Frustrations Mount As Students Cope Corvallis Hosts Scholarship Fundraiser for LBCC and OSU
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DEC. 2, 2015 CAMPUS NEWS COMMUTER.LINNBENTON.EDU [email protected] campus news DEC. 2, 2015 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAolA ResignAtion Q&A PAolA Paola Gonzalez hiring procedure. I was a volunteer who them and believing in what SLC can be. Ex- SLC President explains her sudden departure November 17th, 2015 tried to hold the student government And if you ever see anything you don’t Student Body President at that time accountable for dereliction like, speak up. Every single student has Student Life and Leadership of duty. That team had a hand in me the potential to affect change, and I’d This interview clarifes the All of this happened in the span of policy in the SLC bylaws/school policy. developing PTSD. During this time I hope that this group will listen, and if circumstances that lead to Paola months. The new team thought I threw a Cover Credit: Dear Students: had felt silenced and oppressed, by many they don’t, make them listen -- remember Gonzales leaving her post as LBCC tantrum last year, which made managing Q. Are SLC staff members/ Concept by: Richard Steeves of those who were involved. I fought it’s your money that funds SLC, and you Student Leadership Council president. and leading them diffcult. Once again volunteers able to voice their concerns Design by: Nick Lawrnece This is my offcial letter of resignation impeachment for unfounded reasons, are entitled to know and direct the SLC The views expressed in this interview when I started to see an individual not about working conditions in a way as your student body president. underwent harassment, in addition to so as to how you want that money spent. are Gonzales’ alone, and are intended to do their job, and I tried to do something that is respected? The cover: I ran on the platform of change and much more. I wanted to be president to illuminate her perspective. about it … (I) experienced harassment A. Well, if the current team doesn’t Commuter Holiday Cup community, but I chose to run as affect change, but also to make sure what from this person continuously. During remove the grievance procedures that president because that was the only way happened to me last year didn’t happen Q. If you could change one thing this year I have been cursed at, cornered we have voted on during my time as The Commuter is the weekly I was going to be a part of SLC. In the to anyone else ever again. This is why I’m student-run newspaper for LBCC, about how the SLC operates, what by a member of the team—who I did not president, volunteers now should be able fnanced by student fees and time I have served you however, this resigning, because student government would that be? pick—and was selected because three to fle any concerns they might have with advertising. Opinions expressed in school has seen: campaigns for a tuition has been an unsafe and unwelcoming other people in the hiring committee last an offcer—with a clause stating that The Commuter do not necessarily freeze, where we collected over 100 environment for me, for far too long. I A. SLC needs to start practicing year were all about seeing me fail. All the after fve reports have been fled, that refect those of the LBCC student interest cards in the summer; we really tried to be strong and continue, accountability measures, and actually while dealing with my PTSD. offcer will be brought to the judiciary administration, faculty and students have had your student leaders testify in but I have to take care myself. I’m happy of LBCC. Editorials, columns, letters, taking action when things aren’t working board, where they have the ability to and cartoons refect the opinions of front of the Board of Education for a to tell you however, that the group you out, and not allowing problematic, Q. Is this when you began to feel remove offcers in question. the authors. 0% increase, and succeed; we have had all have now isn’t so much like this. So aggressive individuals who are not doing singled out for being bilingual? Letters always welcome. a survey campaign where we were able don’t misunderstand last year’s team’s their job to shirk their responsibilities as Q. Would you explain what was to collect and catalog 940 of your much misgiving for this year’s team. I’m just no paid student leaders. A. No, I was singled out for being unwelcoming about your experience Address: appreciated opinions; in addition, to the longer able to fght the good fght, and bilingual during a hiring procedure for at SLC? The Commuter Offce setup of a new accountability practice represent you to the best of my abilities. I Q. What will it take for SLC to get the position of event planner, during Forum 222 within the SLC, involving a grievance hope that you all can see the change that on track? fall term of 2014. I was made aware A. A lot of the current team didn’t have 6500 SW Pacifc Blvd. Albany, Oregon 97321 procedure; our very frst harvest festival, was made, with the success we’ve had. I after the interview that during this the full scope of what happened last year. and of course the beginnings of bleachers also hope you all can see the change in the Sincerely, A. For SLC to get on track, the process there was a concern of me not Because of this, I had to deal with snide Web Address: PHOTO by: MiTCh kEyS commuter.linnbenton.edu on campus. Unfortunately, my time horizon and realize that SLC has a lot a bylaws and constitution need be revised. being able to communicate properly, remarks and cruel judgment from my as a president is over. Last year I was a room for growth and improvement, even Paola Gonzalez The SLC can no longer be allowed to because I was bilingual. fellow teammates on a situation which Phone: A. I frst began to experience PTSD 541-917-4451, 4452 or 4449 volunteer at SLC, who was discriminated without me as president. They’ll need Student Body President disregard mandatory, outlined duties as they had no idea about. I don’t harbor against for being bilingual, during a your help though, don’t stop watching stated in the bylaws and constitution. in the spring term of last year and was Q. I understand you faced resentment toward them, because they Email: diagnosed fall of this term. Yes, SLC [email protected] In addition, the mentality of being a impeachment during your frst few didn’t know the full extent of what I have “student frst” needs to be eradicated. As had a hand in my PTSD. I was in an weeks as president-elect. What was been through, but that was diffcult. With Twitter long as student leaders can hide behind unsafe and unwelcoming environment the underlying reason? the addition that there’s an offcer who @LBCommuter being a “student frst” they will continue for 10-ish months, and dealing with has continuously cornered me, and made Facebook to treat these positions as an extra time the fact that I was raped on top of A. The underlying reason was because the space unbearable to be in, this created The Commuter to do homework, or an extracurricular enduring harassment constantly. they were unhappy about the fact that I a very unwelcoming environment. Google+ Students and staff were activity, instead of a job and responsibility told them they weren’t doing their job. LBCC Commuter Q. Would you share your experience asked how they spent their to students. Student leaders last year and The reasons they pursued to strip me of at the SLC in recent months? Our StaFF Thanksgiving weekend. this year have been able to use this as a offce were these: They didn’t like how CAMPUS perfect shield to hide behind when asked I used the space in their meeting, they A. Last year I was discriminated Adviser why they are not doing their work or why felt my tactics that I used for my election Rob Priewe they have not done their work. against. The aggressor later became part campaign were unfair (the use of chalk Jack Doman of SLC. During a meeting I tried to hold [to advertise on campus] and people Editor-in-ChieF the team accountable, however they Richard Steeves VOICE Computer Science Major Q. When did you frst begin to coming to help advocate the benefts of “I went home to Grants Pass experience PTSD? Do you attribute were allowed to continue to not do their me becoming president being the tactics Managing Editor with my mom, my dad, my broth- your PTSD to experiences while jobs, and then I was harassed. Several they felt were unfair)—and then they Melissa Chandler er, and my nieces.” working at SLC? individuals induced panic attacks while tried to accuse me of unfounded—and STOry by questioning me about said rape. Others completely untrue—misappropriation CHrisTOPHer TrOTCHie Photography Editor attempted to impeach me multiple times. @ChriSTOPhEr999 Marwah Alzabidi of student funds, quoting a non-existent Opinion Editor Christopher Trotchie News Editors Denzel Barrie Allison Lamplugh Joy Gipson Robin Evans slC ResPonds to ResignAtion Sports Bookstore Assistant Jason Casey - Editor Dear LBCC, for me to comment about the details of on the frst week of winter term, I will be Christen Clark “We stayed home and had Andrew Gillette family over.