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