www.TheClackamasPrint.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014 V. 47, ISSUE 18 |
CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
|
AN INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1966
Q&A with active cyclist by PATTY SALAZAR editor-in-chief
Greg Myers is a veteran services coordinator at Clackamas Community College and has been riding his bike to work five days a week for four and half years. Myers, who lives in West Linn, has an eight mile commute, which takes him 30 minutes to get to the college. Myers is an lifelong cyclist who owns five bikes, rides year round and also competes in local races.
Myers: I’m an avid cyclist, I race mountain bikes. I prefer to ride my bike and I ride year-round because it’s good for me. I am also a combat veteran and I don’t like to drive all that much. It wakes me up on the way in and it calms me, [and] makes me feel good on the way home. Whereas when I drive I don’t get that. It’s just good in every way. TCP: What is your usual route to campus? Myers: I try to switch it up; however, most days I cross the bridge, cut through downtown to Singer Hill [7th] climb it, cut over to 5th where it becomes Linn Avenue then Meyers Road, and then I cross 213 by the Carls Jr. That is my most frequently utilized route because it is the safest, [but] it’s not the shortest. TCP: Have you ever had any close calls with drivers on campus? Myers: Not on campus but on the road all the time. I do everything I can to remain visible. I have a flasher on the front and flasher on the back, I put one on my helmet. I wear the brightest clothing I can possibly wear. I’m a lifelong cyclist, so I’ve learned how to look into the cars and not at the cars. I look at what people are doing. I’ve been hit a couple of times but I don’t really fear that. I think that most people are fairly aware and I know I am visible even in the dark. But there are ignorant people; I’ve been yelled at, spit on and things thrown at me. TCP: Has any of that happened on your way to or from work? see MYERS Page 3
Liz Gomes
The Clackamas Print: Why do you ride your bike to work instead of driving?
Students and staff at Clackamas Community College gear up for warmer days and clear skies by riding their bicycles to class.
Is your campus bike friendly? by ERIN CAREY news & culture editor Oregon is best known for how bicycle friendly most of its populated cities are, specifically Portland. This understanding of those who choose two wheels over four has taken years to make work. Here at Clackamas Community College, the warm weather often brings out students and faculty who enjoy using the day for a ride to the campus.
The campus is most densely populated by people with longrange commutes to campus, making it very bus and car-heavy. However, the biking community that CCC does have shouldn’t be ignored. CCC lacks the precautions that the other schools utilize for their bikers. Sitting right on Highway 213, the roadway features a large intersection that is often used by large semi trucks and other large,
fast moving vehicles. The 213 entrance also doesn’t have a convenient bike lane for the cyclists, meaning that a biker either uses the sidewalk or shares the road with impatient college drivers who are always in a hurry to get to class on time. With a very congested entryway and a long red light, this makes everyone irritated. Kate Gray is an English instructor who bikes at least once a week to the campus, and has been doing
it for years. “It’s great exercise, it doesn’t pollute, and it gives me lots of great energy that day,” Gray says. She understands the hazards with biking to CCC. “There aren’t that many bike-safe roads in the area, and even on campus there isn’t a shoulder on the actual roads around campus so the marking is difficult and a little dangerous.”
see CYCLING Page 3
RULES OF THE Oregon law defines
ROAD
bikes as vehicles by LIZ GOMES associate photo editor
Bicyclists are subject to DUI charges if found biking while intoxicated. Bicyclists must yield to pedestrians on sidewalks and crosswalks, and must use bike lanes where available. Bicyclists must always ride with the flow of traffic on the right side of the right lane (except when turning left.) Bicyclists can be ticketed for speeding. Speeds must not exceed the limit for cars while on the road, nor walking speed while on populated sidewalks or trails. Lights and reflectors are required on all bicyclists after dark. A white light visible from at least 500 feet is required for the front of bikes, and a red light or reflector visible from at least 600 feet is required for the back of bikes.
Helmets are required for all bicyclists riding on highways or public grounds, and always required for riders under the age of 16. The maximum fine for failure to wear approved headgear is $25. Passengers and burdensome loads are prohibited if the bike cannot safely accommodate them. Passengers are also subject to headgear laws. Source: oregon.gov
There is an Oregon Bicyclist Manual with laws, tips, and advice for a safe and enjoyable biking experience. The manual can be found at any local DMV office or online at: oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ BIKEPED
2
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
Neighboring colleges set the bar Candidates seeking votes for bike accessibility on campus by TIM YOUNG associate news editor To better get an idea of how to make CCC biker friendly, The Print compared Mount Hood Community College and Portland Community Colleges’ commuter bike plans. MHCC and PCC both have the obligatory bike rack facilities, theft prevention precautions from public safely campus coverage and gym showers and lockers for cleaning up after your commute. Also both PCC and MHCC sell biking equipment. This is a plus for those looking for a tire patch, or safety gear. We found
helpful community resources for those looking to learn the ins and outs of cycling at both community colleges and analyzed how each community college is helping the student bikers. They had different strengths. In an email about the program, Tom Martin, PCC bike program coordinator stated that the Associated Students of Portland Community College operate the bike program. It is staffed and run by students, with full support of ASPCC advisers, he said. At the PCC Cascade Campus, the student government offers bike rentals of “100% refurbished
bikes” for $15 per term. MHCC’s community education department offers classes on bicycle repair and participation in “group rides” is offered as a great way to help student commuters. PCC is integrated into the Portland tri-county area transportation system and Trimet works to coordinate biking through PCC which has “four comprehensive campuses” – Sylvania, Rock Creek, Southeast and Cascade. MHCC also offers public transportation advantages for those looking to ride a bus and bike during a commute to and from their campuses.
The annual Associated Student Government campaigning for president and vice president for the 2014-2015 school year has started on campus. Each candidate had to collect 100 student signatures to get their names officially on the ballot. Jessica Valdivia, campus activities officer, said “you need their name, date of birth and their student I.D number so they [signatures] match up and see that they are an actual student.” Current ASG President, Erick Breton, is running unopposed for reelection. He was unavailable for comment by The Print’s deadline. Candice Stauffer, ASG promotion senator at large, is running on the platform to diversify campus life.
Stolen! Advice on bike theft prevention. by ERIN CAREY news & culture editor
Places on the Oregon City campus to secure your bikes.
Bike illustrations added by Brandon Chorum
Suzy Isham is Clackamas Community College’s director of campus safety. Despite having low numbers in bike theft, Isham would rather people be careful and take precautions to make sure that the number in bike thefts doesn’t rise.
1. Utilize the bike racks. 2. Don’t leave your possessions
attached to your bike where they can get stolen. 3. Chain your bike properly, and this includes parts that could be taken off. “This means to secure not only the frame of the bike, but also the tires of the bike,” Isham says. 4. If your bike is stolen, check in with campus safety to see if they might be able to track it down. 5. Be aware of your surroundings. It’s important to take your time and watch everything and everyone around you.
CAMPUS POLICE LOG MONDAY, APRIL 21 – SUNDAY APRIL, 27 Date 4/21
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25 4/27
Time 8:43 a.m. 10:29 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 5:05 p.m. 9:45 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 5:08 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 8:45 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 2:45 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 7:05 a.m. 9:40 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 2:45 p.m. 7:45 a.m.
Incident Found Keys-McLoughlin lot Motorist Assist-jump-Barlow Lot Student report blue vehicle with doors open in McLoughlin Lot-Unable to locate 911 hang-up/misdial-Dye Staff escort to vehicles-Training Center Motorist Assist-jump-CC lot Motorist Assist-Vehicle Crash-owners exchange information Staff Escort-Wilsonville Report of lost ring by staff in Barlow lot-Unable to locate Men’s wallet found-Rook-To ASG Motorist Assist-Harmony lot Motorist Assist-jump-McLoughlin lot Criminal Mischief-Lewelling-Report taken Staff Escort-Wilsonville Suspicious Person-Streeter-left without incident Warnings issued-smokers by Neimeyer Reports of suspicious vehicle-blaring horn-FRC Motorist Assist-DeJardin lot Motorist Assist-DeJardin lot Hazardous Debris in road-Douglas Loop-removed Source : Suzy Isham, Campus Safety
Johnney Russ, ASG club senator are running for Vice President was also unavailable for comment by The Print’s deadline. Dean Wright, public affairs officer, said the candidates will be having bios, brochures and pictures can be found around campus. The candidates will be hosting a meet and greet on Wednesday, April 30th located in the Fireside Lounge starting at 2 p.m. An official Q&A is going to be hosted on May 5th at 10 a.m. in the community center. Students will be able to start voting through their myClackamas portal on May 12-14 and the official results will be announced on the 15th. — Compiled by Patty Salazar
STAFF
The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased and professional manner. Content published in The Print is not screened or subject to censorship. Email comments, concerns or tips to: chiefed@clackamas.edu or call us at 503-594-6266 19600 Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 Journalism Advisor: Beth Slovic elizabeth.slovic@ clackamas.edu
EDITORS Patty Salazar Editor-in-Chief chiefed@clackamas.edu Erin Carey News & Culture aced@clackamas.edu newsed@clackamas.edu Tim Young Associate News Amber Fairbanks Associate Arts & Culture Blake Thomason Sports sportsed@clackamas.edu Denee Shelton Photo photoed@clackamas.edu Liz Gomes Associate Photo Donny Beach Web Editor webeditor@clackamas.edu Chris Murrow Copy Editor copyed@clackamas.edu Zak Laster Ad Manager admgr@clackamas.edu Emily Rask Production Manager Brandon Chorum Design Editor
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Karsten Mayer Kai Kiefel Matt Morrissey Joey Fisher Naomi Sommers facebook: the clackamas print twitter: @clackamasprint
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
3
Liz Gomes
CCC students ride their bikes to school and keep them locked on designated bike racks. Although there is not a lot of bike theft on campus, it is still a smart idea to lock it onto the bike rail.
CYCLING: Campus gets a push to share the road continued from PAGE 1 A major problem for the cycling community is the cars around them. Sharing the road is a skill that’s taught to everyone when they start driving, and it still applies to the college campus too. Suzy Isham, CCC’s director of campus safety, warns that people
need to be aware of those around them or it could cause some serious damage. “People need to slow down, they do need to be more conscious of the environment around them in order to keep everybody safe,” Isham says. “Anybody who is coming onto campus I would highly urge just to slow down and to be aware of your environment,
and knowledgeable to the fact that we have a large population of students who will be on foot or on bike or on skateboard.” Recently, the campus will undergo an extensive survey to further understand the transportation needs of all CCC students, not just those with 4 wheels. According to Phillip King, the
Dean of Academic Foundations and Connections, this survey will explore all transportation options for the campus. Everything from our relationship with Trimet to how the cycling community can be further assisted. Until then, CCC is outfitted with bike racks for people to store their bikes between classes, and
it also has very low bike theft incidences, according to Isham. “Honestly we’re very fortunate, and we don’t have a lot of bike theft around here,” she says. In fact for 2013, only three bike thefts were reported to campus safety. Still, Isham warns that it’s better to be prepared for those sort of things: “People just need to be smart.”
MYERS: Saving the Earth and money one pedal at a time continued from PAGE 1 Myers: Yeah, in Oregon City more so than other places. It’s usually young people like high schoolers. I also train on the country roads out here and it seems to be folks that drive big diesel trucks are particularly adverse to cyclist. A close second would be distracted moms that text while driving their children in their mini vans. The third would be self-absorbed career professionals in their Toyota Priuses that are busier texting and talking on the phone while putting on their makeup, smoking, eating a burrito all at the same time. TCP: When was the last time you were in an accident and what happened?
TCP: What are your suggestions
Myers: Obey the speed limit. Put your phone away, you’re about to park anyway then you can use your stupid phone. Seriously, that I do not understand. TCP: Do you think Clackamas is a safe place for bicyclist? Myers: Well, there’s no bike lane on the loop road but the speed limits are fairly low. I think it’s safe, there’s a path to come in and out. There’s worse that’s for sure. TCP: Is there anything you would like to add? Myers: I wish more folks would ride their bikes. For every bike it means one less car on the road. For those who are currently riding I think it’s really important for them to obey the traffic laws because a lot of the incidents that I have are a result of other cyclist that don’t obey the laws that frustrate drivers, therefore they takes their frustration out on the rest of us. I always really stress myself to follow the rules of the road because we really are just like cars. It’s a great alternative from driving a car especially when gas is nearly four dollars a gallon. It’s better for the environment, it’s just better all the way around. Especially when you’re paying a car payment, you can buy a really nice bike in a couple of months.
Patty Salazar
Myers: A long time ago, probably 20 years ago. I’ve been hit twice, once in a parking lot which was kind of my fault and once at an interception. It was a four way stop and it was a hit and run which was not my fault. The guy didn’t see me I guess or was trying to hit me, I have no idea… It was kind of dark so I didn’t get a plate or anything; they took off so fast I couldn’t get a description. The time in the parking lot I shouldn’t have been where I was. Parking lots are the most dangerous place on earth. People don’t look and they can’t see you, so that was kind of my fault.
for drivers on campus?
Myers rides his bike through campus, supporting his belief that more people should be riding bikes. He believes riding a bike is a great alternative to driving a car as long as you obey the traffic laws.
4
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
arts & CULTURE
A good place to shed a few tears by AMBER FAIRBANKS associate arts & culture editor
Photos by Denee’ Shelton
College life is stressful. From rude students to grouchy instructors and the work load they give us. Sometimes you need to be alone and find a place to de- stress and maybe even cry, but where do you go to let it all out? Well, we have found places on Clackamas Community College’s campus for you to take a deep breath when you need it. 1. Not everyone has a car, but if you have that luxury and need your own personal space to destress, just roll up the windows and crank the music. Your car is the perfect familiar place to take a minute between classes. 2. For those of who don’t have cars, there are other places on campus to chill out, like over at Clairmont Hall. They have beautiful plants and greenhouses, and it’s a nice and quiet place to sit and relax and be surrounded by pretty things. 3. The Dye Learning Center has these wonderful little study holes along the back wall that are perfect for hiding from your life. With the built in mini walls no one can see you‑perfect for a quick crying session or to put in your headphones and get lost in your music. Just don’t sob too loudly and disrupt people from studying. 4. Gregory Forum is like the campus ghost town. Hardly anyone is ever in there, which makes it a great place for the student who needs to be alone and take a breather. 5. We have the pleasure of going to school in rural Oregon City, where on campus we have random “foresty” areas, which are all great places to go and sit under a tree and hide from the rain, shielded by the thick pine needles. But if you do decide to cry, you can pretend it’s just the rain. We ran into Candice Stauffer, ASG vice presidential candidate, and asked her where she likes to go and de-stress. “The pretty little pond by the Environmental Learning Center,” she said. “I like it there, it’s super peaceful and quiet, [and] calms me down.” But why not ask the professionals? We dropped by the counseling department and asked Margie Gibler where she recommends going to calm down. “Do you know we have a walking a trail? It goes the perimeter of the campus and is about two miles long,” Gibler said. “It brings you through the horticulture gardens, through the Environmental Learning Center, and the woods there, and that’s really pretty. That’s where I would go to de-stress.”
International Week in full swing International Week has started at Clackamas Community College. The college is featuring an array of music and art to tell many different stories in many different ways. On Tuesday, the second day of International Week you could hear the music from Roger Rook Hall. The Anansi beat coming from Niemeyer had even faculty dancing. Sponsored by the Peace Corps volunteers, the local drumming group brought together many people. Dressed in many different colors, they also featured a class on drum making after.
International Week events Wednesday, April 30 - 10:30-10:55 a.m.: An Daire Academy Dancers Irish Dancing -11:-11:30 a.m.- International songs - 11:35- 12:10 p.m. Peace Corps Asia (CC127) - 12:15-12:45 p.m.- American Tribal Belly Dance: A Tribute to EBZEF - 1:00- 1:50 p.m.- Clackamas Around the World
Thursday, May 1 - 10:15- 11:00 a.m.- Peace Corps Guatemala (CC127) - 11:15- 11:30 a.m.- La Batalla de Puebla (CC127) - 11:35- 11:55 a.m.- ASL can be fun to learn (CC127) - 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.Cuentame Coyote Bilingual Performance - 1:30- 2:30 p.m.- Milagro Reality Theatre Workshop
arts & CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
5
Shelfies: Thomas Wasson, animation Artist by ERIN CAREY news & culture editor Animation instructor Thomas Wasson takes much of his motivation from both past and present – the people who have perfected the art he teaches for the future generations, and also the many adventures of pirates that sailed the oceans a very long time ago. The Clackamas Print sat down with Wasson to discuss some of his favorites from his bookshelf and more. The Clackamas Print: What is your favorite book from your bookshelf and why? Thomas Wasson: The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams, who was the director of animation for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” The reason that I love it so much is because Richard Williams learned everything he knows about animation from all the old masters, and it’s a balance between the science of animation and the art of animation. So it has just about every important trick that the animator needs to understand, synthesized down into its essential components. So it’s a wealth of knowledge. It’s years of the history of animation, and it just tells you everything you need to know. So in that sense it’s so informative for the practitioner, and it’s very informative for the students as well, the content is kind of a bottomless abyss of information. I also have a thing for Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick,” I remember reading that over and over. The Print: What writers have influenced you? Wasson: William Burroughs and David Foster Wallace. Those two just really got me. The Print: What have you been reading lately?
Thomas Wasson, animation instructor for Clackamas Community College, shows off his collection of books in his office.
that has to do with ships and the sea and piracy, I’m pretty into. The Print: What was your favorite book as a kid? Wasson: It sounds kind of cheesy now, but I was really into the “Lord of the Rings,”
“The Hobbit” and J.R.R. Tolkien as a kid. I suppose I read those quite a bit. The Print: Name one book you’d love or hate to see be made into a movie. Wasson: I would love to see “Infinite Jest” by David Foster
ARTS & CULTURE CALENDAR
Wednesday 4/30
-Lucky Number Bring your student ID card CC152 to participate in a fun prize giveaway!
Liz Gomes
Wasson: Lots of technical books about my field. I tend to go back and forth between really focusing on gathering knowledge and getting out of fiction for awhile and getting back into it. I tend to read a lot more fiction in the summer when I’m not working. I’m really into historical books about pirates, and I’ve just been re- reading a book about the foundation of Jamaica and the piracy surrounding the Caribbean during the lawless times of the privateers. It’s called “Empire of Blue Water” by Stephan Talty. It’s probably my third time through this book, but that’s the one that’s lying by the bed right now. Especially with historical fiction, it’s packed with information and it’s written in such a great way that you get into it as a story, but there’s also just tons of history there, it’s really interesting. Basically anything
Thursday 5/1
-May Day patio grand opening! The cougar court is located outside of the bookstore. 12pm-3pm
Friday 5/2
-Pioneer Family Festival
Clackamette Park 2pm-10pm Food, Skate comp, lazer tag arena, rock climbing, pony rides, and go karts!
Saturday 5/3
-Farmers market 2051 Kaen Rd.
-Teddy Bear Parade
Downtown OC, Main St from 10th to Clackamette Park 10:30am
Wallace made into a movie, or any of his short stories would make really good, crazy little short films. You could probably get a film out of any one of his short stories, too. It’s the density of content, and there’s tons of layers that you could add. There would never be a filmmaker that
Sunday 5/4
-Last day of Pioneer Family Festival. Clackamette Park 2pm-10pm
could do it right, but if they did it, they could do it really well, I think.
Monday 5/5 -ASG elections Q&A 10am Community Center
Tuesday 5/6
-$5 Tuesday at Regal Hill Top Stadium 9.
6
arts & CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
Pin it: Pizza roll recipe on a budget Pinterest has many uses and ideas for the taking, and not all of them are expensive or time consuming. This recipe, found by Patty Salazar, is one of the simple things you can try at home. by PATTY SALAZAR editor-in-chief Depending on who you are, Pinterest is either your best friend or a dud. For me, it’s one of the most time-guzzling forms of social media, but it is still fun. My favorite part of Pinterest is all of the amazing food ideas that I constantly ‘pin’ but never actually make because they are always ridiculously extravagant and take a whole day to prep. Nobody really has the time for that, especially college students. But what students do have time for are fast, cheap and delicious recipes. This week’s recipe is a Hawaiian pizza roll using six ingredients. • • • • • •
Mozzarella cheese Garlic powder Pillsbury pizza crust Pizza sauce Canned pineapples Sliced pepperoni.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. By the time you are ready to pop these slices of awesomeness, your oven will be at the right temperature. 1. Unwrap the dough and unroll it, or just unwrapped it and ball the dough up, then roll it out to about an inch thick.
3. You are going to sprinkle the mozzarella cheese all over the dough. I used two handfuls of the cheese since I am a cheese kind of person.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
4. Toss some sliced pineapples on the pizza. I suggest cutting the slices rather than just using the big chunks of pineapple that are in the can. 5. Once you have the amount of pineapple you want on the pizza, it is time for pepperoni. Start layering the slices on the dough until your heart is happy. 6. The next thing you will do is grab the dough on an end with two hands and start rolling it tightly until it looks like a rolled log of deliciousness. Then take a knife and cut the log into one-inch pieces. Once the log is cut into pieces, place the rolls into a slightly greased baking dish. 7. Once the rolls are in the dish, put them into the oven for 15 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are brown. Once they are done take them out of the oven carefully and place them on a plate. You will then pour the pizza sauce into a small dish and dip your delicious pizza rolls into them. This is the perfect snack for students who are always on the go, on a budget but also something savory and easy.
10
11
12
The seven steps of the recipe above are broken into 12 different pictures, numbered in order, to show the ease and speed of making Hawaiian pizza rolls.
Pin it
marylhurst student body:
Wil a
mett eR
43
iver
99
West Linn Hwy.
17600 Pacific Highway [Hwy. 43] | marylhurst.edu/clackamas
Cascade
205 You. Unlimited.
CommCollege_8x5_Clackamas.indd 1
M.U.
y.
admissions@marylhurst.edu 503.699.6268 | 800.634.9982
Lake Oswego
c Hw
With determination and disregard for obstacles, each of them is finishing a four-year degree while transforming their lives in the process. If this sounds appealing, we have one thing to say: Welcome.
Do you have anything for The Print Staff to try? We would love to hear from you! Send your ideas to chiefed@clackamas.edu.
Pacifi
90% transfer students.
Photos by Patty Salazar
2. Sprinkle garlic powder on each side of the dough to add flavor.
Between West Linn and Lake Oswego Clackamas
CC
12/23/13 9:15 AM
Do you have something to say? Letters to the Editor are welcome and will be published in The Clackamas Print. Send them to chiefed@clackamas.edu Find the Clackamas Print online with your favorite social media to hear about the latest news on campus. Facebook: the clackamas print Twitter: @clackamasprint
SPORTS
by BLAKE THOMASON sports editor Fierce battles and critical decisions are happening all across the globe, all year round. Potential candidates are studied, poked and prodded in order to find the best of the best. There’s nothing quite like college recruiting. You might not think of two-year schools when you think of recruiting, and that’s reasonable. High profile athletes sign with the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies or the Cal Bears, not Southeastern Little Prairie Oregon Community College. It’s easy to think the big schools are the only ones traveling around and recruiting all year, while community colleges just pick up the leftovers. However, that’s not the case at all. Since athletes here at Clackamas Community College only have two years, coaches are constantly on the trail looking for their next star players – only one year after signing their last star. “At junior college there’s so much turnover,” Josh Rhoden, wrestling coach, said. “It’s literally every year, every weight class.
Illustration by Brandon Chorum
Clackamas coaches overcome unique recruiting challenges
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
Clackamas Community College athletes come from all over the United States as well as internationally. Here’s how many athetles come from each location in 2013-2014.
I talk to [Division 1] coaches and tell them their jobs are kind ofeasy because they have guys there for four or five years.” It’s not just replacing one star either. Every year, coaches have to replace half of the team, or more. Next year the volleyball team will graduate 10 of their 15 players. As of now, the women’s basketball team only has seven players for next season, but the coaches always have several targets. “We talk to about 75 [players],” PJ Martineau, recruiting coordinator, said. “We’re looking for around five to seven players. We usually carry around 11-12 kids.” Perhaps what’s more difficult than getting the players, is building the team. It takes more than just gathering athletes to build a successful team; the players have to learn to work together, and they have to do it quickly. “That’s the unique challenge every year,” Rhoden said. “‘How do we get them all on the same page early?’ and ‘how do we get the buy in from them in us?’ It makes it hard because you don’t get them for that extra year that you could.” While the majority of athletes come from our home state, the recruiting trail does expand past Oregon, past the west coast and even
past the U.S. There are athletes here at CCC from 14 different states, as far as New Hampshire and Alaska, and from different countries. “[We recruit] the whole United States,” Rhoden said. “Shoot, we even have a kid on the team from Australia.” Even though community colleges don’t seem to be big time sports schools, there is a lot of work being done to build successful programs here. Coaches travel as far as they can or need to in order to get the best players, and they spend a lot of time doing it. “It’s a never-ending job,” Martineau said. With college coaches all over competing for the same athletes, CCC has to make a good pitch. So how do CCC coaches sell recruits on their program? Each sport has its own features, but one aspect stands out above the others. “It’s a family atmosphere,” Rhoden said. “Part of my promotion of our program is this is a family. These guys come over and my wife makes them dinner. We try to have all 30 of the guys to our house at some point through the year.” Martineau echoed Rhoden’s selling point.
“We definitely have a family atmosphere,” Martineau said. “That’s something we all take pride in. We not only care about the player on the court, but off the court.” Recent volleyball commit Cassidy Scott decided to sign with CCC for that very reason. “I liked the sense of community and friendship within the team. All the girls were nice and welcoming to me,” Scott said. Community colleges are a great starting point for athletes. It may not be the brightest stage or the most glamorous choice, but twoyear schools have delivered results. Professional sports stars Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, Dennis Rodman, Ben Wallace, Albert Pujols and Bryce Harper all have one thing in common: their careers started at community colleges. Community colleges do the same work as four-year schools, but without the brand name, millionaire boosters or luxury of having four years to play. CCC has done it, and they’ve done it well. That’s why top athletes from all over the country are here. “Now people know us,” Rhoden said. “They know the school with the funny name in the national rankings is a good one.”
7
Sports wrap-up
BASEBALL: The season struggles continue for the Clackamas Cougars baseball team as they dropped three of four games to the Clark Penguins over the weekend. The Cougars were swept in Friday’s doubleheader at Oregon City high school by scores of 14-1 and 9-0. Saturday’s doubleheader was played in Vancouver and the Cougars managed to split the doubleheader, losing the first game 11-6 and winning the next 4-1. Their record now stands at 4-15 in league play and 5-18 overall. The Cougars have five games remaining; their next games are Friday, May 2 at home against Chemeketa and Saturday, May 3 at Southwest Oregon CC. SOFTBALL: The Cougars softball team kept their streak rolling as they swept the Penguins on Saturday, 13-0 and 13-3. Then on Monday, the Cougars took on the Mt. Hood Saints in a battle for 1st place in the South Region. The first game took extra innings, but eventually the Saints pulled out the victory 5-4. The Cougars had an easier time in the second game of the doubleheader, winning 5-2. The weekend wins helped improve the Cougars’ record to 11-1 in league and 30-2 overall. There are only four games left for the Cougars before the NWAACC Championship Tournament. Their upcoming games are Wednesday, April 30 at home against Chemeketa and Saturday, May 3 at Southwest Oregon CC. — Compiled by BLAKE THOMASON
8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014
BACKPAGE