April 21, 2021 The Skanner Portland & Seattle Page 5
News
Events & Announcements
Community
Calendar 2021
cont’d from pg 4
pollinated by a variety of insects that help flowers set seed and
help fruit & vegetable plants produce an edible harvest. You will
learn about the different kinds of pollinators, discover a plant
palette to help attract and support pollinators, and go beyond
the bloom to consider ways to provide shelter, water, nesting,
and overwintering sites. http://emswcd.org/workshops-and-
events/upcoming-workshops/
TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1:30 – 2:30 PM
BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING: Every interview includes at least
a few behavioral interview questions - in this virtual workshop
you will find out which are most common and get tips on how
to answer them. Presented by Mollie Grider, Talent Acquisition
at Verizon. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/behavior-
al-interviewing-tickets-137833643137?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
MONDAY, MAY 5, 12, 19, 26
Seattle Marches for Children
Members of Super Familia, an organization that supports undocumented and unaccompanied youth in Seattle marched on Saturday
April 17, outside one of the homes run by Youth Care, an organization Super Familia accuses of abusing immigrant children and
collaborating with ICE. Super Familia says Youth Care which contracts with the Federal Government to take care of unaccompanied
minors, mistreats the young people and turns them over to ICE as soon as they turn 18.
Briefs cont’d from pg 4
of Representatives after someone in the building test-
ed positive for COVID-19.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has warned businesses
will be shut down again if hospitals become inundat-
ed with patients.
On Monday, the governor announced that 10 coun-
ties are moving into the ‘high risk’ category, which
implements more COVID-19 restrictions, including
decreased capacity in restaurants and gyms.
Lewis & Clark College to Require
COVID Student Vaccinations
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Lewis & Clark College has
announced that it will require proof of COVID-19 vac-
cination for all students this fall.
According to a database maintained by the Chron-
icle of Higher Education, it’s the first institution in
Oregon to announce that requirement, Oregon Public
Broadcasting reported.
In an email to students sent Wednesday, the private
college in Portland said all students must be fully vac-
cinated or have an approved exemption by Oct. 15.
The policy doesn’t apply to online programs.
“We are eager to return to what we do best: in-per-
son classes in a close-knit environment on one of
the nation’s most beautiful campuses,” wrote Robin
Holmes-Sullivan, Lewis & Clark vice president of Stu-
dent Life and dean of students.
The policy only applies to students, but Holmes-Sul-
livan wrote that the college has “strongly urged” all
staff and faculty to be vaccinated. Of the 58 colleges
and universities the Chronicle listed in its database
as requiring student vaccinations, just six are requir-
ing that employees show proof of having been vacci-
nated.
The college also anticipates having vaccina-
tions available through their their health service,
Holmes-Sullivan said.
According to the college website, students will be
able to register for the fall term if they do not have
proof of vaccination or an exemption by the deadline,
but they “may be subject to disciplinary action, regis-
tration holds for future semesters, or other require-
ments or restrictions necessary to support communi-
ty health.”
Seattle University said last week it will require stu-
dents to prove they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Western Oregon University Board
of Trustees Approves 2.17% Tuition
Increase, Diversity Statement, New
Certificates
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon Uni-
versity (WOU) Board of Trustees on Wednesday ap-
proved a 2.17% increase in resident undergraduate
tuition for the 2021-22 academic year, a decision that
confirms WOU’s commitment to affordability for Or-
egon students.
The 2.17% increase is the smallest among all seven
public Oregon universities with the exception of Eas-
ter Oregon University. The increase will mean an ad-
ditional $180 for a resident undergraduate taking 45
credits per academic year at WOU’s Monmouth and
Salem campuses.
Also at the meeting, trustees approved its Board
Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Ac-
cessibility, a project the group has been working on
since 2019 and that constitutes the highest policy
authority for the university. The statement outlines
expectations and priorities for the university’s cli-
mate, recruitment and retention of employees and
students, curriculum, community partnerships,
business practices, and more.
Seattle News Briefs
Faculty Vote Slams Christian
University’s Hiring Policy
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Pacific University faculty
members have cast a vote of “no confidence” in the
leadership of the school’s Board of Trustees after it
announced it would retain a hiring policy that dis-
criminates based on sexual orientation.
The Seattle Times reports that many at the private
Christian school have voiced concerns about the poli-
cy for years. Students say some were particularly up-
set in January, when adjunct nursing professor Jéaux
Rinedahl sued the university, saying it did not hire
him for a full-time position because he’s gay.
In a Monday evening statement, the school’s Facul-
ty Senate wrote: “The Board’s decision to maintain
SPU’s discriminatory hiring policy related to human
sexuality, as well as its manner of delivering that de-
cision, have regrettably compelled the faculty of SPU
to pass a vote of no confidence in the SPU Board of
Trustees.”
The Faculty Senate received responses from about
90% of faculty, with 72% in favor of the no-confidence
vote and 22% against.
The Board declined to comment on the vote.
The hiring policy is in the school’s employee hand-
book and says employees “are expected to refrain
from … sexually immoral behavior that is inconsis-
tent with Biblical standards, including cohabitation
and extramarital sexual activity.”
The handbook then directs employees to the school’s
lengthy statement on human sexuality, which says
the “sexual experience is intended between a man
and a woman.”
CASCADIA’S HEART EVENT: a month-long virtual celebration il-
luminating the intersection of women, mental health, taking
place the entire month of May in celebration of Mental Health
Awareness Month. This year’s month-long virtual art gallery will
explore challenges unique to women in our community while
empowering women to live their best lives. Proceeds from this
event are critical to Cascadia being able to serve over 6,000
women of all ages every year. Visit https://bit.ly/3wEITZi for the
first event, or search HEART on Eventbrite to see all events.
Employees who engage in those activities may face
disciplinary action, including termination, the hand-
book says.
WA Legislature OKs Open Carry Ban
at Capitol
By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — People would be prohibit-
ed from openly carrying guns and other weapons at
the Capitol and surrounding grounds and at or near
permitted public demonstrations across the state un-
der a measure approved Tuesday by the Washington
Legislature.
On a 28-21 vote, the Democratic-led Senate con-
curred with changes made in the House, which passed
the bill last month. The Senate initially passed the
measure in February, so it now heads to Democratic
Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to sign it.
“This bill will help ensure the safe exercise of our
First Amendment rights by extending current law
restricting where someone may carry a weapon to
demonstrations and the Capitol campus,” said Demo-
cratic Sen. Patty Kuderer, the measure’s sponsor.
Because there is an emergency clause on the bill,
the law would take effect immediately upon Inslee’s
signature, instead of the usual 90 days after the end
of session, something Republicans opposed to the
bill noted blocks a potential voter referendum on the
measure.
“There’s no emergency,” said Republican Sen. Mike
Padden, who joined others in his caucus in voting no.
In addition to prohibiting openly carried weapons
in the state Capitol or on the western part of the Cap-
itol campus, the measure bars people from carrying
weapons, either on their person or in their vehicle,
while attending a permitted demonstration at a pub-
lic place or while being within 250 feet of the perime-
ter of a permitted demonstration.
The bill adds permitted demonstrations and Capitol
grounds surrounding the legislative building to the
list of designated places where firearms are already
prohibited statewide, including restricted areas of
jails, courtrooms, taverns and commercial airports.
While openly carried guns have been banned in
both the public galleries of the Senate and House
chambers and in public hearing rooms at the Capi-
tol’s legislative office buildings since 2015, people can
still openly carry weapons in the main public areas
of the Washington Capitol and on the grounds of the
Capitol campus.
Under the measure, a person must knowingly be
in violation of the law in order for the criminal pen-
alty to apply, and the prohibition does not apply to
concealed carry of a firearm by someone with a valid
concealed pistol license.
Violation of the law would be a gross misdemeanor,
punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to
$5,000, or both.