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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 2000)
Remembering Brian Trapp A tribute to longtime Clackamas student who passed away on campus ^€I ac I< am ' as P rint Clackamas Community College Wednesday, January 26, 2000 Oregon City, Oregon Debate Epstein incident sparks vigil tonight T Volume XXXIII, Issue 11 resolved SANDY LUPO mosexuality. The comment had been made in a Judaic history class as Dr. Epstein was discuss he Print received word from ing the evolution of traditional the college last night that Jewish belief systems. Joshua Alexander, the stu In his letter, Dr. Epstein ex dent who filed a complaint plained last what he felt was a misun week, and Donald Epstein, in derstanding regarding the con structor and subject of the com text of the comment and apolo plaint, “have re gized to solved their dif- Alexander for ferences.” the pain and “...the college is Epstein wrote a distress that the in committed to letter of apology comment building aware- to Alexander and caused. has decided to In delivering ness of cultural retire March 31. the letter, Asso diversity on our Following is ciate Dean for the statement Humanities Kay campus and in given to the Print Slusarenko also 99 our community. by the college at informed Excerpt, College Statement 6 p.m. Tuesday: Alexander that A Clackamas Dr. Epstein Community Col would no longer Dr. Donald Epstein lege instructor be teaching the vision associate dean. and student have resolved their course on Judaic history due to Clackamas Community Col differences over a comment made his pending retirement. Dr. lege values both the academic in class by the instructor, ending Epstein, who has taught at CCC freedom of its instructors and a a complaint filed by the student. since 1969, will retire March 31. strong respect for diversity in its History instructor Dr. Donald The resolution was reached community. The college’s long-standing Epstein issued a written apology during an informal incident reso to the student, Joshua Alexander, lution process involving the in Code of Ethics “calls all of us to who had filed the complaint over structor, the student, the depart perform our jobs in a way that fos a classroom comment about ho ment chair and the humanities di-. ters personal growth and aca- News Editor SANDY LUPO News Editor Last week’s Print article about a student quitting Donald Epstein’s Judaic Studies/Holo- caust class— because he was of fended by Epstein’s anti-homo- sexual statements—sparked a Candlelight Vigil for Tolerance to be held today at 5 p.m. between McLoughlin Hall and Gregory Forum. Kate Gray, English instructor and advisor for the Rainbow Coalition for gay and lesbian stu dents, described today’s vigil as the club’s attempt to “do some thing” in response to intense and mixed feelings arising last week from the Epstein incident. “They were outraged,” said Gray of the larger than usual group of Coalition members who met last Friday. “Members spoke of the hurt and further alienation that anti-homosexual comments cause, and of feeling unsafe on campus. The tenor was very emo tional, they were trying to figure out what to do.” Gray expects a good-sized crowd today and much light. Stu dents have expressed to her their desire to use their energy in a productive direction, for toler ance and healing. She expects leaders of diverse faiths to attend, including the minister of the United Church of Christ in Beavercreek, who has offered to lead the group in prayer or song. “If there were one positive outcome of all this, there is one I have already seen, and that is the straight faculty and students standing up (against intoler ance) too,” Gray said. Interest in last week’s article in the Print was widespread. The Oregonian followed the Print’s story with their own on Saturday and that was picked up by the Associated Press and ap peared in Salem’s Statesman Journal and in Vancouver's Columbian. It was discussed over the weekend on National Public Ra dio and on Monday morning on KEX and KBOO radio shows, according to reports. Many let ters have been received (and re printed here) by the Print. TIMOTHY A. BELL / Clackamas Print demic excellence, recognizes the inherent goodness of all people, models personal and academic integrity, respects diversity, and shows concern for the needs and feeling of others. ” Within Clackamas Community College’s institutional values See Epstein, page 7 Fight Club author shares new work Chuck Palahniuk will read at 1 p.m. in Gregory Forum today KRISTEN WISER Staff Writer Novelist Chuck Palahniuk, writer of the book Fight Club, will be at Clackamas in the Gregory Forum at 1 p.m. today to read an excerpt from his new book, Invisible Mon sters. Palahniuk, who is listed as one of the ten best new novelists of the year by the New Yorker, is the author of three novels, Fight Club, Survivor and Invisible Mon sters. He was also the winner of both the Pacific Northwest Book Award and the Oregon Book Award. Fight Club, his first novel, was recently made into a motion pic ture, which gained him national at tention. The movie starred Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. During filming the author met and became good friends with Pitt. Palahniuk is known for writing about potentially touchy subjects. Fight Club discusses the chal lenge to men’s masculinity and male dominance using violence. The book was written while he was a member of the Dangerous Writ ers Club. The club is made up of writers who are willing to open themselves up to new ideas and to write about subject matter that is not always socially acceptable. Invisible Monsters, his new book, also stays with this type of theme. The book is a road story about a barbituate-popping, male- tumed-female transsexual and a model whose face has been shot off. Palahniuk is a local writer who lives on Sauvie Island and attended the University of Oregon. Before becoming a writer he worked as a mechanic for Freightliner. “He is funny and quick-witted. I think people will really enjoy him,” commented Allen Widerberg, En glish instructor, who is in charge of organizing the visit. This is not Palahniuk's first visit to the college. Last year he at tended Authors' Night with other Dangerous Writers Club members. Palahniuk will appear at 1 p.m. to answer questions, read a piece from Invisible Monsters, and sign books.
