Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Staff looking a little punchy as the final week arrives

Photos and story by Dana Haynes

Seven days to go.

We’re all getting a little punchy around here. My boss, Kristin Watkins, has taken to bursting into laughter at meetings … often for no apparent reason. I’m developing this bulging disc in my neck, which I only get when I’m under stress (can you get worker’s comp for a bond measure?).

We’re doing speaking gigs ranging from 100-plus at the Beaverton Elks to two members of Mayor-Elect Sam Adams’ staff. Big group or small: whenever two or more of you are gathered in our name, there are fliers.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to do its impression of the Hindenburg. With each seismic impact, people ask us: Wow, are you sure you wanna go out for a bond measure now?

Fortunately – and this is a little counter-intuitive –the economic bad news doesn’t necessarily translate as bad news for PCC. That’s because, more and more, people are getting that we are an economic engine. We can drive the region out of the weak economy. We do that by training workers for fields that are facing pandemic worker shortages (think teaching, welding, nursing). We do that by being the portal-of-choice for thousands of students who want a four-year degree. We could do that by putting millions of dollars of bond-funded construction projects on the streets in the next few years. That would pay for a lot of electricians, a lot of dry-wallers, a lot of carpenters, et freaking cetera.

So as we head into the home stretch, the message remains the same. Which is good, because we’re getting a little too punchy to think up any new messages anyway.

Send your feedback to dana.haynes@pcc.edu. And thanks in advance.