Examiner Spring 2011 Graduation Edition

Community college supporters rally in walkout Page 4

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News

Graduation 2011

Admin on the budget AVC Alumna Kay Ryan

By Natasha Castro Staff Writer

As talks of class cuts and tuition hikes are commonplace, concerns about next year’s budget are particularly pertinent.

Administration is a campus entity, which, as a result, has been consumed by the necessary tasks of crunching numbers, drafting proposals and watching anxiously to see how to resolve this chaos.

“The budget crisis that we’re facing today is the worst, most severe I’ve ever experienced in my 13 years in California Community Colleges… So it’s very difficult, [and] very emotional—particularly when we’re dealing with individuals, employees who have dedicated their services in support of the students here on campus,” said Antelope Valley College President Dr. Jackie Fisher.

Despite criticism, Administration is planning for what the Chancellor’s Office deemed the “worst case scenario”. This scenario assumes that there is no tax extension, and Prop 98 is suspended. Fisher said that if things turn out better than expected, corrections can always be made by adding classes or staff.

Deborah Wallace, Vice President of Business Services also commented.

“We’re not giving the campus anything other than what we have from the Chancellor’s Office and the State,’’ she said.

According to Wallace, the District is required by law to present a tentative budget to the Board of Trustees in June. In considering the worst-case scenario, the tentative budget is projected to be $8.253 million less than this year’s budget.

In preparing the budget, Administration faces the difficult task of cuts—in classes, as well as salaries and benefits.

“Eighty-five percent of our budget is salaries and benefits, so unfortunately when you’ve exhausted 15 percent of that pie, [you have] to look at reducing salaries,” said Wallace, adding that it is particularly difficult since certain state-mandated benefits cannot be cut in any way.

In considering the worst-case scenario, Wallace said there is a predicted cut of about 4,000 full-time equivalent students.

This, according to Fisher, is why most summer classes were cut.

As for courses offered this summer, Fisher said AVC must continue with workforce development courses, science labs and intercollegiate courses for fall athletes.

Because of a lack of students on campus during summer, many services are not needed and will therefore be cut.

“At worst case, it’s the entire campus, and the entire community college system

[that is at risk]. We are the largest higher education system in the world, so when you start making billions of dollars worth of cuts… it affects our system all the way around,” Wallace said.

The Strategic Planning and Budget Committee has brought forth a proposal to cut intersession. Although Fisher said he strongly supports maintaining four terms, cutting intersession “minimizes the impact on fall and spring semesters, where most of our students are.”

He said AVC must offer at least two courses during intersession for basketball players, faculty working hours and AVC’s year-round vocational nursing program.

“We started with the summer session, and then intersession, and that lessens the amount of courses to cut for fall and spring semester,” Fisher said. “Now, if that turns around, if the budget allows, we can always add courses back to the fall and spring semesters.”

Categorical, or state-funded, programs are also being reduced, as there will be no state funding next year.

“The district cannot support what the state is not giving us. It just becomes too expensive,” Wallace said.

Cuts will be come in CalWorks and Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, according to Fisher. Full disability services will continue, he said, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “The Chancellor’s Office informed us that if any additional funding comes in, those programs would not be restored,” he said, as any additional funding goes to AVC’s general fund, and not to categorical programs.

Adjunct instructors, overload (faculty teaching classes beyond their base load), as well as classified employees, student workers and hourly employees face layoffs.

Wallace estimated a $2 million net savings, though she expressed regret that this savings came at the price of layoffs.

“It’s the toughest thing I’ve had to do in my career,” she said.

Michael Shane Turner, Vice President of Human Resources, said he is similarly unhappy with the task.

“We try to keep front and center that this is a human issue,” he said, describing layoffs as “gut wrenching,” and agreeing that it’s the most difficult part of his job.

From a campus perspective, Wallace said, “It affects all of us. We’re in the process of building our new facilities [funded

by Measure R], and we’re already shortstaffed—how are we going to be able to

See Budget, page 4

wins 2011 Pulitzer Prize

By Kevin Michael Kramer Staff Writer

Antelope Valley College Alumna and Former United States Poet Laureate Kay Ryan has won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

The announcement came Monday, April 18. Ryan won for her book “The Best of It: New and Selected Poems” published by Grove Press. The Pulitzer Prize Courtney Unander / Examiner is just the latest accolade in Student reading Ryan’s award-winning book. the life of Kay Ryan.

Ryan was born in San Jose in 1945. She grew up in the San Joa- munity College Poetry Day. W.S. Merwin quin Valley and the Mojave Desert. succeeded her as Poet Laureate in 2010.

After graduating Antelope Valley High The poems Kay Ryan has written over the School, Ryan moved on to Antelope Valley years have garnered accolades by many.

College. It was here at AVC that she was in“I like a poem called “The Niagara Rivtroduced to poetry that would influence her er,” which uses the metaphor of water to own writing, according to a press release at talk about the passage of a lifetime,” said avc.edu.

Professor Charles Hood, an English instrucKay Ryan graduated AVC in 1965, re- tor at AVC. ceiving an Associate in Arts degree. She Ryan’s poems, according to loc.gov, “are then studied at the University of California, known for their brevity, wit and frequent Los Angeles, where she earned Bachelor’s use of slant and internal rhymes.” and Masters Degree’s in English.

Ryan’s Pulitzer Prize winning book has After receiving her Master’s Degree in been well received by critics. According to 1968, Ryan went on to teach English at the a review in the New York Times, “You can’t College of Marin, located in Kentfield, Ca- help consuming Kay Ryan’s poems quicklif. for over 30 years. ly… but you immediately double back…”

She has written several books of poetry According to pulitzer.org, nominating over the years, including “Dragon Acts to juries in each category choose Pulitzer Dragon Ends”, “Flamingo Watching”, “El- Prize finalists. Winners are generally seephant Rocks”, “Say Uncle” and “Jam Jar lected from three nominated finalists. The Lifeboat & Other Novelties Exposed”. prizewinners, including Kay Ryan, will be Ryan was named the 16th United States awarded the prizes in May at Colombia Poet Laureate in 2008 and served two terms University. The prize consists of a certifiuntil 2010. cate and a $10,000 cash prize.

According to the Library of Congress’ Kay Ryan has been influenced greatly by website, loc.gov, the U.S. Poet Laureate her time at AVC. “serves as the nation’s official lightning rod “When I got out of high school, I knew I for the poetic impulse of Americans.” didn’t want to stay at home,” Kay Ryan said Also according to loc.gov, the Poet Lau- in an interview she gave at AVC. “I simply reate seeks to raise the national conscious- knew I had to become an educated person.” ness of poetry. The Poet Laureate receives a “Antelope Valley College was great in stipend of $35,000 a year. that way. I came, and I liked everything.”

Their official duties are limited so they The Antelope Valley’s desert landscape can have free time to work on their own itself may have been an inspiration for Ryan. projects. The Poet Laureate is required to “One reason I know this landscape influgive a reading of his or her poetry. Kay enced here is because on the cover of the Ryan gave a reading of her poetry at AVC in book that received the Pulitzer Prize; she December of 2009. made sure that it included Joshua trees,” During her tenure as Poet Laureate, said Hood.

Ryan started a project called Poetry for the Through all her experiences, Kay Ryan Mind’s Joy. remains a fan of community colleges.

The project aimed to put a focus on and “I think the level of instruction at comspread the awareness of poetry on commu- munity colleges is astonishingly good,” nity college campuses across the nation.

Ryan said. “The student body is exhilaratRyan also designated April 1 to be Com- ing.”

Graduation 2011

News

Page 3

Dr. Rosa Hall retires after 19 years of service at AVC

By Natasha Castro

intention to do some work with the homeless Although she played as a child, Hall said shelter, as well as work in literacy. she would like to learn classical piano.

Literacy, she said, is of particular interest to A bluegrass fan, she also wants to learn to “My job at Antelope Valley College has been her, and is an area which she has always had a play banjo. such a pleasure,” said Dr. Rosa Hall, Vice Presi- passion for teaching.

“I thought, well, do I know how to play the dent of Student Services at Antelope Valley Col“When I lived in New Orleans, I worked with banjo? No. But, do I think that it’s an interlege. “Working with the students has been such a house painter who was totally illiterate, and esting instrument? Yes. I love it.” a gift.”

I taught this man how to read so that he could Uninterrupted reading is something she is Hall, an AVC employee since 1991, will be read billboards to his daughter, who was in first looking forward to. As well as more time to retiring June 30. grade. It was one of my most rewarding experi- garden, specifically cactuses.

Originally from North Carolina, Hall spent ences,” she said. “Nothing beats givher teenage and young adult years in Florida. ing people the power of reading.”

While working at Tulane University in LouiAfter retiring, Hall has many siana, she came to California for a conference plans. Along with new hobbies, and presentation, where she met her husband. She spending more time with her grandmoved to the Antelope Valley about a year later, children, she will do a lot of traveling. when she got a job On June 29, Hall will at AVC. kick off her retirement During her time with a trip to Southern on campus, Hall France and Barcelona has worked as a with her husband. faculty member, “I’ve always wanted to a dean and an adgo to Paris… I’ve always ministrator, keephad this idea that I wanted Dr. Rosa Hall ing her very conto drink coffee and eat VP of Student Services nected to students chocolate croissants in Courtney Unander / Examiner and staff.

Paris,” she laughed. Her (Left) One of Hall’s many cactus gardens as a present to Cynthia Hoover; (Right) Dr. Rosa Hall.

“It keeps you current goal, she said, is young when you work with students,” she said. to figure out a way to pack lightly.

Along with work on campus, Hall has been Only a few days after returning home from “I have become fascinated with cactuses…

“Our students [at AVC] are as good as any working on a 4-year ministry study at the Uni- Europe, Hall is to meet her family in Charles- They’re so different, and unique, and unusu- in the country. We have excellent students, versity of the South, which she is close to com- ton, South Carolina where she and her extended al,” she said. “I make [gardens] for myself and they’ve been a joy to work with.” pleting. After graduating, she expects she will family are going to rent a house overlooking the and put them on my patio, but I also make She also said that she will stay updated on be called upon for ministry efforts.

Atlantic Ocean. them as gifts for other people.” the status of the college, and with her friends “My goal here at the college was to make “It is absolutely beautiful,” she said.

Gardening is something she said she finds on campus. a difference for students, and my goal when I With her free time, she said she will pursue “restful” and “creative.”

“You won’t hear me say that I’m not proud leave here is going to be to make a difference in more creative projects such as scrapbooking, “I like growing things. That’s why I’ve al- of Antelope Valley College, because I am, my community.” drawing and photography. ways worked in schools. Growing minds, and and being associated with it has been a real Unfortunately, as VP, Hall said she feels as “I don’t lead a boring life, I have to tell you,” growing people, and growing children…” joy,” she said. “But you have to decide that though she has not had ample time to volunteer said Hall, adding that slowing down may prove Hall expressed her love for working with you need to move to the next thing.” in her community. However, she said it is her difficult. students, and said it’s a “calling”.

Staff Writer

“I don’t lead a very boring life, I have to tell you.”

News

Page 4

Graduation 2011

Community college supporters rally against class cuts

By Courtney Unander Staff Writer

Monday, May 9 at 12 p.m. students, faculty and classified staff gathered close together outside the Administration Building in protest of class cuts. In solidarity, they formed a sea of blue, flowing, not with currents of water, but currents of passion that ebbed and flowed through the constant chanting.

The chants swelled, making it impossible for the administration to not notice the protest, which was the point.

“Save the future,” they yelled. “No more cuts… We want classes… save our classes.”

Picket signs were waved high, reading sayings like, “Education Is Less Expensive Than Ignorance,” and “Don’t Cut our Future.”

Time Warner Cable News broadcasted live from the event, interviewing Susan Lowry, President of Faculty Union, but the swell of the crowd spoke loud and clear.

From there, the protest moved as one to the Library Plaza where ASO President for the fall semester, Terrance Meyers, started off by thanking everyone for their involvement at the rally. Then, current ASO President Enrique Camacho issued a challenge to all protesters present.

“Everybody, get your cell phones out,” Camacho demanded. “I got Senator Sharon Runner’s phone number, Assemblyman Steve Knight’s phone number and Gover-

Budget Continued from 2 support those new entities?”

Fisher, who said his job as President involves working with all the constituent groups to make sure that the college remains fiscally solvent, does not feel we are thoroughly prepared for the worst-case scenario.

He expressed he is not confident that AVC is ready to implement a plan at this time.

“You can’t plan for a situation when a situation is occurring.

You have to make the plan before that, and you plan for the worst,” he said. “Hopefully [the worst doesn’t happen], but we’re not there yet,” he said.

“Are we prepared? We’re preparing, and then after that you kind of have to cross your fingers. And you can’t exhale until the end,” Wallace said, adding that she thinks “the end” will not come for another eight or nine months.

Wallace said she feels that

nor Brown’s phone here… I’m pretty sure just number, direct lines by the turn out of this event to the state of Califorthat we can prove those guys nia.” Armed with their wrong,” Camacho said. numbers, Camacho This riled the crowd and challenged all protespeople were energetically tors to call these repcoming forward to speak. resentatives and tell But each speaker barely them to stop cutting spoke for 30 seconds before their education. the crowd erupted in cheerAs one, the protesting and more chanting, or ers reacted and quickly even booing at the system. dialed in the 10-digit One of the first to speak numbers. Whenever was Sara Rothenberg, ASO one got through, they Vice President of Academic screamed excitedly of Affairs. She made a plea their success. for all protesters to sign the “These guys are petition in support of Propoyour representatives… sition 98 which, if passed, make sure you tell would insure funds were althem…” and that was located to California comabout as far as Camunity colleges. But part of macho got before the making sure this passes, is Brandon Bird / Examiner crowd chanted again, to vote.

“Need more classes!” Student participant in Dr. Nancy Bednar, AVC He then invited any- May 9 Walkout.

Political Science teacher, one to take the microtold the crowd, “If you are phone and express their frustration on how not registered to vote, you have no voice.” the budget cuts have been affecting them Others took the platform and shouted their personally. protests and disgust at the unfairness of the “There is a lot of talk around that Antelope class cuts.

Valley [College] students don’t really care “Educate yourself… fight for what is yours that much about their classes. They’re just because if you don’t, they will take it from

AVC will, at minimum, be in recovery for three to five years.

Fisher said the same.

“We’re always hoping things will get better, sooner, but we don’t know,” he said.

Some seemingly good news came recently, when the state revenue projection was higher than originally estimated, possibly leaving a $12 billion deficit, down from $15 billion.

“How that number is to be distributed remains to be seen. Will community colleges reap any benefit [from] that? Will this help mitigate some of the cuts across the board? …It’s really kind of hard to predict at this point,” said Wallace. “Whatever portion of that is going to mitigate community colleges, we have no idea.”

As Fisher explained it, 40 percent of the California state budget is K-14 education. Community colleges are lumped into this group through Prop 98.

K-12, however, is compulsory education, required by law, and anything beyond that is not mandatory.

K-12 will receive funding be-

fore community colleges, leaving higher education institutions with fewer resources.

“It’s not an issue of competition. It’s reality,” Fisher said.

It is this kind of uncertainty about the state budget that leaves administration to plan for the worst. Both Fisher and Wallace said they are tired of the “gimmicks” and delayed reactions of the state.

“The can is at the end of the wall… Now we’ve got to pick up the can, and clean up the road,” Fisher said.

Wallace said the difficult part is preserving education, what she considers the most important thing in any viable state. “[There is] a treacherous ripple effect that is created when we allow the state to just slice and dice, without saying, ‘We won’t do it anymore.’”

Fisher said he wants the campus to understand the cause of this crisis.

“It’s a situation that was not created by Antelope Valley College. It was a situation in response to a nationwide budget

crisis, as well as a state budget crisis,” he said.

“A lot of times I think we fight among ourselves within the system, instead of fighting against the system itself,” Wallace echoed, calling the budget crisis a “system-wide cancer” that she hopes will soon be resolved.

Ultimately, Wallace stressed, legislature makes final decisions about funding.

“The district is not here to reduce classes just because we can, we’re here to tell the state that, ‘We’re not willing for you to continue to cut our salaries and layoff our people that provide services to our students without giving us that money—you can’t do that.’ And that is administration’s fundamental message,” Wallace said.

At this point, Fisher and Wallace said all we can do is plan for the worst and hope for the best.

“I don’t want to be scary, I want to be realistic,” said Fisher.

“So, if this whole thing happens, we’re ready for it. If it doesn’t happen, we’re ready for that, too.”

you,” said one student.

Even Senate candidate Darren Parker was present at the rally and spoke on his plans to run for California Senator at the next election and his promises to help community colleges get back what they deserve. “You start the fight at home,” Parker said.

Camacho then returned to the platform as the crowd began to slowly shrink and told protesters that they need to start coming up with plans to approach our California representatives with. “Call Kobe,” he said, “and ask him for support of this college.” Camacho says that we need to be the ones taking action and pushing for the school.

The rally ended approximately one hour earlier than scheduled, but it was not due to a lack of passion. Students were still gathered around in pockets. Some were playing drums, still energized from the day’s speakers.

Afterward, Rothenberg commented on the success of the event saying that she believes it was a success among the students and if students continue to persist, there will be a difference.

“Persistence is key,” she said.

When asked if he thinks the legislation will actually make a change, Camacho said, “One day is never enough. We gotta make sure that every day we keep calling their offices, make sure that we bug them about the budget cuts, make sure that they are willing to help us out on this… one event like this is not enough.”

Sarah Niemann / Examiner

Palmdale Sheriff Station deputies pose with Miss Antelope Acres during a dedication ceremony for fallen deputy Richard Hammack. See www. maruadernews.blogspot.com for full story.

Features

Graduation 2011

Page 5

How to hit Hollywood on a student’s budget

By Kevin Michael Kramer Staff Writer

It’s important to stretch our dollars and get the most for our money. That doesn’t mean we can’t have any fun. If we are all smart with our money, we can turn a typically expensive trip into one that fits our budget.

On April 6, 2011, this writer and three friends set out for Hollywood. Our mission: to see a concert and do a little bar hoppingwithout breaking the bank. Here are five tips to keep more cash in your pocket and still have a good time.

1) The Concert Don’t pay a fortune on tickets to see a super popular act. They typically only play the larger venues on the weekends. For example, ticketmaster.com lists a Saturday, April 16 Rod Stewart concert ticket at over $300. That’s a lot of money, and besides, Rod Stewart is old.

Instead, opt to see a smaller act that you really love at a smaller venue for a more intimate experience. Tickets to see one of my favorite musicians, Pete Yorn, at the Wiltern Theater on Wednesday, April 6 were available from ticketmaster.com for only $40.

2) A Place to Stay Assuming you don’t have any relatives or friends that owe you a favor, you’ll need to rent a room. Forget about the classy, fourstar places that let you take the shampoo when you check out. Instead, pick a motel that is central to where you are going to be

spending most of your time so that you can walk from the room to most places.

This is important because if you are going to be drinking, you DO NOT want to drive.

Aside from the obvious dangers of drinking and driving, the cost of the hotel room is a lot less than the amount of money you will spend if you get a DUI. Our room was on a side street close to the Sunset Strip for $90 a night. Split four ways, the cost was $22.50 per person. If there are more than four people in your group, try slipping the front desk clerk a $20 bill to look the other way.

3) Food and Drink Bring food and drinks with you to the hotel. You’ll spend less at a grocery store than you will spend ordering room service or going out to a restaurant to eat. Subway was our choice for their $5 foot long sandwiches, which we stashed in the fridge in the hotel room.

Bring your own beer. Drinks are insanely expensive at concerts, and the Wiltern Theater is no exception. Prices were $15 for Newcastle and other imports and $12 for domestic beer. The high price of alcohol at the concert drove us to pre-party at the hotel so that we wouldn’t be tempted to buy as many drinks during the show, thus saving money.

The 12-pack of Kona Long Board Lager I bought from BevMo! was just $15.99.

4) After the Concert Spending some money is unavoidable, especially if you want to visit a few bars after the show. In our case we hit Frankie and Johnnie’s NY Pizza for a slice and a beer

Kevin Michael Kramer / Examiner

Pete Yorn and company performs “Just Another” at the Wiltern Theater. before heading over to the Rainbow Bar and Grill. There is a $5 cover charge here, but you get a free drink coupon, so the cost of entry is covered as you sip your first drink.

You’ll often see celebrities in Hollywood bars. We met Lemmy Kilmister, the singer for the band Motorhead. If you rub elbows with celebrities, drunken patrons may think you are famous too. A quite inebriated fellow thought that my friend Cornelius (name changed to protect his identity) was a famous wrestler. If this happens to you, just play along. You might get a free round out of it.

5) After Hours The best part of getting a centrally located

hotel room is that you can walk back to it after you’ve left the bar. You don’t even have to spring for a cab. If you’ve been drinking heavily, you might be hungry as you reach the hotel. Now is the time to grab that foot long out of the fridge instead of going to an IHOP or Denny’s. The last thing you should do before you go to sleep is to set an alarm for check out time, so you won’t oversleep and get charged for an extra day with the room.

About $150 was spent per person. That’s half the price of a Rod Stewart ticket and proof that if you follow some of the steps listed above, you too can enjoy Hollywood on a student’s budget.

‘Portal 2’ delights and amazes on the whole

By Joshua Sanchez Staff Writer

Let me take you back to October 9, 2007. Valve had previously made great success with Half-Life, and the sequel Half-Life 2; so when Valve announced Portal, many people were skeptical. “Valve making a puzzle game? Why?” People started to get excited when critics got their hands on it, and finally when it was released it blew up into gaming culture phenomenon. To this day, it is difficult to talk about a birthday cake without someone claiming, “The cake is a lie.”

And now a much-awaited sequel has been released; if there was one word to describe this whole experience, I would pick ‘Glorious.’

However, this simply doesn’t

do this awesome game justice. In terms of gameplay it is innovative and original, which is something that the industry needs in the evergrowing market of sequels and brand names; I’m looking at you, Lego.

Now here’s the short of my review, because there are going to be some heavy spoilers. This game is purely awesome. As of May 10, this title is available for Xbox 360, PC and the Playstation 3 for $40. A price more than worth it when you consider that nearly every brand new game comes with a price tag of $60. In my honest opinion, this is a value that simply cannot be passed up. Go buy this game.

Probably the second best thing about Portal 2 is the story; it’s a lot more involved and feels much more dynamic. The protagonist

and player character is once again the mute Chell from Portal 1. The player first finds themselves in a seemingly nice room, where the basic controls are explained.

After this, the player must once again be put in “a state of relaxation.” The second time the character awakes, it appears as though several hundreds or perhaps thousands of years have gone by.

This is where we meet Wheatley, an A.I. core that becomes your guide through the dilapidated Aperture Science facility. The puzzles start immediately; they are quite simple, remedial to anyone who has played the previous game. Things really start to get interesting when Wheatley, the little moron that he is, accidentally reactivates GLaDOS, the A.I. defeated in the first game and the entity that runs

everything in regards to the Aperture facility.

This is a very different GLaDOS, and even though she retains a lot of her personality, it seems to have developed quite a bit. Yes, developed into a very angry, bitter, and homicidal person. Yeah, you’re in trouble.

From then on, it becomes a series of much more challenging puzzles, one right after another. New gameplay elements are thrown into the mix such as Faith Plates and three different kinds of Gel: one that allows for the creation of portals wherever it lands, another that accelerates the player, and finally one that allows the player to jump very high; think trampolines without the injuries caused by the steel springs.

Aside from the single player, Portal 2 features a nifty Co-op mode where

Joshua Sanchez / Examiner

Portal 2 paints a surreal picture in exquisite quality. you and a friend can play over PSN, Xbox Live or Steam. What is truly innovative about this is that Valve allows for two players to play

cross platform. You won’t be able to play with your buddy on Xbox Live if you’re on

See Portal, page 6

Features

Page 6

Graduation 2011

On stepping over the invisible wall of fear

By Sarah Niemann Staff Writer

Everyone has a bucket list; back packing through Europe, running a marathon, skydiving and things of that nature. Every now and then you might get a chance to cross something off of that special list. Not to long ago I got that chance; Bungee jumping.

When you sign up the company tells you to go to their web site and read all of the information “The difference between a good jump day and a bad jump day is being well informed” said Bungee America’s office manager Christina Valverde.

Taking that advice I read the information.

It’s a five-mile hike through the San Gabriel Mountains, crossing over a river six separate times.

What have a gotten myself into?

The morning of the jump we had to be on the freeway by 5 am, it was still dark when we got to the meeting place about 20 miles north of Azusa.

By now my nerves were starting to set in.

Do I really want to do this?

Because one of my friends works for the company I would be jumping for free, so me jumping was based on the contingency that there would be enough time after everyone else finished their jumps.

As we starting signing in, I started praying that there wouldn’t be time for me to jump.

The first river crossing was the scariest.

The jumpmasters had already instructed us on how to cross: grab the backpack strap of the people on either side of you and walk across like a crab. That makes it harder for the river to knock you off your feet because you’re also using the stability of everyone else.

Portal

Even with being linked up with everyone me and another person almost ended up down stream, the jumpmasters had to get behind us to stop the break in the chain.

The hike its self is very tiring, a little past the half way mark my body had had it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it back.

When you get up that last steep hill and see the sign that says “The Bridge to Nowhere”, the wave of accomplishment makes it suddenly all worth it. Just knowing I made it all the way up there is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.

After getting harnessed up and put in our different weight groups, people started jumping one by one.

Once they attach your harness you have to crawl over the concrete barrier, they call it the “invisible wall of fear”, after you cross it you stand on this little metal platform on the other side and the rest of the jumpers count down from five and scream bungee. “ We do this because it’s peer pressure and it works,” said the owner Dr. Ron Jones.

When it came to my turn, my heart started beating faster than I had ever felt it beat before, as I started to cross over the invisible wall of fear my whole body tensed up and I couldn’t move.

Chris Pineda the jumpmaster that was helping me, gave me a little pep talk it was enough to get me over the wall. By this time everyone else had already jumped so no one was there to count me down except for my friend and the jumpmaster. Needless to say this was not enough, at the end of my count down I went nowhere.

The thought of throwing my body off a bridge was crippling. Pineda looked me in my eyes “I’ve jumped over 500 times and I still get nervous every time, but that’s why we do this.” He said

Doug Derosia Bungee America / Courtesy photo

No matter what game face you put on, eventually it is going to look like this.

By now a crowd started to form, everyone was rooting me on, and the count down started.

Jones was right, peer pressure does work; at the end of the count down I hurled my body off of the platform.

The fall didn’t last that long. It was so quick my body didn’t even realize it was falling till the recoil. That was the most amazing feeling ever. I couldn’t help but laugh, I couldn’t believe I had actually done it.

Before we hiked back I got some words of wisdom from the owner “ You made a realization today, whether you realized it or not.

Some fears are there for a reason and help improve your life; others are there and hold you back from living your life.” Jones said.

Never had a statement rang more true.

Bungee jumping should be on everyone’s bucket list, not because its super crazy and you’ll be terrified but because it is empowering. After jumping you’ll have a new understanding for yourself and your limits.

The Razer Naga makes gamers drool

Continued from 5

By Chris Gonzalez

PSN. But if you’re on PSN, you can play with your bud on his PC and vice versa for Xbox Live. Even better if you buy Portal 2 new you can download the game for free on Steam allowing you to play with your buds on either home console, well, provided you have a decent enough computer to run it.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you guys my take on the multiplayer, because as of today, PSN is still down. From what I have heard though, it’s just as spectacular as the single player campaign. With all these different features, I can see this being a serious contender for Game of the Year. It’s going on my list of favorite games, and I recommend a buy. Everyone get out and get this game.

Throughout my whole gaming career, I have steered clear of using gaming peripherals. I have always been convinced that they were an unnecessary and overpriced extension for gaming.

Much like the appendix, I thought they provided no real tangible benefit. Since then, I received the Razer Naga gaming mouse as a birthday gift.

Initially I planned on returning it, but the packaging looked so damn pretty. Oh well, I’ll just plug it in for a second. Next thing I know, I am downloading software, editing key bindings, and running my 50 Warrior through World of Warcraft and having a blast. Although unfamiliar with

Staff Writer

the complicated 12 button grid on the side, I was able to maintain my same leveling speed, and my ability to react defensively was barely impacted.

With a stated 18 hour learning curve, I anticipate mastering the mouse in another week. Although I am still against gaming peripherals on general principal, I am slowly being swayed to the dark side of gaming. I will continue to take this hypocritical stance until about the middle of next week. Already I have started bragging about how much I love it! I am truly excited to own this wonderful piece of hardware. I never would have purchased one myself.

The crimson glow of the fiery patterns on the mouse is a compelling addition to the Razer

Courtney Unander / Examiner

The true test of a good gamer toy is in functionality and style.

Naga.

It gives an epic feeling as you are mowing down the competition whether it be enemy players,

or allies whose damage per second you are trying to top. I really do love this mouse, and I encourage any competitive gamer to go

Graduation 2011

Page 7

The best place to see a movie

By Kevin Michael Kramer Staff Writer

The Cinemark Movies 22 is the best place to catch a flick in the Antelope Valley. The huge 22-screen, stadium-style theater has room enough for multiple showings of the same blockbuster movie at the same time. This means fewer fans will be turned away because fewer showings will be sold out.

The Cinemark 22 also provides a small selection of art-house independent films.

This is in no way adequate for the indie-flick fans, but they Courtney Unander / Examiner will have to make do until the Cinemark Movies 22 lights up the night sky in a glaring neon spectacle in the middle of nowhere. new combination Laemmle

Theatre/bookstore on Lancaster Boulevard opens.

Concessions are pricey, but the right snacks will enhance your movie-going experience.

The only two things patrons should buy (if they have anything remotely resembling taste buds) are the popcorn and a cherry soda from the café since they use real cherry syrup to make it.

Whatever you do, do not sneak a box of red vines into the theater by putting it in your back pocket. Do not laugh at the other patrons for paying full price as you enjoy your convenience store Red Vines.

Cinemark 22 is located at 2600 W. Ave. I in Lancaster.

The best placethetosolarsmoke, and the best places to buy cigarettes panels provides a good The first, and more unstable op-

By Ben Fassett Staff Writer

The timing couldn’t have been worse for the campus-wide ban on smoking. It was very kind of us to let us smoke in the parking lot just when they started constructing those cursed solar panels, wasn’t it? For awhile there, it seemed as though the world was against us.

There’s nothing worse than having to light up in the middle of a gust; particularly when you have very flammable, long hair.

Fortunately, now that the parking lot has opened to the public, smokers have a safe haven from the elements. The architecture of

wind break and shade. The problem, however, is that by putting us in the parking lot, the possibility of randomly setting fire to the campus increases (see our website at maraudernews.blogspot.com for further details).

Of course, before you can smoke in the parking lot, you have to actually have cigarettes. This is not an easy task these days, with the state and federal tobacco taxes basically leap-frogging each other in an attempt to see just how much cash can be extorted. Fortunately, there are a couple of places where you can find discounts on cigarettes.

tion is Walgreen’s. If you pay attention, you can often catch some pretty surprising discounts. At the very least, you can pick up a lowrent brand.

If you happen to be on the Blvd., you can find an Arco station that will, if you’re lucky, sell you Pall Malls at a rather reasonable price.

They’re harsh and they smoke like they’re tree branches, but at least they’re cheap. if you happen to find better deals that we are as of yet unaware of, feel free to advise us on the website. Let’s face it, smokers need the help, and we would be happy to hear from you.

The best place to get breakfast

Jason Hemsath / Examiner

It’s not much, but for smokers the parking lot is home.

By Chris Gonzalesz Staff Writer

Crazy Otto’s; that is a name which symbolizes the best breakfast in town.

Succulent bacon, delicious biscuits and a great cup of joe can all be found here.

In essence, Crazy Otto’s has the best breakfast I can find anywhere. If any fault can be given to this fine establishment, it is only in their use of bacon gravy for their biscuits and gravy.

Now I know all of you Brandon Bird / Examiner are thinking this is a com-

Crazy Otto’s - the sign alone is enough to induce drooling, the loosening of belts and afternoon naps.

munist move on their part, but exception can be given to this one indiscretion in light of their other specialties.

The omelettes are absolutely divine. They melt in your mouth and warm your heart from the first heavenly bite, until the grand finale.

Crazy Otto’s is a true mom and pop diner experience; a true diamond in the rough.

I implore each and every one of you to treat yourself to their decadent delights.

Page 8

Graduation 2011

The best place to get in a good workout, indoors and out

By Ben Min Staff Writer

So what really is there to do in the valley? Might as well stay active and in shape right? Let’s face it: the Antelope Valley as bad a place as people say it is, isn’t the case for all you gym rats and sports fanatics. It’s hard to find a good environment to pump iron, and it’s even harder to get in a good work out in an outside environment without being scorched alive by the sun.

Fortunately, the 24 Hour Fitness Super-Sport on Ave K is the perfect place get your work out.

Not only does the renovated gym house all your basic cardio

and weight training equipment needs, but it even has a full sized basketball court, an indoor lap pool, and a sauna.

But, if you’re not looking to add $49.99 to your monthly spending, the perfect alternatives are the local parks located all around the Valley.

My park of choice is the Marie Kerr Park on the corner of Rancho Vista Boulevard and 30 th Street West. Marie Kerr provides its visitors with miles of track with basic workout equipments throughout. It also has both indoor and outdoor basketball courts, a baseball/soccer field, and two well Brandon Bird/ Examiner maintained tennis courts.

The softball complex at Marie Kerr Park provides the perfect environment for bat-swingers.

So go out and break a sweat.

The best place to buy cigars, when cigarettes just don’t cut it

By Joshua Sanchez Staff Writer

So you’ve seen where to buy the cheapest cigarettes but what about the other side of the spectrum? I’m talking about the finest kind of smoke: cigars. So where can you buy cigars in the AV? Well, there are a few smoke shops in Lancaster and some in Palmdale that have humidors. But they’re usually cabiJoshua Sanchez / Examiner nets or glass displays.

The humidor in Hiland’s Gift and Tobacco offers a wondrous variety and is easy on the wallet. Then there’s the cheap

stuff you can get in a tube at the gas station.

You know the kind. You don’t have to lie.

So where do I go? Hiland’s Gift and Tobacco located in the AV mall.

This place is just awesome; the humidor in the back is loaded with different brands of cigars all between $2.00 and $50.00: Rocky Patel, Cohiba Corona and Romeo y Julieta. All usie imported tobacco from nations such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and The Dominican Re-

public.

It is the best place in the AV to buy a cigar, hands down.

Another great thing about this place is that they have much more than just tobacco; they carry all the accesories that you need for pipe and cigar smoking but they also feature a wide range of art and various curios.

They have a wide range of Zippo lighter and various blades; some good, some bad and all afforable.

The best place to get coffee

By Natasha Castro Staff Writer

Undoubtedly, the best place to get coffee for any AV local is Sagebrush Café. Though a bit out of the way for many Palmdale residents, the Quartz Hill coffee shop is well worth the extra drive.

Locally owned and operated, Sagebrush Café is home to a variety of tasty tea and coffee creations, as well as a small art gallery.

While the wait time for your beverage of choice

may be a little sluggish, the friendly banter with the staff makes it worthwhile.

It is one of the most inexpensive coffee shops in the area and offers free WiFi to customers.

For the hippie in you, the cups, lids and straws are ecologically friendly.

Good job, hippies.

The café is located on 50th St. W. For more information, visit their website at sagebrush-cafe.com.

So grab a cup and we’ll see you there.

Natasha Castro / Examiner

Sagebrush Cafe offers indoor seating, as well as a comfortable, covered patio section for those breezy days.

Graduation 2011

Page 9

The best place to get away for awhile

By Courtney Unander Staff Writer

When considering a visit to a State or National Park, accessibility and proximity are two of the first factors to be brought into the consideration. Naturally, with its half-hour drive, free viewing, and accessibility for all people, Red Rock Canyon, located just 25 miles outside of Mojave and reaching up to Nevada, wins hands down.

At first, the thought of visiting a bunch of red rocks can sound like a boring expedition. But not so! The caverns, caves, and dangerously high cliffs are not only Courtney Unander / Examiner a great capture for any aspirRed Rock Canyon is home to a spectacular display of nature’s carefully crafted marvels at work. ing photographer (can you say

The best social network for students

By Sarah Niemann Staff Writer

Like Pablo Picasso once said, “A good artist creates, a great artist steals.” Apparently this goes for social networking sites as well.

Technically, you can’t steal an idea, but lawsuits for intellectual property thefts are no fun; just ask Mark Zuckerburg the creator of Facebook. With over 500 million people having an active Facebook account, and being in over 190 countries, I’m sure Zuckerburg doesn’t

mind having to settle a few lawsuits.

250 million people access Facebook from their phones, that’s mean 250 million are constantly connected to the site.

When people take pictures now it isn’t so they can have the memories; they take them to post on Facebook and show all of their friends what they’re doing.

We live our lives on Facebook from who were dating to arguments with friends. Need to find out something about someone? Just pull up their

HDR?), but the different stop sites may also feature sites for overnight camping and different trails for hiking.

Rates for overnight camping are $25 for eight people and one vehicle per campsite with a six-dollar charge for each additional vehicle.

But if you’re looking for a day trip to admire nature, admission to any of the parking sites is free of charge and open for your viewing.

And for those of you, who, like me, cringe at the thought of fighting crowds for the best view, don’t fret. Crowds aren’t even a problem, and if they were, there are plenty of red rocks to go around.

For more information on Red Rock Canyon and its services, visit parks.ca.gov.

Facebook, anything you could possibly want to know, and probably even more, will be on their wall.

Other than posting on a friend’s wall or updating you status, you can also play games. Facebook has tons of applications you can play.

People can build farms, travel in time and even raise virtual pets.

Facebook is one of the most-trafficked sites in the world; it has become a part of the way this generation commuCourtney Unander / Examiner nicates.

As if you needed a reminder, Facebook still stands out as a giant amongst social networking.

The best place to see theater productions

By Kevin Michael Kramer Staff Writer

The best place to see live theater is - and this might be a surprise - The Antelope Valley Winery. The AV Winery is exclusively providing the Antelope Valley Thespians with space to perform at the winery.

AVT is a non-profit theatre company started by Nalin Ratnayake of Quartz Hill. If you’re looking for that smaller, storefront Jason Hemsath / Examiner Hollywood or New York The Antelope Valley Winery may look like a big barn, but offers a surprisingly choice selection of theater acts. theater experience, then

definitely check out the AVT at the AV Winery!

In the past, AV performed in a small black box theater constructed in the garage of Ratnayake’s private home. The result was an extremely personal experience.

The AV Winery is located at 42041 20 th St. W. in Lancaster. Be sure to check out avthespians.org for their schedule of show dates and times. Arrive early and sip some wine before show time. Try the Runway White; it’s awfully delicious.

Page 10

Opinion

Graduation 2011

Editorial: How to kill ghosts—for real this time We killed the bogeymen.

Laden was kicking it in a comfortable the point of his death. With so much atWe shot him in the head in a concreteequivalent to a suburban friggin’ fortress, tention on his life and death, it makes for covered compound, and then we shot just make us instantly nervous. So with the very big shoes to fill. about everyone else; if he had a dog, we game suddenly changed, we’re all asking The bad news is that now we’ll have to probably shot it too. It’s a done deal. It’s the same thing: what happens next? The tread carefully. The only way to ease the taken a decade to do it, but hey – who good news is that Al-Qaida as a movetension between the U.S. and the Middle among us is perfect?

East is to control the damage we’ve That part is over, at caused while trying to get this guy. least.

That means keeping a civil tongue Of course it isn’t. in our heads when we address our Now it’s a waitforeign policy. We can’t afford to ing game, and it all go blundering all around the world hinges on whether anymore. or not Osama bin The next few months will have Laden gets to be a to be an exercise in carefully conmartyr. Unfortutrolled policy focusing on estabnately, we’re already lishing what we can and cannot beginning to see accomplish. This includes a revisigns. The Taliban sion of our military tactics as well. and Al-Qaida are With the possibility of a terrorist already using the rebuttal causing a domestic con“M” word, but that cern, it is no longer savvy to hold a White House Press Release war on two fronts. was to be expected.

President Barack Obama in a White House Press release photo Now the Egyptian When the world turned upside Muslim Brotherdown in 2001, we set ourselves hood has thrown in their two cents, along ment will probably be coming apart at the up for a course of action that is simply with their offshoot, Hamas. That’s scary seams. unsustainable; particularly now, when we because they are not technically a violent Osama bin Laden was, for all intents have potentially kicked up the hornet’s factor in the Middle East at this time, and purposes, the figurehead for their nest. Our concern now must be domestic. choosing instead to lay low and deal with entire organization. His was the financial The simple fact is this: we got our hand their own domestic issues; meaning that backing and direct operative influence, caught in the cookie jar. We tried to make even the less proactive organizations as we see by the evidence being collected a vast change in the Middle East without aren’t taking the news very well. Protests which suggests that he was still playing a really giving much thought about the in Pakistan, coupled with the fact that bin very large administrative role even up to logistics. We simply can’t afford to play

matchmaker and try to push these countries into a form of government for which they may not be ready. We don’t have the luxury anymore. Sorry.

In Afghanistan’s case, though, that effort may have been ruined. With bin laden’s death, it would be very surprising if activity in that region didn’t pick up as an effort to revitalize the movement. Odds are, we’ll be facing the last resistance of the Taliban and Al-Qaida as individual factions.

If these groups splinter, however, then it may become increasingly more difficult to single out cells operating in the world.

While the potential success of a terrorist operation is significantly decreased without a big brother to back it, in terms of finance and security, the number of risks may very well rise.

Will we be seeing an increased threat level over the next year? It’s probably.

Things aren’t all bad, however. We’ve finally managed to correct a ten-year-old blunder that has ruined our credibility in the intelligence field, and have finally brought some justice down on the people we were trying to kill in the first place.

It’s a step in the right direction; hopefully one that will lead us to come to our senses where policy is concerned. In the mean time, however, all we can do is sit, wait and sing a song about how we killed the bogeymen.

Bad counseling is worse than no counseling at all

By Anonymous Featured Writer

It looks like the old saying of “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself” is true.

Let me explain.

The end of the school year is fast approaching. On June 3, many students will close their books for the last time, finishing their studies at Antelope Valley College and leaving for greener pastures.

I will be among them, waiting for my last class to end so I can get on with my life. Cue the “Pomp and Circumstance,” right?

Wrong. This will be the second time I have “finished” school at AVC, and it looks like there may be a third.

In the spring of 2009, I

graduated AVC asked to speak with the with an Associates counselor who made the Degree in Letters, error.

Arts and Sciences.

I learned that AVC no I had also taken all longer employed the counof my California selor. Gee, I wonder why.

State University Flash forward to this transfer units. Or so spring. I have since taken I thought. the appropriate science One year later, as class, which still bugs me I applied to gradubecause the first science ate from California class I took in the winter State University, Baof 2008 means absolutely kersfield, I was told nothing. I am all set to by the counselors at finally move on from AVC CSUB that an AVC for good, and even graduscience class I had ate from CSUB. Cue taken way back in the “Pomp and Circumthe winter of 2008 stance,” right?

Anonymous / Examiner did not meet their Wrong. I am now A graphic depiction of life in the Cave of Doom, aka counseling learning that one of my requirements for science. transferable communicaI was completely tions classes might not shocked, because the councounseling office had even CSUB. be transferable after selor I had seen at AVC had “CSU Certified” my tranOn a return trip to the all. There is a debate said it would count. The script before sending it to AVC Counseling Center, I about which articula-

tion agreement this particular class falls under. I took this class in the summer, between the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 years.

If the administrators use the 07-08 agreement, the class is accepted and I will be done with AVC and will graduate from CSUB. If they use the 08-09 agreement, it means more school for me, and probably more angry rants like this one.

What are they doing in that counseling office? It is their job to know things like which classes can transfer and which cannot. Savvy students will want to check and double check with whatever school they are planning on transferring to, just to

See Horror, page 11

Opinion

Graduation 2011

Horror Continued from 10 make sure there are no mistakes.

The bad counseling issue does not seem to be isolated at AVC. A search of the internet will return dozens of stories where college counselors unintentionally misled students.

One such instance, according to consumeraffairs.com, has a University of Phoenix student complaining that an enrollment snafu caused by a counselor resulted in that student losing three hardearned credits.

I worked retail for many years, if any salesperson had made claims that were false, there would have been severe consequences. But at the end of that day, a consumer could just return the product and get a refund.

I also tried to get a refund for the extra class I had taken. It turns out that they don’t give refunds for counselors’ errors. Someone, somehow, sometime, must hold these people accountable.

Until that time comes, I will wait in a chair at the auditorium of CSUB on June 10, dressed in a cap and gown with my fingers crossed.

I write this anonymously, but it may be easy to figure out who I am. I’ll be the one whose name isn’t called during the commencement ceremony.

Cue the “Pomp and Circumstance,” right?

Dear Editor, This is the second time I am reading the AVC Examiner, I can see that you’re expanding your stories from school based news to entertainment. My only concern in this issue was that the piece on the Paramount Motion Picture “Rango” was well... too long for my taste. I would have enjoyed it a little more if it were more short and sweet. But I did enjoy that you guys are focusing on theater and special events that are taking place in Los Angeles major brownie points.

Sincerely Jorge Rodriguez I can understand why “Rango” seemed to run a little long. The Examiner has had a history of shunning theater, and it was something that had to change. I am very glad that you approve of the new perspective.

Examiner Staff

Editor in Chief Brandon Mann Managing Editor Sarah Niemann News Editor Natasha Castro

Opinion Editor Chris Gonzalez

Features Editor Ben Fassett

Sports Editor Benjamin Min Photo Editor Courtney Unander Online Editor Russell Spencer Copy Editor Jordan Lofgren

We’re thrilled that you enjoyed the “Walking” feature. As for the editorial, there is absolutely no way to write about the love-hate relationship with California’s gas policies that would make it thrilling. While we try to entertain as much as possible, the simple fact is that we can only work what we’ve got.

Now that I’ve written the polite answer, remember that syntax does not equate to fluff and exhaust tastes like candy. Give it a try.

Letters to the Editor should include a clearly printed name, address, telephone number and major and/or occupation. Letters should be 300 words or less.

Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Libel will not be printed. Letters received become property of the Examiner and may be published or reproduced at its discretion.

Address all correspondence to: E-mail: avcexaminer00@gmail.com Editor, Examiner 3041 West Ave. K, APL104 Lancaster, CA 93536 Telephone (661) 722-6300 x6496

Illustrator Amber Lucido Senior Photographer Jason Hemsath Staff Photographer Brandon Bird

Advertising rates (661) 722-6300 x6996

Sincerely, Priscilla Ramirez

Letters to the Editor Guidelines

Writers Katrina Green Kevin Michael Kramer

Advertising Manager Sebastian Jones

Dear Editor Whenever I read any newspaper I look for the most interesting titled article, also I like it short and simple.

At the sight of, “Walking and talking shoes” I was immediately grasped.

I wondered how a pair of shoes could talk. As I read the first part of the article I lost myself in the incredible story that were the talking shoes, I didn’t even realize I had turned the page to read the rest of the article.

This piece was truly my favorite; it wasn’t filled with unwanted information nor was it boring.

My least favorite article of the Examiner was the Editorial: Gas prices gouge our eyes and wallets.

Yes the title captured me, however as I began to read the article it was not at all what I expected, yes it is indeed informative but it is overly filled with fluff.

I began to bore myself, to be honest I did not finish reading the article, it completely lost my interest.

Dear Editor; The photo R.I.P. AVC Summer Classes by Brandon Mann on the front page of the March edition of the Examiner was quite impressive. One did not need a 1,000 words. It’s impact was felt and heard loud and clear. No doubt a symbolic gesture to the economic times. I found the write-up to be redundant and more of the same budget jargon and could of been summarized. Shame on Student Trustee Mayela Montamo who said,” What are students suppose to do , sell drugs and rob people?” Yes, idle hands can be problematic. But that’s a little extreme don’t you think Mayela? Here’s a clue, do what all our ancestors did: hard work! So my recommendations for students is to get off the couch, stop eating the Twinkies and go pick fruit, or whatever it takes to earn a buck and pay for school. Life is in session so work the problem instead of complaining. In addition the editing was not flawless as the continuing article of AVC summer classes laid to rest should of read; see Summer, page 3 not page 2. Overall your writing staff performs well and I do enjoy reading the Examiner, so keep it coming.

Best Regards, Suzette Kobzeff

Correction: In the article titled Safety is number two at Antelope Valley College this year, it was stated that the fire extinguishers were out of service. This is incorrect, as all extinguisher maintenance has been verified as being up-to-date. We apologize for the error.

Antelope Valley College’s Examiner is published by AVC

Senior Writers Avi Ithier Wes Horowitz Joshua Sanchez

Advisers Jim Burns Charles Hood

Page 11

Language Arts classes, typeset on campus and distributed Wednesdays during the school year. Examiner editorials and editorial cartoons are the opinion of the editorial board. All other opinion and editorial page material is the opinion of the individual writer/artist, not of the Examiner. Views expressed in the Examiner do not necessarily reflect those of the advisers, faculty members, administration or the Associated Student Organization, although they are reviewed for publication by the advisers. Requests for news or feature coverage or concerns about editorial or advertising content should be addressed to the Editor in Chief. The Examiner is published under the

THE AVC CAMPUS NEWSPAPER

Examiner

auspices of the Antelope Valley Community College District Board of Trustees; however, sole responsibility for the content rests with the Examiner editorial board. The Examiner is printed by Aerotech News & Publishing.

Opinion

Page 12

Graduation 2011

Gun control—Oppression in California overwhelms

By Joshua Sanchez Staff Writer

I am a gun nut, as most of you know from my review of Battle: Los Angeles. I adore everything and anything that fires a lead or steel projectile at several thousand feet per second. That said, I find the gun control laws in The Republic of California to be more than substandard; indeed, I find them utterly oppressive.

In what ways are they oppressive? I’m not sure that even our legislators know about all of the laws they have passed and how they affect the gun owning citizen.

For a brief summery I’ll inform you what your rights are as a citizen of the US and a citizen of California.

Starting us off is banned weapons. In the US it is illegal to purchase or have a fully automatic center fire rifle or sub machine gun without a Federal Firearms License Class 3 (FFL3). In California, it is illegal to own a fully automatic weapon; the only exception is if you have had that weapon before 1989 and registered it with the Department of Justice. The reason this is bogus is because nearly every other state in the US will allow you to have just about any firearm imaginable so long as it meets with Federal regulation.

That is not to say that you can’t have a center fire rifle.

In fact, the Supreme Court recently ruled that the second amendment is a right and not

a privilege. However, they also are even deadlier rifles that are Inside city limits, you may Additionally, those seeking ruled that it has “exceptions”, legal, such as the US M1 Gaopenly carry a gun so long as to obtain a license must pass and this will keep the current rand, which takes eight 30-06 you aren’t within 1000 feet a background check and be laws the way they are now. rounds and is easily reloaded. of a public building such as a determined mentally fit; this Ammo capacity in magaProbably the worst laws in library, city hall or police stais determined by a doctor. The zines is limited to ten rounds California regarding weapons, tion. Just as well, you cannot person must also take numerfor every firearm, and all dehowever, are the laws that carry any firearm onto any ous tests to see if they are mortachable magazines in assault regulate carrying weapons. school grounds—this includes ally fit and are proficient with weapons have the weapon been banned. I of their do not believe choosing, all in this law, at the citizens because every expense of single weapon course. The technically has person must a detachable also present a magazine; my “good cause”; M91-30 Mosin this really Nagant has means that a five round in places like magazine, it can Los Angeles be detached, but and San not easily. If its Francisco it ammo capacity will be nearly were over 10 impossible to would I be in obtain a conviolation of the cealed carry law? It is not permit, while clearly defined in rural placanywhere in the es like Inyo penal code.

County or Jason Hemsath / Examiner The thought Kern County, process behind PFC Michael Sanchez, a medic in the National Guard, fires a M91-30 on his time off it is relatively this law is also easy to obtain heavily flawed. a permit.

The idea is that, by having In California, you are well the parking lot.

So what do I make of all more than one magazine, it within your rights to openly Concealed carry is a hot this? I think it’s just all an atwill be more difficult to fire a carry any firearm so long as it button issue in California, but tempt at squashing crime and semi-automatic rifle and reload is unloaded; unloaded meanlike the assault weapons issue, that there are good intentions rapidly. This simply isn’t true. ing that there are no rounds it is not controversial in many behind these laws. But that The Russian SKS is a comin the magazine or chamber. other states. California has a does not change the fact that pletely legal firearm that has a If the magazine is detachable, “Shall issue” concealed carry many of these laws are made ten round internal magazine. it cannot be inside the magalaw, which means that it is up from a protectionist mind This magazine can’t be easily zine well. If you are outside to the county Sherriff or City set. When will the laws stop? detached, but it can be reloadcity limits in the wilderness, Police Chief to decide whether Do we want to end up like ed very rapidly through the it is legal to carry a loaded or not you should be allowed the UK where the governuse of stripper clips. And there firearm for defense purposes. to carry a firearm. ment has banned firearms all

together with the exception of shotguns? No, I don’t think Californians will tolerate that.

Personally, I believe that not only is it every citizens right to carry a firearm, but it is every citizens’ responsibility to be able to defend themselves and others. If that means carrying guns, then I believe we should be allowed to do so.

But does that mean that everyone should carry a gun?

Of course not. All I’m saying is that it should be the citizen’s choice to carry, not the government’s choice. But if you are going to carry a firearm whether open or concealed you must become a proficient marksman with that weapon system. You cannot simply fire your gun every three months or so at the range and expect to be able to defend yourself and others in a life threatening situation. You have to train with your firearm and you must realize the huge responsibility that comes with carrying an object that was designed with only one purpose, to kill other human beings.

Before you do anything though you should check with your local police station and find out about the law yourself.

Individual cities may have their own ordinances regarding firearms that may be out of line with the state law itself.

Always be safe when handling a firearm, never keep a firearm loaded when it’s not in use and always remember to point it in a safe direction. Shoot smart and safe.

At around four in the afternoon, the store was deader than the corpse of Billy Mayes, a lustrous, black, and overly priced car whipped in a teen age-like frenzy, rumbling the Cold Stone parking lot.

Stepping out of his new Audi R8, he slammed the door, walked to the middle of the parking lot, pulled down his shades and winked at a [expletive deleted] mechanical mother of four, the other three infants were licking melted ice

His lizard-like father, Caesar was not present, nor was his mother. So while he was still deciding, I worked up the courage to ask him where his family was.

He offered no comment or form of atonement, so like any failed seeker; I dropped my head and waited upon his request.

After all of the melodra-

All hail the son of Caesar, or the fall of mankind

By Wes Horowitz Staff Writer

Gray skies draped the mucky afternoon on Mothers Day as I found myself behind the frozen stone at Cold Stone Creamery, located in West Palmdale.

A ginger one to six PM shift; the plan was: get in, get out, get paid and buy some new bath mats for Mama from Bed Bath and Beyond; maybe a TLC album from Best Buy as well.

cream cones smothered about the sidewalk.

He strutted the rest of his way in, making his presence known with unsought nods directed toward the few common folk patronizing our store.

I turned to my colleague of cream, and in a star struck haze asked, “is that Baby Caesar, the son of Caesar?”

My partner confirmed my psychotic suspicions and I returned perturbed to my work.

By now, the line was grow-

ing with men and women without ankles, squeezing their way in, belly first, ass last.

After his patient waiting, I walked behind the Ghea (Ice Cream Display) and said sarcastically to the prepubescent Charlatan, “Hi welcome to Cold Stone, what can a create for you today?”

His acne-ridden face looked happily miserable, like the quivering face of man who just witnessed his high school girlfriend [expletive deleted] by the

entire water-polo team.

His appearance was sloppy, wearing the street clothes of any desert rat hoodlum; this was an obvious attempt to blend in.

Fortunately for my readers I can pick out hacks and spineless silver spoon fed sports without character by scent; hacks possess the odor of ten [expletive deleted] bulls in a run-down McDonald’s and drive cars that are sure to kill them—always.

See Caesar, page 13

Opinion

Page 13

Graduation 2011

A few of my radical thoughts on the Last Supper Staff Writer

The tired cardinal gasped his last breath, clutching the ivory Crucifix upon his chest, alone in the dankest of holy quarters, “ Padre, take me to your Golden Cenacle, where I will shimmer forever in the kind rays of the Lord!”

There’s a new Cenacle and it’s located in Cairo, Egypt, where the Dead Sea Scrolls hide, feel the spirit?

Eastern Educated priests and gallant southern state ministry bands across the nation have wound a new religious timer, a Contemporary Armageddon.

The Ancient Cenacle of the Holy Scriptures was equivalent to Vanity Fair’s 99 theses Social Power (yet to be written).

The Ancient Cenacle is better known as the venue for “The Last Supper”, indeed the first red carpet appearance for Holy Men. It was also the ground breaking site of the first Christian church, void of modern day saints and corrupt church affiliations; no vacancy for the devil.

Jesus’ pre-crucifixion party was held in the “Upper Room”, or the room of total enlightenment, exclusive, momentary, and existentially breath taking.

Present at the blessed banquet sat twelve ancient fathers of the Christian communities you learn to love or hate: Peter “prince of the apostles”, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Lesser, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot

Caesar Continued from 12 matic anticipation, he squeaked out his order, “I’ll take a pint of your mint chip.”

I pulled the ice cream like a bronze champion, and slapped it on the stone.

First, I mixed in the tiny chocolate chips, then a brownie, and topped it off with some chocolate sauce for a sure dia-

and Judas Iscariot.

In vague recollections of my own unwarranted trips to Father Sierra Parish on Sundays, the Last Supper played out more like the third season finale of Sons of Anarchy.

In a dream-like awe, gathered at the Upper Room, fictitiously drunken and yet to be sincerely bored, Kelly McIntyre, a four year student at Antelope Valley College offered us a momentary state of peace and tranquility.

We were plotting the death of our night, when Kelly opened the door, or should I say window, to what we now call our “upper room.”

There’s no honest way of describing our “upper room”, but in terms, it could be best defined as a room with no limits, no boundaries: pure mercy and wisdom.

From a near distance, my comedic associate Carson proclaimed that rain was invading a nearby city, while a thousand winds of thought punished our minds.

Lightning proceeded, but ironically God was in our favor.

For once, maybe this occurrence wasn’t a cruel joke.

Through an exchange of mirth, coughing vigorously, our upper room was unveiling its many newfound perceptions of hope, prosperity, and the natural serenity that lingers for the hopeful and destined doers: young republicans and trust fund babies.

After some time spent in my own “upper room,” I decided that life needed more than little breaks of petty drunkenness,

or hazy lapses, because time have to either serve a higher take off your clothes and walk squander. is ever shortening, like money purpose or cause; that or slip back into the forest.

Eat from the stocks of grains, supply in a bad economy or the Kelly twenty dollars at the Treat your mind like a sompick berries; learn to bake on bourbon in a drunkards flask. window. ber tiger lily, learn to be still and hot stones.

Sadly, there is no more gray These days, we’re running listen to the ground; it speaks.

Use what the universe offers matter, it’s either die an intelout of breadth in our upper Rub your face with mud as a humble gesture; appreciate lectual infant, or grow old into a room. No pity for boundaries from the earth, let it dry in the the casual but always thrive for stubborn statue; either way you or qualifications; it’s the mere sun and let the rains be the only genuine progression. choose, time will crystallize lack of imagination in our clan thing that cleanses you.

Keep in mind that you can us all. of failed seekers and social Drink from the top of every only foster the journey; never To get to the upper room you dropouts. river and use nature’s medicine. neglect the one’s you love. must first battle your nerves like At this point, it’s best to be Those who abuse earth’s Love all things; the cosmos, the unavoidable personal but positive, living in a state of beauty in any way are deserving the mortal, and the unknown. public hanging waiting for you. panic and poverty could drive of ten days in a tribal stockade.

When we choose to underLike jealous monks, we felt any person down. A few codes Knowledge is everything. stand, we really sing Hallelujah. doom pounding its hell fire of ethics for the “Upper Room” Remember that you are tempoSo you of little worth, you too from radicals on both sides; the might get you by: rary, and what you leave should can believe; like any fledgling tired men who proclaim absoBurn all of your possessions, be permanent in spirit, not yet cultured stooge. lute knowledge of the N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y® universe.

Our sanity and peace of mind now lies in the arms of religious drones that love the social merry-goround, and in the winter coat pockets of a slew of poor bachelors that love their frozen TV dinners and At , we >> Streamlined admissions leather inteknow you can’t sit in class all day or lock >> No enrollment fee riors. yourself in a library – you’ve got work, family, >> Flexible scheduling The upper and friends. You’re transferring because >> Unique one-course-per-month format room isn’t you want to fi nish your degree and move cyclical by >> Scholarship programs on into a new career. National University any means, makes that possible with. . . and from now on, it seems, that the only ones destined SHERMAN OAKS CAMPUS to find it, will

betic relapse.

The ice cream I made, was fit for a Caesar, or in this case, the son of a Caesar.

After crowning his pint, standard protocol was to ask if he was interested in more cream.

I asked quickly, “Anything else for your party?” He shook his head in a disapproving manner; I smiled and guided the young stud to the register.

Over the register, I mischievously asked, “Anything for your Mother? I mean, she did

squeeze you ONLINE INFORMATION CENTER from her hot The University of Values in West Covina, 591 Plaza Drive • 626.939.1600 and sweaty womb.”

He whis8 0 0 . N AT. U N I V | g e t i n f o . n u . e d u / t r a n s f e r pered, “No,” like a rape victim in a library. I outright disregard for humanity source to let in rays of optiWhat moral fiber is left collected his cabbage, gave him and the once breathing earth mism. among the Caesar family, and his pint of decadence, and he that taught us how to behave.

She’s either already decomam I the only half-drunken swaggered his way out of our What is truth if this is fact, posing or most likely hoveled chief of turkeys concerned for beloved store. and does Baby Caesar truly on some cold Italian Marble the well-fare and overall social Walking to the back to cure love his mother? floor being fed moldy Triscuit status of our desert commumy cottonmouth, a classic and No, I bet he’s ashamed of Crackers and Top-Ramen with nity? daunting fact consumed me; her. the seasoning packet removed, Please do not re-elect a famwe will never break the madHim and Papa Caesar probwhile her only form of enterily of undeserving, rancid and ness of social structures, nor ably lock her in a padded room tainment is a 20 inch HD TV vile morality; observe a new will we ever chastise those with without windows, no light playing CSPAN 2 on loop. ideal: Social Awareness.

Transferring?

Finish School YOUR Way!

© 2010 National University 8916

By Wes Horowitz

National University

14724 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 801 • 818.817.2460

Sports

Page 14

Graduation 2011

Marauders softball outshines baseball, again

By Benjamin Min

RBI’s helped the team squeeze out a 5-3 win over the Coyote.

Still, the team went right back to their losing ways as they dropped the second of the back-to-back.

After such a poor start to the season, coach Livermont defended his team stating, “We’re just getting started.” Unfortunately, the Marauders never really did get it started and failed to fill the room for improvement Alex Mann believed that his team could earlier in the season. On the other hand, the Marauders softball team celebrated yet another great season.

Led by star catcher Adriana Perez, the Marauders swept the Foothill Conference awards once again.

Perez, who had won the Player

Staff Writer

As the semester nears the end, so are the baseball and softball seasons for the AVC Marauders, but the outcome for the two teams has been drastically different.

After showing a hint of hope a few games into the season, the Marauders baseball team has fallen short of what their fans and maybe even some players have expected of them.

A team that had won five out of six games in the beginning of March finished off the season with a mere 10-25.

One of the bright spots of the season came in a come-from-behind win against the Cerro Coso Community College Coyote.

The Marauders went down early but a home run by catcher Alex Mann and a few last-minute

Avi Ithier / Examiner

Christian Carbajal (left) and Adriana Perez (right) led the Marauders to another great season.

See Softball, page 15

Out with the old, in with the new

By Benjamin Min Staff Writer

A new NBA champion will be crowned come June with the winners of the past three championships eliminated sooner than expected to say the least.

Prior to the beginning of the playoffs, I had predicted that the Atlanta Hawks would advance to the second round and thought that was a big enough upset for the entire playoffs. However, my entire bracket went to waste when the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, and the Boston Celtics were also eliminated in the second round by the Miami Heat.

The only teams left in the playoffs now are the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Mavericks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Heat.

Where the three former powerhouses eliminated earlier in the month differ from the four that are remaining in youth and ath-

© jshyun’s photostream / Courtesy photo

The Lakers will not be adding another banner this year after being swept by the Mavericks. leticism.

In the West, the Thunder has a duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook while the Mavericks have some of the quickest bench players in J.J. Barea and Jason Terry.

Out in the Eastern Conference, the Heat has the Big 3 of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh while the Bulls have none other than the league MVP Derrick Rose.

With teams getting younger and faster, teams like the Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics are quickly losing

their places in the league.

These veteran teams need complete overhauls of their rosters to keep up with the rest of the league or will have to make drastic changes in their styles of play.

The hometown favorite Lakers, with Coach Phil Jackson out, need to trade one of their big men to adjust to the new system of basketball that will be played next season. They also need to sign a younger, more athletic point guard

See NBA, page 15

Sports

Graduation 2011

Softball Continued from 14 of the Year award in 2010, walked away with the award yet again this year, becoming only the second player to win the award in consecutive years. The first player to do so was Cindy Vargas, who now is Perez’s coach, back in 1995 and 1996.

The Marauders were also awarded the Pitcher of the Year award which went to Christian Carbajal.

Carbajal was 12-0 in the Foothill Conference and boasted a record of 28 overall wins which was the best winning percentage in the state.

Although they were elminiated from the playoffs in a 6-3 loss against Santa Ana, the Marauders softball never fails to give the

NBA Continued from 14 to replace Derek Fisher, who will be turning 37 and has history of struggling to defend younger guards.

The Celtics on the other hand have to use players such as Ray Allen as trade bait to bring in a young star that can usher in a new era in Boston with the new player, whoever it may be, and Rajon Rondo leading the way. Still, I believe the Kendrick Perkins trade will haunt the team for years to come.

Although it is sad to see

school and their fans something to celebrate about.

After a second round playoff exit by the Marauders men’s basketball team, the only other major team to look forward to succeeding was the baseball team.

However, the teams poor record did little to excite its fans.

The Marauders never got in sync after such a poor start to the season which, according to coach Livermont, was due to playing “a pretty tough non-conference schedule.”

The team remained hopeful after the win over the Coyote, but all hope went to waste when the team started yet another slump to finish the season.

The time has come now for the baseball team to step up its game and catch up to the level of the softball team. these former elites slowly fade into the horizon, a new era of basketball has brought excitement to the NBA. As much as some people have bashed Lebron James for the way he decided to leave Cleveland and take his “talents” to South Beach, it is undeniable that it was a great move for him as well as the Miami Heat, and that he has become as valuable to the Heat as Wade.

With a less talented draft class in years and the 20102011 NBA Season nearing the end of its exciting tenure, fans should still expect an even more exciting season in 2011-2012.

Page 15

Staff Bios

Page 16

Graduation 2011

Back row, left to right: Kevin Michael Kramer, Katrina Green, Jordan Lofgren, Ben Min, Brandon Mann, Jason Hemsath, Ben Fassett and Jim Burns

Not pictured: Charles Hood, Joshua Sanchez, Wes Horowitz, Amber Lucido, and Brandon Bird

Front row, left to right: Russell Spencer, Sarah Niemann, Courtney Unander, Chris Gonzalez, Natasha Castro and Avi Ithier

(and the news puma)

Photo by Charles Hood, Editing by Courtney Unander / Examiner

The faces behind the names who make The Examiner work!

Advisor, Charles Hood Years teaching at AVC: 22 Fav. Trip: South Pole Random Fact: Survived bubonic plague

News Editor, Natasha Castro Terms at The Examiner: 1 Journalism Hero: Harriet the Spy Random Fact: Toes freak her out

Editor in Chief, Brandon Mann Terms at The Examiner: 6 Fav. Team: Lakers Random Fact: Loves his Rottweiler puppy to death Managing Editor, Sarah Niemann Terms at The Examiner: 3 Fav. Coffee: White Chocolate Mocha Random Fact: Loves to kneeboard

Opinion Editor, Chris Gonzalez Terms at The Examiner: 3 Fav. Author: R.A. Salvatore Random Fact: Social nerd?

Online Editor, Russell Spencer Terms at The Examiner: 3 Fav. Band: Streetlight Manifesto Random Fact: “I love lamp.”

Sports Editor, Ben Min Terms at The Examiner: 1 Fav. Sport: Basketball Random Fact: Broke three different bones

Senior Writer, Joshua Sanchez Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Critiques: Movies Random Fact: Prospector

Copy Editor, Jordan Lofgren Terms at The Examiner: 1.5 Fav. Book: Macbeth Random Fact: Silent as the grave... yet still breathing

Senior Writer, Wes Horowitz Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Controversial Issue: Morality Random Fact: Never sleeps until the job gets done Writer, Kevin Michael Kramer How long at The Examiner: 1 Fav. Movie: Casablanca Warning: Severe laughter causes unconciousness Photographer, Brandon Bird Terms at The Examiner: 1 Fav. Photographer: James Nachtwey Random Fact: Has a recurring dream of running through fields of tall grass

Advisor, Jim Burns Years teaching at AVC: 3 Hardest Job: Teaching Random Fact: Lived in Madrid for a year

Writer, Katrina Green Terms at The Examiner: 1 Fav. Piece of Clothing: Dresses Random Fact: Smiles, A LOT Senior Photographer, Jason Hemsath Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Type of Photography: Landscape Random Fact: Gamer for life... literally

Writer/Photog/Graphics, Avi Ithier Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Team: New York Knicks Random Fact: Loves controversy

Photo Editor, Courtney Unander Terms at The Examiner: 1 Fav. Photog. Style: Black & White Random Fact: Church choir obsessive

Ad Manager, Sebastian Jones Terms at The Examiner:2 Random Fact: Going into the Air Force

Features Editor, Ben Fassett Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Poet: E.E. Cummings Random Fact: Will write ‘til DEATH

Cartoonist, Amber Lucido Terms at The Examiner: 2 Fav. Medium: Pen and Ink Random Fact: Petunia Pig mascot at Six Flags

Graduation 2011

‘AVC’s Got Talent’

Page 17

‘AVC’s Got Talent’ Special Feature Issue On the next three pages of this issue, you will find student writing and art submissions that are true gems on campus. Although the selection is small, we believe that all students at AVC have talent and that everyone does something worthy of notice. Whether your talent is writing or art, music or science, math or history, everyone on this campus has something to contribute and make this campus shine!

Jason Hemsath / Examiner

Special thanks and congratulations to Donna Turner for contributing to the new look of The Examiner. Turner won our competition for best logo design.

Van Rider, Librarian Extraordinaire

By Suzette Kobzeff Mindy Simmons Melinda Sparks

Imagine being an orphan during the Cold War. What would be the odds Special to The Examiner that you could break out of this war zone? Let’s journey back in time to 1971 Saigon, South Vietnam, where one bouncing 10-month-old boy would travel the road from rags to riches to become a self-made man.

The protagonist in this story is Van Rider, a school librarian.

Initially, one might conjure up an image of the typical school librarian. Think of a sitcom or cartoon. The librarian is always a woman with a tight bun that sits behind a desk saying “shhhh” at five-minute intervals.

Van Rider is anything but your typical librarian. He is a highly educated, articulate, worldly individual who could easily have a career being a motivational speaker.

Rider was adopted at 10-months-old.

Like many who adopt, his parents were unable to have children and were yearning for a child to call their own. A friend who worked with Pan Am, told the Riders about the prospect of adopting a Vietnamese child and soon enough they were bringing back their very own child to the States; or more specifically, to Connecticut.

“It’s very interesting being a VietnameseAmerican that is completely homogenous,” says Rider. Imagine having a father with a red beard and a mother with red hair. Try explaining that difference to your peers, especially during the ‘70s. Most would agree to some extent that adolescence is not easy, but Rider really was the only minority up until the sixth grade.

“There were pockets of multi-cultural population [throughout Connecticut].”

Both his parents were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but were lenient when it came to Rider’s decision regarding religion. He researched several

Jason Hemsath / Examiner

Van Rider is the Reference and Instructional Services Librarian. congregations over the years and eventually decided to become a Mormon. During his senior year of High School in Danbury, Connecticut, Rider made the decision to participate in a youth ministry program with his church. He postponed college to travel to Malaysia and Singapore where he spent two years doing missionary work. This is what sparked his interest to see the world.

But before exploring the world, Rider made the decision to go back to school. His school of choice was Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. It is one of the largest private universities in the United States. But somewhere in the midst of graduating with an education degree, he respectfully changed

his relational status from single to married.

After a brief internship in Spanish Fork, Utah, Rider and his wife, Wendy, moved to Stockton, Calif., where he began his fouryear teaching career at a local junior high school. 1997 turned out to be an eventful year for Rider. That year marked the birth of his first son, his first job as a teacher and the year Wendy completed her Master’s degree.

After his short career in teaching, Rider, again, made the decision to go back to school after deciding, at the time, that school standards didn’t mesh with his style of teaching. Moving forward, he then chose to attend a graduate school in Bloomington, Indiana. This would ultimately become his next full-time job for the next few years.

“I picked my school by the ethnic restaurants,” Rider said.

He talked about his love for food and how he considersAmerican food to be rather “plain” in comparison to the flavor and zest he found on the streets of Singapore.

Two kids and a few new favorite restaurants later, Rider earned a degree in Library Science where he then “learned the harsh reality of the economy.” On the surface, life seemed to be smooth sailing. He had a wife, kids and a growing list of degrees. However, jobs for most college graduates were hard to come by, no matter the degree. It became an issue of experience However, luckily for Rider, fate was on his side when he was able to relocate back to Stockton, Calif. at the same school where he previously taught.

He also, for a brief time, worked as an adjunct librarian at Pasadena Community College to earn a few extra bucks on the side. According to Rider, after college “you do what you have to

do” to start a career and earn a living.

“Life has an interesting way of playing out; sometimes you want things to speed up.” Timing is everything and things don’t always line up the way one expects. After over 175 rejection letters and numerous dead-end second interviews, Rider landed a position as a librarian in an unlikely place: Saipan, an island 300 miles north of Guam. It is the largest U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with a population of an estimated 50,000 and 12 by four miles of paradise. “It’s our restless adventurous nature,” said Wendy Rider when asked about their moving endeavors.

They shipped 32 boxes holding their life possessions and ventured on the longest flight ever with his family. Fourteen hours later they arrived in Guam and took an additional 75-minute flight to arrive in Saipan.

Upon arrival, Greg, Rider’s new librarian clerk, welcomed him to his new home.

The island was just as beautiful as he expected. However, much work needed to be done to achieve a more efficiently functioning library. After discovering that the acting manager’s qualifications rested with a tourism director degree, Rider began to take things into his own hands and improved the dysfunctional nature of the library and made it a student-friendly environment.

Rider enjoyed his time in Saipan, but all good things must come to an end. The school was dealing with accreditation issues and Rider was told to begin the daunting task of relocating, yet again. It wasn’t the fact that he had to find a new location to live, but finding a new library that would hire him.

See Rider, page 18

Graduation 2011

Rider Continued from 17 Welcome to the Antelope Valley, Mr. Rider.

“I applied on a calculated whim,” Rider said. He flew out on his own accord for an interview with the Antelope Valley College Dean, who then later offered him the job.

When talking to his wife Wendy, a

‘AVC’s Got Talent’ fellow Antelope Valley College faculty member, she expressed her own views on the Antelope Valley. “We didn’t find our dream area,” but they are quite content with their current location.

Although this might not be their ideal destination, the library couldn’t be more satisfied having Rider join the staff.

Carolyn Burell spoke very highly of Rider, at least in terms of collaborating with him in the library as a kind of joint director.

“It’s a privilege to work with him,” Burell said. “He has the experience of a librarian and as a teacher.” And with that he uses both his teaching skills and his knowledge about research to help students expand their learning horizons in the library.

If we asked Rider 20 years ago if he would be a librarian he would have said no. But sometimes, Rider says, “things just fall into place.”

Key factors in this

Courtney Unander/ Examiner

(Melinda Sparks, Mindy Simmons and Suzette Kobzeff’s submission (left to right) from Intro to Journalism rose above the rest, winning a spot in The Examiner.

Student Art Submissions On the next page, you will find art submitted by students for the AVC Student Show 2011. We, The Examiner, felt that the following pieces of art stood out among the rest and displayed the talent and diversity of art that our students here at AVC exhibit through their lives on a daily basis.

See Art, page 19

Special thanks to Christine Mugnolo for allowing The Examiner to preview the Art Show before its opening and allowing us to feature the following pieces of art!

Page 18

rise from rags to riches story is hard work and a solid moral foundation, along with the significance of education and the motivation of self-improvement. Necessity is what urges a man to achieve more.

Opportunity is important but exertion is indispensable. The principles of honor, integrity and affection are essential prerequisites for enduring success.

Graduation 2011

‘AVC’s Got Talent’

Art Continued from 18

Title or Media: Watercolor Artist: Kaitlin Keiffer

Title or Media: Linsay Artist: Sean Berk

Title or Media: No.1 (Attack) Oil stick on canvas Artist: James R. Baker

Title or Media: Tranquility Artist: Victoria Orr

Title or Media: Mixed Media Artist: Lucinda Coker

Page 19

Page 20

Graduation List

Graduation 2011

Graduation 2011

These names appear on the printed commencement program along with the candidates from other semesters. These are students who applied for graduation in the Spring 2011, and have either met or will meet the qualifications.

The appearance of a name in the program is not necessarily a valid indication of graduation.

While all the names on the list are Spring and Summer 2011 candidates, some students may not be participating in the commencement ceremony.

Graduation List

Page 21

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Graduation List

Graduation 2011

Graduation 2011

Graduation List

Congratulations To The Class Of 2011

Page 23