Vikings merciless in first win:
DVC beat Merced 47-18 on Oct. 4. See Page 4.
Dating is a crime: Copy editor Julian Mark talks about
dating in the modern world. See page 7.
Tuition hike: The editorial board discusses the pros and
cons to a potential fee increase. See Page 6.
The
INQUIRER S tudent V oi ce
of
D iablo Val le y C ol le g e
Volume 84 No. 3 Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23,2013 www.TheInquirerOnline.com
Students fight for more math lab hours
Vapor rising
BENJAMIN DAVIDSON Copy editor
A petition to restore the math lab’s hours is now in effect, with 600 out of 2,000 necessary signatures already accounted for. The petition began roughly two and a half weeks ago, initiated by Brenda Ruiz, Stephanie Ortiz and Susan Aziz, all of whom are second-year students at DVC. “Math used to be a really hard subject for me, but the more I started using the math lab the better I got, I just realized one day ‘Wow I’m actually kind of good at math’ thanks to the math lab,’” Ruiz said. Cut back from the spring schedule emerges the new schedule, of which is a resounding 44 hours shorter, and is now only open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 8:20 p.m. This poses a problem for students that only have free time on the weekends who are busy with school and work during the week. Not only is the support coming from the students, but the petition is supported by some faculty as well. Ruiz said the head of the Math Department professor Despina Prapavessi, is in full support of the petition, in addition to Lilin Lee, the head chair of the math lab and professor Roger Carne who are both helping spread the word as well. The three founders also have included some on-campus organizations to increase petition awareness, those being the LatinoStudent Alliance (LSA) and the Academic Honors Society. In terms of why the hours have been downsized, there is some speculation — but the buzz seems to be centered around budget cuts, Ruiz said professor Tom Mowry told her. They seem to be a result MATH LAB, Page 2
Educational plans affect registration ALEJANDRO RAMOS Co-editor-in-chief
Photos by GUSTAVO VASQUEZ / The Inquirer
DVC student Bijan Mehdizadeh is one of many who sees the health benefits of vaporizers.
New trend gives students an alternative to smoking JULIAN MARK Copy editor
In order to afford his new health insurance plan, DVC student Josh Yotter needed to quit smoking cigarettes—or at least find a healthier alternative. To battle his four year smoking habit he first tried rolling tobacco, then chewing tobacco, and just as he slapped on his first Nicoderm CQ patch, he discovered Blu ecigarettes. At first he used the e-cigarettes and the patch simultaneously, but realizing his high intake of nicotine he transitioned to smoking an e-cigarette full time. But problems arose when Josh realized Blu e-cigarettes were made mostly out VAPORIZERS, Page 3
DVC student Marc Schulze shows off his vaporizer.
Educational plans are not a new thing; the counseling center has been using them for years to help students plan out their courses. What is new is the effect they will have on students trying to register classes. Starting the fall of 2014, educational plans will count towards priority registration. Students without a plan will find themselves waiting longer to register. According to Newin Orante, vice president of student services, the goal is to better prepare students and set them up for success. “The literature and research show that when a student has an educational plan it provides a better outcome for students in terms of academic success,” Orante stated. Educa“I think it’s a good tional plans are not the thing to help people only thing that will af- know what they need fect priority planned instead of registration; wasting time and assessments and orien- wasting college years” tations will also be tak~KOMAL DHOT en into conDVC student sideration. While these are not required to register for classes, not having them on record will result in a lower priority. These changes are being made as part of the Student Success Act of 2012, which aims to help students successfully complete their academic goals. A summary of the Student Success Act from the Chancellor’s Office specifies orientations, assessments and educational plans as key elements in this endeavor. “Some argue that when we have educated citizens it also creates an educated workforce that begins to influence our economy,” explained Orante. “That was the whole reason for the Student Success Act.” According to Orante, the district is currently in talks to figure out how it will implement the program next fall. There is also work being done to start a campaign in order to inform current students. ED PLAN, Page 2
• News 1, 2, 3 • Opinions 6, 7 • Sports 4, 5 • Editorial 6 • Arts & Features 7 • Campus Buzz 6 • Calendar 2 • Police Beat 2 • Staff Information 2 • Copyright © 2013 The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College
news 2
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
calendar Friday, Oct. 11 Football vs. Monterey Peninsula College Viking Stadium, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 Soccer vs. Santa Rosa Soccer field, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 Men’s Waterpolo vs. Modesto At Modesto Junior College, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 Artist’s reception- The Wild and Robust Life of Ryan Russell Library, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Football vs. Reedley College At Reedley College, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 Advanced Piano/ Piano Recital Ensemble Music 101, 2 p.m.
Pleasant Hill residents upset with students parking in neighborhoods ALIYA RECANIA Staff member
DVC students are parking for free in residential areas and residents of Pleasant Hill are not happy. Parking in the student parking lots require a student to have a parking decal or parking permit displayed on their vehicle. However, some students have tried to avoid purchasing one and have been parking in all of the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. Chrisanne Knox, DVC’s director of marketing and communications, has stated that there are a couple of issues going on. Though there are a number of courteous students that have been legally parking in the streets, the real problem is with students that are parking illegally, blocking driveways, playing loud music, shouting and doing other disruptive behavior. “We do not condone any of this behavior, and are very sympathetic to neighbors who may have experienced this kind of disruption on
their streets,” Knox said. It seems that there are numerous reasons for students parking in the streets. One reason for students parking in the street is that it is free in comparison with DVC’s parking lots. Other students have chosen street parking because they prefer to find a spot that is close to their next class. A majority of these students are usually students who are running late to their next class and do not want to drive to the overflow parking lot and find a spot. This problem is not new, but this year residents have become more vocal and have asked that the city of Pleasant Hill get involved. Residents are hoping that DVC takes responsibility for this and Peter Garcia, the president of DVC, has been meeting with them regularly to discuss this issue. “The college and the city agree that we need to quantify the problem, but we don’t have numbers to share about how many students are parking in the neighborhoods at this time,” Garcia stated. “The reasons that some students
choose street parking is for a more convenient parking spot nearest to class. But we assume that ‘free parking’ is the primary reason.” DVC’s administration has stated they are doing everything they can even though there is limited capacity to stop the problem altogether. Even when the students are behaving badly, the police do not have the legal jurisdiction to respond to their actions because the students are not on DVC property. Currently, there is a “Good Neighbor” campaign at the college and students are being informed over Facebook, Twitter and email about the neighborhood complaints. President Garcia is now attending city meetings and engaging in the discussion about what can be done. DVC will continue to explore any ideas and will continue to work with the County Connection Transit system and with the associated students.
Contact ALIYA RECANIA at arecania@TheInquirerOnline.com
MATH LAB From Page 1
police beat Thursday, Sept. 26 DVC Bookstore At 1:50 p.m. a subject was contacted for taking a burrito without paying for it. A search of her purse located several prescription pills in an unmarked container. Thursday, Oct. 3 DVC Math Building Between 9:30 to 10 p..m., a student reported that his phone was taken while in his math class. DVC Bookstore At 12:53 p.m., a subject took a burrito from the bookstore without paying for it and was then placed under citizen’s arrest for theft. Friday, Oct. 4 BFL Community Conference Center Between 12:20 p.m. and 12:35 p.m, an employee reported his cell phone being stolen, but later called the station to report that he located his phone after misplacing it.
of the spending on the new online math systems that run in tandem with the in-person classes. Those systems being mymathlab and ALEKS, which require students to pay for codes to gain access the online part of the class. For only campaigning for 5 days, there seems to be a very good turnout of signatures. 600 signatures in five days speaks for itself, as students are obviously concerned about the hour reduction and accessibility of the math lab. Once the total number of signatures reaches 2,000, the petition will be submitted to the head chair of the math lab and then turned into the dean for further review. For more information about the petition contact Brenda Ruiz at brendaruiz93@gmail.com. Contact BENJAMIN DAVIDSONat bdavidson@TheInquirerOnline.com
Gustavo Vasquez/ The Inquirer
DVC student Jasmine Wong works on homework in math lab. Students are asking for math lab hours to be extended.
ED PLAN From Page 1
"We don't want them to be disadvantaged," Orante said. Current students seem to agree with the idea to encourage students to get educational plans. "It's not bad. I think it's a good thing to help people know what they need planned instead of wasting time and wasting college years," commented Komal Dhot, a psychology student.
THE INQUIRER Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, H-102 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 The Inquirer is published Thursdays during the school year by the Diablo Valley College journalism students. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinions page are editorials and reflect a two-thirds majority opinion of the editorial staff. Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the writer or artist and not necessarily those of The Inquirer, Diablo Valley College or Contra Costa Community College District.
"It makes sense just because you need to get certain classes in order to transfer or graduate," communication studies major Lauren Riebs said. "People who do have it planned out would make it easier to get the classes that they need." Some students do have some concerns however. "Some people maybe have to take more classes in order to trans-
fer, so if we have to tell the counselor what classes we are going to take it's kind of inconvenient," 20-year-old student Zi Lin said. Despite the effect the Student Success Act and educational plans will have, they are only a few of many elements that go into determining priority registration. "It's not cut and dry. I tell individuals understand your situation,
Editorial Board CO-EDITORS -IN CHIEF ONLINE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITORS ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR PHOTO CHIEF COPY EDITORS
Alejandro Ramos Rachel Ann Reyes Dreia Melinkoff Gabriel Agurcia Sasan Kasravi Brian Bunting Gustavo Vasquez Benjamin Davidson Julian Mark
especially if you're new coming in," Orante said. "The law is changing for all community colleges and whichever you choose it's important for you to know how these laws are impacting you."
Contact ALEJANDRO RAMOS at aramos@TheInquirerOnline.com
Staff STAFF MEMBERS Andrew Barber, Daniel Barney, Dennis Bridges, Daniel Gonsalves, Collin James, Akihisa Kishigami, Adrienne Lundry, David Rachal Jr., Roshan Rahimi, Aliya Recania, Rashad Tucker, Lily Yi INSTRUCTIONAL LAB COORDINATOR Julius Rea ADVISER Mary Mazzocco
• Phone: 925.969.2543 • Email: inquirer@dvc.edu • Website: www.TheInquirerOnline.com • Printed six times per semester •
news 3
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
VAPORIZERS From Page 1
of plastic and that vaporizing liquid through a plastic apparatus was worrisome. "They were a little off," he said. "It raised some concerns." Skeptical of Blu cigarettes not only for their plastic, but also of the fact that Blu is owned by the company Newport. Yotter proceeded to buy an e-cigarette vaporizer made completely out of metal. Since, he's been a happy camper, sitting down to vaporize four or
Vapor Lounge owner John Schafer sits behind his prototype e-cigarette vaporizers and a bottle of laboratory grade nicotine, which he will be using to make “e-juice�. JULIAN MARK / The Inquirer
Advertisement
single relapse," he said. "No cigarettes at all." A study published by the American Journal of Public Health, which claims 45 percent of young adults aware of e-cigarettes believe the mini-vaporizers can help them quit. Other students, like Bijan Mehdizadeh, have felt the health benbetter, my lungs feel better,� he tive effects compared to the negative effects of cigarettes.� The same American Journal of Public Health article claims that, of the young adults aware of e-cigarettes, 53 percent believe they are healthier than traditional cigarettes. So the question is: are they?
YOUR DESTINY AWAITS
is made out of three main ingredican be found in antifreeze but is considered nontoxic to humans. The second, vegetable glycerine, is found in products like shampoo and bar soap, and at high amounts of ingestion could cause negative side effects. The third ingredient,
nicotine, is non-carcinogenic, but highly addictive. Dr. Bruce Ames, senior scientist at the Oakland Children's Hospital Research Institute, has researched extensively on the effects of carcinogens on human DNA. "It's working and seems like a good thing to me," Ames said. "Ecigarettes seem to satisfy cravings without putting carcinogens in your lungs. You just decide if you get the nicotine with carcinogens or without them. You don't want to scare people about hypothetical risks." Attorney generals from 40 states are still concerned about ecigarettes' unregulated FDA status, recently urging the FDA to regulate e-cigarette advertisements and sales to minors. The FDA plans to propose regulations by Oct. 31. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more teenagers are trying e-cigaLimeade" and "Gooey Buttercake" may appeal to young people otherwise repelled by tobacco. e-cigarettes didn’t help him quit; they helped him start smoking. the nicotine felt kinda good." Five weeks after he started using his e-cigarette vaporizer, he cigarettes. Taking a drag of a cigarette he said, "They [e-cigarettes] just
Contact JULIAN MARK at jmark@TheInquirerOnline.com
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sports 4
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
No mercy for Merced
Vikings pummel Blue Devils for first win of the season GABRIEL AGURCIA Sports editor
DVC football got its first win of the season with a resounding 47-18 drubbing of Merced College on Friday, Oct. 4. Merced began the night on a sloppy note, fumbling on their first snap, which was recovered at the Merced-39 by defensive lineman Photos by ANDREW BARBER / The Inquirer Sione Tupouata. Although DVC Defensive back Robert Johnson, No. 9, and linebacker Edosa Ona-Enagbare, No. 40, crush Merced’s Leon Miles in the was unable to capitalize on the turnover, they would score soon open field. enough. DVC a fresh set of downs, Wood On their second drive of the threw a strike to Montalvo down game, quarterback Adam Wood, the seam, and Montalvo outran two making his first start of the sea- defenders for a 76 yard touchdown. son, connected with wide receiver On the Blue Devils' ensuing posEfrain Montalvo for a long gain session, cornerback Robert Johnson down to the Merced-3. Wood then intercepted a lazy Merced pass, takscampered into the end zone on a ing it back for a pick six. Two scores quarterback draw, giving DVC an in just over a minute gave DVC a early 7-0 lead. 31-0 advantage. The teams traded punts until Aside from being pounded by the the 2:44 mark of the first quarter, Viking defense, Merced made some when completions to receivers Tre fundamental mistakes. Dean and Quinton Hill and an After cornerback Derrick JohnAdam Wood run set up a Steven son forced a punt with a big hit on Thayer field goal, making it 10-0. a Merced receiver, the snap sailed The offense really began to over the punter's head and out the click in the second quarter. Back- back of the endzone for a safety. to-back first down receptions by Wood made his first error of the Eric Ellis and Terell Robertson, game when he threw slightly behind followed by a defensive holding Eric Ellis, the ball bouncing off his penalty on Merced, put the Vikings arm and right into safety Jordy Kaiat the Merced-38. Running back ser's arms, who returned it to the Javis Blalock danced around sev- DVC-27. eral defenders Even with on a 19 yard great starting “It’s so rewarding for run, setting up field position, a touchdown the coaches, and the Blue Devils pass lofted to were unable to especially for these the right corcapitalize. Wide receiver Efrain Montalvo catches a pass down the seam, runs his way to the endner of the end guys. Because they’ve Forced to go zone, hauled in for it on fourth zone for the first of his two touchdowns on the night. been working so hard, by Montalvo. down with such Merced conand they’ve been "It's so rewarding for the coach- that's tough to find. You saw when a huge deficit, to the DVC-26 on their first play tinued to feel of the second half, receiver Carlos es, and especially for these guys. there were some bad snaps and Merced called a the wrath of playing so well, dealing play-action pass. Diaz caught Merced's first touch- Because they've been working so some broken plays, he was able to the Vikings' with the adversity that Defensive end down of the game just 1:30 in. A hard, and they've been playing so make something out of it," Darr stout defense. Siua Taufa read missed extra point left the score at well, dealing with the adversity that said. we’ve had.” Defensive linewe've had," Darr said of the vicDefensive lineman Justus Brown it, stopping to 40-6. man Nathan tory. summed it all up: "Our coach knew The Vikings offense slowed watch where the ~MIKE DARR Dollar busted we weren't playing to our potential. Darr expressed a lot of happidown in the second half, whether quarterback was Head coach through the ness, along with a clear sense of Everybody knew we weren't playby coincidence or scaled back playheading, then line and lit up relief. ing to our potential. It was just the calling. On the only lengthy drive chasing him the running One of his keys to the win was little things that we kept messing of the half, a Blalock fumble was down for a sack back. A Tui Talia sack forced the and turnover on downs. scooped up and returned 60 yards the presence of a consistent offen- up on. Mainly, what we didn't do Blue Devils into yet another punt, throughout the first four games DVC put together one final scor- for a touchdown. Another missed sive line. giving DVC the ball back with ing drive before halftime, finishing extra point made it 40-12. For the first time all year, a set of that we did do this game, was finabout nine minutes left in the quar- it off with a two yard touchdown DVC scored its sixth and final five starting linemen were togeth- ish. And I'm glad we did that." ter. DVC looks to carry the momentouchdown on a 16 yard Joe Te'o er for more than a week, which pass to Dean on a quick out route. helped Wood immensely in his tum of this win into next week's run with 12:40 remaining in the "This group really holds each Talia recorded his second sack to first career start. home game against Monterey Penfourth quarter. Merced put up its other accountable every day in end a lopsided first half, with the Of the decision to give Wood insula on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. third touchdown and missed extra practice, and they take a lot of Vikings staking a 40-0 lead. the nod, Darr pointed to his mopoint, ending both sides' scoring pride in what they do, regardless Merced didn't go down as quietly bility, but more so to his play-makof what the score is," head coach as it appeared they would in the first for the night. The Vikings got their first win in ing ability. Contact GABRIEL AGURCIA at Mike Darr said of the defense. half. resounding fashion, 47-18. "He's just got that intangible gagurcia@TheInquirerOnline.com After a facemask penalty gave After a long completion down
sports 5
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
Tigers unable to earn stripes against dominant Vikes
Photos by DENNIS BRIDGES / The Inquirer
Midfielder Michael Wells blows past several Pacific defenders on his way to goal.
DVC lacrosse defeats University of Pacific 22-4 for second win of the young season ROSHAN RAHIMI Staff member
On Oct. 5, the men's lacrosse club game had emotions running wild and intensity lingering in the air. With a final score of 22-4, the DVC Vikings took the win against the University of Pacific Tigers. In the first few minutes, the DVC defenders decided to slide their sticks instead of the body, causing the first portion of their game to be neck and neck with their opponents. It wasn’t until goalie John Rowney’s quick reflexes saved some one-on-ones that the momentum was immediately amped up. The Vikings finally started to swallow their overly exuberant confidence and decided to play real lacrosse as a unit. Club vice president and defender Brandon Hall carried the ball down the field and finished off his beautiful play with a crisp and clean shot into the goal. This caused the fans to go wild, and the team even wilder. The same reaction was deemed from Midfielder Quann Daniels who took a less dominant left handed bat swing in front of the goal, breaking past the goalie’s stick. His teammates roared from the sidelines, illuminating their team unity. Players like Rowney, attacker Miguel Pacheco, and midfielders Jordan Louis and Patrick Howard would win face off after face
off, allowing the game to move smoothly in the favor of our Viking boys. Not only did this keep the ball in the Viking's possession throughout the majority of the game, it all helped them to function as a team as opposed to single players. As the game progressed, the Vikings scored left and right, completely shutting down UP’s defenders. Impressive hat tricks by team captain Devon Bahary and midfielder Jakob Ternes would leave UP’s goalie and the rest of the stadium awestruck. After the game, Bahary said, “In a game against a lesser opponent, we played an unselfish game of Lacrosse which will hope- A group of Viking reserves observe the action from the sideline. fully continue into our successes next Saturday against Simon Frasier University from Midfielder Canada.” Jakob Within the last few minutes of the game, Ternes midfielder Miles Wood showed his enthusiadvances the asm a little too physically by smashing into a ball upfield player, causing the game to stop. on Oct. 5. But the slight hiccups from the beginning and end of the game were no match for the DVC Vikings lacrosse club team, who impressed the crowd immensely.
Contact ROSHAN RAHIMI at rrahimi@TheInquirerOnline.com
opinions 6
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
Editorial
The
Buzz
What do you think about the federal government shutdown?
DANIELA BUSTAMANTE, 18 Undeclared
“I think this is unfair. Federal workers are working without pay, some that even risk their lives for us.”
PIERCE REISINGER, 18 Undeclared
“I am disappointed that our elected officials would shut down the government building.”
KRISTEN MITRA, 18 International Relations
“Because of this dispute, shutting down the government doesn’t make sense. Working through it does.”
JESUS DE ALBA, 18 Business
“I don’t follow politics too much, but it is wrong that something shuts down due to an argument.”
HARRIS MONTANEZ, 20 Political Science
“This event shows the problem our government has within the system.” Interviewed by: Roshan Rahimi Photographed by: Collin James
Proposition 30 renders new bill pointless A new bill that could raise tuition prices for some California community college students has reached Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. The bill proposes that students taking high demand classes, such as transfer-level English, history and algebra, would be charged up to $200 per unit throughout summer and winter terms, according to a Los Angeles Times article on Sept. 23. While this bill claims to help students finish community college faster, the passing of Proposition 30 last year has made it unnecessary. It would also betray the purpose of community colleges, which is to offer all students a level playing field. This legislation was written by Das Williams, an assemblyman from Santa Barbara who is chair of the Higher Education Committee. Williams’ proposition, AB 955, is a way for community colleges to voluntarily offer summer or winter courses at full cost, as opposed to the $46 per unit students are currently paying. In an opinion piece for UC Berkeley’s newspaper, The Daily Californian, Williams wrote that his bill stemmed from the idea that it takes students at community colleges longer to finish or to transfer because there has been a lack of classes available, with the ones in high demand being the
DREIA MELINKOFF/ The Inquirer
first to fill up. These classes would give students the opportunity to take courses they need without having to chance their luck on a waitlist or even wait another semester or year for their needed classes to open up. Theoretically, this sounds good, but according to an article from the San Francisco Chronicle on Sept. 11, the passing of Proposition 30 last year has actually helped community colleges by spreading $810 million through the entire system for the current budget year. These millions of dollars were raised through tax increases and with this surge of money going to community colleges, schools are
now “able to afford more courses and instructors,” according to the Chronicle. This in turn, gives more students the opportunity to enroll, and enroll in the classes they need. Let’s be honest, people go to community college for a reason. It is an inexpensive education that’s available for everyone and serves as a good stepping stone for those who wish to transfer, or it is just a way to gain a degree. While this bill is being proposed as a voluntary program, it just doesn’t seem necessary or fair. Even though wealthier students would be able to move on quicker and people who rely on financial aid also wouldn’t have much to worry about, students who are in the middle income brackets and
those who don’t qualify for financial aid could be seriously affected. When it comes down to who will transfer or graduate faster, your fate lies in your own hands. If you’re motivated enough to finish community college, then it should happen on your own time, not based on how much money you have. And while this program may start off as voluntary, who’s to say that it won’t be mandated in the future? Won’t colleges like DVC be tempted by the extra dollars? This is not the first and not the last time raising California community college tuition will be an issue, but if we don’t take a stance and act on it now, who will?
Letter to the editor
Schools should offer more healthy eating options for students Recent studies show that obesity in America has risen far above the rate of obesity in other countries. A major contributing factor could be the fact that healthy nutritional food choices are less available than the less expensive fattier food choices that people tend to make, specifically here on campus at Diablo Valley College. When looking at the food choices available to students on campus, the most evident option is vending machines offering items such as soda, chips, candy bars, and other food which are not nutritionally beneficial for busy students. With schools being one of the main avenues for students to learn about health and nutrition, it would only make sense that they offer a variety of healthy food options for students to choose from to encourage students to make smart decisions when it comes to health and diet. When people think of healthy food, the first thing that comes to mind for many people are
items such as fresh produce, perishables, and other items that may not have preservatives in them. However, there are alternatives available in today’s market which offer healthier options when it comes to vending machine offerings such as healthy snacks, drinks and even entrees/sides as outlined, for example, by a company called HealthyYOU Vending (www. healthyyouvending.com).
“With schools being one of the main avenues for students to learn about health and nutrition, it would only make sense that they offer a variety of healthy food options...” The company has been in the Healthy Vending Industry for over 12 years and has nearly
5,000 customers nationwide. This goes to show how successful a healthy vending machine investment can be if you have customers that will take advantage of the offerings. In a recent survey taken in my evening class at Diablo Valley College, it was found that approximately two thirds of the students would take advantage of the benefits that a healthy food vending machine would have to offer. Although this is only one class out of the hundreds that are offered on campus and even district-wide, this is an indicator that many other students on campus might feel the same way. After speaking with fellow classmates and students, I feel it would be a great investment for Diablo Valley College to consider replacing the current vending machines with ones that offer a healthier and ‘smarter’ choice of foods for the student body to take advantage of. -Jordan Van Ausdal DVC Student
opinions 7
Thursday, Oct. 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
Dating is a crime Men are punished more in modern courtship It all starts with a glance. Then a glance I’m not this guy. I’m one of the hapless back. If you’re clever enough, you sneak 99 percent. A chump. A shmuck. A guy in a sly quip about your surroundings. She standing drunk in a hotel lobby wondering laughs, flips her hair, and why he said, “Kiss me again, bats her eyelashes. You Becca!” think you’ve got it, right? A guy who seems to atYes. You’ve managed to get tract mistakes, say the wrong her number--somehowthing, moves too early, too -and an uncreepy reason late; uses too many emoticons, to call her. A date, maybe? counts his chickens, drops the Sure. You call her a week L-bomb a week in, is himself later and she says she’d if “himself ” means telling his love to have dinner. You prom date, ”I’m Gatsby, you go wearing something nice see, and you’re my Daisy, and — not too nice — casual, the glass between us just won’t clean, fly. break!” And that’s just me. At dinner your converAdmittedly, some of those sation is controlled. How mistakes are grave beyond exmuch of yourself do you planation. But what about the JULIAN MARK reveal? You talk about your more subtle stuff ? Copy editor life but mostly listen, nod, Human courtship is as and agree. Turns out you’re old as humans themselves. both closet Cat Stevens From the earliest Homo safans and you both like cottage cheese at pien grunt to Billy’s big strange hours of the night. You’re funny for truck, courtship rituals once. You compliment her smoothly, subtly, have been the stream of and at one point she blushes and glances at verbal, non-verbal, and you like she’s known you forever. biochemical cues leadAt the door she gives you the eyes and ing up to sex and/or a says she’s never met anyone like you. Silence more enduring relationfalls. Molecules collide. You kiss. “Let’s go ship. inside,” you say. But she recoils and sudAs cultures have prodenly looks at you like a stranger. “Sorry,” gressed, intensified, she says, turning away. and diversified, modern And as you realize your grave error, she courtship may seem to has already slammed the door in your face. some like an impossible Game over. landscape to navigate. Dating is a like a crime. Once you think For young Americans, courtship is init’s under control, one of a million things creasingly mediated by how and what we goes wrong. Some are good at it--they es- consume--our fashion styles, music tastes, cape with the Hope diamond, murder with- brands of humor and flirtation; the media out trace. personas we emulate, perhaps unknowingly,
Courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
to exude beauty, virility, mystery, wit, etc; and the personas we arrange through websites like eharmony and Facebook. The fact that courtship has been analogous to ‘advertising’ and ‘marketability’ is also infinitely telling. But behind the curtain of consumer culture lies a deeper, more biological conflict that makes modern courtship frustrating, complicated, and at times disheartening when misunderstood. The conflict is simple. Women give birth and men do not. Women have a bigger responsibility and thus a choosier, more complex mate-selection process. Men, on the
“Dating is like a crime. Once you think it’s under control, one of a million things goes wrong.”
other hand, are natural philanderers. Biologically, men can mate with as many women as possible, virtually risk free. This conflict of interests, according to Nathan Oesch of the Oxford Department of Experimental Psychology, creates a lot of confusion in the courting process and may be the secret factor in a male’s success or failure. So dating isn’t really a crime. It’s only a crime for men. While dating, men hilariously devise stratagems to work their way through a woman’s subtle and complex screening process. They must dance their way past a female’s laser security, which allows few, if any, missteps. So be discreet, gentlemen. And ladies, be on the lookout. Contact JULIAN MARK at jmark@TheInquirerOnline.com
Letter to the editor
Smoking leaves a mess behind DVC should crack down on littering from smokers around campus Diablo Valley College is a very unique, unconventional campus, with incredible beauty. I am very proud to be a DVC student and I love to walk around campus and sit in the grass or picnic tables scattered throughout. However, I have noticed that the effort to tackle cigarette butts appears nonexistent, as they are proliferating rapidly, especially near the entrances of the campus. Action should be taken to discourage litter; the butts being discarded have expanded well across the campus entrance, and are now found throughout campus near picnic tables and on the grass. With all of the construction, the campus will surely be more beautiful than it has ever
been. no enforcement discouraging this infectious Unless the plethora of littered cigarette behavior. butts continues to flourish at this uncontrolIf throwing a cigarette on the ground is lable rate.“Multiple illegal around the “If throwing a cigarette on community, punishtimes throughout the day, I have the ground is illegal around able by a $1000 fine, witnessed stuwhy is it acceptable the community, punishable for DVC students to dents walk to the entrance to inhale by a $1000 fine, why is itac- litter in plain sight? their last puff then The solution to toss the cigarette ceptable for DVC students to this problem is not onto the ground adding cigarette trays litter in plain sight?” and walk back onto around the entrances campus.” of the campus to enThis issue appears to be a slippery slope, courage smokers to congregate there, but as the more people that will do it will surely rather enforce the litterbugs. lead to more people doing it since there is When students break the rules and park
without a parking pass, they are cited, and must pay for their disobedience. With that being said, parking is harmless. On the contrary, these students whose disobedience is damaging the campus, as well as the environment, should have to pay a rather large citation in attempt to keep littering illegal. Acknowledging that it has continually neglected enforcement, and is proliferating at an obviously visual pace, it is imperative that we figure out a drastic solution soon. Otherwise, DVC’s beauty will be as ancient as single digit tuition prices. -Kelly Britland DVC student
arts & features 8 Thursday, Oct 10 - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
New jazz director proves his worth COLLIN JAMES Staff member
Matt Zebley came on board to DVC’s music department with big expectations, especially considering his extensive resume includes a Grammy award. As director of the 3 Way Jazz concert, hosted Wednesday, Oct. 2, he blew those expectations out of the water. Zebley’s debut performance as the new jazz director was answered with roaring applause after each song, and solidified his role as an integral leader in DVC’s performing arts department. Wednesday night’s performance kicked off the concert season with additional performances by Bret Peppo’s vocal jazz, and Rory Snyder’s Night Jazz Band. Zebley’s students were up first and opened with “Tall Cotton” followed by Jimmy Davis’ “Lover Man,” which featured Brenda Parks’ soothing voice and Hanna Landsman’s bluesy alto saxophone. Both women shined equally, illuminating the stage with confidence and passion. Zebley’s ensemble was just the beginning of a great night for jazz fans. Peppo’s vocal jazz group also performed well, the highlight of their performance was an acapella rendition of “Linus and Lucy.” The woman’s choir followed with an almost equally strong performance of “It’s You.” Rory Snyder’s Night Jazz Band brought their years of experience, and their skill was evident in their relaxed style. Snyder preferred a hands off approach to leading his band. He would casually walk around the stage adjusting microphone stands, and giving helpful gestures to individual
GUSTAVO VASQUEZ/ The Inquirer
Three jazz bands performs at the 3 Way Jazz concert on Oct. 2, 2013 in the Performing Arts Center. musicians, but for the most part he let the tastic way to conclude a night of great mutroupe jam away. sic. The band was reFor their part, Zeb“DVC’s students and ley’s students regard him laxed and had great chemistry, and all the as a welcome addition to instructors dazzled while having fun hitthe department. “Zebanyone within ting every note. It was ley is making the group everything that a jazz tighter,” remarked Trevearshot...” performance should or Murphy, a second be. year music student who performed upright The final song, “Time Check,” by Don bass in the first two sets. “He’s focused on Menza, ended with a solo from Sandy detail... and improving each student. [The Hughes on trombone, Danny Magay on band] has reached a new level.” saxophone, and finally Paul Yonemura’s Though contemporary airwaves have thunderous drum solo finale. It was a fan- largely been crowded by the rock, pop,
rap, and dance genres, Jazz has seen a resurgence thanks in part to the success of artists like John Legend, and Norah Jones. But there’s little denying that Jazz, however influential, has taken a subordinate role in the mainstream. This fact looked like it was the furthest thing from concert-goers minds Wed night. DVC’s students and instructors collaborated expertly, dazzling anyone within earshot with great music, regardless of their favorite genre. Contact COLLIN JAMES at cjames@TheInquirerOnline.com
Don Jon sizzles and warms hearts
BRIAN BUNTING Arts and features editor
On a scale of 1-10, what would you rate Scarlett Johansson? Don’t lean that way? How about Joseph Gordon-Levitt? How about the last person you saw who you aren’t related to? How about your Humanities teacher? (Sorry, Ms. Rodic) Did you even think about what you might be rating them on? Probably not. That’s because I led with a celebrity’s name in the context of a movie titled after someone known for seduction. But there’s another reason. That’s that you’ve been conditioned to respond to that question by objectifying people. We all do it, you’re not alone. It’s hardwired. I’m not saying we’re all Neanderthals. I’m optimistic most of us are above waving score cards in singles bars like we were bidding on livestock. Likewise, for a lot of us, a date’s inability to hold a conversation is a dealbreaker. But the point is we do appraise people physically, even if just initially. Studies actually show we’re attracted to attractive people. Fine. But have you ever been disappointed by someone who, based on their looks, you were sure could curl your toes? Conversely, have you ever had your hair blown back by someone who normally wouldn’t appear on your radar? If you answered “yes” to either of those, you’ve already learned the most valuable lesson in “Don Jon.” “Don Jon” is the writing-directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also stars as
Courtesey of: Voltage Pictures
the comedy-romance drama’s porn addicted scenester from New Jersey played by Scarlothario. lett Johansson. Levitt convincingly chanJon finds liaisons are hardnels the smug, gym card-carNeed to Know won with Barbara, but PG rying womanizer, Jon, who steam eventually rises between early in the story outlines all the two, despite his ongoing Feeling the pull of of the ways internet pornogporn fixation. “Gravity”? Check raphy is superior to the real Barbara is a big hit with Jon’s out the review at thing. TheInquirerOnline. family, who are a slightly more Jon’s quandary is that he’s endearing working-class Italcom. never able to “lose himself ” ian Catholic model than Tony with any of his conquests in person like he’s Manero’s in “Saturday Night Fever,” but able to alone in the glow of a laptop moni- things start to unravel when she gets ambitor. tious. Much of the movie unfolds in the nightWithout spoiling too much, Jon, eventuclub where Jon, flanked by club buddies, ally happens into the life of Esther, an agspends time debating the finer points of is- ing widow (played by Julliane Moore) who suing scores for women who have the privi- seemingly couldn’t be further from his lege of being the evening’s catch. score card standards, but Jon soon discovAfter a string of superficial one-nighters, ers meaningful connections are more than Jon eventually spots the girl he deems a skin deep. “10” in Barbara, a fast, high maintenance Esther is the every bit the antithesis of
Barbara, and helps Jon find his groove, helping cure his addiction. While there’s more to be celebrated about Levitt’s debut on the whole, the story’s stride isn’t always balletic. The supporting cast highlights memorable contributions by Tony Danza, and the mother (played by the ageless Glenne Headly), but somewhat disappointingly fails to include Jon’s friends beyond the role of token stand-in. At times the movie struggles to keep up with the world-class acting of Julianne Moore, who--through no fault of her own--winds up stealing the spotlight, before making a somewhat unceremonious exit. Ultimately “Don Jon” does more than function, and passed my pretty stubborn litmus for what makes a movie ‘good’ in that I knew I could sit through it again. The comedy in “Don Jon” is situational, and always tempered with grounded themes, but it never feels forced. And the moral of the story bears repeating: Objectification is by definition a gamble, and in this case, was fraught with peril. Once we throw out the score cards, we may find our “11.” It’s a competent comedy drama with refreshing motifs, and a heartwarming, if slightly thin, finish. In all, not a bad first-outing for Levitt. If he can reign in his pacing, and get the kinks out in the editing room, it’s reasonable to expect good things from him in the future. Contact BRIAN BUNTING at bbunting@TheInquirerOnline.com