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.