Archer Gallery is bringing three artists and multiple events to campus in May. All events 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!

Kanani Miyamoto

Thursday, May 2 at 11 a.m.
Clark College, Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161
www.nativeartsandcultures.org/kanani-miyamoto

Originally from Honolulu, Kanani Miyamoto practices art, teaches, and curates in Portland, Oregon. An individual of mixed heritage, she most identifies with her Hawaiian and Japanese roots, which are celebrated in her artwork. Miyamoto holds a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and a Bachelor of Arts in Art Practices from Portland State University. She is the arts coordinator at p:ear.

Important to Miyamoto’s work is sharing and honoring her mixed cultural background to represent her community and the beauty of intersectional identities. She hopes to create critical conversations around cultural authenticity in the arts. She uses traditional printmaking techniques to create large-scale print installations and murals. She also is an advocate for art education and a passionate community worker.

Miyamoto said about her work: “I’d like to tell the story of survivance and resilience through reclaiming this tradition. I want to recognize our ancestors and feel their hands through my hands.”

David Eckard, Artist in Residence

Exhibit: May 1 – 31, 2024
Archer Gallery
Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
www.davideckardstudio.com

Other events in Archer Gallery:

• Artist Talk: May 9 at 10 a.m.
• Workshop: May 16 at 10 a.m.
• Reception: May 18 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

David Eckard utilizes diverse materials, techniques, and presentational strategies in his studio practice. Futility, function, authority, queer masculinity, and persona are the primary notions investigated, critiqued, and exploited in his work. Eckard fabricates fictive artifacts and enigmatic objects with various materials and techniques. These sculptures exist as singular objects, installation components, and performance props.

His rendered works on panels and paper are biomorphic, sexualized schematics that address the body as a carrier of histories, fantasies, potential, and trauma. Through performance, Eckard orchestrates transient theatrics and deploys temporary monuments in civic spaces for incidental audiences.

Eckard has exhibited internationally. His work has been reviewed in Art in America, Sculpture, Flash Art, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Artnews. He is the recipient of multiple fellowships and awards including the Individual Artist Fellowship (2015, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portland, Oregon), the Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts (2010, Ford Family Foundation, Portland), and the Bonnie Bronson Fellowship (2010, Portland).

Nicole Seisler

Tuesday, May 7 from 9 – 11:20 a.m.
Frost Art Center, Room 011 Ceramics Studio
https://nysprojects.com/

Nicole Seisler is a Portland-based ceramic artist whose practice comprises making, educating, and curating. Her sculpture, installations and public art investigate time, materiality, process, psychology, and the overlapping roles of artist, viewer, participant and collaborator.

Seisler received her master’s in fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her bachelor’s in fine arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her work has been exhibited at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Tallahassee, Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles and American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California. Her work is featured in the “In Hand” exhibition at Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University. During the pandemic she published the book Recipes for Conceptual Clay (in the time of Covid-19)”.

She has taught ceramics for more than ten years at universities including School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Washington, Scripps College, and UCLA. She is an assistant professor and head of ceramics at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. As founder and director of the contemporary ceramics platform A-B Projects, she has curated over 30 exhibitions and offers alternative educational programming that reevaluates and redefines the trajectory of contemporary ceramics.

Across her practice, Seisler creates dialogue and perspectives around ceramics that exist in the same conditions as the material: malleable, shifting, adaptable, and enduring; existing within, between, and beyond conventional definitions.

More details are available here at Archer Gallery | Clark College

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

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

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

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

Creative Writing Festival Schedule

Monday, May 6

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

Tuesday, May 7

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

Wednesday, May 8

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

Thursday, May 9

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

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

Friday, May 10

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

Saturday, May 11

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

May 11 Spring Writing Workshop Schedule

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

Workshop Descriptions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clark College hosted Noche de Familia on April 23, a special night for Latiné families to learn about academic options and internal and external resources available at Clark College. Offered in the fall and spring quarters by the college and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the free event included activities for kids and dinner for all.

While the grownups were busy, the face-painting table was a popular destination in Gaiser Student Center. Siblings Rodrigo and Emma Hernandez and Xiomara and Lindsay Montalvo seemed pleased to show off their faces sporting sparkling dolphins, butterflies, and roses.

But the face painting was just one element in a night of family fun, food, and information that can change the trajectory of a family’s education, earning potential, and opportunities.

Clark employees presented useful information for potential Clark College students—including applying for financial aid, applying to Clark, and the many supports Clark offers to assist students. The entire program was presented in Spanish, including introductions and all presentations.

We were happy to welcome Silvia Mariscal as the keynote speaker, a 2017 Clark graduate who shared her story. Her grandkids inspired her to go back to college. She reminded the attendees that it is never too late to come back to school and continue learning. She will continue her studies at WSU Vancouver.

A panel of four current Clark students gave tips about how to be a successful student, including using Clark resources. They also talked about how parents can be supportive of their children and encourage them to graduate and attend college. The panelists were Maria Luisa Martinez, a returning Career and Academic Prep (CAP) student who wants to study business; Melissa Lopez Heredia, studying computer science and member of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA); John Miguel, studying civil engineering and member of MESA; and Elver Castro Aguiniga, an English as a Second Language (ESL) student who is the parent of another Clark student.

Attendees also had opportunities to speak with Clark representatives from Financial Aid, Transitional Services, Workforce Education Services, Disability Support Services, Counseling and Health Center, Career Services and more. Personal appointments were offered to maintain student privacy and explain the processes of applying for Clark College and applying for financial aid.

“Noche de Familia is a fall and spring quarter event for our Latiné community to come to campus and learn about opportunities to attend Clark College—and so much more,” said Rosalba Pitkin, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “By offering this event in their native language, we are promoting cultural diversity, preserving heritage, and ensuring that everyone has equal access to essential services and opportunities. We are pleased to invite our community to learn about so many resources available to those who want to attend Clark College and expand their horizons.”

At tables around the perimeter of Gaiser Student Center, several community nonprofits and organizations provided information about scholarships and other support and assistance.

• The Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs: https://www.cha.wa.gov/
• Community Foundation for Southwest Washington: https://www.cfsww.org/
• Ren Locus non-profit tax organization: https://renlocus.org/
• Latino Leadership Northwest: https://latinoleadershipnw.org/
• Betancourt Foundation: https://www.betancourtfoundation.org/
• Pasitos Gigantes Southwest Washington: www.PasitosGigantes.org
• Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program: https://waopportunityscholarship.org/

Deanna Green, senior scholarship manager and development associate at Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, offered information about scholarships available for high school and college students.

During the event, Green posted on social media: “Promoting CFSWW scholarships at Noche de Familia at Clark College from 4-8 p.m. Education is a family affair! I love Clark College. Proud Penguin alum!”

While potential students learned more about Clark College, children busied themselves not only with face painting but also games and educational activities.

Pitkin added, “We are planting a seed in these children, so they will be ready to go to college. Perhaps one day these children will be Penguins.”

Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• In person: Diversity Center, Gaiser Hall 214
• Phone: 360-992-2292
• Email: diversity@clark.edu
• Website: https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/diversity-and-equity/

Photos courtesy of Rosalba Pitkin

The Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence welcomed student veterans and potential students during its spring open house on April 22.

The Clark College veteran is any military-affiliated student at Clark: veterans, active duty, or military dependent (spouse or child).

Often when students enroll at Clark College, they aren’t aware of the assistance they can receive at the veterans center. Even students who are not veterans themselves but have a parent or spouse who is or was a veteran may qualify for Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits.

VCOE staff can connect student veterans to agencies, programs, and support. Fostering a sense of belonging and space here at Clark is important, and the Veterans Club for students is starting up again.

We were excited to have a great turnout from our current VCOE students, college staff, the Clark College Foundation, and our VCOE advisor board members. We are working on creating a video with the Digital Media Arts 215 class, and we were so encouraged when half the class came to the open house to hang out and get to know our staff, and see our space.

Our veteran staff at the center can help military-affiliated students with their educational journey. We have an academic advisor, VA certifying official, veteran workstudy employees, and more. We offer free tutoring for math and English. We have programs for student success focusing on the whole health of the veteran. That includes help with books and calculators; offering useful workshops; providing a study area with computers and printers; lounge and games for relaxation; networking with other veterans and more.

Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence

• In person: Penguin Union Building, PUB 015
• Phone: 360-992-2073 or 360-992-2864
• Email: veterans@clark.edu
• Website: https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/vrc/
• Let’s be social: Instagram | Facebook

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

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

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

Exploring Career Pathways

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participating High Schools

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

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Experiencing microaggressions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Her advice on how to be an ally:

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

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

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

Alam recommends these stories that feature South Asian characters:

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

Learn more social equity definitions

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

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

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

Schedule

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

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

Learn more about the history of the Sakura Festival.

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