News
Page 2
November 2011
Church controversy creates animosity among bands By Kristi Phillips Staff Writer
Tully Huffaker, owner and operator of the new Industry Theater wants to keep the music scene alive in the Antelope Valley by creating a new “legitimate” venue for concerts and DJs to play at. Located on Business Center Parkway in Lancaster, the location of this venue may have brought more excitement than the place opening itself. “The main problem here is that the Cedar Center is our only venue and is getting ready to close down, so with that, that would stop us from getting shows and stop the music scene altogether,” Josh Bennet, the guitarist of the local band Order 66 said. Located next to the theater is New Life Community Church, who have been fighting against Huffaker to stop the venue from opening. The biggest reason why it is opposed to the theater opening is because alcohol will be sold; due to the fact that the
Courtney Unander / Examiner
The New Life Community Church is opposed to the Industry Theater opening and selling alcohol within 300 feet of them. theater would be within 300 feet of the church, the sale of alcohol would be considered illegal.
“Four months before I signed the lease, I talked to the church and everything was fine,” Huffaker
said, “but then the church started to complain and they pushed my permit back.” So far, Huffaker has put $22,000 into the theater and due to the delay of his permit, he has spent an extra $8,000 postponing shows and has experienced different bands threatening to sue him. Huffaker has been trying to keep the Industry Theater open by requesting a “CUP,” a requirement for entertainment and for the sale of alcoholic beverages. In order to avoid conflict with the church, he will open the venue when the church closes, at the hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Fr iday and, Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. According to New Life’s Facebook page, it is not opposed to the venue opening; if anything, it embraces that one is opening and said it might even have considered renting the theater for special events. The churches biggest concern is
with the alcoholic beverages being sold and the “socially hazardous and negative behaviors, such as drunkenness, drug use, foul language, public sexual exploits, loud disruptive activities, etc.” The church also says that Huffaker, to its knowledge, has never tried to meet with the main pastor, Pastor Marsh. Huffaker defends himself by saying that he has tried numerous times to meet with Marsh, but that he is very hard to get a hold of. Huffaker has met with other pastors after meetings they have had. Sharon Harper, who is known as the “first lady,” had spoken to Huffaker and advised him not to listen to the other pastors because they are “loopy lou’s.” There are upcoming planning commission meetings with the city council that Huffaker and New Life will be attending to see if they can come to a resolution. To stay updated, visit lancaster.granicus.com.
News in the Antelope Valley AT AVC
By Ben Fassett A student at Antelope Valley College was arrested during a football game on Oct. 30 and charged with committing a hate crime. The 21-year-old suspect was apprehended at Brent Carder Marauder Stadium after allegedly threatening the life of another student on Oct. 17, which is a crime unto itself. The suspect’s use of homosexual slurs and vulgar language, however, make the incident a hate crime. The suspect has been booked at the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station and is enjoying a less than comfortable stay in jail.
From the front page: New Life Community Church’s opposition to the Industry Theater has caused battle of the bands date to be pushed.
In the AV
Statewide
By Ben Fassett
By Ben Fassett
What do drugs, roosters and children have in common? According to the L.A. Times, deputies discovered the answer when a search warrant conducted in the Antelope Valley turned up five pounds (approximately $1 million worth) of methamphetamine, a cockfighting ring and several children stashed away in sheds. Several firearms were also discovered, along with sparring muffs (leather covers for talons) and steroids intended for the roosters. The search took place on Oct. 10 based on a narcotics investigation that brought Deputies to an isolated section of 30th Street East north of Lancaster. The seven children, ages four through 17, were turned over to child welfare officials. Six adults were arrested on suspicion of narcotics violations.
A suspect arrested after a salon shooting in Santa Ana has confessed to the crime. Scott Dekraai allegedly woke up on the morning of Oct. 12 and argued with his ex-wife Michelle Fournier over the phone. Afterwards, he gathered up his supplies: three handguns, extra magazines and ammunition, and a bulletproof vest. After contemplating what to do at the beach, he drove to Salon Meritage where Fournier worked and shot her dead. Dekraai then shot seven other people, six of whom died. Apparently he wasn’t done, though, because he then aimed his sights on a man who was sitting in the parking lot and killed him, too. Dekraai informed investigators that he thought the man had been an undercover police officer. The other people he shot, besides Fournier, were simply “collateral damage.” “I know what I did,” he told officers upon apprehension. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the shooting, the motive of which stems from a custody dispute between Dekraai and Fournier over their 8-year-old son.
Obituary
By Sarah Niemann On Oct 8, Antelope Valley College lost longtime adjunct professor Jerome Witte, 72, decorated service member and family man. Witte joined the Illinois National Guard at age 16. After being discharged he worked for Aerojet General Corporation as an Engineering Aide. He then went to the Air Force after graduating from California State University Sacramento. After returning to the military, he completed three tours in Vietnam. Witte retired in 1982 with military honors such as: Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Crew Award, and several Outstanding Unit Citation Awards. We at AVC were lucky enough to get him in January 1992; he will be missed here on campus, by his military comrades and by his family. Jerome “Jerry” Witte is survived by his two brothers Tom and Jim; four children Michelle, Sheila, Adam and Ash-lee; five grandchildren and his 102 year old aunt who raised him after losing his parents at the age of four.
News
November 2011
Page 3
Does Rate My Professor really rate my professor? By Mindy Simmons
to RMP. Shay presented his slideshow, informing fellow staff members that the website is run by mtvU which is run by
Staff Writer
Professors gathered in the Student Services and Information building, Friday, Oct. 21, during an on campus flex meeting to discuss this question: Does Ratemyprofessor.com (RMP) really rate my professor? “There is an extreme nature of the response,” said English professor Kathryn Mitchell, “It is borderline harassment.” Mitchell explains that from experience, the only rating she receives comes from students who either immensely enjoy her class or contrarily despised it. “There is occasional commentary that I can use to see how students view the class, and how it is presented.” While students find the appeal in keeping their anonymity, some professors found this to be a major problem. “Incorrect information can lead to violence,” said art history professor, Darrell Davisson, explaining that there are student accusations online saying, “I hate Christians and the military,” Davisson said, “People have guns!” suggesting that violence could be brought upon him stemming from unreliable information. “Maybe society doesn’t respect us?” said English professor, Scott Covell. However, Covell took a different approach to RMP, saying, “It pumps me up!” He then
“Personality and easiness have more value than knowledge attainment.”
Alex Shay Communications Professor
Mindy Simmons / Examiner
“There is an extreme nature of the response; it is borderline harrasment,” says Kathryn Mitchell, an English professor at Antelope Valley College. showed movie scenes from the movie “Dead Poets Society”, and concluded his presentation saying, “essentially someone has stood on their desk […] and are using this tool to pump ourselves up.”
Alex Shay pointed out the flaws in RMP when he said, “Personality and easiness have more value than knowledge attainment.” He then made a parallel to the likeness of both Facebook and Match.com
MTV, who are known for sensationalizing their product. Their website says, “mtvU is a megaphone for college students, empowering them to affect positive social change both globally and locally.” Shay then asked, “What should be rated?” He pointed out that if a teacher were to judge their students “hotness,” it would be harassment. However, teachers who are aesthetically pleasing to the eye have reviews that focus more on their appearance than their actual teaching. Upcoming flex meetings will be held in SSV 151.
AVC Scholarship Foundation Scholarship Workshop By Natasha Castro Staff Writer
The Antelope Valley College Foundation has made its goal the past few years to raise $475,000 to be matched 50 cents to every dollar by the Bernard Osher Foundation for scholarships. Although they did not complete the challenge, they raised $390,000. “We did not quite meet our goal of $475,000, but feel very pleased in the economy to have done so well,” said Sandi Roger, AVC Foundation Scholarship Technician, on behalf of the AVC Foundation. Along with this challenge, the Bernard Oscher Foundation offered any donor who gave $13,334 a $6,666 match, making a $20,000 scholarship in the donor’s name. “This $20,000 will pay out $1,000 per year in perpetuity for our AVC students,” Rogers said. This is the first year these named scholarships will be giv-
en to students. Currently, there are six named Osher donors: AVC Anatomy and Physiology, Northrop Grumman Corporation, McCutcheon Years (1952-1957) Alumni, Ron Emard “Cherish the Child,” Walt and Ginger Woltosz and Lancaster West Rotary Foundation Scholarship—which gives two scholarships. Each scholarship is broken down into smaller awards, depending on the student. “It’s about $27,000 that we will be giving out in Osher money, but it is broken down. So a fulltime student would get $1,000, a three-quartertime student would get $750 and a half-time student would get $500,” said Rogers, adding that this makes it hard to determine how many students will get scholarships from this money. The only requirements to apply for Osher scholarships, she said, are completion of 24 credit units and the student must be receiving BOG Fee Waiver. That said, donors can add criterion to their respective scholarships.
“For example, Northrop Grumman will probably make their scholarship for engineering students, because that’s what they’re interested in,” she said. As part of the original donation of $25 million to the California Community College in 2008, AVC has $11,000 a year, for the last three years. “Now we will be receiving, based on this $390,000—and plus their 50 cents on the dollar match—we’re close to $500,000,” she said. Several other named scholarships are in the works, as the AVC Foundation has extended the opportunity for constituents to raise $13,334 in an additional three years. The Social and Behavioral Science Department has just received a $2,500 donation from Pam Gaspar and the Union Bank. The Kiwanis Club of Palmdale and the Rotary Club of Lancaster are also planning to raise create a named scholarship.
By Natasha Castro Staff Writer
For any students with at least a 2.0 GPA having trouble filling out scholarship applications, Sandi Rogers, AVC Foundation Scholarship Technician, is hosting a handful of workshops to aid in the process. “The workshops are to assist students who are considering applying for a scholarship,” she said. “We go over the application, scholarship handbook and I talk to [the students] about the things that are important, and why they’re important.” Open to high school students, AVC students and those wishing to transfer, the workshops have been of-
fered for roughly three years. Although not all workshop participants are guaranteed a scholarship, Rogers said that she has noticed that many scholarship recipients are those who have taken the workshops. “We see that the applications are done more professionally, and done in the way the screening committees are looking for,” she said. “I think it’s been a very positive thing.” The classes are almost always full, according to Rogers, as there are only 30 spots per workshop. Though Rogers is now solely responsible for the trainings, she said she wished to recognize Diane FloresKagan, Writing Center
Learning Specialist, who originally took part in helping develop the personal statement portion of the workshop. Scholarship deadline for the AVC Foundation is Jan. 13. Students must turn their applications in to the Financial Aid Office. Those students who take the workshop are walked through the process of getting an application offline and how to fill it out. Workshops run from Nov. 14-Nov. 17. For specific times and locations, please visit http://goo.gl/DskLz. Those interested are asked to RSVP either by calling Rogers at (661) 7226300 ext. 6860, or by e-mailing her at srogers@avc.edu.
News
Page 4
November 2011
Study finds 50 percent of students will not get classes An interview conducted with Ted Younglove of Institutional Research By Natasha Castro Staff Writer
This, combined with an increase of high school graduates in the Antelope Valley, adds up to an estimated 1,494 graduates shut out of classes. That said, the numbers are expected to increase every year. “Say we shut out 1,000 students in 2010, some of them are going to come back in Fall 2011 and want to get in. Now you’ve got another 2,000 shut out, … and we build up this huge number of students,” he said. This problem is statewide. According to Younglove, the Chancellor’s Office estimated about 700,000 students statewide would want to get into community college, and would not get in. High school students are not Younglove’s only concern. “We’ve got about 10,000 students who need to come here because they shrunk the Cal States,” he said. “That’s a group I really worry about this fall.” He explained that when students go straight to 4-year universities, they have rarely
Earlier this year, Ted Younglove, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Planning, conducted a study to investigate what he suspected was an ever-growing number of high school students unable to get classes at AVC. His findings have raised awareness to an issue among many regarding budget cuts, specifically causing concerns about the increasing demand for classes and shrinking resources to provide them. “Because of budget cuts, we’ve been shrinking the number of courses, and it occurred to me that there are no longer enough courses for everyone to get [into AVC] who wants to,” explained Younglove. Brandon Bird / Examiner According to the 2011 First Because of the budget cuts, some students may not be able to enroll into AVC next semester. Quarter Notes from Researchers, 50-52 percent of high school graduates of the Antehere. And then, because of the seats we have,” he said. every class is full,” he said. lope Valley come to AVC. budget cuts here, there may not Student success rates a re “So, for the amount of money “What my study looked at be room for them,” he said. also of concer n, as re-ta k- we’re spending, we’re educatwas whether that Younglove’s concerns ing a class restr icts others ing a lot more students.” percent of high are also not limited to students’ oppor tunities. Although there are no reschool students [an young students, as he said “If we can help students be ports done on the topic at estimated 2,000 stuhe worries about the out- more successful and finish up, AVC, Younglove said that redents] that wanted to comes of shutting out so that then clears room for other tention rates are something come here are still many students. students,” he said. that is looked at as something getting in,” he said. “Studies statewide and Funding for classes is also an affecting class availability. As a new stunationwide show businesses issue that has caused concern. “The number who started the dent, he continued really need community col“Part of what the college is class but dropped before W or on to explain, it is lege graduates and four-year doing is trying to manage our census was not really of intermore difficult to get college graduates. There’s budget as close as possible so est before. But now since we classes than those a demand for an educated we can offer as many classes as do not have enough budget to who are continuing workforce, and we’re re- possible,” he said. offer enough cases to meet destudents. Younglove stricting the supply of eduThe deans also work together mand, it is important to know suggested that percated workers,” he said. to predict a course schedule if there are students who take haps part of the exTo help mitigate this based on full-time equivalent up space but then drop out of planation for this is problem, Younglove said students (FTES)—the State of the class.” Ted Younglove that many returning several solutions have been California pays AVC approxiAll things considered, YounDean of Institutional Effectiveness, students have taken discussed. Suggested solu- mately $4,500 per FTES—to glove said that AVC is doing Research and Planning prerequisite classes, tions include to move class- ensure that AVC maximizes the its best to open classes up to allowing them to es into bigger rooms, and to course load and does not leave more students. take a broader range offer Basic Skills classes as any state money unutilized. “We’re making changes, and of classes. what are called “double-8” “We don’t want to ever have I think it’s definitely helping, “This year [the number of gone through the channels courses. As he described them, less FTES than the state will but there’s just so much dehigh school graduates getting (seeing a counselor, place- “double-8” courses is like tak- pay us for, because that means mand—it really is a problem,” classes] has dropped consid- ment testing) that make them ing two classes in one semes- we’re leaving money that could he said. erably, and that’s because we successful at AVC. ter; for example, English 97 for help us open classes,” he said. For more information on have been cutting classes,” “It is very unfair that they’ve eight weeks, and English 97 for In light of the cuts, Young- this study, you can contact he said, adding that the de- done everything right and the remaining eight weeks. love described one upside to AVC’s Department of Institumand for community college they’ve gotten the grades to get “We’ve shifted to bigger class- the demand for classes. tional Effectiveness, Research courses goes up in times of in, but because of the budget rooms wherever possible, so we’re “We’re getting, on average, and Planning. economic downturn. cuts there, they’re pushed down trying to optimize the number of more students into a class, and
“There’s a demand for an educated workforce, and we’re restricting the supply of educated workers.”
November 2011
News
Page 5
International recognition for AVC’s tutors Food for the pantry ing centers,” said Dr. Magdalena Caproiu, Every five years, Antelope Valley Colthe math center lege has to submit an application to Collearning speciallege Reading & Learning Association ist at AVC. “One (CRLA) in order to certify our tutoring of our previous program. In our last submission, CRLA tutors moved was very impressed with AVC’s applicato Georgia and tion and has decided to use our applicaopened a tutoring tion as a model for other colleges. center out there.” Their comment to our application is, Students can “One of the best organized applicaalso become voltions I have ever reviewed. The extra unteer tutors at the time and effort put into the organizaLearning Center tion and presentation of the applicawithout pay. The tion packet and material was obvious three-level trainCourtesy of the Learning Center / Examiner ing process is not and appreciated. Your long standing CRLA - Certified Program (since Oct. Antelope Valley’s certification received by College Reading & mandatory for vol1994) is impressive and would make Learning Association for our re-credited tutoring application. unteer tutors, but a great model for other programs, as you would have would your excellent applications.” three-level training process which moves to go through an interview, do 10 hours of “We’ve been a role model for a long time; them from beginner to advanced to master. tutoring, have a recommendation, and meet now we’re just an international role model,” Though the Learning Center is not cur- the GPA standards in order to qualify. says Professor Dorothy Williams, an aca- rently hiring for tutors, AVC does offer two After 30 years at the Learning Center, demic skills learning specialist at AVC. tutoring classes: LEC 100 and LEC 200. Williams will be retiring this year and says, In order to ensure that AVC has the best “It’s good for your resume and those “With us getting an international role model tutors, aspiring tutors must go through a who are looking into opening tutor- application, that’s a good note to leave on.”
By Kristi Phillips Staff Writer
By Kristi Phillips
Staff Writer
There are over 254,000 people in the Los Angeles area who are homeless. Out of that 254,000, approximately 82,000 people have nowhere to stay or eat for the night. ASO is looking to help students who are in need by providing “Food for the Pantry.” Located in between the Marauder book store and the cafeteria, the pantry is there for those homeless and in need of supplemental food. In order to qualify to receive food, students must be homeless and show they are making progress toward their educational plan. Because some students may not be able to qualify to receive food from the pantry, ASO provides a bulletin board showing all of the places that people may go to to receive hot meals in the AV. The pantry provides food that students will be able to get by on for a day, such as granola bars, frozen dinners, tuna, crackers and oatmeal. In order to get on a food program where students can receive meals enough to last a few days, they may go to local churches and food banks, such as Grace Resource and the Palmdale Soup Kitchen. ASO receives new food for their inventory every second and fourth Wednesday of the month and are now starting to collect a wider variety of things, such as coats for the winter time. “Our main goal is for students to achieve academic success. Being a student is hard enough, but if you’re homeless, it makes it that much harder to succeed,” Sandra Govin, Chairman of Food for the pantry said. Another thing that Food for the Pantry provides are hygiene products, such as deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Moving forward, ASO wants to continue helping those in need and are looking to expand past the pantry. Terrence Myers, President of ASO, is looking to have an event for those who won’t have a Thanksgiving meal. “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday,” Myers said. “So we’re looking to throw together a potluck and for people to participate.” Students who are in need of food or hygienic products can pick up an application in the Student Services Building in room 180.
Page 8
Features
November 2011
A meeting of sound and cinema
Courtesy photo
From left to right: Lena Grand-Weber, Sandra Govin, Vice President Sharon Lowry (partially hidden), Trustee Betty Wienke, Trustee Steve Buffalo, College President Dr. Jackie L. Fisher Sr. (partially hidden), Trustee Earl J. Wilson, Trustee Jack Seefus, Trustee Michael R. Adams, Dean Newton Chelette, Bridget Razo
AVC celebrates the new Theater Arts building with a ribbon cutting ceremony By Maria Cortes Staff Writer
Answer true or false: “I love watching television.” Again, true or false: “I love watching movies.” If you answered true to either one of those statements, then you would have loved “Symphonic Cinema,” the debut production of the Antelope Valley College Performing Arts Theater. “Symphonic Cinema” incorporated some of Hollywood’s most beloved movies and television shows with the musical talent of the Antelope Valley Symphony Chorale Orchestra and Master Chorale, which boasted some of AVC’s own music students. The production was based on certain movies and television shows and the music that made them famous. The program showed a medley of silent scenes and the orchestra would play the music in the background. The entire experience was surreal. The first movie displayed was Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo.” The movie began to play on the projection screen, and the audience prepared themselves for what they thought would be a few short minutes of the movie. Then the movie stopped and the orchestra picked up where the film left off, abruptly transporting us into “Vertigo.” It was as if the notes jumped out at you one at a time in a way that simply listening to the score in the background of the film could never do. The theater filled with an eerie aura and suddenly everyone around me shivered as I just had. The orchestra didn’t just mimic the score; it brought it to life as if you were wearing 3D glasses and the notes were heading right toward you, baring its teeth and ready to bite.
From the food blog Ninty-nine cent ice cream from McDonalds, 99-cent gum, and Burger King’s 99-cent Jr. Whopper all have the advantage of price, but do these dishes hold any value when it comes to satisfying your appetite? If your answer was no, then you’re in luck. Savory, large and satisfying pupusas are only 99 cents every Monday
The same feelings surrounded us all as we heard the score to “Psycho,” another Hitchcock film. The theater became a dark and ominous hotel. As the violins picked up in that legendary screech, we all found ourselves backed up against that shower wall, awaiting our fate. It was as if the violins were paying homage to the killer’s knife, and it was our turn to fall to the bathroom tile floor, deceased. Similar feelings of paranoia, fear, anger, and fright were experienced as we went on the 3D musical experience of “Taxi Driver,” which was directed by Martin Scorsese, and “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” directed by Robert Wise. Then came the theme songs to a couple of TV’s most famous shows. These included “The Twilight Zone” and a medley of American composer Earle Hagen’s best work, such as “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C,” and “I Spy.” Other works featured were the main scores from “Chinatown,” “A Street Car Named Desire” and “Tara” from “Gone with the Wind.” Then a wave of happiness and romance swept over us all when the projection screen lit up with “Days of Wine and Roses,” written by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini. The audience’s hearts soared, and we all imagined our lives in the days of wine and roses. A choir appeared almost magically; its heavenly voices swept us all off our feet. The romance didn’t end as we were then treated to “Moon River,” the forever famous song from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The choir sang a song of a hopeful young woman with big dreams. She dreamt of romance and a better life with luxury and love. The violins intensified and we could almost see Audrey Hepburn and
her dream man waltzing across the stage, dancing along to the heavenly notes of the orchestra. The night ended with a bang. First came the legendary music from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” The orchestra rang with drums, flutes, violins, and guitars filling the theater with an old western vibe that only a Clint Eastwood film could bring. The choir rang in with the comical “Wa, Wa, Wa” sound byte that accompanies most western films. This did little to lessen the seriousness of the situation. We were all in the Old West with the sun on our faces, ready for a showdown with Clint Eastwood. We all knew who would win. Then, at the very end of the night, we were sent into “Star Wars.” Nobody could ever forget the epic score written by John Williams. The orchestra highlighted their drum, violin and trumpet players to send us all into a galaxy far, far away. A wave of emotions crashed into the theater and into the audience. We were all on the Death Star preparing for battle and instantly on Tatooine looking into the sky. We were training with Yoda, watching Obi-Wan Kenobi die, fighting for our lives and saving the universe at the same time. All in one night we were terrified, fell in love, fighting, and saving lives. The emotions would not have come the same if we were seated in a movie theater, the smell of popcorn surrounding us. The raw orchestral sounds took us there and kept us in its grip until it was ready to release us. I can safely say that we will be expecting more fantastic things from the AVC Performing Arts Theater.
and Wednesday at Pueblo Viejo, one of Lancaster Boulevard’s newest restaurants, located right across the street from the theatre. We order pupusas revuelts or mixed pupusas. For those of you who don’t know, a pupusa is pretty much a stuffed tortilla. You are given the option of pork, cheese, beans, or mixed. Filled to the maximum with beans, cheese, and pork this Salvadoran staple was complete-
ly satisfying. After two, we were already in food heaven. This meal was made even better with the check being less than two dollars. If it’s Monday or Wednesday and you’re looking for a cheap, delicious and filling meal, stop by Pueblo Viejo. The pupusas here are sure to satisfy.
—Codie Walsh and Mindy Simmons
Opinion
November 2011
Page 9
In case you were unaware, Christmas is apparently a holiday about a big, red pedophile who brings presents to children. Easter also appears to be a terrifying amalgamation of nature where vinegar-soaked eggs rip from the uterus of a rabbit annually. Did you know that St. Patrick’s Day is designed to increase the surplus population thanks to mysterious, green alcohol? Valentine’s Day seems to largely be about chocolate and corregated paper. Yes, our holidays have gone by the wayside in terms of meaning. No one swaps stories about how St. Patrick sprayed snakes with RAID. No one notices how the Easter tradition correlates with stories of Eostre and her penchant for fertility. No one notices.
I thought it was interesting how you guys pointed this out since Halloween has evolved into a holiday where all we do is party and pretty much forget what happened the night before. Next thing you know, you’ll be hungover, or if you’re a kid, maybe have a new cavity. I feel that this is pretty important considering most of us probably don’t even know that Halloween was supposed to be a celebration of the dead. Nice work, guys. Brian Perez-Blanco
Ben Fassett
Editorial: campus ban on smoking one year later The AVC Examiner editorials are the unsigned views of the editorial board Pro Being an asthmatic is
difficult. Every little allergen makes you feel like you should be on bed rest. Smoke is a different story entirely. One puff of secondhand smoke and suddenly the cold, creeping fingers of death are upon you, squeezing every last bit of life out of your shrinking lungs. So when AVC banned smoking on campus, asthmatics were overjoyed. No longer would they have to walk around campus, holding their breaths every second someone decided to blow smoke in their general direction. Let’s be honest with ourselves, smokers: when you light up your cigarette, you’re not thinking of the life walking by that could die due to your lack of concern. All you’re thinking about is taking a nice long drag to relieve the tension of stress building up in your chest. But the chances that the person standing next to you is suffers from asthma may be more likely than you realize. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in 12 U.S. citizens is diagnosed with asthma in one year. It
may not seem like such a huge deal, but with enrollment at AVC exceeding 15,000 this year, there could potentially be 1,250 different asthmatics walking around campus on any given day.
“Let’s be honest with ourselves, smokers: when you light up a cigarette, you’re not thinking of the life walking by that could die due to your lack of concern.” Despite the ban on smoking on campus, its still being done. When it was first banned, all across campus students were taking a stand, smoking right in front of the “No Smoking” signs and raising the proverbial middle finger at The Man with gusto. Meanwhile, asthmatics, allergy sufferers, and the general crowd who enjoys breathing fresh air was get-
ting pissed off at the rabble rousers, alerting the campus police whenever they got a whiff of burning nicotine. Sure, it was annoying and probably pretty pretentious whenever someone called into the police about a smoking violation, but what’s worse? Is causing someone a ticket more life-threatening than an asthma attack? We can all probably agree: the quality of the AVC experience has improved since the ban on smoking. Over the last year, the haze of smoke that used to grace our campus has lifted and we can see all obstacles in our way. Asthma sufferers no longer need to worry about frantically searching for their inhalers; they can frantically study for their next calculus test in peace. More than that, who knows who they might turn out to be! Think about it: that person standing next to you choking on your smoke could be the next Charles Dickens, Ludwig von Beethoven, or even a future President like Theodore Roosevelt. Let our over-achievers and future visionaries breathe in peace. Thanks for not smoking.
Con So as you may have well established by now, you can’t smoke on campus. Creeping up on the year mark for this new policy, we take a moment and reflect on how it’s gone. Smokers, close your eyes and reflect on the year. Think about what it used to be like, puffing feverishly down to the filter as you run pell-mell to your next class.
“To make villains out of smokers is like blaming God for earthquakes in Japan.” Sucks, doesn’t it? Yeah, sure, asthmatics suffer due to cigarette smoke. They also suffer at the hands of pets, pollen, bacteria, smog, and vehicular manslaughter at the hands of bitter smokers who have to stand in the middle of the Antelope Valley wind. To make villains out of smokers is like blaming God for earthquakes in Japan That having been said, we wouldn’t be nearly as annoyed with smoking in the parking lot if we had access to the same sort of amenities we had when we were able to light up on campus. Remember those trash cans with the convenient ashtrays built into the top? Those were nice, weren’t they? They
were abundantly better than the damn hollow pillars that occasionally burst into flames. Remember when we used to be able to sit back and enjoy our cancer? It’d be nice to have some benches we could sit on, too. Remember when you didn’t have to smoke next to some ungodly piece of machinery that sounded like it was about to eat you? Yeah, enjoy your conversation next to that beast. The other half of the argument had to do with litter. Cigarette butts were apparently stacked so high on campus that non-smokers had a paltry five yard field of visibility. Yes, that is a slight exaggeration. No, it has not gotten any better. The butts are still there. No one has cleaned them up. Relegating the inevitable waste to the parking lot doesn’t improve matters. If anything, all it does is give the parking lot the chance to occasionally catch on fire. While we don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing (it gives us something to report on, after all), it doesn’t exactly make for safe traveling. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?
Corrections from October Issue Page 2: Dr. David Newby was misidentified as an adjunct; he is a tenured Professor of Music. Pages 2 & 3: The actual price of the Steinway Model D piano was $128,000, before shipping and taxes.
Page 10
Opinion
November 2011
See Spot swim: SeaWorld causes dolphin slaughter By Brandon Bird Staff Writer
Brandon Bird / Examiner
A common dolphin frolics out of King Harbor, Redondo Beach about a mile from shore. Common dolphins such as the one depicted here often travel in pods numbering in the hundreds. They are a big treat for tourists, scientists and photographers alike. This is the best way to see this creature in its native enviornment; not in a concrete tank.
Dolphins are considered the smartest creatures on the planet behind humans. Do any of you enjoy jail? I’m positive the answer is “no.” Then why support an industry that keeps animals away from their natural environment? Dolphins rely heavily on their sense of sound, or sonar. Imagine the effects it could have when surrounded by hundreds of screaming patrons separated by a concrete wall. The constant sound alone causes many captive dolphins to suffer from depression and ulcers. Are you a fan of depression and painful open sores? It is illegal in the U.S. to capture Cetaceans and keep them in captivity, unless to rehabilitate and release them back into the wild. What happens more times than not is they are kept in captivity and turned into a commodity, both for your viewing pleasure and their pocket books. As you read this, dolphins are being captured and slaughtered in Taiji, Japan and SeaWorld does nothing to stop it. Thousands of dolphin deaths a year occur at what is nicknamed ‘The Cove,’ and will continue to happen as long as we,
somewhat responsible people allow it. I’m asking you to stay away from SeaWorld until it takes an active measure in stopping the dolphin slaughter in Taiji. If you’re as broke as I am and can’t pay attention, you’re probably saying, “Yeah man, I’m down to stay away from it” I ask a little more from you; when you know of someone going to there, just scream into their ears for hours at a time, or play some David Hasselhoff songs and ask them if they enjoyed the noises. I’m sure the dolphins don’t either. With the money you saved from going to SeaWorld; rent some kayaks or SUP (stand-up paddleboard) from Olympus Board Shop in Torrance, Calif. it offersgreat prices on rentals with their family friendly atmosphere and are minutes away from King Harbor, Redondo Beach, Calif. There, you’ll experience sea lions sun bathing on the barge. Hook up with a group of paddlers and venture off into the open waters and take a chance encountering wild dolphins. So, if you say “I love dolphins,” while on your way to SeaWorld, I hope you lose sleep, suffer from depression, and get ulcers all before your next birthday. SeaWorld, please help stop the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.
Where are all the Good Samaritans in the AV? By Joshua Sanchez Staff Writer
It was about an hour to midnight when my father and I pulled up to the GameStop at the east side of Lancaster, near the Walmart Supercenter. As we parked, a red Pontiac backed into the space in front of us, a blue car followed suit in the next space. We didn’t think anything of it; the only thing on my mind was the game that awaited me inside the store: Battlefield 3. We got into line and proceeded to wait the last hour when we suddenly heard someone shout, “Get some fool!” The line quickly disappeared as the crowd moved like a school of fish to watch one man being jumped by four others. He put up a valiant struggle, throwing punches of his own before being swarmed. The man’s torment didn’t end when he hit the ground though. I saw him get stomped on a few times, just as quickly as the attack occurred, it was over. The suspects then got into their cars and drove off. The best part was the marine in the crowd who called the police, shouting out the license plate number of the blue car: “Lima, Foxtrot, Hotel, two, four, two.” The interesting thing is that, out of the hundreds
of people there at GameStop, that night this marine was the only one who bothered to call the police. I feel somewhat ashamed of myself, because I was one of those folks just standing there, gawking at the spectacle. The only thing I was concerned with was my father’s safety, and my own; so much so that I had my hand on my pocketknife the entire time. But is this a selfish thing to do? When does fear of being injured become simply not caring about what happens to another individual? Recently, there was a video in China where a two-year-old girl was run over…by two vans. The saddest part is that no one bothered to help this poor little girl until a homeless person decided to call an ambulance. How far does moral responsibility have to degrade before our own society gets to this stage? These are some hard questions to ask yourself, but I think it is necessary for a healthy society. I don’t know why this man waiting in line at GameStop was beaten, but maybe more could have been done to spare him the pain. It doesn’t really matter what the guy did; no one has the right to just jump someone in a GameStop parking lot. Next time think about calling the police.
Brandon Bird/ Examiner
Photo staged by Brandon Bird. left bottom: Javon Lee, middle: Melina Martinez, right bottom: Roland Castillago. If you saw a man brutally beating another on the ground with no sign of it ending, would you stop him or call the police? Or would you end up walking away, doing nothing?
Opinion
November 2011
Page 11
Why do hordes of people like this trash anyway? By Omar Catellon Staff Writer
A Brooklyn-based artist by the name of Marni Kotak plans to turn the birth of her child into performance art, allowing a gallery full of people to witness the event. While interesting, it’s not what I’d consider to be art, but others would undoubtedly grant it that status. It’s an impasse that speaks to the amorphous nature of art, especially in an era where the centuries-old rigidity of it is, arguably, irrelevant. Such a notion can be summarized with a clichéd axiom: Art is subjective. Defining art in light of that phrase thus becomes an almost worthless pursuit. Fortunately, rather than meet an intellectual dead end trying to distinguish between what is and isn’t art, I’m going to dissect taste, which admittedly is another subjective matter. In particular, I think it’s appropriate that I delve into two incidents in which the art world was duped. Unsurprisingly, both occurred in the first half of the 20 th century, a time in which the Modernist movement was very much alive. One of the most prominent examples of artistic tomfoolery is the Disumbrationist movement, which was founded by Paul Jordan-Smith in 1924. Growing tired of the cold reception his wife’s realistic artwork was receiving, JordanSmith decided to create intentionally bad paintings under the guise of Pavel Jerdanowitch. He reasoned that modern critics were afraid to offer honest opinions regarding art values. Not unexpectedly, but much to his annoy-
ance, his initial piece, titled “Exhalation,” was lauded. Jordan-Smith maintained this charade for roughly three years before finally admitting it was all a sham in a Los Angeles Times interview. Another infamous case of trickery involved an Australian publication called “Angry Penguins” and fictitious poet, Ern Malley. Malley was the creation of two writers, James McAuley and Harold Stewart, who were dissatisfied with the direction of Modernist poetry. Consequently, they set about crafting intentionally poor verses, their rationale being that critics wouldn’t be able to distinguish between truly awful and legitimately good poetry. This was a cruel and hilarious experiment to be sure. Stewart and McAuley did nothing more than misquote and plagiarize numerous passages and lines from several books, including an American Armed Forces guide to mosquito infestation. This poetic chimera was sent to Max Harris, the creator of “Angry Penguins.” Harris was awestricken by Malley’s poem, titled “The Darkening Ecliptic,” which certainly meets the criteria for artsy and pretentious. In his excitement, Harris quickly put out a special issue of his publication. However, due to the events of World War II, the issue was not put into circulation until approximately a year later. Nevertheless, McAuley and Stewart had succeeded in their shenanigans. Though Harris (as well as others who worked on “Angry Penguins”) was fooled into thinking he had read a masterpiece; others were quick to call his judgment into
Examiner Staff
Editor in Chief Sarah Niemann
Managing Editor Natasha Castro News Editor Kristi Phillips Opinion Editor Dani Jean Keinz Features Editor Josh Sanchez Sports Editor Marcus Russell Codie Walsh Photo Editor Courtney Unander Online Editor Omar Castellon Copy Editor Jordan Lofgren
Lead Writer
Ben Fassett Writers
Travion Bynum
Cornell Hudson Maria Cortes
Staff Photographer Brandon Bird
Mindy Simmons Advisers
Jim Burns
Charles Hood Advertising rates
(661) 722-6300 x6996
question. After the hoax was confirmed, Harris’s reputation was close to shattered, and he was ridiculed for weeks. Strangely, however, Harris continued to defend his decision to print Malley’s poetry, claiming that despite its underhanded intentions, “The Darkening Ecliptic” is an amazing work. In short, he viewed it as an accidental masterpiece. Likewise, there were several individuals who maintained that the Disumbrationist paintings were genuinely exceptional. They charged that Jordan-Smith’s hoax was only successful due to a true artistic talent. Whether Harris and company made these claims out of a legitimate belief or simply in an attempt to save face, is something I can’t be certain of. But if we assume their words are true, a number of fascinating questions concerning taste arise. If Harris and others truly believed those abominations were works art, I’d be in no position to convince them otherwise. What footing would I have to do so? No more than anyone else, really. In any case, why do people enjoy these unanimously terrible pieces? In my limited understanding of things, I may be able to provide an answer. Appreciation of art (as well as its creation) is a self-indulgent, narcissistic and self-fellating endeavor. It shares much in common with pissing contests. Our tastes in music, film and paintings not only serve to build up our identities, they’re one of the ways we flaunt superiority over others. Art in its various forms is one of the myriad avenues by which we channel our arrogant tendencies. I am positive that
Letters to the Editor Guidelines
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: Email: avcexaminer00@gmail.com Editor, Examiner 3041 West Ave. K, APL104 Lancaster, CA 93536 Telephone (661) 722-6300 x6496
at some point in your life you’ve heard something to the effect of, “How can you like that? It’s crap!” Personal taste is therefore a form of social currency and is indicative of a particular status or affluence. More material equivalents would be expensive cars or extravagant jewelry. By asserting they enjoy work like “The Darkening Ecliptic,” Harris and others like him may be trying to come off as enlightened and unique individuals. If any dare challenge their sensibilities, they can easily cover their own rears by saying they simply have more developed and sophisticated tastes. How could we, as nothing more than oxygen deprived plebeians, ever hope to understand? This, too, is how I come to terms with the success of Richard Prince’s appropriation art. All you need to know about Prince is that he took a photograph of a Marlboro advertisement and sold it for over $1 million. I’d like to believe that most would have the common sense to see such “artwork” for the sham that it is, but I’m sure some would disagree with me. Perhaps they would argue that Prince’s work should be praised as an introspective deconstruction that reveals unspoken truths about the state of contemporary art. To such claims I say, “Bollocks.” The only way I could justify spending so much for blatant theft is if one believed the expense afforded them some sort of distinction, a way of standing out from bland and faceless masses. So the ultimate question is, do we enjoy the art we do because it’s good or because it reflects good upon us?
Antelope Valley College’s Examiner is published by AVC 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 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.
Page 12
Sports
November 2011
AVC vs. Long Beach: super comeback rally fails By Marcus Russell Staff Writer
On Oct. 29, the AVC Marauders faced off in a vigorous football match up against the Long Beach City College Vikings, which ended in the Vikings favor with the score of 58-45. AVC’s starting receiver Michael Copper led in scoring for the Marauders, with two touchdowns, which where thrown by Derrick Dixon. Derrick threw 21 complete passes out of a total of 31 attempted. Brandon Buteyn lead in returning yards with a total of 164 yards ran back. His 50 rushing yards gave him a total of 214 yards for the game. Long Beach’s Travon Payne was the leading scorer for the Vikings, scoring two touchdowns and racking up a total of 182 receiving yards. The Vikings dominated the first quarter gathering up a tremendous amount of momentum for themselves with three unanswered touchdowns and three extra points,the score at 0-21 at the end of first
Marcus Russell / Examiner
Marauders running back Brandon Buteyn hurdles over Long Beach Vikings defensive back Montez Hunter. Buteyn led in returning yards with 164. quarter. AVC stepped on the field in the second quarter with a deficit to shrink. The Marauders had a hard time getting
into a groove due to the momentum the Vikings had obtained in the first quarter. The two touchdowns gained in the second
quarter by AVC’s running back Kenny Steward and AVC’s receiver Copper were much needed by the Marauders, but were not enough to close the gap that the Vikings had created and were continuously working to increase. The Vikings had a total of three successful drives, along with the fact that they began the second quarter leading by 21, whereas AVC only had two successful drives. Though Long Beach began the third quarter with possession of the ball, the Marauders defense did an exceptional job of keeping the Vikings from scoring any touchdowns throughout the quarter. AVC, however, capitalized in this quarter and scored, giving them the momentum they needed to get back into the game. In the fourth quarter, AVC began to make an unseen comeback; but despite there efforts, the Vikings held control of the game in order to obtain the win at the end of it all. The Marauders’ last game is Saturday against Chaffey College. Come and show your support.
Conference winner Emma Ramirez posts best time
By Codie Walsh Staff Writer
Desire, dedication and determination are obviously present in cross-country star Emma Ramirez. A freshman from Pete Knight High School, Ramirez was able win Foothill Champion with her best pace record 17 minutes, 56 seconds. “It was my first time breaking 18,” Ramirez said. “I was excited.” Her ability to win first place gave the Marauders the advantage, and ultimately the team walked away with first place. Ramirez credits her success to Head Coach Mark Covert. “I was running at Pete Knight, but nothing near my times. Covert’s an amazing coach. I’ve gotten so much quicker, like my feet are quicker than they were in high school,” said Ramirez. Now Ramirez and the team move on to Southern California Championships. “I’m nervous because there’s way better teams than there was in the conference,” Ramirez said. Coach Covert
has confidence in Ramirez: “It’s a big race. She’s a freshman. They should all have some nerves, but if she runs well she will surely be in the top ten.” Ramirez decided to attend AVC because of cost and indecision. Originally, Ramirez was participating in both soccer and cross-country, but she was forced to choose after becoming exhausted from constant practice. “I’ve been playing soccer all my life,” Ramirez said, “but I had a better chance in running.” Her decision to stay with crosscountry has paid off “We have a really good team. They push me a lot. [Danielle] pushes me a lot, too. We’re always back and forth on who’s going to be first.” Danielle Chavarria was right behind Ramirez with a time of 18 minutes, 13 seconds. The two can be seen one place apart in four out of five conference meets. After cross-country, Ramirez is planning on running track.
Mindy Simmons/ Examiner
Emma Ramirez runs on the Carder Marauder Stadium’s track during the early morning..