Rasputin returns: Local record returns to its original location. See page 8.
Arrr!:
DVC Vikings beat Modesto Pirates. See Page 11.
Healthcare: The Editorial Board discusses the role of Millennials in healthcare reform. See Page 4.
The
INQUIRER S tudent V oi ce
of
D iablo Val le y C ol le g e
Volume 84 No. 5 Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11,2013 www.TheInquirerOnline.com
International students struggle to make friends
Viva Cuba!
JULIAN MARK Copy editor
Chinese exchange student Xian Sheng Sheng wants more American friends. In fact, after living in the United States for nearly a year, just one would be nice. “It’s hard because we talk in class, but never outside of school,” Xian said. According to Xian, most Chinese students won’t even attempt to make American friends. “Chinese prefer to circle themselves and not make new friends,” she said. “The Chinese I’ve been friends with only want to make other Chinese friends.”
“We grew up in a different culture, with different topics of discussion. I cannot connect with the emotions of Americans if we talk about our personal lives.” ~ Zhang Xian Yu DVC student
AKIHISA KISHIGAMI Staff member
Photos courtesy of LENORE GALLIN
Dr Lenore Gallin (far right) is pictured here with the Progressive Student Association during their trip to Cuba in 2002.
Students travel to controversial island
But for Xian, this is not necessarily because of an unwillingness on the part of American students, but because Chinese students themselves feel the American-Chinese culture gap is too vast to bridge. “We grew up in a different culture, with different topics of discussion,” Chinese exchange student Zhang Xian Yu said. “I cannot connect with the emotions of Americans if we talk about our personal lives.” Zhang also feels language is one of the problems. “After school I just want to speak my own language and not think about grammar,” she said. With a recent influx of Chinese exchange students into the U.S.--194,029 enrolled in American Universities in 2011 and 2012, according to the Institute of International Education--these divisions have been noticed on campuses nationwide. The Journal of International and Intercultural communication reports that 40 percent of interINTERNATIONAL Page 2
ASDVC offers students new financial awards
ALEJANDRO RAMOS Co-editor-in-chief
DVC is home to a study abroad program that allows students to take a peek into a land that has remained a mystery for the past 50 years, and it’s all due to the work of one passionate woman. The Cuba study abroad program gives students a chance to travel to the island and learn about the people and their customs while earning college credit. The trips take place for two weeks during the winter break. In that time, students are taken around the island to attend meetings and conferences with government officials. The program was created and
A Cuban woman poses with her dog for a photo.
CUBA, Page 3
ASDVC approved their plans on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to offer four new scholarships to DVC students. The new scholarships are in addition to the six existing scholarships for student leaders, according to ASDVC President Sam Park. “Last year, we had six scholarships provided because we had $3,000 in scholarships we donated to the DVC foundation,” Park said. This year we have $5,000 to do that, so $500 each, that’s 10 scholarships we can provide,” Park said. “We are thinking of keeping the six to leadership scholarships like we used to last semester, and create four new ones.” The ASDVC Leadership Scholarship will be open for three continuing and three transferring students. In addition, they are setting four more kinds of scholarships for students in different situations; those who are parents, veterans, international students, and those who do well in their studies. “There are a lot of students that need our help as a student government,” Parliamentarian Maxwell Wilson said. “A lot of money sitting around that wasn’t being used, so we decided to use it for more student scholarships.” One discussion about the required GPA for the scholarship had heated arguments from ASDVC members. ASDVC senator Charles Ray Shisler expressed, “My opinion would be that it should remain low. I don’t have injection to raise the limit, but I feel that 3.0 is too high. SCHOLARSHIPS, Page 2
• News 1, 2, 3 • Opinions 4, 5, 6 • Sports 10, 11, 12 • Editorial 4 • Arts & Features 7, 8, 9 • Campus Buzz 4 • Calendar 2 • Police Beat 2 • Staff Information 2 • Copyright © 2013 The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College
news 2
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
INTERNATIONAL
calendar Friday, Nov. 15 Football vs. Feather River College Viking Stadium, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 Volleyball vs. American River College Gymnasium, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 Vocal Jazz Concert Music 101, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 December Jazz Concert Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 Holiday Concert Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 Rcok Concert Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 Dancing: hours by arrangement Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.
police beat Friday, Oct. 25 DVC Parking Lot 1 Between 6:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., an unknown subject took a drift trike from the bed of an unattended, parked pickup truck Friday, Nov. 1 DVC Parking Lot 1 At 8:19 a.m., a school bus with no students on board collided into a pole.
From Page 1
national students had no close American friends, a rate that was especially high among Chinese and East Asian students. “The natural tendency is to stay in a group--it’s comfortable,” Sally Conover, Director of the International Education Center (IEC), said. “A majority-minority issue also comes into play. If there’s a large enough group they tend to stay together.” According to the DVC International Admissions Office, the highest number of DVC’s international students are from East Asian countries, with 561 students from China, 332 from Korea, and 238 from Indonesia last semester. But do Americans make the effort? JULIAN MARK / The Inquirer “American students won’t typically take the first steps in Michael Kwok , upper right, sits in twith his Indonesian friends that he met at Enactus, befriending and international a DVC business club. student, often because they don’t know whether or not that person around the country, conducted an trying to make American friends. Isham said. “But ultimately it’s the is an international student,” Mark online poll asking whether AmeriThe IEC, located across the individual international student’s Isham, a counselor at the DVC cans make an effort to befriend street from DVC, offers courses responsibility to take the first International Admissions Office, international students. in American culture and intensive steps.” said. More than 40 english, as well as volunteer opSteven Albert, an Indonesian “Ultimately it’s the American percent of the portunities and homestays. exchange student, did exactly this. student Eric stu“A large part of our program is He joined Enactus and met Amerindividual international American Lofquist addents surveyed to help students acculturate in the ican student Mitch Kwok. They’ve mits, “I have student’s responsibility said they do country,” Conover said. had a growing friendship since, nothing to make a special On the rare occasion interna- spending time together outside to take the first step.” effort, but more tional students ask Isham about of school, most recently at Great say to them, no reason to than 50 per- making local friends, he suggests America and a haunted house. ~MARK ISHAM talk to them, cent of interna- that international students join “It started with business club,” International Admissions Counselor because there tional students clubs that don’t include students Kwok said. “But we got closer, are so many surveyed said from their respective countries. and now I get to learn about their things, but mainly, I can’t speak Americans make no effort at all. “I think DVC provides enough culture. It’s very interesting.” their language.” Regardless, both the IEC and opportunities for international The Student Union, a Voice of the International Admissions Of- students to have an active social America blog formed by interna- fice are aware the difficulties inter- life and make friends with people Contact JULIAN MARK at jmark@TheInquirerOnline.com tional students from universities national students experience when from all sorts of backgrounds,”
SCHOLARSHIPS From Page 1
I feel that leadership isn’t indicative of whether you’re a good scholar and neither does your GPA. There are plenty of very intelligent people who do excellent at school but more or less fail to do all the menial tasks associated with classes and therefore have bias brought upon them.” On the other hand, Kevin Tian, the ASDVC vice-president of legislative affairs said, “It’s not another scholarship provided for a society. So the first step students really should do is to qualify themselves as student leaders, not just general leaders. I’m not saying that they should be an excellent leader in academic performance, but at
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.
least they should show their responsibility for their own studies.” ASDVC encourages students to be aware of this chance to get scholarships, as well as making sure they are eligible. “Don’t get intimidated by the process,” Park emphasized. “We want students to at least engage and try to establish that help from that.” Further information regarding the scholarship will be on the DVC website. Julian Mark contributed to this story. Contact AKIHISA KISHIGAMI at akishigami@TheInquirerOnline.com
JULIAN MARK / The Inquirer
ASDVC members discuss their marketing strategy at the meeting where they approved the new scholarships.
Editorial Board CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ONLINE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITORS ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR PHOTO CHIEF COPY EDITOR
Alejandro Ramos Rachel Ann Reyes Dreia Melinkoff Gabriel Agurcia Sasan Kasravi Brian Bunting Gustavo Vasquez Benjamin Davidson Julian Mark
Staff STAFF MEMBERS Andrew Barber, Daniel Barney, Dennis Bridges, Daniel Gonsalves, Collin James, Akihisa Kishigami, Hakeen Montes, Vivian Natalia, 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, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
CUBA From Page 1
organized by anthropology instructor Dr. Lenore Gallin, who has a personal interest in Cuba and cites Che Guevarra as one of her personal heroes. Gallin’s love for Cuba led her to accept an offer to travel there for the first time in 2002. She went as the faculty adviser for the Progressive Student Association so they could attend the 2nd Annual Conference for Peace and Solidarity with the Cuban people. The trip allowed Gallin to see the island and people she had admired. “I was really moved and I hated to leave. I wanted people at DVC to see Cuba. I wanted my students to know about it. I wanted everyone to,” Gallin said. With the idea in mind, Gallin set out to make it a reality. After a long and arduous process due to the restrictions that were, and still are, in place, Gallin was finally able to take her first group to Cuba during the winter of 20022003. According to Gallin, the groups average about 20-30 in size. She estimates that about 240 students, faculty members and members of the community have attended over the course of eight trips. “Hopefully those people come back and they talk about Cuba and they put pressure on their congressional representatives to open up travel and trade with Cuba,” commented Gallin. While Gallin hopes that people come back with a positive view of Cuba, she is willing to admit that not everything they see on the is-
land is good. She explained how these instances often become opportunities for learning and open discussion. Those that have attended the trips in the past, like health sciences instructor Sherry Sank, saw the social injustices in Cuba but are more willing to share their positive experiences. “One of the highlights was, on our trip, we met with a community group in a little town and they had never met with a tour group before,” Sank said as she recalled the memory of her trip. “It was a great trip. A really great trip.” Shauna Smith, anthropology major at UC Berkeley, attended the trip in the winter of 20112012. Smith stated that she enjoyed the time she spent in Cuba and that she wished they could’ve stay there a little longer. She also shared her support for the program. “I think programs like these are extremely important for education. Education is more than books and classrooms, it’s learning about the world and you have to experience the world to truly know it,” shared Smith. Gallin is currently organizing the next trip to Cuba, which is set to run from Dec. 28, 2013 to Jan. 11, 2014. Applications for the trip will continue to be accepted until Nov. 25, 2013. Students and faculty interested can contact Lenore Gallin at lgallin@dvc.edu.
Courtesy of LENORE GALLIN
A man fixing his classic car, a typical sight in Cuba. Many of these cars are relics from before the American embargo was put in place. Advertisement
Contact ALEJANDRO RAMOS at aramos@TheInquirerOnline.com
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opinions 4
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
The
Buzz
Name one thing that would help you perform better in school?
Editorial Millenials need to care about health care
NICOLE BANNON, 19 Philosophy
“One thing that would help is time.”
ANDREW ROBINETT, 19 Undeclared
“More direct access to student services would allow students to understand what the campus has to offer.”
“You Mean I have to PAY for it?” DREIA MELINKOFF / The Inquirer
College-age Americans play a greater role in the success of Obamacare than they think KATRINA ILAS, 21 Psychology
“When teachers show more interest in what they are teaching.”
JORELL MEDLEY, 30 Library science major
“One thing that will help me do better in school is less construction.”
COURTNEY WONG, 22 Undeclared
“Forming study groups with people in my classes.” Interviewed by: Gustavo Vasquez and Aliya Recania Photographed by: Gustavo Vasquez
Just last week, USA Today published a column titled, “Obamacare options grim for young people.” The article echoed the same old anti-Obamacare arguments. But it was compelling. Why? Its author is a Millennial and was speaking from the awkward spot in which young people have been placed: Although most of us are still healthy, we we will soon be responsible for buying our own health insurance or paying a fine. Most of the commentary on Obamacare’s reliance on young people has come from those with pre-existing conditions, multiple prescriptions, and those maybe a couple surgeries deep. We support Obamacare–not necessarily because we know it will work, but because we believe we’re more than a bunch of self-involved brats. But for balance, we’ll quote the other side of our generation: “My lack of enthusiasm for signing up has to do with the unappealing options health care reform has presented my generation,” Katrina Trinko, the young USA Today author, wrote. She explained that young people will “pay for the elderly,” facing higher premiums–an expected 27 percent increase in California, according to Forbes—to subsidize senior citizens and the terminally ill. Trink explained that these premiums are outrageous, considering the low incomes of 25- to 34-year-olds—$65,041 in 2012, according to the Census Bureau. Slightly more melodramatic, 26-year-old Ashley Dionne wrote of Obamacare, “This law
has raped my future.” A classic Millennial, Dionne earned two undergraduate degrees only to find herself working at a gym. Like Trink, Dionne’s panic has been raised by an increased health care premium. But unlike Trink, Dionne has a list of health issues and feels that $319 a month, as opposed to $75 with her “Young Adult Plan,” is an outrageous, future-raping price. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old fails to acknowledge that people making less than $15,088 a year qualify for Medicaid starting in April, and that their increased premiums shouldn’t be astronomical–at best nonexistent. There’s a bigger picture these Millennials miss. Obamacare has arrived at a time when our generation is trying to reinvent its character. The classic stereotype of a Millennial is a narcissistic, smartphone wielder. According to Jean M. Twenge, author of “Generation Me,” for those who “have been consistently taught to put their own needs first and to focus on feeling good about themselves.” This stereotype may explain Trinko’s concluding statement: “If young adults choose to voluntarily give their hard-earned money to their elders — whether grandparents, neighbors or friends — to help with medical costs, that’s their prerogative. But it should be their choice, not another burden forced on them by the Boomers and their ilk.” In contrast, William Strauss and Neil Howe argue in their book “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation,” our generation is not so much entitled brats, but civic-minded, insti-
“Our generation is not so much entitled brats, but civic-minded, institution builders.”
tution builders. Strauss and Howe write: “Their life mission will not be to tear down old institutions that don’t work, but to build up new ones that do.” In an earlier book, “Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069,” Strauss and Howe place each generation into four distinct archetypes--prophet, hero, nomad, and artist-- with each repeating continuously in the same sequence. According to the authors, Millennials would become the next “hero” generation and--in the words of Eric Hoover from his article, “The Millennial Muddle”--“destined for comingof-age triumphs, intent on taking action and building community, just like the ‘G.I. Generation’ decades before.” Coincidentally, the G.I. Generation (or the “Greatest Generation”) were those who experienced similar ambivalence over the Social Security Act, a social reform comparable to the Affordable Healthcare Act in its rough introduction and levels of opposition. In the end, however, Social Security didn’t leave the G.I. Generation up the creek. Rather, that generation is now collecting Social Security checks that either aid or completely support their retirement. But it turns out that, so far, more Millennials support Obamacare than originally expected. According to the Washington Post, of the 25,000 Marylanders who have signed up for Obamacare, the largest percentage were between the ages of 25 to 29. So, fellow Millennials, it’s decision time. Will we carry a mindset that will ultimately define our generation as entitled screen-touchers, or will we decide to build, support and create, thinking about those both ahead of and behind us? Will we be another Generation Me, or will be the next “Heroes”?
opinions 5
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Snowden’s leaks not heroic, but necessary BRIAN BUNTING / The Inquirer
Most of us are familiar with that famous line, “Big Brother is watching you,” from George Orwell’s “1984.” Unlike the book, in real life we don’t have telescreens to tell us we’re being watched. We implicitly trust the providers of our daily interfacing with various social networks, emails, text messages and phone calls. NSA whistle-blower, and now fugitive, Edward Snowden ripped the security blanket off of that trust forever. After The Guardian broke the story in June, we were left to grapple with this new knowledge that the NSA’s PRISM program has been, and still is, indiscriminately collecting private user data from a who’s who list of the internet’s biggest players, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Youtube and Yahoo. And they’re doing it using Fourth Amendment-violating trump cards. The loophole’s the NSA and other agencies found are actually just deliberate misinterpretations of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, and Section 1881a of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 and 2012. The official line is that the NSA haven’t accessed direct content of emails, or cell phone calls, only the ironically more sensitive “metadata,” like internet search habits, networks of phone numbers, and their activity. But the truth is much more sinister. On the public stage, the Obama administration hasn’t handled the scandal well. Claims by the administration routinely conflict with emerging evidence disproving them. For example, Obama’s initial response was that legal checks have prevented inappropriate access of data, how-
ever, according to a Washington Post article based on the somewhere in that ambiguous grey area between right and Snowden disclosures in August, the NSA violated its own wrong. rules on data access “thousands of times a year,” many of Inter-agency consensus is that our security has been which were “large-scale data interceptions.” compromised, public trust has been injured, and with new With public scrutiny going from lukeevidence of spying on foreign leaders, we’re warm to incandescent as more Snowden already seeing evidence that international rereports go public, Senate and Congressional lations have been damaged. leaders have been pressured to change their On the other hand, we’re also now aware tune regarding oversight. that the NSA has our metadata, and probWhile it’s true NSA head Gen. Keith Alably more. exander will step down in 2014, and there is In addition to that, that they’ve been connow speculation a citizen may head the agenducting secret assaults on the encryption cy for the first time, many view the reform guarding our personal information at every talk as Kabuki theater. conceivable datahub and network on the inCivil Liberties watchdog group the ACLU ternet, making that data vulnerable to attacks reran a Guardian piece only days ago disby anyone from garden variety hackers to claiming the Dianne Feinstein reform as snooping foreign nations. “fake,” a public display to appease the massThe question is, is the Snowden informaes while it’s business as usual when the camtion forearming, impelling us all to lobby for eras stop rolling. increased transparency in agencies that make BRIAN BUNTING Fortunately, not every leader or reform their living off of not being transparent, or Arts & features editor is viewed as skeptically. The USA Freedom is it unintentionally subversive, doing more Act from ex-surveillance fan turned constiharm than good? tutional defender Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and Sen. Snowden freely admits the reverse danger in what he’s Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is one bill the ACLU and others are done, but he also said he doesn’t want to live in a world getting behind publicly. where there’s no privacy. Whether or not you view Snowden as a hero or a traitor And isn’t that more dangerous? really depends less on where you lean politically, and more on your take on the net effect of his disclosures. Contact BRIAN BUNTING at Like many political scandals, the truth probably lives bbunting@TheInquirerOnline.com
Gender equality: When can we have it all? Being a girl is hard. showed cleavage.” Being girl in a male dominated society is Seriously? even harder. While these tips could be In a New York Post arhelpful to anyone in a busiticle from Oct. 25, a Manness or professional setting, hattan law firm gave tips the fact that it was specifically to their female employees sent out to female employees about how to act in the ofshows that sexism is alive and fice. well. Some tips that were sent Women are more than these out to the firm’s female balmy creatures with boobs. employees all across the The idea that we have to eicountry included lowering ther tone down or defeat these the pitch of their voice, stereotypes in 2013 is ridicunot to giggle or squirm and lous and frustrating. to stop saying words such The inequality within genas “like,” “uh” and “you ders can be degrading in both know.” the personal and professional RACHEL ANN REYES Oh and the kicker to life. Co-editor-in-chief all of this? They encourAccording to a Psychology aged women to cover up, Today article by Dr. Ronald E. because “No one heard Hillary the day she Riggio from Nov. 4, few women hold top-
level positions of leadership in business and government. When women want to be in power, they have to change their mentality, while also beating stereotypes and discrimination. We have to be the best of both worlds. We need the ability to be tough and nice, while still getting the job done. This is a tall order. Women who are too nice may be seen as incapable of the position, while women who may be deemed too aggressive can be perceived as a being a flat out “bitch.” Why can’t women have it all? I just want my cupcake and I want to eat it too.
Why should that be a problem in the real world? By no means is a new topic. But as a young woman in college, I want to graduate into a society that views me as an equal and not a subordinate. I want to be respected for my work and ideally, liked for the person I am. Ladies, there will be a day where we won’t have to worry about these gender inequalities anymore. But I guess for now: men, enjoy the top spot while you have it because change will happen.
“When women want to be in power, they have to change their mentality, while also beating stereotypes and discrimination.”
Contact RACHEL ANN REYES at rreyes@TheInquirerOnline.com
opinions 6
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
America’s transphobia is baffling Our country’s appalling tradition of op- raised an issue with this. pressing and vilifying things that it doesn’t Similar to the past habit of equating gay understand has unfortunately continued men with pedophiles, transgender students and found a new target in the are being treated as simply transgender community. confused teenage boys and Fresh off the heels of a magirls who want to see the opjor defeat with the Supreme posite sex in the locker room Court defining Proposition 8 without any repercussions. as unconstitutional, multiple It’s baffling how easy it is parent groups have begun to for people to characterize raise serious opposition to such a complicated gender Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest huidentity especially when most man rights law, Assembly Bill have very little to no idea how 1266 or the School Success it works, while also essentially and Opportunity Act, that tarignoring the transgender male gets transgender students in population as a whole. grades K-12. Is it really so hard to accept The law clarifies already that both gender identity and present anti-discrimination sexuality are not strict ideas DAVID RACHAL JR. laws against transgender stubut are extremely fluid entiStaff member dents by prohibiting schools ties? from barring any transgender If the opposition can reach student from participating in any gender- a total of 505,000 valid signatures by Nov. specific activities, such as sports teams, or 12th, the bill will be put on a ballot during using gender specific facilities, such as bath- the next election. If not, the law goes into rooms, in relation to their gender identity. effect in January. Many are going as far as Similar regulations in Los Angeles and to make the claim that transgender students San Francisco schools are already in effect using the bathroom in relation to their genwithout major incident. der identity might make cisgender students Of course, many parents groups have “extremely uncomfortable” at school.
DREIA MELINKOFF/ The Inquirer
This puts cisgender students rights and comfort levels above that of transgender students, which is a form of inequality. In the same vein, establishing a multi-gender bathroom as a third option harks back to ‘separate but equal,’ which we all know has never worked in the past. I, as a bisexual African-American student, am growing extremely tired of America
constantly discriminating and marginalizing those who are defined as “out of the norm” and constantly trying to deny them the rights they deserve. We are better than that, and if we’re not then maybe we should be.
weapon on the streets. But police need to take a case of mistaken identity of a suspect or a firearm as unacceptable when the wrong person is killed. Having police on hair triggers, ready to pull their guns to save their lives on a moment’s notice makes an error of judgement or misunderstanding potentially deadly. Police need to use discretion, especially against children, but more importantly when they are putting their own lives and the lives
of the citizens they are supposed to protect on the line with their actions. The bottom line is that Lopez would have still been alive if police had not have stepped in. Besides Lopez, the the other biggest casualty of Gelhaus’ actions is the community’s trust in the police force.
Contact DAVID RACHAL JR. at drachal@TheInquirerOnline.com
Paranoid police are a danger to the public
A 13-year-old boy named Andy Lopez Trayvon Martin’s death last year. While Marwas killed after being stopped by police in tin’s death received heavy coverage from the Santa Rosa, Calif. media, it was hardly an isolated case. He was being stopped for carrying what Ever since Martin’s death last year, there looked like an assault rifle. Erick Gelhaus, has been a string of police related deaths of a member of the Sonoma County Sheriff ’s teenagers at the hands of the police. Office, shot Lopez eight times, including afThere was Shaqur McNair from North ter the boy’s body hit the ground. Carolina who was killed at the age of 16 The gun in question was a pellet gun and fellow 16-year-old Marquez Redden was in the shape of an AK-47, an assault rifle also killed by police after being mistaken banned in California. for a burglar last September. Both of these It was a needless tragedy that left the teens were black and Lopez was Latino. community scarred and questioning the role Some may wonder what a Caucasian male of the police in their community. such as myself, who has never had to deal A full investigation is unwith racial profiling or the derway in addition to a civil threat of police brutality lawsuit filed by Lopez’s parwould have to say about an ents. issue that will probably never This tragedy has raised concern me. questions of racial profilBut that’s the thing, I’ve ing in the community, but never had to deal with that the fact of the matter is that in my entire life. I always something like this would know that even if I get in not happen to a white kid. trouble with the law, as long From the police report, as I don’t fight back, I’d be Lopez was immediately perfectly fine. treated like a criminal and Even as I was playing with ordered to drop his weapon. pellet guns in the shape of The details on what hapTommy guns, glocks and pened between Lopez being desert eagles at age 13, the COLLIN JAMES stopped to getting shot are thought of police opening Staff member unclear. fire on me, even if I ran from The mistake isn’t about them, was never a danger. training. Gelhaus was a veteran of the force No American should grow up feeling weapons expert who also served in Iraq. frightened of their local police force. If anything, he is overqualified for his job The unfortunate reality is that we live in a and should have been able to distinguish world of child soldiers. between a real AK-47 and the replica that Here in America, we have children in Lopez was carrying. gangs and Gelhaus, an Iraq war veteran, Also the fact that Lopez was shot eight knew that any man, woman or even child times, even after he reportedly hit the may have been ready to kill him. ground, shows that Gelhaus was shooting Bringing this attitude back to America to kill from the moment he opened fire. would make sense if America was also a war The issue here is the attitude that police zone. And that is the problem, crime fighthave adopted in the last decade.Police are ing against minorities these days appears to becoming more militant against a lower rate be more similar to military action in Iraq of crime, and instances of excessive police than crime fighting in white neighborhoods. force are becoming more prevalent. Defenders of the officer’s actions may say The most recent case of a teenager dy- that Lopez should have used common sense ing at the hands of law enforcement brings in not bringing what looks like a dangerous
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Contact COLLIN JAMES at cjames@TheInquirerOnline.com
arts & features 7 Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Chris Hemsworth returns as the hammer-weilding demigod of Marvel lore.
Courtesey of: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Marvel maintains good pace with ‘Thor: The Dark World’
SASAN KASRAVI Opinions editor
Once again, after leaving an installment of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe, I found myself turning to a friend and saying, “Yeah, that was pretty good!” That’s basically all there is to be said about “Thor: The Dark World.” It’s a fun movie that delivers on its promises, but makes sure to not promise too much. The original “Thor” was the silliest and least dense in plot of all of the movies from the first “Iron Man” to “The Avengers,” referred to by some as “Phase One” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The reason for that, frankly, was because it had to be. Its role was to take take an uptill-then scientifically plausible series and makes you accept that magic was about to
presumably chucking his spangled shield be fair game. I think it did this by being the funniest at Space Samurai riding spaceships that of those movies. It introduced charac- shoot lasers and heatseeking-missles, while the samurais themselves ters and settings and a “[Thor] is a fun still prefer to use swords lightheartedness that and fur armor over, say, the audience wanted movie that delivers guns. to keep around so they on its promises, While we’re on the were willing to accept subject of Space Samuthat Iron Man was gobut makes sure not to rai, why do they have ing to be fighting transJapanese accents but dimensional gods and promise too much” Space Vikings have Britaliens. ish accents? Because that service is already done and thus this new “Thor” doesn’t have to be as That just reinforces my point, however, funny, it’s not as funny. that these little flaws and questionable It does still take on a lot of “Phase parts, even the weaker points of the movie Two’s” burden of silliness, but it does it in a where Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hidway you’ll enjoy and which will make it eas- dleston are standing in front of a green ier for you to swallow the next “Avengers” screen and doing their best to look like movie in 2015 when “Captain America” is they’re piloting a space ship in combat, are
easy for the audience to excuse. Many superhero movies, like the recent Superman. make the mistake of promising a scale and seriousness that the movie fails to deliver. Thor doesn’t promise any more than what it delivers. The movie has a great pace, likable characters, it’ll probably make you laugh when it wants you to, make you care what happens next, and it will make you want to see the next movie in the series. In the end, the movie asks for very little out of the audience, just to sit down and want to have fun. It’s fair to say that you probably can’t ask for much more than that from a Marvel movie. Contact SASAN KASRAVI at skasravi@TheInquirerOnline.com
Zombie Prom: This is as good as it gets DAVID RACHAL JR. Staff member
For the past few weeks, the latest production in DVC’s Department of Drama is the offBroadway musical Zombie Prom, directed by Lisa Drummond, with musical direction by Sierra Dee, has been performing to thunderous applause from greatly appreciative audience members. I admit at first I was apprehensive towards the thought of a musical about a prom featuring zombies. Initially, the concept appears as though the world has run out of ideas for musicals and is relying on boring clichés. But due to the amazing performances by the cast, as well as music by Dana P. Rowe and lyrics by John Dempsey, it’s a purposefully campy musical delight. The show begins as an idealized day in the 1950s at Enrico Fermi High School, which sits dangerously close to an unstable nuclear plant. The story unfolds around the budding romance of good all American girl, Toffee, played by
Adrienne Lundry / The Inquirer
near and dear--the Senior Prom. Despite a few issues with harmonies among the lead vocalists and the lack of a live band in house, the cast soared with amazing musical numbers while making you laugh uncontrollably at the same time. Each second was filled with the right amount of cheesy ‘50s musicality thanks to the exceptionally talented cast. While a lot of the focus was on the very talented leads, the true gem within the production was the ensemble whose harmonies were nearly perfect, and their background reactions to the events of the show priceless. Overall DVC’s production of Zombie Prom was a delight and I look forward to seeing what the DVC Department of Drama has in store next.
DAVID RACHAL JR./ The Inquirer
Enrico Real as Jonny Warner comes back from the dead. Gabriella Marchion, and orphaned bad boy, Jonny ‘without the H’ Warner, played by Enrico Real. Things seem to being going great for the two lovers until they are
forced apart due to disdain for their relationship from Toffee’s parents, as well as the school Principal, Miss Delilah Strict, played by Farah Dinga.
Everything starts to spiral out of control as one suicidal teenager’s expired presence threatens to ruin everything the teenagers love, including the one thing they hold
Contact DAVID RACHAL JR. at drachal@TheInquirerOnline.com
arts & features 8 Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Rasputin’s Resurrection
A touch of old-school is returned to Pleasant Hill
Above, the new Rasputin store on Contra Costa Blvd. sports a larger and more complete layout, complete with a t-shirt section in the back of the store. Below, used 12-inch singles line the aisles of Rasputin, one of the many forms of music sold in the store.
Photos by GUSTAVO VAZQUEZ / The Inquirer
Above, Adam Conner, employee at Rasputin Music Store puts security cases on DVDs and CDs. Far left, the albums sold by the store range from The Beatles to Disney soundtracks.
Left, Derek Wilcox, 18, of Granada High School student browses through music at the Rasputin store in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Far Left, Marti Cazet, resident of Pittsburg browses through DVDs.
arts & features 9 Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
GUSTAVO VASQUEZ / The Inquirer
DVC instructor Luke Damiani pours molten iron on alumni art student Laura VanDuren’s paper boat on Saturday, Nov. 9.
DVC iron pour melts into a success Advertisement
GUSTAVO VASQUEZ Photo chief
Local artists, Diablo Valley Col- DVC, learning how to cast metal. lege students and instructors par“I actually went to DVC in my ticipated in an iron pour as part of undergrad before I went on UC a fundraiser for the metal art and Santa Cruz, and at that time there sculpture program in the art de- was a different instructor, David partment on Saturday, Nov. 9. King, I think he was instrumenCeramic shell molds, and resin- tal in building this place, and this bonded sand molds were used to place has got special meaning to create iron sculptures, iron jewelry, me in terms of grew up here, and iron plaques and performances learned how to cast metal here, and made using molted iron. returning is always special," Smith Sculpture instructors Hopi said. Breton, Luke Damiani, and Kevin Cynthia Handel was one of the Leeper were at the iron pour; as- other guests at the iron pour. sisting students, creating art and With over 10 years of experiparticipated in the iron pour teams. ence in iron casting, Handel had Leeper, a DVC instructor in something to say about why she sculpture and digital media, was likes to work with iron casting. new to the idea of metal casting. “The reason I like iron is one, I He explained it is “extremely rare like to taste it, I like to smell and opportunity to pour metal." I am very physical, I like to make Leeper casted two objects, one objects, constant object maker, a large solid cube of iron, and an- the other thing I like about iron is other of an old the community mold he had for of people," she over 20 years. said. Alumni art Other guests students Lauthat made it ra VanDuren was alumni Ivan and Alexander Berjekoff, Nick Smith, now local Diphillio and Bay Area artists, Tom Brown. made it to the There were pour to create about 100 molds ~HOPI BRETON Sculpture instructor iron sculptures that were made and perforby artists, stumance art. dents, and instructors. VanDuren did a performance There were about 1,500 pounds piece which represented her letting of iron, which was melted down, go of the past. and poured into the molds. “My performance is called ‘Burn Students melted down the iron the Life Boat,’ and I made a gi- with a recently restored iron furant 5-foot-by-3-foot boat out of nace, named Ferric Faucet. quarter inch steel and my divorce Breton shared her thoughts after paperwork," VanDuren said. "I am the event. going to perform by bringing my “All kinds of people came out, a boat in like the sea, with a white lot of my colleagues, and other facdress representing my past. And ulty, and a lot of alumni here, and then once I bring it to my mold, I a lot of students that never poured will bring the boat over the mold, before, people from the commutake my dress off and put it in the nity who never poured before, and boat, ignite the boat and dress to- everybody worked really great together as a performance of letting gether," she said. "A lot of people go.” got to meet each other had lots of Alexander Smith is an instructor fun. It was really, really fun." currently at the Crucible in which he’s been there for 13-14 years. Contact GUSTAVO VASQUEZ at For his undergrad he went to gvasquez@TheInquirerOnline.com
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sports 10
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Vikings whip Wolverines
Photos by DENNIS BRIDGES / The Inquirer
Daniel Usedom pops up for a shot as members of both teams gauge the situation.
DVC dominates Sierra 14-5 in opening Big 8 game
Above: Driver Antoine Lena races across the pool on a Viking fast break; below: captain Bora Dimitrov searches for a teammate to pass to.
Driver Antoine Lena fires a goal at point-blank range.
sports 11
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Vikings ‘arrr’ victorious over Pirates
Photos by ANDREW BARBER / The Inquirer
Defender Emily Cremisio maintains control of the ball against two opponents.
DVC defeats Modesto 1-0 in conference matchup
Above: defender Haley Paxton fights to push the ball upfield; left: forward Marisa Baros takes possession from a Modesto player. Midfielder Delia Jimenez holds off a Modesto challenge.
sports 12
Thursday, Nov. 14 - Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Bear Cubs overbear Vikings
DVC plays host to Big 8 Championship, suffers loss to Santa Rosa JC ABBEY LAY Freelancer
A ridiculously close game of were just sort of wherever...” Milstamina and effort, DVC fell be- lington trailed off, discouragehind in this playoff game. ment palpable in his voice. DVC's women’s water polo During another timeout in went up against the Santa Rosa the third quarter called by Santa Bear Cubs on Friday, Nov. 8 in Rosa, Millington and team captain the Big 8 Conference Champi- Howard attempted once again to onship, and this time fell subject lift the Vikings’ spirit and urge to an excruciatingly painful loss, them to make a daring comeback. 10-9. “You get an opportunity, you The game made head way at take that up. Don’t get discour1:45 p.m., and there was a lot of aged. Don’t give up, don’t fall foul play in the water as DVC forward. We’ve got to make this battled it out for first place in the happen,” Millington pleaded. Photos by ANDREW BARBER / The Inquirer pool for this playoff game. Howard was also pleading with Most worthy of being noted her team during timeout. “We Goalie Molly West goes full extension to save a shot in front of goal. first are the injuries that Renae gotta keep going. It’s all right deserved breather. Dibartolomeo suffered: a dislo- here, right now, in the water. You The team was very evidently cated pinky and ring finger. “It get up and get in there.” winded and Millington once again was completely unnecessary,” DiThe fourth goal for DVC was did his best to lift his team up out bartolomeo said after the game. scored by Peachy Vicencio, a ma- of the dark water and give them “I think for a lot of people the jor strike to the back right net. a few spoonfuls of hope instead. sun is a factor. We had trouble Another effort to bring the “Put some effort into it and see in the first quarter, but we went score to an even tie, the fifth goal what happens,” Millington imout and did our best, and that’s all was made by Lara Visser with an plored. that matters,” Zoey Fredette said intimidating rush and a flawless Four more goals for DVC in in consolation of her teammate. assist from Vicencio. the fourth quarter, and still the DVC put forth a valiant effort Another ejection took place in score had the Bear Cubs in the to defeat the Bear Cubs but in the third quarter, this time for first place position. the 4th quarter, the Vikings’ spirit DVC. At 4:00 on the dot, the score was exhausted, and their physical Dibartolomeo attempted to was 9-9, and tensions in the abilities diminished. make a pass to Vicencio but fell stands and in the water were risCaroline Howard scored the into desperate measures as she ing as both teams were scramVikings' first goal at 2:10 with a clawed her opposition out of the bling to make a winning point. threatening shot to the back left way. This resulted in the Vikings Another ejection for the Vinet. third ejection of the game, while kings and one more for the Bear Shortly after the first goal the Bear Cubs had only one. Cubs put the teams at an even was scored, A heavy shot match for ejections, although it the first ejectop right was becoming increasingly more Above: attacker Caroline Howard rises out of the water, “We had trouble in the to tion for Santa net gave Santa clear as the clock continued to gets a shot on goal; below: attacker Peachy Vicencio gets first quarter, but we Rosa their fifth run that DVC just didn’t have the Rosa occurred her hand on the ball to block a pass. when Howgoal of the stamina or spirit to take home a went out and did our ard’s right leg game. It was win. was pulled as best, and that’s all that evident that the The winning goal was scored she desperately Vikings were by Santa Rosa late in the fourth matters.” attempted to losing faith with a devastating blow to the make a pass to and becoming bottom right net. ~ZOEY FREDETTE a teammate to frantic as they The crowds were visibly diminTwo-meter defender keep the ball in strove to make ished as the players filtered out of DVC’s hands. it home with the water to shake hands with one At the first a win in their another. Millington was extremely timeout for back pocket. and understandably discouraged DVC, head “Two time by the loss for his team. coach Rick Millington had this outs already, ladies, we’ve got to The Vikings may have lost this to say: “We need to do a better get our heads out of the water playoff game, but the effort was job getting and keeping the ball and into the game. You have to obvious to everyone in the stands, down.” get up there. If you do that we’ll and this loss does not set them up Millington did his best to en- call one more timeout and get you for a crestfallen beginning of the courage the Vikings to make help,” Millington told Ghitta Fer- season. steady progress, as the Bear Cubs rara. The team was mourning the were quickly and effortlessly takThe Vikings scored one more loss, but there was fire in each ing the lead. goal and Santa Rosa scored two of the team members’ eyes as In the second and third quar- more, putting the score at an in- they lifted one another in word ters, DVC continued to evenly creasingly exciting 9-5, the Bear and made their way to the locker fell behind, and at the end of the Cubs holding on to a considerable room. third quarter, the score was al- advantage. ready 4-3. Another timeout called by San“Our defense is going pretty ta Rosa’s head coach at 3:50 gave Contact ABBEY LAY at good, but in the second half, we the Vikings a much needed and alay@TheInquirerOnline.com