The Clackamas print., January 25, 2006, Page 4, Image 4

4 Commentary_______
The
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006
Clackamas Pr
Learning on an empty stomaci
Night classes hard to
stomach on a campus
without dinner
Kyle Steele
The Clackamas Print
Are you a full • time student
who also happens to have night
classes and would like to have
dinner before class on campus?
Well your luck at finding food
that would qualify as a meal is
slim-to-none on’ campus, be­
cause Clackamas’ own cafeteria
stops serving menu-item food
after 4 p.m.
This predicament leaves the
Barlow vending machines As
the single on-campus means of
food of a mealish variety, and
let’s be honest, that food hasn’t
been fresh since the heyday of
Mr. Marky Mark and the Funky
Bunch.
This also makes the unoffi­
cial class trips to Haggen’s and
other fast food joints a common
occurrence during night class­
es. I’ve personally walked into
Haggen’s at night and have seen
almost entire classes and their
teachers getting food at their
deli. But not every student has
their own means of transporta­
tion, and trust me, bus drivers
look at you funny when you ask
for a quick trip to the Jack-in-
the-Box down the road. Many
Students are left to starve in
class as others come back with
food, drinks and maybe even a
magazine to read later.
So why isn’t the cafeteria
open and serving menu food a
little later? Maybe till six? That
way classes will have begun and
students can already have gotten
their food and have eaten a bet­
ter meal by then.
Marco Velasquez, director of
the Clackamas Chartwell’s, said
that they have tried to keep it
open later, but “didn’t get the
traffic needed.” He also said
that it is open later now than un­
der the previous director, who
closed it at 2 p.m. This is a new
class however, and if we want
food later we are going to have
to show a real desire for it.
.. Even if the Sub Generation
shop in the. cafeteria is the only
station open till 6 p.m. it’s still
better than nothing, and it’s still
a much better option than the
deep-fried places that are near
by. Many students are not get­
ting the food that they need to
excel, either because of a lack
of’ time or transportation, and
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this is a problem that could eas-
would
meal-
that
Death to celebrity gossip mongers!
. Laura Cameron
| j Commentary Editor
I had my usual face-off with
the television the other night.
It tried to convince me that ce-
lebrity gossip is important, and
I tried to make it shut up by
ESP. It ended in a stalemate,
as always.
These clashes of opposing
wills are almost never quiet.
Most of the time they .
i
y
o
my part.
“This isn’t news!” is my
usual cry when celebrity gossip
interrupts the newscast. “Our
Own government is spying
on us, and you focus on Tom
Cruise?!” And, of course, my
favorite refrain: “Who cares?”
It’s a sobering realization
to come by that, obviously,
somebody cares. In fact, a lot
of people must care, to war­
rant injecting such useless
trivia into the newscast and the
newsstand. But
I
s
Photo illustration by Jeff Sorensen Clackamas ty-int
one care?
I suppose the Hollywood set
has the same kind of appeal as
daytime! soaps: scandalous, full
of sex and drugs, and usually
more interesting than our own
lives.
In fact, gossip magazines
like Star and National Enquirer
often read like a soap »opera
digest: “Angelina announces
that she’s carrying Brad’s baby,
ignoring advances by her es­
tranged father and* driving
Jen to seek solace with Vince.
Meanwhile, Jessica files for
divorce from Nick, and Jude
tries to make up to Sienna for
sleeping with the nanny.” All
it needs is a serial killer and a
“surprising” paternity test and
it could be the next story arc
for “Days of our Lives.”
It’s also possible that some
people are trying to live vi­
cariously through “Entertain­
ment Tonight” and the count­
less celebrity gossip rags. Like
a father living his dream of
the NFL by putting his young
son on a football team, many
Americans fulfill their'fantasies
of fame by soaking up gossip
like a sponge.’ This is relatively
harmless, since very few such
people actually become stalk­
ers, but unless they get a shot
at an all-celebrity Jeopardy
challenge, it seems like a com­
plete waste of time.
Of course, the most cyni­
cal part of me says that we,
as a society, focus on celebrity
gossip because it’s easier than
thinking about real issues. The
more I observe our society, the
more I’m inclined to agree with
this view.
I don’t know. Maybe there’s
some totally innocent and logi­
cal reason for our infatuation
with movie stars that I haven’t
thought of. All I know is, the
next time I face off with the
evening news, I’m adding a
new weapon to my arsenal: the
remote control.
Ah, Mute Button. You are
my one true friend.
Controversial choir
change for count}/
Rev. Sam Krause
The Clackamas Print
on the board was bound i
occur. Although, how th
change occurred just exen
plifies what is wrong with
I was told that county poli­ three member board of com
tics aren’t interesting; that no missioners.
one cares about what happens
In Oregon, if a goveri
in Clackamas County — at least ment body has a quorum (th
politically. I beg to differ. It’s minimum number of men
when no one is looking that bers that need to be presen
shady practices occur.
in order to do business) the:
Near the end of December must be public notice of th
the Clackamas County Board meeting, and at least the pre
of Commissioners replaced must be allowed to atten
Martha Schrader with Bill Also, the minutes must b
Kennemer as the chairperson. made public after the meets
The chair position rotates year­ occurs.
ly and Commissioner J.arry
Our county has a boa«
Sowa has always been known of three commissioners. On!
to defer. It’s Kennemer’s turn two of them constitute
to chair the county board.
quorum. Sowa and Kennemt
What’s exciting about that? obviously discussed tl
Oregon City Mayor Alice change before it occurtet
Norris was told by I Kennemer Technically they were sup
that Schrader would no longer posed to tell us (the voters
be on the Clackamas County and the press before, durinf
Coordinating
Committee; and after the deer ion \vi
Norris was told of the change made.
about a week before any
Doesn’t all of this soun
changes to the chairmanship unnecessary?
Muhnoiml
were made.
County has a five membe
Kennemer and Sowa told board of commissioner
Oregonian journalist Andy Even Wilsonville and Lak
Parker the change was routine. WOswego have larger chambe
Kennemer even explained of commerce and city couj
that he was ‘ concerned with cils than the board of cob
Schrader’s attendance at missioners.
the coordinating committee
Our board is hamstrun
meetings.- Funny, Schrader Members can’t talk withoi
attended at least 70 percent breaking the law and decision
of the meetings. Even more can be made with only M
interesting was that her alter­ commissioners. At the momea
nate, Sowa, never went to there are two Republicans anj
the meetings when Schrader one Democrat on the boara
was absent. Sowa replaced Which party do you think!
Schrader on the committee.
going to have a favorable out
Al s o, N orris (who co - come on contentious issues!
Lynn Peterson is going d
chaired the coordinating
committee with Schrader) and against Larry Sowa next ele
other Metro leaders praised tion. If the position chang
Schrader’s work on both the hands to a Democrat,
coordinating committee and same problem still exists.
the 28 member Metropolitan
Clackamas County has;
old system that is in serio
Policy Advisory Committee.
I would say that the change need of a tune up.
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