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Unlikely heroes lead Giants to World Series

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INQUIRER S T U D E N T V O IC E

Volume 77 No. 4

D I A B L O VA L L E Y C O L L E G E

www.TheInquirerOnline.com

Thursday, October 28, 2010

New law aids CSU transfer Bill ensures junior status upon transfer ARIEL MESSMAN-RUCKER Staff writer

Next fall, community college students will have an easier time getting accepted in to the California State University system thanks to a new bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late last month.

The new bill, signed by Schwarzenegger on Sept. 29, requires all California community colleges to offer “associate degrees for transfer” starting in fall 2011 which will guarantee students who complete the requisite units a spot at a CSU. Created by Senate Bill 1440, the law is meant to establish a smoother transition

from community colleges to the CSU system, in hopes that students will no longer be forced to waste time taking unnecessary units. Once SB 1440 is implemented, community college students who earn one of the new 60-unit transfer degrees in a defined major and graduate with at least a 2.0 grade point average will be guaranteed admission to a local CSU with junior status in a major that it similar to their com-

Hear the music play in the ‘Cabaret’

munity college major. Currently many students end up taking unnecessary units and often spend more than two years at a community college because of varying CSU requirements, said Susan Opp, associate vice president for academic programs and graduate studies at Cal State East Bay in Hayward. “SB 1440 has the potential to make

TRANSFER, Page 2

College struggles against student surplus ANNIE SCIACCA Editor-in-chief

TRAVIS JENKINS / THE INQUIRER

The female dance ensemble surrounds the emcee, played by Radek Antczak, while he sings and performs in the drama department’s latest show, “Cabaret.” See Entertainment, page 6.

District’s seismic refitting plans continue Sitting on an active fault, CCC buildings vulnerable SCOTT BABA Staff writer

The Contra Costa Community College District is working on a plan to refit buildings at Contra Costa College and the district offices that are at risk for earthquake damage, according to a report released this month. Several buildings around the district have fallen out of the Field Act/Building Code since their construction and are at risk for earthquake damage, including much of CCC, which lies on top of the Hayward fault line in San Pablo. A recent report given to the governing board on Oct. 13 explained the necessity for the refit plan. The report cites a study commissioned in 2006, which rated the square foot-

• News: 1, 2

age of CCC on a seven-level rubric of seismic risk acceptability. The study found that 76 percent of CCC was level IV or higher. On the rubric, level I is the safest. Level IV is ranked as having a safety level of “questionable,” and a risk to life of “moderate.” Level VII, the highest on the scale, has a safety rating of “unacceptable” and has a risk to life rating of “imminent threat to occupants.” Ray Pyle, district chief facilities planner, has been putting together what he calls the seismic risk mitigation implementation plan. Pyle indicated that much of the plan was simply streaming the accessibility of material already on hand. “What I’m trying to do with that plan,” Pyle said, “is to take a lot of stuff from a lot of dif-

• Entertainment: 6

• Sports: 4

ferent places – all the studies – and make a complete plan for all the buildings at the Contra Costa College and the district office. So you don’t have to go to a lot of different places to find out what we’re going to do about seismic safety, you can just go to one place.” Although a significant portion of the buildings are above level IV in the report, Pyle stressed that this has less to do with poor construction than it does with advances in construction techniques. “It’s just that there’s been newer knowledge in seismic strengthening since the buildings were built,” Pyle said. Pyle explained that since the 2006 study, the district has already done several seismic refits, including CCC’s library and liberal arts building. He was unable to specify how long the full refitting will take. “With respect to time, it’s really impossible to say. In some

• Opinions: 5

cases we may go to state chancellor’s offices to ask for funding to do some of these projects, and there’s just no way of telling if the state will fund them or when they’ll fund them. So the timing is really difficult to find out,” he said. DVC has not had as many seismic studies done as CCC, but doesn’t need them as much either, said Guy Grace, DVC’s Buildings and Grounds Manager. “I don’t know of any official study that’s been done, because we’re not that close to a fault line,” Grace said, “but I know that any of the buildings built on the campus are built to a very vigorous standard, because we are a public institution.” “The only facilities that have a more stringent set of codes and regulations [than campuses] are hospitals,” he added. sbaba @TheInquirerOnline.com

• Editorial: 5

• Campus Buzz: 5

A discrepancy between the number of students enrolled at DVC and the amount that the state is willing to fund could have detrimental effects on the college. DVC has traditionally valued student access, said Susan Lamb, vice president of instruction. She warned, however, that the administration, faculty and staff need to pay attention to and discuss the balance of taking on more students than ever when the college is dealing with reductions in state funding. The state used to give the school a certain amount of money for each student, Lamb said. Now, the funding is based on full-time equivalent students (FTES), the number of full-time student course loads enrolled or the sum of their part-time equivalents. A full-time student goes to school about 15 hours a week, or 525 weekly student contact hours a year. The state gives $4,564 to the school for each FTES, said Chris Leivas, vice president of finance and administration. This year, the state has put a limit on the number of FTES it will fund for the college. The current maximum is 16,893 FTES. However, DVC is currently serving close to 18,000 FTES, Lamb said. “The state has decided that we are only going to pay for that many students— any students above that, we don’t get paid for,” Lamb said, referring to the discrepancy between what the state funds and how many FTES that DVC currently supports. The tuition that the more than 22,000 DVC students pay does not make up for the gap between the number of FTES the college is funded for by the state and number that are actually enrolled at the college. This, said Ted Wieden, physical science professor and senior dean of curriculum and instruction, is because the college itself does not keep resident tuition – it goes to the state before it comes back to DVC from district budget allocations. The gap between finance and enrollment has affected the way instructors must structure their classes. English instructor David Vela said he likes having more students in literature classes because it means the survival of the course. However, he explained, the

FUNDING, Page 2 • Calendar: 2

• Features: 3

News

CALENDAR Thursday, Oct. 28 St. Mary’s College visits Counseling Center 10 a.m. – noon Halloween Festival Main Quad 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Brown Bag Lecture Series “Practices that Promote Satisfying Relationships” SU 204 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 Open Garden Day Located next to tennis courts 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Women’s volleyball Big 8 conference game vs. Cosumnes River College DVC gym 6:30 p.m. DVC football vs. West Hills College DVC football field 7 p.m. Drama - ‘Cabaret’ PAC 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1 Project Censored DVC SU 202A 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 2 Drama Auditions— “Comedy of Errors” PAC 1 – 2 p.m.

CORRECTIONS In the article, “College assigns three full-time faculty positions” in the Sept. 16 issue of The Inquirer, Glenn Appell’s name was misspelled. In the article, “Club attempts to fill in the gaps in the face of diminishing services at DVC” in the Sept. 30 issue of The Inquirer, Patrick Ehrhard’s name was misspelled. In the photo caption that accompanied the article, “From priest to president” in the Oct. 14 issue of The Inquirer, the location was incorrect. The reception took place in the Community Conference Center. In the article, “Confusing rule raises concerns for clubs” in the Oct. 14 issue of The Inquirer, staff writer Parjayna Holtz was unable to find any record of a fee charged to Students for a Democratic Society for its April event in the Performing Arts Center. Also, the statement that ICC reimbursed SDS for the fee should have been attributed to Keith Montes, SDS vice president.

CLASSIFIED PLACEMENT INFORMATION $1.50 a line 2 line minimum. 32 characters per line includes punctuation & spaces Copy and payment due the Monday before publication date. For more information call 925.685.1230 ext 2313 or stop by The Inquirer office.

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Disability insurance is on the table T

RANSFER

TALIAH MIRMALEK Staff writer

Among the upcoming elections, an opportunity has arisen for part-time faculty to vote in their very own election. Part-time faculty members will now be able to vote in the first week of November to receive State Disability Insurance because of Assembly Bill 381, which took effect January 1, 2010. AB 381 allows part-time faculty across the state the ability, as a separate unit, to vote to participate in the California SDI program. Part timers at DVC have never before been given the opportunity to gain SDI, however full-time fac-

ulty members already have this coverage. Under the current law, only private-sector employers are required to provide SDI coverage for their employees, while public agencies, which include the state, cities, counties, school districts, community college districts and other local districts, are under no requirement to provide coverage for their employees. According to information provided by Jeffrey Michels, president of the United Faculty, SDI is a partial wage-replacement insurance plan consisting of Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave Insurance. Deborah Dahl-Shanks, part-time faculty represen-

tative at UF, said, “There are people who this will very much help, and it’s good to have, and be a part of, in case they might need it.” Manijeh Kashi, a parttime Persian professor who plans on voting affirmative on this initiative, said, “I have never needed and never will need to use SDI. But I am willing to pay the small rate of 1.1 percent in order to ensure that people, because of pregnancy or sickness, who need it, will be able to use it.” As clarified by a United Faculty notice, in order to be eligible to receive SDI there are many requirements which must be met including being unable to work for at least eight consecutive days and having

to complete and mail in a claim form within 49 days of the date you became disabled. Dahl-Shanks, said it’s important to understand that it “also helps people who need to take care of a sick or dying parent, so it’s not just limited to people who have disabilities.”For example, eligible employees will be able to take six work weeks of paid leave during a 12-month period for maternity leave or care for immediate family. If the initiative passes the insurance will be mandatory for all part-time faculty. Dahl-Shanks expects that the majority of the parttime faculty will vote yes. tmirmalek @TheInquirerOnline.com

UNDING from Pg. 1

the nature of each class. “I think we just need to “Personally, as an in- have a broader discussion,” composition of such classes structor, I like classes that Lamb said. “How do we can be difficult for instruc- are fuller,” Wieden said. “I help our faculty be the most effective they can be?” tors because of the higher like that interaction.” He feels differently, he Peter Garcia, interim colvolume of work. Another 4.5 million* classes, in lege “It’s harder to deliver said, about labdollars is needed to president, expressed classroom that DVC is generthe graded papers back in which a crowded fund DVC totalconcern FTES a timely fashion when you and science equipment can ating more resident FTES have more students,” Vela be a dangerous combina- than the state will fund. tion. “The question of whether said. Lamb predicts that the to serve students that the The United Faculty has contractually negotiated number of students current- state does not fund and at maximum and minimum ly enrolled may decrease in what number is an imporrequirements for the num- the next few years. In the tant values and fiscal conber of students in a class. meantime, she encourages versation that I am beginThese numbers, Wieden college-wide discussion to ning to hear on campus,” said, run the gamut because help faculty and staff help Garcia said. Garcia said that the coleach limit depends upon their students. lege must continue to consider issues of student access to classes and services and of fiscal sustainability for the college. “We may not be able to Oct. 19, 2010 DVC Duck Pond: A student, who was drinking an impact the reality this year, alcholic beverage on campus, was detained and but it will be important for then referred to the office of Bill Oye, dean of student us to be intentional about services. our [2011-2012] plans and expectations,” Garcia said. Oct. 21, 2010 Financial Aid Office: A student reported that he If DVC continues to serve loaned his cell phone to an unknown student; the cell its large student body withphone was not returned. out state funding, it could Police Services: A student reported his motorcycle negatively impact the was vandalized and his helmet was stolen while he was in class. state’s budget plans for the college in the future, he exSilent Witness: Working together to solve crime, plained. the Silent Witness tip line provides a means of “Ill-informed legislators communicaiton for members of the campus could erroneously conclude community to provide district police with information anonymously. Silent Witness hot line: 925.685.1230 that the community college ext. 1999 system is over-funded and reset our funding base to Lost and Found is located at Police Services who have match what we have helost items or have found items may come into Police roically achieved through Services from 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. during the week. efforts for hardworking

Police Beat

Number Crunching Total amount of Diablo Valley College students: 22,000* DVC is currently serving 18,000* FTES A full-time student goes to school 15 hours* per week The state gives DVC $4,564 per full-time equivalent student, or FTES The state is paying for 16,893 FTES Another $4.5 million* is needed to fund DVC total FTES *Figures are approximate

faculty, staff and administrators.” Garcia also worries, he said, about the loss of counseling, instructional and administrative support, and how the lack of access will affect student success. “The reality is that in the short term,” Garcia said, “we have performed beyond our long term capacity.” asciacca @TheInquirerOnline.com

from Pg. 1

things much clearer for students transferring from a community college so that they don’t take unnecessary courses,” Opp said. Many of the details still have to be ironed out at the state level before the 112 community colleges in California can begin to do the work necessary to make these new degrees available to students. Ted Wieden, interim senior dean of curriculum and instruction, is hopeful that DVC will be able to meet the fall 2010 deadline outlined by SB 1440. “As long as the state has done its work that we need in order to begin to implement, we will do whatever we have to do,” Wieden said. While supporters of the new law believe it will keep students from taking unnecessary units, some administrators at DVC disagree. “One of the intentions of the bill was to somehow streamline the process so that students would not take extra units, but in the way it’s been written that may not happen and it may be opposite,” said Nicola Place, senior academic and student services manager. Place said students often decide to forgo getting an Associate’s degree because they can take fewer units by just completing transfer requirements, but in order to take advantage of SB 1440, students will have to get a degree, which could mean taking two to three extra courses. “I think there were a bunch of well- intentioned legislators who were somewhat ill informed, but have possibly made it harder for DVC students to transfer,” said Terry Armstrong, dean of counseling and students support services. Both Place and Armstrong have reservations about SB 1440, but said they are now going to focus on doing whatever it takes to implement the new law. So far, Place has not had any DVC students inquiring about the new law although she believes this will change as knowledge of SB 1440 becomes more widespread. First- semester student Fernando Fernandez hadn’t heard of the law, but said that he may try to take advantage of it so he could focus on accomplishing his goals at DVC faster. Business culinary major Gillian Espinosa who was also unaware of the new law said, “I guess I will use it if it guarantees me a spot.” Place said she is worried that students will not be able to get the information they need by fall 2011 when the law must be instituted. “The implementation timeline is extraordinarily accelerated, that’s one of my biggest concerns – how am I going to get the information to students at a time when we have less advisement time for students?” she said. amessmanrucker @TheInquirerOnline.com

Features

3 DVC’s A.C.E. club drafts a plan Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

The first portion of Christian Magdaleno’s look at DVC’s A.C.E. club CHRISTIAN MAGDALENO Staff writer

The Architecture, Construction and Engineering club is getting a retrofit after a generation on campus. The A.C.E. club has, in the past, provided students with an opportunity to participate in both social and educational events and meetings. “Back in 1990 or 1989 I started a club,” club administrator Joe Valdez said. “We didn’t have one before.” But current club president, Marlon Cruz, did not feel that the club was meet-

The DVC A.C.E. club meets every Thursday from 5:306:30pm in ET112 (The ET Auditorium) Website: dvcaceclub.tumblr.com

ing its full potential. “I kind of noticed certain things about the past A.C.E. club that could be improved,” Cruz said. Typically, the summer between semesters results in fizzling of club activity. This puts a handicap on the club because they must work to build it up again with each new school year. “So that transition between spring and fall usually is a really low time,” Valdez said.

But instead of allowing the club to deteriorate between semesters, Cruz stepped up and worked through the summer with the help of other club members. “We pretty much changed everything,” Cruz said. “We came up with a new logo, a new website. We have a blog now, we have the student gallery. We changed almost every aspect of the A.C.E. club. We’re trying to make things better.”

To read the rest of the story, visit www.theinquireronline.com cmagdaleno @TheInquirerOnline.com

TRAVIS JENKINS / THE INQUIRER

“Mondrian Museum” concept model, designed by A.C.E. member Tasha Nobles and based off of the De Stijl movement. This model was designed to appreciate both nature and the artworks of Mondrian.

The Inquirer Classifieds Brand new website seeking excited and open-minded students to buy and sell used items, rent apartments, look for jobs and find roommates. $10 per ad. Must love dogs. www.theinquireronline.com/advertising/classifieds

Sports

4Coming through in the ninth The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

GERARDO RECINOS Sports editor

The mundane drone of a Tuesday morning was punctuated with a yelp of excitement and incredulous joy. A classmate and I were talking about the upcoming Giants game, bouncing ideas off each other to find a good excuse for missing our afternoon classes and watching the game on TV. We decided to try our luck at StubHub, the largest third-party online ticket company, hoping they’d have tickets at a reasonable price. Thankfully, technology has come far enough along that a friend was able to use her iPhone while in class to check the website in time to find four tickets for $40 each. At that moment I wanted to hug Steve Jobs for creat-

ing the iPhone. We rushed in and out of the classroom to invite some friends to the game, asking them to wake up, get out bed and fork over some money for the spare tickets. The San Francisco Giants had advanced into the National League Championship Series and, before the series had even begun, tickets to the home games at AT&T Park were already sold out. It’s scary to think that the price for four tickets, four sodas and four programs has exceeded that of a Volkswagen Jetta. The game was to start at 12:57 p.m. because FOX wanted to run its normally scheduled program (and screw over working people and students who wanted to watch the game), which

Thursday, October 28, 2010

GERARDO RECINOS / THE INQUIRER

AT&T Park before Game 3 of the 2010 NLCS. The Giants won 3-0.

left us with some time to return home to pick up our Giants gear. You can’t go into a battle without your war paint on. The BART train that passes through nine stations on its way from Concord to the Embarcadero station in

San Francisco was full of Giants fans. And the lone Phillies fan. It seemed as if dozens of new fans boarded the train at every station, and as we all speculated about playoff outcomes, every one of us suddenly became experts

on the entire game of baseball. As the train traversed its route, we checked our watches and phones routinely, estimating the amount of time it would take to get to the game. The moment we reached the Embarcadero BART station, my group and I, along with a flood of fellow Giants fans, made our way to the MUNI platform, only to see that the train was packed with people squished against the windows. “Well,” I thought, “the walk from Market St. to the park isn’t that bad.” It was 20 minutes to game time, and we were at the foot of the Bay Bridge when Comcast Sportsnet came through in the clutch. A pedicab driver told us that the company had paid

for the drivers to offer complimentary service to those attending the game. There were four of us, however, in a space that was really only meant for two. We managed to get in, reaching the entrance gate as the F-16 fly-over occurred. We rushed up the stairwells and by the time we reached section 304, row 18, seats 5-8, we were just in time to see Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain deliver a 94 mph fastball to Phillies OF Shane Victorino. It was a great start to a perfect day, and a day where the Giants would dominate the Phillies lineup on their way to a 3-0 win, a 2-1 playoff series lead, and an eventual World Series berth. grecinos @TheInquirerOnline.com

Out of Bounds: Giving thanks for Bay Area sports JONATHAN ROISMAN Editor-in-chief

As I sit here, eating my split pea soup in Santa Nella, I realize that Thanksgiving was already celebrated in Canada—Oct. 11, to be exact. It’s getting me thinking about what I have to be thankful for in the sporting world. Sure, the 49ers and Raiders are terrible, the Sharks will most likely disappoint us in the playoffs, the Warriors will have another sub-.500 season, the A’s will continue to have an usual number of injuries as they try to support their team for less than what A-Rod, CC, and Mark Teixeira make combined, and the Giants, well, they’re doing just fine, actually.

Still, let’s take a look at these six professional sports franchises and see what positives we can find. It shouldn’t be too difficult, right? 49ers: You all should know I’ll never abandon the now-defunct Alex Smith bandwagon, even as it’s about to crash and burn forever in San Francisco. I’d be surprised to see Mike Singletary, most of the coaching staff, or Smith back next year. Hopefully, owner Jed York will craft a new team based around talent and skill, and not a bunch of theatrics. It can’t get any worse for the 49ers than it is right now. Raiders: Al Davis grew another year older. Athletics: Oakland always puts a competitive team together, regardless of its

payroll. If their team stays healthy, they’ll have a decent shot at the playoffs in 2011, but when was the last time they actually stayed healthy? Giants: They’re in the World Series! No matter what happens next year, Giants’ fans will never forget this one. Did any of you put money down in Vegas before the season, predicting that San Francisco would make it this far? If so, lucky you. Warriors: I don’t think anyone is expecting big things from Golden State this year, but the fact that they have new ownership is something worth celebrating. David Lee’s contract is not, however. Still, the Warriors future is no longer dark. Sharks: It’s almost certain that San Jose will clinch another playoff berth, so

at least we’ll get to see them blow it in the final couple of playoff rounds again—I mean, win the Stanley Cup. Seriously though, the Sharks always put together an exciting product on the ice. This is a fairly pessimistic list of “thank you’s,” but that’s what you get for living in the Bay Area. Just remember, the Giants are in the World Series, the A’s are young and (possibly) talented, the 49ers and Raiders can’t get any worse (well, never close the book on Oakland with Al Davis in charge), the Warriors finally have competent ownership, and the Sharks always fool us before breaking our hearts. jroisman @TheInquirerOnline.com

Opinions The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Editorial

The

Buzz Are you voting this November?

Kambiz PashnehTala, 19 Undeclared “It’s the first time I’m eligible and I feel like I should participate in a democracy whether or not it works perfectly.”

Pass the proposition, dude With a culture that sometimes glamorizes, and even in some cases promotes, the use of marijuana, it’s no small wonder that the plant is still considered an illegal substance. Proposition 19 seeks to change that. If passed, Prop 19 would allow for the legal sale, cultivation, transportation, and possession of marijuana in the state of California and, much like alcohol, you would have to be 21 or older to purchase or grow the drug. Currently the sale of marijuana is illegal so there is no way to tax or regulate this market, which means that the state of California – which almost always seems to be teetering on the brink of bankruptcy – is missing a prime opportunity to increase revenue. Should the proposition pass, local governments would be allowed to charge sales tax on marijuana and

would see an estimated increase in revenue of at least a billion dollars. New tax revenue from legalization won’t be a financial cure-all for the state, but it will bring in much needed funds that will hopefully help take some of the burden off our cash-poor state. In addition to the increase in revenue, the state would see a drastic decrease in costs because California would no longer have to spend state and city resources pursuing nonviolent drug crimes. According to the official voter information guide, California stands to gain “potential correctional savings or several tens of millions of dollars annually.” This is not to say that violent drug crimes associated with marijuana don’t happen. However, a large portion of these are because of drug cartels. Like the prohibition-era

SCOTT BABA / THE INQUIRER

mob, these cartels are predominantly funded by the under-the-table demand for an illegal substance. But if Prop 19, passes domestic sources will have the ability to grow and sell marijuana in a controlled and regulated fashion and the demand for product from these cartels will dry

up – much the way illegal distilleries and speakeasies went the way of the dinosaurs once the United States’ prohibition on alcohol was lifted. Currently medical marijuana is legal in California and the drug has been largely decriminalized. Actually legalizing the

substance that many studies point to being far less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol will allow people to make their own choices about what they put in their bodies and the state will profit financially at the same time.

Opinions

Rise above the immaturity of political advertisements

Sabrina Meja-Nichols, 21 Undeclared “I guess, yes. But I don’t know any of the other propositions [besides 19].”

No matter where you are, you’ve seen or heard them. They’re out to get you. Political advertisements have invaded, and they’re not leaving until after the election. They want you to hear why Jerry Brown is a lifelong failure, why Meg Whitman ought to have a nose like Pinocchio to keep track of her lies, why Carly Fiorina is selfish, why Barbara Boxer is a hypocrite–the list goes on and on. Is this how politics are supposed to work in America? Should the winner be the person who can sink the lowest with attack ads and pay the most to fund them? I say less ads, more debates.

And more importantly, better debate exposure. Having missed the gubernatorial debates on TV, trying to find videos online has proved to be quite a hassle. After about an hour of wading through search results, I finally found working links to only two of the three debates. And I grew up using a computer. It’s true that statements made in commercials will be similar to those made in debates, but at least in debates, the opponent gets a chance to directly respond. Views are clearest when spoken with a candidate’s own mouth, and how much money he or she has is inconsequential to winning at the

Let me get one thing straight: I don’t know what being or acting ‘black’ means. Does it mean changing my voice, my clothes or my house? Does it mean acting like everyone I see on BET? If so, I might jump off a roof wearing an “I Love Being Black” t-shirt. Except for living in Connecticut for five years, I spent my whole life within a 15-mile radius of DVC, an area populated with mostly white people. My mother, who grew up in the same type of situation, told me that one of the hardest things to deal with was living as an “oreo.”’ Most people don’t know that I am half Filipino. To many, I’m just

a black guy. My skin tells people I am only black, and my voice tone and wardrobe tell people I am white. Growing up in a world that is 30 years older, I didn’t think I would have to deal with those problems my mother dealt with. Some of my closest friends would jokingly say “Julius, you’re one of the whitest black people I know.” Of course, I would laugh and play along while thinking, “Is that the only thing people see of me?” If I’m not black, who am I? I try to figure out why black people are expected to look or act a certain way. According to the 101-year-old

Kevin Hayes Staff writer

podium. Plus, there’s something really gratifying about seeing politicians squirm after a tough question, but

maybe that’s just me. For a voter who actually wants to think about an election rather than just vote along party lines, ignore the ads and watch the debates. Reading the ballot booklets helps, too. My cousin’s Facebook status reads: “Dear politicians, please stop littering our street corners and television ad space with immature smear campaigns and get back to trying to fix problems, not making them worse.” I can’t agree more.

I don’t know how to act black

Kenneth Bui, 22 Music

“Probably not, I haven’t been paying attention to that.”

Become a ‘locavore’

Shirley Naoom, 20 Psychology

“No, I really don’t feel like my vote matters.”

Interviewer: Julius Rea Photographer: Carly Jones

Food doesn’t taste like it once did. It’s because they have been engineered not to. Taste is the least important factor to commercial growers and seed producers that supply most of the world’s produce and grain. Genetically modified foods flood chain grocery stores. Seasonal fruits are a disappearance. The perfectly shaped, red strawberries can be found year around in grocery stores, tomatoes no longer have the earthly aroma, as Michael Pollan states in the documentary Food INC, “although it looks like a tomato, it is a notional tomato. It is the idea of

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the media has a huge influence over what we see as ‘black.’ Movies and pop culture present

a stereotype of black people that becomes reality when we use it to define ourselves. I would call that a vicious cycle. Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg says, “ ... All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they’re stereotypes because they’re true.” Maybe many black people aren’t as diverse personalities as I would hope because we don’t see ourselves outside one or two stereotypes. And maybe I’ll never learn to be ‘black.’

jrea @TheInquirerOnline.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

a tomato.” We know these real fruits only exist in summer. These fake foods go completely unnoticed, more often than not. The convenience to eat and find any type of food whenever we want is satisfying; however it effects the environment, health and overall taste. The food is also picked too early and comes from industrialized farming, where GMO engineering takes place, unless it is certified organic. It’s tragic to think that some children may not even know what a real apple tastes like. The idea of real food, green or local, has been blossoming. More people are becoming aware of the

Editorial Board

Staff

EDITORS IN CHIEF Jonathan Roisman Annie Sciacca

BUSINESS MANAGER Ryan Beck PHOTO CHIEF Travis Jenkins STAFF WRITERS Brian Donovan, Kevin Hayes, Parjanya Holtz, Carly Jones, Emma Li, Soledad Lopez, Jasmine Burch, Christian Magdaleno PHOTOGRAPHERS Carly Jones

NEWS EDITOR Julius Rea FEAUTRES EDITOR Scott Baba OPINIONS EDITOR Taliah Mirmalek ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Troy Patton SPORTS EDITOR Gerardo Recinos VISUAL EDITOR Christopher Corbin COPY EDITOR Ariel Messman-Rucker

Julius Rea Staff writer

khayes @TheInquirerOnline.com

INSTR. LAB COORDINATOR Ann Stenmark ADVISER Samanda Dorger

supermarkets deep seeded deceits, and are looking for other options. So become a Locavore. By buying local fruits and vegetables, and/or organic ones, your voice is being heard, and your pocket book is being tallied. You’re supporting local farmers, helping the environment and not depriving your body of lush nutrients from fresh picked produce that was harvested on time. Food is important. We put it into our body every day, and will for the rest of our lives. To know that what you’re putting in your body is real, actual, and true is worthwhile. Raquel Bailey Student

Know your candidates

There is an election on Nov. 2 for many elected offices, from governor to city councils to school boards, including this college district. There is information available about all five candidates for election to the Contra Costa Community College Board which sets the budget for Diablo Valley College. If you want to know about your choices for this election, you can go to SmartVoter.org and type in your address to find out about any candidate who has submitted information. Greg Enholm Student

THE INQUIRER Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, H-102 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 The Inquirer is published Thursday mornings during the school year by the journalism students of Diablo Valley College. All unsigned articles appearing on the opinions page are editorials and relfect 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 Disctrict

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Entertainment The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College

Thursday, October 28 2010

‘Cabaret’ brings glitz and glam to the rise of the Third Reich

“ That approach

TROY PATTON Entertainment editor

here are many dramatic tricks to catch an audience’s initial attention. You can try bombastic music, eye catching stage design or colorful costumes. “Cabaret,” the latest stage production from the DVC drama department, decided to use a more unorthodox approach to grab the audience’s attention. That approach revolved largely around lingerie. Lingerie on women, lingerie on men, lingerie on women who dress like me, lingerie on men who dress like women, and, in one case, lingerie on a gorilla, who’s gender, due to my lack of knowledge regarding the anatomical differences between male and female gorillas, will remain in question. “Cabaret” takes place during the time surrounding the rise of Hitler and tells the tale of Clifford Bradshaw, played by John Di Giorgio. Cliff is an American writer who has traveled to Berlin in the hopes of finding inspiration for his novel which he has yet to start. Along the way he makes acquaintances with Nazis, prostitutes and showgirls. The story of “Cabaret” really excels

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revolved largely around lingerie.

at telling multiple smaller stories that are all tied together through the network of acquaintances that make up the cast of the play. Whether it is the story of Clifford and his love affair with British singer Sally Bowles (Kaciah Hopper) or the story of the elderly Fraulein Schneider (Elizabeth Curtis) and her doomed relationship with Jewish shopkeeper Herr Schultz (Daniel Barrington Rubio), each story told in “Cabaret” brings humanity to the over-the-top setting. You can think of “Cabaret” as a stereotypical hooker with a heart of gold and a keen interest in the socioeconomic effects of the Third Reich on the people living in Berlin at the time. In this case, the provocative eye candy and glamorous lighting fixtures on stage are all vanity. Just like you don’t go to a burlesque for the comedy bits, you shouldn’t see “Cabaret” just for the skin because what made “Cabaret” truly captivating was everything but the racy outfits, and what else is more important in a musical than the singing? For “Cabaret,” the musical numbers are top notch, with each one carefully choreographed and voiced by some of the best talent I have seen from DVC drama.

I was very impressed with the work of Elizabeth Curtis, whose singing has been excellent in every play I have seen her in. Whenever she belted out a song in “Cabaret” the theater got just a little bit smaller as every note sounded like it was sung by a professional opera star. Along with the voice work of Radek Antczak, who plays the flamboyant master of ceremonies, and Hopper, the cast of “Cabaret” has enough vocal talent to impress any audience. The one complaint I can levy against the show was the sometimes jarring accents used by the actors. While I know that most, if not all, of the cast are probably native English speakers, sometimes the German accents dipped into what sounded Russian, but this is a minor gripe that doesn’t take away from the overall experience. While “Cabaret” will certainly be hard to top for DVC drama, this show has only heightened my enthusiasm for the rest of the season. tpatton @TheInquirerOnline.com

Photos by TRAVIS JENKINS / THE INQUIRER

Top, emcee Radek Antczak, sings his heart out in “Cabaret.” Middle, Radek Antczak, performs a dance number with the entertainers of Cabaret. Bottom, Kaciah Hopper, sings and dances with the female dancers Katrina Klass and Atessa McAleenan-Morrell.