the
Puyallup
POSt S e r v I n g t h e P u ya l l u P C a m P u S O f P I e r C e C O l l e g e
Student rep elections set Oct. 12 and 13 Pam Luke The Puyallup Post
Students will have the opportunity to vote for candidates running for the representative I and II positions in student government all day on October 12 and 13. At a recent meeting, candidates were asked: If elected, what would your first priority be regarding the students on campus, and would you make any changes? These were there responses: Nathan Blakeslee Representative I Before I made any changes, I would conduct a survey to find out what some of the students’ likes and dislikes were. All surveys would be multiple choice answers with a few fill-in-the-blank questions. Some changes, which I have noticed already, that students would find on a survey would be, “Would you like ground lighting by the east walkway from the main building down toward the student parking lot, portable, or lower level of the library building?” This idea and many more are what I am going to be looking at in the way of changes around campus. I do believe my school has progressed immensely due to the student involvement (full-campus status), and I plan to continue with our success through the students’ votes and input. Callie Drotz Representative I Regarding the students at this campus, I would love to create much more opportunity and student involvement. With full-campus status this year, if I’m elected rep. I, I would like to have seasonal events such as snowboarding, hiking, boating, and whatever else that the students may desire. Since this is my first year at Pierce, I am greatly surprised at the numerous activities already offered to the students. As far as changes, I would be sure to take a number of surveys to discover not what I would like to change, but what the students are looking for. Natasha Saramillo Representative II I love to see changes, and actions that are followed through by representatives for the people they represent. I want to see that
continued on page 3
ASPCP President Jason Schlegel (top) welcomes the audience on Sept. 30 to celebrate Puyallup’s new status as the 34th community college in Washington. For the celebration, Student Programs sponsored a barbecue featuring the popular local band Hit Explosing. ALC instructor Jeff Pisetzner and high school advisor Phyllis Whitaker (above) enjoy the offerings. The college served more than 480 lunches to those attending (right) one of the college’s biggest celebrations.
Pierce changes student ID cards Lori Lavorato The Puyallup Post
This quarter, Student Programs will be issuing new student ID cards. The new cards will include students’ pictures, signatures, and magnetic strips. The cards will be valid for this school year. There is no need to get a new card or sticker for each quarter because enrolling in classes will activate the card for the current quarter. Having a picture on the card will enable different offices throughout the campus to be able to visually identify students, and other offices will actually swipe the ID cards in order to prove that the student is enrolled. ID cards will be required soon for checking out
VOLUME 5
library books, using the computer lab, purchasing student event tickets, checking out sports equipment from Student Programs and when using the gym at the Fort Steilacoom campus. The new student ID cards are free. If the card is lost, there is a $5 replacement fee. Many local businesses are offering student discounts with the new cards. It takes about two to three minutes to get a new card. Students may get their ID cards at the Student Programs office in room A130 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Evening hours vary, so students need to check the schedule located outside the Student Programs office.
ISSUE 1 ¥ OCTOBER 1999
ion
2
Puyallup Post
o p i n i o n
former student can’t collect social security A 65-year-old woman from Oki Buk Tu tried to collect her retirement benefits this week and was denied. Apparently, someone using her identity had already drawn these benefits. After researching how this happened, it was discovered she was once a student at Pierce College and that another unidentified student lifted her social security number from a petition for student government form. Her identity was assumed in order to tap into her long awaited benefits. This scenario has not happened yet, but does it concern anyone? When Pierce College staff members were asked about using an identifier for students as sensitive as their social security numbers, many were very quick to respond that it isn’t referred to as a social security number but as a student I.D. number. So, let’s play this out . . . If I know my I.D. number is made up of the same nine digits as my social security number, then isn’t it only logical that others use their social security numbers as an I.D number. I feel somewhat offended that our intelligence is so underestimated by our administration. The bookstore is a perfect example of the unnecessary use of such a personal number. Why do we need personal checks floating around with our social security numbers on them? Sure, cashiers need to check for outstanding debt or previously written bad checks, but this can be done through another means. Accepting cash or credit cards only would eliminate this problem entirely. During my search to discover why we use this crucial number for such an insignificant purpose, I learned a few things. The first of which is that you don’t have to use your social security number for your student I.D. unless you are receiving financial aid or federal grants. If students are not using these services, they may request a change in their I.D. number. If a student requests a new I.D. number the college will assign it. Although it will be a different number, it will contain alpha characters, and it will not work when you attempt to use the Kiosk, Pierce College web site or the touch-tone phone system. You will not have access to the same conveniences as other students who use their social security numbers. This seemed strange to me. So, I thought I would do a little research. I spoke to the University of Washington and Western Washington University personnel and discovered, to my dismay, that they don’t use students’ social security numbers for student identification purposes. They have a computer program that assigns a sevendigit number to all students. This program is even capable of assigning a number to students on financial aid. The first two numbers represent the year a student began attending the school, the third is the quarter and the last four are sequential assignments. They also commented that “if students don’t wish to give us their social security number, we generate a false number for them.” It seems to me that Pierce College at Puyallup could be a bit more creative in their accounting of student bodies. This is a higher learning establishment with access to new and technologically advanced systems. Perhaps this would be an ideal way to spend some of the new full campus funds. I encourage students who feel that this is a serious issue to question this procedure. It’s time to insist that the college protect our personal privacy. —Susan Cherry
e d i to r i a l
pa g e
s t u d e n t
s p e a k o u t
What are your thoughts about having your social security number as your student ID number, and do you feel that it is secure? Jamie Evans On the students forms, I feel okay as long as they keep it confidential. I think I’d feel a little uncomfortable with my whole social security number posted such as on instructors’ grade lists but with the last four digits, I think it would be okay.
Eric Lochbrunner I’m sure the school has taken precautions.
Crystal Austin I don’t think it is a very good idea. I think they can find something else where a student and the school agrees on a certain number that you choose.
Luis C. Choc I signed a petition for someone running for a representative position. I was a little concerned about whether to put my social security number on the petition. I just put my phone number and told them they could contact me if they need any more information.
Lisa Sims I feel that it is secure. First of all, I think that it’s the easiest way to form a student ID number because everyone has a separate one. It makes it easier for registration to keep tabs on everyone. As for security, I think it’ really safe.
Jill Hill I think it is a good idea that we have our social security number as our ID number because everyone’s is different. But, we’ve always been told, “Don’t tell anyone your social security number” and now it is on everything here.
David Iverson It seems like it is not a very secure thing to me and I don’t agree with having to use your social security number. Personally, I don’t use it; I have set up a different code for mine since that is an option here.
Tim Carter I feel that it could be accessed by anyone. It kind of concerns me a little bit but not too bad. I kind of trust the people here.
l e t t e r s
to
t h e
e d i to r
Campus events don’t include night students Dear Editor, Recently, as I roamed the halls of Pierce College at Puyallup, my vision was assaulted by a plethora of colored flyers, pamphlets, posters, and even ceilinghung signs announcing activities for students. As I absorbed the overwhelming amount of information plastered onto paper I realized it didn’t pertain to me. I’m a night student. Picking up the student activities calendar for the fall quarter, I scanned the months, counting the events that I had the option of involved in. In October, there were zero events scheduled for night students that didn’t require a ticket. On the other
the Puyallup Post
is seeking writers, photographers, artists and ad salespeople. Call 840-8496
hand, there were nine activities for the day students that didn’t require any sort of prior arrangement. In November, there were—again—zero scheduled events for evening students and 11 for day. In December, evening students were again allotted zero activities as opposed to day students, which got one. Recently, there was a celebration for full campus status. I’m appalled that as a night student I was not included in that monentous occasion. It seems, some sort of activity could have been planned to include evening students in this full camcontinued on page 3
The Puyallup Post For information on how to submit a story idea or advertising rates, call 840-8496. Editor: Susan Cherry Production Manager: Cherie Crowley Reporters: Lori Lavorato, Pam Luke, Doug Weisgerber
October 1999
President’s Pen
Claire s Calendar CLAIRE YUROVCHAK Vice President of Activities
Student Programs has planned a month full of events for you. Do some of you think that the movies are too expensive to take your whole family? Well, we have just the answer—Family Movie Night at 7 p.m. on October 8 in the lecture hall. This quarter we are showing “A Bug’s Life” and it is free to you and your family. There are lots of free snacks, so pick up your tickets now in A120. Students who don’t have anything to do at noon should go to room L206 every Monday for our Student Success Workshops. Every Monday there is a different topic that will be covered, so please check the bulletin boards for more
information. Our recreation coordinator is putting on a hike to Van Trump Park in the Mt. Rainier National Park. Sign up today in the atrium. As part of our Artists and Speakers Series; we are hosting Jars of Clay at the Puyallup High School. Tickets for the concert are available at a discount price for students in A120. Are you ready for some laughter? The Brainwaves Improv Comedy Show will be entertaining later this month during the noon hour. For more information on these events and many others, refer to your student activities calendar or check out the board in the back of any classroom.
3
JAsOn sCHLEgEL ASPCP President
Dear overworked and consumed students in academia: Vacation! I could use on right now and I am sure that I am not the only one. As the quarter presses on, I realize that our next break is in November. Yes, all the way in November–Ahhh! It is times like this that I have come to truly appreciate the many things that are going on here on campus. Who knows how much help might come from the “Learn to Succeed in Class workshop on Oct. 11, or the “Searching for Scholarships” workshop on Oct. 25. I am planning to go, I just hope that my attendance in those workshops will relieve some of my stress. I must contend, my computer has been the cause of stress—I am not referring to mistyping a letter or two, or forgetting to save my work. No, I am referring to Y2K being just under three months away. For the life of me, I just don’t want to have my computer crash.
How would I do my homework then? Although, I did hear that student government was sponsoring a Y2K forum on Nov. 10. I figured I would drop in and check it out to see if I really had anything to worry about. Though, there are times when I just think to myself about the wonderful choice I made by attending Pierce College at Puyallup. I sit back and think of how stressful it could have been if I had to pay $10,000 per quarter instead of $575. To think, I get the same quality education as one can get at a four-year school but so much cheaper. Man, I tell ya, I have it good here. I am sure Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing.” Regardless of what is going on, I hope that you are pressing on; meeting the challenges and overcoming the obstacles. No matter how much homework or lack of social life, I still believe that life is good. See you around.
College sets new withdrawal policy Lori Lavorato The Puyallup Post
Photo by Doug Weisgerber
Perspective candidates speak during a forum on October 5.
elections from page 1
our voices are heard when we have questions, concerns or ideas. I want our campus to be heard and see that all Pierce students have a wonderful experience here. Pete Tunis Rep II My first priority is to find out what the student body wants. Yes, I would start working on events and
clubs. I want to create a more social environment. By creating more clubs, people will find friends and acquaintances with similar views and hobbies. Jennifer Hendershot Rep II My first priority would be to make sure the students have an input in everything that happens on campus.
letters from page 2
pus status celebration; I’m assuming night time enrollment had soume affect on acquiring this status. I am quite concerned about this attitude of exclusion this full campus is portraying. It seems to me that student retention would involve an attitude of inclusion toward ALL students.
The amount of available activities for day versus night students is not proportional and it devalues my worth as a member of this academic community. Sincerely, Laurie Scribner
This quarter, Pierce College implemented a new class withdrawal policy. A student who has decided to quit coming to class, for one reason or the other, may think that the instructor will remove him or her from the class roster. But, because the student has paid for the class, the instructor or the college can not just arbitrarily withdraw him or her from class. The withdrawal has to be initiated by the student. If the student does not withdraw from the class they will most likely receive a 0.0 as a grade, and it will have a great impact on their G.P.A. A withdraw from a class will be shown as W on the students’ transcript. The new policy allows students to withdraw from classes until the end of the seventh week of the quarter, and in this case it would be Nov. 5. An important difference in this new policy, say college officials, is that the student is not required to be doing passing work. Although, the student will still need to obtain the instructor’s signature on the drop form. The new withdrawal deadline corresponds with the last day to enroll in a continuous entry class, and this can be advantageous to students who are on financial aid programs. If a student realizes that he or she will be withdrawing from a class, the student could seek
advise from the instructor on which class would be better suited for him or her to take. If done early enough in the quarter, the student would still have the opportunity to enroll in a continuous entry class in order to meet the credit requirements of his financial aid package. There were several reasons the college chose to change the policy. One reason is to eliminate the frustration on trying to find or locate the instructor the last day of class. Many times, part-time faculty are not easily accessible. They are either on campus only a couple days a week, or they have scheduled the Final during the last week of the quarter and now are gone. Another reason for the change, was because of the lack of definition of a passing grade. This could mean several different things to an instructor and each one could have different parameters of what they consider a passing grade. Finally, the new policy gives more responsibility to the student by allowing them to get into classes better suited for them and enable them to keep up their credit load as required for financial aid. It is important to know that special circumstance are considered on a case by case basis. An appeal may be filed to either the division chairperson or director of student services. If approved, a student will need to obtain one of these signatures on the drop form and present it to the registration office as soon as
letters to the editor are always Welcome Drop your letter in room a160B
4
Puyallup Post
i n t r o d u c t i n g
Duncan McClinton, English Dept.
John Lucus, PoliSci/History
Prior to becoming a teacher, what was your career path? McClinton: Avoiding graduating from college and having to get a real job. I loved school. Lucas: I was a photocopier. Khalsa: I have worked for many years with senior citizens as a director of gerontology. Dobyns: Always anthropology, but lots of stops along the way such as museums, private firms, school districts, a university. Starr: I have always been a teacher. I have taught in a variety of places such as California, Washington and Montana, and with different kinds of students such as deaf and reading & learning disabilities. Mathers: I had no career path prior to teaching, but I flirted briefly with the idea of earning a chemical engineering degree. Then I realized that some flirtations are taken seriously, and might even involve solving complex math and physics problems. Swart: I taught English at a community college before deciding to go to school for a master’s in library & information science. What is your idea of a dream vacation? McClinton: Three weeks on the beach, a stack of books, and a nearby bistro where meals are not rushed. Lucas: A comfortable couch, a big screen TV and lots of videos. Khalsa: One of my dream vacations is canoeing or camping in a wilderness reserve with good friends. Dobyns: Some place warm, tropical and with a beach. Starr: On a beach. The sand is warm, the water is brilliant clear blue and I no one else is using the beach. Mathers: One that doesn’t require waking up at 6 a.m. Swart: Three months island - hopping through the Aegean, stopping at the most remote island and ending up in Crete. What is your least favorite task? McClinton: Washing dishes. Lucas: Cleaning the house. Khalsa: My least favorite task is indoor painting with oil-based paint. Dobyns: School Related - Grading, Home - Dusting! Starr: Washing the dishes! Mathers: Gassing up my car every other day, now that I commute. Swart: Organizing my files at home. What is the most irritating behavior that
Leon Khalsa, Sociology/Psychology
o u r
Susan Dobyns, Anthropology
you have witnessed from your students? McClinton: A lack of risk-taking. Learning is about experimentation, and asking questions. I really like to work with students who are intellectually greedy. Lucas: Complaints about grades. Khalsa: The most irritating behavior I see in students is when they sell themselves short, when they choose not to put in the time, the attention and energy that ‘making your dreams come true’ requires. Dobyns: Failure to read the syllabus, especially when we go over it in detail. Starr: Well, a student who put their head down and refused to work! Or when I can’t get them motivated because they have a scary temper! Mathers: It can be annoying when they underestimate their potential; and when some of them leave those jagged edges on their paper when they tear it out of their notebooks, even when the paper is perforated! Swart: I haven’t been here long, but haven’t seen any irritating behavior! What is your favorite type of music? McClinton: I couldn’t pick a favorite. It depends on my mood. Lucas: Afro-pop Khalsa: The one that matches my mood. When I am quiet I like classical, when I am stressed I like rock, when I am romantic I like jazz, and when I am nostalgic I play oldies and NO I don’t mean Lawrence Welk. Dobyns: All (Almost all) types classic rock, jazz, Gregorian chants Starr: I like Celtic Irish type music — Mary Black, Laura O’Connell. Mathers: Spanish ‘cumbias’ and traditional devotional songs (by the likes of Tri Los Panchos)-which reminds me of my native south Texas Swart: Piano Jazz (Bill Evans especially) While attending college, who was your least favorite instructor, and why? McClinton: I didn’t have a ‘least favorite.’ Even the instructors I didn’t personally respond to had enough odd quirks that I found them interesting. Lucas: My economic history professor. Khalsa: My favorite instructor was Dr. Donald Tollefson. He was smart, he knew his material, but above all he was very kind to his students. He always made time in his busy schedule for us and his example inspires me to
n e w
fa c u lt y
Janina Starr, American Sign Language
Alena Mathers, English Dept.
this day, including as you can see, his preference for emphasizing the positive. Dobyns: Two instructors who kept changing the rules as we went along. You never knew what to expect from them or what would be expected from you. Starr: An instructor in my master’s program was extremely unprepared and wasted our time with boring lectures and off the wall activities. Mathers: My bowling instructor, (she dropped a ball on my foot during our final exam). I would have forgiven her if she hadn’t insisted I ‘buck up’ and finish the exam in spite of the pain. Swart: A statistics professor who wouldn’t give me extra credit on problems that he admitted I’d gotten 80% right. Do you have children? If so, what are their ages? McClinton: One son. Ian is three years old. Lucas: I have two sons; Peter (4 years old) Joe (4 months old) Khalsa: No, I don’t have children but I enjoy being an uncle to my niece Christiane who is 11 and my nephew Johannes who is 15. Dobyns: No. Starr: No. Mathers: No children, yet, but my
Kathleen Swart, Reference Librarian
2-year-old niece, Maya, promises to be a lot of fun. Swart: No. But my husband and I have a cat we call “Baby” that rules our lives. What was your greatest act of spontaneity? McClinton: Asking my wife to marry me (going on seven years now.) Lucas: Moving to Puyallup! Khalsa: After being branded as an artistic ‘underachiever’ early in grade school, I stayed away from drawing for 30 years. Two years ago, out of the blue, I decided to take a weekend painting course and discovered that painting can be a lot of fun and that the opinion of the voices from my past is a lot less important than my own experience in the present. Dobyns: Good Question. Lots of things that seem spontaneous are due to some planning & thought. Probably visiting Island Kosrae in Micronesia. I just got on the plane-didn’t know anyone, trusted things would be okay, and they were. Starr: Most recently, I just decided to go out and pick blackberries and then made a delicious pie! Mathers: I once took an unplanned road trip across the state of Texas-exhausting, but the scenery was amazing. Swart: Taking up fencing as a way of doing research for my writing
music reviews Doug Weigerber The Puyallup Post
The most ground shaking development in music over the past year hasn’t been the Backstreet Boys, or Ricki Martin, it has been the rise of a new music format. CD’s now have to deal with competition from internet files with mysterious names like VQF and MP3. Justin Frankel, the programmer who wrote the first user friendly MP3 player, Winamp, is now worth approximately $70 million. But he has single handedly boosted MP3’s from being a hobby centered at college campuses, to both a threat to the music industry and a potential multibillion dollar business. The beauty of the MP3 format is, firstly that it is for the moment free, and secondly that it allows music, that otherwise would never be heard to circulate throughout the world. Legal MP3’s that feature unsigned
artists, or are used as a promotional device are easy enough to find on websites like MP3.com. The real gems of my collection come from the Goodink Records website Goodinkrecords.com, free, legal promos from the band Goodness. Less legal MP3’s pirated by copying CDs are more underground, but are out there. I won’t tell you where they are, those who are interested can find them themselves. That’s the real downside of MP3’s; you can’t find the artist or song you’re after, unless you resort to violating the law, and even then you would have to wade through FTP server after FTP server. Thankfully industry prosecution has been focused on distributers of pirated materials, so for those of you downloading questionable MP3’s there is generally little to fear.