Inquirer 5.5.11 issue by DVC Inquirer

Prepare for battle:

The baseball team gears up for the California Community College playoffs. See page 5.

Goodbye, second chances:

The Inquirer Editorial Board discusses the impact of community college cuts on high school students. See page 6.

The

INQUIRER S tudent V oi ce

Volume 78 No. 5

D iablo Val le y C ol le g e

www.TheInquirerOnline.com

Thursday, May 5, 2011

“It would be

THE END of the

COMMUNITY COLLEGE system as we know it.”

~ Chancellor Helen Benjamin MIKE ALFIERI News editor

The Contra Costa Community College District is now budgeting for the worst-case scenario if Gov. Jerry Brown passes what is being touted as an all-cuts budget later this CUTS, Page 2

Summer ASDVC agrees to fund advisers and club staff session reduced by 135 classes TALIAH MIRMALEK Copy editor

BRIAN DONOVAN Senior staff writer

Students who are interested in taking summer classes will find fewer choices in the catalog. This summer, DVC is going to offer only 400 sections, about a 25 percent reduction from the 535 sections offered to students in summer 2010. “They are saving money at the expense of students,” said David Sherr, a DVC film student. “It is penny wise and pound foolish.” According to Ted Wieden, the interim dean of curriculum and instruction, faculty members were appointed to join an ad-hoc Joint Schedule Task Force. “What we allowed faculty ACE, Page 2

The ASDVC will spend almost $142,000 next year to pay for faculty advisers and to staff the club program. According to the Community College Education Code, all revenue from the $10 per student Student Activity Fee is available for operating the student body center under the discretion/direction of the student government. ASDVC exercised this responsibility and on May 2, decided on the amount of funds they are willing to put towards funding an adviser position and two club member positions. Bill Oye, dean of student life, prior to the meeting strongly stressed that “we need to have a plan in place as to how we can support clubs and ASDVC.” This year, a new approach known as “faculty reassignment,” is being used to hire a faculty adviser. Faculty reassignment is when rather than hiring someone, an organization buys a segment of the faculty’s time. This method is a much cheaper approach than independently hiring someone. In this case, ASDVC was presented the options of buying 100 percent of the particular faculty member’s time, 50 percent, or 25 percent. With a vote of 17 favored, 6 opposed, and 3 abstaining, they have selected the option to fund a 25 percent faculty advisor for the San Ramon campus and a 50 percent advisor for the main DVC campus. This decision will use $79,950.00 of ASDVC

TALIAH MIRMALEK / The Inquirer

Members of ASDVC vote 17-6 to approve $79,950 towards funding two advisor positions. funds. Francisco Hinojosa, Vice Chair of the College Council, strongly advocated choosing a 75 percent option because, “when we consider the duties of an advisor, we need someone to perform the duties involved with the position.” However, there were also many dissenting voices on the floor. Nick Holmes, history major and vice president

of legislative affairs, advocated a multiple-advisor approach. “Having more than one opinion, and having more than one person to go to, is very important,” he said. But Holmes did not want to dedicate such a huge portion of the funds towards funding an advisor. A more ideal approach, in Holmes’ opinion, would ASDVC, Page 2

• NEWS 1, 2 • SPORTS 4, 5 • OPINIONS 7 • EDITORIAL 6 • ENTERTAINMENT 8 • FEATURES 3 • CAMPUS BUZZ 6 • CALENDER 2 • POLICE BEAT 2 • STAFF INFORMATION 6 •

News

CALENDAR Thursday May 5 2011 Saint Mary’s College Campus Representative 10 a.m. Golden Gate University Campus Representative 11 a.m. Brandman University Campus Representative 11:30 a.m. Brown Bag Workshop 12:30 p.m. Welcome Reception for Peter Garcia 3:30 p.m. May 6-7, 2011 Drama- The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, May 5, 2011

SDVC from Pg. 1

be to “split up duties and responsibilities, with two advisors with a 25 percent, 25 percent reassignment.” Furthermore, ASDVC approved spending $61,916.40 to hire two classified staff positions, a coordinator and an assistant, to run the club program. The source of funding will not come from the general fund but rather will be taken from the student union building fee which every student pays at time of registration (up to $10 a year per student). An ASDVC member will be on the hiring committee for the faculty adviser positions. The timeline for hiring will be discussed at the next meeting. ASDVC Controller Chelsea Chung believes that there are enough reserved funds to pay for these three positions for the next three years. Contact TALIAH MIRMALEK at tmirmalek@dvc.edu

TALIAH MIRMALEK / The Inquirer

Bill Oye, above, dean of student life, facilitates a discussion on the options of funding two faculty adviser positions. Keith Montes, below, provides a vote agasinst the proposed funding for the faculty adviser.

DVC Dance Production Presents: Through the Door and to the Floor 8 p.m. Sunday May 8, 2011 Drama- The Last Days of Judas Iscariot DVC Dance Production Presents: Through the Door and to the Floor 2:30 p.m. Monday May 9, 2011 UC Berkeley Representative 10 a.m. Academy of Art Campus Representative 10:30 a.m. Tuesday May 10, 2011 Saint Mary’s College Campus Representative University of Phoenix 10 a.m. ASDVC Meeting 2 p.m.

POLICE BEAT April 30, 2011 DVC PAC Restrooms: Contact was made with a transient who was possibly sleeping in the restroom. A kitchen knife was confiscated. April 29, 2011 DVC Lot 7B: An attempted burglary suspect was detained in the lot. The Suspect was taken into custody by Pleasant Hill Police Department. April 28, 2011 DVC Lot 7B: Student was found sleeping in the lot with an unloaded firearm in the backseat. DVC Lot 8: Student was found misusing a handicap placard which resulted in a misdemeanor citation and confiscation of the placard. April 27, 2011 SRC Upper Level RM. 225: Police Services was contacted when a student would not leave the classroom when the instructor directed him to.

UMMER from Pg. 1

to do was shift schedule reductions from the fall over to the summer schedule,” Wieden said. This was done as a result of a general consensus that the fall schedule has priority over the summer schedule. The task force was put in charge of going through the schedule and recommending which courses were to be cut. They looked at classes offered last summer with multiple sections, then they counted the maximum number of students enrolling in those classes. Therefore, according to Wieden, they cut classes this summer that had multiple sections and low enrollment last summer, minimizing the possible impact for students. Wieden did acknowledge that the criteria is not perfect as it fails to consider if there are increases in demand for certain courses that weren’t around last year, but according to him, this is the best way to make these cuts while

maintaining as much normalcy as possible for the college experience. Students are skeptical about how much normalcy there will be after these cuts. “The morally skewed policies made by the administration is leading to the destruction/ privatization of California’s community colleges,” said political science student Arman Kalyani. Ian Humphries, fine arts student, calls for his fellow students to lose the apathy. “I am sick of the lack of student political activism and involvement with the campus especially when the faculty are fighting the cuts,” he says. According to Nancy Zink, the English department chair, the college departments were put in charge to implement these cuts. “I think it is going to decimate summer school,” said Barbara Sawyer, a DVC English instructor and former advisor of the Inquirer. While the summer schedule is taking this big reducAdvertisement

tion, DVC is restoring some of the courses cut from the fall schedule, according to an email sent to department chairs by Wieden. This is because the college wants to receive state funds for a forecasted increase in full time equivalent students (FTES) which is a student enrolled in 12 units and the college’s main source of funding. This is all as a result of an updated review of the proposed district budget as the District’s Governing Board modified DVC’s enrollment cap for 2011-12 up to 15,720 FTES rather than the previous estimate of 15,187 FTES. Nick Lazaga, who’s majoring in business administration, says, “By cutting all of these classes (especially non-general ed) Americans are going to become useless and will become ineffective at living.” Contact BRIAN DONOVAN at bdonovan@TheInquirerOnline. com

UTS from Pg. 1

year in an attempt to balance the state deficit. Chancellor Helen Benjamin said, “It would be the end of the Community College System as we know it” if Proposition 98 was suspended and Brown’s special election did not pass, during a budget forum on Jan. 27. In a study session on the 2011-2012 budget on April 27, the district board noted that the state budget has ‘taken a turn for the worse.’ The projected state deficit is now between $25 and $26.5 billion. The Legislative Analyst’s Office has recommended a $66 per unit fee at the community college level, which it estimates would generate $280 million statewide annually. “Hopefully there are wiser heads in the legislature than at the LAO,” said Jeffrey Michels, president of the United Faculty of Contra Costa Community College District. “Voters need to reinvest in education.” Tuition for community colleges has already been increased $26 to $36 a unit per unit for the fall 2011 semester in a bill signed by Gov. Brown. “My family is barely skating by; we can’t handle another increase,” said current DVC student Stephanie Anderson about the proposed tuition hike. While community colleges were already planning for $400 million in cuts, an allcuts budget would increase that amount to $585 million. An estimated 400,000 students would be turned away from community colleges under the worst-case scenario. An all-cuts budget would not only affect a mass of students at the community college level, but those at and planning to transfer to fouryear state schools. University of California at Berkeley is anticipating that, at worst, tuition could double, ending up between $20,000 to $25,000 a year. In total, more than $1 billion would be taken from

universities while community colleges would see a budget reduction between $342 million to $1 billion. In the district’s plan for the looming cuts, an estimated 1,100 to 1,500 class sections would have to be cut. “It’s appalling,” said Michels. “They have cut 20 to 25 percent of courses over a 3 year period, it’s outrageous.” DVC has already been cutting class sections in recent semesters. The most recent resulted in a 25 percent decrease in the summer semester with 135 class sections cut. Though DVC just announced a reinstatement of fall classes that had been previously cut, it is already making plans for cuts to courses during spring 2012. The Chancellor’s Office has established a task force that will recommend reforms to funding in order to ‘promote student retention and persistence’ through the cuts. The task force will have one year to issue a report. Under the district’s report for fiscal management, the district plans to use $4.8 million in reserve in hopes of softening the blow for loss of revenue while transitioning to the proposed budget. The district also warns that it may have to budget for borrowing in order to maintain cash flow. Also noted in the report in declining revenue is that enrollment peaked during 20022003 and declined until 2007. Revenue is expected to decline between $15.5 million to $20.5 million at the district. Governor Brown will release his May Revise on May 13. While the district waits for the revision, they are developing a budget based on current information. After the May Revise is released, the District Governance Council will meet for a workshop on the budget and has until July 1 to file an approved tentative budget with the County Superintendant. Contact MIKE ALFIERI at malfieri@dvc.edu

News in Brief Clubs teaches students The Latino Student Alliance is having a Cinco De Mayo Education Festival on Thursday, May 5. It will take place in the plaza in front of the student union building from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be games and music as well as free food for participants. There will also be a drawing for two $50 gift certificates to the bookstore.

Blood drive comes to campus The American Red Cross will be coming to the DVC Trophy Room on May 10 to hold a blood drive. Each participant will donate one pint of blood, which is enough to save three lives. Participants will be eligible to receive a VIP Meet and Greet Voucher for donating. With the purchase of a concert ticket, the VIP Meet and Greet Voucher will give access to the exclusive area at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour or the 2011 Rockstar Mayhem Festival. The blood drive is from 9am to 3 p.m. and appointments can be scheduled at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-Red-Cross.

FBI recruits students The FBI held an informational recruitment session Monday, May 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the ET Building, Room 105. They were on campus recruiting electronic technology students for jobs in Sacramento and San Francisco. Interviews for positions followed afterward, for those who brought resumes.

Math department starts review For any students wanting a little extra review before a big test or just to go over the material learned there is now a new program at DVC. The mathematics department has set up review courses for prealgebra through trigonometry. Students can get a two week free trial but afterwards will have to pay around 40 dollars. Any math students are welcome to this program set up by Katrina Keating. For more information and to sign up for the review program go to the DVC math website, hours by arrangement section.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Features

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Schreck

rides again Newly reelected ASDVC President Katerina Schreck talks about her aspirations for the coming year STEPHEN LANGSAM Staff Writer

As the final votes were tallied, Katerina Schreck was elected the ASDVC president for the second year in a row. “It’s very exciting to be re-elected by the students,” said Schreck. On being the ASDVC president, she said, “This isn’t a job, it’s a passion.” Our student body president has many aspirations for the campus in the next year. “I have a lot of goals; from extending library hours during finals week, to extending the library rental book program and trying to remove styrofoam from the campus.” Student life on campus is always evolving and Schreck wants to keep with the times. “We, at DVC could make a recycling program, which would help our recycling issue pay for itself. I want students to get involved in this issue. Whether it be in the cafeteria, Norseman, Crow’s Nest or the Basement Café at the Margaret Lesher Student Union building, recycling is an issue.” Another major issue Schreck is trying to face head on is scheduling and classes getting cut, especially in the arts and theater departments. “In the case for theater, a lot of the advanced classes have been cut,” said Schreck. “It is a nice thought to have a music festival,” said Christopher Anunti, a student who is taking music classes at DVC. “It would be nice to show off our music programs,” said Schreck. It might also help with enrollment.

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“Having more student participation within these subjects would help the students who want to continue to take these classes,” said Schreck “I would like to get involved with this, but to have more than just musicians involved. We should include multimedia, the arts, theatre… all of the departments that have something creative to share with our campus.” Christopher Anunti said. But it is less likely that she would try to collect a student transportation fee, which would have allowed students to ride County Connection for free between BART and DVC. When ASDVC looked into it, the cost was a glaring concern. Schreck said: “$12 a student seems like too much to ask for.” Schreck was right, the students agree, $12 was too much to ask for. Harry Purcell said, “Im opposed to paying money for the county connection. If you need to take the bus, it’s a good idea. But if you don’t need to take the bus, it is too much to ask for.” Ashely Lloyd a student earning her AA in early childhood development had the same reaction, “I think we pay enough money coming to school for our classes and books, I don’t want to hear about any more fees.” For the future, Schreck would like to see the campus grow further into the community. “This is a community college, not (just) a transfer college.” Contact Stephen Langsam at stlangsam@ TheInquirerOnline.com

Sports

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Naming rights kill historical significance GERARDO RECINOS Sports editor

What happened to the stadiums named after our heroes? Or named after the people who made historically significant contributions to society? Do you think U.S. veterans would attend Chicago Bears games if the field that was called Samsung-Soldier Field, as proposed in Chicago every so often? Could you watch the Boston Red Sox if they played anywhere other than Fenway Park? The oldest park in American professional sports. The ballpark where hall of famers played. The name is iconic. The Yankees play out of Yankee Stadium, whether it be the house that Ruth built, or the house Jeter did. Corporations seeking advertising opportunities purchase the rights to name a team’s stadium, as Overstock.com recently did with the Oakland Coliseum. Great idea right? Then I bet you don’t remember that the Houston Astros used to play at Enron Field. That went well for all involved. The greed has even infected the world of college sports. The University of Louisville basketball team plays out of, and I kid you not, the KFC Yum! Center. As if corporate greed hadn’t penetrated every sacred sanctum. Next thing you know, you’ll be going to St. Andrew’s, considered the home of golf, and it’ll be sponsored by McDonald’s, with cup holders in GERARDO RECINOS the pews and Out of Bounds golden arches on the back of the missals. These companies who purchase naming rights take away the names of some of our heroes. Connie Mack Stadium gave way to Citizens Bank Park. The Redskins play at FedEx Field instead of RFK Stadium. First, owners should forfeit naming rights to the fans if there have been multiple name changes within a 10-year span. Second, any company proposing a name change must prepare a statement to present to a cross-section of the team’s fans. Third, propositions will be voided if they are made by a CEO younger than the stadium in question. Last, and certainly not least, anyone in the Hall of Fame has priority in naming rights. These rules should create peace when people who are attempting to cripple the memories and historical significance of some of sport’s most hallowed grounds.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sports in Brief Vikings clinch playoffs but lose single game With a playoff spot already locked up, the men’s baseball team lost to San Joaquin Delta College on Friday April 29th. With the righty Joe Lewis on the mound squaring off against Delta’s ace, Eric Watts, the Vikings looked to tune up before their first-round playoff matchup. Watts (3-1) had all of his specialty pitches working off his fastball, getting the Vikings to chase outside of the strike zone. He held the Vikings offense to one run, and dominated throughout the game. The lone run of the game for the Vikings was when Matt Burks, RBI groundout drove in Aaron Hernandez, who reached base on an infield single. JULIUS REA / The Inquirer The Vikings lost 4-1. Delta third baseman Steven Patterson fouling a pitch off in the 4-1 win over the Vikings.

Four tennis players make it to the NorCal regionals DVC will be showing off its talented tennis stars between May 5 and 7 at the NorCal Regional tournament. The Vikings will have individual studentathletes play in the tournament. Men’s tennis will be represented this week in Fresno by Mile Cornejo will be playing singles. He will play doubles with partner Eric Yan. Women’s tennis will be represented in Fresno by Annie Cheng in singles; she and Gaby Refunjol will play doubles together.

Track athletes make it to the Northern California Championships The DVC track and field team had a great showing in the Big Eight conference finals. DVC is now looking forward to the Northern California Community College Championships qualifying meet on May 6th. Demetric Gable and Kenny Eugene both ran Norcal provisional qualifying times and posted times fast enough to compete for the conference championship in the 100 meter. In the women’s 800 meter race, Holly Babcock ran a season best time and advanced to the conference finals. She was in the conference finals for the

3000 meter steeplechase and the 1500 meter run as well. She placed seventh in the steeplechase with a time of 14:08. In the pole vault Sara Riberio placed third and posted a state qualifying jump. Nasreen Broomand placed 11th and Tyler Malley finished 8th. In the 400 meter run Joe Luiz posted the third fastest time in the qualifying round and finished second in the conference finals. DVC’s men’s 4x400 meter relay culminated in an exciting come-from-behind second place finish.

Team Stats

BASEBALL

Pitching

Hitting

Era

2.13

Avg

w-l

27-9

cg s

.261

games 54

ERA 5.64

AVG .209

198

gdp

1210

790

1187

run

OBP

178

ho s 4/3

.217

hits

.351

316

196

165

343

inn

329.0

hbp

sb-att

323

257

35-48

158

sfa

RBI

987

ass

158

148

RBI

sha

472

err

406

slg

Fld%

.336

193

228

.962

ShO 0

SBA

SAC 24

Do you want to be able to access all of the sharp and insightful sports commentary you’ve come to expect from the Inquirer’s team of crack sports writers, but without the hassle of all that annoying reading? Check out the new Out of Bounds podcast at theinquireronline.com!

Hitting

HBP

Contact GERARDO RECINOS at grecinos@TheInquirerOnline.com

120

SOFTBALL

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sports

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Leading the Pack

From left to right, pitchers Jason Kochan, Steven Swift and Justin Harr STEVIE CHOW / The Inquirer

Top pitching staff guides Vikings into playoffs GERARDO RECINOS Sports editor

The Vikings baseball team goes into the playoffs as the number one team in Northern California; boasting a gaudy 27-9 regular season record. Timely hitting and great pitching will lead The Vikings deep into the playoffs. The starting staff features standout pitchers that top all of Northern California. Staff ace Steven Swift is a perfect 10-0 on the season with a barely-there earned run average of 0.96. Those facing him are batting below the Mendoza line: an average of .190. Justin Harr, who is 7-1 with a 2.34 ERA, and Jason Kochan, who was the closer, but made some spot starts, lead the conference with nine saves. “We feel like no one can beat us, if we just play our game with our defense and our hitting,” Swift said. Timely hitting will be key for the Vikings, whose team batting average is a modest .261. They’ll catch the ball and outpitch anyone in their league, but the team feels confident that despite all the talSTEVIE CHOW / The Inquirer ented teams in the playoffs, their pitching will stand. Staff ace Swift will lead the team into battle on Friday against Pitcher Steven Swift practices on May 3 while the basethe second lowest play-in seed. ball team prepares for the California Community College Swift, who is from Monte Vista High School in Danville, led Playoffs, which begins this Friday. the Big 8 Conference in wins, but is humble when it comes to his success.

“Our defense makes really good plays and our outfielders all get really great jumps on the ball and that helps,” Swift said. “Our catcher is really smart behind the plate and calls a great game; it gives the pitcher an edge, being comfortable with your catcher.” Swift has committed to playing ball in the PAC-10 for the University of Washington. Kochan, who worked for Head Coach Mike Neu as a closer during the first part of the schedule and as a starter during league play, says he feels confident that his teammates will be able to play their best ball in the playoffs. “We all feel pretty strong, and we’re on a roll, giving up an average of two runs a game as a staff,” Kochan said. “I just go up there and try to throw up goose eggs, and if I do it’s a good thing,” Kochan will be playing ball at Santa Clara University next season. Harr, a tall lanky righty from right across the street at College Park High School, points out that out of the eight teams in the conference, six of them are in the playoffs. The Vikings went 16-5 in Big 8 Conference play. “We hold ourselves in high esteem,” Harr said. “Our league is the best in California, the teams in the playoffs that are in our league, we know them, so we’ll go in with the same dynamic.” Against the six teams in the playoffs that are also in the Big 8 Conference, the Vikings went 15-2. “There is no real reason to change success,” Harr said.

“Our league is the best in California, the teams in the playoffs that are in our league, we know them, so we’ll go in with the same dynamic.”

Contact GERARDO RECINOS at grecinos@TheInquirerOnline.com

Opinions

What was your immediate reaction to Osama Bin Laden’s death?

KEVIN SURBAN, 18 Engineering

“I don’t know. One point I feel good about, but, at the same time, to celebrate death is bad. So, I’m just more chill about it than some people.”

REBECCA KNELL, 20 Undeclared

“I was relieved and then, after an hour of pondering, I felt frightened.”

KYLE LAFLECHE, 31 Engineering

“I’m glad he’s dead, I guess, but I have a lot of misgivings about the American presence in the Middle East.”

JESSICA ROBLESS, 19 Business

“How do I know that he is actually dead?”

RONNIE FASSAL, 21 Business

“Yes! I was pretty proud to be an American. Then, I went to smoke a victory blunt.”

Interviewer & photographer: Stevie Chow and Izzy Bajalia

Pressure from college cuts also affects high school students We’re screwed. The California Community College system is facing a potential $800 million worth of cuts, a student fee increase to at least $36 and possibly as much as $66 per unit, fewer courses and eliminated programs. With state legislators shooting down a June election on tax extensions, which could have saved from $220 million, the future of education looks dim. Some people have noticed, however, a silver lining for education: This budget proposes no cuts for K-12 schools. Governor Brown explained that “schools have borne the brunt of spending reductions in recent years, so this budget maintains funding at the same level as the current year.” For the time being, K-12 education is saved. However, this paints a grimmer future for high school students who are looking at community college. Traditionally, community college has been a ground for people to take time and think or to get first, second and last chances. According to a Community College League of California publication, lifelong learning is learning “in order to solve evolving and new problems, learn new skills and understand new technologies and information” which fall outside of education for degrees or transfer. General cuts to higher education and the seeming elimination of “lifelong learning” from the California community college mission statement have ravaged campuses. Now, it’s difficult for community college students to take time and “think about

SCOTT BABA / The Inquirer

what they want to do” and courses. even harder for degree-holdThus, students who simply ing students to work towards fail a class or need to drop for another degree or further personal reasons fall between training or education. the cracks. All of those second chancThis strategy is one of three es that community college the state legislative analyst students have an opportunity has recommended, including to receive providing a ...high schools must will dishigher priappear ority regisset their students up quickly. tration for In fact, first-time for a successful DVC’s students Faculty and capeducation and career. ping the Senate is currently amount of discussing They might only get one units that strategies students chance at it. to discan take, courage according students from dropping out to a California Watch article. of classes, one of them beWe don’t know what will ing limits on the number of happen to the future or, in times a student can repeat some cases, the present of

community college education. Unfortunately, high schools have to fill the void that twoyear schools will leave open after millions worth of reductions. If K-12 schools and career building programs for high school students can be spared from cuts for a little while, future community college students must take time to explore their possible job options. For example, the ASVAB Career Exploration Program, endorsed by the California Department of Education, is intended to help high school and post-secondary students across the nation learn more about career exploration and planning within the military. Also, YouthTEACH2Le-

arn is a year-long program based in Irvine in which high school students explore teaching careers. In addition to observing classrooms and developing teaching standards, students “visit local college campuses in order to determine if the teaching is a good fit for their professional goals,” according to its website. When community colleges are cut over the next years, students may not have the option to go to school without knowing a definite career or major in their minds. Second acts are disappearing from community college, so high schools must set their students up for a successful education and career. They might only get one chance at it.

Letter to the Editor

Congratulations, Model United Nations The students of Diablo Valley College Model United Nations (DVC MUN) club invited me to be their adviser almost a year ago. Since then I have attended their weekly meetings and participated with them in MUN conferences organized by the University of California in Santa Barbara, Berkeley and Los Angeles. I was impressed with our students knowledge of the issues under discussions, the rules of procedures of the conferences, as well as their eagerness to learn and to contribute to the discussions in these conferences. I am very pleased to state that our students’ performance at these conferences was just like other students including those from Ivey League institutions.

After the first conference, DVC MUN club decided to convene a mini conference in our college to make DVC students aware of the issues under discussions at MUN conferences and to encourage them to be involved in the work of the Club. On Thursday, March 31, 2011 DVC MUN Club convened its first conference. As a matter of fact, this is the first time that such a conference is held at DVC. The Deans of Student Life and of the Department of English and Social Science spoke at the conference. In addition to the plenary meeting, the conference established two committees, the Committee of the European Council and its topic was Countering Islamophobia in the European Community.

Staff

Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR PHOTO CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Editorial

The

Buzz

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Julius Rea Troy Patton Mike Alfieri Scott Baba Sean Wilkey Gerardo Recinos Alec Graham Taliah Mirmalek

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Brian Donovan STAFF WRITERS Scott Annis, Pablo Caballero, Lisa Diaz, Brittney Griffin Stephen Langsam PHOTOGRAPHERS Izzy Bajalia, Stevie Chow, Mariana Ramos DESIGNER Yaeko Takada INSTRUCTIONAL LAB COORDINATOR Ann Stenmark ADVISER Mary Mazzocco

The Second was a Crisis Committee and its topic was the Arab Republic of Egypt. DVC students and guest students represented Egyptian government officials and foreign diplomats accredited to Egypt. They discussed the transformation of Egypt after the uprising and the efforts to ensure the establishment a truly democratic government representing the aspirations of the Egyptian people. All faculty members including of Political Science as well as students from DVC and other colleges who participated in the conference praised the performance of DVC students. There will be another DVC MUN mini conference before the end of this semester.

All these activities and the excellent performance of DVC students are highly appreciated by DVC faculty members. In conclusion DVC MUN Club students demonstrated that our college is providing great opportunities to students to learn and achieve success by participating in and contributing to academic activities organized by other universities, conducting a very successful conference as recognized by all participants, and enhancing their knowledge of international questions facing the world. Once congratulations to DVC MUN Club and to DVC for a very good work done -Dr. Amer Araim Political science professor

THE INQUIRER Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, H-102 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 The Inquirer is published Thursday mornings during the school year by the journalism students of Diablo Valley College. All unsigned articles appearing on the opinions page are editorials and reflect a two-thirds majority opinion of the editorial staff. All signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the writer or artists and not necessarily those of The Inquirer, Diablo Valley College or Contra Costa Community College District

• Phone: 925.685.1230 ext. 2313 • Fax: 925.681.3045 • Email: inquirer@dvc.edu • Website: www.TheInquirerOnline.com • Printed Every Two Weeks •

Opinions

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Diagnosis changes mind on ADHD I first learned of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, sitting in my fourth grade classroom, next to a particularly rambunctious, unruly classmate. My classmate bounced off the walls and, quite frankly, acted like a wild animal. The constant trips to the nurse’s office to take Ritalin did not stand a chance in easing the situation, as my classmate was sent by my teacher to see the principal every day, like clockwork. I left fourth grade with a clear comprehension of long division, California History, and how ADHD had left my classmate out-ofcontrol actions and a prime subject for bullying and torment. ADHD is frequently associated with temper tantrums, aggression, inability to learn anything academically, stubbornness, and constant interruptions. Even though those associations are accurate, they dismiss the positive affects ADHD has on the brain and the different manifestations of ADHD in different people. Three weeks ago, I found out that I am one of the “different people.” Growing up, teachers never comLISA DIAZ plained of Staff writer me bouncing off walls or having rampages, but emphasized the potential they saw in me. With my potential shown in my intelligence, creativity and fearless personality, I could accomplish anything … if I just did my homework. To make my very long academic story short, I succeeded by acing tests and turning in late assignments until I got to a four-year university. As it turns out, homework in college is nonnegotiable. As hard as I tried, I just could not do it. What did not help was that I attended Arizona State, where raging pool parties made for a fun alternative. A year and a half later, reality came bearing down on me, evaporating the Don Julio margarita out of my red cup and illuminating my horrendous transcript. With my preconceived notions of the disorder, I never would have guessed I had it and would have argued with anyone who told me otherwise. When I was referred to take an ADHD class, I protested but the experience changed my life. I learned what made me impulsive and that others go through the exact same thing. I am not ashamed, but I am proud of my creativity, sense of humor, compassion and charisma that all stem from my brain not being wired “normally.” I no longer am good at beer pong, but realizing I have ADHD has inspired me to wake up every day and strive for a successful career. My ADHD makes me different, buy in those differences I can accomplish great things. Contact LISA DIAZ at ldiaz@TheInquirerOnline. com

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Meat we eat is not so neat “You don’t eat hamburgers? That is so unAmerican.” As someone who has chosen to not eat meat, this is a phrase I hear quite often. In a country where grilling hamburgers and eating hotdogs at baseball games are common pastimes, many people do not realize what they are actually eating. A recent Cornell University article indicated that 30 percent of United States dairy cows may be treated with bovine growth hormone, bGH, a growth hormone discovered to produce more milk in cows as early as the 1930s And that’s just in our milk. Along with bGH, estrogen was discovered in the 1930s to affect growth rates in cattle and poultry. The list goes on of other hormones injected in animals, and the issue is many of them are difficult to detect in humans because we naturally produce hormones. So, how do we go about living our lives afraid of all the food around us? Sometimes, it seems almost impossible to eat completely organic or to be vegan. All of our food is somehow chemically altered or the product of some sort of animal. Without complete knowledge of the deceptions that brands display, how will we know exactly what we are eating and what affect it has on our bodies? For example, diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, neural diseases, obesity, and leukemia have possibly been linked to the additives in our food. Most of us are aware of the fact that a lot of the food we are consuming is not healthy for us, but the issue is how many of us care enough? You may be deathly afraid of getting cancer, but the temporary satisfaction you get from a double-bacon cheeseburger typically wins the battle in this situation. Many people, despite the knowledge they

SCOTT BABA / The Inquirer

abundance in estrogen has have about the garbage they possibly been linked to this are putting into their bodies, phenomenon. do not have the strength to Based on health concerns, give it up. Canada and countries in EuUnhealthy eating has berope have banned the use of come an adthe bovine growth hormone. diction that is One of the biggest issues hard to kick. of health is that meat is a food Companies’ BRITTNEY GRIFFIN source that is a component to obsession with Staff writer living a healthy life, but unless raising sales you eat completely organic meat it is not even through adding hormones to worth it. animals is both cruel and detriSo, the next time you pick up a piece of mental to our health. processed food or a hormone-filled slab of Second to heart disease cancer has become meat you can choose: health or temporary the second most leading cause of death in satisfaction. America according to the Center for Disease control and prevention. Breast cancer in women has become a huge Contact BRITTNEY GRIFFIN at bgriffin@TheInquirerOnline.com issue, and although is not completely proven,

“So, how do we go about living our lives afraid of all the food around us?”

Rugby, the alternative to football It is believed that during the early days of this country, our forefathers were trying to separate themselves from England, and thus created Football. They didn’t want to play the sports of rugby or soccer so instead created their own sport. Soon, any kid that would have been steered towards rugby instead went on to play Football. According to Sportingo, a major European sporting website, rugby is the fifth most popular sport in the world. In fact, the Rugby WorldCup is the third largest viewed sporting event in the world. It is growing in the U.S. but hasn’t reached star status yet. This is intriguing because it has everything Americans want. It is a brutal and violent sport with athletic guys beating each other’s brains out in order to win.

The main reason that it should be more popular is that anyone can play and be social. There are men’s and club teams all over the country for any age. Men are known to play into their 50s. You also don’t need to be huge like you do in football. SCOTT ANNIS Staff writer Any position on the football field requires an extremely built man with bulging arms. On a rugby field, while there are positions for guys like that, there is also a need for smaller, fast, and wiry guys. Many youth clubs are starting and kids high school age have at least 42 clubs in northern California to choose from. Rugby is being brought back to our youth and we need to continue to grow the sport and bring it to a bigger stage. Most colleges now have rugby teams and

“It is a brutal and violent sport with athletic guys beating each other’s brains out in order to win.”

men’s teams are all over the country including in at least 31 northern California, but DVC does not have one. We are doing nothing here to encourage this beautiful game. Rugby is great for the community and can bring people together. The United States Rugby Football Foundation gives grants and scholarships to many rugby players and enjoys bringing rugby to a younger generation. It doesn’t matter your speed, age, stamina, or strength, there is a place on a rugby team for all. Teams are being formed all over the country and many are getting into it. “Rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen; soccer is a gentleman’s game played by beasts; football is a beastly game played by beasts,” said Henry Blaha, rugby player and journalist. Contact SCOTT ANNIS at sannis@TheInquirerOnline.com

Guest Opinion

School ‘rankings’ may lead students astray I am sick of hearing, “What’s the highest ranked college in California (or the nation) in the major of … ?” Oy vey. It’s a question I don’t like answering. My most-of-the-time rather calm, diaphragmatic breathing swells up like a stuck sippy cup. In recent memory, we have US News and World Report to thank for capitalizing on the notion that colleges and universities need to be ranked, quantified, and reputation awarded accordingly. The public’s need and interest was there, and it’s understandable. Why wouldn’t you want to pick “the best” ranked school? Why not secure class and status for your college-bound child? The approach has become \ popular with the large number of international students

who apply to US higher education each year. If they’re going to pay “top dollar” to attend university in the United States, why wouldn’t they “purchase” the top-rated institutions this country can offer? Of course, there are differences among colleges in their organization, services, costs, real costs, strengths and overall quality. The simple truth is this: college ranking systems are, almost implicitly, a slippery proposition at best. The information on institutions that is garnered, analyzed and spit out is often dated, irrelevant, or too much of a “moving target” to be an accurate predictor of quality, much less appropriateness for one’s goals. “Average” class size is merely that. Educa-

“Does anyone go around equitably ‘ranking’ the best third grades in the country?”

tional facilities, and access to those facilities, are nearimpossible to compare evenly. The number of prizewinning faculty on board only matters if they are in your major, your specific field, your division, and ROB PETERS truly available for teaching Guest writer rather than anything like consulting, research, publishing, etc. In recent times, the marketing and public relations divisions of colleges realize that these college rankings translate into enrollment figures. So, the temptation and pressure to massage information, unfortunately, is tempting. In fact, the college presidents of many of the high-ranking “winner” institutions have often asked the “raters” to trade in their charts and proclamations for a more helpful, nuanced

approach. Both parents and transfer students need to grasp a larger truth: A college education isn’t merely a commodity. Colleges aren’t in sports playoffs that “rank” teams by rounding off to the nearest tenth. Does anyone go around equitably “ranking” the best third grades in the country? In the terse language of engineers and social scientists, would you simply run a MANOVA software program that deals with “multiple analysis of variables,” and project the pedigree your child will somehow “earn” at the end of four years? There are likely several schools that would be a great fit for any student, and just as many at which students could succeed on their own terms. Contact ROB PETERS at rpeters@dvc.edu

Entertainment The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Dance season’s coming!

MARIANA RAMOS / The Inquirer

Student dancers are rehearsing hard on a modern take on tango on May 2 at the gymnasium toward the opening night.

‘Through the Door and to the Floor’ will showcase students’ choreography BRITTNEY GRIFFIN Staff writer

As dancers scramble around making last-minute decisions on costumes, music and choreography, dance instructor Kimberly Valmore relentlessly screams, “Hurry, hurry. We’re already behind schedule.” A typical day in the life a dancer, and the time crunch the Dance Production students face does not make their job any easier. In the midst of producing this spring’s show, “Through the Door and to the Floor,” the dance department is working hard to finish before opening night on May 6th at 8:00 p.m. The shows will also take place at 8 p.m. on May 7 and 2 p.m. on May 8 in the PAC. Dance Production, a DVC spring course, consists of a compilation of dancers from many levels, who have taken prerequisite dance courses in the fall; however, if some students are able to prove their ability they are able to join the class also. “We learned the basics, and now we are applying what we

have learned,” student choreographer Charlie Bennett said. Valmore acts as the classes’ adviser and, by no means, impedes on their creative vision. “It is all theirs,” she said. There is about ten student choreographers and many dancers who all contribute to the show in some way. From creating the title of the show, to designing the show’s poster, the students have full creative control. When in the process of choosing the pieces for the final production, “It’s like this is my company, and they are my dancers. They have to showcase their knowledge in order to gain a spot in the final production,” Valmore said. The choreographers have to present their ideas to her with choreography, costumes, storyline, number of dancers, etc. From there, she provides the students with feedback on their proposed ideas. After Valmore chooses the final pieces, the student choreographers conduct auditions for their dancers. “Looking back I wish I would have chosen dancers

MARIANA RAMOS / The Inquirer

Costumes and storyline are also student choreographers’ idea. based on dedication,” student choreographer Ashley Cabrera said. With this class only meeting twice a week and multiple rehearsals taking place at the same time in the one dance studio on campus, the limited time they have is very valuable. “That’s the issue with it being a class. Many students see

it as just a class they have to take like math,” said Christina Stevenson, student choreographer who is new to this whole process. Another student choreographer, Alicia Andreatta-Jaques said, “Dancers will miss class, and they do not realize that they just wasted an hour or more of rehearsal time.” “We do the best with what

we have,” said Kimberly Valmore speaking on the subject of their limited funds. “The only money we have coming in comes from the show,” she said, and even with that the show produces expenses such as the production of programs. Many of the students have to rifle through old costumes, because there is no money available to them. Despite these obstacles, everyone seems to keeping a positive outlook while preparing for their performances. “You’re getting a mix of everything,” Stevenson said. They will exhibit styles such as hip-hop, contemporary ballet, theater, a capella tap, salsa, waltz, jazz, and Bollywood. Also, teacher-choreographed pieces will accompany the student produced dances. Valmore has choreographed a few solos and trios while dance instructors produce two other pieces. One of which will be a waltz, choreographed by instructor Amy Farhood, and the other will be a Rueda, or a type of salsa dancing, choreo-

graphed by instructor Erika Angelakos. Angelakos’ intermediate class will perform her salsa piece even though many of the students in her class have never performed. “It is difficult for people who have never performed or danced before,” said Andreatta-Jaques. One of Angelakos’ students, Maverick Mamaghani, said, “This class is my sanity.” He really enjoyed the beginning class he took in the fall, and he has improved immensely since then. For many of the students, especially the least experienced ones, this is their opportunity to showcase what they have learned and the improvements they have made. The strides many of them have made lead to the title of the show, “Through the Door and to the Floor.” They have taken the skills they have learned through the door of the dance studio onto the floor of the stage.

Contact BRITTNEY GRIFFIN at bgriffin@TheInquirerOnline.com

Club values passion more than experience BRITTNEY GRIFFIN Staff Writer

All clubs start somewhere and DVC dance club began with one girl, Emma Li, eager to find students on campus with the desire to dance and perform. Two years later, the dance club, or DVCDC, has grown to a membership of between 20 and 25 dancers. The dancers practice Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. outside of the student union building, which many students have noticed. “We’re a family,” said Sabrina Turner, who had little experience previous to her

membership in the club. “Join dance club,” is what they say whenever students pass by, because, despite your experience level as a dancer, the students in the dance club feel as if there is always room for more. The director and one of the main choreographers, Lawrence Dominguez, had previous dance experience upon joining the club, along with a few other members who also partake in outside dance crews. The club’s ICC representative, Juliana Ochoa, said “They take their experiences and bring it here.” With the time Ochoa and

Turner have put into this club, they’re now comfortable contributing their ideas. Ochoa said, “We come up with ideas for dances, and then we come back and propose our ideas to the group.” After the propositions are presented, the group chooses which pieces they would like to perform at certain events. They dance at many events on campus, along with a few outside performances. Upcoming performances will take place during the Cinco de Mayo celebration, the Variety Show for QSA, DVC’s got talent and Indonesian Day. “There is a theme for every

performance,” said Ochoa. For instance, at the Cinco De Mayo celebration they are performing a salsa inspired piece, and for the QSA show their piece has a drag-queen Lady Gaga theme. “It is like a bunch of dances in one,” Turner said, and, although their dances are typically hip-hop, “We do the many styles of hip-hop.” MARIANA RAMOS / The Inquirer Ochoa said, “We are always open to new ideas and styles, The Dance Club rehearsing in front of the stuand if someone wants to join dent union building. Autumn Lee, Yuliana Ochoa, that knows ballet we would Sabrina Turner, Mark Balancio, Lee Alabanca, love to have them teach it to Christian Aragon (left to right). us.” DVC’s club is open to any- the club always say, “No expeone looking for a place to per- rience needed.” Contact BRITTNEY GRIFFIN at form and as the members in bgriffin@TheInquirerOnline.com