6A | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019 | SIUSLAW NEWS
RADIO from page 1A
The Amateur Radio Re-
lay League, a nationwide as-
sociation of amateur clubs
and groups, coordinates
the event, which this year
has more than 40,000 indi-
viduals participating across
North America. The local
chapter, the Central Oregon
Coast Amateur Radio Club
(COCARC), was formed in
1985 and is active in local
emergency preparations.
COCARC members be-
lieve the time and energy
spent training will be put to
the test at some point in the
future.
Member Julie McGrew
says the training is import-
ant considering the like-
lihood of a major seismic
event occurring that will
dramatically impact this
area.
“Field Day is much more
than a contest; it is amateur
radio’s public open house
— an event where hams
are given the opportunity
to demonstrate and hone
the skills which allow them
to provide auxiliary com-
munications to their com-
munity in times of trouble
and emergency,” McGrew
said. “Perhaps it is this as-
pect of amateur radio that
is best known by the public,
since time and again when
normal communication
LESSON from page 1A
Students are using so-
cial media sites more than
ever before. Sexting is also
becoming more and more
prevalent in our society.
Teachthought.com
re-
ported that in a nationwide
poll, 48 percent of adults
and 25 percent of teens
have sent sexually explicit
text or photos to a partner.
Sexting is defined as the
sending or receiving a sex-
ually explicit text or image
via a mobile device. A mis-
conception about sexting
is that images do not have
to be of nude individuals.
Sexting can include im-
plied nudity or implied
sexual acts. In the State of
Oregon, any student en-
gaged in sexting falls under
child pornography laws.
The punishment of such
acts can be severe and fi-
nancially devastating.
Teter shared with stu-
channels fail, ham radio
operators provide critical
message handling to our
first responders and the
victims they support.”
The need for functioning
communication with first
responders and govern-
mental support agencies
during a natural disaster is
critical to minimizing ca-
sualties and confusion. One
of the essential tools nec-
essary to recover quickly
from a natural disaster will
be the ability to communi-
cate with areas not affected
by the quake and resulting
tidal waves. This is where
COCARC will play a cen-
tral role.
While there is a train-
ing element to Field Day,
there is also a nationwide
competition to determine a
club rating for successfully
accomplishing different ex-
ercises during the 24-hour
session. One of the chal-
lenges is using modes of
communication from dif-
ferent eras.
During a single 24-hour
period, beginning on Satur-
day at 11 a.m., these radio
operators contacted over
250 similar radio stations
operating in 34 U.S. states
and three Canadian prov-
inces,” McGrew said. “To
reach these remote stations,
they employed numerous
frequency bands and oper-
dents the fines that can be
leveled upon parents and
that students could end up
in the juvenile justice sys-
tem and have to register as
a sex offender. Fines can
be as high as $250,000 and
include up to 10 years in
prison.
During the presentation,
Teter polled the youth,
which revealed some so-
bering numbers. Ninety
percent of those students
had some type of media
account before the sixth
grade.
Nearly half those stu-
dents signed up for their
account(s) without their
parents’ permission. Sev-
enty percent of those stu-
dents were provided with
a mobile device capable of
connecting to the internet
as early as age nine. Over
70 percent of those stu-
dents received their device
without rules, instruction
or guidance of any kind —
Buying or Selling? I can help.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
COCARC member Julie McGrew checks data received from other ham radio oper-
ators across the United States during the 2019 Field Exercise event.
ating modes, ranging from
the venerable 19th centu-
ry Morse code to modern
FT8, a complex weak signal
mode recently developed by
Princeton University Nobel
Laureate Dr. Joe Taylor.”
The COCARC group
has been operating at very
high levels for the past five
years and the set-up at Sut-
ton lake Campground was
impressive, feeling more
like a family gathering than
preparation for disaster.
On the one hand, in-
dividual members set up
thousands of dollars’ worth
of trailers and equipment at
the center of the main stag-
ing area. On the other, there
is a covered cooking area
that emanates an inviting
aroma, coupled with tables
full of food and beverages.
While the mission is a
serious one, the weekend is
also a time for friends and
colleagues to cultivate clos-
er relationships. McGrew
mentioned the upbeat na-
ture of the event, tempering
the underlying seriousness
of the practice sessions.
“Saturday, their radios
were being used for practice
and nearly 100 percent of
students reported viewing
some sort of image that was
sexual in nature on a week-
ly basis.
In addition, every stu-
dent at the assembly re-
ported being bullied via
some kind of electronic de-
vice or through some sort
of social media account.
Nationwide studies have
shown that a large number
of children have engaged in
sexting as early as 9 years
of age.
Teter told the students
that he recognizes the pres-
sures they face and how
they are continually bom-
barded by unhealthy sexu-
al images through movies,
music, clothing ads and
other media forms.
“It amazes me that many
parents have provided their
child with this powerful
device, that can both do a
lot of good but also has the
ability to ruin someone’s
life forever, with no guid-
ance how to use it responsi-
bly,” Teter said. “A Harvard
study has shown that as the
number of social media
outlets increase, so has the
rate of teen suicide. It’s not
that these sites themselves
are bad, it is that students
are not guided how to com-
municate in a healthy and
productive way, as well as
how to handle conflict or
misunderstandings. When
as parents are we going to
wake up?”
Teter concluded the pre-
sentation with students by
giving them inscribed “dog
tags” provided by Commu-
nity 101, that read, “Give
respect …Get Respect.” He
challenged the students to
put that into action, say-
ing, “By putting the needs
of others first we can solve
many of life’s social issues.”
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and pleasure, so a break was
taken in the late afternoon,
and a barbecue potluck fea-
turing tri-tip, chicken and
homemade ice cream was
enjoyed by hams and guests
alike. Following dinner and
some socializing around
the campfire, radio oper-
ations continued into the
evening and through Sun-
day morning until it was
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time to conclude and break
camp,” she said.
The Oregon Seismic Safe-
ty Policy Advisory Com-
mission has warned that a
major seismic event could
strike at any time with the
resulting deaths approach-
ing 10,000 people and caus-
ing more than $50 billion of
property and infrastructure
damage. These statistics are
the reason that the 20 or so
dedicated local individuals
spent the weekend camped
out — to assure that at least
some people will be ready
for the “Big One” when it
inevitably hits.
“Each year, there are
some new faces, equip-
ment modifications and
system improvements, but
one thing of importance
remains constant,” McGrew
said. “When troubling
events occur to disrupt
normal communications,
amateur radio operators
are prepared and there to
serve.”
For more information on
the Central Oregon Coast
Amateur Radio Club, vis-
it www.w7flo.com or find
Florence Oregon Ham Ra-
dio Club on Facebook.
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