Editorials
Sour session
There was a board meeting Wednesday, Jan. 12.
There was also a boredom meeting Wednesday, Jan. 12.
There is more than a play on words involved here.
According to the agenda for the board meeting,
[starting time was 7:45 p.m. The meeting started after
8 p.m.
The meeting went on for about half an hour. At that
point the board went into an executive session. Exe-
cutive sessions are for board members and the press
[only and the press is not allowed to tell what happens
in the meetings.
The regular board meeting started up again after
110 p.m. The executive session had lasted more than an
hour and a half.
The question that we have is why have an executive
¡session in the middle of a board meeting? If people
want to see the board at work they're going to be very
[disappointed if they have to wait for the board to get
[through an executive session.
The board was questioned on this point when they
got back from the session. They said that they had had
a discussion on this very point while in session.
We say talk is cheap. They should start planning to
[have executive sessions before the meeting starts or
after the meeting is over.
The board also set Jan. 17 to meet with the Citizen's
Committee for Development of Environmental Edu
cation Centers in Clackamas County during last week's
meeting. The members said that meeting at that time
would not be a problem.
However, three out of seven board members showed
up Jan. 17 to meet with the committee. We recognize
[the fact that board members aren't paid, but it seems
to us that as elected officials they have a duty to do
what they say they will db.
noses
The subject of this editorial is the Cougar Print, and
the reason a Cougar Print exists.
The Cougar Print is first and foremost a newspaper.
The purpose of the newspaper is to make the students,
staff and administration aware of things that are hap
pening or have happened at Clackamas Community
College.
To accomplish this objective we need the support of
the students, staff and administration. We don't get
enough help from any of these are&s.
We openly encourage news tips from all areas of the
college, as well as the community. Our location makes
it very difficult to be on top of things that happen at
the spur of the moment.
We know there are gripes that the college community
has, but we seldom get feedback from people with
problems.
If anybody out there has a complaint about some
thing at the college we would appreciate letters to the
editor. If the complaints are about the paper so be it.
If we can dish out complaints we certainly should
be able and willing to handle criticism.
Remember, we are only a phone call away. Any
body with an interesting story idea can call ext. 259
or 278.
Stamped out
The Clackamas Community College chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws (NORML) recently had its mailmeter privileges
withdrawn by the Clackamas Community College ad
ministration because of "adverse publicity."
Though that decision is under consideration by the
CCC Board of Education, and may be reversed by the
time this appears in print, the issue serves to raise a
poignant question: Why no college support for NORML?
The withdrawal of mailing privileges (which have
always been paid for with NORML funds) grew out of
concern by members of the community regarding the
use of tax dollars for NORML's operation. This seems
a logical concern.
NORML has sent more than 500 letters in its cam
paign for community involvement. Two of these letters
were returned, voicing vehement objection to the use
of tax monies in subsidy of marijuana.
It is, of course, a fact that tax monies do not finance
NORML. The club is financed by what funds can be
raised through activities (dances) and donations.
It is also a fact that NORML does not advocate the
usage of marijuana. It advocates the repeal of ambiguous
laws at the state and national level.
In response to the irate comments, NORML Presi
dent Charlie Bennett mailed follow-up letters (with
hand affixed postage) to explain these facts.
One hopes that in the future, NORML's correspon
dence will contain the information that NORML is an
independently financed club.
The question here is: When and where does the ad
ministration say, "NORML has a right to be here!"?
It is sometimes insufficient to be merely "non-ag
gressive." Even tyranny may sometimes be less danger-
out than apathy. Neither compliments morality.
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classified. It will surely get you
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word after that.} Just bring your
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and Publications Center, before
publication and we request you
pay your bucks when you place
your ad.
Page 5
’, January 20,1977
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