Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2007)
4 Clackamas Print Featur Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Gardens await green thumbsl Heatherann Price | The CZacfcamas Print The Community Gardens here at Clackamas have been around since the mid ‘70s. Previously it was run by students, but due to a lack of interest, it is now run by com munity members. Community member Kathy Von Striver and others work as a club to make sure that the gardens are still around. This club does most of the labor needed to keep the gar dens running by themselves. They till most of the plots every year and lay irrigation pipes, as well as clean up the field. The plots are 20 feet by 20 feet, selling at $20 per year. The $20 cov ers watering the plot twice a week in nor mal weather, and three times in 90 degree weather. Planting can start any time of the year if one chooses to till his or her plots. For others, tilling happens every May, depending on the weather. Regardless, the growing season is ______ year-round if_ one wants it to be. Jhere are cold-weather vegetables that will brave out the winter. Most people tend to grow vegetables in their plots, However, there are some ber- ries as well. People from the community make up the bulk of the crowd at the gardens. Few students rent plots. Many people share a plot to help cut down on the already- low amount of maintenance needed. With the watering already being done, little to no work is necessary to keep things going after the first few weeks of planting. There is some minimal weeding and extra watering at first, then just harvesting the fruits of your labor. For those living in apart ments, these gardens are a great alternative to not having a garden space at all. A nice alternative to buying organic foods is to just grow them. Take a walk down next to the Home Orchard Club; take-a look at the Community Gardens. It is a college service for the community and stu dents. For ipore information, contact Kathy Von Striver at (503) 655-0637. Katie Wilson Clackamas PriniBif The Community Gardens, located behind the Lewel-B1 ling building near the Environmental Learning Center, I are available to students, staff and the public. Meditation class offers precious relaxation to students, staffA Jess Sheppard The Clackamas Print Walking into a meditation classroom is like walking from a room with a noisy TV into a quiet meadow. It is peaceful and relaxed. The stress of classes, tests, midterms and grades appear less important than before. Worries seem to melt into water and evaporate. Even if only for a short while - relief. The average college student has to deal with a heavy work load. Between hours spent in class and studying for tests, many also cope with the stress of a job and the drama of family life. It’s hard to will ingly give up just an hour of precious time, but Clackamas’ meditation class is worth every minute. Registration is not required Chartwells Featuring Daily Chef's Specials Sizzling Chicken Salad w/20 oz Bottled Soda Limited Time Offer to join this hour of relaxation every Wednesday at noon, and neither is weekly atten dance. Instead, Room 257, in McLoughlin, is open to all stu dents, staff and faculty mem bers who wish to spend an hour in peace and quiet. . Quite possibly the best part about the class is that it’s completely free, which is already a relief for the many students whose financial aid is stretched as it is. The ses sions are co- facilitated by Margaret Mallet and Joel Lampert, who are both part of the Counseling Department at Clackamas. Mallet has been doing meditation for three years now and started the course to offer help to struggling students. Lampert is a gradu ate student, now working at Clackamas as an intern MALLET counselor. In meditation, the empha sis is primarily on breathing; being in the moment and thus in control of the mind. Another technique used is Progressive Muscle Relaxation, where the individual tenses his or her body as tight as possible and then relaxes. Extra attention is paid to the feeling of relax - This is a great exercise for L anyone involved in physical I’ activity. It also makes a terrific fa addition for people involved r~ in activities like Yoga, Tai (JhiL and martial arts. lel Other meditation techniques,L such as walking meditation, i3| visualization, mantras and B observation of thoughts, arelj] also taught. The last 10 to 151 minutes of the class are spentLf listening to relaxing music andL reviewingL the lessons , covered that ( day- Hh There is r always the r, question: Does medi tating actu ally makaa r Ln ‘ difference^ | T hie i answer is yes. People who med iate on a reg ular basis are more aware, have lower heart rales and breathe much more efficiently. Some theo ries go so far as | to suggest that ’ deep meditation over long periods of. time will actually alter a person’s brain chemis try, changing how they thifc, } as well as how they view the world and themselves. glasses will continue until the tenth week of the term. Those who are genuinely inter ested have only their stress and worries to lose.
