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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1978)
. Page 4 Portland Observer Thursday. September 14. 1978 Behind the wall Larry Baker 935021 O.S.P. Correspondent American State Bank Jahns D. Snowden 9330/3 Poetry Editor 2737 N.E. Union One would not think there would be much in common between the issue o f 'bussing minority children' from a Black community into white communities in Portland and the growing Black »xspulation at Oregon State Penitentiary. Oregon Women's t orrectional Center and Oregon Correctional Institution in Salem. All one has to do is walk the prison sards and notice how rapidly the age limit has dropped over the past six sears. But most surprising, is »hen one starts questioning those between 18 and 23 years o f age: When you were in school, were you eser bussed out o f your community for the purpose o f attending school in a white neighborhood?’ Sesen out of fifteen had experienced bussing, but the astonishing facts came when thes were asked. “ Did you exper ience any problems attending those schools in the white school district?' A ll sesen young Black inmates admitted that they had. whereas thes had scry little problem while attend ing schools in their Black neigh borhoods. • What were some o f the problems you found?“ These were the answers: 1. The class assignments were to advanced; 2. They felt uncomfortable by being the only Black in class; 3. Teachers could not deal with Black students* problems regarding Black identity; 4. They were too far from home to run home for lunch; 5. Their mother's always w orried about how they would be contacted i f they got sick or in an accident; 6. They fought with white children who belittled them for being Black; 7. They started iden tifying with white problem children for companionship. The main pur pose was wanting to be accepted by a peer group. 8. They were always being counseled to go out for sports instead o f academic subjects; 9 They did not feel wanted to attend social school functions. These were just a lew o f the things mentioned. Sot one Black inmate at tended the school they were bussed to for over one year. A ll were either expelled or dropped out. Six o f the seven are now serving prison sentences for crimes upon persons. Five of the seven are crimes upon w hues. This correspondent suggests that there be more in-depth research on the effects o f this isolation in white schools on Black children. The rejec tion they receive at the hands o f white students and teachers, and their separation from the security of their own friends and family might be a strong factor in their future delinquency and crime. by Harry P Humphreys Ever since the day we were born we have been under some type o f authority. Our parents governed us until we were able to go on our own. Tlien our employers were over us on the jobs we took Now that most of us are parents, we should understand authority. That we should guide and direct the lives o f our children By getting to know and understand them will help bridge the generation gap between parent and child. There is also a gap between authority and the submissive society and the crim inal, the institution personnel and the inmates. These gaps must be bridged in order fo r the inmates rehabilitation to work. It is so easy for the modern day society to draw a line o f demarcation between the keeper and the kept, between the guard and the guarded. Society is very quick to make an assumption that there arc normal people and people w ho are not nor mal. It is quick to divide people into “ we” and “ they“ . “ We” are the people who do not commit crimes, who do not get involved with the crim inal justice system, who are honorable and upright and non violent and cause no problems to anybody. “ They” (we the criminal) Advisors assist Cascade student decisions A testing and adv ising system for entering students at Portland Com munity College's Cascade Center. ~05 N Killingsworth. this fall should offer the student more individual at- te n tio n . says Cascade Center manager Jim Van Dyke. "The students here are very im portant and we want them to know that.” says Van Dyke. “ We want to M E N -W O M E N One of the world’s largest training schools is hiring. M I, «ÎJ Vt W here eise can you le a rn m e s k ills lis te d below and get pa id w tute you le a rn ’ cood S e rvice D enta' Teebntcen Law E nforcem e nt R adio T V System s O c c u n a tio n a l T h e ra p is t S pecialist E le c tr ic ia n A d m in is tr a tio n M issne R epa ir D ata P rocessing M edical S pecialist C o m m u n ic a tio n s A nc H undreds of o th e rs Rersonnet A c coun ting Truer M echanic Lega C lerk ' Call Army Opportunities 234-7209 . . . U N IO N OR C O M PA N Y DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset . . . yo u r h e a lth and a p p e a ra n c e < » W H IT I I i IH U ’ I K x i l n x n \ M l give students an advisor to be a listening post who w ill help them solve some o f their problems and complaints and we want to use our new testing system to make sure that their school work and their personal lives are compatible.” During registration for fall term classes, fa cu lty advisors w ill be located in various classrooms and o f fices at locations convenient for the students. Each student w ill be assigned an advisor, and that person w ill continue to serve as advisor the entire term or possibly throughout the student's time at PCC. The advisors. Van Dyke says, will be responsible not only for helping the student plant the fall term classes but also will have an opportunity to discuss study habits, outside work, and reasonable study habits. •*We want the student to have suf ficie n t in fo rm a tio n to make in telligent decisions about his or her schedule.” Van Dyke says. “ Our goal is to more accurately match students with their needs. ” The advisor w ill decide what tests, if any, the student needs to take to determine what his or her class schedule should include. In a pilot project for PCC, Cascade students will be given Comparative Guidance and Placement Tests, which are of fered in reading, written English, arithm etic, and algebra. The test scores w ill be used to determine what level course the student should be enrolled in. By bussing the new, standardized tests, counselors w ill be able to more accurately assess the student’s abilities and place students in classes that meet their needs, says Craig Bell o f the counseling department, who is coordinating the Cascade testing program. One advantage o f the standardized system. Bell says, is that students can be tested throughout the year, since faculty members do not have to be present to assist in the test.ng or scoring. Students will be advised to take the tests unless they have had previous educational or employm ent background which provides in fo r m ation that is h e lp fu l in their placement. Bell says. No student will be required to take the tests, however. I» M M IXhl li \\< y J I AIMS « f n y x iH .i X II m i h t I M i s i q « OMPI 1 l i s t , J u t K t I MM H M M s N O APPOINTMENT NEEDED Come in at your convenience PARK EREE-Any Park n Shop Lot HOURS W*'*'“*,* ‘ ' " »'• m lo ". p m S a lu r d .t « K l i m Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, u> I p m Lite, Health, Group Insurance, Annuities. Pension Plans PEGGY JOSEPH Field Underwriter 283-5012 I he New York Life agenl in your community is a good person to know. f St. A ndrew sets auction tl Cotter® Home Im provem ent B uilding Materials Auction for benefit o f St. Andrew Com m unity Center, N.E. 8th at Alberta. Saturday , September 23rd, Silent Auction and Preview, 10:00 a.m. to 4 00 p.m. Sunday, Sep tember 24th, Oral Auction begins at 1:00 p.m. Russ Kerns, Auctioneer. $2 donation for bidding card. Hun dreds o f bargains fo r home im provement and remodeling projects. The auction is an annual event to support the social service projects of the parish. E ce me crio' « r e e » 1’* * te9's' e Ga" X O D U 2 ä A S 1518 N E KILLINGSWORTH PORTLAND OREGON 9721 1 284 7997 FACTS OF IMPORTANCE VOLUME IV SEPTEMBER 1978 SERIES I During the entire month of September you may register for evening, Saturday and Sunday classes. This is EXODUS first series of community ser vice classes. TOPICS ARE: 1. Is Alcoholism the PROBLEM or the RESULT? — 2 hours 2. What is the difference between the alcoholic personality and others? — 2 hours NAACP meets The Portland Branch NAACP will hold its m onthly membership meeting on Sunday, September 17th, at 4:00 p.m. The mixting will be held at St. Paul Church o f God in Christ, N.E. Stanton and Rodney. Dentist lit llA X X M I II I I M I h i K I I y \ n ( iK H .f ix I X M 1 I I y y K iK l f I Z M f 11 (H ilf iK li h I I M K y \< I 282-2216 are evil and savage and irrepressible in our violence. We w ill rape and murder and assault just because these are the kind of things we do. This pattern o f relationship runs throughout society. Yet society is blandly unaware that most o f it has contributed to the m aking o f a criminal in one way or another. There is much discussion today about the value o f incarceration, determinate versus indeterm inate sentences, punishm ent versus rehabilitation, the pardon and parole system and its effect on recidivism, de crim in a liza tio n d e in s titu tio n a lization and the pros and cons of capital punishm ent. We know you can not legislate fo r godly living. A penitentiary does noi make a penitent. Reformatories do not generally reform. Our nation stands at a critical junction. We have expect ed too much o f the law and the system, and it has not worked. The law and its application needs a solid foundation. This founda tion can only be obtained by bridging the gaps between society and the crim inal, between the prison staff and the prisoners. So that we may unite as one and work together for the good o f all humanity and for a better deserving nation. Ruling n tasy, g o v ern in g diHicult. Goethe 3. How to relate to spouse and children under conditions of alcoholism. — 2 hours REGISTER AT: EXODUS 1518 N.E. Killingsworth Portland, Oregon 97211