May 25, 2005______________________________ ___________ îl’1 ^Jortlaub (Dbsi'rUVr_______________ _____________ PageAS Young Lessons in Ethics Concordia helps build life foundations sip not only hurts feelings but also hurts productivity, the children all agreed that talking behind theirclass- m ates’ backs doesn’t benefit any­ one and takes time away from their schoolwork. They also learned that dishon­ esty, such as not correcting the cashier’s error, has larger conse­ quences. The cashier may lose her job, the store loses profit, and even the custom er may experience a lin­ gering feeling of guilt. Concordia U niversity is a private, Lutheran liberal arts college in north­ east Portland. If a cashier m istakenly hands you too much change, should you give the money back? Or if you work in a restaurant where servers pool their tips, is it right to pocket the tip money left on a table you served and not share it? These were ju st two o f the issues a group of elem entary-school chil­ dren, ranging in ages from 6 to 12, discussed on Tuesday, May 17, d u r­ ing a special presentation called “ Basics of Ethics” given by the stu­ dents in C oncordia U n iv e rsity ’s “Ethical Foundations for O rganiza­ tions” class. Through role-playing and interac­ tive gam es, the students took turns dem onstrating the values o f respect, honesty, responsibility, and leader­ ship in the workplace. Following each segment, they asked their young special guests to share ways they can apply these four key values at school and at home with their fam i­ lies. After learning that workplace gos­ Andrea Prasad, 6, and Joshua Truman, 9, take to heart lessons in stealing, being respec­ tive and being respon­ sible during Concordia University's special presentation on ethics. Local Student Benson Graduate Joins Marines Honored A ry a P a try c e Morman, a sophomore at De La Salle High School was recently honored for her academ ic success during the current school year. She achieved her goal of making the Dean’s list for the second year in Arya Patryce a row. In addition, she Morman has been recognized as one of the leading scorers on the K nights’ girl’s basketball team. Arya is the daughter o f Joseph Lewis Morman (deceased) and Rev. Renee’ Ward, pastor of Zion CME Church in Portland. Marine Corps Pvt. Arthur M. Sherriff III, a 2000 Benson High School graduate and son of Jana and Arthur Sherriff, recently completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif. Designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally, the instruction is marked by an extreme physical conditioning program and hours of hours of classroom and field assignments which included first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weapons training. Sherriff and other recruits also received instruction on the Marine Corps’ core values— honor, courage and commitment, and what the core values mean in guiding personal and professional conduct. We give payday advances checks cashed Post-dated checks cashed and held until payday • Checks cashed (any kind •• 03798621 ’ fast service o o lines & low rates nnnnmn loans • fax service • 2-day tax refunds • electronic tax filing free money orders open mon-thur. 9am-7pm tri, 9am-8pm sal. 9am-7om sun, ioam-4pm a c u ONNECTION 5 8 3 . 2 8 7 . M II j 'J 7 FREE DVD Player with first approved loan $200.00 or more. 6 6 6 W ESTER N U N IO N ThdMw^toifnilmmey' Call for details (503) 287-M O N Y (MLK, Jr. location only) Butterflies are back! by Ron W eber Black Solders Build the Alcan Highway On Nov. 22,1942 the largest high­ way project ever built by the United States was officially opened. The 1,500 mile highway cost $ 130 mil­ lion dollars and was finished in only eight months. Over 10,000 workers completed the project, including 3,700 Afri­ can-American soldiers who were at first only allowed to “operate” picks and shovels. Believing that the black military men were not intelli­ gent enough to operate tractors, backhoes, trenchers, and paving equipment, white supervisors lim­ ited their role. At one point, the project was in danger o f failing, as a bridge was needed to be built in record time. WWII was gaining momentum and America was afraid that the Japa­ nese would take Alaska. A group of black engineers from the 95,h Engi­ neering Regiment took on the task o f designing and building the bridge in three days. They com ­ pleted their mission, greatly sur­ prising white leaders. The 95lh won much w ell-de­ served praise and recognition. As a result of their efforts, the men were then asked to design and build several other bridges along the tre a c h e ro u s h ighw ay that cut straight through the harshest of Canadian forests. Their success brought great joy to fellow African- American troops and proved to the world that they were not only intel­ ligent enough to design structures, but also had the ability to drive and operate sophisticated equipment. Their quick and accurate bridge design also shocked the engineer­ ing world of the time, which was solely white. After the road was completed, thousands o f American troops, black and white drove tens o f thou­ sands of vehicles to Alaska where a strong defense was set in place World War II Black Regiment troops who helped build the Alcan Highway, the largest highway project ever built. none too soon. All of the roads and bridges that were constructed by African-American troops stood the tests of both heavy WWII demands and time. Thousands of Japanese troops invaded Alaska (Aleutian Islands) in some o f the bloodiest battles o f the war. Thanks to the efforts of the 95lh and many other Americans, the Alcan Highway provided a trans­ portation route that would become one o f the turning points of the war. Without this highway and its many bridges we would have certainly faced Japanese soldiers on our home front in the “Lower 48." Although African Americans were denied much of the comforts given to the white soldiers, they stayed on task. With picks and shovels, they followed the bulldoz­ ers to ge, into areas that could not be reached by the large cats. Limbs had to be cut off each of the thou­ sands o f trees that were cut and the large logs then hand rolled into place. All downed limbs and other debris had to be dragged and raked into piles off to the sides. The rain poured and the snow fell, but the men kept working hard in their sop­ ping wet clothes. All the while their boots were filled with cold water and snowflakes. The conditions for both black and white soldiers were deplor­ able. But as in past w ars, deser­ tion, fighting and alcoholism were rare am ong the A frican A m eri­ cans. They w ere obedient troops and hard dedicated workers, truly a credit to their race. In the end, white troops began to understand that blacks could do anything they could. Thanks to the efforts o f the 95,h and other black units. President Harry Truman fi­ nally signed legislation in 1948 that outlawed segregation in the mili­ tary. The African-American Sol­ diers had shown their true metal and earned their spot along side of the whites once and for all. Roh Weber is a writer and speaker on African-American his­ tory and regular contributor to the Portland Observer. • Discover their secret lives • Watch them hatch • Learn how to attract them at home WINCED WONDERS May ?i through Labor Day GRAND OPENING WEEKEND May 2*1 and 22 Fun activities for kids! O R e g r o N m e t r o www.oregonzoo.org 1