Kaytlin Hill
Editor-in-chief
khill48@jccc.edu
On Feb. 14, we reported on college President Joe Sopcich’s insensitive remarks about the tuition raise. Since then, we have reached out to those involved regarding these comments.
Sopcich was overheard in a lively discussion with Angeliina Lawson, chair, human resources committee, Board of Trustees, about her voting against the tuition raise.
“I was explaining to [Sopcich] my vote in December,” Lawson said. “His reaction came from my explanation. It sounded like him needing to tell me, ‘this is why it had to happen this way’ and for me to basically get over it.”
The Faculty Association released a statement on Feb. 15, stating that they do not share the sentiments expressed in the tweets. Sopcich was unable to be reached for comment and is out of the office through Wednesday of this week.
“I felt really stunned by the comments that were shared with me, confused, and especially right afterwards pretty shaken up,” Lawson said. “Instead of attending the rest of the meetings that I had set up that day, I had to really recompose myself to be able to continue because it was just something that is so different from our values and our vision that we hold for the college.”
Sopcich was in Washington D.C for the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees’ annual meeting along with Lawson and Gerald Lee Cross Jr., Treasurer of the Board of Trustees and Tiger Harris-Webster, president, Student Senate.
“I have mixed feelings about how it was publicized,” Harris-Webster said. “I think that if everyone were to take conversations that you have privately with friends out [of context], it kind of puts us in a dangerous place. So, in that sense, it’s hard to formulate a true opinion, especially since there only parts [of the conversation] publicized.”
Lawson saw the tweets that were published on Feb. 13 by Kansan Democratic National Committee member, Chris Reeves.
“I know there is an audio clip out there that was circulated,” Lawson said. “I have not heard this audio clip, but I was there, so I can testify that the tweets were fairly accurate. The college has requested that media go through their PR department.”
“I choose to answer to the public because I feel like this is something that the public has directly asked me to answer,” Lawson continued.
Lawson is scheduled to meet with Jerry Cook, Chair of the Board of Trustees, on Wednesday. The Board of Trustees are scheduled to meet this Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in the Hugh W. Speer Board Room, GEB 137.
“Everything seems to be directed to ‘you will find out at the board meeting’” Lawson said. “I really don’t know what I am going in to. I don’t know the position that Sopcich has at this moment, so there is a lot of curiosity I hold around what the board will take, what the faculty will take, what the community, and what Sopcich will do.”
Melanie Harvey, President of the JCCC Faculty Association expressed dismay at the comments made by Sopcich.
“The thoughts behind the comments are a concern,” Harvey said. “It indicates a lack of understanding of student struggles and experiences. The college needs to educate leaders about the diverse challenges that students face. We should take this as a sign to reflect on how we can better understand students.”
Lawson tearfully reflected on her time struggling through college and now with her role as a board member.
“I would like to tell [the students], please, this is not [the college], not the values that we hold true, this is not how the faculty feels,” Lawson said. “I know that because I was one of these students who struggled to get through community college. It’s a bit of a sore area for me when the burden of proof is on the poor, to prove that they’re poor.”
Maytong Haengkham, student, was vocal about this issue on twitter, and in person.
“We live in one of the richest counties in Kansas, but to say that there aren’t people who are struggling is insensitive,” Haengkham said. “[Sopcich] is in a position of power and for him to say that and think that is unfair. He should definitely apologize and really get to know students and realize that there are people here who struggle financially.”
Lawson said, “I know one of the comments that Sopcich made was that there were maybe only 70 or 80 poor students out of 18,000. Well, I would like to meet with everyone one of those students, and I would like to hear every one of those stories. Even if it is just one student who is struggling, that’s enough to be able to stop and listen and find out what is going on for that one person.”
Correction, The Board of Trustees is only meeting on Thursday, the information has been corrected as of February, 20, 2019.