The Clackamas print., February 28, 1990, Page 2, Image 2

OPINION
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
Filling of positions mired in red tape
From the editor...
Balancing an academic career with
other activities is easy for some and
difficult for others. Lately I have discov­
ered that I fall into the latter category,
and therefore I won’t be returning as
the editor of the Print next term.
I’ve seen people who could manage
their time well, but I was never one of
them. In high school I had a friend that
played every sport, was class president,
edited the school paper, was a member
of Future Business Leaders of America
and several other clubs, and still earned
a near perfect G.P.A. He went on to
graduate from Harvard last year. I joined
the army, served four years, and ended
up at community college.
Aside from being a good time
manager, my friend had one other trait
that I lack: he was committed. I was
committed once. When I started at­
tending this college I was committed to
being the best journalist I could be. I
wanted to make the Clackamas Print
the best college paper in the state. But
somewhere amidst the long hours,
endless criticisms and personality con­
flicts, I lost the desire to be a journalist.
A couple of weeks ago, waxing
philosophical as I often do, I told our
news editor Briane Dotson that the
decisions he and I made in the next few
months would determine the course of
our lives for many years to come. Briane
and I had both been doubting our
commitment to the paper and wonder­
ing whether or not we really wanted to
do this for the rest of our lives. We both
subsequently turned in our resignations.
I might not have resigned if Garett
Lytle had not resigned a few weeks earlier.
Garett’s resignation gave me the cour­
age to go ahead and make a decision I
had been thinking about for some time.
(Is it a coincidence that Gov.
Goldschmidt decided not to run for re­
election after both Garett and I re­
signed? Hmmm...)
It isn’t common for both the ASG
president and the editor of the campus
paper to resign in the same year, and I
think this rare event says that there
needs to be a definite reorganization of
student activities. First of all, I have
noticed that, even though advisers say
that academics come first, there is a
trend to push participants in student
activities into long hours of work on
their respective activities. Something
has to give somewhere, and it is usually
class work and attendance. People need
to realize that we are students first, and
academics should take priority. Garett
and I are far from slipping into poor
G.P.A.S, but part of the reason for quit­
ting was to keep that from happening.
Another problem with student
activities is the compensation. We work
long hours on both the paper and stu­
dent government, and what do we get in
return? A tuition waiver doesn’t do much
good when a person doesn’t have time
to take advantage of it.
The current structure of student
activities means that both the Print and
ASG will draw two kinds of people:
those who do well academically but get
burned out or let grades slip, or medi­
ocre people who never cared about grades
and graduation in the first place.
Something needs to be done. I’m
not proud of the fact that I decided to
resign. But under the current organiza­
tion of student activities I had no other
choice. I let myself slip into the com­
mon attitude that put the learning ex­
perience of the Print behind its secon­
dary role as a campus publication.
as long iu, they are in good academic stand­
ing. Adozen or so pickup applications, and
Between ASG and The Clackamas Print roughly four get turned in. Interviews are
there have been uncounted hours devoted set up, the selection committee lines up
solely to fill the newly-opened positions of behind a conference^room table with their
ASG President and newspaper Editor-in- clipboards brimming and their pens gleam­
Chief. In fact, while you read this, thequest ing. They then start firing questions at the
is going on. Interviews, reading and filling candidate hopefiiL.
“Anyone” is invited to apply, in fact
out applications, discussing it, peddling
paperwork, discussing it a little more; all sometimes even begged. But it’s usually an
part of the seemingly-infinite process of in-house person chosen for a mid-year newly-
opened position, whether its ASG or the
choosing a candidate.
The question is just how much of this journalism department
The hopefulapplicants waitsomewhat
bureaucratic red tape is necessary? It’s been
said more than once that management just patiently for the results to be posted, only
loves a good interview-nothing like mak­ to realize the applicant already part of the
“family” was also the person chosen for the
ing a wanna-be squirm.
Red tape has never made anyone a new position. Is anybody really that sur­
kinder person-neither has waiting for a prised? Disappointed maybe, but not sur­
selection committee to make a decision. prised.
The rest of the applicants are then
This is one of those zones where gray hairs
are made, and the zone is not prejudice to graciously thanked, told it was a very, very
which side of the door their victims are on. difficult decision to make, and oh yes, did
It’s like this: a position is opened, they realize there was another new posi­
announcements are made-anyone can apply tion open left by the victorious sibling. One
by Roseann Wentworth
Copy Editor
can only imagine the excitement of the
green applicants to stay involved. They often
wonder whether they’ve applied in vain.
They higher the position originally
needed to be filled, the longer the process
takes. That’s just the way it is and no one
questions it — at least not in the family.
Instead of having to go through the
entire process again, wouldn’t it be nice if
one is applying to become involved for the
second, third or even fourth time, they
could just put their name and “See applica­
tion for Vice President,” or “See applica­
tion for Editor.” It would save time, paper,
and oh yes, money. But then you have to
wonder would the end result really be the
best person for the job.
There’s something to say about perse­
verance here. So as each applicant is once
again filling out the form for any college
organizational position, whether it’s for
the second time or the sixth, they should
tell themselves, “This is new. I’ve never
done this before..I still want to be involved..”
and pretend than perseverance is a mere
part of the selection process.
Author's birthday rates U.S. holiday
By R. W. Jagodnik Jr.
Staff Writer
Everybody enjoys at least one day of
personal recognition a year - their birth­
day. Fortunately, I have a birthday, too.
Unfortunately, not too many people know
this. As egocentric as I am, this ignorance is
atrocious to me; so, I propose that March 6
be considered a federal holiday in celebra­
tion of the birth of R. W. Jagodnik Jr.
This holiday would be a first, as I would
be the first living person recognized with a
national celebration. All national holidays
celebrate a distinguished person’s birth or
death, except maybe Labor Day, which may
as well. But in either birth of death, the
holiday is instated after the death. Kind of
morbid, huh!
Well, not for my birthday. The festivi­
ties could be many, maybe likean Oktober­
fest for Spring, or, God forbid, like Christ­
mas.
Everybody in the nation could (or is it
“should”, I don’t know) stop working for
just this day and ramble over my little
anecdotes. You know, like the time I saved
Princess Grace from the weekly tabloid by
cutting her picture out of every copy; or the
time I methodically solved the mystery of
the missing eraser - by snitching on Teddy
for putting the chalkboard eraser in Miss
Gobble’s sack lunch; or the time I spoke
out against the world’s injustices on TV - by
yelling obscenities from my davenport; or
the time I walked three miles to school in
the pouring rain - because I missed the
school bus.
Hey, while everyone reminisces about
my numbered personal accomplishments,
a parade could be rolling down every Main
Street in America from Colton, Oregon -
where it all began - to Bangler, Maine -
where I hope it ends. The hoopla could
only be rivaled by the procession for the
appointment of a new Pope. Not even Mardi
Gras would compare!
Banners with my picture and pertinent
information about my greatness and would
hang from billboards and streetposts, in­
suring that the reason for my birthday cele­
bration is perfectly clear. Pamphlets, the
same as the banners, would clutter city
by Paul Henry)
Ulissing Links
streets, but people would not complain of
the mess because the material in the pam­
phlet would be so important to them, as
Americans. High schools would spend weeks
arming students with fitting trivial Statis­
tics about my wonderful accomplishments
for school spirit projects involving my birth­
day. Special interest organizations would
solicit for a whole week, instead of just one
day, honoring Me.
Well, O.K., so I am not a noteworthy
American. I have not been awarded the
Nobel Peace prize and probably never will
be. But there are people so designated by
our federal government worthy of recogni­
tion. Wouldn’t it be a glorious day if those
people who deserve the just and formal
recognition for their contribution to this
nation were treated with some of the hoopla
that I have described for myself?
Unfortunately and unjustly, I am not
one. But wouldn’t it be marvelous if every­
body had a federal holiday on their birth­
day? We would still have to attend classes
at Clackamas Community College.
Clackamas
$rint
Th* Clackamas Print alma to ba a fair and Impartial nawspapar
cowing the college community. Opinion* axpiaaaad in Th*
Clack am aa Print do not necessarily reflect those of the college
administration, faculty or Associated Student Government Ar-
tides and information printed in this newspaper can be re-printed
only with written permission from the Clackamas Community Col­
lege Student Publications Office. The Cfaeframee Print I* a
weekly publication distributed every Wednesday except for finals
week. Clackamas Community College, 18600 S. Molalla Avenue,
Oregon City, Oregon 07045. Office: Trailer B. Telephone: 657-
8858, ext 308 (office), 577 (production) and 578 (adwtising).
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Titus
Managing/News Editor: Brian* C. Dotson
Copyeditor: Roseann Wentworth
Feature Editor: Angela Wilson
Photo Editor: Jillian Porter
Sport* Editors: Mark A. Bom»
Staci Beard
Reporters: Aaron Brown
Me-Lissa Cartales
Amber Cordry
Dan Fulton
Dawn Kuo»
Brenda Hodgen
Ma rgy Lynch
Helen marie Nelsen
Jennifer Soper
Photographers: Scott Johnson
DawnKuoM
Lane Sc be ide man
TimZIvney
Business Manager: Grogg Mayo*
Advisor. Linda Vogt
inches
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February 28,1990
2
65.43
18.11
18.72
3
49.87
-4.34
-22.29
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44.26
-13.80
22.85
5
55.56
9.82
-24.49
6
70.82
-33.43
-0.35
7
63.51
34.26
59.60
8
39.92
11.81
-46.07
1
9
52.24
48.55
18.51
10
97.06
-0.40
1.13
11(A) I
12
87.34
92.02
-0.60
-0.75
0.23 I 0.21
13
82.14
-1.06
0.43
1.4
72.06
-1.19
0.28
15
62.15
-1.07
0.19
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