The spring 2015 staff of The Independent, Clark’s student newspaper.

Clark College student journalists captured all three top awards in a competition for the best in news reporting, editing and production by teams at 13 community colleges in Oregon and Washington, according to results made public Sunday.

It was the third year in a row that the news staff of The Independent captured the Publications Sweeps, a tally of the most first-, second- and third-place finishes for a school in 21 categories of the competition. The Independent staff also took first in the General Excellence category of the contest, which, this year was sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators.

Former Clark student journalist Emma Fletcher, who is now studying in Dunedin, New Zealand, captured first in the Individual Sweeps, picking up top awards in feature reporting and feature photography, two second-place awards in news reporting and multimedia story-telling and an honorable mention in portrait photography.

“This is such a terrific testimony to the hard work, determination and skill of some fine students and young people,” adviser Dee Anne Finken said. “The Independent staff demonstrated once again that they can achieve great outcomes by way of great effort and dedication.”

Finken said the results were also satisfying because the competition this year was broader than in years past. Washington Community College Journalism Association media advisers opened the contest to two-year schools in Oregon, Montana and Idaho this year and conducted the contest under the banner of the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators.

“The competition was tougher and larger in number, but Clark students again prevailed,” she said.

The Independent staff finished in front of Mt. Hood Community College students in Gresham, Oregon, who took second in the Publications Sweeps and Shoreline Community College student journalists from Shoreline, Washington, who finished third.

In the General Excellence category, Clark student journalists finished in front of the Pierce College student news staff, from Lakewood, Washington, who took second, and the Shoreline staff, who took third.

Finken acknowledged the success was also due to the support of other faculty and staff at Clark, as well as professionals in the community, especially those who serve on the college’s Student Media Advisory Committee. “The Independent’s success is also because we’ve had thoughtful people supporting a fine co-curricular program that blends an extra-curricular activity with academics. It’s been a great partnership.”

Tra Friesen, The Independent’s editor-in-chief, who won third place in the news photography category, said his work for the publication has been highly rewarding.

“Joining the Independent is hands-down the best decision I ever made for my education,” Friesen said. “Not only did I improve as a critical thinker and writer, I also learned real world skills like leadership, teamwork, and communication.”

As for the team’s success, Friesen credited a dedication to constant improvement. “We are never satisfied and we always try to make each issue better than the last.”

Sports editor/managing editor Tyler Urke won first place in sports feature reporting and an honorable mention in feature writing.

Multimedia editor Scott Unverzagt, chief photographer Kamerin Johnson and design manager Kyle Bliquez also won first-place awards; and sports reporter Becca Robbins captured a second-place in sports news reporting.

Other college news staff who competed were from Everett Community College in Everett, Washington; Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon; Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington; Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington; Seattle Central College; Portland Community College; Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington; and Whatcom College in Bellingham.

Entries consisted of work students completed during the Spring 2014, Fall 2014 and Winter 2015 terms.

Eighteen judges–professional and former staff members from The Seattle Times, The (Tacoma) News Tribune, the Tacoma Weekly, the Wenatchee World and the (Longview) Daily News; and faculty and advisers from non-participating colleges–evaluated and scored the submissions, Finken said.

Clark College’s Veterans Resource Center is honoring Memorial Day by commemorating veterans who have given their lives in service to their country on Tuesday, May 19 at 2:00 p.m. in the Penguin Union Building room 161 on the college’s main campus. (The college is closed on Memorial Day.) Dr. Samantha Powers will be the featured guest speaker at the event, which is free and open to the public. The colors will be presented and light refreshments will be served.

Dr. Powers is the Project Director and a trainer for the Veterans Training Support Center of the Center for Learning Connections, Edmonds Community College. She is a veteran of the United States Air Force Special Operations. A combat veteran who served in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom, Dr. Powers volunteers for a number of veterans organizations in Washington State as a member and officer. She is an adjunct instructor at various higher education institutions in Organizational Leadership and Emergency Management programs. Dr. Powers holds a B.A. in Military History from Virginia Tech, an M.A. in International Relations from University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University.

Clark College serves more than 400 veterans each year. The Veterans Resource Center provides services to those students, helping them navigate everything from their G.I. Bill benefits to helping them find textbook and other resources.

Clark College’s main campus is located at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Wash. Directions and maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. 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.

Left to right: Kristi Taylor (dental hygiene), Helen Martin (business technology), Joan Zoellner (mathematics), Linda Valenzuela (nursing), Ruth Trejo (chemistry), Alan Wiest (health and physical education), Bevyn Rowland (counseling), Shayna Collins (counseling), Ethel Reeves (nursing), Susan Nieman (nursing), and Sunnie Elhart-Johnson (business technology medical office).

Eleven outstanding educators are the newest members of the tenured faculty at Clark College. Shayna Collins (counseling), Sunnie Elhart-Johnson (business technology medical office), Helen Martin (business technology), Susan Nieman (nursing), Ethel Reeves (nursing), Bevyn Rowland (counseling), Kristi Taylor (dental hygiene), Ruth Trejo (chemistry), Linda Valenzuela (nursing), Alan Wiest (health and physical education, and Joan Zoellner (mathematics) were all honored at a reception on April 8 in Clark’s Gaiser Student Center.

“This is an important moment, both for these faculty members and for the college,” said Clark College President Robert K. Knight. “These talented and dedicated professionals have made a commitment to our college, and will help shape the college’s programs and community for many years to come.”

Tenure is awarded by the college’s Board of Trustees based on professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines. The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the vice president of instruction, which are then forwarded to the president, who presents a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Recommendations are based on self-evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations. The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the Board of Trustees.

The professors receiving tenure are:

Shayna Collins, Counseling

Shayna Collins earned her Bachelors in Women’s Studies and Psychology in 2006 and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Minnesota State University in 2009. She then moved to Portland and worked at the Center for Family Success and LifeWorks before joining Clark in 2012.

Shayna currently serves on the Advising Steering Committee and the campus CERT team. Other activities include Teaching Squares, FYE Mentorship program, several search committees, and planning for the annual Stress Awareness Day at Clark.

Collins believes in providing greater access to education for all, encouraging life-long learning, and creating a classroom environment that accommodates diverse learning styles. “It is my pleasure and honor to serve as a faculty counselor at Clark!” she says.

Sunnie Elhart-Johnson, Business Technology Medical Office

After attending a number of colleges as part of her undergraduate degree, including UCLA and The Evergreen State College, Sunnie Elhart-Johnson graduated with honors from Humboldt State University. Elhart-Johnson earned her Masters of Management and Organizational Leadership (MMOL) in 2009. Additionally, she has a current certification from AHIMA in Training ICD-10-CM/PCS and earned a certification in Patient Navigation and Advocacy this past fall.

Over the past 30 years, Elhart-Johnson has worked primarily in the medical field including previous experience as a unit secretary, EMT, medical transcriptionist, AHT, medical biller and coder. Non-medical experience includes corporate trainer, computer tech support, and a number of managerial positions. She has taught Medical Administrative courses throughout the past 14 years, earning the 2011-2012 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Award.

Elhart-Johnson has served as the Department Head for the BMED programs for over three years, working extensively in the curricular development needed to graduate students with the ability to successfully work in almost any healthcare environment, including billing and coding. The BMED Department is currently placing students in several local hospitals and outpatient settings as ICD-10 experts ready for the implementation this October. She currently sits on the Evergreen School Advisory Committee and the Skills Center Advisory Committee, and volunteers at a local free clinic.

“I’m excited about the HIIM degree beginning this summer, allowing students to sit for the highly sought for RHIT certification,” Elhart-Johnson says. “I look forward to leading changes in the healthcare industry through Clark’s programs and graduates, and to supplying our community partners with the ideal employees who have mastery in their field.”

Helen Martin, Business Technology

Helen Martin studied history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and graduated with a doctorandus degree. She also earned an MBA with a concentration in marketing from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has previous work experience with Clark College, PTIGlobal, MindLink, Miami University of Ohio, and Websense.

“As a teacher, I see it as my job to help Clark Students acquire the skills to succeed in life, the confidence to apply those skills in a real world setting, and to make their learning experience effective and enjoyable,” she says.

Martin is a member of the Clark College CERT team, and has been involved as a mentor in the First Year Experience program.

Susan Nieman, Nursing

Susan Nieman is a graduate of the Clark College Nursing Program. She completed her BSN and MN at WSU Vancouver before joining Clark College as an adjunct instructor in 2005. Nieman has worked in psychiatric and emergency room settings and currently serves in the United States Army Reserve as a nurse with the 396th Combat Support hospital.

“My goal is to create additional volunteer opportunities for Clark College students to enrich not only their nursing experiences, but the lives of community members touched by our service,” she said.

Nieman serves as a board member and volunteer at the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington. She enjoys spending time with her family and doing outdoor activities on the water, especially outrigger canoeing.

Ethel Reeves, Nursing

Ethel Reeves earned her associate degree in nursing at Clark College in 1992, her BSN at WSU Vancouver in 2009, and her MSN at WSU Vancouver in 2013. Prior to coming to Clark College, she worked at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital from 1987 to 2011 and at Columbia Gorge Community College from 2008 to 2012. She began teaching at Clark College as a Clinical Adjunct Faculty in fall 2011.

“As a first-generation college graduate, I  pencourage and support the joy of life-long learning,” Reeves says. “My approach is to help reduce student anxiety so that their learning is maximized in any given educational setting.”

Reeves is a member of the Nursing Standard 1 Committee, Scholarship Committee, Speights Faculty Development Committee, and the Emergency Management Preparation Committee.

Dr. Bevyn Rowland, Counseling

Dr. Rowland earned her undergraduate degree in English from University of Portland, her Master of Arts degree (Counseling) and her Doctor of Psychology (Clinical PsyD) degree from Pacific University. She completed her APA-accredited internship at University of Idaho, and a postdoctoral residency at Cornell University. Dr. Rowland currently maintains a private practice in Salmon Creek at Evergreen Behavioral Health, where she is also working to create a nonprofit mental health center.

“Students arrive to college and counseling at varying levels of readiness, motivation, investment, and health,” said Dr. Rowland. “I adore helping students move toward change to support their success at Clark, as well as capitalize on strengths they already have, to create the life they want.”

In addition to Dr. Rowland’s work as a licensed clinical psychologist and her counseling and teaching roles on campus (teaching in HDEV and COLL departments), she is an active member of the Behavior Intervention and Threat Assessment (BITA) Team and the Cultural Pluralism Committee (CPC). She presents on mental health topics to student classes across divisions, and often provides training to staff and faculty through the Teaching and Learning Center.

Kristi Taylor, Dental Hygiene

Kristi Taylor earned her associate degree in Dental Hygiene from Clark College and her Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene through the degree-completion program of Eastern Washington University at Clark College. She began teaching at Clark in 2010, first as an adjunct instructor and then as a full-time temporary instructor. When she began her position as a tenure-track first-year lead instructor in dental hygiene, one of Taylor’s tenure goals was to complete her master’s degree in Post-Secondary and Continuing Education degree from Portland State University. She earned that degree in summer 2013.

“I have lived in Vancouver for the majority of my life and feel it a privilege to work for Clark College,” says Taylor. “Because I attended and graduated from Clark, I can use these experiences to mentor and facilitate dental hygiene students to fulfill their dreams.

“Creating an environment that is learner-centered, free from fear, and limited in stress, is ideal,” she continued. “A learner-centered environment allows students the opportunity to grow and retain information in a way that allows for optimal patient and community care.”

Throughout the past three years, Taylor has been an active leader of the dental hygiene students in the ASCC club and Students of the American Dental Hygiene Association (SADHA) by leading changes that have allowed students more access to serve their patients, college, and community. In her current teaching role, she is responsible for planning all clinical courses and many didactic courses throughout the first year of the students’ dental hygiene education.

Ruth Trejo, Chemistry

Ruth Trejo received her master’s degree in organic chemistry from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She taught at Miramar Community College and Southwestern Community College before coming to Clark College in 2011.

“I love to watch students conquer difficult subjects with assistance from me and their peers,” says Trejo. “I believe in the power of self-sufficiency and peer group work to learn chemistry.”

While in San Diego, Trejo was involved in community-outreach projects working with Green Chemistry and most recently Science Fun for Kids 9 to 99, where anyone could come to Miramar and learn science by enjoying physics or chemistry projects. Now that she is at Clark, Trejo  volunteers as a coordinator for the annual Science Olympiad. She is currently working as the general chemistry lab coordinator for the Chemistry Department.

Linda Valenzuela, Nursing

Linda Valenzuela earned her associate degree in nursing from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California; her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, Dominguez Hills; and her Master of Public Health degree from Portland State University. She anticipates completing her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Western Governors University in August 2015.

Valenzuela’s previous employment includes Asotin County Public Health and Clark County Public Health. She currently is a relief staff member at PeaceHealth Southwest, a position she has maintained since 2005. She joined the nursing program at Clark as a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in 2009.

“I’ve worked as an registered nurse for over 30 years,” she says. “I’m also active in my community in home health and hospice activities.”

Valenzuela currently serves as  the sixth-quarter lead for the nursing program.  Her hobbies include gardening and quilting.

Alan Wiest, Health and Physical Education

Alan Wiest completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Exercise and Movement Science from the University of Oregon. He has taught Health, Physical Education, and Exercise Science for more than 14 years in Oregon, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington.  He teaches in the Health, Physical Education, and Fitness Trainer programs at Clark College. Wiesty holds certifications as an Aquatic Fitness Professional, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and USA Weightlifting Sports and Performance Coach.

“I believe I learn as much from his students as they learn from me,” Wiest says. “I cherish my job, and I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be in a position of helping others pursue a lifetime full of health and happiness.”

Wiestserves on many Clark College committees; volunteers both at the college and in his community; commits to continuing education; and loves taking part in the faculty/staff-vs.-students intramural events at the college.

Wiest resides in Vancouver and can often be found hiking the trails carved into the Columbia River Gorge, Vancouver Lake, and the Coastal Trails. When time permits, he travels the U.S. in an attempt to climb the highest peak in all 50 states.

Joan Zoellner, Mathematics

Joan Zoellner earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Humboldt State University and her Master of Arts in Mathematics from Indiana University. She has previous teaching experience at Portland Community College and began teaching at Clark College in 2010.

“I strongly believe that students in a math class should be doing math, not just watching the instructor work problems,” she says. “Deep, lasting learning occurs when students work together to solve challenging conceptual problems in class, and practice the procedural aspects of math outside of class. All of our students have the ability to succeed in math, and my job is to facilitate their growth as learners.”

Zoellner is involved in developmental mathematics education reform, and is in the process of developing a Math Review Boot Camp course for students who place low after taking the COMPASS test. You can also find Joan tutoring in the Math Help Center, and serving on several math department assessment committees.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Have you ever seen a Penguin fly? You probably have, whether you know it or not: All over this region, graduates from Clark College, home of the Clark College Penguins, are bettering both their own lives and their communities. We call that flying.

This month, Clark College is launching “Penguins Fly,” a new campaign to celebrate the achievements of its students and graduates. The message that Penguins Fly is being shared through:

• television, print, and online advertisements featuring real Clark graduates;
• a new web page that allows people with Clark connections to talk about how the college has affected them and their communities;
• posts on social media using the hashtag #penguinsfly;
• and Penguins Fly Day, celebrated on May 15, during which people throughout the community will be wearing special Penguins Fly stickers or buttons to show their connection to Clark. There will also be a special rally on Clark College’s main campus on May 15 to celebrate student achievement.

“We know this theme may strike some as a little odd,” acknowledged Chief Communication Officer Chato Hazelbaker. “We’ve already heard from people saying, ‘But penguins don’t fly!’ But that’s our point: So many of our students have been told that they weren’t capable of achieving their dreams, either because of their backgrounds, age, financial circumstances, previous academic records, or other factors. Penguins Fly is our way of saying that Clark College believes that everyone is capable of creating a brighter future for themselves, and we’re here to help them do it.”

As an open-enrollment community college, Clark College serves a vital role in its community’s social and economic well-being. Seventy-six percent of its career and technical graduates were employed within nine months of graduation. Across the state, 40 percent of all undergraduate students in public four-year institutions began their academic careers at community colleges, where they could take advantage of lower tuition and smaller class sizes. However, many Southwest Washington residents remain unaware of how Clark College students and graduates are creating a more vibrant, healthy, and successful community. Penguins Fly is an exciting opportunity for everyone to learn more about what Clark College does and how its graduates are changing our community for the better.

Students at the 2014 Phoenix unveiling, part of the 2014 Subtext literary festival, unwrap the new issue. This year, Subtext has expanded to a full week of events.

This year, the Clark College Columbia Writers Series is expanding its popular Subtext literary festival to offer a full week of writers, readings, and events on the college’s main campus. From May 18 – 22, the college will host internationally celebrated authors, as well as readings by Clark students, faculty, and staff. (See full schedule below.)

“It has always been our goal to create a true festival feeling, with multiple events throughout the week,” said Columbia Writers Series Co-Director and English faculty member Alexis Nelson. “This is the festival’s third year, and we’ve tried to expand it bit by bit each year. Last year we were able to bring Pulitzer Prize-nominated novelist Karen Russell for the main event. This year, we want to build on that excitement with more events, more voices, more diversity. I hope in time that Subtext will be something that our whole community, both within and without the college, looks forward to each year.”

All events are free and open to the public. 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.

Schedule

May 18

10 a.m. – noon, PUB 161: Artists and Authors panel: “The Craft of Comics”

A panel of successful writers for comic books discuss the challenges and joys of their field.

May 19

11 a.m. – noon, PUB 258C: Reading: fiction writer Nam Le

Born in Vietnam and raised in Australia, Nam Le’s first book, The Boat, earned recognition that includes the Pushcart Prize, the Melbourne Prize for Literature, the best debut of 2008 by both New York Magazine and The Australian Book Review, and a New York Times notable book. It has been translated into 14 languages. Le is the fiction editor of the Harvard Review.

May 20

11 a.m. – noon, PUB 258B: Reading: poet Mary Szybist

Mary Szybist is most recently the author of Incarnadine, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Poetry. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, and the Witter Bynner Foundation in conjunction with the Library of Congress.

May 21

3 p.m. – 4 p.m., PUB 161: Phoenix release party

Clark College’s national award-winning art and literary journal, Phoenix, will unveil its 2014-2015 edition with readings from student authors and free copies available for guests.

5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., PUB161: Talk by writer Karen Karbo and English Department awards ceremony

Karen Karbo is the author of four New York Times Notable Books, including her first novel, Trespassers Welcome Here, as well as her memoir about her father’s last year of life, The Stuff of Life. She is well known for her international best-selling Kick Ass Women series, which examines the lives of iconic 20th century women. In addition, she writes the Minerva Clark mystery series for children.

May 22

Noon – 1 p.m., PUB 258C: “Clark Crossings,” a student and faculty reading.

This year’s theme is “Transport.”

Spanish professor Elizabeth Ubiergo sits with the puppets she helped create during her 2014 sabbatical project.

On Tuesday, May 12, at 4:00 p.m. in the Ellis Dunn Community Room (Gaiser Hall room 213), the Teaching and Learning Center hosts “Bilingual Puppetry: A project-based learning exploration,” the 2014 spring quarter installment of Clark College’s Faculty Speaker Series. Professor Elizabeth Ubiergo will present her sabbatical research on the use of puppetry and other forms of art and literature to enhance learning world languages.

Ubiergo’s research was prompted by realizing that her young daughter spoke better Spanish when talking with a toy than when talking with real human beings. She began wondering if this same technique could help her students at Clark, who often seemed to forget their Spanish language skills as soon as they had to use them in front of other people.

“There is a lot of research going on right now regarding performance-based language learning,” says Ubiergo. “I thought, maybe if my students had something to hide behind, like a large puppet, they could relax and get more from the experience.”

Ubiergo used her sabbatical to learn performance-based teaching techniques, build a series of large puppets based on classic works of Spanish literature, and create bilingual scripts for short plays to be performed with the puppets. After her sabbatical, she worked with students to perform the plays at the college’s annual Día del Niño/Latino Festival and in the classroom. They will also perform at the Portland Puppet Museum during the 2015 summer quarter.

While Ubiergo’s work is focused on the teaching of Spanish, her presentation will provide insight and advice to any teacher interested in exploring performance- and play-based teaching techniques.

About Elizabeth Ubiergo

Spanish professor Elizabeth Ubiergo has earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish language and literature from the University of Oregon. She also attended Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, and the Universidad Católica in Quito, Ecuador. Ubiergo has previous work experience with the University of Portland, Portland Community College, Chapman & Silva Translation Services, Universidad Católica—Ecuador, University of Oregon, and Clark College. She began teaching at Clark in 1994 and received tenure in 2008.

At Clark College, Ubiergo serves as co-advisor of the Spanish Club. She is the founder of Clark’s study abroad program in Valladolid, Spain, and this year began co-leading Clark students in a newly designed, two-week course of study in Mexico. She is the founder of the Mesa Redonda, a series of Spanish-language roundtable discussion groups which have been held at Clark for 13 years. She also served on Clark’s Financial Aid Committee, International Education Committee, and Latino Celebration Month Planning Committee. In addition, for more than a decade Ubiergo has served as an Advance Placement (AP) exam reader for the AP test in Spanish.

Ubiergo says her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of play in the learning process. “I tell my students that language learning should be fun and creative, not competitive and stressful,” she says. “Basically, students learn by speaking and making mistakes in authentic situations.”

About the Faculty Speaker Series

The Clark College Faculty Speaker Series showcases recent experiences that have enriched both the life and teaching of a Clark faculty member. Faculty members share their developmental experiences with the college community—and members of the community at large—while addressing some of today’s most intriguing issues.

Established by Clark College with support from the Clark College Foundation, the series honors individual faculty members and celebrates academic excellence.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Tibetan monks making a sacred sand mandala in Cannell Library during their 2012 visit.

The construction of a Sand Mandala at Clark College’s Cannell Library, scheduled for May 4 – May 8, has been postponed until further notice.

The monks of Drepung Loseling Phukhang Monastery are experiencing an extended delay in obtaining the travel documents required to leave India and come to the United States, making it impossible for them to be in Vancouver in time to begin construction on the Mandala on May 4.

At this point, it is possible that the Mandala event will be either cancelled or postponed to a different date in May or June. Clark College will issue a news release if the event is rescheduled to share the new dates and times.

Clark College regrets the inconvenience this may cause visitors who were planning to attend the Mandala event.

Members of the Olincalli Ballet Folklorico perform at the 2014 Latino Festival.

On Friday, May 1, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Clark College invites the community to participate in an evening of free, family-friendly activities that celebrate both Latino culture and the value of literacy.

“Celebración de Mi Gente: El Día del Niño/El Día del Libro” (“Celebration of My People: Day of the Child/Day of the Book”) is an annual event hosted by the college. It is free and open to the public. It is always held on or near the Mexican holiday of Día del Niño (April 30), which is also celebrated as Día del Libro by the American Library Association. The festival will feature a bilingual puppet show, bilingual storytelling and book-reading, dancing, crafts, face-painting, bilingual games, crafts, and delicious snacks. Clark College’s mascot, Oswald the Penguin, will be on hand for photos with visiting children.

The event 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.

See video about the puppet show and last year’s festival:

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Video: Clark College/Nick Bremer-Korb

Art, America, rubber chickens—you never know what will show up next in the postmodern play bobrauschenbergamerica, the final work in Clark College Theatre’s 2014-2015 season.

The play, written by Charles Mee, celebrates the work and spirit of influential American artist Robert Rauschenberg, known for incorporating found objects into his artwork. He claimed that he worked “in the gap between art and life,” and bobrauschenberamerica lives in a similar borderland, jumbling together a collage of disparate plot threads, bizarre events, stand-alone monologues, and ridiculous non sequiturs. Don’t miss this unique road trip through the American landscape.

“We chose this decidedly post-modern—and perhaps esoteric—script to expand the vocabulary of the theatre artists we are training here at Clark College,” said director Rusty Tennant. “However, don’t let that scare you. This homage to America is a nostalgia-packed trip down memory lane that is sure to tug at your heartstrings and poke at your funny-bone.”

Cast includes Keren Garcia (Bob’s Mom), Lydia Fleming (Bob’s Mom), Sam Ruble (Becker), Tim Bush (Phil), Elena Mack (Susan), Andrew Forrest (Wilson), Phillip Graves (Allen), Cheyenne Belardes (Phil’s Girl), Steven Kocalis (Carl/Rollerskater), Austin Williams ((Bob the Pizza Boy), and Nicole Kadow (Chicken/Understudy).

Show Dates: May 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. Matinee show on May 16 at 2 p.m.

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 the Penguin Union Building room 013, two weeks before the event.

Attendees meet potential employers at the 2014 Career Days job fair.

Clark College’s Career Days is entering its fifth year with its largest-ever number of employers participating in two separate job fairs, as well as many new events designed to help today’s job-seekers. The three-day event will be held April 27-29 at the college’s main campus.

The annual event includes seminars, skills sessions, clinics, speaker panels, and other events designed to assist students and community members in their job search efforts and to prepare students in transferring to a bachelor’s degree. All events are free and open to the public.

Schedule highlights (full schedule available here):

Monday, April 27

• Presentation: “LinkedIn & the Online Job Search”
• Speakers panel: “Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”
• Career assessment workshop

Tuesday, April 28

• Drop-in resume and LinkedIn Clinic
• Employer panel: “Succeeding at Your Job”

Wednesday, April 29

• Job Fair with representative from 61 employers
• Separate Health Careers Job Fair with representatives from 20 employers
• Photo booth for a free professional headshot for attendees’ LinkedIn profiles
• “Borrow an Expert” event in which successful Clark College alumni can be reserved for 15-minute conversations about jobs in their respective fields.

“Clark College takes great pride in its role as a promoter of economic vitality in our region,” said Clark College Career Services Director Edie Blakley. “Eleven of the 12 Career Days 2015 events bring employers and professionals from outside the college to connect with our students and community members. This provides immediate opportunities for jobs, skill development, networking, and getting information that can help our graduates put their degrees to work.”

All events are free to students and members of the community. No registration is required. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Complete information about the event – including times and locations of the various events – is available at www.clark.edu/cc/careerdays or by calling 360-992-2902.

Information about Clark College Career Services is available at www.clark.edu/cc/careerservices.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley