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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2012)
jportlanö (Obscrucr August I, 2012 Empowering the Vote Affordability, in addition to ac- c o n t i n u e d f r o m front As students take on a larger share of the cost of their educa- tion because of decreasing state budgets, there is a perception that elected representatives are countability, is also an important reason to why registration is so important, said Stevens, because those who attend schools like PCC are enrolled in a public educational center, meaning that Page 9 $1.00 lege and university students from throughout Oregon rallied on the steps of the Capitol for adequate funding for post-secondary edu- cation. Several students from „ PCC attended, along with stu- I dents from the other 16 commu- " OFF OR More Total Purchase ste' CflNDV i i - R V i ^ T~n hl il - c h AM t t u x u t ii WHEN CANDY MET FROZEN YOGURT | Onecouponperpenor.NotvolidwthafiyottieiOffef.Expires08/l5/12.ref#CI(FY090M JJ 97211 sticking it suuiuiig ii to lu students siuucnis because uecause they aren’t appreciated as a vot- a portion cost is paid for rb by ap o n io n o ofthe rin e co stisp aid ro y the state to help make education nity colleges and the seven ■ ./¿i schools in the Oregon Univer- |__6720 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd & Dekum • 503.28i.7000 ingpopulation. ing population. W hether that perception is correct or not, the best thing for students to do right now is to register so they can help change that,” W estover said. She said the OSA has long been a champion for the student more affordable. affordable She said, however, 2010 was the first time in Oregon history that students paid for a bigger chunk of education than the gov- emment itself, which is making it hard for students to stay out o f debt. <itv System Cv.ifm sity The rally drew support from the sta te ’s largest te ach e rs’ unions, the Oregon Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon. “We hope that students, with Amplifying the student voice through voting is a priority for the campaign, because we want to make sure that the decision makers who get elected in November know that students across the state participated in the election in a significant way. our help, will be more aware of the issues that are affecting them and their power to affect change, and that the state government and federal government will re spect students as an active and important part of their constitu encies,” Desautels said. Stevens said the rally was an example of the kind of political momentum that can win real victories for students. W estover is confident that Or egon students will make a huge impact on this year’s election. “We hope that the long term -SarahWestover.OregonStuderrtFoundationvoteorganlzer.PCCCascade | , ha, e|ected voice by running strong and impactful voter registration, edu- cation and get out the vote drives, and this year, Oregon students have prioritized running what could be the largest non-partisan voter registration drive in the state. “Amplifying the student voice through voting is a priority for the campaign,” said Westover, “because we want to make sure that the decision makers who get elected in November know that students across the state participated in the election in a significant way.” According to Amy Stevens, a member of the student govern- ment at PCC, their efforts have gone really well so far. She said, however, she is excited to bring in even more new voters once fall term approaches. As summer moves into Au gust, voter registration cards continue to be passed around to students from all walks of life in classrooms, where an ASPCC volunteer‘rapper’ with the PCC student government informs their peers of key points on how reg- istration directly impacts their individual lives and the institution they are a part. . — |ook w students as a key constituency Tuition costs for students have in O regon that deserves to be doubled from $39 per credit hour taken into account and priori- at PCC in 2001 to $82 a credit tized,” she said. hour this year, which Stevens believes has a lot to do with the rising percentage of what stu- dents are required to spend for their degrees. “It is important for elected officials to recognize students as a constituency,” W estover said. “That should be taken into ac- count, especially when making Truly making a difference in the lives of difficult budgetary decisions be- Auto Accident victims and Injured Workers for nearly 20 years. cause students have so much at If you or someone you know has been in an accident, stake as tuition continues to sky- rocket and student debt is at an call us so we can help you with your needs. (503) 284-7838 all-time high.” “Having registered so many We are located on the students gives us much more corner o f MLK and Russell power in our lobbying efforts, Street, on the second floor which include advocating for the rights of minorities,” said Trieste above the coffee shop. Desautels, communications di rector for PCC student govern ment. Great strides have been made The Oregon Opportunity Grant program received an additional Parking Area $10 million worth of funding af- 00 ter the student groups got in volved politically. The money was enough to provide an additional 5,000 students with financial aid. Rusäell St. In April, more than 300 col- Chiropractic Auto Injury Clinic, PC Zchon R. Jones, DC 333 NE Russell St., #200, Portland, OR. 97212 (503) 284-7838 TT I I I I I
