Student leaders' underage drinking causes campus buzz

After incriminating photos of Associated Student Government members drinking underage at a party surfaced on Jan. 18, the college community began questioning whether student leaders should be held accountable for their illegal actions off campus.

The photos which were posted to Grants Officer Whitney Johnson's Facebook page depicted several underage ASG members taking shots of alcohol in a private residence. The album named, "Hanging with the 'Co-Workers,'" depicted ASG President Michael Vu, Promotions Officer Bailee Sanders, Campus Activities Officer Kyle Doran, Senators Narci Carlson and Quyen Thoi, Senators at Large Jennifer Borowczak and Greg Robertson, along with Student Outreach Event Coordinator Alyssa Fava and Johnson all in attendance at the party. In two photos, Johnson, Fava, Sanders, Thoi, Borowczak and Doran are seen with drinks in hand. Borowczak and Doran are the only two of legal age to drink.

In the comments section below a photo of Sanders, Fava, Thoi and Borowczak taking shots, Borowczak commented on Jan. 20, "Mmmm. That was good tequila." The photos were removed sometime later in the week when word had spread of their existence.

On the front page of her Facebook page Johnson mentioned her ties to the college as well as being a member of ASG.

The photos were first received by The Print in an e-mail on Jan. 18, from an anonymous source. After the investigation in which the photos were found, members of The Print approached ASG on Wednesday, Jan. 28, with the photos at their weekly meeting and asked for comment.

Johnson in a typed statement delivered to The Print on Thursday, Jan. 29, said, "What took place was in no way a school sanctioned event nor was it ASG sponsored. It was just a group of friends hanging out."

Vu and Sanders also maintained the statement that the event occurred off campus and was in no way related to the college.

"This was not an ASG event," said Vu.

Members of the Clackamas administration have agreed with the ASG statements, that illegal action in their private lives should in no way affect how they are treated on campus, regardless of whether it is illegal or not.

Concerns over these photos seem to be another page in a story about misuse of social networking sites and the outcome. Last spring, student Benjamin Caldwell was expelled from Clackamas and taken into custody after posting what administration claimed to be threatening statements against students.

When asked whether he should have been accountable for those statements, Dean of Student Services Bill Zuelke said that people should be aware of how open the internet is and that what Caldwell did was illegal.

"If you post something illegal on the Web and expect it to be private… you can't yell 'Fire, I was only kidding,'" Zuelke said.

However, when asked whether ASG members should be accountable for breaking laws in regards to legal drinking age, Zuelke stated a different opinion for their illegal actions.

"If an ASG member is in their own home [drinking] and is 19 in their own home, I could care less," said Zuelke.

Robert Keeler, Department Chair of Social Sciences said that student leaders should be self-aware in their actions, but should not be penalized by the college.

Men's Basketball Coach Clif Wagner said that he wasn't sure how college aged students drinking was news.

"What you do on your own time should not matter. Everyone has a right to a private life," said Wagner.

Social Studies Instructor Loren Ford understands the importance of a person private life but sees student government officials differently.

"It is an inevitable part of college life that most students are going to consume alcohol, but care should be taken that there isn't a connection with the college if the person is part of student government," Ford stated in an email.

Although some students do not care whether or not ASG was drinking underage, many students on campus find the representatives' illegal actions disreputable.

"To me it's wrong that any one who represents a group of people would break the law and be okay with it," said student Noah Gordin. "I'm completely against underage drinking. We have state laws against that and the fact that they break them, post the photos online almost to brag that they did it and don't plan on being held accountable shows what's wrong with leaders today. I think they should all step down. It's just not right."

According to Fava, whose MySpace page says she is 18, the party was a personal event and should not be held against her.

"So my only comment is that it wasn't on school time and had no ties to the college whatsoever," said Fava, "and it in no way affects my abilities to fulfill my duties as a student leader."

For some students, it's not about what choices ASG member's make in private, it is what illegal actions they choose to make and how that represents the student body. With ASG's annual 'Alcohol Awareness Week' on the calendar for spring term, questions in regards to ASG's ability to promote appropriate alcohol use is in question.

"I'm shocked that these leaders would ask students to be responsible with alcohol when they can't even follow the laws put in place to promote alcohol safety," said student Tyler West. "There is a reason we have a drinking age, it was put in place by people to protect people and our student leaders don't seem to respect that law. If they don't respect the laws we have, how will they respect anything? How can they assume that we should respect them?"

According to Fava, the event is not to tell students not to drink underage; instead it is to increase awareness of alcohol's affects and dangers.

"We are trying to reach out to students to have them be aware of the harsh effects of alcohol…" said Fava, "there is no way to drink in a smart manner but you can be as responsible as you possibly can with it… I would support anybody who chooses not to drink and people who choose to drink as long as they are safe about it."