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.

April is a robust month for Archer Gallery at Clark College. If you’ve never been to the gallery, this month is an ideal time to visit. The gallery is presenting four art talks in April. All are free and open to the public, so invite your colleagues, friends, and family to attend with you. Except where noted, all talks take place in Archer Gallery, located at the lower southwest entrance of the Penguin Union Building. See you there! Find details at Archer Gallery (clark.edu)

Pamela Chipman and Jan Cook

Thursday, April 18 at 2 p.m.
Location: Archer Gallery
Info: https://afraidnotafraid.com/

Artists Pamela Chipman and Jan Cook will discuss their exhibit, Afraid/Not Afraid. It is a photography-based immersive installation with sound that examines how women live with an ever-present threat of violence and the feeling of being unsafe in their world. In creating this work, we are confronting this underlying fear to call attention to and to create discussion and change around these issues. This collaborative photo-based installation explores vulnerability and our relationship to it as women. Gender violence, sexual stereotypes, and the portrayal of women in the media and popular culture feed and perpetuate this fear in our society. Our work looks at how these forces shape the lives and behavior of women, often in subtle ways, that become ingrained and normalized as part of our worldview. The images reflect the relationship between being watched and objectified and how women present their identities to the world.

Kelly Bjork

Wednesday, April 24 at 2 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom: https://clark-edu.zoom.us/j/86711178018
Info: https://www.kellybjork.com/

Kelly Bjork is an illustrator, painter, and muralist working and living in Seattle. About their work they write: “Creating quiet moments of emotional wellbeing in my art is how I work to soothe and comfort others. I depict a world of tenderness, acceptance, and vulnerability in order to share the sensations of emotional wellbeing that I aim to foster in my life and in my community. I often create vignettes of people close to me. Narratives of intimate relationships are important for displaying the peace and support that everyone strives for in their homes and in their heads—peace and support that so often we are lacking. My paintings intend to bring that support in our surroundings. I consider my work both manifestation and documentation, it’s a means of advocating for mental wellness by acknowledging my own struggles with it. I hope a viewer sees the image of a space I’ve created as a place where they can rest and will be taken care of.”

Epiphany Couch

Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m.
Location: Clark College, Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161
https://www.epiphanycouch.com/

Epiphany Couch is an interdisciplinary artist exploring generational knowledge, storytelling, and our connection to the metaphysical. By re-contextualizing classic mediums such as bookmaking, beadwork, photography, and collage, she presents new ways to examine our pasts, the natural world, and our ancestors. Couch’s work is unapologetically personal, drawing from family stories, her childhood experience, archival research, and her own dreams. She utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to create images and sculptural works that hold space for reflection, transforming from mere things into precious objects — intimate and heirloom-like.

Couch is spuyaləpabš (Puyallup), Yakama, and Scandinavian and grew up in caləłali (Tacoma, Washington). She earned her BFA in sculpture with a minor in Asian studies from The University of Puget Sound. Her work has been shown at Gallery Ost in New York City, Yuan Ru Gallery in Bellevue, Washington, and Carnation Contemporary in Portland, Oregon. She received the Jurors Choice Award for her work included in the Around Oregon Biennial at The Arts Center in Corvallis, Oregon in 2022 and 2023. She lives and works in Portland and is a member of Carnation Contemporary Gallery.

James Boulton with Braille Stars

Saturday, April 27 from 2-4 p.m.
Location: Archer Gallery

James Boulton’s artwork is often characterized by dense layering and energetic application of materials. He has exhibited sculpture, video, drawing, and most often painting in galleries, museums, and more. At Archer Gallery, the artist presents an installation of new drawings paired with an improvised musical performance by the trio Braille Stars.

Braille Stars was founded in 1999 in Portland, Oregon by Gilly Ann Hanner and Stef River Darensbourg. Their expansive style combines experimental improvisation with melodic themes equally influenced by their guitar punk roots and ambient dream core. James Boulton joins the group in their newest incarnation performing instrumental pieces that rely on intuition, invention, and responsiveness as the trio collaboratively generates compositions in real time.

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.”

The lobby in Scarpelli Hall was a hub of activity in the midafternoon of March 5. Fueled by free pizza, salad, and cold drinks, students had opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and potential employers.

More than 60 students, alumni, and community members participated in Clark’s Career Connect event geared for students enrolled in programs in the college’s Business and Entrepreneurship area of study. The event was organized by the Career Services team: Emily Meoz, Alex Kison, Trisha Haakonstad, and Niira Krupnick, with support from student employee Liz Knapp. Kison led the logistics. Last May, the college’s Career Services team hosted a large-scale Career Fair in Gaiser Student Center featuring 70 regional employers, attended by more than 300 students, alumni, and community members. That event was broad and included all the college’s departments and programs.

This year, the team decided to create a smaller event focused on only one area of study. Instead of asking students to trek to Gaiser Hall, the career fair was held in Scarpelli Hall, where most of the college’s in-person Business and Entrepreneurship classes are held. It made sense to invite the students to gather in the familiar lobby just outside their classrooms. Starting the event at 3:30 proved to be thoughtful timing to catch students. Offering free pizza proved to be another successful enticement.

Emily Meoz, director of Advising & Career Services (pictured above), explained the team’s impetus to transition from a very large, broad event to a smaller, focused career fair: “The Career Connect event idea started as a mini-career fair idea, which grew into a broader connection and career event idea, to include staff and faculty who support students in a particular area of study alongside employers from the related industry. Finding ways to adapt what we’re doing to make more meaningful connections and opportunities for students is exciting.”

Advising Services, Career Services, and Student Success Coaches worked together to staff the event and assist students.

Students stopped at a table to chat with Business faculty Mary Evens, Helen Martin, and Julie Lemmond, who answered their questions.

Student Success Coach Lana Strickland assisted students and addressed how a success coach could help them.

Career Services staff were available to take professional LinkedIn portraits to aid students, alumni, and community members in their job search.

Clark College Human Resources staff assisted those interested in applying for an open position at the college. Other employers, including IQ Credit Union, Columbia Springs, Neil Jones Food Company, and Rally Pizza were on hand to talk with students about work opportunities and internships.

Students were given a list of sample questions to ask potential employers. That made it easier to practice talking with a potential employer about opportunities.

In this smaller, more intimate venue, students mingled with like-minded students they might already know from their classes. They had opportunities to speak with professors in their program.

Meoz said, “Overall, this was a great pilot Career Connect event. It serves as an example of how we can bring faculty, staff, and employers together to support students based on area of study. I was impressed with how the Career Services team came together to make this idea a reality in a relatively short period of planning time.”

Career Services promoted the event to students via:

• Emailing students in Business and Entrepreneurship area of study programs
• Working closely with faculty to promote the event to their students
• Advertising the event in Penguin Digest
• Promoting the event through social media

Looking around at the students making connections, Theo Koupelis, Clark’s Dean of Workforce, Professional and Technical Education (WPTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), summed it up: “It’s buzzing! It’s buzzing!”

Career Connect Q & A

Q: What was the impetus for moving away from the big Career Fair format in Gaiser Student Center to this smaller, more focused event?

A: We had a great turnout at the big Career Fair during spring 2023. We considered doing the same style of event again. The larger style Career Fairs can be great and very exciting, but they can also be overwhelming for participants and hard to assess whether they are effective for students making progress towards finding job and internship opportunities.

The Career Connect event idea started as a mini-career fair idea, which grew into a broader connection and career event idea, to include staff and faculty who support students in a particular area of study alongside employers from the related industry. Finding ways to adapt what we’re doing to make more meaningful connections and opportunities for students is exciting.

Q: Were you pleased with the attendance?

A: Yes! Since this was a brand-new event, we were not sure what to expect, but we had great collaboration and support from some faculty members who brought their classes or shared directly with their students. We had a successful pilot event.

Q: What were some positives about this event?

A: It was great to see students engaging in an intentional way with the employers, faculty, and staff. The focused nature of this small Career Connect event created an intimate space that was not as overwhelming as a large career fair can sometimes be.

Q: What tools did you provide to assist students in making connections at the event?

A: We developed a Bingo card to encourage participants to connect across the event. We will use the completed Bingo cards as an assessment tool to see how students made connections and engaged during the event.

We also provided students with sample career exploration questions to help guide their conversations and connections. Some employers told us that they were impressed with the kind of intentional questions students were asking.

Q: Will you have similar Career Connect events during spring term?

A: Yes, that is the plan. We haven’t identified dates or specific areas of study yet, as we wanted to first see how this pilot event went for Business and Entrepreneurship. Now that we have a solid foundational event to build upon, we look forward to seeing how we can adapt these events for other areas of study at Clark. We’re eager to work with our faculty and staff partners and local employers to plan more Career Connect events for spring. Our long-term plan is for each area of study to have a Career Connect event at least once during an academic year beginning fall 2024.

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Congratulations to the 134 Clark honors students who became members of Alpha Sigma Phi, Clark College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa during winter term. PTK celebrated these new members at the 2024 winter term Induction Ceremony on February 29.

The official honors society for two-year colleges, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Clark’s first PTK induction ceremony was in 1991.

Students are invited to join PTK when enrolled in at least 12 credits per term and achieve a minimum 3.25 grade point average.

In previous years, PTK celebrated new honors society members at one induction ceremony near the end of spring term. A change this academic year: PTK is hosting induction ceremonies three times during the year—toward the end of fall, winter, and spring terms.

Advisors Darci Feider and Heather Leasure changed the frequency of the induction ceremony to quarterly so that honors students can be recognized right away rather than having to wait until the end of the academic year.

“We wanted to engage students at the very start of their membership,” said Darci Feider. “Celebrating them at this ceremony is one of the ways we do that.”

Guest speaker Kim Brewer, enrollment navigator in Entry Services, spoke about how her involvement in PTK when she was a Clark student positively impacted her.

“In PTK, you meet like-minded students who value education,” Brewer said. “I encourage PTK students to participate in the chapter’s many service opportunities on our campus. The more a student gets involved, the more rewarding their college experience will be.”

She added that now, as a Clark employee “it’s gratifying watching our students thrive and grow their involvement in PTK.”

The 2023-24 PTK officers are Ziyad El Amrani, Mary Harter, Addison Johnson, Fennic Tatum, Mike Harrison, and Natalie Perdun.

Officer applications are now open for the 2024-25 school year. Benefits include professional development, public speaking skills, networking/training, and travel opportunities.

PTK’s All-Washington Academic Team

PTK scholars representing all 34 community and technical colleges in the state will be recognized at the 2024 All-Washington Academic Team ceremony on April 25 at South Puget Sound Community College in Lacey.

The All-Washington Academic Team program recognizes and honors the state’s finest higher education students attending two-year colleges. The program has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges because it honors the academic high achievers, the individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to success in their classrooms and in their communities. This recognition demonstrates the state’s commitment to scholarship and community service on the part of those attending the state’s public community and technical colleges.

PTK at Clark College

Clark College has recognized Phi Theta Kappa as an official honor society since 1991. PTK doesn’t just recognize students’ academic success. It also provides them opportunities to develop professional and leadership skills, earn scholarships, explore career paths — and make their worlds a lot bigger. Learn more about Clark’s PTK chapter at https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-life/ptk/

About Phi Theta Kappa

Q: What is Phi Theta (PTK)?

A: Phi Theta Kappa is the international official Honors Society for two-year colleges.

Q: How does PTK benefit students?

A: Phi Theta Kappa recognizes the academic achievement of college students. It provides opportunities for its members to achieve academic and career success through scholarships and leadership training.

Q: Where are PTK chapters?

A: PTK has a presence on almost 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations.

Q: What is the history of PTK?

A: PTK was established in 1918. Later, the American Association of Community Colleges recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges in 1929.

Q: How many students have been inducted into PTK?

A: More than 3.5 million students have been inducted into PTK.

Q: How many active PTK members are there?

A: There are about 250,000 active PTK members in the nation’s community colleges. Learn more at https://www.ptk.org/

Photo: Clark College/Susan Parrish

On Wednesday, February 28, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted a Black Student High School visit, where more than 100 students visited Clark College. Held during Black History Month, the event was designed to introduce local Black students and students of African descent to Clark and consider it a pathway to college, university, careers, and beyond. The event was organized by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, NAACP Vancouver, Vancouver Public Schools, and Evergreen Public Schools in close collaboration with Student Affairs.  

The participating students attend Fort Vancouver High School and Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver Public Schools, and Mountain View High School and Union High School in Evergreen Public Schools. 

Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vanessa Neal said, “The energy in the room was reverberating off the walls! Coming together to share in joy, engage in shared learning and activities, and provide a culturally affirming space for Black students and those of African descent was the intent of the event—and participants found this, and more.” 

She continued, “As someone who was encouraged to continue my educational journey, it is my honor to introduce Clark College as a pathway to continued education to a new generation of high school students who are Black and of African descent. As representation matters, this event allowed students to engage with Black faculty and staff from the college, the NAACP, the Boys and Girls Club, the President of Clark College’s Black Student Union (BSU), as well as teachers and administrators from various high schools. We were excited to offer swag bags, campus tours, soul food, and intentional connection.”  

Students were attentive during presentations in Gaiser Student Center. Both Dr. Karin Edwards and Vanessa Neal delivered a welcome message to students and were also joined by Tanisha Harris, who delivered a message from Senator Maria Cantwell’s office. The keynote address was presented by Melissa Williams, policy associate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). 

Other presenters included: 

• Sarita Williams, Principal, Lincoln Elementary School, explained the history of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The song is often referred to as “The Black National Anthem.” The lyrics were written in 1900 by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson; his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music. 
• Cezanne Tyner, Vancouver Public Schools, led a community-building activity 
• Chris Hullum, Black Student & Family Engagement Advocate, Vancouver Public Schools 
• Dani Depuy-Grobbel, Associate Director of Dual Enrollment, Clark College 
• Bridgette Fahnbulleh, representing NAACP ACT-SO, provided information about ACT-SO as well as water bottles, hats, scarves, gloves, and books for students.  
   

NAACP ACT-SO  

A video introduced students to the NAACP ACT-SO achievement program (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics). Each year, high school students nationwide start a journey to sharpen their skills through ACT-SO. From visual arts and business to performing and culinary arts, participants work with community-based volunteers for a year to develop projects and performances. The experience culminates in local and national events where students compete for scholarships and other rewards. 

Campus Activities 

A highlight was a delicious soul food lunch catered by Ja’Das Soulful Eatz.  

Following lunch, students had a guided walking tour of the campus and were able to engage with Clark College’s Black Student Union President, Chishayla Kimmons, pictured left. 

After a full, fun four hours on campus, students gathered on the stage in Gaiser Student Center for a group photo. Talking excitedly with each other, the students filed out of Gaiser to their buses. Their excitement continued when they returned to their high schools. 

Vanessa Neal said, “One of our partners shared that when students returned to classrooms, their faces were still lit up with joy from attending the event. Thank you to everyone who approached this event with care and intentionality.”   

Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

ODEI is committed to serving all students, with a focus on systemically non-dominant groups (Jenkins, 1995-present) as they navigate Clark College. We help foster and retain a diverse college community, which includes students, faculty, and staff. 

Clark College’s goal of fostering a social and equitable college community is in part directed by the State (SBCTC), which has charged all community and technical colleges to lead with racial equity. ODEI is committed to serving people from systemically non-dominant populations as they navigate Clark College by helping to foster and retain a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. 

Our office supports individuals with their academic, personal, and professional development, as well as provides training and educational resources for all members of the college community around diversity, inclusion, power, privilege, inequity, social equity, and social justice. 

Learn more: Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (clark.edu) 

More than 600 people attended the fifth annual Northwest Regional Equity Conference (NWREC) from February 21-23. Clark College’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion partnered with Southwest Washington Equity Coalition and their Advancing Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion learning series to produce the event. The entire conference was offered via online modality.

It is gratifying to experience the growth and continued impact of the Northwest Regional Equity Conference. The first conference in 2020 had 250 participants. This year, our fifth year, we had more than 600 participants! We hosted 36 workshops and provided nine students with scholarships to attend the conference, thanks to donors.

Our intentional partnership with the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC) allowed us to expand attendance and deepen our collective approach around diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work. I am proud of the NWREC planning team and the many people who made the conference happen. A heartfelt thank you!

2024 NWREC quick statistics:

• Participants: More than 600
• Workshops offered: 36
• Student scholarships provided: 9

Conference keynotes represented intersectional identities and covered topics including LGBTQIA+, immigrant experiences, and Black liberation with a common thread of what it looks like to build towards the future we want while staying grounded in hope.

Workshops covered topics including academic instruction, student and employee support, equitable policy development and decision-making, community care, strategies for disrupting harm, cultural competence, identities and intersectionality, and professional development.

Conference highlights included:

• Keynote Dante King revealed the totality of how White supremacy and Anti-Blackness are codified into the American legal system, institutions, and everyday life.
• Kendra Duncan, Clark College’s BAS-Teacher Education Chair and tenure-track faculty member discussed diversifying the educator workforce in Clark County, the new Bachelor of Applied Science in Teacher Education (BASTE) program, and Clark’s partnership with Vancouver public schools’ para-educator pathway.
• Clark College’s D. Harris presented a workshop on the impact of representation of Black people in popular media.
• Clark College English faculty Chris Smith and Cydney Topping presented the ways language/accent bias and discrimination persist in and outside the classroom.
• Clark student Tammy Pham presented a workshop Neurodiversity and You: Why Brain Differences are not Deficits.
• Another workshop focused on applying a racial equity framework to the auditing of campus policies and procedures.

Colleges that presented workshops include:

• Clark College
• Bellevue College
• Columbia Basin College
• North Seattle College
• Portland Community College
• Renton Technical College
• San Jose State University
• Shoreline Community College
• South Puget Sound Community College
• University of Washington Bothell
• Washington State University Vancouver
• Western Oregon University

Workshop presenters represented a host of nonprofits and agencies, including:

• American Civil Liberties Union Washington (ACLU)
• Clark County Community Services
• Equity Consortium
• Puget Sound Sage
• Southwest Washington Equity Coalition
• Vancouver Public Schools
• Washington Coalition for Police Accountability
• Washington State Department of Health
• Washington State LGBTQ Commission
• YWCA Clark County

Thanks to these conference sponsors:

• Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health
• HAPO Community Credit Union
• Community Foundation for Southwest Washington
• Clark College
• CareOregon
• Inatai Foundation

Refer to the complete conference agenda: Agenda (clark.edu)

Learn more: NW Regional Equity Conference (clark.edu)

In honor of Black History Month, the Clark College Bookstore window is displaying an exhibit featuring the work of two local Black artists, Claudia Starr Carter and Philemon Reid. The exhibit is on loan from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) of Vancouver. The artwork was curated by Carter’s sister, Bridgette Fahnbulleh of NAACP and Holly Jander Williams, a NAACP volunteer who worked with Carter on exhibits. View images from the exhibit at the end of the article.

What: Black History Month focus on local artists
Who: Sculptor Claudia Star Carter and painter Philemon Reid 
Where: Clark College Bookstore exterior window 
When: Through March 4 
Art loaned by: NAACP of Vancouver 

Rosalba Pitkin in the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) office coordinated with NAACP to bring the exhibit to the campus bookstore to share with the Clark community. Monica Knowles worked with Pitkin to showcase the art in the bookstore window. 

Pitkin said, “Recognizing these Black artists celebrates cultural richness, promotes representation, and contributes to a more inclusive environment.” She added, “I am grateful to NAACP for sharing this art, to Bridgette Fahnbulleh and Holly Jander Williams for selecting these pieces. This provides an opportunity for more people to enjoy this art and learn about these artists.” 

When 150 Black high school students, faculty, and administrators visit campus on February 28, they will have an opportunity to see the exhibit.  

Claudia Starr Carter 

Claudia Starr Carter (1954-2022) was an advocate for sharing Black history and Black art. She was a member of the NAACP Vancouver executive board and chair of NAACP’s Black History Month committee. She was a self-taught ceramicist and mixed media artist, a historian, a children’s education advocate, and a champion of Black history and Black art. 

Carter produced the bulk of her work in the ceramics lab at Clark College, where she took classes. Professor Lisa Conway from Clark’s Art department said Carter was her student first, and then volunteered for several years for the college’s ceramics studio, helping to keep the ceramics lab open later in the day and evenings so students could work.  

“Claudia Carter was a wonderful, warm presence in the ceramics studio at Clark College for many years,” said Professor Conway. “She started here as a student herself, then later worked as a studio monitor, helping other students realize their creations. Claudia was very giving and helpful in the studio at Clark and had a great sense of the power of her inner creativity. Claudia drew strong connections between her artwork, her family, culture, and history. She was experimental in her artwork, and her enthusiasm for the material and the creative process were a source of inspiration for others.” 

Almost a year after Carter’s death, a retrospective of her work was displayed in Gaiser Hall and Frost Arts Center at Clark College in February 2023 to celebrate Black History Month. 

Fellow Vancouver sculptor Russel Ford said he and Carter became friends when Clark’s ceramics studio was closed during the pandemic, and he invited her to use his kiln. Their connection grew.  

Ford wrote: “Claudia was deeply invested in telling the story of the Black community in Vancouver. Her goal was to create works that would inspire members of the black community to feel that this land was their land, that they were in no way excluded from the fabric of this community. She encountered little in terms of black art growing up and she wanted to help change that by working passionately in her chosen medium: ceramics and sculpture… Clark College offered her an opportunity to do just that. For many years, she could be found volunteering at the Frost Art Center, encouraging the many students that she encountered, and whenever possible, delving into the history of Black Vancouver.” 

NAACP Vancouver wrote this tribute: “A concern over the scarcity of books and art depicting the history and contributions of African Americans in Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest eventually led Claudia to become both a tireless researcher and collector of local Black History and folklore. She was also an advocate of educating African American children about their history and roots in Vancouver and Clark County. Under Claudia’s leadership, the NAACP began an annual exhibition at Vancouver Community Library addressing Black History in Vancouver, the State and Northwest from early explorers through World War II. Claudia was committed to increasing education and dialogue on Black History in schools and in the community.” 

Where to see Carter’s work: Carter’s sculpture “Elephant Goddess” is on permanent display in Vancouver Community Library, 901 ‘C’ Street, Vancouver. 

Learn more: https://pnwsculptors.org/retrospectiveclaudia-star-carter/ (includes photo of Carter and her artwork) 

Philemon Reid 

Philemon Reid (1945-2009) was a self-taught artist who was born in Georgia, served in the military, attended college at night, and was an engineering technician with Bonneville Power Administration in Vancouver. Shortly before his death, Reid was awarded a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from North Portland’s Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. 

Reid said about his art, “From an early age I was drawn to Cubism and the artist Picasso… I developed my own style… One of my main subjects has been music. I have a great love for blues and jazz, and I create from my moods and the feelings I experience while listening to music or just from my subconscious being.”  

After Reid’s death, journalist Bob Hicks wrote an in memoriam of Reid: “He did the thing he loved to do, which was to paint and sculpt images of the African American musicians who played the blues and jazz. He often listened to Coltrane or Miles or Ella while he was making his own art.” 

The Skanner newspaper wrote: “Reid’s love for blues and jazz, particularly musicians John Coltrane, Miles Davis and singers Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, was reflected in his colorful paintings and sculptures. Although Reid’s only formal art training was in high school, he developed his own unique style that was heavily influenced by Cubism and the artist Picasso.”  

Barry Johnson of OregonLive wrote that Reid’s work “often featured characterizations of musicians, and there’s something vaguely jazzy about his work—loose but formful and transporting. Where do they take you? To an ideal world, I think, where art and music are what matters. And his African American subjects, painted in a style that recalls the Harlem Renaissance gone cubist, somehow imply a sense of both singular creativity and community, especially his representations of small combos… I find that Reid’s work makes me want to ‘play,’ too – not jazz, necessarily, but anything that requires some intensity and creativity, anything that the company of other creators enhances.” 

Where to see Reid’s work:  Currently on view as part of the Portland Art Museum’s Black Artists of Oregon exhibit until March 31. 

Learn more: https://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/5198-services-held-for-painter-philemon-reid-63-2009-06-18. 

The Clark College Music department presents five winter term concerts from March 6 through 22. Admission is free. All are welcome. Donations for the college’s Music programs are accepted at the door.

The Music department presents extraordinary concerts and programs throughout the year for the college community and the greater community. Faculty and students work together to create professional level performances that are entertaining and provide students with valuable experience to help develop their musical talents. See details of music performances at www.clark.edu/cc/music.

Jazz Band Winter Concert

• When: Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Gaiser Student Center, Gaiser Hall, main campus
• Conductor: Dr. Doug Harris
• Admission: Free; donations accepted for Band Scholarship fund

Conductor Dr. Doug Harris said, “We’re going to perform music from many of the great, and varied, big bands, including music from Louis Bellson, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and, of course, the great Count Basie. We are also excited to debut our jazz combo.”

Clark Treble & Chorale Winter Concert

• When: Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: First United Methodist Church, 401 E. 33rd St., Vancouver
• Director: Dr. Jacob Funk
• Pianist: Jeongmi Yoon
• Admission: Free; donations accepted for the Clark College Choral Fund

The Treble Ensemble will perform “Er ist gekommen” by Clara Schumann, “Lux Aeterna from Missa” by Z. Randall Stroope, “The Silver Swan” by Oliver Tarney, “The Rising” by Andrea Ramsey, “Listen” by Reena Esmail and “Does the World Say?” by Kyle Pederson.

Clark College Chorale will perform a traditional camp meeting song “No Time” arranged by Susan Brumfield, “Calling from Afar” by James Eakin III, “Sudden Light” by Thomas Juneau, “We are the Music Makers” by Reginal Wright and “Song of Life” by Reginald Unterseher.

Clark College Concert Band Winter Performance

• When: Friday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Skyview High School Auditorium, 1300 NW 139th Street, Vancouver
• Director: Dr. Doug Harris
• Admission: Free; donations accepted to the college’s Music department

The concert includes David Maslanka’s “Mother Earth (A Fanfare),” Hiroaki Kataoka’s “Barbaresque,” Johan de Meij’s “Lord of the Rings: Symphony No. 1: Gandalf,” Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Fantasia in G Major,” Erika Svanoe’s “Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein: A Modern Promethean Tango” and John Zdechlik’s “Celebrations.”

Clark Concert Choir and Chamber Choir Winter Performance

• When: Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: First United Methodist Church, 401 E. 33rd St., Vancouver
• Director: Dr. Jacob Funk
• Admission: Free; donations accepted for the Clark College Choral Fund

The program includes the world premiere performance of “One Last Time,” a work composed by Clark music student Benjamin Friend. Also on the program are Dawson’s “Soon Ah Will Be Done,” Runestad’s “The Peace of Wild Things,” Barnum’s “After the Music,” Hagen’s “On My Dreams” and “Temporal” by Puerto Rican composers Diana V. Sáez and Suzzette Ortiz. The Chamber Choir will begin the program with two songs concerning existential anxiety and closing with a piece about eternity.

Clark College Orchestra Winter Concert

• When: Friday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Durst Theater, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, 3101 Main St., Vancouver
• Music Director/Conductor: Dr. Donald Appert
• Admission: Free; donations accepted for the Orchestra General Fund
• The program features works by Ethel Smyth, Richard Wagner and “Symphony No. 2” by Jean Sibelius.

Dame Ethel Mary Smyth was an English composer and a member of the women’s suffrage movement. Smyth tended to be marginalized as a ‘woman composer’ as though her work could not be accepted as mainstream. Yet when she produced more delicate compositions, they were criticized for not measuring up to the standard of her male competitors. Nevertheless, she was granted a damehood, the first female composer to be so honored. Smyth composed her most famous opera The Wreckers (premiered in 1906) to a French libretto by Henry Brewster. The Wreckers is considered by some critics to be the “most important English opera composed during the period between Purcell and Britten. The orchestra will perform the Overture to “The Wreckers”.