Island Paradox and other creative nonfiction. The visit is just one of the many events this term connected with the Sustainability Project For monj information, contact the English Department at ext. 2284. May 19 Clackamas celebrates its 40-year birthday this year, and its service to students, businesses and the community I throughout those years. An afternoon of events will begin at noon and continue until 5 p.m. It’s completely freed and the public is invited to attend. For more information, call ext. 2307 or visit the college Web site.
