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The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, February 12,1997
News/Editorial
Editorial
The fine art of learning
professional journalism
Cindy Hines Kurfman
Copy Editor
Covering the story about
student-on-student violence was
not an easy task for The Print
staff. At first there was a lot of
self-righteous enthusiasm. Who
would not want to report about the
athletes who beat up a gay,
minority student? It seemed clearly
to be a hate crime.
But as the different angles of
the story were covered, the
motives for the altercation seemed
less clear. Was it still important to
cover the story of one student
being injured off-campus by two
others if the injured student was
the first one to become angry?
Debates raged between
editors for days. Some wanted to
drop the story; others found it still
newsworthy. I wondered at one
point whether we would have an
incident of our own over the
controversy.
One needs to understand that
we are not a homogeneous group
at The Print. The staff is made up
of men and women who are
traditional and nontraditional
students, white and minority,
straight and gay, athletic and
physically challenged. We each
brought our own biases to the
story.
We had a serious lesson about
fair reporting. Did we pqss the test?
Some may say “yes”; others, “no.”
What we attempted to do was
to cover all the angles of the story,
bring the information together and
report just the facts. All the editors
contributed transcripts from
interviews with the athletes, the
alleged victim, the director of
athletics, the administration and the
police. This material was then
compiled into a cohe.sive news
story by our Editor-in-Chief, Laney
Fouse.
Additionally, we assigned our
Managing Editor, Brad Zimmerman,
/---------------------------------------------------------------
LANEY FOUSE, Editor-in-Chief (ext. 2576)
BRAD ZIMMERMAN, Managing Editor (ext. 2576)
KARIN REDSTON, Co-Feature Editor (ext. 2309)
CHRISTINA MUELLER, Co-Feature Editor (ext. 2309)
JON ROBERTS, Ä &E Editor (ext. 2309)
BRENDON NEAL, Sports Editor (ext. 2578)
JOHN THOR BURN, Assistant Sports Editor (ext. 2578)
CINDY HINES KURFMAN, Copy Editor (ext. 2309)
JOEL CORESON, Photo Editor (ext. 2578)
ERIN BENNETT, Business Manager (ext. 2578)
MAIRIN-ANNE MOORE, Assistant Business Manager (ext. 2578)
■farine archeology,
I book group slated
tfor seasoned adults
Marine Archeologist Alison
««Stenger presents “LocalMarine
the difficult task of writing an «Archeology on the Columbia
Jhiver and Oregon Coast” at
opinion on violence. He wrote four
versions before one passed the
criteria of most of the other editors.
This opinion piece was
intended to give voice to some of
the concerns expressed during
The Print’s staff meetings.
However, it was not intended to
cover all the concerns or to
represent the opinion of the entire
Print staff. It was simply meant to
get readers to think about the issue
of societal violence.
In my decade of reporting
experience, this is the most difficult
assignment I have covered. The
assignment stretched all The Print
staff.
Our motivation was not
sensationalism nor truth
concealment. We wanted to do
“an
honest,
unbiased,
professional” job and to serve well
the Clackamas readership. We will
continue to strive to do so.
Letter to Editor: Student expresses
concern about controversial story
,, I recently ¡read, .ypur article < understand from this ¡article even
“Off-campus fight controversy.” brnoreso,: .is.: the.-, -school’s
I was shocked to hear of the involvement in this incident. If
incident, and more importantly,
this happened off campus in the
what followed.
individuals’ home, then where
First, it is apparent that there
does C.C.C. fit in the picture? I
is a misunderstanding on what can see that because they are
really happened, considering
wrestlers, they have an
that the two individuals that were obligation to the wrestling team.
quoted have two different But how big is that obligation?
stories. I find it hard to believe Are they receiving a stipend so
that someone could get that big that it is covering the rent on
upset over moaning on the
that apartment? When they
answering machine. On the other signed up to be a wrestler at
hand, I find it hard to believe the C.C.C. did they sign a moral
three wrestlers would have contract? David said that he was
started beating up Charlie if he not drinking because it is against
went into his room to cool down.
the rules for anyone on the
I’ve encountered people with
wrestling team to drink. Is it fair
quick tempers that will “just go
for the wrestling coaches to
off’ after drinking and it is not a dictate a rule like that for personal
comfortable^situation. It is time? If the wrestler has a
frightening because you don’t drinking “problem” during their
know what they’ll do next. So I
(sic) personal time, then it will
imagine that asking Charlie to
obviously be noticed in their
leave was not an easy task and performance and this could be
wouldn’t have even been grounds for being kicked off the
attempted unless they felt it was
team or whatever the current
necessary. But this is all consequence is for drinking.
speculation on my behalf.
However, if someone wants to
What I can’t seem to
have a beer to help them relax
NEWS BRIEFS
during n stressful week of
midterms, why hot? If these
wrestlers are underage, then it
is the lack of the law being
enforced. Even if they get
caught, then they should be old
enough to take responsibility
for the consequence.
It is also disappointing to
me, that The Print is now
turning into a tabloid. Granted
it was one of the most
interesting articles I’ve read all
year, the fact is that there aren’t
any facts in this article. It was
vague and full of speculation
(even the people involved
don’t know what happened). If
The Print wrote about every
“off-campus fight” there would
be novels to write every week.
I’d hate to think that if I was
drinking in the privacy of my
own home, that I am risking
being involved any activities at
Clackamas and being exploited
on the front page of The Print.
Sincerely,
Bonita Daniels
C.C.C. student
today’s morning session of the
Seasoned Adult Enrichment
Program.
The afternoon session kicks
off the book group’s winter term
with book Snow Falling On
Cedars by David Guterson.
The sessions are from 9:30
to 11 a.m. and noon to 2:30 p.m.
at Harmony Center. The cost is
$4. For more information call ext.
3230.
Ceramics art exhibit
opens in Pauling
An exhibit featuring the
recent works of ceramics artist
Connie Earnshaw opens today
in the Pauling Gallery.
She will discuss her work
during an open reception set for
noon to 2 p.m. in the gallery.
Earnshaw’s work is known for
its elegance in use of color and
line, and it borrows an Eastern
feel. The Portland resident
teaches Asian Art history and
ceramics at Portland Community
College, Her show will run
through March 6.
The gallery hours are 8 a.m.
to 10 p.m., Mopday through
Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Friday. For more information call
ext. 2386.
Enjoy close-up view
of stars, planets
Stargazers who would like to
learn more about using
telescopes and enjoy Venus,
Mars and Jupiter are invited to
attend a three-week “Winter
Astronomy” course being offered
at
the
John
Inskeep
Environmental Learning Center.
The course will cover the
principles, design and uses of
reflectors, refractors and
combination-type telescope
instruments. Participants will be
able
to
view
plants,
constellations and astronomical
activity.
The course is being offered
from 7 to 10 p.m. on
Wednesdays, from Feb. 26 to
March 12. A $35 fee will be
charged for the course. Pre
registration is necessary by Feb.
19. To register call ext. 2770.
The Clackamas Print
19600 S. Molalla Ave.,
Oregon City, OR 97045
(503) 657-6958 ext. 2309
cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us
BRANDY GEHRKE, Cartoonist (ext. 2309)
Staff Writers/Photographers/Production: Andrew Beck,
Maggie Bragg, Kim Harney Joel Shempert
Linda Vogt, Advisor (ext 2310)
JoAnne Gale, Secretary (ext 2309)
Free session offered
dealing with anger
A
free
session
on
understanding and handling
anger is scheduled for Monday,
Feb. 17, as part of the ongoing
series of sessions organized by
Focus on Women.
Anne
Pardingtop,
a
counselor and instructor in the
Life and Career Options
Program, will conduct the
workshop. She will help
participants understand the
process and function of their
own anger and help them deal
better with their angry
reactions.
The session is scheduled
from 2:30 to 4:30 p.rrk at the
Family Resource Center. Call
ext. 2268 for more information.
Focus on legislative
session to be held
An update on the legislative
session will be the focus of the
Feb. 19 Seasoned Adult
Enrichment Program. The
presentation and discussion
will be directed by Burton
Weast, who has extensive
background as a lobbyist.
The steering committee has
scheduled a Town Hall Meeting
following the legislative
discussion,in order to discuss
issues and planning for the
group.
The legislcitiviebribfihg runs
from 9:30 to 11 a.m. The
planning session will follow from
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost of
the event is $4. It will be held at
Harmony
Center.
More
information is available by
calling ext. 3212.
Writers’ Club Contest
deadline approaching
The Writers’ Club Contest
deadline is Thursday, Feb. 20.
Submissions of poems,
essays or fiction pieces can
be dropped off at Allen
Widerberg’s office in M253 or
with English Department
Secretary Rita Dale, currently
inS132.
Writers may submit up to
three poems, one essay and
one piece of fiction.
All entries will be
considered for the literary
magazine, Synesthesia.
Call
ext.
2359 for
information.
The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in
an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The
opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print do
not necessarily reflect those of the student body,
college administration, its faculty or The
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is $4.50 per column inch. All signed letters to the
Editor will be considered for publication and must
be submitted by 1 p.m. the Friday prior to
publication. The Clackamas Print is a weekly
publication and is distributed every Wednesday
except during finals week.