I work at a newspaper, and I am the only person I know who went to community college. That’s not uncommon, especially the higher up you go.

But I wouldn’t even be in journalism if I hadn’t gone to Central Oregon Community College, because in my first term, my writing teacher, Annemarie Hamlin, handed back an essay and on the last page, wrote “This is good! You should write for the student paper!”

By beginning of next term, I was on staff at The Broadside. I learned how to be a journalist there. After I left, I worked on a temp basis at NPR; now I report for a large metro newspaper.

This summer, COCC administration decided to shut The Broadside down for good. They say few newspapers were being read, student staff had difficulty keeping people and students can get the training and opportunities elsewhere.

I’m here to say they are wrong.

I don’t care if you lean conservative or liberal — if you care about the truth, you should be incensed about this.

If you’re conservative, you should be worried about how, as analysis shows, cities where newspapers close up shop see an increase in government costs and higher long-term borrowing costs.

Here is my question for COCC leadership: Do you think Bend would be better off with no local paper? If your answer is “no,” why would you think COCC students are better off without one?

If you’re liberal, I’m sure you’re appalled by how the free press seems constantly under attack — from the White House, from Wall Street, from Silicon Valley and elsewhere.

It is mind-boggling to me that in the middle of expanding news deserts, and less than a month after a physical attack on journalists in Annapolis, Maryland, that COCC administration would do this — especially when it only costs the college $50,000 (an additional $35,000 comes from student government, but ironically, they’re not allowed to vote to defund the paper).

But it also makes sense. When I was at the paper, we regularly published stories critical of college leadership.

One of my last stories was about a member of student government who allegedly gave alcohol to minors and intimidated other students to change votes. Multiple people had brought up issues to Student Life about this individual, including one person on staff, and they felt that the school wasn’t doing anything.

That’s just one of many stories. Of course COCC wants to shut down the paper; it has the power to point out their flaws.

It doesn’t matter if student participation is low: at one point when I was there, we only had six students on the payroll, but that year we beat every community college newspaper in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana to take home first place in General Excellence, best news story, best feature story and page design.

There is no replacement for a student newspaper. Even my classmates who didn’t go on to work in media say they learned to think critically, meet deadlines and, most importantly, speak truth to power.

Here’s my challenge to you, if you’re a Broadside alumnus, COCC alumnus, or just someone who cares about the truth — email the president at president@cocc.edu. Tell her the college is shutting down the students’ voices.

— Scott Greenstone is a reporter for The Seattle Times. The views expressed are his own.