Current Events

Lobby Club to go to Salem to encourage higher education opportunities

Chrisann Kim
March 7, 2013

The Lobby Club will send 10 students to Salem, Ore. on Thursday, March 7 to participate in Opportunity Day, a rally for Oregon students hosted by the Oregon State treasury.

“I’m excited for students to discover first-hand that they can impact the legislative process,” Todd Jones, social studies teacher, said.

The goal of this rally is to establish the Oregon Student Opportunity Fund, a fund whose goal is to provide low-income students in the state the opportunity to have two years’ worth of post-secondary education.

According to The Opportunity Initiative, the cost of college education in the state of Oregon has risen 50 percent, while per-capita income has only increased by 20 percent. But the fund will create a permanent fund that will be invested to generate income and increase student aid grants in the short-term.

The fund will be supported by bonds; the state treasury will create bonds which will be available for purchase. The entire Act anticipates an issue of $500 million in the next two years and continuing smaller contributions over the next 30 years.

“Students generally think that government is the realm of adults, and I want them to realize that they have powerful voices,” Jones said. “I am inspired when I see students empowered to make a difference in our community, our state, and our world.”

To learn more about the initiative, visit www.buildingoregonsfuture.org. Join the Lobby Club at Salem from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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About the Contributor

Chrisann Kim, Co Editor-in-Chief

Ideas for her future career of becoming a zoologist started back in Beaverton, Ore for Chrisann Kim, senior. “I love working and being around animals,” Kim said. Kim wants to learn about them and not be someone who takes animals for granted. “I want to be [a zoologist] because humanity and mankind need to realize that we share this planet with absolutely spectacular creatures, and we avert our eyes away and never wonder what the other biological worlds are like,” Kim said. Though she enjoys Oregon, Kim wishes she was born in England. Sophistication is one of the many words that describe Kim and another reason for her love of England. Kim loves the style and sophistication of England. “I’m sort of a British freak! I wish I was British,” Kim said. If Kim had the money, she would go to England for school. Kim’s favorite artist is Taylor Swift. Last year, she was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Swift’s Speak Now World Tour. A lucky win via a country radio station landed her a spot in the pit at the concert. “Hands down, the best part was seeing my idol and role mode perform live five feet away from me. Just being in her presence was absolutely mesmerizing, because I never believed that I could make it to [the concert],” Kim said. “She has helped me in unfathomable ways and to see her for myself was the moment of my life.” A Class of 2013 senior, Kim is ready to move on with her life. She is now ready to take on whatever life throws at her. Chrisann is prepared to begin the next chapter in her life, as a freshman in college.