Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2000)
Letters 2_____ _ Opinion WedNEsdAy, M ay J, 2000 All signed Letters to the Editor should be 500 words or less and will be considered for publication if submitted by 1 p.m. the Friday prior to publication. Letters to the Editor are subject to editing. We reserve the right to not publish any letter. Between the lines, behind the scenes It’s amazing - I’ve been involved with three different journalism-re lated organizations, and the one thing I’ve noticed is consistant be tween them is the criticism. Many of our readers are well-in- Editor-in-Chief: JohnThorbum (x2447) Managing Editor: Megan Oldenstadt Design Editor: Timothy A- Bell A & E Editor: Angie Daschel Copy Editor: Sandy Lupo Associate News Editor: Diana Scrivner Sports Editor: Mandy Good Opinion Editor: Salena De La Cruz Business Manager: Karl Katzke (x2578) Cartoonist: Joel Gunderson Chris Lundgren Staff: Mike Pollock Erin Bernard Steve Nielsen Tam Oliver Toni McMichael Jason Lingel Maggie Jirasek Matt Shempert Secretary: JoAnne Gale Advisor: Linda Vogt (x2310) Goals: The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, pro fessional manner. The opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty, or The Clackamas Print advertisers. Products and services advertised in The Clackamas Print are not necessarily endorsed by anyone associated with The Clackamas Print. The Clackamas Print is a weekly publication and is distributed every Wednesday except during Finals week. The Clackamas Print Copy right 2000. The Print has received several let ters of criticism in the recent weeks, dealing with the opinion page, the comics page, and our journalistic in tegrity. As the Busi ness Manager of the newspa per, I’m privy to all the deci sions that go on behind the Karl Katzke pages and be Buisiness Manger tween the lines of the newspa formed on the issues they speak out per, but I’m not typically involved about. They’ve done research, and with actual story-writing. This gives quite possibly, they’ve had access me a unique perspective to comment to sources that the journalistic es on the activities of this newspaper tablishment has not had. and how it is perceived. As part of a Thank you, to those well-informed newspaper’s responsibility to its writers and anyone else who has readers, I’d like to give you a peek written a letter to a newspaper. into what I get to see between the One thing that we as journalists lines and address a few of these can honestly say we’re experts in is things. what goes on in the newsroom. First of all, we are a student news- paper. The administration and staff have no say in what we print. We do have a staff advisor, but in the end, the students decide what goes into the paper. Several students who are not in volved with the paper have wit nessed or overheard our sometimes heated...- discussions... about how we should say things, what stories we should run, and how the news paper should look. Also, no outside members of thé college see the pa per before it goes to press — typi cally, it leaves for the press after most sane people have gone home for the day. The cartoons on our comics page are the responsibility of the author. We publish them because students enjoy them. While cartoonists may lampoon campus events, well, has anyone read Doonesbury recently? The opinion section is occasion ally referred to as the soul of a pa per, and the front page or news sec- tion is the heart. We always have more things to print than we have space available, and we make com promises topack as much as we can «into .that space. We’d prefer to run one moreJfetter, even if we have to reduce the font*size4|mj^gen. Comics should be held to equivocally unsubstantiated. They are not interested in discuss ing the facts because the facts are not in their favor. Instead they have resorted to leaving messages on tables and running away. I have seen.personally the lives that ASG has helped and the money that they’ve saved students on campus. I’ve seen them per sonally saving me money with the Book Exchange and they’ve helped my sister continue her education through childcare grants. During this entire time I have all been willing to make the request at the start of class. The college provides NCR paper (carbon) so that whoever takes notes can simply use this, then after class simply pull the two sheets apart and both student and note taker have a copy. This method costs the college very little and offers the stu dents control and responsibility fortheir own education. Clackamas Community College I’m too young to be this cynical same standards as stories I am writing this letter, that I should have written many months ago, regarding the comics in this newspaper (The Print.) This is my fourth term at this college and I have read every newspaper that has come out since I started school here. I find that the comics regarding the former ASG presi dent, Jennifer Rankin, and other students at this school are mocking. Is it the intent of the comics to insult and make others afraid to stand up for themselves and the students of this campus or to start a stu dent newsletter that isn’t supported fi nancially by the college? If the Print is to make comics about things going on and around campus, then the coverage in the other part of the newspaper should per tain to the specific issue being addressed in the comic(s), so the students can fully un derstand the complete issue (all sides of the issue). Also thecomics should be held to the same “honest, unbiased, profes sional” standards that the articles are held to. Katherine Meece-Smith Student The advertising rate is $4.75 CCCpR¡ÑT@clACkAM AS. CC. OR. US Allegations against ASG 'Paper merely a piece of propa have no substance As a student on campus I have seen many allegations made this past year. Political science stu dents have made almost all of these allegations towards our stu dent government under no direc tion or guidance from their instruc tors. Throughout the winter term they have claimed that the student To The Members of The Print: We would like you to understand that many students feel The Print is not ad equately representing the opinions of the CCC student body. As this is as student paper, we feel disappointed in your ha rassment and misrepresentation of stu dents’ voices. Many of us feel this paper is merely a piece of propaganda for the administra tion. To Sam & Timothy: we can provide you with pictures of us so that your “com ics” can represent us more accurately. Contact us at: studentsfordemocracy@egroups.com Luke Precourt Matthew Coleman JoshAnderson Caleb Gandy Julie Smith Sara Winder Brian Keller Editorial slanted in favor of oppressive administration I am appalled at the blatant lack of fair 19600 S. M o I a II a A ve . O reçon CiTy, O reçon 9/045 (507) 657<6958 ext 2509 Matthew Coleman Students for Democracy ganda for administration' Advertising: per column inch. noted at the bottom. Those notations were deleted in the printed version. The edito rial article written by the mysterious per son refutes itself. For example,The author makes astate- ment that Saying no on Bond 2000 be cause the administration overspends, is like saying no to education and health care be cause there is a national deficit That is fallacious reasoning. I would promote Bond 2000 if it were to be spent on education; however, it is not going to be spent on education. It is going to spent on repaying debt or, as the article states paying back our own bank account (I will leave that one for you to contemplate) rather than education. Do we want tax payers to in cur more debt to repay the debt of the administration? The student body and others who care about a good education and a socially just school to attend need to unite. I for one cannot stand idly by and let my tax dollars and my eduction go to waste. Please take these issues into consideration. ness shown in the April 6 edition of The Print. The “editorial” piece is clearly slanted in the favor of the oppressive ad ministration of this school. One, No one has signed this piece, indicating to me a lack of confidence in it. Two, the letters to the editor all had 'students for democracy' government was responsible for a political science student being re moved from ASG office; and that money has been mismanaged and/ or embezzled by the student gov ernment and its advisor. When The Print would no longer print these students’ personal opinions, be cause of liability issues, newslet ters were passed around campus furthering more rumors. These es pecially concern the need for the removal of Norm Berney from his office. The problem I have with all of these accusations is that if they do hold the smallest bit of merit, why did an independent auditing firm find nothing wrong with -ASG’s use of money? Why no one from the group that is distrib uting newsletters has come to talk, or will come, is because their claims are completely and un not seen any students against ASG helping the students in any way. Where are they at the blood drives? Where are they during the fundraising for childcare? Where are they during the student gov ernment meeting to discuss these issues aloud? I have heard over and over from certain people that they’re just trying to serve the students’ needs. How exactly are they doing that? Maybe it’s time for these people to stop whining about what is not right on this campus and begin to make it a bet ter place. Mike Lewis Student We must work together to accomodate students' needs I am responding to the April 19 edi tion of The Print where student Lisa Ganoung wrote stating the needs of the disabled students were not being met. As a disabled student, I wanted to clear up a few issues raised by this letter. I do not question the fact Lrsa may be frustrated with the system, yet I question how much is directly related to CCC. The ADA. is unclear on issues around accommodation such as a page, turner. If the student can turn pages, the school is not required to supply the requested accommodation for the stu dent. On the other hand, VOC Rehab would be required to provide the adap tation to maximize the person's poten tial. This is the barrier many disabled students face. Knowing which agency is required to provide the necessary equipment, and getting the proper people to admit it is their responsibil ity slows things greatly. I have been fortunate in my experi ence at CCC due to the high level of cooperation among the instructors. If I need a note taker, the instructors have An unsigned letter, typically la beled “Editorial,” is the opinion of the newspaper as a whole. The Print rarely takes advantage of a newspaper’s ability to do this; we typically prefer to leave opinions up to the readers. Other newspapers, such as The Oregonian, run a mini mum of one editorial a day in the same place. All of that being said, any newspa per likes receiving feedback of any sort. It doesn’ t matter if it’ s a question, a comment, a criticism, or a lead on a hot story about a scandal... Part of be ing on a newspaper staff is continu ally re-examining yourself andyour en vironment, and occasionally getting in volved to make it a better place. has been the most- supportive and encouraging campus I have experi enced. When something cannot be accommodated directly, the faculty and students have worked to solve it as a team. No one can deny the fact that bar riers exist at CCC. The sad truth is barriers exist all over the state, all over the world, and often-times the biggest barriers exist in the minds of the individuals. Helping people to see how they can assist one another, and being willing to reach out to fel low citizens/students is the only true way to overcome the problems which may exist. I believe the letter from Lisa vali dates the importance of passing the Bond measure in the upcoming vote. CCC does not have the funds neces sary to make the campus fully ac cessible, much less provide the needed equipment to students with special needs. It is not a matter of choosing one student over another, able-bodied vs. disabled, it is a mat ter of spending what little they have to accommodate the most people they can. CCC has proven its dedi cation to offer everything possible to students regardless of need. The sad truth is that often the heart is bigger than the pocketbook. I encourage all CCC students to reach out and offer assistance when they see someone in need. Offer to be a notestaker for someone who has difficulty hearing or writing; volun teer to tutor or be a study partner. If everyone on campus gave one hour a week to assist someone else, there would be no shortage of tutors or note takers. The student body can make a difference. If we all become solution- oriented and find ways to succeed together, we will have fewer problems to hinder our progress. It will also help students like Lisa get the education they sincerely desire. Teryl Hoffmann-Figgins Student
