Gardner, President involved
CCOSAC serves as uniform voice
Oregon has 13 communi
ty colleges spread out across
the map from Treasure Valley,
less than 100 miles from Boise,
Idaho, to Clatsop County
Community in Astoria.
CCOSAC, the Communi
ty Colleges of Oregon Student
Associations and Commis
sions, was formed to create a
uniform voice for the 13
schools, whose concerns and
citizenry are as varied as the
state.
Brian Gardner is a student
at Clackamas Community Col
lege. This year, he is also the
chairperson for CCOSAC,
which “was formed to create a
network of communications
between the colleges,” Gard
ner said.
This is Gardner’s second
year with the organization. Last
year, as a student at Central
Oregon Community College in
Bend, he was first introduced
to CCOSAC by that college’s
student body president. “Last
year, I was a representative for
Central Oregon. I enjoyed it
and when Spring term came
around, I ran for chairperson,”
he said.
What Gardner had en
joyed so much was the
pressure thrust upon the
organization, and its apparently
successful battles with the state
government. Due to the
depressed economy in
Oregon, Governor Victor
Atiyeh called for a special ses
sion of the state legislature in
January, 1982. At that time, it
was thought that the legislature
would vote in drastic cuts to the
community college system.
CCOSAC became involv
ed in the lobbying side of
politics during the special ses
sion. Each of the 13 colleges
contributed money and man
power to an effort that included
a rally of more than 300
students from around the state
and lobbying efforts with Roger
Bassett, the organization’s of
ficial lobbyist.
Clackamas Community
College was no exception. Two
students, Karen Prouty and
Dick Edwards, volunteered for
the lobbying effort, a job that
forced them to spend more
than four weeks in Salem and
away from their classes and the
Associated Student Govern
ment, to which they both
belonged. The cost to their
grades and ASG respon
sibilities was sufficient to make
both Prouty and Edwards drop
out of student government
after the special session was
over.
That session did not create
the massive budget cuts that
the two-year schools feared,
thanks in part to the efforts of
CCOSAC. “The special ses
sion was our proving ground,”
Gardner said. “It was there that
people really began to take us
seriously.”
The 1981-82 CCOSAC
was a well, organized and profi
cient group, according to many
of its members, including Paul
Nastari, who was a member of
the ASG here last year. Nastari
is the current student govern
ment president He also feels
that the special session of con
gress was the crucible that
helped forge CCOSAC into a
top notch organization. “A lot
of people around the state are
beginning to respect CCOSAC
and the things we do,” Nastari
said. “Last year, some people
felt that we were stronger than
the Oregon Student Lobby,
which is for the four-year
schools.”
Oregon’s economy is still
shakey, so CCOSAC is again
prepared to fight for the
budgets of its member schools.
This year, a Political Involve
ment Commission (PIC) has
been formed, specifically to
work with the legislature.
The PIC is chaired by
Scott Seibert, a student from
Umpqua Community College
in Roseburg and six other
students, including Walter
McAllister from Clackamas.
The PIC also includes two
ex/officio, or non-voting,
members, Gardner and Bill
Hawthorn, a liaison officer bet
ween CCOSAC and the
Oregon Community College
Association.
The PIC was also created
to prove that CCOSAC was
not a flash in the political pan in
January, 1982. “I feel we must
prove ourselves this year,”
Gardner said.
Brian Gardner, CCOSAC chairperson
Staff photo by Jehni Weber
Citizens’ phone calls
fail to stop speaker
ed to be affiliated with the
county’s chapter of the
Despite mixed community American Neo-Nazi move
views, Swami Krishna Deva, ment, Wynia said. The caller
mayor of Rajneeshpuram, was wanted to speak and hand out
allowed to come on campus to literature.
answer questions about the
“I read him the campus
somewhat unknown religion.
policy (in which he did not
Bob Wynia, assistant to qualify to speak),” Wynia said,
the dean of instructional ser “and he said ‘that’s fine.’ It was
vices at the College, was the not a threat to me (which
contact person between the rumors speculated) but a threat
College and the Ra to come speak.”
jneeshpuram. Wynia worked
The campus policy pro
with Deva six years ago.
vides that any legal entity has
Another
Rajneesh the right to come and speak
follower that Wynia had work their point of view at the Col
ed with before contacted the lege. Wynia does not have the
assistant dean to organize the power to deny a request.
campus event.
Wynia said the Board of
Wynia said that the other Education would have the final
Rajneeshee asked if they could decision.
possibly set up a room where
Wynia expected some
the mayor of the city could disagreement with the com
answer questions. The mayor munity because of the public’s
was going to be in the area curiosity of the religion and
because he was doing business their skepticism of why Deva
in Salem.
was on campus.
“We make room available
He felt the crowd possess
to any city representative from ed that skeptical and curious at
any city government in the mosphere, but he was impress
state of Oregon,” Wynia said. ed by the students’ behavior.
“It is campus policy and the law
“The students conducted
of the country to provide peo themselves very admirably,”
ple with First Amendment Wynia said. “They asked in
rights.”
tellectual and probing ques
The College received tions. Exactly what I
about 300 phone calls from expected.”
community members concern
In the future Wynia felt
ed about Deva’s appearance at that any group that met the
the College. “Most of the qualifications of the campus
callers didn’t want him to policy would be allowed to
speak,” Wynia said.
speak their point of view.
One specific phone call (Please see related story on
came from a person who claim page one)
By Doug Vaughan
Baker, Nastari lead delegation
of senators through state capitol
Debbie Baker, student ac
tivities director, and Paul
Nastari, Associated Student
Government President led a
delegation of four student
senators to Salem to tour the
capital and meet with state
legislators last week.
ASG Senators Kristi Scott,
Sharon Bliguez, Jeff Smith and
John Sagoe were oriented in
Salem by Roger Bassett, ex
ecutive secretary of the Oregon
Community Colleges Associa-.
tion (OCCA) in his office.
Bassett explained that OCCA is
a lobbyist organization that has
an annual budget of $140,000,
funded by the dues of the 13
community colleges and two
community education pro
grams in Oregon.
Colleges voluntarily join
this organization which lobbies
at the capital for their common
interest. Bassett’s intern, John
Skinner, led the group to tour
the capitol building and meet
with State legislators.
Senator Ruth McFarland
introduced the group to a com
mittee hearing on public works
funding by the state. Represen
tative Glen Whallon also talked
to the delegation about his
2Z
I C lackamas
M. W. F. - 9-6
T. T. - 9-12
SAT. AVAIL.
C hiropractic
C linic
16080 S.E. 82nd DRIVE
CLACKAMAS
TREATING:
LOCATED IN THE
GREENHOUSE SQUARE
ACROSS FROM THE
CLACKAMAS FRED MEYERS.
Sports Injuries, Workers Comp., Auto Accidents,
Nutrition and Preventive Care.
STUDENT DISCOUNT
24 HOUR
Page 4
~
657-6190
EVENING
APPOINTMENTS
AVAILABLE
strong support for voting by
mail.
The student government
later observed five bills passed
in the 50 minute session before
the meeting was adjourned for
the afternoon.
Rep. Darlene Hooley was
the last legislator the group
met. Hooley’s husband John
Hooley, is the College’s assis
tant dean of social sciences.
When asked whether her hus
band’s job had any influence
on her being very pro
community college, Hooley
said, “I hate to admit this but I
think it does, either consciously
or unconsciously.”
Hooley also told the group
that her activeness in com
munity colleges started long
before she was a legislator. She
started when she was a high
school teacher in a small town
where good students would not
go to college because they
could not lease their homes.
Hooley also commented
on the state subsidy for com
munity colleges, which
amounts to 48 percent of the
schools budgets. Hooley was
doubtful that it would pull
through. “There’s just no
money,” she said.
Of The Print
Clackamas Community College