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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2010)
Àrts Culture Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 The Clackamas Print 7 haw out hile you hill out By Mandie Gavitt The Clackamas Print fth the college’s first late start day last week due to bad her, there is no doubt that winter is here. Even before we a chance to put our Christmas trees up or even stuff our k the first snow had fallen. Ready or not, winter is here i blast, and it is time for students to find a way to stay n or turn into a human popsicle. feeding to stay warm is an entirely new concept for me. ting up in California, I saw winter as a chance to get a I fjom 80-90 degree weather. We would get a couple of hs in the 60s, maybe 50s at night, a little extra fog and a jr two of rain. It was a welcomed thing, a chance to wear Ben Carlson Clackamas Print ies and boots. With snow falling before Thanksgiving Day, it is of the utmost importance to prepare yourself for the low was not a concept I understood. In my world, snow impending cold weather. something you saw in the movies or something sadistic its took their children to, to punish them for all the bad the most genuine Califomian-tumed-Oregonian there ever ing pouches. And though we originally planned to keep the j they did during the year by making them freeze. (In was. The first step was to find some clothing that would heater off to save on the energy bill (no fireplace, remember) lefense, I had only seen snow twice before moving to make bundling up much easier. A coat was the first order of we have since overthrown that idea and rather quickly at that. pn). business. Here in Portland, it is important that the coat you The moral of the story is that if you are going to move to ow I know a handful of Oregonians upon reading this purchase is waterproof, but just a simple raincoat probably Oregon, buy a pair of shoes that are not flip-flops, and if you think, “Well, why don’t you just go home?” Yet, I am won’t get you warm. It seems the best option you can find are struggling to stay warm on this especially cold winter mined to stay. I am determined to make the full transition in a rain coat is one with a removable fleece. This makes the snuggle up with a buddy by a fireplace and drink some cof Californian to Oregonian and join with all of you on the jacket multifunctional. It keeps you nice and toasty now as fee. Never underestimate the power of winter coat and a good y, cold, rainy side. temperatures drop to below freezing but also separates into apartment heater. lecided there is no better way to figure out how to survive two separate functional coats for when the weather starts Also with temperatures dropping so low this year be sure to I than to ask those who have done it many times before. warming up in the spring. keep yourself healthy. The time of year that the flu season usu Jet a fireplace,” suggested Austin Hensley, a renewable The roommates then approached a much more sensitive ally peaks is around December. Dave Miller, a pharmacist at b major. Unfortunately, I do not know how my apart- issue. As everyone had been telling me for weeks, it was time Fred Meyer, recommends that people make an extra effort to [complex would react if I decided to build a fireplace in for me to lose my flip-flops and start putting on closed-toed wash their hands frequently during cold and flu season as well partment. and waterproof shoes. I realized this was the time for me to cut as try to keep hands away from their nose, eyes and mouth. kwever, others offered their advice as well. “Wear wool my losses, and make the sacrifice of my beloved collection of “It’s a hard thing to say this time of year, but you should land a coat,” said Kristin Best, who is majoring in nurs- flip flops to avoid frostbite; I decided to buy boots. When buy probably avoid large crowds as that’s where most viruses are ing boots one must consider the need for comfort and warmth. caught. You should also be sure to get your yearly flu shot toffee,” offered up Jessica Lindsey who, hasn’t yet The boots should fit so that your heel does not move and your There are a lot available this year so there’s no excuse not to ltd on a major. “Or if you are just sitting at home, adult toes have enough space. Sounds easy right? Well, not if you get one. Fred Meyer is offering them for $19.99, the cheapest are a child’s size three. in town,” Miller said. [Portland, the average highest temperature during the To cut a long story short, it took two employees at Dick’s, Staying warm and staying healthy are two important com lofNovember is 52.4 degrees while the average low for my roommates and me two hours to find boots that will fit ponents to enjoying your winter vacation. Though for some of fiber is 42.8. However, starting as early as the 21st, we my feet Yet we preserved and now my flip-flops reside in the us, staying warm is an entirely new concept it is an important [had lows as dramatic as 20 degrees. There is no doubt closet while I wear snow boots out in society. one to grasp and grasp quickly as winter has arrived. And for Bundling up has been important. With a coat and boots now in my possession, my room those who are already well adjusted to the idea of winters that Ickily. I had help. Armed with information and two mates and I set out to get additional warm articles of clothing. are actually cold, tune in next term to see if this Californian |onian native roommates, I set out on a quest to become We purchased hats, scarves, ear muff's, gloves and hand warm survived her first. Indents remain active indoors I By Max Dorsey I The Clackamas Print legón weather seems to be bipo- [ately, it’s been icy and rainy. The per might have you locked in your I, cup of Joe- in your hands, try- Ikeep warm. What’s a student to ften they’re stuck inside the Bill [Community Center on a school [s it pours cats and dogs outside? [ore like elephants and hippos? led Casison was seen reading a [ and James Petruska was caught icing his computer on his head boredom. Both are Clackamas [»unity College students. 1(1 like to) drink coffee, hang out batch people teach each other [they’re learning in their classes,” [Darius Andino. buna Franklin,, gets on her com- land “talks to friends.” feral people have even been seen ■ in the community center. Some Be play games in the community kgo online, read or use the com- llab. |en students work on their |"'ork. Some avoid having to do ■ homework until they get home. Pts snack on the cafeteria’s food Icircular café tables. This atmo- I6 can happen on any day, but ■•he weather is forcing them to be inside, the students of Clackamas are finding other ways to keep themselves busy. Some crowds of people come inside to do other things. Even on a nice day, a crowd of “Magic: The Gathering” players sit in random places with their cards. They play all day until they have class. Some of the “Magic” play ers are students, but a few aren’t. They come from their homes to play on campus. Eric Parin likes to play with his cards “All day, everyday.” “(I like to) play ‘Magic,’ or sit around and talk with friends,” said Zach Cooper, a CCC student. One group of students sets up a circle and jokes and talks about the issues of school and in their lives. Students often talk about registering for classes together. If you’re not .one to sit all day, you could go to the Randall gym and pump up. If you seek culture, you could stay in Niemeyer Hall and check out the lat est installation of art in the Alexander Gallery. You can check out a book in the library or study there. You can study in Streeter Hall, the math depart ment building. You can hang out in the community center, the couches in Pauling and also in the Literary Arts Center in Roger Rook. You can also have a laugh with the good-natured smokers; they’re out side, rain or shine. SHOPPERS: Long lines faced Continued from Page 1 No matter the reason, Black Friday never fails to draw a crowd. This year my room mates and I were in that crowd. My room mate’s father offered to give us his old washer and dryer if we waited in line to buy him a new one, but Sears only had four available and offered no rain checks. Knowing that competi tion would be fierce we began camping out in front of Sears at 3 pan., managing to be first inline. With hot coffee and board games, the 13 hours went by surprisingly fest When we got sick of waiting in line, we forced my roommate’s husband to wait for us and we raced each other in the elevators of the park ing structure. This resulted in security being called on me, but it was still worth it We also watched a group of teenagers push a shopping cart up to the top of the parking structure and proceed ride it down, also resulting in security being called. There was obviously no shortage of entertainment. The people in line were very friendly, so we spent a lot of time talking with the other shoppers. Of course, with talk comes rumors. Rumors circulated around the lines about a shooting at Target as well as a man running around hitting people in line with a baseball bat at Toys “R” Us. Though neither of these rumors has been confirmed, Black Friday is known not only for its deals but also its violence. In2008, a Walmart employee was trampled to death as crowds rushed into store in New York. In the same event, a pregnant woman was badly injured. Also in 2008, two men shot each other in a Toys “R” Us. hi 2006, a Circuit City store in Virginia had to call the police to calm the crowd that arrived to wait outside of the store. This resulted in two pepper spray balls being thrown into the crowd. With cold temperatures, long hours and the possibility of violence, it is important to be prepared for Black Friday. Extra layers of warm clothing are important as are things that will keep you entertained. It’s also important to scope out the area you will be camping out in beforehand to be sure that it is safe and well lit Furthermore, make sure you go in a group. My roommates and I had a relatively calm night despite the chaos that often occurs around Black Friday. We were able to get the things we needed and felt that the wait in line was worth it, even if that meant waiting in the cold and leaving on Thanksgiving dinner, early. Only one question remains: has Black Friday become more important to us than Thanksgiving Day itself? With so many people willing to give up their Thanksgiving so they can get the best deal I am curious if in a few years Thanksgiving itself will cease to exist and simply be known as Black Friday Eve. Only time will tell which America values more: turkey or sales. It is possible that when the economy begins to go back up and fewer families are struggling Black Friday will lose its importance. Nevertheless, sometimes the deals are just too hard to pass up, and I did get my washer and dryer after all.
