Fashion Sense
DVC Dominates
Photos show diverse fashion around DVC campus.
Vikings win the Diablo Valley Classic to improve to 9-0 on the season.
Features - Page 2
Volume 75 Number 2
Sports - Page 4
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Thursday, October 1, 2009
Activities escape cut Budget axe misses sports, drama, music, newspaper and more Sarah Kim / The Inquirer
Mike Melloni cuts through the old DVC sign facing Golf Club Road on Thursday September 24. Chelsea Reed Staff Writer
First-time visitors will never again search in vain for the campus along Golf Club Road and Viking Drive. At noon today, tarps, planks and plastic netting will be stripped away to reveal a large, cement sign – 7 yards long and 1 yard high – that marks the main entrance. District chancellor Helen Benjamin, President Judy Walters and board members are expected to attend. Sunset Building & Development, Inc., began
New signs end the ‘annoyance’ working on the signs in late August. The company kept the signs under guard for today’s unveiling at Golf Club Road to prevent the curious from getting a sneak peek. “A published photo ahead of time would take much of the thunder from our event,” said Chrisanne Knox, DVC’s marketing and communications administrator.
Chris Leivas, the college’s vice president of finance, said the signs cost $70,000, which came from the college’s facility use funds. The President’s Council chose to go with cement instead of redwood, because the cost was similar, but cement would last 30 years, Walters said. The signs have been a top priority with president
Walters, who could not easily find the school when she first arrived two years ago. Previously, the only campus identification was a smaller redwood sign on Golf Club Road. In addition to the two large, cement signs, two smaller signs on Stubbs Road will designate the campus. Student Scott Lanway said the new signs will be well worth it. “The first time I went to the campus a couple years ago, I missed my turn and got lost,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish that annoyance on anyone.”
Oksana Yurovsky Staff Writer A college committee recommended Tuesday that $2.49 million in red ink be erased this year by using one-time money stashed in various budget accounts. But it spared funds generated by students, coaches and other volunteers through drama productions, concerts, athletic events, the student newspaper and other activities related to the instructional program. Instead, the committee chose to recommend a 2 percent cut in the operating budgets across all divisions of the college. If approved by President Judy Walters, this $2.49 million will be added to $585,000 in additional
savings after classes were slashed last month from the spring and summer 2010 schedule. This brings the total reduction for the current school year to $2.9 million due to shortfalls in state funding. “Given all the work that’s going into it, I probably will take what they are proposing,” Walters said prior to the meeting Tuesday. Over its four days of meetings, the Budget Oversight Committee heard from faculty members and managers who asked that the funds generated by students, called “co-curricular trust funds,” be spared because they are essential to programs that directly affect students. See CUTS, page 6
No remodel for architect and engineering students
Elise Acredolo / The Inquirer
Christian Villanueva Staff Writer The state’s budget crisis has hit DVC again, this
News................ 1, 6 Sports....................4 Features................2 Entertainment........3
time for students and staff in the architecture and engineering technology programs. Plans to remodel the existing Archi/ET buildings
have been put on indefinite hold, since state funding failed to make its way to the college. The project was to be funded 50 percent from
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Classified Ads........6 Editorial..................5 Opinions.................5 Staff Information.....5
the state and 50 percent from a local bond measure that passed in 2006, said Chris Leivas, DVC’s vice president of finance and administration.
Although in the works for years, the project was still in its infancy stage, as architectural designs had not yet been submitted. “At this point, that
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money is reserved for that project,” Leivas said. “This would be DVC’s first See ARCHI, page 6
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Days until finals
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Thursday, October 1, 2009
tudents
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ost students use fashion to express themselves and show a piece of their character through the way they dress. Trends from the past have even made a comeback. Styles from the 40’s, 50’s, 60s’ and 70’s can all be found in the threads people are sporting today. A popular trend with the ladies these days are dresses or baggy shirts worn with a belt around the waste. This look is easily found all over DVC.
launt their ashion
LEFT (Counter clockwise from left to right) David Kushner, Cinnamon Hendricks, Darik Kobata, Lily Chhan, and Sam Owens appear to be celebrating Halloween a little early this year with their elegant-punk gear.
A particularly popular accessory for the men of DVC has been fedora hats, which add a classy look to any outfit. For both men and women, skinny jeans are still a popular fashion item. Whether your style is just jeans and a sweatshirt, or extremely out there with a gas-mask as one of your accessories. Your style is your style and the differences in self expression make DVC a unique campus.
Business major Lyle Sargent poses with style – straw hat and all.
Sarah Kim / The Inquirer
Finance major Evie Sandi poses in the sun wearing a white sun dress scinched with chunky black belt.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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Local pens gather for reading Julie George Staff writer
Richmond got the audience laughing with a funny story from her childhood about how she grabbed a woman’s Seven Bay Area writers breast in a pool locker room entertained a standing-room at age 5. only audience with excerpts Wendy Nelson Tokunaga from their novels during a read from, “Love in Translareading and book signing tion,” and explained that her event in the Trophy Room on Japanese influence comes Sept. 24. from her husband, who is All were writers from Japanese. Word of Mouth Bay Area, “I’m Japanese, and I was which English professor and impressed with Wendy’s stonovelist Jessica Barksdale ry,” said Miki Ozawa, 27, an calls a “support network” of economics major. 75 published women authors, Barksdale read from her who write different genres novel, “Believe in Me,” sayand meet once a month to ing with a laugh, “It’s a little “talk business.” sexy.” “Writers are often alone, The science fiction-roCourtney Johnson / The Inquirer mance writer described her and they can’t go to an office to get help,” said Barksdale, Susan Freinkel grabs the attention of her audience as she reads a selection from her book. book as “Harry Potter for who organized the event. adults with sex.” Students with their classes, Following the readings, said. “Sometimes you see business majors makteachers and others who came just to listen the authors took questions and then headed Susan Freinkel read from her non-fiction ing more money, but that’s not always the exceeded the amount of available seating and to a book signing table for those interested in story, “American Chestnut.” She talked about way to happiness,” Clayton said, cautionsat on the floor or stood against the walls. buying their work. how fungus killed this tree native to the East ing the audience against giving up what you The first reader Catherine Brady, read, “A lot of the readers had a good sense of Coast tree and how people grieved its loss. love. “Wicked Stepmother,” from her short story humor, and it was interesting,” said Jesus Lo“American chestnuts in the East Coast were Award-winning journalist and non-fiction collection, “The Mechanics of Falling.” She pez, 19. what the redwood is to us here,” she said. writer Linda Himelstein, read from her latadmitted she was happy to be first because “Michelle Clayton and the breast story got Before reading from her novel, “The est book, “The King of Vodka: The story of people just want to go home at the end. my attention and kept me awake,” he joked. Wednesday Sisters,” Meg Waite Clayton told Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheal of an Empire,” Her daughter Sarah Kahn, 22, a DVC stuThe event was funded by money for colhow her love for writing was shot down at and New York Times bestselling author Mident, was in the audience. lege wide activities that may not be available a young age, and she stopped writing for 30 chelle Richmond read from her novel, “No “I can milk her for writing wisdom,” she next year due to budget cuts. years. One You Know.”
Teacher Susan Browne balances moonlights poetry with teaching as fiction novelist Courtney Johnson Staff writer
Susan Browne’s love of poetry goes back to age 10 and a neighbor’s gift in Long Beach, Calif. “She brought me over a book of poetry, and I was immediately captivated by it,” she said, letting out a light laugh at the memory. In high school, Browne was influenced by musicians like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen, and in college by W.B Yeats, Denise Levertov, Gary Snyder, and Galway Kinnell. Although her first major was philosophy, she quickly switched to literature and poetry, and then specifically to poetry. Today, Browne is a DVC English professor and an award-winning poet, whose latest book, “Zephyr,” will be published next fall. Recently she was named winner of the 2009 Poetry Book
Julie George Staff writer Jessica Barksdale can write anywhere, as long as she has her computer. “I learned how to be a writer with two children around in an 800-square-foot home,” said the novelist and DVC English professor. Barksdale, 47, who organized the book reading Sept. 24 at DVC by Word of Mouth Bay Area, sold her first novel, “Her Daughter’s Eyes,” in 1999. It is the story of a girl who decides to hide her pregnancy from everyone, but her sister and give birth at home. “I sent it to 20 agents, and four wanted to read it, and two wanted to sign it,” she said. “I felt pretty lucky.” Barksdale said getting a book published is hard work and consists of many cold calls and query letters to publishers. Of her writing process, she said “Once it’s past 50 pages, I know what I’m up to.” Writing since age 12, Barksdale has written 17 novels, 12 of them published. Although, first published as a college student, she didn’t get serious about writing until age of 33. Barksdale’s style of writing is contemporary fiction and paranormal romance. In addition to teaching English at DVC for the past 20 years, she also has taught an online novel writing course at UCLA since 2000. “It’s good for my students to see I practice what I preach,” Barksdale said. How does she manage such a schedule? “I like being busy,” she said. “I’ve also learned to say
Jessica Barksdale
no to things I don’t need to do.” Barksdale said her sons, ages 22 and 24, aren’t fazed about their novel writing mother. “It’s really no big deal to them anymore,” she said. But she credits them with helping her with dialogue and details, and because many of her characters are young men. Barksdale’s biggest tip for aspiring novelists is to make sure your book is completely done before trying to get it published. “Sending it out,” she said, “is your one chance.”
Susan Browne
Editors Prize by Steel Toe Books Although she sometimes uses her poems in class, Browne said she relies mainly on the work of others, because she doesn’t want to pressure students into liking her poetry simply because she’s their teacher. “I sometimes do the writing with my students, and we share what we’ve done.” she said. Having taught at DVC since 1985,
Browne said teaching sometimes gets in the way of her writing. “Time is essential,” Browne said. “It is one of the most important elements of the development of craft.” However, teaching is also a great career for a writer, she said. “You are always immersed in teaching what you love and learning along with the students.” The original title for her upcoming book was “Dear, Ephemera,” but her editor requested the change. One of her favorite poems in the book is “Zephyr” and wind is mentioned in her poems 12 times. “Zephyr” means wind. “I’m happy, though,” Browne said. “I like the wind, not the blowing hurricane-in-your-face wind, but the kind that gently lifts your hair.” She said she is excited to have this, her second book, published, because, like Walt Whitman, she believes “a poem is not finished, until someone has heard it.”
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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Viking volleyball rolls to the top Curtis Uemura Staff writer After falling just short of a playoff berth last year, the Vikings are off to a promising start to the volleyball season. DVC cruised past Merced, beating the Blue Devils 3-0 on Saturday and improving its preseason record to 9-0. With victories over 2008 playoff teams Shasta and San Francisco City colleges, the Vikings were a confident bunch heading into their Big 8 Conference opener Wednesday against Modesto Junior College. Results of the game were not available at press time. Of the nine victories, five of the teams they beat made playoffs last year. “So being able to beat all of them is a benefit to us,” said coach Jackie Ponciano-Babb. With four returning sophomores, including All-Conference selection Jenny Kawakami, coupled with a good group of freshman, the Vikings have a strong core of players. “It’s nice that the freshman came from a good background,” Ponciano-Babb said. “Meaning they came from clubs and played for a successful high school.” DVC will have a tough road to get to the post season, given the strong conference schedule it must get through. Perennial playoff teams Santa Rosa and Sacramento City are always tough matchups with Sierra and Delta lurking behind them. But more than the schedule, the Vikings will need to heal up before conference games begin. Sophomore setter Lilia Marcic is out with a rotator cuff injury and middle hitter Holley Morris has an ankle sprain. “When they come back, we are definitely a better team,” Ponciano-Babb said. “But as long as we play like we did against Shasta with that lineup we will be fine.” Both Marcic and Morris are out for two weeks but should be back in time for DVC’s first conference home game Oct. 2 against Sierra College. With the early successes, the Vikings have an eye on their ultimate goal of qualifying for playoffs. “I talked to my core of sophomore and told them this is it,” Ponciano-Babb said. “This is the year that we are going to do playoffs.”
TOP Jenny Kawakami spikes the ball on Sept. 23, 2009 against Shasta College during the Diablo Valley Classic. FAR LEFT Player Beverly Bruno serves the ball. LEFT The team celebrates another win.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Where do you get your news and are you up to date on current events?
Brooke Grandin, 19 Graphic Design Major “I use the internet, Yahoo mostly. I also watch the news every once in a while...I bring up events my friends don’t even know about.”
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Budget cuts aim at co-curricular classes The Budget Oversight Committee made a wise choice in leaving the students’ co-curricular trust accounts untouched in its search for $2.49 million in budget cuts for this school year. President Judy Walters had instructed the committee to consider using these funds when scouring budget categories for unspent, onetime money. But these student-generated funds amounted to a mere $130,170 in a list of $2.6 million possibilities. The committee Wednesday recommended a 2 percent across-theboard cut in division operating budgets, rather than taking money raised by students and volunteer faculty and staff to cover necessities the college does not provide. Twenty-three programs rely on this money, including the music industries studies, chorale, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, chorus, guitar ensemble, jazz work-
Elise Acredolo / The Inquirer
shop, performing arts, horticulture, business workshops, multimedia, journalism, dance performance and nine sports programs. It comes in through ticket sales to plays, concerts and sporting events, plant sales, and volunteers who work the snack counter at athletic games
or help with rentals of the college’s athletic facilities by outside groups. Without this money, programs would have folded or had to search for new sources to pay for such basics as uniforms, equipment, costs of away-games, conferences and facility upgrades and repairs.
The Inquirer itself was in danger of losing a little over $15,000 raised through the sale of advertisements in our newspaper. This money is used to pay for supplies that exceed the $800 supply budget from the college, new computers, photography equipment, software, state and regional journalism conferences and much more. Although it was President Walters herself who proposed the co-curricular accounts for consideration, she told an Inquirer reporter she was concerned. “On a personal basis, I hope we don’t have to go that route,” she said. Walters placed the burden squarely on the shoulders of the committee, perhaps to distance herself from alienating any constituent groups. For students, already facing class closures next semester, the sparing of the co-curricular trust funds represent the one bright spot so far.
Sticks and stones: Words do hurt
Louis Fabian, 19 Buisness Major “I’m not up to date with my news, and I just watch television at night to get my news on FOX.”
More than 154,000 websites contain the phrase, “It’s so gay,” according to www.thinkb4youspeak.com. And you can’t walk the campus without hearing it dozens of times In fact, “that’s so gay” used to be my favorite expression. And I said it a lot. It could be my response to the “Right then and movie starting late or a book not bethere, I swore ing available. Just I would never about anything at all really. use that phrase But that all again.” changed during high school. Freshmen year, a teacher constantly corrected me, telling me and the class it was wrong. But I didn’t care or even listen until one of my closest friends revealed he was gay during my sophomore year. I was happy for him, but when I told some friends they just looked at me in surprise.
“Well,” one said, “I always thought you were kind of a homophobe.” That really hit me. I had said “that’s so gay” so often, people assumed I had a problem with gay people. At first, I shrugged it off, thinking, my newly “out” gay friend would tell me, if I was really offending people. But he never said anything about the subject. Finally, I did some research, only to discover that millions of gay teenagers won’t say the phrase is offensive. They keep quiet, sometimes even stopping going to school when it gets so bad. Right then and there, I swore I would never use that phrase again. But surprisingly, it wasn’t easy, and more often than I’d like to admit, teachers still had to correct me. What finally made the difference was my friend telling me how he had been harassed at school for being gay. No one physically harmed him. They hurt him with their words. I didn’t want to be one of those people. “That’s so gay “means something is “lame,” “stupid,” “dumb,” “wrong.” Basically, we’re tell-
ing gay people their lifestyle is “lame,” “stupid,” “dumb,” “wrong.” Just the other day, I had an instant messenger conversation with a friend during which he constantly used the phrase. I corrected him every time he referred to something as “gay.” But each time I substituted the word “lame,” he responded as if I’d just agreed with him. Finally, I just told him to stop equating “gay” with “lame.” “It actually offends people,” I wrote. “It’s not like ‘lame’ is that much harder to Courtney Johnson Staff writer type?” He seemed to agree, although I don’t know whether “it’s so gay” will disappear from his future conversations. Still, it’s worth the effort. I didn’t change overnight either.
Generation gap non-existant on Facebook Ying Su, 21 Buisness Major “The New York Times Online. I have a subscription... they e-mail me the news everyday.”
Carolyn Seefer Guest writer I read Julie George’s article “Facebook: for the young, not the young at heart,” with great interest, probably because I’m one of those “youngat-heart” individuals to whom she referred. I joined Facebook back in November, and over the last ten months, the site has changed my life. I have reconnected with countless friends from high school and college, some whom I hadn’t seen in 20 or 30 years. I have caught up with former students who are now out there in the “real world.” In addition, my son, who is a sophomore at UC Berkeley, and my dad are both on Facebook. My parents lives 3,000 miles away, and Facebook has been an incredible way for all of us to keep in touch on a daily basis, something we never had before. And I’m not alone. President Obama uses Fa-
cebook to stream many of his addresses live, so that members can comment immediately as his speeches are in progress. Gavin Newsom is using Facebook as an important tool in his campaign to become governor of California. Many musical groups, including the Indigo Girls, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and Jimmy Buffett, use Facebook to keep in touch with fans and to announce upcoming concerts. Nonprofits, including Livestrong, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Special Olympics, and the Sierra Club, use Facebook for fundraising. The media, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNN, and NPR, use Facebook to post news stories, many within seconds of breaking. And businesses have discovered that Facebook is an extremely effective communication and marketing tool. But in Julie’s estimation, all of these people and organizations are “wrecking” Facebook be-
cause Facebook “just isn’t for adults.” It’s time that Julie and others who share her feelings realize that Facebook is a tool that is bringing people of all ages, all over the world, together. Yes, it was developed as a “Facebook is a tool exclusively for college tool that is bringstudents; but ing people of all founder Mark Zuckerberg was ages, all over the smart enough world, together.” to realize that Facebook was something that people of all ages could use, benefit from, and enjoy. Finally, I may be “young at heart,” but I’d challenge Julie any day to see which one of us uses Facebook more proficiently. Hey, Julie, if you’re up to the challenge, just send me a friend invitation.
Strolling through campus I see several camouflage backpacks, and those humping them might as well have faces of the same pattern. Veterans on this campus have yet to reveal themselves. Some of them, they, hide behind an experience few have witnessed. As a 2-tour Marine veteran, I know the feeling. Thousands of new born college kids kick around in the quad chatting about things that don’t matter, while most of their behavior in the
classroom is instinctive to slapping them in the back of the head. I haven’t done it. Yet. My time here at DVC was like a mission received from a Captain. I took it seriously. And even though I’m transferring, I know this campus, and this community of veterans, has immense potential to fight for and strengthen our systems of support. In addition, like many of us have up to now, we must participate in our community. We have to
educate ourselves about the benefits we deserve, communicate among our peers, and organize around our values. This is a crucial time for us, and with hundreds of more veterans set to land at DVC very soon: it’s our responsibility. Go to www.dvcveterans.org and become a member.
Dan Purnell, 18 English Major “I bounce around a lot between CNN.com and MSNBC.com. I hope I’m up to date as much as everyone else. Maybe not as I should.”
Interviewer: Julie George Photographer: Jesse Thompson, Sarah Kim
Editorial Board
Winner of the 2008 JACC General Excellence Award
Editor in chief: Ariel Messman-Rucker News editor: Curtis Uemura Features editor: Nick Sestanovich Entertainment editor: Troy Patton Sports editor: Christian Villanueva Opinions editor: Kate Vasilyeva Online editor: Chris Corbin Cartoonist: Elise Acredolo Instr. Lab Coordinator: Ann Stenmark Advisor: Jean Dickinson
Staff
Photo chief: Ariel MessmanRucker, Chris Corbin Photographers: Jessie Thompson, Ryan Daley, Sarah Kim, Adam Chrysler, Courtney Johnson, Kimberly Walker Reporters: Chelsea Reed, Ingrid Almaraz, Julie George, Linda Wolf, Oksana Yurovsky, Travis Wonacott, Sawitree Sonburanakul
The Inquirer
Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, H-102 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 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
Ryan Berg DVC Student veteran
Phone: 925.685.1230 ext. 2313 Fax: 925.681.3045 E-mail: inquirer@dvc.edu Web: www.dvc.edu/journalism www.theinquireronline.com 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 of the Contra Costa Community College District.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
6 Calendar Thursday, Oct. 1 Art Department - Visiting Artist: Christa Assad Art-206 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1-8 Saint Mary’s College On-TheSpot Admission Transfer Center 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1-15 UC Berkeley at DVC Transfer Center 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 The Art of Nature Exhibit Reception Library, L-218 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 Speech and Debate Team Meeting PAC-106 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Every Monday and Wednesday Tuesday, Oct. 6 Saint Mary’s Representative Visit Quad 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, 13 CSU East Bay Representative Visit Counseling Building 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Appointment 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Drop in
Book commemorates 60 years Critics say Edelstein pages lack research Linda Wolf Staff Writer The Contra Costa Community College District will release a compiled memoir next month in celebration of its 60th anniversary, but the reminiscences are not without controversy. At issue is the chapter, “Battle Over DVC Reorganization,” by Bruce Koller, which covers a management change so tumultuous it led to a nearly 93 percent faculty vote of no confidence in thenPresident Mark Edelstein in 2002, a lawsuit by the Faculty Senate in 2003 and an appeal in 2004. Two former DVC Faculty Senate presidents – Barbara Sawyer and Gay Ostarello – read a chapter draft and fault Kohler’s selection as author, since he was not actively involved in the events covered and did little research. “I’m unhappy that the memories being asked for aren’t wider,” said Sawyer, Faculty Senate president from 1995 to 2000. Al-
though retired, she teaches a class each semester. Calling the chapter “not historically accurate,” Sawyer added, “It is only fair to have multiple memories [of such a] volatile time.” Ostarello, Faculty Senate president from 2000 to 2003 and now retired, said in an e-mail interview: “Clearly, this chapter does not qualify as history. That said, I am dismayed that even a collection of stories including these pivotal events in DVC’s history does not include contributions from any faculty members who were involved on a daily basis with what transpired. Bruce was not one of those people.” The approximately 400-page book, “Sharing Memories: Contra Costa Community College District, 1948-2008,” will be unveiled at an anniversary celebration Oct. 5 at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond’s Marina District near the shipyard where the district’s first classes were conducted. The book project was initiated by district Chancellor Helen Benjamin, coordinated by Tim Leong, the district’s public relations director, and edited by Bill Harlan, a retired English instructor. Leong described the
Correction: A statement made in the article titled “Non-smokers forced to police new rule in quad” in the Sept. 17 issue of The Inquirer was misidentified. The quotation reading “I’d hold my breath when I walked through the quad,” should have been attributed to DVC Student Chris McDonald. 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.
Photo Courtesy of Tim Leong
Cover of ‘Sharing Memories,’ which will be distributed with each $30 ticket to Oct. 5 event. in bloody detail over it.” For his part, Koller, who was Faculty Senate president during the quieter years of 2005 to 2007, described his chapter as “my own memory of what took place…not a lot of research.” He said he was not trying to be a reporter or a historian and acknowledged he was “on the side-lines, observing,” during the years he wrote about.
But Ostarello said readers may assume otherwise. “I am afraid that this ‘book of memories’ will be viewed by some as the definitive word on the reorganization struggle at DVC, and that would be a travesty” she said. “A much more accurate and complete story needs to be told.” The district’s book will be sold for $30.
Celebration to mark police services re-opening Kate Vasilyeva Staff Writer The new Police Services headquarters officially reopens today with refreshments, door prizes and tours of the building. “It’s a chance to walk around [the station] without being in handcuffs,” said Lt. Tom Sharp. The original building was destroyed by an arson fire on June 23, 2008. To date, no one has been arrested in connection with the crime. Police Chief Charles Courtney Johnson / The Inquirer Gibson called the new staashes of the former headquar- tion more “user friendly.” He said the officers provid-
Wednesday, Oct. 7 3 p.m. Men’s Water Polo 4:30 p.m. Women’s Water Polo 6:30 p.m. Volleyball Hearing Loss Association of America-Diablo Valley Chapter Walnut Creed United Methodist Church
book as 25 chapters of movements that shaped the district as told by “individuals talking about what they remember.” But Sawyer said she had expected the book to have a similar approach to “Diablo Valley College at 40, 1949-89,” DVC’s 40th anniversary book. “It was very well researched ... [and] controversial areas were covered fairly, “ she said. However, Leong offered a different view of the DVC book, calling it “a good book to read if you want to fall asleep.” Social science professor Greg Tilles wrote the last one-third of “Diablo Valley College at 40” and will have a section republished in the district’s anniversary book. He pointed out the DVC book was praised by the AACJC Journal (August 1990) and the Community College Week (April 1991). “Maybe it wasn’t as lively from the outside,” Tilles said, “but, internally, a lot of people were pleased.” Harlan defended his selection of Koller as author of the chapter on the Edelstein years. “Koller was very much affected but not caught up in the emotion of both sides,” he said. ”I don’t think he glosses over it, but I don’t think he writes
The new police building stands on the ters which was burned down June 23 of last year.
ed input on its design. Larger than the previous building by 480 square feet, it allows more storage space for lost and found items. The officers also now have closets for their personal belongings. Children from the college’s Family Life Center will get their own tour of the station and take home shiny plastic badges. Gibson said the celebration is to show that Police Services is “part if the community, not apart from it.” Tours of the new station begin at 11 a.m. and will continue every 30 minutes. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
Cuts... Continued from page 1 The co-curricular accounts amounted to $130,170 out of a possible $2.6 million in possible cuts Athletic Director Christine Worsley said 10 sports programs rely heavily on revenues generated by coaches, instructors and student volunteers who organize rental of sports facilities to outside groups, sell tickets and man the concession stand. The money then finances the teams’ travel expenses, uniforms, program equipment and facility upgrades and repairs. Without it, some sports would have to be canceled, she said. In a written statement to the committee, music instructor Bret Peppo said the choral program depends heavily on the fundraising activities of students through ticket sales for performances.
Music instructor Owen Lee said his program would “be gutted in one fell swoop” with the loss of co-curricular funds. The committee – chaired by Vice President Chris Leivas – included managers Stacey Shears and Ann Patterson; faculty members Keith Mikolavich and John Hanecak; staff members Courtney Crew and Sue Handy; and student Jodie Cheung. In a separate interview prior to the committee’s decision Tuesday, Walters expressed her support for the student-generated funds. “On a personal basis, I hope we don’t have to go that route,” she said. Walters said she directed the committee to the budget accounts with as-yet-unspent savings to avoid employee layoffs during the current school year. “But I recognize that by cutting our
[spring and summer] schedule we’re also cutting people, and we’re affecting the lives of part-time faculty,” she said. The president’s contingency account, consisting of $50,000, was left intact, as were three other funds. “That buffer is if something happens to a building,” Leivas said of the emergency account. “Every semester something comes up.” The other 16 funds were either wiped out or partially used towards the deficit. For instance, all of the carryover money in the facility use account was eliminated for a savings of $371,745, while $800 was left in the equipment account and $261,797 went towards the deficit. Enrollment management was left with $44,600 of what was a $140,140 fund, with the remaining money earmarked for the Ujima and Student Ambassadors programs. The cam-
“People have put their blood sweat and tears to help raise the money. For me that’s pretty much program money.” - Susan Lamb Vice president of instruction
pus-wide activities fund was left with $750 after losing $7,800. The list went on and on. “I know that the 2 percent across the board is tough for people,” said Leivas at the close of Tuesday’s meeting. “We got 98 percent [of the necessary $2.9 million cut] with onetime funds. That’s pretty astounding.”
Archi... Continued from page 1 stand earthquakes and are not energy efficient. Also, the plumbing needs work. Built in the early 1970s in an architectural style called “mid-century modern,” the
buildings resemble the “skin and bones” style of architect Mies van der Rohe. “It was state of the art at the time,” said architecture instructor Daniel Abbott, excitedly explaining the architectural importance of the buildings. “It’s like a collec-
tor’s item.” The building is made out of brick, beams and metal panels. Its only windows face onto an inner courtyard that was once maintained by a master Japanese gardener. “You get this very sheltered core,” said Abbott
about the work space created by the buildings design. ”It’s served us pretty well.” Across the courtyard in the Engineering Technology building instructor Tom Chatagnier agreed, saying, “I’ve been able to use this space to do the type of things
I like to do. [A remodel] would be nice.” Buildings and grounds manager Guy Grace said early discussions about the remodel included talk about making a green building and using it as a center for teaching how to build green.