On Wednesday, December 7, specialists from Clark College’s Financial Aid Office will be on hand to answer questions from prospective students and parents about navigating the world of financial aid.

Clark’s annual Financial Aid Information Night provides information about Clark’s admission process, scholarship opportunities, financial aid grants and loans, how to apply, and much more.

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Clark College’s main campus in Gaiser Student Center. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This event is free and open to the public; it requires no advance registration or reservation. Information is available at the Clark website at http://www.clark.edu/cc/fan. If you have any additional questions, please direct them to Clark College’s Financial Aid Office in Gaiser Hall at 360-992-2153 or finaid@clark.edu.

Event Schedule:

• 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Open House
• 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Financial Aid Presentation by Chippi Bello, Clark College Associate Dean of Financial Aid
• 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Question-and-Answer Session

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.

Clark College is celebrating International Education Week, a program of the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with events on Thursday, November 17, and Friday, November 18. Highlights include:

Thursday, November 17

11 a.m.  – 12 p.m., PUB 161: International Employers Panel. Discover what it takes to operate in a global economy from representatives of major regional employers.

12 – 4 p.m., Gaiser Student Center: International Festival. This free, family-friendly event includes international food, cultural presentations by Clark College international students, live performances, and public proclamations from both Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt and Clark College President Robert K. Knight.

Friday, November 18

10 a.m. – 12 p.m., CTC 153: Mexican cooking class. $40 per person, hosted by the Clark College Spanish Club.

1 p.m. – 3 p.m., CTC 153: Mexican cooking class. $40 per person, hosted by the Clark College Spanish Club.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m., GHL 213: International Service Learning Presentation. Hear from Clark College students about their recent service-learning trip to Mexico.

Full event listings are available online at www.clark.edu/cc/ieweek. All events are open to the public; all except the Mexican cooking classes are free. All events take place on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way except for the cooking classes, which take place at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center at 18700 SE Mill Plain Blvd. Full maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Clark College Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the Tony Award-winning play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang.

Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries Masha. Some of the show’s elements are derived from works of Anton Chekhov, including several character names, the play’s setting in a cherry orchard, and the theme of the possible loss of an ancestral home.

Cast includes (shown left to right): Madison Harris (Nina), Kennedy Marvin (Masha), H. Gene Biby (Vanya), Linda Owsley (Sonia), Matt Brown (Spike), Danielle Neblock (Cassandra). Mark Owsley is directing.

Show Dates: Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID) $9; Alumni (with membership) $9; Senior Citizens $11; General Admission $13. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Clark College Bookstore in Gaiser Hall, 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 Gaiser Hall room 137, as soon as possible.

Photos: Jenny Shadley/Clark College

More photos can be viewed on our Flickr page.

Dana Spiotta. Photo: Jessica Marx

The Clark College Columbia Writers Series is proud to present its fall quarter installment, featuring author Dana Spiotta. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Anna Pechanec Hall (APH) room 201 on Clark College’s main campus.

Dana Spiotta is the author of the novels Lightning Field, Eat the Document, Stone Arabia, and Innocents and Others. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, and a Rome Prize winner, and her novels have been selected as finalists for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. A recent profile of Spiotta in the New York Times Magazine stated that she has “created a new kind of great American novel.”

Spiotta will read from some of her work and discuss her writing process from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 3. 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 Columbia Writers Series was launched at Clark College in 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college and the region. Information about the Columbia Writers Series is available at www.clark.edu/cc/cws.

President Robert K. Knight

Clark College President Robert K. Knight has been named Clark County’s 2016 First Citizen, an award recognizing a Clark County resident who has modeled exemplary citizenship through their actions and service to the community. The award, which was announced in July, will be presented to Knight at a reception on November 2.

“I am honored by this prestigious recognition from the people I feel lucky to have called friends and neighbors for nearly two decades,” said Knight upon learning of the award. “Knowing that I am now counted among such amazing contributors to our community inspires me to continue serving that community in any way I can.”

The nomination focused heavily on Knight’s career at Clark College, where he is said to have “brought stability to a position he did not seek.” Knight, who originally joined the college as vice president of Administrative Services in 2004 and was named acting president in 2006, has overseen several major achievements at the college, including: construction of both Clark College at Columbia Tech Center and a new state-of-the-art, 70,000 square-foot building devoted to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; the opening of the college’s Veterans Resource Center; and one of the largest enrollment spurts of any community college in Washington State. Last year, Clark was listed among the nation’s 150 best community colleges by the Aspen Institute. Much of this success is the result of Knight’s leadership, which is defined by his ability to listen intently, build relationships, support others and foster collaboration.

Letters of support also noted Knight’s giving of time and resources, off campus and outside of work. For years, Knight volunteered 30-to-40 hours each month in addition to overseeing the college. He was a leadership force behind the City of Vancouver’s 150th anniversary celebration and was important in bringing the Vietnam Traveling Wall to Vancouver. His involvement was instrumental in bringing prominent speakers to the region for the George C. Marshall Lecture Series, which included news anchor Tom Brokaw and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In 2000, he helped Vancouver become one of only six cities in the nation selected to host a regional commemoration for the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, which drew a crowd of 3,000 to the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.

Described as “one of the most active community volunteers in our region” by former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Knight has given his time and talents to organizations including the local chapter of the American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Fort Vancouver National Trust, Greater Portland, Washington State University Vancouver and Workforce Southwest Washington.

In truth, though, Knight’s service began long before he landed in Clark County and reaches far beyond this region. For 21 years, he served with the U.S. Army in various ranks and across two continents. Numerous letters of support cited his military career as an example of his leadership, especially during his role as commander of the Vancouver Barracks when the base was targeted for closure. Knight convened community members in a thoughtful, open process that Vesta Hospitality CEO Rick Takach characterizes as being “critical to the jewel that is the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.”

In all, each of the 29 letters of support—seven of which came from former First Citizens—demonstrate how Knight has shown effectiveness in leadership roles, raised standards and expectations, strengthened community identity and civic pride.

“In everything he does and every role he performs, Bob always puts service over self, mission over personal interest,” wrote former U.S. Representative Brian Baird. “Without question, Vancouver, Clark County, Southwest Washington and indeed our nation are better places because of Bob Knight.”

About the First Citizen Award

Recipients of the First Citizen Award, presented since 1939, are selected by a volunteer committee of community leaders and past award recipients. Recipients are chosen for their accomplishments and contributions to the community in a number of areas, including effectiveness in leadership roles, raising community standards and expectations, strengthening community identity and civic pride, and exemplary giving of time, self and resources. For a full listing of criteria and past recipients, please visit www.cfsww.org/our-community/first-citizen.

About the First Citizen Awards Event

Knight will receive the First Citizen Award during a community event scheduled for Wednesday, November 2 at Warehouse ‘23. The event will begin at 4 p.m., with the formal awards program at 5 p.m. Regents Bank is the presenting sponsor of the First Citizen Award reception. Biggs Insurance and PeaceHealth are supporting sponsors, and the event is organized in partnership with The Columbian and the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased at the door or in advance by visiting www.columbian.com/firstcitizen.

Clark College’s Economic and Community Development program recently welcomed two talented leaders to its team. Francois Wevers joined ECD as the Director of Economic & Community Partnerships and Kelli Gizzi is the incoming Director of Professional and Personal Development.

About Francois Wevers

Francois Wevers

Francois Wevers has a long, rich and successful track record in sales and business management. He has most recently been the National Sales Manager for Lightspeed Aviation in Lake Oswego. Prior to Lightspeed, Wevers held a number of key sales management positions with Hewlett-Packard, based out of the United States, France and Germany. He has helped to build large new businesses, created new retail and commercial sales channels, and managed sales organizations in both Europe and the U.S.

Wevers has a Bachelor in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, and a DSCAF in Business Administration from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, Le Havre, France. Wevers was born and raised in the Normandy Region of France and relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1996. He and his wife, Bracy, have three daughters; they all live in the area.

About Kelli Gizzi

Kelli Gizzi

Kelli Gizzi is a veteran of both Intel Corporation and Motorola, Inc., where she held a number of key roles including marketing in emerging markets, online learning, enterprise channels, enterprise software, information technology, mobile apps, and social media.

Gizzi lives in Battle Ground with her husband, Jim, and daughter, Jenna—all avid soccer fans. Gizzi has a strong community focus and has served on the board of directors of the Women’s Center for Leadership, a greater Portland nonprofit, for four years—the past two years as the board president. Gizzi is also a parent volunteer for Battle Ground Citizens for Better Schools.

Gizzi has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Columbia. While Gizzi is a longtime resident of the area, she has also lived and worked in other countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan.

About Clark College Economic and Community Development

Clark College Economic & Community Development (ECD) is Southwest Washington’s premier provider of workforce training and non-credit learning, serving more than 10,000 people annually. These elements are part of ECD’s vision to maintain and continually develop its status as the region’s premier provider of classes, seminars, certificate programs and training opportunities that serve the residents and businesses of the Southwest Washington region.

“Educating for the Seventh Generation” is a night of sharing music, dance, and traditions.

On Friday, Nov. 4, Clark College welcomes the community as it hosts “Educating for the Seventh Generation,” a celebration of indigenous cultures.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with free food and refreshments. The Native American Culture Club will provide an Opening Prayer and a presentation to stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux, who are protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline. A performance by the Kaleinani o Ke Kukui dance troupe will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a welcome address and presentation of the Dreamcatcher Scholarship, benefiting a Clark student of indigenous ancestry. Vendors and informational booths will be present.

Grand Entry for a powwow will begin at 6 p.m, with the colors retiring at 10 p.m.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.

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

Images from the 2014 celebration are available on Clark’s Flickr account.

On Friday, October 7, Clark College will be largely closed to the public for a faculty/staff workday. No classes are scheduled. Additionally, student services and college offices will be closed.

Child & Family Studies (child care), the Clark College Bookstore, and some computer labs will remain open. Food carts on the main campus will be open during lunch hours only.

Computer labs that will remain open are: SHL 135, CCW 129, CTC 203, and AA4 116.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

On Thursday, October 6, Clark College will host a panel discussion about the rise in income inequality and the widening opportunity gap.

Income Inequality: Is the American Dream at Risk? takes place at 6 p.m. in Foster Auditorium on Clark’s main campus. An opening reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Four Clark College faculty from diverse disciplines will offer their expertise on the topic in a discussion that stems from the ideas set forth in a New York Times bestseller, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam. Discussion topics will include increasing disparity in income, the shrinking middle class, and the lack of opportunity for many Americans.

“The idea of attaining success through merit and achieving the so-called American Dream is more difficult than ever,” said economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, who will be one of the panelists. “Statistics show that the middle class is shrinking at an alarming rate and there are fewer and fewer opportunities to get ahead in our current economy.”

Panelists are economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, political science professor Michael Ceriello, women’s studies professor Kushlani de Soyza, and sociology professor Dr. Don Ludwig. The discussion will be moderated by Dave Kosloski, professor of Communications Studies and former Speech and Debate coach for Clark’s award-winning debate team. Biographies of each panelist are listed below.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP) prior to the event.

About the Panelists

Patricia Atkinson has been an Economics professor at Clark College since 2008. She holds degrees from Marist College and Portland State University and is currently studying for her doctorate in education at Washington State University-Vancouver. Professor Atkinson’s research focuses on macroeconomics, economic growth and income inequality in the U.S.

Dr. Don Ludwig has been a professor of Sociology at Clark College since 2007. He holds degrees from Rutgers University, Princeton Theological Seminary and Whitworth University and earned his doctoral degree from Portland State University and the International University for Graduate Studies. Professor Ludwig’s research has focused on social change and transformational leadership as well as the equitable support systems for disadvantaged youth.

Kushlani de Soyza has been a professor of Women’s Studies at Clark College since 2008. A former newspaper editor, reporter, and radio producer, she holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati, Portland State University and Oregon State University. Her areas of interest in feminist theory include media and representation as well as exploring theories of race and racialization. Most recently she has been involved with Clark College’s growing Learning Community Program.

Michael Ceriello has been a professor of Political Science at Clark College since 2007. In addition to providing political commentary for newspaper, radio, and television outlets in Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, he also served as the director of Clark College’s award-winning Model United Nations program from 2008-2011. Professor Ceriello holds degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Western Washington University. His areas of interest include American national government and public policy.

Dave Kosloski has been a professor of Communication Studies at Clark College for the past 19 years. He served as Clark College’s Director of Speech and Debate from 1998 until 2015; the program earned top honors among all Northwest community colleges for 14 of those years. He is currently serving his fifth term as chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Clark College’s new STEM Building has a LEED Silver certification. Here are a few environmentally friendly aspects of the building and its construction:

• The building is cooled by water pumped from the local wellfield through a campuswide hydronics (water-based heating and cooling) system. This same water is used to heat the building with help from high-efficiency gas boilers, then is circulated back to irrigate the campus landscaping. This creates a “closed circuit,” where the water is continually pumped from, and then returned to, the land—a system that eliminates waste and reduces energy costs.
• Bike lockers on the lower level and a shower on the first floor encourage bike commuting.
• Bottle-filling stations on each floor allow students and visitors to eschew single-use bottled beverages in favor of reusable drink containers.
• The windows of south wall are made of double-paned glass filled with Argon gas and coated with a low-E value film to reduce the light and heat load. Additionally, metal sunshades block the higher sun during the hotter days of summer, but allow the lowered sun in winter to strike the glass directly and increase available natural lighting and heat. The sunshades also reflect light up into the corridors to reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day.
• Almost 99 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson