THE
TORCH - JAN 30, 2019 - VOLUME 54, EDITION 7 - EUGENE, OR -
LCC News / pg 2
Activism / pg 5
Eug. News / pg 6
A week of activism Eugene hosts rallies promoting political activism and inclusivity
photo by Trent Toyama / photojournalist
photo by Selina Scott / photojournalist
photo by Marek Belka / editor in chief
Top Left: Dr. Lawrence A. Rasheed, Program Coordinator for the Black Student Union, introduces CNN correspondent Bakari Sellers for his Keynote speech. Top Right: A member of the Raging Grannies choir holds a sign during the Eugene’s Womxn's March. Bottom: Members of the Eugene/Springfield NAACP Youth Council march across the Willamette River during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community March.
David Galbreath Reporter The media these days can make us feel like we are at that moment before the dawn when everything starts to fall apart. It’s important to remember that citizens can show the government what they stand for. Since 2016, people in cities and small towns alike have become more vocal, taking to the streets to show their support for issues like women’s rights, racial equality and gun control. Over the course of one week in Eugene, thousands of community members united together to show their support for many different reasons. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lane Community College hosted Bakari Sellers, the youngest African-American politician in American history. Sellers was asked to deliver a keynote speech and later held a Q&A with his audience. Later in the week, Eugene joined other cities around the country for the third annual Womxn’s March. The week of activism came to an end on MLK Day with a NAACP-led march. Most of the organized protests went on without a hitch but–like many recent protest movements–there was controversy. Several national Womxn’s March organizers have been accused of anti-Semitism, as well as excluding transgender people and sex workers from their organization. As a result, fewer people participated in the march than previous years. Despite the controversy, the week of activism ended on an optimistic note with the MLK Community March and Celebration, which saw thousands of people descend on the Shedd Institute in downtown Eugene to celebrate the life and work of Dr. King. continued on page 4
Barnes & Noble may replace Titan bookstore Uncertain future for campus hub James Croxton Reporter Much like Food Services as highlighted in the previous edition, the Titan Store and the Bookstore are facing major cuts or a possible corporate buyout. The Titan Store is losing six-figures annually–facing a projected loss of $350,000 for 2019–as they have for the last five years It faces an uncertain future that will likely consist of additional cuts that could affect students and staff. The projected loss–much like that for Food Services–is “probably a bit inaccurate, but not by a large amount,” according to Tony Sanjume, the director of Retail Services. The reason for this loss is the same as it is for Food Services: a lack of enrollment and subsequent sales. “Overall, the low enrollment is a contributing factor, so if we could increase enrollment at LCC, then we would see some of our difficulties go away,” Sanjume said. The department, he says, also needs to make it so “payroll [is in] alignment with our sales.”
He argues that this is feasible “if we reduce the equivalent of one to one and a half full-time employees from our permanent staff while also budgeting strict limits on our part-time staff that is set as a percentage of our sales. I believe this can best be done by sharing the hours of two existing full time employees with other departments at LCC.” There are no plans to completely eliminate the Titan Store, although that comes at a cost to students and faculty. Instead, Sanjume says that “we may see the lines grow a bit longer,” adding that the limiting of their payroll as proposed to the Board of Education at the January 2019 meeting will possibly mean that “less backup [will be] available to cover the times when the lines are longest, such as [the] middle of the day when classes let out.” Another possible outcome is that certain products will be eliminated depending on future contracts and whether or not the Titan Store is outsourced. What products will be eliminated is anyone’s guess at the moment. However, one would certainly hope that the essentials–personal hygiene products, menstrual products, etc.–are not at risk. LCC has a sizeable homeless population that calls the woods right outside campus their home. For them, the Titan Store, among other LCC services are critical to everyday life. continued on page 2
Scholarship season
comic by Emmett Crass / cartoonist