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February 1, 2012
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SUMMER SCHOOL CUT UNDERMINES DISTRICT’S MISSION By Rampage Staff
Summer school has been an imperative stepping stone in the education of college students across the State Center Community College District. Students rely on summer school to complete certain classes so that they might graduate on time. The elimination of summer school impacts the future of students and severely impedes their academic progress. Eliminating summer school contradicts the district’s mission statement that it is “committed to lifelong learning and success for all students by providing accountable, accessible, innovative and quality educational programs and services.” Why should summer school stay viable? Because It offers an avenue for students to complete courses swiftly; because the classes are well spaced out and actually enticing to students; because the perennial parking issue at Fresno City College does not exist; because students who are engaged and take advantage of the courses offered, complete their education faster. Now the chancellor has proposed to the board of trustees to eliminate the first half of the summer program so the district can save $500,000. Meanwhile, the district has a surplus of about $40 million. Is there a reason why our leaders are not using this surplus to provide classes for students or to quit cutting services? Obviously, not that entire surplus belongs solely to FCC, but at least $8.2 million does and the college’s share of the proposed savings from cutting
summer school is $377,000. Of course, the district and the college have the funds to provide summer school course, but they are choosing not to.
in this slow economy, but denying students access to an important component of their education is an unimaginable violation of the students’ expectations.
you take away that which keeps a student going. Other issues revealed in the last week or so is the broken communication between the
How does that extend the district’s mission? In one of her emails to district employees, Chancellor Deborah Blue explained that the reason for the summer cuts is to prevent salary reductions and possible lay-offs. Protecting salaries and evading lay-offs is understandable
Students keep the institution afloat and this proposed policy would drive them away faster than anything else. Other issues notwithstanding, students do look to summer school as a way to salvage some hope for their education. If you take away the hope of furthering their education,
various levels of constituency on campus and district wide. Faculty and staff say that they received a string of emails, some contradictory, but still no cohesive message about why the district is taking these steps. Lack of organization among those entrusted with leading us is
a deep hindrance to the students and faculty. If the administration cannot figure out what is going on, the rest of the campus, faculty and students included, have no idea what to think or what questions to ask. Students rely on the faculty and administration for information and when there’s no one message, students feel let down. Cutting summer school is a disservice to students and undermines the main reason students come to college. In addition, faculty members rely on summer school for income. With the cuts, both groups are impacted. There needs to be further consideration of the matter before a final decision is made. There is a greater purpose to consider in the education of the students than money. The cut of summer school plays into a vicious cycle of redundancy. Students cannot get the classes they need, so they work more. If they work more, they attend school less. If they attend college less, the college loses some of its funding. If the college loses some funding, it reduces, even more drastically, the services it provides. The college district has a duty to make education available to students that need or want one. Cutting summer school challenges the very philosophy and credibility that the any caring institution of higher learning possesses. Maybe the district should ask students what they want. Are we OK with summer school offerings being cut? No. We certainly are not. There are other ways to save money that do not involve robbing
MARIJUANA IMPACTS GOALS AND DIRECTION By Kaitlin Regan Rampage Reporter
Marijuana has become a collegiate achievement rather than the “controlled” substance that the government labels it as. While it has pertinent uses for medical illnesses, students have taken “pot” and made it a stereotype for college life. Fresno City College is a rather large campus but there are hardly any areas you can walk by without hearing a discussion about pot taking place. Whether the story includes friends, a house and/or a car does not matter. At the forefront of the conversation is the amazing party that was attended where pot was the main event. Not all students spend their time under the influence but if one considers the number of students that are, it can be a shock. Here in the United States, marijuana is illegal and a federal offense. In California, it is legal to possess an ounce of marijuana or under and not be in violation of the law. However, federal law will trump state law in any case. There have been numerous
debates on the legalization of marijuana and the arguments from both sides are valid. Legalizing marijuana could open a flood gate of acceptance towards drug use but it could also boost the economy if taxed and sold correctly. With any system, there will be flaws and abuse but legalizing it will end half of the battle. Most marijuana users partake in the drug with such vigor simply because it is illegal whereas those with cancer or serious illnesses actually need it to function. Consider a cancer patient and their war with the demons inside their body. They need to be injected with pure poison in order to fight off the cancer which leaves them in pain, nauseated and weak. With medical marijuana, they get their appetite back and pain relief. What do college students get from marijuana? They get the munchies and a completely feeling of relaxation. The issue is not with wanting to feel that way; the issue is with the abuse of the drug by those whom do not need it. Many say that the way to stopping the abuse of the drug is already in effect. Medical marijuana
cards prevent abuse don’t they? No, they don’t. As stated earlier, with any system, there are flaws and ways to circumvent the legal boundaries. Students can go to a doctor and say that they have migraines or another medically accepted reason for marijuana and receive it. If you have those problems and need marijuana to even things out, by all means find yourself some relief. Lying for the sake of a high though, is far from worth it. Most students are working and if they aren’t, they are trying to find work. What will happen if a potential employer drug tests you after a long weekend of hot boxing and partying? You will fail the test and be barred from employment. There are certain tricks that people try to get around this such as drinking cranberry juice and water to flush their systems but marijuana can and will hide in certain tissues in the body. Another effect that falls into play is school. You’re in college to get yourself an education. If you end up high more often than not, you’re wasting your education. You are wasting a valuable chance
to get somewhere in life and be that doctor, nurse, painter, writer or teacher that you’ve always wanted to be. Marijuana inspires lethargy that can make even the simplest of tasks seem like an oddysey in comparison to the same action completed while sober. Students seem to think that it’s just a simple drug and that it won’t change their life in any way. This hope could not be farther from the truth. The feeling of carelessness is appealing during hard times but when push comes to shove, a sober mind is the best to have. The abuse of marijuana adds a shameful tint to those that actually need it and have a prescription for it. They see the wreckless abandon with which the every day college student treats it and they feel that it is now a mere collegiate achievement. Abandoning inhibition has been done through various generations but at a great cost. Marijuana has become mainstream and therefore lost its novelty. Patients or students who use medicinal marijuana need not feel chastised for the actions of others.
There is a reason for the use in those cases whereas the simple mission of getting high is over rated and pointless. Marijuana has been prescribed for a number of reasons and if you find yourself not fitting into that category try to stray away from the habitual use of marijuana. It has the capability of destroying passion and inspiring a loss of drive for the goals that were once at the forefront of the mind and heart. Being a student should inspire a sense of purpose and direction in life and the use of marijuana can snuff out that fire in a heartbeat. Chasing that high, that feeling can become an obsession that is not easily dropped. Take a second to think and remember telling your parents what you wanted to be when you grew up and then make your decision. At the risk of sounding clichéd, the advice from this piece is to get high from the excitement of your own life and opportunities and not a drug that you think makes you socially acceptable. The reporter can be reached at kregan@therampageonline.com