2
Thé
Clackamas Print
News
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007
Students miss election roll call
Student Government
finds lack of student
voting disturbing
Lydia E. Bashaw
News Editor
The voters are registered, ballots
are out, and votes are coming in, yet
one group of electorates is still miss
ing.
In a democratic country where
every vote counts, the lack of student
age voters is disturbing. According
to the Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement, known as CIRCLE,
only 20 percent of people ages 18 to
29 voted in the last general election.
When applying this statistic to
Clackamas, it would mean only 5,000
students out of25,000 votes.
According to Associated Student
Government President Tim Lussier,
young people don’t see the point in
voting on issues that don’t affect them
personally.
“I think people are apathetic when
they are young,” said Lussier. “They
don’t think they have power.”,
ASG’s campaign to register stu
dent voters was difficult this year as
student leaders worked to ignite vot
ing interest
“We believe in the power of young
people who vote,” said Lussier. “It’s
more than student voting; it’s some
thing we need to work on. Whether
it is apathy or disenfranchisement or
not feeling represented, we want stu
dents to feel tike they are heard.”
Sadly, the numbers are declining
as young voters abandon the issues
that impact them.
“People don’t understand how
much their voices mean to legisla
tors,” said Lussier. “Student funding
often comes down to one vote, and
we can make the difference. However,
we lose more and more student voters
every year.”
With most of the ballot measures
and concerns during general elec
tions forced in the direction of older
citizens, many youth don’t grasp how
they influence political change.
matter to me,” said Tiffany Chambers,
a second-year student at Clackamas.
‘T don’t really understand most of
tiie ballots this year, and I don’t see
how they affect my life. What is the
point?”
The amount of student voters will
be sure to drop, swaying government
choices regarding college funding and
student rights. Without student inter
est, legislators may lose interest as
well.
“We need to show up,” said
Lussier. “The average 20-year-old
could care less. [But] the more that
politicians hear our voice, the more
they will fund our colleges, and that
is very important.”
General election ballots
are due next Tuesday,
Nov. 6.
“I don’t personally see the point
of voting on things that don’t directly
Letter: Graphic picture disturbs
Letter: PT Equality Soon
*
Don’t you think the pho
tograph on page 6, letter and
response from Dr. Kim appear
ing in the Oct 17 issue have
gone a bit too far? I am not a
prude in any sense of the word,
but this entire article was highly
offensive to me and probably to
others as well. •>’
As a staff member, I have
the pri vilege of watchsig
bright, young minds express
ing their thoughts and opini ons
on a wide variety of issues
and topics as I read The Print.
versial or poli tica 1 in order to
make people think and assess
their core values.
Although my opinions may
differ from those of the writers,
I’m generally not left with the
feeling of having wallowed in
the gutter, needing to shower.
However, this article was the
exception.
? * People’s sex lives and pref
erence should stay just that
PRIVATE! There is no need
for me or anyone else to know
what sexual pleasures or per
versions others seek and have
it plastered all over the college
newspaper.
Dr. Kim is trying to help
students, and for the most part
doing a good job, but a ques
tion such as this should be kept
between the writer, who must
have e-mai led in her question,
and the Doctor.
Come on, ladies and gentle
men, college is not a cesspool
where everyone wants, or
needs, to know about the sexual
perversions someone chooses
to indulge in, complete with
details. Let’s clean it up - this
world is full of far more press
ing matters.
Dianna Shepherd,
Public Service Department
I write to express my disap
pointment that contract negotia
tions with part-time faculty con
tinue without any indication that
the administration cares for or
is listening to the needs of their
part-time faculty.
Author Noam
Chomsky
reminds us that in our society
“costs are socialized, while prof
its are privatized.”
It appears to me that this injus
tice applies at our college. A small
group of people, in positions of
power (who have high salaries,
health insurance and full ben
efits), continue today to reject the
needs of nearly 400 employees.
Whether we are full-time or
part-time, we all play an equ
part in attracting and retainin
students. We all play an equ
part in making a difference
students’ lives.
It is time for us to be treats
equally. We deserve equal pay f<
equal crédit hours worked. V
deserve the right to at least pu
chase group health insurance.
Sincerely,
Rob Seemann,
Counselor, Instructor
Career and Employer Resource
Center
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