Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 12, 2008)
Clackamas Print Sports 9 Wednesday, March 12, 2008 UNDING: Student athletes »itch in to help finances Continued from FUNDING, Page 1 Fundraising now plays a vital role in the upkeep and very survival of the athletic department. “There is nothing beneath us,” Jackson said, installment currently derives funds from student “We have done everything. We’ve sold Gold .'that a re divided up. Each student C coupon books. The wrestling team chopped wood and sold it. arged a student fee of $5 per credit Most people see the teams stand e $5 is divided among several dif- ing in front of the bookstore the “Are you OK orgfemzations. The student tech- first few days of the term helping * Student athletes make up 10 • paying another y fee is $3. This helps buy all com- them out. We do almost anything nArrAnf idAnf hnriv r equipment used for or by students. anyone on campus asks us to do, dollar in order percent nf of fhA the student body. I emaining $2 is a general student fee such as physical labor. for the athletic s split Amongst athletics, Associated “Twice, we have rechipped department to In the*2007-2008 school year, the col ’.nt Government and a computer the jogging trails - the wrestling □logy fund that goes toward the team did that. The college has get more firm lege received approximately $305,953 |^Ke of Streeter Lab. them do things like that because footing?” in tuition from student athletes. That t of the $2, athletics receives 53 per- it costs* much less than hiring which is approximately $161,000 a Courtney Wilton someone from outside to do it doesn’t include the $300,000 that the and it supports the teams. We Vice President of college receives from the state for stu have even done letter campaigns lirice ¡1992, the number of students College Services ayed fairly level, which means that when athletes will write to Aunt dent athletes. ore student fees are coming in,” Betty and Uncle Bob and ask for a donation to the team.” an said. “The only problem with the cost of things like lodging, food and equip- Many may view the circumstances as a mis In a survey of student athletes, an over gone up, and we have no way to make up the management of resources, but Jackson is quick to whelming majority said they would not point out otherwise. ence except for fundraising.” attend a college that did not have ath . “If there is one thing I could stress ... is that we Fundraising for survival aren’t extravagant; just, the cost has gone up,” he letics. They also estimated that at least said. “Athletics give up a lot because we can’t be one other person attended Clackamas ;e purpose of the money from student fees is to pay extravagant. We don’t sleep in the best hotels, and ^^^Kpenses. we don’t eat at the best restaurants.” because the student athlete did so. he fee hinds operate the teams,” Jackson said. “It Possible solutions -for mileage when we have to travel. It pays for v when the athletes have to eat on the road. It pays The resolution for this problem isn’t an easy itry fees in tournaments. It pays for lodging when that is partially because it deals with students and it is a ive to stay somewhere overnight, and it pays for one, but there are several ideas as to an answer. “It’s a proposal that the students have to accept,” sensitive issup.” equipment that we have to have or replace every In an e-mail dated Dec. 27 of last year, Wilton men Jackson said, “and it is what helped solve the problem in forttttely, with inflation, the consistent income the first place. Student fees (are) currently $5 per credit tioned the possibility of “shifting some of the $2 general has been coming in to the atheletic department has hour. If we added $1 to that and dedicated it to athletics, student fee from computer tech, to athletics.” Right now, -nsujKient. we would receive approximately $150,000 and solve the athletics receives $161,000 in a fiscal year. -ie athletic director has to pay for things like athletic budget problem in athletics. “Athletics continues to get squeezed, as their fee share “Will it last forever? No. In 12 years, we will be back hasn’t kept up with inflation, the end result being more ms, student insurance and the cost of officials, all (ch has gone up exponentially,” Jackson said. “A to the same problem because inflation will continue to and more of their basic activities have to be fundraised,” 11 bat in 1995 cost around $50, and now they cost rise. I don’t want to tack on anything. I realize that tuition Wilton stated in the e-mail. The computer technology 1 $300. They are better bats - no question about is going up, and I certainly don’t want to gouge students, department no longer needs as much money as allotted; it if we aren’t receiving more money, then we just but I don’t see another solution.” the fees are now considered to be one source of funds for So will the student fee be raised $1, as Jackson sug athletics. up short.” gests, to make up for the deficit? i original purpose of fundraising was to raise While the situation continues to worsen, the athletic “Not in the immediate future,” Wilton said. “That department continues to look other places for financial v for “special items.” ; finances are “usually used for additional things would be something to talk about next year in the budget assistance. The question is: Is this becoming a fiscal •chasing items not in the budget,” Jackson said, plan. We will want to talk to the board and the students, emergency in the department? lai items - like, if the softball team wanted new and ask them, ‘Are you OK paying another dollar in order “This has been a crisis for a very long time, in our i, that would be a special item that fundraising for the athletic department to get more firm footing?’ eyes,” Jackson said. “We haven’t been aggressive with the student fee, and pay for.” Why not eliminate athletics altogether? I S iseball team off to a great start, hopes set high 5 were losses. Green River has a record of 2- 5, while Clackamas is 8-2 going into the next set of games. “We’re working real hard on hitting and pitching,” Robinson said. The four starting sophomore la E. Bashaw pitchers were 2-0, which was the lackamas Print reason for the eight wins. The freshmen starters didn’t do as well, which accounts for the two figs are looking good for losses of last week. rs’ baseball. Sophomores Jeff Bjorklund, Sr winning eight of their Russell Lundy, Nate Reif and mes, the Bryan Roby had out looks standing pitching d to a records. Isful sea- This early, it is hard “We’re work ’mingi to to tell where the sea ing real hard me the son will go; however, River on hitting and it is a good start for the n unity fairly balanced team of pitching. ” *3 Gatprs 15 sophomores and 14 Robin Robinson ch 15. freshmen. At this point, Clackamas Head have the team must keep up Baseball Coach playing the improvements and well,” dedication in order to Head keep up with the win Robin ning. on. B“Our next opponent “I feel like we are playing our toughest so far.” really well,” Robinson said, “but 1 Marbh 2 games against we still haven’t had a total game: Tlarbpr started the season hit well, pitch, well, run the bases, th two big wins, but the play good defense.” against Linfield on March :essful baseball ? still has room mprovement TOP: Jeramey Probert, 11, from Centralia College, swings his bat toward the ball as Clackamas catcher Ben Janal, 12, reaches for it from behind. BOTTOM RIGHT: Nate Reif, 17, from Clackamas in the middle of pitching the ball. Photos by Robert Crawford Clackamas Print
