ClackamasPrint
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008
Feature 3
>chool more than games for student
torate in political theory, and found himself to have more working at Baskin Robbins,
possibly be part of a polit respect for various third-par in Oregon City, or is at home
ical think tank that studies ties.
studying.
and evaluates various political
“I study philosophy, phys
“I’m into the Green Party,
movements,” he said. “Or I’ll the Socialist Party and the ics, political science and eco-
just be a college professor.”
Libertarian Party,” he said. nomics,” he said. “I do quite a
On top of all that tough
ivo Stalnaker
school work, he is also
Clackamas Print
the vice president of the
Writer’s Club. Apparently,
luring his six terms at the things are going very well
;ge, 2 0-y ear-old Matthew with the club this term.
i:rgren has found a nice
“There are about 20 to
nee between studying and 25 members, and about
15 show up on average
ring. ,
ol enjoy [Clackamas] quite a week,” he said. “We
t. The classes and most meet from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
he instructors are great on Fridays in room 220
¡re’sfa lot of good people in Roger Rook. Anyone
’ Ostergren said.
can be a part; we’re very
accepting of all people.”
Ostergren has been
keeping tabs on the cur
rent election, and has an
interesting take on what’s»
tergren can often be found been happening.
e »Community Center,
“I consider [this elec
ig table-top games with tion] to be trash,” he said.
ends.
“The primaries are a joke,
Photo by Megan Koler Clackamas Prin
e play ‘Risk,’ ‘Risk and the candidates are all
Matt Ostergren spends some time with friends playing “Magic
‘Pirates of the Spanish the same anyway.”
¡ne,’ ‘Axis & Allies,’
Ostergren has ill feel the Gathering” between classes. Ostergren also enjoys blog
gic: The Gathering,’ ‘Yu- ings about the two major ging and Political Science Instructor Dean Darris’ classes.
)h’ and just about any political parties that run
e someone brings in,” he the United States.
. “I play for the social
“When
it comes
to “They’re all consistent and bit of reading.”
•action of the games. Plus, Democrats and Republicans, don
’t pander.”
Being an opinionated col
eps us entertained.”
I hate both criminal organiza
After
a
long
day
of
classes,
lege
student, and well-read
/hen fee’s not conquering tions equally,” he said.
studying and socializing with in current events, Ostergren
i-wor|d nations, Ostergren
Because of this, he has his friends, Ostergren is either has been using the Internet to
ids a lot of his time work-
on his double-major in
tical science and philoso-
liticai science major
balances school,
and religion
voice his opinions on a global
scale.
“I really don’t watch TV
anymore; I just blog,” he said.
For those who don’t know,
a blog (short for Web-log)
is essentially a journal that
one writes on the Internet.
Ostergren has been blogging
for a while now, mostly about
philosophy, religion and poli
tics.
.As far as religion is con
cerned, Ostergren has found
peace in a faith that was more
common during the early days
of America than it is now.
“I’m a Quaker,” he said,
“I wasn’t raised as one, but I
became one a year ago. I appre
ciate its emphasis on kind
ness, pacifism and respecting
all people — regardless of who,
or what, they are.”
As a veteran student at
Clackamas, Ostergren has a
few class suggestions for new
students.
“I would recommend any
[political science] class taught
by Dean Darris, he said. “Also,
the philosophy department is
good here.”
He also has some advice for
new students:
“Do your homework and go
to class,” he said. “Talk to
your professors and let them
know that you do care about
the class.”
Chinese class gains interest with students and teachers
‘Eventually I’ll get a doc-
B_
apparent why some beginners - less people,”
may find the language intimi Wang
said.
“Here [there
dating.
Wang encourages her stu is] much more
dents not to try to learn or time to spend
with family. In
unlearn an accent.
“If you can understand my China, every
teaching, that’s enough,” she one [is] busy
said. “When you learn some all the time.
;s Sheppard
Here [life is]
thing, you just do it.”
".lackamas Print
relax
The class is still in the very
experimental stage. This term, ing.”
Another
'prisingly
enough, the focus is on speaking rather
se is not so different than vocabulary. During spring aspect of living
term, Wang will cover sim in the United
English.
that
inese [is] much easier to plified characters along with States
han French or German,” pronunciation and advanced Wang enjoys
is American
isiructor Xiaoou Wang, vocabulary.
Wang teaches her class in movies.
caches Chinese 100, a
three parts. The first hour is
Now that
urse at Clackamas,
has
jrding
to
Wang, dedicated to speaking and Wang
review of the pre achieved her
i has no
vious session. The masters, she
ition and
second part is spent IS
pursuing
ceedingly
“Chinese
explaining the cul her
doctor-
sentence
tural significance ate. She has
e. Also,
[is] much
and history of approximately
are not
easier
I as they
Chinese. The last two and a half
Photos by Elizabeth Hitz Clackamas Print
English.
part of the class years of study
to learn
ABOVE: Chinese Instructor Xiaoou Wang teaches her students Mandarin, the official
is
a
video
tour
of
left.
»Chinese
than
various parts of
It may be langage of China, which has more native speakers than any other language on Earth.
Ibly far
French
China.
too late to take
p having
[ genders
In the course the class this
and
F single
Wang
teaches term, but Chinese 101 will
German,
Mandarin, the offi still be offered in the spring,
zhich is
cial language of and maybe again next year.
I when
Xiaoou Wang
China. Cantonese
Spanish
E el
Chinese
and Mandarin, she
Instructor
says, are actually
ly dif-
>e tween’
two separate lan
and
guages.
nd per-
“Cantonese
reatest difficulty for people can understand me, but
> vocal inflection,
I can’t understand them,” she
ard to wrap my said.
Wang is from Beijing. She
id it,” said Chinese
d school Tai Chi came to America to earn her
masters in linguistics and
Vayne Keller.
3 word can be spo- literature at Portland State
separate tones, and University. While here she
e that determines married her husband, whom she
; of the word. The met in China when the two of
es, coupled with them applied to the University
strong accent and of Tulsa, in Oklahoma.
“I like the simple life here
I pattern, makes it
lew class offers to
aclkMandarin, but
so gives a cultural
look into China