On Saturday, November 2, Clark College’s main campus was fizzing like a lab beaker as hundreds of students participated in the Southwest Washington Elementary Science Olympiad. Almost 300 third-through-fifth grade students from 19 local elementary schools participated in the half-day event, which included five competitions: Green Eggs Go Bam!, Chopper Challenge, Tug-o-War Gunk, Benthic Bugs, and Buoyant Barges. (See complete results from the contest.) In addition to hosting the event, Clark provided more than 60 volunteers, most of them students. This was Clark’s sixth year of hosting the event, which helps promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) among young learners.
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Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

View photos from this event on Flickr.

On October 3, the Clark College community came together for an annual tradition, the Students vs. Staff softball game. One change to the tradition: After years of being held during spring quarter, this event was moved to fall quarter. (Expect another competition, possibly kickball, to take its place during spring quarter.) Another change: After many years as the underdogs, Team Staff (which also includes faculty) came away with the victory, trouncing Team Student 13-4. Team Staff owed some of their success to new softball coach Mandy Hill’s able leadership, as well as Health and Physical Education instructor Alan Wiest’s impressive tally of four home runs.

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Phi Theta Kappa advisor Melissa Sinclair, far right in yellow shirt, gives students information about the program.

Gaiser Student Center was bustling with activity on October 2 as students attended the college’s first-ever Involvement Fair. In previous years, the college has hosted a quarterly Student Club Fair, but this year the event expanded to include tables for not just clubs, but also departments and programs like Financial Aid, CollegeFish.org, and the Bookstore.

“We wanted to expand on the engagement opportunities we were highlighting for students,” explained Director of Student Life Sarah Gruhler.

Brandon Nimmo

Clark student Brandon Nimmo was manning a table representing the college’s Penguin Help Desk, a free service staffed by Computer Support Specialist students that provides computer assistance and repair to students, faculty, and anyone in the community. Nimmo said he’d received a lot of visitors at his table interested in the Help Desk’s services–though, he added, they might have to wait a bit to access them. “We have a lot of computers there waiting to be fixed right now,” he said. “We stay very busy.”

Nimmo wasn’t interested in signing up for any clubs himself. “I honestly don’t have time,” he said. The Air Force veteran is currently juggling working 30-to-40 hours per week at the Veterans Administration with a full-time class load and helping to care for his daughter, 2, and stepdaughter, 13.

Chess fans get a game in at the Chess Club table.

This is the challenge facing many Clark students–they’re too busy balancing jobs and family and homework to participate in extracurricular activities. But, Gruhler said, it can be helpful to their long-term success if they do.

“In Student Life we emphasize out-of-class learning opportunities,” she said. “Clubs are a great way for students to pursue their interests and try new things while gaining experience, learning new skills and connecting with other students. Future schools and employers are not just interested in your degree, but in all the other experiences that set students apart as individuals. Clubs help students connect, network and ultimately provide support to help them achieve their goals.”

Saudi Students Club members Majed Alhumaidani and Ahmed Biladi share dates and culture with their fellow students.

For first-year student Ahmed Biladi, a student club is also a way to promote understanding about his culture. Biladi, 18, is one of a growing number of Clark international students from Saudi Arabia–in fact, fall 2013 marks the first quarter that Saudi Arabia is the most common country of origin for Clark international students, the result of new partnerships between Clark College International Programs and educational organizations in the Middle East including the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission.

When Biladi first came to the United States, he encountered some disheartening preconceptions about his homeland. “Some of the most bizarre questions I’ve gotten have been: ‘Do you guys still ride camels? Is the country covered in sand? Do you still live in tents?'” he said with a laugh. “There’s a lot of misinformation about Saudis, so we decided to start a club to share our culture with the Clark community.”

The newly formed Saudi Students Club hopes to combat myths and promote understanding between American and Saudi cultures. “There’s an ignorance of culture on both ends that leads to a lack of communication,” Biladi said, offering a plate of imported dates to passersby.

According to the Office of Student Life, more than 400 people attended the Involvement Fair.

A total of 59 clubs, programs, services, and departments had tables at the Involvement Fair, which was attended by more than 400 people.

Photos: Jenny Shadley/Clark College

Clark College President Robert K. Knight and Columbia Credit Union President Steve Kenny cut the ribbon signifying the official opening of the simulation pharmacy.

More than 40 people gathered at Clark College at the Washington State University campus in Vancouver on September 30 for a ribbon-cutting event for the Columbia Credit Union Simulation Pharmacy. The celebration honored the community credit union for its $65,000 gift that led to remodeling the 500-square-foot pharmacy and purchasing new lab equipment and supplies.

The crowd cheered as the ribbon was cut on Clark’s new Columbia Credit Union Simulation Pharmacy.

Clark’s Pharmacy Technician program relocated to Clark College’s building on the WSUV campus last year, in the process expanding the program’s footprint and enhancing the college’s quest to be the premier Pharmacy Technician program in the region. The new lab allows students to practice skills and simulate activities they will encounter on the job in pharmacy settings, such as setting up sterile IV bags and packaging medications.

Clark College President Robert K. Knight and Columbia Credit Union President Steve Kenny cut the ribbon signifying the official opening of the simulation pharmacy.

“We appreciate our community partners that bring that margin of excellence to Clark College,” said Knight, adding, “Columbia Credit Union is a partner we can always count on.”

Kenny said the bank has served the community since 1952. “We are proud to support higher education,” he said.

Kenny added a personal story about his son, a Clark alumnus, who began as a Running Start student, enrolled in a medical program at Clark, and is now a licensed X-ray technician “who, at 26, just purchased his first home,” he said. “Education truly makes a difference.”

Pharmacy Technician student Dixie Fisher gave a tour of the simulation pharmacy following the ribbon cutting.

Pharmacy Technician student Dixie Fisher is excited about the way education is reshaping her life. Fisher, who was on hand to give tours of the new simulation pharmacy, shared her own story with visitors. A year ago, she was a stay-at-home mom with six children when a storm flooded her home and forced her family to take shelter in a hotel for eight months. With time on her hands and her job prospects bleak, Fisher visited Clark College; she’d heard about its Pharmacy Technician program and wanted to learn more. Now Fisher, 36, is in the last quarter of the program and hopes to get a job at Kaiser Permanente, where she’s been interning, and perhaps return to Clark one day to teach in the program.

Pharmacy technicians are in high demand because of the large number of locations that employ technicians and an aging population who require care. In the state of Washington, more than 1.2 million residents will be age 65 or older by 2020, according to a panel convened by the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council.

Pharmacy Tech instructor Heidi Fey and department head Dawn Shults attend the opening of the new Columbia Credit Union simulation pharmacy.

Sixteen states in the nation require certification for pharmacy technicians, and only six require licenses. Washington is one of the six that mandates a license, says Dawn Shults, Pharmacy Technician Department head.

Clark students can earn a certificate and be workforce-ready in a year or go on to earn an Associate in Applied Technology degree that prepares them for leadership roles within a pharmacy setting. They can transfer to Central Washington University for a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree in business management.

To see more photos from the event visit our Flickr site.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

International students make new friends in the International Student Lounge on the first day of fall quarter. Fall 2013 marks record enrollment for International Programs.

On Monday, September 23, Clark College opened the doors for its 2013-2014 academic year. The college welcomed 13,373 students on opening day, down slightly from fall 2012, when the college welcomed 13,927 students.

The start of fall quarter is always a time of new beginnings at the college, but this year is seeing a number of changes to the way the college enhances student learning. Some highlights:

• Expanded hours at CTC: For the first time, Clark College at Columbia Tech Center will be open for credit classes on Fridays. The expanded schedule will make it easier for residents of East Vancouver to complete their degrees entirely at CTC, without traveling to take classes on Clark’s main campus.
• Expansion into the Gorge: In response to demand from local businesses and residents, Clark College is offering college-level classes to the communities of the Columbia River Gorge through its new satellite location in the Wind River Education Center in Carson. Until now, residents had to travel 20 miles or more to attend the nearest community college—and that college is located out of state, in Oregon.
• New Phlebotomy program: Clark College has redesigned its Phlebotomy certification program and relocated it to specially configured classrooms and labs on the campus of Washington State University Vancouver in the college’s health care instruction building, which also houses the college’s Nursing and Pharmacy Technician programs.
• Bachelor’s degrees in Health Informatics : Clark College and Bellevue College have signed an articulation agreement that allows students at Clark to earn a bachelor’s degree in Health Informatics Information Technology (HIIT) from Bellevue through online and remote classes—without leaving the Clark College campus. “In our ongoing conversations with regional employers, we realized there was a need for Health Informatics Information Technology professionals and responded quickly to that need, but we also realized that there would be a need for students to take their education to the next level,” said Debra Ortiz, director of allied health programs at Clark College.
• Record number of Running Start and international students: Clark expects to see more than 1,770 students enrolled in Washington state’s popular Running Start program, which allows high school students to earn college credit for little or no cost. This number is a 5-percent increase over last year’s Running Start enrollment. Meanwhile, Clark is also seeing a record number of international students at the college this year. A total of 103 students from 31 different countries are attending the college this quarter.
• Mechatronics offers evening classes: Clark College’s state-of-the-art Mechatronics program will begin offering evening course, allowing workers to retrain for modern industrial jobs without leaving their current positions. This expansion is designed to boost the region’s economy; it was prompted by local businesses who wanted more opportunities to retrain their employees.
  

  Food carts make their debut on campus.

• New food carts serve campus while Culinary Arts program is on hiatus: Clark is discontinuing its Culinary Arts – Food program while it launches an ambitious new redesign of the program that will make it more responsive to modern culinary trends. Three privately owned food carts are supplying food service to the college while the program is overhauled. The college’s widely respected Culinary Arts – Bakery program will continue operating during this time.
• Water-bottle filling stations: Students and college administration have worked together to help preserve the environment by setting up water-bottle filling stations around the main campus, thereby reducing the number of disposable plastic water bottles bought and discarded at the college.

After the office of instruction showed their music video “Rock of All Ages” a flash mob started at the front of the gym. The flash mob enticed members of staff, faculty, students and even members of the Clark College board of trustees to get up and dance.

On September 11, Clark College employees gathered in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium to kick off another academic year. Opening Day festivities are an annual tradition at the college, a time to recognize employees’ accomplishments and to reinvigorate the college community for the coming year.

This year, the day began on a more somber note than normal, as President Bob Knight took a moment to acknowledge that Opening Day happened to fall on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He noted that he had been in the O’Connell gym 12 years ago, playing an early-morning game of basketball, when he first learned of the attacks. Knight then asked the gathered crowd to hold a moment of silence in memory of the victims of September 11.

Knight then mapped out some of the challenges and changes the college would face in the coming year. He noted that after years of skyrocketing enrollments, numbers are starting to slip downward again, requiring staff in many departments to focus on recruitment and retention. The college is also gearing up to adopt ctcLink, a new collection of online systems being phased into use at all 34 Washington state community and technical colleges. And while the 3-percent pay cut that affected most college employees has ended, the college is still facing some budget difficulties, partly due to decreased enrollment and partly due to being underfunding by the state. For instance, the college’s new STEM Building was funded by the state–but at $4.5 million less than originally planned.

“I am confident that you will face these challenges and overcome them, just as well as you have done in the past,” Knight said, adding that the college would continue to rely on private support gathered by the Clark College Foundation, which is ending its $20 million Ensuring a Bright Future campaign next June.

Associate Vice President for Planning and Effectiveness Shanda Diehl spoke about another upcoming challenge: crafting the college’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. “Since we will use the strategic plan as a tool to make decisions, we need all of your feedback during its development,” she said, mapping out how that would take place.

But along with the talk of challenges and policies, there was also time for fun and high jinks. Traditionally, Opening Day includes a music video about the college, and this year it fell to the Office of Instruction to create the video. Titled “Rock of All Ages,” it drew cheers and laughter from the gathered employees–and, afterward, sparked an impromptu dance party that lured to the floor faculty, staff, Student Ambassadors, and even the three trustees in attendance.

Clark President Robert K. Knight presents French professor Doug Mrazrek with an award for 35 years of service to Clark College.

The event also was occasion for President Knight to award Presidential Coins to five employees, and for Human Resources to announce the recipients of the 2013 Exceptional Classified Staff Awards and to present service-anniversary awards to employees who had worked at the college for five, ten, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. One employee, French professor Doug Mrazrek, received an award for 35 years at the college–as well as a standing ovation from the crowd. The event was also an opportunity to present plaques to the recipients of the 2012-2013 Exceptional Faculty Awards, whose names were officially announced during Commencement.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

EDITED 9/30/13 to correct end date of Foundation campaign.

Student-athlete volunteers at the 2013 Penguin Nation Charity Golf Tournament with Athletics Secretary Senior Marla Derrick, second from left.

More than 120 golfers converged on Royal Oaks Country Club for an afternoon of fun on the links in support of Clark athletics in late August during the Penguin Nation Charity Golf Tournament. The winning team—finishing 12 under par with a score of 60—was led by Quail Construction owner Jon Girod and his son, Jai, who plays for Clark’s baseball team.

More than 120 golfers participated in the 2013 Penguin Nation Charity Golf Tournament.

There were a variety of contests during the game to keep it fun and competitive. The men’s longest-drive winner was Mick Hoffman; women’s longest-drive went to Jeanne Caswell. Scott Munn won the closest-to-the-pin contest by coming within 13 inches of the cup.

From the moment the golfers were greeted at their vehicles by Clark’s soccer teams, to dinner with volleyball and baseball players and track-and-field athletes, the participants learned how much Clark’s student athletes and coaches appreciated their support.

Royal Oaks and its membership graciously welcomed the players to its beautiful, tree-lined course for the annual Penguin Charity Golf event. Premier sponsors included Wacom, US Bank, Homewood Suites, Sterling Bank, Adidas and Columbia Credit Union.

Vice President of Administrative Services Bob Williamson, left, and Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Belden get ready to hit the links.

Additionally, tee sponsors included Clark College Bookstore, Biggs Insurance, The Blind Onion Pizza, NY Life, Keil Enterprises, First Pacific Associates, Exercise Equipment NW, Residence Inn, and Moss Adams. The hole-in-one car sponsor, Dick Hannah Kia, provided a silver Optima on the course.

No holes-in-one were made, but funds were raised in support of Clark’s student athletes to ensure their bright futures through scholarships, high-quality education and facilities.

Story submitted by Rhonda Morin and Vivian Cheadle-Manning
Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Faculty volunteer Carole Makewich helps student Tamika Taylor shop for textbooks.

For Alex Adrian, the thing he’s looking forward to most about taking classes at Clark College is something he won’t be doing–namely, rote vocabulary quizzes.

“I would finish them in, like, half the time provided,” said the Hudson’s Bay High School student. “It was really boring.”

Alex was one of 214 Running Start students to attend the Clark College Bookstore’s Running Start Open House on August 27. Running Start is a Washington state program that allows qualified high school students to take community college classes for credit during their junior and senior years, potentially earning an associate degree while still in high school.

Father-and-son duo Peter and Alex Adrian were getting ready for Alex’s first year at Clark by attending the Running Start Open House.

“It’s such a great opportunity, especially for bright kids like Alex,” said Alex’s father, Peter Adrian, who had brought his son to the open house to shop for textbooks. Peter added that, with two younger children at home, the opportunity to save on college tuition for Alex was also appealing. Running Start tuition is significantly lower than standard college tuition.

Some 1,771 Running Start students are expected to attend Clark during the 2013-2014 academic year–a record number. Each year, the Bookstore hosts an open house before fall quarter begins so that students and their parents can become familiar with college systems, including Tutoring Services, Clark College Libraries, and ASCC (student government). Additionally, Bookstore staff set up informational stations where visitors could learn about how to best use the Bookstore’s services.

“This is a three-quarter textbook,” Bookstore employee Ali Hallenbeck told a small crowd gathered at the “Affordable Textbook Options” station as she held up a massive, hardback tome with Japanese writing on it. “If you’re only taking one quarter of the language, it’s probably cheaper to buy this,” she added, holding up a thinner, soft-cover workbook.

“The main reason for the open house is to give students a chance to visit the bookstore and learn about how to find out what books and supplies will be needed for their classes,” said Bookstore Secretary Senior Leah Skeen, who organizes the event every year. “Students are taught how to use the book list and supply list. The secondary purpose for the event is to provide a fun, inviting atmosphere to welcome the students to Clark, help them feel comfortable starting a new school, and let them know the resources available to them. The open house is a time to build relationships and let students know were here for them. Hopefully, after attending the event, they feel more confident and prepared for their first day of class at Clark.”

Bookstore buyer Kaina Barba helps students out at the technology desk.

It seemed to be working for Fort Vancouver High School student Tamika Taylor. She decided to enroll in Running Start to accelerate her ability to join the U.S. Navy, where she hopes to become a cryptology technician, a field that appeals to both her love of math and her sense of tradition; both her grandfather and father served in the military. When asked what she was looking forward to most about her time at Clark, she unhesitatingly answered, “Math class.”

And did she feel at all nervous about taking on the challenge of college while still in high school? Taylor looked around the Bookstore for a second, then smiled and said, “Not really, no.”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Fall quarter starts for most students on September 23, but Clark’s student athletes began their year on Saturday, August 10. That’s when the Athletic Department hosted an orientation session for 70 first-year student athletes.

The student athletes met with advisors and registration staff, but also learned about being a Penguin—and specifically, an athletic Penguin—by hearing the history of the athletics program as well as getting information about study resources, social media, and NWAACC.

“Our Student-Athlete Orientation introduces our freshmen and transfers to key people across campus and gives them the tools to begin successful careers at Clark,” said Charles Guthrie, Director of Athletics. “Of the 70 students who attended, we had an estimated 20 student athletes who are first-generation, and these types of events are vital to seeing them succeed.”

Clark’s fall sports include men’s and women’s soccer, cross country, and volleyball. Visit clarkpenguins.com to see an updated schedule of athletic events.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Clark College is hosting two major community events this coming weekend that may affect access to the main campus. Read below for information about how to plan around the events if you were expecting to be on campus this weekend—or why you might want to come, even if you weren’t.

COUVAPALOOZA – SATURDAY, AUGUST 17

What it is: Now in its second year, Couvapalooza is a daylong, all-ages music festival benefiting local music-education programs, including Clark’s.

How it affects Penguins: The event takes place 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the South Lawn in front of McLoughlin Blvd. Setup will begin on Friday, August 16. Classes will continue as scheduled. However, the event has rented all the Red lots and Blue Lot 1, so they will be unavailable to the college community. Also, expect some noise—these are rock bands, after all.

Why you might want to go: Besides the fact that some of the proceeds will go toward Clark’s own music program, the event is boasting a well-known band as its headliner: Everclear, performers of modern-rock radio staples like “Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” and “Everything to Everyone.” Other acts include Santa Barbara rock band Winchester Rebels, Seattle-based alternative country singer Dylan Jakobsen, and Dallas artist Remington. A total of 16 bands are scheduled to perform including local favorites Smoochknob, One From Many, Foreign Talks, Seth Myzel and the Battle Ground High School Advanced Jazz Band. A beer and wine garden managed by Northwest Battle Buddies will be available for attendees 21 and up. Activities for children will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a music wall, balloon animals and face painting. The festival will also feature local art, craft and food vendors.

SUNDAY STREETS ALIVE – SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

What it is: Sunday Streets Alive is Clark County’s first open street event, in which several streets in Vancouver will be closed to traffic so that pedestrians, bicyclists, and others can travel between six activity areas, one of which is located on the southwest side of the main campus.

How it affects Penguins: McLoughlin is one of the roads closed to traffic (visit the official event website for a complete map of the route). Parking in the Red lots, as well as the restrooms in O’Connell Sports Center, will be open to participants, so expect more activity than normal in those areas. The event lasts 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other college events will continue as scheduled.

Why you might want to go: The 4.2-mile route winds through downtown, Fort Vancouver, and up past Clark College and Uptown Village. Each of the six activity areas boasts food, vendors, entertainment, and fun activities. Clark is actively participating in this event—in fact, the college is still looking for volunteers, so contact Michelle Golder at mgolder@clark.edu as soon as possible if you’d like to help out—with information tables for Admissions, Financial Aid, Veterans Programs, Career Services, and N.E.R.D. Girls. College personnel are also leading activities and demonstrations that include hiking, zumba, line dancing, t’ai chi, cooking, and a basketball competition.