CatlinSpeak

 A handful of environmental groups have threatened potential lawsuits against railroad and coal exporting companies after finding dangerous amounts of coal in the Columbia River Gorge.

The citizen lawsuit may be filed by Columbia Riverkeeper, an organization which works to protect the Columbia River and restore its health. It alleges that several coal companies, including Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad (BNSF), are in violation of the Clean Water Act after failing to properly cover trains carrying coal dust which allowed for unlawful amounts of the dust to enter the Columbia River ecosystem.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendment of 1972, better known as the Clean Water Act, established a national commitment to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological well-being of the nation’s waterways.

The Clean Water Act has been instrumental in improving the health of rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. It has stopped billions of pounds of pollution from negatively affecting waterways, and has dramatically increased the number of waterways which ban swimming and fishing.

These coal trains traveling through the Pacific Northwest have a serious impact on wetlands, streams, and rivers throughout the Columbia River Gorge. Unfortunately many local rivers and lakes have pollutants directly related to coal trains including the Columbia River, Drano Lake, Horsethief Lake, the Klickitat River, the Little White Salmon River, Rowland Lake, and the White Salmon River.

According to BNSF Railway, each car loses between 500 and 2,000 pounds of coal dust in transport from the Powder River Basin (located in Montana/Wyoming), which amounts to about one pound per mile. With 120 cars per train, each coal train loses about 10,200 pounds of coal as it travels 85 miles through the Gorge. Currently, there are several coal trains per week traveling through the Gorge.

With the detrimental effects of pollution on these natural surroundings, environmentalists are concerned with the current proposals to build more coal terminals in cities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The National Marine Fisheries Service found that building a coal export terminal at the Port of Morrow near Boardman, Oregon and barging coal through the Gorge to a facility at St. Helens would likely effect 13 species listed under the Endangered Species Act, including several species of Columbia River salmon and steelhead.

As the legal proceedings continue, the Columbia Riverkeepers will continue to voice their mission and commitment to “protect and restore the water quality of the Columbia River and all life connected to it.”

What if? Is the question being asked, discussed, and answered at TEDxPortland this Saturday at the Portland Art Museum from 8am to 6pm. The event will have a wide range of speakers and performers, ranging from poets, authors, educators, to conservationists, community crusaders, builders, chefs, and more.

(Source: Facebook)

The event is meant to revolve the question of “What if?” This allows the discussion to bloom not just between the speakers but also between the people at the event.

Despite it having been sold out for weeks, the program in its entirety will also be available as a live-streaming video, so that even those who missed out on tickets can still enjoy the experience of the event.

In addition to the discussion at hand, there is a wide range of art that will be showcased that revolves around the same question. The artwork will be auctioned off at the event and the proceeds will benefit the Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP).

Check out more about this event and the bios of the speakers and performers at http://tedxportland.com/ 

On one of the sunnier days in March, while everyone was crowding on the benches and enjoying one of the first Oregon-warm days of the year, I left campus just before lunch ended. I had a meeting with the mayor at 1:30, and I planned to interview him about his first months in office, and the city’s financial woes. Suffice it to say I was hoping not to be late.

Of course, by the time I got to SW 4th and Madison, parking was scarce, so in a panic I drove to what I thought would be a guarantee: Smart Park.

It was a guarantee, but by the time I ran down the stairs from the eighth floor my hair was crazy and I had started sweating more than the 57-degree day would have otherwise warranted.

I clutched my legal pad, my list of questions, and part of the transcript from CatlinSpeak’s October mayoral debate, I rushed past the courthouse, past the park, and to the front of City Hall, where I passed the typical mix of homeless people, solo protestors, and Occupy members camped out front.

Flustered, I entered the cool, surprisingly ornate lobby, where a security guard politely opened the automated gates into the rest of the building, directing me to the mayor’s office in 304. I bounded up the stairs, where a receptionist welcomed me and, probably noticing that I looked like I had just been running (which I had), offered me a glass of water while she alerted Mayor Hales of my arrival.

Mayor Charlie Hales has a lot on his plate as his first term in office begins. (Photo: Dana Haynes)

Charlie Hales sits on the third floor of City Hall in a sparingly but elegantly furnished office that belonged to Sam Adams just three months ago. As I stepped into his room, still breathing hard from my four-block run to make my appointment on time, he stood up and greeted me warmly, pulling out a chair at the table where our interview took place.

We sat down––supervised all the while by his communications director, Dana Haynes––and I began my questions, whose topics ranged from future appearances on the hit IFC series “Portlandia” to the city’s planned response to summer gang activity.

He listened attentively and responded thoughtfully, despite having to squeeze me in between meetings. As we spoke, Haynes quietly snapped photos of us from across the table.

“It’s not often that a journalist is on this side of the camera,” he told me.

As reported by CatlinSpeak in February, the city faces a $25 million shortfall, and Hales is leading the charge to combat that deficit. The city charter gives the mayor power to take control of all of the city bureaus, and Hales has chosen to use that in an attempt to get a broad vision of the city’s entire budget.

Hales explained that the consolidated bureau system––which has been previously implemented by Vera Katz and Tom Potter––has considerable advantages that the other council members are also beginning to see.

Though initially the other councilors were reluctant to accept the change, Hales called it “a disruption with a positive purpose.”

Said Hales, “For a little while, nobody’s got any turf to defend. And we’re all going to think about the big picture.”

He added that he and the five commissioners are now free to ask “uncomfortable questions about bureaus that we don’t manage.”

One of the potentially more uncomfortable topics that has come up in budget cut negotiations is funding for youth programs, including internships with Worksystems Inc., Youth Summer Connect, and the beloved TriMet YouthPass.

When I asked Hales about the topic of youth program funding cuts, he was quick to respond and to affirm his support for the city’s involvement with teens and young adults.

Hales ran on a pro-youth platform during his campaign, emphasizing the importance of partnerships between non-profits and the city, creating jobs for youth, and the YouthPass.

At the debate in October, Hales stated, “ The best social program for the young person is opportunity. And [we need] to create a climate of opportunity and jobs in this city so that there is a hope that if you do stay in school and stay away from the gang lifestyle that there is employment for you.”

Now, this goal is in jeopardy, and Hales and the city are looking for “unconventional ways to pay for things” that will otherwise be cut. This especially applies to youth programs that the city has decided not to fund independently anymore.

“We are working hard on partnerships that we think will help solve that problem by using the city’s bully pulpit to be a partner, but not using the city’s checkbook so aggressively, because the checkbook doesn’t have much in it.”

Realistically, that means that other benefactors are going to need to step up, be it private companies, non-profit foundations, or even other local governments. In other words, these programs are in trouble without rescue funding.

The almost immediate cuts to youth programs like Worksystems internships call into question Hales’s previous promises to support youth jobs.

When asked about this, Hales patiently explained the decision by saying that the contract hadn’t been executed yet, and it was one of the first budget items to come up, so trimming it from the budget made sense.

“It’s just unfortunate luck that it was a youth program that was the first victim of this austerity,” he said.

For now, Hales’s goal is to achieve the aforementioned partnerships by this summer so that hundreds of kids don’t lose out on opportunities that will keep them out of trouble and earn them some money.

Despite the city’s best efforts though, the reality of the deficit is stark.

“Nothing’s safe,” said Hales, when asked if the Multnomah Youth Commission––in which several Catlin students participate––was in danger. “Police officers aren’t safe, fire stations aren’t safe, mowing grass in the parks isn’t safe.”

“There can’t be any sacred cows. Or horses. Even the horse patrol is on the list. Everything is on the list.”

Stay tuned for continuing Portland politics coverage from CatlinSpeak.

VoteERA.org currently has two Equal Rights Amendment bills in the Oregon Legislature. (Photo: Fiona Noonan)

Equality is back on the table in the Oregon legislature, as the pro-equal rights organization VoteERA.org has introduced two new Equal Rights Amendment bills: Senate Joint Resolution 24 (SRJ 24), and House Joint Resolution 21 (HJR 21).

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)––which would guarantee equal rights for men and women––has been tossed around since 1923, when the idea was first introduced. Congress passed it once in 1972, but only 35 states ratified the amendment (three short of the necessary three-fourths), and it never became part of the Constitution.

Oregon actually ratified the federal amendment twice, and was the only state to do so. Despite this, there has never been an ERA enacted in Oregon’s Constitution.

That’s what VoteERA.org, led by Leanne Littrell DiLorenzo (mother of first grader John DiLorenzo), is hoping to change.

The organization believes that, while women’s equality may be stated under Oregon case law, that is in no way the same level of security that the Constitution could provide. Therefore, they want specific language that explicitly guarantees equality of the sexes.

VoteERA.org also believes that Article 1, Section 20 of the Oregon constitution, which is supposed to guarantee equality for all people, does not adequately protect women’s rights. That part of the constitution prevented women for voting and owning property for years.

The proposed language of SJR 24 and HJR 21 matches that of the proposed federal ERA, and states that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the State of Oregon or by any political subdivision in this state on account of sex.”

According to statewide polling conducted by Public Policy Polling in February on behalf of VoteERA.org, 80 percent of Oregonians support the ERA. Results of the poll also showed that putting an ERA measure on the ballot in 2014 would increase voter turnout.

Already, the bills have 50 bipartisan sponsors in the legislature, including Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-NW Portland/Beaverton District 17), mother of Mira Hayward ’13. Despite this early support, the bills face a tough roadblock in Rep. Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukie District 41), Chair of the Human Services Committee. In this capacity, she can prevent a hearing on the bill in the House, which will kill the ERA before it even reaches a vote in the House of Representatives.

She has publicly stated that she will not hold a hearing for HJR 21, aligning herself with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which also does not support the Oregon amendment.

Though Tomei and the ACLU support equality and the federal ERA, they believe that precedents set by previous Oregon Supreme Court rulings adequately protect women’s equality, and that specifying women’s rights the Oregon ERA bills could infringe on the rights of other minority groups.

The bills face and uphill battle, and the first milestone will be achieving a hearing and work session for the bills, with the hope that the legislature will ultimately grant equal rights for both sexes.

Even if the bills fail in the legislature––HJR 21 could die in the House as early as Monday, April 8––members of VoteERA.org say they will continue pushing the issue forward.

“We cannot imagine in this day and age why anyone would accept not having women’s equality directly expressed in the Oregon Constitution,” said DiLorenzo in an email. “The federal ERA is in its 90th year of still being introduced every year––should we wait another century to see if that happens?”

For more information on the ERA, or to join VoteERA.org, visit http://www.voteera.org/. 

Since Mayor Charlie Hales took office on January 2, he has wasted no time implementing change in City Hall. Portland is in a $25 million budget hole right now, and Hales is using the momentum of a new administration to make cuts wherever possible––and fast. And as across-the-board funding decreases, city funding for youth-centered programs is disappearing as well, despite Hales’s pro-youth campaign platform.

As reported by Willamette Week (http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-20211-return_of_chucky.html) on January 30, Hales has mandated that every city bureau and program condense to 90 percent of their current sizes, meaning 10 percent budget cuts for everything from transportation to water services.

Mayor Charlie Hales has mandated citywide funding cuts to dig the city out of a $25 million budget hole. (Graphic: Emi Foster)

This kind of sweeping mandate is unusual in Portland due to the city’s so-called “weak-mayor” system, which means Hales has little power without the support of the four city commissioners––Amanda Fritz, Dan Saltzman, Steve Novick, and Nick Fish––who each oversee a collection of bureaus.

But on February 4, the new mayor took control of all 27 of Portland’s city bureaus in a move that drastically increases his leverage and freedom to make decisions. Though the weak-mayor system generally gives Hales little more authority than any of the commissioners, he does have the ability to allocate the commissioners’ bureau responsibilities. He has used this power to temporarily suspend their individual bureau oversight duties so that together the mayor and commissioners can make a broader examination of the city’s overall budget.

Though this temporary power shift––which more closely resembles a typical city government––may be a big change, it is not a new tactic. In fact, this method has been used before at the start of Mayor Vera Katz and Mayor Tom Potter’s first terms in office in order for the new mayors to set a course for the city. Never, though, has it accompanied the need for such great budget reductions.

So, out of necessity, City Hall will hack away.

Already, Hales has reduced his staff to just over half the number of people who worked for Mayor Sam Adams, and he has received proposals for program cuts to the Parks and Recreation and Transportation Bureaus. And amid all of this cutting, the ax has landed on several notable and popular programs, several of which affect youth in Portland.

One of the first to go was the city funding for Worksystems, Inc. (http://www.worksystems.org/) , a non profit that provides summer learning and internship opportunities for disadvantaged kids across this city.

Previously, the organization was able to fund 315 internships, but without funding from the city only 215 of those positions will be offered. Furthermore, Worksystems has helped provide summer programs for 6,500 Portland youth from 2009 to 2012, and that number will decrease without the city’s help, according to senior Perla Alvarez, who serves as a member of the city’s Multnomah Youth Commission.

“Without [these] programs, I am almost 100% positive that youth violence will increase this upcoming summer,” says Alvarez. “Youth won’t have anything to do.”

This may add to the annual spike in gang violence that Portland sees each summer.

Budget cuts include decreased funding for some youth programs. (Photo: Wikipedia Images)

Before Hales took office, the Youth Planning Program run by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability had already been cut by Adams. This provided city government jobs for youth aged 14-21, and was part of Mayor Potter’s vision of kids as Portland’s future.

Mayor Adams also made the city’s youth a top priority during his four-year tenure, which he completed by fighting to preserve the TriMet Youth Pass, which lets students ride bus and MAX lines at discounted rates.

During his campaign, Hales applauded Adams’s efforts, and proclaimed his own support for the program. But now that the budget needs to be slashed, the Youth Pass will be one of the next city-funded items to go.

In an interview with Willamette Week, Hales said that cutting the YouthPass “is going to be really painful.”

For some students, the cut could be life changing. Says Alvarez, “Without YouthPass, some students would not be motivated to go to school anymore. The bus passes are too expensive, and some students can’t afford a $30 bus pass.”

Alvarez also fears that the Multnomah Youth Commission, which is part of the larger City/County Youth Engagement Program, will be eliminated as the city continues to make cuts. MYC works to engage youth and “change the way violence is viewed and dealt with” in the Portland community, according to its website (https://web.multco.us/diversity-equity/youth-engagement).

Over the last few years, this program has become vital to the city’s discussions about teen gang violence. According to Alvarez, it’s unclear what lies in the future for MYC, but people participating in the program have heard that the city is talking about shutting it down eventually.

It’s still early in Hales’s term, but as the new City Hall moves forward, Alvarez says she’d like to see the mayor support programs like the YouthPass, which Hales has already stated he wants to eventually restore.

Says Alvarez, “I don’t really know if he understands how important this is to Portland’s youth.”

Many Americans buy guns without sufficient background checks. (Source: New York Times)

Sworn in just over two weeks ago, Charlie Hales has made his top priority clear: to take action against gun violence.

On Monday morning, he held a press conference and announced his membership in the national coalition titled “Mayors Against Illegal Guns.” Hales is a part of many other politicians across the country who are eager to make change. Just yesterday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York City signed a law vastly expanding gun control laws in the state.

In the conference, Hales stressed the importance of more detailed background checks, a ban on military assault weapons, and making gun trafficking a federal crime. Hales urges the people of Portland to, “stay angry and focused on action, not just mourning.” While Hales is clearly ready to take action, he remains reserved about some possibilities. When asked about arming teachers in schools he responded, “Are we going to include lesson planning and target practice in the weekends? I don’t think so.”

Just a few weeks ago on January 1, Charlie Hales was sworn into office as Portland’s new mayor. CatlinSpeak had the opportunity to talk with former Portland mayor Tom Potter about what he would like to see in his new mayor. Potter had three main pieces of advice for Hales:

Former Portland mayor Tom Potter. (Photo: Wikipedia)

1. “Adjust to how this form of government works.”

As Potter put it, “you literally have to work around this government.” He is referring to Portland’s weak-mayor system in which all branches of government are essentially evenly divided amongst the five city council members and each council member, including the mayor, has an equal vote. This “commission” form of government was originally intended to fight corruption, as it takes power away from the mayor. However, as Potter noted, it creates “silos,” meaning that the government is so compartmentalized that people don’t work well with each other. Portland is basically alone in having this commission-style government (it’s the only large city in the nation and the only city in Oregon with it). During his term, Potter pushed for a strong mayor system, but the ballot measure was handily defeated as some Portlanders feared the effects of too much power concentration and most felt content with the current system. Potter would want to see Charlie Hales try to change the system, but in the meantime, he will have to be “able to work within a system of governance that is ill designed.”

2. “Be prepared for a major disaster.”

As most Portlanders know, scientists have predicted that Portland should experience a serious earthquake (some experts say a 9.0 magnitude) roughly every 300 years due to the nearby fault line with the Cascadia plate. We are long overdue. Potter urged Hales to keep an eye on the big picture and “make sure our city is the best prepared that it can be” because this is “life or death for many Portlanders.” While some measures have been taken to prepare Portland (for example, many hospitals perform frequent, well-organized drills and possess tents to handle the masses of patients likely to come after an earthquake), a high-magnitude earthquake could still devastate the city. Many geologists and engineers predict that thousands of downtown buildings and nearly all of our bridges would not withstand the shaking induced by a quake.

Mayor-elect Charlie Hales at the CatlinSpeak mayoral debate in October. (Photo: Siobhan Furnary)

3. “Know who you work for.”

Potter stressed that a mayor works for the public, and is thus a “public servant.” In addition, Potter noted that when he was mayor, he found that “there were large segments of the community that were sort of left out of involvement with the government” and that at times we perhaps are “not quite as liberal as we think we are.” The challenge posed to Hales is to work to involve all communities in government, especially communities of color and youth. Potter added that the role of government has “become confused” at times and that it is easy to take on too much. It is important for Hales to remember who he is working for and what they want.

Finally, Potter stressed that it is important for Hales to “Keep [his] sense of humor” because Portlanders don’t want a mayor who is “only gloom and doom.” That being said, when asked if Potter would have participated in Portlandia if it existed when he was mayor, Potter noted that he was not a professional actor and that, “some say any publicity is good publicity, and I’m not sure I agree with that.”

Two recent fatal crashes in Oregon serve as a reminder to drive safely as temperatures drop and precipitation freezes on roads.

On Sunday, December 30, a tour bus with 49 people aboard was heading west on I-84 when it ran into a concrete barrier and plummeted down a snow-covered slope, according to The Oregonian. The crash was near Pendleton, Oregon, and nine have been confirmed dead with many others in critical condition.

A highway official commented, “This is a snow zone so there are hazardous conditions that exist on that mountain throughout the winter.”

The next afternoon, a pickup truck crashed on I-84 between Hood River and Mosier, according to The Oregonian. Road conditions were icy when the truck skidded off the highway and into the Columbia River. The driver, a 40-year old father, survived, but his seven-year old son did not, reports The Oregonian.

A snow-covered road. (Photo: New York Times)

Both of these accidents call attention to dangerous road conditions as colder weather arrives, and remind us to use caution when driving this winter. In poor conditions, avoid driving unless absolutely necessary, and always check road conditions before you leaving. ODOT Trip Check at www.tripcheck.com offers great road condition updates for Oregon and its bordering states. Drive slowly especially when there is precipitation, and if you are in or near a snow zone make sure to carry chains. As roads become icier, make sure to apply the brakes before entering and not during a turn to maximize tire traction.

If you seek further cold-weather driving tips, consult the Oregon Driver’s Manual, available at your local DMV.

Ellen Berkeley takes the ball down the field for Wilson High School. (Photo: Leslie Hamilton)

As athletic juniors and seniors begin their college search, many consider athletics when going through the college process.

The decision is an important one—one that can affect what schools one is looking at and add another element to the college application process: contacting coaches to become recruited. I got in touch with Koby Yudkin, Cody Hoyt, and Benjamin Lin, all Catlin Gabel seniors, Ellen Berkley, a Wilson junior, and Juliana Hairston, a Grant senior, to ask them about their experiences with the college search and recruitment process.

CatlinSpeak: What sport do you want to play in college? What size of school you want to play at? What level (DI, II, III, NAIA)?

Koby: I want to play soccer at Bates College, [it’s] a DIII school with about 1700 students.

Benji: I plan on fencing in college. Since a large reason that I fence is to get into college, I don’t really mind what the size of the school I’m going to play at is. My top choice right now is MIT, and that’s DIII.

Ellen: I would like to play soccer in college at a school with [fewer] than 10,000 people at a DI, DII, or DIII school.

Juli: [I am] playing soccer, DI, and [I’ve] always wanted a big school!

CS: Why did you choose to play a sport in college?

Koby: I’ve played soccer for basically my whole life and I’ve heard really great things about playing sports in college. I’m really excited for it because I will get to meet a group of people before school even starts so it [won’t] be quite as awkward those first couple weeks.

Benji: I chose to play a sport in college because 1) it’s a way to stay healthy during college 2) you can easily join a community of friends early on and 3) it makes it easier to get into college if you can talk to the coaches and get an extra letter of recommendation.

Ellen: I want to play a sport in college for many reasons. Not only do I want to get to the next level of soccer and see where it goes, but I love the game, the exercise, structured schedule and practice time and student-athlete life. My high school experience has been made by sports […] I want to be a member of my college’s soccer team and balance sports, school, and social life just like in high school but the next step.

Juli: Because it pays for an education while getting to travel and be involved with a team.

CS: During the college search, did playing a sport affect the schools you chose to consider?

Koby: Not really, I knew I wanted to go to a smaller liberal arts school and they are basically all DIII when it comes to sports so it was basically a win-win.

Benji: Yes, I only applied to places that were part of the NCAA and had a varsity fencing team.

Ellen: I approached the college search with both school and soccer in mind. I chose colleges first for good academics [–] a great science and mathematics department. [Second] for location; I want to get out of Oregon for a new experience, but stay on the West Coast. [Thirdly for] size; [fewer] than 10,000 but not too small … once I start hearing back from these colleges for soccer, it will most likely affect the schools that I can choose.

Juli: Yes, it narrowed [my search], but I had no idea where I was looking so it was mostly based off of schools that [will] let me play!

CS: What is the most stressful thing (if anything) about contacting coaches and putting yourself on their radar?

Koby: There isn’t really anything stressful about it; all the coaches, at least the ones I talked to, were really friendly. I guess the most stressful part though is when you first send an email or call them and then have to wait for a call back, but that’s not really too bad.

Benji: The most stressful part is just approaching them and having the first talk about college applications with them. I was always nervous I wouldn’t have anything to talk to them about, so I always had to have questions for them. After that, I mostly just contacted my coaches with emails.

Ellen: The most stressful thing about contacting coaches and putting myself on the radar is the first email … [getting] myself out there and creating a good and memorable first impression as a person and a soccer player, reaching out and showing interest in their school and program. After

the first correspondence I believe it is not as stressful.

Juli: Setting up emails and contacting coaches before going to tournaments was stressful because you never really knew who was watching or going to come see you play.

CS: Do you think it is important for a coach to see you play in person? On video?

Koby: It’s definitely better for the coach to see you in person but most coaches will accept videos if it’s not feasible for them to see you play in person, like if you are talking to coaches across the country. Most schools have summer camps where you can go and train with their coach for a couple of days and see if you like the coach and they can watch you play.

Benji: I don’t know if that is actually important, or rather if they just need to know if you can get good results. You don’t have to be the best, but you have to at least contribute to their team. I don’t think them watching you is that important, but if they’re interested, they will probably watch you at least once.

Ellen: I think video is great for a first little introduction of what your game is like, but it is definitely important to have them see you play in person to get a close up and real life experience of your soccer and interactions with your team.

Juli: It’s most important to have the coach see you in person so they can watch you play a whole game and see everything you do.

CS: What are some strategies or principles that have worked or are good to use while trying to get recruited?

Koby: Definitely make a video so you can email it out just to get on [coaches’] radars. It also always helps to tell your high school or club coach that you want to play in college and where you are thinking; they can be an excellent resource for the college coach to talk to to get a better sense of your playing style and coachability.

Benji: Something that helped a lot was talking to my coach, and asking him to talk to the college coaches for me. He’s been in the field for a really long time, so he knows all of the college coaches and can give a really good recommendation.

Ellen: I would say make a video, [résumé], personalize each email to the schools you show great interest in and be yourself. Utilize your resources, coaches, teammates, parents and do your research, and be responsible with following up.

Juli: The first thing you have to do when getting recruited is make a [résumé] and email it to coaches. If you have something impressive on it, then they will email you back and you can go on from there.

Juliana’s process was slightly different than the others’ because she was looking to be recruited by a D1 school (Purdue) for soccer. She explained, “I got recruited when I went to a tournament and I had emailed the coach about me playing [in]. They came to see my games and later kept in contact with me, then they offered me a scholarship and verbally committed. I had to contact the Purdue coach before [he did] because of NCAA rules. I verbally committed fall of my junior year.” Juliana will be receiving nearly a full ride to Purdue for her commitment to playing soccer.

Cody Hoyt, a senior runner, on the other hand, made the decision that he did not want to play a sport in college.

CS: Why did you decide not to play sports in college?

Cody: I feel that at this point in life there is more to me than running. I love track and field and have enjoyed my time running in high school immensely, but at this point considering the commitment level expected of college athletes and the fact that it would limit my college search exclusively to [Division] III schools, I am choosing to end my competitive athletic career after high school.

CS: Are you planning on playing an intramural or club sport in college?

Cody: Yes! I am very excited at the prospect of playing intramural and club sports. They don’t really have club track and field in college, but I am excited about the prospect of playing other sports. I’ve always wanted to play ultimate frisbee but have been unable to as it runs parallel to track season.

CS: What is one tip you would give a sophomore coming into this process next year?

Ellen: I would say to a sophomore coming into the process, do your research and put time into the process to make sure schools [that] you email you like for [both] the school and soccer. It’s a fun process and if you want it enough and put in the work, it can happen for you.

Catlin Gabel is committed to service and giving back to the community. If you’re looking for a meaningful cause to support, you may want to hear more about the Children’s Cancer Association. Dedicated to helping youth with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, local non-profit organization Children’s Cancer Association is one of a kind.

The Children’s Cancer Association is not a company invested in finding the cure to cancer. Instead, the organization delivers immediate help to children and teens facing life-threatening illness, believing that kids facing the biggest battle of their lives need help and support.

Founded on a powerful mission statement, the Association delivers an inspiring message: “For children diagnosed with serious illness and their families, every moment is precious. At CCA, our goal is to transform as many of those moments as possible—with joy. Because in the fight against devastating illness, joy is often forgotten. Because joy connects us with the power of hope, comfort, and happiness and helps families and children feel uplifted when their lives have been turned upside down. Because joy is something every child deserves.”

A Local hospitalized child enjoys interacting with the Music Rx program. (Photo: Cheryl Kanekoa)

With a generous and committed team of leaders and professional staff, the Children’s Cancer Association supports programs and services around the Pacific Northwest and even across the Nation. Regina Ellis (mother of CatlinSpeak staff writer Kate Ellis) is the founder and chief executive officer, and has been at the helm since 1995.

She shares the inspiration for CCA: “A personal experience with my oldest daughter Alexandra who battled cancer and died was the basis to found CCA in 1995. Alex battled cancer for two years at Oregon’s best children’s hospitals. But our family learned that children facing life-threatening illnesses need more than just medicine. Alex taught us about the power of joy.”

From that personal experience came a passionate commitment to use CCA to deliver the resources, the friendship, and the healing power of music to families facing the same challenges her family faced.

CCA offers several wonderful programs, including Music Rx, which has delivered bedside music medicine and live acoustic hallway performances to kids all over the Portland Metro Area. Supported and powered by music specialists, musicians and trained volunteers, Music Rx allows kids to choose what they want to listen to, and helps bring them joy through the power of music.

The program has also expanded to include MyMusicRx.org, an online extension of the original in-hospital program. Anyone can download the free MyMusicRx app. This application automatically sends five percent of the proceeds from your iTunes purchases to CCA. You can even prescribe music as medicine, which is sharing songs that match a kid’s mood or lifts their spirits.

“We have the privilege to work with amazing global brand partners to help us deliver music medicine,” says Ellis. “They open doors to artists, original content and help us develop one of the most innovative programs for seriously ill children. Our in-hospital programs of music medicine are delivered locally at Randall Children’s Hospital, Doernbecher, Providence Hospital for medically fragile Children and Salmon Creek Hospital.”

According to Ellis, “the company continues to focus its resources and mission delivery locally while expanding music medicine and education across the nation. We have continued to develop innovative initiatives that meet the needs of children and teens battling cancer and other life threatening diseases.”

There are many different ways to get involved. Over 1000 volunteers are inspired to support the Children’s Cancer Association every year. You can help by sharing your favorite song and prescribing joy to kids across the nation. Gather your family and friends to deliver hope to a family during the holidays. Or, lend a hand to support one of the many events. Get involved and be inspired.