Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2014)
THE C L A C K A M A S P R IN T SEPT. 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 I BACK TO S C H O O L ISSUE I elcome to Clackamas Community College, a beautiful campus full of wonder and oppor tunity. Some of you are returning students and quite seasoned in the ways of adult education. For those of you just joining us, I have some knowledge and perhaps a dose of self-awareness to bestow before we get the school year underway. You may know the ‘Fresh-out-of-the-gym Guy’ by the trail of stink that follows behind. CCÇ has wonderful athletic programs, and while athleti cism is encouraged and respected by most, so is showering. W hen ‘that guy’ comes straight from practice to class wearing saturated sweat bands and pajamas for some reason, it’s a bit distract ing. Sports bras may be an acceptable,uniform for sports, but please put on a shirt, and perhaps some deodorant, when entering a classroom where the windows don’t open. Nobody cares who you were before you came here. Prom queens don’t get VIP status in the cafe teria. Employees of the m onth don’t have a secret lounge. If you pooped your pants in high school, chances are nobody here will know. Consider this your fresh start. You can step out o f your pigeon hole and take advantage o f this newfound ano nymity to find a new or improved identity. Col lege is, after all, a temple of self-betterment. Hand raised for 40 percent of the class, the ‘Ex pert Guy’ knows more than you, the teacher, and the author of the text book you’re reading. The incessant contradic tions disrupt the class, and irritate and distract the teacher. This almost com batively un yielding quest for ‘truth’ should be handled in a private discus sion outside of class. That being said, there are some guidelines you should follow to make your time here a success. Try to make sure you don’t become ‘that guy’ without realizing it. Who is ‘that guy’ you ask? W hether male or female, ‘that guy* is the person who slips into a pattern of behavior that evokes irritation, deep sighs and buried rage in fellow schoolmates and teachers. Occurring commonly but not exclusively in those fresh out of high school, the ‘Raised-in-a-barn Guy’ is a person who shows a general lack of re spect for their peers and surroundings. They leave their chairs pulled out, they leave garbage every where, they stick gum under desks, and they spit on sidewalks. This school is for grownups, so act like one and you should be fine. y The most important guy’ to avoid becoming is the T-doht-want-to-be- here Guy’ These guys show up unapologetically late to class, almost always with a cup of coffee. They constantly check their phones, play oil their laptops, and hold conversations over the teacher’s lecture in a laughably full-volume whisper. They ask for breaks, leave class early and sometimes even sleep. What they’re forgetting is that college success is optional, but it isn’t free for them or the people they distract. You can avoid these labels by just being respectful. Go boldly, fellow students, and have a great year.
