Gresham, Oregon | March 1, 2013 | Volume 48, Issue 19
advocate the
The independent student voice of Mt. Hood Community College
www. advocate -online . ne t
Hanging on
Current WLEE students are dealing with the fallout of Brian and Kim Anaclerio’s termination while the administration gears up the program for a revival next year Mike Mata The Advocate
Emerging from a whirlwind of investigation and controversy, the Wilderness Leadership Experiential Education (WLEE) program is poised to add an avalanche certification for next year. Some frustrated WLEE students are still trying to dig out, meanwhile. MHCC President Michael Hay said in an interview Tuesday that the college is interested in continuing and expanding the program. “We have signed an agreement… with a group that specializes in avalanche training. So we’ll be adding avalanche certification training to the program as we come into the new cycle,” Hay said. The group is the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE.) Hay said WLEE students would have a chance to learn first- and second-level training, which would cover “Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain” and “Analyzing Snow Stability and Avalanche Hazard,” according to the AIARE’s website, avtraining.com. The WLEE program also will soon allow firstyear students to sign up for the program, though on a limited basis, Hay said. The WLEE program has faced a slew of hurdles in the past year: from its two main instructors being terminated, to investigation by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, to uncertainty concerning certifications for students. But, Mt. Hood’s support remains strong, Hay said. “It (WLEE) has not dropped off the radar in any way, shape or form,” he said. “We think it’s viable and we think its very in-tune with the Pacific Northwest and it’s something we’d like to continue doing.” Adding the avalanche training is part of an effort to “offer a greater breadth of classes and opportunities,” he said. And yet, not all troubles are left behind, certainly not for students caught up in the turmoil. A current WLEE student who wishes to remain unnamed due to legal reasons said in an interview on Wednesday, “We (the WLEE students) came here with the understanding that we would get a twoyear degree and also 11 certifications. It’s those 11 certifications (that) really help you on the outside to
get work.” The student said most of the participants earned either four or five of the 11 certifications during the last year’s immersion trip, which came after Brian and Kim Anaclerio had been put on administrative leave. “To pick up those other five or six certifications on the outside would cost us thousands of dollars and a year of time,” the WLEE student said. “So, that’s what we went and talked to a lawyer about. That’s in the process right now.” The student added that any suit would involve compensation for time students felt was wasted because they were unable to finish their certifications, due to the Anaclerios’ exit. Hay said that the actions taken with Anaclerios have been a confidential personnel matter, which as college president he is not in a position to comment on. Brian Anaclerio was terminated unanimously by the Board of Education during its Jan. 9 meeting; Kim was terminated by the Board of Education last year. The anonymous student said of the Anaclerios, “They’re awesome people and they’re great instructors. “I don’t know about their accounting part of it, keeping the books, that’s not something we were involved with as students. I can just tell you, for teaching wilderness leadership, you couldn’t find a better instructor out there,” the student said. “…I think the biggest problem we had in that program wasn’t with the Anaclerios, it was with their guidance, which came from the dean of phys. ed. (Kim Hyatt, MHCC dean of Health & Physical Education, Aquatic Center & Athletics). Where’s her accountability in all of this?” the student said. “I thought there was kind of a bias from her from the very get-go with our program. I just didn’t feel like she was very supportive of our program, at all,” the student said. “The only time she showed anything, any attentiveness towards our program, was after the Anaclerios were let go. She maybe thought that there could be some legal issues down the road, that’s when she
See “WLEE” on Page 6
pope out
Fireplace gallery
Spring sports
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find the beauty in the lines with a new exhibit
Baseball and softball gear up for powerhouse seasons with an eye towards NWAACCs
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