Fortiani» (Observer
Page 6
May 25, 2011
Portland Student Named UO Editor
Tyree Harris tackles justice issues
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
Racial inequity, w o m en ’s
rights, social justice, and drug
users are ju st a few subjects
U niversity of O regon student
journalist, Tyree Harris, pre­
fers to en g ag e his read ers
about.
Selected as best suited to lead
innovation in the university’s
newspaper, the juniorjoum alism
major and 2008 Parkrose High
School graduate will lead a staff
of 40 as the first-ever African
American to be editor in chief of
the Daily Emerald.
Over a year prior, Harris joined
the independent nonprofit news
by
organization as a columnist for
his weekly perspectives column,
“In These Eyes,” where he ties
in larger societal issues to pro­
files and creative illustrations of
other peoples’ lives.
Beginning this summer, Har­
ris will take the seat of form er
editor-in-chief, Norm a Simon,
where among his top priorities;
he aims to move the Emerald
into the digital future by in­
creasing its web presence and
staying in better touch with the
papers surrounding community.
“I’m looking forward to learn­
ing from everyone,” Harris said.
“This is more responsibility than
I’ve ever had journalistically. It’s
Voters Protect
Teaching Positions
CCC is Proud to Serve
The Veterans Education
and Training Center
in Dejardin Hall.
The first stop to transition
from m ilitary to civilian life.
503-594-3438
vetinfo@clackamas.edu
http://depts.clackamas.edu/veterans
Now at CCC
Army Strong Community Center
in room 140 of the Community Center.
Connecting soldiers, families and communities
503-594-6215
paul.teters@us.army.mil
barbara.e.mccain@us.army.mil
s
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C O M H U N I T YÇC O I I E G E ,
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Oregon City, Oregon
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Tyree Harris o f Portland is the
new editor in chief o f the Daily
Emerald, University o f Oregon's
student-run newspaper.
really exciting to see w hat
changes are going to be made
and how different the Emerald is
going to be next year.”
Keeping today’s newspapers
above water and safe from a
certain death by lack of reader-
ship, funding, and online compe­
tition, Harris promotes the idea
of pushing two different news
products; one print and the other,
optimized for online service with
strong multimedia staff and web-
linked visuals.
Board Chair Melody Ward
Leslie, part of the Oregon Daily
Emerald Board of Directors who
unanim ously selected Harris
said, “We think he has vision,
new judgm ent and the ability to
mentor others, and these are the
key traits in the editor of an
independent student news orga­
nization.”
T he E m e ra ld can th a n k
But say ‘no’ to building upgrades
Parkrose English teachers for
encouraging young H arris to
w rite for his high school new s­
paper, the Bronco Blaze where
he served as an opinion w riter
and com m entary editor.
In 2009, H arris was the w in­
ner of the N orthw est Scholas­
tic P re ss P u b lic a tio n s fo r
bylined colum ns.
A m ong other accom plish­
m ents, H arris is known around
Eugene for writing, producing,
and perform ing his own hip-
hop songs. He says m usic
goes hand and hand with jo u r­
nalism because both revolve
around expression, telling a
story, and bringing significant
ideas to the attention o f read­
ers or listeners.
$25 a month.
The $548 million bond would
Portland School District vot- teaching positions in the May 17 have fully renovate nine schools
ers passed a five-year replace- election, but voted against a six- within the city, as well as the
ment local option levy to pay for year school facilities bond to in­ measure would have also sup­
crease safety and update class­ plied new playgrounds, science
rooms.
lab s, ro o fs, new
A lthough the
desks, and more to
local option levy
the
re m a in in g
doesn’t close the
schools.
funding gap cre­
W ith o u t d e d i­
ated by recen t
cated funding for
budget cuts, it will
sc h o o l b u ild in g
provide job secu­
projects, PPS stu­
rity for 200 teach­
dents will continue
ing
p o sitio n s
to attend class in
within the next
inadequate and out­
year.
d a te d fa c ilitie s .
Carole Smith
A ccording to
Costly repairs to de­
PPS, state funding for 2011-13 teriorating school buildings will
is $1 billion short of the amount continue to strain the school dis­
needed to maintain Oregon’s K- trict budget and drain dollars
12 schools. As a result, Portland from the classroom . C onse­
Public Schools faces a $20 mil­ quently, many stakeholders in
lion shortfall, even with the addi­ the Portland Public Schools re­
tional $ 19 million in funding from main committed to improving
the levy.
school buildings to increase edu­
Voters narrowly defeated the cation and safety for Portland’s
school construction bond— post- youth.
poning needed improvements to
Superintendent Carole Smith
PPS schools.
has proposed a number of cen­
The average PPS is 65 years tral office and school-based cuts,
old, and therefore a number of prudent use of reserve funds
school buildings throughout the and no cost-of-living increases
city face multiple infrastructural for all employees.
issues.
“Our next step — as a school
The school facilities bond, district and as a community —
Measure 26-121, would have will be to determine how we
paid for needed upgrades by address these challenges in a
asking residents for a bond rate way that m atches the urgent
of about $2 per $ 1,000 of taxable need for these upgrades with the
assessed value, which would cost challenges of these economic
the median homeowner roughly times,” Smith said.