The Clark College Columbia Writers Series continues its 2018-2019 season with noted poet Claudia Castro Luna. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Thursday, January 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Hall room 213 on Clark College’s main campus.

Claudia Castro Lunais the Washington State Poet Laureate. She served
as Seattle’s Civic
Poet from 2015-2017 and is the author of the Pushcart-nominated Killing Marías (Two Sylvias Press)
and This City, (Floating Bridge Press) and the creator of the
acclaimed Seattle Poetic Grid. Born
in El Salvador, she came to the United States in 1981. She has a Master of Arts
degree in Urban Planning, a teaching certificate, and a Master of Fine Arts in
poetry. Her poems have appeared in Poetry Northwest, La Bloga,
Dialogo and Psychological Perspectives,among others. Her non-fiction work can
be read in several anthologies, among them This Is The Place: Women
Writing About Home, (Seal Press). Castro Luna is currently working on
a memoir, Like Water to Drink, about
her experience escaping the civil war in El Salvador. Living in English and
Spanish, she writes and teaches in Seattle. Since 2009, she
maintains Cipota bajo la Luna, a blog with reflections,
writing, and reviews.

The Columbia
Writers Series was launched at Clark College in 1988, bringing local, national
and international authors to the college and the region. This year’s lineup of authors will continue with:

Winter

• February 2019 (date TBA): Elizabeth McCracken, award-winning
  fiction writer.

Spring

• May 20, 2019: Alexis Madrigal, author, journalist, and staff
  writer at The Atlantic.
• May 21, 2019: Gina Oschner, award-winning author and Clark
  alumna
• May 22, 2019: Release of Phoenix,
  Clark College’s award-winning arts and literary journal

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

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

The Clark College athletic department recently announced the 2019 Athletic Hall of Fame class.  On Saturday, February 2, the 2019 Class will be recognized during halftime of the men’s basketball game vs. Linn-Benton (approximately 4:45 p.m.). Following the basketball game, a Hall of Fame Ceremony will be held in the Gaiser Student Center at 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.clarkcollegefoundation.org/athletics-hall-of-fame-2019.

This
year’s honorees are:

Brenda Bessner – Women’s Track
and Field (1989-90)

• 1989
  NWAACC Shotput Champion – 42’8 ¾”
• 1989
  NWAACC Javelin Champion – 166’1”
• 1990
  NWAACC Javelin Champion – 160’2”
• Currently
  still holds the record for shotput (45-05) and Javelin (178-00)
• Competed
  in the Deaflympics in 1985/89 for both Shotput and Javelin and place 2^nd
  in each event

Janie Hogan-Corbett –
Women’s Basketball (1991-93)

• 1^st
  team all-league
• 1^st
  team all-tournament
• Led
  league in scoring and rebounding
• Compiled
  33 rebounds in one game
• Was
  part of the first undefeated team in NWAACC history (33-0)
• 1993
  NWAACC Champions

1981 Men’s Golf Team

• Team
  members:
  • Kevin
    Antolock, Greg Brown, Jeff Coad, Eric Degerman, Ian Harper, and Glen Hueser
• Head
  Coach
  • Skeet
    O’Connell

1982 Men’s Golf Team

• Team members:
  • Kevin Antolock, Mike Burch, Jeff Coad, Eric Degerman, Tim Gilberg*, and Todd Quigley  *honor awarded posthumously
• Head Coach
  • Skeet O’Connell

About Clark College Athletics

Penguin Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success
within the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). The department offers 11 intercollegiate
sports programs: Baseball; Men’s and Women’s Basketball; Men’s and Women’s
Cross Country; Men’s and Women’s Soccer; Softball; Men’s and Women’s Track
& Field; and Women’s Volleyball.

Penguin Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as
athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to
reach their educational goals, as well to pursue meaningful athletic
accomplishments. For more information, visit Clark Athletics’ website, Twitter
and Facebook pages.

President Robert K. Knight has announced that he plans to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 contract year on August 31.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank President Knight for his exemplary service during his 13 years leading Clark College,” said Royce Pollard, chair of the Clark College Board of Trustees. “For more than a decade, he has provided stability and vision that has allowed the college to grow, adapt, and serve its community.”

Knight joined Clark in 2004 as Vice President of Administrative Services. In 2006, he was named acting president, and a year later was named president. During his tenure, he has overseen many changes at the college, including the opening of its Columbia Tech Center location in 2009, a new STEM Building in 2016, and the development of the college’s first three Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs. 

Knight publicly announced his retirement on January 18, the day after delivering his annual State of the College address, in which he shared the news of the college’s recent successful accreditation process.

President Knight will continue to serve as president until his retirement date.

“While this is a decision that my wife and I have been weighing for some time, I wanted to see the college through its accreditation process before informing trustees and Executive Cabinet,” Knight wrote in an email to college employees this morning. “Now that our review is complete and the college has received commendations in six areas, I feel comfortable that I am leaving this institution on firm footing.”

Pollard said that the Board of Trustees will begin the work of selecting a replacement for President Knight at a special board meeting to be announced soon.

Read the full text of President Knight’s email below:

Dear college community,

As many of you know, I have spent 15 years working at Clark. It has been a privilege and an honor to lead the college for more than a decade, and I am proud of the work we have done together to serve our students and our community.

So it is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will be retiring at the end of my contract year on August 31.

While this is a decision that my wife and I have been weighing for some time, I wanted to see the college through its accreditation process before informing trustees and Executive Cabinet. Now that our review is complete and the college has received commendations in six areas, I feel comfortable that I am leaving this institution on firm footing.

The Board of Trustees will be holding a special meeting, to be announced soon, to begin the process of seeking new leadership for the college. I have the utmost faith in their ability to steward the college safely through this period of transition and to find the right leadership to guide Clark into the future. In the meantime, I am committed to spending the next seven months ensuring that the college continues to work toward fulfilling its mission.

Please know that I will continue to support Clark and be a part of its community, even after I retire. After all, once a member of the Penguin Nation, always a member of the Penguin Nation.

Thank you,

Bob Knight
President

Clark College President Robert K. Knight will deliver the annual State of the College address on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center.

During his speech, President Knight will address the college’s ongoing work to better meet the needs of students and the community. Among the things he will highlight are the college’s progress on implementing the “Guided Pathways” model of higher education. He will also convey the excitement created by fresh voices in the college’s leadership and by an ambitious new fundraising campaign launched by the Clark College Foundation. Additionally, he will update the community on the college’s progress toward implementing its five-year Social Equity Plan.

President Knight will also showcase the achievements of the college’s highly regarded academic and technical programs, including the launch of its third bachelor’s degree program, the recognition of its Pharmacy Technician program as No. 1 in the country, and the historic significance of the college’s nursing program graduating its 130th class. He will also share the findings of the college’s accreditation report, which was recently released by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Looking ahead, President Knight will advocate for the Washington State Legislature to pass a capital budget that provides for much-needed improvements in the state community and technical college system, including Clark College’s new advanced-manufacturing training center at the Clark College at Boschma Farms location in Ridgefield. He will also explain the need for the Legislature to pass an operating budget that addresses longstanding salary inequities in the system.

The State of the College address, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center on the college’s main campus. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

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

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Iris Awards, which honor outstanding women in Southwest Washington. The winners will be announced at the end of January, and the recipients will be honored at a reception and ceremony on Wednesday, March 7, 2019, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Clark College’s Gaiser Student Center. Tickets will go on sale in January.

Award criteria and nominations forms are available at www.clark.edu/cc/irisawards. Nominations must be received by January 11, 2019. A list of past award recipients can be found at http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/iris/iris-award-honorees.php.

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

One Iris Award recipient may be selected in each of four areas: service in the public sector; service in the private sector; philanthropic leadership; and leadership in the promotion of civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. This last category is a new addition to the Iris Awards, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed women leaders in Southwest Washington.

Anyone may submit a nomination, and more than one person can fill out a nomination form or provide letters of recommendation for the same nominee.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC.

Clark College recently received a $496,800 grant to help low-income parents pursue higher education.

The grant, which will be disbursed over four years, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) program. The bulk of it will be used to subsidize child care in the college’s Child and Family Studies program for Pell Grant-eligible student-parents. About one-quarter of Clark students have dependent children, and 43 percent are low-income.

“We are thrilled to be able to take this step forward in serving our student-parents with the CCAMPIS Student Parent Support Program,” said Clark College Child & Family Studies Director Michele Volk. “We know that child care can be a barrier for many people who would like to go to college, so having safe, high-quality, and affordable early-childhood care and education right here on campus can help these students succeed and create brighter futures for their whole families.”

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, only 33 percent of students with children complete a degree or certificate within six years; for single mothers, the rate is 28 percent. One study showed that student-parents who used their college’s on-campus child care services were more than three times as likely to graduate on time as those who did not. At a time when many colleges across the country are shutting down their child-care centers, this grant will allow Clark College to expand its services to more students.

Founded during World War II as a parents’ cooperative, Clark College’s Child & Family Studies program has evolved into a full-scale child care center providing care to children ages 12 months to 5 years. Serving more than 123 families per quarter, it also serves as a learning lab for the college’s Early Childhood Education program.

Student parents can receive CCAMPIS-funded subsidies through an application process and could begin receiving subsidized child care as soon as the beginning of winter quarter on January 7. CFS hopes to serve 40 student families during the first year of the grant.

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo

Clark College will host a renowned Japanese academic for a lecture on Japan-U.S. relations on Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Gaiser Hall room 213, located on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. The closest parking is in the Green Lot. Directions and maps are available online.

Dr.  Fumiaki Kubo will give a lecture entitled “U.S.-Japan Relations under Trump and Abe: Challenges and Hopes.” This event is sponsored by the Consular Office of Japan in Portland.

Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP). The DSS office is located in room 013 in Clark’s Penguin Union Building.

About Professor Fumiaki Kubo

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo has been the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of American Government and History at the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics of the University of Tokyo since 2003. He is affiliated with the Japan Institute for International Affairs as a Visiting Scholar, as well as the Tokyo Foundation as a Senior Research Scholar. He studied at Cornell University in 1984-1986, Johns Hopkins University in 1991-1993, and Georgetown University and the University of Maryland in 1998-99. In addition, he was an Invited Professor at SciencesPo in Paris in the spring of 2009, and a Japan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2014.

Dr. Kubo attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and received his B.A. in 1979 and Ph.D. in 1989. He is the author of many books which include: Modern American Politics (with Hitoshi Abe), Ideology and Foreign Policy After Iraq in the United States, and A Study on the Infrastructure of American Politics. In 1989, he received the Sakurada-Kai Gold Award for the Study of Politics and the Keio Gijuku Award.

In 2001 and 2002, Dr. Kubo served on the Prime Minister’s Commission on the Study of Direct Election System of the Prime Minister. Since 2007, Dr. Kubo has been a member of the U.S-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). In February, 2015, he became a member of the Japan-US Educational Commission. From June, 2016, he is the President of the Japanese Association for American Studies.

Paul Speer

Paul Speer has been appointed to the Clark College Board of Trustees by Gov. Jay Inslee. His appointment began October 31, 2018, and ends September 30, 2023. His first board meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14.

“Paul has deep roots in Clark County and a diverse background that will be a great asset to the Clark College Board of Trustees,” Gov. Inslee said. “He has skills in strategic planning, fundraising and capacity building and I know that he will help the college achieve its strategic plan and vision.”

A resident of Clark County for the past 37 years, Speer has long demonstrated a commitment to his community. He has volunteered or is currently volunteering with almost 20 different organizations, including on boards of The Historic Trust, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Social Venture Partners International, Leadership Clark County, and the Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington; and advisory boards of iUrban Teen, Cascadia Tech Academy, and the Superintendent’s Management Task Force for Vancouver Public Schools. He has chaired the University of Portland’s Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and its Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation board; the City of Vancouver’s Aviation Advisory Committee; and the Pearson Field Education Center.

Currently, Speer is an executive advisor and coach who also appears as a guest lecturer and panelist on topics including leadership, new business creation, business planning, venture philanthropy, sustainable energy, and encore careers. He has a long career in the tech industry, including more than 25 years at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he retired as Vice President of Development Strategy in the Office of Strategy and Technology.

Speer earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Portland. He earned his Master of Science in Aeronautics degree from Embry-Riddle University. Among his many awards and recognitions are his 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award from Leadership Clark County and his 2013 Pilot of the Year award from the Washington Pilots Association.

Speer joins other trustees Royce Pollard, Jane Jacobsen, Jada Rupley, and Rekah Strong.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving more than 10,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Southwest Washington’s oldest public institution of higher education. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

Clark College Theatre begins its 2018-2019 season with The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl.

A 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Clean House is a romantic comedy about loss, love, change, and redemption. A career-oriented doctor has hired a quirky Brazilian maid who hates to clean and instead longs to be a comedienne. The doctor is deserted by her husband, who leaves her for his mistress, a passionate, older woman upon whom he recently performed a mastectomy. Sarah Ruhl’s play reminds us that there is humor and beauty to be found in life’s most unlikely messes.

This production’s cast includes:  Danielle Neblock, Becky Morin, Amy Baldwin, Kyle Reese, and Dee Harris.  The director is Mark Owsley. With the exception of Dee Harris, who is an employee of Clark College, all cast members are current students.

This show contains adult themes, language, and content.

Show Dates: November 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

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

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

Members of Phi Theta Kappa get ready to distribute Thanksgiving groceries to students in 2016.

Every year, members of Clark College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society collect money to pay for grocery baskets so that Clark students in need can have all the supplies to make Thanksgiving dinner for their families. This year, they have collected the names of 100 students who could use help this holiday.

Each basket costs about $25 and includes a 12-14 pound turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and a pie.

PTK is asking for donations from the community to help cover the cost of these baskets. Donors may contribute by dropping off monetary donations to the Cashier’s Office in Gaiser Hall or by calling the Cashier’s Office at 360-992-2177. Either way, be sure to mention the account code “VB.” Donations need to be received by Monday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m.

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges.

Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson

This article contributed by Alpha Sigma Phi, Clark College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa