The Inquirer Vol. 82 No. 5 by DVC Inquirer

Trash trees & intrigue

Attack on Boston Marathon: The editorial board

The DVC Architecture club creates works of art from found and recycled materials. Page 8

Record breaking Vikings: Big 8 Chamionship swim-

searches for a silver lining to a national tragedy. Page 5 mers break state records. Page 4

The

INQUIRER S tudent V oi ce

D iablo Val le y C ol le g e

Blowing the Whistle Allegations of theft spark district audit of CalWORKs department HAKEEM MONTES Senior staff writer

A llegations of a student worker stealing gas cards and falsifying time cards sparked a district internal investigation of the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) department at DVC during the fall 2012 semester. The internal auditing report and executive summary dated January 31, 2013 investigating claims made by administration of justice major Pamela Smith, was obtained by The Inquirer through a California Public Records Act request. The internal audit report concluded that the student worker did not steal gas cards or falsify time cards, but it did identify inappropriate tracking and distribution of gas cards, inadequate tracking and review of the CalWORKs department’s student worker hours and the inappropriate mentoring of CalWORKs students. The internal audit report states that “Although IAS (Internal Auditing Services) was unable to validate this claim, due to lack of documentation/tracking of the student worker hours, it was apparent that the current time management process was ineffective and could encourage such behavior.” Former CalWORKs student worker

and ethnic studies major Myia Belcher worked in the CalWORKs department from Dec. 2011 to May 2012 and had interacted with Smith in the office. Belcher contradicted the district internal audit report by stating that she had witnessed a student worker falsifying their handwritten time card on more than one occasion. According to Belcher, the student worker would regularly leave approximately thirty minutes before their schedule was over but would record that they had stayed the entire length of their shift when filling out their time card. “I believe on at least one (monthly) time card, that there was at least twenty hours that she did not really work….It was like a known thing to people (in the CalWORKs department) that she’s never (there) but she (was) getting paid...” The CalWORKs Department has now implemented a student worker time clock tracking system which will be verified by the CalWORKs coordinator on a daily basis as per a recommendation made in the audit report. Stone was contacted by The Inquirer for comment and referred questions about the internal audit report to the district public information officer. Smith filed the original complaint,

which initiated the internal investigation after hearing a student worker was using the gas cards for their personal use according to a police report filed with the district police. Smith also claimed that the same person was falsifying their time card and was collecting money for time they did not work. According to the police report, Smith claimed her paperwork had been mishandled for she had attempted to submit paperwork for childcare assistance to the student worker in question on three separate occasions during the spring 2012 semester but was denied. She was told that the CalWORKs department was not accepting applications at that time. Smith made an additional attempt to secure childcare by submitting her paperwork during the summer break of 2012 but due to the childcare assistance application not being submitted early enough, there were no more spaces available. Smith eventually withdrew from her summer classes and had to let a paying internship with the juvenile correctional program in Martinez go beJULIA KINKELA / The Inquirer cause she was unable to find affordable childcare while attending school and Pamela Smith speaks out against improper distriworking, said Smith. bution of student financial aid.

CALWORKS, Page 2

Earth Day at DVC raises awareness The results are in from for environmental causes ASDVC

COLLIN JAMES News editor

bring public attention to certain human behaviors that impact the DVC celebrated Earth Day community, as well as the enviMonday, April 22 to encourage ronment. Many of these, such students and faculty alike to live a as improper disposal of waste, healthier lifestyle, for themselves can have a disastrous effect on as well as the environment. Bee the communities. Small changes keepers, activists, electric car en- in behavior, such as properly disthusiasts, local community-run posing of grease and trash go a farms, and large corporations long way in helping the entire Bay like PG&E filled the Area. many booths set up One of the biggest “It’s a shame attractions in front of the cafof the day eteria. Many were so many more was a drum circle in designed to raise of the Norsepeople care front awareness on enviman, led by Benjamin ronmental issues like about smoking Ofori, a native of the the decline of bees, African country pot than plant- West while others capitalof Ghana. Ofori is a ized on environmenmaster of traditional ing pots.” talist culture by sellAfrican instruments ing reusable bags and who brought his stutie dye shirts. dents to perform, Embracing an environmental- many of whom are also students ist lifestyle is more tempting than at DVC. He was very enthusiever for people who are indiffer- astic about his instruments and ent about environmental issues. was more than happy to educate The Roger’s Ranch, is a histori- his audience on the meaning, hiscally community run garden that tory, and sound produced by his offers growing classes, catering to drums. Drum beats from the traculinary arts students. For garden- ditional Kobotu and the popular ers and farmers, this week marks Djembe are often accompanied the beginning of the spring grow- by a traditional dance. ing season for many crops like The Bay Area as a whole, is tomatoes. One promoter of the one of the more environmentally farm remarked, “the weather up friendly areas in America. Alamuntil this week was too cold for eda and San Francisco County growing, so there is still plenty of have both imposed a tax on all time to start planting!” plastic bags and a similar trend Many booths were set up to may follow Contra Costa County.

BRIAN BUNTING Online editor

COLLIN JAMES / The Inquirer

Electric on display, DVC’s Earth Day celebration featured a custom electric Volkswagon, among other environmentally aware exhibits. San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland repeatedly rank amongst the greenest cities in America. However, many cities celebrated Earth Day last Saturday which was coincidentally 4/20 or “Weed Day.” One Berkeley native joked, “It’s a shame so many people care more about smoking pot than planting pots.” Despite this, many students had a lot of interest in this

week’s event and many are taking small steps toward changing their lifestyles. These little steps grow larger each year and benefit the people, plants, and pocketbooks of everyone. Contact COLLIN JAMES at cjames@TheInquirerOnline.com

They were careful, articulate speeches, poignant even. Once you got past the platitudes, there was something that made you want to root for them. This in spite of the fact they were talking to empty seats. That was the Associated Students of Diablo Valley College (ASDVC) Election Candidate Forum held where candidates running for executive chairs in April’s General Election pitched qualifications and platform agendas to a sparse crowd comprised mostly of fellow council members. In an effort to avoid a repeat, ASDVC’s General Elections — held April 9th and 10th, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Margaret Lesher Student Union building — promised free food to the first 500 registered students to vote. It’s not the first time ASDVC has had to dangle a carrot to stir interest. Despite a sparse turnout, the general election results had Sam Park edge out Fiona Ajwang for President, Jonathan Passama beating Sarah Ajwang for Vice President of Executive Affairs, and Erwin Wirawan topping Mark Senatori for Controller. Voter apathy for student government isn’t unique to DVC. San Diego State University boasts one of the largest student governments in the state, and recently reported that as little as 10% of the their 30,000 registered students voted. The numbers were less spectacular for surrounding colleges. What’s more, the indifference isn’t limited to ELECTIONS, Page 2

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

News

calendar Friday, April 26 Track and Field- Big 8 Conference All Day Sacramento City College Tuesday, April 30 Registration Dropins for Veterans 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Career, Employment, and Transfer Center in the Counseling Building Wednesday, May 1 Accreditation Advisory Group 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ATC-103 DVC Rock and R&B Ensembles 8:00 p.m. Performing Arts Center

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

ELECTIONS From Page 1

this semester. With the exception of an exiguous one-year blip in 2011 (due largely to the state threatening to slash $1.4 billion from higher education) voter turnout at DVC has been in steady decline for the past five years. If a food giveaway wasn’t enough to revive DVC’s turnout this year (a total of 687 votes cast), it begs the question: why are fewer students showing interest in campus politics? Some have suggested a perceived lack of effect on their lives. When asked if she had interest in government on campus, English major Stephanie Torres said, “Not really. I mean if it were my actual school that I’m transferring to, maybe it would have a little more impact on me. Sadly that’s the truth.” With over $150,000 in funding allocated to student activities, ASDVC executives contend there is much more at stake than most students are aware of. “If there was no ASDVC, there would be no one to engage in statewide issue to fight for student rights. Propositions like Prop 32 wouldn’t have been possible, and there would be a lack of student organizations and events on campus,” said Park. In a DVC Inquirer website poll asking students how they felt about school politics, a majority complained they don’t feel informed enough about student government. “I care about student politics, but I feel like the elec-

tion wasn’t very publicized,” said second year student Sarah Barrett. Members of ASDVC themselves cite a lack of awareness and an ability to control that awareness. “I still don’t know how to change it. I think we need more work from our PR officer,” said Park. An awareness problem is further compounded by the fact Associated Students of Diablo Valley College hasn’t updated their website in over a year, and DVC construction has forced ASDVC activities and forums to the outer margins of the school. While the DVC Inquirer announced both the candidate forum, and the elections, its role in raising awareness is limited to a neutral observer. If ASDVC hopes to change the trend of a low voter turnout, it appears at least part of that will hinge on their ability to raise awareness. Uncontested, open seats for vice president of legislative affairs went to Kevin Yuan Tian, Maxwell Wilson for parliamentarian, Chris Dongkyun Ryu to public relations, Penny Luyu Peng to activity controller, and Ryan Yoonsung Joo to diversity affairs. Contact BRIAN BUNTING at bbunting@TheInquirerOnline.com

Monday, May 6 College rep. visit Portland State, UC Irvine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wednesday, May 8 Spring Buffett $20 per person 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Norseman Restaurant Saturday, May 11 Saturday class finals All Day Wednesday, May 15 Grand Finale Jazz Concert $8 in advance, $11 at the door 8:00 p.m. Performing Arts Center Monday- Thursday, May 20-23 Finals Week See tinyurl.com/c6xalty or contact instructor for schedule Jamie R., HNU adult student

Police Beat Monday, April 22 11:16 a.m. A culinary student reported their chef ’s knives stolen from the Hotel and Restaurant Management building, room 201. Monday, April 8 Damage reported on a student’s vehicle in DVC parking lot 1 in what appears to be an act of vandalism.

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Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

CALWORKS From Page 1

Smith also claimed that the same person was falsifying their time card and was collecting money for time they did not work. According to the police report, Smith claimed her paperwork had been mishandled for she had attempted to submit paperwork for childcare assistance to the student worker in question on three separate occasions during the spring 2012 semester but was denied. She was told that the CalWORKs department was not accepting applications at that time. Smith made an additional attempt to secure childcare by submitting her paperwork during the summer break of 2012 but due to the childcare assistance application not being submitted early enough, there were no more spaces available. Smith eventually withdrew from her summer classes and had to let a paying internship with the juvenile correctional program in Martinez go because she was unable to find affordable childcare while attending school and working, said Smith. According to Detective Thomas Holt of the district police, after receiving the complaint from Smith, Corporal Kathryn McDonald contacted Stone and was informed that an internal investigation showed no evidence of theft. “McDonald felt it was some sort of retaliation because she was getting denied some kind of financial aid… (the District) had investigated it and we found no crime,” said Holt. Smith had originally shared her concerns with Stone but believed there was an attempt being made to conceal the allegations. According to the district police report, “Smith feels Stone lied to her indicating a cover-up of issues within the department.” Aderonke Olatunji, director of the district internal auditing department performed the investigation at the request of Stone and DVC President Peter Garcia. As a condition of Smith being interviewed by Olantunji, Smith requested that DVC professor and Concord Police Sergeant Matthew Morrissey be allowed to attend the interview session as a support person. Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Gene Huff called Morrissey to discuss his role in the investigation. “It would be very unusual… it just didn’t make sense as to why Matt was involved in the matter as an advocate… he’s not a student services person, he’s not a union person,” Huff clarified that Morrisey was not disallowed from participating in the investigation. Olatunji never interviewed Smith due to Morrissey not participating in the interview. When asked about the details of the audit, the District Director of Communications

and Community Relations Timothy Leong said “… for us to talk about what procedures have been put in place is kind of like telling people where the extra key is held in the room... so we don’t talk about the investigation, the internal audit investigation, to that extent… I have to draw a line in terms of naming individuals’ names and identifying the exact procedural changes that were made.” According to the internal audit obtained by The Inquirer, “Gas cards were being distributed at the CalWORKs Coordinator’s discretion; and were being issued to CalWORKs student-workers as gifts (a token of appreciation for work done) and raffle prizes won during the 2012SP CalWORKs back-to-school orientation.” Furthermore, the report stated that “The dean (Stone) immediately advised the CalWORKs Coordinator that this was not permissible and considered a gift of public funds. The CalWORKs Coordinator expressed genuine remorse and lack of understanding, and refunded the program by purchasing four gas cards with his own funds.” To ensure more accurate tracking of gas cards, “The gas card distribution sheet, originally created for the CARE gas card distribution and tracking process, will be utilized for the distribution of the remaining CalWORKs gas cards.” according to the internal audit report. The internal audit report stated that the CalWORKs coordinator also admitted to not following the directives of Stone to mentor a student worker before dismissing them from the CalWORKs department. According to the internal audit report, the CalWORKs coordinator stated that he had provided the dismissed employee with an opportunity to correct their “incessantly chatty, unprofessional and gossipy,” behavior as directed by Dean Stone. The CalWORKs coordinator admitted he did not provide this mentorship because the student worker “was such a lightning rod and I was afraid of what would happen if I tried to broach the topic.” and instead informed the employee there were no hours available, according to the internal audit report. Belcher was also informed she was being dismissed due to lack of available student worker hours but according to the internal audit report, she was released in part because she “seemed disengaged.” CalWORKs coordinator Mark Mithawala was contacted by the Inquirer and declined to comment. Smith wished for others who are suspicious of any wrong doings within a department on campus to speak up. “I would tell them to be a voice… don’t be quiet, don’t keep it a secret, let someone know,” said Smith.

Contact HAKEEM MONTES at hmontes@TheInquirerOnline.com

Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sports

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

Pitcher Ben Krauth throws for the Vikings against the Sacramento City Cougars in last Thursday’s Big 8 Conference game at DVC with 7IP, 7H, 3BB, 3ER, 6k’s.

Improved offense not enough Vikings unable to edge out close win against Sacramento City shortstop Michael Brdar drove in Gavello on a single to give DVC its first lead, 3-2. The Vikings tacked on another run in the DVC lost a tight game to Big 8 Conference fifth. Mann led off with a double down the rival Sacramento City by the score of 6-4 on right field line, and moved to third on an AlThursday, April 18. exander single. He then scored on a fielder’s Pitcher Ben Krauth started the game off choice by the second baseman on a Gavello with a strikeout and groundout. A hit batter grounder. and RBI single gave Sacramento City an early Krauth had a bumpy seventh inning. After 1-0 lead. giving up a lead off double, he recorded his The Vikings answered right away with a fifth strikeout. A single and subsequent steal one-out RBI single stung to of second put runners at second “His fastball and third. A fielder’s choice on a center-field by first baseman Devin Alexander. ground ball allowed the runner was pretty Sacramento City regained from third to score, making it 4-3. straight, so I Krauth ended the rally with his sixth the lead in the second inning on an RBI infield single. After was just trying K of the game. a quiet bottom half for DVC, Cameron Rowland relieved Sacramento City looked to in- to jump on the Krauth in the eigth. With two outs crease their lead in the third infirst fastball I and a runner on second, a single ning. With runners at first and was sent Mann’s way in right field see.” second, and two outs, the batter once again. This time Mann seemed laced a single to right. The ball to rush his approach, botching the got to Michael Mann in a hurry, ~DEVIN ALEXANDER play and giving the runner the abilFirst basemen allowing him to field the ball ity to tie the game 4-4. just as the runner from second DVC looked poised to take the had rounded third. He tossed a one-hop strike advantage right back. Brdar got a one-out sinto catcher Luke Van Holten, who applied to gle and advanced to third on a pinch-hit sintag to end the top half of the inning. gle by Davis Strong. Brdar was thrown out at DVC tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the home on a suicide squeeze attempt from secthird. Miscommunication between the short- ond baseman Michael Lanter. However there stop and center fielder on a Nick Gavello pop were still men on first and second with two up let Alexander score from second. Third outs. Center fielder Athan Koutsouinas walked baseman Ryan Kochan reached via error, then to load the bases, but an anxious Marquis Cox GABRIEL AGURCIA Senior staff writer

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

Pitcher Ben Krauth, middle, meets with shortstop Michael Brdar, catcher Michael Leal during DVC’s Big 8 Conference game. struck out to end the inning. Marcos Martinez took the mound for Rowland in the ninth, starting shaky with a walk

and single. Coach Dan Luquet opted for Cody Ball. Ball recorded two outs without much issue, but then loaded the bases and gave up a two-run double, giving Sacramento City a 6-4 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Coach Luquet liked the life he saw from his offense, exhibited by 11 hits, three of which came from a slump-breaking Devin Alexander. “His (starting pitcher) fastball was pretty straight, so I was just trying to jump on the first fastball I see, and I got a hold of a couple,” he said. However, coach Luquet was still disappointed with the blown opportunities. “We don’t get the two-out hit normally,” he stated. Aside from a lack of clutch hitting, several coaches and players felt slighted by the umpires, none more so than the guys behind the plate. “He was definitely squeezing our pitchers a little bit, with their off-speed and everything. They’d throw a pearl and he just wouldn’t call it,” said starting catcher Luke Van Holten.” Backup catcher Michael Leal felt quite strongly about the situation. “It’s been the whole year. Every game we’ve been getting screwed, pretty much, by the umpires,” he said. “I don’t think they have as much respect (for our coaching staff).” DVC’s next and final home game is Tuesday, April 23 against Consumnes River. Contact GABRIEL AGURCIA at gagurcia@TheInquirerOnline.com

Sac City sacks DVC in conference game GABRIEL AGURCIA Senior staff writer

DVC was dominated by Big 8 Conference foe Sacramento City, losing 18-0 on Friday, April 19. Sacramento City hit the ground running. With one out and runners on second and third, an error by second baseman Jennifer Quigley and an RBI single gave Sacramento City a 2-0 lead. Following the RBI single, another single loaded the bases, followed by starting pitcher Jennier Shue walking in a run. DVC eventually escaped the inning, but the damage was done with Sacramento City leading 3-0. Sacramento City led off the third inning with a home run, and another solo shot with two outs made it 5-0. DVC got its first base runner in the bottom half of the inning when right fielder Kristin Gorgen walked, but unfortunately for the Vikings nothing came of it. Sacramento City tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI double. The Vikings put together their only rally of the game in the bottom

half. Shue led off with a walk and advanced to second on catcher Rachel Wong’s sac bunt. A groundout by first baseman Victoria Frazer moved Shue to third, where she was eventually stranded. Both teams were quiet offensive in the fifth. However, the game got completely out of hand fot DVC in the sixth. Sacramento City posted 12 runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run and three-run home run. After DVC finally got out of the top half, the game was called after they went down one-two-three in the bottom half. “We didn’t hit at all,” said Quigley. “We just weren’t making adjustments really.” Third baseman Katie Crippen elaborated on that point. “We’re not getting the bat on the ball. We’ve not seen pitches all year very well,” she said. “We just got to learn to pick the pitch up earlier and jump on it, and not be so picky.” DVC’s next and final home game is on Tuesday, April 23 versus Santa Rosa Junior College. Contact GABRIEL AGURCIA at gagurcia@TheInquirerOnline.com

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

DVC Outfielder Kristen Gorgen looks to the coach for last-minute tips before batting against Sacramento City on Friday, April 19. The Vikings were swept in the double header against the Panthers, the final scores being 18-0 and 19-1.

Sports

Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

DVC Swimmer Blake Hollis prepares for his debut in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCCAA State Championship in East Los Angeles on April 25-27.

DVC swimmers break records at the Big 8 Championship

of primarily working on his technique and working on accelerating into and out of his turns for the state meet. DVC Swimmers Dominate at the Big 8 Another top performer was Lee Ward who Championship.It’s that time of year again. The broke the meet record in the 200-yard freeDiablo Valley College swimming team hosted style. the Big 8 Conference Championship in spec“I felt relieved because I finally broke that tacular fashion. From the event that took place barrier of getting under that 1:40,” said Ward. April 18-20, 25 members of the swimming To him, breaking that record didn’t mean team qualified for the CCCAA State Champi- much. What really made him happy was the onship in East Los Angeles, with two mem- fact that he had accomplished the personal bers of the diving team qualifying also. The goal that he had set. Vikings went on to win both Coaches were very pleased the Men’s and Women’s title, with the effort shown by breaking a number of meet the Vikings. Going into the records in the process. last day of the meet, the “Southern California teams Women’s team was ahead of are very strong but I still the pack by 29 team points, think we will be in the hunt pulling ahead of their confor both men and women ference rivals Santa Rosa City events,” said Head coach Rick College. Millington.“The Big 8 Cham“Thursday we got off to I’m feeling a little pionship was a great meet for the start that we needed to,” tired, but I do play us.” assistant coach Zach Roberts two sports, so I The team dominated early said. “Friday during both with a strong percentage of already had practice sessions, I would say that the team swimming their best we did outstanding. We had times, while some went on to this morning, now the some really good swims.” make history. Swimmer Mon- meet and then an adFriday, Women’s swimtana Randall broke the Big 8 mer Shaila Yoder set a state ditional practice after record in the 50-yard breastChampionship meet record in the 100-yard butterfly with stroke with a time of 29.6 that a blazing time of 49:32. seconds. One strong aspect “I’m very pleased with my about this year’s team is that ~Montana Randall time but I want to go one it is not only a team, but a DVC Swimmer second faster for state,” said family. Randall. “I always wanted to “It’s like high school all get the team record and one of my coaches, over again,” Yoder said. “The coaches make Donny, encourages me to break it every day.” this experience so fun and so enjoyable. I really Randall will go into practice with the intention can’t thank them enough.” AARON HUDSON Sports editor

“

.”

KARIN JENSEN / The Inquirer

Swimmer Dominic Patterson visualizes a victory at the State Championship meet in East Los Angeles in the 100-yard breaststroke. Sure it helps if you feel great before the race, but once you’re in the actual water, there’s only one source of support that will help guide you through your event: your team. Men’s Captain Michael Billey is certainly the backbone of the team. Although he didn’t do as well as he had hoped, he still provided an enormous amount of support to his teammates, cheering them on every step of the way. “I felt I did okay. It was the last swim of the season for me,” Billey said. “It was more about cheering my team on and being a good captain for them.” Taylor Henry, the top seeded women’s 50yard freestyle competitor, placed first during the meet. “I did pretty well, it wasn’t my best meet but I’m very happy with my results at this

point of the season,” Henry said. It’s worth noting that Henry was a little tired heading into the meet. Now she has her sights on making her presence known at the State Championship. Swimmer Riley Hagan ended the Men’s 100yard freestyle by taking first place. “I felt good out there,” said Hagan. “The way I swim my 100, I kind of see where everyone else is after the first two and a half laps and speed up based on that.” His goal for state is to have a better start to the race while keeping his strong finish.

Contact AARON HUDSON at ahudson@TheInquirerOnline.com

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Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The

Buzz

How did you react to the Boston Marathon bombings?

JARED CHERNILA, 21 Communications and Theater

“It’s really upsetting. I think it’s a real tragedy that could have been avoided.”

CERISSA DUMAINE, 23 Computer Techincal Support

“It was kind of a shocker. You think you would hear more about it but I saw it on Yahoo as the first thing..”

SARAH SHERLOCK, 20 Undeclared

“It [the news coverage] was blasted everywhere, just like I would expect from something like that.”

Opinions

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Editorial Heroic compassion arises Despite Boston Marathon tragedy, participants exuded human spirit Near the finish line of the iconic Boston Marathon, two explosives were detonated among the crowd on Monday April 15, leaving three dead and 282 others horribly injured, the Boston Public Health Commission told The Boston Globe. Following a lengthy manhunt on Friday, which shut down transit and forced a shelter-in-place order throughout Watertown, Mass., 19-year-old suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended, while his 26-yearold brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev died following a series of bloody shootouts with law enforcement. In spite of the violent pursuit and the trigger-happy reporting of many mainstream news outlets, the remarkable aspect of this story came from the people of Boston who rose to the occasion heroically in many documented cases. Though the true motives behind the bombings are still largely unknown, if their goal was to sabotage or undercut the American spirit, the attack was a resounding failure. According to a CNN article by Alan Duke, 52-year-old Carlos Arredondo was seen helping police and firefighters pry open a fence for emergency responders to reach those who were wounded on the sidewalk. Arredondo helped a young man who was bleeding from severe leg wounds.

Graphic Illustration by MATTHEW EMMANUEL

"I just concentrated on that young man and tied him up, his legs, and talked to him. I let him know the ambulance is on the way, that it's OK," he said. After twenty-six punishing miles and a traumatic explosion, Michael Krumboltz of Yahoo News reported that "Some runners who crossed the finish line continued running to Massachusetts General Hospital to donate blood." The outpouring of support from the people of Boston immediately following the attack was so pro-

found and overwhelming that the American Red Cross was forced to turn donors

“...the remarkable aspect of this story came from the people of Boston who rose to the occasion heroically in many documented cases.” away, reporting via Twitter "Thanks to generosity of volunteer blood donors there

is currently enough blood on the shelves to meet demand." Undaunted fans of Boston sports also sang their way into the spotlight by "... raising their voices in unison to deliver a moving rendition of the national anthem," the Huffington Post reported. In the wake of this unspeakable tragedy and the frightful aftermath, it's important to remember that the true target of this attack — the enduring and indomitable American spirit — will remain unassailable. Its the same generosity and kindness that urged bystanders to rush

toward the blasts and try to help victims. Though it may be frightening to know the lengths that some will go to oppose and inflict harm on the American way of life, the heroic and courageous outpouring of support for victims emphasizes what is enduring and true. At their core, most people are caring and good. In moments of crisis, we all band together and look to do what we can to help. That fact will never change.

Opinion

AARON SILVERMAN, 21 Undeclared

“I thought it was very, very sad and unfortunate, especially since it was an eight-year-old boy killed.”

CRUZ CONRAD, 22 Political science and German

“A lot of the news stations were so anxious to be the first ones out with information that they were willing to say anything.” Interviewed and photographed by: Sasan Kasravi

Classroom friendships don’t have to end with the semester RACHEL ANN REYES Opinions editor

As the semester winds down and fall registration approaches, I look back at the classes I’ve taken over past semesters and recall a certain speech that has me thinking. In my public speaking course, a guy talked about an unmentionable topic- making friends and maintaining friendships in community college. It seemed like such a simple and even silly idea, but after thinking about it, it kind of makes sense. I've experienced that students generally go to school and leave when their classes are over. That’s it. We’re either so interested in school and our own personal lives that we can’t be bothered to simply hang out with new friends off campus. Or we

really just don’t care. scribed as “the powerful and often But why is that? Why don’t we unappreciated role that friends—past make more of an effort to sustain the and present—play in determining our relationships with those friends we’ve sense of self and the direction of our just made? lives.” We try to make According to Krauss friends in our classes “Something as Whitbourne friendships but, after that last final, impact life skills by maksimple as it's like they've disaping you happier, sharpsending a peared and we never ening your mind and inhear from them again. spiring you to reach your friend Seriously? goals. request can In a Psychology ToOne point that I find day article, Dr. Susan particularly intriguing is lead to a Krauss Whitbourne disthat friends can give you cussed how vital friends connection for a reality check during the are to shaping us. many years.” times you need it most. Throughout her arOur view of ourselves ticle, she refers to Carlin often differ from what Florin, the author of “Friendfluence: others see. The Surprising Way Friends Make Us Luckily, we can go to our friends Who We Are.” for more realistic advice. Friends can The term, friendfluence is de- see things in ourselves that we are of-

Editorial Board

Staff

Josh “Grassy” Knoll Samantha Chiu Brian Bunting Collin James Aaron Hudson Sasan Kasravi Rachel Ann Reyes ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR Troy Patton PHOTO CHIEF Karin Jensen COPY EDITOR Andrew O’Connor-Watts

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Gabriel Agurcia, Pablo Caballero,

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR NEWS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITORS

Theresa Marie, Hakeem Montes STAFF WRITERS Lucia Nardi, Alejandro Ramos, Mona TalebAgha, Evan Wesley PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Emmanuel, Julia Kinkela INSTRUCTIONAL LAB COORDINATOR Julius Rea ADVISER Mary Mazzocco

ten oblivious to. I've experienced making good friends in my classes, but being unable to reconnect once those classes are over is saddening. A few things that do help with this issue are the ever so present social networks. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram which are all common media outlets for us to keep up with those awesome classmates we spent 16 weeks with over the semester. Something as simple as sending a friend request can lead to a connection for many years. If we try to make friends through the semester, we should try to keep those friends after the semester ends. Let's cross that line from being school "friends" to being just plain Contact RACHEL ANN REYES at rreyes@TheInquirerOnline.com

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

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Opinions There is no Masculinity peace, only apartheid triumphs all

Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

MONA TALEB-AGHA Staff writer

Due to the number of complaints of Palestinians being a “security risk” received from Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israel launched a segregated bus service meant for Palestinians at the beginning of March. While Israel’s Transport Ministry claimed that the bus line would “improve public transport services for Palestinian workers entering Israel,” the incident has been increasingly criticized as being discriminatory by many in the international community. Released in 2006, Jimmy Carter’s book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” called the holy land an apartheid state. Despite the book’s criticism, it seems that Israel is becoming increasingly closer in resemblance to the historical apartheid situation in South Africa. According to International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1973, apartheid is defined as, “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them.” Surprisingly enough, neither Israel and the United States were signatories of the convention. Take a closer look at Israel. The Jewish population has a distinctly dominant role in the region, and the Palestinians are clearly being oppressed. The Palestinian territories include the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. However, Israel denies its presence in Gaza claiming that it disengaged from the region in 2005, despite maintaining rigid control over Gaza’s airspace and coastline. All territories have been occupied and controlled by the Israeli Defense Force since the Six-Day War in 1967. In terms of citizenship, Palestinians living in lands governed by the Palestinian Authority — which include the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — are ineligible for the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship, due to the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law which passed in 2003. Therefore the only Palestinians who are guaranteed Israeli citizenship are those who do not live on Palestinian land. This puts other Palestinians at a huge disadvantage in a land they had once called their own. Another one of Israel’s policies that closely resembles an apartheid law is its permittance of the Jewish National Fund — which owns over 13 percent of land in Israel — to sell its land only to those of Jewish decent. In a 2004 interview, renowned scholar and linguist professor Noam Chomsky commented on the aspects of Israeli governance that nears an apartheid state. “If you look at the land laws, and decode it all, what it amounts to is that about ninety percent of the land inside Israel is reserved to what’s called ‘people of Jewish race, religion and origin,’” said Chomsky. “That’s in the contract between the state of Israel and the Jewish National Fund, which is a non-Israeli organization, which, however, by various bureaucratic arrangements, administers the land... All of this is covered up enough so that nobody can say, ‘Look, here’s an apartheid law.’ “ Furthermore, Palestinians living in the nonannexed portions of the West Bank must pass through checkpoints and segregated roads, even in areas with inhabitants who are not Israeli citizens and are not allowed voting rights. According to human rights organization B’Tselem, Palestinians are barred from using 450 miles of West Bank roads, not to mention highways that would allow Palestinians to travel into Israel. For example, since 2003 Palestinians were restricted from using Israel’s Highway 60. These are just a handful of policies that Israel enforces upon the Palestinians. There are many other laws in Israel restricting Palestinians that resemble apartheid laws, including the appropriation of Palestinian land, the demolition of homes and farms owned by Palestinians in Israel and the Palestinian territories. While many critics deny that Israel implements an apartheid-system within its borders, it is clearly moving in that direction. Now with the new segregated buses that Israel’s Ministry of Transportation are launching, the Palestinians are in need of a Nelson Mandela figure in order to make a publicized statement against such injustices. Contact MONA TALEB-AGHA at mtalebagha@TheInquirerOnline.com

Graphic Illustration by MATTHEW EMMANUEL

The Real Deal: Macho culture has forged a relationship with rape culture AARON HUDSON Sports editor

It seems like each year there is a story about a huge rape scandal. More often than not, it involves a jock or a person who is directly related to some form of competitive team atmosphere. Whether it is sports or the military, rape culture is prevalent in today’s society. The crazy thing is that macho persona accompanies rape culture, and is prevalent in all age groups. Furthermore, sometimes even the accused avoid a firm enough punishment. Take the Steubenville case, where a 16-yearold girl was raped by two eastern Ohio highschool football players, for example. During the trial, a text message was sent by one of the now-convicted rapists, team quarterback Trent Mays. Mays had texted a friend that he wasn’t worried about the possibility of rape charges because his football coach, local legend Reno Saccoccia, “took care of it.” In another text, Mays said of coach Reno, “Like, he was joking about it so I’m not worried." Athletes in some cases receive a sense of worship rather than being viewed as a student or a man first. Today, most people are familiar with the Sandusky case at Pennyslvania State where a coach raped young boys while being blan-

keted by the silence of his prestigious football program. But the very same people were also aware that the then-unbeaten Notre Dame prepared to partake in the national championship game against Alabama. The sports media had no desire to discuss the fact that this football team had two players who were suspected of sexual assault and rape.

“Whether it is sports or the military, rape culture is prevalent in today’s society. The crazy thing is that macho persona accompanies rape culture, and is prevalent in all age groups.” Two players whose crimes have been ignored; two players whose accusers felt harassed and intimidated by. In this situation, the corporate media has dodged the story with propaganda and information on who had died this week, rather than investigating as to why these types of actions are on the rise this day in age. Another example is the increasing amount of sexual assault cases in the military. This has to be one of the craziest situations

because most women don’t report a rape incident and if they do, how sure are we that the case made gets past the higher officer, who sometimes is the one doing the raping. Rick Maze wrote in the Marine Times about an Army rape victim who told Congress how a military chaplain told her the alleged rape “was God’s will” and was intended to “get my attention so I would go back to church.” Former Sgt. Rebekah Havrilla was a key witness at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing focusing on sexual assault in the military. This type of behavior is clearly unacceptable, but how can we stop it? Just like athletes, higher ranked officials in the military are regarded as men in charge and carry a sense of doing no wrong. In order to stop the rise of rape cases by member of the macho culture, we must first start to re-evaluate how we view these higher ranked individuals. The sooner we see them as equal, the sooner the cases will decrease - and that’s the real deal. “I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it,” said Bob Knight, Hall of Fame basketball coach, “The Real Deal” is a bi-weekly column written by Sports editor Aaron Hudson. He provides an honest, personal take on current events. Contact AARON HUDSON at ahudson@TheInquirerOnline.com

Transferring students overcome obstacles EVAN WESLEY Staff writer

April has come and is nearly gone. All students that have remained persistent at DVC to this point of the semester have shown that their determination from the beginning of the spring semester has not faltered. It may not seem like a big deal to many, but those who failed to persist in their classes can testify to the fact that finishing with a passing grade is truly an accomplishment. Dropping classes is quite common among California Community College students and the reasons for dropping are growing in multitudes. A recent article from Katy Murphy of the Oakland Tribune stated, “The rate of California community college students reaching their goals of transferring or earning an associate de-

gree within six years has slipped in recent years, dipping below half for the latest group tracked by the college system.” DVC has done their best to raise the overall percentage of successful transfer within six years, posting a 61.1 percent completion rate according to the Student Success Scorecard. The same cannot be said about other local schools such as Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College who have both seen their averages below a 50 percent completion rate. Education boards can meet as often as they wish to devise new plans to keep the students in the classes, but they ultimately must understand the psyche of a college student and the struggles that these ‘failing’ students are facing. The determining factors of unsuccessful students stems from a number of issues, far and many.

These issues include but are not limited to: financial insufficiencies, health and disability problems, personal or family related issues, the lack of a support system and a lack of motivation and a plan. I am now nearing the completion of my 10th semester as a DVC student and some of these issues have hindered my transferring process. In my first two years as a college student, the lack of a plan, sprinkled on top of the ailing health issues related to Crohn’s Disease stunted my success. I was greatly discouraged, but I knew that there were steps that could be taken to right my wrongs. Scheduling regular counseling appointments and establishing both personal and academic mentors helped to steer the ship back on course. Developing a plan and being

determined and held accountable by others took me a long way in my goal of transferring. Also, having a realization of how far I can push myself mentally and physically has helped me to manage my health each semester. Declining transfer success can be addressed by both those running the schools and those attending the schools. Students who are in fear of failing for whatever reason must be willing to seek support and guidance. You are not alone in your struggles and hope is not lost. Through dedication, hard work, and academic and personal guidance, you can accomplish your goals. The more you assert your focus to the issues at hand, the quicker success will arrive. Contact EVAN WESLEY at ewesley@TheInquirerOnline.com

Arts & features

Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures

‘42’ isn’t ready for the big show

Passable Robinson bio-pic hurt by poor pacing TROY PATTON Arts & features editor

In 1997, 42 became the first, and only, number retired by the entirety of Major League Baseball. In addition, every year, the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day - an honoring of the anniversary of his debut in Major League Baseball. There is only one player who still wears the number 42: the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera, who is, coincidentally, the greatest closer in the history of baseball. To say that the legacy of Jackie Robinson and his number 42 have been cemented forever into the lexicon of professional baseball would be a gross understatement. The movie, “42,” looks to either regale the uninformed about the legendary tale of Robinson’s rise or to merely cash in on his legacy, depending on who you ask and their level of cynicism. Does this movie join the ranks of tremendous baseball films like “A League of Their Own” and “Field of Dreams?” In a word, no, but not for lack of trying. It would be a stretch, and perhaps an overlycritical one, to call “42” a bad movie. It just seems uncomfortable in its own shoes and unwilling to stand too long in one particular place. It tells the story of Robinson’s rise from a star player with the Kansas City Monarchs to his eventual ascension to the Brooklyn Dodgers through his own talent and the visionary ideas of the Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford. Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman, faces many trials along the way. As his career

was shaped by the racism of the times, so are time to pick one or two threads to focus on. Robinson’s trials throughout the film. Instead it chooses to touch on all of them. From racist fans to managers to other playSubplots like Wendell Smith’s plight as a ers, Robinson is assaulted externally and with- black baseball writer and Robinson’s relationin with the vitriol of the times. The eventual ships with his father and son are touching in conquest of these challenges occupies much their own way, but they way the are addressed of the focus of the film. In addition, it also is so quick and so singular, you wonder why pays notice to the trials and tribulations of the they were included into the final cut at all. films’ ancillary characters. What at first seems like a touching scene Robinson’s wife, Rachel, played by Nicole where Robinson opens his heart to his newBeharie, is faced with the task of being not born son, is quickly swept under the rug and only the wife of a rising baseball star but also never mentioned again. His child, and Roban African-American woman during a time inson’s relationship with him, is almost never when Jim Crow was still a name some held mentioned again. The difference between prein great regard and people baby and post-baby is that weren’t afraid to show their there is occasionally a baby “ ‘42’ seems like a prejudices. in scenes for the rest of the movie that wanted to film. The plight of budding African-American baseAnother example is when tell so many different ball writer Wendell Smith, Leo Durocher, played by stories, it didn’t have “Law and Order” mainplayed by Andre Holland, is similar. Although enough time to pick stay Christopher Meloni, he eventually went on to gets suspended from proone or two...” become the first African fessional baseball and is American writer in the replaced by Burt Shutton, Baseball Writers Associaplayed by Max Gail. Shuttion of America, his story is also fraught with ton proceeds to serve almost no purpose for the conflicts of a time where black writers the rest of the film. Which is odd because the weren’t even allowed in the press box and he film dedicates multiple scenes to his hiring and had to use a portable typewriter while sitting introduction to the team. in the stands. Because of these scenes, and similar ones Thanks to most of the actors not being throughout the film, the overall pacing comes huge names in the Hollywood circuit, none of off as unfocused. It is really the way these the acting, aside from a tinge of over-acting scenes are used that causes the most damage from Harrison Ford, ends up pulling the audi- to the films quality. ence out of the experience. But the acting and Any scene relating to the major plot points the big-picture plot points of “42” aren’t the of Jackie overcoming the racism of the time film’s main problem. It’s the pacing. and rising up to meet his own legacy, becomes “42” seems like a movie that wanted to tell bookended by these smaller stories. Because so many different stories, it didn’t have enough of this, the film never really gains any mo-

mentum and its overall message and impact is clouded by the noise of these peripheral stories. Once a scene is quickly concluded, another story beat is added, concluded, and then quickly shuffled on to the next one. Because of this no single story beat stands out above the rest. Another problem is that the story really doesn’t include falling action to speak of -Robinson knocks in a game winning run and the film cuts to a closing montage and credits -- the film comes off as a series of climaxes that, cumulatively, provide none of the punch that a proper rising action and climax should. With all that said, “42” is still not a film whose faults border on offensive. The story of Robinson is timeless and the acting throughout is good enough to carry the film along despite its shortcomings. While you won’t hear “42” being brought up come Oscar season, it doesn’t do anything damaging enough to drag Robinson’s legacy down with it. In the end, “42” is an okay film that tells a very uplifting and inspirational real-life tale of a man that doesn’t need a film to cement his legacy. It’s inoffensive to the viewer and really does get it close enough to warrant a view. The greatest fault of “42” is simply be that it couldn’t live up to the legacy of a man who changed a sport, and in a way, the entire country. A man like Robinson deserved a film about his life to be great. Instead “42” feels like it’s good enough and not much else.

Contact TROY PATTON at tpatton@TheInquirerOnline.com

YOUR DESTINY AWAITS CAREER QUEST 2013 Here is your opportunity to

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with local business leaders Keynote Speaker—Dick Callahan

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Arts & features The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, April 25 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

THERESA MARIE / The Inquirer

Meijing Liu, 21, works on arranging materials for the blue “trash tree.” The plan is to have it erected by the end of April as part of a collborative public art piece.

Students turn trash to treasure ‘Trash Trees’ hopes to be up by the end of April

timid about 3-D, but it offers so much potential in terms of what materials you can use.” The collaborative aspect of the project gave many students insights into their own skills and personalities. Breton explained, “When you collaborate, there’s a really different process that happens than when you work on an individual project. There is only so much planning that you can do. The art piece takes on a life of its own because there are so many people with different ideas who are contributing to it.” Some students were frustrated by the collaborative element, realizing that wanted to be more in control of their artwork. Other students got a lot out of working with others. “I didn’t think I would like collaborating as much as I do. Its much more relaxing and less intimidating than being responsible for every part of your own, individual project. And that helps me to be more creative,” said Kupp

THERESA MARIE Senior staff writer

Instructor Hopi Breton’s ART-140 students work to complete “Trash Trees,” a collaborative public art piece. Stretching, pasting, pulling apart. Flattening, smashing, stomping and grinding down. DVC’s room A201 has been a flurry of loud noises and activity as instructor Hopi Breton’s ART-140 students work to complete “Trash Trees,” a collaborative public art piece that will be erected near the Art Building at the end of April, 2013. “We have never done anything like this before,” said Breton, as she aided and supervised her students. Inspired by such artists as Nigerian-based sculptor El Anatsui, English sculptor Tony Cragg and American installation artist Phoebe Washburn, “Trash Trees” features three nearly 12-foot long painted plywood pole-like structures that function as blue, red and green trees. These trees are textured by the garbage that Breton’s students have been collecting and sorting by color all semester. The garbage includes cans, plastics, foils, straws and wrappers, to name just a few of the items. “They will look like these highly textured, stylized plant shapes,” Breton explained. But “Trash Trees” isn’t purely a decorative installation piece. “’Trash Trees’ makes a statement about how our wasteful lifestyle is killing our environment,” explained fine arts student and Oakland resident Livvy Wikdall, 20. The site of the installation – a plot of land which faces parking lot 7 and is between parking lots 7 and 8 – was chosen, in part, because it is surrounded by trees. “By contrasting the ‘Trash Trees’, which we associate with garbage and landfills, with the natural trees; it asks students to consider their own impact on natural settings,” said Breton. The approval process, alone, was a practical lesson in the administrative aspects of creating public art. Breton’s students had to learn how to create a proposal, which involved being very clear about the conceptual and technical aspects of the art piece. Structural and safety concerns were addressed and reviewed by a committee. The proposal had to be approved by the art chairperson, the art division dean and the director of the building and grounds department. “Whenever you see an art piece or a sculpture at a school, a bank, or a City Hall, the artists that created these pieces had to go through the approval process as well as the creative and technical processes,” Breton explained. In preparation for the formal artistic aspects of the piece, Breton focused upon principles of color, texture and three-dimensional de-

“ ‘Trash Trees’ makes a statement about how our wasteful lifestyle is killing our environment. ” ~LIVVY WIKDALL Fine arts student

THERESA MARIE/ The Inquirer

Kelsey Leegwater, 21, works to attatch more bits of materials to the red tree. sign. Her students created verb lists. Tie. Knit. Screw. Bake. Nail. Suture. Wrinkle. These were just some of the verbs on the lists. “I wanted them to think about using their hands and using tools in terms of action words to create texture versus creating a mosaic,” Breton explained. On April 15, students laid the painted plywood structures on tables and began to apply their action verbs to materials, using color and texture as principles of design. Looking at the progress that her students have made, Breton observed, “From a distance, it looks like a sculpted surface. But if you look closely at the trees, you’ll see that the garbage is folded, twisted, woven… The students really manipulated it to create dense

texture.” Lafayette resident and metal arts major Daniel Morris, 19, added, “Things like staples and nails become part of the texture, too.” As of April 22, students had completed mixing and pouring the concrete pads that will serve as the foundation for the art piece. The public artwork should be installed by the end of April. A graphic design major who is accustomed to working with two dimensions, Heike Kupp was initially intimidated by “ ‘Trash Trees’ ” three-dimensional design. “I thought that 3-D design would be a challenge because it’s such a different world than working on a flat surface,” said Kupp, 22. “But then I realized that 2-D works with 3-D. I was

“It’s interesting because every student has their own unique gifts and skills that they bring to the process,” said Breton as she watched her students Breton also pointed to Wikdall, who is working on an intricate design on the red tree. “If you see the parts where small things are woven and put together in interesting ways, they’re done by certain types of students - like Livvy. It takes a certain type of person to that kind of work - a person with patience,” said Breton. Breton appreciates the unusual contribution that 30-year-old art major Martin Rickert from Orinda brings to the project: “Marty has emerged as someone who is really good at fixing the tools that we need to continue the process. He’s really artistic, but his functional skills have really come in handy. We might not have known that if we didn’t have a project that makes students depend upon each other.” “Trash Trees” will only be displayed for two years which, Breton explained, is typical turnaround time in a rotating public art program. “The long term goal is to implement a rotating art program all around campus,” said Breton.

Contact THERESA MARIE at tmarie@TheInquirerOnline.com