DVC Inquirer 4.11 Issue by DVC Inquirer

Cannonball!

DVC’s swimming and diving teams prepare for the anticipated Big 8 Conference. See page 3.

Evil Dead

ASDVC elections

Terrifying in its content or in its execution? Read our Editor-inchief ’s thoughts on this remake. See page 8.

Check www.TheInquirerOnline.com for up to date election results.

The

INQUIRER S tudent V oi ce

D iablo Val le y C ol le g e

2-year schools receive report cards BRIAN BUNTING Online editor

THERESA MARIE / The Inquirer

Chelsea Simmons, organizer for the CineArts protest, is interviewed by Channel 5 KPIX outside the CineArts Theater in Pleasant Hill on April 6. A dozen residents rally behind her, protesting against the plans to demolish the theater.

Landmark’s last days? Residents rally together to protest against plans to demolish the CinéArts Theater

THERESA MARIE Senior staff writer

Dozens of demonstrators gathered in front of Pleasant Hill’s CinéArts Theater on April 6 to protest SyWest Development’s plans to demolish the iconic theater so that it can be replaced by a Dick’s Sporting Goods Store. Demonstrators held signs, spoke with television news crews and spread awareness about the planned demolition – a plan which seemed to take many of Saturday’s CinéArts patrons by surprise. “I was shocked to hear that the city is going to close down such a historic structure,” said Sarah Liu, a 22-year-old Concord resident. Liu was on her way to watch “Ginger and Rosa” at CinéArts when she stopped to read an informational flyer being handed out by one of the protestors. “If it wasn’t for this protest, I wouldn’t have even known that it [CinéArts] was in danger of being mowed down,” Liu added. “It’s crazy to know that an issue as big as this could slip under the radar.” The Dome vs. SyWest – The Commissioners THERESA MARIE / The Inquirer weigh-in CinéArts, which is affectionately known by locals Gwendolen O’Connor, right, dressed as Neytiri from ‘Avatar,” high-fives fellow as “The Dome Theater” for its iconic dome struc- protestor, Christopher Walker, during the demonstrations. ture, has been a Pleasant Hill staple since it opened in 1967. Located at the south end of the Crossroads ant Hill on January 28 by William Self Associates, Shopping Center in Pleasant Hill, the property is Inc. (WSA), the Dome Theatre is appears not to owned by SyWest Development LLC of San Rafael. “exhibit the level of exceptional significance necSyWest Development submitted their plans to essary to warrant listing on the California Register demolish The Dome Theater in December, 2012 of Historic Places at this time... However, [it] does and replace it with a two-story, 73,176-square-foot appear potentially eligible for listing as a cultural reDick’s Sporting Goods store to the City of Pleas- source at the local level.” (Garavaglia 2013:22) ant Hill. At the April 6 protest, demon“We are long-term property strators and bystanders shared their “The Dome has owners here,” said Vierra. “We’re beliefs about how The Dome sigalways been a piece nifies a special time in California’s not looking to build and sell.” He added, “We’re not walking away of history and a piece history. from this.” After speaking with demonstraof my personal The Pleasant Hill’s Planning tors as he left a movie on Saturday, Commission approved SyWest’s Jay Marchus, a 63-year-old resident history.” plans on March 26 by a vote of of Walnut Creek, reminisced about 6-1. Commissioner Jim Bonato his time as an assistant manager in ~JAY MARCHUS gave the only dissenting vote. 1967 at what was then called the Walnut Creek resident “I think we deserve better,” Century 21 Theater. asserted Bonato. “The Dome has always been a Commissioner Alex Greenwood offered praise to piece of history and a piece of my personal hisSyWest’s plans to replace The Dome with a Dick’s tory,” concluded Marchus. Sporting Goods Store, saying, “It will add economic “Everybody remembers their first movie at The vitality in a way that will take Pleasant Hill outward.” Dome,” said demonstrator Matthew O’Connor, 41, “I am in support about having an art house mov- of Concord. ie theater somewhere here in the city (of Pleasant O’Connor brought his 14-year-old daughter, Hill),” said Bonato in an interview immediately fol- Gwendolen O’Connor, to Saturday’s protest. In lowing the adjournment of the March 26 Planning a nod to two of the James Cameron sci-fi films THERESA MARIE / The Inquirer Commission meeting. “But I think that The Dome that they saw at The Dome - “Alien” (1986) and has outlived itself.” “Avatar” (2009) - Matthew dressed as an alien and Matthew O’Connor shows his support for Locals get vocal keeping the theater by dressing as an alien In a document submitted by to the city of PleasPROTEST, Page 2 from James Cameron’s ‘Alien.’

DVC will be the first of California’s 112 community colleges to carry a school report card. California Community College Chancellor Brice W. Harris made DVC his first stop in a tour of the state extolling the features of the system designed to measure school and student success. Harris briefed the crowd assembled in the DVC Trophy Room where DVC President Peter Garcia introduced the Chancellor. Garcia described the compiling data and statistics from 112 different schools a tedious process, but “one that was very much needed.” The scorecard is one product of the Student Success Act of 2012, a bill authored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, (DLong Beach) in response to REPORT CARD, Page 2

Graphic artists rewarded PABLO CABALLERO Staff writer

On March 28, the annual O’Keefe Prize for Graphic Literature was held in the BFL Conference Room. The O’Keefe Award is a memorial to James O’Keefe, a former English instructor at Diablo Valley College who passed away on Dec. 9, 2008 to cancer. O’Keefe founded the graphic literature course, English 176, at DVC prior to his illness. The course is designed to motivate students in the field of graphic literature. “Graphic literature is movement and words depicted by the readers’ imagination,” said Adam Bessie, DVC English instructor. “Everybody loves pictures and words.” The grand prize winner was Ana Valdez, for her comic “Go Fish.” “I was really humble,” said Valdez, who won $100 for her comic. “I wasn’t anticipating winning the award. I appreciated being in the contest.” For a full list of winners and to read the winning comics, visit http://jamesokeefeprize. blogspot.com. Contact PABLO CABALLERO at pcaballero@ TheInquirerOnline.com

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

News

REPORT CARD

calendar

Friday, April 12 Integration Council Meeting with college wide governance committee, open entry Community Conference Center, BFL, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday, April 15 Fall 2013 graduation filing period deadline Last day to file for graduation to be considered for early registration Admissions Office, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 Study abroad in London information meeting LA 107, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18 DVC Budget meeting Trophy room, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 22 College-wide meeting, open entry. Community Conference Center, BFL. 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 26 Last Day to withdraw from a class with a “W” on transcript Admissions Office, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

From Page 1

sub-par findings by a former state community college one thing I look at is dropout and success rates. The Chancellor's troubleshooting committee called the Stu- university I went to back in Indiana had it right on their dent Success Task Force, who have continued sites on website." said drama major Brittany Fritts. improving student transfer rates. While arming prospective students to make informed Though not entirely original (see President Obama's choices is generally viewed as a good thing, the added College Scorecard), the Student Success Scorecard builds transparency isn't without potential pitfalls. on statistics and performance tracking, generated by a If Gov. Brown's proposal to shift community college network of state and school funding based on enrollment to funddepartments known as the Acing based on completion winds up countability Reporting for the getting support, increased transparenCommunity Colleges (ARCC). cy may further encourage community The scorecard represents the colleges to cut more advanced classes first formal attempt by Califorin an attempt to raise their average. nia's community colleges at easFurthermore, the college scoreing access to standardized inforcards wouldn't include school budget mation for students wanting to summaries, teacher salaries, school evaluate camp or compare twoequipment, or loan information. ~AMANDA SEABORNE year schools. The chart, accessiWhile there is tracking for students in DVC student ble through a website, will enable vocational courses, there wasn't inforstudents to see school certificate mation for job placement. and degree attainment, as well as graduation and transfer It wasn't clear what the scorecard would mean for rates. According to Harris, the scorecard will track data community colleges with more economically disadvanon outcomes by race, ethnicity, gender and age. taged students already struggling with low transfer rates. "The initial scorecard results make it clear how im- The potential for shopping students to balk at a bad colportant preparation is for college success, showing that lege grade and take their enrollment elsewhere appears to if students come to college well prepared, the complete be a potential risk. certificates, degrees, or transfer at rates exceeding 70 perAccording to the scorecared, which went live today, cent. However, if they need remediation, their success DVC's average transfer rate was 61 percent, a healthy bit rate drops below 50 percent," Harris said. over the local average - however, only time will tell how Students were initially supportive of the scorecard it- the scorecard may impact enrollment or funding. self. Second-year student Amanda Seaborne explained, The Student Success Scorecard website can be ac"It would be a good thing. I've looked for transfer rates cessed at http://scorecard.cccco.edu/scorecard.aspx. before, but it was harder to find that information." But others were concerned the scorecard wasn't obviously acContact BRIAN BUNTING at cessible on DVC's website. "When you look at a school, bbunting@TheInquirerOnline.com

“I’ve looked for transfer rates before, but it was harder to find that information.”

Tuesday, March 12 DVC Library Bike Racks 10:42 a.m. Student reported having his bicycle stolen. DVC Library At 3:56 p.m., a student’s backpack was stolen when he fell asleep in the library. Monday, March 18 DVC Women’s Locker Room At 11:57 a.m., subject was arrested for trespassing in the Women’s locker room and for assaulting a DVC employee. Wednesday, March 27 DVC Bookstore At 2:52 p.m., a College Park High School student shoplifted several food items from the DVC bookstore. The subject was detained and turned over to the custody of her mother. Tuesday, April 2 DVC Parking Lot 3 At 3:43 p.m. Student reported that her vehicle was broken into while parked on campus property. It was determined to be an attempted auto theft. Wednesday, April 3 DVC Counseling Center Lobby At 11:19 a.m., a student fell down the stairs injuring her knee. Friday, April 5 DVC Lot 1 At 6:18 p.m., two non-students got into a loud verbal altercation in the lot. The subjects were contacted and warned about their conduct.

KARIN JENSEN/ The Inquirer

Dr. Brice W. Harris, California Community College Chancellor, addresses DVC on the new scorecard system. The system is designed to allow students to better evaluate two-year colleges.

PROTEST From Page 1

Gwendolen was Neytiri. “Look at the people here,” observed Marty Duvall, a long time CinéArts patron from Benicia. “We’ve got aliens, young people, old people... There is no cohesive demographic. This theater attracts all types.”

Demonstrator Christopher Walker, 32, of Walnut Creek recalled the many times he went out of his way to arrange rides just so that he could enjoy the Jewish Film Festival, which The Dome hosts every year. “This is like my second

Police Beat Monday, March 11 DVC PE Area At 4:08 p.m., a student was struck in the side with a hammer chain. The student was transported to John Muir Hospital in Concord for medical observation.

Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

sAme usf,

home,” said Walker. The Dome’s future “The building is ugly and it needs to be redone,” said Ron Holt, 42, of Danville. “The only reason I come here is because my wife makes me come with her; and I love my wife. This building? Not so much.” The owner and manager of CinéArts refused to speak to any reporters. But that didn’t stop KRON 2 NEWS and Channel 5 KPIX from showing up and interviewing the protest’s organizers,

29-year-old Jessica Brown of Concord and 24-year-old Chelsea Simmons of Danville. “The Dome is not just special to Pleasant Hill, but to many surrounding cities like El Cerrito, Oakland, Antioch and Lafayette who are just now hearing about the news of The Dome’s planned demolition,” Simmons said. Walnut Creek resident Martha Ross has been writing about SyWest’s plans in her blog, “Crazy In Suburbia,” for the last few months. On April 8, Ross submitted

an appeal to the City of Pleasant Hill in response to the Planning Commission’s March 26 vote to approve SyWest Developments’ plans. While Dome activists hope for the best, CinéArts has already planned to show its last movie on April 2. “This isn’t the end,” says Brown. “We’re going to continue to fight.”

Contact THERESA MARIE at tmarie@TheInquirerOnline.com

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Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Sports

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

MATTHEW EMMANUEL / The Inquirer

Montana Randall places first in the 100-meter butterfly at the Big 8 Conference held at Diablo Valley College on March 15.

The road to Big 8 Championship AARON HUDSON Sports editor

DVC 's swimming and diving team is trying to sharpen their skills in preparation for the most important conference tournament of the season, the Big 8 Championship. The Vikings have already faced many of the teams that will be at the Big 8 Championship on April 18, earlier at the Big 8 Invitational held on March 15. “I felt like I was lacking in strength with my turns, I wasn’t hitting my turns very well but overall my first 75 in my 100-meter butterfly race was outstanding,” swimmer Montana Randall said. Randall finished first in the 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter Butterfly. For the

Big 8 championship, he plans on working on his turns and improving his kick when he pushes off. Many swimmers from DVC got their best times of the season at the invitational, giving the competition a scare before the championships. Santa Rosa College are the defending champions from last year. However, DVC has a better record this year. “ Finally we are getting back into the groove of things,” Michael Billey. “A lot of that hard work that we’ve been doing in practice is starting to slowly payoff.” Billey went on to finish third in the 100 butterfly and third in the 200 butterfly. To improve he hopes to get a little more motion with his

butterfly, kind of stretching out his stroke, making sure he’s staying nice and long but efficiently moving forward instead of staying still. Swimmer Riley Hagan finished first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:46:66, which was his best time of the season so far and just three seconds slower than his personal best. “Overall I felt I did well, but I definitely could use more training because the last half of the final lap I could feel myself start to slip and slow down in the water,” Hagan said. “It’s definitely more a matter of training than anything.” To get ready for the next event he plans on warming up a little more, making sure

“I’m feeling a little

tired, but I do play two sports, so I already had practice this morning, now the meet and then an additional practice after that.” ~ALYSON HAYLOR DVC Swimmer

his muscles are loose, getting his legs into the race faster and getting a head start on the race instead of lagging in the beginning and then turning on the jets at the end. With the women's team, Alyson Haylor was the top performer. Haylor finished second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:03, hours after having practice for her synchronized swim team. “I’m feeling a little tired, but I do play two sports, so I already had practice this morning, now the meet and then an additional practice after that,” Haylor said. It was an extremely close race at the last flip turn with all swimmers flipping simultaneously in one line. Haylor plans on working on holding a faster pace time

in the race as a whole since she is more interested in distance swimming. Another Women’s swimmer that showed promise at the meet is Taylor Henry, who finished first in the women's 50-meter freestyle and second in the 200-meter butterfly. Henry clocked in at 24:03 in the 50-meter freestyle, her best time this season in the 50-meter freestyle. “Mentally I am ready to go out there and win its just a matter of executing,” Henry said. The championship meet will be held Thursday April 18-20, from 10a.m. to 5p.m.

Contact AARON HUDSON at ahudson@TheInquirerOnline. com

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

Outfielder Davis Strong warms up while outfielder Athan Koutsoubinas bats in DVC’s Big 8 Conference game against Modesto April 5.

DVC once again undone by spotty offense GABRIEL AGURCIA Senior staff writer

DVC lost to Modesto 5-3 on Friday, April 5; the second loss to their conference rival in four days. Modesto took the first lead in the second inning on an RBI double. The runner was caught trying to advance to third, and pitcher Ben Krauth ended the half inning with his second strikeout. DVC finally tied things up in the fourth. Designated hitter Nick Gavello led off with a double down the left field line. He then moved to third on outfielder’s Cameron Rowland groundout, and an error by the first baseman on shortstop’s Michael Brdar grounder allowed Gavello to score. Krauth worked out of a jam in the fifth. After two singles to start the inning, a sacri-

fice bunt moved the runners to second and third. With two runners in scoring position and just one out, Krauth struck out the next two batters, giving him five strikeouts through five innings. DVC loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but a flyout with two outs ended the rally. Modesto cashed in on a bases loaded opportunity the very next inning with a threerun triple. The Vikings responded quickly. Rowland led off with a bunt single, and second baseman Ryan Kochan smacked a one-out double, giving DVC two men in scoring position. Third baseman Tyler Basker hit an RBI single, and catcher Michael Leal drove in Kochan on a sacrifice fly. DVC had cut the lead to 4-3.

Aside from the sixth inning blemish, Krauth continued his dominance on the mound. He recorded his seventh and eighth K’s; the latter on a nasty curve that had the batter flailing. Pitcher Cody Ball relieved Krauth in the eighth inning. After putting runners on the corners with just one out, coach Dan Luquet elected to bring in pitcher Jacob Peters. Peters gave up a run on a sacrifice fly, the only one he allowed in his 1 2/3 innings of work. DVC’s last scoring threat came in the eighth. Gavello singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball with one out. However, Brdar and Kochan struck out back-to-back to end the inning. The Vikings were unable to muster offensive output in the ninth. Modesto took the game 5-3.

Coach Luquet is trying anything he can to jolt some life into his team’s bats: “I tried mixing things up in the lineup. (Michael) Mann played first, and I let (Tyler) Basker play third.” Pitcher Riley McIntire said of the team’s poor offense, “We’ll have one bad inning where we’ll give up two runs, and things just fall apart.” Outfielder Athan Koutsoubinas elaborated on that: “When one half of the team is falling apart, the other half is lacking in picking them up. We need to put it all together for one game.” DVC’s next home game is Thursday, April 11 against American River. GABRIEL AGURCIA at gagurcia@TheInquirerOnline.com

Sports

Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

A new look debuts for women’s tennis

to how hard work and discipline foster victories. “The coaches are definitely more strict The women’s tennis team finished their Big compared to last year, but I guess that’s what 8 Conference season with an amazing record it takes to win matches;” second year player of 8-1. Christie Lee said. According to head coach Jacqueline PonciaThis is no longer a team, it’s a family. A no- Babb, the last time a women’s tennis team group of sisters that day in and day out conat DVC had a record as good tribute to each other’s game as this years’ was the 1996-97 by keeping each other’s spirits “We need to be team, which ironically was led up. able to fight for to a Bay Valley Conference Since tennis is such a mentitle by now Assistant Coach, tal game it helps to have your each point, each Kim Lacke. cheer you up in time of game and each set sisters The other team was the need. 1980 squad that went on to “When we first started the so that in the end win the Northern California team wasn’t that close, so it’s they all will know kind of nice to feel like everycommunity college Championship. who will represent one is a part of a family and Coach Ponciano-Babb who you get so much support, “ is also the volleyball and the their DVC Women’s first year player Stephanie Le KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer men’s tennis coach, has only Team at the Big 8 said. coached the women’s ten"Having a group of sisters Big 8 Conference MVP Darya Ashim, showcases her viscious backhand. Conference and nis team at DVC for the last not only helps to cheer you three years and the improveup during tough times it also beyond .” ment has been outstanding. relaxes the team and allows the sport as her entire family played. gest lineup possible," Ponciano-Babb said, "we “Our goal each year is to players to achieve their full “My grandfather got me into it. He was need to be able to fight for each point, each ~Jacqueline Ponciano-Babb improve individually as well potential every game." my very first coach and I started to just play game and each set so that in the end they all Head coach as a team so that we can make A huge difference from around my family, “ Ashim said. will know who will represent their DVC womplayoffs and possibly qualify for the State year ago, in keeping with the formed family When asked about her feelings on being en’s team at the Big 8 Conference tournament Championship,” Ponciano-Babb said, “This atmosphere, is the addition of Darya Ashim. number one in Conference, she referred to be- and beyond.” year we feel our team is stronger in every playCurrently ranked as the number one player ing used to it since she has played so long she The Women's Team finished in second ing position.” in the state, Ashim has dominated the league developed a concentration state that could be place with a 10-2 overall record, 4th ranked in Last year’s team ended Big 8 Conference and has been giving the conference rivals Si- trouble for any opposing competitor. She is in Northern California. play by beating out American River College for erra College a run for their money. the zone. Darya Ashim received MVP honors and third place, with a 5-5 record and a 6-7 overall “My game is pretty much locked down men“When I am in the zone I don’t feel any- no.1 Singles Champion and no.1 Doubles record. tally, so if I wake up in the morning on the thing, pain and fatigue go out the window. I Runners-up. Also named to the All- ConferThat’s not bad considering that the top right side of the bed then everything is good feel confident in what I am doing because I ence team were Christie Lee, Stephanie Le and four competitors on the team qualified for the and the other way around. That day I played feel like if I am practicing enough and I’m giv- Natalia Kusumo. Northern California regional Tournament. Sierra all my racquets broke strings. I had to ing it my all out there than even if I loose at Next stop, the State Championship TournaThe players and coaching staff have learned borrow someone’s racquet to continue play- least I can walk off the court and say 'hey that ment in Ojai, Ca. a lot from last season, they took the season on ing,” Ashim said. girl is better than me today,'” Ashim said. with a strictly-business-like mentality. Born in Russia, Ashim started playing tennis “Our focus for the conference tournament Contact AARON HUDSON at ahudson@TheInquirerOnline.com This season’s results are surely a testament around the age of four. She grew up around as well as the team playoffs is to have the stronAARON HUDSON Sports editor

Race toward Nor Cal intensifies for Vikings EVAN WESLEY Staff writer

The sun is out and the grass is green again, but the real indication of spring’s arrival resides in the action of the DVC track and field season. Just as the weather is heating up, so is the race to make it to the Nor Cal Finals. Things are looking up for the Vikings in a vast number of events including the men’s 4x1 and 4x4 relay teams, the women’s 4x1 team and individual sprinters and jumpers just to name a few. “Right now we probably have the fastest men’s 4x1 and 4x4 team that we’ve had since I started coaching three years ago,” head coach Shelly Pierson stated. “The women’s 4 x 1 team PR’d (personal record) by two seconds in this last meet and the men’s 4 x4 team PR’d (personal record) by four seconds which is pretty big.” Many of the core leaders on the team have set courageous goals and are intent on achieving them. First year athlete Chris Kuoh Essombe has been busy gaining the respect of his own coach and various opponents by proving he will be a contender in the 400-meters with some impressive recent performances. “Chris Kuoh Essombe has never run track before in his life, and has actually never been an athlete,” Coach Pierson explained. “Hc has a lot of raw ability. He wants to win and he wants to do well.” He has not disappointed to this point of the season and looks to be a key performer for the team come Big 8 Conference Finals and Nor Cal Finals. While Kuoh Essombe is having a strong freshman

campaign, sophomore Anthony Nguyen adds a veteran presence and leadership to the 400 athletes on the team. “This year, I’d say the 400 is my best event because I’ve been knocking down my time,” said Nguyen. “I really like getting better and better. It feels good making improvements each week. Personally, I want to get under 50 seconds in the 400.” Doing so would clump Nguyen’s score with that of Kuoh Essombe’s recent time of 49.63 seconds. Nguyen is also a threat to qualify in the long jump event. Perhaps the most wellknown performer in the long jump and triple jump for both men and women is standout and Big 8 Conference week 5 Player of the Week, Khyia Slone. With her recent season best of 5.73-meters in the long jump and 11.78 in the triple jump, she is questing towards defeating her own personal records as well as school records. “We still have one of the top women’s long jumper and triple jumper in the state, Khyia Slone. She was a state finalist last year,” said coach Pierson. “She won both Nor Cal’s and Conference finals last year. She’s ranked number one in Nor Cal right now and is doing exceptionally well.” With top performers in nearly every event and continual progression, the Vikings have created a competitive and cohesive unit. “I love the team atmosphere. We all get along together pretty well,” said Dylan Winn, a team leader in the 800 and 1500. He shares the spotlight in the 800 and 1500 with Dominique Caston, and also shares the same views on the team’s camara-

derie. “My favorite thing is probably just running with everybody, making friends, and going on a long run while having a conversation with each other,” said Caston. The Vikings are working towards elite performances in the Big 8 Conference Finals on April 23 and 26 and NorCal Finals on May 4 and 11th. Don’t miss the action as the Vikings’ fate will unfold in the upcoming weeks.

Contact EVAN WESLEY at ewesley@ TheInquirerOnline.com

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

Sprinter Lunden Davis and his team prepare for practice with a warmup.

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Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Opinions

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Editorial DVC should improve training for all instructors

The

Buzz What do you expect from a first-year professor?

KEITH FRANKLIN, 22 Psychology & Humanities

“I look for teachers who let you know what to expect at the beginning of the semester and have a structured curriculum. I like to know what they’re grading policies are.”

FRANCES MAURER, 22 Deaf studies & Geology

“I would look for a professor who is organized... They also need to be interesting.”

CORY BERG, 18 Physics

“Mostly just how good they are at dealing and relating with the students.”

DVC recently received an overall score of 61.1 percent, indicating that well over half of students have successfully transferred or completed a certificate program. As we celebrate DVC’s above-average state student success scorecard, it’s worth pointing out that another important report card also exists for the school. Rate My Professors’ average for DVC is 3.83/5, or 76 percent. While the usefulness and accuracy of the website’s reviews are debated among instructors, it has become an essential tool for many students. Even though a quick look into other schools’ scores suggests DVC is still leading the pack in community college average professor ratings, finding 99 professors with an overall rating of “poor” is nevertheless disheartening. Certain themes prevail among the poorly reviewed professors. Some can’t be helped, like an instructor teaching an inherently difficult course or having an inconvenient language barrier. It’s shocking though to see to see prevalent themes which could have been addressed much more easily. The most common complaints of poorly rated DVC professors are of disorganization, unstructured lessons, inability to answer questions effectively and taking too long to grade assignments. The common link between poorly rated instructors seems to be a lack of experience. Most experienced professors seem to figure out how to structure lesson plans

Graphic Illustration by MATTHEW EMMANUEL

and grade assignments effec- quired to fulfill some amount tively as they go along. of similar training. Perhaps the ratings of DVC instructors may resome seasoned instructors quire less training because would be different if Rate they’re experts in their fields My Professors had been and their students are older, commonly used when they but they could still use some started teaching. guidance on how to organize While DVC lesson plans and does require assign“The current grade professors to ments efficiently. have at least a Our Letter to policy master’s degree the Editor this requires that issue is a perin their field, no teaching exinexperienced fect example perience at all of the sort of professors is required, nor problems that is it provided to can arise when teach like them. professors aren’t deer in That’s why taught how to we at The Ineffectively interheadlights.” quirer recomact with internamend that tional students. DVC considers spending a bit Proper training is in the of time and money to train best interest of instructors inexperienced professors in every bit as much as students. how to teach effectively. It’s incredibly daunting The idea in itself isn’t un- for an instructor to stand in common. High school teach- front of a classroom for the ers, even substitutes, are re- first time and teach, especially

when their field of expertise doesn’t involve a study of communication. The current policy requires that inexperienced professors teach like deer in headlights, whereas a bit of practice could go a very long way in helping their comfort level while teaching. Nearly everyone interviewed in The Buzz this issue said that what they most wanted to see out of firstyear professors was a passion for their subject. It’s very difficult to show passion when you’re uncomfortable. To be fair, DVC’s Nexus program makes important improvements on this front. Nexus, according to Nexus Coordinator Lisa Orta, is a year-long state-required training program for newly hired full-time instructors. The program focuses on policies and procedures, as well as techniques in effectively engaging with students.

Still, despite the important contribution Nexus makes, full-time faculty are typically hired with years of teaching experience already under their belts. Part-time faculty, who teach a lot of classes and are often completely inexperienced only receive an optional three-hour orientation session. DVC also surveys its students for feedback regarding their professors, though to what degree those surveys lead to change isn’t clear, and the damage is already done to the students filling them out. The cost is going to be an issue. Without pretending to know the specifics of the school’s budget, all that can be said is that the opportunity to vastly improve the student body’s satisfaction with their professors should be a very important priority. Let’s be clear: poorly reviewed professors only make up 10 percent of the total reviewed body of professors on Rate My Professors, and students who use the website when signing up for classes generally report a great overall satisfaction with the quality of DVC professors. On the other hand, the four most-reviewed DVC professors all have a overall rating of poor. The students submitting these negative reviews have suffered from our shortcomings as a school and are an indication that something needs to be done. Whether DVC sees their concerns as legitimate or not, and whether it decides to do anything about it, remains to be seen.

Letter to the editor

Fear and shyness limit international students as much as language barriers

MARIE DELEON, 19 Biology

“Someone who is charismatic, easy, and describes things well.”

LUCIO HUPFER, 19 Gaming Design

“I would expect them to have some experience and some idea of what they’re doing.” Interviewed by: Evan Wesley Photographed by: Pablo Caballero

Coming to a country that we had never visited was hard for most international students. We had to overcome lots of hardships, such as the inactivity in the class. I, as an international student, have received complaints from my teachers in class that my performance worsened in my classes just because I did not ask any question during class meetings. I felt that my teachers were not fair enough since they did not know the reasons behind my inactivity in the class. Thus, I started to observe other international students’ performances. I came up with three major reasons for international students’ inactivity in the classes. The first reason is our fear and shame of our English skills. When we ask questions to the teachers or classmates, some of them do not understand what we say and what our questions are so they make fun of us. The second reason is some cultures’ limitation of speaking or debating with older people. Many international students have been raised to obey their culture. They are taught not to speak or debate with

Editorial Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR NEWS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR PHOTO CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Josh “Grassy” Knoll Samantha Chiu Brian Bunting Collin James Aaron Hudson Sasan Kasravi Troy Patton Karin Jensen Andrew O’Connor-Watts

elderly; thus, they might feel that asking questions and correcting/debating with other people who look older than them in classes are rude. The last reason is the teachers’ appearance. Some teachers appear scary, unfriendly, and not understanding to students. Therefore, students prefer not to bother the teachers by asking questions that they might find annoying or stupid.

“... it will be such a waste if [international students] do not experience being open-minded students who can state and ask questions freely...” To solve international students’ inactivity in classes, the teachers and students should change themselves. The teachers should be friendlier, wiser, and more understanding to the students’ limitation of English ability. They should answer the questions from pupils

Staff SENIOR STAFF WRITER Gabriel Agurcia, Pablo Caballero,

Theresa Marie, Hakeem Montes, STAFF WRITERS Lucia Nardi, Alejandro Ramos, Rachel Ann Reyes, Mona Taleb-Agha, Evan Wesley PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Emmanuel, Julia Kinkela INSTRUCTIONAL LAB COORDINATOR Julius Rea ADVISER Mary Mazzocco

inside or outside the classroom in a proper time willingly and kindly, without using harsh words that might hurt the students’ feelings. Beside that, the international students should also think more positively. They have to realize that there are more international people who come to the U.S. and do not understand English at all; hence, they have to be more confident in their English skill. To overcome their lack of confidence, they can start by asking questions after the classes end or during the teachers’ office hours one-on-one. They also need to realize that it will be such a waste if they do not experience being open-minded students who can state and ask questions freely when they are in the “most liberal” country in the world. It is not easy to change our characteristics, but when we have changed, we will be very proud of ourselves and happier with our conditions. -Debeasinta Budiman DVC Student

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

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Gay marriage is only a matter of time, regardless of ruling TROY PATTON Arts & features editor

November 2008 should be viewed by Californians as a time of shame. As a state, California has worked very hard to build itself up as the shining lighthouse to guide the rest of the country to safe harbors, and in November 2008 it had the opportunity to show the rest of the country that that beacon would illuminate the path, yet again, into a future where two adults, who loved each other, could have the same rights and privileges as any other two adults who felt the same. Instead, we stumbled and fell. On the surface, Proposition 8 failing in California seemed like a no brainer. This was the same state that has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, was the birthplace of the National Farm Workers Association and the state that was second behind the liberal stronghold of Massachusetts in legalizing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. If ever there was a place where a piece of legislature like Proposition 8 would sputter and fail it would be California, arguably the prime example of a liberal America. But it didn’t fail, it passed with 52 percent

of the vote. being shed and forgotten as their proponents Quickly challenged, struck down and ap- simply die off and those still harboring that pealed, the case against Proposition 8 has same antiquated world view shrink smaller and made its way, almost half a decade later, to the smaller. one group of people that can put the final nail As the torch is passed from the old values to in its coffin. the new, there will be conflict. We saw it with But whether or not the Supreme Court immigrants during this countries infancy and decides to strike down Prop. 8 and its older again with the abolishment of slavery. We saw brother, the Defense of Marriage Act, or it yet again with women’s suffrage and then whether they will decide to rule again with the destruction of segon same sex marriage on a na“The times regation. tional scale, is an action on the This is the way of things, and have already so far progress, while slow, has periphery of the real change. What is happening in Washchanged...” been constant and it will continue ington, D.C., now reflects a slow to be into perpetuity. moving cultural paradigm shift, As shown in the Washington not just a judicial one. Post poll the country has changed, and with At this point, the signs are hard to ignore. that change, the way Americans look at gay A poll done by the Washington Post and ABC and lesbian people has also changed. Although news this year shows about 58 percent of they always were there, gay and lesbian people those polled favored same-sex marriage. are now more visible than they ever were. While it’s easy to dismiss such polls with The difference is, they aren’t just viewed as claims of sample size and demographic make- stereotypes walking down Castro anymore. up, the same poll yielded just 41 percent in fa- They are politicians, business leaders, soldiers, vor in 2004. brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers and Whether we as a country can’t, or simply mothers. just refuse to see it, the values of a past age are Within the gay and lesbian community, there

Jackie Robinson’s story overdue, Fleetwood Walker’s still untold receive the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 and was the first AfFirst, I would like to say rican-American inducted into that I am thrilled that Holly- the Hall of Fame in 1962. wood has finally completed I think it’s great to applaud a biographical film on Rob- Robinson on all of these stainson that has the same qual- tistics, but I don’t think that ity as highly budgeted movies should mean we forget about like “Ali “ starring Will Smith Fleetwood. or “Glory Road.” Numerous aspects of Untold stories that are Walker’s life could be illusbrought to light with high- trated in a full-length film. tech camera angles and tal- He was born into a biracial ented casts. household before the emanAs glad as I am that the cipation proclamation. His movie is finally coming out, black father was the first my question to Hollywood black physician in his homeis: why did we have to wait town. He was charged with so long? “Glory Road” came murder after defending himout seven years ago and the self from an attacker and later movie “Ali” came out twelve acquitted. years ago. But from If that’s not “As glad as I the trend of crazy enough ream that the Hollywood for you, conlease dates, we sider that the movie is finally shouldn’t exlast actual Robpect to be seeing coming out, Fleetwood in a inson movie, which actually my question to movie before the starred the man Hollywood is: yearSo2062. playing himself, yes, I am was “The Jackie excited why did we very Robinson Stoabout the new have to wait so Jackie Robinson ry” directed by Alfred E. Green movie, but I am long?” in 1950. looking more forThe problem ward to the Fleetis simple, why was there a wood story that still hasn’t “Hoosiers” and a “Rudy,” or been told. a movie about Bruce Jenner, I’m sure the movie will be the first white quarterback at great, but will it show how the historically black college, Robinson spent his time at Grambling state University Pasadena Junior College as a in 1980, and yet no movie four sport All-American beabout the first credited Afri- fore attending UCLA ? can-American major league What about his time he player. spent in the military serving The history books seem his country? I wonder how to have shut the door on the many black folks know that story of the real first African Robinson campaigned for American major league player. Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 How many people know who presidential election as a comMoses Fleetwood Walker is? mitted republican. Walker played one season Hollywood has a habit as the catcher of the Toledo of giving us race and sports Blue Stockings, a club in the fables of segregation, integraAmerican Association. He tion and celebration in which then played in the minor historians let them get away leagues until 1889, when pro- with inaccuracies; and that’s fessional baseball erected a the “Real Deal.” color barrier that stood for nearly 60 years. “The Real Deal” is a bi-weekly What gives historians and column written by Sports editor filmmakers the right to blan- Aaron Hudson. He provides an ket history to make Robinson honest, personal take on current the first black baseball player? events. Robinson was selected for six consecutive All-Star Contact AARON HUDSON games from 1949 to 1954, beat ahudson@ TheInquirerOnline.com came the first black player to AARON HUDSON Sports editor

are people smart and dumb, attractive and ugly, successful and unsuccessful, dog people and cat people. On a base level, homosexuals are being seen less and less as “homosexuals.” Instead, they are just people and with that familiarity will come acceptance. When looking at a group of people, widespread acceptance comes when it almost feels like you’re looking into a mirror and it seems like, to Americans, those lines establishing “us and them” are beginning to blur. It’s easy to invoke Bob Dylan when looking at social issues like this. “The times, they are a-changin” he said. In this case though, I think anyone invoking that song misses the point. Of course the times are changing, change is an inevitability of our existence, but in this case, the message seems misleading. The times have already changed, it’s just taking some people longer to come to terms with it. At this point, the only thing the Supreme Court is really doing, is deciding whether or not it wants to be on the wrong side of history. Contact TROY PATTON at tpatton@TheInquirerOnline.com Graphic Illustration by KARIN JENSEN

Arts & features

Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

New ‘Bioshock’ is a romp to remember ALEJANDRO RAMOS Staff writer

In 2007, there was “Bioshock,” a game that pushed the first-person shooter genre forward with it’s unique setting, innovative gameplay, and compelling story. In 2010, there was “Bioshock 2,” a game that built upon the success of Bioshock while staying true to its predecessor. In 2013, there is “Bioshock Infinite,” the latest installment in the series from Irrational Games. “Bioshock Infinite” offers a fresh experience with a mind-blowing story that certainly lives up to the legacy set before it. “Bioshock Infinite” puts you in the shoes of Booker Dewitt, a private security contractor that’s deep in debt. He is offered a chance to erase his debt by finding and escorting Elizabeth, a mysterious girl with strange powers, from the floating city of Columbia to New York. Booker’s seemingly simple task becomes increasingly complicated as he and Elizabeth find themselves on the run from practically everybody in Columbia. Fans of the series will find that “Bioshock Infinite” stays true to the formula of the original. Unique setting? Check. Compelling story? Check. Innovative gameplay? Check. “Bioshock Infinite” departs from Rapture, the underwater city that captivated us in “Bioshock” and “Bioshock 2.” You will find yourself traveling to Columbia, a vibrant city that floats over America during the early 1900s. Columbia may not be Rapture, but it will more than manage to capture your imagination and take your breath away. A complex yet beautiful story that seems to rewrite history will unfold as you make your way through Columbia. Various twists and turns will leave you speechless, dumbfounded, and sometimes confused. Be sure to pay attention and collect as many voxophones as

you can or you might miss important details. The gameplay of “Bioshock Infinite” blows away that of its predecessors. There are plenty of guns and psychic abilities,called “vigors,” at your disposal to fight off Columbia’s soldiers, which are relentless and seem endless. While these are fun to use, they aren’t anything new to the series. The new features are what really make the gameplay stand out amongst other first-person shooters. The first of these features are the sky rails. Sky rails, which are normally for rail cars in Columbia, allow you to evade enemies by hopping on and riding away. You won’t be able to use any psychic abilities while on a sky rail, but that’s a sacrifice you’ll be willing to make. The second feature is the ability to bring items, such as health packs or friendly turrets, into the battlefield through tears. Tears are portals which Elizabeth can open up. That’s all that can be said about tears since they play directly into the story of “Bioshock Infinite.” “Bioshock Infinite” is not without its own problems. The removal of manual saves makes playing a little inconvenient. You’re forced to either play until the next auto save or lose an hour of gameplay. In addition, you’re unable to pick up and use health packs at leisure. This shouldn’t be a major problem if you take your time and look around for health packs before moving on. These are minor problems considering the numerous other things that could have gone wrong. The pros outweigh the cons by a wide, wide margin. Overall, “Bioschock Infinite” offers an experience that only comes around once every blue moon. It lives up to its predecessors and does the series justice. Do yourself a favor and pick it up, if you haven’t already. Contact ALEJANDRO RAMOS at aramos@TheInquirerOnline.com

Screenshots Courtesy of 2K Games

The Mechanical Patriot (top) and Songbird (bottom) are just a handful of the enemies Booker and Elizabeth will have to face down to escape Columbia. Advertisement

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Arts & features The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, April 11 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

No Need For Dread

With new 'Evil Dead' Josh “Grassy” Knoll Editor-in-chief

he original “Evil Dead,” made in 1981, spawned a myriad of sequels including the “Army of Darkness” films and launched the career of underground horror icon, Bruce Campbell. Fans of the franchise walk into a film like this with already inflated expectations, compounded by an aggressive marketing campaign and rave reviews, boasting claims like: “The most terrifying film you will ever experience.” “Evil Dead” features a production team highlighted by original star Bruce Campbell and writer/director Sam Raimi, who know better than anyone how high the bar for shock value was set with the original. With this spirit in mind, the most memorable and lasting images from the 1981 film were preserved in the remake. Arboreal sexual assault, chainsaw showers and selfmutilation all feature prominently in the remake. Unlike audiences of the 1981 original, 2013 audiences are largely desensitized to violence, blood and gore

thanks to torture-porn shock films like the “Saw” franchise and the “Hostel” movies, many of which drew inspiration from the original “Evil Dead” in one way or another. To replicate that sense of shock and awe, “Evil Dead” went with the theory that there’s no such thing as too much. Too much blood, stabbing, blunt-force trauma, wild-eyed demons, small spaces, suffocation, agonizing extractions, needles, machetes, nails, shards of glass, eye injuries, defensive wounds, pussfilled wounds, burning bodies, chunky blood vomit, dead animals, broken fingers, severed hands, self-amputations, electric slicers and more blood again. If anything from that list sounds like something you could have enough of, this film probably isn’t for you. The true irony is how effectively this surfeit of horrors accomplishes the desired sense of genre-savvy shock value. Academy Award winner, Diablo Cody and writer/director Fede Alvarez succeeded in a big way with a script which manages to deliver exactly what audiences expect of an “Evil Dead” film, without trying to be something more.

No matter who you are, or what makes you cringe, “Evil Dead” has included something that will make you squirm. That’s what it is and why it was made, or remade as the case may be. One unexpected deviation from the original was the believable and realistic acting from an established cast. Jane Levy (known to some as Mandy Milkovitch on Showtime’s “Shameless”) stars as recovering addict Mia, who suffers the most from the discovery of an infamous book bound in human flesh. When she tells her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) that they need to get out of the cabin, it certainly feels like she means it. Bringing a taste of modern indiehorror credibility to the cast, Lou Taylor Pucci who starred as Alex Breslin in the modern suspense thriller “Horsemen” in 2009, plays the wisecracking, curious Eric who just can’t keep his hands off that pesky book and sets the entire catastrophe in motion. In truth, the wide range and variety of graphic death scenes and horrific disfigurements don’t leave much run

time for plot or character development outside of the cursory backstory given for why these friends have gathered in a remote cabin outside of cell phone range. By not taking itself too seriously, the “Evil Dead” remake manages to hit the sweet spot of over-the-top gory spectacle with self-referential camp that will bring groups of adventurous friends out to laugh, gasp and shout at the screen. It’s also a film which a lot of people will walk out of in the middle. No one, however, will just feel casually about “Evil Dead.” It’s something that will be either loved or loathed, depending on how much of a glutton for punishment the individual viewer may be. With untouchable reverence for the original, several hundred gallons of added blood and probably a half-million dollars in CGI, “Evil Dead” has nailed down the recipe for a successful cult horror remake.

Contact JOSH “GRASSY” KNOLL at jknoll@TheInquirerOnline.com Photo Courtesy of TRISTAR PICTURES

New exhibit puts students in the spotlight

Opened on April 8, the Student Art Exhibit looks to showcase the best work that DVC students have to offer. Visitors can expect to see a number of pieces spanning a large range of mediums from traditional paint and canvas to scultpture, to film, digital media, ceramics and more. The gallery, found in the Art Complex in room A305, will be open through May 2, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The gallery is open to the public free of charge. There will also be a award ceremony on April 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Art Quad. The event will feature a hot dog barbecue, spring sale for prints an pottery, and drawing and painting demonstrations. If you have any questions you can contact Arthur King at aking@dvc.edu or (925) 685-1230 ext. 2471. If you want to see more head to http://www. theinquireronline.com for a photos of these and more works currently displayed in the gallery.

JULIA KINKELA / The Inquirer

“Portrait of Soulaima,” (above) by Razan Dennani, “Booze Hound” by Chris Fowler and “Ceramic Heart” by Marilyn Rigdon are just a few of the many pieces on display in the Student Art Exhibit going on now in room A305.