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Thursday, May 13, 2010 Volume 76 Number 6
Copyright © 2010 Diablo Valley College - The Inquirer
Election aftermath
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Jobs, hours sacrificed to get in ‘the black’ Lina Pervez Oksana Yurovsky Staff writers
Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer
Brian Donovan, vice president of legislative affairs-elect, hugs student Roxy Cappelini after all charges were dropped at the May 4 Election Committee meeting.
Whirlwind of accusations ends as committee tosses out all charges Ariel Messman-Rucker Editor in chief The latest chapter in the recent student government elections ended May 4 when the Elections Committee dropped all charges against three Progressive Democratic Students candidates. This included its unanimous decision of the previous week that found the three guilty of one Elections Code violation. At a tension-filled meeting, the committee split down the middle, one member voting to drop all charges, one voting to uphold them and two abstaining. That left the final decision up to committee chair Ben Pradya, who We cannot let can only vote in the case people continuof a stalemate. ously violate [the “I do believe that canElections Code] didates should be held and have no reaccountable for their acpercussions. tions,” he said. “However, I do believe - Adrian Briones that the Elections Code ASDVC was also not well written,” Activities Pradya said. Coordinator Pradya said his mind was swayed by an e-mail from Bill Oye, dean of student life and co-adviser to the ASDVC. He then read the e-mail into the minutes of the meeting. Although Oye didn’t tell the committee how to vote, he recommended some revisions to the Elections Code, including a rewrite of section 7.04, the section upon which the main violations against PDS were based.
Student Frank Runninghorse is handcuffed at the Latino Student Alliance’s Cinco de Mayo Festival after ASDVC Activities Cordinator Adrian Briones files a citizen’s arrest form for battery.
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Travis Jenkins / The Inquirer
” Student activist cited for battery of ASDVC member
See ASDVC, page 6
News................ 1, 6 Sports....................4 Features................2 Entertainment........3
Christopher C. Long Staff writer Cinco de Mayo festivities outside the Student Union building May 5 were interrupted by the public arrest of Students for a Democratic Society member, Frank Runninghorse. Runninghorse, 56, was cited and released for battery and failing to register with campus police as a sex offender, said DVC’s ranking peace of-
Calendar.................6 Campus Buzz.........5 Staff Information.....5 Classified Ads........6
Editorial..................5 Opinions.................5 Police Beat.............6
ficer, Lt. Tom Sharp of campus police services. Runninghorse’s real name is Steven Orcutt, according to arresting officer David Farley. A long-time political activist, Runninghorse was the first Associated Students of DVC president to be elected in a campus-wide vote in 1995. He never held the office, howSee ARREST, page 6
Sonya Castro recently won the annual President’s Exemplary Service Award for Classified Employees and has worked at DVC for the past 10 years. But this does not protect her from a 50 percent hit to her hours, salary and benefits as senior office assistant in the Learning Center, a job she “loves dearly.” Castro is one of 18 nonteaching or “classified” employees at DVC, 27 in all district-wide, to have her hours reduced because of the budget crisis. We weren’t Another 16 told really employees, 12 much of of them at DVC, anything until are losing their it came down jobs entirely, as [to it]. is a counseling office supervi- Rose Desmond sor. The Contra Alternate Media Costa district Specialist governing board was to vote on the layoffs and reductions at a special May 12 meeting in Martinez, too late for The Inquirer’s press deadlines. English tutoring lab coordinator Heather Lee said a part-time employee in Castro’s position cannot fulfilll the responsibilities of a full-time office assistant, which is the Learning Center’s primary support position. “How do they do 100 percent of the work, with 50 percent of the time and compensation?” she said. Laid-off employees have the right to either bump a less senior classified employee from a position in the same classification or take the job of an employee who is paid by the hour. In the latter situation, the classified employee will be paid at the rate of the lesser position and have to pay a portion of the benefits. The decision will also be hard on the college’s hourly employees, many of whom have been at DVC for years, said Classified Senate President Jocelyn Iannucci. Classified employees must be notified at least 45 days in advance if their positions will be cut, but hourly employees are not required to receive advance notice. Those on the layoff/reduction list met last week with representatives from their union, Local 1, managers, president Judy Walters and her cabinet. “A lot of people…were completely blindsided,” Iannucci said.
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See LAYOFF, page 6
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