LBCC Election Debate 2016

SLC candidates debate looming student issues

LBCC students have seen an unusual amount of changes in their Student Leadership Council this year. Multiple resignations, including both elected president and vice president, sent the SLC into turmoil in the midst of fall term. Persevering through the chaos, two non-elected students stepped up to fill the empty positions and turned turmoil into a cohesive team.

In two months time, President Candalynn Johnson and Vice President Eric Slyter will hand over their current positions to the new, elected leaders of student government. But first, the students of LBCC must choose their leaders; the time for an election has arrived.

On Feb. 17, students will receive an electronic ballot through their Linn-Benton email addresses, providing them another chance to pick the representatives of student government.

A round of debates were held by the SLC Judiciary Board on Feb. 12 at noon in the Fireside Room. Open to students, about 15 people filled the space to listen to candidates deliberate current issues the college faces. Board members Reis Taylor, Elijah Andre-Orlando and Sophia Metzler posed questions to candidates, asking for their ideas on a variety of issues.

Eric Slyter speaks. Next to him are candidates Jason Shirely and John Maine.

-The Candidates-


Eric Slyter: Running unopposed for president

When the SLC began crumbling during fall term, Slyter stepped up to the plate. Beginning the year as an executive assistant he is now the acting vice president.

“I was up to the challenge and I cared about the team,” said Slyter. “I sort of filled in the gaps as needed and was kind of a wild card in the SLC.”

He believes his experiences working many positions in the SLC has equipped him for the presidency.

“I feel very well prepared to lead the team,” said Slyter.

During his vice-presidency Slyter chose to tackle the issue of students' financial burden.

“If tuition is something that’s out of our control we need to shift our focus to other ways of saving students money, things like focusing on textbook affordability and working with the availability of grants and scholarships,” said Slyter.

Disappointed in the lack of competition, Slyter believes that the position of president takes devotion and may be intimidating for potential candidates. If Slyter doesn’t receive the support of student voters the position will be open to applicants, though he will be eligible to apply.

As president he would act as a liaison between the LBCC Board of Education, The Oregon Students Association, a student lobby group, and the student body. Working with the Board of Directors Slyter would be involved with the creation of a budget which affects every aspect of student resources on campus.


Jason Shirley: Running for vice

Shirley is a Salem, Ore., native and a fourth-time returning college student. He began his college career at Chemeketa Community College, and is a computer science major. This year he has spent time volunteering with the SLC, and manages a pizza joint one day a week.

“I learned some valuable skills being a manager. I know how to lead a team of people effectively,” said Shirley.

Shirely believes the biggest challenge for LBCC students is a lack of open communication about their resources. He advocates for open forums to encourage discussions with the student body regarding other issues, especially the lack of resources for student-parents.

“I have a very good idea of what keeps student in and out of school; mostly out,” said Shirley. “Linn-Benton has 16 percent graduation rate. Across all of our campuses there’s 5,500 students which means 880 students are going to graduate. I want to bring that number up. We can do better as a community, as a school.”


John Maine: Running for vice

Maine is a student-parent of three, including a newborn. Vice president of the Veteran’s Club and serving on the Judiciary Board, Maine keeps himself busy.

“I’ve been able to balance all those things in my life already and commit to my schooling,” said Maine.

Maine served in the Army. He spent 15 months in Iraq and suffered a traumatic brain injury, eventually receiving a Purple Heart for his service. After spending time rehabilitating he is ready for a fresh start at LBCC.

“When the rubber meets the road, I have the grit to get everything done. As I was a team leader in Iraq I did that in a combat zone,” he said. “I get things done; that’s how it has to be. You have to have that mindset whether you have things going on in your life or not.”

Maine believes he possesses a “unique understanding as a student parent, a student with disabilities and a veteran.” He sees problems non-traditional students face and believes he can provide solutions using the education, knowledge, and resources gained through his own experiences.


-The Issues-


Discrimination

LBCC is a college with a diverse student population. Recent discussion between students and faculty members have brought to light a need to address issues of discrimination against minorities on campus.

“I know that discrimination does happen on this campus,” said Slyter. “Being a privileged white male it’s a little bit difficult for me to wrap my head around what discrimination really is and it’s something that I’ve had some really deep conversations with some people about. It’s something that I’m deeply concerned with and I’ll be doing my best to make sure that the student voices are heard and they will be comfortable expressing themselves in any situation.”

Maine recognized the discrimination issue and that the VP position represents all students, no matter their background.

“We need to bring education out about all the demographics that we have here to include all minorities and talk about that openly. Don’t be scared to ask questions and know where to go for those resources,’ said Maine.

Shirley expressed a similar view, believing that students knowledge about available resources is key to the issue.

“The first problem with discrimination: making individuals feel welcomed to approach our student leaders, our faculty and our administration about discrimination,” said Shirley.


Blood Drives

One of the vice-presidential duties has traditionally been the organization of blood drives. However this has recently fallen under debate. Brought to the attention of the SLC by the Gender Sexuality Alliance, blood drives enforce FDA policies which do not allow men who have sex with men to donate blood. The blood drives discriminate against a portion of the student population, yet are still funded through their fees.

“The problem is that student funds cannot support the blood drives because it is discrimination of men who have sex with men,” said Maine. “There should be no discrimination in our student body, period. That’s my policy. That’s what I’ll stand by.

Both Maine and Slyter agree that finding a separate way to fund blood drives without the use of student funds is a preferable option. The possibility of funding the events through a club is a viable option. They also agree that it should not be in the job requirement of the VP to organize the events.

Shirley was not entirely informed about the issue.

“I’m still gathering all the information I can to have an opinion, but right now I cannot say or lean anywhere because I don’t know the full story,” said Shirley.


Student-Parent Resources

Student-parents are challenged with a pervasive lack of resources at LBCC.

“I am a student-parent myself, I have two kids and I struggle quite a bit in order to make my ends meet financially and physically getting to school,” said Christy McDaniel, SLC event planner.

McDaniel spoke up at the debate to voice her concerns to the candidates.

All candidates realize the relevancy of her plight.

“I have yet to grasp exactly why the college has not put more resources out there for student-parents. That’s something I’m currently working on, trying to figure out exactly what’s holding them back from giving a little bit to student-parents,” said Slyter.

With an imminent tuition increase of 7 percent, Slyter believes the lack of resources should be taken into account with increased budget funding.

Shirely expressed an idea for a student-run daycare center, but has yet to come up with a plan to implement the idea. He called for open forums to discuss the issue further with students.

Maine knows the plight of the student-parent all too well. He proposed a petition could help the situation, and student-parent voices to be hear. Maine intends to advocate for increased student-parent resources if elected.

At A Glance

• Candidates are: Eric Slyter for president, John Maine and Jason Shirley for vice president.
• Slyter is the current vice president of SLC and took the position after the resignation of several other members. He is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and dedicates his time to serving his community and his school. 
• John Maine is the vice president of the Veteran's Club and served in the Army. He received a purple heart for his service. Maine is a father of 3 and hopes to increase resources for student parents. 
• Jason Shirley is a returning college student. He began college at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, but dropped out due to a lack of encouragement. He has returned for a fourth time, determined to finish and increase graduation rates among his peers. 
• Elections will be held Thursday and Friday Feb. 17 to 18.
• Check your student email for more information on how to vote electronically.
• Candidates discussed discrimination on campus, blood drive discrimination, and the lack of student-parent resources at LBCC.