This content was published: March 17, 2006. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC NEWS: Washington Post spotlights Gateway to College
Photos and story by James Hill
Washington Post
On Feb. 26, columnist David Broder wrote about PCC’s Gateway to College program and the benefits it has for drop-outs (“The dropout challenge”). “A year ago, I visited – and wrote about – the Gateway to College program run by Portland (Ore.) Community College (and also funded by the Gates Foundation). There, I saw 14 teenage dropouts discussing the writings of Plato and Malcolm X – college-level work,” he said.
The Oregonian
On March 12, a story profiled GIs returning from duty and how they have been adjusting to life back at a school such as PCC (“From combat to campus” by Shelby Oppel Wood.)
The article stated that 1,300 students get GI benefits at Portland Community College, 500 at Portland State, 229 at Oregon State and 158 at the University of Oregon.
The PCC men’s and women’s basketball teams were featured in the sports section on March 16 (“PCC’s draw hitting close to home” by Dan Mooney). The Panthers, who play at a new arena, are seen as an increasingly attractive option by PIL basketball players.
Rock Creek Campus and its surrounding community was showcased on March 16 (“Getting to know North Bethany” by Kathleen Gorman). With 800 acres to fill just north of Springville Road, the area adjacent to the campus could be the Next Big Thing in Washington County.
On March 16, a story (“Theater lover plans for home-grown company,” by David Anderson) profiled a Westview High graduate and future PCC student who is leading a drive to start a community troupe. Michael Ashton is forming EPIC Theatre Company, a nonprofit community theater group for Beaverton.
An article profiled former PCC cook Marjorie Harding and her husband Clay about the changes in the Alberta neighborhood in north Portland. The March 9 story (“Old neighborhood, new territory” by Erin Barnett) showed how a once predominantly black neighborhood is now becoming mostly white.
West Linn Tidings
Gresham’s Firefighter of the Year is a PCC graduate. The Wets Linn Tidings featured Kurt Pothast on March 1 (“Local man puts everything in its place” by Mara Stine). Pothast is the kind of firefighter who can literally save your life along with your sanity as he doubles as an astute organizer.
American Youth Policy Forum
Portland and PCC’s Alternative Programs were prominently highlighted by the American Youth Policy Forum. In its national publication, Portland is one of 12 communities profiled and has great data on dropouts as well as qualities of successful programs.
The Business Journal
In a letter to the editor, Tammy Dowd, counselor at the Cascade Campus, wrote in support of a public smoking ban in a piece on March 10 (“Another non-smoking patron chimes in”). She wrote that if all public establishments would ban smoking they would see an increase in business.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »