The Collegian -- Published April 25, 2014

thecollegian Issue 13 • Friday, April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

INSIDE

Political Correctness: Life or Death?

Professors debate on validity of Political Correctness in our society by heidi sharp

news@deltacollegian.net

Examining the dark side of children’s fiction Page 4

Popular internet expressions, timeless Page 2

Mustangs baseball pushing into the playoffs Page 7

Thursday, Apr. 17 Delta College Speech and Debate hosted a professor debate in the West Forum. The topic was phrased in the form of a statement, and there were two panelists defending the affirmative (agreeing with the statement) and two panelists on the negative (disagreeing with the statement).

The statement was clear and simple: “Political correctness must die.” It was written on the dry-erase board behind them.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “politically correct” (PC) as “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.”

On the affirmative side was professor William Ferraiolo and professor Jeff Toney. On the negative was professor and Forensics coach Kathleen Bruce and professor Harry Mersmann.

Toney sat on the opposite side from his personal views.

“I have been involved in speech and debate for a long time, playing devil’s advocate comes with

ASBG meeting on April 28, at Rauhuff Boardroom at 2:30 P.M. Big 8 Conference Championships Finals, Merv Smith Track at 9 A.M.

FIND US

news@deltacollegian.net

According to the Center for Disease Control, there are around 14,000-19,000 injuries caused by accidental shootings per year in the U.S. Though only about 500 of those cases result in death, these numbers are substantial enough to cause concern. Detroit engineer Omer Kiyani has designed a new device to enhance gun safety.

Referred to as Identilock, the device is connected to the trigger of a pistol, which can only be released by an authorized fingerprint. This biometric technology is similar to what is in the iPhone 5S where a user must touch their phone in order to unlock it.

The Identilock is currently undergoing some fine-tuning on its prototype. While Kiyani and the manufacturers at Sentinl are seeking further investment, they still anticipate the U.S. release

PHOTO BY JIM VERGARA

PROFESSOR BATTLE: Top, from left to right Professor Will Ferraiolo, Jeff Toney, Harry Mersmann, and Kathleen Bruce took part in the debate as to whether political correctness should die.

Left, students and staff all crowded the West Forum to catch the debate and see which side could defend their point the strongest.

continued on PAGE 8

Technology for gun safety similar to iPhone by micheal johnson

UPCOMING

the territory,” said Toney.

Each side received seven minutes for their opening statements.

The affirmative spoke first, Ferraiolo introduced his “Top ten reasons PC is bad.” Some of which included: “PC is disingenuous,” “PC presumes that my thoughts are yours to control,” and “PC is an expression of weakness.”

Mersmann provided the negative opening statement which included reasons such as: “PC is about making people feel welcome,” “It helps make people aware of social and political inequalities,” and “Words are powerful and people carry words that were said to them around for the rest of their lives.”

After opening statements, there was a five-minute crossfire segment where the panelists were allowed to ask the other side questions.

One of the questions brought up during the debate was from Ferraiolo: “Who gets to decide which labels are the PC ones to use?” Bruce answered: “Not the Patriarchy.”

The crossfire section was fol-

sometime next year.

As an accidental gunshot victim himself, Kiyani has worked on a plan to curb these types of situations. It has been over a year since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings occurred in Connecticut and gun control is still a hot-button issue.

Not only could this technology prevent accidental discharge, but it also can prevent the gun from being used by someone with the wrong intentions.

Whether you are for or against it, we can all agree that safety is a must when dealing with lethal weapons.

One essential problem may be the systems reliability. These electronic devices have potential to malfunction which can prove to be fatal.

The Identilock may seem like a futuristic concept or something out of a sci-fi movie, but manufac-

continued on PAGE 8

ASBG finishes college hour with a Luau party and big celebration by diane rivera

news@deltacollegian.net

ASBG held the final college hour for the semester on Thursday April 17th. The chosen theme was luau. Activities during the event were dancing “the woddle” as well as doing the limbo. Some students volunteered to dance the hula. T-shirts, tank tops, and shorts all sold for a discounted price by ASBG. Delta College student and candidate for the ASBG Senator at Large Jeremiah Stanley said “ [the event] was good although I had some wardrobe malfunction with the grass skirt,” Several students dressed up to match the theme of the event, wearing flip flops and Hawaiian shirts.

“It’s very interesting because different ethnic groups come together, and there should have more things like this more often,” stated James Briones Delta Psi Historian. Briones was also dressed for the occasion.

There was also food that was catered by Ono Hawaiian BBQ. They provided BBQ Beef, BBQ Chicken, Chicken Katsu, rice, Macaroni salad and Hawaiian mix salad.

ASBG President QuaNisha Smith summed up the real purpose of college hour when she said, “This year we wanted to show the students we really care about them, and we wanted to also promote student life on campus,” Students looking forward to the next College hour should keep their eyes out for the upcoming Fall semester.

Students interested in serving on ASBG should look on the website for more information at www.deltacollege.edu/org/asbg

2 opinion

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

Photo craze ‘selfies’ timeless through the ages by seth lowman news@deltacollegian.net

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n 2013, Oxford Dictionary announced its word of the year.

“Selfie” happens to be that word.

The definition reads: “A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website...”

10 years ago, you would never have heard the word “selfie,” but since it’s rise in popularity, it’s hard to escape the power of this photographic phenomenon.

Songs have been written about them. Envy has erupted because of them. And now everyone is taking them — probably even your mom.

But where did this all begin? What genius was responsible for creating such a popular trend?

It was the year of 1839 when chemist and photography enthusiast Robert Cornelius sat down in front of his camera to take the world’s first selfie.

By removing the lens cap of his camera, running into the frame and covering the lens back up again, Cornelius unknowingly influenced a future generation to snap its own beautiful faces.

It’s hard to imagine how Cornelius would be feeling right now, seeing how his achievement has had such a great impact on this generation.

I always understood the allure behind taking a selfie.

After many attempts of taking the “perfect” selfie, I can see how much hard work can actually be put into it.

Not only must you find the perfect angle, you must always be checking if your lighting compliments your face. And choosing the right filter is always a tough decision too.

Just a few weeks ago I posted my very first selfie

onto Instagram. And as my picture started to gain more attention, I understood why people love showing their faces on social media.

People want to feel appreciated for the way that they look. And they want “likes” on their picture to prove that they are adored.

But are likes the only important thing about selfies?

I follow a few people on Instagram who usually post a selfie accompanied with an inspiring caption or a hashtag, illustrating how strong and beautiful they felt despite life’s setbacks.

This demonstrates that selfies, while they may be vain, also provide people with a coping mechanism.

As humans, we are plagued by hardship and drama everyday, but as humans we also want to cover up that fact. We want to appear strong and beautiful through difficult times.

Despite feeling weak, we can choose whoever we want to be because of selfies. They have the ability to create a powerful illusion.

Since Cornelius was fascinated by photography, it is probably safe to say that his enthusiasm for picture taking drove him to inadvertently creating the first selfie.

Maybe he was having tough day and needed a way to express himself.

It’s just a shame they didn’t have hashtags back then to attach to his inaugural selfie.

By seeing the millions of faces that are plastered onto our Instagram feeds daily, there’s really only one hashtag that could suffice for his achievement: Revolutionary.

SELFIE BY SETH LOWMAN

College students not demonstrating essential life skills by heidi sharp whsharp@yahoo.com

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s it me, or does Delta College not give students any communication or interpersonal skills?

I mean, has anyone actually talked to a Delta student lately? It’s quite a snore.

It seems the average words out of a students mouth when asked a question are: “Yeah, sure,” or “Nah, bro,” or “I think (insert political issue) is bad, (can’t think of a well-thought-out reason here).”

Many of our students are well into adulthood (2025 age group). And to succeed in life, students need the interpersonal and communication skills necessary

to get a job — and maintain said job.

Basic manners seem to escape our generation as well.

Excuse me.

Please.

I’m sorry.

And the big one: Thank you.

I barely hear these useful phrases any more.

Conversations are increasingly limited, and the topics are also becoming less and less relevant.

Could it be attributed to the rise of instant social media? Probably.

We spend less and less time actually talking to each other, it seems to follow that our communication skills break down.

So what’s the solution?

Maybe Delta should offer classes pertaining to these issues.

Etiquette classes’ sound so outdated, but there really seems to be a need for them.

A whole semester class could be taught on how to look for jobs, build a resume, interview, attain the jobs, maintain positions, get promotions and succeed in life.

Once again, I know it sounds outdated, but a mandatory (for graduation or transfer) Home Economics class could really help many students.

“Advanced Calculus” is great — but “Balancing a Checkbook” or “How to speak with Proper Grammer,” is better.

THE COLLEGIAN — SPRING 2014 Editor/feature editor Chris Howze News editor Justin Tristano Sports editor Jermaine Davis Entertainment editors Monica Gomez Sonya Herrera Opinion editor Heidi Sharp

Staff Alexis Bustamante Eric Carranza Michael Johnson Robert Juarez Santana Juache Orlando Jose Seth Lowman Sean Mendoza Richard Reyes Adviser Tara Cuslidge-Staiano Mark Godi

Advertising The Collegian offers display advertising at competitive rates.

Call (209) 954-5156 or email deltacollegian@gmail.com for more information.

Letters to the editor Letters raising issues and opinions not represented by the newspaper are encouraged, but should not be taken as a reflection of the opinions of the staff or adviser.

Editorial Unsigned editorials reflect the position of the entire Collegian staff.

Comments, letters and editorials with a byline represent the opinion of the writer, solely. This paper does not endorse or represent the opinions of the adviser, the mass communication department, the Fine Arts Division, the printer or San Joaquin Delta College administration.

Mission statement The Collegian is a student run First Amendment newspaper that prides itself on its commitment to the students of San Joaquin Delta College while maintaining its independence of any outside influence.

The Collegian will reinvigorate the credo that the newspaper speaks for the students, checks abuses of power and stands vigilant in the protection of democracy and free speech.

3 opinion

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

Club involvement important

two little lines

pregnant

Community benefits from college students volunteering by monica gomez news@deltacollegian.net

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believe that college students have a big advantage in making a difference.

We have the privilege of getting an education and having access to all the resources we need.

Delta College has many opportunities for students to get involved, such as clubs on campus.

Two of them that are involved in community service are American Chemical Society (ACS) and the PUENTE Club.

I’m in the ACS and our most recent community service project was an event with Clean Up Stockton, a community vandalism and litter response organization.

This event took place on Apr. 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Participants met at Liberty Square Park in Stockton.

Then walked over to the slums

and began the cleaning process.

ACS club has a great leader that gets students involved in community service. “I think it’s important because I think most people don’t realize how privileged they are in terms of having a roof over their head and being able to eat 2 to 3 meals a day,” said ACS club president Wayse Akbar.

“So I think the events we did on last Sunday, well for me really put into perspective how most homeless people live” Akbar said.

The better leadership a club has, the more it will be involved and stay active throughout the semester.

PUENTE Club also has a great club president, who has an opinion about students getting involved in the community.

“Yes it is, it’s actually even more important for it to be coming from college students and actual innocence, the youth because the older generation

views us as if we don’t care,” said Sofia Bobadilla, president of PUENTE Club.

There were 125 volunteers at the start and 50 volunteers stayed till the end. It was definitely a challenging mission to accomplish.

Families, college students, and numerous others worked very hard to accomplish what we accomplished in four hours.

This experience was eye opening for the club. I would love to volunteer my time again to make a difference and make Stockton a better place.

I honestly think all college students should be involved in community service.

Being involved in community service is also an excellent opportunity to earn scholarships.

“There’s a quote a guy said over there, he was like you can judge a city by the way the people take care of their homeless,” said Akbar “and I think if we don’t take care of our homeless that well it shows our character.”

Hopeful writer wants Stockton sales tax hike to be used appropriately by jermaine davis news@deltacollegian.net

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n an attempt to get the city out of the red (bankruptcy), Stockton has decided to increase its sales tax, with a victory from the voters.

Stockton is the biggest city in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy since Detroit in July of 2013.

At the end of 2013 the sales tax in Stockton was 8.25 percent but Voters in the city favored the ballot 53 percent to 47 percent in support of the move to increase the sales tax to nine percent, which went into effect in April 2014.

Is this the best way to get the city out of the red?

Well that all depends on who you ask. Cities like Lathrop and Livermore have already been at a nine percent sales tax rate, while San Mateo sales tax is 9.25 percent, and Inglewood’s is at a whopping 9.5 percent.

The current sales tax in Stockton can stay at nine percent for up to 10 years, but can expire sooner if the city reaches the general fund level it once had in 2009.

Funds from the recent tax increase will be used in various ways.

Since it is a general tax, the city could use the funds to improve public safety services, such as park & recreations, the city’s Marshall Law Plan, libraries and other means of government purposes to get out of debt.

“I’m not certain about how the money from the increased sales tax will be spent, but hopefully the city uses the money to improve some of the rough areas in Stockton,” said Delta student Mark Santiago.

The city has appointed a group of seven, named the Citizens Oversight Committee, that will be in charge of keeping track of how the funds from the

tax increase are managed.

With this new sales tax increase the city is looking forward to benefiting $28 million dollars from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

The sales tax increase was initially thought of as a ploy to most Stockton residents, who believed the funds were solely going towards funding the police department.

Most residents in the city, like myself, are waiting to see some results from this new plan the city has in place.

Will the tax raise hurt or help the city?

Will the city recover financially or become more in debt?

All in all, whether you agree with the sales tax hike or not, I think we all can appreciate the powers that be saying the money is going back into the city.

As long as it actually goes back into the city.

with heidi sharp

Feeding a baby in public shouldn’t be a debatable issue

Heidi Sharp, 22, is a part-time Delta College student and part-time barista. She married her high school sweetheart, Wesley, in 2012.

The same year, the couple purchased their first home in Stockton.

Now, thanks to two little lines on a pregnancy test, the Sharps are expanding in July.

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ts hard for me to believe that the issue of feeding a baby is so hotly contested in our society.

If a woman chooses to feed her baby the way she is meant to be fed, then why on Earth is she being chastised for the time and place?

Believe it or not, she can’t control where and when her baby is going to get hungry.

The silly part about all this is when someone walks down the street or in the mall, there are advertisements for places similar to Victoria’s Secret.

The women in the pictures are wearing barely anything to cover up their bodies.

Every year the lingerie gets more and more revealing, and the models are revered.

But women who are actually using their breasts for what they are made for are shamed.

I’m not following this logic.

The answer is not as simple as “Oh, go into a rest room if you want to do that,” or “Just wear a nursing cover.”

Are you kidding me?

Opponents want a nursing mother to feed her newborn infant in a dirty public rest room?

That sounds disgusting to me.

And what about the older babies, not all of them are comfortable being totally covered in that way. Many babies actually pull and kick the cover off, as they get older.

New moms already have a hard time breast feeding; it’s painful and takes a lot of time.

It’s especially difficult for a new mother who is in college and has so much else on her plate. Imagine being publicly humiliated by someone coming up and telling them to go somewhere else to feed their baby.

Just one more event to discourage an inexperienced, young mom from doing the best thing they can for their newborn.

What’s a mom to do?

First, she should tell any ridiculous, overly-prude person who obviously has no idea the implications of what they said where to stick it.

Then, they should make sure they know their state laws as it pertains to breast feeding in public.

In California, a woman may breast feed in any location, public or private. Except in the private residence of another where the mother is otherwise authorized to be present.

Meaning: at the park, in a restaurant, or at school (if you have time), don’t be afraid to feed your baby.

And to be perfectly honest, its not really about the jerk telling you what to do, its about the well-being of the baby.

Who cares what other people think? California Law is on the mothers side, no matter what.

Helping educate new mothers and passing on the word that breast feeding is totally natural and appropriate is the only way to fight this stigma.

4 feature

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

EXPLORING THE DARK SIDE Of children’s storytelling and its purpose

by chris howze

deltacollegian@gmail.com

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take storytelling very seriously; I have been called intense and passionate, which are simply kinder ways to say loud and obsessive.

I take particular interest in children’s stories.

One key element I’d like to center on is how so many of these beloved stories are filled with dark and disturbing themes and imagery.

Whether on the printed page or the silver screen, if you look back to what we grew up on, it is filled with the stuff of nightmares. I’m of the opinion that this is not only a positive thing, but a necessary one.

Telling stories isn’t merely a means to waste time. Since the dawn of man, the purpose of story telling is to teach lessons and morals that pass from one generation to the next.

Disney movies have traditionally understood the importance of portraying the dark side in their animated feature films. But recently, Disney has begun to lose sight of the need to show the good as well as the bad.

Classic villains like Maleficent, Ursula, Frollo, Scar and Dr Facilier are so fondly remember, because as children

SLICES OF DELICIOUS EVIL: Like the Brothers Grimm before him, Roald Dahl’s the bulk of his are mad and macabre, CENTER. Some of his baddies come from very real places, like Matilda’s the Trunchbull, ABOVE. Some are much more fantasical like the evil Grand High Witch, TOP RIGHT.

they creeped us out.

The villians and their creepiness are the cinematic equivalent of a roller coaster; simulated danger.

As an adult, close observations reveal a true underlying darkness and evil behind these villains’ motives that we, as adults can appreciate.

For the child viewer, the moral is there, just hidden via subterfuge for children to absorb.

They learn social truths without knowing it; they simply see the adventure in it.

I see a lot of parents today seeking “safe” entertainment to plop their kids in front of for a few hours, and its all trash.

Nowadays you get the kind of “stories” that lack substance and moral

content.

It usually consists of something along the lines of “somebody thinks they haven’t been invited to a birthday party… but actually they have!”

There is a difference between kid’s movies and children’s movies.

A kid by definition is a baby goat and as such, a kid’s movie treat children like cattle. What I mean is, there’s a lot of sound, and fury that seems to shut them up for a little while.

So where’s the harm?

A children’s film treats the viewer (the child) like an actual human being and tries to make them walk away with some new insight or knowledge.

A children’s movie lets you see that when Mufasa falls to his death, there’s nothing that little Simba can do to change it.

A children’s movie also shows you

that no matter how dark the hour seems, that even the smallest can muster up the courage and defeat the greatest evil.

A kid’s movie has little yellow minions, armed with fart guns holding a house party while they all speak idiot talk.

The stories we remember most, the ones that left the biggest impact on us were stories that were there to teach us.

Many of the lessons that need to be taught are not always pleasant and it’s the job of the storyteller to find a way to introduce all aspects of the world in an easily digestible way.

My favorite author as a child

(and still to this day) is Roald Dahl - the mad genius behind such beloved classics as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda,” “The Witches,” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

Dahl himself learned the harshness of life early on, having lost his sister and father mere weeks apart and being sent to a boarding school where he was subjected to abuse.

As such, the protagonists in the majority of Dahl’s works are children, forced to deal with loneliness, loss and abuse, either by their own relatives or other authority figures.

The important part isn’t the trauma but the lesson that these children find the strength within themselves to overcome adversity.

His stories saved me because I was raised in a violent and abusive household.

Where some children fear boogiemen and dragons, I grew to fear the man I called father.

I don’t think I could have survived my childhood traumas without the escape provided in Dahl’s books.

James, Luke, Charlie and Matilda were there beside me acting as a beacon that guided me to safety.

Dahl’s evil was a practice round for me so that I could, when presented with the real thing, able to survive it.

We know what’s good and what’s evil because at a young age our stories give us clear definitions of both sides.

Children aren’t these fragile little things that need to be sheltered, they are human beings. A parent’s task is to teach their children about the world – both the good and the bad.

To conclude, another fine children’s book author, Neil Gaiman, opened his wonderfully macabre fairy tale “Coraline” with a quote by G.K. Chesterton that has stuck with me since first reading it.

“Fairy tales are more than true — not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.”

5 feature

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

The Quest for ZZZ:

Finding sleep when juggling school,life a necessity

by heidi sharp

important.

When students are exhausted from a long day of classes, work, social activities, volunHours of homework, hours of class and then teering or whatever else is on the agenda, finding time for the general functions of life, it studying is often reserved for a all-night cram seems that sleep falls on the back burner. session.

College-age individuals are the least This is not a good idea. The student likely of all age groups to use another hour shouldn’t even waste the time; they should of their day to sleep, according to a 2014 sleep. sleep survey done by the Better Sleep Since our brain does not function well when Council. sleep deprived, much of the information studIt may seem all right, college age students ied is not likely to be retained. are young and vibrant, right? They can run Yes, this means that more effort to not prothemselves ragged for years in school and still crastinate must be made. be perfectly functional.

“They take longer to finish tasks, have slowNot really. er reaction time, and make more mistakes,” the “Sleep helps your brain work properly. institute said.

While you’re sleeping, your brain is preparing Yes, the student just studied, but since they for the next day. It’s forming new pathways are not fully functional, they are going to make to help you learn and remember new informore mistakes, and end up not doing as well mation,” says the National Heart, Lung, and as they could have if they had simply gone to Blood Institute.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS sleep.

On their website, the institute cite studies Also, sleep deprivation affects bodily functhat show that sleeping well improves learntions. Being sick affects school performance in ing. No matter what is being studied, school related or not, sleep enhances learning the most direct way possible-meaning the student misses class! power and problem-solving skills.

“Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. This system defends your “Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps you function well through- body against foreign or harmful substances. If you’re sleep deficient, you may have out the day. People who are sleep deficient are less productive at work and school,” trouble fighting common infections.” the institute said.

The worst thing a student can do for their studies is miss class. Sickness does It is well understood that college age students are often overwhelmed by the this; avoid it. amount of activities and work on their plate.

In reality, the best thing a student can do for their body, mind, grades and life is Sleep is, more often than not, the first to be sacrificed to study for that importo sleep 7-8 hours per night, go to bed around the same time every night and wake tant test, or make the midnight deadline for an online assignment. up at the same time every morning.

We are setting ourselves up for failure when we do this.

It may feel as though hours are being lost, but productivity during the waking While studying for hours and hours is completely recommended to retain hours will increase. the information on an upcoming test, studying at the correct times is almost as deltacollegian@gmail.com

Tutor program gives students a means to success by alexis bustamante deltacollegian@gmail.com

Some people may excel in english, but lack in biology Others find math easy but can’t swing with history.

Not everyone can be expected to become masters of each and every subject.

Delta has programs in place to help students their schoolwork.

There are three main centers for students to receive aid.

The Reading, Writing, Learning Center, the Math & Science center and the Content Tutoring Center, that is located in Goldman Library.

Many students see the open glass rooms on the Library’s first floor and wonder what the people inside are doing.

These closed off rooms allow the tutor and students a quiet area to work without distraction.

Tutors specialize in various subjects from helping outlining an essay to assisting in learning how to take critical notes.

It used to be that students needed to set up appointments, but today drop-ins are welcome between the hours of Mon thru Thurs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, and Fri 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All tutoring centers are already paid for in students tuition.

“Going to Delta and not going tutoring is like paying for an HBO prescription and not watching it. You’ve already payed for it you might as well use it,” said Tomas Hennig Jr. one of the tutors involved with the program.

All the staff is friendly and willing to help you as much as you put in. The program is run by students who are out just to help their fellow students with their work.

Its not a program were you go and get answers; you must be willing to learn.

The hours are various and of course abide by the hours of the library. The content tutoring center is always looking for more tutors. All Delta students are welcome and signing up is easy.

Please contact Virginia Kirschenman, Instructional Support Assistant, III Goleman Library, and 1st Floor, G135 209-954-5296

6 entertainment

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

Excitement rises as summer movie season nears Students excited for movie season of remakes, reboots, sequels

Marvel studios returns to claim summer for its own with three titles by justin tristano news@deltacollegian.net

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by sean mendoza news@deltacollegian.net

Summer is just right around the corner, and everyone is getting ready to go out and have fun at the beach or lakes. The season also means that blockbuster movies are set to release, and this year’s set has been widely anticipated.

“Maleficent,” which is a prequel to “Sleeping Beauty,” will star Angelina Jolie and be told from Maleficent’s perspective.

Fans can expect more action in “The Amazing Spider Man 2,” which features Jamie Foxx as the lightning-fueled baddie “Electro.” This film also marks the cinematic return of the Green Goblin.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone return to their critically-praised portrayals of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy.

The remake of “Godzilla” has high expectations from fans of the 60-year franchise. The film will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and award-winning “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston.

“Transformers 4: Age of Extinction,” the successful franchise’s fourth installment, will introduce a new cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Kelsey Grammer. Original leading actor Shia Laboeuf will not be part of the movie.

Delta students expressed their interest in the summer’s upcoming blockbusters. First year student Justin Francisco has always been a SpiderMan fan.

“I can’t wait to see Spider-Man 2 I always loved all the Spider-Man movies,” said Francisco.

Another student had a different movie in mind.

“I think Godzilla is going to be the movie that defines this summer of hits,” said third year student Moe Khan.

Everyone’s ready for this summer to hit, and the movies are just waiting to be released.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EPK.TV

COMING SOON TO THEATRES May - 2 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - 16 Godzilla - 23 X-Men: Days of Future Past - 30 Maleficent June - 13 How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 27 Transformers: Age of Extinction July - 18 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 25 Hercules August - 8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 22 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

arlier this month, Marvel Film Studio’s latest release, “Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier” was met with massive profits and critical acclaim, and marked the ninth installment of the Marvel cinematic film universe that started back in 2008 with the mega success “Iron Man.” The last decade has seen a paradigm shift, with comic book superhero movies becoming the most successful franchises. The things us nerds used to obsess over alone are now in the mainstream.

The average moviegoer now recognizes formerly obscure characters like Loki and Hawkeye.

Some comic fans are not happy with this newfangled attention.

A common complaint is that the movies sometimes deviate too much from the source material.

Changes happen in the adaptation process; it’s expected and healthy.

However, sometimes these changes rub fans the wrong way.

Regardless, with the upcoming slate of movies starring Marvel comic characters, there is only one way to describe the feeling: excited.

Honestly, at first I barely paid much attention to the Marvel films, beyond listening to friends and watching some online reviews of the comics for entertainment.

I would catch the occasional Iron Man, Spider-Man or Thor, but my interest never went be-

yond mild curiosity.

That was, until I watched “The Avengers.”

Now I’m hyped, just in time for the next line of Marvel films.

I recently watched all of the trailers for the upcoming “XMen: Days of Future Past,” and I am pumped. The plot is a timetravel story a la “The Terminator” where mutants in the future send Wolverine back to the 1970s to prevent catastrophe.

The concept of time-travel and meeting past selves is not new to film. But when you see that being done with characters you already know, you want to see more.

My only complaint is that I am tired of Wolverine-centered movies. He is not my favorite character from the series. In fact, I remember watching the old cartoons as a kid, caring more about Gambit and even some of the villains.

I feel the strongest retelling of X-Men is the recent cartoon “XMen: Evolution,” which focused more on all of the characters rather than just one. I like to learn more about what motivates characters rather than be told how amazing one dude is.

Regardless, I will go out and watch the movie because the plot has me interested.

I also look forward to the other movies coming out in the upcoming year, particularly “Guardians of the Galaxy.” I don’t know anything about the series, but the trailer did its job and got me to care.

Summer music festivals drop hot beats, cold bodies by seth lowman news@deltacollegian.net

As this year’s music festival season rolls on, it seems that people’s lives are being taken with it.

Earlier this year, four people died and more than 20 were injured at the South

by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas due to a massive hit and run.

Another death was reported at Miami’s dance music festival, Ultra. And just recently, a woman was found dead at Coachella, a massively popular music festival located in Southern California.

Even though these deaths took place this year, music festivals have always posed a threat to people’s safety.

10 people were killed in a stampede at Germany’s Love Festival in 2010. And just last year, two festival-goers died at the Electric Zoo Festival in New York, reportedly due to drug-related causes.

One of the more popular drugs people take at these festivals is MDMA, more commonly known as “Molly.”

Over the course of the past few years, the use of this drug has been glamorized within popular culture, being namedropped in multiple songs you can catch on the radio.

The rising popularity of the drug and its euphoria-induced symptoms, added to the steady increase of festival attendees, results in dangerous conditions.

Precautions have been taken against the epidemic of festival deaths.

According to Ray Waddell of billboard.com, Coachella coordinators took extreme measures to combat drug use and the danger it imposes on attendees.

“Messaging about drugs and alcohol and other safety issues routinely appears on festival websites,” Waddell

wrote.

Medical tents, a staff of safety teams and water stations were also set up at this year’s event.

“Each genre of music has its own safety challenges, whether it’s unruly behavior, alcohol, drugs, ‘herd’ mentality, or simply fan inexperience,” wrote Waddell.

One musical genre that adopted MDMA as its trademark drug is electronic dance music, more commonly known as EDM. EDM’s popularity has increased rapidly over the past year, with songs like “Animal” by DJ/producer Martin Garrix and DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What” catching young listeners’ ears.

It’s safe to say that the genre has reached the mainstream.

Music festivals, like Coachella, are adding even more EDM acts into their

festival line-ups.

The euphoria caused by the music’s pummeling beats are even more heightened by the drugs that are commonly taken while listening.

People who attend these festivals want to feel the thrill of the beat.

Drugs like MDMA allow users to do achieve this feeling. And while the drug has a certain appeal, dangerous effects can obviously occur.

The increased sweating from dancing and taking the drug causes dehydration, one of the more common reasons of death behind MDMA. And with the Electric Daisy Carnival, another large EDM festival just around the corner, drug use is to be expected.

Hopefully the trend of death and injuries does not tarnish this event as well.

Festivals should drop beats, not bodies.

7 sports

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

Delta Baseball is still at bat Mustangs head into the playoffs ready and tested

Delta college hosts swim/dive Big 8 Championship tournament

by monica gomez news@deltacollegian.net

The Delta College baseball team is ranked first in the state as the regular season comes to a close.

As the Mustangs prepare for the teams final game on Apr. 25 against Cosumnes River College, players on the team are enthusiastic about the results of the regular season as well as the playoffs.

“The season is going really well,” said sophomore pitcher Eric Sandness. “We’re growing a lot as a team, we’re becoming PHOTO BY MONICA GOMEZ really close, which is nice now that we’re coming near play- ON THE FIELD: Delta Mustangs pose for the camera before the offs. teams game against Diablo Valley on April 18.

So far, in this 2014 season Sandness has a 3.20 ERA, with “Well so far it’s going pretty well, you know it’s 17 strike outs, and has recorded two saves for the very competitive which we fully anticipated every Mustangs pitching staff. year in our conference,” said Peters.

“We’re all buying into what our coach has been “I think right now we have seven of our eight telling us what to do … It is really nice we’re startteams in our conference are in the top ten… but ing to peak, we’re starting to have fun playing so far we’re in a good spot,” he added. baseball,” he added.

“We’re in first place (in the Big 8 Conference) Before the game against Diablo Valley, playright now with a couple games left, we have a real ers work together to set up the field and pracgood team, we’re coming together and everyone is tice on fielding ground balls during warm-ups. playing together as a family and it’s real fun to be The Mustangs look like true teammates with out here,” said Clark. the same goal in mind... Winning a champiOverall, the team is doing a great job of onship! working as a team and making it a good sea“This is probably my favorite team I’ve ever son from start to finish. The team is also doing played on and I love being out here with everywell in other areas. Such as, moving on to bigone,” said sophomore Phillip Clark. ger things.

Clark’s contribution to the team this season in“We’ve got a lot of guys transferring out and clude a .275 BA and 17 RBIs. that’s kind of our goal every year, we’ll have three Delta won a home game against Diablo Valor four guys drafted professionally this year, I ley College 3-1 on Apr. 18, the victory gave the think we’ll have three or four guys drafted profesMustangs a season sweep over Diablo Valley 3-0. sionally this year and we should have eight to ten Head Coach Reed Peters is proud of the teams guys get Division 1 scholarships,” said Peters. progress this season.

PHOTO BY JERMAINE DAVIS

AT THE POOL: Swimmers line up to compete during the Big 8 Championship on April. 17.

by jermaine davis news@deltacollegian.net

San Joaquin Delta College’s men’s and women’s swim teams, were hosts to the 2014 Big 8 Championship on April 17-19.

Head Coach Mike Maroney has had much success in his five seasons with the Mustangs.

Maroney’s record with the Mustangs include: 19 school records, 16 All-Americans, five Big 8 Championships, four state champions, one state record and one national record.

His record as a head coach is impressive to say the least.

Swimming is a sport that requires synchronized motion from your arms and legs in order to push the body forward toward its desired destination.

“I started swimming for fun, and then I realized it’s great for exercise too,” said freshman Jeffrey Watt.

Other schools such as American River College, Modesto Junior College, Diablo Valley, Sierra College, Santa Rosa College also participated in the Big 8 Championship this season.

The 2014 swim season for the Mustangs has had a few bright spots, beginning with the women’s team.

Sophomore Tori Dettloff performed well in the 50-yard butterfly, while freshmen Kailie McHugh has posted good finish times in the 100-yard freestyle event.

On the men’s side, freshmen Jonathan Sotelo is impressive in the 50-yard freestyle, and sophomore Connor Ryan has continued to improve in the 100-yard backstroke throughout this swim season.

“This season the swimmers on the team are executing things we practice on very well in the meets we’ve had,” said assistant coach Nate Varosh.

Each team in the Big 8 Conference has one goal at the start of the season, and that is to compete for a state championship.

The 2014 state championship meet is in Los Angeles, and will

take place on May 1-3.

Stockton’s own Brandin Cooks, first round draft pick prospect by robert juarez news@deltacollegian.net

The city of Stockton may not be well known around the country, but Stockton natives aren't letting their cities lack of popularity keep them down.

Lincoln High School graduate and anticipated first round pick of this year's NFL draft, wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

Cooks has had success early and often in his football career.

During his time at Lincoln, he was a three sport athlete with blazing speed, and earned the nickname of ‘Sonic Boom.”

Cooks stood alone as the star with his stellar play that earned him multiple awards including: Offensive Player of the Year, All-Area, and team MVP in both his junior and senior seasons.

Cooks' excellent ability and outstanding stats earned him numerous scholarships from universities around the west coast.

Ultimately, the football star committed to Oregon State, where his football success not only continued, they flourished.

However, due to his freshman status, Cooks didn't see much action until his sophomore year in 2012 and he didn't disappoint.

In 2012, he became a go-to receiver when he started all 13 games and collected 67 receptions and gained 1,151 yards and five touchdowns.

Cooks racked up 226 receptions, 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns in his three-year career at Oregon State.

Cooks’ playmaking ability caught the eyes of NFL scouts and made them hope he would forgo his senior season, and Cooks once again did not disappoint.

Cooks has decided to take his talents to the

next level and enter the NFL Draft.

During the NFL scouting combine this year, he ran the fastest 40 yard dash (4.33 seconds).

He is being labeled as a top option in a class of receivers being thought of as potentially one of the most talented of all time.

For those who plan on watching the draft, don't plan on waiting to long to hear the commissioner announce his name.

Cooks is projected by many NFL experts to be drafted anywhere from mid to late in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Wherever he goes, it's hard to believe that Cooks won't be able to continue the success he’s had from high school and his college days.

Stockton residents are anticipating on seeing the local kid from Lincoln High do well.

Odds are he will most likely compete at a high level, as he enters the NFL as a rookie in the 2014 upcoming season.

8 news

Issue 13 • April 25, 2014 • deltacollegian.net

Book Sale gives opportunity to books

Koi pond looks worse than it really is by monica gomez news@deltacollegian.net

Most people have noticed the Delta koi pond looking abnormal. There were different theories about what was going on with the pond. However, it turns out there were multiple reasons for the look of the water.

For one the pond’s filter was broken a couple weeks ago. The koi fish are also in their spawning season so that also effects the way the water looks on the surface.

Facilities Planner/Environmental/Grounds Manager, Stacy Pinola gave some insight about the pond situation. She said that the pond has been fixed and the koi fish are just going through their spawning season.

“We kind of let the algae let it do its thing because it is their spawning time, they can do their thing have their happy time as we call it, so now we’re ready to clear it up,” said Pinola.

Now we can be clear on what is going on with pond. After all it is one of the most admired areas at Delta.

“It’s just dirty I was like how come it looks so dirty today because it’s usually so beautiful,”

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN TRISTANO

GIVING LIFE BACK TO BOOKS: Top, textbooks and other books all lined up across tables in an ocean of information for students and faculty to peruse for anything useful. Top Right, students walk through the isles and look for any interesting books that they could use to further education or casual interest in series to pick up. Delta Student Rachel DeLong pays for a couple of books that she purchased from the Book Sale with a big smile.

said Delta student Linh Nguyen “It’s our favorite time, we just sit here during our 30 minute break.”

PHOTO BY JUSTIN TRISTANO

SWIMMING IN ALGAE: The koi in the pond swimming around in messy waters though it’s natural and healthy

DEBATE: Political Correctness lives

Where fast-tracking career goals meets

“I want to get started right away.”

continued from PAGE 1 lowed by a 10-minute audience question and answer segment.

Students brought up multiple questions regarding their right to free speech, which is guaranteed by the First Amendment.

After the Q&A, both sides were given time for closing statements.

Bruce summed up her position by stating briefly that she is sorry that “you have to change your ways of life so as to not offend others,” Toney also delivered a lively conclusion stating that PC is a tool used by and brought to the United States from fascist regimes.

In the end, the audience voted by a show of hands, and most people favored Bruce and Mersmann’s position.

Ferraiolo was disappointed by the vote, “I wish we could have convinced the audience of our side, but overall it went well,”

GUN SAFETY: reducing accidents © 2014 National University NU14_129

continued from PAGE 1

• • • •

Students can transfer at any time Transfer scholarships are available One-course-per-month format 28 campuses plus online programs

Learn more at nu.edu/transfer

Stockton Campus 3520 Brookside Road NU14_129-38_CC_PrintAd_Stockton_SanJoaquin_6sq_k.indd 1

Where TXDOLW\ PHHWV ȵ H[LELOLW\™

(209) 475-1400 3/13/14 3:26 PM

turers have been working on “smart” gun technology since the 1970s.

In 1975, developer Joe Davis created the Magna-Trigger system for Smith and Wesson revolvers. The user was required to wear magnetic rings on their hand in order to operate the firearm. Without the rings, the trigger was unable to be pulled hard enough to fire.

According to Boston’s Gun Bible, Boston T. Party wrote, “Even if a particular system could be 99.9 percent reliable, that means it is expected to fail once every 1000 operations. My life deserves more certainty.”

The makers at IGun Technology Corp. acknowledge this statement on their website by explaining that, “No mechanical or electrical device is capable of 100 percent reliability.”

The Identilock is not the be all and end all to gun safety, since most accidents occur when the weapons are in the hands of a poorly trained individuals.

While this technology has yet to hit the market here are some safe firearms handling techniques that should be followed at all times: Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, never assume the firearm is unloaded, even if it isn’t, treat it like it is, and keep your finger off the trigger.

However, primarily firearm safety depends on the user.