Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1996)
The Clackamas Print Wednesday, March 6,1996 Opinion CCC volunteers make a difference Karin Redston Staff Writer Last Sunday the Easter Seals Telethon aired on KPTV Channel 12. Some of the vol unteers were Clackamas stu dents and the Associated Stu dent Government (ASG) offic ers. During the Flood of ‘96, faculty, staff and students vol unteered in many areas, even though the college was still open. Not only did Clackamas . students volunteer, high school students from several schools also kicked into gear. This in cluded filling sandbags, trying to stop flooding of homes and businesses. Volunteerism happens in various forms, be it spending a couple of hours each week with an at-risk child or teen, or do nating blood. Whatever we do to help our society is fantas tic. Oregon has acquired a reputation for volunteerism. ASG student officers spend numerous hours vol unteering. They raise funds for needed areas like child care scholarships. They are the college’s most valued ambas sadors in promoting enroll ment to this school. Another overlooked group on campus is the fac ulty. They put in many hours grading papers and advising clubs such as Chrysalis. I think when one becomes a teacher, one’s social life goes out the window. Clackamas students and staff have shown a strong will- ing-to-help attitude. I have not seen this at many schools. We should be proud. Know that others see our volunteer work as making a difference. photo by Karin Redston Barlow parking lot was under water during the Flood of ‘96. Right to love: should be guaranteed for everyone Laney Fouse Assistant Opinion Editor Perhaps, 1 missed the small print at the bottom of the American Constitution that reads, “the free doms stated above do not apply to those who are different.” When the Europeans came to this country, they encountered my ancestors. Because the Pilgrims held such staunch religious be liefs, they viewed the Indians as ‘children of the devil.’ My people were regarded as a nuisance to the As a student reporter my beat enables me to participate in a wide variety of subjects and activities on campus. Recently, I had the opportunity to coyer a general meeting of Phi Theta Kappa. The topic, “The Right to Love,” doesn’t necessarily sound “intellectual” enough for the Hon ors society to be discussing. But add the right to love by gays or lesbians and the room is buzzing. The three areas of discussion in cluded rights, privileges and re sponsibilities. Let’s define rights. My hus band and I enjoy many rights as a “straight” married couple: We have the right to get married or divorced; pay or receive alimony and child support; file a joint tax return; inherit each other’s prop erty; receive medical coverage; act as custodians of each other’s will and receive survivors’ benefits. We enjoy the freedom of our U.S. citizenship. We are allowed to display public affection. We are also deemed socially acceptable. Comparable rights for gay couples are limited to companion ship and communication. Few communities recognize or accept their domestic partnerships. The battle for freedom in this country fills our history books. These struggles have allowed us the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of choice. Yet, why do these same free doms not hold true for everyone? I missed the small print at the bottom of the American Constitution that reads, “the freedoms stated above do not apply to those who are different” Westward expansion, regardless of the generosity shown to the Pilgrims. As more Europeans de scended upon our shores, the spirit of friendship faded. The In dians were forced from their homes and you know the rest. Not so very long ago, it was considered illegal for a man and woman to publicly display affec tion. Yet, today’s society finds it acceptable. As recently as the early 1900’s, women weren’t al lowed to vote, to smoke or even expose their ankles. As one ad campaign so appropriately stated, “We’ve come a long way, baby.” So why would we want to take a step backwards by denying basic rights to those who are equivo cally minorities. For those who consider your self spiritual—I would like to ask you this. On which page does it say it’s okay with God to judge his children? Am I reading a dif ferent Bible than you? Quoting the Scriptures is one thing, but the greatest difficulty for us mere hu mans is living up to the expecta tions of those words. It’s a shame some folks jus tify their prejudices by using the Bible as a tool to discriminate. From what I’ve read, it opposes several activities of humanity, in cluding eating meat on Friday. This nation has overcome economic hardships, cultural dif ferences and other social injus tices. Time and perseverance will heal the misunderstanding of this too. Let’s face it, gays and lesbi ans are out of the closet—they are not going to just disappear. Issues surrounding homo sexuals’ right to love cannot be solved by just a few people. With out a doubt acceptance and edu cation are vital for everyone. As a woman, I thank those who paved the way for me to en joy the freedom to write and pur sue my educational goals. As a minority, I thank those who paved the road so that I could drive off the reservation. Letter to the Editor: Pamela Sirianni, Thank you for the excellent story on Edward Albee’s appearance at Clackamas. The paper has been quite good this year; this story is one of the best. Alan Contreras Senior Associate p Oregon Community College Association JITTER’S 1 Espresso, Italian Sobas, anb Morell Regular Hours g Mon, thru FrL ~ 30 aamo io 1 pom9 Encore Hours g In-line skater T-ball slugger Drunk driving victim. January 18,1994 Cheraw, SC If you don’t stop someone from driving drunk, who will? Do whatever it takes. FRIENDS DONT LET FRIENDS DRIVÉ DRUNK. Mton, thru Thurs, ~ 4Ìs30polii, io 9s30p,nio Come in and experience the Coffeehouse atmosphere of Encore Hours. Study or socialize while enjoying an espresso or a snack in the intimate Slylight Dining Room. Don't miss Mocha Mondays: All 8oz. mochas are $1.25, ^J2oz. mochas are $1.50, and 16oz. mochas are $1.75^
