Welcome Week kicked off Monday with the first day of fall term and the 2023-24 academic year. Parking lots were crowded as thousands of students returned to classrooms and labs across the main campus, at the Clark College Building at Washington State University Vancouver and also at Clark College Columbia Tech Center. Clark’s mascot, Oswald the Penguin, strolled the hallways and paused for photos with students, staff and faculty. 

As on every first day, students had questions: Where is this class? Where is this building? Can someone help me? In Gaiser Hall and along campus walkways, students could stop at staffed tables to get directions to a building, have questions asked, or get a snack and information about available resources. 

Gaiser Hall’s Student Center bustled with activity as students, staff, and faculty gathered for the Student Involvement Fair in Gaiser Student Center on Wednesday. Students had the opportunity to learn more about the college’s student clubs, programs, on-campus jobs and college and community resources. Students also connected with peers with shared interests—from building a rocket to drawing comics and much more.  

At Clark’s ASCC student government table, student leaders answered students’ questions and shared information about getting involved with student government. Learn about ASCC here.

Students stopped by the Activities Programming Board table to learn about upcoming opportunities to connect with fellow students—including Bingo on October 2, Stuff a Sasquatch on October 9, and watch a free family night movie, “The Barbie Movie” with free pizza and soda, on October 18. Learn more here.

At the Phi Theta Kappa Student Honor Society table, PTK students distributed backpacks filled with school supplies to students who had requested them. Darci Feider said PTK received 133 requests for backpacks, and with help from faculty and staff, purchased and filled 116 backpacks for Clark students. This year, PTK students will volunteer with Penguin Pantry every month. Learn more about PTK here.

At the Columbia Writers Series table, students learned about the literary series and an opportunity to meet 2023 Oregon Book Award Winner Sindya Bhanoo, author of the story collection, Seeking Fortune Elsewhere, on campus on October 19. Learn more here.

At the Igloo table, students picked up past issues of the art department’s annual comics magazine and learned that the 2023 Igloo will be distributed in October.

At the Korean Club table students saw traditional clothing and learned what the club offers: K-Pop, K-Dramas, Korean food, history and much more.

At the Clark Aerospace table, students displayed their “Little Penguin” rocket they designed and built last academic year. Over the summer, some of the students competed in the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket competition in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Volunteers from League of Woman Voters Clark County encouraged students to register to vote. Were you born on or before November 5, 2006? Then you can vote in the March 2024 presidential primary election. Register to vote here.

With food prices rising, students talked with Clark County Food Bank volunteers to learn about food resources available in the community.

Clark College wants to ensure students know about and can access wrap-around services, including Penguin Pantry, Disability Support Services, Counseling and Health Center and more.

The kitchen garden that wraps around three sides of the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute at Clark College is reaping a bountiful, colorful harvest for students to use in their recipes. There is still time to visit the garden before everything is harvested.

Students and instructors from both the Cuisine Management program and the Professional Baking and Pastry Arts program have been harvesting herbs, vegetables and fruit throughout the summer. This is the second year the garden has produced a harvest. 

“The tomatoes are really coming in and the squashes are still producing,” said Chef James “Sonny” Demartini, a cuisine instructor who spearheaded the kitchen garden project with Fay Shorten, a stockroom attendant in the college’s food services department.  

Clark College renovated its culinary space in 2017, thanks to a grant from the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Foundation. The blueprints included plans for culinary gardens around all three sides of the building, but there was no funding for a garden. 

Demartini and Shorten did not let the lack of funding become a barrier to creating a kitchen garden for their students. They cleared otherwise unused space outside the building and created gardens including fruit trees, berries, herbs and vegetables.  

Demartini is a Midwesterner who grew up immersed in gardening. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Sweat equity from Demartini, Shorten and many others laid the groundwork. Demartini made a list of everything they would need to get started.

The first step was recruiting a team of volunteers to get to work amending the soil, including adding nutrient-rich composted produce from the college’s kitchens. The culinary programs save all organic food scraps—from carrot tops to eggshells. Demartini feeds the scraps into a blue Landworks industrial wood chipper he converted into a food waste mulcher. Rather than waiting for many weeks for the food to become compost, it chops food waste into rich, organic matter that immediately can be worked into the garden soil.  

Demartini credits the college’s hard-working grounds crew that has provided much labor, including revamping an irrigation system.  Demartini and Shorten found ways to get products at no cost. This includes getting deliveries of bark chips from pear trees removed from Washington State School for the Blind. Demartini also pointed to a stack of pear logs that students will use to cure and smoke meats.  

Not everything was free. About $8,000 in grant money was used to purchase some items, including the chipper, galvanized stock tanks they have repurposed as raised beds. Although some plants and seeds were donated, they also purchased others.  

• Concrete planters along the north entrance to Gaiser Hall—and just steps from the McClaskey Institute—are bursting with tomatoes, squash, peppers and an assortment of fragrant herbs, including sage, mint, rosemary, sorrel, lovage, parsley and chives.   
• Red grapes hang from the vines.  
• Hops grow high above the roof. 
• Thriving fruit trees include five different types of espalier apple and pear trees plus plum, quince and fig trees. 
• A dozen varieties of sunflowers, which have edible petals and seeds. These were harvested earlier this month. 
• Nasturtiums provide edible petals, a pretty garnish and an infusion in oils and vinegars.  
• An assortment of edible wildflowers also attracts pollinators to the garden.

Shorten said that when she worked in the garden, the college community and the public stopped by to admire the garden.

“When I’ve worked in the garden, people always tell me how good it looks.” Shorten said. “The veterans on the other side of Fort Vancouver Way came over and told us how good it looks. One of the gals who works for ODEI brought us strawberry plants. It’s so nice to go out and sit with all the plants.”

Clark College has offered culinary education for more than 60 years. The Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute at Clark College is the only public, accredited culinary program in the metro region that offers a two-year associate in applied technology degree. Clark’s program offers competitive programs, a seasoned team of instructors with real-world experience, a state-of-the-art culinary facility and collaborative industry partnerships. Learn more about Cuisine Management at Clark College here and Professional Baking and Pastry Arts here.

Clark College community, we hope you will stop by Cannell Library during the week of October 2-6 to observe Tibetan Buddhist monks constructing a sand mandala. It’s a rare opportunity for us.

Clark College will host Tibetan Buddhist monks as they construct a sand mandala in Cannell Library on the college’s main campus. This will be the third time monks have constructed a sand mandala on campus. Previously, mandalas were constructed at Clark College in 2012 and 2020.  

All events are free and open to the community. They are co-sponsored by Clark College International Programs, Clark College Libraries, and Dharma Light Tibetan Buddhist Association of Vancouver. (See full schedule below.)   

This project can be appreciated simply as a beautiful and intricate time-based art form. According to Tibetan Buddhist belief, a sand mandala is meant to create a profound experience of compassion for any who attend. The positive effects of a sand mandala construction are believed to radiate out over the entire region, blessing the environment and the beings therein, in an effort for world peace. The mandala is destroyed in the closing ceremony, as a lesson in the impermanence of all phenomena. 

The opening and closing ceremonies will include traditional Tibetan Buddhist chanting and music. 

The closing ceremony also will include meeting at the Grant Street Pier at Vancouver Waterfront Park (West Waterfront Way and Grant Street).  

Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.  

View a video from the 2012 sand mandala construction on Clark College’s YouTube channel.  

Event poster (PDF) available for sharing.

Opening ceremony

• Monday, October 2, 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.   

Sacred Tibetan art presentation  

• Tuesday, October 3, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.  

Venerable Lobsang Dawa will speak about the history and meaning of the sand mandala and the importance of compassion in daily life.

Mandala construction 

       • Monday, October 2, 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

       • Tuesday, October 3, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

       • Wednesday, October 4, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

       • Thursday, October 5, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

       • Friday, October 6, 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Closing ceremony with music  

       • Friday, October 6, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Procession to Columbia River at Grant Street Pier

       • Friday, October 6, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.   

So much to learn—and so little time!

Perhaps those thoughts were repeated often by staff participating in Staff Development days on August 15 and 16.

Clark College employees spent two days learning together on campus during Staff Development Days. The annual event allows staff time to connect with other staff on campus, learn valuable skills, and share department information. The event formerly was called Teaching and Learning Days.

Six concurrent breakout sessions offered more than three dozen professional development opportunities focused on a variety of topics. New features this year included supervisor training series, micro learning sessions, and opportunities for department meetings.

Lighter, just-for-fun sessions included genealogy and propagating house plants. Many thanks to the staff members who painted colorful designs on 140 rocks during the summer. Before the event, the rocks were hidden around campus and staff were encouraged to walk the campus to search for rocks.

Many thanks to the staff who organized Staff Development Days: Alyssa Voyles, Vanessa Bural, Andra Spencer, Carolyn Stark, Degundrea Harris, Haley Tucker, Joey Hicklin, Lindsey Schuhmacher, Michelle Golder, Tre Sandlin, and Wendé Fisher.

Thanks to the bookstore for providing free ice cream treats on the second day that soared above 100 degrees.

Departments including Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Disability Support Services, Entry Services, Transitional Studies, Facilities Services, and others presented overviews of their department’s focus.

In her welcome to staff, Dr. Edwards noted that Staff Development Days supports the connection to the college’s Equity-Centered Strategic Plan by reinforcing employee engagement, empowerment, and excellence. She also called attention to those people impacted by the recent devastating wildfire on Maui.

Alyssa Voyles, Director of Employee Equity and Engagement and one of the event organizers, said, “The goal of Staff Development Days is to provide opportunities not only for staff to participate in necessary trainings, but also to provide a space for folx to reconnect, take a step away from their desks to breathe, and get excited about the upcoming year.”

Alyssa added, “We felt that this year was a big success, with bonding over rock painting, packed sessions covering necessary Clark skills and knowledge, and people getting to spend time in person with colleagues they only ever work with on Zoom! And the free ice cream provided by the bookstore always helps.”

PPI training sessions were offered on subjects including antisemitism, DACA, equitable decision making and more.

Andra Spencer’s training, Combating Antisemitism: Understanding and Taking Action, was very well attended. She defined what anti-Semitism is, how it has evolved and is shown in contemporary expressions. By promoting empathy and fostering dialogue, the goal was to inspire participants to become active agents in combatting anti-Semitism and fostering inclusivity and allyship.

Andra Spencer, program manager in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, said, “The ODEI team is working to have our training sessions be both data-informed and shaped by feedback from the college community. Through feedback we have received through the Climate Survey and other venues, we have learned that antisemitism is an area Clark staff would like to learn more about. We were excited to provide this training for the first time and to see such a positive response! We continue to hear from attendees about the positive learning experience in this workshop and the new things they are still thinking about.”

So many people streamed into Rosalba Pitkin and Katia Quintero’s presentation about DACA that more chairs had to be brought from another room.

“We didn’t expect so many people to be interested in DACA,” said Rosalba.

She told the participants, “We thank you for coming and for your interest in helping these students. We hope that this presentation and others like it will help cultivate greater empathy and understanding for these students.”

Katia reminded participants that DACA applies not only to some Clark students, but also to some college employees.

Katia said, “It’s gratifying to have so many Clark employees interested in learning more about DACA and how it impacts not only our students, but also our employees.”

Staff gathered for morning coffee and chatting and later headed to the bookstore for free ice cream treats. A delicious lunch was provided on both days. Relaxing chair massage sessions were available, too.

To conserve resources, the conference did not provide disposable water bottles. Instead, staff members refilled their own water bottles at water-refill stations. Rather than the conference printing hundreds of programs, staff members were encouraged to access the online program or print their own program.

Keynote by Parfait Bassalé

The second day opened with an inspiring presentation by Parfait Bassale, immigrant, artist, reconciler, and belonging strategist. The musician and songwriter played his guitar and sang his original song, “Safe House.”

When he finished singing, he said, “I see you. I hear you. I’m with you.”

Then he talked about three levers of belonging required for people to feel connected, at work or in any group:

1. Connection/representation
2. Visible support and care
3. A sense of agency; a person feeling their voice matters and they are being heard

To create connection, he asked Clark staff members to ask these questions: “How do we create opportunities for connection and for our stories to come out? How do we show support and care for each other? How do we allow for more voices to be shared? How can I be more present?”

Later, on social media, Parfait shared a photo of him standing with Clark College staff: “What a gift it was to remind dedicated professionals that all it takes is one person to make the difference to produce an experience of belonging for another human being.”

Director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships, Rhianna Johnson, said Parfait’s presentation caused her to reflect about what it means to have a sense of belonging at work.

“To me, it means feeling seen, heard, and respected,” Rhianna said. “It means trusting that others have your back. People need training, guidance, and tools to excel in their roles. Folks feel a sense of belonging when they are confident in their position and understand how they fit into the bigger picture. It also means feeling included in the group.” Listen to Parfait Bassalé’s song here.

Safe House by Parfait Bassalé

Verse 1: I see you with a limp from afar I see all of you I am curious about you What has brought you this far? I have time. Do you?

Chorus: Where do wounded birds fly When they’re trying to survive? I have wondered this for a while now. Yeah. Where do wounded birds fly When they’re trying to survive? Will I be a safe house? A safe house.

Verse 2: I hear you. All these scars from before. I do have some, too. Tell me, how I can support you? Your story isn’t my truth. So, what needs have you?

Verse 3: I am with you. As you heal from these wounds.

You rekindle my youth. I will journey alongside of you As you grow wings anew. I will soar with you.

Safe House words and music copyright by Parfait Bassalé. Used with permission.

Note: This is a new series to introduce the Clark College community to fellow college employees. We want to tell stories about what you do when you are not at work: hobbies, interests, travels, volunteer work. Did you volunteer at an elephant preserve over the summer? Walk the Camino de Santiago? Climb a mountain? Learn to sail or flyfish or make cheese? Send your ideas to ComMark@clark.edu.  

You might know Terri Anderson, program coordinator for the college’s Dental Hygiene program. But did you know she ran in the Boston Marathon for the first time on April 17, 2023? Here’s a fun Q&A to learn more about Terri’s passion for running and her experience running the Boston Marathon. 

Q: How long have you been running?  

TA: I began running around 2001 after I joined a local gym, where I got into the sport of triathlon: swim, bike, run. I did triathlons for 17 years. 

Q: What was your impetus to want to run in the Boston Marathon?  

TA: A running friend had run the Boston Marathon for 14 years, but I wasn’t interested. Then as time went by, I started looking at bucket list items and got this crazy idea to qualify for the Boston Marathon with my friend. This spring I ran my first Boston Marathon, while she did her 15^th.  

Q: How do you qualify to run in the Boston Marathon? 

TA: Certain marathons are qualifying races. They base your qualifying time on your gender and age. For me, I needed a 4:35 (4 hours, 35 minutes), but I wanted a cushion. I chose to go for a 4:20. I qualified with a 4:18 in the Newport, Oregon Marathon on June 4, 2022. I was very pleased. I got notified that I qualified and registered on the first day.  

Q: What was your first marathon? 

TA: My first two marathons were competing in Ironman Triathlons, competitions where you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a marathon, which is 26.2 miles. My first Ironman was in Penticton, British Columbia in 2011. I ran the Portland Marathon in 2013 to see if I could qualify for Boston, but I started out too fast and I hit the wall with five miles to go. I missed qualifying by five minutes.  

I did a second Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 2016. A serious bike accident in a timed trial race by Frenchman’s Bar Park in 2018 ended my road riding and my triathlons. Then I got more into running. That’s how my interest in running the Boston Marathon came about.  

Q: This year’s Boston Marathon marked 10 years since the 2013 bombing at the marathon. What was that like? 

TA: There were memorial presentations where the two bombs went off in 2013. We walked from our hotel to get to packet pick-up a few days before the race, and we had to walk past the finish line. When we saw how close one bomb was to the finish line, both my friend and I broke down.  

Q: Were you nervous about running in the Boston Marathon?  

TA: The day before the race, I started getting anxious. I’d heard about Heartbreak Hill between miles 20 and 21. My friend had run the Boston Marathon 14 times before, and said she gets nervous every year. My friend is Catholic. The day before the race, we went to a lovely, beautiful old church. The priest blessed us for our race the next day. 

Q: Tell us about race day.  

TA: The night before the race, we went to bed early. On race day, depending on your starting time, they bus you an hour to the start line, where you wait. My biggest concern was to not start too fast, to pace myself, because I had to run 26.2 miles. My pace goal was 10 minutes per mile, and I held to it. As you run, Boston residents come out to cheer you on. It’s Patriots’ Day there, a holiday. The cheering made me run faster, so I had to slow down. Then I started up Heartbreak Hill—and I made it!  

Q: What was it like as you approached the end of the marathon? 

TA: Right after Heartbreak Hill, at mile 22, my quads said, “Had enough. Don’t want to do this anymore.” It was a struggle. I forced myself to keep on pace. When I made that left turn onto Boylston Street—the finish line street—the sound of the crowd was deafening. I felt the energy. It almost seemed like the street was vibrating. I sped up. Passed people.  

Once you cross the line, they have you walk several blocks, so the runners crossing the finish line don’t cause a bottleneck. Someone gave me a bottle of water. Someone else gave me a space blanket. That night, we joined other marathoners at The Black Rose, a local Irish pub for a post-marathon tradition. We all wore our medals. It felt very ‘Boston.’ 

Q: It was your first trip to Boston. What were the highlights?  

TA: We arrive several days before the marathon to explore Boston. We went to a lot of great restaurants and ate a lot of delicious Italian food! Those people in Boston know how to eat. We ate a lot of pasta and salads every day before the race. On race day, I wasn’t hungry. The day after the race, we had lobster rolls. 

Our hotel was right on Boston Harbor very near to the Boston Tea Party Museum. We walked everywhere. Never took a taxi. Boston Commons was beautiful. We walked along part of the Freedom Trail. We saw the Paul Revere statue near Old North Church.   

Q: Will you run the Boston Marathon again? 

TA: For me, it’s a one-and-done experience. It’s quite costly: airfare, meals, and hotel for five nights.  

Q: What’s next for you?  

TA: Three of us have qualified for the New York City Marathon, and we hope to run in November 2024. I’ve never been to New York and have only seen it in movies and TV. The route starts on Staten Island and you run through all five boroughs. The race ends in Central Park in Manhattan. My friend, Anita, tells me that the New York Marathon is not as difficult as the Boston Marathon.  

Q: What advice would you offer to someone who would like to start running, but doesn’t know where to begin?  

TA: It’s never too late. I was in my 40s when I started running and doing triathlons. I got involved through my gym. Find a running group or a running club that has running events. I got my advice from people I met at the gym. Start small. Jog and walk to build up your endurance and lung capacity. I only know one or two people who run alone. I need friends to hold me accountable to do a 15-mile run at 7:30 in the morning. I have lifetime friends from running. It’s been an amazing experience.  

The Clark Aerospace team launched its rocket, Little Penguin, at Spaceport America Cup competition in Las Cruces, New Mexico in June. It is the world’s largest IREC (Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition) for student rocketry teams.  

Nearly 6,000 rocketeers on 158 teams hailing from 24 countries competed at Spaceport. Clark College was the only community college accepted to participate in the competition.  

Xiunu “Sophie” Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Director of Clark Aerospace Program, shared the team’s video with college staff in an email: “I’m excited to share a brief video that showcases the Clark Aerospace rocket team’s incredible journey to the 2023 Spaceport America Cup competition. This video provides a glimpse into our experience at the event and offers valuable insights into our participation.”  

• Watch the team’s video about their experience at Spaceport America Cup Competition here. 
• Read an earlier Clark 24/7 News story about the team’s rocket test launch in April here.  

Fall and winter: Building the rocket 

In October 2022, a team of six Clark students, an advisor, and a mentor was organized by the Clark Aerospace program to build a rocket for the 2023 Spaceport America Cup. 

Clark College Aerospace rocket team: 

• Students Tyler James Lawrence, Samuel Remus Banceu, Ethan Lloyd Walters, Vyacheslav Timofeyevich Lukiyanchuk, Osvaldo Monroy, and Vee Dunn 
• Mentor Jack Caynon, who guided and supported the team from beginning to end 
• Xiunu “Sophie” Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Director of the Clark Aerospace Program 

Rocket specs: 

• Name: “Little Penguin” 
• Length: 114 inches  
• Diameter: 5 inches 
• Weight: 39 pounds without a motor 

The team spent about six months building the rocket for the competition. After several flight test failures and rebuilds, eventually, they had a rocket ready for the competition. 

Spring: Test flight 

Every spring, the college’s Aerospace program travels to the scrappy sagebrush landscape of Brothers, Oregon, a premier launch site for high-altitude rocket projects, 40 miles east of Bend to launch their rockets in test flights. 

Clark Aerospace launched their rocket, dubbed “Little Penguin” on April 28 using an M1845 motor. According to the team’s simulations, the rocket with that motor could potentially reach a high point of about 16,000 feet (called “apogee” in rocket lingo).  

Little Penguin launched—and reached an apogee of about 12,000 feet, but the team quickly lost sight of it. Several hours later, the team located their rocket 11 miles from the launch site. It was banged up and hadn’t held up as well as they’d hoped. 

Dr. Lin said, “After the flight test at Brothers, we had to rebuild some parts of the rocket to make it stronger.” 

Spaceport America’s Cup 

Day 1 (June 18), Arrival:  

Clark Aerospace team flew to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and checked in at Spaceport. One Clark Aerospace student observed: “It was thrilling to finally meet so many young rocketeers who share the same passion and dream we have about space and technology.” 

Day 2, Project Presentation:  

Clark Aerospace showcased their rocket at Las Cruces Convention Center. The team’s rocket attracted much attention. Next, the team took their rocket through the flight safety review. Eventually, they were granted permission to fly the following day. 

The night before the launch, students worked in the garage of the Airbnb house to correct some minor issues identified during the flight safety review. Together, they prepared the rocket for the next day’s launch. 

Day 3, Scheduled Launch Day:  

Students worked on the rocket to earn the opportunity to launch the rocket on the first day and accumulate more points. They took the rocket to the flight readiness safety inspection, where the launch control officer reviewed their rocket. It passed the final safety check. They were cleared to take their rocket to the launch site.  

Unfortunately, strong winds picked up in the late afternoon. All launch events were suspended. Little Penguin would have to wait another day to fly. 

Day 4, Second Launch Day:  

The students awoke at 3 a.m. and lined up at the gate of the launch site at 6 a.m. Building their rocket in the early morning light, Clark Aerospace was in the first group of teams to set up the tent and work on their rockets. 

One student said, “We were trying all we could to earn an edge to compete with the four-year universities. There is not much difference between us and the students from four-year universities, as long as we are willing to work as hard, or even harder than them.” 

Just like the previous day, they lined up for the flight readiness safety inspection. They were given the green light to take their rocket to the vertical launch site, where they set up their rocket. Then they settled into the bleachers to watch Little Penguin fly. 

The launch site announcer said: “We’re looking at Clark College. This is a community college. It’s good to see community colleges participate. You don’t have to be a major Division 1 school. You just need students who have the passion and interest, a little bit of support from the community and the school. Clark Aerospace is launching from Pad B3. Skies are clear. LCO (launch control officer) is counting it down. Launching in 5-4-3-2-1!” 

The rocket lifted up. For this flight, the team had attached an M1419 motor. The rocket reached an apogee of 8,529 feet. Little Penguin was recovered about 200 feet away from the launchpad, a new record for the rocket team. 

Dr. Lin said, “Our program’s projects offer a valuable chance for students to voluntarily step up and take on responsibility, enabling them to delve deeper into their true potential and explore the possibilities of who they can become.” 

Spaceport America Cup by the numbers: 

• 5,913 rocketeers participating 
• 158 teams 
• 1,329 (22%) of participants were women  
• Students hailed from 24 countries on 6 continents  
  (Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Nepal, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States) 

Next challenge: Spaceport 2024 

The next challenge for Clark Aerospace: Building their project to compete in the next Spaceport America Cup competition in June 2024. The team plans to make their own motor, build a six-inch diameter rocket, and compete in the SRAD (Student Researched and Designed) 10,000-foot category.  

Interested in joining? 

Clark Aerospace is looking for interested Clark students to join them. No prior experience with rockets is required.  

Clark’s Aerospace Club actively participates in science, technology, engineering, and math-based experiential project/aerospace design competitions, and students also attend launch events, museums, and aerospace-related activities. 

To learn more: Email clarkaerospace1@gmail.com 

Clark’s food pantry for students marks its fifth anniversary in July. Penguin Pantry had a soft opening on July 24, 2017, and an official grand opening on October 25, 2017.  

Penguin Pantry supports a healthy college community by reducing hunger and food insecurity on campus and connecting students with essential resources. Over the past five years, the pantry has become an important resource to help Clark College students stay on the path to graduation. The global pandemic, inflation, and skyrocketing prices have created more barriers for students trying to stay in school and complete their degree.  

Director of Student Life Sarah Gruhler, who supervises Penguin Pantry, says it is helping to ease the financial burden of students.  

“The Penguin Pantry was created to address student hunger at Clark,” said Gruhler. “The goal is to provide support for students’ basic needs and serve as a bridge to campus and community resources. We want students to persist to graduation and goal completion – and know the pantry can help with this.” 

Increasing Needs 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, food banks nationwide have witnessed sharp increases in the number of people facing food insecurity and accessing emergency food aid. This correlates to significant increases in the cost of food, housing, fuel, and utilities. 

• Clark County Food Bank reported an increase in food insecurity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Clark County Food Bank provided food to more than 23 percent of the population of Clark County.  
• In 2021, 40% of students at community and technical colleges nationwide were food insecure, according to the Seattle-based nonprofit organization Northwest Harvest.   
• In 2017 when the Penguin Pantry opened, almost half of Clark’s student body was classified as lower income, according to data from the college’s Office of Planning & Effectiveness 
• In 2018, campus-wide surveys indicated that 43% of Clark students were low-income and 23% had dependent children. 

Any currently enrolled Clark College student may access pantry services simply by filling out an online form on MyClark@Clark. Food is distributed once per month, usually on the last Tuesday of the month. 

Before the pandemic, students shopped for food by walking into the Penguin Pantry inside the Penguin Union Building. But the COVID pandemic changed the delivery model to a no-contact, seamless curbside pickup system on the side of Gaiser Hall off Fort Vancouver Way. That delivery method continues today. Students make appointments to pick up their food, pull their car into the lot, pop their trunk, and staff and volunteers load the food box into the trunk. 

Penguin Pantry Q & A with Sarah Gruhler 

Q: How much food does Penguin Pantry distribute during an academic year? 

 During the 2022-23 academic year the pantry has served:  

• 511 Individual students
• 1,863 family members of students  
• 1,243 boxes of food distributed 
• 28,630 pounds of food distributed 

SG: Each month the pantry also offers a bonus item – either toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and deodorant), laundry soap, or toilet paper and a gift card to Fred Meyer or Safeway. 

Q: What are the most popular items? 

SG: The items we hear most about are our bonus items like laundry soap and gift cards. Students express a lot of thanks for those items. 

Q: Where does Penguin Pantry get its food?  

SG: Thanks to donations from community partners, we purchase shelf-stable items from Costco and get supplemental items as we can from Clark County Food Bank. 

Q: Is the pantry paid for by donations? 

SG: Yes. Other than staffing, Penguin Pantry is supported by donations. Faculty and staff are our main contributors, through monthly contributions and during our annual Thanksgiving meal drive. Anyone can donate via Clark College Foundation. 

Upcoming Penguin Pantry distribution: 

• Tuesday, August 29 
• Tuesday, October 24 

How students can request a monthly pre-packaged food box: 

1. Log into MyClark@Clark 

2. Look for the “Penguin Pantry Order Form” located in the right navigation list under Get Started 

3. Fill out the form completely and submit 

4. You will receive a confirmation email with your food box pick-up date and time.  

If students need immediate assistance with food, housing and/or other basic needs, please visit the following Clark County community resources: 

Clark County Food Bank 

Council for the Homeless 

How to donate to Penguin Pantry 

• Online: Give online with Clark College Foundation’s online giving form and choose ‘Penguin Pantry’ from the drop-down menu.  
• By mail: Mail your check/money order to: Clark College, Attn: Cashier’s Office (PUB 153), 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. Write the check to “Clark College” and write “Penguin Pantry” in the comments area. 

Learn more at https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/penguinpantry/index.php 

You scream. I scream. We all scream for ice cream! 

Clark College Executive Council took turns wheeling the ice cream cart around campus to deliver free ice cream treats to all staff on Monday, July 10, as we kick off the first day of the summer term.  

All the childhood favorites were represented: Popsicles, drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches, Fruit & Freeze bars, Toll House cookie ice cream sandwiches. For those who avoid dairy, like DJ Scates in the Office of Instruction, there were nondairy fruit-flavored Popsicles. 

Despite cloudy skies, some raindrops, and cooler temperatures, staff emerged from their offices to enjoy a cold, sweet treat and to chat with colleagues.  

Clark President Dr. Karin Edwards wrote to staff: “It was great to see so many of you today as Executive Cabinet made our way across campus, pushing an ice cream cart, sharing gratitude and sweet treats, and celebrating the start of a new term. We greeted Welding students, participants of Girls Inc., tutors, deans, staff, and faculty from various departments, and ended our tour at the Child and Family Center.” 

A good time was had by all. 

Summer Term 2023 

On July 10, the first day of the summer term, we welcomed 1,897 new and continuing students, including: 

• 76 bachelor’s degree-seeking students 
• 22 international students 
• 33 Running Start students 

We anticipate summer enrollment to continue to increase as students finalize their registration by the July 18 deadline. Many thanks to all who helped our students register and prepare for their summer classes. 

Dr. Edwards added, “Wherever they are in their education journey, I’m inspired by the continued dedication and persistence of our students. Thank you to our faculty and staff for your critical role in helping our students succeed.” 

Clark College hosted its first-ever Healthcare Pathways Camp for more than 70 local middle and high school students on June 21-23. There was no cost for any students to participate in the camp. Funding for the camp was provided by Guided Pathways, Clark College Foundation, and Career Connect Washington. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks were provided, along with a Clark T-shirt.

Classes and activities took place on Clark’s main campus and in the Clark College Building at Washington State University Vancouver which houses the majority of Clark’s healthcare programs. Students participated in hands-on healthcare and teambuilding activities with Clark professors and staff, current students, and recent graduates. Each group of campers was teamed up with a Clark student ambassador who is successfully pursuing a degree and could offer advice about becoming a college student.

Learning by doing

Each student camper had the opportunity to experience all of Clark’s healthcare programs:

• Dental Hygiene
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
• Health Information Management and Medical Billing and Coding
• Medical Assisting
• Nursing
• Pharmacy Technician
• Phlebotomy Tech

“We’re really getting an opportunity to showcase all of Clark’s healthcare programs by providing hands-on experiences with our professors,” said Professor Olga Lyubar, lead organizer of the camp. She is the department head for Clark’s Health Information Management program. “It’s about opening up their minds to consider their future path. Many of these students are just starting to think about what they want to do in their careers.”

Just a week after Ellie Wetzel, above second from right, graduated from Clark’s two-year pharmacy technician program, she stood in the pharmacy tech lab and taught a group of middle and high school students how to count pill blanks. As they worked, students asked her questions.

A student looked up from counting and asked, “When you go to a pharmacy, which person helps people at the counter?”

Ellie answered, “The person at the pharmacy counter is the pharmacy technician, like me. We count the pills and help customers. Then the pharmacist checks our work before we dispense them.”

That led to a discussion about Clark’s pharmacy tech program and career opportunities in the field.

All around the lab, students completed other tasks including drawing up immunizations and compounding a suspension.

Professor Heidi Fay, above right, lead instructor of the Pharmacy Technician program, led the students in compounding a simulated ointment made from unsweetened cocoa powder and petroleum jelly. The students used spatulas with long blades to mix the two ingredients and smooth them into the ointment. The smell of chocolate wafted over the counter where students worked.

A student who was compounding the ointment commented,” Smells like chocolate. Can I taste it?”

Professor Fay replied, “No. It’s unsweetened cocoa and Vaseline. It will not taste good.” The student accepted her answer and kept working.

“I was thrilled to be able to offer so many students the opportunity to see what different pharmacy technician tasks look like,” said Professor Fay. “We often think of pharmacy technicians as only ‘counting pills,’ but pharmacy technicians can complete a wide variety of tasks and work in so many different pharmacy settings. I felt great leaving the camp knowing students were able to learn more about this important healthcare career.”

Down the hall in the phlebotomy lab, Professor Lori Anderson sat next to a student and guided him in inserting a needle into a vein on a simulated arm. Throughout the process, she offered instruction and encouragement.

As the class ended and students prepared to leave, Professor Anderson asked, “Thank you for joining us. So, what do you think about phlebotomy? Is it something you might want to do? I hope it will help you determine your career path. Working in phlebotomy is a great stepping stone to other healthcare careers and a great way to support yourself while you’re going to school.”

In the medical assisting lab, some students were working on applying temporary casts while others removed surgical staples from an artificial arm and practiced taking vital signs.

Professor Sarah Kuzera, above right, observed a student applying temporary casting material around another student’s forearm. Then Professor Kuzera asked the “patient” to straighten out her fingers. She pointed out the importance of leaving the fingers free to not hinder blood circulation and to allow the patient to have use of their fingers.

As Professor Kuzera watched a student holding temporary casting material under a faucet, she advised, “That’s way too wet! Squeeze out the water and it will work better.”

She explained that graduates of Clark’s medical assisting program have an impressive job placement rate. She credits this to the program’s thorough hands-on training, including a required 160-hour clinical externship.

In the Nursing simulation lab, groups of students gathered around Siman, an interactive, programmable patient to learn about when and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Another group of students gathered around beds and performed wound care on other simulated patients.

Nursing Professor Bo Li observed, “Some students are really curious. They want to know all the details about the pathway to becoming a nurse.”

On the final day of camp, panelists from the community who currently are working in healthcare fields offered at Clark College talked about their education, why they chose their field, and what a typical work day looks like.

Then students attended workshops focused on how to apply to college, career choices, financial aid, and how to succeed in college.

Clark College plans to host Healthcare Pathways Camp again next year.

The healthcare industry continues to be a top employer in SW Washington in terms of number of jobs and growth potential,” said Rhianna Johnson, director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships. “At the heart of Guided Pathways is the goal of helping students successfully navigate the journey that leads to high-wage, in-demand careers that will support economic mobility and long-term job security.

 Guided Pathways funding supports opportunities like the Healthcare Pathways Camp to ensure that all potential students have access to information and experiences that will help them make positive career choices and challenge stereotypes about who can benefit from jobs in the healthcare field.”

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Local high school students and some first-year Clark College students were immersed in hands-on experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields during Clark’s STEM Pathways Camp on June 26 and 27 on the main campus. There was no cost for any students to participate in the camp, which was funded by Guided Pathways and Clark College Foundation.  

Each student had the opportunity to experience six different activities: 

• Bioplastics and Green Chemistry Design-Thinking 
• Compass, Pacing and Triangles (Surveying and Geomatics) 
• Thinking Embedded 
• Intelligent Transportation Design (Automotive Technology) 
• Native Bees (Biology) 
• 3D Printing (Engineering) 

Hands-on learning 

Students participated in hands-on STEM activities with college professors.  

In front of the STEM building, biology professors Steven Clark and Christine Gregor directed students as they conducted bee surveys in the Bee Garden. In groups of three, students walked a 200-foot transect and counted all the native bees and honeybees they could find. Above: holding a clipboard, Mel Lopez, who recently completed her first year at Clark College, teamed up with Isaiah Weatherspoon and Caleb Wrede. Both will be juniors at Mountain View High School in the fall. Peering into the wildflower blossoms, they looked closely for bees—and spotted a Bombus. Mel marked it on their tally sheet. 

Each group of STEM campers had two MESA mentors, current Clark students who are successfully pursuing a STEM degree and who can advise high school students about getting started on a college path. 

“The MESA mentors are an integral part of STEM camp,” said Professor Carol Hsu. “The high school students can look to the mentor as someone who is succeeding at college and has chosen a career path.” 

Dr. Steven Clark said, “Two of the strategies to attract and support MESA students are to enhance engagement and to help students have a realistic expectation of what college work is like. The Bee Survey did both. It’s a fun, engaging activity but it also is what is required of biology majors at Clark.  The STEM camp students did a great job with their sharp eyes and their enthusiasm to find even the tiniest native bees. One group found a leafcutter bee carrying a cut flower petal into her nest—a very impressive sighting. Another group caught a native bee that was so small that it squeezed through the tiny air hole to escape from our viewing jar! It was the size of a grain of cooked rice!” 

In addition to engaging in hands-on learning activities, the camp also provided students with free Clark College T-shirts plus breakfast, lunch and snacks.  

The STEM camp was created in collaboration with the college’s Guided Pathways initiative, led by Rhianna Johnson, director of Guided Pathways Partnerships. 

“Career exploration is a critical component of the Guided Pathways model,” said Johnson. “For students to begin a career pathway, they need opportunities to learn about the many options available and to gain exposure to industries that they may not be familiar with. Research shows that different demographics receive disparate levels of career guidance and exposure, based on a number of factors that can create equity gaps related to pursuing high wage, in-demand programs.” 

Clark faculty and staff spread the word about the camp via social media and by contacting nonprofits that work with youth, including Girls Inc. and iUrban Teen. Johnson already is making a plan to reach more students to attend next year’s camp. 

She added, “The STEM camp was invaluable for showing students what career opportunities are available in STEM fields. Planting that seed.” 

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish