newsed@clackamas.edu
Wednesday, Nov 23, 2011
The Clackamas Print
Tuition waivers offer
students an alternative
to financial aid
By Patty Salazar
N ew s E d ito r
Occupy Portland impacts more than
just downtown
By Joshua Dillen
T he C lackam as P rin t
Occupation? Stalled busses and com m uter trains?
Police in riot gear pepper spraying protesters at
Pioneer Courthouse Square? It m ight n ot be the
1960s b u t things have that feel these days. Questions
about the these events in Portland reveal that the
Occupy Wall Street movement does have significance
to those w ho spend m uch o f their tim e at Clackamas
Com m unity College.
This national and globally noticed movement has
been a huge part o f the news for the past several weeks.
C C C staff and students have varied and unique
impressions about the controversial O W S movement.
Some could say there hasn’t been news like this since
the civil rights and anti-war m ovem ents.
Rebecca Picken thinks the police are partly doing
a good job, especially compared to other d ty s police
departments. Picken is a C C C student studying
American Sign Language. “T hey did a good job on
the riot [the Chase Bank dash] b ut they should not
have used pepper spray arid taken it that far, it was
uncalled för,”' she said. Pickens explained she has
friends who have been injured at OW S demonstra
tions b u t in general, police were pretty lenient.
Picken feels this movement affects students here at
C C C . “W e are all part o f the 99 percent here at C C C
and it is very important,” she said.
A group o f students playing hacky sack in front o f
Streeter Hall declined an interview. O ne yelled “T hey
all need to get jobs!”
Erin Irish, w ho studies music here at C C C , said the
protestors need to stay o ut ofTrim ets way. “It’s affect
ing m e getting to school on time. It sfrustratingand
m y busses have been coming later and later and later,”
she said. Irish feels the police have n ot been inappro
priate in their actions towards the protesters.
David Smith-English, C C C Theater D epartm ent
Director, is glad the movement is bringing attention
to some o f todays issues. “I’m happy its happen
ing,” he said.
“I’m delighted that people have become proactive.
I’m n ot an anti-bank k in a o f person. I’m anti [bank]
w hen they don’t play by the rules ” Smith-English said.
“T hat’s w hy its [OWS] been so im portant, to point
that out. Somebody is actually doing something and I
think it’s very positive.”
Distance Learning C hair Steve Beining feels the
movement has voiced concerns o f today’s society but
m ay be perceived as m ore o f a nuisance, than a move
m ent and need to get their act together. “T he move
m ent needs to gel around a few core issues. I think we
are going to see them reinvent themselves and start
getting o ut a message that causes social change in Our
society,” he said. “W e are all impacted by the action
o f the big banks.Tax m oney is being spent to bail out
banks that could be spent on social programs, educa
tional programs, e tc W e need to support education
rather than banks.”
Beining was candid w hen talking about police han
dling o f the movement in Portland. “I think the police
reaction is way overblown. T hey are sending m any
m ore police than are needed and then complaining,
that the protesters are costing them lots o f money,
w hen the police chief is the tine making the choices.
A rape victim had to wait three hours,” he said. “T h at
was appalling on the part o f the police chief”
Beining w ent on to explain that there is too m uch
tim e being spent on peaceful protesters w ho are just
jaywalking an d concentrate on real crime.
T he movement is sweeping the country and yes, it
is im portant, no m atter w hat point o f view any person
m ay nave. All Americans have rights that are protected
by the Constitution o f our country. O W S does mean
something for the C C C community. W hether you
are pro, con, frustrated, angry, happy or excited about
the movement there seems to be tremendous respect
for the im pact it is having on our country and com
munity.
To read m ore on this this story go to theclackamas-
print.com .
Middle: A solid barrier ofpolice in riot gear
keep protesters o ff S W Broadway as busses
finally move again.
Bottom: Dustin Powers is interviewed by
Reggie A q u i o f KGW, after being trampled
by horses in the clash. He was also h it by
pepper spray and struck by a baton.
■
Illustration by Dachabre Dixon The Clackamas Print
Top: Baton and pepper spray yielding riot
police scuffle w ith Occupy Portland protesters
a t Chase Bank last week.
Students on Clackamas
Com m unity College campus
who are looking for ways to lower
the cost o f tuition, look no fur
ther! W ith tuition rising around
the country, one thing that can
help students is student jobs and
tuition waivers, which can help
not only lower tuition but help
them go after their passion and
get rewarded for i t
M any students at Clackamas
depend on financial aid to attend
school and live on. In winter term
alone, CCC*s financial aid helped
students with $32,380,476. But
when financial aid is not, enough
what does C C C have to offer
students to not only help with
tuition cost but help get involved?
There are many options around
campus that can help students.
M atthew Altman, associate
dean o f arts and science, col
lected data from the 2010-2011
academic year that shows that the
college gives out tuition waivers
that are worth a pretty penny and
then some. T he most popular
type o f waiver given out is under
the student talent category. T he
top five departments that give
students tuition waivers are, in
no particular order, theater, art,
music, journalism and athletics.
A lh o u g frh e a h k d c department
does give out the most tuition
waivers, they are given by team
and it’s a more structured pro
gram. Depending on how the
departments are set up the appli
cations for waivers will vary.
“T he best thing to do is, if you
are a student in any given area, is
to talk to your professors in those
given areas and ask w hom the
chair is. Go directly to the chair
and ask the chair, ‘D o you have
waivers in your department?” said
Altman.
Carrie Kyser, m ath depart
m ent chair, said two internships
are due in spring. T he internship
involves a weekly work require
m ent o f 10 hours. T he intern
ship includes a frill tuition waiver
for the following year.
Tom Wakeling, music depart
m ent chair, said that there are
scholarships and waivers given
out to music majors, non-music
majors and technology students
by the music departm ent T he
waiver and scholarship recipi
ents are expected to “give back”
to the department ana com m u
nity. O n e way recipients could
give back by playing or singing
in a C C C group. Applications
are always available in the music
departm ent office, Niemeyer
Center N128.
If those departments are
not what you’re looking for,
the journalism program has
nine full-time tuition waivers.
lications go out the end o f
. term. Applications can be
picked up in RR135.
If you don’t consider yourself
a student in a given area, there
are other options for students,
including Associate Student
Governm ent ASG gives out
grants each term to students,
grants for winter term are avail
able now. There are seven ASG
officer positions that come along
with full tuition waivers, though
some only offer partial waivers.
If students remain within the
requirements o f the position,
they could get a tuition waiver
for each term Along with , the
10 senator positions that offer
half tuition waivers, there are
full time tuition waivers avail
able if you work a few more
hours a week For more infor
mation contact the ASG office
for an appliç^ponojrsjop £yni
their o
f f i c e ,, i5)
According to Rochelle
Dawn, one o f h e advisors for
h e college call center, h e posi
tions for peer assistants are deter
mined by term. I f more PAs are
needed, flyers would be posted
around campus also announced
in your myClackamas account.
Depending on how m any
hours h e students work, h e y
can receive a full, half or partial
tuition waiver. Dawn said, “It’s
so m uch fun and inspiring to
work so closely with students.”
Nerina Watkins, w ho is cur
rently a second-year student at
C C C , works in the Cougar Call
Center in Roger R ook H er job
duties indude helping new stu
dents over h e phone with h e
current school website. Watkins
works 10 hours a week and her
PA hours are scheduled around
her school. “I love m y job. It’s
very rewarding for m e to help
o h e r students,” stated Watkins
via email.