Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 2003)
O pinion 3 • O ctober 22,2003 • T he C lackamas P rint ■" 1 1 i «in- _ , . - Why can people be so unhelpful? Pete Ford Opinion Editor Great customer service is some thing that everyone can appreciate. Lately, though, I have found that many people are only in a rash to get rid of you or pass you on to someone else. This has been my experience recently in the Community Center. During the first two weeks of registra tion, the lines students wait in just to register are long and time-consuming. Waiting, waiting and more wait ing; after waiting just a little bit longer one day, I found myself at thé counter with someone who was unable to give me the answers I needed. I was told to hold on for just one moment while she went to try and figure things out for me. While “on hold,” I noticed some one else to my left, another student, who was also being hassled while all she wanted to do was register. I heard her say that she was told to pay off her previous balance in order to register and that was all that was needed. She was presenting her receipt that proved the account was at zero so she could finally register for the classes she’d already been attending, but still noth ing. These people behind the help desks; who I think of as customer^ service representatives (CSRs) then’ told the student that there was some one else she needed to talk to make sure everything was okay and that she could not register then. Standing com pletely baffled, the forty-something year-old student did not know what to say. She Was; told that the person she was required fo see was not even going to be back to the college for two days. The woman who was helping me came back after seeking answers from higher authority and said, “Can you come back later? There will be some one else here that can help you out with this. I’m not authorized to take care of this for you! ” To stonewall students with an excuse as to why you cannot help them and then brush them away like they don’t matter seems absurd to me. This kind of attitude offends me far worse than any word or gesture ever could. It is a negative behavior that is often camouflaged by fake kindness; they’re nice to students because they have to be for their job. I don’t believe their kindness is always sincere. Patriot Act borders on abuse of of the government's power Pete Ford Opinion Editor While originally created with posi tive anti-terrorism intentions, the USA Patriot Act is now being used to manipulate the law to its own advan tage. Nearly 75 percent of the “anti-ter rorism” convictions have not actually been related to terrorism, according to The Oregonian. The speeches of Attorney General John Ashcroft, for example, focus almost entirely on the terrorism aspect of the law with very little mention of the other criminals it brings down. Many of these cases are falsely labeled and could be considered more ordinary crimes. This begs the question: why has there been a sudden spike in criminal investigations since Sept. 11,2001 due to non-terrorism, activity using the Patriot Act? And why the secrecy? It makes one wonder if something is being covered up. It’s very interesting that a government who claims to seek justice needs to be scandalous in an effort to receive it Anthony Romero, executive direc tor for the American Civil Liberties Union, states, “Once the American public understands that many of the powers granted to the federal govern ment apply to so much more than just terrorism, I think the opposition will gain momentum.” The USA Patriot Act enables the law, with the secretive help of powerful individuals, to take the easy way out. Envision officers believing some one to be criminal without any proof. They take the matter into their own hands using the “anti-terrorism” laws, and bring that someone in on other charges. What gives them the privi lege to invade a person’s rights just because they hold the power in their hands? Their main conservative argument in support of the Patriot Act is to do everything in their power to protect the Eves and liberties of Americans. They are simply taking the wrong approach in doing something they believe to be positive. So the question remains, why would law enforcement officials need to be granted new powers for non-ter- rorism investigations? The government is bending our constitutional rights and cheating the system for their own benefit specialist is the most helpful individ ual on campus, in my opinion. He is an advisor who knows how to solve problems. His job is to be the person that you go to with questions about your academics and what classes you need to graduate. He can also tell you what you need to do to receive finan cial aid or just be there to help you when a question needs to be answered. We need a Mike-like student advo cate to work with registration and the cashiers’ office.. . someone who can And does it ever seem like the supervisor, manager or person who can resolve complicated problems sits in a small, secluded back room and waits to come out until completely necessary? That is, if they decide to come out at all. Not everyone fits into this mean category and this is directed at no par ticular individual. Those who give 100 percent shine 100 percent. I have a solution to this problem. Mike Caudle, advising/recruitment EARL ENGLAND C lackamas P rint Impatient students wait in line to pay for fall term ’ classes at the cashier’s office in the Community Center. help those individuals who have issues with registering and problems that would prevent them from enrolling in classes for whatever rea son. A person you can deal with one- on-one, who can help you with issues that only selective departments can solve. A position like this would help out many frustrated students out with their problems, just as Mike does. I believe that when someone’s job is to provide others with kind behavior and the knowledge of their surround ings, generally that is what is expected of them. The customers I work with at Starbucks deserve “Five Star Legendary Service” from me and I do my best to give them nothing less that that... even if I don’t care for that par ticular individual. I do it because it is my job. This is my challenge to everyone who works with people: take it upon yourselves to help people get the answers they need or find the person who can give them those answers. Not all circumstances can be resolved immediately, I understand, but it is frustrating to us all to feel abandoned and come up empty-hand ed. Use the powers within your job to do whatever you can to resolve a con flict and just be helpful to the best of your ability. It is the right thing to do. Chiefs Weekly Column 1 Can eager students winter next term? ^•wCyndee Mady ^Co-Edltorin Chief ■ The excitement of fall term, enhanced with fresh young faces eager to absorb the knowledge that lies within classroom doors, has yet again visited our campus. The question is: Will the school spirit survive the winter? As I begin my third year here, I’ve noticed that each winter term seems to bring more available parking spaces, less time spent in cafeteria lines and fewer students in the classrooms. Where does all the enthusiasm from fall term go? Some students may be overly eager, taking too many credits and getting overwhelmed. Other stu dents may think they need a break from education after having spent the last 13 years in school. The snugness of a warm down com forter on a cold rainy morning may be enough to keep many stu dents in bed rather than in school. Whatever the reason, attendance just seems to drop off in the win ter. I went to college straight out of high school, and dropped out by winter term. That was 20 years ago. My absence of education left me with no marketable skills. I bounced from one restaurant to the next—serving food, tending bar and holding down two jobs to make ends meet. Not only did I struggle finan cially at times, I struggled to make intelligent conversation with educated people, many times attempting to disguise my igno rance when the majority seemed to be in the know. At the age of 37, feeling as though my life was stagnant with lack of purpose, I decided to give college another try and discovered what I’d been missing all those years—intellectual stimulation. I regret not having done it sooner while still living at home with no more than auto expenses to worry about and my parents offering to pay the tuition—but better late then never. So I am here to pass along my wisdom in hopes that you will learn from my mistakes. Take a reasonable amount of courses' so as not to get over whelmed and throw in the towel. Do the best you can in all your classes, even those you hate, because all knowledge is good knowledge and take advantage of your parents’ hospitality as long as humanly possible. A future full of opportunities can be afforded through educa tion, so whether you take 16 cred its or six credits stay in school, it’s worth the effort. I look forward to seeing you winter term! Have you had any problems with the school so far this year? “It was a pain for registration, but financial aid was good. The book store prices are ridiculous!” T he C lackamas P rint 19600 S Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 (503) 657-6958 The Clackamas Print is a weekly student publication and is distributed every Wednesday except during Finals Week. “Everyone was cool to me, but the financial aid process has been really slow. I’m still wait ing for a check.” “I haven’t had any hassles at all. Everyone has seemed really nice and helpful.” “Everything has been smooth so far; it’s only the third week. Cafeteria lines are really long and the chicken soup really sucked.” Co Editors-in-Chief: Cyndee Mady Advertising Manager: Mark and Cory Price Falling, ext. 2578 Copy Editor: Katie Funk News Editor: Jared Eschweiler Opinion Editor: Pete Ford Feature Editor: Karen Hill Tech/ Design Editor: Robb Egan Staff Writers: Shannon Armstead, Production Assistants: Megan Cline, Tamie Johnson, Maggie Leniger, Shannon Nielsen, Justin Ortin, Carmen Richard Adviser: Linda Vogt Secretary: Lauren Vulsteke A&E Editor: Isaiah Creel Sports Editor: Nie Delzell Michaele Cooper, Earl England, Brian Hill, Karlin Johnson, Frank Jordan, Jesse Lamond, Jessica Le Claire, Ben Maras 77ie Clackamas Print © 2003 “I just need to get my financial aid! Everything is fine; you just need to be motivated.”
