6 the clackamas print
WELDING: Provides opportunities to
busy daytime workers and students
Continued from WELDING,
Page 1
“I started taking this class
mainly because I wanted to
get into the welding industry,
and what a great way to do it
by taking a night class at the
college. I say that because
I’m actually a high school
student and taking the weld
ing classes through the high
school,” said Dustin Padron.
Padron, a student both at
the college and Oregon City
High School, is 18 years old
and hopes to end up in a
career of underwater weld
ing.
Although Padron takes
the course due to his high
school career during the day
and is the youngest out of
the students taking midnight
welding. The others students
juggle between college class
es, family and work.
Vandy Bennett, another
student taking the class, is an
artist who works in the medi
um of sculpting and glass
blowing. She mentioned, “One
of the ways to make money as a
sculptor is to do public artwork
and you need to be able to do
good quality structural welds if
you are going to do your own
welding.”
Bennett has her own shop
in Wilsonville where she does
most of her own glass blowing
during the day.
Bennett also has her sculpt
ing degree from Portland State
University where she graduated
with her bachelor’s in 2004.
With the job market being
what it is today, it may go with
out saying that a steady career
without the risk of being laid off
might be hard to find even in the
construction industry as Wayne
Rush, a student in the welding
class, knows all too well.
"Rush was laid off from a
giant national contracting com
pany where he worked as a
production manager and safety
coordinator in his branch locat
ed in Salem. When it went from
26,900 employees to 6,900,
Rush’s entire branch was closed
artsteultn
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Creativity unwinds budg
down in just three months.
“Welding was kind of a
hobby of mine. I just wanted
to do something to better
myself, get more education,
and it just looks good on a
resume,” said Rush.
Many students in the
class will tell of different
reasons for going, whether it
be because of being laid off
and wanting to learn a trade
that will secure them a job
right after college, learning a
skill to improve their artistic
ability or because they are
trying to move up in the field
they currently work in. Most,
if not all, the students in the
midnight welding work very
hard and are dedicated to the
class, according to Phelps
Out of the students inter
viewed, all said that the class
is very convenient to their
schedule and fun. Some of
the students taking the class "
have been there for a couple
of terms now and even the
ones that just started say they
will return next term.
Kayla Berge Clack
Students find ways
to unwind and be
creative on a limited
budget
By John Simmons
The Clackamas Print
John Shufelt Clackamas Print
Bob Petty uses a automated machine to cut sheets of metal for his welding class
taught at Clackamas Community College by John Phelps.
With the pressures of life
and school weighing down on
students, everyone needs some
thing to help them unwind. But
when living on a budget, find
ing good entertainment can be
a challenging task. Many stu
dents have found creative ways
around this predicament' and
can take his or her mind off
of their troubles with fun and
inexpensive pastimes.
Casey Woodward, Trevor
Ruhl and Jaime Kemp are all
big fans of inexpensive enter
tainment. They can often be
found playing some sort of card
game around campus or just
sitting back and chatting with
each other.
“We like to walk around
downtown Oregon City because
of all the trails,” said Ruhl.
“And Clackamas Town Center is
awesome.” Downtown Portland
is also a favorite place of theirs
to hang out, because “you only
need to spend as much as you
want to,” he said.
Woodward likes to go out to
Estacada and shoot at the rock
quarries.
“It’s public property, so it’s
legal fun,” he said.
Jordanne Bennett and Kelli
Gambler prefer to plug in and
lay back.
“We 'sit on our computers,
read magazines and text,” said
* Bennett.
When not relaxing, Gambler
is a very active person, both
in her community and on the
court.
“I’m on the volleyball team,
so I like playing volleyball and
going to my coach’s house for
dinner,” she said.
Gambler also enjoys walking
her neighbors’ dogs and likes to
do community service.
“It makes you feel
about yourself when yl
other people,” she said. I
Some students chi
take certain classes I
them relax and enjoy th]
at school. More artistic]
such as band, choir 1
ater are popular, as ail
cal education classes. An
from dance to bowling
diving to horseback ril
be good ways to refl
enjoy life.
Kendra Heath chose]
band as her fun class, a
takes it every term.
“It’s the [best] ell
there. It shows your d
side and lets you use th
side of your brain. It’s]
other classes where you]
take notes; you exercis
said.
Illia Berigin took sew
ing a few terms ago as]
class.
“We learned even
about scuba and got to I
ing out in Washington;]
certification,” he said. I
He has not gone divinj
becoming certified b
other things have gotten
way, but if he gets the cl
will. “It’s really lun,”|
said.
Some students take in
further and find joy I
ing textbooks. “I love |
psychology textbooks,]
Matthew Wentz.
Despite having neve]
a psychology class, Wen
bought three textbook]
the school bookstore a]
finished two so far, o|
term and one last term. ]
“[I like] the fact that!
into the minds of peopl
reveals who they are. Itl
better understand thing]
my life when I was youn]
helps me to better uni
who I am,” said Wentz.]
When it comes to enl
ment, there is no on]
way to go when on I
get. Students are creati]
how they spend their tl
money, and almost fl
can do the trick when on]
to relax and have fun. I