The time is now to register for Winter

photo of Clark College campus covered in snow with students walking to classes

The finals have all been handed in and students are enjoying
some much-deserved rest during Winter Break, but here at Clark College staff
are busy getting ready for Winter Term, which begins January 6.

There are plenty of exciting classes to look forward to, including:

  • The Small World Initiative (BIOL 105), a collaboration with Yale University that teaches Clark College students to search for potential new strains of antibiotics
  • A wide selection of fine arts classes, including Metal Arts, Ceramics, and Graphic Design
  • Business courses like Small Business Management, Introduction to e-Business, and Introduction to International Business

It’s not too late for new students to get started at Clark. Visit our new students page to learn how to begin 2020 by getting on the path to a new career.

For continuing students, the time is now to register for the next term. Need to talk with Advising or other student services during Winter Break? We’re open all December long!

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley




Three decades of music

Don Appert conducting
Don Appert. Photo: Tom Seeman.

On Wednesday, December 4, the award-winning Clark College Orchestra will present its fall concert as part of the 2019-2020 season celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dr. Donald Appert as Clark College Music Director/Conductor. This all-orchestral extravaganza will include La Valse by Maurice Ravel, Nuages and Fêtes from Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes, and Josef Suk’s Symphony No. 1 in E Minor.

The performance is at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Skyview High School in Vancouver. Admission is free and open to the public. Donations to the Orchestra General Fund will be accepted at the door.

For
complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts
including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

About Dr. Donald Appert

Dr. Donald Appert has appeared as a guest conductor in Japan, Australia, Central America, and throughout Europe. In Italy La’ovadese wrote, “… the performance of the ‘Serenade in C Major’ of Tchaikovsky, under the exceptional direction of Appert, was in such a style that it brought out the elegance and grace of the melodic lines with Mozartian inspiration.”  Giornale di Sicilla praised his interpretation of Nielsen’s First Symphony as “lyrical with an airy freshness,” and his conducting as “precise, painstakingly accurate, and diligent.” In the United States, he has appeared as a guest conductor of the Vancouver (Washington) Symphony, the University of Texas – Arlington Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Washington University Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Central Arkansas Symphony.

As one of only five musicians chosen, Dr. Appert received the 2015 Honored Artists of The American Prize for “individuals who have proven themselves to be musicians of sustained excellence over a number of seasons.” Adding to this distinctive honor is his 2011 The American Prize in Orchestral Programming – Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for his work with the Oregon Sinfonietta. 

Dr. Appert was awarded the 2015 ASCAPLUS Award in recognition of his performances in Italy and the United States. His awards in previous years were for performances in Romania, Qatar, Europe, Central America, Japan, and the United States. Dr. Appert is the recipient of the 2014 Clark County Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, and in 2009, he received the Washington Community College Humanities Association Exemplary Status Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Humanities. 

As a member of ASCAP, most of Dr. Appert’s compositions have been performed throughout the world. A recent work, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, commissioned by and for Jeffrey Butler of the Houston Symphony, had its world première to great applause on June 17, 2018, with Mr. Butler as soloist and the Clark College Orchestra accompanying him.       




Clark College Theatre begins season with “A Bright New Boise”

Clark College Theatre starts its 2019-2020 season with A Bright New Boise by Samuel D. Hunter.

Winner of the 2011 Obie Award for Playwrighting
and nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, A Bright New Boise is a darkly funny examination of American
religion set in the staff room of an Idaho Hobby Lobby. Will, who has fled his
rural hometown after a scandal at his Evangelical church, comes to the Hobby
Lobby, not only for employment, but also to rekindle a relationship with Alex,
his brooding teenage son. Alex works there along with Leroy, his adopted
brother and protector, and Anna, a hapless young woman who reads bland fiction
but hopes for dramatic endings. As their manager, foul-mouthed Pauline, tries
ceaselessly to find order (and profit) in the chaos of small business, these
lost souls of the Hobby Lobby confront an unyielding world through the
beige-tinted impossibility of modern faith.

This
production’s cast includes: E
Andres Houseman as Will, Linda Owsley as Pauline, Corinne Stephens as Anna,
Keegan Harrison as Leroy, and Brenden Kinnee as Alex. The show is directed by
Mark Owsley.

This show contains adult themes,
language, and content.

Show Dates: November 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID)
$10; Alumni (with membership) $10; Senior Citizens $12; General Admission $15.
Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp, or call 360-992-2815.

If you need accommodation
due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark
College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901
(VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.




Columbia Writers Series presents “The Female Gaze”

images of two female authors with their book covers

The Clark College Columbia Writers Series kicks off its 2019-2020 season with “The Female Gaze” with 2019 National Book Awards Fiction Longlisters Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Sabrina & Corina) and Kimberly King Parsons (Black Light). This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Thursday, November 7, from noon to 2:00 p.m in Penguin Union Building (PUB) room 161 on Clark College’s main campus.

The event includes a reading
and discussion on building buzz around debut short story collections and
highlighting the many faces of contemporary female identity in literature. It
will feature brief readings, a moderated conversation, and question-and-answer
session followed by a book signing.

“The Female Gaze” is presented
by the National Book Foundation and Clark
College
 in a new partnership.

Kali Fajardo-Anstine is
from Denver, Colorado. Her fiction has appeared in The American
Scholar, Boston Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Idaho Review,
Southwestern American Literature
, and elsewhere. Kali has received
fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and Hedgebrook. She received her
MFA from the University of Wyoming and has lived across the country, from
Durango, Colorado, to Key West, Florida.

Born in Lubbock,
Texas, Kimberly King Parsons received her MFA from
Columbia University. Her fiction has been published in The Paris
Review, Best Small Fictions 2017, Black Warrior Review, No
Tokens, Ninth Letter
, and The Kenyon Review, among others.

The Columbia Writers Series was launched at Clark College in 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college and the region. After “The Female Gaze,” this year’s lineup will continue with the writer Terese Mailhot on Monday, January 27; the poet Ilya Kaminsky will read during spring term.

Information
about the Columbia Writers Series is available at www.clark.edu/cc/cws.

This
event is held on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. Directions
and maps are available online. Individuals
who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in
this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS)
Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP). The DSS office is located in room
013 in Clark’s Penguin Union Building.




Educating for the Seventh Generation

On Friday, Nov. 1, Clark College welcomes
the community as it hosts “Educating for the Seventh Generation,” a celebration
of Indigenous cultures.

The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. with free food and
refreshments. At 5:15 p.m., dancers from the Ke Kukui Foundation will perform. At
5:45 p.m., there will be a welcoming address and the presentation of the
Dreamcatcher Scholarship, which supports a Clark College student of Indigenous
ancestry. Grand Entry for a powwow will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by an
Aztec performance at 6:15 p.m. The colors will retire at 10:00 p.m. Informational
tables and vendors selling Native arts and crafts will also be at the event.

The event, which
is free and open to the public, will be held in the Gaiser Student Center on
Clark College’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver
Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. 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.

This
is the 10th year
that Clark College has coordinated and hosted an event in honor of Native
American Heritage Month. It is one of four signature events hosted by the
college annually to celebrate diverse cultures. According to organizers, “Educating
for the Seventh Generation” references “our responsibility to teach the future
Seventh Generation to maintain our resources, traditions and customs. It is the
way of caring and preserving for the Seventh Generation, which is a true
sustainable practice.”

Information about this event is online at www.clark.edu/cc/native-american. Information about Native American Heritage Month is available at http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/index.html. Images from the 2018 celebration are available via Clark’s Flickr album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/clark_college/albums/72157699995239382.




New year, new traditions

Amanda Brown, a 2019 Exceptional Classified Award recipient, receives her award from Interim President Dr. Sandra Fowler-Hill.

On September 16, Clark College employees gathered in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium for the traditional Opening Day ceremonies. While much of the program was familiar to longtime employees, this year’s event brought a few new elements.

The first and most noticeable was the college’s new leader: Interim President Dr. Sandra Fowler-Hill, who is serving a one-year term as interim president while the college seeks a permanent replacement for retired president Bob Knight. Fowler-Hill joked that, while she has attended many such celebrations during her decades-long career in higher education, here at Clark, “this is my first Opening Day–and my last Opening Day.”

“We’re eager to serve Clark’s students and make this college a welcoming place for all.”

— ASCC President Evans Kaame

Board of Trustees chair Jane Jacobsen thanked Dr. Fowler-Hill for coming out of her retirement as the president of Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus to step into the interim role.

Trustee Paul Speer outlined the process for hiring a new president, reiterating that the Board of Trustees was “transparent, equitable and inclusive.” The college has posted updated information about the presidential search on its website.

Trustee Jane Jacobsen

Opening Day was also the occasion to announce two new employee awards. The first was the Exceptional Administrative-Exempt Award, recognizing a class of employees that fall neither into Classified staff nor faculty categories. Administrative-exempt staff include many administrators, managers, directors, executive assistants, and other employees who are not eligible for overtime compensation.

“We realized there’s a group of employees who haven’t had an opportunity to have their excellence recognized,” said Dr. Fowler-Hill.

The second new award was announced by Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Rashida Willard. The Lora Whitfield Social Equity Award will be awarded to a member of the Clark College community who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to advancing equity, Willard said. It is named in honor of early childhood education professor Lora Whitfield, who died in July. Dr. Debi Jenkins read a poem to honor Whitfield’s memory.

Social equity was a significant theme in a presentation on the college’s progress toward Guided Pathways from Willard, Vice President of Instruction Sachi Horback, and Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Belden.

“It is on us to make sure all our students complete and persist,” said Willard. “We can’t put it on our students to succeed in a broken system. We need to fix the system in order for everyone to succeed.”

Professor Mike Arnold

Old traditions were also honored at Opening Day, including the recognition of employees for their years of service. Four employees–Mike Arnold, Lynn Boydston, Lisa Hasart, and Vicki Weese–were recognized for having worked at the college for 30 years. Vice President of Human Resources and Compliance Stefani Coverson also announced the recipients of the 2019 Exceptional Classified Award: Amanda Brown and Ian Beckett.

The recipients of the 2018-2019 Exceptional Faculty Award, who were announced at Commencement, were recognized again and provided with plaques honoring their achievement.

Dr. Fowler-Hill concluded the event by saying, “It’s an honor to be your interim President this year. You are dedicated, passionate and steadfast in your work to support our students. I have rolled up my sleeves to join you in this work and support you every way I can.”

Employees gather in the O’Connell Sports Center gym for Opening Day.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
More photos can be found on Flickr.




Showcasing student creativity

On May 22, Archer Gallery was filled with visitors for the opening of the 2019 Art Student Annual Exhibition. This event showcases the best artwork produced by Clark art students in the past academic year. Students compete not only for a spot in the show, but also for awards sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

The exhibition is on display through June 15. Archer Gallery is open 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The gallery is located in the lower level of the Penguin Union Building on Clark College’s main campus.

Additional photos of the show are available on our Flickr page.

2019 Art Student Annual Award Recipients

Best in Show and
Most Ambitious
Stevie Hale, “New Mythology”
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Best Drawing
John Gasaway, “Bling”
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore and Collage Art Supply

Best Ceramics
Shirley Morgan, “Boh, Of Course”
Sponsored by Georgie’s Ceramics

Ceramics, 2nd Place
Jessica Joner, “Peonies”
Sponsored by Clay Art Center

Ceramics, 3rd Place
Stephanie Bowen, “Enlightened”
Sponsored by Georgie’s Ceramics

Best Graphic Design
Michael Fulgaro, “Visit Northwest”
Sponsored by Artist and Craftsman Art Supply

Best Metal Art
Channa Smith, “Ready to Potlatch”
Sponsored by MESA at Clark

Best Painting
Danielle Truckey, “Portrait of a Girl”
Sponsored by Gamblin Paints

Painting, 2nd place
Jewel Indino, “Abstract Figure”
Sponsored by Liquitext Paint Company

Painting, 3rd place
Katie Hyland,Listening In”
Sponsored by Golden Paint Company

Best Photography
Keyanna Owen, “Untitled”
Sponsored by ProPhoto

Best Photography, Darkroom
Michelle Berg, “Big Picture”
Sponsored by Blue Moon Camera

Best Photography, Digital
Avalon Guerra, “Window Pane”
Sponsored by ProPhoto

Photography Award of Distinction
T.J. West, “Homeowrk”
Sponsored by Blue Sky Gallery

Best Video
Hayley Estep, “Woman Not Product”
Sponsored by Northwest Film Center

Merit Award
Sage Makela, “Album Covers”
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Award of Distinction
Don Anderson, “A Man Has Many Moods”
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Photo: Nick Bremer/Clark College




Commencement ceremony to be held on June 20

Graduates at the 2018 Commencement Ceremony
Graduates lining up at the 2018 Commencement Ceremony

On Thursday, June 20, Clark College will honor its 83rd graduating class at
the 2019 Clark College Commencement ceremony. The ceremony will take place at
6:30 p.m. at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. The keynote speaker is Julianna
Marler, CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA (see full bio below).

More than 700 students are expected to participate in the ceremony,
celebrating the completion of their bachelor’s degree, associate degree,
certificate, and/or high school diploma or equivalency.

The ceremony also
will include the announcement of 2018-2019 Community College President’s Award.
This annual scholarship is given to a Clark College
graduate who is transferring to a degree program at Washington State University
Vancouver (WSUV) and who demonstrated leadership potential, a commitment to
community service, and academic achievement. The scholarship award provides
full-time tuition and is renewable for one additional year, essentially
providing full tuition to complete a bachelor’s degree.

The Sunlight
Supply Amphitheater is located at 17200 NE Delfel Road in Ridgefield, Wash.
Tickets are not required to attend. 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. For more information visit www.clark.edu/cc/commencement.

About Julianna
Marler

Julianna Marler
Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler is the CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. Prior to her appointment, she served as the port’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. Marler is the first female CEO in the port’s 105-year history and one of just a handful of female port CEOs in the U.S.

Prior to joining the port in
2008, Marler worked at the City of Vancouver for nine years, where she served
as the procurement services manager. Recipient of a 2018 Iris Award – an award
honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington – Marler engages in
ongoing activities to encourage and support women in leadership positions.

Marler is a Vancouver Rotary
Club member and serves on the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors,
Greater Portland Inc Board of Directors, American Association of Port
Authorities Board of Directors, and the Washington State University Vancouver
Advisory Council. She was recently appointed to the Association of Washington
Business Board of Directors.

A native of Vancouver, Marler
attended Clark College and received her bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Washington State University Vancouver.




Clark College Theatre ends season with “Proof”

Spring play "Proof"

Clark College Theatre finishes its 2018-2019 season with Proof by David Auburn.

Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, Proof is an emotional examination of the relationship between genius and mental illness. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her fathers who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father’s madness—or genius—will she inherit?

This production’s cast includes: Kelli English as Catherine; Patti Tipton as Claire; Ryan Larson as Hal; Dan Haggerty as Robert. The director is Zak Campbell.

This show contains adult themes, language, and content.

View additional photos of “Proof” on Flickr.

Show Dates: May 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID) $10; Alumni (with membership) $10; Senior Citizens $12; General Admission $15. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp, or call 360-992-2815.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.




Family fun at El Día del Niño/El Día del Libro

Young attendees enjoying a puppet show and story time at the 2015 event

On Friday, April 26, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Clark College invites the community to participate in an evening of free, family-friendly activities that celebrate both Latino culture and the value of literacy.

“Celebración de Mi Gente: El Día del
Niño/El Día del Libro” (“Celebration of My People: Day of the Child/Day of the
Book”) is an annual event hosted by the college. It is free and open to the
public. It is always held on or near the Mexican holiday of Día del Niño (April
30), which is also celebrated as Día del Libro
by the American Library Association. The festival will feature interactive
performances and activities, dancing, face-painting, bilingual games,
environmentally sustainable crafts, and delicious snacks. Clark College’s
mascot, Oswald the Penguin, will be on hand for photos with visiting children.

The event will be held in the Gaiser
Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933
Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are
available at www.clark.edu/maps. 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.

Photos from Clark’s 2017 Celebración de Mi Gente are available on
Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/clark_college/albums/72157683286542155. Video of
past celebrations can be viewed on Clark YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/gNxuROUfDdY.