Are you a writer? Working on a book, sci-fi, or a screenplay? Do you dabble in poetry? Do you like being around other writers, and hearing about their craft? Excited about book launches or creating comics? If yes, there’s a week of literary events at Clark in May that you might enjoy!

The English department at Clark College hosts an inaugural Creative Writing Festival from May 6-11. The event, which is free and open to the public, features activities geared for writers at all levels. The festival allows writers to immerse themselves in literary workshops and readings by renowned authors.

The festival concludes with the annual Clark Spring Creative Writing Workshop on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of workshops for writers.

All events will be in the Penguin Union Building (PUB) on Clark College’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Directions and maps are available online.

Creative Writing Festival Schedule

Monday, May 6

Writing from Lived Experience: A reading & conversation with author Peyton Marshall [event listing with more information]
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Penguin Union Building (PUB) 258B 

Tuesday, May 7

Exit Black Book Release Party: A reading and celebration in honor of Clark English professor Joe Pitkin’s new sci-fi novel 
10:00–11:00 a.m.
Cannell Library (LIB) 101

Wednesday, May 8

Create Your Own Comic: A hands-on workshop led by Clark Art professor Grant Hottle
12:00–2:00 p.m.
Cannell Library (LIB) 101

Thursday, May 9

The Swift Release Party: Student readings and a celebration in honor of the 2nd edition of Clark’s student-run literary journal [event listing with more information]
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161

English Department Awards Ceremony
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161

Friday, May 10

Yoga for Creativity: A free yoga class focused on connecting the mind & body to nourish creativity [event listing with more information]
10:00–11:00 a.m.
Penguin Union Building (PUB) 258B

Saturday, May 11

Spring Writing Workshop: A full day of writing workshops, readings, and community building – with free lunch, coffee, and pastries! Please sign up for this event at bit.ly/writing-24  
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Penguin Union Building (PUB)

May 11 Spring Writing Workshop Schedule

Join us for a day filled with imagination and inspiration at the Penguin Union Bldg (PUB), Clark College. This in-person event is a fantastic opportunity for writers of all levels to come together, share their work, and learn from talented authors. Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or just starting your writing journey, this festival has something for you. Immerse yourself in workshops and readings by renowned authors. Don’t miss out on this incredible gathering of literary minds. Mark your calendars and get ready to unleash your creativity at the Clark Creative Writing Festival! Read on for visiting author bios and workshop descriptions!

Workshop Descriptions:

STEPHANIE ADAMS-SANTOS, “Dreamscape of the Altar” “You must give birth to your images.” — Rilke Through a blend of guided meditation and writing prompts, we will work to nurture a fertile soil for receiving sacred imagery from the depths of the psyche. Delving into the mysterious terrains of embodied inner life, we’ll explore the concept of an interior altar, using active imagination to connect with unconscious symbols and dreams. This process serves as a pathway to delve more deeply into our own creative material. Note: We will be working on the floor for part of the workshop, though this portion can be adjusted to accommodate any body; all materials provided.

LISA BULLARD, “Opening Another Door: Symbolism in Poetry” Symbolism opens the door for a poet to say more with fewer words, and a striking symbol adds depth and intrigue to a poem. In this workshop, we will look at models of how others have used symbols and create symbols of our own. The workshop will be group oriented: the more brains, the better! We’ll have fun and play with words.

EMILY CHENOWETH, “Disruption and Change in Character, Setting, and Plot” “There are only two plots in all of literature—a person goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town.” So said celebrated writing teacher John Gardner (supposedly). Whether Gardner’s right is up for debate, but Arrivals and Departures are classic literary tropes for good reason. In this generative workshop, we’ll consider the three pillars of character, setting, and plot, and craft short prose pieces that have disruption and change at their heart.

MICHAEL GUERRA, “Tangible Objects: Developing an Inner Life for Your Character” This workshop will focus on the life of tangible objects that often define and shape our lives. Through this process of developing an inner life for our characters, we will discover patterns for shaping both knowns and unknowns that motivate our characters and push our stories in ways we never thought possible.

DEBRA GWARTNEY, “Who is Telling Your Story?” In this workshop, we will explore the role of the “I” in memoir writing. Both the “I” involved in the action, and the “I” remembering and reflecting upon the event at the center of your narrative. This “dual-I” is where the tension in memoir lives, and where readers engage and connect. Come prepared to write and, if you wish, to talk about the challenges of turning yourself into a character on the page.

HR HEGNAUER, “Judge a Book by Its Cover” It could be said that the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” seems to overlook the significant impact of book design. In this workshop, we’ll dive into key aspects of book design, covering topics such as cover design, interior layout, paper selection, printing methods, and the integration of eBook design. We’ll also envision our own future book covers, looking at your design ideas alongside logistical considerations.

SARA JAFFE, “Starting with Image: A Prose Workshop” What is an image? While conventionally defined as a visual representation or description, an image in writing can activate many senses at once. Transcending mere detail, an image electrifies and swirls up from the page, announcing to the reader that they are in this language-world and none other. In the words of cartoonist and writer Lynda Barry, “[An image is] alive in the way thinking is not, but experiencing is, made of both memory and imagination.” Because so much meaning and sensation accrues to them, images can be terrific starting points for works of fiction and creative nonfiction. In this workshop, we’ll mine our own personal image-banks for generative material, and work together to effectively bring the power of the image to the page.

MEREDITH KIRKWOOD, “Unexpected Arrivals: Writing Surprising Images” A poem is a series of departures and arrivals. A poet takes the reader to one image, then departs to another. Sometimes the reader arrives at the place they expected, but at its best, poetry can surprise—can take us to places the reader (and writer!) never anticipated. Those places offer us a sense of mystery and weirdness, a glimpse into other modes of consciousness and ways of being. This workshop offers tools for getting our poetry from the ordinary and predictable into some of those other places. Using as a guide the poem “4 Stars” by Oregon Poet Laureate and recent Columbia Writers Series guest Anis Mojgani, participants will write a poem by combining fragments of memory in unexpected ways. Then they will exchange images to create an even weirder, more surprising poem. Finally, they will try to break all the rules of grammar they can to arrive at unknown poetic terrain.

JOE PITKIN, “From Margins to the Center: How to Use Duotrope to Get Connected to Publishers” Do you have a story that you are proud of but have no idea how to get it published? Are you wondering what kinds of magazines and podcasts would be open to publishing your work? This session will explore how the online tool Duotrope can be used to get connected to publishers and agents!

MATHIAS SVALINA, “Writing with Dream Logic” Dreams cohere & dissolve in the same event; in this way the logics of dreams relate to the logics of emotional overwhelm & to the logics of the mass hallucinations of history or culture. This workshop will explore dream logic as a conscious & intentional writing tool, a writing strategy to employ to arrive at writerly truths beyond the rational. We will discuss the fugitive rationality in nonsense & the profundity in silliness as we look at some writers’ use of dream logics, & the forms & rhetorics of how we tell others our dreams. We will write to explore dream logic in narrative, lyric, & personal writing. The goals are to generate work that both bewilders & intimately engages the reader & writer alike.

PAULS TOUTONGHI, “Intention and Obstacle: The Use of a Time-Based Goal to Give Your Story Urgency” Fiction writers often struggle with plot—or at least the idea of plot. Writing can come from a place of deep imagination, which is often not harnessed to any kind of mechanical apparatus. In fact, the imagination—a dreamworld—often specifically resists thinking in terms of timeline and story container. We will work to open stories that have a clear sense of urgency or, if it’s missing, think about ways to get this urgency in existing stories.

CLAIRE VAYE WATKINS, “Writing Life and Death: How to Raise the Stakes of a Story” This workshop will be a generative session on how to raise the stakes in your story.

Upstairs in Joan Stout Hall, a group of high school students in the Network Technology and Cybersecurity lab faced an enormous and intimidating network devices wall. Each student held a wire and awaited instruction from professors Dwight Hughes and Giga Alqeeq, who guided them in learning how to connect personal computers to network devices. During the hands-on activity, students learned how vulnerable computer communications are to interception by hackers.

These students were among about 350 high school students from 9^th through 12^th grades who explored degrees and programs at the Clark College CTE Showcase, a career pathways event on Clark’s main campus on April 23. This year, 21 high schools in seven Clark County school districts participated in the Career and Technical Programs Showcase funded by Guided Pathways. Participating schools outside of Clark County were Stevenson High School (Skamania County), Trout Lake High School (Klickitat County), and Mossyrock High School (Lewis County).

Cole Timpone, Clark admissions recruiter who coordinated the event, said, “I have personally spoken with countless students who are now enrolled at Clark, in large part thanks to their experiences at last year’s CTE Showcase, and the connections they made that day with Clark faculty and staff. Building upon last year’s success, this year’s event was even larger.”

Exploring Career Pathways

Each high school student chose two workshops to attend from a list of 24 offerings, including observing CTE classes in action. These included various allied health programs, Automotive Technology, Addiction Counselor Education/Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Services, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Phlebotomy, Surveying and Geomatics, Engineering, Cybersecurity and Network Technology, Digital Media Arts, Cuisine Management, Early Childhood Education and Professional Baking and Pastry Arts and more.

Workshops in Gaiser Hall included financial aid and scholarships, admissions, career exploration, Running Start, and more.

All over campus, high school students met Clark faculty, learned about specific programs, experienced demonstrations, and participated in hands-on activities.

Diesel Technology: After leading students on a tour of the Diesel Technology shop, Professor Jeff Rush talked about his own career and encouraged them to consider a career in Diesel Technology, a trade that pays a living wage and has attracted many women: “There are many women in the industry. I have made from $55 per hour up to $160,000 a year working in this field. There is so much opportunity for upward mobility.”

Welding Technology: Professor Wade Hausinger led students around the welding facility where Clark students welded and worked on projects. Hausinger encouraged students to consider a welding career. “Welding is everywhere. You can go anywhere in the world to get a job. Industry people need more welders. Clark students are being hired and making $34.95 per hour to start. That’s $72,000 a year.” He added, “One of my students just got a job at Vigor Industrial.”

Cuisine Management: Wielding metal tongs, Chef Earl Frederick stood on the patio outside McClaskey Culinary Institute, where high school students were gathered in front of him. As Frederick grilled zucchini slices and veggie kebabs for the students, he talked about the program’s depth and opportunities for hands-on real-world experience: “We want you to be able to work in any kitchen. There is plenty of opportunity.” The students asked questions, and then eagerly sampled the grilled veggies.

Similar presentations played out all around campus as high school students explored potential career paths.

“An important component of the Guided Pathways model is assisting students with identifying and beginning a career pathway,” said Rhianna Johnson, director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships. “Events like the CTE Showcase expose students to different career fields and support them in exploring their options. It is important that students understand that there are multiple different ways to ‘do’ college, including shorter career technical education programs that lead directly to the workforce, along with transfer degree pathways.”

After the workshops and lunch, students attended a resource fair where 20 Clark departments and offices shared their programs and services with the students and educators. During the resource fair, high school students filled out scavenger hunt cards asking questions about the programs and student support services they had learned about. Students who submitted their completed cards were eligible to win a Clark College Bookstore gift card.

Timpone summed up the event: “It’s one thing to hear about the different program options available at Clark College and the careers that they prepare students for, but at the heart of the CTE Showcase is the opportunity for students to participate in hands-on activities that allow them to try out these programs for themselves.”

Participating High Schools

• Battle Ground: Battle Ground High School, Prairie High School, Summit View High School
• Camas: Discovery High School, Hayes Freedom High School
• Evergreen: Evergreen High School, Heritage High School, Legacy High School, Mountain View High School
• Hockinson: Hockinson High School
• Ridgefield: Ridgefield High School
• Vancouver: Columbia River High School, Fort Vancouver High School, Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School, Hudson’s Bay High School, Skyview High School, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics
• Washougal: Washougal High School
• Klickitat County: Trout Lake High School
• Lewis County: Mossyrock High School
• Skamania County: Stevenson High School

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Clark College pre-nursing student Nushi Alam shared her story with Clark students, faculty, and staff at the Spring Student of Color Luncheon on April 16. The free event is presented each term by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Multicultural Student Affairs. The purpose of the student luncheons is to allow students and employees to hear inspiring stories, connect with faculty, and meet new friends, consider different career paths, and identify community resources and potential mentors.

Alam is involved in Clark’s student government and is the Associated Students of Clark College student relations and promotions coordinator.

Before she was born, Alam’s parents immigrated from Bangladesh in South Asia to Vancouver, Washington. She was born and raised in Clark County, where people of color are in the minority.

“There is a lack of a South Asian community here,” she said. “It is predominantly white.”

All through school she rarely had anyone in her classes who looked like her. She did not know anyone else in school whose parents were from Bangladesh. Throughout grade school, middle school, and high school, she knew maybe five other students who were Muslim. She was different.

As a girl, she learned Bangladeshi dancing. When her family attended mosque or Bangladeshi weddings, they dressed in traditional clothing.

“I used to be embarrassed wearing my traditional clothing in public after mosque,” she said.

While Alam’s classmates focused on getting a tan during the summer, her skin already was darker than theirs.

She said, “I grew up with Mom telling me, ‘Don’t go out in the sun too long. You’re going to get darker.’”

“But what’s wrong with dark?” Alam posed to the crowd. She added, “Regardless of how you look, regardless of beauty standards in America, you are beautiful.”

Experiencing microaggressions

Growing up in Vancouver, Alam has experienced prejudice, microaggressions, and rude comments from classmates and even from strangers. More times than she can count, she has been asked where she is from.

Her reply: “Here. I was born and raised in Vancouver.”

But often, the person has not accepted her answer and asked, “Where are you really from?”

She added, “Almost weekly, someone tries to tell me who I am.”

People often assume she is from India. Recently, she was at the beach with a friend when another girl told her, “Oh, you’re Indian!”

A coworker at a past job told her she was Pakistani “because Bangladesh was part of Pakistan like 100 years ago,” she said.

During the luncheon, Alam defined microaggressions as normally unintentional behaviors or comments that convey negative or discriminatory attitudes towards marginalized groups.

She gave some examples of microaggressions she and other people of color have experienced:

• “Where are you really from?”
• “I love how your hair feels!”
• “You’re so exotic.”
• Assumptions about how a group of people smell
• Assuming all South Asians are doctors, engineers, internet technology professionals, etc.
• Asking if you have a nickname because your real name is “too hard to pronounce.”

Alam said, “Nushi is my nickname. I love my nickname. It’s what my family has always called me.”

How stereotypes have affected her life: “The concept of intelligence. I took really hard classes, and people assumed I was smart. Yes, in my household, I am expected to do very well (in my classes), but don’t assume that all South Asians are smart.”

Assumptions about dating: “In South Asian cultures, dating is almost nonexistent. People assume I will date within my own race—and only date someone who looks like me.”

On showing her emotions in front of her parents: “Crying is not a thing. If you cry, you will be considered weak. You can’t show emotions or be upset.”

Alam’s creative outlets for coping: “I tend to go to my friends to vent. It is good to let those emotions out.”

Her advice on how to be an ally:

• “Stay educated. Be open-minded. If you are researching a culture or country that you know little about, look at several sources.”
• “If you have friends who are people of color, ask them questions, but do it respectfully.”
• “You can learn from media (books, movies, TV, YouTube, and more), but don’t rely wholly on media to learn about a culture.”

Alam spoke about the importance of representation, of being visible, being seen, and feeling appreciated and empowered. It has not been easy finding characters in media who look like her and have similar backgrounds and experiences. Then she discovered a Netflix series titled “Never Have I Ever” that features a South Asian young woman as a main character.

“I was excited to find a show about someone who looks like me,” she said.

Alam recommends these stories that feature South Asian characters:

• The Henna Wars a young adult novel by Adiba Jaigirdar
• Never Have I Ever Netflix series, four seasons
• Bridgerton season 2 on Netflix
• Mean Girls (2024) movie produced by Paramount Pictures

Learn more social equity definitions

Find more social equity definitions on the Clark College Equity Centered Strategic Plan here.

Clark College’s 2024 Sakura Festival on Thursday, April 25 will honor the historic ties of friendship between the sister cities of Vancouver, Washington, and Joyo, Japan. The free community event underneath a canopy of cherry blossoms is presented by Clark College, the city of Vancouver, and Vancouver Rotary.

Opening remarks begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, located next to Beacock Music Hall on Clark’s main campus. In case of inclement weather, the event will be inside the Gaiser Student Center.

Schedule

• 12:50 p.m. Koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai
• 1:10 p.m. Greetings from Dr. Karin Edwards
• 1:15 p.m. Greetings from City of Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle
• 1:22 p.m. Greetings from Mr. Yuzo Yoshioka Consul General
• 1:25 p.m. Greetings from Clark College student, Daniel Wall
• 1:28 p.m. Clark College Treble Ensemble performance
• 1:40 p.m. Guests walk through the Japanese garden and up to Gaiser Student Center
• 2:30 p.m. The celebration continues in Gaiser Student Center with a performance by Oregon Koto-Kai, Haiku reading by Clark College Japanese Club, a martial art demonstration, and an art share by children enrolled in the Child and Family Studies program. There will be a variety of cultural displays and demonstration tables around the room. Hand-painted cherry blossom cookies will be provided by the college’s Professional Baking & Pastry Arts students.
• 3:30 p.m. Event ends

History of Sakura Festival at Clark College: More than 25 years ago, the City of Vancouver received a gift of friendship: 100 Shirofugen cherry trees. They were planted at Clark College, creating an enduring reminder of the bonds between our region and Japan. Over the years, those trees have grown and blossomed—as has that friendship, creating traditions like the establishment in 1995 of a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo, Japan, and our annual Sakura Festival, begun in 2006.

Learn more about the history of the Sakura Festival.

Spring Welcome Week kicked off on Monday, April 8. Students returning to campus for spring term were greeted by blossoming trees and flowers—and a plethora of Clark staff members volunteering at information tables inside buildings around campus. Helpful volunteers answered students’ questions, offered directions, provided campus maps and more. These information tables were successful in helping students feel welcomed by the many staff and faculty who volunteered to help Clark students.

Warmer, dry weather invited students to gather outside to sit on benches or walk the paths around campus, and particularly to view and take photos of the blooming cherry trees. Inside Gaiser Hall, students congregated in their favorite gathering spots to catch up with friends and classmates.

Student Involvement Fair

Gaiser Student Center bustled with activity as students, staff, and faculty gathered for Clark’s Spring Term Involvement Fair on April 10. Students stopped at the tables that filled the hall to ask questions and to learn more about the college’s support services, student clubs, and programs.

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 Student Involvement Fair, which is held during the first week of every quarter, is an excellent way for students—particularly new students—to learn more about these programs, services, and opportunities. Standing at the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion table, Rosalba Pitkin offered flyers and information about the Students of Color Luncheon, Noche de Familia, and other upcoming events. At the Counseling and Health Center table, students could learn about free health and counseling services and the center’s new sensory room, which has been popular among students.

At Clark’s ASCC student government table, student leaders answered students’ questions and shared information about getting involved with student government. Students stopped by the Activities Programming Board table to learn about upcoming opportunities to connect with fellow students—including making a Swiftie-themed bracelet, crafts, movies, free pizza and ice cream sundaes.

Students connected with peers with shared interests by stopping at many student club tables where club members talked about practicing speaking in Spanish to creating comics to bingeing on Korean K-dramas and more. At the Columbia Writers Series table, Professor Dawn Knopf chatted about the upcoming event with author Andrew Leland on April 26. At the Spanish Club table, students learned about opportunities to practice speaking in Spanish and participate in activities to immerse themselves in Hispanic culture. At the Clark Aerospace Club table student Ethan Walters showed off the club’s new rocket, dubbed “Emperor Penguin” and talked about their April 27 test flight in Brothers, Oregon.

Students also connected with representatives from various useful community resources. Volunteers from Clark County Food Bank offered flyers with food pantries and housing resources around the county. At the League of Women Voters of Clark County table, volunteers assisted students to register to vote. At the Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program table, students who need legal assistance could find help.

Eight financial institutions participated in the event: Bank of America, Columbia Credit Union, IQ Credit Union, Key Bank, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Rivermark Community Credit Union, Umpqua Bank and US Bank.

In addition to helpful information and connections, the event also provided opportunities for students to pick up useful items at no cost. At the Activities Programming Board table students Hannah Colwell, Austun Fuerstenberg and Austin Newton offered reusable bags filled with travel-size toothpaste, shampoo and more.

They had placed many other free items on another table. Pointing to an electric air pump to inflate an air mattress, Hannah Cowell said the goal is to provide useful items that students can use and that might not be in their budget. Almost immediately, the air pump was snapped up by a student.

All around Gaiser Student Center, Clark students were making connections, learning about opportunities and receiving free items that will make their lives easier. Another Involvement Fair that lived up to its name.

Students can find all these resources and more at Support Services (clark.edu)

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Leadership from Clark’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) student honor society traveled to the national PTK Catalyst conference April 4-6 in Orlando, Florida, and brought home a trophy. Clark’s chapter was among 34 chapters selected to receive the Hallmark Award for Distinguished College Project. There are 1,247 PTK chapters nationwide.

PTK Co-advisor Heather Leasure said, “We also were honored as a top 100 chapter out of 1,247 chapters, so that is exciting as well.”

Catalyst National Conference

PTK Catalyst is Phi Theta Kappa’s annual event that brings together members, advisors, and their supporters for professional development and to celebrate the accomplishments of the PTK community. The event includes opportunities for personal and professional development, college transfer guidance, inspiring speakers, and opportunities to network and learn from other members of the PTK community.

Clark College PTK leadership who attended the conference are Ziyad El-Amrani, president; Natalie Perdun, vice president of scholarship; Mike Harrison, vice president of service; Fennic Tatum, vice president of fellowship and Mary Harter, director of history and records. Additionally, both PTK advisors, Heather Leasure and Darci Feider attended the conference with the students.

“Catalyst is not just the culmination and celebration of the whole year and being awarded for your hard work,” said Heather Leasure. “It is also a time to connect with other chapters and pull ideas from their success. This reinvigorates the officer team to come back with energy to train their successors for the next academic year.”

College Project Award

The purpose of the PTK’s college project is to establish or strengthen a supportive relationship between the chapter and the college administration. Clark’s PTK chapter president met with President Edwards to discuss needs at Clark College and to determine a project that supports Clark’s mission. Then the PTK members discussed the project and how they would implement it.

This academic year, PTK’s project was two-fold:

• Supporting and assisting with Penguin Pantry, and,
• Backpacks and school supplies for Clark students

Both projects support the college’s strategic plan tenet of Equitable Student Experience through priority two which is to remove barriers and provide inclusive support to increase student success.

Project 1: Supporting Penguin Pantry

PTK leaders advertised volunteer opportunities with the Penguin Pantry—including packing boxes with food, distributing food boxes to students in a drive-through format, scheduling volunteers, and volunteering at pantry events.

• 32 volunteers
• 196 volunteer hours
• 31,890 pounds of food packaged and distributed
• 3,775 people served

Project 2: Fall term backpack and school supply giveaway

PTK members worked with Monica Knowles, Clark College Bookstore manager, who provided ideas for backpacks and school supplies and provided the products at cost. Then PTK asked Dr. Edwards for permission to hold a school supplies fundraiser on Opening Day, she made their request to Executive Cabinet and they approved it. PTK created advertising. Dr. Edwards published it in her weekly newsletter to the college and in her Opening Day invitation.

On Opening Day, PTK placed multiple donation barrels. Clark College Foundation set up a way for people to donate funds for the project. The Clark community was generous.

• 116 backpacks filled with school supplies and Clark College water bottles
• Distributed to 116 Clark students in need

Each chapter’s project entries were scored at the international PTK headquarters. Winners were announced at the Catalyst national conference.

Clark’s PTK chapter attends the national conference every year. The trip was funded by services and activities fees through the Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC).

In March, Clark’s PTK chapter received three awards at the Great Northwest Spring Conference on March 23 at Bates Technical College in Tacoma:

• Honors in Action project, 2nd place
• Honors in Action theme, 2nd place
• College project, 3rd place

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges. PTK recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Clark’s PTK chapter is Alpha Sigma Phi. Students are invited to join PTK when enrolled in at least 12 credits per term and achieve a minimum 3.25 grade point average.

• Learn more about Clark’s PTK chapter here.
• PTK is recruiting its 2024-25 leadership team. Complete the application here.

Photos courtesy of Heather Leasure.

Ten local middle- and high-school students visited the mechatronics technology labs at Clark College Columbia Tech Center on April 1 during spring break.

The students came to campus as an exploratory field trip with the nonprofit iUrban Teen, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) plus arts education program that brings together underrepresented teens and young adults of color for career exploration and mentoring. Learn more about iUrban Teen here.

Mechatronics Technology Professor Tina Jenkins worked with iUrban Teen to bring the group to campus during Clark’s spring break, which coincided with the spring break of local school districts. It proved to be an ideal time for the group to visit the labs to learn about Mechatronics Technology.

Learning about Mechatronics

Mechatronics technology is a growing technical field that deals with the integration of mechanical and electronic components managed by a control system. Clark’s program emphasizes current concepts and technology by providing practical, hands-on experience with the latest industry-standard equipment. Coursework includes process control systems, instrumentation/automation systems, conveyor systems, palletizer systems, and robotics systems.

Before they entered the lab, each student slipped on a pair of polycarbonate safety glasses. These students would not simply be observing. They were going to actively learn about mechatronics and participate in hands-on activities.

The iUrban Teen students were divided into two groups. The first group gathered in the electrical and power distribution systems lab around Ken Luchini, who leads the mechatronics program.

Sporting a long blue lab coat, he stood at a whiteboard and gave an overview of mechatronics and an industrial motor control circuit the students were going to use. Then he stood at an industrial controls training system cart, a training device that provides

students with a flexible system allowing for hands-on experiments in wiring and troubleshooting of control circuits.

First, Professor Luchini demonstrated the motor starter with jog/stop circuit. Then students took turns operating the industrial motor controls.

Across the hall in the fluid power lab, Mechatronics Professor Tina Jenkins (above) instructed the second group of students about how to use pneumatics. Specifically, she supervised students practicing extending and retracting a simple cylinder circuit. She also introduced students to the flexible manufacturing system where students learn to operate and troubleshoot a manufacturing process.

Standing nearby, Monte Gantka, a mechatronics classroom support technician, instructed students how to use vacuum technology that uses compressed air to pick up nuts, bolts, and other small objects.

In both labs, students were engaged and focused as they learned about mechatronics technology. Before they set foot in the mechatronics lab, it is likely that none of the students had ever heard of mechatronics. By the time they left the labs, all of them had been given the opportunity to grasp a basic understanding of the industry and its potential career pathway.

Professor Jenkins said, “We were excited to have the opportunity to work with iUrban Teen to introduce local middle and high school students to Clark’s mechatronics technology program. Who knows how we might have impacted students’ career paths today? I am hoping we see some of these students in our mechatronics program in the coming years.”

Ken Luchini is retiring on June 30, after 10 years as a Clark College mechatronics professor. Tina Jenkins will become the new program chair in the 2024-25 academic year.

Simone Thomas, iUrban Teen’s program manager, accompanied the students on the field trip and learned about Mechatronics as she stood beside the students. She thanked Professor Jenkins in an email: “The students enjoyed their time in mechatronics. We would love to continue this partnership and come back with more students next year.”

Journalists representing two news media outlets, The Columbian newspaper and KPTV Fox 12, also attended the lab visit and interviewed Clark mechatronics faculty, staff, and iUrban Teen students. They filed these stories:

• The Columbian: Elevating STEM education (columbian.com)
• KPTV Fox 12: Teens explore the word of mechatronics (kptv.com)

About Mechatronics Technology:

• A two-year program for mechatronics technicians
• Associate in Applied Technology degree in Mechanical and Instrumentation Automation
• Career fields: mechatronic technicians work in semiconductor manufacturing, transportation, plastics production, computer manufacturing, aerospace, and more.
• Learn more: Mechatronics (clark.edu)

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Congratulations to the four outstanding students who will represent Clark College at the 27th annual All-Washington Academic Team ceremony on April 25 at South Puget Sound Community College in Lacey. The event recognizes students from Washington State for their academic excellence and community service. The All-Washington Academic Team is a program of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.

The four Clark College scholars are:

• Alexander Cole
• Addison Johnson
• Ethan Mahan
• Lisa Segretto

These Clark students are among 92 students from across the state named to the All-Washington Academic Team. They are pursuing transfer and workforce pathways at Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges.

Alexander D. Cole

Alexander D. Cole did not attend school until he was 15 years old. With determination, he taught himself to read and write and graduated from high school. While learning to repair his car, he found his future career. Alexander is enrolled in the T-TEN automotive technician program at Clark College and is apprenticing at a local Toyota dealership garage. After he earns an associate of applied technology degree in June 2025, he will be a full-time repair technician at the same dealership. His dream career is to work on vehicles for Toyota.

Addison Johnson

Addison Johnson’s mother and grandmother encouraged her to work passionately toward her goals. The Running Start student will earn her diploma from Camas High School and her associate degree from Clark College in June. She plans to transfer to Oregon State University to earn a baccalaureate degree in bioengineering. Next, she plans to pursue medical school and a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

Ethan Mahan

Ethan Mahan’s high school teacher inspired him to pursue a career in healthcare. Ethan will earn an associate in applied technology degree in Medical Assisting with an additional certification in Phlebotomy from Clark College in August 2024. He plans to work as a medical assistant, gain healthcare experience, and eventually, continue his education to become a physician’s assistant. It has been challenging balancing work, assignments, and a phlebotomy internship, but it is worth it as he prepares to begin his career.

Lisa Segretto

After breaking free from generational cycles of abuse and neglect, Lisa Segretto was inspired by her daughter to seek therapy and attend college. She’s graduating from Clark with a 4.0 and her associate degree and plans to attend either Portland State University or Washington State University to pursue a Bachelor of Psychology. She dreams of earning her Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Psychiatry, eventually opening a mental health practice for children and adults who have experienced childhood trauma.

All-Washington Academic Team Ceremony

The ceremony’s keynote speaker is Governor Jay Inslee. The event will be livestreamed at 12:30 p.m. on April 25 on the SPSCC YouTube channel.

Each student will receive a medal and a $250 scholarship from Key Bank. They also are eligible for additional scholarships from private sponsors and transfer scholarships for four-year colleges and universities.

Program sponsors are Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Washington State Association of College Trustees, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges.

Scholarship sponsors:

• KeyBank: $250 awarded to every team member
• Washington State Employees Credit Union: $750 awarded to the top 16 members
• Washington State Association of College Trustees: $1,000 awarded to the top 3 team members

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Congratulations to professors Heidi Fay, Mackenzie Loyet, and Heather Reynolds for being unanimously granted tenure by the Clark College Board of Trustees.

Tenure is awarded by the college’s board of trustees based on professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines. The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the Vice President of Instruction, which are then forwarded to the President, who presents a final recommendation to the board of trustees. Recommendations are based on self-evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations. The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the board of trustees.

Heidi Fay, pharmacy technician

Heidi Fay began teaching at Clark College as an adjunct in 2009. She has been a full-time professor since 2010. Fay is the department head, lead instructor, and clinical coordinator. She began her tenure-track position in 2021 after the program returned from hiatus.

Fay has taught nearly every course in the pharmacy technician program at Clark College and developed two new courses recently added to the program, Pharmacy Capstone, and Pharmacy Advanced Simulation Lab.

She said, “As the program’s department head, I am responsible for all aspects of the program including scheduling of classes, ordering equipment and supplies, participating on committees and in recruitment activities, maintaining the state credential, and preparing for program accreditation.”

She worked as a certified pharmacy technician at Legacy Health including Legacy Good Samaritan and Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Centers for 15 years.

Fay earned her Associate of Arts degree at Clark College. She earned her pharmacy technician certification from Clark College.

She is an active member of several pharmacy professional organizations including the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA), Oregon Society of Health-System Pharmacists (OSHP), and Pharmacy Technician Educator’s Council (PTEC).

Teaching philosophy: “As someone who completed the Clark College Pharmacy Technician program years ago, my goal as an instructor is to bring a positive attitude,

enthusiasm about pharmacy and healthcare, and real-life experiences. I strive to motivate students to be their best by providing a safe, welcoming environment for them to learn through hands-on, real-world simulations, and studies.”

Mackenzie Loyet, biology

Mackenzie Loyet earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and biology at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. She attended graduate school at Indiana University, earning a Master of Arts in biological anthropology and a Master of Science in anatomy education.

Loyet joined Clark College as a tenure-track biology professor in September 2021. Previously, she taught anatomy to medical and dental students at Midwestern University in Chicago. She was an instructor and laboratory coordinator at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois for seven academic years and an adjunct instructor at City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College, Chicago for one academic year.

At Clark, she teaches General Biology, Anatomy, and Physiology I and II. She is an active member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) and a certified yoga instructor. She published the book “Yoga and Anatomy: An Experiential Atlas of Movement” and has led several yoga/anatomy sessions at HAPS meetings in previous years.

Loyet has completed both the Clark Universal Design for Living certificate and the Clark eLearning professional certificate. She values the scholarship of teaching and learning and plans to complete more eLearning workshops.

Teaching philosophy: “My goal is to make sure all course materials and content are accessible to students. I recognize that students have different learning styles and come from different educational backgrounds. I truly believe that education is a fundamental human right. As I continue my career at Clark College, I want to ensure that courses are accessible and that students have a strong, supportive environment in the classroom.”

Heather Reynolds, nursing

Heather Reynolds earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Washington and her Master of Science in Nursing Education at Western Governors University.

She started her nursing career in a burn center and has worked in critical care and emergency nursing. She was part of the opening of Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center.

Reynolds said, “In all my roles, I have always had a passion for teaching.”

She started teaching nursing at Clark as an adjunct professor in Fall 2015. She left to teach full-time at Portland Community College, where she was faculty for two years and director of nursing for three years. Desiring to return to the classroom, Reynolds returned to Clark College as a tenure-track faculty in nursing in September 2021.

Reynolds is co-lead of the sixth quarter (final quarter) of Clark’s Nursing program. She teaches students a course on ethics and policy in healthcare and in their final clinical practicum.

She said, “I enjoy volunteering and getting involved around campus to build community with colleagues and to support students. I enjoy ushering at Clark College theater productions, volunteering at graduation, and being a volunteer patient for the dental hygiene program students. I am also passionate about encouraging youth to consider a career in nursing and have been involved in several programs including Clark’s Healthcare Pathways Camp and the Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon’s Mini Nurse Academy.”

Teaching philosophy: “I am a nurse educator who is passionate about empowering future nurses to recognize their value and worth, and their capacity and duty to improve themselves, the lives of others, and the healthcare system to create a more equitable and just world. I do this through modeling authenticity, vulnerability, and continual personal and professional growth with empathy, humor, and grace. I strive to approach others with curiosity and care.”

If you were tasked with designing a tabletop bridge model that could hold substantial weight and withstand a simulated earthquake, what lightweight, inexpensive, easily accessible materials would you choose?

Teams of student engineers crowded around tables in the collaboratorium in the STEM Building on March 12 for the winter term Engineering competition to present the bridges they had spent weeks perfecting.

The Challenge

Every term, Engineering professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu pose a real-world problem to their students and instruct them to design and build an object that solves the problem. Teams of students work together. At the end of each term, teams present their prototype to their peers, explaining their process and materials used. Finally, teams test their designs.

The winter term challenge: Build a bridge that can withstand a simulated earthquake on a shake table without any deformation. A toy car must be able to cross the bridge. Apply as much weight as possible to the center of the bridge within a two-minute time limit. Spend no more than $50 on project materials. The bragging rights goes to the bridge that withstands the earthquake and can support the greatest weight with the least amount of mass.

The Engineering

Some teams built a bridge using large craft sticks or smaller Popsicle sticks. Another team used plastic two-liter soda bottles. One team used a 3D printer to create their bridge pieces from carbon fiber, PET-CF and TPU 3D printing filament. One team used balsa wood. Another used aluminum. Many teams included duct tape in their bridge construction. Not one bridge looked exactly like another.

First one team, then another tested their designs. Most bridges held up to the shaking simulating an earthquake, but not all held up when weights were suspended underneath the bridge. Team Vectors won the competition and the bragging rights with their truss bridge constructed of Popsicle sticks and hot glue.

Professor Hsu said, “The main reason they won was because the bridge was lightweight.”

To make the event even better, the students celebrated Pi Day early—with free pizza and dessert pies for all.

“We had two groups of special guests watching the competition,” said Professor Hsu. “Children from Child and Family Studies sat criss cross applesauce on the floor with a good view of the competition. Students from HeLa High School (Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School) watched part of the competition as they tour the STEM building.”

Professor Barsotti explained why she and Professor Hsu assign their students to solve a similar engineering problem every term: “We believe in fostering hands-on learning experiences that challenge students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and innovate solutions to real-world problems.” She added, “Through projects like these, students not only gain practical skills but also develop the confidence to tackle complex engineering challenges head on, setting them up for success in their future careers.”