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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 2000)
2_________ WedNEsdAy, FebRUARy 2, 2000 Opinion Th E ClACkAMAS P rìnt Campus should be safe, not sheltered As a person who has taken three history classes from Dr. Epstein, the news of a complaint agajnsthim didn’t come as a shock to me. ^To say the least, he is controvqfcral and outspoken, and .1 could see how someone might get offended by The way it something he said. What really shocked and upset me was the fact that once the stoiy broke about the alleged comment, letters streamed in accusing Dr. Epstein of being a horrible person and singling him out as narrow minded homophobe. News flash, people: we don’t live in a candy-coated world where ev eryone has the same opinion on ev erything. Now, I don’t agrée with Dr. Epstein on the topic of homo sexuality, but I do believe that the man has a right to say what he be lieves, even though it isn’t the po litically correct view. What a sad and mind-numbing world it would be to walk around agreeing with ev erybody. This is supposed to be a college for grown-ups, who have al ready formed their own opinions on important topics. •' Epstein did-what so many in structors on this campus fail to do: inspiré thought : Many say that Dr. Epstein would make any homosexual per son feel uncomfortable in his classroom. Last Wednesday night, a very brave young man stood up at the candlelight vigil and spoke in defense of Dr. Epstein. The man, a former Clackamas student, re vealed that Angie Daschel he was a A & E Editor cross- dresser -who had taken four of Epstein’s classes. Voice trembling, the man told how Epstein had invited him, as well as other students, to his home many times to discuss class topics and had made him feel welcome. Never did he say that Dr. Epstein was malicious or prejudiced towards him. He did say, however, that the college is losing a great instruc tor, with which I wholeheartedly agree with. Epstein taught with great fervor and enthusiasm, and when I read that he had lost his passion for teaching, it broke my heart. The man who organized colloquiums and brought in Ho locaust survivors to speak to the campus vanished simply be cause someone got upset over an alleged comment. Thirty years of his teaching at this community college are wiped away by a complaint, and that not only angers me, but it got me thinking as The views portrayed in this cartoon are not those of Linda Vogt, advisor of The Clackamas Print newspaper, or of the Print staff as a whole. well. If one person can be brought down because they spoke their opin ion, then watch out. You never know who has it out for you, and maybe something you allegedly say will get you in trouble, whether you said it or not. Although this whole thing makes' me angry and disappointed in this community, it mostly makes me sad. I ani sad for the students who will never get to take Dr. Epstein’s classes on Oregon history, Judaic histoiy or Western Civilization. Iam sad for the students who don’t feel safe on our campus because of cer tain ideas of morality. I am sad for the people who felt they had to condemn Dr. Epstein for his views. But mostly I am sad for Dr. Epstein. Not be cause he is retiring, but because he contributed so much to the campus over the last thirty years and the only thing he will be re membered for is ^alleged com ment. Epstein controversy not taken lightly s the Opinion Editor of the At this time, we had a meeting to Clackamas Print, I not discuss the validity of the accusa only value your opin tions. That same day, I then went to ions. .. I welcome them and I think talk to Dr. Epstein with my tape re you should know the creative pro corder, pen, and notebook in hand pels Ithe staffwent;through in; or- to get his side of the story. Other * der to present. the issues on 'the members of the staff interviewed Joshua Alexander. We went through the interviews and sorted through the Sulena De La Cruz information. Opinion Editor Some may say Epstein matter. Epstein’s comment was in the con When The Print first got word text of the course. I can agree with on Epstein’s comment we weren’t that to some extent, but what our quite sure what to do with it; we readers don’t know is that there was didn’t know if it was hearsay or not. much more information. It was not We held the news for a week to released to you because it did not gather more information and we ran have to do with his comment, “You my opinion. It was something to are better off dead than being a ho raise questions in the minds of the mosexual.” I’m not going to say what student body and faculty about the Statements were because we chose not to publish them. I will academic freedom. A Make a statement, be heard».» say they were very opinionated and would probably offend some people. This brings us to the real issue: Academic freedom or preju diced opinion? Some excerpts from the interviews were run in the Jan. 19 edition. This brought new issues to light. The conflict was no longer about Epstein’s comment, it was about whether he should be allowed to say these things if it hinders stu dents’ success because they no longer feel comfortable in the class. The Print Editors asked that ques tion and many more while review ing the most appropriate way to run the stories. We knew this was a sensitive sub ject and needed to be handled with the utmost care. While I cannot speak for everyone on the Print staff, I would like to say one thing: I feel we reported the story to the best of our ability with the information we had. I would also like to ask students in the Judaic Studies class who viewed the situation differently, Editor-in-Chief: to let us know your thoughts on the incident. During the Jan. 19 issue, we asked readers to decide—Aca demic freedom or prejudiced opinion? And decide you did. We received nine letters, which we printed in the Jan. 26 issue. There are more letters here with contrasting views, some from our own staff. We are indi viduals; we have our own opin ions. I would like to reiterate that the views in the Opinion Section are not those of the Print staff as a whole. When the finished product comes out, think about the fact that we are all in a learning envi ronment. It takes a lot for it to look like that and for the stories to be decided. You may be learning E=Mc2 in Physics, but we are learning how to report the news. Questions, comments, or con cerns call ext. 2309 or e-mail me at salenadelcruz@netscape.net. Business Manager: John Thorbum (x2447) Karl Katzkc (x2578) Photo Editor: Managing Editor: Sarah Welch Megan Oldenstadt Cartoonist: Design Editor: Timothy A. Bell Joel Gunderson Chris Lundgren Feature Editor: Shclbi Wescott Staff: A & E Editor: Toni McMichael Jason Lingcl Maggie Jirasck Joel P. Shcmpcrt Matt Shcmpcrt Angie Daschel News Editor: Sandy Lupo Associate News Editor: Diana Scrivncr 19600 S.M o I a U a A ve . O regon Ciry, O reqon 97045 (505) 657'6'958 ext 2509 C C C p R i N î @ C I A C k A M A S . C C . O R . U S Secretary: Jo Anne Gale Sports Editor: Mandy Good Advisor: Linda Vogt (x2310) Opinion Editor: Salena De La Cruz Where it Matters! Write to The Clackamas Trint. 500 words or less on disk and bring it to Bl04 or e-mail it to cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us 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 administra tion, its faculty, or The Clackamas Print advertisers. Products and services advertised in The Clackamas Print arc not nccccsarily endorsed by anyone asstx:i- ated with The Clackamas Print. The advertising rale is $4.75 per column inch. All signed letters to the editor should be 3( X ) words or less and will be considered for publication if submitted by 1 pm the Friday prior to publication. All signed letters submitted for A Student's Voicc/Anolhcr Voice should be 5( X ) words or less and will be considered for publication if submitted by 1 pm the Friday prior to publication. Both Letters to the Editor and A Studcn's .Voice/Another Voice arc subject to cditing.Thc Clackamas Print is a weekly publication and is distributed every Wednesday except during Finals week. The Clackamas Print Copyright 1999.
