Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2010)
Trash: one huge mess waits to be picked up J ennifer S itton have been given. Recently, signs have started popping up throughout the school that read, NO FOOD OR DRINK. I've seen them The wind picks up, blowing empty, greasy McDonalds bags down the street. Starbucks cups can be found under any Photo by Alex Houston Trash litters the sidewalks outside WLHS, a clear illustration of the disrespect some people have for the school. The excessive amount of garbage has become such a problem that the administration required teachers to show their students a presentation on how to improve the situation. on porches, on tables in the library and next to computers. The Monday following spring break, I walked into school to see Porch 2A blocked off with caution tape. According to the signs posted, the porch was to be closed during lunch and all breaks due to increased amounts of garbage and vandalism in the area. Really guys? The problem is, despite the efforts of the administration to try and limit where students are allowed to congregate, we simply ignore the signs. The porch with the caution tape was filled with students sitting, talking and eating all week. I'll admit, I have eaten lunch on a table that reads NO FOOD OR DRINK. We have approximately 1,500 students in this school—there isn't enough room for all of us to eat in the cafeteria, nor do we all want to. This is high school. We made it through the table in the school. Crumbs litter the computer tables and their accompanying mice are covered in sticky residue. We undeniably have an issue with trash in this school; we don't clean up after ourselves. There have been multiple pleas from the administration to pick up our garbage. Threats of closing down porches and other parts of the school have been made if we don't shape up and clean up. We live in one of the most privileged countries in the world in one of the most privileged cities in the state. Glance about you and you will see hundreds of brand new computers, fresh textbooks and flat-screen televisions. Frankly, I find it embarrassing that we are so self-centered as a teenage population that we can't find the time to pick up our garbage and respect the amazing educational tools we West Linn High School, 5464 West A Street, West Linn, OR 97068 (503) 673-7843 »fax: (503)657-8710 • wlhs-amplifier@wlhs.wlwv.kl2.or.us The Amplifier is published approximately every four weeks by the West Linn High School Advanced Journalism class. Opinions expressed in commentaries and editorials represent only those of the writer, and are not necessarily the opinions of West Linn High School, its administration, faculty, staff, or student body. Editor-in-Chief Mary Wood Managing Editor: Zack Mueller » Photo Editor: Mark Poppert Photo Essay: Clara Alte- mus, Nora Hand li li lí ! Staff Reportera: C1 Altemus'. Michele Bondy, Ethan Brent, Ty Clarke, Austin Cummins, Patrick ¡¡mil Business Editor: Zack Mueller Section Editors: News: Mary Wood 11 Forum: Alison Fieldhouse -- * Features: - Lexi - Welp Sports: Jennifer Sitton Entertainment: Emily McDonald, E M " • ' Vissi ............ ....................N" “ * Hand, Bailey Middleton, Halie Owens Photographers: Alex Houston, Libby Kara Adviser: Ann Breyne l suffocation that was middle school, and we deserve our freedom. At least.. .some of us do. But there is hope. As I sit here writing this editorial, I witnessed something that brought back my faith in my fellow high school student. A young man was returning to class from using the restroom, carelessly walking by a row of computers. Suddenly, the student made a 180, grabbed a large wad of paper that someone had left sitting next to a computer, and tossed it in the trash can on the way into his classroom. Just think what a difference it would make if every student picked up one piece of trash each day—or even just their own trash! It seems obvious to me. Most of you pick up after yourself at home, and you need to do so at school too. Leave this school as good as or better than you found it. We are privileged in all of the amenities we have here at school. We have amazing custodians who work hard every day, but they are not our personal maid service. We need to respect them and respect our school. Everyone needs to do their part and pick up after themselves. Some people do, and some people don't. Those of you who don't, and seem to not care, don't ruin it for those who actually clean up after themselves. Think about that the next time you "accidentally forget" to grab that plastic wrapper after lunch. West Linn Mayor mishaps cast pall; Galle earns education from degree mill E mily M c D onald _____________ Disrespect. Dishonesty. Disappointment in our mayor and our city. We don’t know what to believe about our mayor, Patti Galle. Some believe she has lied to us. What we do know about her just doesn't make sense, and what we don't know... we will have to see as more information emerges. Throughout our childhood we are told to tell the truth. So why won't Galle speak up? Or has she? According to several sources, including the West Linn Tidings, The Oregonian and her voter's pamphlet entry, Galle supposedly has an education: a bachelor's degree in English. But it appears she found it online at Redding University, paid the $395 fee, and took the course. I visited the site to investigate. Redding University promotes the idea of a fast, cheap and easy way to make it look like you have earned a degree. For most, it may seem like the most efficient way to acquire a "degree." Heck, you can even choose a GPA to put on your transcript for an additional $45! It's not an accredited college. Galle said she was afraid people would not elect someone without a college degree. She was hesitant to have information about this in the pamphlet because she knew that people were contemplating her. In my opinion, an unaccredited college mostly means degree mill. You don't have to have a college degree to run in the election, but you must go through the paperwork stating that you do not have one. You will be charged as a convicted felon, lodged in jail for up to five years and heavily fined ($125,000) if you provide any false information. So, technically she does have a degree, as stated in the pamphlet. But there's something else that I found very peculiar about the situation. She also said to have been enrolled at San Jose City College, earning a bachelor of arts degree under her maiden name, Patricia Bologna. Galle did Photo courtesy OregonLive.com West Linn Mayor Patti Galle’s home and computer are currently under investigation for extra information about her education. Authorities seized her work computer from her office April 1. not earn a diploma from this college. In an interview with the Tidings on March 11, Galle told of a 2004 burglary in her home of Eureka, Calif, she stated that she lost all of her personal records including her university diploma, employment documents, business license and other small business documents, state Human Academy Diploma, law enforcement certifications including her badge (apparently she was chief), birth certificate, marriage record and other belongings. These items are easy to replace, and if they were important enough to Galle, she could have done so. For instance, at Marylhurst University, it only costs a measly $25 to replace your diploma! Another thing I found doubtful about this was why on earth would anyone go into some random person's house and steal all of those things? Papers and documents like these are practically useless to anyone, unless they are your own. I have a hard time believing that this ever happened. I've never been to Eureka, and I could be totally wrong, but while looking at the city on Google Earth, it seemed rather harmless, quaint, and not the horrible, crime-infested town Galle made it sound to be. I also know someone who lived there, and they said it was a fairly quiet town. This part of her story really confuses me. What is most disappointing is the way that this whole situation is the way in which it reflects on our city. West Linn is a wonderful place that has a very capable community. This situation makes us look very unprofessional and corrupt. It is rather sad that other communities are turning their attention to the city in a negative way. Our community members can't help but feel disappointed. Recently, authorities took possession of Galle's work computers, hoping to recover more information. In the Oregonian front page article on April 15, it stated that investigators also searched her office and home, where they found her Redding University diploma dated in 1973. The University was established just seven years ago, however, in 2003. She resigned last Friday. Personally, based on this evidence, I think this is absolutely ridiculous and what Galle has been saying is bogus. This went for WAY too long. Did Galle flat out lie to us? I believe so. Goodbye, Galle.
