The Collegian -- April 16, 2010

The Collegian San Joaquin Delta College Student Newspaper JH

One Free Copy

Friday, April 16, 2010 • Volume #46, Issue #12

Changes to registration to affect fall semester

Athletes to recieve first-day registration, students dropped if fees go unpaid

By Daryl Bunao News Editor

“Is this the president’s council meeting?” Academic Senate President Janice Takahashi said aloud upon entering the administration boardroom.

The normally empty boardroom became a cramped hot bed for discussion as Dr. Matt Wetstein, Dean

of Research and Planning, proposed various changes in policy and procedures Tuesday, April 13. The agenda included heightened priority registration for student athletes, payment of enrollment fees 10 days after registration and increases in parking fees.

The majority of the crowd this meeting consisted of student athletes and coaches

primarily concerned with allowing athletes first day registration parallel to students in the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) programs.

Athletes are required to maintain 12 units per semester and complete 40 percent of their collage education within

the two years before transferring to a Division I college. Given those circumstances the panel unanimously approved the proposal allowing athletes quicker access to registering for the classes they need to transfer.

This will be taking affect during the upcoming Fall 2010 semester.

As the majority of students and faculty filed out of the

boardroom, the next item of agenda met little resistance – the “Pay to Stay” proposal.

It states that students may be disenrolled from class(es) if fees go unpaid 10 days after registration.

This is a proposed solution to a total of $1.57 million accounted in unpaid student registration fees.

See Council, Page 2

Measure L bond projects continue to renew campus

Work on new math, science lab begins as Goleman library nears completion

Burke, former Delta trustee passes at 83

By Erica Naves Editor-in-Chief

Leo Paul Burke Jr., former San Joaquin Delta College trustee, passed Monday, March 22 of congestive heart failure.

Burke was a member of the Delta Board of Trustees from 1975 to 1992 and 1996 to 2008. During his stay as a trustee for Delta College, Burke pushed for expanding enrollment opportunities and infrastructure at Delta College.

The Burke family asked that, in lieu of flowers, contributions could be made to the San Joaquin Delta College Leo Burke Veterans’ Scholarship Fund or the American Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation.

By Matthew Wilson Staff Writer

Construction on the Delta College campus is progressing steadily, with most of the projects currently on schedule. There are three main construction projects currently underway: the Goleman library renovation, the data center, and the new Math and Science center.

The construction is all being done under the Measure L Bond Program, under which the state provides funding for schools to modernize and otherwise improve their facilities.

The longest running of the three projects is the Goleman library and Learning Resource Center renovation. According to Jim Vergara, Delta’s Public Information Media Coordinator, the purpose for remodeling is to upgrade the library’s infrastructure, make better use of the space, and “provide a more modern library for the coming decades.”

This project is nearly done, and is scheduled to end sometime between the end of June and the fall semester, which is just slightly behind its originally scheduled completion date of May. The data center is an entirely new building that is being designed to contain the college’s Information Technology department, including servers, network operation infrastructure, and programmer offices.

The shell of the building is complete, and the interior wiring is currently being worked on.

See Construction, Page 2

TOM’S SHOES: Shoeless awareness marches support poor third-world children.

Page 7

Data Center

DATA CENTER:

This new facility is meant to house the central network server for Delta College.

The exterior is complete, wiring and interior work is estimated to be complete by July.

Math/Science Building

MATH/SCIENCE:

Campus Map

The new building being built in the Cunningham parking lots will house modernized math and science labs. Dr. Raul Rodriguez (above) spoke at the ceremonial ground breaking.

San Joaquin Delta College

PHOTOS BY: SEAN REILLY DELTA PUBLIC INFO OFFICE

Merv Smith Track Complex TRACK COMPLEX: Named after past

track coach Merv Smith, the new field opened up early March.

GRAPHIC BY: DARYL BUNAO

Goleman Library GOLEMAN LIBRARY: The newly

renovated library building will feature new study rooms by the fall semester.

NINTENDO 3DS: Collegian weighs in on the future of 3D gaming.

Page 5

Visit us online at www.deltacollegian.com

news

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Issue 12 • April 16, 2010 • www.deltacollegian.com

Snapshot

News in Brief BLOOD DRIVE:

Nurse Marissa Estrada, 21, attends to Ana Sandoral, 20, who is donating blood at the National Seasar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge this past Wed. Apirl 14.

“I’m donating blood today because I have a brother and a friend who are both cancer survivors so I think it’s important to donate blood and save lives,” Sandoral said.

PHOTO BY: MAURO RUIZ

Checking the Facts In issue #11, the story entitled “A Golden Farewell” stated that 22 Delta instructors are retiring at the end of this spring semester. While we listed a few teachers, we neglected to report a complete list of retiring faculty. The following are the 22 teachers retiring.

Virginia Antaran Nursing Melissa Holmes Psychology Scott Bowen Music/Choral Bill Davis Journalism Richard Fizell Physics Richard Gifford Math

Sam Hatch English Judy Hemington English Theodore Kallman History John Larson Engineering Tech Pam Mekjavich Early Childhood Edu. Nelson Negai Economics

Michael O’Rourke Architecture/Drafting Diane Pond Counseling Claudia Quinn Business Rodger Richerson Carpentry/Construction Ted Roach Automotive Charles Robinson Engineering Tech

Irene Somera Education Carol Thomas Nutrition/FCS Mary Vachon Math Duane Wright Electronics

STRIVE Club looking to serve local youth

By Jessica Blanke Staff Writer

A fledgling club is out to make waves at Delta College. This new group has named themselves Students Together Reaching in Volunteering Experiences (STRIVE). This club was founded, in part, by its President Naveed Ahmed and Vicepresident Sergio Juarez.

The group’s goal is to provide outlets for students to reach out, not only to local youths, but the community at large. Its founders have big dreams for the club and it is their intention to mold the club into a vital asset to the college and grow into a full-fledged program at Delta College.

Some of their current activities include tutoring local youth as well as education activism.

STIVE will be hosting a public education forum on May 6 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. This forum is meant to serve as a way for students to voice their questions and concerns about recent cuts to the state budget, specifically for education programs.

Currently, representatives from Stockton and Lincoln Unified School districts as well as Delta College will be in attendance to answer questions.

To get more information about STRIVE and their upcoming events they can be contacted at striveclub@yahoogroups.com.

Weekly meetings are held each Friday at 1:00 p.m. in room Shima 242.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at Jessica.Blanke@gmail.com

PHOTO BY: DELTA PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

GROUND BREAKING: Members of the board of

trustees pose as they break the foundation of the new math and science building..

Construction: new math, science lab begins construction

cont. from Page 1 According to Maria Baker, Delta’s Director of Facilities Management, the data center should be completed in July or August.

Thew newest project that was started is the construction of the new Math & Science Center, which is set to replace Cunningham building.

The Math & Science Center will be a threestory building and will provide science labs, computer labs, classrooms, offices, and space for tutorial sessions. The building is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, with demolition of Cunningham building continuing into 2013.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at Matthew.dl.Wilson@gmail.com

Council: raise in parking fees to be approved cont. from Page 1 The 10-day window of payment can be circumvented by completing and turning in a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

With an estimated 51 percent of the student population at Delta receiving financial aid, the council approved of the proposal despite opposition of the Associated Student Body Government (ASBG). This will also affect the upcoming Fall 2010 semester.

As the meeting came to a close the final item of discussion came from campus police. Considering that the police are continually writing up more citations every year, campus police proposed an increase in all parking fees to an average of $30$35 to help stop repeat offenders.

The council approved the proposal and may be brought up at the next Board of Trustees meeting, Tuesday, April 20, for a final vote.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at DarylBunao@gmail.com

Opinion

Issue 12 • Apr. 16, 2010 • www.deltacollegian.com

Jaywalking into trouble

By Mikayla Meyling Opinion Editor

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Collegian Production staff Editors-in-Chief Johnathan Herold Erica Naves News Editor Daryl Bunao Feature Editor Erica Naves Opinion Editor mikayla meyling Entertainment Editor Matt Bacon Sports Editor Johnathan Herold club corner editor anamarie williams copy editors Kirstie haruta charnae davenport

PHOTO BY MAURO RUIZ

T

he City of Stockton and San Joaquin Delta College both provide a vast array of crosswalks, many of which are conveniently placed around campus and the surrounding business centers.

However, patrons of the city and school do not always utilize them.

On any given day, numerous people can be seen blatantly jaywalking across campus and the bustling streets of Stockton.

I’m beginning to wonder

if it’s an unfortunate and ignorant uprising trend to blast into moving traffic as outright refusal to abide by safety codes so cordially set by our school and city officials.

Though the California Vehicle Code Section 21955 cites jaywalking as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, the total fine in the state of California can be as high as $108.

When I take a look at the picture as a whole, I would think it’s really not a difficult

task to walk the few extra feet to the painted white lines and wait an additional thirty seconds for the “walk” signal to flash - but that’s just me.

Some people may argue that it’s simply much more convenient to run across traffic when there are no cars visible, which may be true in its own right, but it just doesn’t register with me why anybody would go out of their way to force themselves into traffic, visible or not, to reach their destination. Simply puy, It’s a

dangerous and idiotic move.

To me, taking the time out of you day to avoid collision, injury, and fines seems like a more rational path to take.

Sure, it may be considered “easy” just to make a dash for it and sprint across two or more lanes of aggressive city traffic, but people should really stop and think of the choices they’re making before they jeopardize their lives as well as the lives of others.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at mikayla.meyling@gmail.com

Social networking: both blessing and curse

By Matthew Wilson Staff Writer

Social networking looks to be more and more popular each day. It seems that sites such as Facebook and Twitter are mentioned almost weekly in news stories or talk shows.

More than 400 million people are signed up for Facebook or MySpace. Twitter is becoming a popular way for people to quickly disseminate information. Millions of people play massively multiplayer games, some of which – like World of Warcraft or Eve Online - simulate actual worlds with their own power blocs, economies, and lore. The statistics are simply staggering.

But is the increasing popularity of social networking a good thing? After all, the

internet was most likely never intended to be a tool for informing the world how ‘totally awesome last night’s party’ was. And even if disregard the potential misuse, aren’t online relationships more shallow, less ‘real’ than relationships where the people know each other in person?

Isn’t social networking and online gaming taking away from people’s actual lives?

Of course, the answer to most of the above questions is no. First, even if the internet was never intended for things like Twitter, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be used for it. Social network is just an extension of its actual purpose – enabling faster communication of information over long distances.

Second, online relationships

aren’t any less capable of being normal than relationships where the people know each other in person. It’s the same basic concept as pen pals, just made instantaneous due to the internet. In both cases, the people involved may not actually know each other, but they’re still capable of carrying on full conversations and sharing ideas, which are the foundations of any relationship. If the relationships are shallow, it is simply because the people involved don’t wish to pursue an actual friendship.

In fact, social networking has serious potential for allowing enriching relationships, as it’s now possible to have ongoing conversations with people in other countries within reasonable time frames and at an affordable price, possibly

even more than email.

Third, if social networking are taking away from people’s lives, it’s due to misuse of new technology and developments.

People aren’t sure how to take advantage of this new method of social interaction and have no idea how to approach it, and thus overdo it and get sucked in. Similar things have happened with prior innovations, such as the automobile or the television, although to different degrees.

In the end, yes, social networking is a good thing. It allows people to meet and form with relationships with people they might not otherwise be able to, yet many issues can be traced back to misuse of the services.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at matthew.dl.wilson@gmail.com

Webmaster Matt Bacon Staff Writers Victor Rhodes Andrew Huston Matthew Wilson Jessica Blanke Sean Reilly Photographer Mauro Ruiz Faculty Adviser Bill Davis

Collegian Newspaper Policies Advertisements The Collegian offers display and insert advertising at competitive rates. Call or E-mail for more information.

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

Editorial Unsigned editorials reflect the position of the entire Collegian staff. Comments, letters, editorials, and cartoons with a byline represent the opinion of the writer, solely. This paper does not endorse or represent the opinions of the adviser, mass Communications Department, Fine Arts Division, 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 Delta College while maintaining its independence of any outside influence.

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

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Entertainment Issue 12 • Apr. 16, 2010 • www.deltacollegian.com

The Bigger Lights sing it safe on new record

By Kirstie Haruta

Copy Editor Two EPs, two member changes, and one record deal later, Virginia pop quintet The Bigger Lights released their self-titled debut album on March 30, 2010.

The solidified lineup of vocalist Topher Talley, bassist Dan Mineart, drummer Ryan Seaman, and guitarists J.K. Royston and Chris McPeters have put out a radio-ready pop record as their first full-length effort. However, “radio-ready” is a bittersweet concept in current music.

If this is the first you’re hearing of TBL, you may see no problem with their sound.

Catchy and infectious, every track on the album has the potential to get stuck in your head for days on end. But those familiar with their two previous releases – Third Act Stories and Fiction Fever – will no doubt hear that a big part of the TBL sound is gone: the edge.

The lack of the band’s edgy pop-rock sound became more and more apparent as they released new tracks prior to the new album’s release date.

The first single, “Jessie,” is cute and makes for a fun sing-along, but lacks lyrical depth, as does

“Queen of Broken Hearts,” which was released as a part of the Once it Hits Your Lips tour compilation. The edge does resurface momentarily in “Hey Summer,” the song that TBL wisely chose for their first ever music video, which was released on April 8.

But disappointment arises once more when listening to the opening track of the album, “That Kind of Girl,” which introduces the tired theme of girl-chasing that is prominent throughout the album.

On the bright side, Talley’s voice is not auto-tuned beyond recognition as so many singers’ voices are. His unique range is, however, being wasted on some fairly unoriginal tunes. Most of the songwriting that is partially credited to writers Mike Daly, Mike Green, and Simon Wilcox is on the weaker side. There are a few greatly redeeming tracks on the second half of the record, most of which were written solely by Royston and Talley.

One of those tracks is a work of Royston’s called “Skinny Jeans.” For the first time, TBL got to try their hand at ballads, and “Skinny Jeans” proves to be a success, ready for the soundtrack to the next theatrical romance.

The music also becomes more interesting later in the record. McPeters, who is the newest kid on the TBL block, provides some impressive solos to spice things up, which only get better as the album progresses.

In the end, Royston gets the gold star for writing the closing track “So Crazy,” which is hands-down the best song on the entire album. The opening

riff will take you by surprise, as it is far more memorable than any of the other songs. The lyrics are also more personal and selfreflective, and McPeters delivers a stunning solo to top it off.

Talley and McPeters themselves have confirmed this song to be their favorite to perform, and it is not difficult to hear why.

Though not as impressive in comparison to those first songs The Bigger Lights released in

the past two and a half years, their self-titled debut has received an overall positive fan response, and will undoubtedly hold its ground. With plenty of room to grow, this record is just one stepping-stone in a musical career full of potential.

To contact this reporter, E-mail at: kirstieharuta@gmail.com

The Bacon Strip: Welcome to “Happy Town”

By Matt Bacon Voice Editor

Welcome to the small town of Haplin, Minnesota, where everyone is happy, the air smells of baked bread, and there is no crime.

Of course, nothing is exactly as it seems in the new ABC show “Happy Town.”

The town’s first major murder in five years occurs, and the whole town in thrown into a frenzy.

It seems the “Magic Man” is back, and he’s ready to murder more residents of the quaint little town.

Father and son duo Griffin and Tommy Conroy are forced to investigate the murder and find out if there

really is a threat.

To thoroughly explain the show’s plot would be impossible.

There are way too many sub-plots, and the shows cast is much too large.

It seems ABC wanted another show like Lost, but failed to look for a smart idea.

The premise of this show is interesting. A paranormal murderer who left five years ago and now is back? Sounds great to me!

Actors like Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park”) and Amy Acker (“Dollhouse”) show that they’re talented, but that not even good acting can help the awful writing.

One of the shows actual

lines is “I love you so much, sometimes I forget what day it is.” Did you laugh? So did I, but I wasn’t supposed to.

Am I saying that I won’t follow the show for a while? Maybe I will. The pilot episode of every show must firmly establish the characters, and there were over 10 to establish.

If this show can focus on only a couple characters per episode, they could have something good here.

Get better writers, and an even better show could be had.

Do I recommend people to check it out? Yes. Do I guarantee you’ll like it? No. But if you don’t watch, you’ll miss the story.

Maybe I’ll end up loving the show by the finale of the eight episode run, but I doubt it.

I really want to like it, and that’s why I am still

recommending it. I just hope it gets better.

To contact this reporter, E-mail at: mattbacon5@gmail.com

Entertainment

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Issue 12 • Apr. 16, 2010 • www.deltacollegian.com

Nintendo 3DS: the next generation of gaming

By Victor Rhodes Staff Writer

Nintendo 3DS is a true successor of the DS Line, not just another version with a new look. The new handheld will allow gamers to enjoy games with 3D effects without “special graphics”. It will also be backwards compatible with the other DS systems(DS Phat, DS Lite, DSi,). More info will be revealed at E3(electronic expo) 2010.

This isn’t the first time Nintendo has ventured into 3D. Around 1995, the late Gunpie Yokoi created a handheld console called the Virtual Boy. Virtual Boy is a 32-bit console that plays “3D” like games.

Ahead of its time, it had some drawbacks. The games weren’t really in 3D, instead used red and blue graphics, consumers weren’t interested, not much support from publishers, and had a horrible design. Due to his commercial failure of the Virtual Boy, Gunpie Yokoi left Nintendo.

3D gaming had an unfortunate death during the 90s, but was brought back in the new video game generation.

Nvidia recently created Nvidia 3D Vision, where PC games

and other media are displayed in stereoscopic imaging. Sony is planning on bringing 3D to the PS3 sometime in 2010.

Most gamers around the world are wondering why Nintendo went 3D instead of HD. Was it about development cost or graphics concern? Who knows. Whatever they are planning with the 3DS, I hope Nintendo does it right this time and doesn’t repeat history again.

To contact this reporter, E-mail at: victor877@gmail.com

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Issue 12 • April 16, 2010 • www.deltacollegian.com

PHOTO BY MAURO RUIZ

Barefoot students walked Delta’s campus not because they forgot their shoes, but because they left them.

Tom’s Shoes club on campus pledged to go barefoot for a cause. The club hosted its first annual Day Without Shoes, Thursday, April 8.

Students who participated had the choice to be barefoot throughout the entire day, or

just during the march held in the afternoon.

“It’s only one day out of the year. I chose to do this for those who can’t choose,” said the club’s president, Alyssa Meza.

“I went into the Dollar Store [barefoot] for supplies, and people just stared. They still served me, but I wanted them to ask questions”.

The club joined on one

accord to march around the perimeter of the school with signs, barefoot and all. They were a part of the quarter million people who participated and one of the 1,600 events held around the world.

The sole purpose of the occasion is to raise awareness of Tom’s shoes and what their mission is. A growing number of children can’t afford to buy

shoes in developing countries and are at risk for multiple diseases everyday when they are barefoot. With shoes as a basic requirement for school, children are unable to attend, said Meza.

Every time a pair of Tom’s shoes is purchased, another is donated. The shoes are durable and long-lasting with a range of styles to choose from. The

mission is designed to get the word out to others who can participate. According to Toms. com, the latest number of given shoes is 600,000.

“I chose to go barefoot all day because this event is bigger than Delta College,” said Tiffany Hohmann, “We can still make a difference if we stand up for what we believe in”.

To contact this reporter, e-mail at naedave@gmail.com

Start here

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