Graduating students of Clark College will now no longer receive caps, gowns and tassels for free. A $22 charge has been placed on the graduation attire. The move comes following recent budget cuts within the college and the state, according to special projects and activities manager Michelle Golder.

Students can find free, quick and helpful tips for improving campus and work life at Clark College's Student Success Workshops this quarter. Each quarter Clark offers two to three 50 to 60-minute Student Success Workshops per week. Catherine Keane, Career Center manager, said the goal of Student Success Workshops is to provide events that students can attend so that they can receive help without needing to sign up beforehand.

Students, faculty and staff of Clark College heard the phrase "Lockdown, close and lock doors," as they practiced a lockdown drill at 3 p.m. on Jan. 19. All students, faculty and staff followed instructions on the emergency lockdown poster hanging in each room, but some students still may not understand the seriousness of performing well in these trials.

Clark College President Bob Knight will give a State of the College address on Jan. 19 in the Gaiser Student Center. Doors will open to the public at 10:30 a.m. and the address will start at 11 a.m. "Historically, when the president delivers this address, he looks back over the past year – and ahead at least one year – frequently, more than one year," Barbara Kerr , the executive director of communications and marketing, said in an email.

Gov. Christine Gregoire decided it was time to focus attention on an American civil inequality by proposing a bill which may make Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. If it passes, Senate Bill 6239 would make all civil marriages, including former domestic partnerships, equal.

For video of the meeting:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p11b2hhezmc&feature=youtu.be   The Vancouver Bears were not meant to be. Following two hours of citizen comments at a public hearing Nov. 29, the Board of Clark County Commissioners voted 2-1 to reject an ordinance that would have levied a 5 percent admissions tax countywide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p11b2hhezmc&feature=youtu.be

Shoppers in Washington state may soon be asked to dig more deeply into their pockets. As state legislators prepared to convene in Olympia to hash out a special-session response to a $2 billion shortfall in state revenue, Gov. Chris Gregiore proposed a three-year sales tax increase of 0.

Clark College trustees debated the possibility of declaring a state of financial emergency during a work session last Wednesday, stopping short of doing so in order to avoid creating panic. Declaring a financial emergency would streamline the process through which the college administration can lay off tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Skepticism won out Tuesday as the Clark County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to reject an ordinance for a countywide five percent admissions tax. The "no" decision came after dozens of citizens voiced their opinions at a public hearing at the Clark County Public Service Center.

Rising tuition costs are becoming old-hat for students in this frigid financial climate. With student loan debt continuing to soar nationwide, the timing was right for the Obama administration to step up and do something about it.   University of Colorado Denver students were the audience for President Obama's first public announcement of the administration's "Pay As You Earn" proposal Oct.

  The Gaiser Student Center traded in its cafeteria-style chairs and round tables last Wednesday for rows of poster boards praising the efforts and good deeds of 35 local non-profit organizations.     Clark hosted the Non-Profit Fair that allowed students and organizations to come together, network and discover opportunities to make a difference.

Council members from throughout Clark gathered to address the bleak budget news Nov. 2 and to keep abreast of the financial crisis. In a College Council meeting led by Vice President of Administrative Services Bob Williamson, members were confronted again with the ugly truth that a college-wide revenue shortfall of more than $2 million is forthcoming.

An invaluable learning opportunity presented itself to the Clark Aerospace team last spring in the form of the University Student Launch Initiative (USLI). Through willpower, hard work and imagination, it is now making its own journey to the stars. Clark's team is one of three community colleges being accepted into the nationwide program.

  Rising tuition costs are becoming old-hat for students in this frigid financial climate. With student loan debt continuing to soar nationwide, the timing was right for the Obama administration to step up and do something about it. University of Colorado Denver students were the audience for President Obama's first public announcement of the administration's "Pay As You Earn" proposal Oct.

  Construction started Monday on the SR 500 and St. Johns Boulevard intersection.  Drivers whose commute uses this interchange can expect delays for the next 12 months, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT's website says this is part of the SR 500 - St.

Clark is staring straight down the barrel of another round of budget cuts. Last month, Washington State economic forecasters projected a $1.4 billion shortfall with respect to anticipated revenue in the 2011-2013 biennial budget. This translates to a loss of at least $3.

Construction fences were erected in the Yellow 2 parking lot Halloween morning, marking the first steps toward the long-awaited demolition of the condemned Star Building. Clark is currently using the building for storage, and has been doing so since purchasing it in 2005.

November, a month best known for Thanksgiving, also holds importance in Native American culture. In order to enlighten Clark students, the college is throwing a powwow Friday to honor Native American Heritage Month.     "Educating for the Seventh Generation," a celebration of indigenous American cultures, takes place Nov.

Alpha Sigma Phi, Clark's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the national two-year college honor society, will begin taking nominations for its annual Thanksgiving basket giveaway Nov. 1.   This is the tenth year Alpha Sigma Phi will provide full Thanksgiving meals to those in need on Clark's campus.

Outside of Baghdad's RPG-Alley, Army Staff Sgt. John Kaiser stood in the squad leader's hatch of his Stryker armored vehicle and searched for targets for his gunner to engage. Under attack from insurgents using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, Kaiser saw the high-explosive 120 mm mortar round drop into his line of vision.

Due to funding gridlock, an agreement has not yet been reached concerning plans for a $23 million four-thousand seat multi-use facility in Vancouver. The stadium would take the place of Clark's Kindsfather Field, and would be used by the college, the community and possibly the Yakima Bears.

With dwindling financial support becoming the trend from the state, Uncle Sam has stepped in to provide cash at a much-needed time.    The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Clark $1.68 million in grant money under the Title III Part A program.

Starting summer 2012, Clark students transferring on to a four-year school will no longer receive a D- grade in any class. The change was made because most four-year universities do not accept a D- as a passing grade. Instructors will decide individually if they want to give a D or an F for any grade that falls within the 60 to 63 percent range.