3-25 issue by DVC Inquirer

SPORTS

with Christian Villanueva

TheInquireronline.com

Othello

Close Call

Featuring: Castle Rock

DVC’s Production of

Page 4

Vikings baseball narrowly grasps victory

Takes the stage ENTERTAINMENT

Page 3

Thursday, March 25, 2010 Volume 76 Number 3

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Hoax leads to ASDVC angst President must defend photos, videos exposed in fake Facebook profile Ariel Messman-Rucker Editor-in-Chief Sexually provocative photographs of the president of the Associated Students surfaced this month when board members and other students received “friend requests” from a fraudulent Facebook profile. In an interview with The Inquirer, ASDVC President Lindsay

St. Hill acknowledged the photographs were of her, although the profile used a different name. In some of the photographs, St. Hill, 21, is fully clothed or wearing a bathing suit. In others, she strikes sexually provocative poses while wearing a black bustier or only a thong, her hands covering her breasts. The photographs used in the fraudulent Facebook profile were

taken from websites that are publicly accessible, although one charges a membership fee to view the majority of its content, including hundreds of photos of St. Hill and three videos. In one of the videos, St. Hill briefly pulls up her top to expose her breasts and pulls down her panties. “I was very upset at the context they are in,” St. Hill said of the photographs and videos of her on one of the publicly accessible websites. “I mean, there are nasty things on that website.” St. Hill said she knew the video footage was being

-Lindsay St. Hill ASDVC President

See HILL, page 6

David Matteri Staff writer

Christopher C. Long Staff writer

Kuniko Nitta’s ESL students listens class.

English classes for nonnative speakers drew far fewer students this semester, prompting the English department to initiate an investigation to see whether its new assessment test is to blame. Normally, English as a Second Language classes are at maximum enrollment, with large numbers of students wanting to add, said Keri DuLaney-Greger, an English professor at the Learning Center. But that was not the case in January. Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer “Two courses were in intently to her lecture during danger of being cut,” Du-

Laney-Greger said, “but luckily, enough students enrolled to keep them going.” She said some English professors believe the decline is a “fall out” from the department’s transition last semester to the Accuplacer Assessment Test, which is a computerscored test of a student’s math, reading and writing skills. Prior to the Accuplacer test, every student’s essay was read by two or three members of the English department using established guidelines on See ESL, page 6

Fee hike likely, could raise unit cost to $40 Students to carry burden of California budget crisis Christopher C. Long Staff writer

Amid student protests over fee increases and budget cuts, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office has recommended increasing community college fees to $40 per unit, a hike of nearly 100 percent over one year ago. State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat whose district includes DVC, said the recommendation would not go to the Legislature for a vote until after May or June of 2010. First, he said, it must be See SHOOT, page 6 reviewed by a budget sub-

News................ 1, 6 Sports....................4 Features................2 Entertainment........3

not modeling during “I’m board meetings. ”

Mysterious drop in ESL numbers

Rugby match ends in gunfire The college district’s police chief had high praise for the officers who searched the campus Saturday night for a gunman on the run after a shooting that followed a rugby match. “They did an outstanding job,” said Chief Charles Gibson of officers from district police services, the Pleasant Hill and Concord police departments and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s office, which deployed one of its helicopters. The gunfire erupted about 8 p.m. March 20 after a rugby match at DVC’s football field between the Diablo Gaels and the San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club. The suspect is in custody and recovering with the victim at John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek, district police services said. At press time, police had not released either names. The shooting was the result of an altercation between spectators at the match, according to a DVC press release. The press release said the victim punched the suspect in the face, resulting in the suspect firing several gunshots. Tim Leong, the district’s communications director, said the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening.

taken and received payment. But she would not reveal how much money she made, when the photo shoots occurred or the name of her agent. “I thought I was advertising products,” she said. St. Hill said she signed contracts with each photographer, giving them the copyright to all of the images. “I do regret how these photos are taken out of context,” St Hill said, “but for a while that was my income, modeling swimwear and lingerie to be sold.”

Calendar.................6 Sports scores.........4 Campus Buzz.........5 Staff Information.....5

Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer

committee he chairs. “We’ve got a $15 billion problem for 2011-12 to remedy,” DeSaulinier said in a telephone interview. But he vowed support for public schools. “Both my sons went to DVC,” DeSaulnier said. “[The] K-12, community college, CSU and UC systems are to be protected more than anyone else is the way I feel.” Deborah Dahl-Shanks,

Classified Ads........6 Editorial..................5 Opinions.................5

“Would you rather be paying for unemployment, food stamps and welfare or classes for students so they can get off the entitlement rolls?”

- Deborah Dahl-Shanks DVC representative: Faculty Association of Community Colleges

DVC’s representative to the Faculty Association of Community Colleges, also said she strongly opposes any fee increase.

“Community colleges are fueling the country’s economic recovery,” DahlShanks said. “Would you rather be paying for un-

TheInquirerOnline.com - Polls - Videos - Blogs - Slideshows - News

employment, food stamps and welfare or classes for students so they can get off the entitlement rolls?” Rep. Nancy Skinner (D), DVC’s other representative in the Legislature, did not respond to requests for an interview. Proposition 98, approved by voters in 1988, mandates at least 39 perSee FEES, page 6

Days until finals

Thursday, March 25, 2009

A different kind of long-distance relationship

DVC instructor uses the Internet to continue teaching from across the country

Carolyn Seefer, above, takes part in the official Dupont Circle snowball fight during February’s snowstorm.

Christa Balingit Staff writer Business professor Carolyn Seefer doesn’t let 2,416 miles interfere with her passion for teaching. This semester, she’s doing a full load of DVC classes online while living in Washington, D.C. Seefer moved there with her husband, Christopher, after he became the new assistant director and deputy general counsel of the Financial Crises Inquiry Commission, formed by Congress to study the meltdown on Wall Street. “I was able to work things out with DVC,” said Seefer, who is teaching Applied Accounting and Business English from her furnished apartment in a 19th century building located just north

Caroline Seefer, right, standing in front of the Capitol building.

Photos Courtesy of / Caroline Seefer Advertisement

of the White House. She does most of her work at an antique desk in their apartment, but soon the Library of Congress will become her new office. “I plan to do some of my work there in the magnificent and historic Main Reading Room in the Jefferson Building,” said Seefer, who started teaching at DVC in August 1996. While teaching her courses online has its perks, Seefer admits to a big disadvantage. “I miss seeing my students in person,” she said. But she doesn’t let this stop her from connecting with them. “I post photos and per-

sonal anecdotes so that my students can get to know me, and I encourage them to do the same.” Seefer started teaching at the college level in 1987 and still has the same passion for the job she did 23 years ago. “I remember playing ‘teacher’ as a child—it’s just something I always knew I would do,” she said. The Commission her husband works for had held only two days of hearings at the time of this interview, and Seefer attended both, sitting in the same room as important bankers like Bryan Moynihan, Bank of America and Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs. Advertisement

When not at her antique desk or watching the hearings, Seefer attends media events as a member of Newseum, a 250,000 square foot museum devoted to journalism located on Pennsylvania Avenue, next to the White House. But what she does in her free time is not the only thing that has changed for Seefer. She has also had to adapt to D.C.’s harsh winter. “I was able to experience ‘Snowmageddon,’” she said. “What an exciting time to be in our nation’s capitol.” Contact Christa Balingit at cbalingit@theinquireronline.com

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Gears, tears, pipes and prose: the new Othello' '

“Othello” owes much of its success to its superb costume design and stellar acting. The best performances came from Ellery Urquhart as the bold general Othello, right, as well as the Kerel Rennackeras as the jealous schemer Iago, right, left, and bottom left. Kate Vasilyeva / The Inquirer

Chris Corbin / The Inquirer

Troy Patton Entertainment editor The newest production from the DVC Drama department brings the eloquence and passion of Shakespearean theater to the Performing Arts Center, with their take on “Othello.” What sets this production of Othello apart from other interpretations is the choice of aesthetic. It uses a “steampunk” setting as a backdrop for the Shakespearean tragedy. While same may consider this stylistic choice out of place, one strength of “Othello” is its ability to remain relevant, regardless of the setting. In this “steampunk” setting, each character wears garbs that the director, Ed Trujillo, describes as “The Matrix meets steampunk.” The costumes make for flashy dresswear and practical military wear. Shakespeare’s classic tells the tale of a Moorish general as he struggles with selfdoubt and betrayed trust that eventually lead to his downfall. As with any Shakespearean tragedy the burden of success falls to the actors rather than a catchy soundtrack or a high-tech light show. Thankfully, the acting in “Othello” is superb. With a play that focuses on so many Travis Jenkins / The Inquirer

different themes – betrayal, jealousy, love and racism – it could be easy for an actor to lose focus and deliver a performance that seems less than genuine. That is not the case with this production. Every line, innuendo and soliloquy is delivered in perfect diction. Two especially notable performances on opening night were by Kerel Rennacker and Ellery Urquhart, respectively Iago and Othello. As Iago, Rennacker must quickly switch from the clever schemer to the loyal soldier sometimes multiples times in a scene. Although this might trip up some actors, Rennacker does not miss a beat. Urquhart’s performance was also outstanding. When presented with the idea that his wife may be having an affair with his lieutenant, Othello’s rage and fear is almost palpable. All in all, “Othello” is an entertaining piece of performing arts that presents the majesty of a Shakespearean tragedy while maintaining a sense of relevance to a modern audience. Othello runs through April 3 in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available in the DVC box office. Prices are $15 for general admission, $14 for seniors, $12 for students and $10 for students with a current ASDVC activities sticker. Contact Troy Patton at tpatton@ theinquireronline.com

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Star athlete a real team player Volleyball captain also top “ scorer in basketball conference I ”

t meant a lot because I worked really hard during the off-season to get into shape.

Kamille Simmons-Turnquest

Staff writer

Jenny Kawakami knows how to be a leader. She is the unanimously elected captain of DVC’s volleyball team, and the second leading scorer of its basketball team. Following in the footsteps of her two older brothers, Kawakami has been playing basketball since the age of 4, and started playing volleyball in fifth grade. Described as a leader by both her teammates and coaches, the 23-yearold communications major excelled as the point

guard for DVC’s women’s basketball team. Kawakami was ranked in the top two of the Big 8 Conference in scoring, assists, rebounds and blocks, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, nearly three steals and one and a half blocks per game. “She took the role of a captain even though she wasn’t captain,” said basketball teammate Melanie Abuyan. “She is easy to play with and communicates a lot on and off the court.” At the start of the season head basketball coach Maureen Mattson hoped that the addition

1st Team All-Conference 16.3 points per game 10.3 rebounds per game 5.0 assists per game 2.9 steals per game 1.4 blocks per game

of Kawakami would help the team offensively, and was not disappointed. The Vikings made it to the playoffs, finishing third in the conference, after a seventh place finish in the previous season. “She helped us tremendously,” Mattson said. “We had a successful season last year, and she had a lot to do with it.” And as an outside hitter for the volleyball team, Kawakami led her team in kills, hitting percentages, defense, and passing efficiency, helping to advance “Jenny is one of those her team to the second round of the playoffs, after players that coaches wish defeating the higher seed- to have in their programs,” said head volleyball coach ed Gavilan College. Jackie Ponciano-Babb. “She is a competitor, a 1st Team All-Conferences very determined individual, and when it comes to 165 career games athletics she gives her all to the sport she is playing 483 career kills at the time.” Her success, both on the 2.93 kills per game basketball and volleyball courts, earned Kawakami a spot on the all-confer669 career digs ence teams for both sports this past season. 4.05 digs per game An aspiring elementary school teacher and basketball coach, Kawakami

- Jenny Kawakami

Photo Illustration / Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer

plans to attend Oregon Tech in the fall on a basketball scholarship. “I never thought it was possible,” Kawakami said of her scholarship. “It meant a lot because I worked really hard during the off-season to get into shape.” But coach PoncianoBabb wants to see her continue with volleyball as well: “I’ve been in contact with their interim volleyball coach, Tom Loney to convince him that Jenny is worth having on the volleyball team as well,” she said. “That situation is

pending at the moment.” Kawakami has yet to decide whether or not she will play volleyball along with basketball at Oregon Tech, but said that her experience on the two DVC teams was a good one. “It was interesting,” she said. “Because I’m a little older I took on a leadership position and tried to help out everyone else on my team as much as possible.” Contact Kamille Simmons-Turnquest at ksimmons@theinquireronline. com

Questionable calls can’t stop Vikings baseball win Carrie Soldati Staff writer Despite a questionable umpire and a couple errors, the Vikings finished strong, using a ninth inning rally to beat the Cosumnes River Hawks by a score of 4-3. In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and two strikes, Josh Nuyten hit a ground ball to third base and beat out the throw to first base, allowing Tim Gulbransen to score the winning run. Nuyten also knocked in the first run of the game. “It felt good,” said Nuyten. “I’ve done it a few times in the past, so I had no negative thoughts in

my head and I was just thinking I could do it the whole time.” Eric Andrews and Mitch Petrak had crucial hits as well, bringing in the remaining runs scored by the Vikings. Andrews slammed the ball to right field in the third inning, scoring a run and tying the game at 3-3. Petrak hit a ball high over the shortstop’s head into the outfield to bring in the second run of the game. The Hawks currently sit at the top of the Big 8 Conference. With the win, the Vikings improved their conference record to 4-3, and sent the Hawks record to 5-2. Some controversial calls marred the victory for

Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer

An impressive catch and throw by Sean Barber to first basemen Eric Andrews, causing him to slide into a split at the March 20 game. the Vikings, culminating in heated arguments with the umpires in the third inning and a DVC player being ejected. A disputable play on the base paths towards home plate in the top of the inning had head coach Mike

Neu questioning the angle at which the home plate umpire was standing. He was convinced it obstructed his clear view of the play. But the umpire maintained his call and ruled the runner safe at home,

thus giving the Hawks the lead at 3-2. “It’s part of the game, and you have to deal with bad things that happen,” Neu said after the game. “I was trying to move on, but it’s hard sometimes when things don’t go exactly how you want them to.” Then in the bottom of the inning, center fielder Dustin Wold was thrown out of the game after he argued with the home plate umpire on what he considered an unfair strike. “He overreacted,” said Wold later. “I told him the ball was outside and dragged my bat where the pitch was, and I can’t play next game either, it sucks.” Throughout the game,

the crowd consistently yelled out to the umpire with harsh remarks and vulgar language. After throwing Wold out of the game, a Vikings softball player, shouted out, “Do you need a tissue, ump?” implying that the umpire was hurt by a players disagreement. “Our guys played really well, and we deserved to win,” Neu said. With an overall record of 13-7, the Vikings play against Modesto Community College at 2:30 today at DVC.

Contact Carrie Soldati at csoldati@theinquireronline.com

Thursday, March 25, 2010

How do you feel about the cost?

Sarah Macy, 19 Business major “It will directly affect my family.”

Students deserve the truth about officials Sexually suggestive photographs of ASDVC President Lindsay St. Hill were recently given public exposure via a false Facebook profile that included links to the Web sites from which they were taken. Although Facebook quickly took down the fraudulent page after St. Hill complained, it was an open secret among ASDVC board members and others that she had posed for hundreds of these photographs and several videos on public Web sites. Inquirer editors discussed whether this was a legitimate news story that outweighed St. Hill’s right to privacy. Ultimately, we voted unanimously to run the story, knowing that many readers would accuse us of sensationalizing what St. Hill described in an interview as “modeling swimwear and lingerie to be sold.” Bill Oye, dean of student life, expressed just such a reaction to the Inquirer editor in chief: “If this is headline, page-one news, then someone isn’t looking at the

Christopher C. Long / The Inquirer

larger picture.” But the “larger picture” is that St. Hill is an elected official, and her actions merit more attention than that of the average person. We chose to go ahead with the story because St. Hill is the public “face” of DVC students. Her picture is on the cover of the spring schedule, she represents us at statewide leadership conferences and she presides over

weekly ASDVC board meetings where decisions are made that affect DVC students. As a result, we believe the existence of these photographs and videos on publicly accessed Web sites is newsworthy – particularly since some of them were taken during summer 2009 after St. Hill was elected ASDVC president. St. Hill refuses to say when and

where she posed for the photographs and videos, although she insists she was not the ASDVC president at the time. Yet the photographer who holds the copyright on many of these pictures says the photo shoot was last summer and the pictures themselves carry date stamps for July and August 2009. The fact that St. Hill made a conscious choice to pose for sexually suggestive photos and videos raises questions about her judgment. It also offers a valuable lesson to all students about how what you put on the Internet can come back to haunt you at any time. We invite readers to continue this debate by expressing their views on The Inquirer’s decision by visiting our website at theinquireronline.com, emailing us at inquirer@dvc.edu or by sending letters to The Inquirer at 321 Golf Club Road, H-102, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523.

Nothing to fear but fear itself Heidi Obel, 19 Psychology major “It’s a lot of money my parents will have to spend that I’ll have to pay back later.”

Paul Velasquez, 20 Philosophy major “I have friends who are affected. It’s bad for them.”

Anxiety. Angst. Apprehension. Panic. Terror. A dozen more nouns could describe my fear of driving. One could call me a late bloomer. I didn’t get my license until halfway through my senior year, and I’d be astound“...I hated myed if I accumulated more self for lacking than a 1,000 the courage to driving miles slide behind the in the first 18 months I had wheel...” a car. I hated driving. And I hated myself for lacking the courage to slide behind the wheel and start up the engine. Now, let me just say, I feel weird about

discussing personal problems in a public forum, but I don’t see the shame in talking about it. I know it’s sexy to be shrouded in mystery, but my experiences have taught me that openness is my key to staying sane, as hard as it may be sometimes. If only I had followed that advice earlier. Had I done so, the anxiety would not have controlled my life. I would have taken certain classes a year ago, such as this journalism class, instead of fearing I’d have to drive somewhere to cover a story. I would have gone out some nights, instead of sitting at home, because I was afraid of a two-mile drive. It took nearly two years, but finally last October I’d had enough and entered therapy for my anxiety. I was tired of living with a correctable problem that had gotten so bad I was buying

On May 2, Sydney Soldati will slip into a bright red, ARF T-shirt and strut down the streets of Walnut Creek in support of the ones who saved her life. Her story goes back to last June, when she huddled with her five

“It’ll affect me personally. I’ll graduate with a lot of debt.”

Winner of the 2008 JACC General Excellence Award

Contact Jonathan Roisman at jroisman@ theinquireronline.com

Student parades pup to raise money for shelter

Ian Bobbitt, 20 Physics major

Interviewers: Kamille Simmons-Turnquest, Jonathan Roisman Photographers: Kate Vasilyeva, Courtney Johnson

books devoted to telling readers how to live without a car. I can’t say I’m 100 percent “cured” when it comes to driving, but there are times I actually enjoy it. Better yet, it doesn’t interfere with my life anymore. All I can say is this: Don’t be shamed by yourself or others, if you have a problem. Help is available, and Jonathan Roisman seeking it out Opinions editor only makes you a stronger person.

Photo Courtesy of Carrie Soldati

Sydney was rescued from a shelter in Southern California by an Animal Rescue Foundation employee in 2009.

Editorial Board

Staff

Editor in chief: Ariel Messman-Rucker News editor: Julius Rea Features editor: Scott Baba Entertainment editor: Troy Patton Sports editor: Curtis Uemura Opinions editor: Jonathan Roisman Co-online editors: Christopher C. Long, Annie Sciacca Copy editor: Nick Sestanovich Instr. lab coordinator: Ann Stenmark Advisor: Jean Dickinson

Photo chief: Chris Corbin Photographers: Travis Jenkins, Courtney Johnson, Jesse Thompson, Kate Vasilyeva Cartoonist: Christopher C. Long Reporters: Oksana Yurovsky, Julie George, Carrie Soldati, Brian DeAngelis, Kamille Simmons-Turnquest, Travis Wonacott, Yuno Imai, Lina Pervez, David Matteri, Christain Villanueva, Chris Clark, Morgan Renteria, Christa Balnigit

brothers and a sister in a filthy, cold shelter in Southern California. Luckily, she caught the eye of a visiting ARF employee, who scooped up the puppies before they could be euthanized. As a volunteer for the Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, I was asked to foster Sydney and her sister Zooka until they could be adopted into Carrie Soldati Staff writer permanent homes. I prepared emotionally for the experience. Having been a foster parent, I knew to keep telling myself, “She’s not yours. She’s leaving soon.” But as the time drew near, I couldn’t let her go. A Border Collie/ Newfoundland mix, she resembled a wolf, with fanned-out hair around her face and those piercing yellow eyes. The only obstacle to keeping her was my dad. But instead of pleading, I made a power point presentation in which I linked my love for Sydney to his love for baseball. After outlining where I would keep her, what she would cost and how I would train her, I came to the last slide. Its message: Making me give Sydney back to ARF would hurt just as much as if I flushed his signed Willie Mays’ baseball card down the toilet. The analogy worked. My dad laughed and agreed to let me keep her. Ever since Aug. 22, the day she was officially mine, Sydney and I have volunteered for ARF. And that is why we’ll be in the “Paws on Parade” fundraiser May 2 in Broadway Plaza. Sydney is in the process raising $1,000 prior to the event.

Contact Carrie Soldati at csoldati@theinquireronline.com

The Inquirer

Phone: 925.685.1230 ext. 2313 Fax: 925.681.3045 E-mail: inquirer@dvc.edu Web: www.dvc.edu/journalism www.theinquireronline.com

The Inquirer is published on 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 artist and not necessarily those of the Inquirer, Diablo Valley College or the Contra Costa Community College District.

Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, H-102 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Thursday, March 25, 2010

6 CALENDAR Thursday, March 25 Menlo College visits Transfer Center 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saint Mary’s College visits Transfer Center 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Men’s Baseball vs. Modesto DVC Baseball Field 2:30 p.m. Brown Bag Lecture Respect and Power SU - 204 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 26-April 10 Drama performance Othello Friday - 10:30 a.m., 8 p.m. Saturday - 8 p.m. Sunday - 2 p.m.

Solar panels: lost, found and replaced Brian DeAngelis Staff writer

Forty-one solar panels stolen from the roof of the Life, Health and Sciences building nearly two years ago over the course of two weekends were recently replaced, said Guy Grace, DVC’s manager of buildings and grounds. Grace said the thieves, who have never been caught, propped ladders against a wall of the building and made their way onto the roof, where they had easy access to the panels. “They snapped the wires [and], undid them,” Grace said. On the first trip, the thieves stole 16 solar panels and then came back

Monday, March 29 Film –“Zoot Suit” Forum Free 7 p.m.

ESL...

Tuesday, March 30 Saint Mary’s College visits Transfer Center 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

on what an entering student’s paper should look like. English professor Irene Menegas believes the system was a great way to articulate and maintain department standards. English professor Heidi Goen-Salter said she has met this semester with students floundering in English classes that were beyond their skill levels. She said the new Accuplacer test may be at fault. Although cheaper than hiring instructors evaluate students’ essays, the current Accuplacer system cannot determine if a student is an English language learner. Consequently, it may recommend students for the wrong English classes. “You get what you paid for,” Salter said. Another test, the “Combined English Language Skills Assessment” test, or CELSA, is still available for non-native speakers to take, but students have to ask for it. English department chair

College Success Workshop SU -204 5 p.m.

Spring Banquet

Norseman Restaurant 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Saturday, April 3- April 9 Spring Recess Saturday, April 3 Women’s Softball vs. Modesto DVC Softball Field 12 p.m.

Saturday, April 10 Employment Resource Fair DVC Cafeteria 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wednesday, April 14 Resume Clinics Career/Employment Services 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

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Hill...

Continued from page 1

3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Financial Aid Workshop Student Services Center 3 p.m.- 6 p.m.

Correction: In the article “Governing board attacks deficit, axes three key positions for fall 2010” published in the March 11 issue of The Inquirer, the Associated Students of DVC president’s name was spelled incorrectly. The proper spelling is Lindsay St. Hill.

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.

Reached by The Inquirer, Troy Van Cleave, a photographer who took some of the shots of St. Hill that ended up on the fake Facebook profile, acknowledged holding the copyright. But he disputed her contention that the purpose was to sell swimwear. “No, she wasn’t,” Van Cleave said. “We were doing the photo shoots to beef up both of our portfolios.” St. Hill said the photographs and videos do not affect her ability to lead the ASDVC. “I’m not modeling during board meetings,” she said. St. Hill said the photographs were taken “before I was president, over a year ago.” But Van Cleave said his two photo shoots with St. Hill were done last summer. And the time stamps on the photographs read July 21 and Aug. 3, 2009, contradicting her statement that she stopped modeling before she was the president of ASDVC. Aleks Leven, an ASDVC board member, said he received a Facebook “friend request” from “Ashley ASDVC” three weeks ago. After accepting it, he looked at the profile and found photographs of St. Hill, as

another weekend and stole 25 more, Grace said. There was no security patrol on campus past midnight due to budget cuts when the solar panel thefts occured, said Charles Gibson, chief of the college district police services. The Walnut Creek Police Department aided district police services in the recovery of 25 of the panels, after a sale was attempted on Craigslist. Grace said 18 additional panels were purchased with insurance money; two extra panels in addition to the 16 which were not recovered. Diablo Valley, Los Medanos and Contra Costa colleges have been without security patrols after midnight for the past 3.5 years, Gibson said.

Nancy Zink suspects the new computerized test may not be the only reason for students having trouble. Some may self-select their classes, unaware their reading and writing skills are insufficient, she said. English classes below English 122, the college’s transfer-level composition course, do not require a prerequisite assessment score, so students can ignore their recommended

Chris Corbin / The Inquirer

Solar panels like these are back on the Life Science building. Prior to that time, one officer was responsible for the entire district on a 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, and if he was sick or on vacation,

placement level. Although the current Accuplacer test cannot determine a student’s status for ESL classes, its parent company sells an additional component that could fix the problem. Dulaney-Greger said the purchase is under consideration “as a way to make the transition between our native-speaker courses and our ESL courses seamless.” Yet, money is still an issue.

no one replaced him, Gibson said. Local police patrol each campus and respond if an alarm is sounded, Gibson

The Accuplacer tests are regarded as units, with a price tag of $1.75 per unit A single math test counts as one unit, while the English test counts as three, because it includes a oneunit reading component and a two-unit writing component in which the student’s essay is read and scored by a computer. Contact David Matteri at dmatteri@ theinquireronline.com

Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer

Professor Nitta teaches her Tuesday afternoon ESL class. well as links to various websites with more photographs. “I was both shocked and disappointed,” he said. St. Hill said the profile was a hoax and reported it to Facebook, which had the page removed several days later. She said she filed a report with the Concord Police Department, although The Inquirer could not confirm that fact. Concord Police Capt. Brian Weisendanger said department records did not “show an investigation.” If caught, the creator of the fake profile would likely be charged with “using electronic communication for the purposes of causing fear or harassment,” said Dodie Katague, Contra Costa County deputy district attorney. This is a new misdemeanor charge created last year and carries up to a year of county jail time, Katague said. Alex Williams, a DVC student and former ASDVC board member, said he informed St. Hill after getting a “friend request” from the fake profile. But just days later he received a text message from St. Hill, accusing him of creating the fraudulent profile, he said. “She said, ‘I don’t have

said. Contact Brian DeAngelis at bdeangelis@ theinquireronline.com

Shoot... Continued from page 1 The pursuit finally concluded when the suspect turned himself in at John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek around 11:30 Saturday evening. Gibson said the suspect will be under the custody of district police services at the county detention facility in Martinez, once he is released from the hospital. He said the district is prepared to handle the investigation The Diablo Gaels are not affiliated with Diablo Valley College and had rented the field for the evening. On the night of the incident one police officer and a trainee were assigned by the district to DVC’s campus, Gibson said. However, private groups that rent DVC facilities are required to provide indemnity insurance and handle their own security. This incident comes less than a week after KTVU News reported a separate rugby-related shooting in East Palo Alto. Lt. Tom Sharp of district police services would not say if the two incidents are related. Contact Christopher C. Long at clong@ theinquireronline.com

Fees...

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Staff writer Jonathan Roisman contributed to this article.

cent of the state’s general fund go to K-14 education. This includes the community college system, local public schools, state mental health facilities and the youth rehabilitation system. Gov. Schwarzenegger has argued that this “pilot spending” program makes balancing the budget a difficult task and proposed its suspension. The Legislative Analyst’s Office’s recommendations emphasize the growing reliance of the state education system on student fees to secure its funding. The proposed fee increase to $40 per unit would add $150 million to the community college system. “[Democrats] collectively said that education is the most important thing [for us] to protect,” DeSaulnier said.

Contact Ariel Messman-Rucker at amessmanrucker@ theinquireronline.com

Contact Christopher C. Long at clong@ theinquireronline.com

Lindsay St. Hill

enough evidence for the police, but I have enough evidence for myself. I know you’re a part of it,’” he told The Inquirer. St. Hill denies having accused anyone in person or over the telephone. “I haven’t made any accusations,” she said. But Adriana Lopez, student life manager and adviser to the ASDVC, said St. Hill “mentioned a couple of people she thought might have done it” during a one-on-one meeting. Lopez said she could not act on St. Hill’s suspicions. “To accuse someone of doing something without any evidence, I don’t think is fair,” Lopez said. Although no one has yet been arrested or charged, St. Hill told The Inquirer she knows who the creator of the fake Facebook

page is. Bill Oye, dean of student life, said he knew about the fake Facebook profile but had not seen the photographs or videos of St. Hill. He said student leaders are held to a higher standard than your average student and should be focused on representing the student body. “I tell [student leaders],” he said, “to try to make decisions that really inspire confidence, that bring energy to the organization, that attract positive attention.”