http://www.theclackamasprint.com
Wednesday, October30,2013
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Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR
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www.TheClackamasPrint.com
An independent, student-run newspapersince 1966
Urban A gricultural program
proves to be a growing field
Surrounded by lush trees,
organic farms and flower
ing nurseries, Clackamas
Community College’s horticul
ture department fosters a pas
sion for plants while teaching
students the practical aspects
of working in the field.
The department’s Urban
Agriculture program offers
students who want to be in the
agricultural industry a hands-
on approach to working in
organic small-scale farms.
Loretta Mills, administra
tive assistant in arts and sci
ences, helps run the Urban
Agriculture program.
“It’s an exciting field,”
Mills said. “Urban Agriculture
is a growing, no pun intended,
a growing field.”
Students
can
choose
between a one-year certifi
cate or a two-year Associate
of Applied Sciences Degree
in a horticulture career path
way that will enable them to
enter into a variety of agricul
es transfer to Oregon State
University for students plan
ning to cultivate a bachelor’s
degree.
The OSU transfer agreement
isn’t the only reason CCC is
known for its growing horticul
tural prestige. The Professional
Landcare Network, a national
trade association of landscape
industry professionals, based
in Virginia, also acknowledges
CCC’s horticulture programs.
- The college is the only
accredited program in Oregon,
boasts the department website.
Jamie Korst, one of the
C lackam as
Com m unity
College students looking to
turn agriculture into a career,
heralds the importance of the
program.
“The horticulture classes
directly relate to work on a
farm,” said Korst.
Chris Konieczka, the new
est member of CCC’s full-time
horticulture teaching staff,
leads the Fall Food Harvest
class, which provides the
produce sold in the campus
Farmer’s Market which meets
on Fridays but ended for the
season in mid-October.
tu r a l positions.. A dditionally,,
som e o f the h o rticulture class-
Please see AGRICULTURE, Page 2
DonnyBeach
Associate Copy Editor
L o retta M ills (left) a n d C hris C h u lo s I I ra n th e C C C F a rm e r ’s M a r k e t o n th e O re g o n CTty e a m p u sT lZ C C F s^ e e b in in g
more known for its growing horticultural prestige.
Men’s Cross Country wins regional title in
dominating performance
Donny Beach
Associate Copy Editor
The day dawned grey and
bleak with the suggestion of rain
hanging in the sky, but even the
chill morning air couldn’t damp
en the energy of the Clackamas
Community College cross
country teams as they warmed
up for the Southern Regional
Championships on Saturday.
Five schools crowded the
fields of CCC — Clackamas CC,
Clark College, Lane CC, Mt.
Hood CC and Treasure Valley
CC. The teams were stretching,
listening to last minute pep talks
from their coaches and preparing
for the big event.
Watching Coach Keoni
McHone run through the pre
run setup was like watching a
Hollywood director choreograph
the moves of actors in a big bud
get film — telling the backup
timekeepers, event helpers, and
camera people where to stand,
when to act and what to watch
out for. When asked about the
reason for deploying timekeep
ers throughout the course, his
passion for the sport is unmis
takable.
“They give the runners their
‘splits’ at the mile markers, so
runners know if they are pac
ing themselves appropriately,”
McHone said.
Meanwhile, Coach Kaitlyn
Alan Ekanger leads the pack fo r the Cougars in their cross-country regional
championship. The Cougar men won the title.
Reid checked on the Clackamas
runners to give them encourage
ment. Reid has worked with the
CCC cross country team for the
past three years, the first two
years as an assistant coach.
This year Reid was named
men’s cross country Coach of
the Year. Northwest Athletic
Association of Community
Colleges, Southern Region.
That wasn’t the only
title awarded to CCC at this
year’s Southern Regional
Championship. The Cougars
also earned first place for the
men’s cross country 8K run team
division, as well as first, second
and third place individual posi
tions in the men’s race.
Finishing the 8K run in
under 26 minutes were Badane
Sultessa, followed by Jorge
Gil-Juarez, with Jackson Baker
capping the third place spot, a
full 10 seconds ahead of Clark
College’s lead runner.
Also finishing in the top 10 of
the men’s run, Pake Benthin of
Clackamas, came in seventh out
of the 45 competitors entered.
Not to be left behind,
Courtney Repp finished in the
top 10 of the women’s 5K run.
Coach Reid went into the meet
expecting similar results and
with undiluted faith in her run
ners she speaks out on event
placement.
“The ladies have been getting
a lot of personal bests through
out the season, which is really
cool, and that to me is more
important than what place they
get. As a team they have really
grown from that,” said Reid.
This year Clackamas had a
well-balanced mix of women
and men running cross country,
with 11 men and 10 women fill
ing up the team roster.
Gil-Juarez spoke about the
camaraderie that developed dur
ing the cross country season.
“Cross country is more than a
sport, it’s a second family,” Gil-
Juarez said.
That was doubly evident dur
ing the race as cheers and shout
ing of encouragement fell onto
the athletes from the spectators.
Family, friends and teammates
alike spurred them on.
The men’s and women’s cross-country teams pose with Northwest Athletic Association o f Community Colleges
Coach o f the Year, Kaitlyn Reid.