INTRODUCTION
On October 12, the Center Building was dedicated to Lane Community College’s first President and founder and renamed the Dr. Dale. P. Parnell Center Building for Learning and Student Success.
Just a few months later, the next big thing to hit LCC struck: the unprecedented late-February snowstorm. It was catastrophic enough to down a large tree off of campus, which severed LCC’s optic cable, which, for reasons that remain unexplained by the Facilities department, isn’t underground once exiting campus, nor their responsibility. Also not known is why there aren’t contingencies put in place should something like this happen.
Instructors pushed back deadlines and for many, the remainder of that snowy term was hectic and overwhelming. Some students weren’t able to leave their homes for over a week.
Then, on May 4, tragedy struck the LCC community at its core when student and track-and-field athlete, Alex Oyombe Gradin, was shot and killed behind Taylor’s Bar and Grill in Eugene. A candlelight vigil was held on May 8, and a memorial erected in the Center Building.
LCC BOARD & FACULTY
Right before the beginning of the school year, Dr. Paul Jarrell–formerly of Santa Barbara City College–was hired as the vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, rising above the other six candidates after a nationwide search.
Over the course of the year, though, members of LCC’s faculty, even as high up as the Board of Education, have pursued unfavorable extracurricular activities and have found themselves in trouble with the law.
On May 5, Board of Education member, Phil Carrasco, who represents Zone 5, was arrested on two charges of third-degree sex abuse with a minor. While the LCC administration called this a “personal matter,” he continued to serve on the Board throughout the 2018-19 school year until his subsequent conviction and sentencing on May 14. He was sentenced on one count of sexual abuse in the third degree.
Despite this, Carrasco was present at the March 13 Board meeting, where dozens of students, faculty and staff members spoke in opposition to the proposed tuition increase and outsourcing of food services and the Titan Store.
On April 1, the Board of Education voted for a $4.50 increase per credit.
But not even the Board is immune to change. Angela VanKrause, a financial analyst with Trillium Community Health Plan according to her LinkedIn profile and former LCC student, is the newest member of the Board of Education after winning the uncontested Zone 2 race. Although winning his reelection with 94 percent of the vote, Carrasco resigned a second time following his sentence of twenty-days in jail and three-years probation. He also has to register as a sex offender. Lisa Fragala was the only Board member to face opposition, handily defeating Stefan Strek by 54 points. On May 29, 2019, the Board officially began its search for applicants to fill the vacant spot.
VanKrause looks forward to her time on the Board of Education. She, sharing student loan debt like many other students, said “I’m extremely reticent to continue raising tuition.”
In regards to faculty, fall term of 2018 started with chalk graffiti on campus that read “Students are watching, Pres. Hamilton.” The reason for this was that Daniel Mackay, convicted on three counts of sex solicitation in 2016 returned to his job at LCC teaching literature following his ninety-days in jail and three-year probation sentence.
ASLCCSG
At the beginning of the school year, the ASLCCSG was embroiled in controversy. Through unexpected resignations to threats of impeachment, the student government persevered, though, and, by the end of the school year, is the healthiest it has been in years.
On October 5, Vice President Dan Good abruptly resigned in the middle of an open Senate meeting. That same day, Senator Diego Wilson was nearly impeached for a number of still-unproven offenses. With Good’s resignation, Pro Tempore of the Senate Nick Keough became the Vice President—something he never expected.
Then, on November 8, then-President Keely Blyleven was hit with her own impeachment articles, this time on the basis of anonymity.
They did not pass.
However, one day before winter term of 2019 started, on January 6, Blyleven officially resigned as ASLCCSG President, thrusting Keough into the presidency.
It was reported that Blyleven began discussing her resignation with Keough soon after Wilson’s failed impeachment a few months prior.
January 30, a Unity Letter was published. In it, the ASLCCSG acknowledged their shortcomings and agreed to move forward and rebuild. Nick Keough, before the Pro Tempore of the Senate, was now the President; Amadeo Rehbein-Verhoeven now the Vice President.
After their rocky start, the new ASLCC administration quickly got down to business.
Eventually, it came time for ASLCC elections. Seven incumbents—Senators Laney Baehler, Michael Gillette, Valerie Hoffman, Ama Wayne, Aime Nacoulma, Diego Wilson and Chief of Staff Bryant Everett—ran in the election. Also on the ballot was an amended ASLCC Constitution, which included an amendment that would shrink the Senate from ten representatives to eight.
On May 16, after a recount caused by confusion about two very similar names on the ballot, the results were in. There were 310 votes cast, or a four percent turnout rate, which the ASLCC says is double that of last year.
The constitutional amendments passed, 252-58, shrinking the Senate and turning the election into a race to the top 8.
Aime Nacoulma placed first with 196 votes. He, along with Ahmad Alkadi, Amber Coleman, Alexandria Jackson, Valerie Hoffman, Michael Gillette, Ama Wayne, and Samantha Mosley will make up the 2019-20 Senate.
The four Student Activity Fee Committee representatives elected were Laura Leader. CyRil Fagar, and Sebastian May and former Senator Laney Baehler. Diego Wilson was elected chairperson of the SAFC.
Voted in as President and Vice President were Bryant Everett and Leila Jebara with 242 votes. Though they were the only candidates for executive office on the ballot, they faced a last-minute write-in campaign by Diego Wilson and Kenzie Scout.
Interview with Bryant Everett- incoming president of ASLCCSG
What are your plans, or what does your administration hope to accomplish this academic year?
After the commencement ceremony, on the 11th of June, there is a conference planned out to iron out the details and plans for student government this year.
More specifically, radical changes need to come, on various levels, institutional, faculty and staff, etc.
What needs to change?
Student engagement is the biggest issue here; there is not enough student participation.
The fact of the matter is that I was elected by only 4% of students, and that is double of what we have seen in recent years. In numbers, 78% of those that voted, voted for me, 242 votes.
We are seeing a huge lack of “community” for a community college. The lack of enrollment means less involvement in student activities, clubs, organizations, events, etc.
The return on investment is to make sure students are engaged. We’ve heard the comparison to silos, where everyone is just in their own little section. What we need is more intersectionality.
The pillar of their campaign was based on building a community.
We see the potential in the center building for example, where the long term plans have outlived the student boom seen in 2013 and 2014, the highest seen in a long time. They expected it to continue, but instead, there was a sharp decline. The college needs to look at what is actually really important because it is starting to price students out.
A good economy like what we are seeing now should be booming for student enrollment and it ought to be helping build a community college.
But obviously, LCC has been missing the mark and the votes (or lack thereof) reflect that. So we need to look at the needs of the current constituents. Everyone has different goals or projects in mind, but what really needs to be looked at are the current needs of students.
How do you plan to accomplish that?
Breaking down these silos, or barriers. If we were to have more departmental crossover, students would get more interactions with people outside of their program who are facing a different set of obstacles from their own. Right now, there isn’t much opportunity for people to meet one another, unless they are studying in the same department. That needs to change.
We need to find a way to serve each individual program, fulfilling their needs while simultaneously fulfilling the needs of all. When there is more understanding and compassion, there is more unity among everyone here on campus–workers and students alike.
So what you are saying is that we should unify clubs and organizations?
Crossover between student leadership? Yes, please!
Working to unify resources and work together instead of wasting time and valuable resources (including elbow grease) when things could just be combined. Less overhead means less expenses.
It’s going to be a slight culture shift from what I’ve been seeing. I don’t know what got us to where we are, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come together.
How do you think you can get students more involved?
Engaging students through events, tableing, etc. We mostly need to get student leaders working together. Being student president without their support and that of others doesn’t mean anything.
“We are all going to have to work together, sink or swim.”
I am only here for a year, we build on where the previous person left off. This is something bigger than ourselves.
Can you give me some idea of what your plans or aspirations are?
“Things we want to do this year include training as student leaders.
There will be institutional changes coming. All I can say is that there are definitely things in the works.”
“Things will be put in place to reach marginalized students and address the problems no one is talking about such as the housing crisis and food insecurity.”
“In just a few weeks we had over 500 students visit the rainy day food pantry! That is more people that voted in the elections!”
“No one is talking about the fact that when some teachers leave late at night, there are cars that just move from one spot to another, probably from students who sleep in their cars here on campus due to the fact that housing is becoming cost prohibitive.”
What can students do?
Most of these issues are not on students! We are putting a lot of the burden on them already.
What I would like to tell students is to keep working, keep striving, keep moving forward. Despite school, work, family, etc. keep doing what you are doing! Involve yourselves whenever possible, use the resources that are available and here for you. Most importantly, be mindful and kind to each other, we already have enough forces against us.
Use the resources at your disposal here on campus; go for clothes if you need them at the No cash Clothing stash and please go to the rainy day food pantry. Funding for the pantry IS dependent on usage. The more we can show the need students have, the more funding we can get and bring you what you need.
The best way students can show support is by voting. The more students we can show who are informed of what is going on in our school, the more numbers of students we can show through votes, signatures on petitions, etc, the bigger our voice is towards the educational board and the committees where we represent you all.
The more students we can get involved in voting and on showing that they care about what is going on and show the power that we have in unity; student voices are what is needed to drive the changes that are necessary.
Get involved in student clubs and organizations to show how important and needed they are on this campus and to show solidarity with fellow students.
We all have all sorts of issues that come up every single day. We see each other week in and week out; we should be able to be there for each other.
Respect, unity and advocacy are major keys. “Let’s not beat around the bush and hide the issues that we have. Let’s make waves and have these courageous conversations. It is going to be uncomfortable, but we cannot shy away from them any longer.”
FOOD SERVICES
At the beginning of the school year, there were only three food options, other than the Titan Store, remaining of a once thriving food court. It ended with the announcement that Food Services will close altogether on June 14 according to Brian Kelly.
There was no direct mention of a replacement.
Instead, the Titan Store will be LCC’s sole source of food and drink. However, it, too, will close temporarily as it goes through its own transition with the Bookstore.
BLENDERS
Also being shut down is the coffee shop, Blenders. Whether someone will come in and replace them is unknown, but longtime employee—the face of Blenders since 1998—has said that she would like to see it replaced by someone local.
“To the best of my knowledge, they will replace us with a local coffee business.” She added that “in my opinion, it would be nice to see Global Delights, who we already serve, come in and make great drinks for our Blenders customers.”
Dutch Bros. is also rumored to be a possible replacement.
CML (technically closely tied in to food services)
The uncertainty about the Center for Meeting and Learning remains. The only thing that is clear at this moment is that they will be here for the 2019-20 academic year, mostly due to the board supporting their role here at the college.
Good things can come out of chaos, so I am looking forward to it” Paula Westgate, the CML’s conference services coordinator, said. She sees this as an opportunity for the department to reinvent itself and take a good look at strategies that are working and what needs to change.
For now, they are continuing to operate as they always have chaotic and flummoxed in the background, but poised and with a smile.
It seems the decision for them to stay came from the board as they see the value in what the CML does for the community and students rather than its monetarial value. “There is an investment, in this case it is a monetary investment and the return we see on it is the benefit it provides the community and our students.”
Westgate indicated that a decision needs to be made on what is more important because holding on to the values that the CML prides itself on is not a profitable model and won’t be making money.
We need a different model; maybe there is something different we can do.” Westgate made a reference that seems to be making the rounds around campus these days, of the different programs being silos; all of the programs are like silos standing alone, maybe we need to be more like cogs to ride this out.
TITAN STORE/BOOKSTORE
As the school year progressed what at first just seemed like rumors quickly turned into much more of a reality. The Titan Store and Bookstore are being leased to Barnes & Noble College—a move heavily criticized by the Director of Retail Services Tony Sanjume and by countless students and faculty during Board of Education meetings.
In January, it was reported that the Board was considering these measures. Escalating quickly, at the Board of Education meeting on February 14, Barnes & Noble College representatives presented the Board with their proposal for a lease.
ECCO
For years, about half of Building 10 has been contracted with Eugene School Districts alternative high school, Early College and Career Options, or ECCO as it is commonly referred as.
Both the 30th. Ave. location and the Downtown LCC location, where its GED program is located, will move to a district owned property in southwest Eugene.
What will become of their space in Building 10 hasn’t been reported.
