
How bio-friendly is your fork?
Students and visitors to Clark's food court in Gaiser Hall now have a choice between plastic eating utensils and a more environmentally friendly choice, thanks to the activism of Clark's Club for Social Action (C4SA).
During an unveiling event on Monday, Nov. 16, club president Mina Han explained how, since fall 2008, C4SA has been working to replace the plasticware with a biodegradable option, or "eco-ware." Club members drafted petitions that were signed by Clark students in support of the effort.
Clark College President Bob Knight, who participated in the unveiling and ribbon cutting, said, "Congratulations to the students and the college for taking a wonderful step forward to replace plastic utensils with more environmentally friendly 'eco-ware'."
The "eco-ware" currently in use in the food court is made of corn and other plants. Club members hope to transition to potato-based utensils (sometimes referred to as "tater-ware" or "spud-ware") because, "they are even more environmentally friendly," noted C4SA member Kathy Poland. Both options are biodegradable.
Honors continue for Godson's achievement
The honors continue for Clark College automotive technology professor Mike Godson, who was the highest scorer among nearly 15,000 people on the national L1 (advanced engine performance) exam. In recognition of his achievement, Godson was awarded the L1 Master Technician of the Year award by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Motor Age Training during the ASE board meeting, held Nov. 18-19 in New Orleans.
This is the second honor Godson received in recognition of his performance on the exam. In July, he was named Educator of the Year during the 2009 North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) conference for excelling on all ASE automotive tests (A1-A8) and the L1 exam.
Godson, who heads the automotive department at Clark, is a Toyota Technical Education Network (T-TEN) instructor, a chairperson on the Toyota T-TEN national advisory council, National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) evaluation team leader, and a Washington Department of Ecology authorized emission specialist. He is an ASE Master and L1 certified. Godson has worked in the automotive technician industry since 1978 and has been an instructor at Clark College since 1995.

Clarkers cross the continents during International Education Week
Clark College welcomes the world every day. And during the week of Nov. 16-20, Clark celebrated International Education Week - an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.
This year's theme was "Oswald Crosses the Continents." Each day's events and presentations centered on a different region or aspect of our global society, including Asia, Latin America, Africa, language and movement, and cinema.
"This year's International Education Week was a success because of the time and energy that so many people put into all the different events," said Lorraine Leedy, program assistant in the Office of International Programs and English as a Non-Native Language instructor. "Students, staff, and faculty from across the college proved that Clark truly values international education and understanding."
International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.
Clark's 2009 International Education Week events were sponsored by the Office of International Programs and the Office of Student Life and Multicultural Student Affairs. Additional support was provided by the Service Learning program; the Developmental Education, English, Communications & Humanities department; Clark College language instructors; and many student clubs.
This year, 62 international students are attending Clark. They represent 19 countries including Albania, Australia, China, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Peru, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
